Calhoun Chronicle, Winter 2015

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Excursions Abroad!

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Girls’ Volleyball Teams Dominate League

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An Uncommon Renovation

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Alumnae/i News

WINTER 2015

Calhoun’s Mission To inspire a passion for learning through a progressive approach to education that values intellectual pursuit, creativity, diversity and community involvement.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2014—15

PA R E N T S A S S O C I AT I O N 2 0 1 4 — 1 5

Eric Potoker ’85 Chair

Steven J. Nelson Head of School

OFFICERS

VICE PRESIDENTS, MIDDLE SCHOOL

Jon Brayshaw Vice Chair

CO-PRESIDENTS

LIFE TRUSTEES

Chris Rothermel Rosa Sabater

Susan Dubin Barbara Pyles

Dylan Hixon Treasurer Melissa Liberty Secretary TRUSTEES

Susan Barkey Jonathan Bauman Stefanie Bhalla Andrea Booth Michael Conboy Lori Fleishman Dorr ‘92 James Glasgow Melanie Griffith Erica Hong Michael Marra Bernadette Mitchell Marc Murphy Colleen Pike Blair Shaiza Rizavi Chris Rothermel, PA Rep Rosa Sabater, PA Rep Steven Sinatra Claudia Singleton Jay Sugarman Susan Thomson

Robert L. Beir* Eric B. Ryan

VICE PRESIDENTS, LOWER SCHOOL/81ST

Louise Litt Lora Vaccaro

SECRETARY & VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

Lynda Roca HONORARY TRUSTEES

Gertrude Marden Bacon ‘34* Edwin Einbender* Constance Stern Flaum ’39 Ronald M. Foster, Jr.* Sally Goodgold* Lawrence S. Harris Mark S. Kaufmann Anne Frankenthaler Kohn ’39* Peter D. Lederer Stuart Levin* Florence Yachnin Liebman ‘38* Helene Simons Mark ‘32* David C. Masket* Joan Masket Arthur S. Olick Elizabeth Parmelee* June Saltzman Schiller ’42 Jesse S. Siegel* Mary-Ellen Greenberger Siegel ’49 Allen B. Swerdlick Edward S. Tishman

VICE PRESIDENTS, LOWER SCHOOL/74TH

TREASURER

Carolyn Tierney Paul Vinger

Barry Cohen VICE PRESIDENTS, UPPER SCHOOL

Marc Corpron Jackie Kern

THE CALHOUN SCHOOL MAIN NUMBER

ALUMNAE/I RELATIONS

212-497-6500

646-666-6450

LOWER SCHOOL/74TH

ANNUAL GIVING

212-497-6550

212-497-6579

ADMISSIONS/81ST

COMMUNICATIONS

212-497-6534

212-497-6527

ADMISSIONS/74TH

Please send changes of address, phone or email to familyupdates@calhoun.org

212-497-6575

*deceased

O N T H E COV E R

WINTER 2015

Eric Massa (Assistant to MS Director) pauses with eighth graders for a photo-perfect shot marking their hike on the Great Wall of China.

The Calhoun Chronicle is published twice each year by the Communications Office for alumnae/i, current and former parents, staff and friends.

Page 20 Beth Krieger beth.krieger@calhoun.org

Angela Fischer Michelle Raum

NEWS EDITOR

PHOTOGRAPHERS Bert Berat Jim Byrne Gary Joseph Cohen Erica Hassler Soren Hixon ‘18 Amy Konen Beth Krieger Paul Leung Lauren Marsh Emma Morrow ‘16 Isabel Shen

Jim Byrne jim.byrne@calhoun.org ALUMNAE/I NEWS

Bart Hale ‘00 bart.hale@calhoun.org COPY EDITOR

Amy Edelman

PHOTO: ISABEL SHEN

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Photo : GARY JOSEPH COHEN

EDITOR

DESIGN

Christine Zamora ‘81, CZ Design

Cert no. XXX-XXX-XXXX

Cert no. XXX-XXX-XXXX

Contents WINTER 2015

Features

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16

26

Excursions Abroad!

20

An Uncommon Renovation

26

From the Archives: Calhoun Reimagined

29

Departments

VIEWPOINT 2

by Steve Nelson

SCHOOL NEWS

Building an Inclusive Community

4

PA Launches New Initiatives

6

Sports 8

40

In the Classroom

11

Onstage 18

11

ALUMNAE/I NEWS

Class Notes

33

Profile: Dale Allsopp ‘91

34

Reunions 40 Profile: Sabrina Spiegel Zurkuhlen ‘06

18

42

2

Viewpoint

BY ST EV EN J. NE L SO N , HE A D OF SC HOOL

Catching Our Breath I’m writing this column in the immediate aftermath of separate grand jury decisions not to indict either Officer Darren Wilson, who shot Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO, or Officer Daniel Pantaleo, who apparently caused the death of Eric Garner on Staten Island.

The Calhoun Chronicle is not the place to opine on the justice or injustice that each of these cases represents, but the tensions that have arisen as a result of the Brown and Garner cases—along with several other recent police shootings of young black men—have exposed a deep and painful divide in America.

Race is not the only difference that roils our society. The continued threat, real or perceived, of ISIS and other terrorist groups, sparks constant and frequently angry debate— including the ongoing controversy over comedian Bill Maher’s and author Sam Harris’s indictment of Islam as a violent faith.

The common characteristic of this often-vitriolic discourse is that we really don’t know one another. I read all the Op-Ed pieces in the major papers and the comments that follow. Even in the supposedly liberal New York Times, opinions are sharply divided.

I am wary of the dangers of false equivalence, so a disclaimer is necessary: There is no doubt, based on ample evidence, that racism plagues America, arguably with renewed energy, despite halting progress over the last 60 years. Racial profiling, increasing poverty and disproportionate rates of incarceration and sentencing are just a few of its many manifestations.

But angry assertions, made in all directions in matters of race and faith, indicate how faulty our assumptions are and how little we really know about those whom we vilify.

A central part of our progressive mission at Calhoun is to prepare our students to be thoughtful citizens of an increasingly global society. Given the strained and destructive nature of recent events, and the arguments they’ve sparked, this work takes on even greater urgency.

This issue of the Chronicle reports on some of the many ways Calhoun addresses this mandate. Hilary North, Director of Diversity and Equity Initiatives, writes about some of the diversity

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work that invites our students and our community to talk with and listen to one another. This work has become more possible and more necessary by the remarkable changes in the composition of our Calhoun community. A decade ago, 20 percent of our families were of color. Now, about a third of our families are.

Another article describes the Muslim Journeys book group that Calhoun organized this year. For the participants, and vicariously for the whole community, this program helps to extricate Muslim identity from the monolithic stereotype that political rhetoric has erected.

Last June, our Middle School students went on life-changing trips to Peru and China. A group of Upper School students visited France. We intend to replicate and expand international travel this year and in years beyond so that our children—your children— will see themselves as part of an interdependent world community.

“ One progressive school on the Upper West Side of Manhattan can’t solve the world’s problems. But we can instill in our students, and one another, a capacity to really listen . . . to grow toward understanding and away from judgment.”

Our intent is not to press students to be activists, although many will be driven to act out of a sense of outrage or ethical imperative.

One progressive school on the Upper West Side of Manhattan can’t solve the world’s problems. But we can instill in our students, and one another, a capacity to really listen. To respect and learn from others’ experience, culture and values. To grow toward understanding and away from judgment.

We must do this work and have confidence that it matters in ways we cannot possibly foresee.

SCHOOL NEWS

I’m Not Racist . . . Am I? Opens Conversation on Racism Calhoun’s documentary film, I’m Not Racist . . . Am I?, was screened in November at the St. Louis International Film Festival as the cornerstone film in a series to help address this summer’s tragic events in Ferguson, MO. The feature-length documentary is part of Calhoun’s Deconstructing Race initiative.

Since its completion last August, it has been screened (with facilitated workshops) at several high schools and colleges across the country, as well as for government leaders in Denver, employees at Google, and educational organizations—including the NAIS People of Color Conference.

Private showings were held in the fall for Calhoun’s faculty, staff and parents, with additional New York area screenings expected later in 2015.

David Alpert, co-producer of the film and project director of the Deconstructing Race initiative, hopes the positive response

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Calhoun in the News Media Coverage for I’m Not Racist…

Am I? went from print to radio and TV this fall, including a profile in The Wall Street Journal, a podcast on Colorado Public Radio and an interview with the filmmakers and cast members on WPIX-11 News. Find links for the stories at www.calhoun.org/drpress.

Lunch Program Showcased by NAIS: Calhoun’s Eat Right Now lunch program is being showcased on the Inspiration Lab website of NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools). http://inspirationlab.org/story/6123

to the film generates funding for the next phase of the project—the development of curriculum for students in grades K–12, which will be done in collaboration with Columbia University’s Teachers College and its School of Social Work.

HuffPo blogger Elissa Viggiani Kompanek, 4’s Head Teacher, writes about how she places Gandhi at the center of a curriculum that is age-appropriate, anti-racist and multisensory to help develop social, emotional, physical, cognitive and community-building skills.

Read the article, “Let’s Begin with Gandhi” (The Huffington Post, Sept. 4, 2014).

SILENT AUCTION: ONLINE BIDDING BEGINS FEB. 9!

Beginning Feb. 9 and continuing until the day of the Benefit, you can: PREVIEW THE AUCTION ONLINE and START YOUR BIDDING!

INTERACTIVE BIDDING TABLETS AT THE BENEFIT: NO MORE PAPER BID SHEETS! On the night of the Benefit, all silent auction bidding will be done via sleek interactive tablets and at kiosks stationed around the room.

Each table will have several easy-to-navigate tablets as well, so you can bid from the comfort of your seat during dinner!

SUBMIT ONLINE AUCTION BIDS UNTIL FEB. 27 • RSVP TO ATTEND THE BENEFIT UNTIL FEB. 22 www.calhounbenefit.org For more information, contact Nicole Nelson, 212.497.6533, nicole.nelson@calhoun.org

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SCHOOL NEWS

Building an Inclusive Calhoun Community

by Hilary North Director of Diversity & Equity Initiatives Calhoun seeks to create a learning community in which the range of identities and experiences embodied by our students, families, faculty and staff are reflective of New York City’s rich human complexity. As a school whose roots are anchored in progressive education, we are called to respond to this diversity from a perspective of social justice, acknowledging how dynamics of privilege, power and access in U.S. society implicate and affect us all.

In recent years, strategic admissions work around outreach and recruitment has borne a more racially diverse population of students and families— increasing our numbers of children of color from 22.8 percent in 2004–05 to 36 percent in the current school year. But the growth in our racial diversity isn’t the end game; it only reminds us that we have to work harder to address the kinds of ongoing challenges that people of color often encounter in private school settings.

There is ample research documenting these challenges as well as the kinds of programming that can be implemented to both validate and alleviate them. It is my work to connect this aspiration to the living, day-to-day experiences of

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all members of the Calhoun family. One powerful mode for doing this has been the practice of equity, and the creation of programs and other mechanisms to support and acknowledge the variable realities folks are negotiating as part of their Calhoun experience.

In concert with faculty, parents and my fellow administrators, I have worked to establish a range of opportunities where these issues can be explored.

For our younger students, the Lower School Students of Color Support (SOCS) group is an after-school option for grades two through four, designed to foster a sense of familiarity and community among the participants. Activities allow children to explore all aspects of their identity, with special attention to their experience of race. For students in grades five through eight, Middle School SOCS follows a similar format, meeting once every six days during the lunch period. Both groups are facilitated by Calhoun teachers of color.

In the Upper School, several groups have emerged out of the broader anti-racist work that has taken place over the past seven years, including a focus on white identity. In too many schools, white folks are often left out; intentionally exploring whiteness has been a critical component of our approach to tackling issues of racial identity within a

(Far top) The Calhoun Anti-Racist Collective provides an opportunity for faculty and staff to explore issues of race, diversity and social justice.

The collective is just one of the many groups facilitated by Hilary North (above) for Calhoun students, faculty and parents.

predominantly white setting. This has sent a message that race and racial identity conversations must include all voices.

The Upper School anti-racist affinity groups, open to students in grades nine through twelve, are comprised of three components: the Young Women of Color group, the Young Men of Color group, and the Anti-Racist White Student group.

These meet three to four times each month and alternate between separate meetings and collective gatherings, where cross-dialogue can take place.

