Lumen Spring 2018

S P R I N G 2 018

LUMEN THE

MAGAZINE

OF

NEWARK

ACADEMY

ROLE MODEL CITIZENS A.C. Strand Reeves ’83 Selma, Alabama Love for her adopted hometown spurs positive action

S P R I N G 2 018

CONTENTS

F E AT U R E S

19 Project-Based Learning NA’s Middle School Prepares Students for Upper School Academic Success

27 From the Hallways to the Highways How Do Newark Academy Students Spend Their Summers?

33 Role Model Citizens NA Alumni Make Lasting Contributions to Our Communities and Our World

ROLE MODEL CITIZENS

A.C. Strand Reeves ’83 A Vision for Selma James Solomon ’02 Thinking Locally Marc Stuart ’82 Creating Global Opportunities Dania Matos ’99 Seeing the Unseen Nick Williams ’13 Citizen, Soldier

IN THIS ISSUE

2 Perspectives

4 NA News

42 Advancement

48 Alumni News

52 Class Notes

VISIT NA on the web at www.newarka.edu LIKE NA on Facebook @newarkacademy FOLLOW NA on Twitter @newarkacademy FOLLOW NA on Instagram @newarkacademy

LUMEN

PERSPECTIVES

S P R I N G 2 018 Donald M. Austin Head of School

FROM DONALD M. AUSTIN, HEAD OF SCHOOL

Lisa Grider Director of Institutional Advancement EDITOR

Debra Marr Director of Communications ASSISTANT EDITORS

David Beckman Hannah Wyrzykowski CONTRIBUTORS

Tom Ashburn Jessica Lubow Ted Gilbreath Evan Nisenson ’99 Jeff Vinikoor BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Chairman David D. McGraw ’77 Secretary Jane Wilf Vice Chairs Scott L. Hayward Marika Alzadon ’89 Jeffrey Kaplan John H. Bess ’69 Wayne D. Kent ’85 Patricia Budziak Larry S. Wieseneck Samuel W. Croll III ’68

Preparing for Engaged Citizenship

Trustees Lauren Hedvat ’01 Donald M. Austin Robert D. Marcus Maria Rice Bellamy ’85 Samir Pandiri Lawrence G. Cetrulo ’67 Lisa Powers Lara Coraci-Basile ’88 Melissa Tassé Cuong Do Glenn A. Waldorf ’90 Anjali Gupta Patrick B. Wang

This issue of Lumen profiles alumni who are exemplary citizens, each contributing to their communities, large and small, in a spirit of selfless service. They remind

Emeriti Louis V. Aronson II ’41 Nancy Baird Harwood ’75 Paul Busse ’38* K. Kelly Marx ’51 Robert Del Tufo ’51* John L. McGraw ’49 William D. Green ’69 Robert S. Puder ’38* William D. Hardin ’44* Gary Rose William T. Wachenfeld ’44

us that an enduring purpose of a Newark Academy education is to prepare students to participate actively in society as informed and engaged contributors. A good school can function as a crucible in forging the attitudes

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF GOVERNORS

and capacities that are so often found in citizens like

President Glenn A. Waldorf ’90

these profiled alumni.

Gillian Javetski ’07 Amanda Addison ’06 Katherine Johnson ’11 Michele Chiles-Hickman ’86 Lauren Kaplan ’09 Daniel D. Cronheim ’72 Steve Lozowick ’63 Brett Finkelstein ’05 Jennifer Mandelbaum ’11 Jacqueline Lipsius Fleysher ’93 David Mazzuca ’03 Rebecca Moll Freed ’94 Giulia Mercuri ’10 Justin Garrod ’93 Ed Pursell ’02 Kumar Ghafoor ’10 Jed Rosenthal ’93 Susan Goldberg ’79 Alex Senchak ’02 Peter Gruenberg ’81 Evan Sills ’03 Shannon Hedvat ’03 Andrew Somberg ’07 Allison Hyans ’11 Alexandra Swanson ’09 Lauren Jacobs-Lazer ’98 Joelle Tutella ’90

At Newark Academy, that process begins with our accomplished faculty, whose approach to teaching is collaborative and studentcentered. In their classrooms, they create an environment that both fosters and demands a high level of student engagement. To quote one teacher: “There is no back row at Newark Academy.” Each classroom becomes its own mini-community, with students playing an active role determined by the subject, level, and teacher expectations.

Students frequently drive discussion, pressing each other for greater detail or turning to the teacher to clarify or explain. As they progress into higher-level courses, students assume greater responsibility in advancing the collective work of the class. With its focus on inquiry, the International Baccalaureate encourages students to consider essential questions, to design their own experiments and research projects, and to marshal evidence to support their solutions. NA’s unique classroom culture provides excellent training, not only for university studies, but also for the complex problem-solving that our graduates undertake in their careers and communities.

Emeriti Lance Aronson ’74 Leo Gordon ’69 J. Richard Beltram ’41* Jeffrey Silverman ’82 John Bess ’69 William Stroh ’48* Richard Watson ’50

Newark Academy Office of Institutional Advancement 91 South Orange Avenue, Livingston, NJ 07039 Telephone: (973) 992-7000 Email: dmarr@newarka.edu www.newarka.edu *Deceased

2

LUMEN

I SPRING 2018

If their formal studies train NA students to be responsible participants and informed contributors, their extracurricular pursuits help them hone those skills outside of the classroom.

In February, in the immediate aftermath of the school shooting in Florida, I sat in on a student-led discussion about responses to the tragedy.

Sponsored jointly by three different groups – Think Tank, the Young Republicans and the Young Democrats – the discussion included 30 students, who represented a range of opinions and perspectives. In a spirited exchange moderated by two club leaders, they listened respectfully to each other, voiced questions and concerns in non-partisan ways, and shared information and knowledge.

They grappled not only with the horror of that incident, but also with the pros and cons of possible responses at a policy level, and even the potential flaws in their own proposed solutions.

While there were occasional contributions from the few teachers present, the students ran the entire meeting.

There was a striking level of maturity and self-awareness on display as they wrestled with a very difficult topic.

Quite honestly, the quality of the discussion, both in terms of content and tone, was superior to many comparable conversations that I have witnessed among adults over the last weeks.

Another way Newark Academy students prepare for engaged citizenship is through the outsized roles they play in the daily life of their school

community. As leaders of clubs, team captains, and members of student government, our students work closely with faculty to formulate agendas for meetings and activities, to address issues of concern, or to help teammates play together more effectively.

They routinely make announcements at Morning Meeting, devise and deliver presentations, and perform in front of their peers and teachers. The quality of student presentations, which has always been strong at Newark Academy, has risen to an even higher

‘‘

Another signature NA experience that may foster engaged citizenship among our alums is our Community Service Program. The recent expansion of service projects undertaken by our students has broadened their exposure to communities beyond our walls and provided many opportunities for impactful contributions.

Whether it is volunteering at a local soup kitchen or building houses in Guatemala, the direct service our students provide shows them firsthand that they can provide meaning-

…an enduring purpose of a Newark Academy education is to prepare students to participate actively in society as informed and engaged contributors.”

level in recent years. These demonstrations of leadership, organization, performance and speech are hallmarks of the NA student culture.

Importantly, many of the student-led traditions, from Spirit Week in the fall to the Student Voice Proposals, are designed to improve the student experience. Our students are thoughtful and generous as they try to do their part to make the school better for succeeding generations. Such focused attention on the common good serves as effective preparation for civic engagement later in life.

ful help at a young age, that their efforts are appreciated, and that the act of working with others creates authentic bonds with people of different communities and nationalities.

Our current Newark Academy students are being forged in the same crucible of citizenship that helped shape the model alumni citizens featured in the following pages. It will be fascinating to see the many ways in which they will contribute to the betterment of our society.

NEWARK ACADEMY

3

NA NEWS

I

FACULTY FOCUS

FACULTY ACHIEVEMENTS Reyther Ortega (Spanish) recently published an article, “Chac Mool de Carlos Fuentes: el problema de la identidad Mexicana” in Escrivivientes, a literary magazine published by the Spanish and Latino Studies Department of Montclair State University. She also served as assistant director for the same department’s production of Federico García Lorca’s play La casa de Bernarda Alba. Reyther’s poem “Where is My Home?” was included in a West Orange Hispanic Heritage Month Exhibit produced by the West Orange Arts Council.

A chapter of Alexis Romay’s (Spanish) novel La apertura cubana (The Cuban Opening) was included in the literary anthology El compañero que me atiende, published in November 2017. The anthology, whose title translates as The comrade in charge of watching me, is a collection of fiction and non-fiction pieces about the ubiquity of censorship in Cuba and its effect on writers and writing. In addition, Alexis’ Spanish translation of Enchanted Air by Margarita Engle, a Newbury Honor winner and currently the Poetry Foundation’s Young People’s Poet Laureate, was published by Simon & Schuster. Alexis also translated several of Eric Carle’s picture books, including La semillita (The Tiny Seed), ¡Panqueques, panqueques! (Pancakes, Pancakes!), and Papá, por favor, bájame la luna (Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me), all of which were also published by Simon & Schuster in 2017.

HAPPY RETIREMENT! Robert Bitler joined the NA community in 2008 as a teacher of physics and astronomy. Since then, Bob has expanded the science program in many important ways. In the classroom, he established electives in engineering and technology and introduced many students to these important fields of study. As advisor of the Robotics and Engineering Club, Bob has given students opportunities to take on projects limited only by their imaginations. Under his direction, the Panasonic Design Team from Newark Academy has experienced great success in just a few short years.

Bob also helped to develop a comprehensive and compelling research program at NA by making connections throughout the regional scientific community and creating opportunities for students to participate in hands-on, current science research. Bob’s tireless dedication to his students has helped prepare them to be successful in college and to pursue their passions both in and out of the classroom. Congratulations to Bob on his upcoming retirement, and best wishes for many wonderful years ahead!

4

LUMEN

I SPRING 2018

Luis Gomez A Fond Farewell to a Nurturing Mentor

By Tom Ashburn, Middle School Principal

Señor Luis Gomez offers the following analogy for the student experience: “In sixth grade, we have students in the canoe with faculty, and the teachers are paddling.

In seventh grade, the roles are reversed: students are paddling and the teachers are riding. In eighth grade, the students are paddling in their own canoes, and the teachers are walking along the shore cheering them on.”

Indeed, Luis is one of NA’s greatest champions of student growth during early adolescence.

When Luis arrived at NA in the fall of 1992, the Middle School had a more provincial view of the world. Former Middle School Principal Joan Parlin remembers a conversation from her interview with Luis; in it, she asked him, “Would you be willing to take a group of students and faculty on trips to Spanish-speaking countries?” Luis’ response was succinct: “I will only take the job with the understanding that I will be able to travel with students outside the country.” For 26 years, Luis has done that and so much more. In fact, he has probably devoted over a year of his life, in total, traveling with students from Grades 6-12. Joan notes, “In addition to the teaching of Spanish language, Señor brought Spanish culture to Newark Academy. From sharing traditions of Spanish culture to cooking in the old kitchen upstairs, Señor shared with his students a deep understanding of the various Spanish and Hispanic cultures through his teaching.”

moment they walk into his room that he has their best interests at heart, and he is not afraid to deliver a tough message.”

I witnessed this myself many times in Luis’ long-term work as eighth-grade team leader and advisor: although he was a beloved confidant to students, he was not shy about delivering a difficult message about a student’s need to change in order to grow.

grade, his greatest joy has always come from helping Middle School students grow up. Next fall, I will miss witnessing his interactions with kids, sharing his sense of humor and benefiting from his friendship. Luis has had a home at NA for the past 26 years, and he has been the heart of the Middle School – helping countless young students learn to paddle down the river on their own.

Although Luis is the rare teacher who has taught and advised students in every

Joe Ball, another former Middle School principal, holds Luis as a role model for educators: “Everything this guy says and does comes from the heart – and it comes with love. His students know from the

NEWARK ACADEMY

5

NA NEWS

I

FACULTY FOCUS

Faculty Recollections BETSY LA PADULA, ENGLISH FACULTY When I met Luis Gomez in the spring of 1996, he immediately handed me a giant piece of birthday cake and gave me an enormous smile. I hadn’t even been formally hired, but that didn’t matter to Luis – everyone who encounters him gets the same treatment: food for the body or for the soul, and that high-wattage smile.

Luis’ pedagogy is simple: encourage all of the Academy’s children, hold them to high standards of behavior, lighten their loads with jokes and laughter, and celebrate every accomplishment. With Luis, one never has to worry about judgment or negative feedback; he manages to gently

guide kids – and adults – “toward the light” with his unflagging support and love. He has literally and figuratively fed the Middle School faculty, staff and student body for decades; it will be a much leaner feast without him. I will always be grateful for his mentorship and compassion, because with Luis around, it is always possible to have one’s cake and eat it too.

“

Luis has helped shape the present and future lives of so many students. The Middle School will not be the same without our beloved Señor!”

– DEBRA TAVARES

DEBRA TAVARES, SCIENCE FACULTY Luis Gomez was born a natural teacher and mentor. Having taught at various schools, he has decades of experience and has become an institution at Newark Academy. A straight shooter in his relationships with students, Señor (as he is affectionately known) pulls no punches when he lets students know they are not performing appropriately on an academic or personal level. One might be tempted to think that his frankness would drive preteens and teens away, yet they still flock to him, because he has a wonderful way of letting them know that he cares not only about their academic progress but about them as people. One can often hear a student saying, essentially, “Señor is real with me. He’s right, I was being an idiot and he called me on it, but I love him because he taught me more than just Spanish. He taught me that everyone makes mistakes, and he gave me the tools to learn how to grow up with pride and dignity.” It is this quality that has fostered lifelong indelible bonds between Señor Gomez and a multitude of students.

Luis has contributed in so many ways to the Middle School, providing experiential learning in his kitchen and fostering the love of Spanish culture by leading trips to Costa Rica, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Peru. As a longtime eighth-grade team leader, student counsel coordinator, advisor and teacher, Luis has helped shape the present and future lives of so many students. The Middle School will not be the same without our beloved Señor!

6

LUMEN

I SPRING 2018

Alumni Reflections

DANIELLE GRECO PANAS ’02 Señor Gomez was my Spanish teacher for many years at Newark Academy. He was unique in the way he taught through experience. Many of his classes were spent in the kitchen, not only learning the life skill of cooking but learning everyday Spanish as well. I can still recite most foods in Spanish because of his classes. After I had bragged to my parents about how amazing this teacher was, they had the luck to win “A Dinner Cooked by Señor Gomez” at the NAPA Gala one year. He came to our house and cooked up a delicious authentic Puerto Rican feast. During the night, our families bonded and Señor Gomez has been a part of my life ever since. We have shared trips to Puerto Rico, Mexico, Costa Rica and Cuba. He attended my wedding and my children’s baptisms. I am honored to call him a friend.

