Summer 2010
DWIGHT TODAY An Alumni Magazine for the Dwight, Franklin, and Anglo-American Community Dwight is an IB World School
Learning to swim upstream.
How Dwight’s 10th grade Personal Project pushes students and their passions to a new level
Also in This Issue: 2009-2010 Sports Wrap-Up: A Year in Photographs Kids of All Ages Catch the Dwight Spirit at 2010 Spirit Day! The Spring Benefit and Auction Travels to the Himalayas at The Rubin Museum of Art 2010 Graduates Celebrate Commencement at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Volume 7 Number 2
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From the Editor DWIGHT TODAY
Dwight Today is a publication serving the entire Dwight community, which includes current students and their families, as well as alumni and friends of the Dwight, Franklin, and Anglo-American Schools. Its purpose is to inform you of exciting news from our school today as well as from members of our community. Our goal is to keep you connected to the spirit of Dwight. We welcome your feedback and suggestions. Please address all correspondence to the Editor, Dwight Today, The Dwight School, 291 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024, or you can email us at rbennett@dwight.edu.
Chancellor Stephen H. Spahn Editor-in-Chief Rachael Bennett Director of Communications Editorial Staff Kari Loya Director of Development Kristin Pate Director of Alumni Affairs Graphic Design Audrey Miller Director of Creative Design Proofreaders Mary Abdullah Christine Lippman Caroline Walsh Photographers Rachael Bennett Victoria Jackson Dina Kantor Kristin Pate Stan Schnier Jaclyn Silvestri Contributing Writers Rachael Bennett Dianne Drew Daren Khairule Kristin Pate
Dear Readers, It’s hard to believe we have already wrapped up another year! The end of the school year is a time of many important events at Dwight, two of which we highlight in every Summer issue of Dwight Today: The Spring Benefit and Commencement. This year, our summer issue also features the Tenth Grade Personal Project, the culminating endeavor for all students in the International Baccalaureate’s Middle Years Program. In addition to attending the annual MYP Personal Project Exhibition at the end of April and personally seeing the fruits of each student’s labors, I especially enjoyed interviewing three exceptional tenth graders and their supervisors to learn more about the Personal Project process. After completing what is arguably the most challenging project of their academic careers, I know every tenth grader will be ready for a well deserved summer vacation. Best wishes for a fun and relaxing summer! Sincerely,
Rachael Bennett Editor-in-Chief
Printing Queen City Printers Inc., Burlington, VT, environmentally certified to the Forest Stewardship Council Standard.
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Family Tree For his Tenth Grade Personal Project, George Domaille ‘12 created a visual representation of his family tree out of aqua resin and ďŹ berglass sheeting. His was just one of sixty innovative projects this year. See more photos from the Personal Project Exhibition Night and read more about the Personal Project component of the International Baccalaureate on page 42. Photo by Victoria Jackson.
Dwight Travels to Africa Director of Communications Rachael Bennett was one of two chaperones who accompanied nine Dwight students on a trip to Kenya as part of the Dwight/WISER Partner School Program. She snapped this photo during a short safari before they began their community service work in the village. “It was absolutely majestic,” she said, “to see such a magnificent animal free and in the wild.” Read more about the WISER trip on page 38. Photo by Rachael Bennett.
Summer 2010
DWIGHT TODAY An alumni magazine for the Dwight, Franklin and Anglo-American Community
features 12 2009-2010 Sports Wrap-Up A year in photos
20 2010 Spirit Day Photos from the annual family celebration
26 Spring Benefit and Auction An evening at the Rubin Museum of Art
30 2010 Commencement Photos and awards from this year’s ceremony held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Tenth Grade
42 Feature – The Personal Project An in-depth look at the Tenth Grade Personal Project, the culminating component of the International Baccalaureate’s Middle Years Program
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Student Spotlights: 46 Louis van der Linden ’12 52 Shannon Eagles ’12 54 Jim Noh ’12
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departments 52
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07 10 34 64 85
Chancellor’s Letter Community News ICL News Alumni News From the Archives
From the Chancellor
Dear Dwight Community, The Dwight School is defined by two central concepts, internationalism and American style individualism. Together they form a unique bridge between respect for tradition and building a better tomorrow. The Pre-K–12 International Baccalaureate Continuum exemplifies internationalism with its key transitional moment exemplified by the fifth grade exhibitions, tenth grade Personal Projects, and twelfth grade Extended Essays. All reflect a culture of opportunity and a passion for knowledge. All are the story of “me,” the story of “we,” and the story of “now.” One example that models this meaningful process is Shannon Eagles’ tenth grade Personal Project. Shannon’s project started with her passion for clothing design and the joy of sharing cartoon-like templates with friends and family. Later, she discovered everyone enjoyed creating their own design. She remarked, “It gave them a few minutes to imagine, to have fun, to dream.” Chancellor Spahn speaks to Jim Noh ‘12 about his Personal Project at the MYP Exhibition Night in May.
After discussions with her advisor, she decided to provide children living in poverty “an opportunity to have fun, to use their imagination and to express their dreams.” Shannon set about designing a “drawing kit” complete with instructions, sixty templates, and supplies. The kits were distributed to seven children’s service agencies in developing nations. Children were asked to complete the template designs and return them to her. The final goal was to “collate the designs in a booklet, describing how these children live and what the organizations are doing to help them.” Throughout her project, Shannon modeled the IB principles of caring, daring to dream, internationalism, and taking action to provide children caught in the vice of global poverty a brief moment of joy. You can read more about Shannon’s project, as well as other exemplary tenth grade Personal Projects, on page 42. These stories are the stories of “me,” the stories of “we,” and the stories of “now.” When you combine internationalism and individualism, which we at Dwight call “Spark of Genius,” new possibilities occur. I close with a quote from Albert Einstein selected by Shannon to open her project. “I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” Warm regards,
Stephen H. Spahn, Chancellor
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Dwight Today | Inside Dwight Today
my.dwight.edu
Race Imboden Places Third At World Championships
Seventh Grade Travels to Washington, D.C.
Third Grade Visits Science Barge
my.dwight.edu
? e r o M t n a W
Check out MyDwight for the latest news and events happening in and around The Dwight School and Woodside Preschool. New stories, photos, and videos are added weekly. my.dwight.edu
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Dwight Today
2009-2010 Awards Summary | Dwight Today
Camerer Essay Winners Dr. Emil Camerer, Headmaster of The Dwight School for forty-two years (1885-1927), believed that every graduate of Dwight should be able to write well. Each year, essays are written by every student in grades 6-12 and are judged by the entire English Department. Essays in their entirety can be read on The Dwight School website (www.dwight.edu) under Publications. 6th Grade: Emily Eidler, ‘H2O-O-Oh No!’: How I Overcame My Fear of the Water 7th Grade: Cena Loffredo, A Dent in the Universe 8th Grade: Helena Bartel, Finding My Vocation 9th Grade: Imogen Jenkins, Insert Country Here 10th Grade: Connor Nicholas, Creatures of the Deep 11th Grade: Michael Petrycki, What I Learned
Shakespeare Monologue Winners Sponsored by the English-Speaking Union, an international charity founded to promote “international understanding and friendship through the use of the English language,” the National Shakespeare Competition challenges students to memorize and deliver a key speech from one of Shakespeare’s plays. Each student in grades 9-12 participate in the school-wide competition, and three finalists perform their speeches at a school-wise assembly. 9th Grade: James Rubin 10th Grade: Juliana Barrett 11th Grade: Daniel Maren* 12th Grade: Teo-Rapp-Olsson * School-wide winner and Second Place in the city-wide competition
Extended Essay Topics The Extended Essay is a wonderful opportunity for a student to expand a depth of knowledge in a given area and to demonstrate a high level of analytical and research skills. All students enrolled in the Diploma Program must complete the Essay, which is due in September of the senior year and may be based on a large number of possible IB subjects. Following is a list of the students who were deemed by the English Department to have written the strongest essays this year: Phoebe Happ, Is Traditional Female Genital Mutilation a Violation of Human Rights? William Ezor, How Has the Green Design Movement Impacted Architecture in New York City? Luke Goldstein, To What Extent Can Micro-finance Programs Be Expected to Advance Human Rights in the Developing World?
LaGuardia Essay Award Winners The LaGuardia Award for the best original history research paper is named after Dwight alumnus and former Mayor of New York, Fiorello LaGuardia, and is awarded to one student in each of grades 6-11. 6th Grade: Emily Eidler for The Flapper Rebellion 7th Grade: Samantha McEvoy for The Great James Madison 8th Grade: Sergei Klebnikov for Did Changes in Military Command Contribute to the Confederate Defeat? 9th Grade: Gabriel Frankel for U.S. Intervention in the Soviet-Afghan War 10th Grade: Sukrit Puri for World War I and the United States of America 11th Grade: Andrea Bell forWhy Was the Success of Ceausescu’s Decree 770 Limited?
Doris Post Speech Winners The Doris Post Oratory Competition is presented to the student in each of grades 6-10 whose speech was judged by our panel of faculty members and administrators to be the best in content and presentation. This yearly competition is named in honor of Doris Post, a great orator and teacher who was part of the Dwight family for nearly fifty years. 6th Grade: Marguerite Kuhn for Living with Dyslexia 7th Grade: David Haines for Living Life 8th Grade: Andrew Pauker for Pledge of Allegiance 9th Grade: Matt Arbess for I’m Not Lovin’ It 10th Grade: Kristin Tsutsui for Is Asian My Label?
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Community News | Milestones
Madelyn Alexis Yu, daughter of Woodside Program Director Jennifer Yu, was born on February 26, 2010 and weighed 7 lbs., 14oz.
Madelyn Alexis Yu
Chloe Genevieve Holland, daughter of Woodside 2s Yellow Chicks Teacher Amy Holland, was born on April 4, 2010 and weighed 8 lbs., 1oz.
Chloe Genevieve Holland
Chloe Ida Brierley, daughter of First Grade Teacher Jessica Telischak Brierley, was born on April 23, 2010 and weighed 6 lbs., 5 oz.
Chloe Ida Brierley
Alexandra “Sasha” Jean Stuart, daughter of Ninth Grade Dean and English Teacher Sarah Commito Stuart, was born on April 26, 2010 and weighed 6 lbs., 13 oz.
Alexandra Jean Stuart
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Dwight Today
Parents Association | Community News
Greetings, As we come to the close of another school year, I want to take this opportunity to thank all of the wonderful Dwight parents that make our school community so special and strong and look back on another year of successful community-building. In September, the PA Executive Board and Class Representatives reached out to all new families entering the school. The PA also hosted breakfast on the opening day of school at the Riverside Campus and personally welcomed our youngest Kindergarten students and their families. I personally love talking to new parents and welcoming them to Dwight. It is a privilege to get to know new members of the community and wonderful to watch students come into the school and grow. Our fall Uniform Sale, held at Timothy House Orientation, was a huge success and allowed our Timothy and Bentley House parents to both fill their children’s closets and catch up with one another after the summer. October and November were busy months for the PA with the Second Annual Dean’s Council Round Table Theme Evening, the Bentley House Halloween Spectacular, the Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive, led by the students of Bentley House, and the Book Fair at Barnes & Noble with featured special guest author and Dwight parent, Nancy Krulik, the author of the Katie Kazoo series. The PA wrapped up 2009 by recognizing the Dwight faculty and presenting a holiday bonus to each member of our dedicated faculty and staff. We kicked off 2010 by welcoming Jean Schreiber, an Early Childhood Educational Consultant, who hosted Bullies are Created, Not Born: How to Develop a Safe and Caring Community for All Children. This evening, geared towards our Timothy House community, was very informative and well-received by parents.
The Dwight School
In February, our parents volunteered at Dwight’s Annual Spirit Day, a fun-filled day of carnival games, cotton candy, and a special performance by the Faculty Band. We also hosted the annual Faculty & Staff Valentine’s Day Breakfast, a long-time PA tradition that honors our
hard-working teachers and staff members, who do so much for our children. The food and decorations were donated by our generous current and alumni families. In March, the PA held its Second Annual “Dwight on Ice” Skating Party at Lasker Rink. On a wonderfully warm evening, the Dwight community gathered under the stars to enjoy a relaxing night of skating and socializing. More than 120 families attended, and a special appearance by the Dwight Tiger delighted all of the students. April featured the PA’s Spring Uniform Sale and our final Theme Evening, a round table discussion on the importance of organization, time management, and study skills for students of all ages facing the excessive demands of a fast-paced New York City existence. The evening featured a guest panel of experts and a Q&A moderated by dean Evan Flamenbaum. It was a very special evening that was our best-attended Theme Evening event of the year. I want to take this opportunity to introduce next year’s PA President, Barbara Wallner (Linden ’12). Barbara has been an integral part of the Dwight PA, overseeing the Joint Schools activities and stepping up to the Executive Board as Vice President this year. I know that with Barbara at the helm, the PA will be in the most capable of hands next year. Finally, as this issue of Dwight Today goes to press, I want to take a moment to thank the Dwight parent body and faculty for giving me the opportunity to lead the PA and work so closely with and for our entire school community for the past two years. Being part of the Parents Association has allowed me to clearly see the depth and breadth of what The Dwight School does for our children. I feel truly fortunate to be part of this very special place, and I thank you for allowing me to serve and work with all of you. On behalf of the entire PA Board, I wish you and your families a very safe and relaxing summer. Fiona Imboden (Race ’11) Dwight PA President
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2009-2010 Sports Wrap Up | Photographic Highlights
2009-2010
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Dwight Today
Photographic Highlights | 2009-2010 Sports Wrap Up
2009-2010 Championship Titles GIRLS VARSITY CROSS COUNTRY ACIS League Championship
GIRLS VARSITY VOLLEYBALL Big Apple League, 3rd Place
BOYS VARSITY BASKETBALL ACIS League Championship ACIS Playoff Championship NYSAIS Tournament Qualifier
BOYS JV BASKETBALL ACIS Playoff Championship
GIRLS VARSITY BASKETBALL ACIS League, 3rd Place
GIRLS MIDDLE SCHOOL BASKETBALL Big Apple League Championship
FENCING HIGHLIGHTS North American Cup Missouri, November ’09: Cadet Men’s Foil: Race Imboden ’11 – GOLD Cadet Men’s Epee: Ayyub Ibrahim ’12 – GOLD Youth 14 Men’s Foil: James Turner ’13 – SILVER Junior Women’s Foil: Sara Taffel ’13 – 5th Cadet Women’s Foil: Sara Taffel ’13 – 8th
North American Cup Pennsylvania, December ’09 Division I Men’s Foil: Race Imboden ’11 – 8th Division I Women’s Foil: Sara Taffel ’13 – 7th
Junior Olympic Championships Tennessee, February ’10 Cadet Women’s Epee: Juliana Barrett ’13 – 7th Cadet Women’s Foil: Sara Taffel ’13 – BRONZE Cadet Men’s Foil: Race Imboden ’11 – SILVER Cadet Men’s Foil: Jonathan Lee ’11 – 5th Junior Men’s Foil: Race Imboden – GOLD Junior Men’s Foil Team: Race Imboden – GOLD Junior Men’s Epee Team: Magnus Ferguson ’10 – GOLD
Cadet World Championships Azerbaijan, April ’10 Cadet Men’s Foil: Race Imboden ’11 - BRONZE
North American Cup Virginia, April ’10 Division I Men’s Foil: Race Imboden ’11 – 6th
United States Cadet World Championships Team Members: Ayyub Ibrahim ’12 Race Imboden ’11
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2009-2010 Sports Wrap Up | Photographic Highlights
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Dwight Today
Photographic Highlights | 2009-2010 Sports Wrap Up
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Carnegie Hall | Montage
Carnegie Hall Spread
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Dwight Today
Montage | Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall Spread
2010 Montage his year’s Montage, our annual performing arts presentation at Carnegie Hall, marked a new level of achievement. Forty Dwight students from grades four through twelve performed instrumentals, sang, and danced on one of New York’s most coveted performance stages. The performers entertained the crowd with poetry, rap, hip hop, classical, and even rock music! The Performing Arts Department is extremely proud of the growth of our program and, most of all, the tremendous growth of our students.
