Portsmouth Abbey School Summer 2009 Alumni Bulletin by Portsmouth Abbey School

291052.COVER.P1:summer 08

7/22/09

5:06 PM

Page 1

285 Coryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lane Portsmouth, RI 02871 www.portsmouthabbey.org Address Service Requested

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 3 Portsmouth, RI

P O RT S M O U T H ABBEY SCHOOL Portsmouth Abbey School Summer Bulletin 2009

S u m m e r

B u l l e t i n

2 0 0 9

291052.COVER:summer 08

7/16/09

7:54 PM

Page 2

M I S S I O N S T AT E M E N T

Thank You! The aim of Portsmouth Abbey School is to help young men and women grow in knowledge and grace. Grounded in the Catholic faith and 1500 year-old Benedictine intellectual tradition, the school fosters: Reverence for God and the human person Respect for learning and order Responsibility for the shared experience of community life

BOARD OF REGENTS Right Rev. Dom Caedmon Holmes, O.S.B. Abbot and Chancellor Portsmouth, RI Mr. John M. Regan, III '68 P '07 Chairman Bronxville, NY Mr. David G. Bazarsky P '04, '05, '07 Newport, RI Mr. and Mrs. James F. W. Buckley ‘73, P’07, ‘08, ‘12 Co-Chairs, Parents’ Committee Bristol, RI Dom Joseph Byron, O.S.B. Portsmouth, RI Mr. Frederick C. Childs '75 P '08 Cambridge, MA Mr. Creighton O. Condon ’74, P ’07, ’10 Greenwich, CT Dom Francis Crowley, O.S.B. Portsmouth, RI Mr. James D. Farley, Jr. ’81 Dearborn, MI Dr. Luba D. Flanigan P ‘06, ‘09, ‘11 Tiverton, RI Mr. James S. Gladney P ’10, ’11, ‘13 Barrington, RI Mr. William M. Haney, III '80 Wayland, MA Dom Gregory Havill, O.S.B. Portmsouth, RI Mr. M. Benjamin Howe ’79 Wellesley, MA

Rev. Dom Damian Kearney, O.S.B. '45 Portsmouth, RI Mr. Charles E. Kenahan ’77, P ’12 Swampscott, MA

Portsmouth Abbey thanks the hundreds of alumni, parents, and friends whose philanthropic participation helped the School reach another Annual Fund benchmark. Your generosity is vital to every moment in the classroom, every lesson learned on the athletic field and stage, and every friendship built in our student Houses. Each year, your generous participation ensures the continuation of Portsmouth Abbey's unique campus atmosphere and reaffirms your singular role in the Portsmouth Abbey community. On behalf of every student, teacher and monk, thank you. Special thanks to the class agents, the reunion fundraisers, the parent volunteers, and the Alumni Leadership Committee whose dedication made this year such a tremendous success.

Save The Date!! September 25 -27, 2009

Mr. Edward G. Kirby ’83 Jamestown, RI Dr. Mary Beth Klee P '04 Portsmouth, RI Mr. Neil McGinness ’58, P’90 Cleveland, OH Mr. David E. Moran '71 New Canaan, CT Mr. James S. Mulholland, III '79 Sudbury, MA Ms. Mary F. Power P '06, '08, ‘12 Wellesley, MA Mr. Robert A. Savoie P ’10, ’11 Bristol, RI Right Rev. Dom Mark Serna, O.S.B Portsmouth, RI Ms. Kathleen Boland Stevens ’95 Brookline, MA Rev. Dom Luke L. Travers, O.S.B. '75 Morristown, NJ Mr. John E. White '80 Spring Lake, NJ Mr. Samuel G. White ’64 New York, NY Very Rev. Dom Ambrose Wolverton, O.S.B. Portsmouth, RI

Rev. F. Washington Jarvis Dorchester Center, MA

Front Cover: With the restoration of the Church of St. Gregory the Great complete, the Portsmouth Abbey community came together to celebrate. Photographer Nat Rea captured the serenity and brilliance of the high altar and the Richard Lippold sculpture, The Trinity. Back Cover: Nat Rea’s angle from the loft highlights the beauty of wood, glass, and stone that comprise the interior of the church, all of which underwent significant restoration.

Come one, come all! Classes ending in ‘4 or ‘9 and all classes prior to 1958We've planned a weekend full of great events for the entire family including: Children's Carnival Student Athletic Games Friday Night Class Dinners New England-Style Clambake Golf Outings at Carnegie Abbey Club (Friday only) Back to the Classroom with Favorite Faculty Members Newport Touring Train, Guided Tour of Aquidneck Island Coast Tours of the New"Green"St.Brigid's House and Wind Turbine Reunion Celebration Cocktail Party and Dinner with Live Music Check the Website for the most up - to - date information on lodging, registration, and schedule, as well as class-specific events, www.portsmouthabbey.org/reunion Questions? Call 401/643/1281 or email rsvp @portsmouthabbey.org We are looking forward to welcoming you back to campus in September!

291052.P01-31:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:16 PM

Page 1

B E G I N N I N G S by A bbot Caedmon Holmes “O sing to the LORD a new song,” we are exhorted – and exhort each other – at several points in the Psalms. Making our praise and thanks new again and again may seem a daunting challenge, if not downright impossible. Could it perhaps be that restlessness and haste and greed are what prevent us from contemplating how new reality is at every succeeding moment, and keep us from responding to it with ever-fresh gratitude? I begin to write on the first of May. The cherry blossoms in the Monastery garden are beyond their prime, so are the daffodils and tulips. But the spreading beech tree just east of the Classroom Building (which I remember being carefully and laboriously moved several feet eastward in 1979, to make way for the construction of the new schoolhouse– corrugated metal Quonset huts, [as many alumni will recall] piles of building stone, and riotous weeds had been in possession there before) is a wonder of feathery new green foliage, on a day of grey mist and dampness, the sort of day that somehow makes colors look even richer than they do in full sunshine. During this season of verdant freshness we move back into the renewed Abbey Church of Saint Gregory the Great, after a year of “living in tents,” making do in spaces not intended for worship. The external work, including landscaping, is still to be completed. On the interior, rotted beams have been replaced and all the redwood features restained. The colored glass in the clerestory has been largely replaced: the experimental lightening of color in the lower panels has been removed, and the ensemble looks once again uniform and permanent. The silver votive-candle holders have been repaired and returned to their original full complement. Most notably, the wire sculpture has been restored and illuminated with new lighting. Those who remember when it was first installed say that it shimmers over the high altar with a glory greater than it ever had before. At this time of the year the monks, lay faculty, and students of Portsmouth Abbey School have been celebrating Eastertime: the solemn annual re-presentation of our Lord’s Passover – his death, resurrection, and ascension – stretching from the Holy Thursday evening commemoration of the Last Supper, through the Crucifixion,

summer BULLETIN 2009

death, and burial on Good Friday; and his Resurrection, beginning at the Easter Vigil of Holy Saturday night and stretching through the fifty days of Paschaltide, and reaching beyond the Ascension to the culminating effusion on Pentecost of God’s Holy Spirit into the inmost selves of those who belong to his Church. I say “culminating” because the ultimate purpose of this trajectory of Jesus’ Passover– from death to living a new life to lavishly sharing the gift of divine life– was to remake us new from our inmost core and bring us to our destiny, endless communion with God. On Memorial Day weekend we sent our graduates of the Portsmouth class of 2009 off to begin the next important stage in their formation. They seemed joyous at having achieved this milestone in their young lives and ebulliently hopeful of going forward to greater freedom and accomplishment. We urged them to stay close to God in prayer and to trust that he is leading them on a good path even if they don’t achieve their goals in the way they envision for themselves at this present point. Easter , Spring, reopening the Abbey Church, Commencement. Beginnings, and beginnings all over again. It’s always pleasant and wholesome to dwell on such thoughts, but especially so in a time of apparent depletion, fragility, and uncertain prospects for the future. Who or what is our hope? In what or whom do we repose our trust? What can we look forward to? Psalm 104, the Psalm of Pentecost, says, “O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures… You take away your spirit, and they die and return to their dust; you send forth your spirit, and they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.” Our difficulties, losses, and inability to foresee clearly a bright future do not hinder the working of God’s grace, which is almighty and endless, and operates by a logic and on a schedule beyond human imagining. That’s why the present moment is always a good time – and especially when we’re feeling shaken and short of self-confidence– to sing a new song to the LORD.

291052.P01-31:Layout 1

7/16/09

8:49 PM

Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE

(Jim Robinson ’60 writes regarding the deaths of two men who have had close ties to the School) To the Editors: I was saddened to read of the death of my classmate, Nino Scotti ‘60. A lover of antiquities and the finer things in life, he was also a respected appraiser. He probably was the best-educated person I have ever known. He never stopped learning and enjoyed passing his knowledge on. A simple question on a piece of furniture could produce a wealth of information that was full of historical insights. He valued his standards and he was not shy about adhering to them. I had the pleasure of visiting with Nino and his mom just a few years ago at the immense Victorian at 179 Hope Street (in Providence, RI). So many memories of fun times there! Dr. and Mrs. Scotti had 11 children and Nino was the first of four sons to attend Portsmouth. While I can remember his Dad returning from work and taking the time to greet each child and make them feel so special and loved, there simply was not enough time and hugs to go around and Nino, as the eldest son, would enjoy filling in. My words do not begin to describe the happiness in this amazing family and house– their hospitality to so many of the Abbey family over the years. I feel lucky to have been one of Nino’s friends and to have had the chance to get to know his family as well. In addition, I write about my counterpart at the American University in Beirut, David Dodge (who died on January 20, 2009), stepfather of two Portsmouth alumni (Dr. Richard White ‘78 and John White ’80) and one of the finest Arabists in the last century. Not only had he mastered Arabic, the world’s most difficult language, but he also fully understood the culture and politics of the region. In 1980, I had the privilege to visit Dr. Dodge at AUB. I had gone there to see how they ran their campus and also to visit their agriculture school, since we were just starting up a Desert Development Center at the American University in Cairo, where I was just completing my third year as Senior Vice President. Nothing prepared me for the terrible devastation from the civil war one could see on the trip in from the airport. To be honest, I felt blessed that I worked in Cairo, which was also considered a hardship post, especially as I listened to gunshots fired each night after curfew. I had been in Saigon before the Tet offensive and not seen the amount of bombed-out buildings that were all over Beirut. Dr. Dodge was the fourth generation of his family to serve at AUB, which had been founded by his great-grandfather. He had left a safe job as President of the Near East Foundation in New York to work at AUB, which honestly was a dangerous place to work. Promoted to be acting president, he was one of the first Americans to be kidnapped in Beirut in 1982. His successor, Dr. Malcolm Kerr, whom I worked with at AUC, was murdered on the AUB campus in 1984, shortly after Dr. Dodge’s release from captivity. Overseas service is critically important and not without danger and discomfort, as we see above. I wanted to salute David Dodge and his ancestors for their devotion to AUB and for his language skills. Just like our own Father Joseph Healey, MM, ’54, who has spent his life serving in East Africa and also mastered the local languages, we often never see or hear of the fine work so many Americans do overseas out of the limelight. I am proud that my university, Georgetown, has produced one of the largest contingents of Peace Corps volunteers in the country, including my service in West Africa (‘64-66). I would hope more of the Portsmouth family develop a love of languages and overseas service, where the capacity to change lives is relatively greater than here. In the meantime, let us take pleasure in recognizing the achievements of David Dodge and perhaps reading more about others in the Portsmouth family who have also served overseas that we have never heard about. – Jim Robinson ‘60

Is This Call For You? The Benedictine Monastic Life Intern Program at Portsmouth Abbey is a unique opportunity to live and learn about monastic life, teach classes and consider the possibility that This Call May Be For You. Experience the well-balanced life of a Benedictine monk, including daily common prayer, spiritual reading, work and time for rest and exercise in a beautiful seaside location on the shores of Narragansett Bay, RI. If you are a college-educated, single, Catholic man, aged 21 - 45, you are invited to apply for our 10-week teaching internship at Portsmouth Abbey, the nation’s leading coeducational Catholic Benedictine boarding school.

Call or email Dan McDonough at 401.643.1255 or mcd@portsmouthabbey.org or email Father Ambrose at fatherambrose @ portsmouthabbey.org

291052.P01-31:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:16 PM

Page 3

IN THIS ISSUE 4

Building An Even Greater School By Dr. James DeVecchi

News of Note

Welcome New Regents

10 The Church Renewed by James MacGuire ‘70 page 16

16 Commencement 2009 22 Prize Day 2009 23 Book Review– John Paul II: A Personal Portrait of the Pope and The Man by Raymond L. Flynn reviewed by J. Clifford Hobbins 24 Portsmouth Institute– Wrap up and Photo Gallery 28 An Extraordinary Life– Michael V. Bartlett ‘72 by Outerbridge Horsey ‘71

page 24

32 The Inspiration for St. Gregory’s Alms by Dr. Blake Billings ‘77 34 From the Office of Admissions– An Open Letter from Steve Cunningham ‘74 35 Mary McDonald on College Counseling 37 Ra Ra Raven– An Interview with Musician Mathieu Santos ‘03 by Bowen Smith 40 Housing Plan Offers Faculty a Place to Call Home by Patrick Burke ‘86 page 40

42 Alumni Leadership Council: Current Perspectives and Direction by John Phelan ‘80 44 Athletic Report: Winter and Spring 2009 by Al Brown 47 Milestones 50 In Memoriam 52 Class Notes Note To Our Alumni: To find out more about current happenings of the School and Monastery, send us your email addresses so that you might receive Monthly Musings: communications @ portsmouthabbey.org

page 44

Don’t forget to log onto our Web Alumni Community to find out more about Reunion 2009, our Ninth Annual Golf Scholarship Tournament, and to view the latest news from your classmates: www.portsmouthabbey.org/page/alumni

The Portsmouth Abbey School Bulletin is published biannually for alumni, parents and friends by Portsmouth Abbey School, a Catholic Benedictine preparatory school for young men and women in Forms III through VI (grades 9-12) in Portsmouth, RI. Headmaster – Dr. James De Vecchi

Assistant Headmaster for Development – Patrick J. Burke ’86

Art Director – Kathy Heydt Editors – Kathy Heydt; Katherine Giblin Stark

Editorial Director – James MacGuire ‘70

Photographers – Nat Rea, Louis Walker, Kathryn Whitney Lucey, Jez Coulson, Bristol Workshops, Billy Black, Howard Newman, Kathy Stark, Brother Joseph, Nancy Brzys, Kathy Heydt If you have any opinions or comments on the articles contained in our Bulletin, please email communications@portsmouthabbey.org or write to the Office of Communications, Portsmouth Abbey School, 285 Cory’s Lane, Portsmouth, RI 02871. Please include your name and phone number.

Visit our website at www.portsmouthabbey.org summer BULLETIN 2009

291052.P01-31:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:16 PM

Page 4

MESSAGE FROM THE HEADMASTER

BUILDING AN EVE N GREATER SCHOOL B y D r. J a m e s D e Ve c c h i , H e a d m a s t e r

I am writing this piece as we prepare for all of the wonderful end-of-year events at Portsmouth, especially for the graduation ceremonies of the Class of 2009 – Portsmouth’s 79th graduating class. In a recent conversation with Raymond Flynn, this year’s commencement speaker and former Mayor of Boston and Ambassador to the Vatican, Mr. Flynn asked me what he might say to our graduates. I, somewhat casually, told him, “You have been a mayor and an ambassador (not to mention a college basketball star). Tell them how you got there.” This conversation started me thinking about my own career at Portsmouth and how our School “got” to be the excellent school that it has been and is, and about our plans for building an even better Portsmouth Abbey School. For me, this graduation marks a somewhat unfortunate milestone! Nine students in this year’s class were members of an Honors Geometry Class that I taught when they were 3rd Formers– a Geometry class that was the last “regular” class that I taught at Portsmouth. As my wife Deb would tell us, Honors Geometry is the best course on earth to teach, it is intellectual and logical, and very fertile and exciting ground for bright, enthusiastic and open young minds. I do still work with some wonderfully talented math students at the other end of their Portsmouth math careers, through tutorials in subjects which normally are reserved for advanced college undergraduates– again, one of the many wonderful things that I get to do here! It is essential to stress the importance of academic excellence as we work to build an ever greater Portsmouth Abbey School. This theme reminds me of two discussions that I have had, one in the spring of 1973 with my PhD thesis advisor and former (mid-1950s) Priory math teacher Richard Balomenos, and one just recently with one of our young, bright and very mission-committed young female teachers. Richard was a wonderful and inspirational man, committed to his family and faith (a good Greek Orthodox man he was), and to mathematics research and education. When he

called me into his office that day back in March 1973 he told me that he had just received a call from Fr. Andrews (for some reason Richard always used “Andrews”) from the “Priory.” Richard explained to me that he started his career as a teacher and mathematician at the Priory (of which neither Deb, then a mathematics teacher at Phillips Exeter Academy, nor I had ever heard), that the Priory was a place of deep spiritual and intellectual commitment, and that they had jobs for both Deb and me! He also told me a bit about the quality of Fr. Andrew’s character and intellect– both of which were confirmed when Deb and I met the man, and both of which profoundly influenced my formation as a mathematician and educator. I fancy myself as a reasonably good mathematician, but in my years working with him I was constantly struck by the fact that what was obvious to Father Andrew was not at all obvious to others. Once, for example, during a lecture by Brown University Professor Thomas Banchoff, a longtime friend of Portsmouth (he was in fact a prized Ph.D. student of the legendary one- time Portsmouth faculty member R. Catesby Taliaferro), Dr. Banchoff asked us to visualize how certain ndimensional objects would look in dimension n-1, an exercise that was beyond most of us mere mortals. Later, Dr. Banchoff asked how a certain 4th-dimensional object would appear to folks who sit in a three-dimensional world. As the

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

291052.P01-31:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:16 PM

Page 5

rest of us sat stumped, Father Andrew didn’t hesitate and in the kindest, gentlest voice responded,“A cube, of course,” to the delight and amazement of the entire audience. The second conversation occurred just recently, when I was explaining to a young faculty member, who is deeply interested in the spiritual part of our School culture, how I see Portsmouth Abbey School as a whole. I explained to her that I never speak of Portsmouth without using both “Catholic” and “Benedictine” to describe our wonderful School. What is uniquely Portsmouth is the way that these qualities combine to influence our campus culture. Regarding religion, and as Tom Kennedy wrote in a 2004 accreditation self-study, “Religion enters into the warp and woof of daily life (at Portsmouth). While not thrust upon students, the occasional presence at Mass or other religious services, and the quiet and ordered routine of the Monastic community, often reach the mind and soul of even the most light-hearted observer.” My message to this young teacher was that our Abbey School is a place where the Catholic religion is practiced and valued in the Benedictine tradition of faith, community and intellect, and that these three qualities have profoundly shaped Portsmouth over the years. As all of our constituency knows (or at least should know!), Portsmouth is now entering Phase Two of the implementation of a Strategic Plan intended to build an even better school. Much of the emphasis of our Phase Two promotes the intellectual side of our Catholic, Benedictine culture – or, as Cliff Hobbins would say, “the pursuit of Academic Excellence.” When I speak to the families of prospective students or to educational consultants interested in our School, I state that academic excellence at Portsmouth reflects an attitude as well as a program. We all know that our curricular commitment is, as stated in our Mission Statement, “…to introduce our students to the best of the Western intellectual tradition, which includes both the Humanities and the sciences.” Through our Fourth Form Humanities program and throughout our core curriculum, this commitment is uncompromisingly clear. On the Science side it is manifested in our leadership in the Physics First curriculum movement, the wonderful influence technology has brought to our teaching of science, and the delight gifted faculty like Bob Rainwater take in working with advanced students on topics such as Einstein’s Theory of Special Relativity using four-dimensional space-time

summer BULLETIN 2009

vectors, or the solving of the Schrodinger equation on the way to studying nuclear and particle physics. Phase Two of our Strategic Plan emphasizes the value of people in the continuation and advancement of Portsmouth’s academic traditions. Central to this plan are initiatives to supplement our Monastic intellectual core through Portsmouth’s ability to attract and retain the best residential lay men and women faculty. Endowment for faculty is one of these initiatives. Such endowment will allow for Portsmouth to recognize current faculty leaders (in name and in substance) and to remember and honor past Portsmouth faculty leaders through a system of faculty chairs – two of which, one in honor of D. Damian Kearney in English and one in memory of D. Andrew Jenks in Mathematics, are well under way. Such endowment also will foster the intellectual development of faculty by providing support for personal study and research, conference attendance and the pursuit of advanced degrees. On-campus housing is absolutely crucial to Portsmouth’s ability to attract and retain the very best Mission-committed faculty families– and it is a partnership between the Monastery and Mission-committed residential lay men and women that will secure the future of our Catholic Benedictine School. Additionally, endowment for students and a commitment to quality student housing will allow Portsmouth to attract and enroll the very best students from across the nation and around the world – students whose families have been attracted to Portsmouth because of its Mission. Also central to this plan (and a very big capital expense) is our commitment to science facilities. Phrases like “Faith and Reason” and “Science and God” characterize Benedictine thinking. Great minds like D. Leo and D. Andrew are our “Science and God” legacy, and our talented and experienced science faculty continue this tradition. Enhanced science facilities are essential to advance our School and to continue to achieve our Mission. It is with excitement and joy that we are sending our Class of 2009 off to their new opportunities at college and university; and it is with pride and commitment that we are working, every day, towards the future of an ever greater Portsmouth Abbey School.

291052.P01-31:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:16 PM

Page 6

NEWS OF NOTE The Very Reverend Dom Ambrose Wolverton, O.S.B., was

one of 57 religious men and women honored at the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul in Providence on April 26 at the annual Diocesan Jubilarian celebration. Dom Ambrose celebrated his 50th anniversary of religious life at a Mass presided over by Bishop Thomas J. Tobin, Bishop of Providence. A graduate of Harvard, Dom Ambrose has been a member of the Portsmouth Abbey monastic community for 50 years and serves as choirmaster and director of vocations in addition to being Prior. He continues to teach English and Music and often accompanies our Abbey Singers and Pro Deo on the piano during concerts. As is their custom, the Portsmouth Abbey monastic community will celebrate the jubilee of Dom Ambrose with the School at a Mass in September. Congratulations, Dom Ambrose!

