peddie chronicle, spring 2013
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Spring 2013 issue of Peddie Chronicle alumni magazineTRANSCRIPT
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PEDDIE SCHOOL201 South Main StreetHightstown, NJ 08520-3349
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Spring 2013
John Green Departs Peddie l NJ Mayors Respond to Sandy l Faculty and Staff Stay Fit
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PEDDIE C H R O N I C L E
Members of the 1922 swim team. Turn to inside back cover to see this photo updated.
Head of School John Green works in his office with his office manager, Geeta Torno P’10, in 2012. (turn to inside front cover to see the original photo from 1938.)
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
To the Editor,
John Green will always mean a great deal to our family. He did so many obvious things for Peddie and its people and probably far more than most of us will ever be privy to, but most important to us, he always seemed to set a proper tone, regardless of how happy or sad an occasion.
From speaking about the World Trade Center loss, to attending and rooting at some games, to dropping soda from the menu offerings, to just knowing my kids' names, he conveyed a genuine caring. Quite frankly, no one could really expect more of a true educator or of a good person.
Peddie has become an even more special place and school under Mr. Green, and it is greatly anticipated that Mr. Quinn will pick it up and run from there.
J. Peter Sokol ’73 P’05 ’08
The Chronicle welcomes your letters and comments on the stories we offer. We reserve the right to edit letters for space. Send your comments to [email protected] or Chronicle Editor, Peddie School, 201 South Main Street, Hightstown, NJ 08520-3349.
CorrectionThe fall issue of the Chronicle incorrectly stated that seven swimmers representing Peddie at the 2012 Olympic Trials was the most ever for the school. In fact, 14 Peddie swimmers and young alumni attended the 1992 trials.
Note to readers:Beginning with this issue, the Chronicle will publish its Bookmarks feature in its online ChronicleXtra section.
If you have recently had a book published and would like it to appear in the Bookmarks section, please send any pertinent press materials and a recent photo of yourself to [email protected] or 201 South Main St., Hightstown, NJ 08520. You may also send a copy of the book to be added to our alumni author shelf inside the Annenberg Library.
Opposite: Self-portrait by Kavita Oza ’14
“In my eyes, water is an extremely powerful and beautiful thing. Water gives us life; however, it may destroy you as well,” the artist said.
Throughout this issue, look for this icon for exclusive online content at peddie.org/chronicle
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John Green and PeddieWords from John Green’s 12 years at Peddie
Peddie AnewPeter Quinn prepares to lead Peddie
NJ Mayors respond to SandyWilliam Curtis ’62 and Thomas Nicol ’63 learn to lead during crisis
Fabulously Fit Faculty and StaffCreative ways to stay fit on and off campus
Peddie technology AdvancesTom Phelan retires
Stopping Soldier SuicideBrian Kinsella ’02 rides across the country to raise awareness
Founders DayChristensen and von Schwerdtner honored
Vol. 141, No. 2
Executive Editor: Deanna K.G. Ferrante Editor: Wendi PatellaContributors: Doug Mariboe ’69, Patricia O’Neill Design: Carter Halliday AssociatesPhotography: Bob Handelman, Jim InversoPrinting: Prism Color Corporation
Spring 2013
21 Falcon Feats28 Center Campus30 Meet the trustees32 Class Notes
Tel: 609-944-7501 www.peddie.org/chronicle
We welcome your input: [email protected]
Peddie School201 South Main StreetHightstown, NJ 08520-3349
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2 Peddie Chronicle
John Green and Peddie
Whether chatting with students on center campus or giving a speech in chapel, Green’s own words have been a constant reminder that what brought him to
Peddie is the same thing that has sustained the relationship — a shared commitment to a strong and well-defined set of values.
While much has been written about John Green during his tenure, as he prepares to retire from Peddie in June, his own words paint the best picture of him and his values.
In his own words:
After hiding his singing talents from the Peddie community for nearly 12 years, John Green let his hair down during the winter music concert in February, when he and departing faculty member Jeffrey “Harry” Holcombe performed “rapper's Delight” for an appreciative audience. Green revealed that he memorized every lyric to the 14-minute song soon after its 1979 recording was released.
4 Peddie Chronicle
John Green and Peddie
What convinced him to come to Peddie
“Where I fell hook, line and sinker is when I realized that Peddie lives up to its claims.
That it is a school fond of its history, but not complacent. That it is serious about diversity;
that people are committed to students, to each other, to differences, to variety, to taking
risks. Peddie’s profile was true — it was ‘humane, inclusive and unpretentious.’ And I loved
the kids. They were so open, so refreshing. Willing to challenge and willing to listen.”
Chronicle, Spring 2001: “A conversation with incoming Head of School John Green”
What he brought to the job
“No matter what the position, I consider myself a teacher. The jobs may change, but my
mission does not. I try to bring the spirit and the tools of a teacher to every issue I face.
“There’s almost never a situation in residential schools that one can work on in isolation.
Few tasks have a singular focus. You need to be sensitive to that, to recognize how
multidimensional most issues are, and then solve them in cross-functional ways. That’s why
I think exposure to interdisciplinary teaching and learning is so important. It’s really a much
more realistic way to deal with complexity. It’s also a recognition that most challenges are
multidimensional.”
Chronicle, Spring 2001: “A conversation with incoming Head of School John Green”
(continued on page 6)
“I'm goin’ down in history As the baddest rapper there ever could be Now I’m feelin’ the highs and you’re feelin’ the lows, the beat starts gettin’ into your toes You start poppin’ your fingers and stompin’ your feet And movin’ your body while you’re sitting in your seat”
Lyrics of “Rapper’s Delight,” by The Sugarhill Gang, as sung by John Green and Harry Holcombe
What he expects of the school
“Peddie must exhibit the courage to change and to grow, to reconsider its place in the
world and to realize its interdependence with it. We must graduate from here thoughtful,
curious, ethical, sensitive and compassionate people.”
Installation as 15th Head of School, October 26, 2001
What he expects of students
“Yes, Peddie must continue to produce outstanding students for our nation’s sake, but
Peddie will graduate students who celebrate diversity and caring people who understand
the importance of relationships, service, sacrifice and love.”
Installation as 15th Head of School, October 26, 2001
“Beneficiaries from a disproportionate number of resources invested in your education,
you will, I am sure, serve others disproportionate to your numbers.”
Commencement Address, May 28, 2006
John Green greets members of the Peddie community during a 2001 reception soon after he became head of school.
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How he would hope to be remembered
“To me, community and relationships are the absolute keys to success at a school.
The reasons for this are quite simple: Community asks the best of us. I really believe that we
are at our best when we are in the service of others. And this is true of teachers, students,
administrators, parents, neighbors, etc. I would like to be viewed as someone who attended
to relationships and to the community.”
Chronicle, Spring 2001: “A conversation with incoming Head of School John Green”
Saying “Goodbye”
“Being the head of school is the most demanding and most rewarding job I have ever held.
Since 2001, it has been my distinct privilege to be head at Peddie — what I now consider my
favorite school — an institution with the highest moral and academic standards.
“I want to thank you for making my time at Peddie such a rewarding experience. Believe me
when I say that everyone I have encountered here has enriched my life — I have taken as much
if not more than I have given.”
Letter announcing his retirement, May 11, 2012
John Green enjoys his final Founders Day as head of school.
Spring 2013 7
the theme of Peddie’s sesquicen-tennial year is “Celebrate Peddie. Anew.” With the arrival this
summer of Peter Quinn as the 16th head of school, the theme of “anew” takes on even greater meaning.
In November, Peddie’s Board of Trustees appointed Quinn, a dynamic and visionary educator, to be the head of school. Quinn oversaw Peddie’s admission office in the years immediately following the school’s historic $100 million gift from Walter H. Annenberg ’27.
