NMH Magazine

NMH fall14Magazine volume 16 • number 2 Northfield Mount Hermon THE MAKING OF APLAY

NMH MagazineFALL 2014Volume 16, Number 2EditorJennifer Sutton P ’14Class Notes EditorSally Atwood Hamilton ’65ContributorsSharon Labella-LindaleSusan PasternackMary SeymourHarry van BaarenHannah WarehamDesignLilly PereiraClass Notes DesignHvB ImagingDirector of CommunicationsCheri CrossHead of SchoolPeter B. FayroianChief Advancement OfficerAllyson L. Goodwin ’83, P ’12, P ’14ArchivistPeter H. Weis ’78, P ’13Northfield Mount Hermonpublishes NMH Magazine(USPS074-860) two times a yearin fall and spring. Printed byLane Press, Burlington, VT 05402NMH MagazineNorthfield Mount HermonOne Lamplighter WayMount Hermon, MA 01354413-498-3247 Fax [email protected] [email protected] ChangesNorthfield Mount HermonAdvancement ServicesNorton HouseOne Lamplighter WayMount Hermon, MA [email protected]

14NMH fall Magazine volume 16 • number 2 features 18 The Hidden Letter in Gould Hall Candice Narvaez Torian ’04 goes looking for something— and someone—she left behind. COVER STORY 24 T he Making of a Play Theater production is more about collaboration than a few nights of glory onstage. 30 T he Art of Negotiating We all negotiate every day. But Steven Cohen ’59 wants to teach us how to do it better. 34 Too Much, Too Soon Former journalist Geraldine Baum ’73 visits the new National September 11 Museum. departments 3 Letters 5 Leading Lines 6 NMH Journal 12 Movers & Makers 14 In the Classroom 16 Past Present 40 Alumni Hall 44 Class Notes 96 Parting Words<< THROWBACK THURSDAY Alumni Hall, formerly known as West Hall, was the setting for the 1965 Summer School Athletic Awards Ceremony. ON THE COVER Claire Klinger ’14 adjusts her wig in the dressing room before a performance of the play Nasty. COVER PHOTO: RACHAEL WARING TABLE OF CONTENTS PHOTO MONTAGE: NMH COMMUNICATIONS STAFF

NMH showed us the way forward. Now we give back. NMH taught us to live in the world with purpose and make it a better place. Now we are making a difference in professions and communities everywhere. As we look ahead with conviction, we also need to give back to NMH. Only with our support can NMH inspire the students of today and tomorrow. Every single gift matters. You can direct your gift to the area of NMH that means the most to you. Find your giving options at www.nmhschool.org/nmhfund.2 I NMH Magazine

LETTERS NMH Farm Products Download an order form at nmhschool.org/nmh-farm- products or return a copy of this order form, along with a check payable to Northfield Mount Hermon, to: Farm Program, NMH, One Lamplighter Way, Mount Hermon, MA 01354. Please attach mailing instructions to your order. All prices include shipping. Please note: The minimum order for each mailing address is $25.SPRING ’14: THUMBS UP Your “Out in the World” cover is Name outstanding. Your articles aboutCongratulations to you and your study/travel experiences with com- Address (please, no P.O. boxes) staff! I receive a variety of alumni ments from students and teachersmaterial from Big Ten and Ivy made me sit tall and smile. The page City State Zip League schools. Yours is superior about Sheila’s singers at St. Peter’sin every way: appeal, photography, Basilica gave me goose bumps. The Telephone  ❑ day ❑ eveninglayout, and composition. Your back cover was just plain fun. Allmagazine reflects in every way the of this makes me one proud alum. MAPLE PRODUCTS QUANTITYimproving scope and quality of Thank you!NMH’s programs and academics. Half pint syrup (Grade A) $12.00 Marty Whitney ’47 John Burrington ’49 Pint syrup (Grade A) $20.00 Croyden, New Hampshire Colorado Springs, Colorado Quart syrup (Grade A) $30.00 Half gallon syrup (Grade A) $48.00 Pure maple sugar candy $3.50 (One box contains two 1-oz. maple leaves)NMH Magazine strikes just the right FOOTBALL REACTIONtone; it feels authentic and warm, Maple cream (8 oz.) $9.00international and big-thinking. Real, The spring edition of NMHlive—and really interesting—people Magazine was disconcerting. As a Maple body scrub (8 oz.) $15.00profiled. Fabulous photography. And diplomat, I loved the articles aboutwell integrated across campus. It fits global engagement by members of FRUIT & FLOWER PRODUCTSmy idea of NMH: nothing “plastic.” the larger NMH community (“OutCongratulations. in the World”). That kind of world- Cider syrup (12 oz.) $15.00 liness is certainly worthwhile and Rachel Cartmell good for the direct beneficiaries of Cider jelly (8 oz.) $15.00 the experience, those they interact D irector of Advancement with, and as a longer-term invest- Raspberry jelly (4 oz.) $10.00 Communications ment in enhancing international Mount Holyoke College understanding. Strawberry jam (8 oz.) $12.00 South Hadley, Massachusetts continued on next page Lavender oil blended $10.00 with almond oil (1.3 oz.) Lavender soap Spring/Summer | 11 $6.530 Lavender lip balm $6.00 Lavender moisturizing cream (2 oz.) $15.00 Lavender body scrub (16 oz.) $25.00 Lavender body scrub (8 oz.) $15.00 Lavender hydrosol (8 oz.) $10.00 TOTAL fall 2014 I 3

LETTERS Keep Calm But while I loved the feel-good Greenfield Aggies, Springfield, Yale, and Carry On major articles, I was puzzled by the and Williams were learning to their juxtaposition of those tales with two surprise that the “Boys’ School” had a The NMH bookstore can of the shorter news items: the possible man-sized squad, and some of Mount help outfit you and your family. sale of NMH forest and the cessation Hermon’s star players began to receive of the football program. Given NMH’s publicity in local newspapers for their Visit the NEW and IMPROVED history (for example, the famous photo prowess on the gridiron. In 1896, the online store for great gift ideas. of Recitation Hall in flames during the team had an unblemished record, hav- annual Deerfield game), I would have ing decisively crushed all their oppo- nmhbookstore.com rated both of those developments really nents. However, a few students and a “big” stories. number of faculty members began toNorthfield Mount Hermon raise their voices in protest. Football Summer Session It is unclear whether this handling players were not often seen in the reflects the magazine’s editorial judg- morning Bible class when there was a june 27–august 1, 2015 ment or that of current school adminis- game in the afternoon. Sometimes foot- trators. In either case, the broader com- ball players were not seen on campusEarn credits to advance in school. munity interest was not well served. for days. Build skills and accelerate Both decisions may be the right thing academic progress. to do, but regrettably, the stories didn’t In the late spring of 1897, this issue Sample boarding school life provide enough information to assess was tearing the campus apart. It was or come as a day student. the merits of the decisions. Earlier and decided that both sides would receive fuller communication—perhaps even a formal hearing in the old chapel in www.nmhschool.org/summer a discussion with stakeholders—might Recitation Hall. Because Moody was have demonstrated the kind of trans- regarded by faculty and students as the Northfield Mount Hermon Summer Session parent governance that reflects the val- highest authority in the school, it wasOne Lamplighter Way, Mount Hermon, MA 01354 ues of the school’s founder. he, not Headmaster Henry F. Cutler,413-498-3290 [email protected] who was asked to judge the debate. He Walter E. North ’68 decided that Mount Hermon athletics Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea would henceforth be intramural, not interscholastic. His reasons, among HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF others: the extravagant cost of outside games, and the desire to give physi- When reading of Northfield Mount cal training to the whole school rather Hermon’s decision to eliminate the than to develop groups of stars. When football program (Spring ’14), I was speaking of this decision later, Moody reminded of the “Great Football Debate remarked that it was “the hardest thing of 1897,” which I described in a term I ever had to do in my life.” paper I wrote on D.L. Moody for a graduate course at Harvard in 1960. Bernth Lindfors ’55 Mount Hermon, in the 1890s, had Austin, Texas built up a powerful 11. Teams like the WHAT DO YOU THINK? NMH Magazine welcomes correspondence from readers. Letters and emails may be edited for length, clarity, and grammar, and should pertain to magazine content. Reach us at NMH Magazine, One Lamplighter Way, Mount Hermon, MA 01354, or email us at [email protected]. STAY CONNECTED! NMH Follow NMH on: FACEBOOK • TWITTER • FLICKR • YOUTUBE • LINKED IN • PINTEREST • NMH CONNECT • NMH APP4 I NMH Magazine

LEADING LINESHow to Be a ChampionFirst, believe in a student.by PETER B. FAYROIAN, Head of SchoolJust as my colleagues and I were gearing up for the arrival of students for the mostly as performing arts teacher,2014–15 school year, The New York Times published an op-ed piece about the assistant choral director, and schoolimportance of relationships in education. The essay, by Professor David Kirp accompanist, and among his favoriteof the University of California, Berkeley, took issue with online learning and NMH characteristics is “the buildingthe corporatization of public schools, among other trends, but when Kirp of genuine, sincere relationshipswrote about “bringing together talented teachers, engaged students, and a between adults and students insidechallenging curriculum,” I found myself nodding my head in agreement. and outside the classroom.”That’s us. That’s NMH. When Professor Kirp wrote about “All youngsters need to believe that they have a stake in the future, a young people needing “champions”goal worth striving for,” Kirp wrote. “They need a champion, someone who who believe in them, it made me think of one of the stories you’ll find in this believes in them, and that’s where issue of the magazine—a story in which teachers enter the picture. The champions don’t have to be teach- most effective approaches foster ers; they can be anyone. More than a bonds of caring between teachers decade ago, Candice Narvaez Torian and their students.” ’04 was a bright, proud NMH student struggling with her past and trying We at Northfield Mount to conceive the future she knew she Hermon are incredibly fortunate deserved. She found a champion, albeit that the scenario Kirp describes is reluctantly at first, in Don Russell ’51, our reality. Our faculty members and he found inspiration in her as well. not only challenge students intellec- Theirs was an unlikely relationship, but tually; they’ve also got our students’ it endured, and it embodies NMH’s backs, and they delight in students’ mission “to empower students”—in successes, big or small. This goes for this case, former students—“to act with veterans and young teachers alike. humanity and purpose.” Case in point: math teacher That wonderful mission is at the Kate Hoff, who is one of five fac- core of the strategic planning process ulty members we honored with a that the campus community and the fellowship at Opening Convocation NMH Board of Trustees are currently in September. Kate came to NMH engaged in. It has a rock-solid reasonin 2012 after earning a bachelor’s degree from MIT and a master’s from the for being, but how we fulfill it shouldUniversity of California, San Diego, and working as a software developer at change over time. I hope we’re not stillCedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. When we asked Kate what she teaching math and science the samelikes about working at NMH, she mentioned the math department’s nightly way those subjects were taught to metutoring sessions—“watching students solve problems together, hearing laughter in high school, but to what end isfill the room, seeing the joy students take in sharing answers with one another. something I hope will never change.It’s uplifting!” she said. From the moment D.L. Moody wel- If Kate finds math tutoring that inspirational, imagine how the students comed those first few dozen girls inmust feel. Northfield, education at NMH has Then there’s Craig Sandford, another faculty fellowship honoree. A musician been about bettering oneself in orderand composer, Craig came to NMH in 2010, armed with a certificate in to better the world. [NMH]biblical studies from the Fairwood Bible Institute and a bachelor’s degree ofmusic from the Hartt School at the University of Hartford. He has workedPHOTO: KATHLEEN DOOHER fall 2014 I 5

NMH JOURNAL The new houses on campus (four of six are pictured here) are home to faculty members and their families.6 I NMH Magazine

