The Pennington School Spring/Summer 2021 Magazine

Spring/Summer 2021

WE DID IT!

C E L E B R AT I N G S U CC E SS I N A N U N P R EC E D E N T E D Y E A R

ck a b us e we’r on camp this fall!

Alumni,

homecoming

AND

reunion WEEKEND OCTOBER AND

8 9, 2021

Come join us for a fun-filled weekend to reconnect with friends, celebrate milestones, and show your Pennington pride! We have missed gathering in person for our Pennington alumni traditions and events and can’t wait to see everyone back on campus this fall for the festivities. This year’s event will be extra-special as we double the Reunion fun and catch up from last year’s missed class gatherings.

weekend highlights Friday, October 8

• 50th Reunion Dinners: 1970 and 1971 • Reunion Celebration Parties: 1975, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2016 • Decade Reunions: 1940s, 1950s, 1960s

Saturday, October 9

• Athletic Hall of Fame Breakfast • Campus tours, Homecoming Row, athletic events, Nina’s Waffles and Ice Cream, 1911 Smokehouse BBQ • Golden Guard Dinner: 1940–1971 • All-Alumni Party, followed by Boys’ Soccer under the lights!

Go online for the full schedule of events and to register at ii Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021 pennington.org/homecoming2021

CONTENTS Features:

4. C OMMUNITY

Whether celebrating School spirit, working together on service to the greater community, or participating in special events, the Pennington community is like no other.

10. A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A MIDDLE SCHOOLER

Pennington’s Middle School has the best of both worlds—a small and separate curriculum and a roster of activities that take advantage of all the opportunities and facilities offered on an exceptional high school campus.

And meet Chrissie Knight, head of Middle School!

24. T HE ARTS AT PENNINGTON

Discover all that our Arts programs offer to students, from those who want to explore and try out a new skill to highly accomplished artists in each discipline, and read about how William Mastrosimone ’66 developed the grit to become an award-winning playwright.

44. C OMPUTER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Courses offered by the Mathematics and Technology departments give students the twenty-first-century skills they need to succeed in college and beyond. David Wan ’16 is just beginning graduate school in the field!

54. H ORIZON REVAMPED

The senior-year Horizon Program underwent some big changes this year and will transform this capstone experience for all seniors going forward!

60. C OMMENCEMENT 2021

Pennington honored this year’s seniors with a traditional ceremony that included some nontraditional elements.

Also Inside: 2. From the Head of School 15. M iddle School Play: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

17. Eighth-Grade Graduation 18. Special Events 20. Parents for Pennington News 23. Alumni Month Highlights 36. Spring Play: Changing Channels 38. T he Francis Harvey Green Society and Drew Curry ’76

40. US Winter Athletics 48. Board of Trustees News 50. US Spring Athletics 64. Alumni News and Class Notes 73. In Memoriam

Spring/Summer 2021 • Volume 62, No. 1 Head of School William S. Hawkey, Ph.D. Editor Lori G. Lipsky Director of Communications and Marketing llipsky@pennington.org 609–737–6156 Communications Team Julia Corrigan, digital media marketing associate Tina Lambdin, graphic designer Emma Wells, communications associate Assistant Head of School for Community Life Chad Bridges Assistant Head of School for Strategic Initiatives Charles D. Brown Director of Admission and Financial Aid Sharon Jarboe Head of Middle School Chrissie Knight

Contributing Writers Tamara Alito, Margo Andrews, Karen Balerna, Chad Bridges ’96, Brooke Buchanan, Jane Bott Childrey ’89, Ken Coakley, Katelyn Coates, Julia Corrigan, Bonnie Cusack, Dolores Eaton, Deborah Fermo, Caroline Hall, David Hallgren, William S. Hawkey, Lisa Houston, Suzanne Houston, Sara Kestenbaum ’21, Chrissie Knight, Len Leib, Aidan Medina ’22, Patrick Murphy ’80, Gretchen Overhiser, Scott Peeler, Jo Prockop, Trinity Pryor ’21, Alicia Reed, Christina Riso, Isabella Rossi ’21, Xavier Sang ’22, Jessie Shaffer, Samantha Stern-Leaphart, Erica DeKranes Torsiello ’10, Steve Trimble, Cynthia Wallace P’ 20 ’23 ’26, George Ward ’88, Emma Wells, and Susan Wirsig Contributing Photographers Tamara Alito, Margo Andrews, Stephanie Balazsi, Karen Balerna, Jane Bott Childrey ’89, Ken Coakley, Katelyn Coates, Julia Corrigan, Long Ding, Dolores Eaton, Maureen Farina, Lisa Fitzpatrick, Kris Giacobbe P ’22, Caroline Hall, Lisa Houston, Jim Inverso, Maureen Iorio, Chrissie Knight, Tracy Kuser, Tina Lambdin, Lori Lipsky, Keri Marino, Patrick Murphy ’80, Gretchen Overhiser, Mike Schwartz, Tim Scott, Peter Secrest ’13, Jessie Shaffer, Steve Trimble, Ryan Vogt, George Ward ’88, and Susan Wirsig

Printing Prism Color Corporation The Pennington School 112 West Delaware Avenue, Pennington, NJ 08534 609–737–1838 www.pennington.org All materials copyright © 2021 by The Pennington School unless otherwise noted. The cupola logo is a registered trademark of The Pennington School.

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

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

www.pennington.org

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LETTER FROM THE

HEAD OF

SCHOOL

This magazine went to press just after our 180th Commencement ceremony, honoring the Class of 2021 on the morning of June 5, and our Middle School graduation on June 10.

These occasions were the first formal Pennington School events held on our campus since Convocation in the fall of 2019! It was an incredible sight when I walked to the stage and looked out upon our 115 seniors (a few of them joining us virtually since they are abroad) and their parents. It may have looked different, with the seniors sitting in pods with their families rather than with each other, but it was heartening to know that we truly are on a path to recovery since we could—finally!—be together in person.

I can’t mention Commencement 2021 without calling attention to the resilience and grit this class showed since the world shut down in March of 2020. These seniors encountered one obstacle after another, but they did not let any of them stand in their way. They achieved great things both individually and collectively, and they participated in so many different service initiatives that it is impossible to list them all here. Our students never lost sight of opportunities that can have a positive impact on others! All the while, these kids did not complain about all they had lost but focused instead on what they had found and what they could make of what they had available to them. They did this quietly and with humility, but their work was noticed by so many of us who work here at Pennington, and we have appreciated their ability to persevere with grace. Their collective social/emotional intelligence and strong work ethic are what really shines through, and these characteristics will serve them well on their onward journeys, just as they have served as excellent role models for the underclassmen that will follow them up the same steps to collect their diplomas in the future.

The extraordinary fortitude of Pennington’s dedicated faculty and staff and their commitment to our students are the glue that held this community together as we weathered the global pandemic. They had to forsake visits with loved ones, learn new technology, adapt to new schedules, and grapple with lesson plans that were meant to be delivered in person and had to be reconfigured to maintain their strength when delivered in a virtual format. They delivered supplies, wisdom, and a good dose of humor to our students. They continued to hold advisory meetings, rehearsals, and practices; lead efforts in sustainability and community service; and supported all the School’s decisions and policies that kept our community safe and healthy this year. Our employees pushed through their own discomfort and never abandoned our mission to develop individual excellence in all of our students. I can’t thank them enough for all that they accomplished this year.

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021

I am also so proud of our Pennington alumni, who attended virtual events when they could not come to campus because we had to restrict visitors. They spoke to our Global Studies and Applied Science students about their career paths, shared their stories and wise counsel, and opened up new possibilities to them. Our wonderful end-of-year Horizon program was reconfigured this year (read more about this on page 54) and included dozens of alumni who participated in panel discussions, career nights, guest lectures, and even interviews with our seniors to give them some real-world experience.

We had a number of current parents join us as Horizon presenters as well. I am happy to report that our parents were such terrific supporters of all of our initiatives this year. Parents helped us determine our response to the pandemic; they donated to the School in large numbers to offset the enormous costs we had to incur in order to implement many of our health and safety protocols; and they even sent us 10,000 masks from China when masks were impossible to find here in the United States. Even more important, they worked around our cohort schedules, our rules for everyday health and safety and our travel restrictions; they managed every change to our daily schedule over the course of fifteen months; and they supported their children as we all did our best to manage the various challenges of the pandemic. Despite all of this, we all witnessed examples of initiative, resilience, optimism, and a “can-do” spirit.

Since January of this year, I found myself spending a lot of time in the wooded sections of our campus which is, as it is for half of our teaching faculty, my home. We had one outdoor classroom but no obvious path to follow on our 55 acres. I started to use my weekends to clear a trail on the north end of campus (Lewis Brook Woods), and to identify new spaces for more outdoor classrooms. Peter Tucci, our Board chair, joined me on the weekends in this pursuit. And, from winter to spring, we were joined by some boarding students, a few teachers, and some family members who helped with the work. This fall, we will have a grand opening of our nature trail at Homecoming in October, and our community will have two new classrooms to use that are surrounded by nature. Looking back, I now see this trail as a metaphor for the path forward that we have discovered together, one step at a time.

Yours in Pennington,

William S. Hawkey

www.pennington.org

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What is so special about

PENNINGTON?

Extracts from emails written to Bill Hawkey during the year from faculty and staff

“Sharon Jarboe, our director of admission, took in a boarding student when the world shut down last March, and she hosted that student until everyone came back to Pennington in the fall!

Gretchen Overhiser is another faculty member who hosted a student for months during the pandemic.”

“Margo Andrews should be recognized for her dedication to, and successes with, promoting environmental consciousness and social justice within our community. The programs she leads are directly responsible for concrete, lasting changes that provoke moral and intellectual growth for both students and adults at Pennington.”

“Art teachers drove to students’ houses after the campus closed in March 2020 to deliver art supplies to students so that their classes could continue and students could work on their projects at home.”

“Bill Hawkey and Peter Tucci have been clearing a trail on the campus for everyone in the community to use. I don’t know of another school where the head and the board chair spend their weekends doing physical work to improve life for all of us on campus.”

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021

“In a year where the very idea of having athletics was uncertain, Caitlin Nielsen went above and beyond to create an environment that allowed players and coaches to compete and still feel safe. She developed protocols to protect everyone and was still able to give treatment to all to keep players healthy. Without her efforts we would not have been able to have any sports this year.”

“Sodexo has done a great job of redesigning the dining hall and food service during the pandemic, making sure we still have excellent options for meals, serving everyone personally because we are not allowed to serve ourselves, keeping everything clean, dealing with changes to the schedule that increase/decrease the number of students/faculty/staff coming to meals, and so much more.”

“Samm Stern-Leaphart has made a difference every single day in the lives of our students—whether in the classroom as a teacher, supporting our students outside the classroom in clubs, or being a hall parent in the dorm or during extra meetings. She has also been a resource for support and guidance for our alumni of color. Samm and Delonte Egwuatu, who joined us this year, have done a tremendous amount of important and thoughtful work this year on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Pennington at such a critical time for our community and the School.”

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“Ken Coakley made it possible for our faculty, staff, and students to function uninterrupted remotely, possibly during one of the most challenging times in the history of The Pennington School. His dedication to providing the best technological experience to the Pennington community is so much more than what’s expected.”

“Gretchen Overhiser and a huge number of other faculty members, current parents, and alumni worked together to invent a new program for seniors during the month of May, when the usual internships were not available because of the pandemic. This gave the Class of 2021 such a meaningful way to end their years at Pennington.”

“This year was a challenging year for everyone.

Christine Miller has gone above and beyond, for all of us who work at Pennington, with every twist and turn this year...and there have been so many. Christine worked through every change, update, and new protocol with calm and grace and I, and I’m sure the entire Pennington community, am extremely thankful for all that she has done this year. Thank you, Christine!“ “Our entire custodial and operations staff has worked incredibly hard to keep us safe and healthy!”

“Pennington drama faculty took to heart the idea that the show must go on. They have worked every season since last year to make sure that the drama students, and our entire community, had theatre to turn to as an outlet and something to bring us together.”

“Len Leib taught his international students in AP Comp Sci and AP Statistics in the morning between 6 and 8 for every class so they could have synchronous classes at a time that worked for them.

I am in awe of him!”

“Chelsi Meyerson always brings her positive energy into our Middle School spaces for both students and teachers and showers all of us with appreciation and support. It’s genuine; it’s constant.”

“Chad Bridges, our dean of students, personally delivered meals to the boarders who had to quarantine this winter and made sure that we were well taken care of.”

“To me, the School garden is a symbol of our community. We all pitch in to plant seeds, we compost in the dining hall and bring it over there, we water and weed the plants, and then we harvest the food, which we can bring home to eat or donate to local food banks.

It’s a very busy but serene place, and all are welcome there.”

“Our Health Center led us through the pandemic with calm guidance, thoughtful plans, and warm and loving care.”

“Chrissie Knight is the embodiment of honor, virtue, and humility, not to mention inclusivity and belonging. She celebrates the inherent value of every single member of the Pennington community and models a leadership style that not only allows for but also encourages all voices to be heard. She leads the Middle School without ego or judgment.

She cares deeply and is in a constant state of learning, listening, and thinking about how to grow and improve. She is creative, empathic, wise, and calm.”

“Susan Wirsig and her students found ways to continue their work in Malawi via Zoom, and they also managed during the pandemic to make and deliver medical supplies that were created right here in our Makerspace.”

“Our extraordinary librarians kept the resources of Meckler Library alive for all of us even as their space was converted to classrooms. Their work is known and appreciated by teachers (who depend on them for LibGuides, citation lessons, book recommendations, and more) and by students, who also rely on them as Class Dean (Laura Doughty) and advisor (Tamara Alito). They are two consummate professionals and experts in their fields who are able to provide the most high-quality research instruction across grades, and add value to the life of our School. They are always willing to drop everything and help with a project at a moment’s notice.”

I FOUND MY COMMUNITY

by Tiia McKinney ’21

I grew up on a small island 1,050 miles from New Jersey, yearning to explore the larger possibilities of life. My desire for exploration motivated me to search for boarding schools, and in my eighth-grade year I haphazardly submitted applications, hoping that even one school saw potential in me, enough to embrace me.

I remember taking a week off of my learning in the Bahamas to board a plane and tour schools in New Jersey. With a suitcase full of my limited winter attire, I prepared for the stormy weather of the trip. The bright day when I visited Pennington was a stark contrast to the hazy grey days of my other visits, and from the moment I stepped on campus, I knew that this was the place for me. In Pennington’s bright array of flags hanging from the ceiling of the dining hall, I saw the aquamarine and yellow streaming off of my own flag that represented Pennington’s diversity and seemed to promise me that Pennington would embrace me too.

After I learned that I would be attending Pennington, my heart jumped as I imagined an array of opportunities, and my last days at home went by in a blur as I focused on joining a new community. I hadn’t fully comprehended that in order to gain a new perspective I had to say goodbye to the Sunday afternoons at my grandma’s house, the Saturdays at the beach with my cousins, and what was my normal routine. Not until after the plane hit the rough gravel on the runway, and I later sat in the dark parking lot of my new school feeling all alone, did I realize what I was missing. As I left one home behind, I had the opportunity to discover a new home for the next four years.

I was a lost freshman sitting in my teachers’ offices, trying to familiarize myself with my new surroundings. For the first time, I was without my family, trying to connect with others while finding myself as an individual. In the middle of this chaos, I joined the Art Club, sitting in the bright room with tall unfamiliar windows, drawing scribbles of Bahamian sunsets. I sat in meetings quietly, deciphering the perspectives of my peers, and I slowly began to raise my shaky voice to share my own opinions.

The colors and the marks drew me to art for three more years, preparing me to lead Art Club in the way that I had seen my other classmates lead years before. Art helped me to find my confidence and my place in a new community. Understanding where I belonged helped me to push that shy freshman in the corner as my confidence outshone her. I found my community in the Art Club, in the dorms with my friends, in Advisory, and in my classes.

Even in the middle of a pandemic, the strong aspects of the Pennington community supported me miles away at my home. I have found a community where even over blurry screens, I still felt a part of campus in a unique way. As we all prepare to leave our home at Pennington, I reflect on my own experience leaving home years ago. For many of us, this reality of leaving home does not become clear until you join a new community. As I learned when I was a young, inexperienced freshman, although we cannot hold onto any one journey forever, we can apply our memories and lessons as we transition into the new paths of our lives. www.pennington.org

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Community

Service AT PENNINGTON

by The Rev. David Hallgren

C

ommunity service is a deeply held commitment for students at The Pennington School. Whether it is a sports team coming together to do a food drive, Girl and Boy Scouts sharing their Gold and Eagle projects with the School, or a campus-wide event like the Mini-THON dance marathon this past May, community service has been one way that students have held onto a sense of normalcy during this anything-but-normal time. The identity of what it means to be a Pennington student still remains rooted in community service.

We do not just say this; we see it lived out in a variety of ways, and during the COVID-19 pandemic our commitment has been on full display. Although a lot of things in the world shut down, the opportunities to serve and connect with each other in community have been abundant.

The Community Service Club is a studentled group at the School that organizes and

A group of Pennington students delivered seventy Jared Boxes, filled with small gifts, to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia!

empowers the entire community to engage with serving others. Our co-presidents, seniors Julia McDougall and Molly Gibbard, worked hard to inspire many students to participate in these service opportunities.

We are very proud of projects such as the HomeFront Holiday Coat Drive, which brought in over two hundred winter coats, and our new pen-pal program with a local extended care facility. Students have written letters to folks who feel isolated and do not have family around them.

It is very apparent that community service at Pennington does not come just from the club; it permeates other groups and student

organizations. The Peer Leaders motivated the entire Pennington School community by carrying on the tradition of the HomeFront Holiday Party in December despite the challenges. It would have been much easier to postpone or cancel the annual event, but through the hard work of the HomeFront leaders, student leaders, and our families, more than one hundred large holiday gift bags were presented to families served by HomeFront. It was so important to us to keep our relationships with HomeFront families who were unable to come to our campus for events this year.

As the faculty advisor to the Community Service Club, I have been impressed with our students’ commitment to helping others.

The work that they do is not required by the School, nor is it done to pad their résumés for college applications. The creativity and drive our students have to serve others is amazing to me. I have spent my entire career working with religious groups and nonprofits in service, and the ethos of service at The Pennington School rivals any group of adults I have worked with previously.

Sophomores Perri Rubin and Chloe McKain worked together on campus to make their own masks. Perri and her mother handed out the finished products and a snack to residents in Philadelphia.

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021

This year’s Chapel theme was community—and the exploration of all of the hard work necessary to maintain and build the Pennington community and enjoy it together.

“

I see Chapel as a time for the entire community to gather

in a safe space for everyone. I hope that it is inspirational and

The Reverend David Hallgren

B

efore coming to The Pennington School, David Hallgren served Presbyterian churches in New Jersey, Seattle, and most recently in Pennington as a pastor.

