The Pingry Record - Commencement 2020

THE NATION’S OLDEST COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL NEWSPAPER

ON THE WEB: students.pingry.org/ record

Volume CXLV, Number V

June 7, 2020

COMMENCEMENT 2020

Seniors Reinvent Their ISPs Amid COVID-19

BY THE CLASS OF 2020 Once it became apparent that ISP would no longer be in person, Pingry seniors immediately took to redesigning their projects for a quarantine setting. Hear from them about what they were up to all May! Lower School Buddies (Lance Perlow, Nicolette Brigante): We organized a group of Upper Schoolers who meet with Lower School students and participate in fun activities together. Along with the other students who signed up for this program, Nicolette Brigante and Lance Perlow will be holding Google Meet sessions with their respective Lower School Buddies. Upper Schoolers and their buddy meet for about 30 minutes, 2 times a week, to do fun activities like Pictionary or holding a virtual fashion show!

Flex Talk Podcast (Megan Cowan, Madi Pilla and Alexandra Weber): We are doing a podcast that is going to be a candid reflection on our experience at Pingry. We will be talking about everything from hot topics like mental health to fun memories like the soccer championship, and everything in between. We call it Flex Talk because our inspiration was things we would talk about in a flex period at Pingry.

R&E Wellness (Eve Gilbert, Rylie Drozjock): We are making a

INVESTIGATIVE: Page 9

Coronavirus Corrupts the 2020 Presidential Election Jessica Lin (V) discusses the impact of COVID-19 on the upcoming election.

wellness lifestyle blog where we talk about workouts, healthy recipes, mindfulness, and “clean” products we like!

Crafted Together: Paying it Forward with Custom Crafts and Designs (Kaya Lee, Renée Chan, Katherine Oatman, Annie Oatman, Brigid McGuire, Madeline Skapper): We are starting a small business by hand-creating stickers, bracelets, and digital backdrops. We will use social media and the Pingry email chain to market our products, as well as receive orders. Although products are technically “free,” customers will be encouraged to make a generous donation of roughly 5 or more dollars directly to Family Promise.

Researching the Medical Humanities (Brian Li): I am working with faculty at the New Jersey Scholars Program and the Stanford University School of Medicine on researching questions related to the medical humanities. The medical humanities is an interdisciplinary field linking the health sciences with the social sciences, creative arts, and humanities. One of my papers is in press at Voices in Bioethics, and the other is expected to be finished in the coming weeks.

The Hot Room (Will Bugliari, Ryan Smith, Jacob Lamb, Matt Korth, Anthony Rubino): We interview students about their ISPs. Coronavirus Posters (Kim Young): For my ISP, I will make a few

REFLECTIONS: Page 4

Brian Li (VI) Reflects on the Class of 2020

Student Body President Brian Li (VI) describes his Pingry experience, from his first few weeks freshman year to finding a community at a new school.

minimalist-style posters relating to the current pandemic.

ISP Art Collective (John Robertson, Nicole Gilbert, Charlie Malone, James Wang, Eino Korpela, Bert Yu, Caroline Knorn, Derek Raskopf, Annie Smith, Natalie Ladino, Liv Nugent, Lindsay Cheng, Isabelle Sheyfer, Alexandra Weber): The ISP Art Collective is a great way for Pingry students to collaborate with each other.

The musicians will be creating music based off the artwork of the artists. The deliverable will be a bunch of art based around four different themes: “endings,” “adventures or stories,” “experiences and emotions at pingry,” and “isolation.”

Cat Comics (Victoria Gu, Alison Lee, Samantha Burak, Ashley Lu): For our ISP, we wanted to commemorate our high school experience. Since we are a talented group of artists, we decided to draw comics that capture our funniest, happiest, and most awkward moments at Pingry. We decided to convey the stories we drew through adorable cats.

Music Production (Nina Srikanth, Nicole Gilbert): Nina and Nicole are producing music – singing covers and writing originals – that are published onto their ISP instagram. The finished song is either a solo or a duet with original cover art created by Nina and Nicole.

Continue Reading on Page 6!

INVESTIGATIVE: Page 8

The Coronavirus Endgame and What Comes Next Noah Bergam (V) explores COVID-19, how we can beat it, and the possibility of future spikes.

SUMMER WRITING If you want to write or do art for us over the summer, reach out!

We will continue to publish on our website, record.pingry.org.

Email: nbergam2021 or mdurkin2021@pingry.org for more details

THE PINGRY RECORD

2

Editorial

BRYNN WEISHOLTZ (VI) In this time, we are surrounded by unknowns, unsure of whatever comes next. The media outlets have analyzed this pandemic from every angle, scrutinizing each viewpoint… except, it seems, the positive one. It is with this sentiment I find myself longing to share what I believe to be Pingry’s greatest quality: its deep commitment and dedication to the student body.

As I walked out of the clocktower on March 6th, my backpack filled with books, I was prepared to depart for my final Spring Break at Pingry, ready for the exciting conclusion to my senior year. However, this year, that anticipatory aura was not present.

Preparing for COVID-19, teachers and administrators instructed us to bring everything home. When my extended Spring Break turned into a permanent quarantine, I feared this marked the end of high school. Nevertheless, while my time inside the Pingry walls came to a close, the faculty, staff, and administration refused to allow this to be our official end of high school.

Even apart, we were able to stay connected as a class and community.

From this point, we went online.

Teachers willingly made adjustments to their disrupted personal lives. The

COMMENTARY JUNE 7, 2020

Dear Pingry Pingry family grew, children and pets being a welcome inclusion into the virtual classroom. They helped us retain a sense of normalcy, even from our bedrooms and kitchen tables. Outside of the classroom, we were still able to participate in quintessential senior events. From the comfort of our homes, the Virtual SAC Assembly was as humorous and witty as ever. Dressed in spirit gear in our living rooms, the athletic awards were a welcome reminder of all we have accomplished over these last four years. The Pingry faculty and staff was instrumental in allowing us to keep these traditions, but that was not all these wonderful individuals did for us.

We, the Class of 2020, will go down in history for the world we are graduating into, but in our minds, we will fondly remember the special gifts and events we got to have, unique to our class. On the morning of May 1st, each senior woke up to balloons on our front steps, commemorating our final day of classes. Later that day, we were welcomed back to the Pingry parking lot, social distancing from our trunks and sunroofs. We received surprise packages, filled with bookstore memorabilia and graduation regalia. The Pingry community ensured that I could still display the Pingry colors proudly.

The teachers gave us lasting memories, bringing the student body and faculty together in unity. Whether the special videos with messages, the college shirt video, or the advisor Spotify playlist, we were able to get a window into the lives of our beloved teachers. No other class had received these special senior gifts, and they are ones my peers and I will continue to

cherish.

Then came the senior picture day on campus. My family packed into our car and made the journey west on Route 78, perhaps for my last time as a high school student. We turned the corner past the stone entrance and were met with familiar faces: ours, smiling back, all together.

The car slowed to a crawl down the driveway as I scanned the images of my friends and peers. This was quite the surprise, and such a special one at that. The Pingry community had given us this treasured gift, one even my brother, Class of 2016, laments he did not receive. Although we missed out on the last few months in Basking Ridge, we received innumerable and immeasurable gifts, specially curated for our class, that we will take with us forever, uniquely ours.

There is a theme throughout these activities: connection and community.

While we certainly did not envision ending our Pingry career this way, we, the collective Pingry community, have not allowed quarantine to rob us of our traditions. From the award ceremonies over Zoom to the senior photos on campus, we maintain a positive and unified group. The Class of 2020 will certainly be remembered, and the teachers and administration are sending us off with unprecedented fanfare that will propel us into our future colleges with courage and resilience. Things may be more different now that ever, but we are still going out strong. Thank you Pingry and congratulations to the Class of 2020 once more.

decisions. I have forgotten much of the material that I crammed for my AP World History exam last year; meanwhile, the information that I learned in Pingry’s World History 9 and 10 classes still stays with me. I have no appreciation for AP exams other than the fact that colleges take them as proof of introductory-level course completion. In fact, I feel animosity towards the College Board for their insistence that the exams demonstrate understanding rather than memorization; I have found that their exams are based around limited interpretations and memorized facts, despite their pretensions.

The coronavirus has only demonstrated how embarrassingly pointless College Board’s exams, particularly the APs, have become.

The shortened 45-minute exams include a maximum of two questions, with many exams only having one single essay question. In addition, not only do this year’s exam exclude large chunks of material due to their truncated nature, but the College Board has axed the final few units from the accompanying AP Courses. Classes that strictly follow those courses learn less and still demonstrate only a fraction of that knowledge on the exam.

The College Board insists that they have worked with colleges to consider these new AP Exams as course credit, but I am extremely doubtful of that.

Take the AP Physics Mechanics exam: why should any college consider a two-question exam that covers probably half of the learned units,

not to mention the complete removal of orbital and simple harmonic motion, as equivalent to a full year of introductory physics? In any case, the normal AP Courses are not at the level of rigor as a college course––how could a truncated version carry any semblance of the same value? The College Board refuses to answer these questions properly or honestly.

Moreover, the College Board has done a less-than-satisfactory job of administering the online exams.

Countless students––including many at Pingry––have watched their exams refuse to submit through the AP testing system. Beyond that, the College Board sent out a broken makeup test link; after outrage online, they fixed it, but didn’t bother to update anyone or even apologize.

Meanwhile, they’ve been posting tone-deaf Tweets about catching cheaters, while upstanding students are left to wait several weeks just to learn whether they’re eligible for the makeup exam. And, despite the fact that the exam is a quarter of the length that it was before, College Board is charging full price ($94) and will take longer to grade the exams than normal.

All of this stems from the fact that College Board’s AP is essentially unchallenged in the market for classbased, subject-specific standardized tests. Its only competitor is the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. Most schools offer either one or the other; few offer both, meaning that most students don’t have a choice as to which advanced

Class President on Class Legacy

BURKE PAGANO (VI)

When I look back on this past year, one memory of our grade comes to mind before any others. The grade began to funnel into Macrae Theater at 10 o’clock for a routine form meeting. A few seniors had the idea that we should get together as a grade to talk about mental health; it was a pertinent topic. It was a stressful time for everyone. The semester was ending, anxiousness about college was growing, but more importantly, there was a tragic, unexpected stress that loomed over the community. Over the past month, there were a series of suicides among seniors in the northern New Jersey area. Many in the class knew or knew of these students and felt we needed to address this as a whole senior community at Pingry.

The leaders of the meeting were brave. They opened up about personal experiences with mental health and emphasized the importance of supporting one another. Their message was clear: we have an obligation as seniors and members of a community to look out for each other and lift each other up. The student leaders challenged us to move outside our friend groups and show that we appreciate those that might not even know it. To put this in action, they asked anyone who was willing to stand up and give a shoutout to someone who had a positive influence in others’ lives.

For the next ten minutes, dozens

of students shared what other people in the class meant to them.

It was the epitome of a community supporting each other. It was a genuine experience, and the grade carried a new energy from that point on.

This moment together in Macrae showed the growth we had as a class. During our freshman year, the only reason we would have had a form meeting in Macrae was to be lectured after making a mess in the freshman area. Now, we entered Macrae in support of our fellow classmates in a forum, where we sought to improve the culture of our school. We could have ignored this challenging subject and continued with our lives, but we addressed it head on. This is the character of the Class of 2020. We started high school with teachers and administrators asking, “What are we going to do with this grade?” and by the end had them asking, “What are we going to do without them?”

We did not get the ending to high school we were hoping for; that is obvious. But the Class of 2020 is undoubtedly leaving a legacy at Pingry. Throughout our four years of high school, and even just six months as seniors, the ability of this class to come together when times are tough and shape better versions of ourselves and our communities is truly remarkable.

They have made a positive impact on the culture at Pingry and will surely continue to do so in college and in life. Congratulations to the Class of 2020.

End the AP Era at Pingry ANEESH KARUPPUR (V) Some time back, I wrote a commentary regarding APdesignation courses at Pingry, and how Pingry ought to consider phasing them out. Given the events of the past few weeks, I would like to update that message: I feel that it is now imprudent for Pingry to offer AP Courses, and I hope that this transition occurs as soon as possible.

This might seem like a bit of a dramatic change––I admit that perhaps my last commentary was less vicious towards the College Board. However, the coronavirus has exposed some of the concerns that before, we could only hypothesize about. Our current situation demonstrates that the College Board is ineffective, unnecessary, and has been abusing its monopolistic status over testing.

Colleges and universities have begun showing the same attitudes towards the College Board’s standardized test products. Almost every school will be test-optional for the upcoming admissions season, if they were not already. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced in March that it would refuse to consider SAT Subject Tests outright for future admissions seasons as well. As colleges emphasize “holistic admissions” and consider “the whole person,” it’s clear that traditional exam-based metrics are being relegated to first-round screening of applicants rather than acting as deciding factors.

I agree wholeheartedly with those

courses they can take. Their quasimonopoly over such schools has allowed them to offer lowerquality products while remaining unchallenged, as it’s very difficult for a school to suddenly switch from AP to IB. While the IB program has cancelled their exams, the AP system forged ahead in their revolutionary product of mismanagement and terrible user experience.

As a final note, Pingry doesn’t benefit from boasting about the number of AP courses or exams it offers. Pingry’s curriculum highly restricts when and which AP Courses students can take. For example, all students must take the BiologyChemistry sequence in the first two years, while other schools (including public schools) allow students to take AP Chemistry or AP Biology much earlier. Pingry doesn’t offer AP World

History, AP Environmental Science, AP Human Geography, AP Research, or AP Seminar courses; for the latter two, I can’t recall a single Pingry student who has taken those exams.

Thus, since Pingry already does not fully conform to the AP program, we should be able to do away with AP Courses with few qualms. If teachers can design curricula that have realworld value, rather than dedicate time to an increasingly obsolete test, all members of the community will benefit. The AP Exams can be offered as independent signups for those who wish to take them.

The College Board has nothing to lose by remaining aloof and ignorant of students’ and teachers’ frustrations. I hope that Pingry can join other independent schools in abandoning the AP for good.

Photo Credits (Left to Right): Christian Colella

THE PINGRY RECORD

On Sleep and Community VICKY GU (VI) As an eighth grader at Pingry, my time management skills were particularly poor. I spent too much time procrastinating each afternoon, causing me to start my homework late at night. I have only myself to blame for these habits, but the consequences were rough. I had to fight to keep myself awake in class, as if dragging myself through some sort of syrupy, incoherent blur. I spent my flexes and any free time catching up on sleep. I think that’s where I developed the reputation that won me the superlative “most likely to fall asleep in class.” I’m glad my peers were generally accepting of this unusual behavior, but I felt out of place. I had friends from some classes, but I did not feel a part of any group of people; rather, I felt like an individual who happened to be in the same grade as others.

In the spring of that year, I met with Ms. Leffler, who had been both my science teacher and advisor for two years. I remember our conversation very well, especially that she seemed genuinely concerned about my sleep schedule and social life. I think it was at that point that I realized I needed to change my habits. We talked about how high school would be different—I would have more work, but also more free time. I would have a conference period every day, but also join and invest more time into clubs and other school activities. She mentioned how I’d likely find more people with whom I could resonate in that new environment.

What Ms. Leffler said came true, albeit not immediately. At the start of my freshman year, instead of sleeping between classes, I became

overly focused on secluding myself to finish work during flexes and conference periods. At least I was sleeping more at home and less tired during the day. I think I started feeling I was a part of the Class of 2020 a bit later in that year. I got better at balancing my time; while I found time to talk to friends, I was still able to acknowledge when I needed to work on something urgent.

What truly made me feel a part of this class, however, extends beyond that. From old classmates asking how I was doing to 8:10 AM calls from students concerned I’d miss class, these little but not insignificant moments made me feel at home at Pingry. While our classes grew more rigorous, I was comforted by the collective support of my fellow classmates. I specifically remember throwing around possible essay ideas with Mr. Shilts and a few other students after class one afternoon.

Hearing everyone else’s thoughts let me come up with the rather daring idea of proving that two canonically unlinked characters were the same person. Though I liked the concept, I wasn’t sure it would work, but the enthusiasm I received from everyone in the room convinced me to try.

This, and many other moments from outside of class, helped to connect us. Though we struggled with schoolwork, balancing after-school activities, and finally our college applications and results this year, our celebrations and sympathies for each other made these endeavors more bearable. I’m sincerely grateful for the empathy and warmth this class has shown these past few years, and I hope that I’ll find something similar as I transition into yet another new environment next year.

COMMENTARY JUNE 7, 2020

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Black Lives Should Always Matter Editorial NOAH BERGAM (V) The far-reaching solidarity we see for Black America right now is a rightful cause for hope. However, we – and when I say we, I’m pointing to White people in specific – ought to make sure our energy on this issue does not fall back into familiar patterns of ignorance surrounding police brutality.