“After a comprehensive, international search for a new school leader, the Board of Trustees is confident that Peter brings with him the necessary balance of dedication to the traditional virtues of education as well as passion for innovation and dynamism — both critical attributes to lead Peddie as we embark anew in our 150th year,” Chair of the Board Christopher Acito ’85 said.
Quinn returns to Peddie after serving 16 years as headmaster of Wakefield School, a preschool through 12th-grade college preparatory school in Virginia. During his tenure, the school increased attendance from 244 students (with an annual operating deficit) to as many as 505 students (with an annual operating surplus). Quinn is credited with vastly improving the school by increasing faculty and staff, acreage, playing fields, and infrastructure.
Quinn was the director of admission and financial aid at Peddie in 1993 when the school received the Annenberg gift. Quinn was credited with being a “voice of integrity” at the school at the time that the Annenberg scholarship program was created and applications to the school tripled.
Quinn left Peddie in 1996 to assume the top leadership position at Wake-field, a school where he first began his teaching career in 1978. He graduated from Washington and Lee University with a B.A. in English, and received an M.A. in English from the University
Finimus Pariter Renovamusque Laboresanew |begin anew |to begin anew |only to begin anew |work only to begin anew |our work only to begin anew |finish our work only to begin anew |
Celebrate Peddie. Anew.
In 2013-2014, we invite you to join us as we celebrate Peddie’s 150th anniversary. Throughout the year, we will honor Peddie’s past and look toward Peddie’s future with a host of special events. We hope to see you!
Visit peddie.org/150 or follow #Peddie150 on Twitter for updates!
FallInstallation of New Head of School Peter Quinn (September)
Opening 150th Anniversary Celebration (September)
Blair Day at Peddie (November)
WinterVespers (December)
Alumni Art Exhibit (December)
Founders Day (February)
SpringAlumni Art Exhibit (March)
Spring Finale Event (May)
Alumni Weekend (May)
of Virginia. Quinn is the son of James H. McK. Quinn, headmaster of The Episcopal Academy from 1957 until 1975.
Quinn said he was drawn back to Peddie by the same unique charac-teristics that first attracted him here as an English teacher and soccer and lacrosse coach in 1985. “Its location,
Quinn prepares to lead Peddie
history of diversity, proportion of day students, Baptist background, and democratic informality mean that Peddie appeals to those who seek a school with an aristocracy of excite-ment, curiosity, and character rather than one of privilege,” he said.
Incoming Head of School Peter Quinn
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Finimus Pariter Renovamusque Labores | We finish our work only to begin anew | Finimus Pariter Renovamusque Labores | We finish our work only to begin anew | Finimus Pariter Renovamusque Labores | We finish our work only to begin anew | Finimus Pariter Renovamusque Labores | We finish our work only to begin anew | Finimus Pariter Renovamusque Labores | We finish our work only to begin anew | Finimus Pariter Renovamusque Labores | We finish our work only to begin anew | Finimus Pariter Renovamusque Labores | We finish our work only to begin anew | Finimus Pariter Renovamusque Labores
Celebrate Peddie. Anew.
In 2013-2014, we invite you to join us as we celebrate Peddie’s 150th anniversary. Throughout the year, we will honor Peddie’s past and look toward Peddie’s future with a host of special events. We hope to see you!
Visit peddie.org/150 or follow #Peddie150 on Twitter for updates!
FallInstallation of New Head of School Peter Quinn (September)
Opening 150th Anniversary Celebration (September)
Blair Day at Peddie (November)
WinterVespers (December)
Alumni Art Exhibit (December)
Founders Day (February)
SpringAlumni Art Exhibit (March)
Spring Finale Event (May)
Alumni Weekend (May)
Mayor William Curtis ’62 of Bay Head, N.J., says Peddie prepared him for a life in public service. But nothing could have prepared him for the utter devastation that
struck his hometown on October 29 when Hurricane Sandy annihilated Bay Head and much of the Jersey Shore.
“The bay met the ocean,” Curtis states simply while touring the broken streets of his square-mile town.
A quiet community since it was settled at the head of Barnegat Bay on the narrow barrier island of Long Beach Island in the 1880s, Bay Head has many homes dating to that time period. In all those years, there is no record of the bay and ocean ever meeting. Until 2012.
Curtis is one of two Peddie alumni who are mayors of Jersey Shore communities. Thomas “Tucker” Nicol ’63 P’89, has been the mayor of Brielle, N.J., since 1991.
Both small town mayors say Hurricane Sandy tested their leadership skills, forcing them to govern during a crisis in unprecedented ways.
In the days leading up to the storm, Nicol said, his dual role as mayor and emergency management coordinator had him in meetings constantly, monitoring the weather, issuing alerts to residents and generally hoping for the best.
“In the beginning, I honestly thought that we were going to get ready, we were going to do all these things to prepare and nothing catastrophic would happen,” he said. “But it did.”
Nicol said his community was “as prepared as we could be” and that his town fared better than others, largely because it is protected to the east by Long Beach Island.
Just three miles away, across the Manasquan River on that barrier island, Bay Head was dubbed by many as “ground zero” of the storm. The destruction of Bay Head was reported extensively in national media, including Time magazine, and Curtis himself was profiled on Dateline NBC.
The night of the storm, Curtis said, everything looked fine at 4 p.m. Just four hours later, the 12-foot dunes protecting the town were flattened. Every road in town had turned into a river.
“It was unfathomable,” he said. “But nobody was killed, nobody was hurt. Everything else can be rebuilt.”
One historic waterfront house was completely washed away, leaving behind only its pilings. Some homes, built higher up, survived. Others had three, four, even five feet of water on the first floors. And when the water receded, there was sand. Sand in the streets was plowed back toward the beach as if it were snow left behind by a blizzard. Sand in living rooms, too, was treated as snow, shoveled out and piled at the curb along with the sofas, mattresses and entire wardrobes.
“The aftermath was like a blizzard, but nothing was going to melt,” he said. It took four days to clean the streets of the sand.
“The first day, everybody was in shock and my task was to calm people down and let them know Bay Head was ok,” he said. “Underwater, yes. But ok.”
A command center was housed at the recycling compound — one of the few structures in town that was not under water — while the town was without electricity and water for 18 days.
The town’s small reading room that once served as a neighborly place to “leave a book, take a book” supplied three meals a day to the displaced residents, emergency
officials, state police officers and National Guardsmen who were in town to protect the homes that remained from looters.
Of the 1,000 homes and structures in Bay Head, 57 were so severely damaged they were immediately condemned. The fate of hundreds more is still unknown.
The red brick Bay Head School, home to about 150 kindergarten through eighth graders, saw all its mechanical systems destroyed. They lost all their musical instruments, art supplies and extracurricular equipment. Across the parking lot, the town library, also used by the school children, is still closed.
The firehouse, which had been emptied of its trucks prior to the storm’s arrival, became home for the National Guard members until Christmastime. Eight days after the storm hit, Bay Head residents also filed into the firehouse to vote in their local, state and national elections.
In Brielle, no houses were lost during the storm, but two homes were declared uninhabitable following the storm because of severe water damage.
Mayors at Jersey Shore lead and rebuild after Sandy
Mayor William Curtis ’62 surveys the Bay Head beach after Hurricane Sandy
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“It was unfathomable. But nobody was killed, nobody was hurt.
Everything else can be rebuilt.”Mayor William Curtis ’62
Bay Head’s rock walls protected some houses from Hurricane Sandy, while others were lost.
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and the damage to their properties was far worse than those that have had the walls since a bad storm in 1962.