Sidler Teaching Awards to Jay Bragan, Kale Zelden: This year’s Dom Peter Sidler Teaching Awards were presented to Director of Performing Arts and English teacher Jay Bragan and Humanities and English teacher Kale Zelden. Established in 2000 by Tom ‘60 and Meg Healey, parents of Jeremy ‘91, in honor of their friend, the late Dom Peter Sidler, the Sidler Teaching Awards seek to recognize two members of the School faculty for distinction in teaching. One award is given to a junior faculty member, in this case Mr. Zelden, who has displayed superior potential, and the other is given to a senior faculty member, this year, Mr. Bragan, who has shown sustained excellence. Congratulations to Jay and Kale!

Abbey Students Receive National Honors: Makonnen Jackman ’10 was recognized this spring by the National 2010 Achievement® Scholarship Program as one of the 4,700 highest-scoring entrants of the 160,000 Black-American students from across the USA who participated in the 2010 program. This fall, Makonnen will have the opportunity to be named a Semifinalist in the competition for Achievement Scholarship Awards. Graduating Sixth Form students Ji Hyun (Jina) Kim and Donlapark (Pom) Pornnopparath in June were each awarded a first-place ranking in the state of Rhode Island by the Mathematical Association of America for their outstanding performances on the 2009 2009 Dom Peter Sidler Teaching Award American Mathematics recipients Jay Bragan (left) and Kale Zelden

Contest AMC 12. Jina will attend Princeton University in the fall, and Pom will attend Brown University.

Focus on the Faculty:

Lizzie Benestad (Classics) attended the American Classical League Institute at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles June 25-29. Jay Bragan (Performing Arts) is playing the psychiatrist, Dr. Saunders, in the play Harvey at 2nd Story Theater in Warren, RI. Derek Gittus (History) is continuing to work on his master’s degree at the University of Rhode Island this summer by taking a seminar on Latin American history. Pam Gorman (Director of Medical Services) and Nancy Weida (Nurse) attended the Ampleforth Lourdes trip in July with Dom Julian. Corie McDermott (English) attended graduate school in English at Oxford, continuing her studies for a master’s in literature from Middlebury’s Breadloaf Program. Ted Parker (Humanities) was at the Phillips Academy Summer Session in Andover, MA, where he taught two courses: “Reading and Writing” for 11th- and 12thgraders, and a course on “Expository Writing.” Troy Quinn (Music Director) attended the Berkshire Choral Festival in Massachusetts this summer as a Choral Scholar and will travel to the University of South Carolina as a Conducting Fellow to participate in the Conductors Institute at the University. In June, he conducted the Sacred Concert in our Church as part of the Portsmouth Institute, performing Faure’s Requiem with professional singers from the Handel and Haydn Society and Boston Succession as well as instrumentalists from the R.I. Philharmonic and Boston Pops. In March, Bob Rainwater (Science) attended a joint conference of the American Association of Physics Teachers and the American Physical Society at Northeastern University. The theme of the conference was “Elementary Particle Physics in the 21st Century.” This summer Kelly Reiser (Science/Athletic Trainer) attended the National Athletic Trainers’ Convention in San Antonio, TX. In addition, she will spend one week in Tucson, AZ, to continue working on her master’s degree (Biology for Secondary School Teachers) at the University of Arizona.

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

291052.P01-31:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:16 PM

Page 7

NEWS OF NOTE

Nancy Weida (Nurse) passed a five-day test in Karate for her fifth-degree black belt and was promoted in May at the CT State Nationals. She will be an O Dan (fifth Dan) in Tang Soo Do Mi Guk Kwan. Nancy and her husband, Rick, visited the Hawaiian island of Molokai in March and went on a mule trip 1,600 feet down the sea cliffs to the Leper Colony on Kalapaupa. They visited St. Philomena’s Church

Dom Edmund Adams Retires from Teaching: The

Rev. Dom Edmund Adams, O.S.B. retired from teaching at the completion of the 2008-09 school year, signaling the end of an era at Portsmouth Abbey. A student at Portsmouth Priory in the mid1950s, Dom Edmund left the school during his Fifth Form year. After attending Suffolk University (B.A., 1964) and the University of Washington at Seattle (Ph.D., English, 1969), Dom Edmund taught English at the University of Toledo before rejoining the Portsmouth Abbey community in 1982 as a postulant. He began teaching in 1983, made his solemn profession in 1987, and was ordained to the priesthood in 1989. He was awarded a Portsmouth Abbey diploma, Class of 1957, at commencement ceremonies in June 2007 – to a standing ovation from the audience.

where Father Damien, a famous 19th-century missionary who will be canonized in October, is buried. Geri and Fred Zilian announce the birth on April 21 of their seventh grandchild: Alexander Frederick Zilian, born to son Thomas and his wife Dorota.

“My fondest memory of Father Edmund is really a composite mental image of a man struggling against all odds to shape a pack of dreadful little creature into respectable people, all the while retaining his dignity even in the most trying of circumstances.” – former student

Father Edmund insists he only remembers what he learned here… The one thing that truly inspired him to come back was having great houseparents, Dom Bede and Dom Andrew, whom he loved. Fr. Edmund wanted to have the same influence on his students as they had had on him... Despite the large-scale changes he has seen within the school, the constant and mostfelt change was the entrance of new boys every year, each with a unique personality… Feeling he was somewhere between a houseparent and housemaster, he loved the atmosphere the school fostered. He says he loves the discovery of people and watching their discovery of themselves: ‘I think each of us reflects some unique aspect of God that no other being does.’ - by Meg Macdonald ‘06 and Becky Findlay ‘06 Congratulations on your retirement, Dom Edmund, and thank you for your many years of dedication as a Portsmouth Abbey houseparent, teacher and coach.

Much loved by Abbey students, Dom Edmund’s inimitable style was aptly summed up in the 2005 Gregorian, which was dedicated to him. The following are excerpts from that dedication:

“I will always remember Father Edmund for his sense of humor. I

“It is difficult to envision Fr. Edmund anywhere but at the Abbey. He has been a presence here for 22 years, as houseparent, monk, and teacher, and embodies a certain spirit of Abbey life. He attended the Abbey, but left before graduating. Although he went to multiple schools,

summer BULLETIN 2009

have never had a teacher like him before. Thank you, Father, for everything you have done for me at the Abbey. I will truly miss you.” – former student

291052.P01-31:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:16 PM

Page 8

Welcome to Portsmouth Abbey’s New Members of the Board of Regents Sister M. Therese Antone, RSM, Ed.D

Gregory W. Hornig ’68, P ’01

A native of Rhode Dr. M. Island, Therese Antone is the chancellor of Salve Regina University. She served as president of Salve Regina from 1994 to 2009. Sister Therese earned a bachelor’s degree from Salve Regina University, a master’s degree in mathematics from Villanova University, and a doctorate in education with an emphasis in administration, planning and social policy from Harvard University. She completed the Senior Executive Program at the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Following his graduation from Portsmouth Priory in 1968, Greg matriculated to Harvard University, where he received a B.A. degree in 1972. He continued to the University of Cincinnati, obtaining his M.D. in 1980. Greg completed his residency in neurosurgery at Harvard Medical School, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital and was certified in neurosurgery in 1990. He is now a pediatric neurosurgeon, neurosurgery section chief, and clinical assistant professor of surgery at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics is a comprehensive pediatric medical center and the only free-standing children’s hospital between St. Louis and Denver.

Sister Therese’s career has included teaching at all levels. She has been a faculty member, director of development, vice president of institutional advancement, and executive vice president for corporate affairs and advancement at Salve Regina University. Sister Therese has served on many boards and committees. Among the boards on which she currently serves are: AAA Southern New England; BankNewport; Lifespan Corporation; Beacon Mutual Insurance Company; and The Redwood Library and Athenaeum. In addition to many other honors and awards, Sister Therese was the 1998 recipient of the National Conference Humanitarian Award, the 1998 John E. Fogarty Achievement Award, and the Mercy Higher Education Leadership Award. She is also a 2006 inductee to the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame. In March 2007, Sister Therese was a Fulbright Senior Specialist at Krasnoyarsk State University in Russia.

Greg and his wife, Dr. Elizabeth Goddard, live in Prairie Village, Kansas. They are the parents of two children, Eliza and Chris ’01. Greg and Beth are former members of the Portsmouth Abbey Parents Committee, and Greg has served as a class agent, Reunion volunteer and member of the Alumni Leadership Council. Greg has also recently helped to establish the Class of 1968 Scholarship Fund.

Alejandro J. Knoepffler ’78, P ’12

Alex is a 1978 graduate of Portsmouth Abbey School. He received a B.S. in Engineering Systems from Brown University and an M.S. in Operations Research from Stanford University. In 1994, Alex established Cipher Investment Management and is currently the firm’s principal. The Knoepffler family has been a strong advocate for Portsmouth Abbey in south Florida and Alex’s ancestral country of Nicaragua. Alex and his wife, Eva, live in Coral Gables, Florida, and are the parents of Alejandro, Portsmouth Abbey Class of 2012, and Thomas.

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

291052.P01-31:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:16 PM

Page 9

BOARD OF REGENTS

Stephen M. Cunningham ’72

Dr. Timothy P. Flanigan ’75, P ’06, ’09, ‘11

A 1972 graduate of Portsmouth Abbey School, Steve earned a B.A. degree in economics from the University of Rhode Island and an M.B.A. from Columbia University. He is a managing director and head of corporate finance and M&A for Latin America at Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., based in New York.

A 1975 graduate of Portsmouth Abbey School, Tim obtained a B.A. from Dartmouth College and a M.D. from Cornell University Medical College. He is t h e d i r e c t o r o f the Division of Infectious Diseases at Rhode Island and The Miriam Hospitals and Brown Medical School. In 1991, Tim helped establish a primary care network at Brown for HIVinfected individuals with a particular focus on women, substance abusers and individuals leaving prison. He also developed the HIV Core Program at the Rhode Island State Prison, and oversees The Miriam/Brown AIDS Clinical Trials Unit to develop more effective therapies for the treatment of HIV. Tim is associate director of The Miriam/Brown Fogarty Program, which trains and mentors overseas investigators in HIV/AIDS.

Prior to joining Deutsche Bank in April 2006, Steve spent 10 years at Morgan Stanley, where he was head of investment banking for Latin America. Previously, he worked at Bear, Stearns & Co. for twelve years where he was responsible for international investment banking. Steve is a member of the Argentine-American Chamber of Commerce, the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce, the ColombianAmerican Association and the Smithsonian National Latino Board. Steve and his wife, Laura, reside in Greenwich, CT, and Jamestown, RI. The couple has co-chaired the University of Rhode Island’s Alumni Fund. Steve’s brother Tim ’74, nieces Theresa ’08 and Emily ’11, and nephew Stephen ’09 are all Portsmouth graduates. Devin McShane P ’09, ’11

Devin is a member of a long-standing Portsmouth Abbey family. Mother of Parker ’09 and Tiernan ’11, Devin’s many ties to the School also include her father, Gordon ’41, uncle Creighton ’50, brother-in-law Curtiss Roach ’63, brothers Bruce ’68 and Bryan ’71, and niece Kelley ’05. Devin completed her formal education in 1972, with a high school degree from the Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, NY. She is an owner and operator of commercial property in New Mexico, and is presently is a principal in Local 121, a downtown Providence restaurant. Devin was a co-founder, and is currently board president, of a grassroots, non-profit organization called Families First Rhode Island, which pairs the mothers of infants with highly trained Volunteer Mentor Moms.

summer BULLETIN 2009

Tim was the recipient of a community health leadership award from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and in 2005 he received an honorary doctorate from Salve Regina University. He is a cofounder of RISE (Rhode Islanders Sponsoring Education) and founder of the Star Kids Scholarship Program. He is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of Salve Regina University in Newport, RI. Tim and his wife, Dr. Luba Dumenco, reside in Tiverton, RI, and are the parents of four children, including Teresa ’06, Daniel ’09 and Michael ’11. Tim is the son of Peter ’41 and nephew of John ’40 and Robert ’48 Flanigan.

291052.P01-31:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:16 PM

Page 10

The Church Renewed By James MacGuire â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;70

291052.P01-31:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:17 PM

Page 11

THE CHURCH RENEWED

Though its renovation was not yet complete, the Abbey Church of Saint Gregory the Great reopened for the Easter triduum on Holy Thursday, April 9, ending the Babylonian Captivity of the last year, when Masses and other services took place in the auditorium. There was palpable excitement in the church as the students entered it for the first time since the renovation began in late April of 2008. Indeed, for nearly 100 new students, they were entering our magnificent Church for the first time ever, an unforgettable moment to many generations of past Portsmouth Abbey students and their families. The newly sparkling interior, heightened lighting and enhanced acoustics were all widely commented upon. The triduum culminated in a joyous Easter Vigil Saturday evening, attended by nearly 500 people. One student called it, “The most important religious event in my four years at the Abbey.” For a month following, Newman’s Ltd. continued to fine-tune the placement of “The Trinity,” the abstract expressionist Richard Lippold’s marvelous gold-wire sculpture emanating from the crucifix above the altar, and it was pronounced complete on May 9. Since then, the final work of the Church renovation– landscaping, repairing external masonry and stonework– has been ongoing and will be finished this summer.

P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y N AT R E A

291052.P01-31:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:17 PM

Page 12

Left: Massive cedar logs await inspection at Meeker Log & Timber Ltd. in Canada. The church restoration project required long Clear 2x12 ft. beams, which resulted in painstaking sorting to secure the fiber needed. Right: A view toward the high altar showing the restored roof, stained glass, wood interior and Lippold sculpture

Thus, half a century after the original construction was begun, Pietro Belluschi’s vision for Portsmouth has been miraculously restored. A civil engineer by training, Belluschi became known as “the man enamored of barns” after he fell in love with traditional redwood barns during his wanderings as a young man around the Pacific Northwest. Belluschi believed that there was “a great deal of poetic potential in understatement.” He stressed integrity and simplicity– a Benedictine perspective– and strove for balance, proportion and harmony of spirit. So it was that in 1958, having been recommended to thenPrior Aelred Graham by Dom Hilary Martin and Dom Peter Sidler, Belluschi proposed for the chapel an octagonal building raised on a circular platform made of stone quarried on the site. This Rhode Island fieldstone, framed in redwood, also forms the lower half of the Church. The upper half, a 28-foot clerestory of alternating redwood beams and stained glass, contrasts with the massiveness of the base. The height of the building is enhanced with copper roofs and a slender teak spire crowned by a cross. As John Walker, director of the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., wrote in 1976: “The building is both traditional and original. Its centraltype plan recalls both medieval baptisteries and the Church of San Vitale in Ravenna, which was commissioned by the Emperor Justinian during the lifetime of Pope Gregory the Great, patron saint of Portsmouth. This ancient architectural scheme, which provides a particularly close contact between celebrant and congregation, is used in a fresh way. The interior is discreetly scaled to invite a sense of personal worship…. Inside the ninetyfoot-long, open nave one has a sense of soaring verticality as he looks up at the great, laminated birch arches which support the tower. Then the eye is caught by the beauty of the colored light streaming through the stained glass of the clerestory….Shafts of light, falling from an opening

above the altar, irradiate a crucifix hanging high above the celebrant. This crucifix and figure of Christ (designed by the Swiss artist Meinrad Burch), supported by myriads of thinly drawn gold wires strung in a pattern seems at High Mass to float on clouds of incense rising from the thurible swung below. To see this marvelous work of art is an extraordinary visual experience. It is as though God’s grace, transmitted along a web of shining beams of light, is drawn to the altar by the head and outstretched arms of the crucified Christ. When the church is filled with students and monks singing, the effect is sublime and unforgettable.” So it was, and so it is again. But it took an immense amount of time, planning, prayer, generosity and collaborative labor to achieve. Leaks and creaking noises emanating from the clerestory have been a part of the Church’s personality for decades. When engineering analyses were conducted with the help of the Alletta Morris McBean Charitable Trust in 2005, Newport Collaborative Architects found that the eight walls of the clerestory were built without the lateral stability needed to protect the upper structure from Rhode Island’s strong coastal winds. The Church had been swaying and bending in the wind for decades. In the end, all 136 of the 28-foot redwood beams had to be replaced, and 2,960 pieces of stained glass had to be labeled, catalogued, removed, cleaned and later reassembled. Fortyeight years of dust and corrosion had caused “The Trinity” to lose its luster. Its expansive and delicate geometric canopy of 20,000 feet of gold-clad wire originating from 15 points all over the nave, and the 23 aluminum bars they pass through, had to be lowered like a sail, wrapped and sent for restoration to Newman’s Ltd. studio in Jamestown, RI. Then it all had to be re-raised and rehung, very carefully, but, as can now be appreciated, with exquisite results. On a rainy Saturday of Reunion Weekend last fall, in September ‘08, I took a group of alumni—including architects and an engineer—into the Church with Dom Joseph Byron. The removal of so much of it, and the tremen-

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

291052.P01-31:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:17 PM

Page 13

291052.P01-31:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:17 PM

Page 14

Left: Howard and Mary Newman, and the crew from Newman’s, Ltd., rigged “masts” to remove and replace each array of gold wires that emanates from the Lippold sculpture, spanning the interior spaces of the Church. More than 20,000 feet (3.8 miles) of gold wire was hand-threaded and tied to the Meinrad Burch crucifix at the center of the sculpture.

P H O T O G R A P H B Y N E W M A N S , LT D .

the life of the Monastery and School. It sees the individual monk from his monastic birth to his death. It sees the opening and closing of every school year and all the regular and special events scheduled within the year. It hears the private anguishes and joys of all of us – monks, faculty and students, and of all of the alumni, parents and friends– who return to pray here at significant moments in their lives.”

dous amount of scaffolding and work still to be done, gave an impression not only of simplicity but also of tremendous fragility, and I was concerned at how it would ever be put back together. But there was no reason to fear. While there was fragility, there was also tremendous resilience, a metaphor for the greater Church herself? Once again the Church of St. Gregory the Great has reassumed its place at the center of Portsmouth Abbey and School. Students entering the Church once again read the inscription sculpted in relief on the front doors by Dom Peter Sidler, from St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, which proclaims:

You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus himself the capstone. Through Him, the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord. As Brother Joseph told Newport Life magazine last Christmas, “The Church sees the really important events in

Completion of this $4 million project would have been impossible without the leadership of Brother Joseph and Paul Jestings, who oversaw the renovation, and Dom Damian Kearney ‘45, who wrote an understated but brilliant brochure describing and highlighting the importance of the Church and its many works of art. Most importantly, of course, there were a number of key donors. In addition to funding of the original engineering study, the McBean Foundation made a substantial challenge grant. The van Beuren, Homeland, Booth-Bricker and California Community foundations also made major grants, as did our own monastery. Vin Buonanno ’62 was the catalyst behind the restoration of the Lippold sculpture. Gratifyingly, the same family who made possible the original Lippold, and the same donor who gave the Meinrad Burch bronze and steel crucifix, also took major parts in funding the renovation. In a wonderful surprise, the estate of actress Jane Wyman, mother of Chris Ward ’55, also made a major gift. Finally, in a touching tribute, Pietro Belluschi’s son, Anthony, also participated in memory of his father. It of course took the magnificent generosity, much of it given anonymously and quietly, of many others from all corners of the Portsmouth Abbey family to complete the project, and the upcoming 2009 Annual Report will give a full account of that muchappreciated support. Now that the renovation has been completed, we can see that it has all been worthwhile, and the restored Church should last for another 100 years (“If not, somebody please shoot me!” says Brother Joseph). The formal celebration of the Church renovation occurred on June 20 with a performance of Fauré’s Requiem and a

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

7/22/09

9:24 AM

Page 15

P H O T O G R A P H B Y N AT R E A .

291052.P01-31:Layout 1

reception afterward on the Holy Lawn. It was a day of jubilation for the entire Portsmouth family, and it was easy to imagine that Father Hilary and Father Peter, who helped convince then-Prior Aelred Graham to choose Pietro Belluschi to design the new church half a century ago, were with us in spirit and pleased to be part of the proceedings. It was also easy to imagine that Belluschi himself, who after designing the Portsmouth church was commissioned to design the new cathedral in San Francisco and many other important buildings, was with us and pleased as well. As his son Anthony, a Chicago-

summer BULLETIN 2009

based architect, commented to Newport Life, “This small chapel, which is really monumental, epitomized what my father was all about as a human being, architecturally and spiritually. It was one of his favorite projects and one of his best for a combination of things– the exceptional site, the materials used, the master vision for the project, and he got along famously with the monks and they became good friends. It was the confluence of all these things, the harmony in it all, because very rarely do the perfect site, perfect client and perfect solution come along.”

291052.P01-31:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:17 PM

Page 16

Commencement 2009

Soo Ho Ahn

Radu Nicholas Florescu Audra Shea Foster

Kerry Serena Beatrice Klemmer

Kelsey Elizabeth Shea

Horace Glasford Allen, Jr.