In other words, we have to make sure we don’t let this fade into the background of our political perceptions once the media hype dies down. If we want to fight this issue, and be real allies, we have to act and educate ourselves for the long run.

We know media attention alone has not fixed this issue. Even in the most high-profile cases, such as those Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin, we have failed to see the policemen found guilty. We have seen the media storms, the rises and falls of #BlackLivesMatter, to little real avail in terms of legislative change.

What makes the George Floyd protests different?

George Floyd’s murder was set in such a context to set off the perfect storm.

His murder came in the context of the coronavirus, which disproportionately hurt African American communities. His murder came after a string of other racist killings, most notably those of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor.

His murder was caught on camera from multiple angles, and was exceptionally gruesome.

The public outrage has rightfully

reached a boiling point, and it has already been constructive in a number of ways. The dialogue is more far-reaching than ever.

The petitions and donations are growing, and it’s encouraging to see so many people taking part.

It’s unfortunate that people are trying to shift the discussion to the destruction of rioting, but ultimately I think many Americans on both sides of the political spectrum see such rioting (and its frequent roots in provocation from the police) as a symptom of a much larger issue that has to be addressed.

However, I’m disappointed to say that these riots were a wakeup call for me. It took this kind of public outrage for me to feel the pain of these injustices and realize how bad it’s been for Black America.

In the wake of the Floyd protests, I reread a certain chapter of Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man and listened to Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly. Two of my favorite pieces of art, which were about police violence and racism against Black Americans. I thought I knew these works well, but after seeing and hearing what was going on in protests in real life, something new clicked. My heart started beating faster. They suddenly made me stress in ways they never before did, even though I always knew the issues in them were real and ongoing.

The difference was, in the midst of widely recognized tragedy and tangible grief, I was forced to stop internally compartmentalizing and start empathizing. I was forced to realize the stress of being Black in America, and moreover my dangerous ability as a White American to ignore it.

That is why I want to hammer home that Black Lives Matter has

to be more than a hashtag, a trend, a meme that rises and falls like any other. Because there aren’t going to be protests on the street forever.

People are eventually going to stop posting activist messages on their social media as they hunger for some sense of normalcy.

We’ll get tired, along with the news cycle, which will eventually find another story. That’s the natural reaction. But the crucial thing here is that Black Americans can never really just forget about this. Police brutality is a burden on their community, and it always will be unless we non-Black people help them with this burden for the long haul, to effect real change.

As citizens, this means being an active and precise voter on every level of government. It means contacting legislators and local police systems, amplifying Black voices, taking part in rallies, donating to the right organizations, showing and acting on allyship consistently, treating this as a central political issue even when it isn’t always convenient to do so.

For Pingry it means a change in mindset. A change in curriculum, where we teach the manifestations of systemic racism not only in the 1800s but also in our present day. It means ongoing, uncomfortable, but ultimately educational conversations in the classroom between racial groups about why and how our country has yet to fulfill its social contract.

Ultimately, Black lives shouldn’t just matter now. They shouldn’t just matter when it’s cool to post it on an Instagram story, or necessary to uphold your reputation.

Black lives should always matter.

On the Origins of the Pingry Politics Podcast MARCUS BROTMAN (V) Pre-quarantine, pre-spring break, I had a plan to create a live Pingry debate circuit. Each week or so, we would host a debate between two students, live for the whole community to watch during CP. Our viewers would be able to challenge the debaters with questions on the spot, and our debaters would display their depth of knowledge.

After all, when I first became interested in politics, it was due to the familial debates held at the Passover dinner table. I thought if I

could bring that same spirit to Pingry, then I could inspire a new generation of Pingry debates.

I had it all set up: two intelligent classmates would kick off a series of debates on March 23, 2020 in Macrae theater at 3:00pm. It seemed perfect; I would kill two birds with one stone. I could revitalize political engagement at Pingry, while also bringing about an increased political understanding between students. At first, the spread of COVID-19 seemed to be a blessing; it brought an entire new dimension to each debate. For example, not only can we ask American foreign policy,

Volume CXLV, Number 1

Editors-in-Chief Brynn Weisholtz Noah Bergam Assistant Editors Vicky Gu Eva Schiller Meghan Durkin Layout Editors Justin Li Cartoonist Monica Chan

Copy Editors Aneesh Karuppur Brooke Pan Brian Li Dean Koenig Photography Editor Rhea Kapur Faculty Advisors Meghan Finegan Megan Jones

but also how COVID-19 affects one’s positions. Does a global pandemic create a need to invest in green energy, or does it prove that fossil fuels must be relied upon?

Of course, this entire house of cards fell rather quickly once the scale of COVID-19 became clear.

After a brief spring break spent worrying over whether the March SAT would be cancelled, it was time to deal with the fallout. My mind raced with ideas for saving my plans, but each day pushed deeper and deeper the conclusion that physical school would not be returning. With this, I was determined to start a podcast. Naturally, I began with the most important elements of any podcast. I enlisted the help of aspiring Blink-182 member, Max Brotman ‘19, to write the introduction theme song, and Christopher Ticas (V) to draw the show’s logo. Contrary to my previously held beliefs, a theme song and a logo do not a podcast make. One needs substance too.

For that, I turned to the wider Pingry community for help, specifically, Ricardo Volbrechthausen ‘12. Ricardo served as my first guest for the podcast, where he played a crucial role in furthering my understanding of Mexican politics and society. Ricardo brought a unique perspective on Mexico due to his personal experience in the country, a perspective which is generally absent in Pingry-centric discussions. This episode was met

by a wave of success, surpassing 50 views within a few days.

I then moved to constructing the cornerstone of the podcast, studentdebates. Andrew Wong (IV) and Julia Fu (IV) began the series with an impassioned discussion of America’s foreign policy towards China. Their debate focused around America’s trade relations with China, and how China’s authoritarian government impacts how they believed America should act. This debate episode was followed by an insightful discussion of American monetary policy with Dr. Luis Brunstein, an economics professor at Lehigh University. Dr. Brunstein swiftly tackled the question of quantitative easing, describing it as “the strange name they gave to an otherwise really simple policy of finding a way to increase the amount of money in the economy.” The next episode featured Shaan Lehal (III) and Ava Kotsen (III) in their debate over climate policy in America, and our most recent brought physicist Brendan Lyons to discuss his research in the long-elusive study of fusion energy.

In my opinion, the most interesting piece of each episode has been the student involvement. We record each podcast live over Google Meet, public for all Pingry students. This means that each episode has ended with our guests fielding questions from our listeners. I believe this aspect of our show is crucial, as the interest of

Pingry students in political debates is the goal of our show.

The podcast is even international!

(We have one view from Iceland). I am optimistic about the future of the podcast, and of Pingry’s intellectual life. In the future I hope to bring the Pingry community more entertaining and educational episodes. Of course, I couldn’t do it without my team of contributors. Sean Lyons (V) is the head-moderator and vice-president, while Aidan Boylan (V) enhances our audio quality via Adobe Audition.

Ms. Davlin and Mrs. Camille Bonds have done a great job facilitating the podcast’s publication.

If you’ve gotten this far and are wondering where you can watch the Pingry Politics Podcast, you can find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Radio Public. Simply search Pingry Politics, and we are the first result. If you would like to appear on the podcast as a guest or work as a researcher or editor, then email me mbrotman2021@pingry.org.

Photo Credits (Left to Right): Marcus Brotman

THE PINGRY RECORD

4

COMMENTARY JUNE 7, 2020

Student Body President Brian Li Reflects on Class the of 2020 BRIAN LI (VI) I did not want to come to Pingry.

When I first received the phone call from the Admissions Office as an eighth-grader, I was ambivalent.

The thought of being a new student in a new school in a new town was an incredibly daunting one. I remember the first night in a new home, the surprise of seeing bookbags strewn across the floor, and the angst of finding a seat in the lunchroom. My freshman advisor Ms. Lily Wang noted bluntly to my family that I had a penchant for isolating myself in the library during my free time, where I could slide into a cubicle and go unnoticed.

For the longest time, I struggled to identify with Pingry, and there were many nights when I questioned if the Admissions Office had erred.

A friend once commented that I am an introvert who acts like an extrovert, and so it was extremely uncomfortable to feel like I could only see the community through a window. “People at my old school aren’t like this,” I would quietly think to myself. Although I am loath to admit it, there was a bitterness within me that bordered on animus.

Without realizing it, I had squandered my first weeks at Pingry making three foolish mistakes: first, I had a deepseated impatience within me which desired for everything to happen instantly; second, I thought that I could become a part of the community

without effort; and third, I was blind to the deep-seated humanity present in Pingry at large, as well as in the Class of 2020 in particular.

Pingry is a fast-paced community, but amidst our impulse to reach our goals, we often forget to appreciate that which can be gleaned from the journey. Like I said at Convocation, failures and setbacks are not frightening––they are fertile experiences for positive personal growth and transformation. My advisor Mr. Drew Burns’ exhortations to “slow down” and “run your own race” has become a calming mantra that has accompanied me during the stresses of junior and senior year, and I wish that I had known that as a freshman. It takes courage to see beyond the diktat of unchecked and half-baked ambitions that run on unreasonable schedules, and I lacked that as a freshman.

Despite my impatience, by Thanksgiving, I had found my people.

I still vividly remember those people who welcomed me into the Pingry community as soon as I began to branch out: my freshman Art Funds class with Mr. Peter Delman, English 9 with Dr. Reid Cottingham, World History 9 with Dr. Ryan Staude (where I dropped an f-bomb after a very bad review Jeopardy bet), and the Quiz Bowl team.

Becoming a part of any community takes a bit of effort and a leap of faith. I have a calligraphy scroll hanging over my desk which reads “

盡人事 順天意” – do what you must and then follow the will of heaven.

Everything happens in due course, and with a little bit of patience, I was able to find a community which was teeming with humanity, spirit, and compassion. I have been so privileged to serve our community as a member of Student Government and to have come to personally know so many other amazing people through the other hats I wore over the past four.

I am ever grateful to my peers and teachers for accepting me with my eccentricities, clumsiness, and flaws, and for motivating me to work hard

to better myself.

The Pingry Record has asked me to think and reflect on the defining moments of my time as a part of Pingry and the Class of 2020. I find it difficult to do so, as the friendships and bonds we share are a constant presence in our lives, even when we are apart. Pingry and the Class of 2020 have created a dynamic and resilient community which has celebrated each other’s successes, comforted each other during setbacks, and bravely weathered both the Pingry Plague and COVID-19.

This is a community which has

squashed my naïve skepticism with its warmth. This is a community which seeks out the most meaningful and unique parts of each person who has passed through its doors. And, over the past four years, there have been all too many moments when the members of this community have looked at each other with a mix of disbelief and pride at the ways we have enriched each other’s lives, created lasting memories, and grown in ways we could have never imagined.

After the seniors who shared their stories were finished, we did something that the peer leaders call “shout-outs,” which is exactly what it sounds like. People started standing up, without any prompt and thanked somebody else in our grade for something small that they had done in the past. Seniors from every friend group in our grade ended up shouting

out their friends, or sometimes people they barely knew.

In the middle of the shout-outs, the student from the panel popped into my head. I found myself looking around the room and thinking that I could, with one hundred percent confidence, say that I felt like I belonged in the Class of 2020. That feeling has not left since.

Honor Board Chairperson Emily Sanchez: On Belonging

EMILY SANCHEZ (VI)

I have a vivid memory of sitting in the senior area as a newly accepted eighth grader and listening to a panel of students talk about Pingry.

It was the first time I had ever actually visited Pingry, and knowing absolutely no one, I was nervous out of my mind. I remember a parent asking a question along the lines of, “What are easy ways to make friends at Pingry?” My interest piqued as I started to take mental notes of everything that the students said.

One student’s response stuck with me throughout high school. He couldn’t think of any additional thoughts that were not already mentioned by his peers, so all he said was: “I don’t really know exactly how I made my friends. All I know is that one day I looked around and realized that I finally belonged.”

As freshman year rolled around, I kept reminding myself that I just had to wait out the awkward part.

Everything would eventually come together before my eyes, and I’d just belong. Although admittedly a little bit slower than most, I joined clubs, played sports, and found my friends.

However, the moment promised to me by the student on the panel did not come until my senior year.

I’m sure the rest of my grade would agree when I say that we always felt like a lesser grade than those before us. The grade directly above us was considered one of the smartest to ever go through Pingry, and we were the grade that had a Juul scandal and two kids who were expelled. While other grades generally got along with each other, our grade was very cliquey.

This all changed senior year.

For some reason, our grade really flourished this past year. We consistently went to sports games and theater performances, the cliques faded to simply groups of friends, and we helped each other through the college process with hardly any

sense of competition.

Cut to February and there had been a string of suicides at various surrounding schools, some of which deeply affected members of our class.

A lot of us felt like the School wasn’t doing enough to address it, so the Peer Leaders decided to organize a form meeting in which a handful of students sat on the edge of the stage in Macrae and shared their stories regarding mental health. Usually, there is a slight hum during form meetings due to the large number of people in a relatively small space.

But this time, every single person in the theater was absolutely silent. The vulnerability from the seniors that spoke and the respect from the rest of the class created an atmosphere in the room that everybody involved will never forget. There was an unspoken sense that we were all struggling in our own ways, but that everyone in our grade was there to help us get through it.

Congratulations New Student Government Representatives!

Student Body President Nolan Baynes II Form VI Class President: Noah Bergam Emma Huang Carolyn Coyne Henry Wood Rohan Pande

Form V Class President: Giles Burnett Niles Luke Ashleigh Provoost Sabrina Schneider Franklin Zhu

Form IV Class President: JP Salvatore Gray Doyle Spencer Jahng Alexa Drovestky Shaan Lehal

Dilan Bhat Noopur Bhatt Samantha Burak Aimee Composto Hannah Dillon Victoria Gu

Congratulations New Honor Board Members!

Form VI Meghan Durkin Josie Alston Matt Mandel Rhea Kapur

Congratulations to the 2020 Cum Laude Society Inductees!

Form V Emmet Houghton Olivia Telemaque Jack Martin Maureen Schwarz

Form IV Camille Collins Franklin Mau Jake Abdi

Hannah Guglin Benjamin Hargrove Anjali Kapoor Caroline Knorn Ashna Kumar Alison Lee Kaya Lee

Sofia Lombardo Ashley Lu

Ashana Makhija Tyler McLaughlin James “Burke” Pagano Jennifer Ryan Alyssa Schwertfeger Sonia Talarek Lauren Taylor James Wang Jamie Wang Collin Wen Samuel Williams Qida “Steven” Wu

Photo Credits (Left to Right): Monica Chan (V), Emily Shen (IV)

THE PINGRY RECORD

SCHOOL NEWS JUNE 7, 2020

5

Incoming Student Body President’s Letter to Community NOLAN BAYNES (V) Besides COVID-19 and the “murder hornets,” one of the more surprising things that has happened to me this year was being elected Student Body President. I’ve always wanted to be in this position, and it’s been one of my dreams since coming to this school.

First, I want to thank all of the essential workers and medical staff who are fighting against COVID-19 on the front lines. I also want to thank all of you for remaining patient and following social distancing orders; by staying apart, you’re truly doing a lot for everyone.

I could be generic and talk about how I want to make this year fun and do events, but, personally, I don’t think that’s my job. Of course, I want every student to enjoy their Pingry experience, but in all honesty, creating ice cream socials is not going to solve that.

For all of us, such things will give us the immediate joy, but that feeling won’t last. Being involved in everything from Buttondowns to Football to Artists’ Initiative

(shameless promotion), I’ve realized that, more than anything, happiness at Pingry truly comes from acceptance. At times, as a community, we become bogged down in the day to day of Pingry, so much so that we sacrifice our own well-being. So, if we can’t take care of ourselves, how can we manage to look after our peers? The additional issue that stems from this is the false perception that we give off to other students. Laughing about the lack of sleep and casually discussing the overload of assessments you have in a week is a defense mechanism to deal with the high-intensity environment that we’re enrolled in. So, how do we fix it?

If I had the solution to this, I would be rich and writing this from Jamaica, but I’m not. In all honesty, I truly don’t believe there is one. However, one thing we can do is to be honest with one another. At the end of the day, we all have similar experiences, from APUSH to daily sports practices to the infamous “Hell Week” that the drama kids embrace (for which they’ll always have my respect).

