brewsterconnections

Transcription

brewsterconnections

BrewsterConnections
Spring 2008
Inside
5 Bobcat Hoopsters: New England Champions, Number Four in the Nation
7 Lady Bobcats Show Their Strength in Division I
Head of School
Dr. Michael E. Cooper
Director of Alumni and Development
Tim von Jess
8 Embracing Brewster: Griffin Guess ’98 Returns to Campus
12 Orlando Vandross ’88 Recalls Inspirational Friend
Editor
Marcia Eldredge
Director of Communications
14
17 HOWL Takes Manhattan
Assistant Editor
Layout/Design
Peggy Comeau
Assistant Director of Communications
Contributors
Mike Cooper, Jonathan Fouser, Matt
Hoopes, Lynne Palmer, T.J. Palmer, T.J.
Palmer Jr. ’08, Bob Richardson, Shirley
Richardson, Jason Smith, Martha
Trepanier ’83, Tim von Jess
Photography
Peggy Comeau, Marcia Eldredge, Herb
Fox, Deb Gurka, BG Hodges ’66, Ben
Larson, Martha Trepanier ’83, Kristi
Nieman, Stephen Allen Photography,
Phil Stiles, Dan Sullivan
West Side Story Production Earns an A+
18 Learning Through Service
20 Brewster Artists Earn Awards
22 Winter Carnival Fun Indoors and Out
24 First Descent: Snowboarders Make Their Debut
25 Alumni Offer Insights on Brewster Experiences, Perceptions
28 Brewster on the Road
31
Farewell to Brewster’s Friend
42 Writing Brewster’s History
BrewsterConnections
is published three times a year
and mailed to alumni, parents of
students, and friends of
Brewster Academy
80 Academy Drive
Wolfeboro, NH 03894
www.brewsteracademy.org
On the cover: Trey Blue ’08
in the Championship game.
Photo courtesy of Phil Stiles
Departments
Teraysa White ’08, Winter Carnival pie-eating contestant
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34
41
In the News
Class Notes
In Memoriam
A Message From the Head of School
A
s I sit here and look out the window of the Ac (that’s the Academic Building
for the uninitiated) at all the snow we still have on the ground (yes, mother
nature reminded us repeatedly this year how winter in the northeast is suppose
to be), another year is about to quickly come to an abrupt conclusion. One may
ask why I say abrupt? After many openings, as I suggested in my last letter in
Connections, there have been just as many closings, or ends to an academic year.
Just as we begin the year on a sprint, we end one dashing for the finish line,
and then begins the “cool down” period – what for us is summer in Wolfeboro,
a time to enjoy some of the beauty and pleasures of living in this part of New
Hampshire, besides contending with ice and snow!
I’m sure many of our readers can identify with those feelings of longing for
Wolfeboro, no matter what the season. How am I so sure? That’s what our
alumni have told us. As readers will find in these pages, we are reporting back
to alumni some of the key findings from the recent alumni survey that was
conducted for us. While not every alumna/us was surveyed, the representative
sample that was surveyed has given us a great deal of insight into how we need
to foster and develop our relationship with our alumni. Without getting into
great detail about the results, there are just a couple of findings that I would like
to speak to here. One of these I’ve mentioned, and that’s how alumni feel about
where we are located and how that evokes many of the memories that they have
about Brewster. It is interesting how Wolfeboro and the campus location was one
of our greatest strengths according to our alumni, no matter the decade in which
they graduated. What was even more gratifying was how they felt about their relationships with
the faculty. More of them felt that the faculty was our greatest asset, again, consistent across the
years. Alumni felt that faculty dedication went beyond the classroom and into the ways in which
they committed themselves to connecting with students and for how they tried to understand a
student as a person. As an educator, to know that you have connected with a student in such a
meaningful way, is gratifying beyond words.
But the results also have told us how we can be more effective at communicating with our alumni ... something that we have felt we could do better and have now confirmed. While we have
begun to make strides in this area, as evidenced by the feedback that we have received about this
publication and through our use of e-updates, we still need to look at other ways in which we
can improve, and we are.
I hope that Brewster alumni, parents, trustees, and friends enjoy reading about the results of the
survey (see story page 25), and in fact, reading about all the wonderful things happening at the
Academy. I encourage alumni to get involved and to be part of the excitement. Come back to
Reunion, join other alumni at a regional gathering, stay connected through Class Notes. There
are so many exciting things happening at Brewster that we would welcome the chance to have
you back to see things firsthand. This encouragement extends to our seniors and postgraduates
who are dashing to that finish line, on the eve of moving from student to alumna or alumnus.
I encourage recent graduates to stay connected to Brewster and to those relationships that our
alumni tell us were so significant in their own Brewster experiences.
Enjoy Connections … and think spring!
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BrewsterConnections l Spring 2008
In the News
New England Hoopster Champions
For the first time in school history, the boys’ basketball team
captured the New England Class A Championship. The win came
in a 69-65 overtime victory against Winchendon School. On their
way to the finals, the Bobcats defeated South Kent School and
Worcester Academy. Team co-captain Emmanuel Negedu ’08
(Kaduna, Nigeria) was named tournament MVP.
Two days after the win, the Bobcats began their quest for the
national title at the National Prep School Championships.
Brewster was among eight teams selected to play for the national
title. The Bobcats made it to the semifinal round where they fell
to eventual champions Hargrave Military Academy. (See story
page 5.) l
Alejandro Brown ’09, Robert Koger ’08, and Jackson Burris ’09 will
play in the 2008 World Lacrosse Championships
represent Team England. Alejandro Brown ’09, who resides in
Amherst, Massachusetts, and who has German roots, will play
for Germany in the red pool.
“Robert, Jack, and Jandro are excellent lacrosse players and young
men and will represent their respective countries well,” said Bill
Lee, Brewster boys’ head lacrosse coach. “Of course, it is an honor
for Brewster to have three of its student-athletes representing
their respective countries and heritage in the World games. All
three should make a tremendous impact on their teams.”
Koger will begin his collegiate lax career next season at
Georgetown University. l
Brewster’s Technology Success Featured
at Conference
Team members celebrate after winning New England Class A title.
Lady Bobcats Earn Tourney Berth
In their second season playing in Division 1, the girls’ ice
hockey team recorded an impressive 19-5-3 season and earned
a berth in the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council
tournament. The girls were stopped in the quarterfinal round,
however, with a close 4-3 contest against Choate Rosemary Hall.
(See story page 7). l
Brewster LAX Goes International
When lacrosse players from around the world gather in
Coquitlam, British Columbia, in July for the 2008 World Lacrosse
Championships, three Brewster Bobcats will be among them.
In the blue pool, Robert Koger ’08 from Scarborough, Ontario,
will play for Team Canada and Jackson Burris ’09, who resides
in Amherst, New Hampshire, but has dual citizenship, will
l
Dean of Studies Peter Hess was a member of the panel
“Sustainability of One-to-One – Essential Skills: Leadership and
Vision, Education and Training” at the Visionary Leadership
conference in March, sponsored by the Consortium for School
Networking. The presentation by Hess and three other panelists
focused on how the first and longest lasting one-to-one
technology deployment in the world (started in 1993 at Brewster)
is a model for how thoughtful design can lead to truly embedded
technology use in a school. The presentation was based on
Brewster’s 10-year program of published research and a 2007
independent evaluation of implementation integrity.
Panelists discussed the key concepts for a successful one-to-one
effort, how to use those concepts, and how schools can move on
a trajectory from their current technology implementation to a
comprehensive integration of technology that produces dramatic
gains in student and teacher performance. l
continued
l
3
In the News
Alumna Authors Best Seller
Gail “Bunny” McLeod’s ’59 book Who Says Kids Can’t Fight Global
Warming, co-authored by Patrick Harrison, hit the number one
spot on the bestseller list in four different categories on Amazon.
com in the fall. “The book is already on its second printing and
the publisher has approached me about a second and third
book. I am absolutely thrilled and wanted to share this with my
Brewster family.” l
Winnipesaukean
Recognized for
Excellence
Lady Bobcats: Emilie Arseneault ’08, Katie Brewster ‘09,
Teraysa White ‘08, and Emily Lesko ’08 with former teammate
Kate Buesser ’07 at the Harvard-Dartmouth game.
Two Bobcats, One Frozen Four
If things had gone differently for Harvard University and the
University of New Hampshire women’s ice hockey teams, former
Bobcat hockey players Kate Buesser ’07 and Sadie-Wright
Ward ’03 might have met up at the NCAA’s Division 1 finals.
Both teams, however, were stopped in the semifinals. Buesser,
a freshman, has three more chances to skate to the Frozen Four
while Wright-Ward, a senior, ends an impressive career with
the Wildcats. l
Alumni Hoopsters Join March Madness
Former Bobcats Jeff Adrien ‘05 (University of Connecticut) and
Andre Walker ‘07 (Vanderbilt University) played in the NCAA
Division 1 tournament for their respective universities. Adrien
was busy off the court, too, as he graced the cover of Sports
Illustrated’s March Madness issue.