What sets Señor Gomez apart is his heart and hospitality. He truly cares for his students and colleagues. He has a way of making everyone feel welcome through his vibrant personality and easy-going nature. He is so loyal that once you connect with him, you have a friend for life. His classroom and his home are always filled with family, former students and friends. I am so thankful to have met him all those years ago and to have felt his support ever since. Happy retirement, Señor Gomez!

ARI BORINSKY ’04 From 7th through 12th grades, I knew him only as Señor, but now as an adult I am proud to say I am on a first-name basis with my friend Luis. I can still remember how excited I was every day for Spanish class with Señor. Some of the highlights included looking up synonyms of vocabulary words for extra credit (boleto/billete), conjugating the infamous “go-go” verbs, and of course making delicious meals in Señor’s kitchen. It’s funny, because I clearly remember helping out with the cooking, and yet today I’m a pretty terrible chef. Nevertheless, Señor succeeded beyond his expectations in sparking my interest in Latin America and the Spanish language. I majored in Spanish in college, I have been to almost every

Spanish-speaking country (and I know all the capitals, thanks to Señor), and I speak fluent Spanish every day at work. One of my fondest “Señor memories” takes me back to the Cuba trip, when Mr. Parlin was thrown out of a supermarket for taking unsanctioned photographs and Señor

explained to the police why the gringo was actually harmless.

I have a dear family friend who is a sixth grader this year at NA, and of course he has Señor for Spanish. It makes me very happy to know that my friend gets to experience such a wonderful teacher and mentor who impacted my life in so many ways.

Señor, te deseo mucha paz y tranquilidad. Un abrazo fuerte.

“

What sets Señor Gomez apart is his heart and hospitality. He truly cares for his students and colleagues. He has a way of making everyone feel welcome through his vibrant personality and easy-going nature.”

– DANIELLE GRECO PANAS ’02

NEWARK ACADEMY

7

NA NEWS

I

ATHLETICS

Stronger, Faster, Smarter NA Welcomes New Strength Coach Youthser Guerrero

By Ted Gilbreath, Director of Athletics If you were to travel down to the Great Hall of the Simon Family Field House after school, you would be treated to quite a scene: students spilling out of the Danco Fitness Center tethered to elastic bands, pushing weighted sleds, sliding on pads and bouncing medicine balls off of every flat surface they can find. This highly organized chaos is the work of Newark Academy’s new strength and conditioning coach Youthser Guerrero.

NA’s small size, while ideal for an academic learning environment, does pose some challenges for its athletic teams.

Among the most notable is the fact that, with fewer students to draw upon for athletic teams, each student’s health and performance is critical to the success of those programs. Coach Guerrero helps ensure that our students are well prepared for the physical demands of

their seasons and performing at optimum levels. Coach Guerrero joined NA’s Athletic Department in May 2017 and has already made an impact on Minuteman teams. Here is a snapshot of his goals for the program and how things are going so far.

What are your goals for the strength and conditioning program at Newark Academy?

To weave strength and conditioning into the fabric of the athletic culture at Newark Academy. To inspire students to embrace physical development as a key component of being an athlete and to produce stronger, faster, smarter student-athletes who are also having fun, developing skills, building confidence and bonding for their on-field efforts.

What does the program look like right now?

It’s growing. The student community is embracing it and kids are making an effort to show up even though training is always after school. Even teams in-season are getting some time with me for recovery sessions. All student-athletes are getting stronger, adding to their movement vocabularies and learning helpful concepts regarding on-field performance.

They are always encouraged to work hard under proper guidance, and the environment fostered is one of friendship and team building.

8

LUMEN

I SPRING 2018

What would you like the program to look like in a year?

More athletes! Attendance could improve and there could be more sessions per team as the student body gets collectively stronger. I would also like for the student body to become more competitive within strength and conditioning itself; initiatives such as leadership boards or personal bests will become part of what drives our competitive culture. If we try to out-work each other, we will all get stronger.

What do you think of Newark Academy and its students?

I love it here! Newark Academy is an exciting place to be, with a bright student body. It’s an incredibly rich learning environment located on a beautiful campus.

The staff is friendly and welcoming, and the students surprise me every day with their wit, depth and silliness. I thoroughly enjoy coming to work every day and interacting with the NA community. I’m very excited to be a member of the family!

For up-to-the-minute athletics news, follow the Minutemen on Twitter @NAMinutemen or visit the website at www.newarka.edu/athletics.

Better Than Ever!

Newark Academy Partners with Positive Coaching Alliance to Benefit Student Athletes Newark Academy has established a three-year partnership with Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), a national nonprofit organization devoted to developing “Better Athletes, Better People” by working to give youth and high school athletes a positive, character-building sports experience.

The partnership gives NA access to PCA’s training for coaches, parents of athletes, studentathletes and administrators, comprising live group workshops, online courses, books by PCA founder Jim Thompson and additional online resources.

PCA has partnered with approximately 3,000 schools, districts, conferences, youth sports organizations and parks and recreation departments to create a positive culture around youth sports. “We look forward to working with Newark Academy to create the best possible experience

for the student-athletes,” Thompson says.

“Our research-based materials combine the latest in sports psychology, education and practical advice from top pro and college coaches and athletes that help improve athletic performance while also ensuring kids take life lessons from sports that will help them throughout the rest of their lives.”

Workshops for NA team captains and coaches are taking place, and plans are underway to offer a workshop for parents.

NEWARK ACADEMY

9

NA NEWS

I

ARTS

NORBERT LEO BUTZ AND NA’S CAST OF “BIG FISH” The Acclaimed Broadway Star Shares His Expertise Newark Academy’s Winter Musical cast members were thrilled to receive a visit from Norbert Leo Butz, the original lead actor of the Broadway musical Big Fish. He shared his experiences on the Broadway production and watched as students performed their roles in rehearsal. Norbert is a two-time winner of the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for the shows Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Catch Me If You Can. He also played leading roles in Rent, The Last Five Years, and Big and is a major character in the TV series Bloodline.

10

LUMEN

I

SPRING 2018

NEWARK ACADEMY

11

NA NEWS

I

ARTS

Set in Alabama, Big Fish follows the adventures of Edward Bloom, a traveling salesman with an epic imagination. His extravagant stories strain his relationship with his realist son who seeks to find the truth behind the tall tales. NA’s production featured a stellar cast of actors, a pit orchestra of talented student and faculty musicians and a student stage and lighting crew.

12

LUMEN

I

SPRING 2018

NA NEWS

NA Ambassadors

Rahul Bendre ’19, Student Ambassador

Role Model Citizens of the NA Community

Being a student ambassador offers Rahul a way to give back to the school by ensuring that each person who visits knows how valuable and life-changing an NA education is.

“Students play a big role in this community – we make presentations at Morning Meeting, organize after-school events, lead clubs, share ideas with faculty members, and so much more – and if we don’t give back, how can our community continue to thrive?”

Student ambassadors for Newark Academy’s Admission Office make a big impression on prospective families, playing a vital role in ensuring that student applicants have meaningful visits to the school.

“It is extremely important for current students to have the opportunity to showcase Newark Academy, and it is equally important for prospective families to learn about NA from current students,” says Associate Director of Admission and Enrollment Management Alexandra Holzman, who oversees the Admission Office Ambassadors Program.

Student ambassadors provide prospective students and their families with a realistic glimpse of life at NA. Whether they are leading campus tours, answering questions at an information session, hosting prospective students for day visits, or participating in phonathons, the ambassadors are demonstrating their leadership potential and the active roles they play in the NA community. They are personable, articulate, enthusiastic and well-informed on all aspects of the school, including its history, academic programs, student organizations, extracurricular activities and campus resources.

Ryan Cheung ’21, New Student “It was helpful to hear the personal experiences from current students, and the tour guide on my day visit was really amiable,” says Ryan. His first year has been “challenging in a good way,” as he learns the ropes of the school, discovers new clubs to join and forms friendships with his peers. “NA focuses on developing students as a whole by addressing social issues and providing opportunities that expand our worlds.”

Zoe Ades ’18, Student Ambassador “I love meeting new people and the thought of showing others how amazing Newark Academy is sounded like something I would really love doing,” says Zoe. “Part of what makes NA so special is that it’s producing wellversed individuals who aren’t limited to just one area of expertise. Students are encouraged to explore the unknown and, without that encouragement, I would not have discovered new passions. The collaborative environment is part of what helps students thrive – and who wouldn't want to showcase that?”

Meet some of our ambassadors: back row: Tess Ostroff ’18, Sydney Fullilove ’20, Sam Enweonwu ’18, Greg Gilbert ’18, Ellie Pitkowsky ’18, Rahul Bendre ’19, front row: Brahm Wieseneck ’18, Zoe Ades ’18

Lily Sternlieb ’24, New Student “I appreciated the sense of an unspoken trust and community through the teachers and students. My guide showed me the process of creating a club and impressed me by being very sensitive to my and her peers’ needs,” recalls Lily about her day visit during the admission process. Lily’s first year as a sixth grader at NA has exceeded her expectations. “I enjoy how the teachers encourage you to ask questions and engage in discussions. There is a sense of infinite possibilities and opportunities at NA that fuels students to discover new outcomes.”

NEWARK ACADEMY

13

NA NEWS

Full STEM Ahead!

Newark Academy’s STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) offerings include academic courses and co-curricular activities in areas such as DNA testing, robotics and physics. But there are also limitless opportunities to engage with the world of STEM through internships, field research, club activities, summer programs and more. This year, NA’s budding scientists gained exposure to STEM careers through an array of interactive presentations, field trips and special speakers.

LIVE FROM SURGERY Students in the IB Biology and the Anatomy and Physiology classes attended the Live from Surgery program at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City.

The program offers students a unique opportunity to get a first-hand view of an operating room and to interact with medical experts.

Students met with the surgical director of the Heart Transplant Program at Newark Beth Israel Hospital, Dr. Margarita Camacho, and watched via satellite as she implanted a heart pump and completed a heart transplant surgery.

WEATHERING CLIMATE CHANGE

TALKING SCIENCE AT ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY In January, a group of NA students spent the day at the Rockefeller University campus in New York City, exploring why and how mosquitos hunt humans. They also learned how the use of revolutionary genome editing techniques may prove to be a solution for stopping the transmission of diseases like malaria and Zika.

14

LUMEN

I SPRING 2018

Meteorologist Richard Larsen met with students at an after-school event hosted by the Green and Blue Committee. He discussed the impact of climate change on natural disasters and how students can play a role in promoting environmental protection in the future.

CONNECTING WITH HARVARD RESEARCHERS

AN EYE-OPENING CLUB ACTIVITY Students in the Newark Anatomy Club learned how the parts of the eye function and how vision operates through an illuminating hands-on activity. Working in groups, they applied their knowledge in biology, physics, anatomy and physiology to dissect a cow’s eye, gaining a deeper understanding of human vision by noting cross-species similarities. Along the way, they also honed their problemsolving, laboratory, teamwork and communication skills.

NA students Sophia Chen ’20, Dean Tan ’18, Rohan Kapur ’20 and Alexander Chen ’20 participated in the 2017 Harvard Science Research Conference and had the opportunity to meet esteemed Harvard professors and researchers. The students learned more about how to pursue research and gained a better understanding of the various science disciplines.

According to Sophia, “It was awe-inspiring to meet and listen to Harvard professors discuss their research.”

Guest Speakers A. Dr. Pinakin R. Jethwa ’98, a board-certified neurosurgeon with fellowship training in both open cerebrovascular and endovascular neurosurgery, spoke to students about the range of career opportunities in his field.

B. Dr. Michael Avaltroni, the dean of Fairleigh Dickinson University’s School of Pharmacy, spoke to students about healthcare options and developments and research in the pharmaceutical field.

A

C

C. Dr. Tamara Green ’90, who is board-certified in emergency medicine, shared with students how her interests in telemedicine, Medicaid populations and pediatrics led her to the Health Policy Fellowship in the Department of Emergency Medicine at George Washington University, where she seeks to gain experience and influence policy in her areas of expertise.

D. Brad Chernock ’03 shared his experiences in the medical field with NA students, including the differences between becoming a physician assistant and becoming a doctor.

B

D

NEWARK ACADEMY

15

NA NEWS

Three Special Speakers Celebrate Diversity and Cultivate Empathy

Rohan Murphy discussed the challenges of wrestling – with and without legs – and demonstrated techniques he used to overcome the limitations of his disability.

CHOOSE TO BE GREAT “I was dealt a bad hand in life, but I was not afraid to fail,” said Rohan Murphy, addressing the NA Middle School. Born with a birth defect, he lost both of his legs when he was four years old and was homeschooled until the third grade. “I realized I was different when I started going to school. There were so many things I couldn’t do that my friends could, like play sports,” recalled Rohan.

In eighth grade, Rohan became the manager for the soccer and wrestling teams, fulfilling his dream to be part of a sports team. His physical education teacher saw the potential in him and inspired Rohan to train to wrestle.

Rohan made his high school wrestling team. “At the first practice, all of my new teammates shook my hand and said it was great to have me on the team. For the first time, I felt accepted.”

He continued to push himself to overcome his disability and achieve greatness. “Legs or no legs, I was going to succeed.” Rohan won his high school wrestling team’s award for most improved wrestler and most valuable player (twice) and went on to wrestle as a Division I athlete at Penn State University, where he earned three varsity letters. He also participated in the Paralympic weightlifting events and was featured in Nike’s “No Excuses” campaign.

Rohan’s journey is one of triumph in the face of adversity. He received a warm ovation from Middle School students and faculty for his inspirational message: “All of you have a choice for what you do in life. Choose to be great. Be inclusive, not exclusive. Don’t be afraid of failing.”

16

LUMEN

I SPRING 2018

NEVER FORGET The room was silent when Hanna Wechsler lifted her sleeve and showed a group of NA students, staff and faculty members the identification number branded on her arm when she was just five years old. “I choose not to remember the numbers,” said Hanna, who shared her experiences as a child Holocaust survivor with the NA community in November.

Born in a small town in Poland in 1936, Hanna spoke calmly and eloquently about the horrors she and her family faced when Hitler invaded her country in 1939. From hiding in the cellar of a barn, to using false papers, to being captured, interrogated and tortured, and ultimately to surviving Auschwitz, Hanna and five members of her family, including both her parents, persevered.

They survived with the help of strangers who courageously hid them and offered their selfless support.

Now, nearly 80 years later, Hanna celebrates these strangers’ bravery by increasing awareness about the terrible things she experienced and fostering crucial conversations about discrimination. Her firsthand account reinforced the importance of empathy, and she left everyone in the room inspired by her message: “In the face of adversity, one can overcome and prevail.”