Welcome to the and coach who passed away in 1997.Neighborhood “Mec always welcomed students into our home, so a house for faculty is theA cluster of new homes has sprouted on the best way we can honor her,” says mathnorthern edge of campus, bringing more department chair Dick Peller. FollowingNorthfield Mount Hermon teachers closer the 2013 groundbreaking for the Mecto students and daily campus life. Peller House, several of the other homes were funded in honor of influentialAfter a year of construction in the meadow just north of Crossley Hall, teachers who have either retired or passed away: Alice Baldwin and E. Marythe six four-bedroom houses were completed last summer, and six full- Baxter, Bill ’59 and Linda Batty, and Mary Lighthall Compton ’44. NMHtime faculty members and their spouses and children—a total of 26 community members gathered to dedi- cate the completed houses on severalpeople—moved in. Bikes were parked in the driveways. Adirondack occasions in May and June.chairs soon occupied the porches. “ T hese new houses will improve theThe project was conceived to help NMH complete its consolidation quality of life not only for the teacherson one campus, which began in 2005. As recently as a year ago, more who live in the houses and their families, than a dozen teachers still lived in Northfield, but also for the NMH students who relyThe houses are located Massachusetts—a scenario that Head of School on those teachers.”on a new road named Peter Fayroian has described as “not meeting theGilder Way, in recogni- full needs of a boarding school.” Trustee Steve Fuller ’58, whose gifttion of former trustee funded the Baldwin-Baxter house, saidRichard Gilder ‘50. A “The fact that NMH is a residential commu- he was grateful that the project paid tribute to the relationships that developpath named after the nity is a huge part of our educational model,” he between students and teachers at NMH.Class of ‘66 connects says. “These new houses will improve the quality “Teachers are what make this placethe neighborhood to the of life not only for the teachers who live in the special,” he says. “They’re the ones whorest of campus. houses and their families, but also for the NMH changed all of our lives, quietly making a real difference.”students who rely on those teachers.” The houses were designed by theBreadloaf Corp. of Middlebury, Vermont, to include space for the resi-dent faculty member to host and meet with students.The price tag for construction came to approximately $4.5 million, $1million of which was required to connect the homes to NMH’s waste-water treatment plant and electrical system. NMH paid for the projectwith proceeds from sales of individual properties the school owned inNorthfield and an alumni fundraising effort jumpstartedby Cyndy Gelsthorpe Fish ’78.Fish helped initiate the project to recognize one of her NMHmentors, Mary Ellen “Mec” Peller, the former teacher, dorm parent,PHOTO: GLENN MINSHALL fall 2014 I 7

NMH JOURNALNew Technology Magazine Wins CASE Goldon Campus We’re proud to announce that NMH Magazine received topSchool began in September with honors in the national magazine competition sponsored annu-new Apple TVs and HD projectors in ally by the Council for Advancement and Support of Educationnearly every classroom. Wi-fi access (CASE). The 2014 CASE gold award for independent schoolwas expanded throughout campus, and magazines is given to a publication that demonstrates editoriala fleet of new Chromebooks can be excellence and provides great value to its institution.now checked out from the library. Announcing the award in June, CASE judges called NMH “NMH is nearing the end of a Magazine “sophisticated, yet approachable.” The award cov-full audiovisual overhaul,” says Joel ers the magazine’s 2013 issues, which included profiles of Afghan student FatimaLowsky, director of academic technol- Saidi ’13, ALS researcher Ben Harris ’87, and former Northfield headmistress Miraogy—whose own job was created in Wilson; photo essays by Brooks Kraft ’82 and Alice Proujansky ’98; and stories aboutthe summer of 2013 to help initiate a bicycle trip through Alaska and how one alum helped out in the aftermath of thesweeping changes that support not Boston Marathon bombings.only students and teachers, but alsothe school’s operations. Afternoon light on the Rincon Range, oil on canvas, 30\" x 40\", 2014 William E. Roberts Jr. “NMH has brought in new toolsthat create opportunities for faculty THE GALLERY AT THE RHODES ARTS CENTERto teach in ways they couldn’t before,” 2014–2015 CalendarLowsky says. “Teachers are now hav-ing the same technological experience, A Sabbatical Show Work by the NMH Plein Air and Studio Landscape Visual Arts Faculty which allows them to offer Paintings by William E. Roberts Jr. Feb. 6–March 6, 2015 a better, more consistent Sept. 11–Oct. 18, 2014 experience to students.” Annual Student Art Show The Ceramic Art of Molly Cantor March 27–April 19, 2015 All faculty members Oct. 24–Nov. 21, 2014 have been equipped with www.mollycantor.com A Connoisseur’s Eye MacBook Air laptop com- Art from the Collection of puters, which can be used Icons of the Civil Rights Movement Arthur Goldberg ’55with the new projectors to wirelessly Paintings by Pamela Chatterton-Purdy May 1–June 7, 2015share documents in class. The Apple Dec. 5, 2014–Jan. 23, 2015TVs make it easier to incorporate films www.chatter ton-purdyar t.comand other visual media into the cur-riculum. The school has also replacedits old email and campus commu-nication system with Google Appsfor Education, which offers greatercapabilities for collaboration; it alsoperforms better on mobile devices. Forexample, Lowsky says, “Students cannow send a writing assignment to anyprinter on campus from their phone ifthey want to.” The goal was to have in place amodern system that makes it easy forNMH to adopt cutting-edge educa-tional technologies as they develop.“What we’ve done are infrastructureupdates,” Lowsky says. “They put us ina position to innovate.”8 I NMH Magazine

NMH JOURNALWE ASKED ON FACEBOOK: THE SHOTHow did you know STAYIN G P O W E RNMH was the right Laura Rollins ’15 (No. 14) makes her presence known to a Hotchkiss playerschool for you? during a game early in the season, with Kelly Lucas ’16 (No. 5) assisting. Rollins, a co-captain of the girls’ varsity soccer team, plays midfield and defense; Lucas cov-ROB LIZOTTE ’98 ers offense and midfield. The team plays with grit and tenacity, according to Coach Caswell Nilsen; “They don’t give up.”“When Bill Batty said we could call him Bill, FOR THE RECORD it effectively humanized the education process for “ N MH, thanks for building my character— me for the first time in probably more than I wanted at times.” my life.” SUKI WHITE ’14, signing off of NMH’s email system before graduating last May.JACKIE BILLINGS ’02“After a lengthy discussionwith an admissioncounselor about thefailures of public school,she ushered me out of heroffice after my interviewand said, ‘There areno cheerleaders here—only players.’”GILLIAN ROSNER ’81“I was 13 and shy when I visited schools with my mom. I felt out of place and intimidated at each one—until the NMH day. We hadn’t even parked the car and I knew. This was the place.”JOIN THE CONVERSATION.Follow NMH on facebook. PHOTO: RISLEY SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY fall 2014 I 9

NMH JOURNALW H O • W H AT • W H YPlenty of Milk Top to bottom: Laura Franceschi ’18 prepares the milk; cheeseon the Farm curds are packed into a mold; the finished product.Leads to CheeseMaple syrup. Cider. Jam and ice cream. The NMH Farm hasits signature culinary products, but for the past decade, farmstaff and workjob students have quietly experimented withmaking cheese, turning out wheels of raw-milk cheddar andMonterey Jack throughout the year. “As we gradually increased the number of cows on thefarm, we’ve had more milk available,” says farm assistantRachel Onuf, who oversees NMH’s cheese operation. After thefarm fills its milk orders from the dining hall and individualcustomers, and whips up a batch or two of ice cream, it’s timefor cheese. The process takes time, patience, and precision. Milk—12 gallons at a time—is heated to a specific temperature ina special steel vat. Culture, rennet, salt, herbs, and a moldinhibitor are added at certain intervals. The coagulatedmixture is stirred a set number of times, and the resultingcurds are handled with just the right touch—too firm andthe cheese turns out rubbery and chewy instead of tender. Despite all the specifications, NMH cheeses are fairly low-maintenance, Onuf says. “We have students coming in andout all the time for workjob, so we can’t be totally obsessiveabout it.” The cookbook Home Cheese Making was the farm’sstarting point a decade ago, but it took a couple years of trialand error, led by former farm manager Richard Odman, toarrive at the several pages of handwritten recipes used today. Last summer, when the cows had access to abundant grass,the farm produced two or three eight-pound wheels of cheeseevery week. Each cheese takes roughly six hours to make, fromthe initial heating of the milk to the molding of the curds inwhat looks like a big Tupperware container. Following 18 to24 hours in a weighted cheese press, the cheese is unmolded,air-dried for a few days, coated with wax, and set aside to age. If last summer was a prime time for cheese production, thisfall and winter are prime times for cheese eating—after thewheels of Monterey Jack have aged for two months and thecheddar for a minimum of six. Ranging from mild and a littlecreamy to dry and sharp, the cheese is sold in small wedges atthe farm store.10 I NMH Magazine PHOTOS: GLENN MINSHALL

PEOPLE WATCHIn July, Sharon Howell became In the FIBA World Championships in In June 2013, inspired by a Cheerios ad,the new associate head of school. Dubai, basketball forward Jerome Michael David Murphy ’89 and his wife,Howell came to NMH from Harvard, Desrosiers ’17 helped the Canadian Alyson West, created the website “We Arewhere she first earned a Ph.D. in National 17U team advance to the The 15 Percent,” a crowd-sourced collec-English and American Literature final six, after winning games against tion of portraits of interracial Americanand Language, and then, for eight Japan, Australia, Angola, and China. families and marriages. Since then, they’veyears, served as the resident dean gathered more then 1,500 photographs andin Adams House and a lecturer in At the 2014 Henley Royal Regatta, discussed the project on MSNBC, Al Jazeera,the history and literature depart- NMH women cleaned up: Hannah and Univision, among other news outlets.ment. In addition to working on Solis-Cohen ’12 won gold in thestrategic planning and administra- U23 Championship eight, the U23 At the Gay Games in Cleveland in August,tion, Howell, who is also a poet, will four, and the eight dash; twins two NMH alums took home multiple goldteach creative writing in the spring. Rebecca and Liz Donald ’07 and medals. Math teacher Kai Robinson ’05 Maggie Fellows ’09 won gold in the won five golds in diving competition and From January Senior Championship eight, and the Lindsey Warren-Shriner ’06 collected golds to June, Isaac Donalds added a gold in the four. in three swimming events. Karlan-Mason ’15 served as a More crew news: Tessa Gobbo ’09 U.S. Senate page in won silver in the four at the 2014Washington, D.C., for Senator Patrick World Rowing Championships.Leahy of Vermont. Only 30 students,nationwide, are selected as pages for THE WHEELS ARE TURNINGone of two semesters each year. For NMH’s annual science fair last spring, Lily Lin ’17 used a 3-D printer—and skills she learned in her robotics class—to re-create a set of gears that reminded her of the In June, NMH grandfather clock in her family’s home. “I always wanted to take that clock apart and music teachers Ron see what it looked like inside,” she said. Smith and Sheila Heffernon were named quarter- finalists for the Music Educator Grammy award. A total of 222 music teachers from 41 states wereselected from 7,000 nominations.PHOTOS: GLENN MINSHALL, BROOKS KRAFT ’82, COURTESY OF MICHAEL MURPHY fall 2014 I 11

MOVERS & MAKERSJim Keller’s new recording istitled Heaven Can Wait.Heavenly Sounds If you came of age in the 1980s, you’ve probably heard Keller’s voice.by MARY SEYMOUR As a member of the band Tommy Tutone, he co-wrote and performedYou could say Jim Keller ’72 got his musical start in the stairwell of Crossley supporting vocals for the megahitHall at Northfield Mount Hermon. “I used to play my guitar and sing in the “867-5309/Jenny.” The song stillstairs because of the echo,” he recalls. lingers on the airwaves. “Fortunately, I like the song,” Keller recently told Nowadays he has access to more sophisticated acoustics, as evidenced by National Public Radio host Scotthis third solo album, Heaven Can Wait, released in June 2014. The album was Simon. “I’ve always said that it wasinspired by Keller’s weekly jam sessions with some of New York’s finest musi- a blessing, because what if I couldn’tcians, including David Hidalgo of Los Lobos, Pete Thomas of Elvis Costello and stand it? It would be haunting.”The Attractions, and blues legends The Holmes Brothers—all of whom makeguest appearances on the album. Keller’s songwriting roots go back to NMH, where he played in a folk Heaven Can Wait is also the product of Keller’s desire to make the best of the duo with classmate Russ Pollack. Afteryears ahead in his life. “Turning 60 hit me hard,” he says. “The album title is a graduating, he drifted up to Vermontreminder: If you don’t do it now, when are you going to do it?” and became a carpenter, joining what he wryly calls “a bunch of overeducated yogurt and bread makers.”12 I NMH Magazine PHOTO: GMD THREE

