On the Mountain Fall 2017

On the Mountain

THE STORM KING SCHOOL JOURNAL FALL 2017

The Stor m King

school Lo

150 1867

YEARS

SESQUICENTENNIAL —Celebrating 150 Years of Excellence

Board of Trustees Officers Roger D. Auerbacher ’66 Chair Michelle T. DeFreece P’14 First Vice Chair Joseph W. Blount ’74 Second Vice Chair Thomas W. Sheppard Third Vice Chair Scott Rutter ’73 Secretary Myles Megdal Treasurer Jonathan W. R. Lamb Headmaster – Ex-Officio Trustees Hilary Ackermann P’12 Ila Barton ’92 Scott H. Cantor ’73 – Ex-Officio Robert Ginsburg ’72 Lawrence “Lon” Gratz ’61 Chair Emeritus – Ex-Officio Bruce Hanson ’62 David Hartcorn ’73 Alan Serinsky ’70 Trustees Emeriti Maia Brogan – Honorary Michael Brower ’63 Robert Cory III ’63 Jack D’Angelo H’13 Harrison M. Davis ’56 Thomas Delaney ’58 Stephen Duffy ’71 Peter Duggan H’58 Lawrence Fain ’58 Michael Fischer ’82 Stanley Freilich P'11 Herbert Gelhardt ’48 B. deRacey Gilbert ’60 Margaret Harbison Norman Jeavons ’48 Hon. Harold Kennedy ’73 Peter Lamb ’72 Bettina Murray GP'20 Arthur Reis ’75 David Riker ’50 John Settel ’50 Jeremiah H. Shaw P'95 Karl Soderlund P'91 James Sollami P'02,'08,'09 Robert D. Williams Jr. ’54 Suzanne van der Woude P'74,'75 Peter Wunsch ’73 Kenneth Wang '69

The Storm King School does not discriminate against any individual on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender orientation, marital status, national or ethnic origins, age, disability, or any other classification protected under State or Federal law.

On the Mountain is made possible by the enormous effort of our school community.

Special thanks go to: Roger Auerbacher ’66 Steve Bluth ’83 Scott Cantor ’73 Lynn Crevling ’72 Dominque Defreece ’14 Tom Fogarty Anne Fulton P ’09 Sarah Fulton ’09 John Garrett III ’63 Bob Ginsburg ’72 Joseph Graziosi David Hartcorn ’73 Michael Hauser Ray Hecht P’19 Kevin Jacobson Jonathan W.R. Lamb Marek Pramuka P’20 Michaela Pramuka P’20 Karen Ruberg Toni Scherrer Jay Schumann ’71 Gary Springer ’72 Fredrick “Rick” Reynolds, Jr ’71 Elizabeth Wilson Taviloglu P’19

On the

Mountain

The Storm King School Journal FALL 2017

F E AT U R E S

4 Sesquicentennial: Past Traditions, Future Visions Part 2 A look at the history of our school from 1917 to 1967

8 A Fabulous Life: Gary Springer ’72 Actor, publicist, and philanthropist Gary Springer shares his star-studded life’s journey and the role SKS played in his success

OTM Contact info:

14 Taking Campus Improvements to Heart

otm@sks.org

An Interview with SKS Assistant Headmaster for Finance; CFO, Ray Hecht P’19

OTM: The Storm King School 314 Mountain Road Cornwall on Hudson NY 12520

On the Mountain, the official journal of The Storm King School, is published for the benefit of the greater school community, including alumni, families, friends, and faculty.

On the Mountain is designed to communicate the School’s mission, values, and culture with accurate information and stories about members of the school community past and present, current news, upcoming events, and other information of interest to our community.

18 Experiential Learning is Quintessentially Storm King Learn how the School has stayed on the cutting edge in regard to new methodologies, faculty enrichment, and curriculum development

D E PA RT M E N TS

2 Letters/Comments

24 The Common Room Our Common Ground: Dominique

3 From the Headmaster

Defreece ’14; SKS Alumni Profile:

Head of School Jonathan W.R. Lamb

Steve Bluth ’83; Faces of Philanthropy:

reflects on our Sesquicentennial

John Garrett III ’63; Reunion 2017: Kicking Off the Sesquicentennial; New

20 Mountain Road

Members Join the Board of Trustees;

Arts: Spring Theater Production

Artist-in-Residence: The Beauty of the

of Cabaret; Community Service

Lines, Jay Schumann ’71

Photo Compilation: The Eel Project, PHOTO: Top-ranked girls soccer team

Operation Cookie Deployment, Take

28 Events & Notes

the Plunge, The Joy of Service; Athletics:

A message from Alumni Association

Taking the Lead in Sports Safety,

President Scott Cantor ’73, the latest

ON THE COVER: Back row: Eliza Doles ’21, Tanestrran “Tanes” Chandran ’19, Catherine “Cat” Pomeroy ’17 Front row: Kylie Marshal ’21, Yihong “Joeseph” He ’20, Pierce Pramuka ’20, Naunet LeonhardsBarboza ’20

2016/17 SKS Athletic Summary, NCAA

alumni happenings

D1 Commitments

30 Class Notes 31 In Memoriam

Letters/Comments “I wanted to thank whoever is responsible for the article on the history of The Storm King School Part 1. I look forward to the next two articles. The story really took a lot of research. I knew a little about the School since I spent five years on the Mountain, but the research put into this article is something else!!!

I just sent a check to The Storm King Fund. Believe me, I still think of SKS a lot and those past memories have always stuck with me.”

—Lionel “Rebel” Rowe ’51 The 1950-51 SKS varsity basketball team, Mr. Rowe is player number 7

PLEASE SEND COMMENTS TO: otm@sks.org or OTM: The Storm King School 314 Mountain Road Cornwall on Hudson, NY 12520

On the Mountain reserves the right to publish none, parts or all contents of a letter.

The Storm King School Sesquicentennial & Reunion Weekend, June 8-10, 2018 The Stor m Celebration King

school

150 YEARS of extraordinary

Storm King School History

150 1867

YEARS

2 / LETTERS/COMMENTS

Registration is Live!

sks.org/Reunion-2018

From The Headmaster Jonathan W.R. Lamb

Happy Birth-year! We are 150 years young and preparing to take the next steps toward an even brighter future!

A school or organization cannot pass through a century and half without some change, but The Storm King School has remained remarkably focused on its core mission throughout its long years on the Mountain. In remarks to alumni at this past reunion’s Headmaster’s luncheon, I focused on the common links from Rev. Ledoux’s earliest days on the Mountain to our school today. Rev. Ledoux described what he considered the ‘competent teacher’

faculty and staff, and we are in a stronger financial position than in many years. In the past seven years we have invested $10 million to strengthen infrastructure, improve campus buildings, expand campus grounds and housing, and beautify our surroundings. In the coming months you will read and hear more about plans for a new academic facility and adding to our endowment.

Our Sesquicentennial Year is not a time ‘to rest on our oars.’

The benefits that many of you received, whether through “… He should love his work and scholarships or the opportuhis pupils. He is a forcible character. nity to learn on this spectacIn habits he is diligent and perseular Mountain, are opportuvering; in judgment well-balanced nities we want to continue to and prompt; in discipline, free from offer to our students. This is a tyranny; in mind, symmetrical, time for your leadership to help conscious of supremacy, yet susus accomplish these goals. This ceptible of development. He early is a time to support your alma analyzes the fidgety set before him, mater at a higher level than you and in his own mind separates them have in the past with time, treainto distinct classes. He does not go sure, or talent. into ecstasy over his successes nor A few weeks ago, I received despair over his mistakes. Each day, a copy of our new Sesquicenhe tries to be a better teacher than tennial history book, The Storm he was the day previous, knowing King School: 150 Years on the Mounthrough ‘teaching, we learn.’” tain. This volume offers our school’s story from its prehisAlthough the language is tory through today, and I hope dated, in so many ways, The you are as moved and excited Storm King School has stayed by it as I am. We are laying the true to the spirit of this idea groundwork for the next centh of teaching. Not surprisingly, tury and a half, and that future 17 Headmaster Jonathan W.R. Lamb Headmaster Brogan quoted will be an exciting and transRev. Ledoux’s words about a formative one. The goal of the competent teacher at the time of the centennial, 50 years growth we have experienced and future progress is to ensure ago. Our primary goal remains that of helping young people that we are able to fulfill our mission: to help young people learn and grow into successful citizens of the world. We do grow and care for one another on this spectacular plain beside this with a focus as much on who we are teaching –how each the Hudson River on the shoulder of our Mountain. Thank student learns, what motivates each one, and what challenges you for all that you have done and will do to make The Storm a student- as the subjects we teach.

King School the best it can be.

With our 150th year upon us, we can say that the School is in the best place it has been in its history. We have a higher enrollment, a larger campus, an incredibly talented and able

sks.org / ON THE MOUNTAIN / Fall 2017 / 3

PAST TRADITIONS, FUTURE VISIONS THE SCHOOL’S HISTORY PART II

The Storm King School Sesquicentennial is underway. The 150th anniversary of our school, founded in 1867, was kicked off at Reunion 2017 and continues to build momentum as the year progresses. Events involving alumni and the entire school community are planned throughout the year, from Homecoming 2017 to graduation in June 2018. Our sesquicentennial celebrations will culminate on Reunion Weekend 2018 at our Sesquicentennial Gala event.

To help commemorate this important time, On the Mountain is bringing forth the rich history of the School in a three-part narrative series. In our last issue, we went back to the School’s early years as the Cornwall Heights School to the early days of WWI. In this issue, we will take you on a journey through the School’s middle years from 1917 to 1967. There, you will see the School’s progress during two world wars, the Great Depression, and the growth it experienced in the 1950s and early ‘60s.