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Victor Schwartz, Franklin ’58 Dwight School Alumni Council Member Annual Fund Donor Since 2008
ifty-two years after graduation, I can still name every faculty member I had at the Franklin School, which today has become The Dwight School. Two, in particular, were exceptional and have stood out even among college faculty, law school faculty, and the other great men and women I’ve been blessed to meet. The first was our math teacher, Nathaniel “Doc” Stevens. He reached a broad base of students and helped any and all students learn. It’s easy to teach the brightest students in a class, but few can take a complicated subject and teach it to everyone. Doc Stevens did just that. In fact, in a speech I gave just six months ago, I used an algebraic expression to help make a point and add a little warmth – and I thought about Doc Stevens. The other faculty member was Russell Elliott. While Doc Stevens was a straight-laced gentleman, Russell Elliott was more of a character. He taught us “Problems of American Democracy,” where we learned the importance of understanding both sides of an issue before making up our mind. Right now I am involved with the massive health care reform underway in Washington, working closely with Congress and others, and I am constantly using what I learned from Russell Elliott.
Victor Schwartz, Franklin ’58, is a partner and chairs the Public Policy Group at the Washington office of the Kansas City-based law firm of Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P.
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Dwight Today
I was out of touch with Franklin most of the last decades. I first reconnected with the School through the Dwight Today magazine, but when I actually returned, met some of the teachers, saw what the Chancellor was doing, and learned about what the School is today, I was astonished by the improvements. The care in which education was provided, the scope, its international aspects – no longer a pedestrian, small school located on the West
When I actually returned it made me proud of my alma mater – that this little tree had bloomed into an incredible forest of education, prestige, and thoughtfulness.
Side, but a school with a global reach – and the enthusiasm of the recent grads blew me away. It made me proud of my alma mater – that this little tree had bloomed into an incredible forest of education, prestige, and thoughtfulness. When I was asked to serve on the Alumni Council, I realized others were giving their time to help make the School better. I’m at a little different stage in my life and am already on a number of boards, but seeing a small group doing a lot to ensure that kids are getting a great education was inspiring, so I accepted. Every reunion event I have attended for law school and college has usually been very expensive, and the emphasis has been on soliciting people and getting money. At our Dwight and Franklin Reunion, it was remarkably different and instead was like entering someone’s home. The dinner that they had for us was extremely well done, as good as Columbia Law School, where it’s not inexpensive to go to a reunion, and yet there was no solicitation. Quite frankly, I was surprised. I think, in a positive way, some messaging about giving should be included. Since everyone in that room benefitted from having attended such a terrific institution, they may want to help the School get even better. That is why I contribute to Dwight’s Annual Fund. If the Franklin stock when I attended was worth $100, the Dwight stock today would be worth $10,000. People view schools in contemporary terms and want to be proud of where they went. Franklin was a great investment, and I’d do it all over again. I hope many more graduates will give back to make Dwight even stronger in the future.
The Annual Fund is the backbone of The Dwight School Foundation’s fundraising programs. Its purpose is to help The Dwight School and its Woodside Preschool maintain the highest standards of excellence in education. Your donation provides support for student financial aid, faculty professional development, and other enrichment items and programs. We depend on your support to help us reach our 2010-11 annual giving goal of $1,300,000. For further information about our Annual Fund, please call 212.724.6360 x233 or email kloya@dwight.edu. To make a gift online, please visit www.dwight.edu/givingtodwight/onlinegiving.asp.
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Dwight Today | Spirit Week
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Dwight Today
Spirit Week | Dwight Today
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Dwight Today | Kindergarten Grandparents Day
Grandparents Spend a Day in Kindergarten In April, nearly fifty grandparents and special friends gathered at Dwight’s Riverside Campus for the Second Annual Kindergarten Grandparents/Special Friends Day. The day began in the classrooms as students greeted their guests and showed them their writing journals. Next, Kindergarten Dean Alicia Janiak and Chancellor Stephen Spahn welcomed everyone into the Large Gym. The Kindergarteners stole the show as they performed “The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest” featuring acting, singing and dancing. Afterwards, guests joined their grandchild/special friend in the classrooms for reading, writing, drawing, counting, and many more activities! It was a wonderful inside look at classroom life and the Kindergarten curriculum. The special day ended with lunch for everyone in the courtyard.
Student Quotes: Adam L.: I liked doing our PYP Performance for my grandparents. Jami G.: I liked having lunch with my grandma and grandpa. Maya S.: My favorite part was doing the play. I was happy because my grandpa got to see me. Vivi D.: My favorite part was when me and my aunt drew together because I did some and she did some. Carolina V. and Bex B: Performing the rainforest PYP play Braeden and Leonard W: Going outside to eat lunch and play Sasha K: Seeing my grandma again Sophia V: Reading my special books to Valerie Maria W: Sharing our writing notebooks Alex S: Giving my grandparents a special classroom tour Aiko J: Eating lunch with my grandparents Nevena C: Sharing our classroom materials and how we use them Mac B: Having our special guests and grandparents visit our kindergarten classroom
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Dwight Today
Kindergarten Grandparents Day | Dwight Today
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Woodside | Grandparents Day
Woodside Grandparents and Special Friends Go Back to Preschool In April, over two hundred Grandparents and Special Friends of Woodside students attended the Second Annual Grandparents/Special Friends Day. Guests started the day in the Large Gym, admiring beautiful and intricate student artwork that adorned the Large Gym’s walls and ceiling. The 2s displayed their paintings, the 3s students showcased their mobiles and drawings, and the 4s students created representational art pieces and also shared a mosaic tile nightstand they had created together, which was later auctioned off at the Spring Benefit. Next, PA Class Reps led guests into the classrooms to join their grandchild/special friend in painting, drawing, reading, block building, and other activities. The event was a wonderful opportunity for grandparents and special friends to learn the daily routines of each class and see their child in “school mode.” Thank you to all the grandparents and special friends who attended the event. We look forward to seeing you again next year!
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Dwight Today
Grandparents Day | Woodside
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Spring Benefit and Auction | Summary
2010 Spring Benefit and Auction n April 27, Dwight and Woodside held their 2010 Spring Benefit at The Rubin Museum of Art. As guests entered the spectacular venue, they were greeted with a signature drink, the “Tiger-tini,” courtesy of TYKU, and had the opportunity to bid on various Silent Auction items including jewelry, art, class projects, and vacation homes. The Live Auction featured special guest and NASCAR driver, Brian Vickers, who helped to auction off a day with him at the Sprint Cup Series. It was a fun, entertaining evening for all that attended! The Spring Benefit Co-Chairs, Hege Eriksen (Elise ’21), Jane McEvoy Petrycki (Mac ’11), and Heather Barrett-Babich (Chloe, Woodside 3s), worked tirelessly alongside a wonderful group of parent volunteers, whose efforts helped to raise just over $325,000 for student financial aid and faculty professional development. On behalf of the entire Spring Benefit Committee, we appreciate all the parents, alumni and friends that gave their time and/or donated auction items. We also thank Guy Bennett (Finn, Woodside 4s) for once again entertaining us with his superb auctioneering skills and wit. Finally, we thank the following parent and student volunteers at the event: Perry Adago ’11, Sasha Auerbach ’13, Gabe Frankel ’13, Charlotte Grotell ’12, Danielle Kaye ’12, Lena Kleinfeld ’11, Travis Janeway ’11, Jon Lee ’11, Charlotte Masters ’13, Miranda Nelson ’11, Sean Nelson ’12, Alexa Runsdorf ’12, Stefan Schneiderman ’13, and Kezia Snyder (Kiara Barrow ’11).
The Dwight School Foundation’s 2010 Spring Benefit and Auction Committee Honorary Chairpersons
Anta Cisse-Green (Jamel ’22)
Angela Sullivan (Hailey, Woodside 2s)
Chancellor and Mrs. Stephen H. Spahn (Blake ’89 and Kirk ’95) Amy Churgin (Jacqueline ’07 and Elizabeth ’11)
Cristina Diamond (Harlan, Woodside 2s)
Jacqueline Tanz (Jonathan ’20)
Isabel Fascetto (Lorenzo Castoriano ’18)
Michelle Westcott-Richards (Christian, Woodside 2s)
Patricia Floro (Annissa Gybel, Woodside 4s)
Dwight School Co-Chairpersons Hege Eriksen (Elise ’21) Jane McEvoy Petrycki (Mac ’11)
Pia Gallo (Annalisa Van Wagner ’13) Coleen Janeway (Travis ’11)
Communications
Woodside Chair
Susan Kempler (Jeffrey ’11)
Rachael Bennett, Director of Communications (Finn, Woodside 4s) Audrey Miller, Director of Creative Design (Rachael ’12)
Heather Barrett-Babich (Chloe, Woodside 3s)
Birgit Kleinfeld (Lena ’11)
Benefit Coordinators
Elise Leopold (Alexa ’13)
Michelle Anthony Diana Dreyfus
Yvonne Mitchell (Julia, Woodside 4s)
Committee
Jennifer Nelson (Sean ’12)
Sumru Aricanli (Miya Seren, Woodside 4s) Debbie Bahl (Derek, Woodside 3s)
Sally & Roger Nelson (Miranda ’11 and Atlanta ’11)
Mary Bradley (Cormac ’22)
Kim Scialabba (Max ’21)
Deborah Morer (Joseph ’10)
Michelle Chung Kang (Emerson, Woodside 3s) Gabi Shields (Renee, Woodside 4s)
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Sandra Wright (Maisie, Woodside 3s)
Katie Gallagher (Maya ’22 and Owen, Woodside 2s)
Dwight Today
Development Director Kari Loya
Parents Association President Fiona Imboden (Race ’11)
Photos | Spring Benefit and Auction
Chancellor Stephen Spahn enjoying the Live Auction
Jane McEvoy Petrycki (Benefit Co-Chair), Kim Scialabba (Benefit Committee Member), and Hege Eriksen (Benefit Co-Chair)
Audrey and Richard Zinman (Annual Fund Co-Chair and Foundation Trustee)
Charlie Welsh
Silent Auction Items
Luz Giraldo and Laura Giraldo
Blake Spahn ’89 and Heather (Benefit Co-Chair) and Rick Babich
Emily Hanson, Jennifer Lehner, and Radhika Mehra
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Spring Benefit and Auction | Photos
Peter Siris, Chancellor Spahn, Joseph Salim and Mina Elahi
Guy Bennett, the evening’s auctioneer
Ahmad and Zeina Zuaiter
Silent Auction Items
Guests making bids on Silent Auction items
Sean Davidson and Robert and Barbara Wallner
Guests enjoying the Live Auction
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Dwight Today
Photos | Spring Benefit and Auction
Benefit Committee members, Coleen Janeway, Sally Nelson and Susan Kempler having fun at the “Wonder Wheel”
NASCAR driver, Brian Vickers, with Kirk Spahn ’95
Former NFL linebacker, Brandon Short, and guest
Dorian and Gary Fuhrman ’79 (School Governor)
Amy Grandis with Benefit Committee members, Katie Gallagher and Sandi Wright
Filiz Ozak-Sevil and Heidi Happ with Andreas and Sandra Klocke
John and Miriam Halpern with Michelle Brock
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Commencement 2010 | Ceremony
The International Baccalaureate and The Dwight School have been a framework for you to learn about the world, yourself and others. But—although the rigors of the IB are respected all over the world—an IB education is far more than a credential for getting into University or for providing economic advantage in a competitive global marketplace. It is an education that dares to dream that, while globalization has turned our traditional Western thinking upside down, we can imagine a better tomorrow. —Chancellor Stephen H. Spahn
Congratulations to the Class of 2010 2010 Graduating Class
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Dwight Today
Awards | Commencement 2010 Valedictorian Kyle Roth Salutatorian Caitlin Baird The Wadham College Award Magnus Ferguson The Lamson Citizenship, Leadership & Scholarship Award William Ezor The Henry L. Crehan Music Award Jennifer Lee The Theodore R. Jones Mathematics Award Annemarie Thijs
The Walter Lippman IB Theory of Knowledge Award Phoebe Happ
The ECIS Award for International Understanding Marc Klocke
The Stephen Potter McNally Leadership in Athletics Award Perun Kovacevic
The Cliff Boro Science Award Jennifer Lee
North East Conference of Teachers of Foreign Language Awards IB French B HL: Anthony Whittam IB Spanish B HL: Kyle Roth The Roy Lichtenstein Art Award Valeriya Tatisheva
The Radomir Kovacevic Award Teo Rapp-Olsson The Fiorello H. Laguardia Excellence in Social Studies Award Marc Klocke The Truman Capote IB Higher Level English Award Nicole Rainteau
The Charles W. Myron CAS Award Hannah Levi
The Hal Prince Theater Award Teo Rapp-Olsson The Seamus O’Hanlon Leadership Award Caitlin Baird The Dr. M. C. Spahn Award Aleksandra Kovacevic
Class of 2010 2010 Graduating Class
Dieter August Addison Dai Ibrahim Al-Naimi Earsdale Ash Caitlin Jane Baird +* Reya Benitez + Samuel Cutler Bernstein +* Brian Blank Alexander Evan Bohm + Camille Inbar Bohm Rodrigo Braga +* Kyra Maeve Breslin + Samuel Britton Burr Orr Chalamish + AimÉe Louise Katherina Daniels +* Camille Alexandra Denning + Andrew Stuart Dobbie + Stephen Harry Dunkley William Scott Ezor +* Magnus Kutzner Ferguson +* Samuel Robert Fife Philip Nicholas Formenti-Ujlaki + Sebastian Nicolas Fuentes Gabrielle Carol Gaines + Danielle Lynne Geller +
Austin Lucas Goldstein + Olivia Katherine Luba Halliday + Phoebe Sadie Happ +* Rachel Sarah Jean-Michel Declan Joseph Jenkins Maxwell Schneider Joseph +* Vittoria Sutton Kamen Joshua Kaplan Jacob Rene Kaufman Stephen Haldan Kessler + Samuel Caleb Kilroy-Kugelberg + JiWook Kim + Marc Andreas Klocke + Aleksandra Kovacevic Perun Kovacevic Benjamin Aaron Lavin +* Eumi Jane Lee + Jennifer Lee +* Jackson Leeds + Hannah Rose Levi +* Emma Mariel Mandelbaum Arman Ranjan Marwah + Maxwell Blake McDermott + Adam Louis Mitchell
Maite Cecilia Montes-Nieto + Joseph Adam Morer Erica Rachel Moser Lukas G. Pascal Nicole Denise Rainteau +* Teo Rapp-Olsson +* Tyler Brennan Reiss + Kyle Wesley Roth +* Nicolas James Rovner + Sacha Yasmin Rupall + Hope Abrams Salvan Brandon Joseph Schultz + Luke Soloway Isaac Eli Steinberg Zachary Philip Sussman + Valeriya Tatisheva +* Annemarie Elisabeth Thijs + Alexandra Marie Varacchi Leonard Yosuke Vigden + Yo Michael Wakita Noah Weitzman + Anthony Peter Whittam +* Katharine Yellin + + IB Diploma Candidate * National Honor Society
Summer 2010
31
Commencement 2010 | Photos
Class of 2010 32
Dwight Today
Photos | Commencement 2010
Class of 2010 Summer 2010
33
ICL | Letter From the Executive Director
Dear Friends, My trip to Haiti in March gave me a glimpse into how Haitians are still suffering after the January 12th earthquake. The state of the country is much worse than depicted on television, over the Internet, and in magazines. When I arrived in the makeshift airport terminal, I was quickly reminded that this is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. While driving through Delmar, just outside Port au Prince, I asked my driver to stop the car so I could film. Every angle, corner, and view revealed concrete buildings turned into rubble and pebbles, and this wasn’t even the epicenter. The poverty of Haiti is not exaggerated in any way. The markets are dirty, and the retail stores are mostly out of business. The main form of commerce is people selling whatever they can on the street (e.g. vegetables, candy, or car parts). For five days, I saw fields of poor people without homes, without an education, and, sadly, without a future. Haiti’s earthquake leveled about 80% of its schools and badly damaged the remaining 20%. Despite this, I was able to meet with twelve school directors who, for the most part, are resolved on rebuilding their schools and rejuvenating children’s academic interests. After the earthquake, schools fell into three categories: completely destroyed, semi-destroyed, and partially destroyed. Because insurance doesn’t cover any damage from natural disasters, the school directors have to bear all costs. Eleven of the twelve schools had mortgages on the property. With Haiti’s current banking system, the schools have to continue paying the full mortgage payments despite not receiving tuition revenue for at least three months. Most banks do not offer an economic hardship option. Through its Haiti Save a School Campaign, the Institute for Civic Leadership (ICL) is dedicated to providing funding, teaching opportunities, and/or school supplies. In the short-term, through our network of supporters, the ICL hopes to provide some funding to most, if not all, of these schools. In the long-term, the ICL will organize teaching opportunities in Haiti along with providing desks, chairs, chalkboards, books, and other supplies to the schools we adopt through our Save a School Campaign. I look forward to sharing more information with you in the coming months, as we further analyze the schools’ needs. With over 2.5 million Haitian students in over 5,000 schools, the ICL can play a critical role in Haiti’s educational future. Let’s make sure we do everything in our power to provide Haiti’s children with a quality education and a promising future.
