Dwight Today Summer 2011

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Profiles of Alumni in the Food and Beverage Industry

Also in This Issue: Sports Wrap-Up: A Year in Photographs 2011 Graduates Celebrate Commencement at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Dwight’s Second Annual Distinguished Speaker Series Informs and Inspires

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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

Dear Readers, It was a busy but rewarding school year for our Communications Department, and while students and faculty are enjoying their summers, we’re already hard at work preparing for another exciting year ahead. This September we look forward to launching Dwight’s new website, which will further enhance our communication with parents, students, faculty, and alumni. In the meantime, we invite you to “Like” us on Facebook to receive Dwight updates throughout the summer! Enjoy this summer issue of Dwight Today.

Graphic Design Audrey Miller Director of Creative Design Proofreaders Ashley Haughton Jacqueline Leitzes Caroline Walsh

Rachael Bennett Editor-in-Chief

Photographers Michele Hoos Jacqueline Leitzes Kristin Pate Piotr Redlinski Stan Schnier Ian Wilson Printing Queen City Printers Inc., Burlington, VT, environmentally certified to the Forest Stewardship Council™ standard.

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Few things move the soul the way dance does. All parts of the human experience – the heart, mind, and body – appear in harmony. Dwight proudly staged an evening performance devoted to this eternal art form last February. To read more about the event held at the Manhattan Movement and Art Center, turn to page 20. —Photograph by Stan Schnier.

Lower School students take a well-deserved break from the activities at the annual Timothy House Field Day held in Riverside Park. Field Day is a Dwight tradition dating back to the 1980s. It celebrates the end of the school year and fosters camaraderie by having students across grades form teams that compete in fun and challenging events. Read more about this spring highlight on page 26. —Photograph by Stan Schnier.

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:WVY[Z >YHW <W A Year in Photos

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Photos and awards from this year’s ceremony held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

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Profiles of Alumni in the Food and Beverage Industry

(S\TUP :WV[SPNO[Z! 48 Richie Akiva ’95

Nightlife in New York

50 Doug Boxer ’91 Burgers & Views

53 Josh Eden ’88 Keeping it Fresh

54 Mayan Axelrod ’91

From One Great Event to Another

56 Philip Philips ’69 All in the Family

58 Ilana Blumberg ’01

Bake Sales, Big Bashes and Everything in Between

46

61 Annie Sigal Medina ’93 Spreading the Latin Vibe

62 Michael Gluckman ’90 Hamptons Hot Spots

64 Ariel Azani ’00 Born into it....

66 Robert Schagrin ’75

Revitalizing the Wine Store Experience

68 Stuart Jakub ’97

In Search of Great Wine

70 Derek Axelrod ’91

Always on His A-Game

72 Nicolette Harley, Anglo ’85 Perfecting Her Palate

74 Violetta Bitici ’88

Cultivating a Top Notch Team

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77 Aaron Sanchez ’94

Home is Where the Chef Is

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Dwight’s Second Annual Distinguished Speaker Series Informs and Inspires

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From the Chancellor

Dear Dwight Community and Friends, Dwight has three pillars that support our vision of creating world leaders through academic excellence. The pillars are first, personalized learning – to nurture a “spark of genius” within each student through a multilevel mentoring system. Second, global vision – to foster an understanding of multiple cultures. Third, community service – to encourage making a difference through creativity, action, and service. Recent developments with the International Baccalaureate have recognized another dimension. There are students whose mentoring and areas of excellence might not be academic but career related. They have piloted a program that requires mastery of foreign language, excellence in one academic subject, and passionate pursuit of a career objective and have formed an understanding for how ideas are used in real life in order to serve the greater community. Every day it is clear to me that some students are more passionate about activities that are not purely academic in nature. Only yesterday, I read an article in the June 7 issue of The Wall Street Journal about one graduate, Maggio Cipriani ’08, who is now the fourth generation to establish a new enterprise in the hospitality industry. Maggio, age 21, and his brother, Ignazio, just founded Mr. C, a new 138-room hotel and restaurant in Beverly Hills. “Mr. C” is how the doorman addressed him each night when he returned home from school. The restaurant features Italian food for which his family is known. Maggio and his brother recounted, “We started off in the kitchen since we were very young. We learned how to speak to and work with the staff.” This issue of Dwight Today tells the stories of Dwight chefs, restaurateurs, and others who found their “spark of genius” in the world of food and drink. All had qualities that went beyond an academic report card, such as enthusiasm, high energy, and a strong desire to excel at what they wanted to pursue. All of them embody the pillars on which Dwight is built. Warm regards,

Stephen H. Spahn, Chancellor

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Dwight Today | 2010-2011 Awards Summary 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. 6th Grade: Zachary Bilmen, A Jellyfish Story 7th Grade: Emily Eidler, Confessions of a Picky Eater 8th Grade: Cena Loffredo, Leaving the Nest 9th Grade: Taji Phillips, The Taste of Time is Bittersweet 10th Grade: Imogen Jenkins, Today 11th Grade: Ben Zahler, Lessons from Zimbabwe

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-wide assembly. 9th Grade: Alexander Hagani 10th Grade: James Rubin 11th Grade: Emily Armstrong 12th Grade: Daniel Maren (school winner)

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 particularly ambitious and strong essays this year: Daniel Feldman, To what extent was Jiang Qing’s involvement in the Cultural Revolution driven by a desire to create the subservient bureaucratic regime in which she would eventually thrive after Mao’s death? Gabriella Andersson, Are the fundamental human rights of Saudi Arabian women infringed upon by the laws and traditions that treat the genders differently? Andrea Bell, How can Pascal’s Triangle be extended into three dimensions?

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: Finnigan Grollo, Margaret Thatcher 7th Grade: Yasmeen Asali, Samuel Adams 8th Grade: Ethan Arbess, Debt Pays 9th Grade: George Gospodinov, Aristotle’s Influence on Islamic Philosophy 10th Grade: Gabriel Frankel, FDR and the Jews: Did President Roosevelt do Enough to Rescue the Jewish People from the Holocaust? 11th Grade: Sukrit Puri, To what extent did Nazi Propaganda Play a role in the Reichstag elections of 1932?

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: Zachary Bilmen, Click, Click, Stop Clicking 7th Grade: Tatum Phillips, The Train Guy 8th Grade: Brett Weinstein, Why? 9th Grade: Sasha Grunberg, Txt nd drive r txt n die 10th Grade: Jelle Kranenberg, King Corn

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Parents Association | Community News

s we come to the close of another school year, it is with great pleasure and pride that I recap our extraordinary school year and thank our wonderful Dwight parents, who tirelessly contributed their time to make our community vibrant and strong. In August, the PA reached out to new families to welcome them to Dwight and hosted a Welcome Breakfast for the new kindergarten parents at the Riverside Campus. In October, the PA hosted the Bentley House Halloween Spook-tacular, and in November, we organized the annual school-wide Thanksgiving Food Drive led by the students of Bentley House. Also in November, we held another successful Book Fair fundraiser at Barnes and Noble, featuring Blake Spahn as a guest reader for kindergarten and first graders as well as special guest author and Dwight parent, Nancy Krulik, author of the beloved Katie Kazoo series, who captivated second and third graders with her reading. In December, the PA ushered in the holiday season with the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and the eleventh grade hosted its first Book Club meeting. The PA also arranged to have the Holiday Assembly professionally videotaped, and many proud parents purchased the DVD for their home movie collections. We wrapped up 2010 by recognizing all Dwight faculty and staff with the presentation of a holiday bonus. The PA kicked off 2011 by taking part in Dwight’s annual Spirit Day, a fun day of carnival games and food in January. In February, we hosted the Valentine’s Day breakfast for teachers and staff, a long-time PA tradition that honors faculty and staff members for their dedication to our children. Over forty children participated in a new Timothy House Community Service event by making watercolor panels for hospitalized senior citizens. In addition, the PA-sponsored a workshop to help parents learn how to recognize and prevent face-to-face and online bullying. In March, the PA held its third annual “Dwight on Ice” ice skating party at Lasker Rink (see page 12). In April, the PA introduced a new event, our first International The Dwight School

Food & Wine Festival, which was a huge success (see page 13). In June, the PA hosted a breakfast for faculty and staff to thank them for another year of dedicated service. The PA also funded scholarships for deserving students to participate in summer service trips to India. Throughout the year, parents participated in Safety Patrol, helping to keep our children safe and secure at dismissal time. In addition, the Joint Schools Activities Chairs attended many meetings with representatives of other New York City independent schools in an effort to provide our students with additional community service and cultural opportunities. I now want to take this opportunity to introduce next year’s PA President, Stefani Langel. Stefani has been an integral part of the Dwight Parents Association for many years, has held several positions on the PA Board, and has continually been a sounding board and enthusiastic participant on almost all of our committees. I can’t imagine a better person to lead the Parents Association and know she will have the support of the entire Dwight community. Finally, I want to express my gratitude to the PA Executive Board, Committee and Event Chairs, and Class Reps, as well as to the numerous parent volunteers who gave so much of their time and energy throughout this past year. The successes we achieved this year would also not have been possible without the tremendous support of Dwight’s faculty and staff. I would like to say a special thank you to Dianne Drew, Kari Loya, Rachael Bennett, and Libby Clark for their assistance and guidance, and to Chancellor Stephen Spahn for his inspiring leadership. It has been an honor to work with such a dedicated and enthusiastic group of people; my family and I feel truly privileged to be a part of Dwight. On behalf of the entire PA Board, I wish you and your family a safe and relaxing summer. Barbara Wallner Dwight Parents Association President

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Community News | Parents Association Event

he PA’s third annual “Dwight on Ice” Skating Party was a fun event for the entire Dwight community. On March 11, 2011, children and adults donned skates and took to the ice at Lasker Rink to skate under the stars. More than 150 families attended, and a special appearance by the Dwight Tiger rounded off the night. A special thanks to all the volunteers who made this event so successful.

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Parents Association Event | Community News

n April 12, 2011, parents, teachers, and faculty celebrated our families’ diverse backgrounds at Dwight’s first ever International Food & Wine Festival. Over twenty countries were represented as the Quad was transformed into an elegant party space, where over forty-five different delicious international food dishes were served. Impressively, almost as many different kinds of drinks were served: twenty-five different wines, as well as a number of fabulous beers, mixed drinks, and wonderful teas, all generously donated by parents, teachers, and faculty.

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Community News | Tenth Grade Personal Project Exhibition

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He then produced a series of drawings illustrating both types of buildings. Naturally artistic, Alberto took his creativity to the next level, really “digging inâ€? to his Italian heritage and using architecture as a way to explore how New York and Italy are connected in his own life and environment. Olivia Stone, The Physics of Figure Skating. Olivia combined her love of figure skating and science by doing research on the aspects of physics that are related to figure skating. Her final study illustrated the scientific explanations of different figure skating maneuvers. Olivia was commended for her ability to successfully connect two areas of passion (athletics and science) in a unique way.

Projects with parents, faculty, and peers during the annual MYP Exhibition Night. Student work ranged from musical endeavors to architectural studies, Alice Parker, Who am I? Who Are written works of fiction, original artYou? Who Are We? Alice combined her work, and scientific studies (see page 17).  interests in art and children to create an While all of the tenth graders worked exhibition of images made by children extremely hard all year, three projects from all over the world. The theme of really stood out for their combination each piece of art was “Who Am I?â€? In of a passion with challenging research order to illustrate that, although each of an unfamiliar aspect of their topic: person is different, perhaps there are Alberto Giampaolo, Illustrating unexpected similarities, she asked chilItalian and New York Architecture. dren at schools in New York, England, Alberto first researched Italian archi- and Brazil to draw images of themtecture and then explored New York selves. Her final product displayed all City, looking for buildings that resem- of the drawings together, noting differbled Italian architecture in some way. ences and similarities.Â

Tenth Grade Personal Project Exhibition | Community News

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Community News | Tenth Grade Personal Project Exhibition

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Tenth Grade Personal Projects | Community News

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Ideas Through Art

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The Relationship Between Horses and Riders

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Music Production

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Bernhard Blitzer: The Light of a New Era The ICL Summer Leadership Conference, Vancouver

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The Intricacy of Animation

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Illustrating Italian and New York Architecture

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Carnegie Hall | Virtuosi

or the first time in its ten-year history, Dwight’s evening at Carnegie Hall was dedicated solely to musical performances. The renamed show, Virtuosi, premiered February 4 to a full house at the Weill Recital Hall. Students in grades two through twelve performed in string and chamber ensembles, choruses, and our jazz

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band; and as soloists in modern, jazz, and classical pieces; as well as several original compositions. This year’s extraordinary talent, commitment, and music programming were made possible by the tireless efforts of Natasha Zaitseff, Chair of the Music Program, and all the teachers of the Dwight Music Conservatory.

Virtuosi | Carnegie Hall

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Dwight Today | Winter Dance Performance On February 17, Dwight for the first time staged a dedicated dance performance. Before a full house at the Manhattan Movement and Arts Center, more than twenty Dwight students performed several dance pieces. Some were choreographed by the students themselves; the program

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Winter Dance Performance | Dwight Today was created and choreographed by Colleen Durham, now in her fourth year as adjunct choreographer and dance teacher. This wonderful show was a significant milestone in the development of the arts programming at the school and marks the inception of a new tradition.

