Peddie Chronicle Fall/Winter 2018

Peddie

FALL/WINTER 2018

CHRONICLE

CONTENTS FALL/WINTER 2018 VOL. 147, NO. 1

22 FEATURE

Peddie and Blair teamed up to bring you our favorite rival relationships 14

18

ACADEMICS

COMMUNITY

At sea with Biology Teacher Meredith Salmon

Trends that stick Falcon sticker inside

PEDDIE CHRONICLE

Editor: Carrie Harrington

34 COMMUNITY

Poll: Jerseyisms ON THE COVER:

There was plenty of jesting going on during this fall’s photo shoot with the Peddie Falcon and the Blair Buccaneer.

56 CLASS NOTES

“It was terrific to see so many people at our 40th (yikes) Reunion in June.”

–TRACY WELLINGTON ’78

Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications: Wendi Patella P’17 ’20 Contributors: Suzy Logan Patricia O’Neill P’13 ’15 ’17 ’20 ’22 Peter Quinn P’15 ’18 ’21 Megan Sweeney Art Director: Brandon Detherage Photographer: Andrew Marvin Additional Photography: Nicholas Guilbert Andrea Kane Tyson Trish Illustration: Joel Kimmel Eric Nyquist Printing: Prism Color Corporation The Peddie Chronicle is published twice a year by the Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications for alumni, families and friends of the school.

42 FEATURE

100 years: Remembering Peddie in WWI

Peddie School 201 South Main Street Hightstown, NJ 08520-3349 Tel: (609) 944-7500 peddie.org/chronicle We welcome your input: editor@peddie.org

HEADMASTER

Dear Alumni, Parents and Friends, The recent anniversary of Walter Annenberg’s historic gift to Peddie led me to pause and contemplate not only the significant changes that have occurred here over the past 25 years, but what Ambassador Annenberg would think of the Peddie of today.

“I’m interested in the young people,” Annenberg said, “because the character of our country will be shaped by young people in the days ahead.” Peddie took his perspective to heart and, over the years, shaped our school into a unique community that not only helps good students become outstanding ones, but to also become better citizens.

So, what is it about our community that helps build character in our young people and makes them eager to contribute to the greater good? While I have my own thoughts about this, the Peddie board and leadership made a point this past year to reach out and ask the students themselves, as well as their parents and our alumni.

Over and over, we heard that Peddie’s “sense of community” is what draws students here and is the foundation for the Peddie experience. Students spoke about Peddie as their second home and the benefits of being surrounded by faculty and staff who are always available to them. “Peddie is a tight-knit community where faculty and students bring out the best in each other both inside and outside of the classroom,” said one alum.

This community is seen as helping students to explore their passions through Peddie’s wide breadth of program offerings and activities and to learn more about themselves and move on to reach their potential, whatever they decide that might be. One freshman told about his own transformation. He said he wasn’t the most focused student and came to Peddie mainly to play soccer, but by the end of his first year, he found that “I actually love school!”

Frequently the students told stories about how they support each other and how spending so much time together with people from a variety of backgrounds helps them learn how to appreciate differences of opinions, culture and socio-economic status.

The most enlightening and welcome comments from students and alumni addressed how much they value the way in which the Peddie community puts them on the path to become entrepreneurial citizens. One student described the school this way: “Peddie cares about the whole person and making a difference to the larger world.”

After hearing from members of our Peddie family, I am confident the school has truly embraced Annenberg’s perspective on the role education can play in developing good character and an affinity for civic responsibility. Our community is transformative and those who comprise it recognize the impact it has on life while a student and beyond.

One alum shared the sentiment that Annenberg would appreciate the most, and which summarizes our mission and position in the education world: “Peddie is a community that is passionate about building good citizens.” What greater purpose could we have?

Ala Viva!

Peter A. Quinn P’15 ’18 ’21 Headmaster

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THE LATEST

PEDDIE CHRONICLE NAMED CASE GOLD WINNER Did you know that you are reading one of the best independent school alumni magazines in the country?

This June CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education) named the Peddie Chronicle a 2018 Gold Winner in the field of independent school alumni magazine publishing. We couldn’t be prouder!

The judging panel praised the Chronicle for “capturing the essence of the school and all the things that make it special” and for feeling “accessible to both the younger and older generations of the alumni at the school.” They also applauded the magazine’s “well-written articles” and “interesting and unique pastel color palette.”

CASE is the leading resource for professional development, information and standards in the fields of education fundraising, communications, marketing and alumni relations.

YOU WILL BE FOUND This spring, Peddie released You Will be Found, a music video that showcases the extraordinary talents of our student vocalists and instrumentalists and delivers a powerful message about our school culture. Produced internally by the Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications and the arts faculty, the video has reached over 63,000 people on Facebook and YouTube.

Watch the video on Peddie’s YouTube page @peddieschool.

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G G IN IN T D !

A s R EN 9 B D E S L E N E S A S s A 4 L N I

C

C

REUNION

MAY 31 - JUNE 1, 2019 peddie.org/reunion Contact alumni@peddie.org or call (609) 944-7521 for more information.

ADD SOME BLUE AND GOLD TO YOUR HOLIDAY SEASON

Shop online at peddie.org/store for your favorite apparel and accessories!

THE LATEST

A Winning Team MEET OUR NEWEST FACULTY MEMBERS Pat Loughlin, French

Mark Cirnigliaro, Arts

Previous experience: French instructor and football coach, Culver Academies

Previous experience: Mark taught at Nassau and Hudson County Community Colleges, and McCarter Theatre Center, and has a long list of directing and producing credits.

Credentials: Bachelor’s degree in history, Denison University; master’s degree in French, Middlebury College

Favorite sports teams: UCLA, Mets, Jets (Pat played football at Denison and was a star athlete at Pomfret) Family ties: Pat applied to Peddie because his sister, Nora ’00, had such a great experience here.

Credentials: Bachelor of Architecture and bachelor’s degree in theater, Virginia Tech; Master of Fine Arts, Rutgers University

Good God, Lemon: Before Mark focused on directing he appeared on “30 Rock” and “One Life to Live.”

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Everett Nelor, Assistant Director of College Counseling Credentials: Bachelor’s degree in psychology, Bowdoin College Previous experience: Admission counselor at Occidental College No stranger to boarding schools: Everett attended Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Beverage of choice: The Atlanta native prefers Pepsi to Coke.

Kari Hart ’02, Math and Institutional Research

Credentials: Bachelor’s degree in mathematics, Lafayette College; master’s degree and a doctorate in biostatistics, Emory University; graduate certificate in institutional research, Penn State University Previous experience: Math teacher, The Hotchkiss School; Assistant professor of statistics, Ursinus College Favorite Peddie memory: Blair Day pep rallies That’s major: Kari’s colleague called her a “tremendous teacher.”

Katy Lambson, Chemistry

Credentials: Bachelor of Arts, Concordia College; Master of Science, University of Utah; doctorate from West Virginia University Previous experience: Teacher, West Virginia Wesleyan College On the stage: Katy plays the violin and performs with local ensembles.

Celtic life: Katy has a lifelong interest in Scottish Highland dance; she both teaches and competes.

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THE LATEST

PEDDIE WELCOMES THREE NEW MEMBERS TO ITS BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Mitka (Hayes) Baker ’96 is enforcement counsel at the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) in Rockville, Md., a regulatory body charged with protecting investors by making sure the broker-dealer industry operates fairly and honestly. She is a member of the Peddie Trustee Diversity Ad hoc Committee and former member of the Young Alumni Board.

