Berkshire Bulletin Summer/Fall 2013 by Berkshire School

BERKSHIRE

B U L L E T I N Summer/Fall 2013

“ The sap buckets that line the driveway each spring are as much a part of Berkshire’s heritage as the values to which we hold our students and ourselves.”

Summer/Fall 2013

BERKSHIRE

B U L L E T I N Summer/Fall 2013

— P IETER M. MULDER, HEAD OF SCHOOL

Our Mission

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL I am thrilled and honored to lead Berkshire School in its 107th year as our sixteenth head of school. My excitement is grounded in a deep love for the School, the resonance of our mission, and the unwavering strength of our community. What a tremendous privilege to guide our shared effort as together we imagine the next great chapter for our school! Growing up in Berkshire County, I felt connected to Berkshire the moment I stepped on campus in 2005. The sap buckets that line the driveway each spring are as much a part of Berkshire’s heritage as the values to which we hold our students and ourselves. And our students’ transformational stories of self-discovery and achievement continue to inspire all of us fortunate enough to live and work alongside them. Berkshire feels like an ideal fit for me, for Lucia, and for our family. We truly could not be more committed to the opportunity ahead of us all. We’re in the midst of another exceptional year at Berkshire, and I hope all of you are able to visit campus soon to see the excitement and pride throughout the School. Here with us this year are students from 32 states and 31 countries, a geographic diversity that’s never been richer. We’ve also welcomed more siblings and legacies than ever before, and these connections within families and across generations are among the most powerful endorsements of any school. In recent years, the talent and dedication of Berkshire’s students have produced INTEL Science Talent Search semi-finalists, primary authorships on scholarly publications, Scholastic Art Award national medalists, All-State musicians, New England Championship athletic teams, and inspiring, standing-room only theater and dance performances. As importantly, Berkshire students continue to cheer the successes of their

peers more loudly than they celebrate their own, and it is this balance of ambition and humility that I believe ultimately defines us. As we look to the future, following unprecedented improvements to the facilities which support and inspire our students’ interests and experiences, Berkshire is turning its focus to our people and our programs, beginning the critically important work of building endowments to ensure our long-term commitment to both. Following all the momentum and accomplishments of the last decade, this next phase will allow us to attract and support the most talented, diverse, interesting, and engaged community of students and adults. As we continue to focus on those things that Berkshire can do uniquely well and which directly support our mission, we will get even better at what we already do exceptionally well. This is a hugely exciting time for our school. We were thrilled to welcome record numbers of alumni back to campus for our reunions last June. The strength of these lifelong connections—among classmates, faculty and alumni—lies at the very heart of Berkshire’s enduring success. The roar of alumni as they joined together in Benson echoed the roar of students at Prize Night weeks earlier, and it is clear that Berkshire fosters a powerful sense of camaraderie among its extended community. I hope that the stories and images in this Berkshire Bulletin allow all of you to reconnect with your school and to share in that same camaraderie. We look forward to welcoming you back under the Mountain soon. Pro Vita,

A native of Williamstown, Mass., Pieter Mulder earned his B.A. from Williams in American studies with minors in architecture and environmental science, and his M.A.L.S. from Wesleyan in mathematics with a concentration in creative writing. He has taught at the American School in Switzerland; Westminster School, where he also served as assistant dean of faculty; and the Met Center High School in Providence, R.I., an innovative Big Picture public high school funded by the Gates Foundation. Pieter began his Berkshire career as the dean of academic affairs in 2005 and has served as a member of the senior administrative team since then. In 2010, he was appointed director of college counseling and on November 4, 2013, he was named Berkshire’s sixteenth head of school.

Rooted in an inspiring natural setting, Berkshire School instills the highest standards of character and citizenship and a commitment to academic, artistic, and athletic excellence. Our community fosters diversity, a dedication to environmental stewardship, and an enduring love for learning.

Stephen P. Norman ’60

CHAIR, Board of Trustees

Pieter M. Mulder Head of School

On the cover: Meet the Mulders: Pieter, Lucia, Will (6) and Phoebe (9). Lucia, a graduate of Yale University, is the editor of the Berkshire Bulletin and oversees the School’s social media efforts. Read more about Pieter at left.

William C. Bullock Director of Development

Editor: Lucia Q. Mulder

Features

Class of 2013

Departments

Director of MEDIA RELATIONS

Class Notes Editor: Kristina Thaute Miller ’97

Seen Around

4 Reaction

Reunion Weekend

Bears in the Air

Climbing Out of the Hole

47 Class Notes

Hooked on Healing

5 Reflection Campus News

20 Bears at Play 70 In Memoriam 75 Annual Report

Director of Alumni Relations

C. Twiggs Myers Hon. ’57 Archivist

Design: Hammill Design Printing: Quality Printing Company Photography: Anne Day Photography, James Harris, Risley Sports Photography, the Berkshire Archives Class notes: classnotes@berkshireschool.org All other alumni matters: alumni@berkshireschool.org

Berkshire School admits students of any race, color, religious affiliation, national and ethnic origin and qualified handicapped students to all rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students. We do not discriminate in violation of any law or statute in the administration of our educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other school-administered programs.

Published by Berkshire School’s Communications and Marketing Office & Alumni and Development Office for alumni, parents and friends of the School.

SEEN AROUND

Berkshire Bulletin

1. Last spring, Berkshire bid “adieu” to French teacher and longtime Language Department Chair Jean Erick Joassaint after 11 years of service. To commemorate the occasion, students painted a picture of Mr. J’s most distinguishing and beloved attribute: his infectious smile. 2. Students and faculty packed the Berkshire Hall atrium for the 13th annual Jazz Café. 3. Anna Romano and feathered friend, the screech owl, who was part of a presentation by the Massachusetts Birds of Prey Rehabilitation Center, a visit made possible by the Cabot family. 4. Berkshire’s Theater Department turned up the heat last winter with a hilarious and very fun take on Cole Porter’s Anything Goes. 5. Oh, what a night: undaunted by a sudden downpour on Prize Night, students rushed out from under the tent to dance in the rain in a moment that could only be described as purely joyous.

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A Fond Farewell to the Merrills A letter to the editor:

Coming Full Circle The car on the cover of the Fall 2012/Winter 2013 Bulletin was mistakenly identified as a 1957 Ford convertible. It is, in fact, a 1937 Ford. The car’s owner, Mac Odell ’57, provides some backstory on the awesome auto, its revival and the irony of our regretful error. “Yes, it is a 1937 Ford 4-door convertible, one of only about 1,200 built, I’m told. But what’s very special is that my folks drove it to Berkshire for our graduation in 1957… my graduation gift!! It had been the family car until then, and being 20-yearsold, was worth about $50. Other classmates from better endowed families were showing off their brand new 1957 convertibles, so my ’37 Ford didn’t garner all that much attention. Although I was deliriously happy, of course—my first car! After college and Peace Corps in Nepal, I drove the car to Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1971, when Marcia and I were married, and drove it to New England through the Ozarks and Appalachian Mountains for our honeymoon. In 1975, heading to Africa for our first overseas assignment, we retired the car, driving it to a restoration expert for a needed overhaul. When we returned five years later, we found the car in pieces and the restoration shop out of business. So the car sat sadly neglected in the back of our barn for the next 35 years until our daughter, Hayden, announced her marriage a few years ago and asked if the car could be part of her wedding, as it had been part of ours. Thus the long overdue restoration that enabled us to drive it to our 55th Reunion last spring! Wearing her grandmother’s 1937 wedding dress, while I wore her great-grandfather’s 1937 cutaway, she and her husband Ryan were driven to the church in her family’s 1937 Ford.”

Berkshire Bulletin

By Hilary Russell

I certainly enjoy learning news of my Berkshire peers—people like Twiggs Myers, Tom Dixon, Rick Bellas and Hilary Russell. When reading of the honors and kudos these folks have received, I thought of my husband, Emmons W. Putnam (d. 2004), who had his own impact on Berkshire. The just-married Putnams and Twiggs all arrived at Berkshire in September of 1953. We lived around the corner from each other on the third floor south of old Memorial Hall. Chat and Mary Wetherill, whom John Godman brought along with him when he left The Gunnery to become Berkshire’s headmaster, lived below us on the second floor. They became our mentors, and the five of us soon became life-long friends. No matter where we lived, we stayed in touch and saw each other when possible. Twiggs and I are the only ones left of that fivesome. E.W. Putnam, ‘Put’ to those who knew him, was employed at Berkshire School for 20 years, beginning in 1953. He was an English teacher, coach and ultimately director of admissions. For many years before computer technology, he spent much of each summer working out the class schedule for the entire student body. Accommodating by hand each student’s needs, each faculty member’s requirements and classroom availability was no easy task. However, it was as director of admissions where he left his most significant impact on Berkshire’s future. I believe all female Berkshire alumnae should understand and appreciate the impact my husband had on their lives. John Godman, headmaster at the time, was of the “old school”-bent, as the leader of a then typical independent boarding school for young men. Due to the dismal economy and the beginning of the “drug culture” in the late ’60s, many independent schools were suffering financially. Put believed that turning Berkshire into a coeducational school could be the answer for us. By using gentle persuasion and amazing patience, he spent the better part of the 1968-69 school year working to convince a very reluctant Mr. Godman to accept female students at Berkshire. I’ve often wished I could have been an unseen observer during those many conversations, as in the end Put was successful. In the fall of 1969, nine girls, all day students, became the vanguard of a coeducational Berkshire School, and we were among the first of our peer schools to take that step.

Em Putnam Put and Em Putnam in August 1953, the day before their wedding, just a week before the opening of Berkshire’s 1953-54 school year

Norman and Jeanne Merrill have retired after 27 years at Berkshire. In reviewing their careers, I found a relatively thin paper trail, but what could I have expected? After all, Norman is an umpteenth generation Vermonter who likes the saying, “Fools’ names and fools’ faces oft appear in public places.” Both he and Jeanne believe in the virtue of quiet, steady work and common sense. On her office wall, for instance, Jeanne has posted “The Obituary of Common Sense,” which states that Common Sense “devoted his life to service in schools, hospitals, factories, and offices, helping folks get jobs done without fanfare or

foolishness.” As I spoke to grateful and admiring students, faculty and staff about the Merrills, it became clear that their work and generosity did not have to be displayed “in public places” to be appreciated. When she arrived in 1986, Jeanne worked for two years in admissions and then joined the library staff. She later became the School’s head librarian, following Susan Young who was preceded by Alice Ann Chase, Berkshire’s first full-time librarian who was appointed in the late 1950’s. During her tenure, Jeanne oversaw the library’s dramatic growth and

evolution into the 21st century, and at the same time raised two sons and earned a Master’s in Library Science from the University of Albany. She completed Berkshire’s online catalog by 1994, created an impressive online database and provided 34 computers for student use. She fostered an inviting atmosphere that was both scholarly and warm. Her office included a wonderful mix of erudition and whimsy: a snow globe of Stonehenge, a foam cow for squeezing, a model of a human brain, a perpetual calendar, a print of the Bodleian Library at Oxford University, and quotations on libraries from Jefferson to Ranganathan. Katie Johnson ’05 captures what many students had felt when they entered the library: “When I was homesick or having problems, or just wanted to discuss the latest library acquisition, I was always welcome to spend hours talking in her office.” Sam Cabot ’13 recalls, “I would always visit when I was in the library. She was always checking up on me and became my on-campus grandmother.” Jarrett Mathis ’04 writes, “Mrs. Merrill was not just an outstanding librarian who helped me perform research, she had a warm, motherly presence that made me feel comfortable being away from home.” Paige Robertson Jasaitis ’91 remembers the warmth of the Merrills’ house: “Mrs. Merrill quietly drew us in during Open Houses. We would sink into the Merrills’ comfortable chairs and couches and hear about Little Norm’s or Richard’s adventures.” As a sophomore, Paige found Mr. Merrill “terrifying.” She recalls, “The slam of a heavy hardcover book and, ‘Are you kidding?’ from Mr. Merrill would shame you into doing better on the next assignment. When you received a ‘Good job,’ it was worth five from a classmate.” Later, as she got to know the Merrills, Paige found that Norman “was a huge teddy bear and not a terror.” Norman and Jeanne Merrill came to

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“Not only did he teach me how to coach adolescents, but he always had a way to connect events in the field to academic issues. I credit Norm with getting me up to speed in all boarding school matters from the classroom to the dormitory and more. As a coach, he was demanding, extremely competitive and compassionate at the same time. He sometimes had respectful arguments with opposing coaches, but he was always a role model showing respect, courtesy and decorum in the field.” Left: The Merrills flank Diogenes Nunez ’08, twoyear recipient of the Jane Usher Dyer Latin Award.

— J esus Ibanez, NORMAN Merrill’s former assistant soccer coach

Above: To the utter delight of faculty kids of all eras, the appearance of the Merrills’ lawn ornaments marked the official beginning of each holiday season on campus.

Berkshire from Rumsey Hall School in Washington, Connecticut. Jeanne recalls this early scene: “When we came to Berkshire from Rumsey Hall in 1986, our son, Norman, was going into fifth grade and our son, Richard, was going into first. We realized that this was the right place for us when we looked around, and our normally shy children had disappeared. We found them playing quietly by the stream near de Windt with other Berkshire children.” During the next 27 years, Norman taught Latin, English, Greek as an independent study, and Greek Mythology, an interdisciplinary course. He ran the Latin program, served twice as the Foreign Language Department chair, and once as acting chair of the English Department. He coached thirds boys hockey, varsity golf and specialized in thirds boys soccer. Greg LaCava ’89, who, along with his brother Chris ’92, also came to Berkshire from Rumsey Hall, remembers Norman as “a constant” in his life for six years “on the soccer pitch with my parents watching

and cheering at games … He was a tremendous teacher, coach and role model,” Greg said. One day, when the sun was shining brightly, Greg recalls making a comment about Norman’s lack of hair. “I still can’t believe I said it,” remembers Greg. “Everyone laughed, most of all Mr. Merrill.” Norman’s ability not to take himself too seriously aided him in all aspects of his work at Berkshire: from coaching his thirds boys soccer team to an astounding 54–9–8 record between 2007-2012; to having his students write a humorous characterization of him as they imitated Chaucer’s style in the “Preface to the Canterbury Tales;” to leading two departments; to asking all of his students to write an evaluation of him each year, regardless of whatever formal evaluation policies were in place at the time. Stuart Miller ’97, who assisted Norman with the thirds boys soccer team for eight years, adds this insight into his work with kids: “On the soccer pitch, Norm had little concern for wins and losses. His goal was to share and instill his

“Her office included a wonderful mix of erudition and whimsy: a snow globe of Stonehenge, a foam cow for squeezing, a model of a human brain...”

Berkshire Bulletin

love of soccer in all our players. Perhaps this is why in the last few years, Norman felt it important not to cut anyone from the team. He didn’t want a player to miss the opportunity to play the game. He made sure that all participated—even if the score was knotted at zero with less than five minutes to play.” Jeanne and Norman met in a Greek class at the University of Vermont (UVM). Both were accomplished Latin students when they entered UVM. Jeanne had begun her study of Latin in seventh grade, and Norman came from a family that loved classical literature. His mother, who attended Chicago Latin, used to recite the forms of hic haec hoc as she skipped to school. In ninth grade, he entered Brooks School in North Andover, Massachusetts. Norman recalls that on Sunday afternoons, a time that boarding school students hold precious, he sometimes walked to the school building and wrote out Greek declensions on his classroom blackboard. Upon entering UVM, both Norman and Jeanne, who were well ahead of their classmates, quickly distinguished themselves. It was not long before the two young Classics scholars found a seminar room for study dates. Jeanne and Norman were wed after graduation and headed west to enroll in the University of Cincinnati’s graduate Classics program, considered the best program in the country. Funded by the Taft family, the program was able to hire

excellent professors (many of whom were alumni) and boasted a Classics library of 300,000 books. Norman finished his Ph.D. in a record five years. The times, however, were challenging for young people with Ph.D.’s in the Classics because there were virtually no jobs. So Norman took a position at Rumsey Hall School where he taught Latin and English, and headed both departments. He also did the scheduling, was the director of studies, coached hockey and ran a spring outing program that included fly tying, fishing and hiking. During those years, Norman, Jr. ’94 and Richard ’98 were born. In many ways, these were idyllic years for the Merrills. They began their family, learned that they enjoyed boarding school life and Norman discovered the pleasures of teaching younger students. Louis Palazzo ’05, presently a Ph.D. candidate in classical languages, was one of those students who took full advantage of Norman’s knowledge. He says, “I can still remember sitting in his classroom in Memorial Hall reading Plaudus’ slapstick comedy, Horace’s delicate lyrics and Cicero’s measured prose. But what I remember most is that Mr. Merrill recognized in me a budding interest in philology and provided me with the tools to critique and analyze classical literature.” Other stand-outs in Latin were the

four Brennings—Johann-Christian ’00, Carl-Philipp ’00, Marie-Isabel ’03, and Antonia-Sophie ’03—three of whom won awards for their Latin studies at Berkshire. The Brennings and the Merrills have kept up their friendship, with Norman and Jeanne attending family graduations and a wedding in Germany, where Norman is the much esteemed Herr Professor Merrill. Summing up the Merrills’ contributions to Berkshire, Senior Master Emeritus Twiggs Myers Hon.’57 writes, “Norman and Jeanne Merrill brought our community a scholarly bent and academic discipline—he as a teacher and she as a librarian. No need for Google here. Just ask Norm; ask Jeanne.” Linda Bellizzi, longtime colleague of the Merrills, remembers Norman’s generosity and love of language: “Any time I would go to him with a grammar problem, he would sit for a minute, thinking, and then take the sentence apart and explain why one would need to use a certain case or tense. I’d leave satisfied. But almost always, I’d later get an email from Norm that cited several examples from the Oxford English Dictionary or other reliable sources. He knew his stuff but was also curious about ‘the why’ of grammar as well as ‘the how.’” Berkshire’s summer reading program was a Norman and Jeanne production. Throughout the year,

Jeanne collected reviews of dozens of books that might work for summer reading, and in the spring the three of us decided which ones to include. The genres and subjects ranged from sci-fi and mysteries to serious fiction and biography, from sports and science to blockbuster bestsellers. The goal was always to find well-written books that students would enjoy. The Merrills worked hard putting together the brochure: typing, doing layout, running a cover illustration contest and working with a printer. I loved getting together with them in the comfortable living room that Paige describes above— the cats and soft chairs, the kind, intelligent company. We’ll close with Louis Palazzo and some of that measured prose of Cicero: “After 27 years of service to the Berkshire community, Mr. Merrill has rightfully earned, in the words of his beloved Cicero, cum dignitate otium, ‘leisure with dignity, which is most excellent and most desirable to all men of healthy mind, and to all honest and happy men.’” (Pro Sestio 98) Hilary Russell is a former chair of Berkshire’s English Department.

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Greener Than Ever

From left: Donald Yu, special advisor to Arne Duncan, U.S. Department of Education Secretary; Frank Barros; and Adam Honeysett, acting managing director of Intergovernmental Affairs and Recognition Programs, U.S. Department of Education

Tour d’Admission

by Paul MacKenzie

This summer, for the fourth year in a row, I joined a group of fellow college counselors on a week-long bike tour of colleges. The group consists of counselors from New England, California, North and South Carolina, Kentucky and more. This summer’s trip began at Skidmore College, in Saratoga Springs, New York, and wended its way north through Vermont, ending up back in Plattsburgh, New York. We rode about 200 miles in five days, with plenty of stops for snacks along the way. The group of 18 travels with no support vehicle, so we load up the panniers and take only what we can carry on our own bikes. Many of the colleges we visit provide a bed for the night or a meal for us, and all facilitate campus tours and meetings with admissions officers. It is a great, if unconventional, way to get a feel for a group of schools, to do some riding in lovely parts of the country and to reconnect with friends in the counseling community. Next up: Ohio!

Berkshire Bulletin

On Earth Day 2013, Berkshire was named a Green Ribbon School by the Department of Education, one of just 64 schools total and one of only ten private schools in the nation to be so honored. Launched in 2011, the award recognizes schools that are “exemplary in reducing environmental impact and costs, improving the health and wellness of students and staff, and delivering effective environmental and sustainability education that incorporates Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), civic skills and green career pathways.” “This is an extraordinary achievement for a school our size and a great honor to Berkshire and its students who have made a commitment to sustainability a part of the campus culture,” said Head of School Pieter Mulder. Director of Sustainability Frank Barros received the award on behalf of Berkshire in Washington, D.C. in June. Berkshire was the only private school in the state to receive this recognition, and Peter Kinne also attended an award ceremony at the State House in Boston in May as part of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Awards for Excellence in Energy and Environmental Education. “The award gives Berkshire continuing affirmation that its sustainability efforts are real,” said Barros. He continued, “The Green Ribbon award program is a joint effort between departments of the federal government. It is important that we support efforts which bring schools and people together. Building a sustainable future for our children needs the cooperative effort of all schools. The very act of applying is a symbol of our solidarity.”

Paul MacKenzie (far left) and his fellow college counselors take a break from the saddle to tour Middlebury.