“F inding the root of an BRIGHT LIGHTS emotion in a song EXOTIC SOUTHERN BIRD LANTERN’S LIGHT seems simple, but it’s Jessica Bird ’87 didn’t set out to Adam Fisk ’94 is uncensoring be a cult leader. She just writes the world, one Internet user at a hard to do. I just try to the kind of books—under a pen time. His nonprofit company, Brave name, J.R. Ward—that inspire New Software Projects, produces get out of my own way fanaticism. Her Black Dagger free software called Lantern (www. and not edit myself.” Brotherhood (BDB) series includes getlantern.org) that gives people a dozen paranormal romance novels in heavily censored countries access His next stop was San Francisco that chronicle a group of lusty vam- to the Internet. Fisk estimates thatand the formation of Tommy pires battlling evil beings bent on 25,000 citizens, primarily in ChinaTutone. Eventually, the band crashed destruction. The latest in the BDB and Iran, have benefited from theand burned, and Keller moved to series, The King, debuted at number software so far.Manhattan. He took a job as the man- one on the New York Times hard-ager of the composer Philip Glass, but cover fiction list last spring. Fisk came up with the idea whilestopped making his own music for a working at LimeWire, a companydecade. Realizing he still needed to use Writing had always been Bird’s that used peer-to-peer file-sharing forthat “other half of my brain,” he gradu- passion; in fact, she wrote her first music. He took the idea of a peer-to-ally re-immersed himself in his true romance manuscript the summer peer network and appliedpassion, and recorded two soulful solo after graduating from NMH. But her it to bypassing censors.albums before Heaven Can Wait. career as a novelist took flight only after she had trained as a lawyer Lantern’s website is blocked in Like most artists, Keller struggles to and worked as the chief of staff many parts of the world, so the onlybalance being a musician with mak- at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical way to use the software is throughing a living. He still works full time Center in Boston. a buddy system: An Internet usermanaging Glass and several classical with uncensored access downloadscomposers, and writes and performs in In 2001, Bird began to focus on Lantern and provides a censoredhis off-hours. The songs he worked on writing, and published a handful of user with a gateway to sites such asfor Heaven Can Wait are autobiographi- unsuccessful romance novels before Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.cal, though often in disguise, leaving inspiration struck. She imagined athe listener to play a guessing game. clan of vampires fighting for survival, The U.S. State Department and“Songwriting is brilliant therapy,” he and the Black Dagger Brotherhood the U.S. Agency for Internationalsays. “Finding the root of an emotion in was born. In 2005, Signet published Development have put $4.5 milliona song seems simple, but it’s hard to do. Dark Lover, the first book in the BDB into Lantern and continue to fund theI just try to get out of my own way and series. It was a hit. Bird has since company. Fisk serves as chief techni-not edit myself.” written nearly 30 books—traditional cian and troubleshooter; his employ- as well as paranormal romance nov- ees all work anonymously. Could Fisk Back when Keller was starting els—that have sold 15 million copies. be a political target? “My answerout in the music industry, he had no to that is ‘no.’ My wife’s answer isplan for how his career would unfold, “My main goal is to drive ‘yes,’” he says.“but this is what it looks like,” he says, bus after bus through“and it’s not bad.” He plans to keep this incredible door that’s Fisk is now changing his focuswriting music that reflects his 60- been opened for from “building Lantern the softwaresomething perspective, putting off me,” says Bird,heaven a little longer. [NMH] who lives to building Lantern the move- in Kentucky ment,”Hear Jim Keller’s music at with her husband he says. “When you havejimkellermusic.com. and daughter. millions of people included in a network, you can create incredibly powerful systems.” Bestselling author fall 2014 I 13 Jessica Bird ’87 PHOTO: COURTESY OF JESSICA BIRD

IN THE CLASSROOMGood Books,Big QuestionsTackling literature, philosophy, and spiritualityby JENNIFER SUTTONLast May, when graduating senior Taylor Tonkinson delivered the student Humanities 1 students read a mix oforation at Commencement, the first thing she talked about was her ninth- classic and contemporary works.grade humanities class. In fact, she framed her entire speech with the fourphilosophical questions that “HUM 1,” as it’s known, is based on. see writers taking on the same essential questions over centuries—a progression1. Who am I? that culminates in their own writing.2. What is my place?3. What does it mean to be human? Donnelly and Partenheimer both4. How, then, shall I live? like to take their HUM 1 students on walks around campus as part ofThose questions, Tonkinson said, “will forever be instilled in me.” Question No. 2. An early assignment HUM 1 is actually two classes—English and religious studies—that ninth in the semester calls for the students to create a personal map—“their owngraders take in the same semester. Gary Partenheimer helped launch the home range,” Donnelly calls it. “Theprogram in 1986, and he was Tonkinson’s teacher four years ago. He and his students have only been here a couplethen partner in the classroom, the recently retired John Adams, began that first weeks when that project comes up, yetday of HUM 1 by handing out a Mary Oliver poem titled “The Summer Day.” it’s clear that for many of them, theThe poem’s last line is, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild NMH campus becomes their placeand precious life?” pretty quickly,” she says. “We always start with a poem,” says Meg Donnelly, an English faculty mem- The two classes meet separately mostber and a frequent HUM 1 teacher. “All the literature we choose is someone’s days and gather as a group about onceattempt to look at those four essential questions.” Depending on the teachers, the reading list includes Their Eyes Were WatchingGod by Zora Neale Hurston, Ecology of a Cracker Childhood by Janisse Ray, MaryShelley’s Frankenstein, and at least one play by William Shakespeare. Some HUM 1 classes read One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey, toexplore what it means to fit into a group setting yet also keep one’s individuality.They frequently read Into the Wild by John Krakauer, and then discuss whetherthe main character, Chris McCandless, was a hero or a fool, whether he was run-ning away from something or running to something. “One of our main goals is to introduce a variety of voices,” Partenheimer says.“But we have to be as conscious of what we don’t teach as what we do teach.Some people worry that we don’t read enough classics, but in fact, we try tocreate a dialogue between classic and contemporary works.” In the religious stud-ies segment of HUM 1, students start with teachings of the Buddha, and “TheParable of the Good Samaritan” and “The Book of Jonah” from the Bible. They14 I NMH Magazine

a week. Fridays are often set aside for a Beautiful Place” by Lawrence I TRY TO WEAR STRIPED SOCKSold-fashioned poetry recitation: Each Ferlinghetti and “The Poet ofstudent chooses a poem early in the Ignorance” by Anne Sexton. “I’m HUM 1 students read, memorize, andweek to memorize and present to the not big into nature poems,” she recite poetry in class—and sometimes cre-class. “That’s when we’re paying atten- says. “I like the ones where there’s ate their own. Julia McClellan ’17 wrote thistion to the rhythm of the words,” something I can grab onto, some poem last year.Donnelly says. “Sometimes the sort of emotion.”importance is in the language itself, I try to wear striped socksnot what happens in the text.” As for those four essential ques- Because a little color never hurt anyone. tions—it’s safe to say that they don’t And I try to wear green laces Julia McClellen ’17 took get fully answered in one semester So that if I’m tongue tied, at least it’s withHUM 1 last year, and she looked of high school, but HUM 1 is a style.forward to poetry Fridays. “You get place to start. “The class is a building And I try to wear polka dotsto hear your classmates perform some block,” Partenheimer says—“an intel- Because when life gets spotty, at least Igreat pieces,” she says. “And I liked lectual, spiritual, and philosophical won’t clash.skimming poems on Monday, try- foundation that gets students readying to find the best one.” Among to move on.” [NMH] But sometimes I wear grey instead.her favorites: “The World Is On those days It feels like life is over: My eyelids feel weighted And I’m always so much more sophisticated Than every other person much more sophisticated than me I float on a cinderblock cloud Of impatience and stress Looking down below Upon all the fools trying to impress Their infuriating ways of boyfriends and god knows And the speed of time slows Down Down Until Every second is panicked Yet never changing And my mind is simply frantic With a checklist of uncolored boxes And my pencil is lost Is there anyone with a stupid pencil In this hellhole? No? So, I try to wear striped socks So, I try to wear green laces. So, I try to wear polka dots. Because life isn’t over yet Seconds are always a second long And I have a pencil.PHOTO: SHARON LABELLA-LINDALE fall 2014 I 15

PAST PRESENTThe Shouldersof GiantsNelson Mandela led a massive social movement thatrazed apartheid and made dignity and justice possiblefor black South Africans. Who made it possible for him?Pixley Ka Isaka Seme, Mount Hermon Class of 1902.by SEAN FOLEYWhen Nelson Mandela passed away nearly one year ago, our civilization lost British colonial system. He did thisa visionary. Mandela challenged one of the most entrenched, egregious systems himself by establishing, with two otherof power in the world, demanding fundamental human rights and dignity for South Africans, the South Africanblack South Africans. Just as today we stand on the shoulders of Mandela while Native National Congress (SANNC) inwe work toward a more peaceful, equitable future, Mandela himself stood on 1912, advocating for an end to Britishthe shoulders of giants in his pursuit of justice. One of them was Pixley Ka imperialism. In 1923, the SANNCIsaka Seme, who graduated from the Mount Hermon School for Boys in 1902 changed its name to the Africanand, a decade later, co-founded the organization that eventually became the National Congress (ANC). Though heAfrican National Congress, South Africa’s governing political party. had not originally imagined a life in the political limelight, Seme led the ANC Seme came to the United States from a Christian school in Inanda, a town from 1930 to 1937.outside Durban. Supported by the missionary Stephen Clapp Pixley, Semeentered Mount Hermon as an aspiring medical student and entertained the idea He also established the first newspa-of becoming a missionary, but when he graduated and headed to Columbia per for black South Africans, AbantuUniversity, he was undecided about his future career plans. Seme won Batho, which disseminated the ANC’sColumbia’s highest oratorical honor, the George William Curtis medal, with a message. Published in four languages,speech titled “The Regeneration of Africa,” which circulated widely in South it was intended to unify the country’sAfrica. When Seme was studying law at Oxford University, he began exchang- multiple ethnic groups under a singleing letters with Alain LeRoy Locke, a central figure of the Harlem Renaissance, political mission. Seme was no radical,who encouraged him to take a more active role in shaping the “New Negro.” Seme attempted to do that on several different fronts. As a lawyer, he rep-resented the Swazi royal family when South Africa was still a British colony,and fought, albeit unsuccessfully, to restore lands to the Swazi people. He alsoput steady pressure on fellow South Africans to agitate for change outside the16 I NMH Magazine PHOTOS: COURTESY OF NMH ARCHIVES

“Pixley Seme ’02 was able to take the best from an alien culture and education and still remain true to his home and his identity.”Above: Seme in 1909, around the time he completed his law degree at Oxford. Opposite: Nelson wrote in a letter to Headmaster HenryMandela (top), and Seme at his graduation from Columbia. Cutler. “She told me how to build my life on the rock. I pray that her blessedhowever; in fact, he steered the ANC his name. At the same time, Seme influence may still be possible for pooraway from alignment with the South reaffirmed his Zulu roots, assum- boys like me.”African Communist Party, ushering in ing the patronymic Ka Isaka (son ofa period of conservatism, which eventu- Isaac). Though he would later fight Seme was able to take the best fromally eroded his political popularity. against imperial forces like the ones an alien culture and education while that brought him to Massachusetts, remaining true to his home and his Seme straddled several cultures, with he believed that his Mount Hermon identity. Standing on the footing of amany gray areas in his life. When Seme education had given him the encour- Western education allowed him to formtraveled to America for the first time agement and independence to find his responses to imperialism and racismin 1898, he paid homage to Stephen own way. “Mount Hermon will always that could be understood by those whoClapp Pixley—who supported him have a dear spot in my heart,” Seme wielded power in South Africa. Hisspiritually and financially—by taking criticisms of South African society and politics not only elevated conversation about the ideals of government, but moved reality one step closer toward those ideals. [NMH] Sean Foley teaches in NMH’s History and Social Science department. fall 2014 I 17

