Acade m y
norfolk academy magazine
In the Game
Athletics at the academy: reaffirmation & opportunity From the Classroom
The vitality of libraries
Winter 2012
Global Perspectives
Teaching the Arab Spring Studio & Stage
Reflections on the power of dance
Academy nor fol k academy m a g a z in e
table of [ CONTENT S ]
WINTER 2012 Headmaster
Chapel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Dennis G. Manning
— The emperor’s new water — Torture: Losing the war on terrorism
Director of Communications
Betsy Wardell Guzik ’89
from the Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Associate Director of Communications
— Year two begins — Program updates
Kathy Finney From the classroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Editorial Board
Ruth Payne Acra ’86 Nene Dougherty Gary Laws Preston Moore Ron Newman Jay Rainey Dr. David Rezelman Toy Savage Gigi Cooke Tysinger ’87 Sean Wetmore ’86 Student Editors
Cross Birdsong ’18 Deni Budman ’16 Ben Klebanoff ’15 Matthew Leon ’13 Patrick McElroy ’19 Wyatt Miller ’16 Banning Stiffler ’15 Hannah Towler ’18 Grace Webb ’13 Sarah Yue ’19
— Teachers and coaches — Our favorite educational apps — Homework questions — The vitality of libraries — The Lower School bookshelf Studio & stage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
— Reflections on the power of dance — Regional Arts Calendar In the game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
— Athletics at the Academy: Reaffirmation & opportunity — Meet Coach Shinofield Global Perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
— Nicaragua & Norfolk Academy — Teaching the Arab Spring Paw prints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
— Learning in the clouds the Savage chronicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
— Carpool quadratic
Photography
Lives of Consequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Tricia Affronti Bob Handelman Abby Mann ’14 Stephanie Oberlander Woody Poole Alumni and Staff Submissions
— Courage, commitment & hope: Dr. Craig L. Slingluff, Jr.
Design
Cheney & Company
alumni highlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
— Alumni fun — Internships — Homecoming — Athletic reunions — On the road — Class reunions class notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Visit norfolkacademy.org for the latest school news, sports scores, and galleries of recent photos. You will also find direct links to all of our social networking communities.
— Class notes — Weddings and In memoriam On the cover: Coach Sean Wetmore with state champion soccer team captains
(left to right) Simon Walpole ’13, David Kotarides ’14 and Harry Lustig ’13. Norfolk Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, color, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, employment policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletics, or other school-administered programs.
from the [ h e a d MA S TER ]
Fall is a ritual time for those of us in education. Repainting classrooms, organizing desks, planning lessons, designing bulletin boards, and readying classrooms for students’ arrival—what an indescribably marvelous sense of renewal we feel each fall. My colleagues and I (and the whole Academy community) joyfully participate in beginning a new school year. Once again, another opening of school has come and gone, and our students and faculty have now settled happily into their routines as winter break draws ever closer. Fall has been a terrific season for our student athletes. Permit me a line or two to revel in our fall athletic performances. The highlight of the fall was our boys’ varsity soccer team’s winning a State Championship in Division I. Join me, too, in congratulating Hunter Wagnon ’13 (football) and Riley Tata ’13 (field hockey) as TCIS players of the year in their respective sports. All of our fall sports teams deserve recognition for their fine show of athleticism and sportsmanship over the past several months—in fact, we finished at or near the top in all TCIS sports this fall, and earned four championships in soccer, field hockey, sailing and girls’ cross country. The toughness and dedication we have witnessed on the fields and courts have made us all proud and honored to be Bulldogs. We have had remarkable triumphs off the field as well. We had a record number (21!) of perfect 800 scores that our seniors garnered on the SAT exams. We also had five seniors, Wendi Chen, Harper Dodd, Carter Hall, Libby Henry and Charles Springer, named Semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship Competition—only one other independent school (in Northern Virginia) matched that
achievement! (And all five of these students started at Norfolk Academy in the 1st grade!) Our school also had an impressive number of Commended Students: 16 seniors received Letters of Commendation for their performances on the PSAT/NMSQT. More than 20% of the class thus received National Merit recognition. This fall, seven Academy singers qualified for district choir. Our thespians earned distinction for their outstanding performances in The Insanity of Mary Girard, taking first in a regional theater competition. Even our faculty have distinguished themselves in the recent WorldQuest competition, taking first place against faculty from nearby schools and even colleges. We are surely proud of our talented and hard-working Bulldogs. As winter sets in, and we delight in the rituals and traditions of the holiday season, we take the opportunity to focus this issue of Academy on the treasured and traditional building blocks of a Norfolk Academy education. We ask, are backpacks worth their weight? What is the value of homework? How are libraries evolving in light of emerging technologies? We take a fresh look at our own traditions and institutions, examining how the dance program has evolved and flourished; sharing the 2012 winning 9th grade and senior speeches; presenting the results of our yearlong Athletics study; and exploring our revered “TeacherCoach” model. I hope you will enjoy the unique perspectives the fine men and women of the Academy present to you in these pages. I wish all of you a safe and happy holiday season, and trust that a bright and healthy New Year brings with it fresh opportunities and limitless educational vistas for all children.
Dennis G. Manning
Headmaster
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[ CHAPEL ] Senior Speech by Andrew Balitsky ’12
The Emperor’s New Water: A modern story of deceit, inanity, and bottles
What if I were to stand on this stage and offer you a sandwich, much like any you could find in your home, save that its ingredients and packaging were likely far more dangerous to your health. What if I told you it was actually safer than the one you had at home, even if countless others had proven the opposite? What if, on top of all that, I were to charge you 10,000 dollars for this sandwich? You’d probably laugh me off the stage, but in reality, if we’re to believe this analogy crafted by sustainability activist Annie Leonard, you’d probably take me up on my offer— enough to make it into a 100 billion dollar international enterprise, as found in the Pacific Institute’s biennial report on freshwater resources. Just make a few substitutions—swapping the sandwich for some water and me for beverage conglomerates such as Pepsi, CocaCola and Nestlé—and you’ll have what Salt Lake City’s mayor, Rocky Anderson, dubs the “greatest marketing scam of all time”: the bottled water industry. Though these companies may claim to legitimately and safely address a common human need, the American public needs to discontinue its costly, unhealthy and destructive addiction to the bottle and return to the tap. In the last four years alone, the bottled water industry has grown by a factor of six, despite that bottled water, by volume, costs even more than gasoline. How can these companies succeed so well at selling a product already available and near-free to boot? By manufacturing demand. As Jeff Caso, former senior vice president with Nestlé himself, admits, “We sell water… so we have to be clever,” which they certainly have been. Since the late 1980s, bottled water companies like Nestlé have waged one of the most aggressive advertising campaigns in history against tapped water, alternatively scaring consumers away from the tap— notably with advertisements featuring glasses draining and refilling to the flush of a toilet—and luring them to the bottle—with advertisements featuring young celebrities and bountiful landscapes. As MacArthur
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Fellow and president of the Pacific Institute Peter Gleik notes, “They don’t try to sell water: they sell youth, health, beauty, romance, status, image, sex and fear” with slogans like Evian’s “your natural source of youth,” Dasani’s “can’t live without it,” and starkly Agua Castello’s “pleasure within you.” Never mind that these intentional manipulations of the public work, and that they successfully sell water in bottles at 1,900 times the cost of that from faucets; never mind that, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, 3 out of 4 people now drink bottled water and 1 out of 5 drink bottled water only; our free market might have even granted them the right to do so, if only their purported healthful product wasn’t actually the opposite—harmful. Bottled water companies like to tout that their products are “pure,” “safe” and “healthy,” but in reality both the bottle and the water itself come with myriad dangers. The plastic used in the packaging commonly contains one of two potent petrochemicals, either polyethylene teraphthalate—PTA for short—or bisphenol‑A —commonly known as BPA. PTA is derived from refining crude oil; its primary ingredient, the known carcinogen perozylene, can at any stage in its production leach into its intended contents. As for BPA, Dr. Vom Saal of the University of Missouri notes, “There is virtually no major human health trend over the past 30 years that hasn’t increased… related to the exposure to this [compound]: obesity, breast cancer, prostate cancer, liver disease, ovarian disease, disease of the uterus, low sperm count, and even brain disorder.” These, however, are only the immediate findings associated with the chemicals in the packaging; nobody has yet to study the true long-term effects of exposure to this plastic. The Food and Drug Administration, meanwhile, the agency responsible for the oversight of the industry,
In the last four years alone, the bottled water industry has grown by a factor of six, despite that bottled water, by volume, costs even more than gasoline.
turns a blind eye. Under FDA regulation, companies need only submit a quality report on water they sell across state lines, accounting only for one-third of all bottled water sales. Even then the companies need only submit one report at their discretion, meaning that they may run as many tests as they like that produce unfavorable reports until they find just one that’s suitable. The others never leave company records. The reports that do wind up in the FDA come only to the desk of review chemist Lauren Robin, who herself admits that “I do spend some of my time on bottled water but I have other responsibilities as well.” Tapped water, on the other hand, is subject to the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulation, and thereby must be tested many times a day, usually for a total of 300 to 400 times a month, with full report disclosure. No surprise, then, that bottled water tests significantly higher than tapped for contaminants like sodium hydroxide, kerosene, styrene, mold, fecal coliforms and others; effectively, half of one person in the FDA checks the production of all bottled water, while thousands of individual municipalities vigorously test their own tapped water. Nevertheless, Americans continue to consume about eighty million bottles of this water each day, amounting to about thirty billion bottles each year. Placed end to end, Leonard found, “this bottle waste could circle the earth more than 265 times.” Not taking into account the energy necessary for their costly shipment, Gleik finds in his book Bottled and Sold that the energy spent on their production alone could power one million cars for an entire year. The pollution does not end there, however. Since only twenty percent of water bottles end up recycled in the States after consumption, the remaining eighty percent finds its way either into landfills—to be burned and released as toxic gases into our atmosphere—or into the water runoff. There, they continually break apart into smaller and smaller pieces until eventually winding up trapped in giant ocean current patterns called gyres.
In 1999, marine researcher Captain Charles Moore analyzed the water content of the largest of these—the North Pacific Subtropic gyre—and found six times more pieces of plastic than plankton—the staple food source of marine life. In conducting the same survey in 2008, Captain Moore then found plastic to outnumber plankton forty-six-to-one, prompting him to author a book on his discoveries entitled Plastic Ocean. Within, he warns us of the dangers that might ensue when first fish and other wildlife, either directly or indirectly, regularly consume these poisonous petrochemicals, and then we them. Why, then, should we continue to hurt our wallets, health and world by using bottled water? We shouldn’t; at a minimum, the FDA must tighten its regulation on the industry and ensure our safety. Better yet, to preserve the environment, states should implement “Bottle Bill” legislature to drastically increase recycling rates by adding a small tax on each purchase of bottled water and refunding it upon the return of the bottle. Best of all, we as the consumers should stop buying bottled water and instead fill reusable metal bottles from the tap. Since making the switch in my ninth grade year, I’ve saved about 10,000 dollars and 9,000 bottles—an amount which, to help you visualize, if stacked in cases of Deer Park would stretch ten feet across, five feet high and five feet deep. Should all the people in this room do the same and drink their recommended eight glasses of water a day from the tap and not from bottles for a year, we could together save almost a million dollars and 850,000 bottles—an amount that would fill the stage with cases of Deer Park. Rarely in our modern world can we make so great a difference with so little effort. I ask, then, that you join me: Let’s quit the bottle, and take back the tap.
Andrew Balitsky ’12 was the 2012 recipient of the Class of 1952 Award, given to the senior who is named by a panel of outside judges as the outstanding speaker of his or her class.
Andrew Balitsky ’12 attends the University of Texas, Austin, where he studies engineering.
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[ CHAPEL ] Ninth Grade Speech by Henry Stockwell ’15
Torture:
Losing the War On Terrorism On March 1, 2003, Khalid Shaikh Moham-
med, an Al-Qaeda member involved in the 9/11 attacks, was captured by the U.S. in Pakistan. Khalid was water-boarded 183 times. For more than a month he was kept naked, chained to a wall in a painful crouch, and subjected to extreme temperatures. Here at home, support for techniques such as these has rocketed during the height of the war on terror. According to a 2011 Presidential Studies Quarterly article by Richard Pious, 52 percent of Americans believe that torture can sometimes be justified. Former Vice President Dick Cheney said, “[Enhanced interrogation techniques] were absolutely essential in saving thousands of American lives, in preventing further attacks against the U.S., in giving us the intelligence we needed to go find al-Qaeda, to find their camps, and to find out how they were being financed.” However, even when seemingly deserved, torture is often useless and always self-defeating. The U.S. must end its use of torture because information gained through torture is unreliable, torture is unethical, and the United States must regain its position as the world leader in human rights. Information gained through torture is unreliable. Torture subjects prisoners to extreme stress, causing many to say whatever they think will bring an end to it. On the other hand, some enemy combatants are educated on how to present false or misleading information. A manual including instructions on how to give false information while being tortured was recovered from an al-Qaeda safe house in Manchester, England. The manual also indicates the imperative for prisoners to remain calm and never surrender information under any circumstances. It reads, “[The member of al-Qaeda] should have a calm personality that allows him to endure physiological traumas such as… arrest [and] imprisonment.” In his book The Black Banners, former FBI special agent Ali Soufan elaborates, “[Al-Qaeda operatives] are told that their reward will
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come in heaven, but that they can pretend to cooperate in order to trick the interrogator.” When told things like “your reward will come in heaven,” many members of al-Qaeda’s belief in their cause is so strong that no form of torture could ever break it. In addition to being an unreliable source of information, torture is unethical and is a violation of international human rights laws. The Geneva Convention, held shortly after the close of the Second World War, established numerous human rights standards. The Convention maintained that, “No physical or mental torture, nor any other form of coercion, may be inflicted upon prisoners of war to secure from them information of any kind.” In addition to the Geneva Convention, all countries in the United Nations signed the United Nations Convention Against Torture. Article 2.2 of the Convention states that, “No exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat of war, internal political instability, or any other public emergency, may be used as a justification for torture.” Today, many countries disregard these international treaties and use torture. A 2011 ABC-CLIO article reported that Amnesty International estimates that two-thirds of all modern countries routinely violate international treaties banning torture. As observed by Belinda Cooper in a January 2006 article for the World Policy Journal, “Time and again, a primitive concept of security has simply trumped human rights.” We must not allow this primitive concept of security to continue to override human rights. The U.S. must end its use of torture so that it can regain its position as the leader for the world in human rights. In the aftermath of World War Two, the U.S. was a strong critic of torture. The U.S. prosecuted Japanese officers who tortured American prisoners of war through the use of water boarding during World War Two. In recent years, however, U.S. military personnel have water-boarded terrorism suspects while fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan to establish governments
that value personal freedoms. The U.S. must recognize this hypocrisy. In a January 2001 article for The Humanist, Maggie Ardente urges, “Both government and American people must be concerned over our fellow nations’ perception of the United States. If it is truly to be the champion of freedom across the world, then it needs to practice it at home. “Only though courage and accountability can the United States regain its position as a world leader in human rights.” As Ms. Ardente says, the U.S. has fallen from its position as the world leader. By torturing our enemies, we set an unacceptable example and undermine our credibility abroad. The majority of American citizens believe that torture can be justified if it is necessary to gain important information. This is not the case. Not only does the use of torture often provide false information, but it is also unethical and a violation of human rights standards and international treaties. There are viable alternatives to torture. As Ali Soufan explains in The Black Banners, “An interrogation is a mind game in which you have to use your wits and knowledge of the detainee to convince or steer him to cooperate.” Soufan has gained hundreds of the most important confessions throughout the war on terror, though never laying so much as a hand on a suspect. Thousands of Americans lost their lives on September 11, 2001, at the hands of cruel, ruthless terrorists. The raw emotion and fury sparked by these attacks has blinded many Americans to the fact that torture is morally impermissible, even when used on terrorists. As argued in a January 2008 article for the Washington Monthly, “To tolerate torture is to betray America’s heritage in favor of the primitive impulse that might makes right.” By giving in to that primitive impulse, we lose the moral high ground, we’re no better than the terrorists themselves, and we’ve lost the war. Henry Stockwell ’15 was awarded the Royster Speaker Award in 2012.
from the [ CENTER ]
Chesapeake Bay Fellows
Year Two Begins
The inaugural class of Chesapeake Bay Fellows began their second year with an early August trip to Charlottesville to participate in a program designed by the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Following a year learning about “Leading Self,” they are now charged to explore “Leading Others” in the coming year. Our trip to Charlottesville both challenged and informed the fellows and helped set the table for what we all know will be an excellent year of discovery, growth and change. The fellows first met with Ben Skipper, Director of Undergraduate Programs and Alumni Relations with the Jefferson Scholars Foundation, who provided a tour of the Jefferson Scholars’ new state-of-the-art facility and shared details of the program with the fellows. After a spirited question-and-answer session, the fellows and Mr. Wetmore enjoyed dinner together and took some time to speak about the fellows’ upcoming team projects. The experience also included a journey to the Batten School to meet with Mr. Howard Hoege, Assistant Dean for Admissions and Strategic Initiatives, who had met with the fellows in a leadership session during the school year, and now treated them to a session entitled “Articulate and Motivate: Moving from Individual to Group Goals.” The fellows also enjoyed a working lunch with Joseph Maroon, former Executive Director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and adjunct professor at the University of Virginia, who talked about the impact of current Bay policy on restoration efforts. The day concluded with the fellows playing the Chesapeake
Bay Game, presented by Dr. Jeffrey Plank, Associate Vice President for Research, and his wonderful staff. The game showed our fellows the frustrations and rewards of setting effective and realistic policy goals and navigating the landscape of competing interests. On Friday the fellows met with Jill Rockwell, Assistant Dean for Student Services, who led a session called “Public Leaders toward a Better Society: The Ethics of Leadership.” This session was followed by Dean of the Batten School Harry Harding, who spoke with the students about leadership and public policy. We were also joined by Professor Bill Shobe, with the Center for Economic and Policy Studies. Later that afternoon our fellows met with University (UVA) field experts, each hand-picked for our fellows to discuss their Year Two team projects. The fellows are ready to embark on their team projects this fall and feel very fortunate to have a true working relationship with The Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. The fellows’ secondyear goal is to galvanize the NA community, and their projects this year will push our community ever closer toward the goal of Saving the Bay. Sean Wetmore ’86 directs the Center for Civic and Global Leadership and accompanied the Chesapeake Bay Fellows in Charlottesville this summer. For more information on the Center for Civic and Global Leadership, contact Sean at: swetmore@norfolkacademy.org, or visit norfolkacademy.org/leadershipcenter.
