Crimson Magazine - Spring 2023

1975

Field Hockey “B” Division State Champions of the New Jersey Independent School Tournament

Standing: L. Simmons, S. Slaff, L. Poderzey, L. Jones, J. Shackleton, A. Hauserman, Coach Daniels, C. Curry.

Kneeling: E. Brewster, E. Cushman, A. von Breitenfeld, D. Gimelstob, S. Teare, G. Dunston. Sitting: L. Wienckowski, S. Milford, S. Wood, N. Cushman, S. Canizares, L. Shackleton.

COVER from left: Brooke Sandler ’23 (Golf), Skylar Reale ’23 (Lacrosse), Maya Patankar ’25 (Softball), Raidah Karriem ’25 (Track & Field)

Cover Photo by Peter Chollick Photography

REMARKS FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Dear MBS Family & Friends,

In 1972, the federal civil rights law Title IX was passed by Congress to prohibit discrimination based on sex in education programs and activities that received federal financial assistance. Perhaps the most attention was focused on sports, because that’s the area in which the sex gap was most egregious. At the same time this legislation was changing academic programs and athletic programs, The Morristown School and The Beard School were merging. Fifty years later, we celebrate the ways that athletics benefit our physical, mental, and emotional health. Throughout this issue of Crimson magazine, you’ll hear the stories of former and current students and the ways that athletics have influenced their character and sense of self.

Over spring break, I traveled to Florida with our girls lacrosse team. I’m helping coach the team this spring and had the joy of watching our students be able to pull away from the academic and social pieces that comprise school life and focus solely on being part of a team. As we played on the fields in Clearwater in March, I could see the girls growing, both as a team and in their individual skill sets. As one 11th grader said, “We played lacrosse, but we also bonded. We had a shared experience and shared memories that will make us even stronger.” So much of my sense of self was tied up in athletics when I was their age. It’s the area I was good at, and it’s where I built a lot of my confidence. Even today, athletics are an important outlet for me.

With more than 80% of our girls participating in a sport on campus, we are thrilled to celebrate the strides made across women’s sports. While we celebrate the achievement of today’s students, we also honor the women of The Beard School, who participated in houses known as the Athenians and Spartans. From champion golfers and equestrians to students who played to bond with their peers, the legacy of athletics has been associated with this School since its inception.

This winter our girls ice hockey team won the inaugural Librera Cup final before defeating Pingry 2-1 at the Prudential Center. It was the team’s third-straight NJSIAA State Championship and an excellent testament to the fact that as a School we are highly competitive and accomplished, yet

we also have fun. We value excellence and inclusion, knowing that athletics can help inform a student’s sense of self and prepare them for the future.

All the best,

Liz Morrison Head of School

Office of Advancement

Director of Advancement

Betsy B. Patterson P ’14, ’16

Executive Assistant to the Director of Advancement

Linda Riedell

Director of Marketing & Communications

Crimson Managing Editor

Janet Burdorf

News & Information Manager

Crimson Senior Writer

Steve Patchett P ’24, ’26

Graphic Design Associate

Crimson Graphic Designer

Sharon Cain

Website Manager

Michael Smith

Media Manager

Tiffany Zuber

Director of Alumni Engagement & Strategic Communications

Kate Sheleg Muttick ’97

Associate Director of Annual Giving & Young Alumni

Maggie Ranger ’10

Advancement Services Manager

Melissa Hickey

Director of Special Events & Parents Association Liaison

Kerianne Skobo-Trought

Contributing Writers

Kate Sheleg Muttick ’97, Carol Selman ’64 Photography

Janet Burdorf, Vincent Carchietta (MCV Photography), Peter Chollick Photography, Steve Patchett P ’24, ’26, Tiffany Zuber

Crimson Spring 2023

Board of Trustees 2022-2023

OFFICERS

David T. Molowa P ’05, President

Darnell T. Parker ’00, Vice President

Lee Kellogg Sadrian ’89, P ’26, ’28, Vice President

Carisa V. Strauss P ’20, ’22, ’24, Vice President

Ravi Chopra ’97, Treasurer

Pamela Nelson Davidson ’90, Secretary

TRUSTEES

Liz Morrison, Head of School

Dena Y. Baptiste P ’14

Mary Ellen Campbell P ’72, ’78 (Honorary)

Kelly MacMahon Ewing ’91, P ’24, ’24, ’24, ’28

Lissa Jean Ferrell P ’22

Peter Fiverson P ’25, ’28

Shanae M. Green P ’27

David V. H. Hedley ’64, P ’87, ’90, ’97 (Honorary)

David A. McManus P ’21

Michael Morais P ’22, ’24, ’26

Cory Pine P ’21, ’25

Michael W. Ranger P ’10, ’13 (Honorary)

Bruce Sanford P ’16, ’20

Marlynn Scully P ’87, ’92, GP ’20, ’22 (Honorary)

Laurence H. Sherman P ’20, ’22, ’26

Penny Sokolowski P ’18, ’20, ’25

Eric Soos P ’25, ’25

Scott J. Tannen ’95, P ’22, ’25, ’25

R. Cartwright Wallace ’93

Janine Webb P ’24, ’26

Sherif Zakhary P ’20, ’22, ’27

Senior Leadership Team

Liz Morrison - Head of School

Alonda Casselle P ’27 - Head of Middle School

Klarissa Karosen P ’26, ’28 - Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Philicia Levinson P ’19 - Chief Financial & Operating Officer

Ryan Liese - Head of Upper School

Boni Luna - Dean of Faculty

Robert L. Mitchell II P ’15, ’20, ’23 -

Director of Enrollment Management

Betsy B. Patterson P ’14, ’16 -

Director of Advancement

Chantal Thornberry - Director of Student Culture and Wellbeing

Retiring Anna Pardo

Anna started teaching Spanish at MBS in 2007. Throughout her tenure, she has taught all levels of the language as well as a range of courses to both Middle and Upper School students. Known for her love of Latin American music, Anna takes pride in infusing this music into her lessons. Her end-of-year music competition is widely recognized by students. A mentor to new Spanish teachers, Anna was also an active participant in the development of the department’s curriculum. Outside of class, she was a Spanish Club advisor and a chaperone for Global Studies trips to Cuba, Spain, and Columbia.

Anna is looking forward to spending more time in her vacation home in Florida, refurbishing old furniture (a talent and hobby she loves), and spending more time with her family.

“Anna has had a profound impact on the MBS community as both a teacher and colleague. Her classes are brimming with energy—one need only walk past her door to hear the passion with which she unfolds her craft, whether she is facilitating a communicative activity or introducing her students to the Spanish language through music and song. Anna brings that same energy and joy to collaboration with colleagues. She has been a mentor to many, always happy to help

Faculty Spotlight

Zachary Mazouat

When asked to create a painting for Head of School Liz Morrison’s office, Art and Design teacher Zachary Mazouat didn’t take that lightly. Knowing that his work was going to be viewed daily by Liz and others who would frequent her office, Zach did his research to ensure it would be a piece all could enjoy. “I found that Liz is a true lover of art with a very wide range of tastes. From Rousso to Matisse, landscapes to portraits. I also learned she likes bright colors, and that the Virgin Islands are her ‘happy place.’”

After searching several pieces of art on Pinterest, Zach soon had a plethora of “pinned” samples that spoke to him as an artist and he realized he was drawn to illustrative underwater animal “portraits” with bright colors that showed a lot of movement. Since he and Liz were both fond of sea turtles, that’s the animal he chose to paint.

In order to capture movement, Zach painted turtles that were very “active” as opposed to just floating in the water. “When painting the background, I left my brush strokes visible and made sure they were in a swirling pattern that aligned with the implied movement of the turtles. The desire for movement also directly impacted my paint choice. I used a metallic, color shift paint, as well as paint with colored glitter,

a new department member along or share materials with a veteran colleague. Anna has helped make me a better teacher and colleague, and she will be sorely missed. I’m privileged to have had the opportunity to work with her.”

Jen Laviola, Word Language Chair

“It has been a privilege to work with someone as passionate about Latino culture as Anna, who shared her passion with her students and colleagues, especially when it came to Latino music. It is undeniable that her passion has positively influenced her students and all of us who have worked with her. Anna has been a hardworking, helpful member of our department, and after working with her for all these years, she has become one of my dearest friends. I congratulate her on her retirement and hope she doesn’t get too bored!”

Aline de la Torre-McCloskey, Director of Global Studies

“The members of the World Language Department have been fortunate to work with Anna professionally. Over the years, she enriched our program by adapting to any class she was asked to teach or create. Her flexibility and contributions, such as the music and other culturallybased courses, have benefited colleagues and students alike. Working alongside Anna as we pursued our master’s degrees will remain one of my favorite memories. From hosting epic pool parties at the end of the academic year to her idiosyncrasies, including lots of highlighting, Anna has provided us with much laughter over these 16 years. We will miss her dearly but wish her the best.”

so as a person moves around the room the color changes before their eyes. This way, not only is the painting depicting active movement, but the viewing experience is an active one as well.

A passionate artist and teacher, Zach has taught the entire range of the foundational Fine Arts curriculum— painting, drawing, ceramics, and photography, both manual and digital.

Vaughan Leigh, Spanish Teacher

MBS Gifted Minority Ownership of Twin Oaks

In celebration of being gifted a minority ownership of Twin Oaks Ice Rink in Morristown, MBS families gathered at the ice rink in March for an Open House. Tours of the facility, snacks, music, and of course some skating were enjoyed by all.

While day-to-day operations of Twin Oaks will remain unchanged, this extraordinary gift ensures that MBS will always have access to a premier ice rink located just one mile from campus. Tremendous philanthropic gifts like this help both maintain and grow the School's many offerings. Thanks to the vision, foresight, and selfless generosity of this donor, the School can ensure accessibility for current and future MBS students.

Student Groups in Action

Members of the MBS Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Affinity Group spoke about Lunar New Year—an important holiday in China that marks the celebration of the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar—at All-School Meeting in January. The students spoke about how the holiday is celebrated—which includes watching fireworks and dragon dancing—in addition to decorating the home. Our MBS home was treated to decorations provided by the MBS Parents Association that included the color red—a reflection of fire and energy, but also symbolizes vitality, good fortune, good luck, and prosperity.

Later in the day, the AAPI affinity group enjoyed making moon cakes (a sweet dish commonly eaten during Lunar New Year) that were made using molds the students designed and printed using the 3D printers in the Center for Innovation & Design (CID), including molds with the MB logo!

The MBS Black Student Union Affinity Group hosted “Lunch & Learn” workshops for our School community to celebrate Black History Month. Topics of discussion included: Black Music in the Americas—the history of Black music and how it sets the stage for music around the world; Hip Hop Voices Unleashed—a roundtable discussion of popular hip hop songs and their cultural significance; and Don’t Touch My Hair—a discussion of the cultural significance of hair in the Black community. The workshops were facilitated by Associate Director of DEIB Tahj Valentine as well as Upper School history teacher Andrea King Wilson.

The MBS Jewish Affinity Group embarked on a walk through the nearby

Arboretum as part of its observance of Tu BiShvat, a Jewish holiday that celebrates nature. The group enjoyed mild temperatures and plenty of good company as they walked through the beautiful gardens of the Arboretum. The students were accompanied by Jewish Affinity Group faculty advisors Laura Kirschenbaum and Ben Krauss.

