Issuu

T HE N EWS LET TER

SPR ING 2021

headmaster

Kerry P. Brennan associate headmaster

Michael T. Pojman director of external relations

Erin E. Berg assistant headmaster for advancement

Thomas R. Guden ’96 photography

Gretchen Ertl, John Gillooly, Marcus Miller, Mike Pojman, Adam Richins, Evan Scales, John Werner editorial & design

Erin E. Berg, Marcus C. Miller the newsletter

The Roxbury Latin School publishes The Newsletter quarterly for alumni, current and former parents, and friends of the school. contact information

The Roxbury Latin School 101 St. Theresa Avenue West Roxbury, MA 02132 Phone: 617-325-4920 change of address?

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The Newsletter SPRING 2021 | VOLUME 94 | NUMBER 3

Eddy Pan (III) prepares to toss his egg from the second floor of the Bauer Science Center, under the watchful eye of Bobby Zabin (III), during the Annual Class III Physics Egg Drop on February 11, 2021. Photo by Mike Pojman

Features 18

The Innovation Exchange—a New, Student-Led

Initiative | by Liam Grossman ’22

A Fork in the Road

Headmaster Kerry Brennan Opens Spring Term

Exelauno Day: "Everyone is a Winner!"

by Mike Pojman

The Good Deed Challenge

by Jake Carroll ’21

Teaching {coaching, supporting, guiding, motivating}

During a Pandemic | Roxbury Latin alumni educators reflect on a year indelibly marked by COVID-19.

Investors Alumni Networking Event with Dan Tarullo ’69

Giving Day: A Success in Support of RL Faculty

Entrepreneurs Alumni Networking Event with Fernando Rodriguez-Villa ’06 and Mike Volpe ’93

This Year’s (Virtual) Alumni Luncheon, Featuring

John Kenney ’81 | by Alessandro Ferzoco ’14

Departments 4

RL News & Hall Highlights

Arts News

Winter Varsity Senior Athletes

Class Notes

In Memoriam

Ramblings from the Archives

Darian Reid ’05

Matt McDonald ’85

Two Alumni Appointed To Crucial, Student-Facing Leadership Roles Alumni Darian Reid—member of the Class of 2005, and a member of the faculty since 2010—and Matt McDonald ’85 will be taking on two key roles at the school, focused on supporting the boys of Roxbury Latin, and also on enrolling the next generation of RL students. Darian— who has distinguished himself as an exemplary teacher, classmaster, coach and advisor—will be taking on the role of Dean of Students, as Paul Sugg steps down from a post he has held since 1997. Matt—who has nearly two decades of independent school admission experience—will join the Roxbury Latin faculty as the school’s Director of Admission, taking over for Billy Quirk ‘04 who has held that position since 2016. (Both Paul and Billy will remain as members of the Roxbury Latin faculty.) “Darian has experienced school life from virtually every angle,” says Headmaster Kerry Brennan, “as a superb classroom teacher, as a highly motivating coach, as an

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attentive advisor, and as Class V Classmaster. He has been a great shepherd of his flock, and he knows this school deeply and well. From the time that he was 12 years old, he's come to understand and live out Roxbury Latin’s mission. Darian knows our values and priorities and the ways in which we motivate and support boys. In our increasingly complex world, students are needing different kinds of support, and Darian is keenly attuned to kids and what they need. I know that he will be an especially effective Dean of Students.” Over this past year, Darian has helped to lead the school’s inclusivity and equity efforts as RL’s Director of Community and Culture. As a member of the school’s senior leadership team, he championed RL’s ongoing efforts to know and love every boy; acknowledged opportunities for evolving the curriculum so that all students recognize themselves within it; provided professional development opportunities for faculty and staff related to issues of racism, bias, and creating

an inclusive school community; and convened important student-focused discussions on topics of difference, equity, and justice. As Dean of Students he will continue this effort, with the collaboration of incoming faculty member Jackie Salas, who—in addition to teaching in the Math and Science Departments—will take on a role helping to lead those efforts. Billy will also work closely with Darian as Assistant Dean of Students. “I think the Dean of Students role is, in part, being a shepherd of the shepherds: helping advisors and classmasters support the students as best they can,” says Darian. “In addition to that, I see this role as helping to set the culture for the students and with the students. The world changes pretty quickly. In some ways the particular topics will present themselves, so—rather than setting the agenda—it will be part of my job to help build an environment in which, whatever presents itself, the students have the tools, and the skills, and the competencies to tackle it.” “There's no time in my association with Roxbury Latin that Paul Sugg was not the Dean of Students, so in some ways, it can be difficult to imagine what this role is without envisioning Paul in it,” says Darian. “In all those years, Paul has offered an incredible balance of patience, but also firmness, an ability to build a rapport with students, and an ability to navigate difficult terrain. The thing that I find confidence in, taking this job after Paul, is that he was so thoroughly himself, and comfortable in that way. That gives me the confidence to approach the role as myself, as well. Finally, I look forward to working closely with my colleagues across the school so that I can understand and approach the Dean of Students role from a holistic sense, which is very important to me.”

Since 2015, Matt McDonald has served as Director of Financial Aid and Associate Director of Admission at Choate Rosemary Hall in Connecticut. Prior to that, he served in the admission and financial aid offices of Buckingham Brown & Nichols School in Cambridge for more than a decade. At both schools Matt had proven success in attracting and enrolling mission-appropriate students; driving admission-

specific strategic planning; allocating financial aid dollars to support a talented and diverse student body; and ensuring that the entire admission process aligned closely with the school’s mission. “Matt brings a set of skills that will be extremely valuable to us,” says Kerry. “He is an alumnus of the school, yet he has had the experience and the perspective of different schools— in particular, how they do admission work and honor their respective missions. I know that Matt will be an effective champion of what we stand for in the broader community. We’re lucky to still have with us RL’s last three Directors of Admission—in Tom Guden ’96, Andy Chappell, and now Billy Quirk ’04—to help support him as he steps into this role, and I’m confident that Matt will follow in that strong tradition.” “Roxbury Latin was a transformative place for me as a student,” says Matt, “and I see my role as identifying students who will take full advantage of the range of opportunities available to them—and, in turn, helping them to see what a remarkable place Roxbury Latin could be for them.” “From everything I’ve seen and experienced, the people of Roxbury Latin are true to their word when they describe who they are, what they value as an institution, and why. Fundamental to all of that, I think, is that RL really values each individual. I think regardless of your personality or range of interests, if you come to Roxbury Latin as a curious, engaged, caring, and kind person, you’re likely to have a positive experience. And while the school, at its core, remains very consistent and true to its values, there’s still a lot for me to learn. Like any great institution, RL has evolved and changed. I’m looking forward to getting to know Roxbury Latin today, and with that I feel a great responsibility to be sure we're continuing to find the best kids in the Boston area to grow and learn at this school.” Both Darian and Matt will assume their new roles as of July 1, 2021. In addition to his advisor duties, Darian will continue as a teacher of Classics and and coach of both football and basketball. In addition to his role leading the school’s admission efforts, Matt will also advise students and lead RL’s soccer program as Varsity Head Coach. //

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Juan Enríquez On The Evolution of Right and Wrong “What if what’s okay today may be wrong tomorrow?” Juan Enríquez began in virtual Hall on February 4. “What if what’s right flips 180 degrees, and the rules that you’re taught today turn out to be completely wrong tomorrow?” Mr. Enríquez is many impressive things—life science expert, technologist, investor, author—and his most recent book, Right/Wrong, addresses how technology transforms our ethics, and what the implications of that will be in the future. That was the topic he brought to light in Hall as Roxbury Latin’s 2021 Wyner Lecturer. “Think about this in terms of a time machine,” he said. “You go back to the time of the Mayans. The Mayans practiced human sacrifice, as did the Aztecs, as did a series of other people. Not only was that considered right, it was considered essential to the survival of that civilization, because otherwise the sun wouldn’t rise, or the rains wouldn’t come. Of course, in retrospect, we look at this and we say, ‘What a barbaric set of customs.’”

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Mr. Enríquez went on to talk about how, not that long ago, in France people regularly attended public executions by guillotine as if they were social events—a practice we would view today as horrific. He drew connections to the evolution of ethics and morality in the United States over many centuries, and even over recent decades. He discussed Americans’ view on gay rights, which went from two thirds of Americans being opposed to gay rights in 1997, to two thirds being in favor of it today. He discussed how the abolition of slavery came to be, due in large part to the actions of brave individuals, but also, not coincidentally, along with the advent of machinery and the use of oil as energy, which became an alterative to manpower. “People used to live, on average, 25 to 35 years,” said Mr. Enríquez. “All of a sudden, across continents, you could treat people better, and life span exploded. You suddenly had a situation where you could produce more and also do the right thing. That is a situation that we may see time

“It’s incredibly important to have humility and forgiveness, because we may be wrong. And even if we’re right, the concept of being right and wrong may shift.” and again. As solar energy becomes faster, better, cheaper, we can have more energy and not have to burn coal. We’re going to be judged pretty harshly, as global warming takes hold, by future generations who are going to say: ‘Why didn’t you use solar? Why didn’t you use geothermal? Why were you burning coal? How dare you have done that—that was completely amoral.’” Finally, Mr. Enríquez asserted that the toxic polarization in America today—exacerbated by social media—means we have to reintroduce the words humility and forgiveness into our vocabularies. “It’s incredibly important to have humility and forgiveness, because we may be wrong. And even if we’re right, the concept of being right and wrong may shift. When we judge the past or each other, when we talk to each other, when we accuse each other, let’s be a little more careful to isolate the 1% of people who are truly evil from the vast majority of people who may have different thoughts or opinions than we do, who were brought up in a different way than we were. We may not agree with them, but they’re trying to, in general, do the right thing. They’re trying to teach their kids what they think is right and wrong. They’re trying to put food on the table. They’re trying to be a good person. The bottom

line is this: When you judge the past, do it with a little more kindness and hope your descendants will do the same.” Mr. Enríquez is the managing director of Excel Venture Management—a life sciences venture capital firm—and the founder of Biotechonomy. He’s also an affiliate of MIT’s Synthetic Neurobiology group; he teaches about the economic and political impacts of life sciences, about future brain technologies, and about the rise and fall of countries. He was a founding director of the Harvard Business School Life Sciences Project, and he also ran Mexico City’s Urban Development Corporation. Mr. Enríquez has been prolific on TED and TEDx Talk stages around the world, drawing tens of millions of viewers. He is also the author of several bestselling books focused on biological and technological evolution; on political polarization; and on the ethical choices we face, related to these topics, now and in the years ahead. The Wyner Lecture—established in 1985 by Jerry Wyner, Class of 1943, and his sister, Elizabeth Wyner Mark—is a living memorial to their father, Rudolph Wyner, Class of 1912. We are grateful to continue shedding light on important social issues through the Wyner Lecture. //

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Class VI Winter Walk Helps Combat Homelessness On February 3, members of Class VI braved the chill and slush to trek two miles in the name of advocacy. Joined by Class I counterparts and two dozen faculty and staff members, Sixies participated in Boston’s Winter Walk—an event that raises both dollars and awareness to combat homelessness throughout Greater Boston.

unavailable to students, due to COVID restrictions, Mrs. White was eager to involve RL’s youngest boys in this meaningful and active service initiative. Head Cross Country coach Bryan Dunn marked a two-mile course, and—donning hats, coats, boots, and masks—RL students and adults took to the streets.

The students’ march around campus and through the surrounding neighborhoods of West Roxbury was just one part of a larger event that takes place each February—the coldest month of the year in Boston. This year marked the Winter Walk’s fifth annual event, which took place—in walks large and small—from January 29 through February 7. During the walk many RL boys wore signs indicating why they walk: “To raise awareness and spread kindness,” “To be an ally,” and “To not take the things we have for granted.”

The Winter Walk is presented by Boston Medical Center and Boston Medical Center HealthNet Plan, and sponsored by many other local businesses, large and small. In support of the effort, and in honor of our Class VI walkers, Roxbury Latin made a donation to this year’s Winter Walk, which was directed to the Pine Street Inn—one of the many shelters the organization serves, as well as a long-time service partner of Roxbury Latin. The Walk brings together a number of Greater Boston’s remarkable homeless service programs to show the powerful work being done in the city.