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from the [ CENTER ]
Global Health Fellows
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The Global Health Fellows program officially launched this summer. Six rising ninth graders traveled to Haiti for their first glimpse into the reality of healthcare access and delivery in a resource-limited setting. Before embarking on their seven-day experience, the fellows, alongside biology teacher Scott Fowler and Program Director Price Massey, underwent a “global health boot camp” on the NA campus. Dr. Ed Lilly, Dr. Lisbet Hanson and Dr. John Kenerson, drawing from their extensive experience in-country, offered insight into the historical and cultural fabric of the poorest country in the western hemisphere. The fellows arrived in the sprawling and populous capital city of Port-au-Prince and visited various projects overseen by organizations Operation Blessing, International and Partners in Health. As nearly 500,000 people are still living in tent cities erected after the 2010 earthquake, the group toured a tent city to see a water treatment and distribution project in action. The next day, after a morning of making hundreds of protein-rich food packets, the group traveled to the impoverished village of Medan Bélize on the shores of Lake Azuéi for their own food and water distribution project. This visit deeply impacted the fellows, as a huge, beautiful lake sits right in front of the village, yet the water is brackish and there is no potable water in the environs. The fellows quickly began recognizing the importance of a holistic approach to medicine, with issues of education, prevention, and access to clean water coming to the forefront.
Leaving the capital, the group ventured to the more rural central plateau region. After reading extensively about Dr. Paul Farmer and Partners in Health’s successful and innovative programming, the fellows were excited to tour the original PIH clinic in Cange and the new state-of-the-art PIH hospital in Mirebalais, slated to open soon. The fellows settled into the town of Hinche for the remainder of the week to work with the organizations Midwives for Haiti and Maison Fortuné in various villages, schools, health workshops and hospitals in the region. With generous donations from the Luter family, master teacher Cecil Mays, and Eastern Virginia Medical School’s Haiti project, the Global Health Fellows were able to distribute Lifesaver water filters to surrounding villages facing water security issues. Each water filter offers a family of four immediate, pointof-source filtration for three years. With the recent outbreak of cholera exacerbating the already dire water security situation, these Lifesaver water filters truly are lifesaving. This initial experience launches this first class of Global Health Fellows into their four-year, experiential investigation of global health. For more details, video footage and fellows’ personal reflections from the trip, please visit the blog at www.naglobalhealthfellows.org. ◆ Price Massey ’02 directs the Global Heath Fellows program. Follow our blog at: www.naglobalhealthfellows.org
OPPOSITE At a community
health workers’ workshop led by midwives for Haiti (left to right), Elizabeth Lilly, Bridget Dickinson, Aneesh Dhawan, Stuart Luter, Brian Peccie and Wyatt Miller, all class of ’16. (Back row) Price Massey ’02, Director LEFT Distributing Lifesaver water filters in the rural village of Clory. ABOVE (Top) Wyatt Miller training
residents of Fort Resolu on proper use of the water filters. (Middle) At a water distribution site in tent city in Port-au-Prince. (Bottom) Bridget Dickinson and Stuart Luter with the kids of Medan Bélize.
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from the [ CENTER ]
Chesapeake Bay Fellows ABOVE The 2nd cohort
of Chesapeake Bay Fellows (left to right) Jeb Culipher, Quint Heaton, Alice Yang, Deni Budman and Elise Turrieta, all class of ’16. TOP RIGHT Putting in at First Landing State Park. LOWER RIGHT An
established Fellows’ ritual at Port Isobel.
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The second cohort of Norfolk Academy’s Chesapeake Bay Fellows got started the week of August 6–10 by embarking on their own Chesapeake Bay Adventure, an experience of equal parts education, inspiration and fun. The fellows (pictured above) departed Monday morning with Program Director Chris Nelson for two days in and on our local waters. The final three days brought the cohort to Tangier Island. Said Mr. Nelson, “It was hot. It was wet, really wet. But the kids never wavered, never complained, never lagged. They were true Bulldogs.” Our partner in this undertaking is the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, who provided expertise, logistics and guidance for the entire week. Led by CBF’s Outdoor Educator Brooke Newton, scientist Dr. Bill Portlock and canoe instructor Ben Eberline, the fellows spent the first two days of their weeklong adventure in Virginia Beach. First Landing State Park Campground was our (wet!) home for the first two nights. Our days took us onto the Lynnhaven River to explore a restoration oyster reef, perform water quality tests, and experience a wetland and maritime forest by getting in it. On day two, CBF’s education vessel, the Bea Hayman Clark, took us out for biotic sampling (trawling) in the Lynnhaven River and fishing on the Chesapeake Bay. It was not the last time we would catch our dinner that week. Days three to five found us on the Eastern Shore, and from there via ferry to Port Isabel on Tangier Island. Experiences included a visit to Cherrystone AquaFarms, learning to catch and shed crabs, exploring the history and culture of Tangier Island, seining for life in the shallows, more fishing, and marsh mucking, the ul-
timate in wetland immersion! One evening the fellows were invited to speak to a group of public school principals who were having their own Tangier Island experience. The fellows articulated our program, outlined our goals and shared their experiences with such expertise, poise and conviction so as to inspire these principals to return to their own schools with a renewed enthusiasm to educate their students to save the Bay. ◆ Chris Nelson directs the Chesapeake Bay Fellows Program. Follow our blog at www.chesapeakebayfellows.org
International Relations Fellows The IR Fellows On the Mall with Einstein (left to right), Sophie Kidd, Jessica Williams, Hannah Wheaton, Pablo Vazquez and Thomas Ferguson, all class of ’16; in front of the capitol with Middle School teacher Lisa Marie Priddy; and at the Pentagon with Dr. Rezelman.
This August the inaugural cadre of five Interna-
tional Relations Fellows kicked off their four-year study of world politics with a five-day tour of the Washington foreign policy establishment. At the beginning of the trip the students were still figuring out what it is that an ambassador does; by the end of the trip, they were discussing how they could ensure that they would get similar overseas postings once they had all entered the Foreign Service! For a complete summary—including lots of photographs—of the places they visited and the people they met, see the International Relations Fellows blog at www.internationalrelationsfellows.org. Some summary data: The fellows met with thirteen current and former government officials representing six different foreign policy agencies (including the Pentagon, the State Department and the Nicaraguan Foreign Ministry). The fellows also met with employees of six different foreign policy–related private corporations, including representatives of the media (e.g. NBC News), defense contractors (e.g. Northrup Grumman), and nonprofit organizations (e.g. the Cato Institute).
In a demonstration of the role connections play in Washington, each of our eleven meetings was arranged by a Norfolk Academy alumnus, alumna or friend-of-faculty “on the inside.” Even our meals had an international flavor: While our lunches were often hurried sandwiches-from-coffee-shops (itself a Washington tradition), our dinners included Swedish, Middle Eastern and Chinese (“hot pot”) cuisine. The immersion experience stimulated interest in a variety of different aspects of world politics, but the clear winner in terms of student interest was diplomacy. The fellows met a total of seven current and former U.S. and foreign diplomats, and by the end of the trip the kids were buzzing with excitement about possible future careers in the State Department. As I remarked to the students as we were packing up to check out of the hotel, “Remember, guys: This isn’t the end—it’s the beginning!” ◆ Dr. David Rezelman directs the International Relations Fellows program. Follow our blog at: www.internationalrelationsfellows.org
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from the [ CLA S S ROOM ]
Teachers and Coaches Why we care so much about the teacher-coach model As the culture of independent schools has
evolved, much attention has been paid to the importance of relationships between students and teachers. How we work together as teachers to advance students’ lives and, in so doing, build a powerful faculty culture determine the quality of a school. From the use of technology to proper means of assessment to the debate between knowledge and mastery, Norfolk Academy’s faculty has immersed itself in trying, simply put, to get better. As we have read and explored and communicated with teachers from other schools, we have grown committed to adhering to “the teacher-coach model.” What does that model mean, exactly? The answer lies in examining the goals and intentions of a successful coach. The successful coach wants to win. She
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wants it for her team, and if truth be told, for herself. To achieve this, the coach constantly tries to make his athletes, simply put, better. Everybody wins if this young man gets more accurate with his fastball, or if these four rowers learn to act precisely in concert, or if these six dancers synchronize their movements more perfectly. In other words, the coach and his players share a common goal; they are on the same side, sharing the same objectives. The relationship with students changes when the coach brings this motivating attitude into the classroom. Sometimes the relationship between teacher and student can become strained or even adversarial. That is, teachers can come to see their subject matter as something the student must obtain from them,
When the student perceives that the teacher has made the same commitment to him in while students can come to see grades as something they must obtain from teachers. We reject the idea that teachers and students are on different sides. We try to remind ourselves every day that our goal for students is almost identical to what we hope their goal will be—increased knowledge, increased mastery and continuing curiosity about the subject matter. We want the classroom to be a place where “we are all in this together,” where a team philosophy is of paramount importance. There is another very important reason to import coaching methods into a classroom. Coaches “touch” their players in several special ways. For one thing, coaches have the occasion to physically touch their players. They join in with the players in the “all hands in” huddle before a game. When the girls come together before a volleyball game, Coach Hopkins is in the center of the circle, shouting “1… 2… 3… GO BULLDOGS!” When the opponent calls time out because one of our girls has just registered a killer spike, Coach Hopkins will surely share an enthusiastic high-five with the girl. And finally, when victory is achieved, you can bet that hugs will be exchanged all around. Secondly, coaches touch their players in more important ways than a pat on the back. The emotional connection between coach and player can sometimes change a student’s life. A large number of us can point to a coach in our youth whose confidence in us kept us going, or whose disapproval caused us to redouble our efforts and succeed. So many of us have affection and gratitude for that man or woman, and seek to return the favor to the next generation. That need not happen just in the gym or on the field. The classroom is an equally suitable place for an adult to “touch” the life of a child. When the student perceives that the teacher has made the same commitment to him in the classroom as he makes on the fields, it can literally turn him around—can inspire him to achievements not heretofore realized or thought attainable. Finally, great coaches and great teachers display “touch.” That is, a great teacher will know when to be tough and when to take the pressure off a little. A great teacher will be able to sense how and when a student needs correcting. A great teacher will have discipline present in his classroom but never humiliation. There have been several famous coaches who succeeded mostly through tyranny, but not many. The truly successful coaches have been at least as much loved as feared. So we wish it to be in the classroom. We strive to take the time necessary to be able to read a situation and know
the classroom as he makes on the fields, it can literally turn him around—can inspire him to achievements not heretofore realized or thought attainable.
how a student will react, and then choose the course and tone that are best for the young man or woman. The converse to all this is obviously true, that great coaches are great teachers on the field. But with the teacher-coach model, we believe, the more significant benefits can come from coaching in the classroom. In the long run, adhering to the teacher-coach model is the best way to serve the child. As our school’s Philosophy states, it provides the greatest chance for us to help each child “develop maturity of mind, body and character.” That is a goal easy for us to commit to—and one we will always seek to perfect. ◆ Dennis G. Manning and Toy Savage
Facing Page Coach Tom Duquette challenges students in the
classroom and on the playing fields. Above Coach Chris Runzo with Middle School football players
Ridge Moore ’18, Christian Randolph ’18 and Brian Garber ’17.
Norfolk Academy magazine
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winter 2012
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from the [ CLA S S ROOM ]
Our Favorite Educational Apps Last year, the Lower School division purchased two carts of twenty-five iPads for shared classroom use, and this year we added five more units to each cart to increase student exposure to these exciting one-toone mobile devices. Students love iPads for obvious reasons—multimedia interactivity, tactile touch-screen responsiveness and gorgeous graphics—but teachers love them, too, in large measure because of the capacity of iPads to individualize the learning experience. Three of our Lower School teachers offered to share their nominees for “Best Educational iPad Apps” with Academy magazine.
Jane Smack—Second Grade Girls Stack the States. I’ve watched my 7-year-old niece on this one. She knows all her states and many, many facts. When I asked her how she knew all the answers (about capitals, regions and locations), she said she just learned from the game. I’m excited to introduce Stack the States to my class this year. Presidents vs Aliens. Like Stack the States, Presidents vs Aliens is a great “fact app.” It makes memorization of basic information fun. Spelling City, Sight Words 2 and ABC Magnetic Alphabet. All of these make spelling more fun. Living Language Spanish. This is a great tool for building vocabulary. Flashcards Deluxe. Makes drill and skill fun. Origami Instructions. A wonderful way to teach children to think in three dimensions. Toy Tangram. Tangrams are polygons constructed of other polygons, and this app requires a lot of spatial thinking and reasoning. The graphics are beautiful! Kickbox Lite. Students have to use lasers and mirrors to clear a path for a penguin. Like Origami Instructions and Toy Tangram, great for spatial thinking. Flash Math. Created by former NA parent Janet Ellis, this app works hand-in-hand with our Everyday Math program. It includes fact families, timed tests, flash cards and pattern counting. (Divisibility Dash, which is designed by the publisher of Everyday Math, is a great app for students in third and fourth grades.)
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Diana Burson—Third Grade Boys Exoplanet. Visual database of all known exoplanets with amazing visualization and animation features. Supported and updated daily by the Royal Astronomical Society. Go Sky Watch. Locate stars, planets and constellations using the app to map the night sky. Mars Globe. Engaging tool for exploring the red planet. Planets. Simple info about planets and the moon, including visibility information tied to sunrise and sunset (past, present and future). Includes 2D and 3D sky representations with rotate and zoom features. Splash Math. Reinforces a wide variety of concepts, varies question formats, individualizes content for each student and provides feedback/reports. Motion Math. Reinforces students’ grasp of fractions, decimals and percentages with scaffolded visual hints. Advances students based on individual progress. TinkerBox. Engineering and physics basics for young students through puzzles and construction. Geoboard. Students place rubber bands around pegs to form shapes, learning basic geometry skills in the process. (Mrs. Burson is also a fan of Toy Tangram .) Katy Beattie—Fifth Grade Boys and Girls iMovie. Fifth-grade students—two from each homeroom—used this app to make a class movie for Parents’ Night. The iMovie app is amazingly userfriendly, and the portability of the iPad makes it even better. TapTyping. Although I have yet to try out this app, I have been on the lookout for a timed typing/keyboarding program—so maybe this will be the one! Parents, if you are looking for even more recommendations for great iPad apps, please consider these lists published by two of our peer independent schools: • Sidwell Friends School (Washington, DC): sfsipads.blogspot.com • Seven Hills School (Walnut Creek, CA): applist.me/XmRQuM ◆ Jay Rainey, Assistant Headmaster for Academic Affairs
Homework Questions I’ll let you in on a little secret. There are some things I don’t know. There are things that vex me. Homework is one of those things.
