The Gryphon: Spring/Summer 2023

SPRING/SUMMER 2023

ROCKSTAR ALUMS CSW alumni make their mark on the music industry.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2022–23

THE GRYPHON, SPRING/SUMMER 2023

Allie Altman P’12 Treasurer; Chair, Finance Committee

Lise Charlier Head of School

James Bonsey

Emma Fedor Director of Marketing and Communications

Milly Chen ’23 Boarding Student Representative Lise Charlier Head of School Neta Crawford P’18 John Finnerty P’21 Mike Flanagan P’20, ’22

Jen Raxter Chief Development Officer Jeanette Origel Assistant Director of Communications Emmanuelle Charlier Assistant Director for Alumni and Parent Engagement

Ann Gorson P’16 Chair of the Board Cynthia Harmon Vice Chair of the Board Snowden Henry P’16, ’18 Chair, Governance Committee Theo Illarionov ’23 Day Student Representative KB Kinkel Faculty Representative Phebe Kiryk P’21 Chin Lin P’18 Secretary; Chair, Building and Grounds Committee Noah Loren P’22, P’24 Kevin Mendik P’20

CONTRIBUTORS Alex Budnitz Russ Campbell (P’19) Photography Jared Charney Photography James Foleno ’24 Adam Olivier ’26 MJ Cuellar Rojas ’26

DESIGN gokorodesign.com

Dmitri Rabin P’22 Ranjit Rajamani P’22 Adriel Roncal Faculty Representative Will Stansbury P’20 John Thompson P’05, ’07 Chair, Development Committee Daniel (Dan) Wolf ’65 Vivien Wu P’23

The Cambridge School of Weston is an independent, all-gender day school for grades 9 – 12 and post-graduate study.

Inquiries for admission should be directed to the Admissions Office at 781.642.8650.

The Gryphon welcomes class notes and photographs by alumni, parents, and friends.

Please email submissions to alumni@csw.org, call 781.642.8619, visit alumni.csw.org, or send to: Alumni Relations The Cambridge School of Weston 45 Georgian Road Weston, MA 02493

CONTACT www.csw.org To contact the editor, please send us an email at gryphon@csw.org.

Cover: Amelia Meath ’06 of Sylvan Esso, backstage before a show in Berlin. Photo by Graham Tolbert.

Spring/Summer 2023

THE

Gryphon 2 Leading Thoughts 4

On the Quad

16

So You Want to Be a Rockstar

26

Then & Now

28

Reunion 2023

30 Faculty/Staff Spotlight: Sarah Morales 32

Graduation 2023

38 Class Notes 44

My Five

Ceramics by Anela Takiguchi ’23 from "Clay, Water, Fire, Emptiness."

2 • THE GRYPHON Spring/Summer 2023

LEADING THOUGHTS

Dear Community, Shortly after I began my tenure here at CSW, I was at an alumni event, and someone commented that they were enjoying the playlist of music that was running in the background. That’s when our alumni director at the time explained that it was a specially curated playlist, featuring music written and/or performed exclusively by CSW alums and their respective bandmates. We use this playlist a lot for events, and people are always amazed to hear that some of their favorite musicians are fellow alums.

“She went to CSW?” is a common refrain.

In this issue’s feature story, “So You Want to Be a Rockstar” (p. 16) we highlight just a few of the many CSW alumni who have found success as recording artists in the music industry. Some of you will immediately recognize the names within, while others of you may be discovering these artists for the very first time. Either way, we like to think this piece will offer a little something for everyone.

We only wish we had the space to feature even more of the musical talent that we know is out there — beyond the confines of the more mainstream rock/pop scene that we have chosen to focus on here.

If you or a friend has an upcoming performance or release, we encourage you to let the community know about it by posting on our new CSW Alumni Hub (see inside back cover) and submitting a class note. We know your classmates would love to hear about it, and we will most definitely want to add you to our famous alumni playlist.

The music program is as vibrant as ever here at CSW, with course offerings like “Ear Training,” and “Critiquing Music” and — thanks to our incredible recording studio — “Recording and Production,” and “Beat Making.” Here’s hoping we can enjoy some of this music together at one of our upcoming events this year!

All my best,

Lise Charlier, Head of School

ON THE QUAD • 3

Jude Kodama ’24 plays the drums in CSW's on-campus recording studio.

4 • THE GRYPHON Spring/Summer 2023

ON THE QUAD Mitchell Rembert, Patsy Rembert, and Erin Kelly with Head of School Lise Charlier at a special book talk in May.

ON THE QUAD • 5

Chasing Me to My Grave CSW was honored to host a series of presentations on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Chasing Me to My Grave: An Artists Memoir of the Jim Crow South. The memoir chronicles the life and work of Winfred Rembert (1945-2021), an artist from Cuthbert, Georgia, recently cited as “one of the century’s most unique and visionary artist-chroniclers of Black American life.” With sponsorship from the Maverick Lloyd Speaker Series, CSW was able to welcome Erin I. Kelly, the book’s co-author, along with Patsy Rembert (Winfred’s wife) and Mitchell Rembert, Winfred and Patsy’s son, for a full day of programming for students, faculty, parents/guardians, and members of the local community.

In conjunction with this special visit, CSW trustee and past parent John Thompson P’05, ’07, curated a special exhibit titled “Nothing’s Changing Fast Enough,” in the Thompson Gallery, featuring original work by Winfred, Mitchell, and painter Robert Freeman. At the end of the visit, students, parents/guardians, and faculty alike left inspired and energized to engage in activism in their own communities.

6 • THE GRYPHON Spring/Summer 2023

Reproductive Justice Students, faculty, and staff explored the topic of “reproductive justice” at this year’s Michael H. Feldman ’67 Social Justice Day. The keynote speaker was Dr. Ruth Berggren, a medical school professor and infectious disease specialist with extensive experience in clinical AIDS and viral hepatitis care and research. Students also had the chance to attend a series of workshops covering topics such as menstrual equity, health disparities in maternal-fetal medicine, and the impact of the Dobbs Decision.

Apricity The student-run and CSW-led Zora Foundation hosted an art exhibit at the Artists for Humanity EpiCenter in Boston in April. Apricity: Breaking the Glass, was curated to address social discriminatory issues, including those of race, gender, sexuality, disability, and income.

On the Right Track The Athletics Department expanded their interscholastic spring sports offerings this year with the addition of a track team.

Photos by Adam Olivier ’26

ON THE QUAD • 7

Eternal Momentum Student dancers and choreographers put on a beautiful show for “Eternal Momentum,” this year’s dance concert, which showcased 14 original pieces.

8 • THE GRYPHON Spring/Summer 2023

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Scholastic Awards 3

CSW students earned 15 Gold Key awards, 18 Silver Key awards, and 27 Honorable Mentions across a variety of visual arts categories this spring. They also received one Gold Key, three Silver Keys, and five Honorable Mentions in the writing categories.

1. Angel She by Coco Wu ’23 (Gold Key); 2. A Glance by Lucia Yu ’24 (Silver Key); 3. Cyanotype of Shadows by Lachlan DeAtley ’24 (Honorable Mention); 4. Two Chickens Playing with Flowers by Xinyuan (Crystal) Liu ’25 (Gold Key); 5. Way Out by Alice Wang ’23 (Silver Key)

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5

ON THE QUAD • 9

Black Legacy Organized and run by students and open to all members of the community, the first ever Black Legacy Gala at CSW was designed to celebrate the talent and beauty of the Black community, featuring speakers, performances, art, and music. Attendees were also treated to an address by guest speaker Dr. Geralde Gabeau, Ph.D., MPH, of the Immigrant Family Services Institute, and Cornell William Brooks, 18th President of the NAACP.

Instrumental Serenade Students in the Instrumental Ensemble put on a lovely performance of Anton Dvorak Serenade Op. 44 in March, with Lucas Sinclair ’25 conducting.

10 • THE GRYPHON Spring/Summer 2023

Pippin!

Audiences enjoyed a lively performance of Pippin! for the Theatre Department’s 2023 Spring Musical in May.