The Walk is not only a fundraising endeavor, but also an act of solidarity: “This is our chance to link arms with those who experience homelessness and to listen humbly to their stories. It is our chance to show them that this city cares about their lives and to affirm our commitment to do all it takes to ease their struggles,” reads the Walk’s website. West Roxbury residents and RL parents, Jessie and Enrique Colbert P’26, served as co-chairs of this year’s Winter Walk, and Mrs. Colbert was the person who brought the idea to the attention of Class VI classmaster, Hunter White. During a year in which many of RL’s regular community service partnerships and events are

Community service is a central element of Roxbury Latin’s mission. In celebrating the school’s 375th anniversary last year, Roxbury Latin focused specifically on issues related to poverty and homelessness, sponsoring an all-school bed-build with A Bed for Every Child, through the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, and a series of speakers, including Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Evicted, Matthew Desmond; CEO of Boston Medical, Kate Walsh; founder of Codman Square Health, Bill Walczak; and Nobel Prize-winning economist Esther Duflo. The series continued a centuries-long Roxbury Latin mission of preparing boys to both lead and serve. //

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Representative Dr. Jon Santiago On Service, Of All Kinds On March 9, Massachusetts State Representative Dr. Jon Santiago spoke to students, faculty, and staff in virtual Hall and discussed—from his personal experience—the many ways in which one can choose to meaningfully serve others and their community. Dr. Santiago is the Representative for the 9th Suffolk District (Boston), centered in the South End, and an emergency room physician at Boston Medical Center. A lifelong public servant, Representative Santiago was a Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic, and he continues to serve as a captain in the Army Reserve. He spent five years abroad working in community organizing and public health. His current policy and clinical interests are focused on improving quality and access to care for underserved communities. “I’m a relentless optimist,” he said in Hall. “I do what I do because I think the world can be a better place. I made the decision to enter the Peace Corps, to join the Army, to work in BMC’s ER, to serve as an elected state official, because I am ultimately a believer in people, and a believer that the world can become a better place. While I was with the Peace Corps, in the Dominican Republic, I was sitting in bed—alone, in a different country—thinking, ‘Is the world becoming a better

place, historically speaking? And can I have a role in making that so?’” Recently, Representative Santiago has used his roles as both an elected official and ER physician to advocate for resources and equity-oriented policies during the COVID19 pandemic. He worked in the emergency room each week during the COVID-19 surge, sharing social media videos to provide up-to-date information for hundreds of thousands of viewers. He has also been active in national and local media discussing a host of COVID-19-related issues while writing several Boston Globe op-eds. One of 14 legislators of color in the legislature, Representative Santiago played an instrumental role in leading the charge for police reform as a member of the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus. Born in Puerto Rico, Dr. Santiago earned his bachelor’s degree in religious studies and biology from the University of Texas at Austin, his master’s in public health from the University of Washington, and his doctor of medicine from Yale. In February, Dr. Santiago announced his candidacy for Mayor of Boston, a post left vacant as Mayor Marty Walsh assumes the post of Secretary of Labor in President Biden’s administration. //

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Photo: Bowdoin College

Dr. Brian Purnell On The History of Racial Injustice in America, and the Fierce Urgency of Now “For the past 20 years, I have studied the history of racial discrimination in the United States,” Dr. Brian Purnell began in virtual Hall on February 18. “I focused on this because I wanted to understand my country’s contradictions.” Dr. Purnell shared his personal journey with Civil Rights Movement history, which includes his work as a historian as well as his own personal experiences of growing up in Brooklyn, New York, in the 1980s and ’90s. His talk offered a foundational explanation of where our country has been in regard to racism, how far we have come, and how far we still have to go. “The most famous lines from our Declaration of Independence read, ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’ While Thomas Jefferson wrote those lines in Philadelphia in 1776, over 400,000 people lived as slaves in British North America. The overwhelming majority were in

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the South, where human labor cultivated tobacco and rice, but there were also tens of thousands of enslaved people who lived in the North—15,000 in Massachusetts and 19,000 in my home state of New York. Americans like to think that racial slavery occurred only in the South, but it was part of the North’s deep, dirty past, too.” Dr. Purnell discussed how the economy and individuals of the Northern states benefited from and relied on the practice of slavery as much as the South: “Beginning with Massachusetts, northern states had abolished human slavery, but major northern industries—banking, finance, insurance, and shipping, as well as manufacturing trades, like shipbuilding, barrel making, rope, and sail fabrication—all profited from and relied upon the South’s racial slavery and the cotton it supplied the world. Boston, New York, and Philadelphia needed profits from slavery as much as Charleston, Atlanta, and Birmingham. Racial slavery was never a regional sickness, it was always a national cancer.”

Dr. Purnell walked students and faculty through the work of abolitionists William Lloyd Garrison and John Brown, and through his own transformative experience of reading Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass for the first time in ninth grade. He talked about how his third grade teacher, Mrs. Eppolito, who—in wanting to teach her young students about the dangers of racist violence, and the inexplicable nature of rage and prejudice—showed her class the very beginning of the documentary, Eyes on the Prize, which told the story of 14-year-old Emmett Till, including showing images of his dead body. “‘This is what happens when bigots have their way,’ Mrs. Eppolito told us, and I will never forget that,” Dr. Purnell said. “When Dr. King spoke about the Fierce Urgency of Now, he highlighted the need for people to act upon the injustices in their current world—not a future one—with compassion and commitment… I look forward to hearing how you find a way to do the same, because like Frederick Douglass said, if there is no struggle, there is no progress.” Brian Purnell is the Geoffrey Canada Professor of Africana Studies and History at Bowdoin College. His research, teaching, and writing has focused on race relations—as well as related laws and urban development—throughout the boroughs of New York City, though he has also taught and written extensively about the place of racism in both the North and the South throughout America’s history. Dr. Purnell’s first book, Fighting Jim Crow in the County of Kings, tells the story of interracial activists fighting against racial discrimination in Brooklyn during the 1960s. At Bowdoin, he teaches courses on the civil rights movement; racism and criminal law; affirmative action; the history of racial and ethnic conflict in the U.S.; and the history of American cities from the colonial period to the present. Dr. Purnell will continue his relationship with Roxbury Latin as the school’s 2021-2022 Smith Scholar in Residence. He will teach a spring history elective titled “History of the Civil Rights Movement.” //

Roxbury Latin Earns the Googins Cup for the Sixth Consecutive Year This winter’s Kingswood Oxford public speaking competition took place virtually on February 8. For the sixth year in a row, Roxbury Latin’s team earned the Googins Cup, awarded to the school that places first overall in four categories of competition: Persuasive Speaking, After Dinner Speaking, Impromptu Speaking, and Ethical Dilemmas. The four RL boys contributing to the team’s success this year were John Wilkinson (I), Nick Raciti (II), Vishnu Emani (II), and David Sullivan (II). In addition to their team success, two boys earned individual recognition: David not only placed first in Impromptu Speaking, and second in After Dinner Speaking, but he also placed first as the Top Overall Speaker in the competition, which included 52 students from eleven schools across New England. John also earned a third place finish, in After Dinner Speaking. “The virtual nature of this year’s debate and public speaking tournaments has not lessened the boys’ hard work and commitment,” faculty advisor Stewart Thomsen has noted. Faculty member Ken Hiatt ’93 served as the judge for Roxbury Latin’s team of four at this winter’s virtual competition. //

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RL Parent and Trustee Jim Frates Reflects On Holy Week “Central to Roxbury Latin’s mission and tradition is tending to the spiritual growth of our boys,” began Headmaster Brennan in virtual Hall on April 1. Throughout the year, Roxbury Latin students hear from speakers of various religious traditions about topics of faith, spirituality, and living with purpose. As Jews began their celebration of Passover, and as Christians looked forward to the culmination of Holy Week, RL trustee and parent Jim Frates P ’19,’21 shared his personal reflections on the meaning of Holy Thursday—and how the lessons relate to each of us, regardless of our faith or beliefs. He began with the story of RL alumnus James Drummond Dole, Class of 1895, who had set out for Hawaii to make his fortune and—after much trial and error—found success, ultimately, in pineapples. He then shared the tale of Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, who “might have been the most interesting man in the world,” Mr. Frates said, who in his life excelled in engine repair and then race car

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driving; became the greatest flying ace in WWI; went on to own Indianapolis Motor Speedway and establish Eastern Airlines; and even authored a comic strip. Mr. Frates then recounted a sermon that his uncle—a former Navy priest and WWII pilot—used to deliver about when Captain Rickenbacker and his crew crashed into the Pacific and spent 21 days adrift: “After exhausting their supplies, starving, and near the point of death, Captain Rickenbacker organized a prayer meeting: ‘Master, we are in an awful fix, as you know. We are counting on a little something by the day after tomorrow at the least.’ Rickenbacker then lay on his back and pulled his hat down over his face. At that point something landed on it. A seagull. He slowly reached up and captured the gull, and then divided it among his men. The remainder provided him with bait for two fish which were quickly captured. There were no skeptics among

“I am sure you hear this a lot, but you have been given a great gift,” concluded Mr. Frates. “Your community here at Roxbury Latin is special—your friendships, your classmates, and your teachers. Remember your fellowship. Carry it forward. Don’t be afraid to lead, and don’t be afraid to rely on your friends.”

those men.” He recounts how two days later, near death from dehydration, Rickenbacker prayed for water. That evening a squall occurred, providing the men with enough water to survive until they were rescued. Finally, Mr. Frates arrived at one of the most important stories in the Christian tradition—that of Holy Thursday. “In the Episcopal tradition, Maundy Thursday is the day that sets up and highlights all that is to follow.” He recounted the details of Christ’s Last Supper, the washing of His disciples’ feet, and finally the agony in the garden at Gethsemane. “Jesus’s commandments to his disciples during the days leading up to his death are some of the lessons I hope you take away today,” said Mr. Frates. “To love one another ‘as I have loved you;’ the importance of fellowship—caring for one’s friends and neighbors; and leadership through service. If you want to truly lead you must take care of one another… Combine these lessons with those of Dole—dream big, don’t give up, look to your friends for support, take care of those around you— and Rickenbacker—work hard, find your passion, give all you can, remember it can change at any moment, be a leader, and don’t be afraid to pray. “I am sure you hear this a lot, but you have been given a great gift,” concluded Mr. Frates. “Your community here at Roxbury Latin is special—your friendships, your classmates, and your teachers. Remember your fellowship. Carry it forward. Don’t be afraid to lead, and don’t be afraid to rely on your friends.” Mr. Frates is the Chief Financial Officer of Amylyx Pharmaceuticals—a company focused on developing new treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer’s Disease, and other neurodegenerative diseases. In addition to serving as treasurer of Roxbury Latin’s Board of Trustees, Mr. Frates serves on the boards of Sage Therapeutics and St. Francis House, and formerly on the Board of his alma mater, St. Paul’s School in New Hampshire. //

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Unmatched by Alex Uek (I)

National Gold Recognition and Artistic Accolades for RL Boys Each year, the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers, in partnership with more than 100 visual and literary arts organizations across the country, accept submissions from teens in grades 7 through 12 for their Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. Hundreds of thousands of art and writing submissions across 11 categories are judged based on originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice. Roxbury Latin senior, Miguel Rincon, not only earned Gold Key recognition in the regional competition for his short documentary film titled LoPresti Park, but his film also won a Gold Key Award in the national competition. Even more impressive, Miguel was one of only six students in the country selected to win the 2021 Civic Expression Award. This award is the highest honor presented annually by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers and it comes with a $1,000 scholarship.

Four other RL students found success in this year’s Scholastic Regional competition: James McCurley (III) earned a Silver Key for his science fiction writing submission titled Soup and Stories; Alex Uek (I) won an Honorable Mention for his drawing Unmatched; George Madison (II) earned an Honorable Mention in Photography for his piece titled Spiraling; and Joseph Wang (IV) earned an Honorable Mention for his poem Snow Showers. Several talented Roxbury Latin students earn regional honors for their art and writing in the Scholastic competition each year.

As a Civic Expression Award winner, Miguel and his work will be highlighted in the program’s anthology, The Best Teen Art of 2021, in the Awards’ Online Galleries. Recipients of the Civic Expression Award also receive recognition in the

sponsored by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s College of Visual and Performing Arts. Miguel’s clay sculpture, The Little Prince, was one of 88 works selected to be part of the exhibition, out of more than 430 submissions. This

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Awards’ National Ceremony, which will be presented virtually this year on June 9.

In addition to winning a Gold Key award in the Scholastic competition, Miguel created a sculpture that was chosen as a winner in the 2021 Emerging Young Artists Exhibition,

competitive, annual, high school juried exhibition recognizes the exceptional work of art students from high schools throughout New England. The Little Prince was one of several pieces that Miguel created as part of his junior year Studio Art elective with Brian Buckley. Struggling with what exactly to make, he was inspired by the idea of creating gifts for people in his life—so that’s what he did. Out of wire, he crafted a hummingbird for his mother— her favorite animal; he made a wood-burning design of a horse for his grandfather in Colombia; and, out of clay, he crafted a sculpture based on the cover art of the French-language book Le Petit Prince, for his French teacher and longtime advisor, Roxbury Latin faculty member Ousmane Diop. “I tried to recreate the cover as well as I could, but I didn’t want to make it exactly the same,” says Miguel. Over the span

The Little Prince by Miguel Rincon (I)

of two marking periods, he shaped all the clay parts and fired them in the kiln. “Creating this sculpture took me a really long time, so as another studio project I did the painting for it—it was almost like a two-for-one project. As I was working on it, the head fell off the figure, and because I wanted to do something a little different, I thought maybe I should swap the head with the rose, and that it might look pretty cool. I didn’t plan for that to happen, but I liked the way it looked, and I thought it offered a different perspective.” While a photograph of the sculpture is part of the awards exhibit, the piece itself now lives on Monsieur Diop’s office desk. In May, Miguel will team up with classmate Brady Chappell as the two boys plan to create a documentary film on homelessness in Boston as their Independent Senior Project. “After having the opportunity to try out all these different media, filmmaking is still my favorite for now,” says Miguel. //

Spiraling by George Madison (II)

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The Canterbury Tales: The 2021 Junior Play “This is not your ancestors’ Canterbury Tales,” says Marge Dunn, director of this year’s Junior Play. “Six hundred years after Chaucer first sent his pilgrims ambling through the English countryside, the tales have been adapted and modernized in many ways. In our production, we witness the storytelling pilgrims through the lens of Monty Python—witty wordplay, outrageous characters, confusing accents, and modern references that will make you groan! With more than 50 characters spanning several species and time periods, this raucous romp is fun for the whole family!” The Junior Play, which premiered virtually on March 5, included nearly 30 Roxbury Latin boys—in Class VI through Class IV—who began working on their parts in January, both in-person and in Zoom rehearsals. The resulting film was edited by Evan Scales, a Boston videographer. // Michael Strojny (V)

Cast list

Zach Heaton (V)

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Akhilsai Damera (IV) Aspen Johnson (VI) Austin Reid (VI) Brendan Reichard (V) Calvin Reid (V) Edward Smith (VI) Fintan Reichard (VI) Grayson Lee (VI) Joseph Wang (IV) Liam Walsh (VI) Lucas Vander Elst (IV) Marc Albrechtskirchinger (V) Michael DiLallo (VI) Michael Strojny (V) Nick Glaeser (VI) Nick Makura (V) Nitin Muniappan (VI) Oliver Colbert (VI) Raj Saha (V) Ryan Miller (V) Ryan Peterson (IV) Sam DiFiore (V) Sean DiLallo (IV) Simba Makura (VI) Simon Albrechtskirchinger (VI) Theo Coben (IV) Tucker Rose (V) Xavier Martin (V) Zach Heaton (V)

Boring Scholar Arcite, Farmer Gluttony, Emelye, Manny Thief 1, Alex of Trebek, WP 1 Lawyer Knight Frankie, Lust Mrs. Bailey, Sloth Theseus Pardoner WP 2, Old Widow Chanticleer Bob Parson Geoffrey Chaucer Tax Man, Pride Cook Palamon Greed, Nun’s Priest King Larry Thief 2, Fox Old Man Wife of Bath Physician, SM Envy, Friar Harry Bailey Anger Miller, Thief 3 Pertelote, Devil

Akhilsai Damera (IV)

Austin Reid (VI)

Mark Albrechtskirchiger (V)

Nick Makura (V)

Ryan Peterson (IV)

Production photos by Mike Pojman.