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Marlene and Daniel Arbess with their three children: Ethan ’15, Matthew ’13, and Sophia.

was the information session that my husband Daniel and I attended before we applied to the School. There were several families in the room, and the majority of them were international. Chancellor Spahn spoke about the School’s dedication to the individualized teaching approach (“spark of genius”), its international culture, and his family’s multi-generational commitment to the Dwight community. We knew on the spot that this was the environment that our family was looking for. Our son Matthew enrolled in September 2009, and this past fall, our younger son, Ethan, joined him. Although we have only been at Dwight for a short while, it has more than lived up to its promise of providing a fun and Marlene is currently on the Board of Trustees of The Dwight School Foundation and serves as Co-Chair of The 2010-11 Annual Fund.

them to work hard and achieve the highest levels. We have

She and her husband Daniel – who manages

been very impressed and grateful for the School’s cornerstone

the Xerion hedge fund as a partner of Per-

curriculum and its special projects like the Doris Post Oratory

ella Weinberg Partners – have three children:

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even competitive learning environment for our kids, inspiring

Matthew ’13, Ethan ’15, and Sophia (Hor-

Competition and the LaGuardia Essay. Most of all, we appre-

ace Mann ’16).

ciate the energy and commitment of its teachers, who have

We appreciate the energy and commitment of its teachers, who have been there in every way to work with our children and to help them reach their goals.

Marlene Arbess Parent of Matthew ’13 and Ethan ’15 Annual Fund Donor Since 2009

been there in every way to work with our children and to help them reach their goals. Dwight has exceeded our high expectations. We have been so pleased with the receptivity of the faculty and their willingness to partner in a very detailed way with our sons and us to ensure that every tactical opportunity for growth and achievement is captured. Dwight has demanded character and achievement from our kids and has been there, both in and out of class, to ensure that they deliver. Daniel and I have been loyal supporters of The Annual Fund since arriving because we believe that it is our responsibility to give back to the School that has been so good for our children and to help provide funds that are used to supplement student financial aid, faculty professional development, and other enrichment programs. It is also for these reasons that I wanted to serve as a Co-Chair of the 2010-11 Annual Fund. Dwight is a partner in my kids’ education, and by serving in this role,

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 2011-12 annual giving goal of $1,400,000. For further information about our Annual Fund, please call 212.724.6360 x247 or email jleitzes@dwight.edu. To make a gift online, please visit www. dwight.edu/givingtodwight.

I am able to give back and hopefully encourage others to do the same.

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W ? % R G P 4NG Dwight Today | Spirit Week

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Spirit Week | Dwight Today

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Dwight Today | Timothy House Field Day

D-W-I-G-H-T.....Goooooooo, Dwight! It was another wildly successful Timothy House Field Day at the end of May, filled with crazy obstacle races and loads of fun for the lower school students. Mother Nature gave us a beautiful, sunny day in Riverside Park, where teams met wearing their colors and ready for a day filled with egg and spoon races, soccer dribbling, an obstacle course, and more. Timothy House students are already looking forward to next year’s Field Day!

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Timothy House Field Day | Dwight Today

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2010-2011 Sports Wrap Up | Photographic Highlights

2010-2011

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Photographic Highlights | 2010-2011 Sports Wrap Up

2010-2011 Championship Titles GIRLS VARSITY CROSS COUNTRY ACIS CHAMPIONS PSAA CHAMPIONS

BOYS VARSITY BASKETBALL

ACIS REGULAR SEASON CO-CHAMPIONS

GIRLS VARSITY BASKETBALL ACIS PLAY-OFF CHAMPIONS

MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCCER

AIPSL REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONS PLAY-OFF CHAMPIONS

FENCING TITLES GOLD: Race Imboden ’11

Division I Men’s Foil, National Championships (Portland, OR) Junior Men’s Foil, NAC C (Dallas, TX) Junior Men’s Foil, World Cup (London, England)

Juliana Barrett ’12

Junior Women’s Epee, National Tournament (Cape Town, South Africa) Junior Women’s Epee, National Tournament (Durban, South Africa)

Srey Beaulac ’12

Junior Women’s Epee Team, Junior Olympics (Dallas, TX)

Signe Ferguson ’14

Youth 14 Women’s Epee, Super Youth Circuit (Rocky Point, NY)

SILVER: Race Imboden ’11

Division I Men’s Foil, NAC A (Cincinnati, OH) Junior Men’s Foil, NAC B (Milwaukee, WI) Junior Men’s Foil, World Cup (Lignano, Italy)

Juliana Barrett ’12

Division I Women’s Epee, National Tournament (Cape Town, South Africa) Cadet Women’s Epee, National Tournament (Pretoria, South Africa)

Sara Taffel ’13

Cadet Women’s Foil, Junior Olympics (Dallas, TX)

BRONZE: Juliana Barrett ’12

Division I Women’s Epee, National Tournament (Pretoria, South Africa) Junior Women’s Epee, National Tournament (Pretoria, South Africa)

Ayyub Ibrahim ’12

Cadet Men’s Epee, Cadet World Cup (Modling, Austria)

Signe Ferguson ’14

Y14 Women’s Epee, NAC E (Portland, OR)

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2010-2011 Sports Wrap Up | Photographic Highlights

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Photographic Highlights | 2010-2011 Sports Wrap Up

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Dwight Today | Kindergarten Grandparents & Special Friends Day

.YHUKWHYLU[Z .V )HJR [V In April, the kindergarten students celebrated their annual Grandparents & Special Friends Day at the Riverside Campus. All guests were welcomed into the classrooms and were able to see a little bit of what it is like to be a kindergarten student at Dwight, participating in music and reading activities, before having lunch together. At the end of the afternoon, the kindergarten classes surprised their grandparents and special friends with a wonderful repeat performance of their Spring PYP Presentation on artists. “From the moment we entered the classroom we felt honored to be there,” said Joyce Knodell (grandparent of Finn Bennett ’23). “The teachers and children were warm and welcoming, and the walls were filled with the children’s creative endeavors. We enjoyed seeing our grandson’s packet of work and were impressed by the variety and quality of the assignments. We loved every minute of a very special day!”

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Kindergarten Grandparents & Special Friends Day | Dwight Today

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Dwight Today | Preschool Grandparents & Special Friends Day

.YHUKWHYLU[Z .V )HJR [V In May, Woodside Preschool celebrated their annual Grandparents & Special Friends Day. The grandparents and special friends started this exciting day in the gym, where a piece of art from each student was proudly displayed on the walls. After being escorted to their respective classrooms, grandparents and special friends participated in a variety of classroom activities, including special music performances. “Our first Grandparents Day at the preschool was so welcoming,â€? said Anne and Richard Janiak (grandparents of Connor ’26). “We enjoyed viewing the children’s creative art work and observing them interacting with their classmates. The warmth and dedication of the teachers and staff were evident throughout the day, and we look forward to attending next year!â€?

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Preschool Grandparents & Special Friends Day | Dwight Today

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Commencement 2011 | Ceremony

Dwight’s philosophy and lexicon are imprinted boldly on everyone who enters our doors. Graduates, during your time here, we have attempted to instill our spirit and passion in each of you. We have tried to help you – “Dare to Dream;” – To “Have the courage to take risks;” – To “be a person of action;” – To “make service count;” – To “fill every unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run;” – To “acknowledge we only have twenty-four hours in a day and that we should use them in ways that make us proud;” –and “to nurture your ‘spark of genius’.” Class of 2011, as you end your time at Dwight, you should know that the door you walked through on your first day here – whether that day was your first day of kindergarten or just this past September – will always be open to anyone with an open mind and heart. You have become one family. And as you walk out of those doors into the larger world you carry with you life lessons learned that can sustain you through your lives. You have begun the hero’s journey. Congratulations! You have my affection, respect, and admiration. —Chancellor Stephen H. Spahn

Congratulations to the Class of 2011 2011 Graduating Class

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Awards | Commencement 2011 Valedictorian Andrea Bell

The Henry Crehan Music Award Nicholas Jenkins

Salutatorian Daniel Maren

The North East Conference of Teachers of Foreign Language Awards IB French: Andrea Bell and Kiarra Barrow IB Spanish: Gabriella Andersson and Miranda Enberg

Charles W. Myron CAS Award Daniel Maren The Seamus O’Hanlon Inspirational Leadership Award Kiara Barrow The Radomir Kovacevic Award Karl Bahceci The Stephen Potter McNally Leadership in Athletics Award Jonathan Lee The Dr. M.C. Athletics Spahn Award Andrea Bell and Antonia Smith

The Cliff Boro Award Andrea Bell The Theodore R. Jones Mathematics Award Kewei Xie The Fiorello LaGuardia Excellence in Social Studies Award Jeffrey Kempler

The Truman Capote IB Higher Level English Award Casey Zuckerman The Walter Lippmann IB Theory of Knowledge Award Daniel Feldman The European Council of International Schools (ECIS) Award for International Understanding Nooria Puri The Wadham College Award Daniel Maren The Lamson Citizenship, Leadership, and Scholarship Award Hye Min Kim

The Roy Lichtenstein Art Award Kimberely Villamor

2011 Graduating Class Emily Rose Abrams+ Perry Keller Adago+ Matthew Robert Allan Gabriella Elisabeth Charlotte Andersson+* Maxwell Charles Arizin Karl Aghan Bahceci+ Max Solomon Banastey+ Kiara Francesca Zoe Barrow+* Daniela Rose Basdogan Andrea Maria Bell+* Raphael David Bernstein Nell Blagg+ Lucy Elena Blumberg+ Max Julius Bock+ Marina Braga+ Elizabeth Jaclyn Brooks+* Dale Kevin Campbell Eduardo Martino Dolabela Chagas Nicholas Kuo Chao+ Chao-Yu Chen+* Elizabeth Hayley Churgin+* Samantha Z. Coven+ Madeleine McCallum Dickens Carolyn Meixia Ding Lydia Gilberte Dubin+* Genny Swee Eide

Emily Greer Elias Dean Abraham Emmanuelli+ Miranda Meri Kristiina Enberg+* Alexis Danielle Farber+ Daniel Alexander Feldman+ Shaun Garber Cristina Garcia Jordan Cole Glaubinger Daniel Goldberg Mikella Freddi Goldman+ Chloe Allen Goutal Thomas Jacob Guttman Sandra Marianne Hamaoui Emma Kate Hirsch Omar Husain+* Race Imboden+ Travis Joseph Janeway Nicholas Terrence Jenkins Alexander R. Kahalon Jeffrey Kempler+* Hye Min Kim+* Lena Sarah Kleinfeld+ Jonathan Chunsun Lee+* Rachel Catherine Lubliner Louis Luxenberg+ Jeremiah Joseph Magier+

Class of 2011 Francesco Manica+ James Alexander Marcuccio Elyssa June Marcus+ Daniel James Mani Maren+* Ian McConchie+ Michael James Milazzo+ Vladimir Pierre Nahitchevansky+ Atlanta Victoria Nelson+ Miranda Catherine Nelson+ Michael McEvoy Petrycki+ Nicole-Kimberly Verceles Price+* Nooria Puri+* Tia Moravia Scott Leo Sepkowitz+ Nicholas Robert Shafir Eric Shalom+ Antonia Lataya Smith Rosa Sydney Taylor Tennant Alexander Francis Toy+ Kimberley Villamor+* Steven M. Winnick+ Kewei Xie+ Dan Alberto Yoshii+ Casey Zuckerman+* + IB Diploma Candidate * National Honor Society

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Commencement 2011 | Photos

Class of 2011

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Photos | Commencement 2011

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Dwight Journeys | WISER

+^PNO[ 9L[\YUZ [V >0:,9 I` 9HJOHLS )LUUL[[ This past March, I was privileged and honored to once again chaperone a group of five Dwight students on a twoweek community service trip to Kenya. We returned for the second year to WISER, the Women’s Institute for Secondary Education and Research, in Muhuru Bay. This year, we collaborated with two other WISER Partner Schools – The Hotchkiss School and The Taft School, both boarding schools in Connecticut – for the first-ever joint Partner School trip. When we became a WISER Partner School two years 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 all of that and more during our trip to Muhuru Bay in March,

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this time with the help of students and teachers from two other schools who share our same objectives. Our time at WISER included working on the school’s sustainable garden, designing murals for their new technology lab, and teaching the WISER girls computer classes. We also visited several local clinics, shopped in the local market, and visited a primary school to learn a traditional African dance. While this year’s trip shared elements of last year’s trip, no two journeys to a foreign country are ever the same. Some of our students were returning, and some were new. It was rewarding to see what each of them gained from the experience. It was equally as rewarding to see our students come together with new students from the two other partner schools and work towards the same goal. By the end of the week, different groups of students, from different countries, had come together and connected in a remarkable way.

WISER | Dwight Journeys

WISER is a non-profit NGO (Non-Governmental Organization), and 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 five percent of girls went to secondary school.

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Dwight Journeys | GIN Conference

+^PNO[ :[\KLU[Z 3LHK H[ 3\_LTIV\YN Andrea Ho ’12, Sukrit Puri ’12, Christian Foley ’12, Katya Maslennikov ’13, Rodion Kaplounov ’12, and Faiez Ahmed ’13 represented The Dwight School at the annual Global Issues Network (GIN) Conference in Luxembourg over Spring Break. This is the fourth year Dwight has provided grants for students to attend this conference. Tasked with crafting a presentation that addressed the conference theme of Equal Opportunities, the team promoted the habit of buying goods from local and small business entrepreneurs. They impressed the American, European, and Asian students in attendance and received compliments on being the most spirited speakers and on successfully engaging the audience! As an added bonus, our students were able to meet and socialize with students from our sister school in China. To view more of the Dwight team at work and at play, visit their trip blog at http://gin.dwight.edu.

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London | Dwight Journeys

+^PNO[ÂťZ -PM[O .YHKL 3HUKZ PU 3VUKVU In March, the fifth grade students flew “across the pondâ€? as part of a yearly exchange with our campus at the North London International School (NLIS). It was another successful trip, with each eventful day filled with exciting new learning experiences at the British Museum, the London Dungeon, the Sherlock Holmes Museum, the London Eye, the Globe Theater, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Tate Modern, and, of course, Buckingham Palace. Students stayed with NLIS host families and spent time in their classrooms as well. They were amazing risk-takers and so open-minded in trying new foods, experiences, and meeting new people. You can check out their blog at http://london.dwight.edu.