The Calhoun Anti-Racist Collective

SCHOOL NEWS

provides a similar opportunity for faculty and staff, who alternately meet as a cross-racial group, and in affinity spaces for people of color and white people.

While issues of race factor centrally in our work, we recognize that human diversity encompasses a broad spectrum of identities, and that identity experiences intersect one another in complex and significant ways. We actively empower students to participate in conversations that provide support and/or increase their awareness. Diversity in Action is a Middle School club where students are invited to explore topics of interest while learning terminology, understanding social categories and reflecting on current events. In the Upper School, student-led clubs have a long history of creating opportunities for dialogue, reflection, learning and support. The Queer Straight Partnership (QSP) acknowledges and aims to support the experiences of LGBTQ students at Calhoun, and explores opportunities for allies to increase awareness around heterosexism and hetero privilege. The Multicultural Club (MCC) has historically been a space

where Upper School students could hold conversations about topics related to cultural, ethnic and racial diversity, and how students experience that diversity at Calhoun.

Parent involvement is critical to our institutional support of Calhoun families and our work with students. The Parents of Color group, now in its fifth year, is one of our mechanisms for supporting parent involvement in the diversity and equity work of the school. Stacey Haley, a social worker and outside facilitator, structures conversations that support our parents’ unique experiences and challenges. Another parent group is Race Talk, which was organized out of a desire expressed by white parents to receive support in their understanding of race. Two additional spaces where parents are invited to participate are the Touched by Adoption and the Gender and Parenting groups. Both several years old, these were created out of expressed interest in learning more about how family and gender diversity have direct implications for parental interactions with children and the school. Touched by

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Adoption is facilitated by social worker and adoption expert Leanne Jaffe. The group, which is open to both adoptive families and families created through assisted reproductive technologies, is a place where parents gain support around particular challenges unique to their family structure. Similarly, the Gender and Parenting group grew out of parents’ desire to discuss how social constructs around gender affect their children, and what tools and resources could better inform their role as parents.

Ileana Jiménez, an educator and national authority on intersectional oppressions, facilitates the group.

An essential component of all of Calhoun’s equity initiatives is that they respond directly to the needs of our students, families, faculty and staff.

As our community evolves over time, so too will the programs that are designed to support it. As I often say at admissions open houses, the work of creating and nurturing an inclusive school environment requires our collective participation.

I feel fortunate to partner with all of you in making that possible.

Calhoun Hosts Muslim Journeys Book Club In a unique collaboration, Calhoun joined forces earlier this year with the New York Council for the Humanities, New York University’s Department of Anthropology and the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS) to offer Muslim Journeys, a reading and discussion series for adults.

The book club, which was open to Calhoun’s adult community, was moderated

by Dr. Aisha Khan, anthropologist and NYU professor, who is also associated with CLACS. The selection of books, adapted from those found on the National Endowment for the Humanities Muslim Journeys Bookshelf, included both memoirs and novels that explore provocative and gripping stories about the experiences of Muslims around the world and in the United States: Acts of Faith by Eboo Patel, Broken Verses

by Kamila Shamsie, So Long a Letter by Mariama Ba, Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood by Fatima Mernissi, and How Does It Lavern McDonald, Associate Director of the Upper School, helped organize and Feel to Be a Problem? by Moustafa Bayoumi. host a six-series book discussion about the Lavern McDonald, Associate Director of the Upper School and host site coordinator, experiences of Muslims around the world. organized the project shortly after the Upper School confirmed How Does It Feel to Be a Problem? as last summer’s book read. She says she was also inspired by “our school’s commitment to making space for diverse voices and experiences” and the continuing work she does in the classroom on migration history and sociology.

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SCHOOL NEWS

PA Plans New Social and Educational Initiatives In its ongoing mission to create a supportive community for Calhoun’s parents, the Parents Association (PA) has launched two new initiatives this school year—cocktail parties for parents in each division, and a new series of Parent Education Forums (PEFs) for Middle and Upper School parents.

The cocktail parties, held this winter in the new Calhoun Commons and catered by Chef Bobo’s team, were attended by almost 200 parents.

“One of our best sources of parenting advice is from other parents who’ve already been there,” observes PA copresident Rosa Sabater, the mom of two Calhoun Upper Schoolers. “Division cocktail parties bring together parents across grades for light-hearted conversation and the occasional bit of practical parenting wisdom over a glass of wine and Bobo

canapés; what could be better than that?”

While social events help build a stronger community, the PA is also intent on expanding the PEF program, which has been part of the culture in the Lower School at 74th Street since it was first introduced by the PA in the early ‘90s.

The monthly facilitated workshops at Little Calhoun, on such behavioral and parenting topics as “Separation,” “Rough Play” and “Self-Esteem,” have become a great source of information and mutual support for young parents.

Now, the PA has launched an evening series of PEF programming for Middle and Upper School parents, with the first such event, “Talk to Me First/Sex and Sensibility,” held in October for Middle School parents. Deborah Roffman, the nationally acclaimed speaker and author

of Talk to Me First, who was recently named one of Time’s “16 Experts for Every Parenting Problem,” spoke candidly and respectfully about a subject that can be fraught with conflict and anxiety.

The session was introduced and facilitated

by Middle School guidance counselor Fernanda Amaral, with approximately 50 parents in attendance.

PA leaders were ecstatic about the response, and believe it will serve as a great foundation going forward. “We hope this ongoing series will continue to bring expert information and facilitated dialogue around issues important to parenting during the critical teen years,” says Barbara Pyles, PA Middle School vice president. PA leaders are currently planning future workshops, on technology and digitial citizenship.

PA Craft Fair Captures Holiday Spirit

Stephanie Fields (left) introduced art activities for kids at this year’s Holiday Gift & Craft Fair. (Right) Fifth grader Bella Ulfelder was one of several student artists selling their original work at the fair.

The Holiday Gift & Craft Fair, hosted for the first time this year in the Calhoun Commons, was a great success—thanks in large part to the tireless work of new volunteer chairperson Stephanie Fields. Craft activities for young children CALHOUN CHRONICLE

attracted families to the Saturday event, held in early December. A record number of student vendors contributed a layer of charm to the fair, which has always featured the unique handiwork of faculty, alumnae/i and parent artisans. Holiday

treats added to the festive air, thanks to the generous gourmet donations provided

by Zabar’s, Josie’s, Westside Market, Serafina, Levain Bakery, Europan Bakery Café and Starbucks.

SCHOOL NEWS

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Internships Wanted for Calhoun Seniors

An enthusiastic group of parents and grandparents gathered in the lobby of the New-York Historical Society before a private tour of the Annie Leibovitz photography exhibit.

Parents and Grandparents Enjoy Koons, Leibovitz Exhibits Calhoun’s Cultural Excursion Program, now in its third year, expanded this fall by inviting Calhoun parents as well as grandparents to two special events hosted by the school’s Development Office.

Destinations included a private guided tour of the sold-out Jeff Koons exhibit at the Whitney Museum (before the museum was to close in preparation for its move downtown) and an equally exclusive docent-led tour of the Annie Leibovitz photography exhibit Pilgrimage, at the New-York Historical Society.

“The Cultural Excursion Program is not a fundraiser; it’s designed to engage

our parents and grandparents while reflecting the value that Calhoun places on the arts,” notes Nicole Nelson, Director of Special Events, who says she looks forward to planning two or three more outings for next fall.

Invitations to the cultural excursions are sent to parents and grandparents by email at the beginning of the school year. Grandparents for whom we may not have email addresses are encouraged to sign up online, at www.calhoun.org/ grandparentsignup, or contact Nicole Nelson, nicole.nelson@calhoun.org, 212-497-6533.

Do you work for a small business, corporation or non-profit institution?

Are you an independent professional?

Would you be willing to mentor a Calhoun twelfth grader?

Calhoun is seeking internship opportunities for 49 graduating seniors as part of their required Senior Work project—a six-week program that promotes individualized, place-based learning. The program is completed during the last mod of the school year, April 27–June 3, 2015.

If you are able to submit an internship opportunity, please do so online, at www.calhoun.org/swinternship. For more details, please contact Lavern McDonald, lavern.mcdonald@calhoun.org.

Read more about the Senior Work program and find out what previous students have to say about their experiences, at www.calhoun.org/seniorwork.

Calhoun Introduces Young 3’s Program Calhoun is now accepting applications to a new “Young 3’s” program. Children who are at least 2.8 years on September 1 will spend two years in the 3’s program in order to be a full five years old by the kindergarten year. Read about Calhoun’s preschool: www.calhoun.org/LS2015

Grandparents of Lower Schoolers: Come Back to School!

Thursday, April 30, 2015 (2nd–4th Grades) Friday, May 1, 2015 (3’s–1st Grade) Grandparents of Calhoun’s youngest (3’s through fourth grade) are invited for an in-class morning visit. Get on the invitation list! Sign up online, at www.calhoun.org/grandparentsignup, or contact Nicole Nelson, Director of Special Events, nicole.nelson@calhoun.org, 212-497-6533.

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SCHOOL NEWS

S PORTS

Girls’ Volleyball Teams Dominate League Varsity Cougars Go Undefeated, Three-peat as Tourney Champs Calhoun extended its years-long run of supremacy in volleyball this fall when the Girls’ Varsity team captured a third consecutive NYCAL Tournament championship and cemented its status as a bona-fide dynasty. The top-seeded Cougars throttled numberthree Columbia Prep in the tourney finals on Oct. 23, sweeping the Lions 3–0 (26–24, 25–19, 25–20) in front of an enthusiastic crowd of almost 200 friends and family.

The tournament crown came on the heels of the team’s second straight NYCAL regular-season title, which they captured after a second consecutive undefeated season in the league. In fact, the Cougars have not lost a single league game since October 2012! Calhoun also earned a number-seven seed in the NYSAIS Tournament, and defeated tenth-seeded Columbia Prep in the opening round before falling to number-two Fieldston in the quarterfinals. The opening-round victory was the first ever for any Calhoun sports team in the state tourney.

Coached by Sabrina Spiegel Zurkuhlen ’06 and assistant coach Scott Standring, the Cougars were led on and off the court by senior captain Taylor Gerard and sophomore captain Emma Griffith. Like title runs in the past, however, this championship campaign was a total team effort. Hard-hitting juniors Rose Gruber and Isabel Thomson were a duo feared by the opposition, and Elena Howes ’16, Olivia Abrams ’17, Natalie Zukerman ’15, Dalas Zeichner ’15, Lucy DeCarlo ’16 and Stef Sarantis ’18 all played pivotal roles in the title run.

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(Far top) The Girls’ Varsity Volleyball players pose with their championship medals after sweeping Columbia Prep in the NYCAL Tournament Finals.

This was the third consecutive NYCAL win for the Varsity girls. (Above) The Girls’ JV Volleyball team celebrates its NYCAL championship win moments after the decisive point.

JV Team Upsets Columbia Prep for Tournament Crown For the second time in three years, the Girls’ JV Volleyball secured the NYCAL Tournament championship with a strong showing in the finals. The Cougars added an exclamation point to the end of their season by upending top-seeded Columbia Prep on the road Oct. 24, to capture the crown. Calhoun, seeded second in the tourney, jumped on Columbia Prep from the get-go, and swept the Lions in their own den 2–0 (25–19, 25–17).

Read more about coach Sabrina Spiegel Zurkuhlen ’06, page 42.

CLASS NOTES

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Join Cougar fans at upcoming games! Check out the team schedules at www.calhoun.org/teams

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1. & 2. Senior captains Thomas Gatanis (1) and Michael Leavitt (2) left it all on the pitch for the Boys’ Varsity Soccer team this season.

3. Junior Tania Calle (shown here in match against Columbia Prep) and her Cougar teammates earned the Girls’ Varsity Soccer team its first-ever victory since joining league play a few years ago, with a 4–1 win over Friends Seminary.

4. Michael Rozanoff ’16 raced to the finish and came in fourth out of 38 runners at the NYCAL Boys’ Cross-Country Championship Meet.

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5. Emilia Roos ’17 and Michaela Harvey ’17 were all smiles after placing in the Top 15 at the NYCAL Girls’ Cross-Country Championship Meet.

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SCHOOL NEWS

Calhoun Summer Camps SummerCare

JUNE 22–JULY 31, 2015 For kids entering 3’s-Kindergarten www.calhoun.org/summercare

SummerKids

NEW!

