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GSB Mosaic

Identity

Culture

2 0 1 8

The Magazine of Gill St. Bernard’s School

TABLE OF CONTENTS FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 FEATURE Identity & Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 PROFILES Luke Fischer '16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Bridging the Gap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 CAMPUS LIFE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Speakers on Campus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Student Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 ATHLETICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 PATRONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Kirby Honored . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 ALUMNI NEWS/EVENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Alex Mitola '12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 ALUMNI NOTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 IN MEMORIAM: BRETT MERSHON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Cover art credit, see p. 8

Board of Trustees BOARD OF TRUSTEES Rajiv De Silva Ann Drzik Gia Dunn John Frantz Michael Fritzlo Liz Fucci Robert Hemm SBS ’46 Rose Kirk Jeff Lager ’86 Douglas Matthews Mark Mazzatta Linda Moore Britany Silverman Nelson ’97 Sandi Niccolai James O’Connor

Gill St. Bernard’s alumni magazine is published three times a year by the Communications & Marketing Department and the Alumni Office. S.A. Rowell, Head of School Allyson B. Daly, Director of Communications & Marketing Jill Brown, Writer & Communications Specialist Jennifer Doherty, Director of Parent Relations & Special Events James F. Diverio, Director of Development Gwen Paxon , Director of the Annual Fund & Planned Giving Meredith Marks, Assistant Director of Development and Alumni Relations Chanelle Walker, Director of Alumni Relations/Associate Director of Development

Gill St. Bernard’s School P.O. Box 604, St. Bernard’s Road Gladstone, NJ 07934-0604 908-234-1611 gsbschool.org facebook.com/gsbschool facebook.com/gsbschoolalumni Design by Vision Creative Group

Robert O’Leary Steven Polachi John Raymonds Marianne Saladino Vlad Torgovnik Janine Udoff Sid Rowell, Ex-Officio HONORARY TRUSTEES Patti Aresty Joe Behot Miguel Brito Laurie Brueckner Harry Chowansky III Brandon Clark Bill Conger

Sam Corliss Richard Emmit Nelson Ferreira Donald Fuentes Michael Golden Judy Fulton Higby John Howard Adrienne Kirby Michael Mandelbaum Richard Markham Mary McNamara Edmond Moriarty III Patty Muchmore Ellen Nardoni Elizabeth Nametz Mark Paris

Preston Pinkett III Robert Sameth, Jr. ’89 Maureen Stefanick Jayne Vespa Michael Weinstein BOARD OF VISITORS Miguel Brito Brandon Clark Sam Corliss David Farris Michael Golden The Honorable Thomas H. Kean Blair MacInnes Edward E. Matthews

MISSION STATEMENT

Gill St. Bernard’s School provides a balanced, diverse and secure community that prepares students academically, socially and ethically for college and a meaningful life.

CORE VALUES

Courage • Integrity • Respect • Compassion • Excellence

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL I was particularly struck by the cover of this issue of the magazine, which features artwork from several of our Upper School students. Each of the images represents an aspect of the student’s identity that he or she chose to highlight through a self-portrait or a symbol that has personal, familial or broader cultural significance. These images invite us not simply to look, but to learn more about the artists who created them; to be curious about the experiences of another person. In that, they also reveal something special about the Gill St Bernard’s community: we are genuinely interested in, and invested in, one another. In the fall, Dr. Derrick Gay, an internationally recognized expert on issues of diversity and inclusion (page 20), asked students to consider different ways in which the question “Who am I?” could be answered. In listening to the responses of others, students began to consider more deeply the complexity of each person’s story—and recognize that everyone has unique interests and aspects of their lives beyond the context in which we see them. That conversation continued long after Dr. Gay left campus, in classrooms, advisory meetings and at home. In the following pages, you will find illustrations of similar thought-provoking exercises taking place here every day. Middle School Director Kyle Armstrong discusses his new Building Bridges course, in which he teaches the importance of being a better communicator and the value of learning from one another. Recent graduates Jack Lowe and Ted Rosenthal, both members of the class of 2015, reflect on how discussions of identity impacted their GSB experience, college choices and career plans. On campus, our teachers work hard to encourage deeper understanding of the impact of culture, the role of diversity and the importance of inclusion in everyday life in order to prepare our students for an ever-changing global society. Listening, sharing and understanding are essential skills needed now more than ever, and they can be approached in a variety of ways. Coupled with student and faculty forums, professional development and student assemblies, we create a learning environment that promotes honesty, dignity and revelation through civil and respectful discourse. These elements are essential parts of our commitment to developing a community of life-long learners. I have no illusions that our school or our community is perfect. However, I am confident that the Gill St. Bernard’s community works very hard to ask important questions and practice what Krista Tippett refers to as “generous listening.” As a direct result, we have the opportunity to be better each new day than we were the day before. Sid Rowell

Head of School

Candace Pryor-Brown

GSB Mosaic

Identity

Culture

By Alice Roche Cody

hen Jack Lowe ’15 first visited the Upper School at Gill St. Bernard's as a prospective student from Parsippany, he immediately fell in love with the picturesque campus. But as he took part in an English literature class, he grew increasingly uncomfortable. While he listened to students discuss A Lesson Before Dying, a novel about an African American man wrongly accused of murder in the Jim Crow South, he felt uneasy. “I was sitting in class and it was like: ‘Something is very wrong here,’” Lowe recalls. “At first I couldn’t put my finger on it. Then I realized what it was—I was the only black person in the room. I’d never experienced that before in school.” Lowe was one of only a few students of color in the Upper School, and he found GSB welcoming. He made friends quickly, especially with his fellow soccer players. “People listened to my experiences as a black man, and what I thought about issues like police brutality and affirmative action, because they were already my friends and there was mutual respect,” he says. “Everyone at Gill was kind and respectful, and I could share my ideas without people shooting them down.” Yet over time, he felt pressure, burdened even. “When we talked about issues regarding diversity, like racism, I was expected to speak up as the voice for people of color,” he says. “I felt I had to give my input, but I didn’t know enough. It was frustrating.” Then, his sophomore year, Lowe enrolled in a history elective taught by Candace Pryor-Brown—Race, Class and Gender—and that changed everything. “I took a deep dive right into it,” he says. “The first conversation we had in class was profound. I learned about the world and what I could do to make it a better place.” This opened up a new academic frontier, one where he first learned about social justice and civil rights and was exposed to concepts, including mass incarceration as the new Jim Crow. From there, he joined the student club Lead for Diversity (now Gill for Diversity) and helped coordinate discussions that dissected issues such as privilege and equality and the idea of a post-racial society. “I learned 3

“We need to make sure we’re being culturally responsive and introducing different perspectives in the classroom.” – Tracey Goodson Barrett 4

Isabel Corbin

how to have these conversations and to look at different perspectives,” he says. “The most valuable thing I learned at Gill was how to connect with people from different backgrounds. To open eyes and minds.” Gill St. Bernard’s gave Lowe the tools to explore his own identity within an academic framework and provided a safe setting to talk about difficult topics with his classmates. As Lowe graduated, the school continued to strategically incorporate diversity and inclusion more fully into the academic curriculum and the life of the school. As part of this work, Tracey Goodson Barrett joined the school in July of 2015 to serve as the director of diversity and multicultural affairs. With experience at the Justice Department uncovering housing discrimination and as a diversity coordinator with other independent schools, Barrett now provides leadership and resources to students, faculty and parents across all three divisions regarding equity, diversity and inclusion. For her, a starting point was helping others understand diversity as a term of inclusion that encompasses everyone on campus and transcends race and ethnicity.

