On December 7, Roxbury Latin sent 12 boys to Brookline High School to compete in the Mass Junior Classical League’s Winter Certamen Tournament, where Liam Kelly (VI) won the tournament’s High Riser Award.
On February 8, 24 RL boys competed at the Boston Latin Certamen, where RL swept with a win in three divisions, with Tom Pogorelec (II), Teddy LaFond (IV), and Sahaj Swaroop (V) winning MVP in their respective divisions.
On April 5, nine RL boys competed at the Harvard Classical Club’s annual Certamen. Both teams advanced to the semi-finals, winning the Novice Division and placing fifth in the Intermediate Division.
Winter Walk for Homelessness
On February 24 ,RL’s sixies did their part to combat homelessness in Boston and beyond—with a twomile Winter Walk through West Roxbury, a now annual tradition for RL’s youngest students.
Winter Walk is a non-profit organization striving to end homelessness in our communities. It centers on two-mile walks in NYC and Greater Boston in February, the coldest month of the year.
Service Drive by the Numbers
Before the conclusion of RL’s Service Hall on January 16, boys repeated a simple oath for the coming monthlong service drive: “I will give of myself generously.” They answered the call with a record-breaking effort.
6,376
Total Donations (compared to 5,327 last year)
356 Food Items
291 Pairs of Shoes
150 Toys 5,579 Items of Clothing
$3,000 Raised
Spring Break in Québec
Over the March break, boys from Class V put their French language skills to the test during an immersion trip to Québec led by Madame Kostur, Madame Buitrago, and Monsieur Diop.
VEX Success
VEX Robotics saw another successful season with four of RL’s high school teams and one middle school team qualifying for the State Championship. The team of Eliot Park (I) and Dylan Pan (II) (pictured with Mr. Nate Piper) was one of fourteen teams from the Massachusetts Region to qualify for the World Championship in Dallas. Though they were eliminated in the Round of 16, their 21st place ranking after qualification places them amongst the top two percent of teams worldwide.
Dr. Nimah Mazaheri is 21st Jarvis International Lecturer
On December 3, Dr. Nimah Mazaheri, associate professor at Tufts University, delivered the F. Washington Jarvis International Fund Lecture at Roxbury Latin. Specializing in Middle Eastern politics and oil economies, Dr. Mazaheri addressed why democracy is scarce in the region. Drawing from his book Hydrocarbon Citizens, he argued that citizens in oil-rich nations often favor autocracy due to unstable economies, indirect oil wealth, and historic reliance on government. He also reflected on the Arab Spring’s outcomes. Roxbury Latin is grateful to Jack ’54 and Margarita Hennessy for their ongoing support of this important lecture series.
Pulitzer-Winning Biographer Jonathan Eig Delivers MLK Commemoration Address
At Roxbury Latin’s annual MLK Commemoration Hall on January 14, Dr. Schaffer urged the community to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy by continuing the work for justice and equality. He then introduced Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Jonathan Eig, author of the acclaimed King: A Life. Mr. Eig spoke about Dr. King’s courage during the Montgomery Bus Boycott and explored his humanity, struggles, and faith. He emphasized the importance of remembering King as a real, imperfect person, not just a monument. Following Hall, Mr. Eig joined history classes for deeper discussions, leaving a strong impression on the community.
Kaleb Joseph Discusses Athletic Pressures and Mental Health
On January 28, former Division I basketball player and mental health advocate Kaleb Joseph spoke at RL’s winter Health and Wellness Hall. Sharing his journey—from a turbulent childhood to facing intense pressure and anxiety in college—he emphasized the importance of vulnerability. Through his Self Help Tour organization, Mr. Joseph challenges the stigma around mental health, especially for athletes. His message encouraged students to support one another and normalize seeking help. After his talk, he engaged the audience with thoughtful questions, sparking important conversations that continued throughout the day.
Dr. Yet-Ming Chiang Delivers 2025 Wyner Lecture
On February 4, Dr. Yet-Ming Chiang, MIT professor and father of Casey Chiang (III), delivered Roxbury Latin’s Wyner Lecture. Dr. Chiang, a leading scientist and entrepreneur, focuses on innovating sustainable solutions for climate change. He spoke about his companies, Form Energy and Sublime Systems, which aim to create clean energy storage and low-carbon building materials. Stressing optimism over fear, Dr. Chiang explained how his teams are reinventing processes like cement production and developing iron-based batteries. After his talk, he answered questions on topics including electric vehicles, AI, and aviation’s carbon footprint, inspiring students with possibilities for impactful change.
The 2025 Berman Visiting Artist is Magician Harrison Kramer
Magician Harrison Kramer amazed students, faculty, and parents in the Smith Theater as this year’s Berman Visiting Artist and February Flurry performer. His captivating mix of psychological magic, sleight of hand, and misdirection left the RL audience in awe. The Claire Berman Artist-in-Residence Fund, established in 2005 by Ethan Berman ’79 and Fiona Hollands in honor of Ethan’s mother, brings distinguished artists to campus annually. Past performers include Christopher Lloyd, Tovah Feldshuh, Billy Collins, John Pizzarelli, Livingston Taylor, Jane Monheit, The French Family Band, and King’s Return.
The Dartmouth Cords, with Eli Bailit ’22, Visit Roxbury Latin
On December 4, Roxbury Latin was treated to a morning Hall with the Dartmouth Cords and RL alumnus Eli Bailit ’22.
Historian Brenna Wynn Greer on Race Representation in the Media
Dr. Brenna Wynn Greer, a Wellesley College historian specializing in race, gender, and culture, spoke in Hall on February 14, challenging how society celebrates Black History Month. She criticized the oversimplified portrayals of Black historical figures, calling it “symbolic Blackness.” Using Rosa Parks’s staged Montgomery bus photo as an example, she urged deeper curiosity and complexity in historical narratives. Ms. Greer discussed her research on civil rights, visual culture, and Black media, including her books Represented and the forthcoming Issues of Color. She later joined a U.S. History class to explore WWII propaganda and answer student questions about media representation.
Evan Ratliff on the Past, Present, and Future of Artificial Intelligence
Journalist and podcaster Evan Ratliff spoke in Hall on April 7 about his podcast Shell Game, which explores AI voice cloning. After creating an AI version of his own voice, “AI Evan,” he let it interact with friends, telemarketers, and strangers—sometimes with surprising results. In Hall, he shared clips from the podcast, including a humorous exchange between two “AI Evan” clones. Mr. Ratliff emphasized that AI’s rapid rise is an ongoing experiment, with ethical questions still unresolved. He concluded by fielding questions—some answered by “AI Evan”—reminding students that how we use AI shapes what it means to be human.
Stephanie Pollack on Climate Change, Transportation, and Individual Impact
On Earth Day, April 22, Stephanie Pollack urged students to embrace their power to drive change. A former senior advisor at the U.S. Department of Transportation, she explained that while progress has reduced emissions from buildings and electricity, transportation remains the top U.S. producer of greenhouse gases. She highlighted countries like the Netherlands, where infrastructure supports biking and public transit. Ms. Pollack ended with the metaphor of the “trim tab,” encouraging students to be the small force that sparks large-scale change. Her visit was supported by a fund promoting environmental education, established by the Class of 1973.
Find Your North Star
Dr. Saurabh Saha Delivers 2025 Cum Laude Induction Address
At the Cum Laude Society Induction Hall on April 17, 12 seniors were welcomed into the RL chapter of the society, and Dr. Saurabh Saha delivered the Hall’s address:
Years ago, as I sat in a hall much like this one—at an all-boys Jesuit high school just outside of Chicago—a speaker asked: What does your future hold? Do you want to be an astronaut? The president? Cure cancer? At that point, I had no clue. Maybe some scattered dreams, some vague hopes—but cure cancer? I didn’t even really know what it was. I only knew the sadness and pain the word seemed to carry. At that moment it sounded far-fetched, but in hindsight, I realized it was the flicker of a larger calling—the first glimmer of my North Star.
Over time, that initial spark evolved into something more deliberate, more encompassing: a North Star defined by a desire to help alleviate human suffering from disease. Steve Jobs once said, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward.” It’s true—you never see with perfect clarity where life’s events will lead. You can’t predict how an internship, a random conversation, or an unexpected obstacle might become pivotal in shaping the storyline of your life. While he was correct—you can’t connect the dots
looking forward—you do have the power to set your sights on a North Star, to progress toward an ideal, to pursue a long-term vision that resonates deeply within you, and to give shape and direction to those yet-to-be-connected dots.
