Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019-20

Fall/Winter 2019–20

Connecting with Community

Amazing summer camp experiences designed specifically for students ages 10 to 15+

The Arts Sports and Wellness Outdoor Adventure STEM

penningtonsummers.org

Summers at Pennington offers a wide range of programs that allow students to explore and dive into the subject matter they are interested in. We offer several program streams with a variety of camps to assist you and your child in finding the perfect option or combination of options to make this summer one of discovery and adventure!

Register online now!

Fall/Winter 2019–20

Volume 60, No. 2

Headmaster William S. Hawkey, Ph.D. Editor Lori G. Lipsky Director of Communications and Marketing llipsky@pennington.org 609–737–6156 Communications Team Lisa Aliprando A. Melissa Kiser Julia Corrigan Director of Admission and Financial Aid Sharon Jarboe Assistant Headmaster for Community Life Chad Bridges

Features 2. Convocation: Dr. Hawkey challenges all of us to reach for difficult goals this year.

4. Homecoming 2019: Many alumni turned out for a beautiful fall weekend and many exciting events on campus.

28. Asia Alumni Festival: The secondever Asia Alumni Festival took place in Bangkok, Thailand, in November 2019.

34. Faculty Trip to China: Three Pennington faculty members traveled to China in June 2019 to increase their global awareness and connections to our international community.

42. Community Service: Every Pennington student works to make a difference in our own community and beyond.

54. Alumni in the Arts: Lisa Houston interviews Michael Lee Brown ’11 and celebrates sixteen other alumni who are now working in the arts.

Assistant Headmaster for Strategic Initiatives Charles D. Brown Contributing Writers Peter Chase, Jane Bott Childrey ’89, Julia Corrigan, Dolores Eaton, Lisa Houston, Suzanne Houston, Lissa Kiser, Chrissie Knight, Len Leib, Lori Lipsky, Marlynne Marlow P’20, Patrick Murphy ’80, Alicia Reed, Jessie Shaffer, Susan Wirsig Contributing Photographers Margo Andrews, Julia Corrigan, David Cahn ’22, Dolores Eaton, Caroline Hall, Lisa Hardt P’24, Suzanne Houston, Jim Inverso, Grace Kantra ’23, Chrissie Knight, Lori Lipsky, Keri Marino, Patrick Murphy ’80, Maria O’Leary, Mike Schwartz, Tim Scott, Jessie Shaffer, Ana Shah P’20, Kendra Sisserson, Veronica Vesnaver, Susan Wirsig, Lyuxin Zhang ’22 Printing Prism Color Corporation The Pennington School 112 West Delaware Avenue Pennington, NJ 08534 609–737–1838 www.pennington.org All materials copyright © 2020 by The Pennington School unless otherwise noted. The cupola logo is a registered trademark of The Pennington School.

The Pennington School®, Registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Opinions expressed in Pennington Magazine are those of the authors, not necessarily those of The Pennington School.

The Pennington School admits students of any race, religion, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, physical disability, national and ethnic origin, or sexual orientation in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and financial aid programs, employment policies, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

Cover photography by Julia Corrigan

Also Inside 8. New Faculty 10. Special Events

40. Parents for Pennington News 48. Honor Society Inductions

14. Middle School News

50. Board of Trustee News

22. Athletics

51. Alumni Weekend 2020: Save the Date!

30. School Garden News

52. Holiday Celebrations

32. In the Gallery

53. HomeFront Holiday Party

36. Fall Play: The Secret in the Wings

60. Alumni News and Class Notes

38. Musicians in Residence

68. In Memoriam

39. Fall Concert

69. Scholarship Classic: Save the Date! www.pennington.org

1

Convocation

Reach Beyond Dr. Hawkey’s theme for 2019–20 The Pennington School formally opened its 182nd academic year with Convocation ceremonies on Friday, September 6.

Despite cloudy skies, energy brightened the tent on O’Hanlon Green during the ceremony. A brass quintet played as the students entered, by grade, followed by the academic procession of faculty and trustees.

The program began with an invocation from the School’s new chaplain, David Hallgren, followed by the singing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” by a cappella group InTouch (seniors Annelise Cornet, Gabriela Montero, Molly Nelson, and Jenna Soliman). Peter J. Tucci, chair of the Board of Trustees and a 1979 alumnus of the School as well as a parent of two Pennington alumnae, offered his welcoming remarks. This year marks Tucci’s thirtieth year serving on Pennington’s Board, and it is also his fortieth reunion year. Following that, there were greetings from various School constituencies. Susan Wirsig, director of the Applied Science Certificate Program, teacher of mathematics, and winner of last year’s Otte award for excellence in teaching, represented the faculty. She spoke movingly about pursuing the kinds of tough goals that are so meaningful to achieve. Student speakers also addressed the audience with their personal stories about grit and

2

perseverance. Gavin Hart ’20 is this year’s student government president, and eighthgrade student Polaris Hayes represented the Middle School as first in scholarship.

Headmaster William S. Hawkey introduced the School’s lifers, offered some fun facts about Pennington, and then called the community to action by offering his theme for this academic year: What’s Your Reach?

He related this theme to the challenges and obstacles our nation faced nearly fifty years ago with the mission to send a man to the

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

moon. Dr. Hawkey went on to quote words from author and motivational speaker Zig Ziglar, who wrote, “When obstacles arise, you change your direction to reach your goal. You do not change your decision to get there.” Hawkey challenged the students go beyond standard goals and find a “reach” goal: a goal that requires going outside of one’s comfort zone. He reminded us that it is these “reach goals” that often lead to great discoveries, achievements, and accomplishments. Hawkey’s reach goal for Pennington this year is to become more sustainable in all that we do. In closing, he encouraged the students to develop better self-understanding by learning from mistakes. “I can only hope for all of you that you will learn from your successes and your failures during your time here. Developing individual excellence, the cornerstone of our mission, happens through this process of persevering through good times and tough times... Don’t settle on goals that are easy: pick a goal that is hard—because at this time in your life you have the backing of a great community to help pick you up, challenge you again, and be your cheerleader. Together as a community, we can reach for the moon and achieve anything we put our minds to.”

“When obstacles arise, you change your direction to reach your goal. You do not change your decision to get there.”

—Zig Ziglar

www.pennington.org

3

3

2

1

Homecoming Highlights

4

1. Joseph and Marion Wesley GP’93 ’94 ’94 ’95 ’98 ’99 ’01 ’02 ’03 ’03, Eri Hokura ’94, and Joseph Wesley ’94 reunite after the AHOF. 2. Kurt Winkler ’87, Kristen Bentivoglio Eddins ’84, and David Huchler ’86 enjoy the All-Alumni Party.

3. The Tuttle family celebrate Caroline ’04’s induction into the AHOF. 4. The Winkler family accepted the Order of the Tower in honor of beloved former faculty member Michael Winkler, who passed away before the ceremony.

4

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

SAVE the DATE!

5

Homecoming October 11–12, 2019

6

9

7

8

5. Kim Broussard Tinari-Shore ’89 and Kim Ellis Stein ’89 picnic on the lawn at Corson House.

6. Michael Mo ’20 demonstrates the flight simulator built by the aviation club.

7. Jane Bott Childrey ’89 and Headmaster Bill Hawkey present John Vaccaro ’47 with a commemoration for his contributions to football at The Pennington School.

8. Sydney Faber ’18, Jennifer Wheeler Faber ’86, and Medora Huber Morris ’86 9. Billy Goldfeder ’74, Rob Riesenberger ’74, and Tim Kaluhiokalani ’74 reconnect at the All-Alumni Party.

Homecoming 2020: October 9–10

www.pennington.org

5

2

Homecoming Weekend 1. Michelle Watson Moffett ’99, Liz Clement ’99, and Jim Quilty ’99

2. Jennifer Starr ’89, Suzanne Applegate Parry ’89, and Dave Parry ’90 sit around the fire pit.

1

3

4

5

6

8

3. 50th Reunion Dinner for the Class of ’69. Top: John Biddiscombe ’63, Sam Castoro, Nancy Brunner, Keith Brunner, John Cake, Julie McCormick, Pamela Tyson, Anthony Tyson, Bottom: Tom Ursic, Paul Zoubek, Keith Meyers, Danny Vaisman, Bruce White, and Gary Beach 4. Father and son reunions align, making it a family affair. Claire, Dennis ’79, Katy, and Jared ’09 Keating 5. The Class of ’79. John Cipriano, Irma

6

Gomez Sarafin, Fred Falchi, Dennis Keating, Robert Carroll, Peter Tucci, and Donna Fell Kottcamp 6. Dan Sheridan ’94 shows a picture of his new baby daughter to Julia Kara Martinson ’99.

7. The Class of ’89. Bottom: Suzanne Applegate Parry, Kim Ellis Stein, Jane Bott Childrey, Holly Hoffman DiCandia, Jennifer Starr, Top: Ken Brown, Michael Wolf, Dr. Bill Hawkey, Mike Loy, Kim Broussard Tinari-Shore, and Ryan Ong

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

7

Eri Hokura ’94

William Goldfeder ’74

Caroline Tuttle ’04

Scott Bateman ’99

2019 Homecoming Awards Recipients of alumni awards were recognized at the Headmaster’s Brunch on Saturday, October 12.

2019 Athletic Hall of Fame Awardees Scott Bateman ’99 Kachorn Chiaravanont ’86 Rie Furuuchi ’93 Eri Hokura ’94 Caroline Tuttle ’04 2019 Outstanding Young Alumni Award Samuel Tydings ’09 8. Robert Bateman ’98 and Scott Bateman ’99 point to their names on our new Athletic Hall of Fame board, displayed proudly in Sparks Gymnasium.

9. Jack Green ’71 GP’23 and Valerie Green GP’23 at the Headmaster’s Brunch

2019 Alumni Achievement Award William Goldfeder ’74 The Tower Award Michael D. Winkler*

9 *A longtime and beloved faculty member, the late Michael Winkler served the School, our alumni, and the greater Pennington community in many capacities in the course of his thirty-eight-year career before his retirement in 2008. He was chosen to receive the award prior to his death in September.

Teacher, coach, administrator, friend, mentor, and parent, Mike Winkler was deeply involved in every element of the School. He was elected to Pennington’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007, joining his brothers-in-law, Richard A. Young ’72 and the late Robert J. Young ’70. www.pennington.org

7

New Faculty

The Pennington School has welcomed sixteen new members to its faculty.

Stephanie Allen, born and raised in Langhorne, PA, teaches Upper School mathematics and serves as an advisor to Odyssey of the Mind. A graduate of George School, she holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Rider University and taught previously in South Carolina public schools.

New faculty and staff at The Pennington School, (from left): Eli Durmer, Andrea Popel, Elizabeth Cummings, Danielle Bahr, David Hallgren, Ryan Stokes, William Burke, Rachel Burke, Peter Puleo, Stephanie Allen, Chrissie Knight, Stacey Inzer, Emma Wells, Nathaniel Van Yperen, Stephanie Cohen, and Alexandra Crivelli ’10. Not pictured: Matthew Mysliwiec.

Danielle Wright Bahr is teaching Middle School science as a leave replacement this semester. A native of Portland, OR, she earned her bachelor’s degree in biology at Duke University and her M.Ed. degree at Stanford University. After helping to open a charter school for low-income students and teaching biology in California, she eventually moved to Atlanta, GA, where she taught elementary science education at Georgia State University and supervised student teachers.

New York City native Rachel Gleicher Burke has joined the Upper School English Department faculty and is advising the School newspaper. She holds a bachelor’s degree in international studies from Colby College and a master’s degree in English literature from Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School of English. She taught English as a Second Language at a Brooklyn charter school before joining the faculty of Wyoming Seminary in Pennsylvania. For the last four years, she has taught English at the Wooster School in Danbury, CT. William Burke has returned to Pennington’s Upper School English faculty; he taught at Pennington from 2008 through 2015, when he returned to his hometown of Houston to teach at St. Francis Episcopal School. A graduate of Wake Forest University, he went on to earn a Master of Arts degree from Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School, where he met his wife, Rachel; he later joined her on the faculty of the Wooster School in Danbury, CT.

8

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

Stephanie Hanzel Cohen, who hails from Upper Darby, PA, is teaching Upper School English. A graduate of George School, she earned a bachelor’s degree in American literature from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and secondary English teaching certification from California State University at Northridge. She has taught levels from kindergarten to adults in California and New Jersey, most recently as an upper school English teacher at Wardlaw-Hartridge School in Edison.

Alexandra Crivelli, a 2010 graduate of The Pennington School, has returned to her alma mater to teach English as a Second Language and Mandarin Chinese. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Hamilton College, majoring in Chinese language and literature.

After a year with AmeriCorps in San Francisco and a year teaching fifth-graders in Brooklyn, she did graduate work at Middlebury College and the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, earning a Master of Arts degree in Chinese, with a focus on teaching Chinese as a second language. She taught Mandarin Chinese in the Hopewell Valley School District last year.

Elizabeth Python Cummings is assistant director of college guidance with the School’s Cervone Center for Learning, helping students with learning disabilities through the college admission process. A graduate of Moravian College with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, she earned a Master of Science in Education degree in mental health counseling from Fordham University shortly before beginning work in admissions at Iona College. Most recently she was director of placement at the Stephen Gaynor School, a school for students with language-based learning differences.

Eli Durmer is teaching Upper School mathematics. Since earning his bachelor’s degree in that field from Oberlin College in 2006, he has taught at independent schools in Arizona, Massachusetts, and Switzerland and most recently at Princeton Charter School. He is a graduate of Northfield Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts.

of Divinity studies at Princeton Theological Seminary. She served for five years as minister of youth and outreach at Trinity Church in Princeton. She joined Princeton Friends School in 2007 as schoolhouse manager; two years later, she became assistant head of school, the position she held for ten years before taking her current post at Pennington.

Joseph’s University, he did graduate work at Holy Family University, completing an M.Ed. degree in secondary education. He went on to study at Temple University, culminating in a Ph.D. degree in mathematics education.

He has taught at the secondary and college levels, most recently at Holy Ghost Preparatory School.

David Hallgren is the School chaplain and a teacher of religion. Originally from Washington state, he is Native American from the Yakama and Colville nations. His bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington is in history, and he earned his master of divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. He is an ordained Presbyterian pastor and served a congregation in Seattle before becoming associate pastor of Christian education at Pennington Presbyterian Church in 2012.

Matthew Mysliwiec is teaching Upper School chemistry and forensic science. A graduate of the University of Portland (OR) with a B.S. degree in biology, he went on to earn his Ph.D. degree in cellular and molecular biology from the University of Wisconsin.

With extensive experience in scientific research as a postdoctoral fellow, he was a mentor to graduate and undergraduate students on laboratory techniques and research projects and has tutored high school and undergraduate students in biology and chemistry.

Ryan Stokes is teaching Upper School health and wellness. A dual citizen of the United States and England, he was born and raised in Hamilton and graduated from The Hun School of Princeton. He went on to Immaculata University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in education and played Division III soccer. He served in various roles at Hun for four years before joining Pennington’s residential faculty.

Stacey Forget Inzer is teaching compensatory skills in the School’s Cervone Center for Learning. She is a graduate of Providence College with a B.A. degree in elementary education and special education. After earning a master’s degree in reading and literacy from Plymouth (NH) State University, she went on to attain Orton Gillingham certification in 2012. While living in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, she has held positions as reading specialist, learning specialist, and teacher of English, among others, at various public and independent schools.