His main roles have focused on building community and working with families and young people. This work included leading international service trips to Haiti and Mexico. He has also led groups on domestic trips to work on the Yakama Native American reservation, and to work on community renewal and food distribution in cities including Detroit, Boston, Pittsburgh, Seattle, and Memphis. Hallgren is committed to social justice and loves seeing young people engage in experiences that challenge their sense of what is right or wrong, and that offer them ways to act on their developing ethics and beliefs about justice. Hallgren lives in Pennington and supports his daughters, as they compete in diving and soccer, and his wife, who runs marathons. He teaches children’s classes in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and his practice of that martial art inspired him to partner with a friend and start a nonprofit organization in 2019 called #Notonmywatch (www. notonmywatchnj.org). This organization works to eliminate sexual violence and to level the social inequalities that contribute to a culture of violence. He also teaches women’s self-defense and leads programs for children to help build character around these issues.

instructional. I hope our community is inspired to care for themselves, for others, and for the resources of our world. Our weekly program gives time for students and faculty to take a deep breath, take inventory of how they are feeling, and assess any needs that they have as individuals. I also hope that we are learning what it means to care not just for ourselves, but also for each other. I believe that a close community is not a goal to achieve; rather, it develops by meaningful work together.

When we study, serve, play, and meet challenges together, we experience a deeper connection to each other and to our

communal identity. Chapel is a place where we can talk about how that happens and name the ways this process forms us.

As organized religion and church membership are in decline, Chapel can help us address the challenges of injustice and help uphold morality and ethics. Our work together in Chapel is to wonder what is good and then to envision together how we may achieve it for all.

”

Chapel IN THE PENNINGTON

Community

7

April 30 was the first day that the entire Pennington community came to campus this academic year, arriving at different times throughout the day in groups.

Students, faculty, and staff all enjoyed a beautiful (if windy!) spring day outdoors in the fresh air as they participated in activities both on campus and off.

Community

DAY

April 30, 2021

8

The Middle School arrived early to play games with their Junior Proctors. They spent the rest of the day practicing their outdoor leadership skills with instructors from the Princeton-Blairstown Center and doing different activities that included capture the flag, outdoor cooking, and scavenger hunts before enjoying some Uncle Ed’s ice cream and time to socialize and relax.

Upper School freshmen participated in a morning retreat with their Peer Leaders followed by an afternoon of fun activities.

Sophomores departed for Sourland Mountain for a long hike and picnic lunch before returning to campus for afternoon activities.

Juniors performed many services for local members of the Pennington community, helping with outdoor work in the afternoon.

Seniors arrived at noon and broke into their Horizon teams for some important information before getting together for pizza.

The break from classes and time to enjoy each other’s company and great activities was appreciated by all! The Kona Ice truck also made a special appearance for the students and provided some much needed refreshments.

WELCOME BACK DAY

May 10, 2021 On the morning of May 10, the faculty and staff were delighted to welcome all Pennington students back to campus for the first time since the pandemic caused the School to close in March of 2020. Until this day, students had been divided into two cohorts to reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19, with each cohort on campus every other week.

Filled with joy at seeing friends from all grades together again, students said it felt like the first day of school in September. www.pennington.org

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A A

n essential part of the Pennington School community, our Middle Schoolers contribute their high energy, zest, curiosity, and wisdom, all while learning and growing at lightning speed. “There’s a playfulness that Middle School brings that adds joy and levity and a different perspective,” said Chrissie Knight, head of Middle School. Indeed, Pennington would be much different without its Middle School students, who give Upper School students numerous occasions on which they can be mentors, leaders, and role models.

With just over 100 students, the Middle School is small and friendly, but it also offers students big opportunities to grow both inside and outside the classroom.

The Middle School has its own building, dedicated faculty, curriculum, and slate of co-curricular activities, but it also has all the resources of a grades 6–12 school. Middle Schoolers have access to a 55-acre campus, extensive arts and athletics facilities, and—of course—their Upper School student mentors.

“The resources are pretty extraordinary and are a great benefit to the Middle Schoolers,” said Knight. “How many 100person middle schools have a ceramics studio, a recording booth, a turf field?

It’s incredible what we have access to because we’re part of the larger School.”

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Day

in the

To get a taste of Pennington’s Middle School, follow along through the day in the life of a typical Middle Schooler.

DROP - OFF – Middle Schoolers arrive at their own dedicated entrance off Wesley Drive near Stainton Hall, the Middle School building. The Middle School lobby offers words of welcome, kindness, and wisdom and features an ever-changing artistic display of current student work and topics of study.

7:30 a.m.

ENGLISH – English classes at Pennington develop students into critical and creative communicators, readers, and thinkers. Sixth-graders study English in their Humanities class, a double-block, interdisciplinary language arts and social studies course. After Grade 6, Middle School students take separate English and history classes.

8:00 a.m.

HISTORY – Seventh-graders take U.S. History and Government, while eighth-graders study Global Perspectives. Sixth-graders study geography, history, diverse cultures, and current events as part of their Humanities course. A favorite event every fall is the Constitution Challenge, when the seventh-grade students face off against the sophomore honors US history students—and often win!

8:55 a.m.

SCIENCE – In the Middle School science curriculum, sixth-graders take Life Science, where they are introduced to topics in biology and ecology and learn to think scientifically. Seventh-graders take Earth Science and study climate, rocks and elements, natural resources, and the earth’s interior. Eighth-graders take Physical Science, which provides students with a sampling of physics and chemistry.

9:50 a.m.

EXPLOR ATORY/ELEC TIVE – During the Exploratory/Elective period, students choose from a variety of exploratory courses and electives ranging from visual art and theatre to public speaking to chorus to Odyssey of the Mind. Over the course of a year, Middle Schoolers rotate through three electives and three exploratories during Period 4. Art, music, and health are all studied during the year. Elective courses offered in recent years include instrumental ensembles, Girl Power, knitting and needlepoint, puppetry, architecture, digital photography, technical theatre, story writing, and ceramics. Offering these elective classes allows students to pursue a passion or try something for the very first time.

10:45 a.m.

Life

of a

e l d School Mid er LUNCH – At 11:25 a.m., you might spot groups of Middle Schoolers running at full tilt toward the Dining Hall—lunch really is that tasty at Pennington! The Dining Hall has an abundance of healthful options for students, although it’s not uncommon to see the Middle Schoolers eat dessert first! Middle School students have a dedicated lunch period when they eat and then can participate in a variety of activities outside before heading back to class.

11:25 a.m.

L ANGUAGE – All Middle School students are required to take a language class, and they can choose between Latin and Spanish. In eighth grade, students have the option of taking Upper School Latin, Spanish, French, or German.

12:15 P.m.

STUDY HALL – Study Hall gives Middle Schoolers the opportunity to read, complete homework, study, or collaborate on a group project during a dedicated period, lessening the amount of work to be completed at home.

Each student is assigned to a Study Hall supervised by a faculty member.

1:10 P.m.

MATH – Middle Schoolers are placed in math courses depending on their individual proficiency level. Courses range from Math 6, a foundational course for sixth-grade students, to advanced Upper School mathematics.

2:05 P.m.

2:55 P.m.

CL A SSES END, but the school day continues with extracurricular activities!

EX TR A HELP – All Pennington students have the opportunity to avail themselves of extra help after school, from any of their teachers. This is the time to clarify an assignment, ask questions, or just check in to be sure they are on the right track.

3:00 P.m.

AFTER-SCHOOL AC TIVITIES – After school, it’s time for sports, Middle School Play, Art, Yoga, or Outdoor Club. Each Middle Schooler plays at least one team sport per year. There are three athletic seasons, and students can choose sports such as soccer, field hockey, cross country, basketball, swimming, lacrosse, and track. From first-time players to experienced athletes, there’s a place for everyone to learn, grow, and have fun.

3:30 P.m.

www.pennington.org

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HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL

Chrissie Knight

Chrissie Knight has served as the head of Pennington’s Middle School since 2019. Prior to Pennington, Knight was the assistant head of school at Princeton Friends School, and she holds a Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary.

Knight went to seminary knowing that she wanted to work in education, and the skills she developed there have served her well in her capacity as Middle School head. She was drawn to questions that have many answers, and honed her ability to listen deeply, understand the complexities of humans and life, and know that what is in front of you is not always the whole story. She learned to write and speak more succinctly and to ask the right questions, all important skills when communicating with Middle Schoolers. The pastoral skills of working with all types of people also prepared her for working with adolescents in a unique way.

CHRISSIE KNIGHT PROFILE

Upon arriving at Pennington, Knight was immediately struck by the Middle School faculty’s deep care for their students, as well as their excitement for and joy in teaching. “They really love what they do and are so thoroughly dedicated to it,” says Knight. “What is most notable to me is the extent to which they really know each student as an individual.” Middle School teachers are hired specifically for their experience and skill working with students of this age group.

Knight is likewise delighted by the Middle School students and finds joy in watching them engage in work and play, tackle challenges, and participate in thoughtful and sometimes difficult discussions. Knight also sees the Middle School years as a remarkable period of growth. “There’s so much development that happens in Middle School,” she says. “It’s a rocket pace for three years.

In Middle School, you see the students change physically. I think even having that visible change and that growth is a reminder that we’re all growing, whether you can see it on the outside or not.”

She emphasizes, “Part of our responsibility is to empower our students to see their responsibility in the world. One of those commitments is to our care of the environment and our responsibility to help lessen our negative impact on the earth, and to be good stewards of what we’ve been given. This happens through many venues. It’s in the poetry they read, it’s in their books, it’s in their science classes. And I think if they’re given the opportunity to be outside more, it brings joy and it can bring awe. Where students feel awe, they will feel appreciation, and they will feel gratitude, and they’ll be more likely to take care of the things that inspire those feelings. And they have fun outside! Students are better able to focus after they’ve had some time outside.”

The spirit of Pennington’s Middle School is evident throughout the entire campus and helps create the sense of welcome, inclusion, and industry that makes The Pennington School such an exceptional place in which to learn and grow.

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021

“It’s a joy to be with these students, to hear their voices.

I love sitting in my office with the door open and hearing their

voices in the hall and listening to their laughter.” —Chrissie Knight

And there’s much more!

Here are just a few elements that are part of the Middle School experience.

JUNIOR PROCTORS One immense benefit of attending a 6–12 school is the opportunity for interaction and mentorship between younger and older students. “Peers, even if they’re five or six years older, are great leaders and teachers for our students,” says Knight.

“They’re just being their wonderful selves, and the Middle Schoolers see that, and they learn from them.”

This dynamic plays out formally in Pennington’s Junior Proctor program.

Typically on Friday mornings, Middle Schoolers meet with their Junior Proctor groups, each of which is led by two Pennington juniors. Junior Proctors are a special group of Upper School students who facilitate weekly activities (ranging from serious to pure fun) with their designated Middle School groups. Junior Proctors are selected after an intensive application process, and they’re trained to serve as mentors and role models for the Middle Schoolers.

Knight adds that Upper Schoolers can also learn from Middle Schoolers.

“Knowledge and wisdom that come from younger years are still very valid when you’re in high school or even your forties or sixties.”

ADVISORS AND CLASS DEANS Each student has a faculty advisor who provides unconditional support and the resources to guide academic and personal growth. Advisors help students set goals, monitor academic and extracurricular progress, engage in service projects, facilitate discussions ranging in topic from world events to character development, and make course recommendations for the following year. Faculty advisors are considered the “hub” of information related to a student, and they are just as much an advisor to parents as they are to their students. Advisors regularly meet with their advisory groups (consisting of six to ten students) in addition to individual meetings that may take place during study halls, before or after school, during lunch, or as needed.

Each grade level also has its own Class Dean, whose role is to serve as a center of information regarding all students and activities within their designated grade. Middle School Class Deans take advantage of all the systems and resources in place at Pennington to ensure that each student has the opportunity to grow and succeed.

CHAPEL AND COMMUNITY MEETINGS Chapel is a time of personal and meaningful reflection, and the Middle School has its own Chapel period each week that is led by the School chaplain. Chapel is a spiritual time, rather than a religious one.

It is a time to recognize all faiths and find meaning in our day-to-day decisions and experiences. Community Meeting is a time for important announcements, student performances, celebratory recognitions, or processing issues in our community and around the world.

PHYSICAL LIFE SKILLS Physical life skills are an important part of the curriculum and take place each week during a special period; all Middle School students learn to swim and study yoga and mindfulness. www.pennington.org

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MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS

Poem in Your Pocket Day For the past thirteen years, Lisa Fitzpatrick has been celebrating Poem in Your Pocket Day with her Middle School students. This year her seventh-graders crafted poetry in response to a photograph posted by author Sharon Creech on social media. The students’ poems were shared with Creech, whose books are often assigned for summer reading. Creech and her husband, Lyle Rigg, lived at The Pennington School from 1998 to 2006 when Rigg was head of school.

Sixth-graders also celebrated the day by finding special poems online, then shared them in class and emailed them to a friend or family member and suggested they pass it on. Poem in Your Pocket Day takes place every year during National Poetry Month.

Acting Vocabulary Students in Humanities class love acting out their vocabulary words.

By doing so, they create strong connections to the words and their meanings, and they also provide much entertainment. In this scene Babushka is being “elusive” after committing a crime.

Odyssey of the Mind The fifteen members of the Middle School Odyssey of the Mind team kept busy working on several fun projects this year. They created an automatic bubble-making machine that was run by a motor and produced bubbles one foot in diameter. They made an automatic water dispenser that employed a sensor and motor to fill a cup with fresh water, and they also designed and crafted costumes using recyclable materials. Although the team had an abbreviated season, meeting over Zoom and in person for practices, the students gained new skills and enthusiasm for the program, all while staying safe.

Chinese Learning Stations As the sixth-grade Humanities students finished the novel, Ties that Bind, Ties that Break, set in China during the early 1900s, they delved further into their exploration of Chinese culture with a visit from two Pennington Upper School students. Jack Wang ’21, with the help of Anna Zhang ’22, patiently taught the students how to create their own Chinese calligraphy!

Battleship Math Lesson Mr. Ding is always looking for ways to bring learning to life for his students. In his Pre-Algebra class, students use the classic game Battleship to understand coordinate planes by designing their own creative map.

The project also helps students get ready to understand and graph linear functions in the future.

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THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF

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hroughout our many years at The Pennington School and our involvement in various Pennington theatre productions, we learned many valuable lessons in collaboration, work ethic, and creativity.

When we were chosen to direct the Middle School Play, we were so excited to pass on our knowledge to the future generations of Pennington Drama.

As lifers (who attended Pennington from grades 6 through 12), we know that this show was not only an opportunity for mentorship, but also a fullcircle moment to complete our Pennington Drama experience.

This year has brought many challenges to our daily lives and to the ways in which we produce theatre.

After working on three productions during this pandemic, we felt prepared to undertake this effort with enthusiasm and newly acquired skills. We wanted to embrace the joy of theatre and bring back some of the magic both for the audience and the students. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz offers a bright world for the actors to create from and explore.

Building off the original storyline, we set our show in a junkyard, where the characters find beauty and friendship from the rubble of recyclable materials.

For us, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz represents finding hope in a foreign environment—hope that we wanted to impart to our actors and audience.

We envisioned ourselves as Dorothy, trying to find her way back to normality when everything looks different around her. Although the journey was difficult, we met friends along the way who helped us stand up to the Wicked Witch that is COVID-19.

With a narrator-based script, this production offered the opportunity for the entire cast and crew to work together to build the story of the show through many props, costumes, and characters. Although the Middle School community was divided into cohorts, this show united the whole cast across grade levels as they worked together in the ensemble. Through all of the block movements, impromptu costume changes, and hand gestures, the Middle Schoolers brought enthusiasm and passion to each and every moment. Growing up through this program, we have truly found that there is no place like the Pennington Theatre community, our home.

—Trinity Pryor ’21 and Isabella Rossi ’21 www.pennington.org

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GRANDPARENTS

AND VIPS GATHER

FOR A SPECIAL ZOOM EVENT

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his past spring, we continued our annual tradition of holding a special event designed to bring together Pennington grandparents and VIPs (other very important people and relatives in our students’ lives). This year’s event, Grandparent and VIP Virtual Visit, took place on April 21, 2021, and brought together more than 100 guests for an inside look at the latest and greatest at the School.

The program included a “State of the School” presentation from Head of School William S. Hawkey, along with speakers Chad Bridges ’96, assistant head of school for community life, and Chrissie Knight, head of Pennington’s Middle School. Attendees caught a glimpse of all that went into making the school year possible, and heard about the tremendous creativity shown by our students and faculty members in navigating a very unusual year.

Susan Wirsig described the student STEM Club projects in Malawi.

Gary and Judy King GP’25, along with their granddaughter, Juliet Walton ’25, came to Pennington’s Grandparent and VIP Day, sporting their red and black. They were very impressed with the students and the campus leaders!

Joy Jones GP’23 ’26 ’26 enjoyed learning more about our STEM students and their Malawi projects.

Those in attendance were also treated to a closer look at one of Pennington’s signature academic programs. Susan Wirsig, director of the Applied Science Certificate Program, and some of her students shared the impressive work they are doing, even from afar this past year, in using their STEM skills to help bring technology and innovation to students in the Dzaleka refugee camp in Malawi, Africa.

Grandparents also had a chance to ask questions and learn more about how Pennington students were able to thrive and achieve great things this past year, whether learning on campus or remotely.

This event holds a special place in our hearts, and we treasure the care, commitment, and involvement of our wonderful Pennington grandparents! We will be delighted to host the event on campus and in person once again next year.

Save the date for next year’s event on

April 14, 2022.

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021

We hope to see you there!

On Thursday, June 10, the Middle School celebrated the Class of 2025 at an outdoor ceremony under the big tent on Heritage Field. The Middle School Instrumental Ensemble played “Promenade” and “The Great Gate of Kiev” from Pictures at an Exhibition

by Modest Mussorgsky, arranged by Dr. Dolan, during the processional. This was followed by an invocation and opening remarks from Head of Middle School Chrissie Knight and Head of School Bill Hawkey. Benjamin Pearlberg ’25 gave the First in Scholarship address before students’ advisors shared remarks about each graduate as diplomas were awarded to them by Chrissie Knight. Chad Bridges then welcomed them to the Upper School.

The ceremony ended with closing remarks and a benediction from Chrissie Knight.

CLASS OF 2025

Eighth-Grade Graduation

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1. On January 6, Lauren Brown ’15 delivered an Applied Science presentation, “Data Versatility: Using Data in Diverse Ways.” Brown’s interest in statistics was sparked when she took a statistics class at Pennington with Mr. Leib.