Frelinghuysen

Social Media and Digital Wellness

Max Stossel, an award-winning poet, filmmaker, and speaker visited campus in April to address the topic of digital wellness with the Morristown Beard School community. Max’s talks with Middle and Upper School students in Founders Hall titled “We’ve Been Sneaking Into Your Brain: The True Impact of Social Media” were thoughtprovoking and brought the entire MBS community together to reflect on their relationships with technology and social media.

Max also spoke with MBS parents and guardians in an engaging and informative evening session titled “Social Media and Your Kids.”

In the sessions, Max discussed the common challenges we face in today’s digital world and offered tips to set healthy boundaries with technology. Other thought-provoking topics that Max explored included:

• The impact of social media on mental health and relationships

• How the digital world impacts the real world

• Challenges with social media addiction and distraction

• How social media impacts our emotions, perceptions, and beliefs

• Strategies to improve digital wellness and social media balance

To prepare for Max’s visit, students had discussions in their advisories about social media usage and the power that Internet algorithms have on our lives. After the presentation, they engaged in a short activity to estimate their time online, identified what apps and sites they use most often, and discussed the positive and negative effects of social media.

MBS Surpasses Goal for 24-Hour Day of Giving

On March 2, MBS held its 5th annual 24-hour day of giving in support of The MB Fund—the School’s annual fund. Every dollar donated to The MB Fund directly supports the MBS student experience.

Thanks to the outpouring of support and generosity from the MBS community, we surpassed our goal of 500 donors, unlocked a $50,000 challenge gift, and raised a recordbreaking dollar amount in 24 hours!

We are so grateful to everyone who participated in making this day a huge success.

MBS plans to create a REBOOT (Rethinking Ethical Behavior for Oneself Online Together) group to help empower students to take charge of their digital lives.

To read more and see Max’s tips, scan the QR code.

Activist and Attorney Speaks as Part of MLK Day Celebration

Dr. Junius Williams, a nationally recognized attorney, musician, educator, and independent thinker, shared his personal reflections about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as well as his personal experiences during the Civil Rights and Human Rights Movements in the United States and described his journey over the decades through stories, songs, and even some humor. But mostly, and maybe more importantly, offered advice and examples on how to make positive change in the world. He did so by following his passion and using his skills and knowledge to make a difference, and he encouraged the students to go out and do the same.

Grandparent Shares Family’s Holocaust Experience

Mrs. Betty Schwartz, grandmother of MBS 8th grader Mason Schwartz, spoke at a Middle School Meeting about her parents’ experience during the Holocaust and emphasized the importance of education in combatting racism, hatred, and prejudice. Her father, Murray Pantirer, was saved from certain death thanks to a German industrialist who employed him and 1,200 other Jews in his factories to keep them out of the Nazi concentration camps.

Interesting fact: Mrs. Schwartz said that her father was passionate about sharing his story with the next generation. Steven Spielberg asked him to be the keynote speaker at the Washington, D.C. premiere of the movie Schindler’s List, where President and Mrs. Clinton were present.

Descendant of Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington Speaks at All-School Meeting

In celebration of Black History month, Kenneth B. Morris, Jr., greatgreat-great grandson of Frederick Douglass and the great-greatgrandson of Booker T. Washington, spoke to students about how his career and life path have been driven by focusing on the Frederick Douglass Family Initiative’s mission: “To build strong children and to end systems of exploitation and oppression.” Mr. Morris continues his family’s legacy of anti-slavery and educational work as cofounder and president of the organization.

Science Teacher and US Veteran

Speaks to Middle School Students

Upper School Science teacher Dr. Dennis Evangelista spoke at Middle School Meeting about Veterans Day and his service in the United States Navy as a nuclear engineer assigned to Naval Sea Systems Command / Naval Reactors 08E/08K. He obtained a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School and reached the rank of Lieutenant. He later taught engineering in the Department of Weapons, Robotics, and Control Engineering as an Assistant Professor at the United States Naval Academy where he launched biomechanics electives and a “School of Drones” class.

Dr. Evangelista delivered Veterans Day cards created by Middle School students to a national veterans’ organization on behalf of the School.

Students Participate in Mindfulness and DEIB Retreats

In February and March, Middle and Upper School students participated in retreats in conjunction with the Office of DEIB. The Upper School retreat was spearheaded by students Alice McNamara ’24 and Gabrielle Wolin ’24 and provided students with an opportunity to explore different aspects of identity and mindfulness while engaging in lots of fun bonding activities such as painting night. Along the way, they gained selfawareness while celebrating their common bonds with their classmates.

The Middle School retreat provided students with opportunities to engage in ice breakers, workshops surrounding identity and leadership, outdoor exploration, and many fun evening events. The retreat was designed to help students develop a deeper understanding of themselves and the lived experiences of others.

Winter Dance Concert

MBS students kicked off the holiday season with the Winter Dance Concert performed in Founders Hall in December. Dance teachers Andrea Deventer and Mackenzie Johnson staged the amazing performances that featured Middle School Dance, Intro to Dance, Intermediate Dance, Advanced Dance, Tap, and the Morristown Beard Dance Ensemble.

String and Choral Winter Concerts

Under the direction of David Gold, Performing Arts Chair, the Middle School String Ensemble opened the show with “Silent Night” before joining the Upper School String Ensemble for “Carol of the Bells.” The Upper School performers also played “Invicta,” featuring soloist Sohan Norden ’26. Under the direction of Ben Krauss, Performing Arts teacher, the Upper School Chorus finished the show with selections that included “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” “I Won’t Last a Day Without You,” and holiday favorite “Deck the Halls.”

Jazz and Percussion Ensembles

In the December concert, under the direction of Dr. John Girvin, the Jazz Ensemble played a wide variety of instrumental styles including “Green Onions,” “Cantaloupe Island,” and “Gonna Fly Now” (the theme from Rocky); the Percussion Ensemble’s selections included the theme songs to Harry Potter and Mission Impossible; and the Middle School Band, aka the “MS Jazz Messengers,” performed pieces by Miles Davis (“So What”), Horace Silver (“Song for My Father”), and Kenny Dunham (“Blue Bossa”).

Spring Musical Be More Chill

This year’s Upper School musical, Be More Chill, took center stage in Founders Hall from March 1 - 4. The cast delivered exceptional musical numbers that thrilled, engaged, and amused their audiences. Not to be overlooked was the ultra-impressive stage effects, lighting, and projection screens which added dramatic effects to the production.

Filled with heart, humor, and catchy pop songs, this science fiction musical centers around Jeremy, an average teenager who finds out about “The Squip,” a tiny supercomputer that promises to bring him the thing he desires most: a chance to be popular in his suburban New Jersey high school.

Parents Association Gala

The community showed its love for Morristown Beard School on a Friday night in February when more than 300 attendees celebrated at “Crimson Crush,” the 2023 Parents Association Gala at Park Avenue Club. The evening featured a fabulous raffle and online auction, performances by the MBS Jazz Ensemble, dinner, dancing, and socializing. All of the proceeds raised from the event were given back to MBS. Funds raised through the PA during the year support arts and athletics, fund community events, and assist with the purchases of “wish list” items at the School.

Parent & Guardian Class Socials

MBS parents and guardians enjoyed class coffees and social events at several local restaurants. At the Middle School Coffee, parents participated in the same DEIB activity that their children completed in the fall.

MCC Hosts “Dare to Dream” Party

Families gathered for Morristown Beard School’s MultiCultural Collaborative (MCC) pre-Super Bowl “Dare to Dream” party in February. Parents and students created vision boards to highlight their future goals and aspirations for success.

PA Book Club

MBS parents gathered to discuss Lucy Foley’s novel The Guest List as part of the Parents Association Fiction Book Club moderated by MBS English teacher Rebecca Van Horn.

Middle School Coffee

MBS Kirby Chapel

Men’s Night Out

The Homestead Bar & Kitchen in Morristown with special guests Head of School Liz Morrison and Director of Advancement Betsy Patterson

12th Grade Coffee Swiss Chalet in Morristown

9th Grade Coffee The Office in Morristown

6th Grade Social Archer Hotel in Florham Park

David Strauss, P ’20, ’22, ’24 Shares Career Experience with BFI Club

MBS parent David Strauss P’ ’20, ’22, ’24 visited campus to speak with members of the BFI (Business, Finance, and Investment) Club about his career in equity research. Mr. Strauss served as Managing Director of Equity Research—Aerospace & Defense at UBS before joining Barclays as a Managing Director in 2017. He discussed his career path and the unique aspects of his job, as well as current news and trends in the industry. He always had an interest in the markets and read The Wall Street Journal regularly—which he advised the students to do as well. For students interested in a similar career, he suggested college majors such as economics, finance, accounting, and data science.

PA Sponsors Community Classes Series

Parents and guardians enjoyed a series of Community Classes this winter taught by MBS faculty members.

In January, a large and enthusiastic group gathered in the Dining Hall where Jen Laviola, Chair of the World Language Department, taught a pasta-making workshop. Wine-tasting, pasta making, and conversational Italian expressions filled the evening.

February had three events: Paint & Sip with Art & Design teacher Jaimie Woodruff, a planetary exploration with our own NASA rocket scientist and Computational & Information Sciences teacher Paul Fisher, and a jewelry-making workshop in the Center for Innovation & Design with faculty member Jeanine Erickson.

SENIOR CIRCLE

Reflections from members of the CLASS OF 2023

Lulu Rosenthal ’23

Coming into Morristown Beard School as a freshman, not knowing anyone or what to expect, was a little nerve-wracking if I have to say. I was coming from attending a small middle school that had a total of 20 kids in my grade to a new school where there would be 100 kids in my grade. This was going to take some getting used to. I knew going to high school was going to be very different from middle school. Being a person who has some learning differences, I was nervous that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the workload and fall perpetually behind. Balancing both school work and playing sports, I thought, was going to be the biggest challenge overall. During my first month in school, I soon realized that the environment the school provides for their students makes it very easy to seek out any extra help you need. I was able to spend my study hall in the Center for Teaching & Learning, where I was able to get my work done with any assistance I needed. This helped me to properly balance sports and academics by getting all my work done before going down to the soccer field for practice. The teachers have and continue to help me with maintaining this balance for the last four years in the MBS community.

Matthew Wang ’23

What makes MBS special is the free reign we are given. We have the opportunity to seize control of our education and really pursue whatever we feel drawn to—almost anything that someone wants to learn can be accomplished. You can share your specific area of interest with a faculty member and they will help you create a project or assignment centered around it. On top of this, the teachers are genuinely interested in collaborating with you as they are oftentimes just as passionate about the topic.

At the end of 9th grade, I discovered that I was not just the STEM-focused student I thought I was destined to be and wanted to expand my studies in the humanities—not just do the bare minimum to get the grade I wanted, but actively go further. When my English teacher Mrs. Caldwell realized this, she approached me with an idea for an Independent Study on Asian American literature and identity, which I was very intrigued by and happily pursued. I was definitely able to enhance my humanities skills with her guidance, along with learning a lot about AAPI history through the lens of literature.