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Alumni | Welcome Letter

Dear Fellow Alumni, Many of the friendships I formed at Dwight began around a large dining table at Steven Haskell’s house. Often on a Friday afternoon, he would invite a group of us to his apartment, and we would spend hours talking about the week; expanding the discussion to include philosophy, poetry, ethics, politics, the war in Vietnam, and Mr. Fairclough’s latest explosion in chemistry class. Hours would pass, and the conversation would seemingly never stop moving from one topic to another interspersed with friendly gossip and relationship advice. For centuries, food and drink have been the glue of relationships, the gateway to conversation, and the neutralizer over which great debates and negotiations have occurred. Dwight alumni have done more than their part to stake out their place in the food and beverage industry as restaurateurs, caterers, owners of bars, clubs, and wine shops. We have moved away from the table long enough to develop new products, invent signature dishes, perfect customer service, and explore cuisine through writing and photography. This issue of Dwight Today focuses on alumni who own these businesses and represent some of the best in the industry. I hope you enjoy their stories. On another front, we continue to explore meaningful ways to reconnect Dwight, Franklin, and Anglo-American alumni to each other and to the School. We welcome your input so please feel free to contact any of us on the Alumni Council with your ideas.

Paula Oppenheim Cope, Dwight ’71

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Don’t miss this year’s Reunion Day for Dwight, Franklin, and Anglo-House graduates on October 1st! Especially those classes celebrating Landmark Reunion Years. Stay tuned for details or for more information visit us online at www.dwight.edu or contact Ashley Haughton at ahaughton@dwight.edu.

MAY I TAKE YOUR ORDER?

ONE OAK TEQA RARE BAR AND GRILL YERBA BUENA MACELLERIA SHORTY’S.32 THE BOATHOUSE

The establisments

own successful cater-

listed on the menu

ing businesses; and a

to the left represent

few took their knack

just some of the wellknown

restaurants

and

clubs that Dwight alumni own and operate. The food and beverage industry, particularly in New York City, is a competitive business that requires dedication

for socializing and made it profitable. In

these

interviews,

our

alumni share their secrets for success, describe their typical day, and even divulge what they would select

and passion. The follow-

as their last meal. Whether

ing pages reveal stories of

you are an avid diner or

alumni who turned their

simply curious, we hope

love of food, cooking,

you will satisfy your ap-

or wine into their life’s

petite as you feast on

work. Some became es-

the stories of our accom-

tablished chefs; others

plished alumni.

Feature | Richie Akiva ’95

Nightlife in New York Richie Akiva ’95 is currently an owner of Butter Restaurant, The Darby, One Oak, and Butter North Carolina.

The Darby

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What inspired you to become a restaurant owner? I fell in love with the nightlife in New York City, and I wanted to turn it into a business. I traded in working for my father in the garment/ fashion business for the restaurant/ club industry, and I opened up Butter when I was twenty-two. Going to Dwight and growing up in New York City fostered a lot of connections, and having those people

around me really helped me to get into the business. Describe a typical day/night. I almost always work from 11:00 am until about 4:00 am. My typical day is running around from meeting to meeting. I meet with my staff, architects, designers, and managers. My office employs about twenty-five people – we do our own PR and marketing as well as manage restaurant and nightclub design

Richie Akiva ’95 | Feature

and construction. I go to at least two of my restaurants per night. What are some tips for running a successful restaurant or what has made you successful? Hard work and not giving up. I am very detail-oriented. I like things to be different; I like to take chances with my business. For example, the concept of The Darby hasn’t been done in twenty years. It’s a supper club, a restaurant with live music while you’re eating. Those days of supper clubs in New York City were lost, and I tried to bring that culture back to a younger generation. I also tried to do something different with Butter; I had a fine dining restaurant upstairs and more casual dining downstairs with a DJ booth. The critics initially bashed it, but six months later, others were doing the same thing. I set trends because I take chances. What is the biggest challenge in owning a restaurant? Managing the infrastructure while expanding and keeping relevant with the times. You always have to stay ahead of the game.

What will be your last meal? Something that I don’t have at my restaurants, but I probably shouldn’t say that! For politic’s sake, I would say the Tomahawk steak at The Darby. I just love steak, and it’s an amazing steak. It’s called the boss’ steak because it was made for George Steinbrenner who owned the Yankees, and it was his cut of meat. My other favorite meal is chicken Parmesan. The best places to get it in New York City are Il Mulino in Greenwich Village and Benito in Little Italy. What do you cook for yourself and/or your family at home? I’m good at fish, and I make a killer chicken parmesan. You probably have to perfect what you like the most when you cook! What is the most important lesson you’ve learned? To believe in yourself. What’s next for you? I’m working on opening Butter in Boston, Massachusetts, where I went to college, and One Oak in Las Vegas, NV, within the next year.

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Feature | Doug Boxer ’91

Burgers & Views Doug Boxer ’91 is the owner of Rare Bar and Grill at Lexington and at Chelsea in New York City.

What inspired you to become a restaurant owner? Ever since I was old enough to behave properly in public (and appreciate the finer things in life), my parents allowed me to join them for quality dining experiences. In my family, eating out was considered a privilege and usually only happened on special occasions. As I became older and more particular, my interest in the operational aspect of the business grew. Describe a typical day/night. I typically start at my desk evaluating the prior day’s sales, manager logs, and additional reports that I receive. Once I have weeded through everything I call the general managers for additional color that might not be reflected in the

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daily figures. I then call the chefs so I can get a feel for their concerns, while also suggesting improvements, whether regarding quality control, staffing, maintenance, or operations. Next, I tackle my todo lists. Even if I accomplish only one thing in a day, I consider that progress. Unfortunately, in the restaurant business, no one day is typical so it all depends on which fire needs to be put out the fastest. However, the one constant is that I will always spend a few hours on the floor each day so I never lose touch of the most essential asset to any business… guest satisfaction! What are three tips for running a successful restaurant? 1) Listen to the guest and never forget that they run your business.

Doug Boxer ’91 | Feature

Take a step back and look at things from their perspective.

I advertised on a bunch of the so-

2) Treat your employees with dignity and respect so they are more inclined to represent your establishment positively.

crazy discounts that I knew would

3) Always be around.

Where do you get your ingredients from?

In today’s struggling economy, what steps have you taken to continue to lure consumers in? Fortunately, I sell hamburgers, so the economy didn’t have a tremendous impact on my business, with the exception of a few months in 2009. Initially, like all owners, I had a little “restaurant paranoia,” which caused me to analyze things that I normally would not have. This was a healthy practice regardless. But when my guest count dipped,

cial buying websites and offered eat into my profits. The jury is still out on whether this strategy has worked.

Our meat comes from all over the U.S., with much of it coming from farms in Texas and Montana. Additionally, I purchase organic meat where the cattle are born and raised on certified organic pastures throughout the Midwest. All produce is purchased locally and the vendor that I use is a member of a Co-op farm which helps ensure that I receive a higher quality product.

How do you market yourself? Fortunately, both of my restaurants and bars are located in hotels, so I capitalize on their marketing dollars by virtue of association. Aside from having a website and occasionally using the social media sites as a tool, I feel the best way to market Rare is to provide a great dining and rooftop bar experience. If I do that, eventually the word gets out. How did you find your staff? Every which way. What will be your last meal? Chicken scarpariello on the bone over a bed of al-dente linguini, white wine and loads of garlic. You can throw some roasted sweet red peppers in as well. A nice bottle of rosé. No dessert, I’d be full! (con’t. next page)

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Feature | Doug Boxer ’91

Doug Boxer ’91 – Burgers & Views (con’t.)

What’s your favorite restaurant and why? Hillstone (formerly Houston’s) because of the consistency on every level, from food to service, and overall experience. It is something every restaurateur should strive to emulate. What do you cook for yourself and/or your family at home? I cook rarely, maybe twice a month. I prefer being served and enjoying a different dining experience than what I deal with every day. But, I do make a mean Beef Stroganoff! How closely do you pay attention to reviews? I pay attention to them, but never get accustomed to reading poor reviews. Anyone who has pride in what they do must pay attention. The challenge comes in taking the time to really read it, step back and use it to your advantage. If it is a good review, just don’t become complacent. What is the biggest challenge in owning a restaurant? Dealing with the human element. Everyone operates at his or her own speed and performs jobs differently and not necessarily the way that you want. Managing people takes patience and mutual respect. Never

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treat anyone differently than the way you would expect to be treated yourself. This may be a cliché, but it is so darn true. What are the most important lessons you’ve learned? When making a decision as it relates to my business no one is going to put more care or thought into it than I do. No one cares more than the owner. If you could have dinner with one chef or restaurant owner, who would it be? Why? Keith McNally because everything he touches turns to gold. Even if his food is not the best, he makes up for it with service, ambience, energy, concept, and whatever else he injects to create that positive experience. What are your future plans? I would love to use my brand/ concept and operational skills to open up food and beverage operations in midsized hotels that have the desire to partner with someone like me as an added value for their guests. Being an integral part of a hotel experience is very satisfying and could be very lucrative because of the additional revenue streams that are available.

Josh Eden ’88 | Feature

Keeping it Fresh Josh Eden ’88 is the Chef and Owner of Shorty’s.32 in New York City’s Soho. Shorty’s.32 features straight-forward yet inspired New American cuisine.

What inspired you to become a chef/restaurant owner? I started as a dishwasher at the Sidewalk Café on Avenue C and 4th Street at fifteen years old, and I’ve been in the business ever since. After college and culinary school, I worked my way up through the ranks in my twelve years under Jean-Georges Vongerichten. In 2007, the time was right to give something a shot on my own, so I opened up Shorty’s.32. What are tips for running a successful restaurant? You have to be on top of things 24/7 and you have to hire the right people. Keeping your staff is key. If you’re going to spend that much time training people, your best bet

is to hold onto them as long as you can so treat your people well.

What’s your last meal?

In today’s struggling economy, what steps have you taken to continue to lure consumers in? It’s all about the customer. You have to treat everyone the same whether they’ve been to your restaurant ten times or it’s their first time. You are always looking to create repeat business.

Vongerichten to come in and cook

How do you market yourself? Marketing is important but it’s really about the product. I don’t have a lot of money to pay for PR or do a full advertising/marketing campaign, so I rely on my online reviews and people with their ear to the street – it’s an ongoing battle. Customers are always changing; I get different clientele all the time. I have regulars that have been coming to my restaurant since I opened, and I have people that came in yesterday for their first time and couldn’t believe that I had been around the corner for four years already.

I would either want Jean-Georges my last dinner, or I’d like a tasting menu from eight different chefs from around the world. What do you cook for yourself at home? I usually eat at the restaurant, but I cook at home as well. I like to pick out whatever is fresh at the fish, meat, and vegetable markets. I often prepare a bunch of different things and just see how it goes. How closely do you pay attention to reviews? Very closely. I pay most attention to online reviews and Zagat, because they are both consumer driven. What are your future plans? I’d like to try to get another place going at some point. In this economy, it’s important for things to be approachable from a financial standpoint but still at a high gastronomic level.

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Feature | Mayan Axelrod ’91

From One Great Event to Another Mayan Axelrod ’91 owns and operates MayanWoods, a catering and event planning company. He has been in business for over ten years, catering events for both private and corporate clients. Mayan has also catered the past two Dwight, Franklin, and Anglo-American Reunion Weekends!

What inspired you to open a catering business? I was cooking and creating parties for friends and family as a young child. It has always been in me, even before I decided to make it my profession.

Mayan’s Staff

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Describe a typical day/night. There are no typical days or nights, which is what is so exciting about the catering and event planning business. Some days I am speaking with clients in an effort to create new business; some days I am in meetings and planning upcoming events; and some days I am shopping and prepping in our kitchen facility.

chicken, and Baldor Specialty Foods for all our produce. How do you market yourself? Email and social media has become the best way to market yourself to many more people than ever possible before. What’s your favorite restaurant and why? Danny Meyer’s Gramercy Tavern. They consistently have great food and amazing service. Also Japonica is the best Japanese restaurant in New York City. Their sushi is incredibly fresh and delicious and their chefs are truly wonderful.

What are some tips for running a successful catering business? Always give your clients a good value and use only the best ingredients available.

What was the most exciting/ interesting event you catered for? Why? We catered an event for the producers and cast of AMC’s “Mad Men.� My staff dressed in 60’s clothes, and the food and drink were inspired by the 60’s. It was a fantastic event.

Where do you get your ingredients from? Hunts Point for seafood, Stew Leonard’s for meats & free range

What do you cook for yourself at home? We love to grill. With two very young kids, we tend to make food

Mayan Axelrod ’91 | Feature

Mayan at home with his family

that they will like. It is a challenge! What are the most important lessons you’ve learned? Honesty, integrity, quality, and consistency are crucial in growing your business. You are only as good as your last event.

Westchester. This will be another facet of our business, as well as to continue to grow our catering and event planning business.

What are your future plans? We have been contracted to supply healthy and fresh meals to children’s day care centers here in

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Feature | Philip Philips ’69

All in the Family Philip Philips ’69 owns Mansion Restaurant on New York City’s Upper East Side.

What inspired you to become a restaurant owner? My family has been in the restaurant business in New York City for over seventy-five years. Describe a typical day/night. My day begins at 6:00 am, where I inspect all food being delivered for the day. This usually ends by 9:00 am, and I proceed to review the menu for the day and attend to customers to prepare for the lunch shift. At around 4:00 pm, I go home for two hours and return for the dinner shift. At this time I supervise the dinner service and my day usually ends around 10:00 pm. Phil Philips (far right)

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What are three tips for running a successful restaurant? Excellent customer service, excellent quality and preparation of food, and most important, you must be personal and outgoing – they don’t call the restaurant business the hospitality business for no reason!

How did you find your staff? I have forty-eight employees, many of whom are related to each other

Where do you get your ingredients from? Every available wholesale market in the tri-state area.

and have been with us for decades.

How do you market yourself? The Mansion is a neighborhood institution that’s been around for over sixty-five years, so we cater to our immediate vicinity.

