Toaxnoes Spring/Summer 2012

A LUMN I S URV EY

I N T E R N AT I O N A L D I NN E R

AL U MN I AWAR D S

REGIONAL EVENTS

S p ri n g / S u m m e r 2 01 2

A Celebration of our Multiculturalism

Campus Clips A.

B.

D.

C.

E.

A. Friends and faculty watch as RJ Gicewicz ’14 and Andrew Giacobbe ’14 go “Bald for Bucks.” The fundraiser, organized by Sommer Zacher ’13 and Sydney Clark ’13, brought donations to cancer research at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

B. KC Bryan White ’97, an alumna with cystic fibrosis, shared inspiring words with Middle School students and faculty in preparation for the 10th annual “Friends of KC” walk this spring. Pictured are George Kloepfer ’68, Judith Bryan, Rick Bryan, Greg Plumb ’96, and KC (center), with her son, Mac. C. World War II and Korean War era veterans and homemakers visited Nichols on March 7 to speak with students about their experiences in battle and on the home front.

D. Melaina Higgins ’17 plays Damsel in the seventh grade play production of “The Timid Dragon.”

E. The Boys Varsity Baseball team toured the Kennedy Space Center during their spring training trip to Cocoa Beach, Fla.

E

Editor’s Note Every day at Nichols, folks from around the School talk about you, our alumni and friends.

Dozens of people say nice things without you even knowing it. We hear of news in a variety of ways, from Google Alerts to a former teacher bumping into your mom while grocery shopping at Wegmans. Whether you’re taking up residence in a new city following college graduation or your first grandchild was born, we care and we want to know.

Sometimes Nichols alumni are even the headlines themselves. Coming across an article in The Buffalo News, Food & Wine magazine or The New York Times, there you are, and we get excited: Piper Campbell ’84 was nominated by President Obama to serve as Ambassador to Mongolia; John Robshaw ’84 enjoys epicurean adventures while traveling internationally for his textile business; John Henderson Wray ’89 received a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship for Fiction.

These news items may end up on our website, Facebook page or in Class Notes in the magazine, but before they get there, they are savored by many people who root for you, in the news or not.

From the Development Office to your favorite former teachers, some of us have never even met you, but we are thrilled to hear what you are doing after Nichols. It indicates to us that, in part, the School and its faculty prepared you well for the work of life beyond Nichols. To think that you got your start here and are now in exciting places, literally or figuratively, is exhilarating.

So, I implore you: However big or small you think it might be, share your good news with us. We truly want to hear it!

Keep in touch,

Staff

Spring/Summer 2012 Editor Nina Barone nbarone@nicholsschool.org Contributors Stephanie Angelakos Richard C. Bryan Nina Barone Genevieve Carbone Jeffrey Crane Leslie S. Garcia Victoria W. Garner Patrick Hanley ’05 Kristen Tripp Kelley Connie Klinck Klopp N’73 Andrea Mancuso Apryle O’Farrell Roddy Potter ’82 Mary Rech Rockwell Blake Walsh ’98 John N. Walsh III ’63 Scott Welch Designer Kelley Rechin, Duffy Moon Design Photographers J. Matthew Kianka Tom Maynor ’81

Front Cover: On Feb. 1, over 200 parents, students, faculty and staff gathered to celebrate the International Dinner. Read more on page 16.

Nina M. Barone Director of Marketing and Communications

– means “that which is true” and is pronounced “taw alay théss.” is published twice a year by the Development Office.

Telephone: 716.332.5151 • Fax: 716.875.3931 Third Class postage paid at Buffalo, New York.

Nichols is an inclusive community. Acceptance granted to qualified students.

Nichols School 1250 Amherst St., Buffalo, NY 14216 • 716.332.6300 • www.nicholsschool.org

Back Cover: Mark your calendar for Worldwide Nichols Day on Wednesday, Sept. 26!

AreYou Missing Out?

Head of School Report..........................................................................

5

Honoring Alumni in the Armed Services ...............................................

8

After Nichols – Ellen Considine Miller ’81...........................................

10

The 2012 General Information Test .....................................................

12

International Dinner – A Celebration of our Multiculturalism ......................

16

Anti-Gravity Club’s Winter Mountaineering Trip .................................

18

1st Annual Party for the Arts .............................................................

20

Alumni Feature – Luke Copping ’99 .....................................................

24

Alumni Holiday Gathering and Awards Ceremony .............................

26

Making Buffalo Home to Refugees ...................................................

28

Join the Nichols School Alumni Network.

Multicultural Events at Nichols ..........................................................

29

The Portrait of a Nichols Graduate .....................................................

30

Join Us!

French Exchange … trente ans ..........................................................

32

College Counseling ............................................................................

36

The Early Days of Nichols School ..........................................................

40

Alumni Gathering – Philadelphia ..........................................................

43

Alumni Gathering – Buffalo Independent Schools, New York City........

44

Alumni Gathering – New York City .......................................................

45

Alumni Gathering – San Francisco .......................................................

46

Alumni Gathering – Santa Monica .......................................................

47

Sports Focus: Girls Modified Hockey ..................................................

48

Sports Focus: Varsity Hockey .............................................................

49

After Nichols – Donna Nesselbush ’80 ..............................................

52

In Memoriam .....................................................................................

53

Class Notes .......................................................................................

54

Faculty Profile – Lisa Sauer ................................................................

59

Like Nichols School.

Follow NicholsSchool.

Friday, June 8 – Saturday, June 9 Reunion Weekend: Special celebrations for classes ending in 2 and 7 All alumni and guests are welcome to attend the Reunion Program in the Flickinger Performing Arts Center at 5:00 p.m. and the Cocktail Reception in the Quadrangle at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, June 8.

Register online at www.nicholsschool.org/reunion or call 716.332.5151 for more information.

4

Contents

Nichols School

Head of School Report

Getting Perspective

by Richard C. Bryan

I

t’s always important for schools to get an outside perspective. It allows schools to take stock with their key stakeholders, and to identify new issues and ideas. Good schools cannot accept the status quo and strategic planning for the future is strengthened with the observations of others.

This school year, Nichols School has consciously sought out outside perspective.

Formal surveys of the parent body and the alumni, discussions with members of the senior class, and the five year accreditation visit and report from the New York State Association of Independent Schools have provided us with a variety of insights.

New York independent schools undergo a formal accreditation process every 10 years. At the five year mark, a team of educators spends two days at the school exploring how each school is striving in exploring the recommendations of the accreditation report. This fall, under the leadership of Director of Studies, Mary Rech Rockwell, a 40-page self-study was prepared drawing from the thoughts of department chairs, administrative staff and faculty leaders. In October, a team of three educators spent two days on campus meeting with faculty, students, trustees, parents and administrators. The subsequent report was affirming and insightful.

The NYSAIS report concluded: The Visiting Committee witnessed a school that is true to its Core Values, one with a strong sense of community, and one that is aware of its strengths and challenges. Nichols sees itself as a school appropriately balancing the demands of a rigorous college-preparatory curriculum with a competitive athletic program and a thriving arts component.

Importantly, the report made three key recommendations: embrace the School’s enormous Capital Campaign fundraising

success and now focus on The Nichols Fund, planned giving and growing the endowment; and continue to put time and resources into diversity of the Board of Trustees, on the faculty and staff, and in the student body; engage the assistance of alumni of color in this effort; and finally, strengthen the School’s endowment specifically earmarked for financial aid for the achievement of the socioeconomic diversity of the student body so ardently sought and nurtured at Nichols.

Also in the fall, we conducted our third parent survey in the last six years.

We received a response rate of 60% and many appreciative comments that we were seeking parental perspective.

We learned that parents have a strong satisfaction with the teaching in our core subject areas. They want to know more about how we teach health and wellness, technology and physical education. Parents overwhelmingly support the School’s mission and core values, the honor code, and emphasis on leadership and character.

When asked, “What are the key reasons for sending your child to Nichols School?” the top five answers are: academic opportunities and a strong college prep curriculum; small class size; quality of the faculty; school culture and values; and the athletic program. 100% said they would recommend Nichols to a friend or colleague.

This year, we have continued the tradition of dinners at the Headmaster’s house for members of the senior class.

It began during Peter Cobb’s tenure, and thanks to Judith Bryan, welcoming seniors into our home for dinner and conversation has been a rite of spring. This year, I handed each senior the picture we took of them on the first day of freshmen orientation or their first day at Nichols.

There were the predictable embarrassed groans, but an immediate recognition of

how much they have grown in the last four years. After reminding them that they will go through the anxiety of freshmen year again next fall at their college or university, I asked them what have they learned at Nichols that they will hold on to in the years ahead.

Their answers were profound and heartfelt. Overwhelmingly, the top answers are more confidence in public speaking, becoming more adaptable to new surroundings, and the development of critical thinking, especially their own opinions. Many seniors talked about having a sense of a supportive community that embraces diversity of opinions and not taking the easy way out. They have learned to interact with adults on a professional level, socialize with different people/ages/ backgrounds, and many talked about rewarding connections with the Nichols faculty. My favorite quotes from these dinners were: “I learned that I do not know everything”; “At other schools, ‘everyone is a winner.’ At Nichols, you earn your grades and reputation”; and “it’s okay to mess up, as long as you fix it and keep going.”

Finally, we undertook a survey from our alumni, which you can read more about on the following page. We received a strong response rate of 26%, which is good for an online survey of independent school alumni. While we received insights from alumni of all ages, we were particularly interested in the opinions of those who

continued on page 7 Spring/Summer 2012

5

Head of School Report continued from page 5

have graduated in the last 10 years. Their results gave us specific insight on the outcome of a Nichols education. This has been a focus of the Board of Trustees in seeking a strategic measure of the success of our program. One obvious outcome is the Nichols diploma, which signifies passing the requisite program of study. Others may define the school by test scores, college admissions, or even athletic achievements; but these fail in measuring the success and quality of our program. The larger questions still remain: How well do we train individual minds, bodies and hearts for the work of life? What is the ‘quality’ of our program? What is the character and service of our graduates? In turn these questions ask, “What makes us unique?”

Through the results of the survey, 97% of all young alumni finish college in five years or less, and over half earn a minor or double major. On top of academics, Nichols alumni are engaged on campus.

In comparison to their peers in college, Nichols alumni felt they were better able to write essays and research papers, balance workload and assignments, and integrate math and science concepts, and

they were comfortable in their interaction with professors. The top majors of recent graduates are business and management, biology and chemistry, and political science and international relations.

When asked “what are the most valuable aspects of a Nichols education?” alumni talked about their preparation in core courses. Many talked about the ability to write a research paper or critical essay and learning study skills. Some talked about their introduction to the arts at Nichols, and the opportunity to compete on many athletic teams. But overwhelmingly, they talked about the individual attention they received, and their interaction with faculty and advisors. Among older alumni, Ray Verrill, Chair of the English Department during the 40s and 50s, was praised most frequently. Among the younger alumni, 61 faculty and staff were named, from the rink and maintenance staff to the administration. Veteran English teacher and coach, Larry Desautels, was most commonly cited among the current faculty.

So, what is the sum total of all this wealth of information and insight? It certainly is helpful in guiding our strategic planning in the years ahead. Recruiting, nurturing and retaining strong faculty members who are committed to individual

attention must remain a high priority at Nichols. We must be mindful of the balance of our program: the “mind, body and spirit” of our mission statement, which embraces the academic, arts and athletic focus in our school. The focus on leadership and character must also be in the forefront; it is clearly an important area for parents, students and alumni.

Finally, what emerges for all these perspectives is a portrait of a Nichols School graduate. We can refer to it as “Success after Nichols,” and it has the following characteristics: • ready to perform with distinction at the college and university level; • likely to be engaged in college or university activities; • committed to community service; • eager to engage in diverse communities; • conversant with the challenges and opportunities of a global and technological world; • strong reading, writing and analytical skills; • confident in leadership roles and public speaking A very impressive outcome, indeed.

The Importance of Saying “Thank You”

By Jenna Herskind ‘12 At Nichols this past winter, we held a student thank-a-thon. Sort of the opposite of a phonea-thon or tele-a-thon, students volunteered their time after school to phone donors to The Nichols Fund to thank them for their generous contributions.

I was given a long list of donors to call, thank, and talk about Nichols today, since so many developments have come to the campus recently. One donor I called was a gentleman from the class of 1948. He was very thankful for the phone call and instantly expressed his appreciation for Nichols. He began to ask about my life and my future plans, so I told him I am a senior and currently sorting out colleges for next year. He asked my choices and I told him Princeton University, among others. He kindly corrected me, suggesting it was “Princeton College.” We chatted a little more and eventually ended the conversation as he wished me luck in my future. About 10 minutes later, I had a note saying that he had called back to correct himself. He said I was correct, it is Princeton University, as it has not been Princeton College since well before President Herbert Hoover was in office! Due to his mistake, he offered to make an additional gift and match his previous gift from the year. I thought it was a wonderful and kind gesture.

That day, I got a chance to thank donors I may never meet and the chance to make a friend with a Nichols alumnus.

6

Nichols School

LG

The Nichols Fund

eadership iving SOCIETIES

“I want Nichols to be around for another 120 years.”

My parents taught me the importance of giving back. Nichols is a large part of who I am today, and I value the education it provided me. So, it is my responsibility to help ensure that the School stays as strong today as it was when I attended. I give to The Nichols Fund every year because of this responsibility.

But, because of what I do every day, I know that there is a way that I can make a larger gift to Nichols and save a lot of taxes at the same time. I have designated a portion of my retirement plan to the School and I am thrilled to know that I will be leaving a strong legacy behind when I go. And, it doesn’t hurt that no one will ever pay income tax or estate tax on that money. It’s up to us, the alumni, parents and friends of Nichols, to help make sure the School remains a premier educational institution. I like doing this in a tax-advantaged way.

Susan E. Hanifin ’84 Director of Gift Planning, Dartmouth College

Spring/Summer 2012

7

Honoring Alumni in the Armed Services

By Blake Walsh ’98 Nichols is proud to recognize alumni who are on active duty in the armed services. We are most grateful to the following people, and all those alumni who serve, for their commitment both domestically and abroad.

Captain Nicholas Arnold, USMC ’02

Nick is an MV-22 Osprey pilot in the United States Marine Corp. He completed his first tour of duty in Afghanistan in January 2011 and returned for a second tour in January 2012.

When and why did you decide to join the Marines?

I decided to join to Marine Corps in 2002 while a freshman at Vanderbilt. I’ve always believed in the benefit of public service, military or non-military, and when the challenge of joining the Marines presented itself, I decided it was something I wanted to undertake.

What have you found to be the most rewarding aspects of your service?

The Marine Corps has an amazing ability to accomplish a lot with limited resources, be it time, money, people or all three. My most rewarding experiences in the past six years have been seeing how the units I’ve served with come together to get the job done under any circumstances, both in training and in combat.

What have been the most challenging aspects of your service?

The most challenging times are those I mention above, when what has at first seemed impossible needs to get done and with the limited resources we have. Here in Afghanistan we work 12 hours a day, seven days a week in order to support the Marines and Soldiers in the region. Maintaining the required level of readiness to do so is a constant test of our abilities.

8

Nichols School

Are there any particular experiences or skills learned at Nichols that helped prepare you for the Marines?

The well-roundedness that Nichols teaches has been the most enduring lesson I learned. My life as a Marine and a pilot requires that I rely on different skill sets each day. From planning for a mission, doing mental math when I’m flying, or briefing to a crowd, the varying experiences I had at Nichols were a perfect microcosm for what was to come in the Marines.

Captain John Soron, US Army ’99 What have you found to be the most rewarding aspects of your service?

Working with incredible people all over the world under some extreme circumstances. One thing that I have discovered is that no matter where they come from, people are generally good and share the same core values. It’s trying to find a way to connect with them to achieve a mutual understanding that’s the most challenging, whether that person is from another region of the country or another country all together.

Are there any particular experiences learned at Nichols that helped prepare you for the Army?

The ability to appreciate other people and cultures. Nichols was [the vehicle for my first travels] outside of Buffalo, allowing me to meet new people from different countries. Realizing that my own worldview was not the only one out there was a lesson I am glad I learned at an early age. I credit Nichols for exposing me to that through both the diverse student body and through the exchanges.

I think if I didn’t have this experience, my college experience would have been completely different and ultimately it would have made my time overseas much more difficult.

Honoring Alumni

Lt. Cmdr. Samuel de Castro, USN ’91

LTJG William Olena, USN ’05

Naval Aircrewman (Tactical Helicopter) Third Class Calder Epes ’05

CW2 Josh Winkler, US Army ’00

Will was recently deployed for six months on the USS Jefferson City, a submarine that is a part of the 5th Fleet, and is stationed with his wife, Jessica, in San Diego, Calif.

Sam is the Executive Officer aboard the USS The Sullivans and is in line to take over as the ship’s captain in 2013. Upon his return from current deployment in the Mediterranean, Sam and his family will be stationed in Florida.

Calder enlisted in the Navy in 2008 as a Naval Aviation Rescue Swimmer. He recently returned from a seven month deployment and is stationed in San Diego, Calif. In reflecting on how Nichols helped prepare him for the Navy, Calder says, “[The] culture of service that Nichols fosters has stuck with me.”