Curtis said the very same skills that have helped him lead his community since Sandy were developed at Peddie, where he held his first elected office. After transferring
into the school as a junior, he was elected class president just one year later. “But I lost by 33 votes to Barry Goldsmith to be the student body president,” he remembers 51 years later. Then, he concedes, “But he had been there for four years.”
As the senior class president, he had a seat on the Disciplinary Committee and developed a keen awareness of doing the right thing even when difficult. He had to vote several times to remove students from the school — including some he considered friends. “But I understood what the honor system meant at Peddie. I was really taught there that you do not cheat. In anything.”
Curtis said Peddie taught him numerous lessons, but history and debate classes were “an incredible experience.” It was in William H. “Herb” Mariboe’s classroom and on his field trip to Washington, D.C., that he was inspired to pursue public service.
“I learned more from Dr. Mariboe than I had ever learned in school. I learned about government for the first time,” he said. “Maybe that’s why I’m here right now.”
While touring the still-devastated streets of Bay Head, Curtis said above all he feels “thankful” that he is able to do the job of mayor.
In mid-winter, there were more dumpsters in driveways than automobiles. Piles of sand still litter the sidewalks, driveways and other places sand should not be.
Contractors and builders seemingly outnumber the residents, but the mayor said the rebuilding hasn’t even begun in earnest because insurance and FEMA money has been slow to come or non-existent. While a few have been able to begin the rebuilding process without waiting for reimbursement, most are not able to begin until their claims are settled.
So, residents have done what they can. The torn American flags have been replaced, but many flags now fly over dumpsters.
And even through the winter and early spring, the United Methodist Church in town continues to prepare and serve two meals a day to those still in town whose homes were destroyed.
And summer is coming on fast.
After the storm, Nicol said, he quickly identified a priority list and Brielle got to work right away. “Our biggest challenge was getting the roads opened right away. We had 50 road interruptions from downed trees,” he said. “You need emergency responders to be able to get to homes.”
Town officials, workers and local companies worked around the clock and within 48 hours of the storm, all of the roads opened.
“We were outgunned and outmanned and did not have anywhere near the equipment needed to clean up after the event,” Nicol said.
He mobilized local businesses from Brielle — a tree surgeon and a bridge builder — to assist their own neighbors in the clean-up.
They brought in heavy equipment and 40-yard containers for the household debris that lined the streets of town. It took a week to clear the curbs of cabinets, furniture, and personal items.
While Brielle recovered more quickly, parts of Bay Head still look as if the storm came just days ago, not months ago.
Curtis said his focus throughout the winter has been on expediting restoration and rebuilding as much as possible before the summer season when the town’s population swells from 1,200-year-round residents to more than 5,000.
“I’m trying to prevent businesses from going out of business,” said Curtis, whose own livelihood comes from running the Central Market, a store founded by his grandfather in 1910 and operated by four generations of Curtises.
He lives above the store, on the third floor, so his home remained dry. But everything inside the store was lost. “According to my father, they’ve never had a drop of water in the store,” he said. “Until this time.”
The six-year mayor, who previously was accustomed to presiding over sleepy borough council meetings, has honed his lobbying skills in recent months, negotiating with state officials and FEMA, and on more than one occasion dialing up the governor’s office when red tape got in the way of advocating for his residents. He doesn’t mind making a pest of himself. When people arrived in Bay Head via boat and began looting, he went to nearby Point Pleasant, walked up to a group of National Guardsmen, and brought them back to his town to restore order.
He spent months fighting with the state Department of Environmental Protection to gain approval on behalf of 14 homeowners who wish to build rock walls at their own expense to protect their homes from future storms. The 14 homes are the only ones remaining in town that don’t have the protection,
The pilings are all that remain of a Bay Head home built in 1890.
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To view a Dateline NBC interview with Mayor Curtis and view the destruction in Bay Head, go to peddie.org/chronicle
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In anticipation of Hurricane Sandy in October, about 70 Peddie students filled sandbags at Hightstown’s Public Works Building in an effort to assist the town in preparing for the storm. In the end, Hightstown and the Peddie campus fared relatively well through the storm, and Peddie students did too. Despite losing power for over 72 hours, students and faculty adapted to life without electricity and, after the storm was over, they spent a considerable amount of time cleaning up storm dam-age on campus and helping businesses in downtown Hightstown get back in working order.
Once school began in earnest again, life at Peddie began to return to normal. Students were acutely aware, however, that the same was not true for many of their neighbors to the east; many of the shore communities were devastated. Students did what they could to assist, gathering monetary donations on behalf of the Red Cross, and organizing collec-tions of pet supplies and other neces-sities for animal shelters caring for dislocated pets. During the nationally-
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televised 12-12-12 concert to aid victims of Hurricane Sandy, members of the community gathered in the grill to watch the concert and again collected funds to contribute to the benefit.
Efforts to assist continue. In January, a bus full of student volunteers spent one of their rare class-free Saturdays at Island Beach State Park, helping to clean up the beaches and fortify and rebuild sand dunes. Working with park management, students hauled 1,000 donated Christmas trees into trenches
STUDENTS PITCH IN AFTER HURRICANE SANDY
dug along the shoreline, which will be used to catch sand and begin rebuild-ing the dunes lost to the storm.
“It’s devastating. A lot of people lost their houses, the sand dunes are dev-astated as well. We all want to do our part and help out. It’s our state,” Molly Chertkov ’15 told ABC News, which covered the event.
Peddie’s Director of Community Service Dani Mooney hopes to support the students in continuing these efforts.
“The kids have been determined to help these communities, and were able to provide considerable assistance in the efforts to rebuild the dunes,” said Mooney. “We hope to organize addi-tional service trips to the shore in the coming months as these communities continue to work towards recovery.”
Peddie students hauled discarded Christmas trees as part of a dune restoration project at Island Beach State Park.
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Listen to a news story about this project on National Public Radio by visiting peddie.org/chronicle
Spring 2013 13
GUYS AND DOLLSDirected by Elizabeth Sherman, the winter musical “Guys and Dolls” was performed at the William Mount-Burke Theater
as a tribute to Jeffrey “Harry” Holcombe, who is retiring in June. “Guys and Dolls” was the very first production directed by Holcombe when he arrived at Peddie 45 years ago – a time when there were only “guys” and no “dolls” in the student body.
How did this year’s winter musical stand up to others? The orchestra was “pure Broadway” and the cast “pure gold,” Holcombe declared.
“It is one of the biggest, brightest and most delightful shows I’ve had the pleasure and honor to work on,” Harry said just before opening night. “I have seen a heck of a lot of high school productions in my lifetime, but the dancing in this
one was some of the best!”
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Interim Director of Athletics Marc Buchner ’92 said his motivation to stay fit runs deep.
“I used to weigh over 300 pounds and have no desire to get anywhere near that ever again. I struggle with food choices all the time and believe that food is an addiction. I battle it every day and the only way to maintain my weight is to keep doing something,” he said.
His extraordinary transformation is the result of a hard-core fitness regimen he performs on his own. In recent years, he has run the Marine Corps Marathon, the Philadelphia Half Marathon and the Jersey Shore Half Marathon.
Other adults at Peddie find the inspiration to stay fit from their students.
Donny Dickson, a math teacher and cross country coach, said his fitness routine is easy during his coaching season. “I run with the kids every day and I try to do the same thing during outdoor track in the spring,” he said. “It's been fun to work out alongside Peddie kids. You get to see a different side of them that you might not necessarily catch in the classroom or in the dorm.”
Pat Clements’ yearly bike trips are legendary for inspiring students, but have had a profound effect on adults as well.
“In addition to being a wonderful transformative experience for the kids, Pat Clements’ sophomore bike trip is a great way for some of us adults who were not experienced cyclists and outdoors people to have some nice achievements ourselves,” said Marisa Green, director of vocal music.“Getting to the top of some of those hills is an accomplishment even if you're in your 20s or 30s!”