Matthew James Franklin

Brett Christopher Kroll

Samuel Alfred Shore

Alaina Calce Andreozzi

Robert Tyler Franklin

Devin M. Laviano

Thomas Louis Shorey

Ryan Patrick Andrews

Alexander Anthony Gallo

Sun Young Lee

Olivia Dayle Simone

David Garvey

Benjamin Patrick Lichtenfels

Susan Snow Skakel

Merritt Cole Bauer

Kasey Marie Geremia

Benjamin B. Lynn

Robert John Skolsky

John Edouard Rioux Beletsky

Genevieve McLeod Gralton

Philippa Ryan McCafferty

Katherine Sullivan

Riley Grant

Elena Rose McCarthy

Sarah Catherine Taddei

Brendan James Hammatt

Shane Lawrence McComiskey

Peter T. Tasca

Kristin Jennifer Harper

Martin Ignacio Minondo

Benjamin Laurence Theriault

Monica Natasha Hidalgo

Joseph Alexander Mitchell

Alicia Nicole Turner Felipe Ernesto Vicini Bonetti

Brendan T. Buckley

Adam Harrison Geschickter Hobbins

Kyle Andrew Moriarty Amelia Janeway O’Donnell

William Ryan Villareal

Doowon Choi

Michael Edward Holden

Kara Rose O’Hearn

Claudia Vollmer

Sun Kyoung Choi

Mary-Frances Holte

Peter Malcolm Wallace

Kelly Emilienne Coffin

Suk Hwan Hong

Josephine Eugenia Barbara O’Reilly

Jennifer Cravedi

Jennifer Warrene Irving

Chanho Park

Stephen James Cunningham

Michael DuPont Irving

Janaina Yael Pivatto-Corbin

Beneva Annette Davies-Bawoh

Margaret Susannah Johnstone

Donlapark Pornnopparath

Lillian Clarke Donahue

Janice Jinju Kim

Jennifer Marie Rocha

Victor Martin Christian Ferrero

Ji Hyun Kim

Courtney Wilmot Rutledge

Daniel Taras Flanigan

Jungwon Kim

Elisabeth Rose Sacco

Kwasi Amoako-Ayim

Parker Mills Barry

Ally Rebecca Boglioli Abigail Catherine Bolduc Lawrence Jorge Juan Bosch Solares Kayla Maclay Bowers

William Welling Sheehan

Elizabeth Dale Waring Geneva Michele White Kevin Daly Wooters Seung Yoon Yang

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

291052.P01-31:Layout 1

7/22/09

9:25 AM

Page 17

Commencement 2009

An overflow crowd of several hundred people – families, friends, and Portsmouth Abbey faculty, administration, and students – gathered on the School’s Holy Lawn Sunday, May 25, for Portsmouth Abbey’s 79th Commencement ceremony. Headmaster Dr. James DeVecchi, Abbot Caedmon Holmes, Chairman of the Board of Regents John “Mac” Regan ’68, and honored Commencement speaker Raymond L. Flynn, former mayor of Boston and U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican, conferred diplomas on the 85 young men and women who comprised the graduating Class of 2009. Representing 12 states and nine countries, they were a diverse group – but on this day they were very much of one mind: delighted to be reaching such a noteworthy milestone. Dr. DeVecchi recalled his first real contact with the members of the graduating class on his first day of Honors Geometry class in February 2007. “We’ve all come a long way since,” he joked. “You have all worked hard, had fun, displayed School spirit, been good leaders and set a positive tone for the rest of the School. You are to be congratulated.” Dr. DeVecchi cited the class’s leadership in community service: “Owing to your direction and enthusiasm, the School raised more than $30,000 for charitable causes this year alone. You have taken to heart one of our School’s primary tenets: the responsibility for the shared experience of community life.” Dr. DeVecchi then recognized the four members of the Class of 2009 who will attend U.S. service academies in the fall: Brendan Buckley and Brett Kroll (U.S. Military Academy), Devin Laviano (U.S. Naval Academy), and Ryan Villareal (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy), adding, “We are grateful for your desire to serve our country.”

Dom Edmund Adams, who retired at the conclusion of the 2008-09 School year, was thanked for his 20 years of service as a Christian Doctrine teacher and two as English teacher. Also recognized by Dr. DeVecchi was Robert Sahms, who stepped down after four years as academic dean. Mr. Sahms will continue to teach biology. Mr. Kale Zelden, humanities teacher, will replace Mr. Sahms as academic dean. Before welcoming the Class of 2009 to the ranks of Portsmouth alumni, Dr. DeVecchi acknowledged the families among this year’s graduating class who have made a special commitment to send their children to Portsmouth Abbey– the Graltons (Genevieve ’09, Caroline ’07, Lexi ’05 and Maggie ’04) and the Beletskys (Jeb ’09, Stacey ’07 and Nicole ’06). He also recognized legacy families, in particular the Flanigan family with three generations of graduates: Dan ’09, father Tim ’75, and grandfather Peter ’41. Board Chair Mac Regan used the blockbuster film “Saving Private Ryan” as the basis for his comments to the graduating class, challenging them to “earn it.” He shared the story of his Third Form football team 45 years ago and recalled the mantra of coach and longtime Abbey teacher Bill Crimmins: “fight the pressure.” “Bill’s oft-repeated expression had meaning both on and off the field; he was teaching us a life-lesson along the way,” said Regan. He encouraged the graduates, “Fight the pressure and take on tough challenges; the toughest challenges hold the greatest rewards.” Regan finished by telling the Class of 2009 they will be evaluated again and again by the outside world on “…degrees received, games won, promotions received, positions attained, celebrity, and other secular markers. But those who matter continued on page 18

From left: Abbot Caedmon Holmes, O.S.B., Headmaster James DeVecchi, Ph.D., Speaker Raymond L. Flynn, and Chairman of the Board John M. Regan, III '68 P '07 summer BULLETIN 2009

Above, from left: Speaker Raylmond L. Flynn, Valedictorian Dan Flanigan ‘09 and Headmaster James DeVecchi, Ph.D.

291052.P01-31:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:17 PM

Page 18

Commencement 2009 continued from page 17

most – your family, friends, colleagues and loved ones – will evaluate you on better criteria: your trustworthiness, your empathy, the degree to which you act responsibly, your motivation to constantly improve and overcome difficulty, your ability to regulate your behavior, and your adeptness at relationships. At Portsmouth Abbey, you have been in an environment where you have implicitly developed these skills. These elements of emotional intelligence are the foundation that will help you succeed as a person who invests in and contributes to the success of others rather than to simple personal gain.” Former Ambassador Raymond Flynn shared two guiding principles with the graduating class: “Treat everyone with respect” and “With God, everything is possible.” Flynn talked about his humble Boston upbringing – his father was a dockworker, his mother a cleaning lady – and said he met Pope John Paul II (then an archbishop in Poland), who gave sage advice to Flynn, then running for Mayor: “Treat everyone with respect.” Flynn said that message stayed with him as he went on to become a three-term mayor of Boston and the U.S. Ambassador to Vatican, where he renewed his acquaintance with then-Pope John Paul II. They became close personal friends. Flynn shared that as a ball boy for the Boston Celtics in 1950, he had one goal in life: to play basketball for the Celtics. He practiced hours and hours each day (to the detriment of his studies, he allowed), and received a basketball scholarship to Providence College where he became an All-American. Flynn got a try-out with the Celtics, and thought he was actually going to achieve his goal…but he was called in to Red Auerbach’s office, Top: A Portsmouth-Providence College connection: Ben Lichtenfels ‘09 is joining brother Carl ‘08 (far right) at Providence College in the fall. Their father Roderick (second from left) and Commencement speaker Raymond L. Flynn are both PC graduates. Middle: Dom Edmund Adams, O.S.B. received congratulations on his retirement at the end of the 2008-09 academic year Bottom: A long-time Portsmouth Abbey family with generational ties to the School, the Vicinis gather to celebrate the graduation of Felipe, Jr. ‘09 (sixth from left. Felipé, Sr. is fourth from left.)

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

291052.P01-31:Layout 1

7/22/09

9:27 AM

Page 19

Commencement 2009 where Auerbach revealed, “You are going to be very successful one day, but that success won’t come as a Boston Celtic. You will find something else to do and you will be very good at it.” Flynn said, “I gave it my best shot, but I simply wasn’t good enough…so I went to church and prayed to God, who directed me toward a life of helping people who need a voice. You may not be able to achieve all your goals in life or succeed in ways you hoped, but stay close to God and He will help you. Your life can still be very successful and satisfying. ” Class Valedictorian Dan Flanigan got a laugh from the audience when he spoke of his arrival at School as a Third Former: “I thought I’d made a mistake when I realized I had to be in Latin class at 8:15 on that first Saturday morning.” Dan also quoted Pope John Paul II when he reminded his classmates of all they had all learned from their four years at Portsmouth: “‘Be not afraid.’ Have the courage to dare, to get out there and try things. You will succeed and you will fail – many times– but it will be how you deal with both of these that will define who you are.” He closed by stating, “Portsmouth Abbey has prepared us well. We have made friends for life that we can call upon whenever we need them…someone will always be there for you, to lend a helping hand. Cherish your friendships, and always have the courage to dare.”

Complete transcripts of all Commencement 2009 speeches, as well a full listing of Prize Day awards can be found on our Website at www.portsmouthabbey.org/page/3044

Top: Peter Flanigan ‘41 (left) and teacher J. Clifford Hobbins following commencement exercises Middle: Dom Ambrose Wolverton, O.S.B. (left) and Dom Christopher Davis, O.S.B. enjoy the commencement address Bottom: The Flanigan-Skakel clan (from left) Teresa Flanigan ‘06, Peter Skakel (with his thumbs up), Megan Skakel, Harry Skakel ‘11, Kate Skakel, Michael Flanigan, graduates Dan Flanigan and Susan Skakel, George Skakel, Thea Flanigan, Patrick Flanigan, Luba Dumenco Flanigan, Nicholas Flanigan, Tim Flanigan’75, Peter Flanigan ‘41, and Luba’s mom Pierrette Dumenco.

summer BULLETIN 2009

291052.P01-31:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:18 PM

Page 20

Commencement 2009

De s t i n at ion s

Arizona State University Auburn University Bishopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s University Babson College Boston College (3) Boston University (2) Brandeis University Brown University Bryant University Bucknell University Carnegie Mellon University Colorado College Drew University (2) Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Emmanuel College Fairfield University (2) Fordham University (2) Georgetown University Gettysburg College Hobart and William Smith Colleges Iowa State University Johns Hopkins University (2) Lewis & Clark College Loyola College in Maryland (2) McDaniel College McGill University Montana State University, Bozeman New York University North Bennet Street School Northeastern University (3) Northwestern University Princeton University Providence College (2) Quinnipiac University Reed College

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

291052.P01-31:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:18 PM

Page 21

Commencement 2009

Rhode Island College Rhodes College Rice University Roanoke College Rollins College Saint Anselm College (2) Saint Michael's College Sarah Lawrence College St. Lawrence University Stonehill College Texas Christian University The Catholic University of America The University of Tampa United States Merchant Marine Academy United States Military Academy (2) United States Naval Academy University of Chicago University of Colorado at Boulder (2) University of Connecticut University of Connecticut – Ratcliffe Hicks School of Agriculture University of Delaware Universityof Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2) University of Rhode Island University of St. Andrews (Scotland) University of Vermont University of Virginia University of Western Ontario University of Wisconsin, Madison (2) Vassar College Villanova University Wesleyan University Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Opposite page, top: Keith Hong ‘09 (second from left) celebrates his graduation with his family who traveled from Seoul, Korea for the event Opposite page, middle: Barry Beletsky and Denise Rioux with their children Stacy ‘07 (second from left), Nicole ‘06, and graduate John (Jeb)’09. Opposite page bottom: (from left): The Gralton family including graduates Caroline ‘07 (third from left), graduate Genevieve, and Maggie ‘04. This page, top: The Wooters family celebrates with graduate Kevin (center). Middle: Cliff, Mary Rose, graduate Adam, and Nancy Hobbins on Commencement Day. Left: Director of Medical Services Pam Gorman P ‘07 helps Sun Kyoung Choi with his boutonierre.

summer BULLETIN 2009

291052.P01-31:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:18 PM

Page 22

Commencement 2009

Prize Day 2009

Top left: Elected to membership in the Cum Laude Socety were (from left) Geneva White, Kerry Klemmer, Jungwon Kim, Seung Yoon (Steve) Yang, Soo Ho Ahn, Sun Young (Janet) Lee, Ji Hyun (Jina) Kim and Fifth Form student Rosaria Munda. Top Right: The Athletic Association: Sarah Taddei’09, Ally Boglioli ‘09, and Devin Laviano‘09 (Ryan Andrews ‘09 not shown.) Middle left: Director of Performing Arts Jay Bragan accepts the Dom Peter Sidler Teaching Award from Headmaster DeVecchi Middle right: Kwasi Amoako-Ayim ‘09 and his family celebrate at graduation Left: Horace Allen ‘09 was the recipient of the Headmaster’s Award Right: The Sisters of Charity of Our Lady, Mother of the Church attended to support Mary-Frances Holte For the complete list of Prize Day recipients, please visit http://www.portsmouthabbey.org/page/37/2975/

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

291052.P01-31:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:18 PM

Page 23

BOOK REVIEW BY J. CLIFFORD HOBBINS

John Paul II: A Personal Portrait of the Pope and The Man by Ray Flynn. St. Martin’s Press, New York, 2001 John Paul II: A Personal Portrait of the Pope and The Man, by Ray Flynn, has much to recommend it. Certainly, in the case of the life of John Paul II, this is so. There was never a need for anyone to exhort John Paul not to go wobbly. So many owe so much to this pope. Such a great deal has been written about his times and his works that one is left to wonder what more could be written, what more could be learned. Ambassador Ray Flynn provides a good answer to that observation. His book is a lively, well-written, and fascinating insight into the personality of John Paul as it was experienced over a thirty- year period by Ambassador Flynn. This reviewer certainly learned more than a few new aspects about this pope as he followed Ambassador Flynn’s brisk narrative from St. Adalbert’s parish in Boston’s “Southie” to the final wave of recognition as Pope John Paul left a Jubilee celebration at St. Peter’s in the year 2000. Although this book’s primary focus is on the personality of the pope, there are delightful and interesting insights strewn throughout concerning the politics of Boston, the United States, and the Vatican. The hopes and trials of individual human beings, from all walks of life, add a poignancy and depth to every page. Ambassador Flynn’s central thesis is that John Paul II was the people’s pope. The ambassador’s book proves that thesis. John Paul loved people, and he went out of his way to engage them. He was never perfunctory with individuals, especially with those in personal distress. The kindness and compassion that he demonstrated touched the author and his family in a number of ways. Ambassador Flynn is deeply appreciative of the pope’s attention. And the reader will be appreciative also. These moments of personal concern are, to this reviewer’s mind, among the best parts of the book, and shed considerable light on the power and passion of John Paul. Whether he was communicating with millions in Poland, or hundreds of thousands in Denver, or with Mrs. Bilokas on the steps of St. Peter’s, his care and concern were palpable. summer BULLETIN 2009

In 1993 Raymond Flynn became part of the Clinton administration as the American ambassador to the Vatican. Leaving his post as mayor of Boston, he spent the next four years in Rome. This was an enlightening tour of duty for the ambassador. It had its moments of tension, because the Clinton administration and the Vatican did not see eye to eye on a number of crucial policies. Ambassador Flynn demonstrated considerable courage when he opposed the American position which was to be taken at the 1994 Cairo conference on population and development. The pope would have none of the attempts of America and others to use this conference to promote abortion and birth control. Ambassador Flynn agreed with the pope. He fought strenuously in Washington, even to the point of waiting in the White House for forty-eight hours before he could see the president. It was some tightrope that Ambassador Flynn was walking, but being a successful Boston public servant, he managed with aplomb! One of the most interesting incidents in the book was a candid insight into the politics of the Vatican. Ambassador Flynn had Giuseppi Cardinal Caprio to lunch at the American Embassy. Over cappuccino he asked the Cardinal how a person went about becoming pope. The retired Cardinal gave a very detailed and eye- opening answer, which he summed up by observing, “Well, in a conclave, the Holy Spirit helps those who help themselves.” Ray Flynn was an excellent American ambassador to the Vatican, and he has written an excellent book concerning the people’s pope. If one is interested in Pope John II, this would be a fine introduction before going on to the works of Paul Johnson and George Weigel. If the reader doesn’t wish to go further he may finish this book with confidence that he has learned a great deal about a great man. Thank you Ambassador Flynn. – J. Clifford Hobbins

291052.P01-31:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:18 PM

Page 24

Inaugural Portsmouth Institute Conference and Sacred Concert Draw Enthusiastic Crowds

Top row from left: James MacGuire ‘70, director of Portsmouth Institute; Dom Damian Kearney ‘45 with Dr. John Hand, oblate; Dr. Mary Beth Klee P’04 with her husband Dr. Javier Valenzuela, and Professor Iris Goodwin of the University of Tennessee College of Law. Second row, left: Reverend George Rutler, pastor of Our Saviour Church in New York City; Second row, right: Joseph Bottum, editor of First Things magazine. Third row, left: from left, Joe Schellings of Wentworth Institute of Technology with Dom Christopher Davis ‘48 and his brother Charlie Davis ‘51, a retired U.S. intelligence analyst. Third row, right: Jack Burke P ‘87, ‘90, ‘92, ‘93, ‘97 poses a question to Maggie Gallagher Bottom, right: Abbot Caedmon Holmes and friends enjoy the gala reception following the Sacred Concert

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

291052.P01-31:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:18 PM

Page 25

The inaugural Portsmouth Institute conference on The Catholic William F. Buckley Jr. drew a crowd of some 125 attendees during the June 18-21 proceedings. Speakers including Rev. George Rutler, Maggie Gallagher, Joseph Bottum, Roger Kimball, E.J. Dionne ’69, Kathryn Lopez, Lee Edwards, Neal Freeman, Dom Damian Kearney ’45, Jamie MacGuire ’70 and Clark Judge edified and delighted the audience. Mary Beth Klee, Peter Flanigan ’41, the Hon. James L. Buckley (father of Peter ’72, Jay ’73, and Bill ’76) and Jay Buckley ’73 were among the introducers. Portsmouth faculty such as Cliff Hobbins, Kale and Dimi Zelden, Dan Hodes, Dom Paschal Scotti and Abbot Caedmon Holmes helped moderate the discussion following the addresses. In addition to the formal presentations there were musical performances every evening and a magnificent sacred concert of Faure’s Requiem, held on Saturday evening, to celebrate the Church restoration. Beautifully conducted by Music Director Troy Quinn, the per-

summer BULLETIN 2009

formance of this masterpiece left many in the audience of 300 emotionally moved. The conference featured delicious dinners each evening and a gala reception following the Sacred Concert. There was also higher-thananticipated attendance at Vespers, daily Mass and the improvised Rosary led by Fr. Rutler on Thursday evening. Conference attendees also enjoyed golf at Carnegie Abbey and sailing on 12-meter yachts. “Seldom are one’s expectations in life fully met,” commented Portsmouth Institute director Jamie MacGuire, “But in this case they were exceeded. It was a marvelous weekend in every respect, and we look forward to discussing how to make future events even better.” Papers presented at the conference and photos of it can be found at www.portsmouthinstitute.org. – James MacGuire’70

291052.P01-31:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:18 PM

Page 26

Top row, from left: Peter Flanigan ‘41 introducing Joseph Bottum; Rev. John Nielson in discussion with Jane Freeman following the address by Kathryn Lopez; Clark S. Judge, managing director of the White House Writer’s Group and former speechwriter for President Ronald Reagan, gave the final address of the closing session Second row, left; Dom Ambrose Wolverton turns the pages for classical pianist Lawrence Perelman on Thursday evening Second row, right: Jack and DeDe Burke with Headmaster Jim DeVecchi at the Thursday evening opening reception. Third row: From left, Mary and Howard Newman of Newmans, Ltd., who restored the Lippold sculpture in the church with Vinnie ‘62 and Linda Buonanno, whose leadership and generosity resulted in the restoration of the Lippold sculpture Below, left: The Buckley family (from left) Jay ‘73, Jimmy ‘08, Anna ‘07, Sean ‘12 and Sheila Below, right: Speaker Lee Edwards, Ph.D., distinguished fellow in conservative thought at the Heritage Foundation with Rev. John Neilson

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

291052.P01-31:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:19 PM

Page 27

Above, left: Headmaster James DeVecchi thanks sponsors and friends of the restoration of the Church of St. Gregory the Great Above, center: J. C. Cummings ‘83 with student volunteers Tim McGuirk ‘11 (left) and Chris Waterman ‘11 Above right: Maggie Gallagher, author and nationally syndicated columnist, discusses Wm. F. Buckley and the Family Second row: From left, the Honarable James L. Buckley with his son Jay ‘73, Michael Scanlan ‘82 and his parents Joseph ‘46 and Robin Scanlan, former faculty Third row, left: Dom Matthew Stark poses a thought-provoking question during one of the presentations in the library Third row, right: From left, Headmaster James DeVecchi with Quent Dickmann ‘10, Speaker Dr. E. J. Dionne ‘69, senior fellow in governance studies at The Brookings Institute, and head girl-elect Kathleen Timmons ‘10 Below, left: Conference guests gather for a 12-meter sail on Narragansett Bay as part of the Saturday afternoon activities Below, right: Denis McCusker, John Koykka, and Bruce Sandison enjoy a breezy afternoon aboard a 12-meter racing yacht.

summer BULLETIN 2009

291052.P01-31:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:19 PM

Page 28

An Extraordinary Life – Michael Valentine Bartlett ‘72 By Outerbridge Horsey ‘71

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WASHINGTON POST

(The untimely death of Michael Bartlett ‘72 after a diagnosis of cancer last year provoked an outpouring of grief and fond reminiscences from schoolmates such as Rickey Bevington ‘71, Hilary Billings ‘71, Roger Congdon ‘72, Larry Doyle ‘71, Tom McGarry ‘72, and Robert Newcombe ‘72. Here, Outerbridge Horsey ‘71 recalls his close friend, and we provide a selection of images from Bartlett’s Encyclopedia of Garden Ornament, which Michael and Rose Bartlett were completing work on at the time of his death.)

Michael V. Bartlett ’72 loved the word “extraordinary” and used it often – no doubt because, besides describing his own personality, it captured the essence of his outlook on life. A fifth-generation landscape gardener, Michael found his passion early in life and indeed nurtured its early development while a student at Portsmouth Abbey School with various projects, usually under the watchful eye of Dom Hilary Martin. Although Michael came to Portsmouth reluctantly, he embraced it all (except perhaps Latin, which Dom Julian tried valiantly to teach him). He left as the 1972 Class Valedictorian, full of admiration and affection for the Monastic community, the surrounding landscape and especially his friends, many of whom he stayed in touch with until his untimely death on July 8, 2008.

Michael’s warmth, humor, imagination and boundless energy made his friendship an extraordinary gift to anyone whose path he crossed. I was lucky to be his friend for 40 years, first in Washington, D.C., then at Portsmouth (a year apart), then reunited again at the University of Pennsylvania (where he met his darling wife, Rosemarie Love) and finally back in Washington again as lifelong friends and occasional professional colleagues. Up until the very end, Michael was optimistic, enthusiastic and loving to his family, son Charlie and wife Rose, his parents, sister and brothers, and his friends. The sparkle in his eye was always there. He would spend countless hours on a major work – Bartlett’s Encyclopedia of Garden Ornament, on which he and Rose and collaborated for several years and which will be published in 2011. Michael loved his work but, above all, he loved his friends and was ready to offer any assistance a situation demanded. He led an extraordinary life, cut short by the call to design God’s garden. He was an extraordinary friend.

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

291052.P01-31:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:19 PM

Page 29

The photographs of Michaelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work in this article were taken by him and were among his favorites of a collection of 30 or so of his images that were exhibited at Govinda Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Kokedera (Moss Temple), Saihogi, Kyoto, Japan

summer BULLETIN 2009

291052.P01-31:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:19 PM

Page 30

Arbor, Cawdor Castle, Nairn, Scotland Excerpts From Michael Bartlett’s 1972 Valedictorian Address:

ing enough without adding more complexities. I am grate-

“Mark Twain said, ‘It takes three weeks to prepare a good

could mature and develop enough strength and confi-

speech.’ Next time I’ll have to give that some thought. But

dence….

ful that I was offered a shelter from the world in which I

anyway, it is, after four years, enjoyable to speak without fear of interruption from my classmates.