Yours sincerely,
Daren Khairule Executive Director The Institute for Civic Leadership
$FOUSBM 1BSL 8FTU t /FX :PSL /: t t GBY t XXX JDMOZ PSH
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Dwight Today
Haiti | ICL
Summer 2010
35
ICL | Event
ICL Youth Summit April 28, 2010 We are very grateful to India’s Ambassador to the United Nations Manjeev Puri (Nooria’11 and Sukrit’12) for discussing the importance of human rights advocacy and sharing his personal experiences as an Ambassador. The second half of this year’s Summit was dedicated to the ICL Fellows, who all gave brilliant presentations about various human rights issues facing countries around the world. Students presented on poverty alleviation in India, public health in Peru, and Peace Studies in the Middle East. A special congratulations was given to Casey Zuckerman ’11 and Atlanta Nelson ’11 for best presentation and community service project. Since September, both of them have sacrificed their lunch period twice a week to tutor four elementary students at P.S. 84. Well done!
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Dwight Today
Event | ICL
Tory Burch Event May 6, 2010 The ICL celebrated its second charity store event at Tory Burch in the Meatpacking District on May 6th. The evening was filled with shopping, champagne, and generous donations to the ICL. Tory Burch led the way by kindly donating 20% of her sales from the evening to the ICL. We are very grateful to our friends who attended the event, which is a precursor to our Spring Benefit on June 15th at the Diane von Furstenberg Studio.
Summer 2010
37
ICL | WISER
Two Worlds Connecting by Rachael Bennett, Director of Communications
WISER is a non-profit NGO, which recently opened the first girls’ boarding school in Muhuru Bay on January 8, 2010. WISER was founded to give girls the opportunity to surpass obstacles, like poverty and gender disparity, though education. As a WISER Partner School, The Dwight School has committed to sponsoring one girl through four years of secondary school, with the hope that she will go on to university. This opportunity is truly significant in a community where, before WISER, less than 5% of girls went to secondary school at all.
This past March, my colleague, Libby Clark, and I chaperoned nine Dwight eighth through twelfth graders on a twoweek community service trip to Kenya. We spent the first three days on safari observing dozens of beautiful animals throughout the vast, peaceful land of the Masai Mara. At times, they seemed close enough to touch. One morning just after dawn, our guide, John, drove us in our jeep across the grassy plain while we held on tight as our heads stuck out of the roof. We looked at each other, in complete awe, and said, “Can you believe we are really here?!” More exciting than the safari, however, was the work that we came to do at WISER (the Women’s Institute for Secondary Education and Research). When we became a WISER Partner School a year ago, our goal was to be more than just a charitable project. We wanted to create an international exchange of ideas, support, and empowerment. We wanted to get to know the personal stories of all these special girls, know what inspires them, and become a part of their lives. We achieved that during our trip to Muhuru Bay in March. Our time at WISER included working on the school’s sustainable garden and designing a new geography mural of the world for one of their classrooms. We also visited several local clinics, shopped in the local market, and visited a primary school to learn a traditional African dance. However, the highlight of everyone’s day was “games time” every afternoon at four, where we would play soccer with the girls. It’s true that soccer is a universal language, and that fact was no better illustrated than on that dirt pitch – no nets, no language barrier, just uninhibited kids having fun. It’s hard to sum up a trip like ours in a few short paragraphs. As I was reading the post-trip reflections, it became clear to me that it was the people we met on our journey - specifically the WISER girls - that had the greatest impact on everyone in our group. I was so proud of the way our students jumped right in, with the very first icebreaker we did on the night we arrived, and never looked back. By the end of the week, these two groups of students, from two different worlds, had come together and connected in a remarkable way.
38
Dwight Today
WISER | ICL
Summer 2010
39
ICL | Geneva
Our People and Planet — Working Towards a More Secure Future This past March, a Dwight delegation traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, to attend the Global Issues Network conference for the third year in a row. This year’s theme of the conference was Our People and Planet – Working Towards a More Secure Future. Over 60 schools and organizations were represented by over 1,000 delegates. The conference was jointly hosted by the International School of Geneva and the Earth Focus Foundation, a Geneva-based organization that promotes activities for young people in the environmental and global fields. Other GIN conferences are to take place this year in Africa, Asia, and the Near East. GIN’s mission is “to help students realize they can make a difference by empowering them to work with their peers internationally to develop solutions for global issues.” During this year’s conference, delegates heard excellent presentations from a number of exciting speakers and participated in simulations and game workshops. Dwight was lucky to have the opportunity to make two well-received presentations. The first was entitled “Student Action Now!” and was presented by Andrea Bell, Kiara Barrow, and Anika Kim. The presentation included a video presentation of different green initiatives at Dwight including some by PYP students and the energy and growth behind Dwight’s Green Team. “I was astonished at the esteem and respect with which people held our presentation,” remarked Andrea Bell. “We made great friends with students from a number of different international schools. While it may be easier for us to find company among people of our own cities, international relationships are crucial to opening our horizons and understanding different cultures. As a two-time participant, I can truly say that this trip is a wonderful and rewarding experience.” The second presentation was entitled “Dance – An Opportunity for Orphaned Children around the World.” Daniel Maren, Jackson Leeds, Emma Settlemyre, and Andrea Ho presented on the idea of holding dances to raise money for orphanages. “I had never seen a response to a presentation like this before,” commented Jackson Leeds. “At the end of the presentation, we decided to let
40
Dwight Today
everyone dance, and the whole room erupted. Everyone was asking us for our contact information and asking how they could help. This made the trip worthwhile to me. It brought us together with students that feel the same way that we do about global issues.” The conference culminated with students developing an action plan for their school. As part of their action plan, Dwight students hope to become more involved in community service centers in our neighborhood. “This was an exceptional opportunity for Dwight students to travel outside of their comfort zone,” commented Mr. Klebnikov. Each one of them interacted closely with student leaders and activists from around the globe.”
Japan | ICL
A Study of Contrasts Over spring vacation, Timothy House Dean Elaine Natalicchi, Tenth Grade Dean Ellen Sayers, and four Dwight parents accompanied twelve Dwight students on a ten-day trip to Japan. Over the years, Mrs. Natalicchi and Ms. Sayers have chaperoned a number of spring trips to locations such as Italy, France, Spain, and Greece, but this was their first to Asia. Following is a summary of the trip written by Mrs. Natalicchi: Our exploration of Japan took on many forms: We visited sites unlike any we have seen in the Western world. We had a calligraphy class, learned how to make sushi, observed geishas in an old neighborhood in Kyoto, and rode on both a cable car in the mountains and a boat across a lake in the shadow of Mount Fuji. Japan is a country of such contrasts. The religions of Shintoism and Buddhism exist side by side. In fact, Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples stand beside each other more often than not. Many Japanese people consider themselves practitioners of both faiths, all assuming a reverent attitude at these religious sites. “Downtown” Kyoto could have been compared to any modern city in the United States in many ways, but going to the Eastern Gion district we were projected back in time to the period of the pleasure houses. The streets were lined with two-storey wooden houses with geishas in traditional garb passing in and out of small doors. “What fascinated me most about the culture,” commented Sasha Grunberg ’14, “was how it was made up of Western elements in stark contrast to those of the ancient East.” Matthew Abrahamsen ’13 added, “In Japan I found that while the country is very modern, the people are still in sync with their traditions.” This has proved an extraordinary experience for all of us. “There is rarely a place you go that you can really connect with, a place where you feel like more than a tourist,” said Amanda Farrell ’12. “For me, this place was Japan. From the rolling hills of Hakone to the busy streets of Tokyo, the magnificent and enchanting nature of Japan was evident everywhere.” Summer 2010
41
The Tenth Grade
Pushing Students’ Passions to a
As a teenager, did you ever dream of directing your own film? Did you have a secret passion to build a train, or maybe even a building? When you were in school, did you have the opportunity to spend months working on a single project of your choice without teacher-imposed mandates? This is not a dream but a reality for all tenth grade students who are asked to complete a Personal Project during their final year of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Program (MYP). The Personal Project is an independent, eight-month long endeavor that showcases the skills that our students have developed throughout the five years of their MYP studies. The project is a rich opportunity for students to create an extended piece of work that challenges their own creativity and thinking about personal issues.
It is also arguably the most challenging project that tenth graders have undertaken in their academic careers thus far. Graded against a rigorous set of IB criteria, The Personal Project is not only an integral part of the MYP but also a continuation requirement for students moving towards the IB Diploma Program. It provides students with the opportunity to express their creativity while serving as a stepping stone to the IB Diploma Program’s Extended Essay. The combined results of the journey, the learning experience, and the final product are extremely rewarding, and often spectacular. On the following pages, you will learn more about the Personal Project components and meet the creators of some of this year’s superior examples.
Feature | Nuts & Bolts
The Nuts Bolts of the Personal Project ĉF 1FSTPOBM 1SPKFDU JT B TJHOJėDBOU QJFDF PG XPSL UIBU JT UIF QSPEVDU PG UIF TUVEFOU T PXO JOJUJBUJWF BOE DSFBUJWJUZ &BDI QSPKFDU NVTU SFĚFDU B QFSTPOBM VOEFSTUBOEJOH PG UIF "SFBT PG *OUFSBDUJPO "0* m see side box 4UVEFOUT BQQMZ UIF TLJMMT BDRVJSFE UISPVHI POF PG UIFTF BSFBT BT XFMM BT "QQSPBDIFT UP -FBSOJOH "5- m see side box 4UVEFOUT BSF FYQFDUFE UP DIPPTF UIFJS PXO QSPKFDU XIJDI DBO UBLF NBOZ GPSNT BOE UBLF UIF QSPDFTT UISPVHI UP DPNQMFUJPO VOEFS UIF TVQFSWJTJPO PG B UFBDIFS JO UIF TDIPPM ĉJT JOWPMWFT r 1MBOOJOH r 3FTFBSDI r " IJHI EFHSFF PG QFSTPOBM SFĚFDUJPO ĉF QFSTPOBM QSPKFDU JT BTTFTTFE CZ UFBDIFST BHBJOTU B TFU PG *# BTTFTTNFOU DSJUFSJB
ĉF 1FSTPOBM 1SPKFDU JT DPNQMFUFE JO UIF UFOUI HSBEF UIF ėOBM ZFBS PG UIF .JEEMF :FBST 1SPHSBN .:1 "MM UFOUI HSBEF TUVEFOUT BSF SFRVJSFE UP DPNQMFUF B QSPKFDU
The goals of the Personal Project are: r 5P VOEFSTUBOE BOE BQQMZ NFUIPET UFDIOJRVFT BOE TUSBUFHJFT MFBSOFE JO "5- r 5P EFNPOTUSBUF UIF QFSTPOBM BCJMJUJFT BOE TLJMMT SFRVJSFE UP QSPEVDF BO FYUFOEFE QJFDF PG XPSL QSFQBSBUJPO GPS UIF %JQMPNB 1SPHSBN &YUFOEFE &TTBZ
r 5P BEESFTT B NJOJNVN PG POF PG UIF ėWF "0* JO BO JO EFQUI NBOOFS
44
Dwight Today
/VUT #PMUT | 'FBUVSF
The Personal Project is made up of the following three main components: r A Process Journal, which records students’ thoughts, decisions, plans, and actions throughout the time they work on the project. It is a record of progress, a project “diary� of sorts. The process journal is divided up into the following sections: Goals and Planning, Resources and Collection of Information, Work in Progress, and Reflection. Much of the Personal Statement comes from the notes students take in their process journals. r A Personal Statement, which describes the process and an analysis of inspiration, findings, and conclusions. A significant part of the assessment is based on the Personal Statement and, thus, on a description and analysis of the process. r The project itself. The project can take many different creative forms, including a video, a website, an event, an original work of art, a scientific experiment, an invention, a piece of literary fiction, or the presentation of a developed business, management, or organizational plan. Projects that involve essays or other pieces of writing must be between 1,500 and 3,000 words. Many projects, however, include formal writing only in the Personal Statement.
The ďŹ ve Areas of Interaction are:
Students start brainstorming for their project at the end of the ninth grade and during the summer before tenth grade. In September, students submit their topic, selected AOI, goal, and outlined approach. Students spend the fall and winter researching, assessing, organizing, and evaluating. The majority of the Personal Project is completed independently outside of school time. However, there is some time allocated during advisory periods to make students familiar with some of the requirements of the project and to allow them to get feedback from their peers. Many students spend 50-60 hours on their projects. Final projects are due in March.
t "QQSPBDIFT UP -FBSOJOH t $PNNVOJUZ BOE 4FSWJDF t )VNBO *OHFOVJUZ t &OWJSPONFOUT t )FBMUI BOE 4PDJBM &EVDBUJPO
Components of Approaches to Learning: t )PX EP * MFBSO CFTU t )PX EP * LOPX t )PX EP * DPNNVOJDBUF NZ VOEFSTUBOEJOH ɨSPVHI "QQSPBDIFT UP -FBSOJOH TUVEFOUT BSF QSPWJEFE XJUI UIF UPPMT UP FOBCMF UIFN UP UBLF SFTQPOTJCJMJUZ GPS UIFJS PXO MFBSOJOH $FOUSBM UP UIJT JT ilearning how to learnw BOE EFWFMPQJOH JO JOEJWJEVBMT BO BXBSFOFTT PG IPX UIFZ MFBSO CFTU PG UIPVHIU QSPDFTTFT BOE PG MFBSOJOH TUSBUFHJFT
Summer 2010
45
Feature | Louis van der Linden ’12
Numbers What They Really Mean
A
Louis van der Linden ’12 fter attending a Philosophy course at Stanford University
related to this Area of Interaction, and questions such
during the summer of 2009, I decided to combine my
as “Why and how do we create?� and “What are the con-
newly gained knowledge with a lifelong passion to create
sequences?� directed my writing throughout my book. I
my Personal Project. Math has always been my fascina-
researched the Human Ingenuity of others and tried to
tion. I always have a “Eureka moment� when I realize that
apply some of my own in order to pass it on to others. It
something I assumed to be random is actually connected
was very easy to transition between this and Approaches
to math. Every day in math class, the world seems to make
UP -FBSOJOH XIJDI * BMTP EJSFDUMZ UBML BCPVU JO NZ CPPL
slightly more sense, and I can never help but smile. I have
Using the guidelines of Human Ingenuity, I tried to come
also always felt a need to share this with others, an urge
up with the best ways of connecting philosophy with Hu-
my younger brother succumbed to at an early age.
man Ingenuity. Since I enjoy presenting and conversing
For this project, I wanted to help my peers to see math
with people, I played with the idea of a Powerpoint, but
the way I do. I feel as though math is often a very mis-
I decided that a thorough analysis of Human Ingenuity
understood subject, and I wanted my fellow high school
could best be presented in written format. I researched
students to see its importance and its fascinating features.
the two areas of knowledge that formed the basis for
Even if I would not succeed in doing that, at least it would
my product: philosophy and math. Connecting the two,
make people realize that no matter what, everyone has a link with numbers. I thought of other ways to share this information, but a book seemed to be the best way to get the dense information across. It also gave me the opportunity to create something concrete, something tangible, that people can draw something from, which is why I decided a book was the most suitable way to achieve my goal. The main Area of Interaction that my Personal Project focused on is Human Ingenuity. Math is very directly
however, was something for which I was going to tap into my own imagination and inspiration. At first, I started reading books that would provide background for my topic. Writing about math and hoping to teach others seemed ambitious for a high school student, so gathering information was imperative as a first step. 3FBEJOH NZ TPVSDFT TQBSLFE JOTQJSBUJPO BOE * XSPUF UIF introduction to my book in the beginning of November. It took a while for me to get started because of the fear of starting such a huge, daunting task. I wrote all of the observations and thoughts that came into my mind, either directly into the book I was reading or in the work in progress section of the process journal. I had books specifically about the numbers I would be discussing but also books by renowned philosophers such as Bertrand 3VTTFMM 0OF CPPL JO QBSUJDVMBS i4BDSFE (FPNFUSZ u XBT a really great help. Even physics observations, and other thoughts that I wanted to get back to, I wrote down in
46
Dwight Today
Louis van der Linden ’12 | Feature
The cover of Louis’s completed book
my journal. I didn’t use a lot of these thoughts in my final
how to add, subtract and multiply numbers, hoping that
product, but simply keeping track of them was a fascinat-
he would feel the same connection I did. It wasn’t until
ing experience and may be something I will continue. By
this project, however, that I was able to draw such close
December, I started compiling all the mathematical in-
connections between this fascination and a slightly more
formation into the first chapter of my book: Theory. This
recent one: philosophy. I have always tried to bombard
chapter addressed many of the questions posed by the
my friends and acquaintances with my observations, but
Human Ingenuity guidelines, discussing the process of
they didn’t seem as interested as I was. It was through this
creation and the consequences thereof.