Andrea Popel, who grew up in Franklin Park and South Brunswick, teaches in the School’s Cervone Center for Learning. She earned her undergraduate degree in communication and media at Saint Peter’s University and postbaccalaureate teacher certification at Georgian Court University. After teaching at Princeton High School for two years, she moved to Maryland and taught in the Baltimore County Public School District for eleven years. Along the way she earned a master’s degree in instructional technology, with an educational technology concentration, from Towson University.

Chrissie Knight became head of Middle School at Pennington in July. After earning her B.A. degree in speech communication from Wake Forest University, she completed Master

Northeast Philadelphia native Peter Puleo is teaching Upper School mathematics. After earning his bachelor’s degree from Saint

Nathaniel Van Yperen, the new chair of the Religion Department, comes to Pennington from Gustavus Adolphus College, where he taught courses in religion, race, and environmental studies. He is a graduate of Gordon College. Pursuing graduate work at Princeton Theological Seminary, he earned Master of Divinity and Master of Theology degrees before completing his Ph.D. degree in religion in society. Van Yperen is the author of the forthcoming book Gratitude for the Wild: Christian Ethics in the Wilderness.

Library assistant Emma Wells holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Bryn Mawr College. She previously worked in marketing and communications and as a web content editor at George School and was a medical writer in the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Ophthalmology.

www.pennington.org

9

Fall 2019

Special Events 1

1. On September 4, students put themselves into the shoes of NASA engineers and astronauts with a unique challenge: build and launch a rocket. Family groups (several advisory groups working together) were given a box of items including rubber bands, plastic bottles, cups, tools, and PVC pipes. They had roughly two hours to design and create a rocket that could launch at least 2.5 meters in the air, then return without breaking a glass ornament “ornanaut” inside.

2

3

2. A group of students spent a beautiful Saturday in September walking the High Line in New York City and visiting the Vessel.

4

3. Summer Partridge, a ninth-grade student in Aneka Bell’s biology class, brought in newly hatched diamondback terrapins for students to observe on September 13. The hatchlings were at risk of being hit by cars after emerging from their nest and heading to the water, so Summer and her family worked with the Terrapin Nesting Project of Long Beach Island to dig up the nest and keep them safe.

The terrapins were released later that day.

5

6

4. On September 13, Pennington kicked off the Applied Science Speaker Series with alumna Ellen Eischen ’98. She described her career as a number theorist and how this theory in mathematics can be used to send coded messages that only the recipient can understand.

5. For ten years, The Pennington School has been celebrating International Dot Day—a day created to encourage creativity, courage, and collaboration. Students in the Middle and Upper School took some time to create their own “dots” on September 16 after the book The Dot was read aloud in Middle School Chapel and in Caroline Hall’s art classes/club.

7

6. A number of Pennington School students joined the Global Climate Strike on September 20 at 1:20 p.m. to express their collective concern about climate change.

7. Pennington was delighted to host a group of Spanish students in September; they attended classes, stayed with host families, and visited sites of interest.

10

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

9

Special Events 8

10

11

8. Andy Rose, from TerraCycle, came to the School to speak to the Applied Science students on Friday, September 20. Rose is a sustainability enthusiast and futurist interested in initiatives related to the circular economy.

9. Students in Mark DiGiacomo’s AP US History class traveled to McCarter Theatre on September 26 to see Gloria: A Life. The show about Gloria Steinem portrayed her life and how she raised her voice five decades ago, championing equality for all. In the second act, students told their own stories, joining a talking circle to share personal experiences.

12

10. At the end of September, students in Shannon Taylor’s history class ventured out to the School garden to plant einkorn seeds.

In their discussion about the transition from hunter-gatherer to settled civilizations reliant on agriculture, the class discussed natural grains, like einkorn, that were selected and grown by our ancestors, and how, over time, humans created a more industrialized version of wheat that requires more irrigation and pesticides but offers a larger output of the product.

11. Three students and art teacher Caroline Hall carved pumpkins at the Amazing Pumpkin Carve at Woolsey Park. The students (seniors Abby Bulger, Alexa Lepold, and Harper

13

Usiskin) carved a pumpkin they named Sleep Paralysis. Hall’s pumpkin was named Webbed (and won best in show)!

12. From October 13 to 26, The Pennington School welcomed thirteen French students from the Lycée Bossuet in Meaux, France.

Students visited Pennington classrooms, stayed with host families, and traveled to New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. 13. Julianna Cresti, a Villanova University undergraduate student majoring in both chemistry and biochemistry, explained to Applied Science students just how diverse and exciting the field of science can be. www.pennington.org

11

14

17

18

14. On October 18, Pennington Field Hockey hosted a Play for the Cure tournament, its most successful ever!

21

15. Pennington’s Green Team greeted visitors at Open House on October 20.

16. Elizabeth (Betsy) Armstrong spoke to Applied Science students on October 25 about “Invisible Issues in Women’s Health.”

17. On October 28 and 29 the Pennington community celebrated Diwali. Diwali is the Festival of Lights, which originated as a harvest festival in India. Parents for Pennington helped organize the event, which featured music, dancing, food, and crafts.

22

18. Pennington’s Spanish and Art classes worked together to create an amazing “Día de los Muertos” (Day of the Dead) altar that was displayed in the Wesley Forum.

19. Prefects dressed up as aliens for Halloween with Dean of Students Chad Bridges and Assistant to the Dean of Students Maureen Iorio.

20. Emma Bouton ’16, currently a senior at Brown University, returned to Pennington on Friday, November 1, to speak about “The Power of Student Organizing: Fighting for Climate Justice and the Green New Deal.”

23

21. Michele Guerino, director of sample accountability at Merck and Company, Inc., spoke to Applied Science students on Friday, November 8, about “A Non-Traditional STEM Path: From the Lab to Business and Compliance.”

12

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

15

16

19

20

24

25

26

22. On November 14, Director of Operations Bob Jones visited Susan Wirsig’s Design Engineering class to give students a lesson on power tool safety.

23. On Friday, November 15, the Global Studies Speaker Series welcomed Tracey Sawyer, founder of the nonprofit organization Testigo Africa in Tanzania. Sawyer spoke about her efforts to provide clean water and vegetables to rural communities in that country.

27

28

29

30

24. On November 18, the residential life community shared a special Thanksgiving meal at formal dinner, one of our students’ favorite traditions.

25. The tradition of Winter Alumni Games continued on Saturday, November 30. Eighteen alumni laced up their skates and were joined by five Red Raiders from the current ice hockey team to participate in the 19th Annual Alumni Ice Hockey Game. The Pennington Swim team members also invited back alumni for an intense swim meet!

26. The Art Club hosted a nutcracker-decorating workshop on December 3 during an evening Open Studio. These beauties were the dazzling centerpieces at the annual HomeFront Holiday party hosted by Pennington’s Peer Leaders.

27. Pennington students Logan Hill ’20 and Mame Baffour-Awuah ’22 and teachers Long Ding and Tyhesha Elmore traveled to Seattle from December 4 to 7 to attend the annual NAIS People of Color Conference.

31

32

28. Parnini Reddy Kunta P’21 visited Global Studies students on Friday, December 6, to present information about the free medical camp she and her daughter, Neha ’21, organized on December 23, 2018, in Buchi Reddy Palem, India.

29. The popular Holiday Coffeehouse was hosted by the Dramatic Society on December 6. The School has so many talented student performers!

30. Boarding students attended a New York Knicks game during Community Weekend.

33

34

31. Senior boarding students enjoyed holiday cookies and cocoa at the home of Dean of Students Chad Bridges on December 18.

32. Students in Susan Wirsig’s Design Engineering class competed in groups when they presented their final projects in December.

33. Boarding students enjoyed an evening of festive cookie decorating just before Winter Break!

34. The annual Constitution Challenge was held on Friday, December 20. This popular contest pits the seventh-graders against the sophomore honors American History class. This year, the sophomores won with a score of 42–20. www.pennington.org

13

Middle School

NEWS MS Retreat and LAUNCH On some rainy October days, Middle Schoolers ventured out on Retreat.

They packed their sleeping bags and left their technology at home to immerse themselves in nature and to build character and community. Sixthand seventh-graders dodged most of the raindrops to enjoy various group activities and cabin life at a campground.

Meanwhile, eighth-graders had a more rugged experience at another campground, where they pitched tents, cooked their own meals, tended their own campsites, played team-building games, and admittedly escaped the rain for a while to go bowling and see a movie.

Beginning the year with LAUNCH, Retreat, and weekly advisory times builds our safe and nurturing community while also guiding students into the lifelong work of knowing themselves, taking care of each other and stretching to learn new things.

14

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

Middle School Retreat

Above: The eighth-graders engage in one of several Retreat activities. When the students do their part to work in sync with each other, they are able to equally rise in a circle as a whole group.

Left: Middle School LAUNCH activities give new and returning Middle School students time to make new friends and ready themselves for the school year—all while having fun. www.pennington.org

15

Math 6 students did hands-on problems during the first week of school to get their problem-solving muscles back in action.

“Try/fail/try again” became a normal process until they found the solution.

16

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

Middle School News

International Dot Day For ten years, The Pennington School has been celebrating International Dot Day — a day created to encourage creativity, courage, and collaboration. International Dot Day was established by educator Terry Shay in response to The Dot, a story written and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds. The book by Reynolds tells the story of a “caring teacher who dares a doubting student to trust in her own abilities by being brave enough to ‘make her mark.’” What begins with a small dot on a piece of paper becomes a breakthrough in confidence and courage, igniting a journey of self-discovery and sharing, which has gone on to inspire countless children and adults around the globe.

Middle School English teacher Lisa Fitzpatrick introduced this tradition to the School after reading The Dot a decade ago. Students in the Middle and Upper School took some time to create their own “dots” on September 16 after the book was read aloud in Middle School Chapel and in Caroline Hall’s art classes/ club. Fitzpatrick says the dots symbolize each student’s ability to “make their mark” at the start of the school year. At the end of the day, the walls in Stainton Hall and the art classroom were full of unique, colorful dots.

Halloween On Thursday, October 31, Middle School students participated in the annual Middle School costume parade and contest. The event started out with teams of students (by grade) participating in Halloween-themed relays. Some of these included a mummy wrap, in which students spun around in circles trying to wrap toilet paper around their bodies, and a throw-and-catch game, where students quickly threw fake insects into buckets to try to catch as many as they could.

After winners were declared, the students circled the Lecture Center in Stainton Hall to show off their Halloween costumes. Judges carefully examined each outfit before selecting the winners.

Students had a great time dressing up and having a little fun on Halloween!

Spirit Week In the week leading up to Homecoming, students, faculty, and staff celebrated Spirit Week! Each day, there was a new theme for the students to follow in order to show their School spirit.

Spirit Week kicked off with some amazing red, white, and blue outfits. On Tuesday, students sported outfits from different time periods with Decade Day. On Thursday, the School went all gray!

On Friday, our community showed off their Pennington gear for the Pep Rally.

www.pennington.org

17

Middle School News

Day of the Dead At the end of October and the beginning of November, the Middle School celebrated El Día de los Muertos or Day of the Dead. The Day of the Dead is a holiday celebrated throughout Mexico, particularly in the Central and South regions, and by people of Mexican heritage elsewhere. Sixth- and seventhgraders in Spanish 1A immersed themselves in this important holiday by creating their own ofrendas, or altars, in honor of a loved one or a famous person who has died, adding pictures or artifacts in that person’s memory—hobbies, career, favorite foods, and more. Students were required to add multiple elements of a traditional Mexican altar. They had a great time thinking about how to celebrate the life of the person they chose to honor and learning about the specific characteristics of the holiday at the same time.

Middle East Learning Stations Sixth-grade students metaphorically trekked across the world to the Middle East during the second quarter in Humanities classes. As a culminating activity for the unit, students engaged in learning center activities. They deepened their understanding of Islam by delving into reading about and practicing prayer rituals, investigating the Qur’an, and rendering arabesque drawings on a model of a mosque.

Students also experimented with Arabic writing and studied dress styles. This “journey” broadened their understanding and cultural knowledge of their neighbors around the world.

American Mathematics Contest In November, several Pennington Middle School students participated in a qualifying test for the American Mathematics Contest 8 (AMC 8). The top seven scorers on the qualifying test went on to represent the School in the contest on November 12. The AMC 8, a sixty-year-old mathematics competition for Middle School students that attracts 350,000 participants annually, is designed to cultivate the mathematical capabilities of the next generation of problem-solvers. This year, six eighth-graders and one seventh-grader represented the School. Of those competing, one student received a Gold medal, two earned Silver, and one scored Bronze.

We are very proud of these students for their impressive mathematical talents, which were recognized in this national contest.

18

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

Middle School News

For HomeFront Pennington seventh-graders created beautiful fleece scarves for the clients of HomeFront during their Advisory period. These proud Pennington elves thoughtfully knotted, rolled, and bundled up the scarves with colorful yarn. It was one of our ways to add a little extra warmth this holiday season! (top photo)

Holiday Performance On December 11, twelve Middle School students in the Middle School Singers and Instrumental Lab electives spread some holiday cheer by performing a number of hit songs for the Hopewell Valley Senior Center.

About fifteen senior citizens from the area enjoyed coffee, tea, and snacks while the Middle School students played instrumental music and sang holiday songs.

Some performances included instrumental versions of “Jingle Bells,” “Frosty the Snowman,” “Little Drummer Boy,” and “I Have a Little Dreidel.” Middle School Singers performed “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” “Walking in a Winter Wonderland,” “Silver Bells,” “Deck the Halls,” and more.

Sixth-grader Clementine Bowden organized and ran a coat drive for the clients of HomeFront in December. She collected four large moving boxes of coats; most were for children from infants to age 10.

The students came decked in holiday gear and even put on reindeer antlers to go along with the song “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Patrick Conroy ’25 also read his favorite poem about Christmas. The students did a wonderful job, and the audience members were grateful for their concert.

www.pennington.org

19

Middle School News

MS Holiday Chapel On December 16, during the weekly Middle School Chapel, faculty members and students took time to explain their holiday traditions.

Two sister faculty members, Lisa and Suzanne Houston, explained what Advent is, and how their family celebrated it growing up. Upper School student Jack Giacobbe ’22 presented the meaning of the Advent wreath and then lit the ceremonial candles. Following the discussion about Advent, Mrs. Cusack taught students about Hanukkah and shared her own family traditions. She also invited Upper School and Middle School students to light the menorah.

Many religious traditions use light to symbolize hope. Pennington School Chaplain David Hallgren ended Chapel by reminding students to bring hope and joy to others this holiday season.

The Middle School Secret Snowflake/ Holiday Party was a success!

Mercer Bucks Save the Date!

Sunday, April 26, 2020 10 a.m. — 2 p.m. at The Pennington School Maker Faire is a gathering of fascinating, curious people who enjoy learning and who love sharing what they can do. From engineers to artists to scientists to crafters, Maker Faire is a venue for these “makers” to show hobbies, experiments, and projects. We call it the Greatest Show (& Tell) on Earth­— a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity, and resourcefulness.

Glimpse the future and get inspired!

20

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

Middle School Fall 2019 Athletics Soccer

Coaches: Ryan Stokes and Andrea Popel The Middle School soccer season was very successful. The coaches are very proud of everyone for not only the on-field statistics we had but also the statistics that can’t be measured. Some of these qualities the team showed were hard work, determination, dedication, and effort. There were two new coaches this year, but everyone adapted very well and bought into the team philosophy.