Pasta

In the event we need to hire, we call employment agencies or advertise. What’s your last meal?

What’s your favorite restaurant? Francisco’s Centro Vasco, Palm

Philip Philips ’69 | Feature

Two, Wolfgang’s Steakhouse, Il Bagatto, Angelo’s of Mulberry Street, and La Bernardin.

What are the most important lessons you’ve learned?

What are your future plans?

Remain fair and tolerant with em-

Mansion Restaurant. He owned

How closely do you pay attention to reviews? We take notice but are not guided by them.

ployees, and keep an open mind to

thirty-two restaurants (never more

criticism and comments.

than three at a time) through-

If you could have dinner with one chef or restaurant owner, who would it be? Why?

out his career in New York. He

Warner LeRoy, although unfortu-

food establishments in New York

nately he is no longer with us. I was

and Florida, and for the past seven

lucky enough to have dinner with

years, my son has been my partner,

him when he was still living.

so the tradition continues.

What is the biggest challenge in owning a restaurant? The day-to-day stress of dealing with forty-eight employees and two-thousand customers a day.

My father was the founder of The

passed away twenty years ago. I have owned and operated sixteen

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Feature | Ilana Blumberg ’01

Bake Sales, Big Bashes, and Everything in Between Ilana Blumberg ’01 runs IBCooking, a personal chef and catering business in New York City. She caters both large and small events, from intimate dinner parties to large cocktail events.

What inspired you to become a chef? Growing up in New York City has definitely been an influence. My parents noticed my early interest in food, both preparing dishes and figuring out what was interesting on the menu, and gave me a gift certificate of cooking lessons for my fifteenth birthday. From my first bread-baking class, I knew this was going to be my career. While at Dwight, I used to come in every Monday with fresh baked goods. In fact, I think I single-handedly baked every one of our bake sales senior year! Describe a typical day/night. No two days are the same - I love that. When a client first contacts me, I learn as much as I can about them and their style of entertaining. From there I propose a menu for their event. The best clients trust me to do what I do best. A day or two before the event is the ‘big schlep.’ There are good and bad things about living and working in New York City. The good: everything is at your fingertips. The bad: without a car, you have to carry everything home on those fingertips.

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It can take a few hours to a few days to gather everything for a large event. I typically do light prep in my home, and the bulk of the cooking on-site. Some clients love to have me cook in their kitchens with the hopes of picking up a few skills. Others hate to cook and can’t stand the smell of cooking in their homes. You learn a lot about a person when you feed them. I have an assistant who helps during the events, and I also hire waiters, bartenders, etc. What are three tips for running a successful private chef/ catering business? 1) Be amenable to the host. The party is a reflection of who they are, not you. You’re there to help facilitate their vision (or in some cases, lack thereof). 2) Be over-prepared. When a host says they have salt in their kitchen, bring your own. When they say they have pots and pans, bring your own. I have walked into large, amazing kitchens as well as shoeboxes. Preparation is the key to a successful event. 3) Know how to budget. At the end

Ilana Blumberg ’01 | Feature

Jewish holidays. During the rest of the year, I market myself towards upscale clients that enjoy e n te r t a i n i ng in their home. I have thrown more sixteenperson dinner parties than I can count. of the day I need to make a reasonable profit, and that only comes from understanding my costs of food, labor, and time. In today’s struggling economy, what steps have you taken to continue to ensure consumers use your services? I provide a unique service. People love to entertain in their homes, but they don’t always have the time or ability to do so themselves. Along with birthday and dinner parties, I am also hired a lot around the holidays when people are willing to spend money to enjoy good food and company. At present, as I build my clientele, I charge less than a traditional catering company and that makes me appealing to a broader audience.

From where do you get your ingredients? I describe my cuisine as ‘Seasonal American with a Mediterranean Flair.’ My ingredients reflect my seasonal sensibility. I shop at traditional supermarkets, wholesale purveyors and, when possible, at local farmers markets. I’m always looking to use the finest products and most in-season produce for my meals. How do you market yourself? Word of mouth. I have a website ibcooking.com, and I think I’ve given half of New York City my business card. You need to find unique ways to market yourself in a city full of great food. Personal catering is a niche market, and I have found my niche within a niche. I work with a number of families during the

What will be your last meal? It would have to be something New York-based. I’m a sucker for a good slice of pizza (Little Vincent’s or Ben’s on Third Street) or a Gray’s Papaya Recession Special hot dog, but I think I would have to go with a fresh baked everything Tal Bagel with scallion cream cheese, nova, tomato, onion, and capers. And I’d wash the whole thing down with a Diet Coke. Ahhh, I can die just thinking about it. What’s your favorite restaurant and why? My favorite places to eat are not fine dining establishments. I love to eat where the locals eat. I love to go to Flushing for the best Chinese or Korean food or to Woodside for great Indian. I ask my taxi drivers (con’t. next page)

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Feature | Ilana Blumberg ’01

Ilana Blumberg ’01 – Bake Sales, Big Bashes, and Everything in Between (con’t.)

where they like to eat and often go there. I’m also a big fan of Otto Pizzeria and Enoteca. Great food and wine at a reasonable price. What do you cook for yourself at home? Like most chefs, I hardly ever cook when I’m at home. I reserve the gourmet meals for my friends and family. But I will say that I’m the master of my toaster oven. Sandwiches are my real passion and I hope someday to open a small sandwich/take away storefront. I guess you could say my meals at home are practice for the big day. What is the biggest challenge? Maintaining a steady calendar of

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events. Although I do have some clients for whom I cook for every week, I mostly cater one-off special events. People typically don’t have dinner parties on Tuesday nights, for example, so there are a limited number of days in the week for events. What are the most important lessons you’ve learned? To be clean, on time, precise, over prepared, and courteous. If you could have dinner with one chef, who would it be? Why? Thomas Keller for being the best chef in North America; Charlie Palmer for having an empire of restaurants and a great head for

business; Martha Stewart for everything; Mario Batali because it would be really tasty; Danny Meyer for being a New York institution; and Anthony Bourdain for being hilarious. What are your future plans? I’ve recently started event planning with Dish Food & Events, a Brooklyn-based catering firm with a commissary in Carroll Gardens (dishfoodnyc.com). I’m able to utilize the skills I’ve learned as a personal chef and put them toward managing events, such as weddings. I continue to learn and grown in the industry and adapt to the clients and challenges around me.

Annie Sigal Medina ’93 | Feature

Spreading the Latin Vibe Annie Sigal Medina ’93 and her husband, Julian Medina, own Toloache, Yuerba Buena, Yerba Buena Perry, and Coppelia in Manhanttan and El Almacen in Brooklyn.

Describe a typical day/night. Julian goes to Toloache in the morning and heads over to Yerba Buena around 3:00 pm. He often returns to Toloache for dinner service. Julian cooks at a new restaurant for a few months until the kitchen gets the hang of things, so these days you will find him at our newest spot, Coppelia, a latin luncheonette, on West 14th Street. What are three tips for running a successful restaurant? Good food, friendly service, and keeping costs in line. Where do you get your ingredients from? We go to the fish and meat markets every day. For vegetables, we have local farmers who deliver to our restaurants every other day. How did you find your staff? We mostly find our staff through referrals.

What do you cook for yourself and/or your family at home? We love to make French comfort food like Coq Au Vin. We also like to entertain for brunch with items such as huevos rancheros, tacos, and cajeta (caramel) stuffed French toast. How closely do you pay attention to reviews? We pay attention to reviews like The New York Times, but there are so many bloggers and websites out there that, although we keep track of what people are saying, and many comments are helpful, we cannot take them all seriously. What are your future plans? We are opening Toloache Taqueria around the corner from our home on East 82nd Street this August.

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Feature | Michael Gluckman ’90

Hamptons Hot Spots Michael Gluckman ’90 is the owner of both The Boathouse and Beachhouse in East Hampton, New York.

What inspired you to become a restaurant owner? I like the freedom of not working behind a desk, making my own hours, creating my own vision, and the satisfaction of making guests happy. Describe a typical day/night. After dropping my kids at school, I go to one of my restaurants to make sure everything is running

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efficiently before the first round of evening guests arrive. I typically head home in the early evening to have dinner with my family, swim in our pool, or go for a sunset cruise on my boat. What are some tips for running a successful restaurant? It’s important to be hardworking, honest, and dedicated to professionalism and integrity.

Michael Gluckman ’90 | Feature

In today’s struggling economy, what steps have you taken to continue to lure consumers in? We try to stay competitive with our prices, and we always stay creative with our specials. Where do you get your ingredients from? Our clams and oysters are caught right outside my waterfront restaurant, The Boathouse. And the fish we serve is caught off the boats in Montauk, NY. Our goal is to have the majority of our ingredients from the freshest local farmers and fisherman. What’s your last meal? Bone in cowboy ribeye served with foie gras.

What’s your favorite restaurant and why? Carmines. It’s casual and fun, plus I enjoy the big portions and big martinis. What do you cook for yourself and/or your family at home? I go clamming and fishing and then cook the freshest seafood from my backyard.

What are the most important lessons you’ve learned? Life is not a spectator sport. If you could have dinner with one chef or restaurant owner, who would it be? The owner of Katz’s Deli, so I could find out the secrets of his pastrami. What are your future plans? To retire rich and fat.

How closely do you pay attention to reviews? I take them very seriously, and I find it a helpful tool to constantly improve. What is the biggest challenge in owning a restaurant? Always keeping up with the latest industry trends and maintaining our high level of service and food.

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Feature | Ariel Azani ’00

Born into it..... Ariel Azani ’00 is the acting owner of The Cupping Room CafĂŠ, which is located in the heart of New York City’s Soho. What inspired you to become a restaurant owner? I had the luxury of being born into the industry. My parents have owned The Cupping Room CafĂŠ for over twenty-five years. I started working at the restaurant at the age of seventeen as a barista. During my college years, I would work during the summer and winter breaks as a floor manager. By the spring of 2004, I graduated from Union College and had no clear career in mind. Unfortunately, in the summer of 2004, our assistant general manager passed away suddenly, so I stepped in as a temporary relief (that lasted four years).  Now in 2011, my parents would like to retire, and I have taken over as acting owner. I wouldn’t say I always dreamed of becoming a restaurant owner, but I would say that I cannot see myself doing anything else. Describe a typical day/night. A typical day in the restaurant industry is never typical. Each day has a new challenge, a variable that you didn’t calculate. These variables – employees, customers, kitchen equipment, or vendors – constantly bring new challenges to the work. I can try to anticipate every little thing, but someone will always throw me a curve ball. Â

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What are three tips for running a successful restaurant? I would say taking care of your staff is number one. A restaurant’s staff is the most important aspect of a restaurant. They are the face, voice, and tone of your restaurant. A happy employee is always a good employee and customers always know when the staff is happy. The other tip is to always get feedback. You

Ariel Azani ’00 | Feature

This might sound weird but disco fries might take the cake on this one. It’s been years since I had one (I think the fat and cholesterol alone can kill a monkey), but if you are going to eat one last meal, you might as well die from the meal itself.

think you have the best idea in the world, but that might be your ego. The third tip is to always be “in the know.” Know your trade! If you sell wine, know everything about wine. Where does it come from, how it is made, who makes it? The more you know about the product, the more you can sell it and the more the customer will trust your opinion.

How did you find your staff? Because of our location in Soho, I get about three resumes a week. All kinds of people looking for any kind of job. In this economy, everybody is trying to find a way to supplement their finances. What will be your last meal? Believe it or not, I think about this question a lot. I constantly try to figure out what is my favorite meal.

What do you cook for yourself and/or your family at home? I love to cook anything that takes four hours to make, such as lamb stew or short ribs, in a Dutch oven. It’s easy, impossible to mess up, and delicious. Also, the meat that you use to roast is usually cheaper. What’s your favorite restaurant and why? Anything that Danny Meyer touches, especially Union Square Cafe. I am a big fan of his style of hospitality, and I base my management style on his.

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Feature | Robert Schagrin ’75

Revitalizing the Wine Store Experience Robert Schagrin ’75 is the Founder and Managing Partner of Crush Wine & Spirits (crushwineco.com).

Robert Schagrin with winemaker and proprietor of Domaine Comte Liger-Belair, Vosne Romanee, France.

What inspired you to work in the wine industry? In 1994, after a career in commercial real estate, I co-founded and ran a high-end collectibles company and auction house called Gotta Have It! and had an ongoing love

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affair with collecting wine. I had immersed myself in the culture of fine and rare wine, having purchased collectible wine for myself from the top retailers in the world. I knew the industry was a bit old and staid, and the time was right for an updated concept. There was a wave of interest in wine from women and men in a young demographic, and they had the discretionary income to embark on the journey. I wanted to create an environment they could relate to,

one with an equally young and passionate staff; a well priced, worldclass wine selection at all price points; a unique, hip design which incorporates a tasting room and the largest temperature controlled rare wine room in New York City; and plays genres of music we love. We opened in 2005, won Food and Wine magazine’s “Best New Wine Shop in America” and the rest is history, albeit a short one!