ON THE QUAD • 11

12 • THE GRYPHON Spring/Summer 2023

Earth Day In observance of Earth Day, students on CSW's Sustainability Committee organized a series of 15 interactive workshops related to sustainability, the environment, and green living. Sample topics included “Environmental Justice and the Ocean River Institute” (led

by Rob Moir ʼ72), “Making Bioplastics,” “Upcycling,” “Environment and the Economy,” and “Sustainable Architecture” with Daniel Arons (principal, Perkins Eastman), the architect behind the design of the Garthwaite Center for Science and Art.

White House Tour Thanks to a generous parent with a connection, CSW students taking part in the Junior State of America (JSA) conference in Washington, DC, were thrilled to have the unique opportunity to visit the West Wing of the White House. JSA is a student debate organization dedicated to promoting civic engagement.

Seven-at-Eleven Seven-at-Eleven, an original play by Makena Tingle ’24, was recently selected for the Boston Theater Marathon (BTM), an award-winning, all-day marathon of 10-minute plays. Each year, BTM receives hundreds of submissions from New England area playwrights and only 50 are selected for production. The selected plays are then put on by local theater companies. Makena’s play was produced by the Newton Theatre Company in May.

ON THE QUAD • 13

Rock/Pop This year’s Rock/Pop concert paid homage to Steely Dan. For the first time in three years, students were (finally!) able to perform live and in person.

Junk Kouture Graduating senior Emily Li's wearable art piece "Older Motions,” has earned a spot in the Junk Kouture 2023 World Final! Junk Kouture is a competition that challenges students to create avantgarde, wearable fashion pieces using only recycled materials. Emily is one of 10 New York City regional finalists and 60 total finalists from around the world.

In a video entry showcasing her work, Emily talks about her decision to use VHS film in her design. The piece “allows the VHS tapes to have physical movement beyond the motion pictures they have stored inside of them,” she explains. In addition, their light nature allows them to move and sway with the slightest of motions. The white base of the design was made from upholstery from a company that was liquidating its assets.

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IDEA TO ACTION

By James Foleno ’24, with MJ Cuellar Rojas ’26

Formerly known as the “Diversity Committee,” CSW’s IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Action) Committee is a group of students, faculty, and staff whose mission is to foster an open, inclusive community where all voices are heard and valued. This spring, the group initiated an exciting new venture known as Action Hours, described here by Co-heads James Foleno ’24 and MJ Cuellar Rojas ’26.

At CSW and in the IDEA Committee, we always talk about wanting to make change.

Since the A in IDEA stands for action, we wanted to make it easier for the community at CSW to take action, and promote the change we hope to see in the world around us. So, we created CSW Action Hours. We found the concept of Action Hours from a local racial justice organization. We brought this to CSW with the goal of making activism easier for everyone by setting aside time to do it and providing the necessary resources.

Once a mod, we gather for one hour and eat food while we sign petitions, make phone calls, and write emails to start change on a local and state level.

In Mod 6, a dozen students and teachers got together at night for our second-ever CSW Action Hours. We started our time together by learning about an environmental activist

named Manuel Esteban Paez “Tortuguita” Terán who was killed by police in Atlanta.

He was protesting a law enforcement training facility that is planned to be built in Weelaunee Forest. We discussed the movement called “Stop Cop City” to prevent deforestation and the creation of the Atlanta Public Safety Center. We spent the rest of the hour signing petitions and calling officials in the Massachusetts House of Representatives on issues related to protecting indigenous land and sovereignty.

A few of the participants from CSW Action Hours received calls from state officials in response to voicemails and had brief conversations about the issues. As a group, we kept track of each “action” that we made.

One “action,” for instance, would be signing a petition, making a phone call, or sending an email. At the end of the hour, we counted over twenty actions that we had made. We

reviewed the upcoming protests happening in Boston in the spring to add them to our calendars and called it a night.

The IDEA Committee is committed to showing the CSW community that activism is possible and necessary for our school and the world around us. Next year, our plan is to sponsor weekend activities for social justice panels and protests that the entire CSW community can participate in. We continue to work closely with the racial justice organization that we adapted CSW Action Hours from. The IDEA Committee is also working on expanding connections and building relationships with outside social justice organizations. We are frequently reminded that no matter how small we are in the vast world around us, we can still make an impact.

2023 ALORIE PARKHILL LEARNING AND TRAVEL FUND RECIPIENTS • 15

2023 ALORIE PARKHILL LEARNING AND TRAVEL FUND RECIPIENTS Visual arts teacher ​​Tom Evans P’06, ’10 and science teacher Liz Nee have been awarded 2023 grants from the Alorie Parkhill Learning and Travel Fund for Teachers.

Tom Evans has played many roles during his 35 years at CSW, including Art Teacher, Dean of Faculty, and Faculty Representative on the Board of Trustees.

He plans to travel to the Southwest United States to learn about the 2,000-year history of Puebloan pottery—from its complex past to the indigenous artists working today. Back at CSW, he will create a new course known as “Ceramic Narrative Sculpture,” which will begin with a basic introduction to the history and techniques of pueblo pottery from 100 BC to the present. He adds that the course will explore the difference between the delights of appreciating the artwork of another culture and the unacceptability of appropriating a culture’s imagery for one’s own. The colonization, oppression, and attempted genocide of indigenous people, he says, would not be ignored.

“Alorie was a friend and mentor with whom I worked on many projects. I like the idea of continuing my personal and professional growth under her name.”

Since joining CSW in 1999, Liz Nee has taught math and science classes, as well as a number of interdisciplinary courses. She facilitates the Affinity Group for Mixed Heritage, participates in a number of other Affinity Groups, and served as residential faculty for 11 years. She will use her grant to explore the way water shapes our stories across the global landscape through an interdisciplinary lens, specifically highlighting the stories of joy and resilience within marginalized communities affected by issues relating to water.

“This grant will allow me to explore critical ethics issues as they relate to water access, and to explore viewpoints from outside the dominant power structure. I have previously addressed these types of interdisciplinary ethical issues in science classes as we studied issues of informed consent, environmental racism, and gaps in access to healthcare.”

About the Fund: The Alorie Parkhill Learning and Travel Fund for Teachers was generously established by Rebecca Parkhill ’85, P’17 and Robert Willett P’17, in honor of longtime teacher and administrator Alorie Parkhill P’85, ’87, GP’17. Grants from the fund may be used for travel, study, and any form of learning and exposure that can then be shared with students and colleagues at CSW.

16 • THE GRYPHON Spring/Summer 2023

SO YOU WANT TO BE A

Ella Williams ’14, aka Squirrel Flower Photo by Alexa Viscius

SO YOU WANT TO BE A ROCKSTAR • 17

Want to hear more music from CSW alums? Scan the QR code for a Spotify playlist.

A

s a school that encourages and applauds creativity in all areas of its curriculum, it's hardly surprising that so many CSW alumni have been able to find success as recording artists in the music industry.

But it takes more than just creativity to "make it" in such a competitive field. It also takes originality, confidence, perseverance, and a strong point of view.

Though their musical styles are all quite different, the nine alums featured here have one important thing in common: they all have something to say. And they say it with skill, vision, and heart.

18 • THE GRYPHON Spring/Summer 2023

A M E L I A M E AT H ’0 6

AMELIA Sylvan Esso, The A’s, Mountain Man

Amelia Meath ’06 is one half of the Grammy-nominated Dance/Electronic Duo Sylvan Esso. While Amelia was heavily involved in dance and the visual arts as a student at CSW, she has said that her struggles with dyslexia prevented her from exploring the full offerings of the Music Department. When she got to college — Vermont’s Bennington College — she realized she was able to surpass this barrier by drawing on her skills as a performer. She and two friends formed the trio Mountain Man and self-released a debut album, Made the Harbor, on MySpace in 2010. She met her Sylvan Esso partner, Nick Sanborn, when they were both performing at a club in Milwaukee and decided to collaborate. The pair has since performed around the world, with appearances on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and stints at major festivals including Coachella, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, South by Southwest, and Boston Calling. They are currently on a North American tour.

HOW SHE DESCRIBES HER SOUND: All my projects are different iterations of folk bands, but Sylvan Esso has more of an electronic dance element, that is actually kind of in flux right now. Mountain Man is three-part harmony, and the A’s is purely a yodeling avant-garde band.

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Sylvan Esso has been nominated for two Grammys. We’ve also toured the world and most recently did a week in Europe. We are about to embark on a nine-week summer tour of the U.S.

