stony brook The Bulletin of The Stony Brook School
FALL 2020
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stony brook The Bulletin of The Stony Brook School
FALL 2020
Vol. XCI No. 1, Fall 2020
head of school Joshua Crane P ’18, ’20, ’23
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director of advancement Luke Layow P ’22, ’25 advancement associate for communications and bulletin editor Alana Brooks art director/designer Jeanine Davis photographers Bruce Jeffrey P ’21, ’23 Jimmy Hu ’22 Xiao Lin ’21 Julie Salam ’23 Rachel Simone ’21 the stony brook board of trustees S. Michael Koh ’88, Chair Elaine M. Kanas P’09, Vice-Chair Ian Haynes P ’15, ’17, ’21, Treasurer Bradley R. Kirk ’82, Secretary Polly Berol, Director of Finance/Assistant Treasurer Joshua Crane, P’18, ’20, ’23, Head of School Bruce D. Bohuny P’17 Sharon Bottomley P’06, ’16 Henry Ho ’78 Christine Kang P’18 Christopher Levy ’84, P’18 Wendelyne Horst Murphy ’82 Rebecca Haile Swanson ’78 Jaime L. Turton P ’23 ’25 The Stony Brook Bulletin, USPS #522-440, is produced for all alumni, parents, and friends of The Stony Brook School. The Bulletin is published by The Stony Brook School, Inc., Stony Brook, New York, three times a year. mission statement The Stony Brook School is an independent college preparatory school (grades 7-12) that exists to challenge young men and women to know Jesus Christ as Lord, to love others as themselves, and to grow in knowledge and skill, in order that they may serve the world through their character and leadership.
DEPARTMENTS 4
From the Head of School
1 6
Faculty Feature
6
Campus Life
2 2
In the Classroom
1 0
Academic Update
2 5
Alumni Log
1 2
Athletics
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In Memoriam
send address changes to: The Stony Brook School Advancement Office 1 Chapman Parkway Stony Brook, NY 11790 phone 631-941-1550 fax 631-941-1557 email advancement@sbs.org website sbs.org
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FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL Dear friends of The Stony Brook School, Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. – Hebrews 12:1 Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones pastored Westminster Chapel in London for nearly 30 years. He was widely considered one of the most influential leaders of the evangelical Church in Britain in the 20th Century. Dr. Lloyd-Jones had a habit of saying the same thing to each parishioner as they would shake his hand on the way out after service. “Keep on,” he would say, “keep on.” When a young pastor in training under his leadership, who knew the breadth and depth of Lloyd-Jones’ knowledge and eloquence, asked him, “Why do you say ‘keep on’ to everyone as they leave?” Jones replied, “Ahh yes, keep on. What else is there?” If there is one skill or attribute that I believe is vital for organizations and individuals in 2020, it is resilience— the ability to overcome setbacks, hardships, and turns in the road to emerge stronger and more effective on the other side. 2020 has given us all opportunities to demonstrate resilience and I pray each Brooker reading these words has risen to the challenge. At The Stony Brook School, our resilience has been tested severely— yet I write to you with enormous confidence and optimism about the future of our School. COVID-19 has brought unprecedented challenges to The Brook. Back in March, over a weekend, our faculty pivoted and put our entire curriculum online. Parents universally praised our ability to keep learning going amidst a three month School shutdown. This summer, faced with the prospect of seriously diminished revenue from a much smaller summer camp, we offered online summer courses for our students and for others from the community. It was a huge success for our students, reversing our losses and turning them into gains. As our team spent many late nights over the summer planning for an unknown 2020-2021 School year, we navigated opaque guidance, delays, and changes from state and local officials as we worked to open safely. I am happy to report that the fruit of our planning was rewarded with record enrollment—and a safe and healthy trimester for students and faculty. Resilience has also meant finding new ways to deliver our mission in the era of COVID. Our time online has demonstrated the power and opportunity that online education affords. We have launched Stony Brook Global which offers a Stony Brook education to people who are not able to find their way to Chapman Parkway. We are working with a small cohort of students in year one as we aggressively seek to ramp up this opportunity. Our goal is to be in 100 countries in five years—placing a particular emphasis on serving the underserved. A robust online offering will complement the work we are doing on our ground campus by providing additional exposure and resources so that we might ensure sustainability well into our next 100 years. Full maturity of our vision has us opening up micro-campuses in major cities around the world, with the online delivery of the curriculum produced and taught on our Stony Brook campus serving as the primary educational content for these locations. Stay tuned for more details. As we approach our 100th year, it’s not hard to imagine that in our 99th year, God is pruning The Brook for all that He has planned for us in our next century. Our faith teaches us that progress towards things of true value is hard-won. Therefore, rather than becoming discouraged by the challenges we face, we are interpreting them as a harbinger of good to come. The Brook will “keep on” into the good future God has for us—a future that we pray brings blessing to more of God’s children across the globe through our labor here.