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At NMH, Candice Narvaez Torian ’04 was caught between her troubled family history and the successful future she wanted more than anything. She poured her heart out in a letter to her sister and hid it behind a loose board in her dorm room closet. Ten years later, she went looking for it.The Hidden Letter inGould Hall BY MARY SEYMOUR Room 127 in Gould Hall was silent and dim, except for a halo of light from a cell phone. Candice Narvaez Torian ’04, visiting NMH for her 10th reunion, had gone back to see her old dorm. She felt around the baseboard in the tiny closet, straining to see if the letter was still there. A corner of paper poked out from behind the wooden trim. More than a decade later, the letter was exactly where she’d hidden it.PHOTO: SHARON LABELLA-LINDALE fall 2014 I 19

andice unfolded the lined notebook paper, dense Candice fell in love with NMH with her own girlish handwriting, and glanced over the during that very first visit. But once pages. She waited to look closer until she reached the she entered as a freshman, it got more car, where her fiancé was waiting. There she read the complicated, starting in her dorm letter aloud, weeping. The girl who had written it was room. “I showed up by myself with one duffel bag, and my roommate cameC hurt, angry, and desperately in need of affirmation. with her entire family and boxes upon boxes,” Candice recalls. “I tried to pres- I think what we have most in common is being viewed as the strongest people, ent myself as über-strong, pretending yet emotionally we are the weakest and could use someone to take care of us those material things didn’t matter, once in a while. Only I recognize that in me and embrace it; you choose to but they did.” deny it and push the people who love you the most away. Gradually realizing their similarities The five-page letter, addressed to her sister Angie, had never been sent. outweighed their differences, the two roommates grew close. Their room Growing up in the projects in Astoria, Queens, one of 14 children, became a safe place for Candice, and Candice learned early on how to survive. When she was 7, her mother the classroom was, too, but the world died of ovarian cancer. When she was 10, her abusive, alcoholic father in between was scary. She often waited was removed from the household by a writ of protection. to eat until the dining hall emptied out, anxiety ruling her social decisions. Candice’s sister Angie, 15 years older, served as guardian of the children, but her parenting tended to be harsh and punitive. The best time was the Going home was no reprieve. Her first of each month, when the welfare check arrived and there was enough siblings had co-opted her bedroom to eat. Every now and then, Angie showed a softer side, letting Candice and were going on with their lives as if play hooky from school so the two of them could sneak into Manhattan she’d ceased to exist. You left us was the for discounted seats at Broadway shows. unspoken sentiment. You don’t care, so why should we? Candice loved those rare days, but she also loved being in school. Her teachers took note of her academic prowess; her classmates were By sophomore year, Candice less impressed. “It was like a lot of schools. It wasn’t cool to be smart, was dealing with clinical depression. to excel. It made you a target,” she recalls. She took some time off from school and tried to figure out where she fit Yet Candice felt a strong conviction, even as a young child, about in. Astoria was no longer her home, how she wanted to live her life. “I knew that I was more than the sum but boarding school wasn’t, either. Still, of my circumstances. My mom made that clear to me. When she was she came back to NMH for her junior alive, she’d say, ‘We may not have much, but you’re brilliant, you’re strong, year, and was diagnosed by a school and you’re going to make it far.’ So I knew, by the grace of God and my therapist with seasonal affective disor- continued efforts, that I could conquer the world.” der. She began to recognize that she needed help and support to go as far No one knew about the struggles going on at home. “I made sure as she wanted to go. I exuded confidence,” she says. “It became my defense mechanism.” More than half a century earlier, When Candice was in seventh grade, her teachers nominated her Don Russell ’51 had arrived on for the Oliver Scholars Program, which prepares gifted African American campus under different circumstances. and Latino students for success at independent schools and in college. Growing up in Woodsville, New Every day after school, she took the subway to Lower Manhattan to Hampshire, he had been a trouble- hone her scholarship and leadership skills. Through the Oliver program, maker. His mother told him, “We Candice learned she was eligible for boarding school, and was guided think this town is too small for you,” toward St. Paul’s and NMH. and in 1948 Don enrolled—involun- tarily—at Mount Hermon. He was a There was only one problem. She needed her sister Angie, as her disinterested student until he took a guardian, to accompany her to the on-campus interviews and speak spring-break trip to Duke University with the admission officers. Angie didn’t know anything about Candice’s and decided he belonged there; his plans. Candice had stayed quiet, afraid that Angie would think she southern aspirations helped him was abandoning the family if she went to boarding school. No one squeak through his senior year. else had ever left. Don graduated from Duke with a One night, when Angie came home exhausted from work, Candice bachelor’s degree in economics, then cautiously told her the news: She was applying to boarding school, and she needed her sister to go to NMH and St. Paul’s with her. To Candice’s surprise, Angie said OK.20 I NMH Magazine

When Candice NarvaezTorian ‘04 was a studentat NMH, she struggledto find a place that feltlike home.earned a master’s in business from the “I knew I was more than theUniversity of Tennessee at Knoxville. sum of my circumstances.After a decade in telecommunications, I knew that I could conquerhe became a stockbroker at Merrill the world.”Lynch in Charlotte, North Carolina. on campus in 2003, an advance- she didn’t at the time. “I thought, “I was a decent stockbroker,” Don ment officer asked him, “Would you ‘Just let me do the expected tap dancesays of his 33-year career. “Not bril- like to have lunch with the young for 30 minutes and then leave,’” sheliant, but I did OK.” He did well woman who is your scholarship recipi- recalls of the lunch, which was fullenough to care for his family—his ent?” Don said yes. He made his way of awkward small talk. She fled backwife, Guerry, and daughters Janice ’83 to Beveridge Hall, where Candice to her room in Rikert Hall, barelyand Anne—and travel the world. As Narvaez, called to lunch on equally saying goodbye.the years went on, he decided to start short notice, was waiting.scholarship funds at Duke, Wheaton, Don couldn’t stop thinking aboutand NMH to honor his grandparents Today, Candice has a sense of the reserved young woman he’d justand parents. He especially wanted to humor about that first meeting, but met and the hard circumstances she’dsponsor a student at NMH becausethe school had made such an impacton him. Don spent a lot of time at NMHin the early 2000s, chairing his50th reunion committee. One dayPHOTO: BOB LEVERONE fall 2014 I 21

come from. He was about to leave for What started as a businessthe airport and had some cash in his transaction—Don making anpocket. Surely that quiet girl could use investment in Candice, anda little financial bolstering. Candice making the most of an opportunity—evolved Don swung by Rikert to give the into something much bigger.money to Candice, but she adamantlyrefused it, operating on a principle In the fall of 2003, Don gave her money would come from. Don, however,that wasn’t entirely clear to her in a check for $500, wanting to make did. He could see Candice’s potential.the moment but had to do with sure she had enough spending money. Even though their relationship was stillpride, self-sufficiency, and a desire Candice knew all the hardships her fam- fairly detached and formal, he told hernot to be patronized. ily was facing at home, so she sent the he wanted to help her pay for college. money to Angie and told her she wanted “You’re going to be 18 in a few months,” “Please take it,” Don insisted, not to take her to the musical Chicago dur- Don said. “You need to make the deci-knowing what else to do or say. He ing school break. It would be just like sion for yourself: Do you want my help?”wanted to get through to this girl, to old times.let her know he was on her side. Candice knew that accepting Don’s Angie refused the theater tickets. She offer would drive a bigger wedge Candice’s eyes filled with tears. So never cashed the check. The message between her and her family. Still, shedid Don’s. The house director of Rikert was clear: You left us. You opted out of our knew what she had to do. “I always feltcried too, eventually taking the money troubles, so we won’t trouble you. that the only thing separating me fromand quietly putting it in Candice’s my peers was financial stability,” shestudent account. Meanwhile, Candice, like her class- says. “If I made it this far while strug- mates, was thinking about college— gling financially, how far could I go if “It seemed like he wanted to help, filling out applications, writing essays— the playing field was even?”but he didn’t know how,” Candice except she had no idea where the tuitionsays. “He didn’t know what the Candice wasn’t sure exactly whatboundaries were. But crying created the arrangement with Don would looka starting point.” like, but she felt as if she was no longer on her own. A man she barely knew,Their relationship developed whose motives seemed to be generos-shakily over the next year. Don ity, kindness, and an unshakable belieftried to take the lead, but Candice in her, would help. Filled with mixedwas stubborn and accustomed to emotions, she sat down in her room indoing things on her own. It was Gould Hall and poured out her heart inhard for her to take guidance and a letter to her sister.extra gifts. She kept wonderingwhat he wanted, and why. I think what we have most in common is being viewed as the strongest people, yet emotionally we are the weakest and could use someone to take care of us once in a while. Writing the letter was so therapeutic that Candice didn’t need to send it. She found a loose baseboard in her tiny closet and tucked the letter behind it, unintentionally creating a time capsule of pain and insight.22 I NMH Magazine PHOTO: BOB LEVERONE

The relationship of Candice Narvaez Torian ’04 and Don Russell ’51 developed shakily at first, but 11 years later, he walked her down the aisle at her wedding. Opposite: Candice’s letter.On June 15, 2014, a week after she him, I didn’t email, nothing,” she says. wife live in Durham; Candice lives indiscovered the letter at NMH, Candice “I just let him know that my grades Charlotte, where she works as a data-Narvaez married Jonathan Torian, a were good and that his investment was base marketing manager.Georgia Tech graduate she met in a working out.”Christian organization in Charlotte, “She is very self-assured and a tre-North Carolina. She wore an intricately Then Don and Guerry started send- mendous worker,” says Don with pride.beaded ivory gown and carried a bou- ing cards and care packages. They asked “She got to where she is by training onquet of white roses. Don Russell, clad to come to her dance performances, the job, working hard, and pure guts.in a black tuxedo and leaning on a cane, then teacher conferences and Parents’ What she’s been able to accomplishwalked her down the aisle. Weekend. They sent her on a study amazes me.” abroad program to Spain and Costa In the years between their first awk- Rica, and invited her to stay with them When Candice talks about Don andward meeting in 2003 and her gradua- during school vacations. Over time, Guerry, her eyes soften and the cornerstion from college in 2008, Candice and Candice grew close to their daughters of her mouth tilt up. “It’s been a fabu-Don had become extraordinarily fond and grandsons. The turning point in lous 10-plus years with them,” she says.of each other. What started as a business their relationship came when Don gave “But Don has been in ill health lately,transaction—Don making an invest- Candice a birthday card addressed to and I worry about him. And there’s soment in Candice, and Candice making “my daughter.” much more that I’m capable of accom-the most of an opportunity—evolved plishing. The child in me is saying, ‘Iinto something much bigger. “When Don first came along, I have so much more to show you. I have looked at him as my financial sustainer,” so much more for you to be proud of.’” Don lived up to his pledge to help Candice says. “I didn’t think I neededwith college, and then some. While anything else. I had always made my Candice sits at a table and spreadsCandice was at Agnes Scott College own decisions, and I hadn’t had anyone out the pages of the letter she wrotein Atlanta, he provided the difference to give me advice. But when the rela- to her sister in 2003. They haven’tbetween Candice’s scholarships and tionship started to change, I welcomed seen each other for 11 years. AngiePell grants and the actual cost of living. it. It felt really good to have someone is in her 40s now; she’s living inWhen Candice graduated from Agnes coming for Parents’ Weekend. It felt New York State, taking care of fourScott, he paid off her loans. He also paid good to make someone proud. I never younger, disabled siblings. Candiceoff her outstanding NMH loans, and got that kind of affirmation growing remains in touch with her olderhelped her with living expenses when up. I didn’t get it until he came into brother and one sister, who bothher first job folded. my life.” came to her wedding. At first, when Candice was in These days Candice and Don see Last June, after Candice found thecollege, she felt uncomfortable talking each other every month and they letter in Gould and read it to her fiancé,to Don about money. “I didn’t really call communicate regularly. Don and his she told him, “I don’t know this girl. This girl is damaged and I feel sorry for her, but I don’t know her.” When Candice got home after the weekend at NMH, she immediately donated $1,000 to the school. “I didn’t tell Jonathan right away because I knew he would think I was crazy,” she says. “Reading that letter out loud changed something for me. I felt completely detached from the person who wrote it because I’ve never felt more secure and loved in my life. That kid existed at one point at NMH, and the reason I gave money was to make the life of that kid a little easier.” [NMH]PHOTO: BRIAN MULLINS PHOTOGRAPHY fall 2014 I 23

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THE MAKING OF APLAY PHOTOS BY RACHAEL WARING TEXT BY JENNIFER SUTTONL A S T Y E A R in the Rhodes Arts Center, Northfield Mount Hermon >>students and faculty staged five theater productions, including a little-known contemporary drama titled Nasty, which focuses on teenagers fall 2014 I 25and the imaginary personas they assume online. Theater programdirector Elizabeth Patterson, who replaced longtime director DavidRowland after he retired in 2013, chose the play because she “wantedto do something that was timely and relevant—something that wouldhave currency for our student body, and spark and feed a dialogue.”Written by Ramon Esquivel and first produced in 2009 for NewYork University’s New Plays for Young Audiences program, the playchronicles how the relationships of three girls and a boy intertwine,both online and in reality. Four NMH student-actors portrayed the realteens and four others played their digital counterparts —“actuals” and“virtuals,” Patterson called them.Rehearsals began right before Christmas.