2. On January 8, Praveen Vijayakumar spoke to students in the Global Studies Certificate Program. Vijayakumar, who is a doctoral student in the South Asian Studies Department at the University of Pennsylvania, studies the ways worlds collide and create new communities. He related to the students his personal experiences as a member of the Tamil diaspora.

3. Mr. Harding’s Civil Rights and Liberties class continued the annual tradition of CRAL Talks over Zoom this year.

Senior students in the class chose civil rights issues that they are passionate about, researched the topics, and crafted arguments. On January 14 and 15, and again on May 6 and 7, the students discussed their topics using visual PowerPoint presentations.

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4. Students from the Intersectional Feminism Club, United People of Many Colors, and Black Student Union worked together to throw a “Celebrate Kamala” party! The event recognized the historic nature of Kamala Harris’s election as the first woman, first Black, and first South Asian to hold the office of Vice President.

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5. It was a busy weekend for residential life students in early February. Students participated in a Cooking for the Soul Class, Sports Trivia Night, and a winter walk through Pennington, as well as a trip to Blue Mountain for some skiing and snowboarding.

6. Melissa Noel, an award-winning multimedia Pulitzer Center journalist, delivered a presentation to Pennington students on February 5 over Zoom. Noel presented “Beyond the Barrels: How Migration Impacts Caribbean Children,” her investigation into the human costs of economic migration from the island of Jamaica.

7. Members of our residential community celebrated the Lunar New Year on February 11 with a delicious hot pot meal!

8. Residential students participated in the Pennington Winter Olympics on February 14. One of the games was a piethrowing contest—at the members of the weekend duty crew!

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9. On February 17, Leon Y. Li, vice president of cybersecurity for Comcast, delivered a presentation to students in the Applied Science program. Li gave students an inside look into

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021

his industry and spoke about the exciting outlook of careers in the cybersecurity field.

10. During the weeks of February 22 and March 1, the School celebrated Spirit Week. During these weeks, faculty staff, and students had their own fun themes to follow, such as Decade Day, Pajama Day, and Black and Red Day. 11. The Junior Proctors held their annual American Red Cross blood drive on Thursday, February 25. Many students, parents, faculty, and staff donated, allowing the Junior Proctors to meet their goal of collecting 28 pints of blood.

12. Mark Reilly’s English students discussed poetic devices and prose poems, and analyzed essays about crossroads moments by mystery authors in a special unit of study in February 2021.

13. On February 24, entrepreneur and Pennington graduate Rachel Domb ’19 spoke to students in the Applied Science program over Zoom. In addition to being a sophomore psychology major at Northeastern University, Domb is the founder of Rooted Living, an eco-friendly, plant-based snack company. Her business won first place in a contest for entrepreneurs at Northeastern.

14. Tom Reilly ’17 joined the Aviation and Aerospace Club for a virtual meeting on Wednesday, March 3. Reilly is pursuing a degree in history at Purdue University as a midshipman in the NROTC program. He was commissioned in May as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps and will go to flight school at Pensacola, FL. He gave the group some insight into his experiences in college and in the field.

15. On March 1, Sarah McBride delivered a presentation to the Pennington community over Zoom. As a newly elected Democratic senator from Delaware’s First Senatorial District, McBride is the highest-ranking openly transgender official in the country’s history. McBride spoke to students in Stephanie Cohen’s AP English class about the challenges and joys of running for office and creating change in a community and in the country.

16. On March 2, Global Studies students participated in the 2021 Global Economic Forum (GEF), sponsored by the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia. The 2021 forum brought teams 12

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EVENTS of high school students together in a virtual mock competition for funding from the World Bank. Students were tasked with proposing projects to combat climate change and inequity.

Two of Pennington’s teams won first place and first runner-up!

17. Environmental Science students took advantage of the beautiful weather in mid-March to clean up and explore the School pond and Lewis Brook. It was the perfect end to their research on the pollutants that affect water quality in our two campus watersheds.

18. The Upper School Rocketry Club teamed up with a few Pennington Middle Schoolers to build a rocket as a fun afterschool activity!

19. On Wednesday, April 6, seniors and faculty members gathered near the volleyball court for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the new outdoor senior lounge.

20. The History Bowl Team competed on Sunday, April 11, and finished 3–2 in five matches against other schools, narrowly missing making the playoffs. The team comprised juniors Scott Caponi, Jonny Eaton, Gavin Cui, Eddie Kennedy, and Lyuxin Zhang, and senior Yang Xia. 21. In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the Intersectional Feminism Club sponsored a self-defense class on April 17 to teach a few basic self-defense techniques including situational awareness and distance management.

22. On April 17, some of our students participated in Clean Ocean Action’s Spring Beach Sweep.

23. In Chaplain Hallgren’s Buddhism class, students designed and created sand mandalas. This activity reinforces the Buddhist themes of impermanence and the release of attachments.

24. On April 7, Sabine Kastner P’24 spoke to students in Pennington’s Applied Science program. Kastner is a professor of neuroscience and psychology in the Princeton Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology.

25. A group of Pennington students, faculty, and staff took a tour of the Pennington African Cemetery on Friday, April 23.

The tour was led by Angela Witcher, a board member of the cemetery. Students learned about the history of this very special place and heard stories of some of the many people who are buried there.

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26. Maggie Griffith Williams ’98 is a scholar known for her work on media and culture, intercultural communication, critical mobilities, and social justice. On April 23, she spoke to students in the Global Studies Certificate Program about her path from being a student at Pennington to becoming a professor of culture and media studies at Northeastern University.

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27. The Intersectional Feminism Club recently welcomed back former IFC members and leaders Kofo Jolaoso ’20, Ellie Hawkey ’20, Molly Nelson ’20, and Tami Kolawole ’19 to share their advice and experiences as women in college.

This was IFC’s second annual “Girls Talk” event, and it was another wonderful and powerful night of conversation.

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28. On Wednesday, April 28, Sarah Burton Harris ’00 delivered a talk, “Technical and Financial Acumen: A Delicate Balance,” to students in the Applied Science program. She spoke to the students about why every STEM professional should have a baseline understanding of the cost of goods and profit and loss statements.

29. Global Studies students participated in a virtual conference on Thursday, April 29, with students from around the world. The conference focused on human rights and was hosted by Generation Global.

30. Pennington was honored at the highest level by the Watershed Institute (“Watershed,” or gold level) on Tuesday, May 4, when the ribbon was cut on our new River Friendly Certification sign. The Watershed Institute uses this designation to recognize the work schools do within and outside of their curricula around water quality, water conservation, wildlife habitat, education, and outreach. The Pennington School was awarded this certification a few years ago; now we have our official sign installed!

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31. On Monday, May 3, MK Asante—writer, producer, filmmaker, and distinguished professor from Morgan State University—engaged in a Q&A with the junior and senior classes about storytelling and finding and pursuing one’s passion. Juniors Lauren Woodroffe and Jonell Adu-Gyamfi served as student panelists. Asante also spoke to the seniors to kick off the May Horizon program.

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www.pennington.org

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SPECIAL EVENTS 32

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32. On May 12, Patrick R. Chai ’03 delivered a talk, “Planning for the Long Journey to Mars,” as part of the Applied Science Speaker Series. Chai is an aerospace engineer at NASA’s Langley Research Center.

33. Members of the Residential Life community enjoyed a gorgeous day at the Philadelphia Zoo on Saturday, May 15.

34. On May 14, Pennington’s Community Service Club held its fifth annual Mini-THON®, a dance-a-thon to raise money for children fighting cancer. The Upper School Mini-THON raised $21,243. The Middle School also held its own Mini-Mini-THON on May 21 and added $1,144 to the School total.

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35. On May 21, the Rocketry Club launched their final rocket of the year.

The event had a rocky start with a broken steel rod and a failed first launch. However, after connecting a new engine, the rocket took off and soared into the sky!

36. Members of the Black Student Union attended a Memorial Day Service at the Pennington African Cemetery on May 31. Our students participated in a poetry reading, and Pastor Gregory Smith P’24 led the closing prayer.

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37. On June 3, the Design Engineering students showed off their final project—a ride-on vehicle they designed and built. They tested it out during a competitive ball game played in the gym. The vehicles were a hovercraft, a drill-powered car, and a reel wind-up vehicle.

38. The Aviation Club team won second place in the GAMA Design Challenge, competing against more than sixty teams across the nation.

The competition challenged high school students to design a plane using flight simulation software.

PARENTS FOR PENNINGTON NEWS Despite COVID–19 limitations, Parents for Pennington enjoyed a busy spring. The 2021 Red and Black Bash theme, “Bursts of Joy,” came to life through a series of community-building events that culminated on April 17 in an evening “fun-raiser” of free virtual entertainment for current parents, faculty, and School administration.

Parents who chose to attend the smaller pre-Bash activities learned how to make authentic Spanish tapas and build an elegant charcuterie platter with perfect wine pairings, while every family received a “swag cup” full of candy and party poppers. A virtual performance by award-winning mind reader Robert Channing, plus an online game show trivia night for students, rounded out our annual celebration of the Pennington School community.

As the weather improved, PfP resumed in-person outdoor events for the wine club, walking club, fiber arts club, and tennis groups. With contributions from Parents for Pennington, the School also hosted May gatherings for parents of freshmen and seniors. In June, PfP sponsored traditional exam treats for Upper School students, endof-school celebrations for all students, and a teacher appreciation luncheon on June 15 to thank faculty and staff for their tireless efforts to make this unusual academic year the positive experience it was for all Pennington students.

PFP EXECUTIVE BOARD FOR

2021–22

President: Cynthia Wallace P’20 ’23 ’26 Vice President – Executive: Vandana Bhanote P’23 ’26 Vice President – Programming: Lisa Hardt P’24 ’27 Financial Liaison: Michelle Meinhart P’23 Recording Secretary: Lewis Arthur P’24 Communications: Jessica Vincent P’26 Upper School Representative: Julian Kim P’23 Middle School Representative: Katherine Birkenstock P’25 ’26 Boarding Life Representative: Tracy Wright P’23

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021

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French National Honor Society: Seniors Kenza Idrissi, Minghao “Tony” Li, Sampo Lintula, Connor McAlister, Robert Moran, Caroline Muscara, Liam Rodgers, and Olivia Schroeder-Positano; juniors Jenna Bluni, Mary Kathryn Kramli, Mateo Lopez-Castro, and Tessa Matson German National Honor Society: Seniors William Bernal and Robert Lambdin; juniors Hongyi “James” Cai, Miami Celentana, Ariana Colner, Jialun “Gavin” Cui, Lucinda Harding, Mateo Lopez-Castro, Michael Salak, and John Santarsiero Latin National Honor Society: Seniors Aishwarrya Arun and Shivant Krishnan; junior Mame Baffour-Awuah

The Cum Laude Society is an international organization dedicated to recognizing academic achievement in secondary schools. There are 382 institutions in the Society; most are independent schools.

The new members of Pennington’s chapter of Cum

Tri-M Music Honor Society: Seniors Shivant Krishnan and Sampo Lintula; juniors David Cahn, Maxwell Close, Ariana Colner, Christopher Cromarty, Jialun “Gavin” Cui, Jonathan Eaton, Hexin “Ben” Jiang, John Santarsiero, Dahe “Billy” Wang, and Yiwei “Vicky” Zhu International Thespian Society: Seniors Elizabeth Adams, Sophia Cano, Corinne Coakley, Kailey Dierk, and Chloe Zirk; juniors Chloe Boocock, Ariana Colner, Christopher Cromarty, Jonathan Eaton, Xinyi “Gina” Ge, Ruby Grisin, Lucinda Harding, Gia Villegas, and Minghao “Anna” Zhang National Art Honor Society: Seniors Emmet Gibson, Olivia Schroeder-Positano, and Chloe Zirk; juniors Chloe Boocock, Merrick Liu, and Aidan Medina

Laude are Aishwarrya Arun, Tingbang Bao, Emily Barkley, Corinne Coakley, Stas Korzeniowski, Neha Kunta, Sushuang Lu, Madelyn Saltstein, An-lin Sloan, Julian Thomas, and Shealyn Tirendi.

CUM LAUDE SOCIETY

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he Pennington School inducted eleven seniors as student members of the School’s chapter of the Cum Laude Society in May. Students inducted are within the top twenty percent of the class, as determined by grade point average, and the School views selection for this membership as one of the highest honors it can confer.

Spanish National Honor Society: Seniors Tingbang Bao, Shae Calhoun, Xingrui “Sherry” Chen, Matthew Cooper, Ella Davidyock, Samantha Moonay, Tiia McKinney, Isabella Pitarresi, and An-lin Sloan; juniors Jonathan Eaton, Ruby Grisin, Daisy Hutnik, Ronan Karp, Evan Lewis, Avani Prakash, Daniel Sampaio, Avery Sichel, Brynne Taranto, Dahe “Billy” Wang, and Yiwei “Vicky” Zhu

NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETIES

n the evening of Tuesday, February 9, students at The Pennington School were inducted into national honor societies for World Languages and the Arts during a virtual ceremony held over Zoom. These students, juniors and seniors, have all met specific academic and other standards that are required by the national societies as well as Pennington’s own chapter of each. The names of all students honored that evening are listed below. In addition to the inductions, there was an instrumental piano performance by junior Yiwei “Vicky” Zhu, who played Prelude and Fugue in C Minor by J. S. Bach.

Twelve seniors were previously inducted into the Cum Laude Society in the fall: William Bernal, Sophia Cano, Xingrui Chen, Matthew Cooper, Kailey Dierk, Alexander Huang-Menders, Shivant Krishnan, Minghao Li, Rohit Pothacamury, Trinity Pryor, Olivia SchroederPositano, and Haichuan Wang.

Congratulations to these students on this impressive academic achievement! www.pennington.org

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THANKS TO YOU, WE HAD ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL YEAR! This past year, the power of our community’s generosity was on full display. Your gifts to the Pennington Fund provided essential resources for our students, teachers, and families. We are very grateful for every donor and every dollar!

What INSPIRED YOU to support Pennington this year?

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Would you like to help inspire others to support Pennington? Join us as a volunteer! If you would like to learn more about getting involved as a Pennington Fund parent, alumni, or reunion volunteer, please contact Director of the Pennington Fund Brooke Buchanan at brooke.buchanan@pennington.org.

Pg#

In celebration of our alumni, we went

BIG!

The month of May was dedicated to our ALUMNI with events designed to bring us together virtually!

This May, we held our first-ever Alumni

Month—a series of virtual events throughout the month. This celebration took the place of our usual spring on-campus events for alumni, which we were unable to hold this year. Alumni Month was filled with fun and friendships on full display, and we were able to connect with alumni from around the world.

We kicked off with our popular Trivia Night gathering and game. The Faculty Legends split up to add their brain power to the alumni teams. Blair Thompson and Bill Hutnik joined the victorious team from the 1970s and 1980s, just beating out the combined brain power of the 1990s and 2000s team. Later in the month, the games continued with Family Night Bingo.

The month-long festivities featured Wine Tasting with Ellen Brown, when we explored vintages from the South American regions, with recommendations to fit every budget.

Alumni Month also provided opportunities for alumni to learn more about academics and special projects at the School today.

Pennington’s Susan Wirsig, director of the Applied Science Certificate Program, and a few of her students gave a glimpse into their impressive and impactful partnership with a refugee camp in Malawi, Africa.

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Toward the end of the month, we held a truly memorable Swim Team Record-Changing Ceremony—it was one for the books. In 2020–21, athletes set four new Pennington School swimming records: Ellie Schinsky ’22 in the Girls’ 100 Fly, and David Curtiss ’21 in the Boys’ 200 Free, Boys’ 50 Free, and Boys’ 100 Fly. Beyond the School records, everyone was still abuzz about David’s unforgettable race and new national record he set in March for the fastest-ever 50-yard freestyle performance (19.11 seconds) in high school swimming. These records might take decades to knock off the board.

ALUMNI MONTH EVENTS

In Cocktails and Conversation, Pennington faculty and leaders highlighted the School’s sustainability initiatives, including composting, gardening, and solar panels.

Alumni also learned about the Horizon program; this year seniors learned valuable life skills prior to embarking on their college and professional pursuits—including a whole host of great lessons on financial planning, preparing for internships, career tracks, selecting college majors, and even how to take care of your car!

wednesday

The month would not have been complete without a little drama! A few lucky alumni had a chance to join Lisa Houston for an interactive and virtual Murder Mystery Theater experience. (Mum’s the word on who was revealed to be the murderer, but Lisa swears it wasn’t she!)

Celebrating with alumni all month was invigorating and inspiring! We enjoyed seeing graduates from around the world and from every generation. We are looking forward to being able to once again gather together on campus and in person for Homecoming and Reunion Weekend, October 8–9, 2021.

Check out all of our alumni activities and events online at pennington.org/community/alumni.

www.pennington.org

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THE 24

ARTS

AT PENNINGTON:

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he arts are integral to a well-rounded education. At The Pennington School, we believe that training and engagement of the creative process is both educational and fulfilling, bringing balance to a student’s high school career. All students leave Pennington with an understanding of many forms of artistic expression, and many students go on to study arts at college and pursue their passion into a career.

The arts program at Pennington is multidisciplinary and connects students to humanity through hands-on experience that fosters inquiry, curiosity, correlation, response, and reflection. A robust curriculum of arts courses is complemented by many ways to experience the arts as an extracurricular activity, both seasonally and all year long. Students can expect to create original works of art in both visual and performance courses, using skill sets that are creative and conceptual, individual and collaborative. We guide students through creative processes during which they learn to think critically, create story, compose worlds, and identify that which unites and divides the human experience. With the tools and techniques of theatre, music, and visual arts, we teach students to make sense of and express their understanding of the world.

The Pennington School arts programs also give students an understanding of how art is integral to other disciplines, including humanities and science. Two popular interdisciplinary classes merge the study of music and religion and art and history. The Arts Department collaborates on countless projects with the

Intentional Design

by Dolores E. Eaton

World Languages Department, works with teachers and clubs across the School, and curates shows in the Silva Gallery that merge art with science, social issues, and the environment.