BE YOUR BEST SELF Photos of a baby boy crawling, of a young boy on his first day of school, of a young man at prom, of a man at his law school graduation and with his new wife, and finally of a woman speaking to an audience. “The photos you just saw show how absolutely normal my life was, and is,” said Robyn Gigl, a partner at the law firm GluckWalrath, LLP, and a nationally recognized speaker on legal issues impacting transgender individuals.

Robyn spoke affectingly to the NA community about this controversial topic as part of the Global Speaker Series.

“I was assigned male at birth and had advantages that others didn’t; I was white, male and heterosexual.

With those things came privilege.” Growing up, Robyn conformed to what society expected of her – living her life as male, despite knowing her gender identity was female. “My gender identity is not something I chose,” she said. Finally, after 55 years of living as a man, Robyn began the gender confirmation process.

Robyn discussed the struggles she faced – and still faces – going through this process, including those of telling her family, her employer and her friends. She raised awareness on the difficulties those in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual community still face. Her unique perspective on life has given her the motivation to educate people by sharing her story. “I have a platform that others don’t.

And my message to you is to be the best version of yourself possible.”

NEWARK ACADEMY

17

NA NEWS

A Place at the Table A Donna Reed Dinner Party Exemplifies the Politics of Change “Voices from the Modern World” was the focus of Amy Schottland’s spring term Politics of Change course in the Humanities Department.

In this course, students analyzed the history, sociological status, political conditions and contributions of those members of society who sought to make significant and sometimes revolutionary changes to the American landscape. The curriculum coverered the nature of the feminist revolution of the 20th century, the cultural and political ramifications of the counter-cultural movements of the 1960s, and the forces that are moving the rising generation toward cultural change today.

Little did the students know, when they signed up for the course, that they would be donning aprons and pearls and preparing recipes from a 1960s cookbook. The “Donna Reed” prototype – women who cooked breakfast in full makeup and waited with milk and cookies for their children to return home from school – provided much “food for thought” as Amy’s students analyzed the socio-historical trends and narrow gender roles that affected postwar, middle-class women.

By examining the challenges, the expectations and the constraints of domestic containment for women in the ’50s and ’60s, students were able to track the power of the women’s movement in effecting social changes in everyday life, in order to determine the legacy of those efforts today.

18

LUMEN

I SPRING 2018

PROJECTBASED LEARNING

NA’s Middle School Prepares Students for Upper School Academic Success The students in Newark Academy’s Middle School learn essential skills that will help them achieve success in their academic pursuits and in life. As they grow to become stronger readers, communicators and problem solvers, they also begin to develop greater intellectual curiosity. “The most important thing we try to instill in our students is the confidence that they can answer the big questions,” says Middle School Principal Tom Ashburn.

NEwARk ACADEMy

19

A Sixth-Grade Humanities Project Promotes Intellectual Inquiry Ten years ago, Humanities Teacher Beth Sparacino developed and implemented the Middle School Social Science Fair as part of the sixth-grade curriculum. “For democracy to thrive, citizens need to know how to be active participants,” Beth says. “Active participants should know how to acquire information through research, how to analyze arguments and how to disagree respectfully.”

Beth’s goal was to introduce the basic structure

allows them not only to practice their public

of the Upper School’s International Baccalaureate

speaking skills but also to receive important

(IB) Extended Essay to the sixth grade, teaching

feedback. “This facilitates reflection, as students

them early in their academic journeys how to con-

must re-examine, connect, critique and construct

duct research, write bibliographies, use databases

new understandings of the ideas committed to

and more. The Middle School Social Science Fair

paper,” says Beth, who reminds students that real

is the culmination of a dynamic learning process in

researchers engage in this process as well.

which students choose a topic of interest, conduct research, develop an argument, obtain feedback from their peers, and present to an audience.

“I like that both the Social Science Fair and the IB Program train students to sustain in-depth thinking

After a month of hard work, in class and through homework assignments, students eagerly share their projects – in the form of websites, poster boards and videos – with their family and friends at the annual Middle School Social Science Fair.

on one topic over time,” says Beth.

Before the fair, students present their research to their peers at a “Research Conference,” which

Sebastian Dias-Sotiriou ’24 shares his project on the Portuguese discovery of the world.

20

LUMEN

I SPRING 2018

Marley weidhorn ’24 shares her project on the Japanese-American internment with her mother Robin Weidhorn.

NA English Teacher Ed Pursell ’02 learns about Albert Einstein from Nicholas Hacking ’24.

Jack DeVirgilio ’24 discusses his project on Walt Disney with his mom, Kimberly DeVirgilio.

NEwARk ACADEMy

21

Anirudh (Ani) Chakravarthy ’24, who picked the topic “Malcom X: Civil Rights Champion” for his project, and classmate Jason Mo ’24, whose topic was “Qin Shi Huangdi: The Unifying Emperor,” take a break from answering questions about their topics.

Izzy Becker ’24 is thrilled to learn about classmate Nia Freeman’s project – “The Women’s Movement: A History of African American Activists From Mary Church Terrell to Oprah Winfrey.” Nia was inspired by Oprah’s speech at the Golden Globe Awards Ceremony.

22

LUMEN

I SPRING 2018

IB Diploma Candidates Reflect on Their Social Science Fair Projects As Middle School students, Ben kany ’18 and Tess Ostroff ’18 chose topics of personal interest to research for their Middle School Social Science Fair projects. Without their realizing it at the time, these topics would later become the foundations for their IB Extended Essays. Ben and Tess are both 2018 International Baccalaureate Diploma candidates and are well prepared to meet the academic challenges they will face at college and beyond.

BEN kANy ’18 Female Participation in Athletics “I knew that I wanted to research something sports-

but I knew little about female participation

related,” recalls Ben about his topic for the Middle

in the sport. One of my favorite movies is

School Social Science Fair. “I also knew that I

A League of their Own, which portrays the

wanted to research an aspect of sports that I didn’t

lives of the women who participated in the

know much about.” Cheering on his twin sister,

All-American Girls Professional Baseball

Samantha ’18, at her softball and basketball games

League.” Ben’s research expanded into an

inspired Ben to write about the impact of Title IX

exploration of how that league and the

on increasing female participation in athletics since

women in it influenced the future of and oppor-

its implementation in 1972. “This was my first time

tunities for women's professional sports.

doing any kind of research project. I learned how to find texts to support or refute my argument, find people to interview, come up with good interview and follow-up questions, and increase my confidence in writing.”

In an effort to inspire the newest members of the NA community as they embarked on their research journeys and prepared for the Middle School Social Science Fair, Ben presented to them at Morning Meeting about his own experi-

When he enrolled in the IB Program and had to

ences. “Your energy is focused on your passions

come up with a topic for his 4,000-word IB

and your enthusiasm becomes contagious when

Extended Essay, Ben once again knew he wanted

you talk to others about topics that you love.”

to research something sports-related that he didn’t know much about. “Baseball is my passion

Ben kany ’18 visits the Middle School Social Science Fair, reconnects with NA Humanities Teacher Beth Sparacino, learns about “The Boston Massacre” from James Morris ’24 and hears kaitlin Goguen-Compagnoni ’24 share her project, “Grace Hopper: Revolutionized Technology.”

NEwARk ACADEMy

23

TESS OSTROFF ’18 Surviving the Holocaust and Post-war Economic Conditions For her topic in the sixth grade, Tess wanted to

lenses of economics and gender, Tess explored

explore the history behind a significant event in her

how America became a consumer society and

family’s own past – her grandmother’s survival of

questioned the view that World War II was a

the Holocaust. “This was the first time I had thought

progressive time for women, instead showing how

about the Holocaust from a historical perspective

the war expanded their domestic roles. She even

rather than a personal perspective,” recalls Tess.

reflected on the research process in her college

“And this was one of the first projects that gave

application, where she wrote, “I embraced the

the power to me as a learner and showed me the

opportunity to research a topic in great depth and

importance of not only picking things you are

to learn how to become a scholar, not just a learner.

passionate about, but the importance of sharing

I saw my IB Extended Essay as a way to teach

your passions with others as well.”

others, and my journey to completion would be

Tess’ IB Extended Essay expanded on her earlier research of World War II, with a specific focus on post-war economic conditions. Through the dual

Current sixth-grader Julia Miller shares her project, “A Terrible Night kristallnacht,” with Tess Ostroff.

24

LUMEN

I SPRING 2018

one of my greatest learning experiences of my life.

I felt powerful.”

Sixth-Grade Science Project Foreshadows a Budding Career in Vertical Farming Little did Ashlyn Heller ’13 know that a project for her sixth-grade science class would lay the foundation for her future career.

Challenged with the task of creating an environmentally conscious project that would respond to climate change, Ashlyn and her science partner, Grace Thompson ’13, created a vertical farm model designed to feed urban populations while reducing land use.

Throughout the years, Ashlyn has continued to explore her passion for food – specifically in the areas of food writing and the psychology of food. After graduating from Amherst College last May, Ashlyn pursued an opportunity in San Francisco at Plenty, an indoor farming startup that has revolutionized urban farming technology.

“Vertical farming is the practice of growing produce in vertically stacked layers to attempt to produce food in challenging environments,” explains Ashlyn. In addition to traditional cultivation in soil, vertical farming may also use hydroponic or aeroponic growing methods. The many advantages of vertical farming include yearround crop production, elimination of agricultural runoff, a significant reduction of fossil fuel consumption, and the possibility of sustainable production for urban centers. Plenty, for example, builds its indoor farms near population centers, so its produce is grown without pesticides or herbicides, and is only a short drive from the local stores where it is sold.

“Since Plenty is a startup, I do a little bit of everything,” says Ashlyn.

She has worked with the farm operations, product development and post-harvest teams on sensory testing as well as with set designers, engineers and plant scientists to create an interactive tour facility that will change the way people think about farming.

Ashlyn credits her interests in agriculture to NA Science Teacher Deb Tavares, who inspired her 12 years ago to explore environmental science and vertical farming. “She made science fun and engaging and taught me that being curious and intellectual was cool, despite what sixth graders valued at that age,” recalls Ashlyn.

“Current students don’t know it yet, but they are so lucky to have a role model like Ms. Tavares.”

NEwARk ACADEMy

25

The last two weeks of the school year offer Upper

JUNE TERM COURSES

STIMULATE CURIOSITY AND CREATIVITY

School students in Grades 9–11 unique opportunities to pursue their passions and discover new interests through June Term courses. Combining intellectual rigor with exciting hands-on learning experiences, the courses reflect the remarkable diversity of interests and expertise among the NA faculty. Experiential learning is a core aspect of all June Term offerings and each course is taught by at least two faculty members.

FIVE NEW COURSES IN JUNE 2018!

In Catastrophe!

An Examination of Threats and Responses, students will use simulations, games and role-play scenarios to ponder the end of the world. How might it happen? Why are we so fascinated with the possibility? And what can we do about it?

What is language?

Where does it come from and where is it going?

Students in Parlez-vous Elvish? The Art and Science of Language Construction will learn about constructed languages and take a crack at developing their own, discovering along the way how politics, social mores and history shape how we communicate.

Students in Wilderness First Aid and Outdoor Skills will develop a repertoire of skills they can use as they face the elements and experience the wonders and challenges of the natural world. In addition to learning first aid and emergency techniques, they will assess weather conditions, identify plants, use universal emergency signals, and more.

Starting from basic physical principles and progressing through paper airplanes, gliders, rockets and drones, students in Making Things Fly: From Gliders to Rockets will explore the challenges and possibilities for constructing and manipulating all types of flying machines.

In Theatre for Social Action, students will unlock the power and possibilities of drama.

After learning the principles and strategies of Applied Theatre, Theatre of the Oppressed and Verbatim Theatre, students will work with another population to prepare and present a theatrical work that is a reflection of that population’s experiences.

To learn more about June Term 2018, the 25 course offerings and the faculty members involved, visit

www.newarka.edu/juneterm

26

LUMEN

I SPRING 2018

F R O M T H E H A L LWAY S T O T H E H I G H WAY S

How do Newark Academy students spend their summers?

by Jeff Vinikoor

L

ike generations of Minutemen past, today’s Newark Academy students spend their summers learning, working, growing and playing. Yet recent trends in how students spend their summers reflect broader economic and cultural shifts. on the one hand, today’s students are less likely to take summer jobs than were

students in the second half of the 20th century; youth summer employment nationally is at an all-time low. on the other hand, today’s students are more likely to participate in structured programs. Service trips, academic enrichment courses, athletic training camps and artistic conservatories are among the most popular.

Since the implementation of the immersion experience graduation requirement, travel has become an increasingly purposeful activity for nA students. To fulfill their requirement, many students participate in excursions organized by a newark Academy faculty member or by an approved third party. every year, a handful of students even design their own immersive programs. Director of immersion experiences Maria Teresa Mcneilly-Anta ’93 has worked with students to create a range of opportunities – from volunteering at a medical clinic in Senegal to living with a family in Denmark in order to learn Danish. “i’m always impressed by the sense of adventure among our student body,” says Maria Teresa. “There are few places our students haven’t been – or don’t want to go.”

An ever-increasing number of students are also seeking to use their summers to develop their skills and experiences in the STeM fields. Science faculty member nancy Celente, who holds the newly created position of STeM coordinator, matches students with internships and research opportunities. in recent years, nA students have interned as medical investigators at hospitals, lab assistants at universities, and programmers at technology companies. “The value of these summer experiences is unparalleled,” says nancy. “The students return from them with such passion for science and technology.” no matter how they spend their summers, all nA students find opportunities to reflect upon and, in many cases, enhance the learning they engage in throughout the academic year. in the pages that follow, we profile eight of these students, whose summer undertakings reflect the breadth of interests found among the student body.

›››

NEWARK ACADEMY

27

What should my son or daughter do over the summer?

Parents often pose this question to Middle School Principal Tom Ashburn and Upper School Principal Rich DiBianca. Last year, the principals shared a statement, excerpted below, in order to help students and parents think about the purpose of summer. “it is our belief that summers provide wonderful opportunities for children. first, we hope our students will use their summers to relax – because summers are well earned after a rigorous school year and because it is healthy to enter the subsequent school year feeling fresh. Second, we hope our students will use their summers for enjoyment – for adventures, for hobbies and for quality time with others. finally, we hope our students will use their summers to grow.

“Growth can take many forms. A wonderful thing about a 12-week-long summer is that there is time to explore in depth opportunities for growth that children cannot engage in routinely or meaningfully during a school year. Growth-inducing experiences take many forms – summer camps, structured enrichment experiences, jobs, immersion trips, volunteer work, or internships. ideally, these experiences and commitments allow students to engage deeply, and perhaps even have a transformative effect on their lives.”