THE CSW EFFECT: CSW really helped me understand how to create an artistic practice. The Art Department, in particular, taught me how to pinpoint things I wanted to explore and figure out how to engineer myself towards. I learned how to identify subject matter that I wanted to work around and then create a pile of references for that work from which to grab, be it visual, or musical, or energetic. I pretty much use that in all of Sylvan Esso’s stuff, particularly when I am working on merch or fashion or posters, or music videos, which I like to do myself.

WHAT SHE’S LISTENING TO: Most recently a lot of Sinéad O'Connor, but I also have a record label as well as a studio called Psychic Hotline and so I’ve been listening to a lot of our artists, like Tim Bernardes. I’ve also been listening to Hand Habits and Dorian Electra.

ADVICE FOR FELLOW MUSICIANS AND CREATORS: Just keep on doing it. If you’re not in a place you want to be in your career, keep on making what you’re making and meeting people who do things connected to what you do.

If you make your life about the thing you want your life to be about, pretty soon your wishes will come true.

Photo credit: Graham Tolbert

ON THE QUAD • 19

S T E P H I N M E R R I T T ’ 83 The Magnetic Fields Stephin Merritt ’83, of The Magnetic Fields (and other groups including the 6ths, the Gothic Archies, and Future Bible Heroes), has been called one of the greatest American songwriters of all time. In addition to being a renowned lyricist, he is a skilled instrumentalist. For his album, 50 Song Memoir, he played more than 100 different instruments (acoustic, electric, and improvised) to accompany the 50 songs alluded to in the title, each song referencing a year of his life from 0 to 50. He produces and arranges all of his own songs. He has also written, produced, and/or performed operas, musicals, and soundtracks for film, television, and audiobooks.

In 2010, Stephin Merritt was the subject of the awardwinning documentary, Strange Powers: Stephin Merritt and the Magnetic Fields.

HOW HE DESCRIBES HIS SOUND: I go to elaborate lengths to avoid labeling myself, and so should you.

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: It still makes me giggle that I was asked, and paid, to write and record a literal bubblegum commercial. I coined the word “chewbilation,” in an especially ridiculous ad for chewing gums called Orbit, Extra, and Eclipse, none of which was sent to me, so I didn’t try them.

WHAT HE’S LISTENING TO: I have been enjoying Purple Pilgrims, a New Zealand sister duo with two albums. May they conquer the world.

ADVICE FOR FELLOW MUSICIANS AND CREATORS: Don’t have a day job. If you have something to fall back on, you’ll fall back on it. Good luck!

ELLA E L L A W I L L I A M S ’ 14 Squirrel Flower Singer-songwriter Ella Williams ’14, who performs under the name Squirrel Flower, grew up surrounded by music, listening to and making music with family members.

By the time she was a student at CSW she was writing her own songs on the guitar.

She self-released her first EP in 2015 while she was a student at Iowa’s Grinnell College. Shortly thereafter, she released a second EP with a small indie label, before coming out with her debut album, I Was Born Swimming (Polyvinyl Records), to much critical acclaim in 2020, with Rolling Stone naming her an “Artist You Need to Know.” Her sophomore album came out in 2021. She has said the title, Planet (i), refers to the real and fantastical worlds that we inhabit with our bodies and minds.

HOW SHE DESCRIBES HER SOUND: Witch rock.

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Being on Iggy Pop's radio show! He played two of my songs back to back. Hearing him say “Squirrel Flower” is something I'll never forget. Also every day of being a full-time touring musician is a career highlight. It's a dream to be able to do this!

THE CSW EFFECT: CSW was a place that allowed me to have space and time — the space to explore, the time to experiment, the woods to wander through, inspiring peers who turned me on to the underground, turned me on to bands that opened my world up, turned me on to new ways of thinking and being.

WHAT SHE’S LISTENING TO: Hydroplane, Pavement, Greg Freeman, Astrobrite, Tenci, and Kara Jackson.

ADVICE FOR FELLOW MUSICIANS AND CREATORS: Don't try and “get successful” on social media. Tap into your local music community and invest in it.

Photo Credit: Alexa Viscius

20 • THE GRYPHON Spring/Summer 2023

ALISA

A L I S A A M A D O R ’ 14

Alisa Amador is a bilingual singer-songwriter and the winner of the 2022 NPR Tiny Desk Contest.

Alisa's music is a synthesis of the many styles she’s absorbed: rock, jazz, funk, and alternative folk, all wrapped in the spirit of the Latin music she grew up with. NPR's Cyrena Touros calls her “a pitch-perfect rendition of my wildest dreams,” and NPR's Bob Boilen calls Alisa "a powerful voice whose tender performance commands attention and fosters connection." Alisa has opened for artists including Hozier, Lake Street Dive, Madison Cunningham, Watchhouse, Hiss Golden Messenger, and countless others. Alisa released her debut EP, Narratives, in 2021.

HOW SHE DESCRIBES HER SOUND: My music draws from many influences, including Latin folk, jazz, funk, pop, and singer-songwriter. I still don't know what "genre" it is, but lately I've been making up my own genre: "Boston Boricua Chicana Bilingual Emotional Crybaby Music."

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: So many things! One thing that comes to mind is that a year ago I won the NPR Tiny Desk Contest, and since then I've been learning how to navigate a life of full-time touring all over the country and the world. I've been getting to meet some of the artists I admire most, and play in some of the places I've dreamt of playing. It was such a joy to play at Boston Calling Music Festival this year, and I saw so many CSW alums in the audience! I played other wonderful events, like Green River Festival in Western MA, and opened for Lake Street Dive at Thompson's Point in Portland, ME. Supporting Hozier at Paradise Rock Club was another highlight. I'm really looking forward to seeing what venues next year brings.

THE CSW EFFECT: Where do I even begin? CSW was the first school environment where I felt treated like a complete person in an academic setting, and that gave me the freedom to express myself fully — to start to understand myself and hear myself think. This has guided me not only in my artistic process as a songwriter, but also as a Latina woman navigating the music industry. I've had to lean on my creativity and also my inner voice to know how to advocate for myself in settings where older, more persuasive people are trying to tell me what to do with my life. Weekly assemblies in the Robin Wood Theatre were my first venue as a solo performer! So were open mics in the Black Box, and especially the end-of-mod Rock/Pop ensemble shows with Gustavo and Michael. I am so indebted to the art and performing arts departments for celebrating and fostering so much art!

WHAT SHE’S LISTENING TO: Olivia Dean, Tim Bernardes, JOSEPH, Amber Mark, MUNA, Lou Roy, Sílvia Pérez Cruz, and iLe. ADVICE FOR FELLOW MUSICIANS AND CREATORS: Listen to yourself and take care of yourself, even when it's the scary thing to do.

Photo credit: Sasha Pedro

SO YOU WANT TO BE A ROCKSTAR • 21

NICK ZINNER ’91 The Yeah Yeah Yeahs Nick Zinner ’91 and the indie rock band The Yeah Yeah Yeahs broke out onto the scene in the early 2000s and continued to release music and tour for over a decade before going on hiatus.

In 2022 they returned with Cool it Down, an album The New York Times called an “expansive album that dares to imagine a bold, fresh future.” Although he is best known as the guitarist and keyboardist for The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Nick is a prolific citizen of the music industry, having performed and collaborated as a producer with artists like TV on the Radio, Ronnie Spector, The Hives, Santigold, Bright Eyes, The Horrors, and many more.

Nick has recorded five studio albums with The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, earning five Grammy nominations, and an additional nomination for an original song he wrote with bandmate Karen O. for the motion picture Where the Wild Things Are. He is also a photographer and an animal rights activist.

HOW HE DESCRIBES HIS SOUND: I like to think of myself as versatile and adaptable, so it really depends on the project, but I hope there’s an emotional thread that runs through it all.

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: There’s been a lot! Being nominated for six Grammys and getting to perform and collaborate on music on six continents, but also playing the guitar parts for the guitar guy in Mad Max: Fury Road.

THE CSW EFFECT: CSW was the first place where, as a teenager, I felt like I fit in — I was finally with others who felt and thought differently, and in a pre-internet age that was not an easy thing.