Upper School students are empowered with many possibilities. Arts courses include study in the disciplines of visual and lens-based arts (drawing, painting, ceramics, photography, and videography), theatre (acting and directing), and vocal and instrumental music (composition, theory, performance, and music technology). All Pennington students take one full credit of arts courses, which are typically broken into two semesters—one during Grade 9 and another in Grade 11. However, many students choose to take arts classes every year and move into higher levels of study, including Senior Seminar in Drama, AP Music Theory, or AP Studio Art. Arts are also integral to the Middle School curriculum. Middle School students delve into a range of disciplines, with courses in visual art, music, and theatre built into the school day. Middle School students progress through courses designed to explore what is unique about each discipline as well as how art, music, and theatre work together. Additionally, students have opportunities to pursue arts activities beyond the daily schedule, with involvement in the Middle School Art Club, cast or crew of the Middle School Play, Middle School Singers, instrumental ensembles, and private music lessons. Middle School arts instruction is a combination of sustained study and “try it” experiences. Studio best practices of caring for equipment, believing in one’s personal context, and risk-taking are all fostered throughout the Middle School years. www.pennington.org

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PERFORMING ARTS Theatre

Theatre at Pennington is well-known for its quality, and tickets for Pennington dramatic performances typically sell out within hours of going on sale. The program offers a variety of courses and activities that capitalize on individual excellence within a collaborative art form. Students can explore a variety of acting techniques of the past and present, use masks, and employ technical theatre skills to collaborate on a common vision, and write, direct, or perform scripted or original material. We seek to find and develop the inner star potential of each theatre student and combine those gifts into meaningful collaborative experiences—both on- and off-stage.

Students need not take courses in theatre to participate in performances. Each season there are opportunities to enter the program in a role that matches a student’s strengths—cast, stage and lighting design, stage and prop construction, or costume creation. Each year, there is an Upper School fall play, an Upper School winter musical, and Upper School spring plays, which are written and directed by members of the Senior Seminar in Drama, a yearlong class in two parts: acting in the first semester and directing in the second. Middle School students perform a spring play every year that is directed by seniors from the Senior Seminar class.

THE COSTUME EXPERIENCE

by Bonnie Cusack

The goal of costuming is to support an actor’s ability to convey the essence of the character they portray. The task starts with getting acquainted with the show in order to develop an accurate understanding of its setting and intention. This involves online research, reading the script, and meetings with the drama teacher. Costume Crew members learn that they are responsible for each actor’s image on stage, which is a huge element of the actor’s ability to perform their part with confidence. Each costume designer is assigned to specific actors, and then costumers get busy learning everything they can about their characters. After researching images from other productions and working individually with each actor, costume crew members begin to create a vision for the character. Color schemes are often used to complement character and story development.

After the design of a costume plot for each actor, creation of the garments begins. We are fortunate to have a fully stocked costume shop at Pennington that is filled floor-to-ceiling with colorful costume elements. Sometimes we start from scratch by cutting fabric, repurposing items, or sewing new ensemble pieces. Each costumer schedules fittings with their actors, and appropriate adjustments are made. Once the garments are secured, final looks are completed with accessories, as well as

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021

hair and makeup design. Costumers develop a deep sense of personal responsibility for the well-being of their actors, as well as the importance of taking pride in the art they are creating with each completed costume. The actor’s final look from head to toe is their costumer’s finished piece, and they are always excited to see the actors come to life onstage in the costumes created just for them.

Once a show is completed, costume pieces that belong to the School are cleaned and returned to costume storage and recycled for use in future shows for years to come. Costume crew members learn that costuming is not just about dressing people in interesting outfits, but also about organization, cleanliness, leadership, and, of course, creativity.

I am so proud of the work done by each Costume Crew, but I am especially proud of the crew for this year’s winter musical, The Theory of Relativity. This group had the added challenge of working over Zoom. They met often with their assigned actors and with me over Zoom and combined items from the actors’ own closets with items found in the costume rooms on campus.

They managed to create perfect looks for each actor.

My background in theatre includes many years as a choreographer, director, and actor, and all of these included involvement with costume, hair, and makeup design. What has impressed me from the start is that at Pennington every aspect of the theatre program emphasizes the hands-on experience of the student, whether on stage or behind the scenes.

TECH CREW

by Sara Kestenbaum ’21 During my freshman year, I saw the fall and winter shows (Romeo and Juliet and Seussical), and I was blown away by the amazing sets, especially because I was interested in engineering and building things. That spring I decided to join Tech Crew, and it was one of the best decisions I made in the last four years.

One of my favorite things about Tech Crew is the way we work together as a team. When we are building a set, we often work with materials that are too large or heavy for one person to move on their own, and there are many situations where some people have to hold things in place while others screw, nail, or staple them together. Working in groups also helps us stay safe by having multiple sets of eyes on any given situation.

There is also a great sense of camaraderie. When I first joined Tech Crew, I had absolutely no experience with power tools, but everyone was super-welcoming and happy to help me learn. As an upperclassman, it’s been really fun getting to pass on the things that older students taught me.

Tech Crew is involved in pretty much every element of a show (except costumes; shout-out to costume crew!), and being able to see all the pieces we’ve worked on come to life is one of the most rewarding parts of the whole process. Before we begin dress rehearsals, Tech Crew does what is called “dry tech,” where we and the directors go through every scene and create and record all the lighting looks, program all the digital sound cues, and take note of when and where various set pieces and props are needed. During live shows, the props and running crews are in charge of making sure everything on the set and all of the props are in the right places and nothing gets lost or broken. The lighting board operator is in charge of making sure the lighting looks change to the next scene at exactly the right moment, and the sound board operator is in charge of playing each sound effect at exactly the right time. There are usually two booth assistants, one for lighting and one for sound, who help their respective board operators by taking notes and learning the skills required for each job.

This serves two purposes: The assistants can perform these tasks in a future show, and they are ready in case something happens and they need to step up and take over. There is also a stage manager and an assistant stage manager, who are responsible for keeping track of all the details and making sure everything runs smoothly. The whole crew also works together to set up before the show, usher, and clean up and make sure everything is put away afterwards.

I have learned so much from Tech Crew, and I have gained a lot of confidence along the way. I’ve learned how to safely use power tools, which materials and tools to use for which purposes, and how to operate a lighting board. I have also learned the importance of paying attention to detail, how to be an effective team member, and how to lead and teach others. Tech Crew has been one of my favorite Pennington experiences, and I plan on staying involved in technical theatre in college next year.

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MUSIC TECHNOLOGY

by Xavier Sang ’22

Behind the greatest hits of Led Zeppelin, Miles Davis, or even Frank Ocean is the audio engineer, someone who is rarely seen by the public but plays one of the most important roles in the production process. Audio engineers must understand each instrument: how to record it so as to reflect the talent of the artist, and how to compel a listener to feel the emotion of an artist. I took the Music Technology course in my freshman year and thrived under Dr. Dolan’s guidance in the studio. Earlier this year, I was invited by him to record the Pennington ensembles. It is through this work that I have come to understand the importance of this process—how to record the drums so as to provide a steady pace but not overwhelm the delicacy of an acoustic guitar.

I’ve been able to experience the care and detail that goes into the performances of each piece from the classical piano and strings parts to the jazz ensemble. Hours are spent in post-production, whether it’s using an equalizer to modulate the frequency output by certain instruments or tuning the gains of each channel to make sure each instrument is properly represented and appreciated by the listener. And I discovered a pleasant environment where musicians push each other to be better in pursuit of a common goal. Though it is time-consuming, there is an unparalleled satisfaction found when the final product emerges. My work during these past months, along with my other musical experiences at Pennington, has inspired me to pursue college study and a career in audio engineering and production. I hope to be able to expand my musical talents in this field along with my many other interests in the ever-expanding music industry.

Music Music at Pennington ignites students to create and experience aural expression through the voice and a variety of instruments.

Students acquire the ability to communicate in the language of music with dedicated teachers who help them develop skills in performance, fundamentals, analysis, composition, and the use of technology. Beginning in the Middle School, students experience both instrumental and vocal components. During these three years, students learn to play keyboard and electric guitar, discover healthy singing practices, use technology for electronic music-making, and become comfortable with recording their peers and performing in public. All students practice focus and concentration on their own and in group situations. At the end of this experience, students are prepared for all Level 1 music courses offered in the Upper School.

In the Upper School, students can take courses to develop skills in music theory, composition, and technology. Students who have never made music before can learn from the beginning, and students who come in as practiced musicians can advance their skills in AP Music Theory and create unique music groups. While they are developing their skills, students have the unique experience of intimately playing in sync with others, harmonizing, and contributing their individual parts to make music happen.

Beyond academic study, students can take private lessons and participate in instrumental and vocal ensembles all year long.

Orchestra, Jazz Band, Pennington Singers, and SoundProof are the primary groups. From these groups, smaller, student-driven groups emerge such as jazz quartets, rock bands, and chamber ensembles. Evening rehearsals allow students to participate in other aspects of student life while simultaneously pursuing 28

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021

their passion for music. Students can even earn academic credit and after-school activity credit for practicing their craft. Wellequipped practice rooms are open for students to use during their free periods, after school, and on evenings and weekends.

Pennington’s student musicians go into the outside world to share their music with local churches and at festivals and competitions.This year, music students produced their own recordings and collaborated to create a digital playlist. You can listen to it on SoundCloud at https://soundcloud.com/ penningtonmusic/sets/spring-concert-2021.The music program also brings professional musicians to campus each year, hosting a three-day musicians-in-residence program.

These world-class musicians work with our students and perform for our community.

The Beauty in Black Culture T

his academic year, the Silva Gallery of Art was temporarily converted to classroom space because of the need for larger spaces for certain classes in order to comply with physicaldistancing guidelines. This situation did not deter our art students from displaying their art work—both on campus and online.

In a combined effort, the Art Club and the Black Student Union designed, curated, and hung an exhibition that was displayed for all to see in Founders Hall, the beautifully lit space outside the Silva Gallery. The project leader, Tiia McKinney ’21, initially came up with the idea that the Art Club might be able to find a way to publicly express their feelings and thoughts about social justice through their art. After a lot of discussion and collaboration with Art Club members and with students in the Black Student Union, the show, entitled The Beauty in Black Culture, came to fruition, and its powerful messages engaged many students and faculty members.

Black culture is diverse, bold, and of course, BEAUTIFUL. The Beauty in Black Culture art exhibit took guests through the joys of being Black and even through some of the harsh realities for Black people in America. The exhibition included a multitude of media created by Black students and by other students, their allies, to explain the Black students’ reality and to portray the significance of Black culture for other races and within society at large. All of the work seen was original artwork from the students, either fashioned after images or from imagination. Black is beautiful and it cannot be replicated.

Welcome to the Beauty in Black Culture art exhibit!

www.pennington.org

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VISUAL ARTS V

isual arts at Pennington inspire students to build a visual language through deliberate handling of mediums, skills, concepts, and context. While students tackle techniques and make connections to big ideas, the processes of self-expression, critical thinking, and risk taking happen.

Students can explore and transform various mediums in drawing, painting, and sculpture that empower them to investigate how they perceive the world and themselves.

Students are given the time and space to learn the ancient traditions of making marks on flat surfaces or building objects meant for the human hand. Regardless of the final product, students become deeply engaged in the creative process. Through observing and planning, producing and reflecting, revising and refining, these traditional mediums allow students to methodically and mindfully bring to life ideas through the power of a visual statement.

Not all visual artists paint, draw, and sculpt. Many students pursue study in photography and video production to express themselves creatively. Photobased courses focus on developing students’ conceptual and technical skills by offering them an array of devices to use (35mm cameras, digital cameras, large-format cameras, lens-less cameras) and even employ alternative processes such as cyanotypes and Van Dyke Brown processes. Students investigate studio lighting and the features of the wet lab, a black-and-white darkroom.

Video production shares many conceptual and aesthetic elements with photography and adds the dimension of time. Students acquire a thorough knowledge of the necessary professional tools and some tried and true production methods, including live-action video and stop-frame animation. Students gain hands-on experience with cameras to learn focus, exposure, and other variables and learn basic shots that form the foundation of the film lexicon (full shots, close-ups, pans, tilt, and more). They also build skills to edit their work, import assets, and edit footage with cuts and transitions using Final Cut Pro. These contemporary mediums help students to develop a skill set necessary for critical thinking and storytelling in an ever-changing, multimedia-saturated world.

The arts program at The Pennington School is intentionally designed to enhance a student’s vision, creative thinking, and collaborative spirit—all of which build the foundation for both academic success and appreciation and fulfillment in life beyond the classroom.

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PHOTO PROCESSING

by Aidan Medina ’22

With my experience in photography, I have learned that it is hard to fully appreciate and understand the process that occurs to create an image. In this day and age, it’s easy to look at a photo and not realize the effort, time, and work that was put into it behind the scenes. That is why this year I tried expanding my knowledge of the medium by attempting to work with color film. Film work by itself is a very tactile and long process. Once you get into color, you add a lot more risk factors. Unlike digital photography, where I can shoot and edit within the same day, a color film roll can take a whole week to complete from start to finish. When choosing a color film brand, you are able to choose what tones you want for the series that you will shoot on that roll. It forces you to do more planning before you shoot and to think about the kinds of things that would look good on that specific type

of film. From hints of magenta to more accurate skin colors, each film stock is unique. I have always been fascinated by the way people and their skin tones look on film, and so that is mostly what I shot. After shooting comes the developing process. This is the most tedious and time-consuming portion to me. You have to make sure the chemicals are at the perfect temperature, mix them with the correct ratios, and then just have to pray that something good will come from that roll. After developing the film and examining my photos, I am ready for the final steps of scanning and postprocessing. Rather than use chemicals for the final prints, I am able to take advantage of the advanced scanners and software the photography program offers to work with my photos digitally. After all this work just to create a few images, you would think I would be exhausted and would not want to continue, but in fact it is the reason I still shoot film. I love the fact that I have to plan shoots in advance and think about the types of colors I want to see. I love the tactility of the process, and it makes me feel as if I am in much more control of the image than I am through digital work. www.pennington.org

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ALUMNI PROFILE

I

t should come as no surprise that William Mastrosimone ’66—who has introduced us to captivating characters throughout his prolific career as a playwright and screenwriter—is himself quite a character.

Mastrosimone, who lives in Bucks County, PA, with Sharon, his wife of twenty-six years, has been writing professionally for the stage and screen since the late 1970s. A quick visit to his IMDb page illustrates just how accomplished he is. His works, which include Extremities, Bang Bang You’re Dead, The Beast, With Honors, Into the West, and many more, have been successful at a level most writers only dream of achieving. With his oeuvre garnering prestigious awards, critical acclaim, and commercial success, there is no denying that Mastrosimone is a great entertainer and master of his craft.

William Mastrosimone ’66 He is an authentically modest man, seemingly more comfortable in the role of struggling playwright than Hollywood screenwriter, and views his own story through a different lens: “I have not had a spectacular career, but I had the career that I wanted, and most of the time I tried to conduct it with my Pennington values of honor, virtue, and humility.”

When speaking with Mastrosimone, one is immediately captivated as he spins tales that are equal parts insightful, moving, and comedic. His story about the fortuitous mistake which first landed him at Pennington doesn’t disappoint:

“

In ninth grade, I was not doing well in Trenton High School.

My father, disgusted with my delinquency and lack of focus on studies, decided that I needed the discipline of a military academy. He had a group of friends over, and I heard them in the kitchen throwing around recommendations on the private schools my father should consider for my great reformation.

But he had his heart set on sending me to a military school, to get me ‘walking at right angles’ as he put it. But in the flurry of suggestions from his friends, he mixed up his notes. I realized the moment he insisted that I apply to The Pennington School, that he mistook it for the Bordentown Military Institute.

Without letting on, I interviewed, was miraculously accepted, and each week when he would pick me up, he’d ask ‘So when do you get your uniforms?’ It took him months to figure it out, and by then, I was already totally entrenched at Pennington.

”

This unintended landing at Pennington was exactly what Mastrosimone needed, and his experience at the School was formative, “The School, my teachers, and my classmates are all part of my psyche. Pennington still has invisible tentacles around me today, and made me who I am.”

It was at Pennington where he first read and fell in love with the works of Shakespeare—reading Julius Caesar aloud in Mr. Garrett’s English class.

He was encouraged to try new things and get involved; he played football and learned to swim. He also learned how to learn. “It was amazing. I realized I loved learning, and Pennington was my smorgasbord,” says Mastrosimone. Before Pennington, he had either memorized or relied on general knowledge to get by in classes, but he had never known how to study. Thanks to the teachers and coaches who mentored 32

him—Chaplain Thomas, Dean Hausmann, Coach Poore—he made a complete transformation, from troubled ninth-grader to being voted “Most Studious” in his senior year.

Although the seeds of his creative pursuits were firmly planted by the time he left Pennington for Tulane University, he did not see a career as a playwright as an option. “Nobody would have ever guessed I would become a playwright, least of all my parents. My whole family is just made up of doctors and businessmen. Leaving Pennington, I thought that was my path too. But in the words of Robert Frost, ‘Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by....’”

Mastrosimone struggled to care about his other coursework during his years at Tulane. He tried to prove to himself that he was worthy enough, talented enough, brave enough to take that less-traveled path and to follow his passion. Finally, in his last year at Tulane, in a scene that could be straight off the page of one of his plays, he had an epic clash with a professor that resulted in a life-altering epiphany. Mastrosimone emphasizes,

“

Mastrosimone, pictured in his Class of 1966 Pennington yearbook, was voted “Most Studious” by his classmates.

Nobody on earth can tell you if you have talent or not because talent is not something you’re born with; talent is something you create with blood, sweat, and tears. There’s only one question to be answered: How bad do you want it?

Desire trumps all else.

”

This has been his credo ever since.

His self-realization did not impress his parents when he quit Tulane four months before graduation, and he had to let go of the family disappointment that came along with following his own dreams. “My father had a talent for summing things up succinctly. When I left Tulane for this new path, he said, ‘You’re the only guy I know who started at the top and went straight to the bottom.’” He adds sardonically, “That’s what kids need. Encouragement.”

Placing his self-doubt and family expectations behind him, and fueled by his new insight, he forged ahead. He was determined to support himself and worked as a cab driver, waiter, gravedigger, and janitor, and at any odd job he could find to pay the bills while taking classes and pursuing his craft. Eventually, he landed at Rutgers University, working with Jack Bettenbender, who would not only become an important friend, collaborator, and mentor in his life, but also direct the first public production of The Woolgatherer, Mastrosimone’s 1979 play.

Mastrosimone visited the Amazon in Brazil while researching his 1994 movie, The Burning Season, the story of Chico Mendes’ activism to save the rainforest.

Over the following decades, Mastrosimone’s unique voice found audiences and he gained a reputation for creating provocative work. He says, “To create a great play, you have to be able to generate some turmoil inside of people, get a reaction, and keep their attention.” He recalled that a critic once said in a review that “nobody sleeps at a Mastrosimone play.”

Mastrosimone starts his creative process with a character, a real-life inspiration, or a moment that piques his interest, and builds from there.

His passion, hard work, and ability to evoke a deep stirring in his audiences has led to Emmy and Peabody Awards, and the opportunity to collaborate with countless amazing minds and talents—Steven Spielberg, Al Pacino, Arthur Miller, Helen Mirren, Frank Sinatra, Anthony Quinn, Tennessee Williams, Tina Turner, and Susan Sarandon—to name a few.