The motto for the team was, “There are only two things you can control in this life and that is your energy and effort and I want the very best of both you have to offer each day.” The team finished 12–1–4. The A team was 9–0–1. The B team was 3–1–3. We scored 50+ goals as a program.

As a team, we had fun and got better as a team and as individuals each day.

Coach Stokes said, “These kids gave me memories that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. They are a great group of students. I am excited to see what the future holds for all of them.”

Field Hockey

Coach: Mary Roseen The Middle School Field Hockey team was a small, feisty group this fall who put forth great effort during the season and improved with each opportunity. Many

MS Athletic Awards Fall 2019 Soccer–A Team Red Raider Award–Justin Davidyock Coaches’ Award–Drew Bridges Soccer–B Team Red Raider Award–Jayce Hulme Coaches’ Award–Olivia Lee Field Hockey Red Raider Award–Teagan Walsh Coach’s Award–Samantha Lambdin Coach’s Award–Mei Mei Castranova Cross Country Red Raider Award–Emerson Ross Coaches’ Award–William Arthur

players were new to the sport, and they worked diligently during each practice to learn the game and develop their skills.

The team was led by a dedicated group of eighth-graders, including goalie Teagan Walsh, defenders Samantha Lambdin and Emily Howe, midfielder Mei Mei Castranova and forward Danielle DiDomenico. Seventh-graders Charlotte Close and Alice Singh contributed to a capable defensive unit, and Eliza O’Neil made great strides on offense. Newcomer to the team Caroline Sirolly anchored the midfield, sharing her love of the sport with fellow sixth-graders Catherine

Vincent, Clementine Sanderson-Bowden, Amelia Buck, and Evie Argiropoulos, who all made significant contributions on the field throughout the fall. The games against Princeton Day School, Stuart, and Cranbury School were highlights of the season when the offensive players created many scoring opportunities and the defenders held strong throughout the contests. In addition to their hard work on the field, the team put on a great performance during the 2019 Homecoming Pep Rally and demonstrated incredible School spirit and sportsmanship throughout the season.

Cross Country

Coaches: Melissa Gurick and Tyhesha Elmore The Middle School Cross Country team had a fun and very successful season.

All of our runners reached their personal goals to run farther and faster throughout the season. Just as important, they strengthened their mental endurance by pushing themselves through difficult workouts, by courageously running two miles through rugged terrain and unfamiliar courses, and by not quitting even when they felt they could not run another step. Cross country appears to be an individual sport, but these team members supported each other and developed wonderful friendships along the way. They demonstrated true team spirit and commitment!

www.pennington.org

21

22

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

Fall 2019

Upper School

Athletics Water Polo Coaches: William Hutnik and Brandon Hullings ’08 It was a great 2019 season for both the Pennington Varsity and Junior Varsity Water Polo teams. The varsity squad took third place at States and overcame three teams that they could not beat last season: Pingry, Saint Peter’s, and Springfield, PA. The JV team compiled a 5–5 record and added seven new players to the sport.

We thank all of our seniors and wish them the best of luck in their bright futures: Captains Blake Hart, Gavin Hart, and Severin Ihnat, Jack Fancher, Aaron Orshan, Deep Patel, Timmy Riley, Ethan Rizzuto, Kostiantyn Rogankov, and Alex Wallace. The seniors played a combined 39 seasons of Pennington Water Polo together! All of them can take pride in the fact that they mentored a core group of players who will take up the baton and keep the Pennington Water Polo Nation strong in the years to come.

Girls’ Tennis Coaches: Ken Palumbo and Adrienne Markison Tosti ’07 Pennington Varsity Tennis had an excellent season, finishing 7–4. The team was composed of freshmen through seniors: Anjollie Ramakrishna ’21 (Co-Captain) at #1 singles; Annelise Cornet ’20 (Co-Captain) at #2 singles; Freshman Lauren Decker at #3 singles; and Laura Mertz ’20 (CoCaptain) and Safa Morrison ’21 at #1 doubles; Olivia Ernst

’20 and Kristen Bancroft ’21 at #2 doubles; and Carrie Zhu ’22 as our versatile extra, playing most positions throughout our lineup. All the players volleyed and lobbed their way to a great season.

Head Coach Ken Palumbo said, “I couldn’t ask for a nicer group of players, competitors, and people.”

Field Hockey Coaches: Wendy Morris and Lauran Hocquaux Pennington Field Hockey began its season in June 2019 with an amazing trip to the Netherlands, where we witnessed two Olympic qualifying games in Amsterdam and Antwerp, Belgium. The team also participated in a number of field hockey clinics, carried out two community service projects and competed against the Hoorn Field Hockey Club. We made homemade stroopwafel, Dutch waffles, and did a great deal of sightseeing.

The season was kicked off, as usual, with team runs followed by delicious breakfasts served at the homes of Molly Nelson’s grandparents and Lizzy and Isabel Adams.

Varsity finished the season 7–10; Junior Varsity finished 5–2–2. We had an incredible turnout for our Play 4 the Cure game, where we raised a record $600 for the National Foundation for Cancer Research. We have never had so many students come out and participate in the halftime competitions; the atmosphere that evening was filled with a wonderful spirit of generosity. The last game of the year was an exciting win over Steinert, when we recognized our three seniors: Kate Long, Molly Nelson, and Jenna Soliman.

www.pennington.org

23

Fall 2019 Upper School Athletics

Boys’ Soccer Coaches: Chad Bridges ’96, Sean Davies, and Ryan Stokes The Pennington School Varsity Boys’ Soccer team finished the year 13–5 and captured its fifth consecutive and sixth overall Mercer County Championship title. The final was one of the most thrilling wins in the history of the Mercer County Tournament as Pennington had a come-from-behind overtime victory over the topseeded Notre Dame High School Fighting Irish.

This year’s squad was led by senior captains Ian Albuquerque and Ousmane “Ouzi” Gueye, as Pennington once again finished as one of the top prep teams in the region. Along with Albuquerque and Gueye, seniors Andres Argueta, Trey Dusek, George Burditt, Luis Paúl, Edwin Marmolejos, and Carlos Broccolini were instrumental in the success of this year’s group. NJISAA Prep A recognized Albuquerque, Gueye, and Paúl as members of the year’s First Team All-State group. Junior Babacar Niang was recognized as Player of the Year and Prep Player of the Year for Mercer County.

Cheerleading Coach: Kathy-Lynn Kelly This 2019 fall season found cheer to be alive and well at Pennington!

We had a new coach and eighteen talented and enthusiastic members on the team. There were eight returning athletes, and we added ten new cheerleaders, ranging from freshmen to juniors. This year’s team was a daring, creative, and determined group. They knew what they wanted to accomplish, and they went after it with fierce determination, cooperation, and team spirit. The result was impressive, with members who had never stunted or danced before taking on solid roles as bases, flyers, and intermediate dancers. They worked with heart and were motivated daily to improve their cheering skills, choreography, and new daring stunts. The mascot was even included in the choreography at one of the halftime dances! The team worked hard organizing Pennington’s Pep Rally and added original ideas to get the audience involved. With a desire to support School spirit as well as the football team, the girls worked closely with the ever-enthusiastic student pep group, the Bird Cage. Together, they came up with clever themes for the various home games and helped to get the crowd involved in the fun and excitement!

Football Coaches: Jerry Eure ’75, Blair Thompson, Adam Cooley, and Long Ding When you reflect on the 2019 varsity football season, you can describe it in three words: teamwork, commitment, and perseverance. The team came a long way from August to November. They felt the joys of winning early in the season— and the frustration and discouragement of losing, which actually brought them closer together. Even though we finished with a 4–5 record, the coaches felt as if we had a remarkable year, especially considering that in most games we were starting six sophomores and four seniors. Many of our opponents were playing with sixteen seniors.

24

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

The wins over Poly Prep (Brooklyn), Pingry, New Hope–Solebury, and Bristol prove that we are heading in the right direction. This team made tremendous progress while playing a challenging schedule. Success is not always measured by wins and losses but by how much you grow and improve as a team.

Girls’ Soccer Coaches: William Hawkey and Patrick Murphy ’80 The grit and perseverance demonstrated by this year’s Varsity Girls’ Soccer team were key elements to the success of the group.

Following a difficult six-game span to start the season, the Red Raiders found themselves in unfamiliar territory as they sat on a record of 2–2–2. However, the team made good use of the experience gained by playing a difficult schedule. This schedule included not one but two number-one-ranked teams in the nation.

Although both of those games ended in losses, the team learned valuable information from those matches and the tough six-game span; it began to reinvent itself, especially its defensive structure.

Of the final thirteen games of the season, the girls won eleven matches and shut out nine of their opponents. They also added to their state championship total by winning the program’s fifteenth NJISAA Prep A title and by picking up their eleventh Mercer County Tournament championship. The team’s seven seniors— Kelli Collins, Ellie Hawkey, Nikki Johan-Wisnierski, Alexa Lepold, Sam Mazzoni, Jayne McGrath, and Sophia Petrone—have left behind an impressive legacy and will be dearly missed.

Cross Country Coaches: Rick Ritter and Marisa Ferrari It was a tale of two seasons for the Boys’ and Girls’ Cross Country teams. As we started the season, the boys were healthy, and our numbers were the most we have ever started any season.

After running in the highly competitive Kutztown Invitational, and taking our lumps by the way, the boys went on a roll.

We won nine of our first ten meets. The only loss was a close two-point loss to Hun. The boys ended the season with a dual meet record of eleven wins and two losses. The “two seasons” part came regarding the health of our team. We essentially lost the services of our top three scoring runners. Now it was time for the “numbers” to step up... and they did. The leadership of seniors Vince Colalillo, Connor Ort, and Lucas Ort was invaluable throughout the season and was a big reason that as a team we went from average splits of 19:30/5k at Kutztown to 18:59 at States, where we took fifth place.

The girls faced a different challenge. At the beginning of the season, we were not sure if we would have a minimum of five girls in order to field a full-scoring team. Through the efforts of Julia Alito ’20, our numbers grew as the school year got underway. Non-distance runners joined in order to help out.

We started the season with some frustrating losses but, led by Harper Usiskin ’20 and An-lin Sloan ’21, we ended the season with a record of nine wins and five losses! Similar to the boys, the girls progressed from early-season average split times of 26:37/5k and ended with 24:09 at States!

Fall 2019 Athletic Awards Upper School VARSITY Cheerleading Red Raider Award—Logan Hill ’20 Coach’s Award—Kofo Jolaoso ’20 Team Spirit Award—Hope Blair ’20

Field Hockey Red Raider Award—Kate Long ’20 Coaches’ Award—Molly Nelson ’20 Scholar Athlete—Jenna Soliman ’20

Girls’ Soccer Coaches’ Award—Jayne McGrath ’20 Red Raider Award—Ellie Hawkey ’20 100% Hustle Award—Kelli Collins ’20

Cross Country Boys: Red Raider Award—Tyler Kingsbury ’21 Total Team Award—Vincent Colalillo ’20 Stoker Award—Kenzo Takeda ’20

Football Coaches’ Award­— Rickey Eng ’20 Coaches’ Award—Aidan Israel ’20 Coaches’ Award—Jake Bongiovi ’20

Water Polo Coaches’ Award—Kostiantyn Rogankov ’20 PWP Nation Award—Aaron Orshan ’20 Red Raider Award—Gavin Hart ’20

Boys’ Soccer Red Raider Award—Ousmane Gueye ’20 Red Raider Award—Ian Albuquerque ’20 Red Raider Award—Luis Paúl ’20

Tennis Red Raider Award—Annelise Cornet ’20 Team Spirit Award—Laura Mertz ’20 Most Improved—Olivia Ernst ’20

Field Hockey Red Raider Award—Ariana Colner ’22 Coaches’ Award—Trinity Pryor ’21

Boys’ Soccer Red Raider Award—Ricky Porras ’23 Coach’s Award—Jabril Belle-Walker ’22

Tennis Red Raider Award—Caroline Heffern ’20 Coaches’ Award—Chloe McKain ’23

Football Red Raider Award—Max Gibbard ’22 Red Raider Award—Xavier Blake ’22

Girls’ Soccer Red Raider Award—Eva Guerino ’22 Coach’s Award—Brynne Taranto ’22

Water Polo Most Improved Player­— Hieu Nguyen ’22 100% Hustle Award—Aidan Medina ’22

Girls: Red Raider Award—Harper Usiskin ’20 Total Team Award—Julia Alito ’20 Aide-de-Camp Award—Brooke Riley ’20

JUNIOR VARSITY

26

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

The Pennington Fund

The Pennington Fund ensures students have the opportunity to Reach Beyond in all that they do! We are delighted to see our students accomplish their goals and reach for their dreams.

Your gift is essential to everything The Pennington School is and offers for our students. Make your Pennington Fund gift today. Every gift matters!

For more information, call Director of the Pennington Fund Brooke Buchanan at 609–559–5311. You can make your gift online at pennington.org/support.

Setting new athletic records

Traveling abroad to discover the world

Achieving academic milestones

www.pennington.org

27

3

2

1

4

5

Asia Alumni Festival

Highlights

8

7

I

n November 2019, we hosted our second ever Asia Alumni Festival in Bangkok, Thailand.

The event brought together Pennington alumni and friends now living in Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United States for a weekend filled with meaningful moments and shared memories. Alumni from across the generations made the trip and reflected that it felt like only yesterday when they walked side by side down the hallways of Old Main and Stainton Hall. Countless laughs, embraces, and stories were shared as friends reconnected with each other and showed their Pennington pride!

We are thankful to our hosts Ratchanee TrillitMamanee ’90, Viwat Trillit ’86, Thirachart Viravan ’86, and Chris Chearavanont ’83, who made experiencing the culture and flavor of Bangkok so memorable for all. Be on the lookout for our next Asia Alumni Festival in 2021!

28

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

10

11

On Friday, November 15, alumni and friends gathered at The St. Regis hotel in Bangkok for a welcome reception and dinner to honor Pennington’s newest Athletic Hall of Fame inductees (see photos 1, 4, 7, 8, and 11). Rie Furuuchi ’93 and Kachorn Chiaravanont ’86 were inducted as new members and honored with awards from Headmaster Bill Hawkey. Also pictured is former inductee (2018) Jae Heo ’08 (see photo 8).

Headmaster Bill Hawkey and Chair of the Board of Trustees Peter J. Tucci ’79 P’16 ’16 shared their appreciation and gratitude with hosts of Friday’s dinner, Ratchanee Trillit-Mamanee ’90 and Viwat Trillit ’86 (see photo 11).

6

9

After a day of educational speakers, alumni and guests gathered on Saturday evening at the scenic Riverside Terrace at the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok for a special dinner hosted by Pennington alumnus Chris Chearavanont ’83. Headmaster Bill Hawkey and Chair of the Board of Trustees Peter J. Tucci ’79 P’16 ’16 welcomed all and delivered a State of the School address (see photos 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, and 10).

Earlier in the day, Son Hak “Sonny” Yoon ’90 P’19 received the Headmaster’s Award in honor of being the first Asian alumnus to become a proud Pennington parent (class of 2019)—creating a Pennington family legacy (see photos 4 and 7; Sonny is pictured bottom right and far left respectively).