book that I finally realized how I could express my inter-
The inspiration for my Personal Project was not a new
ests to others.
one. I have always felt a special connection with numbers
The idea of writing a book first came to me in ninth grade
and try to teach others about this. When my brother was
during one of the meetings I had with [Dwight math
a mere four years old, I was already trying to teach him
teacher] Mr. Smart. The topic of my book came from the
Summer 2010
47
Feature | Louis van der Linden ’12
Louis shows his final project to Personal Project Coordinator Laurel Ingraham
48
Dwight Today
summer philosophy camp, and one of my first meetings
only shine through its door on the three shortest days of
XJUI <%XJHIU NBUI UFBDIFS BOE -PVJT T 1FSTPOBM 1SPK-
the year. Combing this knowledge with learning about ro-
ect advisor] Mr. Anstey. I didn’t know Mr. Anstey prior
tational motion in physics class, and reading about how
to this project, but he has been very resourceful, and in
numbers influenced architecture, I got a grasp of how com-
those first meetings he told me to narrow my topic down.
plicated it must have been and how much they must have
Thus we came to the conclusion that I should write about
known 3000 years ago. Even though I had always thought
numbers and their significance.
of math in this sort of way, writing down my thoughts and
When I first started reading my sources, I realized how
trying to pursue them further was something new and
little I actually knew, but the sources complemented my
ended up carrying my thoughts a lot further. It was a fas-
prior knowledge. Through critical analysis, I came up with
cinating process, and I have learned from this project how
all sorts of new observations that got me pretty excited at
valuable keeping a journal is. These thoughts that arose
times. A good example of this is a memory that I had from
from reading my sources and listening to “Mad World”
visiting a tomb in Newgrange that allowed the sunlight to
by Gary Jules, a song that seems to convey and challenge
Louis van der Linden â&#x20AC;&#x2122;12 | Feature
the actual logic of the world and human nature, were very closely connected to Human Ingenuity. 5BLJOH PO UIJT QSPKFDU XBT B IVHF DIBMMFOHF GPS NF because I like to do things by myself. One night near the start of December, I broke down when my parents were inquiring about my project, because I realized that I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t getting enough done. I wanted to do it all by myself, and this left me with too much pressure. Admitting that I needed help was very hard, but when I did, my mother decided to sit with me every Sunday morning for a couple of hours to work together on my project and my organization. After this, it was easier for me to go to both Mr. Smart and Mr. Anstey and tell UIFN UIBU * OFFEFE IFMQ 5IJT QSPKFDU IBT EFGJOJUFMZ taught me that Human Ingenuity is not an individual thing and that relying on others is not bad, because everyone has certain resources that may not be obvious. My mother is a great example of this. She majored in English and has never been a huge fan of the theory of math, but she was still able to help me and even get excited with me when we were really getting somewhere. 5IJT BMTP TIPXT IPX EJSFDUMZ OVNCFST SFMBUF UP FWFSZPOF JODMVEJOH &OHMJTI -JUFSBUVSF NBKPST 5IJT 1FSTPOBM 1SPKFDU XBT B WFSZ UPVHI CVU FOSJDIJOH FYQFSJFODF 5P HFU UP XIFSF * BN OPX UPPL B MPU PG GPcus and perseverance, but also caused me a lot of stress, BT * GFMU * IBE DSFBUFE B DIBMMFOHJOH HPBM GPS NZTFMG 5IJT project is the most in-depth project I have ever done, BOE * PGUFO IBE UP HP CBDL BOE SFBTTFTT NZ HPBMT 5P me, the Personal Project is all about learning how to do a project of large scale and improving my time management and organization skills. Now, as I go through my journal, I know where my time management was lackJOH -PPLJOH BU XIBU * DPVME IBWF EPOF CFUUFS JT WFSZ insightful and will help me in future projects.
The Supervisors Weigh In: David Anstey Born in Cornwall, United Kingdom, David Anstey moved to New York from London in 1984. Since then, he has taught mathematics, ďŹ rst at Dwightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Anglo-American International School and, since 1993, at The Dwight School. Mr. Anstey served as Louisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Personal Project supervisor: Throughout the Personal Project, my main role as Louisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s supervisor was to give him encouragement to succeed with the admittedly challenging project he had undertaken. The actual idea for his project was entirely his own. He wanted to share with others, in the form of a book, his genuine enthusiasm for mathematics and philosophy. Throughout the project, Louis worked very independently, and I did not feel the need to do much more than contribute the occasional suggestion as to how he could effectively illustrate the ideas he was exploring or how he might sufďŹ ciently narrow the range of these ideas to allow him to adequately discuss them. Louis had said all along that he hoped to be able to present his ďŹ nished project in the form of a book, but I was still very impressed when he ďŹ nally came in one day with the actual book he had had printed. His overall goal was to show others why mathematics was so appealing to him, and perhaps the most successful element of his project was the extent to which he was able to achieve this goal. His hard work has helped him acquire skills in time management, communication, and research, and these will certainly beneďŹ t him when he has to undertake a project of equal or greater scope in the future.
Summer 2010
49
Feature | Shannon Eagles ’12
Hope, Joy and Dreams
A
Shannon Eagles ’12 rt is a universal language. It allows us to express our opinions, emotions and ideas without the limitations of speech. Like so many others around the globe, art is an essential part of my character and everyday life; the endless freedom of a pencil is a joy that no other activity can replace. My goal in this project was to prove that something as simple as a pen and paper could truly make a difference around the world. For my Personal Project, I compiled drawing kits, each composed of figure templates, art utensils, introduction letters and instruction sheets, which I sent to seven schools for underprivileged children around the world. The children then used these materials to create their own design, based entirely on their imagination and thoughts. My hope was that these students could have a few moments to escape the challenges of their everyday lives, shifting their focus instead to the joy and freedom of art. The area of interaction best suited to my project is Community and Service. By designing a simple template of a person, I wanted to give underprivileged children the means to express their creativity, culture and dreams. The seven schools that I researched and worked with for my project are internationally recognized for their efforts to improve the lives of children in their community. Although relatively unknown, these organizations
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Dwight Today
Throughout the development of the project, I was forced to overcome numerous obstacles and tasks, all of which added to the overall learning experience. My project was essentially composed of two sections: creating the draw-
aim to protect children from the hardships they face
ing kit and designing the booklet. The drawing kit, which
every day and help families regain the financial stabil-
I deem the primary focus of the project, was made up of
ity they desperately need. This area of interaction also
various components, each destined to help the schools
corresponds to the cultural aspect of the project; the
understand my goal and to facilitate the completion of
children’s drawings are all strongly influenced by the
the children’s art work. The booklet depended on both
traditions and beliefs surrounding them, creating a fas-
my research and design skills and allowed me to explore
cinating view of the global community.
a new aspect of technology.
Shannon Eagles â&#x20AC;&#x2122;12 | Feature
Shannon shows off the results of her project at the Personal Project Exhibition
specifically when it came to drawing a figure. Though I did not use the androgynous template, I found that I learned a great deal about proportion and posture when I was sketching it. My decision to become involved with independent organizations had brought with it a new element; it seemed essential to raise awareness about the schoolsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; fantastic work through my booklet, a task I had not previously considered with the more well-known organizations. One of the most striking aspects of the project was the cultural contrast between the drawings. Having myself designed since a young age, I have developed my own style that I now see as very Western. The drawings from India were so dramatically different from my designs, whether it was the use of color or the patterns on the fabric. The drawings not only provided a fascinating view of the country and culture, but they also illustrated the childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s joy and imagination. For me, this was my most important achievement, proof that art truly has no limits. This project brought together my talents and interests in art and language, enabling me to further improve my Though my primary goal remained true from the beginning, I soon discovered that there were other aspects to my project that I had not previously considered. To begin with, writing played a more important role in
skills in these areas. My inspiration came from a variety of sources, though I was primarily influenced by my love of culture. From a young age, I have always been drawn to art, more specifically clothing design. I use art as a way to
the process than I had previously imagined, and I was
illustrate my experiences and thoughts, especially when I
pleased to see my formal writing skills improve over the
travel to a foreign environment. Moreover, after living in
months. Moreover, many of the schools were based in
five different countries, I have found that art is an excel-
French or Spanish-speaking countries, thus I was able to
lent way to preserve memories, and I have collected nu-
practice my language skills when writing letters to these
merous designs from my friends around the world. In the
organizations. Another unexpected characteristic of the
process, I discovered that everyone, no matter their age,
project was the development of my artistic abilities, more
gender or interests, loves to create; whether the design
Summer 2010
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Feature | Shannon Eagles ’12
is a simple dress or an extravagant
and effect of community service. It is clear in
costume, it gives them a few mo-
their websites and the designs that they have
ments to express their creativity
truly made a difference in these children’s
and personality, away from the
lives, helping them find joy and hope for the
burdens of their everyday lives.
future. I would be more than happy to sup-
This idea was the fundamental
port their work and, upon receiving all the
theme behind my project. I have been so fortunate to
drawings, I plan to create a book that will raise awareness about their commendable work.
have participated in such a fasci-
I also feel that these drawings have given me
nating and inspirational project;
a greater insight into the cultural diversity in this
it has opened up new perspectives of the world around me
world. The designs struck me as so fundamentally different to those of my friends and my
and taught me to appreciate
own, making me that much more aware of
the power of art as a uni-
the various cultures and opinions around
versal language. Though
me. Lastly, I hope that the children were
I have repeatedly heard of
able to see art in a new light; my goal
the ability to express oneself through drawing, this project has proved the truth in this statement.
in this activity was to illustrate to these students the joy and freedom of drawing, as both a hobby and a career. Ultimately, I wanted
Previously, I had only considered art
the students to understand that everyone can be
as hobby, an activity that I used to
an artist. These children have all created some-
relax or simply pass the time. Upon
thing unique and beautiful that nobody else
seeing the designs from Project Mala,
could even attempt to imitate: a dream which
I finally saw art as a means of com-
belongs to them and which no person or thing
munication; these drawings not only
can take away.
illustrated the children’s culture, but also their emotions, ideas, and dreams. I would now seriously consider a career related to art and design, especially as a way to influence and help my community. Moreover, I have discovered seven organizations, which exemplify the power
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Dwight Today
One of Shannon’s drawing templates
Shannon Eagles ’122 | Feature The Supervisors Weigh In: Ellen Sayers
Top: Shannon’s personal biography that was included in every package she sent to schools. Center: One of the templates Shannon received back from the Indian school, Project Mala
Ellen Sayers received her MFA from Pratt Institute and has been an art teacher at The Dwight School since 2000. In 2005, she became the Dean of the Tenth Grade. She currently teaches art to grades 9 and 10, including honors classes, and assists students with Personal Projects and Visual Arts Extended Essays, in addition to being a grade ten advisor. Ellen served as Shannon’s Personal Project supervisor: I have been involved with the Personal Project on a number of levels since I came to The Dwight School, but Shannon’s project was different than any other I have seen. This was the first time a student reached out to children in other countries and asked them to actively participate in an international project. Shannon used art as a hands-on vehicle to activate other students’ imaginations. She is a fantastic art student who excels in drawing, so it seemed natural to me that she should incorporate art in to her Personal Project. However, I was surprised at her ambitious final goal. After all, it is one thing to send art supplies to a school in another country. It is another thing entirely to send packages (including supplies, a lesson plan, a language-specific cover letter, a personal biography, a drawing template, and return postage) AND expect to receive completed projects returned in a timely manner so they could be complied in a booklet. Shannon’s largest obstacle was reaching organizations and schools who would participate in her project. Her idea was noble, but, as she learned, humanitarian organizations are very busy and do not always have the time or resources to respond to student requests. She overcame this by instead contacting smaller organizations, whose websites has more specific contact information and displayed their focused projects. It was Shannon who solved this problem independently; I simply cheered her on. Projects at this level rarely turn out exactly as expected, but Shannon’s was exactly what I envisioned. She worked tirelessly to create a beautiful and professional final product.
Shannon and her family at the Personal Project Exhibition
Summer 2010
53
Feature | Jim Noh â&#x20AC;&#x2122;12
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hanokâ&#x20AC;? The Korean Traditional House
I
Jim Noh â&#x20AC;&#x2122;12 want to major in engineering in college. Since I have de-
a Korean traditional house and build a small model of it.
cided my major, I tried [for my Personal Project] to do
My goal of this project is to understand the scientific
something related to engineering, which will give me a
functions of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hanokâ&#x20AC;? and let people know more about
sense about engineering and help me get into engineer-
Korean traditional houses. The area of interaction for this
ing school by showing them my interest and ability. Be-
project is Human Ingenuity 5SBEJUJPOBM ,PSFBO IPVTFT
cause I had classes with tenth graders when I was a ninth
were invented and developed by Korean ancestors few
grader, I got a chance to think about my topic earlier than
hundred years ago. They have gone through improve-
any other peers in my grade. [I wanted to] think of the
ments over hundreds of years. When I saw an actual
perfect idea that no one could do except me; something
house, I could feel our ancestorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thoughtfulness from ev-
that would appeal to other people. My idea was to design
ery part of the house, such as the door, doorknob, heating
Jim proudly displays his completed model at the Personal Project Exhibition
54
Dwight Today
Jim Noh â&#x20AC;&#x2122;12 | Feature
system, walls, and also the design. I believe this is one of
and if they made one for me, then it would not be my
the greatest human ingenuities that Koreans have had.
project. So I gave up building the model.
As an International Baccalaureate diploma candidate, I
The next thing I could do was design the Hanok. I
believe it is my responsibility to introduce these Korean
knew it would be really hard because, unlike skyscrap-
houses to Western people.
ers, Hanoks contain lots of curves, especially the top of
5P GVMÄ&#x2014;MM NZ HPBM BOE UP BDUVBMMZ SFTFBSDI BCPVU )BOPL
the house. I chose to draw and design it on the computer.
the only place I could go was Korea. Because I planned
Because I thought this was not enough, I also planned to
ahead doing this project before the summer, I researched
make a 3-D video of Hanok on the computer, instead of a
during summer in Korea. I planned to go to the Hanok
real model. This was because I really wanted to show the
town in Seoul and several other tourist places that have
beauty of Hanok, such as beautiful colors and beautiful
old Hanoks. Even though I have been to those tourist
DVSWFT 5XP EBZT CFGPSF * MFÄ&#x203A; ,PSFB * GPVOE B QMBDF UIBU
places before, I also made a reservation for a tour guide,
sold most of the materials needed to build the house. So,
who would explain all the details about the houses. In ad-
just in case, I bought those materials.
dition, I planned to take some notes during the tour, and write a paper about that information after the tour. For my project, I wanted to build a model house that
After school started in September, I talked to my advisor, Ms. de Forest, as well as Ms. Sayers about my project. Both gave me positive feedback about my idea. I did well
was at least 12 inches. However, I could not find any materials to build that size of house. I searched the internet for more than a month, and I called many companies, museums, and architects, to ask for help in building and learning about Hanok. However, most of them could not help an individual, and a few places asked me about $5,000 to CVJME UIJT IPVTF GPS NF * decided not to [get help from] those people, because I wanted to do the building, Jimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s final product on view at the Personal Project Exhibition
Summer 2010
55
Feature | Jim Noh ’12
in the beginning setting up the goals and choosing areas
very satisfied with the result I got from this project; as a
of interaction. However, when I went to [film teacher]
beginner, I believe I built an amazing house.