Finding Unique Students Talk Art and Life with Anthony Goldschmidt

Last May, Berkshire was honored to welcome back Anthony Goldschmidt ’61. Goldschmidt is founder and president of Intralink Film Graphic Design, an industry-leading creative motion picture marketing company. Since 1979, Intralink has created some of the world’s most well-known movie marketing campaigns for films, including E.T., Blazing Saddles, Apollo 13, Sex and the City and the Batman franchise, among others. Goldschmidt’s presentation in Crawford Lecture Hall titled, “A Different Sock: Creativity and Surviving the Technological Revolution,” was markedly different from what students were expecting. While they did watch a slideshow of some of his work and learn about his background, it was clear that Goldschmidt wanted to reach students in a way that would be impactful. “Younger people need to hear truth and inspiration,” Goldschmidt said. “As a speaker, I have an obligation to get them to walk away with something they hadn’t heard before.” And Goldschmidt delivered. Some of the messages that resonated with students were not necessarily about achieving success or creativity in business, but about finding a passion or, “your unique,” as he dubbed it. He talked about the importance of having face-to-face conversations (and eschewing email) and being brave in their interactions with people. He also reminded the audience that they wouldn’t get a second chance to make a first impression, so to make sure that impression reflects who they are.

Anthony Goldschmidt encouraged students to find their “unique” and be fearless.

Digital art and photography students had the chance to present their work to Goldschmidt during lunchtime. “While watching Mr. Goldschmidt with the students, I was first and foremost struck by his enthusiasm and passion: for art and design, for his career and for life in general,” said Paul Banevicius, Berkshire’s Art Department chair. He explains, “Nothing was half-hearted about him. As he critiqued student artwork, his criticisms were pointed, his compliments were effusive and his career advice was unvarnished and realistic.” Goldschmidt stressed the idea that the students’ portfolios are representations of who they are—symbols of their individuality. Photography student Tianyi “Olly” Liu ’14 from Shanghai, China, took his message to heart. “Mr. Goldschmidt’s visit was inspiring,” he said. “When he looked at my photos, he suggested that I throw away the fancy equipment and focus on the little details. He gave me useful suggestions for art, but also for life.”

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Full of Grace

An Incomparable Charm As tradition dictates, the Class of 2013, along with their invited faculty guests, enjoyed one last formal meal together at their Senior Dinner just before graduation. George Martinecz ’09, a spring grad of Loyola University Maryland’s business school, returned to deliver the evening’s address. Below are some highlights from his remarks.

Jarrett Mathis addressed the community on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Making the Grade

With Head of School Pieter Mulder (far right) are the faculty award winners from 2012-13, an esteemed group. They are, from left: A.J. Kohlhepp (English), winner of the Class of ’57 Faculty Award; Sylvia Gappa (Math), winner of the Seaver Buck Award; Christine Fitzgerald (Math), winner of the Puth Family Prize for Advising; Bebe Bullock ’86 (English), winner of the Aliis Non Sibi Award, voted on by the members of the Sixth Form; and Evan Nielsen (History), winner of the Kellogg-Silverman-Kontos Award.

AMSR Goes Viral Hyunsuk “Jimmy” Chung ’14 from Seoul, South Korea, presented his work on the 3-D cryo-electronmicroscopic structure of a bacteriophage virus at the annual Image Symposium at Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Penn., last spring. In the Advanced Math/Science Research (AMSR) program, Jimmy worked with his mentor, Dr. Susan Hafenstein, a structural biologist from Penn State College of Medicine, to learn computer and mathematical techniques to solve virus structures to near-atomic resolution. Jimmy plans to submit this work to the INTEL Science Talent Search and for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

Berkshire Bulletin

A New York City native, Jarrett Mathis ’04 has always had a deep appreciation for the work and life of Martin Luther King, Jr., which was first instilled in him by his father. Dr. King’s dedication to service led Mathis to start the Diversity Club at Berkshire and eventually inspired him to come back to his alma mater on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day last January. Mathis’s nonprofit organization, Empowering Ourselves, began as “an interactive workshop that would help empower black youth, reduce violence in the inner-city, and get young people to think seriously about the importance of respect for self and others,” he explained. During his talk, Mathis emphasized the continued need for acceptance and service in our day and encouraged students to think about how they can serve in big ways, but also in small ways, every day. He reminded the community of Dr. King’s words about service: To serve, “you only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love.” The Berkshire community will do well to remember both Dr. King’s messages, and Mr. Mathis’s as well.

Berkshire has certainly undergone an astounding transformation since I graduated four years ago, yet being under the Mountain invokes an incomparable charm. Regardless of your interactions with Dean Quilty in the past, I hope that each of you can reflect upon your Berkshire experience with a positive attitude. From the first snow, when your hair froze in Buck Valley on the way to class, to warm spring nights on the Eipper wall, cherish it. Remember the passion of Dorm Wars or a random night of uncontrollable laughter in your friend’s dorm room. Friendships formed at Berkshire—whether between a teacher and a student or a student and a peer—last forever. Once you graduate, you’ll become an ambassador for Berkshire School, a permanent representative of a place that has helped form who you are. We all want Berkshire to continue to maximize its potential, and you have all contributed to advancing its unique position academically, artistically and athletically as a distinguished prep school. Berkshire will never stop giving back to you, and you should never stop giving back to Berkshire. Take advantage of the social and job networking opportunities, download the mobile app for Berkshire alumni, and perhaps your son or daughter will have the privilege of going here someday, too. Know that from here on out, you don’t get what you wish for; you get what you work for. Whether you’re bound to become a Bulldog, an Eagle, or a Gator, you were a Bear first. And you’ll always be a Bear, a Berkshire Bear.

George Martinecz with his Berkshire advisor Bill Clough. In serendipitous fashion, Bill and Nannie Clough were also honored at the Senior Dinner with the dedication of the 2013 Trail in their honor. Bill Clough now serves as Head of School of Nichols School in Buffalo, New York.

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Go East, Young Women Strom Award Recipients Travel to Asia

Once again, the Jonathan W. Strom ’64 Program for Asian Studies, which is designed to promote a wider understanding of Asian cultures and languages among the faculty, provided incredible opportunities for handson learning. This summer, Jen Anderson, chair of Berkshire’s Language Department, traveled to India and Nepal, and Tess Hutchinson, Berkshire’s director of counseling, traveled to China. Below are their thoughts on their experiences and how they will translate into their ongoing work at Berkshire.

Jen Anderson at the Taj Mahal in Agra, India

BY Jen Anderson

by Tess Hutchinson

I have always had a love for and interest in Asia since the age of 16, when I first went to southern China to study sacred forests and mountains on a summer trip through Bard College. I continued on to spend a semester in Xi’an during college and pursued an undergraduate B.A. in Asian Studies and Geography. After college I was fortunate enough to receive a grant through AsiaNet to continue my research on political ecology in the Tibetan Culture Region. I was fortunate to travel to China this summer to investigate the idea of cross-cultural counseling to enhance my work in an international setting at Berkshire. Some questions I sought to address were the differences between American and Chinese counseling systems; comparisons between the two countries’ conceptualizations of mental health; and how culture impacts symptom expression. As I believe is true with many great learning experiences, I am coming away from my trip to China with more questions than answers, but some great clarity around the importance of questions themselves. A school counselor’s mantra has always been to “meet the student where they are.” What I have learned, both in my interviews and readings, is the most important first step towards meeting the needs of our diverse student body in a counseling setting will always be more about asking the right questions than knowing any answers. The outer wall of the Forbidden City in Beijing

Berkshire Bulletin

In my role leading the Language Department, my focus is on building our language and cultural study program. As a co-chair of Berkshire’s Global Initiatives Committee—a group responsible for enhancing the School’s curriculum as it relates to global education—I also have the lofty goal of introducing students to the idea of “global service learning,” in which students leave behind their technology, live with a host family, immerse themselves in a new language and culture and commit to a service endeavor. During my travels this summer, I was put in the role of the student traveling to a country for the first time where I did not yet know the culture or the language. Regaining that student perspective is so important to the work we do as teachers and lifelong learners. In both India and Nepal, I saw populations that not only tolerate other religious views but embrace, respect and value the richness that these faith traditions add to their culture and daily lives. It appears as though all faiths have found a harmonious way to exist, respecting one another and understanding the richness that each brings to the entire culture and nation. Travel to either country could prove an excellent backdrop for an intensive onsite comparative religion study where through service work, host family stays, and academic study, the experience would not just be intellectually rewarding for students, but would transform their lives.

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/ Campus News /

Giant Strides Toward a Smaller Footprint By Bill Bullock

The Class of 2013 enrolled at the following colleges and universities: * Denotes more than one student attending

American University Babson College * Bates College Boston College * Boston University * Brandeis University Brown University * Case Western University Centro de Estudios Superiores San Angel (Mexico) Chapman University Colby College Colgate University Colorado College Columbia University * Connecticut College * Dalhousie University * Denison University DePauw University Dickinson College * Elon University * Endicott College Fairfield University * Franklin and Marshall College The George Washington University

Berkshire Bulletin

Gettysburg College Hamilton College * Hobart and William Smith Colleges Hope College Indian River State College Kenyon College * Lafayette College * Lehigh University Middlebury College New York University Niagara University Northeastern University * Ohio Wesleyan University * Princeton University * Providence College Les Roches International School of Hotel Management (Switzerland) Rochester Institute of Technology Rollins College Sage College of Albany Savannah College of Art and Design * Skidmore College * Southern Methodist University * St. Lawrence University * Syracuse University

Trinity College Tulane University Union College * United States Military Academy * University of California at Berkeley University of Colorado at Boulder University of Denver * University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign University of Louisville University of Massachusetts, Amherst University of Michigan University of New Hampshire * University of Pennsylvania University of Richmond The University of Texas, Austin University of Vermont University of Virginia * University of Wisconsin, Madison Vassar College Wake Forest University * Wheaton College College of William and Mary Williams College Xavier University

In June of 2011, Berkshire School was invited to join the ranks of Middlebury, Harvard, Princeton and other outstanding leaders in higher education, in the Billion Dollar Green Challenge. Berkshire remains the only secondary school among a host of nonprofit institutions invited to invest a combined total of $1 billion in self-managed revolving funds that finance energy efficiency improvements. The vehicle for our commitment to the Billion Dollar Green Challenge is the W. Baird Duschatko Fund, given to Berkshire by William L. Duschatko ’61 in memory of his son W. Baird Duschatko ’91. This fund has allowed Berkshire to expand the scope of our commitment to sustainability in the form of student-directed energy efficiency projects that substantially reduce the School’s carbon footprint. Berkshire has committed to growing the size of the fund to surpass, within six years, the smaller of 1% of the School’s endowment value or $1 million. In February 2012, a project proposed by Allie Bliven ’13 was selected from a group of six student proposals. Bliven proposed minimizing external heat loss by wrapping the pipes, the hot water storage and the boiler that provides heat and hot water to both Eipper and Godman dormitories. The project’s initial investment was $18,425. Incredibly, this insulation installation resulted in a first-year savings of over 5,000 gallons of heating oil, which translated into a cost savings of over $21,000 based on the average cost-per-gallon of heating oil. These savings will be reinvested into the School’s next project, the lighting retrofit in Berkshire’s 1982 gymnasium, and the installation of a variable frequency drive for more efficient air flow and heating delivery in that building. “I am so very pleased that the project produced these phenomenal results,” said Bill Duschatko of the exciting returns. He continued, “I even questioned the numbers at first, but this proves that conservation of energy provides immediate payback of investment without the necessity for subsidies and that this savings should be repeatable indefinitely. This started with a real world idea from one of our students—no theory, no modeling—pure cause and effect producing real results for Berkshire and ultimately, the planet.” Bill Bullock is Berkshire’s Director of Development. He lives in Weidinger House with his wife Bebe Clark Bullock ’86, and children Addie ’14, Liam ’17 and Silas.

To help advance Berkshire’s sustainability efforts, you can support

Call for Nominations! Nominations are now being solicited for the 2014 Distinguished Alumni Award, the highest honor Berkshire bestows upon its graduates. The award recognizes “A graduate of Berkshire School who has brought distinction to Berkshire as a result of vocation or avocation, community involvement, or other professional or personal achievements, and who has demonstrated an interest in the welfare of the School.” To nominate someone, email alumni@berkshireschool.org, or call Jodi Rathbun at 413-229-1308 with the nominee name, class year and how this alumnus/a has distinguished himself or herself.

With thanks in advance for your thoughtful responses, The Distinguished Alumni Nominating Committee Jed Scala ‘85, Chair Jim Balch ‘51 Twiggs Myers Hon. ‘57 Keith Reed ‘68 Maggie Meiners ‘90 Jarrett Mathis ‘04 Bill Gulotta, Faculty, 1979-present Kristina Miller ‘97, Director of Alumni Relations

the W. Baird Duschatko ’91 Fund for the Study of Sustainable Resources by making a gift online or by contacting Myra Riiska at 413-229-1225. Checks payable to Berkshire School can be mailed to: Development and Alumni Affairs, 245 North Undermountain Road, Sheffield, MA 01257.

Summer/Fall 2013

/ Campus News /

New Yorker Journalist Ryan Lizza Returns to Berkshire

From left: Christian Williams, Anna Rubino, Deborah Barnett-Brandt, Scott Patashnick, Jane Cabot, Jacob Epstein and Lynette Prescott

Be Our Guests

Alumni, Parents and Friends Return for Pro Vita

For one week each winter, students move beyond the core curriculum to participate in three unique, intensive courses of their choosing during Pro Vita Winter Session. Berkshire’s faculty have many interests and talents beyond their specialties, which allow us to easily offer more than 90 courses each year, and the variety of options would make Seaver Buck blush. (Speaking of blush, April Burch, director of Berkshire’s Advanced Math/Science Research program, debuted a course in making mineral cosmetics last year,

and it was so popular she offered it to alumni over Reunion Weekend.) To further expand the week’s offerings, Berkshire welcomes several alumni, parents and friends to the ranks of visiting faculty. Their professional expertise underscores our school motto—and the goal of the week—Pro Vita Non Pro Schola Discimus—“Learning—not just for school but for life.” For Pro Vita 2013, we were honored to add the following courses to our curriculum, taught by Berkshire parents, alumni and friends: “Mindful

Self Compassion” taught by Deborah Barnett-Brandt P’14; “Pro Vita Legal Potpourri” taught by Jane Cabot P’13; “Writing for Television 101” taught by Jacob Epstein and Christian Williams; “Your Ethics or Mine?” taught by Lynette Prescott ’81, P’14,’16; and “Design Team 101: The Art of Graphic Design” by Anna Rubino P’13. Javier Winnik ’96 lent his expertise to “Creating Comics,” a class taught by Art Department Chair Paul Banevicius.

“Visiting faculty bring a unique perspective and immense passion to Pro Vita classes. Not only do they provide their own personal and professional expertise, they expose students to educators in many guises. Be they alumni, parents or friends, visiting faculty often leave having established a much deeper connection to the School.” – Jasper Turner, Director of Pro Vita

Berkshire Bulletin

As part of Pro Vita Week’s evening speaker series, Berkshire welcomed renowned political correspondent and New Yorker journalist Ryan Lizza ’92 back to campus. Mr. Lizza spoke to a packed Allen Theater and reached audiences beyond campus as well via a live webstream. The author of a 2006 article in The New Republic on why Senator Barack Obama should run for president in 2008, Lizza’s career as a political journalist took off from there. Last spring, he was awarded the White House Correspondents’ Association’s Aldo Beckman Memorial Award for his reporting on President Obama’s presidency and re-election. During his talk, Lizza told tale of some of his early interactions with the presidential nominee, and the story behind his own Twitter photo—a doodle actually penned by the President of the United States. Perhaps even more intriguing to this crowd, however, were Lizza’s tales of starting Berkshire’s underground newspaper

in the late-eighties, the excitement of getting breaking news firsthand from WBSL’s AP newswire and running it down the hall in Memorial to the editor of The Green & Gray, and how his love for storytelling was nurtured by teachers at Berkshire and afterward at the University of California at Berkeley. Lizza encouraged students to figure out where the decisions that are affecting their lives—concerning public policy, technology and culture—are being made. He said, “If you are not ruthless about being the one who decides your future, someone else will be.” The next day, Lizza spoke with AP English students, where the topics of conversation ranged from the authenticity of “fake news” programs like The Daily Show and its effects on the media, the Internet’s impact and the accountability it has brought to journalism today, the “polarized universe of political junkies” and inherent bias of some news outlets, and the future of long-form journalism.

Ryan Lizza (third from right) answered more questions after his talk with, from left, Josh Ibanez ’13, Sasha Podolsky ’13, Chris Jiambalvo ’13, Uniyme Udoh ‘13 and Merit Glover ‘14

With college essays recently submitted for most of the crowd, students had no trouble relating to tales of the sometimes unglamorous and solitary life of a writer. Students relished the chance to pepper someone with questions about culture and the media who was in their very academic shoes not too long ago. “Mr. Lizza’s speech left me wanting to achieve my highest potential in the political or journalism world,” said Britt Brown ’13, editor-in-chief of The Green & Gray. “I think I’d also like to come back as an alumna someday to reach out to students the way that Mr. Lizza did for me.”

Summer/Fall 2013

/ Campus News /

TRUSTED ADVISORS

ARTS ROUNDUP The blog must go on!

Berkshire’s New Board Members The 2012-13 school year saw the addition of four new trustees to Berkshire’s Board. All four come from different backgrounds and locales, but they have one thing in common: a son or daughter (or both!) at Berkshire. Kirk Kellogg ’87 Kirk Kellogg is the founder and chief executive officer of Kellogg Group, LLC, a Wall Street investment firm that had specialist and brokerage operations on the New York Stock Exchange and specialist, brokerage and various derivatives product operations on the American Stock Exchange, along with various upstairs trading desks. The business was acquired by Knight Capital Group in 2011. Prior to founding Kellogg Group, Kirk was a director with National Discount Brokerage and an equity trader at Sherwood Securities. An avid outdoorsman, Kirk serves as the co-chairman of the Arthur Bartley Chapter of Ducks Unlimited. He previously held the position of president of the October Society, where he still serves on the Board. Kirk is also a trustee with the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team Foundation. A New Jersey native, Kirk resides in Bedminster, New Jersey. His son, Charlie, is a fourth former. Ann Brackbill McKee Ann Brackbill McKee has advised clients as a corporate communications counselor and strategist and as a press secretary. Her most recent corporate position was as executive vice president for Corporate Communications for America Online, Inc. Before her roles in communications, Ann worked as campaign manager in a Congressional race and as a deputy press secretary for 20

Berkshire Bulletin

Clockwise from top left: Charlie ’16 and Kirk Kellogg ’87; Lisa Warren-Kruger with daughters Charlotte Dockery and Hannah Honan ’15; William ’17, Sophie ’14, Chance and Scott Perekslis this summer at the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul; Ann Brackbill McKee

a candidate in the 1988 presidential race. Early in her career, she served as an associate director of media relations under President Ronald Reagan. A Darien, Conn. native, Ann has held volunteer positions in her community, including co-chair of the Council of Darien School Parents, co-chair of the Darien Advocates for the Education of the Gifted, and currently works with The Joshua House Building Fund, an organization that takes teens and their parents to Kentucky to build homes. Her son, Jimmy, is in the fifth form. Scott Perekslis Scott Perekslis is a managing partner and co-founder of Bregal Partners. He has more than two decades of experience in the private equity industry and has worked closely with many public and private middle-market companies. Prior to founding Bregal Partners, Scott served as senior partner of Centre Partners Management LLC, which he joined in 1991. Prior thereto, he worked in the mergers and acquisitions department of Lazard Freres & Co. Scott has extensive corporate governance experience. He currently serves on the Board of ASG Consolidated LLC (American Seafoods), and he previously served as a director of Nexus Gas Part-

Now you can keep up with Berkshire Theater from anywhere on the planet.

ners LLC, the Connors Bros. Income Fund, KIK Corporation Holdings, Inc., and Firearms Training Systems, Inc. A resident of nearby Millerton, New York, Scott’s eldest daughter, Sophie, is a sixth former and his son, William, is in the third form. Lisa Warren-Kruger Lisa Warren-Kruger is an artist and painter who has shown work throughout New England and New York. A resident of Riverside, Conn., she last showed her work in Chelsea, New York, at The Painting Center, where she was a member from 2003-2005. In 2010, Lisa organized a painting show for the Waterside School in Stamford, Conn., a K-fifth grade school for economically disadvantaged children. Through the sale of her work, she raised a large scholarship to benefit the students at Waterside School. Lisa received a BFA from The Rhode Island School of Design, where she was awarded the Florence Leif Award for Excellence in Painting, and her MFA from Yale University. She was selected to attend the residency program at the Skowhegan School for Painting and Sculpture in Maine. Lisa’s daughter, Hannah, is in the fifth form.

http://berkshiretheater.blogspot.com For videos, updates and your personal backstage pass to the hottest shows in Allen Theater!