Let me tell you about Susie Creamcheese. We’re three months into the academic year. She’s hanging around after class, and she turns to me and utters the age-old student question, “So, Mr. Poole, why exactly do we have to do all this homework here at Norfolk Academy?” Then she continues. “I mean, how is it that I made it through the first seven years of school and never had one minute of assigned homework? I think I still learned things.” Although I can’t remember the exact words in the reply, the gist followed the tenets of conventional pedagogy. “Generally speaking, Susie, you’ll find that homework results in better retention of facts, increased understanding, improved critical thinking, and basic enhancement of all-around performance in the academic environment.” Wow, way to go, Woody. Took care of that little apple-cart-upsetting quip! Susie, homework is good for you! Now, Susie is no slouch. She arrived on campus only a few months ago and is clearly in the top 25% of students in the grade. Comments from grade level meetings validate my limited science-only assessment. Her English teacher lauds her writing ability, her math teacher comments on her well-above-average problemsolving skills, and so on. I would have dismissed this seemingly insignificant interaction with Susie if it were merely a single isolated incident. But throughout the past 13 years there was Angela Chicorelli and then Billy Ray Jim-Bob. And who could forget Sally Go Soslow and Johnny—good ole’ Johnny Do-Wrong. All came to us from educational systems in which homework is simply not part of the program. All managed to be top 25% students in a peer group of highly competitive future leaders. And all beg the same question. Why assign homework? Hmmm. Earlier this fall I got fired up by something we heard from Tony Wagner, author of Creating Innovators, during a Skype session with the assembled faculty. He suggested that I/we should investigate the structure of the Finnish education system, which for various reasons has proven effective at producing innovative and capable thinkers and leaders. In fact, Finland boasts one of the top educational systems in the world and—
you guessed it—students spend very little time engaged in homework compared to “us.” Now, anyone can surf the Internet and find welldocumented, well-researched and well-intended articles espousing both the pros and cons of homework. I’m starting my 14th year at NA (which gets me at least closer to losing the “new-guy” moniker), and after reading reams of research I still don’t know which side of the homework fence is the better one. One can find studies that probe the academic effects of homework at all grade levels and studies that look at the more intangible effects—from building strong study habits and fostering independent learning to effects on parent-child relationships and beyond. And evidence shows that in some situations, homework simply stinks. I still assign homework. I would like to think our students are benefiting from that extra time working through concepts and developing skills that will serve them well in college—in fact I must think that way. But I can’t help but think this apple-cart needs tipping. Maybe re-examining the way we conceive of homework and what it should accomplish is a good starting point. Around the Middle School we have plenty of teachers who have “flipped” their classrooms, and with that have turned the notion of conventional homework right on its noggin. At night students view videos of their teachers introducing new concepts, and in the classroom they work through problems based on what they learned the night before. No more struggling with problem sets until the wee hours of the morning. When the kids get stuck, their teachers are right there to coach them through the tough spot. It’s an idea that’s gaining traction and producing some good results. As I repeat the Ms. Creamcheese interaction over and over again with each new group of students, I wish I could figure out how to answer Susie’s question once and for all. I mean, how can we make sure we’re giving our kids the best foundation and the best preparation to take on the world? Does homework help or hinder? Time to do more homework on this one. ◆
Finland boasts one of the top educational systems in the world and— you guessed it—students spend very little time engaged in homework compared to “us.”
Woody Poole, Middle School science teacher
Norfolk Academy magazine
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winter 2012
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from the [ CLA S S ROOM ]
The Vitality of Libraries Why do we still need libraries in the age of abundant information? Why isn’t Google enough?
Why do we still need libraries? I teach a lesson
to 11th grade U.S. History students in which I Google “Robert E. Lee,” print out the top ten hits, and give one to each student in the class. At first glance, eight out of ten appear to be relevant and reliable. Only two are obviously biased. As we dig deeper, we find that one of the sites was authored by high school students. Three sites have directly contradictory information. But the biggest hurdle to using these sites for research? They provide an average of three pages of information apiece, and they repeat the same facts over and over again. If you are seeking depth, nuance and insight, you won’t find it in a single one of those sites. And we want our students to seek depth, nuance and insight. In the past, the librarian knew where the information was. She could hand you the book. The fact you sought had a literal, physical location in the library, and she could take you there. Today, finding facts is breathlessly easy. You can keep a device in your pocket that will let you know the name of the 11th president or the number of pints in a quart virtually instantaneously. I’ve had a computer with Internet access in my home since I was in sixth grade, and I still marvel at it. But that doesn’t make libraries obsolete. It makes them all the more critical. Every day, our students are inundated with information. They don’t intuitively know how to check whether a source is authoritative. They don’t automatically think to check if a statistic is out of date. They are
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often inclined to bestow trust before assessing bias. And they so often receive information in sound bites, which are alluringly intelligent-sounding but disturbingly lacking in context and deep thinking. The library is an engine for thinking deeply and critically. The very best way to cultivate deep thinking is to pick up a book. We say, “Take this. Read it. Follow this train of thought for two hundred and fifty pages, and let me know what you think when you’re finished. Read books on your computer, your Kindle, your iPad. Read lengthy texts that challenge you with the task of sustained thought.” That is one thing we give our students. We say, “Take this. Read.” There are lessons, too, in forming questions and finding answers. That is the essence of research, but it is also the lifeblood of innovation. It is a skill and an attitude that is critical well beyond twelfth grade. We don’t abandon Google. We teach our students to use Google better. When that still is not enough, we take them to a wider world of information in books, newspapers, journals and databases. We ask them to interrogate their sources. Is it current? Is it balanced? Is there evidence of expertise? We ask them not to parrot back the findings and opinions of others but to enter into dialog with authors and texts, to analyze, to think. We are here at the center of the Norfolk Academy campus. We are a resource for students and teachers who want to get better, to learn more. We sit with members of this community, one-on-one, we listen to their
We say, “Take this. Read it. Follow this train of thought for two hundred and fifty pages, and let me know what you think when you’re finished. Read books on your computer, your Kindle, your iPad. Read lengthy texts that challenge you with the task of sustained thought.”
The Lower School Bookshelf Recommendations from Lower School Director Patty McLaughlin We are looking forward to sharing these titles with our Parents’ Book Club this year.
questions, and we meet them where they are. Whether it is a faculty member gathering research for a new lesson plan or a student who needs to know more about the Domus Aurea, any member of our community can come through the library’s doors and say, “Help me.” A librarian will help. Is it working? Are our children learning the lessons we’re teaching? Is the library being used? We have those children who sit inside the walls of Batten and use the library. They come through our doors, find a book, sit and read. They gather around a table to solve algebra problems, or they scatter into the quietest corners to cram for a history test. We love those children. We know which ones stay up late into the night reading John Green over spring break, and we know which ones are passionate about neuroscience. Those are the children who inhabit the physical space of the library, but those aren’t the only children who use the library, who profit from it. It’s a mistake to think of today’s library as a building. Every child in our school uses the library. When a child is sitting at home browsing a library database for journal articles for his ninth grade speech, he’s using the library. When a librarian visits a tenth grade class to teach Wuthering Heights researchers to craft search queries, the library is touching those students. When a librarian and an English teacher come together to develop a project that will make students better researchers, that’s the library supporting student inquiry and education. The library is everywhere. That’s today’s library. In spite of so many recent changes, in spite of the e-books, the databases, and the huge world of the Internet, the library’s goals have not changed. We help people find the information they need. We turn generation after generation of children into readers. We are a space in which a community of intellect can grow. Libraries are vital in the truest sense—they are both vibrantly alive and utterly essential. ◆ Lynn Paul, Librarian, Batten Library
Creating Innovators, Tony Wagner This summer’s pick for our full faculty read, Creating Innovators, provided some great discussion and wonderful food for thought. Tony Wagner makes an interesting case for the importance of play, passion and purpose. A provocative and interesting read for parents and educators. Talking Back to Facebook: The Common Sense Guide to Raising Kids in the Digital Age, James P. Steyer While we all know we need to encourage and grow digital citizens, it is a real challenge for parents (and educators) as it often feels as though our children are many steps ahead of us. Steyer gives parents “essential tools to help filter content, preserve good relationships with their children, and make common-sense, value-driven judgments for kids of all ages.” Building Moral Intelligence: The Seven Essential Virtues that Teach Kids to Do the Right Things, Dr. Michelle Borba Empathy, conscience, self-control, respect, kindness, tolerance and fairness. Renowned educational psychologist Michelle Borba builds on these virtues as the framework for a practical guide for helping children to navigate their daily lives and “do the right things.”
Recommendations from Head Librarian Barbara Burns Fables provide a great opportunity for parents to discuss values, choices and life lessons. Here are three of our favorite editions, all perfect for parents to read to their children. Aesop’s Fables, Beverly Naido & Piet Grobler This newest edition of Aesop’s Fables (published in 2011) would be perfect for parents to read to their children in grades 1–4. Aesop’s Fables, John Cech & Martin Jarrie Another beautiful and current retelling of classic fables. Again, this would be recommended for parents to read to their children in grades 1–4. You Read to Me and I’ll Read to You: Very Short Fables to Read Together, Mary Ann Hoberman, illustrated by Michael Emberly Cleverly edited and color-coded for parents and children to share the reading. Most appropriate for children in grades 1–2.
Norfolk Academy magazine
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Reflections on the Power of Dance We all can dance. We all should dance. Here’s what can happen when we do. I remember boarding the A train to 125th street. My instructions upon arrival were to take the exit to the left of the platform. I was to go to the top of the stairs, turn left and head down 125th about four blocks. There I would see the Grant projects towering over the landscape. The Grant Day Care Center would be right in front. I was to go inside, find the office where I would be welcomed by the secretary named Dorothy. She would show me the room where the dance class would take place. The director would be there with the students. A ball of energy named Reggie bolted through the door, past the director, past the other children who stood eagerly waiting for instruction. His energy was contagious, and the whole room started to buzz. My first thoughts: “What have I gotten myself into?” Mr. Siracuse, Director of the Grant Day Care Center in Harlem, had asked me to help pilot an after-school program that would cater to children who came to the facility after school to wait for parents who worked late. I was totally unschooled in how to get a program started (or how to corral this seemingly limitless energy), but I dove in head first. I began by playing popular music that everybody liked to dance to. We broke the ice, ironically, with freeze tag. That led to introductions, as I quickly put names to eager,
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happy faces. It was immediately apparent that they were more interested in moving than talking. They wanted to spin, they wanted to jump, they wanted to tear through the space with no conscious fear of boundaries. This is how our dialogue began. We focused first on popular music, to learn the latest dances. They taught me and I taught them. We incorporated African music with lots of percussion and multi-rhythms. Then we explored Black spirituals, folk songs and gospel music. Next we danced to electronic versions of classical music. The room we occupied was far from ideal: Whenever a tenant put trash into the incinerator incorrectly, smoke would fill the room and we would be forced to run outside and wait until the air was breathable again. But just as soon as we entered again, we’d be moving with abandon. I also discovered that having a teacher and mentor in their lives that they could trust, emulate, and who would try hard to understand them and give them what they needed, far outweighed not having the perfect dance space. Soon enough, we were giving presentations at the center. Parents became excited and volunteered to make costumes. The children performed at the annual banquet for all of the day care centers in the borough. Soon school teachers were calling to tell me that
our students’ enthusiasm and engagement had rippled out beyond our dance class and into their other classrooms. This seemingly limitless sense of possibility, opportunity and adventure began to permeate the whole neighborhood. In the Grant projects there was a tiny library building with a small stage in the basement, and we sought permission to clean the space so that we could produce a full evening show. Excitedly, we pulled together a creative dance interpretation of the musical West Side Story, complete with gangs and the dance-inthe-gym scene. We even added a puppet show to help further the story. The show was such a success that we were invited to give a performance at the children’s elementary school. To dance and be appreciated by their peers and classroom teachers was quite an esteem booster. Their teachers questioned me as to how I got these seemingly listless students to become so involved and excited. My response was only that I had gotten to know them. My purpose as a teacher was to seek out each child’s unique abilities, help them grow, and celebrate them as individuals. Last year, a very persistent second grade boy started a new movement. He wanted me to teach him how to dance. Soon, five other boys wanted to join us. This year, that number has grown to thirteen and we have formally launched our first boys’ jazz dance program. These boys never stop moving, they are eager to learn, and I love having them
(Left to right) Dancers Reed Ramirez, Lee Shearin, William Bland, David Smythe and Rohan Nagabhirava, all class of ’22.
Regional Arts Calendar Music Norfolk Academy
Royster and Tunstall Winter Choral Concert Samuel C. Johnson Theater, Dec. 5, 7:30 p.m. Tunstall Band and Strings Concert Samuel C. Johnson Theater, Jan. 16, 2:15 p.m. Royster Band and Strings Concert Samuel C. Johnson Theater, Jan. 17, 2:15 p.m. Virginia Symphony Orchestra
Handel’s Messiah, Dec. 7, 8, 9, 12 Pines of Roam, Jan. 18, 19, 20 892-6366; www.virginiasymphony.org Lyric Opera Virginia
Camelot, Jan. 11, 13, and Feb. 3 446-6666; www.lyricoperavirginia.org.
in the studio. Dance will help them develop their confidence and motivation, their focus, strength, stamina, coordination, timing, flexibility and agility, spatial awareness, social and communication skills, and even enhance their memories. These skills will serve them well in their other artistic, academic and athletic pursuits. In my thirty years at Norfolk Academy we have experienced a cultural shift in how dance is perceived—in the larger community and right here on campus. It has been a gradual acceptance of dancing—a realization that dance isn’t just for elite artists or special occasions. Now we have more people moving in more and more ways. The dance team practices classical ballet, pointe, modern dance, jazz, hip hop, body conditioning and tap dancing. Lower School students can participate in dance lessons during PE or in our after-school program. Adult beginners and professionals alike can take classes in modern dance, classical ballet and pointe. Athletic teams use dance as a means to heighten agility and core strength. We teach hip-hop dancing to our exchange students. We use dance to tell stories on all-school seminar days. We offer dance workshops to all Middle and Upper School students on Fine Arts days. In collaboration with faculty members, we have even incorporated dance into the classroom with kinetic learning lessons that help solidify concepts and drive comprehension of the subject matter—from science to
language arts to mathematics and history. According to Terry Farwell in his article on visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners, “Most of the school population excels through kinesthetic means; touching, feeling, experiencing the material at hand. Children enter kindergarten as kinesthetic and tactile learners, moving and touching everything as they learn. By second grade or third grade, some students become visual learners. During the late elementary years some students, primarily females, become auditory learners. Yet many adults, especially males, maintain kinesthetic and tactile strengths throughout their adult years.” Because of the high numbers of kinesthetic learners, education is shifting toward a more hands-on approach, with movement, manipulatives and other props being incorporated into almost every subject. Dance is an engaging way to help us explore and understand the world—our cultures, our surroundings, our perceptions. It is also a deeply emotional way to express ourselves and create a sense of belonging and community. I am proud that we have come so far in promoting the role of dance in our students’ education, and grateful that our school community continues to recognize the power of dance. ◆ Elbert Watson
Theater Norfolk Academy
Peter Pan—Winter Musical Samuel C. Johnson Theater Feb. 20 & 21, 4:00 p.m. Feb. 22, 7:00 p.m. Feb. 23 & 24, 3:00 p.m. Virginia Stage Company
A Christmas Carol, Dec. 7–23 Frog Kiss, Jan. 15–Feb. 3 Wells Theater
627-1234; www.vastage.com American Theater, Hampton
The Taming of the Shrew Jan. 19 722-2787; www.hamptonarts.net
Visual Art Norfolk Academy
Japanese Prints from the George B. Powell Collection Perrel Art Gallery Weekdays, Aug. 28–Dec. 14 As We See It: Student Art at Norfolk Academy Perrel Art Gallery Weekdays, Jan. 2–Mar. 1 Chrysler Museum
Many Wars: Photography by Suzanne Opton Sept. 19–Dec. 30 April Surent Nov. 14–Dec. 30 Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art
Tracey Snelling: Woman on the Run Sept. 13–Dec. 30
Norfolk Academy magazine
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WINTER 2012
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We are rightly, justifiably proud of the men and women we have coaching our teams... they are responsible for leading an ethically grounded and directed athletic program.
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in the [ GAME ]
Athletics at the Academy:
Reaffirmation & Opportunity
Varsity soccer players Robert Tata ’15 (foreground) and Terence Tsang ’13.
Over a year ago, our school embarked upon a comprehensive review of our athletic program as we conducted a national search for a new Director of Athletics. We enlisted two of our most respected teacher coaches, Tom Duquette and Trish Hopkins, to help lead the process, and we engaged all of the key stakeholders in the review, gathering information and a range of perspectives from students, coaching and non-coaching faculty, parents, alumni and friends of the School. We also hired Mr. Michael Walsh as a consultant to guide us through this process. Mr. Walsh, former Director of Athletics at Washington and Lee University and, prior to his work at W&L, Associate Director of Athletics and Varsity Baseball Coach at Dartmouth, worked closely with us during the course of the year, making several visits to our campus. The most fundamental conclusion the study evidenced: Norfolk Academy should focus on, improve and build upon a strong athletic tradition—one of which we are and should continue to be deeply proud. Furthermore, as our Board President Bill Van Buren said recently in addressing our students on the topic of honor, at the end of the day we need to be able to look in the mirror and be proud of the decisions we have made. This core moral principle
has been—and continues to need to be—at the center of our athletic program philosophy. The study also affirmed that we are rightly, justifiably proud of the men and women we have coaching our teams. They are the agents and the most important drivers of our School’s philosophy—they are responsible for leading an ethically grounded and directed athletic program; for instilling in athletes a desire to compete and win; for promoting a character and sportsmanship emphasis in athletics; and for espousing and practicing only the highest academic standards. The support of the athletic program, as well as the study, begins with our Athletic Director. The community is already squarely behind our new Athletic Director, Ms. Aubrey Shinofield, chosen after our national search last year. We could not have a better person, a stronger woman of character, or a more outstanding leader to provide direction for our athletic program. Please join me in welcoming Coach Shinofield to Norfolk Academy. Conducted by the School during the 2011– 2012 school year, the Athletic Study provides useful insights and direction for moving our Athletic Program forward. What follows is a summary of the key findings of the study.
Norfolk Academy magazine
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winter 2012
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above Varsity
field hockey player Jessica Strelitz ’15.
1—Administrative Re-Organization We have reaffirmed a one-department approach with a single administrative leader of the athletic program. This will ensure clarity in voice, perspective, vision and leadership of the program. 2—The Teacher-Coach Model The School maintains a clear, firm commitment to the Teacher-Coach Model as the best driver of the School’s mission. That model has been and remains what we believe as most important to set before our students to challenge, better and inspire them through athletics. 3—Communications We are enhancing communications with parents, alumni and the broader Academy family, using different electronic and social media. We are also asking our coaches to provide good, clear communication as well.