“Diversity includes—among other things—gender, religion, experience, language, family structure, socioeconomics and appearance,” she says. “It’s all the different qualities, characteristics and experiences we all bring to a community. It’s not just a particular group or people of color. It’s all of us.” With that in mind, she has worked to increase community engagement by fostering more courageous conversations about sensitive topics. One recent achievement is the Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA), a thriving student club that increases awareness of LGBTQ+ identities. “Many other schools already had GSAs, but there was apprehension about starting one at Gill, and we had many conversations to make this happen,” she says. With her guidance, Gill for Diversity, along with other groups, hosts monthly forums to explore challenging topics, such as national anthem protests, the #MeToo movement and the difference between sexual and gender identities. The objective is not about saying things perfectly, but to give students a place to disagree and engage in civil discourse in order to achieve greater understanding. 5

“In this space, people can get messy,” she says. “We may their whole selves to the table.” The day’s take-away misspeak or unknowingly say something insensitive, message echoed and reinforced GSB’s affirmation that but we can then say, ‘Tell me why. Help me to learn. every member of the campus community is valued. Help me to be better.’ We all have biases and prejudices. While Barrett’s role as a community builder is crucial, It’s part of who we are and what we bring to our she also recognizes that for GSB to evolve and thrive, community, and we must work to mitigate them.” identity development must be woven throughout Barrett also leads Diversity Dialogues with faculty and the curriculum. “We need to make sure we’re being staff that mirror themes presented at student forums. culturally responsive and These monthly meetings introducing different provide a safe space to perspectives in the classroom,” discuss difficult topics, build “…we create a learning she says. By all accounts, the camaraderie and explore ways school is making that happen to be a better resource for the environment that through various disciplines students. promotes honesty, across campus. A memorable chance for dignity and revelation In Isabel Corbin’s mathematics campus-wide dialogue came classroom, the tone is set through civil and when Dr. Derrick Gay, a by a quote on the wall that renowned diversity expert, led respectful discourse.” reads, “Everyone you know talks about identity and cultural is fighting a battle you know awareness with students, faculty – Sid Rowell (see p. 1) nothing about. Be kind. and parents in October. (See Always.” To encourage story page 20.) During his collaboration and discussion, presentations, sponsored by desks are grouped in clusters. Often, to start class, she the Parents’ Association, he invited his audiences to shares videos that have little to do with math, such as think about the question, “Who are you?” This ignited discussions about equity and cultural competency, which Oprah’s Golden Globes speech about sexual assault. Or, he says, “is about providing the space for people to bring to complement a stats lesson, she’ll share a TED Talk,

Jack Lowe ’15 with sisters Samantha ’20 (left) and Jennifer ’17 (right).

Poster created by the Gill for Diversity Club.

Sarah Isusi

like one by the Swedish statistician Hans Rosling, who uses data to explore globalization. Throughout her three statistics classes, students hash out the ethics of different experiments, such as the Tuskegee Syphilis Study and HIV/AIDS drug trials in Africa. “We debate the data ethics, and I bring in different points of view,” she says. “My first goal is to get the content across, but I also want my students to be aware of others.” Projects that tackle tough subjects are also welcome. In a recent survey project that focused on bias, two students (one black, the other white), conducted surveys relating

to the Black Lives Matter movement and tracked answers to explore if results varied based on the interviewer’s appearance. Another student conducted a poll asking students whether or not they thought Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of Israel. Over in the fine arts studio, Sarah Isusi likes to mix things up as well. “We study artists representing a variety of cultural perspectives, not just the Western, traditional perspective,” she says. “We talk about relevant contemporary artists the students can relate to and get excited about.” These include Shepard Fairey, who created the iconic HOPE campaign poster of Barack

“The most valuable thing I learned at Gill was how to connect with people from different backgrounds. To open eyes and minds.” – Jack Lowe ’15

Obama, and Kehinde Wiley, a New York City portrait painter who depicts his black subjects in heroic poses that echo Old Master paintings. This year, Isusi’s signature self-portrait assignment is itself a study in identity. “The self-portraits make a tapestry of images representing different cultures,” she says. “It’s wonderful to look at the beautifully different faces that make up our classroom.” In her studio art class, students keep sketch books based on a weekly prompt, such as family or tradition. “When illustrating traditions, students tend to depict aspects of religious holidays that are particular to their family practice,” she says. “We see how everyone responds to the world in a different way.” Although lessons that incorporate elements of diversity and inclusion can be found throughout campus, the topics are most fully explored through Pryor-Brown’s two electives: Race, Class and Gender, and Urban Sociology. In the first, conducted as a discussion-based seminar, students study a range of historical, sociological and political commentary dealing with slavery, sexism, homophobia, prejudice, oppression and discrimination. In the second, students learn about cities and their issues, including political power, policing, education, housing and gentrification. “In both courses, we have serious canonical readings, but I also make it fun and critique pop culture,” she says. “We’ll watch X-Men and discuss the underlying theme and how it relates to segregation.” Classes also play Monopoly, only the same rules don’t apply to everyone. “If certain students land on Free Parking, for them it means, ‘you’re loitering—go to jail,, ” she says. “The kids say, ‘It’s not fair!’ And then we talk about privilege.”

The student artwork on the cover and in the feature are taken from two projects assigned by Fine Arts Chair Sarah Isusi. The posterized self-portraits are acrylic paintings in a monochromatic color scheme. They were inspired by the work of Shepard Fairey, the artist who designed the Barack Obama “Hope” poster. The symbols are narrative screen sprints, in which students created stencils that represent aspects of their personal and cultural heritage. These were then printed in a series on paper, canvas and collage board. To see more of these student works and learn about the artists, visit www.gsbschool.org/page/alumni/gsb-magazine. 8

For Ted Rosenthal ’15, Race, Class and Gender is the most important course he has ever taken. “I wouldn’t be as invested in social justice without Ms. Pryor-Brown’s class,” he says. “I knew I wanted to continue studying these topics and do what I could to help end oppression.” As a junior at Skidmore, he’s pursuing a minor in Intergroup Relations, for which he’s learning to be a peer facilitator and lead discussions about racial identity and cultural appropriation. After graduation, he hopes to write for a television show and bring topics of diversity and inclusion to a larger audience. Alumnus Jack Lowe also credits Pryor-Brown’s courses for completely changing his academic trajectory. “Race, Class and Gender sparked a passion for being part of diversity groups,” he says. “My time at Gill was a direct catalyst for

what I’m doing now.” A sociology major at West Point, Lowe is president of the Cultural Affairs Seminar, an organization that supports African American cadets through tutoring and mentorship. His future will involve social justice, perhaps as a civil rights attorney or working for the NAACP or the Equal Justice Initiative. When he visited his alma mater to see his sister Samantha ’20 over winter break, he marveled at GSB’s progression: “When I came for my first visit as an eighth-grader, I was surprised by the lack of diversity, but recently, I saw how far Gill has come in terms of programs and diversity of the student body.” We would like this article to serve as a starting point for future articles exploring diversity, equity and inclusion. We would love to hear from our alumni. Please contact Chanelle Walker at (908) 234-1611, ext. 292 or cwalker@gsbschool.org.