Best regards, Joshua Crane, Head of School 4
campus life
Connection and Support on Campus by Alana Brooks, Advancement Associate for Communications Connection, social support, and a sense of belonging are very important aspects in the lives of students. Social support has been shown in many studies to help increase resilience to stress and, according to a 2007 article published by the Center for Psychiatric Research, “is exceptionally important for maintaining good physical and mental health…(and) it appears that positive social support of high quality can enhance resilience to stress.” Stony Brook seeks to provide ways for students to connect and build close relationships with their peers and faculty and, since the spring, our students have needed those connections more than ever. One of those outlets is our advisory program, which, despite social distancing and masks, has still been going strong. Students meet twice a week with their faculty or staff advisor, and have the chance to relax, decompress from the academic day, and talk about life together. Additionally, each week students watch chapel and assembly videos together and have an open discussion about different topics. Things look very different this year due to health restrictions, but that isn’t stopping students from continuing to connect with their communities. “As an advisor, we want our students to feel safe, and for them to know they have someone in their corner,” said Deb Abrahamsan, head of the Advisory Program and SBS Guidance Counselor. “One of my advisees is still abroad, taking classes remotely, but I still check in on her regularly to see how she’s doing.” Another way for students to connect is through the mentor/mentee program. The program functions like a big brother / big sister program, where tenth-eleventh grade mentors help incoming seventh and eighth graders navigate the complexities of a new school, boarding life, homework load, and more. This year, we had over seventy students apply for the thirty available spots. Along with fun monthly activities, mentors meet with their mentees weekly to have a safe space to discuss topics like time-management, making friends, and transitioning back to school during a global pandemic. 6
“ As an advisor, we want our students to feel safe, and for them to know they have someone in their corner,� said Deb Abrahamsan, head of the Advisory Program and SBS Guidance Counselor.
campus life
SBS Welcomes New Faculty MARAVILHA ANI, Algebra I & II
GENE MURPHY, STEM Director
Maravilha Ani is a Nigerian immigrant who was born in Luanda, Angola, but grew up on Long Island, NY. She graduated from Stony Brook University in 2014 with a B.S. in Biology and, after graduation, she completed two years of medical school before realizing that becoming a doctor was not the right career path for her. Maravilha then worked for a year as a medical receptionist, and spent the last school year working as a substitute teacher in the Brentwood school district—revealing to her how passionate she really was about teaching children. Maravilha is looking forward to teaching Algebra 1 and 2, and is excited for the opportunity to mentor and learn from the students at SBS. Maravilha volunteers with the children’s ministry at her church and enjoys music, art, and spending time with friends and family.
Gene received a PhD in Electrical engineering, an MS in Electrophysics, and an MA in education. During his professional career, he spent twelve years at IBM and ran an electronics design company for ten years. He has spent the last nine years as an educator at the high school level, three of which he was a dorm parent at a private boarding school in Cornwall, NY. Gene has taught physics and mathematics in addition to STEM classes. Gene is married to his wife Karen, and has two grown children— Kylee, 25, and Kira, 28.
KIMBERLEY KROLL, English 9 & 10, English Literature Kimberley, a native Long Islander, has spent the past 11 years moving about, living in multiple states and countries. Her home for the last four years was Scotland where she was a PhD candidate in Theology at the University of St. Andrews. She also has completed a MA in Philosophy at Biola University, a MDiv at Grace Theological Seminary, and a BA at Queens College, and she successfully defended her PhD in September. While pursuing her education, Kimberley taught a variety of disciplines at multiple universities and was heavily involved in discipleship of university students. She is excited to join SBS to teach literature and be the dorm head of Alexander. Any spare time she has is spent outdoors (now with her new pup) and preferably in a quiet place filled with trees, water, and trails. JACOB MORLEY, English Literature & Composition, English 10 After spending the last four years in Scotland, Jake Morley returns to Stony Brook’s English department. Jake previously taught English at SBS from 2005-2016, after which he left to pursue his PhD at the Institute for Theology, Imagination, and the Arts at the University of St. Andrews. While at St. Andrews, Jake also assisted with undergraduate courses in church history and worked for two years as Senior Editor for Transpositions, the journal of his research institute. Jake’s earlier academic work includes a BA in Ancient Languages, an MA in Systematic Theology, and an MA in English. In addition to teaching English, Jake will coach track and serve in Monro. Jake is joined by his wife and two children: Letizia ’00, Genevieve, 12, and Wystan, 7. 8