Mastrosimone holds sacred how his work has the power to change lives. In the late 1990s, he put his Hollywood career on pause to create

In 2016, Mastrosimone received one of Pennington’s highest honors, The Order of the Tower, an award recognizing a community member with outstanding service to the School or broader community. (Presented by Head of School Bill Hawkey and Chair of the Board of Trustees Peter Tucci ’79 P’16 ’16.)

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Bang Bang You’re Dead, a one-act play he wrote in reaction to a spate of school shootings across the country at the time. It was created for high schools to encourage discourse and awareness around the issue. When he put the play on the internet at no cost, more than 25,000 schools, including The Pennington School, downloaded and performed the play.

Although the play won five Emmy awards and the Peabody Award, it was hearing from thousands of students, parents, and teachers across the country with tales of how the play (and the subsequent 2002 Showtime movie) brought them greater understanding and catharsis that was most meaningful to Mastrosimone.

He had a similar motivation with his 2003 play, The Afghan Women. The work, which premiered at the Mill Hill Playhouse in Trenton, NJ, was written as a fundraiser for an orphanage in Kabul, Afghanistan. As he did with Bang Bang You’re Dead, Mastrosimone made the play available on the internet for those who would make a donation to the cause. He reminded Pennington drama students in a talk on campus a few years ago, “What we do is important. Theatre can heal, and healing can change a life.” His experience in Afghanistan not only moved Mastrosimone to create the play, but also holds a very special place in his personal story. Years after his time there, he and his wife adopted a young Afghan girl, Zamzama, one of his three beloved daughters.

Today, Mastrosimone is writing a memoir and has a number of other projects in the works. He speaks proudly about his children, who are grown and living their own dreams. He and Sharon are planning a move to a beautiful spot on the Delaware shore later this year. Time has not dulled his fierce independent spirit. Among all the successes, accolades, and impacts of his work, he is still most proud of following his desire and working hard to do it. Although Mastrosimone let go of his parents’ expectations decades ago, you can see that he carries their love and pride close to his heart, and he appreciates his father as a comedic narrator of sorts to the poignant moments in his own life. He set the stage for this writer with this memory: It’s opening night of The Woolgatherer, one of Mastrosimone’s early successful plays. In the audience are his parents. (It’s the first time they are attending one of his plays, and only made possible with an ultimatum from his mother. Up to this point, his father still “forbade” his brothers and sisters to attend his plays as a continued note of his disapproval.)

The play ends, the curtains come down, lights go up, the audience gives a standing ovation, excitement is in the air, and guests start to mingle at the packed opening-night party.

Cut to Mastrosimone making his way through the crowd. He catches a glimpse of his father deep in conversation with legendary New York Times theatre critic Frank Rich. His father is poking him in the chest and saying something with more vigor than warranted for an opening-night party. Hurrying over to assess this potential tinderbox, Mastrosimone hears his father say, “Many times that kid wanted to quit, but we wouldn’t let him. We believed in him every step of the way!”

End scene.

—by Alicia Reed

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021

The Theory of Relativity Director’s Note

by Suzanne Houston

W

hen looking for a musical to produce during a pandemic, everything seems impossible. However, when we came upon this show, we realized that perhaps it could be both cathartic and meaningful to choose something that really resonated— emotionally, physically, and mentally—with our current state.

The Theory of Relativity is a song cycle, meaning there is not a single unifying plot. The show’s creators, Neil Bartram and Brian Hill, took the various stories of real students at Sheridan College in Toronto and developed the songs in the show. What initially starts as individual stories about home, connection, loss, love, uncertainty, family, childhood, and dreams of the future becomes a tapestry of shared experiences that displays the importance and complexity of community and human connection. I am so glad a theme of this show is centered on community and connection, because putting on a musical in a pandemic is not your normal collaborative theatre process.

Nearly all of the vocal, acting, and dance rehearsals were over Zoom and not in the Black Box together. Each group had to do its part separately to create the whole. We could not have a full set, so Mr. Harding’s crew had very little to build; however, they tirelessly worked to create a backdrop for the Black Box as well as one for the Jazz-Rock room, where we taped the actors as they performed one at a time. They also spent this season learning new skills and supporting the show in other ways. Mr. Secrest and the costume designers were in the dressing room, collaborating with Mrs. Cusack through an iPad. Dr. Dolan led and recorded his group of musicians (some of whom were across the globe) almost as solo artists, or small duos and trios, to create the backing tracks the actors could sing along to. And Mr. Horan expertly taught the cast all of their vocals through a computer screen with the faith they would be able to blend together in the final cut.

A perk of this winter’s situation was the ability to offer some unique opportunities to meet with professionals in the theatre world. The cast took part in a handful of master classes with two professional actors, when they worked individually on songs from the show and other pieces as well. The tech crew also had a Zoom Q&A with two alumni working professionally in theatre.

We were (separately) in community together.

For our “performance” weeks, when we filmed the show, everything looked, sounded, and felt very different. Over the course of several days and numerous hours, we filmed in segments. In the end, the actors never sang together, nor did they ever sing with the band in real time. The band never heard the singers they accompanied. The dances were never done in one place at one time. I described the process of any one actor coming in to record their part as their rehearsal process, tech week, dress rehearsal, and opening night all in one. It wasn’t easy. Some days, when the technology was not on our side, it was less than fun.

But we kept singing and dancing, smiling and laughing. Seniors led warm-ups and “hype circles” before actors went in to record.

We cheered when each person had finished recording. We were together in this process.

If we’ve learned anything through this past year, it is that humans need to feel connected, grounded, and safe. We need to feel that there is one person out there who knows us, and “gets” us, and can keep us sane. This year, we had to put our faith in a process that was completely new and different. But it all worked beautifully, and our winter days were brighter because we were still able to create as a theatrical family. www.pennington.org

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L P M CO

S N O I I C AT Written by

Dani Bancroft, Maddy Fox, Sampo Lintula, Trinity Pryor, and Ben Robertson

Directed by

Dani Bancroft, Maddy Fox, Sampo Lintula, and Ben Robertson

Changing Channels

Production Notes

by Suzanne Houston

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021

“

Have you felt sad lately? Do you like soap operas? Well, the play Complications sounds like the perfect remedy for you. Our parody of a hospital soap opera is filled with wacky characters and outlandish circumstances that are sure to put a smile on your face. Come to St. Fatale Medical Center and join Beth, Cece, Dr. Disgusting, and more on this episode of The Passionate and the Inept.

”

Changing Channels is the thirteenth Spring Play under the leadership of faculty members Mark DiGiacomo and Jamie Moore, and the work of the class that I have taught since coming to Pennington four years ago.This year has obviously been full of challenges and obstacles that were new to all of us. In many ways, we had to change our approach to doing theatre, so it was no surprise when both plays coincidentally included the theme of change. Very early on in the writing process, the class decided that the plays would also be tied together by being formatted as television shows. From there, the two writing groups worked independently of each other and crafted two funny, charming, and moving plays that wonderfully capture the essence of this collaborative and multitalented group of seniors.

Unlike last year’s Spring Play, and for the first time since March 2020, we were able to have a live performance for this year’s Spring Play. Although safety guidelines meant we could not have an in-person audience, we were able to harness technology to stream the show live for two performances. It was a unique and complex production, and without the help of many people it would not have been possible.

“

The Very Late Show LIVE! is preparing to finish yet another season with America’s favorite television host, Travis Tracy! However, on the night of the last show, producer Henry Davis finds himself getting distracted, causing all sorts of mishaps. Hilarity ensues!

Will this comical crew be able to finish the show during this closing-night chaos? Will Henry’s secret ever be revealed?

”

T H AT ’

S A WR

Written by

AP

Emily Barkley, Matthew Cooper, Bobby Lambdin, Robert Moran, and Isabella Rossi

Directed by

Emily Barkley, Matthew Cooper, Bobby Lambdin, and Robert Moran

www.pennington.org

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UP CLOSE WITH FHGS MEMBER This was invaluable to me in the corporate world, where I can truly say ‘I made a career out of getting along with people.’”

“Pennington was a truly special place for me—three of the best years of my life,” says Drew Curry ’76, reflecting on his time at The Pennington School.

Although Curry did not graduate from Pennington (he transferred to Neshaminy High School for his senior year), his experience at the School from 1972 to 1975 was transformative, and the life lessons he gleaned from that time have stayed with him through the decades.

“

Pennington gave me a real snapshot of the world and instilled an important set of values to follow: work hard, be willing to compromise, and appreciate what you have.

”

Equally meaningful are the lifelong friendships and connections he made with Pennington classmates, teachers, and coaches. “Even 45 years out, I am still in regular contact with a whole bunch of my classmates.”

He recalls the personal care and attention he received from his teachers, “As someone who attended public school, I can attest that this interaction is unique to the nurturing environment that Pennington provides to each and every student. You are recognized and appreciated as an individual.” Curry cites the important influence of the faculty: history teacher Mr. Gasolovich; Mr. Scancella, who made math fun and interactive; and Mr. Albert, his Spanish teacher.

Curry chuckles and says, “Looking back, I can’t say

Curry, who recently retired from a successful career as vice president for Munich Reinsurance America, Inc., has taken his deep gratitude and love of Pennington to the next level. A number of years ago, when considering his estate plans and will, Curry contemplated the places, people, and experiences that shaped his life. “Pennington is right up there at the top!” he says. Curry became a member of the Francis Harvey Green Society in 2016 when he made a bequest to Pennington in his will. “My planned gift is a way to ensure future generations have the same life-changing opportunities through education and athletics that I did.”

The Pennington School holds a special place in Curry’s heart for many reasons. The small, tight-knit community enabled him to make friends throughout the School and from around the world. “I learned how to get along with everyone and anyone. Pennington prepared me to understand and appreciate a real diversity of backgrounds, opinions, and abilities.

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021

Curry and his fiancée, Christine Biscardi, are pictured at one of their favorite restaurants near Jupiter, Florida, where they spent much of last winter.

AND FORMER PENNINGTON STUDENT DREW CURRY ’76 lessons that were so masterfully imbued by Coach Long and Coach Waters. During his time on the team, Curry also became close friends with his teammate Jerry Eure ’75, Pennington’s director of athletics and head football coach. “Jerry was an incredible athlete.

He was definitely the quickest player I ever played with and he was a great leader and teammate. Every time we stepped on the court, I thought we would win just because we had Jerry on our team!”

As a member of the Francis Harvey Green Society, Curry feels a great sense of pride in making a provision in his will for Pennington to honor the important role the School played in his life; his bequest will help pay it forward for future generations of students and athletes.

In addition to the generous support that his planned gift will provide for the students of tomorrow, Curry also has some words of wisdom to share with the students of today. His advice: Curry visiting with friend and teammate Jerry Eure ’75, Pennington’s director of athletics and head football coach

I actually used my Spanish much in life, but I will always be grateful for Mr. Albert!”

But the basketball court is, without doubt, the backdrop to Curry’s most influential and memorable experiences at Pennington. “Coach Waters and Coach Long were mentors to me—tremendous role models who encouraged teamwork and camaraderie. They unified our team and taught us how to check our egos at the door and work towards a single goal: success on the court.” Curry proudly played as part of the 1975 Varsity Boys’ Basketball championship team and attributes their success to the work ethic and valuable

“

Make a ton of friends and sustain those friendships and networks beyond graduation.

My entire career was built on an opportunity through my connections and friendships. Do your best, be patient and persistent with your goals, but don’t get hung up on the small stuff. I would encourage students and young graduates to pause and enjoy the moment; take time to look around. These precious moments don’t last forever.

Words of wisdom for all of us.

”

To learn more about creating your legacy and joining the Francis Harvey Green Society, please contact Christina Riso, director of capital projects and gift planning, at christina.riso@pennington.org or 609–737–6141. www.pennington.org

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US WINTER ATHLETICS 40

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021

Coaches: Jeff Eckerson and Holly Jones

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL The Pennington Varsity Girls’ Basketball team had a shortened but highly successful season. During these challenging times, leadership is even more important.

The coaches, Jeff Eckerson and Holly Jones, are grateful to our three senior captains (Ava Kavulich, Jackie King, and Sophia Kavulich) for helping make the season successful both on and off the court. The team finished with a 3–4 record. The future for the team is bright, as the leading scorers this year were junior MK Kramli and freshman Morgan Matthews.

As a team, we all valued our time together and learned to enjoy every moment we had on the court.

We will miss our seniors, and we are already looking forward to next season!

Due to the circumstances, we were very grateful for the opportunity to compete and be in the gym together this year. Joy and gratitude were two things we tried to focus on every single time we were able to meet as a team!

Our theme of wanting to “Gain Ground” was something we discussed on a daily basis, and we firmly believe we did that as a program this year. As we work to continue to establish the culture of our program, we are confident in saying that our seniors—Ryan Bowen, Kyle Ratner, Tarun Kumar, Jay Jackson, Noah Salcedo, Brendan Todd, and Zach Young—left our boys’ basketball team better than they found it, and we cannot thank them enough for that.

We are so proud of our boys for their resiliency and adaptability during this year, and the best is ahead when it comes to Pennington basketball!

BOYS’ BASKETBALL Coaches: Chandler Fraser-Pauls ’11, Harold Spears ’11, and Ryan Stokes

www.pennington.org

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Coaches: Rick Ritter and Long Ding

WINTER TRACK

There is a saying that “motivated people find a way.” This year, WE found a way.

A way to make it happen, a way to stay motivated, a way to keep showing up despite the challenges. This team found a way to keep showing up, knowing that they would probably not have any indoor meets due to COVID restrictions. This core group of students found something in Winter Track: a chance to gather as a team and to challenge themselves (and each other) to grow, while encouraging their teammates the whole time.

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ICE HOCKEY

Coaches: Tom Horsley and Elliot Coates

That challenge and encouragement was pervasive throughout the team. With team leaders like Ella Davidyock ’21, Molly Gibbard ’21, Shealyn Tirendi ’21, Isaiah Muse ’22, and Jabril Belle-Walker ’22 leading the way both in word and by example, it was easy for all of the members to pick up and run with their positivity (pun intended). We are also thankful for the great contributions that Coach Long Ding brought us.

Due to restraints presented by COVID-19, the 2021 ice hockey season was limited to practices and intrasquad scrimmages. Returning captain and senior goaltender Bill Bernal provided leadership for the underclassmen and played an integral role in keeping the team motivated and enthusiastic throughout the season. Junior Andrew Stournaras also stepped up his game and was named a co-captain for this year’s team.

Stournaras will lead a talented group of returning players going into the 2021–22 season, in which Pennington hopes to get back to a winning record and a return to the Independent Hockey League playoffs. In addition to Bill Bernal, the Pennington hockey program thanks seniors Sean Brennan and Connor McAlister for their contributions to the team and wishes them the best of luck as they move on to college.

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021

NATIONAL RECORD: On March 6, 2021, David Curtiss ’21 swam the fastest 50 yard freestyle in high school history for both public or independent schools. Curtiss lowered his 19.42 from 2020 to a 19.11 at his home Pennington pool vs.

Phillips Exeter Academy.

The 2020–21 Varsity Swimming season is one we will long remember. The undefeated (3–0) girls’ team was led by senior captains Lexi Childrey, Julia McDougall, and Bridget Lawn, and the boys’ team by Mark Usiskin and Michael Krajci.

A highlight performance for the girls came from Ellie Schinsky ’22 in the 100 Fly, rewriting her own record with a new School record of 56.02! On the boys’ side it was a historic season, finishing 2–1 in dual meets, and there were numerous personal bests.

Ben Eckerson ’21 (Virginia Tech commit) and David Curtiss ’21 (NC State commit, member of the Senior National Team, Olympic trial qualifier) led the way with program-defining races. Curtiss swam the last 50 Free of his high school career with a stunning 19.11!

This year’s senior varsity swimmers (Lexi Childrey, David Curtiss, Ben Eckerson, Molly Kain, Michael Krajci, Bridget Lawn, Julia McDougall, and Mark Usiskin) will always be a special group who taught the whole team about having the right attitude, remaining committed through so much adversity, and focusing on the season with a “team first” approach.

Because of this, great things happened. Thank you.

We will never forget your senior season!

SWIMMING Coaches: George Ward ’88, Scott Doughty, and Marisa Ferrari

www.pennington.org

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E

very Pennington Upper School student takes at least one class in technology during the freshman year. After that initial course, which introduces freshmen to a broad overview of twenty-first-century technology, students can go on to study coding, robotics, computer science, statistics, software engineering, design engineering, and more. (See new course offerings for 2021–22 on page 47.) Pennington’s Applied Science Certificate Program offers interested students tangible ways to solve real-world problems, and about forty students put in extra coursework and log time out of the classroom to earn this certificate, awarded at Commencement each year.

Some students, after the required freshman technology course, wait until their senior year to delve back in. The AP Computer Science course may be some students’ first exposure to coding, but after taking this yearlong class, more than ten percent of them are motivated to major in computer science or a related field in college. Computer science continues to be one of the fastest-growing fields as far as employment opportunities go, and since almost everything in the world is built on or by using computers, taking computer science and technology classes in high school can give students a wide-angle view of the applications for this work. The need for qualified computer security experts has exploded in recent years with the rise of computer crime and espionage at both the corporate and government levels. But the truth is that all users of technology can benefit from a better understanding of cybersecurity principles and ethical hacking techniques.

Computer Science and Technology FRESHMAN YEAR: SOLVING PROBLEMS WITH TECHNOLOGY This semester-long course is designed to accomplish two primary goals: to familiarize students with the technologies they will be using at The Pennington School to help ensure their academic success, and to expose them to technologies and topics that they might not otherwise learn about in the hope of kindling a new or unknown interest for further study. The class provides a mix of technical projects and discussion-based work that offers a gateway to students interested in further exploring STEM subjects. Every student exits the class with a solid working knowledge of technology in the twenty-first century. The semester begins with a focus on digital citizenship, which includes a discussion about social media and the consequences of using technology to communicate, thirdparty ad tracking methods, and how to fact-check sources on the internet.

Students are also introduced to a variety of ways that technology can be used to address real-world problems. Interdisciplinary projects challenge students to think critically, communicate effectively, and ultimately design and develop an appropriate solution. Students have the opportunity to learn computer-aided design and print an object that they design in 3-D. They learn some basics of programming and how computers work. The most recent, and perhaps most exciting, addition to the course is the augmented reality (AR) unit. Students complete this introductory course having gained experience in technologies that are currently used in research, the arts, engineering, software development, and project management.

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021

“I’ve had many students over the years who took one of my classes simply to fulfill a graduation requirement only to discover a new passion for programming—many of whom have gone on to incorporate computer science into their college studies.”