Also, I remember that at my graduation there was a piece of music played, composed by the minimalist composer Steve Reich, and I was so distracted and amazed by this music, it’s really all I remember from that day. Through learning about Reich, I ended up a few years later in Bali, studying the gamelan music that inspired him, and learning principles of music I still apply to everything I do. (The piece is called "Electric Counterpoint").

WHAT HE’S LISTENING TO: Mostly film soundtracks, 80s hardcore, and Tuareg music from Mali.

ADVICE FOR FELLOW MUSICIANS AND CREATORS: Don’t listen to anyone’s advice and do what you really feel, but seek inspiration everywhere.

22 • THE GRYPHON Spring/Summer 2023

G A L A R I Z Z AT T O ’ 9 0

GALA Gala

Italian popstar Gala Rizzatto ’90 spent just a short time at CSW, but her experience set her on the path to becoming the musician and performer today mononymously known to the world simply as “Gala.” She considers her months at CSW to be a significant flashpoint in her life — a transformative experience that opened her mind to what was possible. “Freed from Desire,” the anthem of sporting events and Pride parades and everything in between, is unquestionably Gala’s most iconic song.

Released in 1996 as a single from her debut album, Come into My Life, “Freed from Desire’s” popularity spans the globe. Ask her if teenage Gala would be surprised by what her life looks like now, and her response is an emphatic no. “I think when we get separated from our destiny…we find some way to get back to it, hopefully,” she says, even if it’s “the hard way.”

HOW SHE DESCRIBES HER SOUND: My sound is danceable, driving, inspiring, and positive. That would be the general sound for which I am known. But I have also done different music — my latest release was a song called “Parallel Lines,” which was an acoustic, beautiful song. But in general, I would say hopefully inspiring — and inclusive.

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: The career highlight was when I performed during the [2014] Winter Olympics in Sochi, in front of the Olympic flame. And I booked it on my own.

I had no manager, no booking agent, no record label, no publisher, nobody. I did it directly with the organizer by myself, bringing musicians and dancers, doing the choreography, creating the video projection in the back, which I put together with an artist in LA. THE CSW EFFECT: The Cambridge School was such an amazing, life-changing experience for me because I came from a very strict high school in Milano, Italy. It focused on classical studies — Greek, Latin, et cetera, and it was too strict and also very old school. The teachers were not engaged with the students. I felt trapped. I felt like — I want to dance, I want to move, I want to create. I'm an artist. The Cambridge School opened my mind and I said, "Oh, there's hope — I can do things.” I learned that when you are a pioneer in something, when you start something different and new, you get to set the rules.

WHAT SHE’S LISTENING TO: Now that I'm in New York, I listen to jazz because there is a lot of live jazz. And then I'm listening to a lot of disco funk house.

ADVICE FOR FELLOW MUSICIANS AND CREATORS: These days, I think focus on the skills — become a good writer, become a good performer, whatever you like to do, become very good at and then trust yourself that you're good. Don't doubt yourself, don't spend your day saying, I'm sorry, sorry, sorry. But also, be modest and not arrogant — I can't stand arrogance — but confident.

Photo credit: Juan Valentin

NAOM

MI

SO YOU WANT TO BE A ROCKSTAR • 23

N AO M I W E S T WAT E R ’0 9 Naomi Westwater ’09 self-identifies as a queer, Black-multiracial singer-songwriter and producer from Massachusetts who weaves in and out of folk music, flirting with rock and jazz. Naomi holds a master of music in contemporary performance and production from Berklee College of Music. She was nominated for a 2021 Boston Music Award for Best Singer-Songwriter and her 2021 EP Feelings was featured in Under The Radar, WBUR, Vanyaland, WGBH, Allston Pudding, and The Bluegrass Situation. She is working on an album now called Cycle and Change that follows the life cycle of the year, with each song living in a specific season.

She is planning a special event for the Fall of 2023 where guests can hear the music and then enjoy a dining course inspired by that song and the season it inhabits, making for a “part spiritual, part ritual” experience. Learn more and support the album at naomiwestwater.com/cycleandchange.

HOW SHE DESCRIBES HER SOUND: I’m a folk rock singer/songwriter, and I incorporate a lot of poetry and spirituality into my writing.

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: The album that I am working on now is everything I’ve dreamed of.

It’s the first time I feel like I’m making the exact sound I want to make at a truly professional level, and with an amazing team. I’m finally allowing my spirituality to be part of my artistry instead of keeping those things separate, and it’s incredibly fulfilling and very exciting.

THE CSW EFFECT: I loved high school so much.

I especially loved making music at CSW. I was a boarder and I would get up early or visit the practice rooms late at night and just practice and practice and write and write. It was a place where I felt like I could be truly creative, with teachers and students who listened to me and supported me. I also learned good habits as a songwriter. You can’t just wait for inspiration to hit; it’s something you need to work on every day.

WHAT SHE’S LISTENING TO: I listen to Amela Meath — Sylvan Esso and Mountain Man all the time. I’ve also been listening to a lot of Valerie June, and some oldies — surf rock kind of stuff. The new Jenny Lewis album has me very excited, and Taylor Ashton has this new project that I'm just thrilled about.

ADVICE FOR FELLOW MUSICIANS AND CREATORS: I think to be a musician is to be an entrepreneur, which means that there is no set path and there is no right path. I think all of the musicians I know who are successful are the people who didn't give up and who kept working at it, and who kept making music the way that they wanted to make music instead of the way that everyone else was making music.

Photo credit: Sasha Pedro

DIANA DEMUTH ’12 Diana DeMuth ’12 self-released her first EP when she was just fourteen years old and she came out with yet another EP, Restless Mind, while she was a student at CSW. She once auditioned for The X Factor singing competition show and made it to the Round of 30. She has opened for artists including Zach Bryan, Melissa Etheridge, and the Lumineers.

In 2020, Rolling Stone chose her song “Into My Arms,” as one of their country music picks of the week, describing it as a “barn-burner” and a “must-hear song of the week.”

HOW SHE DESCRIBES HER SOUND: Just me and my guitar.

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Opening for some of my heroes on tour — specifically opening for the Lumineers on the arena tour.

THE CSW EFFECT: CSW really let me be who I am. I never felt like I needed to fit a mold and in turn was able to grow into who I am now. CSW does a great job of supporting and celebrating people for who they are and where they’re at.

WHAT SHE’S LISTENING TO: I love Chris Stapleton’s voice, so a lot of him. I have a friend named Josiah whose project is called Josiah & The Bonnesvilles, and he’s doing really well right now.

“Midnight in Harlem” by Tedeschi Trucks Band.

“Together or Alone” by Coutrney Marie Andrews. Stick Season album by Noah Hakan. I also have a new song out called “Unsteady” that I listen to because it’s cool to listen to your own music and be proud of it. :) ADVICE FOR FELLOW MUSICIANS AND CREATORS: Be ready to work hard and know that failure is a huge part of becoming successful.

Consistency is your best friend. Be kind to everyone you meet — you never know who you’re talking to.

Photo credit: Nicholas Sutton Bell

24 • THE GRYPHON Spring/Summer 2023

K E L LY Z U T R AU ’0 6 Wet Kelly Zutrau ’06 started playing music on her own as an escape from the demands of the visual arts curriculums at Cooper Union and RISD, where she studied after CSW. She and two friends, Joe Valle and Marty Sulkow, formed an indie pop band called Wet, and started performing around New York City. “I don’t think any of us thought it was going to be a career,” she says, “but it just sort of took off.” After years of playing shows and releasing a few singles, the group was approached by record labels and were eventually signed by Columbia Records. Kelly still remembers the night the trio sold out New York’s Webster Hall, a venue where she’d seen so many of her own idols play, and how emotional it was to look out over the audience there for her. Though it was theater and the performing arts that originally attracted Kelly to CSW, she says that once she enrolled as a student, she wasn’t in the right mindset to do theater and was instead drawn to the visual arts. “The attention and care I got from those teachers and the classes and the assignments strengthened my identity and kept me going,” she says. She continues to be in touch with her teachers and classmates.

HOW SHE DESCRIBES HER SOUND: Minimal and vocally focused. Sort of crunchy but also clean. Songs about love and heartache.

CAREER HIGHLIGHT: Selling out Webster Hall and performing on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon just a few days later.

THE CSW EFFECT: CSW is one of the biggest blessings I’ve ever had in my life. I met the best friends I could ever have (that I’m still close with today) and the quality of the classes and discussions I had at CSW far surpassed anything I experienced later on in my education.