Alumni and Guests at the 2019 Bangkok Asia Alumni Festival Karen Martindell Buxton ’79 Terry Buxton, Former Dean of Students Chris Chearavanont ’83 Kachorn Chiaravanont ’86 Wyc Childrey P’18 ’21 Karen Denton Lou Denton ’76 Howard Fang ’94 Rie Furuuchi ’93 Jae Hyeok Heo ’08 Soichiro Hori ’89 Andrew Khanchit Juthapornmanee ’84 Michael Keogh ’90 MinSoo Kim ’99 Eui ju Lee Go Eun Kim Emiko Kurita Toshihide Kurita Roge Leung Putipanpong ’86 Allen Liu ’99 Tanaphon Manavutiveth ’94 Wiwat Poolvoraluk ’95 Noppawan Oonok Supat Praisankul ’88 Wataru Sasaki Shuto Sasaki Satoru Suzuki ’83 Miwa Suzuki Makiko Takakura Joyce Tan Stephen Tan ’73 Nopadol Tarmallpark ’92 Viwat Trillit ’86 Ratchanee Trillit-Mamanee ’90 Lisa Tucci P’16 ’16 Peter Tucci ’79 P’16 ’16 Thirachart Viravan ’86 Dhanachok Viravan ’90 Siriluk Viravan Sasipa Viravan Carlos Wyre ’92 Enid Alicea-Wyre Son Hak “Sonny” Yoon ’90 P’19 from Pennington Bill Hawkey, headmaster Charlie Brown, assistant headmaster for advancement and strategic initiatives Jane Bott Childrey ’89, director of alumni relations Sharon Jarboe, director of admission PROGRAM SPEAKERS: Dr. Kiranda Bhaopichitr, research director, Thailand Development Research Institute Kristen McDonald, American Foreign Service officer in Bangkok

www.pennington.org

29

Now registered with the National Wildlife Federation as a Certified Wildlife Habitat

The Pennington School Community

Garden

W

hat started as a few planted seeds several years ago has turned into a flourishing garden, thanks to the hard work and dedication of Pennington students and faculty. Originally, Environmental Science teacher Margo Andrews used the garden as a site for students to learn about soil science.

However, without regular maintenance, the garden quickly became overgrown, so Andrews happily accepted a generous offer of help from former faculty member Robbi Uzupis. Uzupis was instrumental in cleaning up the weeds and keeping things growing throughout the summer. Numerous other faculty and staff have also provided critical help with watering and maintenance during summer months, making the garden a true community space. Students continue to use the garden in their classes, and it has also been incorporated into Community Day and senior Horizon projects.

30

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

Everything in the garden is grown organically with no pesticides, herbicides, or chemical fertilizers—only compost from residential faculty’s food waste. Most of the seeds and seedlings are from ISLES, a Trenton-based nonprofit with an urban agriculture program that directly benefits more than 1,000 city residents.

Being part of their Garden Support Network gives Pennington access to seeds, seedlings, and their valuable expertise (and the School, in turn, has sent student volunteers to ISLES gardens on Community Day). The brand-new fence installed last June was the final touch needed to create a thriving garden!

It has been almost five years since students started doing soil labs, amending the soil, and planting in the spring and fall. Our garden pumps out some amazing crops including cucumbers, squash, zucchini, tomatillos, tomatoes, peppers, garlic, onions, kale, chard, beets, cabbage, eggplant, broccoli, carrots, and many perennial and annual herbs. Recently, the School was able to register the garden with the National Wildlife Federation as a Certified Wildlife Habitat, thanks to the new pollinator garden built by Jack Fancher ’20 for his Environmental Science final project.

The food is available to everyone in the Pennington School community who would like some fresh produce or herbs. The garden is located behind Becher Hall and the Pennington School homes on West Delaware Avenue.

www.pennington.org

31

in the Gallery

Morphology Elizabeth Koloski ’15

P

ennington School alumna Elizabeth Koloski ’15 returned to the School in connection with her award-winning collection of work, Morphology, on display in the Silva Gallery of Art from September 3 to October 25.

Koloski is intrigued by anatomy and the human figure, and her prints portray the body as both an object and a landscape.

She also uses the organelle and cellular levels of humans as inspiration and subject matter. As a printmaker, Koloski combines her love for scientific process with her passion for art-making to present

32

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

scientific content in a unique visual way.

During the printmaking process, Koloski has created a core image that was then manipulated and reinterpreted over and over again, providing an endless playground of colors and textures as seen in Morphology.

Koloski graduated in May 2019 from Temple University’s Tyler School of Art and Architecture with a B.F.A. degree in printmaking. Her culminating body of work received the Vivian Rosenberg Award for Tyler Outstanding Senior Project.

www.pennington.org

33

The objective of our travels was to be able to increase our global awareness, particularly when it came to understanding the world and culture that many of our students come from.

Pictured: Sarah Sensenig and Don Dolan, Susan and Len Leib, and Judy Rossi and her son, Ryan Rossi.

34

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

Faculty Trip to

China

by Len Leib

past. Shanghai was just incredible. More than modern, it is a city of the future with a vibrant cosmopolitan population and a skyline that triumphs and gleams more than any I have seen in the West.

O

ne day after the final teacher meetings of the 2018–19 school year, faculty members Judy Rossi, Don Dolan, and I embarked on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to China made possible by the generosity of a Pennington parent donor. The objective of our travels was to increase our global awareness, particularly when it came to understanding the world and culture of many of our international students. We were also encouraged to just enjoy our time to learn, experience, and have fun. Mission accomplished!

Among the many firsts we experienced were sleeping on a real bed for several hours while airborne, trekking the winding humps of the Great Wall, and exploring the Forbidden City—which was neither forbidden nor a city but rather a wide open portal to an enduring past. We ate eel (slimy), chicken feet (tasty), rabbit head and brain (does NOT taste like chicken), and amazing Beijing duck, dim sum, fish, hot pot, and on and on. We were the recipients of hospitality beyond anything I have experienced; our hosts could not have been more generous and caring. Beijing is a city that embraces the modern world while reaching back to an amazing

But the best part of our visit to China was the amount of time we got to spend with our Pennington students.

We were joined at various outings by nearly two dozen alumni, and current and prospective students. Seeing Shanghai’s Bund waterfront at night through their eyes was magical and enlightening. Their obvious pride for the maturation of their country, even during their relatively short lifetimes, was palpable. They guided us through little alleys in the old town section, brought us to temples and introduced us to street food, fabulous restaurants, cat cafes, and took us into niche shops where multiple floors of arcade claw machines beckon to teenagers. It turns out that some of our students are fabulous claw machine players, evidenced by the large cheshire cat doll now hanging out in my classroom.

We returned home with a deep appreciation for Chinese culture and the global nature of our vast Pennington community. We gained important new insights into the lives of our students. An example of how this trip made us aware: while it was difficult to find cold water in public areas or restaurants, hot water was ubiquitous because that is what the Chinese prefer to drink. Armed with this insight, we are hoping to get easier access to hot water for our students. I have planned multiple interactive activities for my AP Statistics class that incorporate data-based elements of ancient Chinese life.

My daily interactions with my international students and advisees are now much richer.

Judy, Don, and I are deeply grateful for this unique opportunity and experience. We traveled seven thousand miles to grow even closer and more connected to our community. Though that community is centered here in Pennington, we have learned that it truly reaches out to all the corners of the globe.e www.pennington.org

35

Fall Play

The Secret in the

Wings

by Suzanne Houston

I

first saw this play over fifteen years ago at McCarter Theatre, and I have wanted to direct it ever since. What is the “secret” of the play’s title? Mary Zimmerman, the playwright, once explained that it has a double meaning. The first is about the “wings” of a stage; the audience never knows what is going on back there or

what will emerge next. The second, more serious meaning is that the secret represents those things or events in childhood that mark us for life. Most people we meet will never know or understand what we have experienced.

This piece, originally devised by the Lookingglass Theatre Company of Chicago, was created by the actors in that company, and many of the characters are named for those actors.

Although the drama team had that script to use as their foundation, they spent many rehearsal hours collaborating, devising, and creating their own version of this piece. Many moments in this Pennington version came from the performers’ creative work together. They were also very fortunate to take part in a workshop with an British theatre deviser and director, Andy Whyment, who helped our young actors become more daring and confident in their devising.

Throughout the process, there were many discussions about childhood, storytelling, fairy tales, and the importance of stories in children’s lives. And although fairy tales are often quite dark and twisted, within them are cautionary tales of humor, love, tragedy, joy, discovery, redemption, and ultimately transformation. And isn’t that what life is all about?

36

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

Opposite page: Suitor #568, Señor Dave (Robert Moran ’21), attempts to make The Princess Who Wouldn’t Laugh (Isabella Rossi ’21) laugh, while her Father (Jordan Matthews ’20) is quite amused.

Above: Andrew (Chris Cromarty ’22) is cursed to forever have one arm remain a swan wing. Top: The Snake Leaves Princess (Miami Celentana ’22) is sent to her death on the sea. Bottom left: Allerleira (Maddy Fox ’21) plays dress-up in her favorite princess dress, as radiant as the sun. Bottom center: Suitor #2, Herr Schmidt (Ben Robertson ’21) shows off his best interpretive dance to entertain The Princess Who Wouldn’t Laugh. Right: Allerleira’s companions (Abby Bulger, Leah Balerna, Anna McLaughlin, all ’20) contemplate what will become of their friend, now that her father is without a queen.

www.pennington.org

37

Students learn from music program’s

Musicians in Residence

T

he Pennington School welcomed the musicians of the Akropolis Reed Quintet as the music program’s 2019–20 Musicians in Residence. The group spent three days on Pennington’s campus, working with the School’s woodwind musicians and music classes. The Quintet is composed of Kari Landry, clarinet; Andrew Koeppe, bass clarinet; Ryan Reynolds, bassoon; Matt Landry, saxophone; and Tim Gocklin, oboe.

The group worked one-on-one with the students in addition to visiting Pennington’s classes in Music Technology, AP Music Theory, Rhythm of the Sacred, and Music Composition. In some classes, the Quintet performed some of their favorite pieces, taught students about composers, and answered questions about the process they go through to select music. In others, the group played students’ own compositions and helped them learn to control their pitch when playing their instruments.

To end their visit at the School, the Akropolis Reed Quintet performed a concert for the Pennington community on Friday, October 25, with selections from Jean-Philippe Rameau, Stacy Garrop, Jeff Scott, and George Gershwin. The residencies continue to be funded by a generous parent donor. Arts Department Chair Dolores Eaton said, “We are grateful that our students and the community can benefit from the presence of these high-caliber musicians on our campus!”

38

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

The musical ensembles of the

Fall Concert Monday, November 11, 2019

T

his year’s Fall Concert, a popular annual event featuring many talented student musicians, demonstrated once again that the music program at The Pennington School is thriving. Instrumental ensembles, under the direction of Donald Dolan, joined forces with vocal ensembles, led by James Horan, to provide a memorable evening of performances that showcased many student soloists.

The Jazz Band kicked things off with Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man” and went on charm the audience with Count Basie’s classic “One O’Clock Jump.” The band’s set concluded with Herbie Hancock’s “Cantaloupe Island.”

Vocal ensembles followed, with the Upper School Chorus and Pennington Singers performing individually and together. Selections included “Lean on Me” by Bill Withers, Ruth Schram’s setting of Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken,” and “Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)” by the Australian group Hillsong United.

Horan’s own arrangements added to Luther Vandross’s “Brand New Day” from The Wiz, and “You Say” recorded

by Lauren Daigle. Horan created both the vocal and instrumental arrangement for Gore and Pitchford’s

setting of Walt Whitman’s “I Sing the Body Electric” from the movie Fame.

The Orchestra took a more classical tack, beginning with the sprightly Overture to Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro. The ensemble then played James Leith MacBeth Bain’s haunting “Brother James’s Air.” The orchestral segment concluded with “Jupiter, Bringer of Jollity” from Gustav Holst’s suite The Planets.

The evening’s delights were not yet over, however, as all of the vocal and instrumental ensembles combined in a stirring rendition of Katharine Lee Bates and Samuel Ward’s “America the Beautiful” to end the concert. The audience was invited to sing along.

Even after the Fall Concert, Pennington’s instrumental musicians had more to contribute. Just nine days later, on November 20, the Orchestra and Jazz Band joined forces with a string duo, wind ensemble, jazz trio, and rock ensemble to present an all-instrumental concert in the Stainton Hall Lecture Center. Music is indeed in the air at Pennington!

www.pennington.org

39

e

nt

s fo

gt

Pa r

on

The P

ool ch

nington S en

r Pen n

in

Parents for Pennington News and opportunities to connect

by Marlynne Marlow P’20

RED and BLACK BASH SAVE the DATE!

Saturday March 28, 2020 in the the Pennington School Dining Hall Spanish Interest Group and Wine Club

P

arents for Pennington has had an active few months since the start of the school year and continues to provide opportunities for parents to interact socially and to volunteer their time and skills to help fundraise on behalf of the School.

The parent class parties in the fall were well-attended and we want to express our gratitude to all the generous hosts who opened their homes and helped make these gatherings so successful.

A heartfelt thanks goes to Stephanie DeSouza and Susie Paige, who joined the Courageous Conversations group for a lively discussion about building trust between parents and their teenagers. Stephanie also led the first social coffee of the year and addressed parents of freshmen about how to help ensure a smooth transition to high school.

The Spanish Interest Group and Wine Club hosted the first wine tasting of the year.

Raoul Momo P’27 made a presentation about wines from Spain, Argentina, and Chile, which was interesting and informative. All the attendees thoroughly enjoyed tasting

40

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

The PfP Book Club

the excellent wines he brought along. PfP is very grateful to Raoul and his wife Maria for making the kick-off wine tasting event one to remember.

The Parents for Pennington Book Club had its first morning and evening meetings in November. The book Fifty Things that Aren’t my Fault by Cathy Guisewite lent itself to an engaging discussion between all the PfP readers.

Parents for Pennington Board 2019–20 President Marlynne Marlow P’20 Vice President Cynthia Wallace P’20 ’23 ’26 Financial Liaison Michelle Meinhart P’23

Parents for Pennington also offered opportunities to stay fit. Tennis enthusiasts played friendly matches throughout the fall and a few walkers met twice a week on the track. Tennis and walking will start again in the spring.

Events Coordinator Jacqueline Evans P’22 ’25 ’25

The PfP auction committee has been working hard on planning PfP’s only fundraiser, the Red and Black Bash. This year’s Bash will take place on March 28 in the dining hall. The theme is “The Secret Garden” and our fundraising efforts will focus on the restoration of Lowellden Pond, as outlined in the new campus landscape master plan.

Upper School Representative Teresa Lewis P’22

Recording Secretary Lewis Arthur P’24 Communications Lisa Hardt P’24

Middle School Representative Linda Sichel P’19 ’22 ’26 Boarding Life Representative Dora Mavellia P’15 ’20

pfp@pennington.org

“I greatly improved my German-speaking abilities and am now much more able to hold a flowing conversation. I got to see beautiful Austrian lakes and mountains as well as culture in action.”

–Masha Khartchenko ’20 “As my class only had eight students, I could connect with my teacher really well.

After practicing, I feel like I improved my German a great deal. I also think that that type of community was a perfect fit for me.”

—Lindy Liu ’20 “I enjoyed the experience of getting to test my language skills, especially when they were applied to totally new experiences for me, like figuring out the bus schedule and routes.”

–Will Thompson ’21 “The camp was a lot of fun and was a great experience. I made a lot of new friends from many different countries.”

–Oliver Gassmann ’21 All four students believe that these kinds of opportunities are really important when learning both a language and about the cultures associated with the language. Despite little hiccups along the way, all four feel accomplished and stronger for the experience.