Faculty and staff stay fit in creative ways
Outside, the loop around campus — south on Main Street, left onto Etra Road, left onto Ward Street and back toward Main — is a constant flow during the early morning, lunchtime and evening hours as
runners keep in shape and train for races. History teacher Paul Watkins recently spent his run of the loop mentally calculating that he has run the loop at least 4,250 times since he started working at Peddie.
Marilyn Anker, coordinator of cultural events, and Theresa Konrad, technology support staff member, are often done with their workouts when they arrive at work; they are among several members of the community who commute from neighboring towns on their bikes.
“Let it be clear that I never participated in any school sport back when I was in high school,” Anker said. “And I had not really bicycled since I delivered newspapers in the late 1970s.”
In 2001, she participated in her first cycling event, the Anchor House Ride for Runaways, and has been on the bike for nearly every Peddie bike trip since 2001. She has ridden the LiveStrong Challenge 100-mile bike ride twice and since 2011 added three sprint triathlons to her list of accomplishments.
The number of adults who run triathlons is inordinately high, and last year science teacher Chris Bright qualified for the World Triathlon Championships in Aukland, New Zealand. He placed 37th in the world in his age group.
It helped, Bright said, that he was able to work out “in one of the best pools on the planet.”
Marilyn Anker has raised almost $5,000 for cancer research participating in 100-mile bike rides with the LiveStrong Foundation.
The fitness center inside the Ian H. Graham ’50 Athletic Center is one of the first places on campus to show signs of life each morning. Sometimes before the sun rises, and certainly before most of the students have risen, faculty and staff begin arriving to take advantage of their pre-class hours to get some exercise.
Chris Bright (left) qualified for and competed in the International Triathlon Union’s World Triathlon Championships in Aukland, New Zealand in 2012.
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Like many, English teacher Courtney Jackson ’04 said she discovered her love for biking during a Pat Clements bike ride as a Peddie student and cycling remains part of her long list of fitness activities. So, too, is lifting weights, inspired by the fitness center’s leader board.
“I love the fitness board and am up there for bench press, which is my specialty. I have the overall women's athletic record at Lehigh at 165 pounds and my goal is to get it back up to that so I can get on Peddie's board with that weight,” she said. She is currently on the board for lifting 135 pounds.
Many have found inspiration in groups: A faculty and staff yoga class meets weekly inside Longstreet Library and a Weight Watchers group also formed on campus.
Those not inspired by the traditional fitness programs on campus have turned outside the gates for their hobbies. Science teacher Meg McNall took up ballet for the first time at a local dance studio, alumni and
development staff member Christina Lee plays on a flag football team in both fall and spring and Tabitha McKinley, who teaches science during the day, works out her energy by training for her first boxing match, which will be sometime later this year.
Director of Rowing Barbara Grudt, an Olympian in her sport, still rows in the early mornings with the Mercer Masters.
Chef Oleg Babich, who bikes and swims for fitness, also had a goal this winter: dedicating himself to riding as much as possible outside during the winter. He rode 103 days in a row, clocking in 229 hours and 2,595 miles.
Deanna Ferrante joined Peddie as director of marketing and communications in 2010 and had never run for fitness. She said she took up running when she found “this place is chock-full of athletes and coaches to provide advice and encouragement.”
This year, she completed her first half marathon. “Given that a year ago, I could barely run a mile, I consider that no small feat,” she said. “Working in a community like Peddie is unique for an amateur athlete.” She said Strength and Condi-tioning Coach Mike Volkmar analyzed her stride as well as her pre- and post-running stretching and suggested many ways for her to improve her training.
Faculty and staff members who completed triathlons, marathons and half marathons are:
In fact, many faculty and staff members cite the magnificent facilities and resources at Peddie in helping them reach their fitness goals.
Business Office staff members Bonnie Maehr and Kathleen Gottlieb aim to walk a mile every lunch time on the track in the athletic center.
Director of Aquatics Beth Bright said fitness is a way of life at Peddie. “I stay active to make it though the endurance race called life. With an active husband and active kids, I want to keep up rather than stay on the sidelines,” she said. “As part of this community, I hope to inspire the students to continue fitness through their life and in some way make it part of their everyday lives.”
Marc Buchner ’92 lost nearly half his body weight over the past ten years.
Cathy Watkins leads a weekly yoga class for faculty and staff inside Longstreet Library.
Marilyn AnkerTim BrennanBeth BrightChris BrightMarc BuchnerRay CabotAmy CrossMadeleine CozineDonny DicksonSuzanna DwyerDeanna FerranteMark Gartner ’84Marisa GreenAlison HogarthCourtney Jackson ’04Emily JeeLauri LewisDoug Mariboe ’69Meg McNall
Joe MurtaughMichael O’NeillPatricia O’NeillCatherine RodrigueKatie SchwizerWilliam SodanoMichael StewartJim TruslowMegan WashburnKate WesthaverTris Wood
Spring 2013 17
When Tom Phelan joined Peddie in 2001 as director of technology, a repurposed classroom housed the technology team while a gaggle of individual servers and networking equipment supporting email, Internet, storage, and backup were crammed into a small seminar room with wires every-where and a couple of air conditioning window units operating on full blast.
Technology-eager faculty were discovering that it was hard to count on bandwidth for classroom applications, and the year before, an email server crash took email out of service for more than a day.
Today, a robust central networking and server rack sits proud-ly exposed to passersby behind a large window on the lower level of Annenberg Hall. Students with laptop problems come to a confidence-inspiring service desk and log their informa-
tion into a console. Behind the scenes, a professional staff of eight well-trained and devoted people keeps everything running. Classroom teachers have a standardized environment in which to work, with SMART Boards, standardized “tech pods,” and wireless networking in every classroom.
Phelan has made sure that everyone can count on technology working nearly every minute of every day. For teachers who believe that every moment in the classroom is precious, this reliability is essential to any use of technology to help students learn.
After twelve years of leading the technology team and transforming the services it provides, Phelan has retired due to illness. This winter, Phelan was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
Technology advances under PhelanBy Tim Corica
18 Peddie Chronicle
It will come to no one’s surprise that information technology at Peddie — computers, networks, and so on — have increased in power over the dozen years that Phelan has been at the reins as director of technology. The laptops issued to students last year by the technology team have 100 times the memory, 100 times the speed and 80 times the storage of those in use in Phelan’s first year. But the greatest change Phelan has presided over has been the transformation of an ad hoc, seat-of-the-pants operation into one that would be the pride of a Fortune 500 company and the envy of schools around the nation. And all this was accomplished with the spirit of Peddie’s mission firmly in mind.
In the world of independent school technology, Phelan is well-known. As a programmer, he created cleverly designed code for Peddie to overcome weaknesses in commercial products, and then shared his work with other schools freely. As a tech-nology director, he brought the leading annual conference of school technologists, edACCESS, to Peddie for the past two years, providing a spectacular experience for both Peddie’s staff and for participants from around the country, while show-casing the great things happening at Peddie. His frequent
postings on an internationally-read listserv are greatly appre-ciated by the members, and he has selflessly performed the role of co-manager of the list since 2009.
Even Peddie parents have felt the impact of Phelan’s work, which turned the fat summer mailing packet full of paper forms and documents for families into the slick FalconNet on-line system. He moved grade reports and transcripts online. Quite literally, every single member of the Peddie community has benefited from what Phelan has created here.
MIT’s Seymour Papert wrote that technology will have be-come truly useful when it has become “invisible.” Because Phelan has ensured that technology at Peddie always works, and always works smoothly, his efforts have made it pos-sible for Peddie students, faculty and staff to forget about the technology and just get their work done, and their learning accomplished.