WHAT SHE’S LISTENING TO: A lot of music without vocals — classical, guitar, etc. A lot of John Fay, Eric Satie, Ethiopia, and Jean Emma Hoy. ADVICE FOR FELLOW MUSICIANS AND CREATORS: Whatever it is that you do, choose something that you genuinely love to do — not something that you think is cool or would make a lot of money, but something you're motivated to do, because that will be the thing that will have longevity and that you’ll be able to do for a long time.

Photo credit: Chris Maggio

ON THE QUAD • 25

Student performers take a bow at CSW’s 2018 Rock/Pop concert.

28 • THE GRYPHON Spring/Summer 2023

REUNION 2023 We had a blast at Reunion 2023! Highlights included a special gathering for the Class of 1973 in honor of their 50th, a Q&A with Lise, a live performance from the Alex Weiss ’89 Quintet, and a community dinner in the dining hall.

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REUNION 2023 • 29

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1. Members of the Class of 1988, including Adam Piore ’88, Alex Weiss ’89, Alison Bridger ’88, Ellen Atkins ’88, Kate Willis ’88, Jennifer Flescher ’88, Katherine Kavanagh-Hickman ’88, David Varon ’87, Ali Markson ’88, Deana Lew ’88, and Matthew Dricker ’88; 2. Amy McCoubrey ’73, Clement Wang ’73, and David Paul ’73; 3. Arnie Simmel ’43, Andrea Hoffman-Simmel, and Head of School Lise Charlier; 4. Alex Weiss ’89 Jazz Quintet; 5. Alums take part in a Shakespeare workshop with CSW faculty; 6. Eduardo Tugendhat ’72 and Ben Lovell ’72; 7. Tony Pinck ’71, Trudy Toll ’73, Jennifer Pinck ’73, Lissa Castillo ’73, Andy Riedy ’73, Cynthia Payne ’72, and Amanda Bowen ’73; 8. Andy Reidy ’73, Chris Lovell ’73, and Sunni Meyer ’72; 9. Joel Drake ’03, Matt Archer ’03, Bill Howe ’03, George Olesky ’03, Anna Logowitz ’03, and Liz Berry ’03.

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30 • THE GRYPHON Spring/Summer 2023

FA C U LT Y / S TA F F S P O T L I G H T

SARAH MORALES Director of College Counseling

FACULTY/STAFF SPOTLIGHT • 31

You started at CSW in 2016, and in the time since, the college admissions landscape has changed dramatically — most notably due to the pandemic. Can you share a little bit about how things were then, versus now?

A I often say that the only constant in

college admissions is change. Even before the pandemic, each new year and admission cycle would bring about changes and updates from colleges: new academic programs, changes to testing policy, admissions priorities, etc. While there were always changes to keep track of, COVID and developments in technology have really accelerated a shifting college admissions landscape.

There is a LOT that has changed in the last few years. The testing-optional movement probably gets credit for being the biggest and swiftest change in recent memory, but there have been others along the way too. More and more students are applying through early programs, especially binding Early Decision, there is greater application volume in general, and therefore more deferral and waitlist activity that can stretch the admissions timeline for students. Concerns around the rising costs of a college education are playing a bigger and bigger role in conversations with students and families about their college plans.

As we look forward to this year, there are a number of big changes coming. Right now, everyone is focused on the recent Supreme Court ruling and what it means for diversity policy and programs in the admission process. We are also eagerly awaiting more news about substantial changes to the federal financial aid program that will go into effect this year.

These are big significant changes, but we know even more change is coming. The era of digital testing is upon us, and there are lots of ongoing conversations about the role of legacy admission as well as advancements in technology like ChatGPT and the impacts they have on this process.

The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled against affirmative action and raceconscious admissions at colleges and universities. What do you make of this?

A The Supreme Court’s ruling in the

Harvard and UNC cases reverses years of legal precedent and effectively eliminates consideration of race or ethnicity in the college admission review process.

The ruling, though not surprising, is disappointing as affirmative action has played an important role in creating equity and diversity in higher education.

Right now, the issue is fluid and rapidly evolving as colleges review the rulings and revise their admissions practices to ensure they are compliant with the law.

While I’ve been pleased to see that college leaders across the country are reaffirming their commitment to building diverse learning communities, history shows that in states where race-conscious admissions has already been banned, colleges regularly struggle to enroll diverse student populations.

In the College Counseling Office, we remain committed to helping students share their full authentic self through the college admissions process. We are working hard to listen, learn, and collaborate with our college admission colleagues to fully understand the implications of these changes so that we can continue to best support our students.

Talk about “application inflation.” What is it, what’s behind it, and how is it related to some of the super low acceptance rates institutions are reporting?

A We are in a vicious cycle of application

inflation. There are a lot of factors at play, but at the root of it, colleges continue to report lower and lower acceptances rates, which in turn leads to students submitting more applications to ensure they have options. These additional applications add to the ongoing swell of applicant pools and further exacerbate the problem. We work really hard to help students make thoughtful decisions about their final college list. Even still, our students are not immune to the uncertainty of this process, and so we are definitely seeing application numbers creep a little here too.

There are so many amazing colleges and universities out there, but the public narrative continues to be dominated by a select number of “elite” institutions with highly visible brands. How do you help students and families see beyond preconceived notions about what makes a “good” school?

A Our program is really focused on the

individual and the notion of finding the right fit. There are always going to be the big names everyone knows in this process, but there are so many other wonderful institutions that offer high quality education. It’s our job to get to know our students, their wants and desires, and to help them find colleges and universities that will be a good match for them. Sometimes that includes considering those well-known schools, but it also almost always includes

schools students and families might not be as familiar with.

A name or acceptance rate does not reflect or tell the story of a student’s experiences. We ask students to look beyond name recognition and perceived prestige and really focus on the student experience, academic opportunities, and the community when considering whether a particular school is a good match for them. Using fit and match as the lens, students find there are many great schools that can provide the experience they desire.

In such a competitive landscape, it can be hard to stand out. What do you think separates CSW students from the pack?

What kinds of comments do you hear from college admissions officers?

A College admissions officers love our

students! They regularly describe them as being interesting and layered. They are strong STEM students who are also passionate about music, humanities majors who are also artists and athletes, and even more combinations of well-rounded interests and activities. No two CSW students are alike, and colleges value that they are passionate about a wide variety of topics and interests.

CSW students stand out because they are inquisitive, innovative, and self-driven learners who care about others and the world around them. CSW’s mod system and progressive pedagogy have allowed students to explore, engage deeply, and be active learners who will take these skills with them to college and beyond.

Admissions officers know they are well-prepared to think for themselves, ask challenging questions, and engage thoughtfully at the collegiate level.

How does the CC office collaborate with the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion?

A College Counseling has always partnered

with the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, but we really began working together more intentionally a few years ago. It’s a great partnership that has allowed us to establish early programing and support for first-generation college students, provide monetary assistance for students receiving financial aid, and to think critically about how we make our programs more accessible and approachable for all students and families. This past year, we collaborated to host a presentation about college counseling at CSW for our international families and were able to have our three guides translated into multiple languages.

32 • THE GRYPHON Summer/Spring Spring/Summer 2023

GRADUATION 2023 • 33

GRADUATION 2023 On June 9, 2023, community members gathered on the quad to celebrate this year’s graduating class. Following the welcome from Board Chair Ann Gorson P’16, Head of School Lise Charlier took to the podium to address the graduates. She spoke of her affinity for collecting things — stamps, coins, fabrics — and the way these collections reflected her own curiosity about the world. She urged the soon-to-be graduates to stay curious. “Continue expanding your own collections by traveling to new places, meeting new people, and trying new things,” she said. “Keep noticing and let yourself be inspired by what the world has to give you.”

34 • THE GRYPHON Spring/Summer 2023

This year’s elected faculty speakers were science faculty member Liz Nee and English faculty member Eli Keehn. Liz shared five lessons about joy she said she had learned with the students over the past four years: (1) Joy can be found by cultivating a sense of wonder and delight about the world around us. (2) Joy can lift us up and push us to new heights. (3) Joy is contagious and flows out into loving others. (4) Joy is not the same thing as happiness. It can exist alongside sorrow. (5) Finally, joy is often connected to something transcendent, larger than ourselves, a greater purpose to lift our head up in hope.