Stephanie Do ’19 Lab Assistant Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine

What will your work this summer involve? i will be assisting in the Loh Lab and managing a specific project regarding part of early brain development. i will be working with stem cells and using different proteins to signal them to different steps in development.

What are you most looking forward to at the Institute this summer? i am looking forward to working with tissue culture and learning even more about stem cells and brain patterning. Last summer, i found it amazing to work with PhDs and undergrad students because they taught me so much more than i could have imagined. i am looking forward to seeing my work friends again.

28

LUMEN

I SPRING 2018

Nate Drogin ’22 Golf Training and Tournaments

When did you start golfing? i started golfing when i was two years old. i love it because it can be very competitive or just for fun. i do some golf-specific exercises to get stronger and hit the ball farther. My mother is a professional golf teacher, and she’s taught me a lot.

What role will golfing play in your summer?

Golfing is pretty much my whole summer. every day, i will go to the golf course and play. i don’t do much else besides golf. i am looking forward to playing in tournaments as well. i just love playing the sport as much as i can.

What will you do in Fiji? in addition to traveling around the island and exploring fiji’s waterfalls, rainforests and other natural wonders, i will spend 14 days in a host village, living with the locals and working on service projects. one of the projects involves building a kindergarten and working with children in the village.

Why Fiji? i have never gone to a country like fiji before. i am really excited to explore the cultural aspect of the country rather than what visitors usually come for: the beautiful beaches.

My trip will also fulfill my nA immersion graduation requirement.

Gianna Porcek ’20 Immersion Experience Living with a host family in Fiji

NEWARK ACADEMY

29

Sammi Powell ’19 Senior Company Member Paper Mill Playhouse Summer Conservatory

What is the Paper Mill Playhouse Summer Conservatory?

The Summer Conservatory at Paper Mill is a five-week intensive auditioned arts program. As a Senior Company Member, i’ll be taking three different classes – Musical Theatre Audition Workshop, Acting and Dance – and attending voice lessons. At the end of the summer, we put on a concert called new Voices.

What are you most looking forward to in the Conservatory this summer?

Definitely the dancing. i used to hate dancing because i’m not the best at it. but during the Conservatory last year, i danced so much that i started to actually really like it!

Rohan Gadhvi ’23 Spending the summer with friends and family and going to Camp Yawgoog

What is your typical summer day?

Many days, my friends and i go to the pool for the entire day. We then play billiards. i usually help my dad cook dinner. At night, my parents, sister and i might play a board game like risk or Monopoly.

And you’ll also be attending camp? i’ll be spending a week at Camp yawgoog, a sleepaway camp in rockville, rhode island. i’ve been a camper there for the last two summers. every night, we have a campfire, sing songs and perform skits. Although the food isn’t the best, the exciting atmosphere makes camp an awesome experience.

30

LUMEN

I SPRING 2018

Spencer Wang ’19 Translator Beijing Central Conservatory of Music

What does your work as a translator involve?

This will be my second year working as a translator for the beijing Central Conservatory of Music. each summer, the Conservatory invites the best young pianists, cellists and violinists from around China to new york to take lessons from established American music teachers, performers and composers. These young Chinese musicians don’t speak english, so i translate instructions into Mandarin.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of translation?

Last summer, i loved interacting with the kids. Their ages ranged from eight to eighteen years old, so to many of them i seemed less like a towering adult and more like a fellow peer or an older brother. Having dialogues with people who shared my racial background but had a completely different upbringing was eye-opening, yet it made me realize how similar we are.

Lauren Dougherty ’19 Food Prep and Service Montclair Beach Club

What will your work involve? i have worked at the snack bar for several summers. i am a “salad girl,” which means i make all the sandwiches, salads and wraps. in addition to preparing and making food, i help out at the counter by taking customer orders. i also take inventory and help sort out our deliveries.

What are you most looking forward to this summer? i know some customers very well and always look forward to seeing them. for example, we all know the usual order for an older woman named Charlotte. We always bring her meal to her lounge chair because she has trouble walking. each year she writes us a kind letter, thanking us for giving her “celebrity treatment.”

NEWARK ACADEMY

31

x TED

NewarkAcademy April 6, 2018

IT WAS STANDING ROOM ONLY at the TeDx newarkAcademy event and the positive energy in kaltenbacher Hall was contagious. newark Academy is no stranger to providing dynamic learning opportunities that provoke discussions on global issues for students and faculty members, and the TeDx presentations, which focused on the theme “Time out,” did just that. featured speakers from across the nA community captivated the audience as they spoke powerfully about topics ranging from gender discrimination, the internet, music and more.

The presentations empowered everyone to imagine what is possible and that by taking risks and stepping out of comfort zones, we can unlock the genius of a generation.

How Distraction Fuels Creativity – Kianni Keys ’19

Want to Succeed? Try Doing the Unexpected – Samarth Desu ’19

More TEDx Presentations Included: The effect of Psychological Momentum in Sports – Zachary Burd ’19 The STEM-Humanities Dichotomy and Education – Giulia Socolof ’19

The internet: A Substitute Complement to Creativity – Drew Flanagan ’19 Music: The front of Medication – Tyler Kung ’19

32

LUMEN

I SPRING 2018

The Work-Child balance and How To Get it: Women, Time out, and an end to Discrimination – Rayna Lifson, Humanities faculty

ROLE MODEL CITIZENS

B E I N G A N E X E M P L A RY C I T I Z E N TA K E S CO U R AG E .

It demands that one channel one’s own passion into the challenging, uncertain and very public work of cultivating the passions and energies of others – all in an attempt to make a lasting, positive mark on the world. Newark Academy is proud of the alumni who represent us through their dedication and meaningful contributions to their communities and to all of our lives.

NEWARK ACADEMY

33

ROLE MODEL CITIZENS

ANNE CATHARINE STRAND REEVES ’83

A VISION FOR SELMA

L

by Debra Marr

ast September, I had the opportunity to travel, on a work assignment, to a place I had no idea would leave such a penetrating and lasting impression. Selma,

Alabama, had previously not been on my list of “must-see” cities, but now that I have been there, I look forward to returning.

During the hourlong, early morning drive on Highway 80 from Montgomery to Selma with my videographercolleague Michael Branscom, the rising sun cast a surreal glow on the mist hovering above the dew-laden cotton fields. The surrounding sights – rolling meadows, dilapidated farms and rusted pickup trucks – seemed foreign to our northern New Jersey sensibilities. Yet the entrancing aura heightened our anticipation of what the day would bring.

The lonely highway merged abruptly at the infamous Edmund Pettus Bridge crossing the Alabama River, which took us right into the heart of downtown Selma. For several minutes, I felt suspended in time as I struggled to recall, in as much detail as possible, the horrific events that had occurred on this bridge in March 1965. The sense of sorrow, both in my heart and in the town, was pervasive.

A few blocks beyond the bridge, we met our producer, Bob Levin, at a local coffee shop to plan the day’s video interview with former Newark Academy Head of School Allan Strand. At 7:30 a.m. on that beautiful weekday morning, Bob was the coffee shop’s only patron. On nearby streets, there was no rush-hour traffic. The city felt eerily empty. I looked around, with a heavy heart, at the broken windows and boarded-up buildings and wondered what it would take for this sad place to come back to life.

From almost every vantage point in the city, you can see the bridge…

If Selma can get her act together, she can become a catalyst for change.”

– A.C. Strand Reeves ’83

34

LUMEN

I SPRING 2018

love story with this “town wrapped in shame” exemplifies what it means to truly be a citizen of a place.

DEFINED BY SHAME

The Bridgetender’s House

Dr. Strand’s charming residence was in a small enclave of Victorian homes just minutes from downtown. He and his wife, Anne, had moved to Selma from Oxford, Mississippi, several years earlier to be closer to their daughter, Anne Catharine (A.C.), and her family. After spending the day interviewing Dr. Strand and recording his recollections for NA’s Oral History and Archives Project, I was thrilled by the invitation to tour the former Bridgetender’s House, built into a cliff on the banks of the Alabama River and currently owned by the Strands.

From the top balcony of the eclectic cottage, Anne was able to discern her daughter talking to a tourist at the top of the Edmund Pettus Bridge. I soon learned that A.C. is a driving force in the effort to revitalize Selma. While she admits that she moved there “kicking and screaming” nearly 20 years ago, she has grown to love her adopted hometown and has demonstrated great passion and commitment to helping it heal. A.C.’s amazing

When A.C. first moved to Selma, she and her husband, Allen, had two small daughters, so early morning walks with strollers became a daily routine. It was on those walks that A.C. fell in love with Selma – its architecture, its landscape and its people.

She routinely ran into the same fellow walkers and discovered they were quirky, kind and wonderful neighbors. “The community is like a big hug,” she says. “There’s always someone to pull you up.”

At the same time, a shroud of shame engulfs the town. “From almost every vantage point in the city, you can see the bridge,” A.C. says. Selma has been broken wide open and continues to be defined by the worst day in its history. “Because we live with the pain of the past, which personified systemic hate, we have been reaching out to one another more than in any place I have ever lived,” says A.C. “If Selma can get her act together, she can become a catalyst for change.” But A.C. readily admits that the city is broken and its residents are easily driven to despair.

To change a community, you need risk-takers, people who are willing to bet on Selma, renovate buildings and create lofts so people will begin to gather downtown. When people are engaged in downtown activities together, crime goes in another direction.”

– A.C. Strand Reeves ’83

NEWARK ACADEMY

35

ROLE MODEL CITIZENS

A 12-LAYER CAKE A.C. recalls that her maternal grandmother was a strong, beautiful and complicated woman whom her son referred to as “a 12-layer cake.” He would say, “You think you have figured her out, but then realize that you have only gotten to the third layer.” A.C. now uses that same analogy to describe Selma’s complicated identity and multiple, intertwined layers. In its past, hopeful civil rights landmarks stand out against its more recent, darker history. “A founder of the Selma Suffrage Association, Hattie Hooker Wilkins, was the first woman elected to the Alabama State Legislature in 1922,” A.C. notes, “and Benjamin Sterling Turner, the first African American elected to office in Alabama, in 1871, was also from Selma.”

For the past 20 years, A.C. has looked intensely at the city and its history.

She has experienced the shame, the dysfunction, the beauty and the potential, and she says she continues to discover new layers as her commitment deepens and grows. Thus, she is driven to help Selma heal. “To change a community,

Selma artist Charlie Lucas with A.C. in his “Tin Man” art studio

you need risk-takers, people who are willing to bet on Selma, renovate buildings and create lofts so people will begin to gather downtown. When people are engaged in downtown activities together, crime goes in another direction,” she says.

In October 2016, A.C. established the “1st Morning Art Walk.” It began with three artists who opened their studios to

the public on the first Saturday of each month. It has grown to 10 stops and has proved to be a catalyst for attracting more artists to the riverfront city. Future plans include partnering with other organizations to offer art and photography workshops, civil and voting rights workshops, and a writer’s conference.

FROM GLOOM TO GLAM THE REVIVAL OF THE HISTORIC F.W. WOOLWORTH BUILDING

A.C. and her partners have contributed to the redevelopment of downtown Selma in myriad ways, including the renovation of 11 lofts and three retail spaces. But the project dearest to her heart has finally come to fruition. A.C. has been in love with the old abandoned Woolworth building on Broad Street since she first set eyes on it. Fortunately, Selma did not have the demolition funds that were prevalent throughout the country in the ’50s and ’60s, so the beautiful building, with its stained-glass windows, is still intact.

Selma has the largest historic district in the state of Alabama and is one of the top five historic districts in the country.

Even with this admirable designation, there has been little investment in the architectural treasures of Selma. In her most ambitious renovation project to date, A.C. and her business partners purchased the Woolworth building and recently completed a ninemonth, $700,000 renovation. With local builders and artisans, they created six stunning loft units on the second floor and are currently creating a special place for visitors and

36

LUMEN

I SPRING 2018

A.C. at the 5 & Dime

A.C.’S SELMA SAMPLER TOUR What’s in Store on a Selma Tour?

The 90-minute, 3-mile circle: n

n

n

New loft spaces in the old Woolworth buidling

n

n

Bienville Monument: commemorating the engagement between French explorer and colonial governor Bienville and the Alibamo Indians on the bluff along the Alabama River Monument honoring Lafayette’s visit to Selma in 1845 The Amphitheater, which was originally the old train shed where Sam Zemurray departed Selma for Mobile to pick up free over-ripe bananas at the port to bring back to Selma to sell – the humble beginnings of the global corporation United Fruits The “Sleeping Prophet” Edgar Cayce’s photography studio The Edmund Pettus Bridge

Other area attractions: n

Brown Chapel AME Church: headquarters during the voting rights movement

n

Historic Water Avenue

n

Jackson House Historic Site

n

National Voting Rights Museum & Institute

n

Old Depot Museum

n

Old Live Oak Cemetery

n

Selma Art Guild Gallery

n

Selma Interpretive Center

n

n

Selma Voting Rights Monument and Park Temple Mishkan Israel

locals on the ground level. To complete A.C.’s dream, the 5 & Dime, a wi-fi café, will debut later this year with a specially crafted menu that A.C. will personally develop.

A.C. loves to meet tourists and has been sharing Selma’s story with them for two decades. “Tour buses come to Selma daily,” she explains. “Visitors walk to the bridge, go to the interpretive center, then head back to Montgomery, leaving Selma to exist as if in a time capsule.” With her new venture, A.C. is seeking to change that dynamic. She wants to give people the opportunity to come to the city, walk the bridge, experience the catharsis, share in the healing and feel the love of the community. She wants visitors to come to the café to sit, spend time with the locals, and begin to create a new story for the city.

“Nobody is ever going to fix this community,” says A.C., “but if people come and share their love, the healing will begin.” A.C.’s goal is to “make a tub of love” beginning with a smile, a grilled cheese sandwich and a cup of homemade soup.

She firmly believes that Selma is on the brink of tipping in a new direction: “I’m definitely betting on this community – and it’s a worthy bet.”

NEWARK ACADEMY

37

ROLE MODEL CITIZENS

BY JESSICA LUBOW

JAMES SOLOMON

THINKING LOCALLY

’02 The federal government dominates the daily news headlines with topics ranging from immigration to trade to constitutional rights. While we can debate the effectiveness of Washington lawmakers when it comes to tackling these major issues, we all know that D.C. is not the place to turn if you need your street repaved, or if you are concerned about a big-box store changing the character of your town center.

When James Solomon interned on Capitol Hill during college, he was struck by how removed he felt from the constituents he and his colleagues were serving. “I have always loved politics,” he says, “but my time in Washinton, D.C., made me realize that my passion is at the local level, where the outcomes directly affect citizens’ daily lives.”