2 11 Nasty contained provocative themes, 3 but cast members found that they weremore affected by working with one another 4 Technical director Dan Mellitzthan by the script itself. One of them said: (center) in the sound and lighting“I got more out of collaborating with every- booth with stage manager Rafael Zhang ’15one connected to the show, sharing the (left) and crew member Isabella DeHerdtexperience, than being onstage and having ’17. Mellitz, like Patterson, started teach-three nights of glory.” ing at NMH in 2013, and worked with a student crew to design a computer program2 Claire Phillips ’15 (foreground) and of images and words to be projected on a Suki White ’14 participated in a warm- screen behind the actors. It correlated toup exercise before a rehearsal got under- almost every line of spoken dialogue, withway. The exercises may feel silly, Patterson more than 150 projection cues.acknowledged, but they help actors becomeaware of one another onstage and “develop 5 Costume designer Kate Mellitzthe energy of an ensemble.” helped Zeph Carroll ’15 with his make-up. He played one of the “virtual”3 The cast read through the script, characters—an online avatar named the which covered substantial ground: Mynyster of Sound.friendship, jealousy, body image, sexualorientation, romance, cruelty among teen- 6 When the cast reported for costumeagers—all of it filtered through the lens of fittings, Erin Moore ’14, as a dragon-technology. The play took on topics such as slaying “virtual” named Qyn-Chacha, gotcyber bullying—“things you’re not going to wrapped in a kimono and a long black wig.hear when you ask your teenager, ‘How was “When you’re in costume, the play feelsyour day, dear?’” Patterson said. more real,” Moore said. “Doing theater is like sports—once you put your uniform on, you’re ready.”>> Previous page: The cast of Nasty after 26 I NMH Magazine the play’s closing performance

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7 8 7 The “real” teenagers occupied the 11 In one scene, the avatar Qyn-Chacha front of the stage, closest to the encountered a werewolf in a digital audience. Their “virtual” counterparts stood forest. Armed with a sword, which was re- behind them, set apart by a transparent imagined for NMH’s production as a Star scrim. In both realms, the characters com- Wars light saber, she emerged victorious. plained about school, obsessed over crush- es, and alternately annoyed and amused one 12 After the final show, Patterson another. But their banter turned ugly when facilitated a “talk-back” with the one girl accused another of taking over her audience, and the conversation went right friendship with a boy who is gay. Online, she to the harsh interactions between the called the girl a whore and the boy a faggot. characters. Claire Phillips ’15 said, “People Those lines belonged to Erin Moore ’14. “I say stuff online because it’s like you’re never yelled the word ‘faggot’ before,” she behind a wall—you don’t see the person’s said. “I never want to again.” reaction, so you feel safe. It’s different and weird to say things out loud, to say them 8 Suki White ’14 acted in theater pro- ductions throughout her four years for real.” [NMH] at NMH, but working on Nasty, playing an avater named Eartha X, made her more 9 nervous than reciting Shakespeare. “It felt really weird to not be embodying another 10 human being,” White said. 9/10 Rehearsals and perfor- mances took place in the Lois C. Chiles Theater in the Rhodes Arts Center. Patterson told the actors: “At a cer- tain point, the show stops being ‘ours’ and it starts being ‘yours.’ I’m not the one up>>onstage. I’m enjoying the show along with the rest of the audience.”28 I NMH Magazine

11 SEE MORE PHOTOS View more photos at http:// rachaelwaring. pass.us/ nmh-magazine 12 fall 2014 I 29

NegotiArtThe of S T O R Y B y L or i L . F e r g u so n • Ill u str a t i o n s by P h i l i pp e P e t i t - R o u l e t30 I NMH Magazine

We all do it every day. But Steven Cohen ’59 says we could be doinga t i o nitbetter.During the Nixon and Ford administrations, StevenCohen was a young lawyer serving as a lobbyist for theCity of Boston in Washington, D.C. “I lived in the cityI represented—I smelled of the streets,” he says. That, hebelieves, helped him gain considerable access to the WhiteHouse and the U.S. Department of Housing and UrbanDevelopment (HUD), where he did much of his work.“I developed a good relationship with Nixon’s undersecretaryat HUD, but had a rockier affiliation with a deputy assistantsecretary,” Cohen recalls. “The deputy was not aware thatthe undersecretary and I were friendly, and once I overheardhim at a cocktail party telling the undersecretary, ‘That’sSteve Cohen from Boston—watch out; he’ll rob you blind!’The undersecretary just burst out laughing.” “There are a couple of great lessons about negotiation inthat story,” Cohen points out. “First, passion for your causeis a good thing, and I was passionate about representingBoston. It was my job to get every dollar I could for the city.Second, when discussing a third party with someone, it’s wiseto have done your homework and know what affiliationsexist before saying something negative. Speaking off the cuffcan get you in trouble.” fall 2014 I 31

In the decades since Cohen’s days When he was a young boy, Cohen observed many of the subtleties of negotiation—listening as a lobbyist, he has made negotia- thoughtfully, maintaining an active, engaged stance, never losing sight of the end goal—while tion the focal point of his work as tagging along with his father and grandfather, both successful real-estate businessmen in Boston. a real estate developer, author, busi- Then, at Northfield Mount Hermon in the 1950s, he found a world quite different from ness school professor, and corporate his own. “I was a young Jewish kid in a Protestant school, which made it a wonderful place for me trainer. While his client list has to learn,” he recalls. “The diversity I encountered afforded me valuable insights into how another included General Motors, Wal-Mart, thought system operates. It was one of the first real mind-opening experiences of my life.” and the Taj Hotel Group in India, Following degrees from Brandeis, Columbia his second and most recent book, Law School, and Henley Management College in England, and formal training in negotiation The Practical Negotiator, published and mediation at Harvard Law School, Cohen eventually founded the Negotiation Skills last year, targets readers beyond the Company, based in Massachusetts. He spent more than 20 years developing and running boardroom. It’s filled with advice for amateurs, negotiation workshops around the world, and his books on the subject target business and and that includes pretty much everyone. Whether general audiences alike. negotiators are sitting in a corner-office confer- Teaching people how to negotiate, or how to negotiate better, is “incredibly rewarding,” he ence room or around a kitchen table, negotia- says. “I love working with sophisticated, experi- enced professionals and helping them gain a new tion is all about relationships, Cohen says—how perspective on an issue. Negotiation isn’t hard to learn, but it takes practice and living to perfect.” they’re established and nurtured. People often have an “aha” moment when learn- ing to negotiate, but those moments can be quite Still, ask anyone to define negotia- personal, according to Cohen. “Techniques that resonate with one person might not make sense tion, and chances are they’ll mention to another,” he says. “An all-or-nothing conflict, power struggles, winners, Some of Cohen’s students have found it helpfulapproach is deadly. and losers. Cohen suggests a differ- to view negotiation as a science; others see it as an ent perspective: viewing negotiation art form. Some take to it naturally, while others constantly work to perfect their skills. WhateverIf you come into a as a collaboration. In The Practical the approach, or the topic at hand, Cohen advises keeping certain principles in mind when entering negotiation with Negotiator, which is subtitled How to into a negotiation.your position already Argue Your Point, Plead Your Case, and Prevail in Any Situation, he tries to First, be prepared. Think about why you’re established, you’re clear up what he sees as misconcep- at the table; otherwise, you don’t belong there. limiting yourself.” tions about the process. “Some people But don’t go in with a predetermined outcome in mind. Cohen recalls that when he was a teen- fear negotiation because, in their ager, his mother sneaked him into a casino in Reno, Nevada, with the goal of educating him minds, it requires confrontation,” he about the evils of gambling. “My mother slipped a dime into the slot machine and promptly hit says. Wrong. A successful negotiation the jackpot. That was not the lesson she wanted to teach me,” he says, chuckling. When trying to simply “leads to an agreement that prove a point, Cohen explains, you must remain flexible. “An all-or-nothing approach is deadly. each party will willingly fulfill.” It does no good to reach a settlement if one party feels cheated and therefore disinclined to follow through on the agreement. “If you approach every negotiation as an episode in an ongoing relationship, you’re less likely to do something that’s going to come back and haunt you down the road,” he says. “I remember an encounter with one of my daughters when she was little,” Cohen says. “I started to talk to her as she entered the room and she held up her hand and said, ‘I’m in a very bad mood and I don’t want to talk right now.’ She wasn’t in a receptive state, she told me so, and I needed to respect it.” Negotiation is simply an extension of everyday life, according to Cohen, whether it’s an interaction with a boss, a co-worker, a neighbor, or a family member. You succeed by asking ques- tions and listening to the answers.32 I NMH Magazine

If you come into a negotiation with your posi- Negotiating: A Basic “How To”tion already established, you’re limiting yourself.”It’s better to understand the range of possible When entering a negotiation,solutions that will yield an agreement, a concept Steve Cohen (left) recommendsreferred to among negotiators as the ZOPA or using a process popular with“Zone of Possible Agreement.” “Preparing to Japanese negotiators called thenegotiate isn’t about finding the perfect solution,” “ F i v e Why s ” (even thoughCohen says. “It’s figuring out how to measure every question doesn’t necessarilywhether something is good or bad for you.” begin with “why”). Ask yourself these questions to better reach an understanding Second, be emotionally invested. Know of each party’s goals.why you want what you want or you won’t havethe necessary passion to carry you through the 1 4process. “A lot of people think that no matterwhat, you can’t be emotional during a negotia- Why is this objective What other ways oftion, and that’s dead wrong,” Cohen asserts. important? achieving these favorable“If you’re not emotionally invested, you won’t results might be better?do a good job. But you need to use your emo- 2tions strategically—let people see your passion, 5 What favorable results but don’t let it over- will it yield? If there is one factor whelm the discus- that is most likely to sion.” In The Practical 3 drive my/their decision, Negotiator, Cohen shares a hint he gleaned from If those results what is it? an old friend’s family are achieved, what dinners: Only one Source: The Practical person is allowed to good will it do? Negotiator, by Steven P. Cohen be angry at a time. behavior toward her is rude and dismissive. Third, be open- She is ready to quit. Cohen counsels her to minded—but not too evaluate all of her obligations before broaching much. Seeing things the subject with her son. “Deciding to walk out from another person’s is a clear way to exercise your BATNA,” he says.perspective is critical in negotiating, but never at But it may not be the only—or best—solution.the expense of your own needs. In The PracticalNegotiator, Cohen cites a letter he received from The key to negotiationa woman who felt forced into acting like her hus- comes down to Socratic wis-band’s mother rather than his spouse. He advised dom, according to Cohen.her to consider her own interests and her hus- “Socrates said, ‘Know thyself,’band’s. Next, she should honestly assess whether and it’s really true,” he says. “Ifthey’re still compatible, and then consider you know what your interestswhether the rewards of staying married outweigh are and why you’re pursuingthe sacrifices she’ll have to make if she leaves the a particular result, you’ll domarriage. “At the end of the day, your obligation OK. Negotiations happen allis to pursue your own interests,” Cohen says, but the time in our lives, and withideally, each party maximizes the benefits a little guidance, people canof collaborating. be led to the realization that Finally, remember that negotiations don’t there’s an inner negotiator inalways succeed. Establish what Cohen calls your every one of us.” [NMH]“Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement(BATNA)” and be prepared to settle for that andwalk away. In The Practical Negotiator, Cohenshares the story of a mother who is recruited byher son to manage his new bar. She has morethan two decades of bar experience and has takena significant pay cut to help her son, yet his fall 2014 I 33