Eli spoke about the different modes of attention we as humans employ, especially now in the age of portable electronic devices and social media. “Be very specific and thoughtful about where you direct the gift of your attention,” he advised, and “go with the flow, by which I mean to feel the fullness of the passage of time.” He elaborated by citing French philosopher Henri Bergson, who believed that “a crucial element of a fulfilling life was to be ‘fully open to duration,’ to exist as often as possible at the nexus of past, present, and future.”

The Class of 2023 voted Frieda Dangerfield and L-J ShenFilerman as this year’s student speakers. Frieda shared a comical anecdote from her admissions visit to CSW, and an original ode to the Class of 2023. An excerpt is as follows: “To finally being seniors!

What the hell happened to our time, A blink of an eye became capstones and last shows, An indifference towards this being goodbye.

And, to this year for being the most wild ride.

Walden trips, puppy flicks, hummus dips, first day of physics, All memories that will live on in my numerous pics, But nothing that can encompass the joy of living through this.”

In his speech, L-J spoke about his own sentimentality and the power of photos to evoke emotion, memory, and nostalgia. He explained how over the past year, he’d been taking one photo from the same angle every single day, and that within the photos, he was able to find countless stories. “I’ve realized this project has become the epitome of my sentimentality about my love for all of you,” he said. “A year’s worth of moments, boiled down to a picture a day.” He went on to share how within these photos, he had observed enthusiasm, joy, and love — all quintessential descriptors of the Class of 2023.

CSW THANKS EACH ONE OF ITS AMAZING SPEAKERS AND WISHES THE CLASS OF 2023 THE VERY BEST! SEE WHERE THEY ARE HEADED NEXT YEAR ON PAGE 37.

GRADUATION 2023 • 35

36 • THE GRYPHON Spring/Summer 2023

2023 COLLEGE DESTINATIONS ON THE QUAD • 37

2023 COLLEGE DESTINATIONS It is with immense gratitude, pride, and celebration that we share the college destinations for the Class of 2023!

American University

Mount Holyoke College (3)

Amherst College (2)

New York University (3)

Bennington College (2)

Northeastern University (3)

Boston College (3)

Northwestern University (2)

Boston University (2)

Oberlin College

Brown University (2)

Pitzer College

Bryn Mawr College

Pratt Institute

Carnegie Mellon University

Rice University (2)

Case Western Reserve University

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Champlain College

Scripps College

Chapman University

Skidmore College (4)

Clark University

Smith College

Connecticut College (2)

Syracuse University

Cooper Union

The New School

Cornell University

Tulane University

Davidson College

The University of British Columbia

Denison University

University of Massachusetts-Amherst

Drexel University (2)

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Emory University

University of North Carolina at Asheville

Emory University-Oxford College

University of Rochester (2)

Hamilton College (2)

University of Vermont (4)

Haverford College

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Ithaca College

Vassar College (2)

Kenyon College

Wake Forest University

Lewis & Clark College (2)

Washington University in St. Louis (2)

Maryland Institute College of Art

Wesleyan University

Massachusetts College of Art and Design

Williams College

38 • THE GRYPHON Spring/Summer 2023

CLASS NOTES 1940s Sam Warner ’45 died on January 22, 2023 in Needham, Massachusetts. He was 94.

The son of law professor and U.S. government official Sam Bass Warner Sr. and Helen Binninger Warner, he taught at Washington University (St. Louis), the University of Michigan, Boston University, Brandeis, and MIT, and was the author of many awardwinning books. He is survived by his children including Alice Warner ’77 and Kate Warner ’75.

1950s Allen Hopper ’58 writes: Nothing all that exciting to share, but I just turned 83, which is a long way (timewise) from the 18 I had just turned when I graduated CSW way, way back in ’58. Over the years I’ve been keeping up with fellow ’58 graduate Ross Hall (now a longtime Cape dweller) and have touched base from time to time with Mary (Aswell) Doll ’58 over news in my Atlanta newspaper about the goings on in the Savannah coastal area where she’s still hanging out after retiring from SCAD. I’m grateful for the news in the CSW online and print publications about what’s going on at the school, and I’m very proud of the progressive education model that it continues to be.

Susan Jones ’59 writes: It’s been a pretty good year.

Neither Howard nor I got COVID. My 80s are catching up with me with arthritis popping up in inconvenient places. Nonetheless, I keep on going on. I’ve had work in four or five shows this spring and winter (photographs; paper, clay, and wire pieces; a digital painting; and a window painting). Makes me feel proud and overwhelmed. I joined the Workers Circle Yiddish chorus in September, and on June 10, we performed with singer/songwriter Daniel Kahn at Kresge Auditorium at MIT. It was a thrill. It is years since I’ve done any serious singing – probably since 1958 when we sang Bela Bartok choral music at morning assembly. And when I am not keeping myself busy, I am worried, worried, worried about where the great blue ball is going, particularly our little island. I try to remember that Freedom is a verb and to act accordingly.

1960s Marc Haefele ’61 writes: This year I am covering Los Angeles County Government for City News of LA. Ten million people, 4,500 square miles is a lot to keep track of, but it's always interesting and challenging. Vivian and I celebrated our 10th anniversary in July. We’re in touch with classmates Pril Smiley ’61,

Christopher Walling ’67 poses in front of artist Alex Katz's “Round Hill,” which features the likeness of Christopher himself.

Polly Ellerbe ’68, Quita Davis ’68, and Dory (Brown) Rice ’68 got together for lunch at the end of May.

Esther (Miskolczy) Pasztory ’61, and Arthur Krim ’61.

Lisa (Little) Leyre ’64 writes: I had a lovely week with Rachel Homer ’64, who came to visit me in May after a Rhône Valley cruise. We got to talking about our upcoming 60th (yes, 60th!) reunion, hoping that some of our classmates will want to

come to celebrate with us from April 26th to 28th. Do try to save the date, and stay tuned!

Janna Smith ’69 writes: My brother, Paul Malamud ’65, died unexpectedly during heart surgery in late October 2022. He lived in Washington, DC, and had worked in the State Department for much of

CLASS NOTES • 39

in the mid-1970s and being painted by him – several times, including in Round Hill, recently on exhibit at the Guggenheim Museum. My apotheosis: also being a Guggenheim Museum postcard AND…wait for it… drumroll: a Guggenheim Museum…refrigerator magnet!

Jim Braver ’74 and Pascal Guran ’74 at Pascal’s home in Yssingeaux, France.

Helmut Kunz ’77 visits campus with Jenny Rose ’77 in June.

Stephen Ervin ’69 writes: After 34 years at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, I am retiring in August 2023.

I intend to contribute to the international community of Digital Landscape Architecture innovators, educators, and practitioners and hope to have time to paint, garden, and travel more, as well as spend more time with my family.

1970s Oliver Griffith ’72 writes: After 19 years of living in Paris, I finally became a French citizen this February. Looking forward to continued visits from CSW friends.

Martin Cox ’78 shares a photo from Reunion 2023. From left to right: Peter Cornelius ’78, Martin, and Creighton Peet ’78.

his career, retiring in the early 2000s. In his retirement, he particularly enjoyed writing poetry and translating French and Latin poetry into English.

He had a lifelong appreciation for his education at the Cambridge School and a particular fondness for Mrs. Washburn, who both taught him French and was his advisor. He leaves a sister, Janna Malamud Smith, a niece, and a nephew.

Morris McClellan ’66 writes: The greatest joy in life these days continues to be watching the children and grandchildren grow. Daughters Marisa (Philadelphia) and Raina

(Austin, TX) each have two boys, and they’re all showing up here in Portland (where my wife, Leana, and I live) this summer. I continue to work part time as a bookkeeper, just starting a new position.

It’s a blessing to still be able to work. Rich Shapiro ’66 and his wife Kathy just breezed through town in early June, and we had dinner with them.

Joining us were Ed Hamilton ’66, his sister Jessie and his girlfriend Holly, and John Adelman ’69. It was a fun time, filled with catching up and reminiscing. I send love to all the CSW family, my classmates, and all those who’ve come along since.

Christopher Walling ’67 writes: I have several updates! Two books that I contributed to have recently been published.