Personally, the path guided by my North Star—to alleviate suffering from disease, perhaps by discovering new medicines— led me through college, graduate school, and medical school. It’s easy to assume that when someone says, “I want to cure cancer,” the road must be perfectly mapped out: Step A, then Step B, then Step C. But in reality, it’s never that easy—and it’s never a straight line. Often, competing interests emerge.
As I was finishing medical school, I found myself tempted by careers that promised more lucrative or a more comfortable lifestyle—and anyone who’s wrestled with a major life decision knows the siren song of following the path of least resistance. And if I’m candid, it took a chance encounter with a patient during my final year of medical school to remind me why I had set out on this path in the first place.
I had the privilege of taking care of a 34-year-old who came in with severe back pain and unexplained weight loss. Over the course of the week that I rounded on him in the hospital, I got
to know the patient and his family. He was a handsome young father of twin five-year-old boys. His boys would wrestle with him in his hospital bed all day long—no one cared about visitation hours at that point. He coached Little League and loved his family dearly. He just wanted to leave the hospital with ibuprofen and get back to playing with his boys.
We ran some tests to figure out what was wrong. When the results from the CT scans returned, we discovered the devastating diagnosis: advanced pancreatic cancer. I had to stand there, shoulder-to-shoulder with my attending, and deliver the heartbreaking news. The patient simply thanked us, then gently took his boys—one at each side—by the hand and walked out.
Sometimes, a time and place seem to stand still. I vividly recall to this day the silhouette of that young father and his boys walking out the door. It was the last time I saw him. He died eight weeks later.
In that moment, my North Star shone painfully clear. I couldn’t ignore it, couldn’t rationalize it away. If alleviating human suffering on a global scale was truly what mattered to me, then I had to make some tough decisions, even if it meant taking a riskier, less-traveled path. So, much to my mother’s dismay—she had dreams of her son becoming a neurosurgeon, which I was just a few months away from pursuing—I decided to leave it all behind and not pursue a traditional career in medicine. At the time, the decision felt bold—even unthinkable. In the past 25 years, I hadn’t known anyone who had graduated from Johns Hopkins with both an MD and PhD who chose to forgo a residency or any formal academic training altogether.
Instead, on a sunny June Saturday morning just a few days after graduation, I packed my bags and headed off to New York City. It was there, at McKinsey & Company, that I began to learn how to build the operational, financial, scientific, and clinical infrastructure necessary to bring new medicines to life—and, in my own way, to stay true to the North Star that had guided me there. The decision to combine a career in business and medicine wasn’t random. During my time in school, it became clear that the greatest innovations often occur at the intersection of disparate fields. My
“ It won’t all be success stories and triumphant phone calls. When we talk about having a vision and taking risks, it’s crucial to remember that failure and setbacks are inevitable. Progress rarely follows a straight line.
eyes lit up when I read about breakthroughs at the intersection of medicine, science, and business. While many of my classmates were reading the New England Journal of Medicine, I found myself drawn also to The Economist and BusinessWeek.
You can’t ignore your gut. At 27, it felt crazy to walk away from it all. Truth be told, there were many late nights spent sitting in a tiny cubicle in New York, staring at a wall and wondering if I had made the right call—to throw away ten years of higher education and start from scratch. But for me, not taking the risk felt even riskier. Following that North Star can lead to unexpected turns in life.
In time, that risk proved worthwhile. Around ten years after I had stood beside that young father to deliver the devastating news of his terminal cancer, the first biotech company I cofounded began developing an experimental cancer drug—a first of its kind. After we began clinical trials with this medicine in patients, I received a message from my team on a Sunday morning, a message I’ll never forget. It read: “We wanted to share with you that a young, divorced father of two, suffering from a rare terminal cancer, was bedridden. When he wasn’t in bed, he was on the toilet with a trash can between his legs, constantly vomiting and having diarrhea. His condition was terminal, and he had no desire to live. His wife had left him and their two kids. Despite the setbacks, he wanted to give it one last shot and enrolled in our clinical trial. After six months on our drug, he was out of bed and no longer needed a wheelchair. After nine months, he was back to normal activities—playing with his kids and preparing to get remarried. We met the patient and his fiancée. Both were tearful and deeply grateful that our medicine had allowed him to be a father again—and a soon-to-be husband.” Years later, he’s still alive and living a normal life. Helping to save a life is indescribable. And in that moment, the North Star I had set my sights on so many years before burned brighter, and clearer, than ever.
Failure Is Inevitable on the Path to Progress
But let’s be honest: it won’t all be success stories and triumphant phone calls. When we talk about having a vision
and taking risks, it’s crucial to remember that failure and setbacks are inevitable. Progress rarely follows a straight line.
In January 2021, during the heart of COVID, an ambitious opportunity presented itself: to build a new kind of biotech company. The idea was bold: to acquire and merge ten promising private companies, each working on a new medicine that could reshape the practice of healthcare. It had never been done before. The vision was compelling, but it presented another very challenging decision at that point in my life. I was on a short path to becoming the CEO of a Fortune 100 company. To walk away from that was considered by many to be absolutely crazy.
But the opportunity to start something new—and to bring lifechanging medicines to patients—stayed true to my North Star. It also helped that the momentum was considerable: We raised $250 million in our first round of funding and completed the fastest-ever IPO on the NASDAQ just a few months later, bringing the total capital raised to nearly $1 billion. A few months after going public, the biotech market crashed. To make matters worse, each of our potential new medicines was struggling to demonstrate effectiveness in human clinical trials. As clinical data from some of our leading programs read out negative, the value of the company spiraled downward.
While I had always appreciated that failure was inevitable at some point, I hadn’t expected just how painful it would be.
But we didn’t lose hope. We made tough decisions: cutting programs, reallocating resources to the most promising projects, and failing fast—because if you’re going to fail, fail fast and move on.
Investing in a medicine that wasn’t going to work was simply not an option. We faced tough calls every month—from Wall Street, from the Board, and internally—deciding which medicines we would bet on with the limited funding we had remaining. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, emerged an Italian scientist turned biotech entrepreneur, Mario Accardi, who led one of the companies we had acquired when we started Centessa. He sought to develop a new class of medicines called orexin agonists—medicines that, in theory, could keep people awake who suffered from excessive sleepiness: those who drifted through life exhausted, unable to focus, their minds dulled by a sleepiness so deep that their bodies were technically awake, but their brains never fully joined them. In theory, orexin agonists could change that—helping people stay naturally awake, attentive, and possibly even sharpening cognition and memory. Big pharmaceutical companies had tried to develop orexin agonists for over a decade without success.
I’ll be honest—I thought Mario was out of his mind to believe we could crack the chemistry when some of the most talented scientists in the world had barely made any progress. Over the past four years, he and his small team of researchers would call me with unusual requests: Mario would insist, “I need to hire 75 chemists overnight” to synthesize new orexin molecules, or he would reassure me that everything was under control—after casually mentioning that one of the chemical reactions necessary to make the medicine could, in fact, blow up the entire building. As they say, it’s the crazy ones, you can’t ignore them.
Last September, we released clinical data to the world that revealed, for the first time, that our investigational orexin medicine can, in fact, keep people naturally awake, even after extreme sleep deprivation. As a test case, we gave the medicine to healthy individuals at 11 p.m., and they stayed naturally awake—safely—throughout the night and into the early morning hours. It’s hard to overstate what this
“ Expect setbacks. Stay resilient. Surround yourself with exceptionally driven and talented people. The path may not be straight, but the outcomes can be glorious.
breakthrough could mean: a potential treatment for patients suffering from debilitating sleepiness across a range of serious neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders—conditions that have deprived so many of hours, days, even weeks of time. Today, we are not just making medicines. We are giving people something even more profound: time—literally—by helping patients stay more awake, more attentive, and more engaged in their lives.
A few weeks ago, a young woman came to speak at our company and share her experience living with idiopathic hypersomnia—a condition where she feels excessive sleepiness all day and night, to the point where she has only three to four productive hours each day. She described her harrowing and often heartbreaking life—how she would sometimes fall asleep on the bathroom floor of a Home Depot or, worse, be burglarized after collapsing into sleep while walking into her apartment and leaving the front door open. With no adequate
Twelve members
treatments, she cherishes every wakeful hour she has. That day, she spent one of her three precious hours with our company.