“I am looking forward to giving back to a place that has given so much to me.”

Peddie memories: Playing crush can soccer and bottle toss in the “Stud” (the old student center); borrowing lunch trays to sled down the hill in winter.

Notable: At Peddie, Baker won the Walter H. Annenberg Award, presented to the senior who exemplifies the greatest devotion and service to Peddie.

Sara McGinty ’96 is an executive director at Morgan Stanley. She recently moved to San Francisco after living in London for 13 years. McGinty was profiled in “Women in Finance” (2016), a Chronicle feature about Peddie alumnae who have reached great heights in the finance industry.

She is former co-chair of the Peddie Fund.

“I’ve always wanted to give back to Peddie in a more meaning ful way. I hope I can make a positive and lasting impact.”

Peddie memory: McGinty remembers Vespers fondly. “It is my favorite time of year, and it always put a smile on my face.”

Notable: McGinty and fellow trustee Tracey Wetmore ’97 are members of the Peddie Sports Hall of Fame with the 1995 Girls’ Soccer Team.

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Recent Alumni & Development appointments Karyn Vella Assistant Head for Development Kelly Jo Burnett ’98 Associate Director, Peddie Fund Reunions

Tracey (Jasinski) Wetmore ’97 is the newly appointed director of admissions and enrollment management at Rumson Country Day School in Rumson, N.J. She is a former member of the Peddie Leadership Council and former co-chair of the Peddie Fund. Her husband, Andrew Wetmore ’93, is a fellow alumnus.

“Peddie was a transformative experience for both my husband and me.”

Peddie memory: Wetmore and her soccer teammates made a deal with Coach Ray Cabot P’09 ’12: if they won the State Championship, he’d have to wear an earring of their creation. Coach Cabot made good on his word, sporting a homemade feather earring.

Amy Cross Director of Development Anne DeMesa Director of Gift Planning Deanna Harkel Director of Donor Relations Laura Hazlett Director of Peddie Fund Renee LaPorte Assistant Director of Prospect Management and Research

Notable: Wetmore and fellow trustee Sara McGinty ’96 are members of the Peddie Sports Hall of Fame with the 1995 Girls’ Soccer Team.

Ala Viva!

At Peddie, you’re part of a team — on the athletic fields, on the stage or in the Digital Fabrication Laboratory. Through team experiences, students are transformed, both by those around them and through the lessons learned by working together. The Peddie Fund supports these initiatives and provides the resources for our students to learn commitment, perseverance and leadership.

We invite you to join our team and work together to make a difference by supporting the Peddie Fund today.

MAKE A GIFT TO THE PEDDIE FUND ONLINE AT MY.PEDDIE.ORG/GIVE OR BY PHONE (609) 944-7521.

9 SPRING/SUMMER 2018

PEDDIEBLAIR DAY

Tie for the Cup

In a dramatic conclusion to Peddie-Blair Day on November 3, the schools tied for the Kelley-Potter Cup, though the Falcons remain unrivaled in grit and spirit.

The final competition of the day saw Peddie boys’ varsity soccer defeat Blair 3-1 in front of an exuberant crowd. Headmaster Peter Quinn and host Head of School Christopher Fortunato agreed to share the Cup until next year’s games return to Hightstown.

ARTS

Set in the fictional southern Indiana town of Zion during the Great Depression, Jim Leonard Jr.’s “The Diviners” tells the story of an unlikely friendship between Buddy Layman, a 14-year-old boy who was altered after surviving a river accident that claimed his mother, and a nomadic, disenchanted expreacher named C.C. Showers.

Since the traumatic experience, Buddy is gifted with the ability to sense and find water, but it also left him aquaphobic. It’s up to the ex-preacher to lead him to the water, in both the physical and spiritual sense. Theater Teacher Mark Cirnigliaro said he chose the play for his Peddie directorial debut in part because of its magical realism.

The student cast entertained audiences for three shows in October.

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From left: “The Diviners” centers around the friendship of Buddy Layman (Neha Sathishkumar ’21) and C.C. Showers (Jamie Tierney ’20).

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ACADEMICS

Salmon at Sea Meredith Salmon prefers to spend her summers in the field.

“I consider myself an adventurous person,” said Salmon. “I prefer to do something outside and science-related during the summer. That’s interesting to me and beneficial as a teacher.”

This summer the Peddie biology teacher spent three weeks at sea aboard the Okeanos Explorer helping scientists conduct undersea mapping research off the coast of Bermuda. She participated in the expedition as part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) Teacher at Sea program, which bridges science and education through real-world research experiences.

“Being involved with this unique opportunity to understand the wonders of the unknown ocean has helped me invigorate my classroom with a sense of wonder, discovery and adventure.”

Meredith Salmon launches XBT probes aboard the Okeanos Explorer in July. The probes are used to measure water temperature and reveal ocean depth.

Salmon boarded the Okeanos Explorer in Norfolk, Virginia on July 12, and spent 20 days working side-by-side with world-renowned scientists using cutting-edge science to map mostly unknown areas of the ocean south of Bermuda. In total the team mapped 52,000 square kilometers, an area almost three times the size of New Jersey.

Roughly 95 percent of the ocean is still unexplored, and the Okeanos Explorer is helping to change that. Scientists use the ship’s deepwater sonar mapping system to uncover seafloor features and explore the seafloor using temperature and depth sensors, and a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). Using telepresence technology, the ROV sends images and high-definition video to the ship and scientists ashore, all in real-time.

Salmon has already incorporated data collected from the expedition into her classroom activities and laboratory experiments. And, since the Okeanos is equipped with telepresence capabilities, Salmon

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Salmon took this photo aboard the Okeanos Explorer in July. “One of the best parts of being in the middle of the ocean has definitely been watching the sunsets,” she wrote in her blog.

will be able to stream images and video from future expeditions in the classroom. “Having students engaged directly with those completing research in real time will enable them to put the research into context, and make associations between the ocean and their local ecosystems,” she said.

Salmon is looking forward to using what she learned on the Okeanos to create a marine science elective, which Peddie will offer in the spring. The elective will provide real-life experience for students interested in oceanographic and science-related career paths, she said.

This year, NOAA received applications from nearly 300 teachers for its Teacher at Sea program.

Salmon was one of 35 teachers accepted into the program and the only teacher stationed on board the Okeanos. She joined a crew of 37 people that included NOAA officers, graduate school students, recent college graduates, engineers and cooks.

“We had such a good group of people, which is important when you are stuck on a boat in the middle of the ocean,” said Salmon. “We grew to be really close and truly enjoyed each other’s company.”

Salmon called the experience “one of the highlights of my teaching career.” She added, “Being involved with this unique opportunity to understand the wonders of the unknown ocean has helped me invigorate my classroom with a sense of wonder, discovery and adventure.”

“I am very grateful to have met such awesome people,” said Salmon (pictured second from left) of the mapping team.

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ATHLETICS

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Jason Baseden’s Big Wins Athletic Director Jason Baseden witnessed the most significant student transformation of his career last year.

“No one was talking about this student as a standout athlete,” said Baseden. “You could see that he had grit and talent, but it wasn’t apparent due to his physical makeup. I watched him transform into one of the best student-athletes I’ve ever seen.”

Baseden, now in his fourth year as Peddie’s athletic director, said that one of the most rewarding aspects of his job is finding the student who is “a surprise.”