James, a professor of public policy and political science at St. Peter’s University and Hudson County Community College, moved to Jersey City with his family in 2014.

Soon after, having waged a successful battle against lymphoma, he heard his call to action and launched his first political campaign.

Jersey City has been experiencing a huge construction boom, but James was concerned that the City’s long-time residents were missing out on the new prosperity. “There wasn’t enough balance between the interests of the developers and the City’s need for affordable housing, public parks, and so forth,” he explains. “I also care deeply about the safety of our streets. With the influx of so many new residents, traffic was worsening, putting more wear and tear on the roads and creating unsafe conditions for pedestrians. I saw the need for more thoughtful, independent leadership in my new hometown, and I was ready to make a difference,” he recalls.

As a political novice in a well-seasoned field, James took many by surprise with his 2017 victory in the city council race for Jersey City’s Ward E. James knows his biggest challenge is to represent all of his constituents, from the city’s old guard to its new young professionals. If his experiences on the campaign trail are any indication, his neighbors are eager to make personal connections with their recently elected representative. “I have been honored to be invited into people’s living rooms and to their neighborhood association meetings,” says James.

“Getting to know the people directly, and to understand the concerns they have about our town – this is what local government is all about.”

38

LUMEN

I SPRING 2018

ROLE MODEL CITIZENS

CREATING GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES

MARC STUART ’82

Perhaps if more thinkers and entrepreneurs could find ways to marry profit with environmentally friendly outcomes, our climate and our world would be on more stable footing. Marc Stuart has worked to achieve this very combination, and we can only hope that others will follow his lead.

The Kyoto Protocol, adopted by the United Nations in 1997, set mandatory targets for greenhouse gas emissions for the many countries who participated in the agreement. Marc, in an exceptional stroke of good timing, was working in the emissions trading field at the time. He and a colleague, recognizing that their expertise aligned perfectly with this historic agreement, founded EcoSecurities, a company whose mission was to facilitate trade in the international emissions market. Countries with robust manufacturing and energy sectors were emitting more greenhouse gases than allowed by the Kyoto Protocol, whereas smaller countries with less-developed economies often came in under their limits. The Protocol allowed for the swapping of emissions “credits,” limiting the overall amount of global emissions while allowing all countries involved to benefit from the trades. EcoSecurities managed many of these transactions.

In addition to managing its clients’ emissions trades, EcoSecurities invested in promising renewable energy projects around the world. Marc sold the company to investors in 2009 and focused his interest on the production side of environmentally friendly energy, creating his current venture, Allotrope Partners. “We are in the midst of a major transition to a global economy fueled by renewable energy,” says Marc. “Allotrope is developing energy-production facilities that embody that change.”

For example, the company built and operates a wood mill in Northern California. “We have a forest management crisis in California,” explains Marc. “In its ideal natural state, a mature forest contains a combination of healthy, large (and therefore more fire-resistant) trees along with a lower level of small trees and underbrush, which serve as fuel for periodic, natural fires.”

Currently, however, many of California’s forests are overgrown with small trees, creating perfect conditions for enormous fires like those that recently raged across the Montecito and Northern California area. “Our mill makes use of trees that are too small for building material, and therefore not of interest to the larger sawmills. We clear these trees out of the forest, where they are serving as dangerous fuel, and turn them into useful products such as fence-posts and packaged firewood.”

Marc is optimistic that his company’s approach, using market forces to solve environmental problems, is a winning formula for both businesses and citizens.

NEWARK ACADEMY

39

ROLE MODEL

DANIA MATOS

CITIZENS

SEEING THE UNSEEN

’99 With whom do you share a community? For most of us the answers are easy — our neighbors, our colleagues, our classmates. Dania Matos chooses to go deeper. Dania has focused her life and her career on expanding her community to include those who don’t have a voice, a name, an identity — or at least not one that is acknowledged by most.

“Growing up, my family experienced a variety of economic circumstances,” says Dania. “At times we were comfortable, but there were also tough periods. We were even homeless for a while.” As a result, Dania is keenly aware of the challenges facing those on the lowest rungs of the economic ladder.

Dania has always been a “do-gooder,” as her mother calls her. After becoming a successful attorney in Washington, D.C., Dania remembered the unseen members of her community, even as she was enjoying the privilege of a comfortable salary. Her church was doing good work with the city’s homeless population, but Dania felt their efforts needed a boost. In the weeks before her 36th birthday last June, she compiled care packages of toiletries, clothing, food and other necessities for the men and women she saw each day living in the city’s parks and streets. Along with a happy troupe of helping friends and family, Dania drove downtown on her birthday and distributed the gifts, along with cupcakes. (It was a party, after all.)

For Dania, the most satisfying part of the day was not the material comfort she provided, but the nearly five hours she spent talking, praying and sharing stories with the homeless men and women she met. “Everyone wants to be heard — to make a human connection,” she says. “Homelessness is not a condition, it’s a circumstance, and everyone has a unique story to tell.”

Dania never takes her good fortune for granted, and she would never be satisfied using her education to advance only her own circumstances. As a law student she volunteered for the Innocence Project, working with people who had been wrongly convicted of crimes. Once freed, they were often burdened by inaccurate arrest records and denied even their basic rights as citizens. Dania and her colleagues did their best to help these citizens regain their rights and re-enter society. Later, as a trilingual attorney, she knew she was uniquely qualified to help the homeless population around D.C., where she volunteered regularly in shelters.

“People with a language barrier are especially vulnerable to the legal system,” Dania notes, “and I could be not only their translator, but their legal advocate.”

Dania’s latest venture has taken her well south of the city, to the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, where she has been named the first deputy chief diversity officer. She describes the position as her dream job. “In this role, I have the opportunity to bring everyone into the fold and encourage them to share their stories. This is not only the common thread of my career, but the principle that guides me through life.”

40

LUMEN

I SPRING 2018

ROLE MODEL CITIZENS

CITIZEN, SOLDIER

NICK WILLIAMS ’13

When Nick Williams arrived at Newark Academy as a sixth grader, it didn’t take him long to realize that smart, driven kids were the norm here, not the exception. “I remember telling my mom, ‘I don’t know if I can do this — the work is so hard!’” With a gentle nudge, she helped Nick come around to a new vision of himself and his place in the NA community. By senior year, Nick had come to truly appreciate the school’s motto, Ad Lumen. “Toward the Light means something different to everyone at NA, but to me it was about being a good steward of everything NA stands for — excellence both in and out of the classroom.”

Nick appears hard-wired to hold himself to the highest standards as an athlete, a student and a leader. Being a citizen of any community or country involves accepting certain responsibilities for its well-being. For most of us, these responsibilities amount to obeying the law, paying our taxes, and perhaps looking out for our neighbors. Nick is taking his responsibility as a citizen to a higher level, serving in the military as a defender of the rights and freedoms that all of us hold dear.

Nick was recruited to the United States Military Academy (West Point) as a student-athlete, and just as he had at NA, Nick soon found great success both on the soccer field and in the larger West Point community. Nick became soccer team captain, and in his senior year he was elevated to the rank of Company Commander, effectively functioning as the “CEO” of the four platoons of cadets within his company. “As a Commander I was responsible for the cadets’ success in the three pillars of training at West Point: academic, military, and physical,” he says. “The biggest challenge was figuring out how to be a friend to my peers while serving the larger mission of the Company.

Our motto, ‘Be in the right place at the right time, doing the right thing,’ always had to be in the front of my mind.”

Since graduating in June 2017, Nick has served as the director of operations for the USMA soccer team. This spring, he will begin four months of logistics training at Fort Lee in Virginia, after which he will deploy to Germany for his first assignment outside the U.S.

NEWARK ACADEMY

41

A DVA N C E M E N T

March 6, 2018

A new record was set for the greatest amount raised in a 24-hour period!

NA’s Day of Giving is a fun way to celebrate the generosity of the community while supporting the Annual Fund through a spirited campaign and social media blitz.

This year’s Day of Giving set a new fundraising record for NA. At the end of the day, the generosity demonstrated by the NA community was astounding:

Alumni, parents, faculty and staff contributed more than

$195,000!

42

LuMen

I SPRING 2018

ONE DAY FOR NA

we MAde the CALL

And you Answered!

24 hours

77 voLunteer CALLers

380 donors

47 new donors (first tiMe gift)

$15,000 LArgest gift

67 ALuMni CLAsses hAd At LeAst one MeMber pArtiCipAte

top tweet

CARPOOL KARAOKE!

236 995 63

video views iMpressions generAted

engAgeMents

Check out that video and more at www.newarka.edu/onedayfornA

newArk ACAdeMy

43

A DVA N C E M E N T

And Now, For the Finale!

Rise & Flourish turns the spotlight on nA’s Auditorium

Rise to the Trustee Gift Challenge! when walking into newark Academy’s rose Auditorium, alumni from 1965 through the present are flooded with memories: “oh, i remember this smell”… “that was my seat … “it seemed so much bigger when i was a kid.” in the lives of many nA students, the auditorium is a place of “firsts.” it is the first place a young student stands before an audience, the first time a student advocates for an idea or a cause, and perhaps the first time a student experiences his or her own ideas challenged. truly the heart of the nA campus, the auditorium is also a place of final bows – Middle school graduation, the final curtain in the winter Musical and now, the final capital project to be undertaken in the Rise & Flourish campaign.

Collectively, gifts from the nA trustees will provide a fund of $1 million that will be used to match every new gift and pledge to the auditorium project through december 31, 2018.

A preview of these inspiring plans took place on April 11 at a gathering of NA parents, alumni, faculty and Trustees. Noting that enthusiastic support for the auditorium project will be essential, Board of Trustees Chairman David McGraw ’77 and Trustee Advancement Chair Marika Alzadon ’89 announced to the community the Trustee Gift Challenge. “Every member of the Board of Trustees has already made a generous gift to Rise & Flourish,” David said, “and those gifts went to one or more of the previous capital projects. To ensure that our entire

According to Marika, she and her fellow members of the Board hope that the Trustee Gift Challenge will inspire the community to join the auditorium effort. “In order to continue our fiscal discipline of beginning construction when gifts and pledges to the project reach 50 percent of the total cost, we are going to need $2.5 million to put a shovel in the ground on the auditorium. We believe the Trustee Gift Challenge can jump-start this effort.”

L

44

community understands the importance of the auditorium project, Trustees are leading the way by making additional gifts earmarked for the auditorium.”

ikely a $4.5 to $5 million renovation and expansion project, the auditorium project will bring this distinctive facility into the 21st century with seating for 750, updated acoustics, significantly improved lighting and muchneeded storage spaces. According to Walter Kneis of NK Architects, “The design will reflect the pivotal role that the space plays in the life of the school and the quality of the Academy’s students and programs.”

LuMen

I SPRING 2018

The April 11 event also included remarks by former NA school president Kyle Ostroff ’09 who reminded the audience of the importance of the auditorium in student leadership development. Arts Department Chair Elaine Brodie also spoke, proudly describing the myriad accomplishments of NA performers and sharing her dream of how the new facility will allow for more robust demonstrations of students’ talents.

To make a gift or pledge to Rise & Flourish in support of the auditorium project, contact Lisa Grider at lgrider@newarka.edu or 973-992-7000, ext. 320, or visit the website at www.riseandflourish.org

keep rising!

Kyle Ostroff ‘09 and Elaine Brodie, Arts Department Chair

$34 M $32 M

Rise & Flourish: The Campaign for Newark Academy surpassed its goal of $30 million in october 2017! An additional $2.5 million is needed to begin the renovation and expansion of the auditorium.

$30 M (Goal)

$30 MILLION GOAL REACHED

$28 M $26 M $24 M $22 M $20 M $18 M $16 M $14 M $12 M $10 M $8 M

young ALuMni:

Stay Tuned for a Special Opportunity to Support Rise & Flourish!

$6 M $4 M $2 M 0

exCeeding expeCtAtions: gifts And pLedges top 700 As Rise & Flourish: The Campaign for Newark Academy enters its final months, its success is a testament to the community’s “generosity of spirit” and the collective will to ensure Newark Academy’s strength for the next 50 years. To date, donors have made just over 700 gifts to Rise & Flourish, vastly exceeding any other fundraising effort in the Academy’s history.

Campaign Chair Jeff Kaplan calls the response to the campaign extraordinary. “Rise & Flourish truly is evidence of the breadth and depth of the NA community. We (the Campaign Executive Committee) agreed when we began this effort that we would go beyond the numerical goal of $30 million to create something that would bring our community together in an inspiring and transformative experience. I think we’re reaching that ambitious goal, too.”

hearing the great news that your alma mater is well on its way to securing more than $32 million in gifts and pledges makes most young alumni proud. when you’re working in your very first job or just starting your family, that news can also make you feel that any donation you could afford wouldn’t make a difference.

Nothing could be further from the truth! Later this year, the Rise & Flourish Campaign Committee will be making a very special announcement just for alumni who graduated in the past 15 years.

This special effort will allow the youngest members of the NA alumni community to make a very important and visible impact on the renovation and expansion of the NA auditorium.

Stay tuned for more information in September.

Until then, thanks to all alumni, parents, grandparents, faculty, staff and students for the tremendous support of Rise & Flourish!

newArk ACAdeMy

45

A DVA N C E M E N T

Marika Alzadon ‘89 Discusses Her Role as Advancement Chair

Describe the responsibilities of this role.

What does the role entail?

The role of Advancement Chair is to advocate for and support the work being done by the four subcommittees that make up the Advancement Committee: Institutional Identity Committee, Annual Giving Committee, Constituent Relations Committee and the Campaign Executive Committee.

What are your goals as Advancement Chair?

As Advancement Chair, I continue to help advance the school’s strategic plan by making sure we carry out the school’s mission. In the short term, my goal is to help fulfill what we set out to do with Rise & Flourish: The Campaign for Newark Academy: positioning NA for all its students’ needs for the next 50 years.

The renovation of the auditorium will complete the work of Rise & Flourish.

Once we complete the auditorium renovation and expansion, we can look ahead to celebrating NA’s 250th Anniversary and to increasing the school’s endowment.

None of this would have been possible without the commitment and hard work of so many before me and I feel it’s my duty to make sure we continue to build on that momentum.

Why is it important to you to be involved with NA in this capacity?

Marika Alzadon joined Newark Academy’s Board of Trustees in 2015.

She currently serves as Chair of the Advancement Committee and is a member of both the Trusteeship Committee and the Campaign Executive Committee. Marika and her husband, Sam Cole, have two children at NA – Benjamin ‘21 and Ava ‘22 – and a younger son, Jacob, who will be a sixth-grade student at NA in the fall.

One of the things I truly valued from my time at NA were my teachers. They were my champions and encouraged me to explore my passions.”