My time at MBS has both felt extremely quick, yet also a long journey where I was able to discover aspects of myself I had previously never tapped into. I was able to learn a lot with and from my peers while having a fun time, and was given guidance from a lot of the great faculty who pushed me to become better.

SENIOR CIRCLE

Reflections from members of the CLASS OF 2023

Oluwatomiwa Oluwasola ’23

My journey at MBS began in August of 2017, and I wake up every morning and I can’t believe how far I’ve come. Time flies. When I look back on my time here at Morristown Beard School, there is no one moment that jumps out at me. This is not to say that I’ve walked away with nothing, rather, that every experience of mine at MBS has opened my eyes to perspectives, cultures, and narratives that I had never before considered. I came to MBS from a school that provided an education most accurately compared to an assembly line. We walked in lines to every classroom, we took the same five classes in the same order everyday, and we completed the same homework packets daily. There was no such thing as autonomy.

I never realized how much I craved an existentialist education. Existentialist in the sense that my academic success could rest on my choices, on my work ethic, on my desires, and on my dedication. For lack of a less cliche phrase, MBS was a breath of fresh air for me. Until that day in August of 2017, my limbs had been conforming to the rigid corners of a very constrictive academic culture. For the first time ever, as I stared at a sheet full of interesting electives, I was met with academic autonomy.

It was at that moment when I fell in love with MBS. What seemed like an admissions director simply asking me what I enjoyed doing, turned into me learning how to set up meetings with faculty, how to economize my free time, how to balance my extracurricular activities, how to get involved in the MBS community, and how to take initiative. In the blink of an eye, responsibility found meaning in my intellectual endeavors and I was given an opportunity to bring diversity into the perspectives and values of the MBS community. I could always see the next level; I could always picture my personal goals and I could always imagine the possibilities, but it was MBS that placed a ladder at my feet and cheered me on.

Ali Dorrego ’23

When thinking back on my experience throughout my time at MBS, the first thing that came to mind was my application process. I remember being an indecisive 8th grader, sitting at my dining room table, unsure of what I truly wanted to accomplish in high school besides getting good grades. I sat there staring at the writing prompt on my computer contemplating my answer to which part of the school’s mission statement I felt was most important. I grappled with the idea of community vs. individual, and for the first time imagined what I wanted within the next four years of my life. As I thought about what witty ways to construct my application answer, I also thought about the community that MoBeard provided for all of the students. In many ways, my high school career was nothing like I had imagined. I didn’t predict a global pandemic cutting my freshman year short, or deciding to impulsively join the winter track team my senior year, or discovering my passion for science. However, one thing that I did correctly envision was the strength of the MBS community. The sense of community has manifested itself in many ways throughout my time on campus. Whenever I need help with an assignment, there is always a teacher available to assist, even if it is someone who has never taught me before. What stands out more than this, however, is the fact that my 9th grade teachers still say “hi” to me as they pass me on campus, confirming that

these connections are more than superficial student-to-teacher relations. The varsity girls soccer team, which I had the privilege to play with all four years and be a captain of this past season, is an entire community within itself. At its foundation it is an athletic team, but in reality it is a support system filled with great teammates and knowledgeable coaches ready to help out with anything. Even the clubs at MBS are small communities that come together to make up the entire community. As a leader of GLOW, I have been connected with so many people that I wouldn’t have known otherwise, allowing me to build more connections than what I previously thought possible. I have learned to be a respectful participant in communities, but also be a leader when necessary. These skills were essential to my growth as a student and as an overall person, and have shaped me to be open-minded, synergetic, and prepared for the next phases of my life.

Regina Arrocha ’23

Since moving here from Texas in 8th grade, I have been able to participate in so many things at Morristown Beard. From playing soccer, basketball, and softball and managing the volleyball team, I have learned how much the MBS community comes together to celebrate everyone’s best moments. I have loved every minute of volunteering at All-School Meeting, being a Peer Leader, and being the Student Government Association Vice President. Leaving my own impact on the School while learning more about myself has been a great experience.

My favorite moment at MBS was participating in the Hispanic Heritage Month All-School Meeting with my friends and the community , which felt very empowering to me. Every time I stood up on that stage and took in the Founders’ air, something inside of me lit up. The broad range of Hispanic cultures was very meaningful to me and I could see it touched the hearts of the community. The singing, dancing, and chanting were passionate, even if the audience didn’t fully understand what was happening. It was a judgment-free zone for just an hour, and I couldn’t help but smile during that time. Within the MBS community, we often talk about what came to fruition in this meeting, and I feel that I understand what it means to be a member of the Crimson. Leaving MBS, I will miss the supportive teachers, coaches, and people who shaped me to view the world as I do. I am grateful to everyone who helped make me the person I am today, especially Mr. McDonald, for never giving up on me and pushing me to be the best version of myself.

Maggie Ahern ’23

My time at Morristown Beard is truly something I will never forget. The highlight of my school experience however has to be my time in the Performing Arts Department. In other schools, the theater departments are competitive and all around unenjoyable, but at MBS everyone is given a fair chance to display their talents on the stage. The friends and memories I have made through my time in the Performing Arts Department are some of the fondest I’ve ever had. My favorite memories came from our production of Be More Chill. When the cast list came out early the first morning of Thanksgiving break, I remember the pure joy I felt when I saw my name listed next to my character’s name Christine Canigula. Most of my MBS experience was jam packed with staging and music rehearsals, and I wouldn’t trade that time for anything.

Title IX

Game-Changing Legislation for Female Athletes

By Steve Patchett P ’24, ’26

Morristown Beard School will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Title IX with an alumni panel discussion, student events, and a full slate of games designed to highlight the School’s robust girls sports program. The historic Title IX legislation was passed in June of 1972—just a year after the merger of The Morristown School and The Beard School—and recognized gender equity in education as a civil right. Although the law never mentions the words ‘sport’ or ‘athletics,” it forever altered the landscape of women’s sports, giving female athletes the right to participate equally on the playing field, from elementary schools to colleges and universities.

“Title IX was absolutely groundbreaking,” said MBS Head of School Liz Morrison. “Its fundamental tenet of inclusion and equal opportunity mirrors our core belief at Morristown Beard School that every student should be able to engage in a full range of activities.”

Since the passing of Title IX, the number of girls who compete in high school sports nationwide has grown steadily each year, from fewer than 300,000 in 1972 to more than 3.5 million, a ten-fold increase. MBS has seen similar growth in its female sports programs over the years. In 1972, there were only five interscholastic sports available for girls on campus— field hockey, basketball, fencing, lacrosse, and tennis. Today, that number has nearly tripled as girls may participate in 14 of Morristown Beard School’s 22 sports programs.

“At MBS, we’ve seen participation in girls sports grow by 60 percent in the past 10 years alone. It’s been very encouraging,” said Director of Upper School Athletics Joanne Dzama.

Ms. Dzama also noted that many of the School’s most dedicated athletes—the “3x4” sports award winners—have been girls. “Each spring

“Being a student-athlete at MBS provided me with endless opportunities, friendships, and lifelong lessons that truly shaped me into the person I am today. Sports taught me what it meant to be dedicated, confident, and hardworking, and for that I am forever grateful. My coaches and teammates made my time as a student-athlete at MBS extremely special. However, two memories that I cherish the most would be winning the Prep B Softball championship and traveling to Ireland with the field hockey team. These experiences not only helped me at MBS, but continue to serve me beyond college to achieve my goals.” —

Katie Wright ’18

JOANNE DZAMA

Joanne Dzama, Morristown Beard Upper School Director of Athletics, is in rare company. The MBS administrator is one of only five female athletic directors of the 39 schools in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC). When she was hired for the position 12 years ago, she was just one of three.

Because there are so few women in sports administration, Ms. Dzama views her role as an important opportunity. “Seeing a woman in an administrative role such as this is important not only for our female students to see, but also for our male students,” she said. “I believe it’s important to have diverse leadership and varying perspectives to provide a balanced approach to decision-making.”

Ms. Dzama makes sure she is visible at as many MBS sporting events as possible and enjoys getting to know the studentathletes personally. “From 2 p.m. on is my favorite part of the day,” she says. “I get to watch our kids compete and represent the School.”

She also serves on as many conference and state committees as she can. She is an active member of the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, the National Athletic Trainers Association, and an executive committee member of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).

Last fall, Ms. Dzama was instrumental in organizing the NJSIAA’s Title IX celebration and introduced the panelists—who included Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman, reporter Bonnie Bernstein, and track & field Oympian Joetta Clark Diggs—at the organization’s culminating event in Princeton.

A lifelong athlete, Ms. Dzama said that she didn’t have the array of choices that today’s female-student athletes have. “Growing up in Livingston in the early 1990s, I played softball in the spring because it was either that or track,” she said. Still, she is grateful to have had an opportunity to participate and develop leadership skills through athletics.

“I was able to have a positive experience with sports because of those who came before me,” she said. “Being part of a team when I was growing up was a huge part of my growth process.”

we recognize athletes who play three sports each year for their entire Upper School career. Last year, 18 of the 23 students we honored were girls,” she said.

According to Mrs. Morrison, equal access to a vibrant athletic program is an absolutely essential part of the Morristown Beard School experience because it is an extension of what is being taught in the classroom.

“Sports are a fantastic vehicle for teaching life lessons and reaching kids in different ways,” she said. “For me personally, athletics were a more effective medium than the classroom and motivated me far more.”

Not surprisingly, many of the alumnae who have participated in sports at MBS have gone on to successful careers in a wide range of fields, connected by the values that they learned on the playing field, court, rink, or in the pool—the importance of hard work, teamwork, determination, grit, sportsmanship, and more.

“I am excited that the anniversary of Title IX has given us an opportunity to celebrate women’s triumphs through athletics and shine a light on the many women who have become leaders through sports,” said Mrs. Morrison. “It’s inspiring to see how far we’ve come, but the work isn’t over yet.”

The Beard School Athenian and Spartan Tradition

Morristown Beard School’s rich history of girls athletics can be traced to The Beard School, where sports and physical education were an integral part of the school’s philosophy from its founding in 1891.

Until the mid-1920s, Beard girls competed extramurally with several girls schools that exist today—Kent Place, Dwight (now DwightEnglewood)—and others that folded in the Great Depression. After a mid-1920s incident with another school, Miss Beard called a foul on extramural games and limited participation to the pre-existing Beard School intramural teams—the Athenians (red) and the Spartans (blue).

The Athenians and Spartans were created in 1913 to allow less athletic girls to have the experience of being on a team. Each girl was assigned to the Athenians or the Spartans, and assignments were permanent. The girls on these two teams did not specialize; they competed in many different sports, and they competed against each other until graduation. The girls were given almost daily score reports, and the competition between the Spartans and the Athenians lasted all year.

In an impressive way, the administration thought of creative ways for each team to win points, including letting the teams earn points by getting a certain number of Athenian fans or Spartan fans to come to the games.

“Sports at Beard were a very satisfying part of my life and school memories. I went on to play college field hockey and lacrosse, and eventually became a certified field hockey umpire at our local high school. I love blowing the whistle and having all those penalty bullies! I miss Eunice Child, the diminutive Director of Beard Athletics in the 1940s and 50s. She taught us good sportsmanship and honesty, most important lessons for all. Although we never had the opportunity to compete against other schools in those days, we did have our active Spartan/Athenian rivalry. Good times!”