“Our vision has been rattled because we are young and our perceptions have been distorted by a tragic, mistaken

“In February I left the School with the hopes of undertak-

adventure in Indochina, by the absences of leaders who

ing a new way of life. After three years at Portsmouth I had

make us see the world more clearly, and by the uncertain-

begun to feel that I had experienced everything that was to

ties which come with rapid change. We have been called

be offered. My main complaint was that the community

on to puzzle out our own philosophy in a climate of clam-

was too small a mixing bowl and that after all those years,

or and disagreement….

the members had become so well mixed, they shared the same opinions and outlook on life. In Washington I

“As we cast about for a role or style of life, we might do

explored the freedoms that all Portsmouth students claim

well to take a look at the Japanese who seem to be making

would make their lives more enjoyable. But after three

more out of life than anyone else. They have evolved a

months of exploration, I can say that I am thankful for the

philosophical wisdom which they call Shibui. It is an effort

time spent at Portsmouth– for a young adult’s life is confus-

to find in life the special kind of beauty which comes from

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

291052.P01-31:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:19 PM

Page 31

The following poem was read at Michael’s

Michael Bartlett, from the 1972 Gregorian

memorial service in September of 2008:

MICHAEL BARTLETT

a balance, a discipline and a rigorous elimination of non-essentials. Shibui has color but not too much color. It has grace but not an

elaborate

grace.

Shibui can have value to us because we like a sense of style.

We dislike the non-essentials and we want the

mechanic of life to be as simple and honest as possible. We can use the philosophy of Shibui, which is really the search for a balanced, disciplined beauty. “I am not trying to convince you all to become painters but simply to become the artists of your lives. For one’s life can be beautiful only if one makes the fullest use of his powers. As Zandy Chewing said, ‘Life is a miracle, for those who are aware of it.’” – Michael Valentine Bartlett ‘72

Michael is like a star in the night - gone away, far. His smile is bright, envy of us all - it doesn’t seem right, now he’s behind the wall, for happiness like that to stall and fizzle out where it once sat gleaming, purring like a cat, lion-hearted, laughing to the sky, thinking it could never die and why should it be wrong? Does a star belong to ashes or to dust? Don’t say it must, because it can’t. I must protest, though science rant the opposite, we rest our case, for immortality of the best. – Dom Julian Stead

Great Basin, Villa Marlia, Lucca, Italy

291052.P32-64:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:04 PM

Page 32

The Inspiration for Saint Gregory’s Alms by Dr. Blake Billings ‘77 My hopes to create a group like Saint Gregory’s Alms can most directly be attributed to my visit to Lourdes. This experience was revelatory in many ways, the most significant of which I am only beginning to articulate. But the expression that first comes to mind to capture its impact on me was the seamless integration of the two principle commandments, to love God and to love neighbor. And that is the mission of Saint Gregory’s Alms, through service to our immediate neighbors. I remember first taking on the job as director of Christian Community Service. Then headmaster Abbot Mark Serna made clear to me that the department was purposefully entitled one of Christian community service – its mission was born of the School’s own religious faith and mission. There was a conscious thought to avoid a secular humanitarianism which would reduce good works to their merely “horizontal” dimension. While I did not dispute this, I was, frankly, not so worked up about the perceived problem. The “objective” goodness of a good deed, I assumed, is not so bad after all. We were, in any case, trying to get our students out into the community to help those in need. I was not, and am not, in the habit of making a sermon before or after every bus trip out to the Boys & Girls Club, and the prayers I offer are generally silent. Yet I was aware of the School’s mission, and I am a willing and grateful product of its Christian indoctrination. So I have remained attentive to situating the service programs solidly within our Christian mission, in the choices of agency partnerships, the expectations of student behavior, and the student orientations to the program. But I have left it up to our liturgical life, our Christian Doctrine courses, and our community life to supply the doctrinal framework of faith to ensure that our programs in community service are grounded in Christianity. There was also the risk of alienating those students who might feel co-opted into “carrying a cross” against their will, our Simons of Cyrene. There are also those who might want to just help people, without wanting to be conscripted into the Christian army. And there are those of non-Christian background. Several of our Jewish students, for example, have worked for the Touro Synagogue – somehow under the rubric of Christian Community Service! So, while accepting the program’s mission as a subset of that of the School, a “big tent” vision of the community service program seemed wise. And this theory, it seems to me, has worked fairly well for the general program. A substantial number of students, some terms as many as one in ten, have joined the internship program, offering their afternoons to the community. The requirement has engaged every Fourth Former in ten hours of service work. Special

events and programs, like Clothe-a-Child, the Appalachia Service Project, or the Walk for Cancer, have afforded opportunities to become active. The health of the program has seemed quite robust, and its awareness of its link to the Christian faith has remained clear and present. But my experience at Lourdes directed me to a lacuna, perhaps more in my own life than in our School’s program. It directed me to a need, in my own life of faith, perhaps, rather than in the life of the School. Or perhaps I should say, rather than a lacuna or a need, Lourdes directed me to a profound joy, and I saw that it should be spoken of and shared. It was that simple experience of faith and service, of loving God and loving neighbor, of prayer and work. It was the simple encounter with the creative force that speaks us into existence and sustains us – love, manifested in our human lives. I saw a need for a student group explicitly grounded in faith, a group that would pray together – a group that not only chose to commit itself to service to others, but that also found itself inspired to do so, found its work to be the active expression of its relationship with the God who is love. Such a group could transparently pray together, without concern of alienating some or excluding others. Such a group would be of voluntary participation, by those – whether student, faculty, or friend – who indeed “believe that a life of faith should be linked to a life of service to the poor and those in need,” as the Alms website declares. Serving as the faculty advisor of such a group would be for me an explicit declaration of faith. Our programs are all fine and good, but this is not about a program - this is personal. It is not about professional obligation, it is about vocation. I wanted to help create an opportunity for students (and others) of faith, a perhaps nascent faith, perhaps unsure – or perhaps quite much more solid and genuine than my own – to gather for prayer and to commit themselves to make their faith real, tangible, alive. I have gained an insight from that pilgrimage – which is not to say I figured something out. Rather, I have witnessed something – yes, that’s it. I have witnessed something, and now would like to bear witness to it in turn. It is the cooperation, the integration, of faith and work. It is the simple truism that God loves me, brought home with an unnerving and subtle, gentle clarity at Lourdes. And, through grace, the shocking belief that I, too, am capable of that kind of love. In this active faith can be found the grace of God, which surpasses not only all understanding, but all preconception, all limitation, all institutionalization. For those who have struggled to identify with

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

291052.P32-64:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:04 PM

Page 33

S T. G R E G O RY ’ S A L M S

Portsmouth Abbey’s Community Service group, 2009

Benedictine motto of “ora et labora” (“pray and work”), strives to take the monastic “work” out into the community. Its mission is an apostolic effort of Christian service to those most in need in our area. Saint Gregory’s Alms joins in prayer, reflection, and a variety of types of work, to help meet the needs of the community.

the institutional manifestations or calcifications of the Church, as have I, witnessing it manifested in such a loving way is a powerful tonic. I was able to see the faith of the Church and its charitable duty, in Lourdes, as flip sides of the very same coin. And this synergy has been therapeutic, like the waters of the spring at Massabielle. I would like for our students to have access to that same spring. And why Saint Gregory? Once I felt compelled to try to organize such a group, I considered several options for its patronage. Most noticeably I considered Our Lady herself, given her impact on me at Lourdes. I also pondered Saint Vincent de Paul, as our School’s food collections go to that group and assist in its service to our local needy. But I sought a patron closer to home, one who seemed to be inspired by that call to the service of the poor, yet also was drawn to the contemplative life of Benedict. My search soon landed upon Saint Gregory the Great, the School’s own patron – hidden in plain sight, as it were. Saint Gregory was known not only for the preservation and promotion of Christian culture, but also for his direct service to those most in need. Not only is his name associated with his influential role in the political world of Rome: several legends also speak of his passionate and sanctifying commitment to the poor. I felt that I had perhaps arrived at Saint Gregory’s own inspiration: to instill in our students a love of the culture of Christianity, but only where this love is grounded in a yet deeper one: a love of God, and a love of neighbor. I tried to express this in writing: Saint Gregory’s Alms at Portsmouth Abbey, inspired by St. Gregory the Great’s efforts to serve the poor, is a School group dedicated to prayerful reflection and service to those in need. Membership is not exclusively restricted to students: faculty, staff and friends are welcome to participate. The group, guided by the

summer BULLETIN 2009

All of this being said, I still did not know if anyone would join such a group, or if I was perhaps just still riding a self-serving spiritual high from my pilgrimage, incapable of a realistic awareness of what truly motivates this world here below. And our members do still struggle against the time demands facing them and the myriad of other options that present themselves. Our initial few gatherings, attended by about fifteen students and faculty, began and ended with prayers, and produced a concrete “to do” list. Our first and most fundamental action has been to take on the School’s Sunday food collections, expanding them through dorm efforts. Members also spoke with the extended community gathered at Sunday Masses about these collections for those in need, which is truly a most radically Christian, and eucharistic, form of service. If nothing else, I have sometimes reflected, this service alone would provide sufficient reason for this group to continue. But we have done more. Alms members have since joined the Monastery for vespers; helped to organize the Lenten Fast which produced $750 for the local St. Vincent de Paul society; organized a series of coffeehouses which have raised funds for other local agencies – “Keep the Heat On” for local home heating needs, and The Healing Co-op for women with cancer and their families. For Palm Sunday, we created and performed a “living stations of the cross” to enhance the experience of that devotion for an inner-city Providence parish. Some have attended daily Mass on a weekly basis. The active definition of the group is still forming, and we must find the right amount to demand or expect, both in terms of prayer and in terms of action. I am grateful for this new venture, encouraged by the faith of those who have stepped forward to participate. It is my hope that the beginning we have witnessed in this group, formed only in the second half of the 2008-9 School year, will blossom in the fall, so that Saint Gregory’s Alms, or similar efforts inspired by the tenets that ground it, will provide our community with yet further means to share in the two principle commandments of which I wrote at the outset of this article, taught by our Lord to be the path to eternal life.

291052.P32-64:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:04 PM

Page 34

OFFICE OF ADMISSIONS THIS

YEAR

EIGHT

P O RT S M O U T H

ABBE Y

will arrive on campus on September 12th for the “Opening Day” of the 2009-10 academic year. The Admissions Office thoroughly enjoyed working with these families as they returned to campus with their son or daughter to tour the facilities, meet our faculty (some who taught the father of the applicant) and speak about their fond memories of being an Abbey student. The School is thrilled that the Portsmouth tradition will continue from one generation to the next, while affording its alumni a great sense of pride and excitement. The following are words from one of those proud parents: ALUMNI

The Abbey Tradition Continues by Tim Cunningham, Class of 1974 In the summer session of 1969 my entrance to the “Priory” began even before my Second Form; from the Apollo moon landing to Woodstock to the amazing Mets, it was a time of limitless optimism. I battled Pete Gilloon for each day’s basketball bragging rights, and I learned that sailing would never be my vocation; I was rescued in a dinghy, adrift near Fall River. The rigorous study that summer was my introduction to Benedictine scholarship. Portsmouth Abbey School is a setting with the most beautiful terrain in America, but it is, was and remains the resident characters who distinguish it. I had an astounding roster of classmates and teachers. My instructors included heavyweights: Doms Andrew, Damian, Leo and Luke; Bill Haney, Norman Marcoux.... These men found a way to impart wisdom to those fortunate enough to be in their courses. I played football and ran track for legends, Phil Coen and Jim Garman, respectively (I sound like Forrest Gump.) Fast forward years, during an alumni weekend, my wife, Kathy, and I sat in on classes. The atmosphere in Fred Zilian’s Ancient History course was more casual than in my day, but the interactions sparkled with a familiar energy. Dan McDonough’s Calculus class was filled with bright, confident teenagers. The balance of young men and women has brightened the School. That intellectual magic was still evident. Now the Abbey’s faculty has both talented men and women like Janice Brady, Nancy Brzys, Derek Gittus and Robert Sahms to name a few. My fond memories and the continued connection with the School convinced me that Portsmouth was the place for my children. It was a reassuring group of fellow parents that persuaded Kathy that the Abbey had the right stuff. This circle of mothers and fathers has since become our friends, who we’ve trusted with our children and with whom we’ve shared unforgettable moments from Parents’ Weekend to pre-Prom photos.

The Cunningham family at Steve’s graduation in May: (from left) Theresa’08, Emily ‘11, Kathy, Steve ‘09, Tim ‘74, and Timothy

Kathy and I are the parents of four. In what seemed like the blink of an eye, we went through the application process (“Closer Look” is awesome!) to move-in day for my daughter, Theresa, and my son, Steve, and next Emily. Before we could plant a proper goodbye kiss, each of them was whisked away to join the troops at the new student orientation. My younger daughter, Emily, could not wait to go to the Abbey. In many ways, her enthusiasm has brought me full circle. She loved to hear her older siblings chat about the School. Emily became a lacrosse fan, cheering on Theresa, and a football fan, hooting for Steve just as I did for my older brother. Now Emily’s involvement with the new dance program has deepened my appreciation for what is happening beyond academics and athletics at Portsmouth. The arts are thriving as well. Abbey students still have to grapple with challenging academics and prioritizing their activities. This is part of the culture that instills strong discipline. At times we’ve had to address events that force teenagers to mature, from a distance. The cell phone does a lot to bridge the geography. It also gives the Abbey faculty instant access to parents. During my tenure, days could pass before my parents heard about my deeds. With three children boarding, I’ve learned to cherish my time with them and they have grown more tolerant of me. We have a tradition of gathering at the Red Parrot restaurant. Steve’s five three-pointers in a game, Theresa’s cover story for The Beacon and now Emily’s dance recitals, and, of course, the college acceptance letters have been great excuses to celebrate. Now we embark on the last Abbey application process for our son, Timothy. I cannot believe this time has come, but as I remember debating the merits of Jack London’s The Sea-Wolf, playing in my first Abbey football contest and the days in St. Benet’s, I now know the School community flourishes and the refreshing optimism continues. The Abbey continues to teach this old dog new lessons.

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

291052.P32-64:Layout 1

7/22/09

9:30 AM

Page 35

MARY MCDONALD ON COLLEGE COUNSELING

I went into full-time college counseling in 1990, and at the risk of resorting to cliché, things were different then. Very different. And a lot easier. Students generally applied to, at most, five or six colleges, and it wasn’t too hard to predict, with a pretty significant degree of accuracy as to which schools a student would get into (there is a cause and effect relationship here; because students had a good sense of where they would get in, they didn’t feel the need to apply to so many schools “just in case”). And because the world wasn’t yet flat, and there be monsters out there, students tended to apply to schools pretty near home; college counselors could be quite effective with a deep knowledge of regional schools– and who knew there were universities in Canada? And of course there were the “special” admits. These weren’t written down anywhere, but everyone in the profession knew about them, and since most “special” admits did well, or at least survived at the college, no harm was done. College counselors could often talk a school into taking a student who had not yet really proven him/herself, but who showed great potential; this was dubbed the “risk admit.” And there were the “courtesy” admits. A college counselor might have a particularly good relationship with several schools and could count on those schools to take a certain number of (relatively qualified) students each year just to keep the relationship strong. “Alumni admits” ensured that the offspring of a fairly active alumnus or alumna, one who stayed in touch and/or donated regularly (though not necessarily significantly), would be admitted unless that student was well below the academic profile the school was looking for. The “upward trend” admit was for students who significantly underachieved academically during Third Form and maybe even Fourth Form, but had a big jump in Fifth Form, continuing into Sixth Form. The “great kid” admit went to the student who was below a college’s academic profile but a really great kid, friend to all, helpful, cheerful, uplifting – you get the point. Schools were actively seeking diversity in their student bodies, and still are, but “diversity” has become a moving target that covers race/ethnicity, socio-economic status, gender, religion, sexual orientation, international status, family education background, and/or any combination of the above. True story: a mom once said to me that she thought their son would do very well in the admission process because he was a good student and the adopted, bi-racial, Jewish son of a lesbian couple – but did I think that he would be hurt in the process by the fact that both mothers had gone to

university? And, of course, there was the “athletic” admit and the “development” (significant donor) admit. Sadly, athletic and development are the only two that we see regularly now, and even they have changed in nature. To be a recruited athlete these days, a student needs to be attending camps and showcases, contacting coaches, and competing at a pretty high level. And for that extra boost from the development office, where six figures once spoke loudly, more and more now we are seeing development offices looking for, as Trace Adkins puts it, “a whole lot of zeros and commas.” Why has this all changed so much? In the late ‘80s and early 90s, a sea change was just forming. The number of students in the U.S.A. applying to college was growing, as was, in fact, the number of students. In addition, students in other countries began eyeing the U.S. tertiary system; and, with a strong global economy making tuition at U.S. institutions affordable, they began applying to schools here; the world was getting flatter. At about the same time, U.S. News and World Report began publishing their (dare I say infamous?) college rankings. By the late ‘90s, the tsunami of applications met the perfect storm of rankings-driven admission policies, and things fell apart. One would think that the cardinal rule of a market economy, supply and demand, would apply here, and that with the increasing number of applicants (demanders, so to speak), schools would just sit back and let the applicants fight over their “supply.” But as the U.S. News college-ranking edition, sometimes referred to as their “swimsuit” edition, became more and more popular, alumni, presidents, provosts, donors, and other constituencies began clamoring for their schools to move up in the rankings. The idea that a college or university can significantly alter its educational environment in one year is, of course, ludicrous, as is the idea that the quality of experience at any one school fluctuates at the same pace as, say, the fortunes of the football team. But reflected glory is a powerful motivator, and seeing one’s university move up in the rankings can strongly influence one’s decision to donate (which seems to me to be up-side-down: wouldn’t you rather donate to an institution that isn’t doing well, in hopes of positively impacting programs, than to one that is doing fine without your help, thank you … but I digress…). As it is difficult to make significant changes to components such as quality of faculty, studentfaculty ratio, or reputation, in just one year, colleges

BULLETIN 2009 summer 2009

291052.P32-64:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:04 PM

Page 36

COLLEGE COUNSELING

Groucho Marx’s theory of and universities focused on the indicators that are more easily manipulated: student selectivity, 15% of a school’s total score; alumni giving rate, 5%; and financial resources, 20% (score information from the U.S. News and World Report Website). Selectivity is both the easiest component to tinker with, and one that can strongly impact alumni giving, which in turn impacts financial resources. Enter marketing.

selectivity notwithstanding (“I

students applying increase significantly (logically, if there are significantly more students, don’t want to belong to any club then there are significantly more “A” students) that will accept me as a member”) have made a serious effort to upgrade facilities and programs to sufficiently challenge these there are plenty of institutions that students. So we see not only a mad race to families should consider in the build the most elaborate, spa-like fitness cencourse of the college search. ters, but also significant increases in the number of research opportunities, student/ professor collaboration, and internships open to undergraduate students. In addition to dormitories that the Four Seasons chain would feel At many schools, heads of admission offices – who used to answer proud to operate, we see smaller classes, more academic advising, to, and satisfy, presidents and boards, while retaining a great deal and innovative uses of technology. New York University, after a of autonomy, by consistently producing a class of strong students recent audit determined that they were admitting ever- stronger – must now answer to marketing directors and outside marketing students but not adequately meeting their academic needs, put companies who are demanding more and more "selectivity." significant money into attracting, supporting and retaining strong Selectivity refers to both the ratio of admitted students to applifaculty. Cedar Crest College, a small, little- known women’s college cants (the more students you deny, the more selective you are) and in Allentown, PA, offers a major in genetic engineering and affords the quality of the students, both applying and admitted. How to undergraduates regular access to its automated DNA sequencer have more applicants? Easy! Schools invite students to apply. (think how that would look on a medical school application!). Marketing “innovations” that we are seeing include unsolicited letFranklin and Marshall, long known for its science programs, now ters, emails, and even phone calls enticing students (whose names offers not only a very serious creative writing major, but also a writand information, including test scores, have been purchased from ing house, devoted to nurturing writing through visiting writers, testing agencies) to apply to schools they have never considered symposiums, an Emerging Writers Festival, and day-to-day opporand may never have heard of, dangling such incentives before tunities for students to gather and share their work. Rollins College them as waived application fees, promises to give a decision withsends a higher percent of students abroad every year than almost in a short span of time, “special” application categories (presidenany other US college or university. Smith College now offers an tial application, priority application, gold seal application) devised engineering major and Georgia Tech offers a major in International to give students the impression that the school is genuinely interAffairs. ested in them. And once the student is hooked, the real hard sell begins: phone calls, emails, instant messages. Blogs spring up, The point is that though there is a thin (or nowadays not-so-thin) branded merchandise arrives in the mail, Facebook accounts are layer of top (read, “famous”) schools almost impossible to get created; in short, anything to keep the student interested. And into, there are now, among the almost-2500 four-year-degree how to enroll better-qualified students? Offer them money, of granting institutions in the U.S.A., literally hundreds of schools course. Results have been astonishing, with, to cite just one examwith impressive facilities, amazing programs, rigorous academics, ple, a school on the west coast which went from admitting almost comprehensive student services, and myriad and wonderful 75% of their applicants less than ten years ago to admitting just extracurricular offerings. There has never been a time in U.S. hisunder 20% this year, a lower percent than Harvard admitted the tory that families have had so many outstanding schools from year I went into college counseling, and there are hundreds of which to choose. Yes, many of them aren’t so well known, and schools with similar statistics. I assure you there are not that many yes, some of them were not so impressive twenty or thirty years more students in the pipeline. ago. But, Groucho Marx’s theory of selectivity notwithstanding (“I don’t want to belong to any club that will accept me as a So... is there any good news in all of this? Actually, yes, and on sevmember”), there are plenty of institutions that families should eral fronts. First, the move away from “old boys’ network” gimconsider in the course of the college search. Forget the rankings mees has resulted in American colleges and universities becoming or selectivity and search for quality; they aren’t always the same less aristocracies and more meritocracies, less homogenous and thing. And while the process has gotten harder, and our jobs more culturally diverse. And second, admission officers do still more complex, in the end, and with a nod to “unintended convalue their relationships with particular schools and particular sequences,” we are seeing more and more schools that we feel counselors, and they do still value our recommendations about stuquite confident in recommending to our students. dents. But perhaps most important, and much to their credit, – Mary McDonald many schools which have seen both the numbers and quality of Director of College Counseling

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

291052.P32-64:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:04 PM

Page 37

R A R A R AV E N M a t h i e u S a n t o s ’0 3 a n d F r i e n d s S t i r U p t h e A l t e r n a t i v e M u s i c S c e n e

by Bowen Smith

and ambitions for your music with the expectations of a fickle public that has so much music (and other art and entertainment) to choose from?