HEADMASTER ALVAN E. DUERR 1916-1927 4 / PAST TRADITIONS, FUTURE VISIONS

THE SCHOOL’S HISTORY PART 2

1917-1967: The Great War to our Centennial THE WORLD AT WAR As the Stone School entered its second 50 years of history, the institution that Louis Ledoux, Oren Cobb, and Carlos Stone had established was about to be tested. America was divided by the Great War, and the sense of obligation for young boys was unquestionable. New York State law required three hours of drill a week for boys ages 16 through 19, and the School formed two companies into a battalion as part of the preparation. In 1918, four seniors left to join the war effort before they could earn their diplomas.

In an impassioned Sunday chapel speech, Headmaster Alvan E. Duerr spoke of the death of John Tyler, brother of Dave Tyler ’17. “As a pilot with the U.S. Aviation Corps, John was killed in combat, a life cut tragically short but offering much inspiration,” he told his students, who were all facing the prospect of war. “That boy lived only a third of his allotted life, and yet he has left an impression in the world far above that left by a great proportion of men who have lived to a much older age.”

Despite difficult times, Headmaster Duerr continued to push ahead with the legacy and progress of the School.

In September of 1921, the Stone School was accepted into the Cum Laude Society, further cementing its reputation as a college preparatory school.

still stands today. 1927 also saw the construction of Stone Hall which has served over the years as a dormitory, infirmary, and classroom building, and is one of the oldest buildings on campus.

The following year, in April 1928, the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York issued a provisional charter that made SKS a tax-exempt educational institution. An absolute charter was issued April 26, 1935. It was the next step for the School in becoming fully acknowledged as an elite American boarding school for boys. It was also the year that The Storm King School became a four-year secondary institution, discontinuing the lower school.

During this time, the School also began to witness growing attention from overseas fostered by the first Institute of International Education Summit held on the campus in 1930. Seventy-five students from 15 European and South American countries gathered there before dispersing to attend colleges all over the country, from Harvard and Columbia to Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, Mount Holyoke, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

experienced its coming of age. Although the decade commenced with fires that changed the face of the campus, they also cleared the way for future new construction. In April 1931, while students battled a brush fire near Spy Rock House, there was a sudden breakout of fire on first floor of Senior Hall. Senior Hall was one of a group of frame buildings that comprised The Storm King School. Situated near the football field, the two-story building housed a swimming pool, 18 sleeping

THE GREAT DEPRESSION The 1930s, the years of the Great Depression, was a period when The Storm King School

SENIOR HALL DESTROYED IN THE FIRE OF 1931

THE STORM KING SCHOOL The war soon came to an end and, at last, life returned to normal. In 1923, during this period of peace and economic recovery, Headmaster Duerr changed the name of the Stone School to The Storm King School, after the majestic mountain on which it lies. This was one of his final accomplishments that had lasting implications for the School before Raphael J. Shortlidge succeeded Duerr as Headmaster in 1927. That same year, Elting H. Breed, Storm King’s first president of the Board, moved to incorporate the School as a stock company under nine trustees – a structure of governance that

STONE HALL’S STUDENT LOUNGE CIRCA 1950 sks.org / ON THE MOUNTAIN / Fall 2017 / 5

THE SCHOOL’S HISTORY PART 2 HEADMASTER ANSON BARKER 1932-1951

rooms for boys, an assembly room, and a chapel. Flames engulfed Senior Hall in its entirety, and then moved in the direction of the neighboring Main Building. Firemen were able to save Main. Senior Hall, on the other hand, was burned to the ground. That week, several forest fires had also occurred in surrounding areas, and SKS students and faculty aided the firemen in putting them out. The cause of the fires remains a mystery to this day.

In 1932, Shortlidge was succeeded

by Headmaster Anson Barker, who would serve as headmaster for the next 19 years. It was the start of the Great Depression, “the austere years,” and the period when the School benefited greatly from the patronage of several prominent families who lived on the Mountain—the Abbotts, Ledouxes, Matthiessens, Partridges, Smidts, and Stillmans among them.

In partnership with Dr. Ernest Stillman, who was Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Headmaster Barker succeeded in guiding the School through the difficult years of the Depression and WWII. Barker, a teacher, a coach, as well as an administrator, was known for retaining a strong faculty and his personal regard for every boy.

As Headmaster, Barker brought the

6 / PAST TRADITIONS, FUTURE VISIONS

School many firsts. For example, he instituted the first Mountain Day, beginning a beloved SKS tradition that continues today. According to the November 3, 1932 edition of The Quarry, "the whole school turned out for a hike through Black Rock Forest and a picnic lunch on a recent Friday, when classes were called off after the third period an innovation of Mr. Barker's."

Other important events in SKS history occurred during this period. 1934 was the year SKS adopted Margaret Clark’s original emblem as the official school crest. Clark, the School’s first female faculty member, retired from Storm King in 1938 after 44 remarkable years of service. Her legacy is honored annually with the presentation of the Miss Margaret Clark Faculty Excellence Award to deserving, former Storm King School teachers.

The 1930s, despite the difficult times, was also a period of expansion for the School’s athletics program. The importance of participation in sports as part of the curriculum grew, and the sport of fencing was added to the School’s sports roster in the winter of 1938. The first fencing match took place February 19, 1938 against Riverdale. This was only the beginning of the up-and-coming “age of athletics” at The Storm King School.

THE RISE OF SPORT Following Headmaster Barker’s 19-year term that laid the foundations that would see the School through the 1940s and 1950s, Harrison M. Davis served a brief stint as headmaster from 1951 to 1952. He was succeeded

by Headmaster Burke Boyce in late 1952.

Boyce, both an administrator and an athlete, had been on the U.S. Olympic fencing team in the 1928 summer games, and advanced the sport of fencing at SKS throughout the 1950s. Tom Delaney ’58 remembers traveling to practice with the cadets at West Point.

While the sport of fencing has come and gone through the years, male and female fencers compete at the School today in a newly refurbished fencing room.

In 1941, another athlete by the name

of John George Grill came to Storm King, and over the next five years Grill was a standout on the gridiron, captaining the football team to a winning season as a running back, on the hockey rink, and as a pitcher and hitter in baseball.

An article in The Quarry recognizing his prowess also noted that he put his speed and agility to use on the basketball court for the first time at the end of the season, after hockey was complete, and he also played a year of varsity tennis.

For his efforts, Grill earned the Best AllAround Athlete Award for an unprecedented two consecutive years, and continued his athletic career at Trinity College after his graduation from Storm King in 1946. Grill was inducted into the SKS Sports Hall of Fame in 1994.

THE WINDS OF CHANGE The 1950s were years that The Storm King School witnessed great physical changes. These changes were perhaps foretold in a moment in 1954 with the revision of the school crest by alumnus Clifford Stubbs ’32. Stubbs, who had become an accomplished advertising professional since his graduation 20 years before, sensed the need for modernization and offered Headmaster Boyce an updated version of the original seal designed by Margaret Clark, as his legacy and gift to the School. It was not only a signal of the connection boys felt to their School, even decades after leaving, but a premonition of the sweeping changes that would shape the future of The Storm King School for the next 50 years, thanks to new leadership on the Board of Trustees.

Stephen P. Duggan already resided on the Mountain with his wife Beatrice Abbott “Smokey” Duggan, granddaughter of Dr. Lyman Abbott. It wasn’t until 1954 that he became directly involved with The Storm King School. Prior to his retirement, Headmaster Anson Barker had asked Duggan to join the Board of Trustees, knowing that Duggan, a graduate and former board member of Exeter, Columbia and Harvard, and Beatrice, a Vassar graduate, were interested in

THE SCHOOL’S HISTORY PART 2 education matters.

Duggan’s first moves were to bring on retired Wall Street broker and friend Jim Sleen as treasurer and search for a new headmaster. The Duggans toured a number of New England Schools in search of the right candidate, and they found him at the Putney School. Warren Leonard was a teacher of mathematics there, and had been strongly considered for headmaster but was passed over for another with better connections. When he arrived on the Mountain with his family in the summer of 1956, Leonard set about reorganizing the School’s faculty, while Duggan continued his work on the board.

The next year was 1957, a decade away from the School’s centennial. It was the year when Duggan announced an ambitious 10-year campaign to completely rebuild Storm King’s campus.

He had a knack for fundraising, and soon funds were coming in. Old buildings on campus came down, making room for the new: the Ogden Library, Dyar Hall, a classroom building, and the Highmount Dormitory were all constructed in 1958; the Dempsey Dormitory in 1959; the Stillman Science Building in 1961; a new gymnasium in 1963.

This was the single largest campaign in the School’s history to date.

THE BATTLE FOR STORM KING MOUNTAIN With the centennial only two years away, The Storm King School was faced with an unexpected hurdle. In 1964, Consolidated Edison announced plans to build the world’s largest pumped-storage hydroelectric power plant at the base of Storm King Mountain, with the intent to blast into the Mountain’s face and summit. This endeavor threatened the natural environment of Storm King Mountain, and thus the very fabric of the School.

Duggan, a senior partner and litigator at the prominent law firm Simpson, Thatcher and Bartlett, along with his wife Beatrice, immediately took up the cause. They succeeded in establishing the Scenic Hudson Preservation Conference, and gained standing in a precedent-setting Supreme Court case to fight the project on behalf of the public.

That victory gave birth to the American grassroots environmental movement.