— Barbara Newberry Lindsley ‘56

girls lacrosse program after an 11-year hiatus. Girls soccer made its debut in the fall of 1991.

In 2000, the School became a pioneer in girls ice hockey when it was one of only a handful of schools in New Jersey to offer a varsity team. Coached by former NHL star Bruce Driver, the girls ice hockey program overcame its share of early obstacles to become the force that it is today. Shortly after the team was highlighted in a 2001 Daily Record feature article, an irate reader wrote an op-ed piece with the headline, “Girls Should Stick to Knitting.” Fortunately, the paper was barraged with support for the fledgling team and the positive op-eds continued for weeks on end.

More recently, the School added a co-ed winter track team in 2015 and a girls golf team in 2016.

Through the years, MBS girls sports teams have achieved tremendous success—from the State Championship softball teams of the late 1980s and early 1990s to the 2019 girls basketball team that won the Morris County Championship on a buzzer-beating shot and was featured on ESPN’s Plays of the Day. This year, the MBS girls ice hockey team continued its dominance, capturing the inaugural Librera Cup title and bringing home a third-consecutive State Championship in front of an enthusiastic crowd of Crimson Crazies at The Prudential Center in Newark.

Despite all of the high-profile games that take place, Head of School Liz Morrison said that her favorite sports moment of the year was watching an unheralded freshman girls basketball game. “The players and fans exhibited pure joy that day,” she said.

At one point in the game, an opposing player was dribbling down the court when she fell down and lost the ball. The MBS defender could have easily taken the ball and gone straight to the basket for an uncontested layup, but instead she stopped to see if the other player was OK.

“It was like sportsmanship on steroids. She abandoned her own glory moment to check on the well-being of her opponent,” said Ms. Morrison. “Everyone was cheering during the game and nobody was yelling at the refs. Players were playing their hearts out. It reminded me of why you play the game.”

LIZ MORRISON

Lessons for Life

MBS Head of School Liz Morrison has experienced the transformative power of athletics firsthand. Mrs. Morrison, who won a national championship as part of the University of Maryland women’s lacrosse team, said that many of her important life lessons have come from her days on the playing field.

In high school, she recalls being a middle-of-the-road student who was not overly motivated to succeed. “I was the kind of student who put in just enough effort to never garner attention,” she said.

On the playing field, however, Mrs. Morrison discovered her passion and a desire to work hard to be her best. Like her mother, she was a three-sport athlete at The Bryn Mawr School, an all-girls school in Baltimore, where she played varsity field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse. “If you played three sports, you got a pin and it was a really big deal for me. My mother had one, and I wanted one, too,” she said.

She especially excelled on the lacrosse field, where she was named team captain during her senior year and began garnering attention from college coaches at local camps and showcases. While she may have been naturally gifted, she credits her coaches with helping her develop the mindset and habits necessary for success.

“Being left-handed, tall, and fast helps when it comes to lacrosse,” she said. “But it took loving, caring coaches and mentors to maximize my skill and hold me accountable. They presented me with options and gave me the choices of how to be the best version of myself.”

After high school, Mrs. Morrison earned a scholarship to play Division I lacrosse for the University of Maryland, a school that was attractive because it offered her an opportunity to challenge herself. “They had a wide range of courses, and it was the ultimate challenge for me athletically. I find that I always do better when I’m reaching,” she said.

In her junior year, she won a national championship with the University of Maryland as the Terrapins defeated Penn State, 11-10, in a thrilling back-and-forth contest.

“It was amazing to win the national championship. We refused to lose and played beautiful team lacrosse,” she said. “That team was the gold standard example of what a team can be. Everyone made everyone else better. The winning took care of itself because everyone was doing the small things necessary for success.”

Mrs. Morrison said that the 1986 national champion Maryland lacrosse team was not the most talented team she played on, but they were the most successful because of their teamwork. “It was a group of selfless players who came out every day by supporting each other. The synergy we had is a lifelong lesson I have taken with me. Groups of people with a shared goal working together and understanding and accepting their role is a force to be reckoned with.”

After her playing days were over, Mrs. Morrison has had an equally rewarding journey as a coach, sharing her love of lacrosse with the next generation. “A lot was done for me when I was a kid. So, to pass along the love of a sport and life lessons is very important for me,” she said.

Mrs. Morrison has coached for more than 25 years, from her early days as a lacrosse coach at Lawrence Academy and Berwick Academy to her experience at Millbrook School. “I even coached 4th grade girls soccer at Antilles School in the Virgin Islands even though I know nothing about soccer. It was awesome,” she said.

This season, she is returning to the sidelines as an assistant coach for the MBS girls varsity lacrosse team—her first time serving as an assistant coach. “Head Coach Barb Erickson has made it really easy for me, and I’m trying to be as helpful as I can and play my role,” she said. “I jumped at the opportunity to come back. Getting an opportunity to interact with students, offer something of value, and share my love of athletics just felt right.”

TAZ BROWER ’47 & KIM BROWER BARTON ’86

Athletic Excellence: A Family Affair

Very few people have shaped girls sports at Morristown Beard School as much as Nancy Tasman (“Taz”) Brower ’47 and her daughter, Kim Brower Barton ’86. Taz and Kim are the only mother-daughter duo in the MBS Athletic Hall of Fame and for good reason. They both enjoyed tremendous success on the playing field, later served as coaches, and worked to make opportunities available for the next generation of female athletes.

After graduating from The Beard School, Taz Brower played field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse at Vassar College before becoming Girls’ Athletic Director at The Peck School, where she coached field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse. After starting a family, she returned to Peck to coach field hockey and lacrosse. Taz was instrumental in starting up three high school lacrosse programs, including the one at Morristown Beard School. She was also the first female member of the Crimson Club (the School’s athletic booster organization) and was inducted into the MBS Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989.

Of all her impressive accomplishments, she considers being named the captain of the Athenians during her senior year at The Beard School to be her crowning achievement. “We played each other intramurally and had keen competition,” she recalled. “We competed in field hockey, basketball, soccer, and lacrosse.”

She also has fond memories of the Father/Daughter Basketball Game that was held twice a year. “We played the girls rules which were, at that time, halfcourt with three forwards and three guards. You could only dribble the ball twice before passing to a teammate. I loved playing against my Dad and my teammates’ fathers,” she said.

Not surprisingly, of the four children that Taz raised with her husband, Bailey, three were double-sport athletes on the Division I level. Her daughter,

Kim ’86, played field hockey and lacrosse all four years at Lehigh University after being named Most Valuable Athlete at MBS as a senior.

At MBS, Kim was captain of the girls basketball team all four seasons and averaged an impressive 24 points per game. She was also the captain of the field hockey and lacrosse teams during her junior and senior seasons and won the State Championship Tennis Finals with Merrill Chapman ’85 in her freshman year. “This was before MBS started its girls lacrosse program in 1983,” Kim noted. “I decided to play lacrosse instead of tennis in the spring as I figured I could play tennis during the summer months.”

At Lehigh, Kim was selected as a Brine Lacrosse AllAmerican in 1990 and was named the Outstanding Female Athlete for Attitude and Sportsmanship. When her playing days were over, she coached lacrosse and served as President of the Adirondack 40Stixters girls youth lacrosse program.

“I have always loved the sense of family and camaraderie that being a part of a team meant along with the excitement of competition,” said Kim.

Most of all, Kim is deeply indebted to her mother for fostering her lifelong passion for athletics which helped shape her as a person.

“My mother taught me the value of sportsmanship and that the effort you put forth to benefit the team is what counts. She has always been a firm believer in working hard and doing your best and instilled those values in me,” said Kim. “She enabled me to learn to take criticism, learn and grow from it, and turn it into something positive and constructive that would help make me better. She always felt that being part of a team is an invaluable life lesson, and I, too, share that same belief.”

Global Perspectives Provoke Self Discovery: An Innovative Approach to World Language Learning

By KATE SHELEG MUTTICK ’97 Director of Alumni Engagement & Strategic Communications

“Heritage Spanish” teacher Adriana Arroyave with Middle School students

In its mission statement, Morristown Beard School commits to cultivating morally responsible citizens of the world. Perhaps no department is at the forefront of student development and self-discovery more so than World Language. As students learn to speak, write, and read in new languages, they connect to other cultures and communities. Emphasizing multicultural awareness and perspectives, the breadth of course offerings brings the richness of the world into focus. Language learning helps students develop an awareness of other cultures and a variety of skills, including empathy and critical thinking. They make connections between their own lives and the regions and people they are investigating.

What makes the World Language Department so unique is that it offers a non-traditional curricular structure. According to Department Chair Jen Laviola, “We offer seven courses for flexibility of movement through the program based on both individual and unique language learning styles. We help students develop and pursue individual pathways to success.” The World Language proficiency curriculum is based on a series of benchmarks that reflect the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages best practices. The courses are defined by performance objectives rather than time spent learning the language. Students may choose from beginner to advanced classes in French, Latin, and Spanish as well as Advanced Studies in Latin and an Advanced Seminar in Russian. Following you’ll find a few highlights from the robust catalog of offerings in our Middle and Upper Schools.

Heritage Spanish Language

In 2021, the department launched a “heritage language program,” specifically designed for students with an extensive

background in Spanish or who come from a Spanish-speaking family. These students have different needs in the classroom. Some students might know how to speak Spanish but not how to read it. Others may have a limited or more colloquial vocabulary, thus practice their academic vocabulary usage. As instructor Dr. Rita Moch Arias explains, “This course deepens student understanding of the language and helps students fine-tune their usage through a language arts experience in Spanish. “We read authentic texts such as global newspapers or magazine articles a Hispanic reader would see in their country, and we study writers and scholars in the language.” There is a heavy emphasis on writing as a means of reflection and analysis. One quarter may focus on translation in order to discover the nuances of the language while another quarter relies on Hispanic narratives as students assess a central claim or argument. Recently, students practiced creative writing using the technique “show, don’t tell.” Relying on sensory details, they expanded their vocabularies with vivid imagery. Frequent written assignments and student-sharing build both a sense of community in the classroom and confidence in a student’s identity. “Heritage Spanish” expanded to the Middle School

Over spring break students visited Sicily

Gabriel Guadalupe in his Advanced Seminar

“Russian Language and Culture”

this year, under the guidance of Adriana Arroyave. In a recent literary investigation, her students studied Latin American poets including Javier Zamora and Ariana Brown. Between analyzing literary devices and researching the biographies of different artists, they practiced language skills while better understanding the cultural significance of these writers.

Building on this conceptual tie between the World Language Department and the humanities, there is an increased emphasis on creative expression as a mode for learning languages. Under the leadership of Juan Tejeda and Adriana Arroyave, the best student work from all levels of Latin, French and Spanish will be compiled in a new digital magazine that debuts this spring. A committee of students and teachers has been collecting and vetting submissions that include writing, drawing, and illustrations. The purpose of the literary magazine is two-fold: showcase the excellent work of our students at all levels and

languages and reward students for their diligence and rigor. After all, there is a certain sense of pride in being published.