“I want students to look at the world and know that not everything is the Western model. I want them to develop empathy and keep an open mind about other people's experiences.” – Candace Pryor-Brown

Ted Rosenthal

Lowe visiting the Capitol.

HOME

Luke Fischer ’16 By Alice Roche Cody

y all accounts, Luke Fischer ’16 should have been more apprehensive about the adventure that awaited him last summer: spending six weeks alone, 4,000 miles from home in Valencia, Spain, while taking two college classes taught solely in Spanish and staying with a 75-year-old host mother. Except for some fleeting transcontinental in-flight jitters, Fischer felt confident about his overseas trek, thanks to his Units spent in Italy, Ireland and South Africa.

When Fischer’s summer in Spain ended, it was hard to say hasta luego to his host mom, the curly-haired woman who reminded him of his grandmother. Back on campus, he kept his trip alive by writing about it for The Cavalier Daily. As a columnist, he has found an outlet for his passion that was sparked by Derek Martin, his two-time English teacher at GSB. Another piece he wrote focused on networking, a skill that has already bolstered Fischer’s resume.

“Gill gave me the travel bug,” says Fischer, a sophomore at the University of Virginia (UVA). “When I left for Spain, I was already a pretty seasoned traveler. Gill prepared me well for adjusting to different countries.”

Through a connection with Nick Bhimani ’18, a fellow GSB fencer, Fischer landed an internship last summer with Nick’s mom, Lisa Bhimani, in her race for a New Jersey Senate seat. Even though Dr. Bhimani lost her bid, Fischer found the race exhilarating. “It was great to see a grassroots campaign start from the ground up and cool to be around other young people trying to make a change in local government,” he says. Fischer got his first taste of civics in Christine Chan’s AP Government class at Gill, where discussions about the Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump election race cemented his interest. He hopes to attend UVA’s Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy the next two years. This, he believes, would provide a solid foundation for a career in politics and possibly law school, should he follow his parents’ path.

Indeed, Fischer adapted quickly to life in Valencia, and with the help of a few phone apps, he was able to deftly navigate the city’s bus and metro system. At first, speaking only Spanish proved clumsy. “My host family didn’t speak English, so our only form of communication was through my broken Spanish,” he says. Luckily, he had a solid foundation from his GSB world language teachers, Marilyn Dori and Brittany Casser, who both stressed conversational skills in their lessons. In Spain, the rules were strict. “If we were caught speaking English in our school building, we could be sent home,” he says. “The program stressed speaking Spanish 24/7 because that’s the best way to truly learn.” Just as Fischer fully immersed himself in the language, he also came to appreciate the Mediterranean culture, particularly the emphasis Spaniards place on leisure and rest. “They believe that enjoying life is just as important as being ‘successful’ by traditional standards,” he says. “We observed a siesta every afternoon, where everyone would leave school or work for a few hours and all of the shops would close. I’d often take a bus ride to the beach with my friends. In America, we’re often caught up working nonstop without taking a break. Living in Spain taught me that it’s really important to relax in order to be happy.” 10

For now, he’s busy talking up his university with alumni and future Wahoos as a student ambassador. This role feels similar to his time spent showing prospective students around his Gladstone campus. “I’m as passionate about UVA as I was about Gill, and it’s fun to share that with others,” he says. “After leaving high school, I feared that I wouldn’t be as connected to my university as I was with Gill, but I couldn’t feel more at home at UVA.” Even though he’s content in Charlottesville, Fischer still has that itch to travel. In planning his next overseas adventure, he’s considering a semester-long study abroad in Europe or a spring break trip to Paris. No matter his destination, two words come to mind: Bon Voyage!

Luke Fischer '16 in Valencia, Spain.

THE GAP WITH KYLE ARMSTRONG

Middle School Director Kyle Armstrong spends a fair amount of time thinking about what his students need to be successful in Upper School and later in life. The academic curriculum is an important part of the equation, but Armstrong is also concerned with giving students the mindset and social skills that will enable them to be their best. To that end, he has led summer leadership programs for eighth-graders, instituted Town Hall meetings and “a virtue of the month” in the Middle School, advised the Community Excellence Club and even offered quick refresher courses on how to be a gentleman. This fall, Armstrong introduced Building Bridges, an enrichment course for eighth-grade students that emphasizes communication skills and the dynamics of community. Armstrong teaches the course himself, and eighth-grade students have the class once every two weeks.

The foundation of Building Bridges is Paul Fleischman’s Seedfolks, a short children’s novel about the residents of a transient community in Cleveland, Ohio, who transform a trash-filled asphalt plot into a community garden. “The people in the book are literally and figuratively planting seeds to make their community a better place,” Armstrong explains. In addition to exploring community, the class focuses on communication skills and students also learn about some of history’s best-known bridge-builders, including Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Mother Teresa. “Those individuals connected other people under very challenging circumstances,” Armstrong says. “When you are a great communicator, you enable people to see one another’s points of view and work together.” In the fall of 2018, Armstrong will be building bridges in a new way—becoming director of both the Lower and Middle Schools. Honor Taft, who

currently serves as Lower School director, is moving in the Lower School. The natural progression from to Boulder, Colorado, with her family at the end there is for us to evaluate the curriculum from Pre-K of the 2017-18 academic year. In Armstrong’s through eighth-grade to make the experience for the expanded role, he will oversee Pre-K through students as purposeful and productive as possible.” eighth-grade, with the help of assistant directors While Armstrong is enthusiastic about making in each division. He is excited by the prospect of cross-grade connections, increasing the number he wants to reassure of cross-divisional parents that the school is connections. “Events WHEN YOU ARE A maintaining two distinct such as Stone Soup bring and separate divisions. “We together students in Pre-K GREAT COMMUNICATOR, are absolutely keeping a through eighth-grade,” YOU ENABLE PEOPLE Lower and a Middle School he offers, “and there are to best serve the unique more opportunities for TO SEE ONE ANOTHER’S developmental needs at meaningful connections POINTS OF VIEW AND each level,” he says. across these grade levels.” Armstrong also hopes to WORK TOGETHER. Before joining Gill make the curriculum from St. Bernard’s in 2014, Pre-K through eighthArmstrong served as grade more fluid. “Honor director of both the lower and middle school at the Taft has done a great job of starting the work of Swain School in Allentown, PA. looking at the scope and sequence of coursework 13

In November, the GSB Players staged three performances of The Beaux’ Stratagem. The cast captured the wit and poise in this late-Restoration-era comedy. Performing Arts Chair Paul Canada led volunteers in the creation of elaborate mid18th-century costumes. With the assistance of parent volunteers, producer Todd Ross ’94 constructed the set at the nearby Purnell School. Progress continues on the construction of GSB’s new Performing Arts and Community Center. See details on page 31.

Cast of The Beaux’ Strategem

GSB RALLIES FOR

HURRICANE RELIEF Throughout the fall, several fundraising initiatives raised money in support of hurricane relief. Upper School students raised more than $17,000 at Homecoming/ Family Day, donating all of the proceeds from the class booths— cotton candy, dunk tank, face painting and high-striker game. Other student initiatives included coin drives and bake sales throughout the three divisions. The Lower School sponsored a stuff-the-truck challenge to bring in supplies for infants and toddlers. In addition, the Community Excellence Club held a raffle and the FLA Club (for the love of animals) hosted its own bake sale to raise money for animals displaced by the storms. Director of Basketball Operations Mergin Sina, in coordination with the school’s basketball teams, organized Hoops for Hurricanes. Players collected money through sponsorships for every basket they made within a set timeframe. Coach Sina managed to sink more than 30 three-point shots in three minutes. The event netted more than $8,000, which was donated to Operation USA and other nonprofits.