—Ken Coakley

ELECTIVE COURSES IN COMPUTER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY All students working to earn a certificate in Applied Science must complete a course in either Software Engineering or Design Engineering. Software Engineering I students learn the basic programming skills required to design and build software, and they have multiple opportunities to apply the Software Development Life Cycle, which is the application of engineering principles to the process of building software applications. This course teaches students the fundamentals of programming using a tool called Processing, which helps students to gain a practical understanding of Java commands and syntax as well as basic coding concepts and program design. Students learn the principles of programming, such as variables, control structures, data structures, and syntax in a visually engaging way. Once these core programming concepts are understood, students learn the basics of object-oriented programming. Students also develop important skills that include collaborating with fellow developers, breaking a system down into components, and learning how to complete a project on time through iterative development. In the culminating project of the semester, students work to solve a problem of their own choosing.

Design Engineering teaches students to use the engineering design cycle.

Using CAD and graphics software, hand tools, a 3D printer, a laser cutter, and

Courses Continue to

EVOLVE

a variety of materials, students will design, build, and test solutions to a given problem. Students then apply the engineering design cycle to improve their design’s performance. Students also learn to identify and work effectively to solve problems on time and on budget, and they develop presentation skills.

AP Computer Science is a college-level course that covers the key concepts of object-oriented programming, with the majority (about 70%) of the class time devoted to labs using Java. Throughout the year, students are asked to design and write several small-to-medium-sized programs as well as two major pieces of software from scratch. Students need to grasp the nuances of thinking algorithmically, then design and write their solutions in code. In addition to the concepts of object-oriented programming, much attention is given to the art of good programming design. Students are challenged not only to write software that works but also to write clean code: software that is efficient and easily understood and maintained. This class challenges students to create, and in just a few short months they go from having little to no programming experience to being able to write complex software.

“The course I teach, Solving Problems with Technology, is constantly evolving. Just three to five years from now, this class will cover entirely different material!”

—Steve Trimble

www.pennington.org

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David Wan ’16 is a perfect example of how the Pennington experience nurtures and transforms a student’s curiosity and proclivities into the pursuit of an exciting career.

Wan, in his final year of a Columbia University master’s degree program, is blazing a successful trail forward in his studies on Natural Language Processing (NLP)—a specialty within the field of artificial intelligence. NLP deals primarily with the interactions between computers and humans to help read, interpret, and better understand human languages. It is used in a variety of applications, including text messaging, call centers, search functions, translation systems, personal assistance devices (like Alexa), and many others.

ALUMNI PROFILE

David Wan ’16

Wan credits his Pennington experience as the inspiration to pursue a career in the artificial intelligence (AI) arena—an experience which shaped his skills, confidence, and interests in computer science. He attributes it in part to the mentorship of faculty member Len Leib, who has taught math and computer science at Pennington since 2012. Wan says, “Mr. Leib makes his class accessible for anyone. Mr. Leib knew how to make the topics engaging for students at every level. Whether you don’t know anything about computer science, or are into advanced coding, he finds a way to make it fun and challenging for each student.” Wan also credits his interest in AI to Leib’s suggestion that he explore the use of neural networks (algorithms modeled on the human brain that recognize patterns) as part of his senior year Horizon project.

The admiration is mutual. Len Leib lights up when talking about Wan. “David was not just a superstar student, but also a great kid—and now a wonderful man. I knew early on that he had the perfect temperament for computing sciences. It thrills me that he now knows so much more about computer science than I ever will. We can still have conversations about the field, but honestly, it is hard for me to keep up.

What a sense of pride that gives me.”

Wan’s interest in the specialty area of NLP developed not only as an extension of working in AI, but also from his early exposure to living in different countries and learning many languages. When asked if there were any challenges to pursuing this track that is so well-suited to him, Wan admits with a smile, “Well, in a way, all AI fields are much more about math than about computer science, and I guess I didn’t realize just how much math!”

So it is no surprise that part of Wan’s advice for 46

Pennington PenningtonMagazine MagazineSpring/Summer Spring/Summer2021 2021

Pennington students interested in the field is to pay attention in statistics and seek to understand (not just memorize) the math involved.

Wan also felt fortunate that Pennington helped foster his interests outside of the classroom. He and some fellow students were able to meet weekly for participation in the American Computer Science League competition, where they placed first in the tristate area. The Mathematics Department also created special course work beyond the AP level in a senior-year independent study, focusing on the 200-level undergraduate curricula, which Wan says “made the first few years of college much less stressful. I was really set up for success out of the gate.”

His Pennington School experience is also part of an important family legacy for David.

He follows in his brother Simon’s footsteps; Simon graduated from Pennington in 2015 (and also attended Columbia). His mother, Qing Wan, served as president of the Chinese Parents Association and remains an active ambassador and gracious host for Pennington visitors in Shanghai. His uncle, Dr. Jim Wang, is a member of Pennington’s Board of Trustees.

Wan had another life-shaping experience emerge from his time at Pennington: he met his wife, Xin Wen (Cathy) Xu ’17, who is currently at New York University, also pursuing a degree in computer science. The couple, who have remained close to Leib after graduating, asked him to serve as their witness at their civil marriage ceremony to honor the important role he played in their lives. Leib says, “I love that we have stayed close through the years. Being a witness at their wedding and being made to feel a member of the family was one of the great honors of my life.”

Earlier this year, Wan learned that he was accepted into the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Ph.D. program, another impressive step in his burgeoning career. After he completes this program, Wan hopes to move into a career in NLP research and development at the industry level.

David Wan ’16 and Xin Wen (Cathy) Xu ’17 with faculty member Len Leib, who was honored to serve as their witness at the civil ceremony

We are so proud of our young alumni who, like David, are striving to make important contributions to their fields and help better our world. We look forward to seeing what comes next for this bright star!

“Teaching computer science is so fulfilling for me— how many students can I introduce to the field who will go on to make this their life’s work? One of my greatest joys is my ongoing relationships with so many students, who continue to see me as a mentor and who want to meet even after they have moved far beyond my own level of skill in programming.

Recently, three alumni met with me in Philadelphia to describe their idea for starting a business; they wanted advice from an entrepreneurial perspective.

This completely delighted me!”

—Len Leib

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM Outside of academic coursework, about twenty students each year participate in the American Computer Science League (ACSL) contest, a national competition in which students use mathematics and logic to write solutions to a given problem, processing it the same way a computer would do. This year, although the team members were spread out across the world and were forced to hold all of their meetings over Zoom, they persevered in what turned out to be one of the most challenging yearlong ACSL contests in the last several years. It involved eighty international schools in our division (the most competitive division) that competed in complex coding challenges and tests of advanced computer science knowledge over four sessions, from December through May. The Pennington students met on a weekly basis on Wednesday evenings (or at 6:00 a.m. for our China-based members) to learn advanced topics at the level of a second-year college course and to practice sophisticated coding.

This hard work paid off—the Pennington team finished as one of the top three schools internationally, tied for the silver medal with one other school and finishing a mere two points behind the firstplace team. Nineteen students competed, and ten of them earned an invitation to the individual contest that took place at the end of May. Senior Jack Wang was one of only ten students out of six hundred with a perfect score for the year. Six of our students finished in the top 10 percent of all international competitors.

The ten Pennington students who earned invitations to the All-Star contest are, in order of finish, Jack Wang ’21, Anna Zhang ’22, Ben Jiang ’22, David Zhang ’22, Alexander Huang-Menders ’21, Sam Lovvoll ’21, Akshay Arun ’22, Charlie Chen ’22, James Cai ’22, and Nick Callan ’23.

In addition to the ACSL contest, students are invited to join a wide range of extracurricular activities related to computer science, technology, and STEM: Aerospace Club Aviation Club Computer Science Club Girls in STEM Innovation Project Club Math Club Odyssey of the Mind (MS)

Robotics Club Science Olympiad Solar Power Club STEM Leaders Club STEM Tutoring Technology Club

NEW COURSES

for 2021–22

Introduction to Cybersecurity and Ethical Hacking

This course will expose students to the tools and techniques required to learn the foundations of cybersecurity and other critical skills. Students will be challenged to be resourceful and creative, using hacking as a method for discovering how things work and how system vulnerabilities can be remedied. The class will cover a broad range of topics, including safe internet use, networking basics, web privacy, network security, and hacking ethics and laws. “Ethical hacking” describes the work of securing cyber systems; “hacking” means analyzing systems for strengths, weaknesses, and efficiencies.

Introduction to Python

Python is the world’s most popular programming language, and this course will introduce students to the fundamental concepts of all programming languages as well as the unique features and strengths of Python. Students will learn basic Python syntax, data types, conditionals, and control structures.

Software Engineering II

This course, a continuation of Software Engineering I, will explore more advanced concepts of programming in Java.

Students will continue to build their skills while applying the software design cycle on both individual and team projects.

Proper coding techniques will be stressed throughout the course with an emphasis on program structure, documentation, and formatting. This hands-on, project-based course will give students the opportunity to hone their skills while building fun and creative applications of increasing complexity.

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES

NEWS The Pennington School welcomes seven new members to its Board of Trustees.

Minsoo Kim ’99 Kim is the founder and CEO of New Era Partners (NEP) Investment, a private equity firm specializing in real estate development and mergers and acquisitions projects with assets under management of $50 million. Kim is enthusiastic about bridging gaps between the law and digital platforms; he founded Legalsos Inc. (expected to launch its service in North America in 2022) to make legal matters easier to navigate.

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Soopakij “Chris” Chearavanont ’83

John S. Biddiscombe ’63 The former director of athletics and chair of the physical education department at Wesleyan University, Biddiscombe has been an active member in NCAA governance. The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) presented him with its James Lynah Award for Distinguished Achievement in 2013. He is a graduate of Springfield College and received his M.S. degree from Slippery Rock State College.

Biddiscombe served as president of the Pennington School Alumni Association from 2014 to 2021 and also as an ex officio member of the School’s Board during that time.

His prior experience includes being the investor relations manager of Shinhan Financial Group, a company dual-listed in Korea and on the NYSE. Kim was in charge of filing regulatory and IR reports to SEC/FSS and managing investment conferences with top executives. He also worked as an investment consultant to Shinhan Bank, where he operated the corporate accounts of multinational enterprises and financial institutions including Goldman Sachs and Bank of America. Kim completed his military service in the Republic of Korea Marine Corps, and he holds a B.A. in Asian studies and political science from University of Michigan and an M.B.A from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.

Kim is a proud 1999 graduate of The Pennington School.

Swati Navani P’16 ’21 Navani is a longtime Pennington parent whose sons are both “lifers.” She has been an active volunteer on the Pennington development committee and

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021

Chearavanont is the group chairman of Charoen Pokphand Group Company Limited and a respected businessman in Asia. He also holds chairman and director titles for some leading international public conglomerates.

In addition to his professional achievements, he has served as an advisor to government committees in Thailand, China, and Russia and has received numerous official honors and decorations for his wider contributions to both business and the community.

with the parents association. Navani is a senior oncology account manager at Seagen, where she has been committed to bringing innovative care to cancer patients over the course of her career.

She is a member of the board of trustees of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of New Jersey and is passionate about the mission of LLS. Navani co-founded the Vida Global Foundation, which raises funds for a variety of causes. She graduated from Marshall University with a degree in chemistry.

Lisa C. Espinoza, M.D. P’23 ’26 Espinoza received her B.S. at the University of California (UCLA), her master’s degree from Medical College of Pennsylvania, and her medical degree from the Drexel College of Medicine, where she was chief resident. Before graduating from UCLA, Espinoza was a ballerina and performed with the Los Angeles Classical, San Francisco Ballet, and Joffrey Ballet. In 2007, she founded La Chele Medical Aesthetics, where she has practiced for over a decade. Espinoza has been an advisory board member for the Allergan/AbbVie Pharmaceuticals, Galderma Pharmaceutical, and Evolus Pharmaceutical companies and a business consultant for Cynosure, InMode,

Jae Hyeok Heo ’08

Heo brings diverse technology and entrepreneurial experience to Pennington’s Board of Trustees. He is a founding partner at VIK Partners, an angel consortium focused on investing in seed-stage startups in southeast Asia. He also leads the Asia-Pacific expansion of DataRobot, a venture capital–backed marketleading artificial intelligence/machine learning platform headquartered in Boston. Heo is responsible for building direct and channel businesses across the region as a sales executive. Prior to

SkinMedica, MINT, Aerolase, and Exocel Bio. She is a physician trainer and has trained hundreds of physicians and nurses in the United States and abroad for Allergan and Galderma Pharmaceutical.

She has published several articles in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology and the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology and a book chapter in the third edition of Cosmetic Facial Surgery. Espinoza has also been a board member for nonprofits including the Roxey Ballet Company, Central New Jersey Ballet, and Safe in Hunterdon. In 2020, she was recognized and nationally credentialed by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).

Espinoza is married and has two children, both students at The Pennington School.

DataRobot, Heo led the Asia-Pacific expansion of multiple US technology companies, including Salesforce, Uber, and CloudHealth by VMware. Prior to moving to Singapore in 2014, Heo spent time in Shanghai, Beijing, and Seoul, where he pursued his passion for Mandarin, Chinese history, and startup ecosystems. Heo graduated from Amherst College with a B.A. in economics and Asian languages and civilization. A former All-American soccer player, Heo still loves being out on the field and also enjoys a competitive game of golf.

Jacob Levy ’09, ex officio Levy graduated from Syracuse University with a B.S. in entrepreneurship and emerging enterprise and marketing. He started his own entrepreneurial journey by working with a highly successful consumer business franchise, helping to streamline their operations and expand their footprint and territory.

In 2014, he co-founded Toin Coss Capital, a micro family office. At Toin Coss he has been responsible for a wide range of investments including Broadway productions, movies, and other entertainment projects, startup venture capital, small business loans, and residential real estate projects. Most recently, Levy created the YouTube

Channel Complicated Things, which uses humor to educate professional and amateur photographers. He enjoys working with many different companies at the same time and uses his own experience to help guide them through the initial stages of starting a business.

Levy has served as an executive board member and mentorship chair for NextGen, an organization focused on fostering venture investors across the country. Levy currently serves as president of The Pennington School’s Alumni Association; he is committed to giving back to Pennington, which provided him with his foundational educational experience.

www.pennington.org

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US SPRING ATHLETICS 50

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021

Coaches: Rick Ritter, Will Burke, and Eli Durmer

BOYS’ AND GIRLS’ TRACK Coach Ritter writes that he has “never had more fun coaching a group of young athletes.

It is a team like this and the way our season progressed that keeps coaches coaching. We believed that if we could ‘just keep showing up’ that good things would happen. And they did! Though we gave up points in some events (simply not enough athletes), the boys’ team battled. To the last athlete, they gave their all.”

Many of the boys were stretched to the fourevent max. Led by students like Nick Muscara ’21 in the throws, Tyler Hope ’24, Xavier Brooks ’21, and captain Isaiah Muse ’22 in the sprints, they looked to each other, relied on each other, and pulled each other through. In a tremendously entertaining race in the 800 meters, sophomore Drayton Kolaras used the competition of two Wilberforce runners while setting a tactical race and running a new School record—Kolaras broke the two-minute barrier, running a 1:59.30. Muse logged one of the top times in Mercer County in the 200 meters (20.85) and the 100 meters (10.91).

Overall the boys’ team ended the season with a record of 7–4.

The girls’ team had the luxury of numbers.

Filling the lanes was less of a challenge than getting everyone in different events, which is the type of challenge a coach likes to have. The healthy numbers helped lead to a successful season. The girls were able to run, jump, hurdle, and throw to a season record of twelve wins and three losses. There were a number of personal bests and season bests that led to that record, as well as hours of challenging training. Our three senior captains, Molly Gibbard, Ella Davidyock, and Shealyn Tirendi, were a big reason for the girls’ team’s success.

They kept the team together, and this was true on and off the track, from the first day of practice to our very last meet. Though there were many highlights this season, Makenna Urbanek ’22 ran a new School record of 25.37 seconds in the 200 meters, and the girls’ sprint medley relay with Tirendi anchoring the team to victory. Fun indeed!

“Perfect” is the word to describe our boys’ 2021 tennis season. We had the perfect group of boys and a wonderful group of parents. We had a perfect, undefeated season. We had a perfect Prep B tournament, culminating with three individual championships and the overall team championship. We performed individually and as a team all season. Nothing was able to deter this group of mentally strong and physically gifted players.

Josh Song ’21 played his normal eventempered, top-level game and finished his season undefeated and won the Prep B #3 singles tournament. Theo Sardain ’22 wore opponents down mentally and physically and finished undefeated and won the Prep B #2 singles tournament.

Avery Sichel ’22 played #1 and #2 doubles, had an excellent season, and was always eager to improve his game. Josh Finkle ’23 played a beautiful undefeated season against tough competition and finished the year winning the Prep B #1 singles tournament. Ishan Gupta ’24 was undefeated at singles and only had one doubles loss in the semifinals of the Prep B tournament. Caleb Li ’24 and Max Grigg ’23 played #2 doubles and enjoyed their first-ever varsity wins.

BOYS’ TENNIS

Coaches: Ken Palumbo and Delonte Egwuatu

The 2021 season was a rebuilding year for the Pennington School Varsity Golf team. Led by senior co-captains Leo Brunk and Tom Maguire, the team shook off the rust of a year of COVID-19 and showed their character by weathering a very difficult season. As veterans of the team and longtime golfers, Brunk and Maguire not only played well but also helped encourage and instruct a young and inexperienced team. Individually, Brunk had his best season, taking medalist honors in several of our matches and finishing second at the state tournament. Michael Krajci and Oliver Gassmann joined the team for the first time as seniors and beginning golfers. Krajci’s hard work earned him spots in most of our varsity matches, and the improvement in his game over the short season was very impressive. Juniors Luke Jeanes, Eddie Kennedy, and Tyler Anderson played key roles on this year’s team and are well prepared to provide the leadership needed next year as they seek to guide a group of young and enthusiastic golfers into the 2022 season.

GOLF Coach: Tom Horsley

www.pennington.org

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SOFTBALL

Coaches: Laurie Volpe, Lauran Hocquaux, and Peter Chase

It was a year to remember for the Varsity Softball team, which finished the year with five wins and three losses while competing in a hybrid varsity/JV schedule. Led by senior captains Holland Kennedy (pitcher), Ivana Pellerito (catcher), and Maddie Saltstein (1B, leadoff), the seniors were eager to compete and have fun following a canceled junior season due to the pandemic. The captains demonstrated perseverance, grit, and leadership on the mound, behind the plate, and at bat. Together with Hannah Klein and Tiia McKinney, the seniors on the squad had a compelling .675 OBP and set the tone for a talented group of underclassmen eager to follow in their footsteps. The spirit and efforts of newcomers such as junior outfielders Julie Kennedy and Livy Bottomley did not go unnoticed. These girls were integral to keeping the squad on track both on and off the field and enabled the team to compete successfully this season. The team of the future is young but talented, with sophomore Leah Reichert proving she has an outstanding glove and arm at shortstop and sophomore Zoe Rodriguez having the versatility and speed that make her a threat on the bases and in the field. Lefty freshman Cassidy Zelt has emerged as a strong team leader with significant batting power and an overall commitment to the team and sport. One word to describe the 2021 season—funfabulous!