We heard this coming, right? Didn’t the hipster philosopher in sideburns and shades rev up his ride and dare us to drag in his retro-edgy valedictory remarks in May of ‘03? Yes, the indie music phenomenon of Mathieu Santos‘03 and Ra Ra Riot only shocks us now in its nearly perfect predictability. The last time he played the Abbey, he communicated his intentions with electric clarity. I remember laughing in terror when I sat down at my drum kit and noticed that Matt had trucked in one of the old speaker towers from Woodstock for our officially “low-key” Sit Down Dinner gig. This bass guitarist got rock music banned from Stillman for a generation, but left us a little happier and a lot more hearing-impaired. He and his Syracuse University band mates have delivered the same double whammy to alternative music listeners, ecstatic live crowds and effusive critics across America and Europe. Their quirky mix of frantic energy, serious strings, reflective lyrics and vulnerable vocals has yielded coveted appearances on Conan O’Brien, Letterman, MTV and, the incurable puckster Santos will be thrilled to learn, on Madison Square Garden’s massive sound system during a recent Rangers playoff game. With the same confident eccentricity as that ambitious Abbey character those few springs ago, Ra Ra Riot has forced the ever-distracted pop music world to listen carefully. I caught up with Mathieu Santos via email at the end of his latest West Coast swing to find out what his seemingly inevitable trajectory looks and sounds like from the driver’s seat: With your band’s work ranked among the best albums and songs of 2008 by Rolling Stone and other critics, how do you balance your own standards

summer BULLETIN 2009

Mathieu Santos ‘03 (far right) with his band, Ra Ra Riot

Luckily for us, those public expectations haven’t really existed yet - at least not to a degree where we’ve been forced to compromise our own artistic ambitions. Up until this point, we’ve been preoccupied with our own expectations, and so have mostly focused on writing music that everyone in the band is proud of and excited about. I’m reminded of that old music industry adage: “You have a lifetime to write your first album, and a year to write your second.” It’s absolutely wonderful that our work has been generally well-received so far, but because of it, we might start to see some of those public expectations surface for the next album (which we’ve only just begun to write).

Recording an album in this digital age presents a band with issues that can challenge artistic philosophy and even the friendships within the group: organic, warts-and-all, live-room recording vs. painstakingly crafted, Pro-Tooled composition. How was The Rhumb Line made and how involved in the production process did you all get? We wanted The Rhumb Line to have a broad sonic, dynamic, and emotional spectrum, and so we made a conscious effort to use those different recording techniques in conjunction with one another. On some of the songs (namely St. Peter’s Day Festival, Winter ‘05, and Suspended In Gaffa), we wanted a warmer, performance-oriented feel, and so those were recorded mostly live, without a click-track, and with very few overdubs. Most of the other tracks would begin with live, metronome-accompanied drum and bass tracking, and then we’d get more meticulous with digital overdubbing later on.

291052.P32-64:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:05 PM

Page 38

R A R A R AV E N

Valedictorian Mathieu Santos in 2003

We all worked very closely with the producer (the wonderful Ryan Hadlock) during the production of the album, which was an incredibly rewarding experience. We actually lived in the studio, an old, refurbished barn in the woods about 20 miles north of Seattle, for the entire 22-day session!

Personally, and I think this goes for most of the band as well, I try to avoid eye contact with people in the crowd while we’re playing. For whatever reason, it usually makes me a little uncomfortable, and I feel like it somehow detracts from the overall event. (Wes, our singer, is extremely nearsighted and skirts this issue by taking off his glasses while we play.) After a show, however, I love meeting and talking with people - everything seems a little more normal and balanced then.

For those that haven’t heard your band yet, describe the Ra Ra Riot sound a bit. For instance, what instruments hold down the lowest end of the spectrum? Does your bass dance in the register above deeper kick and toms, or vice versa? Do the fiddle and cello free you up to try things that other bassists can’t, or do they create very particular responsibilities for your instrument? Does a male vocalist working in a fairly high range produce any knock-on considerations for guitar and, eventually, bass? The band’s sound is basically an honest amalgamation of the members’ individual and collective tastes, the most prominent of which are post-punk/new wave, classical and British pop. Arranging songs with the group is a difficult (though always rewarding) task, given the sheer number of instruments and the fact that our music is built predominantly from counter-melodies (as opposed to chords). Inevitably, there’s a lot of pushing and pulling that goes on - both spatially and melodically - and so we’re always listening to what everyone else is playing. My bass playing has very specific responsibilities that vary from song to song - sometimes, if there’s a lot going on, I have to lay back and simply hold down the roots; in other cases, when the violin and cello are fuller and lower, I get to play more high-register melodies (which I love!). Most of the Internet video of your shows suggests an extraordinarily kinetic, almost frenetic, stage dynamic: guitarists and singer bouncing in and out of the frame, the women sawing madly at their strings- a regular Fire Drill at the Philharmonic! How much of this represents the natural (perhaps, mildly pathological) personality of the group and how much have you allowed yourselves to choreograph or at least critique? Is deep, meaningful eye contact with the faces in the crowd or out in TV land possible in the chaos? We formed the band while in college for the sole purpose of playing rowdy, sweaty sets at crowded house parties, and so a large part of our live performance is directly indebted to that. There was a lot of physicality to our early shows - both amongst the band members and between the band and the crowd. Once we started playing more traditional music venues, we had to work a little harder to create an atmosphere in which the audience could feel similarly uninhibited, but our main focus has always been (perhaps a bit selfishly) for the band to have as much fun as possible. When that happens, our performance always becomes much more visceral, which in turn almost always engrosses the crowd.

Not all, but most groups that have enjoyed long successful careers in popular music have developed (or been forced to take on) an image or look, sometimes a different one with each album or tour. Behind-the-scenes books on The Clash, U2, The Stones, etc., document how much thought (crass or creative) has been devoted to this dimension of the game. Is Ra Ra Riot’s haphazardly casual affect an accident or design? You’re right - just about all of my favorite bands (you named two of them) have several distinct images associated with them, and a lot of our peers’ bands today have very calculated appearances as well. Our haphazard “look” is decidedly accidental - though, ironically, it has been the source of much discussion and deliberation! Fortunately, we haven’t had any official pressure placed on us to streamline our appearance in any way (though the odd fan will have a fair share of suggestions), since, also somewhat ironically, our complete lack of cohesion has come to be regarded as “our look.” We often joke about what our collective fashion sense will be by the “third album” - you know, the time when a band runs out of ideas and has to “get experimental.” My guess is that it’ll still be haphazardly casual. Perhaps my most vivid memory of traveling around the northeast playing several shows a week involves a never-ending Sisyphian loop of setting up, sound checking, breaking down and truck loading a big drum kit. I’m told there was playing in there too. Great for the arms, but not necessarily the soul! What aspects of the touring musician’s life have pleased, disappointed or surprised you the most? (And do you superstars have roadies yet?) Oh man, my romanticized vision of touring was so misinformed! We tour a lot (12 of the past 16 months, which equals about 2,000 hours in our Ford Econoline) and, as you know, it can get incredibly grueling, boring, and repetitive. Normally, we work a 12-hour day and only play for 45 minutes! However, I’m really lucky to be in a band with a bunch of people who love to take advantage of all the free traveling that our job entails. We used to keep six bicycles in our trailer, so whenever we got to a city ahead of schedule, we’d all hop on and go exploring. We don’t have room for the bikes anymore, but we still go out of our way whenever possible to visit places of local import, be they natural parks, historical landmarks, legendary record shops, great restaurants, etc. Nothing helps morale on the

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

291052.P32-64:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:05 PM

Page 39

R A R A R AV E N

road more than a band field trip! In the past couple of weeks, we’ve managed to fit in a visit to Graceland, and a boat ride and hike through the bayou in Louisiana.

meaningful experience (or, at its best, both). Among other things, its affordability makes it such an inherently accessible medium.

Ha ha, no, we don’t have roadies yet, but we do have a small crew on the road with us (consisting of our tour manager, our sound technician, and sometimes our manager, too). We’ve always said “we’ll never need a bus,” but there’s only so much time you can spend with 9 people in a van!

As for a Second Great Depression, I guess we’ll have to wait and see! Though we’re not making very much money, we’re very lucky to have had it relatively easy so far. Anyway, there’s always the blues.

Given your immersion in your own music, what direction has your listening (or reading about music) gone in? Are you drawn to groups with similar styles? Radically different ones? Old or new? Guilty pleasures? My six favorite bands of all-time are The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Devo, The Fall, The Police and U2, so I’m usually listening to one of them. I love each of these bands for a lot of different reasons (whether it’s because of their melodic or rhythmic sensibilities, sense of mood, attitude, sentimentality, etc.), but they all affect me on a visceral level and heavily influence the way I think and feel about music. I do listen to some new music as well. There’s a lot of exciting stuff going on in a lot of different (and sometimes altogether new) genres - bands like Abe Vigoda, Deerhoof, Discovery (our singer Wes’s side-project), Princeton, Vampire Weekend, and White Denim are all incredibly exciting and inspirational to me. And I guess if I had a guilty pleasure, it’d be Boston - though I’m really proud to say I love them, so I’m not sure that counts. Since we have so much time in the van (particularly over the past few months, during which we’ve been averaging about 6-8 hours a day!), I’ve been able to do a lot of reading, most of which has been about music. I’ve read Bob Spitz’s biography of The Beatles twice, and have also read some wonderful bios of Brian Wilson, John Lennon, Motown bassist James Jamerson, and The Clash. I think you’d be glad to know I’ve also been reading some great hockey books as well! My dad gave me Lloyd Percival’s The Hockey Handbook a few years ago, and I finally got around to reading it. It’s an unbelievable read - so meditative and spiritual! I’ve also been reading Ken Dryden’s The Game. Some of America’s finest popular music was made during the Great Depression of the ‘30s. Have your travels around the country and to Europe affected the way you see the human condition and the musician’s part in it? How do you think a Second Great Depression might affect your songwriting? Being in a touring band is such an insular, day-to-day experience, so it’s sometimes easy to lose one’s perspective on such important universal issues like that. I’ve noticed, however, that the public seems to view music (both live and recorded) as an indispensable and affordable luxury. With both the current recession and the advent of digital music piracy looming over us, attendance at our shows and sales of both our music and merchandise have been growing steadily over the past couple of years. I like to think that people can always enjoy music, whether it’s purely for entertainment and fun or a search for some sort of deeper, more

summer BULLETIN 2009

If you could sit down with the friendly, but fiercely independent, Mathieu Santos who just gave the funny, optimistic valedictory at his Abbey class’ graduation, what would you tell him about the opportunities and choices ahead? Well, I spent a lot of time at college (particularly art school) just sort of wandering around, not really knowing what I wanted to do or what I was supposed to be doing to figure it out. So I might warn myself about that. I’ve also discovered that I’m a much more disciplined musician than an artist (though I hope to one day be just as disciplined at both), so I could have saved myself a lot of frustration had I found that out earlier. All those sayings about being responsible for your own advancement and happiness have so far proven true. It’s as simple as taking something you love and seeking out people who augment that passion (though I probably wouldn’t have taken such a cliché very seriously). Also, I wish I had discovered flat wound bass strings much earlier. That could have been my graduation present to myself. Any chance meet ups with old Abbey folks on your travels? As a matter of fact, yes! We’re always running into Syracuse alumni all over the world (including Iceland!), so it’s nice to know there’s a substantial Abbey network out there as well. Maia Fedyszyn ‘03 and Andy Crawford ‘03 have been to several of our shows, and Brendan Rok ‘03 has probably seen us dozens of times. I’ve lately gotten to catch up with Adam Robertson ‘03(in London), Ali Ruhfel ‘03 (in San Francisco), and Chris Rompf ‘03 (in Manhattan), and, as you know, Elise Markell ‘04 was our tour manager for our fall tour last year. In regional terms, where can people go see and hear you in the year ahead? Aside from a 2-week tour of the west in July and some scattered festival dates, we’re taking it easy this summer and focusing mostly on writing the next album, splitting time between Wyoming and New Jersey. In the fall, we’re going to do a smaller American tour (about 3 weeks). If all goes to plan, our next album will come out in April 2010, and after that, we’ll be everywhere - North America, Europe, Japan, and Australia. So wherever you are, chances are we’ll be there sometime soon! Bowen Smith heads the History Dept., teaches drumming and never waxes nostalgic about a short, inglorious stint in the rock biz.

291052.P32-64:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:05 PM

Page 40

OFFICE OF DEVELOPMENT & ALUMNI AFFAIRS

HOUSING PLAN OFFERS FACULTY A PLACE TO CALL HOME... Where the land meets the shore of Narragansett Bay and the views sweep northward to provide a glimpse of Rhode Island’s capital city of Providence, there exists a bucolic parcel of land ready to provide a home - or, more accurately, multiple homes – for Portsmouth Abbey faculty. A primary goal of Portsmouth Abbey School’s current Strategic Plan is that “Portsmouth will recruit, nurture and retain excellent faculty, administration and staff who accept and engage the mission of the School.” In furtherance of this aim, the School’s Board of Regents has charged Portsmouth’s administrative team to: “...maximize the total number of faculty and administrators living on campus; upgrade existing faculty housing to maximize its value to the residential school; and upgrade the number of attached and detached faculty family housing units on campus.” With the construction of St. Brigid’s House and renovation of the Abbey Church of St. Gregory the Great now complete, the School is poised to pursue this next aspect of the campus’s physical development. Recognizing the need for not only more faculty housing but also a broader inventory of styles, the School has been seeking to pinpoint a location that will accommodate these dual realties. The proposed solution has identified an area to the northwest of the Manor House tennis courts and south of the Dom Bede athletic fields complex (see map). Headmaster Jim DeVecchi has frequently spoken of the importance of faculty housing as the School seeks to attract and retain talented lay faculty. The two fundamental principles governing School policy on faculty housing are: 1) Faculty presence on campus is essential to the quality of residential life for our students; and 2) Housing is an important part of the compensation package for faculty, and the quality of life of faculty and their families is a critical consideration in accomplishing the Mission of the School. These dwellings will be of significant benefit to the campus community and will be a major step forward as Portsmouth works to achieve its strategic objectives. The vision that has developed over years of planning has taken shape in partnership with Blu Homes of Waltham, Massachusetts. In keeping with Portsmouth Abbey’s concern for environmental stewardship, Blu is committed to creating healthy, efficient and ecologically friendly homes. Blu’s attention to sustainability, conveniences and affordability has resonated since the earliest discussions with the Portsmouth Abbey community. As currently conceived, the locale will accommodate a new faculty neighborhood com-

prised of five homes, including two single-family residences and three townhouses. The design calls for the single-family homes to be approximately 2,200-square-foot, three-bedroom/three-bath houses with open-floor plans featuring modern kitchens, high ceilings, hardwood floors, recessed lighting, and sliding glass doors to the exterior decking. The 1,700-square-foot townhouses are envisioned as two-bedroom, two-bath, two-story homes with the same finishings and amenities as the single-family homes. Both floor plans include an office as well as basement space. The Blu Homes approach will also seek to accommodate the best features of green construction. For Blu Homes, this means: “Reducing our ‘footprint’ on the planet through reducing waste in the building process, and cost-effective use of renewable materials, water-saving fixtures, and ‘smart’ home energy monitoring systems.” Among the anticipated environmental benefits for Portsmouth Abbey and its faculty are: * Pre-fab construction, minimizing site waste by more than 70%, and minimizing site disruption * Icynene insulation system – high-efficiency, low-VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) * High-efficiency, low-E windows (U.35) * Solar panels to provide domestic hot water * Low-VOC interior paints * Stranded renewable bamboo flooring * Eco-friendly countertops * ENERGY STAR-rated appliances * High-efficiency boilers * Low-flow toilets The School community is working to secure the necessary financial support to advance this project. Portsmouth’s operating protocol is to move forward once the requisite total number of commitments has been given and/or securely pledged for the plan. At that time the project will be put before the School’s Board of Regents for authorization to proceed. This exciting and necessary development will impact the lives of Portsmouth’s faculty in very personal ways. The opportunity to live a life of academic and spiritual balance and harmony on the shores of Narragansett Bay is the essence of what Portsmouth Abbey seeks for all members of the Monastic and School communities.

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

291052.P32-64:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:05 PM

summer BULLETIN 2009

Page 41

291052.P32-64:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:05 PM

Page 42

ALUMNI LEADERSHIP COUNCIL

Current Perspectives and Direction

Summer 2009

The Portsmouth Abbey Alumni Leadership Council was created two years ago (2007), with the initial goal of attracting and mobilizing a core group of Alumni leaders to further develop the Annual Fund and broaden Alumni development.

Why create the Alumni Leadership Council? In the summer of 2006, I was offered the role of Alumni Annual Fund Chair. As a longtime class agent and one who was “fairly” familiar with the development process, I accepted the opportunity. Quickly into my learning phase, I saw a troubling pattern emerging: the growing gap between the class agent population (at +100), and the Alumni Leadership/Alumni Development “bodies” to mobilize the essential raising of Annual Fund dollars. I knew that the job was not possible for one person and that I would need a broader alumni leadership group. I also wanted to pass on the Annual Fund leadership role to someone who would be “groomed” for the role; someone who was familiar with the work. In short, I saw that the alumni development effort was full of opportunities to create a more robust and well-organized alumni Annual Fund effort. Creating a pro-active environment that prepares alumni for achieving success in reaching annual fund goals is fundamental in establishing a new culture of performance and success. The Alumni Leadership Council became this group of dedicated alumni who are engaged and committed to helping create and execute a new and improved effort for the alumni Annual Fund effort.

Alumni Leadership Council forms and meets April, 2007

Alumni Leadership Council meets in April 2008

Essential to our Mission, our meeting was held on campus. Coming back to Portsmouth, seeing the campus and getting re-energized is critical to setting the stage for what we do as a group. We set upon the selection of the council by looking at all alumni who were active class agents and who consistently gave to the Annual Fund. To our surprise, a good number of agents had not given, some in sequential years, necessitating a review and potential re-assignment of volunteers. In collaboration with the Development Office, 25 alumni were identified and invited to attend our first meeting. Of the 25, 12 attended, some coming back to Portsmouth after a long absence from campus. The Development Office hosted us superbly, and the meeting was successful in creating the initial “spark.” Key outcomes of the meeting included:

This meeting saw a greater attendance and some very good engagement from a younger group of Alumni council members. Even greater emphasis was placed on creating a sustainable Alumni Leadership organization to address several non-financial issues. Alumni Development and re-engagement of Alumni became an important focus. Portsmouth had no existing formal alumni leadership body. Why not? Could a group of dedicated, motivated alumni help to re-engage other alumni and lead a new, sustainable effort? Yes, and we set out to look at organization structure, position names and functionality. Some of the action points from the meeting include:

New focus to drive alumni participation at any dollar

Discussion on “Keep, Start, Stop:” what is working and what is not, providing alumni perspective to the Development Office Getting alumni back to campus and re-engaged in Portsmouth Leadership structure for alumni, and planning for sustainable success Reunion Giving: troubling pattern and big opportunity

Re-name Class Agents to Alumni Class Leaders (emphasizing the leadership role beyond the $) Conduct an alumni survey to assess better our alumni audience perspective Appoint Alumni Decade Chairs, to assist the Alumni Annual Fund Chair to better manage/work with the Alumni Class Leaders within that decade Assess reunion weekend and alumni planning and engagement Assess the need and creation of other teams to better assist the goals of the school Come Back, Get Engaged, Give Back is the metric by which we should be measured. Success is possible.

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

291052.P32-64:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:05 PM

Page 43

Alumni Leadership Council 2009 With the volunteer leadership in place, the ALC has begun monthly conference calls to better manage, track, and act on monthly annual fund metrics. As of July 1, I am delighted to report that Tom Anderson ’73 will be assuming leadership of the Annual Fund for a three-year term. We also plan to name a Reunion Chair shortly who will be responsible for managing the Reunion Committee to continue the excellent progress we have made in improving and growing reunion weekends in recent years. The Alumni Leadership Council plans to meet as a group twice a year, once in the spring and again during Reunion Weekend. There are more than 3200 PAS Alumni. Although smaller than many of our peer group schools, we need to begin developing leadership and committee alumni teams to carry out the current and future goals of the School. Alumni could be more involved in both the creation and execution of alumni-directed activities, necessitating more buy-in and more engagement and through-put. A solid strategic plan, and a structure to support the plan, need to be created by the ALC and evaluated and vetted through the Board of Regents and the School leadership. Together we can achieve so much more. The time is now. Please contact Tom Anderson at tanderson@andercorp.com if you would like to participate in this exciting initiative.

– John Phelan ‘80

S H O P O N - L I N E AT O U R B O O K S T O R E W W W. P O R T S M O U T H A B B E Y. O R G

summer BULLETIN 2009

291052.P32-64:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:05 PM

Page 44

AT H L E T I C R E P O R T

B Y A L B R O W N , AT H L E T I C D I R E C T O R

RAVENS’ WINTER SEASON

LOUIS WALKER PHOTOGRAPHY

Basketball Teams have Great Seasons: The girls’ varsity basketball team finished with a 17-2 record overall and captured their second consecutive EIL championship. Leading the Ravens was Fifth Former Kathleen Timmons, who was selected to play in the East vs. West Prep School All-Star Game and nears the 1,000point scoring mark as she finished the ’08-09 season with 962 career points. Boys’ varsity basketball enjoyed a turnaround season, finishing with a 10-8 record from a 2-16 mark in 2007-08. Coach Clarence Chenoweth was selected as the EIL Boys’ Basketball Coach of the Year. The team will return its top eight scorers next winter. At right, Kathleen Timmons ‘10, captain-elect for 2009-10, takes the ball down the court against St. George’s.