JUNE 22–JULY 31, 2015 For kids entering 1st-3rd Grades www.calhoun.org/summerkids

Calhoun Movie-Making Camp JUNE 22–JULY 2, 2015 For kids entering 2nd-5th grades www.calhoun.org/cmmc

Calhoun Summer Theater JUNE 22–JULY 31, 2015 For kids entering 4th-7th grades www.calhoun.org/cst

Calhoun Summer Jazz Workshop JUNE 15–19, 2015 For kids entering 9th-12th grades, and 2015 graduates www.calhoun.org/jazzworkshop

Calhoun Summer Music JUNE 10–JUNE 12, 2015 For kids entering 6th-11th grades www.calhoun.org/csstrings

ENROLL NOW! www.calhoun.org/summer_camps CALHOUN CHRONICLE

SCHOOL NEWS

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IN TH E CL ASSROOM

When Math and Social Justice Intersect The Penny Harvest is a long-standing project that’s synonymous with community service at Calhoun, but the fundraiser is also a powerful first-grade entryway to lessons on empathy that doubles as a primer on fundamental math skills.

This fall, Calhoun’s first graders were introduced to the Penny Harvest at a special assembly featuring seventh graders in a skit about how collecting small coins can add up to big money.

Conversations about the many causes worthy of Penny Harvest funds were inspired by readings of such books as Barbara Shook Hazen’s Tight Times and performances of “I Like to Help,” a song the first graders learned at a sing-a-long with music teacher Dustin LeVasseur.

As the coins rolled in, math skills took center stage. Students focused on learning the numerical value of the coins they were collecting, and observed the different sizes, thicknesses and images on each coin. At math stations, the children used the pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters to calculate different ways to

(Top) First graders separate and count coins collected for Penny Harvest. (Right) A list generated by the children about where their Penny Harvest donation might go.

make 5, 10 and 25 cents. Children who wanted an additional challenge tried to find multiple ways to show 27, 30 and 55 cents.

When the last coins were sorted and counted, Calhoun’s Penny Harvest numbers—from both the 74th and 81st Street buildings—matched last year’s high of $3,000. Ultimately, the Lower Schoolers at Little Calhoun decided to donate their share to the Westside Campaign Against Hunger food pantry

on West 86th Street. “Calhoun has worked closely with this organization for many years,” notes first grade teacher Tillie Scarritt, who adds that in the spring, first graders will be collecting food and taking it directly to the food pantry themselves.

“It’s never too early to start community service.”

Building Bridges “One thing I’ve learned from our project table this year,” observes first grade teacher Giovanni Pucci, “is that building a bridge is hard work!” Giovanni’s students, who had taken a walk through Central Park for inspiration, decided to re-create a bridge for their project table—replete with pebbled, landscaped pathways leading to a beam bridge crossing a brook.

The project table is a popular undertaking for first grade classes, Giovanni’s first graders stand proudly with their hand-made bridge. requiring students to practice observational and problem-solving skills while learning to work collaboratively. Giovanni was impressed with how well his students took to the process. “First, they put down the clay—which was no easy task,” he recalls. “They couldn’t just set it down in clumps; it had to be worked to a fairly even and consistent thickness. Then they rolled the pebbles onto our path. Even the pebbles had to be glued into place in order to get an immobile sidewalk!” The best part of the project, says Giovanni, was that the kids really took ownership when they decided to literally “put themselves on the bridge.”

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SCHOOL NEWS

IN T HE CL ASSROO M

October Session Fosters Self- and City Exploration The Upper School’s extensive curricular and electives offerings are designed to encourage independent and self-directed learning. With that end in mind, there’s no program that is more authentically student-centered than what’s become known as October Session—four days of intensive classes that allow students to enroll in one full-time class or two part-time classes from a bank of 25 different offerings.

The classes—many led by the students themselves—are highly experiential and intentionally interdisciplinary. Subjects this year ranged from sports science to a study of the prison industrial complex, from Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories to Weimar German films. A notable number of this year’s courses were also “site-based”—with students building a docking station in Black Rock Forest, exploring the museums of New York, creating pottery on an outdoor pit in Inwood Park and sailing the Hudson River.

“This year’s October Session was one of the most wonderful programs I have had the pleasure of being part of in many years of working in a school,” says Lorenzo Krakowsky, Upper School Director. “It was great to see the extraordinary variety of courses, the energy of the students and the creativity and depth of the entire experience.”

1 & 2. Sailing: A group of 15 seniors and juniors were able to experience New York from a new perspective in a sailing class led

by Bart Hale ’00, Director of Alumnae/i Relations, who taught all the elements of basic cruising, navigation and racing as the group took sail on the Hudson River aboard J/24’s.

3. Pottery: Student-made clay vessels were inspired by Navajo pitch pottery and fired in traditional open pits in Inwood Park.

4. Black Rock: Lindsey Randle ‘16 and Eugene Padayogdog ’18 were two of the five students who went to Black Rock Forest to build a docking station for a generator. They saw the project through the entire building process, from harvesting the tree to actual construction.

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SCHOOL NEWS

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Third Graders Construct 3-D Maps of Invented Worlds For third graders in Amanda Smith’s social studies class, the study of geography turned into an exciting challenge this fall when they were asked to create three-dimensional maps of imagined places. The results were inspired, colorful and inventive group projects that were proudly presented to peers and parents.

To prepare for the project, students learned the basics of cartography, including bird’s-eye view, the compass rose, directional words, map keys, scale and coordinates. Then, independently, they drew maps of known places, like the Lower School floor and rooms in their homes, and then worked together to build different types of environments with Legos. All those hands-on lessons led to brainstorming sessions to dream up the fictitious places they would develop as teams.

“The conversations among students were awesome,” says Amanda. “The children shared their ideas openly within their groups as well as between groups, one to the next. As the maps grew, it was clear that the work they were doing inspired more and more creative explorations.”

Once their final vision was in focus, the students sketched pictures of their environments, drew bird’s-eye-view maps on graph paper, listed supplies they needed to create the 3-D models and wrote detailed descriptions of their worlds. Finally, after sketching them again on foam board, the third graders began to construct the 3-D maps. “As I brought in the supplies that they had asked for—plus extra materials I thought might come in handy—they began to problem-solve about ways to bring their visions to life,” recalls Amanda. “They were so dedicated to their creative projects that they were consistently looking for more inventive ways to form the detailed items within their maps.”

Amanda was most impressed by the way in which team members worked together. “The students were very vocal when finding ways to cooperate and establish a collaborative project.

They displayed flexibility so that all voices were heard, asked for guidance when conversations became challenging, and bolstered one another with encouragement and enthusiasm for the common goal.”

Avalon Scarola ‘20 and Katherine Hade ‘18 explain Calhoun’s aeroponic Tower Garden project to educators at a recent conference.

Students Become Teachers at Sustainability Conference A green-minded trio of environmental enthusiasts represented Calhoun earlier this year at a Sustainability Educators Summit hosted by the Green Schools Alliance and the New York State Association of Independent Schools.

Katherine Hade ’18 and Avalon Scarola ’20, together with Sustainability Coordinator David Hyman, presented a workshop about Calhoun’s aeroponic Tower Garden project, a cutting-edge technology that grows herbs and vegetables without the need for sun or soil. This year, Calhoun boasts three Tower Gardens. Lower School students help by nurturing seedlings, while Middle and Upper Schoolers like Avalon and Katherine not only oversee the Tower Gardens, but provide invaluable leadership in this experiential endeavor.

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Hamida Butt, Director of LS Curriculum Development, listens as third grader Tomas Michelangeli describes the imaginary 3-D world he designed.

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SCHOOL NEWS

IN T HE CL ASSROO M

Ready, Set, Launch! Middle Schoolers Construct Catapults

Seventh graders work in teams to design, create and launch miniature catapults.

There was a building director overseeing the work, a budget to pay mind to, and a hard timeline for project completion.

This is not, however, a story about Calhoun’s recent renovation. It’s about catapults, and the seventh graders in Alba Polsley’s science class who worked together to build them out of Popsicle sticks, tape and rubber bands.

The students were asked to simulate the development of a commercial proposal, from design and construction to the launch of a miniature catapult.

After being organized into teams, each student was given a specific job title—as budget, building, design and launch, or project director—to help the team function effectively. “Once the students had a specific job title they were very diligent and knew how important their job was for the final outcome of their team’s project,” says Alba. “By having ‘real life’ deadlines and a budget, they were more aware of the time being used or misused; it helped

everyone become more productive and self-sufficient. Having a budget also made them appreciate the materials purchased and the need to take care of their supplies.”

While the objective of this interdisciplinary, STEAM-based project was to demonstrate the principles behind the use of stored energy mechanisms like tension, torsion and gravity, it should come as no surprise that the seventh graders were also keen on winning the launch contest by building the most accurate catapult.

Blending physics, real-life construction issues, and competition ultimately made for a very popular hands-on project.

“Students in a learning-by-doing environment will remember the concepts better,” says Alba. “In my opinion, what is most important is the sense of accomplishment a student feels after completing a project and the fact that he or she can carry that experience to other learning situations.”

Fourth Graders Find Their Place in the World While the focus of fourth grade social studies is New York’s history, Kyle Anderson likes to give her students some context for our place in the world by having them do a parallel unit on world geography. “At the beginning of the year, I surveyed the kids; most of them could name most of the largest European countries, but few were familiar with any countries in Asia, Africa or South America—so that’s been our focus,” she says. Beginning with Asia, the students voted on which countries they each wanted to study and then embarked on mini-research projects of their own.

“The students used books and atlases to answer questions about each country’s geography and culture,” says Kyle, “and then engaged in some hands-on art CALHOUN CHRONICLE

Continent by continent, Kyle Anderson’s fourth graders are doing independent research on the facts and geography of a country of their choosing.

projects—including the replication of their country’s flag.” Besides teaching research

skills, the exercise has been a valuable broadening of the students’ horizons!

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Guest Artists, Authors and Entrepreneurs Enrich Our Classrooms 1

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1. Colum McCann, National Book Award winner for Let the Great World Spin—and Calhoun dad— met with students in the US class Ireland Rising and followed up as the featured guest for one of the Performing Arts Series TALK evenings.

2. World-renowned artist Kenneth Snelson visited Amy Konen’s seventh grade 3-D art class to share his work and help students build their own sculptures. Kenneth, whose work can be seen at the Whitney Museum and Storm King Art Center, is the grandfather of a Calhoun student.

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3. Premal Shah (center), co-founder and president of Kiva.org, poses with two of Calhoun’s founding Kiva Club members, Alex Copperman ‘16 and Sacha Rogosin ‘16.

Premal visited the Upper and Middle School earlier this year, to share the story of how his person-to-person micro-lending site has been transformed into a multimillion-dollar platform that’s helping to fund a better world.

For Calhoun students, the opportunity to meet Premal was particularly meaningful: Since 2009, Calhoun students have made 496 loans totaling $12,900 to people in 52 different countries. Out of the 1,524 school teams worldwide, Calhoun ranks number 34 in total dollars lent through Kiva.

4. As a follow-up to their summer read, How Does It Feel to Be a Problem?: Being Young and Arab in America, Upper Schoolers had the opportunity to meet the author, Moustafa Bayoumi, who spoke to the entire division and then attended a smaller workshop with students.

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Go to www.calhoun.org FOR T HE LAT EST N EWS, EVENTS, PHOTOS A N D V ID EOS

5. Cartoonist Misako Rocks gave Middle Schoolers an intimate look into her creative process, and then worked with sixth graders to discover their own artistic voice.

6. Sharon Flake, an award-winning young-adult author, spoke to Middle Schoolers about her struggle to be a writer and how she eventually overcame her self-doubts. Sharon, whose writing often deals with tough topics like bullying, self-acceptance, racism, homelessness and gun violence, also led two creative writing workshops with the sixth graders.

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SCHOOL NEWS

IN T HE CL ASSROO M

A New Wave of Feminism

by Alexandra Schonfeld ’15 (Excerpted with permission from The Issue [Dec. 2014], Calhoun’s Upper School student newspaper) On September 30 of this year, during the much-anticipated end of Paris Fashion Week, The Guardian reported that “feminism entered the realm of high fashion” when Chanel models descended down the runway for the final walk, holding picket signs plastered with women’s rights slogans.

Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel’s head designer and creative director, is not generally regarded as a supporter of women’s issues; he has even publicly criticized singer Adele as “a little too fat.” This has caused critics to see this seemingly positive feminism showcase as nothing but a publicity stunt to sell more clothes.

Natasha Walter, author and activist, argues, “If people start thinking that feminism is suddenly fashionable, then the danger is that the next moment they will say it has fallen out of fashion.”

Other women, like Trish Halpern, editor-in-chief of Marie Claire, sees this stunt as a positive and respectable one.

“I think he was harking back to Coco Chanel’s feminist values —she was very much a strong and empowered woman.

I think this just shows that fashion, feminism and empowering women do not have to be mutually exclusive.”

A feasible qualm with this is that the women partaking in this “faux protest” are some of the most beautiful, highest-paid women in the world. What does this say to young girls about what it means to be empowered, and what that looks like?

Merriam-Webster defines “feminism” as the “theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.”

This definition has taken on many forms throughout the past 150 years, starting in the late 1800s, with women fighting for temperance and the right to vote. In the 1960s, a second wave of feminism hit, with women like Gloria Steinem guiding thousands of women to fight for equal rights and giving women confidence to be assertive and have their voices heard.

CALHOUN CHRONICLE

Now, there seems to be a new wave of feminism reaching the surface. Women are beginning to make headlines for their tireless work in the continuing fight for equality for not only women, but all of society.

According to MSNBC, Beyoncé has emerged as one of Hollywood’s most influential new-wave feminists. In an essay for Maria Shriver’s The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Pushes Back from the Brink, Beyoncé states: “We have to teach our boys the rules of equality and respect, so that as they grow up, gender equality becomes a natural way of life.

And we have to teach our girls that they can reach as high as humanly possible.”

Beyoncé receives a lot of criticism for assuming the role as a feminist advocate. Many people say that her sexualized lyrics and even the name of her most recent tour (“Mrs. Carter Show World Tour”) disqualify her as a feminist; in fact, singer Annie Lennox has referred to her as “feminist lite.”

If nothing else, Beyoncé is shining a light on women’s empowerment that reaches an international audience. Her ways of expressing her feminism echo Gloria Steinem’s philosophy that women should never adjust the way they dress or present themselves to satisfy others.

Just last month in the NBA, the first female full-time assistant coach took the sidelines for her first game with the San Antonio Spurs. Becky Hammon, 37, ranked as one of the top 15 WNBA players of all time after 16 years of playing basketball, was hired as a full-time assistant coach after she injured her knee and was unable to play overseas. R. C. Buford, general manager of the Spurs, reported to USA Today: “We weren’t doing this to lead the way. It’s for others to judge the monumental-ness of it. . . . It’s that she’s the right person. . . . Why would we let her go start her involvement somewhere else when she can bring things to us?”

Buford’s claim rings true for all aspects of women’s liberation. It is not about being the first to do something because you are a woman. It is about being given the same opportunities because you are just as good as—if not better than—the man who is doing the job now.

Alexandra Schonfeld ’15, co-editor-in-chief of The Issue, the Upper School student newspaper, talks about her inspiration for her article: “I wasn’t in Nicole Nemergut’s fall Feminisms class, but I had many friends who were raving about it. Their praise for the class kind of inspired me; I wanted to inform myself about the issues surrounding feminism today. I had also just finished a project about Gloria Steinem for my own history class (Jason Tebbe’s America in the 1970s), so I had become pretty well informed on the second wave of feminism. I wanted to write about something important that I care about, but that I knew students within the Calhoun community also had a large interest in.”

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RE AD T H E L AT EST NEWS www.calhoun.org/newsmedia

Student Refurbishes 120-Year-Old Camera It would be impressive enough for a student to restore functionality to a camera from the 1990s, so it was cause for huge celebration when Oliver Otcasek ’17 managed to rehabilitate a bicycle camera from the 1890s.

After stumbling upon the 19th-century relic at a Hell’s Kitchen flea market, Oliver purchased the camera with the intention of breathing new life into the antique.

He then enlisted the help of his Photo 1 teacher, Gary Cohen, who guided Oliver through the process.

“The first thing I did after examining the piece was to remove the lens and clean it with a dab of alcohol on a cotton swab to eliminate the mold,” says Oliver.

“Then Gary supplied me with some WD-40 to put on the shutter mechanism. After lightly going over the mechanism with the WD-40, I decided that I needed to take the whole thing apart and oil it to get it to work again. It took a lot of tries, but it was worth it. I love a good project.”

Gary was impressed. “The shutter and individual lens elements were a mess,” he recalls, “but it didn’t deter Oliver in the least.”

Two weeks of concentrated work later and the camera was ready to be loaded with fresh 5x7” black-and-white film. Gary assisted Oliver in taking the first exposure, and the pair later rigged a makeshift 5x7” film development chamber in the darkroom. Despite its age, the camera produced a negative on par with a model of today. “Developing a negative from a camera that has probably not been used for a century gave me the feeling of discovery and helped me learn about the ‘old’ way of developing a picture,” says Oliver. “It also made me wonder, ‘Who was the last person to look at a negative from this camera?’”

For Gary, it was the kind of experience that makes him love teaching. “Today I’m a proud teacher: proud of my student’s perseverance and quiet enthusiasm, and of his contribution to the longevity of a magnificent piece of enduring, living history.”

(Top) Oliver Otcasek ’17 with the 120-year-old bicycle camera he restored [Photo: Gary Joseph Cohen]. (Left) Taken with the refurbished 1890s camera, this accidentally double-exposed image shows Oliver Otcasek’s self-portrait superimposed on the city’s landscape.

Veterans History Project For one of this year’s Harvest Festival activities, a group of Middle and Upper Schoolers met with veterans of four wars to record personal stories of military service for the Library of Congress’s Veterans History Project. Among those interviewed were vets from the Korean and Vietnam wars. And then there was William Dreisbach, U.S. Army captain and Calhoun alum, who enlisted in the Reserves shortly after 9/11 and completed tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan (see more about Will, page 38).

“Our students were impressed by our guests, who proved to be engaging storytellers,” says MS English teacher Shelley Greenberg.

“They were able to re-create the atmosphere of wartime with remarkable detail, placed in the historical context of their service.”

US history teacher Lavern McDonald, who helped arrange for the submission to the Veterans History Project, observed that the students were stirred by the oral histories, but equally moved knowing they were contributing to the creation of primary sources and cultural content, so future generations can understand the realities of war.

Read more about the Veterans History Project, www.loc.gov/vets.

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SCHOOL NEWS

Onstage 1

UPPER SCHOOL THEATER

Working

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Working, a musical exploration based on the book

by Pulitzer Prize–winning author Studs Terkel, celebrates everyday people in a genuinely funny and touching way. The production was a true ensemble undertaking—the workingman’s A Chorus Line.

1. Cheyenne Rosado ‘16 2. (L-R) Chris Alpert ’15, Maryam Chishti ’16, Jackson Lundy ’16, Jules Starn ‘16, Kyler Murria-Castro ’16 and Emma Morrow ‘16 3. (L-R) Alex Copperman ’16, Sylvia Jane Krueger ‘18 and Cole Mackes ‘16 4. Emily Kuper ‘15 5

LS81 MUSIC

Winter Sing 5. Lower School students in grades two through four celebrated the season by performing holiday hits like “Winter Wonderland,” “Holiday Road” and “Jingle Bells.”

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SCHOOL NEWS

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M O R E P H OTOS www.calhoun.org/media

MIDDLE SCHOOL THEATER

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The Miser Project Satire and farce were blended together in the fast-moving plot of The Miser Project, a hilarious staged comedy featuring the seventh grade acting class performing scenes from Molière’s The Miser.

The choice of this particular text came out of the theater students’ exploration of commedia dell’arte (a classic style of comedic acting).

1. (L-R) Wilder Brayshaw, Hanna Mandel, Ella Stiller, Ruby Baker, Aleksei Goldhill and Alicia Beritan 2. Oscar Llodra 3. (L-R) Claire Annino and Hanna Mandel

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SCHOOL ORCHESTRA

Winter Concert 4. (L-R) Percussionists Conor Loy ‘17 and Arno Sugarman ’20

5. Students in grades six through twelve performed in harmony at the popular Winter Orchestra Concert, joined by the Calhoun Community Orchestra—a delightful mix of advanced student musicians and parents and faculty.

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FEATURE

Excursions Abroad!

World Language Program Launches Overseas Travel with Emphasis on Experiential Learning

by Jim Byrne

CALHOUN CHRONICLE

FEATURE

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The magic of experiential learning is that it can transpire almost anywhere. It would be difficult to find an arena better suited for it than an overseas adventure—unless, of course, a school sets the stage for three foreign-language immersion trips on three different continents.

That’s exactly what Calhoun did at the end of last year, when three groups of students—two from Middle School and one from Upper School— embarked on separate journeys to Peru, China and France as part of Calhoun’s new initiative for its world language programs.

“These trips represent our commitment to experiential and expeditionary learning, two notions that are central in the progressive tradition,” says Head of School Steve Nelson.

“We intend that the trips be a rich, exciting consolidation of the knowledge and experience the students gained in Spanish, Mandarin and French classes, including the history, culture and politics of the places they visit.”

For this coming summer, trips are in the planning stages for a return visit to China and Bordeaux. Plans are also under way for a Middle School Spanish-language trip to Cuba— an extraordinary opportunity in light of newly opened diplomatic ties.

Ultimately, the goal of the world language program is for international travel to become the built-in capstone experience of both the Middle and Upper School experience.

Middle School teachers Linda Sandoval, far right, and Amy Konen, far left, led a group of eighth graders on a revelatory excursion to Peru—one of three trips abroad that Calhoun offered last year.

WINTER 2015

PHOTO: ERICA HASSLER

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“ Being an exchange student changed who I am–for the better!” –Tania Calle ’16

(Top) Upper School French teacher Ben Ratliff (far right) with his students in front of Bordeaux’s Place des Quinconces. (Middle) Walking up the Dune du Pyla, which Tania Calle ’16 called “the most beautiful place I’ve ever visited.” (Bottom) Tania Calle ’16 and Gabby Montes ’16 walk near La Plage Lacanau.

CALHOUN CHRONICLE

PHOTO: EMMA MORROW ‘16

US French teacher Ben Ratliff wanted his nine students to “struggle while taking healthy risks”—focusing on improving language skills and immersing themselves in a variety of cultural experiences—as they traveled in France from Bordeaux to Arcachon, Saint-Émilion and Carcassonne. But the unique aspect of this overseas adventure was that it was an exchange program with a French school group that had traveled from Lycée Magendie in Bordeaux to Calhoun earlier in the year. And as was the case with the French students, who were welcomed

by Calhoun families, each of our students enjoyed a similar host-family welcome. Home stays greatly enhance the entire experience by “building a strong connection between you and the place you’re visiting,” says Tania Calle ’16, who adds that “being an exchange student changed who I am—for the better!”

Equally significant was the effect the immersion program had on the students’ language skills. “It definitely helped with my understanding of spoken French and with my comfort in speaking it,” says Leah Rice ’15. “I used as much French as I could because I wasn’t able to lean on English as a crutch. Even if I sometimes made mistakes, it definitely made me more confident.”

PHOTO: EMMA MORROW ‘16

France

China

“ It was great to experience the cultural differences and use the Mandarin we’ve learned to talk to native speakers.”

–Jeniffer Rodriguez ’18

PHOTO: ISABEL SHEN

For the 13 students who traveled to China, it was like spending 11 days in another world, observes former MS Mandarin teacher Maya Wang, who led the group along with chaperones Jono Hustis, Isabel Shen, Eric Massa and Anneka Ward.

The contingent made stops in Beijing, Hangzhou and Shanghai, enjoying local food and exploring magnificent historic spots—including the Great Wall of China. “It was great to experience the cultural differences and use the Mandarin we’ve learned to talk to native speakers,” says Jeniffer Rodriguez ’18.

In a visit to a school that Maya had discovered on an earlier exploratory trip, Calhoun eighth graders exchanged stories with Chinese students about academics, sports and even Justin Bieber. “We live in a bubble in New York,” observes Maya. “For our students to see what a student’s life is like in China was truly invaluable.”