After a 17-year battle, it helped preserve the 3,785-acre Black Rock Forest through the establishment of a management consortium, of which The Storm King School is a founding member. It also led to the formation of the Natural Resources Defense Council in 1970, with Duggan as founding chairman.

That organization continues to have an impact on environmental issues across the continent today.

THE CENTENNIAL The 1960s were exciting times for The Storm King School.

The graduation of the Class of 1965 saw students matriculating to 37 institutions, from Georgetown and NYU to the University of Miami, and as distant as Denver, South Carolina, New Mexico State, and the University of Virginia. New faculty were being recruited and philosophies embraced, including four international teachers and a new music program for freshmen that highlighted the importance of notes, rhythm, and melodies to the understanding of history and life. A 1967 cover of The Quarry depicted an Asian student

eating snow. SKS was a thriving, globally connected community, with students enrolled from Europe, the Far East and South America.

1966 marked another important moment in Storm King’s near-100year history - the selection of Frank Brogan as headmaster. In the coming years, Brogan would discover that the emerging times of cultural change had influenced the School heading into the ’70s. What he may not have fully realized is the impact he was having on students’ lives. “In a period when the School was most sorely tried, it knew one of its finest hours was in its determination to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield,” Brogan wrote years after his retirement.

The Storm King School 1867

150 Years on the Mountain

ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!

This hardcover edition commemorates the School’s rich heritage through historical narrative and hundreds of archival and contemporary photographs.

Purchase for $150 with proceeds benefiting The Storm King Fund.

To order, please visit: sks.org/Book

HEADMASTER FRANK BROGAN 1966-1974 sks.org / ON THE MOUNTAIN / Fall 2017 / 7

A FABULOUS LIFE

Gary at Telluride Film Festival with the star of The Eagle Huntress

- BY ELIZABETH WILSON TAVILOGLU P’19 -

- GARY SPRINGER ’72 From New York to Hollywood, from Cannes to Monte Carlo and back, join us on the star-studded journey of alumnus Gary Springer ’72, who hasn’t forgotten his alma mater and attributes his successes to the School on the Mountain that helped set him on his life’s path.

On a lovely day in June, I had the pleasure of visiting Gary Springer ’72 at his home in Westchester County, NY. With recording device and notepad in hand, I made my way across the Bear Mountain Bridge and down the “Goat Trail” that winds through Peekskill to Croton-on-Hudson where Gary and his family call home. I can’t say I wasn’t nervous. After all, who was I to interview

8 / A FABULOUS LIFE

this master Hollywood publicist, actor, philanthropist, and red-carpet regular?

Gary, who is no stranger to journalists, could have had me for his proverbial breakfast. But, as I soon found out, that’s just not Gary. As he told me later, “I learned about being a gentleman from my father, John Springer. How to get things done and be successful by being nice.” So, our interview (that could have

lasted an hour—at best—before he sent me on my way) turned into an entire afternoon of heartfelt conversation and an evening filled with an amazing show of photographs documenting Gary’s high-profile life, career, and family.

As any small-town girl would be, I was bedazzled by all the names, events, and glamour; he had worked with Al Pacino, Roy Scheider, Henry Fonda,

Cary Grant, Clint Eastwood, Robert De Niro, Liv Ullmann, Carroll O’Conner, and Dame Maggie Smith, to name a few.

In fact, his most recent red-carpet stint was with Richard Gere (for the 2016 film Norman, which took them to film festivals in Telluride, Toronto, and Miami) and Warren Beatty (for this year’s gala for the Museum of the Moving Image).

But it soon became evident that there was so much more behind all the glitz.

Something much deeper existed—a lightness of being and nonchalance about life, an unspoken quality that caused opportunities to fall into Gary’s lap and got him and his family through very difficult times.

The first glimpse of it came as soon as I entered his home, which was nestled among the trees on a quiet cul-desac. As Gary welcomed me through the back door to begin “the grand tour,” we entered a lovely sitting room filled with books, a stone fireplace, and, of all things, a high-tech-looking inversion table. Having back problems of my own, I asked if it helped him relax and realign things. In an instant, Gary sprang on top of the device and hung upside down.

Strapped in by his wrists and ankles, he smiled at me through the frames of his Elton John–esque spectacles. “Come on, give it a try,” he coaxed with genuine enthusiasm. I didn’t know it yet, but this was a prime example of how Gary and his family approach life, face adversity, and embrace success—by grabbing each moment as it comes and living life to the fullest.

A Star-studded Childhood Things just seem to happen to Gary Springer. “Life happens,” he says. In January 1954, he was born into Hollywood royalty as the son of the legendary show business press agent John Springer and actress and stage singer June Reimer (aka Monica Lane). According to Gary, the glitter and glitz began in the womb. “Both my parents were in show business. My father was the head of publicity for RKO Studios in New York. My mother was a Broadway

singer and actress. While she was doing Kiss Me, Kate with her best friend and star Anne Jeffries, my dad was rooming with RKO star, and Anne’s love interest, Bob Sterling. So, Mom and Dad met through Anne and Bob. Mom was still singing in 1954 when I was born,” he explained. “Dad never liked Hollywood.

Our first house was in Midtown Manhattan in the Buchanan Building on East 48th Street. It’s a fantastic pre-war building with all kinds of architectural details. When I was four, we moved to 67th and Lexington on New York’s Upper East Side. That’s where I grew up with my two sisters, and that house remained there until my parents died,” he said.

To Act, or not to Act? “Obviously, I grew up in show business but I never really wanted to be an actor,” Gary explains as he recalls his childhood amidst the stars. “When I was in first grade, the first job I ever had was dog walking for Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman,” he explains like it was nothing out of the ordinary.

“Marilyn Monroe was my babysitter.

She used to take us to the park. Dad was her press agent while she studied with the Strasbergs at the Actors Studio and she was always in the house.

One time, she even stayed over with us. It didn’t spark anything then, like wanting to be an actor. But it makes a great bar story,” he says with a grin.

“I’m the only man among my friends who can say they ‘have been in bed’ with Marilyn Monroe!” Likewise, his

father’s close friendships with Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, and Bette Davis, and his first dance with family friend Carol Channing at La Fonda del Sol, also did nothing to inspire him. To Gary, he was simply “hanging out with family and friends.”

School vs. the Storm King School As with acting, Gary told me he had a similar “on-again, off-again” relationship with school over the years. “First through fifth grade, I went to a great Catholic school at St. Vincent’s until, well, I didn’t,” he chuckles. “Then I went to St. David’s, another Catholic school on 89th and 5th. That’s where I first became friendly with Phil Cunningham (’72), David Ryan, and Joe Schmidt (’71), who

Above: Gary and his mother June Reimer (aka Monica Lane) Below: Gary and Richard Gere

GARY SPRINGER ’72

all wound up at Storm King. It was all just a big coincidence,” says Gary. “St. David’s only goes to the eighth grade, so for my freshman year, I went to Trinity School and Phil was in my class again.

By the 10th grade, I had enough of school altogether. I walked out one day and went home to tell my parents, ‘I quit!’”

In the meantime, Gary’s friend Phil had gone on to Storm King, so his old Headmaster at St. David’s wisely suggested he do the same.

Gary, who is a strong supporter of the School today, didn’t always feel that way.

“I had never been to boarding school. I

Above: John Springer and Liz Taylor Below: Gary Springer ’72, Robert Docherty ’72, David Hartcorn ’73

10 / A FABULOUS LIFE

liked it, but I wasn’t crazy about it,” he tells me about his first experiences on the Mountain. “I didn’t really like being up there. I wanted to be back in the city.

It was 1971, still [Headmaster Frank] Brogan’s time, and it was very progressive.

Our dress code was relaxed and I liked that. And I knew Phil, met some new guys, so it was good.” Although he found solace among friends, Gary admits he was an unenthusiastic student. “I needed direction, something to engage me,” he says. Then, something changed the course of Gary’s outlook and set the path for his future career.

It just happened that Gary’s friend Phil Cunningham coaxed him to get involved in the School’s growing theater program. “It wasn’t because I was a terrific actor! I mean, I used to help at my father’s office, so I knew what it was about, but I never engaged with acting. The best I had done was to play the goddess Athena back at St. David’s,” he laughs. “I had already decided I didn’t want to act when Phil pushed me,” says Gary. “The real reason was that we’d have a lot of free time and we wouldn’t have curfew! The production was called We Bombed in New Haven. It was done in 1968 on Broadway by Joseph Heller. It was an anti-war play. Peter John Bailey was our English and theater teacher back then. It was always done in army uniforms. Bailey had us all wearing

black. It was very surreal.”

And thus, in this actor who didn’t really want to act, a future star was born.

Storm King to the Silver Screen As Gary’s interest in theater at Storm King grew, so did his opportunities as a professional actor. The summer after his junior year, he got a job as a host at New York’s infamous Rainbow Room on the 65th floor of the RCA Building. “It was just like acting, and I loved it,” says Gary. “The people working there were highly trained waiters. Here I was, an amateur—the only young kid. My hair was still long like it was at Storm King, so I had to grease it back. There, I could play characters in 1920s elegance with my hand in my pocket gazing over the crowd like a captain at sea,” explains Gary as he strikes the pose. After that summer, Gary returned to Storm King and the SKS theatre with gusto. “My senior year, I was involved in the plays, and I also volunteered to do the publicity for them. For the first time, I felt passionate about something important. My outlook had completely changed and the School was behind me. That was 1971, the year I began to grow up.”

1971 was also the year Gary happened to get a call from Czech film director Ivan Passer. Passer said, “I’m doing a movie and I have a part for you. You have an interesting quality about you.”