After the first Student Forum on

Student Wellness, I’ve realized that we, as students, need to have more conversations. We need to be transparent with each other and be honest because, at times, it’s hard to go to Pingry. Amidst all the academic stress and social pressures, there are moments when we each feel as though we are the only student in the halls and that’s just a part of our culture. Truthfully, I don’t think I’ll change the school culture in a year; it’s just not possible. Instead, I want to start dialogues within the community that will hopefully set a precedent for years to come. This is bigger than me, you, or any student in the Upper School. This will affect the girl who is a second-grader at Short Hills or the future Form I student whose parents are making him apply to Pingry. I don’t want these future students to feel the loneliness that we all have dealt with at least once.

With that being said, I’ll be the first to be honest (in Carolyn Coyne fashion): Hi, I’m Nolan Baynes II, the first African-American Student Body President at Pingry in recent

AFS Program Discontinued

ASHLEIGH PROVOOST (IV)

After fifty years of hosting foreign exchange students, Pingry decided to cancel its AFS (American Field Service) program for future years.

This news comes alongside the fact that over Spring Break, the current AFS program was understandably called off due to COVID-19.

The AFS intercultural programs allowed a multitude of students from across the world to join the Pingry community. Exchange students would stay with a host family for a year, take classes, and be introduced to a new way of life.

Through this program, Pingry students were able to meet people from all around the world. These exchange students could engage in new American experiences, while teaching students from Pingry about their own culture.

The program also involved Pingry’s AFS Club, a student-led club that hosted welcome parties and birthday parties for exchange students. The club’s main purpose was to help exchange students acclimate to their new community.

This year the club was led by Alison Lee (VI) and Massa Godbold (V), both of whom loved being a part of the club. “I think it was very rewarding,” Lee mentioned,

regarding her experience as a club leader. “This foreign exchange was very valuable to not just me, but the Pingry community. I’m sad to see it go.”

Godbold likened the AFS program to “travel[ing] abroad without leaving the comfort of the Pingry School.” She will especially miss getting to know new people and making new friends: “friends that I will not soon forget and will keep in contact with for as long as possible.”

The faculty advisor for the club, Ms. Julia Dunbar, will also miss the program. “In my opinion, the best part of the AFS program is the opportunity to meet and work with students from around the world,” she said.

Pingry’s cancellation of the program was not an easy decision, and there were multiple factors that ultimately decided the program’s fate. The first was the search for host parents. “When the program began, many families were eager to host exchange students,” Ms. Dunbar remarked. “In recent years, it has become increasingly difficult to find families who are able to welcome an exchange student into their homes for an entire school year.” This is the main reason Pingry has decided to cancel the program.

The other factor was the expansion of Pingry’s Global Programs: AFS

AFS Welcome Party for the 2018 exchange student

was one of Pingry’s first Global Programs, but now there are many opportunities for students to travel around the world, with immersive trips focused on a variety of subjects. Though programs have had to adapt due to COVID-19, they will continue to expand.

“Despite current conditions, Pingry will continue to build its global programming,” remarked Ms. Dunbar. “By expanding our global travel programs, global education will continue to become accessible to even more Pingry students.”

Even so, the program will be missed by Pingry students. Martine Bigos (IV) said, “I think it’s really amazing that AFS gives us the opportunity to meet incredible people from different places every year.”

This year’s exchange student was Meina Franzius (V), who came to Pingry from Germany. Even though the program was cancelled early this year, she still took a lot away from it. Speaking of her experience, Meina recalled, “Everyone at Pingry was really nice; the teachers, the students, everybody. It was a challenge at first, but I really enjoyed the classes. The School was totally different than my school in Germany, but I really miss it. We did a lot of great things. I really miss everyone.”

memory. I can’t swim, I like to write poems about love even though I barely know what it means, and sometimes I feel like the whole world is collapsing around me, but I still try to keep a smile on every day.

I hope this sparks a conversation; I’m an easy listener, and I want to

do something good for a school that has done so much for me. I want to make the entire community proud.

I’m excited to get to work this year. Thank you for electing me as your 2020-2021 Student Body President. Stay safe, and let’s start the conversation.

Students Brighten Up Quarantine at Delbarton Digital Science Fair EVA SCHILLER (V) On April 27, in the midst of remote learning and stay-at-home orders, a few STEM-oriented Pingry students staved off quarantine boredom by participating in the Delbarton Digital Science Fair. Complete with expert judges, including IRT mentor Dr. Sparrow, the remote fair allowed hundreds of students to show off their research for the year, attend a panel, and even win awards, all without leaving their homes.

William Li, a Delbarton junior who helped organize the event, explained its inspiration: “last year, we organized our first Delbarton Science Fair,” he says. “When the whole state went into lockdown, we transitioned to a digital platform.”

However, Li realized that students at many other schools were unable to exhibit their research. “When we learned that other schools were canceling their physical science fairs,” he added, “we expanded that platform to include all NJ schools. I myself have done high school research, so I know the amount of work and passion that goes into it. We just couldn’t let that type of work go unexhibited and unrecognized.”

In addition to helping NJ students get recognition for their research, the fair had a positive impact on the broader community. “All the prize money and fair sponsorships have been given directly to charities or as credit to businesses impacted

by COVID-19,” Li said.

With Pingry’s annual Research Exhibit cancelled, the Delbarton Digital Science Fair represented a second chance for Pingry students

to practice speaking about their projects and get expert advice.

Although many IRT groups had to leave their experiments unfinished, some had collected enough data throughout the year to share their projects. Three IRT projects were presented at the fair: “Shallow Mind,” “Drone-Rover Communication for Pathfinding,” and “The Effect of KIF11 Activity on YAP Localization.” In addition, one Pingry student participated with individual research.

Overall, Pingry’s experience at the event was overwhelmingly positive. “I was impressed by the breadth and depth of science presented. A number of Pingry students were involved, which was great to see,” Dr. Sparrow noted. Li agreed: “I’m very happy that Pingry participated in the fair this year,” he said. “You guys really have a renowned research program, and learning about its successes was a big reason why I decided to found the Research Club at Delbarton. It was really wonderful working with you all on this, and I look forward to more collaborations in the future!”

Photo Credits (Left to Right): Nolan Baynes (V), Pingry Communications, William Li

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THE PINGRY RECORD

SCHOOL NEWS JUNE 7, 2020

Seniors Reinvent Their ISPs Amid COVID-19 (cont.)

BY THE CLASS OF 2020 Scenes of Nature (Aimee Composto, Natalia Ramirez, Anjali Kapoor, Ashna Kumar, Mercedes Garcia-Kenny): We are each looking at nature scenes in our area and painting them on a canvas.

Interview with Pingry Captains (Matthew Agudelo, Patrick Birotte, Shane Shannon, Isiah Simon, Ray Fluet, Simon Ribeiro, Ryan Bush): We will be interviewing Pingry sports captains of all three seasons. We will be asking for advice they would give to the upcoming class of captains and those in the lower classes that one day aspire to be a Pingry captain. We will ask about their experience with their teams and their favorite moments.

Good Quarantimes (Alyssa Schwertfeger, Jennifer Ryan, Hannah Dillon, Lynn Robinson ): For our ISP, we are creating a show called Good Quarantimes. In our show, we will compile videos of how we have spent our times at our homes. For example, there will be interviews, cooking ideas, workout tips, and roller skating videos.

The Soccer Bar (Pranav Jha, Leah E. Mangold): We will be engaging the soccer community with challenges to build or maintain key aspects of the games. This will be accompanied by our daily nutrition blog designed to benefit athletes.

A Presentation on the Presentation of Stress (Jamie Wang): An artistic exploration of tension and how it exists in the body.

Not always bad. A personal journey.

Updating the Pingry Manual of Style (Caroline Wargo): MLA format has been updated and consequentially, the Pingry manual of style needs to be updated as well. I have spent my time re-organizing and editing the citations to match the criteria of the new MLA format.

Developing a Consulting Software for a Local Hair Salon (Stamati Angelides): I will be using CS principles to analyze trends in years of customer data from a family friend’s five hair salons. My software will integrate into the preexisting management system via its api. The long-term goal of this project is to use the information gathered from analyzing the data to maximize the revenue.

Online Computer Science Course (Henry Graff, Burke Pagano): Burke and I are learning the basics and general applications of computer science through an online course provided by Stanford Online.

Pottery (James Cummings): I am making pottery at my house.

I am using a pottery wheel, and hope to finish the pots at some point in the future when a kiln is available to me.

Life in Quarantine (Maddie Massey, Gabby Billington, Sydney Tindall, Noelle Mullins, Brynn Weisholtz, Lucy Berndt, Izzy Acosta): We are starting a YouTube channel in order to document and publish the ways in which our lives have changed in quarantine. It includes challenges and different video ideas to remember this word time in our lives and bring some fun into our daily routine.

Media x Art (Emma Barrison, Mia Simon): We will be looking at online art exhibits and then making art in multiple medias such as photography and painting that are inspired by these exhibits.

Senior Scrapbooking (Caroline Schuessler, Aly Feeley, Sofia Lombardo, Allie Moss): We are each creating a scrapbook that represents our 4 years at Pingry.

Building Pingry Through a Digital Lens (Alex Chiang, Collin Wen, Henry Shavel, Tyler McLaughlin): With current times calling for social distancing, colleges have begun turning towards online tools to help prospective students gain an insight into the campus and environment of the School. We thought that it would be an interesting project to bring Pingry to life by re-creating the campus using Minecraft, an openworld block game. Using mathematical scaling and models, we hope to construct Pingry’s campus in a manner that truly captures the spirit of Pingry.

Student-Run Workouts (Caroline Dannenbaum, Dylan Anidjar and Emma Capanna): We are posting daily workouts each week on the Pingry website for anyone to do. We will have a variety of workouts that consist of different levels of difficulty.

Working on the Frontline (Brandon Lane): I began working as a cashier at ShopRite in mid-March and will continue through May as my ISP. The store has implemented many safeguards to protect the general public and employees from the pandemic. I plan to report on the evolution of changes along with the emotional side of working with the public during this crisis.

Experiences in Emergency Medical Services (Hannah Guglin): For my ISP, I will be picking up more shifts with my local rescue squad as well as documenting what it is like to work on a squad, especially during this time.

Car Conversion (Peter McClearn): I’m converting my 1999 Ford explorer, Orenthal, into a semi-permanent living space that I’ll be able to live out of next year as I travel around the US. Vital Signs Website Redesign (Martha Lewand): I am an assistant editor-in-chief of Pingry’s current events magazine, Vital Signs. For my ISP, I will be redesigning the Vital Signs website in order to create a more accessible and modern platform for our staff to use and for the Pingry community to enjoy.

Video Documenting Coronavirus Quarantine (Nikki Vanasse, Anthony Acciani, Caroline Guest, Jessie Hutt, Carol Ann Perry): In our ISP, we are videoing our daily life in isolation.

We are trying to capture what life is really like for us as seniors in high school during this time.

C.H.E.F.S. (Matthew Lee, Annie Smith, Lily Schiffman, Ashana Makhija, Lauranne Hricko, Natalie Ladino, Amir Arnold, Will Stearns, Julius Smith): We are creating a cooking website, similar to an online cookbook, with all different types of dishes.

The website will be filled with pictures, videos, ingredients, and instructions on how to make our favorite foods.

Quarantine Math!

NOAH BERGAM (V)

Check your answer at record.pingry.org!

The logo for “Flex Talk,” an ISP podcast by Megan Cowan, Madi Pilla and Alexandra Weber Senior Year Scrapbook (Alyson Feeley, Caroline Schuessler, Allie Moss, Sofia Lombardo): We are using photo editing and collage to create a scrapbook full of our senior year photos and memories!

A Radio Play of No Exit (Helen Baeck-Hubloux, Corbey Ellison, James Raincsuk, Josh Thau): We’re creating a radio play of the famous existentialist play “No Exit”.

Diving Deep into Dentistry and Business (Noopur Bhatt): For my independent senior project, I am working with a specific dental practice, assisting their integration with technology, aiding and optimizing their revenue cycle management, and learning who and what the key stakeholders are in today’s complex dental landscape. Over the course of the ISP, I believe that by learning more about the technological systems involved in the dental space, as well as by learning the key business principles that revolve around owning and managing this dental practice, I will have a better understanding of concepts including but not limited to customer acquisition, changing trends and demands in this industry, need for capital, delegation of responsibility, and accountability.

Religious Dynamics of Lebanon in History and Today (Steven Wu): I’m doing a presentation on the history and current socioreligious situation in Lebanon based on my previous research on the country in preparation for my planned field study there.

Introductory Python Course (Ben Hargrove): I am taking an introductory online Python course. I put aside time each day to work through videos and tasks the course provides.

Adolescent NJ Small Business Owners and Content Creators (Kierstyn Brown): For my ISP I will be creating a blog that features NJ small business owners, influencers and content creators who are under the age of 21. My goal is to showcase these small businesses to provide support and business to these teens during COVID-19! Each post will include their mission, how and why they got started, how they’re dealing with covid & tips to those wanting to start a brand as well!

Piano Music Mix (Aneesh Kadali): My ISP will be a piano mix of all the competition music I have done for the past 4 years by relearning the pieces. Once the pieces are relearned, I will be creating a mix by learning how to use the Ableton software that my brother will teach me how to use.

Movie Podcast (Dilan Bhat, Stuart Clark, Mason Stahl, Thomas Beacham): We are recording a podcast on which we will discuss, critique, and analyze techniques and styles of classic films throughout the years. This will include a wide variety of movies, including but not limited to, historical documentaries, comedies, horror/psychological thrillers, notable film festival winners, and one absurdist dystopian film.

Senior Year Scrapbook (Sofia Lombardo, Alyson Feeley, Allie Moss, Caroline Schuessler): I am creating a scrapbook of my senior year to highlight my favorites days, moments, and events throughout the past school year. It is a great way to reflect on my high school experience and record a year full of unexpected twists and turns.

Photography of Affected Coronavirus Locations (Alec Bliemel, Ryan Geller, James Draper): We are traveling around to different spots that have been directly affected by the pandemic. For example, town centers, strip malls, and even grocery stores, and document these new looks. As we know many buildings and businesses are abandoned/closed and it’s unsettling to look at these images. We are documenting strangers in public, social distancing and going through life following these new customs.

Podcast (Dominic Mendelsohn, Eino Korpela, Reid McBoyle): We made a podcast about our high school experiences and our own views on the world.

THE PINGRY RECORD

SCHOOL NEWS JUNE 7, 2020

7

Pingry Students Protest Racial Injustice, Ask School to do the Same NOAH BERGAM (V) & MEGHAN DURKIN (V) As the growth rate of the coronavirus begins to flatline, Americans grow tired of a virus that has ravaged this nation for far longer – the racially charged murder of innocent black Americans, including Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, by a systematically flawed criminal justice system.

Since George Floyd’s murder in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 25, thousands have taken to the streets across the country in frustration. These protests have called for murder charges against the policemen who killed Floyd, as well as concrete legislative reform to end these homicides.

The former request was fulfilled on June 3, when the Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced a second-degree murder charge (upgraded from third-degree) for Derek Chauvin, who asphyxiated Floyd by kneeling on his neck for over 8 minutes, as well as aiding and abetting charges for the three former policemen who allowed Chauvin to do so. In terms of broader reforms, protesters are calling for divestment from police forces, an end to the Qualified Immunity (which make it extremely difficult for officers to be found guilty), and a ban on choke and knee holds.

Within the Pingry community, many students and alumni have joined in on the activism. Most have been helping spread awareness on allyship and petitions via social media, while others took part in peaceful protests in their communities.

The protests across the country are evidence of a desire and pressing need for change. While most of these protests have remained peaceful, some have turned violent, with police provoking protesters and protesters taking part in arson and vandalism. In the case of the former, it is disturbingly unclear how police are being disciplined for their brutality, especially against peaceful demonstrators.

In the case of the latter, there has been confusion over who has been inciting the violence, and debate surrounding the acceptable limits to what protesters should do. Some cite the destruction of private property alone as reason enough to condemn the rioting, while others see the rioting as a tantamount reaction to decades of oppression and police violence.

Pingry’s Discourse In the wake of the Floyd shooting, Student Body President Nolan Baynes wanted to see allyship and action from the school’s administration, so on May 28 he emailed Pingry’s top administrators, including Headmaster Matt Levinson, asking Pingry to speak up (inset on right column).

After some back and forth, including further student emails which pressed the school to take more direct action, administrators set up a community-wide Zoom meeting on June 3 to initiate more dialogue about the issue.

During the meeting, which was attended by over 300 students and faculty, participants had an opportunity to voice their opinions and frustrations in hopes of improving Pingry’s future responses and actions against racial injustice. Students were able to offer suggestions to the faculty and the administration, while teachers reflected on “action steps” they could take to better facilitate discussion around race in their classroom and beyond.