TOM QUITZAU, Pre-Calculus & AP Statistics Now in his 30th year as a mathematics teacher and swim coach, Tom comes to SBS from Houston, Texas where he taught at the Awty International School. Tom earned his bachelors in mathematics and his masters in secondary education from the University of St. Thomas in Houston. Tom and his wife Irena are very excited to join the SBS community and to live on Long Island, where both of Tom’s parents grew up, fell in love, and were married. Tom and Irena just celebrated 30 years of marriage and made the cross country trip to Long Island with their five youngest of ten children. SABINA SLADE, Latin Sabina is no stranger to the Long Island area having grown up a few miles from SBS on the north shore. She completed her BA—a double-major in Latin and Classical Studies—at Hunter College in New York City. After graduating she had the privilege to work on an archaeological dig on the volcanic island of Stromboli, Italy, and then continued her education at Hunter College, completing her MA in Latin education. She has taught Latin to various age levels prior to her arrival at SBS, and hopes to continue doing God’s work through her passion for language and love of teaching. JUAN YSIMURA, Calculus Juan is originally from Lima, Peru and moved to the United States after finishing high school in 2008. He attended Stony Brook University for both his undergrad and graduate education. Juan has been teaching math, mainly calculus courses, since 2016. Along with teaching math at SBS, he is now the Hegeman live-in dorm dad and JV boys soccer coach. One of his favorite hobbies is collecting old records. n
KIMBERLEY KROLL
GENE MURPHY JACOB MORLEY
MARAVILHA ANI
JUAN YSIMURA SABINA SLADE
TOM QUITZAU
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academic update
Creativity and Flexibility by Dr. Sean Riley, Academic Dean
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o re-open campus this fall, Stony Brook had to get creative. We knew that flexibility was going to be key in meeting the needs of our families around the world. So, we designed a schedule and an approach to teaching that would allow students to choose between in-person and remote learning on a daily basis. To start the year, about 75% of our 432 students decided to attend campus, physically distanced, wearing masks, while the remaining 25% began attending via Zoom. We adjusted our schedule so that students in Asia could attend live sessions, and teachers are recording all classes so that students who need to can attend class asynchronously. The school purchased iPads and styluses so teachers can write on a digital whiteboard that remote students can see more easily—and which can be saved for future reference by all students. Additionally, to promote a more immersive experience for our remote learners and to free teachers to move around the room instead of staying in front of their webcams, the school purchased Meeting Owls, 360 degree camera/speaker/microphones, for each classroom. These 360 degree cameras sit in the center of the room where they can see and hear everyone. When connected to Zoom, the camera displays to the remote students a complete panoramic view of the classroom, as well as up to three panels focusing on those who are speaking. The impact of this technology on remote student learning is remarkable. Those who are
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taking class from afar feel more integrated into the physical classroom, more connected with their peers, and more in sync with the lesson. All of these adjustments and innovations have made it possible for us to offer as close to the same learning experience as possible for both our in-person and our remote students, so students who have to leave campus or re-join campus throughout the year will have a seamless transition. While class has looked different this year, students are receiving the same character-focused, intellectually stimulating Christian education they received pre-pandemic. As we move throughout the year, Stony Brook will remain adaptive to changing realities to ensure the best possible learning experience for students. “I am deeply grateful for SBS’ ability to offer flexible, hybrid schedules,” said Agnes McConlogue Ferro, P ’23, “which allows both the student and the parents to feel safe and supported. During a season where feelings of isolation, stress, and uncertainty can prevail, it is a source of great comfort to know that SBS is prepared to work with families to ensure that our children can still maintain focus on academics, character-building, and their future.” n
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athletics
Different Season, Same Joy by Dan Hickey ’04, Director of Athletics
T
here is a familiar rhythm and cadence to each season at The Stony Brook School. This fall, familiar sights and senses returned to campus after COVID-19 ushered in a silent spring on Chapman Parkway. 7th graders returned from a summer of growth to find a few less available inches at the bottom of their khakis, Long Island’s summer heat dissolved into a cool, smoky breeze, and the maples that lord over Fitch Field burst into striking oranges and yellows. But in this 99th fall season, unfamiliar sights accompanied these seasonal hallmarks as masked athletes became a common sight, while handshake lines and huddles receded, for now, into memory. Yet, even in the midst of a different kind of season, our athletes have exuded the same joy, drive, and leadership that defines the Bears. While Long Island’s public schools delayed the start of athletics until at least January, the Private Schools Athletic Association (PSAA) was able to organize fall seasons in cross country, soccer, and tennis complete with league play and a postseason structure. The boys’ and girls’ cross country teams continued their reign over PSAA competition with two dominant victories on the S. T. Hsaio home course. Colin Scanlon ’21, Forest Kaplan-Walbrecht ’23, and Joe Barisic Cubillas ’23 took the top three spots in the boys’ quad meet victory, while Sarah Wong ’21, Evelyn Apazidis ’24, and Mia Trama ’26 were the winning trio in the girls’ tri-meet win. Both teams won their third consecutive PSAA Championship title at the end of November.
