Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

Spring/Summer 2019

HATS OFF to the Class of

2019!

Back where you belong

#penningtonfamily HOMECOMING 2019 October 11–12

features Spring/Summer 2019

Volume 60, No. 1

Headmaster William S. Hawkey, Ph.D. Editor Lori G. Lipsky Director of Communications and Marketing llipsky@pennington.org 609–737–6156 Communications Team Lisa O. Aliprando A. Melissa Kiser Julia Corrigan

4. Alumni Weekend Beautiful weather greeted alumni as they came back to campus for athletic contests, Pennington spirit, and more.

28. Community Day This year we focused on sustainability, both on- and off-campus.

16. Middle School News Grades 6–8 accomplished a great many things this spring.

36. Global Connections The Pennington School community is dedicated to making a difference, both here at home and abroad.

22. STEM at Pennington Discover how Pennington students are learning to develop critical skills to solve real-world problems.

40. The Power of Faces A stunning exhibit in the Silva Gallery of Art exposes the global refugee crisis in a new way.

Director of Admission and Financial Aid Sharon Jarboe Assistant Headmaster for Strategic Initiatives Charles D. Brown Contributing Writers Lida Castro, Peter Chase, Jane Bott Childrey ’89, Julia Corrigan, Dolores Eaton, Billy Hawkey ’10, Suzanne Houston, Maria Kane ’09, Lissa Kiser, Elisabeth Krebs, Len Leib, Lori Lipsky, Marlynne Marlow, Patrick Murphy ’80, Mary Elizabeth Myers, Jessie Shaffer, Kendra Sisserson, Julia Wakin ’19, Susan Wirsig, Patricia Zema Contributing Photographers Lida Castro, Julia Corrigan, Dolores Eaton, Sydney Gibbard ’19, Caroline Hall, Suzanne Houston, Jim Inverso, Maria Kane ’09, Lissa Kiser, Elisabeth Krebs, Tracy Kuser, Lori Lipsky, Chelsi Meyerson, Patrick Murphy ’80, Mary Elizabeth Myers, Susie Paige, Todd Paige, Mike Schwartz, Tim Scott, Jessie Shaffer, Kendra Sisserson, Susan Wirsig Printing Prism Color Corporation The Pennington School 112 West Delaware Avenue Pennington, NJ 08534 609–737–1838 www.pennington.org

Spring Fling 2019

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 photograph by Tim Scott

also inside

2. From the Headmaster 6. Special Events 10. Upper School Winter Athletics 14. Faculty Spotlight 15. Spring Play: Eat Die Love 30. Winter Musical: Godspell 32. Grandparent and VIP Day 34. Spring Concerts

42. Horizon Program highlights 44. Upper School Spring Athletics 48. Commencement Weekend 52. Eighth-Grade Graduation 55. Parents for Pennington News 56. Alumni News and Class Notes 63. In Memoriam www.pennington.org

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They made a

Difference!

Connie Mercer is the founder of HomeFront, a Mercer County organization dedicated to helping local families break the cycle of poverty.

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

From Dr. Hawkey’s remarks at Commencement When I spend some time this summer reflecting on the past school year and this great Class of 2019, I will remember how you embraced our theme of “Make a Difference.” In so many unique ways, both big and small, you demonstrated how it is possible to have a positive impact upon both the local and larger community, and I am confident that you will continue to lead in this area in college and beyond.

In early September, I spoke about the qualities of The Pennington School that I believe capture the true spirit of this place, qualities that set us apart from our peer schools; a nurturing community, collaboration with teachers and with peers, and the atmosphere of mutual respect that one finds on this campus. Throughout your time here, you have seen how our differences can create both harmony and discord, and I would be the first to say that our work is never complete when it comes to learning from each other. Fundamentally, I believe that we can always strive to be better. The road we travel is not always fun and uplifting, but we must share the determination to find ways to persevere.

Advice from Connie Mercer 1. It is okay to fail, as long as it isn’t from laziness.

2. Don’t let societal pressure keep you from doing what you know is right.

3. Make community service part of your life, forever.

Community service changes lives, builds bridges, enlarges minds and souls, lifts up communities, and provides inspiration for both the giver and the receiver.

4. Never spend so much time looking ahead that you forget to look around. Keep gratitude and appreciation in your heart for all the many small gifts that are given to you every day.

As I said to you in Chapel this year, we all need to listen carefully, to be present to hear voices other than our own—this is the hope that I have for all of you as you get ready to walk away from Pennington to start your next adventure. Continue to search for meaning, and don’t concede to the obstacles that will inevitably come your way. Open yourself up to different points of view, and don’t retreat from conversations that are difficult or that challenge your assumptions. Always do your best to celebrate what every person brings to bear on a community.

Seniors, you are ready. You have proven it here; you have proven it out in the world; and, as sad as it is to say goodbye to you, we rejoice in the knowledge that you will carry on beyond our Pennington family and continue to make us proud.

Sincerely,

Dr. William S. Hawkey Headmaster

www.pennington.org

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Alumni Weekend 2019 2

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

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Alumni Weekend 7

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1. Pennington Baseball alumni came out in force for the popular annual alumni vs. varsity baseball game. This fun yet competitive game was a victory for our alumni participants.

2. Jay Grupinsky ’96 used his advanced lacrosse moves against our up-and-coming sophomore Jack Craig ’21 during the alumni vs. varsity game. 3. Derek Hullings ’14 hasn’t lost his quickness in fielding the ball, helping keep the alumni in the lead. 4. Lauren Klei ’14 celebrated the Varsity Girls’ swimming program even as she took her team relay records off the board. 5. Mina Shokoufandeh ’19 celebrated adding her name to the swim team record board. 6. The Varsity Lacrosse team was victorious by one point in their hard-fought win against the talented alumni team during the annual Alumni vs. Varsity game. 7. Incoming legacy sixthgrader Jayce Hulme ’26 enjoys a round on the meltdown during Alumni Weekend. 8. Carly Rice ’18, Ayanna Johnson ’18, Molly Nelson ’20, Tara McCracken ’18, Jamar Tucker ’18, Meg Porras ’18, Kayla McInerney ’18, and friends enjoyed the beautiful weather and spending time together during Alumni

Weekend’s All-School Barbecue. 9.

Cole Valente ’16, Andrew Mavis ’16, Ian Nelson ’16, and Brett Philip ’18 came out to see Coach Hutnik during the annual Alumni Water Polo match during Alumni Weekend. 10. Mark Usiskin ’21, Ben Eckerson ’21, David Curtiss ’21, Oliver Gassmann ’21, Jake McBride ’19, and Koray Ercan’19 show their love and fun spirit during the Swim Team Record-Changing ceremony. 11. Coltrane Stansbury ’92 helped moderate (with teacher Samantha SternLeaphart) a discussion for alumni, students, and parents about using your identity and influence to advocate for change in the corporate and political world with speaker Timothy Simon, our diversity luncheon guest. 12. Members of the Class of 2018 provided tips for a successful first year of college to the Class of 2019. 13. The annual alumni soccer game was stacked with current and former college players, making the elite varsity team work hard to score. 14. Kelly Lynn Bowser P’24 and her daughter Micah ’24 enjoyed the Diversity Luncheon together. www.pennington.org

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SPECIAL

EVENTS

winter/spring 2019

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1. “Ain’t I a Woman?” Those four famous

words spoken by Sojourner Truth inspired a meaningful presentation that moved a room full of Upper School students, faculty, and staff on February 6. In observation of Black History Month, students enjoyed a performance by actress Shinnerie Jackson and pianist Byron Sean that honored four African-American women of remarkable achievement and invincible character.

2. On February 6, students, parents, faculty, and staff were invited to learn more about the Landscape Master Plan from architects working on a new campus model.

3. Middle School students and faculty had the opportunity

to take part in our annual ski trip to Shawnee Mountain on February 8. While sixth- and seventh- grade students returned home that evening, the eighth-grade students had the opportunity to extend their trip by staying overnight and returning to the slopes the following day.

4. Eighth- and ninth-grade students were in for a special

treat on February 14: a performance from Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. In the morning, the eighth grade saw A Midsummer Night’s Dream and in the afternoon, the ninth grade saw Romeo and Juliet.

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

5. On February 15, the Global Studies program welcomed recent New York University graduates Shiqin Cao and Linhdan Nguyen. Cao and Nguyen presented their college thesis on intersectionality and cross-cultural identity.

6. Thirteen teams of students and faculty members

participated in the Three-on-Three Basketball Tournament in March, raising over $320 in tournament fees to benefit Four Diamonds. According to the Four Diamonds website, the organization, in conjunction with Penn State Children’s Hospital, fights pediatric cancer by “assisting children and their families through superior care, comprehensive support and innovative research.” These proceeds were added to the money that the Class of 2019 raised through this year’s Four Diamonds Mini-THON on April 6.

7. Marah Garry Walsh ‘82 P’19 talked on February 22, with Global Studies students about her experiences leading service trips around the world.

8. On March 1, Philip Fritzsche P‘23 ‘25

discussed with Applied Science students how he helps people gain access to highquality, affordable medicine.

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9. Tenth-graders in American Identities—Honors and some Middle School students traveled to New York City on March 28 to see To Kill a Mockingbird.

The students all read the book in their classes.

10. Sophomores posed for a group picture during

the overnight sophomore class retreat to PrincetonBlairstown Center on May 18 to May 20. The retreat was the capstone project for the students’ work in the Sophomore Character Development and Leadership program throughout the year.

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11. Alumnae Anita Dam ’11 and Alison Cuccia ‘07 presented to a group of Applied Science and Global Studies students on “Health for All: Using Science to Promote Well-Being at Home and Worldwide.”

12. Headmaster Bill Hawkey led an all-School

assembly on April 1 to celebrate and honor students, faculty, and staff making a difference in the Pennington community and society at large.

13. Upper School students Meng Lu ’20, Xingrui Chen ’21, Zheng Bao ’19, and Middle-Schooler Mei Mei Castranova ’24 led Chinese learning stations to expose Middle School students to Chinese newspapers, calligraphy, poetry, and artifacts.

14. In a special sixth-grade Advisory activity,

students packed a shoebox full of items that represent them, and then they presented their shoebox museum as peers walked around.

15. On Friday, April 5, and Saturday, April 6,

Pennington students hosted their second annual three-hour Mini-Mini-THON for Middle School students and their third annual seven-hour Mini-THON for the Upper School. Mini-THON is an event that raises awareness and funds to fight pediatric cancer. All proceeds go to Four Diamonds, which works in conjunction with Penn State Children’s Hospital to research the disease and offset treatment costs for families. This year’s event raised $26,088 by the end of the event.

16. The Pennington community was invited on April 5 in the Wesley Forum to a special Global Studies Speaker Series panel discussion on the 1989 protests. The panel speakers, Chun Lai P’19 and Dr. Celina Imielinska, were introduced by Dean of Academic Affairs Scott Peeler.

Each speaker offered reflections on the 1989 protests in light of their personal experiences.

www.pennington.org

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more Special Events

Spring 2019

17. The Class of 2024 supported their new friends at Kituiu Primary School in Kenya by packing up and shipping colored pencils, markers, glue, paint sets, and soccer balls.

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19. The Pennington School hosted the second annual Mercer Bucks Mini Maker Faire on Sunday, April 14. Makers of all types, including tech enthusiasts, crafters, scientists, hobbyists, engineers, and students gathered to share their passions with hundreds of curious learners.

20. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and the Intersectional Feminism Club (IFC) created a pledge for their peers to sign in support of establishing a global environment in which sexual assault is unacceptable and survivors are heard. Students received a teal ribbon to tie around their wrists and gathered as a group to show their support for this important cause.

18. For the fourth year in a row, twenty-four Pennington students from Environmental Science classes and the Green Team traveled to the Princeton Environmental Film Festival to watch “The Biggest Little Farm” at The Garden Theatre. The students were so moved and inspired, they decided to spend time working in the Pennington garden weeding, working on our compost pile, and getting the soil in the beds ready for planting.

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

21. Our Class of 2019 Lifers gathered

on April 24 to celebrate seven years at the School by reflecting on memories and enjoying some doughnuts.

22. Peter Ort P’19

’20 ’24 spoke to Applied Science students on April 26, about “A Random Walk on the STEM Side of Wall Street” in the Wesley Forum.

23. At the start of the day on April 30,

all current Pennington eighth-graders gathered for a special community meeting. After a few activities, the students headed off with current freshman hosts to shadow them for two morning classes. Immediately following the second period of the day, the rising freshmen joined Upper School Chapel for the first time.

26. On May 28, seniors picked up

their yearbook, the Penseman, at the Wesley Alumni House following the annual Senior Chapel.

27. The Ninth Annual Chariot

24. Author Sandra Cisneros (The

House on Mango Street) signed copies of her book for Pennington students who attended her reading at Princeton University in May.

Races took place on May 28. Teams in Latin classes from the Middle School and the Upper School raced across the Tom Liwosz Turf Field in student-made chariots and costumes.

29. The sixth grade ventured to Toll Gate Elementary School on June 4 for the sixth annual visit to share poetry books and teach third-graders about figurative language and how to write a poem.

30. While in Salzburg, Austria, teacher Peter Chase and Jenny Chase met with two former ASSIST students from 2015–16: Pauline Koniarczyk (Germany) and Terka BÜhmova (Slovakia).

31. Juniors and seniors enjoyed their Prom at the Franklin Institute on Saturday, May 25.

25. AP U.S. History students traveled

to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum on May 20. The eleventh-graders heard the stories of the first responders and victims of the attacks through artifacts, films, pictures, and recordings. It was a very solemn and moving afternoon to cap off a year of learning American history and thinking like historians.

28. Seventh-graders put on quite a puppet show on June 5! The students wrote scripts, crafted puppets, designed props, chose color schemes, and planned lighting for their adventure-theme skits.

www.pennington.org

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Upper School Athletics WINTER 2018–19 Winter Track

Coach: Rick Ritter For the Girls’ Track team, the season was all about baby steps. There were a few experienced athletes leading the newcomers to the team—step-by-step.

The coach could not have asked for more.

With the various disciplines involved in track all needing attention, Coach Ritter was able to rely on Julia Alito ’20 to lead the sprinters in their development, and on Emily Moini ’19 to be a second coach on the track for the distance athletes. It was very gratifying to see Alva Hardeberg ’20 and Maddie Lamb ’19 develop in the shot put with big time personal records in the final meet. The team’s main focus going into the season is always the State meet.

The Boys’ Track team knew that they lost some potential points in various areas due to graduation and other commitments, so they were not sure how States would go.