WINTER SPORTS AWARDS Girls’ Squash-

Coaches Award: Olivia Simone ‘09 MIP: Tara Tischio ‘11 Captains-Elect: Sarah Savoie ‘10, Ana Lopez ‘10 Record Overall: 3-13 EIL: 0-7 EIL All-League: Olivia Simone New England Class C Champions New England Class C Sportsmanship Award Boy’s Squash-

Carlos Xavier Araujo ’96 Memorial Squash Award: Parker Barry ‘09 MIP: Ed Kielb ‘11 Captains-Elect: Kyle Brown ‘10, Paolo Soriano ‘10 Record: 7-6 Girls’ Ice Hockey-

The Andrew M. Hunt and Carol Meehan Hunt Boys’ and Girls’ Hockey Award: Kelly Coffin ‘09 MIP: Catherine Shanahan ‘11 Record Overall: 7-13-1 EIL: 5-4-0 Captains-Elect: Genna Kyrakides ‘10 (Captain), Catherine Shanahan ‘11 (Assistant Captain) EIL All-League: Kelly Coffin, Riley Grant ‘09, Genna Kyriakides EIL Honorable Mention: Casey Brown ‘12, Ali Boglioli ‘09 Boys’ Ice Hockey-

The Andrew M. Hunt and Carol Meehan Hunt Boys’ and Girls’ Hockey Award: Brendan Hammatt ‘09 MIP: Mike McLaughlin ‘11 Captains-Elect: Cam Hadfield ‘10, Bobby Savoie ‘10, Sheamus Standish ‘10 Record Overall: 2-16-1 Holt Conference: 1-8 Holt All-League: Brendan Hammatt

Girls’ Basketball-

The Pfeffer Cup: Kathleen Timmons ‘10 MIP: Abby Shea ‘11 Captains-Elect: Kathleen Timmons, Kaitlin Gladney ‘10 Record Overall: 17-2 EIL: 13-1 EIL All-League: Kathleen Timmons, Jasmin Amaral ‘11 EIL Honorable Mention: Brigid Behan ‘11, Kaitlin Gladney East vs. West Prep School All-Star Game: Kathleen Timmons EIL League Champions Boys’ Basketball-

Dom Bede Gorman Memorial Basketball Award: Chuck Weeden ‘10 MIP: Chido Onyike ‘10 Captains-Elect: Chido Onyike, Chuck Weeden Record Overall:10-8 EIL: 9-6 EIL All-League: Chuck Weeden, Liam O’Farrell ‘11 EIL Honorable Mention: Chido Onyike EIL Coach of the Year: Clarence Chenoweth Swimming-

Coach’s Award (Boys): Quent Dickmann ‘10 MIP: Jorge Bosch ‘09 Coach’s Award (Girls): Kat Sullivan ‘09 MIP: Claudia Vollmer ‘09 Captains-Elect: Cat Malkemus ‘10, Quent Dickmann, Nick Caron ‘10 Overall Co-ed Record: 4-7 (Girls 1-3, Boys 0-2) Boys: First Place, Providence Cup Girls: Third Place, EIL EIL All-League: Nikki Beede ‘11, 50 free; Jackie Wagner ‘12, 100 fly, 100 free

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

291052.P32-64:Layout 1

7/16/09

8:47 PM

Page 45

Sailors who represented the Abbey in the the National Fleet Racing Championships, from left, Bobby Savoie ‘10, Devin Laviano ‘09, Grace Medley ‘11, Meggi Johnstone ‘09, Lucas Adams ‘11 and Matt Franklin ‘09

RAVENS’ SPRING SEASON Sailing Earns Spot in National Fleet Racing Championship: The sailing team, under first-year coach Suzi Duncan, won the 2009 O’Day Trophy (New England Fleet Racing Championship) in Portland, Maine, besting 15 others teams. The win qualified them for the 2009 Mallory Trophy, the National Fleet Racing Championships, which were held in St. Petersburg, Florida. Sixth Formers Devin Laviano, Meggi Johnstone and Matt Franklin, Fifth Former Bobby Savoie, and Fourth Formers Lucas Adams and Grace Medley represented the Abbey and finished tenth in the nation in the 20-team competition. Sailing-

SPRING SPORTS AWARDS Girls’ lacrosse-

Girls’ Lacrosse Trophy: Merritt Bauer ‘09 MIP: Caroline Kelley ‘10 Captains-Elect: Kathleen Timmons ‘10, Grace Popham ‘10, Liz Cook ‘10 Team Record: 8-3-1 EIL: 6-3 EIL All-League: Ally Boglioli ‘09, Merritt Bauer, Kathleen Timmons EIL Honorable Mention: Josephine O’Reilly ‘09 East vs. West All-Star Game: Caitlin Villareal ‘12, Merritt Bauer, Kathleen Timmons Boys’ Lacrosse-

Boys’ Lacrosse Trophy: Shane McComiskey ‘09 MIP: Jean LeComte ‘10 Captains-Elect: Jean LeComte, Evan Sylvia ‘10, Cam Hadfield ‘10 Team Record: 12-4 EIL: 6-2 EIL All-League: Shane McComiskey, Parker Barry ‘09, Nick Albertson ‘11 EIL Honorable Mention: Ben Theriault ‘09, Evan Sylvia East vs. West Senior All-Star Game: Shane McComiskey, Parker Barry, Ryan Villareal ‘09 Baseball-

Coach’s Trophy: Ryan Andrews ‘09 MIP: Patrick Hannon ’10 Captains-Elect: Marc Nunes ’10, Chuck Weeden ‘09, Owen Rischmann ‘10 Team Record: 11-5 EIL: 6-2 EIL All-League: Ryan Andrews, Marc Nunes, Liam O’Farrell ‘11 EIL Honorable Mention: Dave Garvey ‘09, Owen Rischmann Girls’ Golf-

Coach’s Trophy: Kasey Geremia ‘09 MIP: Liz Chang ’11 Captains-Elect: Lauren Brodeur ‘10, Sarah Savoie ‘10, Nicole Bogaert-Morales ‘10 Team Record: 1-9 Nicole Bogaert-Morales placed first in the New England Girls’ Nine-Hole Championship

summer BULLETIN 2009

Robert Price Sailing Trophy: Ben Lichtenfels ‘09 MIP: Grace Medley ‘11 Captains-Elect: Bobby Savoie ‘10, Margaret Reynolds ‘10 Team Record: 8-6 NESSA Fleet Racing Champions ISSA Fleet Racing National Championship, St. Petersburg, FL,10th Place Softball-

Coach’s Trophy: Kelsey Shea ‘09 MIP: Gabby Fontes ‘12 Captains-Elect: Ana Lopez ‘10, Abby Shea ‘11 Team Record: 5-10 EIL: 5-5 EIL All-League: Abby Shea EIL Honorable Mention: Kelsey Shea Boys’ Tennis-

Coach’s Trophy: Martin Minondo ‘09 MIP: Ed Kielb ‘11 Captain-Elect: Paolo Soriano ‘10 Team Record: 5-5 EIL: 3-3 Girls’ Tennis-

Coach’s Trophy: Katherine Sgarro ‘11 MIP: Sara Stratoberdha ‘11 Captains-Elect: Kathryn Yao ‘10, Georgia Callahan ‘11 Team Record: 3-6 EIL: 2-4 Boys’ Track & Field-

Coach’s Trophy: Makonnen Jackman ‘10 MIP: Kwasi Ayim ‘09 Captains-Elect: Quent Dickmann ‘10, Makonnen Jackman, Ryan Silva ‘10 Team Record: 8-3 Odell Invitational Champions Girls’ track & field-

Coach’s Trophy: Sarah Taddei ‘09 MIP: Susan Skakel ‘09 Captains-Elect: Amelia Bradley ‘10, Salome Wilfred ‘10 Team Record: 10-2 Odell Invitational Champions 2nd place, New England Championship, Division III

291052.P32-64:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:06 PM

Page 46

AT H L E T I C R E P O R T

TRACK ALL-LEAGUE AWARDS

SIXTH FORM VARSITY AWARDS

(by winning the event at the Odell Invitational): Triple Jump: Ryan Silva ‘10 High Jump: Makonnen Jackman ‘10 Pole Vault: Steve Yang ‘09 110 Hurdles, 300 Hurdles: Phil Rozes ‘10 200 Meters: Joe Mitchell ‘09 Discus: Amelia Bradley ‘10 Long Jump, 100 Hurdles, 300 Hurdles: Sarah Taddei ‘09 1,500 Meters, 3,000 Meters: Olivia Fay ‘10 400 Meters: Jasmin Amaral ‘11 400 Relay: Jasmin Amaral, Emily Kaufman ‘12, Kaitlin Patton ‘11, Salome Wilfred ‘10 1,600 Relay: Jasmin Amaral, Susan Skakel ‘09, Sarah Taddei, Salome Wilfred

Awarded to the Sixth Formers who, during their Sixth Form year, earned a varsity letter in each of the three seasons.

LOUIS WALKER PHOTOGRAPHY

TRACK ALL-NEW ENGLAND AWARDS Olivia Fay (1,500 and 3,000 Meters); Joe Mitchell (200 Meters); Jasmin Amaral, Susan Skakel, Sarah Taddei, Salome Wilfred (1,600 Relay)

Horace Allen (XC, Basketball, Track) Ryan Andrews (Football, Ice Hockey, Baseball) Parker Barry (Football, Squash, Lacrosse) Merritt Bauer (Soccer, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse) Ally Boglioli (Field Hockey, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse) Jorge Bosch (Soccer, Swimming, Tennis) Doo Won Choi (XC, Basketball, Lacrosse) Riley Grant (Soccer, Ice Hockey, Golf) Suk Hwan (Keith) Hong (Soccer, Squash, Tennis) Brett Kroll (Football, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse) Devin Laviano (XC, Ice Hockey, Sailing) Martin Minondo (Soccer, Squash, Tennis) Joseph Mitchell (Football, Basketball, Track) Kyle Moriarty (XC, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse) Kelsey Shea (Soccer, Basketball, Softball) Olivia Simone (Soccer, Squash, Lacrosse) Susan Skakel (Soccer, Ice Hockey, Track) Katherine Sullivan (XC, Swimming, Tennis) Sarah Taddei (Soccer, Basketball, Track) Claudia Vollmer (XC, Swimming, Softball)

Above: Makonnen Jackman ‘10 earned All-League honors for the high jump

LOUIS WALKER PHOTOGRAPHY

Near right: Sarah Taddei ‘09 earned All-League in several events: Long Jump, 100 Hurdles, 300 Hurdles, and was named to the Track All-New England Team

LOUIS WALKER PHOTOGRAPHY

Far right: Ryan Andrews ‘09 catches for the Ravens in a game against Beaver Country Day School

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

LOUIS WALKER PHOTOGRAPHY

291052.P32-64:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:06 PM

Page 47

m Addison Belle, daughter of Brian ‘09 and Kiana O’Reilly

Ava Katherine, born to Luke ‘88 and Nancy Fallon in January

B i r t h s

1982 A girl, Kaitlin, adopted by Greg and Judith Bizzozero March 2008

A boy, Charles Anthony, to Peter and Michelle Lucas January 21, 2009

1988 A girl, Ava Katherine, to Luke and Nancy Fallon January 6, 2009

1995 A girl, Eabha Isadora, to Eamonn and Tara O’Brien April 2009 A boy, Isaiah Habtamu, adopted by Adam and Jessica ’96 Donaldson September 2008

1990 A boy, Lorenzo, to Manuel and Ana Urrutia April 2008

1994 A boy, Remy, to Carina and Michael Cohen March 12, 2009

William Gearty ’82 with his wife Molly, daughter Maeve and new son, William.

A boy, Nicholas, to Matthew and Nicole Mead May 13, 2009

A boy, William, adopted by William and Molly Gearty February 2009

1997 A girl, Ella Heide, to Jamie and Liz Fessenden May 20, 2009

2002 A boy, Trajan Marcus, to Tony and Courtney DeSisto, June 13, 2009 F A C U L T Y

A girl, Emily Madison to Erica and Jeremy Hoff June 2009 Eabha Isadora O’Brien, daughter of Eamonn ‘95 and Tara

A girl, Addison Belle, to Brian and Kiana O’Reilly April 5, 2009

1996 A girl, Kiley, to Allen and Ali Bowman October 17, 2008

Second from top: Kaitlin, adopted by Greg ‘82 and Judith Bizzozero Above: Remy Cohen, son of Carina’94 and Michael Cohen

Isaiah Habtamu, son of Adam ‘95 and Jessica ’96 Donaldson

summer BULLETIN 2009

Allen ‘96 and Ali Bowman’s children, Conor and Kiley

291052.P32-64:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:06 PM

Mary-Kathryn McKenna ‘96 and her husband Victor Aranda

Page 48

Henry “Mac” McGinness ‘90 married Macy Allatt

1997

2002

1990

Pablo Cuellar to Itziar Gonzalez Cosio March 28, 2009

Adriana Rodriguez to Luis Quintana March 28, 2008

Mary Alice Clancy to John Nagle June 22, 2008

Elizabeth Ribera to David Scanlan February 7, 2007

1999

2003

Sean O’Higgins to Sarah Norton July 26, 2008

James Meehan to Elizabeth Brady July 14, 2007

2001

2005

Matthew Judge to Fernanda Espinoza August 16, 2008

Willa McCafferty to Ryan Sheppard July 26, 2008

Lauren Dougherty to Timothy Palik July 26, 2008 Danielle McIntyre to Jean-Louis Luther September 20, 2008

1996 Katharine Wallace to Deegan McClung January 9, 2009

Below center:Willa McCafferty ‘05 to Ryan Sheppard

W e d d i n g s

1995

Below left: Lauren Dougherty Palik ’95 and her new husband Timothy Palik on July 26, 2008

James Meehan ’03 married Liz Brady

Henry “Mac” McGinness to Macy Allatt September 6, 2008

Above: Pablo Cuellar ‘97 with bride Itziar Gonzalez Cosio in March

Martin Eisner to Saskia Ziolkowski May 23, 2009 Mary-Kathryn McKenna to Victor Aranda November 1, 2008

Below: from left, August Bartholomew Fromuth ‘99, Brendan O'Higgins ‘93, Sarah O'Higgins, Sean O'Higgins ‘99, Colin O'Higgins ‘97, M. Daniel Hughes ’97. Back l-r: Gregory Williams ‘99, Ronald Lagman ‘99, Dom Paschal Scotti, Mark O'Higgins ‘92, Jonathan Marks ‘99, and Gino Tonetti ’97 at Sean O’Higgins’ wedding last summer.

291052.P32-64:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:06 PM

Page 49

N e c r o l o g y

March 3, 2009

Aunt of Donald ‘74 and James ’78 McGuire Great Aunt of Rose Normann ‘04, Willa ‘05 and Philippa ’09 McCafferty June 14, 2009

Sister Frances Callanan,

Rosamond Whitney Kelsey

F.M.M.

Nephew of John Montalbano ‘74

Mother of Joney Swift,

May 6, 2009

Lois Eleanor Barnes Mother of Daryl ’91 and Crystal ‘95 Barnes

Former School Nurse

Former Faculty Member May 30, 2009

Mary Caplin Mother-in-law of Kaye Caplin School Registrar Grandmother of Robert ’07 and Daniel ’10 Caplin May 14, 2009

Peter M. Kennedy, Jr. Father of Peter ’64, Paul ’66 and John ’75 Kennedy Grandfather of Matthew ’07 and Catherine ’08 Kennedy February 11, 2009

John W. Chanler ‘58

Fernando Leon-Asensio

March 25, 2009

Grandfather of Luis Leon ‘10

Morgan Collins III ‘54

Francis G. Leonard ‘59

William ’92 McMahon April 6, 2009 Stephen J. Montalbano

Anne Bernet O’Donnell Consultants March 9, 2009 Charles P. O’Donnell Father of Robert O’Donnell ‘76 Grandfather of Amelia O’Donnell ‘09 February 20, 2009 Matthew J. Penney ‘07

Peter ‘62 Leonard

Grandfather of

June 11, 2009

Whitney Connell ’04

January 20, 2009 David de Give ‘60 Brother of Paul de Give ’64

Philip F. MacGuire, Jr. ‘60 Son of Philip F. MacGuire ’36† Brother of Schuyler ’61, Kevin ’65, Pierce ’66, James ’70 and Peter ’73 MacGuire Uncle of Pierce ’10 and Rhoads ’13 MacGuire March 25, 2009

Cousin of Dan ’62 and John ’66† McKeon June 7, 2009 Christopher Lehane Johnson

May 16, 2009 Leo Risko Father of John ’69, Paul ’72, Robert ’74 and Mason ’83 Risko June 20, 2009 Albert C. Saer ‘39 April 12, 2009

Kathleen Ann Jortberg Sister of Eileen McGuire Staff Member Sister-in-law of Donald McGuire† Former Faculty Member

CDR. SHELBY LEASURE ‘35

Cdr. Shelby Leasure ’35, USN (Ret.), died November 28, 2008, in Scituate, MA. He was 91. After graduating from Portsmouth, Shelby matriculated at Stanford University, graduating in 1939, and then attended Stanford Business School. He proudly served in the U.S. Navy for 22 years, rising to the position of Commander of the Navy Supply Corps, where he oversaw supply, logistics, combat support, readiness, contracting and fiscal issues to help sustain U.S. Navy and U.S. Military Operations worldwide. Shelby and his wife, Julia (Ryan), were married for 55 years. They last came to campus in 2003, on their 50th wedding anniversary.

Elvira F. Silvia Former Staff March 16, 2009

Mary A. McCarthy Grandmother of Jay ’10 and

Juliana Scheifer

Jacqueline ’12 Wagner

Friend

May 11, 2009

April 22, 2009

Rev. G. Richard McKelvey Father of Kathleen Burke, Former Faculty Father-in-law of Patrick J. Burke ‘86 Assistant Headmaster for Development & Alumni Affairs July 7,2009

Judith M. Stevens

Son of J. Lee Johnson ‘67 April 7, 2009

William F. McMahon

Former Member Board of

Donn S. Connell

William H. Combs, Jr. ‘41

Father of Richard ’86 and

Brother of Robert ’57 and

March 10, 2009

Son of Joseph Montalbano ‘72

March 7, 2009

Development Officer

Mother of Kevin Stevens ‘85 Former Staff April 6, 2009 F. L. Peter White Father of Samuel G. White ‘64 February 3, 2009

In addition to Julia, Shelby is survived by his daughter, Patricia, and her family, including two grandchildren, Caitlin and Matthew, of whom Shelby was extremely proud. The Portsmouth Abbey community mourns Shelby’s passing and extends its sympathies to the Leasure family.

deceased summer BULLETIN 2009

291052.P32-64:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:06 PM

Page 50

A L B E RT C . S A E R ‘ 3 9

M AT T H E W P E N N Y ‘ 0 7 Matthew James Penney, well-liked member of the Portsmouth Abbey Class of 2007, died May 16, 2009, at home in Lincroft, NJ, after a heroic two-year battle with cancer. He was 20. Matt was born in Long Branch, NJ, and attended Rumson Country Day School before going to Portsmouth Abbey. While he was an accomplished athlete, Matt’s passion was aviation, and he was elated to receive early acceptance to Embry Riddle Aeronautical University during his Sixth Form year. While at Portsmouth, Matt lived in St. Aelred’s and St. Leonard’s and played squash, crosscountry and baseball. He was the recipient of the 2007 Coach’s MIP Award in baseball. Varsity Baseball Coach Derek Gittus spoke of Matt’s special character: “Through determination and persistence, Matt willed himself into becoming a valuable member of our team. He represented the consummate teammate to me and possessed all the intangible qualities a coach would want from a player: he consistently worked hard, he hustled, he asked questions, and he brought an infectious enthusiasm to the field each day. He simply loved baseball.

Albert Cowser Saer, Class of 1939, died on Easter Sunday, April 12, in Naas, Co. Kildare, Ireland. He was 87. Son of Edward Harold and Mary Louise Cowser Saer, Albert was valedictorian at Jesuit High School in New Orleans in 1938, prior to attending Portsmouth for the 1938-39 School year. He received a civil engineering degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an officer's commission in the U.S. Navy in 1942. During World War II, he served on several navy ships in both the Pacific and European theaters and commanded a landing craft at Normandy on D-Day plus one.

“However, one thing about Matt will always stand out: he constantly talked about airplanes and his dream of flying. He couldn’t wait to get to Embry-Riddle to begin his journey towards becoming a pilot. I have no doubt that he would have willed himself into becoming an outstanding aviator. Matt’s unique spirit will continue to live on at our baseball field every spring.” Matt’s last visit to School was in April 2008, during which he took in a Ravens’ baseball game.

Following the war, Albert was employed by several corporations, including Lykes, Chevron and Bechtel, prior to joining the U.S. Civil service as a civil engineer. He was involved in major construction projects in the U.S. and overseas before purchasing Esker House, a farm near Lucan, in County Dublin, Ireland, where he bred and raised thoroughbred race horses until shortly before his death.

Classmate Grady McCune ’07 shared a favorite memory of Matt, an extraordinary hike to the summit of a mountain in the Pyrenees, overlooking the valley of Lourdes, in July 2006. Grady recalled, “When we reached the top of the mountain, we slowly approached an abandoned building, from which strange noises were coming…we nervously crept toward an open window. Inside were about 40 sheep, all staring at us and chewing. Our laughter rang out as our fears dissipated. As we looked out over the mountains and valleys spread out before us, Matt and I agreed that we had never seen anything more beautiful. I am blessed to have memories of Matt – especially those of our time together in Lourdes, France.”

Albert is survived by eight children: Donald McQueen Saer; Cynthia Charlotte Saer; Dr. John Boyer Saer of New Orleans, Louisiana, Dr. Albert Cowser Saer, Jr.; Angus Adair Saer; Benedict Alexander Saer; Francis Edward Orlando Saer; and Arabella Siobhan Saer. There are eleven surviving grandchildren.

To his family and friends, Matt embodied the meaning of what it was to be a champion; he was a true winner on and off the field. After learning about the severity of his illness, he continued to have a positive outlook that was exemplified by his comment, “Just because you’re not going to win the race, you don’t stop running.”

He is also survived by two brothers and one sister. He was predeceased by one brother and a grandson.

Matt is survived by his loving parents, Robert and Yolanda; his older brother, Jonathan, and his twin brother, William. He also left many relatives and dear friends in New Jersey and Mexico. The Portsmouth Abbey community extends its deepest sympathies to Matt’s family and friends as we all mourn the loss of this promising young man.

A memorial service was held at St. Mary's Church, in Lucan, County Dublin, in April. A private memorial service and interment will be held in New Orleans at a later date. The Portsmouth community extends its sympathies to the Saer family.

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

291052.P32-64:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:06 PM

Page 51

D A N I E L WA R D S E I T Z

PETER KENNEDY SR.

Daniel W. Seitz, a former member of Portsmouth’s Board of Consultants and Board of Regents and longtime oblate and friend of the Portsmouth Abbey Monastery and School, passed away on October 7, 2008, in Locust, NJ. He was 77.