Robert Schagrin ’75 | Feature

Describe a typical day. I am a first time dad at fifty-three years old, so I get up early and play hoops with my almost three- yearold son, Sammy. What a joy. Then onto work. We trade a lot of wine from European vendors so it begins quite early due to the time difference, sifting through email offers and looking for opportunities. Then it’s into the store where we deal with typical retailer issues like in-store sales and deliveries, logistics of shipping either across the U.S. or even Europe and Asia. We have a fair amount of events at the store – suppliers, wholesalers, and distributors use Crush as a platform to provide consumers samples of Crush staff-approved wine and spirits. It carries on through the evening, so it is a long day for us. How has the economy affected your business? The economy was roaring when we opened, but we luckily were able to withstand the game-changing crisis of 2008. It was scary, but we navigated through the treacherous waters well and actually used it as a purchasing opportunity. 2010 was our best year, and this year’s first quarter is up big from last year’s first quarter, so we are thrilled. Do you travel frequently for work? If so, to where? Ah, the spoils of war. Traveling to the greatest vineyards in the world, walking the vineyards with the winemakers, dining with the wine-

makers at their homes, tasting the new vintages in their cellars and then drinking the greatest wines of the 20th century at Michelin Star restaurants in Europe... Burgundy and Champagne in France and Piedmont and Montalcino in Italy are among my favorites. What’s your favorite wine? Why? Having a single favorite wine is like choosing a favorite child. I think an appropriate question is to ask of a favorite vineyard site or producer. For me, my red would be Musigny (from Drouhin, Mugnier, Roumier) for its elegance, grace, longevity, ethereal nature and Monfortino (Conterno) for its power, balance, and immortality. For sparkling wine, Dom Perignon and Krug rule the roost for their complexity, age worthiness, intensity, and diversity. For white wine, Bienvenue Batard Montrachet (Leflaive, Ramonet) for its subtle richness and food paring ability and Le Clos (Raveneau, Dauvissat and Fevre) for its mineral nature, cut, and its ability to cellar. What’s your favorite under $20 bottle of wine? My staff is always coming up with crazy “geeked out” inexpensive wine, and I would say some Reisling (for whites) and Cru Beaujolais (for reds) have been amazing for the money. Also, you can’t go wrong having the best producer’s least expensive wine in his or her portfolio. They take great pride throughout

their lineups and provide an insane value. In a restaurant, ask who is the best winemaker rather than vintage, price, or vineyard. How closely do you pay attention to wine reviews? We are one of the few retailers who don’t use the reviewers’ point scores to sell wine. That said, we do follow them as another resource. They give us an idea of how certain wines will react from an investment, and this is a huge component to the fine and rare wine market. If Robert Parker or Allen Meadows gives a wine 98, 99, or 100 points, that could drive the price and availability up dramatically. What tips do you have for a novice wine collector? Taste blind, and drink to your palate’s delight. Don’t listen to what others tell you is good. Find your own way, and blaze your own path. If you could have a glass of wine with one person, who would it be? Why? Amare Stoudamire. I have got to find out how he really feels about the Melo trade.

Robert Schagrin and Olivier Krug, tasting in the Krug cellars in Reims, France.

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Feature | Stuart Jakaub ’97

In Search of Great Wine Stuart Jakub ’97 is a fine and rare wine specialist with Zachys, one of the world’s largest wine companies. What do you do? My core responsibilities include inspecting and assessing the most valuable bottles on the planet, building strong relationships with wine collectors (buyers and sellers), and managing various aspects of our auctions such as internet and phone bidding.

day I can hop on a plane to visit a prominent collector’s house to assess his wine collection. Then there are times when I am in a cold dark cellar, packing up wines for one of our upcoming auctions. It’s the perfect mix of fancy dinners with esteemed clients and working in a warehouse with my hands.

What inspired you to work in the wine industry? I was always curious about wine, so I planned a trip to Napa in the spring of 2007. Standing in the vineyards, tasting wine from the barrel, and experiencing the “labor of love” that goes into every bottle was a life changing experience for me. I became obsessed with learning every detail about winemaking and the auction market. There are infinite combinations of grapes, locations and vintages and every bottle is unique. As a business-minded person with an MBA, I knew that although I would love to move out to Burgundy to be a winemaker, the fine wine auction market was my calling. I managed to find opportunities and hone my skills at Sotheby’s wine, a boutique importer, and Zachys.

How has the economy affected your business? Every business was affected in late 2008, but the fine wine market was only marginally impacted – and it bounced back quicker than the financial markets. As with art and other collectibles, wine appreciates so investors often diversify their portfolios in the wine market. Over the last ten years, the Liv-ex wine index (a fine wine exchange) has outpaced the Dow Jones and NASDAQ.

Describe a typical day. One day I can be in my office working with clients who wish to buy and sell wine at auction. The next

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Do you travel frequently for work? If so, to where? Zachys is a global company, and we have auctions in New York, California, Las Vegas, and Hong Kong year-round. Getting to travel is certainly a perk of the business. I am going to Paris to celebrate my five-year wedding anniversary and spend a week in Burgundy working the harvest for one of the top producers, Domaine Fourrier.

Stuart Jakaub ’97 | Feature

What’s your favorite wine? Why? White Burgundies, which are one hundred percent Chardonnay. The top villages are Meursualt, Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet. These areas make up a majority of my cellar. I love Burgundy primarily for terroir. This is the notion that a wine’s taste is unique to its environment. In Burgundy, grapes grown less than one hundred yards from each other can taste completely different. Every bottle tells a story of the winemaker, that specific vineyard and the climate of the vintage. My most recent favorite bottle was a 1999 Meursault-Caillerets Domaine, J-F Coche-Dury. Any favorite bargains? One of my favorite wines under $20 is actually a slightly carbonated sweet wine from Northwest Italy called Moscato d’Asti. It can be found at any quality wine shop such as Chelsea Wine Vault, Astor Wines and, of course, Zachys in New York City. These are great aperitifs or dessert wines and are always crowd pleasers. How closely do you pay attention to wine reviews? It’s the lifeblood of my business. A high score from a prominent critic can “make a wine” and exponentially increase its value. There are

millions of different wines made each year, and every vintage is unique so no consumer or collector can taste every bottle. They rely on these critics to inform them which wines were good or bad in every vintage via a numerical score on a one hundred-point scale (twenty in the UK). My job is to know how these critics rate the wines because it impacts their auction market value and helps me predict the market. What tips do you have for a novice wine collector? Wine collecting is expensive but it has large profit margins. I would concentrate on the established, most highly – regarded producers and their top rated vintages (i.e – Blue Chips). For Bordeaux, the sixtyone best Chateaux were classified by Napolean in 1855 on a five-tier scale called Growths, with the First Growths being the best. If possible, buy the First Growths (Latour, Haut Brion, Margaux, Mouton Rothschild and Lafite Rothschild). Burgundy is trickier as the wines are rated by both the vineyard and Domaine. The best vineyards are classified as Grand Cru and are generally the safest investments as they age the longest. There are literally thousands of producers, sometimes close to one hundred for a single vineyard. I educate my clients about which producers are making

the best wines and how to navigate this minefield. For those interested in domestic wine, there are several California wines that have achieved cult status and are performing extremely well at auction. Screaming Eagle, Harlan Estate, and Scarecrow are top-notch. If you could have a glass of wine with one person, who would it be? Why? Novelist Jay McInerney. Best known for his 80’s novel (and movie) Bright Lights, Big City, he is also an accomplished and highly respected wine writer. He has written several wine related books including Bacchus & Me and A Hedonist in the Wine Cellar and was also a contributing columnist to House and Garden Magazine. Currently, he is a contributor to The Wall Street Journal Wine column, and I enjoy his insights about wine. What are your future plans? I am enjoying my role as a wine specialist with Zachys, and I am building up my own wine consulting business. I’m an expert at appraising wine, advising clients on buying strategies for investment and collecting, and sourcing rare bottles. All of this ties into my core offering of facilitating the sale of their collection (by auction or private cash transaction) to maximize their revenue.

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Feature | Derek Axelrod ’91

Always on His A-Game Derek Axelrod ’91 is the owner of TEQA, a modern and traditional Mexican restaurant located in New York City’s Murray Hill.

What inspired you to become a restaurant owner? I have loved the food industry since I was a young kid at Dwight. Eating and enjoying food is one of my favorite things in life, so I thought why not get in the business and start serving people food I like and enjoy? Describe a typical day/night. I get into TEQA around 11:00 am, since I work late nights. I start with a meeting with my general manager to go over the events from the night prior. I then sit with the chef to discuss the food quality and operations to make sure everything is running smoothly in the kitchen. I look at reservations for the night and note any VIP guests as well as large parties to make sure the flow of the night will go off without a hitch. I do paperwork, bills, and price comparisons and then chat on the phone with my publicist to learn of any new exciting PR opportunities for TEQA. Last but not least, I talk with my staff to prepare for the night. What are three tips for running a successful restaurant? Service, service, service. Always making sure the guest has an amazing experience the minute they walk through the door.

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Derek Axelrod ’91 | Feature

In today’s struggling economy, what steps have you taken to continue to lure consumers in? Marketing, good PR, and happy hour specials. It’s important to keep a moderate price point for a very good product.

What will be your last meal? Mahi Mahi tacos, old school tacos, the TEQA burger and fries, and our famous Brownie with dulce de leche ice cream finished off with our churros. Put the needle in – I’m ready!

positive experience from food to at-

How did you find your staff? We spread the word through the industry as well as co-workers asking their friends in the business. Good help is not easy to find in any city and when you get it don’t let it go. Keep good workers any way you can!!

How closely do you pay attention to reviews? I try not to read a lot of reviews because everyone in this business has their own opinion. Instead, I do my best to interact with the customers while they are at TEQA to make sure they have a memorable,

ways have to be on your “A game.”

mosphere to service. What is the biggest challenge in owning a restaurant? Paying the bills! It is a very tough business because there are a lot of things that can go wrong. You al-

What are your future plans? I plan to start looking for other TEQA outposts here in New York City, and I hope to expand to Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Chicago.

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Feature | Nicolette Harley, Anglo ’85

Perfecting Her Palate Nicolette Harley – Anglo ’85 is a manager at Carina Cellars, a winery in California’s Paso Robles. What inspired you to work in the wine industry? I first enjoyed drinking wine when I moved to Paso Robles, CA twenty years ago. Our town is very small, so getting to know people in all aspects of the wine industry was a must. I hung out at friends’ wineries during harvest, bottling and events, and as my pallet grew more sophisticated, I became curious about how wine was made, who grew the grapes, appropriate soil conditions and vineyard management techniques. My children are almost grown, twenty-four, twentytwo, sixteen, and fourteen, so I was looking for a career in a field that would allow me to learn a new skill set and be a fun path for my impending freedom. When people go wine tasting they are almost always having fun, and I like being where the fun is! Describe a typical day. There are so many activities throughout the year and so much prep. Sometimes we are racking barrels (moving wine from one barrel to the other during the clarifying process), topping barrels (filling barrels with wine to replace the evaporated wine), bottling the wines, gearing up for wine club shipments, going to events to pour our wine, having events at

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the winery, marketing, media, and yes…drinking the wine. We also have a vacation rental on the vineyard property, and I manage that as well. Every time we open a bottle in the tasting room, we need to taste it to make sure that the bottle is not “corked.” So, drinking on the job is a requirement. Making wine and working at a winery is a very physical job, which drew me in as well. What’s your favorite wine? Why? My favorite wine would have to be a well-balanced Syrah! I am a big

Nicolette Harley, Anglo ’85 | Feature

fan of Rhone varietals. The smoke and berry flavors go well with so many of my favorite foods like a juicy steak or a stinky cheese. Some winemakers make wines very alcohol forward or “hot,” which I don’t like because it burns my palate, making it hard to taste much after that. If a wine has good balance of tannins, acidity, and sugar, it will be pleasing from start to finish, leaving me longing for the next sip. What tips do you have for a novice wine drinker? My oldest son, Peter, is starting to really enjoy wine. My advice to him

is to try as many wines as he can from different regions of the world and to take good notes expressing what he does or does not like about a particular wine. Then he will start to see commonalities that will help him understand his pallet. There are so many great wine shops that offer beginner wine tasting classes that teach you how to taste and what to look for in a wine. If you drink the same wine on a regular basis you will develop a cellar pallet or even a region pallet, so mixing in other wines is a good way to stay objective.

What are your future plans? I hope to spend a harvest in both France and Argentina, working as a “cellar rat” for a winery. This will give me a chance to learn different winemaking techniques and philosophies. Then, when I get back home, I will pursue an assistant winemaker position. Ultimately, I would like to be a winemaker or own my own winery.

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Feature | Violetta Bitici ’88

Cultivating a Top Notch Team Violetta Bitici ’88 is the owner of Macelleria, an Italian steakhouse in New York City’s Meatpacking District.

What inspired you to become a restaurant owner? My father, Sergio Bitici, owned and operated eight successful restaurants when I was young. Toscana, was a very famous restaurant at the time, and the first Italian restaurant to achieve a three-star rating from The New York Times. We had a big celebrity following and I loved visiting my dad at work in hopes of getting autographs for my little Snoopy autograph book, which I still treasure. Describe a typical day/night. I begin the day early reading trades and papers at home. I’m at work

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from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, the most grueling part of my day, when I work with bookkeepers, publicists, my marketing team, chefs, human resources, and so forth. I greet customers until about 8:00 pm, although some nights I stay longer. On the weekends, I work from 8:00 am until brunch, then I try to have a life. What are three tips for running a successful restaurant? Be present and productive to set a good example for your employees. I try to hire and cultivate employees to take great care of our customers. I also take pride in choosing great vendors and purchasing and serving superior products.

Violetta Bitici ’88 | Feature

In today’s struggling economy, what steps have you taken to continue to lure consumers in? Social media such as Facebook and Twitter are useful tools- journalists follow us on Twitter, so it is effective. Open Table is also a great marketing tool, and very helpful in organizing my dining room and keeping notes on our clients. I am more interested in taking care of the customers I have than spinning my wheels trying to find new ones. My marketing department may disagree, however. I find discount sites such as Groupon and Living Social to be ineffective, and

I choose not to dilute my brand by discounting food. Where do you get your ingredients from? We have wonderful vendors who specialize in different things and they help source products for us. But the research never ends - I’m constantly sampling new foods, and I find inspiration everywhere. How do you market yourself? I generally stay out of photos as I want to promote the brand rather than myself! How did you find your staff? I found the chefs by word of mouth, but the rest of our team is a result of

constantly seeking new talent. The search for top-notch employees never ends. I can always use more good people on my team. You’re scheduled for the electric chair. What’s your last meal? Definitely something homemade by both my mother and father, who are the greatest cooks I know, washed down with a terrific glass of crisp white wine! What do you cook for yourself and/or your family at home? When I entertain for holidays, usually an assortment of antipasti accompanied by festive cocktails and (con’t. next page)

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Feature | Violetta Bitici ’88

Violetta Bitici ’88 – Cultivating a Top Notch Team (con’t.)