Within the crucible that is the State meet, some boys annealed and really showed 10

their mettle. Tyler Kingsbury ’21 gave us big unexpected points in the distance events. Young sprinters Red Brooks ’21, Aidan Israel ’20 and especially Isaiah Muse ’22 came through very well. It was great to see older brother Mekhi Muse finish his senior year with a strong performance in the hurdles, sprints, and the 4x400! All their efforts helped us to the team’s fourth State Championship in a row.

Boys’ Basketball

Coaches: Bernie Gurick and Chandler Fraser-Pauls ’11 The Varsity Boys’ Basketball team took on a highly difficult schedule this season, and although victory eluded them in many close contests, the team continued to battle in each game played. Highlights of the season included senior captain and point guard Patrick Higgins scoring more than 30 points in three consecutive games and reaching the 1,000 pointsscored milestone. Coach Bernie Gurick,

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

at the helm since 1989 and coaching in his final season, was named The Trentonian’s Prep Coach of the Year. And the team defeated Princeton Day School 66–63 in the NJISAA Prep B semifinal, which put them into the championship game—where they lost a close one to Doane Academy by a score of 57–51.

winter Athletics Girls’ Basketball

Coaches: Jeff Eckerson and Holly Jones Pennington Varsity Girls’ Basketball finished the season with a 25–5 record, earning the team’s second straight Prep A title and fourth straight state championship overall. The Prep A State Championship win was capped by a remarkable fourth quarter comeback against Blair Academy. Led by senior captains Diamond Christian and Leah Johnson, the team also won the Peddie Tip-Off Tournament, the John Molinelli Holiday Tournament, and the Independent School National Championship (Gold Division) Tournament in North Carolina.

Junior Taylor Blunt was the team’s leading scorer, averaging just short of 15 points per game. Senior Gianna Lucchesi was the team’s defensive stopper, and seniors Emma and Amy Garry will also be missed due to their many contributions to the team’s success.

Swimming

Coaches: George Ward ’88 and Scott Doughty; Maria Kane ’09 and Marisa Ferrari Pennington Swimming enjoyed enormous success in 2018–19!

This team had ten seniors who gave their hearts to varsity swimming, including boys’ captain Koray Ercan and girls’ captains Kate McKiernan, Casey Ort, and Gabby Cano. Harper Usiskin, Chris Long, and Ethan Rizzuto are the returning junior captains. Other seniors were Martin Lederman, Aidan Sichel, Jake McBride, Sydney Gibbard, Mina Shokoufandeh, and Alex Stevens. Both the girls’ and boys’ teams finished 7–2.

The boys placed second at MCTs and won the 2019 NJISAA state championship. The girls placed fifth at MCTs and came in a close second place at states by 1.5 points.

There were sixteen new School records this season, including all six relay events. In addition, Pennington left its mark with five new county records for the boys, and two new state records— one for the girls’ medley relay team and one for David Curtiss ’21. Curtiss also had one new Easterns meet record, one national independent school record, and four new individual pool records. There were three All-American performances by Curtiss and Stevens. The season ended with two final 400 free relay records for Pennington in both the boys’ and girls’ relays. www.pennington.org

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winter Athletics

Upper School Athletic Awards Winter 2018–19 Varsity Ice Hockey Red Raider Award—Matthew Reilly ’19 Red Raider Award—Bill Bernal ’21 Coaches’ Award—Brian Corcoran ’19 Girls’ Winter Track Ducas Quietam Award—Emily Moini ’19 Stoker Award—Alva Hardeberg ’20 Summa Athleta Award—Julia Alito ’20 Boys’ Winter Track Red Raider Award—Mekhi Muse ’19 Stoker Award—Kenzo Takeda ’20 Most Improved Award—Tyler Kingsbury ’21

Ice Hockey

Coaches: Tom Horsley and Brenden Bendorf The Ice Hockey team started out on a high note, winning four of their first six games. The streak was highlighted with wins against Independent Hockey League rivals Haverford and Episcopal. Nearly every player on the team managed to put at least one puck in the net during this stretch, with senior captains Logan Harris and Alex Boczniewicz leading the offensive effort. Harris and Boczniewicz finished their illustrious Pennington careers ranked third and fourth respectively in all-time scoring. Senior captains Brian Corcoran and Matt Reilly anchored the defense, logging more minutes than any other players on the team throughout the season. Corcoran proved his versatility as a hockey player, moving back to defense for the first time in his career, and Reilly’s strong play earned him first-team honors in both our league and area. Although the team may not have ended up on the winning side as far as the record goes, they managed to compete well each time they took the ice, playing most games with a short bench. Their offensive-minded style of play allowed them to challenge all of their opponents and provided exciting and memorable games for their fans. A six-to-three victory over Steinert in the first round of the Mercer County Tournament earned them an opportunity to play Hun in the quarter-finals. A gallant effort by all players kept the game close until well into the third period, when Hun, the eventual MCT champion, took control of the game, ending Pennington’s season. Next year promises to be a good one for the team as it returns a host of young enthusiastic players with great potential.

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

Girls’ Basketball Red Raider Award—Diamond Christian ’19 Red Raider Award—Leah Johnson ’19 Dean of Defense—Gianna Lucchesi ’19 Boys’ Basketball Red Raider Award—Bo Hartpence ’19 100% Hustle Award—Patrick Higgins ’19 Coaches’ Award—Chris Herbert ’19 Boys’ Swimming Greatest Contribution Award—Jake McBride ’19 Coaches’ Award—Martin Lederman ’19 Red Raider Award—Koray Ercan ’19 Girls’ Swimming Greatest Contribution Award—Mina Shokoufandeh ’19 Coaches’ Award—Gabby Cano ’19 Red Raider Award—Sydney Gibbard ’19

Junior Varsity Girls’ Basketball Red Raider Award—Kira O’Neil ’22 Coaches’ Award—Mia Cresti ’22 Boys’ Basketball I Red Raider Award—Carter Williams ’20 Boys’ Basketball II Red Raider Award—Dahe “Billy” Wang ’22 Red Raider Award—Christopher Ly ’22

2018–19 Season

Patrick Higgins ’19 Leah Johnson ’19

1,000

oints! www.pennington.org

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In addition to her teaching duties at Pennington, Fermo has coached Varsity Girls’ Lacrosse and Middle School Field Hockey. Her military experience includes serving as a helicopter aircraft commander out of Jacksonville, FL, and as action officer, manpower readiness, with the U.S. Fleet Forces Command in Norfolk, VA. Fermo was a combat naval aviator who specialized in piloting the Navy attack helicopter. She also taught high school English and middle school English and mathematics at Norfolk Academy and Bayside High School in Norfolk. A native of Bucks County, PA, she now lives in Pennington.

Chrissie Knight

Head of Middle School

Chrissie Knight comes to Pennington as the new head of Middle School after serving as assistant head of school at Princeton Friends School for the past twelve years, where she was responsible for the dayto-day operations of that school. Her duties included advancement, mentoring faculty and staff, planning and executing all-school events and programs, and collaborating on the school-wide social-emotional learning curriculum and all subject-area curriculum and programming. She led the secondary school placement team, and planned the annual eighth-grade international service trip. She also provided counseling support to students, parents, faculty, and staff.

Knight earned a bachelor’s degree in speech communication with an emphasis in business from Wake Forest University, and a Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. From 1999 to 2004, she worked as minister of youth and outreach at Trinity Episcopal Church in Princeton, NJ. At Trinity, she worked with sixth- to twelfth-grade youth and their parents and was responsible for the religious education and spiritual development program. Involved with community service 14

her entire life, she coordinated Trinity’s social justice work and co-led the start-up of a community-based nonprofit, Housing Initiatives of Princeton. She also assisted in the formation of the Mercer County Coalition for Restorative Justice.

Deborah Fermo Dean of Faculty

Deborah R. Fermo, a member of the School’s English Department faculty since 2017, has been named dean of faculty. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the United States Naval Academy and a master’s degree in liberal arts from St. John’s College in Annapolis, MD. She served on the Naval Academy faculty from 2000 to 2004 and again from 2010 to 2017, when she was a master instructor of English and associate chair of the English department. As associate chair, she supervised forty faculty and staff, observing and documenting teaching performance and resolving personnel issues. While at the academy, she also served on multiple special Equal Opportunity investigative committees and was co-founder of the Naval Academy Women’s Network.

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

Elliot Coates

Director of Summer and Auxiliary Programs Elliot Coates has been appointed director of summer programs. With more than fifteen years of experience working in the experiential education industry around the world, Coates specializes in youth education and programs with a focus on outdoor education, service learning, and summer programs.

Educated in British Columbia, Canada, he is a graduate of Thompson Rivers University with technical training as an outdoor instructor and holds a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies degree from Royal Roads University, specializing in risk management and experiential education. His work has taken him around the world designing, leading, and managing a variety of youth education programs in Southeast Asia, Central America, Egypt, and China.

Spring Play: Eat Die Love Three original plays written and directed by seniors:

Rachel Domb, Amira Henry, Emma Van Cleef, and Jenny Yaros; Mariel Abano, Julia Watkin, Hope Walsh, Matt Robertson, and Sandy Zhang; Will Harding, Leah Johnson, Eli Voelzke, and Harry Wasnak

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lthough the initial goal of the Senior Seminar class was to write three plays that had a common theme or throughline, each group forged its own path, creating interesting and original characters in both recognizable and more extreme situations. When it came time to name the evening of theatre, one of the writer/directors yelled out, “Eat, die, love,” almost as a joke! We liked the play on words that sounds much like the title of a famous memoir-turnedmovie (that we won’t mention here), and how the title actually ties the three shows together. Each play dealt with eating, death, and love—but in very different ways. The collection of plays developed into the perfect depiction of this particular class of seniors, with distinctive personalities and individual stories to tell. Eat Die Love is the eleventh Spring Play under the leadership of teachers Mark DiGiacomo and Jamie Moore, and the first from the Senior Seminar taught by Suzanne Houston. www.pennington.org

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Middle School NEWS

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

Middle School News On May 20, Andreas Algava spoke to eighth-graders about his family’s experience during the Holocaust.

Algava and his parents, Henri and Allegra, were a Jewish family living in Thessaloniki, Greece, when German Nazis invaded their town. Algava was only a little boy, but he has several memories from that time in his life. The Algava family spent six hundred days in hiding—moving around from location to location and staying with their Christian friends. By changing their names and speaking Greek, the family was able to survive. However, Algava revealed the startling news that his family was one of only three families to survive in hiding in this area. Algava wanted students to remember that it was the generosity of others that relieved his family’s suffering. He said it is important to ask oneself, “Who am I honoring?” in each action one takes. At the end of the discussion, students had the opportunity to ask questions to learn more from Algava and ask themselves, “What are the implications of this presentation for today in society?”

Connecting with Kenya

Sixth-grade Humanities students had another stimulating Skype call with students from the Kituiu Primary School in Kenya on May 8. In the fall, students had been introduced to one another during a Skype interview; students on both sides of the globe brought personal artifacts to help understand one another’s cultures. Following the video conference, Pennington students began creating artwork with scenes from their lives that would express American cultural values to the Kenyan students. The Kituiu students also drew scenes of Kenya and their lives, including holidays, hobbies, and the mix of cultural backgrounds.

On May 8, the students met again on video conference to ask questions about the artwork, food, games, holidays, and gender roles in their respective cultures. Pennington students ended their part of the Skype call by singing Pharrell Williams’s song “Happy,” while showing off some of their favorite dance moves. It was then Kituiu Primary School’s turn to sing a song. The group sang a song which translated to the phrases “goodbye” and “we will see you again.” With large smiles on their faces, the students in both schools waved goodbye to their new friends.

Holocaust Project The eighth-grade class visited Washington, DC, on an overnight trip in May as part of their interdisciplinary unit about the Holocaust.

www.pennington.org

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Middle School Athletics Winter/Spring 2018–19 Girls’ Basketball

Coach: Patrick Murphy Pennington’s Middle School Girls’ Basketball team had a fantastic season!

Twelve players on the team brought a great deal of energy, enthusiasm and hard-working attitude to practices and games throughout the season. This fun-spirited bunch of students continuously showed marked improvement. The biggest victory came in a thrilling two-point win at home over Stuart Country Day School with a final record of 6–4, which was a nice way to wrap up the season. Team members were: sixth-graders Blanca Fritzsche, Emerson Ross, Eliza O’Neil, Charlotte Close, and Lia BrunettiCarol; seventh-graders Nicolette Kirikian, Micah Bowser and Cici Yu; and eighthgraders Latajah Grant, Emma Donato, Zoe Eaton, and Leanne Griffiths.

Boys’ Basketball

Coach: Rob Herbert Middle School Boys’ Basketball fielded two strong teams this winter. The A team was predominantly made up of eighth-graders, 18

with the help of a few seventh-graders.

The B team was composed entirely of sixth- and seventh-graders. Both teams made great progress over the course of the season and dominated with great teamwork on both ends of the court, offensively and defensively. They were an enthusiastic group who came out every day and worked hard on their game skills.

Patrick Riley received the Red Raider Award, and three Coach’s Awards were given to Jonah Heimann, Topher Kelly, and Nick Esposito.

Swimming

Coach: Brandon Hullings Middle School Swimming finished with an undefeated dual-meet record for the third straight season. Wins over Neptune and Wardlaw were the team’s closest meets, but we were able to pull out the Ws! At the Ranney Invitational Middle School Championships, Pennington finished second overall for the third straight season.

Amelia Stevenson defended her title in the 50 Meter Butterfly, finishing first with a meet record time. Stevenson also won

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

MS Athletic Awards Winter 2018–19 Girls’ Basketball Red Raider Award–Nicolette Kirikian Coach’s Award–Zoe Eaton The One Shining Moment Award– Latajah Grant Boys’ Basketball–A Team Red Raider Award–Patrick Riley Coach’s Award–Jonah Heimann Boys’ Basketball–B Team Coach’s Award–Nick Esposito Coach’s Award–Topher Kelly Swimming Coach’s Award–Gracen Ward Red Raider Award–Amelia Stevenson Most Improved Award– Sandeep Hastings-Kimball

Spring 2019 Boys’ Lacrosse Red Raider Award–Wolfie Meinhart Coach’s Award–Jake Ernst Track and Field Red Raider Award–Drayton Kolaris Most Improved Award–Lia Brunetti-Carroll the 200 Meter Freestyle and helped the 200 Meter Freestyle relay team win along with Elena Nechay, Gracen Ward, and Abby Stevenson.

Elena Nechay set the lone Middle School Swimming record this season in the Girls’ 50 Breaststroke.

Track and Field

Coach: Todd Paige The Middle School Track team started its season with fourteen participants; half of those toggled back and forth between the track and the Middle School production of Wonderland. The team competed in three home meets and two away meets. Drayton Kolaris ’23 went undefeated once again this season, outpacing his opponents comfortably in the 400, the 800, and the mile. Lia Brunetti-Carroll ’25 was new to track, yet she made her mark in both the 100 and 200 in impressive fashion, often earning finishes in the top two. Newcomer to Pennington Zack Tomlinson ’23 consistently earned place finishes in the 100, 200, and shot put throughout the season. All other members of the team earned personal bests in at least one race or field event. This season was a rewarding one for everyone.