Peter M. Kennedy, father of Peter ’64, Paul ’66 and John ’75 Kennedy and grandfather of Matthew ’07 and Catherine ’08 Kennedy, died on February 2, 2009, after a brief illness. He was 86.

Born in New York City, Dan attended Phillips Exeter and graduated from Harvard University in 1953, where he majored in Classics. Shortly after college graduation, he served in the U.S. Army. Before retiring in 1983 and moving permanently to Locust, Dan resided part-time in New York City where he worked for the International Division of the Bankers Trust Company. He was active in civic and charitable affairs and served on many boards in Monmouth County, NJ, and New York City. A regular visitor to Portsmouth over the years, he became a member of the School’s governing board, a position he held for six years from 1997 to 2003. He was a communicant and reader at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Roman Catholic Church in Highlands, NJ. Dom Ambrose Wolverton, who was a classmate of Dan’s at both Exeter and Harvard, and a roommate at Harvard, concelebrated the Funeral Mass in New Jersey and gave the eulogy at Dan’s funeral. Dom Ambrose shared that he and Dan had engaged in “many philosophical and religious discussions” during their years at Harvard, and shortly thereafter Dom Ambrose converted to Catholicism, “…largely because, in retrospect, I think Dan’s quiet but powerful example had a subconscious effect on me. Dan’s family and heritage were important to him, just as Portsmouth was. It was Dan who, in 1950, first introduced me to the monastic community at Portsmouth, which I eventually joined. Dan played an unforeseen but absolutely pivotal key role in my life and its turnings.” The Portsmouth community is grateful for Dan’s many years in support of the Monastery and School; we offer our sincere sympathies to his family and many friends.

summer BULLETIN 2009

Born in Derby, CT, Peter graduated from Yale in 1944 with a degree in mathematics and was elected to membership in Phi Beta Kappa. He joined the Army Air Force, where he was assigned to study at the University of Chicago and Harvard before being assigned to a base in Montana where he helped develop the radar system for B-29 bomber wings. After his term of service, Peter worked for his father’s mortgage banking business and taught mathematics at Yale while earning his law degree at night from the University of Connecticut. After a brief stint with Shell Oil, Peter joined the old line investment firm of Dominick & Dominick in 1948, where he rose to become a partner and, in 1969, chairman and CEO. Owing to his indomitable will and investment acumen, the firm not only survived Wall Street’s darkest days during the late 1960s and again in the early 1970s but emerged in good stead and continues today as a full-service securities firm. He eventually purchased controlling interest in the firm. Peter’s scrutiny of the bottom line to save Dominick during those challenging times extended to the installation of low-watt light bulbs at the firm and a ban on taxicab usage. He remained active in the markets until his death. Peter’s other business dealings included the ownership of Drexel Heritage Furnishings from 1976-1986 and the formation in the mid-1980s of the familyheld Eighteen Seventy Corporation, which now controls fine furniture makers Ferguson Copeland and Guy Chaddock & Company in North Carolina, a halfmillion-acre cattle ranch in Oregon, and a private bank in Zurich, Switzerland. He also served on the boards of many well-known corporations. Following the death of his wife, Peter—a devout Catholic who attended daily Mass—established the Marie Kennedy Foundation, through which he was a generous benefactor to Catholic and educational causes. Called “a long-standing Wall Street giant who spent most of his career staying out of the limelight” by syndicated columnist Bart Ward, Peter was regarded as unpretentious and hardworking: “He is a reminder to us all that with the title of great man comes the territory of determination, straightforwardness, integrity and solid reputation through one’s actions,” said Ward. Peter Kennedy III said of his father, “He had the greatest respect for the rigor of the School,” having met Dom Leo van Winkle during his first visit to Portsmouth in the early 1960s and learning of their mutual Yale connection (Dom Leo was also a graduate of Yale). “He was very fond of Father Leo. My parents have supported Portsmouth for many decades as a testimony to their high regard for Dom Leo and for the School.” Peter was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years, Marie Lyons Kennedy, in 2004. He is survived by his sons Peter, of Rye, NY, Paul, of Brooklyn, NY, and John, of Bend, OR, and their respective families, including nine grandchildren, among them Matthew and Catherine Kennedy, who graduated from the Abbey. The Portsmouth community offers its deepest condolences to Peter’s sons, grandchildren, and all of his family.

291052.P32-64:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:06 PM

Page 52

‘41

Peter ‘41 and Thea Flanigan at the graduation of two of Peter’s grandchildren, Susan Skakel ‘09 and Daniel Flanigan ‘09 in May

Dom Julian Stead '43 celebrated the 50th Anniversary Mass of Clinton Macsherry and his wife, Mary Eleanor, in October 2008. His son, Rev. Hugh Macsherry O.F.M. ordained May 16, 2009 in the Church of St Francis of Assisi by Archbishop Celestino Migliori, Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent Observer to the United Nations, was the Homilist at the Mass. Henry Dougherty ‘55 in November of 2005

‘42

Peter MacLellan and his wife, Anne Marie, will be great grandparents for the first time, thanks to their oldest grandchild Jessica Smith.

‘50

Raul de Brigard ’59 and his wife, Emilie, on a recent trip to Guatemala.

The Bang on a Can All-Stars, New York's electric chamber ensemble, took on new works commissioned by the People, for the People, in the 2009 People's Commissioning Fund Concert, March 19th at Merkin Hall in New York. The concert featured a recently commissioned work by Alvin Lucier. Since 1970, Alvin has taught at Wesleyan University, where he is the John Spencer Camp Professor of Music. He has pioneered in many areas of music composition and performance, including the notation of performers' physical gestures, the use of brain waves

in live performance, the generation of visual imagery by sound in vibrating media, and the evocation of room acoustics for musical purposes. His recent works include a series of sound installations and works for solo instruments, chamber ensembles, and orchestra in which, by means of close tunings with pure tones, sound waves are caused to spin through space.

‘51

Edward Belt encourages all to visit his website to catch up with him: https://www.amherst.edu/users /B/esbelt

‘55

Recently, Andrew Stancioff moved to a small farm on Spruce Head Island, Maine... Richard Ford attended his 50th Reunion from Princeton University... Edgar Humann wrote in from Bermuda with fond memories of Father Leo; "with the El Greco face, still a brother, and driving a lawn mower whilst reading a 3D comic book. He just missed trees and other objects by

inches, and those 3D glasses, what a sight to behold!"... Chris Ward had lunch with Jamie MacGuire '70 in Oakland, CA, in April and recalled the Saturday evening he visited the School with a friend from MIT and found the Red's shower room full of steam, out of which Father Andrew emerged in his birthday suit to give them a heartfelt greeting... An honorary member of the Class of 1955 was Martin Lion, nephew of Dom Hilary Martin, who, just out of the service, joined the trip to Rome at the last minute when one of the boys dropped out. "We saved money staying at pensiones but always ate very well. I remember three or four of us went to the Beretta shop in Rome and bought pistols we brought back through Customs in our shoulder holsters. I don't think that would work today!"

‘56

Phil Brady writes, "I am living in Naples, Florida (October through May) with my wife of 40 years, Kathy, and in Duxbury, MA during the sum-

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

291052.P32-64:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:06 PM

Page 53

Below: Preston Shea ’58 making his classic wooden toys.

mer months. Our daughter, Amanda, and her three children are in Hingham, MA. Our son, Matt, is in Duxbury."

‘57

John Belt is still working as a commercial real estate owner/manager in midtown NY and writes, "I have been in five business cycles and this was the most demanding in the respect of time spent helping tenants cope with the downturn of the economy. It appears that many of my tenants will make it through by adjusting to the new conditions and cutting expenses. My youngest will be joining me in a few weeks, after five years representing over a dozen European fashion designers whose products she helped sell from NYC showroom. Mary Jane and I plan to travel a bit more often."

‘58

Since his retirement from Plymouth State University, Preston Shea has been making traditional wooden toys. You can see some of his work at www.classicwoodtoys.biz.

‘59

50th Reunion SEPT 25- 27, 2009!

Raul de Brigard and his wife recently took a family trip to Yaxhá, Guatemala. They own an apartment in Guatemala City, and make many trips to the country from their home in New York.

summer BULLETIN 2009

‘60 Peter Dean writes to his classmates, "Getting ready for our 50th! Just does not seem that long ago?!"

‘61

Schuyler MacGuire intends to work several more years at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. He reports he is currently enjoying his two granddaughters.

‘62

Peter Leonard has retired from teaching in Vietnam and is gardening in Taos, NM.

‘63

John Cadley finished recording his third CD of original bluegrass music in Nashville in May 2008.

‘64

45th Reunion SEPT 25- 27, 2009!

Samuel White is a noted architect and author, who delivered a program and tour on the life and works of his great-grandfather, Stanford White, in Newport , RI on June 7, 2009. The program, which was sponsored by the International Tennis Hall of Fame, led guests through Stanford White-designed buildings on famed Bellevue Avenue, including the Hall of Fame itself.

‘65 James Sturdevant's oldest daughter, Emma, is attending Portsmouth’s Summer Program this summer. He and his wife, Therese, traveled to campus to visit the School and drop her off in late June... Kevin MacGuire has recently established MacGuire, Cheswick & Tuttle, an investment advisory firm in Darien, CT.

Above: George ‘63 and Scholastica Fowler (right) enjoyed lunch in Vancouver with John Gould ‘63 and Joanna Coppola in April.

‘66

Greg Darling teaches freshman composition, medieval English and Irish literature, literature survey courses, and Hindu Literature and Ethics at Fordham University at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

291052.P32-64:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:07 PM

Page 54

Above: Francisco Urrutia’s ‘67 grandchildren

Above: Dom Julian Stead ‘43 (far right) blesses Bobby Price’s ‘71 new yacht in May Below: Ted Donahue ‘67 on campus in May for his daughter, Lilli’s graduation.

‘67 Francisco Urrutia writes in: "Wow... just turned 60. When at Portsmouth, that was REALLY old. My greatest achievement is my six grandchildren, between six and two years old. Now my travels have them as a magnet, because while two are in Bogotá, living 200 yards from us, two live in Madison, NJ, and two in London. Even my business trips to Buenos Aires now require stopovers in Newark and Heathrow... This is the result of 37 years married to Maria Elisa and the gift of my three children, Camila, Ana and Alejandro. Having worked with Exxon, the Coca-Cola bottlers and the Ministry of Finance, I am currently a partner in a law firm, working with natural resources and power companies."... Martin Hickey, MD has joined Alegent Health as President and CEO of Alegent Health Clinic in Nebraska. He is responsible for building a large multi-specialty group practice for the healthcare organization...Ted Donahue writes, "My

daughter Lilli graduated with the Abbey class of 2009 from and is headed off to Rhodes College in Memphis, TN. We are so proud of her and all the things she was able to accomplish during her four years at the Abbey, including starting up the Environmental Club at the school and heading it for four years. It was nice to see several familiar faces at the graduation ceremonies...The campus looks great....it's not your father's Oldsmobile any longer."

‘68

Paul Florian continues to practice architecture in Chicago. He has recently traveled to both to Syria and India... Paul Carignan writes, "I moved from Palo Alto to Reno/Carson City, NV for a few years and returned to the Bay Area last year for a job opportunity. While in Nevada, I remarried (Sue Newberry) and in the process acquired three grandkids. Fortunately I enjoy great health, a wonderful family, and have lots of fun. We've been playing bluegrass and acoustic music for a few years now, and enjoy jamming with others. We also love to hike, bike, and kayak, though it's hard to find time to do everything! We have been only slightly affected by the economic meltdown, for which we feel quite blessed."

‘69

40th Reunion SEPT 25- 27, 2009!

Douglas Andrews has been living with his wife, Silvia

Douglas Andrews ‘69.

Cambie, in London since mid2005. Since leaving ScheringPlough in late 2000, he started a number of life science ventures, starting with Consilient Health, a "virtual" generics company sourcing products from eastern Europe, Turkey and India. In 2006, he founded Stravencon Life Sciences Ltd., which works with Chinese pharmaceutical and medical technology companies to bring their products to the European and American markets... William Sands recently returned from 15 years in the Netherlands, where he worked with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. He is now living near Washington DC, teaching and writing, and is also adjunct faculty in Sanskrit and Vedic Science at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa.

‘70 Denis Hector and Chris Block '96 traveled to Haiti to visit Paul Farmer's Partners in Health program... Along with many others in the Mississippi Delta, Shea Leatherman planted soybeans instead of cotton this year on the land

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

291052.P32-64:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:07 PM

Page 55

his family has farmed since 1842... Nion McEvoy took Jamie MacGuire to lunch with the Dali Lama at the American Himalaya Foundation benefit in San Francisco in April.

‘71

Marvin George is living in Atlanta, GA since leaving New Orleans in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina... Anthony Klemmer received his Doctor of Humanities Degree from Salve Regina University in May... Joe Tobin is currently on the board of the San Simeon Foundation.

‘72

After 25 years as the founder and owner of Narragansett Graphics, Jaime Wilson merged his company with Meridian Printing of East Greenwich, RI. He has taken on the role of Senior Vice President at Meridian... Robert Bloomingdale is producing a movie on the life of Sammy Davis Jr. He and Michael McDonnell '70 have become reacquainted via their sons both attending the Cate School in Carpinteria, CA .

‘74 35th Reunion SEPT 25- 27, 2009!

Peter Koehler writes "I am still at Nike, as Global Counsel for Litigation and Brand, keeping the world safe for sport shoes, apparel and equipment. Meanwhile, my wife Noel and I live on 30 acres outside of Portland, where we raised our two kids (now grown and gone), sheep, chickens, organic vegetables, and bees. All visitors welcome!"... Paul Holubowicz is back living in the States since 2003. He currently divides his time between his job as an administrative law judge in Raleigh, and his beach house in Atlantic Beach, NC. Paul's twin children Tessa and Alexander are due to graduate this year from the University of Leicester and University of Reading...Timothy Cunningham's son, Steven, graduated from Portsmouth Abbey in May. Steve will attend Loyola in the fall.

‘75

John Connolly writes, "My oldest graduates from

Tim Klemmer ‘71 and his family celebrate Kerry’s (center) graduation day

summer BULLETIN 2009

Georgetown this year, thankfully he landed a job at Vanguard. Number two is a sophomore at the University of Delaware, number 3 is an 8th grader and will enter St. Joseph's Prep in the fall. Number 4 is a sixth grader at St. Philip Neri."He lives in Lafayette Hill, PA...Classmates Timothy Flanigan and Antonio Waring were in attendance at their children's graduation from Portsmouth Abbey in May. Elizabeth (Betsy) Waring '09 and Daniel Flanigan '09 were among the graduates. Daniel was the class-elected valedictory speaker who delivered the address to his fellow students. Betsy will attend McGill and Dan will attend Bucknell in the fall.

‘76

Nicholas Murray and his wife, Zina are opening a mixed-use food facility in the Logan Square area of Chicago. You can visit the website out at www.logansquarekitchen.com The project has kept them very busy. Nicholas remains down on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange/CBOT doing institutional sales in interest rates futures for Advantage Execution Services.

Alumni Lax Game 2009: Standing: l-r. Andrew Huntley Robertson’81, Tom Ruggieri ’81, Brendan O’Connor ’07, Zach Allen ’08, Chuck Kenahan ’77, Julian Allison’08, Harry Holden ’08, Ed Gullison’06, Myles Somerville ’05, Darris Owens’08, Mike Queno ’04, Coach Al Brown. Kneeling: l-r. Patrick Ward ’81, John Kinnane ’03, Ray Klemmer ‘08, Andrew Post ’08, Chris O’Reilly ’07, Neal Biddick ’03, Kyle Biddick ‘06

Above: Nion McEvoy ‘70 ran into Pierce MacGuire, son of his old friend Jamie ‘70 Below: Marvin George ‘71 is living in Atlanta, GA since leaving New Orleans in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina

291052.P32-64:Layout 1

7/22/09

9:31 AM

Page 56

Below: Graduate Betsy Waring (center)celebrated with friends and family on Commencement day, including her uncle Ben, Class of ‘74 (far right)

commute in for three days and two nights a week. I stay at the University Club on 54th Street, so if any classmates are in town I would love to have a bite or a drink some evening."...Shea Farrell writes, "I was driving on San Vicente Blvd. in Brentwood (LA), CA with my sister visiting from New York. The car in front of us was poking along, so as I went to pass it...there slapped on the back window was a PORTSMOUTH ABBEY SCHOOL sticker. Not exactly a familiar logo in Southern California. I pulled up alongside, exchanged pleasantries "I am a '76 grad, my sister's son Mark was a '98."...so the driver belts out, "Do you know Dr. DeVecchi?", "Of course," I replied..."Well, he's my Dad." (Stephen DeVecchi '97)

‘77

Above: Jose Ferré ’77 with his wife, Helen at son Jose’s graduation from Tufts University, with daughter Mercedes and youngest, Luis.

Above: Peter Koelher ‘74 works for Nike and lives in Portland, OR

They reside in the Logan Square area of Chicago... Michael McTeigue writes in: "My wife, Kendall, and our two daughters, Emma and Becca, ages 8 and 6, and I just moved back to our homestead in Great Barrington in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts. We spent the last seven years in the southwest Colorado town of Pagosa Springs. As our girls are of grammar school age, we are back East. I am participating more in my Diamond and Fine Estate Jewelry Business in New York, and

J. Garrett Terzian writes, "50 huh? I guess looking DOWN at the grass is better than the alternative...See y'all in 2012." Jose Ferré also writes, "One down, two to go: Jose A. Ferré graduated from Tufts with a BA in economics and international relations; Mercedes is at Wellesley College, and Luis will be entering 8th grade in the

Pat Gallagher ‘81 with his niece Jen Cravedi ‘09 at her graduation in May

fall."... Justin Green and his wife had their third son in 2007. He is currently a senior partner at Kreindler & Kreindler representing victims of airplane crashes and other mass torts... Edward Coderre and his wife, Diana, and their company, The Digital Ark Corp., located in Newport, RI, were the recent focus of an in-depth business article in the Newport Daily News. The purpose of their business is to preserve rare documents, photos and artwork through a digital archiving process. Ed and Diana are currently working with Abbey librarian Roberta Stevens to archive the School’s documents. ... Bill Keogh writes,"After 12 years

Robert ‘76 and Deidre O’Donnell at Portsmouth for their daughter Mia’s graduation in May

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

291052.P32-64:Layout 1

7/22/09

9:32 AM

Page 57

Phil Yazbak ‘81 (left) with friend Mark Chelsky at the finish of his first Boston Marathon

Joseph."... Jim Grace attended the Palm Beach Portsmouth Abbey reception in March. He is now living in Sarasota.

‘79

30th Reunion SEPT 25- 27, 2009!

at Risk Management Solutions, I took almost a year off to recharge and figure out what to do next. I got very involved at Saddle River Day School where my daughters attend 5th and 8th grades and I am a trustee. I recently joined EQECAT, another catastrophe risk modeling firm heading up corporate strategy."...Peter D'Amario reports: "I'm a Partner at Greenwich Associates, where I consult to financial services clients in the fixed income, foreign exchange, derivatives and equities areas. With a home outside Boston, the office in Stamford, CT and most of my clients in Europe and Asia, I spend a great deal of time en route to somewhere. Our daughter, Caroline, just finished V form at Portsmouth Abbey, where she is a classmate of Joe Gallagher's son,

William Foxley is currently at QlikTech as a Senior Consultant which is the fastest-growing BI software company of the major players. He lives in East Providence, RI with his wife, Suzanne Cross Foxley...Felipe Vicini's son, Felipe '09 graduated in May from Portsmouth Abbey...

‘80

Rai Reyes is the Producer of "Rooms: a Rock Romance" and off-Broadway production in New York. He is also the cofounder of Abbey Aesthetics (www. abbeyaesthetics.com), which offers a full range of physician-performed laser and cosmetic skin treatments. On April 29, the stars of the show, Leslie Kritzer and Doug Kreeger, rang the closing bell at NASDAQ. "Rooms a Rock Romance" received three Outer Circle Critics Award nominations this year.

‘81

Above: J. Garrett Terzian ‘77

Matt Geremia ‘83 (far right) with his father-in-law, Research Bob Rondeau P ‘82, ‘83 ‘87, his wife Christine, at Foundation daughter Kasey’s ‘09 at graduation in May (MMRF) is a nonprofit organization that is searching for better treatments, and a cure, for Multiple Myeloma. He ran the race with an official time of 3:59:32. Phil's son Andrew is enrolled in Portsmouth Abbey's Summer Program.

‘82

William Gearty writes, "I moved back to NJ with my wife and sixyear old daughter, Maeve, last August. We adopted a baby boy this past February, William Robert JB Gearty. I was able to see the Abbey with my wife and daughter in November and have been reestablishing contacts with many of my classmates. I am enjoying life on the Jersey Shore..." Jacques Pages just completed his first book, Da

John Cummings ’83 with Henry Winkler, "AAAAYYY!!! Having a great time rocking around the clock with old friends from coast to coast - wish you were here!" www.johnbcummings.com

Phil Yazbak completed his first marathon, the Boston Marathon, in April. He ran for two charities. Team Continuum (TC) is a nonprofit organization that provides financial support to cancer patients and their families. The Multiple Myeloma

summer BULLETIN 2009

Jacques Pages ‘82

291052.P32-64:Layout 1

7/16/09

Brian Hurley ‘83

7:07 PM

Page 58

watching his kids (Jack and Luke) get big. He is looking forward to his 25th Reunion saying, "I hope to see all you old guys there!"... Besides being baseball players, Manny Rionda's boys Lucas (9) and Matias (5) are rock musicians. Their recent recital was classic rock-androll with their renditions of Iron Maiden and the Rolling Stones.

Brian Hurley is living in San Francisco and Napa Valley, where he spent much of 2008 rallying support for President Obama. He writes, "I am ecstatically married for 18 years, no kids, still working in advertising (if not ecstatically, at least quite happily)." ...Matthew Geremia's daughter, Kasey, the student body-elected Head Girl, graduated from Portsmouth Abbey in May. Kasey will attend Rollins College of Florida in the fall.

Mike Khouw has joined CNBC's "Options Action" as a panelist. The program, hosted by Melissa Lee, is weekly half-hour program, that is a fast paced roundtable discussion featuring four prominent options traders who will explain the advantages of options trading and the strategies used to trade in the news of the week. You can catch the program on Fridays at 11:30 pm or again Saturdays and Sundays at 6:00 am. Mike is a senior Equity Derivatives trader at Cantor Fitzgerald, LP and manager of the US listed Equity Derivatives Desk...Ted Dondanville is living in Chicago and studying to be a high school history teacher. He keeps in touch with Brendan Sullivan and is godfather to Brendan's child...Conor Bohan, the founder and board member of the Haitian Education and Leadership Program, hosted former U.S. President Bill Clinton and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon at the HELP center in Port-au-Prince on March 9th during their two

‘84

25th Reunion SEPT 25- 27, 2009!