The cover of the 2007 Winnipesaukean
yearbook is featured in the Jostens’
Gotcha Covered Look Book. A team
of yearbook experts selected
approximately 475 yearbooks from
the thousands of books Jostens
prints to be included in the 2008
edition. It’s the second year in a
row that the Winnipesaukean has
received outstanding recognition.
Congratulations to editor Liz
Siracusa ’07 and the entire staff of the 2007 Winnipesaukean for
their outstanding work. l
DeNitto Races in Nordic World Cup
Spanish teacher and crew coach Mark DeNitto recently competed
in the Masters World Cup for Nordic skiing in McCall, Idaho. In
the 10K classic race, DeNitto placed 11th in the world and 7th in
the nation for his age group. “Overall an awesome experience
racing against former Olympians and national team skiers,”
DeNitto said. l
Four Bobcat alumni played in the National Invitational
Tournament: Chad Millard ’05 and P’Allen Stinnett ’07 for
Creighton University, Cedrick Middleton ’04 for the University
of Akron, and Christian Cornelius ’05 for Southern Illinois
University.
Additionally, three more alumni – Adrian Joseph ’04 and Will
Harris ’06, who play for the University of Virginia, and Joel
Smith ’04, who plays for the University of Washington – played
in the College Basketball Invitational. l
Within the Spotlight
The New Hampshire Sunday News March 9 edition put the spotlight
on Brewster in a special section on New Hampshire private
schools. The article featured expansive photos of the Brewster
campus, highlighted the school’s innovative facilities, and noted
student achievements in the arts. l
4
The Bald Peak Colony Club
in Melvin Village
will host the 2008 Bobcat Open
golf tournament on October 3,
during the fall foliage season
in New Hampshire.
This annual tournament benefits the
John Narramore Scholarship Fund.
New England Champions,
Number Four in the Nation
Bobcat Hoopsters Record Best Season in School History
By Jason Smith, Head Coach
T
he boys’ varsity basketball team enjoyed the most
successful season in school history finishing with 31 wins
and 4 losses, which included the first-ever New England
Class A championship. The 31 victories established a new
school record and earned the team a final ranking of fourth
nationally. It’s the seventh consecutive year the team has
been ranked top 10 in the nation. During the season, the team
captured the championship at the Maine Central Institute
Invitational, the Brewster Invitational, and the New Hampton
School Invitational. During
the playoffs the Bobcats,
It’s the seventh
seeded #1 in the New
consecutive year England Preparatory
School Athletic Council
the team has been Class A division, defeated
Worcester Academy in
the Class A quarterfinals
ranked top 10
(86-65) and earned an
exciting win over South
in the nation.
Kent School (95-75) in the
semifinals before meeting #2 seed Winchendon School in the
championship game.
In the final game, Brewster jumped out to a 13-point lead only
to see Winchendon storm back and take the lead with less
than four minutes remaining. A Trey Blue ’08 (South Holland,
Illinois) three-pointer gave the lead back to the Bobcats for
a moment, but the final two minutes saw four lead changes.
Ultimately, the game went to overtime with the teams tied at
57.
The first crucial play of overtime came with 2:30 left on the
clock when Anthony Crater ’08 (Flint, Michigan) found
Kellen Thornton ’08 (Country Club Hills, Illinois) alone
under the basket. Thornton was able to lift a Winchendon
player with a short shot fake before crashing into the
Winchendon big man to earn the three-point play. Not only
did this give Brewster a 63-59 lead, but it also fouled out the
opponent. Winchendon would still not quit, however, as
consecutive transition baskets evened the score at 63 heading
into the game’s final minutes. That is when co-captain
Emmanuel Negedu ’08 (Kaduna, Nigeria) took over. On Brewster’s next possession Negedu tracked down a
long offensive rebound coming off a missed three-point
l
attempt, when his put-back attempt from six feet bounced
off the rim, he again chased down the offensive rebound
and converted his second put-back to give the Bobcats a
65-63 advantage. But Winchendon made yet another play on
the offensive end, earning a trip to the foul line where they
evened the game at 65. Now, with less than 30 seconds left
to play, Brewster looked for their big man. Negedu was able
to get open on the right block, took a power dribble through
the lane, and simply muscled the ball into the basket to give
Brewster another two-point advantage. With nine seconds
left in the game Winchendon had one final chance to tie the
score. The Winchendon guard caught the ball about 25 feet
from the basket and began to put the ball on the floor and
attack. Blue rotated off his man, got his left hand on the ball
to knock it away, collected the loose ball, and threw it ahead
to co-captain Mark
Lyons ’08 (Schenectady,
New York) for a breakaway dunk that sealed
Brewster’s Class A
title 69-65. For his
performance in the
playoffs, Negedu was
named Most Valuable
Player of the Class A
tournament.
Being ranked in the top
eight nationally earned
the Bobcats an invitation
to the National Prep
Championships, which
was held at Fordham
University in New York
in March. Brewster,
the #4 seed, met highly
regarded #5 seed
American Christian
Academy in the
quarterfinals. Brewster
blitzed American
Christian during the
opening half of action
and pushed their lead as
high as 18 points.
l
Devan Bailey ’09 in regular season action.
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In the semifinals, Brewster met #1 seed and undefeated
Hargrave Military Academy. With 10 minutes remaining in
the contest, Brewster trailed by 23 points. The Bobcats fought
and clawed their way back, however, and at the two-minute
mark, trailed by six points after an Abouo conventional threepoint play. Ultimately, Hargrave made free-throws to close
out the contest and defeated the Bobcats, 102-93. Hargrave
would go on to capture the national championship the next
evening. Lyons led the Bobcats with 29 points, while Negedu
added 24 points and Abouo contributed 19 points for the
Bobcats.
Fans and players celebrate Brewster’s newest championship title.
At the half, Brewster led 46-31. American Christian made
a second half comeback and took their first lead with five
minutes remaining, 69-68. Again, Brewster refused to back
down and responded with a baseline jumper by Lyons and
would not relinquish the lead again. Lyons had a game-high
25 points. During the last two minutes, Blue knocked down a
clutch three-pointer to push Brewster’s lead to five. Brewster
was able to hold on for an 84-79 victory. Blue finished with
16 points. Negedu continued his torrid play with 19 points
and 14 rebounds, plus four clutch blocked shots. Defensively,
Charles Abouo ’08 (Logan, Utah) did a fantastic job on an
American Christian player, a McDonald’s All-American and
the #2 ranked player nationally, by holding him to 12 points.
Crater had a game-high 10 assists from his point guard
position.
The boys enjoyed outstanding support from the Brewster
community during the year. More than 100 NCAA Division
I coaches made the trek to Wolfeboro to evaluate and meet
with members of the team. Many players have earned
scholarships and will continue playing at the collegiate level
at the following schools: Brigham Young University (Abouo),
Fordham University (Blue), The Ohio State University
(Crater), Xavier University (Lyons), University of Arizona
(Negedu), Illinois State University (Thornton), and Princeton
University (Max Huc of Rosemont, Pennsylvania). Others
will make their decisions later this spring.
Overall, the year was magical. I look forward to staying in
touch with the guys in the future, as well as following their
college careers. I know they will be back to visit Brewster in
the upcoming years and to check on their white banner! l
Photos by Phil Stiles
Negedu ’08 Gatorade Player of the Year
I
n its third decade of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The
Gatorade Company, in partnership with RISE Magazine, selected Emmanuel
Negedu ’08 (Kaduna, Nigeria) as Gatorade New Hampshire Boys’ Basketball
Player of the Year.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also
high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated
on and off the court, distinguishes Negedu as New Hampshire’s best high school
boys’ basketball player.
“Emmanuel’s motor combined with his athleticism is best described as freakish,”
said Brewster Academy Head Coach Jason Smith. “His best trait is how hard he
competes. His skill level has improved dramatically over the past few years. He’s
been a tremendous ambassador of Brewster Academy for the past four years.”
Negedu plans to play basketball at the University of Arizona in the fall. l
6
Lady Bobcats Show Their Strength in Division I
Team Earns Berth in NEPSAC Playoffs
By Jonathan Fouser, Head Coach
T
he 2007-2008-hockey season was touted as a rebuilding
year for Brewster Academy. With 12 new players in the
program and only four seniors on the team, the word on the
street was that Brewster was young and talented, but would
not be one of the elite eight to make the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) post-season tournament. The NEPSAC tournament is one of the most competitive high school tournaments to get into in the country. The
number of teams that compete for one of the eight spots makes
each season exciting and extremely competitive. The Lady
Bobcats defied the odds and finished the regular season with a
19-5-3 record and were ranked seventh in New England.