It was a year of learning for our young team, but the future is bright as we will return all but two players for the 2022 season. We had some highs and lows; one of the highlights was an outstanding pitching performance by senior Will Thompson, which earned us an early-season win against Peddie, and an offensive outbreak in a 12–2 win vs. Princeton Day School in the first round of the Prep B State Tournament. Consistent hitting and pitching by junior Max Gibbard bolstered the team all season long. Our young freshmen and sophomores had ample playing opportunities—experience they will carry with them as they get older and progress as baseball players. All in all it was a good year, and we were happy to be back out on the field after the lost season in 2020. Our seniors, Matt Lepre and Will Thompson, will be greatly missed, and we can only hope the underclassmen uphold the traditions of hard work and dedication to the program that these two seniors applied on a daily basis.

BASEBALL Coaches: Steve Kowalski, Byron Kou, Chris Wirth-Kenyon ’11, and Jeff Sumners P ’14 52

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021

Coaches: Jason Carter and Jack Payne

BOYS’ LACROSSE Undiscouraged by a 0-4 start, the 2021 Boys’ Lacrosse team managed to win five of their last six games to end the season with a .500 record. But a 5–5 record does not adequately reflect the quality and growth of this year’s team. Two losses came at the hands of perennial powerhouse Princeton Day School, and another two losses by a combined three goals. The other side of the ledger featured wins against Blair Academy and Newark Academy for the first time in program history and one of the most exciting games of the season, when the team came from behind to edge out South Brunswick High School 16–15 with just nineteen seconds to go in the game.

Senior captain Zach Young, listed as an attackman but a dominant player at any position on the field, was joined by sophomore Andrew Rosa and freshman Nicky Esposito on the offense. Senior Jay Jackson, who always drew the other team’s best defender, ran in the midfield alongside juniors Jabril Belle-Walker and Ben Snider as well as freshmen Luca Sweetman and JT Shamsey. Junior Sam Shamsey claimed the starting long stick midfielder position with his dominant performance on the wings of face-offs. Sophomore Wolfie Meinhart and freshman Brody Coddington emerged as gritty face-off midfielders who fought tenaciously for ground balls. The defense was led by senior captains Evan Rosa in the goal and Jack Craig at close defense, with a deep group of players that included junior Anthony “Ancho” Argiropoulos, sophomores Evan Levy, Ben Clabbers, Joseph Youngblood, and Nate Wallace, with freshmen Owen Doughty, Mason Meyerson, Tristan Hocquaux, and Conlan Folino all fighting for playing time. With many underclassmen earning significant playing time this year, the Boys’ Lacrosse team is looking forward to continued growth next season.

GIRLS’ LACROSSE Coaches: Wendy Morris and Adam Cooley

The Pennington Varsity Girls’ Lacrosse team was certainly grateful and excited to be back on the field and enjoyed a successful 2021 season! The team improved tremendously as the season progressed, finishing with four consecutive wins at the end.

They included a huge 12–9 win over Hun, to whom we had lost earlier in the season. The Varsity team finished with an 8–5 record. During our last game, the team had a convincing win over Stuart, and we celebrated junior Eva Guerino’s 200th career save! We wish our eight seniors, who helped make this memorable season both fun and successful, the very best as they head off to college: Shae Calhoun (Northeastern University), Lexi Childrey (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), Jackie King (Syracuse University), Bridget Lawn (Villanova University), Jordan Mahony (American University), Bella Pitarresi (University of Miami), Sophia Kavulich (Dickinson College), and Ava Kavulich (University of Maryland). For the girls who will be returning to the team next year, we look forward to building on this season’s successes.

www.pennington.org

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D E P M A V RE

Horizon Weeks and Themes Monday, May 3 Kickoff Meeting: Your Personal Brand Monday, May 10, to Friday, May 14 Maximizing Your Potential Monday, May 17, to Friday, May 21 Health and Wellness Monday, May 24, to Friday, May 28 Real-World Skills

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Thanks to all who contributed to

On May 3, the Horizon 2021 program kicked off over three weeks of exciting experiences designed to energize 115 Pennington seniors and prepare them for what awaits them over the horizon. In previous years, students were required to secure an individual internship, but this year’s reimagined program focused instead on collaborating as a senior class community to explore and develop important skills that will benefit the Class of 2021 in college and beyond.

HORIZON 2021!

Each week, a variety of program sessions were offered based on themes that the senior class helped to identify as essential to their transition from Pennington to college: Maximizing Your Potential, Health and Wellness, and Life Skills.

Inspirational keynote speakers anchored each week; in addition, students chose between other program sessions that included experiential life skills learning and insightful panel discussions. Evening career panels helped students gain insight into professions as varied as law, law enforcement, business, medicine, entrepreneurship, and more.

Along with general program sessions, students followed two threads through their three-week experience. REACH and Reflection, developed by Erin O’Connell, provided an opportunity for students to reflect on their years at Pennington and to reach beyond. Money 101, a comprehensive financial literacy program designed by Pennington faculty members Peter Chase and Holly Jones, gave students the opportunity to learn about essential financial planning skills such as budgeting, understanding credit, and investing.

Seniors formed teams with their peers and faculty team leaders. Team meetings provided a time to check in with each other and to work on the capstone project for Horizon 2021. Words that best represented Pennington were chosen by the senior class and used as the inspiration for the “Pass it On” legacy project—a video presentation focused around an object and story that represented what this year’s seniors felt was most important to pass on to the Class of 2022.

The charge to reimagine the Horizon Program for a new generation of Pennington seniors was a team effort, led by program director Gretchen Overhiser. Essential to the success of the program were Dean of Academic Affairs Scott Peeler, Dean of Students Chad Bridges, Director of Alumni Relations Jane Bott Childrey ‘89, staff member Jennifer Roberts, alumna Jennifer Ramsdell ’10, and former Horizon director Erin O’Connell.

“ The speakers had such a passion for their careers and they shared their stories with charisma and authenticity...They did such a great job connecting to student/ teen life and where we are mentally.”

—Class of 2021 student

Rotimi Adesina ’04 Pablo Ambrosio * MK Asante Karen Balerna Julia Barrett Suzi Beck P’23 ’25 Beth Behrend P’22 Michelle Bottomley P’22 Alex Boye ’13 Chad Bridges ’96 Priya Brooke P’24 Rebecca Bunn ’13 Rachel Burke Jeannine Calhoun P’19 ’21 ’23 Marc Celentana P’22 ’24 Peter Chase Jane Childrey ’89 Ken Coakley and the IT team * Alexandra Colina Julia Corrigan Stephanie DeSouza Laura Doughty Scott Doughty Jeff Eckerson Karin Eckerson P ’19 ’21 Sydney Faber ’18 Chauncey Farrington Debbie Fermo Hannah Fingerman ’17 Rafer Friedman ’19 Ronni Fuchs P’16 ’17 ’22 Sandra Gong P’21 Amy Granato P’23 Michael Grillo ’00 Rakesh Gupta P’24 Missy Gurick Jerome Halgan P’21 ’23 David Hallgren Sarah Harris ’00 Bill Hawkey Nick Hill ’07 Lauren Hocquaux David Huchler ’86 Bill Hutnik * Frances Jones Holly Jones Ryan Karp P’22 ’24 Kathy-Lynn Kelly *Matthew Kemp Debra Kestenbaum P’21 Tami Kolawole ’19 Shreya Krishnan ’20 Parnini Kunta P’21 Fred Leeds P’24 Max Lomas ’17

Kate Long ’20 Nick Long ’20 Vikki Lovvoll P’19 ’21 Dan Mahony P’18 ’21 Jane Malloy ’85 John McComb ’07 Will McComb ’12 Christine Miller Matthew Mysliwiec Nicole Mysliwiec P’27 Caitlin Nielsen * Goric Ng Tony Nitti ’93 Erin O’Connell Gretchen Overhiser Charlie Paige ’14 Susie Paige Adrienne Papa Chrisi Papa P’18 ’21 ’22 Lisa Pachence ’03 Nirali Parekh P’25 Michael Parker ’88 Scott Peeler Maggie Feldman-Piltch ’10 Jo Prockop Jennifer Osolinski Ramsdell ’10 Meg Reed ’07 Monique Richards-Smith ’95 Jennifer Roberts Judy Rossi Artem Rukavishnikov ’20 Gianna Russo ’07 Kenya Samad Carlos Sampaio P’22 Ruba Shweihat ’05 Aidan Sichel ’19 Victor Sloan P’21 Scott Schwadron P’21 Joe Stampe P’22 Jay Stevenson P’23 ’25 Anisa Talwani ’92 Don Toner Marcello Tosti ’07 Chelsea Totaro ’10 * Romy Toussaint Scott Vogel Ryan Vogt Laurie Volpe M. Shawn Wallace P’20 ’23 ’26 * Michelle Walter Kerri Ward Sarah Weinberg ’18 * Doug West Susan Wirsig

* Outside speakers who are not Pennington faculty, parents, or alumni www.pennington.org 55

Celebrating the Class S

enior Week kicked off with the Prom on Saturday, May 29, and continued with Senior Chapel, yearbooks, and alumni rosettes on Tuesday, June 1.

A special moving-up ceremony and Horizon presentations were held on June 2, the Senior Prize ceremony on June 3, and the traditional Baccalaureate service on June 4. The Class of 2021 enjoyed every moment together, in person, on campus, and with gratitude.

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021

of 2021 during Senior Week

www.pennington.org

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Senior Prizes

W

e are delighted to announce the senior prize winners for the Class of 2021!

Congratulations to all prize winners and to our new Cum Laude inductees and those who earned certificates in Applied Science and Global Studies.

Valedictorian: Alexander Huang-Menders Salutatorian: Matthew Cooper

The Pennington School Award to the Senior Excelling in Latin:Trinity Pryor The Pennington School Award to the Senior Excelling in Chinese: An-lin Sloan and Zachery Young The Pennington School Award to the Senior Excelling in Mathematics: Alexander Huang-Menders and Haichuan Wang The Pennington School Award to the Senior Excelling in Science: Haichuan Wang The Pennington School Award to the Senior Excelling in History: Matthew Lepre

Academic and Department Awards The Pennington School Award to the Senior Excelling in English: Corinne Coakley and Kailey Dierk The Pennington School Award to the Senior Excelling in Spanish: Alexander Huang-Menders The Pennington School Award to the Senior Excelling in French: Kailey Dierk and Trinity Pryor The Pennington School Award to the Senior Excelling in German: Haichuan Wang

The Pennington School Award to the Senior Excelling in Religion: Emmet Gibson The Pennington School Award to the Senior Excelling in Computer Science: Alexander Huang-Menders and Samuel Lovvoll

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021

The Pennington School Award to the Senior Excelling in Technical Theatre: Sara Kestenbaum The Pennington School Award for Continued Excellence in Theatrical Performance: Sampo Lintula and Madeline Fox The William Mastrosimone ’66 Award for Excellence in Writing and Directing an Original Play: Emily Barkley, Matthew Cooper, Robert Lambdin, and Robert Moran for That’s a Wrap The Kersey Award for the Student Showing Most Promise in Visual Art: Tiia McKinney

The Pennington School Award to the Senior Excelling in Journalism: Kailey Dierk

The Pennington School Award to the Senior Excelling in Photography: Emmet Gibson

The Pennington School Award to the Senior Excelling in Instrumental Performance: Safa Morrison and William Thompson

The Pennington School Award to the Senior Excelling in Sculpture and Ceramics: Kira Cafferty

The Pennington School Award to the Senior Excelling in Vocal Performance: Emily Barkley The William Alford Award for Distinctive Service in Music: Cihan Sahin

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The G. Arthur Campbell Award for Distinctive Service in Drama: Isabella Rossi

The Pennington School Award to the Senior Excelling in Video Production: Rohit Pothacamury The Pennington School Award for Peer Leadership: Sophia Cano and Liam Rodgers

Certificate Programs

Cum Laude Society

Applied Science Certificates: Elizabeth Adams, Aishwarrya Arun, Danielle Bancroft, Emily Barkley, William Bernal, Mason Brown, Kira Cafferty, Shae Calhoun, Sophia Cano, Matthew Cooper, Benjamin Eckerson, Oliver Gassmann, Molly Gibbard, Alexander Huang-Menders, Kenza Idrissi Janati, Sara Kestenbaum, Michael Krajci, Tarun Kumar, Neha Kunta, Robert Lambdin, Minghao Li, Samuel Lovvoll, Thomas Maguire, Jordan Mahony, Julia McDougall, Safa Morrison, Nicholas Muscara, Caroline Muscara, Sahil Navani, Aiden Normand, Ivana Pellerito, Emma Piasio, Isabella Pitarresi, Rohit Pothacamury, Anjollie Ramakrishna, Benjamin Robertson, Madelyn Saltstein, Charles Sanders, Olivia Schroeder-Positano, Joshua Song, Shealyn Tirendi, Paige Tourangeau, and Haichuan Wang

Fall: William Bernal, Sophia Cano, Xingrui Chen, Matthew Cooper, Kailey Dierk, Alexander Huang-Menders, Shivant Krishnan, Minghao Li, Rohit Pothacamury, Trinity Pryor, Olivia Schroeder-Positano, and Haichuan Wan

Applied Science Certificate Program The Pennington School Award for Distinguished Achievement in Applied Science: Emily Barkley and Matthew Cooper Global Studies Certificates: Kristen Bancroft, Tingbang Bao, Sean Brennan, Leo Brunk, Alexandra Childrey, Corinne Coakley, Ashley Goldberg, Alejandro Gutierrez, Julien Halgan, Ava Kavulich, Holland Kennedy, Jacqueline King, Stas Korzeniowski, Shivant Krishnan, Bridget Lawn, Matthew Lepre, Sushuang Lu, Connor McAlister, Tiia McKinney, Samantha Moonay, Robert Moran, Yaa Owusu, Michaela Pendergrass, Isabella Pitarresi, Trinity Pryor, Benjamin Robertson, Liam Rodgers, Evan Rosa, Madelyn Saltstein, Bradley Sendak, An-lin Sloan, Josh Stegich, Shealyn Tirendi, Yang Xia, and Chloe Zirk Global Studies Certificate Program The Pennington School Award for Distinguished Achievement in Global Studies: Robert Moran and Tiia McKinney

Spring: Aishwarrya Arun, Tingbang Bao, Emily Barkley, Corinne Coakley, Stas Korzeniowski, Neha Kunta, Sushuang Lu, Madelyn Saltstein, An-lin Sloan, Julian Thomas, and Shealyn Tirendi National Merit Scholarship Recipient Ella Davidyock Named and All-School Awards

The Pennington School Award for Outstanding Citizenship: Kenza Idrissi Janati and An-lin Sloan The Pennington School Award for Outstanding International Citizenship: Tiia McKinney and Haichuan Wang The Gateway Prizes to the Seniors Who Best Exemplify Pennington’s Core Values of Honor, Virtue, and Humility: Yaa Owusu, Isabella Pitarresi, Sophia Cano, Aishwarrya Arun, Xavier Brooks, Joshua Song, Michael Krajci, and Robert Lambdin The Head of School Award to the Best All-Around Student: Alexander Huang-Menders and Trinity Pryor

The William E. Long Award to the Senior Boy Making the Greatest Contribution to Pennington School Athletics: David Curtiss The Brigid Kilfoyle ’91 Memorial Award to the Senior Girl Making the Greatest Contribution to Pennington School Athletics: Sophia Kavulich The Capria DeVenuto ’04 Award: Benjamin Eckerson The Monique Visser ’88 Memorial Award to the Girl Who Has Most Improved the Quality of Life at Pennington: Corinne Coakley The Charles G. Bennett ’59 Memorial Award for School Spirit: Matthew Lepre and Jacqueline King The Pennington School Award to the Senior Who Best Exemplifies the Development of Individual Excellence: Julien Halgan and Paige Tourangeau The Pennington School Award to the Senior Outstanding in Volunteer Service: Molly Gibbard and Julia McDougall

Congratulations to the Class of 2021 www.pennington.org

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Commencement Exercises Class of 2021

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O

n the bright, hot morning of June 5, Pennington seniors and their families gathered (physically distanced, of course!) for the first formal in-person Pennington ceremony since the fall of 2019.

“

Your voices have power, and collectively you can change the world. As much as the adults may want to take over as host, put you on mute, and have you turn off your camera, we don’t live on Zoom.

We live in the real world, and your voice is powerful. Use it to make a difference, use it for good, and don’t ever accept that your voice should be silenced or controlled by someone who claims to be the host.

”

—Chad Bridges ’96

www.pennington.org

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The Pennington Class of 2021 will be matriculating at the following colleges and universities: American University • Amherst College • University of Arizona • Arizona State University • Babson College • Bates College • Boston College • Boston University • Brandeis University • Bucknell University • University of California, Irvine • University of California, Los Angeles • University of California, San Diego • University of California, Santa Barbara • Carnegie Mellon University • Case Western Reserve University • Champlain College • Chapman University • College of Charleston • University of Chicago • Colby College • Colorado College • University of Connecticut • Connecticut College • Dartmouth College • University of Delaware • Denison University • Dickinson College • University of the District of Columbia • Drexel University • Elizabethtown College • Elon University • Fordham University • George Washington University • University of Hawaii at Manoa • High Point University • University of Iowa • James Madison University • Lafayette College • Lynn University • Marist College • University of Maryland, Baltimore County • University of Maryland, College Park • University of Massachusetts • University of Miami • Michigan State University • University of Minnesota • The College of New Jersey • New York University • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill • North Carolina State University • Northeastern University • Palm Beach Atlantic University • University of Pennsylvania • Pennsylvania State University, University Park • Purdue University • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute • University of Rochester • Rutgers University • Savannah College of Art and Design • University of Scranton • University of South Carolina • University of St Andrews • St. John’s College • Stevens Institute of Technology • Syracuse University • The University of Tampa • The University of Texas at Austin • Tufts University • Union College • Ursinus College • Vanderbilt University • University of Vermont • Villanova University • Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University • Wake Forest University 62

Thank you for making this year’s Scholarship Classic

a huge success!

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ic

ss

The P e Sc

ol

ool ch

ington S nn

a r s hip C l a

It was wonderful to have Pennington parents, alumni, faculty, and friends join together in June for a day of fun and camaraderie on the course and courts in support of student scholarships at Pennington.

The pickleball clinic was tons of fun, and many learned a new sport!

Special thanks to the 2021 Scholarship Classic Committee!