LTJG Kate McHenry, USCG ’06

Kate is an Engineer on the USCGC Bertholf, the first Legend-class maritime security cutter of the United States Coast Guard.

Captain James Montani, USMC ’02

James is currently stationed at Camp Pendleton, San Diego, Calif., as a Training Officer, Combat Skills Training School, with the 1st Marines Logistics Group.

He deployed to Afghanistan in 2010, and prior to that deployed with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit in 2009.

Josh joined the United States Army in May of 2004, two weeks after graduating from the State University of New York at Geneseo. He has taken part in special operations missions across multiple deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, and recently earned his wings and graduated from Army Flight School in 2011. Josh currently serves as a rotary wing aviator (helicopter pilot) at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

Lt. Col. Elizabeth Boll-Faris ’92

Liz is a Commander with the United States Air Forces in Europe.

She holds a master’s degree in Military Defense Decision Making (international relations and military policy) from the Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, Calif. Liz has also served as a Political/Military Strategist and Country Desk Officer at Ramstein Air Base in Germany with a focus on Central and South East Europe, working with partner nation Air Forces to determine bilateral military events.

If you are a past or present member of the Armed Services, please contact the Alumni Office at alumnioffice@nicholsschool.org to share your name and rank so we can update our database accordingly.

Thank you for your consideration!

Spring/Summer 2012

9

After Nichols

Ellen Considine Miller ’81 Takes Youth Tennis to New Heights

by Blake Walsh ’98 How did Nichols prepare you for college and life beyond college?

After graduating from Nichols in 1981, I went to Rice University on an academic scholarship and played on the tennis team for four years. I also received a master’s degree in Elementary Education from George Washington University in 2009. Rice was a pretty tough school. I recall people asking me how I managed the strenuous curriculum with tennis practice and travel. My answer was simple: I went to Nichols for four years, where I had two and a half hours of after school sports and three hours of homework every night. Life at Rice was a continuation of high school!

To this day, I have a great work ethic.

Tell us about your career in tennis since college?

[Upon moving to Washington, D.C., following years in Europe and Houston, Texas], I was roped into working at the Tennis Center at College Park with their elite 10 and under kids.

While teaching tennis part-time, I decided to get a master’s in Elementary Education. I eventually took an offer from the TCCP to head up a new 10 and Under Tennis program. I had a talent most other teachers did not: I could teach on the tennis court. Sadly, lacking in the coaching world are true educators – people who know how to treat children with respect, fairness, and at the same time, inspire and train them correctly. The tennis world needs more coaches, especially women, who can teach young children.

In fact, one of the innovative programs I created while at the TCCP was a Parent and Me class. Using my background in elementary education, I set up an age and ability appropriate tennis program for kids as young as three years old. With the help of a parent, these tiny people take part in developmental footwork and movement drills, fun games and of course, rallies with parents!

Within two and a half years, I had established one of the premier 10

Nichols School

USTA 10 and Under Tennis programs in the country (according to the USTA). The program was built on the new USTA 10 and Under Tennis platform, whose goal it is to make tennis more amenable to young children and get more of them involved in the sport. The concept of kid friendly equipment and kid-sized courts is not unlike that of other sports, like baseball and soccer, which modify the fields and the equipment they use with young children.

All of this feeds into education and teaching children how they are best able to learn – through doing.

Last year, the USTA embarked on a series of public service announcements designed to point out how kids view sports. “The Rules Have Changed” video shows how young children become disenchanted when sports aren’t designed for their size and they do not feel successful. Another video features the First Lady, Michelle Obama, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf – as ball kids – and four of my students. One of the kids is actually caught shushing the First Lady!

Tell us about your visit to the White House.

I had the opportunity to bring some of my students to the White House for a 10 and Under Tennis day. The event was part of First Lady, Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign, and she became a big supporter of 10 and Under Tennis with its kidcentered and rally based training. Tennis became an ideal sport for her platform. Years ago, tennis wannabes stood in lines, waiting patiently for the coach to feed the ball. The main focus of 10 and Under Tennis is to get the kids hitting with each other as soon as possible. The player-inspired rallies lead to more movement and better cardiovascular conditioning. The rallies may not be pretty at first, but with the slow balls and smaller racquets, the kids pick it up very quickly and have a ton of fun in the process. The day at the White House was amazing and the kids had a terrific time. They were slightly disappointed when the First Lady couldn’t make the

Events

Calendar of Events

event, but when the President showed up at the end of the day, that made it all worth it!

What are you up to now?

I left the Tennis Center in College Park in November 2011, but continued to work with the USTA as a faculty coach. I was eventually offered the perfect job as the Director of Junior Programs at the Washington Tennis and Education Foundation right in the District. The WTEF will be moving its flagship, inner city scholarship program to a new $10 million tennis and education center in Southeast D.C. this year and that will free up the 26 court facility for a new 10 and Under Junior program. That program will be mine and it is a mere three blocks from my house! To be able to set-up a quality 10 and Under Tennis program in my own neighborhood, with a clientele I love, is a dream come true!

Friday, June 1 Class Day

Friday, June 8 – Sunday, June 10 Reunion Weekend Friday, June 8 120th Commencement

Wednesday, June 13 8th Grade Moving Up Ceremony

Did anything from your time at Nichols inspire your career path?

I remember when I was in 8th grade and a Nichols administrator came to speak at my school. I was supposed to follow my sister to her high school (with no sports), but when I saw all the sports Nichols offered and the facilities they had, I knew I wanted to go there. So my answer has to be: the great athletic environment certainly inspired me. I participated in high quality athletics at Nichols, among them cross country, gymnastics, basketball, softball, and girls and boys tennis. That’s a lot of sports! I think I was the only girl to play on a Boys Varsity team at Nichols. My teammates were an inspiration. Many of us were three sport athletes. Some of the best athletes I have ever competed with were from Nichols!

Tuesday, Sept. 4 Freshman Orientation

Wednesday, Sept. 5 Opening of the 121st School Year Wednesday, Sept. 26 Worldwide Nichols Day Saturday, Sept. 29 Homecoming

Monday, Oct. 8 Fall Break, School Closed

What is the most valuable lesson you learned at Nichols?

When I was applying to Rice University, I used an essay I had written in my senior English class for the general essay part of the application. The class was taught by Mr. Williams and the focus was African literature. Mr. Williams had traveled extensively throughout the African continent and being in his class was like getting first-hand knowledge of the people. To this day, I swear that my essay on apartheid got me admitted to Rice. I must have sounded pretty worldly to the admissions office. I mean, what 17-year-old was writing essays on apartheid in 1980? Most people had never heard of apartheid. That was the value of the Nichols education. We were exposed to more learning opportunities during our short time there than most people in a lifetime.

Friday, Nov. 16 Big Green Athletic Celebration

Wednesday, Nov. 21 – Friday, Nov. 23 Thanksgiving Break Friday, Dec. 7 Old Guard Luncheon

Friday, Dec. 21 Holiday Alumni Reception Monday, Dec. 24 Winter Break Begins

What advice do you have for others who may want to work in your field?

My advice is that the world of coaching always needs new blood, especially as it pertains to women. Women are sadly underrepresented in the coaching profession. Since Title IV passed in 1973, the number of women coaching Division I sports has ironically been on the slide. Also, don’t be afraid to stick your neck out, take chances and maybe even shock a few people. I created new programs, like my Parent and Me class. Nobody else was offering it and, quite frankly, many thought those kids were too young to learn. But my education advised me differently and it became one of our most successful programs and the foundation of our junior pipeline.

Tuesday, Jan. 22 – Friday, Jan. 25 Upper and Middle School Mid-year Exams

For the most up-to-date event information, please visit our website and click on “School Calendar.”

Spring/Summer 2012

11

The 20112 Lucy and Sherman Maisel ’35

General Information Test At Nichols, the Upper School’s General Information Test – a tradition that began in the School’s 1911 Verdian – is compiled from questions submitted by the Nichols faculty on an annual basis and is administered to students in grades 9-12 as a measure of general knowledge. The GIT is created and coordinated by English teacher, Richard Stratton, and funded through the generosity of Lucy Maisel, wife of Sherman J. Maisel ’35. The highest score of record is 81, earned by four-time winner, George Binette ’78.

Questions 1. Which of these Central American countries shares a common border with Mexico?

Costa Rica Guatamala Honduras Nicaragua Panama 2. Only two of Charles Dickens’ 14 novels have a first person narrator. One is “David Copperfield.” Name the other.

“Dombey and Son”

“Great Expectations”

“Hard Times”

“Oliver Twist” 3. Elizabeth II has been Queen of England for 60 years. How many years did the first Queen Elizabeth reign?

42 43 45 48 0 4. Among the greatest interpreters of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach was the brilliant and short-lived Canadian pianist, Glenn __________________.

5. Name the author of the environmental classic, “Silent Spring.”

12

_________________________________________

Nichols School

6. The most touchdowns scored by an NFL player in his career was 197 by ___________________.

Jim Brown Randy Moss

Walter Payton Jerry Rice

John Riggins 7. The current Governor of California, elected in 2010, is the oldest (73 or 74) in the state’s history. Previously elected in 1974, he was then the youngest (36).

Name him.

_________________________________________

8. Name the port in Southern England from which the ill-fated TITANIC embarked 100 years ago.

Bristol Hull Liverpool London Southampton 9. “Not worth a Farthing!” How many farthings equal one penny in British currency?

3 4 5 8 10

11. The political columnist and humorist Molly __________ (d. 2007) may have been the last Texan liberal.

Brown Bush Ivins Maguire O’Connor

12. What therapeutic technique is practiced by a MESMERIST?

_________________________________________

13. Which of the Great Lakes likes furthest North and West?

Erie Huron Michigan Ontario Superior 14. MARS, the Roman God of war, was called _______________ by the Greeks.

15. In Poetry the repetition of the same or similar vowel sounds in words located near each other is called ________.

Allegory Alliteration Anagram Assonance

16. Which of these is not a salt-water fish?

Cod Haddock Mackerel 10. In 1919 the aviators Alcock and Brown Pickerel Sardine achieved the first non-stop transAtlantic flight from Newfoundland to 17. How many stars did the United States ___________. flag contain in 1930?

Cornwall Ireland Normandy Scotland Wales

_________________________________________

GIT 18. In the Old Testament who was Ruth’s mother-in-law?

Esther Naomi Rachel Rebecca Sarah 19. Fill in the blank on the opening line of Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken”: “Two roads diverged in a yellow ____________________________.”

20. A HOMILY is a kind of ______________________________.

Breakfast dish Carpet Dilemma Quiz Sermon 21. Christ said, “It is easier for a _________ to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”

22. How many syllables are there in a regular line of ANAPESTIC TETRAMETER?

_________________________________________

23. Which of these young men inherits the Throne of Denmark at the conclusion of “Hamlet?”

Fortinbras Hamlet Horatio Laertes Osric 24. MACULAR DEGENERATION is the primary cause of what affliction among older people?

_________________________________________

25. Which Roman Emperor authorized the construction of a wall to separate Britain from Scotland?

Augustus Claudius Hadrian Nero Trajan 26. A 3-time MVP and 8-time National League home run leader, regarded as the greatest of third basemen, this Hall of Famer hit only .196 in his rookie year with the Phillies. Name him.

_________________________________________

27. Sir Edmund Hilary, the first (along with his Sherpa companion, Tenzing) to reach the summit of Mount Everest in 1953 is pictured on the 5 dollar bill of his native country, _______________________.

28. PAAVO NURMI, arguably the greatest distance runner of the 1920s (winner of six Olympic Gold Medals), was a native of what northern European country?

Denmark Finland Norway Scotland Sweden

29. Which of these women U.S. Senators is not a Democrat?

Susan Collins Kirsten Gillabrand Barbara Mikulski Patty Murray 30. Which of the following former U.S. Vice-Presidents did not become President because of the death of his Presidential running mate?

Chester Arthur Millard Fillmore Richard Nixon Harry Truman

John Tyler 31. These two states whose names begin with “M” entered the Union together in 1820 to maintain the even balance between slave states and free states.

_________________________________________

32. Uncle Duke, B.D., and Zonker Harris are among the characters found in G.B. Trudeau’s politically satiric comic Strip, ______________________________.

36. An ELVER is a young _____________.

Dwarf Eel Hare Lizard Squirrel 37. The highest American mountain is located in DENALI National Park, Alaska.

Name it.

_________________________________________

38. Of what Greek city was the mythical OEDIPUS King?

Athens Corinth Piraeus Sparta Thebes 39. SALONIKA is the second largest city in what European country?

Finland Greece Romania Turkey Ukraine 40. What popular and beloved Irish song is also known as “The Londonderry Air?”

_________________________________________

41. “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” is a free-verse masterpiece of what great American poet?

_________________________________________

42. How many SYLLABLES occur in a regular line of English blank verse?

_________________________________________

43. The 3 PUNIC WARS were fought at intervals between 264 and 141 BC. The opponents were _____________ and ______________.

33. Which of these characters is King of Naples in Shakespeare’s “The Tempest?”

44. What huge city is the capital of Alonso Caliban Ferdinand INDONESIA? Prospero Tranculo Hue Jakarta Mandalay Phnom Penh Rangoon 34. On what date is the feast of the EPIPHANY celebrated on the Christian 45. The city in #44 is located on calendar? _____________, the most heavily

_________________________________________

35. The HUMERUS is a bone located in what part of the human body?

populated island of the Indonesian archipelago.

Borneo Irian Jaya Java Sumatra Timor

_________________________________________

Spring/Summer 2012

13

46. In what ocean did Herman Melville’s Captain Ahab have his final, fatal encounter with the white whale, Moby Dick?

Antarctic Atlantic Indian Pacific 47. A FARROW is a litter of _____________________________.

Foxes Frogs Pigs Puppies Squirrels 48. The colony once known as FRENCH – INDO – CHINA is now the country of ___________________________.

49. Which of the following was a winged horse in Greek Mythology?

Bucephalus Cerberus Pegasus Sisyphos 50. How many symphonies did BEETHOVEN compose?

4 6 9 10

15

51. CORNMEAL, MILK AND MOLASSES are the primary ingredients of __________ pudding.

52. In what Eastern state is the JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY located?

Connecticut Delaware Maryland Massachusetts Pennsylvania 53. Chronologically, Abraham Lincoln was the first of four US Presidents to be assassinated (1865). Who was the second? (1881)

_________________________________________

54. What is the capital of SWEDEN?

_________________________________________

55. Which Canadian Province borders ONTARIO on the west?

Alberta British Columbia Manitoba Quebec Saskatchewan

14

Nichols School

56. ELIZABETH BENNET is the heroine of what famous novel by Jane Austen?

_________________________________________

57. GRENDEL, a cannibalistic, swampdwelling monster, was slain by what old English epic hero?

_________________________________________

58. What great Asian city was known as EDO in earlier centuries?

_________________________________________

59. Sir William Herschel discovered this planet of our solar system by using a telescope of his own design.

Mars Mercury Neptune Uranus Venus 60. Which of these African-American writers won the Nobel Prize for literature?

James Baldwin Ralph Ellison

Langston Hughes Toni Morrison

Richard Wright 61. Which two continents have more than half of their land mass in the Torrid Zone?

_________________________________________

62. A descendent of Chief Black Hawk of the Sac and Fox tribe, Olympic Decathalon winner in 1912, and All-American football player, he was selected in 1950 as the greatest athlete of the first half of the 20th century. He was Jim ___________.

65. Which set of dates best denotes the “Era of Reconstruction” in U.S. history?

1771 – 1787 1801 – 1815

1846 – 1861 1865 – 1877

1901 – 1917 66. One of four Irish writers to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature is the author of “Waiting for Godot” and “Endgame.” He was ______________ ___________________.

67. Name the Nobel Prize winning author of “The Jungle Book,” “Kim” and “The Man Who Would be King.”

68. During what war did “The Charge of the Light Brigade” occur?

Boer Crimean Franco-Prussian Napoleonic World War I 69. If a man’s weight increases from 12-1/2 stone to 10% of a ton, how many pounds has he gained?

_________________________________________

64. By what name is SAUL OF TARSUS better known to history?

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

70. Who, in Homer’s “Iliad,” slew PATROCLUS and was slain by ACHILLES?

_________________________________________

71. What river forms the border between the states of Indiana and Kentucky?

63. Which is the only U.S. state in the “lower 48” (excluding Alaska and Hawaii) which is bordered by only one other state?

_________________________________________

_________________________________________

72. In the 52 years between the elections of Abraham Lincoln (1860) and Woodrow Wilson (1912) there was only one US President from the Democratic Party.

Name him.

_________________________________________

73. What is the capital of Turkey?

_________________________________________

GIT 74. Of what African nation is KAMPALA the capital?

Algeria Angola Ethiopia Tanzania Uganda 75. How many FURLONGS equal one mile?

_________________________________________

76. CARMEN, perhaps the most popular of operas, was composed by Georges _____________________.

77. The great American Folk Opera, “Porgy and Bess,” was composed by George __________________________.

78. URSINE denotes having characteristics like a ___________.

Bear Crocodile Rhinoceros Snake Water Buffalo 79. Which of these 19th century women was the founder of the Red Cross?