Prosecco. Otherwise I’m out trying new restaurants. How closely do you pay attention to reviews? I appreciate reviews but do not read comments by supposed “customers” on blog sites. My marketing department monitors those for me and they determine which sound genuine, and which sound as if they were written by a disgruntled employee or competitor. What is the biggest challenge in owning a restaurant? It’s not sunny every day! And, of course, the more successful I become, the more adversity I face such as meritless lawsuits, greedy landlords, random citations, and other things one doesn’t account for in their initial business plan. I would also say managing employees is quite challenging. My

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personal life has paid a dear price – the hours are rough and most days rest is simply more important than making social plans.

restaurants and concepts all over

What are the most important lessons you’ve learned? Monitor your business closely, and don’t take your eye off the ball. Seek out great advisors and constantly work on improving yourself and your business. Stay away from people who waste your time or are negative. Lastly, stay organized – I keep a notebook with me that I write my lists in and record my actions and conversations each day, so I always have a paper trail to look back upon.

thinks of me! Danny Meyer, be-

If you could have dinner with one chef or restaurant owner, who would it be? Why? I have three. Gordon Ramsay, because he has juggled so many

the planet at once. I want to know all his secrets. He’s eaten here, so I’d also like to know what he cause he has grown his business at a manageable pace and has stayed steady and successful throughout. His staff is consistently incredibly professional and warm in each of his restaurants. Lastly, I would love to go on a food crawl through New York with Anthony Bourdain. He is a customer as well, and I’ve always wanted to pick his brain although I’ve never had the nerve to say more than “Hello” and “Thank you for having dinner here!” What are your future plans? I am working on a line of food products and an online store. I’m also writing a cookbook.

Aaron Sanchez ’94 | Feature

Home Is Where the Chef Is Dwight alumnus Aaron Sanchez ’94 was featured in the February 24, 2011 issue of The New York Post. Sanchez is the chef/owner of Centrico and Tacombi in New York City. He is also the co-star of Food Network’s hit series, Chef vs. City. At our 2007 Reunion Day, Sanchez displayed his culinary talent by demonstrating the preparation of one of his signature mexican dishes, Sopes.

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Alumni | Distinguished Speaker Series

For the second consecutive year, the Office of Alumni Relations and the Alumni Council organized a speaker series for the Dwight community. The speakers covered everything from fight choreography to antique collecting, from concert promotion to cosmetics and the global oil market. To allow for discussion, attendance was limited to the first twenty-five people who RSVPed. Due to the popularity of these events, we are already busy planning the 2011-12 Dwight Distinguished Speaker Series. A special thank you to Dwight School Foundation Trustee Shiv Vasisht ’95 for hosting these events at UBS in the beautiful private wealth conference room.

On April 27, B.H. Barry, world-renowned fight director and

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How to kick *ss in Hollywood & Beyond–literally!

choreographer, kicked off Dwight’s 2011 Distinguished Speaker Series. During a free-flowing and high-paced Q&A session, Barry entertained guests with colorful stories about his unique career path in which he has worked with many major directors and stars in film, television, theater, opera, and even ballet. For a recipient of a Tony Award (Honors for Excellence in the Theatre), an Obie Award (Sustained and Consistent Excellence in Stage Combat), and a Drama Desk Award, Barry is remarkably down to earth. He even attributes most of his success to being in the right place at the right time. “Working hard is important,� he explains, “but luck is phenomenal.� During the evening he staged a brief fight sequence with a volunteer, showed everyone how to laugh correctly onstage (but not on screen), recounted the story of an actor who lost his trousers during filming, revealed his thoughts about Broadway’s accident-prone Spiderman, and even divulged that for one year he served as the “Love Coordinator� for All My Children. Mr. Barry’s extensive resume includes Broadway shows such as Kiss Me Kate, City Of Angels, Big River, Noises Off, I’m Not Rappaport; and films including The Adams Family, Pirates of Penzance, Glory and Olleanna; and TV projects such as Dr. Who and the BBC Shakespeare series. Barry continues to work as a fight director, a term he is credited with coining earlier in his career, and he is currently writing a series of books on fight directing for Shakespeare, which are now on sale at the Drama Bookshop. He continues to explore new territory as well. He recently directed the stage version of Treasure Island at Brooklyn’s Irondale Center and harbors hopes of bringing it to Broadway. With his electric energy and repertoire of fight skills, he’ll be hard to stop!

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Distinguished Speaker Series | Alumni

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The Art of Successful Antique Collecting On May 3, Graham Arader offered an inside look at art col-

lecting during a private tour of his home and gallery, Arader Galleries, which is located at 1016 Madison Avenue in New York City. Arader, perhaps the largest and most significant dealer of rare maps, Audubon aquatints and prints, and natural history watercolors within the United States, has 30,000 books and almost $1.5 billion worth of art in his six-floor townhouse. Arader established his business in 1974 and is credited with significantly expanding the print market and with bringing the world of cartography to the collector and not just the purview of academics and librarians. As he led the tour, Arader skillfully placed every work into historical context with precise dates, places, and people. His colorful narratives described enormous 16th century tapestries showing the iconography of Africa and Brazil; a map of the United States at the time of the Louisiana Purchase; and the third most archaeologically and historically significant painting of Charles IV. Arader advised all budding collectors to pursue art that they are passionate about. He warned, “You will never make money by purchasing pieces to make money. Collect what you like.� He also explained that if something is in the correct condition, it can be twenty to thirty times more valuable. Interestingly, in today’s post-recession market, the majority of his sales are to clients outside the United States, including but not limited to Korea, China, and Australia. If you have money and knowledge, Arader argues that this is a great time to buy. But he suggests first giving a donation to a museum to try to get to know the curator better or visiting with the history faculty at a local university to gain wisdom – both can be wonderful resources as you expand your art collection.

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Alumni | Distinguished Speaker Series

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Talent, Money, and the Concert Business

On May 17, Jason Stone shared lessons learned from having organized thousands of shows in his thirty-five year career in the concert business. Jason is the Senior Vice-President and Regional Director of Clubs and Theaters for Live Nation New York, the world’s largest presenter of entertainment events, which produced over ten thousand live events in 2010 and will produce upwards of eleven thousand in 2011. But Stone made clear that he is “not in the business of selling two hours of content� – he sells memories. From the moment you purchase a ticket to the time you leave the show, Live Nation does everything it can to ensure that you have a memorable experience. Stone, who has worked with stars such as Dave Matthews, Frank Sinatra, Tina Turner, Jimmy Buffet, The Jonas Brothers, and Miley Cyrus, knows a thing or two about negotiating talent in the concert business. In fact, it’s how he spends ninety percent of his day. Artists sign with Live Nation because they are a one-stop shop, providing full service from one location. Without agents and managers in the middle, artists can book the entire tour, market themselves, and get sponsorship all from one table. And for their biggest artists, such as Jay-Z,

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Distinguished Speaker Series | Alumni

Madonna, Shakira, U2, and Beyonce, Stone signs them with a “360 Deal,” in which Live Nation agrees to provide financial support for the artist, including direct advances as well as funds for marketing, promotion, and touring, and in turn the artist agrees to give the company a percentage of all of their income, including sales of recorded music, live performances, merchandising, and ancillary income. Live Nation typically makes just three-four percent margin on talent, so they develop other margins such as drinks, food, and parking to make a profit. In a world of so many talented artists, Stone asserts Live Nation is a major “rainmaker” in deciding who you will listen to next year and who will be the next “It.” Take Stefani Germanotta, aka Lady Gaga. Initially the opening act for Kayne West’s 2009 concert tour, Lady Gaga had a door open after Kayne West made negative remarks about Taylor Swift. When Live Nation canceled his tour due to plummeting ticket sales, Stone and his team decided to “blow up” Lady Gaga into the next big thing. They staged her at Radio City Music Hall with a crew of twenty – and she rose to the occasion. Two years later, she now has a crew of 250 and her sold-out performances at Madison Square Garden (MSG) cost $300,000 to stage (plus the $600,000 simply to operate MSG for the night!). Stone could have easily entertained guests all night with more stories and interesting facts. The artists he most admires? Jay-Z and Madonna, who both stand out as brilliant and focused business people. The highest grossing rock concert of all time? U2’s current eighteen-month world tour, which took seven months to break even. The safest talent bet? Jimmy Buffet, to whom Live Nation will give 110% of ticket sales knowing they’ll make sufficient money off parking, concessions, and sponsorships. And thoughts on the secondary ticket market? According to Stone, EBay and Stubhub have thousands of computers out of the country programmed to buy tickets as soon as they become available – which simply means they unfortunately drive up prices for consumers. Stone, whose interest in the concert business was piqued after going to Woodstock in 1969, still loves seeing live shows and makes an effort to attend four to five per week. He’s even attending Bonnaroo in Tennessee, but nowadays, instead of camping for four nights with 80,000 people, he is staying at a luxury hotel, arriving in a limo, and enjoying catered food and drink backstage. After thirty-five years of hard work following his passion, he deserves it!

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Alumni | Distinguished Speaker Series

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The Fascinating World of Beauty and Cosmetics

Brazilians take the most showers in the world. One particular shade of red lipstick exists only in Spain and Mexico. Fifteen years ago ten new fragrances were launched per year and now that number exceeds eight hundred. These were just some of the facts attendees learned from Mauricio Bellora during his presentation on May 31 about “what is beyond the obvious� in the world of cosmetics. Bellora, the CEO for Natura International (the fourth largest cosmetics company in sales in the direct selling industry worldwide), discussed the company’s success, cosmetic product marketing, and trends of sustainable development in cosmetics. Bellora began by stating that the cosmetic industry is practically recession proof. Designed to enhance your features and minimize anything undesirable about your appearance, cosmetics help build our self confidence. Even during the economic crisis in 2008, cosmetic sales did not fall. And sales in 2010 for Global CFT (cosmetics, fragrances and toiletries) reached $340 billion. Certain individual brands may have become more affordable (e.g. some top brand products have become available in the supermarket or drugstore at a significant discount), but the industry as a whole has not taken a hit. Creative payment plans have helped: in Chile, for instance, a $10 lipstick can be purchased in twenty-four installments, making it seem essentially free to the purchaser. With few original cosmetic products today but lots of “me, toos,� significant time, energy, and money are dedicated to marketing. Celebrity endorsements have increased and products are branded as “natural� and “sustainable.� Natural simply means that nothing unnatural was used in making the product while sustainable means that the goods used in the product can be replanted and re-grown. Sustainability can now be measured by the Global Reporting Initiative against a triple bottom line – a company is evaluated based on its economic (profits), social (helping people solve real problems) and environmental (carbon footprint) performance. And a growing number of companies like Natura, Burt’s Bee’s, Patagonia, and Sustainable from Africa all manufacture sustainable products. They are focused on empowering local communities to produce products themselves as opposed to simply providing the natural ingredients. It was clear from the presentation that Mauricio and his family are passionate about both Natura and the world of cosmetics. And it was also clear that that hundreds of millions of consumers around the world are equally passionate.

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Distinguished Speaker Series | Alumni

For the final installment on June 8 of Dwight’s 2011 Distinguished Speaker Series, Mr. Ibrahim K. Al-Naimi, President and CEO of Saudi Petroleum International Inc., the New York-based division of Saudi Aramco, shared his thoughts on Saudi Aramco’s current role in the oil market, overall trends in the global oil market, and his perspective on how world events effect oil production. Saudi Aramco is the state-owned national oil company of Saudi Arabia and the world’s most valuable company: Some have estimated its 2010 value at between two and seven trillion US Dollars.

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Saudi Arabia and the World’s Energy

Mr. Al-Naimi made clear that oil is the lifeline for Saudi Arabia: it accounts for ninety percent of Saudi exports and seventy-five percent of government revenues. Although Saudi Arabia has recently begun mining operations and entered into the phosphate business to diversify its economy, oil is the source of the Kingdom’s economic strength and political leverage. Saudi Aramco is Saudi Arabia’s largest employer with sixty-five thousand employees located around the world (offices in the United States include New York, Houston and Washington, D.C.). Mr. Al-Naimi also painted a clear picture of where the world’s oil supply lies: the Middle East holds fifty-five percent of the global oil reserves (1,470 billion barrels) and Saudi Arabia alone holds eighteen percent (262 million barrels). Saudi Arabia is the second largest oil producer behind Russia and the world’s largest exporter, producing 8.5-9 million barrels per day and exporting 5.5-6 million barrels per day. Mr. Al-Naimi also broke down the global demand for oil, currently at eighty-nine million barrels per day. The United States consumes nineteen million barrels per day, nearly fifteen of which go directly to transportation. Saudi Arabia is the number three supplier of oil to the United States (Canada is number one), providing approximately twelve percent of our needs. Mr. Al-Naimi surprised many in the audience when he stated that the United States would have significantly larger oil reserves, predominantly in Alaska, if environmental restrictions were removed. China’s demand for oil, meanwhile, continues to grow. After a detailed explanation of oil pricing, Mr. Al-Naimi described Saudi Aramco’s role in stabilizing oil markets in response to recent world events. For instance, Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf in 2005 and shut down one million barrels of oil production per day. Saudi Aramco responded by increasing its production and by boosting its US sales to 1.8 million barrels per day. With the recent uprising in Libya, the country stopped exporting 1.2 million barrels per day of their highly desired “light� and “sweet� oil. Saudi Aramco responded to the loss of this unique crude oil by offering its customers tailor-making blends to replace lost Libyan crude oil exports. Everyone in the audience, from investors to current students, walked away with greater insight into the oil industry and Saudi Arabia’s paramount role on the global stage.