Missions Secrètes sur le Littoral de la Manche is 30% about my mother, Odette Bonnat Walling alias "Allaire," and the war (the "four year" one). The other book is a novel, The Jeweler of Stolen Dreams, based on Madame Belperron — one of jewelry’s very greatest. I have long been this most brilliant and innovative of Paris’s (late) jewelry designer’s only surviving friend, and the novel is based on her life and her extraordinary, seminal art.

One of my life’s real blessings is befriending the great painter Alex Katz and his muse Ada

Nancy (Bothwell) Birge ’74 writes: I would love to hear from old friends and other members of the class of 1974. Although I haven’t attended a reunion since 1994 (?), I am thinking we should try to generate interest in our upcoming 2024 50th reunion! I manage to talk with Emily Sonnenblick ’74 on occasion, and I have been in touch with Douglas Preston ’74 recently, but I have fallen out of touch with most of my high school friends. I feel truly grateful to have attended CSW; for me, it was a life-changing high school experience that continues to influence me to this day. My husband Steve and I are retired and split our year between summers in New Hampshire and winters in Savannah, GA. We have four grown children and five grandchildren. Life is good.

Jim Braver ’74 writes: On a trip to France, I visited Pascal Guran ’74 in Yssingeaux, France, who was an exchange student at CSW in my class

40 • THE GRYPHON Spring/Summer 2023

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Everyone is invited to submit news to the Alumni Office. Visit alumni.csw.org to sign up for our new alumni hub and share your news with classmates.

Stefano Piva ’82 shares a photo of the CSW soccer team from the 1980s.

and also graduated from CSW with me. I hadn’t seen him in 50 years and had a wonderful time with him talking about CSW. Pascal is now retired, as am I. I currently reside in New Hampshire.

Josh Rosenbloom ’76 writes: In the last 12 months: (1) we celebrated the marriage of my oldest son, (2) we welcomed our first grandchild (born to my stepdaughter and her husband), and (3) I was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Otherwise, things remain much as they have been — we are still living in Ames, IA, where I’m the chair of the Economics Department at Iowa State University (finishing my 8th year).

Bill Rising ’79 writes: For the past two years in my role as Director of Government Relations for FreeportMcMoRan, I have organized and led a coalition of 18 companies and nine industry associations advocating for ratification of the U.S.-Chile bilateral tax treaty, which was approved by President Obama

in 2010 and ratified by Chile in 2015 but has languished ever since. Our efforts succeeded on June 22, 2023, when the U.S. Senate consented to ratification of the treaty!

Once additional "reservation" language is approved by the Chilean Congress, the treaty will be implemented, increasing bilateral investment and creating jobs and economic opportunities for thousands of people in Chile.

I’m very happy to have been part of this process!

1980s Stefano Piva ’82 writes: Hi, my dear school. In 1980-1981 I found the best experience of my life.

Wonderful teachers and friends, a style of life and teaching so different from the Italian way (really better than in Italy). Today again I remember, like it was yesterday, the history lessons of Joe Zellner and Trumble Smith about the War of Independence and the Boston Tea Party, and the Vietnam War, where I impersonated

Katie Willis ’88 celebrates her daughter Alice Morton ’23’s June graduation with son Oliver Morton ’20.

Prince Sihanouk of Cambodia.

Today again, with the heart and the mind, I walk out from Trapelo — to the administration building or to the gym or to the billiard room or to the library — and I feel in the air Madame Fedier, my advisor, calling me. Today again I remember the guys of the mythical soccer team: Ben Bolles ’81, Mark Culliton ’82, Sean Heron ’82, Ramin Tamaddon ’81, Pirooz Alasti ’82, Angus Kerr ’81, Tony Mack ’82, Serge Marek ’82, Vicente, and others. I remember so well Sang Hoon Lee ’84, Ross Davison ’84, Betsy Reed ’81, Matt Norman ’84, Sophie Matisse ’84, Isabel Balseiro ’81, Shino Tanikawa ’81, Miyuki Yamada ’83, Robb Drinkwater ’81, Seth Kramer ’81, Eric Sakellaropoulo ’81 and Walter de Almeida. These memories are living in me, and I continue to be proud to have been a

student at CSW. See you later, my beloved school! Now you are in my dreams, but first of all, you live in me every day.

Thanks from the heart.

Liz Stearns ’83 writes: Mad to report I couldn’t attend the 40th reunion of our beloved Class of ’83. I missed you all — BIG HUGS! Mostly I want to update you with my thoughts: While missing a big year like our 40th is sad, I’m gearing up to be a leader or a joiner for ’83’s 42nd reunion campaign! Class of ’83 along with classes of ’82 and ’81 will be hinge years in Reunion 2025 between the Big 40th and 45ths of ’85 and ’80. So let me officially kick off the campaign for our 42nd in 2025 by inviting anyone from years 1980-86 to join and write me at: shanti330@yahoo.com. We’ll get up a ballyhoo of fun! Come on down and re-get to know

CLASS NOTES • 41

Robyn Coady ’95 and her family were in town from Morocco and visited campus.

Madeleine Perlman ’89 and her daughter at Festival de las Flores, Cabin John, Maryland

your whole school of 1980-1986.

I remember 1985 was a big year for puppeteering and sign language thanks to our favorite theater teacher Robin Wood.

Hugs to her memory and her children Augusta Wood ’96, Jonas Wood ’95, and Alexis Wood ’91. 1980 was innovative as the first year that personal computers were on campus — Westworld, anyone? Shout out to the loving memory of Rhona Carlton-Foss who was a college counseling guide for me senior year. And who can forget Mike Mazzola, Head of Maintenance, who kept Georgian Road clear of snow each winter. Is there any snow left to clear postglobal warming?? My personal update is it’s a banner year for me! I have a new job and a new lover (sorry to disappoint some of you — you know who you are!). Feels like 40 days and nights of tears will fill an ocean of missing you classmates of

’80-’86 so show up for 2025 for personal hugs from yours truly and one of the best reunions ever. It’s been too long! Look for more updates from yours truly ’cause I’ll be moving east (at least to the Midwest, if not the east coast) sometime in the next few years — looking to reconnect! Much love.

Peter D’Elia ’85 writes: This summer, I’m back on tour in Germany with my band, The Beez, for the first time since COVID! www.thebeez.de Madeleine Perlman ’89 writes: At (almost) 52 years old I seem to finally be establishing myself as a performing and teaching artist. Got me a dance studio, some fellowships, and a solid fan base. People love to see their little ones stomp/clap/sing in Spanish. (¡Gracias Mary Vanderbilt por dónde estés!) SERIOUSLY

Dean of Faculty Rachel Hirsch visited alumni in Los Angeles in March. From left to right: Annie Ford ’05, Rachel, Ayla Barreau ’05, Annie Bickerton ’04, and Phyllis Pawa ’17.

considering sending my kid to CSW… we’ll see how she does at sleepaway camp.

1990s Sunny Atema ’95 writes: My album and vinyl Sunny (Wildlife Freeway) produced

by Alex Ebert (Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros) came out last year. The song "Clouds" has 1.5 million

streams on Spotify! I also self-published an entire Animal Oracle deck.

Hannah (Clark) Steiman ’98 is living in Cambridge, MA, with her husband Jonathan Steiman and two kids, Jacob (6) and Max (4). She and her husband run Peak Support, a business process outsourcing company, which recently won the "Best BPO" award from the International Customer Management Institute.

42 • THE GRYPHON Spring/Summer 2023

2000s Molly Weinberg ’07 writes: After five years of hard work, I received my license in Mental Health Counseling.

I am also certified with the National Board for Certified Counselors, and I am a Registered Drama Therapist!

It was crazy to graduate with this MA right when COVID hit, and I am thrilled that I now have all of my licenses after making this career change. I am working at a group practice, and it is going well so far! I am spending a lot of time with my 2.5 year old Bernese Mountain Dog, Magnolia, aka Maggie, named after the Grateful Dead song, Sugar Magnolia. Love to the CSW community!

2010s Leah Strickman ’12 writes: I got married to my partner Isaac on June 4th, and I’ll graduate from the Master of Social Work program at Saint Louis University in August!