The laptops issued to students last year by the technology team have
100 times the memory, 100 times the speed, and 80 times the storage of
those in use in Phelan’s first year.
Spring 2013 19
Four Peddie boys became just the third team in high school swimming history to break the three-minute barrier in the 400-yard freestyle relay during a historic showing at the Easterns Interscholastic Swimming and Diving Championship held at La Salle University’s Kirk Natatorium on Feb. 23.
The Falcon boys rocked the pool in the 400 freestyle relay, crushing the school record and tying the meet record with a 2:59.98 notched by the Bolles School in 1991. Patrick Park ’14 led off with a 45.56, followed by Bradley Cline ’13 (44.56), Joshua Daniel ’14 (45.59) and anchor Michael Nunan ’13 (44.27). The previous Peddie record was 3:01.97, raced by Jim Wells ’92, Greg Goldfield ’92, Rick Dzavik ’91 and Peter Wright ’91 at the 1991 Easterns.
In addition to the relay team, Peddie boys won every event in the two-day meet except the 50 freestyle. Nunan won his second Easterns title, captur-ing the 500 freestyle in 4:18.88 to set a new school record, beating the record previously set by Wells (4:21.98). Nunan swam a 1:36.56 in the 200 freestyle to break the 1991 meet and school record of 1:36.69 established by Wells.
Nunan received the Male Swimmer of the Meet Award.
SPORTSHALL OF FAME
The Peddie School Sports Hall of Fame will celebrate its 25th anniversary during Reunion Weekend when four athletes and one team are inducted.
The 2003 girls’ lacrosse team will be honored at the induction ceremony on Saturday, June 1. The following individual athletes will also be inducted:
William Dey ’88, Soccer Christopher Totten ’93, Track Steven Totten ’98, Soccer Whitney Douthett ’03, Soccer, Basketball, Lacrosse
Founded by Edward “Skip” Masland ’49, the Hall of Fame honors teams and individual athletes whose contributions and achievements have improved Peddie's reputation, brought credit to the school or inspired others to their own personal level of excellence.
Joseph Lane ’13 also etched his name on the Peddie record board with a sizzling 49.18 in the 100 backstroke to win the Easterns title and lower former Olympian Royce Sharp's ’91 standard of 49.36 set in 1991 at the same pool.
Cline won the 200 individual medley in 1:48.31, while Park clocked in at 45.32 to claim the 100 freestyle title and broke the Peddie 100 butterfly record with a 48.62, eclipsing the old mark of 49.20 set by Kyle Egan ’98. Forrest Davis ’13 came from behind in the last 25 to get the gold in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 55.53.
“The spirit, the energy and the camaraderie among the Peddie team helped achieve those performances. No other team at the meet, in my opinion, brought as much atmosphere to the pool deck as the kids from Peddie,” said Coach Greg Wriede ’95. “I am proud to be an alum and a coach of a school that places such a strong emphasis on building the character of the student athlete.”
Swimmers smash school records
The 400-yard freestyle relay team celebrates in the pool after breaking the three minute mark.
Watch the historic swim by the 400 freestyle relay team at peddie.org/chronicle
Allegheny CollegeFootball
Isaac Gittens ’10 – A wide receiver and member of the special teams, Gittens played in all ten games for the 5-5 Gators, hauling in 15 receptions for 139 yards and one touchdown. On the defensive side of the ball, Gittens recorded six tackles.
Bowdoin College Men’s Basketball
Max Staiger ’09 – The 6-foot 10-inch senior center started all 24 contests for the Polar Bears and combined for 41 points, making 14 of 19 shots, to wrap up the regular season with wins over Connecticut College and Wesleyan. Staiger ended his four-year career with 83 blocked shots.
Coast Guard AcademyFootball
Evan Rothfeld ’10 – A member of the New England Football Conference (NEFC) All-Academic Team and second team All-NEFC at defensive back, Rothfeld has been named co-captain for the 2013 campaign. He notched 32 tackles, two interceptions and two blocked kicks. At the 2012 football awards banquet, Rothfeld received the Fighting Heart Award.
Cornell UniversityField Hockey
Carolyn Horner ’10 – A first team All-Ivy and second team Mideast Region All-American, Horner had a breakout season, leading the Ivy League and ranking fifth nationally in save per-centage while posting the league's second-best goals against average (1.88), pacing the circuit in shutouts (5) and posting the fourth-most saves (121) in her first full season as a starter. Horner was 11th in the NCAA in saves per game (7.56).
Dartmouth CollegeWomen’s Swimming
Kendese Nangle ’12 – The Big Green freshman had a big Ivy League Championship meet, establishing school records in the 50-yard freestyle (6th, 22.94), 100 backstroke (6th, 54.88) and 200 backstroke (5th, 1:58.28). She also swam the leadoff backstroke leg of the 200 and 400 medley relays to help set new school standards and swam the first leg of the record-breaking 200 freestyle relay. Dartmouth finished fifth out of eight teams.
Men’s Basketball
John Golden ’10 – The 6-foot 6-inch sophomore started every game for the Big Green this season, averaging over 30 min-utes of playing time and eight points per contest. He notched 15 points in a game against Harvard, shooting 6-of-8 from the floor.
Gettysburg CollegeWomen’s Soccer
Melissa Seidner ’12 – As a freshman, started at forward in the Bullets’ opening game of the season and netted the game’s only goal in a win over Lebanon. In just her third match, she dished out her first career assist in a 1-0 win against Dennison. Seidner played in all 18 games with 10 starts and concluded her team’s 12-6 season with three goals and two helpers.
Harvard UniversityFootball
Brian Reilly ’09 – In his last two seasons at linebacker for the Crimson, Reilly appeared in 15 games and recorded 24 tackles as his team captured outright Ivy League titles in 2011 and 2012.
Haverford CollegeMen’s Soccer
Dan Garfling ’09 – Garfling started all 21 games for the Fords in the midfield and tallied two goals on the season including the game-winner against Rowan University as Haverford beat the Profs for the first time in program history. He finished with two assists on the year including helper on game-winning goal in a victory over Ursinus and converted shootout attempt against Wesleyan to help the Fords advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history.
Women’s Basketball
Pallavi Juneja ’11 – In her collegiate debut in a win against Bryn Mawr, the 5-foot 5-inch sophomore guard grabbed a defensive rebound and knocked down a 3-pointer on her first career field goal attempt.
lafayette CollegeWomen’s Soccer
Lauren Smedley ’09 – Smedley put together the best four years for a goalkeeper in program history. Last season, Smedley became the first Lafayette player to earn All-Mid-Atlantic first team laurels and was chosen as the Patriot League’s goalkeeper of the year for the second straight season. She finished her career with 25 shutouts, the most for a Lafayette keeper, and tied for sixth-best total in league history. In addition, she is Lafayette’s all-time leader in goals-against average, minutes played, games started, and games played for a goalie.
(continued on page 22)
Falcon Feats / Peddie athletes in college action
Spring 2013 21
Stock up on gear
Shop online at www.peddie.org/store
for the summer!
Princeton UniversityField Hockey
Maddie Copeland ’12 – Playing in 17 games and potting five goals on eight shots in her rookie campaign, Copeland celebrated with the Tigers as they defeated No. 1 North Caro-lina, 3-2, to capture their first-ever national championship.
Men’s Soccer
Brendan McSherry ’12 – The frosh midfielder played in 12 games and made four starts with his first career start against Rutgers, where he took five shots, two on goal.
trinity CollegeWomen’s Swimming
Joanna Wycech ’10 – Wycech finished 24th in both the 200 breast and 400 individual medley at the New England Small College Athletic Conference Championships (NESCAC). The school record holder in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:29.40), she also owns top ten times in the 100 breast, 200 IM, 200 back, 50 breast and 100 IM.