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4—Admissions Everyone in the community—students, parents, faculty, alumni—is an ambassador for the School and should constantly look to help the School identify fine families and promising students who are a good fit for the School. Students must meet admissions standards and qualify academically for what is a rigorous, college preparatory program—and families need to know and embrace the philosophical values of the School, chiefly that honor and character are the core of our institution. 5—Program Leaders Head Varsity Coaches are the acknowledged leaders and experts in their program and sport. They will work closely with and support professional development for all coaches at all levels. They are entrusted with determining fundamentals, skills, conditioning and basic habits of mind, body and spirit for athletes in their particular program. 6—The Greater Community Coaches are encouraged to be engaged in their sport in the local community. They will be aware of trends— positive and negative—in the local club, AAU and travel team arenas, and understand what the implications are for our own programs.
7—Developmental Opportunities In light of the fact that over 90% of Middle School students play on a Norfolk Academy athletic team, we will examine opportunities in the Lower School PE program to prepare students for the competitive, interscholastic athletic program that awaits them. Designating a Director of Physical Education to oversee these programs will be explored, as well as the broadening and enhancing of sport-specific summer programs to help develop young athletes and to promote development of all our student-athletes. 8—College Athletes We shall support the aspirations of student-athletes who wish to compete at the college level by providing resources—coaches and college counseling—to help develop opportunities to play intercollegiate athletics. 9—Facilities We are reviewing needs for improved athletic facilities, including but not limited to turf field surfaces, lighted fields, improvements and proposed expansions to the Athletic Pavilion, Fitness Center, Wrestling Room and Aquatics Center.
10—League Affiliations We will review all League affiliations to make sure there is philosophical and institutional compatibility and alignment, and explore associating with like-minded schools by either improving the structure, organization and guidelines of an existing league or seeking to establish a new league based on a common set of principles and expectations for athletic participation. 11—Commitment Together we must re-focus ourselves on the importance of commitment and sacrifice. Committing oneself to a team is an important bond and relationship of trust. Under the guidance and ultimate authority of the Coach—and the standards the Coach establishes to govern the team—teams are partnerships between and among athletes, coaches and parents. ◆
left Clockwise, Middle School lacrosse Coach Trent Blythe, Coach Sills O’Keefe ’89, Brother Mason ’16, David Payne ’16, Austin Poole ’17, Warren Moss ’16, Carl Kaufman ’17, Joe Benedetto ’16, Jordan Drees ’16 and Coach Vinny deLalla ’07. RIGHT Coach and Upper School math and physics teacher Steven Goldburg ’04 with Trey Moore ’14.
Dennis G. Manning
Norfolk Norfolk Academy Academy magazine magazine || winter spring 2012
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Meet Coach Shinofield Aubrey Shinofield is Norfolk Academy’s new Athletic Director. Most recently, Coach Shinofield served as Director of Athletics and Physical Education at Hollins University and has also held administrative positions in student affairs and campus recreation at Washington and Lee University. She had a distinguished collegiate coaching career in women’s rowing at Princeton, Harvard, the University of New Hampshire and the University of Minnesota. Aubrey holds a bachelor’s degree in American history from Princeton University, where she was a national champion rower and captain of the women’s crew team. She garnered All-Ivy League honors while winning the Sportswoman of the Year Award her senior year. Aubrey also holds a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Michigan. Aubrey and her husband, Joel, have three boys, Reed, Soren and Luke, who is a Bulldog first grader.
What do you think are the key benefits of involvement in athletics in Middle and Upper School years?
Involvement in athletics can teach things that students can’t learn in a classroom setting. On the personal side, young athletes start to gain confidence which can lead to success not only in the athletic arena but in other areas of their lives as well. I am a firm believer that success breeds success—it doesn’t matter where that success begins. Of course, there is the physical side, where athletes learn what they are capable of doing, how hard they can work and how to identify and maximize their potential. There is the social side of camaraderie with teammates, interaction with a coach or role model, and being engaged in a dynamic group setting. There are also the intense mental and emotional sides of sport,
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where athletes have to learn how to make quick decisions, control their temperament in tough situations, learn how to lead and how to support their teammates when things are moving quickly and they have fans cheering both for them and against them in a tight match. Competitive athletic events are a crucible like no other, where athletes are on their own and have to rely on what they have learned and how much they have prepared to get them through certain situations. There is no end to the benefits of organized athletics. When you were growing up, was there a particular coach who really influenced you?
Absolutely. My high school rowing coach, Andy Harris, had a major influence on me for a number of reasons. He teaches psychology at St. Mark’s and was also the Girls Varsity Crew coach up until he retired this year. I did not consider myself an athlete when I arrived at St. Mark’s. Having grown up in the Midwest, I had never heard of the sport of rowing. Despite all of these things seemingly working against me, Mr. Harris was quietly persuasive and encouraging throughout my entire first year. Because he was my psychology teacher and also served as a dorm supervisor, he had many opportunities to convince me to row. For me, this exemplifies the benefit of the teacher-coach model. Without Andy Harris’ influence during the day, I would not have had the courage nor the confidence to go out for the sport. I am extremely blessed to have had someone like Mr. Harris as my first major athletic coach. He managed to take a team with no previous rowing experience all the way to winning a national championship in three seasons. He literally changed the direction of my life.
In your opinion, what is the biggest challenge in high school athletics today?
High school athletics is a rapidly changing world. Kids and parents are feeling pressure to specialize in a particular sport earlier and earlier, which is at odds with our philosophy at Norfolk Academy of encouraging multiple sports and supporting the well-rounded athlete. Our greatest challenge as a highly competitive independent school is to recognize and adapt to those pressures, offer a competitive athletic program and still remain aligned with the core values of the institution. We are all firmly committed to the mission and the overall value of the education at Norfolk Academy. This commitment is visible every day in the classrooms, on the fields and on the stage. It is infectious and inspiring. This is truly the greatest strength of the institution. I have a healthy respect for the vibrancy between tradition and change and I firmly believe that as long as we remain true to the core values of the School, we can only get better and stronger as a program. If there were one thing you wanted our student athletes to focus on this year, what would it be?
Athletics is about so much more than just the final score or outcome of the game. There is an incredible amount of preparation, time and commitment that
goes into a successful and competitive athletic season. If there were one thing that I think we could all be reminded of it would be to recognize, respect and honor that commitment to Academy Athletics. It is hard to see when you are in the middle of it, but the experience that we can all create for the student-athletes and families through athletics at NA is one that they will hopefully remember for the rest of their lives. What are some of the innovations that you have undertaken since you arrived?
My first priority this year is to listen and try to gain a better sense of the history and tradition at Norfolk Academy. It would be unproductive for me to come in and make changes before I truly understood the program and the institution. That will certainly take me more than a year to accomplish but I know enough to know that sometimes the best way forward first requires a look back. I am honored to be a part of Norfolk Academy and to have the opportunity to work with the students and faculty that make up Academy Athletics. I am eager to strengthen the program in whatever way that I can, support our coaches, seek to teach as well as learn from our students and immerse myself in the history and tradition of Academy. ◆ FAR LEFT Varsity tennis player Lucy Siegel ’15 this page Varsity
football player Brian Shivers, Jr. ’15.
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[ GLOBAL ] perspectives
Nicaragua and Norfolk Academy Nicaragua has come a long way since the war-torn 1980s, as witnessed this summer by two groups from Norfolk Academy. When you think of Nicaragua , what words come
to mind? For those of us who remember the Cold War, the answers are often words like “communism,” “war” and “contras.” During the 1980s Nicaragua was the site of a nasty civil war. After decades of rule by U.S.-backed dictator Anastasio Somoza Debayle, in 1979 a revolution brought to power the Sandinista National Liberation Front. Under the leadership of President Daniel Ortega and others, the Sandinistas embarked on a
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controversial campaign to remake Nicaragua, implementing land reform and other socialist measures. Given the context of the Cold War, President Ronald Reagan believed that this could not go unchallenged in “America’s backyard.” For the balance of the decade Nicaraguans found themselves embroiled in a civil war between the Sandinista government and a variety of U.S.-supported anti-communist guerrilla organizations (collectively known as the contras). The war only ended
Granada cathedral with Lake Nicaragua in the background
Though it remains by many measures the second poorest nation in Latin America, today Nicaragua is one of the most safe and stable nations in the region.
Abby Mann ’14 with several students outside the learning center.
following the democratic election in 1990 of an opponent of Ortega’s, Violeta Barrios de Chamorro. Soon after that Nicaragua faded from the headlines. Nicaragua has come a long way since then. Though it remains by many measures the second poorest nation in Latin America, today Nicaragua is one of the most safe, and stable, nations in Central America. Its democratic stability has been demonstrated by a series of free and fair elections, including the return to power in 2006 of Daniel Ortega. Though areas of political disagreement remain between the United States and the Ortega Administration, Nicaragua has in recent years
welcomed business investment from the United States and many other nations. For many students at Norfolk Academy today, words that come to mind when they think of Nicaragua are things like “children,” “education,” “investment” and “friendliness.” Chaperoned by Upper School teacher John Craig and Middle School teacher Elizabeth Johnson, and in association with the organization Outreach360, in June 2012 a delegation of fifteen NA students spent a week visiting the town of Jinotega, Nicaragua. According to trip organizer and Upper School Director of Student Activities Meg Mann, their
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[ GLOBAL ] perspectives
purpose was to teach Spanish and English lessons to local children and, in the process, learn more themselves about Nicaraguan culture. (A similar delegation visited the Dominican Republic in 2011.) Outreach360 rented a house in the poorest neighborhood in Jinotega (the “Coffee Capital of Nicaragua”) and invited local children, ages five to ten, to visit for extra lessons. Each student from Norfolk Academy prepared his or her own lesson plan and then delivered “mini-classes” to local
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children emphasizing Spanish and English fluency. Our students were thorough in their preparations; as John Craig noted, “It was very entertaining to watch them create their lesson plans—some would spend two or three hours preparing for one thirty-minute class!” Despite the continued prevalence of poverty in Nicaragua, Craig remarked that “we never once felt unsafe while we were there.” In an interesting coincidence, two months later five other Norfolk Academy students visited the Embassy of Nicaragua in Washington, DC. They were invited as part of the inaugural International Relations Fellows “tour of the Washington Foreign Policy establishment.” (You can learn more about this trip by visiting its blog at http://www.internationalrelationsfellows.org.) Chaperoned by Director of the International Relations Fellows Program David Rezelman and Middle School teacher Lisa Marie Priddy, the five International Relations Fellows spent several hours meeting with the Nicaraguan Educational Attaché, Sammia Hodgson, and an official from PRONicaragua (their official investment promotion agency), Maria Margarita Espinosa. As Espinosa explained, foreign investment in Nicaragua has increased enormously in the last few years, as companies in the United States and elsewhere have begun to recognize the emerging business opportunities afford by the safety, stability and low wages of the “New Nicaragua.” The IR Fellows also learned a lot during the general discussion that followed about how embassies function and what day-to-day life is like as a diplomat.
A walk through the streets of Jinotega on the way to the learning center.
Possibilities for further interaction between Norfolk Academy and Nicaragua are many. Future trips like that conducted with Outreach360 are likely, and possible future collaboration was also the subject of enthusiastic conversation during the visit to the Nicaraguan Embassy. A meeting was also held last spring at Norfolk Academy with representatives from the Virginia Beach–based charity HOLA (Helping Orphans in Latin America), which has done important work in orphanages in Nicaragua. (It was actually HOLA that first put the International Relations Fellows program in touch with the Nicaraguan Embassy.) In yet another connection with Nicaragua, this past spring the Direc-
tor of the Center for Civic and Global Leadership, Sean Wetmore, met with the Associate Provost for Global Affairs at Wake Forest University, J. Kline Harrison, to explore possible future collaboration between Norfolk Academy and Wake Forest at one of the latter’s facilities in Nicaragua. Though the United States and Nicaragua may have some troubled history, the future of U.S.– Nicaraguan, and NA–Nicaraguan, relations is now very bright. ◆ Dr. David Rezelman, Upper School history and social sciences teacher. Photos on pages 26 and 27 by Abby Mann ’14.
facing page top Students waiting outside the learning center for classes to begin. middle Alisha Gupta ’14 playing in the mud with students. below right Stafford Brown ’13 working
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[ GLOBAL ] perspectives
Mohamed Elsayyed/Shutterstock
Teaching the Arab Spring The revolutions that have swept across the Middle East over the past two years represent the greatest regional shift in world politics since the end of the Cold War. Whether they result in stable democracies, however, is still very much in question. Mohamed Bouazizi supported his Tunisian
family of eight by selling fruit from a wheelbarrow. He aspired one day to move up to a pickup truck. Making less than $150 a month, when local officials demanded bribes, Bouazizi was unable to pay. Officials seized his cart and beat him, and the governor refused to hear his protest, so on December 17, 2010, Bouazizi set himself on fire. The revolution had its first martyr. Street protests broke out across Tunisia as protestors vented their frustration over decades of misrule by a corrupt dictatorship. Less than a month after Bouazizi’s self-immolation, Tunisia’s dictator, Zine El Abidine
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Ben Ali, had fled into exile. Though few realized it yet, the greatest regional shift in world politics since the end of the Cold War had just begun. Since that time major protests have taken place in, among other places, Morocco, Algeria, Jordan, Yemen and Kuwait. The most important events of the “Arab Spring” thus far, however, have been the revolutions in Egypt, Libya and Syria. Together they have reshaped the political landscape of the Middle East. The most important of these was in Egypt. Home to over eighty million people, Egypt is the cultural center of the Arab world. The United States had opposed
Egyptian anti-government protesters on their way to Cairo’s Tahrir Square. Cairo, Feb 1, 2011
a succession of dictators in Egypt until, in 1979, Egypt made peace with Israel. Since then, despite a lack of true democracy and a poor human rights record, the United States supported Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and his successor, Hosni Mubarak. U.S. policymakers knew that real democracy in Egypt might lead to rule by the Muslim Brotherhood, so as the streets of Cairo filled with youthful pro-democracy protestors, U.S. officials were ambivalent. Many of the protestors looked to the United States for inspiration and political support and found U.S. inaction frustrating. That the tear gas canisters being fired at them by the police were sometimes literally marked “Made in the U.S.A.” did not help. Social media and other modern technologies fueled the revolt; the first protests had been organized in part on a Facebook page, “We Are All Khaled Said,” in honor of a young man who had recently been beaten to death by Egyptian police. If the Vietnam War was the first war televised live, then the Egyptian revolution was the first revolution streamed live. Norfolk Academy’s Spring 2011 International Relations course basically dropped its pre-planned agenda and focused for several weeks on following events in Cairo in virtually real time. With Norfolk six hours behind Cairo, class would often meet just as the day’s protests were winding down. When students asked if the protests would succeed or be crushed, my reply was that it depended on which side the Egyptian Army took. The next day’s class began with the playing of a YouTube video, only several hours old, which clearly showed the army intentionally positioning armored personnel carriers in order to shield protestors from police gunfire. As the protestors threw rocks at the police from behind the protection of the armored vehicles, class discussion turned to what sort of government might replace Mubarak if he eventually fled. The students were understandably optimistic, even giddy, as they watched democracy unfold before their eyes. In May 2012, however, the fears of many of U.S. policymakers were realized when the candidate of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohammed Morsi, won election as the next president of Egypt. In neighboring Libya, however, most of its military proved willing to use force. The dictator of Libya, Muammar Gaddafi, had made an enemy of the United States decades ago. When protests began in Libya in February 2011, the sympathies of the world were immediately with the protestors. Though in recent years
That the tear gas canisters being fired at them were sometimes literally marked ‘Made in the U.S.A.’ did not help.
Gaddafi had abandoned his weapons of mass destruction programs and rehabilitated his international image to some extent, the world still remembered Gaddafi’s history of sponsoring terrorist attacks against the West. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, led by Britain, France and the United States, provided air cover for the anti-Gaddafi guerrillas, and by September a transitional government had replaced Gaddafi. Few mourned Gaddafi’s death the following month. Libya is a nation of fewer than six million people, however. Its military was weak and Gaddafi had few powerful friends. Syria, on the other hand, has one of the most advanced air defense networks in the Middle East, and its ruler, Bashar Al-Assad, is supported by Russia (among others). Just as the Spring 2011 International Relations class came to be dominated by events in Egypt and Libya, the Spring 2012 class ended up focusing largely on the emerging civil war in Syria (as well as the continuing debt crisis in Europe). While the sympathies of the United States and Europe have never been in doubt in the case of Syria, few military options appear viable. Given Russian support for Syria, even diplomatic action has thus far been glacial. As of this writing, civil war continues unabated in Syria. The United Nations estimates that about 5,000 people were killed in August 2012 alone. Even if the AlAssad regime falls, however, it is unclear what sort of government might replace it. The Al-Assad family are members of the Alawite religious minority; many fear mass sectarian purges by the Sunni-majority guerrillas should the current government fall. Almost a year after Gaddafi’s death, Libya remains unstable as well, as demonstrated by the recent tragic deaths of four Americans in Benghazi. Even in Egypt, it remains unclear how much power the military will allow the newly-elected government to exercise. In short, the Arab world is relearning one of history’s oldest lessons: It is easier to destroy a government than it is to create one. ◆ Dr. David Rezelman, Upper School history and social sciences teacher.
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paw PRI N T S
Learning in the Clouds Is it time to abandon pen and paper for a more efficient (and lighter) way of learning? Students and teachers at Norfolk Academy face the conflict between the new advances in technology and the “old school” teaching method (which we will refer to as the “Backpack”) nearly every day. Some teachers embrace devices such as iPads, using them interactively in lessons, while others prefer to stick to the tried-and-true pencil and paper routine. One wonders whether Backpack methods will one day be completely obsolete, rendered useless by the influx of new technologies. However, today both methods are still a prominent part of student life.