Brewster entered the NEPSAC quarterfinals on a hot streak,
having won every game since early January, and faced an
extremely talented Choate Rosemary Hall team. Choate was
the defending champion, however, and was not about to give
up their title without a fight. In an exciting game, Brewster lost
on a late third period goal 4-3. Earning a spot in the Division I
tournament in their second year in the league was an exceptional step forward for the Lady Bobcats. Brewster Academy
is now recognized as one of the premier hockey teams in the
country, and the future of the program has never been brighter.
The 2007-2008 season opened with a convincing 6-1 win over
St. Paul’s School. From the first drop of the puck until the final
game of the season the girls never looked back. Some highlights of the season include winning the Deerfield (Academy)
Holiday Invitational Tournament and a strong showing at the
Northwood New Year’s Showcase in Lake Placid, New York.
Key victories on the season included a 3-1 win over North
American Hockey Academy, a 6-2 win over National Sports
Chelsiea Goll ’11 takes it to the net for the Bobcats.
“Brewster is now recognized
as one of the premier hockey
teams in the country.”
Academy, a string of shutouts in February against Philips Andover Academy 2-0; Buckingham, Browne, & Nichols School
8-0; Philips Exeter Academy 9-0; and Loomis Chafee School
2-0 and a berth in the Division 1 tournament.
The team bids farewell to a talented and accomplished group
of seniors. Teraysa White (Fairfield, Maine) graduates holding
just about every goaltending record. Kristen Ezard’s (Morrisburg, Ontario) leadership ability will leave a lasting impression on the younger players, and her ability as a captain has
raised the bar for the future. The hard work of Emily Lesko
(Lancaster, Pennsylvania), a four-year varsity player, and the
strength and determination of Emilie Arseneault (Rothesay,
New Brunswick), another four-year varsity player, will not be
forgotten. l
Megan Doyen ’09 gets ready to fire it off in early season play.
l
Photos by Herb Fox
l
7
Embracing Brewster:
Griffin Guess ’98 Returns to Campus
“I went to this boarding school in New Hampshire that changed
my life. I swear”– Griffin Guess responding to older executives or industry players who ask ‘Where did you come from?’
G
riffin Guess ‘98, who now manages the entertainment
industry’s top music video and commercial creative talents, returned to campus in January to host an accomplished
career panel for the Brewster community. The panel included
clients Cas Haley, runner up in last summer’s “America’s Got
Talent,” and Guess’ wife, model Marisa Miller. Dallas Mavericks General Manager Don Nelson also joined the panel via a
live audio feed.
Guess set up a small post-production house, which quickly led
to creative offers at Hollywood Digital, where he was initially
executive producer for music video sales and then promoted
to creative director. By age 23 he was director of commercials
and music videos for Encore Hollywood. Along the way, his
small post-production house morphed into what has become
Cartel Management. His Los Angeles-based company is
dedicated to managing the media assets and creative solutions
for top recording artists and industry icons in music, modeling, media, and sports, and two of those icons are Miller and
Haley.
The Brewster “Lifer”
Guess arrived on the Brewster campus as a freshman in the
late summer of 1994. The surfer from southern California felt
out of place, he said. “My freshman and sophomore year I
wanted to split for real. … It was really difficult. I was 3,000
miles away. I was from California. I thought surfing was my
life and there was nothing else to it. I come out here and everyone is like from Massachusetts and it’s like totally different
and everyone thought I was weird and I was like, ‘no, you’re
weird,’” Guess explained, soliciting laugher from the audience.
Leigh Hofmeister ’10, Griffin Guess ’98, Liza Paradis ’10, and Jennifer
Schonfeld ’10.
In the 10 years since leaving Brewster, the California native
has built an impressive career in the entertainment industry.
It wasn’t long after his Brewster graduation that Guess’ career took off. After a year as a video and film major in college,
Guess said the time was right for him to realize his goal of
helping musicians become more creative in their marketing. He said the timing and resources presented themselves
and he had to jump at the opportunities then because they
weren’t going to wait for him. “I had a vision to help them
[musicians] with their identity. The time was right,” he said.
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In his junior year, however, things changed for Guess. He saw
opportunities within the Brewster curriculum and began to
embrace the school, the facilities, and his relationships with
teachers. He mentioned Marilyn Shea, BG Hodges, Andy
Campbell, and other teachers as having influenced him. “It
was BG Hodges in my senior year letting me into that back
room to use the Avid [video editing equipment]…”
“Every teacher worked with me,” he said. “I really embraced
it and that was the victory for me.”
In these pages, members of the Palmer family, who have been
a part of the Brewster community since before Guess traveled
east for his four years at Brewster, reflect on Guess, his guests,
and the All-School Assembly presentation.
Way to go, Griffin!
By T.J. Palmer
B
ack in fall 1996, Griffin Guess was part of my
U.S. History class, and he was the type of student
who loved to be involved, who loved to be active and
engaged. He was a running river full of energy and
potential. If he didn’t verbalize it on a daily basis, his
body language certainly said, “What are we doing
today?”
Now I can’t say that it was Griffin who convinced
me to bring the entire junior class down to the site
of the “shot heard round the world,” but I sure was
glad that I had it planned when Griffin became my
student. Off we went to Lexington, Massachusetts, to
learn first-hand how Captain Parker stood up to the
Redcoats outside Buckman Tavern, how Hancock and
Adams slipped into the woods and avoided capture
by British sentries, and to throw a Frisbee on the same
spot where John Harrington crawled to his front door
and died in his wife’s arms.
Griffin Guess ’98 with wife Marisa Miller and Cas Haley.
I took photographs that day and as I thumbed
through them 10 years later in preparation for his visit, I
noticed that Griffin was in many of them. At times he was at
the front of the pack of Brewster students trying to hear a National Park Ranger or running to line up to make a submarine
sandwich. At other times he was sitting on a bench, studiously
taking notes that might result in a trivia contest win. He was
involved, he was active, and he was doing!
Griffin and Marisa
will be here for Reunion
and will host the Class of 1998 cookout
along with T.J. and Lynne Palmer
at the Palmer’s lake house.
Like most of the community, I was amazed during his AllSchool Assembly presentation in January to learn about
everything Griffin has accomplished since graduating from
Brewster. It was fabulous to see how he had harnessed all his
energies and talents into a focused and passionate vision that
is flourishing as his company Cartel Management. His creativity and enthusiasm to learn and apply new knowledge and
innovation was amazing and not a real stretch as I look back
and connect those qualities to his experiences as a student at
Brewster. He expressed to our current students how important
it was to absorb as much as they could while here at Brewster
and to follow their passions and interests with hard work and
commitment.
Through a live audio feed, he brought in Don Nelson of the
Dallas Mavericks, who shared with the audience the importance of networking and building resources of people who can
help accomplish goals through shared interests.
Overall Griffin put together a dynamic visual portfolio of
projects and people that he has worked with since leaving
Brewster just 10 years ago. Having Griffin return to campus to
share his remarkable accomplishments was a terrific experience for all of our community and a great moment of celebration for all of us who may have helped in some small way
“channel that river” for a Brewster student.
Way to go, Griffin!
l
l
9
Marisa Miller Shares Her Passions,
Offers Perspective on Her Industry
By Lynne Palmer
I
t’s January and as I wait at the airport for
Brewster’s guests to arrive, I’m thinking ‘I
wonder if people will recognize Marisa [Miller].’
With the recent Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show
and the upcoming publication of Sports Illustrated
Swimsuit, she’s a face that certainly
is recognizable. I keep thinking, ‘It
must be hard to travel with that
level of attention, maybe she travels
with security, maybe we should
have arranged for some!’ Then my
cell phone rings, and I look up to
see Griffin and Marisa quietly and
inconspicuously walking through
the door. Griffin is the one who
stands out with his true laid-back
California persona and a striking
dark Mohawk at the top of his over
6-foot frame, and the only attention
they are getting is a welcoming hug
from me.
Marisa immediately put me at ease
thanking T.J. and me for picking
them up and making the arrangements for their travel. There wasn’t
an awkward moment as we drove
the Logan to Wolfeboro route without a second of silence, as there was
much to catch up on with Griffin
who had not been back to Wolfeboro since his 1998 graduation. During her stay, Marisa absorbed every
story about her husband’s Brewster
T.J. Palmer ’08 and Marisa Miller
experience with an acknowledging smirk and graciously accepted
every request for her time and attention. During
our special All-School Assembly presentation, it
was my role to interview Marisa so that our community could get a real sense of who this famous
model was – through her professional experiences, her passions, and her personal commitments.
Marisa is an avid sports fan and an accomplished
athlete who played competitive volleyball in high
school and who has earned recognition in surfing
10
competitions – a passion that she shares with
Griffin. Marisa is also passionate about being an
ambassador for the American Cancer Society and
spoke to the female students, in particular, about
the importance of early detection and self examination, even at their ages. She was honest about
society’s emphasis on image and what she sees in
the modeling industry. Most models are modeling what they were born with, she says, and the
only real attention that she puts into what she
eats is that she tries to stay away from processed
food for optimal health benefits. She admits it
can be hard with Griffin’s love of fast food! She
described to the audience the pretty grueling
work schedule that has her often on a plane and
sleeping crazy and limited hours to get the right
shot in the right light. For example, in December, she was only home for three nights! She has
traveled to the most incredible locations but has
rarely had the “down time” to really see and enjoy these places. I think that it was surprising for
students to hear that it was not all glamorous, but
Marisa really enjoys what she does and has the
most down-to-earth attitude about her success.