Middle School News Kindness Week

Compliments, words of encouragement, smiles, and high fives filled the halls during the week of February 11 for Kindness Week, when Middle School students participated in different activities to spread kindness far and wide. There was a “take what you need and give what you have tree” for students to give and take words of encouragement.

Students also made inspirational clips for backpacks, wrote kind and friendly poems, crafted positive sticky notes, and created uplifting posters!

Middle School students took this week as a reminder that it is so easy to be kind every single day.

Boys’ Lacrosse

Coach: Billy Hawkey ’10 The Middle School Boys’ Lacrosse team finished the 2019 season undefeated, with a record of 8-0-1. This marks the first time in over a decade that the Middle School Boys’ Lacrosse team has gone unbeaten. The team was composed of sixth-, seventh-, and eighthgraders, many of whom possess a number of years of experience playing the sport, but also a handful of boys who were new to the game.

This combination made for an excellent team dynamic, where players learned from each other and pushed one another. The improvement of all individuals and the collective unit was remarkable. Highlights of the season include a commanding victory against Chapin on Tom Liwosz Turf Field, which came a few days after the team defeated Chapin in a close, two-goal game; battling PDS’s A team to an overtime draw on the road in sloppy conditions; and finishing the season with an emphatic win against crosstown rival Timberlane Middle School. A number of the eighth-graders will progress to the Varsity and JV level next year, while the returning members will look to repeat this year’s success.

Odyssey of the Mind

The Pennington School’s Odyssey of the Mind teams placed first and third in the Coastal Plains Regional Tournament on Saturday, March 2. For the eighth year in a row, the School’s first-place team advanced to State Finals on April 6. Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college. To prepare for the competition, Pennington’s Middle School students built a ride-on vehicle; designed and crafted costumes; wrote scripts; created a homemade vacuum, sound maker, LED light circuit, and heat chamber; and designed and painted backdrops.

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more Middle School

Distinguished Honors winners for their creative and well-written letters were sixthgrader Anna Basile; seventh-graders Mei Mei Castranova, Nicolette Kirikian, Samantha Lambdin, Riya Mehra, Hunter Shaffer; and eighth-grader Elena Sperry-Fernandez.

NEWS

The competition required four rounds of judging to select the first- and second-place winners, as well as the Distinguished Honors recipients. The award celebration took place on Wednesday, May 15, at the Livingston College Student Center of Rutgers University in Piscataway, NJ.

Shopping for TASK

In June, the Class of 2025 went shopping at the Pennington Quality Market for the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen. They worked hard doing chores at home to earn money to shop with and then bought groceries to donate! Class Dean Jessie Shaffer stated that the group bought more groceries than she has ever seen in the past. In total, the class bought twenty bags of food with approximately $400.

Letters about Literature Contest Pennington School Middle School students garnered great success in the 2018–19 Library of Congress Letters about Literature contest, a reading and writing contest for students in grades four through twelve.

Stevenson Sanderson Bowden, a seventhgrader, placed first in the competition.

Seven Pennington students also received Distinguished Honors in the competition, which was sponsored by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. In total, twenty-four Pennington Middle School students in grades six through eight participated in the competition.

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According to the competition website, “students are asked to read a book, poem or speech and write to that author (living or dead) about how the book affected them personally. Tens of thousands of students from across the country enter Letters About Literature each year. Letters are judged on state and national levels.”

Sanderson Bowden’s letter to Natalie Babbitt, the author of Tuck Everlasting, was judged First Place winner in New Jersey for Level II (grades seven and eight). Her letter will continue to Washington to be judged nationally.

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

Wonderland

Middle School

Play

Director’s Notes by Julia Wakin ’19 Pennington Drama has been an essential part of my life since I began here in sixth grade. I was overwhelmed by the opportunity to find myself directing this production, the same one where my journey in theatre began. Little did I know that theatre would provide the most important developmental and inspiring areas in my years at Pennington. Through the experiences that each production provided and through the teachers and fellow students who have led the way, I have been constantly encouraged to explore the unknown, to challenge norms, and to reach higher. Then I found myself in the position to instill this goal in the unique and talented Middle School students that I had the pleasure and privilege to work with in Wonderland. I always knew that the theatre provided a way to express oneself, but until I had the opportunity to direct these special young people, I did not realize the full power of the impact that this art form provides. Each group of students involved did their utmost. The tech and costume crews made the world of Wonderland come to life.

The sets, props, costumes, and lighting were everything I hoped they would be and added the magic touch we needed. Wonderland would not have happened without the enormous help and support of so many. I want to first thank both Ms. Houstons—the value of their never-ending guidance is immeasurable. To Ms. Hall and to Mrs. Fitzpatrick, I send my heartfelt gratitude for all of the hours of work you put into the costume creations. Most importantly, I want to express my appreciation for all that Mr. Secrest has done, in every step of this production and in the final step of my senior year.

The Middle School Play is a student-led production from the direction to its construction.

A tradition established in 2013 is for a senior to return to the Middle School Play as the director. The Middle School Tech and Costume Crews are classes that give students the skills, tools, and time to build and construct the set, props, lighting, sound, and costumes involved in the show. In the spirit of sustainability, many of the elements in the show are reused and repurposed from other Pennington productions. www.pennington.org

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STEM* at Pennington Students develop critical skills to solve real-world problems. * science, technology, engineering, and math

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

STEM at Pennington Earth Week

During this week, students, faculty, and staff were encouraged to celebrate the Earth by helping and learning about the environment. On Tuesday, April 23, it was “No Lights Tuesday.” Many teachers turned off overhead lights in the classrooms in an effort to save energy and boost students’ mood.

The guest speaker for Earth Week, renowned temperate and tropical forest expert Trish Shanley, led students on an Earth Day treasure hunt for plants used in medicine and food, as well as plants that have historical significance to the Pennington campus. Students explored around the campus pond to find items such as wild potatoes (Claytonia virginiana), New Jersey’s state flower (the common blue violet), beggar’s blanket (Verbascum thapsus) and more!

On Wednesday and Thursday, students planted seedlings in the garden and planted saplings from the Watershed Institute around the pond. Finally, students made trash art during open studio in the evenings and invited others to contribute throughout the week.

The Green Team and Art Club asked the community to recycle their trash and save candy wrappers, bottle caps, junk mail, straws, or any other plastic packaging.

All of these materials were used to make wonderful pieces of art. The School community loved celebrating the Earth with new and interesting activities!

Advantages of boarding

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STEM at Pennington Aviation Club takes off

The Aviation Club, which is open to Middle and Upper School students at Pennington to join, is taking off. Consisting of fourteen students, the club, created by Haichuan “Jack” Wang ’21, deals with all things flying. Wang started the club because he was training to be a pilot and knew there had to be others at the School interested in planes. In May, Wang completed his training and received his pilot’s license. The goal of the club is to provide students who love or are interested in aviation the opportunity to communicate and share their passion.

In the club, members discuss different types of planes, the basic fundamentals of flying, and current events, as well as travel experiences on vacation.

Yaoxin “Michael” Mo ’21 joined the club because of his longtime interest in aviation. “I have done extensive training in a flight simulator because I have not had the opportunity to get my pilot’s license yet.” However, more recently, he has found a passion for the commercial side of the aviation industry. He said, “When people think of aviation, they think of airplanes and aircraft, but it is much more than that. Aviation is a part of almost everyone’s life. I have

New Mathematics chair Elysia Price The Pennington School is pleased to announce that faculty member Elysia Price will become the new chair of the Mathematics Department for the 2019–20 school year. Next year will be Price’s fourth year at Pennington and her ninth year teaching.

Price plans to continuously develop and improve teaching practices in the classroom. She noted that “[the department] understands that it has a diverse group of learners and one teaching practice is not going to fit the needs of everyone.” This realization has led Price and Pennington’s other math teachers to implement more open-ended and real-world mathematical modeling problems and projects in which students can use multiple and collaborative approaches to find solutions. Price added, “These skills as well as the application of mathematics are extremely important in the related STEM subjects of science, technology, and engineering.”

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

been studying more of the commercial element, such as miles. I complete most of my travels using [airline] miles.

It is almost like a stock market: purchasing miles and selling them. It is an industry that incorporates many different elements other than flying or the mechanical side of things.” Mo hopes to bring his insight on this side of the industry to the club.

The group was also able to secure a flight simulator to bring to campus. Wang said the club crafted a detailed plan with information on the cost, location, and mechanics of building the simulator. Over the course of a few weeks, the students in the club put together the simulator, which is much like a “jigsaw puzzle,” according to Wang. With the simulator, students will have the opportunity to put themselves in the pilot’s seat and experience different conditions, heights, and flying challenges. Overall, the club is a wonderful opportunity for students to learn more about aviation and enjoy the company of others.

“

I love it! I was so excited when the club was started. I have been at Pennington since the sixth grade, and there has never been a club like this!” —Jonny Eaton ’22

STEM Leaders

Under the supervision of chemistry teacher Melissa DeFelice, Pennington STEM leaders prepare lesson plans and visit the Christina Seix Academy in Trenton, NJ, once a month, where they offer different STEM activities to supplement the Seix curriculum. In this photo from May 10, Pennington STEM leaders assisted the first-grade class, and the students’ parents, with a frog dissection.

STEM at Pennington Biology students study cellular respiration

Students in Aneka Bell and Marisa Ferrari’s biology classes participated in a cellular respiration lab in April. In this experiment, students monitored different levels of yeast and sugar. As yeast respires, the balloons expand at different rates.

Design Engineering

Design Engineering is one of the engineering courses offered to juniors and seniors in the Applied Science Certificate Program. Using the engineering design cycle, students learn to design solutions to real-world problems, test them, and then refine their solutions as they work to achieve the stated goal. Pennington’s Operations team worked with the Design Engineering students on May 1 to show them how to safely use power tools as part of the class’s final project. On May 28, months of working hard and designing paid off when the students competed in their last group project for the course.

The groups designed, built, and raced their newly constructed vehicles, which were designed to also pick up balls along the way. In the end, the teams were able to pick up eight to fifteen balls, depending on how their vehicle was designed!

Bowling ball physics

Using a bowling ball suspended from the ceiling, physics teacher Ryan Vogt demonstrated the concept of conservation of energy. He released the bowling ball with force just centimeters from his body, then allowed the bowling ball pendulum to swing back—confident that he would not be hit since the bowling ball couldn’t possibly gain energy and swing back to a higher point than where it started.

Student teams design and launch catapults

Physics students were challenged to design a catapult that could hit a target from a range of predetermined distances. Students had to work within constraints in terms of size and materials used to build the catapult, which needed to be adjustable to launch at each of the requisite distances. The goal of this project is to expose students to the engineering design cycle (trial and error) in a physics context. An integral component of this process is for students to work productively as a team. Project groups submitted an initial proposal with justified reasoning for their choices, constructed an initial prototype, tested their prototype, and then used their data from testing to go back and revise their design.

They repeated this process until they had created a successful catapult. The project culminated on Launch Day, in which each group was randomly assigned a distance from which to launch their catapult. They earned points based on the accuracy of their launch, the structural integrity of their catapult, and their ability to work within the constraints and requirements of the challenge. www.pennington.org

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relevant to preferred location during free time on campus. The project by Kyewon Byun ’19 revealed that there is strong statistical evidence that upperclassmen prefer to hang out in the Kenneth Kai Tai Yen Humanities Building. Two other students wanted to learn more about the correlation between favorite hangout spots on campus and the number of AP classes taken by those students. The evidence found that students who choose to spend their free time in the Yen building tend to take more APs than those who choose to hang out in the Campus Center.

Statistics reveal Pennington social phenomena

by Julia Corrigan and Len Leib

Pennington’s two AP Statistics classes, taught by Len Leib, completed a number of innovative and unique projects this year. In the fall, the students looked to the School’s archives to provide data for quantitative research into modern sociological phenomena. They decided to investigate several questions comparing recent yearbooks to ones from a decade ago.

The students looked at the number of photos included by seniors on their yearbook pages, the level of expressed gratitude by seniors, and whether some academic departments were represented more than others in the dedication section.

than 200 randomly selected senior pages were examined as a sample data source. In addition, each yearbook from 1925 onward was inspected to find the department of the faculty dedicatee, if one existed.

From its very inception, the hope was for the beautiful archives room to play host to students and faculty wanting to learn more and conduct research about the history of the School.

Emily Moini ’19 said, “I really enjoyed this project because it was my first real opportunity to collect statistical data that I personally would have the chance to interpret (which is super-exciting), and because we were collecting information that felt relevant both to the Pennington community and to us as teenagers. It was also my first time in the archives, so I really appreciated the opportunity for exposure to that space.”

The quantitative scientists of the AP Statistics class were thrilled to have this resource available. The class planned their research in class and then took a full class period to gather the data from the archives. They then did a data analysis afterward using a stratified random sampling of Pennington yearbooks. Students randomly selected senior pages from yearbooks from 2016, 2017, and 2018. The same process was done for yearbooks from 2006, 2007, and 2008 as well as for 2010, 2011, and 2012. More 26

Some findings were that there is strong evidence that students included more photos in recent years compared to five and ten years ago. While yearbook dedications varied from 23% of dedications going to a member of the English Department to 12% going to a member of the Science Department, the differences were not found to be statistically significant.

Students in AP Statistics also had the chance to create their own research project. Ideas for research varied from the types of coffee people drink, to the places students hang out on campus. Three students carried out two different research projects

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

With the ability to research topics that are most interesting to them, the AP Statistics students can both learn about key concepts and have fun!

Computer Science team wins first place

After a yearlong competition, a team of ten Pennington School students tied for first place in the American Computer Science League (ACSL) Computer Science Contest. Under the guidance of computer science and math teacher Len Leib, the team finished with the best point total since the School started competing five years ago, making them the international co-champions in their division comprising 75 teams from the United States, Europe, and Asia. The group worked on categories such as assembly language programming, bit-string flicking, boolean algebra, computer number systems, data structures, digital electronics, and recursive functions.

Team members included seniors Zheng Bao, Xiangjun Dai, Ye Teng, Qinyuan Wu, Byeong Woo Yoon, and Yushan Zhang; juniors Deep Patel, Huiyu Yang, and Yiren Zhou; and sophomore Alexander Huang.

STEM at Pennington

Forensics

Mary Elizabeth Myers leads classes of forensic scientists. Over the course of a year, students have explored different aspects of forensics, including autopsies, blood, hair, and concussions.