Clara Barton Dorothy Dix Florence Nightengale Victoria Woodhull 80. In what field have these 20 century Americans gained fame: Samuel Barber, Aaron Copland, Roy Harris, Charles Ives? th

81. “So it goes!” is a phrase closely associated with the recently deceased (1922-2007) American writer, _______ _________, author of “Slaughterhouse Five.”

82. CHIAROSCURO is a technique which applies to which of these art forms?

Architecture Ballet Painting Sculpture Stud Poker 83. NUMISMATICS is a science dealing with __________.

Coins Folklore Numerology Sleep Tombs

84. In the “Odyssey” which herb enabled Odysseus to thwart the magic of the sorceress, CIRCE? Lotus Mandragora Manna Moly Ragweed 85. Two of the greatest boxers of the mid-tolate 20th century fought as welterweights and middleweights and were both nicknamed “Sugar Ray.” What were their surnames?

93. What is the former name of the island known today at SRI LANKA?

_________________________________________

94. A PERUKE is an ornate _________.

95. In Dante’s “Divine Comedy,” the poet’s immortalized beloved is called _____________.

Beatrice Camilla Laura Madonna Wendy

_________________________________________

86. Which of the following belongs to the CETACEAN order of mammals?

Beaver Boar Dolphin Kangaroo Skunk

96. What name is given to the hostility between Great Britain and China, lasting from 1839 to 1842?

_________________________________________

87. This mighty Old Testament Hebrew warrior was blinded by the Philistines after being shorn of his hair (and his strength) by the Philistine harlot, DELILAH.

97. One of the most durable of all baseball records is Joe DiMaggio’s 1941 consecutive game hitting streak. How many games did it last?

_________________________________________

88. What is the cube root of 1331?

_________________________________________

89. Name the mythical son of the craftsman, Daedalus, whose waxen wings melted when he flew too close to the sun.

Hermes Icarus Phaeton Tantalus 90. A SIROCCO is a kind of _____________.

Cloak Dance Wind

Mask Orgy

91. BANGKOK is the capital of what SE Asian nation?

Burma Cambodia Laos Thailand Vietnam 92. This ex-US President, feeling “Fit as a Bull Moose,” launched an unsuccessful 3rd Party candidacy in 1912. Name him.

_________________________________________

98. 1941 was also the last year in which a Major League player achieved a batting average of over .400. Who was the player?

_________________________________________

99. A MUZHIK is a Russian _________________________.

Carriage Horse Guitar Pastry Peasant 100. Name the brilliant film actress who has just added to her laurels by her portrayal of “The Iron Lady” - former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

_________________________________________

To check your answers, please see page 35.

_________________________________________

Spring/Summer 2012

15

International Dinner

A Celebration of our Multiculturalism

By Stephanie Angelakos

16

Nichols School

A. The International Dinner’s potluck-style meal was prepared and supplied by Nichols families.

B. Students, parents, faculty and staff enjoy a wonderful dinner in the Rand Dining Room among the fitting décor of the flags from around the world.

C. Chinese students share a song in Mandarin. Back row, left to right: Cuomba Winfield ’13, Un-pil Baek ’13, Norman Yu ’13, Soo Min Kim ’14, Nicole Lowe ’12; front row: Coco Lyon ’19, Pearl Steinzor ’17, Lorena James ’17 and Miles James ’19.

D. Costa Rican and Nichols students gather on the stage to perform a traditional Costa Rican dance.

E. Sydney Brason ’14, Alexa Ayers ’14 and Marie Zaccagnino ’14 enjoy dinner with their Costa Rican tico.

O

ne of the most anticipated family events of the school year is the annual International Dinner. Loved by all who have ever attended over the past 10 years, this year’s event was held on Wednesday, Feb. 1, while our Costa Rican exchange students and chaperones were on campus. Led by parent volunteer and Chair, Clare Poth ’81, a dozen enthusiastic parent volunteers planned and beautifully executed a fun evening for 200 parents, students, faculty and staff.

The event began with a program in the Flickinger Performing Arts Center. Organized by Thomas Michaud, Upper School French teacher, organizer of the French exchange program and current Acting Chair of the Language Department, it featured both Middle and Upper School students. Performances included students who recited poetry and sang in Mandarin Chinese and French, performed

a skit in Latin, and the always captivating rhythmic dance of our Costa Rican exchange students. One of our Costa Rican exchange students even performed a piano solo.

Project boards highlighting our students from last year’s exchange programs were displayed in the foyer of the Flickinger Performing Arts Center so visitors could see the incredible experiences shared by those who participate in our exchanges.

Immediately following, everyone joined together in the Rand Dining Room to enjoy a fabulous pot-luck dinner buffet offered by many Nichols families anxious to share the delicious and varied food of their ethnic backgrounds.

This event is always a special time to celebrate and share the School’s multiculturalism, as well as highlight our four very stimulating and rewarding language exchange programs!

Spring/Summer 2012

17

Anti-Gravity Club’s Winter Mountaineering Trip

By Andrea Mancuso

The Antigravity Club took advantage of the President’s Day break from Feb. 18-23 by traveling to the Adirondacks for the 9th annual Winter Mountaineering Weekend. During the five day adventure, the group cross country skied, hiked and ice climbed while living together in a house in the small town of Keene Valley. In the evening, they reflected on the day’s activities with student led fireside chats, original music, ethical debates prompted by mountaineering literature, and lively discussions over group cooked meals.

Annawade Stevenson ’14, Matt Morris ’14, Paloma D’Auria ’14, Katie Ennis ’13, Maddie Rohrbacher ’12, Mitch Riter ’12, Colin Gartz ’12, Caitlin Crowell and Andrea Mancuso summited two of the 46ers, the 46 major peaks in the Adirondacks, over 4,000 feet.

The hike up Lower Wolf Jaw was 10 miles and took them along the great range ridge line for a few miles. They hiked using snowshoes in deep snow up at the tree line and navigated a very icy trail down along the river. The highlight and challenge of the day was the last hour as the group navigated covered in darkness from a washed out bridge on their trail to another bridge a half mile up river in order to make it back to their trailhead.

The hike up to the summit of Whiteface Mountain was a combination cross country ski and summit scramble. They skied the closed auto road five miles up to the end of the road a half mile from the summit. The group took off their skis and scrambled up the iced stairs and rime encrusted trail to the 4,867 foot summit.

The ski/hike up to the summit took about four hours and the ski down took one and a half hours.

On the fourth day of the trip, the group bonded as they safely belayed each other while climbing steep ice.

Here’s what our student participants had to say about the trip:

By Maddie Rohrbacher ’12 Feeling like you are on top of the world is a great experience, but what is greater is what you learn and feel on the way up to the summit. I’ve been on the trip twice, and each year, I’ve learned more about myself. I know that may sound cliché, but I’ve truly learned to face my fears. I’ve proved to myself that I can be tough through anything. When I reached the top of White Face Mountain with two of my good friends, Mr. D’Auria and Ms. Mancuso, I could not have felt more accomplished. I had a bad day before with our hike up Lower Wolf Jaw, as the icy conditions really affected me. I had fallen a lot, bruised my knees, and cut my hand.

It was easy to say, I was nervous for White Face. But on the way up, we all wanted to summit. Colin and Mitch were near me listening to their music, all of us a few feet away from each other. Even though we were all in our own worlds, we were connected. You could feel how determined we were to reach the top. We made it through icy bends and deep snow and with the push of Mr. D’Auria; we climbed up the stone pathway and reached the observation tower. I don’t think I would have made it up if it weren’t for everyone else, but especially if I didn’t push myself to new heights.

18

Nichols School

By Colin Gartz ’12 On Sunday, we skied up Whiteface Mountain. Everything was hush, save the shrill scream of an underclassman or my own harsh breathing. Each step through those hallowed hallways of spruce and rock seemed to be one step closer to some desolate place forgotten by humanity. The road was gone, buried by ashen powder still falling. The trees slowly shrank into the great, cracked walls of rock and ice ere we summited.

It seemed like the top of the world; a bitter wind tore at my coat as I surveyed the mountains and towns where, miles below, people continued to crawl along wintry streets, ignorant of the clouds bringing us chills.

The sun began to fall, and I skied back down with wistful thoughts of the now-clear sky, which was getting darker with each minute.

By Katie Ennis ’13 When we first left for the trip, I was extremely nervous, not knowing the people very well, not having much experience Annawade Stevenson ‘14 out in the wilderness, and not ever cross country skiing or ice climbing before. But Matt and Annawade felt the same way I did too, which made me feel more comfortable. We all got along well and had so much fun.

Laughter was a prominent sound heard over this long weekend. I didn’t know I’d become such good friends with these people, and I’m so glad that I went on this trip because I made new friends and had a great experience in the Adirondacks! I had such a nice trip!

Thank you so much! Can’t wait for next year!

By Paloma D’Auria ’14 It’s strange when you realize how being away from the city and cell phone service and spending four days on the high peaks in the Adirondacks can bring seven people together so much. I was friends with all of the people that came on this trip before we embarked, but the amount of trust needed to allow a fellow classmate to hold you up on a wall of ice by a rope forced us seven friends to become a family.

Maddie Rohrbacher ’12

Spring/Summer 2012

1919

A.

20

Nichols School

1 Annual ST

Party for the

Arts

by Kristen Tripp Kelley

On Thursday, Jan. 19, members of the Nichols community came together to celebrate the flourishing Arts program at Nichols, and the opening of the new visual arts studios in Mitchell Hall. A dramatic snowstorm set the stage for an evening of fun and creativity at Nichols’ first ever Party for the Arts.

A. KaiDi Peng ’12 pauses from her impromptu dance to strike a pose for the camera.

B.

B. Lauren Randaccio ’13 (left) and Sarah Garcia ’14 (right) give Mark Nash ’12 (center) a lift for a photo shoot in the new art space.

Spring/Summer 2012

21

C.

D.

E.

22

Nichols School

The night began in the Flickinger Performing Arts Center. The Middle School Theatre Team greeted guests with improvisation in the Flickinger lobby. Professional photographer and alumnus, Luke Copping ’99, kicked off the party with a thoughtful and inspiring artist’s talk. While the audience took in a slideshow of Luke’s arresting portraits, he stressed the importance of creating art driven by one’s passions.

Head of School, Rick Bryan, also spoke, with his talk pausing for a very special recognition of Honorary Alumna, Barbara Baird.

Barbara generously gave a gift in support of the new art spaces in Mitchell Hall, which truly helped set the renovation plans in motion. A talented artist in her own right, Barbara has been an outstanding advocate of the arts at Nichols. Rick also announced plans to develop a bi-annual award to recognize alumni and past faculty members for their outstanding achievements in the arts.

The program in the Flickinger closed with Anna Tantillo ’13 singing a beautiful rendition of Regina Spektor’s song, “Us.” While members of the Nichols Chorus began an open rehearsal in the theater, the party moved out into Mitchell Hall.

The Jazz Band, and Middle and Upper School instrumentalists filled the Rand Dining Room with great music throughout the night. Nichols Dance Ensemble members used the first and second floors of Mitchell for improvisational performances, and theatre students created entertaining scenes based on works in the Nichols Art Collection by Layla Ali ’88, Gretchen DeLuke ’04 and Catherine Koenig.

The new visual arts studios were filled with printmaking, sculpture, painting and film scoring demonstrations. Luke stuck around to help Andrea Mancuso and her students with a fantastic fashion photography shoot that used many of the guests as subjects.

It was a wonderful inaugural event that would not have happened without the hard work and support of the Arts Department, the Development Office, SAGE Dining Services, Facilities and the Parents’ Association. Thank you to all the students, faculty, staff, parents and alumni who attended!

Special thanks go to our talented and dedicated arts students. It was their energy that made the night so unique and memorable.

We hope to see you at next year’s party!

C. Paige Spangenthal ’15 and Nick Shea ’12 perform in the Dining Room.

D. Anna Tantillo ’13 kicked off the party by singing “Us” by Regina Spektor.

E. Middle School students, Lorena Miles ’17, Gracie Newman ’17 and Vera Potter ’17, work alongside Carol Vacanti creating art during the party.

F. Lizzy Cappuccino ’13, Joel Almand ’13, Emily Collins ’13 and Alex Regan ’12 brought art to life in the halls of Mitchell.

F.

Spring/Summer 2012

23

Luke Copping ’99 Fueled by Passion

By Blake Walsh ’98 As a professional commercial and editorial portrait photographer, Luke Copping ’99 has enjoyed critical acclaim for his work, both locally and around the world. Thanks in large part to the success of recent projects such as Pigment, which features close-up portraits of his friends with colorful paint smearing their faces, the American Society of Media Photographers named Luke one of their best Photographers of 2011 – an honor that Luke cites as one of his greatest accomplishments.

In his keynote address at the inaugural Party for the Arts celebration at Nichols in January, Luke continually stressed the importance of creating art driven by passion. Following a disenchanted work period after college during which he was

shooting subjects “simply for a paycheck,” Luke soon realized that the possibility for happiness and fulfillment in photography would ultimately depend on his ability in infuse his own creativity and artistic passion into his craft.

That passion has become contagious, and combined with a well-rounded business education, has paved the way for a successful career. Reflecting on his own post-college recommitment to his profession, Luke recalls, “[I became] dedicated, 100% to following [my] passion. Photography is not an easy thing to do professionally.

The market is extremely competitive, so you have to be at the top of your game, not just creatively and technically, but as a business 24

Nichols School

person and promoter as well.” His advice to future photographers?

“Learn as much about business management and marketing as you can – these are invaluable skills with which to compliment your photography.”

As a commercial and editorial portrait photographer, the main scope of Luke’s job includes the conceptualization, production and execution of engaging, quirky and impactful images of people. He has photographed subjects ranging from counterculture artists to corporate giants. Some of his clients include NBC Sports, A&E Television, Popular Science Magazine, Black Enterprise, Channel 4 Television (UK), Samsung, CNN.com, Independent Health, Auxiliary Magazine, T+M Magazine, Gelia Wells & Mohr, and many others. He has also been featured in numerous industry magazines including PDN Magazine and Shutterbug.

A well-rounded education has led Luke, who also serves as President of the Western New York chapter of the American Society of Media Photographers (the largest and oldest associates of professional photographers in the country), to enjoy a travel-heavy career while maintaining his home base in Buffalo.

“There are certain universal things that can be taught to prepare one for college and the world after, but I think so much of what is learned depends on how one decides to take advantage of their opportunity for education,” Copping says when asked about how Nichols may have contributed to his current success. “Every person’s journey is different and Nichols gives many different and rich opportunities to learn. One thing that was pushed on me in particular was a strong sense of tenacity – even through periods in which I was not moving forward or ran into obstacles that might otherwise have led me to give up, I was able to push through and keep fighting. I definitely was given the opportunity to start thinking in the mindset that I was in control of my future, and that it would be won or lost by me and my determination and skill. [This] has been one of the most beneficial lessons I have kept with me throughout my life.”

And so how did Nichols perhaps directly contribute to Luke’s choosing photography as a way of life? “I decided on my career path directly because of the influence and support of many of the faculty at Nichols during my years there,” Luke says. “My passion for photography was evident, but in some way I was apprehensive that it wasn’t the right choice for some reason. The [arts] faculty members were wonderful influences in getting me past my own fears and hesitations.”

continued on page 35

Luke Copping

Alumni Feature

Alumni Holiday Gathering and Awards Ceremony

by Blake Walsh ’98

On Thursday, Dec. 22, Nichols held its annual Alumni Holiday Gathering and Awards Ceremony, welcoming back a crowd of over 200 to celebrate. Amidst a new joint format of hosting both the awards and festive cocktail reception in the Rand Dining Room, Head of School, Rick Bryan, presented three awards and a Centennial Medal to four outstanding members of the Nichols community.

Distinguished Alumni Awards were presented to John Henry ’57 and Lise Buyer ’78. John was recognized for his passionate funding of students on need-based financial aid at Nichols and for his leadership in making Nichols a more diverse campus by providing faculty and students access to multicultural programs and conferences. In addition to making it possible for Nichols to send a group of students and faculty to the NAIS People of Color Conference in 2003, John has been a member of the Headmaster’s Society for many years, serving as a key supporter of The Nichols Fund on an annual basis, as well as all Capital Campaign endeavors.

Over the years, John has indeed become a leader of progress for the Nichols community.

Lise was honored for her annual support of Nichols and for her generous leadership as a member of the Board of Trustees, where as Chair of the Education Committee, she was essential in helping shape computer science and engineering course offerings at Nichols.

A long-standing Headmaster’s Society supporter, Lise has promoted alumni events in California and has also been instrumental in bringing world renowned guest speakers to campus. The founding Principal of the Class V Group and a former employee at Google, Lise is a past recipient of Google’s Founders’ Award, the highest recognition bestowed upon a Google team member. Lise has indeed made Nichols a fortunate beneficiary of her significant talent, passion and leadership.

Longtime faculty member, Dick Stratton, was presented with the Honorary Alumnus Award for nearly four decades of teaching at Nichols. In challenging and inspiring countless young minds over the years with his own unique style, Dick has become a living legend at Nichols, leading us all to become more thoughtful readers, writers and orators, faculty, staff and students alike. Upper School English teacher, Roddy Potter ’82, said upon dedicating this honor to Dick: “In the classroom, through a carefully-deployed mixture of awe and enticement, you impart to your students your own passion for the greatest literature of all places and periods. And like those well-worn books that fill your shelves, and like the verse you have committed to memory, you will affect eternity, your echoes carried through your students and colleagues, played forward, practical and ornamental.”