It felt like we were having a conversation in
my living room, and I almost forgot there were
400-plus people “listening in.” Following our
interview and questions from the audience,
Marisa embraced signing ties, pictures, hats, and
just about anything that was put in front of her,
along with having her photo taken with almost
everyone in the Brewster community! Students
and faculty were so appreciative of her candor,
her message, and her enthusiasm for Brewster.
There were many echoes of “This was the best
All-School ever.” It will most definitely be hard
to beat.
Post script: When Sports Illustrated Swimsuit
was published a few weeks after the All-School
presentation, Marisa graced the cover. Marisa has
appeared in every issue of the Swimsuit edition
since 2002 but this was her first cover – congratulations Marisa!
He’s Got Talent!
From “America’s Got Talent” to Anderson Hall, Cas Haley Wows the Audience
By T.J. Palmer Jr. ‘08
W
hen I first heard from an e-mail who was coming to
Brewster with Griffin Guess and Marisa Miller I had no
clue who Cas Haley was. So I promptly searched YouTube
for this Cas Haley character. I was blown away by the video I
saw of him performing The Police’s “Walking on the Moon.”
It was a live performance, and he had an incredible voice
and sound. I personally listen to all types of music, and Cas
Haley’s acoustic rock mashed with a reggae sound was music
to my ears, literally. His All-School performance was no less
brilliant than what I had seen on YouTube, and it is clear that
Cas has incredible talent. I even bought his CD on iTunes the
day it came out. I just love the unique style of Cas Haley’s music, and he is truly an inspiration and a testament to those who
follow their dreams and goals with commitment.
I learned later that he had spent half the next day jamming
with a Brewster student whose passion for the guitar he
shared with Cas. I know that no All-School has come close to
that one, and I’m grateful for Cas Haley, Griffin, and Marisa
for sharing their passions with our Brewster community.
“Cas’ new album (self-titled) can
be found on iTunes. I bought it
immediately. It’s great music!”
“We are just like you. We just followed our dreams.”
~ Cas Haley, at Brewster’s All-School Assembly
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Orlando Vandross ’88 Recalls Inspirational Friend
Trey Whitfield School Choir Rocks the House at Annual Lecture
By Peggy Comeau
O
n January 21, Anderson Hall rocked to the sound of the
Trey Whitfield School Choir from Brooklyn, New York, led
by Donna White (Whitney ’07) and accompanied on the piano
by Bobby Banks (Syreeta ’99). The choir performed a medley
of inspirational gospel, soul, and contemporary songs for an
enthusiastic audience of students, faculty, staff, and friends.
Tim Radley (Mark ’90, Kate ’92), Brewster’s director of student
activities, was invited on stage along with Brewster students to
help the choir sing and act out “Shake the Devil Off,” their final
“It’s amazing to me that here we are,
still honoring Trey after he’s been gone
19 years. It shows how much he affected
those who knew him.”
number. One of the Brewster students was observed saying with
a grin, “That song brought me back.” The choir’s performance
was awarded throughout with standing ovations and hoots of
approval from the audience.
The choir has performed for the Brewster community and friends
for the past 19 years in conjunction with the annual Trey Whitfield
Memorial Lecture, honoring Trey Whitefield ’89 who died
shortly before graduating. Head of School Mike Cooper, in his
opening remarks,
spoke of how
Whitfield’s parents,
Janie Whitney and
A.B. Whitfield, in
a show of how the
spirit can overcome
adversity, turned
a personal tragedy
around to help other
children including
Seniors Mark Lyons, Trey Blue, and Kellen Thornton those at the school
they established in
were inspired to join the choir in singing “Shake the
Brooklyn. The Trey
Devil Off.”
Whitfield School,
formerly known as Bethlehem Baptist Academy, is dedicated to
teaching local children and instilling in them the social values
that guided their son. Cooper introduced this year’s featured
speaker, Orlando Vandross ’88, who was a friend of Trey’s.
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Trey Whitfield Memorial Lecture Speaker Orlando Vandross ’88
Vandross is in his 11th season on the Boston University men’s
basketball staff and since May 2007 has been the associate head
coach. Prior to this, he served as an assistant coach at Massasoit
Community College where he also advised his student-athletes
on academic, personal, and professional placement issues. A
1992 graduate of American International College in Springfield,
Massachusetts, with a B.S. in marketing, Vandross played for the
Yellow Jackets’ basketball team, helping the team win 55 games
in his final three seasons.
Vandross began by expressing how overwhelmed he was by the
turnout of the Brewster community for this event and thanked
everyone for being there to celebrate Trey’s life. He said he had
decided not to use his prepared speech but instead to speak from
his heart, and he did a wonderful job painting a picture of the
Trey Whitfield he knew.
“Trey had a unique ability to communicate, to connect with
people,” he said. “He could and would talk with anyone on any
subject and make you feel he cared about you and your life.”
He recalled that students did not get too
excited about the weekly required formal
dinner, especially since they were required
to wear a suit and tie, and sometimes could
not wait for it to be over. The students and
faculty at Trey Whitfield’s table, however,
were always the last to disperse, because
the group was so engrossed in animated
conversations because Trey was there.
“People were drawn to Trey because he
inspired them.”
“He embraced every opportunity that
came his way,” Vandross continued.
Vandross explained that Trey drafted him
and the other members of the basketball Members of the audience joined the celebration onstage.
In closing, Vandross asked the students to think about their
own legacies and how they might want to be remembered. He
encouraged the students to emulate Trey and reach out, to get
involved with people outside their comfort zone, their close
circle of friends and usual activities. “Because Trey got me
involved in that play, I have continued to be interested in the
arts,” Vandross said.
Andrea and Mike Cooper (center) with Orlando Vandross ’88 at left and Janie
Whitney and A.B. Whitfield, parents of Trey Whitfield ’89.
“This All-School is always great, it really shows how much
of a close community Brewster really is,” said Scott Cameron
’08 (Thornton, New Hampshire). “That’s what attracted me to
come here in the first place, the sense of community.” Cameron,
a tour guide, had just finished taking a prospective student and
parents on a tour of Brewster, and added, “I told them how great
the All-Schools are, especially the winter ones, because they bring
us all together for great performances and add so much to our high
school experience.” l
The Trey Whitfield School choir in performance.
team as actors and singers in the
school’s production of “Damn
Yankees.” “He got me to rehearse,
and rehearse, and rehearse, and
even to get up and sing in front of
people. He had confidence in me
that I never had in myself.”
Vandross shared that Trey was
the student who spearheaded the
first Martin Luther King Jr. Day
observance at Brewster, with a
dinner, a moment of silence, and
the reciting of King’s “I Have a
Dream” speech. “It’s amazing to
me that here we are, still honoring
Trey after he’s been gone 19 years. It
shows how much he affected those
who knew him.”
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West Side Story Production Earns an A+
By Peggy Comeau
“I was in awe as I watched our students pull off these incredibly complicated and entertaining scenes.
Kudos once again to our theater department and students for their amazing dedication and love
of their craft.” ~ Lauren Hammond ’77 (Sean ’09, Kelsey ’10), I.S. Teacher
“The theme of West Side Story is still so current in today’s world and Brewster’s thespians did such a wonderful
job of getting the play’s message across in words, dance, and song.” ~ Robin Found, Registrar
“I continue to be impressed with the quality of the Brewster drama productions. The cast did a
terrific job capturing the spirit and conflict between the Jets and the Sharks. …
Bravo to Andy, Phil, and the entire cast for an A+ show!”
~ Martha Trepanier ’83, Associate Director of Development
T
he theater department’s February production of West Side
Story reflected much talent and a huge effort on the part of
the actors, singers, crew, and the band of professional musicians
– not to mention Drama Director Phil Atkins, Music Director
Andy Campbell, and Choreographer Jane Forde. Playing to
packed houses all three nights, this production was a hit with
adults and students alike for its fast-paced, at times humorous,
but quite poignant tragedy about doomed lovers from clashing
cultures, based loosely on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. This
dark-themed musical focusing on social ills opened on Broadway
in 1957 and still speaks to audiences today.
Simultaneously singing, acting, and performing choreographed
moves, and doing it all well, is a tremendous challenge but the
members of this cast,
some of whom had
never performed on
stage before, not only
met the challenge but
surprised the audiences
and themselves with
their talents.
Tom Cafferty ’09 as Jets leader Riff and Anna
Parker ’09 as his girlfriend Graziella.
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The set was simple but
creative and effective,
especially considering
the limitations of the
Rogers stage area,
where changes of
backdrop are difficult.