Mr. Peyser to ask about using a computer program to
Another result of this project is that I now appreciate
design and make a 3-D video, I had to revise my entire
being Korean. I used to hate Korea’s cultural things –
project. He told me the program was not compatible to
their old traditions and their conservative thoughts. I was
make a 3-D video of Hanok because of its complicated
embarrassed when my parents made me wear traditional
structure involving thousands of curves on the roof. At
dress on certain holidays. That is the main reason why I
this point, I decided to go back to making a small model
wanted to move to America and live here. However, dur-
house with the materials I got from Korea.
ing this project, I felt our ancestor’s effort, thoughtful-
During the winter vacation, I finished two small mod-
ness, and wisdom. They put lots of effort to make sure
els of Korean houses, which involved working 20 hours
their children and grandchildren could sleep comfortably
straight. One was [a model] for poor people, and the
and stay in a cool room in the summer and a warm room
other one was for richer and higher-ranking people. Even
in the winter. These houses also express the beauty of Ko-
though it took 20 hours, I thought that was not enough
rea. Now I am not embarrassed about my heritage and
for the final project. So, two weeks later, I made some of
tradition. I am proud to share 5,000 year-old traditions
the parts, such as doors, kitchen, and the heating floor,
and heritage that not many countries have.
bigger so that people could better understand the structure. I bought acrylic cases to cover the two houses and made an explanatory information board. The inspiration and influence I had for this topic comes from these three words: engineering, Korea, and architecture. I already knew a lot about these houses, because I lived in one when I was young. I have seen and heard about Hanok since I was born. My grandfather and grandmother actually lived at the period when people only lived in a Hanok, so I also spoke to them. I only went to the Internet when I needed some really specific and professional knowledge about Hanok. This project meant a lot to me. As a tenth grader, I think it is time to think about what I want to do for college and for my future job. This Personal Project was my first step toward my first goal of my life, which is getting into engineering school to study and become an architect. I am
56
Dwight Today
An photo of a Hanok taken during Jim’s trip to Korea last summer
Jim Noh ’12 | Feature
Top and center: The meticulous detail involved in recreating a to-scale Hanok model
The Supervisors Weigh In Sarah DeForest Sarah de Forest attended high school in Germany and received her MS in Chemistry from UC Berkeley. She has taught at both the college and high school level and has been teaching Chemistry at The Dwight School since 2007. Ms. de Forest served as Jim’s Personal Project supervisor: I have supervised several projects in the past, but this was the first architecture project I supervised. Jim showed a unique dedication and follow through that I have not seen before. Sometimes students require direction when deciding on a topic, but Jim worked completely independently. He started his project the summer before tenth grade, researching traditional architecture in Korea. From there, he worked completely autonomously, meeting his own deadlines. During our regular meetings, he kept me informed of his progress and I provided clarification on journal requirements and how to tie in the Areas of Interaction and Approaches to Learning. Jim’s biggest challenge was writing his Personal Statement, since English is not his first language. He was overwhelmed with schoolwork in general at that time, and he admittedly struggles with writing English. I applied gentle pressure and helped him set deadlines, and together we met those goals. Jim’s final product was more exquisite than I ever imagined; I have never seen such a perfectly executed product. I was really pleased with the way that Jim managed to embrace the spirit of the Personal Project, by turning it into a personal discovery about his own cultural traditions. Throughout the process, Jim demonstrated his ability to immerse himself in a project and bring it to completion over a long period of time.
Summer 2010
57
Feature | MYP Personal Project Exhibition
58
Dwight Today
MYP Personal Project Exhibition | Feature
Summer 2010
59
Feature | Laurel Ingraham
Q: What is your role in guiding each one of the tenth grade students?
The Role of the Personal Project Coordinator Faculty Spotlight on Laurel Ingraham Originally from the Boston area, Laurel Ingraham attended Phillips Academy Andover and Cornell University. She participated in the Andover Spanish Program in Salamanca, Spain, and in the Cornell Program in Rome, Italy, where she spent a semester taking writing and art courses. At Cornell, Ms. Ingraham earned a bachelor’s degree in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. She is currently working toward her Masters in English Education at Teachers College. Ms. Ingraham joined The Dwight School in 2006 and was appointed Personal Project Coordinator in 2009. As Personal Project Coordinator, she is responsible for guiding students through the process of the project from its formal introduction during ninth grade and then throughout the tenth grade school year. She also acts as a guide for the supervisors and students’ parents to ensure that they are able to assist students throughout this unique learning experience. Dwight Today sat down with Ms. Ingraham to learn more about the role Personal Project Coordinator.
A: [Tenth Grade Dean] Ellen Sayers and I talk to the entire ninth grade at the end of their freshman year to explain the Personal Project and give them some brainstorming ideas to think about over the summer. In the fall, we speak to them as tenth graders to discuss specific ideas with each student individually. Students must submit a proposal of their idea in which they discuss their plan, the area of interaction on which they choose to focus, and what their final goal is. We then review the proposals, write comments, and give them back to the students. We discuss how to go about selecting a supervisor and remind them during weekly morning meetings of upcoming deadlines. We occasionally check in individually with students throughout the year, but the supervisor is the primary overseer of the progress of the project.
Q: What is your role in guiding the supervisors? A: We have formal meetings with all of the supervisors as a group two or three times throughout the year. In addition, we communicate with the supervisors via email to offer help and reminders of upcoming deadlines. Supervisors will occasionally contact us directly if they have concerns about their student’s progress.
Q: What is your role in grading the projects? A: Throughout the year, supervisors are given information on the IB (International Baccalaureate) criteria they will use to grade their student’s project. They are shown examples of exemplar projects to give their grading context and grade their student’s project according to these criteria. After the supervisor has completed the grading, the Personal Project Committee [comprised of the Personal Project Coordinator, the Tenth Grade Dean, the Director of Curriculum, and select tenth grade teachers] reviews all of the grading to ensure that it is standardized according to the IB criteria. I’m sometimes amazed at how long the grading can take; there are so many facets to each project. It’s always interesting when the committee struggles to agree on a grade – after all, putting a single numerical value on such a complex and personal project can sometimes feel odd, but in the end, I think the committee’s discussions (even if they can become heated!) lead to a fair assessment of the student’s work.
Q: How do you determine that we are meeting international IB standards with our projects? A: The students and supervisors are all given multiple exemplar projects throughout the year to offer examples of how Personal Projects are being completed and graded around the world.
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Dwight Today
Laurel Ingraham | Feature
Laurel Ingraham (right) at the MYP Personal Project Exhibition with Tenth Grade Dean Ellen Sayers
Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen some amazing projects from around the globe â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from restoring an old barn to creating an entire fashion line, writing a complete novel, even building a computer from scratch! In addition, the supervisors and the Personal Project Committee grade each project according to the IB criteria and standards, which are used globally in every IB school.
Q: How does the Personal Project help Middle Years Program students transition to the Diploma Program? A: For most of our students, the Personal Project is the first long-term research project they have had to complete. Throughout their tenth grade year, students have to employ many aspects of Approaches to Learning that are invaluable to the DP program, such as time management, researching information, editing their work, and collaborating with their supervisors. The Personal Project serves to help our students understand which of these areas are strengths and which are weaknesses. In their Personal Statements, they are required
to reflect on what they will have to improve upon in order to succeed in the DP program - both in the completion of their Extended Essays and in finding academic success in their courses. A few years ago, I supervised a student who really struggled with writing. He wanted to write a short story but was scared to embark on something that involved writing. Despite this, he went for it, and ended up writing a 75-page novella! He then went on to write a very strong research paper for his Extended Essay, something that he, as a ninth grader, never would have thought he could do.
Q: What is your biggest challenge as a Personal Project Coordinator? A: One of the biggest challenges is maintaining regular communication with the students throughout the entire process. Although we are able to give them information in weekly morning meetings, it is sometimes difficult to find time to have individual conversations with each student. Of course, they are communicating with their supervisors on a regular basis, but keeping track of the progress of sixty students is challenging.
Summer 2010
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Feature | Laurel Ingraham
Ms. Ingraham with Tenth Grade students at the MYP Personal Project Exhibition
Q: Explain how you stress to the students â&#x20AC;&#x153;process vs. product.â&#x20AC;? A: Throughout the year, we stress that it is the process that is important, because this is where much of the learning occurs. Although the selection of a goal is important, and we emphasize that they must develop a timeline and have a plan for completing their goal, they are reminded from the start that it is the process that is most important. This is emphasized through their journals, in which they keep track of every step and reflect on how the progress is going, and of course in the Personal Statement, which always includes thoughtful reflection of what went well and what they could have done better. One year, a student created a cookbook and asked friends and family members for recipes. Although the final product was something she was proud of, the actual process was more valuable to her. Soliciting the material for the cookbook enabled her to spend time with some of the friends and family members that she had lost touch with.
Q: Explain the change you see in individual students as they are going through the Personal Project process. A: Watching students adjust their expectations and come to new realizations about their own perceptions is the most rewarding aspect of coordinating the Personal Project. Students are extremely proud of what they are able to accomplish and are excited to show off their work at the Personal Project Exhibition night in April. In many cases, students are
62
Dwight Today
surprised at how much they were able to exceed the expectations they set for themselves at the beginning of the year. Throughout the process, they sometimes have difficulty with a facet of the process that they expected to be easy, and this is where much of their transformation occurs. It is always interesting to see how they are able to overcome obstacles, and this is where the Personal Project really becomes personal. This is where they learn to collaborate with others - their supervisors, teachers, friends, and family members - and where they realize their strengths and weaknesses. Every year, students describe some sort of transformation in their Personal Statements. In some cases, this transformation was something concrete: They learned how to cook a meal, published their own book of stories, held a fundraiser for people in need, or built a computer. However, in many cases, this transformation is intangible: An important conversation they were able to have with a family member, a connection they made with a stranger, a new understanding they arrived at about their own abilities as a student, or the ability to see their environment in a new light.
Q: Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the most important thing that you want each student to take away from the Project? A: Of course I hope that they all feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of this process and are proud of the progress they made, but my biggest hope is that they can leave the tenth grade with a better understanding of their strengths and weaknesses as individual students. If they can look back at this process and understand how they found success, and where they may have fallen short, then I think they are much better prepared for the eleventh and twelfth grades. Ms. Ingraham with Tenth Grader Aaron Magier and proud parent David Magier at the exhibition
MYP Personal Project | Feature
The 2010 List of Tenth Grade Personal Projects Blythe Abramowitz Jewelry Creation to Raise Breast Cancer Awareness
Jon Abramowitz Are Vaccines Safe?
Andrew Abrams Junior Varsity Basketball Website Ragad AlNaimi iPod Speaker Cover Julianna Barrett Getting Teens Involved! Anna Boyadjian Armenia Ian Burwasser Snow Swing Stephanie Chu Adopt, Not Shop Alexandra DaSilva The Pulse of New York City
Alexander Demar Skating for Success George Domaille My Family Tree Will Dunkley Model of a Greek Temple Shannon Eagles Hope, Joy, and Dreams Amanda Farrell Helping WISER Christian Foley Imposing New York Architecture Jeffrey Garber How to Build a Skateboard
Edie Hanley Study of the Horse
Sean Nelson Behavioral Studies of Pill Bugs
Zoe Hartman From Generations to Generations
Connor Nicholas Land of Opportunity
Lidia Henderson The Two Lives of One Samantha Hess Cancer and Me Andrea Ho Origins of the Water Crisis
Ryan Horton Venture
Henry Hughes Smart Food Ayyub Ibrahim Fencing Tendencies David Kahn This is Not a Film Rodion Kaplounov The Monkey-Hunter Physics Experiment Danielle Kaye Adoption Through the Decades Isaac Lertola Learning: The Power of Music Taylor Levy Taylor’s Cookbook Gabe Lewent A Hidden New York Diamond Lopez The Growing Youth Ministry Aaron Magier Bicycle Design
Juan Gatto-Bellora Producing a Scientific Experiment
Riyad Mamedyarov Cuisine from Far Away Lands: Azerbaijan and Russia
Stephen Gordon Family Website
Arielle Mandelbaum The Dwight School Bracelets
Ethan Greenberg The Greenberg Gazette
Alexandra McEvoy Adoption Means Love
Charlotte Grotell A Guide to NYC Restaurants
Rachael Miller Melrose: A Collection of Short Stories
Jim Noh Traditional Korean House Lauren Ohman The Evolution of Shoes Anna Pedersen New York City Culture Sawyer Petrick Pediatric Cancer Documentary Sukrit Puri Change of English Football Fallon Rosen The Dos and Don’ts of Being a Madrich/a Louis Ruggiero Healthier Alternatives to Italian Comfort Food Alexa Runsdorf My Cookbook Emma Settlemyre My Work with UNICEF Tracy Siris Poetry Book Teddy Srour Guidebook of New York Kristin Tsutsui My Role as a Teacher: General Cultural Understanding and Awareness of Spanish Culture Louis Van der Linden Numbers Linden Wallner Green Adventure Ari Weinstein On Board: An Inside Look at NYC Skate Scene
Summer 2010
63
Alumni | Welcome Letter
Dear Fellow Alumni, Life begins for some of us in the tenth grade. I came to Dwight as a sophomore; a fresh-faced public school transplant and totally naïve about living in Manhattan. I had moved to the City from Brooklyn with a detour to southern California before the start of school. There, I had struggled with the summer reading list: Les Miserables and two other books competed for my attention among my new friends and the surf set. It wasn’t the sort of beach reading I had in mind, but I knew better than to start a new school unprepared. As I donned my crisp white shirt, gray skirt, and tidy navy blazer, I worried endlessly about meeting new kids. Junior high school had been a breeze and somewhat of a blur. Friends had scattered to a variety of high schools and no one seemed destined to stay in touch. Dwight was going to be a fresh start, a new challenge, and a heck of a lot of work, but I was ready. The first girl I met on the steps of the old Dwight building on 67th Street was Tracy Kay, who greeted me with an enormous smile and sparkling eyes. I knew everything would be all right when in the first fifteen minutes five or six other students greeted me, and we hadn’t even passed through the big door yet. Faculty and students were milling around in a type of organized chaos until we filed in past Mr. Spahn, who greeted each and every one of us. Tenth grade was an amazing year. It was 1968, and the music scene was exploding. So was the anti-war movement. The Cold War took on deeper meaning in Russian history class, and we lost icons in both the political and musical worlds. We grew up and we grew together. My class formed bonds because of the history of our times and the history we made together. All of us have a story like this. Dwight is the glue that keeps us coming back and looking forward at the same time. Stay connected to your past. Update your contact information and give the Alumni staff a call or send them an email so we know what you’re up to and how you’ve been. Most important, come to one of our alumni events and really connect. You never know who you might run into.
Paula Oppenheim Cope, Dwight ’71
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Dwight Today
Classmate Challenge | Alumni
classmate challenge Reunion Weekend is October 15-17, 2010 and the Classmate Challenge is Back! Talented People + Accurate Information = Amazing Alumni Network Are you ready for the Classmate Challenge? For us to become the strongest alumni network possible, we need your help in gathering information. So, WHAT we want to know about you is: Address, College Info (name/year/degree), Business Info (name/industry/position) WHERE: To update the information in your online profile, go to www.dwight.edu and select “MyDwight Login” WHEN: By September 24, 2010. HOW measured: The class with the highest percentage of the above seven data fields completed. GRAND PRIZE: The class that wins this challenge will enjoy a dinner hosted by Dwight during Reunion Weekend! For more information, please contact Director of Alumni Affairs, Kristin Pate at 212.724.6360 x232 or kpate@dwight.edu.
2010 Landmark Class Representatives Volunteer Needed - Anglo ’85 Volunteer Needed - Anglo ’90 Peter Abbott, Dwight ’60 Volunteer Needed - Dwight ’70 Volunteer Needed - Dwight ’75 Jane Siegel, Dwight ’80 Bill Lipson, Dwight ’85
Evan Gallahou, Dwight ’90 Peter Timmins, Dwight ’90 Jennifer Pasinetti, Dwight ’90 Ursula Farrell, Dwight ’95 Bradley Zeifman, Dwight ’95 Kirk Spahn, Dwight ’95 Volunteer Needed - Dwight ’00
Jessica Salzer, Dwight ’05 Lynne Kohn Alper, Franklin ’60 Claire Cowan Evans, Franklin ’60 Volunteer Needed - Franklin ’70 Jay Levy, Franklin ’75 Anou Mirkine, Franklin ’75 Jill Sigelbaum, Franklin ’80
If your class does not have a class rep and you are interested in helping out, please send an email to Kristin Pate, Director of Alumni Affairs at kpate@dwight.edu or call 212.724.6360 x232.