– Marika Alzadon ‘89

46

LuMen

I SPRING 2018

I have two kids at the school right now and one coming next year so I see firsthand how impactful the improvements to the school are. It’s truly humbling when I think of those who had the vision and the forethought to begin Rise & Flourish eight years ago, those who donated their time and money to completing each phase – my kids are benefiting from all of that. I’d like to pay it forward to make sure kids continue to benefit from an NA education for years to come.

Describe how your experiences with NA as a student, a parent and an alumna – have impacted your life so far?

One of the things I truly valued from my time at NA were my teachers. They were my champions and encouraged me to explore my passions. They cut through all the noise of grades, and college acceptances and rejections, and gave me some valuable perspective on how to live my life and the courage to forge my own path in the world. I think that’s what an NA education is all about. And that spirit holds true today as I watch my kids navigate their own experiences at NA. As a parent, I am acutely aware of the rising cost of education in this country. I don’t think I fully appreciated the financial sacrifices my parents made to send me to NA all those years ago nor did I understand its intrinsic value. For a long time, I thought a donation’s impact is measured directly by the dollar amount. Then a few years ago I attended the Women of NA Luncheon. Professor Adrien Wing ‘74 was the keynote speaker and spoke about her mother’s commitment to quality education and her determination for Adrien to attend NA despite the financial burden it would have on their family. Adrien’s mother gave to the Annual Fund every year until she died and that story has stayed with me ever since. It’s in that spirit that I approach my own giving. NA helped shape who I am today and I want to make sure I honor that in some way, even after my kids are no longer in the building.

buiLding CoMMunity

Newark Academy Parents Association (NAPA)

t

he mission of the newark Academy parents Association (nApA) has always been to support the school by fostering an inclusive sense of community, strengthening school culture, encouraging a spirit of generosity, creating enduring bonds

between the school and families, and connecting families with one another. “together, as a parents’ association, we support the school and adapt to its changing needs,” says nApA president Lisa powers. the goals for her term centered on building on nApA’s strengths. “nApA’s role in fundraising for the school has evolved as nA has professionalized its fundraising program, and nApA remains focused on its mission to help build a sense of community for nA families.” “the strength and the beauty of the nA community come from its diversity of backgrounds and cultures,” says nApA vice president nino badridze, who will assume the role of nApA president in July. nino has worked closely with nA to create educational opportunities for parents through the nApA speaker series and to gauge parent interest in topics for upcoming presentations. “we recognize that not all parents are able to be involved in our activities for a variety of reasons, and we will continue to work on creating a broader range of opportunities to get involved.”

“nApA remains focused on its mission to help build a sense of community for nA families.”

– Lisa powers, nApA president

kristen Carlberg, Lisa powers, pricilla Amalraj, nino badridze

newArk ACAdeMy

47

ALUMNI NEWS

Message from Glenn Waldorf ’90 President, alumni Board of Governors

Teeing Up for a Minuteman Tradition As we go to print with the spring issue of Lumen, the Alumni Board of Governors is working hard to produce Newark Academy’s 21st Annual Minuteman Golf and Tennis Invitational. We anticipate that more than 100 alumni, parents, current and former faculty members, and friends will gather for golf, tennis, lunch, cocktails and dinner at Mountain Ridge Country Club in West Caldwell, New Jersey, on May 21. This event is always a great way to relax with old pals, make new friends and entertain business associates.

“The harder you work, the luckier you get.”

– Gary Player

Even if you don’t play golf or tennis – and I never punish any of our players by joining their foursomes – the whole NA community is invited to raise a glass and enjoy a delicious dinner. I am grateful to my predecessors on the Alumni Board of Governors who created this event for all of us to “friend raise” and fundraise for NA. It’s important to share the history of this event and to thank the many alumni who have played and continue to play major roles in its success.

The Minuteman Golf outing was the idea of Peter Berhle ’69, who served Newark Academy as a member of both the Board of Governors and the Board of Trustees.

In the 1990s, Peter noted all the positives of the Newark Academy Parents Association’s Winter Gala and believed that the Board of Governors should host a golf outing to build our alumni community and raise funds for the school.

48

lumen

I SPRING 2018

The first Invitational in 1998 was cochaired by William Colin ’67 and Joseph DeJianne ’70. Since the event’s inception, the proceeds from the Minuteman Invitational have been directed to NA’s endowment and to specific campaigns that target NA’s long-term needs. The Invitational has helped fund continuing education for NA’s faculty and other school priorities including the Simon Family Field House and Rise & Flourish: The Campaign for Newark Academy. After the first few years of the event, the Mulvihill family (Gene ’76, Peter ’77, Julie ’78, Andrew ’81, James ’82 and Alexandra ’08) offered NA the use of the Crystal Springs Golf Resort in Sussex County, and their support boosted the Invitational’s financial success.

Each year, the Board of Governors works hard to keep the event fresh and fun.

Our diligent group of volunteers expanded the event to include tennis

and created a special pricing tier to attract young alumni. (That said, I’m grateful that the committee decided to pass on certain innovations: replacing sand traps with bear traps, requiring everyone to quote Caddyshack during dinner, and making players putt through a windmill on the final hole.)

Among the enhancements to the event have been the following: n

n n

n

n

changing clubs to give players a new experience – our alumni were very pleased with Mountain Ridge, where we played for our third consecutive year; adding a tennis round-robin; encouraging young alumni participation, by offering discounted pricing for graduates from the past 10 years; including cars as prizes for players who sink a hole-in-one; and refreshing our awards, gifts and raffle with well-received prizes and stylish NA wear.

I can’t express enough appreciation for our long-serving volunteers, from both on and off the Board of Governors, who have helped to organize this event and make it a fun and memorable experience. Many thanks to Darren Eskow ’94, Jacqueline Fleysher ’93, Noah Franzblau ’86, Jeff Heller ’81, Ian Josloff ’90, Wayne Kent ’85, Scott Newman ’73, Kim Wachtel ’86, Gayle Wieseneck, and Brian Zucker ’84.

WHere We’ve Been …

Reception at the National Press Club in D.C. novemBer 30, 2017 last november, alumni joined na Head of School don austin at the national Press club in Washington, d.c. The event featured lawyer, author, television commentator and strategist lanny davis ’63, who provided an insider’s perspective on what’s happening behind the scenes in Washington.

We are also grateful that Coach Jeff Kacur has maintained close ties to NA since his retirement and serves as an important part of our committee. We are especially thankful for Steve Lustig ’91 and Matt Haiken ’01, who support the outing every year by providing two cars each from their dealerships, giving players the opportunity to win one with a hole-in-one shot.

Finally, let me thank the Governors on our Board who have worked very hard to make this event a great success. We are so lucky to have the strong contributions of committee chair Justin Garrod ’93 and members Dan Cronheim ’72, Kumar Ghafoor ’10, Pete Gruenberg ’81 and Katie Johnson ’11. We appreciate all those named here and the many other alumni who, in the past 21 years, have been and continue to be so generous with their time, leadership and support.

Whatever your age or skill level, we encourage you to pick up a club or racquet and join us at next year’s Minuteman Golf and Tennis Invitational!

▲ Head of School don austin with lanny davis ’63

Wine Tasting in San Francisco January 18, 2018 alumni were treated to a wine tasting at The university club of San Francisco led by christopher cardoso ’00, guest services, at darioush Winery. The group had an opportunity to learn about the winery and to taste a number of their wines. They cheered when christopher demonstrated the sabering of a bottle of sparkling wine.

▲ Sarita Govani ’92, andrew Somberg ’07, christopher cardoso ’00, lisa Grider, director of institutional advancement, amy Savalia Patel ’00

c o n T i n u e d o n Pa G e 5 0

neWark academy

49

ALUMNI NEWS

WHere We’ve Been …

Get-Together in Los Angeles January 19, 2018 ▲

na alumni, along with former faculty members Scott and Julie Jacoby, gathered at the velvet lounge in the culver Hotel in culver city for drinks and hors d’oeuvres. it was great seeing so many of our l.a.-area alumni in attendance, and we look forward to returning soon!

rashea Williams Hall ’95 and Jade-addon Hall ’98

▲

Julie Jacoby, former faculty, and liz maccie chbosky ’93

NYC Networking Night FeBruary 8, 2018

▲

more than 100 na alumni gathered at The Harvard club in new york city for networking night in February. The evening began with four alumni speakers and concluded with a networking reception.

The speakers were Brett Finkelstein ’05, director of human resources at Blackstone; Francis lam ’94, award-winning writer and host of The Splendid Table; nihal mehta ’95, founding general partner at eniac ventures; and edward Wyckoff Williams ’94, senior booking and talent producer at BuzzFeed.

nihal mehta ’95, Brett Finkelstein ’05, Francis lam ’94 and edward Wyckoff Williams ’94

50

lumen

I SPRING 2018

na alumni on the road Stay connected with na by attending one of our many regional events, which take place in the fall and spring in the following cities:

HiGHliGHTS oF uPcominG alumni evenTS

neW york | BoSTon | loS anGeleS San FranciSco | WaSHinGTon, d.c.

For up-to-the-minute details, please visit our website, www.newarka.edu/alumni.

May 31 new york city meetup We’ll be at the 79th Street Boat Basin again this year so get ready to party!

June 23 na at the Boston red Sox Game Take me out to the ball game. We’ll have food and drinks before and then enjoy our annual Red Sox game with Boston area alumni.

June 10 old Guard luncheon and commencement Just before we celebrate our newest graduates, we honor those alumni of 50+ years.

reunion 2018 celebrating 3s and 8s

CELEBRATE REUNION 2018!

Come back to NA, reconnect with old friends and see all the wonderful changes happening on campus!

SAVE THE DATE:

october 13 Homecoming and Reunion Mark your calendar and plan to join us for a day of fun-filled activities. Celebrating reunion years ending in 3s and 8s.

neWark academy

51

C L A S S N OT E S

1951 CONTACT:

academic and personal maturity, opening up important later opportunities.

K. Kelly Marx (973) 376-0777

1958 60th Reunion

1952

1940

CONTACT:

Jerome Bess recalls fond memories of NA: “In my junior and senior years, I was a starting guard on the varsity basketball team. I loved to play the game and now watch it voraciously on TV. In 1940, I made the All-State Prep 1st Team. During that year it never crossed my mind how the trouble brewing in Europe during the 1930s would impact me and millions of other young men. Two and a half years later I was in the Army Air Corps Pilot Training Program. Eleven months later I was flying with the 12th Air Force based in Naples, Italy.

When I got home, I finished college and went on to an exciting 42-year advertising career in New York City. My good year in 1940 became an ephemeral memory.”

1944 CONTACT:

Robert Lee (561) 747-4331

1946 CONTACT:

Robert Cronheim rdc@cronheim.com

CONTACT:

William Van Winkle billvw7334@aol.com

1955

Stephen Knee shknee@hotmail.com

1959 CONTACT:

CONTACT:

Edward L. Levitt eezyed@comcast.net

1957 After his time as a communications officer with the United States Navy, Peter Hahn served as an admission director at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and in various administrative and teaching posts at Blair Academy. He finished his career as director of guidance in the upperschool division of the Taipei American School. Following his retirement, Peter settled in Austin, Texas, in 2001.

There he has enjoyed numerous “mini-careers,” most recently as administrative assistant at St. David’s Episcopal Church in the downtown area. Peter believes that his postgraduate year at Newark Academy enhanced his

Douglas B. Slade Dslade542@aol.com Bob Heyer retired after 20 years as a U.S. naval aviator flying A-4 and A-7 attack aircraft from carriers in the Mediterranean and Far East, and 30 years supporting the building and modification of tactical aircraft.

Lumen

I SPRING 2018

1962 CONTACT:

Bernard J. D’Avella, Jr. bud@davellafamily business.com

1963 55th Reunion CONTACT:

Charles A. Fischbein cafpac@Earthlink.net

1960 CONTACT:

Frederick Katz, Jr. katzjr@optonline.net

1964 CONTACT:

Michael R. Yogg michaelyogg@gmail.com

1961 CONTACT:

Curtis Cetrulo Curt.cetrulo@gmail.com MacKinnon Simpson MacKinnon96816@gmail.com In 1970, roger Flax created one of America’s first leadership development consulting firms and is now launching

mark Belnick is a visiting lecturer at Princeton University, teaching courses in constitutional interpretation and civil liberties. He is also involved with the National Security Law Program at Columbia University.

2018

Celebrate and Reconnect with NA!

ocToBer 13

Learn more: www.newarka.edu/alumni

reunion – 52

two new web-based motivational training products: Horizon Talent Developer™ , a coaching and mentoring leadership tool; and Building Character for Life, a 27-module character development program for children aged 6-11. He expects two new films he wrote, Pryde of the World (a computer-animated musical) and Tortured (a soccer/coaching abuse film) to be produced in 2018-2019.

1965

1970

CONTACT:

Bob Seidler’s daughter, Dana, was married at the Quechee Inn in Vermont on July 1, 2017. Attending the wedding were doug kohn ’71, rob Heath ’71 and Bob cleveland. Bob Seidler, Rob Heath and Bob Cleveland also attended Hobart College together.

Van S. Stevens drvanstevens@gmail.com Van Stevens’ son, Gregory, had a baby boy, Isaac Van Stevens, on November 9, 2017.

1966

1

3

2

4

CONTACT:

Warren G. Soare wsoare@optonline.net

1971 CONTACT:

1967 CONTACT:

Matthew Leone mleone@colgate.edu Classmates from 1967 enjoyed celebrating their 50th Reunion last October.

1968 50th Reunion

William D. Hardin, Jr. whardin@ptd.net Mark Menza menza613ha1@aol.com

5

1972 CONTACT:

Daniel D. Cronheim ddc@cronheim.com Harry Hazelwood III drhazelwood@massmed.org

CONTACT:

Stephan G. Kravitz sgkravitz@gmail.com Franklin C. Phifer, Jr. fphifer@hecht.com

1969 CONTACT:

John H. Bess bessjh@gmail.com Leo M. Gordon gordon43b@gmail.com david drake and Gary Vayionas ’72 crossed paths on the way from the airport to the bonefishing club on Grand Bahama Island. They spent many subsequent breakfasts and dinners together reminiscing about their days at NA. A West Coast gathering of members from the Class of 1969 last October included will Green, Leo Gordon, eleby washington and Bill Simon. See photo on page 55.

michael Pickert is retired from proprietary stock market trading as a member of the American Stock Exchange but still works part-time as a physician doing consulting work for large life insurance companies. His significant other of 31 years, Eileen Brenner, is also a retired trader. They live in Livingston near her daughter and her family. Michael and Eileen enjoy vacationing as often as possible, including a few months in Mexico each year. Michael is Facebook friends with fellow NA classmates ron Bergwerk, roger St. Lifer and roger inglis.