Michael Allen ‘09 Matt Biedron ‘08 Gina DiVincenzo P’24 Peter Egbert P’16 Alene Frankel P’26 Nick Hill ‘07

For twenty-six years, Scholarship Classic donors, sponsors, and players have helped raise over $750,000 for student scholarships. We couldn’t do it without you! Thanks to all who participated and especially to this year’s

Gold Sponsors:

Michael Jingoli ‘85 Christopher Long ‘91 Amy Walton P’25

ZAHEER, LLC

CLASS NOTES 64

Celebrating a new union

PHOTOS: 1. Jae Heo ’08 was married to Stella Park on May 1, 2021, in Seoul, Korea. 2. Julianne Delorenzo Sargeaunt ‘07 and her husband, Alexander, welcomed son Jack Lorenzo Sargeaunt. 3. Sarah Karpf Kasowitz ’06 and her husband, Evan, welcomed their son, Ethan. 4. Kate Quilty Bowman ’03 and her husband, Patrick, welcomed their new baby, Luke, who is held by his proud big brother, Gavin. 5. Jessica Feigin Hamilton ’04 and her husband, Andrew, welcomed daughter Emilia. 6. Stacy Mackin Melton ’07 and her husband, Bryant, welcomed their son, Zeke Archer Melton. 7. Lisa Pizzarello Bosken ’99, her husband, Mike, and son, Drew, welcomed their new baby, Max. 8. Meet Bayard Gilbert Gardineer V, son of Buddy Gardineer ’07 and his wife, Gabi.

1

2

and LOTS of new arrivals!

3

4

5

6

7

8 www.pennington.org

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1950s Dick Brooks ’56 retired at 60 and decided to learn to ski. In 1997, he bought a home at Purgatory ski resort near Durango, Colorado. In 2006, after years of taking lessons and slowly improving, he took a friend’s suggestion of making a run on the resort’s giant slalom course. To his surprise, he qualified for the National Championships in the 65–69 age category. That first year, he finished fifteenth out of sixteen racers, but by 2019 he placed first—receiving the gold medal in the 80-84 group. This year, Dick decided to hang up his competitive racing skis. But he is keeping himself out of trouble by building kaleidoscopes for his three adult children and eight grandchildren.

Ed Craft ’58 is continuing to spend winter and spring in the low country of South Carolina and summers on the shores of Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota, and golf is his prime activity in both locations! He has been helping to get the word out to classmates about Pennington’s fundraising priorities as an active volunteer for the School.

1960s John Capers III ’62 has been presenting to and working with golf clubs nationwide to create their archives and record their history. Throughout his retirement, he has worked on helping clubs start and improve their archives. This is a labor of love and, as the head of the archives committee at Marion Golf Club, he has been able to help them digitize 270,000 documents.

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021

George Goodell ’65 and Andy Schwarz ’65 are spending time together on Florida’s west coast—celebrating a friendship that began at The Pennington School in 1962. They are both retired and enjoying life.

Bill Pearl ’65 sends warm greetings to his fellow Pennington alumni! He is proud to announce that his latest novel, Mission in Paris 1990, is finished! The book is available on Amazon, and he hopes you will get a chance to read it and let him know what you think.

Roger Feldenheimer ’66 feels blessed to have had a successful business life and is now fully enjoying retirement without worries. He has many interests to keep himself busy, including wine collecting, high-end audio, interior decorating, and performance cars. He cherishes his memories from Pennington, “when life was innocent,” and intends to leave part of his estate to the School.

Fernando Garcia ’66 is retired and moved to Key Biscayne, Florida, where he “plays lousy golf but enjoys every minute of it!” He plans to attend the Class of 1966 55th reunion this fall on campus and hopes to reconnect with classmates.

1970s Kim McDonald ’73 moved to a lovely Tudor-style home in Lehighton, PA, after losing his wife in 2019 after thirty-two years of marriage. Although he has been retired for many years, his life after Pennington was filled with adventure. After attending one year of college in Spain, he worked in the nightclub business for several years on the Costa del Sol in Malaga. Returning

CL ASSNOTES

home, he traveled the US and Canada for a year in a VW bus.

He worked on fishing boats in Nova Scotia, owned a cocktail lounge in Easton, PA, and raised Old English mastiffs with his wife. “My years at Pennington affected me in more ways than I could ever truly explain. Pennington taught me the true value of communication skills.” He is deeply grateful for the connection he had with two dear teachers, Terry Burns and the late Michael Winkler, both of whom he considers “extraordinary human beings who have the rare gift of humility.”

James Mentis ’73 says, “We are getting down to the wire for our own ‘royal wedding.’ Meghan and Harry have got nothing on my daughter!”

Chief Billy Goldfeder ’74 is the recipient of the 2021 Mason Lankford Fire Service Leadership Award. The award is one of the nation’s highest honors in the fire and emergency services, and it recognizes outstanding individual leadership and advocacy in addressing the health, safety, and readiness capabilities of our nation’s fire and emergency services. As Chief Steve Pegram ’90 says, “It’s the Nobel Prize in the fire service.”

1980s Marah Garry Walsh ’82 has been trying to keep her sanity during the pandemic by finding meaningful ways to keep busy.

She has been volunteering as a virtual tour host for presentations with a company called Gift Travel Tours, which offers free virtual tours once a week to many regions throughout the world to anyone interested. The program has engaged those who long to travel but cannot, because of the pandemic or for other reasons. It has been very rewarding for everyone involved!

Rita Citron ’83 sends greetings from Puerto Rico. In September 2017 Hurricane Irma struck, followed by Hurricane Maria two weeks later, totally destroying Puerto Rico, and many people there are still trying to recover. Then, in January 2020, a 6.0 magnitude earthquake shook the island for a month. Rita’s home did not have any damage, but the historic part of Ponce was hit badly. She says, “We, the people of Puerto Rico, are stronger after all this. To all my friends, I’m fine.” Rita invites classmates and friends to be in touch; please contact the alumni office at alumni@ pennington.org for her contact information.

Jane Malloy ’85 ran into Steve Gibson ’83 earlier this year.

He said that he and his family are doing well. He’s looking forward to retirement and driving his Porsche full-time!

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George Ward ’88, Jameel Talwani ’88, Bernard Hoffman ’89, Michael Kilfoyle ’87, Lee Picariello ’88, and Jeffrey Long ’88 enjoyed a sun-drenched weekend together, mixed with golf, trap shooting, and fishing in Southold, NY. Michael Loy ’89 still lives in Altoona, PA, and continues to work for a behavioral health care company, primarily focused on substance abuse disorder and mental health issues—including a small set of programs devoted to eating disorder treatment. His kids adapted to their hybrid school schedule, but there were a lot of starts and stops. His son played football this year for the first time and continues to skateboard. He hopes his daughter will become a Pennington student in the future.

Neal Manowitz ’89 was appointed president and COO of Sony Electronics, North America, in April 2021. He has been with Sony for twenty-five years and during that time developed thirtyfive patents with forty more in the works. This past December, Neal shared his expertise at a virtual Executive Career Panel event for college-age Pennington alumni.

1990s

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in 2020. The book helps audiences understand how intercultural communication functions in the storytelling and formation of character relationships in selected films. Maggie says, “At a time when people cannot travel, cinema is a good alternative to learn about other cultures. Pennington is a place where I began learning the lessons of diversity, equity, and inclusion that are foundational to my research and teaching today, and to this book in particular.”

Lisa Pizzarello Bosken ’99 and her husband, Mike, welcomed their baby Max in November 2020. Their older son, Drew, is a great big brother, and everyone is enjoying being a family of four!

[See photo on page 65.]

2000s Drew Rucks ’01 was recently promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant in the North Carolina Army National Guard.

Kate Quilty Bowman ’03 and Patrick welcomed Luke Quilty Bowman in February 2021. Gavin is loving being a big brother!

[See photo on page 65.]

Simone Mack-Bright ’92 has accepted a new position as associate director in the Center for Advising, Persistence, and Success at Kean University.

Jessica Feigin Hamilton ’04 lives in Chicago with her husband, Andrew, and ten-month-old daughter, Emilia. She is a corporate recruiter for MassMutual, but spent most of the winter months of 2020 shoveling! [See photo on page 65.]

Maggie Griffith Williams ’98 co-authored a book entitled, Migration, Mobility, and Sojourning in Cross-Cultural Films: Interculturing Cinema, published by Lexington Books

Sarah Karpf Kasowitz ’06 and her husband, Evan, welcomed their first son, Ethan, in September 2019. She is also excited that, after several years of working in the interior design industry doing commercial and residential design, she and a business partner recently opened their own interior design studio, Tre Designs, which serves the tri-state area as well as Houston, TX. [See photo on page 65.]

Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021

ALUMNI CAREER SPOTLIGHT JooRyung (JR) Kim ’90 JooRyung (JR) Kim ’90 is the CEO and founder of JRK Associates, a design and real estate development company.

Her success is more than the story of a Pennington graduate pursuing her passions with an exceptional work ethic, tremendous talent, and wellplaced ambition. It is a tale of her steely determination and immense resolve to build a business in a male-dominated industry and culture. Bundle that with a creative mind, warm smile, and humble outlook, and you understand how JR has achieved so much in her career.

When arriving at Pennington as a junior, she realized just how much there was for her to explore and learn— both in and beyond the classroom.

JR’s drive helped her thrive at Pennington as an international boarding student in the late 1980s. She remembers her time at Pennington fondly. “Mr. Parnos and Mr. Ahn both embraced all the international students. I loved going to the holiday dinners at their homes.” She cherishes the memories from those formative years and the lifelong friends she made.

Yet the seeds of her professional trajectory were planted years before she set foot on Pennington’s campus. When JR was growing up, her father ran many successful businesses, but JR was most influenced by his work in real estate development. “My awareness of spaces—how they inspire our

souls and lift our spirits—definitely started with my parents. My father would build a new house every two or three years, and my mother, who loves traditional Korean art, décor, and royal cuisine, would decorate each so elegantly and make it so inviting. The door was always open at our house. I am so grateful for these beautiful memories.”

After Pennington, she went to Boston University to major in computer engineering and found herself staring at a computer screen, programming day and night in a basement. JR knew she had to take a different tack. She transferred to Rhode Island School of Design’s combined B.Arch./B.F.A. degree program. She went on to obtain a diploma from the AA School of Architecture in London, and then worked at some of the world’s leading firms, including Foster + Partners and Zaha Hadid Architects.

JR moved back to Korea when she was in her early thirties to strike out on her own as an architect. JR had no professional connections after sixteen years living abroad, which made building her own business that much harder. She got a teaching job and was able to set up a small office with that money. But unlike in the West, architects in Korea do not have the same creative license to partner with clients. Instead, they work in service to the conglomerate-owned construction companies, which are riddled with internal politics. She wanted to take proper control over the projects, work directly with her clients, and introduce international standards of architectural procedure and ethical process.

In 2007, she courageously pivoted her firm’s focus from signature architectural services to value-added real estate development consulting. “This is a much more challenging pursuit,” she explains; it requires political finesse, financial prowess, and business instincts. JR made the switch and persevered, despite facing challenges as the only female real estate

professional in Korea and as the first real estate development consulting firm in the country following the international standards of design. Over the years, she has silenced the doubters and built an impeccable reputation, successfully delivering key landmark projects in Korea and globally.

Three years ago, she shifted once again, this time to take on projects that have important community impact. “We started developing neighborhood care residences, from high-end mansions to social housing.

Korea’s population is becoming a ‘superaging society,’ and many haven’t saved for retirement or prepared to support aging parents. There is an urgent call for more housing. My plan is to build a village where you can live carefree and safe, regardless of your age, wealth, and health.”

JR reveals openly that she was recently diagnosed with cancer. As she fights this battle, she is dreaming about bringing Maggie’s Centres, a global communitycare platform for cancer patients, into this work. She says, “Although I have been working on my community-housing development project for the last three years, it is only now, after understanding the suffering that cancer patients go through, that I have my entry ticket to really develop this project.”

She is still in touch with her dear friends from Pennington and, with the launch of the Asia Alumni Festival, JR has been able to gather for a number of special reunions.

Her advice for Pennington students is to focus on the present moment—enjoy it to the fullest and remember all the details.

“I think about chatting with friends over good meals, playing sports until we were out of breath, going on weekend outings.

Although I have faced really hard times, it is the happy memories from these times which give me strength.” www.pennington.org

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CL ASSNOTES Julianne Delorenzo Sargeaunt ’07 welcomed her son, Jack Lorenzo Sargeaunt, in September 2020. [See photo on page 65.]

Buddy Gardineer ’07 and his wife, Gabi, welcomed their son, Bayard Gilbert Gardineer V (a.k.a. “Beau”), into the world in March 2021. [See photo on page 65.]

Stacy Mackin Melton ’07 and her husband, Bryant, welcomed their son, Zeke Archer Melton, to their family in February 2021.

[See photo on page 65.]

Jae Heo ’08 was married to Stella Park on May 1, 2021, in Seoul, Korea. [See photo on page 64.]

Kathryn Brown ’09 will marry her fiance, Josh, who is a United States Marine, in October 2021. They have been together for about four years. She currently works at the Cambridge School as a teaching assistant and just completed the first part of her certification for teaching the Wilson Reading System. The couple live in Pennington with their cat, Sophie, and hamster, Natasha.

Matt Liwosz ’09 and Will Wojciechowski ’09 had a business meeting on the links.

Dustin Vile ’09 and Rachel Costas ’14 are pleased to announce their engagement! Thanks to Pennington for bringing the two families together. The couple will be getting married in Philadelphia in July 2022.

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021

2010s Mia Jones-Starkey ’14 presented research at the Division for Early Childhood International Conference in January 2021. The session went into depth on the results of a qualitative study examining state policies related to Part C services for children and families experiencing homelessness and its implications for policy and practice.

Sean Harris ’16 is currently pursuing a graduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania in computer and information technology.

Emma Kramer ’16 (right) and Isabelle Celentano ’17 got together this past February at Washington University in St. Louis.

Emma is working on her master’s degree, and Isabelle graduated this past spring.

Duncan Zavanelli ’16 proposed to Tatiana Fried ’16 in April 2021 at a scenic overlook in Lambertville, NJ, announce proud parents Karen and Guy Fried P’12 ’16 and Heather and Mark Zavanelli P’15 ’16. Duncan graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences in 2020 with a B.S.E. degree in materials science and engineering; Tatiana graduated summa cum laude from Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business and the Pennoni Honors College in 2020 with a degree in finance and accounting. The families send them wishes of love and happiness!

Clare Zhang ’16 (right) and Jane Bott Childrey ’89 met for dinner in Boston. Clare worked for Jane as an intern in the alumni relations office when she was a student at Pennington. The pair get together whenever they are in Boston or Pennington.

Zonghao Roderick Gao ’17 is excited to announce his graduation with a B.A. in economics and an M.A. in digital studies after four years at the University of Chicago. He also has earned a Dougan Scholar Business Certificate from the Chicago Booth School of Business and plans to start his career in investment banking shortly. He sends best wishes to his Class of 2017 classmates who may also be graduating this year.

“I am sure that we all truly appreciate Pennington’s caring teachers and talented peers who are still encouraging us to challenge ourselves and pursue our dreams.”

Tony Morency ’17 finished in second place (winning $20,000) in the Mayo Business Plan Competition at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) for his food truck business, Midnight Munchies. He is so grateful for the vote of confidence in his business idea and will use the prize money to help make it a reality.

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Julia Santoro ’17 was primary chair for THON (a major Greek life event at Penn State) this past winter, which raised a record $132,603 to find a cure for childhood cancer. She graduated in May from Penn State with a degree in rehabilitation and human services. This summer she plans on moving to Baltimore, MD, to begin her career with Teach For America as a special educator.

Ryan Totaro ’18 is the recipient of the William Hartzell Trust Scholarship at Haverford College in recognition of his past exceptional achievements and his high promise of future distinction.

Katie Byun ’19 (right) and Lily Childrey ’18, former roommates and “besties,” reunited in Seoul, South Korea, this past March. Katie helped Lily move into her dorm for her semester abroad, and Katie headed back to the States for her spring semester at University of California, San Diego.

FORMER

FACULTY Heather Bailey, former Pennington teacher of Spanish; Pat Zema, retired teacher of French; and Karen Voorhees, retired teacher of Spanish/ French, got together for a social visit in April 2021.

Frank and former Middle School teacher Dee Spera P’89 have moved to Cummings, GA, to be closer to their son, Jeff Spera ’89, and his family after spending the last twenty-one years of their retirement in Florida.

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Pennington Magazine Spring/Summer 2021

Former athletic director Bill and Nancy Long are thrilled to welcome their new grandson, Langston William. Langston’s mother, Alison Long, was born at Pennington in 1978. After graduating from Princeton University and teaching English in Vietnam for a year, Alison returned to teach history at Pennington from 2002 to 2006. She earned her master’s degree in international relations at American University and has since worked for nonprofits overseas; her stops included Afghanistan, Yemen, Cambodia, Israel, and, for the past six years, Kenya. Alison loves Kenya because of its friendly people and wonderful weather!

Bill and Nancy accompanied Alison to Salt Lake City in 2018 when she adopted her first child, Zola Rose. In 2020, they made the trip again when she adopted Langston William.

Paul Hausmann, former Pennington dean of students, passed away quietly in January 2021. His wife, Carla, enjoys staying connected to Pennington and wants to continue to hear the great stories from alumni during their era.

In Memoriam With sadness we remember the following members of the Pennington community who died or whose death we learned of since the publication of our last magazine:

Arthur M. Rose ’46 John Vaccaro ’47 Robert L. Hearn ’50 Roy A. Singley ’55 Robert T. Parr ’56 A. L. Talbot ’58 Richard C. Mudge ’59 Michael E. Pearl ’61 Randolph J. Appleby ’63 Karl G. Hastedt ’63 Walter J. Bragdon ’66 Robert L. Lansberry ’66 Cathleen A. Romine S’69 John M. Zuccarelli ’72 FT Ann M. McDonald S’73 George D. Parnos P’78 FF Anthony S. DeLia ’80 Jack A. Hitt P’81 ’82 Brent W. Harrell ’82 Patricia Hoffman P’84 ’89 Maria Porreca P’88 Paul Porreca P’88

In Memory

Thomas J. DiDonato ’89 Irving Weinberg P’91 Steven B. Kalafer P’93 ’96 FT James Kelembelidis P’97 ’98 John T. Carson P’03 ’06 ’10 Bernie Rowe GP’08 ’11 ’14 James A. Boozan P’13 Glen Nelson GP’14 Paul E. Hausmann FF

P–Parent; GP–Grandparent; S–Spouse; FF–Former Faculty; FS–Former Staff; FT–Former Trustee; FFS–Former Faculty Spouse; FTS–Former Trustee Spouse

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