26

Nichols School

A.

B.

C.

Awards D.

E.

Elizabeth Stevens Gurney ’75 was presented with a Centennial Medal to recognize her 26 years as an administrator at Nichols, first as the Director of Development and later as Assistant Head. She became the nineteenth person in the School’s history to receive the honor. Elizabeth left Nichols in October of 2011 to become the founding Executive Director of the First Niagara Bank Foundation.

Under Elizabeth’s guidance, three major Capital Campaigns were successfully concluded in the past 15 years, raising over $45 million for Nichols. Her leadership and ability to secure major lead gifts resulted in the Flickinger Performing Arts Center, Regan and Donaldson Halls, the Scully Gymnasium, the turf transformation of Peak and Strauss Truscott fields, our new roadways and green spaces, and the Class of 1963 Center for Mathematics and Science.

She championed the building of the School’s endowment from a few hundred thousand dollars when she returned to Nichols in 1979 to over $25 million in 2011.

Congratulations to our award winners!

F.

G. A. Sarah Gelman Carney ’92, Rick & Judith Bryan and Lise Buyer ’78 B. Dick Stratton and Roddy Potter ’82 C. Bo Gurney ’10, Elizabeth Stevens Gurney ’75, Will Gurney ’06 and Sam Gurney ’75 D. Maura Mohler ’06, Hannya Boulos ’06 and Lauralynn Drury ’04 E. Conrad Burgos ’10 and NJ Solis ’10 F. Tad Brown ’95 and Chet Dann ’49 G. John Henry ’57, Brandon Rivers ’16 and DeLois Rivers

Spring/Summer 2012

27

Making Buffalo Home to Refugees

By Genevieve Carbone What exactly does it take to make a home? An organized leader, an army of dedicated students and a whole lot of stuff! On March 17, students, faculty and staff discovered the answer to this question as they gathered at an apartment building in Buffalo’s Black Rock district to prepare the space for an incoming refugee family. For the second year, Nichols engaged in this project through Journey’s End Refugee Services’ “Home Again Project,” a non-profit organization dedicated to providing refugees with resources to assimilate in the Western New York community.

Prior to cleaning and furnishing the apartment, the junior class, headed by Upper School faculty member, Kristen Tripp Kelley, led a school-wide drive to collect household items and cleaning supplies to furnish the first home for an incoming refugee family. The Nichols community spent nearly two months gathering donations and raising funds in order to assemble the apartment. Soon, boxes upon boxes of kitchen utensils, cleaning supplies, sheets and pillows began appearing, and eventually filled the scene shop in the FPAC. Many families generously donated gently-used furniture to accompany the collected materials from students.

By the time Journey’s End announced a family was ready to move in in late March, Ms. Kelley collected a team of volunteers, rented a truck and had designated job duties. Over 30 students selflessly 28

Nichols School

gave up their Saturday morning and afternoon to join in the effort.

The day began at 8:30 a.m. sharp as a crowd of volunteers assembled at the School to load up the U-Haul with their coffee in hand. Like a well-oiled machine, everyone began organizing the items and lifting them on to the truck. After a quick 45 minutes, all were ready to proceed to the apartment to begin cleaning.

Volunteers quickly began cleaning as large furniture made its way through the halls simultaneously.

Scrubbing, sweeping, organizing, hanging, no detail was spared as the volunteers feverishly worked to complete the apartment by afternoon’s end. From inquiring the best cleaning product to use on a stove to the placement of the couch in living room, teamwork was not only apparent but essential. After hours of tireless work, the group completed their mission: a beautifully furnished first American home for a refugee family from Iraq.

The School recently restructured their community service guidelines this year to enable volunteer service with a better focus.

Under the leadership of the Upper School Community Service Director, Caitlin Crowell, each form was assigned a specific area to concentrate on, with the fifth form assigned refugees. With a projected number of 2,000 refugees expected to enter Buffalo this

Multicultural Events at Nichols

the film and its relevance to our community and their own lives.

The 7th and 8th grade students viewed “The Children’s March,” a film by the Southern Poverty Law Center about children who demonstrated civil disobedience, by marching for civil rights in Birmingham, Alabama.

A Buffalo State professor, Jie Zhang, spoke to the School about China and its one child policy raising issues of rights and balancing rights with population concerns.

A presentation by students discussed feminism, its meaning and the discrimination that girls and women encounter based on body type and ideas of beauty in our culture.

The faculty worked with Patricia Romney of Romney Associates,

By Dr. Mary Rech Rockwell a consulting firm in Boston, on cultural competency and how to discuss sensitive The One Community Committee topics in our classrooms in a professional at Nichols promotes multicultural and unbiased manner. She also provided awareness and inclusivity on our many suggestions of best practices for campus. This winter, we hosted a educating our community about cultural series of events to raise consciousness issues. about discrimination and the history Students participated in the Just of activism in America. Our tradition Buffalo Literary Center’s Babel series to of celebrating Civil Rights Season talk with Zadie Smith, author of “White revolves around a series of lectures, Teeth,” in a small group setting. performances and discussions. Here Middle School students in Students are the highlights: United for Multicultural Awareness At the Martin Luther King Day made presentations about important Assembly, the Chorus and hand bell African-Americans Leaders to the players kicked off the season with Community. singing, music and a PowerPoint The Day of Silence was held in April, discussing the history of civil rights which raises awareness about the plight in America. The 8th graders read an of LGBT students in schools. Upper excerpt of Martin Luther King’s “I School students and 8th graders had the Have a Dream” speech to the Middle chance to take part.

School.

Students United for Multicultural Russell Combs, Chair of the History Awareness and the Jewish Cultural Department, followed up with a On Tuesday, Jan. 31, Upper School students talked with Awareness Club gave a presentation speech on the importance of these filmmaker, André Robert Lee, following watching “The Prep for Yom Hashoah, for Holocaust events in changing attitudes toward School Negro” in a special assembly.

Remembrance. persons of color. He discussed the Social Justice Movie Club screened the movie “Stonewall significance of civil disobedience in American history.

Uprising,” with guest speaker, Sarah Bishop, from the PRIDE Upper School students viewed the movie, “The Prep School Center.

Negro,” and hosted its writer and director, Andre Lee, for a day on Ms. Mancuso’s art students made a series of paintings based on campus. An evening presentation followed, which was open to all the UN Declaration of Human Rights, which is are on display in schools in the Buffalo Independent Secondary Schools Network the Flickinger Performing Arts Center. and the Buffalo community. The next day, advisory groups discussed

year, it is an ideal way for students to learn the history and culture of different countries while giving back to the community in a meaningful way.

Ms. Kelley explains her first encounter with the growing refugee population in Western New York stating, “I first became aware of Buffalo’s growing refugee population in 2010, when my students and I worked with Journey’s End to create a play called ‘The Refugee Project.’” She continues, “based on interviews we did with refugees from Iraq, Sudan, Burma and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the play shed light on not only the challenges refugees face, but on the positive contributions they make to our

community. The project opened our eyes, and inspired us to become better neighbors. Nichols has sought ways to support the refugee population ever since.”

The project was a stellar success and a wonderful opportunity for all those involved. Through a strong community service initiative, the Nichols students will continue to give back to the community in which they are surrounded and repeatedly find success. We are proud of our students for their leadership and dedication on the Home Again Project and grateful to have such a generous community. To learn more about Journey’s End, visit www.jersbuffalo.org.

Spring/Summer 2012

29

The Portrait of a Nichols Graduate

By Patrick Hanley ’05 In a conversation I had with Rick Bryan this fall, the question came up, “What is the value of a Nichols education?” Graduates of Nichols School go on to do extraordinary things in all different fields. We are living in a society where specialization is in high demand, yet alumni seem to flourish in industries from athletics and art to business, law and medicine. I was given the task of trying to identify those distinct qualities in Nichols that make it such a unique and special place. This raised several more questions, “Can the value of a school be measured in Ivy League Patrick Hanley '05 acceptances? In Division 1 scholarships? How can I articulate the value of an alumni population that spans over a century?” It became my project to define “The Portrait of a Nichols Graduate.”

I conducted a survey of our alumni incorporating questions about all aspects of Nichols life. The survey was sent to all alumni with email addresses and over 25% responded, which is higher than the average response rate for independent school alumni surveys.

Through the data, many features of Nichols alumni began to emerge as the Alumni Survey Committee analyzed the results, dividing them into two groups: graduates in the last decade and all graduates before the Class of 2001.

While alumni go on to accomplish remarkable feats, many of those features can be seen here on campus. Whether on the athletic field competing against schools with triple the enrollment, on stage performing professional quality concerts, or certainly in all academic settings, Nichols students exhibit signs of desire and focus that lead to success in collegiate and professional life.

The community of learning showcases the strengths of each student while allowing for the lessons of both success and failure.

Through the results of the survey, we learned that 97% of young alumni finish college in five years or less and over half earned a minor or double major. Nichols 30

Nichols School

alumni are engaged on campus: 52% reported actively volunteering; 51% worked a part time job while attending classes; 26% were part of an arts group; 21% of alumni played a varsity sport. Close to 31% of young alumni study abroad during their undergraduate experience, and over 48% of alumni planned on, or have already earned a master’s degree.

Interestingly, each figure has increased over the last decade when compared to past alumni survey results.

Through this data, it is clear that Nichols alumni are both engaged on campus and driven into postgraduate life.

While these numbers are impressive, it still doesn’t answer the question, “Why?” The survey included an open-ended question that allowed alumni to nominate their most influential faculty member from their time at the School. There were 123 different nominations representing each academic department and office on campus, including Admissions, Athletics, Development, Facilities and College Counseling. The variety of responses indicates the vast range of people who influence and shape student lives every day. In another section of the survey, interaction with faculty ranked as the most important aspect of the Nichols experience.

More than just teachers inside the classroom, faculty members at Nichols are coaches, club leaders and industry experts.

They are accomplished individuals who have advanced degrees in the subject of their passion and are involved in all aspects of student life. Nichols students are able to see faculty outside the classroom, thus extending student learning. Even with globalization through technology and changing curriculum, the tradition of world-class faculty has lasted the test of time. College, postgraduate and professional life is focused around interaction with superiors as well as peers, and Nichols gives that preparation. Students are comfortable working with their teachers in any area of student life. There is a role model and

friend for everyone at Nichols.

Nichols students have strong reading and analytical skills. They have the ability to take leadership roles and speak in public. They are engaged in their communities and self-driven.

A Nichols graduate has the ability to speak in collaboration and learn with, not just from adults. Through the exchange programs, multiculturalism and diversity are embraced and allow the entire school to think on a global level. They are athletic, yet artistic; progressive, yet traditional. Nichols students push themselves to the next level while keeping the traditions set by their predecessors.

I also surveyed the freshman and senior classes to note trends. Responses to “What do you hope to accomplish in your time at Nichols?” (freshmen) and “What is your greatest accomplishment at Nichols?” (seniors) stood out in particular. For the III Form students, over 75% of the responses had finite academic responses such as “making high honors every trimester” or “staying in the top 10 percent of the class.” The seniors had quite a different take on their greatest accomplishments. Less than 20% deal with rankings or honors status. The majority were focused on extracurricular successes, such as, “the fall play from 2010,” “qualifying for state playoffs” or “Cabaret 2011.” To no surprise, “finishing the Junior Poetry Paper” was the most popular response. In addition to the core curriculum, extracurricular activities provide students with opportunities to succeed and discover their passions. Nichols celebrates each person’s gifts and gives them the foundation to maximize their potential.

Rather than a number on a class rank, the faculty and staff help each student become a productive member of society.

My favorite question on the survey asked alumni to describe Nichols in a single word.

“Community” was the most popular response, and for alumni, this is self-explanatory. I asked this same question to Richard Stratton, longtime English teacher and a man who is known for his command of language. He refused to answer because he could not find a single word that describes the School.

Even with the world constantly changing, the alumni of Nichols School will continue to make their mark on the world, thanks to the traditions held up by world-class learning community.

Why do we ask you to make an annual gift to The Nichols Fund?

“Nichols inspired me to work hard.

I was introduced to many new things when I came to Nichols – things that only hard work will get you.”

Jeremy Witt ’02

Business Analyst, Manning & Napier

“Nichols provided an excellent base for my college studies and gave me an incredible foundation from which I could make choices. That is an enviable position to be in!”

Kate Schapiro ’76

Senior Vice President/Portfolio Manager, Sentinel Asset Management

Annual gifts to The Nichols Fund provide critical support to each area of the School, its students, and resources for our world-class faculty who maintain a nationally recognized college preparatory curriculum.

Your tax-deductible gift reaffirms your devotion to the 120-year legacy of Nichols School and ensures the same strong foundation you received for a new generation of promising students.

Visit www.nicholsschool.org/give or call the Development Office at 716.332.5151.

A.

French Exch

By Jeffrey Crane A. Students on the 2008 French exchange pose in front of the Eiffel Tower.

Pictured, back row, left to right: Julia Accetta ’10, Isabel Farhi ’09, Larkin Brinkworth ’10, Will Savino ’10, Tarek Abdel-Nabi ’10, Caroline Russ ’10; second row: Molly Scherer ’09, Grace Munro ’10, Cokie Hasiotis ’10; front row: Ilona Haidvogel ’09, Michelle Ho ’10 and Rene Sobolewski ’10.

B. Some students – now seniors, then sophomores – on the 2010 French exchange: Aleni Anas ’12, Caroline Fenn ’12, Michael Gates ’12, Kayla Oak ’12, Maddie Rohrbacher ’12 and Sameera Toejnes ’12.

C. The 2012 French exchange students and their hosts, including Michael Rapaport ’14 (far right), take in a hockey game in February.

32

Nichols School

John Sessions had a passion for taking foreign-language study outside the classroom. One year, he organized a French 3-Advanced class (then known as 3-Honors) where each chapter’s thematic vocabulary lesson was followed by a trip outside the classroom, sometimes to Delaware Park, occasionally downtown in one of Nichols’ old vans or sometimes just around the campus, to put the vocabulary to use in real situations. John and I each taught a section of the course that year, so my students and I were fortunate to be able to participate in the outings. Soon that initiative to make language study real and to get it outside the classroom came up in Language Department meetings, and we began to think about the possibility of giving our students a schoolsponsored opportunity to spend time in France. The idea of an annual exchange program was the product of those discussions.

During three summers in the late seventies, John led trips to France for small groups of Nichols students. The first two were bicycle trips and the third was a van trip which included at the end a home-stay in Le Havre on the Normandy coast. During the home

B.

C.

ange … trente ans stay, John mentioned the idea of a school-to-school exchange to his host family. When he asked them about the best secondary school in Le Havre, “Institution Saint-Joseph” was their reply. John’s host arranged for him to meet at the beach the next day an acquaintance who taught at Saint-Joseph, a lovely young German teacher. John assures everyone that he made only eye contact with the scantily-clad young woman and that his florid complexion was simply the result of the intense summer sun. An introduction to Bernard Demeillers, St.-Joseph’s Headmaster, followed. Monsieur Demeillers was open to the idea of an exchange and suggested that John contact one of Saint-Joseph’s English teachers.

Dixy-May Buchard-Montier had joined St.-Joseph’s English faculty in the early seventies. The daughter of a French father and a Texan mother, Dixy had a special connection with the United States through her mother and from having spent the years of World War II in Florida where her parents had sent her and her sister when war in Europe looked inevitable. In the fall of 1982, with the support of

their respective school administrations and departmental colleagues, John and Dixy began to set up the first exchange. It is difficult to imagine now, but email and the satellite phone did not exist yet, so all communication was done by letter and expensive transatlantic phone call.

Nichols and St.-Joseph agreed that the exchanges would last three weeks in each city. Use of vacation time would minimize the number of classes missed while abroad. Vacations fell in such a way in the winter and spring of 1983 that Saint-Joseph hosted first in late February and early March. The two groups then returned to Buffalo together for a week of school and our two-week spring break.

That first exchange was a great success, but we also learned important lessons. First, six straight weeks of togetherness were too

continued on next page

Spring/Summer 2012

33

much. Needing to create a break between visits, we reorganized the schedule such that the French came to Buffalo earlier in February and we delayed our departure for France until the beginning of Spring Vacation. Second, we reduced the size of each group from 25 to a more manageable 15 participants. And third, we realized that attending classes with their exchange partners was not always a successful way of keeping the students meaningfully occupied.

Although we expected them to attend class, and still do, we also came to understand that classes in a foreign language on unfamiliar topics were difficult, often impossible to follow. As a consequence, we began to organize – with the help of colleagues outside the language department – special, focused seminars and local excursions to provide the students with meaningful and culturally significant activities.

In Buffalo, the French students visit local museums, Niagara Falls and Toronto, and attend local sporting events such as Sabres games and UB Bulls basketball games. After a seminar on local history, the French students tour downtown and visit City Hall. On a couple occasions, those visits have even included a brief reception by the mayor.