One semester, the class learned about forensics in the laboratory. “We started with an in-depth analysis of autopsies,” said Myers. “Students participated in a pig autopsy as if it were a human autopsy and determined the post-mortem injury.” The second semester class focused on blood analysis, blood diameter patterns, splatter patterns, and blood protein typing.

They also had the chance to investigate hair at crime scenes. Brian Corcoran’ 19 explained, “We looked at hair under a microscope, comparing human hair to animal hair. Then, we studied hair from different parts of the human body.” Students also took a deeper look at color-treated head hair by looking at the outside of the hair, the medulla, and the cortex.

The forensics class also solved their own murder mystery in a project known as ‘Who Killed Ms. Myers?’” The class had four suspects. Using pieces of evidence such as crime scene hair and victim hair, the students had to solve the mystery. Whether students plan to go into the forensics field or not, this class is definitely a unique opportunity to explore sides of science and technology not often studied in the classroom.

Tech for Malawi

Susan Wirsig, director of the Applied Science Certificate Program, has established a collaborative relationship with a former colleague who is working at a school in a refugee camp in Malawi. The forty thousand residents of the Dzaleka refugee camp come from five neighboring countries: Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Mozambique, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. They are often fleeing a natural disaster or civil unrest that makes it unsafe for them to stay in their home country. This relationship gives Pennington students an opportunity to use their STEM skills to offer technology to the refugee children, and engage in meaningful learning experiences that will support their personal growth.

Applied Science students worked all year to refurbish broken iPads that were then donated to the camp, delivered in March by Wirsig and her daughter Sydney Gibbard ’19. It was the first time the African students had used an iPad, and Wirsig saw how these tools could transform the way the students learn. Wirsig also won a grant from the Toshiba American Foundation to support this work in the 2019–20 school year, when a group of Pennington students will have the opportunity to deliver more refurbished iPads to Malawi over Spring Break. www.pennington.org

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Community Day 2019 April 29

A

presentation from National Geographic explorer and filmmaker Alizé Carrère kicked off the day, which was organized around the theme of sustainability. She spoke to the Pennington community about how human beings are adapting to climate change with new and innovative solutions. She discussed her experience from her global travels, including research in Madagascar.

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

Carrère was awarded a Young Explorer Grant from the National Geographic Society to study Madagascar’s large erosion gullies, called lavakas, resulting from the massive deforestation in the country. Through extensive research and interviews, she learned that these gullies had become self-replenishing fertile ecosystems. The farmers are able not only to plant crops in these large lavakas, but also to capitalize on their produce without much work or maintenance. Since then, Carrère has compiled case studies from around the world showing how humans are adapting to climate change.

After Carrère’s presentation, the students, faculty, and staff rotated through three group activities based on the three pillars of sustainability: society, environment, and economy. To build a stronger sense of community, advisory groups raced through a Pennington scavenger hunt to learn more about the campus and the hard work done daily by School employees.

Students and adults also participated in a carbon footprint walk, where they were directed to step forward or backward based on their everyday actions like driving to school, blasting the heat, taking long showers,

or buying in excess. The third activity had students and faculty split into “family groups� to discuss how their personal consumption habits have an impact upon the environment, workers, and the local economy.

After the activities, all students and employees returned to Sparks Gymnasium for a closing meeting. The School community sat in a large circle and expressed their thoughts, ideas, and conclusions on what they had learned so far during Community Day. After lunch, students and faculty worked hard performing community service activities on and off campus, including learning CPR, cleaning up nearby parks, and assisting at HomeFront. The community ventured to local organizations such as the Eastern Service Workers Association, Unicorn Therapeutic Riding, ISLES, and Painted Oaks Nursery School.

Between the beautiful weather and the fun, unique, and educational activities, students reported that they loved learning about sustainability, building community, and helping others.

www.pennington.org

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Romeo and Juliet winter Musical

Godspell

by Suzanne Houston Godspell is the brainchild of John-Michael Tebelek and his college friends from Carnegie Mellon. In the spring of 1970, Tebelek found himself in need of a thesis project. Leaving a traditional and tedious Easter service, he decided to create a piece of theatre that truly celebrated the beauty of community and spreading love and joy. He drew upon the gospels of Matthew and Luke, focusing on various parables. Through weeks of improvisation, European clowning, and play, the original cast developed a script with musical interludes. Godspell has had several theatrical iterations since its origin at Carnegie Mellon, both in the U.S. and around the world. Some of you may remember the film version from 1973. In 2012, a second revival took place on Broadway with updated lyrics, dialogue, and music—and that is the version we produced.

So why this show and why now? Part of the selection process was a love for the music, and the 2012 version in particular. It was easy for me to hear our talented students rocking out and tackling the difficult harmonies. In terms of the message, with everything going on in the world around us, I felt we could all use a little more joy in our everyday lives. For the exploration of the parables in the script, I called upon some of our cast members, teacher Mark DiGiacomo (a secret theologian), and a handful of books to solidify our storytelling. Middle School Dean of Students Lisa Houston did a clowning workshop with our Disciples 30

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

to help bring the childlike wonder and element of play into their characters. When we determined that our production would center on a school much like Pennington, we asked Assistant Dean of Students Samantha Stern-Leaphart to come in. She (and a sleeping baby Miles) spent an afternoon with us identifying the different groups at Pennington, how they are represented on campus, and what commonalities and differences they encompass. From that work, we created our Disciple “tribes,” selected colors to represent them, and started to bring the play to life. So what the audience saw on the stage was a school community like Pennington; it was not meant to be an exact representation, but perhaps some of the characters and images seemed familiar.

Godspell depicts Jesus’s journey to gather his followers together to create a community that would spread his teachings of love and kindness. As cast member Alex Huang said so eloquently in our Godspell Chapel, “the musical is a celebration of [our] community. It is a celebration of our differences. [It] shines a light on the individual spirit we each possess and our ability to come together to accomplish great things.” So, whether those who saw the show were believers, atheists, or somewhere in between, we hoped they would take away the reminder that we all have gifts to give, and we all have love and kindness to share. Why not start now?

winter Musical

“

The musical is a celebration of [our] community. It is a celebration of our differences. [It] shines a light on the individual spirit we each possess and our ability to come together to accomplish great things.”

—Cast member Alex Huang ’21

Opposite page: Top—the full cast, crews, and pit band of Godspell; Bottom—Chris Kopits ’19, as Jesus, sings “All for the Best.”

This page: Top—Juniors Jenna Soliman, Gaby Montero, and Molly Nelson sing their original arrangement of “Learn Your Lessons: Reprise”; Middle—the cast’s big finish for “Turn Back, O Man”; Bottom left—Jordan Matthews ’20, as Judas, rocks out on a keytar; Right—Will Harding ’19 as Nick and Katie Byun ’19 as Lindsay sing “Bless the Lord”; Bottom right—Amira Henry ’19, as Celisse, instructs the company to learn their lessons well.

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April 18: Grandparent and VIP Day

O

n Thursday, April 18, over 200 grandparents and very important people (VIPs) joined Upper School and Middle School students for a day on the Pennington campus. During the annual event, guests enjoyed a luncheon with Student Government President Katherine Reim ’19 and Assistant Headmaster for Community Life/ Dean of Students Chad Bridges ’96, attended classes with the students, learned about the new landscape master plan, and went on a special yearbook scavenger hunt.

After the school day, grandparents and VIPs were welcome to stay to see a number of athletic events on campus or get a sneak peek of the Middle School play. We were delighted to welcome so many special guests to Pennington.

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

Spring

FLING D

uring a perfect spring day in May, the Pennington community celebrated Spring Fling on the campus with a number of exciting events. The Friday before Memorial Day weekend served as a great way for students to bond, raise funds for clubs or sports, and have fun before exams. On O’Hanlon Green, students played intense games of bubble soccer and cornhole.

Behind the Campus Center on the new sand volleyball court, teams faced off in a lively match for mental health awareness. The proceeds of the charity volleyball tournament went to Youth Mental Health Project, an organization dedicated to providing help for those with mental health disorders.

There was a kickball game to benefit Outreach360, an organization that provides children in the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua with the opportunity to learn English. In addition, clubs and organizations set up tables to raise funds for 2019–20 School year. The Class of 2021 hosted a water balloon battle, where students enjoyed cooling off on the warm day.

Parents for Pennington (PfP) helped the community celebrate the Indian festival of color, Holi, during the event. Parents gave out packets of powdered chalk in vivid colors and students took every opportunity to become their own version of a rainbow. The second annual Spring Fling was definitely a day to remember.

Pennington GIVING Day Results: 508* Donors

198

Alumni donors

212

Current parent donors

74

Parents of alumni donors

78

Faculty/staff donors

* Some constituents overlap.

Dollars raised: $176,874.00

www.pennington.org

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Concerts in SPRING Spring Concert April 17

The Pennington School’s musicians undertook not just one, but two, concerts during the spring. The first, held on April 17 in Sparks Gymnasium, featured the Orchestra, Jazz Band, and Pennington Singers. The second, which took place on May 16 in the Diane T. McLarty “Black Box” Theater, was the debut of the All-School Chorus, which comprised singers from the Middle School, Upper School, faculty, and staff.

The April concert opened with the Orchestra’s varied selections. They began with the Allegro from Mozart’s Symphony No. 25 and a medley from Tchaikovsky’s ballet score for Swan Lake. After delighting the audience with Henry Mancini’s theme from The Pink Panther, they concluded with the Berceuse and Finale from Stravinsky’s Firebird.

While the Jazz Band set up onstage, Donald Dolan, director of instrumental music, took the opportunity to recognize graduating instrumentalists for their contributions to Pennington’s music program. The Jazz Band then played selections from George Shearing, Sonny Rollins, Billy Joel, and Stevie Wonder, with solo riffs by various instruments.

After Director of Choral Music James Horan recognized the senior vocal performers, the Pennington Singers began their portion of the program with “Baba Yetu” by Christopher Tin. The haunting “Seal Lullaby” by Eric Whitacre was followed by Horan’s own arrangement of songs from 2018 movies—including Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The evening concluded with George Harrison’s “Here Comes the Sun.”

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The All-School Chorus Concert was experimental, both because it was the first such use of the “Black Box” and because of the combined constituents participating, ranging in age from seventh-graders through senior faculty. The sound shells used in Sparks Gym for the fall and spring concerts were moved to McLarty, and the resulting acoustics were excellent. The audience responded enthusiastically as the combined chorus performed selections including the ukuleleaccompanied Hawaiian version of “Over the Rainbow” and a rousing medley from the Broadway hit Hamilton. Seniors Christopher Kopits and Mariel Abano each took a turn at conducting the group, as well.

A special feature of the May concert was “senior spotlights,” when members of the Class of 2019 had a last opportunity to perform for a Pennington audience. Seniors Megan Eckerson, Amira Henry, Zheng Bao, and Qinyuan Wu, as well as Abano and Kopits, presented solos and duets. In addition to performing, each one introduced the classmate whose performance followed—a clear demonstration of the warm relationships among Pennington students in the arts.

All-School Chorus Concert May 16

Musica Nigeria

Pennington donates more than 40 instruments.

T

he music program at Pennington recently donated to the Westminster Conservatory of Music more than forty orchestra instruments in need of repair; they will soon give the gift of music to underprivileged children in Nigeria. With the help of the Lekan and Tomi Akinyanmi Foundation, the Conservatory will repair and/or refurbish the instruments as needed before shipping them to Ikuru Town, Nigeria.

The Musica Nigeria drive project ran from January to March 2019 and achieved its goal to collect slightly used musical instruments to encourage children in Nigeria to learn and make music. The Pennington School donated clarinets, alto saxophones, trumpets, trombones, violins, violas, and cellos.

Pennington was able to donate these instruments because of the Middle School’s restructured exploratory music program, which now focuses on piano, guitar, and GarageBand, as well as voice and video. Therefore, the School no longer needs as many orchestra instruments; Pennington’s ensembles still have a number of back-up instruments.

The repairs and refurbishment of the instruments began in March 2019, and they will arrive in Nigeria by midsummer. www.pennington.org

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Global Connections

2018–19 Highlights

by Kendra Sisserson

Global Studies Certificate Program update As of May 2019, Pennington had awarded 154 Global Studies certificates since the program began in 2016. The program continues to operate in service of four goals: to appreciate diversity, exercise agency, listen and speak with empathy and integrity, and explore the world with curiosity and wonder.

Each Global Studies Certificate Program (GSCP) graduate completes humanities-rich coursework (including the Global Studies Seminar), engages in at least forty hours of an

extracurricular global experience activity, and participates in a globalthemed Horizon project. The students also complete digital portfolios in which they reflect on their growth through these program experiences.

The Global Studies Seminar introduces students to human-centered design thinking, a problem-solving methodology that incorporates the human element into every step of the process. The curriculum also features such topics as media literacy, sustainability, human rights, and global issues. The Seminar culminates in each student’s preparation and delivery of a TED-style Global Talk on a global issue important to them. Global Talks are recorded and professionally edited, and they become part of the student’s portfolio. The talks are designed to help students fuse the academic exercises of research and argument with the GS program goal of participatory citizenship.

Since 2016, GSCP seniors have traveled to Zimbabwe, Colombia, Spain, Germany, and the Bahamas for their Horizon projects.

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Others have worked in community development, participated in special projects that meet GSCP goals, or interned in local companies with global connections or that address global issues.

In 2019, seniors participated in volunteer activities as varied as equine therapy in Louisiana, animal conservation in Zimbabwe, and work with organizations such as Ocean Action and Special Olympics.

Global Studies on Pennington’s campus It’s not necessary to travel internationally to be a global citizen and take part in the Global Studies curriculum.

Rich opportunities to participate are available on campus all year long. This year, the Global Studies Speaker Series sponsored nine events. Some highlights were joint Global Studies and Applied Science speakers Anita Dam ’11 and Alison Cuccia ’07, who

Global Connections discussed their work in global public health; Rafer Friedman ’19, who talked about his volunteer work with Syrian refugees; and David Marlow P’20, who gave a presentation on his work with the Mastercard Foundation, which seeks to alleviate poverty and support entrepreneurship in Africa.

In the Middle School, sixth-grade Humanities classes, led by teacher Jessie Shaffer, engaged in an exciting exchange with students at the Kitui Primary School in Kenya (see page 17).

In October, the Middle and Upper Schools together participated in the annual “We’re a Culture, Not a Costume” campaign to encourage thoughtfulness in choosing Halloween costumes.

The Power of Faces exhibit, co-sponsored with the Silva Gallery of Art, featured the work of photographers Huang and Menders, and illustrated the human impact of the refugee crisis. The project included Chapel presentations for all students, gallery talks for classes, and tie-ins to academic courses (see page 40).