On Friday, June 5, the Pingry Allyship Collective (a newly formed coalition of all the affinity groups, student unions, SDLC, and CASE) sent a letter to administrators requesting more transparency between students and faculty involved in diversity and inclusion (inset at bottom left).

Words from a Pingry Protester Giles Burnett (IV), who took part in peaceful Black Lives Matter demonstrations in Somerset, NJ, on May 31, provided a statement on why he chose to protest: “I’ll tell you what my mom told me. ‘Watch your tone around strangers, don’t wear your hoodie in public, never question or talk back to an officer, turn down your music in the car, don’t bike/drive through that neighborhood, you better be home before dark, take your hands out your pocket, walk with a purpose and don’t linger, you don’t get any second chances in this world.’ Or, I can tell you what America told me. ‘Cross the street or clutch your purse when you see me, follow me in the store, slow your car down when you see me, slow down your cop car when you see me, ask me if I’m lost or in the wrong store, ask me where I got that $20 from, ask me if I play football or basketball, ask me if you can say the n-word.’ That is my everyday life, I march so my black brothers and sisters don’t have to answer those questions. I march so innocent black men and women aren’t killed in the streets. I march to fight the systemic racism that plagues our country.

This past week has been one of the most painful and exhausting weeks of my life. I’ve cried, reflected, laughed and everything in between. I’ve been able to channel these emotions into action and change. However, there is no change with only 14% of the nation speaking up. We need allies and we need unity. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Stay safe.”

The Record’s Statement We wholly condemn the police brutality present in this country, as well as the silence that has allowed it to viciously persist. As a publication, we stand for improvements in Pingry’s discourse surrounding race relations. We encourage writers of all identities to tackle these difficult subjects, and we are open to civil discussions around the presence of racial injustices in our School, our nation, and our world.

The solidarity we are seeing now is promising, yet we have to realize that this solidarity is late. Racism has been embedded and ingrained in American society for far too long. We, as a community, have a responsibility to help change that. We must strip away the unwarranted stereotypes and ignorant mindsets that bolster systemic racism, and that starts with earnest conversation.

Hi Everybody, I am sure you have seen on the news and through social media that the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd have resulted in mass outrage throughout the country. This is not the first time this will happen, and I doubt it will be the last. Many members of our Pingry community have felt the need to advocate upon social media discussing possible protests, sending out petitions, and even speaking their own emotions. As a school, during times of crisis, this definitively being one of them, we have been able to address issues that are affecting students head-on. To be direct, in the fall, when commenting upon the suicide of nearby students, the administration was very prompt to address the matter, and all hands were focused upon it. It is odd that even with the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, I was the only person upon campus to speak out formally.

There seems to be some lack of adult input in these situations, and it’s isolating to the students whom it affects daily. From my perspective, the daily micro-aggressions and events at this school go silenced and unnoticed, especially from the administration As a middle school student, I would feel as though I was alone fighting a fight that would never be resolved, and here we are in 2020 dealing with the same issue. Except now, I’m a senior with a legitimate position in our school.

As a Student Body President, an active advocate in our community, and most importantly, a Black boy, I’m asking you to speak out on it. Show solidarity with the people who have been affected by systemic racism for over 400 years who attend your school. If you don’t, I, along with other students in your building, will continue to fight the fight that has yet to be resolved in this country. As adults, you have a platform just like I do, and I hope you find a way to advocate for people who look like me and not just turn a blind eye and become shocked when the next murder occurs.

Black tears fall upon deaf white ears.

Sincerely, Nolan Baynes II

May 28 Letter from Nolan Baynes II (V) to Pingry Administrators

We are proud to be Pingrians; we wish to discuss diversity-related issues in Pingry because we want this community to become a better, more inclusive place. We started diversity work in Pingry because we either were displeased with the lack of representation in our school or believed that the existing representation is both superficial and trivialized by the students and the staff. However, the goal of PAC is not to point fingers or merely complain about the past wrongs we have observed. Instead, we wish to progress in collaboration with the administration and contribute to the commendable endeavors of our school. In order to do this, however, certain methods of communication and action must be reformed; one of our main concerns is the lack of collaboration and/or transparency between faculty leaders who make diversity-related decisions and the students who feel the result of these decisions (or lack thereof). As a result, we hope that the administration takes our ideas and perspectives seriously.

Excerpt of June 5 Letter from Pingry Allyship Collective to Pingry Administrators

Giles Burnett (IV) taking part in a peaceful Black Lives Matter demonstration in Somerset, NJ

THE PINGRY RECORD

8

INVESTIGATIVE JUNE 7, 2020

The Coronavirus Endgame: What’s Next?

NOAH BERGAM (V)

The first night my dad came home from treating COVID-19 patients at Newark Beth-Israel Hospital, I asked him what the situation looked like.

His immediate response: “No one knows anything.”

Ground zero, according to him, was a welter of confusion. In the midst of a growing influx of cases and a narrowing supply of masks and ventilators, it made sense: no one working there had seen or been prepared for this kind of situation before.

The situation at the hospital has since improved, but confusion has continued to sweep the entire population as we realize the power of our quarantine, and the fact that, if we break it, we risk restarting a vicious battle on the front lines.

We have a long road ahead of us, and we’re all looking forward to the day when we can walk away from this pandemic. But when will that day be? How do we reach it? And how do we make sure this never happens again?

These are the core questions I seek to address in this investigation.

Beating COVID-19

To truly put down the virus at this point, we have to reach a status called herd immunity.

Herd immunity occurs when a significant majority of the population (about 70%) have been exposed to the virus, developed antibodies, and reached a point where they are no longer contagious.

This creates a situation where those who cannot survive the virus (i.e. the immunocompromised) are surrounded by a “herd” who can act as a buffer from outbreaks. Life can then go on as normal.

Herd immunity can either happen naturally or artificially (i.e. through a vaccine). According to the WHO, “there is not enough evidence” to suggest that surviving COVID-19 will naturally grant long-lasting immunity. But even with that assumption, the death rates we have seen so far suggest that it might take well into 2021 and over half a million American deaths before we

reach that point, according to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

And then there is a vaccine – a scalable treatment that can give someone a “dumbed down” version of the virus and allow their immune system to develop the necessary antibodies to protect themselves.

If we develop a vaccine, it can accelerate us to herd immunity with much more certainty than the natural route. If. The vaccine time-table we have been hearing from government officials, like Dr. Anthony Fauci, is 12 to 18 months, which would have us waiting through mid-2021 … but there’s no guarantee that we will remotely follow this timeline, or that we will even be able to develop one.

And if we do, we will have to develop a much stronger global supply chain to satisfy an exceptional demand.

In any case, we have a long road ahead of us. But that doesn’t mean we won’t progress. Reopening the economy can happen in steps; Governor Murphy has outlined a six-part plan that includes gradual reopening of specific businesses, as well as significant expansion of contact tracing and testing.

Beating Future Outbreaks

The position we find ourselves in reflects what I like to call the Fundamental Theorem of Public Health: the fact that ad hoc treatment is a more expensive and more painful alternative to prevention.

Keyword is prevention. How do we prevent a virus from wreaking this kind of havoc in the years to come?

To get answers, I talked to my sister Scarlett Bergam, a candidate for a Master’s Degree in Public Health with a concentration in Global Infectious Disease at Brown University.

One of the main things she stressed was quicker action. When asked what contributed most to the situation at hand, Scarlett pointed to a lack of testing and the ramifications thereafter. “While this was not completely in our control, it led to many people infecting others

Seniors’ Last Day EMILY SHEN (IV) Blasting music in the senior area, taking selfies with their friends, and putting on their college shirts to show off their pride and incredible accomplishments – this was what the seniors imagined their last day to be like. However, given the current circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, that day had to be remote, which was, predictably, quite frustrating for the seniors. When asked about her last day, Ola Weber (VI) described it as “disappointing” and said, “Brian Li’s final morning meeting announcement concluded with rolling credits of all the senior student government members’ names. I hadn’t cried at all up until that point, but when ‘Hello, Goodbye’ by the Beatles started playing in the background, I was overwhelmed with so many emotions I couldn’t help but cry. But I guess

that reaction says it all, doesn’t it? It shows how much this community has impacted me and shaped me into the person I am today.” Alison Lee (VI) commented that although she could not physically spend the last day with her friends, “Pingry did a really good job of keeping the Pingry spirit alive with Zoom calls and balloon deliveries by Pingry staff. It reminded everyone that we are part of a bigger Pingry community, and we will get through this.”

When asked about the favorite part of their last day, many mentioned the first-ever virtual SAC assembly.

Weber, as a principal member of SAC, shared the process of putting together this assembly. “When Dean Ross mentioned putting on the virtual SAC assembly, I thought it was a great idea. I think humor is so important and laughing through these times can really help us cope with this strange reality.” One of

without knowing. To combat the inevitability of not knowing who was infected, we should have shut down our economy much sooner.“ It’s important to understand that testing alone is not enough – those who test positive need to immediately be isolated from the general population, as well as those who they came into contact with in the meantime. Hence, contact tracing: a tool that, if used on a wide enough scale, can turn a virus’ growth rate upside down.

According to Scarlett, “This would be incredibly efficient if people consented to it. However, ethically, there is always a fear of giving up one’s data.” She acknowledged the fact that most contact tracing would probably have to include GPS information, and that tracking of people’s locations could discourage signups (mandatory contact tracing, of course, would invoke some hefty constitutional issues).

However, she expressed some

faith that a partnership between local government and the private tech industry could maximize both the effectiveness and the appeal of contact tracing. (Additionally, I found in my own research some clever methods of contact tracing that wouldn’t impede privacy.)

In terms of what we need to do to make these systems a reality, Scarlett stated that “policy definitely has the biggest impact — new laws and funding allocation have the power to save mass amounts of lives, much more efficiently than any one doctor can.” Ultimately, making these kinds of long-term investments can save a lot of money and life down the line, and if there’s one good thing that COVID-19 has given us, it’s the amount of incentive we now have to follow through.

her biggest challenges and fears was that it wouldn’t bring comedic relief.

“Obviously the technical component is tough because you’re not able to interact with people and in anything you do, but especially in comedy.

After you’re finished with a project you crave feedback. You can really pick up on whether people think the stuff you’re putting out is funny or not and my biggest fear was that people would nod their head and smile and tell me ‘yeah this is good stuff’ but not really think it was.”

After the disappointing cancelation of the winter SAC assembly, the club aimed to utilize this new platform to provide the best content possible.

When asked about the effects of the cancellation of the winter assembly, Nic Gambello (V), another organizer of the virtual assembly, responded, “It was disappointing, but I think it motivated us to work harder this time around. We knew people were upset in the winter, so we felt that we had a responsibility to make up for it.” Despite the challenges that

came their way, SAC did a great job to alleviate the students’ stress and many students gave feedback saying that it was something that they looked forward to and thoroughly enjoyed.

Given the circumstances, seniors were not able to go back to school and participate in many exciting events, such as an in-person graduation ceremony or their senior dance.

Many commented about how much they are going to miss the Pingry community. “I’m going to miss the teachers and I’m just going to miss the familiarity of it all. It’s really a lovely thing when you know a community so well, yet you can still learn so much from it each and every day.” Weber shared her most cherished moments at Pingry, “I always loved, during the spring, the days when it would be humid and then a couple of hours into school there would be a thunderstorm and you’d be in class and you’d crack the windows and you’d listen to the rain and the thunder and the trees – the

Conclusions

It’s more than unnerving to not know when life will go back to normal.

We can rest assured that one day it will. But in order to reach that day, we need solutions, widespread cooperation, and, perhaps most importantly, knowledge. “No one knows anything” is a scary prospect in the hospital but also in the general population – we need to understand the science and the policy surrounding this pandemic. We cannot afford to fall for misinformation, political understatements, or the illusion of blissful ignorance.

We are living in a time of historic proportions, with historic mistakes that will be studied for decades and centuries to come.

So let’s be clear on our situation, and the solutions at hand. Let’s face this world head on and come back to our changed world, not defeated by this present suffering, but empowered by the future in our hands.

School had this really distinct smell – and you were just in your little secluded Pingry bubble. I’d say those days I’m going to miss the most.”

Similarly, Lee noted that she is going to miss the energy that Pingry has. “I am going to miss conversations with my teachers and high-fives with my friends. We’re not going to have the famous senior day bouncy house,” she remarked, “but I hear next year’s reunion is going to be huge!”

Despite not being able to say goodbyes to the seniors in person, every one of us in the Pingry community is sending our love and wishes to the graduating seniors.

Dear Class of 2020, no matter where you go, or what dreams you decide to pursue, please know that, while disappointing, this period of time has brought us closer together as a Pingry community and that we will always be thinking of you. We will miss you, and best of luck!

Photo Credits (Left to Right): Monica Chan (V)

THE PINGRY RECORD

INVESTIGATIVE JUNE 7, 2020

9

Coronavirus Corrupts the 2020 Presidential Election JESSICA LIN (V) The rapid spread of COVID-19 has led to destruction and chaos within the global community and has tainted every aspect of people’s everyday lives, from businesses to education. As a result, citizens across the nation have adapted to a new lifestyle of isolated living, and members of the Pingry community are no exception as they continue to adjust to remote learning.

However, the virus will impact people’s lives far beyond June 6th, so it’s important to consider the long-term consequences that this disease will have on our lives, especially in the upcoming 2020 presidential election. Based on the way the situation is progressing, coronavirus is on course to wreak havoc upon the political scene.

The question is, therefore, to what extent will COVID-19 impact the future election?

Pandemic Renders Current Voting Methods Unusable

This year’s political timeline was supposed to be scattered with state primaries leading up to the grand November presidential election.

But now, crowded, cramped public venues containing long lines of people no longer seem feasible. As of April 17th, 16 states including New Jersey have postponed their democratic primaries or switched to absentee (mail-in) voting.

Some states, such as Wisconsin, have chosen to trudge ahead with their scheduled elections. Now, the nation looks to such states as examples on how to proceed - or perhaps how not to proceed.

Unfortunately, Wisconsin’s chaotic election on April 7th for presidential candidates and local officials serves as a cautionary tale for other states and demonstrates how drastically this pandemic is already disrupting the 2020 elections process.

According to a New York Times article, local Republicans blocked Democratic requests in court to extend absentee voting or postpone the event altogether. While this ruling prevented the elections from being derailed from their schedule as Republicans intended, people were forced to put themselves and others at risk of catching the coronavirus in order to exercise

their civic duty. Voting day was filled with bellicose crowds and polarized opinions, all densely packed into spaces that threw public health concerns to the wind. As a result of the state’s unwillingness to relax deadlines, thousands of people were unable to vote.

Wisconsin’s relatively unsuccessful outcome serves as a grim precursor to how future elections in other states may turn out if COVID-19 is not contained soon. On the other hand, states can also learn from Wisconsin’s election, using it to guide their revision of voting processes to comply with social distancing and stay-at-home orders.

Alternative Voting Methods

Because the standard in-person voting method is no longer practical in the context of public health concerns, the alternative mail-in voting method is the next best option in terms of familiarity and accessibility. However, while mailin ballots have always been an option for some states, others are not so well equipped to accommodate voters in these times. Politics contributor Lee Drutman stated in his article for FiveThirtyEight that 17 states lack no-excuse absentee balloting (the ability for voters to mail in their ballots for any reason). These stringent, outdated policies would complicate the voting process and potentially unfairly bar people from voting. Sadly, such dire circumstances leave the U.S. with little other choice in order to

contain the spread of COVID-19 as efficiently as possible.

born from 1928 to 1945 side with the GOP. Therefore, voter distribution could sway more Republican if mailin ballots becomes the only option for citizens to cast their votes.

How Mail-In Ballots Could Impact Election Results Inconsistent State As expected with any fundamental Protocols Could change to a political system, voting efficiency and fairness will almost Affect Voter Turnout certainly be affected if the country decides to adopt absentee voting on a national scale. The question is, will it harm or help the equality of the system?

An important factor to consider is how the widespread use of mail-in ballots will influence the demographic of voters. Drutman pointed out in his previously mentioned article that people who use mail-in ballots are more likely to be older and wealthier, as they tend to be more financially secure and have the free time to decide who they’re voting for in advance.

This access to both time and money would also allow them to easily mail in their votes ahead of time. On the other end of the demographic spectrum, studies have shown that lower-income voters and younger voters have more difficulty voting by mail and tend to vote on Election Day in person. Not only does absentee voting endanger the balance of age and income demographics, but it could also influence political party victories.

A study done by Pew Research Center concludes that millennials (born 1981 to 1996) generally lean Democratic, whereas 59% of those

A large amount of COVID-19 measures have been dictated by local governors, who decide what regulations and restrictions to uphold based on their state’s condition. This policy, though, lacks a nation-wide, consistent method to tackle the spread of COVID-19; therefore, states with less severe restrictions on dayto-day life may produce a higher voter turnout than those with strict stay-at-home orders. However, the variation among individualized state pandemic measures theoretically should not impact the election results, as the electoral college designates states with a certain number of electoral votes regardless of yearly voter turnout.