When she learned about the potential of our medicine—and the hope it could offer her for a fuller, more wakeful life—she was speechless. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and she simply said it would be “unfathomable.” We learned only afterward—after she gave what was perhaps the most eloquent speech I have ever heard, especially from someone who can barely function during the day—that she is set to graduate from Harvard College this spring despite functioning for only three hours a day. One can only imagine what she could accomplish with sixteen wakeful hours each day. She is just one example of the many patients we hope to help live a normal life someday.
Expect setbacks. Stay resilient. Surround yourself with exceptionally driven and talented people. The path may not be straight, but the outcomes can be glorious.
Not All Decades Are Created the Same
Finally, a parting thought on the preciousness of time. About eight years ago, on the way to the airport, a cab driver asked me how old my kids were. I replied, “They’re nine and seven.” He then remarked, “Wow, you’ve spent half your time with them already.” It sounded ominous—was there something he knew that I didn’t?
As it turned out, his comment was profound. As a parent, you typically have your children at home for about 18 years—and as students, you may have your parents or caregivers for a similar amount of time. At nine and seven, I really had spent roughly half of my time with them. That one remark shook me. I realized that by the time they turned eighteen, they might be off to college—and I’d never again have that same day-to-day interaction. My time with them, as it was, would never be the same.
It dawned on me that the decade between ages forty and fifty, for example, would likely be disproportionately more meaningful, eventful, and full of cherished memories than, say, the years between eighty and ninety. As you go through life, remember: Not all decades are equally weighted, and each will often demand different priorities. How you allocate your time will be both your greatest challenge and your greatest opportunity.
As you continue your journey at RL and beyond, watch for that flicker of a North Star beginning to guide you. Take risks. Embrace setbacks. And above all, remember: Time— especially in these next few decades—is especially precious. Spend it wisely and live a life of purpose and impact. As the saying goes: You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough. Thank you.
of the Class of 2025 were inducted in the Cum Laude Society this spring. Pictured left to right: Mr. Josh Cervas, Omar Rahman, Alex Giordano, Nathan Zhang, Bruno Kim, Krish Muniappan, Miles Baumal-Bardy, Isaac Frehywot, Christo Velikin, Brendan Reichard, Daniel Stepanyan, Lucas Connors, Raj Saha, Dr. Saurabh Saha.
RL Presents Curtains, This Year’s Winter Musical
Roxbury Latin’s winter production of Curtains—a murder-mystery-musical-comedy—kept audiences guessing until the final moments. The musical, which took place on February 28 and March 1, was directed by Matt Phillips with music direction by Rob Opdycke. The show featured choreography by Lisa Kostur and design by Erin Sutton. A community-wide effort, the play followed the success of Peter and the Starcatcher in he fall. RL’s dramatics program has showcased students’ talents across genres this year. As Mr. Phillips said, the fall and winter shows “could hardly be more different”—a testament to the program’s breadth.
Production photos: Marcus Miller
Holiday Concert Rings in Winter Season
Roxbury Latin vocalists filled Rousmaniere Hall with sounds of the season during the annual Holiday Concert on December 20. Glee Club and the Latonics kicked off the night with a first-act of folk songs and classical tunes, followed by holiday favorites from Junior Chorus. After intermission, the Latonics and Glee Club returned to the stage to end the night with a festive set of popular and classical holiday songs.
Winter Recital Hall
On January 30, several RL musicians showcased their instrumental talents during a Recital Hall. The program began with Darian Estrada (I) performing Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in G major on piano. Violinist Nick Makura (I) and pianist Sid Chalamalsetty (III) performed the first movement of Violin Sonata in F major by Handel; and violinist Alvin Li (III) performed the first movent of Henryk Wieniawski’s Violin Concerto No. 2 in D Minor with Darian Estrada. Theo Mashikian (VI) made his recital Hall debut with Liszt’s Consolation D flat major No.3, and trio Alvin Li, cellist Nathan Zhang (I), and pianist Marco Suri (II) performed Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio No. 2 in C Minor to bring Hall to a close.
watch the holiday concert by using your phone to scan the qr code:
watch the recital hall performances by using your phone to scan the qr code:
Guitar Ensemble and a Side of Jazz
On February 20, after the RL Guitar Ensemble gave its Smith Theater audience an early morning dose of Ozzy Osbourne’s Crazy Train, the RL Jazz Combo chilled things out with standards from Dizzy Gillespie and Chet Baker.
watch the guitar ensemble and jazz combo by using your phone to scan the qr code:
Winsor and RL Combine for Mass in G
On March 7, Roxbury Latin and the Winsor School continued a regular tradition of joint concerts. This year RL hosted the concert, which featured—for the first time since 2017—both schools combining for a performance of Franz Schubert’s Mass No. 2 in G Major.
watch the winsor and rl choruses by using your phone to scan the qr code:
Jazz Hall: From Ellington to Mars
RL’s Jazz musicians took the Smith Theater stage once again on March 11. Jazz Combo opened with Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s Satin Doll, after which the full Jazz Band played a set featuring Feelin’ Good, Earth, Wind & Fire’s September, Horace Silver’s Song for My Father, and Bruno Mars’s Treasure.
Spring Term Recital Hall
On April 10 several RL musicians showcased their instrumental talents during a Recital Hall. The program began with William Huang (VI) on piano performing Piano Sonata in E-flat Major by Joseph Haydn. Violinsts Nick (I) and Simba Makura (II) joined pianist Theo Mashikian (VI) to perform the first movement of Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor. Pianist Darian Estrada (I) performed the third movement of Beethoven’s Appassionata, and organist Eliot Park (I) closed with the final movement of Léon Boëllmann’s Suite Gothique .
watch the jazz band hall performance using your phone to scan the qr code:
watch the recital hall performances by using your phone to scan the qr code:
AC Fest 2025
On April 4, fans packed the Smith Theater for A Cappella Fest 2025. The concert kicked off with Wesleyan’s Notably Sharp—featuring Latonics alumnus Ale Philippides ’22— followed by the Amherst Zumbyes, then Similar Jones, featuring RL’s Rob Opdycke and Nate Piper. The Latonics took the stage following intermission with an eclectic set of folk ballads and pop favorites.
watch the ac fest 2025 performances by using your phone to scan the qr code:
Class of 2025 Honored at Senior Concert
On April 24, RL celebrated the Class of 2025 in the annual Senior Concert. The Glee Club opened with Brothers, Sing On! and Ubi Caritas and offered an eclectic selection of favorites. The Junior Chorus presented three songs of its own, including Drift Away by Uncle Kracker and the American Authors’ Best Day of My Life, while the Latonics’ two-part lineup included traditional pieces and pop favorites.
Class I chose My Way, by Paul Anka and Frank Sinatra, for its senior send-off, which featured several members of the class
as soloists. Benji Macharia (I) sang the solo for the night’s penultimate number, Lift Every Voice, and keeping with tradition, the evening concluded with the Glee Club joined by Junior Chorus and alumni singing The Founder’s Song.
watch the senior concert by using your phone to scan the qr code:
Three Students Named All-State Musicians
A trio of Roxbury Latin musicians, Darian Estrada (I), Jayden Hall (III), and Teddy Fortuin (III), were selected to the 2025 Massachusetts Music Educators Association All-State Festival. After rehearsals at Central Districts Music Festival in Worcester in January, the select group of high school musicians from across the Commonwealth performed a concert at Boston’s Symphony Hall on March 29.
RL’s Glee Club Takes To Texas
Over March break, the Glee Club toured and performed in the Lone Star State! Each day was full of singing, education, and some fun. To kick off the trip, the boys performed at St. Agnes Academy in Houston and later heard the combined groups of St. Agnes and Strake Jesuit. Later that day, they traveled to the Houston Rodeo at NRG Stadium. Their time in Houston also included performing at Sunday Mass at St. Basil Chapel, a trip to the Space Center Houston, and fun at Galveston Beach.
During the trip’s second leg, the group visited Cathedral High School, providing music for their morning mass and engaging in a choral exchange with their choir. The next stop was San Antonio, with a visit to the Alamo and Mission San José before attending the Spurs–Knicks game, where the boys performed in the concourse pregame. The tour continued with a trip to the Natural Bridge Caverns before touring the Texas State Capitol in Austin, concluding with the trip’s final performance.
After a fun few days, the boys returned home to Massachusetts, where the weather was a bit colder, and there were slightly fewer cowboy hats.
E Pluribus Unum
Head of School Sam Schaffer delivers the Opening of Spring Term Address
Iwant to talk to you this morning about Latin.