“Each season almost every coach tells me about one or two or three students who have had unbelievable growth, a newfound level of confidence through their participation in Peddie athletics. That’s something I really look forward to,” he said.

BIG WINS

Baseden can boast several big wins in his first three years overseeing Peddie’s athletic program, including a string of consecutive Peddie-Blair Day victories. The percentage of students who have gone on to play at the college level has also increased.

“Athletics have opened doors for a minimum of 25 percent of our graduates to compete in college these last two years,” said Baseden.

Baseden also cited the success of Peddie’s football program. “We went from a team that had to forfeit a game because we didn’t have enough healthy players to winning the league last year,” he said.

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

Equally crucial to Baseden are the relationships he’s built with students, coaches and faculty and staff. He’s especially proud of the relationship between athletics and other departments.

“We can’t have an athletic culture that is out of line with the academic or arts culture,” he stressed.

“For example, I have a really good relationship with the chair of the arts department,” he added.

“Alan Michaels is somebody that I admire greatly.”

Michaels described a “tone of singularity” that Baseden has created between athletics, academics and the arts. “Jason understands that Peddie students thrive in a holistic environment,” said Michaels.

FACILITY AND PROGRAM UPGRADES

When Baseden first arrived at Peddie, he prioritized the tennis courts and basketball court as needing immediate facility upgrades.

“We’ve been fortunate through the support of the Peddie Fund and individuals like Ian Graham ’50 to be able to renovate the tennis courts and put up some graphics in our display area and the entrance ways to the locker room. And, the big thing is finally happening … wood floors on our basketball court!”

This year Baseden is focused on adding a mindfulness component to the athletic program.

He hopes to introduce activities like tai chi, martial arts, yoga and meditation.

“Other than competing and getting out and running and sweating, these are some of the other things students can do to help enhance their mental wellness,” he said.

Long-term, Baseden has his eye on other renovations to create more flexible indoor spaces for physical activities. He’s interested in adding a squash and fencing program and would like to move some of the games that take place on the back fields to a more central location.

Amidst plans for facility and program enhancements, Baseden has not lost sight of what’s working well for Peddie Athletics.

“Our facilities stand out compared to a lot of schools. Our weight room is one of the best in the country. Our athletic trainers and strength and conditioning coach are the best in the business.

We have outstanding coaches who care about more than wins and losses. They care about educating our students. From the top down we have a school that believes in athletics,” he said.

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COMMUNITY

One way many Peddie students (and faculty) choose to express themselves is through the stickers they put on their laptops. Stickers can reveal a lot about one’s personality and passions, and help students relate to each other.

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COMMUNITY

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S P I H S N O I T A REL

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PEDDIE BL AIR 03 P E D D I E B L A I R -19 0 3

The oldest prep school rivalry in New Jersey began in 1903 when Peddie School and Blair Academy first faced off on the gridiron. Except for 1944, when a polio outbreak at Peddie canceled the game, the Peddie Falcons and the Blair Buccaneers have competed in football every year.

Ala Viva!

Carrie Harrington Editor 23 FALL/WINTER 2018

01

ses and fiery g wins, heartbreaking los Amidst 115 years of thrillin rs acknowledge deep Falcons and Buccanee debates, generations of l relationship air rivalry and the specia respect for the Peddie-Bl between our schools. die Chronicle t the editors of the Ped So exceptional is this tha ntent for this feature. together to co-create co and Blair Bulletin came aged, in an upcoming e will also appear, repack The stories you see her gazine. issue of Blair’s alumni ma Clarence Kugler ’63 Notes. Earlier this year ss Cla h wit ir It all began with Don Mattucci, Bla t his 14-year friendship re the , gave us an update abou inly rta us. Ce Their friendship inspired Academy Class of ’45. out there! ps shi on ati rel die-Blair were other stories of Ped y would be interested ir Academy to see if the We reached out to Bla you could say “Kelleyture … and faster than in collaborating on a fea research, conducted all in. Together, we did Potter Cup,” they were ot with our respective anized a joint photo sho interviews and even org school mascots. rivals who have allied er independent school We’re not aware of oth feels pretty momentous. on this scale before. It

P E D D I E B L A I R -19 0 3

Editor’s N ote

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As the following stories prove, through it all one constant remains: Once a Falcon, always a Falcon.

P E D D I E B L A I R -19 0 3

The rivalry between Peddie and Blair is intense. Yet the spirit of competition is steeped in respect and sportsmanship. In this culture, rivals become friends, new opponents remain friends and, for some, a rival school becomes a new home.

P E D D I E B L A I R -19 0 3

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The rivalry has expanded to include all athletic competitions and culminates in the much-anticipated Peddie-Blair Day, the annual fall face-off in which the Falcons and the Bucs vie for the coveted Kelley-Potter Cup.

FRIENDSHIPS P

CLARENCE KUGLER ’63

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DON MATTUCCI ’45

Where they met At a dog park in Deerfield Beach, Florida. It was 2005 and Clarence had just returned from active duty in Iraq. He was walking with his dog, Marley, when he met Don, a fellow military veteran, and his dog, Mikey.

Clarence: Don had a very feisty dog. We had to leash them when they were together. I think the dogs knew something about our Blair-Peddie relationship and they sensed hostility.

Two storied athletes Clarence was on the varsity football, wrestling and lacrosse teams at Peddie.

He was captain of the lacrosse team and recipient of the Maurice P. Shuman Award, presented each year to an outstanding football player.

Don was on the varsity football, swimming and tennis teams at Blair. He was captain of the football team in 1944 when the Peddie-Blair game was canceled due to a polio outbreak. Blair instead played against Lawrenceville and won the game.

Clarence: My last memory of Blair was during my senior year when a Blair running back stepped on my facemask, a foot from our goal line, and fell down one inch from the line as time expired. Peddie was able to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. I try to remind Don as frequently as I can of that indelible memory.

Don: That’s one of the things Clarence and I kid about. He played with a face mask.

We didn’t have face masks in my day. We had leather helmets and high top shoes.

Clarence: And Don is still remarkably good looking.

An active social life Clarence and his wife, Ali, meet Don and his wife, Eleanor, for dinner every Wednesday.

Clarence: We go to the same restaurant every week, Muddy Waters. We try to get in there before the Happy Hour. Don is sort of my mentor for old-old age. I mean a guy that will have two Scotches for cocktails ... that’s the way I want to age!

How they keep the rivalry fun

Clarence: It certainly helps to have a Blair man that you see three to four times a week to keep the sparks going. … Don gives no quarter on kidding me, and I try to return the serve.

Don: We let him run with the ball.

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From left: Don Mattucci, Blair Class of ’45, and Clarence Kugler ’63 pose for a photo on Veteran’s Day in 2017.

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FRIENDSHIPS P

KATIE CLARK ’16

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JENNA FAUST ’16

Where they met In the airport on their way to new student orientation at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. The girls started talking while waiting for their flight, realized they attended rival high schools, and have been friends and Kappa Delta sisters ever since.

How Katie and Jenna keep the rivalry fun The girls have been known to scream “Beat Blair!” and “Beat Peddie!” across the college dining hall during Peddie-Blair Day, to the bewilderment of other students.

Blair Class of ’16 and From left: Jenna Faust, Rhodes College. at nt eve ta Del pa Kap

at a Katie Clark ’16 celebrate

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ELLEN TIMKO ’18

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LUKE CORRADO ’18

Where they met At summer camp in New Hampshire when they were nine years old. Ellen and Luke attended the same camp every year and became close friends when they realized they would be going to rival high schools. Ellen is a freshman at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, and Luke is a freshman at Fordham University in New York City.