COVID-19 Devastation on Rural vs. Urban Populations

The effects of this disease on urban versus rural populations is another important factor to consider when predicting the pandemic-induced fluctuations in voter turnout and distribution. For example, in urban areas, populations are denser, which

makes it easier for COVID-19 to spread. Take California for example: the largely urban state was one of the first to be hit by the disease, and still has one of the highest growing case rates in the country, according to Johns Hopkins University. Given the severity of the current situation in cities such as New York City, where COVID-19 has struck the hardest, authorities will be forced to introduce alternative voting methods that might decrease voter turnout in such urban areas. The imbalance in voter distribution here also has the potential to sway national election results Republican, as data from the Pew Research Center states that almost two-thirds of urban voters identify as Democrats.

Conclusions

Based on current COVID-19 trends and national data, it is certain that restrictions on public gatherings will make it more difficult for people to vote. The voter demographic may lean to be more biased towards the older and wealthier population.

In terms of how COVID-19 will influence party victory, data points toward the situation favoring a Republican victory. However, there are many intricacies of such circumstances that come into play, and a variety of COVID-19-induced factors could sway election results in different directions. So at this point, no definitive conclusion can be made as to which party – if any – will benefit from changes caused by pandemic measures.

New Plans for Graduations Amid Extended Closures MEGHAN DURKIN (V) Following NJ Governor Phil Murphy’s announcement that school closures would be extended through the end of June, Pingry needed to adjust plans for graduation, which was originally supposed to be held on June 7.

While the traditional in-person Commencement is inaccessible amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pingry administration is working hard to celebrate the senior class in creative ways.

To replace the typical Commencement, Pingry will release a video for the seniors on

what would have been graduation day. Upper School Director Ms. Ananya Chatterji, who helped organize these new graduation plans, hopes the video will honor the seniors’ achievement until an in-person graduation is possible. Though, Ms. Chatterji acknowledges the difficulties of truly celebrating seniors in the way many had hoped: “I keep feeling that no matter what we do, it’s not enough. Nothing replaces in-person hugs or conversations or special moments.”

Despite these challenges, the Pingry community has worked to make the senior’s last months of

high school as special as possible considering the circumstances.

During May, seniors were sent balloons and their caps and gowns; each member of the senior class was also invited to campus to take photos with their families. On the seniors’ last day before starting their ISPs, Pingry released a video of messages from underclassmen and faculty celebrating the accomplishments and impact of the senior class.

The significance of Commencement isn’t going unnoticed. Ms. Chatterji and the rest of the administration are dedicated to providing them with the experience,

even if it is unconventional. “[Commencement] really is the dividing line between childhood and adulthood. We have watched them grow up. We have traveled this road with them. The relationships that the seniors have formed with the faculty, with each other, and with the underclassmen is remarkable, important, and true.

We want to mark this transition from childhood to adulthood, but we also want to celebrate with them,” noted Ms. Chatterji.

A traditional graduation is still in the works though. Pingry has set aside two alternate dates for an in-person Commencent, either in

August or November, depending on the extent of restrictions in New Jersey. The continued effort to offer this year’s seniors the true graduation experience is a testament to the importance of the event within the Pingry community. As Ms. Chatterji states, “Graduation is the biggest school event of the year. It is the pinnacle of all that we stand for and believe in. The faculty, the senior class, and their parents — in one room — to mark the end of one journey and the start of a new one.” She hopes that, in the end, COVID-19 won’t stand in the way of honoring the seniors properly.

Photo Credits (Left to Right): Monica Chan (V)

THE PINGRY RECORD

10

COMMENTARY JUNE 7, 2020

Beefing Up Economics Education NOAH BERGAM (V) The bipartisan government report on the 2008 Financial Crisis and the Great Recession paraphrased Shakespeare in its analysis: “The fault lies not in the stars, but in us.”

I read parts of this report, as well as numerous other sources, for a history project, and it was really eye-opening how much I learned about the human nature that plays into economics, from perverse incentive to predatory lending to, ultimately, the ethical dilemma of the bailout.

Over the course of my entire childhood which existed in the backdrop of this Recession, I never really understood the event and the different interpretations of it that persist to this day. Talking to some classmates, I realize this

gap in knowledge might be more widespread than I thought, and it makes sense; in all our years of coursework, we never had the chance to sit down and actually discuss it.

The economics around me only became more eye-opening when, in the wake of the George Floyd murder, I sought to educate myself on some of the systemic racism in our country.

From there I discovered the sheer severity of racial wealth inequality in this country and the covert redlining which contributes to it. This is once again something I knew vaguely, but I wish I could have learned about it in detail in a structured classroom environment. It should not have taken a national crisis to learn this.

On this note I would like to make a request. Pingry should mandate economics education throughout all

In Defense of Gap Years GRACE BARRAL (IV) When my parents told my brother that they wanted him to take a gap year before starting school at Trinity College, let’s just say he was less than pleased. To be more precise, he was mortified. Taking a gap year would mean he wouldn’t be in the same grade as his friends. It would mean he wouldn’t have the freedom that college grants. And, worst of all, it would mean he’d have to wait another year before he could join a fraternity.

To my brother, taking a gap year was a social death sentence.

My brother wasn’t alone in his eagerness to go to college. The concept of college life, with all its glorious freedom, is one that entices many Pingry students. I myself have been talking about college so much that my father had to buy me college guide books just to get me to shut up about it. But while college is exciting, is it smart to rush into college so quickly?

The concept of the gap year––a year spent between the end of high school and the beginning of college, usually for the sake of travel–– was popularized as early as the 1960s. Its original purpose was actually geopolitical, not simply for the enjoyment of the traveling individual, but more importantly for two countries to exchange religious and cultural ideas in order to maintain peace between them. Although war is less thought about now than it was then, gap years have only grown in popularity and variety. A number of celebrities, including Steve Jobs, J.K Rowling, and Hugh Jackman, took gap years.

But, what makes a gap year appealing? A 2015 national alumni survey conducted by the American Gap Association asked one hundred students from across the country

that very question. The data showed that, by taking a gap year, not only did students’ communication skills and self-confidence increase, but they were able to learn about different cultures through hands-on experiences. The data showed that gap years can also improve students’ academic performance. According to a 2017 study of GPA results by Robert Clagett, gap year students tend to outperform in college by 0.1 to 0.4 on a 4.0 scale, with the positive effects lasting the entire four years.

Gap years are so effective, in fact, that certain colleges have begun to encourage them. These colleges include Tufts and Princeton, both of which have been very popular colleges among Pingry graduates in past years.

And if traveling isn’t your cup of tea, don’t worry, there are thousands of other things you can do on a gap year; from interning to volunteering locally to enrolling in online courses, the possibilities are endless. A gap year is simply a time to develop as an individual and learn things that you wouldn’t ordinarily learn in a classroom. You choose how and what you want to learn. And that is, perhaps, the most appealing thing about them.

As for Ben, he ended up going on his gap year. He spent five months in Fiji, New Zealand, and Australia, where he did everything from skydiving to volunteering with local youth to scuba diving. When I asked him, he said he couldn’t remember why he didn’t want to go in the first place.

Of course, gap years aren’t for everyone. But it’s comforting to know that there are options for the future. If the conventional timeline doesn’t appeal to you, then there are thousands of other ways to live your life that are both exciting and educational. All you have to do is find the path that works best for you.

four years of high school, teaching not only good practices for personal finances but also looking at systemic issues, both past and present, to examine their causes.

In our current system, aside from the one trimester of Financial Literacy in freshman year and the online Financial Literacy coursework in senior year, Pingry students need not think about economics unless they have the interest and the space in their schedules to take a course in it.

That’s not enough.

And look, I know it’s easier said than done to ask Pingry to teach more of this or that. But I think economics as a subject, in the context of the kinds of issues that I brought up, stands out from the crowd. I say this not only because of its obvious

usefulness for students as future consumers but also its importance right now in terms of intellectual discourse.

Understanding economics is a civic duty. It makes us question policy rather than assume someone else has it all figured out. It can also help us have more fact-based discussions surrounding social issues in America, which may help open students up to discussions of privilege and diversity and inclusion more than our current, opinion-based approaches.

Four years of economics education would make for a continuity that the current system lacks. Additionally, it would not be particularly hard to implement for the sophomore and junior classes, for it should not require new hirings or substantial schedule changes – in fact, it should exist outside the course schedule

and be largely asynchronous, with progress marked by quizzes or short responses.

However, for the more curious students, there should be occasional, optional meetings where students can discuss some of the material with an economics teacher and ask questions. Think of it like an addition to our community service re qu ire me nt s . A re qu i re me nt for the intellectual well-being of Pingry students, and moreover an opportunity for interested students to engage in the subject.

Ultimately, we’re living in history.

That should have been evident since 2008, and it is more than evident now. Our financial literacy curriculum, moving forward, should reflect that.

Positivity During Covid-19 ANDREW WONG (IV) If I had to pick a headline to summarize the entire COVID-19 pandemic here in America, it would have to be “North Carolina Man Steals Truck With 18,000 Pounds of Toilet Paper”. In a close second would probably be our good friend, the Florida Man with, “Florida Man Steals 66 Rolls of Toilet Paper”. In this time of great struggle and uncertainty in our nation, and indeed the entire world, it has become evident that it is fear, not reason, that drives the decision making of not just the two aforementioned characters, but also that of the entire world. We’ve all seen the news. Videos of people fighting over the last bag of rice at the supermarket. Lines stretching out the door of big box stores. As my friends across the world can confirm, there is not a single scrap of toilet paper to be found on store shelves anywhere. People are fearful, and it is evident that hope, just like toilet paper, is nowhere to be found.

Yes, people do have a right to be scared. The statistics can speak for themselves: Over 2.6 million people have been infected globally, with more than 800,000 cases here in the US alone. The world economy has come grinding to a halt, and American jobless claims are at their highest in the last 10 years. Our everyday lives have come to a complete standstill, as everyone around the world practices social distancing to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Yet, with all of these tribulations and challenges that we face presently, there is a brighter side to this crisis — more than just the infection numbers, death toll, or economy the media keeps yapping about.

The coronavirus has brought out the best in America, a good side that many in our country did not believe exist. Our entire nation, once derided by political pundits as “hopelessly divided”, is now united in a great crusade to fight back against the coronavirus. On Capitol Hill, for what may be the first time in recent memory, Democrats and Republicans have found common ground in a bid to provide relief packages for all Americans. President Trump and New York Governor Cuomo, once bitter political enemies, now work together daily to direct government policy towards the virus. Governor Cuomo’s daily press conferences have now become regular viewing for millions of Americans trapped

at home, as he continues to send messages of encouragement and positivity not just to the state of New York, but to the entire nation.

Manufacturing companies have put aside their quest for profits to retool the production lines and make much needed PPE and ventilators.

America’s biotech firms have now developed testing kits that can diagnose the virus in minutes and allow for more tests to be run, while scientists in laboratories across the globe work at breakneck speed to develop a vaccine in record time before winter arrives.

Doctors, nurses, and first responders in all 50 states are working tirelessly around the clock to contain this virus. It is thanks to the valiant work of our healthcare companies and professionals that the rate of infection is no longer exponential, and as Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator, said two weeks ago, “we’re seeing [the curve] stabilize, and that gives us great encouragement”.

Social Media, once criticized as a force that only divided society, has now become the very thing holding everyone together while we are all separated. Crowdfunding campaigns to save local businesses from the e c o n o mi c tsunami cause d by COVID-19. In New York City alone, thousands upon thousands of dollars have been raised by New Yorkers on GoFundMe to support local restaurants and stores who have been forced to close due to the pandemic.

John Kransinski, of The Office fame, publishes new videos detailing good news happening around the world on YouTube every day to try and keep people positive during social distancing. New quarantine food trends, such as Dalgona coffee and no-knead bread have become popular as a result of these easy

but tasty recipes being shared on the internet. Facebook groups have been set up to help provide groceries, toiletries, and home cooked meals to the elderly in order to keep them protected from the virus.

But the coronavirus hasn’t just brought out unprecedented goodness within our communities. It’s also brought us new opportunities.

While COVID-19 may have forced us all to social distance inside, this new reality presents a whole host of opportunities for us. We have been given the gift of many months of free time, so what do we do with it? How about learning a new skill, or experimenting with new recipes? What else can you do with all that stockpiled food anyways?

Perhaps you could build a healthier lifestyle and use this time to build a better you. You could finish those side projects that you never had time for, or maybe start a new lifelong obsession with a new hobby. The choice is in your hands.

There is no way to know how long we will be inside, and based on the current numbers, there will be many more months, if not a year, before things return back to “normal”. But until then, as we witness the first great global crisis of the 21st century, an event that will be forever etched into the collective memory of our generation, let us be reminded that this crisis will be over some day. As we edge closer and closer to the light at the end of the tunnel, let’s put our best foot forward and do our best to remain positive through this tumultuous time. Let’s be inspired by the acts of kindness and humanity throughout the entire world and be our best selves. Let’s not allow our fear to control us, and instead remain hopeful that there are better days ahead of us.

All we have to do is stay positive, keep smiling, and just believe.

Photo Credits (Left to Right): Google Images

THE PINGRY RECORD

JUNE 7, 2020

College Placement

11

ALYSON FEELEY UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

MATTHEW LEE TUFTS UNIVERSITY

EMILY SANCHEZ BROWN UNIVERSITY

RAYMOND FLUET UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

MARTHA LEWAND UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

LILY SCHIFFMAN WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY

MATTHEW AGUDELO DREW UNIVERSITY

MERCEDES GARCIA-KENNY NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

BRIAN LI PRINCETON UNIVERSITY

CAROLINE SCHUESSLER TULANE UNIVERSITY

STAMATI ANGELIDES NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

RYAN GELLER INDIANA UNIVERSITY-BLOOMINGTON

SOFIA LOMBARDO UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME

ALYSSA SCHWERTFEGER CORNELL UNIVERSITY

DYLAN ANIDJAR VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY

NICOLE GILBERT BOSTON UNIVERSITY

SHANE SHANNON ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

AMIR ARNOLD LEHIGH UNIVERSITY

EVE GILBERT LAFAYETTE COLLEGE

ASHLEY LU UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES

HELEN BAECK-HUBLOUX NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

ELISABETH GILFILLAN WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY

EMMA BARRISON COLGATE UNIVERSITY

JARED GOLDKLANG VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY

JOHN BEACHAM VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY

JOSEPH GOTTESMAN UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO

LUCY BERNDT UK

HENRY GRAFF BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY

DILAN BHAT NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY

VICTORIA GU UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

NOOPUR BHATT GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

JULIA GUAGLIARDO WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

GABRIELLE BILLINGTON GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY

CAROLINE GUEST UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL

ANTHONY ACCIANI RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE

SENIOR PAGES

ISABELLA ACOSTA JIMENEZ DAVIDSON COLLEGE

PATRICK BIROTTE SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY ALEC BLIEMEL SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY NICOLETTE BRIGANTE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI KIERSTYN BROWN PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY WILLIAM BUGLIARI COLGATE UNIVERSITY SAMANTHA BURAK COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY RYAN BUSH COLGATE UNIVERSITY EMMA CAPANNA STANFORD UNIVERSITY RENEE CHAN COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LINDSAY CHENG OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE ALEXANDER CHIANG UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA STUART CLARK UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA AIMEE COMPOSTO GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY MEGAN COWAN VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY JAMES CUMMINGS MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE CAROLINE DANNENBAUM VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY HANNAH DILLON HAMILTON COLLEGE MATTHEW DISPENZA VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY JAMES DRAPER DENISON UNIVERSITY RYLIE DROZJOCK SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY CORBEY ELLISON SKIDMORE COLLEGE JOSEPH FACCONE COLLEGE OF THE HOLY CROSS

ASHANA MAKHIJA UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - BERKELEY CHARLES MALONE TULANE UNIVERSITY LEAH MANGOLD GETTYSBURG COLLEGE MADISON MASSEY CLEMSON UNIVERSITY ROGER MATTHEWS UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA REID MCBOYLE CLAREMONT MCKENNA COLLEGE PETER MCCLEARN MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE BRIGID MCGUIRE BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY

HANNAH GUGLIN TUFTS UNIVERSITY

TYLER MCLAUGHLIN NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

BENJAMIN HARGROVE UNDECIDED

DOMINIC MENDELSOHN DAVIDSON COLLEGE

RITA HARROBIN VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY

ALLISON MOSS COLGATE UNIVERSITY

WILLIAM HOFFMAN LOYOLA UNIVERSITY MARYLAND

NOELLE MULLINS HOWARD UNIVERSITY

LAURANNE HRICKO LAFAYETTE COLLEGE DEREK HUFFMAN BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY JESSICA HUTT TULANE UNIVERSITY PRANAV JHA GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY ANEESH KADALI RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE ANJALI KAPOOR PRINCETON UNIVERSITY CAROLINE KNORN MCGILL UNIVERSITY EINO KORPELA WILLIAM AND MARY MATTHEW KORTH UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME KALMAN KRAHAM LAFAYETTE COLLEGE ASHNA KUMAR DARTMOUTH COLLEGE NATALIE LADINO VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY JACOB LAMB WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY BRANDON LANE DICKINSON COLLEGE IAN LARSON CLAREMONT MCKENNA COLLEGE KAYA LEE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO ALISON LEE PRINCETON UNIVERSITY

JACK MYERS COLGATE UNIVERSITY WALEED NISAR HAMILTON COLLEGE OLIVIA NUGENT BOSTON COLLEGE KATHERINE OATMAN FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY ANNE OATMAN HAMILTON COLLEGE JAMES PAGANO PRINCETON UNIVERSITY BENJAMIN PEACOCK OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY LANCE PERLOW UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT CAROL ANN PERRY UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS-AMHERST MADISYN PILLA COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY JAMES RAINCSUK WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY NATALIA RAMIREZ COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY DEREK RASKOPF GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY SIMON RIBEIRO RUTGERS UNIVERSITY JOHN ROBERTSON BABSON COLLEGE LINDA ROBINSON FRANKLIN AND MARSHALL COLLEGE ANTHONY RUBINO WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY

HENRY SHAVEL NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY ISABELLE SHEYFER MCGILL UNIVERSITY MIA SIMON LEHIGH UNIVERSITY ISIAH SIMON LEHIGH UNIVERSITY MADELINE SKAPPER UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME JULIUS SMITH UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS-AMHERST MARIANNE SMITH UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME RYAN SMITH UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME NINA SRIKANTH UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME MASON STAHL MIAMI UNIVERSITY-OHIO WILLIAM STEARNS TUFTS UNIVERSITY SONIA TALAREK CORNELL UNIVERSITY LAUREN TAYLOR STANFORD UNIVERSITY JOSHUA THAU WAGNER COLLEGE SYDNEY TINDALL SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY NICOLE VANASSE COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY CHRISTOPHER WALTZINGER BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY JAMIE WANG DUKE UNIVERSITY JAMES WANG NEW YORK UNIVERSITY CAROLINE WARGO BOSTON COLLEGE ALEXANDRA WEBER NEW YORK UNIVERSITY BRYNN WEISHOLTZ WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY COLLIN WEN MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY SAMUEL WILLIAMS DARTMOUTH COLLEGE THOMAS WOLF CARLETON COLLEGE QIDA WU UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME KIMBERLY YOUNG NEW YORK UNIVERSITY JONATHAN YOUNGHANS BOSTON COLLEGE ROBERT YU HARVEY MUDD COLLEGE

JENNIFER RYAN VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY

as of May 27, 2020

THE PINGRY RECORD

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SENIOR PAGES

JUNE 7, 2020

Senior Awards Academic Awards John R. Whittemore ‘47 Biology Award Caroline Knorn, Ashana Makhija Ernest C. Shawcross Chemistry Award Lauren Taylor Physics Award Ben Hargrove, Burke Pagano Science Book Award Lizzie Gilfillan, Katherine Oatman Science Research Award Brian Li, Lauren Taylor Science In Society Award Hannah Guglin, Nina Srikanth Whitlock Prize for Math Alison Lee, Lauren Taylor Advanced Math Prize Brian Li Computer Science Prize Bert Yu, Samantha Burak Economics Prize James Raincsuk, Alison Lee Robotics Prize Jamie Wang Union College Casmir A. France Award for Excellence in English Brian Li

Noopur Bhatt Paul H. and Sarah Rouslin Excellence in English Award Samantha Burak, Jamie Wang Martin B. O’Connor ‘26 Journalism Award Brynn Weisholtz Yearbook Award Eve Gilbert Jean S. MacDonald History Prize Vicky Gu, Joe Gottesman Psychology Prize Gabrielle Billington, Thomas Wolf Language Prize Chinese: Lily Schiffman

French: Kaya Lee

German: Samuel Williams

Latin: Mia Simon

Spanish: Madeline Skapper Advanced Language Prize French: Alison Lee

German: Sonia Talarek Latin: Ashna Kumar Spanish: Ashley Lu The DeGryse Prize in Modern European Languages Steven Wu

Cum Laude Society Dilan Bhat Noopur Bhatt Samantha Burak Aimee Composto Hannah Dillon Victoria Gu Hannah Guglin Benjamin Hargrove Anjali Kapoor

Caroline Knorn Ashna Kumar Alison Lee Kaya Lee Brian Li Sofia Lombardo Ashley Lu Ashana Makhija Tyler McLaughlin James Pagano

Jennifer Ryan Alyssa Schwertfeger Sonia Talarek Lauren Taylor James Wang Jamie Wang Collin Wen Samuel Williams Qida Wu

National Merit Scholarship Program Commended Students Benjamin Hargrove Derek Huffman Aneesh Kadali Alison Lee Kaya Lee Ashana Makhija Nina Srikanth Sonia Talarek

Dilan Bhat Noopur Bhatt Samantha Burak Alexander Chiang Jared Goldklang Victoria Gu Caroline Guest Hannah Guglin

Lauren Taylor Nicole Vanasse James Wang Jamie Wang Samuel Williams Steven Wu

National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists

Stuart Clark Anjali Kapoor

Ashna Kumar Brian Li Ashley Lu

Collin Wen Robert Yu

National Merit Scholarship Finalists Arts & Drama Director’s Award for Achievement in Dramatic Arts Joshua Thau, Helen Baeck-Hubloux Drama Department Award for Musical Theatre Nicole Gilbert, Nina Srikanth Drama Department Stage Manager Prize Lindsay Cheng, Julia Guagliardo Drama Department Award for Technical Theatre Sonia Talarek Michael E. Popp Photography Prize Mercedes Garcia-Kenny, Madeline Skapper Brendan J. Donahue ’79 Memorial Prize for Fine Arts Vicky Gu, Isabelle Sheyfer Brendan J. Donahue ’79 Memorial Prize for Pottery and Sculpture Anthony Acciani Barbara Berlin Prize in Art History Steven Wu Music Award Samantha Burak

School Service and Leadership Michael Jupka, Jr. ‘76 Blue Key Award Community and Civic Engagement Award Paul R. Leary ‘90 Award John Taylor Babbitt ‘07 Award Student Government Achievement Award

Stuart Clark Anjali Kapoor

Ashna Kumar Brian Li Ashley Lu

Collin Wen Robert Yu

National Merit Scholars Brian Li* * National Merit Allergan Foundation Scholarship

National Hispanic Recognition Program Scholars Thomas Beacham, Stuart Clark, Emily Sanchez

Nicole Gilbert Lucy Berndt , Ben Hargrove Isabella Acosta Jimenez, John Robertson Scholar-Athlete Awards Alexander Chiang Emma Capanna, James Cummings Brian Li Cipriano Family Scholar-Athlete Award Somerset County Scholar Athletes Alyson Feeley, Samuel Williams Skyland Conference Scholar Athletes Nicole Vanasse, Raymond Fluet NJSIAA (State) Lauren Taylor Special Awards NJISAA (Independent Schools) Caroline Dannenbaum, Collin Wen The Pingry School Gift To Our AFS Student Meina Franzius Pingry School Parents’ Association Women’s Sports Award Alyson Feeley Centennial Cup — Gift of the Class of ’61 Samuel Williams Sandy Apruzzese Big Blue Award Emma Barrison Class of ’26 Reese Williams Award Lance Perlow Athletics Awards C. B. Newton Pingry-Princeton Scholarship Prize James Pagano Girls’ Cross-Country Award Nicole Vanasse The Elizabeth Allan Smith ‘83 Memorial Pingry-Duke Scholarship Prize Jamie Wang Roger Matthews Faculty Prize Derek Huffman Boys’ Cross-Country Award Andrea Montague Field Hockey Award Brigid McGuire Tom Boyer Football Award Patrick Birotte

James Draper Michael Jupka, Jr. ’76 Football Award Patrick Birotte Advanced Placement Scholars

Samuel Williams Timothy C. Cornwall ’64 Boys’ Soccer Sportsmanship Award Pranav Jha Stamatis D. Angelides Hannah S. Guglin Jennifer N. Ryan

William Bugliari John T. Beacham Ben Hargrove Emily G. Sanchez

Matthew Agudelo Noopur S. Bhatt Jessica N. Hutt Caroline G. Wargo Dick Gradwohl Boys’ Soccer Cup for Most Team Spirit Simon Ribeiro Aimee S. Composto Ashley Lu Brynn E. Weisholtz

John Robertson Ryan N. Geller Noelle Mullins Samuel M. Williams

Jacob Lamb Elizabeth Allan Smith ’83 Girls’ Soccer Award Madisyn Pilla

Alexandra Weber John R. Dufford, Jr. Tennis Trophy Gabrielle Billington Advanced Placement Scholars with Honor Water Polo Award Dilan Bhat Samantha L. Burak Ashana Makhija Lauren K. Taylor Frank L. Romano Boys’ Basketball Award Raymond Fluet Alexander Chiang Roger C. Matthews Robert H. Yu Joe LaValley Boys’ Basketball Award Isiah Simon Caroline I. Knorn James B. Pagano David M. Allan Memorial Girls’ Basketball Award Jennifer Ryan Kaya Lee Madeline A. Skapper Virginia Nazario Fencing Award Corbey Ellison

Alison Lee Varsity Boys’ Ice Hockey Award Ryan Bush Girls’ Ice Hockey Award Allison Moss

Elisabeth Gilfillan Advanced Placement Scholars with Distinction Girls’ Ski Team Award Natalie Ladino Emma E. Capanna Alison Lee Collin Wen Boys’ Ski Team Award Matthew Dispenza Victoria L. Gu Brian S. Li Qida Wu Girls’ Squash Team Award Renée Chan Anjali K. Kapoor James J. Wang Boys’ Squash Team Award Waleed Nisar Ashna J. Kumar Jamie K. Wang Boys’ Swimming Award William Stearns Ashley G. Marsh and Family Swimming Award Martha Lewand Michael Jupka, Jr. ’76 Wrestling Award Christopher Waltzinger Girls’ Winter Track Award Caroline Dannenbaum Boys’ Winter Track Award Lauren Taylor National Advanced Placement Scholar Class of 1935 Graham Churchill Baseball Award Amir Arnold

Victoria L. Gu Brian S. Li Jamie K. Wang Because the spring athletics sports season was cancelled, there are no spring athletics awards.

Advanced Placement Scholar Designation based on 2019 testing

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JUNE 7, 2020

13

The recipients of the awards below will be announced on June 7, 2020 at the virtual ceremony.

The Magistri Laudandi Award

The 1902 Emblem Award The Class of 1902 Emblem is awarded to the graduating senior who, while at The Pingry School, by the efficiency and the amount of service and loyalty of attitude has done the most for the school, and who has been judged therefore by school fellows and faculty to have shown of them all the greatest amount of school spirit.

The Class of 1902 Emblem represents the highest ideals of The Pingry School. The nominees chosen by their classmates and faculty are considered to embody the very principles of integrity and service that lie at the heart of the institution. Thus, even to be nominated for this award is regarded as a paramount honor.

In every class, there is one student who graciously gives of him/herself to help the school and fellow students, who demonstrates a personal integrity and generosity that inspire the best in others.

This person’s own achievements are many, yet his/her sense of purpose is to the greater good.

While others may be identified as “the student most likely to succeed,” this person is prized as “the student who helps all succeed.”

Nominees for 1902 Emblem (E) & Magistri Laudandi (M) Awards (Additional nominees continue on the following two pages)

GABRIELLE BILLINGTON E

Years at Pingry: 4 Trademark characteristics: Outspoken, committed Activities: Journal Club, The Buddy Program, Civic Action and Social Engagement (CASE), Blue Key, Peer Leadership, Afrofuturism, Black Affinity Group, Tennis Team, Model Congress College Plans: Georgetown University Career Possibilities: Most likely I will end up attending Law School. I will either pursue criminal defense or health policy. I could see myself working at the World Health Organization or the Innocence Project.

Senior Year Song: “Money in the Grave” by Drake brings me back to the Tennis Team.

Favorite Memory at Pingry: There’s no way I have just one. The holiday party in the senior area we had before winter break was so much fun as well. Attending all the home basketball games and even a few away games was always the highlight of my week.

What you’ll take away: I really found my voice at Pingry. At Pingry I honed my public speaking skills, in fact I love speaking in front of crowds. During this time. I will also take away all of the amazing relationships I created here.

What piece of advice would you give to underclassmen? Get involved, Pingry has so many opportunities for you to take advantage of. As a graduating senior, the thing I am proudest of about my time at Pingry was that I was able to contribute to the community.

STUART CLARK M

JAMES CUMMINGS E

Years at Pingry: 10

Years at Pingry: 7

Activities: Drama, SAC, Outing Club

Activities: Student Government, Honor Board, Peer Leadership, Green Team, and Ceramics

Trademark Characteristics: Humility, omniscience, relatability College Plans: University of Virginia

Trademark Characteristics: I went to the Island School.

Career Possibilities: I don’t know, but I’m interested in history, politics, sociology, and energy.

College Plans: Middlebury

Favorite Memory at Pingry: Leaving for summer

Favorite Memory at Pingry: The peer leadership retreat or watching the soccer team beat Delbarton at Delbarton

Senior Year Song: “Love Train” by The O’Jays What I’ll Take Away: The Art of the Deal

What Piece of Advice Would You Give to Underclassmen?: Be true to yourself, don’t be afraid to take risks, relax, and have fun trying new things.

Career Possibilities: Undecided

Senior Year Song: “Bored in the House” by Tyga & Curtis Roach

What I’ll Take Away: My friends and all of the relationships that I have made over the past 7 years

What Piece of Advice Would You Give to Underclassmen?

Find something you love and give it your all. You don’t need to do everything to impress colleges. And don’t take your time at Pingry for granted. You never know when a global pandemic will cut that time short.

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SENIOR PAGES

JUNE 7, 2020

Nominees for 1902 Emblem (E)

HANNAH DILLON E, M

Years at Pingry: 7 Trademark characteristics: . Enthusiastic, hardworking, caring

Activities: Field Hockey, HIRT, Writing Center, Handbells, Farm Team College Plans: Hamilton College

Career Possibilities: Something design oriented/visual arts, public policy, really not sure at all at this point Senior Year Song: Anything Derek played in the portfolio room

Favorite Memory at Pingry: Singing Celine Dion for the last time with the field hockey team in the senior locker room before states

What I’ll Take Away: Life-long friendships, work ethic, the ability to push myself in the classroom and as a leader on the field What Piece of Advice Would You Give to Underclassmen? Work hard and set goals but your “high school memories” are not made in the second cubicle from the back in the CB Newton Library.

Find the balance between academic success and making memories.

Looking back on the last 3 months of senior year that we missed due to Corona, I can’t help but regret the time that I didn’t spend with my friends.

Years at Pingry: 4

BRIAN LI E, M

Trademark Characteristics: Grey shirt, laugh, clumsiness

CORBEY ELLISON E, M

Years at Pingry: 8

Years at Pingry: 4

Activities: Drama, Fencing, Taiko

Activities: I am the editor of the yearbook, I play tennis, and I run

Trademark Characteristics: Clumsy, funny, caring College Plans: Skidmore College

Career Possibilities: Environmental Science Teacher/Research Senior Year Song: “Books from Boxes” by Maxïmo Park

Favorite Memory at Pingry: My freshman year I went on the

Adirondacks trip, and one night we just laid outside in the snow for an hour and a half, staring at the clearest sky of stars I’ve ever seen.

What I’ll Take Away: All the love and care and support my teachers have given me over the years

What Piece of Advice Would You Give to Underclassmen?

Slow down and take a breath. Everything is going to be alright.

OLIVIA NUGENT E, M

Years at Pingry: 4

Trademark Characteristics: Empathetic, compassionate

College Plans: Princeton University

College Plans: Boston College

You will be fine! In the meantime, take the time to enjoy both the sweet and the sour and everything in between. Amidst in the minutiae and speed of life, nothing is more meaningful than taking things as they come and walking down an unexpected path.