German students go Global during summer break!

by Peter Chase Four German students, all having just completed German III Honors, decided independently of one another to dive into a German language-learning experience during their summer break. Although each opportunity was different, they all proved to be memorable and worthwhile.

Maria “Masha” Khartchenko ’20 traveled to Salzburg, Austria, where she lived for three weeks with Asja, a close friend of Masha’s mother from her time in high school. Each day, Oma Inge, Asja’s mother, met with Khartchenko for a two-hour German lesson.

Inge helped Khartchenko improve not only her German, particularly the dialect of German which is spoken in Salzburg, but also her understanding of Austrian culture.

Will Thompson ’21 took part in a German summer study trip organized by the American Association of Teachers of German. Along with some twenty other students, Thompson traveled to Leipzig in the eastern part of Germany, where he lived with a host family for three weeks.

The summer study program combined German learning with sightseeing.

Thompson thoroughly enjoyed German sausage or Wurst. He ate Bockwurst and different kinds of Bratwurst that varied in style depending on the state he was in. He also ate a lot of Döner, a dish inspired by the many Turkish Germans who have lived in Germany for the past sixty years.

As a history buff, Thompson also found the sightseeing rewarding. “It was very fulfilling to visit places I had only read about in history books or seen in photos.”

Mingjia “Lindy” Liu ’20 spent two weeks in Regensburg in southern Germany. Liu studied and lived at Horizonte, a language school in the center of Regensburg’s Old City. The Pennington School has sent a number of students over to Horizonte, and the school’s director was happy to welcome Liu. Speaking German the whole time was initially daunting for Liu; however, she quickly acclimated herself.

Oliver Gassmann ’21 also found a language school program, this one a threeweek course through the Goethe Institute in Wannsee, Germany, about 20 miles from Berlin. Every morning, Gassmann attended classes for three hours, then worked for 90 minutes in the afternoon on a project of his choosing. He helped to design and produce a German podcast that would inform young people about interesting things for them to do in Berlin.

www.pennington.org

41

Community

SERVICE Pennington students give back in myriad ways

S

tudents at Pennington don’t ask if they can get involved in community service; they figure out individual ways to make a difference. Each year, Dr. Hawkey asks our community members to leave Pennington a better place than they found it, and this aim is embedded in activities by groups ranging from the Green Team to our fabulous Campus Guides and Student Ambassadors to the students who volunteer on School committees, such as the landscape master plan committee. We believe that service is an important component of what it means to be a good citizen. Because we expect our students to become involved in many different ways in their own communities and on campus, we neither require service nor officially track student service hours. However, because of our close involvement with several nonprofits, service trips, our annual Community Day, and the Horizon senior internship program, virtually 100% of Pennington students do participate in some form of community service, under the direction of Chad Bridges and David Hallgren.

Faculty and staff members are also dedicated to serving others.

Some lead groups to volunteer at places ranging from the Christina Seix Academy in Trenton, where STEM leaders bring their skills to elementary classrooms, to Guatemala to save endangered turtles and to build homes, and even to Africa in 2020, a first for Pennington. On campus, every faculty advisor is involved in the School’s new composting program. Global Studies and Applied Science speakers offer glimpses of a number of ways to help make the world a better place.

Student travel, both within the United States and abroad, is often grounded in the goal of Pennington’s Global Studies program: to provide learning opportunities that help our students form relationships inside and outside of the classroom and develop a sense of responsibility for themselves, for others, and for the world in which they live. This is the heart of service learning.

Some of the ways in which The Pennington School is involved in community service are highlighted below. We will include more clubs and groups in future issues of Pennington Magazine; there are simply too many to include all of them here!

42

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

Community Service Because service is at the heart of what it means to be a student at Pennington, our community embraces the culture of giving back, which reflects our core values of honor, virtue, and humility.

“It betters the community when you can give back. It spreads love.

It spreads happiness. It makes the world a better place.”

—John (Jack) Fancher ’20 Gym & Swim participant

HomeFront Gym & Swim A popular volunteer opportunity for many of our students is the HomeFront Gym & Swim. Almost every other Friday during the academic school year, dozens of Pennington students take time out of their weekend to brighten the day for many children who are clients of HomeFront, an organization based in Lawrenceville dedicated to ending homelessness in the local community.

Children are bused to Pennington so they can participate in a night full of fun activities planned by Pennington students. Each Gym & Swim offers time for Pennington students and the children to play basketball, frisbee, or other games together in Sparks Gymnasium, and it offers the opportunity to go swimming at the Michael T. Martin Aquatic Center.

Other events vary week-by-week but often include scavenger hunts, games, or practicing a performance. The students work closely with faculty advisors Peter Walsh and School Chaplain David Hallgren to make each Gym & Swim special for their guests.

One day at a time, our students are making the world a better place by meeting the needs of the local and global community.

HomeFront Holiday Party For the twenty-sixth consecutive year, the Pennington School community came together to host its annual HomeFront Holiday Party on Saturday, December 14, 2019. The Holiday Party is a Pennington tradition; Pennington students and faculty members host guests from HomeFront, a local organization serving those in need in Mercer County. The annual party offers neighbors from HomeFront a luncheon provided by Sodexo and served by Pennington students and staff, a visit and photo with Santa, arts and crafts stations, a dance party complete with deejay, bingo for adults, a book corner, and more. A highlight of the party is Santa’s Workshop, where the HomeFront families, parents and children alike, all have the opportunity to “shop” for gifts to give their loved ones.

The Pennington senior class Peer Leaders worked hard to ensure that there was a present in Santa’s Workshop for every child at the party, and the School’s faculty and staff donated gifts for children to give to their parents. There were about 350 guests in total at the event. In Santa’s Workshop, HomeFront guests selected items for children whose ages ranged from infants to teenagers.

In addition, books, hats, scarves, and gloves were distributed to all attendees. The Pennington School’s community supported the cause by donating unwrapped presents, decorating “Giving Trees” around campus with winter gear, and bringing in new and gently used books. Many current students volunteered at the event itself to set up and clean up, and to host individual tables for the visiting families. Parents, faculty, and staff pitched in to help with registration, serve food, and wrap presents.

“It’s important to participate in community service because it is giving back to the community.

When I lifeguard at Gym & Swim, that is one way I help out.

I make sure everyone is safe.” ­— Scott (CJ) Caponi ’22 HomeFront is a Mercer County not-for-profit organization devoted to ending homelessness and poverty in central New Jersey, and the School’s annual party has become a beloved tradition for all involved.

For Community Service Club leaders Molly Gibbard ’21 and Julia McDougall ’21, getting involved was an easy choice. Both students became involved in the Community Service club their freshman year. After participating in Gym & Swim for the first time, they knew they wanted to keep it up. “I came to my first Gym & Swim my freshman year. I was helping out a little kid in the pool who was so excited to swim and hang out with other people, and it was a very memorable experience. Since then, I try to come to as many Gym & Swims as I can,” says Gibbard.

As for McDougall, her favorite part of Gym & Swims has been seeing “kids’ smiles and excitement every week.” www.pennington.org

43

Community Service The Power of Music James Horan, teacher of music, composed a beautiful song, “In Our Eyes,” to raise awareness of the global refugee crisis, inspired by The Power of Faces refugee portrait project. In conjunction with the Global Studies Program, the Silva Gallery of Art hosted The Power of Faces: Looking at the Global Refugee Crisis in May, 2019. The exhibition is a portrait project created by husbandand-wife photo team Daniel Farber Huang and Theresa Menders P’21 as an artistic response to what the United Nations has called the greatest humanitarian crisis of our time. Huang and Menders’s work reminds us that the more than 65 million who have been forced to flee their homes because of conflict or persecution are human lives, not just statistics. Huang and Menders created a music video with Horan’s composition that was launched on United Nations Day, October 24, 2019.

Due to the violence in his home country, he found it necessary to leave and find a more peaceful home. He traveled to Tanzania before settling in the Malawian refugee camp. While at the camp, he founded Vijana Africa, a community-based organization focused on the promotion of gender equality and reduction of poverty and hunger. This organization promotes income-generating activities, such as rabbit farming and gardening, which Mwendabandu explained in some of Pennington’s classes. Because of his efforts at the camp, Mwendabandu was awarded a Mandela Washington Fellowship and has spoken internationally about the refugee crisis.

Refugee inspires Malawi Club Jacques Baeni Mwendabandu, a refugee living in Malawi, Africa, visited the Pennington campus October 15–16, 2019, to speak to students, visit classrooms, and meet with Malawi Club members.

Mwendabandu was a guest speaker in several Pennington classes including Environmental Science, Global Studies, Algebra 1A, and Grade 6 Humanities.

Mwendabandu also met with Applied Science and Global Studies students on October 15 to describe his life as a refugee and his hopes and dreams for the future. During his presentation, he explained that he is from the Democratic Republic of Congo and currently living in the Dzaleka refugee camp in Malawi.

44

After Mwendabandu gave a brief overview of the camp, several students asked additional questions about jobs at Dzaleka, the education system, and some challenges he faced. Through these answers, he explained that although the 40,000 refugees receive some assistance, it is not nearly enough. When he arrived, he was given a plot of land and a tent, but he had to build his house on his own. He created his own bricks and spent months building his home. Mwendabandu also told students that there are 14,000 children residing at Dzaleka, but only 7,000 are able to go to school. Many parents created their own informal education system so their children can receive an education. In addition, refugees are not allowed to work, so almost all jobs are volunteer positions. To buy additional resources like sugar or cooking oil, refugees must learn some new skills or become entrepreneurs. For example, some students in school at the camp are taught photography and videography so they can

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

then make videos of weddings, funerals, or special events.

A group of Pennington students will be traveling to Malawi in March 2020. They will use their developing STEM skills to bring technology and innovation to the children in the Dzaleka refugee camp.

Pennington students are currently working on three different technology and design projects, and they will share their work while engaging in cultural and educational experiences with students in the Dzaleka schools.

Malawi Projects Sanitary napkin hybrid developed Girls in developing countries often miss school because of menstrual periods; they lack the sanitary products needed to allow them to leave their homes to study. This often leads to girls dropping out of school entirely at a young age. Understanding that disposable sanitary napkins are not widely available, and that a lack of water

Community Service

completed desk to the refugee classroom and adjust their design or approve it for mass production.

makes reusable products difficult to adopt, Pennington Girls in STEM set out to design a hybrid sanitary napkin.

They started on a first iteration in early November 2019, then field-tested the product over the next couple of months before getting back together in midJanuary to tweak it. Ms. Overhiser was a valuable resource for the girls as they designed and sewed!

New desk design for refugee camp school Upper School students in the Malawi Club worked on a desk design project for the primary school at the Malawi refugee camp. The final design was rendered in CAD software by Matthew Cooper ’21 and sent to a factory in Lilongwe so a prototype could be created and tested. When Pennington students go to Malawi in March 2020, they will take the

iPads for refugee students Pennington Applied Science students have been refurbishing iPads all year in order to deliver them to students in the Dzaleka refugee camp in Malawi. The iPads will be preloaded with education apps, books, and other learning tools tested and selected

by Pennington students. Dzaleka students of all ages will use the iPads for learning a host of subjects and skills. iPads are wellsuited for educational purposes in the camp due to their long battery life, durability, and ease of use. Students traveling to Malawi to deliver the devices will also bring with them a solar-powered charging cart. The group will teach the Dzaleka students how to use the iPads to exponentially increase their learning opportunities.

Faculty Spotlight

The Reverend David Hallgren became Pennington’s chaplain in the summer of 2019. Hallgren is the associate pastor of the Pennington Presbyterian Church, where he has worked with multiple generations within that congregation. He was born of the Yakima Nation in eastern Washington and was adopted by a Swedish-American Mennonite couple at the age of two. He began working as a building contractor but became hooked on ministry with children while volunteering at Camp Firwood in Bellingham, Washington, one summer, when he also met his wife, Kristin. They live with their two young daughters in Pennington.

Hallgren has a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Washington and a master of divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary.

Beach Sweep Sixteen students were “citizen scientists” on Saturday, October 26, tallying and categorizing trash found on Belmar beach as part of Clean Ocean Action’s annual Fall Beach Sweep. They found a lot of small pieces of plastic such as straws, bottle caps, and wrappers, but many other items as well. The outing was organized by the Green Team, which hopes to continue the tradition into future years.

www.pennington.org

45

Community Service Peer Leaders encourage all to Run for the Cure The Pennington School hosted its tenth annual Run for the Cure on Sunday, October 27, 2019. The Run, organized by the Pennington School senior Peer Leaders, raises money each year for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, an organization that raises awareness, educates the community, funds research, and offers supportive services for those with breast cancer. The Peer Leaders asked participants to support the fight against breast cancer through donations, running, or both.

Despite a torrential downpour, community members came out in great numbers to support this cause!

Students at Pennington don’t ask if they can get involved in community service; they figure out individual ways to make a difference.

Guatemala On June 16 through June 26, 2019, Pennington students traveled to beautiful Sipacate, Guatemala, to volunteer with a turtle conservation group in a quiet beach town directly east of Guatemala City. Students helped with activities including patrolling beaches, relocating turtle eggs to hatcheries to protect them from predators, building hatcheries, and releasing turtle hatchlings.

In March 2020, a group of Middle School students will travel to Guatamala to volunteer with the organization From Houses to Homes, working alongside Guatemalan families to build muchneeded housing.

46

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

“I think it’s important to give back because as much as we are responsible for ourselves, we are responsible for the impact we make in the world and the impact we make on others. If we have the ability to help others, it is only right that we do so.”

— Kofoworola Jolaoso ’20

“At Pennington, pretty much every student helps in some way with community service—at the HomeFront Holiday Party, Gym & Swim, during food/clothing drives, or even in simple ways like smiling at your peers and holding doors. The Community Service Club participates in and organizes as many events and activities as possible each year.”

Spanish Club pursues service opportunities in Trenton World Language clubs often get involved in community service activities. In October 2019, students from the Spanish Club and several Spanish classes went to Trenton to help the Eastern Service Workers Association celebrate Halloween with the children from that community. Jose Hernandez, who is a member of the School kitchen staff, is part of this organization and went on this visit to share the day with the Pennington students.

STEM Leaders visit Seix Academy The STEM Leaders Club visits the Christina Seix Academy to work with elementary school students on various activities. On September 25, they helped first-grade classes design and fly paper airplanes. The firstgrade students acted like scientists as they figured out the best way to get their planes to fly through the air.

An added challenge was to carry as many paper clips as possible.

—Molly Gibbard ’21

www.pennington.org

47

Cum Laude Society

National Honor Societies for World Languages and the Arts

Ten Pennington School seniors were inducted on October 15 as student members of the School’s chapter of the Cum Laude Society before an audience of the entire Upper School, faculty, and parents at the Pennington United Methodist Church. Students inducted are within the top 10 percent of the class, as determined by grade point average, and the School views selection for membership as one of the highest honors it can confer.

The Cum Laude Society is an international organization recognizing “academic achievement in secondary schools for the purpose of promoting excellence, justice, and honor.” There are approximately 380 institutions in the Society; most are independent schools.

S

tudents at The Pennington School were inducted into national honor societies for world languages and the arts in an evening ceremony held at the School on Tuesday, December 10. The students, almost all juniors or seniors, have met academic and other standards required by the national societies as well as the School’s chapters. The inductions were held in the Wesley Forum in the School’s Yen Humanities Building. Names of the students honored are listed below. In addition to the inductions, there were instrumental, vocal, and dramatic performances by new and current members of the honor societies.