The Benefits of Life in the Cloud As you stop by your locker on the way to your next class, you grab your biology textbook, only to find that your backpack is already full.
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The hulking mass’s immense size threatens to give you permanent scoliosis and drag you to the floor. Why should we damage our health and carry around bags filled to the brim with books and notebooks when there are devices that conveniently carry them for us wherever we go? Services like Dropbox, iCloud and Google Drive automatically upload documents to a server in a far away place for free. Not only is the backpack inconvenient, it also is damaging to our health. “My parents say that I have bad posture because my backpack is too heavy,” states senior Kathryn Fink. Instead of relying on a heavy backpack, we can use iPads and other devices to organize our work into manageable files, making our lives easier—and lighter. We can purchase the same textbooks used in class
for cheaper, scan and store our work on these iPads, improve our schoolwork with proper organization, and avoid wasting time with hefty backpacks.
The Benefits of the Backpack Unfortunately, the reliability of the new devices is not always 100%. Computers can break down, printers can run out of ink the evening before a paper is due… this can be a student’s worst nightmare. Also, technology is expensive. Not everyone may be able to afford the newest iPhone. Students without an interest in technology are at a severe disadvantage as well; many of their more savvy peers can use the technology to achieve better, quicker results on assignments.
Students’ Favorite Apps For School StudyBlue (flash cards) Quizlet MyHomework iBooks SAT Question of the Day Dictionary
For Fun Instagram Temple Run Spotify Facebook Snapchat Surf Report Netflix
Writing notes or flashcards by hand can help the student retain the information. Also, it improves handwriting and organization. There are very real concerns that the lingo that comes along with texting can be deteriorating to students’ spelling skills. “My little sister can’t even spell ‘what’ right because of how much she texts!” complains senior Stafford Brown. Furthermore, not all teachers know how to use the new technology. We’ve all had the experience of spending nearly half the class period trying to figure out how to turn the volume up on the sound system or how to get a film to play. The “old school” method also encourages the priceless face-to-face communication between students and teachers, instead of relying on e-mail and phones. In the end, we are lucky to live in a world where technology offers learning options that were not available in the “pen and paper” days, but we must proceed cautiously before abandoning the old school methods. There are relationships and skills that cannot be achieved in a technology-exclusive environ-
ment. For now, we must continue to hunch the backpack onto our shoulders and call on the cloud when it makes sense to do so—harnessing the advantages and learning from the disadvantages of both worlds.
Students ponder the pros and cons of online learning
Mathew Leon ’13 and Grace Webb ’13 and Student
The Cloud is more environmental.
Editors: Cross Birdsong ’18, Deni Budman ’16, Ben
—Grace Webb ’13
Klebanoff ’15, Patrick McElroy ’19, Wyatt Miller ’16, Banning Stiffler ’15, Hannah Towler ’18, Sarah Yue ’19
Your pen and paper can’t crash like a computer.—Wyatt Miller ’16
Handwriting!—Deni Budman ’16 If you are working on a group project, you can share information and ideas easily without having to meet at a certain location to work on the project.— Cross Birdsong ’18 Keeping your books and binders in your book bags helps organization.— Cross Birdsong ’18 Books strengthen you by carrying all of them.—Sarah Yue ’19 The cloud is more fun and more hands on. It’s easier to study with [the things in] a backpack.—Patrick McElroy ’19
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The
savage
CHRONICLES
Mr. Runzo and accomplice Andi Chen ’16 await their next happy victim. OPPOSITE Gabby Swann ’16 arrives prepared and nails it!
Carpool Quadratic Mr. Runzo’s traffic duty doubles as a math quiz. Middle Schoolers know that when he’s on duty no one gets past without reciting the quadratic equation or the Law of Cosines. So I’m out in front of the athletic pavilion the other morning, supposedly greeting seniors as they arrive. This is my week for traffic duty. I look down the sidewalk to my right to see Chris Runzo manning a similar duty in front of the main entrance. A group of children has gathered around him, and there appears to be some sort of game afoot. So I abandon my post to walk over to see what’s going on with Mr. Runzo. As each Middle Schooler unloads from his car (and 90% of them who don’t ride the bus disembark at this spot), Mr. Runzo asks one of two questions. The eighthgraders are called upon to recite the quadratic equation
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before they are allowed passage into school. The ninthgraders are asked to repeat the law of cosines in order to gain access. Every single student tries his best. In the five or six minutes that I am there, not one single kid shows any sign of impatience or intolerance. Not one adolescent considers the question annoying or “geeky.” With great good cheer each accepts the challenge, rolls the eyes skyward and takes a fair shot at “x equals negative b plus or minus the square root of b squared minus 4ac, all over 2a.” Some get it right, while others get halfway there. There are even two or three students— those who can recite the quadratic formula in their sleep—hanging around trying to coach their classmates and simply reveling in the whole experience. There are about twelve things right about this situation, but I’ll limit myself to two or three. First, a sizable number of kids, in March of their eighth-grade year, can in fact recite the quadratic equation. Others get pretty close. We must be teaching them something. Wait, I take that back—they must be learning something. We faculty have the privilege of
working with the brightest group of kids around. What an incredible pleasure it is to be teaching kids who overwhelmingly want to learn and are very, very good at it. It can also be a real challenge when a whole lot of kids in the room are smarter than you are. I once had an Ancient History student who would not hesitate to correct me publicly if I said something false in class. I took him aside and said that I didn’t mind, but that he shouldn’t do so “in front of the children.” We are kept on our toes, but it is absolutely worth it. Second, the students are uniformly polite, even cheerful. At 7:55 in the morning, no less. I’m still grumpy and need a few more minutes charging my battery. What is it with these kids? Maybe they are just playing off Mr. Runzo, who is having more fun than he should be having by challenging his students as they arrive. And the unofficial student coaches are smiling and giggling as each classmate makes his attempt. You cannot help but be buoyed by what is transpiring here. This is happy medicine indeed. Of course in a few hours I might be barking at seniors for the profundity of their second-semester slump (which, in fact, I was) or at some eighth-grade boy for playing keep-away with a classmate’s pen (ditto). But at this precise moment there is enough goodwill to chase away the less than perfect moments to come.
More important than anything else, this is ultimately not about intelligence or optimism or even math. I encourage you to take a close look at the video we filmed that morning and posted on The Savage Chronicles blog. This is about Mr. Runzo, or more precisely, the relationship that has been forged between Mr. Runzo and his students. Check out the kids’ body language. Look at the ease with which they respond to the challenge. It’s not that they are friends with him— some may well have felt the sting of his rebuke from time to time. The relationship is deeper and more important than friendship. For lack of a better word, they respect him. They know in their hearts that he wants only the best for each of them. For a few, he is also their coach who works them senseless in practice because he wants so desperately for each to succeed. And so when he throws a little brainteaser at them as they arrive, they are delighted to respond. At the end of each school year Mr. Manning conducts exit interviews with each senior. One of the questions he asks is, “What is the best thing about Norfolk Academy?” The overwhelming majority response is “relationships with teachers.” This creates a wonderful symbiosis. Teachers here love working with kids and crave success for them. When the students realize this from Ms. Beloved English Teacher or Mr. Respected Science Prof, they respond with their best shot at trying to fulfill the expectations. Which makes us love them even more. Which makes them try to live up to our expectations even more. The feelings on each side can last a lifetime. While lunching at No Frill Grill a while back I ran into two young women I had taught in the 1988–1989 school year. One of the two I know well and see often. The other I don’t recall having seen since graduation those many years ago. Since it has been so long, she supplied her name even though in this instance it was not necessary. The pleasure she took at saying hello was obvious, not because it was Mr. Savage, but because my face reminded her of all the teachers that had worked with her twenty or thirty years ago. She bore precisely the same expression as those kids greeting Mr. Runzo. But to any alumnus or alumna reading this, allow me to let you in on a little secret. For all those years, you have meant every bit as much to us as we may have meant to you. ◆ Toy Savage ’71 has served in various roles, including teacher, coach, administrator and official school historian, since his return to Norfolk Academy in 1986. This piece first appeared on Toy Savage’s blog, The Savage Chronicles. To view the video of Mr. Runzo’s Traffic Duty or to see the latest posts, visit thesavagechronicles.org or scan the QR code.
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lives of [ CON S EQUENCE ]
Courage, Commitment and Hope: Q&A with Dr. Craig L. Slingluff, Jr.
Craig L. Slingluff, Jr., MD (Norfolk Academy Class of 1976) is Joseph Helms Farrow Professor of Surgery, Vice Chair for Research, and Director of the Human Immune Therapy Center at the University of Virginia. He is a true humanitarian—known as much for his compassionate care of cancer patients as for his tenacious commitment to finding them a cure. The Human Immune Therapy Center operates within the University of Virginia Cancer Center to provide treatment and hope for cancer patients through the clinical use of the newest immune therapies and through ongoing laboratory research on how the immune system can be activated to fight the war on cancer. Dr. Slingluff leads a multi-disciplinary team that several years ago pioneered the development of a vaccine to help fight melanoma. Dr. Slingluff sees melanoma patients one day a week, performs surgery one day a week, and directs clinical and laboratory research that involves other faculty and staff of the Cancer Center, residents, post-doctoral candidates, microbiologists, chemists and even undergraduate students. He recently submitted a multi-million dollar grant request through the National Institute of Health to gain funding for the next phases of his research. While I privately questioned how Dr. Slingluff has free time for such passions as poetry and windsurfing, he wondered aloud why anyone would want to write about him and his professional achievements. And so with the generosity, patience and humility of a great teacher, he set aside time to provide an update for the Academy.
Dr. Craig L. Slingluff, Jr. (left) graduated from Norfolk Academy in 1976. He earned an Honor Award Scholarship and was an Echols Scholar at the University of Virginia, where he was a three-year member of the wrestling team and Chairman of the Honor Committee. He completed medical school at UVA, residency at Duke University, and returned to UVA in 1991. He is married to Kristin Swenson, a biblical scholar who recently published Bible Babel (Harper; 2010) and is currently writing her third book. Dr. Slingluff is the brother of Molly Slingluff Ill ’78 and the proud uncle of Emmy Ill ’06 and Hannah Ill ’08. He is grateful in all things to his mother, Emily Hunter Slingluff, and his late father, Craig L. Slingluff, who was a longtime member of the Norfolk Academy Board of Trustees.
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Q: What factors are shaping the current environment for cancer research? A: When President Nixon passed the Na-
When President
tional Cancer Act in 1971, many in the medical community believed that a cure for cancer would be just around the corner. But progress has been slow and it has only been in the past decade that research has given us renewed hope. Many advances have to do with how we now understand the cellular and molecular structure of cancer and the way in which the immune system can recognize and even attack certain cancers. Traditional treatment for cancer patients often includes surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation. Recently we’ve seen tremendous positive responses to new therapies that are generally less toxic and less invasive. This revolution in both cancer care and research leaves us optimistic that a cure for cancer is in the foreseeable future. Actually, with each new advance some patients are being cured who would not have been cured in the past; so one at a time, cures are coming now.
National Cancer Act
Q: So for those of us with only a fuzzy understanding of medical science, how do you describe your research? A: We generally know that cancer starts
when certain cells grow out of control—invading other tissues and damaging the cellular structure. It is increasingly evident that a healthy immune system can control outgrowth of some cancers. The immune system also has natural checkpoints that keep the system from misdirecting its response. Cancers can induce those checkpoints and cut off the immune system too early. My research is primarily focused on turning the immune system back on with melanoma vaccines and other approaches to stimulate the immune response. I specialize in melanoma, but there are similarities across the biology of cancer that makes what we are learning applicable to other cancers and to other illnesses of the human immune system. Q: You’re a surgeon by training. How did you come to specialize in cancer care, and more specifically, immune therapy as treatment for melanoma? A: I was not, surprisingly, one of those
children who knew he wanted to be a doctor from an early age, though I was always fascinated by invention and by science in general. I’ve benefited from a supportive
directions T cells need so that they not only carry the immune response to the general area of each cancer, they actually know to go inside and disperse throughout the cancer and kill it. T cells have a memory function, so if we can get them to the exact location, they should be able to memorize the directions and therefore help the body develop a permanent immunity.
Nixon passed the in 1971, many in the medical community believed that a cure for cancer would be
Q: You mentioned that cancer is named and treated by its origin, so melanoma that spreads from the skin to another area of the body is still melanoma. And you explained that each melanoma has numerous molecular variations. The complexities of those directions seem overwhelming. How do you stay so focused and positive? A: I am fortunate to have found a rare
just around the corner. But progress has been slow, and it has only been in the past decade that the research has given us renewed hope. family and several key mentors along the way. During residency at Duke University, I spent two years working in the research lab of a surgeon, Dr. Hilliard Seigler, who was among the first to culture specialized white blood cells (T cells) from melanoma patients and prove that those T cells can recognize and kill that patient’s cancer cells. These were the early clues that led to the discovery, at the University of Virginia, of the molecular targets recognized by those T cells. In 1995, we began to develop experimental vaccines for melanoma patients. These vaccines have been developed further and are showing encouraging findings. We can induce immune responses in the large majority of patients treated with those vaccines, and the overall clinical outcomes are better than we would have expected. But we’d like to see every patient survive, so we are still looking for ways to induce a broader and more durable response with our next-generation melanoma vaccines now entering trials. Q: Where are the clues directing you now? A: My current research centers on T
cells, which are the part of the immune system that can generate a specific, targeted response to find and kill an invasive cancer. Imagine thousands of cars along a highway, with each one trying to reach a unique destination. To get there, each driver has to know the way. I am trying to figure out the specific
balance between my research interest and patient care. I am inspired by my patients, and the progress we’ve made. We have patients involved in clinical trials who come to the University of Virginia from all over the country and the world. Many stay here for weeks at a time during a trial. For those with more advanced melanoma, our trials are a less invasive alternative to the standard treatment approved by the FDA which is risky and can compromise quality of life. Here, we take the outcomes of our research directly to the clinic and deliver them to patients—with encouraging results. I am committed to those patients, and I am convinced we are on the right track for making a real impact in treatment of melanoma. Q: How did your Norfolk Academy experience prepare you for this profession? A: I had so many great teachers along the
way, all of whom inspired a love of learning and who were always supportive. I learned more than I can say from Patty Masterson, who taught me how to write and to think independently. I also benefited from a really great coach. I was on the wrestling team at Norfolk Academy—a sport that requires a great amount of discipline and individual responsibility. Our coach, Bill Miller, understood these things, and he was always supportive with his advice. Whenever I came off the mat, particularly with a loss, he would give me a big handshake and say, “Get your head up.” ◆ Interview by Gigi Tysinger ’87
Norfolk Academy magazine
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[ ALUMNI ] highlights
1
1
1
1
Fine Arts Reunion
2 Summer Bulldog Bash 3
Spring Alumni Luncheon
4 Third grade Poet Tea 5
Senior Alumni Welcome
2
1
2
2
3 36
academy
3
alumni fun
4
4
3
3
5
5
4
5 Norfolk Academy magazine
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[ ALUMNI ] highlights
Norfolk Academy’s Career Connection Internship Program Last summer Norfolk Academy’s Alumni Association hosted its eighth summer of internships for upper
1
2
school students and alumni in college. Over fifty companies offered more than eighty-five internship opportunities. The program’s goal is to connect current students and young alumni with alumni and Academy friends who are already established in the workforce. Upper School interns have the opportunity to pursue genuine interests beyond the curricular offerings of the School, broadening their experiences and readying themselves for the independence the college admissions process brings. Young alumni in college will gain insight into career opportunities and first-job prospects. This unique program has also created strong ties between Norfolk Academy and its wide range of constituencies. The career guidance and first-hand experience provided are priceless in the current job market. The Alumni Association would like to thank the following companies for supporting this important endeavor at Norfolk Academy: ADS Inc.
3
Norfolk Academy Lower
AltDaily.com (Editorial)
School
AltDaily.com (Marketing)
Norfolk Academy Technology
Baker’s Crust
Periodontology Associates
Brand Fuel
Portfolio Recovery Associates
Breakthrough at Norfolk
Resite Online
Academy
Rosenblum Plastic Surgery
CB Richard Ellis
Rutter Mills LLP
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
S.L. Nusbaum Realty Co.
Chrysler Museum of Art
Sentara Medical Group
Cooper Hurley d’ART Center
Medicine
Dominion Enterprises
Signature Financial
Ellis Gibson
Swimways Corporation
Fitness Together
The Katsias Company
ForKids, Inc.
The Up-Center
Habitat for Humanity of South
The Virginian-Pilot
Hampton Roads, Inc. Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas + Company Kaufman and Canoles
Tidewater Eye Centers, P.C. TowneBank U.S. District Court, E.D. Virginia, Norfolk Division
Keep Norfolk Beautiful
Virginia Arts Festival
Kirna Zabete
Virginia Beach Office of
Lifeway Family Physicians
Cultural Affairs
Lynnhaven River NOW
Virginia State Parks
Martin Engineering
Waypoint Advisors
Max Media
Welligent, Inc.
Mercy Medical Airlift
WHRO
Merrill Lynch
Wilbanks Smith & Thomas
Mosquito Squad Norfolk Academy Development Office
Asset Management, LLC Williams Mullen xTuple Zak Investment Company, LLC
38
academy
4
Pulmonary and Critical Care
5 1
Andrew Balitsky ’12 interned for Ned Lilly ’86 at xTuple working on computer software.