US Mandarin teacher Xiaolin Lin, who is teaching those same students now that they’re in ninth grade, says the immersion trip is paying immediate dividends in the classroom. “The students who went to China are doing a great job in Mandarin II,” she says.

“Their experience boosted their confidence and rekindled their passion for the language.”

(Top) Patricia Santos, Talia Kurlansky and Lillian Remler pose in front of the Summer Palace. (Bottom) Calhoun’s contingent of explorers jump for joy outside the Temple of Heaven in Beijing.

WINTER 2015

PHOTO: AMY KONEN

“Hearing the students communicate in Spanish and immersing themselves in the language was the biggest reward for me.” – MS Spanish teacher Linda Sandoval

Peru

PHOTO: AMY KONEN

For six students who spent nine days in Peru, the adventure was the experience of a lifetime. Calhoun’s explorers traveled to Lima and Cuzco, testing their Spanish-language skills all along the way. “Visiting the ancient city of Machu Picchu and the Convento de San Francisco was certainly a window into the rich Peruvian culture,” says MS Spanish teacher Linda Sandoval, who led the trip along with MS art teacher Amy Konen. “Most important, hearing the students communicate in Spanish was certainly the biggest reward for me.”

In an example of Calhoun’s commitment to being a private school with a public purpose, Linda and Amy wove a communityservice component into the stay. It turned out to be the highlight of the trip. The students visited an orphanage in Cuzco, and quickly connected with the children. They danced, played soccer and ultimately gained an understanding into how drastically different life can be for someone their age. “It was a very emotional day,” says Linda. “Our kids stepped up and were so humble and friendly. Amy and I were teary-eyed seeing this side of our students—watching them recognize how privileged and lucky they are and then giving back the way they did.”

(Far top) Soren Hixon ’18 jumps rope at an orphanage in Cuzco.

(Above) Eighth graders Rea Brayshaw, Kai Petkov, Oummu Barrie, Matthew Vasquez, Lindsay Jackman and Soren Hixon strike a pose in front of a church in Miraflores, Lima. (Right) A visit to the ancient city of Machu Picchu was one these eighth graders will never forget!

CALHOUN CHRONICLE

FEATURE

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PHOTO: SOREN HIXON ‘18 WINTER 2015

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FEATURE

An Uncommon Renovation

“ The Commons is an inviting space. It encourages dialogue between students and teachers in a casual setting.”

–Elijah Cabrera ’15 CALHOUN CHRONICLE

Welcome to our new Calhoun Commons—the latest renovation that has invigorated the life of our school community!

The renovation, which blew out the façade of the 81st Street building, has not only changed the face of our building, but has created a true community gathering place—what Steve Nelson likes to refer to as the “heart of the school.” In addition to providing a much larger lunchroom that allows for an entire division of students and faculty to be served in one sitting, the Commons has become a place for parents to enjoy a cup of coffee, for clusters to have animated discussions, and for staff to work on laptops. It’s become home to jazz concerts and alumnae/i reunions, educational forums and parent events.

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“ I want to stay here all day.

It’s nice and comfy, and I love reading!”

–Ben Karpatkin, third grader

The Commons is the most immediate, visible change to the 81st Street building. But take a walk downstairs to the relocated Neen Hunt Library. First dedicated in 1991 in honor of Neen Hunt (Head of School, 1980-1992), the library now provides students a quiet, cocoon-like environment for reading and study, flanked by an open area suitable for group use. A larger, enclosed room down the hall is used for classes during the day and events in the evening. And for the first time, offices for learning specialists, counselors, tech support, community service and the after-school program are all located in one convenient area.

CALHOUN CHRONICLE

Calhoun Reimagined

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1896-2015

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1923

1946

1958

School founded by educator Laura Jacobi as The Jacobi School in a brownstone at 158–160 West 80th Street. Started as a “brother and sister” school, it gradually evolved into a girls’ school.

School moves to 309 West 92nd Street (now West Side Montessori); Ella Cannon Levis named Co-Headmistress.

Miss Parmalee named Headmistress.

Calhoun opens a coeducational Lower School in three brownstones at 431–435 West End Avenue.

Opening of the Lower School marked the first time in 21 years that Calhoun once again offered classes from pre-K through twelfth grade. (Middle and Upper School remained all-girls.)

School name changed to The Calhoun School in honor of Mary Edwards Calhoun, Headmistress until 1942.

1937 Lower School (grades I–IV) discontinued because of the need for more space for Junior and Senior High; school rents outside auditoriums for social activities.

Miss Cosmey named Co-Headmistress.

1955-1956 Rendering of a proposed new building in Morningside Heights, by Bloch & Hesse & Gerald L. Kaufman Architects. The building, for K-12, promised “flexible classrooms, well-equipped labs, large art studio, music room, regulation gym with locker room.” The plan was scratched.

1969 Philip E. McCurdy named Head of School.

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Photo of the entire Jacobi-Calhoun student body and faculty, by renowned photographer Jessie Tarbox Beals, on the 92nd Street building’s rear fire-escape stairwell—a hiding place well known to the hundreds of Jacobi-Calhoun girls who attended the school between 1923 and 1975.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

On the occasion of our latest building expansion, we commemorate this year’s dual milestones— the 40th anniversary of the original 81st Street building, which opened in 1975, and the 25th anniversary of the Robert L. Beir Lower School, which opened for the 1989–1990 school year.

40 yrs.

25 yrs.

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1971

1975

Sept. 1989

The Middle and Upper Schools become coeducational.

New building at West 81st Street and West End Avenue, designed by architect Costas Machlouzarides, opens in the spring of 1975.

Pre-K through 12 now under one roof.

The Robert L. Beir Lower School building at 160 West 74th Street opens for pre-school through first grade.

1973 Dr. Eugene (Gene) Ruth named Head of School.

1973

1975 1980 Dr. Neen Hunt appointed Head of School.

1983–84 IMAGINED: More space is needed once again to accommodate expanded enrollment in the Lower School and academic programming for Middle and Upper School divisions. One plan: the possibility of merging with the McBurney School and, together, relocating to “The Towers” on Central Park West and West 106th Street—a former and vacated hospital modeled after a French chateau. The plan was to have a tower of apartments adjacent to the school.

CALHOUN CHRONICLE

Creation and dedication of the new Neen Hunt Library at the 81st Street building.

Last all-girls class graduates from Calhoun.

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Two adjacent brownstones to the Lower School on West End Avenue are purchased and all five are torn down to make way for new school building on 81st Street site, designed to house pre-K through 12.

1991 1993 1986–87 s Calhoun’s Board explores the possibility of expanding the 81st Street facility to 11 floors, more than doubling the existing building.

Designed by Eli Attia Architects, the plan was rejected—partially, if not entirely, because it was determined that the building’s foundation wasn’t strong enough, and could not be shored up.

Instead, after looking at several sites, the Board purchases a building on West 74th Street from the Baldwin School, which was closing its doors, to create a separate facility for 3’s through first grade.

Mariana S. Leighton appointed Head of School.

1998 Steven J. Nelson appointed Head of School.

1999 Calhoun announces Growing Up with Calhoun campaign, a four-year building campaign to expand the 81st Street facility by four floors.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

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As a school and as a community, Calhoun has always been dedicated to constant reflection and reinvention, always building for future generations. Read more about Calhoun’s history: www.calhoun.org/history.

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2001

Sept. 2004

June 2014

Jan. 2015

Groundbreaking for 81st Street expansion—a four-story addition, June 15

Four new floors at 81st Street open in time for the school year.

May 2005

Renovation begins for the Calhoun Commons—expansion and renovation of the lunchroom and Neen Hunt Library, designed

by FXFOWLE Architects.

Work on the lower level of the 81st St. building—including the redesigned Neen Hunt Library— is completed, marking the final phase of the 2014–15 renovation.

Calhoun’s Green Roof Learning Center opens with ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Sept. 2014

Sept. 2007

Calhoun Commons—a combination lunchroom and public community space—opens for business at the beginning of the school year.

Townhouse is renovated; all administrative offices move in as of September.

2001 s Calhoun purchases adjacent (“Jagger”) townhouse, 304 West 81st Street, for use as administration building.

WINTER 2015

Reunion Friday, June 5, 2015 Celebrating Classes Ending in “0” and “5” All alumnae/i are welcome to join the festivities!

Location: Rooftop, 81st St. Building

Join the Reunion Class Committee • Help plan your reunion • Provide updates/class news about classmates To volunteer, contact: Bart Hale ‘00 Director of Alumnae/i Relations bart.hale@calhoun.org 646-666-6450

Alumnae/i News MARRIAGES Kareem Cook ’90 to Rahel Mengiste Sonia Bonsu ’95 to Peter Appiah Molly Mandlin ’96 to

MEMORIAM Jeanne Siegel ‘36 Helene Scheuer Rosenblatt ’41 (2013) Natalie Silver Moscow ’42

Robert Cornelius

Rhoda Udell Ratzan ’42 (2013)

Matias Stebbings ’97 to

Lorraine Kourland Cooperman ’45

Ann Ragsdale

Dolores Tropp Rapoport ’47

Jessica Mantas ’02 to

(2012)

David Leaver

Evelyne Grunberg Rolston ’47

Jennifer Meyers ’02 to

(2009)

Ryan Kaupelis

Rhea Sochet Sobel ’49

Ted Schwartz ’04 to Carrie Lipper

Barbara Bodne Anspach ’51 Mimi Cohen Goodman ’52 (2011)

BIRTHS

Harriet Katzman Block ’53

To Cary Rosner ’78 and

Sandy Frackman Luftman ’53

Glace Chou ’82, a girl, Mira

Drew Levine ’82 (2013)

To Dale Allsopp ’91 and Jacquelyn

Kevin Silverman ’96

Scafidi, a girl, Nevaeh Skye To Jessica Daniels Schwarz ’95

NOTE: Though many updates

and Jaime Schwarz, a boy,

shared in Class Notes come directly

Charles Wolfgang

from alumnae/i themselves, not

To Amanda Crosas Skaloud ’97

every item is self-submitted.

and Scott Skaloud, a boy,

In cases where information is

Evan Scott

published elsewhere or obtained

To Jeremy Basescu ’98 and

from a classmate or parent, every

Rachael Ditri, a daughter, Sadie Ann To Brian Daniels ’98 and Kate Daniels, a boy, Parker William To James Andrews ’01 and Lisa Andrews, a daughter, Eleanor Mary

effort is made to contact the alum to confirm accuracy. We apologize for any errors and welcome corrections for our records. Submissions for an upcoming issue can be directed to alumni@calhoun.org.

Mary-Ellen Greenberger Siegel ’49 (left) and Penny Tumpeer Trenk ’49 (center) were among the alums who came to hear Suzi Rosenhirsch Oppenheimer ’52 (right) at the TALK series event “The War on Women” hosted by Calhoun in early November.

CLASS NOTES

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1940s

Graduates of the Classes of 1940 and 1945, this is your Reunion year! We’d love to hear from you about any family news or updates. Send class notes to Bart Hale ’00 at 433 West End Ave., NY, NY 10024 or bart.hale@calhoun.org.

1950s

Barbara Bodne Anspach ’51 died peacefully on October 24.

She is survived by her children, Elizabeth and Roxanna, as well as five grandchildren, Annie, Margaret, Bennett, Emma and William. Barbara came to Calhoun as a teenager from Charleston, SC, when her parents bought the historic Algonquin Hotel, which became her new home. She graduated as class valedictorian and went on to Finch College in New York. Known to friends as “Bobbie,” she played an active role running the Algonquin and was also an avid traveler and theatergoer.

Suzi Rosenhirsch Oppenheimer ’52 (pictured at left) was one of the featured panelists at an evening talk, “The War on Women,” hosted by Calhoun’s Performing Arts TALK Series shortly before the midterm elections in November 2014. A number of Calhoun alums came to hear Suzi, including Mary-Ellen Greenberger Siegel ’49, Penny Tumpeer Trenk ’49, Nancy PelzPaget ’59 and Susan Joyce ’80.

Despite Suzi’s retirement from the New York State Senate in 2013, where she had represented Westchester for 28 years, she still keeps herself busy, traveling and serving on the board of a local Planned Parenthood chapter.

s Harriet Katzman Block ’53 passed away on August 3, 2014.