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Austin Kee ’22, Benja Rosenzweig ’21, Liam Grossman ’22 and Krishan Arora ’22

The Innovation Exchange—a New, Student-Led Initiative by Liam Grossman, Class II Together, Austin Kee ’22, Krishan Arora ’22, Benja Rosenzweig ’21, and I created the RL Innovation Exchange as a group focused on bringing innovative speakers to campus to speak about various topics. The creation of the club was the culmination of our different ideas. Austin wanted to focus on the stock market and data analytics, while Benja is interested in entrepreneurship. Krishan also enjoys entrepreneurship, focused on health care, while I am interested in the stock market, entrepreneurship, and data analytics. Our initial struggle in bringing our club to fruition was determining how to unite all of our ideas. Ultimately, we settled on the focus of innovation as our umbrella topic. To address all of our subjects, we invite individuals to speak on specific matters relevant to their work. Our program grants students the opportunity to interact with the speaker’s topic through a workshop following each presentation. Our inaugural meeting, this past December—featured in the winter Newsletter issue—focused on entrepreneurship with guest speaker Fernando Rodriguez-Villa ’06, the founder and CEO of AdeptID, a start-up using machine learning technology to improve job transitions for Americans who do

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not have college degrees. Mr. Rodriguez-Villa touched on the skills required to overcome the challenges faced in starting a new company. In the workshop portion of the online event, students spent time interacting with AdeptID’s technology. Our second speaker, Ed Shapiro, whom we hosted in February, focused on capital markets as he described his career as a stock market analyst and portfolio manager at Wellington Management and PAR Capital, a Bostonbased hedge fund. Mr. Shapiro also offered his insights and viewpoints on the airline industry as a United board member; on shorting stocks; and on this winter’s GameStop/ Reddit debacle. Finally, he described his current focus as a philanthropist actively combatting the refugee crisis. Our most recent speaker, on April 6, was Tim Zue, the Executive Vice President and CFO of the Red Sox. Through the lens of data analytics, Mr. Zue described his job as he presented the role of numbers in ticket pricing while also talking about the challenges faced by the MLB as fan numbers dwindle. Our first three meetings have all aligned with my interests in entrepreneurship, investments, and sports. In each of the meetings, I took away something interesting and learned

“Ultimately, we settled on the focus of innovation as our umbrella topic. To address all of our subjects, we invite individuals to speak on specific matters relevant to their work.”

Ed Shapiro

something new. Mr. Rodriguez-Villa taught us about the importance of recognizing the talents of others. He began his presentation by expressing his experience at RL of not being the smartest person in the room, which set up his overall point of recognizing the knowledge and power in the abilities of others. Mr. Shapiro shared his belief in the importance of working at a job that applies to your interests. Personally, the idea of doing what you love resonated with me. Mr. Zue underscored the importance of using numbers and data analytics to make successful business decisions. Our three speakers have offered a fascinating insight into the world of business through their respective fields. I would also like to thank Mr. Brown, Mr. Chappell, and Mr. Thornton who have spent much time with us as we worked to get the Innovation Exchange off the ground, and who have been instrumental in helping us secure our wonderful speakers so far. //

Tim Zue

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A Fork in the R Headmaster Brennan Opens the Spring Term

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Navid Hodjat

Road

“When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” The Hall of Fame Yankees’ catcher, Yogi Berra, a much beloved and amusing philosopher, was known for his cockeyed declarations. He also suggested when arriving at a restaurant with some friends “that’s why no one comes here anymore…it’s too crowded.” Or “If you don’t go to other people’s funerals, they won’t go to yours.” Let’s focus, however, on the first wacky observation, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” Some are more familiar with Robert Frost’s take on the moment of decision, when equally attractive options present themselves. Today I want to talk a bit about making choices—big ones and small ones. We do it every day. And others, with more consequential positions, make them on our behalf every day. When we are young, our parents are making decisions for us— What will you wear? What will you eat? When will you go to bed? With whom will you be allowed to play? What are your chores around the house? Where will you go to school? Over time, given hoped for, even likely maturation, children and then young adults are granted the freedom to make more choices. As I tell the parents of sixies every year, one of the great tasks of parenting (and by extension schooling) is to provide children with the tools and the training and the formation of healthy habits that will allow them to be more independent. Of course, independence suggests both greater opportunities for freedom but also greater accountability. And as we get older, the consequences of our actions—arrived at independently and with the permissions we have been granted by the consequential adults in our lives—end up being more dramatic. More meaningful. Perhaps even greater in their scope and in the other people they will influence. You

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know what this feels like. You older boys every day, and certainly every weekend, have the latitude to make independent decisions. The notion of independence is fraught, however, because hardly any decision is made independently. And I will have more to say about that momentarily. What really happens to and for young adults is that they, you, achieve autonomy. So much of what we do in our teens is the result of older people granting us permission to do so. Parents are usually persuaded to do this by some signs that you are ready for the responsibility, but sometimes you artfully leverage the fact that everyone else in your class is able to do this thing, and that you are the only one still being treated by his parents like a baby. For how many generations has that lame ploy been used—often to some success. In my own old school home, my mother suggested one time when I invoked that sure-to-beconvincing ploy that “you’re the only mother who makes me be home by eleven,” that if I wanted to live life by those rules I could go live with the seemingly enlightened family that I had cited. Autonomy, on the other hand, is something each of us earns, builds on, and knows when we see it. It has to do with confidence in ourselves and both a yearning for independence and the selfknowledge that we are ready to proceed guided by our own best lights, our intuitions and our ability to make choices.

undoubtedly deciding how you’ll spend your time. What will your priorities be? RL boys often reflect that the time management habits formed here in school are not only necessary to survive, let alone flourish, at RL, but that they serve you well in later life. Indeed there is much to juggle, opportunities to consider— athletic and social—and priorities to make. Increasingly, and to the consternation of your parents, you will decide to spend time with your friends and not with your family. You will resist your parents’ attempts to plan, and more particularly, bristle at having to attend nightly meals with your family, let alone join them at church or temple. You will be exercising your autonomy the same you would a well-curated muscle.

This very morning I decided what tie and suit I would wear. I decided what I would have for breakfast. I decided when I would have to get up in order to arrive at school on time. I decided whether I would answer the waiting emails from overnight at home or when I got to school. And on and on each of us could go.

Where else are decisions essential? Just before we broke for spring break, the admission team, including virtually every teacher in the school, made decisions about whom to invite to join the school family. These decisions are not easy. Thankfully lots of boys and their parents appreciate the merits of an RL education and compete for spots in their respective classes. We have the tough job of ensuring that boys we accept will thrive here and that they will bring distinctiveness to the mix —interesting family backgrounds, special talents in athletics or the arts, stellar citizenship. And seniors are feeling what that judgment is like on the college end. The perversity of our system is that people in college admission offices who, thanks to hideous numbers of applicants cannot give each individual application the attention it deserves, nonetheless have to pass judgment on whether you are a worthy applicant. Sometimes to an outsider like me, they get it right; sometimes they get it wrong. Thankfully, boys usually have attractive options even if their heart’s desire said “no.” Sadly in this process and I fear in much of college itself there is not much knowing and loving.

I expect though you were not choosing a jacket and tie (I fear you are not eagerly looking forward to a time in which you might have to dress that way), and that you doubtless picked out some hip hoodie with which you might have wanted to dazzle your classmates today. You might have chosen what you would eat for breakfast. You might have decided to take the offered ride from a parent even though you sometimes take public transportation. You might have decided to get up early to get some work done because you conked out when trying to finish it at midnight the night before. On the weekend, and especially as you get older, you are

There are big decisions in our lives… Sometimes the decisions we make have to do with life or death—our own or somebody else’s. I have spoken before of how worried I am that you all will make the right decisions when it comes to drinking and driving, for example. I never want you to drink alcohol and get behind a wheel. Nor do I want you to get into a passenger’s seat when the driver has had something to drink. Find another way. Find a friend who has not been drinking. Take the keys from the friend who has. Risk his thinking you a jerk. Call an Uber. Or, God forbid, call your parents. As a very last resort, call me! I’m serious, especially as we enter spring when people are apt to be

Every day we are making decisions, making choices. Usually these choices are the result of problem solving even if the only problem being solved is our need to make a decision!

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“Life and death. Brutally hard decisions. How do we make them?” more out and about, and understandably people are feeling a release from being pent up during the pandemic, there will be more times when you will be tempted to do the easy thing even if it’s the wrong thing. Use your judgment. Make the right choice. There will be countless other times in your young lives when you will be confronted with a situation in which your decision will have a bearing on life and death. To be blunt, men take responsibility for making babies. Consider the results of your actions. Especially in a heated moment when your judgment is clouded by alcohol or other substances, you might not be in the best position to resist the passionate urge. Think. Be safe. Be careful. In situations when an unwanted pregnancy occurs, a terrible decision will have to be made about the disposition of that pregnancy. Life and death. An older boy many years ago came to me to confess he had gotten a girl pregnant. He said, “So she should get an abortion, right?” I suggested there were alternatives to consider. The couple’s families were brought on board, all agreed that the baby could be born and put up for adoption. The baby ended up with an adoptive couple desperate to love a child and the natural parents went on with their lives, continuing school and marrying other people. Tough choices, but choices nonetheless. Life and death. At the end of our lives

decisions are made also. Often as the children of parents you will be involved in decisions about when natural life should end for them. Medicine is sophisticated and medicine can prolong the death of a critically ill patient. It’s likely you will preside over the deaths of your parents. In some cases you will have to decide if there should be the cessation of extraordinary measures to keep your parent alive. Life and death. Brutally hard decisions. How do we make them? The main reason I was moved to explore decision making today is a critical anniversary that passed last summer. It was the ultimate decision concerning life and death. This was the 75th anniversary of the dropping of atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In August of 1945, President Harry Truman made the decision to drop these newly created weapons on these two cities in order to end World War II. The Germans had surrendered in June. The United States, after nearly four years of fighting in the European Theatre and in the Pacific Theatre, was weary of war. Nearly 300,000 Americans had already died (including 19 Roxbury Latin boys). Then Vice-President Truman had succeeded President Franklin D. Roosevelt as President when FDR, newly elected to his record, fourth term in office, died in April 1945. Truman, a plainspoken

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Missourian, had not vied for this opportunity. Fate had placed him in the White House at a time of great international consequence. Mindful of the delicate balance among our chief allies—the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union—Truman also felt a special responsibility for the United States to settle the score with Japan who, after all, had provoked our involvement in the War by bombing our troops in Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, a “date that will live in infamy.” During FDR’s Presidency, he had blessed the work of the Manhattan Project, a top-secret operation intended to harness nuclear energy and produce heretofore unheard of destructive capacity. In labs all over the country, but especially in Los Alamos, New Mexico, teams of scientists were producing and refining the recipe for a bomb that could wreak unthinkable havoc. Among the critical minds working on the bomb was RL grad, chemist, and President of Harvard James Bryant Conant. David McCullough wrote in his biography Truman, “All felt an overwhelming sense of relief—that so much time and effort, that so vast an investment of money and resources had not been futile. It was not just that $2 billion had been spent, but that it was $2 billion that could have been used for the war effort in other ways. The thing worked—it could end the war—and there was the pride, too, that a task of such complexity and magnitude, so completely unprecedented, had been an American success.” Truman was eager to bring the war to an end. The American people had sacrificed a great deal over the ensuing nearly four years and were eager to return to normalcy—families reunited, the economy operating on a peacetime footing, reassurance that foreign affairs determined to a great extent by our might would offer predictability and stability. Imagine the far greater appetite for some resolution by the Brits who had been mired in war for seven years. Conventional intelligence suggested that there was no question that Japan would be defeated. Their military, economy, and people had been worn down by the war making effort. Generals advised Truman that the war in the Pacific could be ended after another year of conventional warfare, and, especially, the invasion of Japan by troops. While the actual estimate of likely casualties has been modified subsequently, Truman was operating under the impression that should we proceed conventionally, 500,000 of our troops would likely be killed. The enormity of that possible

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“The thing worked—it could end the war— and there was the pride, too, that a task of such complexity and magnitude, so completely unprecedented, had been an American success.”