Mark Rusas

Avid woodworker junior Mark Rusas has been handcrafting pens to raise money for hurricane relief, turning each of the pens by hand on a precision mini-lathe. Rusas has mastered the process, but each pen still demands about an hour and a half of his time—owing both to the nature of the work and to his own meticulousness. Woodworking teacher Bob Ort ’89, who enthusiastically supports Rusas’ initiative, introduced a pen-making project into the woodworking curriculum this fall. Rusas set up his mini-lathe in the woodworking barn and began teaching fellow students how to craft the pens. Each of the students made two pens: one to keep and one to donate to the fundraising effort. The students have raised over $3,000 to date, earmarked for Habitat for Humanity and the American Red Cross.

HOMECOMING/FAMILY DAY Hundreds came to campus for Homecoming/Family Day on September 23 to cheer on the Knights and take part in fun family activities. The day featured 10 athletic contests, representing all of the fall sports and athletics in both Upper and Middle School. After the varsity girlsâ€™ soccer game, fans gathered for the dedication of the Booster Lodge (see story, page 29). Special thanks to our event chairs for putting together another great Homecoming/Family Day.

On November 11, more than 200 guests came to campus for Gill St. Bernard’s casino night. The event was created by the committee behind last year’s highly-successful Moonlit Night Auction Gala. Guests tried their luck at the gaming tables, took chances to bring home fabulous wine and spirits from the Wine Pull table and enjoyed fabulous food and drink. A very special thanks to the Casino Night & Auction committee, headed by Julie Bliss Chan P ,20, ,22. Thanks also to all of our generous supporters who donated items to the auction, took part in the bidding and came out on a cold November night to support our school. All proceeds from the event benefit programs at the school. The evening raised over $200,000.

A CLASSIC DAY More than 75 golfers gathered at Hamilton Farm Golf Club on September 18 for the 13th annual GSB Classic. John de Grandpre P ’20 and Kevin Giordano P ’14, ’19 took the honors for closest to the pin. First place (low gross) went to Scott Barbrack’s P ’25 foursome; first place (low net) went to the foursome from Linde-Griffith Construction.

More than $1.2 million has been raised during the 13-year run of the Classic. The next GSB Classic is scheduled for the spring of 2019. Proceeds support the endowment for need-based financial aid.

BECOME PART OF THE ALUMNI WALKWAY As a member of the Gill St. Bernardâ€™s School community, you have the opportunity to help preserve our past and secure our future. During GSBâ€™s centennial year, the alumni walkway was established to honor members of the school community. The walkway approaches the Chapel, at the center of the GSB campus, and is used by every member of our community day after day. Reserve your place in GSB history by personalizing a piece of this walkway. Bricks may be purchased by or for alumni, students, faculty or friends of the school for $125 each (4" x 8") and include up to 12 characters/spaces per line. Order now for summer placement into the walkway.

Purchase your brick at gsbschool.org/bricks and become a part of GSB history today. 19

SPEAKERS ON CAMPUS Throughout the academic year, Gill welcomes visiting artists, authors, performers and guest speakers to campus. Whether here for an afternoon or a weeklong workshop intensive, these visitors always leave Gill a richer place.

Dr. Derrick Gay On October 5, internationallyrenowned consultant on issues of diversity and inclusion Dr. Derrick Gay spoke with GSB parents, students and faculty in a series of workshops and presentations. Drawing on current research as well as examples from mainstream media, Dr. Gay invited the audience to explore ways in which our perceptions of others (and of ourselves) can be shaped by advertising, news and social media. Participants had the chance to deconstruct film trailers, news highlights and even current-day maps— which many were surprised to learn often de-emphasize parts of the world. In addition, Dr. Gay led the students through activities to help them reflect on their own identities. He noted that students often believe that their peers see and experience the world in the same way they do. Research, however, indicates that our understanding of who we are, and how others view us, powerfully informs how we see other people. Dr. Gay’s visit was arranged by Director of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs Tracey Goodson Barrett and generously funded by the Gill St. Bernard’s Parents’ Association. Reflecting on the workshops, Barrett offered, 20

“We all possess blind spots, and it is important to be cognizant of their impact on our lives and on the lives of our students as our world becomes increasingly globalized and interconnected.” Dr. Gay is an education consultant with two decades of experience as a classroom teacher and senior administrator. A sought-after speaker and facilitator, Dr. Gay has partnered with hundreds of organizations, domestically and abroad, to cultivate cultural competency, promote empathy and deepen inclusion. He has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR and on 60 Minutes in addition to having produced two TEDx Talks.

Matt de la Peña On October 18, bestselling author Matt de la Peña spent the day on campus talking with students in all three divisions, inviting parents to join the Middle School presentation. Sharing the story of his journey from “reluctant reader” to “author,” de la Peña read from a few of his works, including Mexican WhiteBoy, and explored ways in which longing to fit in can hold young people back and keep them from exploring their interests. In 2016, de la Peña won the Newbery Medal for Last Stop on Market Street and was awarded the NCTE National Intellectual Freedom Award for his efforts to fight censorship. Based in Brooklyn, de la Peña visits colleges and high schools throughout the country.

Jeff Lager ’86 In January, GSB trustee Jeff Lager ’86 hosted a Q&A with seniors about decision-making, a field that he has been passionate about since his undergraduate days at Stanford University. In his current role as an equity portfolio manager with Capital Group in San Francisco, Lager takes decisionmaking very seriously, but he also understands that taking responsibility for decisions does not mean that he, or anyone, can always predict individual outcomes. For the seniors, many of whom are still weighing college options and thinking about potential majors, Lager’s advice—to separate the decision from the outcome— was practical and reassuring: “Think for yourself and

make good decisions and the outcomes will ultimately take care of themselves.” He added that, although the college decision looms large, there will be plenty of time to re-evaluate, to adjust course and to grow. “I went to Stanford thinking I wanted to be an aerospace engineer, thinking I wanted to be an astronaut. Trust me, I don’t have a space suit. So, I am doing something today that I never would have imagined, and there’s a good chance you will too. Go in with an open mind. Make great decisions but understand that you are going to have lots of chances in the years to come to change course and do new things.”

Katie Dahler P ’22 In February, Katie Dahler P ’22 hosted a leadership workshop at GSB for girls in grades seven and eight. Dahler is a partner and National Practice leader in KPMG's Healthcare & Life Sciences Advisory practice and serves as co-leader of the company’s Network of Women. A passionate advocate for the advancement of women in business, Dahler spoke with the girls about some of the ways in which loss of confidence— which often takes hold in adolescence—and other self-limiting behaviors can markedly influence the trajectory of women in the workplace. She noted that while women account for 57 percent of college degrees, they only account for 47 percent of the entry-level workforce, and that percentage continues to decline at each successive stage of their careers.