Seminars on U.S. history and American literature have been constants over the years. More recently, faculty colleagues have organized acting seminars, a morning of wall-climbing in the gym, a presentation by the visiting students to a morning assembly, and a group environmental project. This year, the French students were also invited to attend a rehearsal of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.

In Le Havre, our students tour the city, almost totally rebuilt after the bombing that accompanied the Allies’ liberation of Europe in 1944. On day-long excursions the group visits the Tapestry of Bayeux, telling the story of William the Conqueror’s invasion of England in 1066; the Normandy landing beaches and the American military cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer; the city of Rouen, Normandy’s old provincial capital forever associated with Joan of Arc, and the beautiful little port town of Honfleur, Samuel de Champlain’s port of departure on his voyage that led to the discovery of Québec and exploration of the St. Lawrence river. At some point during the trip, the students spend three memorable days in Paris. Sadly, since 2001, the French no longer make a similar visit to New York City.

In 2009, Nichols’ exchange program expanded to include eight International Baccalaureate students from City Honors School.

After two years, the public school vacation calendar changed making the public / private partnership unworkable. At that point, Nichols established an exchange partnership with Buffalo Seminary. That group is in Le Havre at this writing. Thirtieth-anniversary activities and celebrations are also planned on that side of the Atlantic.

Since that first year, the Nichols / Saint-Joseph Exchange has been part of our respective schools’ lives, suspended only twice, in 1991 at the beginning of the Gulf War and in 2001-02, after the World Trade Center bombing. What began as an experiment has gradually become part of the school’s routine. In his remarks to the 30th anniversary dinner on February 27 of this year, John Sessions used the word “smoothly” to describe the implementation and running of the exchange program. Former exchange directors will attest to the extensive planning that goes into both the hosting and the travel phases of our exchanges, and all that advance work makes for the smooth flow. Of course, the program could not have been instituted

34

Nichols School

without the support of Headmaster Peter Cobb in ’82-’83. And we would not be celebrating 30 years of international cooperation and exchange without then Head of Upper School and now Headmaster Richard Bryan’s continued, active support and direct participation which has sustained the program for well over 20 of its 30 years.

In the spring of 2008, Rick Bryan visited Nichols’ European partners in France and Spain during the course of the exchanges. This year, we were pleased to welcome at Nichols Guillaume Demeillers, son of Bernard Demeillers and now Headmaster of the Institution St.Joseph, having succeeded his father in that post in the fall of 2008.

Each exchange, of course, has its own stories: missed transportation, lost luggage, three-week whirlwind Franco-American romances, linguistic development and broadened horizons. Those stories and memories, and to an even greater extent, the personal contacts, remain with the students long after they leave Nichols.

Many alumni from the last 30 years have told us that their participation in the exchange was one of the most valuable things they did while a student at Nichols, and a great many are still in touch with their French correspondant.

Vivent la coöperation et l’expérience internationales!

Photo Contest

Can you guess this fond farewell and in what decade this took place?

Submit your answers to development@nicholsschool.org and the first to correctly answer will win a Nichols prize pack. Like us on Facebook to play our First Friday contest where we share photos and other items from the Nichols archive!

53. James A. Garfield 54. Stockholm 55. Manitoba 56. “Pride and Prejudice” 57. Beowulf 58. Tokyo 59. Uranus 60. Toni Morrison 61. Africa and South America 62. Thorpe 63. Maine (bordered by New Hampshire to the west) 64. St. Paul 65. 1865 - 1877 66. Samuel Beckett 67. Rudyard Kipling 68. Crimean 69. 25 pounds – from 175 to 200 70. Hector 71. Ohio River 72. Grover Cleveland 73. Ankara 74. Uganda 75. 8 76. Bizet 77. Gershwin 78. Bear

The Lucy and Sherman Maisel ’35 General Information Test Answers 1. Guatamala 2. “Great Expectations” 3. 45 4. Gould 5. Rachel Carson 6. Jerry Rice 7. Jerry Brown 8. Southampton 9. 4 10. Ireland 11. Ivins 12. Hypnosis 13. Superior 14. Ares 15. Assonance 16. Pickerel

Attending Nichols during a period when the industry was beginning to transition from film to digital, Luke claims his favorite high school memory is working in the darkrooms: “I still have fond memories of developing and loading film in pitch black rooms and spending hours working prints. There is something very cathartic and meditative about the physical process and craft involved in traditional wet process photography.”

Luke’s professional world seems to be constantly informed by his personal interests. Indeed, the line between professional and personal projects is admittedly very thin. Accordingly, the majority of subjects in his Pigment series are Luke’s personal friends and professional collaborators. From that personal, pre-defined connection, the final images evolved from casual energy in familiar settings. As Luke describes, “In many ways, the shoot self-evolved and self-directed based out of the seed idea I built it around.”

Even when he is not working on his next project, Luke’s down time often involves his greatest talent. “Even what I do for fun is rooted in photography,” he says. “I am obsessed with mobile image making with my iPhone and street photography with some of my smaller cameras. There is a huge amount of joy in just hitting the streets on foot at home, or when I travel and [shoot] what is going on around me.” He also advises that aspiring photographers carry a pen and notepad wherever they go, so that spur of the moment ideas and “scraps of inspiration” can be captured.

25. Hadrian 26. Mike Schmidt 27. New Zealand 28. Finland 29. Susan Collins 30. Richard Nixon 31. Maine and Missouri 32. Doonesbury 33. Alonso 34. January 6 35. Arm 36. Eel 37. Mt. McKinley 38. Thebes 39. Greece 40. “Danny Boy” 41. Walt Whitman 42. 10 43. Rome, Carthage 44. Jakarta 45. Java 46. Pacific 47. Pigs 48. Vietnam 49. Pegasus 50. 9 51. Indian 52. Maryland

continued from page 24

I asked Luke to articulate the most valuable lesson he learned at Nichols. “To be an agile mind,” he replied. “Rather than rely merely on rote memorization, I learned to become both an analytical and abstract thinker. There are approaches and solutions to solve every problem and I face a new set of problems and challenges on each new production.”

This answer reminded me to do something that I always try to remember to do when interviewing an alumnus. And that is to ask myself, “What is the most valuable thing I can take away from this interview?” In this case, Luke’s simple and straightforward assessment of his career as one that must be founded on a personal passion is a great reminder that life is too short to be working a job that feels ultimately unfulfilling.

This passion has meant success in Luke’s case. Passion has meant clarity. As he told the American Society of Media Photographers in a 2011 interview upon that organization’s naming him one of the best photographers of the year, “[After college,] I took a job with a manufacturing firm, starting out in their signage department. I spent my days engraving industrial signage, making vinyl decals, and doing the occasional bit of graphic design work. Not the most exciting job, but it was stable and I eventually advanced into a more important position in the marketing department over a few years. At the same time I still had this nagging feeling that I was just running in place. I wasn’t happy, and I knew I wasn’t doing what I wanted to be doing.”

Listen closely to whatever is nagging you. Follow your passion.

Visit Luke’s website at www.lukecopping.com to check out his work.

17. 48 18. Naomi 19. Wood 20. Sermon 21. Camel 22. 12 23. Fortinbras 24. Blindness

Luke Copping

Spring/Summer 2012

35

79. Clara Barton 80. Music 81. Kurt Vonnegut 82. Painting 83. Coins 84. Moly 85. Leonard, Robinson 86. Dolphin 87. Samson 88. 11 89. Icarus 90. Wind 91. Thailand 92. Theodore Roosevelt 93. Ceylon 94. Wig 95. Beatrice 96. The Opium War 97. 56 98. Ted Williams – batted .406 99. Peasant 100. Meryl Streep

The More Things Change:

Nichols Students Chart Their Course for College in a Changing and Challenging Admissions Landscape

E

By Victoria W. Garner ach spring in the College Counseling Office, two things happen every day. After months of work completing their applications, seniors learn the results of their college admissions decisions and, juniors and their parents, now focused on the research phase of the process, begin individual meetings with their college counselor. For all students and parents engaged in a college search, it is an intense time of personal growth and decision-making. At the same time, students are pondering the age-old questions of “what to I want to study in college?” and “what do I want to be?” while parents are considering how much the process has changed since they were applying to college.

“My college search was so straightforward!” one junior parent recently shared. “I talked to my parents about what I wanted to study, picked four colleges, applied, visited the schools where I was admitted, and then chose! Easy! Done!” Put that way, it is hard not to long for the days before time-consuming and costly test prep was seen as de rigueur; before essay writing workshops, multiple college tours and college application boot camps were viewed as somehow necessary for a successful outcome. The amount of time, effort and money expended on the college process today has grown significantly alongside the ever-increasing demand for an unchanging supply of undergraduate placements. Increased selectivity has led to billion dollar business opportunities, which, in turn, has created a new national pastime and a constant topic of conversation in America today: college admissions.

Understanding the numbers Demographers tell us that the number of U.S. high school graduates peaked in 2008 at 3.4 million, representing a 32% increase in just 12 years (1996-2008). Projections for the next 12 years, through 2021, indicate a decrease of 3% nationally. The stark contrast between the astronomical rise in the number of students graduating high school between 1996 and 2008, and the modest decrease predicted for the coming decade, confirms that the number of potential college applicants will not diminish anytime soon.

International students are also applying to U.S. colleges in record numbers, creating more even demand and interest. Selective colleges report, year after year, that they have received “record numbers of applications” and seen “dramatic increases in academic qualifications.”

36

Nichols School

College admission is big business Fueled by a population with a seemingly insatiable appetite for information on how to “win” at the admissions game, the businesses that surround and support college admission efforts have thrived.

Test prep companies, consulting, marketing and technology firms are providing an increasing variety of products to colleges and the students who strive to gain acceptance into college. One need look no further for evidence of the changing tide around the business of college admission than the decision by U.S. News & World Report to abandon its weekly editions in order to pour their resources into the much more profitable “America’s Best Colleges” guide.

One of the major factors considered in this annual survey of college presidents and administrators is the selectivity, or the rate of acceptance, of a particular school. Reaching potential applicants and turning them into actual applicants has always been a primary responsibility for any admission office. In today’s highdemand market, however, the pressure on admissions deans to grow applicant pools beyond last year’s numbers in order to increase selectivity is tremendous.

Many highly selective institutions, including, as of 2008, all of the Ivies, have turned to using The Common Application. Begun in 1975 and offered online in 1998, the Common App allows students to complete one application accepted by its 414 member schools. While this has helped many students by allowing them to focus on one primary application, it has also served to enable selective colleges to become even more selective. Take Brown University, for instance. A reluctant participant at the start, Brown saw their applicant pool soar from 20,000 to 30,000 in the two years following their decision to accept the Common App. This spike, in turn, brought their rate of acceptance to a single digit.

Colleges once accepting a healthy 40-50% of their applicant pool are now posting accept rates in the 20-30% range. The Common App, combined with a series known as Fast App or Snap App, have swelled applicant pools to record numbers. And there seems to be no end in sight.

College Counseling

There are other factors contributing to the increased selectivity among most colleges and universities, namely, the college’s desire to diversify its student body and fulfill its own institutional priorities.

These priorities can vary widely from school to school, but all admission deans and enrollment managers would agree that the most important number in the admission equation is the number of admitted students who actually enroll in their institution. This number is called yield and it is a critical component to consider when designing a successful college admission process.

Charting the course for college At Nichols School, the College Counseling Office strives to work with each high school student and their family to educate them about the application process in this competitive environment.

A primary focus of our work is to help student’s identify potential colleges, understand the relevant numbers, and then learn how to articulate their strengths to each school. The intentional applicant who can convey why they believe a college’s teaching and learning program is a good match will generally experience a more fulfilling admission process.

It is not excessive optimism that causes the counseling staff to believe that identifying colleges, applying to them, and then selecting a college destination should be a straightforward and rewarding process. It is years of experience guiding juniors, seniors and their parents through the process. It takes time, energy and hard work, but the amount of effort and steps involved in applying to college are really about the same as they were a generation ago.

The Nichols School Class of 2012, like all 120 classes before them and all those still to come, is filled with talented, bright, energetic students who accept our mission and honor code and live up to it to the best of their ability. Their success in the selective college admission process reflects their thoughtful, creative and dedicated approach to school and to every thing they do in their lives. Their success once they reach college is even greater confirmation of the powerful and lasting lessons learned at Nichols School.

Spring/Summer 2012

37

Sound Minds, Bodies and Hearts

By John N. Walsh III ’63 During Rick Bryan’s 18 years as Head of School he has led Nichols to a position of planned enrollment and financial stability, necessary campus refurbishment and beautification, and dramatic strengthening of endowment. His administration has never been plagued by questions of integrity. Under his guidance, Nichols has prioritized the central asset value of our faculty. He has reinforced core values at Nichols: rigorous academic achievement, character, balance and openness to change, and enriching diversity in our lives. As he leaves, at the end of the next school year, Rick Bryan deserves our heartfelt praise and gratitude.

Among many other colleagues who assisted him, Jane Cox Hettrick ’78 and Bill Gisel ’70, in particular, were Rick’s more recent and pivotal partners in concluding a successful period of capital investment and endowment growth. The opportunity for Rick’s successor is strong. But institutional strength is never automatic. We must, as team members, remain vigilant stewards!

As partners with Nichols teachers, coaches and administrators, parents invest in a school that focuses upon values development, academic excellence and self-confidence. No matter where students’ paths may lead them, Nichols assists their safe launching and supports their growth as able, empathetic and responsible citizens.

At its core, too, Nichols supplies welleducated students to admired colleges and universities. Doing so remains a major reason our parents continue to send our children to Nichols. Today those colleges and universities have moved toward admission based significantly more often on proven personal achievement. U.S. college admission casts its net more widely and more publicly than 50 years ago. Although respected independent schools like Nichols are still valued by the college community, increased resources, continuing wisdom and 38

Nichols School

as they always have been, in three main areas: areas which respected colleges and universities have increasingly rewarded in their admission decisions. To be sure, colleges may change the balance of desired qualifications from time to time, and specific niche skills and interests may be required by a given institution’s priority programs. But most respected colleges and universities share a common desire for three qualifications in fashioning their campus communities.

sharpened focus will prepare Nichols and its students for the 21st century.

As society has likewise recognized merit as the primary and appropriate ticket for career advancement, students are admitted to college based on what they know, have achieved and stand for rather than whom they know or what they have.

It is as it should be. And while colleges and universities of historical prestige may still be elite, they are elite by virtue of excellence not mere historical pedigree. So must it remain at Nichols School.

Many fine colleges and institutions can be the places where Nichols’ students will flourish and be happy. In that pursuit of career which may arrive all too soon, graduate school and internship is often a next step from a well-launched college experience. And central to the roadmap for self-confidence and success at each of these levels is the solid preparation of a Nichols education.

It will remain important for Nichols, therefore, to continue to produce graduates who are prepared for the future,

Academic Achievement and Curiosity The combination is defined by transcript success in one’s respected high school, certain statistical achievement on competitive standardized tests, strong writing ability, quantitative reasoning skills, recognition of global interdependence and both a curiosity and passion for learning.

Such students require a positively rigorous yet nurturing school enriched by very able and well-compensated teachers and where the learning environment is more collegial than competitive. That rigorous expectation of hard work and doing one’s best, with encouragement yet demands from talented mentors who care, has always differentiated Nichols. It has justified the investment parents make. And while modern facilities are wonderful, of course, nothing is more important than the quality of the Nichols faculty!

Passion and Distinction in a Co-Curricular Field or Fields Colleges seek students, beyond their ability to succeed academically, who will add zest to the soup and contribute to community.

Those with a jump shot that’s nothing but net, who play the cello like YoYo Ma, who dance like Nureyev or who demonstrate passionate contribution to a cause or project. No dilettantes need apply. Colleges seek sustained involvement of substance,

College Counseling of differentiating quality. Such enrichment is not for the purposes of college admission alone, of course, but defines the kind of person whose focus and effort will contribute something good to society in general and to the communities we share.

Heart, Soul, Character Colleges want, and Nichols must continue to seek, persons of integrity who ask what they can do for others and then do so; who will make trusted and valued friends and classmates; and who have demonstrated loyalty and concern for those less fortunate.

Programs like the The G. Frederick Zeller ’47 Initiative for Ethics and Character are uniquely appreciated. Neither are they mutually exclusive with academic rigor, achievement and high expectations for our students.

Applicants should not worry that these requirements appear too daunting. Take heart! Nichols has prepared you well!

Colleges do not expect their students to be great at everything! Few valedictorians have it all! Not everyone is Madame Curie!

But passion for and substantive achievement at something important to the applicant, and the ability to describe one’s commitment in sincere and well-written applications and essays…that is important.

Amidst thousands of applicants, colleges seek “real,” “good,” “able” and “committed” people. What teacher recommendations say about an applicant in such matters is likewise critical.

In virtually all cases, colleges do not have room for all those who are qualified.

Rejection by any single school is certainly not a referendum on one’s goodness or deservedness. More applications, to many good schools, has become the norm today.

Nichols students will enter a more diverse and globally interdependant world, with increasing opportunity gaps between richer and poorer. Nichols will be betterserved by having students, teachers and programs reflecting the diverse socioeconomic, racial and ethnic world our graduates will inherit. Sincerely reaching out to as many as it can will be important for Nichols to try and do. It will be a better and more credible school for doing so.