TOO MUCH A former New York journalist returns to Ground Zero and the National September 11 Memorial and Museum.34 I NMH Magazine

PHOTO: JIN LEE TOO SOON BY GERALDINE BAUM ’73 fall 2014 I 35

am not a reporter anymore, but I was that day: September 11, 2001. I was on my way to work in the New York bureau of the Los Angeles Times when I heard on the car radio that a jetliner had crashed into one of the World Trade Center’s twin towers. I raced downtown and wasa few blocks away when, an hour or so later,the towers collapsed. I ducked the fallingdebris and tried to outrun the wall of smokethat swallowed up Lower Manhattan.Like a lot of journalists I also returned, year after year, to write about what On September 11, 2001, Geraldinethat awful day did to my city, how it changed the lives of the people here. Baum ’73 was the New York bureauBefore I left the Times and newspapering to work for a nonprofit, one of my chief of the Los Angeles Times.last major assignments was to cover the 10th anniversary of the attacks. I had For nearly 15 hours, she interviewedsaved my notebook from that day and used it as a “passport” to look back. people on the streets of Lower Manhattan, taking notes in her But when NMH Magazine asked me to write about the 9/11 memorial and husband’s leather notebook.museum that opened last spring at the site where the twin towers once stood, Iwasn’t sure I wanted to look back anymore. I had spent years trying to under- There’s a big difference.stand this event, even while holding it safely at bay. Rescue workers, police Memorializing I can do—there isofficers, and journalists, at least the kind I was for 35 years, have jobs that sadness but also distance in that.require them to separate emotionally from their work in order to get it done. When the September 11 memorialWhich is not to say they are unaffected. In the weeks and months after 9/11, opened back in 2011 at ground zero,I, like many New Yorkers, flinched at skyscrapers and froze up on subways I made a pilgrimage there with mywhen they went under Times Square or Grand Central Station—prime targets, husband and two children, who werewe were forever being told, for zealots who wouldn’t stop until they finished us 4 and 8 when the attacks happened,off. It took a long time for me to wear high heels again because I never knew so they remember. Together, we roamedwhen I might need to run. the plaza lined with 400 oak trees, ran our fingers across the names of theTime did its job, though. Thirteen years had given me enough distanceto function as a New Yorker—so I figured I was ready for whatever this latest9/11 tribute had to dish out. And I was, until about halfway through my visitto the museum, when I read about one small gesture made by a woman whodied that day. It was then that I knew it was too soon. The exhibition hallsthat stand seven stories under the site of the attacks do not just memorializethat awful day. They demand that you relive it.36 I NMH Magazine

dead etched on bronze parapets “T hirteen years had givensurrounding the towers’ footprints.  me enough distance toWe gazed into those 30-foot holes function as a New Yorker—and quietly reflected, the way we so I figured I was ready forhad after threading the rows of white whatever this latest 9/11crosses at the American Cemetery in  tribute had to dish out.”Normandy; at Yad Vashem, the memo-rial to the Holocaust in Israel; and fall 2014 I 37at the Vietnam Veterans Memorialthat gently slopes into the mall inWashington, D.C.PHOTO: JOHN BLAIS

Left: On display in the museum is a piece of “impact steel”— a portion of the north tower that was twisted by the direct hit from American Airlines Flight 11. Below left: a 60-foot-high section of the World Trade Center’s slurry wall, which separated the trade center from the Hudson River and withstood the buildings’ collapse. Opposite: Geraldine Baum’s notebook from September 11. But from the start, my descent It’s all there—thousands of salvaged In one section of the museum, Iinto this new underground museum objects, from shards of glass to listened at least a dozen times to thewas anything but serene. Dark and smashed firetrucks (not one but two), voice of a man who never came home,vast, it rousts to life every aspect of that all together re-create an experience reassuring his wife on their answeringthe terrorist attacks on America and that is more real, more imposing, machine: “It’s secure here.” Nearby, athe misery that lingers from that than any individual person could video of firemen hoisting hoses overbeautifully crisp autumn morning. have had that day. their shoulders in the lobby of one of the towers played and replayed. I wondered how far they had man- aged to climb—and if they had ever come down. Another video captured two hijackers, neatly attired in slacks and button-down shirts, passing non- chalantly through airport security. If only we’d captured them before they boarded those planes. The museum estimates that 2 bil- lion people—a third of the world’s population—followed the assaults of the commandeered airlines on tele- vision, the radio, and the Internet. Before this visit, I had avoided all of it. Now I was surrounded by screens, some taller than me, showing what had happened from every possible angle. One video, running in slow motion, was particularly unsettling: a postcard-worthy view of the Brooklyn Bridge with a gleaming World Trade Center and Lower Manhattan arrayed in the background. Then a tiny plane suddenly comes into view from the right and inches across the screen until it smacks into the building and erupts into a ball of fire. Smoke darkens the baby blue sky. As I stood inside Foundation Hall, the cavernous center of the museum, I had to crane my neck to see the top of a remnant of the slurry wall, a 60-foot-high slab of concrete that kept the Hudson River from flood- ing Lower Manhattan after the towers fell. I felt overwhelmed, swallowed up by the large objects around me and38 I NMH Magazine PHOTOS: JIN LEE

the thought of what they had been “T he exhibition halls that standthrough. I was amazed at what was  seven stories under the sitestill standing. of the attacks do not just  memorialize that awful day. Frankly, any efforts the museum They demand that you relive it.”curators might have made towardrestraint seemed random at best. Why this? I held my ground amid whitened by soot. I was exhausted, butTwo pieces of bent steel salvaged all the horror and then this small still I managed to bathe my shakenfrom one of the towers were discreetly gesture, this factoid, put me away? children and put them to bed. Butdisplayed in different areas of the I turned to Mike, who thought he now, after 13 years, I was wrung outmuseum; apart, they looked like grace- understood: “That’s something you after a morning in a museum. That Iful sculptures. But it didn’t take much would have done,” he said. could hardly stand to be there is surelyto imagine their ends touching and a testament to the museum’s sweep, tothe nose of the plane that had torn I have no idea what I would have its utterly affecting scale and density.through them. done in that poor woman’s place. But I could certainly relate to her last act As we were leaving the last gallery,As we moved through the of feminine dignity in the face of sheer two little boys scurried noisily past me.exhibition halls, I could feel my desperation. More than the shards of After catching up, their father quietlyhusband tensing up. We had been metal or mangled concrete, what she lectured them: “We should be verytogether that morning. After dropping did summed up how much like the respectful. There might be friends andour kids off at school, we heard the rest of us were those 2,983 people who family visiting the museum.”news about the first plane on the car died that day.radio. I needed a pad for taking notes His reminder was heartening andand Mike dug a brown leather note- At home that evening, I was use- kind, but I wonder if it was neces-book out of his briefcase. It had been less—which is ironic when I think sary. I doubt there were many peoplean anniversary gift from me, but now back to that day. After walking miles directly touched by the disaster evenhe thrust it into my hand along with a in backless shoes, interviewing dozens in there. This museum is not for them.wad of cash. I headed downtown and of traumatized New Yorkers, and filing For those of us who lived it, 13 years ishe went to his newsroom at The New notes for several stories, I had returned still too soon to live it again. This riv-York Times, where he was then deputy home after midnight, my dark hair eting tribute is for everyone else, andmanaging editor. Later, watching tele- for posterity. [NMH]vision, he would see the towers comedown and quietly panic, thinking:“She’s down there.” In my notebook, I had made eighthatch marks—one for every person Iwitnessed falling out of the buildings.According to the museum, “50–100people” were estimated to havejumped, and images of their descentare found in one of the small alcovesthat the museum warns contain themost sensitive materials. Mike and Idrifted in and crowded onto a benchwith a bunch of French tourists towatch a slide show of about a dozenpeople in business clothes, fallingdown. I sat unfazed until, as we werewalking out, I read a quotation onthe wall from a witness named JamesGilroy: “She held down her skirtand then stepped off the ledge … Ithought how human, how modest, tohold down her skirt before she jumped… I couldn’t look anymore.” I came undone.PHOTO: JOHN BLAIS fall 2014 I 39

ALUMNI HALLReunion 2014From left: Latonja \"L\" Sinckler '04, Hayley Cutler '04, and Susannah Branch '04

Alumni Awards New Trustees Join Board Alumni CouncilDuring each reunion, the NMH Justin Wai ’02 is a principal in WelcomesAlumni Association presents the real estate group at Blackstone, New Membersawards to alumni and NMH com- based in Hong Kong. Since joiningmunity members who have made Blackstone in 2007, he has focused ▲ Heather Richard ’91extraordinary contributions to the on real estate transactions across the Co-chair, Diversity committeeschool and the world. Asia-Pacific region. Previously, he was a real-estate Writer, teacher,DISTINGUISHED investment-banking analyst for Macquarie Bank. high school librarianSERVICE AWARD He serves on the board of Tysan Holdings. After Montague, MassachusettsJohn MacKnight Fitzgerald ’69 graduating from NMH, he received a bachelor’sLAMPLIGHTER AWARD degree in hotel administration from Cornell, ▲ Donnie R. Smith ’07Carroll Rikert Jr. ’34 where he was a Meinig National Scholar and a Co-chair, Diversity committeeCOMMUNITY member of Ye Hosts Society. Associate dean of admission,SERVICE AWARD The Knox SchoolThomas G. Baxter ’59 Mary Pat Clarke ’84 is a 20-year St. James, N.Y.Diana Atwood Johnson ’64 veteran of the sports and enter-WILLIAM H. tainment industry. She was vice ▼ Molly Goggins Talbot ’93MORROW AWARD president of communications at Co-chair,Josie E. Rigby Madison Square Garden, working Nominating committeeYOUNG ALUMNI AWARD with the Knicks, Rangers, Liberty, MSG Media, Pre-kindergarten teacher,Andrew Ness ’04 and MSG Entertainment. She serves on the board Grace Church SchoolALUMNI CITATIONS of MSG’s Garden of Dreams Foundation and as Brooklyn, N.Y.Kenneth O. Hungerford ’49 a consultant for the company. She was previouslyBetty Ann Hinkley ’59 director of communications for the National ▼ Carolyn “Ty” Fox ’59Pamela Street Walton ’64 Hockey League. She received a bachelor’s degree Co-chair,Brian Avery Bauer ’69 from Fordham University and a master’s from the Nominating committeeEstelle Dorain Burgess ’79 Newhouse School of Public Communications at Retired teacher Syracuse University. She lives with her husband Winston-Salem, N.C. ’34CLASS OF and daughter in Connecticut.IMAGINE going back to your high school when you’re 98 years old and loving it just as much as you did fall 2014 I 41when you graduated 80 years earlier. Pres Blake, the co-founder of Friendly’s Ice Cream (left), and CarrollRikert Jr., NMH trustee emeritus (right), returned to campus for Reunion 2014 as the sole representa-tives of the Mount Hermon Class of 1934.PHOTOS: G LEN N MINSH AL L , C O U R T E SY O F J U ST IN WAI AN D MARY PAT C L A R K E ; O PPO S I TE PA G E : C L A I R E B A R C L AY