Explorations in Russian Language and Culture

Language teacher Gabriel Guadalupe recently adapted a summer course he teaches at Middlebury College into an Advanced Seminar for students who have shown proficiency in another language and the ability to deal with a demanding curriculum. “Explorations in Russian Language and Culture” gives students a foundational structure to read, write, and type in Cyrillic. The course is taught at a quick clip (college pace), which results in students familiarizing themselves with the complexities of the Russian language and being able to converse and write in basic Russian about themselves, their families, and their daily lives. As Guadalupe notes, “The language is difficult, but our students

Aline de la TorreMcCloskey with Upper School students in her “Human Rights in Latin America” class

have an innate curiosity about the country and culture. Russian has more linguistic distance from English, thus there’s a sense of accomplishment for students as they recognize patterns and overcome challenges. I also try to demystify the country so students can recognize the humanity behind the people.” Students also develop their writing skills, crafting persuasive arguments, in addition to making cultural comparisons and connections between Russia and the United States. Though language-based, an important part of the course is understanding the historical context of the Soviet Union and, more recently, the annexation of Crimea. Geopolitical topics such as the origins and purpose of NATO add complexity and a real-world context to course content.

Human Rights in Latin America

Due to the interdisciplinary nature of language and culture studies, several courses housed in the History Department have important connections. Aline de la Torre-McCloskey launched “Human Rights in Latin America” after noticing a gap in the traditional curriculum. This discussion-based elective starts with the Ursula LeGuin short story, “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas,” which becomes an allegory for ethical decision— making in contemporary government and policy issues. Señora de la Torre-McCloskey adds historical context to modern discussions of immigration, indigenous rights, economics, and US political policies. After building awareness of a number of

geopolitical issues, students practice inquiry-based learning by researching topics such as femicide in Mexico. With a problem/ solution oriented mindset, students use moral reasoning to think about policies that could impact these very challenging systemic issues. Students learn that even a world away, they can affect change by volunteering, voting, and becoming activists for the issues that resonate most with them.

Roman Literature of the Golden Age

In “Advanced Studies: Roman Literature of the Golden Age,” students investigate the Classical period of influential texts that modeled aesthetics, philosophy, and politics in ways that continue to shape modern culture. This upper level course focuses on three significant authors from this period: Vergil, Ovid, and Livy. Students improve their ability to read Latin with comprehension of syntax and vocabulary and develop their analytical abilities through discussion, literary analysis, and the study of Latin metrics. Students also increase their knowledge of the culture and history of Augustan Rome. Earlier this school year, the class visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see the “Chroma” exhibit, which adorned iconic Ancient Greek and Roman statues with vibrant paints and richly detailed ornamentation. Students explore the practices and materials used in ancient polychromy—meaning “many colors” in Greek—and how these techniques have been interpreted in modern times.

The “Roman Literature of the Golden Age” class visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Experiential Learning

In an attempt to add even more layers to its carefully crafted coursework, the department is highly experiential. Immersive opportunities bring into focus the cultural questions that are studied in the curriculum. In coordination with the Global Studies program, the World Language Department participates in the School’s global outreach efforts by organizing trips to Francophone and Hispanophone regions of the world as well as to those countries important to the study of the classical world and its languages. Recent trips include Montreal, Rome, Costa Rica, Cuba, and Panama. Over spring break, a classics trip visited Sicily and toured Roman and Greek ruins in the cities of Palermo and Taormina. Students climbed Mount Etna, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, and visited markets before indulging in delicacies of the local cuisine. Also in March, instructor Vaughan Leigh organized for a Foundational Spanish class to attend a flamenco performance and worked on an art project painting ceramic tiles. Learning by doing is especially powerful in the acquisition and understanding of language. Even parents participated this winter, when more than a dozen families joined a hands-on Italian cooking class.

Junior Antonella Ortega ’24 took her language studies abroad last summer, when she participated in an immersion program in Paris. Living with a host family in the famed City of Lights, Antonella was dazzled by the country and her ability to grow her language skills while navigating a foreign setting. Paired with a roommate from New York City, Antonella attended language lessons for three hours each day, and then practiced her newfound skills at the market, while taking the metro, and exploring the many arrondissements. On the weekends, she participated in excursions to the city’s catacombs, the gardens of Versailles, and to Normandy. She says, “I felt prepared going into the experience, yet being immersed in the language made me feel really confident that I could speak and understand even more. I came back to MBS and actually skipped a level and moved into Intermediate French.” Antonella is one of a handful of students who is accelerating their language learning through real-world experiences, as more MBS students traverse the globe.

Conclusion

The World Language Department practices languages in context, developing cultural awareness as well as linguistic competencies. As students develop their own sense of identity, they also discover the perspective of others whose lives are distant in both time and space and recognize the variety of purposes and meanings that people have found in the world. With rich ties to literature, art, and history, students are gaining the global understanding necessary to thrive in our interconnected world.

From top: Teachers

Jen Laviola and Adriana Arroyave prepared paella for Middle School Spanish students, Antonella Ortega ’24 studied abroad in Paris, Upper School Spanish students attended a performance by The Hispanic Flamenco Ballet in Jersey City.

& Stories of Excellence Teaching Learning in

7th Grade Class Participates in Atomic Boot Camp

Jane Zagajeski’s 7th grade science students participated in an “Atomic Boot Camp” to learn the basics about atoms, elements, and the periodic table. Students completed different activities including building paper or playdough atoms, modeling the organization of the periodic table with colored rectangles, and massing collections of colored pencils to model isotopes.

Class Uses Science On a Sphere® to Study Chemistry

After experimenting with producing carbon dioxide in the lab, 7th grade students finished their chemistry unit by using Science On a Sphere. Students used the six-foot diameter sphere to recall scenes of Mt. Kilimanjaro from their summer reading book, No Summit Out of Sight, watched a short video about Kilimanjaro's melting glaciers, and observed a year's worth of atmospheric carbon data on the Sphere. They then diagrammed the connections between the tiny molecules of carbon dioxide, the changes on Kilimanjaro, and the big picture concept of climate change.

2D Design Class Creates Light Fixtures

Students in Matt Martino’s 2-Dimensional Design course produced their own custom light fixtures using the laser cutter and 2D fabrication techniques this semester. The students researched and analyzed light fixtures by notable industrial designers and architects, sketched and built rough cardboard prototypes, and then translated their rough prototypes into accurate AutoCAD drawings to create a kit of parts to be laser-cut and assembled. Students moved back and forth between prototyping, assembling, and problem-solving to build a unique yet functional and structurally-stable pendant or free-standing light fixture.

Jazz Trio Visits CID

The acclaimed Leonieke Jazz Trio visited campus and performed a range of music styles for the MBS Jazz Ensemble and answered questions about their musical technique, background, and influences. They also recorded a version of “Summertime” with Dr. John Girvin’s Studio Recording class in the Center for Innovation & Design featuring senior vocalist Maya Bhide ’23.

Center for Academic Writing Hosts Writing Workshops

Last semester, every 9th grader participated in a writing workshop in the Center for Academic Writing (CAW). Brian Maher’s and Tim Hannigan's history classes attended a workshop to practice structuring annotated bibliographies; John Sheppard’s wellness classes participated in a critical-thinking workshop about their research papers; and Dr. Jack Bartholomew brought two of his physics classes in to the Center to work on introductory paragraphs for their non-western instrument essays.

The CAW is a resource for Middle School students as well. This fall, every 8th grade student participated in a pair of workshops on drafting a research paper and creating a thesis statement, and the Center will host workshops for all 6th and 7th graders this spring. All students are welcome to use the CAW during free periods and take advantage of one-on-one sessions with the director, Kate Muttick.

Teachers Collaborate on Biology Unit Lesson

Students in Lori Kretten’s Fundamentals of Psychology class performed sheep brain dissections with some guidance from Anatomy & Physiology teacher Dr. Marina Milinkovic.

The course introduces students to the study of human cognition and behavior. While considering the psychologists and studies that have shaped the field, students explore and apply psychological theories, key concepts in the areas of the biological bases of behavior, sensation and perception, learning and cognition, developmental psychology, and treatments of psychological disorders. At the end of this high-level course, students will have the option to take the Advanced Placement (AP) exam.

Biology Class Learns About Sustainable Agriculture

After growing a variety of mushrooms in organic waste substrates generated by the School, the class then converted it to edible material. When the waste was done growing mushrooms, the resulting mushroom compost was used to grow plants.

(Compost has been used in our own Middle School garden!) As a proof of concept, students have already grown pink oyster mushrooms and produced their first bag of fruit over Thanksgiving break. The students also studied which mushroom species (shiitake versus two types of oyster mushrooms) performed best on two different waste substrates from the School— Founders Hall Theater sawdust versus spent coffee grounds and waste paper.

Toy Car Race Leads to Discoveries in Statistics Class

Laura Kirschenbaum’s AP Statistics classroom was transformed into a mini motor speedway as toy cars raced across the carpet and “pit crews” of students calculated their next move. The students were tasked with determining which mathematical model (linear, quadratic, or exponential) does the best job of describing the relationship between toy dinosaur pull-back cars and distance traveled. Using tools developed throughout their unit on linear regression modeling and data re-expression, students chose the best model to make a prediction as to how far they would have to pull back their car to reach 100 inches without going over.

BeyondClassroom the

SICILY

As part of its Global Studies program, MBS sponsored a spring break trip to Sicily, where students and chaperones were dazzled by both man-made and natural wonders.

The group toured Roman and Greek ruins in Palermo and Taormina, hiked up Mt. Etna, and immersed themselves in Sicilian culture on walking tours and visits to local markets and restaurants.

BOYS LACROSSE TRAINS IN ARIZONA

The boys lacrosse team of 21 players and four coaches headed to Mesa, Arizona over Spring Break to attend the Trilogy Lacrosse Spring Training program.

The boys scrimmaged teams from Arizona and Connecticut, and also enjoyed a Cactus League spring training baseball game and played Top Golf.

GIRLS LACROSSE HEADS TO FLORIDA TO START THE PRE-SEASON

The girls lacrosse program took 22 players to Clearwater, Florida for five days over Spring Break. The girls trained twice a day and scrimmaged teams from Massachusetts and Connecticut. They also enjoyed some beach time, team bonding activities, and closed out the trip with some restorative yoga. The trip sparked excitement for the 2023 season!

HAWAII

Seventeen Upper School students and three faculty chaperons traveled to Hawaii where they explored Volcanoes National Park, hiked to a black sand beach, water rappelled, took surfing lessons, snorkeled in Kona aboard the Manta Ray, toured a coffee plantation, visited a sustainable farm, explored lava tubes and caverns, and flew to Honolulu where they visited the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor.

Once again, the MBS holiday toy drive was a tremendous success! The MBS community collected a truckload of toys for the Morris County Park Police to be given to underprivileged and sick children in Morris County.

Offering our time, service, and friendship COMMUNITY

Seventh-grade students returned to volunteering this year at The Neighborhood House after a hiatus due to the pandemic. A different advisory will continue to visit the Neighborhood House every month until the end of the year to work with the preschoolers and assist teachers by reading books aloud to the children.

SERVICE

Upper School students created greeting cards in their advisories to make the holiday season a little more cheerful for residents of several local senior citizen centers.