How Ellen and Luke keep the rivalry fun Though the two have had heated arguments over whether to call it “Peddie Day” or “Blair Day,” Ellen and Luke supported one another during sporting events. o, Blair Class of ’18, and From left: Luke Corrad 6.

201 in Day ir Bla at reunite

Ellen Timko ’18

Ellen: It was really cool how we bonded so quickly over our schools’ strong history rather than be divided by the rivalry. Blair Day was always so fun for us! We would watch each other’s soccer games, and we cheered loudly for one another, but still rooted for our own teams.

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REBECCA SEMAN ’14

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SOVANN STARK ’14

What it’s like to play tennis against your best friend on Blair Day

Sovann: Tennis is such a mental sport. You don’t know how it’s going to affect you, especially when it’s someone that you like and care about outside the competitiveness of your sport. It can be distracting, or it can motivate you more.

Where they met At Hilltop Country Day School in Sparta, New Jersey. Rebecca is from Blairstown, and Sovann is from Branchville. They’ve been best friends since first grade.

Rebecca: My coach knew that it was weird for me, but I had to do it.

Rebecca, a recent Rutgers University graduate, works for a law firm in Princeton while Sovann is in her final year at Rutgers. The two became roommates in September; they share a townhouse in North Brunswick.

What it’s like to find out your best friend was accepted to your rival school Rebecca: I think I always knew that Sovann was going to go to Blair since both of her siblings went there. So I wasn’t really shocked when she got in.

Sovann: We were both really sad that we weren’t going to be together, but it was also time for us to separate because we were inseparable. … But we knew we would still see each other since Rebecca lived in Blairstown and because of the Peddie-Blair rivalry.

Rebecca: And we both played tennis so we knew that we would see each other at tennis matches.

Keeping up on Blair Day wins

Sovann: After my grade graduated, we started losing.

Rebecca: Yeah, and then my side starting winning. We are one of the only classes that never won Blair Day.

How they have kept the rivalry fun over the years

Sovann: People would sometimes comment, “Oh, you know someone from Peddie.” But it was obviously friendly and funny.

Rebecca: People would say, “Not only are you from Blairstown, but your best friend goes to Blair. Can we trust you?”

Sovann: We joke with each other, but at the end of the day your friendship is going to triumph.

From left: Rebecca Seman ’14 and Sovann Stark, Blair Class of ’14, moved into their North Brunswick townhouse in September.

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FRIENDSHIPS P

PETE MCCLELLAN ’90 P’19 ’21

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TODD SMITH ’90

assistant head for student life at Peddie

Where they met As freshmen at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. Pete recognized Todd’s Blair sweatshirt at a party and they instantly connected.

Pete: Todd was impressed right away.

Todd: Pete saw this outgoing, energetic, charismatic guy from Blair and he knew to stay close to him if he wanted to make friends at Lafayette.

From left: Todd Smith, Blair Cl ass of ’90, an Pete McClella d n ’90 P’19 ’21 celebrate thei from Lafayette r graduation College in May 1994.

The two soon realized that they had once gotten into a heated exchange on the soccer field that sent both of them to the bench with yellow cards. Eventually, Pete and Todd became roommates at Lafayette, which both of them described as a “great” experience.

What it’s like to be close friends with someone from a rival school Pete: We obviously had our differences. For example, Todd was an excellent tennis player who looked like an intimidating football player while I was a great ping pong player who looked like an average ping pong player. Still, the common experiences we enjoyed while in boarding school helped to cement a relationship I cherish.

Todd: I am not sure if this friendship would have ever happened if we didn’t have that initial encounter from our Blair-Peddie soccer days. Which by the way I was UNDEFEATED in ... still stings Pete to this day that he NEVER beat my Blair teams. He may have beat us in baseball, but that doesn’t count since I didn’t play. I was too busy going undefeated against Peddie in tennis too.

How Pete and Todd keep the rivalry fun

Pete: Todd is quick to remind me that he is undefeated as an athlete in this rivalry. Understanding that Todd is sensitive and perhaps even a fragile man, I rarely talk about the rivalry in terms of school records.

Seriously, even when we were in college and making the trip for a Peddie-Blair Day, I don’t remember us giving each other gibes. Rather, we were enjoying each other’s company, hanging out with folks from each other’s schools, and getting a yearly reminder of our good fortune – our alma maters have a rivalry that is the envy of every other high school in the nation.

Todd: I worked at Blair for five years out of college and then when I moved to Montclair [Todd is the athletic director at Montclair Kimberley Academy.] Pete headed to Peddie to begin his career there, so I think one of us has been working at our beloved alma maters since 1994. That has kept the friendship and the rivalry alive and kicking. ... I just can’t wait until we’re celebrating our 50th reunions from Blair and Peddie in 2040 and I can remind him once again that I was and still am UNDEFEATED against his Peddie teams!

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X

P

MEGAN ZUCKERMAN ’12

B

CATERINA GLEIJESES ’13

Where they met At Nike Communications, a small New York Citybased agency that specializes in marketing luxury and prestige brands. Megan and Caterina’s desks are adjacent to one another and they discovered their Peddie-Blair connection while planning the company’s holiday party together last year.

Advice to others who discover they are working with an alum from a rival school

Caterina: You can still be friends with an alum from a rival school. If anything, finding out we went to rival schools was a reason for us to become friends.

Megan: The rivalry is really good-natured, and while I know everyone is really passionate about their own team, they are also really excited for the other team when they win.

A special friendship

Caterina: We have a connection in the office that we don’t share with anyone else because, even though we didn’t know each other at the time, we have so many shared experiences. It bonds us together and gives us another reason to be friends.

lair Gleijeses, B d Caterina an .

2 ’1 YC N an in m egan Zucker Nike Communications From left: M s at workspace g in or hb neig P

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Class of ’13,

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BILLY LONG ’84

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SUSAN LONG assistant director of advancement for parent relations at Blair Academy

Where they met At Washington College in Maryland in 1998.

Susan and Billy are parents of two Blair alumni and one of their sons is a current Blair student.

How Billy, who grew up near Blairstown, wound up at Peddie

Billy: My father worked for [former Peddie Board of Trustees Chair] Finn Caspersen, so he pushed me to check the school out.

What it’s like for Billy to be part of a Blair family

Billy: It has gotten brought up a lot over the years and there has been a lot of good-natured ribbing, but it is all in good fun. I will say that my Peddie clothes are used every year in the Blair skits at the Peddie Eve pep rally.

Billy and Susan share their thoughts on the Peddie-Blair rivalry

Susan: It has always been a positive and fun rivalry. I think this comes from the top down and the culture is carried down over the years. As much as we want to win, we are all friends.

Billy: The rivalry is intense, but there is something endearing about it. The intensity is there, but deep down, the schools are connected and care for each other.

What Blair Day is like for Billy these days

Billy: Until Susan starting working at Blair in 2008, we were always on the Peddie sidelines.

Now, we switched. I hedge, no matter who wins. But I have been known to wear my Peddie t-shirt under my gear on Peddie-Blair Day.

From left: Susan Long on the Blair campus.