E pluribus unum. Latin scholars in the audience— meaning all of you—know how to translate this phrase. “Out of many, one.” “One, out of many.” Many of you also likely know this phrase as the traditional national motto of the United States. You’ve seen it on passports, on presidential and congressional logos, on coins of all stripes. It first appeared as an American motto on the nation’s Great Seal. And as you also likely know, the phrase signified the creation of a new nation out of many states, the idea of unity (unum) emerging from plurality (pluribus). This unity, of course, was critical at the time that the Great Seal was created—during the Revolutionary War—as the Continental Congress desperately tried to keep the states united enough to fight a war, win a peace, and create a government. As well as armies and proclamations and congresses, all sorts of symbols were enlisted in this unity venture, including the creation of a national seal.
This phrase—out of many, one—seemed appropriate as a motto for that seal, and Charles Thomson, the Secretary of the Congress, who took over the committee to create the seal in 1782, produced the final version we know. The eagle holding the olive branches in one claw and arrows in the other, with a shield of stars and stripes in front, gripping in its talons a waving scroll that reads “E Pluribus Unum.” And in addition to the phrase, there were all sorts of symbolic meanings on the Seal that had to do with thirteen states creating one nation: thirteen arrows in the eagle’s claw, thirteen leaves on the olive branch, thirteen stripes on the shield, thirteen stars above the eagle’s head. Even thirteen letters in “E Pluribus Unum.”
Beyond those symbols, though, the phrase itself was so important to the founders. The idea of one nation emerging from many states, of a union between state governments and a federal government. This, of course, was one of the unique and exceptional things about this new country—not just the idea of throwing off a tyranny, which happened quite frequently, but rather the idea of replacing that tyranny not with another monarch but with a union of states. And eventually establishing a republic based on democratic principles, checks and balances, and the idea that many can come together to create one. E Pluribus Unum.
What is also interesting to me—and back to the Latin—are the origins of the phrase “E Pluribus Unum.” Charles Thomson happened to be a Latin teacher before he was in the Continental Congress, so it is no surprise that he insisted on the phrase being on the front of the seal. (There are two Latin phrases on the back as well.) But the phrase “E Pluribus Unum” didn’t come from nowhere; the Founders didn’t make it up. It was likely already in their vocabulary because of a popular journal at the time, The Gentleman’s Magazine. In addition to being the first journal to use the term “magazine” (French for “storehouse,” as it was a storehouse of information and knowledge) that publication had the motto “E Pluribus Unum” on its masthead, the idea being that many articles made up one journal.
As it turns out, there are even earlier roots to “E Pluribus Unum,” ones more classical and relevant to you Latin scholars. It seems there are two possible origins.
The first is from our good friend Vergil, who wrote a poem— in dactylic hexameter, of course—called “Moretum,” about a cheese spread favored by the Romans. It describes Simulus, a rustic farmer, beginning his day by preparing his breakfast of moretum to spread on his freshly-baked bread. This “agricola” staggers out of bed before dawn, sits down beside the “cheerful fire,” takes his mortar (hence “moretum”), tosses in some cheese, adds a piece of garlic, sprinkles on some salt, pours in a little oil and vinegar, and begins to mix everything together with his pestle. Vergil describes all of this, and then notes, as Simulus stirs it all together, “Color est e pluribus unus.” Meaning that the many colors of the ingredients mix together to create a new color and concoction. One color—one tasty cheese dip—out of many ingredients. One out of many.
The second possible origin is from our other good friend Cicero, who wrote a set of moral instructions called De Officiis. Cicero wrote De Officiis in the last year of his life, in the form of a letter to his son about how to live, how to observe moral obligations, how to be a part of a community. It has been interpreted as Cicero’s attempt to define ideals of public behavior, and it had an outsized impact over the centuries: St. Ambrose declared it legitimate for church use; Middle Age scholars placed it at the height of their moral canon; it was the third book to be printed on Gutenberg’s press; and it was standard text at Cambridge University in the seventeenth
“ The unum of Roxbury Latin is signified and manifested in many things. By that crest and what it represents. By the school ties that we wear. By the “RL” that we sport on our jerseys and sweatshirts and t-shirts and hats. By the common purpose of our education.
century—meaning that John Eliot likely read it. (As does, on occasion, Mr. Randall’s Latin 6 class!)
In Book I, Cicero wrote of what creates fellowship in a community. He noted that there are a great many degrees of closeness in human society, from the universal bond of our common humanity, to the closer one of belonging to the same tribe, to the still closer one of living in the same city-state, to the still closer one of family. But then he declared, “of all the bonds, there is none more noble, none more powerful than when good men are joined together in intimate friendship.” “And while every virtue attracts
us,” he continued on, “justice and generosity do so most of all.” And the result, he concluded, is an ideal friendship “unus fiat ex pluribus”—one made out of many. This ideal friendship amicitia—in Cicero’s estimation, is sweetest when cemented by character. That is how one is made out of many. By friendship and character.
And so I thought this a fitting place to offer a message for the spring term at Roxbury Latin. The idea of community. Of the Roxbury Latin community. Of one community composed of many parts, of what it takes to make that community, of what makes that community strong and lasting. Using some Latin, with a little U.S. history thrown in. As you might imagine, I’ve thought about this topic of community quite a bit. As—like our Sixies—I have joined Roxbury Latin this year and learned what our community is about. As I’ve visited your classes and seen the questions you ask and the discussions you have and the learning you engage. As I’ve seen you out on the circle or in the Refectory or at games or concerts or shows or competitions. As I’ve chatted with your teachers and as I’ve chatted with you.
of a community and great sadnesses as well, I commented, reminding you that here we are part of something larger than ourselves, the Roxbury Latin community.
I’ve also thought about community as I spoke to you at our Opening Hall this year about the handshake, reflecting upon what that gesture means; about the origins of the handshake as a sign of trust and respect, and as a sign of equality; about how we open each year with a handshake as a physical sign of our community.
And as I spoke to you at the opening of Winter Term, where I encouraged you to make your second half even better than the first, as Jimmy Carter did, to commit yourself to making this community even stronger.
And as I spoke to you about the tragic passing of Quang Dang, Class of 2015, right before break, where I noted that even though you didn’t know Quang you are connected to him through this community. There are great joys to being a part
And as I traveled to Texas and California over break, I saw that larger community as well. As, in addition to visiting with the Glee Club, I spent time with RL alumni, from the classes of 1954 through 2018 and every decade in between. As I asked them about what RL meant to them, and as they gave answers about the bonds with their classmates, the memorable faculty they had, the habits of mind they learned, the discipline that was instilled, the devotion to excellence that was generated, the curiosity that was inspired. And as they asked “How is the school doing?” and took a great interest in how we are carrying on their legacy and making it even stronger. Their care for this community was moving.
And so, as we move into the final portion of the year, it’s important to think about what this community is and about
how we contribute to it. About how we are part of something larger than ourselves and how important that is. About the “E Pluribus Unum” that affects us.
The unum, of course, is Roxbury Latin. The pluribus is all of us.
The unum of Roxbury Latin is signified and manifested in many things. By that crest and what it represents. By the school ties that we wear. By the “RL” that we sport on our jerseys and sweatshirts and t-shirts and hats. By the common purpose of our education. By the common curriculum we engage in our classrooms. By our agreement to devote ourselves to learning and the life of the mind. By our agreement to give our best efforts in the classroom and on the stage and on the field and anywhere we may represent ourselves and our school. By our commitment to honesty in all dealings. By the values we hold dear and the unity—and community—that comes with that.
The pluribus, of course, is the many people that make us up. We are, proudly, “democratically gathered” here, without regard for need, but rather because we want to be here and because we have committed ourselves to being here. We hail from 28 different towns in and around Boston, from different cities and states and territories and countries. We are Sixies and Fifthies and Class IV and III and II and I. We are faculty and staff. We are different ages, from twelve years old to sixteen to nineteen to twenty-eight to forty-nine to sixtysomething. We are from different generations, from different backgrounds, different races, different cultures and ethnicities, different religious beliefs. There is a lot of pluribus at RL, and that pluribus strengthens us. Our many different voices gather to think and to learn, to debate and discuss, to challenge and to grow as one community. We may not be thirteen states making up a nation, or six ingredients making up a cheese dip, but we are a wonderful, diverse multitude of humans gathered together as one.
So that is the “who we are” that makes up our community. There is also the “how we act” that shapes our community, the common set of behaviors and expectations and ways we treat each other. That is how our pluribus makes our unum. That is the idea of community that Ryan’s reading from the Dalai Lama described—that as part of one great human family, we need to consider the interests of others to create a better, happier, more
sincere feeling of brotherhood. It is the idea of community that Cicero wrote about—the amicitia and ideal friendship—that brings people together not only by sharing virtues but also by acting with them.