Yamina Sfiat ’14 writes: I want to share that I am finishing a master’s in Indigenous Studies and will be submitting two articles to an open-access academic journal called JSEPA (which I highly recommend

IN MEMORIAM Peter Biggs ’44 Anne Schubert ’44 Sam Warner ’45 Valentine Titus ’47 Steve Hurley ’62 Paul Malamud ’65 Pierre Seronde ’68 Daniel Levy ’71 Jan Rosenberg ’73 Ian Falconer ’77 Sally Hinman ’77 Paul Kechejian ’85 Mike Bliss Rita Platt Coney

CSW students to look into) on Tribal Public Administration and prison abolition. But more importantly, through the process of achieving this degree, myself and many other students have started a grassroots student movement to support Indigenous rights in light of the university holding Ancestors within the same building as the program. I share this for non-Native students, but also having discovered my own Indigeneity, that we exist at CSW too! And I want all Indigenous students to know that we are out here fighting for our future together.

To all my teachers and dorm parents who are still at CSW: I don’t know where I would be without you all. Thank you for your wisdom and guidance. I will update eventually on my future job. More to come!

Ayan Warfa ’15 writes: I will be attending Tufts University Fletcher School for my Master of Arts in Law & Diplomacy (MALD) this fall. In my current work at the Refugee & Immigrant Assistance Center (RIAC) in Boston, I am the Program Manager for the Ukrainian Humanitarian Program working with over 200 individuals in Massachusetts.

Last year, our organization resettled a record 800+ refugees and immigrants in the Boston & Worcester areas following a period of slow refugee arrivals during the last administration. I want to give special thanks to the History Department (Rachel Hirsch & Pat Foley), the English Department (Eli Keehn), and the Visual Arts Department (Tony Loreti & Tom Evans) for helping me explore different interests, gain a passion for making an argument, problemsolving, and investigating, and the confidence to take these skills with me to my undergraduate, graduate, and professional careers.

Emma Weiss ’16 writes: I have spent the past two years working as a paralegal at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, and now I will be

Davis Ceballos ’23 and Ashley Ho ’21 spent July on campus working with students from Taiwan at CSW’s Global Summer Academy.

starting law school at Temple University in the fall of 2023.

Shira Kagan-Shafman ’17 writes: I am thrilled to announce my summer production in New York City, which includes two works in a multi-venue performance weekend. To present these pieces, I am producing two performances with the support of the 2023 B. Wilson Foundation grant, including a site-specific performance and an evening performance. The works will include, Anchor in

Continuum, a duet with myself and extraordinary violinist Leandria Lott, and To Flare, a trio for dancers Julia Norman, Daniela Garcia-Arce, and myself.

Marisa Mathó ’17 is moving to Chicago after living abroad in Uruguay. Her work has mainly focused on development fundraising at the intersection of arts cultural work and climate change. She would love to see any CSW alumni in the Windy City! marisa.matho@gmail.com

TODD SOSTEK • 43

Todd Sostek ’69 and Nurturing CSW with Estate Planning

By Roger Fussa

Why is CSW in Todd Sostek ’69’s estate? Todd, a steadfast CSW Fund donor and Patience Lauriat Society member, has a to-the-point answer: attending CSW “was a wonderful experience all around… and I wanted to make sure the school was healthy and moving forward.”

“When I came [to CSW] from public school, from Medford, it was quite an adjustment for me because, number one, the curriculum was… a lot harder.” Todd eventually adjusted, and he credits the curriculum with teaching him how to write and think critically.

Having had “wonderful teachers” at CSW — for example, Mario Castillo in physics and Finlay McQuade in English — Todd graduated thoroughly prepared for college.

After a B.A. (Psychology) from Clark University, Todd worked in an MIT lab with a Noble laureate, studying bacteria and viruses. It was high-level, heady stuff — but also someone else’s calling. Not knowing what he wanted, Todd took his mother’s

Interested in learning more about Planned Giving at CSW? Email Roger Fussa at rfussa@csw.org for details. advice to consider an emerging discipline: environmental science and engineering.

Todd’s 40-year career eventually included a Doctorate in Environmental Science and Engineering, Energy, and the Environment at UCLA. At CSW, Todd was unaware of this new, evolving field; yet CSW’s liberal arts education provided him with a critical foundation to pursue it. His CSW education also instilled in him lifelong, progressive values that anchored his professional work.

Retired, Todd and his wife, Li, relish traveling and have Patagonia on their docket. Although California is home, Todd attends all his class reunions and finds reason to visit the campus at other times. And what draws him back besides events? “The main thing is the beautiful setting, and I like seeing the students,” he says. They embody a school worthy of generous, long-term support to ensure it flourishes. With his annual giving and thoughtful estate planning, Todd backs what he values.

CSW Mourns the Loss of Ian Falconer ’77 The Cambridge School of Weston was saddened to learn of the loss of author and illustrator Ian Falconer ’77, creator of the children’s book character Olivia, “the energetic piglet.” Ian had a wide-ranging career, spanning the worlds of publishing, opera, ballet, and fine arts. The enormously popular and much beloved Olivia series debuted in 2000 and comprised eight books in total. Falconer also designed dozens of covers for The New Yorker magazine, and collaborated with designer David Hockney on numerous costume and set designs for major theater outlets.

In an interview published in the Fall 2003 edition of The Gryphon, Falconer shared that none of his art classes in college compared to what he was able to do through CSW's art program.

"It was incredible to be able to do life drawing all morning for a month. I was able to absorb what I was learning and develop my strengths, rather than scattering my concentration between six to eight subjects in one

day." He went on to cite faculty Robin Wood, Randy Darwall, and Holly Hickler as especially instrumental to his development.

"I have such deep fondness for Cambridge School. It was a magic, deep garden — pure heaven," he said.

"You felt not only freedom, but you felt loved there. I blame everything on it — all my successes."

As an alum, Ian generously contributed original work to fundraising auctions at CSW in the form of one-of-a-kind, signed outtakes from the Olivia series, including a 2007 outtake from Olivia Helps with Christmas.

44 • THE GRYPHON Spring/Summer 2023

My Five YADIRA VALDEZ Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

MATTHEW HOPPER Dance Department

RYAN COOKE ’23 Student

GARRETT JANCOURTZ ’25 Student

1

SHARE A FAVORITE CSW MEMORY.

The senior night student-faculty dance off!

Working with a capstone student last year to plan a food truck/restaurant and provide food for 100 students. Working with passionate, driven students is always a highlight for me!

Doing Into The Woods outside in front of the actual woods sophomore year. We did it that way because of COVID, but it ended up adding a lot to the show!

Walking into my first day of “West African Dance” with my best friend. It was so fun to dance and learn with them that mod.

2

WHAT IS THE LAST THING YOU GOOGLED?

Telfar Bags (thanks, Jane Reynolds!)

Dance and the environment

Kane’s gluten free donut menu

“Top ten headphones not made for dancers” to see if my own headphones were on the list because they keep falling out.

3

IF YOU HAD A BOAT, WHAT WOULD YOU NAME IT?

The Livi Experience after Livi, my daughter.

S.S. Minnow

If possible, I would have two boats and name them Bert and Ernie.

If I just had one boat, it would be called “My Boat” because my answer would confuse people who asked what my boat’s name was.

The Big Kid’s Bumper Boat because I would probably end up crashing it.

WHAT TREND DO YOU WISH WOULD DISAPPEAR FOREVER?

Midriff shirts

Reality T.V.

Gender reveals (particularly the ones that cause mass destruction)

Mosquitos. They try so hard to ruin everyone’s summers.

WHAT IS ONE ITEM YOU THINK IS WORTH SPENDING MORE MONEY ON?

A vacation

Live performing arts!

Definitely chocolate!

A mattress pad. It makes sleeping so much more comfortable and you can find pretty high quality ones without going bankrupt.

4 5

Share photos and notes from meetups with faculty and fellow CSW alumni.

Get in touch with classmates and expand your network with our Alumni Directory.

Broadcast news of your latest creative project — publications, exhibits, performances, and more!

Access a calendar of recent and upcoming CSW events.

JOIN THE CSW ALUMNI HUB! All within the privacy of our secure portal.

Visit alumni.csw.org today to get started.

Connect with fellow alums and access helpful information and resources.

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Fix-it-First Jeans! Students promote upcycling by hosting a denim repair station for members of the community.