loss moved Truman to consider an alternative. Coincidentally, he was informed that the secret research and experimentation on developing a nuclear weapon had come to fruition. Testing had confirmed the hope that this weapon could wipe out a broad territory and those who occupied it. Those who advocated for the use of the atomic bomb initially reassured that it would be aimed at military installations and soldiers and that the collateral damage would be limited. By the time the final plan was decided the bombing was going to aim at Hiroshima and a few days later, Nagasaki. Truman and his advisors decided that Japan and its people should be warned that such an attack was imminent unless the Emperor and the Prime Minister agreed to an unconditional surrender. Japan did not agree to these terms. Truman on July 25 wrote in his diary, “This weapon is to be used against Japan between now and August 10th. I have told the Sec of War, Mr. Stimson, to use it so that military objectives and soldiers and sailors are the target and not women and children... The target will be a military one. It is certainly a good thing for the world that Hitler’s crowd or Stalin’s did not discover this atomic bomb. It seems to be the most terrible thing ever discovered, but it can be made useful.” Truman had been told that there would likely be 20,000 casualties—mostly military. In fact, 20,000 Japanese soldiers were killed, but, so, too, were more than 100,000 civilians killed in Hiroshima, and more than 60,000 in Nagasaki. Horrendous injuries were sustained by hundreds of thousands of people, defacing them and handicapping them for the rest of their lives. The presence of deadly gas caused unfathomable birth defects in subsequent generations. Within a week of the bombings, Japan surrendered to our commanding general in the Pacific, Douglas MacArthur. Virtually unanimously, Americans celebrated the conclusion of an awful war and did not dwell much on the terrifying new reality that had been unleashed. You can tell from the disparaging language in Truman’s statement that the Japanese had been demonized in a way the Germans and Italians had not. Are there deep-seated racial biases involved in those feelings? Probably yes. Did that make it easier to justify and endure the killing of innocent people? When all was said and done, how was the decision to end the war this way made? Several military leaders were against the dropping of the atom bomb. Truman,

however, who had popularized the now widespread boast, “The buck stops here,” declared, “The final decision of where and when to use the atomic bomb was up to me. Let there be no mistake about it. I regarded the bomb as a military weapon and never had any doubt that it should be used. The top military advisers to the President recommended its use, and when I talked to Churchill he unhesitatingly told me that he favored the use of the atomic bomb if it might aid to end the war.” Since the atomic bomb was dropped in 1945, another bomb has not been dropped. The nuclear arms race, however, has defined our foreign affairs ever since. First the Soviet Union would get the bomb. That created an ongoing, bilateral standoff. Perhaps no war has occurred between the two super powers because there was certainty that the initiation of an atomic attack would result in retaliation that together would destroy the world. Over the years, other countries have gotten the bomb, and, while it requires continual vigilance about controlling the impulses of potentially rogue countries, there has been effective, mutual deterrence. If Truman had not directed the bomb to be used, the Soviets soon after would have, nonetheless, weaponized their own bomb and the arms race would be joined. In my presentation today about decision making, making choices, there could be no greater decision than the one Truman made. It affected millions of people. And it decided who would live and who would die. As with even the simplest decisions we make each day, certain elements led to consequential outcomes. How do we decide? How do we amass the facts? With whom do we consult? Whom will my decision affect? Is the outcome simply expedient or is there a more significant ethical consideration? What is my North Star? What’s in my best interest? What’s in the best interest of the group? The Country? The global family? I hope you will consider the ramification of this world-altering event. In your discussions talk about whether we should have dropped the bomb if you had been in Truman’s size-seven lace ups. Tomorrow you will be charged with a different decision-making task. // Mr. Brennan delivered this Opening of Spring Term Hall talk the morning of April 5. On the following morning, students and faculty discussed The Trolley Problem, a philosophical moral dilemma, in classrooms across campus.

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Classics Department Chair Jamie Morris-Kliment, with Exelauno Day winners James McCurley (III), Vishnu Emani (II), and Benji Macharia (V)

Exelauno Day: “Everyone is a Winner!” by Mike Pojman

We’ve tried very hard to make Roxbury Latin as normal as possible this year, and Exelauno Day is as much a part of the normal Roxbury Latin experience as Beaver Brook, pop quizzes, and “breakfast for lunch.” Naturally, as March 4 approached, it just didn’t seem possible, given the current COVID restrictions, to hold the traditional Exelauno Day festivities in Rousmaniere Hall before the assembled school community in the usual way. And indeed it wasn’t, even if close scrutiny of CDC protocols revealed no specific reference to Latin or Greek declamations. But, pandemic or no pandemic, Mr. Brennan and the Classics Department could not abide having a school tradition dating back to the late-1800s shut down by a coronavirus, and that was that. And so they devised a workable plan that preserved the essence of the event with none of the risk—save for the risk to the declaimers’ pride as the intrepid performers did their best to deliver their lines flawlessly. The plan, conceived by Erin Berg, was simple in concept but challenging in execution, from a technical standpoint.

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Rousmaniere Hall, cleared of chairs and student bodies, was outfitted with microphones, video recording equipment, and the unflappable Nick Poles ’08, who served as show-runner. Classics Chair Jamie Morris-Kliment did her best to steady the 17 declaimers who were nervously moving about the cavernous, nearly empty Hall like freerange chickens. A few minutes before the scheduled start time, she told the boys to warm up (and calm themselves) by standing in place and reciting their passages out loud, all at once. At that moment, it occurred to me that I had never before heard more than one person speaking Latin at the same time. Have you? For an instant I imagined myself standing in the ancient Forum—the Legacy Place of its day—listening to the cackle of countless Romans (and a few Greeks) chattering unrestrainedly, impervious to anyone around them. It was an amazing spectacle and a once-in-alifetime experience, as next year the restored Exelauno Day protocols will surely replace those imposed by COVID-19. Fingers crossed.

As each declaimer took the stage his performance was broadcast live to the community, the various classes huddled in their “neighborhoods” in rapt attention. (I suspect that today’s kids, being so video-conditioned, did not miss being present for the declamations in person as much as we of the older generations did.) Three distinguished judges from around the country monitored the proceedings via Zoom, deliberating among themselves in their own breakout room. In due course, the head judge, Dr. Richard Martin of Stanford, announced the three best in show—Benji Macharia (V), Vishnu Emani (II), and James McCurley (III)— and the festivities came to an exuberant climax. Would that every boy could have taken the prize, because by all accounts the quality of the declamations was never better. There may have been only three winners, but there were certainly no losers. As Classics Chairman Emeritus Ned Ligon put it at the conclusion of every Exelauno Day over which he presided during his long and distinguished career, “Quisque est victor!”

Connor Downey (I)

I could not have said it better—or, more accurately, as a virtual Latin illiterate, I could not have said it at all. //

Evan Zhang (IV)

Theo Coben (IV)

Noah Abdur Rahim (V)

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The Good Deed Challenge by Jake Carroll, Class I

“As of today, we are one week into the Good Deed Challenge! Four different teachers have gotten mad at me this week for being late to class, and no one noticed my tie on Tuesday, so I'm starting to think you guys need a refresher.” — Jake Carroll (I), emailing the whole school

Sometime in the middle of winter Roxbury Latin had a big moment. This moment was the first time the entire student body was back on campus since almost a year ago. Around this time each year a little known tradition takes place that Mr. Pojman cooked up in the Chem Lab with the senior class a few years back: A challenge where everyone signs a form pledging to do one good deed a day. This year, a group of students and I took it upon ourselves to open up this challenge to the entire school for the first time. The challenge was entirely optional, with no reward or praise awarded to those who joined; and in classic RL fashion, almost everyone signed up. The following was sent to the entire school in an email introducing the challenge:

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The "Good Deed Challenge" is a voluntary, school-wide undertaking in which you pledge to do one good deed per day over a three-week period (until the start of Spring Break). A good deed is “an act or gesture, small or large, preferably unacknowledged or even unnoticed, that does something kind for someone else.” It could be as simple as opening a door, carrying groceries, writing a note, offering to give extra help to a classmate, or putting someone else first in some way. This is an effort to help us to think and look beyond ourselves.

“Throughout the three weeks, boys were hopping on FaceTime to help their friends with homework, sanitizing each other’s desks after class, and lending an ear to classmates who needed to talk. There were no records tracking each deed, just little moments like these shared between individuals.” The good deed could be big or small—whether that’s helping a friend with his homework or paying someone a compliment. The specifics of the deed need not be anything grand, as long as it was a conscious act of kindness. The challenge continued for about three weeks with the ending marked by the start of Spring Break.

On February 11, the challenge began. Almost immediately Mr. Ryan, a veteran good deed-er, decided to send along a good deed-related quote each day to Class IV, a practice that was expanded upon by some students who took it upon themselves to send a quote to the entire school each day. One day, I watched a boy open his lunch only to discover a lack of cookies; he looked down in a quiet despair which one of his friends picked up on, promptly offering one of his own coveted chocolate chip cookies to him. However, culinary consciousness was not the only product of the challenge. Throughout the three weeks, boys were hopping on FaceTime to help their friends with homework, sanitizing each other’s desks after class, and lending an ear to classmates who needed to talk. There were no records tracking each deed, just little moments like these shared between individuals. So to describe the shift in atmosphere around the school after that day would be like testing the upper limits of language itself. Well maybe it wasn’t that dramatic, but many people really embraced the challenge, and by the end, even the most skeptical among us were on board. I think it would be a bit much to look back on the month and say that the Good Deed Challenge brought limitless happiness and joy to every RL student, faculty, and staff member in the cold mid-winter. However, that was not really the intent of the Good Deed Challenge anyway. It was about little acts of kindness shared with those around you, with the only promise being that they do the same. In a pandemic era, when human interaction becomes something one has to remember how to do, reinforcing those small, everyday, personal interactions are crucial, and the crux of the Good Deed Challenge. And while it sure didn’t stop me from getting chewed out by a teacher for being late to class, the challenge reminded us of the importance of keeping our thoughts on those around us, the importance of fostering meaningful interactions with each member of the RL community, and, simply, the importance of kindness. “That best portion of a good man’s life; His little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love” — William Wordsworth. //

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Teaching n i h c a o c During a suppor n i d i Pandemic gu

v i t mo

Spring 2021

, g n , g n i t r ng, g n i t a v

Eight Roxbury Latin alumni educators—who represent a range of roles, institutions, and experiences—offer these personal reflections on what it has been like, and what they have learned (about themselves, and others), while teaching during a school year indelibly marked by the global COVID-19 pandemic. N e w s l e t t e r o f Th e R o x b u r y L at i n S c h o o l

Mike Earley ’87

Assistant Head of School,

Falmouth Academy Falmouth, Massachusetts

It is a bit disconcerting to reflect on school life during the COVID pandemic for the Roxbury Latin Newsletter. First, there is the paralyzing image of my former teachers and colleagues reading this, red pens in hand. But more important is the need to strike the right tone. On one hand, spring is always a time of hope and renewal. The osprey are back here on Cape Cod; lacrosse season is underway; and we are preparing for the end of the school year. Add to that the fact that more and more of my students and colleagues are getting vaccinated, and there is real reason for optimism. The great Albert Camus wrote, “In the midst of winter I found that there was in me an invincible summer.” Maybe we will find the same true for us. But I don’t want my hopeful tone to seem to minimize all of the suffering and loss. My school, Falmouth Academy, is a co-ed day school serving grades 7-12. We began the year with about half of the students here on any given day. Since Thanksgiving, we have had the entire student body in-person, except for a few fully remote days immediately after vacations. We have had no known transmission of COVID in the school and only a handful of cases in the school community. It turned out to be a much better year than we expected in terms of the virus itself, but we know we will be dealing with some fallout moving forward. I’m not too worried about learning deficits for our kids, because I think we have mostly found ways to progress through the curriculum. But I worry about deficits in human connection throughout the school community. We have missed our daily all-school meeting, which always took place in person five times a week and now happens three times a week on Zoom. We have missed our class trips, our dances, and maybe most of all the chance to be spectators at drama productions, concerts, athletic events, and art shows. These are the events that teach us all about the talents and

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interests of our kids, and give us touch points that bring the community together. They are how we get to know each other. That will require extra attention next year. We are all so eager to get back to the school we used to be. But I doubt you can get there from here. All of the creativity and innovation that this year required moved the school forward in exciting ways. We developed an impressive esprit de corps, with everyone chipping in wherever they could. We had to bring a creative and entrepreneurial spirit to our work, abandoning all kinds of sacred cows by necessity. (A lot of those cows deserved to be put out to pasture!) We had always paid attention to the overall health and well-being of our kids, but this year we stressed that more than usual. And, of course, our teaching evolved. It was more than learning to teach via Zoom (although that was no small achievement for some of us!). For example, I found that I was not comfortable with traditional tests and quizzes when I had kids learning remotely, so I basically did away with those and found other, better ways to assess their learning. It’s clear that a big challenge for us next year is going to be managing the tension between going back to the school we were and still sustaining and perpetuating some of the new practices that have served us so well. I believe all schools will deal with this tension, and I actually believe we will look back and see that the pandemic led to some significant improvements in schools. That would take some of the sting out of the past year. //

Clifton Jones ’97 Guidance Counselor,

Brookline High School

Brookline, Massachusetts

One of my priorities as a guidance counselor is to build trusting relationships with all of my students. I am their primary contact at school, and I support all aspects of their development. With the constraints of distance learning, the execution of this crucial part of my role suffered greatly. Like

many others, I became an expert on Zoom and Google Meet, trying to find ways to connect with my students. I endeavored to recreate the feel of students stopping by my office versus being in a Zoom room, but I quickly realized the two were not the same. While I was able to meet with many of my students, the intimacy of being in my office—which led to students being less guarded and revealing more of their authentic selves—was lost. My office is a safe haven where conversations are confidential and students don’t have to wonder if a family member in the other room is listening to their conversation. I struggled to find more ways to support students while working around the limitations of remote learning and social distancing. My inability to offer the level of support I wanted to give, and was accustomed to giving, created feelings of frustration and then helplessness as days turned to weeks and then months. While my students and I found ways to make the best of the situation, the experience gave me pause as I began to think about my practice as an educator and what it will look like in the future. This period has highlighted the need for more mental health support for students and families. Unlike previous years, more families have been in contact with me inquiring about mental health services. It is common for families to reach out for support for students, but the need for family and adult counseling increased dramatically. More than ever, I am helping parents develop and explore strategies to support themselves so that they can support their children. We have well-known systems in place to provide academic support for students, but it seems that there is unfamiliarity with the blueprint of what to do if a student is, for example, anxious or depressed. In general, we need this type of support integrated into the curriculum across disciplines. We need more teaching to the whole student, and teachers who are not only focused on students’ proficiency in their subject area. In our new normal, we must guide the next generation of educators to not only focus on a student’s academic success but also their emotional intelligence. This pandemic has given us the opportunity to think critically and creatively about how we educate and connect with our students. There is often talk about getting back to normal, and what some have realized is that our traditional teaching practices are not engaging many of our students. Remote