30 PEDDIE CHRONICLE

w off the Peddie-Blair and Billy Long ’84 sho

rivalry

EMPLOYEES B

MOLLY DUNNE ’93

B

ANDREW MARVIN ’12

P

director of admission at Peddie

manager of multimedia strategy and production at Peddie

SARAH N EWBURY ’11 at Blair

math teacher

P

P

1 RAUSS ’9 BRAD ST r at Blair

athletic traine

GWYNE TH CO

NNELL dean of tea ’96 ching and le arning at B lair

31 FALL/WINTER 2018

FAMILY LISA DURKEE chaplain and chair of the religion and philosophy department at Blair Academy

On the loss of Ed Potter, who died suddenly in 1988 at the age of 45

Family connection Lisa is the first cousin of Peddie’s thirteenth headmaster, Ed Potter. Growing up Lisa spent time with her cousin “Eddie” during summers in Vinalhaven, an island off the coast of Maine.

Ed Potter’s influence Lisa recalled one Easter holiday she spent with Headmaster Potter when she was an undergrad at Wellesley.

Lisa: I remember Ed telling me that I’d be a great triple threat as a teacher, coach and dorm parent, especially because I was a high school and college athlete. When I interviewed at Blair in 2017, I thought of Ed the whole time. I called his brother, John, and said, “You’ll never guess where I had an interview.” … Ed and his brother were two strong models of my generation who really shaped who I became as an adult and educator.

Lisa: He was so dynamic — larger than life. He loved people, and his joy day-to-day was so authentic and infectious. To say he was a people person is a gross understatement. He connected to people and genuinely loved to hear their stories. He was always beaming. I can remember the last time I saw him at Vinalhaven and the smile on his face. … Our family was always very musical, and Ed could play the piano by ear. I have many fond memories of us all standing around the piano as he or his dad played, with everyone breaking into four-part harmony.

What it’s like as a Blair faculty member to have a Peddie connection

Lisa: It has been fun to come to Blair and find all of these connections to my family and Ed’s legacy at Peddie. When I was young, the only time I ever heard of Blair, despite growing up in New Jersey, was in the context of it being Peddie’s rival. … Going to Peddie Day last year made me wistful, and I asked a lot of people I met there, “Did you know him?”

Lisa Durkee shows off her Potter t-shirt on the Blair campus.

32 PEDDIE CHRONICLE

FAMILY P

DANIEL NEWMAN ’17

B

JASON NEWMAN ’17

L

SCOTT NEWMAN ’17

Family connection The triplet brothers were intent on going to different high schools so that they could have a sense of individuality. Now, they attend separate colleges: Daniel attends Brown University in Rhode Island, Jason attends Claremont McKenna College in California and Scott attends Princeton University.

How the brothers chose their high schools

Daniel: I really liked the relaxed environment of the school [Peddie]. Also, it was close to New York and close to home … I just felt at home when I first visited the campus.

Jason: I really wanted to go to a school with a community of people who wanted to be there, who wanted to engage with each other. And that’s exactly what I got out of Blair. I got a family.

Why they chose to go to separate schools

Daniel: My mom passed away while we were in the sixth grade. We decided that boarding school was the best option for us as a family. … In eighth grade, we all decided to go to separate schools.

Jason: My dad and grandmother went to my brother Scott’s graduation at Lawrenceville, and a family friend and I went to Peddie.

We were there ready to take pictures and videos in case our dad didn’t make it.

Daniel: There was a parking spot reserved for him right in front of Annenberg by the graduation tent so he could pull into the parking spot quickly. Luckily, everything worked out.

Family above rivalry on Blair Day

Jason: Whenever he was playing in a game [Daniel played football for Peddie], as much as I wanted Blair to win, I was rooting for Daniel. … None of my friends were ever mean-spirited that I had a brother going to Peddie. They actually thought it was pretty cool. They said the Newmans are going to take over the MAPL. Daniel: I just enjoyed seeing my brother and my dad that day. And I thought it was cool to have a family experience.

Jason: Hopefully in 50 years when we’re 70 we’ll drive up together to Peddie or Blair Day and just enjoy the good old times and see what has changed since. I think this rivalry will always be a part of us.

From left: Brothers Dan iel Newman ’17, Scott Newman, Lawrenceville Class of ’17, and Jason Newman, Blair Class of ’17, are “very differe people,” said Jason. nt

Jason: We’re all actually very different people. You can tell by looking at us, too. We’ve got very different interests. … As great as it is being Daniel’s brother and Scott’s brother, I didn’t want that to be the basis of my reputation, and none of us really did.

Two commencement ceremonies, one day Jason graduated from Blair on a Thursday, while Daniel and Scott’s ceremonies, at Peddie and Lawrenceville, were both on the following Sunday. When the boys’ father found out that the graduations were on the same day, and at the same exact time, he reached out to the heads of the schools and asked if Scott could be first in line at Lawrenceville and Daniel last in the commencement line at Peddie. The schools agreed.

33 FALL/WINTER 2018

COMMUNITY

DOES CENTRAL JERSEY EVEN EXIST? HECK YEAH: 89% NO WAY: 6% HUH?: 5%

AN ITEM OF FOOD CONSISTING OF TWO PIECES OF BREAD WITH MEAT, CHEESE OR OTHER FILLINGS IS CALLED A ...

HOAGIE: 53% SUB: 28% SANDWICH: 13% HERO: 6%

34 PEDDIE CHRONICLE

Whether new to our state or born and bred, every Falcon has a bit of New Jersey in their blood. We polled Peddie students, faculty and staff this fall and asked their opinion about some age-old Garden State controversies.

WHAT IS N.J.’S MOST PRIZED BREAKFAST MEAT CALLED? PORK ROLL: 67% TAYLOR HAM: 33%

HOW DO YOU SAY IT? TO THE BEACH: 62% DOWN THE SHORE: 36% OTHER 2%

35 FALL/WINTER 2018

BASEBALL? YANKEES: 43% PHILLIES: 30% METS: 27%

HOCKEY? DEVILS: 51% FLYERS: 25% RANGERS: 24%

FOOTBALL? GIANTS: 51% EAGLES: 40% JETS: 9%

36 PEDDIE CHRONICLE

IS N.J. COOL FOR NOT LETTING YOU PUMP YOUR OWN GAS? YES: 63% NO: 37%

WHO’S KING OF THE N.J. CONVENIENCE STORES? WAWA: 84% 7-ELEVEN: 9% QUICKCHEK: 4% OTHER: 3%

37 FALL/WINTER 2018

COMMUNITY

They dive into Peddie Lake to catch tennis balls. They romp around center campus, breaking for belly rubs from passing students. They lounge near sunny window sills with a view of campus activities. Without a doubt, animal companions are considered part of the Peddie community. We checked in with these furry (and feathery!) friends and asked their guardians to tell us more about them.

Huntly

Guardia n: Pete r Quinn Has liv , headm ed on c aster ampus: Favorit T wo year e spot s on camp along P us: Any eddie L w h ere ake What he ’s thin king: “ you don I don’t ’t take know wh me to s y chool w ith you .”

38 PEDDIE CHRONICLE

Finley

Guardia n: Alis on Hoga departm rth, hi ent cha story ir Has liv ed on c ampus: Favorit Nine ye e spot ars on camp to go o us: Any n a wal w here sh k What sh e gets e’s thi n king: “ a lot a Mom lik nd take es to t s me wi We have ravel th her visited w h en poss 32 stat provinc ible. es and es of C two anada t ogether .”