2019 inductees: French National Honor Society: Seniors Ian Albuquerque, Kofoworola Jolaoso, and Sydney Shah; juniors Kailey Dierk, Safa Morrison, Babacar Niang, Trinity Pryor, and Cihan Sahin

Tri-M Music Honor Society: Seniors Gabriela Montero, Molly Nelson, and Artem Rukavishnikov; juniors Xingrui Chen, Sushuang Lu, Cihan Sahin, and William Thompson

German National Honor Society: Seniors Maria Khartchenko, Mingjia Liu, and Meng Lu; juniors Benjamin Eckerson, Oliver Gassmann, Sahil Navani, and William Thompson

International Thespian Society: Seniors Elise Hawkey, Christopher Long, and Jenna Soliman; juniors Danielle Bancroft, Emily Barkley, Matthew Cooper, Madeline Fox, Ashley Goldberg, Alexander Huang, Sara Kestenbaum, Robert Lambdin, Sampo Lintula, Robert Moran, Trinity Pryor, Benjamin Robertson, Isabella Rossi, and Nicole Salak

Latin National Honor Society: Juniors Trinity Pryor, Isabella Rossi, Madelyn Saltstein, and Shealyn Tirendi

The new members of Cum Laude are Erin Heyeck, Maria Khartchenko, Jenna Kollevoll, Mingjia Liu, Meng Lu, Yaoxin Mo, Deep Patel, Julia Peters, Jenna Soliman, and Yiren Zhou.

48

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

Spanish National Honor Society: Seniors Rickey Eng, Xinyi Li, Deep Patel, and Yiren Zhou; juniors Alexandra Childrey, Corinne Coakley, Alexander Huang, Stas Korzeniowski, Tarun Kumar, Rohit Pothacamury, Cihan Sahin, Joshua Song, and Julian Thomas

National Art Honor Society: Seniors Alexa Lepold, Tsung Yuen Tung, Alexandria Ume, and Harper Usiskin; juniors Tiia McKinney and Isabella Rossi

Alumni Weekend!

May 15–16, 2020

www.pennington.org

Visit www.pennington.org/alumni-weekend2020 for more information.

49

Board of Trustee News The Pennington School is delighted to welcome three new members to its Board of Trustees. initiated several clubs and affinity groups to give parents more opportunities to interact socially.

Marlow obtained a B.A. Honors degree and a master’s degree in linguistics (cum laude) from University of Stellenbosch in South Africa.

Before moving to the United States in 1999, she taught at the high school and university

Dan Mahony P’18 ’21 is currently senior vice-president for global supply chain transformation at The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., one of the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products. In this capacity, Mahony is responsible for strategic and tactical planning, risk mitigation, capital planning, and regional supply chain leadership for the company’s Latin America business.

He is a member of the global supply chain leadership team as well as the Latin America leadership team. He is an experienced brand- and culture-aware supply chain leader with global and regional end-toend supply chain experience. Mahony’s experience includes a broad range of skills including strategic planning, manufacturing, strategic sourcing, deployment, and supplier relationship management. He helps develop talented future organizational leaders and executes sustainable processes to meet business objectives. Mahony is a graduate of Rider University and lives in Yardley with his family.

Marlynne Marlow P’20 joined the Board of Trustees as president of Parents for Pennington. She has been actively involved with the School’s parent association for the past three years, and her focus has been on building an even stronger parent community. Toward that goal, she has 50

specialty items for women and children.

She spent the majority of her career in the pharmaceutical industry, serving BristolMyers Squibb in a variety of senior roles in managed care, training, marketing, and sales in the women’s health care, long-term care, and VA/military and cardiovascular divisions. She has extensive experience in strategic planning, marketing development, contract negotiations, customer relations, and leadership development.

levels in South Africa and at several language schools in Germany and the Netherlands.

For the past seven years she has been an independent stylist for a clothing company.

Her latest endeavor, in collaboration with another Pennington parent, was establishing a private foundation to focus on the education of young children in impoverished areas in Zambia and South Africa. Marlow’s son, JonHenri, is a senior. Her husband, David, also serves on Pennington’s Board of Trustees.

Brenda Martini O’Loughlin P’19 is a creative entrepreneur with experience in the real estate, retail, and pharmaceutical industries.

As managing partner and owner of Si. Mao. Hai, LLC, a New Jersey-based real estate development company, she specializes in real estate transactions, architectural redesign, and business management. Prior to that, she owned Martini Clothing, a retail company with stores in Florida and New Jersey offering high-end fashion, footwear, and

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

Passionate about animals and giving back to the community, she was elected president of the board of directors of Canine Support Teams, an organization that trains and provides service dogs to individuals with physical and emotional disabilities, specifically to veterans. She is also affiliated with many local organizations including Good Grief, HomeFront, Marty’s Place, and Saint Paul’s Church. O’Loughlin graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and has remained involved at the University in various business and philanthropic ventures. She has also supported many initiatives at The Pennington School including the music program, the merit award program, the Cervone Center for Learning, athletic and educational student support, global initiatives, teacher recognition awards, and the renovation of the Student Center.

O’Loughlin’s daughter Julia graduated from Pennington in 2019 and currently attends Syracuse University. O’Loughlin and her family live in Princeton, NJ.

World-class student

Musicians

New Vice Chair Michael D. Jingoli ’85 P’11 ’15, a member of the Board of Trustees since 2004, was appointed First Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees in October 2019. Jingoli has chaired the Board’s buildings and grounds committee for many years, overseeing much of the recent renovation of campus buildings as well as the construction of the 32,000-squarefoot Kenneth Kai Tai Yen Humanities Building.

Michael Jingoli is the CFO/COO of Joseph Jingoli & Son, Inc. (JINGOLI) and the co-founder and co-owner of a number of affiliate companies in the energy/construction space, as well as an owner/ investor in nearly two dozen other companies. He is also the co-founder of DCO Energy, one of the largest developers and operators of cogeneration and renewable energy projects in North America.

Jingoli is a recognized expert in project finance, operations, and organizational development. Since partnering with his brother Joseph to take over JINGOLI in 1987, the company has grown from a regional contractor to a national organization with over 1,500 employees. JINGOLI is regularly ranked as an industry leader with projects developed, constructed, and/or owned throughout North America.

Chair of the Board of Trustees Peter J. Tucci, Esq., made the announcement at the October 25 board meeting and said, “I am delighted to welcome Mike as First Vice Chair of the Pennington Board of Trustees. His expansive knowledge of the construction industry and his insight into School needs and priorities have been critical to our successful expansion and renovation of Pennington’s facilities. As we plan ahead for the next ten years and develop a new campus master plan, Mike’s expertise will be invaluable to us.”

C

ompeting on an international level, current students Yat Fei Chan ’23, Meng Lu ’20, Cihan Sahin ’21, and Yiwei Zhu ’22 are reaping the benefits of over a decade of study and thousands of hours of practice from the age of six or younger by winning spots at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music in New York City, where they study piano and classical music with world-class college faculty for up to six hours every Saturday.

Our students auditioned for this rigorous program last spring, competing against students from around the world. They continue to display grit in their pursuit of excellence by giving up their Saturdays to enrich their musical skills with classes in music theory, music history, ear training, composition, chamber music, and solo performance. Their professors at MSM are world-renowned performers and scholar/teachers who expect perfection and high-level achievement at all times, requiring the students to practice and study for hours every day during the week in order to prepare for their courses and private lessons each Saturday.

The Pennington community supports young composer/pianist Chan, and pianists Lu, Sahin, and Zhu as they give up their Saturdays and free time between studies and other extracurricular activities to pursue this historic art form, whose pedagogies and traditions go back more than three hundred years. The students’ dedication to intense musical study will equip them with the focus and perseverance under pressure that is needed for success in whatever career they pursue beyond Pennington, whether it is in the sciences, business, or other creative fields.

Pennington’s proximity to major cultural centers such as New York City and Philadelphia attracts talented musicians from around the world. Many of our students choose to become part of the Pennington School community because of their access to Saturday pre-college music programs such as those at the Manhattan School of Music, Mannes College, and Juilliard. At the same time, these hardworking students enrich the music program at Pennington with their enthusiastic participation in our ensembles, music classes, and performances on and off campus. www.pennington.org

51

PJC Celebrates

Lessons and Carols Outside the Pennington Presbyterian Church, the ground glistened and shone with a fresh coating of snow. Inside, a warm holiday spirit filled the air during the annual Service of Lessons and Carols on December 18.

The service invites Pennington community members to listen to scripture and other readings with music for Advent and Christmas presented by student vocal and instrumental ensembles. Readers were Upper and Middle School students and faculty. The congregation joined in singing several familiar carols, and the Middle School Singers, Upper School Chorus, and Pennington Singers provided other choral selections including “The First Noel/Pachelbel’s Canon” and “Do You Hear What I Hear? ” Student instrumentalists in a variety of small ensembles provided special music, with a Wind Ensemble playing the prelude, a String Ensemble providing the offertory music, and the Rock Ensemble ending the service with a postlude. In addition, a Brass Ensemble added festive flair to some of the congregational carols.

The theme for this service was “Celebrate the Newness in HOPE.” School Chaplain David Hallgren focused his homily on time and presence. He said that, as a society, we are always trying to create more time or rush to complete tasks. Trying to add more hours in the day is waiting for a miracle, he said; it is important to embrace and enjoy the presence of our family and friends during the holiday season.

At the end of the evening, students and parents in attendance returned to the campus for a reception in the Dining Hall.

52

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

Hanukkah!

The Pennington Jewish Community club organized a well-attended party during “special” on Wednesday, December 18. Dozens of Pennington students ate delicious latkes and sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts), played dreidel, painted at a craft station, and sang the traditional prayers as the group lit the menorahs to commemorate the Festival of Lights.

HomeFront Holiday Party December 14, 2019

F

or the twenty-sixth consecutive year, the Pennington School community came together to host its annual HomeFront Holiday Party on Saturday, December 14, 2019. The Holiday Party is a Pennington tradition; Pennington students and faculty members host guests from HomeFront, a local organization serving those in need in Mercer County.

The annual party offers neighbors from HomeFront a luncheon provided

by Sodexo and served by Pennington students and staff, a visit and photo with Santa, arts and crafts stations, a dance party complete with deejay, bingo for adults, a book corner, and more. A highlight of the party is Santa’s Workshop, where the HomeFront families, parents and children alike, all have the opportunity to “shop” for gifts to give their loved ones.

The Pennington senior class Peer Leaders worked hard to ensure that there was a present in Santa’s Workshop for every child at the party, and the School’s faculty and staff donated gifts for children to give to their parents. There were about 350 guests in total at the event. In

volunteered at the event itself to set up and clean up, and to host individual tables for the visiting families. Parents, faculty, and staff pitched in to help with registration, serve food, and wrap presents.

HomeFront is a Mercer County not-forprofit organization devoted to ending homelessness and poverty in central New Jersey, and the School’s annual party has become a beloved tradition for all involved.

Santa’s Workshop, HomeFront guests selected items for children whose ages ranged from infants to teenagers. In addition, books, hats, scarves, and gloves were distributed to all attendees.

The Pennington School’s community supported the cause by donating unwrapped presents, decorating “Giving Trees” around campus with winter gear, and bringing in new and gently used books. Many current students

www.pennington.org

53

Alumni in the

Arts

by Lisa Houston

A Class Act—An interview with Michael Lee Brown ’11 Michael Lee Brown ’11 performed each week for the past three years as an understudy and as the alternate in the title role of Evan Hansen in the six-time Tony Award and GRAMMY-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway. In addition to playing the title role, he covered the other two male principal characters (Connor and Jared) and is the first person ever to have performed all three roles on Broadway.

B

rown started performing at a young age, learning the business and working professionally from Los Angeles to New York City. A proud Pennington and Marymount Manhattan College graduate, Brown has performed in various regional theatre productions such as: Torch Song Trilogy at the Studio Theatre in Washington, DC, under the direction of Michael Kahn. He has been seen on television in shows like Happyish, and in live performances with the Dear Evan Hansen company at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and on NBC’s Today, for which he and the cast received an Emmy Award. Brown recently released his solo EP, Way It Used To Be, comprising his original songs. It was produced by Matthew James Thomas (star of Pippin) and recorded at the studio of Duncan Sheik (composer of Spring Awakening). Brown has been teaching acting, vocal performance, and audition technique in New York City and throughout the country for several years and will continue to do so until his next project appears.

54

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

I caught up with Michael during his last week of performances in November. As his former teacher and director, I have been amazed to follow his career development from a distance and to see him pursue and achieve his dream of performing on Broadway. It is also a thrill to see glimpses of him in his characters and to see his signature talents, which we first saw during his time onstage at Pennington, now being applied to new roles. Michael was a gracious host to many Pennington fans over his time in the show—students, parents, faculty, and our Spanish exchange visitors—always willing to meet backstage or at the stage door, pose for photographs, and sign autographs.

Alumni News

on what you feel are your weaknesses. Performing is just as solid as a career choice as any other, so if you really want to do it, just do it.

What’s next for you ?

I will continue my career as an actor. I will also continue to write and create more music.

Other alumni in the arts Alex Magliaro ’99

Michael Lee Brown ’11 Photo credit: Nathan Johnson

Michael, what was the best thing about performing on Broadway?

For me, it was feeling how this show in particular affected audiences. Dear Evan Hansen carries so many wonderful themes and important topics of discussion. The show is so relevant and telling of how we live in society today. Receiving letters every week and hearing people’s connection to my performance and the story were truly gifts as both a person and as an actor. It was also super fun to sing the catchy songs!

What was the most challenging thing about performing/ swinging for three different roles? You shared some of your techniques with the cast of Footloose, a few years back, but let’s share the secrets of Broadway’s most difficult task with all the Pennington readers.

I was with the show for three years, and for about two of those years I mainly just played Evan Hansen but was still able to go on for the other two male leads. It was a lot of work in the beginning. I would rent my own rehearsal room after rehearsals and have my mom run lines with me while I did the blocking.

I would often switch between characters both during my own rehearsal time and my designated rehearsal times with the cast.

The hardest part for me was not saying the other person’s lines when in a scene with a character whom I was also covering.

There were also times when I had to go on as Evan Hansen twenty minutes in, or halfway through a show with only second’s notice because the other actor became sick.

Alex Magliaro ’99 was accepted into the M.A. Acting program at Drama Centre London in August and left Citigroup, where he had worked for the past fourteen years. He reports that “Drama Centre has been thrilling. I couldn’t be happier, although it’s much more work than at Citi, but I’m loving every minute of it. One of the things that’s stayed with me from Pennington is how much the theatre was a ‘team sport.’ We weren’t just actors putting on a play; we had such strong working relationships with the techies and backstage that it felt like one big family. I’ve really taken that with me into life at Cornell, at Citi, and now at Drama Centre. Pennington taught me to respect every part of the process.”

Megan Mallouk ’01 As a professional circus artist and instructor, Megan Mallouk ’01 travels the world, performing and teaching. She works on large-scale productions and solo performances as a performer, choreographer, and behind-the-scenes coordinator. She teaches classes and workshops in specific aerial- and ground-based disciplines to various age levels. Her advice to budding artists is “Learn to be adaptable and cooperative. These are qualities that will make you easy to work with and very memorable for when that next job/role/position opens up and needs to be filled. Talent can get your foot in the door, but your attitude and work ethic are what keep you in the business. Plus, don’t be afraid to pursue hobbies that aren’t exactly mainstream. You never know, those talents might just make you valuable and land you in the circus!”