The film was Law and Disorder starring Carroll O’Connor, Ernest Borgnine, and Ann Wedgeworth. “My father had since left RKO Studios and founded his own company, Springer Associates. Dad was going to do the PR for the film. He had been talking with Peter Bailey from Storm King and Joseph Heller about bringing the play We Bombed in New Haven to New York, so that’s how Ivan heard about me. I was cast as the ‘F.U. Kid’ and my only line was, of course, ‘F--- you,’” says Gary, laughing out loud.

It was the first of many roles that would eventually bring him from New York to Hollywood full time. He wasn’t yet aware that a second great acting opportunity was waiting around the corner.

Pacino & the Fonz This time, he was called for a larger role, that of “Stevie” in the controversial drama Dog Day Afternoon (1975), starring Al Pacino and John Cazale, about a man who robs a bank to pay for his lover’s sex-change operation, which turns into a hostage situation. “It was a big movie,” according to Gary, “and I played Al and John’s partner in the bank robbery, but I get scared and run away.

They approached me and convinced me to try out because they saw me in Law and Disorder. Al Pacino had just come off The Godfather. The movie caused a stir just as the LGBT community in Brooklyn was coming out. It was an interesting time,” he says.

His success in Dog Day Afternoon paved the way for more acting roles.

This, along with his growing friendship with Shelley Duvall, eventually caused Gary to move to Hollywood full time.

Their friendship continued on the set of Bernice Bobs Her Hair (1976), a film based on the short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Before he knew it, the actor who never planned to act became a working Hollywood star.

During his decade in Hollywood, Gary also met Nancy Ford (Springer) while he was filming Jaws 2 at Martha’s Vineyard.

He was well on his way to becoming a career actor with roles in ’70s television hits like The Hardy Boys (1977–1979) with Shaun Cassidy and Parker Stevenson, M*A*S*H* (1978), Once an Eagle (1976) with Sam Elliot, and Happy Days (1976).

“I really enjoyed Happy Days. I played one of the few people who got to beat up the Fonz,” laughs Gary. Other movies included Small Circle of Friends, and his starring role in Max Baer Jr.’s Hometown U.S.A. (1979).

Actor Turned Publicist Moving from the 1970s into the 1980s, Gary says he really came into his own.

As his successes in Hollywood multiplied, Gary and Nancy decided to marry in 1982. “But as time went on, I knew I lacked the passion for acting that would take me through the long haul,” he

admits. All the while, Gary never forgot New York, so when his father offered him a job at Springer Associates, he and Nancy decided to move back East.

“Nancy was happy, so we came back,” says Gary. “She was never a big fan of life in Los Angeles. We got a place in Brooklyn and Nancy got a job with the New York School for the Deaf. We were back home again,” he says.

Life in the Big Apple was good for the Springers. Working with his father, Gary himself became a master publicist in no time. While representing feature films, on- and off-Broadway theater productions, and personal clients including Richard Thomas, Jack Klugman, Tony Randall, and the National Actors Theatre, both his career and family life flourished. “I got off to a running start. I became lead publicist on M. Butterfly, which won a Tony Award that year. Then I did the national tour of 66 cities,” explains Gary. “I was traveling a lot but would come home on the weekends. I would do the press, the opening, and the reviews, then fly back Thursdays to New York.”

In the meantime, Gary’s father was doing less and less. “Our son Nick was born in 1985, and our daughter Olivia was born in 1988. I was living the American dream. I got to see the country and my kids while I was doing it,” says Gary.

Above: Gary at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival Below: Gary and his late wife Nancy Ford Springer

Going International in the ’90s Success begets success, and the 1990s was the decade Gary’s career went international. “In 1994, I went to the Sundance Film Festival for the first time,” he explains. “I saw my good friend Liv Ullmann, who was doing a movie called Kristin Lavransdatter, a Norwegian film based on the same book that Gone with the Wind was, but about Vikings. Liv got me involved with Norsk Film. We set a Golden Globe screening for the film, even though they had never heard of the Golden Globes. After that, I ended up being their international rep.”

From there, the festivals snowballed.

“I went to Cannes in ’95 for Norsk Film, where I screened and sold movies for them. I’ve been to Cannes 17 or 18 times since then. After that, I was brought to Toronto, Haugesund, and Berlin to represent their movies, so I ended up working those festivals, too. Then I started

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GARY SPRINGER ’72

representing U.S. festivals such as the Hamptons, Nantucket, Sarasota, and so on. All of a sudden, I was doing Broadway shows, international film festivals, film releases, and red-carpet events,” says Gary enthusiastically. Life couldn’t have been better, until a fateful weekend in 1999 would put the Springers to the ultimate test.

The Night that Changed Everything That summer, like many 14-yearolds his age, Gary’s son Nick was away at camp in Massachusetts. “I got a phone call from the camp doctor,” explains Gary. “They said Nick had the flu and they wanted to take him to the local hospital. I said I would come up. I didn’t think it would be a big deal. I was on the Taconic State Parkway just north of Poughkeepsie when I got another call.

The doctor said they were airlifting him to a hospital in Springfield. Then I got a call from Nancy. They had called her at home and put Nick on the line saying, ‘Do you want to tell your mother you love her?’ That’s when I knew it was serious.”

When he and Nancy arrived at the Springfield hospital, they were confronted with the grave reality of Nick’s condition. “The elevator door opened and we saw a bunch of people in orange

Nick and his wheelchair rugby teammates at Rugby Rave 2014

12 / A FABULOUS LIFE

flight suits surrounding Nick,” Gary explained with tears in his eyes. The doctor told them it was most likely meningococcal meningitis. “They said he only had a 10% chance of living through the night. Well, he did live through the night,” says Gary. “But then we had to live with the repercussions.”

Recovering with Laughter In the days following, Nick had his arms below the elbows and legs above the knees amputated. “Nancy and I looked at each other and said, ‘Okay, he’s still alive. Why get cranky? Why get anxious?’ Everyone did all they could. Nick was still Nick.” In the coming months, Nick had 19 more operations. It was his family’s positive approach that got him through. “We must have done something right,” recalls Gary, still teary. “I remember one day all of Nick’s friends from school were in his recovery room to visit. He was the one making them comfortable instead of the other way around!

He was making jokes, just like us. He was never down. He would get frustrated with the prosthetics sometimes, but he never got depressed because we didn’t,” says Gary.

It was also their positive approach that got Nick back in the sports arena playing sled hockey, then wheelchair rugby. “All Nick ever wanted to do since childhood was play hockey,” says Gary. When Paralympian Victor Calise

of the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team approached us, Nick was skeptical at first. But I’ll never forget the grin on his face when he got on the ice again. Then, with Victor’s encouragement, we convinced Nick to give wheelchair rugby a try. He watched for a while, but when he finally got in the chair and began playing, I saw that same grin. “Dad, I think I can do this,” he said. Within a year, Nick became one of the stars of the NY Jets wheelchair rugby team.

Nick didn’t stop there. Gary says it was determination, a sense of humor, and a loving family that brought Nick through—all the way to Team USA, the World Cup, and two Paralympic medals.

The same held true when the family lost Nancy in 2008 to cancer the day after Nick was awarded with the gold medal in Beijing. “Unfortunately, bad things happen, and you just have to look past it. Nick had no control over what happened. Neither did Nancy.

But he controlled what he did afterwards,” says Gary.

The Road to Advocacy “An important time in my life and an important part of the story happened about a week after Nick got sick. That’s when Nancy and I had found out about a vaccine for bacterial meningitis. Nick’s limbs had just been amputated. We didn’t know! Nancy was a teacher and she didn’t know,” Gary says sadly. Consequently, campaigning for meningitis vaccine awareness and legislation became their family’s cause.

“A year after Nick got sick, we were on the beach in Falmouth, MA. We saw signs for Senator John Hart. Nancy went and knocked on his door. Nick was on the porch with her. “This is my son. He got sick in your state. There are no rules and no way for people to know about the vaccine,” Nancy told the senator.

Because of their efforts, Massachusetts was one of the first states in the nation to pass legislation making the vaccine required at places like camps and boarding schools.

The Springers also became one of the

five founding members of the National Meningitis Association (NMA), a nonprofit organization founded by parents of children who have died or live with long-term effects from meningococcal meningitis. The NMA works to protect families from the potentially devastating effects of the disease by educating the public, medical professionals, and others about its prevention.

As the organization’s active gala chairperson, Gary leverages his show business clout to help promote NMA’s message and organize their important events. For example, this year’s NMA Gala “Give Kids a Shot!” took place on May 8, 2017, at New York’s Espace venue with honored Hall of Fame hockey player and NY Ranger Legend Rod Gilbert, among others. Gary also appeared at NASDAQ recently to ring the closing bell, representing the NMA. Nick, meanwhile, is busy with his sports, traveling around the country for the British pharmaceutical company GSK, and giving motivational speeches about survival and the benefits of vaccination.

Mixing Glamour & Good Causes While his work with the NMA continues, Gary still promotes movies and theater, works on events, and travels to the festivals, but now, he has the luxury of choosing his projects. “I was in my office for 28 years,” says Gary. “I finally closed it in 2015 and decided to work from home. I run my business from my phone and do most of it sitting by the pool with my two dogs and two cats,” he laughs. He also has the comfort of his new love, Elizabeth Cier, whom he met at the Sarasota Film Festival soon after Nancy passed away. “I’m currently working with numerous film distribution companies, among them, Sony Pictures Classics, and did 12 or 13 movies for them. Among those films are Jim Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive, The Lady in the Van with Dame Maggie Smith, Norman with Richard Gere, and, most recently, Brigsby Bear, which opened this summer and screened in Cannes this year. This year was also the 30th Annual Salute

for the Museum of the Moving Image which honored Warren Beatty, whom I’ve known since I was seven years old.