And so right now, we are at the time of year that seems like the home stretch. It’s the spring term, and the last quarter of the year beckons. That’s exciting. A lot of great things lie ahead of us. At the same time, sometimes when the end is in sight, it’s easy to focus on the future and to let the present slip a bit. I would encourage us not to let that happen. Rather than thinking about the end, let’s focus on the actions that will get each of us there. Keeping up with our studies. Making sure we meet with our teachers. Turning in our homework. Working hard in practice. Learning our lines. Getting good sleep. Don’t let those things slip.
But more importantly, let’s think about the community that will get us there. For what makes us a community is what will truly sustain us. We are part of something larger than ourselves. And here is a pluribus of our actions that make us one. The many things that we do to respect each other and this community. To uphold our mission and shared sense of purpose. To make this school a beacon of learning and of character. Let’s embrace the pluribus of those actions and responsibilities to our community down this home stretch as well. A few notes on that…
There are, of course, the big actions. Choosing honesty in all dealings. Whether it’s easy or—especially—if it’s hard, choosing to be honest and to do what is right. Not taking shortcuts. Maintaining a community of trust. And, when we fall short, picking each other up and trying again. There’s also choosing kindness in how we treat each other. Choosing to lend a hand to a brother or support a teammate. There is no greater sign of respect than being kind. Looking out for each other as part of the Roxbury Latin community is at the core of who we are.
The big themes of honesty and kindness also manifest themselves in many smaller ways. And in some ways those smaller, everyday actions are even more important. Those are the actions that the Dalai Lama and Cicero were talking about, the consideration of others. The daily actions that affect the community. Let’s maintain the little things that make this community strong.
For example, holding the door for someone. Not just because they lost their ID card and are right behind you, but because it is a kind thing to do. Or, for that matter, not losing your ID card in the first place. Not just because it’s a hassle for you, but because when you do, Mr. doCurral has to make you a new one—or someone else has to hold the door for you.
Or asking a visitor to campus if you can help them. Not just because they look lost, but because you are part of a welcoming community.
Or making eye contact when someone is speaking to you, offering them the respect of holding their gaze, rather than looking down at your phone to swipe to your next TikTok video.
Or when you see Mrs. Gibbons or Mrs. Powell or someone else carrying a bunch of boxes, asking if you can help them, rather than rushing off to your next class.
Or not using coarse language in the study rooms, knowing not only that it’s inappropriate but also that your voices echo down the halls and others can hear and likely don’t appreciate it.
Or taking care of the furniture around you, knowing that if you break a table in the Study Center or seats in the Choral Room, not only are you not respecting this campus and ensuring that others can’t use those items, but you are also making Mr. Brun or Mr. Brito or Mr. Zapata have to fix that table and those seats.
Or cleaning up the trash on the ground or in the hallways or in the Student Center. Again, not only to be respectful of the campus, but to be respectful of each other. And knowing that if you don’t, someone else will have to pick it up.
These may seem little things, but they are the pluribus that make the unum. They are important. They show how we treat each other. They show what this community means to us. Being a part of a community means doing the little things that make the big things work. It means having responsibilities to make this community strong. It means looking out for one another. In a community, everything you do affects someone else. Let’s embrace those many little things, those actions that are important and are our responsibility. The actions that are rooted in a respect for— and love of—community. Let’s continue to take care of and love Roxbury Latin.
And so, we are indeed “E Pluribus Unum.” Not a nation out of thirteen states. Or a food made from many ingredients. We are one school out of many people. We are one mission out of many habits. We are part of something bigger than ourselves. And we have our small roles, our many roles, to ensure that this one true school has a great finish to the year. It’s exciting to contemplate, and it’s exciting to be at Roxbury Latin. This school that we love.
Quisque est victor!
Exelauno Day: A Distinctly RL Celebration of the Classics
Roxbury Latin students and faculty gathered in Rousmaniere Hall on March 4 to celebrate a distinctly RL tradition: Exelauno Day. The tradition dates back over 130 years, when Classics master Clarence Willard Gleason inaugurated a celebration of the Classics, in which Greek students would be exempted from homework for the day. Today, the event allows for the singular annual pleasure of hearing from declaimers of every age and level of exposure to Latin and Greek. Gleason chose March 4th as a punny reference to Xenophon’s Anabasis and its use of the verb “exelauno,” meaning “to march forth.”
During the morning’s special Hall, boys in Class VI through Class I competed in this year’s David Taggart Clark Competition in Greek and Latin Declamation—reciting ancient words from classic texts that brought to life scenes
such as “Ovid’s ‘rizz’ advice: play it cool,” “Atreus psyches himself up for vengeance,” and “Trygaeus rides an enormous dung beetle up to the palace of the Olympians.” Classics Department Chair and Exelauno Hall emcee, Jamie MorrisKliment, welcomed Dr. Victoria Pagán, Professor of Classics at the University of Florida, to the lectern to announce the results. This year’s winners were Bobby Beeston of Class VI (Lower School Latin), Alan Archerman of Class V (Intermediate Latin), Tom Pogorelec of Class II (Upper School Latin), and Aspen Johnson of Class II (Greek).
RL extends its heartfelt gratitude to this year’s Exelauno Day judges, the aforementioned Dr. Pagan; Dustin Brownell, teacher of Classics at Boston Latin School; and Mark Alonge, Classics and History Teacher at Boston University Academy.
A
Winter Family Day Sweep
RL Winter Family Night on January 24 ended in a clean sweep for Varsity Hockey, Wrestling, and Basketball, as well as the Junior Hockey and JV Basketball teams! Hundreds of Roxbury Latin family, friends, and fans came to cheer on all the teams competing at home. Varsity Wrestling began the evening by taking on Boston Latin Academy, whom they beat 66-12. Varsity Hockey faced off against Portsmouth Abbey in Hennessy Rink and clinched a 3-2 victory in overtime. Junior Hockey won 6-3 over St. Sebastian’s, and JV Basketball defeated BB&N 56-36. The evening’s culminating event was a Varsity Basketball battle against BB&N, in which Roxbury Latin won 73-64.
During halftime of the Varsity Basketball game, Roxbury Latin held a ceremony honoring Brad Perham, who, for over 35 years, served as Roxbury Latin’s basketball coach and Athletic Director. His impact on the community did not end with athletics, as current RL Athletic Director Tony Teixeira stated, “Under Brad’s guidance, players didn’t just learn the strategies of basketball; they learned the values of teamwork, resilience, and accountability.” Pete Parsons, Class of 1975 (and a former player of Mr. Perham’s) and his wife, Leanore Parsons, recently gifted to the school RL’s first endowed coaching position, in Brad’s honor. Sean Spellman ’08, Assistant Director of Athletics and Head Varsity Basketball coach, now has the distinction of being the first Bradford C. Perham Head Coach of Basketball.
1975 Varsity Basketball Pete Parsons ’75, center (number 11), stands with teammates and Coach Perham
In addition to receiving the ISL’s Eberhart Team Sportsmanship Award in hockey, Roxbury Latin had 17 Varsity athletes who earned ISL and NEPSAC recognition for their outstanding performance during the winter season.
Roll Foxes
Jack Hynes (I) ISL All-League NEPSAC Honorable Mention
Varsity Wrestling Places Second in Graves-Kelsey League Championship
Roxbury Latin’s Varsity Wrestling team, led by Art Beauregard, enjoyed a winning season—earning multiple spots in the New England Prep Wrestling Championship in February.
Casey Chiang (III), Everett Bluman (V), Luke Kern (III), Charlie Holt (III), Zach Lim (IV), Navid Hodjat (II), David Comander (III), Michael DiLallo (II), Justin Lim (I), Flynn Hall (III), and Michael Rimas (II) headed to Phillips Exeter and delivered impressive performances.
The team took 9th place overall at the New England Prep Wrestling Championships this winter. Justin Lim placed third, Everett Bluman and Zach Lim placed fifth in their respective weight classes, and Casey Chiang placed sixth.
New Englands were preceded by a great showing at the annual Graves-Kelsey Tournament—the Independent School League wrestling championships named for long-time and legendary coaches Bert Kelsey of Roxbury Latin and Gibby Graves of Buckingham Browne & Nichols.