Carly

Guardia n: Nick Guilber Has liv t, scie ed on c nce tea a m pus: Se cher Favorit ven yea e spot rs o n campu and aro s: Hang und the ing out gazebo What sh in b y Peddi e’s thi e Lake n k i n g words … : Carly except is a do when an g of fe or near w unknown our cam p e r p son is us resi ly finds in dence. her bar She the k until n quick the cri sis is over!

Miles D av & Olive is Bowie r David Guardia ns: Dea Bow

ie

nna Har donor r kel, di elation rector s ; Jon H of Have li arkel, ved on a r t s c a teacher mpus: T Favorit hree ye e spot ars on camp of us ( us: Sle Oliver) eping o ; where n top importa v er ther nt docu e are r m e n t eally s that on (Mil need to es) be sat What th ey are thinkin immedia g: “Fee tely.” d us

39 FALL/WINTER 2018

COMMUNITY

Sonya

Guardia ns: Ale x Kocar Meghan , Engli Kocar, sh teac h istory her; Has liv teacher ed on c ampus: Favorit Six yea e spot rs on camp tree in u s: Unde our bac r a sha kyard dy What sh e’s thi n k i ng: "Ru please! b my be " lly,

Leroy

Guardia ns: Bry n Benne directo tt, ass r of ad istant m ission; English Kurt Be teacher nnett, Has liv ed on c ampus: Favorit Eight m e spot onths o n campu Wallace s: His ’s hous brother e What he ’s thin king: “ belly r They gi ubs!” ve grea t

Wallace

Guardia n: Jena te Brow Has liv n, Engl ed on c ish tea a mpus: E cher Favorit ight mo e spot n t h s o n campus: backyar Roberso d (that n ’s wher Leroy l e my br ives) other What he ’s thin king: “ I need more wa lks!”

40 PEDDIE CHRONICLE

The Fab 4 ns on He Middnl:eCt leton, d d i laudio M

Heidi “The Chatter-box” Midnight “The Granma”

Charlotte “The Worm Digger”

India “The bully”

Guardia teacher language arts and us: d on camp Have live rs Seven yea ampus: spot on c Favorite Court Armellino ing: ’re think What they ! When is y r oo hung “We’re so akfast? bring bre he gonna We love rn again?

Oh no, co e are er all, w meat. Aft of the scendants direct de ould ex. He sh great T-R !” er by now know bett

Duffy

Guardia ns: Mik e O’Nei financia ll, dir l aid; ector o T ricia O f directo ’Neill, r of we a s s b i s strateg tant Has liv y and c ed on c ommunic ampus: Favorit ation 10 year e spot s on camp are but us: Any he pref where h ers run is peop What he ning in le ’s thin t h e k i f n ar field g: “Don Can I c s ’t leav ome wit e me! h you?”

Can’t get enough fluff? Check out more of our furry friends at peddie.org/pets.

41 FALL/WINTER 2018

Peddie in

World War I 1 0 0 Y E A R S L AT E R

Peddie cadet officers stand at attention (circa 1918).

By David Martin, Ph.D. Latin teacher and school archivist

W

orld War I, then known as “The Great War” and “The War to End All Wars,” began in Europe in 1914, but the United States did not enter until April 6, 1917. In the early years, it was hardly mentioned in The Peddie News, except for editorials every few issues. As the years went on the editorials became more frequent, and more and more attention was paid to staffing and training the company of Peddie cadets. After the U.S. entered the war, there were various drives for war bonds and support.

Peddie was serious about preparing her students for military service and created a battalion of cadets in four companies, all drilled under the capable leadership of Captain Mason Ivins of the New Jersey National Guard. When Captain Ivins was called to active duty in 1918, he was replaced

by Captain Leslie S. Hyatt, a graduate of the

Pennsylvania Military College. Drill was conducted four days a week, and every effort was made to prepare Peddie’s boys for active service if needed.

Peddie’s greatest contribution to the war was her students and alumni. Altogether some 599 former students fought or served in support units out of an estimated 1,000 of military age. Of these, two were killed in action, nine died of disease and five died in accidents inside or outside of training camps. A total of 124 won commissions as officers and 92 served as noncommissioned officers.

Also, ten faculty served in the war. Two were officers, and one was wounded in action. The most noted faculty member to serve in the war was John Plant, Class of 1906, who was Peddie’s athletic director from 1906 to 1926. Plant volunteered to serve in the YMCA Hospital Corps as part of

42 PEDDIE CHRONICLE

The Peddie battalion prepares for a military drill in front of Longstreet Library (circa 1917).

An ad for military clothing appears in the January 8, 1918 issue of The Peddie News.

the American Expeditionary Corps in France.

Excitement at a premature rumor of peace on November 7, 1918, became real when the armistice became known on November 10, the day before it was to take effect “on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.” An “all school meeting” took place at 3:30 p.m. to plan a celebration, which would focus on a huge bonfire that night. The freshmen were entailed to gather all the necessary firewood. Meanwhile, a victory parade gathered in town shortly after supper. The Peddie students marched in a platoon, drawing the cheerleaders in two old buggies. They carried a sign declaring, “We’ve got the Kaiser’s goat.” At 9 p.m. the activities focused on the school’s bonfire, which was attended by townspeople as well as all of campus.

43 FALL/WINTER 2018

Photos of Peddie boys in service appear in the 1919 Peddie yearbook.

MEMORIAL HALL BUILT TO HONOR OUR WWI TROOPS

Just a few months after the war was over, plans were made to build a new athletic center and dedicate it to our soldiers from the war, to be called the “Soldiers and Sailors Field House.”

The focal point was to be a big bronze plaque engraved with all their names. Before long, the plan metamorphosed into a new academic and administrative building, dedicated to the soldiers.

Plans for what would be known as “Memorial Hall” were kicked off with a gift of $60,000 from Horace Monroe Swetland, brother of Peddie’s Headmaster Roger W. Swetland. The New Jersey Baptist Convention pledged another $100,000.

Groundbreaking was held on December 23, 1923, and the cornerstone was laid on June 9, 1924. The new building was dedicated on November 14, 1925, at the cost of $500,000.

Memorial Hall’s focus was the big bronze plaque in the lobby bearing the names of 599 Peddie soldiers and support staff who served in the Great War. It was unveiled by Mrs. C. Weston Bailey, whose son Lieutenant Kenneth Bailey, Class of 1915, had been killed in action while commanding an artillery battery in the Argonne on October 9, 1918. The names of the 15 Peddie soldiers who died in the war are each marked by a star. Another 19 names are each marked by a triangle. They were probably members of the hospital or support services; several served in various capacities in the YMCA war effort, and three others were Peddie female alumnae, probably nurses.

In 1992 the building was renamed Annenberg Hall, and the plaque was moved to the south side of the main lobby.

Memorial Hall pictured under construction in 1924.

Harold “Bunny” Hunt ’16 served in the Ambulance Corps.

His story of being captured by the Germans was reported in the December 18, 1918 issue of The Peddie News.

The memorial plaque in the lobby of Annenberg Hall includes the names of Peddie soldiers and support staff who served in WWI.

44 PEDDIE CHRONICLE

The Florence A. Roberson Memorial Infirmary (above) was completed in 1918. Horace Roberson and his wife donated funding for the infirmary in memory of their daughter, Florence, who died tragically at the young age of 13.

Horace Roberson was named to the board of trustees in 1921 and acted as its president for 26 years. The infirmary was modified to be used as a dormitory and is now home to the college counseling office.

Updates about the influenza epidemic begin to appear in The Peddie News in October 1918.