Fortunately, for many years, Nichols has underscored the importance of values, of time management, of balancing demanding

curricular and co-curricular obligations and of the importance of international exchange and cultural awareness. Nichols expects students to write clearly and well.

It has invested, too, in a talented College Counseling Department to assist students and parents navigate these waters on a more informed and less traumatic basis.

And this department continues to educate the college admissions community as to the true and dependable value of Nichols academic performance.

This treasured school will hopefully seek strong and continuing leadership that will underscore the above-noted skills and qualities. Hopefully, in addition, Nichols will also be able to secure the financial resources it requires to enrich the pedagogy and facilities a great school deserves. Our families have received educations that last a lifetime, in part paid for by others. Now it is our opportunity to do the same for those that follow us. Our support, sacrificially and within our means, will help insure the

quality Nichols requires. And our doing so will build the bridge of partnership Rick’s successor, her or his administrative colleagues and our devoted faculty deserve.

It is an exciting time for us to join hands on behalf of the continued excellence of Nichols School!

John N. Walsh III ’63 was President of the Nichols Board of Trustees that selected Rick Bryan as Head of School. Jack worked for Harvard College Admissions; chaired UB’s Honors Campaign supporting student scholarship; interviews Buffalo Urban League’s college scholarship applicants; and, for over 25 years, has chaired the Yale Alumni Schools Committee, interviewing area high school applicants to Yale. Mr. Walsh has seen firsthand those strengths embraced by leading colleges and universities when formulating their admissions decisions. He was asked to comment on Nichols’ continuing opportunities accordingly and provided this article for our consideration.

College Counseling Appointment The Office of College Counseling welcomes former Junior Dean and history teacher, Joel Siepierski, to the role of Associate Director of College Counseling starting in the 2012-2013 school year. Previously, the position was held by Chuck Ptak who will now focus his efforts on the Senior Dean position and teaching in the English Department. Chuck has been a valued member of the College Counseling Office and now looks forward to continuing to grow as a teacher and Dean.

Dr. Siepierski’s extensive experience with the junior class, his role as SAT coordinator, and his great rapport with students and parents alike will greatly help with the transition. He also acts as the Boys Junior Varsity Basketball coach. Prior to joining the Upper School faculty in 2005, he received a bachelor’s degree from The Johns Hopkins University and a doctorate from the State University of New York at Buffalo. As Dr. Siepierski assumes this new role, he will step down as Junior Dean.

Russell Combs, Chair of the History Department, will take the Junior Dean position. Mr. Combs has tremendous experience in this capacity because he was the Dean of Students at both of his former schools, Albany Academy and Doane Stuart School.

Spring/Summer 2012

39

Nichols History

The Early Days of Nichols School

By Roddy Potter ’82 The Nichols School that we know today is in many ways the invention of its second Headmaster, Joseph Dana Allen (1870-1965).

Allen, who came to Nichols in 1909 and served as Headmaster until 1917, oversaw the School’s transition to its present campus on Amherst Street, and it was he, in line with the progressive educational ideas of the early 1900s, who instituted many of the features that we now consider definitive of the school and its mission: a diversified curriculum, a strong athletics program, and a notion of the school as a community with an emphasis on developing character, citizenship, and love of learning in its students. Allen’s statement that “our aim is to train minds, bodies and hearts for the work of life, and to carry into all we do the highest ideals of character and service” is now officially enshrined in the School’s mission statement, and his early work in implementing the country day philosophy on the Amherst Street campus is frequently pointed out in discussions of the School’s history. Few members of our community, however, are as familiar with Nichols as it existed during the 15-year tenure of its founder, William Nichols, and even fewer are aware that the original Nichols School building still stands on lower Norwood Avenue, not far from the corner of Summer Street.

A comparison of photographs A and B will indicate some of the changes the structure has undergone since the School’s removal to Amherst Street in 1909. It is now an apartment building and has been double-numbered as 33/35 Norwood Ave. (it was originally 35 Howard Ave.; the street was renamed around 1900). A projecting brickand-stucco addition to the front covers the original clapboard of the lower story and has altered the roofline somewhat, but the School’s crest, dilapidated though it is, can still be seen below the third-floor windows [C].

Nichols’ founders, a group of locally-notable businessmen and bankers led by rail and coal magnate John J. Albright, purchased the Howard Avenue lot in the early spring of 1892, having engaged the services of William Nichols as Headmaster (Nichols had, for some years prior, operated a school in downtown Boston). According to Dr. John Sessions’ superb centennial history of Nichols*, the services of noted local architect E. B. Green were retained for the new building, but the plan as it was ultimately realized bears little of the formal 40

Nichols School

grace that characterizes Green’s best work. The looming, flat-fronted, top-heavy edifice seems to have been designed primarily to maximize the space available in a rather narrow lot, and the lack of a front door (one has since been added) gave it a peculiarly blunt and fortress-like aspect on the street. More successful are some of the details—graceful chiseled spandrel brackets around the eaves and toothed molding between the upper stories [D] do suggest something of the Tudormanor effect at which Green sometimes aimed, and are reminiscent of elements in the vestibules for Albright Hall at the Amherst Street campus [E]. Still, the project is not listed in the official catalogue of the architect’s completed commissions, so it may be that his participation in the project was incomplete. If he was fully involved, it may be that the haste in which the building had to be erected (about 50 days) mitigated against anything beyond a fairly basic layout, and that he later distanced himself from the undertaking. At any rate, the original Nichols School building was unlikely ever to have been considered an aesthetic triumph.

The Norwood Avenue structure was not ready A. until midway through the fall of the first school year, classes having been held up until then in makeshift rooms at Westminster Presbyterian Church. Once completed, its basic configuration seems to have remained constant over the next 17 years, with a lunchroom in the basement, three academic rooms and a reception room on the first floor, and an office and apartment on the second. Whether the capacious third floor was simply attic space or in fact served some other function is not recorded.

The academic plan of the School would be quite unfamiliar to modern teachers and students, modeled as it was on the “classical schools” of the middle and later 1800s. The curriculum strongly emphasized Latin and Greek, with some higher mathematics, ancient history, and modern languages added in the upper forms. Science was not usually taught, nor were any of the visual or performing arts. Students learned the material almost exclusively by memorization and recitation.

The physical heart of the School was the large study hall, located at the rear (the east end) of the building; a row of windows, still visible along the south side [F], was designed to provide good light to the young scholars at their desks in an era when effective

B.

artificial illumination of large interior spaces was difficult. (No doubt this effect was stronger in the early years, before the vacant lots surrounding the school were built up, cutting off the southern exposure.) Nichols himself presided over this room, calling groups of boys to his desk from time to time for recitation.

The other members of his instructional staff, between three and six in number, used the smaller recitation rooms on the street side.

The population of the early school was never large, reaching a peak enrollment of about 70 just before the turn of the century. As the object of Nichols’ establishment was simply and avowedly to get boys into the elite colleges of the day, little effort was put into the cultivation of a “school community” as we would now understand it. Students came for as little as six months (a sort of “cram course” for college) or as long as 10 years, admission being offered in some years to those as young as seven. There was no graduation, nor any yearbook in which achievements might be noted for posterity; boys either left the school without ceremony, often to enter family business, or else took the college entrance exams at the end of the sixth form year. Athletics, which were to play such an important role in the life of the later school, were strictly informal, with students playing pickup football or other games in the undeveloped lots along Norwood Avenue in whatever free time—and there wasn’t much of it—they might have. There were no extracurricular activities to speak of, and most boys simply went home around two-thirty.

Nichols himself was a busy man during the School’s pioneering years, and his journal from this period reveals that many of his concerns revolved around physical plant issues. Among entries relating to student achievement and faculty relations we find numerous accounts of problems with coal deliveries, boilers, furnaces, roofing issues, stoves, sinks and C. maintenance men, not only at Nichols itself but also at the nearby Franklin School, which Nichols concurrently oversaw beginning in the late 1890s.

The School and its staff were small, after all, and Nichols was called upon to fill many roles, including those of facilities director and business manager.

The small size and limited program of William Nichols’ school were not unusual for that time and place. In the late 1890s there were at least three other private nonsectarian boys’ preparatory schools accepting students in Buffalo: The Mellen School, the Heathcote School, and Hawley’s School all advertised regularly in local newspapers and directories, and none can have been very large. They operated from various addresses, some of which had been (or concurrently were) private residences. Indeed, Mellen’s and Hawley’s schools were evidently one-man operations. Hawley’s advertisements for his College Street school specify that he himself taught all the courses**, and that enrollment was strictly limited to 12; Mellen, later the

continued on page 41

Spring/Summer 2012

41

principal of Lafayette High School, operated out of a house on Lexington Avenue. The Heathcote School, which may at one point have enrolled nearly as many students as Nichols and whose client base (including such prominent families as the Estys and the Kelloggs) was similar in prestige, nonetheless occupied a succession of townhouses, first on Pearl Street and then on Delaware Avenue. Popular as it was, though, this type of small-scale institution, which blended the traditions of the “classical school” and private tutoring, was not to survive long in the new century.

The departure of Nichols from its original location—one can hardly call it a “campus”—is entirely unsurprising given the situation its trustees faced by 1909. William Nichols had died two years earlier, having at any event been little present at the school after 1904 owing to ill health. Nichols’ conservative educational philosophy, rooted in 19thcentury practice, had fallen increasingly out of favor even with the colleges it was designed to serve, and furthermore a new generation of New England boarding schools, including Choate, Kent, Deerfield and Middlesex, had arisen as competition for the tuition dollars of Nichols’ core clientele. These schools, while socially exclusive to be sure, had at the same time begun to embrace certain of the progressive educational ideals espoused by such reformers as John Dewey and Charles Eliot, and with their residential living experience and integrated athletics programs they offered to their boys a distinct, enduring sense of community and solidarity that Nichols, with its transient student population and narrow focus on college, never could. Enrollment records from the period 1900-1905 show a decline in Nichols’ fortunes, with many students leaving either for these or similar boarding schools or even for the newly-opened Masten Park High School. Nichols clearly needed to offer something markedly new and different if it were to survive, and little that was new or different would be possible in the limited facilities of the building on Norwood, now entirely hemmed in by surrounding structures.

So with this imperative in mind the trustees, having engaged the forward-looking J. D. Allen as Headmaster and Green (this time, apparently, in more thoroughgoing fashion) as architect, took the bold step of planning and building an entirely new school—new both in educational concept and in physical form—in North Buffalo.

The later history of the Norwood Avenue building is somewhat more difficult to trace. Presumably the school sold it, but to whom it was sold remains uncertain, as city directories list the address as “vacant” until at least 1915, which is perhaps not altogether surprising. Extensive remodeling would have been necessary to turn 42

Nichols School

D.

it into a single-family residence, yet few prospective buyers would have wanted to sink that much extra money into a very large dwelling on a small lot in an increasingly unfashionable neighborhood.

It seems quite possible, then, that the conversion of the property into apartments occurred sometime in the inter-war period, at or near the same time as the first phase of additions to the front, including a brick porch (later enclosed) and double front door.*** According to its current residents, it retains the square, regular rooms and high-transomed doorways that greeted William Nichols’ first students in 1892. *For this and for many of the details in this article, I am indebted to the study by Dr. John Sessions ’62, which no one with an interest in the life and history of the School should be without. It is available from Nichols’ Campus Store.

E. **Lucius E. Hawley (1854-1923) represents a different set of possibilities for the category of semi-itinerant 19th-century schoolmaster to which William Nichols might also be said to belong. Born into a farm family near Potsdam, Hawley attended the Potsdam Normal School and later received an M.A. from Union College.

After 1877, he established schools, taught or tutored in a dizzying succession of places: Warrensburg, N.Y.; Smithland, Iowa; New York City; New Rochelle; Chautauqua; an unspecified location in Rockland County; and finally, Buffalo. In 1883, he experienced a remarkable contretemps in New York City when he fell under two separate federal indictments for attempting to mail letters using canceled stamps (an offense for which he ultimately paid the stiff fine of $100.00). The Times, which followed his case over a period of weeks, noted that he was “a gentleman of high educational attainments” but pointedly indicated his financial difficulties by reporting that he had, in the previous year, posted an advertisement in which he offered his best piano in exchange for an unstated period of room and board in an “unexceptionable” house. Despite his uneven professional trajectory, Hawley seems to have had a decent reputation in Buffalo, and his graduates went on to such schools as Williams and Colgate. ***I would like to express my thanks to Mr. Dan Garrigan for his understanding as Matt and I photographed and discussed the exterior of 35 Norwood Ave., and for his help in making sense of several of its architectural enigmas.

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

F.

Philadelphia Alumni Gathering

A. Barbara Hayward, Rick Bryan, Patricia Hayward and Robert Hayward ’71 B. John Schapiro ’74, George Smith ’75 and Bob Gorski ’55 C. Beverly Eighmy and Ellen Baxter ’77 D. Lewis McLean ‘51, Bob Pratter ’62, Thomas Eighmy ’55 and Arlene McLean

On April 18, Clay Hamilin ’63 hosted an alumni reception at The Merion Cricket Club in Haverford, Penn. Rick Bryan provided a school update to the 30 alumni and friends in attendance.

E. Cathy Staples, Chris Karnes ’73 and Monica Hamill ’73 F. Mary Marlette Smith ’83, Robert Kavash, Stuart Bryan and Jim Staples (sitting)

Spring/Summer 2012

43

A.

B.

C.

D.

Buffalo Independent Schools Alumni Gathering in New York City On Feb. 8, over 40 Nichols alumni joined friends from Elmwood Franklin School, The Park School and Buffalo Seminary for the second year at Public House in Midtown Manhattan. With nearly 100 attendees, the event served as a fun get together for Buffalo natives living in The Big Apple.

44

Nichols School

E.

A. Frits Abell ’90 and Rachel Moog ’89 B. Delilah Burke ’98, Amanda Paul (Sem ’98) and Erik Barrios ’96 C. Spencer Carbone ’00, Jack Hurley ’03, Pepper Pharr ’03, a guest and Duke Pharr ’03 D. Matt Winkel ’06, Kenton Muscato ’05, Sam Walsh ’05 and Ben Walsh ’07 E. Gina Wettlaufer ’98, Jennifer Wettlaufer Sednaoui (EFS ’75, Nichols/Park ’79) and Talley Wettlaufer (EFS ’91)

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

F. D.

New York City Alumni Gathering

A. Julian Evans ’88, Mary Rech Rockwell and Ramin Arani ’88 B. Michael Keigher, Cary Regan Keigher ’81 and Nelson Walsh ’80 C. Jonathan Langer ’04, Ashley LoTempio ’02, Leah Kaplan ’02, Carla Sanderson ’04 and Andrew Mancilla D. Ken Sullivan ’69 and Chris Vasquez ’86 E. Joseph Kaming ’52 and Ray Empson ’55 F. Erin Parisi ’04 and Greg Straus

Over 80 Nichols alumni and guests attended a reception at the Racquet and Tennis Club in midtown Manhattan on April 19. Host Bill Constantine ’62 presented Head of School, Rick Bryan, with a gift in honor of his years of service to Nichols.

Spring/Summer 2012

45

B.

A.

C.

E.

D.

San Francisco Alumni Gathering

On Wednesday, Feb. 29, Nichols welcomed over 40 alumni to the reception at the The University Club in San Francisco, Calif.

46

Nichols School

A. Lisa and Jeremy Baird ’98 B. Kristin Bergantz ’98 and Zac Gershberg ’98 D. Elizabeth Terplan, Rick Bryan and Martin Terplan’47 C. Dick Gale ’56 and Mike Daley ’84 E. Rick Bryan, Jack Wendler ’56 and Bob Lentz ’62

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

Santa Monica Alumni Gathering

A. Eric Bakewell ’95, Brian Sacca ’97, Laura Lugash and Brett Zatulove ’76 B. Rick Bryan, Adam Cotsen ’81 and Geoff Wattles ’68 C. Brett Zatulove ’76, Mary Kenefick Kopp ’78, Adam Cotsen ’81, Rick Shuart ’92, Brendan Docherty ’00, Barrett Torre ’07 and Peter Randaccio ’07

On Tuesday, Feb. 28, a group of Nichols alumni gathered at The Buffalo Club in Santa Monica, Calif. for a reception and to hear Head of School, Rick Bryan speak about life at Nichols today.

D. Shannon Docherty ’04, Jim Williams ’04 and Catherine Miller ’01 E. Evan Pozarny ’96, Suzi Yoonessi ’96 and Roxy Yoonessi ’94

Spring/Summer 2012

47

Girls Modified Hockey Senior Girls Division II Champions

By Apryle O’Farrell Starting the season 0-1-1 with only one goal scored, it appeared as though there was a long season ahead. However, a single overnight trip to Gilmour Academy changed everything for the Girls Modified Hockey team. During that weekend, the team went 2-0, scored a total of nine goals, and Bailey Lewczyk ’16 had two shutouts. The team found their stride. Passes were on stick and rebounds were plenty.

The following home game was a continuance of the newfound success, as the team scored six goals in another shutout.

Nevertheless, the winter break proved a challenge as the team was handed its second loss going into break and its second tie upon returning.