Earning an impressive second-place finish overall, Roxbury Latin’s wrestlers exhibited dedication and toughness in a collective effort, with the following wrestlers placing in their respective weight classes:
1st – Justin Lim: Justin was also named The Boston Globe All-Scholastic Award Winner and Most Pins in the Least Amount of Time
2nd – Everett Bluman, Casey Chiang, Luke Kern, Charlie Holt, Zach Lim, Michael DiLallo
3rd – David Comander, Michael Rimas
4th – Noah Abdur Rahim (I)
6th – Alvin Li (III), Sam Ruscito (IV), Navid Hodjat
The Graves-Kelsey Tournament was named in honor of Gibby Graves and Bert Kelsey in 1966. Bert was Roxbury Latin’s wrestling coach from 1937 to 1966, earning 24 winning seasons and numerous individual championships. A teacher of English and debate, his energy and good nature endeared him to hundreds of students. Gibby Graves was a long-time coach at Buckingham Browne & Nichols and was a pioneer in developing the league tournament. Roxbury Latin has earned the title of Graves-Kelsey Champion 20 times since 1966.
Winter Varsity Teams
Ryan
Wrestling — Front row: Sam Ruscito, Everett Bluman, Alvin Li, Brayden Gillespie, Ryan Miller, Casey Chiang, Declan Bligh (Captain), Justin Lim (Captain), Charlie Holt, Zach Lim, Luke Kern, Teddy Smith, Chris Eaton, Teddy LaFond, John Cirasuolo, David Comander. Back row: John Hall (Coach), Vinnie Napoleon (Coach), Jack Kelly, Navid Hodjat, Jaden Barrack-Anidi, Flynn Hall, Sam Seaton, Michael Rimas, Khiomany Ortiz, Auden Duda, Warren Hu, Michael Corley, Noah Abdur Rahim, Rory Kelly, David Kurker (Coach), Art Beauregard (Head Coach).
Varsity Hockey — Front row: Lucas Dolan, Thomas Stanton, Dylan Pan, Benjamin Dearden, Tom Pender (Captain), Sam DiFiore, Cole Oberg (Captain), Ryan Conneely, Luke Campanella, Nathan Rooney, John Devine. Back row: Dave Cataruzolo (Head Coach), Mike Moran (Coach), Nolan Cahill, Joe Meade, T.J. Thornton, Colin Roache, Tanner Oberg,
Molloy, Cole Gustie, Shane McGoldrick, Thomas Mitchell, Thomas Mattera, Cam Cataruzolo, Mo Randall (Coach). (Missing: Will Archibald, Chris Lovett)
Varsity
Varsity Basketball — Front row: Drew Anderson, Liam Russell, Jack Hynes (Captain), Matt Taglieri (Captain), Ben McVane, Shane Bernazzani, Connor Hynes. Back row: Tony Teixeira (Coach), Thomas Quinlan, Andre DaSilva, Finn Leary, Jordan Bornstein, Nitin Muniappan, Jackson Perri, Jeff Spellman (Coach), Sean Spellman (Head Coach).
Young Alumni Holiday Party
Exelauno Day Pub Night
On December 20, recent graduates returned to Alma Mater, reuniting with classmates and members of Class I in the Great Hall.
On March 6, in honor of Exelauno Day, alumni raised a glass at Pub Night at Conspire at the Revolution Hotel in Boston.
March 11: Commercial Real Estate Networking
Chris Zhu ’20 delivered the keynote speech.
April 17: Investors & Entrepreneurs Networking Group
December 26: Alumni Hockey Game
Events
Thank you to our alumni who joined us at our winter and spring events!
December 26: Alumni Hockey Game
December 20: Young Alumni Holiday Party
January 24: Winter Family Night
March 6: Exelauno Pub Night
March 11: Commercial Real Estate Networking
March 20: California Alumni Event
April 8: Spring Alumni Luncheon
April 9: D.C. Alumni Event
April 17: Investors & Entrepreneurs Networking
Spring Alumni Luncheon
On
April 9: Washington D.C. Alumni Event
April 8, seniors joined RL alumni at the Harvard Club of Boston for the Spring Alumni Luncheon. The day’s guest speaker, former Suffolk County DA and Boston City Councilor Mr. Dan Conley P’14, spoke about his experience as a public servant and encouraged our soon-to-be graduates to pursue similar careers in the spirit of our founder’s mission “to fit students for public service both in church and commonwealth.”
Class Notes
1959
1 Over the past four years, Richard Borkow has been reconnecting with his RL classmates via Zoom; those meetings have included a great deal of reminiscing about their years at RLS, as well as presentations on various historical topics. For example, Bob Fowler gave a presentation on the history of Scottsdale, Arizona, and Richard gave presentations on “Turning Points of WWII” and “History of Advances in DNA Science”! (Watson and Crick revealed the structure of DNA in 1953, the year the Class entered RLS as Sixies.)
1961
Richard Alan Lewis, M.D. retired after 50 years of practicing medicine in the specialty of ophthalmology, with special interests in genetics and the ocular manifestations of hereditary disorders, culminating in over 600 publications. He and his wife, Patricia, are excited to celebrate their 55 years of marriage together, their two wonderful (chemical engineer) children, and two grandchildren! Since the passing of Ted Bauer, for whom Patricia worked for some years, they see few RL alumni in Houston.
2 Phil Ferrara and his wife, Linda, completed a long trip to South Carolina to visit friends, including rendezvousing with Lauch McKay and his wife, Dianne. The group had dinner and breakfast together on March 14 and 15 near Florence, South Carolina. “It was a wonderful mini-RL ’61 reunion!” says Phil.
1965
3 Harry Lewis reports, “Fifteen of the surviving 18 of the 24 who graduated in my class gathered at my house this spring.
We are all still good friends.” Back row: Daniel Kopans, Jeffrey Bloomberg, Peter Kerr, Donald Segal, Joseph Santosuosso. Middle row: Alan Goldston, Donald Siegel, David Greer, Jim Litton, Jack Frost. Front row: Stephen Gellis, Jim Garb, Joe Myerson, Harry Lewis, Thomas Warthin.
1966
Andy Gouse reports that “The Goose” and “Kirsh” again attended the HarvardBrown men’s basketball game this winter. Goose (alias: Dr. Gouse) has decided to retire from his post as staff psychiatrist at
the Boston College counseling center. On the other hand, Paul “Kirsh” Kirshen is “going strong as a world-renowned expert in climate change.”
1971
Brian Crowley met fellow alumnus Nick Salinger ’13, now general manager of Lola’s on 28th Street, at the last RLS NYC reception in November. Following the meeting, Nick graciously accommodated Brian and his wife, Cecille, at Lola’s for their 21st wedding anniversary. As Brian and Cecille were parting, Nick mentioned
that, as far as he was aware, Brian was only the second Roxbury Latin graduate who had visited the restaurant, which had opened nine months prior. Brian hopes to help spread the word about his delightful experience with Nick at Lola’s among fellow alumni in NYC and beyond.
1973
4 On April 22, Stephen Linsky and Bob McTighe attended Hall in the Smith Theater to hear Stephanie Pollack’s Earth Day presentation, which highlighted the need for both individual action
and societal change in order to address climate issues. This was the inaugural lecture from The Class of 1973 Fund for the Study of Environmental Sciences— an endowed fund raised by the Class of 1973 during their 50th reunion— to complement and enhance RL’s coursework on environmental science and sustainability.
1993
Jim Quagliaroli was recognized as Growth Investor of the Year at GrowthCap’s NYC Awards Night on March 6. Jim is the co-founder and managing partner of Silversmith Capital Partners.
1999
5 Ben Casselman was recently named the chief economics correspondent for The New York Times. A self-proclaimed “unapologetic econ nerd,” Ben has been reporting on the economy through a variety of outlets for nearly 20 years.
He also teaches economics reporting at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York.
2001
6 In March, Jacob Russell published, with The MIT Press, his new book titled The Weaponization of Expertise: How Elites Fuel Populism. Jacob is an associate professor at Rutgers Law School.
2005
7 Members of the Class of 2005 convened in a classroom on campus during Reunion dinner celebrations to catch the action of the Kentucky Derby. Pictured from front to back: Dan Rea, Chris Sullivan, Brendan Kennedy, Trevor Biller, Brendan Powers, Demetri Sichko, Zach Hardoon, Chris Ianella, Matthew Wang, George Niden, Michael Coleman, Greg O’Sullivan, James Astrue, Dan McGeary, Mike Ryan, Patrick Costello, Darian Reid.
8 Dan Rea III and his wife, Lindsay, welcomed their daughter, Caroline Ruth, on April 27. Caroline and Lindsay are doing very well, while big brother Benjamin fearlessly tackles his new role
2007
9 Boston Celtics’ executive Remy Cofield has been named deputy athletics director and general manager for Razorback Athletics at the University of Arkansas.