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Alumni | Events

(S\TUP 7OVUH[OVU On March 8, Dwight held the Alumni Annual Fund Phonathon in the Quad. We had a wonderful group of enthusiastic callers who secured a record number of phonathon alumni gifts! Volunteers spoke with Dwight, Franklin and AngloAmerican graduates about the importance of the Annual Fund and shared the latest news from Dwight. We would especially like to thank Blain Namm ’97, the Alumni Council Fundraising Cochair, for helping to organize the phonathon as well as Council members David Ackers ’04, Greg Williamson ’97, and Peter Timmins ’90 for their help. Thank you to all our phonathon volunteers and our generous donors for making this year’s event a success.

:LUPVY (S\TUP 0UK\J[PVU *LYLTVU` Alumni Council member David Ackers ’04 officially welcomed the Class of 2011 to The Dwight School Alumni Association at the Senior Dinner on April 28. David shared how the recent graduates can stay involved with Dwight’s extensive alumni network, which includes graduates in nearly all fifty states and over twenty countries.

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Guest Speakers | Alumni

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Miles Ladin ’86

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On April 26, Miles Ladin ’86 spoke to The Dwight School Photo Activity Club in April about the art and business of professional photography. Ladin started by talking about how his interest in photography evolved from a summer photography class he took when he was a student at Dwight. In his professional work now, he often photographs the rich and famous with an untraditional style and point of view. “I am passionate about capturing moments, people and popular culture,” he said, adding, “I was not initially interested in photographing celebrities, but it developed into more of a commentary on celebrity culture.” In advising the students on their work, Ladin said to start by photographing something they are passionate about. He also said, “Take a lot of pictures.” Ladin’s work has been featured in international publications including The New York Times, Harper’s Bazaar, WWD and Fortune. His website is www.milesladin.com. 4PJOHLS (U[VU -YHURSPU » :[\KLU[Z (YL 0UZWPYLK I` +^PNO[ (S\TU\Z HUK 7OV[VNYHWOLY

Michael Anton, Franklin ’75

On February 9, the Dwight Photo Activity Club welcomed Michael Anton (Franklin ’75) to speak about his thirty-year career as a professional photographer. During his talk, Anton showed inspiring photographs that included industrial shots of Luxembourg and fine art photos from Cape Canaveral. Anton currently works as a photographer for the New York City Department of Sanitation. He talked about how much he enjoys his work photographing some of the “hardest working but least recognized” workers and their industry. He also offered the students advice on photographic technique, stressing the importance of experimentation with manual exposures and flash. 7H[YPJR 4\YUL` » +^PNO[ (S\TU\Z (J[VY .P]LZ )HJR [V ;OLH[LY :[\KLU[Z

Patrick Murney ’05 (far left)

On February 25, New York actor Patrick Murney ’05, who was a major force in theater at Dwight, returned to lead an improvisational comedy workshop with eleventh grader Taylor Levy’s newly-formed, student-run improv group. Patrick spoke in the past about how integral the Dwight theater program was in his pre-college experience and therefore felt it was important to return to Dwight to help the new improv group. Patrick is a graduate of Syracuse University’s theater program and is in the early stages of a thriving professional acting career. He is gearing up for a five month run of a new play, White Noise, in Chicago this spring. Patrick and Mr. Christgau (Dwight’s Visual and Performing Arts Department Chair) are also collaborating on a one-man show that has long been a dream of theirs.

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Alumni | Alumni Accolades

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:\UKHUJL (^HYK >PUULY Chelsea Logan (Holtzman) ’04 recently starred in Erica Dunton’s to.get. her, which premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Shot on location in Wrightsville Beach, NC, the film chronicles a spur-of-the-moment beach getaway for five conflicted teens that takes unexpected turns over the course of a freewheeling night on the town. The film won The Audience Award in the NEXT category at Sundance, The Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the Sarasota Film Festival, and The Best American Indie Award at the RiverRun International Film Festival. Next it will be screened at the Milan International Film Festival, where it has been nominated for the Best Screenwriting and Best Cinematography awards. When asked about her successes thus far, Chelsea says “The theater program at Dwight and the support of teachers like Mr. Christgau had a huge impact on me. Having the opportunity to play on stage and take risks is something I’ll never forget. Unfortunately, I loved it so much that I can’t see myself doing anything else, so hopefully I’ll continue being a part of interesting projects like to.get.her.� Chelsea also starred in First Kiss and Buy It Now (winner in the Cinefondation category at the Cannes Film Festival), films by fellow Dwight graduate Antonio Campos ’02. Chelsea recently graduated from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.

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Alumni Accolades | Alumni

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3LHU :[HY[ \W 4HJOPUL >PUULY We would like to congratulate Conner Boyd ’06, whose team won the Lean Startup Machine Contest in New York last April for their project, Tweach(.it). Conner and his team will now receive probono consulting services from several investment bankers, venture capitalists, and successful entrepreneurs, who will help them incubate their idea and gain more traction. Below, Conner gives us an inside look into the competition… “The Lean Startup Machine, or #LSM for you Twitter lovers, is a weekend-long entrepreneurship competition. The event took place at one of New York City’s premier co-working spaces, General Assembly, which is located on Silicon Alley in the Flatiron District. The competition begins with a pitch contest where 80+ ideas are all thrown into a pot where only the twelve best are chosen via a group vote. Then, the organizers flip the switch and the participants scramble to form teams around their favorite ideas that survived the vote. I teamed up with a teacher who is part of Teach for America, another person with a business background, and two engineers including the technical lead on Google

Maps and Google Wave. Suffice it to say, we probably had one of the best teams going into the competition, both from a technical standpoint as well as general area expertise. This did not, however, diminish the excitement when we came out victorious after the Sunday afternoon demos! Our goal for the weekend was to build a way for teachers to find, store, and disseminate the best of free online educational content to other teachers, administrators, and parents. We must have struck a nerve, because we took home first prize! At the moment, my team and I are still completing our victory lap while gearing up to apply to a slew of technology incubators. We have conducted teacher focus groups and numerous one-on-one interviews with administrators and look forward to building out our product. I must mention the role Dwight has played in my achievements thus far, and those on the horizon. I would not be where I am without the lessons I learned and character development that I underwent while at Dwight. The teaching staff at Dwight served as much as mentors as they did educators. Teachers must be more than teachers. They must inspire, and their influence

must carry outside the classroom. This is something that I believe Dwight has achieved through its culture of finding and nurturing every child’s ‘spark of genius.’ It’s a worthwhile mission, one that needs more champions.”

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Alumni | Alumni Accolades

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.VPUN .YLLU ^P[O @HYUZ HUK -HIYPJZ Dwight alumni Tyson Toussant ’95 and Tim Coombs ’96 have teamed up with rap celebrity Pharrell Williams to start a company called Return Textiles, LLC, which makes Bionic Yarn, a fabric made of recycled bottles. They have received a tremendous amount of press recently, including the article below published in the April 18 issue of the New York Daily News. We interviewed them to discuss their exciting new business venture. Tell us about your company. Return Textiles, LLC is a developer, manufacturer, licensor, and distributor of conventional and high performance, ecologically sustainable

yarns and fabrics. Return Textiles has pioneered a revolutionary and patented high performance eco-textile named Bionic®. Bionic® is a patented yarn structure which blends petroleum and natural based fibers with recycled plastic bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) through a unique yarn spinning method. By turning plastic waste into performance fabric, Return Textiles aims to encourage a sustainable lifestyle, while saving the environment one bottle at a time. How did you get started? Initially we founded an outdoor gear company named ENDSTAR. While designing outdoor products and high

Tyson Toussant ’95 and Tim Coombs ’96

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Alumni Accolades | Alumni

performance apparel for adventure seekers and sports enthusiasts, we started analyzing existing recycled fabrics and discovered there were serious structural and quality control problems which would prevent them being the reliable and durable goods we envisioned. This limitation inspired the development of Bionic® Yarn, which eventually gave birth to our ecologically responsible textile company, Return Textiles. What has been the biggest challenge? It’s a three-way tie between inventing/patenting Bionic yarn, building a solid supply chain who can manufacture the product without problems,

and getting a first major customer to commit to a large order while showcasing our brand and story. What are you most proud of? That we had the patience, endurance, and confidence to realize our vision against the odds. What’s next? We hope to expand our involvement into the actual collection and processing of recycled bottles and engage the educational and municipal recycling community in what we are doing.

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Alumni | Alumni Accolades

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On April 1, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the appointment of Rodney Capel ’89 to New York City Director of Intergovernmental Affairs. In this position - which covers the Mid-Hudson area, Long Island, and the five boroughs of New York City - Rodney serves as the Executive Chamber’s primary liaison to downstate members of the State Legislature, Congress, partner agencies, associations, councils, coalitions, and advocacy groups to promote Governor Cuomo’s agenda for the State of New York. The New York City Intergovernmental Office is also responsible for advancing the Executive Chamber’s State legislative agenda, framing and communicating positions on bills before the State Legislature and Congress, as well as assisting elected officials with constituent services.

7VSP[PJHS 7V^LYOV\ZL Rodney Capel ’89 with Governor Andrew Cuomo

Congratulations, Rodney!

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;OL .V ;V .\` MVY 9LHS ,Z[H[L Alumni Council member Greg Williamson ’97 has enjoyed a meteoric rise to the top of the New York City real estate sales field. For over two years, Greg has ranked in the top ten of Prudential Douglas Elliman’s Top Performing Residential Real Estate Brokers in New York City. This past year he was promoted to Senior Vice President and reached number three in the Company. “The key for me is being

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attentive to my client’s needs, handling each deal with tremendous detail and care, working with a group of seasoned professionals, and drawing on a lifetime of NYC experience,” Greg says of his success. Congratulations, Greg! If you would like to get in touch with Greg, he can be reached at gwilliamson@elliman. com, 718.490.6519, or 212.321.7192.

Class Notes | Alumni 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 Ashley Haughton via email to ahaughton@dwight.edu.

+^PNO[ *SHZZ 5V[LZ Victor Nardone ’57. “I have lived in Puerto Rico for the last forty-seven years. I’m married to the same woman and have two children and five grandchildren. I have had an excellent life. But to sum it up, Dwight was a turning point in my life from which I never stopped growing as a human being. I still have my Dwight 1957 yearbook!” Massimo Dell’Aria ’59. “I am living in New Bern, NC. I spent many years working in the international airline industry, and I lived in France for eight years. I moved back to New York City in 1980, where I got married and had three children (now six grandchildren). Since 1985, I’ve served as an interpreter/translator in Federal Courts, but I am now ninety percent retired and do as much sailing as I can.”

Paula Oppenheim Cope ’71. Paula celebrated twenty years in business with a special benefit concert in Burlington, VT in June. The headliner was her son, Collin Cope, on harmonica and lead vocals with his band, Funkwagon, and a variety of other musicians. Cope & Associates, Inc. is a consulting and training firm with clients nationwide. John Ezrine ’75. “I flew in from Los Angeles, CA in February to play a sizzling New Yorkarea show with my band, The Electricians, to a packed house at Mexicali in Teaneck, NJ. This was our first East Coast show.”

Andrew Chait ’78. “I am still living in New York City with my wife, Hedy, and son, Jeremy. Jeremy is in Kindergarten at Browning and enjoying it. I am working with my father and brother at Ralph M. Chait Galleries and in my limited free time, I serve as President of the Men’s Club at Temple Emanu-El. I enjoy keeping up with my classmates and fellow Dwight alums on Facebook.” Peter Allegretti ’79. Peter recently started as the new Director of Organization and Communications for Talent Search People, a Recruitment Agency in Barcelona with a mission to bring a new client and candidate-focused agency to the market. Beverly Tracy ’80. “I have settled in Saratoga Springs, NY, where I own and operate Beverly Tracy Home Design, an Interior Design Firm specializing in Residential and Commercial Properties. I have been written up in various publications and my work has been highlighted in various publications. One of the houses I designed is being photographed for four national magazines and is being considered for the cover of one!” Richard Guberman ’85. On March 5, Richard Guberman married Adrienne Faye Saunders at the Harold Pratt House and Peterson Hall in New York City. The couple spent their honeymoon in Nevis. Richard is an independent insurance broker in New York City. He graduated from George Washington University and received a master’s degree from Adelphi.

Mollie Boline Mylar ’90. “Shortly after graduating from Dwight, I moved to Utah to attend The University of Utah. It was a huge culture shock when I arrived, but I wanted to see the West and find a place to ski. I graduated from The University of Utah with a degree in Family and Consumer Studies and moved to Park City, UT, where I met my husband. We got married in 2001 and welcomed our son, Dalton, in July 2003. I am currently the Admissions Director for a Residential Treatment Center that treats adolescent girls. I came back to New York City this spring and visited Dwight. It was great to see Mr. Spahn and other staff members.”

Adam Faleck ’91. “Jessica and I welcomed our second daughter, Elaina Bo Faleck, to this world on November 1, 2010. She is doing great and so far, she seems to be doing everything opposite of her older sister, Nyah, who is three-and-a-half years old. I have been living in Colorado for the last fifteen years, and love every day of it. I moved here to ski, but these days I rarely get to go. We live in a post-war modern contemporary house, which is one of 124 houses in this neighborhood. The house is wonderful; however, we have outgrown it and are currently looking for something bigger. It is our class’s twentieth year reunion this year.”

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Alumni | Class Notes Jessie Spellmann-Mignone’96. Jessie Spellmann and Dr. Paul Mignone were married on September 4, 2010 by the bride’s grandfather. On Easter, they hosted dinner and announced that they are expecting their first child in November. Tierney Model ’03. “I currently live in New York City, and I am working for Sotheby’s International Realty as a sales agent. I love working for Sotheby’s because it allows me to sell and rent real estate all over the world. I am lucky to have this opportunity to work with such a fantastic brand; it has been very exciting.” Mark Clemente ’04. “I am working now for New York Junior Tennis League as Director of Marketing and Communications.” Yung ho Lee ’05. “I have moved back to South Korea, where I am currently doing military service. I have seven months left of duty. I’m really looking forward to coming back to New York and Boston at the end of this year. I still have three semesters left at Babson. I’d love to hear back from my Dwight fellows. You can reach me at yunghlee86@hotmail. com. Good luck to you all!” Emma Mandelbaum ’10. “I’m living in Worcester, MA and working at a dance academy called Ritmos Latin Dance Academy, which teaches girls ages six through twelve ballet. I am also dancing for a dance company called Hispania, which was recently asked by the Boston Red Sox to perform on the field at one of their games this summer.”