Her husband of 38 years, Irwin, recalls that Harriet “loved the school and had very close friends at Calhoun.” Irwin, who attended Horace Mann and didn’t meet Harriet until after high school, says she was “very beautiful, extraordinarily beautiful, and sweet.” In addition to her husband, Harriet is survived by two children, Michele, who lives in Nashville, TN, and Jesse, who lives in San Francisco, and three granddaughters—Ella, Sophia and Juliana.

Barbara Berlan Green ’57 sends well wishes from Boynton Beach, FL, where she continues to enjoy retirement with her husband, Jeffrey. The class valedictorian and Smith graduate reflects, “I am glad to see Calhoun as a coed school. Although I got a great education at both places [Calhoun and Smith], I missed the male opinions.” She encourages classmates in the area to get in touch.

1960s

Dr. Maxine Margolis ’60, New York, NY, was awarded the Lifetime Contribution Award by the Brazilian Studies Association at its annual meeting, held in London last August. Maxine, a retired anthropologist and

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CLASS NOTES

Profile Google’s Dale Allsopp ’91 Leads Through Example

by Bart Hale ’00 Innovation is a major feature of Dale Allsopp’s typical day at Google, where he has worked for the past seven years.

But at the core of Dale’s life and career is his determination to inspire inner-city youth to think about technology and entrepreneurship as possible career paths. “A lot of kids think about hip-hop and sports [as careers] because they see people in those fields that they can identify with,” says Dale.

“But the way to get students of color to strive beyond the familiar is to find them role models they can identify with, and mentors who will guide them.”

It’s no surprise, then, that Dale spends a lot of time promoting mentorship by example. For the last two years, he has been leading the Institute for Entrepreneurship at Google, which is operated in partnership with Prep for Prep, a New York City organization that helps identify and prepare promising students of color so that they can attend independent schools in the city and boarding schools throughout the Northeast. Prep for Prep launched the entrepreneurship program in 2002 by forming partnerships with corporations willing to take on its students. As a Prep for Prep alum, Dale was only too eager to get involved with the project at Google. “The program is exposing kids to new opportunities,” says Dale. “If you don’t have the exposure or understand all of your options, you’ll be dictated by your family history and by what you know.”

Dale’s work with the entrepreneurship program at Google made him an obvious candidate for his newest position—as a corporate trustee on Prep for Prep’s board. It is the first time an alum of Prep for Prep has held a corporate trustee role, and the first time that Google has had that corporate spot on the Prep for Prep board— thanks to Dale’s efforts.

Dale’s career in finance began shortly after he earned his BA in economics at Wesleyan University and then an MBA at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. He had short stints at Merrill Lynch and then Mercer before landing a

CALHOUN CHRONICLE

position doing financial planning and analysis for United Airlines in San Francisco, where he met his wife, Jacquelyn. When an opportunity in the same field opened at Google, Dale jumped at the chance to transition to a tech company.

As he looks at his seven years with Google, Dale cites the people and culture as being an essential component of its success.

“We have visionary leaders, which is key to doing well in this space.

Nothing is at a standstill. At United, an analysis could take me five weeks; at Google, it’s a maximum of five days. Everything moves very quickly, and the expectations are high [for] everyone.” He also points out that they are always pushing the boundaries. “Google is constantly entering new spaces, so you have the potential to work in those areas, learn and create value. What I love about working here is that Google can be a platform for whatever you are enthusiastic about.”

In touring Google’s facilities, one can see compelling similarities to Calhoun: Office employees are found working on couches and poofs, and in comfortable little nooks. “It’s okay to have these amenities, because the people hired are extremely driven, very smart and have high expectations of themselves,” Dale explains.

“If you make it comfortable for them to work, you just get a greater output.”

“ The way to get students of color to strive beyond the familiar is to find them role models they can identify with, and mentors who will guide them.”

As he thinks back on Calhoun, Dale cites the strong English program, which challenged students with high-level reading material but made it relatable and engaging. He also credits teachers for the job they did building confidence in their students.

“I feel very effective and comfortable working in small teams, which I think has to be credited to Calhoun. You found your voice very easily; you had no choice with such small classes.”

And of course, there was the basketball team—the 1990 Varsity champions who beat Dwight for the first time in school history during an overtime championship game. “Ethan Mauer ‘90 hit a last-second three to tie it, and I remember scoring the first basket in OT against their best player. He fouled out soon after, and I began thinking, ‘We’re actually going to win…!’”

Dale’s advice to students today? “Think about what you really enjoy, and then the career path will follow from there.” Clearly this works for this Calhoun alum, in both his success at Google and the impact he continues to make in mentoring those around him.

CLASS NOTES

professor at the University of Florida, is the author of numerous scholarly books about Brazilian immigrants in the United States.

She was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2009.

Mary Siegel Bleiberg ’62, Riverdale, NY, started in a newly created position at Queens Library in 2013, where she is serving as senior vice president of institutional advancement and development. Mary oversees the private, philanthropic and public grant-based funding for the library. Earlier in her career, Mary worked for 10 years at The After-School Corporation as vice president for policy and program development.

Diane Bienstock Setchen ’65, New York, NY, continues to run Fancy That, the custom event invitation company that she founded more than 40 years ago.

No matter what the occasion, Diane uses her expertise to create unique, personal, custom invitations for every one of her clients.

Ronnie Levine ’66 has long had a fine-arts career, but she just published an art mystery novel, The Ice Cream Shop Detective, which is set in her home village of Tarrytown, NY, and was inspired by her friendship with a police detective. Describes Ronnie, “I created a fictional case of art forgery and murder in which an artist helps her cop friend tell lesser imitations from masterpieces. Things get far more dangerous than she expects. It’s about quality in art, set in a cozy mystery with a bit of romance.” www. theicecreamshopdetective.com

Candy Kugel ’69 is celebrating 30 years as co-owner of Buzzco Associates, Inc., an animation studio on Bleecker Street in New York. The company produces commercials, TV programming and segments for such clients as Nickelodeon, Sesame Workshop, MTV, HBO and ABC. Additionally, the company has created more than a dozen award-winning independent short films, many included in the film archives of the Museum of Modern Art. Candy’s many triumphs in animation include a Daytime Emmy Award in 2008 for outstanding writing in a children’s series with Between the Lions. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences, the organization that awards the Oscars.

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What’s New? Your classmates want to know!

Please send photos and updates about job changes, moves, exciting projects, births, weddings or memories. Don’t be modest; your news is important to us!

Send your news to alumni@calhoun.org

1970s

s Andrea Frierson ’72 has written a new solo show, Me & Ella, which she performed in early November at 54 Below.

A “singer’s coming of age” story and part tribute to the “First Lady of Song,” the show is currently being seen by audiences at various venues across the country. Andrea’s other Broadway credits include The Lion King, Once on This Island, Bring in ‘Da Noise/Bring in ‘Da Funk, For Colored Girls..., as well as Marie Christine at

Lincoln Center Theatre. Andrea was most recently seen in Grace, a one-woman show, and she is currently working on an illustrated memoir, How NOT to Fall off a Broadway Stage.

She keeps in touch with several former classmates, especially singer/actor Michele Mais ’72.

Monica Belag-Forman ’74 continues her trail-blazing career in the fashion and apparel industry. She spent 17 years at Magaschoni, a luxury global designer and cashmere lifestyle brand, serving as president and CEO until 2013. Earlier this year, Monica took her business expertise to nail polish company Color Club, where she is serving as president.

s Jill Cannon ’76, New York, NY, reconnected with US science teacher John Roeder at a recent Teachers College workshop for STEM teachers in New York City. The chance encounter encouraged Jill to observe John’s Active Physics class at Calhoun and gather some ideas for her current research on interdisciplinary curriculum related to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math). Jill taught art and Advanced Placement studio art at NYC public and charter high schools in Harlem for several years. But in the last three years, she has transitioned to art education in community programs and museums while serving as chair of the Region 8 WINTER 2015

36

CLASS NOTES

membership for the New York State Art Teachers Association.

Eric Cohler ’77, New York, NY, has an interior-design career that continues to earn accolades and recognition. He was named to Elle Decor’s A-List of 30 top U.S. designers in 2010, 2013 and 2014; House Beautiful described Eric as one of the 14 “best of the best” in the “next wave of designers in America”; and his book, Cohler on Design, gets rave reviews on Amazon. Even the Obama family are fans, selecting one of his fabrics for the White House family dining room!

Cary Rosner ’78 and his wife, Glace Chou ’82, New York, NY, are the proud new parents of a baby girl, Mira, who was born on September 25. Glace continues to work at Sesame Workshop; Cary now has a solo law practice in New York City after having retired from his partnership at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips.

The two returned to Calhoun for Pub Night in November.

1980s

Scott Cohen ’80, Centerport, NY, has been at the law firm Winston & Strawn LLP since

2010 as director of e-discovery services, responsible for the litigation support technology, electronic discovery operations and document review center management. Beyond his work at the firm, Scott has spent the past two years as an adjunct professor in the Department of Electronic Discovery at Bryan University.

Dana Pollan ’80 appeared on Good Morning America in November to feature a new cookbook, The Pollan Family Table, which she co-wrote with her mother and sisters. The project was inspired by favorite family holiday recipes and meals.

Dana still lives in New York with her husband, Mitchell, who is a partner at Olshan Law, and their three children, who are now 9, 17 and 21 years old.

Erika Milvy ’81, San Francisco, CA, flew cross country last July for a mini-reunion with Christine Zamora ’81 and Maya Barnes Johansen ’81, to celebrate Maya’s birthday.

The classmates took a nostalgic stroll past Calhoun to see the latest renovation in progress, and then made a beeline to Zabar’s—where they bumped into Josh Wiener ’81! Like old times.

In the hood: 1981 mini-reunion with (L-R) classmates Erika Milvy, Josh Wiener, Christine Zamora and Maya Barnes Johansen.

CALHOUN CHRONICLE

(L-R) Ed Freiberg, Alex Rohrs, Marc Kurschner, Arlo Chase, Oliver Chase, Mark Lubell, Ross Kleinberg and David Potischman at their annual holiday reunion.

Fred Miggins ’83 works as the head of marketing and communications for Eye to Eye, a national non-profit focused on mentoring kids with learning disabilities. He also has his own integrated marketing and branding firm, The Digital State, which he began in December 2011.

Fred lives in Springfield, NJ, with his 15-year-old daughter, Natalie.

He enjoys staying in touch with Calhoun friends and teachers, both on Facebook and in person.

Ed Freiberg ’88, Alex Rohrs ’88, Marc Kurschner ’88, Arlo Chase ’89, Oliver Chase ’91, Mark Lubell ’88, Ross Kleinberg ’88 and David Potischman ’88 were together in full force in November, gathering for their annual tradition of a Thanksgiving hang-out. They convened at Spring Lounge in New York City.

“It’s a staple every year!” exclaims Ross.

Marc Kurschner ’88, South Orange, NJ, has been promoted to senior vice president of sales for the Americas for Getty Images, where he oversees all aspects of the company’s sales team and customer service in the region.

1990s

Kareem Cook ’90, Reseda, CA, celebrated his wedding this past August to Rahel Mengiste, at the Mission Inn Resort and Club at Howey-in-the-Hills, FL. Dale Allsopp ’91 was in the wedding party. Kareem and Rahel live in Los Angeles, where he serves as chief operating officer of Naturade.

Heather Sayles Jupiter ’92, Brooklyn, NY, has returned to Calhoun! Three years after the birth of her daughter, Daisy, she is back at Lower School/74th as a head kindergarten teacher.

Heather’s husband, Mark, works as a furniture maker.

Bo Matkowsky ’92, New York, NY, now serves as general counsel and regional director of sales for Krispy Krunchy Chicken, a Louisiana-based fried chicken franchise. With more than 1,500 locations nationwide, Krispy Krunchy has opened two Brooklyn locations this year and will soon open its first Manhattan location in Hell’s Kitchen. Bo is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School.

CLASS NOTES

IN MEMORIAM

Kevin Silverman ‘96 It is with deep shock and profound sorrow that Calhoun

contribute to social problems like domestic violence.” Meredith hopes to screen the film to open conversations. “I feel so proud to see all the amazing work taking place at my alma mater!”

mourns the sudden loss of Lifer Kevin Silverman ’96, who died unexpectedly on October 26, 2014, as a result of an aneurism.

Kevin had just celebrated his thirty-sixth birthday over the weekend, surrounded by friends.