The MBS Teens Impact Health Club collected and donated more than 100 pounds of personal care products to the Interfaith Food Pantry Network in Morris Plains. The club also recently kicked off its Flu Shot Awareness Campaign with a presentation at AllSchool Meeting. The mission of the club is to positively impact wellness and to spread awareness about important health issues in the School and surrounding community.

FOOD DRIVES

• The Thanksgiving Food Drive grossed more than $1,200 for the purchase of turkeys and provided several truckloads of food that was distributed through The Salvation Army of Morristown

• Students assembled 100 bag lunches to help feed those in need through Bridges Outreach

• The 8th grade class prepared 135 breakfast bags for nourish.NJ, a local food pantry.

• The Middle School hosted “Soup-er Bowl,” a food drive that benefits the Interfaith Food Pantry of Morris Plains

• Yash Shah ’24 launched the Health and Hunger Initiative, a program seeking to distribute nutritionally-balanced food kits to local residents facing food insecurity.

• Eighth-graders participated in the “Hunger Obstacle Course,” an exercise created to teach students about food insecurity. Students were asked to brainstorm solutions on how to solve food issues in different scenarios. This activity was a precursor to the community service they would be engaged in for the rest of the year.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY, SOUTH CAROLINA

Seven students and three faculty chaperones spent a week on Johns Island, South Carolina where they volunteered with Sea Island Habitat for Humanity—continuing an MBS tradition of over 25 years. The group spent the week working on three different houses that were in various stages of completion. The projects included landscaping, nailing together 2 x 4s, moving lots of lumber from one place to another, unstacking and restacking roof trellises, and installing weather barrier house wrap and windows.

JERRY MERANUS ’24 COMPLETES SEMESTER AT THE MOUNTAIN SCHOOL

This past semester, Jerry Meranus ’24 had a wonderful experience studying at The Mountain School, which is located on a hilltop farm in Vershire, Vermont. Jerry said that studying there for a semester was one of the best decisions she’s ever made, and she now has unforgettable experiences and stories that will last a lifetime. Her memorable semester experience included a three-day solo camping trip, learning how to use a compass, discovering how to build a shelter with five ropes and a tarp, realizing that everyone doesn’t actually use an iPad or an Apple Pencil for math, becoming an animal whisperer, and clear nights on Garden Hill where you can see every star.

WINTER SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS

Girls Basketball

The MBS girls basketball team finished with a 14-13 record and competed in the County, Prep, and State Tournaments, winning at least one game in each tournament. The Crimson also won the Joe Pepe Holiday Tournament during winter break.

Boys Basketball

The MBS boys basketball team posted highlight wins over Whippany Park, Sussex Tech, Pompton Lakes, and Dover High School this season. The team was paced offensively by senior Max Masino ’23, who led the Crimson in points (244) and rebounds (106).

Boys Ice Hockey

The MBS boys ice hockey team (10-13) competed to the semifinals of the Mennen Cup Tournament and the second round of the State Tournament. Senior Hollis Humphries ’23 finished his MBS career as the all-time boys ice hockey record holder for goals (85), assists (79), and points (164).

Girls Ice Hockey

For the third straight season, the MBS girls ice hockey team won the NJSIAA State Championship at The Prudential Center in Newark. The Crimson also skated away with the inaugural Librera Cup title. Senior Lilli Warnock ’23 was named Girls Ice Hockey Player of the Year by NJ.com and earned First Team All-State honors along with Julie Jasaitis ’25, Gracie Meyers ’23, and Jessica Sperling ’24.

CRIMSON CORNER

Indoor Track

The MBS indoor track team enjoyed a strong season as athletes set a total of 16 School records and posted more than 110 personal records this winter. At the Morris County Championships, Spencer Anderson ’24 placed 2nd in the 55-meters, Chloe Higgins ’24 was 3rd in the 300-meters, and Tristen Miscia ’23 was 6th in the 55-meter hurdles. All three athletes qualified for the Meet of Champions, where Spencer placed 7th in the 55-meters, Tristen was 10th in the long jump, and Chloe was 20th in the 400-meters.

Skiing

MBS had three skiers qualify and compete in this year’s Race of Champions—Brooke Fesq ’25, Nico Fonseca ’24, and Chase Greenberg ’25. Both Nico and Chase were named Second Team All-State, and Nico competed in the Eastern Regionals in New Hampshire, where he finished 2nd out of all New Jersey skiers and was among the top 50 percent of racers overall.

Swimming

The MBS girls swim team posted exciting wins over Parsippany and Holy Spirit, and advanced to the second round of the State Tournament this year. The team was led by Isla Johnston ’25, who set School records in the 400- and 500-yard freestyle events. On the boys’ side, senior Collin Faraher ’23 broke School records in the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle, and 100-yard breaststroke. The MBS boys swim team placed third in the Prep B Championships.

P OWERFUL LY PREPARED

The alumni in this issue demonstrate that our graduates are exceedingly well-prepared for college, careers, and beyond. Passionate and hardworking, these alumni are making meaningful contributions, and we are proud to be part of their journey.

By Steve Patchett

JULIE GUEMPEL ROSANIA ’09

In It for the Long Run

Sports and wellness have always been passions for Dr. Julie Guempel Rosania ’09, who is a lifelong athlete, a coach, and a physical therapist. The lessons that the MBS Hall of Famer has learned on the playing field have become touchstones in her daily life, and she frequently passes along the message that hard work, patience, and consistency will yield positive results.

“We live in a time where we seek instant gratification. However, I’ve learned through athletics that the amount of effort you put into each practice or game—or in my profession, each session of PT—is what you get out in the end,” she said. “So, whether that is winning a championship game or relearning how to run after an ACL injury, you must put in the effort to achieve the results you want. This is a lesson I instill in my patients every day.”

Rosania was a “lifer” at MBS and participated in an array of sports from Middle School through Upper School. She was a four-year varsity starter and a senior captain of the field hockey team that captured the Prep B championship in fall 2008. Along the way, she earned a host of accolades including Most Improved Player, Coaches Award, Sportsmanship Award, and Offensive MVP.

An avid runner, Rosania also earned four varsity letters with the track & field team and was named captain in her senior year. During her time at MBS, she held four School records—in the 100-meters, 200-meters, 4x400-meters, and the triple jump. She also captured three Morris County titles—the 100-meters, 200-meters, and 4x100 meter relay—and became the first female runner to win a county title for the Crimson since 1983.

She says her fondest memories didn’t involve meets or games, but rather, daily practices with her teammates. “I loved pre-season for both sports,” she said. “It was a way for everyone to reconnect, meet the incoming freshmen or transfer students, and bond as a unit.”

In the classroom, she took a Sports Medicine class at MBS during her junior year which sparked her interest in pursuing a career in the healthcare field. “From there, I was able to shadow physical therapists in a variety of settings and decided this was the career path I wanted to pursue,” she said.

After MBS, Rosania enrolled at Bucknell University, where she was a member of the track & field team and was named to the Patriot

League Academic Honor Roll as well as being on the Dean’s List. She later received her doctorate in Physical Therapy from Thomas Jefferson University, an accomplishment that she considers to be among her proudest moments.

“I’ve always wanted to be involved in the medical community to help those in need,” she said. “Physical therapy allows me to have a voice and to be an advocate within the medical community.”

Rosania continues to stay active with athletics, running and racing whenever she can. “I recently completed a Half Ironman race which consists of a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride, and a 13.1-mile run,” she said. “I still consider myself a sprinter even though I’ve completed over a dozen half marathons and marathons, so completing a Half Ironman was a big achievement for me.”

She says she’s always been a firm believer in taking a chance, trying something new, and reaching for greatness.

“Don’t be afraid to take chances or risks for fear of failure,” she said. “You will not know if you can succeed at something until you try, and often the best lessons learned are from those who take a leap of faith into the unknown.”

TATIANA JOHNSON ’12

Holding Court

At MBS, Tatiana Johnson ’12 was a talented and well-rounded athlete who earned All-Conference honors and set records in basketball, volleyball, and track & field before she played Division I basketball for the University of Rhode Island. While Johnson possessed an innate desire to succeed, she got an extra competitive boost from her friendly sibling rivalry with her sister, Shanice Johnson ’10, who was also a remarkable athlete at MBS.

“I loved having an older sister who understood the challenges and work ethic of being an athlete. Shanice and I always had a friendly competition going on. In high school, we teased each other about how she was going Division I for track, yet I had more track awards and records. I was going DI for basketball, yet she had more high school accomplishments in basketball. My Dad placed all of our awards and medals on a wall in our home office. I’m proud to say that I have more awards and medals on that wall than Shanice. I remind her every time we visit home,” she laughed.

While Johnson was a two-time MVP in volleyball and track & field and she finished 5th in the state in shotput as a junior, her true passion was basketball. In her senior year, she became just the 5th player in MBS girls basketball history to score 1,000 points – joining her sister, Shanice, who also reached the milestone. Johnson averaged double digits in points each year at MBS and helped lead the girls basketball team to a School record 16 wins as a sophomore. She credits coaches Mike Sturgeon (girls basketball) and Stephanie Puchalski (track & field) with pushing her to be her best.

“Coach Sturge prepared me for Division I college basketball by holding me accountable to high standards,” she said. “Coach Puchalski was also a stickler, which annoyed me at the time. However, their guidance shaped me into the successful woman that I am today.”

Johnson is also grateful to her teachers at MBS who helped prepare her for college academically. She said she got a jump-start on her career by taking a senior project at a local nursing home, and she learned many

effective study skills and habits throughout her days at MBS.

“I would not have succeeded as a studentathlete in college without Morristown Beard’s academic foundation,” she said. “I was in a rigorous nursing program and a member of a DI basketball program that was basically a parttime job. Luckily, I knew how to study, manage time, and felt comfortable communicating with my professors because of my time at MBS. I was well-prepared, and that made the academic transition easy. I graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Rhode Island.”

Today, Johnson works as a registered nurse at UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center in Los Angeles. She was recently accepted into a BSN to DNP Adult/Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program and hopes to become an in-patient palliative care nurse practitioner.

Although she is no longer playing sports competitively, Johnson said that athletics have been a truly transformative part of her life.

“Athletics goes beyond the court or the playing field,” said Johnson. “I did not play sports to win awards or become a professional athlete. Athletics taught me teamwork, time management, a strong work ethic, clear communication skills, and discipline. I am a better friend, nurse, and person because of the skills I gained through sports.”

girls athletic team. It was a thrilling experience that she will never forget.

“It was completely unexpected, and we were pretty much viewed as the underdog,” said Judge Teare. “The team worked hard and really pulled together to play our very best games, and we won the tournament. It was a clear example that teamwork and working hard can make anything possible.”

The 1975 championship team was coached by Lynn Daniels, who came to MBS from The Beard School during the merger and had a profound impact on Judge Teare.

“She was strict but fair and very balanced in her approach to coaching and not playing favorites among the athletes. She really ingrained in the athletes a belief that hard work truly pays off in the long run and that it’s always worth the effort,” said Judge Teare. “Even after Ms. Daniels’ retirement, we stayed in touch, and I was honored to have her attend my swearing in ceremony as a New Jersey State Judge.”

After graduating from MBS, Judge Teare received a B.A. in history and political science from Tufts University before earning her J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law in Newark. Prior to joining the Superior Court in 2005, she worked at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) as the director of legal management. She has also served as the chief assistant prosecutor in Essex County, counsel for East Orange and Plainfield, and worked in private practice.