The eDome, Berkshire’s literary journal featuring works of poetry, prose, artwork and performing arts pieces, is now online. Pictured above: “Grandma,” oil on canvas by Juyoung Lee ‘15

Vine of the Times This fall, a Vine video of Dr. Lance lighting up the Buck Valley Speedway went viral on Facebook with over four times as many views as any other Berkshire post! For more clips from campus, download the Vine app and follow @BerkshireSchool. And for your dose of daily updates, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Summer/Fall 2013

/ Bears at Play /

GAMES ON! Campus became a winter wonderland when over 120 alumni turned out for the annual Alumni Winter Games Day in January. Hockey and basketball alums kept up the tradition, while the School kicked off the first-ever alumni squash tournament with a small but dedicated crew. Families joined the fun in the afternoon when the big sheet was open to all for skating. One alum came back to campus bearing gifts. Ken Gordon ’73 made an incredibly generous donation of new camera equipment that allows Berkshire to webstream events in better quality than ever before. Gordon’s company, Studio Associates Ltd., was founded years ago with two Berkshire classmates Rob Batchelor and Sing-Si Schwartz, who have both since passed away. Gordon donated the gear to Berkshire for use in video, radio and web production. After the alumni games, Gordon stayed to help broadcast the boys varsity hockey game against Williston Northampton from the press box in the Jackman L. Stewart Athletic Center and shared his expertise with our Sports Information and Broadcasting students. So, next time you tune in to a Berkshire event from the comfort of your own living room, you can thank Ken Gordon for the beautiful picture and the excellent sound! Below: Wally Long ’88 (left) and Sports Information and Broadcasting student Molly Crabtree ’15 interview Ken Gordon ’73, who generously donated new camera equipment used for webstreaming our campus events.

Berkshire Bulletin

From left: Courtney Kollmer ’06, Crawford Hamilton ’07, John Diebold ’07, James Butler ’04, George Zucker ’12, Maggie Fiertz ’11

Front row, from left: Matt Crowson ’05, Bradley Hunt ’95, Richie Pallai ’09, Chris Buonomo ’08, Adam Spirk ’00, Alex Watts ’02, Spencer Noyes ’06, Jason Pagotto ’04, Tim Locke ’82, Robin McGraw ’70, Jon Averill ’86, Steven Duryee ’99 Back row: Mike Mullany ’03, Matt Spurling ’09, Chris Reichart ’98, Duke Blackburn ’72, Jeff Pietrasiak ’02, Devon O’Rourke ’02, Whitney Watts ’98, Tommy Carroll ’05, Chris Carboneau ’98, Steven Halperin ’13, Victor Hurtuk ’91 Not pictured: Sarah Appleton ’06, Chris Davidson ’95, Liza Ryabkina ’07

Save the Date: January 11

Winter Games 2014

Intern-ally grateful From left: Paul Piatelli ’09, Jay Cronze ’09, Klayton Johnson ’09, Robert Jacobs ’04, Dillon Kollmer ’10, Chris Bonnette ’03, Max Silva ’07, Misha Hyman ’09, J.C. Duryee ’00, Bobby Moran ’87, David Grace ’09, Javier Winnik ’96

Another highlight of Winter Games Day was the unveiling of the refurbished alumni team photos. Originally hung in Memorial and Allen, the pictures were taken down, restored, reprinted and framed, and now hang on the west wall of the West Rink in the Jackman L. Stewart Athletic Center. Summer interns Nate MacKenzie ’14 and Maddy Maher ’13 put in countless hours behind the scenes retyping over a century’s worth of athletes’ names and cataloging the photos. The project is complete through 1986 with more teams being added this winter. Photos of Berkshire’s court sport teams— volleyball, basketball and squash—will be hung in the gymnasium.

Nate MacKenzie and Maddy Maher before the new alumni team photo display in the Jack

Summer/Fall 2013

/ Bears at Play /

New England Champs!

The 2012 Avon Christmas Classic tournament champs were ranked number one in New England for most of the winter.

A Historic Season for Hockey

Prep School Coach of the Year Dan Driscoll guides the Bears during the 5th Annual Lucille D’Arco Memorial Cup, a game against Taft School played in memory of the mother of former Berkshire assistant coach and 1999 Taft graduate Brad D’Arco (right).

A very talented boys track team took home the Class B New England Championship last spring at Williston Northampton School in Easthampton, Mass. It was a day filled with inspiring personal performances and shattered meet records. An exceptional 4x100m relay team consisting of Zeiko Lewis ’13, Justin Donawa ’15, Brandon Allen ’13 and Marquis Carr ’13, lit up the track with their first-place, record-breaking finish to kick off the day. This was quickly followed by Justin Donawa’s record-breaking performance in the 100m. That was not to be all for Justin, however, as he leapt straight to firstplace in the long jump and the triple jump events as well.

“Our goal for the season was to finish in the top three in New England,” said Coach Brian Sullivan. “We knew if we could stay healthy and peak at the right time, we would have an outside shot at winning everything.” He continued, “Our approach was to remain committed to our training program and to focus on the New England Championship rather than on dual meets. In the end, we peaked when we needed to.” Other Bears who peaked right on time were Marquis Carr, first place in the 110m high hurdles; Brandon Allen, first place in the 200m; and Another Kushaina ’15, first place in the 300m hurdles. The 4x400m relay team— Noah Sinkoff ’13, Nim Farhood ’14,

Zeiko Lewis and Another Kushaina —ended the meet in dramatic fashion when Kushaina closed a 20-foot gap in the last leg to beat the whole field and win it all for the Bears. Coach Sullivan is quick to credit his fellow coaches for the team’s success: Dory Driscoll (hurdles), Julia Cohan and John Malarney (throws), Richard Giles (pole vault) and Jen Anderson (high jump/distance). “Without their daily guidance and efforts,” he says, “it would have been impossible to have such a successful season. It was an amazing team and a season that will be remembered.”

Last winter, the boys varsity hockey team was on a tear. In late December, the Bears headed to Avon for the annual Christmas Classic tournament. Berkshire has participated in this event since its inception 30 years ago but has never finished better than second place, something accomplished twice in the late 90’s. After four hard-fought games, the 2012-2013 squad ended that streak with a double-overtime win over Kent School to hoist the championship trophy for the first time in school history. While the players on both teams gave it their all, the final period belonged to Tim Ernst ’13 who put on a goaltending display that was nothing short of miraculous at times and earned him tournament MVP honors. The Bears kept their winning ways alive in the new year and put together a remarkable 20-game unbeaten streak, which stretched from December 5 through February 18, a school record. The team was ranked number one in New England for the better part of the winter and made it to the Elite 8 tournament where they fell to Salisbury, the eventual tournament champs, in a heartbreaking game played before an enormous crowd in the Jackman L. Stewart Athletic Center. The team, led by Dan Driscoll, was recognized throughout New England for its talent but also its sportsmanship. Coach Driscoll was named Prep School Coach of the Year by the Connecticut Chapter of the National Ice Hockey Official’s Association. “The award’s focus is on team sportsmanship and player conduct on and off the ice,” said Coach Driscoll. “I am very proud of that but reluctant to take any credit as our kids were truly outstanding.” Last year’s assistant coach, Brad D’Arco, sheds some light on Coach Driscoll’s coaching style: “Dan’s greatest abilities as a coach are that he manages the personalities of his teams extremely well, and he makes sure that the culture of the group represents the school and community well. Dan knows his players better than anyone I have coached with. His ability to connect with the kids, and their knowing how invested he is in them, brings out their best.”

The 2013 Track and Field Class B New England Champs

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Summer/Fall 2013

CLASS of 2013

“ Be grateful. Be strong. Be ambitious. Be curious.” So went the conclusion of Jane Kreke’s commencement address to the 112 graduates of Berkshire’s 106th graduating class. Mother of 2013 graduate Karolin, Jane encouraged students, “Remember where you came from and who has always stood behind you. Make them all proud of you. And keep in mind that often in life, you get what you give.” Swetha Kodali ’13, the winner of the Weil Family Prize for Public Speaking, told her own story of her transformational journey through Berkshire. Congratulations Class of 2013! Come back often.

For a list of 2013 Prize Night and Graduation award winners, go to: www.berkshireschool.org/2013graduation

Berkshire Bulletin

Summer/Fall 2013

CLASS of 2013

1 Lilly Weil, Kyla Raab, Jackie Pape, Charlotte Weil 2 How sweet it is! Liz Butler & Diploma

“Berkshire has added so much more to this list of things I will never take for granted.”

3 Corey Wisnowski ’12 congratulates Max Hare

5 Sissi Wang

6 Jean and Maddy Maher 7 Brandon Allen with his mom Migdalia Allen (left) and sister Joy Timmons

—Swetha Kodali ’13

7 5

Berkshire Bulletin

4 All-school President Sam Perkins ’14 (left) and co-head prefects Sydney Beldock ’14 and Matty Wieczorek ’14 led the commencement march.

8 Tim Ernst and Juan Escobar incognito 9 Zeiko Lewis with Mr. Mulder 10 From left: Jane Kreke with children Christopher ’15, Katie, Karolin ’13, Katharina ’12 and husband Henning

Summer/Fall 2013

Reunion Weekend

2013

Soggy weather didn’t dampen the mood as alumni gathered to kick off Reunion 2013 on a Friday evening in June. Festivities commenced with bluegrass music and a “Taste of the Berkshires” food truck dinner held under the tent on Stewart Pitch. Happily, sunny skies prevailed Saturday, clearing the way for a full schedule of events. On the agenda that morning were the pancake breakfast at the Arthur C. Chase Sugar House, the Twiggs Myers Fun Run and classes taught by Berkshire veterans R.G. Meade and Bill Gulotta, as well as newer blood Bebe Bullock ’86 and April Burch. Afterwards, guests gathered in Benson Commons for a delicious barbecue lunch courtesy of Birney Boehland ’78 of Birney’s Foods. The afternoon consisted of hikes all over the

Berkshire Bulletin

mountain, a birds of prey presentation by the Sharon Audubon Society and impromptu frisbee in Buck Valley, of course. After class cocktails across campus Saturday evening, everyone gathered in Benson Commons for the Alumni Dinner Dance. Twiggs Myers Hon. ’57 led the alumni parade into dinner beginning with the Old Guard, followed by the celebrated 50th Reunion led by Class Agent Ray Garrison ’63 and his wife, Bettie. To kick off the evening, Head of School Pieter Mulder recognized the incredible and steadfast service of Norm and Jeanne Merrill, who retired after a combined 54 years of service to Berkshire, a tribute met with roars of applause and a standing ovation from the crowd.

1. Guests found their way from the Jack to the Reunion Tent via candlelight. 2. Dolly Higgins ‘88, Erika Sweetland Morris ‘88, Amanda Fabian-Tsaousis ‘89 3. Lauren Lareau ’98, Dan Morris ’98, Meghan Slipka and Jason Rano ’98 4. 2003 was here in style: Alexia Christopher, Nicole Cormier, Jocelyn Cullison, Libbie Alexander 5. Back in the day, Birney Boehland ’78 (pictured) and classmate Bill Harvey ’78 drove the Zamboni for their winter afternoon activity. “For us it was just one more great experience,” explains Boehland. He continues, “There was a rumor that at some point the Zamboni was driven into town.” We’ll never know for sure, but the story has become part of school lore. When back for his 35th Reunion, Boehland took the Zamboni for a test drive on Sunday morning. He explains, “It was just a quick spin that finished off a great weekend with new and old friends.”

Summer/Fall 2013

Jason Rano Earns Volunteer of the Year Award

David Rondeau Named Distinguished Alumnus of 2013 A highlight of Reunion Weekend was the announcement of David Rondeau ’78 as the winner of the 2013 Distinguished Alumni Award, the highest honor the School confers upon its graduates. David’s long and distinguished career in financial services includes nearly 25 years with Merrill Lynch in a wide variety of roles within the Private Wealth Division. He has served on Berkshire’s Advisory Board since 2000 and chaired that Board for several years, making it a viable and contributing vehicle for the School. He has also served on Berkshire’s Board of Trustees since 2005 and is a member of its Student Life and Admission Committees. Assistant Head of School and Dean of Students Peter Quilty, whom he works closely with on the Board’s Student Life Committee, says, “David is a professional who cares about the School and especially its students. He has

led the Student Life Committee of the Board since its inception and has helped lead the way for an expanded new student orientation program, a comprehensive health and wellness program and a broad review of Berkshire’s residential life program.” David’s deep and abiding love for students past and present manifests itself in very concrete ways. He developed a mentorship program for young alumni, serving as a mentor to several himself. And when it was time to restore our beloved Berkshire Hall, David donated the funding for the complete restoration of Fentress Reading Room. Fentress is a space used for all kinds of events, but most importantly, it’s a quiet space for students located in the very heart of the School, a most appropriate locale for this very kind and giving person and now 2013 Distinguished Alumnus.

As class president for both his fifth- and sixth-form years, Jason Rano ’98 was no stranger to center stage at Berkshire. In notes home from school, more than one teacher commented on Jason’s “natural leadership style” and his ability to connect well with others. And as station manager of Berkshire’s radio station, WBSL 91.7 FM, he had the perfect platform to do so. A dedicated student committed to the community, Jason won the Headmaster’s Prize at graduation. His commitment to Berkshire extended beyond his years as a student, however, as he has served the School in a variety of capacities since, beginning with the role of Class Agent in 1998. Since 2006, he has been a member of Berkshire’s Advisory Board

and was the chair of his 15th Reunion last spring. In addition to his loyalty to his alma mater, Jason’s selflessness extends to his professional life, where he has dedicated his career to public service. After graduating from American University in Washington, D.C., he worked for the Mayor of Baltimore’s office where he helped direct a program tracking Baltimore’s homeless population to try to discover the causes and cures for homelessness. He returned to Washington to become an environmental lobbyist and is currently director of government affairs at the Environmental Working Group. For his deep commitment to serving others and his enduring devotion to Berkshire, Jason was named Berkshire’s 2013 Volunteer of the Year.

Berkshire Bulletin

Classmates planted a symbolic paperbark maple tree in memory of Rafe Kozaka over Reunion Weekend.

Reunion Weekend concluded on Sunday with the traditional Service of Remembrance in the art gallery of the new Fine Arts Center in Berkshire Hall, the first-ever event held in this venue. The names of alumni and former faculty and staff who died during the past year were read by Twiggs Myers and several alumni were eulogized by classmates and family members. The Class of ’93 organized a memorial to honor their fallen classmate Rafe Kozaka, who

passed away on September 10, 2008, in a tragic logging accident, just months after their previous reunion. A free spirit and true outdoorsman, logging was a lifelong joy and passion for Rafe. Just prior to his death, he had started his own logging company, Kozaka Logging and Tree Services. He lived simply and harmoniously with nature and was generous and kind to all he met. Classmates held a special ceremony in his memory, where they shared their stories of Rafe before planting

a symbolic paperbark maple adjacent to the Arthur C. Chase Sugar House. Arleen Kozaka, Rafe’s mother, was in attendance, as was Hilary Russell, Rafe’s advisor while at Berkshire. To honor Rafe’s generous and gentle spirit, over 20 of his classmates pooled gifts to create the Rafe V. Kozaka ’93 Memorial Fund. To commemorate the anniversary of his passing in September, a sugar maple was planted at the trailhead to South Pinnacle behind MacMillan Dormitory.

The Class of 1973 Honors Former Faculty

Jason Rano (left) with Pieter Mulder at the Alumni Dinner

The Class of 1993 Remembers Rafe Kozaka

The Class of ’73, led by Class Agent Jerry Weil, made their 40th about foreign language. Or, the foreign language lab, that is. On the occasion of their 40th Reunion, the Class came together and raised over $300,000 in cash and pledges to dedicate the language lab to three extraordinary former faculty members: Nancy DuryeeAas, W. Ross Hawkins and

Marianne Stein Hubert. The three teachers were honored for “their passion for the craft of teaching and their unwavering commitment to the students of Berkshire School and its motto, Pro Vita Non Pro Schola Discimus.”

From left: Class Agent Jerry Weil ’73, Nancy Duryee-Aas, Ross Hawkins and Marianne Stein Hubert

Summer/Fall 2013

Graduation 1973: future Class Agent Weil with Marianne Stein Hubert and Tom Chaffee

In an email to the Alumni Office and some Berkshire friends, Marianne Stein Hubert, who flew from Belgium to join us, captures the excellent good mood of the weekend:

“It was a spectacular weekend (even Belgian rainy weather was present), and everybody was smiling and delighted to be back. What a compliment for a school to have all those happy former students, families, faculty, and friends back on campus! I have participated in many reunions in several countries on three continents

but none as precious as Berkshire. The modernization of the foreign language lab is a genius idea. For learners, it is the next best thing to being there, and I am very proud to be honored along with remarkable personalities such as Nancy and Ross. Avec beaucoup d’émotions, merci Jerry, Paula et toute la classe de

1973 pour votre générosité, votre esprit d’entrepreneur, votre temps précieux et surtout ‘LA’ bonne idée!” On behalf of the Class of 1973, “De rien, Madame Stein!”

Berkshire Bulletin

1. The Class of ’83 in Buck Valley, from left: John Guetens, Katie Saxby-Welsh Schindler, Chris Perry, Serge McKhann, Barbara Braun, Dorrie Argo Sieburg ‘93, Steve McThomas, Karen Schnurr Secrist, Eric Luden 2. Caroline and Bill Wigglesworth ’63 3. Former faculty Marianne Stein Hubert and Fran Hunt 4. 2008, happily reunited 5. Morgan Ralph ’03 and Ernie Tchoi ’03

6. Tami Richards ’88 with children Zachary and Penny, and Susannah Hall Appleton ’87 with her son Nathan 7. Bettie Garrison, Ray Garrison ‘63, Kim Doggett ‘63 8. Kim Harvey Lopes ’93 and Kate Stringham ’93 9. Sarah Bakheit ’83 and Eric Mellinger ‘84 10. Ingrid Van Zon Borwick ’83 with Bill Spalding ’65, who returned to Berkshire’s fall coaching line-up as part of the volleyball program 11. Jamie Bartholomay Niemie ’73 and Pete Hathaway ’73 12. Former trustee Peter Young ‘54 with his wife, Georgia, and daughter Christie ‘78 13. Jim McCurrach ’53 and Pres Cooper ’53 celebrating their 60th 14. The Class of ’63 takes in the Birds of Prey presentation, from left: Kim Doggert, Toni Doggert, John Grace, Patricia Grace, Chat Wetherill, Karen Watson, Tom Watson 15. David Ritter ’93 with future Bear Vivian

Summer/Fall 2013

s r a ethe B in r i A Aviation Science Takes Off By Virginia Watkins

“It’s just me and the instruments.” – Juan Escobar ’13

Berkshire Bulletin

Summer/Fall 2013

“Flying teaches crucial lessons about freedom and responsibility. Learning that it is the greatest of both is something that students can’t help carrying over into their everyday lives.” – Michael Lee, aviation science instructor

Berkshire Bulletin

Originally called “Education with Wings,” Berkshire’s first aviation program was launched in 1943 to prepare the country’s boys for World War II. It has come a long way. Back then, the Army and Navy sent air-cadet trainees to Berkshire, where they received academic instruction and took flying lessons at the Great Barrington Airport. The cadets slept in Spurr House and ate in the dining hall. Berkshire boys could participate in the flying lessons as well, and nearly a third of the students were involved during the program’s two-year duration. During the winter, the wheels were taken off of the biplanes and replaced by skis, requiring that pilots land only on snowy runways. Students were required to take meteorology, navigation and radio courses. By 2010, when Berkshire brought back the program provisionally for Pro Vita Winter Session, the course filled up in fewer than three minutes. Now a semester-long class taught by Michael Lee, father of Berkshire grads Chris ’94, Josh ’06, and Jack ’10, the program has grown into one of Berkshire’s most beloved courses. Lee credits the School with the program’s early success. “The School is committed to making Berkshire a place where education really is ‘for life’ and to creating opportunities that will serve that end,” Lee said. “I saw this in the support I received developing the program, and I see it in the support I’ve received since then.” Lee’s interest in flying began years ago in the Australian Outback, where he was teaching at the time. There wasn’t a lot to do besides fishing and hunting, until he found a local glider club, which he frequented as often as he could. After moving to the U.S., Lee felt the urge to fly again. It didn’t take long for him to switch his focus from gliders to airplanes, and he rented a small one for about a year, competing for air time with other renters who wanted to use the plane as much as he did. He finally bought his own plane and has been up in the air ever since, constantly training and learning more.

After he received his commercial pilot’s license, he realized that this was, in fact, something he could do for the rest of his life. In the meantime, he’s flown to Newfoundland, the Bahamas and, more recently, to see his son Jack at the University of Michigan. Lee’s love of teaching played a huge part in his decision to take on what is a many-faceted program at Berkshire. “This is no easy course,” he explains. “Students learn about aerodynamics, meteorology, navigation, radio communication and instrumentation. At the same time, they give up their Sunday mornings to come to the airfield and get their flying hours in.” In addition to working with Mr. Lee, students also fly with Great Barrington Airport’s chief flight instructor Peggy Loeffler. In all, they accrue between six and ten hours of flying time before they take their certification exam. “High school students come without most of the fears that we as adults have acquired over the years,” says Loeffler. She continues, “They come without preconceived ideas of what their strengths and weaknesses may be. A young person can gain tremendous growth, maturity and confidence from flight training. They soon realize they are capable of doing something very few of their peers can do, and that is, get into a plane and fly it almost anywhere they want! Handling an airplane gives them great confidence that can carry over to other aspects of their life. This is so beneficial to a young person.” In the spring of 2013, Lee prepared nine of these young people for the FAA Ground School Certification Exam— an initial requirement for earning a pilot’s license—while sixth former Juan Escobar ’13, who completed preparation for the exam in his fifthform year, continued his studies beyond initial certification into the increasingly difficult area of instrument training. A native of Venezuela, Juan has been flying with his father for years, starting with trips to islands near their home

Left: Berkshire’s 2013 Aviation Science class with instructors Peggy Loeffler (far left) and Michael Lee (second from right) Below: Juan Escobar in the cockpit during a Pro Vita trip to Florida for flight training

in Caracas. A gifted aviation student, Juan says that flying began for him as a necessity. It has, however, become a very real passion. “I love the feeling of being up above everything and looking down,” he says. “And Mr. Lee taught me the importance of organization. This is not something that I understood at first. But now it makes sense.” He also discovered that what he was learning had extended into his everyday life. “Now, I can’t help it. I find myself checking and planning before I do things.” Last winter, Juan and his father flew over the Swiss Alps, and then in May, Juan soloed from Great Barrington to Hartford, Conn., where he met his father and then proceeded to fly south, to revisit the University of Virginia before ultimately enrolling. “It was really fun,” he admitted, when asked about flying alone. “It’s just me and the instruments.”