2009
10 Paul McCabe and his wife, Rachel Le, welcomed their first child, Paul Hieu McCabe, on March 29. Both the Le and McCabe families are elated.
2010
Josh Rappaport wrapped up production on the movie Clean Hands starring Abigail Spencer and Zach Braff.
2013
11 Mackay Lowrie and his wife, Rachel, welcomed Knox Paul Lowrie on April 12.
12 In May, Ryan Dukeman married Matthew Choi in Virginia, with their immediate families in attendance. Ryan and Matthew met at a mutual friend’s birthday in 2022 and got engaged in Singapore in March. They look forward to celebrating with family and friends next year.
2018
13 On February 5, Michael O’Grady ’17, Jimmy Duffy, Cole Englert,
and Zach Milton, joined by Kenny Cavanaugh, Jimmy’s cousin, got together to watch Michael Callahan of the Boston Bruins face off against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
2020
14 Avi Attar was awarded the 2025 Moses Taylor Pyne Honor Prize, the highest general distinction conferred on an undergraduate at Princeton University.
2021
15 Edozie Umunna, who graduated from American University in 2024, was
selected this winter as a Schwarzman Scholar—one of the few candidates out of 5,000 applicants selected to participate in this prestigious program. In August, Edozie and the rest of his cohort will pursue a one-year, fully-funded master’s degree in global affairs at the Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University, in China.
16 Nolan McKenna completed his senior year at Trinity College in high style, maintaining a 4.0 GPA for all four years, being initiated into Chi Alpha Sigma (in recognition of his academic and athletic achievements), and being elected to Phi
Beta Kappa. Athletically, in track and field, Nolan broke three school records at the D3 New England championship meet this spring. He was accepted to Cornell Tech for grad school and will be pursuing a master’s in computer science.
17 Frankie Lonergan was selected as the inaugural Brennan Fellow at Eton College in England—a teaching fellowship post named in honor of the career and legacy of Headmaster Emeritus Kerry Brennan, and supported by a gift from Jack Hennessy ’54 and his wife, Margarita.
2022
José Flores is currently a full-time student at Tufts University, majoring in economics and Spanish cultural studies. At the same time, José is working parttime on the Red Sox Fan and Youth Engagement Team and as a Community Engagement intern with the Celtics.
18 In April, several RL Track & Field alumni competed in the NESCAC Track & Field Championships. Jedidiah Nelson took 5th place in the triple jump for Middlebury with a monster leap of 45’ 2.5”. He also competed in the long
jump. Jed’s Panthers won the NESCAC Champoinship by just 5 points; he scored 4 points himself. Rami HayesMessinger, competing for Wesleyan, placed 6th in the javelin with a personal record of 164’ 9”. Alejandro Rincon ’24 competed in the pole vault for Tufts. Not pictured is Nolan McKenna ’21, competing for Trinity, who finished 8th in the 400m with a personal-best time of 48.67 seconds.
2024
John Thomas was named to the dean’s list at UVM’s Grossman School of Business.
In Memoriam
Karl Cadem Lemp ’48, age 94, died on January 9, 2025, in Easton, Maryland, with his family by his side. In his later years, Karl often observed how lucky he had been with both his wife and his children, and that love and affection was mutual.
Karl was born April 8, 1930, in Boston, and was educated first in the Dedham Public School system and then at Roxbury Latin, his “proudest and most formative experience.” He completed his early education at Phillips Academy in Andover, where he was elected to the Aurelian
Honor Society, and he graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Amherst College, with a B.A. in Greek and English Literature. He completed his J.D. at Harvard Law School, where he was one of the winners of the 1956 Ames Moot Court Competition. He was also awarded a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship and earned his M.A. in Classical Philology at Johns Hopkins University.
Karl married Anne Cathcart Bush in 1956 and taught Latin and Greek for several years, first at Phillips Academy
Karl Cadem Lemp ’48
and later at Gilman School in Baltimore, where he also coached varsity wrestling and intramural football and baseball. He worked briefly for the Board of Trustees of the Maryland State Colleges, helping convert five state colleges to liberal arts curricula, and spent most of his career at the Central Intelligence Agency, where he was promoted to the Senior Intelligence Service.
Karl and Anne lived in Kensington, Maryland, for nearly 25 years, where Karl served on the Town Council, tutored kids from the Ken-Gar community, coached baseball, and helped nurture a very happy family. After retiring to Easton in 1990, Karl spent many happy hours reading, taking long walks with Anne, gardening, woodworking, and volunteering with local organizations, including the Talbot County Free Library, CASA of the MidShore, FoodLink of Talbot County, and Talbot Preservation Alliance. In addition, he and Anne were a regular presence at
the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at Easton for many years.
A man who always kept a dictionary at his elbow, Karl loved words, and that trait was inherited by his children and grandchildren. Karl was quick to laugh, generous to a fault, and tried hard to understand himself and others. Karl was a man of some contradictions: highly accomplished but modest, seriousminded but often a prankster, gregarious but something of a loner, well-traveled but happiest at home. He loved music, from Frank Sinatra’s tenor, to Chopin’s nocturnes, to Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors. He admired women— Anne most of all—and thought them the superior gender. And, like his wife, he believed that Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, was the true author of Shakespeare’s works. Karl was predeceased by his wife Anne; elder brother Frank Marcus Lemp; parents Frank Richard and Catherine Millicent
(Cadem) Lemp; grandson Duncan Socrates Lemp; and a nephew, William Bush. He leaves behind four children: Cathy (Jeff Mitman), Robin (Marti), Matt (Mercedes), and Liz Fauerbach (Mike), along with five grandchildren (Tim, Anna, Atticus, Ben, and William), one great-grandson (Ryan Robinson), seven nieces and nephews, and many very good friends, past and present. Karl’s ashes will be scattered alongside Anne’s at a small beach in Oxford, Maryland.
Brian DeLorey ’70—known for his kindness, intelligence and lifelong devotion to those he loved—passed away unexpectedly, on March 31, 2025, at his home in Cotuit, Massachusetts. Born on June 6, 1952, in Boston, Brian was the son of Walter Francis DeLorey and Mary Elizabeth DeLorey. He attended Roxbury Latin and graduated from Harvard College in 1975, majoring in Social Studies. While at Harvard, he was a member of the Porcellian Club.
The Class of 1970
Jay Orr ’89
After college, he worked for J.P. Morgan in New York City and then managed Investor Relations for the American Exploration Company. Brian then moved back to Boston and began a long career in government service, helping to shape the future for much of the real estate development in Boston and the region.
At the Boston Redevelopment Authority, he served in a number of increasingly significant executive roles. As director of the midtown area of the Authority, he played a crucial role in the revitalization of the downtown area of Boston, formerly known as the “combat zone.” After leaving the Boston Redevelopment Authority, Brian joined the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency, where he dedicated his efforts to expanding access to affordable housing across the Commonwealth. Upon retiring, Brian settled full-time in Cotuit, Massachusetts, but remained deeply connected to Boston. He was an active member of the Tavern Club and a supporter of the Friends of the Public Garden, among other charitable organizations. Brian is survived by his siblings, David, Peter, Denise, and Christopher; as well as ten nieces and nephews, and nine grandnieces and nephews. He also leaves behind a vast circle of dear friends and loved ones whose lives he touched immeasurably and who will forever miss him.
Jay Orr ’89 of Baltimore, Maryland, passed away on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, at the age of 53. He was a loving husband to Valerie Wright Orr; an amazing father to Jack Orr (Robert
Jackson Orr VI); a thoughtful son to Robert Jackson Orr IV and Patricia Shires Orr; a caring brother to Andrew Thomas Orr (wife, Kendra Lin Orr); and a kind uncle to Alexander William Orr and Benjamin Andrew Orr.
Jay was an accomplished architect who worked with institutional, non-profit, and private organizations throughout the United States. He was interested in environmentally responsible and sustainable design solutions. Jay also had a passion for public space and “people first” development. He was key to the revitalization of Baltimore’s Old Goucher neighborhood, designing numerous public parks and restaurants. He served as president of the Old Goucher Business Alliance and vice president of the Old Goucher Community Association. Jay was a building partner and advisor for Black Women Build and designed Hope Village in East Baltimore to provide affordable housing. Jay grew up in Sherborn, Massachusetts. After graduating from Roxbury Latin, he pursued his undergraduate studies at Yale University before earning his master’s degree in architecture from Harvard University Graduate School of Design.