“At the highest level, only four percent of women fulfill CEO roles in Fortune 500 companies,” Dahler said. “Even worse, women are currently earning .78 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts.” In stark contrast to these statistics is evidence about women’s actual effectiveness in leadership roles. “Companies that have more women in leadership roles are 15 percent more profitable, and countries with female leaders have a lower rate of poverty and less social conflict,” Dahler cited. Dahler went on to share five fundamental qualities that she believes help girls grow into strong leaders: curiosity, confidence, courage, commitment and collaboration. “We need to give girls and women more confidence, cut back on unconscious bias and stop telling girls what they can’t do,” said Dahler. 21

NOAH ’18 & MATT ’20 STEINBAUM IYANAH ’19 & ISHA VEMURI ’22 Four virtuoso musicians at Gill St. Bernard’s—brothers Noah and Matt Steinbaum and sisters Iyanah and Isha Vemuri—share their thoughts on balancing lessons, practice and recitals with the demands of school and busy lives. While each of these Carnegie Hall veterans has unique interests and long-term goals in terms of music, they all emphasized music is, and has always been, a natural part of their lives and of their family dynamic.

the same as working with my teacher in person,” he says, “but it’s a lesson nonetheless.” Playing the violin has become an essential piece of who Noah is and figures prominently in his plans for the future. “I spent a week in December visiting college teachers to see if I would be a good fit with their studios,” he says. “It is an absolute prerequisite if you plan to study music. You don’t really apply for the colleges or even the programs; you apply because you want to work with a specific teacher for four years.”

Almost four years before starting first grade at Gill St. Bernard’s, Noah Steinbum ’18 was taking lessons on the violin. “I was a little baby,” he says smiling. “The violin was one of the first things I ever learned to do.” Today the busy senior manages to practice two to three hours a day and take lessons every Saturday at the Manhattan School of Music, a conservatory pre-college program. He also clocks For Matt Steinbaum ’20, Noah’s in each week for an additional lesson via Skype. “It’s not younger brother, beginning violin at the age of three seemed the most natural thing in the world. Although he attends the same schools as his brother, Matt’s interests in music are very much his own. In addition to the violin, he studies voice at the Manhattan School of Music and is a member of the select chorus, taking on arias in English, French, Italian and German. At GSB, the Matt Steinbaum sophomore performs 22

Isha Vemuri

with the choir and appeared in last spring’s production of Cinderella, showcasing his baritone in the role of the Herald. Matt also finds time for the strings program at Gill St. Bernard’s, where he often helps out the younger students. With two years ahead of him before college, Matt knows he wants to continue with music but beyond that, he is keeping his options open. “For me, it is not about preparing for a career in music but just about being the best that I can. I have gotten so much from music, and I have learned that you get from music everything that you put in. You work hard, and then you hear yourself achieve. You actually have the chance to listen to your own success.” “My mom comes from a very musical family where everyone played some kind of instrument,” says Iyanah Vemuri ’19, who started piano lessons when she was six and first performed at Carnegie Hall at age nine. “I never really wanted to quit,” she offers, “but there was a time in middle school where I hit a sort of plateau and piano suddenly felt very hard. I feel really lucky that my mom encouraged me through that because now I love it and I want to stay with it for the rest of my life.”

Iyanah’s younger sister Isha ,22 echoes her love for the piano, saying, “It’s very relaxing to just sit and play. Last year during midterms, I would sit and play through my piece every day before school and it made me less stressed. Music is such a big part of our lives—the same piano in our house for as long as I can remember, the same piano teacher—it’s just very reassuring to me.” In addition to piano, the two girls have devoted considerable hours to dance over the past several years. In the summer of 2017, they performed in their Arangetram—a three-plus-hour performance that showcases a student’s mastery of the traditional dances. The girls learned nine dances for the performance: a 35-minute piece to test their focus and stamina and eight other pieces to highlight the range of dances they had mastered. “Isha is really good,” Iyanah confides. “I have always gravitated more to the piano; Isha loves piano too but she really loves dance.” That love of dance came in handy when their teacher suggested that the girls perform the Arangetram together. While most of the performers were 16-19, Isha was not yet 13. Isha says, “I wrote the number 5 on 200 sticky notes and posted them on my wardrobe. Every time Iyanah and I practiced for five hours, a note came down.” The system worked, and by the time the girls performed, they had practiced more than 800 hours together. In the months leading up to the Arangetram, gifts from relatives and friends poured in. “By the time we performed, we had almost $7,000,” says Iyanah. “It is customary to send that money to a charity in India, but Isha and I and our parents were really passionate about making it local.” In the end, they decided the money should go to the children’s cancer ward at Morristown Hospital. “Kids helping kids,” says Isha, “That was something we could all get behind.”

Iyanah Vemuri

Noah Steinbaum

JACK ROSENFELD ’19

TO THE RESCUE Winter weekends to Jack Rosenfeld ’19 mean days on the slopes at Camelback Mountain in the Poconos, where the 16-year-old snowboarder serves as a volunteer member of the National Ski Patrol. Rosenfeld typically arrives before the resort opens, sweeping the mountain to ensure that the trails are clear and in good shape. Once the skiers arrive, the snowboarder spends the day patrolling areas of the mountain, responding to injuries and helping to transport patients via toboggan. In addition, he is often assigned “top-of-the-mountain” shifts. “From the top, you can ski or snowboard down to the site of an emergency quickly,” he explains. “If you respond to a call while you are on patrol, it can take much longer.” After the mountain closes, the ski patrol undertakes another sweep to make sure that no one is lost, stranded or hurt.

Rosenfeld with members of the GSB Ski Club.

This is Rosenfeld’s second year with the National Ski Patrol. When he began last winter at the age of 15, he was one of the youngest ever to be admitted into the program. The training and the volunteer work are both demanding, requiring the ability to respond to a range of emergencies and to easily navigate the mountain for long periods of time. Rosenfeld is also a volunteer cadet with the Chester First Aid Squad and hopes to become an EMT this summer. He received Presidential Service Awards in 2015 and 2016 for his work with the squad. In his volunteer efforts, he is often joined by his dad Sam, who is a volunteer EMT with the Chester First Aid Squad and a certified member of the National Ski Patrol—although dad prefers skiing to snowboarding.

SABRINA SUKHIN ’18

MAKING A SPLASH In November, Sabrina Sukhin was part of a five-student team to present at the MIT Undergraduate Research Technology Conference. Their topic “Using Virtual Reality for an Immersive Experience in the Water Cycle” highlighted Splash Sim—a virtual reality application the tech-savvy group developed in just over two weeks during the summer. In Splash Sim, the viewer takes on the perspective of a single water droplet as it undergoes the stages of the water cycle from evaporation to precipitation. Splash Sim, available on Google Play, utilizes Google Cardboard, a virtual reality headset that allows users to see content on their phone in three dimensions. The user can move around a full 360 degrees and zoom in and out within the Splash Sim experience. The group created the app in the New Jersey Governor’s School of Engineering & Technology, a highly selective summer program held at Rutgers University. Each school in the state may nominate one junior for every 325 members of the class, and fewer than 25 percent of those applicants are selected.

COMMUNITY CONCERT FOR HOPE An Upper School choral concert in November featured a special rendition of “What the World Needs Now is Love.” The song was a collaboration among the Knight Voices choir and 35 faculty soloists—representing every academic department, the administration and the coaching staff. Among the faculty singers were Head of School Sid Rowell and alumnae of the choir Courtney Sica ’06 and Noreen Syed ’10. The idea for the concert came from music teachers David and Amy Southerland, who wanted to remind the community, and in particular the students, of the importance of love in our world. The singers staged two evening performances; both filled the Chapel to capacity.