Pennington also continues to offer a rich palette of clubs and activities that celebrate our community’s diversity, such as United People of Many Cultures, GayStraight Alliance, Intersectional Feminism, Black Student Union, Green Team, and Community Service. And, perhaps most important, the Pennington School student body includes dozens of international students in both the boarding and day populations. In 2018–19, we were proud to welcome families representing over forty different cultures on our campus.

Parents for Pennington (PfP) helped us celebrate several holidays, such as Diwali and Holi festivals, observed by our community members.

Junior Kofo Jalaoso and sophomores Adomah Owusu and Mame Baffour-Awuah gave the annual Global Studies Chapel Talk, which this year focused on celebrating the fifty-four distinct and vibrant nations that call the African continent home.

Global Studies off-campus Each year, multiple international travel opportunities are offered for students to travel during Spring Break or at the end of the school year (see pages 38– 39). This summer, three faculty members also traveled to Shanghai and Beijing on a cultural exploration of China. The Pennington School has joined International SOS, a medical and security risk management organization that offers support for all Pennington students and staff while traveling.

During a Global Gateway weekend last fall, students traveled to a remote location in western Maryland, where they were divided into camps representing homesteads in several least-developed nations; they experienced this lifestyle for a weekend in an attempt to empathize with the daily struggles of living with poverty and hunger.

In December, students participated in the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia’s International Student Summit, a simulation exercise reflecting contemporary global issues. Each year’s topic is different and requires students to understand the given issue from specific perspectives. This year, they represented member nations debating pathways to sustainable development in Africa.

Susan Wirsig, director of the Applied Science Certificate Program, traveled to Dzaleka Refugee Camp outside Llongwe, Malawi, to deliver refurbished iPads prepared by her Design Engineering students. Her visit also helped establish legacy projects and complete the groundwork to support future travel for students (see page 27).

It’s clear that the Pennington community is dedicated to making a difference both here at home and in the world. www.pennington.org

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Travel OPPORTUNITIES

London Drama /History Trip by Suzanne Houston In March 2019, twenty-four drama students traveled to England for an immersive theatre and history trip. In November 2018, the group began work on a production of Shakespeare’s Henry V to be performed across the pond. While in London, students toured the backstage areas of two major theatre centers, participated in workshops on Shakespeare and improvisation, and saw six very different theatre productions, including Romeo and Juliet at the Globe Theatre. The group rehearsed on the terraces of the National Theatre and the Barbican Theatre Centre. To explore England’s vast history, the students also toured historic sites such as Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament and visited the Imperial War Museum and Churchill’s War Rooms.

The last two days of the trip included a visit to Kent College, Pennington’s sister school in Canterbury. Students toured the medieval 38

city on foot, took a drama class with Kent’s Year-10 students, and had a workshop in dramatic structure with British playwright Benjamin Alcock. This extraordinary trip culminated in the Pennington students’ performance of Henry V in Kent College’s chapel. Upon their return and after Spring Break, the company was able to present its production one final time for family and friends back at The Pennington School.

Dominican Republic

by Maria Kane ’09

From March 9 to March 16, thirteen Pennington students traveled with chaperones Maria Kane and Brenden Bendorf to Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic, to teach English to elementary students in the public schools. The city of Monte Cristi is energetic and hospitable, and it is common to be greeted by passersby with a wave and shout of “Teacher, teacher!” The Pennington contingent worked alongside Outreach360 for the third year in a row to

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

help provide students from the DR with a life of choice through English education. The daily schedule kept all the participants busy with teaching, lesson planning, and various cultural events and activities.

Spain

by Lida Castro

Fifteen Pennington students traveled to Spain in March to complete a two-week exchange with our sister school in Madrid, Jesús María School. Students were matched with a host student and family in Madrid, who greeted them on arrival. This meeting began an incredible adventure exploring the life and culture of Spain, using the Spanish language to communicate.

Students took part in academic classes during the day and visited many important sites in Madrid, including the Prado Museum and the historic Madrid de los Austrias. They also enjoyed a flamenco performance, ate chocolate con churros at “San Gines,” biked the Retiro park, and saw the Real Madrid soccer team win a match at the Bernabéu Stadium. Students also had the opportunity to experience the Fallas celebration in the Mediterranean city of València, visit the oldest Roman aqueduct

China For the fourth year in a row, a group of Pennington students traveled to China for ten days, from June 13–25, 2019. Students spent a few days in Shanghai before traveling to Suzhou, Hangzhou, and then on to Beijing.

They experienced the culture of China through hands-on experiences, including visits to the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and other notable sites, and enjoyed VIP tours of businesses in each city. The trip was chaperoned by Mark Ross, Pennington’s photography teacher, and his wife, Susan.

Guatemala On June 16 through June 26, 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 beach patrols, relocating turtle eggs to hatcheries to protect them from predators, building hatcheries, and releasing turtle hatchlings.

Netherlands

in Segovia, and enjoy the beauty of Alcala de Henares (the hometown of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, author of Don Quijote).

Our students came back with a clearer vision of the Spanish culture and a better proficiency level in the language. A group of Spanish students will visit Pennington in September.

Wendy Morris traveled with eight members of her Field Hockey team in June for nine days to visit Amsterdam, Antwerp, Haarlem, and Gouda. While there, the teammates participated in master hockey clinics, fit in a lot of sightseeing, performed community service in Amsterdam to rid the canals of plastic and in Haarlemmer Kweektuin to help restore a park, and watched pro field hockey, as well as played several matches while abroad. They also found time to visit important historic sites such as the Anne Frank house and learned about the local culture, even discovering how to make the famous Dutch stroopwafel.

Trips for 2019–20

The following exciting trips are planned for next year: AUSTRIA Peter Chase is offering a spring break trip to his students studying German to immerse them in the language.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, CARIBBEAN Marisa Ferrari will lead the fourth annual trip to the Domincan Republic. Working with Outreach 360, Pennington students help students in the DR hone their English skills in order to give them better opportunities in the future.

FRANCE Pat Zema will travel with students of French as part of our longstanding exchange program.

HAITI, CARIBBEAN BlairThompson will lead the Pennington School medical mission (our ninth!) to Haiti in March.

Ten Pennington students will travel through rural Haiti to set up and help run health clinics, bringing much-needed aid and supplies to over a thousand Haitians.

MALAWI, AFRICA Susan Wirsig will take a group of students to a refugee camp in Malawi to deliver iPads refurbished right in our MakerSpace for the students in Africa. Pennington students will stay in a hotel in a nearby city and travel to the camp each day to teach iPad skills, help students with their English, run soccer clinics, and lead other fun activities.

ZIMBABWE, AFRICA International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ) runs a fantastic wildlife conservation program on a rhino reserve near Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. This elevenday trip offers a full week on the reserve, including game drives and even an overnight camping experience in the bush, as well as the highlights of Victoria Falls itself (a UNESCO World Heritage site), and a day trip for a safari in Chobe National Park in neighboring Botswana. www.pennington.org

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in the

Gallery

The Power of Faces: Looking at the Global Refugee Crisis

I

n conjunction with the Global Studies Program, the Silva Gallery of Art hosted The Power of Faces: Looking at the Global Refugee Crisis this spring. The exhibition was a portrait project created by husband-and-wife photo team Daniel Farber Huang P’16 ’21 and Theresa Menders P’16 ’21, whose work is included in the permanent collections of numerous museums and cultural institutions. The Power of Faces is their 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 sixty-five million who have been forced to flee their homes because of conflict or persecution are human lives, not just statistics. To put faces on the statistics, Huang and Menders have traveled with their son, Alexander Huang ’21, to the Souda and Vial refugee camps on the Greek island of Chios and in Tijuana, Mexico.

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

After witnessing firsthand the true realities of a refugee camp, Huang and Menders wanted to call attention to this issue and honor the dignity of these people. They gave the refugees a beautifully taken portrait and also exhibited the portraits, in order to humanize the statistics that their faces represent. This family team now enters refugee camps armed with cameras and printers and backdrops. The backdrops intentionally block out the environment, so that each individual is seen as a person. This and so much more was eloquently described by sophomore Alexander Huang at an all-School special Chapel service in May. He led a presentation of photos and videos depicting what he had seen during his visits to the refugee camps. He detailed the pain and suffering the refugees have endured, but also the hope they have for a brighter future. His family intends to continue this portrait project at other refugee camps around the world.

www.pennington.org

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1

Exploring the world beyond the classroom, the Horizon Senior Internship Program offers seniors the opportunity to discover or further develop a personal passion during a month-long internship each spring. For more than twenty-five years at The Pennington School, the Horizon program has provided stimulating and purposeful experiences for personal growth for all members of the senior class.

Each Horizon project is designed by the students themselves, who work with an outside mentor in their chosen field. Their work is supported with a weekly seminar led by a faculty member, allowing students to reflect on their new skills and learn new ways to apply those skills to real life situations. The weekly meetings also give students the time and structure to reflect on this new and valuable experience. The Horizon program offers students a window into the world beyond Pennington.

For their Horizon projects this year, seniors expanded their perspectives through group projects, traditional career internships, service opportunities, and much more.

1. Seven seniors trained for weeks and then bravely faced terrible weather conditions as they embarked on a five-day/five-night hike and camping expedition along the Appalachian Trail in New Jersey. This year, the group included Brian Corcoran, Otega Ekedayen, Isabelle Lovvoll, Kate McKiernan, Matthew Reilly, Max Ward, and Qinyuan Wu. 2. Boyd Hartpence tackled many different types of business jobs while working for the Philadelphia Phillies team. He loved exploring the business of sports, which included interning in areas including sales, advertising, and promotion.

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

3. Caleigh Calhoun spent her Horizon project at Horse Haven in Poplarville, MS. She spent time tending to horses and assisted with equestrian therapy sessions.

4. Emily Moini worked at HomeFront to help improve and expand the fitness and wellness programming offered at their family campus in Ewing. In this image, she was measuring out the distance around the campus in preparation for an evening walking group that they started for the clients living at the site.

5. Hope Walsh worked at the Pen Ryn School as a teacher’s aide. Pen Ryn is a nursery-through-eighth-grade school, and Walsh had the opportunity to work with each grade level while she interned there.

6. Mina Shokoufandeh completed her Horizon project at Drexel University’s Center for Functional Fabrics, where she worked with smart materials for wearable sensors. Working with a Ph.D. student, she analyzed data that had been collected using a touch-sensitive fabric. She also worked with the wires and put together parts on one of the Center’s many garment knitting machines, the X Machine, which is manufactured by the company Shima Seiki.

7. Matthew Robertson worked for three weeks at the Nakavango Conservation Program near Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, through IVHQ. Nakavango is an “intense protective zone” for the critically endangered black rhino. The focus at Nakavango is on conservation management, African wildlife, important conservation issues, and sustainable community development.

8. The Pennington Project is a collaborative group effort that takes place on campus. It was an original dramatic production performed by a group of students at the end of May. Participants in this year’s work were Emily Clark, Megan Eckerson, Thomson Estabrook, Amira Henry, and Harry Wasnak.

9. Mary Griswold and Zach Haase worked for both DIGSAU and Quennell Rothschild & Partners in Philadelphia. QRP is a landscape architecture firm that specializes in creative design for the creation or restoration of parks, campuses, and residences. DIGSAU is an architectural firm specializing in environmental design. Griswold and Haase were part of the steering committee for Pennington’s landscape master planning process, and this internship, in which they worked in the office and went out on site visits (pictured here), gave them a great understanding of design methods.

10. Sydney Gibbard shadowed Dr. Andrey Espinoza, a cardiovascular surgeon, at the Hunterdon Medical Center in New Jersey.

An aspiring physician, Gibbard sat in on six medical procedures and also spent time working with Espinoza at his office, meeting private practice patients.

6th Avenue Capital AEP Media, LLC Alliance Dermatology Associates Ashton~Whyte Brick & Kyle Associates, Inc. Brush Creek Ranch BSJ Financial Corporation Cambridge School Cano Biotechnology Corporation Cherry Grove Farm Chubb Insurance Clean Ocean Action Country Classics, Inc. Dappcentral, Inc. DIGSAU Drexel University Dynamic SRG Dynavax Technologies Corporation Emory University Department of Neurology ESPN Essex County Environmental Center Fox Rothschild, LLP Glasgow Caledonian New York College Green Leaf Pet Resort Heather M. Shier Photography HomeFront Hopewell Valley Central High School Hopewell Veterinary Group, Inc. Horse Haven Ranch Therapy Hunter Farms Hunterdon Medical Center International Volunteer HQ Inspire Performance Academy Isles, Inc. Ivy Rehab Physical Therapy JDC Energy Services, LLC Jenkinson’s Aquarium Joongwon Games J. P. Morgan Kidsbridge Lamb’s Player Theatre Lewis & Forrey, LLC Mendham Fire Department Mercer County Special Services Mountain View Golf Course National Junior Tennis and Learning of Trenton New York Stock Exchange The Pen Ryn School PEAC Health and Fitness The Pennington School Pennington Veterinary Care Center Philadelphia Phillies The PLK Law Group, PC Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart Princeton Executive & Academic Coaching ProDeal Project U.S.E.: The Appalachian Trail Rockcital Sadat Associates, Inc. St. Mary Orthopaedics The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey Silverline Leasing, Ltd. Special Olympics New Jersey Summit Financial, LLC Temple Sinai, Summit, New Jersey Tobias Design LLC Trenton Thunder Unicorn Therapeutic Riding Virgin Islands Archery Federation The Winston School of Short Hills Xyvid, Inc. Zahn Innovation Center

Upper School Athletics SPRING 2019

Golf

Coaches: Tom Horsley and Dave Young The 2019 Pennington Varsity Golf Team finished its second straight season undefeated in match play, Mercer County Champions, and State Prep B Champions. Seniors James Bao, Augie Beers, Tyler De Pol, and Austin Shah were all medalists in at least one match with co-captains Beers and Bao leading the way with four and three medalist rounds respectively. The team dominated most matches and played some of its best golf in our closest matches against Peddie, Gill St. Bernard’s School, and West Windsor/ Plainsboro North. This year’s graduating class of golfers has achieved more than any class in the history of Pennington Golf with three State Championships, two Mercer County Championships, and only three lost matches in four years. Next year’s team will be led by rising junior Leo Brunk, with a supporting cast of enthusiastic underclassmen. Coach Tom Horsley was named Coach of the Year by The Times of Trenton.