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The boys’ soccer team has flexed its offensive muscle through the first four games of their season, outscoring the competition 34-3 behind the potent punch of Mo Romeus ’21, Luqman Bare ’21, and Dennis Yilmaz ’23. Malik Ulysse ’21 notched an early candidate for “Goal of the Year” when his header with three minutes remaining felled Staten Island, 2-1. Daniel Kim ’23 provided the assist. Lemuel Kutame ’22 anchors a stingy defense led by Joe Spreckels ’22, Stephen Cisz ’23, and Enoch Guo ’23. The team played an impressive rest of the season and won the Regular PSAA Championships in November. The girls’ soccer team has shown tremendous character and work ethic as they wade through a tough league. The senior core of Zida Anyachebelu ’21, Sophia DiLavore ’21, Madison Logan ’21, Caroline Maglione ’21, Ariel Meltzer ’21, Lara Montalbano ’21, Kayla Ochei ’21, Nora Shortell ’21, and Rhys Van Law ’21 have done a tremendous job integrating and leading an exciting crop of younger players that are set to take the baton from a group that led the Bears into 2017 Section XI and 2018 PSAA Championship berths. The girls’ tennis team won their season opener over Staten Island Academy with a 5-0 sweep as they sought a third consecutive undefeated PSAA season. Carina Cristobal ’23, Alanna Wu ’24, and Isabel Guo ’25 paced our singles play, while Samantha Cox ’23 & Caroline Helmer ’22 and Annie Cao ’23 & Elis Vieth ’25 earned doubles wins. The team put a satisfying cap on the fall season with a victory in the PSAA Tournament Championship mid-November. While they have not been able to compete this season, the golf, sailing, and girls’ volleyball teams have shown tremendous dedication and work ethic, spending hours each day sharpening their craft, despite a lack of official contests. They have perhaps best embodied the example we hope for in each of our student athletes, pursuing excellence for excellence sake, even in the absence of victory and glory. Well done, Bears. n 15
faculty feature
Los
The Right Road M
by Andrew Barber, English Faculty and Department Chair
adame Bovary: Provincial Manners, Gustave Flaubert’s debut novel published in the 1850s, is remarkable for a myriad of reasons. It was immediately controversial due to its sensual realism and has lived a healthy life as a Western classic, occasionally breaking into the ‘greatest novel of all time’ conversation. But for a 17 year old senior in his public high school in South Carolina, its impact was more pointed.
In Flaubert’s book, Emma Bovary, our misguided protagonist, spends her life reading popular novels that promise every woman a life of romance and high-living. When her actual marriage does not live up to those promises, she goes about taking drastic—and immoral—action to remedy that fact. Her desperate search for romance drives her into the arms of Rodolphe Boulanger, a wealthy, stylish landowner. After four years of a secretive affair, Rodolphe ditches Emma on the eve of their planned escape. As Rodolphe decides to abandon her, he takes Emma’s last letter, cries out ‘What a lot of rubbish!’, and places it in a cabinet full of letters from other abandoned lovers. As a high school student, that scene struck me with immediate fear. I saw in Rodolphe an echo of my own desire to be praised and adored. I also saw how easily such a desire could become dehumanizing, self-serving, and deeply hurtful to others. After graduation, as I navigated relationships throughout college, that image of the cabinet full of heartfelt, abandoned letters haunted me. If you had approached me in high school and said, “Andrew, you value the praise of others too much”, I might have ignored you. But put that critique in a story like Flaubert’s, and you might just get past the ‘watchful dragons’ which so often keep us from self-examination.
In the Bible, when the prophet Nathan comes to convict King David of his sins against his own people, he uses a parable to do it. Stories are so powerful because they can take us outside of ourselves, even if only for a moment. But stories are not only for convicting us of our failures. They can also bind us together in a common mission and call us to hope and love for our neighbor. Part of what has made the past few years so politically contentious has been a reevaluation of our national story. What is the American story? And how do I fit into it? Who are the heroes? Who are the villains? When COVID-19 was dominating the news this past summer, my wife, a family friend and I found odd solace in ’90s movies. Every week we would 16
st What is the American story? And how do I fit into it? Who are the heroes? Who are the villains?
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faculty feature pick a new one and revisit the decade. Part of the reason we did this, I believe, was that the ’90s were a period of time in which we Americans were relatively optimistic about our political destiny and believed in our institutions, and the decade’s movies portrayed that optimism. Even a movie like Aaron Sorkin’s A Few Good Men, about a criminal court case against a military conspiracy, was ultimately reassuring in that it was the military itself that discovered and prosecuted the conspiracy. In this distrustful era, it has been helpful to remember that things were not always this way; that America could, once again, build institutions that people believed in. As the impact of COVID-19 stretched on and a tumultuous election loomed, I imagine that I am not the only one to take comfort in old stories. I have been looking for reassurance from the past, since I so rarely find that in the present. Outside of the true story of the Scriptures, the story I find the most helpful for this moment in time—told by the great Italian poet Dante Alighieri—is Dante’s Inferno. As a young man growing up in Florence, Dante’s life was set up for tremendous success. He was a war hero, a poet, a politician, and a family man. He had put in the time and had every reason to expect a successful future.