ATHLETICS COACHES OF THE YEAR Two GSB coaches earned Skyland Conference Coach of the Year designations: varsity soccer coach Tony Bednarsky and varsity tennis coach Patrick Hensley. Although Bednarsky has been coaching at GSB for just shy of 30 years and Hensley joined the school in August, the two had remarkably similar seasons. Both faced young teams that had graduated key contributors in the spring of 2016, and both created winning seasons and captured Skyland conference championships.

COACH TONY BEDNARSKY

COACH PATRICK HENSLEY

After two losses in early September, boysâ€™ soccer started tacking on the wins. Goals came from throughout the ranks, players at every level delivered in big moments, and well-coordinated defensive play helped the team edge out a series of opponents. The squad finished its season 13-8-1 overall and 9-1-1 in the conference division, claiming the Skyland conference title. With freshmen at first and second singles, varsity girlsâ€™ tennis made it to the finals of the Prep B tournament and the state sectional tournament. The group finished the season 14-2 overall and 12-1 in conference play to earn the Skyland conference title.

TWIN SEASONS FOR BOYS’ AND GIRLS’ SOCCER This fall, the boys’ and girls’ varsity squads each ended its run facing Moorestown Friends in the semifinal round of the NJSIAA State Sectional tournament. The boys finished the season 9-1-1 (conference) and 13-8-1 overall; the girls finished 9-2-1 (conference) and 13-6-1 overall. Although the final records are remarkably similar, the boys’ season was defined by low-scoring close match ups in which defense was a determining factor, while the girls had several games in which they outscored the opponent by eight or more.

YOUTH MOVEMENT IN TENNIS & CROSS COUNTRY With a roster comprised entirely of underclassmen—including ninthgraders at first and second singles—2017 looked as though it might be a building season for girls’ tennis. The first match of the season, however, had Knights fans taking notice as the team posted a 5-0 straight-set win over Rutgers Prep. The Knights remained dominant through September, dropping only a single match. In October, the girls hit the ground running with a 5-0 straightset win over Franklin. On October 10, the team posted a 5-0 win over St. Rose in the quarterfinals of the NJSIAA Non-Public B South tournament. Two days later, they notched a 5-0 win over Trinity in the semifinal MIA KIRBY ’18

ALEX ROCH ’18

round. The state tournament run ended on October 17 with a 3-2 loss to Ranney School—the only loss in October. A win over Hun on October 19 closed out the season, bringing the team to 14-2 overall and 12-1 in the conference division. With only one senior on the roster, cross country focused on developing athletes and building the program this fall. Over the course of the season, the squad increased its weekly miles from 15 to more than double that number. When the season ended with the group championships in Holmdel—recognized as the toughest course in the state—several of the runners achieved personal bests and senior Nicole Johnson and sophomore Niels Rongen finished in the top 20. Highlights from September include a win for the girls’ team at the Hoka One One Postal competition, with Johnson taking first place, and second-place finishes for Johnson and Rongen at Homecoming/Family Day. In October, four athletes medaled at the Six Flags Safari Invitational: Johnson and Lily Fischer ’19 for the girls’ team and Rongen and junior Matt D’Ovidio for the boys’ side. Johnson also medaled at the Coaches Invitational in October.

Freshman Mayjah Jean-Pierre claimed first singles at the Prep B tournament.

NIELS RONGEN ’18

CHAMPION OF ATHLETICS During a ceremony at Homecoming/Family Day in September, the school dedicated the Booster Lodge to longtime supporter of GSB athletics Dick Emmitt P ’02. Emmitt was on campus for the event and had the honor of unveiling the new name. For the past 20 years, Emmitt has been a dedicated and visionary supporter of the athletics program at Gill St. Bernard’s. Last spring, he officially stepped down as president of the Athletic Boosters Club, a role he had held since the group was established in 2004. He was a natural choice to head the Boosters, having taken the lead in founding the organization, both administratively and in helping the club begin on a solid financial footing. On the occasion of Emmitt’s retirement from the Boosters, Head of School Sid Rowell reflected, “Few people have had such a powerful and lasting impact on Gill St. Bernard’s, and in particular on athletics, as Dick Emmitt.” Although the Booster Club focused on athletics, Emmitt believed it should also uphold the larger mission of Gill St. Bernard’s. To that end, he proposed that the club make a gift to the school’s endowment each year. In this too, he led by example, creating an endowment for need-based financial aid. In addition to his work with the Booster Club, Emmitt was instrumental in bringing the school into the NJSIAA. Membership in the association allowed GSB athletes to compete in state championships and meant their accomplishments would be covered by regional media. “My vision was never to turn Gill into a sports academy,” Emmitt notes, “We know academics come first. But I wanted the students to have the opportunities to be as good as they could be in athletics and to raise spirit in the school community.” Emmitt has served as an honorary trustee for more than a decade. He is the 2012 recipient of the LindaburyThomas Award, given each year to a past trustee, for his many contributions to the life of the school.

ADRIENNE KIRBY P ’09, ’13 HONORED Former trustee Adrienne Kirby P ’09, ’13 received the school’s prestigious Lindabury-Thomas Award in October. Presenting the award was Head of School Sid Rowell, who noted Kirby’s “leadership, creativity, and inspiration while serving on the board and contributing in a significant manner to the accomplishment of the school’s mission.” Kirby’s involvement with the school began a decade ago when her daughter Lizzie ’09 first toured the campus. Four years later, son Stark ’13 decided on Gill St. Bernard’s as well. “I guess you could say we were the poster family for Balance Matters. GSB allowed Lizzie to pursue a strong education without losing sight of her equestrian passion, and Stark sought to balance his love of soccer with a growing passion for theater,” Kirby explained. It was in part Stark’s involvement with the GSB stage that drew Kirby and her husband Dillard to the campaign for a new Performing Arts and Community Center. The Kirby family has given significant support to the new building, which Adrienne considers “an investment in confidence and community—building confidence in Gill students, whether through the performing arts or a robotics presentation—building a greater sense of community on the campus and beyond.” Kirby joined the board in 2010 and served on the committees for advancement, the capital campaign, the strategic plan and the committee on trustees. Prior to joining the board, Kirby was a member of the Parents’ Association Steering Committee—a role that included chairing the Fashion Show raffle and co-chairing Homecoming/Family Day. Today, she continues her support of the school as an honorary trustee. Reflecting on Kirby’s service as a trustee, Rowell offered, “Adrienne is, and has been, a caring steward of many organizations, and we at GSB have been blessed by our association with her and the entire Kirby family.” Given in recognition of outstanding service to Gill St. Bernard’s, the award is the highest honor that the school confers on a former trustee.

JANE NELSON GS ’48 GSB FOUNDERS SOCIETY MEMBER Seventy years after Jane Nelson graduated from The Gill School, her legacy lives on. Jane generously gifted a portion of her estate to GSB to help provide for today’s students and their love of music, as she was an avid music lover herself. As part of her gift to the school, Jane left these beautiful rings to be sold and the proceeds to be dedicated to the music department. This is just one of the many ways in which you are able to make a planned gift to the school. If you are interested in finding out more about the various planned giving vehicles and how your estate can help the students of GSB, like Jane did, please contact Gwen Paxon, Director of Annual Fund and Planned Giving, at 908-234-1611 x205 or email gpaxon@gsbschool.org.