REUNION 201442 I NMH Magazine

ALUMNI HALL NMH’s 2014 reunion weekend drew the usual crowds, with visitors ranging from toddlers to near centenarians. They headed to alumni seminars, lounged in Beveridge Bowl, heard from current students about their 21st-century NMH experience, and shared good meals and good stories. One alumnus remarked: “Weather—perfect. Programs and activities— excellent. Food—much improved from our school days. Camaraderie—priceless.” CLASS OF 1964 50TH REUNION GIFT BY THE NUMBERS $4,019,439 Total donations, pledges, and planned gifts made over five years preceding the reunion $3,398,313 Committed to NMH in estate plans $202,507 The Class of 1964 Scholarship Fund 156 Total number of donors 2014–15 ALUMNI COUNCIL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE www.nmhschool.org/alumni-get-involved Caroline N. Niederman ’78 Dave Hickernell ’68 President Awards committee chair [email protected] Wendy Alderman Dorrie Krakower Cohen ’67 Susser ’56 Reunion advisory chair Secretar y [email protected] Heather Richard ’91 Donnie Smith ’07 Carolyn “Ty” Bair Fox ’59 Diversity committee Molly Talbot ’93 co-chairs Nominating committee co-chairs Kate Hayes ’06 Young alumni Stuart Papp ’93 committee chair Strategic advisory chair Marggie Slichter ’84, J. Peter Donald ’05 P ’10, P ’11, P ’12 NMH Fund chair Ex-officio, staff liaisonP HOTOS: G LEN N MINSH AL L , C L AIR E B AR C L AY fall 2014 I 43

CLASS NOTESMountain Day, 1967PHOTO: COURTESY OF NMH ARHIVES

VITAL STATISTICS page 92 / IN MEMORIAM page 94Pres Blake ’34 and Carroll Rikert ’34, at their 80th Claire Robinson Roth ’38 at 93, with her children, Nita KEEP IN TOUCHreunion, stand in front of the Elliot Speer portrait in Ford Roth Dossin, Rob Roth, and Roger Roth, on Mother’s Day Help us save paper and keep youCottage. ’13. Claire passed away in April 2014. connected with NMH. Send us your current email address and we’ll make sure to update you on major school happenings. Address updates [email protected] Send news for the magazine [email protected] NMH’s online community community.nmhschool.orgCourtland “Corky” Van Deusen III ’35 and his great- 39 N that water aerobics class (where I have gone reli-granddaughters, Alexandria and Amelia EDITH BENDER SOUTHWICK giously for 18 years), I might not be walking today.Courtland “Corky” Van Deusen III ’35 and his great- 395 N 70th Street “I was in the gasoline business most of my life,granddaughter, Whisper and in my last years was a Texaco dealer, running Springfield OR 97478-7206 the tank farm and functioning with a small team of petroleum tankers. However, I have outlived  Texaco in Hawaii. 40 N “My youngest daughter lives in Kailua-Kona (on (B. J.) ELIZABETH JANE the Big Island) just a few blocks from my home, where I live alone. I keep busy with activities in SMITH JOHNSON organizations, where I function in a leadership capacity. My wife of 53 years passed away in 167 Main St 2008, but we still have a big group of relatives, all of whom live in the Oregon area. My wife and I Wenham MA 01984-1446 traveled extensively on 42 worldwide trips over 25 years. Now I attend family get-togethers for three [email protected] weeks every August. 40 MH “I have not met any Hermonites since graduation, but I do enjoy keeping up with them through class From the Alumni Office: Bob Paddock writes: notes.” “I notice that as of the spring ’14 issue of NMH Magazine we no longer have a secretary, or does it 41 N mean that my classmates no longer exist? Some of DORCAS PLATT ABELL us are still kicking around. I will make 92 years on 8/21/14, and I’m doing as well as can be expected— 30 Walden Lane as long as I can get the VA to give me some cortisone shots in my knees every couple of months. Pittsfield MA 01201-1572 I have lived in Hawaii since 1969, and there are a bunch of us old fossils living here in reasonably [email protected]  good condition. “I enjoy reading NMH Magazine and, of course, go first to class notes to read about my classmates, but this time there was no news. Does that mean ‘No news is good news’? I wonder. “I go to the local gym three times a week for an hour-and-a-half workout in the swimming pool. I tell folks that I firmly believe that if it weren’t for fall 2014 I class notes I 45

41 MH encourages you to support NMH. house, two storage sheds, and a garage into a two- CARLETON FINCH Dick Gale called today (6/4) to chat about bedroom home. We had an estate sale for three612 Rindge Rd days, as she had a collectibles business to sell, asFitchburg MA 01420-1310 the old days as a student living in the North well as her personal items, to complete the [email protected] Farmhouse with the Carroll Rikert family. He remembered Mrs. Rikert gathering the students in Rosalie VanZant Simson writes she celebratedDwight Smith writes: “I note that our class finally the living room and reading to them. Dick is still her birthday this year playing golf in the morning,reached the first page of class notes in the fall ’13 in contact with Carroll Rikert Jr. ’34. We are sad- enjoying bridge in the afternoon, and havingedition of NMH Magazine, so I guess it is time to dened to learn that Dick lost his wife of many years dinner with a daughter and son-in-law, who haveoffer a review of my life, post-1941. In the spring last September. He claims to be sharp as ever at 93 just bought a house in Stuart, Fla. Their youngestof 1943, I graduated from the two-year course at but is very careful to avoid falling. daughter, a perfusionist, is moving from Georgia toGreen Mountain College in Poultney, Vt. In July Panama City, Fla., to work in a hospital there. Posie1943, I found myself on the battleship USS South 42 N adds their son is also interested in winter retirementDakota, headed for the South Pacific. Fast-forward CORA LEE GETHMAN GIBBS in her area—“My cup runneth over.”to February 1947, when I graduated from Dart- 355 Blackstone Blvd, Apt 554mouth College and went to work for the Boston & Providence RI 02906-4953 Patricia Thomas Chamberlin-Calamar isMaine Railroad. My 26-year career with the B&M [email protected] enjoying life in Santa Barbara, Calif. Pat wouldinvolved working and living in Massachusetts, like to hear from classmates who live in California.New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. In 1973, I 42 MH Sounds like a get-together is needed.changed course, resigned from the B&M, moved LOREN BULLOCKto North Conway, N.H., and established my own 1 Arch Place #120 Janice Laumann Bamforth reports her hus-railroad, Conway Scenic Railroad. I retired in 1990, Gaithersburg MD 20878-6600 band is in a nursing home now, and it’s 40 milesbut the CSRR continues to thrive without me. [email protected] away, making it difficult to visit him. Jan has recov- ered from her back surgery, but she needs physical “I married in 1948 and remained married to the We’re up at the front of the class notes now. There therapy for one knee.same lady for 62 years. We had five children, born are 68 of us still listed in the class, and 25 of usin four states. I now have nine grandchildren, nine have an email address listed with the school. Go The Alumni Office sent us news of class-great-grandchildren, and various in-laws. My wife to community.nmhschool.org, click on directories, mates we’ve lost since the last issue. Ann Morsepassed away in 2010, and I now live alone with and enter 1942 in the class year box. We never Pritchard of Essex, Conn., died 10/16/13. Annmy cat. thought of looking this far into the future as we went on to Skidmore College and lived most of walked up the hill to West Hall for supper in those her life in New Britain, Conn. She married John “In January ’15, I will be 90. I keep active with years just before WWII. We’re in a whole new Pritchard, and they had five children and ninevolunteer programs, hobbies, and travel, and I world now. I walked around the big WWII Memo- grandchildren. Ann later married William Westenjoy the company of a nearby lady friend. My rial on the Mall in Washington, D.C., a while ago, and moved to Essex. For the final 10 years of heroutlook on life is as follows: I will live to be 102, and it’s impressive. The whole country was involved life, she was a close companion of Jack Spangler ofbut if I don’t, I will continue to enjoy every minute and supportive then, not like the wars since. Gor- Essex. Ann volunteered for community organiza-up until the end.” don Pyper wrote about the importance of staying tions, traveled widely, skied with her family, and active and described an amazing Honor Flight to sailed the New England coast in their sloop. Ann Shep Bartlett says he was surprised to reach 90 Washington last May, a one-day sponsored trip for was proud of her forebears, who participated inin April. Both he and his wife, Amy, are still in rea- 80 WWII veterans from Florida, to tour the WWII founding the New Haven and Wallingford Colonies.sonably good health. Shep is still actively involved Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, and theon behalf of our class, as many of you know, as he Marine Corps (Iwo Jima) Memorial. They received Frances Rose Hull Terrill died 9/19/13 in San VIP treatment with police escort and special recep- Jose, Calif. She spent many summers in West Tis-Top: Dwight Smith ’41 in 1968 with the locomotive tions. A “mission” of a lifetime. bury on Martha’s Vineyard. Rose graduated fromhe used to found his Conway Scenic Railroad in 1973. Middlebury College and earned a master’s degree inBottom: Dwight Smith in 2014 with the same locomotive, 43 NMH library science from San Jose State in her midfifties.still owned by CSRR. ROBERTA BURKE BURPEE At Middlebury she was a member of the women’s 3220 River Villa Way #121 ski team and met her husband, Bob. They moved Melbourne Beach FL 32951-3035 to Salt Lake City and then to San Jose, where Rose [email protected] began playing tennis, which became her passion. She taught tennis and played league tennis. In her Now that we are celebrating birthdays with 88 or late 80s, she was a nationally ranked tennis player, 89 candles to blow out, I am noticing that we’re and in 2012 her final ranking was 3.0. She played slowing down. That’s what happens during the until a few months before her death. Rose found golden years. To my delight, I found some class- time to spend with her grandchildren, and enjoyed mates who are active and enjoying their hobbies, reading, cooking, art, and antiques. She is survived etc. I would love to hear from all of you, so please by her sister-in-law, four children, three grandchil- call, write, or email me and share your news. dren, and many nieces and nephews. My brother, John Burke ’42, was on Fox News, Alice Crawford Chandler passed away in commemorating the 70th anniversary of D-day. Marshfield, Mass., on 3/1/14. She is survived by Jack was a Ranger and climbed the cliff at Omaha her husband, four children, and five grandchildren. Beach, Normandy, France. Jack is 91 and lives in Belatedly, the Alumni Office learned that Phyllis Richmond, Va., with his wife, Carolyn. In May, I Clark Stoll died on 3/14/04 in Arizona. helped my daughter move from a four-bedroom From the Mt. Hermon class, we learned that Stephen Davis died in Edgeworth, Pa., on 2/17/13. Steve devoted much of his life to his community, serving as a Presbyterian deacon and elder, Republican co-chairman of the 14th Ward, Judge of Elections, and volunteering in community organizations. During WWII, he served on the46 I NMH Magazine