The staging had
several levels on which
different scenes were
played, which
required some
performers to
climb 18 feet into
the air or jump
from 6 feet high
onto the floor,
all while singing
and performing
choreographed
routines. Meant
to be dark and
dangerous to
represent the
neighborhoods
Evan Sturman ’09 as Tony and Taba Moore ‘09 as
where the gangs Maria meet at the dance in this scene.
live, the metal
staging, chain link fences, and graffiti-covered walls formed
hard boundaries and barriers in the street gangs’ territories.
In contrast, the warm lighting and bright colors of the girls’
costumes at the dance provided a sense of hope, that perhaps
here the teenagers could learn to coexist on neutral territory. But
the Jets girls were dressed in cool shades of blue, while the Puerto
Rican girls were in fiery reds and orange … a sign that the two
sides were too different and would not mix well.
The leads – Taba Moore ’09 as Maria and Evan Sturman ’09 as
Tony – neither of whom had sung onstage before, did well with
the difficult, demanding songs written for professionals. Moore’s
acting skills were also a surprise in such a novice. Sturman had
obviously worked hard and did a good job with such difficult
songs like “Something’s Coming,”“Maria,” and “Tonight.”
“I never thought I could miss an afternoon commitment so much …
I mean, sports are good and all, but drama is so much more than
making a goal. It’s pulling the audience watching the production in,
and bringing them into a different world …” ~ Taba Moore ’09 (Maria)
Riff convinces Tony to come to the dance and Tony
breaks into song: “Something’s Coming.”
The cast of West Side Story
“In the beginning,
no one was sure that we could
pull off this difficult production
with only three months of rehearsal;
but after that first show on Thursday,
it was clear that the entire cast
rose above all obstacles,
and pulled out all stops …”
~ Ryan Cooper ’09 (Bernardo)
Photos by Peggy Comeau, Marcia Eldredge, Ben Larson, and Kristi Nieman
At the dress shop, Maria sings about finding love at the dance to her brother
Bernardo (Ryan Cooper ’09), his girlfriend Anita (Martina Greenwood ’08), and
Chino (David Tocci ’11).
Consuelo (Amberlee Jones ’08), Francisca (Jordan Weaver ’11), and Rosalia (Grace
Apfeld ’10) sing the taunting song, “She Thinks She’s in Love.”
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The Jets and Sharks exchange insults at the war council.
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The hard work and dedication by both shone through in their
performances.
Ryan Cooper ’09 was excellent at showing the pride and fury
of his character Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks. Martina
Greenwood ’08 played his girlfriend Anita, and it was obvious
she enjoyed performing this part as evidenced by the passion she
showed throughout her scenes, whether happy, angry, or bereft.
In the duet, “A Boy Like That/I Have a Love,” with both singing
different songs, Anita (Greenwood) urges Maria (Moore) to find
“one of your own kind, stick with your own kind” with a fury
in her manner and voice that are palpable.
David Nieman ’11, Nik Krainchich ’08, Mark Deering ’09, and Derek
Senor ’08 drew lots of laughs in “Gee, Officer Krupke.”
“I decided to do West Side Story this year as
a trial run, as I’d never done theater in my
life, and ended up with a far greater role
than I was expecting. It was a huge learning
experience – and I say this honestly; what
I’ve done and learned here this winter has
completely changed my life. What I felt
when I was carried off stage in the final
scene on opening night was like nothing I
have ever felt before, and I will remember it
for the rest of my life.”
~ Evan Sturman ’09 (Tony)
Other highlights included:
“America” in which one of the Sharks girls, Rosalia (Grace
Apfeld ’08) defends Puerto Rico to her friends, while Anita
explains why “I like to be in America …” The spirited, energetic
dance moves and brightly-colored costumes made this scene a
real treat for the eyes as well as the ears. The words to this song,
though meant to provide comic relief, reveal how bad conditions
were in Puerto Rico to make people leave everything familiar in
hopes of finding a good life in America – and how disillusioned
most of them were when they arrived and found “… lots of doors
slamming in our face.”
“Gee, Officer Krupke” a delight to watch, was performed with
energy, aplomb, and well-timed choreographed acrobatics and
singing by members of the Jets, led by Action (Nik Krainchich
’08). Riff (Tom Cafferty ’09), Diesel (Mark Deering ’09), Baby
John (David Nieman ’11), Snowboy (Derek Senor ’08), and Jetwannabe, tomboy Anybodys (Ally Reiner ’10) leaped, tumbled,
ran around the stage, and posed non-stop, singing all the while,
to the delight of the audience.
Moore showed off her vocal talents in “I Feel Pretty,” in which
the newly-in-love Maria is taunted by her friends Consuelo
(Amberlee Jones ’08), Francisca (Jordan Weaver ’11), and Rosalia
(Apfeld), who sing, “She isn’t in love, she’s merely insane!” in
this amusing bit.
And in a tender, touching song of hope, female cast members
emerged slowly from the back of the hall softly singing
“Somewhere,” and proceeded to the staging to join Maria and
Tony. This was entrancing to the
eyes, the ears, and the emotions in
light of the tragedy to come.
Bravo to the performers who belted
out the songs and performed
the complicated moves and
dances, and to Atkins who took
on a challenging production and
succeeded in providing a great
evening’s entertainment. “West Side
Story was a fantastic experience for
our students. … Our community
was truly enriched through this
production.” ~ Peter Hess, Dean of
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The Sharks girls dance and sing the song
“America” led by Grace Apfeld ’10 and Martina Greenwood ’08
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HOWL Takes Manhattan
41 Brewster HOWLers Rock Carnegie Hall
“Brewster’s HOWL chorus did an excellent job representing
Brewster Academy in New York City’s Carnegie Hall concert on
April 7. To an almost sold-out house of 2,805 seats, HOWL and
several other choruses from as far away as Alaska and Georgia
performed the ‘Lord Nelson Mass’ of Franz Joseph Haydn with
the New England Symphonic Ensemble. The excellent singing
of the chorus mixed with the acoustics and beauty of the hall
transported the audience far away from the first shabby rehearsal
on Saturday morning. At that time we really didn’t know if we
could pull off a successful concert. With three days of intense
rehearsing under the firm but quirky baton of John Rutter,
however, the groups pulled together to produce rich, uniform
tones with good diction. It was a remarkable transformation
over the days of their residency.” ~ Andy Campbell, Brewster’s
Music Director
I’ll Take Manhattan
Pierce (Brittanie ‘10) on the base drum from the depths of the
audience. To read more about this entertaining dinner theater,
please visit the arts section at www.brewsteracademy.org.
Performance With UNH Concert Choir and
Symphony Orchestra
In January, HOWL members performed the “Harmoniemesse”
of Franz Joseph Haydn with the University of New Hampshire
Concert Choir and Symphony Orchestra and select high school
choruses.
Director Andy Campbell offered the following post-performance
comments: “HOWL did a fantastic job of representing our school
at our Choral Gala. It wasn’t easy. It’s trying, tedious work to
rehearse all morning and all afternoon. But to find the energy and
enthusiasm to then beautifully
perform a major choral work in
the evening is astonishing. Our
Brewster team was focused and
worked hard all day long and it
paid off.”
The week before HOWL set off
for the adventure of a lifetime
– to perform at Carnegie
Hall – the Performing Arts
Department hosted “I’ll Take
HOWL member Ryan Cooper
Manhattan,” a dinner theater
’09 added, “The HOWL trip
whose proceeds benefited the
to UNH was an amazing
trip. The evening’s emcees,
experience. As a junior, this was
Tony the Mole (Alex Moulton
my third trip to the invitational
‘08) and Nicky Lasagna (Nik
concert, and I think that it gets
Krainchich ‘08) set the scene in
better and better every time.
the Big Apple and kept the full
Dr. Kempster, the UNH choir
house laughing between classic
director, is as musically gifted as
songs, choruses, hilarious skits,
he is hilarious. How he manages
Seniors Alex Moulton and Nik Krainchich emcee’d “I’ll Take Manhattan”
and lively scenes, all performed
to conduct a choir of more than
by members of HOWL. Andy
300 angsty teens time-and-time
Campbell on the piano and master clarinetist Joe Rinaldi provided again is simply beyond me. I look forward to my fourth and final
accompaniment with occasional help from HOWL parent Mark concert under his tutelage in my senior year.” l
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Learning Through Service
Students Learn Life Lessons by Helping Others
By Peggy Comeau
“I was not the only one
teaching; the kids were
teaching me as well about
life, about making the best
of what you have. I just
want to tell you that it’s a
great feeling to help out.”
~ Katherine Eastham ’08
H
ead of School Mike Cooper introduced the community service theme of a
December All-School Assembly by speaking about the responsibility that
individuals have in giving back to society to help those less fortunate. Videos and
slideshows at the assembly conveyed how some Brewster students, and a wellknown musician, have offered their time and resources both near and far to those
who need it greatly.