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Baseball

Coaches: Steve Kowalski, Byron Kou, Jeff Sumners, and Chris Wirth-Kenyon’11 The Pennington Varsity Baseball team finished the year with a 7–8 record, losing a heartbreaking game to end its season in the Prep B semifinals versus eventual champion Rutgers Prep. We had a young team this year, starting three freshmen, all of whom did an impressive job stepping up to fill the roles of the players lost from the 2018 State Championship team. The experience these young players gained throughout the year in good times, and in times of struggle, will go a long way in helping the Red Raiders improve over the next few years. We are very optimistic for next year as we have some great athletes returning as the core of our team. It was an absolute pleasure to have coached the seven seniors who will be moving on to college next year. We all wish good luck to Ryan Harris ’19 as he continues his baseball career at Vassar College next

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

year. Harris and the rest of his senior class did a great job representing the baseball program in their time here, and they have set the bar high for those who follow behind them in terms of the team’s standards and involvement in the Pennington community.

Track and Field

Coaches: Rick Ritter, Long Ding, and Kathy-Lynn Kelly This was another fine season for both the Boys’ and Girls’ Track and Field teams. The boys ended the season with a record of 5–5, while the girls ended with nine wins and three losses. Once the team made it to the State meet, they simply did not have the same firepower as some other teams. The boys’ team took fourth at States and the girls’ team took fifth place.

There were many high points to the season.

The boys competed in both the 4x400 meter relay (Mekhi Muse ’19, Kenzo Takeda ’20, Isaiah Muse ’22, Jordan Matthews ’20) and the 4x100 meter relay at the 175th running of the Penn Relays.

The 4x100 meter team of Mekhi Muse ’19, Aidan Israel ’20, Xavier Brooks ’20, and Isaiah Muse took second in their heat. They also set a new School record of 45.30 at the Mercer County Relays.

Earlier in the season, Mekhi Muse set a new School record in the 110m HH of 15.20.

The previous record was held by his dad, Naeem ’92! Mekhi’s brother, Isaiah, took first place in the 200m and 400m at the Mercer County Freshman/Sophomore Meet. Isaiah qualified for and will be competing in the New Balance Nationals in the summer. On the girls’ team, Emily Moini ’19 set School records (which she previously held) in the 1600m (5:21.65) and the 3200m (11:19.13). Makenna Urbanek ’22 placed first in the 100m and 200m at the Freshman/Sophomore Meet.

Emily Moini, Shealyn Tirendi ’21, Kelli Collins ’20, and Shreya Krishnan ’20 also ran in the 4x400 at Penn Relays.

Girls’ Lacrosse

Coaches: Wendy Morris, Adam Cooley, and Debbie Fermo The Girls’ Lacrosse team enjoyed a successful 2019 season with a record of 9–7. The season began with a fun sleepover in the Kenneth Kai Tai Yen Humanities

Building and a windy practice at Belmar beach, followed by delicious playa bowls to wrap up the preseason session. The team of girls endured typical New Jersey spring weather in the rain and cold with great fortitude and enthusiasm. The coaches thoroughly enjoyed working with this dedicated group of young women.

Watching their game prowess grow and mature over the season was rewarding and exciting to witness.

The team won its first round of MCTs hosting Lawrence High School, and then, albeit with great effort, fell to powerhouse Allentown in the next round. The team began the season with an exciting overtime win against West Windsor/Plainsboro North, and then ended the season with an equally exciting come-from-behind win over Peddie. We recognized senior Gianna Lucchesi’s 100th career goal, and defenders Emma Garry and Eden Meyer-Hanover’s first career goals. We said goodbye to our six seniors: Maddie Brown, Emma Garry, Heather Holley, Amanda Kenrick, Gianna Lucchesi, and Eden Meyer-Hanover.

We wish them the very best next year in college!

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number one player, Théo Sardain ’22, had an unbelievable season and will be a true force for years to come. Josh Song ’20 played number two singles; he had a wonderful season that was capped off by winning the Prep B Championship. Deon Kraft ’22 finished his first and very memorable season by making it to the Mercer County

Boys’ Lacrosse

Coaches: Jason Carter, Jack Payne, Chauncey Farrington, and Luke Zabel Progress was the watchword for Pennington’s Varsity Boys’ Lacrosse team in 2019. From the first day of preseason, it was clear that the players had prepared themselves well for the demanding task of coming together as a team. This year, the roster featured a large number of players new to the program paired with a solid core of experienced veterans.

The coaching staff was very proud of the growth, both individual and team, that was achieved by these young men. From the first day of the season to the last, the team worked hard to learn, improve, and persevere. The commitment and growth were most apparent in hotly contested matches with Blair, Peddie, and the eventual Prep B champion, Rutgers Prep. The leadership of team seniors Matt DiIorio, Chris Herbert, Sam Wasnak, and Jason Wang will be sorely missed; they kept both the team’s standards and spirits high. It is the momentum they helped create that we will be relying on as we look forward to the 2020 season.

Tennis

Coach: Ken Palumbo The 2019 Varsity Tennis team finished the season with an outstanding 11–2 record and was the sole Prep B Champion. The 46

Tournament (MCT) finals and by winning the Prep B Championship. Timmy Coe ’19 and Peyton Miller ’22 played number one doubles; they had a great season together and won the Prep B Championship in dramatic fashion. Coe was a four-year starter, and he will be greatly missed. Captain Rafer Friedman ’19 and Trey Dusek ’20 finished fourth at MCTs and had a great allaround season. Jacob Washton ’20 played throughout the lineup and finished with a winning record. The team was an excellent group of young men who played with pride and enthusiasm. Coach Ken Palumbo appreciated the team’s hard work and dedication to their teammates, Pennington, coach, and themselves.

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

Softball

Coaches: Laurie Volpe and Karen Balerna The spring 2019 story for the Pennington Varsity Softball team was one of growth and success. The team finished the regular season with 4 wins and 4 losses, assisted by veteran leadership from captains Sandy Zhang ’19, Sophia Amaro ’20, and Ivana Pellerito ’21.

There were moments of great athleticism to celebrate, such as Amaro’s inside-thepark home run, Holly Kennedy’s grit and perseverance on the mound, and Pellerito’s team high OBP of .689. Kennedy ’21 pitched every inning for the Red Raiders, recording 53 strikeouts for the season. Newcomers Claire Seward ‘19, Laura Mertz ’20, Leah Balerna ’20, Anna Zhang ’22, and Mia Cresti ’22 were integral to providing support where and whenever needed. The versatility of Mertz, Cresti, and Balerna provided the team defensive options at key positions such as third base, catcher, and outfield respectively. Olivia Schroeder-Positano ’21 anchored the outfield with great leadership and heads-up game play in center, while Maddie Saltstein ’21 anchored the infield at shortstop and also proved she was a force to be reckoned with at the plate. Anita Yang ’20, Tiia McKinney ’21, and Caroline Muscara ’21 played with heart, soul, and dedication second to none. With the pitching/ catching dynamic duo of Kennedy and Pellerito to look forward to, along with their bats and those of key hitters Amaro, Saltstein, Cresti, Balerna, Schroeder-Positano, and Yang, the 2020 spring season could be very exciting!

Upper School

Athletic Awards Spring 2019

Varsity Tennis Coach’s Award—Rafer Friedman ’19 Leadership Award—Timmy Coe ’19 Baseball Red Raider Award—Ryan Harris ’19 Most Improved Award—Peter Vasan ’19 Coaches’ Award—Trevor Belinsky ’19 Golf Red Raider Award—Augie Beers ’19 For the Love of the Game—Tyler De Pol ’19 Most Improved Award—Austin Shah ’19 Girls’ Lacrosse Red Raider Award—Gianna Lucchesi ’19 Red Raider Award—Emma Garry ’19 Coaches’ Award—Eden Meyer-Hanover ’19

Pennington’s Golf team won its second straight NJISAA Prep B State Championship in May and the Mercer County Golf Championship in April. The titles, combined with the team’s undefeated regular season, made for yet another impressive season for the Red Raiders.

Boys’ Lacrosse Red Raider Award—Chris Herbert ’19 Coaches’ Award—Connor McAlister ’21 Most Improved Award—Philip Ross ’22 Softball Red Raider Award—Ivana Pellerito ’21 Red Raider Award—Holly Kennedy ’21 Coaches’ Award—Sandy Zhang ’19 Boys’ Track and Field Red Raider Award—Mekhi Muse ’19 Total Commitment—Xavier Brooks ’21 Team Loyalty—Jordan Matthews ’20 Girls’ Track and Field Stoker Award—Shealyn Tirendi ’21 Commitment Award—Julia Alito ’20 Team Loyalty—Hope Blair ’20

Junior Varsity Tennis Red Raider Award—Carlos Duato ’20 Red Raider Award—Yiren Zhou ’20 Baseball Red Raider Award—William Thompson ’21 Coaches’ Award—Andrew DiDomenico ’20

Red Raiders Boys’ Tennis completed an outstanding season at Wardlaw as they won the NJISAA Prep B State Championship. Congratulations to athletes Timmy Coe ’19, Rafer Friedman ’19, Jacob Washton ’20, Deon Kraft ’20, Robert (Trey) Dusek ’20, Joshua Song ’21, Peyton Miller ’22, Théo Sardain ’22, and coach Ken Palumbo!

Girls’ Lacrosse Red Raider Award—Shae Calhoun ’21 Coaches’ Award—Lauren Woodroffe ’22 www.pennington.org

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Class of 2019 Senior Prizes The Pennington School Award for Distinguished Achievement in Global Studies: Matthew Robertson

The Headmaster’s Award for Scholarship Valedictorian: Gabriela Cano Salutatorian: Emily Moini The Headmaster’s Award to the Best AllAround Student: Sydney Gibbard National Merit Scholarship: Emily Moini The William E. Long Award to the Senior Male Making the Greatest Contribution to Pennington School Athletics: Boyd Hartpence The Brigid Kilfoyle ’91 Memorial Award to the Senior Female Making the Greatest Contribution to Pennington School Athletics: Gianna Lucchesi

The Pennington School Award for Distinguished Achievement in Applied Science: Trevor Belinsky The Pennington School Award to the Senior Excelling in Instrumental Performance: Zheng Bao The Pennington School Award to the Senior Excelling in Vocal Performance: Christopher Kopits The William Alford Award for Distinctive Service in Music: Qinyuan Wu The G. Arthur Campbell Award for Distinctive Service in Drama: Eliot Voelzke

The Pennington School Award to the Senior Excelling in English: Gabriela Cano and Mina Shokoufandeh The Pennington School Award to the Senior Excelling in Spanish: Diane Marie Velasco The Pennington School Award to the Senior Excelling in French: Mina Shokoufandeh The Pennington School Award to the Senior Excelling in German: Kevin Durfee The Pennington School Award to the Senior Excelling in Latin: Mariel Abano and Emma Van Cleef The Pennington School Award to the Senior Excelling in Mathematics: Qinyuan Wu and Ye Teng The Pennington School Award to the Senior Excelling in Science: Austin Shah The Pennington School Award to the Senior Excelling in History: Harry Wasnak and Emma Garry The Pennington School Award to the Senior Excelling in Religion: Mariel Abano The Pennington School Award to the Senior Excelling in Technology: Zheng Bao The Pennington School Award to the Senior Excelling in Journalism: Emily Moini and Emma Garry 48

The William Mastrosimone ’66 Award for Excellence in Writing and Directing an Original Play: Julia Wakin The Pennington School Award for Continued Excellence in Theatrical Performance: William Harding The Pennington School Award for the Senior Excelling in Technical Theatre: Diane Marie Velasco The Kersey Award for the Student Showing Most Promise in Visual Art: KaYi Lau and Chenglang Tian The Pennington School Award for the Senior Excelling in Photography: Laura Alaez The Pennington School Award to the Senior Excelling in Sculpture and Ceramics: Heather Holley

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

Baccalaureate and Senior Dinner

The Pennington School Award for Peer Leadership: Gabriela Cano The Charles G. Bennett ’59 Memorial Award for School Spirit: Amy Garry and Christopher Herbert The Pennington School Award to the Senior Outstanding in Volunteer Service: Rachel Domb, Sydney Gibbard, and Emily Moini The Monique Visser ’88 Memorial Award to the Female Who Has Most Improved the Quality of Life at Pennington: Oluwatamilore Kolawole The Pennington School Award to the Senior Who Has Shown the Most Noticeable Improvement: Brett Bokman

Cum Laude Society Fall 2018 Inductees: Mariel Abano Zheng Bao Kyewon Byun Gabriela Cano Mina Shokoufandeh Sydney Gibbard Emily Moini Katherine Reim Austin Shah Oluwatamilore Kolawole Qinyuan Wu

Spring 2019 Inductees: Emma Garry Qiutian Gao Boyd Hartpence Nicolas Herrerias Madeleine Lamb Gianna Lucchesi Aidan Sichel Emma Van Cleef Diane Marie Velasco Julia Wakin

Global Studies Certificate Recipients Laura Alaez August Beers Emily Clark Danielle Di Meglio Rachel Domb Sarah Donato Megan Eckerson Rafer Friedman Amy Garry Emma Garry Mary Griswold Natalia Gutierrez Amira Henry Christopher Herbert Heather Holley Oluwatamilore Kolawole

Christopher Kopits Ari Kulka Martin Lederman Noah Levinson Gianna Lucchesi Eden Meyer-Hanover Emily Moini Casey Ort Katherine Reim Matthew Robertson Claire Seward Aidan Sichel Emma Van Cleef Peter Vasan Julia Wakin Hope Walsh Maxwell Ward

The M. James Coyle Award to the Student Who Has Fostered Community Understanding of the Strengths Associated with Learning Differences: Rafer Friedman and Julia Wakin The Pennington School Award for Outstanding Citizenship: Zheng Bao and Kyewon Byun The Headmaster’s Award for Outstanding Contribution to The Pennington School: Zachary Haase and Mary Griswold The Gateway Prize to the Seniors Who Best Exemplify Pennington’s Core Values of Honor, Virtue, and Humility: Laura Alaez, Amira Henry, Madeleine Lamb, Mekhi Muse, Katherine Reim, Aidan Sichel, Ye Teng, and Peter Vasan

Applied Science Certificate Recipients Zheng Bao Trevor Belinsky Gabriela Cano Timothy Coe Arsema Dejene Kamryn Durfee Kevin Durfee Koray Ercan Qiutian Gao Sydney Gibbard Sally Greenberg Mary Griswold Ryan Harris Boyd Hartpence Nicolas Herrerias Oluwatamilore Kolawole

Jonathan Lai Madeleine Lamb Isabelle Lovvoll Bernard McBride Katelyn McKiernan Mekhi Muse Casey Ort Matthew Robertson Austin Shah Mina Shokoufandeh Ye Teng Catherine Vinch-Buck Samuel Wasnak Qinyuan Wu Yushan Zhang

www.pennington.org

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Saturday June 1, 2019

Class of 2019 Commencement

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

www.pennington.org

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Class of 2023 Eighth-Grade Graduation

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

Middle School End-of-Year Awards First in Scholarship Grade 8: Francesca Pendus Grade 7: Polaris Hayes Grade 6: Benjamin Pearlberg Pursuit of Excellence Award in Humanities Grade 8: Ahja Bates

Nikolas Chase

Zoe Eaton

Kyle Meinhart

Amelia Stevenson Grade 7:

William Arthur Drew Bridges Praslin Hayes Nicolette Kirikian Samantha Lambdin Sanjana Padmanabhan Stevenson Sanderson Bowden Zixi Yu

Grade 6: Lia Brunetti-Carroll

Michela McCagg

Matthew Passalacqua

Alice-Mithali Singh

Abigail Stevenson Pursuit of Excellence Award in STEM Grade 8: Isabella Fermo Grade 7: Garrett Hardt

Praslin Hayes

Samantha Lambdin

Alexander Lee

Zixi Yu

Grade 6: Lia Brunetti-Carroll

John Fermo

Michela McCagg Pursuit of Excellence Award in the Arts Grade 8: Sandeep Hastings-Kimball

Shanti Hastings-Kimball

Grade 7: Danielle DiDomenico Francesca Thomas Teagan Walsh

Grade 6: Matthew Passalacqua Head of Middle School Award Grade 8: Patrick Riley Grade 7: Danielle DiDomenico Grade 6: John Fermo www.pennington.org

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JOIN Headmaster William S. Hawkey and Board of Trustees Chair Peter J. Tucci ’79 for our second Asia Alumni Festival in Bangkok, Thailand.