As you can see, I always keep busy.”

Along with his continued support of the NMA, Gary also works with a group based in Monte Carlo, the International Emerging Film Talent Association (IEFTA), supporting filmmakers from developing countries such as Ethiopia, Bangladesh, and Mongolia. They also work with the United Nations Refugee agency on a program called “Refugee Voices in Film,” promoting films made by and about refugees.

“I’ve been supporting IEFTA for the past 10 years, including their activities in Cannes this year.”

A Storm King Supporter Amazingly enough, Gary still finds time to contribute to Storm King and has remained an active supporter of the School throughout the years, having served on the Board of Trustees, as the president of the Alumni Association, and as a speaker at the 2000 Commencement. He also visits campus often and attends as many events and reunions as he can. His most recent visit was for Reunion 2017, where he and Elizabeth reunited with his old friends. “I believe in Storm King. It did a lot for me. It made me grow up and set me on the right path.

I found freedom there and the opportunity to find myself, and this is something very special among schools.”

Above: Gary ringing the bell at NASDAQ Below: Gary and Elizabeth Cier

For those of us who know Gary, he’s not shy about his success. “In the end, it boils down to how you confront situations and life,” he says, even after all he and his family have endured over the years. Through all the good and bad, one thing is clear. He hasn’t forgotten his alma mater and looks fondly upon his years at Storm King. “I would never have become an actor without Storm King. It wasn’t a route I was searching for. It found me . . . found me at Storm King.”

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18 / MOUNTAIN ROAD

Taking Campus Improvements to Heart

SKS Assistant Headmaster for Finance; CFO, Ray Hecht P’19

Thanks to our Board of Trustees, the implementation of our strategic campus master plan is in full swing and the School has never looked better. As a result, amazing changes are happening and no one is more pleased than a man on campus you may already know. He is one of the plan’s masterminds, as well as its project manager. At the same time, he is a father, an SKS parent, and a strong advocate of the School who has made enhancing our students’ experience his personal mission. If you haven’t already, please meet SKS Assistant Headmaster for Finance; CFO, Ray Hecht.

I

f he’s not at his desk, you’ll most likely find Ray Hecht somewhere on school grounds with measuring tape in hand, overseeing an ongoing project or envisioning a new one. If you are lucky enough to catch him in a free moment, Ray is always forthcoming in telling the story of his quest to grow the value of Storm King’s educational experience, which he has taken to heart since his earliest days with the School. “When I joined the administration team six years ago, I knew right away that the first thing we needed to tackle was the deferred maintenance on the campus,” explains Ray. “We literally began from Mountain Road and worked our way in.

Today, the School is completely transformed from what it was six years ago while the excellence of our academic programs and student life experience has continued to improve,” Ray says proudly.

A VISIBLE TRANSFORMATION Come to Storm King for a visit and you’ll know exactly what Ray is talking about. The changes in the appearance and flow of the campus over the past several years have been stunning. This fall our returning students and families were ecstatic to see how great the campus looks. “So many infrastructure improvements, renovations and expansions all in one short summer,” says Ray. “Faculty and students returned in

September with renewed vigor and I heard parents describe our school as “prestigious.”

Ray gives most of the credit to our Board of Trustees for supporting the changes, and to our building and grounds staff who worked around the clock to finish this most recent phase of our strategic campus master plan over the summer. As a result of their combined efforts, significant enhancements can be seen all over campus, including expansion of the Grove behind Ogden Hall, a brand new student lounge in Cottage, new washers and dryers in Highmount House, a remodeled kitchen in Henderson Dining Hall, renovated men’s and women’s lavatories in Orr Commons, resurfaced tennis courts, and new floors throughout the academic buildings and the Dempsey and McConnell Houses, to name a few. We also can’t forget the acquisition of four adjacent properties which have allowed for the expansion and improvement of faculty and student housing and increased green spaces.

BIRTH OF THE MASTER PLAN When asked how the Master Plan came about, Ray explains it was born out of need. “As the demand for a Storm King education continued to increase, thanks in no small way to the Board’s commitment to a new business model and our overall admission efforts, increasing enrollment allowed us to begin thinking long

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decent, many classes are held under its roof. I will always be grateful to the many alumni, parents and friends (and my Mom) who dug into their pockets to make this special project a reality,” says Ray.

NEW ACQUISITIONS As more students and families have discovered Storm King along with increased philanthropic support from our alumni, parents, and friends, the School has purchased four houses and 16 acres of pristine land for our students to roam, play, study and reflect in less than two years.

“The Storm King campus was now growing in a south-westerly direction.

A year later, another home adjacent to campus near the Art Center came up for sale and we acquired that one as well. We now call it Moss Hill,” says Ray. Ray Hecht

term about the School’s growth,” says Ray. “As the School’s financial picture improved, we took steps to enhance the student experience with critical upgrades throughout the campus. We also built a new athletic field with proper drainage that allowed the students to play soccer and lacrosse without having to wear swimming fins,” Ray muses. “With an increased enrollment and stronger philanthropic support from our alumni, we were able to increase our overall capital investments immediately.”

AN EXCITING SUMMER “Since 2014 we have spent at least a half-million every summer on very visible improvements,” explains Ray. “So, as our students and faculty spent the summers catching up on the “4 Rs” – rest, relaxation, reading, and reflection - our building and grounds staff worked around the clock on a long list of improvements and renovations. This past summer things got very exciting! These included renovations to the dorms, air conditioning, landscaping, improved athletic facilities, new vehicles, a complete overhaul of the School’s technology and security systems, and so much more. I think one of my favorite new additions is the Millennial Gazebo that now sits on Ledoux Terrace in front of Orr Commons. This simple structure has become the hub of the campus, with great views of the athletic field along with our incredible mountains and Black Rock Forest in the backdrop. It is a great “hangout” area for the students and when the weather is

16 / CAMPUS IMPROVEMENTS

THE HOMESTEAD “After much anticipation, one particular house was placed on the market that was a key piece of real estate for the School. Unfortunately, the price was a bit out of our reach. Once again a generous alumnus came forward with a gift that enabled us to purchase the home. The Homestead, as it has been known for over 100 years, was now part of a new chapter in the School’s history. Acquiring The Homestead enabled us to expand our dormitory facilities by yet another 10 students. Unfortunately, local zoning laws would not allow us to convert the house to a dormitory as we had originally hoped, but they did allow us to convert Spy Rock into a dorm to house students. The Board then decided to relocate Headmaster Jon Lamb and his wife Toni into our new headmaster’s home - The Homestead. Their new home has proven to be a tremendous asset to the School, with spectacular views of the Hudson River. It is an expansive piece of property that has since been fully landscaped and integrated into the SKS campus, as if it was always here,” says Ray.

A NEW LIFE FOR SPY ROCK “Spy Rock is undergoing renovation in order to complete its rebirth as a student residence,” continues Ray. The changes, while significant, are almost invisible. Most of the work that is being done is to bring the building up to modern day code including making it wheelchair accessible and installing sprinkler systems throughout the house. “It was important to us to protect the history and integrity of the building and to make sure it could be easily reconverted back to its original purpose, as well as a museum of the School’s rich history.”

THE ENCHANTED FOREST “One of my most favorite transformations has to be the creation of “The Enchanted Forest” that we made behind Ogden Hall, which has now extended all the way up to Abbott Lane, Moss Hill and The Homestead,” says Ray with a smile. “It started when we had a new survey of the property done and suddenly realized that we owned this large tract of land that was severely unkempt with overgrown brush, bushes, and many seemingly dead trees. The area was so thick that we couldn’t even step foot on it. We were finally able to locate the metal spikes that signified the property lines.

Then we brought in the bulldozers and cleared the area of all but the trees.

Many of those trees that we thought were dead were actually quite alive, but their growth had been hindered by the congestion of overgrown bushes.

We seeded the area and hung swings and benches from the trees. Now it

looks like a park! It gives me such great pleasure to look at this area now and see the students sitting on the many Adirondack chairs reading, or just relaxing with some music, or swinging on the swings.”

LOOKING FORWARD “With major deferred maintenance and renovation projects complete and behind us, next up in our master plan is to construct a new classroom building, a new parking lot, and do renovations to the Theatre, and possibly, an addition to the dining hall,” explains Ray. “While the face of the campus has been renewed and renovated, the core of what The Storm King School is will always remain. Our mantra of “Truth, Respect and Responsibility” is one that has always been, and always will be instilled in the hearts and minds of our student body and everyone connected to it. I firmly believe that the steps we are taking now and the plans we are making will solidify the foundation of this proud institution as we complete the 150th anniversary this year.”

“I couldn’t be more pleased about how successful the School has been in recent years. We have a dedicated Administration team and a progressive-thinking Board of Trustees. Our faculty and staff are enthusiastic and devoted to the School and its students. I knew when I first stepped foot on this campus to become its new Chief Financial Officer, that this would be the last place I ever worked.”

“Over the years, I have met many, many alumni and listened to their wonderful memories. At the end of almost every conversation, they ended with “this school changed my life.” I can now truly say with all my heart, that Storm King has truly changed my life too.”