Highlights of the program included:
• A music video self-produced by musician Sarah McLachlan for only $15 instead of the customary $150,000. By producing the video herself she saved the usual costs – of a director, production team, makeup and hair services, catering, studio costs, editing, and electricians, to name a few. McLachlan donated what she saved to various causes that helped one million people in need around the world. View the video and the causes that benefited at www.worldonfire.ca.
•
Video of a Boston TV-news report of the annual Thanksgiving dinner for 500 people served at the Boston Rescue Mission. Brewster students worked behind the scenes again this year to prepare this meal, an event organized by computer graphics teacher BG Hodges ’66 who has taken a group to the mission every year for the past 14 years. A slideshow of the behind-the-scenes action and antics followed the video.
•
A slideshow with voiceovers by three students who went to other countries to volunteer in the summer of 2007:
Jillian Brooks ’10 (Chatham, New Jersey) traveled to the British Virgin Islands
to monitor aquatic life in the area, helping to collect data for researchers. She
said the trip “… ended up sparking my interest in marine biology.”
Katherine Eastham ’08 (Phoenix, Maryland) went to Kayole, Kenya, to visit a
16-year-old girl she and her family have been sponsoring for two years. One
of her former teachers, who works for an organization that links sponsors with
students who show promise, told them about Eunice, who was found on the
streets after losing both parents to AIDS. She was taken to By Grace Orphanage
where she found shelter and a chance for an education. She wrote to thank her
American sponsors and Eastham has been corresponding with her ever since,
as English is the official language of Kenya. “Eunice wants to be a preacher
or a high school teacher, both of which are very possible for her now,” stated
Eastham.
Jillian Brooks ’10 (left) traveled to the Caribbean
to help monitor aquatic life
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Sponsoring consists of sending a monthly sum to pay for school uniforms and
books. The Eastham family will also pay for Eunice to go to college; and they
just started to sponsor another student, a young man who recently lost his
sponsor. He recently wrote to the family to thank them for giving him hope
again.
Eastham was able to help at the orphanage during her week-long visit. “I taught the younger kids simple words, read them stories, as well as singing songs with them. I was not the only one teaching; the kids were teaching me as well about life, about making the best of what you have. I just want to tell you that it’s a great feeling to help out. I want to go back but I would also like to help out in other third-world countries as well.”
Ian Kaye ’08 (Seattle, Washington) lived and worked for six weeks at the Good Shepherd Orphanage in Ghana, teaching students ages 5 to 22 in the school there, which also serves local families. He then traveled with fellow volunteers for a couple of weeks, having been chosen as a guide for the newer ones, and he said he got to see and do some “crazy” stuff. But his
work at the orphanage was what really affected him on the trip.
Kaye taught the boys for about 1 ½ hours every day. “You end up walking away realizing that you learned more than the kids actually did … which is kind of amazing because you never think that going into this you are going to learn more than you’re teaching. But I guess a good teacher is also a good learner.”
Katherine Eastham ’08 and Eunice in Kenya
“There are things you’ll never experience again in your life, and you’ll
accomplish things you never realized you could do. It’s kind of a test for
yourself. And it makes you wonder, ‘What else can I do?’” ~Ian Kaye ’08
Ian Kaye ’08 and a friend in Ghana
He went on, “For most of the kids in West Africa it’s not a matter of whether they want to go to college, or whether they want to go to school – these kids are
dying to go to school every day and they’ve always dreamed of going to school.” Kaye said the kids are also learning what they need to do to survive in
life. One student told him, “I don’t have money to eat tomorrow,” which made the usual complaints of U.S. teenagers seem trivial in comparison. When Kaye gave a brother and sister one of his T-shirts – because all they had between them was one shirt – the tears rolled down their faces in disbelief at their luck and his generosity.
Kaye has been to Senegal, Costa Rica, and Gambia on community service projects. He urged his fellow students to try a trip like this one organized by groups such as “Where There Be Dragons,” “Putney Student Travel,” or “Projects Abroad. “It makes sense to start when you’re younger because you have a wider range of trips you can go on. I’ve been to more countries than most kids I know.
“There are things you’ll never experience again in your life, and you’ll accomplish things you never realized you could do. It’s kind of a test for yourself. And it makes you wonder, ‘What else can I do?’”
At the conclusion of the assembly, Director of Residence Life Jaime Laurent
presented a slideshow of Brewster community members, students, and adults
involved in a variety of service projects. The final slide noted that Brewster Academy
students performed 6,300 hours of community service in 2006-2007, a fact that was
greeted with delight, surprise, and applause by the audience. l
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Brewster Artists Earn Awards
T
he work of Brewster students was well represented at the New
Hampshire Scholastic Art Awards show in January. In addition to
the Gold and Silver Key award winners shown here, seven works earned
Honorable Mention recognition, and an additional 12 pieces were accepted for display at the show.
Gold Key: Jenny Yoon ’11, painting
“School Building,” 5” x 7.” This
watercolor was chosen for the 2007
Brewster holiday card.
Gold Key: Jenny Yoon ’11, drawing “Camera,” 11”x14”
Gold Key: Chun Yi Chen ’10, print “Wind,” 18” x14”
Gold Key: Lee-Ann Pullar ’08,
ceramic “Lantern For Mom,” 8”
Gold Key: E.J. Nickerson ’08 ,
sculpture “Modern American,” 8”
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Silver Key: Lee-Ann Pullar ’08,
sculpture “Inner City,” 8”
Silver Key: Pattiya Hassavayukul ’10, print “Nature,” 8”x10”
Silver Key: Chanelle Roy ’08,
ceramic “Fort de Mer,” 11”
Friends of the Arts
Four Brewster students had art work accepted in
the Friends of the Arts show at Plymouth State
University’s Silver Center for the Arts. In additon
to the pieces shown here, clay pieces by Charlie
Silverman and Chanut Utarawanich were featured.
Freshman Award: Jenny Yoon ’11
“Self Portrait” (Charcoal) 8” x 10”
Award for Excellence in Printmaking: Michael Vandenberg ’10, print “Che Guevara,” 12” x 36”
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Winter Carnival Fun Indoors and Out
W
inter Carnival is a Brewster tradition that sparks school spirit with a week-long celebration of fun, friendly competition. This year the seven academic teams competed against each other for the Headmaster’s Cup. Although a pie-eating
contest, Guitar Hero, a tug-of-war, and an egg drop (from the Estabrook mezzanine) may not conjure up images of winter, they
certainly provided students a welcome break from the routine of academic schedules and afternoon and evening commitments
in the long days of winter. After all, it’s not every morning students get to see how much pie they can consume between D and E
blocks. And it’s certainly not every G block that little freshmen have the opportunity to bring the big administrators down in the
tug-of-war.
Of course no Winter Carnival would be complete without zipping up the parka, pulling on the boots, and throwing snowballs at
your teachers in the great white outdoors. For the Winter Games portion of Carnival, teams spent a sunny, clear-blue sky day at
nearby Camp North Woods to compete in human sled races, dizzy Lizzie, rope burning (producing a flame high enough to burn
a rope stretched across the fire), snowball archery, and scooter racing.
By Saturday night students had thawed out and were dressed in their best and ready to boogie at the annual Winter Formal
dance.
Winter Carnival concluded with a halftime balloon stomp at a boys’ varsity basketball game. Following the balloon stomp, Mike
Cooper presented the Winter Carnival Cup to the 2008 Winter Carnival Champions – the junior Team Cooper. l
Anna Purvis ’10 catches a ride on Gwen MacDonald ’10.
The human sled race consisted of two pullers, two pushers,
two riders, and a fresh team of six different participants
waiting at each cone to pull the next leg.
Although throwing snowballs wasn’t a sanctioned event at the Winter Games, there were plenty of
snowballs flying. Here, Kendall Kilgour ’09 appears to have reached her target.
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Do you think they skipped breakfast?
The Winter Formal King and Queen: Jackson
Callahan ‘11 and Leigh Hofmeister ‘10.
Even with
Emmanuel
Negedu ’08 as
anchor, Team Yau
couldn’t survive
the first round.
Here, Team Cooper shows the strength that it would take to win the tug-of-war
competition.
Scott Cameron ’08 and Allie Duffy ’08.
Erin Quirk ’09, Ally Reiner ’10, Bekah Meehan ’09, Ellen Hayes ’10, and Taba Moore ’09.
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First Descent
Snowboarding Rides Into Winter Sports Line-up
By Marcia Eldredge
T
he 2007-2008 winter sports season at Brewster ushered in the
school’s first official interscholastic snowboarding team.
“My one word to sum up the season would be awesome! … It
was awesome being able to shred with my friends every day,”
offered Luke Worley ‘10 of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
The team came together due to the level of interest of prospective
students. “We’ve had a lot of kids touring whose interests
include snowboarding,” explained coach and arts teacher Valeria
Khislavsky, who has traveled throughout the United States and
Europe in pursuit of powder.