This period has highlighted the need for more mental health support for students and families. Unlike previous years, more families have been in contact with me inquiring about mental health services... More than ever, I am helping parents develop and explore strategies to support themselves so that they can support their children. N e w s l e t t e r o f Th e R o x b u r y L at i n S c h o o l

learning exasperated this fact, and while many organized and self-motivated students flourished, many others struggled to find a path to academic success. I’ve thought most about my students who are at home, dealing not only with their own stress but also that of other members of the family, and internalizing an incredible amount of negative energy that has an effect on their being able to complete basic tasks. Simple, everyday tasks all of a sudden became laborious. I think not only about how we will support students who return to the school building, but also about the students who, for reasons of safety, continue to be remote. As I reflect on my high school experience, knowing how it shaped me during my most formative years, I often wonder how my seniors from last year and this year will look back on a defining period in our history and what they will carry with them. For me, I became more fulfilled personally, even as I felt limited professionally. To avoid the feelings of isolation, fear of the unknown, and the variety of anxiety provoking thoughts, I used the time as an opportunity for growth. Self-care became real to me, and not just something I advised my students to do. It took some time for me to discover my Woosah moment, but once I did it enabled me to create a better version of myself. The process began with very basic goals—trying to keep up with laundry every week, or organizing the junk drawer—to more advanced goals—learning a new language and starting a business. This past year has left an indelible mark on all of us, and I hope with this experience you will leave your mark on the world. //

Dan Wulf ’88

Choral Teacher and Math Curriculum Coordinator,

Watertown High School, Watertown, Massachusetts

The first day of school carries promise and panic. For some, the hope of a clean slate with new teachers; for others, resignation that clemency from academia has departed. For all, a new community forms born largely from the departure of one class and the arrival of a new. Most first days of school. I taught from two weeks after Labor Day through the middle of November in a largely empty building. My students were small, gray rectangles bearing obscure tokens. Everything I had developed, from materials to pedagogy, needed to be modified

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or rebuilt from the ground up for the new medium. I was a firstyear teacher again. Once-casual meetings with colleagues in the hall were scheduled via text and email. My chorus room—host to harmony on a nearly daily basis for 24 years—listened while I sang to my students who, I hope, sang along at home while on mute. Though not ideal, this was a vast improvement from the prior spring. Now students were consistently attending classes. To keep some semblance of normalcy, I worked on a choral composition after school. By mid-October, I had the music but no text. The strings teacher was also teaching from the building, and I asked her to swing by and play the melody through while I played the accompaniment, just to get a sense of the thing. The first few measures brought a flood of emotion. It was my first live rehearsal in school since March. It wasn’t singing, but it was the promise that singing would return. Thanksgiving came and, with it, hybrid. The model pivoted and, again, teachers and students adapted. What worked with everyone online did not always get the job done in hybrid. Both the students in-person and the Zoomed-in cohort simultaneously needed my full attention. It was challenging. This was especially true in Chorus, where we could sing when everyone was home, but there was a “no-singing-inside” mandate from the Commonwealth. Singing all but stopped, and we began to explore music theory, transcription, and learning to play the piano. Not the direction I had envisioned when I began the year, but certainly not a bad turn. Indoor singing arrived with Passover (ten feet apart, masked, and no more than 30 minutes). This was better for the students in person, unfathomable for me, but harder for those at home who were now missing something that can’t be replicated over Zoom. Missing. The words missing, loss, and behind appear with regularity in regard to this school year. Within my purview, what has been lost? Academically, those who have been engaged are generally quite close to where they would normally be at this time of year. Those, however, who have struggled to stay connected for any number of reasons have likely not acquired all of the knowledge we prepared for them. Socially, there is lost face-time in a scholastic environment at a time in their lives not so distant from college or work. This includes both

Everything I had developed, from materials to pedagogy, needed to be modified or rebuilt from the ground up for the new medium. I was a firstyear teacher again. classroom interaction as well as concerts and shows that will never be performed for a live audience. This includes daily lunch conversations with friends. This includes more effortless access to academic support. What is to be done? For each student, we meet them where they are. If holes in their academic foundation appear, we address each as they appear with compassion, understanding, and support. We do not punish them for knowledge they have not yet acquired. We help them to see that they can learn, and we teach them. Memorial Day will mark the beginning of Senior Week, which is the end of high school academics for half of my students. For my Chorus seniors, I will not have sung with them inperson in over a year. I take solace in knowing this is not the end of their musical journey. For the rest, I look forward to working with all of them in the fall, together creating the community brought about by a new year. //

the “honeymoon” phase into the strategic planning phase at Berwick Academy in Maine. No longer was I just learning about the school and its history and traditions, but I was now engaged in multiple processes that would set the stage for the next chapter of the school. I found myself surrounded by a strong board, an incredible leadership team, and a dedicated and talented faculty who were successfully implementing a curriculum shift that had thoughtfully and intentionally taken place over the previous four years. It was that shift—and the fatigue from the associated changes—that I heard about from the teaching faculty. Knowing that we would once again begin strategic planning, the request that came repeatedly was to allow the recent changes an opportunity to take hold. I

Jim Hamilton ’91

Head of School, Berwick Academy South Berwick, Maine

In the winter of 2019-2020, I was midway through my second year as a head of school and transitioning from

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As our world was turned upside down, the work that has been done in the past year by the teaching faculty at Berwick, like at many other schools, has been nothing short of heroic. agreed. As we began to plan, our thoughts focused on other aspects of the program, including growing the endowment, building an auxiliary program, recommitting ourselves to sustainability and outdoor education, and taking our DEI work to the next level. All of that is to say that as our world was turned upside down, the work that has been done in the past year by the teaching faculty at Berwick, like at many other schools, has been nothing short of heroic. The ability to adapt and adjust was evident right from the start of the lockdown. From pre-kindergarten on up, our teachers transformed their in-person program to a remote one in four short days in March of 2020. They then successfully delivered that program throughout the spring as the prospects for what the fall might hold got progressively bleaker. While being remote in the spring was successful, it was always our goal to return to school in-person in the fall. For our teachers, this fall was challenging on multiple fronts. All of us were concerned for our health and safety

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and that of our families. We were also returning to school amidst the social justice movements that began in the wake of the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. Finally, we began school during the runup to the presidential election. Even with all of those issues facing them, our teachers have thrived this year. They have taught through masks and behind plexiglass. They have managed with kids in the classroom and kids on Zoom. They have been quarantined and taught from home while their students were in school, and they did so with passion and poise. Our faculty prioritized their students’ education, and our kids have benefitted from that selflessness. I know that has come with a toll, and as we make our way toward the end of the school year, they are all ready for the respite that summer will bring. As we plan for the fall, we now know that we can change and change quickly. We appreciate more than ever the importance of being in community with one another. We move forward with new skills and a new set of tools to enhance our teaching. More globally, we do so with an enhanced appreciation for the men and women who dedicate their lives to their students. //

John Meany ’90 Deputy Director of

Athletics, Worcester State University, Worcester, Massachusetts

Wednesday, March 11, 2020. That was the day the Worcester State University athletic world stopped. In the moment, it was thought that the declaration of a State of Emergency by Governor Charlie Baker was just going to be a “pause.” We would go home for a few weeks and be back in action April 1. Our student-athletes would be able to conclude their year on the field. As we now know, that was not how things would play out, as we would not compete again for over a year. While the year wore on filled with starts and stops, complex collaboration between internal and external groups, policy

and protocol creation and consistent concerns about the mental health of every constituent, there was one balancing act that seemed to permeate all discussions: How do we safely find the level of water that meets, as best we can, the expectations of stakeholders who have differing priorities as it relates to college athletics? Once competition was removed from the equation, we began with policy and protocol creation. Utilizing the specific sector guidance provided by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs as our baseline, we needed to create a proposal that would allow our teams the opportunity to practice and become some version of a team. Our goal was to find the right balance of what would be palatable for teams but also meet State and campus safety expectations. Protocols included individual sport modifications promoting social distancing; strict facility protocols; and campus-wide weekly COVID tests. We thought we had achieved our goal of being able to offer a viable athletic experience. We learned quickly that we would be constantly battling the argument between “Return to Play” versus “Return to Normal.” From the athletic administrator seat, the 30,000-foot-view is in mind at all times to help navigate the campus ecosystem. Decisions aren’t always popular, but student-athlete experience drives our decisions as opposed to wins and losses. The “Return to Play” plan was intended to highlight the benefits of being a student-athlete within a team as safely as possible. It was important that we provide these students the opportunity to experience part of their normal structure and to identify as athletes again. They were back in action and started to feel normal again. The concept of mens sana in corpore sano had not ever rung more true at Worcester State. Our coaches and athletes were grateful to be back in action, but it wasn’t without its pushback. This generation is both observant of their surroundings and very comfortable advocating for themselves. Adherence to protocols during practices started to loosen; mandatory masks were frequently worn around chins; and questions about adding contact or scrimmaging into practices started to arise. It was all understandable. They saw other conferences competing

and youth sports in full bloom. Why couldn’t they do that? We tried to remind them how fragile things were, but they struggled to see the big picture. Though it was actually unlikely these student-athletes would transmit anything during a practice in most sports, these weren’t 12-year-olds who were homebound most of the time and under the control of parents and guardians. These were college students who had been on lockdown for the past six months and were now back on their own, living in residence hall apartments and with multiple roommates in off-campus housing. Our plan only covered two hours a day. We pleaded with them to recognize that reckless behavior could take everything away. We recognized their concerns. While their desire to complete the transition to a normal athletic experience was palpable, it was integral to the health of Worcester State and our role as members of the Worcester community that we put good citizenry at the forefront and prioritize the actions that acknowledge the greater good. The fall and winter seasons were not without their COVID-related issues, but all teams were able to persevere through to the spring. On March 23, 2021—after 377 days without a game—the Worcester State softball team took to the field. Lancer athletics were back. Competitions brought with them strict guidelines and double the testing regimen, but the result is that the experiences of our student-athletes are getting as close to normal as they have been in a very long time. //

Jakub Lau ’02

Principal, The Emerson School Queens, New York

The pandemic has created many challenges in my work as principal of The Emerson School, a 400-student public middle school in Jamaica, Queens, New York. Our mission to develop independent critical thinkers has pushed us to consider new ways of teaching this year. Much of what we

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have learned will be useful in the post-pandemic world. The benefits of in-person learning can never be replaced, but our increased prowess with Zoom and Google for Education can be leveraged in the physical classroom. If we keep the momentum to integrate technology into classrooms, and focus on maintaining small class sizes post-pandemic, we have an opportunity to affect the achievement gap in American education. As we glimpse the light at the end of the tunnel, our community is focused on leveraging what we have learned. Greater familiarity with technology has helped address the biggest challenge of the pandemic: keeping students engaged. We can now collect more comprehensive data on students than ever before. Most learning platforms used by schools keep track of how long students stay logged in. They are also adaptive, meaning the difficulty of content is adjusted for each student’s learning profile. This allows teachers to tailor instruction directly to individual students’ needs. Some students who struggled with the social interactions of middle school are doing better remotely thanks to these tools. Unfortunately, students doing better academically during the pandemic are a minority. For most adolescents, a computer cannot replace the interpersonal connections we build through social interactions. (It would have been a lot easier to turn in an assignment late for Joe Kerner or Steve Ward if I didn’t have to see the disappointment on their faces.) The need for social distancing has provided my students an opportunity to experience something Roxbury Latin alumni know to be vital: small class sizes. The pandemic has exposed students, teachers, and school leaders across the country to the benefits of building relationships in small learning pods. Our in-person classes this year are between seven and ten students. As a result, teachers have picked up on issues—be they academic or social-emotional—much quicker than in previous years. I am hopeful the city, state, and federal student programming mandates for small class sizes are allowed to continue when social distancing is no longer necessary. Without policy changes that fund smaller class sizes, it will be difficult for public schools to avoid classes of 25 to 30 students. Over the last 12 months, my school has changed back and forth from fully remote to blended instruction six times. As a result, it has been difficult to gather accurate performance

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The need for social distancing has provided my students an opportunity to experience something Roxbury Latin alumni know to be vital: small class sizes. The pandemic has exposed students, teachers, and school leaders across the country to the benefits of building relationships in small learning pods. data. Tracking student progress has been more challenging this year than any other in my experience. It is difficult to determine whether a student’s drop in performance is due to a lack of content understanding, a sudden change from in-

person to remote learning, or a social-emotional challenge the student is facing. The shifting circumstances of the pandemic must be considered when looking at academic performance data collected over the past year. It is one of the many reasons the academic performance data we collect in the 2021-2022 school year will be so important. Leading a school in this pandemic year has often felt like building a plane while flying it. The skills we developed to teach remotely will need to be honed when our entire student body and faculty return to their physical classrooms. The next year will be critical in determining which lessons from the pandemic permeate American education. Certain lessons can be implemented at the school level, such as ensuring teachers receive ongoing pedagogical and technical training on the learning platforms we have relied on this year. Other changes will have to happen on city, state, and federal policy levels, such as increasing per-capita student funding to allow for smaller classes. In my learning community, I will be focused on ensuring the lessons we learned are not forgotten. //

Richard Bloom ’67

Professor of Social Sciences, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical

University, Prescott, Arizona

With one career in the United States Air Force and another at an aeronautical university, I feel the last year’s been like flying in Heavy Weather (the title of Weather Report’s album in 1977). How to fly safely? With core meaning as a lodestar. This has translated professionally among our board of trustees, administrators, faculty, staff, students, and various business and government stakeholders as wwpassion for and leadership in the worlds of aerospace. Our shared passion facilitated plans of action and inevitable changes under time pressure with information both incomplete and of dubious meaning. Our shared passion lessened noxious politics about masking, social distancing, testing and vaccinating, quarantining, and limiting/modifying. It encouraged a sense not of losing freedom, but of finding new ways to be free; not policing

for transgression, but embracing the new. Combinations of online, hybrid, and blended pedagogies were not rated as inferior approximations to “real” education of the physical classroom, but as different ways to excel. Based on multiple assessments of learning, I believe we’ve done well. We have students on physical campuses throughout the world and already had online students worldwide focused on our specialized programs and engaged with active learning options—e.g., synchronous break-out groups, polling activities, dialectics with thought leaders, class analyses and debates on video and textual fragments and on microlectures, and office hours with small groups turning into symposia. We view this as preparation for a future of more online government, business, academic, social, cultural, and personal activities. To this little kid from Dorchester who attended the Robert Treat Paine School in the 1950s, it’s magic to be concurrently working with students in my Arizona physical classroom and with those throughout the Mideast, Asia, Latin America, and elsewhere. Or in my office with global research colleagues. Our era of plague has led to tempering of character—not just via occasional and obverse dei ex machina wherein computers freeze, systems crash, Internet access is lost, microphones malfunction, law enforcement/security authorities impede during classes and meetings—but through discussions on ultimate meanings of life. As loved ones, friends, family, and other passengers on planet Earth further confront mortality, Death has become a portal not just to an end, end of Maya, or some Afterlife, but to a life with a bit more compassion and empathy—at times even for those imbued with the dark tetrad of narcissism, psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and sadism. And there’s struggle to break the chains of privilege and entitlement—some of us having to settle for take-out filet mignon or sparsely attended athletics events, even as others confront the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Newly tempered character might benefit from even feeble attempts at humor—answering The New York Times Book Review feature on “with whom you would like to have dinner” with Oedipus, Hamlet, Candide, and Meursault, with Holden Caulfield trying to figure out who the phonies are. Our era of plague is speeding up technology-mediated trends with ingroups and outgroups, public and private lives,

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and multiple selves waxing and waning, forever and never changing. And speeding up analyses of our individual pasts. Why was Arthur Rimbaud able to write Le Bateau Ivre at age 16, while aspiring to be 16, I was ivre on the rock lyrics of Louie Louie (1963) and I Feel Good (1964), and on Link Wray’s instrumental Rumble (1958)? From this past into the future, interspersed with Little Richard’s woo-ooh-ooh, I’d like to fly into the teeth of the plague with Don’t Knock the Rock (1956), Rock and Roll Is Here To Stay (1958), and—for John Eliot’s progeny—there’ll be Good Rockin’ Tonight (1947). At Embry-Riddle, Richard has been Department Chair, Social Sciences; Dean, College of Arts and Sciences; Chief Academic Officer; and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs before returning to a professorship in social sciences. //

Jean-Pierre “JP” Jacquet ’01

Assistant Director of Admission and Financial Aid, Riverdale Country School, Bronx, New York

I recall falling into new routines. I wiped down our groceries in the garage before bringing them into the house. I set up my four children in front of the living room TV, shortly before logging onto work meetings from the dining room. I ran our washer and dryer each evening to clean my wife’s hospital scrubs and tennis shoes, so they would be ready to wear in the morning. Many of you may have adopted similar patterns. As an educator, I know the happenings of the world impact my students and their families, my colleagues and their families, me and my family, and therefore my work within a school. We have all been living through the COVID-19 storm, but we each are riding through the gales of the pandemic in different vessels—some in yachts, others in rowboats, and too many on pieces of driftwood. This past year has only reaffirmed my strong belief that constant learning and meaningful social interaction are the vital pistons that run the engine that has and will continue to propel me through the challenges of life.

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COVID-19 forced the accumulation of new knowledge and better understanding to be a critical focus of every educator I have come into contact with since last spring. At Riverdale Country School, a PreK-12 coed school in Bronx, New York, we set out to learn the differences between antigen versus PCR tests; to devise a daily schedule that could accommodate in-person, remote, and hybrid learners; to master the seemingly daily improvements to Zoom and other video conferencing software; all while we contemplated how best to transfer engaging inperson lessons to online instruction. My work on two teams— my school’s admissions and financial aid teams—required large recrafting of our process. Our admissions team revamped open houses, one-on-one interviews, applicant group collaborations, and committee discussions to the online realm. Our financial aid team provided a more user-friendly platform for financial aid applicants and discovered ways to both augment and streamline our financial support to current families. As all these achievements occurred, educators were yet finding new ways to collaborate with one another, even when we couldn’t be together. My conversations with a wide range of school leaders made it clear that everyone from the heads of school to first year teachers were reaching out to peers and counterparts within and outside of their organizations. I saw that the teams I worked on within the school thrive by using technology to help us work more closely together. At the same time our connections to fellow professionals at other schools increased. The frequency of our admissions consortium meetings was increased. I was even blessed to find a new way to connect to RL via the creation of an Alumni in Education networking group. Thank you to Pete Simpson ’01, Henry Seton ’02, Jakub Lau ’02, Kamauru Johnson ’00, and Damon Hall ’05 for their work in planning our meetings and to the over 25 alumni who attended our several Zooms. As I reflect on these different vehicles of communication, I realize I have sharpened my ability to understand people. I needed to listen more intently, imagine more clearly, and consider perspectives more thoughtfully to make up for the fact that I wasn’t in the room with the speakers. This has strengthened my empathy skills both at work and in life. COVID-19 wasn’t the only struggle I faced this year, but it helped me hone my ability to connect with people, and that sharpened skill will be vital as I work to do my part in supporting students and those around me. //

Investors Alumni Networking Event with Dan Tarullo ’69 On January 29, the RL Investors Alumni Group enjoyed a presentation by Dan Tarullo ’69. Dan discussed a range of topics with the group, including the Fed’s policy response to the pandemic, the changing landscape for international finance and regulation, and some reflections on his career in education and government. A Q&A moderated by John Cornish ’96 followed the presentation. Dan has had a distinguished career of service. He served as a member of the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Open Market Committee from January 2009 to April 2017. As oversight governor for supervision and regulation, he led the Board’s financial regulatory reforms, including the implementation of the Dodd-Frank Act. In his monetary policy-making role on the Federal Open Market Committee, he often focused on developments in labor markets and on the relationship between monetary policy and financial stability. Dan had extensive government and academic experience prior to his nomination to the Federal Reserve. From 1993 to 1998, he served as Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs, Deputy Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, and Assistant to the President for International Economic Policy. He was a principal on both the National Economic Council and the National Security Council. From 1995 to 1998, Dan was also President Bill Clinton’s personal representative (sherpa) to

the G7 group of industrialized nations. Immediately before joining the Clinton administration, he served as Chief Employment Counsel on the staff of Senator Ted Kennedy, and practiced law in Washington, D.C. Between periods of government service, Dan has taught for more than 15 years at Georgetown and Harvard law schools. More than 50 alumni—from the Class of 1954 (all the way from France!) through the Class of 2018—were represented on the call. Attendees included: Robert Valtz ’54, Tom Quirk ’70, David Simpson ’76, Dave Nackley ’81, Jeff Weaver ’82, Paul Coakley ’85, Dan Fields ’88, Bill Maffie ’88, Phil Alphonse ’89, Steve Popeo ’89, Bill Barton ’90, Ben Hochberg ’90, John Madden ’92, Josh Greenfield ’93, Whit Collier ’94, Jon Curran ’94, Matt Engler ’94, Colin Hillberg ’95, John Cornish ’96, Andy McElaney ’96, John Flynn ’96, Erik Carleton ’97, Will Hughes ’97, Kevin O’Connell ’99, Mike Berry ’01, Mike Ferrante ’01, Alex Bayers ’05, JP Chilazi ’06, Robert Hamlin ’06, Billy Hubbard ’08, Rishabh Sinha ’08, Arya Alizadeh ’09, Pat Murphy ’09, Alex Raffol ’09, Carl Deane ’10, Eric Bartholomae ’11, Billy Dalton ’11, James McNay ’11, Michael Hurley ’13, Brendan Barron ’14, Grant Keating ’14, Andrew Wang ’14, Jack Burke ’15, Oliver Hermann ’15, Fran Rose ’17, Zach Milton ’18, Matt Sheehan ’18, Dylan Zhou ’18, Antonio Rosado ’20, Alessandro Ferzoco ’14, Tom Guden ’96, Dave Cataruzolo, Phil Thornton, and Headmaster Kerry Brennan. //

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Winter Varsity Senior Athletes

Varsity Wrestling seniors: John Wilkinson, Keaton Sahin, Miguel Rincon, Ethan Chang, Ben Crawford, Will Specht, John Balson (missing: Esteban Tarazona).

Varsity Hockey seniors: Dave Cataruzolo (Head Coach), Sam Stone, Bobby Luca, Bobby O'Grady, Will Murphy, Nolan McKenna, Peter Frates, Walker Oberg, Frankie Lonergan.

Varsity Basketball seniors: Sean Spellman (Head Coach), Thomas Gaziano, Javi Werner, Benja Rosenzweig, Aydan Gedeon-Hope, Brady Chappell, Tony Teixeira (Assistant Coach).

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3. 4. 2021 More than $575,000, from 1,308 gifts, in 24 hours. Thank you. Thank you for helping to make Roxbury Latin’s third annual Giving Day a resounding success. With your help, we raised more than $575,000 for the Annual Fund—including $75,000 in challenge money—with 1,308 gifts, in 24 hours. Every dollar raised on Giving Day will go directly toward supporting our faculty. Your generous support—in dollars and in words of love for teachers, advisors, coaches, mentors—went above and beyond our expectations for the day. For your excitement, for your generosity—for your love of, and belief in, this school—we are deeply grateful. On this year’s Exelauno Day, thank you for being willing to march forth with us. //

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The following is a list of faculty and staff members, current and former,

To Our Faculty and Staff: Thank you

honored by gifts made on Giving Day

“To my many mentors and friends who taught me through the years and teach me still.” — Billy Quirk ’04

for their commitment and care. Misty Beardsley Art Beauregard Daniel Bettendorf Jack Brennan Kerry Brennan Philbrick Bridgess Chris Brown Brian Buckley Kai Bynum Hugh Campbell

“Our family is particularly grateful for the support of John Lieb. Mr. Lieb began as our son’s math teacher, starting every day with some goodnatured competition before settling into the lesson at hand. He is also our son’s advisor; their weekly advisor meetings are an important part of our son’s RL experience. Mr. Lieb's consistent attention, thoughtful advice, and true concern for our son’s well-being provides a living example that Roxbury Latin values its commitment to ‘know and love every boy.’” — Janet Nahirny P’23

“Greg Sokol has been the most kind, thoughtful, committed advisor to our son. He has invested so much in getting to know Rohil, earning his trust, and advocating for him—in school and even, sometimes, with us! We are so grateful for his many gestures of kindness—even in taking Rohil to dinner when both of us were out of town for work. Selfishly, we hope Mr. Sokol and Rohil stay in touch forever, as our son could not have a better lifelong mentor and friend.” — Gita Gopinath and Iqbal Dhaliwal P’21

Elizabeth Carroll Livingston Carroll Dave Cataruzolo Josh Cervas Andy Chappell Kate Chappell Bill Chauncey Ken Conn Ben Courchesne John Davey Rary Delaney Sarah Demers Warden Dilworth Ousmane Diop Rick Dower Erin Dromgoole Bryan Dunn VanCourtland Elliot Chuck Farrington Ralph Farris Alessandro Ferzoco ’14 David Frank Clarence Gleason Emily Grubb Tom Guden ’96 Ernesto Guerra Frank Guerra Phil Hansen Kenneth Hawes Chris Heaton

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GIVING DAY BY THE NUMBERS

1,308 $575,305 TOTAL DOLLARS RAISED

TOTAL NUMBER OF GIFTS

92% 706 288 FACULTY/STAFF PARTICIPATION

TOTAL ALUMNI GIFTS

PARTICIPATION NOW 46%

TOP ALUMNI GIVING BY DECADE

1950 1963

1974 1988

2015 2008 2014

1998 2008

61% 56% 50%

2015

TOP ALUMNI GIVING BY CLASS

CLASS IV TOP PARENT GIVING 46

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TOTAL PARENT GIFTS

PARTICIPATION NOW 99%

“Mr. Buckley saw something in me and, I think, helped me see something in myself.” — Ryan Whooley ’08

“Mrs. White was my French teacher freshman year, and my advisor throughout my time at RL. I loved talking with her at weekly advisee meetings, and always left our conversations feeling grounded in my values and myself. That’s still the case these days when we meet up for coffee or lunch.” — Garrett Casey ’11

“Jack Brennan epitomizes what ‘going the extra mile’ means as a teacher. His investment in those fortunate enough to learn under him was truly unparalleled.” — JJ O’Brien ’01

Richard Herman Ken Hiatt ’93 Michelle Hopkins Peter Hyde Tony Jarvis Bob Jorgensen Tim Kelly Joe Kerner Phil Kokotailo Dennis Kratz John Lieb Ned Ligon James Maguire Keri Maguire George Matthews ’08 Sue McCrory Elizabeth Meiklejohn Dave Mittell Robert Moore Jamie Morris-Kliment Derek Nelson Michael Obel-Omia Rob Opdycke Kuncho Palsang Brad Perham Nate Piper Mike Pojman Nick Poles ’09 Billy Quirk ’04 Mo Randall Dave Rea Gerhard Rehder Darian Reid ’05 Meredith Reynolds Dick Russell Bob Ryan Jim Ryan Greg Sokol Arturo Solís Gerry Speca Sean Spellman ’08 Kate Stearns Sally Stevens Paul Sugg Karl Tabery

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“For John Davey, who understood a young man’s inner conflict. And helped him to see his way through.” — James Hill ’76 “We feel blessed to have such strong, supportive faculty members who are constantly innovating creative ways to teach while exhibiting care and concern for our boys’ overall development as kind human beings.” — Eileen Scanlon P’23, ’25, ’26 //

“Mr. Diop was my advisor for almost my entire RL career, my French teacher for multiple years, and my varsity tennis coach for five years. (Needless to say, I spent a lot of time with Mr. Diop!) His teaching style, his care for me—not only as a student and tennis player, but also as a person— influenced me in countless ways. I will always be grateful for the impact Mr. Diop had on me during my RL years, which remains today.” — JB Gough ’13