Col. Kopra congratulating Cierra Martin

Commencement 2017 NASA Astronaut Col. Timothy Kopra

The Class of 2017, friends and family, students, and staff gathered on the lawn in front of Orr Commons for the School’s 149th Commencement ceremony on June 3. Following Headmaster Jonathan Lamb’s welcome address, NASA astronaut Col. Timothy Kopra gave an inspirational speech to the senior class. Selected as an astronaut in 2000 after a distinguished academic and military career, Kopra amassed 244 hours in space. Following Kopra’s words, the 2017 Academic Awards were presented. The Storm King Scholars award was given to Derya Akbaba, Peng Xiang Zhou, Pengcheng Lu, and Filippo Semenza. The Riley Cup was awarded to Assistant Headmaster for Student and Residential Life Alan Lewis and to senior Catherine Pomeroy. The Spy Rock Cup was given to Cierra Martin, The Headmaster’s Cup to Juttah Appiah, and The Storm King Cup to Yunqi Liu.

COMMENCEMENT 2017 Photos: photos.sks.org/2016-2017/Commencement Full Article: sks.org/Commencement-2017

The Homestead

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Experiential Learning is Quintessentially Storm King “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”—Confucius As The Storm King School celebrates its sesquicentennial, history has shown that the School’s ability to adapt to rapidly changing times and the needs of its student body have been crucial to its longevity. The same is true of the School’s progressive curriculum. Through continual improvement and a knack for taking advantage of natural and historical surroundings, Storm King has remained on the cutting edge in regard to new methodologies, faculty enrichment, and curriculum development.

O

ne of Storm King’s hallmarks is experiential education. Experiential education is an ancient method of teaching once used by Plato and Socrates where learning is hands-on and placebased, and allows students to retain more information and learn more quickly. Getting students away from their desks can be as simple as writing on the board or as active as hiking at night and building a survival shelter. This fosters a unique and dynamic environment that allows students to learn by doing and immerses them in real-world experiences, thus Keith Hughes, US State Department Foreign Service Officer, speaks with SKS students

18 / EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

opening doors to creative adaptability and problem-solving. With the School’s location in the heart of the Hudson Highlands, it is only natural that Storm King is emerging as one of the region’s leaders when it comes to experiential learning.

Faculty Lead the Way History and Social Sciences Department Chair Michael Hauser is helping to develop the experiential program at SKS. “I think any time you can be experiential or bring activities into learning, it will be beneficial,” he said. “It could mean taking the class to another location to assemble pieces of the Declaration of Independence the way it was written. Or perhaps taking them to see where Benedict Arnold crossed the Hudson River. The School is in an area rich in history and resources, so we use this to our advantage whenever possible.”

One of these local resources is a residential outdoor education program called Nature’s Classroom. Each year, Environmental Science teacher Kevin Jacobson takes the eighth grade class to a Nature’s Classroom location north of Albany, NY for five days. Following graduation from Manhattanville College in 2001, Mr. Jacobson worked at Nature’s Classroom before joining the faculty at Storm King.

His experience there, in addition to a trip he took to Yellowstone National Park, made a profound impact on him.

“It was absolutely captivating to be up in the Tetons. But what really struck me was the conservation story of the bison,” he said. “At one point, there were about 23 bison left in the Pelican Valley in Yellowstone National Park. Today, there are several thousand. That story made me understand I can make an impact by helping kids appreciate what is around them. That’s a focal point of our class.”

Mr. Jacobson does a lot of place-based teaching, particularly on Storm King Mountain and surrounding areas in the Hudson Valley. “The students do a lot of hiking and cooking on a fire,” he said, “but if we’re talking about the battle between water and land and how this area was carved, we might talk a little bit about it in class then go explore and find a little oxbow in the river, then climb the mountain and get a good view of a carved piece of land. I try to leave things open-ended so we can find new places to explore at any time.”

“There is a lot going on in the Hudson Valley,” he explains. “We talk about everything from PCB cleanups to oil barge docking stations and the pipelines that are about to go through. I do my best to not impart my opinion on a lot of these things.

Rather, I try to have students gather information and understand the realistic challenges of what’s going on. Yes, we need energy. Yes, all this oil is currently being

pumped out of the ground, but do we need to transport it through here? Where do we really need it? There are a lot of factors to weigh, and I do my best to help them create their own decisions.”

Integrating hands-on activities into the curriculum is perhaps easier in subjects that lend themselves to experimentation and the outdoors such as science and history. But at Storm King, teachers utilize experiential methods in all classroom subjects, even math. For example, math teacher James Bennett refrains from lecturing as much as possible in his classes.

“I try my best not to stand up in front of the class and talk the whole time,” he explains. “I turn math into a conversation rather than just something the students have to do. Sometimes, I take my geometry classes outside into Black Rock Forest to help them visualize exactly what we’re seeing in the classroom. I tell them to find a pair of parallel lines in the woods, or I explain that if you are standing in the woods and you can’t see the end of the woods, you are seeing infinity.”

Mr. Bennett has also used math to help his students build a catapult from recycled plywood and pallets. “It was pretty impressive,” he said. “Projects like this get students up and moving and understanding the application—not just the theory behind it.”

An Interdisciplinary, Experiential Curriculum With the growing popularity and success of its experiential curriculum, Storm King plans to further expand the program in the coming years to enhance its interdisciplinary nature. Mr. Hauser explained how interdisciplinary courses work: “An interdisciplinary course is when two different subjects are combined and have parallel curriculums. For example, we have combined a global studies course with a global art course. Visual and Performing Arts Chair John Carruthers and I built the curriculum together, and the classes share the same students. While I am teaching students the historical aspects of the Renaissance, Mr. Carruthers is teaching the same students Renaissance art. If I am talking about Islam, he’s teaching Islamic art, architecture, or clothing.”

This idea of an interdisciplinary curriculum is also applied to history and literature courses at Storm King. The faculty have also taken the lead and proposed an interdisciplinary curriculum to link economics and psychology: “There are a couple of psychology classes that explore why people make purchases, how they 8th grade students get “hands-on” at Constitution Marsh

Students visit the offices of Mic.com in the Conde Nast Building at One World Trade Center

are influenced by marketing, and how stock markets react to people’s behavioral side of economics,” said Mr. Hauser. In the future, he envisions the School doing something similar with government policy and law, including an exploration of bioethics and artificial intelligence.

Molding the Path Forward If there is one thing teachers at Storm King seem to have in common, it’s that they feel supported in their goal to help students learn through unique experiences and foster student-centered classrooms, whether by teacher collaboration or school-provided training such as the experiential education class some recently attended in Santa Fe. “We are constantly encouraged to grow, try new things, and collaborate with one another,” said Mr. Jacobson. “The teachers here are very flexible and willing to adapt their lessons and better understand how we can bring them to life even further.” Faculty members also appreciate having more roles in the School other than ‘teacher.’ “At Storm King, you’re a teacher, yes, but also a coach, a dorm parent, and a mentor. We connect with students on multiple levels and also connect them with the world around them.

Our ultimate goal is help them transition more gracefully from high school to college, and prepare them to be more engaged citizens. That’s why we encourage experiential learning wherever possible here at Storm King.”

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The Storm King School Department of Visual & Performing Arts

Kander & Ebb’s

Directed by Anne Fulton

& Karen Eremin

Read the article online at sks.org/cabaret 20 / MOUNTAIN ROAD

Operation Cookie Deployment Varsity boys basketball teams up with the Cornwall Presbyterian Church to send care packages to service men and women overseas . . .

The Eel Project

sks.org/Cookie-Deployment

Students help with a long-term field study organized by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) . . . sks.org/Eels

Community Service Service is an intrinsic part of a Storm King education and we are proud of our students and their commitment to enriching the world around them. Here are a few snapshots of what they’ve been up to lately!

Take the Plunge Students and faculty plunge into the Hudson River to support South Dakota’s Crazy Horse Memorial . . . sks.org/Plunge-2017

The Joy of Service Students immerse themselves in a concentrated two-week service course that has them working with the local community . . .

sks.org/Joy-of-Service

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Taking the Lead in Sports Safety

W

hen it comes to keeping our players safe on the field, The Storm King School stays on top of its game through continuous updates to its safety policies, equipment, and sporting venues that reflect the latest requirements, research, and trends. For our teams this can mean the correct use of concussion bands, helmets, and padding, having safe playing fields and venues, or even having a game postponed due to adverse weather conditions.

At Storm King, the boys and girls soccer teams and the girls volleyball team all benefit from ForceField FF™ protective headgear designed by safety engineering specialist Dr. C. J. Abraham. Girls lacrosse, who had been using these concussion bands previously, has now moved on to concussion helmets. “From what we’ve heard, they’ll soon become a requirement, so we’re one step ahead of the game,” says Athletic Director Joseph Graziosi. The same is true when it comes to protection for our baseball and softball teams.

Face masks are only required for softball, but we also require our baseball players to wear them.” Over the last three years, the School has also made significant investments to update its playing venues which boosts safety including resurfacing of the main athletic field, the installation of a state-of-the-art fencing room, and completely renewing the tennis courts.