2 Joshua Cohen ’09 spent the summer interning at Waypoint Advisors where Susanna Adams ’94 oversaw his activity. 3
Madison Acra ’14 (left) participated with the Oyster Restoration Program with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
6 4 Max Moss ’13 interned at Tidewater Eye Centers over the summer. 5
Lindsay Stewart ’11 interned under Ian Holder ’03 at Merrill Lynch.
6 Cole Werkheiser ’09, Kelly Luker ’10 and John Gullick at The Katsias Company. 7
Ginna Wilbanks ’09 spent her summer in New York working at the fashion store Kirna Zabete.
internships
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
8 Aisling Neilan ’14 spent her summer interning with Swimways.
10 Charmel Peters, Bess Preddy ’12, Lindsay Stewart ’11 and Ian Holder ’03.
9 Geoffrey Cole ’09 (left) and Morgan Claffy ’12 (right) worked with Judge Henry Morgan in the U.S. District Court.
11 Danny Reddin, Suzanne Rhodes, Learning Bridge Director Ari Zito and Brad Martin ’87.
(10–13) Interns and sponsors celebrated a successful program at the Annual Summer Internship Luncheon at Norfolk Academy in July.
12 Josh Cohen ’09, Jennifer Waldholtz ’09, Brittany Morris ’09 and Kate Wilson ’91. 13 Lindsay Stewart ’11, Stephanie Fuschetti ’11 and Christine Keller.
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[ ALUMNI ] highlights
Homecoming 2012
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2
3
7 8
4 5
6
Sarah Clark ’14 leads the cheering!
homecoming 2012
1
2 Shelly Gough Johnson ’82, Missy Heely, Jack Heely ’82 and Becky Petterson. 3
9
Former Faculty Emerson Johnson and Charlie Cumiskey enjoy the First Annual Homecoming Bulldog Bash.
4 Senior Darrell Boyce takes the field with his parents during halftime when all fall senior athletes were recognized. 5
Kailee Cunningham ’13 and Logan Simon ’24 out by the fields at Homecoming.
6 A young supporter gets ready for some Bulldog football! 7
Decked out in orange and blue, Jordan Jones ’23 enjoys the spirit parade.
8 The fans in attendance had reason to cheer! 9 The Bulldog leads the Lower School students to begin the first annual spirit parade.
10
14
10 Class of 1986 members at the Bulldog Bash. Chris Dotolo, Joanne Kennan Young, Ruth Acra, Dawn Wilson Grunwald, Kelley Gomez Bimson and David Hester.
11 Senior Alex Fitzwilliam leads the football team onto the field before the game. 12 Arch Brown ’80, Ed Morgan ’80 and Bill Jenkins ’80.
13 The weather was perfect, and the stands were packed for the big win over Nansemond-Suffolk Academy. 14 John Tucker and Dennis Manning sport their school-spirited pants on Homecoming.
11
15
15 Rachel Cook ’13 poses with two future cheerleaders, Carrie and Whitney Collenberg ’24, during the Homecoming BBQ. 16 Lucy Siegel ’15 and Grant Wiggins ’14 get ready to cheer on the Bulldogs. 17 Bennett Yue ’23 shows the Bulldog some love!
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[ ALUMNI ] highlights
athletic reunions
Spring Sports Day
1
2 Swimming and Diving Track and Cross Country
3
4 Richmond Hampden-Sydney College
5
6 San Francisco
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2
2
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1
2
5
3 42
academy
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3
on the road
4 4
5
4 5
5
6
6
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Norfolk Academy magazine
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[ ALUMNI ] highlights
class reunions
’57 ’62
’62
’62
’62’72
’72
’72
’72
Class Reunion Planners and Hosts
44
academy
55th Class Reunion Class of 1957 Tom Mansbach, Ashby Taylor 50th Class Reunion Class of 1962 John Turner, Bill Miller
’77
40th Class Reunion Class of 1972 Kirkland Kelley, Sally Kitchin, Heather Hollowell, Rolf Williams, Jim Snyder, Bob Lane
35th Class Reunion Class of 1977 Jane Cole, Julie Childress Beck, Richie Keatley, Lee Turlington
30th Class Reunion Class of 1982 Ann Liles Cox, John Katsias, Danny Plante, Brother Rutter, Dudley Ware
’57/’62 Former Lower School Director Charlie Cumiskey, Ashby Taylor ’57, Hunter ’62 and Elizabeth Rawlings, Eileen Cumiskey, and former headmaster John Tucker.
’62 SECOND ROW LEFT: John Sellers, Diane Sellers, Judy Wooden and Sunny Wooden
SECOND ROW SECOND: Members of the class of 1962 were recognized by Dennis Manning at halftime of the football game.
’82
’72 THIRD ROW LEFT: Mallory Boyd, Heather Hollowell and Kate Gomez Rivers
THIRD ROW SECOND: Leslie Hecht-Leavitt and Kate Kabler Moring
BOTTOM ROW LEFT: Kirkland Malloy Kelley and Zoe Goranson
BOTTOM ROW SECOND: Vernon O’Berry, Peyton Via and Mike Harrison
’77
THIRD ROW CENTER: Loy Meade, Alyson Myers, Kate Sweet Armel, Tricia Grinnan, Jane Greer Cole and Anne Carlston Kramer
THIRD ROW RIGHT: Jeff Crooks and his wife Andrea, Loy Meade, Anne Carlston Kramer and Dan Dickinson
’82
’82
’82 TOP RIGHT: The class of 1982 gathered for their 30th reunion party over Homecoming weekend.
SECOND ROW THIRD: Danny Plante, Carol Ann Harrison Smallwood, Ann Liles Cox and Payton Dickinson Cromwell
SECOND ROW RIGHT: Gary Moss and Suzanne Moss
’77
25th Class Reunion Class of 1987 Siobhan Miller, Richard Ottinger, Mike Standing, Phoebe Hogeland, Amy McCraw, Meredith Doxey, Hunter Dorroh, Brian Wainger
20th Class Reunion Class of 1992 Griff Aldrich, Molly Shuttleworth Evans, Jen White Heilig, Rob Neff, John Peterson, Leah Ramos Swatt, Jill Kantor Wainger, Jenn Winslow
15th Class Reunion Class of 1997 Stephanie Krup Repole, Mary Burroughs Yuill
10th Class Reunion Class of 2002 Eva Colen, Logan Schmidt, Brittany Lumpkin, Elizabeth Snyder, Henry Wilcox, Elizabeth Robertson Williams
5th Class Reunion Class of 2007 Edward Barham, Liza Brown, Alex Carney, Spencer Davis, Kris McKinnon, Sarah Munford
Norfolk Academy magazine
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45
[ ALUMNI ] highlights
class reunions
’87
’87
’87
’97
’87
’92
’97
’62 ’92
’97 46
’92 academy
’87
TOP ROW CENTER: Sarah Trundle, Rob Trundle, Robert Fiveash, Mike Bajit, Samantha Noona Gleason and Peter Ogram
S ECOND ROW LEFT: Robert Viccellio and Jay Standing
SECOND ROW SECOND: Mike Standing and Siobhan Cooper Miller with Jimmy Miller ’84
’02
SECOND ROW THIRD: Samantha Noona Gleason, Phoebe MacKinlay Hogeland and Gigi Cooke Tysinger
’92
SECOND ROW FOURTH: Jill Kantor Wainger and Leigh Gayton Mayrhofer
THIRD ROW THIRD: Jill Wainger, Jason Martin, Jenny Hubbard Winslow, Molly Shuttleworth Evans, Katie Fletcher and Jen White Heilig
’02
’07
BOTTOM CENTER: 12-year survivors in the class of 1992
’97
THIRD ROW LEFT: Kendra Robins Ervin, Brad Ervin, Christy Murphy and Albert Falk
THIRD ROW SECOND: Brett Shomaker, Mary Yuill and Mary Beth Polley
BOTTOM LEFT: Tad Galloway, Carol
Galloway, Lara Hunter, Jake Whitaker, Evan Pitler Goldman, Cam Mills and Lauren Berger Shomaker
’02
TOP RIGHT: Margaret Bishop, Allison Glaser, Jennifer Whitt, Kendall Natter and Elizabeth Robertson Williams
SECOND ROW FIFTH: Scott Baxter, Brittany Lumpkin, Tom York (former faculty), Allison Mantz and Dana Thompson
’07
’07
SECOND ROW RIGHT: Nate Tipora and Derwin Gray
THIRD ROW RIGHT: Edward Barham,
Amanda Fay, Spencer Davis and Ryan Nero
BOTTOM RIGHT: Whit Booth, Vanessa Stuart, Patrick Rice and Samantha Soussan
’07 Norfolk Academy magazine
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47
Announcing the Trustee Challenge
Help prepare our future leaders by making your Annual Giving gift to Norfolk Academy today. Norfolk Academy’s Annual Giving supports the most fundamental elements of the School’s program. The Trustee Challenge will match every new or increased annual gift with a $100 donation to Norfolk Academy. If you did not make a gift last year and choose to do so today or if you increase the amount of your previous gift, the Board of Trustees will donate an additional $100 to Annual Giving.
Rise to the Trustee Challenge.
Make your gift to Norfolk Academy today! www.norfolkacademy.org/giving
class notes
Class notes or photos to share? Contact Preston Moore at pmoore@norfolkacademy.org
1951 Ω Moose Tyler ’51: ftylervb2@aol.com
1952 Ω The Garnett ’52: garnettwindsors@aol.com
1956 Ω Bill Spicuzza ’56: billspicuzza@yahoo.com
is much more than just a local food coop. Sandhills Farm to Table Cooperative’s success and unique contribution to community development is told in the Jan/Feb USDA Rural Cooperatives Journal cover story (p.4). (http:// www.rurdev.usda.gov/supportdocuments/1033437_RuralCoop_JanFeb12. pdf) Fenton’s story on how Sandhills Farm to Table Cooperative is a 25-year dream come true is also shared.
1957
1964
Ben Turnbull wished all in the Class of
Robert L. Payne has just written a book
1957 a Merry Christmas and Happy
called A Side Order of Truth. At a glance
New Year from Kabul, Afghanistan.
the story shows a young family secure
1959
in its humor. Yet the grip of something
above Blake G. Anderson ’65 is having fun traveling the globe for Aon
Corporation, and his wife, Barbara, gets a chance to join him when he is less than eight hours away. Above they are at the Avenue of the Dead at the Teotihuacan city outside of Mexico City. That is the Pyramid of the Moon behind them.
stronger squeezes the three children apart and toward irony that laughter
Kirkland one of the Top 25 Women
1974
couldn’t touch.
Lawyers in Virginia, just one of the
Ferd Salomon lives outside of Pen-
1961
1966
many highlights of her career. Always
sacola, FL. He works in commercial
a consummate advocate and activist in
real estate with his own firm. His son,
Charley Norris, who left the class with
Ω Taze Taylor ’66: ttaylor@satcpa.com
the arena of gender and racial equality,
Christopher, is a Navy LT in Jackson-
Kirkland works to ensure that any or-
ville assigned as an instructor pilot in
ganization with which she is affiliated
SH-60B helicopters. Chris has two
adheres to noble anti-discrimination
daughters; the second arrived in Au-
standards. She makes specific efforts
gust. Ferd’s daughter Jenny just graduated from Stetson Law School and
ing of minority attorneys and serves as
starts her LLM work at the University
Ω Beau Walker ’59: bwalker@norfolkacademy.org
his military family midway through his junior year, returned for his 50th
1967
reunion. Charley enjoyed catching up
Ω John Donahoe ’67:
with his class at the Headmaster’s re-
jondon007@verizon.net
1970
in her own firm to encourage the hir-
ing stroll along Virginia Beach was
Anne Reed Harper is a grandmother-
a mentor for young female associates.
of Florida this fall. His other daughter,
an added bonus to the trip along with
to-be! Her oldest daughter, Susan Gray,
Her impressive list of past and current
Rachel, is a high school senior. Please
several brief self-guided tours of Ghent,
and her husband, Seth, are expecting a
associations includes WHRO, Norfolk
keep Ferd’s brother Colgate Salomon
downtown Norfolk and the Lynnhaven
baby in December. Anne plans to be in
State University, Old Dominion
’76 in mind. He has had a recurrence
area in the balmy fall weather.
Indiana for the birth.
University, Eastern Virginia Medical
of his renal cancer which required
Ω Ed Levin ’61: elevin@saul.com
Ω Anne Reed Harper ’70:
School, Virginia Bar Association, The
brain and two chest surgeries late
Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia
last year. After a few months of good
Beach, and Hampton Roads Com-
reports, it has come back again. He
munity Foundation. The YWCA of
is currently undergoing treatments at
Richmond honored Robin Robertson
Walter Reed and the National Institute
Starr with an Outstanding Woman
of Health in Bethesda. He has had
Award on May 4.
to retire from his job on medical
Ω Heather Hollowell ’72:
grounds. Colgate and Michelle, his
ception, the two fine dinner parties, and the alumni events on campus. A morn-
1962 Ω Bob Cole ’62: ocole66@gmail.com
1963 In 1985 Fenton Wilkinson left his large
amrharper@gmail.com
1971 Ω Sam Brown ’71: srbrown@srblaw.hrcoxmail.com
commercial transactions legal practice
1972
in Seattle to become part of the solu-
The YWCA of South Hampton Roads
tion to the growing environmental and
has named Kirkland Molloy Kelley
social justice issues we are facing. For
a 2012 Woman of Distinction and
1973
over 20 years Fenton’s focus has been
honored her at a luncheon on April 5
Ω Kit Miller Whitely ’73†
sustainable community development.
in Norfolk. Kirkland is a trailblazer
Michael Via ’73:
in August.
In 2009 he initiated Sandhills Farm to
for professional female empower-
laxstx@cox.net
Ω Susan Lampert Smith ’74:
Table Cooperative in North Carolina. It
ment. In 2006 Super Lawyers named
reunion year
hollowell17@cox.net
Ω Class Correspondents
wife, live in northern Virginia. His daughter, Jessica, just graduated from the University of Tennessee, and his son, William, started at George Mason
Thesmithery@cox.net
†
deceased
Norfolk Academy magazine
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49
if you are in the hospital and need a
specializes in work on behalf of trust
have no idea how they will figure out
psychiatrist), and she is the director of
accounts. John Katsias is proud to say
the commute next year. This is a big
the fellowship in this subspecialty of
his daughter, Stephanie, graduated in
year in Amy Moss Levy’s household.
psychiatry. Dan is a clinical professor
the Class of 2012 with high honors
Her oldest son, Jacob ’12, graduated
of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive
as a 12-year survivor. She will attend
from NA and will attend the Uni-
Surgery at the University of Pennsyl-
UVa this fall. His son, Christopher, is
versity of Pennsylvania. After twelve
vania. He is also in the private practice
a rising junior. John looks forward to
straight years with at least one child in
with his brother Sam ’87, who lives in
seeing everyone at their 30th reunion.
the Lower School, she also celebrated
Princeton, where he occasionally runs
Clair Lamb will try to get to at least
Ben, her youngest son’s, graduation
into Kirk LeCompte. Sam and Dan
one of the 30th reunion events, but
from the Lower School. Her son
recently shared the privilege of being
will miss Friday night’s because of an
Nathan ’13 and daughter, Sophie ’15,
guest lecturers at an International
event at The Arts Club of Washington,
round out the Levy clan.
Surgical Course held in Rome. The
DC, for Books To Die For (Atria/Emily
Ω Alicia Scott Devine ’83:
organizer of the course and Dan re-
Bestler Books), which marks her first
cently published the world’s first free,
official book credit—assistant editor,
online surgical textbook, entitled www.
under co-editors John Connolly and
1984
RhinoplastyArchive.com. The European
Declan Burke. She lives in central
Ω Eric Acra ’84:
Rhinoplasty Society adopted this
Maine and works as a freelance editor,
textbook as its official site, where it
researcher, and occasional publicist
1980
will post its Proceedings of the Society.
for authors including John Connolly,
1985
James VanAllen Bickford IV currently
Joseph Finder, Lisa Lutz and Daniel
Ω Danielle Reiff Schweikert ’85:
Jeffrey Tinkham started his own law
resides in San Diego, CA, and has
Palmer. Carol Ann Smallwood is still
danielle.schweikert@
firm, Tinkham Law Group, PC, in
been practicing law for 12 years. He
enjoying life in Arlington. Her oldest
thomsonreuters.com
June. He routinely handles merg-
is recently engaged to Patricia Alecsia
is about to be a senior, so they are
ers and acquisitions, commercial
Beltran, who works in interior design
embarking on the college tour, which
1986
real estate transactions and estate
for destination resorts and hotels.
is exciting. She is enjoying running
Ω Chris Dotolo ’86:
planning matters. Jeff earned his law
They plan to marry in Norfolk this
a four-year, need-based scholarship
degree from UVa and his business
fall. John Cooper started a law firm,
fund, helping seniors from three high
degree, magna cum laude, from the
Cooper Hurley, with offices in Norfolk,
schools in the area attend college.
1987
University of Richmond. His oldest
Virginia Beach and Hampton. He is
They are helping 20 kids next year and
After a two-year hiatus, Mike Bajit
son, Spencer, is a sophomore at Baylor
doing the same personal injury law
have their first graduate, who will head
went back to work at a nightclub in
this year. Jeffrey’s other son, Clay, is a
that he has practiced for 23 years. His
to medical school this fall.