USS Lake Champlain. He is survived by Sallie, his Members of the Northfield and Mount Hermon class of ’44 and friends gathered for their 70th reunion in June.wife of 64 years, 4 children, 11 grandchildren, and Front row l. to r.: Al Margolis, Jean Ting Margolis ’44, Peter Harkness ’44, Fred Sutherland ’44 Charlton Price ’44 (with4 great-grandchildren. sign), Eileen Hamlin, and John Hamlin ’44. Back row, l. to r.: Dan Pawling ’44, Bob Davidson ’44, Hella Harkness, and Alan Moore ’44. Not pictured but at reunion: Carolyn “Lyn” Coleman Peyrot ’44, Charlotte Sutherland, and Bill Compton ’44. Charles Keevil died on 4/8/14 in Lincoln,Mass. He was a dedicated internist and cardiolo- up from New York City with her husband, Al. Lyn, news that football at NMH, as at so many othergist for more than 50 years, continuing to practice who lives in Glastonbury, Conn., was escorted by secondary schools now, will be no more. Ken livesnearly full time past his 87th birthday. At Mt. Her- her son, Jan. The Peyrots spent much of reunion in North Carolina with his partner and Hermonmon, Chuck was president of the Student Council with Charlton “Charlie” Price, Lyn’s escort to ’44 honorary classmate, Maryann Duffy.and played on the varsity soccer, basketball, and our senior prom, the Chat, in the spring of ’44.tennis teams. During his freshman year at Bucknell, They reminisced about how 70 years ago they had Nancy Bartram Beecher couldn’t make it toChuck was drafted into the Army and served as danced away that evening as the Hermon Knights reunion because her husband, Norman, is presidenta medical lab technician in the Philippines. He played the smooth sounds of arrangements by of his MIT class, and they had a major reunion thegraduated from Amherst College in ’48, went on to Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey. same weekend. Nowadays, the Beechers spend theearn a master’s, and then started to work toward a winter south of Ft. Myers, Fla.; the summers indoctorate in biochemistry, but the lure of medical Yvonne “Vonnie” Snyder Elliman has agreed to Northeast Harbor, Maine; and the spring and fallschool was too strong. He graduated from Harvard serve as our class president pro tem. in their Concord, Mass., home.Medical School, did postgraduate work at MassGeneral Hospital, and in 1959 joined Gordon Look for Lyn and Jean and their escorts in the Here are the other members of the class whoWinchell in medical practice in Lincoln. In 1950, class of ’44 reunion picture on this page. made it back for this memorable gathering in JuneChuck married Hannah Snider, and together they 2014: Hella and Peter Harkness, Dan Pawling,created a family of 10 children, including two And now we are NMH ’44. Yvonne Snyder Charlotte and Fred Sutherland, Alan “Dinty”adopted and one foster son. Chuck’s commitment Elliman and Jim Babcock are co-honorary presi- Moore, Eileen and John Hamlin, Jim Babcock,to and pleasure in his family paralleled his involve- dents. I, Charlton “Charlie” Price, will continue Bill Compton, and your scribe. Bill also camement in his medical practice, along with some as secretary for the combined class, so please send for the dedication of a new faculty house, on theviola, tennis, mountain climbing, and running. He your news to me. slope north of and behind where the Bill Morrowspent many summers working in medical clinics family once lived, which honors Bill’s late wife andin Appalachia, sometimes with his whole family 44 MH partner in NMH Summer School leadership, Maryaccompanying him. CHARLTON R. PRICE Lighthall Compton ’44. Donald Stauffer died on 1/30/12. Don served 1501 17th St, Apt 514 We had high hopes that Bob Cookingham,in the U.S. Air Force during WWII and was a cum Shep Rowland, and Ed Cox would get to thislaude graduate of Princeton in ’48. An ordained Seattle WA 98122-4103 reunion, but in the end, they just couldn’t do it.Episcopal clergyman, Don began his ministry in We also were sure that Bill Bolger would make it.Missouri and spent 25 years serving parishes in [email protected] But just at reunion time, he was hospitalized with aCalifornia, Maryland, Connecticut, Liverpool, leg infection that resulted in amputation. He diedEngland, and Geneva, Switzerland. His passions in- It was “the best of times and the worst of times” for on June 25 in Princeton, N.J. Bill was a loyal andcluded learning, singing, reading aloud, and theater. both Hermonites and Northfield women ’44 at strong supporter of Mt. Hermon and NMH, bothHis beautiful bass voice and his warmth, integrity, their 70th class reunion in June. As noted in the on his own and as part of the support from theand humble presence will be greatly missed. Don adjoining Northfield ’44 column, we got the shock- Bolger family. Bill is survived by his second wife,is survived by his wife of 55 years, Lynn, four chil- ing news that the day before reunion, class secretary Eve Heidmann; his sisters, Betty Bolger Flemingdren, and a brother, Dwight ’39. He is predeceased Anne Webb Burnham died, and her husband, ’46, class secretary, and Barbara Bolger Collettby his brother David ’39. David, died less than a day later. Please read the ’50; brother David Bolger ’50; a large family of his tribute to them on page 94 of this issue. own; and two succeeding generations.44 N We had already learned that our president, Peter ANNE WEBB BURNHAM Leyden, had left us this past March. In recent years, Ken Kolkebeck ’44 and his partner, Maryann Duffy, who is as a widower, he had been living in Annapolis, Md. an honorary member of MH ’4444 River St He had just sent us a warm reunion invitation letter, full of memories we share from 70 years ago. PeteRehoboth MA 02769-1314 captained the NMH Athletic Hall of Fame’s un- defeated, untied, almost-unscored-upon [email protected] footballers of the fall of ’43. He then became our lifelong class president. Bob Davidson and KenFrom Charlton: At 2014 reunion, our 70th, the Kolkebeck, stalwarts on that team, had planned toclasses of Northfield and Mt. Hermon strongly be with Pete at this reunion. Bob made it, but Kenbonded with each other. We were brought close by didn’t. Ken was disheartened by the passing of Pete,sudden sorrow, and because this was, perhaps, our his best friend and roommate. He represented ourfinal chance to have the pleasure of each other’s class at Pete’s memorial service in Virginia. And likecompany. As we arrived on campus, we learned Bob, Ken was devastated by thethat Anne Webb Burnham, our class secretary, haddied the evening of 6/4/14 while awaiting sud-denly necessary surgery. Then, we were told that,incredibly, early on the morning of 6/5/14, Anne’shusband, David, once a Mt. Hermon teacher and alongtime headmaster at the Moses Brown School inProvidence, R.I., had died in his sleep. Please readthe tribute to them on page 94 of this issue. Jean Ting Margolis and Carolyn “Lyn” Cole-man Peyrot represented us at reunion. Jean came fall 2014 I class notes I 47

And now we are NMH ’44. Yvonne Snyder This winter has brought about the near-death Heading north, on the way back we had dinner Elliman and Jim Babcock are co-honorary presi- experience of one of Arlene’s granddaughters. She with Judith and Carnot Evans in Annapolis, Md. dents. I, Charlton “Charlie” Price, will continue waited two months for her double lung/heart trans- He has recovered well from his fall and is starting as secretary for the combined class, so please send plant at the Cleveland Clinic. The family is grateful to play golf again. He is ready to challenge the restyour news to me. for the many prayers and blessings for this wonder- of the golfers at our 70th reunion. We enjoyed a ful miracle performed by her dedicated doctors and tour of the Naval Academy and stories about the45 N nurses. She is experiencing her rebirth. African American dentists and doctors who gradu- ARLENE FINCH REYNOLDS ated from Mt. Hermon and got together occasion- Please, look ahead to our 70th reunion in June ally: Carnot, a dermatologist; Bob Wilkinson ’46, 273 Erie Rd 2015. It will be here before we blink an eye. As I internal medicine; Harold Martin ’46, a dentist; drive through the Northfield campus, I recall the Ernest Martin ’46 (twin brother, now deceased), Columbus OH 43214-3600 old days. I am so pleased that everything is so well an orthopedic surgeon; and Bucky Moses ’51, a groomed. Someone is taking good care of things. pediatrician. Although Bucky was an excellent [email protected] We can still miss our alma mater but be grateful swimmer at Yale, he did not compete at some of in knowing that the transition to a single campus the strongly prejudiced southern colleges whereIn October 2012, Irene Eldredge Derby and her has worked so well and that Northfield is still such African Americans were not welcomed. I enlisted family drove to Northfield, where she showed a strong part of the community and the NMH Carnot to the reunion committee, as well as Colinthem the lovely school she attended from 1943–45. philosophy. Selley. Carnot writes about some of these reunions.“They were truly impressed with the campus, dorms, “We had a great time—discussing life over the age church, and all the other buildings. We walked 45 MH of 80 and being so fortunate to enjoy it.” around East Hall, and I told them about rooming PETE DEVENISin the tower, our dummies, our meals in the dining 9 South Meadow Ridge Ted Covel writes: “I look forward to our 70th inroom and in the living room. I told them how we Concord MA 01742-3000 2015. I plan to bring my youngest daughter again signed in and out, went skiing on the hill at East [email protected] and this time my son also.”Hall, and skating on Perry Pond, and how we usedthe athletic field for May Day and Winter Carnival.” On our last pilgrimage to Innisbrook, Fla., Inga Edward Brockway passed away on 03/17/13. and I visited several classmates. At Hilton Head, we He had been on the lost list for a long time. If Barbara Baldwin Knapp just returned from had dinner with Cal Swan and Ralph Schwaikert anyone knows his last address, please let me know. her 65th Wellesley reunion and her grandson’s Yale and his wife, Susan. Cal is still playing respectable I would like to locate his obituary. Other classmates graduation. She continues her interest in garden- golf and is looking forward to getting a bunch who were in the yearbook but are still lost include:ing and in restoring the American chestnut. She’s of golfers together at the 70th reunion in ’15. I Paul Bellefontaine, Robert Hughes, Charles glad to have family living nearby, especially her enlisted him to the reunion committee. Ralph has great-granddaughter (5). She writes: “I keep up some balance problems but otherwise is doing well. Jaques, George Loeser, Paul Swanson, andwith news from NMH, especially because so many Don Wilson. Please let me know if you have anyrelatives went there: my sister, two daughters, two In Bradenton, Fla., we arranged breakfast with information, whether they are still alive or not, and grandsons, and a nephew.” Don Krueger and wife, Annelise. They also plan where they may be. to attend the 70th reunion. Don graduated from Jackie Snyder Johnson attended reunion at Dartmouth and met his wife in Germany. After Our condolences to Dick Unsworth, whoseNMH with her son, Bill Johnson ’69, who was retiring from the printing industry in 1990, Don wife, Joy Merritt Unsworth, passed away on attending his 45th. Carroll Rikert ’34 received the “took a master’s in archeology, went on several digs, 3/31/14. They were married almost 65 years. SheLamplighter Award. She writes: “He is 10 years old- and pursued our hobby in travel. We’ve been to was a graduate of Wheaton and Smith Colleges and er than us and walks beautifully with two walking more than 115 countries. This year we’ll revisit the taught English and social studies, but concentrated sticks. It was a great weekend. I am not in charge Baltic region, and then the Far East with Princess on special education. In 1980, Joy and Dick of next year’s 70th, as the reunion staff seems to Cruises.” I have a first cousin in Vilnius, Lithuania, returned to NMH when he was named headmaster.think when they made me an observer. I am ready who can give them a tour of the city. She was director of special education at Greenfieldto help. I just booked a 24-day cruise in September Public Schools.to Norway, Iceland, the Shetland Islands, etc., and In Jupiter, Fla., we had lunch with Pris and crossing the Atlantic via the Azores to Miami.” Wink Cornwell. They moved to a condo from Your class secretary, Peter Devenis, with previ-While on campus, Jackie heard that Joy Merritt North Palm Beach but miss their previous house. ously installed plastic lenses in both eyes and a tita- Unsworth passed away at the end of March nium hip, now with a pacemaker in his shoulder, is The Finch family gathered in June to celebrate the 70th striving to become a truly “bionic man.” Arden Fish Pierce stays active with her folk wedding anniversary of Carleton “Zeke” Finch ’41 and dance community and volunteers at Planned Par- his wife, Arline. Front row: Arlene Finch Reynolds ’45 and Please plan to attend our 70th reunion in 2015. enthood. Her husband has Parkinson’s disease. Carleton Finch ’41. Back row: Edwin Finch ’46 and Ellen It may be the last one you attend. Let us make it Finch Flewelling ’54. Their father was Cortland Finch ’16. not only the most-attended 70th, but also the best. Helen Hinman Bardwell retired from working Let me know if I can add your name to the list ofin June 2013, but her life is full with committees potential attendees. and projects for her church, local book club, anearby retirement/assisted-living community, the 46 Nvoter registration board, and her garden. “We are BETTY BOLGER FLEMING proud of our three high-school grandsons on honorroll each term, in the concert and jazz bands, work- 456 Riverside Dring on Eagle Scout projects, and starting to think about college.” Princeton NJ 08540-5421 Irma Klein Schachter tells us that we are [email protected] coming through for the Annual Fund with 42 gifts,including one exceptionally large one. Arlene Finch Reynolds now has 10 grands and12 great-grands. She is flying east to attend the70th wedding anniversary of her brother Carleton’41 and his wife, Arline.48 I NMH Magazine