More determined than ever, the team pulled together to clean up passes and perfect plays. In the final stretch of the season, the team averaged six goals a game and went 7-0 with three shutouts to secure second place leading into the CISAA Championship.

48

Nichols School

The first seed was De La Salle, the team responsible for both of the team’s losses.

Having home-ice advantage and fans to cheer them on in the semi-finals, hard-hitting Greenwood College School was the only thing standing in the way of the team making it to the finals to face De La Salle and redeem both regular season losses. After a slow start, Nichols rallied to pull off a 2-1 victory and advanced to the finals. With Nichols leading 2-1 in the third period, De La Salle scored a goal with less than 60 seconds on the clock and sent the game into overtime, but Nichols was not ready to throw in the towel. They refused to be beaten yet again by De La Salle in the Dann Memorial Rink. The game winning goal, scored by Abbey Welch ’16 from Liz Bourne ’15, brought the Senior Girls Division II Championship Title to Nichols for the first time in the School’s history!

Sports Focus

Throughout the season, many players stepped up to the challenge of rallying those around them. Their energy on the ice and leadership in the locker room is a testament to their passion for the game and devotion to improving not only themselves, but also those around them. For these reasons, Ellis Smith ’15 was named the team’s Most Valuable Player; Liz Bourne ’15 and Alyse Borelli ’15 received the Coach’s Awards; and Katie Riter ’15 and Mia Tirabassi ’16 were honored as Most Improved Players.

Be it the grueling drills, the many long bus trips to Canada, the walk to Starbucks in Toronto while singing Christmas carols, or Coach Tom’s daily Katy Perry references, it was a season full of both hard work and amusement. In the end, goals were scored, a championship was won, laughs were had, and memories were made.

Congratulations to the team on a great season!

Spring/Summer 2012

49

Girls Varsity Hockey Named Champions – Twice!

By Scott Welch The Girls Varsity Hockey team capped off the 2011-12 season with two League Titles – North American Prep Hockey Association and Conference of Independent Schools Athletic Association – for the first time in the same season. Even more special, Nichols defeated the two opponents who beat them in the finals of each league last year.

Nichols finished the season with an overall record of 26 wins - 3 losses - 3 ties. Over the 32 games that Nichols played this season, the team scored 185 goals and only gave up 42 goals during the season. Based on MYHockey rankings at the season’s end, Nichols was 3rd in the United States based on its record and overall strength of schedule.

Nichols captured the NAPHA regular season title by going 101-1. The team scored 66 goals during the NAPHA regular season and only gave up 13 goals. Nichols won the League Championship in Quebec by beating Wyoming Seminary in the Quarter Finals by a score of 5-0, and the beat Gilmore Academy in the semi-finals by a score of 5-0. That would pit Nichols against Stanstead, Quebec who beat Nichols in the finals last season. Nichols came out in the championship determined to have a different outcome and won by a convincing score of 6-1.

Nichols then moved on to play for the CISAA, in which the top Canadian Prep Schools participate. Nichols had an overall record of 10-2 during the regular season. Nichols would open up with a convincing Semi-Final win over Appleby College by a score of 6-0.

That would allow Nichols to square off against Bishop Strachan in a best two out of three series. It would also be a rematch from last season’s one game final, which Bishop Strachan won. Nichols was focused on having a different outcome this year. In game one, in Toronto, Nichols fell behind by a score of 2-0, but battled back to win a see-saw battle by a score of 7-5. This would allow Nichols to clinch the series at home in game two, which was played at Nichols. Nichols started out strong to take a 2-0 lead, Bishop Strachan would battle back to take a 3-2 lead. Nichols would not be denied as they continued to battle and answered back with three late goals to win by a score of 5-3. As Nichols celebrated the victory, the team reached its goal of capturing both league titles for the first time in the same season.

With three goals and four assists in the victory over Bishop Strachan as part of the finals for the CISAA league, Maddie Elia ’13 had something to do with every goal scored. The team had many injuries this season, and at many times throughout the year, Maddie would take the game over and try to win it for the team.

She was a player who made everyone on the ice around her better.

Because of her consistent efforts each game and for being the hardest working player in practice too, Maddie earned the Most 50

Nichols School

Valuable Player honor.

The entire team made the season what it was, however. Brandy Streeter ’14 won Most Improved Player because it was amazing watching her transform herself to become one of our most consistent players. As the season progressed, Brandy’s confidence continued to grow, and by the middle of the year and throughout the second half of the season, she was one of our top defenseman and was playing every other shift due to injuries.

Kendall Appelbaum ’13 is another player who was very

Sports Focus

deserving of these honors, having scored a ton of big goals for us throughout the year. Rachel Grampp ’14 deserves kudos for her efforts throughout the year, and Maddy Sansone ’14 scored countless huge goals and contributed much speed to the team’s success. Julianna Iafallo ’14 played an important role in our offense, with her tremendous hands and creativeness. Allie Gasuik ’14 battled an injury all season long, and still played exceptionally well on practically one leg all season. Allie scored many goals and maintained her overall offensive punch and creativity.

Julia DiTondo ’12, who will move on to Mercyhurst College to play Division I hockey next year, had a strong work ethic as the team’s goalie, and was forever a strong player and rock for the team.

For leading through her actions on the ice, she received a Coaches Award. Shelby Wilde ’12 had a great season, scoring the first two

goals of the championship game. She was always so positive in the locker room and on the bench. Her sense of humor will be missed as much as her willingness to defend and protect her teammates on the ice. Shelby was the team’s second Coaches Award recipient.

In addition, Kristen Winter ’12 played a variety of important roles throughout the year – from center to wing to special teams – and did a great job with it all.

Every single Nichols player contributed to the team’s overall success throughout the year. Congratulations to the girls on an outstanding season!

Madison Sansone ’14

Spring/Summer 2012

51

After Nichols

Donna Nesselbush ’80 Balances a Busy Career Thanks to Habits Learned at Nichols

By Blake Walsh ’98 Donna Nesselbush ’80 is a lawyer, judge and politician in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. She serves in the Rhode Island Senate, representing the 15th district after taking office in January 2011.

The citation she received from Nichols upon her induction into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001 claimed Donna as “one of the most extraordinary young women ever to graduate from Nichols School. Surely, few other graduates, if any, have had their names etched on the III Form Award, the Yale Cup, the Nottingham Award, the Cottle Cup and the Alumni Cup.” Donna is quick to cite Nichols as a defining factor in providing her with what has turned out to be an extremely fulfilling – and busy – career.

How did Nichols prepare you for college and life beyond college?

Nichols helped me develop selfconfidence, good study habits, and an ability to analyze and assess situations and react appropriately. Self-confidence is an important ingredient to success.

Good study habits were the precursor to a hard work ethic. The ability to analyze and assess situations and react appropriately reminds me of chess and has been key to setting the stage for the various positions in which I serve, not to mention the interaction between all of them.

Tell us more about what are you up to now.

After an eight year stint (1984-1992) as the Executive Director of the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, during which time I went nights to law school, I was admitted to the practice of law. After making partner at another Rhode Island law firm, I decided I wanted to “do things my way,” so in 1999, I joined hands with my good friend and fellow attorney, Joe Marasco, to found the law firm of Marasco & Nesselbush, LLP. Twelve years later, we are a mid-sized firm for our area, with 11 associate attorneys and about 40 support staff. Our firm focuses on social security disability, personal injury and medical malpractice law.

In 2004, I was appointed Municipal Court Judge for the City of 52

Nichols School

Pawtucket, handling traffic and housing matters for my city. I still serve in that capacity. In 2010, I was elected to the Rhode Island Senate, and I serve in that capacity as well. In my precious free time of which there is little, I enjoy travelling, dancing and spending time with my partner, Kelly Carse. Thanks to my Nichols Spanish teacher, Olga Mandell, I developed a love of language and am happy to be fluent in Spanish and Italian and conversant in Portuguese. I am naturally attracted to visiting countries where those languages are spoken as often as possible!

Did anything from your time at Nichols inspire your career path?

There is no question that Mr. Fitzhenry’s Constitutional Law class inspired me to pursue a legal career. His class was so hard and he was so intimidating! After I finished his course, I thought I was both a constitutional scholar and Perry Mason! I was confident that if I could do well in Mr. Fitzhenry’s Con Law class, I could do well in law school.

Once I was established in my profession and my law firm was successful, I wanted to give back. I was enjoying the management of my law firm more so than the practice of law, and I became aware of a long held desire to be more involved in my community. I remember that so many of my Nichols friends’ parents were “outstanding citizens,” very involved in the Nichols community and the broader Buffalo community, so I knew community service was both important and rewarding. Also, since graduation from Nichols, I have always carried with me the sentiment “those to whom much is given, much is expected.” So in 2004, when I was asked if I would serve as a part-time Municipal Court Judge, the answer was easy.

In 2010, another opportunity presented itself. The long-serving (36 years) incumbent state Senator from Pawtucket decided not to seek re-election. I knew instantaneously that I was interested. At Nichols, I was a three sport varsity captain, MVP and Alumni Cup winner, so I was no stranger to challenge and competition. In November 2010, I was elected to the State Senate. I LOVE being a State Senator,

In Memoriam Alumni Andrew S. McGennis ’63 – Dec. 15, 2011 John R. Griffis ’44 – Dec. 18, 2011 Nelson M. Graves, Jr. ’44 – Jan. 7, 2012 William R. Schreier ’76 – Jan. 28, 2012 John H. Harriman ’37 – Jan. 30, 2012 Raymond P. Weil ’47 – Feb. 6, 2012 Tom Trefts ’49 – April 23, 2012 Bob Dillon ’49 – May 9, 2012

Friends Louis Avino – Jan. 23, 2012 – Father of James ’08, Joseph ’11 and Matthew ’13 Nathan Benderson – April 7, 2012 – Father of Ronald Benderson ’61; grandfather of Brett Benderson ’90 Louis Cloutier – Mar. 5, 2012 – Stepfather of Sara Burke Potter ’68, Margaret Burke ’76, Deirdre Burke Goodrich ’81; grandfather of Delilah ’98, Brendan ’03 and Gunnar Burke ’07 Ruth DeLange – Jan. 9, 2012 – Grandmother of Lindsey DeLange Schultz ’94 and Eric ’98

Anna Mae Donahoe – April 13, 2012 – Grandmother of Matthew ’08 and Kaitlin ’09

Katie Wilton Peterson – Feb. 29, 2012 – Sister of Ben Wilton ’91

John Downing – Sep. 27, 2011 – Husband of Karen Kent Downing ’77

James Phillips – Feb. 26, 2012 – Grandfather of Kerry Hannan ’02, Patrick Kenney ’05, Connor Kenney ’09 and Alex Aylward ’13

Gail Greenberger – Jan. 3, 2012 – Mother of Adam ’89; wife of John, former Trustee

Colleen Toohey Porter – March 22, 2012 – Mother of Emily Porter ’99

Eleanor Harriman – Oct. 6, 2011 – Wife of Thomas Harriman ’38; mother of Richard ’62 and Thomas, Jr. ’64

Russell P. Riniolo – April 26, 2012 – Grandfather of Anna Sauer ’19

Edward Jelsovsky – May 2, 2011 – Grandfather of Rachel Grampp ’14 Joseph Long – Dec. 29, 2011 – Father of Patrick ’85 Randolph Marks – Mar. 31, 2012 – Father of Ted Marks ’78, grandfather of Graham ’10, Derek ’11 and Teddy ’14

James Vardon – Sep. 29, 2011 – Father of Catherine ’88 and Emma Vardon Veys ’92 Ralph Wilcove – Apr. 9, 2011 – Father of Michael ’74, David ’76 and Jonathan ’78 Laurence Wright – Aug. 1, 2011 – Grandfather of Andrew ’06, Timothy ’08 and Lindsay ’12

Frank Mathews – April 22, 2012 – Father of Karen Mathews N’71; grandfather of Alexandra Mathews ’11

as the job involves important issues, helping people and chess-like relationships. At this point, the greatest challenge is balancing all three careers simultaneously!

What advice do you have for others who may want to work in your field?

The practice of law is an honorable and rewarding profession. Our legal system is somewhat of a national treasure, as it says something about who we are as a nation. I have found nothing more gratifying than the ability, on virtually a daily basis, to help people and to seek justice for an aggrieved soul.

What is the most valuable lesson you learned at Nichols?

Hard work. I had very little homework in elementary school, and I was not exactly prepared for the work load at Nichols. My public school neighborhood friends would come over at night asking if I could go ‘hang out,’ but I had hours of homework. I was frustrated by what I did not know, afraid of failure and overwhelmed by the sheer

amount of homework. But one evening I decided to make friends with the night. I figured out some way to overcome sleepiness and to do what I needed to do, and I was amazed at what I could learn if I relaxed and spent time with the homework. My friendship with the night served me well through college, law school, the creation of a law firm and every legal brief I ever wrote. Now, it is my friendship with hard work and long hours that makes all three of my jobs a joy.

What is your favorite Nichols memory?

Hanging out in Dean Mary Hilmer’s office (which was over the library), laughing so hard and loud that the librarian, Guy Johnson, would call up to yell at us, quieting down and repeating the pattern, over and over again, daily!

What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment?

Overcoming poverty and the wounds of a broken home to graduate from an Ivy League college.

Spring/Summer 2012

53

1938 Thomas Harriman celebrated his 90th birthday in November 2011 in Santa Barbara with his sons, Richard ’62 and Tom, Jr. ’64; his brother John Harriman ’37; and almost all of the children of John, Lewis Harriman, Jr. ’33, the late William Harriman ’36, his late sister, Elizabeth, and Charles Bean ’41, and his sister, Ann White. All told, 15 grandchildren of former Nichols Trustee, Lewis Harriman, attended. Tom, Sr. recently succeeded in having Cottage Hospital, the largest hospital group between Los Angeles and San Jose, take over his nonprofit, the Center For Innovative Therapies, to continue its work in treating dementia and other cognitive disorders.

1943

Russell Osborn writes, “I attended the Old Guard Luncheon on Dec. 9, 2011, and was pleased to learn of the old study hall’s transformation into new fine arts spaces.

On Dec. 9, 1941 (70 years and one day earlier) the entire Upper School assembled to hear President Roosevelt’s radio address, and in that study hall, we learned that our nation was at war.”

1944

Class Notes

son, Nelson III, and his granddaughter, Claire, during a summertime visit to campus.

1948

Chuck Lauer writes, “I retired in 2007, but am still very busy with boards and writing!”

1957

Robert Carter moved from Northern California to Ashland, Ore., (home of the Shakespeare Festival) and writes, “I am involved with Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and Habitat for Humanity. I am going to Zambia in June 2012 for a two week build project. We welcome Nichols alumni at our vacation rental home.”

Trumbull Rogers recently had his poem, “Youth,” published in a new magazine, Chelsea Station. In addition, an article he wrote, “Speaking of the English Language,” was recently published in Gow Life Magazine.

In Poland this year, Alan Oestreich lectured on pediatric radiology at three medical centers.

1958

Howie Saperston was honored in February at the 11th Annual New York State Commercial Association of Realtors Awards Dinner with the “Transaction Velocity Award” for the most deals completed in Western New York in 2011 by a Commercial/Industrial Realtor.

1961 Nelson Graves, Jr. passed away on Jan. 7, following a brief illness. A longtime supporter of Nichols, Nelson was a regular fixture on campus at sporting and Reunion events alike.

Pictured in the accompanying photo are Nelson with his daughter in-law, Laurie, his 54

Nichols School

A $15.8 million commitment from Toshiba Corp. in March to the University at Buffalo’s Toshiba Stroke Research Center, co-founded by Nick Hopkins in 1997, will allow for significant expansion and growth for the Center, which focuses on research related to the prevention and treatment of vascular disease through minimally invasive techniques.

On the heels of one of the most successful 50th Reunions in Nichols’ history, two ’61 alums have been pushing their aerobic boundaries of late:

Ken Neil finished third in his age group after completing the Miami Marathon in an impressive three hours and 53 minutes, shaving six minutes off of his New York City Marathon time from last year. He plans to run New York again this fall and the Boston Marathon in April 2013.

Ken also has four triathlons coming up this year in Florida, New York, N.Y. and Chicago, Ill. Ken adds, “It turns out that the popularity of triathlons and marathons is surging very quickly, so if any of you have this sort of misguided ambition, I’d get on it right away.”

Chris Reid completed his first ever Mighty Hamptons triathlon on Sept.

11, 2011. Some of the highlights from Chris’s experience: “[I was] able to get into my wetsuit without falling over, always a great accomplishment.

Somewhere about 6:20 a.m. [we] got into the water for a little warm-up and to

1964

listen to the obligatory words about the day. ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ sounded good and race instructions were clear.

Then off on the swim! I had a delightful time, though I seem to have swum perhaps as much as 1/3 more than the shortest course possible. It seems that I have a pronounced tendency to swim to the right, which kept putting me to the far outside of the course. I felt relaxed and pretty strong throughout. Transition to the bike took seven minutes and 15 seconds. Most of the time, of course, spent trying to extricate myself from the sodden grasp of the wetsuit. I caught and passed a fair number of younger competitors – very satisfying, and was passed by many more hotshots in the 20 - 30 and 30 - 40 age groups.