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You’ll explore the magnificent city of Bangkok with your fellow alumni between networking sessions, presentations by special speakers, and awards celebrations.

For additional information, please contact Jane Bott Childrey ’89, director of alumni relations, at jane.childrey@pennington.org or 609–737–6144.

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

Parents for Pennington NEWS Parents for Pennington had a very busy 2018–19 school year, filled with many activities and gatherings. These are all possible because of the dedication and commitment of Pennington parents and faculty/ staff members. The mission of Pf P is to help build a strong School community and bring people together. The group offers opportunities for our parents to interact socially and meet fellow parents.

The Pf P tennis group played friendly matches every Wednesday until late fall and will return to the courts as soon as school starts again. The Red Raiders Fathering Network was offered for the first time this year.

Marc Celentana P’22 ’24 started this group in order to provide a forum for all fathers and father figures in the Pennington School community to build interaction and support as well as knowledge of parenting issues.

The gatherings organized by the Chinese, Indian, and Spanish interest groups provided the parent community with wonderful opportunities to learn about these cultures and get to know other parents. All of these events, hosted by the different cultural interest groups, are open to all Pennington parents, and participation is highly encouraged.

In addition to social events, Pf P hosted four informational coffees over the course of the year. These covered topics relevant to the students and School community and included discussions about transitioning into high school; the effects of social media on teens; the differences among AP, honors, and regular classes; and the college application process. The Courageous Conversations group also held a discussion focused on the topic of peer pressure.

Pf P is incredibly grateful to all the parents who contributed and attended this year’s Red and Black Bash. The Bash is the only fundraiser of Parents for Pennington, but it also provides the opportunity for parents to mingle with old friends and meet new people—an

Red & Black Bash opportunity to have a great party! This year’s Hollywood theme brought some glamor to Sparks Gymnasium, with welldressed attendees posing for their pictures on the red carpet. Due to the tremendous support from the Pennington community, Pf P was able to raise $94,000 and net $68,000. An amount of $40,000 was donated toward the renovation of the Campus Center Plaza.

Students will be able to enjoy the newly renovated space when they return in the fall.

2019–20 Parents for Pennington Executive Committee President: Marlynne Marlow P’20 Co-Vice Presidents: Anne DiDomenico P’20 ’23 Cynthia Wallace P’20 Financial Liaison: Michelle Meinhart P’23 Events Coordinator: Jacqueline Evans P’22 ’25 ’25 Recording Secretary: Lewis Arthur P’24 Communications: Lisa Hardt P’24 Upper School Representative: Teresa Lewis P’22 Middle School Representative: Linda Sichel P’19 ’22 ’26 Immediate Past President: Lori Washton P’20

www.pennington.org

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

Alumni News

alumni News

Pennington seniors study business with alumni in New York City

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or the second year in a row, Pennington students who intend to study business or finance in college spent their Horizon internship in New York City, learning about how to develop ideas, evaluate investment opportunities, and successfully take a product to market. This weeklong internship resulted from Director of Alumni Relations Jane Bott Childrey ’89’s enlisting the help of five Pennington alumni and one current parent to craft an intensive and hands-on program that exposed the interns to innovation labs, the New York Stock Exchange, large investment banks, entrepreneurs, and senior executives from Fortune 500 companies.

“There are so many different directions to go in when our students get to college,” Childrey says. “It’s important to open their minds to all the different things they can do. It’s also important for them to learn how to use the Pennington alumni network for advice and internships.”

One of the many highlights of the week was a visit to the Zahn Innovation Center at The City College of New York, arranged by Jacob Levy ’09. The Zahn Innovation Center encourages entrepreneurial initiatives and supports both technology-enabled start-ups and social impact ventures. Pennington students participated in workshops where faculty and students at The City College of New York provided real-world examples on how to support sustainable ventures. “I learned how to successfully formulate an idea at the Zahn Innovation Center,” Kevin Durfee ’19 says. “It was a great introduction to business and entrepreneurship in general.”

Students then visited the New York Stock Exchange and watched Bank United (NYSE: BKU) ring the closing bell in celebration of its tenth anniversary of founding. Craig Schwabe ’94 secured Managing Director Paul Dorfman to enthusiastically share historical tidbits about the exchange and its historic building before guiding the students around the floor of the NYSE. Mary Ross P’22 next hosted the group at JP Morgan Chase. As managing director of emerging markets, she explained to the students that she was a competitive athlete in college and did not major in finance. However, after she had interned every summer in a different field (and not

Above: Victor Barnett ’50 and the business group; facing page: the group visits the Zahn Innovation Center at The City College of New York

gravitated toward any single field), fellow athletes encouraged her to go to Wall Street after graduation. This resulted in a career she is deeply passionate about, even after twenty-plus years: “Ms. Ross pointed out to our students that they have to love what they do,” Childrey says. “She also advised our students to take advantage of their professors’ expertise and connections while in college. Professors provide a wealth of knowledge and can help with internships and give focused career advice.”

As a female looking to enter what she perceives is a male-dominated industry, Mariel Abano ’19 appreciated her experience at JP Morgan Chase. “The majority of the people we met at JP Morgan Chase were women,” she says. “I was able to picture myself at some point in the future doing what they are doing. I felt empowered.”

Students also met with Archel Desir ’00 and Patrick Janson ’02, entrepreneurs who each impressed the group with their individual experience in two very different fields: Desir as a risk strategy consultant who connected the group to 6th Avenue Capital; and Janson as the COO of ProDeal, a technology company focused on securing and optimizing real estate transactions. “I felt connected to Mr. Desir,” Dante Wilson ’19

says. “He told us that it takes a lot of courage to succeed and that you learn most of what you need to know on the job. He also stressed the importance of networking and offered to help.”

Exposure to different industries within business was only part of the equation— attire and manners played a key role as well. This emphasis was noticed by Victor Barnett ’50, who invited the students to his home for an English luncheon with his wife.

“A notable businessman and entrepreneur, Victor has taken interest in the goals we are trying to achieve with this program,” Childrey says.

“The Pennington community in general is a valuable resource for our students,” she continues. “Pennington alumni and parents who can share their professional experiences with our students will allow the Horizon program to evolve and expand. Our students are eager to learn from these role models, especially as they determine what they truly want to do once they graduate from Pennington.”

If you are interested in offering an internship to a Pennington senior, please contact Director of Alumni Relations Jane Bott Childrey ’89 at jane.childrey@pennington. org or 609–737–6144. www.pennington.org

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ClassNotes Reunions for 4s and 9s

1960s

Allan Rosenberg ’66 ran into Sean Cavin ’98 in San Francisco and shared a “gentlemen’s lunch” together.

Bill Cronheim ’68 writes, “In my fortyseventh year of business as Entertainment Systems in Virginia. It’s been an amazing ride.”

Sam Gellens ’68 died on October 10, 2018, after struggling for many years with cancer.

Sam was a very special individual, a true and devoted historian who touched the lives of hundreds of students at the high school and college level over a long career as a teacher.

Outside of the classroom, he was active and generous with his time and energy.

He was involved in more than one oralhistory project and maintained a portion of a trail for the New York–New Jersey Train Conference for years. He is survived by his wife of forty years, Martha, and his son, Saadya.

1970s

Jane Keene ’77 was instrumental in helping the School obtain a Trademark Registration Certificate for the School. An attorney specializing in intellectual property law, Keene’s office is located in Hamilton, NJ. Thank you, Jane, for your hard work on behalf of Pennington!

1980s

Anthony DeLia ’80 is still serving in the United States Army and was recently promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Jane Bott Childrey ‘89 is rallying the troops for the Class of 89’s 30th Reunion. We have some great commitments from across the country like Kim Ellis Stein ’89, J.J. Williams ’89, and Matt Grow ’89! Jane will keep the class updated on activities this summer.

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Unfortunately, Robert Bird ’89 said he is unable to attend but promised an update prior to Homecoming for the class. If you haven’t received an email from Jane, please reach out to jane.childrey@pennington.org.

Michael Koch ’89 writes, “I’ve been living and working in New Delhi, India, for the past two and a half years. I sell airplanes for Boeing. My family is here with me, living the adventure. Washington, DC, is still home for us—renting our house out there—and we’ll return back there when the assignment is over. Geoff Crouse ’89 and I are meeting in Kathmandu, Nepal, to go mountain biking and catch up. Life is busy, but good! We’ve enjoyed the opportunity to live abroad as a family.”

“Most people from New Jersey only know Troy as that kind of ugly city that you drive through to get to the ski resorts in Vermont.

But Matt likes to call it home. Don’t feel too bad for him, though, as Troy is the next Brooklyn and is home not only to the corpse of Uncle Sam but also to Peck’s Arcade, which is listed on the OpenTable Top 100 restaurants in the United States. When Matt isn’t writing clever reunion notes, he’s giving his clients sound investment advice and telling everyone that, yes, his oldest son looks just like him and he would be unable to deny that in a court of law. Speaking of law, his wife is a lawyer, and Matt hasn’t won an argument since 2005. If you’re ever in upstate New York, feel free to drop him a line to say hello!” (continued on page 60)

1990s

Craig Schwabe ’94 arranged for the Horizon business group to visit the New York Stock Exchange for the ringing of the bell in May. Michelle Boudreau Ortiz ’95 writes, “My daughter is doing great in her first year of ‘big girl school,’ also known as kindergarten.

In February 2019, I ran the Disney Princess runs, again doing a 5k, 10k, and halfmarathon in three days.”

Sean Cavin ’98 ran into Allan Rosenberg ’66 in San Francisco and enjoyed a “gentlemen’s lunch” together.

Matt Clement ’98 has three boys and is happily married and living in Troy, NY. He writes about himself in the third person:

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

Photos: Sean Cavin ’98 and Allan Rosenberg ’66 in San Francisco; Horizon business group at NYSE. Michelle Boudreau Ortiz ’95 at the Disney Princess Run

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hen Jacob Levy ’09 was a senior, he made sure each one of his classmates knew how important it was to contribute to their class gift before graduating, even if they gave just a single dollar (although he asked everyone for five). His goal was simple: Get 100 percent of the class to participate. He succeeded, reaching ninety-six percent—regretfully unable to secure gifts from a few students who had already left campus or were successful in dodging him.

Ten years later, Levy continues to support Pennington in a number of meaningful ways. In fact, he recently became the youngest member of the Francis Harvey Green Society, which recognizes individuals who include The Pennington School in their estate-planning directives. He recalls with a smile that his initial instructions to recognize Pennington were in annual emails he sent to his father, beginning in college. “It’s really important that your wishes are known to someone,” he says.

“I thought about the organizations that meant the most to me, and Pennington is number one. Without the support and the environment it created for me, I don’t think I would have become a productive member of society.”

Levy understands that as the cost of attending a school like Pennington continues to rise, planned giving bequests can provide future financial stability for the School. He also points out that it’s an effective way for younger donors to feel that their gifts will have a significant impact: “This is a good way to give for younger donors who don’t have liquid assets,” he says. “Their bequests can help give the School financial security fifty years down the road.”

Knowing that he needed to formalize his directives outside of the annual emails he sent to his father, Levy asked a friend who is an attorney to draw up a will. His bequest to The Pennington School will not only support the School’s operating budget but will also support the Cervone Center for Learning, which was crucial to his own Pennington education. “I am dyslexic and have ADHD,” he says. “I bounced around from school to school and was getting Ds and Fs until I started at Pennington, where I got As and Bs and made the Dean’s List my first year. Pennington proved to me that if you are in the right environment, you can succeed no matter what. It allowed me to flourish and pursue anything I wanted to do.”

As a student at Pennington, Levy most vividly remembers how he was encouraged to try new things. He took up swimming his freshman year (and apparently still owes Coach George Ward ’88 a lap after finishing a regional competition one lap early from miscounting). He helped establish the School’s Holocaust program by spending months working on a documentary about his experience in Poland and Israel when participating in the March of the Living.

He also started the School’s Eye to Eye chapter, which provides student mentors for younger students with learning differences. But maybe most gratifying was how the School allowed him to experiment using its new video equipment and green screen technology during dramatic productions, allowing The Wizard of Oz to truly come alive with projected twisters and flying witches. “My initial goal was just to graduate,” he says with a laugh. By junior year, Levy was a National Honor Society member, and he was accepted to Syracuse University his senior year.

Levy credits his family, especially his parents, for his philanthropic commitments. “My parents lead by example,” he says. “They taught me to always give back to people who are less fortunate but who work just as hard.” Although Levy’s long-term intent is to donate 10 percent of his business’s annual revenue to charitable organizations, he also regularly meets with current students who are interested in entrepreneurship. “I think volunteering, just like donating, is incredibly important to helping sustain an institution, especially one that you are passionate about,” he says.

“While I was at Pennington, I gained a great appreciation for experiential learning and the importance of getting out of the classroom, which is why I want to share my experiences from college, in business, and from growing up with a learning difference. If I am only able to help one person with all that I do with the School, I will be happy. One person has the ability to change the world, and the little bit I can do to help that person find his or her own passion is enough for me.” www.pennington.org

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(continued from page 58)

Ellen Eischen ’98 won the National Science Foundation Career Award in 2018. She is looking forward to coming to Pennington in the fall of 2019 to speak with the Girls in STEM program.

Amie LaRosa ’98 is living in New York City and is a management director at Saatchi & Saatchi.