Washington, DC, in August 2011. He
junior at Norfolk Collegiate. Both boys
oldest child, Matthew, is in 11th grade
Ω Dudley Ware ’82:
operates the lighting system at Opera
have had the good fortune to win the
and is a lineman on the varsity football
Ward World Decoy Carving Champi-
team. David Costenbader traveled to Hatteras for an annual (13th) family
1983
the White House. He had been work-
onship (Youth Division) held in Ocean City, MD.
get-together, where he spent some
Alicia Scott Devine’s son Wyatt ’12
he told the owners that he’d come out
Ω Arch Brown ’80:
good times with Mike Lawson and his
graduated from NA. He is enrolled at
of retirement for only one year. Mike
wife, Teresa, along with the rest of the
Washington and Lee University, where
finished on Labor Day weekend 2012.
1982
family. Steve Coyle lives in Chappaqua,
he will play lacrosse and hopefully go
Last year Mike’s local chapter of Alpha
NY, and works in New York City for a
to all of his classes. His NA classmates
Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., re-elected
Daniel Becker and his wife, Madeleine,
firm called Cohen & Steers, where he
include the sons of Anita Nissenson
him president. As for his daytime job,
are doing well in Philadelphia. They
heads up private real estate investing.
Best and Amy Moss Levy. Alicia’s
Mike is a senior acquisition analyst
have three children, ages 10, 8 and
He was lucky enough to see Paul Zoby
older son, William ’10, just finished his
for Integrity Management Consulting,
4. He saw Dean Chadwin when he
’83 and Tom Raynes ’81 in Vail at an
second year at UVa, where he is major-
supporting an agency within the De-
was in Philadelphia this spring and
old men’s lacrosse tourney. Unfor-
ing in electrical engineering. She and
partment of Homeland Security. Phoe-
thoroughly enjoyed their tennis match
tunatey, however, their teams didn’t
her husband, Bill, are wondering how
be MacKinlay Hogeland has all three
despite being stomped! Dan’s family
play each other. Steve also visited Lake
they will handle the empty nest. Kate
of her children as young Bulldogs this
comes to Virginia Beach every sum-
Placid, where he had heard that Scott
and Kevin Houley are doing well in
year. Reid and Clara (6) are in first
mer to visit his parents, and they’re
Price ’85 was playing but didn’t run
Annapolis. Their three boys seem to
grade and Eliza (9) is in fourth grade.
having a lot of fun this summer at the
into him. Steve’s lacrosse career at
be thriving in school; they actually
Richard Ottinger is looking forward
Jersey Shore, where they frequently
NA ended after 10th grade but started
hate the summer. They are all at the
to his 25th reunion. He had a taste at
visit. Dan’s wife is still working at
again in college. After a few years off,
Gilman School, where Ethan (14) just
his wife Lisa’s 20th from UVa several
Thomas Jefferson Hospital, where she
he has been playing quite a bit. Arthur
started 9th grade, Jack (12) began 8th
years ago, where they caught up with
is a psychiatrist. She is the co-director
Jones launched Strategic Wealth Man-
grade, and Charlie (10) is in 5th grade.
a bunch of ’87s: Chandler Williams,
of the Psychiatry Consult Service
agement Solutions, LLC, a registered
They have one in each of the lower,
Chris Johnson, Tina Grimstead-Rider,
(she is the person your doctor calls
investment adviser, in 2009. The firm
middle and upper schools, so they
Brendan Sherlock, Tom Berkley, Robert
1975 Ω Charlie Nusbaum ’75: cnusbaum@nusbauminsurance.com
1976 Ω Pope Woodard ’76: popewoodardjr@yahoo.com
1977 Ω Ray Sears ’77: j_r_sears@yahoo.com
1978 Ω Stephanie Adler Calliott ’78: SACinVA@aol.com
1979 Ω Tricia Jones Affronti ’79: taffronti@norfolkacademy.org
abrown@scottstringfellow.com
50
academy
dware@norfolkdredging.com
aliciadevine@mac.com
eacra@norfolkacademy.org
CDotolo@norfolkacademy.org
Ultra Lounge, about five blocks from ing in DC nightclubs since 1994, so
Viccellio, Siobhan Cooper Miller, Jay
second vice president of the Norfolk
Standing and Katy Rachels Kreinbaum.
Sports Club and will continue through
Rob Trundle lives in Charlottesville
those chairs to become president of
and attends UVa football games. His
the club in 2015. Becky Levin wishes
wife, Sarah, runs marathons. Their
a very happy and youthful 40th to all
oldest daughter, Maggie (13), is into
of her classmates who reached this
cell phones and music. Their younger
milestone in 2012. She celebrated with
daughter, Liza (10), plays soccer and
a bikram yoga challenge—30 classes
swims. Their son, Shep (7), is into
in 30 days—in an attempt to defy the
states and capitals. He currently is
aging process. Come join her in the
obsessed with the stick puppets they
hot room! Becky was thrilled to host
bought in Corolla.
a baby shower for Dara Blachman
Ω Richard Ottinger ’87:
Demner. She enjoyed hanging out
rottinger@vanblk.com
1988 Ω J.J. Magpoc Burroughs ’88: jmbcmc@cox.net
1989 Ω Eleanor Baird DeMoors ’89: edemoors@gmail.com
with Mike Corneille and his family in San Antonio in April. Following an excruciatingly brutal congres sional session, Becky looks forward to winding down, enjoying some beach time, and catching up with old friends and family. Kevin Lilly returned to Tidewater to do security cooperation for the Marines with foreign militaries
1990
throughout Africa, working out of Fort
Brook Straeten Avery is excited to
October 2011, and they have a new ad-
have a new Bulldog in her family. Her
dition to the family—Holt Alexander
middle daughter, Leah, will be starting
Lilly was born in July.
1st grade. Leah will join big sister
Ω Curtis Romig ’90: cromig@pgfm.com
Straeten, who is entering 6th grade.
Story. He married Jaqui McBride in
Baby Meredith will be in kindergarten,
1991
which seems impossible. Brook is
Charlie and Macon Yates Collins
also thinking how this is the year that
welcomed Henry Alexander Collins
most of her classmates hit the big 4-0,
on October 7, 2011, which is why
and she sends happy birthday wishes
they were not able to attend the class
to everyone. Tracy Lawrence Burman
reunion last October. Hank joins big
traveled to the south of France to visit
brothers Charlie (7), Tucker (6) and
family for two weeks this summer for
Porter (3). They continue to enjoy
some much-needed R&R. All is well
living in Charlotte and feel blessed to
with her. She still enjoys Seattle for
have four sweet and energetic boys!
nine months a year and her job. Her
Campe Goodman and his wife, Aman-
son, Ben (5), starts Kindergarten and
da, are expecting their first child in
full-immersion at the French-Amer-
October. They are still enjoying living
ican School of Puget Sound in the
in Boston and are anxiously anticipat-
fall and daughter Millie (3) will stick
ing their new arrival. Anne Fernando
with their local pre-school. If anyone
was married to James Northway on
ventures out to Seattle, call, email or
September 22, 2012, at St. Gregory’s
Facebook her. George “Bryce” Burton,
Church in Virginia Beach, followed by
Sr., continues to live in Virginia Beach
a reception at the Wyndham Virginia
with Joy, his wife of 16 years, and their
Beach Oceanfront Hotel. She was
two kids, Sierra and Bryce Jr. Sierra is
excited to be able to share her wed-
a rising 7th grader and Bryce Jr. is a
ding day with several of her Norfolk
rising 4th grader at Norfolk Academy.
Academy classmates. Anne currently
Elected to sergeant at arms for the
practices law at a real estate law firm
Rotary Club of Norfolk, the largest
in Atlanta, GA, while her husband
Rotary Club in the district, Bryce will
works at Fifth Third Bank as an assis-
continue through the chairs to be
tant vice president. They continue to
president in 2016. Bryce is also the
reside in Smyrna, GA, with their cat,
reunion year
Ω Class Correspondents
top Danny Rosin ’86 was the opening speaker at the Operation Smile ISLC Conference at Georgetown University on July 30, 2012. Here he is pictured (front center) with Norfolk Academy students and alumni in attendance. Below On May 25, 2012, Jef Field ’90 reached the summit of Mt. Everest. He was one of 26 people to reach the summit that day. During the time Jef was on Mt. Everest, he, along with another doctor, helped with a medical evacuation of a National Geographic photographer. The Sherpa Gear House supplied Jef with much of his gear for the venture to the summit. Jef is on the far right in each photo from his time on the mountain.
Norfolk Academy magazine
|
WINTER 2012
51
Scrappy. Her email address is an-
J.D Sanders and Chris Watson played.
nefernando@hotmail.com, if any old
Like last year’s event in DC, many
friends would like to reconnect. Jane
classmates came out for dinner and
Finney decided to extend her tenure
drinks. Thanks to Nataki Corneille, Jen-
in NYC, after taking a four-month
nifer Smith Minter and Mason Kalfus
sabbatical last fall, and return to the
for meeting the golfers out last year!
ranks of advertising agency profes-
Next year, the golf outing will be in An-
sionals by joining Arnold Worldwide’s
napolis, MD. The trip fills up quickly.
New York office as an SVP, group
Join the NA ’93 Facebook Group to
account director. She currently has the
learn more or contact Jon Johnson if
difficult job of developing engaging
you are interested in next year’s trip.
and compelling TV commercials for
On June 3, 2012, Ashley Dorroh and
brands like Hershey’s Syrup, Jolly
John Galler married at the Cavalier Golf
Rancher and Twizzlers. She continues
and Yacht Club in Virginia Beach. In
to see fellow ’91 classmates Francie
attendance were many members of the
Staub, Casey Morgan and Jason Lynn
Norfolk Academy family, including for-
regularly. All three are experiencing
mer and present teachers and coaches,
fabulous professional success and
alumni, students and members of the
enjoying life in NYC. Amy Gravitt and
Alumni Board and Board of Trustees.
her husband live in Los Angeles with
Madison Galler ’23 was the flower girl.
their children, Jack (3.5) and Romy (1).
Kim Swartz Eidsness graduated from
She’s vice president of Comedy Series
Howard Community College and is of-
at HBO. Along the way she’s run into
ficially a registered nurse in Maryland.
Sean Dugan ’92 at a table read and
Elizabeth Branch Freedman still loves
met with writer Monica Padrick ’01.
living in Colorado with her husband,
Kate Hofheimer Wilson was promoted
Jason, and two sons. Benjamin (5)
to director of development-Hampton
started Kindergarten this year. Charlie
Roads for the Chesapeake Bay Founda-
is a happy two-year-old who keeps
tion. This spring she was nominated
Elizabeth on her toes. He loves to
as a new trustee of the Irene Leache
laugh, get dirty and charm the ladies.
Memorial Foundation, and she was
She loves the mountains but misses
thrilled to join several NA and CDS
everyone in Virginia. Elizabeth is a
alumna serving on this board. Kate
marketing consultant focused in the
and her family enjoy urban gardening
high-tech sector and loves the flexibility
in their front yard, biking to work and
of being self-employed. Jennifer George
school, and promoting environmen-
Ward cannot get enough of her son
tal stewardship in their community.
Jack, who just turned one.
They look forward to hosting a college
Ω Sara Pope Agelasto ’93:
exchange student from Japan this fall. above Charlie ’91 and Macon Yates Collins reside with their family in
Charlotte, NC—Charlie (7), Tucker (6), Porter (3) and Henry Alexander Collins (1). Below On June 3, 2012, Ashley Dorroh ’93 and John Galler ’93 were
married at the Cavalier Golf and Yacht Club in Virginia Beach. In photo, kneeling: Walker Dorroh ’90, Trent Dorroh ’95, JD Sanders ’93 and Dave Thomas; second row: Kaylee Sanders ’23, Emma Johnson (former student, daughter of Jon Johnson), Jane Stewart ’23, Madison Galler ’23; back row: Leslie (Coker) Crocker ’93, Tommy Dunn ’93, Emily (Spruill) Labows ’93, Kelly Kennedy ’93, Chad Brandt ’93, Nataki Corneille ’93, Po Hardy ’93, Jon Johnson ’93, Cosby Hall ’93, John Galler ’93, Ashley (Dorroh) Galler ’93, Chantal (Koppens) Rose ’93, Pat Fernando ’93, Ken Lampert and Hunter Dorroh ’87. Not shown: Susanne Galler ’87 and Conrad Hall.
52
academy
Ω Jane Finney ’91: jane.s.finney@gmail.com
1992
sagelasto@gmail.com Ω Sarah Joyner ’93: sej1@hotmail.com
1994 Parker Agelasto is running for Rich-
Katie Harrison Willett and her hus-
mond City Council this fall. Stephanie
band, Henry, welcomed a son, Ryland
Clarke Duran married Ruben Duran
Suiter, on September 20, 2011. He
on February 18, 2012, in Maui. The
joins older brothers Hi (8) and Harri-
couple currently resides in Beijing,
son (5). They reside in Richmond, VA.
where Stephanie is the deputy director
Ω Jen White Heilig ’92:
of the Department of Energy’s China
beckjen2@aol.com
office at the U.S. Embassy and Ruben
1993
works for the Department of State.
The Class of ’93 Fourth Annual Memo-
classmates Katie White Cartwright and
rial Golf Trip was back in Charlot-
Margo Klewans Duboz and Will Clarke
tesville, VA, for 2012. This year Chad
’99. Rachel McCarthy had her sixth
Brandt, Paul Kelley, John Spain, David
child on July 19, 2012. New son John
Lampton, Jon Johnson, Tommy Dunn,
Patrick joins Samantha (8), Abigail
NA alums at the wedding included
left Stephanie Clarke ’94 married Ruben Duran on February 18, 2012, in Maui. The couple currently resides in Beijing, where Stephanie is the deputy director of the Department of Energy’s China office at the U.S. Embassy,and Ruben works for the Department of State. Academy alums at the wedding included Katie White Cartwright ’94, Margo Klewans Duboz ’94 and Will Clarke ’99.
center Scott Flax ’96 with son Abraham and Mike Duquette ’99 with son Drew take a break from the D.A. Taylor tournament. right Jonathan Byrne ’01 and Heather Byrne, Jeffrey Kent and Kristen Worrall Kent ’01, and Hannah Byrd and Ross Byrd ’01
(6.5), Dave (6.5), Virginia (6.5) and
years, Jessica Hirsch Fielek has recently
Lahren is practicing immigration and
years as a programmer, until she could
Maisy (2).
accepted a position at the College of
family law at Pender & Coward in Vir-
no longer deny she wanted to pursue
Ω Sara Straeten Dailey ’94:
William and Mary as a project manager
ginia Beach. When not at work, she’s
a career in medicine. She is currently
in the Psychology Department. When
competing in fun athletic events for a
an anesthesia resident at VCU, where
she’s not working, she loves spend-
good cause such as the ASYMCA Mud
she is delighted to put people to sleep
ing time with her daughters, Lily (8)
Run and CHKD Run for the Kids, and
all day long. She spends her spare
1995
and Sadie (5), and her husband, Josh,
enjoying biking, watching Nationals
time fixing up a lovely old house and
taking in all that Williamsburg has
and Tides baseball, and serving on the
hanging out with her husband of nine
Kendell Watson Griffin and her
to offer! Tad Galloway and his wife,
Neptune Festival Sandman Triathlon
years and 4-year-old daughter. Georgia
husband, Daniel, are excited to share
Ashley, welcomed their second child,
committee. Having realized that he
Wainger Sussman is the manager of
the birth of their son, Blake Daniel
William Thomas Galloway, on January
and the legal profession were, to say
professional development at Herrick,
Griffin, who was born on June 14,
29, 2012. “Will” was 8 lbs., 8 oz., and
the least, ill-suited to each other, Kevin
Feinstein, a New York–based law firm.
2012. Christy, Eleanor and Billy Wynne
22 inches long. He joins big sister
McCloskey has spent the last five years
She enjoys spending time with her
welcomed Harrison Lei Jun Wynne
Katie, who is now 3. They still live in
playing in the dirt as an archaeolo-
husband, Brett, and their son, Eli,
into their family on February 7. Lei
Cary, NC. Tad is enjoying his second
gist at a number of cultural resource
who celebrated his first birthday in
was born in Nanyang, China, and has
full year working for Sick, Inc., cover-
management firms. He is currently on
July. They live in New York City and
quickly warmed the Wynne household
ing the southeast U.S. for large OEM
the road during weekdays working on
love taking in its cultural and culinary
with his hearty laugh and easy nature.
accounts. Erica Blachman Hitchings
a historic house site in Delaware. Kevin
delights. Elizabeth Finch Wright gradu-
Ω Mary Garris ’95:
and her husband, Seth, welcomed
has lived in Richmond for 12 years.
ated in May from the ODU School of
mary_garris@yahoo.com
Benjamin Blachman Hitchings on
When not getting muddy and finding
Dental Hygiene, passed her boards,
Ω Kendell Watson Griffin ’95:
February 2. They are having a blast
old stuff, he’s been playing drums in
and is thrilled to begin her new career
with Benjamin. She is an attorney for
bars and theaters with two bands, and
as a dental hygienist.
1996
the Department of Justice, primarily
has opened up for acts like Dickey
Ω Laura Coker ’96:
handling health care fraud matters.
Betts and The Dirty Dozen Brass Band.