Peddie and the great flu pandemic The influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 is one of the greatest plagues of world history. Known as the Spanish Flu, it killed over 20 million people worldwide. Conditions were ripe for infection because of all the refugees set in motion by the Great War and because of all the troops crowded together in training camps and on battlefields.

The epidemic came in three waves in the U.S., the first in spring 1918, the second and greatest wave that fall, and a follow-up wave in spring 1919. The first attack went unnoticed in the school newspaper, but things grew severe enough by October 1918 that short updates were being posted on the front page of The Peddie News. The October 18 issue reported over 100 cases in Hightstown; as a result, “the churches, schools, and other public places have been closed.” The schools that were closed must have been just the public schools since the Peddie newspaper made no reference to our classes being canceled. No flu cases were yet reported on campus, though three football games had to be canceled for fear of spreading contagion between campuses.

A week later the total number of cases in

town had risen to 150, and a second death was reported. A case was rumored on campus but was later proven mistaken. By the end of the month, Peddie was “proud to say that as yet she has not been visited by one case of the disease.” There were, though, more cases than usual of other illnesses, and as a precaution, a fair number of sick students were confined to their rooms.

The November 6, 1918 issue of The Peddie News broadcast that the flu ban was lifted. Public places and churches were reopened, and public schools were scheduled to open up the next day. Peddie’s school activities appear to have gone on unabated.

No mention of the flu is made during the weaker spring 1919 outbreak. Peddie appears to have escaped the great epidemic that killed over 500,000 people in the U.S. and struck as close as Hightstown.

Some rumors have persisted over the years that the 1918 Peddie-Blair football game had to be canceled because of the flu epidemic. It was not. The 1918 game was played at Blairstown on November 16 and resulted in a 0-0 tie. A later Blair game was canceled in 1944 because of a polio epidemic.

45 FALL/WINTER 2018

PEOPLE

NINE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT

Cheryl Jamison P’03 1

6

2

7

She’s local.

Cheryl has lived in Hightstown all of her life. “Born and raised!”

You won’t believe her favorite food.

“Vegetables. I’m health conscious.”

She’s worked at Peddie a long time.

Twenty-nine years! Cheryl made a great impression as a temporary bookkeeper for the business office and was recruited to work for Peddie Food Service (PFS) as a line supervisor.

She’s a Falcon fan.

“When I’m not working in the kitchen, you can find me cheering on our athletic teams. I’m the wild one at the games.”

3

Her day begins at 6 a.m.

Cheryl coordinates staff schedules and kitchen operations for PFS breakfast and lunch.

4

8

She’s a grandmother.

“I enjoy spending time with my grandkids. They all live in N.J. I have two granddaughters, four grandsons and another grandchild on the way!”

9

Students love her.

“That’s the reason I’m here. Because of the students. Every year students say, ‘Miss Cheryl, you can’t leave until I graduate.’ Those four years turn into another four years, and 29 years later, I’m still here.”

She’s close to her family.

“I have six siblings, and we all have kids. We do a family trip every year.

Next year we are taking a seven-day cruise to the Bahamas.”

5

She can name all of the dining hall favorites in under five seconds.

“Muffin Day – chocolate chip is tops! Chicken nuggets. Tacos.

And chicken cheddar wraps.”

* Bonus fact: She actually knows how to juggle.

46 PEDDIE CHRONICLE

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

JAD DALEY ’86 SPEAKS FOR THE TREES

Jad Daley ’86 spent childhood summers and holidays at his family’s vacation house on a remote island in Maine.

Accessible only by boat, the island was truly wild, dense with pine forests and ringed in craggy beaches, and Daley found a passion in exploring them. “My happiest days growing up were wandering these forests and coming out upon some remote rocky shoreline,” said Daley. “I felt like that was an experience everyone ought to be able to have in their lives.”

Earlier this year Daley was named the president and CEO of American Forests, the first forest conservation organization in the United States.

The organization has prioritized two issues: climate change and the role that forests can play in addressing it, and creating job opportunities in forest conservation in underserved areas.

Daley credits Peddie with influencing his “flexible, problem-solving way of looking at the world.”

“I feel like every class I took at Peddie, regardless of the subject, first taught you how to think and how to learn and how to express yourself, and then it was

about a subject second. And that’s just an incredibly powerful gift to be given by an education,” he said.

Over the last decade, Daley has led multiple conservation programs and coalitions, and played a leading role in authoring and enacting federal legislation to establish forest programs. He joined American Forests in 2017 as vice president of conservation programs.

An art history major, Daley also took environmental studies classes at Brown University.

He decided to become a teacher after graduation and taught his first class, a spring semester elective on literature and the environment, at Peddie.

Daley said that he is grateful that Peddie is raising “politically aware, active citizens.”

“The Peddie community are the kind of people I’m counting on right now as we’re battling some really challenging environmental issues like climate change,” he said.

“Forests are not just scenery,” said Daley. “They’re vital for life on Earth.”

47 FALL/WINTER 2018

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

48 PEDDIE CHRONICLE

THE BARBARIC YAWP OF KIEREN VAN DEN BLINK ’90 In the spring of her senior year, Kieren van den Blink ’90 prepared to take the stage at the J. Walter Reeves Speaking Contest. She had lost her mother to cancer the previous October, just six days after her mother’s 50th birthday.

“I signed up [for the contest] because I knew that I had something to say,” van den Blink remembered. “I knew that I had seen things that most kids hadn’t seen. And I wanted to share something of what I had seen. I wanted to, as Walt Whitman said, ‘sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world.’”

But when it came time for van den Blink to write her speech, she got scared. Instead of writing about what she knew, she wrote about contentment. “That was defining for me because that moment is a reminder: Even when you’re afraid, tell your story.”

This summer, van den Blink returned to Hightstown to shoot “Fingernail Moon,” a short film that finally tells the story van den Blink intended to share on the Peddie stage 19 years ago. The film premiered at the William MountBurke Theatre on September 22.

“Fingernail Moon” is a moment caught in amber: that summer before van den Blink’s

senior year, sitting with a friend on the grass in front of the First Baptist Church of Hightstown on Main Street, eating ice cream and talking through the impending loss of her mother. There’s a different ice cream shop across the street now, but it’s still the same bustling Main Street, the same Hightstown van den Blink loves.

Van den Blink grew up as a neighbor to the Peddie campus. “I always had a crush on Peddie. I grew up wanting to go there, and I had these ideas in my mind of what it would be. I loved the grass and Adirondack chairs and the Labrador retrievers and the little babies and the smartly-dressed faculty. I loved the kids that had this promising look in their eyes.”

Soon, van den Blink would become one of those kids, discovering a passion for theater under the instruction of Harry Holcombe and attending English classes taught by her favorite teacher, Peter Quinn.

Returning to town — and to Peddie’s campus — to tell her story feels right to van den Blink. “I think that doing this now is just an indication of the peace that I’ve found in my life and the readiness that I feel to share my story,” she said.

Opposite: Kieren van den Blink ’90 stands in front of the First Baptist Church in downtown Hightstown.

49 FALL/WINTER 2018

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

At 4 a.m. on January 9 a mudslide engulfed Napper Tandy’s ’95 house in Montecito, California. A devastating wildfire had just torn through more than 250,000 acres of land including the neighboring Santa Ynez Mountains, which hang above Montecito, and the nearby town of Santa Barbara.

HEAVEN AND EARTH

By Napper Tandy ’95

“Babe, what’s going on?”