Summer 2010
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Alumni | Distinguished Speakers Series
Stuart Match Suna (Rose ’14) Thinking Big in Real Estate and Film
On January 13, Stuart Match Suna, co-owner and President of Silvercup Studios, was featured as the second installment in Dwight’s Distinguished Speaker Series, generously hosted by Alumni Council members Jyotsna Vasisht ’96 and Peter Timmins ’90 at UBS. Twenty-five fortunate members of the Dwight community (the first to RSVP) had the chance to hear more about Stuart’s background and ask questions. Silvercup Studios, New York’s premier filming location, and the largest independent, full-service film/television production facility in the Northeast, was a bakery when Stuart, his brother, Alan, and his father, Harry, purchased the property in 1979. When they bought the building, the renowned Silvercup sign in Long Island City, Queens said, “World’s Finest” below the big red Silvercup letters. In trying to figure out what to do with the space, Stuart joked that he got into film production by playing scrabble with the letters in “World’s Finest”: he came up with “Studios” because the only letter he had to buy was “u.” No one can argue with Stuart’s decision: Silvercup is now home to the NBC Emmy Award-winning series “30 Rock,” the hit CW 11 series “Gossip Girl,” and most recently, the ABC hit series “Ugly Betty.” Throughout the studio’s 25 years of operation, it has been home to hundreds of TV shows and films including “Sex and the City,” “The Sopranos,” “The Devil Wears Prada,” “Godfather III,” and “When Harry Met Sally,” plus more than four hundred commercials each year. Most recently Stuart has been working on his latest venture, Silvercup West. Even though he is an architect, Suna hired “Starquitect” (famous architect) Richard Rogers to design the two-tower, $1 billion project complete with 1,000 apartments, eight new soundstages for Silvercup Studios, a waterfront catering hall, office space, stores, and a cultural institution. New York Magazine described this six-acre site just south of the Queensboro Bridge as “one of the most interesting and forward-looking in the city.” As one of the leading lobbyists for film and television production tax incentive programs in New York, Stuart is frequently in contact with both the mayor and the governor discussing various ideas. He argues that providing certain tax incentives will bring greater dollars to the local economy in the long run. Clearly, there is never a dull moment for Stuart. We look forward to hearing what he will be up to next!
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Dwight Today
Distinguished Speakers Series | Alumni
On Tuesday, January 26, the Dwight Community was fortunate enough to have Rosanna Scotto, co-host of WNYW Fox 5’s morning show, Good Day, New York, as part of Dwight’s Distinguished Speakers Series. Rosanna has been the lead female news anchor for Fox 5 since 1990 and has won several Emmys for her work as a television journalist. Her success, however, comes with a daily 4:30am wake-up call, which she assures us keeps her feeling like she is in a perpetual state of jet lag. Like many pursuing a career as an on-air reporter, Rosanna began at a local station in Atlanta, where she “made her mistakes” before returning to her native New York. Given the competitive nature of the news industry, Rosanna learned early on that she had to make things happen rather than wait around for opportunities. Initially assigned stories such as, “How to Make a Snowman,” Rosanna fought for her first big story, the “Preppie Murder” trial, which launched her into covering many major stories in the tri-state area, across the United States, and in Israel and Rome. Her notable reporting includes the first exclusive interview with Diana Bianchi, the “other woman” in the Christina Brinkley divorce case; the Woody Allen/Mia Farrow child custody battle; and the trials of Joel Steinberg and the “Swiss Nanny.”
Rosanna Scotto (Louis Ruggiero ’12) From ‘Good Day, New York’ to ‘Good Evening, Dwight Grads!’
Since Rosanna joined Good Day, New York, the show has moved from the fifth to the third most watched morning entertainment show in New York, and they continue to improve. Rosanna attributes this success to creating a fun, family-like atmosphere as well as varying their content much more. After all, she figures, no one really likes to start their day hearing about all the murders in town! To make work more enjoyable, Rosanna keeps in mind how she and Ernie Anastos, her former co-host on the weekday edition of Fox 5 News, created “Accordion Friday,” where Ernie used to play the accordion around the office while she passed out treats. Ernie impressed upon her the importance of creating a fun, cohesive environment, and she continues to create that same atmosphere with her current co-host, Greg Kelly. Throughout her career, Rosanna has received advice from Katie Couric, Matt Lauer, and even Howard Stern, who recently joked that morning hosts develop short-term memory loss. Where will she be in five years? She has no clue. Five years ago, she notes, Rupert Murdoch said he would be out of the television industry, but he is still a major shareholder, chairman, and managing director of News Corporation (News Corp). Even though all TV pushes viewers online, no one has figured out a way to monetize the internet and get people to pay for content. For now, Rosanna is just enjoying each day and not worrying too much about the future. Always on the go, Rosanna left us to emcee the Friends of Saint Dominic’s 29th Annual Awards Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria, where she entertained 1,200 construction workers! Summer 2010
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Alumni | Distinguished Speakers Series
Robert Kamen (Vittoria ’10) Turning Daydreams into Blockbusters
On February 8, Dwight alumni, parents, and students had the opportunity to hear Robert Kamen, the screenwriter of such films as “Taps,” “The Karate Kid,” “The Fifth Element,” “A Walk in the Clouds,” the “Transporter” series, and “Taken,” candidly discuss the “Art of Screenwriting” as part of the School’s Distinguished Speaker Series. A wise-cracking New York native and self-described daydreamer with thick skin, Robert still cannot believe that he gets paid to “sit around and make stuff up.” Unlike most folks in the entertainment industry, Robert did not grow up knowing he wanted to work in film. In fact, the Ph.D. in American Studies had no interest in films other than seeing them. It was not until he sold a novel to Warner Brothers about his year working with refugees in Afghanistan in the mid 1970’s that he discovered screenwriting could be a professional career. Robert’s first major success was “Taps” in 1981, which he wrote after reading the novel Father Sky, and three years later he was deemed a “Hollywood Genius” after writing “The Karate Kid.” Robert then spent five years as the in-house script fixer or, as he jokes, the “script assassin,” at Warner Brothers, rewriting films such as “The Fugitive” and “Under Siege.” Most recently, Kamen and his business partner, Luc Besson, wrote “Taken,” which grossed more than $220 million worldwide. Today, with over 30 years in the business, Robert is considered an expert at constructing action movies. Even though Robert enjoys writing more sensitive screenplays, he recognizes what sells – big guns, cars blowing up, and graphic fight sequences – and has made action movies his forté. The lifespan of a screenwriter is, however, short: most screenwriters go out of fashion, run out of ideas or get sick of being told what to do. Part of the business is knowing that you are replaceable. Fortunately, as Robert says, “his screenplays have been scrapped less than they haven’t been scrapped,” but he understands the importance of staying current and always being curious. Robert’s natural bent as a storyteller left everyone amused and inspired. And because he views his Hollywood success as dangerously ephemeral, he approaches life and work dogmatically with discipline, always working a story from beginning to end. This recipe for success will no doubt bring even more blockbusters and accolades down the road.
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Events | Alumni
Alumni Phone-a-thon
On February 9, Dwight held our annual Alumni Annual Fund Phone-a-thon in the Quad. We had a record number of enthusiastic callers, including three current parents, who made nearly four hundred calls! We went from three volunteers last year to twelve this year. Volunteers spoke with Dwight, Franklin, and Anglo-American graduates about the importance of the Annual Fund and shared the latest news from Dwight. We would like to specially thank Blain Namm ’97, the Alumni Council Fundraising Co-chair, for organizing the phone-athon as well as Council members Aubrey Hodges
Thank you to our phone-a-thon volunteers! Bonnie Auletta (current parent of James Turner ’13) David Ackers ’04 Alex Elghanian ’04
Scott Hefler ’97 Aubrey Hodges ’99 Peter Jenkins (current parent of Declan ’10 and Imogen ’13)
Roger Erra ’04
Blain Namm ’97
Hakim Fajardo ’90
Jonathan Shectman ’03
Susan Gorelik (current parent of Blythe Abramowitz ’12)
Peter Timmins ’90 Greg Williamson ’97
’99 and Peter Timmins ’90 for their help.
Summer 2010
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Alumni | Events
College and the IB Panel On January 7, Dwight held its Sixth Annual “College & the IB Panel” for juniors and seniors. Dwight ’09 graduates Mona Alsaidi, Tara Hill, Ritu Madhok, Abby Miles-Ruttenberg, and Stanton Plummer-Cambridge answered frequently asked questions about college life, their selection of a major, and how their IB coursework and exam prep has helped them in their college career. It was a unique opportunity for students to chat informally with Dwight young alumni about their college experience. A special thanks to Mr. Samuels and Mr. Foster for recruiting alumni volunteers and for moderating the panel.
Valentine’s Day Pack age
We miss our ‘09 graduates and thought it would be nice to send them a Valentine’s Day care package (including their class photo and some candy) to let them know that we’re thinking of them...
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Events | Alumni
Senior Induction Ceremony Peter Timmins â&#x20AC;&#x2122;90, Vice President of the Alumni Council, officially welcomed the Class of 2010 to The Dwight School Alumni Association at the Senior Dinner on Friday, April 30th. Peter shared how the recent graduates can stay involved with Dwightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s extensive alumni network, which includes graduates in nearly all fifty states and over twenty countries. As a parting gift, the Alumni Association gave seniors custom-made Dwight flip flops to make sure they remember us next fall!
Seniors
are ready for summer...
Summer 2010
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Alumni | Alumni Accolades
Alix Strauss ’87
A Writing Chameleon Publishes... Again! Meet Trish. She obsesses over her best friend’s wedding and dramatic weight loss. Then there’s Robin, who wants revenge after a lifetime of abuse at the hands of her older sister. Anne is single, lonely, and suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder. Drug-addicted rock star Louise needs to dry out. Southerner-turned-wannabe Manhattanite, Franny, is envious of her neighbors’ lives. Sheila wants to punish her boyfriend for returning to his wife. Ellen so desperately wants children that she insists she’s pregnant to her disbelieving husband. And Morgan, a manager at the swanky Four Seasons in Manhattan, who’s haunted by the memory of her dead sister, is the thread that weaves these women together. These are the eight characters who grapple with family, sex, power, love and death, and inhabit Alix Strauss’ second novel, Based Upon Availability, due out in June by Harper Collins. “At some point the hotel houses each of these women, either for an hour or for several days, offering sanctuary to some, solace, even despair, to others,” says Strauss, who graduated from Dwight in 1987. “Hotels are sexy and offer a strange kind of anonymity and a retreat from real life. I love the idea that you can be anyone from anywhere and that once you’re gone, the rooms are stripped down, wiped clean and all traces of you are erased, as if you’d never been there. It was an intriguing concept to play with.” In her new novel, Strauss asks and answers the age-old question, “What happens behind closed doors?” while examining the walls we put up as we attempt intimacy and inspecting the ruins when they’re knocked down. A trend journalist and TV personality, Strauss released her third publication, Death Becomes Them: Unearthing the Suicides of the Brilliant, the Famous, and the Notorious, also by Harper
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Collins, last September. “Clearly I’m a little on the dark side, but we shouldn’t confuse dark with honest – which is what often happens when you write about pop-culture and veer on the nontraditional, but still commercial, side of writing,” she shared, sitting in her Upper East Side apartment. Along with being an historic overview of self-killing, Death Becomes Them is an eye-opening and intimate portrait of twenty of the most influential and cultural suicides: Sylvia Plath, Diane Arbus, Sigmund Freud, Vincent van Gogh, Virginia Woolf, Kurt Cobain, Spalding Gray, and Anne Sexton, among others. “I’m fascinated by human behavior and the devil in the details,” Strauss explained. “So this work was incredibly captivating, as I dove into the methodology, pathology, and the incidents that led up to the moment when these luminaries took their last breath.”
Alumni Accolades | Alumni
Has Strauss always wanted to be a writer? Given her successes, the answer to this is surprising. While at Dwight, being a professional writer was the farthest thought from her mind. Having spent much of her teens auditioning for commercials and TV projects, her career goals were set on acting. “I really didn’t enjoy reading, let alone writing,” she shared. “Now I do both for a living. Go figure!” Strauss has been a journalist for over a decade. Her articles, which have appeared in The New York Times, New York Post, Time Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Self, and Esquire, among others, cover a range of topics from trends in beauty, travel, and food to celebrity interviews. In 2003, she penned the award winning collection, The Joy
of Funerals and in 2008 edited Have I Got a Guy for You, an anthology of mother-coordinated dating horror stories. A writing chameleon of sorts, Strauss is extremely excited about her new novel. “It’s been seven years since The Joy of Funerals was released, so I’m really looking forward to celebrating my return to fiction. Publishing a book is beyond satisfying. It’s tangible proof of your work and your existence.” For more information, please visit her website: www.alixstrauss.com.
Abhishek Bhattacharjee ’01
On the Forefront of Technology Congratulations to Abhishek Bhattacharjee ’01, who recently received Princeton University’s Wu Prize for Excellence, which helps support final year graduate students who have performed at the highest level as researchers and scholars. This prize comes from the generous donation of Sir Gordon Y.S. Wu (Princeton class of 1958). Abhishek is designing chip multi-processor hardware that dynamically detects bottlenecks when multiple applications are running in parallel. He is proposing hardware and software techniques that address
these bottlenecks for increased performance and energy efficiency. Abhishek will finish his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering this summer and has accepted a position at Rutgers University as tenure-track faculty member in the Department of Computer Science starting in September. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
Summer 2010
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Alumni | Noteworthy Alumni
An Ambassador for Peace Richard C. Goodwin ’46 As John F. Kennedy said, “The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need men who can dream of things that never were.” Richard C. Goodwin ’46 is just such a man. He dares to challenge skeptics and cynics with his message that peace in the Middle East is not only possible, it’s inevitable. No matter the criticism, no matter how daunting the task, no matter the cost, nothing is impossible in the world of Goodwin. When it comes to peace in the Middle East, not just between Israelis and the Palestinians but with the twenty-two nations of the Arab League, Goodwin has directed the full force of his philanthropic efforts toward peace. “Many countries have war departments and defense departments. You don’t hear much about peace departments. Peace is much more difficult than war,” says Goodwin. So with characteristic determination, he rolled up his sleeves and established his own department of peace, the Middle East Peace Dialogue Network, Inc. (www.mepdn.org) to promote dialogue, tolerance, and co-existence between Christians, Muslims, and Jews and to work tirelessly toward the two-state solution. While he has supported more than seventyfive peace and reconciliation organizations, activities, and programs to further this goal, his crowning achievement to date has been to underwrite a comprehensive Regional Middle East Peace Plan (www.geneva-accord.org) that addresses each key issue of contention between the Israelis and the Palestinians. It is a viable road map, a credible point of departure for negotiations among all nations desiring peace in the region. In May 2009, Israeli
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President Shimon Peres met with Goodwin, thanking him for his devotion to peace. However, before embarking upon his full time commitment to peace in the Middle East, Goodwin was a struggling student at The Dwight School. He remembers a stern and intimidating English teacher in eleventh grade that recognized his reading difficulties. He thought he could help him improve by giving him an 800-page book to read about the life of Queen Elizabeth in the 18th century—but only one page per night! He became so engrossed in the book that he couldn’t stop at only one page. His improved reading skills reflected in all his work, bringing him new friends and acceptance among his peers. Goodwin attributes this teacher’s personal interest to preparing him for his eventual acceptance at Drexel University, from which he graduated with a B.S. in Commerce and Engineering in 1948. Goodwin’s career achievements and philanthropic commitments are many. In the 1950s he began his home building career, constructing single-family homes in southern New Jersey. In the early 1960s, Goodwin Enterprises, a partnership between Goodwin and his father, expanded into land development, sewer and water treatment facilities and local shopping centers. In 1960, Goodwin and his father broke ground on Ramblewood on the Green, a single family home project built adjacent to Ramblewood Country Club, which expanded over the years to include apartments, townhouses and condominiums. Goodwin served as President of the New Jersey Home Builders Association and as Vice President of the National Home Builder’s Association. He is a founder of the National
Guest Speakers | Alumni
Alumni Guest Speakers Paula Cope ’71 Housing Endowment. He is the creator of the Ethel Lawrence Endowment at Rutgers Law School honoring “The Mount Laurel” decision that spread affordable housing throughout America. While his real estate career brought great success, Goodwin’s philanthropic work has brought great satisfaction as a “second career.” He is a “Million Dollar Roundtable” volunteer fundraiser for the United Way of Burlington County, New Jersey. He is the founder of the Goodwin Holocaust Museum of Delaware Valley, and the Goodwin Holocaust Education Center in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and a founder of the National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia. He is the benefactor of the Richard C. Goodwin College of Professional Studies at Drexel University, from which he received an Honorary Doctorate of Human Letters. Goodwin also serves on the Board of the American Friends of Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam and on the Advisory council of J Street. He and his son, John, have raised more than $1 million for prostate cancer research, and he is the benefactor the Richard C. Goodwin Daycare Center at the Maasai Heritage Preservation Foundation in Kenya, Africa.