Throughout her career, she has relied on the lessons and values that were reinforced on the playing field—integrity, honesty, commitment, and collaboration.

“Teamwork is everything,” she said. “There is nothing you do in life that doesn’t require the skills you learned as an athlete—being a good listener and communicator, a hard worker, and one who practices consistently until mastering a task.”

She said that she is encouraged by the growth of women’s sports since her days as a student-athlete.

“During my last three years of high school, we didn’t have enough players to field a girls lacrosse team, which was very disappointing, but I ended up joining the New Jersey Women’s Lacrosse League and played throughout the state,” she said. “Today, MBS has demonstratively expanded its athletic offerings for girls to include soccer, swimming, ice hockey, skiing, and many more teams. I can only imagine how far it will continue to expand!”

KENDALL CORNINE ’15

Goal-Oriented

Ice hockey superstar Kendall Cornine ’15 set all-time scoring records at Morristown Beard School and at Rochester Institute of Technology before being drafted to play professionally for the Metropolitan Riveters of the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL). A true pioneer of the sport, Cornine became hooked on ice hockey from an early age. She started playing hockey with her next door neighbor in the driveway when she was 6, and the rest is history. “I fell in love with the sport right away,” she said. “I loved the speed and competitiveness.”

Cornine soon traded the concrete for the ice as she took some lessons at a rink and picked up skating quickly. At MBS, she was able to gain a greater love and understanding for the sport by playing for former NHL star Bruce Driver. By the end of her high school career, she became the School’s all-time leading scorer with 104 goals and 95 assists in just 74 games (Ally Detre ’18 bested her mark by one point in 2018). Cornine was named NJ.com’s Player of the Year for the 2014-15 season, when she recorded 34 goals and 32 assists, scoring at least one goal in every game. She was also a four-time all-state selection and was named the New Jersey Devils High School Player of the Year during her junior and senior seasons.

“My fondest memories at MBS were spending time with my teammates in the locker room and on the bus,” she said. “And, of course, winning the WIHLMA (Women’s Interscholastic Hockey League of the Mid-Atlantic) championship every year.”

Capturing the WIHLMA title during her senior season was especially rewarding since the girls ice hockey roster was extremely small due to injuries. “With just eight skaters on the team, to be able to do what they did was incredible,” said Coach Bruce Driver. “Kendall came off the ice only once during the championship game, and that was during the third period.”

Cornine credits Coach Driver with being “a huge part of my MBS experience and development as a hockey player and as a person.” She is also grateful for Jenna Sumner, former Director of the Center for Teaching & Learning (CTL), for keeping her on track academically. “She knew that hockey was a huge part of my life, and that I wasn’t always the easiest in

the classroom my freshman and sophomore year. She really motivated and understood me.”

After MBS, Cornine played Division I hockey for Rochester Institute of Technology, where she also re-wrote the record books and finished her career as the school’s all-time leading scorer. From there, she was selected sixth overall by the Metropolitan Riveters of the NWHL. “It was pretty amazing. Getting to come home and play for the team in my home state around family and friends has been great,” she said.

“Hockey has taught me discipline, hard work, accountability, teamwork, and about 20 other things I could rattle off,” she said. “Along with being a professional hockey player, I’m also a PE teacher at New Canaan Country School. Being an athlete, having learned many lessons throughout my playing career and from all of my coaches and mentors, really set me up to be a successful educator.”

Cornine hopes to continue to play hockey professionally for a few more years and is encouraged by the interest she has seen in the sport. “I think the growth of girls ice hockey, even since I graduated in 2015, has been exponential,” she said. “The number of teams in the state has probably doubled since I was at MBS.”

She advises today’s female student-athletes to “set goals for yourself, work hard when no one’s watching, be a great teammate, and believe that you can take yourself and your sport to the next level. This is an amazing time to be a woman in sports.”

Alumni Athletes Reunite

MBS Alumni Baseball

During winter break, Morristown Beard baseball coaches and former players had a great time reuniting at FOMO in Morristown for drinks and appetizers. The event was a wonderful success with alumni in attendance ranging from the Class of 2005 through the Class of 2022. The former players were excited to catch up, trade stories, and reunite with old friends.

MBS Alumni Football

Morristown Beard football coaches and former players enjoyed reminiscing and catching up at the Grasshopper Off The Green in Morristown. Alumni in attendance spanned more than 30 years—from the Class of 1989 to the Class of 2022. The former players and coaches had a great time reuniting with old friends and making new ones as they traded stories over appetizers and drinks.

MBS Alumni Football at Grasshopper Off The Green

MBS Alumni Boys Hockey

During Thanksgiving weekend, more than 25 former MBS girls and boys ice hockey alumni united for the annual women’s and men’s ice hockey games at Twin Oaks Ice Rink. Participating alumni spanned more than 20 years—with players from the 1990s through the Class of 2022. Afterwards, the players and spectators enjoyed food, drinks, and socializing in the Crimson Room.

MBS Alumni Hockey at Twin Oaks Ice Rink

MBS Alumni Girls Hockey

MBS Heads to Bay

Alumni Association

Morristown Beard School

Meet the Alumni Board!

The Alumni Board works to promote a mutually-beneficial and rewarding relationship between Morristown Beard School and its alumni. Alumni Board members make meaningful contributions of their time, talents, and wisdom to the School and its students. They connect the traditions of the past with the vibrant future of our students.

Alumni Board Executive Committee

KC Hnat Joubran ’84, P ’24, President

Matthew Engel ’07, Vice President

Christina Toth Breen ’95, Secretary

David Kramer ’69, Treasurer

Join

Alumni Board members meet four times throughout the school year. They are looked upon for their engagement, dedication, and leadership within the MBS alumni community. Term limits are three years with possible extension.

If you are interested in serving on the Alumni Board, please visit the Resources section of our Alumni Networking Portal, MBS Connect—www.mbsconnect.net or contact Alumni Relations at alumni@mbs.net or 973-532-7564.

Reception at New York Athletic Club

More than 75 members of the Morristown Beard School alumni community gathered for a festive evening of cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at the New York Athletic Club in Manhattan in November. The group reconnected and made new friends while enjoying food and drinks in the club’s President’s Room. Alumni also enjoyed catching up with MBS faculty and staff members Gretchen Atwater, Darren Burns, Aline de la Torre-McCloskey, Andrea Deventer, Darren Lovelock, Michael McGrann, Katie Pepper, and John Sheppard. Head of School Liz Morrison shared updates about recent initiatives on campus.

Ring CEO Jamie Siminoff ’95 Tours Campus and Meets with Students

There was plenty of excitement on campus in February when alumnus Jamie Siminoff ’95, Chief Inventor and Founder of Ring, stopped by with his son to tour campus and meet with students. The Shark Tank veteran and entrepreneur got a first-hand look at some of the exciting experiential learning taking place in the Center for Innovation & Design (CID). He also met with faculty and students, learned about the Middle School’s 6th Grade sailboat project, and got a hands-on demonstration of Science On a Sphere.

Alumni Return to Campus to Discuss Career Path

Dr. Courtney Pepper ’15, a physical therapist at Professional Physical Therapy in Morristown, returned to campus in January to speak with members of the GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) Club, Future Physicians of America, and the STEM Club to discuss her career path. In a Q&A with students, she answered questions about selecting a college, the pros and cons of a fast-track program, and the licensing and exams that are required for a physical therapist.

Emily Ardolino ’02, who serves as Associate General Counsel for the Texas State University System, returned to campus in December to speak with the Constitutional Law class about her career path, what she loves about her profession, and why the First Amendment is so important. Emily became passionate about law after taking Constitutional Law with Eddie Franz during her senior year at MBS.

MBS Administrators Visit with Young Alumni at Elon and Wake Forest

Senior Associate Director of College Counseling Lindsay Johnson and Director of Strategic Initiatives Darren Burns visited young alumni at Wake Forest University and Elon University this March. We love connecting with young alums, wherever their path may lead!

Wake Forest University

Updates From the Alumni Board

Greetings MBS Alumni and Friends,

When I attended Morristown Beard in the 1980s, my classmates lived in a dozen communities that surrounded the School. As my daughter Juliette completes her junior year, her classmates now come from more than 85 towns in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Much like our student network has grown, our alumni network has become global.

With alumni settling across the US and around the world, I often hear from people that they’ve found a Morristown Beard connection in the most unexpected places. Perhaps it’s an MBS magnet on a car in California or a Crimson cap on a golf course in Scotland. There’s a lot of Crimson pride out there, and we’re trying to provide space and time for alumni to find each other.

This March, school administrators Darren Burns and Lindsay Johnson traveled to North Carolina to reunite with recent graduates who are studying at Wake Forest and Elon University. Although those students are far from home, we want to remind them that the alumni network is strong, wherever they settle. In the fall, a similar gathering will occur in Boston and Providence, where dozens of young alumni are attending university or beginning their professional careers.

Every other spring, our Head of School visits Florida and connects with graduates on the east and west coasts of the state. It is celebratory to reminisce about our alumni experiences while also hearing about the amazing and innovative programs underway. Perhaps you’re in an area with a contingent of old classmates and want to host an alumni event? The Alumni Board - and Office of Advancement - would love to hear from you.

Whether you’d like to open your home to an event or gather alumni to play pickleball, golf, watch a professional sports game, or attend an art opening, let us know! It’s so good to gather. If you’re on the east coast, I hope to see you at the Bay Head Yacht Club social in July. If you’re celebrating a reunion year, I hope to see you on campus in September. Our connections to each other are an invisible string that reminds us of where we came from and the people who supported us. Please contact alumni@mbs.net and we can start the planning process.

Warmly, KC Joubran ’84 President, MBS Alumni Board

1954

Ann Overman Bunn reports from sunny Florida that she and her husband are enjoying life at their new compound called Oak Harbor in Vero Beach.

Fran Overman Mercer calls Seattle, Washington home but came back east in December to look over a few care places and ended up in her old stomping grounds: New York. She had a wonderful time catching up with old friends and plans to return to NYC in April to attend programs at the Metropolitan Opera and the New York Philharmonic. Though she loves the East Coast, she is happy and comfortable at home in the Pacific Northwest.

Jenny Liu Warner Laughlin reports from Scituate, Massachusetts, that she loves to be outdoors enjoying the fresh air. Each month she drives two hours (each way) to Maine for a visit with her cousin.

Penny Dunn Alexitch is sorry to report that she lost both of her brothers this year, Stuart and David. In happier news, she is in the middle of an operation to regain her hearing.

Kathy McLaughlin Ferris reports that she is happy enjoying her beautiful home in Johns Island, Florida.

1955

Mary Foster Orben’s family heard London calling and reunited across the pond. Here’s a photo from their summer travels.

Need volunteer or event information?

Please visit www.mbsconnect.net or email alumni@mbs.net

1956

Barbara Newberry Lindsley remembers that sports at Beard were a very satisfying part of her life and school memories. She went on to play college varsity field hockey and lacrosse, and eventually became a certified field hockey umpire at the local high school. Miss Eunice Child, the diminutive director of Beard athletics in the 1940’s and 50’s, taught girls good sportsmanship and honesty, important lessons for all. Although they never had the opportunity to compete against other schools in those days, Beard did have an active Spartan/Athenian rivalry. Good times!