Congratulations to our latest NCAA D1 Lacrosse Commitments

Tiana Vazquez ’19 University of Hartford Hawks

Shania Roehrich ’19 Shania Roehrich ’19 Campbell University Campbell University Fighting Camels Fighting Camels

22 / MOUNTAIN ROAD

2016/17 SKS ATHLETICS SUMMARY Boys Basketball Season Record: 22-3 HVAL Champions, NESPAC Champions

Girls Basketball Season Record: 13-6 HVAL Runner Up, NEPSAC Quarterfinalists

Boys Soccer Season Record: 18-5-1 HVAL Champions, NEPSAC Semifinalists

Girls Soccer Season Record: 11-5 HVAL Champions, NEPSAC Quarterfinalists

Girls Volleyball Season Record: 11-6 HVAL Runner Up, NEPSAC Quarterfinalists

Cross Country Season Record: 8-0 HVAL Champions, NEPSAC 7th Place

Girls Tennis Season Record: 6-1 HVAL Champions

Boys Baseball Season Record: 3-3 HVAL Semifinalists

Girls Softball Season Record: 0-8 HVAL Quarterfinalists

Girls Lacrosse Season Record: 3-3 Wrestling Season Record: 12-1 HVAL Champions New York State Championships: 7th Place

Fencing Season Record: 2-0 Boys Tennis Season Record: 4-0 HVAL Champions

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Our Common Ground Dominique DeFreece ’14

Class of 2014 alumna Dominique DeFreece talks about her continuing journey through college and her adventures while studying abroad in Morocco. Her story tells us how a Storm King education and her experience on the Mountain helped to shape her personal and academic trajectory.

Full Article: sks.org/Common-Ground-F17

SKS Alumni Profile Steve Bluth ’83 Where I am from I grew up in Great Neck, New York, on Long Island.

Where I am now I am married to my beautiful wife of 20 years, Jocelyn, and have two daughters, Nicole, 16, and Stefanie, 14. We recently moved from Winter Park, Florida, where I was the Director of Athletics at the Trinity Preparatory School. Prior to that, I was the Director of Athletics at Fieldston School in the Bronx for 19 years. I am now back in NY, teaching and coaching at Riverdale Country School.

Why I came to SKS I wasn’t happy with the education I was getting in Great Neck.

I was a “middle of the road” student and felt like I was getting lost in the process. Luckily, we found Storm King!

My first impression of SKS It was a bit scary in the beginning. I came in as a junior and it seemed everyone knew each other, so it was tough at first. But I made friends quickly. They and the teachers always made me feel welcome and a part of the School.

How SKS shaped who I am By graduation, I was a completely different person. I was confident and had experiences and relationships with students and faculty that I never thought I’d have. I was taught many things well beyond the classroom. For many of us, living with others, and learning how to coexist and deal with the many issues it

24 / COMMON ROOM

Steve Bluth ’83 and his varsity Trinity Prep girls basketball team 2017

brings, was what we needed. I remember having tears in my eyes at graduation, not just because I was leaving so many people who had such a profound influence on me, but also because of how far I had come as a person.

My best memories of SKS I remember spending two years making a four-by-six-foot oil painting of the view of the Hudson River from outside my dorm room. It’s also hard to forget times in the McConnell Dormitory, hanging out and listening to music. Those were albums and cassettes! Playing soccer, basketball, and baseball were clearly the times I will always have with me.

The best advice ever received Doing what’s right is always better than doing what’s popular.

My advice for SKS students There’s a great quote by Henry Ford, who said, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” Don’t allow your fears, insecurities, or mistakes dictate your next move.

Always think you can. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes . . . and, when thinking about not being good enough at something, always finish that sentence with “yet.” I’m not good enough—yet.

Faces of Philanthropy John Garrett III ’63

Why I give annually to The Storm King School can be summarized in one sentence: I want to perpetuate that which I value.

My reasons for feeling this way are many. The first reason had to do with my junior high school years.

Although I had roots in Virginia, I attended seven different schools in five different towns. My dad was career Navy, which meant that we moved regularly to new duty stations and geographies. Besides providing continuity during the school year, SKS enabled me to gain confidence that I could create friendships with boys who came from different backgrounds and geographies, both domestic and international.

Another reason has to do with learning self-reliance. When I arrived at SKS as a freshman, my family lived in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. This meant no phone calls home, and visits there were limited to Christmas and spring break. I might well have been homesick anyway, but these circumstances caused me to be acutely so. I was forced to persevere, find ways to make myself happy, and enjoy my new surroundings and friends. Achieving this self-reliance and resolve to make the best of a situation has served me well in the multiple decades that have passed since then. Consequently, I want to do my part to ensure this school continues.

My third reason is very straightforward—I received financial aid as a student. Giving back to SKS so that others can have a similar experience is important to me.

Lastly, and often with age, we become more sentimental. It is heartwarming to know that I can return to SKS and see buildings and vistas that cause me to smile as I reflect on a special time in my youth.

Keeping this memory alive matters to me.

These are the reasons why I give.

I arrived at Storm King an

insecure adolescent and left as a confident young man I believe that special kick-start on life should be made available to as many young students as possible. I am proud to be in the 1867 Society, and have included Storm King in my estate planning.

Frederick “Rick” Reynolds, Jr. ’71

LEARN MORE: 8 4 5 . 4 5 8 . 75 6 4

sks.org/Planned-Giving

REUNION 2017 Kicking Off the Sesquicentennial

“It was great returning to the Mountain after too long an absence. I genuinely felt like I was home again! My memories of Storm King are some of the best memories of my life.” —Stan Schiffman ’77 “I haven’t been back to SKS since 1979. Reunion was a blast from the past. I enjoyed meeting old classmates and seeing Coach Kolewe, even though he was a wrestler!” —James “Jim” Miao ’79 “The School has never looked better and it was great to see so many people from a very important time and place in my life.”

—Jonathan Keeve ’74 To view the photo gallery and read the full article please visit : sks.org/Reunion-2017

New Members Join SKS Board of Trustees—————————————————————————————————— The Storm King School Board of Trustees welcomes two new members: Mr. David Hartcorn ’73 and Mr. Bob Ginsburg ’72. “One of the most important roles of all Boards is to continue to identify and enlist capable individuals to the School’s governing body,” says Board Chair Roger Auerbacher ’66. “It is incumbent upon this group to find individuals who will bring a strong sense of commitment as well as knowledge and skills to the existing Board. We believe that in Bob Ginsburg ’72 and David Hartcorn ’73 we have found two such alumni who, with their experiences here at SKS and later in their individual careers, will embody these ideals.”

BOB GINSBURG ’72————————————————————————

DAVID HARTCORN ’73——————————————————————

is a native of Fort Worth, Texas, and lives there with his wife of 30 years, Nancy. He is a shareholder and director of McDonald Sanders law firm, practicing college and university, energy, real estate, and transportation law. “We have lived in Fort Worth our entire marriage,” says Mr. Ginsburg.

“I am excited to once again connect with Storm King, a place that was essential in my development as a person and in providing the foundation for my success in college and law school. The values and perspectives that I took with me from the Mountain have continued to play an important role in all that I have done personally and professionally,” says Mr. Ginsburg. “I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the School that so enriched my life and to assure that others have the same opportunity.”

lives in Annapolis, Maryland. He has owned Hartcorn Studios photography since January 2003, providing award-winning photography for weddings, fashion, corporate headshots, family portraits, and individual portraits.

“Storm King has never been far from my heart. I’ve lived in many places and am fortunate to have had many experiences,” says Mr. Hartcorn.

“However, one experience stands out and that was my time on the Mountain. I was honored by the invitation to join the Board of Trustees, and I am happy to serve wherever I’m needed.”

26 / COMMON ROOM

THE BEAUTY OF THE LINES ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE: JAY SCHUMANN ’71 “Pay attention to the beauty of the lines and let them flow into one another”

—Jay Schumann ’71

T

his past spring, acclaimed San Franciscan artist and SKS alumnus Jay Schumann ’71 returned to the Mountain as our Artist-in-Residence. Mr. Schumann spent three days coaching our students on the craft of intaglio printmaking.

The first phase of the project took place inside Storm King’s Allison Valdimir Art Center. With Visual and Performing Arts Department Chair John Carruthers at his side, Mr. Schumann taught the students how to etch their own detailed intaglio plates on copper and plexiglass sheets. “The etchings are very delicate works. Don’t use too much pressure when drawing your images,” Mr. Schumann instructed the students. “Only a soft touch is needed. Pay attention to the beauty of the lines and let them flow into one another,” he said.

For the project’s second phase, the group traveled to the Garrison Art Center to roll their freshly etched plates through the center’s large rolling press. Mr. Schumann shared his expertise on how to apply the ink, clean the plates, and get the best prints.

According to Mr. Carruthers, Mr. Schumann made a significant contribution to his classes. “I truly enjoyed having Mr. Schumann on campus,” he said. “He critiqued the students with a high level of expectation and they rose to the challenge, producing great work as a result.”

sks.org / ON THE MOUNTAIN / Fall 2017 /27

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT LETTER Dear SKS Alumni, This year, our alma mater celebrates 150 years as the School on Storm King Mountain—a century and a half of greatness that will culminate in a very special Reunion Weekend and gala event June 8–10, 2018. Part of what is so fabulous about the School these days is the stature it has enjoyed as a powerful, visible, and thriving school . . . The Storm King School is one of the oldest independent schools in the nation, and, thanks to your dedication and continuing support, it continues to move boldly into the 21st Century in ways that will make your soul smile. Those of you that were here 140 strong for Reunion 2017 will attest to how great our School looks.

Storm King’s star is rising and as alumni we have an opportunity to ensure that the stature the School continues to hold is sustained and increased. Storm King Alumni are on campus participating in many roles and programs all year long. Old and new traditions have fallen into place: an annual Career Night, Alumni Basketball Day, Homecoming, Alumni Teaching Residencies, and, of course, Reunion Weekend!

The lifelong value we share in our Storm King experience needs to be supported and sustained for generations of students, alumni, and for the responsible leaders they will become. I invite you to attend Alumni Council meetings, and join in on Alumni Association discussions, become an alumni volunteer, come to an alumni event, participate in Career Night, or speak to a SKS class. Get connected and stay connected online with Storm King; the School loves to hear from you. And, when the time comes, participate in The Storm King Fund. Just as we have benefited from the alumni who supported us, you are furthering opportunities for today’s students and the talented and dedicated faculty who inspire them daily.