This past fall Mr. Tom Biggs, Dwight’s business teacher, came to the Alumni Office in search of speakers for his IB Business and Management class. His class covers six fundamental areas of business: the business environment, marketing, operations, accounting, human relations, and international business. The class also examines contemporary real-world business issues by inviting members of the Dwight community to share their professional experiences. Recently, Alumni Council President Paula Oppenheim Cope ’71 visited Mr. Biggs’ class.
consultant, facilitator, and trainer specializing in management and organizational development; strategic planning, and project management. Ms. Cope brought her skills as a consultant and management trainer to present an actual case study that her company worked on, involving a company that targets its products to young adults. Using actual elements from the client, students worked in groups to brainstorm and then present strategically sound recommendations. Key educational, business and personal skills were enhanced in the process. What’s more, everyone had a good time!
Paula Oppenheim Cope is President of Cope & Associates, Inc., a management consulting & training firm based in Burlington, Vermont since 1991. Ms. Cope is a
If you are interested in being an alumni guest speaker at Dwight, please contact Kristin Pate, Director of Alumni Affairs, at kpate@ dwight.edu.
A proud father of a daughter and two sons and grandfather of three, he resides in Snowmass, Colorado. At the age of 82 years young, he still relishes skiing the Snowmass Mountain.
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Alumni | Class Notes Share the latest news and a photo with your classmates for the next issue of Dwight Today and The Dwight School website: www.dwight.edu. Send news to Kristin Pate, Director of Alumni Affairs, 291 Central Park West, NY, NY 10024, or via email to kpate@dwight.edu.
Dwight Class Notes Ashton Johnson ’46: “After college at New York University, a stint in the army during the Korean war, and graduate studies at University of Pennsylvania, I joined the American Bankers Association in New York where I worked for 10 years, followed by three years in a small advertising firm. Marriage came in 1960, two sons thereafter, and a move to Portland, Maine as Vice President and Trust Officer at Casco Northern Bank where I spent 20 years, and at age 65 joined the newly formed Maine Bank and Trust, retiring at 75.
education and green technologies, as their Vice President of Business Development. I am registered on Linkedin, if anyone is interested.” John Ezrine ’75: “I’m currently living in Los Angeles with my wife and two kids, who are ten and eight years old. I’ve been touring with my band, The Electricians. We’ve done shows with former Grateful Dead keyboardist, Tom Constanten, in Florida, Illinois and Michigan. I am working on putting together a northeast run for the end of the summer. Separately, I just closed a deal on one of my movie scripts which is fairly exciting.”
doing well and Jeremy will be off to day camp in Westchester this summer and will then start kindergarten in the fall at Browning. Andy and Hedy continue to work in their respective family galleries, and, as usual, Andy is involved with various committees. Hope to see a lot of classmates at a class dinner that is in the works.” Seth Casriel ’84: “I just finished editing a documentary called ‘The Birth of Big Air’ which was screened in the Tribeca Film Festival at the end of April. I’m currently working on ‘Jackass 3D’ which will be released in the fall.”
My two sons live in Florida and California respectively, having eschewed the cold winters of Maine, but my one grandson attends college in Maine. My wife, Anne Hilkert Johnson, died in 1996, and I remarried in 1998 to Linda Cronkhite, a professor at the University of Southern Maine. Linda and I travel quite frequently, and I hope to continue that pattern until I can no longer board a ship or a plane.” Alvin Steingold ’60: “Here is a photo of me and my granddaughter, Dylan, taken last Christmas. Folks from the class of 1960, it is not too late to have a drink Alvin Steingold ’60 with his granddaughter, Dylan together to memorialize and celebrate ‘The Good Old Days.’ I’d love to hear from you. My email address is amsteingold@hotmail.com.” Guy Blumberg ’74: “This past year has been a very transitional year for me. In September I achieved my Coaching Certification (Executive & Personal) from New York University. In October I left Scholastic’s Professional Media Group as Advertising Director after 11 years and two publication launches. And in March I joined The Sensible City, a Public Relations firm specializing in vertical markets such as
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John Ezrine ’75 with his band, The Electricians
Nina Cantor Spiegelman ’76: “Below is a photo of me from the March 2010 issue of Westchester Family Magazine. I was at an event to raise awareness and funds for the Food Bank of Westchester. Standing with me is Adam Handler, President of Fastforward Communication, Inc., and DJ Jimmy Fink from The Peak 107.1! I am an Account Executive for the magazine. I have two boys, Sam and Ben. Sam is a sophomore at Ithaca College where he also serves as the assistant coach for JV baseball. Ben is a senior at Scarsdale High School and was the starting Quarterback this past season. I love the Dwight random class reunions in the City!”
Nina Cantor Spiegelman ’76 with Adam Handler and DJ Jimmy Fink
Andrew Chait ’78: “It is the year of the 5’s in Andy Chait’s household. We recently celebrated Jeremy’s 5th and Andy’s 50th. Hedy celebrated her 55th earlier in the year. Everyone is
Will Betts ’89
Will Betts ’89: Will Betts works with the Capleon Group and lives with his wife, Lisa, and his twin boys in Brooklyn, New York. Will is pictured at an ESPN event for the Superbowl.
Paul Karlitz ’89: “I live with my wife, Jeannie, and two boys, Lane & Jackson, in Tenafly, New Jersey. I am a ManPaul Karlitz ’89 with his family aging Director for Lenox Advisors, a wealth management firm with offices in New York City; Stamford, Connecticut; Chicago, Illinois; San Francisco and Los Angeles, California. My main focus is on building the organization by hiring experienced financial professionals in all five locations, as well as continuing to work with my clients in the areas of estate and financial planning, asset management, risk management and corporate benefits.” Fiona Capuano ’91: “I’m a writer and a painter. I’m currently working on a novel. I went to New York University and then to the New School for a Masters in Fine Arts in creative writing fiction. I have exhibited and sold many paintings and perform poetry readings.
Class Notes | Alumni
Fiona Capuano ’91 and her family
Dylan and Ethan Turkewitz (daughter and son of Heather Baram Turkewitz ’91)
My website is fionacapuano.com. I have two kids, Leyla, who is four, and Alex, who is one and a half. I married Dave Goldberg, President of Killer Bunny Entertainment. We live in Ridgewood, New Jersey. Happy life!” Heather Baram Turkewitz ’91: Heather and Jordan have been married for almost nine years and currently live on the upper west side in New York City. Their twins, Ethan and Dylan, are six years old.
Tiffany Capuano Kaplan ’93: “I am a licensed Sales Associate at Friedberg Properties & Associates, Christie’s Great Estates, in Bergen County, New Jersey, specializing in Alpine, Demarest, Englewood, Tenafly and the surrounding towns. My husband, Steven, and I have two daughters, Daisy, who is five and a half, and Sloane, who is four. We moved to Demarest, New Jersey from New York City in 2006. In the four years we’ve lived here, I’ve become active at The Kaplen Jewish Community Center on the Palisades and The County Road School in Demarest. I am also VicePresident of the Women’s Division of United Jewish Appeal of Northern New Jersey. I am a member of Temple Emanuel, Montammy Golf Club and Tenafly Racquet Club.”
Tiffany Capuano Kaplan ’93 and her family
Lorelai Pollitz (daughter of Nick Pollitz ’93)
Nick Pollitz ’93: “Our daughter, Lorelai Rose Pollitz, was born on February 1, 2010. She weighed 7.6 lbs.”
Rick Werner ’93: Rick Werner married Sabine Kretschmann on August 16, 2009 at The Yale Club in New York City. Rick is currently a partner at Haynes and Boone, LLP. The Werner’s reside on the Upper East Side.
Rick Werner ’93 with his wife, Sabine
Dogan Baruh ’94: After graduating from Brown University, Dogan had a successful career working for a major Wall Street investment firm. He then started working in real estate, and launched his own firm named RES Sales and Marketing Corp. This past year Dogan got engaged to Karen Weinberger (Brown ’98 as well) and is expected to get married this summer (other Anglo/Dwight alums will surely be in attendance).
Davis Schiller (son of Lauren Braver Schiller ’94)
Lauren Braver Schiller ’94: “My son Davis Francis Schiller was born February 16, 2010. We are so happy!!!”
Karon Vereen ’95: “Karon Vereen and her husband, Noah Davis, welcomed their first child, Moses Marcel Davis, on February 17, 2010 in Los Angeles. Karon is a filmmaker and is currently working on bringing the book, Leaving Atlanta, to screen. She is also producing a docu-musical about her father, Ben Vereen.” Alex Dudelson ’96: Alex Dudelson, Esq is the principal attorney of his firm based in Brooklyn Heights. He specializes in Criminal Law, Trust & Estate litigation and Commercial Litigation. Alex has been dating Fabiana Portolano ’97 for the past two years. Alex and Fabiana bumped into each other 12 years after high school at Alex Filippa’s ’97 housewarming party and have been dating since. Vanessa Katzen ’96: Vanessa was married on March 13, 2010 to Andrew Schleimer at the
Setai Hotel in Miami. Andrew, who was born and raised in New York City, and Vanessa live downtown with their dog, Kingston. Jyotsna Vasisht ’96: Alumni Council member Jyotsna was married in March to Kevin Bean (Loyola Blakefield ’97, Connecticut College ’01) in India. Shiv Vasisht and Kirk Spahn both represented Dwight’s Class of 1995 at the wedding. Kevin and Jyotsna live in New York City and continue to stay very involved with Dwight. Jyotsna can be reached at j_vasisht@ hotmail.com and hopes to hear from you. Bevin Murphy ’98: “I’m getting married in August and have moved to Staten Island, New York. I’m working for a company that does production and lighting for photo shoots, mainly in the fashion industry. I am also a freelance art director and set dresser.” Ilana Blumberg ’01: “For the past five years I have been working as a Personal Chef and Caterer. I do everything from intimate dinner parties to 100 person cocktail parties, and everything in between. Check me out at easyenoughrecipes.com.” Matt Brecher ’01: “I have been working for The Marketing Directors, Inc. for the past seven years; two of which were spent as a marketing coordinator and the following five I have been overseeing the IT department. Currently I handle the New York City, Atlanta, Boston and Florida offices. We specialize in new construction residential marketing and sales. I have recently become a homeowner at The Visionaire, New York’s MOST green building located in Battery Park. I am unmarried with no kids. I do have a wonderful German shepherd, and I couldn’t have asked for a better companion.” James Dwyer ’01: “I married Emily Mott from East Hampton on September 12, 2009 at the Montauk Yacht Club. We met in New York City through friends in 2005. I am living in East Hampton now and am working at Prudential Douglas Elliman in Bridgehampton as an Office Administrator to the Regional Director for all of the Hamptons. We are looking to buy a house out here and are on the hunt. I hope to see everyone soon and catch up.” Summer 2010
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Alumni | Class Notes
Charles Kalter ’01: “I am a Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Designer, working for a Consulting Engineering firm in midtown that designs HVAC systems for a wide range of building projects across New York City. I have been living in Astoria, Queens for the past three years. In 2005, I graduated from Cornell University with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and have been working in the HVAC industry ever since.”
in a Stalinist prison camp in 1940. Then in August and September I was in New Orleans filming a principal role in National Lampoon’s ‘Snatched’ starring Ernest Borgnine, Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman. This fall, I will be shooting National Lampoon’s ‘Dead Serious’, and I am also on board for the upcoming horror movie, ‘Devil’s Den’ (slated to begin production early 2011). I often think back at my days at Dwight with fondness.”
Jessi Bernstein Levi ’01: “I got married in November 2004. I now have three children – Eliel Yosef (4), Eliya Chaya (2), and Azarya Nissim (14 months). We live in Bridgeport, Connecticut while my husband is in medical school training to be a naturopathic physician. My husband and I also do professional photography.”
Noah Shulman ’02: “My company, Sleepless City Productions, recently worked on editing an on-the-road music documentary DVD for the pop/rock band ‘All Time Low.’ It became available in stores in May.”
Jessi Bernstein Levi ’01 with her three children
Cristina Ranzini ’01: “I decided to join an international masters program. I was in Dijon learning about wine, Brussels learning about beer, and now I’m back in Italy studying dairy products. I’ve studied everything from production to quality control. It has been super interesting! I’m starting a four month internship at a company called MofinAlce, where I’ll be studying molds for gorgonzola and probiotics for use in the food industry so I can then write my thesis paper.” Marni Isaacs Schwartz ’01: “I was married in October 2009 in New York City. My full name is now Marni Isaacs Schwartz. Hope all is well with everyone!” T. J. Craig ’02
T.J. Craig ’02: “After Dwight, I graduated with a BA in Acting from Fordham University in 2006. Last spring I made my feature film debut in ‘Under Jacob’s Ladder,’ a drama set
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Dhelon Raynold ’05: “I graduated from Drew University in May 2009, where I majored in Political Science and double minored in European Studies and German. During a semester abroad in London (Fall 2008), I studied contemporary British politics and in connection with a research paper, I interviewed Keith Hill, a Member of the British Parliament, who once served as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to former Prime Minister Tony Blair.
maternal mortality and morbidity through empowerment of women.’ It was an intriguing experience to follow the heated negotiations as various cultures clashed on the issue of abortion! Through my assignment at the Mission of St. Lucia, I work on a number of social projects. I have a keen interest in developing an effective youth driven response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. I am currently developing, in collaboration with the World Youth Alliance (WYA), an AIDS project which I hope will be implemented in St. Lucia as a comprehensive youth-led response to the epidemic. At the end of my current internship, I plan to pursue a short-term internship in the summer with a non-governmental organization (NGO). This year, I am also exploring options for graduate school. In the photo, I am meeting United States Secretary of State, Hilary Rodham Clinton at UN Headquarters as she attended the 54 Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, March 1-11, 2010. Also in the photo is Marwan Alsaidi ’05, an intern at the United Nations Secretariat.”
Franklin Class Notes
Dhelon Raynold ’05 and Marwan Alsaidi ’05 with Hillary Clinton
Like my Dad, who works for the United Nations, I am interested in a career in International Relations. Since August 2009, I have been working with the Permanent Mission of St. Lucia as a Foreign Service Intern and from September to December 2009, I served as an official member of St. Lucia’s delegation to the 64th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. The Deputy Permanent Representative and I work closely in the Third Committee of the United Nations which focuses on social, cultural and human rights issues. In March this year, I assisted senior staff at the Mission of St. Lucia at the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in the negotiations on a draft resolution on ‘Eliminating
Paul Harris, Franklin ’58
Paul Harris, Franklin ’58: “I have great memories of Franklin and was happy to enjoy my 50th reunion last year in New York at the school with some fellow classmates.
I was a Pharmacist and pharmacy owner for 30 years in New York City when I decided to relocate to South Florida in 1994. I worked for Eckerd’s Drug for a few years until I made a career change to work with people with Disabilities. I have been doing this for the past 10 years. I presently live in Hollywood, Florida, where I work for Abilities of Florida, a non-profit company that works with people who are disabled. Two years ago Abilities received a grant from Social Security to work on a 5-year pilot project with youth between the ages of 16-22 years who have disabilities and family income
Class Notes | Alumni
of $10,000 or less. This program called YTD (Youth Transition Demonstration Project) is designed to mentor these young adults so they can become independent and self-sufficient and come off of Social Security. I work with them to focus on education and prepare them for interviews for employment. I also provide job development and search for positions that are suitable for them.” Claire Cowan Evans, Franklin ’60: “Below is the most recent photo of me. I was in New York to see ‘RED.’ I am still a New Yorker at heart and try to see a show whenever I am in the city. It is only a two hour trip from where I live in Connecticut. All the women I go in with do their own thing when we get to the city. Some of us go to the MOMA and then to a show. It is a real shot in the arm for an old suburban woman like me.”
composed highly original, innovative work in Jazz, Classical, Blues, and Rock. It was a great honor and a privilege for me to share the same YouTube performance session with him! He has been an incredibly great teacher, mentor and friend to me over many years. Check us out at: http://tinyurl.com/yztouzb and http:// tinyurl.com/y8zlwlu.” Rob Nager, Franklin ’65: “I am pleased to announce that I have formed my own real estate company, Rob Nager LLC. It is my intention to continue as a Manhattan based company specializing in commercial retail and office leasing, building sales and consulting services. Feel free to email me at nagerrealestate@aol. com or call me at 917-750-7141. Hopefully the next 35 years will be as fulfilling, creative and exciting as the past 35!”