Union CollegeMen’s Indoor Track, Football
Tosin Kazeem ’10 – Current school record holder for the indoor 200-meters (22.54), Kazeem won the Liberty League indoor championship in the 60 meter dash with a season best time of 7.09 seconds. In football, Kazeem had two receptions
for 48 yards as wide receiver. The multi-talented athlete was also the placekicker and kickoff man. He made 23 of 24 extra point kicks and three of six field goals with a long of 31 yards.
University of PennsylvaniaField Hockey
MaryRose Croddick ’10 – Second team All-Ivy in the backfield, Croddick has started 34 consecutive games for the Quakers. During her rookie campaign in 2011, she was the only player to play every minute of the entire season.
Washington CollegeMen’s Soccer
Tyler Cabot ’10 – Cabot started all 15 games in the goal for the Shoremen and recorded five shutouts. Named a Centen-nial Conference Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week, Cabot made a diving stop on a free kick to preserve the 1-0 shutout over Gettysburg, marking the first win over the Bullets since 2003.
Wesleyan UniversityMen’s Basketball
Shasha Brown ’08 – The senior guard became the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,693 points. Averaging 18 points per game for his career, Brown has been honored by the New England Small College Athletic Conference each season, including first team all-NESCAC.
Falcon Feats / Peddie athletes in college action
(continued from page 21)
22 Peddie Chronicle
The following profile of Wang is re-printed with permission from The Peddie News.
The Peddie News staff writer Caroline Wenzel ’14 sat down with the school’s very own math prodigy to prove that there is more to Mien Wang than a brilliant mind.
The Peddie News: So, just to clarify, you already went to college?
Mien Wang: Yes, I went to Columbia. It is no different from high school except that my classmates were a lot older than me. The classroom style, espe-cially math, is less discussion based. We would just listen to a speaker, and then we were tested on exactly what he said.
TPN: How did you get into college at such a young age?
MW: I was 13 when I first got into to college. My first college was in Taiwan, and I got into a college for two years. Then I thought it would be easy to get into another. So I pretty much trans-ferred. I didn’t have to take the SAT; I just went to Columbia. When I was at Columbia, I did a mixture of college and high school. A lot of people would assume I had a hard time being so young, but all of my classmates who were so much older thought I looked old enough to be there, so it wasn’t weird.
TPN: So, if you already went to college, why did you come to Peddie this year?
MW: A lot of things brought me to my decision of joining Peddie, consider-ing that I am only 17. Peddie is a great school, and being so close to Princeton University is a bonus.
TPN: Do you know where you want to go to college next?
MW: I guess either Harvard, Princeton, or back to Columbia.
TPN: What do you want to major in?
MW: Philosophy and Math…so, a double major.
TPN: What do you want to do after college?
MW: It’s a weird thing but I want to write the truth. I want to write a book about the inside of everything, not just mathematics, but everything in life.
TPN: Will you stay in the U.S.?
MW: It depends. If staying in the U.S. helps me to write this book, then I will stay. Wherever it will be best. If Somalia would help me write this book, I will go to Somalia!
TPN:What math do you take here?
MW: I am not in any math classes. I am working on problems outside of Peddie. They are professional problems. They are competitive.
TPN: When did you take Algebra 1?
MW: What’s Algebra 1?
TPN: Have you always been great at math?
MW: When I was in first grade, I failed all of my math tests. Every single one. Two years ago when I took modern analysis, I did a good job on the midterm, but on the final I got a 14 percent. That is failing.
TPN: How did you eventually learn math so well?
MW: I have just been lucky. My parents figured out I had a talent when I was a little older, and if they would have [seen] it sooner I would be much better than I am now.
TPN: What are your study secrets?
MW: If it is science and math, I don’t know how to study, so I don’t. But if it is memorization, I would recommend writing notes on a blank piece of paper.
Write things you don’t know, and make an image out of it. It makes memorizing so much faster.
TPN: What is the hardest class you have ever taken?
MW: English this year. [It is] so difficult. I am a strong reader in Chinese. I have only known English for four years. It’s tough.
TPN: What classes are you taking?
MW: I don’t take any APs because I don’t need to prove myself. I take advanced research physics; it’s a pretty fun course. I also take French 1, and I also speak Japanese, which I taught to myself.
TPN: How much sleep do you get?
MW: I usually go to bed at 9 or 10, and I wake up at 5 or 6.
TPN: Do you have any siblings?
MW: I have a sister [who is] three years younger than me. She hates math.
TPN: Do you play sports or have you ever played sports?
MW: Not until this term! Holy crap, it is torture! I am wrestling. Imagine this: I have never played a sport in my entire life, and now I am wrestling. It is so hard, but the people are great. My body doesn’t like wrestling, but I personally like it a lot. It is a good sport…It sharp-ens you physically and mentally.
TPN: Why do you call yourself Brabeeba, if your real name is Mien?
MW: I named myself Brabeeba because I am not only a math guy. “Brabeeba” is a mixture of three German composers: Brahms, Beethoven, and Bach. I named myself that because I am extremely good at piano.
Math prodigy attends Peddie after collegeMien “Brabeeba” Wang’s path from Taiwan to Peddie School is truly unique. Prior
to enrolling in Peddie, Wang attended college, first in his native Taiwan and then
at Columbia University. In September, the math prodigy enrolled at Peddie as a
junior and expects to earn his high school diploma on pace with his peers in 2014.
Tim Corica, chair of the math department, said he has never before seen a
student like Wang. “The first thing people say about Brabeeba is that he's a
brilliant mathematician, which he is,” Corica said. “But the first thing that you
notice when you meet him is his always-positive, always-generous spirit. It's a
wonderful combination to have around Peddie.”
Spring 2013 23
Brian Kinsella ’02 is haunted by numbers: One soldier on active duty kills himself every day. And among veterans, 22 commit suicide in that same 24 hour period.
To raise awareness of military suicide, Kinsella recently completed a 5,500-mile motorcycle ride on behalf of the non-profit organization he founded and leads, Stop Soldier Suicide (SSS).
The former Army captain kicked off his Ride for Life during National Suicide Prevention Month, riding from September 28 through October 15 and traveling from Seattle to New York City. He stopped at various military posts to meet with widows, met with suicide prevention managers across the country and with officials from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in Washington, D.C.
Kinsella, who founded SSS nearly three years ago soon after he completed five years of active duty, said he knew almost immediately upon entering the military that soldier suicide was an issue that needed to be addressed.
“I had my first experience with military suicide a few months into my assignment,” said Kinsella, describing how an 18-year-old female soldier slit her wrists in a suicide attempt while serving alongside him on active duty in Germany. “It changed the way I thought about commanding and leading soldiers.”
From that point on, Kinsella said, he paid particular attention to having a “flat command structure” which would allow him to get to know all the people under his command. “If you lead from the front, you get to know people but you only get to know them if they respect you,” he said. “From there, people get comfortable talking to you about what is going on in their lives.”
Later, when he was assigned to work closely with a general who commanded 10,000 soldiers, he was disturbed to find that among the weekly reports that came to the general’s desk each Monday morning was a report on the number of suicide attempts from the week. “Seeing those aggregated numbers for that 10,000-member unit was eye-opening,” he said. “I remember seeing that and it stayed in my mind.”
A few months later, as his unit was preparing to deploy to Haiti to assist in hurricane recovery, the soldier assigned as the general’s personal driver killed himself. “Everybody thought this wasn’t somebody who had troubles. This guy drove a general. He was a bright, rising star,” Kinsella said. “It was a real wakeup call to a lot of people.”