I imagine that I am not the only one to take comfort in old stories, looking for reassurance from the past, since I so rarely find that in the present.
And yet, due to the political machinations of the Pope, he was exiled away from his city, community, and family. He briefly became part of an attempted counter-insurgency but, ultimately, gave up hope of entering back into Florence. To cope with this devastating blow, Dante created a fictitious version of himself who must travel through celestial realms to finally reach salvation through unification with God. Dante’s Divine Comedy begins thusly: ‘Midway on our life’s journey, I found myself/ In dark woods, the right road lost.’ Many years back, while I was teaching John Milton’s poem On My Blindness, a student of mine blurted out that if he ever went blind, he would kill himself— a comment exaggerated in the way students sometimes speak. But behind the shock-value of the statement was this sentiment: if things don’t go the way I want them to, if what life holds in store for me is suffering instead of success, I choose death. Dante’s dark woods symbolizes suicidal longing. Stripped of all he has ever known, Dante faces the same decision: suffer? Or die? As he tries to leave the forest, he is repelled by three ferocious beasts. It is at this point, with Dante in a state of total despair, that Virgil, the great Roman poet and author of The Aeneid, comes to guide Dante through Hell
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Dear Friends of The Stony Brook School, At the beginning of the school year we held our Founder’s Day 24-Hour Giving Challenge for the second year in a row. We recently instituted this celebration of our history because without the vision and hard work of our founders The Stony Brook School would not be what it is today. You, our wonderful community, blessed the School with your generous donations and helped us more than double what we raised last year! Thank you for rallying around our beloved School. Not only did we exceed our goal of $50,000, but we reached $85,000! We could not be more grateful for the support and generosity of past parents, current parents, donors, and alumni. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for your support. “ Education without character is a dangerous thing, for character, not intellectual agility, is the source of right living. But character itself has a source.” – Founder Frank E. Gaebelein, 1922 19
SAVE the DATE 30
APR IL
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Spring for the Brook Join us for our annual fundraising event!
and onwards to Heaven. It is an interesting pick; when given a free choice of historical figures, the author Dante didn’t choose a religious authority or philosopher to guide his avatar. He chose a storyteller. As Dante and Virgil wander through Hell, they sometimes meet residents who have lived full lives and had great successes. And yet there they are suffering in Hell, asking Dante to update them on the state of Italian politics. The ridiculous irony of these men and women, in Hell for their sinful rebellion against God, still caring about their particular political party’s success or failure, is not lost on my students. The Divine Comedy is meant to
The Divine Comedy is meant to show us that any sense of mastery over our own lives is an illusion.
show us that any sense of mastery over our own lives is an illusion. Many of the characters in Dante’s Hell believed, in life, that they were masters of their fate. They did not realize that they were wandering through dark woods, the right road lost. I believe Dante would dare to suggest that even back in 2019, before COVID-19 was even a thought in anyone’s mind, many of us were wandering that same dark road. One day, the pandemic will be a memory and, possibly, our national politics will become less tumultuous. But in the meantime, it seems as though we are being asked to remember that we are not the author of our own stories. That we do not, as David Brooks might say, write our own lives insomuch as we are summoned to live them, despite frequent disappointment and suffering. And, as we explore this brave new world, hopefully our best stories will be there to confront our vices, remind us of the possibilities of virtue, and walk us through Hell to the loving God beyond. n 21
in the classroom
Engineering Ag
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by Alana Brooks, Advancement Associate for Communications n response to the current pandemic, students enrolled in SBS’s Engineering and Innovation course spent the fall trimester working together to create realistic ways to help stop the spread of COVID-19. The class, taught by our new STEM Director Gene Murphy, allows students to get hands-on engineering experience and encourages them to be creative in the way they solve real-world problems. “When the average person thinks of creativity, they often think of art or music,” said senior Zida Anyachebelu, “but it takes so much creativity to be a good engineer—and I love the intersection between those two areas.” One of the primary projects students spent the fall working on revolved around the use of UV-C light—the most energetic and damaging of ultraviolet lights—to safely destroy the virus’ RNA. In order to do this in a way that does not expose anyone to harmfully powerful light, Dr. Murphy and his students came up with an implementable solution. By mounting a UV-C light bulb, bookended by fans, inside of a pipe, the mechanism is able to pull in potentially contaminated air and then expel sterilized air on the other side. According to research and careful calculations, the UV-C light should be able to destroy the virus’ chemical makeup. While the idea was clear to the group, getting a successful finished product wasn’t as easy. “We had to design a lightbulb holder that we could 3D print, but we ended up redesigning it multiple times,” said junior Jeryl Ho. “Getting it structurally strong and making sure every piece fit properly took a lot of reworking and redoing, but we didn’t give up—and it ended up coming out just the way we envisioned.” If the project is a total success, the School hopes to install the system in one of the building’s HVAC systems, thus lowering the potential contraction of the virus by sterilizing the circulating air. “Students have been working tirelessly on this project,” said Dr. Murphy. “Many of the roadblocks they’ve encountered have been discouraging, but they’re learning that there’s always a solution if you keep on trying.”