Lee concurs. “Flying teaches crucial lessons about freedom and responsibility,” he says. “Learning that it is the greatest of both is something that students can’t help carrying over into their everyday lives. I see it when it happens: that moment when they understand that, yes, this is a terrific amount of fun, but, also, there’s the utmost duty to pay attention, to keep things organized, to plan ahead. It’s a real moment of growth. A moment that they’ll draw from continuously, whether they know it or not.” A commercial aviation major at the University of North Dakota (UND), Billy Sullivan ’11 is taking what he learned in the aviation program at Berkshire to new heights. He is a member of UND’s aerobatic flight team, a specialized and demanding area of aviation that requires highly focused attention, discipline, physical Summer/Fall 2013

“Spending time in a plane totally changes how you view yourself—you’re flying a plane, that’s one of the coolest things you can do, and the confidence that you have translates into every single aspect of your life.” – THEO FRIEDMAN ’11

Above left: Billy Sullivan, proudly wearing Berkshire green at the University of North Dakota, where he is enrolled in their fouryear professional aviation program. Above right: Kira von Steinbergs shows off a piece of her shirt after her first solo flight on May 21. The tradition of cutting off a shirttail after this milestone dates back to before World War II. The writing on Kira’s souvenir designates the Great Barrington airport (KGBR), the aircraft registration (N44794) and the runway on which she landed (RWY29).

Berkshire Bulletin

conditioning and a broad spectrum of flying skills. “I credit Berkshire,” he says, “and particularly Mr. Lee and Ms. Loeffler, with sparking my passion for aviation. I did my first solo at the Great Barrington Airport and wouldn’t have been able to do it without them.” And Billy is still flying high. This fall he placed first in the U.S. National Aerobatic Championships (Primary Sequence) representing UND, a tremendous accomplishment in the aviation world and even more so considering that his first piloting experience came just a few short years ago at Berkshire. “Aviation Science is one of the best courses I’ve ever taken,” says Francesca Ghi ’14, a Canaan, Conn. native. She continues, “Though the coursework was rigorous and time-consuming, the payoff every Sunday was more than worth it. From the very beginning we were literally in the pilot’s seat.” Ghi concludes, “Mr. Lee’s own passion for aviation helps spark that passion in students, as well.” That passion has inspired many of

last year’s students to continue flying, including Ghi. Kira von Steinbergs ’13, who had her first solo flight in May, is hoping to take aviation even further at Union College and continued her flying lessons this summer. Six months after graduating from Berkshire, Theo Friedman ’11 earned his private pilot’s license. “Doing what Theo did was not easy,” says Lee. “He passed two rigorous tests—the FAA Knowledge Test and the Flight Test—and completed some 60 hours of flight training, all within a year, while carrying a full courseload during his senior year at Berkshire and then again in his first semester at Tufts.” When asked about the program, Friedman doesn’t hold back. “The aviation science program is an amazing opportunity, and it’s what ignited the fire for flying for me,” he says. “The class is challenging and demanding, but not overwhelming. The best thing about it is that you are doing all this work for something tangible, not just a letter on a report card. It’s an absolutely

incredible opportunity, and it changes your life.” From the 1940’s to today, Aviation Science continues to give students a tangible sense of freedom, tempered by a very real appreciation of the responsibilities involved. Theo Friedman reveals the power of this experience when he says that, “Spending time in a plane totally changes how you view yourself—you’re flying a plane, that’s one of the coolest things you can do, and the confidence that you have translates into every single aspect of your life. You feel more confident in the classroom, with your friends, in any situation—if you can fly a plane, you can handle anything.” Virginia Watkins is Berkshire’s website manager. A Richmond, Virginia native, she lives on campus with her husband, English teacher and girls varsity squash coach A.J. Kohlhepp, and their children, Allison and Max.

Thumbs up from the flight deck: Francesca Ghi and Brandon Allen ’13 at the helm

Summer/Fall 2013

Climbing Out of the Hole A Veteran Helps Combatants Recover from PTSD By Megan Tady

Sandy, pictured here in his Naval “whites,” in November 1963

At 73-years-old, George Alexander “Sandy” Creighton ’59 has found his calling. He’s been a real estate developer, a telecommunications entrepreneur, and currently, a financial advisor. Now, Sandy is volunteering to help veterans struggling with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). “I’ve moved from a human doing to a human being,” he says. Creighton is a Vietnam veteran who served as a Special Forces combatant leading top-secret missions throughout Southeast Asia during the 1960s. After the war, he returned home safely, but was haunted by the experience before discovering he had PTSD. He says it took him nearly 30 years to “climb out of the hole.” “I want to be engaged for the rest of my life helping these lost souls find their way back faster than it took me,” he says.

Sandy with his wife, Elizabeth, who has been by his side for over 50 years

PTSD is a psychiatric disorder that can occur after witnessing or experiencing a traumatic, life-threatening event. People with PTSD often relive their experiences through nightmares and flashbacks, and can feel on guard, irritable and detached from reality. The symptoms can disrupt a person’s life, and make it difficult to transition back to “civilian life.” Nearly 30% of veterans treated at V.A. hospitals and clinics since 9/11 have been diagnosed with PTSD, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs . “They say, ‘War is hell,’—well, it is,” Creighton says. A dark experience

Just one hour before President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, Creighton was commissioned an Ensign USNR and was given orders to deploy to Vietnam. Dressed in his “whites,” he was having lunch with his aunt and then-girlfriend (now-wife, Elizabeth) in a restaurant overlooking Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island. It was a sunny, beautiful fall day. The waiter delivered the news: “The President’s been shot.” “Everyone in the restaurant sank into complete shock,” he says. A Florida native, Creighton drove home to visit his family a few days later. Like everyone else on the road, he pulled his car over and stood silently as Kennedy was buried— cars stopped and people lining the highway in a show of solemn respect. “The world changed,” Creighton says. And shortly thereafter, so did Creighton’s. In Vietnam, he worked as an explosives expert. “It was a deeply dark experience,” he says. “I did my job, I stuffed my emotions, and I just plowed ahead. But at some point, all that past catches up with you.” Creighton said he had too many “bad moments” in combat. “Taking lives, trying to save lives, and having people

die in my arms was not a bearable reality,” he says. Eventually, it did catch up with him. After he returned from Vietnam, Creighton says he felt “doomed, alienated and angry at everyone I saw.” For decades, he struggled professionally and personally, chased by memories of war and a painful childhood with an alcoholic father. “I had 19 bosses over 35 years of civilian work and I kept wondering why they didn’t like me,” he says. “My survival skills allowed me to get my job done well, but they didn’t allow me to get along with people.” At the age of 47, Creighton was finally diagnosed with PTSD, and he joined a recovery program modeled after the 12-step Al-Anon program. Slowly, his self-esteem began to improve. He began to develop a spiritual practice and worked to make peace with his past. “I had to accept that something had to be done,” he says. “I found my way back to understanding where I had come from and where I needed to go. Today, I’m full of hope.” Now he’s using this transformation to serve others. “The agony I went through in finding my way out has given me a resolve [to help] as many people as I can to climb out of their hole,” he says. “I am aspiring to do this for the rest of my life.” Coming home

At the Pine Street Inn, a homeless shelter in Boston, Creighton volunteers every week, meeting and quietly listening to veterans struggling to recover their lives from PTSD. “The people that I’m working with are almost always alcoholics and/or drug addicts because they can’t take it; they’re ashamed and want to find an escape,” he says. “All have been

homeless and are the most needy.” According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, veterans represent 23% of homeless Americans but make up only 9% of the nation’s population. Combatants, many of whom are returning from back-to-back tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, have a difficult time transitioning into normal life. Creighton says veterans with PTSD are like “time bombs.” And most civilians can’t relate to the experience, which further isolates vets. “When you’re in combat and you have your buddies die and you kill people, you come back to this country, guilty to be alive, and you see people walking around completely clueless as to what’s going on ‘back there,’ and you can’t stand being here. That’s the judgmental part that tears your brain apart,” he says. Creighton also wants to educate the public on how to welcome and support veterans coming home. “‘Thank you for your service’ means little,” he says. “That’s got to be backed up with a steady dedication to help them find their way back to humanity. We just can’t throw money at this problem; we must treat vets with kindness and respect but allow them their dignity with love, encouragement and hope.” Approaching his 55th Reunion this spring, Creighton says the younger generations on campus renew his hope. “The beauty of looking back at Berkshire is that I have the faith now that most of those bright young kids aspire to serve their fellow man.” Megan Tady is a freelance writer from Easthampton, Mass. Read her work at: www.word-lift.com.

1. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/10/21/nearly-30-of-vets-treated-by-v-a-have-ptsd.html

Berkshire Bulletin

Summer/Fall 2013

Hooked on Healing Changing Lives Through Fishing and Friendship By Garry Morfit

In 2007, Garry Morfit ’61 took two veterans fly fishing on a ten-day fishing and sightseeing trip in Alaska on his boat, “Hot Ruddered Bum.” Since then, he has hosted over 100 similar trips and is turning a recently purchased home into a safe house retreat for deserving wounded vets.

Left: The author (far right) with Marine vet Bill Johnston, who lost both legs in Vietnam and fished from a special wheelchair built to allow him to move comfortably on the boat; and Mike Oreskavic, who lost his left arm in Iraq and has used fly fishing adaptively to help him learn to conquer many tasks with one arm

Berkshire Bulletin

Summer/Fall 2013

Garry Morfit

I was sitting on my boat in Ketchikan, Alaska, in the fall of 2006. I had just read an article in a local newspaper about a group of soldiers that had been hosted on a fishing adventure in Kodiak, and thought I would look into the possibility of doing the same that summer. As a Vietnam vet, I knew we did not get a whole lot of respect when we returned to the States and reaching out to wounded soldiers seemed to be a great way to say thank you for their service and sacrifices. After doing some research from my home in South Carolina, I called the founder of Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Ed Nicholson. I asked him if he would send up a couple of deserving soldiers from Walter Reed Hospital, but they did not have a budget to cover such a trip. I replied that I and a friend, Bill Potter, who also served in Vietnam, would pick up the expenses. After a trip to Washington, D.C. to meet Ed, he sent two soldiers to join me for a trip that summer. Most of the trips last from 7-10 days and start and end in Ketchikan (the first city you reach as you cruise north from British Columbia). We circle Revilla Island and go up into the fabulous Misty Fjords along the way. Depending on the time of year, we cruise about 300 miles total and fish

Berkshire Bulletin

for salmon, halibut, Ling cod, Dolly Varden, rainbow and cutthroat trout. On some trips we fly into a remote lake where we are the only anglers and have caught and released upwards of 100 fish on our fly rods. My first wounded vets with Project Healing Waters (PHW) were Robert Bartlett and Chris Short. I was nervous about finding fish for them so they wouldn’t be disappointed. We hit the jackpot right off the bat, and the pressure was off. In the end, the friendships that were formed became way more important than the fishing. When Robert said he wanted to thank me not only for the trip, but for giving him a goal in life—to work hard so that he, too, could give back to vets in the future—I was hooked. After ten days together, Robert saw in spades the benefit of this trip for all three of us. PHW founder Ed Nicholson gives soldiers scheduled for fishing trips a lot of advanced notice so that they have something to look forward to during recovery. Enter Ferris Butler who had come back from Iraq with severe leg wounds. In May 2008, after 15 months at Walter Reed and over 40 operations, it had become necessary to amputate his left leg due to infection. The night before the operation, Ed asked Ferris if he would like to go fly fishing in Alaska that summer. Two days after the amputation, Ferris sent me an email wanting to know what kind of flies to be tying, which weight rods to bring, and most importantly, was he likely to see any bears. Between Ferris’s May operation and his trip in late August, he decided that the prosthetic on his left leg was doing so well that he would have his right leg amputated as well. When he told the doctors of his decision, they told him they could operate that summer. Ferris answered, “Hell no, I’m going fishing in Alaska! You’ll have to do it when I get back.” That’s the power of PHW and Ed

Nicholson’s genius at its finest. In 2012, more than 120,000 PHW volunteer hours were donated to helping veterans. With only a few paid staff, the growth of PHW from one venue in 2005 to 150 at present has only been possible thanks to the work of volunteers. I am proud to be one of them and thankful for the others, who feel the same way. As I have said many times, if the vets are getting half as much out of the program as the volunteers, then they are doing very well. With 13 trips and 31 guests during the summer of 2012, I was putting a fair amount of pressure on myself and on the boat. During eight years of running trips around the island, I had always admired a fabulous house, and on the last trip of the summer, I discovered it was for sale. Despite its enormous appearance, the house was only 1,600 square feet and had an unfinished guest cabin. Again, I was hooked. The house, which I now call “Healing Towers,” would allow me to increase the number of vets that can experience the greatness of Alaska, since they could cruise 3-4 nights (instead of 6-10) and spend the balance in the house. The savings in boat fuel would help pay for operations. This year, I’ve been able to increase the number of guest nights aboard the boat from 289 to over 600 thanks, in part, to the tremendous help of people who believe in Project Healing Waters. It is indeed a potential life-changer that will continue to be so for many years to come. Unfortunately, we will never run out of vets who need help in improving their lives, but the continued support from so many people will make a difference for everyone involved.

You can learn more about Project Healing Waters at www.projecthealingwaters.org

“As a Vietnam vet, I knew we did not get a whole lot of respect when we returned to the States, and reaching out

to wounded soldiers seemed to be a great way to say thank you for their service and sacrifices.”

“Hot Ruddered Bum” moored below “Healing Towers,” the house Garry Morfit purchased for use as a retreat for wounded veterans

Summer/Fall 2013

/ Class Notes /

75th

Jay H. Rossbach (561) 832-7090

Reunion Weekend

Robert Kieve returned to California after attending the 70th Reunion of his class at Harvard. Kieve still works as CEO of two radio stations in San Jose. Daniel Gratiot ’80 writes, “I am very sad to say that my father J. Peter Gratiot passed away on July 4, 2013. My father always had a great fondness for Berkshire, and always enjoyed visiting when I was a student there. During my last reunion visit, I had the opportunity to have a look at his school archived files. What a joy! Amazing communications during that time between Seaver Buck and my grandmother, and many fascinating telegrams — it was a different world! I especially enjoyed reading the teachers’ assessments, which were so similar to mine! I guess the apple never falls far from the tree.”

Save the Date: June 6-8, 2014

Come back to the Mountain to see some familiar fac

es!

42 David Jones writes, “Not too many of us still around, but for reasons unfathomable, I am still going pretty strong. Walk about two miles most every day, drive down to our condo in Bonita Springs, FL for the winter, and go on two or three cruises a year. It’s a tough life! In fact, probably all due to Helga, my young wife. All the best to Berkshire.”

Berkshire Bulletin

From left: Pres Cooper ’53, Jim McCurrach ’53, Twiggs Myers Hon. ’57, James Kimberly ’58, Peter Young ’54

and just don’t do anything silly. We are very lucky to be able to enjoy our lives together like that. Best wishes.”

44C

70th

This summer Calvin and Pat Thompson donated to Berkshire their collection of books on Nepal to honor Lee Weil ’44C, a former U.S. Ambassador to that country and good friend. Through the Thompsons’ generosity and deep affection for Lee Weil, students at Berkshire will have access to an extensive collection of works on a topic dear to Mr. Weil’s heart.

count her out. She and her son Arch Hoxton (who will come if his cousin, Pamela Burke does) both urged me to contact Pamela, which I did. She is very enthusiastic about the idea and promised that there would be at least one Burke at the event, probably more, since many of them are alumni. She will contact her deWindt brothers (at least one of whom is also an alumnus) so we may have a big turnout and a great event. See you all in June!”

45 Philip W. Goodspeed pwgoodspeed@comcast.net

46 Gerald O’Connor barnard.oconnor@gmail.com

Robert Riche has a new novel, My Hotshot Career in Television. It’s a comic novel with underlying seriousness. He invites one and all to visit his website www.robertriche.com.

George Church III gc3@nycap.rr.com

44A

Berkshire has a full slate of offerings for the weekend including hikes, an alumni golf tournament, classes with some of your old teachers and the Alumni Dinner Dance under the tent on Stewart Pitch. Mark your calendar today, and come back to campus to reconnect with old friends and faculty. Questions? Contact Jodi Rathbun at 413-229-1308 or jrathbun@berkshireschool.org.

Ol dG ua

Robert W. Doyle, Sr. robertwdoyle@hotmail.com

70th

Weston Gourley writes, “Both Reggie and I are in reasonably good health, enjoy our kids and grandkids, and travel between Suffield, CT and our home in Stuart, FL. We cruised along the Maine coast in late August, and we have another cruise planned in the Caribbean over Thanksgiving. So far, all the doctors tell us to keep doing what we are doing

65th

50 Calvin and Pat Thompson

From Tom Wolf, “I had lunch with Ruth deWindt Hoxton in August. She’s 96 and in remarkably good health. She will probably not make it to Berkshire in June for Reunion Weekend; it’s too long a trip, but she does not want us to

Charles K. Elliott, Jr. chazel303@aol.com

51 John B. Hull III (413) 528-1528

Summer/Fall 2013

/ Class Notes /

1953 Reunion: Jim McCurrach, Charles Berry and Preston Cooper

53 John G. Cluett jcluett@aol.com

Herbert Roskind writes, “Four members of the Berkshire Class of 1953 attended their 60th Reunion in June and found the school feeling the same, looking different, greatly expanded and improved. We enjoyed enthusiasm for the school, warm hospitality and madeto-order weather, much improved from our rainy 50th Reunion. We’ve already planned our 65th Reunion.”

60th

David W. Sauer stillpoint@windstream.net

Peter Young writes, “Georgia and I were enticed to return to Berkshire for the 2013 Reunion as our daughter Christie was traveling from Georgia to be at the school for her 35th Reunion. Though it was an “off year” for me for reunion, our experience was above and beyond expectations.” Beyond the terrifically planned activities for the weekend, we were fortunate to spend marvelous hours with the nifty son of an old family friend, Bill Bullock, Director of Development and his lovely wife Bebe Clark Bullock ’86 as well as Messrs’, Berry, Cooper, Roskind and McCurrach from the Class of ’53 celebrating their 60th Reunion. Having not returned to the school in a number of years, I was extremely impressed with the transformation that has occurred over recent years. The additions and improvements to the physical plant have been tastefully executed, 48

Berkshire Bulletin

afford an enhanced learning experience and maintain the character of the school I remember from years back. The new athletic facilities are greatly expanded and improved as well. May I strongly recommend to all of the ’54’s that you plan to return to the school for next year’s reunion which, obviously, is our 60th Reunion. Summer in the Berkshires is worth the trip. If there is significant interest in attending reunion next year, I am sure some special events can be planned for the group.”

55 Stephen V. R. Spaulding III rensf@yahoo.com

56 In early July, Tim Austin traveled to Yankton, SD to the National Field Archery Association headquarters for a Council Meeting. A week later, he then drove north to Cleveland, OH to manage the Archery portion of the National Senior Games. Tim is still actively involved managing Archery Championship competitions and managing the Florida Archery Association Administration.

57 Walter S. Henrion walthenrion@gmail.com

Walter Henrion writes, “Your class agent has not forgotten you, but I am beginning to think that you have forgotten your class agent. Page and I spent two weeks in Peru—our first trip to South America. We loved Peru, Lima, Cusco, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, and the Rain Forest of the Amazon. I would like to bring you up to date on our Endowed Faculty Award. In May it was awarded for the sixth time, this year to AJ Kohlhepp. You will be getting from Berkshire a detailed report on AJ, but let me say that he has been an English teacher for the last 13 years, including serving as the Chair of the Department. What I like most about him is that he got his PhD from the University of Texas. A little update on our Endowment; as of March 31, 2013

we had funds totaling $388,273 and still have some outstanding pledges from our 55th Reunion gifts. Not too shabby for a graduating class of 39 and approximately 32 still “kicking” but not as hard as we used to. Let me know what you are up to. I am still living in Dallas and you are all invited to come visit our Texas hospitality. “

alumni authors

Williamson “Wick” Murray ’59 Moment of Battle: The Twenty Clashes that Changed the World

58 James Kimberly has published his first book, Totally Buffaloed, a generally comical series of fifty-two short stories about growing up on the shores of the “Queen City of the Great Lakes.” It is to be available through eBay and Amazon, and other national bookstores. James developed the idea at the request of his niece and goddaughter Dana Kimberly. She requested of both James and his brother Kim Kimberly ’47 that they write down all the family jokes and funny traditions before they should grow too old to remember it all. There are several stories and references to Berkshire alumni and former faculty in the book, one of which includes: “Until 1990,” James said, “I had only written 10 comical poems and 18 short stories. In 1991 I wrote one one-act play and one three-act play. But that experience, coupled with plenty of foundation thanks to Berkshire’s star teachers Ed Ames and Arthur C. Chase (“the Bear”), made me realize that writing is the delightful hobby of a lifetime.” James has also written “Ridiculous Riddles,” 165 riddles subtitled, “Always Carry a Conundrum.” He is now completing “The Santa Barbarians,”subtitled “Forty Stories Too Humorous to Mention.”