Annual Fund Update Thank you to all who have already made a commitment to the 2020–2021 Annual Fund. If you have not yet contributed, please consider supporting Roxbury Latin before the fund closes on May 31. Every gift helps RL maintain tuition that averages $16,000 less than that of other local independent schools. Every gift helps bridge the $26,350 gap between the cost of tuition and the actual cost of an RL education. Every gift supports the admission and enrollment of qualified boys, regardless of their family’s ability to pay, and every gift helps retain and attract a faculty that is second to none. Gifts, large and small, from each and every donor, make a tremendous difference to the talented young men who study here. Please join your classmates, fellow parents, and friends by making a gift today. Thank you for doing your part to ensure that Roxbury Latin can preserve its distinctive quality and character. // 48

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Tony Teixeira ’93 Stewart Thomsen Phil Thornton Tom Walsh ’79 Steve Ward Hunter White Richard Whitney John Wihbey Josh Wildes Andrés Wilson

“Thank you Mr. Obel-Omia, for years of Buddhist-like patience, support, and guidance, from an advisee who tested all of it.” — Perry Laberis ’06

Buildings and Grounds Team Class VI Advisors Classics Department, Past and Present Entire Roxbury Latin Faculty and Staff Faculty Members from 2005 through 2017 History Department Technology Team

“Coach Ward taught me the importance of GUTS in every endeavor. I think of his lessons and support all the time.” — Matt Elliott ’95

“Misty was the best athletic trainer I could have asked for. She was always there to help on the sidelines and in her training room for the six years I played RL sports. She was always there to listen and support every student who came in her room.” — Brendan Gibbons ’19 N e w s l e t t e r o f Th e R o x b u r y L at i n S c h o o l

Entrepreneurs Alumni Networking Event with Fernando Rodriguez-Villa ’06 and Mike Volpe ’93 The pandemic has sparked innovation in the Boston startup scene. Twelve months ago, Mike Volpe ’93 was leading Lola.com’s rapid rise in the travel industry. Given the catastrophic impact of COVID-19 on that business, Lola.com was forced to expand its vision quickly by introducing Lola Spend, which aimed to give companies and their employees better visibility and control over spending, automatically keep teams on budget, and eliminate expense reports. Luckily for Lola.com, Mike had ample experience to rise to this challenge. Having helped found Hubspot, he led their marketing efforts and helped navigate through the 2008 financial crisis, among the countless other obstacles faced by a startup that experienced such incredible growth. On March 2, Fernando Rodriguez-Villa ’06 interviewed Mike in a “fire-side chat.” Like Mike, Fernando has responded to the pandemic’s impact with innovation, founding his company Adept-ID. Adept-ID uses skills data and machine learning to identify and promote job transitions for middle-skilled workers and those who train and hire them. Given the upheaval in the employment

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markets, Fernando and his team are attacking a critical problem that has been exacerbated by COVID-19. During the latter half of the meeting, alumni had the opportunity to participate in a Q&A segment with Mike. Attendees included Joe Caruso ’61, Bob Powers ’66, Charles Sidman ’68, Bob McTighe ’73, Ken Maider ’75, Stephen Kane ’76, Ted Connolly ’88, Mike Hennessy ’90, Mike Volpe ’93, Jon Curran ’94, Bill Triant ’95, Mike Scally ’95, Dave Giordano ’96, Graham Pingree ’97, Alex Kruglov ’98, Eben Pingree ’00, James Kernochan ’04, Joel Alcon ’05, Fernando Rodriguez-Villa ’06, Robert Hamlin ’06, JP Chilazi ’06, Ethan Settel ’08, Jordan Leites ’09, Billy Dalton ’11, James McNay ’11, Brett Drucker ’11, Dave Kussell ’12, Patrick McDonough ’12, Cavan Finigan ’12, Duncan Finigan ’14, Jonathan Pao ’14, Matt Gattozzi ’14, Aidan Collins ’16, Will Finigan ’16, Xander Boyd ’17, Fran Rose ’17, Andrew Talcott ’17, Robert Crawford ’18, John Frates ’19, Adam Berk ’19, Christopher Zhu ’20, Krishan Arora ’22, Austin Kee ’22, Liam Grossman ’22, Alessandro Ferzoco ’14, Tom Guden ’96, Dave Cataruzolo, Phil Thornton, and Headmaster Kerry Brennan. //

Class Notes 1948

Richard Daly has been retired for 30 years and was living in a condo on the Merrimack River until recently. He has now moved to Atria Senior Living. In the midst of the pandemic, he fondly recalls his travels around the world.

1952

Ed McGowan received his second COVID-19 vaccine dose in March and feels “liberated from the constant concern” of the pandemic. He looks forward to visiting campus again.

1954

Hal Bernsen is “surviving comfortably” during the pandemic, but looking forward to traveling again. He hopes to visit RL in October.

1968

1 John Mulligan was present at the

U.S. Capitol riot on January 6. John has been a senior staffer in the U.S. Senate Press Gallery for many years. He writes: “I must confess… darkness was much closer to hand. No doubt Mr. Herrmann alerted us in Class IV to our individual and collective capacity to do ill, but rarely have I watched events hew so closely to the script of Lord of the Flies.”

1969

Jeff Bloomberg spent most of this winter in and around San Francisco bonding with his grandson, Harper Crain, who arrived on February 5, 2020. Jeff is semi-retired, spending most of his time in Truro on Cape Cod. He was happily vaccinated in San Francisco.

2 Richard Ravin published his first novel,

Nothing to Declare. Richard has written for The San Francisco Examiner, Salon. com, The Daily News of Newburyport, and was anthologized in Andre Dubus: Tributes. A PBS website he co-produced was nominated for a WEBBY award in Education. Before turning to writing fiction, Richard worked as a production executive in Hollywood, overseeing the creation of more than 40 television movies and miniseries. He now lives in Massachusetts and is currently working on his second novel, a detective story set against the Los Angeles music business. Nothing to Declare is available on Amazon.

1989

3 Ryan McDonough, a Roslindale

native, has written and produced a feature film set in Roslindale, with many scenes shot in West Roxbury. The movie, Last Night in Rozzie, is a “taut and redemptive” film about a New York lawyer who returns to his Boston hometown to reunite his dying friend with his young son, as he is at the same time compelled to confront a malignant childhood trauma. The movie premiered at the Cinequest Film Festival in March.

1990

Frantz Alphonse is Senior Managing Director of Ariel Alternatives and cofounder of Project Black Management Company. Frantz’s work combines global-scale mergers & acquisitions with solutions to racial inequality and economic advancement issues in the United States. He and his partners turn companies into vehicles for business ownership, entrepreneurship, and job creation for the country’s most disadvantaged and underrepresented individuals at a scale

never attempted before in the history of U.S. business. Frantz and his work were featured in Forbes and The Financial Times this winter.

1991

Sean McBride is the chief creative officer of Arnold Worldwide, the Boston-based ad agency that developed the 2017 television commercial for the Progressive insurance company that features Dr. Rick—“the mustached leader of a support group for people who found themselves suddenly ‘turning into their dads’ after they became homeowners.” Under Sean’s leadership, the series of Dr. Rick spots have turned out to be some of the most inspired television commercials in years. Sean and his work were featured in The Boston Globe this winter.

1996

4 Peter Flaherty won a Design

Achievement Award for Video and Production Design for his work on The Flying Dutchman at the Metropolitan Opera last spring. The production was broadcast by the Met virtually. As is the policy for each production, the show was available for free for 23 hours earlier this winter. The streams are available now through the Met Opera On Demand apps for Apple, Amazon, Roku devices, and Samsung Smart TV.

2000

5 Lucas Robertson and his wife, Kendra,

welcomed their third child, Otto Mitchell, five weeks early on January 14, 2021. Otto joins sisters Flora (5) and Esme (1).

2001

6 Matt Langione is a principal at the Boston Consulting Group where he

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specializes in bringing research-driven, high-potential “deep tech” to market. A leading global expert on the industrial applications of quantum computing, he advises Fortune 500 companies on building quantum computing into their digital transformation roadmaps. He recently delivered a TED Talk titled “The promise of quantum computers” in which he explains how these machines solve complex challenges like developing vaccines and calculating financial risk in an entirely new way that’s exponentially faster than the best supercomputers—and shares why industries should prepare now for this new leap in computing.

2002

Mark Valentino left his leadership role

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at Citizens Bank and relocated with his family back to Los Angeles in June 2020, at the height of the pandemic. Mark took on a leadership role at a privately held healthcare system that includes hospitals and nursing homes in southern California. On March 5 he was named CEO of the flagship facility, LA Downtown Medical Center (LADMC), a safety-net hospital located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. He writes: “While I didn’t plan to delve into healthcare management at such a unique time in history, the last 9 months were eye-opening, humbling, and utterly transformational for me personally and professionally. We achieved our second five-Star CMS Rating in a row and had one of the lowest COVID mortality rates in the country for healthcare providers.

I am so proud and grateful to be part of such an incredible, patient-centric organization led by many of the frontline heroes of our time!”

2003

Stefan Jackiw—international violin soloist, recording artist, and educator—has joined the faculty of The New School in New York City. He will be part of the Mannes School of Music at the College of Performing Arts. The recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant, Stefan is one of America’s foremost violinists, with a broad repertoire and a passion as an educator and arts advocate that equals his passion for performing. At Mannes, Stefan will serve on the major lesson faculty in the String Department and will coach chamber ensembles. He will

also collaborate with students and faculty across the college in a wide range of special projects and courses.

2006

7 In his newly-published debut, Authentic Selling, Jeffrey Kirchick argues that what’s missing in salesmanship is authenticity. In his book—which combines entrepreneurial advice, political commentary, and memoir—Jeff turns conventional business wisdom on its head, explaining why the customer is not always right, why being weird is good, and how being a failure can be admirable. “You may not consider yourself a salesperson, but from interpersonal relationships to job interviews to riffing about politics with your friends, life is

a series of interactions involving the timeless skills of salesmanship,” says Jeff. Authentic Selling, which won the 2021 Independent Press award in the Sales and Marketing category, is available on Amazon. Additionally, Jeff led Next Caller to a successful acquisition by Pindrop Security after joining as the first employee seven years ago. He is now Strategic Sales Director at Cresta.

2012

education campuses” into law. The law helps ensure that college campuses have up-to-date policies regarding sexual misconduct and sexual assault, and that students know about the policies and the resources available to them. After six years of student and survivor advocacy, John and his colleagues make history with this bill, which helps make college campuses safer.

2019

8 Erik Zou created a piece of writing

John Gabrieli is the Executive Director at The Every Voice Coalition, which this year successfully helped—through their advocacy—to pass a trailblazing bill into law in Massachusetts. This winter, Governor Charlie Baker signed “An Act relative to sexual violence on higher

and a series of portraits titled “The Family Zodiac,” which was published in Harvard’s student-run, online magazine The Wave—a literary and arts magazine that “seeks to create a platform for artists and readers to express and reflect on Asian anglophone experiences.” //

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This Year’s (Virtual) Alumni Luncheon, Featuring John Kenney ’81 by Alessandro Ferzoco ’14 On February 11, the Alumni Office hosted a virtual gathering in place of our annual Spring Luncheon, which featured alumnus John Kenney ’81—critically acclaimed novelist and bestselling author (Truth in Advertising, Talk to Me) and poet (Love Poems for Married People, Love Poems for People with Children, Love Poems for Anxious People, Love Poems for the Office). Mr. Kenney has contributed to The New Yorker since 1999. Alumni Council President Mike McElaney ’98 provided the opening remarks and emphasized the ways in which the RL alumni network can offer both professional opportunities and friendships. He noted that even in the midst of the pandemic, alumni have found ways to come together through Zoom class reunions, online industry-specific networking groups, and virtual events like the one that replaced the Luncheon itself. In a conversation moderated by Headmaster Kerry Brennan, Mr. Kenney discussed his professional journey as a writer and shared his creative, poignant, and funny explorations of love and life. His presentation was an appropriate prelude to Valentine’s Day, and his reflections on relationships and love left attendees of all ages reeling with laughter. Throughout the conversation, the grid of faces on Zoom was filled with grins.