PACC WORK MOVES INDOORS The Performing Arts and Community Center construction continued throughout the fall. The architectural envelope was complete before the worst of the winter weather came, ensuring that the work could continue indoors uninterrupted. The building is scheduled to be complete in the late spring of 2018. The Campaign Committee continues to fundraise to complete the full funding for the facility, which is estimated to cost $8.5 million. Chair of the Campaign, Doug Matthews elaborated, “This will be an excellent facility for all GSB students. It will provide not only unrivaled space for our performing arts students but a 450-seat facility that will host an array of speakers, visitors and events to benefit the entire community.” Matthews continued, “Our fundraising efforts will go on until we fully fund the project. My children benefitted from the generosity of those before us, and so many now are helping our generation of GSB families do the same for those who will come after us. We are almost there.” If you would like to help complete this fundraising effort, please contact Director of Development Jim Diverio at 908-234-1611, x210 or jdiverio@gsbschool.org.

ALUMNI NEWS NEW YORK EVENT AT THE EXPLORERS CLUB OCTOBER 25, 2017 Hosted by Robert Hemm ’46.

LOS ANGELES EVENT AT MEXICALI COCINA & CANTINA DECEMBER 3, 2017 Hosted by Rachel Rovner ’05.

HOBOKEN EVENT AT COOPER’S UNION OCTOBER 14, 2017 Hosted by Bianca Noll ’10 and Tom Plate ’10.

YOUNG ALUMNI NIGHT OPENING NIGHT OF BASKETBALL DECEMBER 15, 2017

ANOTHER

PRO

After going to print with our last issue, which highlighted four recent graduates playing professional ball, we learned of a fifth: Alex Mitola ’12. Alex Mitola is currently playing professional basketball in Vitoria, Spain, having signed with team Saenz Horeca Araberri in the fall. In the prior season, the 5'11" point guard played in Italy for team Nuova Pallacanestro Ceglie. When not on the courts, the 24-year-old is working toward his MBA from George Washington University. At Gill St. Bernard’s, Mitola captained the varsity basketball team in his junior and senior seasons, leading the squad to the state semifinals in his junior year and the finals in his senior year. After GSB, he went on to a highly-successful three-year stint with Dartmouth, starting every game and leading the team in scoring during his sophomore and junior seasons. He co-captained the team in his junior year and garnered the A.D. “Dolly” Stark Award for team MVP the second year in a row. Mitola graduated from Dartmouth in the spring of his junior year, having completed his economics degree. He finished out his NCAA eligibility with a graduate season at George Washington University, where he began work on a master’s degree in International Trade and Investment Policy. He played all 37 games with the Division I Colonials, with the team winning an NIT Championship that season. According to Mitola the transition from GW to European basketball was fairly seamless. “The process was similar to college recruitment,” he offers. “The agents and agencies reach out to the players and then we make a selection.” He adds, “I remember saying to my mom that in many ways, it felt like I was still in college just in another country.” Mitola hopes to continue his basketball career in Europe for at least another season or two and eventually segue into the business world after completing his MBA this summer. “The transition into the business world will ultimately determine when I stop playing,” he says. ?? 34

TYUS BATTLE TYUS BATTLE DONATES DONATES NATIONAL TEAM NATIONAL TEAM JERSEY TO JERSEY TO GSB GSB Former Knights Former Knights basketball basketball star star and and current Syracuse current Syracuse University University point point guard guard Tyus Battle Tyus Battle came came to to campus campus on on Sunday, Sunday, September 24, September 24, to to present present the the jersey jersey he he wore during wore during the the 2014 2014 FIBA FIBA Under-17 Under-17 World Championship World Championship to to Head Head of of School Sid School Sid Rowell Rowell and and head head varsity varsity basketball coach basketball coach Mergin Mergin Sina. Sina. A A brief brief ceremony took ceremony took place place with with aa group group of of current players current players and and families families on on hand hand for for the presentation. the presentation. Battle was Battle was aa sophomore sophomore at at GSB GSB when when he played he played on on the the gold-medal gold-medal winning winning USA National USA National Team. Team. The The 6-foot-6 6-foot-6 college sophomore college sophomore is is in in his his second second season with season with Syracuse, Syracuse, leading leading the the team team in scoring in scoring with with an an average average of of 20 20 points points per March, Battle Battle became became one one per game. game. In In March, of of only only five five Orangemen Orangemen to to reach reach 1,000 1,000 points points as as aa sophomore. sophomore.

vs.

MYTH I can only give a small amount to GSB so my gift does not matter.

FACT In the last fiscal year,

hundreds of donors

under $100

gave gifts which combined provided vital support to

GSB and our students.

Support the GSB students with your annual fund gift this year! Go online today to www.gsbschool.org/page/Annual-Fund Contact Gwen Paxon at 908-234-1611, ext. 205 or email gpaxon@gsbschool.org with questions.

ALUMNI NOTES the SEVENTIES CLASS OF 1970 Gerald R. Fox ’70 was inducted into the 2017 NJSIAA New Jersey Scholastic Coaches Hall of Fame. He coaches soccer and golf at Mountain Lakes High School. Gerald R. Fox ’70

the EIGHTIES CLASS OF 1981 Matt Harding ’81 and Jay Rutter ’81 participated in the cycling event Gran Fondo NJ 2016 and 2017, which took them through Stronghold and the GSB campus.

CLASS OF 1989 Sean Baker ’89 wrote, produced and directed his latest film, The Florida Project, which premiered at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. The film has received many accolades, including winning Best Director and Best Supporting Actor from the New York Film Critics Circle.

Matt Harding ’81 and Jay Rutter ’81

RECOGNIZE THIS PHOTO? Please contact Chanelle Walker at (908) 234-1611, ext. 292 or cwalker@gsbschool.org if you can shed any light on this image from our archives.

CLASS OF 2004 Rachel Aresty Solomon ’04 and Dan Solomon welcomed their daughter Dylan Stella Solomon on October 11, 2017. She was born in New York City at Lenox Hill hospital weighing 7 lbs, 3 oz.

CLASS OF 2007 Courtney Burns Matash ’07 married Matt Matash on October 14, 2017, on their property in Blairstown, NJ. Peter and Randi Schmidt were among the guests. Christine Mulholland ’07 married Justin Rosenhan on August 19, 2017, at the Rock Island Country Club in Sparta, NJ. Courtney Burns Matash ’07 was a bridesmaid.

Courtney Burns Matash ’07

Christine Mulholland ’07

?? 37

CLASS OF 2008 Tyler Merck ’08 was promoted as an infantry officer to captain in November. He is currently deployed for the second time to Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division. When he returns to the United States, he will join a select group of officers who have been chosen to join the emerging Army Space Corps.

CLASS OF 2009 Bruce Easop ’09 began his new role as Special Assistant to the President for Communications and Research at Princeton University. Bruce explained his new position, “It promises to be an exciting opportunity to think and write about topics like college access, diversity and inclusion, and the liberal arts and interdisciplinary learning. I look forward to working with the president, chief of staff, and other senior administrators to continue getting to know Princeton in this new capacity. I feel so grateful that Gill had such an emphasis on writing across the curriculum—from English classes to the Scientific Literature Review. It provided an excellent foundation for where I am today!” Tyler Merck ’08

CLASS OF 2011 Gina Richardella ’11 was married on June 23, 2017, to Michael P. Brogan, Jr., in Somerset, NJ. Two GSB alumni were in the bridal party—Kathryn Corcoran ’11 and Jaclyn Fleurant ’11. Gina graduated from the University of Central Florida with a degree in accounting, thereafter receiving her master's degree and CPA. Her spouse, Michael, graduated James Madison University with a degree in finance, thereafter receiving his master's. He will complete his doctorate next summer.