He is also author of the book, I’m Michael and I WAS Fat: Eating Less and Loving It, which documents his journey from 330 pounds to 210 pounds in nine months after successful gastric banding surgery. His new book is coming soon: Dr. Pickert’s Incredible Weight Loss Strategy.

6

7

1. Peter Hahn ’57 2. Roger Flax ’61 3. Isaac Van Stevens, grandson of Van Stevens ’65 4. Michael Wagner ’66 5. Class of 1967 members celebrate their 50th Reunion: (back row) Bob Weisenfeld, Stu Fischer, Larry Cetrulo, Bill Colin, Eric Zinkowsky, Bill Gibson; (front row) Bob Good, Matt Leone, Larry Kaiser 6. Michael Pickert ’72 and Eileen Brenner 7. Gary Vayionas ’72 and David Drake ’69

newark academy

53

C L A S S N OT E S

1973 a JudGe aT work

45th Reunion

Leo Gordon ’69

1974 CONTACT:

Lance T. Aronson lancetrezevant@aol.com

1975 CONTACT:

William J. York wyork@smallfeat.org dennis doros has been elected president of the Association of Moving Image Archivists, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the acquisition, description, preservation, exhibition and use of moving images.

1976 CONTACT:

Leo Gordon serves as a federal judge on the United States Court of International Trade. Among his volunteer activities as a judge, he works extensively with a Latin American judicial training institute, the Academy for the Interchange and Exchange of Judicial Matters (AIEJ). While in Argentina last November, Leo was invited to participate in a program featured on the largest internet-based news station in Latin America. He discussed the rule of law and the importance of judges in society. He discussed the independence of judges, the guarantees of the rule of law, and the responsibilities of judicial officials in ensuring those guarantees.

“The judges in the United States, and in many other places as well, understand the importance of their role in society, and the role they play to promote and build trust in the rule of law, the decision-making process and the resolution of disputes, particularly in a civilized society,” Leo said in his interview. To watch the full interview, visit www.newarka.edu/LeoGordon.

Leo’s connection and commitment to Newark Academy has been longstanding.

In addition to serving two terms as president of the Board of Governors, he is also the recipient of the Fulton H. MacArthur Award and the Alumni Achievement Award. Currently, Leo serves as an ambassador for the Class of 1969 and uses his professional legal experience to inspire NA student members of the Mock Trial Club. “Leo Gordon has been central to building Mock Trial at Newark Academy as a vibrant and engaging program,” says Humanities Teacher Benson Hawk, an advisor of the club. “He has been so selfless with his time and talent.”

54

Lumen

I SPRING 2018

Donald C. DeFabio drdefabio@aol.com Robin Lechter Frank ontheqt1231@aol.com Francey kanengiser Burke recently received the Spirit of Leadership Award at the Cape May County Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards and Installation Dinner. This award recognizes Francey’s years of work organizing many benefit events for her community. Burke Motor Group is hosting several upcoming events including a car show to benefit local veterans and Get In Gear, which will fund scholarships.

For more information visit www.burkemotorgroup.com.

1978 40th Reunion

1979 CONTACT:

Michael Schneck Mschneck@schnecklaw.com

Become a cLaSS amBaSSador!

8 Class ambassadors perform a valuable service to the NA alumni community: they communicate school and class news, support key initiatives such as Reunion and encourage participation in the Annual Fund. Sign up online at www.newarka.edu/classambassador or contact Lisa Mulligan at (973) 992-7000, ext. 321.

1980 CONTACT:

Kim S. Hirsh KHirsh@jfedgmw.org Jeff kirby recently lost his mother, Walker Kirby, and is deeply appreciative of the expressions of support he received from the NA community. His sons Morgan and Walker graduated from Duke and Harvard in recent years.

His daughter, Jane, is thriving at Lafayette College, which his son Sam will also attend next year. Jeff reports that he has been happily married for 28 years and remarked, “How time flies.”

1981 CONTACT:

Arthur (Artie) Williams IV artiekid@aol.com

1982 Editors’ note: In the Fall/Winter 2017 issue, a class rep highlight featuring Kristen Brask Martin contained generalizations and a misquotation as a result of editing.

We apologize for the error.

Julie Bick weed is writing about the legal marijuana industry for Forbes. She also writes for the business section of the New York Times and helps first-generation college-bound students with

college applications and essays. Julie lives in Seattle with her husband and three sons, although two of her sons attend college back east. Her website is www.julieweed.net, and she is on Twitter @Julie_Weed.

She posed a question for her class: What ever happened to “Gonzo?”

9

10

11

1983 35th Reunion Stacey kent’s first orchestral album, I Know I Dream includes Brazilian, French and American classics, and, most notably, original songs written by her husband/ producer/composer/ saxophonist, Jim Tomlinson, with lyrics by novelist and winner of the 2017 Nobel Prize for literature, Kazuo Ishiguro. Jim and Kazuo have been collaborating on songs for Stacey since 2007, including for her Grammynominated, platinum-selling album, Breakfast on the Morning Tram (Blue Note/ Warner). I Know I Dream recently won Album of the Year in the vocal category at the Jazz Japan Awards.

Stacey is scheduled for a one-week engagement at the New York jazz club, Birdland, from June 5–9.

12

8. Class of 1969 friends met up in LA: Will Green, Leo Gordon, Eleby Washington and Bill Simon 9. Doug Kohn ’71, Bob Seidler ’70, Rob Heath ’71 and Bob Cleveland ’70 10. Francey Kanengiser Burke ’76 receives Chamber of Commerce award 11. An award-winning album from Stacey Kent ’83 12. Wayne Kent ’85, Will Green ’69, Mackenzie Kent ’19

newark academy

55

C L A S S N OT E S

We Fondly Remember Richard Grimley ’46 November 12, 2017 John (Jack) Bartholomew Kenney ’50 January 28, 2018 John Maier III ’50 September 10, 2017 Martin Ginsburg ’51 August 20, 2017 Peter Janulis ’53 July 29, 2016 William (Bill) Nadel ’58 November 25, 2017 Alexander (Sandy) Shutte Brown ’60 June 8, 2017 Seth Hamot ’79 March 22, 2018 Walker Dillard Kirby, former Trustee

November 11, 2017

1984 CONTACT:

William E. Markstein WEMarkstein@gmail.com

1985 CONTACT:

Kimberley Griffinger Wachtel kgwachtel@gmail.com wayne kent and his daughter, mackenzie ’19, enjoyed a Giants game with fellow alum will Green ’69 last fall.

1986

with lawyers at Chinese and international law firms. Lesli is a partner with Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP and is a resident in the firm’s China offices.

1989

Loren weiss Selig is excited that classmate (and DJ) eric walker and his beautiful wife, Celeste, will be helping to make her daughter’s bat mitzvah celebration a perfect night to remember.

1990

Lori Stahl, Lawrence Jewkes ’05 and Bill kaplan ’69 recently met at the Salt Point Bar in Exchange Square in London.

CONTACT:

Betsy Dollinger Bernstein bdb1@mac.com

1988 30th Reunion

James C. Schachtel Jschachtel@verizon.net

CONTACT:

Lara Coraci Basile ljc@norpak.net

1987 k. Lesli Ligorner has been named to China Business Law Journal’s “A List,” which recognizes the top 100 lawyers in China. The “A List” is based on extensive research with in-house counsel on their experiences

Matthew McTamaney mattheynow@yahoo.com Melissa Dollinger Shein msheinus@yahoo.com matt mcTamaney won his third NA Alumni Game Man of the March last Thanksgiving.

Ralo is looking forward to the 30-year Reunion in October.

CONTACT:

Stacey Bradford stacey.bradford@gmail.com

CONTACT:

Glenn A. Waldorf gwaldorf@bellenvironmental.com Jason Berlin recently left his 19-year, TV writing career to become a full-time activist.

He worked with Swing Left, Organizing for Action and Indivisible. After a year of canvassing, working on voter registration, leading training exercises and making training videos as a volunteer, he landed a paid position as Los Angeles regional field organizer for the Democratic Party. He encourages other alums to contact him to learn more about ways to contribute to the cause. raj Butani, a board-certified gastroenterologist, merged his practice with others to form Washington Gastroenterology, the largest GI specialty practice in Washington state. In addition

meeT your cLaSS amBaSSador Pamela Helfant Vichengrad ’94 “Becoming a class ambassador was a way for me to stay connected to the place and people that had the biggest impact on my high school years,” says Pamela, who reflects fondly on the Senior Class Trip to Bear Mountain. “We spent the day hiking, encouraging each other to climb higher, and had the opportunity to spend time with classmates that we often didn’t get a chance to spend time with during a normal school day.” Although everyone was tired and sweaty at the end of the hike, Pamela and her classmates appreciated sharing stories at a barbeque and campfire. “Newark Academy gave so much to me – confidence, maturity, and memories that will stay with me forever – and being a Class Ambassador is one small way for me to give back.”

56

Lumen

I SPRING 2018

the practice offers comprehensive gastroenterology services, and is active in clinical research. Raj recently appeared on the SeattleTacoma TV show, New Day Northwest, to discuss the importance of colon cancer screening. douglas eilender has been named co-chair of Mandelbaum Salsburg’s Environmental Law Practice Group. marta ravin has been keeping busy as an executive producer of various television shows, including Long Island Medium, now in its eighth season on the TLC network.

She recently created a new kids’ renovation show, Get Out of My Room, which will debut on the Universal Kids network. Marta lives in Queens with her husband, Abe, and sons Jonah (11) and Joshua (4). Some of her happiest times are those spent celebrating birthdays with her NA friends: Joelle Tutela, Tori agresti Hoehn, kimberlee auerbach Berlin, marisa Facciponte Tusche and Bree Gelber Heitin.

1992 On her podcast, How to Talk to Kids About Anything, robyn Silverman interviewed classmate Jessica mayer Herthel on transgender issues and gender expression. Robyn’s podcast is geared toward parents, educators and coaches seeking hands-on tips, powerful scripts and specific steps to make even the toughest conversations easier.

Salamishah Tillet has been named associate director of the Clement A. Price Institute on Ethnicity, Culture and the Modern Experience at Rutgers University–Newark.

1993 25th Reunion CONTACT:

Timothy E. Herburger burgermac@mac.com Jed S. Rosenthal jedrosenthal@gmail.com

1994 CONTACT:

Pamela Helfant Vichengrad pamelavich@hotmail.com

1991 CONTACT:

Richard L. Worth richardworth2001@ yahoo.com

adam kimowitz recently became a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology, earning the credential as a board-certified implantologist. This certification is the most coveted and prestigious credential

Hire na! are you or your company looking to hire an intern or fill a position? Perhaps you are a recent alumnus/a looking for an internship or job? In either case, being connected to our NA LinkedIn Group is extremely beneficial. Be sure to connect with us today and post any career opportunities to our group. You can also email any internship or job openings to Evan Nisenson at enisenson@newarka.edu and he will share them with the NA Alumni Community.

available in implant dentistry today. Adam is now one of only 485 implant experts in the world to have earned this honor.

Shilpa mankikar’s family TV sitcom pilot Diwal’Oween has won international festival awards in Toronto, Baltimore, Switzerland, Rome and India.

Look for its release in October. robin Sinins Pritchett recently helped Pam Vichengrad celebrate her daughter Jadyn’s bat mitzvah. It meant the world to Pam to have a lifelong friend there for such a special occasion.

nicole dispenziere-Pitcher is still living “across the pond” in Brighton, England. She has had a fun year and her daughter, Ella, recently started kindergarten.

Stacy ackerman Landau graduated cum laude from Seton Hall Law School in May 2017 and passed the New Jersey bar exam. She is currently clerking for the Honorable Thomas J. LaConte in Passaic County’s Chancery, General Equity Division.

1996 CONTACT:

1995

Jason S. Granet grizo1222@yahoo.com

CONTACT:

Kathleen Mangunay Pergament katmango@aol.com

2017–2018

na annuaL Fund

Andrew Slutzky andrewzky@gmail.com

A gift today has impact that lasts a lifetime!

SuPPorT na: www.newarka.edu/donate

newark academy

57

C L A S S N OT E S

alison Grubman collman is an adjunct professor at a community college in south Florida and is in her fourth semester as a Ph.D. student focusing on adult and community education. She has been married for seven years and has an adorable son (5).

13

15

14

Jason Granet recently returned to NA to speak to IB economics classes about his career in finance.

1997

asha Talwar coco and husband Matthew welcomed their first son, Leonardo, on June 29, 2017 in New York City.

Jackie ko dillon had her third child, Hudson, with husband Greg in March 2017.

They currently reside in Orange County, CA, and own a global LED lighting company called Light Space Inc. doug mcnamara earned an M.Ed. from the University of Maryland, College Park in December 2017.

CONTACT:

Amanda Rubinstein Black amandahblack@gmail.com

2000 CONTACT:

16

17

1998 20th Reunion CONTACT:

Jack A. Hyman jahyman@gmail.com Lauren Jacobs-Lazer laurenjacobslazer@gmail.com Jenna Smith Schwerdt jenna@smithdesign.com anaya chandler was promoted to sergeant at the Hampton Roads Regional Jail on January 19, 2018. She has 14 years of service there and serves as the programs manager. Anaya is currently engaged and has a daughter, (3), and a son(1-1/2).

Lauren Jacobs-Lazer and her husband, Adam, welcomed Noah Daniel in January. Siblings Benjamin and Hannah love having a baby brother!

18

1999 13. Lawrence Jewkes ’05, Lori Stahl ’87 and Bill Kaplan ’69 at the Salt Point Bar in Exchange Square in London 14. Jeff Kacur and Matt McTamaney ’88 15. Jason Berlin ’90 16. Adam Kimowitz ’94 (left) earning distinction as Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology 17. Pam Vichengrad ’94 and Robin Sinins Pritchett ’94 18. Nicole Dispenziere-Pitcher ’95, daughter Ella and husband Robbie

58

Lumen

I SPRING 2018

Alison Poole Lasher alisonklasher@gmail.com

CONTACT:

John Gregory Jcg681@gmail.com Asha K. Talwar Coco asha.talwar@gmail.com

2001 CONTACT:

Colin R. Griggs cgriggs13@yahoo.com Brian McGaughan bmcgaughan@gmail.com wendi kane-millard and her husband, Will, are delighted to announce the birth of their daughter, Laci Mirabelle Millard, on November 11, 2017, in Morristown, NJ. She is already a huge fan of storytime!