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In addition to this project, students have also been working to create a standard particle filtration system and a hands-free mask dispenser. For the filtration system, students came up with the idea to use materials they already had—regular, surgical masks—and sew them together to make one large filter. “We wanted to find different, more sophisticated materials, but then we realized we had exactly what we needed right in front of us,” said junior Gemma O’Neill. “This class, and this project in particular, has shown me that there are many alternate routes that can bring you to the same destination. You just need to put your own creative spin on whatever you do.” The hands free mask dispenser has proved to be the most difficult of the projects. The goal of the project is to create a system that can dispense surgical masks without having to touch the entire stack. The class is working on developing a vacuum based system, since once the mask is separated from the stack, it is relatively easy to dispense the mask in a hands-free way. “As with everything in life, there’s going to be countless ways you could fail,” said junior Cole Spier, “But there’s also countless ways you can succeed. When we’re learning by doing, failure is extremely effective in helping us grow our skills as engineers.” n
gainst COVID
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What keeps SBS running year in and year out? The SBS NEXT Annual Fund
While 80% of what it costs to run our institution is covered by student tuition, each year we need to raise additional funds to bridge the gap. As an independent institution, we rely not on the support of local and federal taxpayers, but on that of supporting alumni, parents, and donors. Your donation to the SBS NEXT Annual Fund allows us the flexibility to allocate funds for the areas that need it the most. The SBS NEXT Annual Fund completes our budget.
GIFT MATCHING
One minute of effort may double your gift! Alistair Green ’94 has been a faithful supporter of SBS for many years, but just recently realized his employer would match his gifts to The Stony Brook School.
“ Corporate gift matching is an often under-utilized but crucial part of charitable giving. In many cases large companies have millions of dollars set aside for charitable causes, however the employee must be the one to act and facilitate the match. Recently I discovered my company had such a program and I was able to double my gift to SBS as a result! The impact of this across a large number of alumni and SBS supporters could make such a compounding step forward in terms of the fundraising effort and I would encourage all to look into matching programs with their respective employers!”
~Alistair Green ’94
When Donating to the Annual Fund, See if Your Employer Matches Charitable Gifts Visit www.sbs.org/givenow
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alumni log George Jacobssen ’45 is 93 years old and recently completed his autobiography, as well as a novel recalling aircraft attacks in the night when he was serving in the military. Tony (Nick) Marco ’61 has written a musical journey through the Bible, entitled THE AMERICAN SONG-BIBLE, to be performed with his Las Vegas-based group. The songs weld together 31 American gospel songs and span nine music traditions.
Lew Flagg ’64: We are enjoying life on the island in the safest COVID state on the east coast. Spent some time this summer at our family camp on the real Golden Pond, right here in Maine. My barbershop chorus is in COVID suspension, but my quartet practices every week and has sung for other people on a couple of occasions. Church is in person and on Zoom, so people can participate either way. Many of our older folks prefer online. I guess I’m not ‘older’ yet. Tim Ferguson ’65 had two books published by Christian publisher Wipf and Stock earlier this fall. The series is an ongoing saga of life on the planet Caperston in a parallel universe where current events resemble historical events on Earth 2,000 years prior, during the time Jesus was alive. The two books are entitled The Chest of Visions: Secrets of Caperston and The Chest of Visions. Tim thanks his classmate, Steve Simon, who read and reviewed the second book, and Pete Randall for setting up their 55 year reunion Zoom, where so many joined in, including two previous SBS teachers Karl Sodestrom and Milt Hostetter. John Skillen ’70 retired this year, after 37 years as a professor at Gordon College and the youngest of John and Susan’s four daughters was married. John’s book, Making School Beautiful, published by Classical Academic Press, will appear very shortly, and his “Studio for Art, Faith & History”, founded during the Skillen’s long sojourn in Orvieto, Italy, is establishing a local presence stateside.