1958

After 25 years of working for AIESEC, Save the Children, Plan International, the Red Cross, and consulting and training NGO people from Eastern Europe, the US, and other countries, Ken Phillips is focused on writing what he has learned.

His fourth book, Trust, Impact, and Fundraising for Nonprofits, will be published this spring by Routledge. This follows his three other books on leadership: When You’re Not the Boss, Strategic Planning and Culture for Nonprofits, and Strategies for Fundraising Success. He’s currently working on a book of essays by young people on what they think needs to be done to make the world better for them. Ken loves living in Boston near family. He has three children (with his wife Belinda Rinker) and five grandchildren! You can find his books here: www.ngofutures.com.

1959

Judy Baldwin Martin and her husband Steve recently moved to the same community as Ann Overman Bunn and her husband. The couples have been enjoying dinners together and reminiscing about their childhoods in South Orange and happy days at The Beard School. Today, they’re enjoying an active lifestyle in the Florida sunshine.

1967

Tom Pagano has been nominated for inclusion in the Ocean Township High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Tom served as the first line coach in 1983 when the Big Red varsity football program was rejuvenated and reached the state championship game. Several division and state championships followed that season. Tom retired from Ocean Township in 2010 after serving 38 years, the last 13 as Superintendent of Schools. He served as an interim superintendent in Middletown Township and Red Bank Regional High School after retiring. Golf, the beach, travel, and grandchildren now fill his days.

1982

Jenny Cummins Grassi and her husband are celebrating their retirement after 35 years in the pizza/restaurant business. They look forward to more free time and enjoying living along the “Crystal Coast” of North Carolina.

1984

The class of ’84 remains close as ever, gathering in January for a reunion in Morristown. Pictured from left to right are: Chris Wenzel, Nancy DiDonato (married to Chris McClanahan), Dawn Bridy, KC Hnat Joubran, Chris McClanahan, Adam Diglio, Rosalie Small, and Rob Schaffer.

1988

Scott Leightman ’88 and his son visited the MBS Boys Lacrosse team while they practiced in Arizona over spring break. Scott was a member of the MBS lacrosse team while at MBS. He is currently the Senior Director of Communication with Fiesta Bowl, a non-profit organization that supports local non-profits organizations. Scott is pictured with his son and current boys lacrosse Head Coach Joe Lodato.

2006

On October 1, 2022, Eriqah (Williams) Vincent was promoted to Co-Executive Director of Network Weaving at Power Shift Network. She held her previous position as Network Engagement Director since June 2020 and now oversees the engagement approach of the network's 100+ member organizations as well as the planning of the organization's flagship event, the Power Shift Convergence, a powerful gathering of thousands of young climate leaders to learn, strategize, and build the movement.

2015

Vineeta Maddali recently matched into the pediatrics residency at her #1 choice program: Mount Sinai. She completed her MD training at Rutgers/Robert Wood Johnson.

2016

Rachel L. Leung’s scholarly law review article appears in the January edition of the Seton Hall Law Review. Check out this scintillating must-read at https://scholarship. shu.edu/shlr/vol53/iss3/6 on “The Truth About Falsity: ‘Dueling Experts’ and Why the False Claims Act Requires Proof of An Objective Falsity.” Rachel credits her parents and her beloved dog, Isabella, for their constant love, support and encouragement. She has often said that Mo Beard helped her to hone her outstanding writing skills. Rachel is finishing her final semester at law school before she sits for the bar exam.

2021

Brigid Atkins ’21 recently traveled to Colombia during her spring break to work on a water filtration project. Brigid, a sophomore at Purdue University studying civil engineering, developed a particular interest in clean water that started in Brad Turner's Environmental Science class in 11th Grade. Once she entered Purdue University to study engineering, she joined the Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) group where she quickly took a leadership role. Since the fall of 2021, she has been working on a team designing a water filtration system, including pump and water storage, for an indigenous community in Fonseca, La Guajira Colombia. The project deliverable will be used by the community to request technical and financial support from local sources for implementation.

IN MEMORIAM

Molly Nelson MacDonald ’59, February 2023, age 82. Molly’s parents adopted her from The Cradle, an Evanston, Illinoisbased organization. She advocated for the organization during her entire life. It played another fateful role when mutual friends in her Pittsburgh hometown introduced Molly to Charles S. MacDonald of Ligonier, Pennsylvania. They shortly discovered that Charles, too, was a Cradle adoptee. The Cradle’s director attended their wedding, the second such marriage for the organization. Molly attended The Ellis School in Pittsburgh before her years at Beard. Post-Beard, she completed studies in elementary education at Mount Vernon Junior College. Molly was teaching kindergarten when she met Charles. They had two sons. Their sons and their wives, five grandchildren, and two great grandchildren survive her. The family was the center of her life. She daily kept everyone updated on their siblings and cousins, cheering for every triumph. Molly lived in Naples, Florida for 22 years where she was a volunteer with an area hospice. For about 10 years Molly worked on house renovation and resale in Florida. She returned to Ligonier to be near family. Molly had a life filled with friends as well as family. She belonged to the Rolling Rock Club in Pennsylvania and Covenant Presbyterian Church of Ligonier.

Patricia (Triska) Elizabeth Kennedy

Kretschmar ’65, September 25, 2022, age 75. Triska was a much loved schoolmate at Beard School in Orange where she excelled on the sports fields. In spite of being sidelined her senior year, she was enthusiastically elected captain of the Spartans, one of the two intramural teams at Beard. (Every incoming girl was assigned to Spartan blue or Athenian red.) At graduation, Beard honored Triska with the Nancy Carolyn Hoyer Award given to the girl who had the qualities of kindness, caring, and helpfulness that Ms. Hoyer had embodied. Among her survivors are her husband of 47 years, Raymond J. Kretschmar; their daughter and son-in-law, Catherine and Benedict Vitale; her granddaughters Madeline and Megan Vitale; her two sisters, Dr. Matilda Lucille (Cille) Kennedy ’62 and

Caroline (Kebbie) Kennedy ’68; and her cousin Mary Lydecker Moyer ’67. Triska and her husband lived in Astoria, Queens, New York. After Beard, Triska graduated from Western College for Women in Ohio which later merged with Miami University of Ohio. She worked for Air France until the birth of her daughter and later taught elementary grades at St. Rita School in Brooklyn, New York for many years. After retiring from teaching, she was a sales associate at Barnes and Noble, where she was beloved by her colleagues and customers as was true of everywhere she worked and went. “My sister was a friend magnet,” Triska’s younger sister and fellow redhead Caroline said. “She was the light in many peoples’ lives.”

James (Jim) Coleman Crouch ’77, February 21, 2023, age 65. Born in Alabama, Jim lived in a number of towns close to Morristown, New Jersey until 2014 when he relocated to Solano Beach, California near his close-knit family. At MBS, Jim lettered in football, wrestling and track. After MBS, James received an associate technical degree from Somerset County College. He worked as Data Control Technician at Schindler Elevator in Morristown, now Westinghouse, New Jersey and later in security before retiring. His hallmarks were giving, caring and serving, be it to his parents, his siblings, his godchildren or the larger community. He was a deacon and youth group leader at Hilltop Presbyterian Church in Mendham, New Jersey and continued his mentoring service in California, where he helped build the Lion’s Club local Encinitas Leo club for youth. He built homes both with the Rural Community Action Committee in Maine and for Habitat for Humanity. He annually set fundraising records as the local group leader at CROP Hunger Walk for American Church Service. The Lions Club tapped him for their Melwin Jones Fellow Service Award. Jim was also president and ambassador for residents at his retirement community. An avid movie goer, Jim enjoyed friendly debates about Superman remakes and Herbie villains. His brother Taylor Crouch, sister in law Uschi Goldmann Crouch, their children Tyler and Alisha, his

stepfather Richard Chalquist, and close cousins and their partners survive him as well as many friends and partners in service who felt Jim’s devotion. Classmate Ellen J. Wing ’77 spoke fondly of Jim. “He was caring and loyal. He was a great, great guy with a lot of perseverance,” Ellen said. “He never forgot my birthday. One year he gave me a beautiful butterfly pin that I attached to my favorite coat. I have had that pin more than 20 years,” Ellen said.

James (Jim) Frederic Topor ’83 , age 57. Jim was born in Norwalk, Connecticut and was one of three children. After MBS, Jim graduated from Bucknell University in Pennsylvania. A few years later he married Megan Harris. The couple settled in Madison, New Jersey where they brought up their three children and had many lifelong friends. Jim worked in Human Resources (HR) at pharmaceutical companies including Schering Plough, Merck, Pfizer and ten years at Celgene. He later retired from the corporate world and founded his own HR consulting firm. Jim was an avid golfer, serving for many years on the board of the Morris County Golf Club. He was also a board member of Good Grief of Morristown and Princeton, New Jersey, an organization offering various programs to children having suffered the loss of someone important to them. In addition to golf, Jim closely followed team sports, especially football. He rooted for the Pittsburgh Steelers and cheered for Notre Dame football when his son was a student there. His house sported a lot of Steelers black and yellow. Former MBS administrator, faculty member and coach Clark Daggett shared these thoughts on Jim’s memorial page: “I have so many fond memories of him as a student and a basketball player both in School and playing together after he was out of college….The world has lost a wonderful person,” Clark wrote.

Brian Knight, Former Trustee and Board President , December 29, 2022, age 88. Born in Ontario, Canada, Brian grew up there attending Thorton Hall, St. Andrews and Waterloo Colleges and earning a degree in business from the University of Western Ontario in 1958. That same year, a chance meeting with the late Margaret (Jean) Scott

led to their 1960 marriage and relocation to the States. For 25 years, Brian worked in California and New Jersey for diverse corporations including Sweda International, Litton Industries, Warner Cable, Prismo Universal and Redland Ltd. The couple then began new adventures in Manchester, Vermont where Brian was the owner of the Tubbs Snowshoe Company and President and CEO of Country Business Incorporated, a leading New England and Atlantic Canada business brokerage. A past certified business intermediary and fellow of the international business brokers association, Brian shared his business acumen in his book, Buying the Right Business at the Right Price: The Guide to Small Business Acquisition (1991). Brian and Jean took joy in offering Canadian-style hospitality and Brian in volunteering his business experience in every community where they lived. He was President of the MBS Board of Trustees from 1982 to 1985. Brian was also on the boards of Morristown Memorial Hospital; Southwestern Vermont Health Care (2002 to 2009, chair in 2006); and was a many-year trustee and president of the Manchester Village Board of Trustees. In 2016, Southwestern Vermont Health Care gave Brian their Vision Honoree for Distinguished Community Service Award. With a ready smile and a proclivity for pranks, Brian is remembered for playing Calypso songs for guests on his trusty ukulele, followed by an impromptu nap. An adoring grandfather, he is survived by his three children Karen Bae Knight ’80 and her partner Tim Massucco, Gillian Knight Rathbun and Dave Rathbon, and Brian Lane Knight, and his four grandchildren.

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The Morristown Beard School girls ice hockey team won the NJSIAA State Championship for the 3rd time at the Prudential Center, defeating Pingry 2-1.

PA