2002 CONTACT:

Joshua Jacobs joshua.s.jacobs@gmail.com Marcelo C. Porto mark.c.porto@gmail.com Alexander C. Senchak alex.senchak@gmail.com On October 24, 2017, James Ball and his wife welcomed their son, Darius Gabriel Kabraji Ball, into the world.

iT’S aBouT “Time” Charlotte Alter ’07 charlotte alter is a national correspondent at Time magazine. Her recent cover story “The avengers” appeared in January and featured portraits of first-time female political candidates who were inspired to run for office by the women’s march last year. In researching the article, Charlotte spoke with more than two dozen candidates as well as many more academics, strategists, pollsters and experts. She even traveled to the Women’s Convention in Detroit and went to Texas to meet candidates.

Charlotte’s cover story and other recent articles can be found at: time.com/author/charlotte-alter.

2003 15th Reunion CONTACT:

Lauren H. Anderson lauren.h.anderson@gmail.com David R. Mazzuca david.mazzuca@gmail.com David N. Rattner drattner07@gmail.com Evan P. Sills evan.sills@gmail.com

2004 CONTACT:

Danielle Grunebaum White dlsimon85@gmail.com Kathryn Pagos katie.pagos@gmail.com Stephanie Reingold simma.reingold@gmail.com Louise Ball Schutte louisehira@gmail.com

Heather Podvey asip and her husband, Daniel, welcomed their son, Nolan James, on December 26, 2017. He weighed six pounds, 10 ounces, and measured 19 inches long. All are doing well, and Heather and Daniel are loving their sweet baby boy!

2005

Harold Liss and his wife, Daniela Wellisz, welcomed their first child, Isabel Miriam Liss, on February 11, 2018, in San Francisco. Baby Isabel is an expert snuggler and is doing very well.

Bridget Duffy Raines Bridgetpraines@gmail.com

arielle Goldfischer newcombe, husband Jonathan and big brother Max are excited to show off the newest addition to their family, Haddie, born June 18, 2017 – a very special Father’s Day gift!

CONTACT:

Jonathan Allocca jonathan.allocca@gmail.com Gabriel Gaviola gabe.c.gaviola@gmail.com Molly McGaughan molly.mcgaughan@gmail.com

Jason cali joined the founding board of a new charter school, Key Collegiate, which will open this fall in Brownsville, Brooklyn, serving grades four through eight.

The school’s mission is to ensure that all of its students can gain access to the high schools and colleges of their choice. Key Collegiate is looking to hire the best and brightest teachers and administrators to make an immediate impact in the lives of its students. If any alumni are interested in learning more, please visit www.keycollegiate.org or contact Jason directly at jcali09@gmail.com. daniel deraney celebrated the second year of his law practice, The Law Offices of Daniel F. Deraney. He works in juvenile and adult criminal law, municipal and DUI law,

landlord-tenant law, construction disputes, contract law, bankruptcy, and other general practice areas.

On his new website, www.DeraneyEsq.com, Daniel will publish his social newsletter, #YesPeople JerseyGroup, in which he writes about events throughout New Jersey. Lately he has spent time with classmate ryan adeleye and his new baby girl, Romi.

2006 CONTACT:

Julia Appel appel.julie@gmail.com Sarah Marcus Hansen sarahmarcushansen@ gmail.com

Lumen onLine!

Lumen magazine is now online. Select articles are featured and may be easily shared with fellow classmates via social media.

Visit www.newarka.edu/lumen

newark academy

59

C L A S S N OT E S

FOR THE LOVE OF ENDINGS A Collection of Poetry by Ben Purkert ’03 Ben Purkert’s debut collection of poetry, For the Love of Endings, was published in march 2018. The launch party was held at Powerhouse Books in Brooklyn, and the book tour that followed took him to venues across the country. reviews of Ben’s collection have been stellar. “His language is always striking sparks, alighting on both the poignant and the haunting,” writes award-winning fellow poet eduardo c. corral.

“For the Love of Endings is a tremendous beginning. it marks the arrival of a singular voice.”

We asked Ben to share his inspiration and advice for aspiring young writers. what was your inspiration for this poetry collection?

If there’s a thread that ties these poems together, it’s an anxiety over loss (or, quite literally, endings).

While every generation faces its own struggles, I think mine is the first to grapple with the horrifying reality that our planet may not be habitable for much longer. And so how, as human beings, do we confront that? How do we keep loving? I want to stress, though, For the Love of Endings isn’t all doom and gloom. At least I hope not! My favorite poets, like my favorite comedians, are the ones that make us cry and laugh at the same time. I remember one of my former NA English teachers, Mr. Mario Costa, saying that “the only thing more tragic than tragedy is comedy.” I think he’s right.

How has newark academy impacted your educational and professional journeys?

I owe NA a tremendous amount. In particular, I’m grateful to Dr. Betsy LaPadula, who really set me on the path of poetry in the first place.

I vividly remember one time in Middle School when Dr. LaPadula had us memorize Anne Sexton poems and read them in front of the whole school during Morning Meeting. And here’s the thing: Sexton’s poems are super dark! And we read the darkest ones!

I’ll never forget listening to my classmate Tiffany Bergin deliver the lines, “I have gone out, a possessed witch, haunting the black air, braver at night.” It was a totally transfixing scene. You really thought she was possessed. And I guess that’s the thing about poetry – it haunts you in the best way possible.

Some ghosts you never want to leave. what advice would you offer to a student who is interested in a writing career?

Read. Read a lot. And I particularly like what our current U.S. Poet Laureate, Tracy K. Smith, advises: that it’s “important to read against your taste, to read the things you don’t love, and see if you can learn how they’re built and what they achieve and whether those tools can be useful to you.”

––––––––––––––––– Ben teaches creative writing at rutgers university – new Brunswick. His poems and essays have appeared in The New Yorker, Boston Review, Guernica, Kenyon Review, Ploughshares and elsewhere. He holds degrees from Harvard and from nyu, where he was a new york Times Fellow.

For more information about Ben’s poetry collection and upcoming events, visit www.benpurkert.com.

60

Lumen

I SPRING 2018

newark academy aLumni aPP!

19

The perfect resource to have at your fingertips when you need to find a classmate’s contact information or want to know what alumni events are happening near you. Visit the iTunes or Google Play App Store to download the NA Alumni mobile app to your device.

Brandon Hedvat bhedvat@gmail.com Ilana Mandelbaum Sterling ilana.mandelbaum@ gmail.com Asia Stewart asiamstewart@gmail.com raquel alonso Jordan and her husband, Rondell, welcomed their first daughter, Gabriela Ruth Jordan, into the world on December 10, 2017. Their little family is overjoyed with an outpouring of love and happiness in this new season of life.

2007 CONTACT:

David Doobin doobind@gmail.com Catherine Pfeffer catherine.pfeffer@gmail.com Emily Simon emily.c.simon@me.com Andrew Somberg asomberg@gmail.com Sabrina robinson graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and then went on to Wharton Business School. She is now working at LinkedIn as an insights analyst.

20

2008 10th Reunion CONTACT:

David Frank david.frank44@gmail.com

21

22

Alexa Gruber alexa.gruber@richmond.edu Lynn Olesky lynnolesky@gmail.com Maximilian C. Staiger mstaiger41@me.com ryan keur, president of the Daytona Tortugas, was recognized as Minor League Executive of the Year.

Joe Longthorne is co-producer on a new Broadway musical, The Band’s Visit, currently playing at the Barrymore Theatre, and was co-producer on Steve Martin’s Meteor Shower, which played a limited Broadway run this fall. Also in the fall, Joe launched a full-time entertainment general management firm, Simpson & Longthorne Theatricals, which offers a variety of services for theatrical shows in various stages of development.

23

19. Stacy Ackerman Landau ’95 graduating from Seton Hall Law School 20. Jason Granet ’96 with NA economics students 21. Anaya Chandler ’98 with her children and fiancé 22. Noah Daniel, little son of Lauren Jacobs-Lazer ’98 23. Asha Talwar Coco '99 with husband Matthew and baby Leonardo

newark academy

61

C L A S S N OT E S

25

2009 CONTACT:

26

Andrew S. Binger abinger1990@gmail.com Christina A. Colizza christina.colizza@gmail.com Rebecca Curwin rebecca.curwin@gmail.com Shannon Lam shannonrlam@gmail.com Brian L. Silver briansilver0711@gmail.com

24

28

27

2010 CONTACT:

Lisa Fischer lisasuefischer@gmail.com Patrick Kelly patrick.o.d.kelly@gmail.com Brian McHugh mchugh.brian10@gmail.com Lisa Fischer recently moved to the West Coast to work as a designer at Google. She enjoyed spending time with rex macaylo, a Deloitte consultant, who came to visit on a business trip.

29

30

Jessica ridella will be starting her M.B.A. at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management this fall. She hopes to continue her career in cybersecurity by moving into an executive role in strategic alliances at IBM.

in 30 Rock focuses on marketing strategy for all NBC News and MSNBC shows and brands, and he greatly appreciates the opportunity to be near the epicenter of the news cycle during this period of transformation and change in the media world.

Sarah mcGrath and a number of her classmates had a minireunion in Park City, Utah, at Sundance. In attendance were Jack Bloom, Jake Gillman, emily Heller, Sydney Hershman, allie Hyans, adam Hyatt, christina kovar, TJ redmond, neil Sethi and Leigh wolfson.

2012 CONTACT:

Christopher P. Davis davis.cp@gmail.com Shane S. Neibart ssneibart@gmail.com Carissa E. Szlosek szlosek@wisc.edu

2013 5th Reunion CONTACT:

SaVonne Anderson savonneanderson@gmail.com Matt Cowen mcowen95@gmail.com

2014 2011

CONTACT:

CONTACT:

Jai Ghose jghose@andrew.cmu.edu

Jordan I. Jett jordanjett13@gmail.com Jennifer Mandelbaum jmande15@bu.edu 24. Jackie Ko Dillon ’99 with her husband, Greg, and their three beautiful children 25. Laci Mirabelle Millard, daughter of Wendi Kane-Millard ’01 26. James Ball ’02 welcomed baby son Darius Gabriel Kabraji Ball 27. Max and Haddie, son and daughter of Arielle Goldfischer Newcombe ’03 (and Sam Goldfischer’s grandchildren) 28. Isabel Miriam, baby daughter of Harold Liss ’03 29. Son of Heather Podvey Asip ’03, Nolan James 30. Sabrina Robinson ’07

62

Lumen

I SPRING 2018

Jourdan McGhee jourdan.mcghee@gmail.com whit Harwood recently made a career change but only had to move across the street, as he now works at NBC News and MSNBC after two years at FOX Sports. His new role

Thomas Pan tpan14@gmail.com Lauren Whelan lmw025@bucknell.edu Jacob Wieseneck jwieseneck@gmail.com

deSiGn wiTH PurPoSe Adam Hyman ’07 adam Hyman, co-founder of the interior design and architecture firm charlap Hyman & Herrero, was recently named to Forbes magazine’s “30 under 30” list in the arts and style category, which presents the most promising young entrepreneurs in the fields of art and design.

Adam and his business partner, Andre Herrero, both graduates of the Rhode Island School of Design, established their interior design business in 2014.

With offices in New York and Los Angeles, they lead a team that executes all aspects of a project, from site plan to furniture. This year, they will launch their own line of fabrics, rugs and wallpapers with the furnishing company F. Schumacher & Co. As a designer, Adam’s process is meticulous and collaborative. “I start with images of historical designs that serve as reference points for my team and our clients. We develop a shared aesthetic vocabulary specific to the project by creating a constellation of inspirational buildings, interiors and pieces of furniture. Then our team begins to design by creating plans and renderings and collecting material samples to present to the client.”

Adam attributes his creative passion to his IB art class. “I am so grateful to have been given a formal structure in which I could explore my interests in a rigorous and meaningful way,” he says. “Ms. Galvin’s AP Art History class was also crucial. It opened my mind to so much and gave me the tools I needed to research the various periods, artists and architects that I was passionate about.”

FeaTured in ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST One of Adam’s favorite projects was a house for a young family that was recently featured in Architectural Digest. “The wife is a curator of contemporary design, the husband is an artist, and they have two young sons who remind me of my brother Alex ’11 and me at that age. The couple shares a deep knowledge of art and architecture, and it was extremely fun to work with them on their home,” says Adam.

“william Laird”

newark academy

63

C L A S S N OT E S

32

31

34

33

Matthew Thekkethala matt@learnforlife foundation.org

2015 CONTACT:

Madeline DeLamielleure maddydelamielleure15@ gmail.com Jasmine Gamboa jgamboa19@amherst.edu Nicholas Murray nsm407@gmail.com Zachary Persing zcpersing@gmail.com

33. Jake Gillman, TJ Redmond, Neil Sethi and Jack Bloom

2016 Courtney Cooperman courtneycooperman@ comcast.net Jacob Furst Jacobfurst20@gmail.com

Explore the pages on our website designed specifically for you!

Lumen

I SPRING 2018

34. Members from the Class of 2011 hit the slopes!

CONTACT:

FOR NEWARK ACADEMY ALUMNI

64

Classmates from 2011 enjoy reconnecting at Sundance in Park City, Utah: 32. Sydney Hershman, Emily Heller, Allie Hyans, Sarah McGrath and Christina Kovar

Joshua Martin Martinjoshua029@gmail.com

www.newarka.edu/alumni

31. Lisa Fischer ’10 and Rex Macaylo ’10

Elizabeth Merrigan Elizabeth.merrigan16@ gmail.com Samuel Vazir samvazir@gmail.com

Bryan Wilensky bryanwsemail@gmail.com Mackenna Woods Mackennavalle@gmail.com

The Influence of ONE THE POWER OF MANY ONE

book that changes a perspective

ONE

win that shows that hard work pays off

ONE

teacher who touches a student’s heart and mind forever

ONE

student who empowers his or her peers

ONE

alum who connects to another

ONE

parent who contributes to the community

The influence of ONE combined with many others is

POWERFUL! Make your gift today: www.newarka.edu/donate

Newark Academy

NON-PROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE

91 South Orange Avenue Livingston, NJ 07039

PAID PITTSBURGH, PA PERMIT #5450

P (973) 992-7000 F (973) 992-8962 E lumen@newarka.edu www.newarka.edu

Parents of alumni: If this publication is addressed to your child and he or she no longer maintains a permanent residence at your home, please notify the alumni office, alumni@newarka.edu.

This publication has been printed on recycled papers certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. In doing so, Newark Academy is supporting environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world’s forests.

J U N E 2 5 – A U G U S T 3 , 2 018

Discover your passion!

An unparalleled academic experience for students in grades 1–12

SPORTS CAMPS

MO 50 PRROE THAN OFFERGRAMS E D!

Step up your game!

Convenient, week-long sports camps Mott-Leeney Baseball Basketball • Soccer • Fencing Swimming • Volleyball

www.newarka.edu/summer www.newarka.edu/summer 91 South Orange Avenue, Livingston, NJ 973.992.7000