55th

Richard H. Elias mardic68@hotmail.com

60 H. Todd Spofford tspofford@charter.net Stephen P. Norman steve@spnormanco.com

A defense analyst at the Potomac Institute and professor at the Naval War College, Williamson “Wick” Murray ’59 has written numerous books on military history. His most recent one, “Moment of Battle: The Twenty Clashes that Changed the World” (Bantam) was co-authored by James Lacey. The book highlights battles “on the basis of their long-term impact on the course of history, not on the basis of their importance to the study of military art,” which makes it a great read for military history buffs and general audiences alike. On the book’s origins, Murray explains, “We are both military historians and the Creasy book has been around for a long time.” (That’s Sir Edward Creasy’s 1851 work, “The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World.”) He continues, “We simply decided to approach the topic of where war has changed history (for better or worse) from a modern perspective.” The Wall Street Journal reports, “Messrs. Lacey and Murray offer the reader a happily varied platter of offensive wins, defensive victories, and battles ranging from great strategic alignments, such as Kursk and the first Gulf War, to razor-thin, ‘want of a nail’ results, such as Midway and the Spanish Armada. ‘Moment of Battle’ provides delightful pace and color in mixing descriptions of tactics with the human face of war.”

61 Peter R. Kellogg pkellogg@iatre.com

Peter Kellogg writes, “John Ellwood stepped off the Berkshire Board of Trustees in February, having served since 2006. Hans Carstensen ’66, chairman of the board during most of John’s tenure, had this to say of his work: ‘I think of John as one of the most consistently thoughtful members of the Board; nothing escapes him, and his resultant follow-up queries are of enormous benefit, no matter what the context.’ Thank you for your years of service to Berkshire, John.”

Anthony Goldschmidt returned to campus and was welcomed by a group of classmates: Peter Kellogg, George Beebe, and Ed Harrington. Anthony gave a talk to the students on the importance of creativity and persuasive passion in the technological world. He toured art classes and offered individual advice on portfolios, photographs and entrepreneurial ideas. Anthony is a renowned graphic designer based in Los Angeles, CA. Leonard Grace is doing well; splitting his time between Newport, RI and West Palm Beach, FL. Jeri Langham writes, “I am now leading nine tours a year for Victor Emanuel Nature Tours (VENT). The

Jeri Langham ’61

company has a new program whereby I can give a $300 discount voucher to anyone who has never taken a VENT tour. We visit 124 places around the globe, so there is something for everyone and the voucher is good for any tour. You can contact me at langhamjm@csus.edu for any questions and can check all my tours at http:// ventbird.com/people/jeri-langham. I am just about finished with my grand Costa Rica tour so I am sending a photo taken recently at the Hummingbird Gallery where I had up to four species of hummers standing on my hands as they fed from the feeders. There were seven species total, and we also saw the Resplendent Quetzal and Three-wattled Bellbird.” Benjamin Shreve recently became a great-grandfather. Donald Goodrich writes, “I attended Berkshire graduation in May to see Mohibullah Amin ’13 graduate with distinction in Chinese. He returned from a five-week Chinese language emersion program at the Middlebury-Montery summer school at Green Mountain College in Vermont and now attends Williams College. He is seventeen and fluent (or nearly so) in English, Pashto, Dari, Urdu and Chinese and can understand and speak some Hindi. That covers the languages of half the world’s population: an important half. Two weeks later, I attended the graduation of the ninth grade class from Pine Cobble School in Williamstown. Naseema, Mohib’s sister, was among the graduates. She wore a beautiful white embroidered Afghan dress with a long sheer white scarf over her shoulders. She gave a wonderful speech and was lauded for her quiet, dignified leadership in the Pine Cobble community. She now Summer/Fall 2013

/ Class Notes /

62 attends Stoneleigh Burnham School in Greenfield. Their older sisters (bio-chem majors at Mount Holyoke College and Smith College) did summer internships: Asma with a Biology professor at Smith and Salma in the research laboratory at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. Their other sister, Seema, will graduate from Miss Hall’s School next year and is working on her college applications. Wellesley is on the top of her list. Matiullah Amin ’08 graduated from Williams in 2012 and is between jobs waiting for his work permit to issue this fall. His little brothers, Mohammad and Mujeebullah are now fluent English speakers and will be first and second graders at Pine Cobble next year. Still in May, I attended the graduation of Suraya Hazrati from Mount Holyoke. She is in Boston doing Dari and Pashto to English translations for a documentary filmmaker chronicling life in a girls’ school in Kabul and looking for an apartment and full-time work. Maryam (St. Lawrence University) is doing a dual internship at the International Development Research Center and Foundation for Afghanistan in Washington, DC. Naeem (St. Lawrence) and Farid (Bates College) are also doing internships in Washington, DC and staying with their older brother, Javid (Beloit College 2010), who continues to work for the German Marshall Fund. He travels around the globe attending and speaking at international conferences, consults at the Pentagon and regularly publishes scholarly papers focusing on Afghanistan and Pakistan. Mohd “Mustafa” Basij-Rasikh ’08 graduated from Bates College in 2012 and is in Afghanistan. He has spent the last year working for a task force supported by the U.S. Department of Defense missioned to identify investment-worthy small and medium size Afghan businesses to strengthen the Afghan economy. He was married in August. He hopes to return to the United States in a couple of years to do graduate work, then back to Afghanistan to raise a family. Alina (Bennington College 2010) is in Toronto, living with her husband, mother and newborn daughter, Isra (freedom in Turkish). She is completing a compilation of Sally’s 50

Berkshire Bulletin

email exchanges going back to August 2004. Science equipment and supplies for the school in Logar are in Kabul and the instructions for the 30 experiments selected by students at Mt. Greylock Regional High School in Williamstown, MA are being translated into Pashto. It is exasperatingly slow getting things done in Afghanistan, but they do get done and the lab for the school will be built, equipped and in use soon. Mustafa once described Afghanistan as “chaos in a cauldron.” Its people demonstrate all of the characteristics that define what it is to be human. Here are a few: courage, compassion, love, hate, greed, ignorance, intelligence, guile, candor, honor, secrecy, cruelty, arrogance, deception, resiliency, hospitality, vengeance, fear … and often these are in the same person and expressed within minutes of each other. Its vibrancy is intoxicating; its beauty, breathtaking; its independence, fierce; its volatility, dangerous; its mysteries, impenetrable; it’s suffering, heartbreaking. I continue to read and watch the news and talk with Afghans about Afghanistan. It is always bittersweet. But, none of these things stopped my wife, Sally. She found her footing in this quagmire of a place out of which emerged the death of our son, Pete Goodrich ’85 and into which she infused her uncompromised message of

In 1962, Dave Hemelright was studying about Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam in Tim Bray’s history class. “Little was I to know that six years later I was going to be right in the middle of it all,” he says. Hemelright enlisted in the Marine Corps as a helicopter pilot and spent 13 months serving in Vietnam beginning in 1968, flying excursions in “hot zones,” including the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) during the Tet Offensive. After a long career that included positions as a flight instructor, a maintenance manager of an Office Depot, and a maintenance supervisor for schools in Broward County, FL, he’s now semi-retired in Knoxville, TN. Of his time at Berkshire, he says: “I was a run-ofthe-mill average nerd. I just kind of hung in there.”

love (her rebuke to Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda and the Taliban) and found what she called her second “perfect” life. It helped enormously having the Berkshire community behind us – with us. We could not have done it without you.”

alumni authors

Andrew S. Berkman aberkman@cpny.com

John Thompson ’68

Ray H. Garrison rgarrison40@comcast.net

Girl from Felony Bay

50th

John R. Hendrie JRHendrie@aol.com

65 James T. McKinley jim@jtmckinley.com

66 Harlan J. Swift timswifty@gmail.com

67 F. Woodson Hancock III whancock3@aol.com

Bruce Madden got remarried to Galina Luzan from Omsk, Russia (Siberia) on May 15, 2013.

2013 was not unlucky for John Thompson ’68. He published three books this year: “Chain of Souls,” (Pressque) book two of the successful Salem Witch trilogy co-authored by Jack Heath; “Baghdad Vendetta,” (Pressque) the third installment of the Brent Lucas series in which Brent returns with his Jack Russell terrier Hairy, in another fast-paced thriller, this one set in the dark shadows of the War on Terror; and “Girl from Felony Bay” (HarperCollins/Walden Pond Press), his middle grade fiction debut. Thompson said he had never considered writing for children—the book is geared for ages 8-12—until his daughter Liza, who was 12 when he started the book, asked him to write something for her. For research, Thompson asked his daughter to name some of her favorite books, so he could get a sense of the audience. After reading some of Liza’s suggestions (“Hoot” by Carol Hiaasen, “The Lightning Thief” by Rick Riordan and “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins to name a few), Thompson said he was “blown away.” He continued, “These books are truly made for every audience. They have more originality of plot, characterization and use of language than an awful lot of adult fiction does. I had a blast doing it.” And audiences are having a blast reading it, too. “Girl from Felony Bay” was named a Junior Library Guild Selection, and the second Felony Bay book is already in the works for 2014.

68 L. Keith Reed lkreed@eclipse.net

19 63 Front row, from left: Tom Watson, Bill Wigglesworth, Arlene Stewart (wife of Cliff Stewart), John Grace, Hawley Chester Back row: Jack Gibson, Ray Garrison, Chat Wetherill, Pete Anderson, Peter VK Parsons, Kim Doggett, Ed Grant, Henry Bush

Christopher Blair writes, “Regarding the 45th Reunion in June: It’s odd to amount to 25% of a returning class even though it wasn’t an even number. Great time with Davis Andersen, Latham “Skip” Murfey, and David Cox. Plenty to see and plenty to talk about.”

Richard Gallagher ’66 found this photo of his father’s hockey team. His father, Richard S. Gallagher ’33, is the third from the left in the second row.

Summer/Fall 2013

/ Class Notes /

Island. They spent some time on the Mountain revisiting old haunts. Tim Brooks, happily retired from Berkshire, works for his son managing several properties in Northwest Connecticut. Stanley Bridges regularly attends reunions and says he is doing very well. Photographer David Soliday is still living in South Carolina. He travels regularly to promote his book.

John Y. G. Walker III jwalker2353@gmail.com

19 68

From left: David Cox, Davis Anderson, Chris Blair, Skip Murfey

Hilary Russell, former faculty, with Edward Chase ’69, Kent “K.C.” Clow ’69 and James “Seamus” McKeon ’69 on campus last spring for a lacrosse game.

45th

Kent S. Clow ksc3@msn.com

70 Robert L. W. McGraw blackrockfarm@hotmail.com

Update from Robin McGraw: “Last fall, Fred King joined many alumni to watch the Boys’ Varsity Soccer

From left: Andie ’17, “Buzz”, Robin ’70, and Maddie McGraw ’07

Berkshire Bulletin

Team complete a perfect season with a resounding victory over Exeter in the Division 1 New England Championship game at Middlesex School. The WNEPPSA Champion ’69-’70 side, Berkshire’s first, captained by Fred and David Soliday, saw all its longtime records fall to the finest boys soccer team ever to grace the Berkshire pitch. The Stewart Trophy, named after legendary coach Jackman Stewart, was fittingly presented to the Berkshire team by Elly Stewart, wife of Jackman. Although I don’t see or hear from many of our classmates, I am lucky to catch up with many alumni who attended Berkshire before and after us. In two years it will be our 45th. I would like to hear from all and pass the news along. On a personal note, I am again a Berkshire parent. Our daughter, Andie, is a third former boarder and looks forward to making her own mark under the mountain. I can still be found in the Sugar House or on the mountain. Who would have known?” Stuart Hungerford sold his home and possessions in Clearwater, FL and is on a cross country tour to rejuvenate his life and complete some items on his “bucket list.” He says he is great and looks forward to seeing many of his classmates during his travels. He has already seen Craig Gibson and Peter Turino on Long

Caroline Weil Barnett ’76 and niece Charlotte Weil ’13 soon after Charlotte’s graduation from Berkshire

Leon Jerome Weil jeromeweil@aol.com

76 Stephen H. Hassett stevenhass@aol.com

Stowe Shoemaker ’73

Stowe Shoemaker is the new dean of the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, as of July 1, 2013. For the full press release please go to: http://news.unlv.edu/release/stoweshoemaker-named-dean-harrahcollege-hotel-administration

40th

Kevin Jones writes, “Dear Fellow Bears, while a student at Berkshire I often wondered, what is a writer’s life like? Through the years the daydream recurred often enough that I began to plot a way to it. What I found is a magical place of satisfaction I’ve never known in any other hard work. Since then I’ve drawn inspiration from my family and friends and a semi-finalist showing in a writer’s competition then sponsored by Publishers Weekly and The Penguin Group. That book will be out next year. A second novel of mine can be found by late July online, at your local library and in fine bookstores. If you don’t see it, ask for it by name: Due Unto: Denmark Vesey’s Story. You’re sure to explore a bit of history, and yourself,

Louise A. Clement luluinsf2005@yahoo.com

75 Joseph M. Fusco joe@techworkers.com

Sydney Waldman ’77

19 73

Front row, from left: Dean Chamberlain, Nancy LoGalbo Ellis, Paula Pevzner, John Watkins, Web Walker, Chris White, Rex Morgan, Jamie Bartholomay Niemie Second row: Ken Gordon, Bill Drake, Barbara Marshall, Mark Richardson, Susan Peck, David Ring, Tom Mullany Third row: Phil McGuckian, Jeff Follert, Jerry Weil, Lyman Bullard, Charles Morelli, Clay Biddinger, Pete Hathaway, Chris Groves Back row: Scott Hoffman, Chip Perkins, Ed White

inside. I hope all is well with you and yours and I look forward to seeing some of you sometime on campus.”

77 David W. C. Riatti riattid@gmail.com

the Camden Hills High School girls’ lacrosse team. Jack Stewart is never far from my mind when I coach!” Congratulations to David Rondeau for being named Distinguished Alumnus of the Year at Reunion Weekend

Sydney Waldman announces the formation and opening of his new business in Houston, TX: Waldman Funeral Care, which specializes in both end-of-life and pre-need arrangements.

78 Birney B. Boehland birney@birneysfoods.com

Elizabeth Leonard Goodale writes, “I was visiting Cuenca, Ecuador with my two daughters Adrianna and Jesse. We were there to see the home Nat is building for us. Nat relocated the family to Cuenca in 2011, but it was not a fit for our teenage daughters. He remained in Ecuador to build a farm for us to eventually live in. I am living in Lincolnville, ME with my daughters. I teach Kundalini yoga, at the Cornerspring Montessori School and coach

Elizabeth Goodale’s daughters Adrianna and Jesse on horseback (top) and the family home in Ecuador

Summer/Fall 2013

/ Class Notes /

David Sacks visits New York regularly to stay up-to-date on Broadway shows. He lives in Florida where he is an attorney and also works in local theater. Both of his children inherited the gift of song and dance. Our 35th Reunion in June 2014 will be the right opportunity for more of our classmates to get caught up. Save the Date: June 6, 7, 8 of 2014.”

19 83

Steven P. Veronesi sveronesi@cox.net

19 78 From left: Birney Boehland, Tim Fulco, Jeff Corbin, Mark Sullivan, David Rondeau, James McCurrach, Christie Young, Bill Harvey, Lance Vermeulen, Nanki Doubleday, Peter Jennings

2013 in June. Please see page 30 for more details. Birney Boehland and William “Bill” Harvey had such a nice time together at Reunion Weekend in June that they have decided to go into business together! They are becoming distillers and naming their company B&B Spirits. Their first spirit is the Carolina Summer Hummer and will make its debut by Christmas of this year.

35th

Robert D. Thomas bthomas@wwsg.com

Susie Norris writes, “I came to work for Berkshire a year ago where the highlight of my job has been connecting with alumni all over the country. I’m happy to report that my travels have led me to several members of the Class of ’79: Ben Barrett is enjoying living in the Berkshires and running his own business. Important news: Ben will host a Class of ’79 alumni event at his famous cabin in Egremont during Reunion Weekend 2014. Frances Fusco works for the Ford Institute of Transformational Training and travels regularly between the Berkshires and California. The Fusco Family is 54

Berkshire Bulletin

still true to Berkshire — Joan Fusco ’85 visited campus during Pro Vita week, John Fusco ’78 hiked to Black Rock last fall, and Joe Fusco ’75 and his wife Karen Parker ’74 joined the Berkshire reception in San Francisco. Scott McGregor is a petroleum engineer in Dallas, TX and has worked for the same company for 25 years. His children are college-age and he hopes to make it back to campus for Reunion Weekend 2014. Jim Irwin is an engineer for the state of New Hampshire. His wife and daughters are avid skiers and they spend much time on the slopes of northern New Hampshire. Gregg Beldock is a current Berkshire parent of Sydney Beldock ’14. He has been on campus regularly and has done much to support Berkshire. He and his wife are based in Vermont. David Locke and Bob Thomas are members of Berkshire’s Advisory Board, and have been hard at work in supporting Berkshire’s mission through active volunteerism and service. Doug Hanslip is at work as Managing Director at Allegis Partners in New York and Chicago, IL. He attended Berkshire’s receptions in Chicago and New York, part of a record turn-out.

Jodi Behr Bigall’s twin boys began their own journey at Berkshire this fall. Gavin and Logan are third formers and mom is a very proud alumna. Daniel Gratiot is still living in London, UK, where he continues to work for Nokia. Probably the most important news is that he has been married since March 2012, and is very happy to report that he has an adorable 6-month-old daughter. As far as Dan is concerned, he is beginning the second fifty percent of his life and is off to a great start!

Front row, from left: John Fletcher, Karen Schnurr Secrist , Katie Saxby-Welsh Schindler, Barbara Braun, Sarah Bakhiet, Serge McKhann, Mark Zion, Ingrid Van Zon Borwick, Steve DeFelice, David Weeks Back row: Langdon Van Ingen, John Guetens, John Cashman, Michael Garrett, Eric Luden, Chris Perry

Nancy Simson ’81 marrying her partner of 10 years, Natalie Foster, at Bethesda Terrace in Central Park February 26, 2013. They had a mini reunion with Anthony Addison ’82 and Sue Ann Stanton ’81 while they were in New York City the night before the wedding (below).

81 Sue Ann Stanton sasroyale@yahoo.com

Marty Berger is still happily living on the Big Island of Hawaii, practicing law and surfing every chance he gets. Marty was in New York in July, caught a Mets game with Buddy Ontra and some other Bears, and had lunch with former Berkshire teacher Les Clifford. Annie Godfrey Clyne writes, “Hello, classmates! Anybody have a big birthday this year? I did and am so happy to have celebrated with a few of my fellow Bears—went to Chris Adam Granger’s surprise birthday dinner in Fairfield (she lives basically around the corner). Chris has two boys, Ricky and William, sixth grade and sophomore in high school. Her family has a winery on their farm in Canaan, CT called Land of Nod Winery; it’s on the Connecticut Wine Trail and is definitely worth a stop when you are in the area. Chris extended her birthday celebration by heading off to Cancun

where she vacationed with Michelle Edwards Arnold and Michelle’s husband Wayne. Michelle and Wayne live in Naples, FL with their two sons Morgan and Parker—Morgan is a freshman at Georgia Tech. In March, Leslie Schnurr Lyman came down to Fairfield and we had a great lunch with Chris and Karen Schnurr Secrist ’83 and then headed into Manhattan for dinner with Tom Delavan. Tom and Leslie talked A LOT about being prom dates. Tom looks great, and his house in the West Village was in the NY Times magazine section. Tom is an interior designer and was off to Milan the next morning. Leslie and I had lunch with Sue Ann Stanton the next day. I saw Buddy Ontra the other day at the deli—he is looking good and was having a ham and cheese on rye

with a Snapple. That’s my news, Class of ’81—what have you guys got???” Lindsey Fielder Cook writes, “At Christmas, my husband Robin Roth and I met up with Livia Curti Morjikian ’83 and her husband Mason Morjikian at Catamount Ski Area. Our children, Henry Morjikian and Gabriel and Anna-Rebecca Roth, have known each other since they were little and even attended camp together in the Berkshires, though their parents live in New York (Morjikians) and Germany (Roths).” Allen Maxwell writes, “Here’s my tidbit about life in Utah! Skied a ton this year, rode the Harley a little more

this summer, vacationed in Malibu with my wife to “get away from it all,” took up fly fishing and planned a road trip to Montana in the fall. Have been working a ton developing websites and really enjoy it. My son graduated from high school and started at the University of Utah in August—can’t believe my kid started college! My daughter decided she wants to move out and make a go of it on her own— she’s going to try community college in the fall/winter. That gives me the jitters… Hope the class is doing well!” John Voss and his wife, Melissa, just moved to Charlotte, NC to be near his daughter and her husband. John is looking forward to being a grandpa in November!