A stroll through the north side of campus in late fall revealed
signs of Brewster’s first “terrain park”– a strategically placed
barrel planter here, giant PVC piping positioned upright out
of the snow over there, a box assembled with boards on the
downhill – purposefully placed by team members attempting to
get some practice time in while eagerly
awaiting the season opening of the
nearby Gunstock Ski Area.
Khislavsky noted the creativity of her
snowboarders before any snow fell on
campus as a season highlight. In fact,
due to the students’ resourcefulness,
when Wolfeboro received plenty of
early season snow, Khislavsky was
able to hold practices on campus before
Gunstock opened.
The goal of this first season was to
“get [the team] rolling and generate
interest,” Khislavsky explained. The
team started the season with 13 riders
but by competition time in early
January the core team consisted of nine
boys and one girl.
The team started off the season strong with good event finishes,
she explained, but school breaks, illnesses, and cancellations due
to weather (the team’s only home competition was cancelled due
to inclement weather) took a toll.
“Several of our riders had several top 20 finishes,” Khislavsky
said. Freshman Bradley Teller (Atkinson, New Hampshire)
placed in the top 15 three times and sophomore Anna Purvis
(Acton, Maine) had a top 10 placement in the final slope style
event.
“At all of the competitions you would hear your team cheering
you on,” said freshman Alex Hurko of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.
“We would all help each other on learning new tricks.”
The Competition
For those who need a quick primer on snowboarding competitions,
here’s the skinny. Students in the Lakes Region League compete
in two events: giant slalom and slope
style (most competitions offer just
one event). In giant slalom, the riders
take two runs through gates and
typically their times are combined
to determine individual placement.
The scores of the top four boys and
the top three girls from each school
determine team placement. In a slope
style event team members compete
individually on freestyle terrain
descending through, over, across,
around, and down obstacles off which
they perform tricks. Riders are judged
on level of difficulty and smoothness
of execution.
Team member Luke Worley ‘10 enjoys some air.
With two coaches – Khislavsky, a
snowboarder, was assisted by ESL
teacher Zita Bodonyi (on skis) – and 10 riders, all of varying
ability levels, Khislavsky said keeping everyone together
on the mountain and accommodating different levels was a
challenge.
The 2008 competition sites included
Loon Mountain’s Terrain Park, Proctor
Academy’s Blackwater Mountain,
Okemo Mountain Resort, Ragged
Mountain, and Gunstock.
With the inaugural season behind them and with all 10
underclassmen planning to return for the 2008-2009 season,
watch for the Bobcat boarders to carve out their place among
the Lakes Region competition. l
For a list of winter sports award winners, go to www.brewsteracademy.org/athletics.
24
Alumni Offer Insights on Brewster
Experiences, Perceptions
By Tim von Jess
L
ast September, Brewster Academy,
with the help of Stamats, a research and
marketing firm, conducted a confidential
survey to gather Brewster alumni opinions
about their experiences at the Academy,
their perceptions of Brewster today, and
their expectations as an alumna/us of
Brewster.
In undertaking the survey, Head of
School Mike Cooper wanted to learn how
Brewster is perceived by its alumni and
understand better what Brewster can do
to enhance its relationship with alumni. “I
wanted to understand why some alumni
support us and why others don’t and what
we could do to help win their hearts,” he
explained. “I wanted to better understand
what we need to do with our outreach
efforts, like regional alumni gatherings
and Reunion to name a few.”
“I also was interested in learning what
our alumni have been doing since leaving
Brewster and if there are specific elements
of what Brewster Academy did for them
that have had an impact on their lives since
graduation.”
We are pleased to let you know that 13
percent of alumni (for whom we have
“I never felt like I was forgotten or that I
slipped through the cracks at Brewster. The faculty
were always very focused on every student –
academically and emotionally.” ~ survey respondent
records in our alumni database) shared
their feedback,and it is clear from the
results that Brewster has great promise
and potential for growth with our alumni
as we continue to advance the school’s
mission. Here we share some of the
highlights of the survey.
The sampling of alumni was fairly evenly
dispersed among three intentional groups:
alumni from pre-1965, alumni from
1966-1992, and alumni from 1993-2007
(1993 marked the implementation of the
Brewster Model). Women accounted for 41
percent of survey respondents while men
accounted for 59 percent.
Alumni Perceptions and Satisfactions
One objective of the survey was to
determine if a current perception exists
that our pre-1964 alumni feel differently
about the school than our post-1964
l
l
alumni, perhaps somewhat dictated by the
school’s history as a quasi-private school
until 1964. “We wanted to know whether
that feeling really exists and, if so, what we
need to do to reach out to different groups
accordingly,” Cooper explained.
What the survey showed is that those
graduates who attended Brewster in the
“1965 and before” group actually have
the highest perceptions of Brewster today.
According to Stamats, in general it is
common to find older alumni assigning
higher satisfaction ratings to their schools
than younger alumni cohorts, as time
seems to add perspective to (and increase
fondness for) their experiences. Although
the level of satisfaction with the Brewster
experience varied somewhat by class
year, the majority of alumni surveyed
reported being “very satisfied” with their
experience.
25
We are very encouraged to find that
43 percent of alumni feel Brewster has
improved since they attended. This
perception is not isolated to one particular
era – alumni across all class years indicate
Brewster is better now than when they
attended. Additionally, another 43 percent
view Brewster as positively today as they
did when they attended.
Alumni largely characterize Brewster
by its location (and location does play a
primary role in attracting and keeping
students) with descriptions such as
Wolfeboro, New England, beautiful,
surveyed regard Wolfeboro highly,
rating it “very good.” Visiting the town
of Wolfeboro is the top reason that
those surveyed reported for returning to
Brewster.
Additionally, alumni also gave Brewster’s
athletic and academic facilities high
ratings. The school’s fine art facilities did
not rate as high, however, with nearly
40 percent of respondents rating these
facilities as average or below.
The ability to afford Brewster is also an
area of concern among those alumni
surveyed. Alumni look less
favorably on cost to attend,
as well as the availability of
financial aid and scholarships.
Brewster’s Greatest Strengths
More than one-fourth of alumni
report that Brewster’s greatest
asset is its faculty. Alumni
indicate that teachers’ dedication
goes beyond academics because
they connect with students by
understanding their personal
situations.
picturesque, Lake Winnipesaukee, and
near the mountains. Focus is also placed
on Brewster’s reputation with descriptors
such as high quality, world class, and high
academic standards.
When rating Brewster on these similar
attributes, nearly 90 percent of alumni
26
Location, location, location – it’s
no surprise that respondents
rated Brewster’s location as its second
greatest strength. Brewster’s location on
the lake in the “oldest summer resort
in America” is timelessly appealing. It
provides a beautiful campus setting for
students to live, learn, and grow within
as well as enjoy aesthetically.
Another greatest strength is the school’s
academic curriculum. Many respondents
noted that Brewster provides top-notch
academics that prepare students for college.
Other top 10 strengths included facilities,
athletic opportunities, technology, a sense
of community, and small classes and
personal attention.
The majority of alumni – 85 percent –
would likely recommend Brewster to a
prospective friend or family member.
In the world of marketing research, the
response to this question is the best
measure of customer satisfaction,
according to Stamats.
Perceived Weaknesses
When alumni were asked what they
thought were Brewster ’s greatest
weaknesses, the top response (33 percent),
said there were not any weaknesses or they
did not know of any weaknesses. For those
who did indicate a weakness, the cost to
attend Brewster was the highest response
(12 percent). A weak fine arts program was
the next perceived weakness, although
only (4 percent) indicated it was.
Alumni Involvement and Staying
Connected
Only 26 percent of alumni reported that
they are somewhat involved while just 4
percent indicated that they were highly
involved. The top reason alumni cited for
not being more involved with Brewster
was too busy with work and family (48
percent). Another 44 percent indicated that
the school activities are too far away. There
were no significant differences found in
alumni involvement when examined by
class year.
A significant proportion of the alumni
surveyed reported that they stay
connected with Brewster by reading
BrewsterConnections magazine (48 percent).
Additionally, alumni report that they
stay connected through contacts with
fellow classmates and family members
(29 percent), and 28 percent stay current
with the school by visiting Brewster’s
web site.
Not surprisingly, the information that
alumni would like most to hear about
is information on other alumni, such as
what is reported in the magazine’s Class
Notes and Hoopla sections and at www.
brewsteracademy.org. Alumni are also
interested in learning about upcoming
social events, including reunions, special
outings, athletic events, and gatherings
close to where they live. More than a
quarter of alumni respondents are also
interested in Brewster’s future plans.
In addition to Brewster ’s spectacular
campus location, survey respondents
reported that class reunions are another
popular reason to return to campus.
Interestingly, 49 percent of women
indicated that they are very likely to return
for a reunion whereas only 35 percent of
men indicated the same.