As sleep drains from my eyes and mind, I find my wife, Mary, standing at the foot of our bed. I follow her gaze out the french doors of our bedroom to reveal a chilling red dawn illuminating our yard.

I look at my watch — it reads 4 a.m. A dull edge of dread washes over me as I witness the crimson sky suddenly fade to black, only to illuminate again.

Sunrise isn’t until 7 a.m., and I can see my entire yard like it is first light. Somewhere deep in my opaque subconscious, the word fire is muttered. The sky looks like it’s being lit by fire. Again I hear Mary ask, “What is happening?” In a haze of bewilderment and still clinging to sleep, I slowly step out of bed. “I have no idea,” I mutter. Suddenly my wife points and screams, “Oh, my God, there’s a mudslide!”

Devoid of contact lenses or glasses, my nearsighted eyes squint and follow her finger to our front yard where I make out a 2 1/2 foot wall of mud and debris racing towards us at 30 mph.

Without thinking, I’m sprinting to get to our fouryear-old son. I tear through a dog-legged hallway, my bare feet grip the freshly refinished wood floors.

Rounding a corner to the staircase the glass-paned front door shatters inward showering shards. I reach for the banister of the staircase as my legs are swept out from under me, by a river of cold mud and sharp debris clawing at my legs. I pull myself over the banister as the sound of more bursting glass and splintering wood fill my veins with cold adrenaline and terror.

I’m surprised to see my son, Ever, at the top of the stairs. I leap up the steps two by two, snatching him

Tandy described a “river of cold mud” that reached the staircase of his home.

50 PEDDIE CHRONICLE

The mudslide sheared the Tandy home in half on January 9, 2018.

up into in my arms. Instinctively I move to the center of the house, positioning us in the doorframe of the bathroom. This is strong. This feels safe. There is another huge wave of exploding glass and wood that bellows from below as Ever yells, trembling. “Daddy, what’s happening?! I’m scared! I can’t stop shaking!”

As I try to form a reply, another crash shakes the house. A closet door shatters in half two feet from where we’re standing. Leaping backward, I stare into the now open closet to find a gaping hole a foot wide revealing the chaos outside. We retreat into the bathroom, and I peer out the window to find the once wooded backyard swept clean. I begin to open the window, mentally assessing our potential need to jump into the mud river below if the house starts to collapse.

Ever and I both survey the scene. But we take in the pulsing red-gray sky and the river of debris carrying 20-foot trees and cars by our house. Or at least I try to. Because my eyesight is so weak, I can only vaguely make out shapes careening by. Ever speaks again, this time slightly more calmly, “I don’t want to jump out the window daddy. Please close the window.” I squeeze him closely. “I don’t want to either bud. Don’t worry we’re not going to.” I can’t fathom leaping into what’s below. Suddenly my mind races to my wife. I stride to the top of the staircase.

“Mary! Mary?! Can you hear me?!” My mind reels.

I thought she was right behind me when I ran for the stairs. How is there no response? Oh, my God, she was swept out of the house. Oh, my God, she’s gone.

“Daddy, where is momma?” I have to almost scream the noise is so loud. “I’m not sure sweetheart.

But we’ll find her.” My heart is telling the truth, but my head is lying. Oh, my God, my wife and my unborn daughter have been swept into the night by a raging river of rocks and mud. What is my life now?

I try again to explain to Ever what’s happening.

“It’s OK, remember I said it might rain a lot tonight?

Well, it did, and the water has raced down the mountains and made a muddy river, which our house is now in the middle of.” The house buckles and screams again with another deafening shatter of wood and glass.

With a gust of cold wind suddenly the door to my son’s bedroom swings open, revealing that his room and his sister-to-be’s room have been torn off the house. A second gust swings both the doors open to reveal a whistling black void and the sound of rushing mud and debris where our living room once was.

I retreat again to the bathroom, mentally choking. My mind skips and stumbles straining to comprehend my reality and how it may get worse. We start to shake from the cold, so I begin making a bed of towels for us.

Every 10 or 15 minutes for the next hour Ever and I walk to the staircase and yell, “Mary?!” “Mom?!”…

51 FALL/WINTER 2018

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Then we return to our bed of towels and drift in and out of sleep.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, comes a cry. Ever screams, “Mom!?” We spring up and run to the staircase. “Babe!” I scream. In the distance, I hear Mary’s incredibly distant voice yelling my name.

She’s alive! We’re all alive! We’re going to be OK. *** Rescue helicopters began to arrive three hours later. In the end, I would climb over the banister into two feet of mud with my son on my shoulders as a stranger helped my wife out of our bathroom where

she had sat on the counter for four hours as mud flowed in within an inch of the countertop.

Mary, Ever and I would hug in the flashing glow of a fire truck. An hour later we would be driven out of Montecito in six-wheeled National Guard trucks.

Over the course of the next two weeks, I would live in a state of dazed cheerfulness, seemingly fine with the loss of everything I once owned and dare I say “cherished.” In an instant, my brain had been reset like restarting a computer. There was no stress of possessions, of work — of life. Only joy in my son, wife and unborn daughter being alive and the marvel of our survival.

Napper Tandy ’95 and his family celebrate the birth of their daughter, India. From left: Ever, Napper, Mary and India.

52 PEDDIE CHRONICLE

After the mud flow destroyed Tandy’s house, just a few items were recovered from the flood, including these Peddie memorabilia.

Tandy’s Peddie diploma was found hundreds of yards from his property.

ndy (left) oto of Ta d this ph 6 (center) re ’9 ve o o e c iF crews re , Brian D ie d d e P Cleanup m iends fro t). and his fr eumann ’95 (righ N ff o e G and

Tandy’s Peddie lacros se helmet was found in the debris near his home.

53 FALL/WINTER 2018

DEVELOPMENT DASHBOARD

The Development Dashboard

Peddie Fund giving FY 17–18

More than 2,500 donors gave

AN RE C E W OR D!

$2.4 Million in Peddie Fund gifts

$76,481

17.8%

TOTAL DOLLARS RAISED THROUGH

TOTAL DOLLAR INCREASE

GIFTS OF $100 OR LESS

OVER FY 16–17

“I gained so much at Peddie. A love of learning. Lifelong friendships. Giving back in a small way seems the least I can do.”

—Pat Ting ’91, Peddie Fund co-chair

54 PEDDIE CHRONICLE

437

NUMBER OF $100 GIFTS MADE

2,572

TOTAL NUMBER OF DONORS

294

NUMBER OF NEW DONORS

Impact

One hundred percent of students benefit from unrestricted alumni support. Here are just some of the ways Peddie students benefit from the generosity of alumni:

$16

One fiction title for the Annenberg Library

$120

Custom-bred fruit flies for a DNA barcoding assignment

$400

Pair of soccer goal nets

$500

Supplies for Mathematical Problem Solving, including whiteboard magnets with grid lines for graphing

$1,500

Lumber for students to build the set for the fall play, “The Diviners”

$2,500

Annual subscription to JSTOR, online access to millions of academic journals, articles and books

$9,000

One interactive TV: Touch-enabled TVs replaced SMARTBoards in all classrooms, allowing teachers to “write” with virtual pens and use touch to manipulate their computer from the screen.

Every gift matters. Make a gift to the Peddie Fund online at my.peddie.org/give or by phone at (609) 944-7521.

5555SPRING/SUMMER FALL/WINTER 2018 2018

201 South Main Street Hightstown, NJ 08520-3349

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID CINNAMINSON NJ PERMIT NO. 579