Senior Year Song: “Follow God” by Kanye West

Favorite Memory at Pingry: My favorite memory is when the

boys soccer team beat Delbarton and came running into the crowd of Pingry students cheering them on. That really showed me how good of a community we have.

What I’ll Take Away: I will take away amazing, caring, and lifelong friends.

JAMES PAGANO E, M

Years at Pingry: 4

Trademark Characteristics: Smiling, very lanky, laughs at everything

College Plans: Princeton University

soccer game at Delbarton in one of the biggest games of their season. It was so fun to be celebrating the boys win over one of their rivals as an entire class and something I will always look back on fondly.

What Piece of Advice Would You Give to Underclassmen?

business having to do with wellness or exercise.

Career Possibilities: Marketing/Management in Music Industry

Matt and Mira in German. We were an odd but close group, und was ist im Deutschunterricht passiert, bleibt im Deutschunterricht. teachers, staff, and many others—who care deeply about our community, and they have shared more stories, lessons, and ideas than I can count. I am grateful to have learned from them and spent the past four years amongst them.

Career Possibilities: My dream job would be to open my own

Activities: Student Government, Peer Leadership, Varsity Golf,

Senior Year Song: “We Are Young”

What I’ll Take Away: I have met so many people—classmates,

College Plans: Lafayette College

Peer Leadership

Senior Year Song: “Simple Season” by Hippo Campus

Favorite Memory at Pingry: Any memory with Alina, Kier,

The Student Wellness Club.

I would encourage all of the Underclassmen to talk to their teachers and see what they’re like outside of the classroom. I have formed great relationships with advisors, teachers, and college counselors just by having conversations with them in the halls!

Activities: Field Hockey, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse, Big Blue Pride,

Career Possibilities: Teaching—maybe medical humanities?

Trademark Characteristics: I think I’m loud and outgoing.

What Piece of Advice Would You Give to Underclassmen?

Activities: Student Government, IRT, PCR, Vital Signs, Quiz Bowl, and Politics Club

EVE GILBERT M

Favorite Memory at Pingry: My favorite memory is the boys

What I’ll Take Away: Pingry has taught me the importance of

taking advantage of every opportunity I am given and how to do it to the best of my ability. They have shown me how to step out of my comfort zone and how to push myself to find success and these are things I will carry with me far beyond my high school years.

What Piece of Advice Would You Give to Underclassmen?

I urge each student to take advantage of every moment they are given with their friends and peers, because you never know when it could be gone in a flash.

Peer Tutor

Career Possibilities: I just found out where I am going to college.

Let me have some time to think it through.

Senior Year Song: “Midnight City” by M83

Favorite Memory at Pingry: Working with the other seniors

in student government this year— quick shoutout to Brian, Ola, Roger, Jamie, and James. We worked hard trying to make this year special for the Class of 2020, and had a great time doing it.

What I’ll Take Away: In high school, I have learned how to work

hard, but I recognize the need to balance work with the other parts of life. Getting an 100 on a test feels great, but laughing with your friends feels better.

What Piece of Advice Would You Give to Underclassmen?

Regardless of what you do at Pingry and in life, be kind. Kindness trumps everything, and if you live by that, people will take notice.

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JUNE 7, 2020

15

& Magistri Laudandi (M) Awards

LANCE PERLOW M

JOSHUA THAU E, M

Years at Pingry: 7

Years at Pingry: 13

Activities: Football, Basketball, Holocaust Assembly, Peer

a high singing voice, always having a smile on my face in the halls

Trademark Charcteristics: Funny, hard-working, dedicated Leadership

College Plans: University of Connecticut

Trademark Characteristics: Being tall, being an actor, having Activities: Plays/Musicals, Glee Club, Peer Leadership, Camp Counselor (Summer Job), Affinity Group Leader

Career Possibilities: I want to get involved with the statistical

College Plans: Studying Theater-Education

Senior Year Song: “Lost Ones” by J.Cole

Senior Year Song: “Boots” by Greyson Chance

side of sports, specifically football.

Favorite Memory at Pingry: Pingry Football Preseason Senior Year

What I’ll Take Away: Time management and commitment

What Piece of Advice Would You Give to Underclassmen?

Stay true to yourself and don’t let other people define you.

Career Possibilities: Drama teacher

Favorite Memory at Pingry: Doing the Community Perfor-

Years at Pingry: 4 Trademark Characteristics: Honesty and integrity. I care about

people and I hope that by the way I treat them with respect, they are able to trust that I genuinely value who they are.

Activities: I am a Peer Leader and a member of the Honor Board.

College Plans: Syracuse University

Career Possibilities: My plan is to pursue a career in marketing and/or communications.

Senior Year Song: “Good Life” by Kanye West.

Favorite Memory at Pingry: One of my favorite memories is

nections with so many people around you. Going into senior year I decided that I wasn’t going to let a difference in friend groups stop me from being kind to everyone in my class in hopes of making some genuine connections with people for our last year together.

The fact we all may come from different places causes us as a group to grow and learn even more.

the time that we had a holiday party in the Senior area. Everyone was dressed up singing, dancing and eating candy together. That memory is even more special today because it was one of the last times we were able to celebrate together as seniors!

What I’ll Take Away: At Pingry I discovered what it felt like to be a part of a special community where the faculty and staff truly want you to succeed. It was also the place that I was able to grow as a person, learned to be a self-advocate, and found things that I was passionate about. The greatest things that I will take away from Pingry are the amazing friends I made.

Stay open minded, not only about different circumstances you may be placed in but also with the people around you.

Soak in every moment of your high school experience. The magic of high school days will go quickly. Make as many memories as you can!

mances for the plays and musicals.

What I’ll Take Away: If you really want to you can make con-

What Piece of Advice Would You Give to Underclassmen?

JAMES WANG E

SYDNEY TINDELL M

ALEXANDRA WEBER E, M

What Piece of Advice Would You Give to Underclassmen?

SAMUEL WILLIAMS E

Years at Pingry: 8

Years at Pingry: 13

Years at Pingry: 7

Activities: Football, Buttondowns, SAC, Big Blue Pride, Artists

Trademark Characteristics: Tall, big eyebrows, funny, listens to A LOT of music

Activities: Football, Basketball, Track & Field, Writing Center

Trademark Characteristics: Loyal, honest, hard-working Initiative

College Plans: NYU Tisch

Career Possibilities: I don’t know.

Senior Year Song: “Tkm” by Boy Pablo

Favorite Memory at Pingry: 2018 Football Game vs. Bishop

Activities: Pingry Varsity Soccer, Humanities IRT, Student Government, Pingry Theater, SAC, Senior Giving Committee, Stage Manager College Plans: New York University

Ahr

Career Possibilities: Maybe comedy, writing, psychology, or law

What Piece of Advice Would You Give to Underclassmen?

Senior Year Song: “Dreams” by the Allman Brothers, “Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright”

What I’ll Take Away: Follow your passions.

Treat yourself as who you want to be and you will become that person.

Favorite Memory at Pingry: Either playing Mama in Chicago, performing my Old Man scene, or winning 2 soccer state titles.

What I’ll Take Away: Pingry gave me a sense of what a community is. I’ve also developed amazing relationships.

What Piece of Advice Would You Give to Underclassmen?

Take everything in, and take advantage of the opportunities Pingry provides.

Trademark Characteristics: Strategic, dedicated, stable, calm College Plans: Dartmouth College

Career Possibilities: I don’t know. Something with math? Finance? German? Who knows? Not me.

Senior Year Song: “Surfin’ Bird” by The Trashmen

Favorite Memory at Pingry: Scoring my first varsity touchdown last year on Homecoming

What I’ll Take Away: Lifelong friendships and a sense of working hard to achieve my goals

What Piece of Advice Would You Give to Underclassmen?

Try something new, try something hard, try something fun - just try something. You would never expect how these amazing people and crazy experiences will have such an impact on you.

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FACULTY DEPARTURE JUNE 7, 2020

Mr. Norman LaValette NOAH BERGAM (V)

After 41 years at Pingry, beloved Upper School German teacher and former Head of the World Languages Department Norman LaValette is retiring this year. Mr. LaValette (often referred to by students as “Herr LaV” or simply “LaV”) is known for his unorthodox but effective teaching methods, which, as his students can attest to, involve countless mantras, exquisite vocabulary, speed dialogue, and sometimes even jumping on tables.

LaValette is a born teacher, but the way he ended up choosing German and Pingry requires a bit of background.

In terms of the former, the story starts back when he was in 7th grade, when he had the choice at his public school to learn either Latin or German. He liked both languages; Latin piqued his interest in toy soldier collection, while German had interesting connections with his native Dutch. He chose Latin, only to receive his schedule and find it had German on it. Apparently there were not enough signups to fill up

a Latin class. “The rest is history;” he studied German through high school, college, and grad school.

When LaVallette entered the teaching world, Pingry was not his debut job. After four years teaching at three separate high schools, LaValette stumbled upon Pingry by a recommendation from a friend.

After interviewing for the job, LaV recalled he was “duly allured,” taken aback by “the reverence for scholarship, for ideas” among both students and teachers. Once again, the rest is history.

LaV taught German during a time when the Berlin Wall was thought to be indestructible. He recalled taking students to the country on exchange trips in the late 80s and early 90s––on one trip in specific, his students traded US dollars for medals and belts from Russian soldiers in East Berlin. He recalled thinking: “This is wild.”

Herr LaValette has run Harkness discussions in German since the 1980s, back before it was cool for even high school English classes.

He recalled one specific discussion that devolved into fisticuffs––a discussion where he jumped in and ultimately took an accidental punch to the jaw from one of his students. If anything, it was a testament to his sheer dedication to his students, and, of course, the relevance of his class discussions: as LaV put it, “German can push people’s buttons!”

According to German teacher Karsten Niehues, “[LaV] is a living legend. Over the years, more than 1,000 teachers have participated in his workshops and learned from his wisdom. While LaV has a studentcentered approach to teaching, he also believes in the value of teachers with strong personalities.” Indeed, LaV’s pedagogy has made huge impacts on the teachers around him. Fellow German teacher Igor

Jasinski stated, “Watching [LaV] teach has helped me become a better teacher, as it makes me want to bring to my classes some of that intensity and sense of urgency that is the hallmark of Norm’s teaching style.” Colleague and former German teacher Ann Dickerson said, “He is an innovative, energetic, passionate educator who has never become complacent or cynical about teaching, and comes to school every day as eager to grow and to learn as if he were just starting out.”

This is evident in his own words.

When asked what teaching has taught him, LaV responded, “If you’re an ambitious person, if you start a year with a goal, inexorably

what’s going to happen, especially if you’re a teacher, is you aren’t going to reach all of them. You’re not ever as good as you think you are. But here’s the cool thing about teaching: most teachers I know, they will get back on the horse, and set up new goals, new ambitions, strive to do what they couldn’t do the year before.”

The first mantras LaV taught me back in sixth grade German was Aller Anfang ist schwer: every beginning is difficult. So too is every ending, especially to a career this amazing. Herr LaV, you will be greatly missed.

Mr. Dennis Pearlstein DEAN KOENIG (V) Mr. Dennis Pearlstein has written and directed fantastic plays and musicals over his time at Pingry, but most importantly, he has taught and mentored the students here since 2007. After 13 years, he is departing from Pingry.

Mr. Pearlstein began his career as a teacher in 1971 after earning his Bachelor of Arts degree and his Master of Fine Arts degree at Columbia University. He then taught English for 20 years at the Calhoun School in New York City before joining the faculty at Pingry.

When Mr. Pearlstein first arrived at Pingry, he was a sixth grade teacher. At the time, this grade was based on an interdisciplinary curriculum for English and History, which he taught for four years before becoming a high school teacher in 2011.

Ever since his arrival, Mr. Pearlstein has greatly enjoyed working with his students each day.

He admires their intelligence and creativity when working on projects or essays, also noting that they are incredible observers of art, always finding new ways to connect art to literature. “I think my students are

also adventurous in exploring new ways of writing,” he adds. “They like the challenge, and they meet the challenge.”

When asked what he will miss most about Pingry, Mr. Pearlstein did not hesitate to mention his students and colleagues. “The students here are absolutely wonderful,” he answered. He added, “[The teachers] work with a purpose here to offer bright students a high degree of challenging material. I hope that will always be the case.”

In the future, Mr. Pearlstein wishes to keep his hand in the field of education. He plans to tutor students and possibly become a docent at a museum, working in its educational division.

In terms of Pingry’s future, he hopes the students will continue to treasure one another and enjoy being in an environment where they have the potential to achieve excellence. We wish Mr. Pearlstein the best of luck in the years to come!

Photo Credits (Left to Right): Pingry Communications

THE PINGRY RECORD

FACULTY DEPARTURE JUNE 7, 2020

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Dr. Sandy Lizaire-Duff MIRIKA JAMBUDI (III) After four years at Pingry, this past year serving as Lower School Director, Dr. Sandy Lizaire-Duff will be leaving Pingry in June to take the next step in her career.

She will be relocating to Stamford, Connecticut, where she will be the Head of Lower School at King School.

Dr. Lizaire-Duff received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Montclair State University, a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education at Teachers College of Columbia University, and a doctorate in Urban Systems from Rutgers University. She started her teaching career at Edgemont Montessori School in Montclair in 1999 after she had graduated from Teachers College. She credits

her inspiration for becoming a teacher to her “love for helping kids, even as a child,” as well as her prior work with young girls thanks to a friend who was a teacher.

Though she did not teach any courses as Lower School Director, Dr. Lizaire-Duff loved going into classrooms to visit and interact with the students, noting that seeing their “smiling faces were some of the best parts of [her] day.”

In addition to her many day-to-day operational tasks, Dr. Lizaire-Duff was part of the development of the 2018 Strategic Plan, worked with the professional development program, and advanced the work of diversity and inclusion.

Dr. Lizaire-Duff will fondly look back at her favorite memories of Pingry, such as the annual Field

Day: a “sea of blue and white with smiling faces… and being able to see kids being kids and having fun.” She will also forever cherish her connections with Lower School students, faculty, staff, and parents, and is proud to have had “the privilege of partnering and working with an incredible community these past four years.”

In a parting message to the school, Dr. Lizaire-Duff would like to wish everyone continued good health.

Thank you, Dr. Lizaire-Duff, for your contributions to Pingry––you will be missed!

Mr. John Crowley-Delman

BROOKE PAN (V)

After nearly thirty years in the Pingry community as both a student and a teacher, Mr. Crowley-Delman is leaving to further his interests in the outdoors. Having largely taught in the History Department, Mr. Crowley-Delman will be shifting his focus outside of the classroom.

Starting in July, he will be serving as the Director of Outdoor Education at the Riverdale Country School in the Bronx, New York.

Before coming to Pingry, Mr. Crowley-Delman worked in a wide variety of career fields, including real-estate, law, sales, and more.

Through all of it, he notes, “I always wanted to learn more about human beings and their place in the world.

So I decided to make that my career.” At Pingry, Mr. CrowleyDelman was able to explore his wonders for humanity, whether within the Pingry campus or out in nature. He influenced many of his students and colleagues with his passion for the outdoors, having led multiple domestic global programs, most of which

focused on “wilderness travel, sustainability, and plant-based education.” When asked about his favorite memory of Pingry, Mr. Crowley-Delman found difficulty naming just one. He recalls an instance while on a backpacking trip he had led: “My dad’s backpack was so heavy that he fell over while putting it on and was trapped on the ground for a few minutes like a turtle on its back.”

Mr. Crowley-Delman carries this effervescent spirit with him wherever he goes and in whatever he is doing. He first attended Williams College, where he earned a BA with Honors in History, and he then went on to earn his Master’s Degree in Eastern Classics at St. John’s College. He brought his extensive background in history to Pingry, which he applied in his World History 9 and 10 courses, as well as his American Society and Culture classes. Outside of teaching classes, Mr. Crowley-Delman was also involved with many extracurricular activities, such as running the LeBow Oratorical Competition and coaching football and lacrosse for several years.

Though, what Abby Parrish (V) was most impacted by were his efforts in Pingry’s Outing Club. “Crow-Del brings an energy and purpose to the school that no one else has. His passion for outdoor education and experiential learning has impacted me, and so many others, in the way we want to learn and grow as not only students, but also just as people.”

It is no question that Mr. CrowleyDelman has left an indelible impact on his students, whether they were directly taught by him or indirectly impacted by his work. In pouring all his heart and efforts into the Outing Club, he has created a legacy that will continue to inspire many students to come. Parrish notes, “We’ve already seen the impacts of the change he has been trying to create. It’s up to us now to do the best we can to continue [his legacy].” Mr. Crowley-Delman is leaving Pingry with a bittersweet farewell: “I’m so thankful for everything Pingry has given me after nearly thirty years. Most of all, I’m grateful for the students who continue to surprise me every day.”