Kevin was a true Calhoun kid—smart, sociable and engaging, with both his teachers and his peers. He was captain of the tennis team as a senior, served in student government, and showed an

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Dana Messinger ’97, Brooklyn, NY, has returned to New York after spending many years in the Baltimore area. After a short stint at Baruch College, she is now associate director of admissions for Columbia Law School. The new position blends Dana’s two areas of expertise well: She received her law degree from Georgetown University, after which she spent many years in the admissions office of her undergraduate alma mater, Johns Hopkins University.

early interest in media as an editor for both the school newspaper The Issue and the yearbook. His involvement with and support for Calhoun continued well after he graduated; he returned to Calhoun several times as a panelist in the annual Cougar Career Symposium, where he offered mentoring and advice to current students.

After Calhoun, Kevin went on to NYU, where he majored in communications, before beginning a thriving career in public relations—most recently at Ruder Finn, where he led the healthcare digital innovations team as senior vice president and director of

s Sonia Bonsu ’95, Stamford, CT, married Peter Appiah in a traditional Ghanaian ceremony in July. Sonia, who started working in fundraising at Calhoun in 2008, was named Director of Development in 2013.

healthcare innovation.

Kevin always carried a big smile, warm heart and genuine kindness that was infectious on the fourth floor. All of us here at Calhoun, along with many fellow alums, mourn his loss and have Kevin’s family—his parents, Rita and Steven, his sister,

Arielle (Class of 2003), and his wife, Jen—close in our thoughts.

Karen Radley ’92, New York, NY, calls herself the Sports Lady—as both fan and writer.

She maintains a website, www. kjrwriting.com, as well as a health and fitness Facebook page, “The Sports Lady’s Marathon to Health,” www.facebook.com/ SLMarathon, and is on Twitter @ KJRsports. Karen, who says she has loved writing since grade school at Calhoun, recently reconnected with the school in a whole new way: “I was so impressed by the video on school lunches that Chef Bobo appears in that I featured it on my ‘Sports, Lady’s Marathon to Health’ page.”

In addition to writing, Karen also helps small businesses build their

brands through a strong presence on social media.

Meredith Gold ’93, Norwalk, CT, reached out to Calhoun after viewing the trailer of the school’s documentary film I’m Not Racist . . . Am I?, which ties into her efforts as the manager of community relations, prevention and education of domestic abuse services at the YWCA in Greenwich, CT. In describing her work, Meredith explains, “I have launched a primary prevention initiative for domestic violence, trying to engage our community in dialogues around deeper topics such as privilege and oppression, and how these forces

Molly Mandlin ’96, Bronx, NY, married Robert Cornelius after 11 years together, on July 27, 2013.

The two first met through the local gaming community. “We are both volunteer members of the senior staff of Double Exposure gaming,” Molly notes.

Rob became sick in May 2013, and “after facing a frightening year of illness together, [we] knew we just didn’t want to wait any longer. We began planning in early July and had the ceremony just 15 days later. We were married at sunset in Riverside Park surrounded by a small gathering of loved ones and many fireflies. It was a beautiful evening.” With Rob now healthier and back at work, Molly is focused on writing two novels exploring deeper possibilities in the fairytale genre. “I’m also soaking up all the sun I can through the windows of my studio, where I have a wonderful space to paint and work on mixed-media pieces.”

s Amanda Crosas Skaloud ’97 and her husband, Scott, welcomed Evan Scott Skaloud into the world on September 28, 2014, in Chicago, IL, where the family resides. Evan weighed in at eight pounds, five ounces and was 20-3/4 inches in length.

s Matias Stebbings ’97 was married on July 11 to Ann Ragsdale in Leland, MI, where her family has spent summer vacations for the past 40 years.

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CLASS NOTES

Careers Support Calhoun’s 2014–2015 Annual Fund Six Reasons Why Alumnae/i Participation Matters 1. Testimonial to Calhoun: Your gift signals to others that Calhoun is valued by its graduates.

2. Competitive Spirit: Calhounders are proud! Help us compete with the higher alumni giving levels at our peer schools!

Adam Gerson ’97 officiated at the wedding while other Calhoun classmates cheered them on— including Geoff Foster ’96, Chris Foster ’95, Justin Bosch ’00, Win Rosenfeld ’96 and Win’s wife, Adrienne Glasser ’96.

Matias reports that he’s “still teaching Spanish and coaching the boys’ varsity soccer team at Columbia Prep, and Annie has started working here in the after-school program as well.

The wedding itself was a small and intimate outdoor gathering overlooking Lake Michigan; it was a perfect day all around!”

3. Appreciation for Our Teachers: Giving helps bring salaries to competitive levels, and shows our talented faculty how much they are valued—esp. if you attach a teacher tribute.

2000s

s James Andrews ’01 and his wife, Lisa, welcomed their first child, Eleanor Mary, on October 27.

The three have relocated farther uptown in Manhattan, with a new apartment by Fort Tryon Park and the Cloisters. James continues to work at Habitat for Humanity New York City, where he is manager of development operations.

4. Expanding Financial Aid: Annual Fund dollars help support and promote a fully diverse community at Calhoun.

5. Growth of Alumnae/i Programming: Your giving ensures even more resources for alumnae/i programs, including reunions, career symposiums and Calhoun-on-the-Road.

6. Stability for Calhoun’s Future: As part of Calhoun’s 100-plus-year history, you guarantee a quality education for future generations.

Make your 2014-2015 Alumnae/i Annual Fund gift today, and help us grow our participation rate! www.calhoun.org/alumgiving Sonia Bonsu ’95, 212-497-6579

Calhoun CALHOUN CHRONICLE

s Jeremy Basescu ’98 and his wife, Rachael, welcomed the arrival of their second daughter, Sadie Ann Basescu, on July 17. Sadie joins her older sister, Gabby.

The family lives in Brooklyn, NY. Brian Daniels ’98 is a proud new dad, celebrating the birth of his first child, Parker William, on October 28. He continues working as a user experience designer at mcgarrybowen and lives in Hell’s Kitchen with his wife, Kate, who works at UBS.

Will Dreisbach ’01, who returned to Calhoun to be interviewed for an oral history project about war veterans, had a chance to reunite with former Middle School teachers Cathy Dault (math), Phil Bender (math) and Shelley Greenberg (English).

s Will Dreisbach ’01, New York, NY, who attended Calhoun from pre-K through eighth grade, met with Calhoun students during Harvest Festival this fall to share his firsthand experience in the military. He made the decision

CLASS NOTES

to join the military shortly after 9/11. “I did my first tour in Iraq from 2003 to 2004 and Khost, Afghanistan, in 2008 and 2009,” Will told the students during interviews being conducted for an Upper School oral history project.

Today, Will is enrolled at Columbia University, working toward a master’s in international affairs with a concentration in economic and political development. “It was great coming back to Calhoun— fun getting to see some of my old teachers and see how the school has changed. Even though it has expanded, it was good to see the same Calhoun spirit.”

Chris Kompanek ’01, New York, NY, interviewed George C. Wolfe, playwright, director and chief creative officer for the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, for the November issue of American Theatre magazine.

Chris also writes a regular blog for The Huffington Post in addition to contributing freelance articles on culture and travel to The Washington Post, Time Out New York and other publications.

Ways to Connect Online with the Calhoun Community

Jessica Mantas ’02 surrounded herself with friends on the occasion of her wedding, including Calhounders Daniel Eddy-Quintana ’02, Basil Wajdowicz ’02, Andrea Cortes-Juarbe ’01 and Carlos Quintana ’02

s Jessica Mantas ’02, New York, NY, celebrated her wedding to David Leaver at Battery Gardens in New York on October 3. The event was a full Calhoun affair: Roey Mizrahi ’03 served as maid of honor while also handling the planning with her event company.

Other alums in attendance were brother Daniel Mantas ’02, classmates Daniel Eddy-Quintana ’02, Carlos Quintana ‘02, Jack Carroll ‘02, Basil Wajdowicz ‘02 and David Kramer ‘02, as well as Roberto Soto-Carrion ’03 and Andrea Cortez-Juarbe ’01.

Jessica works as an editor and producer at iN DEMAND.

Josh Raeben ’01 and his wife, Sarah, have returned to the East Coast after spending the past year in Steamboat Springs, CO. The two are now living in Larchmont, NY, and, as of November, Josh had completed training and graduated from the New York City Fire Academy program. Congratulations, Josh!

David Kramer ’02 is CFO of Private Wealth Management/ International Wealth Management at Morgan Stanley while working toward his MBA at New York University’s Stern School of Business. He lives in Brooklyn with his fiancée, Liz.

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Lieberman Straus & Shrewsberry LLP and Ryan practices at the law firm Bartels & Feureisen LLP. The two live in Cross River, NY. Summer Rej ’02, New York, NY, is the founder and principal designer for Dauphines of New York, a company she started in 2011 to make luxury statement hair accessories. Summer’s collections are sold in high-end boutiques and department stores, including Henri Bendel, Fenwick Bond Street in London, and Sephora stores, and online at shopbop.com. Summer also contributes freelance articles to publications including Time Out New York, nymag.com, and openingceremony.us. See www.dauphinesofnewyork.com.

CALHOUN WEBSITE www.calhoun.org

FACEBOOK facebook.com/calhounschool facebook.com/calhounalums

TWITTER @calhounschool

INSTAGRAM @calhounschool

YOUTUBE youtube.com/calhounschool

LINKEDIN http://bit.ly/calhounlinkedin

s Jennifer Meyers ’02 married Ryan Kaupelis at the Highlands Country Club in Garrison, NY, on June 6, with Sarah Thomas ’02 in attendance. Jennifer and Ryan are both lawyers: Jennifer works as an associate at Traub

s In September 2013, Hillary Gluck Wasicek ’02 moved out west to San Diego, where she and her husband, Andrew, (continued on page 43)

PINTEREST pinterest.com/calhounschool

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REUNION M O RE P H OTOS O N L I N E www.calhoun.org/alumevents

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Alums gathered to kick off the holidays and catch up with one another at the eighth annual Alumni Pub Night in November. The event was relocated to school this year as a festive opportunity to unveil and celebrate the newly renovated Calhoun Commons. The crowd spanned graduates from the ’80s, ’90s and ’00s, along with former teachers.

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1. Theater tech teacher Marc Aubin with Andrew Sklar ’07

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2. (L-R) Glace Chou ’82 (with baby, Mira), Peter Lubell ’86, Tanya Hotton ’85 and Adam Campagna ’84 3. (L-R) Amalia Safran ’09, Terry Horowitz ’09 and Ashley Julien ’09

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4. (L-R) Sophie Harris ’06, Warren Rej ’06, Emily Capkanis ’07 and Wesley Burke ’06 5. (L-R) Emily Kaiser ’05, US science teacher Francesco Filiaci, Jennifer Lewis ’05 and Nina Kompanek ’05 6. (L-R) Kate Davis ’10 and Erika Brinzac ’10

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Holiday Homecoming Luncheon The long-standing holiday luncheon for recent grads had a record turnout, with more than 60 alums returning to Calhoun to reconnect during college break. The crowd gathered in the new Calhoun Commons with a delicious full spread by Chef Bobo and his team, followed by a tour of the new library.

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1. (L-R) Julia Sub ’11 and Alva Stux ’11 2. (L-R) Rachel Lippin-Foster ’11, Adam Shankman ’14 and Robin Sklar ’14 3. (L-R) US English teacher Bobby Rue, Serena Silverberg ’14, Maddy Gordon ’14 and Sasha Krantz ’14 4. (L-R) Jesse Lippin-Foster ’14 and Fred Hernandez ’14 5. (L-R) Michelle Polinsky ’11, US English teacher Ellen Kwon and Charley Cotton ’12

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Profile Sabrina Spiegel Zurkuhlen ‘06 Has the Golden Touch

by Jim Byrne Since taking over as head coach of the Girls’ Varsity Volleyball team in 2011, Sabrina Spiegel Zurkuhlen ’06 has transformed Calhoun into a city-wide power in the sport. She’s led her Cougars to four consecutive New York City Athletic League (NYCAL) Tournament championship games, winning the last three, and has earned just as many regular-season titles.

If you pull the lens back further, her fingerprints are evident elsewhere: Under her tutelage, the Girls’ JV team has won the NYCAL Tournament crown twice in three years, and the three-year-old Boys’ Varsity team is a two-time Private School Athletic Association (PSAA) finalist.