George Rioseco sent in this picture of future Berkshire lacrosse brothers after a big tournament win at Yale. As head coach he is always talking up the Mountain. Regards to all. From left: Livia Curti Morjikian ’83, Robin Roth, Lindsey Fielder Cook ’81, Mason Morjikian

Summer/Fall 2013

/ Class Notes /

Dave Molloy ’83 and Lauren Okie Clark ’85 with their families rafting the Deschutes River in Oregon

82 Anthony P. Addison anthony_addison@ml.com

Andrew Champagne writes, “With the death of my beloved father and turning fifty, I cannot help reflect on the sacrifices our parents made in order to send us to Berkshire and how fortunate we were to attend such a wonderful school. I would like to say hello to my Berkshire brothers in arms Alex Sumner, Blake and Anthony Addison, George Rioseco and Brian Fahy. I would also like to pay my regards to Mr. and Mrs. Young and Mr. and Mrs. Kinne—wonderful people who have given their all for Berkshire.”

83 Karen Schnurr Secrist ksecrist6@comcast.net

30th

Christopher Jennings recently founded Supply Chain Advocates. His company provides a peer advisory service to mid-market companies implementing supply chain management solutions. He does this by introducing them to their larger industry peers, the advocates, that have already been on this journey, sharing lessons learned from their own implementations and saving his clients a lot of time and money during the due diligence phase.

Berkshire Bulletin

off to college. After 8 years of doing this I continue to have added respect for Mr. Toffey helping me with the process back when I was at school. Choosing a college is a lot of work. I got a chance to get up to Berkshire twice this year and it was wonderful to be back. In October 2012 we had a deWindt family reunion in order to bring my grandfather Del deWindt ’39 back to the Mountain. It was a beautiful time with family and there really is nothing better than autumn in the Berkshires! I was also back up in May to celebrate our fifth generation — Eliza Berg ’13 walked across the stage to earn her diploma. A little bittersweet to realize how many decades have passed when I last did the same thing, but so proud that our legacy continues. I’m working hard on my sister Betsy’s son, Tyler, to think about becoming a Bear so I have more excuses to come to campus and visit. He’s only seven, but it’s never too early to start! Although it’s a couple of years away, I’m looking forward to catching up with all my classmates at our—gulp—30th Reunion. Our last one was such fun and had such a great showing; I can’t wait to see what will happen and who will be at the next one. See you then!

Lauren Hopper Beaulieu ’84 and Ross Galloway ’86 with sons Gregory Beaulieu Jr. and Gavin Galloway, who played squirts hockey together on the same team this year for the Saratoga Blue Knights in Saratoga Springs, NY—sometimes even on the same line! What a fun hockey season we had reminiscing about some of our Berkshire days!

Robert Mueller went skiing this past winter with several classmates from 1984—Kevin McCulloch, Jamie Ward, Craig Powers and Talbot Adamson were all able to attend. Looking forward to seeing everyone in June at Reunion Weekend.

Megan McDonnell Boyle writes, “I haven’t written in years, but my second son, Tanner Boyle, now attends Berkshire as a third former, alongside a few other kids whose parents graduated in 1986. Bebe Clark Bullock’s son Liam, Lara Schefler McLanahan’s son and daughter Jake and Georgia, and Lara Gutsch Dario’s daughter Lindsy.” David Braeger’s company, Braeger Auto Finance Group and their parent company Braeger Financial Group, was featured in the Wall Street Journal in June. They are an auto finance company that finances credit facilities for the subprime auto market. For the full story, please follow this

85 Lionel A. Shaw lionel_shaw@yahoo.com

Heather Steck Von Seggern writes, “Hello fellow Berkshire-ites, Things have been busy in southwest Florida! I survived another school year, helping to get 147 seniors at IMG graduated and

David Braeger ’86

link: http://online.wsj.com/article/PRCO-20130626-908480.html Bebe Clark Bullock writes, “I saw Justin Miazga this winter at a hockey tournament. While our son Silas and Justin, Jr. did not play against each other, they were playing back to back. Tracy Wenzell Davlin was back on campus for her niece Hattie Waldron’s graduation this spring, and I saw Tracy at the Berkshire boys’ soccer championship where she joined us for their victory against Exeter.” Lara Schefler McLanahan is excited to report that Jake’s twin Georgia will be joining him at Berkshire this fall! The legacy continues!

19 88 Front row, from left: Huna Myers, Jonathan Siegel, Mari Tonan, Wally Long, Erika Morris, Meredith Harris, Tami Richards, Keith Hughes, Connie Gillman Second row: Matt Brand, Kerstin Marcum, Nick Quinn, Jeff Tillou, Marlo Zarka, Jen Dyer, Lucette Henderson, Dolly Higgins, Harry Cohen, Tony Schwartz, Tom King Back row: Chris Kemper, Corey Gilkes, Steve Altman, Peter Cutler, John More

years, raising our two girls and living on a little organic farm. Life is good. Hope to see you next spring!” Amelia Simandjuntak writes, “I just want to say hello to all my Berkshire alumni friends. I am now a mom of three beautiful children ages nine, six and four. I live in Jakarta, Indonesia. Best regards to all the teachers and staff at Berkshire. Still praying that one day soon I will be able to visit my old school.”

Rhonda M. Bentley-Lewis rbentleylewis@partners.org Lara Schefler McLanahan lsmcl@optonline.net Jake McLanahan ’16 and Georgia McLanahan ’16

88 Walter D. Long, Jr. walterdlong@gmail.com

Harry Cohen captured the City Council seat for South Tampa, FL in March. Harry, an attorney who has worked in private and public practice, easily won the District 4 Council seat that covers South Tampa, FL. He won nearly 61 percent of the votes in the runoff election against travel industry executive Julie Jenkins.

Lt. Col. Thomas M. Maddock ’87, USAF with Mr. Tom Brokaw; the photo was taken just before his Honorary Degree Ceremony at Air University, Maxwell AFB Alabama (November 14, 2011).

25th

Christie Dufault has co-authored a cookbook with her husband, Jordan Mackay. The title is “Two in the Kitchen” and the publisher is Weldon Owen. It is filled with delicious recipes and great tips for entertaining, and it is not just for newlyweds. Annie Tutwiler MacKenzie writes, “Greetings! I am really hoping to see the whole crew at our 25th next year. Start making plans now! In the meantime, if you find yourself in New Hampshire, look us up at Proctor Academy. We’ve been teaching there for 14

Amelia Simandjuntak ’89 and family

Summer/Fall 2013

/ Class Notes /

alumni authors

Christie Dufault ’89 Two in the Kitchen: A Cookbook for Newlyweds

Sommelier and wine educator Christie Dufault ’89 recently co-authored a cookbook with her husband, wine and spirits writer Jordan Mackay. The book, “Two in the Kitchen: A Cookbook for Newlyweds,” is a compendium of fresh and simple recipes and features practical kitchen advice and fun entertaining ideas. The authors draw on their professional experiences with a focus on drinks, as well as a section on how to set up a home bar. There’s also a section on how to co-exist happily with your spouse in the kitchen: important advice for newlyweds, but also for anyone who’s ever tried to prepare a meal in tandem. (Take note, cooking clubs!) “We both grew up in households in which family mealtime was sacred, and the rituals surrounding eating and drinking have continued to define and unite us,” say Dufault and Mackay in the introduction. They continue, “Cooking together is a way of reveling in each other and in our union. We hope that you will find the same bliss in the kitchen that we do.” For those searching for more bliss out of life, “Two in the Kitchen” could be a very good place to start.

90 Natalie Bradley Clarke ninabclarke@gmail.com Natalie Dillon Rinaldi natrinald@gmail.com

Andre Appignani and his wife Ana are proud to announce the birth of their daughter, Ava Lou, born April 15, 2013 - 7lbs 9oz of awesome! Christopher Bond writes, “It’s been a long time since I’ve communicated with Berkshire—actually my first time since graduation. Not really sure why, I just haven’t. I am part a great class with some great friends. What a time it was. A lot has transpired since the spring of 1990—wow. First, college 58

Berkshire Bulletin

then moved to Oregon and got a job with Nike. Got married and had two boys. Best thing I’ve ever done. Truly couldn’t have scripted it better. Fast forward and now we’re moving to the Netherlands and I am sad for the loss that comes with a big move (mainly for my boys) but am also thrilled for the life experiences that are ahead of us/them. I’m back working in football (soccer - right, Jackman Stewart?) and traveling around Europe trying to overcome the stereotype that Americans don’t know or don’t play football. Give me time and we’ll get there. Who knows what lies ahead, but I can truly say that Berkshire was a defining time in my life. I gained confidence and friendship. I found love and learned about loss. I learned how to be a part of a community. But mainly I learned about myself and what I wanted to be. I am so thankful for my opportunity to spend a few years at Berkshire.” Maggie Ross Meiners writes, “Family life is all good with two boys aged nine and eleven, one of whom already has his heart set on Berkshire. My husband and I are both involved in the Arts in Chicago and enjoying going to different events related to that. I suppose my biggest news at the moment is that I have an exhibition of my photography at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art in Indiana in November. I am honored to share the space with painter Charles Gniech and multimedia artist Deanna Kruger. So, if there are any Berkshire alums in the area, keep an eye open for the opening. I hope to get back to Berkshire this year and am looking forward to the 25th Reunion in a couple of years! Hello to all!”

91 John K. Fretz jfretz@bmedtech.com

Ava, daughter of Andre Appignani ’90

which was a bit of a blur. Then I met my wife to be and, despite the thought of “playing” for a few years, I got serious because I knew she was the one. I

Jo-Ann Barett writes, “I opened Aromas Boutique Bakery and Cafe in New York City eight months ago. We are an all-natural bakery cafe and offer gluten-free, sugar-free and traditional desserts. I saw Ayelet Rosenfeld recently. She stopped in for our monthly dessert tasting in May. Stop by if you’re

in the area - we’re only 2 blocks from the Target in Manhattan.” Jane Naylor and her partner, Kenneth Beneke, recently opened The Farm Store at Willow Brook, located just outside of the Village of Millerton, NY. They carry Hudson Valley Fresh dairy products, as well as their own farm raised pork and beef. They are a member of the Cabot Cooperative, and offer Cabot products, as well. The store also carries their own grown vegetables, including their famous sweet corn, which has been sold on the farm for over 20 years. They also carry local products from the Hudson Valley and the Berkshires. Willow Brook Farms was a featured farm at John Andrews Restaurant in Egremont, MA in the spring and The Greens at the Copake Country Club also carries their meat products on their menu, as well as Hudson Valley Fresh. Berkshire School now carries Hudson Valley Fresh, too! A side note, Jane will be proudly carrying Jessica Trotta McQuilkin’s ’93 book in their store, too.

19 93

Front row, from left: Charlie DuCharme, Kate Stringham, Hilary Mueller, Mehmet Karasaban, Dorrie Argo Sieburg, Katy Magee Kenney Second row: Kristin Baker, Tenley Reed, Kim Friese Matsune, Carrie Bodman, Melissa Hird Rea, Kim Harvey Lopes Third row: Allison Spooner Linley, Joshua Person, Matt Casey, Matt Skinner, Gerrit Veeder, Winthrop Hotchkiss, David Ritter Back row: Sarah Gee ’94, Keita Sato, Alan Pagnamenta

John Lusins has finished his fellowship in Forensic Psychiatry and has started a private psychiatry practice in Corpus Christi, TX.

93 Tenley E. Reed tenley@mac.com

The Farm Store at Willow Brook

Amanda Wonson Clark and her husband Dan welcomed their second son, Samuel Wonson Clark, on March 5, 2013.

92 Abram W. Duryee III bduryee@clearpoint.com

Miho Hirase writes, “I got married in 2010 and live in Gwangju, South Korea since then. I wonder if my old Korean friends at Berkshire live in Korea as well. I lost touch with Mi Ra Park ’93, Bo Kyung Kim ’93, and JeungYeun Kim ’93 after I graduated from Berkshire and always wondered how all of them were doing. Hoping to get in touch with them once again after all these years. My contact e-mail address is merche-urikorea@hotmail.co.jp.”

Amanda Wonson Clark ’93 with son Samuel and husband Dan

Levi Norton just completed law school and has been admitted to the Virginia Bar. He continues to work at Conservation International where he celebrated his 20th anniversary in September and is doing pro bono work as a part-time prosecutor in central Virginia. Yuri Jeong, daughter or Miho Hirase ’92

Summer/Fall 2013

/ Class Notes /

94 94

20th

Francis A. Blair francis.blair@gmail.com

Julie A. Lemire juleslemire@hotmail.com

Paul Pimpinella currently lives in New Hartford, NY with his wife Danielle and daughter Lily, who is 4. He is the managing partner and principal of the law firm of Compson & Pimpinella, PLLC. Paul last attended his 10th Reunion and had a blast and is looking forward to going to the 20th Reunion next year! A note from Francis Blair: “Hi, fellow Bears! Can you believe our 20th Reunion is right around the corner?! I’m looking forward to seeing everyone under the Mountain again at June’s Reunion Weekend, and please don’t hesitate to let me know if you’d like to be a part of this year’s reunion committee. Hope everyone is well.”

Katherine King Mahan katiecking@yahoo.com Tatum Vittengl Smigelski tvittengl@yahoo.com

Noah Fischel with childcare workers at the Mamahau Drop-In Center in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Agent of Change Noah Fischel ’94 is the U.S. Operations Director for African Solutions to African Problems (ASAP), a group that supports grassroots organizations of women running drop-in centers for orphans and children made vulnerable by AIDS in South Africa. ASAP is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, having raised close to $5 million for orphans in South Africa. Noah answered some questions from the Bulletin below.

Sophie, daughter of Jennie Burkhard Jadow ’95

95 Bradley P. Hunt bradley_hunt1313@hotmail.com

Jennie Burkhard Jadow and her husband David are thrilled to welcome a daughter, Sophie Madeline born February 7, 2013. Jennie continues to work at Shakespeare and Company in Lenox, MA where she is an actress and theater educator.

How did you get involved with ASAP? I began working in South Africa in 2004, a year after ASAP was founded by Priscilla Higham, our inspiring leader. It was her passion to support women and, in turn, the commitment of those women to care for vulnerable children that moved me to commit myself to the work. South Africa has the highest HIV/ AIDS population in the world. In the rural areas where we work, the number of children affected by the pandemic is staggering. We have developed a six-year model to build sustainable drop-in centers serving the daily, basic needs of these children: nutrition, education, counseling and access to medical care and social services. What are the next steps for ASAP? ASAP has supported 700 women to care for 15,000 children. We hope to establish nine new drop-in centers serving 2000 children over the next two years and subsequently as many more as donor support allows. I have seen so much change in these nine years: I’ve watched children become young adults; barren ground become drop-in centers with vegetable gardens, saplings turn to trees and orchards of peaches; and women, once desperate and unsupported, come together to affect meaningful change in their communities and in the lives of these most desperate kids. Very inspiring. I only hope the next ten years will be as rewarding as this last decade has been.

For more information on ASAP, visit www.AfricanSolutions.org. 60

Berkshire Bulletin

Aaron Fisher has recently been hired as a tenure-track assistant professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. Aaron, his wife Lindsey, and their three kids Wyatt, Duncan, and Milo moved from Palo Alto to Berkeley, where they hope to live for a long time! Tyson Kamanthe won the masters men’s 35-39 cross-country race in July at the 2013 USA Cycling Cross-Country Mountain Bike National Championships at Bear Creek Resort in Macungie, PA. Andrew McKay screened his documentary film “To Them That’s Gone” [trailer and info: www.tothemthatsgone. com] in June at the Berkshire International Film Festival, in Great Barrington and Pittsfield, MA. This award-winning documentary tells the story of Run for the Fallen, an apolitical memorial run that traveled 4,000 miles across America to honor military service members killed in Iraq. The project was inspired by a college friend of Andrew’s who was killed in Iraq in 2005. Tatum Vittengl-Smigelski and her husband Corey Smigelski welcomed their first child, Victor Robert Smigelski, on April 9, 2013 at Mt. Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, MA at 4:16pm weighing 5lbs 1 oz and measuring 19 1/4 in.

because it’s one of three shows in the United States (the other two being the San Diego Comic Con and C2E2 which I have been a part of for the past two years as well) that actually selects who can exhibit in the Artists Alley versus simply reserving a table. With that confirmed I exhibited my children’s book there in October. I also have received news that Upper Deck will contract me to do some artists Sketch Cards for their next upcoming Marvel NOW and THOR set of cards.”

97 Gordon B. Kellam gordonkellam@yahoo.com

Milan Babik writes, “After a couple of years teaching international relations at Colgate University, my wife Jane and I and our two children Kylian and Matyas moved to Camden, ME this summer, where Jane now teaches 10th grade English at Camden Hills High School and I will work on my second book. The first one, Statecraft and Salvation, was published by Baylor University Press in August.”

William Fike ’97 and Monica Nista

Javier Winnik writes, “I have been exhibiting my art at comic conventions for the past 5 years and now will be at the New York Comic Con for the second year in a row. It’s a huge honor

William Fike and Monica Nista were married in Sonoma on April 13, 2013. Aaron Gelfand and his fishing partner Bobby Monsted won the Port Forchon

Aaron Gelfand ’97 and Bobby Monsted

Louisiana Saltwater Series Redfish tournament in June by only .13 pounds. Jessica Morris is engaged to Rob Noll, as of August 12, 2013.

98 Jason C. Rano jayrano@yahoo.com

Caroline Christen Hijazi writes, “A couple years ago I left my job and since then, lucky me, life has only been challenging (in a fun way). In 2010 I got engaged to Baker M.B. Hijazi and then we moved to Malta Island for a year where he completed his master’s degree in diplomacy at Malta University. That same year I returned to college, enrolled at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division Program, where I am still completing a degree in graphic design. In the summer of 2012, after our wonderful wedding in Geneva, Switzerland, I then joined my husband in Ramallah, Palestine where we’ve been building our home. We are now preparing and are extremely excited to welcome a new member to our family! We are expecting a baby girl in November.” Jason King writes, “My girlfriend Allison Rote and I are the proud parents of our son, Camden Lee King, born April Summer/Fall 2013

/ Class Notes /

Weekend, and please be in touch if you’d like to be a part of this year’s reunion committee.”

00 Brooke T. Beebe brookebeebe@gmail.com

Kenzie Brodeur, daughter of Angela Greenlaw Brodeur ’99

19 98

Front row, from left: Lauren Lareau, Julia Rockefeller (mother of Jenn Dinaburg) and Arthur Cooper, Crystal Mendez Back row: Chris Reichart, Dan Morris, Jason Rano

Camden Lee King, son of Jason King ’98 and Allison Rote

23, 2013 at 5:53 pm, weighing in at 5 lbs 9 oz and 18 inches long. Camden is a great baby and we love him like crazy! Sorry to have missed everyone at this year’s Reunion, but maybe next time!” Per Don Morley, former faculty, on June 16, 2013 Katri Morley Jackson and her husband, Jesse, had a baby girl, Annika Leigh Jackson. Baby and mom are doing great. Gabe Boucher and his wife, Katie welcomed their firstborn, Cecilia Rita Boucher, on Sunday, July 7, 2013 at 5:54pm, weighing in at 7 lbs 11 oz. All are doing well.

Berkshire Bulletin

Kristina Laskovski McElhinney (right) and her baby girl, Nora, born on March 24, 2012 being held by classmate Lauren Lareau

15th

Michael D. Gutenplan michaelgutenplan@aol.com

Todd Ballaban is happy to report that he and his wife Amy recently relocated from Los Angeles to San Diego, CA, where he has accepted a position as Upper School Dean of Students at La Jolla Country Day School. They are also

expecting their first child in November. Angela Greenlaw Brodeur writes, “I am doing fantastically and can’t believe it’s already 2013! My husband, Michael, and I just celebrated our 5th anniversary on July 26th and just had baby girl number two on February 21, 2013. Kenzie is now 4 months and Callie is 15 months and time is going by so quickly. I am still keeping very busy with Angela Greenlaw Photography and have a new 1800 square-foot studio that opened in Lakeville, MA in September.”

Brooke Beebe got engaged at Thanksgiving to her boyfriend of four years, Troy Noble. They will be getting married in Newport, RI in January, 2014 at Ocean Cliff Resort. Brooke and her fiancé are also in the process of buying a house in Marlborough, MA. Brooke directed a summer camp at Fay School for children ages 3-8 and returned to teaching kindergarten and coaching JV field hockey in the fall at Fay School in Southborough, MA. Eve Bruneau writes, “After living all over the country for the past 10 years, I am finally settling down for a few years in Philadelphia, PA. I am in my second year of my general surgery residency at Rowan University in southern New Jersey. Residency is hard and tiring, but incredibly exciting. I am honored to have such amazing experiences and it is a privilege to treat patients. I try to keep some balance in my life, and continue to foster my green thumb and sneak away from the city once in a while to enjoy the outdoors. Philadelphia is a hidden gem and I encourage everyone to pay it a visit sometime.”