Zohar Zemach (Zami) Wilson, Anglo ’83: “On November 27, 2009, my first child, Amor Wilson, was born. She’s healthy and happy. We just came back from a five-day festival in the Israeli desert. Amor was very happy to sleep for the first time in her life in a tent, as well as attend many live concerts and a trance party with mom and dad. The 20-minute weekly radio show that I’m hosting has received many positive responses, and it’s been made into a weekly one-hour show that focuses on health, nutrition, and body-mind-spirit topics. My monthly Alok Holistic Health newsletter will celebrate its tenth anniversary this summer. Over the years it has grown to have more than 14,000 subscribers, who enjoy reading about health and nutrition from a holistic perspective. People can subscribe to the newsletter through my website www.alokhealth.com.”
Eric Bram, Franklin ’68: “I am owner and principal of Bram Patent Services in Poughkeepsie, New York.” Eric Bram, Franklin ’68
Claire Cowan Evans, Franklin ’60 in New York City
Joe Weissman, Franklin ’64: “I just completed an exciting piano duet on March 6, on YouTube, with David Bowie’s pianist, Mike Garson! This has a lot of drama for me because it was first Joe Weissman, Franklin ’64 scheduled, and then canceled, on the day of my emergency open heart surgery, December 11, 2009 and because performing with such a legendary musician is a major highlight for me. My YouTube session duet partner, Mike Garson, has also performed with legendary musicians such as Stanley Clark, Freddie Hubbard, Gwen Stefani, Adam Lambert, 9 Inch Nails, Mel Torme, Smashing Pumpkins, Eddie Daniels and many others. He has given many solo concerts worldwide and with his own group, Free Flight. In addition to teaching many, many musicians individually and in Master Classes, Mike has
William Recant, Franklin ’71: “I work for the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee which is a leading international non-governmental organization. For the past three years I have been supervising a special project in Rwanda where we have built a village and high school for orphans and genocide victims. Please check out the web site of the Agahozo+Shalom Youth Village: www.asyv. org. I have been working in the field of international development and international rescue and relief since completing my doctorate in the early 80’s.”
Anglo Class Notes Bob Steiner, Anglo ’81: “I work for Sotheby’s real estate in East Hampton and dabble in photography. Check out my website: www.bobsteinerphotography.com.”
Zohar Wilson, Anglo ’83 with his wife and daughter
Robert Amrani, Anglo ’89: “I was able to visit Dwight some time ago. I am currently still in the United States Army, and assigned to the C Company 2 - 4 Aviation Regiment, MEDEVAC, in Fort Hood, Texas. We are ramping up to deploy to Afghanistan in June of this year for at least a year. I am a Flight Medic, responsible for the roadside, point of injury response, treatment and transport of injured Soldiers and Marines operation in the Theatre of combat operations, Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan. We operate in HH-60L Blackhawk helicopters, and have a wide range of medical capabilities. On a more personal level, my son, Parker, is now 17 months old, and my wife, Emily, is due with our second child in October. I will miss the birth, but will hopefully be home soon after for leave. We are still living in Texas, and hope to remain in Killeen, Fort Hood for at least a few years.”
Bob Steiner, Anglo ’81
Summer 2010
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Class Notes | Alumni Annual Fund 2009-10
Dwight
Anglo-American
Franklin
graduates Successful Dwight, Franklin and Anglo-American graduates span the globe. Your gift will ensure that future Dwight graduates also leave their mark. Please support The Dwight School Foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2009-10 Annual Fund. Successful Dwight, Franklin, and Anglo-American graduates span the globe. Help future Dwight graduates reach their potential by ensuring the best Dwight education possible. Last year a record number of alumni supported the Annual Fund. We hope alumni will have an even greater impact this year as we strive to reach our overall goal of $1,300,000. Every gift counts. Please consider making a gift in the attached pledge envelope or online now at www.dwight.edu/givingtodwight/onlinegiving.asp. For more information, please contact Kari Loya, Director of Annual Fund, at 212.724.6360 x233 or kloya@dwight.edu.
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Dwight Today
Alumni | Where Are They Now? Missing Landmark Year (A class celebrating a five (5), ten (10), fifteen (15), twenty (20), etc. year reunion) Alumni Below are alumni from Landmark years with whom we have lost contact. Please communicate with your Class Representative if you know the wherabouts of anyone on this list. You may also contact Kristin Pate, Director of Alumni Affairs, at kpate@dwight.edu or 212.724.6360 ext. 232. We appreciate your help!
Marzia Glisenti
Kevin E. O’Sullivan
Stephen B. Israel
Andrew Arnhem
Rachel Horne
Riv V. Perez
Dennis P. Kowalski
Dorit Ben-Moha
Nemiko Inada
Richard B. Rubinstein
Stephen J. Lutz
Valeria Borghi
Nicholas Johnson
Kurt F. Schussler
Bari M. Mapelli
Robyn Brand
Robin Kodaira
Jon J. Sheppard
Daniel G. Mazzello
Courtney Bullock
Giulia Leoni
Daniel Y. Stromeier
Brian T. McGirl
Kwang-Jai Chun
Noah Mallin
Francis A. Tamburrino
John Q. McNulty
Ernesto DeMarzio
Robert McCormick
Douglas Torborg
Richard E. Montgomery
Annie Descoteaux
Michael Mimoun
Joseph L. Uriarte
John C. Morgan
Firoozeh Ebtehadj
Rieko Onkita
James R. Walker
Richard K. Muller
Stephanie Sarna
Michael B. Weiss
Joseph T. Murphy
Anglo ’85
Erika Ellis Christopher Hamer Andrea Istel Kathryn Kaestle Ilya Karlin Kamran Karoon
Adam Simon Jonathan Stiles Jason Wasiak
Dwight ’60
Dwight ’65 Kamran Akhavan Kazuma Atsumi Chetman Brown
Barry N. Nemhauser Robert J. Oglio Steven A. Paiewsky Richard J. Peck Bruce W. Plenge
Sang H. Kim
Douglas K. Byrne
Michael A. Bunzl
Lucas LaFontaine
Hart B. Ferrall
Robert L. Butler
Alyssa Leyton
Norman S. Field
William F. Byrne
Josh Lurie
Chester A. Frank
Vincent R. Camperlengo
Eunok Moon
Jeffrey A. Halley
Kenneth A. Cappy
Frank Morris
Richard K. Harris
John Carballo
Tony Paris
Hollins Hoguet
Daniel T. Cash
Alex Quentin
Stuart T. Hulbert
Stephen J. Clement
Samantha Richman
Raoul D. Kennedy
Richard H. Coinder
John Santoiemma
Ronald S. Kerney
Charles T. De Gregoria
Shahira Shaker
Walter A. Kirton
Sean De Guzman
Rodrego Siez
Paul T. Larkin
Patrick W. Deegan
Andrew Taylor
George O. Lehmann
William J. Demjen
Paul Vincent
David S. Lundberg
Emil H. Dietz
Dror Ben Ami
Alyssa Wilder
William H. Mac Murray
Peter S. Ferry
Barbara Bjelovucic
Stephanie Young
Dennis M. McCarthy
Roman Genauer
Jose Diaz
Dana Zeitzer
David N. McLaughlin
Michael E. Getter
Stuart Gibert
Stephen E. Metz
Alan Greenberg
Michael Goldenberg
Nedim Baruh
David H. Mistroff
Thomas F. Gully
Lee Goldman
Renee Cooper
Henry J. Monetti
Raymond R. Hagedorny
Vanina Goodman
Doron Ezra
Charles L. Montati
David Hernandez
Jane Hillman
Margot Gatje
James K. Moran
Peter J. Ianello
Nancy Hoffman
Anglo ’90
Frank Profeta, Jr. Michael S. Reed Fred V. Rizzo Chedmond B. Samuel Mark Schwartz Peter V. Segal Thomas A. Simone Michael M. Spritzer Lawrence J. Stern Paul E. Tausig James E. Vassalotti, Jr
Dwight ’70
Summer 2010
81
Alumni | Where Are They Now?
Allison Levine
Charles Patterson
Kara Baker
Joseph Lugo
Justin Q. Pelegano
Linda Lewis
Jonathan Blyth
Joy Lundeen
Joshua Pereira
Stephen Lifton
Reva Cotter
Catherine Luttinger
Corinne A. Ragusa
Jose Perez-Tubens
Linda Froeb
Tammy MacGregor
Jonathan Rand
Edward Ringel
Andrew Harris
Laura Maya
Hasan Soysal
Charles Roberts
Loren Haver
Matthew W. McGuire
Luke C. Thoresen
Howard Samuels
Jonathon H. Hunt
Nicholas Merrill
David Toussie
Jesscia Schein
Christina Ohley Evans
Oliver Miller
Jorge Tseng
Patricia Schneider
Michael Orapchuck
Alexandra Miller-Von Furstenberg
Jennifer L. Tudisco
Lisa Ouaknine Jack Pollack
Adam Palminteri
Scott Rosenberg
Alex Ross
Melissa Sloan
Jon Schapiro
Einat Adi-Cohen
Ansell Thompson
David Schneider
Majorie R. Bernardin
Scott Van Der Marck
Abbe Shatles
Landon Y. Brasseur
Louis Sherman
Justin P. Cairo
John Shriber
Won Tae Cha
Anna Skoler
Olga Chelenkova
Doug Summer
Justine M. Fowler
Walter Swerdlow
Marina D. Hallebeek
William Vaschetta
Ari Kadin
Sindey Lehrer
Dwight ’85
Gary Levintan
Vivian Silverman Robin Stein Judith Sunshine Nancy Thorne Carolyn A. Beatus Sharon R. Greenberg John S. Roberts
Dwight ’90
Joseph P. Sacco
Sean Argaman
Ehud J. Schmidt
Jill Aronsky
Allison B. Wolf
Kendall Austin
Gina Wylie
Jennifer Blick Marie Carlysle
Dwight ’80 Todd Allen
Dwight ’95
Dwight ’00
Yi-Ying Liu Luise Makarov
Michael Decker
Tom Aharoni
Samantha Donnelly
John J. Bailey
Tim Elder
Anthony Beno-Holden
Madeleine C. Chait Brand
Alexander Endeshaw
Megan Dunleavy
Christine Crossly
Barbra Feltman
Sagi Einav
Laurent J. Edry
Larry Finkelstein
Phillip Green
Jhon Fujiwara
Meredith Geller
Brooke R. Herman
Loren Fujiwara
Elizabeth Goldberg
Mariya A. Hoskins
Lisa D. Harbison
Shawn Goldman
Patrick T. Hynes
Fiona M. Hastie
Jeffrey Gordon
Noah Laney
Suzanne M. Kogan
Mitchell Gould
Benoit Leclercq
Beverly Kroll
Benjamin Greene
Justin Mallis
Carolyn Nembrotti
Jennifer Haft
Leonardo Moretti
Liron Asias
Carolyn Post
Amanda Hudson
Silvia Natalicchi
Alon Barak
Lisa A. Shawe
Vanessa Langiulli
Susan Patko
Aminata Diop
Blaire Allison Wayne Bauer
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Kiernen Costello
Karon Vereen
Dwight Today
Eric B. Moran Christopher J. O’Leary Livia Papp Eryc Pelle Joana Piano Ju Mi Pyo Victoria S. Segal Eun-Jung Shin Robert N. Stokes Olivia Szule
Dwight ’05
Where Are They Now? | Alumni
Lee Mendelson
Amir Dor
Robert Ulrich
Eliana Dotan
Merle Weisman
Allison Alter
Ann Paley
Michael Zeren
Nancy Blum
David Robinson
Judith Zimmerman
Judy Crown
Karen Soloway
Linda Jackson
Jose Velez
Barbara Juris
Regina Weinman
Larry Juris
Mark Wiener
Dillon Edwards Sara C. Galvez Guy Goel Diogo B. Gomes Preston Jones Aaron Lawson Orestes Leventis Joshua D. Levis Iris S. Mantovani Daniel J. Marino Charles E. Masson
Franklin ’65 Thomas Allen Marylou Altholz Sybil Bardain Bruce Breger Ann Britz Margot Brodie Joanne Butterman
Franklin ’70
Jane Kahan Sue Kates Stephanie Kuluva Michael Lambert Debbie Lehrman Nina Maduro
Franklin ’80 Bryan Alford Stewart Austin Christopher Barnes Laurie Black
Alan Cohen
Debby Mandel
James Carroll
Nancy Elias
Abbe Milgrim
Joanne Clay
Michael Frizzell
Patricia Minton
Diane Dundee
Carol Geoulla
Debbie Proper
Craig Fletcher
Henry Goldenberg
Norman Savitt
Hillary Griffith
Jay Greenstein
Laura Schlather
Reed Halstead
Joan Kahn
Bonnie Seligson
Fraser Horn
Marjorie Koock
Fred Stein
James Hunt
Kenneth Lloyds
Amy Watt
Laura Larusso
David Armel
Elizabeth Lorenzo
Randy Weinman
Amy Lieberson
Roger Blair
Bonnye Mevorach
Arlene Weinrauch
Karen Lonn
Jill Campe
Lee Onkeles
Mitchell Glass
Sheila Pfeffer
Kenneth Grossman
Barbara Pruzan
David Baumbach
Hector Quinones
Richard Heilbrun
Danny Reck
Monica L. Bynum
Adam Rogers
Gloria Langford
Laurie Roper
Leslie Choily
Lisa Schubert
Rita Marcus
Joel Sheriff
Gina Cosentino
Jill Siebelbaum
Robert Mesnick
Robert Sieradzki
Susan Fox
Eric Spiegelman
Kenneth Morse
Stephanie Solove
Randolph Garcia
Lynne Vittorio
Evelyn Rathe
Randee Sutton
Ella Garfinkle
Rita Rosenblum
Karen Swartsberg
Mark Giloni
Marilyn Schore
Josh Tannenbaum
Linda Lempel
Natalie Shernoff
Charlotte Tuck
Brenda L. Mahoney
Gloria Solomon
Barbara Turner
Dena Majett
Malcolm K. Suss
Carole Young
Jill Margolies Chernick
Laura Pasqualini Yoon-Suk Roh Henriette Safdien Ofir Shamay Daniel E. Vasquez Amy Watanabe Natalie Wolpert
Franklin ’60
Franklin ’75 Sandy Axelrod
Cathi Mayers Enyi Okesie
Summer 2010
83
Dwight Today | In Memoriam
In Memoriam
Daniel Moriarty ’59 Dwight was saddened to learn of the passing of Daniel Moriarty ’59 on March 27, at age 69. Dan’s obituary was published in the New York Times on April 5, 2010: MORIARTY–Daniel John, born September 1, 1941 in New York City, died at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after a brave battle with AML. A graduate of The Dwight School and Georgetown University, Dan began Groovies Movies while in college and was a publicist for The Shadows nightclub in Washington, DC. He returned to New York to represent, among others, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Richie Havens and Buffy St. Marie. Dan went on to a distinguished career in senior executive positions at Norton Simon, Inc., Revlon, Max Factor, Christian Dior, LVMH, Large Scale Biology Corp. among others, and most recently,
until his retirement, at APLA. Unfailingly generous and loving with his time, wisdom, humor and friendship to family, friends, and colleagues, Dan served on the boards of educaDaniel Moriarty ’59 tional, charitable and business not-for-profit organizations and was an avid world traveler. After the death of his parents Jane G. and Mortimer D., Dan became the beloved patriarch of his family. He is survived by his brothers and sisters Mortimer, Kevin, Margaret, Michael, John and Jane and their spouses, nine nieces and nephews, three great-nephews and his dearest friend Thomas McCauley.
Walter Brown ’05 The Dwight School is deeply saddened by the loss of Walter Brown ’05, a member of the Dwight community since 2001. To quote his good friend Patrick Murney ’05, “Walter was one of the truest people I knew when I was in school. We always shared laughs, as he definitely had one of the best senses of humor, and we had some great times hanging out with other friends. I had the pleasure along with plenty others to be on the 2003 Division 2 Dwight Tigers Baseball championship team with him. It was a great baseball season, and we spent a week in Florida for spring training where he and I shared a room both for the ’03 and ’04 seasons. He was loved by all his closest friends out in Suffern, where he grew up, and he gained even more love from his new friends at Dwight. I celebrate his life and believe that he is in a good place, and I know that his spirit will always be with us. My love and prayers go
84
Dwight Today
out to his family. Peace and Love, Walter. We will never forget you.” Another one of his classmates, Jason Kassimir ’05, said “Walter Brown was a man who never strayed from his indiWalter Brown ’05 viduality. He was always ready to evolve, but never bargained with who he was; what you saw was what you got. Walter always wanted to do the right thing, and what made him so special was that his commitment to doing the right thing never involved conformity. This unique individual will be missed by those who had the honor of knowing him, but his memory will be forever celebrated.” Our condolences go out to his friends and family.
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