Renata Smith Nelson ’98 writes, “My husband and I are permanently living in Vienna, Austria, and loving every minute that this fantastic city’s culture, music, and history have to offer. I have been working for the last five and half years in an international organization, the International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID), which focuses on building bridges to strengthen coexistence through interreligious and intercultural dialogue in numerous parts of the world. I love the experience it has given me, particularly in my recent projects seeing people like Muslims and evangelical Christians in the United States or Muslims and Hindu children in India meet each other for the first time, often changing their impressions of one another in a positive way.”

Catherine Burns Wilson ’98 lives in Ossining, NY, with her husband, Aaron, and their two daughters, Stella (4) and Silvie (2).

2000s

Archel Desir ’00 met with a group of Pennington seniors as part of the Horizon business group to discuss business strategy for growth, risk management, and finance.

Drew Rucks ’01 writes that Zoë Rae Rucks was born September 8, 2018. Drew was 60

commissioned as a second lieutenant in the North Carolina Army National Guard and is in the Quartermaster branch.

Patrick Janson ’02 hosted a group of Pennington seniors as part of the Horizon business group in New York City, guiding them through a design thinking workshop where they created their own app and pitched it Shark Tank-style.

Scarlett McNally ’03 is staying busy with her businesses in genealogy research and custom birthday/holiday cards.

Stephen King ’04 came to campus to participate in the Young Alumni Career Panel and with his family during Alumni Weekend just days before his new “King” was born. He also enjoyed hosting a Pennington senior for his Horizon internship in computer programming.

Max Owen ’05 and his wife, Lindsey, welcomed their son, Sebastian Owen, in January. Max is enjoying his time with his family and is a proud new dad.

Corina Kwami ’06 brought the magic of jazz with pianist Ben Rocca to the SDGeneration conference in February with “Tales of Jazz Performers in Civic Life” to energize sustainability professionals in tackling development challenges at home and abroad.

It was great to see Corina on campus this year!

Stacy Mackin ’07 wed Bryant Melton at The Mint Museum in Charlotte, NC, on March 30. Her former Pennington roommate, Sydney Miller Leischner ’07, attended along with her sister, Jen Mackin ’03, and her

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2018 2019

father, Ken Mackin ’72. The happy couple will reside in Charlotte, NC. Jacob Levy ’09 hosted a group of Pennington seniors as part of the Horizon business group in New York City, walking them through the steps of evaluating a start-up business looking for investor funding.

2010s

Irina Celentano ’11 is going to teach theology and religion to sophomores and juniors at Seton Hall Prep this fall and is excited to be a part of a thirteen-person religion department.

Theo Darenkov ’13 participated in the Young Alumni Career Panel during Alumni Weekend and announced his new job and move from Boston to New York City, which has been a year in the making.

Ellie Jarboe ’14 participated in the Young Alumni Career Panel during Alumni Weekend and shared with the senior class her experience in the fashion industry, working for both big brands and start-ups.

Caroline Morano ’14 participated in the Young Alumni Career Panel during Alumni Weekend, discussing her journey in the sport events industry. She also enjoyed hosting several Pennington Student Ambassadors at an event she put together with professional soccer player Christie Pearce Rampone in New York City.

Dylan Reim ’14 writes, “I’ve gone bicoastal and moved to San Francisco after accepting a position with the legal department at Google.”

James Coyle ’15 plays soccer for Georgetown University, Austin Sumners ’15 is in grad school at Georgetown University studying Sports Management, Patrick Nelson ’15 works in finance at BlackRock, and Mike Ratner ’15 works in executive real estate in New York City.

All four gathered in Washington, DC, in February, showing that the Pennington connection stays strong.

Emma Bouton ’16 has been coordinating the Rhode Island hub of the national Sunrise Movement (sunrisemovement.org) for the past year. Sunrise is a youth-led movement working to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process. This year, Sunrise has made huge strides at bringing the Green New Deal—a sweeping policy vision of justly transitioning to 100% renewable energy—into the political mainstream. The policy of the Green New Deal is in a critical moment, so this summer Sunrise is launching a fellowship program to build power in preparation for the 2020 elections and to pass a Green New Deal in 2021. Emma will be leading the fellowship program in Rhode Island, working with eight full-time young organizers to fight climate change and work for racial and economic justice.

Joe Gallagher ’16 started his summer with a family trip to Greece and is now interning for Peter Ort P’19 ’20 ’20 ’24 in risk management.

Hannah Bradshaw ’18 is interning at the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office this summer.

Lillian Childrey ’18 finished her first year at University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill and is working at NBCU in New York City this summer in its Cyber Security unit, thanks to her senior-year Horizon internship.

Marco DiNatale ’18 is excited to be returning to the site of his Horizon internship at Chantecaille Beauty in New York City this summer; he is working with Pennington alumnus Philippe Chantecaille ’03.

Olivia Mahony ’18 went to Paraguay with other athletes from American University to build cement courts for Courts for Kids in an underprivileged area.

Former Faculty

Former Director of Athletics Dean and Kathy Waters P’95 ’98 joined former faculty member Dee and Frank Spera P’89, as well as former faculty spouse Nicky Campbell at the Florida Bear’s Club reception.

The Pennington School traveled to Florida in February to host a number of alumni receptions.

Guests joined Headmaster Bill Hawkey in Miami, Jupiter, Vero Beach, Naples, and Tampa to catch up and hear about the state of the School.

We are looking forward to our Asia Alumni Festival in Bangkok November 15–17, 2019!

Photos, top left to right: Zoë Rae Rucks, daughter of Drew Rucks ’01; Patrick Janson ’02 with group of Pennington seniors in NYC this past spring; Max Owen ’05 with wife Lindsey and new son Sebastian; Corina Kwami ’06 performing jazz; Stacy Mackin ’07 with father Ken Mackin ’72 at her wedding last March; James Coyle ’15, Austin Sumners ’15, Patrick Nelson ’15, and Mike Ratner ’15 with friends in Washington, D.C.; Joe Gallagher ’16 traveling with family in Greece; Olivia Mahony’18 in Paraguay.

Above photo: Dean and Kathy Waters P’95 ‘98 with Dee and Frank Spera in Florida

Send news and notes to

Jane Bott Childrey ’89 at jane.childrey@ pennington.org.

www.pennington.org

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L

auren Smart Ellerson graduated from The Pennington School in 2007 holding nine School swim records. Twelve years later, she is down to only one—the 100 Yard Backstroke—and she is back on campus this summer to help a rising Pennington senior, Jenna Kollevoll, break her last standing record.

Ellerson received her undergraduate degree in elementary education from Pennsylvania State University and earned her M.Ed. degree from La Salle University, where she served as graduate assistant swimming coach. “I knew my passion was teaching,” she says about her decision to study education. “And teaching is like swimming. Every day is a new day in the classroom.

Every practice is a new practice at the pool. I get to see my kids in the classroom and then on the pool deck and get to know their families. It’s incredibly rewarding.”

Currently, Ellerson teaches fifth grade in the Springfield, PA, school district, and coaches swimming. She also recently got married. In other words, her plate is full. But when Coach George Ward ’88 reached out to her earlier this year and asked her if she would consider mentoring Kollevoll, Ellerson immediately said yes. “I thought this would be such a great experience,” she says.

“Coach Ward knew that I could offer a different set of eyes for Jenna. That I would be able to see little things—like her head position—that other people couldn’t see because they were so used to her stroke.” Plus, she adds, she was touched that Coach Ward thought she could be an effective mentor to Jenna: “It was an incredible honor for him to consider me,” she says.

too, credits swimming with teaching her valuable life lessons: “Swimming takes a ton of dedication,” she says. “When you spend that much time with your teammates and coaches, it’s hard not to regard them as family and close friends.”

Ellerson is focusing her coaching this summer on Kollevoll’s starts, turns, and underwaters. “Lauren has a different point of view and has already given me a few new techniques that have been really helpful,” says Kollevoll. “It’s always good to have a new perspective.”

They both have the same goal: for Kollevoll to break Ellerson’s last School record in the upcoming swim season. “It was so humble of Lauren to come back and help me out when I’m going for her record,” says Kollevoll. “She has helped me physically and mentally.

It’s really hard for me to get into the mindset to swim my best, but she has helped me with that too.”

Ellerson knows Kollevoll will gain the mental confidence she needs to break the record. “I know she can do this because I know how hard she wants it,” Ellerson says. “I also know that going to the next record-changing ceremony will be bittersweet because my last record will come down. But it will be the perfect way to end my run.

I wouldn’t want anyone else but Jenna to break my last record.”

Coach Ward acknowledges the significant impact alumni athletes can have on current Pennington students. “I think it speaks volumes not only when any former swimmer comes back to help a current varsity swimmer, but when a current record-holder comes back to help our current premier backstroke swimmer,” he says.

“We all know records are made to be broken, but it’s pretty special when that record-holder comes back, is able to place ego and pride to the side, and help another swimmer in the spirit of making her faster and ultimately giving back to the School, the current swim program, and, in the long run, the Varsity Girls’ Swimming team.”

Like Ellerson, Kollevoll is no stranger to holding records. Her name is currently on the record board as part of three relay teams—the 200 Medley Relay, the 200 Free Relay, and the 400 Free Relay. But she was thrilled that Ellerson agreed to help coach her one-on-one.

“I’ve been struggling with my backstroke,” she explains. “I was getting good times, but I needed to get faster. I knew Lauren was an incredible Lauren Smart Ellerson ’07 backstroker when she was at Pennington, and I really admire her as a person. I’m lucky she was willing to work with me.”

Alumni Profile

What makes this pairing even more synergetic is the deep affinity both Ellerson and Kollevoll feel for Pennington swimming, even with more than a decade separating their individual experiences as swimmers here on campus. “It was nerve-racking when I came to Pennington as a freshman,” says Ellerson. “People expected a lot from me because they knew I was a good swimmer. But instead of feeling like I had to break a record at every meet, I learned that all I needed to do was swim my best and do everything I could to help the team win.” Kollevoll, 62

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

In Memoriam With sadness we remember the following members of the Pennington community who died or of whose death we learned since the publication of our last magazine: Richard H. Sharrett ’46 FT William F. Miller ’49 Lyman H. O’Neill ’55 David H. Frantz ’59 Lillian Meckler P’63 Jeannette Seamon Mastrosimone P’66 Sam I. Gellens ’68 Robert M. Friedman ’69 Mary Ann White S’69 P’94 ’97 FTS Sally Flynn P’74 ’79 FS Houston E. Landis III P’80 ’81 GP’13 ’14 James H. Biggs P’82 ’86 Joan L. Jones P’85 John D. Tibbetts ’86 Shelley H. Posen P’89 Richard P. Urfer P’98 Robert Bottoni P’99 Murray Goldfinger GP’09 Alma S. Meneghin GP’09 ’12 Rosalbino Pugliese GP’17 ’22 Maurice W. Mahony GP’18 ’21 Harry Hartpence GP’19 Joseph West GP’19 Carol Kuronya GP’21 David Smith GP’21 Martin Vanarsdale GP’21 John Anderson Payne GP’24

P–Parent; GP–Grandparent; S–Spouse; FS–Faculty Spouse; FT–Former Trustee; FTS–Former Trustee Spouse www.pennington.org

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h

ic

ss

The P e Sc

ol

ool ch

ington S nn

a r s hip C l a

Scholarship Classic Events RESCHEDULED!

Scholarship Classics are wonderful opportunities for our Pennington community to come together and raise money for financial aid while enjoying the beautiful Bedens Brook Club.

The golf and tennis events raised almost $45,000 last year!

Same Place.

New Date!

October 14

A Pennington education can change lives, encouraging students to develop not only as scholars, but as thoughtful and global citizens. All proceeds from our Classic events support scholarships and make it possible for Pennington to support a diverse and talented student body.

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

For more information, please contact Jane Bott Childrey ’89 at jane.childrey@pennington.org.

The Pennington Class of 2019 will be matriculating at the following colleges and universities: American University; University of Arizona; Bard College; Bentley University; Berklee College of Music; University of British Columbia; Brown University; University of California, San Diego; Champlain College; University of Colorado at Boulder; University of Connecticut; Daemen College; University of Delaware; Dickinson College; Drew University; Drexel University; Duke University; Elon University; University of Florida; Fordham University; Franklin & Marshall College; Front Range Community College, Larimer Campus; George Mason University; George Washington University; Hampden-Sydney College; High Point University; Ithaca College; Jacksonville University; Johns Hopkins University; Keio University Mita; Lafayette College; Lehigh University; Marist College; Michigan State University; Montana State University, Bozeman; Montclair State University; Muhlenberg College; New York University; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Northeastern University; University of Oxford; University of Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania State University; University of Pittsburgh; Queen Mary University of London; Rhode Island School of Design; University of Richmond; Rider University; University of Rochester; Rutgers University, New Brunswick; Saint Joseph’s University; Salve Regina University; San Diego State University; Savannah College of Art and Design; School of Visual Arts; Southern Methodist University; St. Olaf College; Syracuse University; Temple University; Texas Christian University; Tufts University; Vanderbilt University; Vassar College; Villanova University; Wake Forest University; Washington and Jefferson College; Washington College; College of William & Mary www.pennington.org

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The Pennington School

Non Profit Organization U.S. Postage

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

PAID

Permit No. 579 Cinnaminson, NJ

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

upcoming

Events 2019

JUNE

24: Summer Programs begin 26–29: Alumni Theater performances

JULY

25: Rocking into Summer Celebration (Atlantic City, NJ)

AUGUST 24: Performing Arts Preseason 25–30: Athletic Residential Preseason

SEPTEMBER

3: Upper School Orientation 3–4: Middle School LAUNCH 4: First Day of Classes, Upper School 5: First Day of Classes, Middle School 6: Convocation 19: Middle School Back-to-School Night 27: Upper School Back-to-School Night 30: No School: Rosh Hashanah

OCTOBER

JUNE 25: Summer Programs begin AUGUST 2: Alumni/Parent Event in Atlantic City

25: Varsity athletic preseason begins

25–26: Drama preseason

SEPTEMBER 4: Upper School orientation for all Grade 9 and new student families

4–5: Middle School LAUNCH

5: Upper School classes begin 6: Middle School classes begin

7: Convocation at 7:00 p.m.

2–4: Middle School Retreat (Oct. 3–4 only for grades 6 and 7)

9: No School: Yom Kippur

11–12: Homecoming

14: Scholarship Classic Event

20: Admission Open House

NOVEMBER

6–9:

11:

15–17:

25–29:

30:

Fall Play Fall Concert Asia Alumni Festival (Bangkok, Thailand) Thanksgiving Break Winter Alumni Games

DECEMBER

3:

5:

14:

18:

23–Jan. 6:

International Day of Giving NYC Alumni Holiday Reception HomeFront Holiday Party College Alumni Spend-a-Day Lessons and Carols Winter Break