Photo credit: Stacey Michelle, Seriffim Photography

Megan Mallouk ’01

What was something you learned at Pennington that you carry with you now in your theatre career?

At Pennington, I learned the importance of being a good person and following your own path. I think that in doing both these things, I was able to achieve my lifelong dream of being on Broadway.

What advice would you give a budding performer?

If you truly love it, keep at it. Own your strengths while working www.pennington.org

55

Alumni in the Arts Andy Ridings ’03 Andy Ridings ’03’s most recent projects include a recurring role on the Comedy Central show The Other Two with Molly Shannon and a guest-star role on the CBS show Mom starring Anna Faris. This past summer, Ridings starred in a short film that won Best Comedy Short at the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival. He has many fond memories of drama classes at Pennington, but the thing he carries with him most of all is the skill of improvisation. “This helped me develop a sense of creating and developing a character inside the world of a script, seeing what else can happen on stage (or set) besides what is written out before you, and making the world and the characters you play your own. It is something that I’m forever grateful for, because I use it in almost every audition, rehearsal, and performance. I love what I do, and it is because at an early age, Pennington Drama encouraged me to act and make people laugh. And now I make my living doing just that!”

Amy Mayes ’06 Amy Mayes ’06 and her husband, Tom Morgan ’05, were Pennington sweethearts! One of Mayes’s favorite projects this year was the Seattle 48 Hour Film Festival. Mayes and Morgan got to act together in a short comedy, and their film, Big Little Limes, won Audience Choice and Best Ensemble Acting awards. Mayes shares this lesson she learned doing shows at Pennington: “Pennington Drama taught me that the best work is made when everyone is working together. If you believe in the greatness of each other, everyone will rise to those expectations and make something special in the process.” She also encourages young artists to “make art if it’s your dream. Most people will give up and do something else. But if you surround yourself with people who believe in you, you can make it your life.”

Andrew Agress ’13

Andy Ridings ’03

“I learned [at Pennington] how valuable it is to have a supportive community when creating something special....”

—Adam Tolzis ’08

Adam Tolzis ’08

Amy Mayes ’06

After being a co-producer on @midnight for Comedy Central, Toltzis worked in the writers’ room on Trial & Error for NBC and is now working on Your Honor for Showtime, scheduled to air next year. He credits Pennington with teaching him the valuable skill of collaboration. “I learned how valuable it is to have a supportive community when creating something special. It really does take a village to make something great. And if you have collaborators and people you can trust along the way—through missteps and progress alike— you end up with a better finished product.”

James Fleming ’10

Coleman Betlyon ’10 Coleman Betlyon ’10 currently works in the automation department at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City as the automation programmer, focusing on the various control systems that move and fly the scenery and performers for shows at the Met. He also assists in operating shows, building, and maintaining the Photo Credit: Thom Morgan

56

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

Alumni News

“Say yes to everything!” —Andrew Agress ’13 Andrew Agress ’13

machinery used for automated effects. Betlyon says that, every day in his work, he uses the critical skill of creative problem-solving, which he learned working on tech crew at Pennington. “Even with the resources of the Met, our department often has to get creative with what we have on hand and in a limited timeframe. This is reminiscent of builds and experiences as part of Pennington Drama’s tech crew.” He wants to remind current students that “just because you want to go into the arts doesn’t mean that science and math aren’t important. Depending on the arts discipline you choose, those subjects might end up being critically important. I use them both every day.”

James Fleming ’10

“It really felt like the synthesis of all of my experiences at Pennington. The collaboration and joy in that room has been a highlight not only of my time in Pennington Drama, but also of my artistic life. There is power in shared leadership and an ensemble creating an artistic event together without ego.”

—James Fleming ’10

James Fleming ’10 is currently pursuing an M.F.A.degree in directing at the Yale School of Drama. This month, he is directing a.k. payne’s Where Pathways Meet at Yale. In addition to schoolwork, this winter he’ll be directing a reading of Herland by Grace McLeod for Leve Productions in New York, starring Kathleen Chalfant, Midori Francis, and Annie Golden. Fleming fondly remembers many special times in the drama program at Pennington; his Horizon project, Shakesperience, stands out as a truly joyful collaboration. “It really felt like the synthesis of all of my experiences at Pennington. The collaboration and joy in that room has been a highlight not only of my time in Pennington Drama, but also of my artistic life. There is power in shared leadership and an ensemble creating an artistic event together without ego.” He also wants young artists to always seek positive collaborations with other artists and organizations. “Find ones that align, even imperfectly, with your unique vision of the world, and use their resources to push your vision forward and create space for other artists you admire. I believe that in making that work, you can change the world, and that it’s the community you grow with and pull up behind you that will make your legacy.”

Andrew Agress ’13 Andrew Agress ’13 is currently pursuing his M.F.A. degree in dramaturgy at Columbia University. He also writes for The Theatre Times. He co-wrote the play That Sinking Feeling, which was brought to the Minneapolis and Providence fringe festivals this past summer. A lesson Agress gleaned from Pennington was “the value of collaboration and community in the arts. People looked out for each other, and getting to know people in the show and build friendships with them helped strengthen our work together during the rehearsal process. It’s so much easier to give or take ideas or notes and work on something if you care about the collective vision and the people contributing to it alongside you.” His trip to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2012 opened his eyes to the possibilities of these theatrical festivals. It’s inspiring to see him as an active fringe artist to this day. He encourages young artists to simply “say yes to everything!”

Photo Credit: James Mazza

www.pennington.org

57

Isabella Iorio ’17

Alumni in the Arts Hope MacKenzie ’13 Hope MacKenzie ’13 recently started a new position at Jerry Bruckheimer Television as the assistant to the president of television. Her primary responsibility is to project-manage both the development and production of their television properties. MacKenzie’s artistic pride was sparked at Pennington. “One thing that the performing arts at Pennington taught me is that art is a team sport—no matter what part of the industry you’re in. Every player involved is excelling in their own space to create something that is greater than the sum of its parts. It was always amazing to see how TPS Drama could

Hope MacKenzie ’13

Photo credit: AK47Division l Media

Tess McGuinness ’14 (playwright)

Photo credit: James Paxton

Henry Sheeran ’14

build a show at Pennington together, brick by brick, and each of us could take ownership and pride in the part that we played in making it happen. Every day, I see the importance of this team mentality in giving any project the wings it needs to fly.” She’s also realized that young adults can be trusted in the industry to make significant contributions. “Adults wouldn’t trust a young person to be their doctor or their lawyer, but they might trust them to take their headshot, design their logo, play them a song, or paint them a picture. My advice to young people is to capitalize on that autonomy.”

Tess McGuinness ’14 Tess McGuinness ’14 currently works as an assistant to an Emmy-nominated producer in independent film, music video, 58

Photo credit: Leigh Honigman

and commercials. She has been fortunate enough to work directly on a number of exciting projects, including music videos for Weezer and Danny Brown, a feature film, and an NBA commercial filmed in Las Vegas. She has also worked in production for Saturday Night Live for two seasons. She has produced plays at the New York Fringe Festival and has her eyes on a screenwriting graduate school program in the near future. Her love and appreciation for Shakespeare, developed here at Pennington, has followed her throughout her academic and professional life. “In college, I became company manager of the Shakespeare troupe on campus at Dartmouth, which

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

then led me to direct several productions, which in turn led to my playwriting beginnings. Last summer I produced Sigh No More, a play I wrote based loosely on Shakespearean tropes, that explores the struggles of working regional theater actors.” McGuinness encourages young artists to dive in and make their own opportunities.

Henry Sheeran ’14 Henry Sheeran ’14 keeps busy with many theatrical projects these days. “I am an improviser with Eight is Never Enough (short-form improv shows), Accomplice (a walk-through-the-city-and-meet-zanycharacters show), and Dinner Detective

Alumni News “[Don’t} take anything personally. It’s simple, but so effective. It’s an industry filled with big egos, strong personalities, and long hours. You’ll save yourself a lot of time and stress when you realize it’s just the stress of the production or whatever you’re working on, and it really doesn’t have anything to do with you.”

the work of Tim Secrest ’14

—Tim Secrest ’14

NYC (like “Clue,” but in real life). I am looking forward to playing Young Lad in The Pitmen Painters by Lee Hall this spring in Burlington, Vermont. I’m applying to graduate school for dramatic writing, and working on a new play. I also direct once in a while, work in lighting in various offBroadway theaters, and serve on the board of directors for Bated Breath, an immersive theater company.” Like others, Henry found value in the lessons that theatrical collaboration taught him at Pennington.

However, he states, “the most important thing that Pennington taught me is that kindness is a prerequisite in this industry.

Especially nowadays. While movies and pop media deify the divas and the jerks who make it to the top, in reality, theater is a tiny world, and if you don’t approach people with kindness and respect, it gets around. And vice versa: people will actually want to work with you.”

Tim Secrest ’14 Tim Secrest ’14 spends his days on the road as a video and lighting technician after his recent graduation from California Institute of the Arts. “I’m about to do a two-month European tour with Ghostemane as their video/lighting technician. My most recent projects were being the head electrician/systems technician for Dita Von Teese’s New Year’s Eve Gala at the Orpheum Theatre in LA,

Photo credit: Canadian Beats Media

the lighting director for the “We Love You Lil Tecca” North America tour, and gaffer for The Howard Stern Show’s LA shows. I’ve worked on various television programs and specials for NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC, Netflix, and HBO.” He values and uses the many different skills he learned on tech crew at Pennington, such as set building, hanging lights, and sewing. These simple skills made it easy for him to take his talents to the next level. He encourages young technicians and designers to “not take anything personally. It’s simple, but so effective. It’s an industry filled with big egos, strong personalities, and long hours.

You’ll save yourself a lot of time and stress when you realize it’s just the stress of the production or whatever you’re working on, and it really doesn’t have anything to do with you.”

Isabella Iorio ’17 Isabella Iorio ’17 is a current undergraduate studying theatre at New York University, busy with classes and performances. “This past semester I played Nicky in One For The Road by Harold Pinter at Playwrights Downtown during their student play festival. I also played Poseidon in The Odyssey: Book V and Gonzalo and Ceres in William Shakespeare’s The Tempest at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting.” She credits Pennington with teaching her the importance of preparation and a good warm-up. In her busy life in New York City, she uses mindful practices to stay healthy and motivated. She encourages others following in her footsteps “to take a deep breath, stay present, and know that if you put the work in, you can make this happen.”

The drama program is lucky to have three alumni back working on productions throughout the current year. Ali Crivelli ’10, Jamie Moore ’03, and Peter Secrest ’13 all add their talents to our current production calendar. They all credit the fact that they felt respected as artists while at Pennington for making it natural for them to continue to use their various talents in the arts in their careers. Like the other alumni featured here, they learned that theatre is a true team sport, that collaboration is essential, and that individual excellence can be easily fostered in theatre productions.

Crivelli is this year’s musical choreographer, lending her expertise in yoga, dance, Brechtian theatre, and movement to Urinetown. Secrest works with the production crew and student directors on both the fall and Middle School plays, lending expertise in the design process with both big dreams and practical visions. Moore mentors the Spring Play directors and also designed linocut prints for past theatre trips to Scotland and England. He says it best: “Pennington Drama gave me a place where I felt my creativity was respected. It was a safe place to act, sing, dance, disrupt, and be a part of a team. As a result, it taught me the importance of creating open spaces for others to create. Students feel as though it is a special place where they add value no matter what their level of involvement.” All three of these artists are continuing to make Pennington a brave and creative space for students in their classrooms and on stage.

www.pennington.org

59

College Alumni

Spend-the-Day

O

n the sunny, bright, and cold afternoon of December 18, about forty Pennington alumni from the classes of 2016 through 2019 came back to campus for a special luncheon and program organized by Director of Alumni Relations Jane Bott Childrey ’89. Designed to encourage our college-age alumni to come back and visit, the program provided them a chance to catch up with each other, hear the latest and greatest School news, provide important feedback to the Deans, and visit their former teachers. This event was a

60

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

huge success and is a new highlight of our holiday season at Pennington.

After enjoying lunch in the newly expanded section of the dining hall, the recent graduates attended a special meeting with Dr. Hawkey.

And after the last bell had rung, they headed to the Wesley Forum for a Mix and Mingle—an opportunity for faculty and staff members to reconnect and share some holiday cheer with our young alumni. Delicious food, fun and games, and a wonderful time was had by all!

2019 Pennington friends Amy Garry, Sydney Gibbard, Mary Griswold, and Emma Garry cheer on Penn State.

Class Notes Reunions for 4s and 9s

1970s

Walter Zalis ’78 and Fred Falchi ’79, former Pennington basketball teammates, attended the I Believe in Pink fundraiser on October 4, 2019.

Natalie Baxter Strange ’78 is living in Amsterdam. She accompanied Pennington Field Hockey to the Men’s Pro League field hockey match between the Netherlands and Australia. She is pictured here with fellow alumna Kate Reim ’19.

We want to hear from you.

The Pennington Alumni Survey will arrive in your inbox soon.

This spring, Pennington is launching a comprehensive alumni survey designed to learn how Pennington alumni want to be informed, get involved, and stay connected with each other and the School. Be on the lookout for more details and for your email invitation to participate.

Update your email now! Don’t miss out on the latest alumni news and events.

Please take a moment to give Pennington your most recent email address by visiting our Alumni Information Update page on the website: https://www.pennington. org/community/alumni/update-info or by emailing Director of Alumni Relations Jane Bott Childrey ’89 at jane.childrey@pennington.org with your current information.

From February 1 through March 15, 2020, alumni who update or provide current email addresses will be entered to win some amazing Pennington prizes! Learn more on the Alumni Information Update webpage listed above.

Zalis ’78 and Falchi ’79

1980s

Khanchit (“Andrew”) Juthapornmanee (formerly Chung) ’84 is now a proud owner of the Jittrapat Kindergarten School (a trilingual school) in Thailand.

Lizzie Gelles ’84 ran for public office in her hometown and won forty-four percent of the vote. She took the principles she learned as a student with Mr. Winkler and knocked on doors and talked face-to-face with voters. She may not have won this election as a first-time candidate, but she isn’t saying “never again!”

Strange ’78 and Reim ’19

Mitch Sloane ’87 and Jane Bott Childrey ’89 had a great day catching up at the US Open.

Michael Lynch ’89 and his wife welcomed their first child, Emily, on August 4, 2019.

Sloane ’87 and Childrey ’89

www.pennington.org

61

Left: Carlos Wyre ’92, Enid Wyre, Wyc Childrey, Jane Bott Childrey ’89, Lisa Tucci, Lou Denton ’76, Peter Tucci ’79, and Karen Denton watch the sun rise at Seim Reap, Cambodia; Below: Robert Baquerizo ’98 and Jane Bott Childrey ’89 Below: Lisa and Peter Tucci ’79 in Halong Bay, Vietnam, with other alumni; Amelia Sheridan, daughter of Dan Sheridan ’94; Colleen Mulvaney ’00, Ray, and daughter Nina Ryan

1990s

Carlos Wyre ’92 took his wife, Enid, on a Pennington adventure to Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia this past November, and reconnected with classmates during Pennington’s Asia Alumni Festival in Bangkok.

Dan Sheridan ’94 and his wife welcomed a beautiful, healthy baby girl, Amelia, on June 13, 2019.

Jeff East ’96 was elected Democratic County Committee Representative for the Township of Union in Union County, NJ, this past June.