Rebecca (Becky) Buyers ’75 was married to Nils Johnson on October 24, 2020 in London, England. They met through Nils’ mother, Carol, a friend of Becky’s at St. Nicholas Episcopal church in Scarborough, Maine. The couple moved to England to pursue business and academic goals. Nils raises capital for impact investments and Becky is studying for a MA degree in Creative Writing at Birkbeck University of London. They are both interested in reimagining capitalism for the good of people and the planet. Rachel Keith ’93 works with the anesthesia department in pre-anesthesia testing, making sure that patients are safe to proceed with surgery. In her 23 years of nursing, she has worked in many different areas all over the US and the world. During the height of the pandemic, the operating room was shut down except for urgent and emergent cases, and she was relocated to the covid testing tent. Between the proximity to likely exposure and the raw fear of the people who were being tested, it was sobering to say the least. “Like everyone else, I never signed up for a pandemic,” said Rachel, “but I learned quickly that even if you don’t feel brave, it’s OK to show up scared — just as long as you show up.” Casey O’Donnell ’04 and her family moved back to Massachusetts in August and are very happy to be ‘back home’. Casey has one more semester left in her Healthcare Management MBA, and has started a new position with a spine center just south of Boston, but hopes to eventually transition into a combined clinical and administrative position. Hannah Powlison Belkovic ’04 has lived in Zagreb, Croatia with her family for over 10 years now and also recently completed a Masters of Engineering in Agriculture degree from the University of Zagreb, concentrating on coffee agronomy, ecology and economics. Her final thesis was about how small coffee farmers in Costa Rica can build resilience to climate change. Hannah is currently the Creative Director and co-owner (with husband Matija) of Cogito Coffee Roasters, and the couple has eight cafes in Croatia, one in Dubai, and one in Philadelphia. Their daughter Olivia Eloise was born in October 2019, joining her big brother Ezra Peter, who just started first grade. Hannah was really sad to miss her 15-year class reunion, and is looking forward to traveling back to the U.S. to see family and friends. “If any classmates ever find themselves in Croatia, please get in touch,” Hannah said. “It would be great to reconnect!”
Megan Tillotson ’06 is excited to share the arrival of her daughter, Violet Claire Tillotson, born March 14, 2020. She joins her sister, Liv (almost five years old) and brother Cohen (almost three years old). “We are so thankful and praise God for her life!” Taylor Higgins ’08 is the Manhattan and Bronx Regional Lead for MasksNow, a national non-profit, with teams in almost every city and state. She mostly handles coordinating volunteers and mask requests. Taylor has enjoyed connecting the logistical dots so that the most underserved and at-risk populations have access to comfortable cloth masks.
Dani Winston ’18 married Daniel Gift on August 15 with friends, family, and SBS alumni present. Mr. and Mrs. Winston (former faculty), Jessica Winston (’11), Gabriel Winston (’14), Chelsea Winston (’16), Tiger Winston (’22) Myles and Jordan Johnson ’20 and their brother Spencer received the YMCA Alexander K. Buck Leadership Award. Myles and Spencer are attending Providence College this fall while Jordan is attending Princeton University. Former faculty member John M. Kenney (1980-1999) was selected for the Lacrosse Scotland Hall of Fame. Kenney was also recently (March 2020) named to the National Interscholastic Lacrosse Coaches Association Hall of Fame for his 391-win career HS record and the numerous positions of leadership he held as a Michigan Lacrosse, Long Island Lacrosse, US Lacrosse and New York State Athletic Association board member. 25
in memoriam
OBITUARIES Alumni Silas E. Dubbel, Jr. ’50 on August 11, 2020 (State College, PA) Silas attended The Stony Brook School for four years. During his time on campus, he played on the football, baseball and basketball teams. During his senior year, he served as a circulation manager for the yearbook, Res Gestae. Following graduation, Silas served in the Korean War with the U.S. Army Signal Corps. He received his bachelor of arts in history from Juniata College, attended graduate school at Pennsylvania State University, and also graduated from the New York Institute of Photography. He began his teaching career at the Grier School in Tyrone, PA in 1958. During his time at Grier, he taught history, social studies and created the photographic program as part of the arts department. He retired in 1994 after 36 years of service. For 20 years, he owned and operated Dubbel’s Country Studio. During this time, he introduced the informal senior high school pictures to the area. He was also a Daily News sports photographer for over 10 years, combining his love of sports with photography. In addition to his wife of 63 years, Eldbjorg, he is survived by two daughters and a son-in-law, Kristin Dubbel Haanaes and her husband, Christian F. Haanaes, and Kari E. Dubbel, all of Oslo, Norway. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Ingrid Dubbel, April 8, 2020. J. A. Patterson ’53 on September 19, 2020 (Anchorage, AK) Alan attended The School for his senior year, and was involved in numerous activities on campus. He was musically inclined and gave his talents to the choir and trumpet trio. Alan also played three varsity sports, football, baseball, and basketball. He was active in Christian ministry on campus, including the Christian Association and Tract Club. After Stony Brook, Alan received a degree in theology from The King’s College in New York. He married his college sweetheart, Eleanore, in 1957. In 1958 they left for Alan’s first ministerial assignment