After a fantastic run at the Recording
Erica, Seth and Ben are enjoying life
He spends his downtime with his
Industry Association of America as the
on the West Coast but wish the ocean
10-year-old hound dog and a wonderful
director of media and standards, Laura
temperature there were as warm as it
girlfriend. After living in New Zealand
Coker moved from music technology
is in Virginia Beach. Erica is sorry that
for the last six years, Sarah Robbins is
1997
policy to music production. She is
they missed the reunion in San Fran-
moving back to Tidewater with a hus-
Ω Lauren Adler Reid ’97:
currently an audio engineer at the Na-
cisco, as it would have been great to see
band and baby. Teddy is 9 months old.
tional Press Club in Washington, DC,
everyone! Amy and Alan Johnson re-
She is looking for work as a science or
and a volunteer at Musicians On Call—
ceived an early Christmas gift, as they
math teacher. Her husband, Paul, will
1998
a nonprofit organization which brings
welcomed Robert Chandler Johnson
be joining Sarah and Teddy as soon as
Chas Reynolds received a JD from
live music to the bedsides of hospital
into the world on December 14, 2011.
he sells their house and obtains a visa.
UCLA Law in May 2012.
patients, with notable performances
They have had a great summer and
Jennifer Rodgers gave birth to her first
Ω Anne Marie Nash Burroughs ’98:
by John Mayer, Bruce Springsteen and
in July celebrated their son, Alan Jr.’s,
child this year. She and her husband,
James Taylor. After working as a health
fourth birthday. They are having a blast
Daryle, welcomed Jeremiah Clark Rod-
educator/epidemiologist at the Pen-
living in Atlanta, where Alan works for
gers into their family on April 16, 2012.
insula Health Department for several
Norfolk Southern Corporation. Annie
Eva Szentpetery Smith spent several
ssdailey@gmail.com Ω Natalie Pavon Mann ’94: kevandnatmann@gmail.com
kgriffin@norfolkacademy.org
reunion year
Ω Class Correspondents
lauracoker@gmail.com Ω Teddy Rice ’96: rice@ironwoodequity.com
laurena@gmail.com
annemarie.burroughs@gmail.com Ω Michelle Polley Setty ’98: mpolley1@jhmi.edu
Norfolk Academy magazine
|
WINTER 2012
53
above Price Massey ’03 was in Haiti in early April with a group from EVMS
on a fact-finding trip for Norfolk Academy’s Global Health Fellows program. This trip had been organized by Jon Gellman ’01 and EVMS ’13. Polly Pereos ’03, who is also Jon’s fiancée, participated as well. This was their second trip to Haiti this year to run a medical clinic at an orphanage/school in the central
plateau city of Hinche. They distributed portable water purification systems to a local village, which was very timely with the outbreak of cholera there. Their first trip to Haiti was in December 2011, when Katy Gerloff ’03 and Tolga Sursal ’02, EVMS ’15 joined Jon and Polly (and a few others from EVMS), as well.
1999
Caroline Byrd Dozier ’04, Bryan Worrall
of health administration program at
marketing and branding agency. Years
Jennifer Fuschetti received a JD from
’05 and Michael Worrall ’09 were in the
Medical University of South Carolina.
of doing web and graphic design for
UCLA Law in May 2012.
wedding party. Every year the Norfolk
Henry Colen and Charles Land will be
film-related companies made Walt real-
Ω Jennifer Kawwass Thompson ’99:
Academy distance athletes that Zach
classmates once again as they start
ize early this year that he experiences
Lampert coaches give him a hard
business school this fall at UVa’s
the same passionate creativity doing
2000
time that they will beat his only school
Darden School. Claire Hennessey
this as he did making movies. Walt’s
record, the rarely run 4 x 1,600-meter
recently started working at Emory Uni-
wife, Gretchen, is teaching art to high
Justin Ryan Brooks was awarded an
relay, off the books. Each year on the
versity as associate director of develop-
schoolers at Our Lady of Good Counsel
MD/PhD in neuroscience at com-
blustery last Friday of March they real-
ment, Office of Foundation and Corpo-
High School in Olney, MD. They
mencement ceremonies May 18, 2012,
ize that it’s hard to run fast outside in
rate Relations. Her department serves
celebrated their fourth anniversary this
from Washington University in St.
March. This year’s track team included
as a liaison between Emory’s schools
April sailing around the British Virgin
Louis. He will begin work at the Army
a sub-4:30 guy, a sub-4:40 guy, and
and units and potential funders. New
Islands. Emily Jonak Justesen and her
Research Laboratory in Aberdeen, MD.
three others under 5:00. Zach wanted
mom Josie Rice Horan and her hus-
husband, Nick, welcomed their first
Randolph ’94 and Kathryn Hoover wel-
Austin Siegel, Sten Atkinson ’02 and
band, Thomas, welcome baby boy John
child this August. Juliet Kline received
comed Reese MacKenzie on Monday,
Pat Lyons ’03 to know that their record
Wallace. He was born on May 5, 2012.
a master of social work from Catholic
April 9, 2012. Kimberly Thompson
still stands at least for another year.
He was named after his maternal great-
University this spring. She is the devel-
Manuel and her husband, Kevin, are
Ω Jennifer Byrd ’01:
grandfather, John Clifford Wallace, who
opment manager at Thurgood Marshall
was the head city tax assessor for Ports-
Academy, a college-preparatory public
mouth. Josie is going back to work in
charter high school in Washington, DC.
the fall to start her sixth year teaching
Emily and Polly Pereos caught up this
special education at a beautiful NYC
summer at The Williams School, where
school that’s seven blocks from their
Polly recently started. Polly is working
2002
home in Brooklyn. Her husband is still
in the development office on special
working as a firefighter for the FDNY.
events and the annual fund. She’s
Roxann Stephanie Brooks earned a
Virginia Hudgins is living in League
also teaching K–2 Computers. She
PhD in comparative pathology from
City, TX (just south of Houston), and
and fiancé Jon Gellman ’02 did some
the University of California-Davis in
recently submitted her request to leave
volunteer work in rural Haiti this win-
2001
commencement ceremonies June 14.
the Coast Guard. She’s not quite sure
ter with fellow bulldogs Katy Gerloff,
She returns for her final year of vet-
where her new path will head, but she
Price Massey ’01 and Tolga Sursal ’01.
After many years in school, Allison
erinary school and completion of her
is considering graduate school or a
California-bound Ryan Simone is off to
Jack received her PhD in develop-
DVM degree.
career in the maritime shipping/safety
USC to start dental school. Matt Timms
mental psychology from UVa. She
Ω Eva Colen ’02:
industry. Virginia recently became
and his brother Mike are opening an
an assistant field hockey coach for St.
exciting new business in the Hilltop
Agnes Academy in Houston and is
East shopping center a few doors
excited to get started this August. Walt
down from the new Taste Unlimited.
2003
Irby is doing web and graphic design
TidalWheel is a full-body indoor cycling
for Clark Concepts in Rockville, MD
studio that provides riders with an all-
MacKenzie Benton has started a master
(www.clarkconcepts.com), a complete
encompassing, inspirational workout.
jennifer.kawwass@gmail.com
living overseas in Naples, Italy, until late 2014. If anyone makes it out that way or wants a free guest house in Naples, please look them up. Ω Blair Mustin Fine ’00: blairfine@gmail.com Ω Maria Kitchin Moore ’00: mmoore@norfolkacademy.org Ω Allison Cutchins Watson ’00: allison@olympiadevelopment.com
is beginning a post-doctorate at the Yale Child Study Center to study autism. Kristen Worrall Kent married Jeffrey Kent on May 14, 2011, in Cape Charles, VA. Ross Byrd and Jonathan Byrne played music for the ceremony.
54
academy
jennifer.m.byrd@gmail.com Ω Katherine Lee Canupp Coleman ’01: katherinelee.canupp@gmail.com Ω Carrie Gerloff Yuill ’01: cgyuill@gmail.com
eva.m.colen@gmail.com Ω Kathleen O’Bryant ’02: kathleen.obryant@gmail.com
By combining upbeat, energetic music with experienced instructors, they
2005
guide cyclists through a one-of-a-kind
Molly Alston still loves her work at
exercise experience they won’t find any-
Children’s National Medical Center
where else. Their state-of-the-art cycling
as a hematology/oncology/bone mar-
equipment and boutique studio setting
row transplant nurse in Washington,
make the entire workout unforgettable
DC. Josh Barr is working as a legal
from start to finish. Register on their
assistant at the Hogan Lovells law firm
website (tidal-wheel.com) and be the
in Washington DC. Katherine Dorey
first to know when classes are available.
moved to Richmond in the spring of
Michael Via has also moved back to
2012 and is currently working at The
Hampton Roads. He is working at
Martin Agency. Chris Grenga and
Norfolk Academy, teaching fifth grade
Walter Hoffman recently formed Bar-
and coaching football, basketball and
row Street Ventures, a venture capital
lacrosse.
partnership that seeks to identify and
Ω Polly Pereos ’03:
acquire orphaned and/or dead con-
pollypereos@gmail.com
sumer and industrial products brands’
2004
intellectual property rights at attractive
Drew Johnson graduated from UVa
revitalized companies by leveraging
Med School in May and heads to UT
the brands’ heritage and authenticity.
Southwestern in Dallas, TX, for its
BSV has already identified several po-
otolaryngology residency program.
tential targets that meet these criteria
This past spring, Kathy Markham
and hopes to complete an acquisition
visited Capitol Hill with a delegation
in the near term. Alexander Kassir and
of psoriasis researchers and advocates
Marissa Joy Duff married on Saturday,
to urge their members of Congress to
March 10, 2012. They met at Virginia
support funding for psoriasis research
Tech and currently reside in Virginia
at the Centers for Disease Control and
Beach. Mary Alice Needham married
Prevention (CDC). With a small invest-
Cam Hagan on May 26, 2012, at St.
ment, the CDC can begin work to in-
Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Nor-
crease understanding of psoriasis and
folk. Many NA alums attended with
psoriatic arthritis, gain insight into the
Margaret Wilcox, Stephanie Kane and
long-term impact of psoriasis and pso-
Archer Lyle serving as bridesmaids.
riatic arthritis, and more. Devin Miller
Mary Alice will begin work as a day
graduated from the Medical College of
treatment clinician in Norfolk Public
Virginia in May and heads to Yale-New
Schools this September. Bryan Worrall
Haven Hospital for its obstetrics and
and his wife, Erin, have welcomed
gynecology residency program. Steven
their first child into their family. Their
Sloss graduated from Harvey Mudd
beautiful daughter, Annie Jane Worall,
College in 2008 with a joint bachelor’s
was born on March 20, 2012.
of science degree in mathematics and
Ω Katie Flippen ’05:
computer science. He met his fiancée, Elizabeth Kucharczyk, in February
valuations, and incubate and launch
katieflippen@gmail.com
2010 during the winter blizzard. Thad-
2006
dee Valdelievre graduated from UVa
Daniel Goodman worked on the first-
Med School in May and remains at
ever movie about the sport of lacrosse,
UVa’s Medical Center for its residency
Crooked Arrows, which released nation-
program in anesthesiology. Scott Wal-
ally in the U.S. and Canada on June 1,
lace graduated from UVa Med School
2012. This is an independent film that
in May and heads to San Diego for a
has incredible lacrosse action, shows
surgery residency.
the Native American roots of the sport,
Ω Lindsay Brown ’04:
and is a great family movie with tons
lindsayb85@gmail.com Ω Christie Kellam Snodgrass ’04: cck3n@cms.mail.virginia.edu
above Mary Alice Needham ’05 married Cam Hagan on May
26, 2012, at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Norfolk. There were many NA alumni in attendance. Middle Katherine Mantz, Katelyn DeFord, Chat Ott and Chelsea Caplan (left to right), all from Norfolk Academy Class of 2008, graduated Saturday, May 19, 2012, from Elon University. Below Norfolk Academy students and alumni participated in First Presbyterian Church’s Nicaragua Mission Trip in August of 2012. From left to right, Kristen Green ’14, Catherine Stine ’13, Madison Acra ’14, Katie Green ’03 and Ruth Acra ’86.
of friendship, sportsmanship, good laughs and family values. Ω Emmy Ill ’06: emmy.ill.8@gmail.com Ω Lexie Pitts ’06: alexa.pitts@gmail.com
reunion year
Ω Class Correspondents
Norfolk Academy magazine
|
WINTER 2012
55
weddings Anne Fernando ’91 to James Northway Ashley Dorroh ’93 to John Galler ’93 Christie Kellam ’04 recently married Palmer Snodgrass and the celebration was enjoyed by many members of the Norfolk Academy family.
Stephanie Clarke ’94 to Ruben Duran Brooke Harrison ’00 to Niel Boothby
2007
her next professional move in either
2009
Kristin Worrall ’01 to
After graduating UVa with a degree
on the USS Curtis and deployed to
Alex Patterson spent the summer in-
Katherine Sessoms ’01 to
in mechanical engineering, Edward
South America. He will return to San
terning for Congressman Scott Rigell
Barham works at Newport News Ship-
Diego in December. Sven Wijtmans is
(VA-2) on Capitol Hill.
building as a topside test engineer. He
a graduate student hoping to earn a
Ω Annesley Berndt ’09:
writes procedures and test equipment
PhD in physics at Syracuse University.
on the CVN 71 Theodore Roosevelt, a
Kensey Wheeler just got engaged. She
Nimitz class aircraft carrier. He lives
is working as the assistant director of
in Portsmouth and recently purchased
alumni engagement for the Alumni
2010
in memoriam
his first house. Derwin Gray is going to
Association at William and Mary.
Ω Jessica Smith ’10:
Frank A. Jacobs ’53
EVMS this year. Lee Grimes currently
Jemma Wolfe moved to NYC to start at
works as a college booking agent for
Goldman Sachs after graduating from Stanford University. Libby Woodard
2011
Joseph S. Hume ’68
Babco Entertainment. They book concerts and comedians at colleges
works for Easton Events, a thrilling
Caroline Baker made the second all-
William A. Thomas ’72
all over the United States and help
event management and design firm
state team in Virginia for D3 women’s
Katherine Miller Whitely ’73
those colleges produce their events.
based in Charlottesville.
lacrosse at Sweet Briar College. She
Ralph Godwin Lampert, Jr. ’78
She currently lives in Virginia Beach.
Ω Liza Brown ’07: etb5e@virginia.edu
had over 200 saves in the regular
Jason Kennedy received his honor-
film or editing. Brian Striffler is serving
agb2pc@virginia.edu Ω Ryan LaRock ’09: rry0012@aol.com
jlsmith02@email.wm.edu
2008
season and finished in the top four
able discharge from the U.S. Army, having spent four years with the 101st
Steven Barron Frazier received the
lacrosse league. Anna Turietta ’12,
Airborne Division, Air Assault. A
Anna Carrington Harrison Award.
Virginia Berndt ’12, Kylie Philbin ’11 and
year of that time was spent in sunny
Presented by Dr. Robert T. Herdegen
Rebecca Karp ’11 all came from UVa to
Afghanistan earning a NATO medal,
III, dean of the faculty at Hampden-
support the Girls’ Varsity Tennis team
Army Commendation Medal, and
Sydney College, the Anna Carrington
during their match with St. Anne’s
Combat Action Badge. He recently
Harrison Award is given annually
Belfield. Norfolk Academy won the
moved to McLean, VA, and works as a
as a memorial to the mother of Mr.
match 9–0. After the match the team
defense contractor. Matt Miller will be
Fred N. Harrison of Richmond. It is
gathered with the UVa students for
a starting at University of Richmond
awarded to the student who shows the
lunch.
Law School. Greg Monaco joins Vinny
most constructive leadership in each
Ω Kylie Philbin ’11: kep2we@virginia.edu
DeLalla in the Lower School at Norfolk
school year. Barron also has earned the
Academy. They both coached in the
ODK National Leader of the Year in
Class notes reflect notes received
fall. Sarah Munford accepted a new
Campus Life Scholarship presented by
through September 1, 2012. Log on to
job with Criterion Institute and will
Omicron Delta Kappa.
your class page to see the latest notes.
remain living in Boston. Madelin
Ω William Kitchin ’08:
Smith lives in New York. She is working on a novel, interning at Stanley Tucci and Steve Buscemi’s production company, and currently seeking out
56
academy
kitchinw@hsc.edu Ω Angela Nelson ’08: arn8@georgetown.edu Ω Clark Reed ’08: reedc@hsc.edu
in saves in the NCAA D3 women’s
Jeffrey Kent Frederick Napolitano Marissa Duff to Alexander Kassir ’05 Mary Alice Needham ’05 to Cam Hagan
William P. Sellers ’63 William S. Coppedge ’69
What is a Charitable Gift Annuity? A Charitable Gift Annuity is a legal contract in which Norfolk Academy, in return for a gift of cash or stock, commits to pay you, the donor, a specified sum every year for as long as you live. The annuity rate varies with age: the older you are, the higher the rate. If funded with appreciated securities, capital gains are spread out over your expected lifetime. Additionally, you receive a charitable deduction the year you make the gift. It is a great way to make a gift to Norfolk Academy and receive income for the rest of your life. Here’s an example:
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single life gift Annuity Rates * Age
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M.B. Walker III ’59 Director of Planned Giving Norfolk Academy 1585 Wesleyan Drive, Norfolk, VA 23502 Tel: (757) 461-6236 • Fax: (757) 455-3181 bwalker@norfolkacademy.org
Planned Gifts. Gifts that give back. www.norfolkacademy.org/giving
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1585 Wesleyan Drive Norfolk, VA 23502
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