Roberto Baquerizo ’98 and Director of Alumni Relations Jane Bott Childrey ’89 met in Guayaquil, Ecuador, in July, 2019. Baquerizo does logistics and runs a surfing excursion tours business.

2000s

Shane Ennis ’00 and his wife Kristen welcomed a new baby girl on April 22, 2019. Shane is an investment advisor and branch manager with Janney Montgomery Scott in New Hope, PA. Colleen Mullaney ’00 and her fiancé, Ray, welcomed Nina Ryan, a beautiful baby girl, to the world this October. Colleen says, “Nina is an absolute delight, and we are totally smitten!”

Colleen is still living in Philadelphia and working in pharmaceutical sales. She and Ray are planning their wedding for next spring.

62

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

Class Notes

Left: Will McPhaden’s wedding was a grand Pennington reunion. Above: Class of 2036! Emme Batoff (Dave Batoff ‘02), Zoë Siddiqu (Moe Siddiqu ‘03), and Gavin Bowman (Kate Quilty Bowman ‘03). Below: Gillian Kemmerer ’07 with Jalesah Brooks ’06; Matt Biedron ’08 and Brielle Wilson ’09 at the US Open; Will Wojciechowski ’09 and Coach Jason Carter met at the War at the Shore Master’s Division LAX Tournament.

Will McPhaden ’04 married Tracy Boyle in October 2019. Will and Tracy celebrated with family and friends, including: Kate Quilty Bowman ’03, Chris Utterback ’03, Chris Kehrer ’04, Shane Henderson ’04, Devin Ashburn ’04, Jenna Wolfsgruber ’04, Rob Forte ’02, Pat Janson ’02, Josh Ross ’01, and Jon Ross ’01.

(continued on page 62)

Marcella Nehrbass ’05 and her husband, Josh, have relocated to Scottsdale, AZ after Marcella was promoted to supply chain network operations manager for PCA Skin, a Colgate-Palmolive Company.

Gillian Kemmerer ’07, recently back from her Alfa Fellowship in Moscow, reconnected with Jalesah Brooks ’06 at Pennington’s Rocking into Summer Celebration at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, NJ. Matt Biedron ’08 and Brielle Wilson ’09 enjoyed attending the US Open together with Pennington alumni. Last fall Matt married Brooke Nicole Boniakowski with the support of his Pennington groomsmen Eric Zelter ’08, Michael Lang ’08, and Jesse Lieberman ’08.

Kathryn Brown ’09 is currently working at a therapeutic riding facility in Pittstown, NJ called Riding with HEART, where she serves as barn manager, PATH certified instructor, and PATH certified mentor. Kathryn is now living in Pennington with her boyfriend.

Will Wojciechowski ’09 and Pennington LAX Coach Jason Carter had a fun weekend playing lacrosse together at the largest New Jersey men’s tournament in July 2019.

www.pennington.org

63

Class Notes

2010s

Keith Dearden ’11 this spring welcomed a son, who is adorable in his Pennington Pride onesie.

Kelsey Richardson ’11 started a new job at Princeton University in the Bendheim Center for Finance as the Center administrator and events coordinator. She is recently engaged to Conner Williams and planning a wedding for October 2020.

Andrew Mavis ’16, a senior at George Washington University, collected First Team recognition in the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference.

Audrey Plimpton ’16, a Davidson College student, had an opportunity to attend a Carolina Panthers game in Charlotte, NC, thanks to a Pennington alumna who donated the tickets.

Xin Wen (Cathy) Xu ’17 and David Wan ’16, who met as Pennington students, were married this past December. Pennington faculty member Len Leib was honored to serve as their witness at the civil ceremony. Cathy and David were joined by fellow Pennington alumni Simon Wan ’15 (David’s brother) and Yushan (Sandy) Zhang ’19. The couple lives in New York City, where David will soon graduate from Columbia in computer science and is currently applying to Ph.D. programs in artificial intelligence and natural language processing, while Cathy is in her junior year at NYU.

Chenglang (Steven) Tian ’19 had his artwork selected by the College Board to be included in its 2019–2020 AP® Studio Art student exhibit. Nearly 66,000 student portfolios were submitted, and only thirty pieces were chosen to be displayed online on the College Board website and in person at ETS in Princeton. His work was created in Pennington’s AP Portfolio class last year!

Send news and notes to Jane Bott Childrey ’89 at jane.childrey@pennington.org

Callie Bouton ’18 ran into Pennington faculty members Robbi Uzupis and Liz Clancy-Healy while working at the Appalachian Mountain Club Camp in Echo Lake, ME. Robbi and Liz have been going there for years and were excited to see Callie.

Alyssa McDougall ’18 and Francesca Iucolino ’18 road-tripped to Wake Forest University to visit Kaela Colyar ’18.

Simran Shah ’18 interned with Matt Biedron ’08 at Oliver Luxxe Assets, learning how to evaluate stocks and what they take into consideration for portfolio management.

Sydney Faber ’18 is working with a professor at Vanderbilt University through the Owen School of Management graduate program to perform analytics on the Soccer World Cup in the United States.

64

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

Top left: Keith Dearden’s son sports a Pennington onesie; Top right: Audrey Plimpton ’16 at Carolina Panther’s game with friend; Middle right: Another match made at Pennington! Xin Wen (Cathy) Xu ’17 and David Wan ’16; Bottom left: Callie Bouton ’18 with Robbi Uzupis (left) and Liz Clancy-Healy in Maine; Bottom right: Best friends Alyssa McDougall ’18, Kaela Colyar ’18, and Francesca Iucolino ’18 at Wake Forest University.

Alumni News

Celentano

Childrey

Zhang

Look at them go (and grow)…

Alumni in college pursue internship opportunities

P

ennington young alumni are on the move as they explore careers and gain valuable real-world experience.

Here are some of the impressive internships held by Pennington graduates across the country last summer—and a few of their lessons learned. Congratulations to all of our recent graduates in pursuing their academic and professional dreams. We look forward to seeing where your paths will lead!

Hannah Bradshaw ’18

College: University of North Carolina; Hispanic Linguistics major Internship: Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, Trenton, NJ Experience: Assigned as the only intern in the Megan’s Law department, which makes information about sexual offenders available to the public. The department also makes history available to neighbors to keep them informed. Helped complete needed forms for risk assessments and tiering of registered offenders in the system. (Tiers determine who is informed about their history.) Visited the Trenton State Prison, the only maximum security prison in New Jersey.

Internship Takeaway: “My favorite part was the time learning about the legal system and observing a Special Victims Unit human trafficking trial.”

Matt Celentano ’16

College: Washington University in St. Louis; Mechanical

Engineering and Economics and Strategy double major, Energy Engineering minor Internship: General Motors, Wentzville, MO Experience: Mechanical design of tooling equipment used to make midsize Chevrolet pickup trucks. Helped design new equipment for the manufacturing and assembly process.

Internship Takeaway: “Learn as much as possible, from as many different people as possible, to get their views and learn about their specializations. People have a variety of skills in their own area, and those can all be put together to build a better product and improve process.”

Lily Childrey ’18

College: University of North Carolina; Computer Science and Economics major Internship: NBC Universal, New York, NY Experience: Served as a cyber threat intelligence analyst who was responsible for knowing what was happening in the cyber industry. Labeled data from various sources to ensure that if a cyber attack were to happen, the team would have easy access to needed information.

Internship Takeaway: “Let your actions speak for you, and don’t be intimidated by your age.”

Joe Gallagher ’16

College: Franklin & Marshall College; Government major Internship: CurAlea Associates LLC, Princeton, NJ

Experience: Performed research for CurAlea and their clients and compiled reports on different financial companies.

(There also was an office puppy who was basically Gallagher’s responsibility.)

Internship Takeaway: “I learned a lot about finance, but even more about the expectations of a workplace and what working in an office is really like.”

Clare Long ’16

College: Hobart and William Smith Colleges; English major, Education minor Internship: Royal Thai Scholar Program at Brewster Academy, Wolfeboro, NH Experience: As teacher’s assistant and dorm parent, taught English classes, culture classes, and SAT classes.

Program consists of 50 or so students from Thailand who want to practice their English and improve their standardizedtest-taking skills. The program’s goal is to prepare the students to live in America and attend an American prep school.

Internship Takeaway: “Teaching international students at a high school level has improved my ability to teach people who are different from me in language and culture.”

Tony Morency ’17

College: The College of New Jersey; Finance major, Economics minor Internship: Prudential Financial, Newark, NJ

Experience: Worked in the Asset and Liability Management Office and with the accounting division to prepare books and data for reporting; also with international insurance retirement (IIP) as well as other groups. Projects included making acronyms for people to remember Prudential terms, creating a flowchart that shows the forecasting process, and presenting a final project as part of the finance internship program (FIP).

Internship Takeaway: “I learned best practices for early retirement planning. There are a lot of ways that you can start saving now. Starting to save in your twenties makes a big difference.”

Clare Zhang ’16

College: Boston University; Public Relations major Internship: B/HI (Bender/Helper Impact, Inc.), Los Angeles, CA Experience: Conducted interpersonal communication in the workplace as well as worked remotely with the New York office. Updated coverage impressions for The Batman Experience at San Diego Comic Con 2019, compiled media contact lists, and drafted pitch letters for television show interviews.

Internship Takeaway: “I learned how to draft press releases, coordinate work with remote teams, and update daily coverage.”

www.pennington.org

65

NYC Alumni Holiday Reception Soho House December 5

T

his year’s New York City Holiday Reception was held at the Soho House on December 5, and the event was full of holiday festivity and Pennington spirit.

Over one hundred alumni, parents, trustees, and faculty members partied the night away in the club’s swanky Vinyl Room. Headmaster Bill Hawkey spread holiday cheer to all and reconnected with alumni and friends from across the decades. Student ambassadors were on hand to promote the event on social media, manage registration, and learn the art of in-person networking—a glimpse into their Horizon internship this spring.

Thank you to all who came out to celebrate!

66

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

Alumni Theater

I Wonder If You Wonder written, directed, and produced by Ryan Totaro ’18

O

n a whim I enrolled in a course entitled Movies and America: The Past Lives Forever. Bryn Mawr professor Sharon Ullman described the course as a amalgamation of history, American studies, and film, with elements of gender, ethnic, and queer studies, as well. We investigated how American historical films intervene in the commonly accepted narratives of the past.

Constructive, restorative purposes can drive historical films, emphasizing the “hidden figures” removed from our textbooks and dismantling false narratives (i.e., the “great man” motif, or the “mammy” archetype).

However, malign intentions or carelessness have motivated historical films as well— and seamlessly misinformed American audiences. Think Birth of a Nation, or Gone with the Wind. Even the best historical films, like Milk or Three Kings, sometimes manage to fall short on (seemingly) good intentions.

Galvanized by my course material and a tumultuous first year at Haverford College, I opted to write a “femme” noir for last summer’s Pennington Alumni Theater Series.

The play concerns the traditional themes of film noir: memory, moral ambiguity, repression; but it also reaches for something more. I’ve attempted, as a cisgender white male, to reassert a feminine gaze over film noir; which is to say, I’ve attempted to reassert a feminine gaze over a uniquely American crisis in masculinity. I had six weeks to do this.

I couldn’t do it alone. Regardless of my lofty intentions or artistic intent, this play represented my vision as much as it did the creativity, enthusiasm, and labor of a small group of Pennington alumni. I Wonder If You Wonder was the culmination of sixteen-hour workdays, hundreds of left messages and file attachments, panicked night discussions in fear that the production would collapse… IWIYW represented an immense amount of physical, emotional, and intellectual labor from our cast, crew, and artistic leadership. I couldn’t be more grateful, especially considering a fair amount of the play leans toward autobiographical content.

I wish the best for all involved, and for all who came out to see the show.

During my studies of historical films about Richard Nixon, I developed a relationship with film noir. I wouldn’t call it a romance, but it wasn’t an intellectual interest either; I was simply fascinated by the aesthetic, the gender configurations, the mysteries of noir… and how noir films seem so removed, and yet so relevant to, the time period in which they were made. Any contemporary “revisionist” or “neo-noir” (think L.A. Confidential) is an intentional commentary on post-WWII America. And thus, it’s a historical document. www.pennington.org

67

In Memoriam With sadness we remember the following members of the Pennington community who died or whose death we learned of since the publication of our last magazine: Photo credit: David Cahn ’22 and Lyuxin Zhang ’22

Mark E. Litowitz ’46 Arthur S. Hirshey ’50 James E. Cunningham ’51 Ronald K. Greenwald ’52 James V. Conca ’57 Alan D. Smith ’58 Stephen D. Steen ’60 Thomas W. Edwards ’65 John J. Jacknowitz ’65 Joseph S. Holland ’69 James A. Murray ’70 Peter Cerenzo P’74 ’78 GP’08 ’11 Kathryn Brooks S’76 Lila Cipriano P’79 ’87 Nanette Dobin Cronan ’80 Nicholas D. Manukas P’85 ’87 Michael D. Winkler P’87 ’89 FF Linda Starr P’89 ’90 GP’20 Marian Cervone P’90 ’92 GP’10 ’12 ’20 Lance J. Becker ’92 Michael L. Schumacher ’94 Byungchul J. Ahn ’95 Marylou Barna GP’95 FS Patrick J. Chanin ’96 Colleen Wolters ’09 Scott Albert P’10 Constance Thurber GP’03 ’06 Patrick DeChirico GP’11 ’14 W. Bryce Thompson IV GP’14 Frank J. Fazzalore GP’19 Barbara R. Deschaine GP’20 Toni Morrison GP’21 Donald M. Sykes GP’22 ’25 ’26 FH

P–Parent; GP–Grandparent; S–Spouse; FF–Former Faculty; FH–Former Headmaster; FS–Former Staff 68

Pennington Magazine Fall/Winter 2019–20

The Pe n

Golf Classic and Tennis Round Robin

NIV

ic

th AN

rship Cla ola ss ch

on Schoo ngt lS ni

E R S A RY

SAVE the DATE! The Pennington School

Scholarship Classic

JUNE 15, 2020 Bedens Brook Country Club, Skillman, NJ

Planned Schedule Golf Classic

9:00 a.m.

Tennis Round Robin

10:30 a.m.

Lunch and Silent Auction

1:30 p.m.

All proceeds from our Classic events support scholarships for students who would not otherwise be able to attend The Pennington School.

For more information, please contact Jane Bott Childrey ’89 at jane.childrey@pennington.org. Rain Date: October 12, 2020

The Pennington School

Non Profit Organization U.S. Postage

112 West Delaware Avenue | Pennington, New Jersey 08534-1601 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

PAID

Permit No. 579 Cinnaminson, NJ

upcoming Events 2020

FEBRUARY

26–29: Winter Musical: Urinetown 29: Drama Alumni Reception

MARCH

7–23: Spring Break 24: Classes begin 28: Red and Black Bash

APRIL

17: Grandparent and VIP Day 23–25: Senior Play 24: Pennington Giving Day 26: MercerBucks Maker Faire 30: Spring Concert

MAY

4: Horizon Program begins 7–9: Middle School Play 15–16: Alumni Weekend

JUNE

5: Baccalaureate and Senior/Parent Dinner

6: Upper School Commencement

11: Middle School Graduation

15: Annual Scholarship Classic Events

22: Summers at Pennington programs begin

Pennington’s campus store is now online!

Want to purchase some Pennington swag for yourself or for family and friends?

Simply order online and items can be shipped or picked up on campus. https://pennington-campus-store.itemorder.com/sale