Quang Dang ’15—deeply beloved member of the RL Class of 2015—died on March 7, 2025, surrounded by family after a brutal 13-month battle with cancer. All of those who knew Quang as an RL boy would not be surprised that, despite terrible physical pain during his treatments, Quang never lost his optimism and hope. And he never stopped caring for others and thinking about ways he
could make a positive difference. Faith was always at the center of Quang’s life, and faith informed the final months of his life, as he focused his attention on others and on making the world a better place. He continued to pray for those whose hardships paled in comparison to his own.
As a Roxbury Latin boy, Quang quickly earned affection and respect for his combination of intense personal commitment and a deep, loving relationship with his peers and teachers. Quang delighted in the RL experience, engaging every corner of life at his school, and enthusiastically signing up for experiences as varied as the Normandy French Immersion program, a challenging wilderness trip in the mountains of Wyoming, and a literary and cultural tour of Paris with fellow classmates.
Among Quang’s greatest gifts was his ability to make every endeavor better for those around him. In anticipation of a 13-mile
Quang Dang ’15
hike in cold, driving rain through the deepest Yellowstone wilderness, Quang set out with absolute certainty that he was beginning a joyful day. That trademark enthusiasm was infectious in all areas of school life, whether it was in the classroom, the playing fields, or in other activities. A marathoner, an endurance cyclist, a world traveler, Quang had a joie de vivre that drew him always to new places and put him in the company of countless many who grew
to love him dearly. Those in attendance at his funeral service witnessed his profound impact on others, as family and friends from all over crowded the St. Ambrose Parish in Dorchester for the opportunity to remember fondly and say goodbye to their dear friend.
Quang scaled tremendous mountains in his young life and on account viewed the world and his relations with heightened
awareness. In tribute we recall his sister Thienan’s poignant close to her own words of remembrance: “Quang, we’ll see you at the summit.” Our friend has left us far too early, and his loss is deeply painful for all in the RL community who knew and loved him. His legacy will endure—an inspiring example of how to live a fulfilling life of meaning and purpose
— Paul Sugg and Billy Quirk
’04
An RL Gem, Discovered on eBay:
Ellery Harding Clark, Jr. 1929, Captain and Chronicler
by Christopher Heaton, Archivist
Earlier this year, Marcus Miller, Director of Digital and Graphic Design, let me know about an RL-related item he had found on eBay—a scrapbook, of sorts—which I was pleased to purchase for the archives. The notebook, chronicling the activities of the 1929 RL Track and Field team, was compiled by Ellery Harding Clark, Jr., RL Class of 1929. It is not surprising that Clark was the team’s thorough chronicler; he was a lifelong track and field athlete, coach, and sports writer. Early in his life, Clark had seen Babe Ruth pitch for the Red Sox and later became a passionate baseball researcher. He apparently hit it off well with Cy Young and Ty Cobb.1 (Hitting it off of Cy Young and hitting it off with Ty Cobb are both remarkable accomplishments.)
After RL, Clark went to Harvard, where he ran track, joined the U.S. Navy ROTC, and then stayed in the Navy where he rose to the rank of captain. In 1940, he began his career at the United States Naval Academy, where he taught naval history and English and wrote two books on sea power.2 During World War II, Clark served aboard the USS Randolph. His obituary noted that “he was commended for meritorious service by Vice Admiral Aubrey Fitch for helping repair damage after an enemy suicide plane crashed into the ship on 11 March 1945, and another crashed into the ship three months later. After the second crash, Mr. Clark ‘personally led the firefighting under hazardous circumstances as burning gasoline came down on the forecastle from planes spotted on the flight deck.’”3 That dramatic action took place less than a year after Clark lost his brother and RL teammate, Elliott Weston Clark, RL Class of 1930, to a fire on another ship. The younger Clark was killed on 21 May 1944 in Pearl Harbor, while serving in the Navy. He and more than 100 sailors were killed by an explosion while loading ammunition and fuel onto ships. He was one of 19 RL alumni killed in service during World War II. One of the solemn tasks the Class I boys in my Global Conflicts
course do is research the RL alumni who died pro patria—a list of men that now hangs for posterity in the Perry building, on a plaque gifted to the school by the Powers family.
After the war, Clark returned to teaching at Annapolis. He was also an assistant track and cross country coach there, and in that role he coached Jimmy Carter, who was known as a gritty teammate and competitor who pushed hard to score in cross country races for the midshipmen.4 In total, Clark taught and coached at the Naval Academy from 1940 to 1978, and in those years 17 RL alumni were in attendance [see sidebar]. Retirement didn’t slow his pace as he published three books on the Red Sox from 1979 to 1982.5
Regarding his lifelong interest in track, Clark, as my wife’s nana would say, “didn’t lick it from a stone;” his father, Ellery Harding Clark, Sr. won the long jump and high jump at the first modern Olympics in 1896, capturing silver medals.6 (The Olympic champions didn’t earn gold medals until 1904.) Erin Dromgoole, present-day RL Varsity Track and Field coach, would be quite pleased with the RL-related team scoring at the 1896 Olympics as William Welles Hoyt, RL Class of 1894, earned his silver medal by winning the pole vault. We can gloat that RL-related athletes won three of the eleven first-place medals won by the U.S., beating the country total of Great Britain and five other countries.
Clark, Jr. continued his athletic pursuits into his eighties and trained four days a week “like a postman in snow, rain, and sleet.” Though he coached cross country, Clark, Jr. preferred to compete in the shorter distances. In a 1990 Baltimore Sun article he said, “A track coach of mine once said the farther you run, the crazier you are. I would rather run less than a mile. Keeps you healthy and sane.”7 (This distance runner is pleased to have confirmation of his questionable health and sanity.)
Late in his life, Clark, Jr. won the gold medal in the 400 meters at the Maryland Senior Olympics and another gold medal at age 86 in speed walking in the 1995 Springfield Senior Olympics. Clark wrote biographies of Cy Young, Tris Speaker, Lefty Grove, Joe Cronin, and Smokey Joe Wood. Prolificness and longevity were family traits; his father, a lawyer and author of 19 books, was a serious contender in AAU track and field competitions while in his late fifties.
For archival queries about RL-USNA connections, I turn to Phil Ferrara, RL Class of 1961 and USNA Class of 1965. Summarizing Clark, Jr.’s impact on midshipmen, Forrest Horton, a classmate of Ferrara’s, said, “From the first day we
RL alumni who attended the United States Naval Academy from 1940-1978
John Messer, 1936
Thomas Grover, 1937
Edwin Rae, 1937
Howard Burnett, 1939
John Hancotte, 1939
Stephen Rowen, 1940
Richard Campbell, 1941
William Minix, 1944
Allen Johnson, 1949
Joseph Malone, 1949
Richard Whitney, Jr., 1957
Richard Foley, 1958
Jonathan Warthin, 1958
Phil Ferrera, 1961
Mark Shaghnessy, 1969
Edward Kamrad, 1974
Peter Parsons, 1975
arrived at USNA, Professor Ellery Clark was a coach, mentor, and advisor. Ellery was truly one of those wonderful ‘uncles’ in our lives who supported us in many ways. We spent many, many miles on the course and track with our favorite coach and close friend!”
1 Sabr Salute: Ellery Clark. Society for American Baseball Research. https://sabr.org/sabr-salute/ellery-clark/
2 Ellery H. Clark, Jr. U.S. Naval Institute. https://www.usni.org/people/ellery-h-clark-jr
3 5 8 “Ellery Clark, Jr., Wrote Extensively of the Red Sox, Bios of Baseball Greats.” South Florida Sun Sentinel. https://www.sun-sentinel.com/1997/08/16/elleryclark-jr-wrote-extensively-of-red-sox-bios-of-baseball-greats/ Sept. 24, 2021.
4 Rogin, Richard. “His Coach and Teammates Remember the Runner Who Went All the Way.” Sports Illustrated October 23, 1978. https://vault.si.com/vault/1978/10/23/yesterday-his-coach-and-teammatesremember-the-runner-who-went-all-the-way.
6 Athlete Bio: Ellery Clark. The National Track and Field Hall of Fame. https:// www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/ellery-clark
7 Daemmrich, JoAnna. “Runner, 81, Dreams of a Dash for Dad in 1996 Olympics.” Baltimore Sun October 4, 1990.
9 Strumsky, John. “The History of Running.” https://www.runeveryday.com/HistoryOfRunning.pdf p.32.