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in Tanacross-Tok, Alaska. Later in continuing his education, he received a master’s degree in theology and proceeded to minister in various areas of the states including the Midwest, California, and Washington. He served the Reformed Episcopal Church, and later the Anglican Church in Fairbanks, Alaska until his retirement in 2001. Alan is survived by his wife of 63 years, Eleanore, daughter Heather; and grandchildren, Garrett, Paige, Thomas and Eden. William P. Peirce ’56 on September 2, 2020 (Silver Spring, MD) Bill attended The Stony Brook School for six years, with his brothers Bob and Dick. In addition to playing on the football and wrestling teams, he was editor of the Blue and White in his junior year and senior editor of Res Gestae. After The Brook, Bill earned his BA at Westminster College in western Pennsylvania. He attended graduate school at both Howard University and the University of Maryland, where he received his master’s degree in 1963. As an educator for over fifty years, he was a professor of English at Prince George’s Community College from 1965-2007, and an adjunct professor at University of Maryland University College from 1991 to 2018. He enjoyed woodworking, and sold his intricate wooden bowls at juried art shows in the Washington area and craft shows along the East Coast, winning numerous awards. Bill is survived by his wife, Janey; two children from his first marriage, Bob and his wife, Melissa, of Sherwood, MD and Julia and her husband, Christopher of Silver Spring; his daughter Annie of Brooklyn; his brothers Robert N. Peirce, Jr. ’65 of Sewickley, PA, and Richard UnderdahlPeirce ’61 of Minneapolis; and three grandchildren, Grace, Peirce, and Madeline. Thomas Gregory ’65 on August 18, 2020 (Gainesville, GA) During his time at Stony Brook, Tom was on the staff for Blue and White, the school’s newspaper, and Res
Gestae. He also served on the Advisory and Dorm Councils, and as president of his senior class. He excelled at athletics, particularly cross country and middle-distance track events, earning him a college scholarship. After graduating, Tom attended Westminster College in New Wilmington, PA, where he continued to compete in cross country and track, served as class officer and earned a B.A. in Business Administration. Soon after Tom started with Congoleum Industries he was drafted into the Army to serve during the Vietnam Era. He then applied and was accepted to Officer Candidate School with the U.S. Navy. His military career took him from Newport R.I., to Athens, GA for Supply School, and afterwards was assigned to the USS Conyngham DDG-17 based in Norfolk, VA. He served as Disbursing Officer while deployed in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, and received an honorable discharge just two weeks before the ship went to Vietnam. For the remainder of his life, he was proud to have served in the Navy. Tom’s financial career continued in 1973 with Ford Motor Co., then R.J. Reynolds/Del Monte from 1977-1983, and went on to become a Division Controller with Perdue Farms. In 1995, he and his friend started Timmons-Gregory Construction, Inc. He retired in 2012 and later moved to Georgia. He enjoyed boating, spending time with his family, and serving his church. Tom is survived by his wife Lenore, children Tom (Karen) Gregory, Shelly (Thomas) Vorpahl, and Todd (Pamela) Gregory. He is also survived by his eight grandchildren. Rebecca Hall Evans ’87 on September 15, 2020 (Gilbertsville, PA) Rebecca, known by her classmates as Becky, attended The Stony Brook School for three years. During her time on campus, she ran varsity cross country and track. She is survived by her family and friends, including three children.
Faculty and Friends Shameena Singhal ’94 on October 16, 2020 (Naperville, IL). Shameena attended The Stony Brook School for two years. During her time on campus, Shameena was a part of the Theatrical Arts Society and was a boarder in Monro Hall. After The Brook, she received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Shameena is survived by her mother, Neera Singhal; siblings, Sanjay Singhal, Shelly Singhal ’85, Shalini Patrick ’90, Sascha Singhal and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her father, Dr. Mahendra P. Singhal.
Aslaug Abrahamsen on July 25, 2020 (Canton, CT). Aslaug was the grandmother of Tory Abrahamsen ’10, Tyler Abrahamsen ’13 and Hannah Abrahamsen ’15. Alison Clark on July 29, 2020 (Ridgeland, SC) Alison was the mother of Will Clark ’95 and Eileen Wilder ’97, and the mother-in-law of Moira Clark ’93. She served on the The Stony Brook School’s Board of Trustees from January 1998 through April 2007. Alison is survived by her husband, Peter R. Clark; her children, Will (Moira) Clark and Eileen A. (Harrison) Wilder; seven grandchildren, and her five brothers and sisters, in addition to numerous other relatives.
Judith Johnson on September 4, 2020 (Brookings, SD) Judy was the mother of current faculty member Erik Johnson, mother-in-law of faculty member Melinda Johnson, and grandparent of Ellie Johnson ’19, Lars Johnson ’21, and Kiersten Johnson. She is also survived by her husband Del Johnson. Judy was an active volunteer on campus, especially in helping faculty families.
“ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” —2 Corinthians 1:3-4
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SAVE THE DATE
April 16-18 Whether in person or virtual, it’s happening! Contact advancement@sbs.org or call 631-941-1550 with any questions you may have.