01 Shannon M. Flynn flynnshannonm@gmail.com

Shawn Baron was recently married to Hollyn McManus of Sauk Rapids, MN. They were married on June 15, 2013 at The Minneapolis Club in downtown Minneapolis. They currently live in Brooklyn, NY, where they met each other four years ago. Nicolas Emery writes, “It’s been a big year. In November 2012, I moved back to the States after living abroad in Italy for about eight years. In May I got married to Giulia Laveto of Verona, Italy, which we celebrated with a magnificent pig roast in Great Barrington. We are currently living in Phoenixville, PA.” Philip Sandick will graduate from Northwestern with a J.D. and LL.M. in International Human Rights in June 2014, at which point he and his wife Colleen and their daughter Penelope will move to Atlanta, GA where he landed a clerkship with a federal district court judge.

Daniel Gulotta ’99, Stephanie DiSantis ’92, Debi Gulotta and Eric Gulotta (son of Daniel) on Saturday March 16, 2013 at a Washington State alumni reception hosted by former faculty Tom and Susan Young

Daniel Gulotta writes, “Camille, Eric (born June 18, 2012) and I moved from Seattle, WA to Naivasha, Kenya for one year starting in September. Camille is the Chief Resident at Naivasha District Hospital, and I’m teaching, getting my masters, and running from hippos. Wish us luck!” Michael Gutenplan writes, “Hi everyone! It’s hard to believe but our 15th Reunion is right around the corner! Looking forward to seeing everyone next summer at Reunion

From left: Jill Miller (previously Meyer), Jaclyn Brander, Julia Hansen, Courtney Pierce

02 Matthew P. Sposito matthew.sposito@gmail.com

Bryan Houseman and his wife Jessica welcomed a son to the world, Grayson Bradley Houseman, on May 1, 2013.

Katherine Daigh Berry got married to Nate Berry at the Everglades Club, in Palm Beach, FL on March 16, 2013. Julia Hansen got engaged in March to Justin Lynch of Hingham, MA. They are planning a wedding in Newport for next June. Julia is enjoying her new job

at Beth Israel in an oncology clinic as a Nurse Practitioner and is still working a few shifts at Mass General Hospital. She hopes everyone is well.

03 Jane Walker Blake janewblake@gmail.com

Nile Corso recently moved over to Aldwych Capital Partners as an Investment Banking Managing Director. This fall he will be performing these duties on a consultant basis, as he was recently admitted to Johns Hopkins where he’ll pursue his second graduate degree. He also sits on the board of Enertiv (www.enertiv.com)—an alternative energy monitoring start-up. Nile had a great time at the 10th Reunion this year and would like to wish the Class of 2003 the very best and hopes everyone stays in touch. Jennifer Purcell DeLorenzo married her best friend, Don DeLorenzo on June 15, 2013. They are living in Horsham, PA, a suburb north of Philadelphia, and are very excited to start this new chapter in their life. Although they missed this past reunion (things were a little hectic the weekend before their wedding), they hope to head back sometime soon! Alexander Wenner and Emily Eisen-Berkeley Wenner write: “We had a great time back under the Mountain for our 10th Reunion. It was wonderful to chat with classmates and faculty who have made lasting impressions on our lives. Our kids, Logan and Lilly, loved Undermountain Day Care and playing at “mommy and daddy’s school!” Alex is enjoying his work at the Brooklyn Home Brew Shop, where he sells equipment and ingredients for brewing beer, as well as teaches classes. Emily stays at home with the kids—baby number three is expected in December! We hope that any classmates who find themselves visiting Brooklyn will be in touch!”

Summer/Fall 2013

/ Class Notes /

Jasen Sewell married Jessica Theresa Zombik on February 23, 2013 in Palm Beach, FL. After a reception at the Sailfish Club, the couple honeymooned in Providenciales, Turks & Caicos. They currently live in Atlanta, GA where Jasen is a national broker account executive at Aflac Benefit Solutions.

06 Courtney J. Kollmer ckollmer@transperfect.com Emily K. Lichtenberg emily.k.lichtenberg@gmail.com Carter Stern ’04 and fiance Beth Taylor

Front row, from left: Jocelyn Cullison, Evan Margulies, Libbie Alexander Second row: Amanda Cooley Donaldson, Nicole Cormier, Alexia Christopher, Alex Hudgins, Morgan Ralph, Derek Umbarger Back row: Jason Swist, Nile Corso, Gavin Bradley, Ernie Tchoi, John Hull, Alex Wenner, Emily Eisen-Berkeley Wenner

10th

Kraig D. Strong kskraigstrong@gmail.com William C. Stern cstern@lrmlaw.com

Faye Abrams writes, “Hello, Bears! It was so nice to catch up with some of you at a New York City alumni gathering a few months back. I am pleased to share that I married my best friend, Evan Klein, in Westchester County in September. We’re very excited! In the midst of all of the wedding planning, I have also been writing and editing a book on the subject of child behavior and childcare. Please reach out to us if you are ever in the Stamford, CT or the New York City area and I look forward to seeing you at next summer’s reunion.” Chef de Cuisine Peter Coenen oversees the daily kitchen operations and menu development for The Gage, a beloved downtown Chicago, IL restaurant featuring rustic European and American fare for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. With a degree in Culinary Arts from Johnson & Wales University, Coenen previously served as a sous chef at The Ritz Carlton in St. 64

Berkshire Bulletin

William (Carter) Stern got engaged to Beth Taylor. Carter proposed at his favorite rock climbing spot, Enchanted Rock, west of his hometown Houston, Texas.” Nicholas and Stacey Uhorchak welcomed their second daughter, Avery Mae Uhorchak on June 30, 2013.

Thomas, USVI (a AAA Five Diamond resort) and as sous chef at The Inn at Palmetto Bluff in Blufton, SC (a Forbes Five Star property). Just prior to joining The Gage, he worked as a junior sous chef at Chicago’s Michelin-starred BOKA restaurant.

Ryan Kelley ’04 and Abby Watson in Philadelphia, PA in August, 2013

Duncan Macfarlane became an apprentice with the sole aim of working at Gannon & Benjamin, which he achieved only five months after he graduated! He’s a solid boat builder, a great racer, and living his dream on Martha’s Vineyard.

05 Matthew G. Crowson matthew.g.crowson@gmail.com Ryan M. Farrell mryanfarrell@gmail.com

Avery Mae Uhorchak, daughter of Nicholas Uhorchak and wife Stacey

Matthew Crowson graduated from Dartmouth Medical School in Hanover, NH this past June, and has just begun a 5-year Residency in “Ear Nose & Throat/Head & Neck Surgery” down at Duke University Medical Center, in Durham, NC. Matthew is looking forward to this new challenge, and hopes all is well with his classmates! Nicole Unis Juengst married Kevin Juengst on June 1, 2013 in Lenox, MA.

John Beebe writes, “Though I never did much hiking at Berkshire (regrettably) during Mountain Day or was in the Ritt Kellogg Mountain Program, I have since done some climbing abroad. Recently, I travelled to Nepal (and India) to do something that I have wanted to do since the 4th grade, when I did a book report on the first successful summit of Mt. Everest in 1953. Though I did not summit the world’s tallest mountain

From left: Alexander Clark ’08, John Beebe ’06, and John Diebold ’07 from the Young Fellows Cocktail Party at the Morgan Museum and Library in New York City in July

standing at 29,028ft, I did make it to Base Camp, which stands at 17,600ft. It was quite the arduous journey, but worth it ten times over, and I am so glad that I did it!” Jacqueline Cloud is excited to announce her engagement to Collin Easton from Monson, MA. They plan to wed in the Fall of 2015, once Jacqui graduates from the Colorado School of Mines where she will get her PhD in Chemistry (inorganic and electrochemistry). Collin and Jacqui have been together for a little over 4 years but she has known his family for a long time, which makes it very special. Kelsey Hungerford writes, “It’s been a happy, but busy time! I got married to a very handsome man, Eric Ledgin, and he’s the best. We have a lot of fun together and make a great team. Our wedding

Peter Coenen ’04

Carter Stern and Kraig Strong write, “What’s up, Class of 2004? We hope this finds everyone well and enjoying lots of success as we look ahead to our 10th Reunion. See you all next June at Reunion Weekend—we can’t wait to catch up—and please let us know if you’d like to be a part of this year’s reunion committee. Go Bears!” Levi Wade writes, “On June 21, 2013

From left: Gwen Miller ’04, Charlotte DeLeo ’04 and Kathryn Hollister ’04 at the annual Great Barrington 10K Turkey Trot. Class of 2004 represent!

From left: Bride Nicole Unis with usher Jarrett Mathis and bridesmaid Kat Kollmer Gaudin at her wedding to Kevin Juengst (Wilbraham and Monson Academy Class of 2003)

From left, celebrating the marriage of Alexandra Kelley Gadsden and Justin Gadsden in July, 2013: Johanna Becker ’05, Dean Charpentier, Lori Charpentier, J.P. Charpentier, Jane Piatelli, Kristina Thaute Miller ’97, director of alumni relations, Stuart Miller ’97, English faculty, Taylor Charpentier, Michael Kelley, Cheryl Geerhold, director of human resources, Kelsey Mullen ’05, Ryan Kelley ’04, Brian Waite ’04, Lydia Woodward, David Lockhart, Ev Wilska, Anthony D’Aniello, Sarah Lockhart, Julie Kelley Kneeling: Justin Gadsden and the bride

Summer/Fall 2013

/ Class Notes /

Congratulations Alexandra Kelley Gadsden on the birth of Hadley Mercer Gadsden on February 23, 2013.

was amazing, intimate and romantic, and I had my best friends from Berkshire there as well, so it was a reunion of sorts (with Alison Edell, Sarah Fisher, Jonathan Moscowitz, Marjorie Crowley and Courtney Kollmer). We flew to Sweden after our wedding to shoot a pilot Eric wrote and is producing for IFC. Now we’re back and enjoying being home. Stay in touch.” Suzanne Sperl has been engaged since September 2012 to Michael Knights and they are planning their wedding for May 2014. They also just purchased a house in Austerlitz, NY in January.

07 Casey A. Larkins casey.larkins@gmail.com

/ Class Notes /

Front row, from left: Margaret Turrentine, Elaine Herbig, Caitlin Ward, Melissa Fogarty, Steph Miller, Martine Kamanke, Kate Wagner, Pat Li Second row: Sasa Zelenovic, Emily Harrigan, Helen Pearsall, Jon Wienner, Abby Tufts, Chelsea Resnick, Sarah Kinne, Mary Pace, Lexie Altman, Elise Casey, Kim Hungerford, Tammie Kong, Jonathan Chiu Third row: Randi Schock, Katie George, Taryn Blume, Liza Muhlfeld, Lindsay Gilbert, Travis Leonard, Justin Holmes, Dawn Sullivan ’07, John Nick Back row: Matt Genovese, Tom Reagan, Nick Prockow, Alex Henderson, Tom Smythe, Dan Ells, Katie Cahill, Jules Clark, Chris Buonomo, Matt Rappaport

their capital campaign to him in April! The proof is evident: our Berkshire connections are truly everlasting.” Leah Slingerland writes, “This past year I worked in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at The Children’s Hospital at Albany Medical Center and it changed my life. It made me realize how much I love working with children and I felt like I was making a difference. I now know I want to work in pediatrics and

am planning on returning to the Children’s Hospital after my upcoming 11 month accelerated program at Drexel to either become a nurse practitioner or a nurse anesthetist. I think it all started with my volunteer work at Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis while I attended Indiana University. Wishing you all well!”

Allison A. Letourneau letourneau.allison@gmail.com

Allison Letourneau writes, “Hello everyone! After receiving my Master’s degree from UNH in 2012, I re-entered the boarding school community from a different vantage point and am currently serving as the Associate Director of Admission and Director of Financial Aid at Oldfields School in Baltimore, MD. Ironically, Hawley Rogers, graduate of the Berkshire class of 1956 and Berkshire Interim Head of School in 2004, served as the Oldfields Head of School for 21 years and his portrait hangs in my office. Hawley even sported a Berkshire tie to highlight our connection when Oldfields dedicated

Berkshire Bulletin

Crawford Hamilton ’07 and Abby Tufts ’08 in the Philadelphia Phillies Ticket Sales Office with Bill Bullock, director of development, and Bill Clough, former associate head of school

Chris J. Buonomo cjbuonomo@gmail.com

Gregory T. Piatelli gpiatelli@gmail.com

Melissa M. Fogarty Mmfoga08@gmail.com

Molly L. Ryan mryan@spartans.ut.edu

Erica Ginsberg eginzie@gmail.com

Gregory Piatelli and Molly Ryan write: “Congratulations on graduating from college, Class of 2009! And believe it or not but this now means it’s time to start thinking about returning to the Mountain to celebrate our 5th Reunion! It was great seeing everyone at this summer’s “reunion-before-the-reunion” event and we’re looking forward to getting together again at next summer’s official Reunion Weekend 2014! Please let us know if you’d like to be a part of this year’s reunion committee.” Kelsey Brown writes, “I’ve been going to school outside of Los Angeles, CA for the last four years. I swore off student government the moment I graduated from Berkshire so I have been spending my time doing other things: being an editor for our school student publication, an RA, working for my school’s PR office, etc. I spent last summer in New York interning for a luxury fashion site (www.shoplatitude.com) and then spent this last semester interning with 72andSunny, an ad agency in LA. I’m not sure what my post-grad plans are but I hope we stay in touch, because, of course, every single day I feel the impact that Berkshire has made on me. We are a part of a truly special community and no matter how many uncertainties there are in life, we all can draw strength from each other.” Chantal Choi graduated from Boston College this May with a major in history and minor in international studies and has been working in Boston as a teacher for a summer program. She just got a full-time offer at Asian Taskforce Against Domestic Violence as a Chinese advocate helping victims to apply for benefits and referring them to attorneys. This will be her stepping stone for law school. Chantal could not attend the “reunion-before-the-reunion” happening this summer but

After Berkshire, Kayla Arsenie graduated from Cornell University before moving to Denver, CO. She currently works as a food and beverage manager for the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in the summer and the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche at Pepsi Center in the winter. If any Bears are in Denver, Kayla would love to hear from them and can be reached at karsenie@ mac.com. Erica Ginsberg graduated with her bachelors of science in athletic training from the University of New Hampshire. Shortly thereafter she was board-certified nationally and is now Florida state-licensed. Erica moved to West Palm Beach, FL this past summer and is working as an athletic trainer at Oxbridge Academy of the Palm Beaches, a private day school. Before Oxbridge she was an athletic training intern at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando, FL. Marc Wysocki and Brian Lewton are two of Erica’s all-time favorite mentors at Berkshire, and she was just able to reconnect with Marc this past June at the national athletic training conference in Las Vegas, NV. Last year Abigail Tufts had an internship with the Philadelphia Phillies in their Phone Center, Ticket Services area. This past April she accepted an internship with the PR department in Baseball Communications. She works in Media Relations, working in the press box during games, providing team information and statistics to the press, doing a minor league report for the press and the coaches in the visiting clubhouse. Abigail also helps with press releases for the web and other publications, assists with press conferences, and really anything else that the PR department needs.

5th

looks forward to seeing all of her classmates at the 5th Reunion under the Mountain next summer. Chantal would like her classmates to keep in touch and let her know if anyone is ever in the Boston area! Nag Kyun “Nate” Chu writes, “Hi boys and girls, I’m making some drastic changes! After four years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where I studied biology and thought I would go onto med school, I’ve since decided art is my passion and will be pursuing that in the near future. In the meantime I’m also a partner in a hot dog business called “Wiener Bar” which will open on Willy Street in downtown Madison, WI. Wish me luck and much love to you all!” George “Geordie” Connell graduated from Lehigh after four great years. Similar to Berkshire, he immediately got involved in the radio station, where he was given the chance to join its executive board where he just finished his term as GM (Student President). His show night was to talk pro, college and Lehigh sports (“and for those that haven’t kept tabs on Chris Rinaldi, he and the Men’s Lax team killed it”). In addition to radio, he worked with Lehigh’s sports media division doing play-byplay on games and produced the local basketball and football shows. Geordie also interned for ESPN of Lehigh Valley and loved it. He hopes to eventually continue a career in sports broadcasting. Let Geordie know if you’re ever in the Philly area! Ansley Flanagan graduated from Bates College in May and has begun working in Alzheimer’s diagnostic research as a Technical Assistant in the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, MA. David Grace graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in film back in December and has since moved out to Los Angeles, CA. He has a job offer at Warner Brothers and continues to interview at talent agencies and production companies. His dream of working in movies is coming true and Berkshire helped David grow that passion by letting him make movies Summer/Fall 2013

/ Class Notes /

for his independent study. If any of his classmates visit LA please let David know. He says, “It has been way too long and I am happy to hear how well everyone is doing!” Misha Hyman is a senior at Stetson University in DeLand, FL where he is completing his bachelors in Sports Business and plans to attend business school as well as law school after he graduates. Misha runs the radio station at Stetson University where he currently has a sports radio show called ‘The Sports Gurus’ which is broadcasted on Stetson. What.Radio, where he discusses topics ranging from the major professional sports such as the NBA, NFL, MLB as well as collegiate sports including basketball, baseball and Division I football. Through his radio show, he has attained press credentials to the Orlando Magic and covers the games on his show. You can check out his regularly featured blog on Huffington Post, Just Talkin’ Sports with The Gurus.

Teresa Liu at Caltech graduation

Shiyi ‘Teresa’ Liu graduated from Caltech in June and was granted a 12-month internship from Apple, so next year she will be working in Cupertino. She hopes to visit Berkshire again sometime soon in the near future! Sydney Shapiro has been at Hobart and William Smith Colleges for the past four years and it’s been a wonderful experience. She majored in Child Development, Disability, and Education and minored in Cognition, Logic, and Language. She was on the Hillel Board for Jewish life and also lived in the Abbe Center for Jewish life house. Sydney was also Vice Chair of The Stewardson Society, which is the senior society connected with the Alumni House and the Annual Fund. Just like she did at Berkshire with the 1907 Society, Sydney 68

Berkshire Bulletin

/ Class Notes /

called alumni and parents asking for support for the colleges. This semester she also wrote a book as an independent study entitled A Girl With ADD’s Guide to College. Last spring she went abroad to Carmarthen, Wales, which was by far the most amazing experience of her life! After traveling to Isreal as her birthright this July, her next plan is to apply to grad school in Massachusetts and get her teaching certification as well as her masters in special education in the elementary level. In the future she would like to work with children with autism. She credits both Berkshire and Hobart and William Smith Colleges for her growth as the individual she is today. Matthew Spurling graduated in May from Providence College as a Health Policy and Management major with a minor in Business Studies and History. He is really hoping to find a job in the DC area doing something in Health Reform, Policy, or working for a Congressman/woman in Capitol Hill. He was a Division 1 athlete all four years in Women’s Ice Hockey (that is not a typo) and also played on the recently created club hockey team. He has been fortunate to stay in touch with Jeremiah “JJ” Jemison since last summer while he was interning on Capitol Hill, plus Gregory Piatelli and Paul Piatelli, since he now lives 15 minutes away from Greg, and loved seeing Richie Pallai, Klayton Johnson, David Grace, and Henry Latour ’10 at the Alumni Winter Games and all the rest of the classmates that joined “the reunion-before-the-reunion” this past July. Jennifer Stafford writes, “After interning for the New England Sports Network (NESN) and covering the

Boston Bruins and Red Sox for a year, Red Bull contacted me through LinkedIn and asked me to apply for a job with their communications department. After a four-month interview process with nearly 4,000 applicants, I got the job. In August I moved to Santa Monica, CA to report on their extreme sporting events. Thanks for getting me there!” Kristen Zahn graduated with first class honors in Nursing this past May from St. Francis Xavier University and now attends medical school at Northern Ontario School of Medicine.

10 Christopher B. Landry landryc14@mail.wlu.edu Shannon E. Nelson senelson@wesleyan.edu

Congratulations to fashion major Shannon Rayniece Brown on the success of her first full-length fashion show this past semester at Mercer County Community College in Trenton, NJ. Her well-tailored collection entitled “Sophisticated Edge” featured classy yet comfortable clothing for women of diverse shapes, sizes and complexions. Her feminine take on menswear was played up with creative details such as broken CDs to embellish blazer lapels and necklines.

Former Faculty Dr. Rebecca Lynn Lambert and former faculty, Michael Hart Kalin, were married in the spring at Tarrytown House Estate in Tarrytown, NY.

From left: Henry Corcoran, Scott McLinden, Charlotte Parsons, Laura Bishop and John Irving in Camden, SC at the Carolina Cup horse race last spring.

and literature. I’m currently interning with the FBI New Haven division on a counterintelligence squad, and it’s been an awesome experience so far. I hope the summer has been treating each of you well. Stay in touch!”

Mary K. Connell connellm@lafayette.edu Kristy M. Barnes barneskd@bc.edu

12 Juliet E. Shatkin jes714@nyu.edu

Juliet Shatkin writes: “Hey, everyone! I miss you all! This is from a few months ago in the Bahamas for Eddie Gonzalez’s 21st birthday. If anyone is ever in New York please let me know so we can hang out! Sending you all big bear hugs!”