Andrew Saul is President and CEO of Genovation Cars. He, along with his partners, launched Genovation some 18 months ago with the first objective in mind being inexpensively converting government and corporate car fleets to electric drive. Visit www. genovationcars.com. Conor Bohan ‘86 (right) with U.S. President Bill Clinton and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon at the HELP center in Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Truth: a coming of age book for the world. Jacques resides in Middletown, R.I. ...Philip V. Moyles Jr. has launched a boutique insurance brokerage, Sharebridge Holdings, Inc., of New York. He holds the title of co-CEO of the operation...Greg Bizzozero adopted a baby girl, Kaitlin Marie, in March. He writes, "She has been a joy and is nearly walking!"

‘83 Jonathan Kuyper ’85, with sons Jack and Luke, is still working at Warner Bros. and looks forward to seeing his classmates at his 25th reunion in 2010.

‘85

Jonathan Kuyper is still working at Warner Bros. and

‘86

day visit to Haiti. After touring the center and speaking with a group of HELP students and graduates, both Clinton and KiMoon said they were impressed and inspired by what they saw at HELP and pledged to remain engaged. www.haitianeducation.org... Scott-Macon, an independent investment bank, has added Robert Snape, Managing Director, to lead the new investment banking effort. Throughout his career he has been primarily focused on clients within Consumer and Retail, including those in the Food and Beverage, Restaurant, Apparel, Personal Care, Branded Consumer and Household sectors

‘88

Michael Goss, co-founder of Fiduciary Investment Advisers, and his team were awarded the "2009 Retirement Plan Adviser Team of the Year" by Planadviser magazine.

‘89

20th Reunion SEPT 25- 27, 2009!

Thomas Keenan writes, "I am moving back to Hong

Thomas Keenan ‘89

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

291052.P32-64:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:07 PM

Page 59

Kong to work as a lawyer in July with the same firm that I was with in Melbourne, Minter Ellison. I will be focusing on M&A and business development activities. The family is going well. Any Abbey alumni in Hong Kong are invited to get in touch via at tjkeenan4@ mac.com ."... Lt. Cmdr. David Doyle is stationed in Naples with the U.S. Navy... After leaving as Assistant US Trade Representative for Media and Public Affairs at the end of January, Sean Spicer has joined with two former colleagues, to form Endeavour Global Strategies www.EndeavourGS.com. They are combining their Capitol Hill, Administration and media experience with the latest new media/social networking tactics to offer a full service public relations, public affairs and strategy firm.

‘90

Tim Nicoud, Jr. attended the wedding of Mac McGinness with Nick Thornton, Justin Hauser, John Bird, Joe Michaud, Joe Morrison, Charlie Baisley and Hugh O'Donnell... Manuel Urrutia lives in New York City and works for Time Warner, where he oversees International and Corporate Strategy efforts. In April of 2008, he and his wife, Ana, welcomed their first son, Lorenzo.

‘92

David Colbert is the head lacrosse coach at Pembroke Hill School in Kansas City,

summer BULLETIN 2009

MO. This year his team took the Division II state championship title. This is the first time the school's lacrosse team has won a state title. The team finished the season with a 17-2 record. He coached at Portsmouth Abbey this summer with the Top 150 Lacrosse Camp.

‘93

Sean Coulter writes: "Hello All! Just finishing up my tour in Germany and going to the Naval War College in Newport for a year- its going to be great getting home and the Army will probably punish me with many more deployments to choice destinations around the world. After graduation in 1993, I went to Norwich University, and was then commissioned in the Army Infantry in 1997. I went to a bunch of Army schools, and was assigned to 82nd Airborne in Ft. Bragg, NC. I went to Kuwait to guard Patriot missiles in '99. I married Katie Melanson of Burlington MA in 2000. My son Liam was born July 27, 2002 and my daughter, Lilly, on May 11, 2006. I was stationed in Germany in 2002, went to Iraq from April '03 to July '04, then back to Germany, where I commanded an Infantry Company. I then went back to Iraq from January 2006 until February 2007. After that, back to Germany to train other US and NATO units until now. I am now going home to Newport for a year. Never would have dreamed my life journey would go on as it has but believe it or not we are

all happy and would not have it another way."

‘94

15th Reunion SEPT 25- 27, 2009!

Ryan Kern is currently living in San Francisco with his wife, Jennifer Callahan Kern. He recently became an uncle to Hadley Ryan Ollerhead. He is actively involved in the SF Bay Racing Community. He competed in the US National Melges 24 Championships in June and then the World Championships in Annapolis in October.

‘95

Above: Manuel Urrutia ’90, his wife Ana and baby Lorenzo

Below, from left, Charlie Baisley, Justin Hauser, Nick Thornton, Joe Michaud, Henry (Mac) McGinness, Tim Nicoud, Joe Morrison, Hugh O’Donnell, all Class of 1990, at Mac McGinness’s wedding

The Carter family in Lourdes during their 2009 pilgrimage

291052.P32-64:Layout 1

7/16/09

From left, Matthew Reeber ‘97, Bill Sherman ‘97, Pablo Cuellar ‘97 and Colin O’Higgins ‘97 at Pablo’s wedding in Mexico in March 2009

Ryan Kern ‘94 sailing in San Francisco Bay

7:07 PM

Page 60

Lauren Dougherty Palik received her master's degree in education and certification in art education in August 2007, and is now a middle school art teacher. She married Timothy Palik on July 26, 2008, and bought their first home in Kensington, MD last September... Andrea (Vizvary) Larson was matron-of-honor for Mary Kathryn McKenna Aranda '96 at her November 2008 wedding.

‘96

Katharine Wallace married Deegan McClung January 9th, 2009 at the Fond Doux Plantation in St. Lucia. Deegan is a chef from New Orleans, LA... Chris Block and Denis Hector '70 traveled to Haiti to visit Paul Farmer's Partners in Health Program...Mary Kathryn McKenna Aranda was married in November of 2008. Her husband, Victor, works as a Senior Art Director at Uno Chicago Grille, and she is a Marketing Manager at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

‘97

Pablo Cuellar married Itziar Gonzalez Cosio on March 28, 2009 in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Colin O'Higgins, Matthew Reeber, Bill Sherman and Sean O'Higgins '99 attended the wedding. Pablo and Itziar enjoyed an incredible honeymoon in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia. Currently the couple is living in Mexico City while they wait for Australian

visas to study in Melbourne for their master's degrees...Clara Sibal lives and works in the Philippines. She has taken over the family business of distributing library reference material to schools and libraries in her country...Matthew Reeber was the commencement speaker at the Pennfield School's eighth grade graduation ceremony in June. Matt attended Pennfield in Portsmouth, RI before Portsmouth Abbey.

‘98

Jennifer Stankiewicz is teaching kindergarten at a projectbased learning Charter School in Silicon Valley, but is living in Fort Worth, Texas for the summer 2009... Taylor Rock earned a master's in urban and regional planning from the University of Hawaii, and now works as a planner for a 100 acre nature preserve...Mike Roberts, who works at Teknor Apex in Pawtucket, RI has spent a year volunteering for VIPS (Volunteers in Providence Schools) as a mentor to innercity school children... Ashley Hart is the North America Sales Manager for Icelantic Skis in Denver, Colorado. He organizes events to help raise money for athletes with spinal cord injuries for Stand Strong Again. He has just concluded the largest demo tour in the ski industry this past winter, traveling to 50 resorts on the west coast and hosting 85 events with Icelantic. He travels from resort to resort skiing with the locals and the ski store

employees building brand awareness. They have 50 pairs of skis which they allow all the locals to test for free. www.icelanticboards.com

‘99

10th Reunion SEPT 25- 27, 2009!

Derek Gatta graduated from Nova Southeastern Dental School in May and will be doing a one-year general practice residency with the US Navy at Camp Pendleton in Southern California.

‘00

Evan Carbotti works for his family's special events company, Perfect Surroundings in Newport, RI and Miami, FL. Recently profiled in the Newport Daily News, Perfect Surroundings has created events for celebrities, royalty, presidents and for the Super Bowl. Evan works in marketing... Leah Abbott Murphy is in her last year of nursing school at the University of Rhode Island, and is living in Newport, RI with her husband Chris...Aidan Melia is a second year law student at Williamette University, class of 2010 and living in Salem, Oregon. This summer, she works at Legal Aid Services of Oregon, providing legal services to those in the community without the resources to obtain legal representation.

‘01

Kate Kearney, Tiffany Spencer and Vanessa Palazio all headed west to visit with Kate

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

291052.P32-64:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:07 PM

Page 61

Min Lee ’03 and Allie DeSisto ’05 bring in the first harvest from Portsmouth Abbey’s Community Garden in June.

Erstling in Denver, CO recently... Kiernan Rok is in his third year of teaching middle school to children with autism in the Oakland, CA, public schools. He is completing work on a master's degree at San Francisco State University, and recently served as a presenter at a professional educator's conference in San Diego. He has been awarded a grant to travel to Thailand this summer...Kyle Woodford has graduated from Microsoft school in Virginia, and is currently working for Homeland Security in Crystal City, close to Washington, D.C... Eliza Pfeffer Plack graduated from Johns Hopkins University this May with a master's of science in the field of reading...John Kraper writes, "Hey All, after 8 years in NC (the last four in Charlotte), I have accepted a position with Booz Allen in Washington, DC working with TARP. I am looking forward to connecting with alums in the area. Feel free to contact me at jtkraper@ yahoo.com ."

‘02 Nick Hoenemeyer has begun law school at Brooklyn School of Law after completing a two year internship at Sullivan & Cromwell in New York City...Adriana Rodriguez was married March 28th, 2008, and has moved to Mexico City with her husband Luis Quintana, where he works in the yachting industry... Jonathan Pitts-Wiley reports that he is working for a website: www.theroot.com, a daily online magazine, where he writes for the Buzz section. He also recently moved into a new apartment in New York... Liz Ribera married David Scanlan on February 7, 2007. She is in her second year at San Jose State getting her MFA in photography. She recently had a showing of her work and said many Abbey alumni came out to support her.

‘03

Walter Zaykowski is currently living in Washington, DC and working for Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) on the staff of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs. He advises the Ranking Member (Burr) with all matters of oversight

pertaining to VA and helping ensure our Veterans receive the care and benefits they deserve... Courtney Hugo has spent the last year teaching math and science at Oxford Academy in Connecticut. This July she has a research grant from the USDA at the University of Delaware for studying environmental policy. She recently returned to campus to tour the wind turbine with three of her geology students... Brendan Rok completed flight school and received his Naval Aviator's Wings on February 27, 2009 at Wilton Naval Air Station in Florida. He has been assigned to San Diego for advanced training on the FH-60 Sierra Helicopter... Evan Piekara is completing his second year with Teach For America teaching 6th grade English and social studies in the South Bronx. He was nominated as a regional finalist for Teach for America's prestigious Excellence in Teaching Award, recognizing top second- year corps members. This May, he earned his master's and is currently applying for a Fulbright Scholarship in Mumbai, India. In August, he hopes to complete a draft of a book on his two-year experience... Fiona Maurisette teaches English in Brooklyn, NY. This summer, she is a faculty member at the Portsmouth Abbey Summer Program... Andrew Martland is living in Boston working for a non-profit, The Steppingstone Foundation. In

Kate Kearney, Tiffany Spencer and Vanessa Palazio all from the class of 2001 recently headed west to visit with Kate Erstling in Denver, CO

Airman Patrick Neimeier ‘02 (right) on the flight deck of the USS Essex

Walter Zaykowski ‘03

summer BULLETIN 2009

291052.P32-64:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:08 PM

Mathieu Amirault, class of ’04, was commissioned a 2nd Lt. in the Marine Corps on Friday, March 20th.

Amanda McDonnell ’05 and her parents at her graduation from Utica this spring.

Page 62

June, he went hiking through the White Mountains with the AMC youth leadership program to train for its youth camping program... Matt Santos and friends in Ra Ra Riot were selected for both Rolling Stone's "50 Best Albums of the Year" (at #38 ahead of Taylor Swift, AC/DC, etc.) and "100 Best Singles" (at #74 ahead of Lil Wayne, Madonna, and others) in the special January 8, 2009 issue. (See interview on page 37)

‘04

5th Reunion SEPT 25- 27, 2009!

Aaron Byron writes, "Hey PAS, long time! I recently graduated from Quinnipiac University with degrees in political science (focus in international relations) and psychology. My credit requirements were fulfilled when I spent a month in Israel last summer continuing my Arabic language and culture studies. I spent the spring semester of my junior year interning at the National Defense University's Institute for National Strategic Studies

in Washington DC. On the same day I received my degree, I enlisted into the Army as a 35M (Human Intelligence) Specialist and will attend Airborne training at Ft. Benning, GA next fall."... Michael Yamamoto graduated from Radford University in Virginia in August 2008. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army...Lindsey O'Hara ran in the Boston Marathon on April 20, 2009 with an official time of 5:11:29... Clare Rok moved to New Mexico in January, and is working for the Citizens Schools Program in Santa Fe. She has been accepted into the Citizens Schools National Teaching Fellowship, and will work in the Albuquerque Public Schools. In September she will enroll in the master's of education program at Lesley University... Christian Burnett recently graduated from the Naval Academy and was commissioned as an Ensign in the Navy... Rebekah Wigton graduated from the University of Rhode Island Magna Cum Laude from the international engineering program. She graduated with a BS in biomedical engineering and a BA in Spanish. She spent half of the year studying at La Universidad de Cantabria (in the north of Spain) and the other half working at La Universidad de Zaragoza studying arrhythmias. In September, she heads back overseas to London to complete a master's degree in neuroscience at University College London... Matt Shaw recently finished an internship in public policy at the

Kennedy School of Government in Boston. He is hoping to move out to the west coast (Seattle) sometime soon... Chung Lim is currently a junior at Syracuse University... Mathieu Amirault was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Marine Corps on Friday, March 20th... Matthew Corser graduated from the University of Rhode Island in May...Katie Guida is teaching this summer at the Portsmouth Summer program. She is currently attending graduate school at Penn State.

‘05

Amanda McDonnell recently graduated from Utica College in Utica, NY with a Syracuse University degree in psychology/child-life with a concentration in child development. While at Utica, she was a member of the field hockey team and was named to the 2008 Longstretch/NFHCA Division III North Atlantic Regional Second team. She will be completing her internship at a charter school in New Bedford, MA and will be pursuing a career in teaching... Andrew Coombs graduated from Loyola University Chicago in May with an accounting degree. During his time at Loyola, he was a walk-on who played Division I basketball. He recently got a job as a tax accountant for Deloitte & Touche in Boston, MA... Myles Somerville received the MCLA player of the week award for lacrosse at Florida State... Elena Fedyszn was named to the dean's list for the fall semes-

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

291052.P32-64:Layout 1

7/16/09

7:08 PM

Page 63

ter at Johns Hopkins University... Kim Thomas was named to the dean's list at George Washington University where she played club lacrosse. She graduated in May... Willa McCafferty was married on July 26th, 2008 to Ryan Sheppard at the Hotel Congress in Tucson, AZ. She has finished her bachelor's of art history, and she will begin her master's of information resources and library science this summer. Willa also holds a job as a student-archivist at the National Park Service. Alexander Fernandez graduated from Salve Regina University this spring... Craig Bazarsky received a bachelor's degree in business administration from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University...Joshua Parks received a bachelor's degree magna cum laude in public policy studies from Hobart College... Rachel Wigton and Whitney Messinger graduated from the University of Rhode Island in May. Rachel will attend Old Dominion University in pursuit of a Ph.D. in marine biology. She is teaching at the Portsmouth Abbey Summer Program this summer... Kacie Harrington received a bachelor's degree in nutritional sciences from Cornell in May...Tyler Harvey starts her master's in art and museum studies which is a joint degree program through Georgetown University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the Sotheby's Institute in London this fall... Allie DeSisto, Brother Joseph, students and faculty (and faculty children) began the Portsmouth Abbey

summer BULLETIN 2009

Community Garden, a 1/2 acre plot located behind the dining hall and near the wind turbine. By the fall, the garden should be able to provide the dining hall with every vegetable imaginable right from the Abbey's own backyard...

‘06

Trevor Brice was named to the dean's list at Providence College for the fall semester... Natalie Sharp was named to the dean's list at Connecticut College for the fall semester... Ben Quatromoni was named to the dean's list at the University of Rhode Island for the fall semester... Abigail DiPalma was named to the dean's list at Hobart and William Smith College, as well as being named a ScholarAthlete by the College Rowing Coaches Association... Thomas Pickin was named to the dean's list at Saint Anselm College for the spring semester... Margaret Mahan was named to the dean's list at Saint Michael's College for the spring semester... Andrew Brainerd's paper, "Spacecharge waves on relativistic elliptic electron beams," will be published in the Journal of Applied Physics. The paper looks at how a particular type of wave travels down a beam of electrons of elliptical crosssection. His research advisor, Dr. Chiping Chen, and his former postdoctoral associate, Dr. Jing Zhou, are co-authors of the paper... Zachary McCune is entering his senior year at Brown University and was recently awarded a travel grant to attend the Ars Electronica Festival for digital

art and media in Austria in September. He will be joining the Cogut Center for the Humanities after being elected as an undergraduate fellow." I am studying Modern Culture & Media at Brown with a focus in Digital Technology and the ways it will reshape academic discourse"... Audrey Nebergall was the feature of a story in the Providence Journal entitled, "Where are they now: Audrey Nebergall of Portsmouth Abbey." The column profiles local athletes and their college athletic career, in her case, lacrosse. Audrey is at Hamilton College which finished 2009 with an overall record of 16-3. The three-time defending league tournament champions advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA tournament. The Continentals won the NCAA championship in 2008. Audrey finished up the season with 25 goals and 2 assists... Zack Guida is teaching math at the Portsmouth Abbey Summer Program this summer.

Andrew Coombs ‘05 graduated from Loyola University Chicago in May with an accounting degree

‘07

Brendan O'Connor writes, "I am a junior at Salve Regina University. I am working on a major in business administration, and a minor in information systems management. I am currently working as a Network Infrastructure Specialist for the Salve IT department. I was on the football team freshman year, but during the beginning of my sophomore year I was injured and could not play for a number of weeks due to surgery. When I returned, I reinjured myself, and have

Brendan O’Connor ‘07 is a junior at Salve Regina University.

291052.P32-64:Layout 1

7/16/09

Jonathan Samorajski ‘08 and Julian Allison ‘08 (right) at Julian’s USMAPS graduation

7:08 PM

Page 64

recently decided to retire from ten years of playing football. Next summer I am trying to line up an internship in Boston with a corporation at a managerial or technical position..." Cornelia Vaillancourt was named to the dean's list at Catholic University of America for the fall semester...Mary McDonough was named to the dean's list at Saint Anselm College for the fall and spring semesters... Priscilla Benkhart was named to the dean's list at Ithaca College for the fall semester... Jennifer Gerlach was named to the dean's list at Stonehill College for the spring semester... Georgia Markell was named to the Elmira College dean's list for her winter term... Martha Hugo is working as a prefect in the Portsmouth Abbey Summer Program.

‘08

Stephanie Perez completed her first year at Tufts University, where she played on the

Rodrigo Bichara ’09 (6th from left) at his graduation from Monterrey Tec High School

women's lacrosse team, ending the season with 19 goals and 6 assists... Brianne Rok completed her first year at Villanova University. She worked as a member of the Admissions Office staff, and served as a team coordinator for Villanova's Special Olympics Weekend last fall... Kathryn Hughes completed her first year at Santa Clara University. She is the president of the Santa Clara chapter of Global Water Brigades and went to Honduras on a community service project during her spring break, helping to provide clean water to the Hondurans.... Qingran Lisa Zhong was named to the dean's list at the University of Hartford for the fall semester... Michael Behan was named to the dean's list at Northeastern University for the spring semester... Daniel Bernard was named to the dean's list at the University of Vermont for the spring semester... Sydney Rey was named to the dean's list at Northeastern University for the spring semester. She has joined the sailing team and loves it... Julian Allison graduated from the United States Military Academy Preparation School, Fort Monmouth, NJ on May 15, 2009. Julian entered West Point at the end of June... Naseemah Mohamed was awarded a grant to travel to Kenya to do a journalism internship with the Standard, the leading newspaper in Kenya. While practicing journalism, she will also be doing some research on the implementation and the effects of the new high speed internet cables and services sweeping the east coast of Africa. Her

research will focus on the impact the internet has on the media, businesses, and households. She says, "It's going to be exciting because the influx of the internet is going to make a bigger impact than the historic railway systems!..."Corrigan Van Sant is climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in aid of Childreach International, an organization that works to support child poverty alleviations, working in some of the world's poorest regions. She hopes to raise $3,500 for this worthy cause. The money that she raises will be used for new sanitation blocks within schools and local communities located in Tanzania, which in turn will combat disease. The site to donate on is http://www. justgiving. com/alexandravansant... Chris Thompson pitched for the for the Wheaton College baseball team this spring... Pierce King will attend Bowdoin College this fall... Harry Holden worked in the admission office at Endicott College this year. He returned to Portsmouth Abbey this summer to work at the Top 150 Lacrosse Camp.

‘09

Rodrigo Bichara Assad graduated from Monterrey Tec High School in Mexico in May, and will be entering law school there in the fall. He writes, "I was looking at some pictures on Facebook of all my classmates that graduated from Portsmouth Abbey and I'm so happy for them, and much better now that I'm still keeping touch with some of them. I hope you all are doing well."

P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL

291052.COVER:summer 08

7/16/09

7:54 PM

Page 2

M I S S I O N S T AT E M E N T

Rev. Dom Damian Kearney, O.S.B. '45 Portsmouth, RI Mr. Charles E. Kenahan ’77, P ’12 Swampscott, MA

Save The Date!! September 25 -27, 2009

Rev. F. Washington Jarvis Dorchester Center, MA

291052.COVER.P1:summer 08

7/22/09

5:06 PM

Page 1

285 Coryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lane Portsmouth, RI 02871 www.portsmouthabbey.org Address Service Requested

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 3 Portsmouth, RI

P O RT S M O U T H ABBEY SCHOOL Portsmouth Abbey School Summer Bulletin 2009

S u m m e r

B u l l e t i n

2 0 0 9