So, how is it that Sabrina, not even 10 years removed from her own days as a Cougar, has fostered such incredible success in so little time? According to the coach herself, it’s about developing and honoring a larger system that is built on positive communication and an appreciation for hard work, effort and

“ It’s because of Sabrina that, even now in college . . . I remind myself to never just settle for the mediocre, but to push and challenge myself to do better.”

– Taj Cutting ‘14, 2011-2013 Varsity Volleyball teams passion. “We use volleyball as a vehicle to teach our athletes about commitment and dedication,” says Sabrina, who is also Calhoun’s Assistant Director of Athletics. “Even in our Lower and Middle School clinics, we teach every player what it means to play Calhoun volleyball and what mental and technical skills they’ll need to have the privilege of wearing a Cougar jersey.

Because of this model, which has taken years to develop, and because of the two amazing JV coaches and wonderful Varsity assistant coach we have in our program, we’re able to produce championship teams year after year­—in spite of graduating ‘star’ players.”

Taj Cutting ‘14, who played on the 2011, 2012 and 2013 championship volleyball teams, says she still finds inspiration in the lessons of her former coach. “It’s because of Sabrina that, even now in college—dealing with huge amounts of work, finals and other types of stress—I remind myself to never just settle for the mediocre, but to push and challenge myself to do better.”

CALHOUN CHRONICLE

Volleyball coach Sabrina Spiegel Zurkuhlen ‘06 (second from left) celebrates with some of her champion varsity players (L-R) Elena Howes ‘16, Isabelle Thomson ‘16 and Emma Griffith ‘17.

David Bartolacci, Director of Athletics, first crossed paths with Sabrina in his initial year at Calhoun. He remembers her— a senior at the time—as a super competitive athlete who played both volleyball and basketball. She began working with the Middle School volleyball and basketball teams in 2007, while attending and then graduating from NYU, earning a BS degree.

David watched her mature as a coach year after year until she was finally made a full-time Varsity coach and then Assistant Director of Athletics.

“As tireless as she is with her daily responsibilities, Sabrina puts in just as much time outside of school in an effort to further educate herself,” says David. “From coaching club volleyball and attending conferences, to reading and keeping up with the latest research, she is constantly trying to learn more.” He points out that she’s very interested in how the body and the brain work together, noting that “while most coaches start and stop with the X’s and O’s, Sabrina teaches her teams about how the brain works and the impact it has on their performance.” She does it, he says, in such an interesting and exciting way, that even her Girls’ Middle School Basketball players find it intriguing and valuable.

Sabrina admits it would be a lie to say the pressure hasn’t increased as the dynasty has extended, but she tries to use that added weight as a teaching tool. “Our program philosophy is and has always been to view success as simply ‘Leave the court proud of the work we did that day.’ What’s helpful in doing that, year after year, is to remember that our goal never changes.

By not focusing on the scoreboard, it seems we have found an unstoppable way to win.”

CLASS NOTES

are both practicing attorneys.

“I now work as associate counsel for the Department of Homeland Security, specifically United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS),” Hillary says. Andrew, whom Hillary met while the two attended Colgate University, is at a criminal defense firm. The couple keeps especially busy as proud parents of Emma, who turned two in early October.

“We are absolutely loving San Diego,” reports Hillary.

Alexandra Sanchez ’03, Bronx, NY, is working as an education specialist at New Alternatives for Children, an organization whose mission is to provide innovative high-quality services in support of birth, foster and adoptive families caring primarily for medically fragile children. Before joining NAC last spring, Alex was living in California, where she did some teaching and community organizing and pursued her love for acting.

Dana Bezoza ’04, New York, NY, works as a legal recruiting specialist at Clifford Chance LLP, a post she took last winter.

Previously, she had been an HR analyst at First New York Securities for three years and, before that, in recruiting at Morgan Stanley.

Andy Miller ’04 moved back to New York in 2013 to assume a role as art director at Mediabrands Publishing. Since 2008 he had been living in Los Angeles, where he spent three years at Partizan and, more recently, as art director and production coordinator for The Chernin Group. Andy connected with classmates at their 10th Reunion last spring.

Ted Schwartz ’04 married Carrie Lipper last summer in New Hyde Park, Long Island.

The wedding party was full of Calhoun alums, including Louis Armistead ’04, Andy Miller ’04, Nick Director ’04 and Ted’s brother, Andy Schwartz ’06.

Others on hand for the occasion included Owen Rosenblum ’05, Michael Zurkuhlen ‘06 and Sabrina Spiegel Zurkuhlen ‘06.

Ted’s proposal was actually made with a surprise video screening at the AMC Loews Theater at 84th Street. The video, written

by Ted and Louis, came on during previews just before Ted ran in and proposed. The newlyweds honeymooned in Australia and New Zealand in December.

Nina Kompanek ‘05, Long Island City, NY, had a special holiday role in December, playing the Ghost of Christmas Past in a musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol at the Players Theatre. It was a repeat performance for Nina, who played the same role in last year’s production. She has also been in several other productions at the Players Theatre, including The Little Mermaid and The Selfish Giant. When not pursuing her acting career, Nina can be found in Calhoun’s 81st Street school office, where she is now a fulltime administrative assistant.

Nisara Ruangsuwana ’05, Bronx, NY, began a job last June as a researcher for the Muslim Public Affairs Council, having previously spent a year in Daejeon, South Korea, working as an EFL tutor.

Sophie Harris ’06, New York, NY, has been working the past two

years as a sales manager for CD Network, a multi-label fashion showroom in Manhattan. She continues to pursue her freelance photography.

Warren Rej ‘06, New York, NY, is currently marketing research coordinator at Seventeen magazine, a Hearst publication.

Max Bosch ’07, Brooklyn, NY, has been busy putting his creative talents to work in an entrepreneurial new venture, as co-founder and creative director of TAABS. TAABS is a mobile application that allows users to find venues by searching through any combination of keywords. As Max describes it, “TAABS makes the New York City nightlife venue search as quick, easy, and informative as possible.” See more at: TAABS.com.

Travis Harris ’07, New York, NY, is currently working with The Source magazine and writing his first feature-film script.

43

Patti Gomez ’07 is a public relations account manager at the Pinckney Hugo Group in Syracuse, NY. She is also the founding partner of Dawson Sinclair, a branding and design agency based in SoHo. www.pattigomez.com Dan Stein ’07, New York, NY, completed his master’s degree in jazz studies at Juilliard this past summer, studying with Ron Carter as a Juilliard alumni scholarship recipient. He continues to bring his musical skills in bass and guitar to Calhoun, where he is an adjunct teacher.

Mark Freedman ’08, Washington, D.C., was recently named staff assistant in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Counterterrorism. Mark, who graduated with a BA and MA from Georgetown University, has been working in various positions with the State Department since 2010.

He cut his chops in international affairs as a member of Calhoun’s award-winning Model UN team.

Join us for the

Cougar Career Symposium Friday, April 17, 2015 12:00–3:30pm Alumnae/i panelists speak to alums and Upper Schoolers about career paths and opportunities.

Chef Bobo lunch included!

RSVP to attend or participate: www.calhoun.org/careersymposium

WINTER 2015

44

CLASS NOTES

helping support the diversity initiatives of the Admissions and Alumnae/i Relations offices, as well as Calhoun’s overall work in diversity, social justice, affinity and anti-racism. Ashley graduated from Vassar College in 2013 as a studio art major.

Liza Garrin ’08 (top right, with a friend) introduced her line of Bijou Sweets chocolate pretzels at Calhoun’s annual Holiday Gift & Craft Fair.

s Liza Garrin ’08, New York, NY, a sales assistant at Carole Hochman Design Group, has been blazing new trails in a second career as an entrepreneur, launching her own chocolate pretzel company, Bijou Sweets.

“All of the pretzels are dipped in dark chocolate, infused with popular flavors, and adorned with sprinkles that are inspired by jewels and jewelry (emerald, diamond, pearl etc.),” Liza explains. As part of the product development, the Calhoun network came into play—with mentoring from fellow foodies Hannah Scarritt-Selman ’05 and Andrew Otton ’07, who she says have been amazing.

“When I had the idea, I met with Hannah (founder of Little Boo Boo Bakery); she gave me really great business advice, which motivated me to proceed with the ambitious project. I learned that I knew nothing about melting chocolate, so Andrew taught me how to temper! Kendra Vizcaino ’02 also came over to give me a chocolate tempering tutorial.”

While Liza continues her day job at Carole Hochman, the business grows. She was a vendor at this winter’s Calhoun crafts fair and CALHOUN CHRONICLE

recently launched her website: www.bijousweets.com.

Luke Alpert ’09 has rejoined the Calhoun community as an associate teacher in the Middle School! His new position follows an adventurous year of exploration after he graduated from Oberlin College in 2013; Luke took a year off to bike 4,000 miles around the United States to raise money for the Philadelphia Student Union, an organization that supports Philadelphia public school students.

Jack Asimov ’09 took a job in September 2013 as an associate and research analyst at the public affairs firm Global Strategy Group in New York. Jack earned his BA in political science and government from Wesleyan University, and also studied at the Danish Institute for Study Abroad. He celebrated his 5th Reunion with Calhoun classmates last spring.

Ashley Julien ’09, New York, NY, is making an immediate impact on Calhoun this year, having returned for the year to work as a diversity and equity coordinator. Her efforts are

Barry Weinstein ’09, who graduated with upper secondclass honors from the London School of Economics, is now living in New York and working as a derivatives trader at BlueCrest Capital Management, where he began as an intern in his final school year. Barry is also continuing his entrepreneurial venture, Pillowcase Studies, a product line that imprints study guides on—you guessed it— pillowcases. pillowcasestudies.com

2010s

Emily Glaser ’10, New York, NY, graduated from Colorado College in 2014 with a BA in film and new media studies and is now working as an assistant account executive at McCann New York. Emily has also been traveling, including a recent visit to Los Angeles with Nina Smilow ’10. She has also kept up her baking and plans to attend a 12-session foundational course at the Institute of Culinary Education in 2015.

Rachel Lippin-Foster ’11 is in her senior year at Bates College, where she is a psychology major and Spanish minor. As a junior, she spent a semester studying public health in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and she has already completed her senior thesis.

“I studied forensic psychology and wrote about the influence of perceived investigator competency on eyewitness

identification decisions,” reports Rachel. As part of her activities on campus, she keeps busy as a senior admission fellow, conducting interviews and information sessions for prospective students.

Simon Gilbert ’12 is already making his mark, working with a team of scientists in the physics and astronomy department at Oberlin College who are researching the role of pulsars in collaboration with international groups in North America, Europe and Australia.

Last summer, Simon attended the annual meeting between the groups in Banff, Canada, and then continued doing research with professors on Oberlin’s campus.

Beyond majoring in physics, Simon continues to follow his other passion—music.

Stephen Mondesir ’13 is in his sophomore year at St. John’s University, where he has shifted majors from biology to television and film. Last summer, he did an internship at Columbia University, working on the video team for EdLab, and as he explains, “since EdLab reacquainted me with media production, I’ve delved into graphic design.” As the semester started, Stephen joined Haraya ­—the Pan-African Students Coalition at St. John’s—where he is doing design work. “It’s in pursuit of my passion and it’s also a fun job, so it doesn’t feel like work!”

Nica Delbourgo ’14 spent her first semester of college abroad in London as part of Skidmore’s First-Year Experience in London.

“It was an amazing experience, and I’m sure I’ll be studying abroad again in my junior year!”

Support Calhoun this year by giving generously to the Annual Fund

youmakeithappen 15

7:1

study abroad and overnight learning trips

teacher-student ratio

80,000

square feet to maintain

269

alums reconnected through Calhoun events last year, both home and on-the-road

325

computers and smart boards

6

science labs

yourcalhounannualfundgiftatwork 30

sports teams

23

concerts and performances each year

190

faculty and staff with competitive salaries and benefits

23,000

books and library resources

300

700

community service projects

$5million in tuition assistance

www.calhoun.org/onlinegiving

meals a day

125

upper school electives

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433 West End Avenue New York, NY 10024 www.calhoun.org ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

To the Parents of Alumnae/i: If this issue is addressed to your daughter/son who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the Alumnae/i Office with the correct mailing address.

Call 212-497-6579, fax 212-497-6531 or contact by email: alumni@calhoun.org.

First Grade Self-Portraits