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More than fifty alumni from across the country attended the event, and attendees represented classes from 1958 through 2020, with an especially sizable cohort from the Class of 1981. All current seniors, the Class of 2021, were also present, keeping with a longstanding tradition, whereby the Luncheon serves as the inaugural alumni event for seniors as they look toward graduating and embarking on a new relationship with Alma Mater. In addition to a large faculty and staff presence, several friends of the school and trustees also joined the meeting. Mr. Kenney spoke of the lessons he learned at Roxbury Latin—to work hard, to be persistent, and to accept shortcomings as learning opportunities. Mr. Kenney singled out two of his RL teachers as particular mentors, Mr. Joseph Kerner (who taught at RL from 1976 until his retirement in 2012), and Mr. Maurice Randall (who is presently in his 45th year teaching at Roxbury Latin and was at the event). Mr. Kenney delighted the audience with readings of several poems (leaving them in tears, as well as some seniors flush with embarrassment!). Mr. Kenney then fielded questions from the audience. He was delighted to engage with the seniors

and shared some of his favorite authors and texts. He also reflected on some of the methods and practices that might make someone a better writer. One of the seniors followed up with Mr. Kenney after the call to orchestrate an Independent Senior Project for the spring. Mr. Kenney eagerly accepted the invitation to serve as a mentor. In mid-April, Mr. Kenney was also a special guest in Andres Wilson’s senior poetry elective. To learn more about Mr. Kenney’s writing, please visit his website: www.byjohnkenney.com. //

In addition to the Class of 2021, alumni attendees included Peter Schwartz ’58, Michael Marcus ’64, Bob Powers ’66, Carl Roberts ’66, John Colbert ’68, Ronald Greenwald ’67, Stephen Koster ’67, Mark Peters ’70, David Lake ’71, Claudio Perini ’71, Steven Simoni ’71, Phil Curley ’72, James Washington ’74, Stephen Kane ’76, Michael Bear ’77, Jeffrey Ganem ’77, Jack O’Loughlin ’77, Michael Price ’77, Paul Massey ’78, Dan Molloy ’80, Gerry Cox ’81, Randy Chatterjee ’81, Matt Day ’81, Phil Dobbyn ’81, Brian Driscoll ’81, Robert Finn ’81, Wade Hennessey ’81, David Nackley ’81, Robert Powell ’81, George Psomas ’81, Chris Supple ’81, Richard Mulligan ’81, Greg Petrini ’82, Bob O'Connor ’85, Christopher Weesner ’86, Tom Baxter ’88, Kosta Deligiannidis ’93, Whit Collier ’94, Jon Curran ’94, Clifton Jones ’97, Mike McElaney ’98, Phil Mone ’98, Kevin O’Connell ’99, Jason Perry ’00, JP Chilazi ’06, Jeff Kirchick ’06, Mike Lawler ’06, Adam Layne ’07, Stefan Poltorzycki ’10, Shawn Heide ’11, Owen Akeley ’12, Jack Burke ’15, Ethan Kee ’19, Nate Lopes ’19, and Hari Narayanan ’20. A cohort of faculty and staff was also present, including Headmaster Kerry Brennan, Tom Guden ’96, Phil Thornton, Dave Cataruzolo, Alessandro Ferzoco ’14, Tobey O'Brien, Mo Randall, Brian Buckley, Erin Berg, Rary Delaney, Erin Dromgoole, Mike Pojman, Daniel Bettendorf, and Tom Walsh ’79. We were also happy to welcome former faculty members Kate Stearns and Phil Kokotailo, as well as past parent, and Trustee, Anne Craige McNay. //

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In Memoriam

Dr. Robert “Bob” L. Leighton ’36 died January 22, 2020, just shy of his 103rd birthday. For many years, he was Roxbury Latin’s oldest living alumnus. Bob often quipped that he had, at long last, qualified for the senectutem about which generations of boys have chorused in Gaudeamus igitur. Born February 27, 1917, in Boston, Bob was the son of Agnes Robinson and George Leighton. He grew up in Roslindale and attended Boston Latin Junior High School prior to his admission to Roxbury Latin. Bob arrived at Roxbury Latin in the fall of 1930. From his streetcar at LaGrange Street, he walked two miles to the “beautiful new Roxbury Latin school buildings on the old Codman Estate, lugging his lunch and books in a briefcase.” In a memoir published in the Newsletter in October 2016, Bob recalled his fondest memories of Roxbury Latin. As Sixies, he and his classmates built little dams in a brook adjacent to campus to flood a field

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so that they could enjoy a makeshift skating pond. (In recent years he was thrilled that the school constructed a permanent ice rink on campus!) Because Bob suffered lung damage as an infant in the 1918 pandemic, he found little personal success as an athlete. Still, he contributed on campus in important ways. Bob recalled proudly that he was one of several boys responsible for felling trees in the woods and splitting wood for the fireplaces in classrooms. Boys who received the best marks were allowed to move their desks closer to the fire. Bob recalled that during his time at RL every student wore a coat and tie, and Hall occurred daily. Nearly everyone participated in each activity at school. Perhaps heeding his teachers’ call for the cultivation of the life of the mind a bit too seriously on one occasion, Bob convinced his schoolmates to cheer for the football team, not with chants but with Latin declensions—“I felt that yelling was a waste of time that could be used for instruction,” he joked. During Bob’s schoolboy days, his classmates discussed the then-contemporary politics of Hoover and FDR; they belonged to a generation of boys who schemed to escape French lessons by imploring their teacher to revel in tales of his service in World War I. Throughout his life, Bob recalled his time at Roxbury Latin with great fondness. He once reflected: “My education at the School has provided me with a background and knowledge of the humanities, love of learning, and strength of character far more than any college.” As a nonagenarian he wrote, “Like all our graduates, I am beholden to the teaching of the school for any

success that I may have had… Without the education I received, I would have never succeeded as well as I have.” Bob often lauded Mr. O. M. Farnham, who saw it as his duty to “make educated gentlemen out of [boys] following the dictate that it was the school’s purpose to prepare men for Church and State.”

Bob matriculated at the University of Pennsylvania. He earned his VMD from the School of Veterinary Medicine in 1941. He subsequently interned at Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston before being hired there as a junior staff surgeon. During World War II he served two years in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps. From 1944 to 1956, Bob was Chief of Surgery at the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ Angell Animal Medical Center, Western New England in Springfield, Massachusetts. Shortly after moving to western Massachusetts, he married Jeanette Ruth Dibble in 1945, with whom he shared many years of

marriage until her death in 2007. In 1956, Bob moved to New York City to serve as Chief of Surgery at what is now the Animal Medical Center. He helped design the AMC building that opened in 1962 on East 62nd Street. In 1965, Bob began a teaching career as a member of the veterinary faculty at University of California, Davis. He was instrumental in establishing the American College of Veterinary Surgeons as a charter member that same year. Bob taught veterinary surgery and provided orthopedic surgical care at UC Davis until his retirement as a professor emeritus in 1982. He later received an honorary DVM from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. In 2011, Bob was selected by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons to receive the Foundation Legends Award, presented to an ACVS diplomat who developed a surgical or diagnostic procedure of significant value to the practice. Known as an innovative surgeon, Bob designed surgical instruments and orthopedic implants fabricated by his father, a machinist, including the Leighton Shuttle Pin for stabilizing distal ulnar fractures. Bob authored or co-authored numerous book chapters, scientific articles, and textbooks, including Small Animal Orthopedics, A Compendium of Small Animal Surgery, and Radiology of Small Animal Fracture Management. During his later years, he wrote children’s stories that he read to schoolchildren in Davis, California. Bob is survived by a son and two grandchildren. He was a lifelong supporter of Roxbury Latin and was a member of the Thomas Bell Society.

1952 Tripod Staff

Chaplain Huston “Jack” J. Banton ’53, of Lakeland, Florida, died of COVID-19 and pneumonia at the age of 86 on March 14, 2021 with his beloved wife at his bedside holding his hand. Jack was born on September 14, 1934 at Fort Benning, Georgia, the son of Cinnabelle Richards and Colonel Dr. Huston Banton. After the family relocated to Boston, Jack attended the Robert G. Shaw School prior to his admission to Roxbury Latin.

the Glee Club for several years and was an officer as a senior.” Jack also acted in school plays, wrote for Tripod, worked on Yearbook, and served on the Prom Committee. Outside of school he was active in church work and also served in the National Guard beginning the winter of his senior year. Headmaster Weed wrote of him, “Banton is a good sound boy… He is invariably polite and cooperative and can be counted on to do his best under all circumstances.”

As a schoolboy at Roxbury Latin, Jack participated in a host of activities. His peers wrote in the Yearbook: “Up from the south at the beginning of our school days came Jack Banton bringing to Roxbury Latin much delight. Ever since, Jack has been known for his athletic excellence and his consistently hard work. On the football field Jack’s talents have been invaluable. As co-captain and actual field leader, Jack’s spirit and willingness to do his best for his school have been demonstrated by his wrestling at 177 pounds. This year, without any experience, Jack also stepped in to fill the gap in the shot put. Jack was the school’s representative on Good Government Day. He has been active in

Jack matriculated at Harvard, where he earned his AB in history in 1957. He subsequently attended Union Seminary in New York City from 1957 to 1959. In June 1958, he married Ella May Redfearn with whom he shared his life for more than 60 years. After his departure from Union Seminary, Jack attended McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, where he earned his BD in theology in 1960. That same year, he was ordained a Presbyerian Minister. Jack served for many years as a Chaplain in the United States Army. Over the course of a 20-year tenure with the Army, from 1960 to 1980, he was awarded 17 medals and decorations. He traveled extensively

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while on tour: from Fort Hood (Texas), to Germany (twice for a total of seven years), Fort Benning (Georgia), Vint Hill Farms (Virginia), Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, and later Metropolitan New York and New Jersey. Jack worked from 1980 to 1989 as pastor of Unity Presbyterian Church in Woodson, Illinois. In 1990 he earned his AM in health services administration from the University of Illinois. In his retirement, Jack led an active, service-oriented life. He was involved in a variety of social and fraternal groups, from the Lions Club in Illinois to various Masonic Lodges. He served for years as a trustee for the Illinois School for the Deaf. Beginning in 1998, Jack and Ella moved to Egypt where they conducted missionary work as volunteers for the Presbyterian Church and the Evangelical Synod of the Nile. Jack took up teaching English at the Ramses College for Girls, during which time he corresponded regularly with Headmaster Tony Jarvis. In 2001, Jack and Ella returned to the United States. They settled in Florida Presbyterian Homes in Lakeland in 2003. Jack recounted that this final move marked his 38th home, with 15 years of residence abroad. In addition to his beloved wife, Jack is survived by his two daughters, a son, and three grandchildren. He was predeceased by a grandson. All those who knew Jack will remember how earnestly he fulfilled the Founder’s hope that Roxbury Latin boys would be fit for service both in Church and Commonwealth.

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as an air traffic controller and manager at the Federal Aviation Administration, where he was known as an “honest to the point” boss. Jack carried on his boyhood passion for hockey throughout his life; he played for the FAA team and also refereed and coached for local youth travel teams.

John “Jack” T. Basius ’54 of Nashua died peacefully at the age of 85 on April 2, 2021. He was born September 24, 1935, the son of Mary McDermott and Francis Basius. Jack grew up in Jamaica Plain and attended the Agassiz School prior to his admission at Roxbury Latin. He was the younger brother of the late Frank Basius ’48. As a Roxbury Latin boy, Jack was involved in many extracurricular pursuits. He lettered in varsity football and captained the varsity baseball team. Jack also acted in the school play, served on the Senior Prom Committee, and wrote for Tripod as a sports editor. As a younger boy, he participated enthusiastically in hockey. Headmaster Weed wrote at graduation that Jack had “proved an excellent, cooperative citizen in all ways. He did his academic work conscientiously, and participated in extracurricular activities with energy and effectiveness… We have full confidence in his character and integrity.” Jack served in the U.S. Air Force. Subsequently, he had a successful career

Jack was the beloved husband of the late Anne Marie Lucey, with whom he raised a family of four children. Jack is survived by his daughters and sons, their spouses, his five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. In addition to his brother Frank, Jack was predeceased by a sister. Two sisters survive him. His family remembers him as a private, humble, and gentle man known for his compassion. //

Memorial Gifts: In addition to planned gifts, many families choose to designate Roxbury Latin as a charity to support in the name of a deceased loved one (in lieu of flowers). Often the deceased alumni and parents have made it clear in their plans that RL is the memorial destination of choice. By designating Roxbury Latin as the charity of choice upon their passing, they are providing immediate and meaningful support to the boys, faculty, and program, and honoring their connection to the school. Families of the honored deceased are informed of those thoughtful memorial gifts.

from the archives

Fascinating Firsts, in Education by CHRIS HEATON

As an archivist—and a cross country and track coach—I really like firsts. Because this Newsletter issue is focused on educators, I’d like to share some “firsts” of alumni from before the first decade of the twentieth century, whose careers were in education: Librarians are more than shushers, and the first RL alumnus to be the librarian at Harvard was John Gore, Class of 1698. He wasn’t just an armchair adventurer like me; he really was a sea captain. As Sibley’s Harvard Graduates notes: “He left the pulpit for the poop.”1 Increase Sumner, Class of 1763, taught at RL from 1767 to 1770 before he went on to be Speaker of the House Governor of Massachusetts. John Warren, Class of 1767, is considered to be the first professor of Harvard Medical School. Edward Hickling Bradford, Class of 1865, when the Civil War concluded, was Dean and the first full professor of orthopedic surgery at that institution. Bradford founded in 1893 what became the Cotting School for children with “learning and communication disabilities, physical challenges, and complex medical conditions.” It was the first school in the country specifically designed for children with physical disabilities.2 (Former Trustee Dave Manzo P’03 just retired as Head of Cotting.) Rev. Kenall Brooks, Class of 1837, was the first RL alumnus I know of to lead a college; he was president of Kalamazoo College, where I don’t got a gal. Theodore Chickering Williams, Class of 1872, was the 13th RL alumnus to teach at Alma Mater, but the first and only alumnus headmaster (1907-1909). He went on to be the first headmaster of Hackley School in Tarrytown, New York. Frederick Winsor, Class of 1888, was the founder of Middlesex School. I met his great-grandson while I was pacing off the Middlesex cross country course in 2019. (That was the first meet in my coaching career when we lost by a score of 28-28.)

Clockwise from top left: Rev. Samuel Smith Drury, Remsen Ogilby, Theodore Chickering Williams, and Frederick Winsor

wound up in New Hampshire, where he went on to be governor and U.S. Senator.) Another early college president came from the following year’s RL class: Remsen Brinckerhoff Ogilby was president of Trinity College in Connecticut. Ogilby’s classmate, Moses Weld Ware, was the first alumnus to teach at Browne and Nichols, which later became BB&N. There are a host of firsts from the Class of 1899: • Stuart Daggett became the third Dean at Cal Berkeley’s School of Business, but the first to create a two-year Master of Science degree there.3 • John Robert Putnam French was headmaster at Derby Academy in Hingham, the first co-educational private school in the country, and at Cambridge School of Weston boarding school, which first opened as Cambridge-Haskell’s upper school boarding school.4 • Rev. Robert Eliot Marshall was headmaster at Holderness School and the first to change its colors to blue and silver.5 • Horace Mann was the first grad whose eponymous grandfather was the public education reformer of the nineteenth century (and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, replacing John Quincy Adams). 1

Sibley’s Harvard Graduates. Vol. V 1701-1712, p. 151

https://www.cotting.org/history-project/.

http://haas.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/centennial.pdf

Rev. Samuel Smith Drury, Class 1897, was the first alumnus to be rector at St. Paul’s School. (His RL classmate, William Tobey, also

https://www.csw.org/about-us/our-history-

https://www.holderness.org/news-detail?pk=819172&fromId=211285

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The Roxbury Latin School 101 St. Theresa Avenue West Roxbury, MA 02132-3496 www.roxburylatin.org Change Service Requested

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Photo by Adam Richins