-YHURSPU *SHZZ 5V[LZ Lynne Kohn Alper, Franklin ’60. “I am excited to report that all four second editions of the Interactive Mathematics Program (IMP) have been published. I co-authored these books with Dan Fendel, Sherry Fraser, and

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Diane Resek. The IMP curriculum increases all students’ comprehension of math through integrated, problem-based learning.”

Claire Cowan Evans, Franklin ’60. “I was recently in Boca Raton, FL visiting my mom, who is ninety-four, and two of my grandchildren. I am planning to go to Los Angeles, CA to visit the same two grandchildren as well as my son and daughter-in-law. I need a break from the bad weather we have had all winter in New England.”

Randolph Swiller, Franklin ’63. “David Arieti – Franklin ’63, another physician and I recently co-authored Prognosis Disaster, a book that deals with global warming, the greenhouse effect on earth, and the emergence of tropical infectious diseases in northern latitudes. You can purchase it on amazon.com.” Debbie Dichek Braunstein, Franklin ’65. “I am proud to say that I retired from teaching, my second career (I was first an editor at Mademoiselle Magazine), in June. I made a promise to my children to write a cookbook of all their favorite recipes, and I’ve finally published it. The cookbook is titled No Drama when cooking with Mama, which signifies my love of cooking.”

Steven Alembik, Franklin ’69. “I am the founder of SMA Communications LLC, a wholesale data provider of email, phone and postal information. SMA currently houses and maintains the U.S. Voter Files, U.S. Veterans by Branch of Service, Active Military Personnel and U.S. Donor Files.”

Laura Devlin, Franklin ’74. “I am living in Portland, ME and working for Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s National/Alamo brands at the Portland Jetport. Prior to this, I lived in Southern Vermont for twenty-six years, primarily as a Clinical Social Worker specializing in Substance Abuse treatment. I live with my partner, Kim, and our two cats. I love the Maine coast and being a transplanted New Englander, I am a huge Boston Red Sox fan! Find me and send me a “friend” message on Facebook.” Lois Elfman, Franklin ’76. “I am a full-time freelance writer/editor working on topics ranging from sports to higher education to fashion. I am the WNBA editor of HOOP, the official magazine of the National Basketball Association. I also write a lot of the magazine’s celebrity content. I’m excited to be engaged in ongoing discussions about higher education, and I hope people will check out my work at Diverse: Issues in Higher Education (www. diverseeducation.com). Additionally, I’ve recently started writing for my college alumnae magazine, Barnard Magazine.” Ron Levy, Franklin ’77. “I was named the first holder of the Class of 1947 School of Medicine Memorial Professorship, and I was also (one of only twelve people) elected a member of the University of Texas Academy of Health Science Education (UTAHSE) in 2010.”

Class Notes | Alumni (UNSV *SHZZ 5V[LZ Peter Trump, Anglo ’81. “On March 19, a few Anglo alumni got together to celebrate Susan Ward Roncalli’s visit to New York City from Los Angeles, CA. The following Anglo alumni attended the dinner: John Chomyak, Carolyn Blair, Tony Edelstein, Beth Alice Edelstein Schumacher, Susan Ward Roncalli, and Caroline DeGeoffrey Watson.

Susan Taylor-Gol, Anglo ’82. Susan sends warm regards to all from sunny Fairfax, VA, where she and her family now live after having relocated back to the U.S. from Canada two years ago. Susan has been focusing on her long time loves of art and holistic health modalities. She is a REIKI Practitioner and Therapeutic Arts Facilitator, and she has established an organization which operates in both Canada and the U.S. called The Healing

Cooperative. Her children, Anna, Reuben, Shira, are nineteen, seventeen, and fourteen respectively. Her husband of twenty-two years, Amoz, continues to work with ExxonMobil, and his career will likely relocate them again in the near future. Susan can be reached at SusanDeaneTaylorGol@hotmail.com, and her website is www.TheHealingCooperative.org. Her most recent exciting challenge has been to establish The Healing Cooperative Retreat Center in Israel’s northern Galil region called Sun & Sea in the Galilee. She welcomes Anglo friends to visit Israel and experience the serenity of her retreat center there!

Send to Ashley Haughton at ahaughton@dwight.edu.

Zohar Wilson, Anglo ’83. “I was honored to be the scientific editor as well as the writer of the introduction for the Hebrew edition of the book Integrative Nutrition, which came out in April. I’m glad to be a part of this important project that’s geared to help people improve their health and live happier.”

In Memoriam Ilene Drexler, Franklin ’78 As written by Elizabeth Drexler Goldsmith, Franklin ’75 “My younger sister, Ilene Drexler - Franklin ’78, lost her battle with cancer this past spring. She lived on the Upper West Side and had a successful business called ‘The Organizing Wiz.’ She was passionate about helping friends, colleagues and clients (many of whom became unbelievably supportive when she was diagnosed). She was a loving person who gave deeply. She never married or had children but had a wonderful, loving partner, Al, who was by her side until the end. She was also an incredible aunt to my two sons, Andrew and Jonathan. We all miss her more than words can say, but she will be in our hearts forever.”

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Alumni | Where Are They Now? Missing Landmark Year (A class celebrating a five (5), ten (10), fifteen (15), twenty (20), etc. year reunion) Alumni

Randy Hamilton

Ted Huxford

Richard Kauff

Douglas R. Bassett

Emile Harley

Herbert A. Israel

Jeffrey L. Lippincott

Lauren M. Capaci

Max Heller

Jesse Jackson, Jr.

Russell Livermore

Caroline de Geofroy

Sheila Hollins

Dennis Kieran

William Lynch

Lynne T. Eaton

Jy Hye Hyun

Donald K. Knapp

Hubert Mazzacca

Chris Kemp

Jeffrey A. Kurtz

Frederick J. McLaughlin

William Lana

William B. Larner

Ralph Meola

Drew Lasher

Hoshea L. Lewenstein

Thomas Namack

Virginia Jackson

Yvette Leeper

Herbert Luke

Paul R. Nicholas

Allen Konis

Leland Ludington

Jacques R. Mesot

John O’Connell

Sherry Krispin

Nicole Messer

Albert Montali

Eugene Oliver

Peter M. Kuhn

Maurizio Morello

Sabrina Kury

John Picotte Jr.

Eli Lederman

Yuri Rozenfeld

Steve Mandel

Jagjeet Sidhu

Holden McCormack

Ivan Starr

Sam Merrin

James Taylor

Grace Nall

Thomas Walsh

Jonathan A. Reiss

Yorgo Yfantopoulos

Anglo ’81

Alexis Edwards Douglas K. Holley Nadine Holzer

Antonio J. Rengifo Matthew H. Sherwin

Anglo ’91 Jennifer Brodoff

John Shub

Tadd Cortell

Arthur Stepanian

Timothy G. Dalton III

Arun D. Wilkinson

Ivan Fraticelli

Mwana Wilson

Anthony Galluzzo

Lisa Zagury

Shawn Milnes

Cory Zeitzer

Stephane Ryff

Anglo ’86 Carlo Bacchetta Franco Bacchetta

Jonathan Schuster Vivecca Underwood

Dwight ’61

Bruce Montell Michael Pellegrino Richard J. Rosenthal Myles D. Schwach John W. Smith Neil Sutton Nicholas Zuckerman

Dwight ’66

Thomas R. Paglia Emanuel Paxton Robert Primak Andrew Schmitz James M. Siket Mohammed Soudavar Jerome E. Stanton John E. Stanton

Mark O. Akkola

David Steinmetz

Flavius Baez

Kevin C. Sullivan

Alan S. Bull

Robert J. Sullivan

Edward Carpenter

John D. Tosto

John D. Claffey Frank M. Cusimano Thomas E. Davidson Glenn De Filippi Charles V. Donnelly Thomas M. Eagan Michael Engelberg Marcellino Evans

Dwight ’71 Fern Blumenfeld David Ciraolo Barbara Gitlin Steven Haskell Arlene Hausman William Meilink Beth Miller

Matt Bernstein

Peter J. Bevona

Barbara Blanco Rivera

John T. Flynn

John S. Ciurana

Scott Burn

Peter Ford

Stephen F. Cohen

Gary Goldberg

Stephen Carter

Richard Feinstein

Joel Goldsmith

Fran Davison

Vincent J. Forcina

Alan Granby

Alec DiNapoli

William J. Harper

Dennis W. Gregory

Isabelle Duchene

Edward T. Hauser

Steven Handshaw

John Faber

John D. Hogan

Michael J. Higgins

Steven Cohen

Michael Grondahl

John Hsu

Joseph Hunt

Francesca Cuomo

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Lisa Robbins Kim Sandifer Nunzio Valore Willy Weaver Nancy Witrock

Dwight ’76

Where Are They Now? | Alumni Below are alumni from Landmark years with whom we have lost contact. Please communicate with your Class Representative if you know the whereabouts of anyone on this list. You may also contact Ashley Haughton, at ahaughton@dwight.edu or 212.724.6360 ext. 230. We appreciate your help!

Brad Goldberg

Douglas L. Hutton

Milton Jacobs

Sherra Gluck

Joan Hillman

Sarah Jane Kaye

Jeffrey Kearney

Jeffrey Haut

Paul Jensen

Keren Kol-Bar

Charles Margulies

Caryn Kramer

Joonyuen Kim

Armando Lopez

Abigail Miles

Elise Lane

David Manson

Rachel I. Martin

Luis Muller

Randy Minton

Lisa Sarkisian Marcus

Joshua Postel

Michael Spector

Kit Rosenstein

Neva Moore

Sylvia van Wilderen

GianPiero Rotoli

Deborah Weinstein

Steven Nadler

Dwight ’81 Andrew Fishbein Elisa Freaso Matthew Ledger Beth Rosenberg Vickye Smart

Dwight ’86 Alicia Dwek Melissa Ehrenreich Vivian Lubin Michael Prince Ali A. Sami’i Gennifer Saul Andrew Yerys

Dwight ’91 Jamie Adler Jason Alper Carina Bambian Sarah Braha Oshrat Dotan Kym Kennedy-Smith Kenneth Levine Lisa Martin

Adam Thomas

Judy Blauner

Diana Rothblum

Barbara Cucey

Charles Rothschild

William Atherton

Edward Godnick

Ann Rutenberg

Nissa Azlan

Michael Goodman

Ian A. Bursztyn

Suzanne Stiner

Susan Kassel

Alexander Hurt

Joanne Tomack

Daniel Klein

Jessica McNally

Elliot Klein

Dorothy Weintraub

Milica Milovanovic

Howard Klein

Lyat Rajkovik

Peter Lerch

Anatol L. Rotman

Marianne Lewis

Matina Sukhahuta

Carol McAllister

Garrett Williams

Virginia Miles

Bree Anne Williams-Cook

Margarita Morea

Erika Yoshida

Diane Payn

Dwight ’06

Robert Gold Denise Greene Judith Guberman Hank Howard Tom Israbhakdi

Ingrid E. Brattskar

Leonard Shaw

Phillip Kuhn

Ivoire M. Daniels Juli A. Edwards Alexander Henlon-Plenty Tom Kronengold Daisy B. Mellors Julius Moffatt

Kevin Zolot

Marc Orsi

Sung Won Hong

Laura Caplan

Elliot Junger

Keita Yamamoto

John Gibbons

Michael Bergman

Michael Schlesinger

Anders Leiro

Crane Allen

Brant Rubin

Franklin ’76

Clemente Attolico Trivulzio

Alex Vuilleumier

Ashley C. Allen

Ralph Rosenblatt

Alexander Askmo

Dwight ’01

Alexander Napack

Dwight ’96

Franklin ’66

Amanda Raymond

Joshua Shirley Dilara Uzan Adam J. Zubery

Franklin ’61 Patricia Cherurg

Franklin ’71 Susan Agay Barbara Barrett Lorraine Blank Steven Brown Pamela Buckner

Samuel B. Lee Diane McCann Robert McLelland Hector Navarro Jeff Platin Gerald Robbins

Gwen Buhler

Sherrie Roberts

Linda Collins

Marco Rodriguez

Peter Dworman

Richie Schwartz

Michael Evans

Robert Simon

Wendy Evans

Jeffrey K. Steuer

Peggy Fein

Lewis J. Tatem

Mary Ginsberg

Gretchen Wengenroth

:\TTLY c

Dwight Today | In Memoriam Class Notes | Alumni

Annual Fund

graduates :\JJLZZM\S +^PNO[ -YHURSPU HUK (UNSV (TLYPJHU NYHK\H[LZ ZWHU [OL NSVIL @V\Y NPM[ ^PSS LUZ\YL [OH[ M\[\YL +^PNO[ NYHK\H[LZ HSZV SLH]L [OLPY THYR 7SLHZL Z\WWVY[ ;OL +^PNO[ :JOVVS -V\UKH[PVUÂťZ (UU\HS -\UK 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. Please consider making a gift in the attached pledge envelope or online now at www.dwight.edu/givingtodwight. For more information, please contact Jacqueline Leitzes, Director of Annual Giving and Major Gifts, at 212.724.6360 x247 or jleitzes@dwight.edu.

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From The Archives

Summer in Central Park Dwight Class of 1986

Phone: 212.724.6360 x230 Fax: 212.721.4513 Website: www.dwight.edu

Parents of alumni: If your sons or daughters are no longer at home, please notify the Office of Alumni Affairs, ahaughton@dwight.edu, of their correct address.

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