In the space allotted me, I am also pleased to announce the formation of the Storm King Alumni Council and extend a warm welcome to its

THE STORM KING SCHOOL ALUMNI COUNCIL MEETING ON OCTOBER 21, 2017 Standing from L to R: Christopher Bonner ’66, Steven Bluth ’83, Johnathan Flores ’12, Scott Cantor ’73, Madison Sergi ’14, Lynn Crevling ’72, and Charles Cordero ’92; Seated from L to R: David Gilmore ’61, Richard Broughton ’54, Christine Watson ‘94; Participating by telephone: Adam Eisen ’80; Members not in attendance: Tom Delaney ’58, Sele Birchwood ’09, and Katrina Wu ’12

28 / EVENTS & NOTES

S AV E T H E D A T E S !

Alumni Basketball Day

Sunday, February 11 Join us for our annual Alumni vs.

Student Basketball Game. Enjoy connecting with your friends on the basketball court!

Sesquicentennial Celebration & Reunion Weekend

June 8-10 Come back to the Mountain and reconnect with old friends and make new ones.

S K S . O R G /A L U M N I - E V E N T S

new members. Storm King’s Alumni Council is comprised of 15 members who represent the decades of Storm King Alumni. They will meet three times a year and receive first-hand information about the state of the School. Additionally, the Council and its respective committees will assist the School’s Alumni and Development Office in planning reunions, selecting Hall of Fame and Alumni Award recipients, hosting both on-campus and regional events, and supporting the Storm King Fund’s annual campaign. Lynn Crevling ’72, Storm King’s Director of Alumni Relations, will serve as the Council’s Secretary. Should you have an interest in becoming a member of the Alumni Council, please contact Lynn at lcrevling@sks.org.

As The Storm King School Community, through participation, we seek to continue to enrich the lives of all, and pass on the wonder of the mountaintop to current and future generations.

Scott Cantor ’73 Alumni Association President

Look for events near you: sks.org/Alumni-Events

Career Night 2018

Career Night 2017

Our Alumni Community See even more friendly faces: photos.sks.org/Alumni

sks.org / ON THE MOUNTAIN / Fall 2017 / 29

Class Notes ’58

Tom Delaney ’58 and his wife Nancy completed their goal of bicycling in each of the 50 states earlier this year. Their next big adventure took place in Europe, where they spent three days in Paris visiting family, followed by a week of bicycling in Germany.

1962 Ted Gross ’62 wrote that he was unable to attend his 55th Reunion this past June due to other family obligations near that date. He extends his best wishes to classmates and friends.

1963 Internationally renowned Hungarian author and artist Balazs Szabo ’63, has been in touch again recently to contribute to the Storm King Fund. His award-winning coffee table book entitled The Eye of the Muse is now on sale at the SKS School Store in Orr Commons with proceeds going to The Storm King Fund. Balazs is known for his literary and artistic successes amid a colorful and dramatic past. In 1987, the volume won the US Print Design Excellence Award out of over 40,000 US contestants. It continues to be one of the most sought-after art books in the country. According to Balazs: “Now you can give yourself or someone a special signed copy of this treasure and support SKS.”

1963 John Garrett ’63 visited Storm King recently to talk about his career with the AP Economics class. After graduation, Mr. Garrett went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in economics from the College of William and Mary. Following college, he spent seven years in the US Navy where, after completing officer candidate, supply corps, and submarine schools, he served on two Polaris submarines.

After he resigned his naval commission as a lieutenant in 1974, Mr. Garrett joined Ferguson Enterprises, a $25 million plumbing distributor, as a sales trainee. During the next three decades, he progressed to the position of regional vice president and senior vice president, and he later joined Ferguson’s Board of Directors in 1991. When

30 / CLASS NOTES

he retired in 2006, Ferguson’s sales had grown to the $10 billion mark. In retirement, Mr. Garrett has been active as a director of distribution companies owned by AEA Investors, Berkshire Partners, and Tailwind Capital (all private equity firms), plus Aurify Brands and Cupron.

Additionally, he served as chairman of the board of Mary Immaculate Hospital, a nonprofit entity in Newport News, Virginia, where he currently resides.

1969 Larry Spiegel ’69 traveled to SKS on May 31, 2017, exactly 48 years after graduation. He wrote: “The older we get, the more sentimental we all become as those days of youth buried in the recesses of our minds come back to the forefront. I had been thinking of visiting SKS for quite a while when, on a lazy late May afternoon, the caller ID said The Storm King School. I eagerly answered to find Dick Broughton on the other end. Dick was my baseball coach and we had a wonderful relationship when I attended the School.

I expressed my desire for a visit and Dick suggested May 31st. He also mentioned that he would call my classmate Jim “Booga” Lulves ’69, who was the big slugger on our team and a great guy, to see if he could join us.

I drove up to see Dick, Jim and Lynn Crevling ’72 waiting for my arrival. The next few hours were, in a single word, GREAT. We briefly toured the School and had a leisurely lunch in the dining room. I literally could have spent days just talking to my old friends about the past and the life we have had since that other day in May of 1969 when we all last saw each other.

As for me, I am retired, married to my wonderful wife for 33 years, with one daughter and three grandchildren who fulfill my life more than I could ever have imagined. I definitely plan on returning for my 50th reunion and hope that my old classmates also decide to return.”

Please go to sks.org/Classnotes for the most up-to-date information on classmates, including obituaries.

1972 Diane Kletz Travers ’72 spent two weeks in Vietnam visiting her son Dustin in November 2016. A graduate of Columbia ’15, he works and lives in Ho Chi Minh City. “We celebrated his marriage to Ha Tran in her ancestral village of Tay Nin, a countryside region better known as the Western Highlands. I am also moving to Vietnam to be closer to my new family. I look forward to continuing the writing and teaching life, eating delicious Vietnamese food, and making new friends in the expat community.

PS - I take the Mountain with me in my heart.”

1994 Daniel Shelton ’94 and James O’Neill ’94

Daniel Shelton ’94 had a lot to say after he returned to the Mountain in June 2017: “Wow! How great it was to step back on campus! I had a great day of reliving past memories and sharing them with my wonderful wife. The day started out in Grand Central Station, tickets purchased for the ride on Metro North back to Storm King. The train rolled past the Garrison Station as we stared at the ominous beauty of our neighbor West Point. The parking lot triggered memories of Carl Pacione who would meet us to give us the final ride back to school. Carl’s smile was always as big as his heart was caring.

Finally arriving in Beacon, I was greeted with the tremendous hug of James O’Neill ‘94. Twenty-three years ago we graduated and couldn’t wait to get out in the world, not looking back. The embrace captured all the energy of the joy of being back, of seeing old friends, and sharing the special bond forged on the side of Storm King Mountain.

When we arrived at Storm King, we were met by SKS’ Director of Alumni Relations, Lynn Crevling ’72, who joined us as we navigated the campus. The memories flourished with each step. I only got to stay for a brief stint that day, but in that short time on campus I relived a lifetime. The day couldn’t have been any better!”

In Memoriam 1948 Frank Loh February 9, 2017

1951 John H. Coulter Jr. February 1, 2017

1955 Kinsley “Kim” Woods December 27, 1988

1959 Bob Bowman November 9, 2016

1962 Patrick Joseph Buckley February 3, 2017

1963 Isaac “Rick” M. Pease, III September 2, 2017

1972 Jonathan “Jolly” Sands Wolf May 1, 2017

1975 Deborah Kaplan Sergi August 25, 2017

1977

How are you?

Communities thrive on communication. If you don’t see any news about your classmates, it’s because no one has sent us an update. We’d love to hear from you—and keeping up with the Storm King community has never been easier.

Online: sks.org/Classnotes Email: classnotes@sks.org Phone: 845. 458. 7517

Kevin C. Lewis July 15, 2017

1989 Eric Tucker October 2, 2017

Faculty and Staff Paul McCann History Teacher and College Counselor June 26, 2017

John “ Jack” Baxter Sinkhorn Please let us know how you’re doing.

English Department Head July 16, 2017

sks.org / ON THE MOUNTAIN / Fall 2017 / 31

2017

BY T H E N U M B E R S

150

we are officially 150 years old!

1867

the year The Storm King School opened its doors

8

the number of students we had in 1867

170

the number of students we have today

16

acres of property added to our campus as a result of recent campus expansion.

93

13

the age of the best looking and the oldest living alum on record, David Van Dyck ’40.

$2.1 M

300 gal.

in college scholarships secured by the senior class last year.

of milk served every month to growing SKS students.

25 league championships captured by SKS athletes.

2

number of faculty dogs on campus.

New England Championships since 2013.

The Storm King of today is built on the generosity of yesterday Our 150th year is the time to commemorate our institution, honor our traditions, and set our sights on the future.

The Storm King Fund supports the operation of the School and provides access to scholarships for deserving students.

That’s why we need your support more than ever to continue the legacy of a Storm King Education into the 21st century and beyond.

There’s no time like now to give to The Storm King Fund. Make your gift online at: sks.org/give For more information contact: The Storm King School Alumni & Development 314 Mountain Road Cornwall on Hudson, NY 12520 845. 458. 7522 sks.org/A-Tradition-of-Support

On the Mountain

The Storm King School 314 Mountain Road Cornwall on Hudson, NY 12520

CARING FOR ONE ANOTHER SINCE 1867