Kinsella’s thoughts returned to those Monday morning reports and the many, many others who would contemplate — and commit — suicide. “That was the catalyst for Stop Soldier Suicide.”
In addition to the stress of combat and military service, Kinsella said soldiers have the same problems as others — financial stress, homelife problems, mental health issues. Once home, many veterans also face the additional challenges of homelessness, unemployment, loss of limb or paralysis.
Kinsella said that although suicide among service members and veterans is a “multi-decade epidemic,” there has been a documented spike in the number of active duty service members ending their lives since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In a recent cover story on the growing problem, Time magazine reported that since the start of the war in Afghanistan, more soldiers have killed themselves than have been killed in combat.
SSS not only works to raise awareness of the issue, but links those who need help with the various organizations that provide services, working in conjunction with the VA and Department of Defense.
He said many soldiers and veterans are reluctant to reach out for help, particularly to government agencies. Having the commonalities with the volunteers at SSS helps eliminate the barriers. SSS answers calls, emails and even social media requests, determines what a person’s needs are and assesses what resources can help.
Kinsella ’02 aims to Stop Soldier Suicide
Since the start of the war in
Afghanistan, more soldiers have
killed themselves than have
been killed in combat.
Brian Kinsella ’02 on duty in Haiti.
24 Peddie Chronicle
To register, visit www.peddie.org/reunion
For more information, contact Brian Davidson at [email protected]
“The resources exist, but are fragmented,” Kinsella said. “There are a host of services that exist but people don’t know where to get them.” SSS connects soldiers with free mental health care provided by non-profits throughout the country. “If the issue is paralysis, we provide a connection to the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation,” he said.
Kinsella, who in addition to serving as CEO of SSS works for an investment bank in New York City, said his own decision to join the military came while he was a student at Peddie. On September 11, 2001, the second day of classes of his senior year, the student body was summoned to chapel. John Green, the new head of school who was barely known to the Peddie students, stood at the front of the chapel and told the community that two planes had struck the World Trade Center in an apparent terrorist attack.
“I said to myself, ‘I am going to be part of the fight,’ ” Kinsella remembers. He was accepted at Johns Hopkins University, where he attended on a ROTC scholarship. After graduating early in 2005, he served five years on active duty.
Kinsella said the Ride for Life was “wildly successful” in raising awareness and reaching people, a strategy that is critical to reducing the number of suicides.
Soon after he completed his journey, Kinsella received a letter from one of the many veterans who joined him for a portion of the ride. The man, who rode with Kinsella from Salt Lake City to the Colorado border, is a disabled Navy veteran who suffers from depression.
Kinsella said he spent an hour reading the letter again and again. “I awoke one morning wishing to take my own life. I was due to show up and ride with a fellow motorcycle rider through portions of the state I live in.
I weighed the decision to meet with this young man who was riding across the nation to bring awareness to the issue of soldier suicide. I decided to meet up with him. We rode through beautiful mountain ranges. I am, to this day, very grateful I chose to get up and ride,” the letter began.
Kinsella rode 5,500 miles to raise awareness of Stop Soldier Suicide
Continue reading the letter at peddie.org/chronicle View an SSS video at peddie.org/chronicle
Spring 2013 25
Henry “terry” Christensen III ’62 was awarded the Thomas B. Peddie Award for his deep commitment to the school beginning from the time he was a student. The highest honor the school bestows, the Thomas B. Peddie Award is granted to those whose personal distinction, leadership, generous spirit and impact on the greater community set them apart. Only two others, Walter H. Annenberg ’27 and Finn M.W. Caspersen ’59, have been given the Thomas B. Peddie Award.
“You have heard me say that you are fortunate to stand on the shoulders of those who came before you at Peddie. Today, we honor a man who is a giant even among those,” Head of School John Green said at the chapel ceremony. “Mr. Christensen is an example of someone who has done well and done good, a dual distinction we hope you all may attain.”
Christensen, whose father also attended Peddie and served as a trustee, immersed himself in Peddie life as a member of the track and cross country teams, a participant in multiple clubs and as editor-in-chief of The Peddie News. In addition to winning the Reeves Speaking Contest, he was elected to both the Cum Laude and Gold Key Societies.
An attorney of international acclaim, educated at Yale and then Harvard Law School, Mr. Christensen always made time for Peddie. A long-time volunteer in the Alumni Association, Christensen was named a member of the Board of Trustees in 1986 and served for twenty years including serving as co-chair from 2007-2009 and being named trustee emeritus in 2009.
Green, describing Christensen as a “scholarly gentleman with an abiding love for rigorous education,” said he will long be remembered for serving as the board’s academic “conscience.”
“Mr. Christensen was at the forefront of making sure our faculty and academic offerings were among the very best,” said Green, “He insisted on it, in fact.”
“All of us are founders”The Peddie community celebrated two men who served the school in unique and extraordinary ways during its 118th annual Founders Day. Founders Day honors past leaders who left a lasting legacy of loyalty, integrity and vision to the school.
Dietrich von Schwerdtner, simply known as “von” on campus, was honored posthumously for his forty years of teaching and coaching at Peddie.
“Mr. von was a teacher,” said Tim Corica, chair of the math department. “He was a math teacher, a computer teacher, a lacrosse teacher, a dormitory teacher, a family style teacher, a pass-you-in-the-hall teacher, and a call-to-you-across-the-quad teacher! Every moment for Mr. von was a teachable moment and a learning moment, and every encounter with another person — student or adult — was a chance to make a difference in their lives.”
Von Schwerdtner joined the math department at Peddie in 1965 and was instrumental in developing the school’s approach to and use of technology. Equally passionate about the game of lacrosse, he served as head coach for 15 years, garnering an impressive 99-63 record.
Long-time lacrosse coach Bob Turco ’70, founder of Tri-State Lacrosse and former Peddie coach, remembered his first encounter with von. “In the fall of 1967, von gave me a lacrosse stick. I told him I was a baseball player and couldn’t afford the stick. He told me since I was a football player, I could hit and would like lacrosse,” Turco remem-bered. “If I kept the stick, his payment would be that some-day I would pass along a stick and the love of the game to someone else. It was his first lesson to me: the lesson of the joy of giving. I have been handing sticks out and teaching lacrosse now for 39 years.”
Watch a recording of the Founders Day ceremony or read the tributes to the honorees at peddie.org/chronicle
26 Peddie Chronicle
“From the founders who laid the first stone, to the founders who nurture and protect today, to the founders who heat the furnaces of knowledge, to the founders who reach and stretch and strive and who will return to lead us in the future, we are part of a continuum, of the living being which is Peddie. All of us are founders.” — Henry “Terry” Christensen III ’62
center campus
Poet Gregory Djanikian ’67 shared his poetry with students in January, reading his works and sharing his tips for creative writing.
Born in Egypt to Armenian parents, Djanikian lives in Philadelphia and is the director of the creative writing program at the University of Pennsylvania.
Djanikian writes about many things, including high school, baseball, moving to Pennsylvania from Egypt as a young child, learning English as a second language, his close-knit family and his Armenian heritage. He has published five books of poetry.
Djanikian’s poetry reading was part of the school’s visiting writer program funded by the Richard L. Chilton ’46 Fund for Excellence in Creative Writing.
Student wins state finals in Poetry Out Loud competition
Alumni poet shares work with students
Gregory Djanikian ’67
Junior Kavita Oza won the state finals of the 2013 Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest at Princeton University on March 15. Oza will represent New Jersey at the national championship in Washington, D.C. April 28-30. Oza placed second out of 21 high school students at the regional Poetry Out Loud competition, moving her on to the state finals.