CLASS OF 2012 Cross-country runner, musician and entrepreneur Sarah Quinn ’12 was interviewed for an episode of Keep Moving Forward, a podcast created, produced and hosted by Katy Galli ’11. Link to the full interview at http://keepmovingforward.us/podcast/sarah-quinn/

CLASS OF 2013 Stark Kirby ’13 recently co-produced and assisted with the marketing of a new immersive musical, Cleopatra: The New Pop Experience. Stark shared, “The fall production ran for three weeks at the Theater for the New City in New York City, and is hopefully coming back for another run this summer!” 38

Gina Richardella ’11

Sarah Quinn ’12

Margaret La Pre ’13

Margaret La Pre ’13 traveled to Munich for a Fulbright alumni conference during the weekend of October 13. While visiting the city she connected with Cindi Roessler ’88 who helped her navigate the city and see all that it has to offer. GSB faculty member Greg Washburn ran into GSB alumni Roscoe (Scoey) Young ’13, Blake Jenkins ’13 and Alex Rowe ’13 at jazz club and restaurant Shanghai Jazz in Madison, NJ. Blake, Scoey and Greg reminisced about a spring Unit to an orphanage in the Dominican Republic. The alumni all attended Lafayette and remain friends.

Greg Washburn with Roscoe Young ’13, Blake Jenkins ’13, Alex Rowe ’13 and Roscoe Young Sr.

CLASS OF 2016 Sarah Abowitz ’16 was selected to be an Engineering Practicum intern at Google for 2018. Sarah explained, “My experience with both computer science and teamwork at Gill has paid off. Gill taught me how to make the world my classroom, and how to make coding my bucket thanks to awesome advisors like Irv Taylor, but my experience with team management in robotics (especially when it came to leading the programming side of things) is equally valuable, as teamwork is a particularly Googley thing to value.”

The GSB Community would like to hear from you.Share your news by contacting the alumni office.

GSB Alumni Office

(908)234-1611, ext. 292 or cwalker@gsbschool.org.

FACULTY NOTES Donna Butler and Amy Smith

Lynn Prosen and Noreen Syed

Middle School Latin teacher Donna Butler and Spanish teacher Amy Smith attended an NJAIS world language workshop. Participants heard from keynote speaker Dr. Nathan Lutz, the global learning coordinator at Kent Place School, and discussed methods of teaching language acquisition.

Lower School science teacher Lynn Prosen and Middle School science teacher Noreen Syed ’10 have been fostering greater connections among the science curriculum and the natural resources of Home Winds. Over the past several months, Prosen has taken workshops in beekeeping and studied “Stories from the Land,” a conference at Duke Gardens focused on using nature to inspire storytelling. In addition, she and Syed undertook an Audubon workshop about connecting students with the local environment.

Tracey Goodson Barrett and Chanelle Walker In December, Director of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs Tracey Goodson Barrett and Director of Alumni Relations Chanelle Walker presented “Can We Talk? – Getting Explicit About Implicit Bias” at the NAIS People of Color Conference in Anaheim, CA.

Tracey Goodson Barrett and Chanelle Walker

OBITUARIES George E. Richardson ’55

of Pompton Plains, NJ, passed away on May 12, 2017. He is survived by his wife, Carol, and his sons, George Jr. and David Scott.

Hope Haviland Leizear ’50

of Riverside, CT, passed away on May 20, 2017. She is survived by her husband, Wayne Leizear, sister, Priscilla Haviland Passus, and brother, Theodore Haviland. 40

Robert C. Robinson ’36

of Peabody, MA passed away on July 28, 2017. He is survived by his stepson, Norman Gorin, his wife, Amy, and their family of Wellesley, MA, as well as his stepdaughter, Harriet Lockett and her family of Framingham, MA. He is also survived by his son, Thomas Robinson, his daughterin-law, Carla Murray, and his grandchildren, Haley Robinson and Tyler Robinson, of Mercer Island, Washington.

Raphael S. Hays II

Former faculty member Raphael S. Hays II of Carlisle, PA, passed away on January 10, 2018. Hays began teaching at the Gill School in 1969. During his tenure, he taught social studies and coached the tennis team. He was well known for his ability to challenge students, and he encouraged them to form their own opinions. Upon his retirement from the school in 1995, he was awarded the St. Bernard’s Chair of Excellence in Teaching, the highest honor that can be given to a faculty member. He is survived by his wife, Janice Corfield Hays, who worked in the Lower School for many years and his son, Edward Gardner Hays II.

In Memoriam

Brett Mershon “Gill St. Bernard’s is a place that Brett dearly loved and where she was loved in return. …The time has come for her to find her rightful place in the stars in the skies above our campus, forever a part of the school she served so ably.” -Head of School, Sid Rowell Middle School teacher Brett Mershon passed away on October 28 after a brief illness. Mershon taught at Gill St. Bernard’s for more than 30 years and also served as assistant director of the Middle School in recent years. She joined GSB in 1987 as a teacher of fifth- and sixth-grade language arts, shortly after she and her husband, Jim, settled in New Jersey. Throughout her career, she served both formally and informally as a mentor to many and fostered greater peer mentorship among the faculty. She also created peer mentoring opportunities for the students. A service celebrating her life was held in the Chapel on November 18 for family, friends, colleagues, students, parents, alumni and all those whose lives had been touched by Mershon’s kindness and wisdom. Her longtime colleague Peter Schmidt officiated at the event. In his closing remarks, Schmidt shared a parable from Jim Carse’s novel Breakfast at the Victory in which a teacher explains to a group of students that we all climb a different mountain. Schmidt offered, “As each of us in her and his own way tries to make sense and understand the meaning of losing a loved one, we each climb a different mountain. …We each must figure out in our own way how to incorporate the life of such a gracious, affectionate and wonderful woman into our continuing days.” Additional GSB tributes came from Head of School Sid Rowell, longtime Middle School colleague and friend Toni Brescher and Middle School teacher Zoe Tuohy, whom Mershon mentored when Tuohy began teaching at the school in 2012. Mershon’s sister Karla Jennings, her daughters, Kyle and Erin, and her husband, Jim, also shared reflections. Mershon is survived by her husband, Jim, daughters, Erin ’08 and Kyle ’04, son-in-law, Steven, and granddaughter, Aubrey Rose. Last Fall the Brett Mershon Student Fund was created by a number of parents who wished to honor Brett in a special way . This endowment was established to provide financial support to the students who need it in order to participate in additional academic programs, either required or otherwise, not covered by tuition. This was something Brett continuously worked on as she wanted all students to benefit from these “extra” activities. These include but are not limited to class trips, Unit programs, school supplies, etc. If you would like to help endow this fund please contact Jim Diverio at 908-234-1611, x210 or at jdiverio@gsbschool.org. You can give directly to this fund by checking the box on the GSB website ( https://www.gsbschool.org )

Gill St. Bernardâ€™s School P.O. Box 604 St. Bernardâ€™s Road Gladstone, NJ 07934-0604 908-234-1611 gsbschool.org facebook.com/gsbschool facebook.com/gsbschoolalumni

If you are Gill and SBS alumnae/alumni (graduated before 1973) visit www.gsbschool.org/gillsbs-alumni-reunion For alumni after the merger, visit www.gsbschool.org/gsbreunion