Mr. Kevin Schroedter JOSIE ALSTON (V) As the end of the school year approaches, The Pingry School must say goodbye to Mr. Kevin Schroedter. Mr. Schroedter spent his only year at Pingry teaching French 2, Spanish 2, and French 5, as well as assistant coaching Upper School water polo and swimming.

Born to a Spanish speaking Colombian mother, Mr. Schroedter developed a love for languages as a child. His grandfather also taught French to the Colombian military for a living. He followed his childhood passion to Duke University, where he earned his B.A. in Political Science and French,

and Middlebury College, where he earned his M.A. in French.

Following his studies, Mr. Schroedter pursued an extensive teaching career across the globe so he could stay immersed in the French and Spanish languages.

In fact, this year concludes Mr. Schroedter’s 28th year of teaching either French or Spanish at a private school.

In the future, Mr. Schroedter plans to continue his “pursuit of excellence as a language teacher” and he “[looks] forward to the next great adventure with excitement and gratitude.”

As his farewell to Pingry, Mr. Schroedter would like to leave this

final message: “I am grateful for the time spent with my colleagues in the language department, as well as getting to know some very special kids in my classes. I also appreciate the time I shared on the pool deck with the other coaches and the great bunch of athletes on both the water polo and swimming teams.”

Photo Credits (Left to Right): Pingry Communications

THE PINGRY RECORD

18

FACULTY DEPARTURE JUNE 7, 2020

Ms. Susan Conklin ASHLEIGH PROVOOST (IV)

This year, we must say goodbye to Ms. Susan Conklin, Pingry’s Academic Support Coordinator and Learning Specialist. On the Basking Ridge campus, Ms. Conklin could always be found in the hallway with a smile on her face, or in her office behind Macrae Theater, collaborating with many different students every single day.

As Pingry’s Learning Specialist, Ms. Conklin would give students academic support, consulting with students and their families to help students with their study habits.

She loved helping people find the best study strategies for them, as shown by one of her favorite metaphors involving the twentyfive year-old geode on her desk.

“People can look at themselves like they would a geode,” says Ms. Conklin. “Once you can unlock someone’s mind, there’s a treasure of beautiful crystals waiting inside!”

Ms. Conklin had significant experience in her field prior to arriving at Pingry. She received a graduate degree in social work from Hunter College, and worked as a psychotherapist in private practice for many years afterwards.

Ms. Conklin then taught graduates at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. Ms. Conklin began teaching in schools in 2007, and came to Pingry three years ago.

She’s especially interested in brain neurology, and how the brain works for learning.

Pingry was an important part of Ms. Conklin’s life, and she’ll really miss the Pingry culture and community. “One of my favorite memories of Pingry will be eating lunch with my colleagues,” she remarks. “Especially now, I really miss that social connection.” She really loved her experience on the Global Programs trip to the Balkans last year. “We got to help students learn while developing our own bond at the same time,” she recalls. “It’s a wonderful thing

to do; to study with your colleagues and go away together.”

She enjoyed interacting with students and parents just as much as she did with faculty. “It was an amazing feeling to help a student have a breakthrough,” she said.

“It’s like letting the butterfly out of the cage.” She added, “You know, nature really does have beautiful metaphors for us!” Speaking on what she will miss the most, Ms. Conklin mentioned Pingry’s theater and art showcases: “I love the shows and the art and the music,” she remarks. “I’m just amazed by the talent of the students and faculty!”

Ms. Conklin is planning on retiring after leaving Pingry, but she still wants to stay involved. “I love life and I love what I do,” she says. She’ll be missed greatly by the Pingry community at large. Best of luck to you, Ms. Conklin!

Ms. Matty Yorkshire MONICA CHAN (V)

Lower School Spanish teacher Ms. Matty Yorkshire will be leaving Pingry after a 25 year stay at the Short Hills campus. Her passion for teaching Spanish language and culture to Pingry’s youngest students has remained an integral part of Lower School students’ memories, as she taught students to love and appreciate the language.

Before her work at Pingry, she taught Spanish at Archbishop Keough High School in Maryland, Staten Island Academy, and Princeton Day School. She also taught at Raritan Valley Community College. Ms. Yorkshire attended the University of Maryland for her Bachelor’s degree and Towson

State University for her Master’s degree. Her inspiration for teaching was her love of sharing her native Cuban culture and language.

Her favorite memory of Pingry was when she was awarded the Albert W. Booth Chair for Master Teachers Award by former Headmaster Mr. Conard. The award commends the teacher “who reflects those qualities of honor, integrity, idealism, dedication to students, and reverence for scholarship,” which “defined Mr. Booth’s life and work.” Ms. Yorkshire stated that “when you can be around long enough to witness the fruit of your earlier labors, it does not get any better than that.”

When asked about her future plans after departing the Pingry community, Ms. Yorkshire says she is “looking forward to reconnecting with my family, living within and outside of the country, and enjoying ministry with my husband.” Undoubtedly, Ms. Yorkshire’s presence in the Pingry community will forever be marked in our minds, and we wish her all the best in her new adventures!

Ms. Patti Euwer ANDREW WONG (IV) After teaching third grade at Pingry for 34 years, Ms. Patti Euwer will be retiring from Pingry and ending a teaching career that has spanned 45 years.

After receiving her B.S. in Elementary Education at Bowling Green State University, Ms. Euwer taught at several schools in Maryland and New Jersey before coming to Pingry in the mid-1980s. When asked why she chose teaching as a career, Ms Euwer said, “For as long as I can remember, I always wanted to be a teacher… I believe it’s part of my soul.” Over the course of her time at Pingry, she was instrumental in helping to build the Lower School that we all know today. From the States Project that many former Pingry third graders still fondly remember, to the creation of the

Lower School garden in 2010, to helping to design and write out the Lower School curriculum, the Lower School would not be the same without Ms. Euwer.

Outside of teaching third graders, Ms Euwer was a key faculty member within the Pingry community. She served on multiple head of school search committees, participated in Lower School admissions committees, and served as the anchor third grade teacher, helping to mentor new teachers who came to the Lower School.

When asked about her best memories at Pingry, Ms. Euwer remarked that she has always loved watching her students have their “aha” moments whenever they began to understand a new concept. To her, these moments, which happened almost everyday in her classroom, are some of the

best moments of being a teacher and have inspired her to keep teaching at Pingry year after year.

Now, at the end of her 45-year teaching career, Ms. Euwer plans to retire. While she will no longer be with us, she will not be forgotten soon: she has taught hundreds, if not thousands of Lower School students, and has helped shape the entire Pingry community enormously. Ms. Euwer will be missed very much, and we wish her the best of luck in the future!

Photo Credits (Left to Right): Pingry Communications

THE PINGRY RECORD

FACULTY DEPARTURE JUNE 7, 2020

19

Mr. Rich Freiwald EVA SCHILLER (V)

This year, the Pingry community must bid Visual Arts Teacher Mr. Freiwald (affectionately known as “Frei” by his students) farewell as he enters retirement. During a 32-year career at Pingry, Mr. Freiwald has taught a myriad of art classes including Advanced Topics in Art, Photography, Graphics (printmaking and graphic design), Art Fundamentals, and Metalworking. However, he is best known among students for his famed Clayworking and Sculpture class, as well as his incredible pottery showing in Pingry’s Hostetter gallery.

Mr. Freiwald is extremely experienced in his field; he received a BA in Fine Arts from Montclair State University, and a MFA in Sculpture and Graphic Design from Rutgers University. His work has been exhibited in over twenty galleries and, before coming to Pingry, he obtained considerable teaching experience at nearly

ten educational institutions. As a community, we are incredibly fortunate to have been the recipients of such experience and expertise throughout his classes.

However, since becoming a faculty member in 1988, Mr. Freiwald’s impact on students has reached far beyond the classroom.

He helped construct sets for the Drama Department, served as faculty advisor for the Make a Wish Foundation and Potters for Peace, and even spent 11 years as Blue Book photographer. Perhaps most importantly, he is beloved among his students for his good nature and devotion to the community.

As such, he will be missed greatly by his students. “Frei has inspired me to pursue my dreams,” notes clayworking student Jerry O’Mara (V). “I remember when I asked him about how he got his ideas for his amazing pots he told me that he just dreamed about it and the next day, made it. Frei has taught me that great work does not come from great skill but great vision

and determination.” Speaking for the rest of Mr. Freiwald’s students, Jerry added that “everyone that has had Frei as a teacher can agree that his passion and deep understanding drives everyone around him to create bigger and better things.”

As for Mr. Freiwald’s plans in retirement, the Record has gotten wind of a rumor that he may be writing a book in his newfound free time. If so, we are excited to read it! If not, we must continue holding out hope that just a few more pieces of original Freiwald pottery make it to the Hostetter gallery. Best of luck to you, Mr. Freiwald, wherever you go!

Ms. Eva Ostroswky MEGHAN DURKIN (V) Ms. Eva Ostrowsky, who began teaching at Pingry in 2011, is leaving at the end of this school year. Before coming to Pingry, she earned her B.A. at Cornell University, where she was captain of the Field Hockey team. After college, she worked at Barclays Capital.

Throughout her time at Pingry, Ms. Ostrowsky has held numerous positions. She taught sixth grade History, served as Dean of Student Culture in the Middle School, and coached both the Junior Varsity Field Hockey and Lacrosse teams. In 2015, she returned to Pingry following an 18-month sabbatical, during which she received a Master’s degree in Social Work from Columbia University. More recently, she has

served as a school counselor, while also taking active roles in the Peer Leadership program and SDLC. During her time as a counselor, she has brought numerous student wellness initiatives to the Pingry community, including yearly advisory “check-ins” with Pingry’s counselors.

Through all of her roles at Pingry, Ms. Ostrowsky has cherished the connections she has made the most. When asked about her favorite Pingry memories, she responded, “Being a sixth grade teacher and advisor was such a fun experience. I remember students baking amazing things for their birthday celebrations, and I will never forget when my advisory … threw me a baby shower before I went on maternity leave in 2015.

I still read the books they gave to

my son Eddie to my children!” She has also “loved the relationships that I have built with students as a counselor over the past few years.

It’s been an honor to get to know students on a deeper level, and I will cherish those connections for a very long time.”

Upon leaving Pingry, she will join the faculty at The Hun School, where she will serve as the Director of Counseling and Wellness. She will also lead their Peer Leadership program. She is “incredibly excited to move to a boarding school community and take on this next step in my career.”

Ms. Ostrowsky has touched many parts of the Pingry community, from the classroom to the fields, and will be missed by many.

Dr. Reid Prichett MIRIKA JAMBUDI (III) After serving as Dean of Faculty for Teaching and Learning, Dr. Reid Prichett will be leaving Pingry to take the next step in his career. He was tasked with nurturing the faculty’s ongoing professional growth and developed the Assessment for Growth (AfG) procedure. During his tenure at Pingry, Dr. Prichett additionally helped guide numerous faculty through graduate programs, led faculty to participate in more professional development events, and assisted with improving the productivity of Faculty In-Service Days.

Dr. Prichett received a BS in economics from Williams

College, an MA in Curriculum and Instruction of Mathematics Education, and a PhD and MA in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Before he came to Pingry, he “taught, coached, and worked in different administrative roles.” As a teacher, his goal has always been to help students become better learners by understanding how they learn.

In addition to serving as Dean of Faculty for Teaching and Learning, Dr. Prichett taught Intermediate Algebra with Geometry and coached the Upper School wrestling team.

Dr. Prichett will fondly look back at his favorite memories of Pingry in the classroom when he got to “work with students… and reflect on student learning with teachers.”

Thank you, Dr. Prichett for your contributions to Pingry; you will be missed.

Photo Credits (Left to Right): Pingry Communications

A Year In Review With Mr. Levinson

EVA SCHILLER (V) & MEGHAN DURKIN (V) After a lengthy search process in the fall of 2019, Pingry selected Mr. Levinson to be the new Head of School. This month, as the Class of 2020 receives their diplomas and school lets out for the summer, Mr. Levinson reflects on his first complete year in this position. He has been kind enough to share with us his daily life, successes, and challenges over the course of the year, as well as his advice and hopes for the future.

Describing his daily tasks, he explained that the job so far has been “a lot of people work. I meet with people a lot of the day– obviously to walk around and check in with people informally, whether it’s students or faculty and staff . . . or leadership people in the school.” Looking to make a splash in his first year, he has also gotten involved in improving upon the Pingry experience: “Student well-being is one of the key pillars of that, and experiential education is another,” he explains. Particularly during these last few months, he has also been “looking at that tied into remote learning” and translating in-person improvements into the new online setting.

While they may seem simple, these day-to-day actions are the key to being successful as Head of School. As such, when asked about his defining successes this year, Mr. Levinson humbly responded that “getting to know so many people in the Pingry community, faculty and staff and students on both campuses, and getting involved in the life of the school” was what he found most enjoyable. “It got cut short

by COVID-19,” he added, “but there are other ways I can build those connections even now. And that’s something I’ve really, really enjoyed.”

However, Mr. Levinson faced an unpredictable year from the start. From cancelling school in November due to the “Pingry plague” to cancelling the rest of an in-person school year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenges of Mr. Levinson’s first year at Pingry were immense. As the possibility of remote learning surfaced in early March, Mr. Levinson and the rest of the administration began to prepare for the unknown. Though, Mr. Levinson believes the difficulties caused by the pandemic have only strengthened the Pingry community. He is impressed with the adaptability of the community, from “the faculty jumping in and learning how to teach remotely and the number of student projects that have taken place online, such as drama performances, the newspaper, musical performances, sports teams that have been doing athletic workouts, and different things like that.” While Mr. Levinson acknowledges that COVID-19 presented “a huge, enormous challenge that was not expected,” he is proud that students and faculty have “all shown resilience and adaptability.”

According to Mr. Levinson, the experience of remote learning has also given him time to reflect on the importance of Pingry’s long history. When asked about the most critical lessons he has learned during his first year, he noted, “The school has been around since 1861 and it started during the Civil War, which is a pretty bold endeavor. So, Pingry has been through the Civil War, two world wars, the great depression, 9/11, and the economic crisis of 2008. The school has survived so many things, and no doubt will emerge even stronger coming out of COVID based on its

history.” The strength of the Pingry community, and its resilience throughout the pandemic, according to Mr. Levinson, is due to the fact that “we have a lot of people behind us, who’ve been part of Pingry and have helped us get to this point.” He knows that this sense of history will “get us through [COVID-19],” and make Pingry “stronger as a community going forward.”

Even with the uncertainty that lies ahead, Mr. Levinson is looking forward to next year, while preparing for all the possible challenges that lie ahead. In case of a remote start in the fall, Mr. Levinson has made online learning the main focus for faculty throughout the summer. Pingry will be partnering with Global Academy Online to host a “bootcamp” for teachers, as they plan their courses around a remote setting.

Beyond online learning, Mr. Levinson hopes to focus on student and community wellness going forward. Through wellness classes and parent education, Mr. Levinson wants to create a safer, healthier Pingry environment. Most importantly, though, Mr. Levinson’s goal is to be ready

for anything. Following the unpredictability of this school year, Mr. Levinson noted the importance of preparation: “We’re not going to wait for things to happen to us.

We’re going to actively plan so we’re ready for everything, and we can deliver the best Pingry education possible for all of you students.”

Ultimately, Mr. Levinson has responded to this year’s unprecedented challenges with incredible skill and resilience. Under his guidance, Pingry has switched to remote learning with relatively few roadblocks, and he is confident that this success will continue into the next school year.

“Even though I’m not 100% sure what it’s going to look like, I know… it’s going to be awesome because we’ve got teachers and administrators that are excited to plan for next year, whatever comes our way.”

Speaking on the graduating class, he states, “This time in some ways can feel frustrating and can bring some sadness, but I also think it’s going to be a pivotal moment for our graduating seniors as they go out into the world. Being able to make it through

this as the last part of senior year is going to position our students to be ready for just about anything and demonstrate their flexibility and resilience.” He also hopes that returning students use this time to their benefit, advising them to “be active in building connections. Now that we are all in the remote space we have to work harder at that, and seek ways to make those connections. It could be around interests, like music and drama, or athletics… If you haven’t found that, talk to a teacher or a friend– Just because we are remote, doesn’t mean we can’t still find a way to do great things together as a community.”

Finally, he would like to thank everyone for their continued support: “I would just say I’m incredibly grateful to the Pingry community, students, faculty and staff, families, and alumni for the way everybody’s come together during the last few months of COVID. This is a really hard time and I’ve just been so moved by all that everybody’s doing… it’s such a tribute to the strength of Pingry.”