I observed the reason that folks spend so much money on bikes; it really, really makes a difference! Transition to the run was pretty quick, although, again, I was surprised by the distance from the dismount point to my place in the bike rack. 2:28 spent on this enterprise.

Off on the run only to be brought low by my shoelaces! The bows had been so lengthened by my experience on the bike that the toe of one foot very neatly inserted itself into the bow of the other bringing me ‘ass over teakettle.’ Ended up with a lovely scraped knee and wrist for my stupidity– then off and up and on. Had never put it all together until now, so the run was quite a bit more grueling than a 10k usually is, though I was pleased that my left knee and left leg held up reasonably well throughout the course. At the end, exhausted . . . [but] pleased that I finished the race and that it didn’t finish me.”

Steven Buck went to China in 2011 with People To People Group, an educational travel provider organization, as part of an ENT (ear, nose and throat) delegation that visited hospitals in Beijing and Guyang, China. Steven writes that he visited traditional medicine hospitals that practice acupuncture, gave a lecture on ear surgery that “may have gotten lost in translation,” and enjoyed very friendly people at every turn.

1968

Michael O’Connell has retired from the U.S. Government in Washington, D.C., after 36 years and moved to a 1920s bungalow in a historic area of downtown Wilmington, N.C.

1969

Art Cryer was promoted to Senior Vice President at First Niagara Risk Management.

1970

President and CEO of Rich Products, Bill Gisel, was elected to the Board of Directors for KeyCorp. His appointment to the Board brings a Buffalo voice to the top level of a bank that spans the northern part of the country from Maine to Alaska.

1971

Lewis Giordano writes: “In addition to my regular practice at the law firm of Lewis, King, Krieg & Waldrop, PC in Knoxville, Tenn., I am an Adjunct Professor at the University of Tennessee College of Law where I teach trial advocacy courses, predominantly Advanced Trial Practice. [In February], I received the College of Law’s 2011 Outstanding Adjunct Teacher Award at the law school’s annual Honors Banquet.”

finish in 2014. Although excellent skiing is not too far away, I am thinking about taking up surfing while I am here.”

President and Owner of Fowler’s Chocolates, Ted Marks is celebrating his company’s 102nd birthday this year. Now with six locations across Western New York, Marks has seen his business grow significantly since he came on board almost 20 years ago.

1979

David Duryea was recently promoted to Rear Admiral in the US Navy and is assigned as the Deputy Commander for Undersea Warfare at the Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, D.C.

1980

Tom Wagner writes, “My son, T.J., started his first year at Nichols in September 2011.”

1983

Sarah Baird is currently finishing up a master’s degree in Humanitarian Service Administration with a focus on energy poverty in the developing world while living in the New Haven area with husband, Ben, and three kids: Xan currently attends Williams College, Eva is heading to Barnard College and Nat will be entering high school.

1984

In March, Piper Campbell was nominated

by President Obama to serve as Ambassador to Mongolia. Piper is a career foreign service officer who currently serves as consul general at the U.S. Consulate in Basra, Iraq. She previously served as chief of staff to former Deputy Secretary of State, Jack Lew, who now serves as White House Chief of Staff.

1978

Chris Kramar writes, “I have decided to add to my knowledge in my new profession by returning to school. I am attending the University of San Diego to obtain a doctorate in nursing practice so I can teach and work as a nurse practitioner. I should

Spring/Summer 2012

55

Buffalo Sabres Corporate Challenge A Division. As each team was paired with a Buffalo Sabres alumnus, the Nichols team played with former defenseman, Craig Muni, and eventually won the Championship. In the seven years that Rick has entered a team in the event, this was the first time Rick has been able to field an all Nichols alumni team, although the majority of previous rosters have been comprised of Nichols alumni; they have come in second place twice and won the event three times. Pictured left to right are: Bob Weston ’95, Paul Sullivan ’88, Kevin Hughes ’09, Shawn Conschafter ’99, Phil Nobel ’88, Dave Seitz ’92, Craig Muni, Rick Zacher ’86; Lawton Zacher (front).

Ellen Hassett married Sean Cahill in Buffalo, N.Y. Family attended the March 17, 2012 ceremony and celebration. The couple honeymooned in Washington, D.C., though Ellen happily adds, “life is a honeymoon!”

1987

Conrad Winkler switched jobs in 2011 and is now running a division of Evraz, an international steel, mining and vanadium business, in Chicago. He lives in Evanston, Ill. with his wife, Julia, and daughters, Ellie (8) and Becky (4).

1988

1985

David Weiskopf writes, “Kate (4) and Zachary (2) are keeping their parents very busy!”

1986

Rob Drago and wife, Annmarie, welcomed son, Jack, on Jan. 26, 2011. He joins older brothers, Andrew, Alex and Matthew.

Karl Koch continues to do web, photo and video work for the rock band, Weezer, record his own music as “Karlophone,” and work on paintings in his home studio.

Allen Farmelo made the front page of The New York Times in November for helping discover and produce a newly rediscovered jazz pianist’s record. The jazz artist debuted at Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center in Buffalo in December 2011.

Eyal Press recently published a new book entitled “Beautiful Souls.” The book details the true story of Swiss police officer, Paul Gruninger, who was stationed on the border between Austria and Switzerland during World War II and refused to enforce the law barring Jewish refugees from entering Switzerland. Eyal was recently interviewed on National Public Radio discussing “Beautiful Souls” and the book was also reviewed by The New York Times.

1990

Jessica Edwards-Reich and husband, Marc Richman, welcomed a baby girl, Marlowe, on June 2, 2011.

Earlier this winter, the Nichols Alumni Hockey team played for Rick Zacher’s company, The Courtyards LLC, in the 56

Nichols School

Eric Grasser writes, “I continue to enjoy life in the Southwest. In Santa Fe, I have opened my integrative medical practice combining Western Medicine with Ayurveda, which I studied for two years in New Mexico and India. Check it out at unitymedicine.com.

Happy 40th birthday to all!”

Aaron Hoffman was named Medical Director of the Bariatric (weight loss surgery) and Minimally Invasive Surgery Institute at Buffalo General Hospital in November 2011. In his new role, he will continue as Director of Adult Surgery at Women and Children’s Hospital and teaching Surgery at UB. His partner, John Butsch ’84, an expert in weight loss surgery, also heads the Comprehensive Hernia Center at BGH. Nandita Shenoy spent the majority of 2011 in the Deep South as a member of the repertory company of the Alabama Shakespeare Festival where she performed in three plays. Over the summer she performed in “The Rocky Horror Show” at the Hangar Theater in Ithaca which allowed her to “shop at Wegmans once again!” She writes, “[I] still love chasing my dreams.”

Dan Williams and wife, Lindsay, welcomed their first child, Amelia Josephine Williams, on May 25, 2011.

1991

Lt. Cmdr Sam De Castro is now serving as Executive Officer aboard the USS The Sullivans, and he is in line to take over as the ship’s captain in 2013. Named after the five Sullivan brothers from Waterloo, Iowa, who died when a Japanese torpedo sank the cruiser USS Juneau in November 1942 in the Battle of the Solomon Islands, the Florida-based ship is an Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer that launched in 1995.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Metro New York and Western New York elected Anthony Habib, president of Petri Baking Products, to its Board of Directors for 2012.

1992

David Seitz was inducted into the East Coast Hockey League Hall of Fame on Jan. 18. Seitz played in 489 games over eight seasons with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays and ranks 6th all-time in ECHL history with 384 assists and 10th all-time with 587 points.

Sean Takats published a book in late 2011 entitled, “The Expert Cook in Enlightenment France,” which examines the lives of French household servant cooks as they sought to improve their societal rank as skilled experts in the kitchen.

1998

about how to approach their passions in life. She recently completed the book she has been writing about her experiences.

In February 2012, Catie Plumb Day and her husband, TJ, welcomed their first child, Rory Walsh Day.

1996

2004

Dr. Ephraim Atwal recently returned to Buffalo to join his father, Amar, in running the family owned practice, Atwal Eye Care. A graduate of Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland, Ephraim completed his medical residency in New Orleans following a research fellowship at Louisiana State University.

Brian Gatewood wrote the script for “The Sitter,” a 2011 comedy film about a suspended college student, Jonah Hill, who is coaxed into babysitting the kids next door.

University of St. Andrews in Scotland 2009 graduate, Cece Butcher, was married to Luke Boddice in Scotland in July 2011.

The couple recently moved into their new house in Glenrothes. Cece works in Public Relations in Kirkcauldy, Scotland.

Adrienne DeCarlo Ptak and her husband, Chuck, welcomed the birth of their son, Theodore Charles Ptak, on Dec. 17, 2012.

Older brother, Oliver, is excited to have a new sibling.

2001

Mayuri Guntupalli and husband, James DeVaney, are proud to announce the arrival of their daughter, Nylah Padma DeVaney on Feb. 15, 2012. Nylah and her parents are living in Bethesda, Md.

1997

Rob Childs lives in the Boston area with his wife and is teaching high school English.

Michael Gregory married Abby English in September 2011 at the Huron Mountain Club. Nichols alumni in attendance included Michael’s sister, Pamela Gregory ’03, and classmates Eric Termini, Josh Lippes, Jaron Bruzgul, Jacob Mascari, Brad Feine and Brian Sacca.

Kerry Docherty visited Nichols last fall to share her experiences as a young adult in search of self-worth and her journey to fully tap into her creativity after losing touch with it. She met with Upper School English students and addressed the student body in a special Morning Meeting assembly. Her thoughtful words resonated with the adults in the room, and undoubtedly got our students thinking

Living in Northern California, Daniel McKegney is currently working at The First Tee of the Tri-Valley in Pleasanton, Calif., which is a nonprofit organization that teaches life skills and core values to young people. As the Executive Director, he was recently featured in an article on BuffaloGolfer.com.

Chris Mueller played in his first NHL game against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday, Dec. 3. He played 15 games with the Nashville Predators last season.

Chris got the call to play in the game after leading the Predators’ American Hockey League affiliate in Milwaukee with nine goals and 17 points in 19 games.

Brittany Salmon participated in the Red Bull Crashed Ice tour’s winter extreme sporting event, ice cross downhill, which involves downhill skating in an urban environment on a track featuring steep turns and high vertical drops. This year’s event was held in St. Paul, Minn. The sport is similar to ski cross and snowboard cross, except with ice skates on an ice track instead of skis or snowboards on a snow track. Competitors, having advanced from one of the tryouts in the prior months, race in heats of four skaters, with the top two advancing from each heat. Racers, typically ice hockey players, outfitted as such, speed down the course’s turns, berms and jumps.

Spring/Summer 2012

57

Bridgid O’Gorman writes, “After playing ice hockey and majoring in biology at Connecticut College, I am currently down in New Orleans studying Tropical Medicine at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.”

Justin Vassar is a ski pro for the Aspen Skiing Company at Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen, Colo., and is also a freestyle skiing instructor for the Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club. During the offseason, Justin, a 2008 graduate of Williams College, works at a sports medicine center in Aspen and is currently taking classes to pursue a career in sports medicine. Proof of the fact that we live in a small world, Justin recently ran into current Nichols students, Michael ’13 and Peter Montante ’14, who were hitting the slopes in Aspen over Presidents’ Day weekend.

2005

Matt Connors recently joined Sinatra & Company Realty in Buffalo as Project Coordinator.

Matt Felser is teaching Spanish and coaching golf at the Vail Mountain School in Colorado.

2007

Julia Butcher, who graduated from University of Denver last June with a dual degree in French and Geography, has spent this past academic year teaching English at a high school in Berck-sur-Mer, France, and plans to return to Denver.

Thomas Butcher graduated from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland last June with a First (highest honors degree) in International Relations and is now working for Ernst & Young’s Business Advisory Program in New York City.

58

Nichols School

2010 College sophomore Larkin Brinkworth and the No. 17 George Washington men’s squash team won its first ever national championship with three consecutive victories over Stanford, Bowdoin and Colby College in the Summers Cup (C Division) at the College Squash Association Team Nationals in Princeton, N.J. in February. Larkin provided the fifth and deciding victory in the finals with an 11-2, 11-9, 11-8 win over his Colby College opponent.

2011 A group of classmates gathered over the 2011 Thanksgiving holiday at the home of Tom Tobias in Buffalo. Pictured left to right are: Tyler Van Schoonhoven, Harry Zemsky, Dan Swift, Gunnar Burke, Dr. Tom Tobias, Tom Tobias, Matt Parker and Chris Arnold.

Nora Williams has been awarded an International Studentship with the College of Humanities at the University of Exeter in England, which will fund her Ph.D. Nora cites Nichols’ own Arts Department Chair, Kristen Tripp Kelley, as “the person who most encouraged me to go into drama in the first place.”

2008

Geoffrey Abrahams, captain of the John Carroll University Club Hockey team, recently broke the team’s all-time record for career points with 158 points, surpassing the former record of 157.

2009

Bowdoin College’s Kaitlin Donahoe was named the New England Small College Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for her late January performances against multiple rivals, including Colby College. As of Feb. 1, Kaitlin was enjoying the best season of her collegiate career, averaging 11.2 points, 3.8 assists and 3.9 rebounds per contest.

After completing her first semester at University of St. Andrews in Scotland, Pamicka Marinello writes, “[I’ve] decided to stay on instead of doing only one semester as an international student. Love St. Andrews!”

A freshman member of the Kent State women’s field hockey team, Shannon Martin was named a member of the National Academic Squad, which recognizes those student-athletes who have achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or higher through the first semester of the 2011-12 academic year.

Keep in Touch!

Share your news with us!

Contact: Blake Walsh ’98 Director of Alumni Relations 716.332.5164 bwalsh@nicholsschool.org

Faculty Profile

Lisa Sauer What is your position at Nichols?

I teach AP Biology and Biology.

This is my third year teaching at Nichols.

What was your path leading to Nichols like?

I majored in Biology at the University at Buffalo and received my master’s degree in Science Education there as well.

My passion for teaching began when I was asked to be a teaching assistant for Evolutionary Biology and General Physiology as an undergraduate student at UB. I loved the challenge of working with students and enjoyed the process of setting up hands-on lab activities. I quickly realized that understanding the course material and teaching it are very different and I embraced the challenge. I began teaching chemistry at Orchard Park High School and taught there for four years. In between teaching at Orchard Park and at Nichols, I was able to enjoy nine years as a stay-at-home mom of four. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to stay home while the children were very young and I am certain that my patience, listening skills and organizational skills are much improved because of it. While at home, I had the opportunity to tutor various science subjects out of my home, as well as volunteer as a medical assistant at Good Neighbors clinic in downtown Buffalo. I enjoyed working with a variety of people and those experiences renewed my passion for learning and inspired me to return to teaching. As a science teacher, I take pleasure in having my students experience both the classroom and the lab for learning.

What extra-curricular activities are you involved in at the School?

In the fall season, I am the assistant coach for Girls Varsity Field Hockey, in the winter season I am the assistant coach for Girls Junior Varsity Basketball, and in the spring I teach an afterschool

Cardio Physical Education class. I serve as a faculty mentor for our Upper School Science Olympiad team and participate in recommending students to our Research Scholars Program. I have been a leader for our Young Scientists’, Young Writers’ and Young Artists’ Workshops.

What is the best part of your job?

The best part of my job is communicating with my students about science and about their lives and interests each day.

I enjoy sharing my knowledge of biology and observing as they make connections between what we learn in class to the world around them. Many times during class, a student will say “I’ve heard of that!” from watching the news, reading the paper or from another science course they’ve taken.

By the time I teach them as juniors, many have already taken physics and chemistry and know great deal of information. I absolutely love this approach and can teach biology at a high level because I can build on what they have already learned. My small class sizes provide the opportunity to get to know my students well. We are able to accomplish a great deal in class and lab and my students are comfortable asking frequent questions. I have also had the benefit of attending various conferences over the summer related to my subject matter. I also look forward to coaching after school because it gives me the chance to get to know students that I may not have as students in my biology classes.

Describe your ideal day at Nichols.

My day begins in the classroom with feeding the fish, Charles, the bearded dragon lizard, and Medusa, the garter snake. I take time to prepare the lab area of my classroom for activities and enjoy the bustle of students in and out of the classroom. Our environment is one of

openness and many students trickle in as the day goes on to ask questions or to find a quiet spot to get work done. There is much to do and I benefit from the time I get to collaborate with other science teachers.

After school, I look forward to practicing or games with my teams.

What do you like to do on the weekends?

On the weekends, I enjoy spending time with my family and like to get a little exercise, usually running. My four children are all involved in sports, so we are busy maneuvering from games to practices. We enjoy the four seasons and love living in Buffalo. On Saturday mornings, we ski together as a family (although I am by far the worst skier in the bunch). Now that the children are a bit older, we have begun to do a little traveling.

1250 Amherst St. Buffalo, NY 14216

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Buffalo, NY Permit No. 3658

In the Next Issue: The 120th Commencement and Reunion 2012

Be a part of Worldwide Nichols Day on Wednesday, Sept. 26!

Celebrate the 121st birthday of Nichols School — wherever you are!

Alumni, parents, students and friends will wear Nichols gear or green and white on the day the School was founded. Participants will be asked to share photos of themselves via email, Facebook and Twitter.