Oza opened with Testimonial by Rita Dove, and finished with John Donne's love poem The Sun Rising and Ego by Denise Duhamel. “By the time I was on stage reciting Ego, I was just there for the fun of it,” said Oza. “I was absolutely shocked to hear my name announced as the winner. It was amazing.” Oza and seven other finalists beat out 20,000 competitors from 123 schools and one home school association to reach the final round. Launched in 2006, the program attracts more than 375,000 high school students from across the country.Each student selected, memorized and performed three poems chosen from poetry anthologies of some 700 pieces on the program’s website. At least one of the three must be fewer than 25 lines, and one must be written before 1900.The students are judged on voice and articulation, physical pres-ence, dramatic appropriateness, level of difficulty and overall performance and accuracy.
Although this is the first year that Peddie competed in Poetry Out Loud, Oza competed in her previous high school. The competition so influenced her that she took the initiative to involve Peddie in the national competition when she enrolled at the school this year. She worked with English teacher Chris Mixon to recruit students and organize the first level of the contest, held on the Peddie campus.
“I first started Poetry Out Loud my freshman year, when my English teacher urged me to compete,” Oza remembered. “I didn’t think I was good at all. But by the time I got to the top five in the state competition, regardless of whether I was good or not, I loved it.”
Sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, Poetry Out Loud seeks to “capture and ignite the creative imagination of all students.”
“I love Poetry Out Loud,” Oza said, “I think it’s a great way for people to start exploring poetry and public speaking, and potentially discover a skill they didn’t think they had.”
28 Peddie Chronicle
Adding to its offerings of signature programs for students with robust passions, Peddie will add a Signature Experience in the Arts program next academic year, allowing juniors and seniors an opportunity to concentrate on theater, music, visual arts or creative writing.
The program encourages accepted students to develop their passion for the arts through a sequence of elective classes and extracurricular activities culminating in a public perfor-mance or exhibition in the senior year. Inspired by field trips to museums, concert halls, and theaters, as well as by study-ing with visiting professionals, the young artists will broaden their academic studies at Peddie with original, independent work in their chosen field of the arts.
Cathy Watkins, chair of the arts department, said 15 students have been approved to participate as seniors next year. Those students will complete summer work this summer and com-plete the necessary coursework and performance component by the end of 2013-2014.
Watkins said the summer work is particularly important to the students who will use that time to study outside the Peddie community they know so well. “That’s a time when
you can really think freely and a time when you can dream freely,” she said. “In some cases, they will clarify the role that the arts will play in their life.”
She said one requirement of the theater students, for example, is that they participate in one production off the stage as part of the pit band or stage crew. “They need to contribute in some way that is not being the star of the show,” she said. “We think it’s important that they see it is an incred-ibly difficult job and also to support someone else’s chance.
“We’re not a performing arts school but in the arts, we’re trying to support kids who have a passion in this area,” she said.
The new arts offering is an addition to the current areas of concentration in the Signature Experience program. Students may also focus their work in Asian Studies or the EXP Science program. Students may only participate in one Signature Experience while at Peddie.
Signature Experience expands to the arts and writing
Students in the Signature Experience in the Arts may concentrate on music, theater, visual arts or creative writing.
Spring 2013 29
MEET the TRUSTEES
Meet SuzySusan W. “Suzy” Caldwell ’80 P’12 received her A.B. in sociology from Princeton University in 1984 and an M.B.A. from Wake Forest University in 1987. At Peddie, she was a member of The Peddie News, Gold Key, and the field hockey and lacrosse teams. Caldwell has remained deeply committed to the school; she noted at the time of her 25th reunion that Peddie made “all the difference” in her life. She served as class agent, co-chaired class reunions and served as reunion weekend co-chair during her 30th reunion.
A 2000 recipient of Peddie’s Alumni Service Award, she is currently co-chair of the 2012-2013 Peddie Fund. Caldwell will serve on the student affairs and campus life committee of the board.
Caldwell coached lacrosse at Pine Crest School for seven years and now heads their boys’ parent group. In addition to working part-time in database management, she is co-chair of the alumni schools committee for Princeton University in Broward County, Fla.; the committee assigns alumni to interview candidates from that area.
Caldwell lives in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., with her husband Dr. George Caldwell and their four children, George III, Christian, Alexander, and Jesse ’12.
Meet DouglasDouglas E. Davidson, Esq. ’64 is a partner in the business and finance practice of Morgan Lewis, specializing in energy finance and regula-tion, international project finance, corporate and securities law, and acquisitions and divestitures. His clients include investor-owned utilities, independent power producers, and underwriting firms. Prior to joining Morgan Lewis, Davidson was partner at Thelen LLP, where he was managing partner of the New York office and co-head of the corporate and securities practice.
Davidson received his B.S. in foreign service from Georgetown University in 1968 and his J.D., summa cum laude, from The George Washington University Law School, where he was editor-in-chief of the Law Review. He is chairman emeritus and serves on the board of advisors of The George Washington University Law School. Davidson is a recipient of the 2010 Jacob Burns Award for Extraordinary Service to The George Washington University Law School.
At Peddie, Davidson was a wrestler and tennis player and was a member of The Old Gold and Blue staff. He has served as class chair for his reunion and has been a consistent supporter of the annual fund and the Caspersen History House. He will serve on the legal and finance committees of the board.
Davidson currently lives in New York City with his wife, Sandra “Sandy” Davidson. The couple has two children, Matt (a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University) and Julia (a graduate of Middlebury College).
“The Peddie education stretches well beyond the classrooms. It reaches and explores the complex system of community. Students are encouraged to celebrate diversity and the faculty seems to specialize in making each member of the Peddie world feel cherished and valued.”
“As I reflected on my Peddie years, the mentors and classmates I was fortunate to have and the breadth of my professional experiences, I came to the realization that I wanted to make a greater contribution to the school, which had been so instrumental in helping me achieve a successful career.”
30 Peddie Chronicle
By Stanley R. Loeb ’50
As I've aged, educational things have fallen into perspective. I was fortunate enough to go to Peddie, Harvard College and Harvard Law School. I was also fortunate enough, and proud, to have served three years on active duty in the military — a different kind of life and learning experience.
In the academic and educational area, I have come to consider that
the most important educational venues were not my last. Rather, it was at Peddie that I learned to study; that Heister Hornberger could bully me into respectable Latin declen-sions with a rough warmth; that exchange professor Peter L.D. Way could show me how to appreciate poetry, including World War I poets like Hopkins, Sassoon and others; that there was beauty outside the prosaic world; that Everett Swift and Herbert Mariboe could show me the importance of social studies and civics and American history. But for them, I never would have had the grounding they showed me through the “Chronicles of America.”
Other ’50 classmates have previously recorded their fond recollections of coaches and teachers and other classmates while we were at Peddie. I wasn't as relaxed as they were fortunate to be. I had come from a tradition of learning and striving so I could improve myself and my family and my people. And Peddie served my deep particular needs, although the teachers I think helped me most would not be everyone's choices. But I thank Peddie for, and am grateful for, allowing me entrance and serving my needs.
Stanley R. Loeb ’50 currently lives in Portland, Ore., and is a retired partner of Lane Powell LP, a Portland, Ore., and Seattle, Wash., law firm.
Have a Falcon Reflection of your own? We welcome your submission. Please send your reflection (500 words or fewer) to [email protected]. We regret that we cannot publish all submissions.
FALCON REFLECTION
Spring 2013 31
56 Peddie Chronicle
Members of the 2013 swim team. Turn to inside front cover to see the original photo from 1922.
Members of the 1922 swim team. Turn to inside back cover to see this photo updated.
Head of School John Green works in his office with his office manager, Geeta Torno P’10, in 2012. (turn to inside front cover to see the original photo from 1938.)
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Spring 2013
John Green Departs Peddie l NJ Mayors Respond to Sandy l Faculty and Staff Stay Fit
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