Deborah Fries Pedrazza

Michael Kalin and Rebecca Lambert

Michael Kalin now teaches high school history and English at the Noble and Greenough School in Dedham, MA. Brian Kelly writes, “This July in Atlanta, GA three former Berkshire School denizens found themselves at the same professional development conference. Sheila Schaefer Abio ’92, Sarah Bakhiet ’83, faculty member 1992 through 1999), and Brian Kelly (faculty member 1992 through 1995) were all participating in the NAIS Aspiring Heads program. Of the hundreds of educators who apply to this program every year, what are the chances that the three of us would be in the same program at the same time?”

From left: Sheila Schaefer Abio ’92, Sarah Bakhiet ’83 and Brian Kelly

In January, Deborah Fries Pedraza was named Director of Philanthropic Development at Orange County Public Schools in Orlando, FL. Prior to that she was the associate director of the Benedictine Foundation, which raised money for the Benedictine School in Ridgely, MD. She was Director of the Annual Fund at Berkshire School from 1997 to 2005. Em Putnam, English teacher, college advisor, and registrar at Berkshire from 1953-1986, sent in this photo:

Back row: Scott Putnam ’74, Andy Putnam (son of Scott and Barb), Andrew (Megan’s beau), Brett Putnam ’81, Front row: Kate Putnam (Brett and Sandra’s daughter), Barb Putnam (Scott’s wife), Megan Putnam (Scott and Barb’s daughter), Sandra (Brett’s wife)

Ronn Cabaniol just published his first two novels on Amazon. They are Journey from Blue: the Life and Times of a Baby Boomer and Forgotten Angels. You can find them on Amazon by searching under his name.

13 Shannon Rayniece Brown (second from right)

Jennifer Stafford

Shannon Nelson writes, “Hi, everyone! I’m absolutely loving Wesleyan. I’m studying psychology and working as a cognitive research assistant on the side. I spent this past semester in Dublin, Ireland studying Irish language

Anne Elizabeth Fraiman afraiman@colgate.edu Steven Harry Halperin shhalpe@umich.edu Charles Gregory Yorke cgy2@mac.com Friends of Dr. Barbara Kenefick, for whom the Kenefick Center for Learning is named, gathered at her house in Stamford, Conn. last spring. From left: Nancy Duryee-Aas, James Harris, Barbara Kenefick, Hilary Russell and Alexei Nabarro ’01

Summer/Fall 2013

/ In Memoriam /

The Berkshire School community extends its heartfelt condolences to the families of the below alumni. To send obituaries or remembrances of classmates or family members, please email bulletin@berkshireschool.org.

John S. Sutphen ’37

March 24, 2013 Sailing legend Jack Sutphen was inducted into the America’s Cup Hall of Fame in 2005. He volunteered at San Diego Yacht Club up to his final days and was considered an expert in the complicated rules of sailing. His book, Messing About in Boats for 80 Years, chronicles his life in sailing.

R. Howard Johnston, Jr. ’37

January 22, 2013 Richard Howard Johnston Jr., was a retired U.S. Navy lieutenant commander and classification officer for the Department of Energy’s Nevada Operations Office in Las Vegas from 1962 to his retirement in 1980.

J. Peter Gratiot ’39

July 4, 2013 Peter Gratiot served in the U.S. Navy during WWII. He operated the Gratiot Engineering Co. for over 40 years. He was instrumental in the design and development of ski areas including Stratton, Bromley, and Camelback. He loved to fly.

I. Gordon Odell ’40 August 15, 2013 Gordon Odell fought in England as a lieutenant in WWII. At the end of the war, he led his battalion in returning German prisoners of war to their hometowns. In 1981 he created I. Gordon Odell and Co., a firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions and financial consulting. He volunteered for 25 years for the Tournament of Roses in Pasadena. Carroll W. Wonson ’41 June 28, 2013 A veteran of WWII, Carroll Wonson served as a dentist in the U.S. Army. After leaving the Army, he opened his own dental practice in Gloucester. He was an avid golfer and played well into his 80s. He loved sailing and was a Commodore of the Eastern Point Yacht Club of Gloucester. Thomas D. Richardson ’44C February 27, 2013 Thomas Richardson served in the U.S. Army from 1944 to 1946 as a sergeant in the Philippines and Japan. He became the administrator of Oak Hills Golf Park in Norwalk in 1970, where he worked until his retirement. Richardson felt his most rewarding efforts were his years on the school-building committee. He was an active member of the United Church of Rowayton. Richard W. Smith ’46 May 22, 2013

Richard Smith learned to fly at Berkshire—one of his many passions in life. After 36 years with Fafnir Bearing Co. in New Britain, Conn., he retired to Martha’s Vineyard. In a 2011 letter to his family, he wrote, “I conclude that through the trials of this life, an ordinary man can do well in life by working diligently, caring about others, keeping your head on

Berkshire Bulletin

Arnold J. Burton ’36 “From distant Great Britain came Arnold to be in our midst, and we are glad that he went to the trouble.” So went the Trail editor’s note on Arnold James Burton’s senior yearbook page. Burton was indeed the first European student ever to attend Berkshire, joining the student body for his senior year in 1935 after winning an English Speaking Union scholarship to study in the U.S. As he returned to Berkshire over the years, he was pleased to know that the spirit set in the early days by Mr. Buck continued to be so faithfully pursued. In honor of that spirit, he and his wife Jean established an endowment in 1997 to support faculty through graduate education and other programs of study, so that Berkshire would continue to grow positively with the changes time brings. He passed away on June 29, 2013 at the age of 95. In his obituary from the Yorkshire Post, Burton was described as “a philanthropist, motor sport enthusiast and the youngest son of the founder of one of Britain’s biggest tailoring manufacturers.” He successfully competed in car rallies in the UK and internationally, and supported many causes in medicine, welfare and education. After studying at Cambridge University where he earned a degree in geography, he went on an expedition to Iceland with the Royal Geographical Society. When WWII broke out, he immediately returned to England to join the RAF and served in Burma. After the war, he and his brothers joined the tailoring empire founded by their father, Sir Montague Burton, who arrived in England in 1900 at age 15, with only £100. Burton took responsibility for the 600 shops based at Hudson Road, in Leeds until he retired at 65. He was chairman and managing director of the British sports car manufacturer TVR in the 1960s, and a partner in John Woolfe Racing. Later in life, he began what was to become the famous championship Harewood Hillclimb motorsport race which continues today. He also became a gentleman farmer. He is survived by his wife, three sons, 13 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

straight and appreciating all the wonderful things that come your way; and being thankful for all of it.”

Benjamin P. Bush ’50 February 22, 2013

Benjamin Bush served in the Air Force during the Korean War. An avid sportsman, Ben was a third generation member and past president of the Easton Anglers’ Association. Loved and revered by so many, it would be his counsel that we, “be of good cheer and go gentle in life.”

Dr. Stephen E. Malawista ’50, Distinguished Alumnus Dr. Stephen Malawista, an infectious-disease researcher whose work led to the discovery of Lyme disease, died on September 18 in his home in Hamden, Conn. Many scientists contributed to our understanding of Lyme disease, but Dr. Malawista, then chief of rheumatology at the Yale School of Medicine, along with postdoctoral student Allen Steere, were the chief investigators credited with defining the ailment. Their work was cited by Dr. George Ehrlich, a vice president at Ciba-Geigy, the pharmaceutical giant, as “a truly magnificent piece of medical detective work.” This major medical accomplishment earned him Berkshire’s 2007 Distinguished Alumni Award, the highest honor the School bestows upon one of its graduates. Dr. Malawista was accepted at Harvard at 15 where he graduated magna cum laude with a degree in experimental psychology. He earned his medical degree from Columbia, and then spent two years at the National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases. In 1966, he was recruited to the Yale faculty and was chief of rheumatology for 21 years. Dr. Malawista, whose mother was the chairwoman of Berkshire Theater Festival, shared her love of theater and music, and started a vocal chamber music group with his wife, the former Tobé Anne Miller.

Ranald T. McNeil ’52 January 5, 2013

A Korean War veteran, Ran McNeil was an expert in genealogy and land title research, acquisition, development and conservation, who had a keen, legal mind. He was a competitive yachtsman, pilot, skier and car enthusiast. He spent the last few years coordinating the restoration of a Nevins 40 classic sailboat with his son.

John F. Consolini ’56, Trustee John Francis Consolini, 76, passed away on August 26, 2013, in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, surrounded by his loving family. Born in Canaan, Conn., he and his older brother Bob grew up on East Main Street in a house their father had built. His parents, Sophie and Louis Consolini, instilled within their boys at a young age the importance of living life to its fullest and stopping to “smell the roses” along the way. His parents were proprietors of several businesses in the area, including a bakery, a locker plant and a drive-in theater. John was a proud graduate of Berkshire School ’56 and continued to “bleed green and gray” for the rest of his life, remaining active in the school community as a trustee and a senior alumni officer. After Berkshire, he attended Georgetown University, where he “BS’d” his way to a BA in English, all the while avoiding getting caught for such fun-loving pranks as filling a local fountain with bubble bath. After Georgetown, John served his country and developed a love for travel by joining the U.S. Army. John retired from the armed services as a captain. John’s post-Army life took him to New York City, where he would meet his future wife, Margaret “Peggy” Downie. During his 26-year career at JC Penney, he developed the first private-label disposable diaper and the first flame-retardant line of children’s sleepwear in the U.S. His career in retail also led him to Liz Claiborne, Chaus, Evan Picone, Kellwood, and Carole Little, while raising his family in Upper Saddle River, NJ. However, his proudest accomplishment was walking both daughters down the aisle on their wedding days. John and Peggy moved to sunny California in 1995, where they lived and fell in love with Palos Verdes, before moving back to the East Coast in 2004. John and his family traveled the world and lived in several places, but the place that felt most like home was the Berkshires, where they spent all of their summers and created many memories with friends who became family. John is survived by his wife Peggy, two daughters Megan and Christa, sons-in-law Travis and Joe, and his “grandmutts” Otis and Louie. John held many titles throughout his personal and professional lives: son, brother, father, husband, friend, Airborne Ranger, Green Beret, Executive VP, Senior Alumni Officer, entrepreneur, and Chief Full-of-Bull, to name a few. Through it all, John was “just a poor little Italian boy from Canaan, Connecticut, trying to make good in the shmata business.” And boy did he leave an indelible mark on this world and all who were fortunate enough to know and love him.

Summer/Fall 2013

/ In Memoriam /

Jacob F. Schoellkopf V ’56, Trustee The Schoellkopf family is deeply steeped in Berkshire history. A trustee from 1965-1981, Jacob Schoellkopf was the parent of alumni Jacob Schoellkopf VI ’84 and Kristin Borowiak ’86. In 1957, his father, J. Fred Schoellkopf ’29, created The Jacob F. Schoellkopf IV Scholarship fund for financial aid. The below is printed with permission from The Buffalo News.

Jacob Frederick Schoellkopf V, Marine Corps veteran, civic activist and businessman, died Friday, August 23, in his Hamburg [New York] home after a battle with cancer. He was 75. Born in Buffalo, Mr. Schoellkopf was a member of the Buffalo industrial family that pioneered hydropower at Niagara Falls. He graduated from Berkshire School in Sheffield, Mass., and studied at Cornell University in Ithaca. Mr. Schoellkopf was a sergeant in the 3rd Marine Division from 1957 to 1960 and completed his tour in Okinawa. He served in the Marine Corps Reserves until 1963. In the mid-1960s, Mr. Schoellkopf was appointed by Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller as the youngest commissioner on the board of the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority. He also was president of Buffalo Columbus Hospital during its period of revitalization, and he worked as a teller at Marine Midland Bank and as a salesman for the family-owned Crescent Tool Co. From 1967 to 1992, he was a director of Niagara Share Corp. In the 1970s, Mr. Schoellkopf founded Innovative Building Systems, which developed some of the first “green” and solar-powered homes in Western New York. Innovative Building developed several subdivisions in the Southtowns. He retired in 2008 after working as vice president of construction with Sovran Self Storage Inc. for 10 years. Mr. Schoellkopf loved the Buffalo community and was active in fundraising and sports. He also was a key player in Republican politics and was partially responsible for the ascendancy of Jack Kemp as a congressman. Mr. Schoellkopf was proud of his five grandchildren, who all live in Buffalo and who knew him as “Papa Jake.” He and his wife of 39 years, the former Nancy Luczak, enjoyed travel and riding motorcycles.

Berkshire Bulletin

Bradford S. Tripp ’52 April 7, 2013 Bradford Tripp served in the U.S. Army in Korea from 1957-1959. Over 32 years with State Street Bank, he rose to Executive Vice President of Global Operations. He had spent many happy years in his youth racing sailboats and later enjoyed spending summers in Padanaram and downhill skiing with his family. Rodman B. Montgomery III ’73 August 12, 2013

Rodman Montgomery, originally from New York, was a good, fun-loving man deeply loyal to his family. He is loved and will be missed unconditionally.

Turner M. Armstrong ’81 May 12, 2013 Turner Massey Armstrong, of Columbia, South America, is survived by a son, Conner, his sister, Taralyn Kohlman and his mother, Paula. He will live on forever in our hearts. Karen Sherman Pyne ’81 March 12, 2013

Karen Pyne was active in the Greenwich, Conn. athletic community and well-known at the Greenwich YMCA and Equinox. Karen always remembered fondly her time at Berkshire School; it was one of the happiest times of her life.

David M. Jones ’84 September 23, 2013

David Jones was co-owner and CEO of Crystal Lake Resort in Pine, Colorado. He loved fly-fishing, skiing, mountain climbing, ice hockey and biking.

Elliott M. Ogden IV ’07 January 10, 2013 A 2007 graduate of the Soundview Prep School in Yorktown Heights, NY, Elliott Ogden attended Berkshire in 2004. Most recently, he worked for Hollister Company in White Plains, NY. Elliott will be remembered as a loving son and brother, and a kind and loyal friend. Rupert Norris von Bockbrader ’10 March 30, 2013 A student of life in the wilds of Berkshire County, Rupert labored with friends in fields and forests and became known for his work ethic, humor, happiness and a special brand of kindness and warmth of soul. He leaves behind a vision for a better world.

Hugh J. Weidinger ’60, Trustee

Hugh John Weidinger, III, 72, of Wakefield, Rhode Island and Oyster Bay, New York, died on Sunday, September 29, 2013 in Wakefield, RI. Born in New York City on April 3, 1941, the son of Hugh Weidinger and Helen Rountree Weidinger, “Hughie,” or “Jake,” as his many friends and colleagues called him, lived a full life as a successful businessman, loving husband and devoted father and grandfather. Hugh is survived by his loving wife of 43 years, Nancy Wallis Weidinger; his son, Hugh J. Weidinger IV and wife Julia Tiernan Weidinger of Locust Valley, NY; daughter Jessie A. Weidinger of New York, NY; and daughter Catherine W. Gruhler ’96 and husband Thom of Seattle, Washington. He is also survived by five grandchildren: Hugh (V), William and Eliza Weidinger and George and Finn Gruhler, as well as his sister, Helen Angela Weidinger of Wakefield, RI. Hugh was a proud graduate of Berkshire School ’60 in Sheffield, Mass. He felt very strongly that his high school experience at Berkshire gave him the tools he needed to do well in life, for which he was always grateful. Hugh was a trustee of Berkshire for nine years and an active alumnus, serving on the Class of 1960 Reunion Committee for his 50th reunion in 2010. Hugh received his BA from the College of William and Mary ’64, after which he joined the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, training at Parris Island and serving in the Reserves for six years. Hugh began his career in 1965 at Hempstead Auto Company, founded by his father in 1938. From the start, Hugh’s sincerity, work ethic and passion for people grew the small Jaguar business into what would become the country’s leading Jaguar dealership. The dealership celebrated its 75th year in 2013, making it the oldest Jaguar dealership in the United States. The company has expanded to include Cadillac, GMC and Buick brands, with over 110 employees. Hugh was a member of the Willow Dell Beach Club, The Dunes Club and was a founding member of the Matunuck Ponds Gentlemen’s Fishing Club, all in Rhode Island. Hugh was also a 40-year member of the Long Island Wyandanch Club in Eastport, NY.

The Matunuck hills and ponds of Wakefield, RI, held a special place in Hugh’s heart since early childhood, and he spent the majority of his retirement there on his family homestead, Long Pond Farm. The magic of the Rhode Island woods is perhaps the greatest gift he gave to his family and the many friends who gathered there. Hugh’s charisma, vigor and fun-loving character impacted every aspect of his life and family. Pilot, hunter, fisherman and avid collector of antique cars, Hugh was always on the go, effortlessly involving his family and many friends in his interests. Even his most mundane activities were transformed into memorable adventures for Hugh and his companions. On more than one occasion he would lure an unsuspecting sidekick into working on the yard, clearing brush, or driving around taking care of quirky errands. A pilot for over 30 years, Hugh enjoyed flying his twinengine Cessna Conquest to destinations around the country with his wife, son, friends and beloved Brittany spaniel, Rusty, to hunt pheasant and quail. In recent years, Brays Island Plantation in Sheldon, SC, became a new home for Hugh and Nancy, where he was involved in hunting and sporting clays. He charmed, and was charmed by, the warm Brays community. For those he leaves behind, Hugh’s far-reaching generosity and sharp wit will remain in cherished stories and intimate, loving memories. Hugh’s colleagues will remember a persuasive twinkle in his eye and firm leadership. His family will remember a man who kept them close and gave of himself endlessly. He gained respect from people in all walks of life, inspiring all with his steadfast work ethic and the joy of simple pleasures.

Summer/Fall 2013

/ In Memoriam /

/ Berkshire School Archives / C. Twiggs Myers, Proprietor

Nicolas J. Gerold III ’72 Nick Gerold lost his two-year battle with cancer on April 26, 2013. He is survived by his wife Sharon Dorsky Gerold ’74 and his sister Alison Gerold Dale ’75. He was a project manager at PSI for 35 years. His classmates have remembered him below:

Monty’s classmates turned out in great numbers at the service in Sag Harbor, NY. From left: Kevin Bruemmer, John Shaker, Charlie Murdock, Bob Sullivan, George Coyne, Bob Shaftoe, Monty Reis. Bill Cushman also attended.

F. Montague Ferry ’71 A native of Pittsburgh, Penn., Monty Ferry was a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University from which he received the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He passed away on March 23, 2013, at his home in Southampton, New York. Ferry was a graphic designer and founder of Montague Ferry Design (Pittsburgh and New York City) whose major clients included the Bayer Corporation, Beth Israel Hospital, Cunard Cruise Lines, Mead Paper, Merrill Lynch, the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Seagrams, and UNICEF. Beyond his work for corporate clients, Monty was an artist whose work included drawings, paintings and ceramics. He was also an avid sailor and a great lover of dogs.

Like many first-year Berkshire students, Nick Gerold first appeared on campus as a raw and inexperienced newcomer. Nervously about to tackle an adventure he had really yet to imagine, his first term as a junior was difficult. People may have seemed different to him, and the structure of boarding school life took some time to get used to. Nick struggled to make new friends, to pass his courses and to please his parents. There were days he was lonely, days of boredom, days of pain trying, as we all were, to just fit into this place. One day, Nick heard the call: the wild, chillingly sweet voice of the mountain. He found that he could embrace the outdoors. He hiked, he climbed rocks, he built memories in our forest under the Dome. And there he found the best friends of his life basically doing the same thing. Living on the frontier away from the scary world outside of the Vietnam War and a new social awareness that turned into political disruption across the country. Nick and we, his friends, laughed and ran and learned about ourselves as we clung to what we would later agree was a picture-perfect way to spend our adolescent years. Nick for sure took the Berkshire experience with him through college and a productive life with his family, his many friends and his career. From what we can tell of his later life after Berkshire, he nurtured everyone he encountered with his knowledge and compassion. He was well-loved and respected. We are all better people for knowing Nick, and we will miss him. – John R. Sherman III ’72 Glenn R. Partridge ’72 Jan D’Angelo ’72 Mark Jamison ’72 Brad Johnson ’72

Berkshire Bulletin

Law and Disorder The long arm of the law extended all the way to campus, as Chief McGarry, Sheffield’s chief of police for over 40 years, paid this young lad a visit. To solve Mr. Myers’ latest pictorial puzzler, name the culprit and the circumstances, and we’ll send you some Berkshire gear. What a steal! Email answers to: bulletin@berkshireschool.org or write to: Myers Mystery Contest, Berkshire School, 245 North Undermountain Road, Sheffield, MA 01257

Congratulations to Mr. Charles H. Ray ’40 of West Terre Haute, Indiana, who correctly identified one of the arm wrestlers in the last issue as his roommate Lou Lawrence, Class of 1940. Mr. Ray added “He won the match with a slam!” The other two pictured are Dan Gratiot ’80 (left), Lou’s opponent, and Lyman Bullard ’40. The battle took place during Reunion Weekend in 1980.

245 North Undermountain Road Sheffield, Massachusetts 01257-9672 Address Service Requested

For Parents of Alumni: If this magazine is addressed to a son or daughter who no longer lives at home, kindly call us with the correct address: 413-229-1225

This magazine was made with reusable energy, using soy-based inks printed on recycled stock. Photo by Risley Sports Photography

Go Bears! Students cheer on their fellow Bears during the 5th Annual Lucille Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Arco Memorial Cup, a fundraiser for breast cancer research played against Taft School each year.

Berkshire Bulletin Summer/Fall 2013

Articles inside

Berkshire Bulletin Summer/Fall 2013