Contributing to Brewster
Just over one-third of alumni reported
making a contribution to Brewster in the
past three years, which reflects the low level
of involvement by alumni, particularly if
it is defined as financial support. Of those
who contributed, their primary reasons
were: Brewster had a positive impact
on my life (15 percent); enjoyed my
experience (14 percent); good memories,
sentimental reasons (13 percent); because I
graduated from Brewster (10 percent); and
out of appreciation for what Brewster did
for me (10 percent).
Of those respondents who did not
contribute, 43 percent indicated they
could not afford to give while 28 percent
indicated they had other obligations or
donated elsewhere. Eight percent reported
that they did not contribute financially
because of a perception that Brewster
doesn’t need their support.
What Does It Mean?
Overall, alumni are very satisfied with
their educational experiences at Brewster
Academy – in fact, most would return
if they had to do it over again. While
perceptions vary somewhat by class
year, the majority still find Brewster to
be a “very good” school. It should be of
no surprise to those who have stayed
connected to Brewster in the past decades
that Brewster is known for its constant
evaluation and assessment of itself. The
undertaking of the survey is just another
example of this intentional evaluation as
it looks at how the school can best serve
its graduates.
As an example of this assessment and
based on both feedback from this survey
and other recent constituent surveys,
Brewster has begun looking at ways to
strengthen its visual arts program by
evolving the curriculum and expanding
offerings in the area of digital media and
design as well as exploring the kind of
facility we will need to support these
changes in program.
Alumni have told us what’s important
to them and number one is reconnecting
with old friends at Brewster-sponsored
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l
events. Additionally, staying connected
through Reunions, regional gatherings,
BrewsterConnections, and communicating
t h e i r p re f e r re d w a y o f re c e i v i n g
communications (some prefer e-mail,
some prefer traditional mail) and even the
frequency of contact (four times a year)
were revealed in the survey feedback.
And, just as alumni want to keep the
connection to campus, they also want to
know what’s happening in the Wolfeboro
community.
We recognize that this survey and its results
are just a snapshot of the interests and
opinions of the alumni who participated.
We feel that this information, however, is
valuable to the Alumni and Development
Office as we continue to apply trends in
this survey to our evolving strategic effort
to provide the resources and information
that will help us keep a vital connection
between alumni and their school.
The Alumni and Development Office
welcomes your opinion and feedback
and hopes that you will visit campus or
attend a Brewster regional event closer to
your home. We urge you to keep in touch
with your classmates and with Brewster
– your school. Please also know that we
want you to share with us your thoughts
and ideas often, and be aware that the
financial impact you make goes a long way
to providing a great education for those
students who pass through our doors
today and who will become the alumni
of tomorrow. l
27
Brewster on the Road
Mini crew reunion: Jeff Goldberg ‘97, Seth Ahlborn (former crew coach,
math teacher, team leader, and dean), Jake Harrington ‘99, and Carrie
Ahlborn (former director of the Development Office). They would love to
try out our indoor rowing tank! The Ahlborns are parents of Ashley ’00.
Brewster’s Doug Kiley, newlyweds Courtney Hoffman Tsiaras ‘99 and her husband
Matt, Steven Kasulke ‘02, and Jake Harrington ‘99 and his wife Tamsin. Thanks for
coming out to see us!
D.C. area gathering:
Saturday, January 26
at Gua-Rapo in Arlington, Virginia
Kevin Ginestet ‘96, Jeff Goldberg ‘97,
and Bruce Hawkins ‘01 discuss life
and politics in the D.C. area.
Brian Russo ‘99, Brewster’s Martha Trepanier ‘83, C.J. Britt ‘02,
and Wes Budrose ‘02 bring new energy and ideas to the Boston
Brewster Club! Please join us at the next Boston reception.
Boston area gathering:
Thursday, March 20
at The Independent in Somerville, Massachusetts
A strong showing from 2002! Wes Budrose, C.J. Britt, Rylan Okie, Forrest Letarte, Bridget
Doherty ‘04 (we toasted Forrest and Bridget’s six years together!), and Dan Mardis.
Brewster’s Lynne Palmer (T.J. ’08, Jess ’09) reminisces with Sun Ho Song ‘94 and Carl
Berelowitz ‘94 about their times in Sargent – everyone has their own Sargent story!
28
New York City area gathering:
Friday, February 29
at the Penn Club
Scott Bixler ‘98 and Tim Bixler ’98 thank hosts Kathy (and Dan, not
shown) Mudge (Tapley-Ann ‘98, Ashley ‘02) for their continued support
and interest in developing alumni relations. A special thanks to the
Mudges for their commitment to hosting this annual New York City
reception. The Bixler brothers are beginning plans for their 10th Reunion
– we’ll put you guys in Bearce for sure!
Brewster’s Trey Whitfield connection continues! Michael Cooper
with Deborah Johnson (Janiya ‘00) and Janie Whitney, co-founder of
The Trey Whitfield School and mother of the late Trey Whitfield ‘89.
Chris Petronio ‘01 and Brian
Wyatt ‘01 reconnect. Both were
surprised to learn the other was
living in N.Y.C. Another reason
to come out and join us when
we’re in your neighborhood –
you never know who will be
there!
Some of Brewster’s shining stars: Dan Mufson ‘02 and his friend connect
with Kori Gatta ‘03 and her date.
Rob Gorden ‘90, Katie Boote ‘96, Erica Saiger ‘97, Ron McCormick ‘95, Brewster’s Andy Campbell, and Julien Libaire ‘94 reconnect at the
Penn Club. This year we were pleased to have Brewster faculty Bill Lee, BG Hodges ’66, and Andy join us.
l
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29
Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand:
February and March 2008
Tim von Jess met up with Lois (Sherr) Zaprzalka ‘74 in
Hong Kong
Tim von Jess with Pimphan Hassavayukul, mother of Pattiya ‘10
and Panuwit ‘09, and her daughter Wow during a recent trip to
Thailand.
Paracha Pavarolarvidya ’99, Tim von Jess, and Warut Sirawongprasert ’00, in Bangkok.
A gathering of parents and prospective families hosted by Karen Huang Lai, mother of Ray Huang ‘08, in Taipei.
30
Alumni News
Hoopla
Farewell to Brewster’s Friend
As a colleague and close friend for more than 20 years, I was
jealously aware of Peter’s talents and the respect he won
from his students through his discussions, readings, and the
blending of his life experiences with his power to seed the love
and respect for literature in students of all ability levels. Yet
when reading through the many messages from his students
throughout his 23 years at Brewster, it became obvious to me
that I had indeed missed the depth of Peter’s influence. The
life-long affect that Peter’s personality, his kindness, and his
patience had on so many individuals is testimony to a truly
inspiring teacher. When Henry Adams declared, “A teacher
affects eternity,” he must have known Peter Friend would be
coming along to be the perfect example of that teacher! I’m
only sorry that it was impossible to include all the tributes
we received, but those that follow paint a portrait of an
exceptional teacher, person, and friend.
Wendy (Myers) Logan ‘82:
“I am so sorry to hear about the loss of an amazing person,
friend, and teacher. He was my favorite teacher ever! I was
challenged and loved every minute of it. I am an avid reader
because of Mr. Friend and his incredible teaching style.”
[Ed. Note: On December 18, 2007, the Brewster community was
saddened to hear that former long-time faculty member Peter Friend had
passed away. Peter touched many lives during the years he taught at
Brewster (1974-1997) and the following is a tribute to him.]
W
hen Director of Alumni and Parent Programming Beth
Hayes ’81 and I sent out our alumni message the day
after Peter Friend’s untimely death, it was only a matter of
hours before we started receiving responses. While in different
corners of the world, both of us were flooded with calls and
e-mails. Even my static-filled telephone line allowed alumni
– many with an immediate urge to express their feelings – to
recall memories and to ask to be remembered to Peter’s wife
Fenton and her family. Word soon reached those not on our
e-mail list and an additional wave of condolences poured in
from all over the country.
l
Christopher Gorrill ‘94:
“Peter was an amazing person, a caring friend, and a truly
inspiring mentor! I remember, thanks to Peter, my interest in
learning more, going far beyond the pages of a book. I traveled
to Prague years after my graduation from Brewster and visited
Kafka’s little blue house. I brought back to Wolfeboro a copy
of Kafka’s Metamorphosis, a book I had studied in class with
Peter. I remember giving Peter the book as a present and
seeing his eyes light up. Holding the book in his hand, he said,
“Tonight, I am going to read it. Tomorrow we will discuss the
quality of the translation.” The next day we met in his house
and for hours we discussed the differences between the two
translations, Peter referring to the notes he scribbled on the
backs of envelopes. A conversation with Peter about a book
was never just about a book but about life, about the desire to
learn, to discover, to question, to challenge. Peter gave me the
key to open my mind, and in great part, shaped the person
who I am today.”
Julie Trask ‘83:
“As for the passing of Mr. Friend, what can I say? It is terribly
sad news and he will be greatly missed. I’d say more, but then
I’d hear him over my shoulder, as I have for 25 years, saying,
‘Too wordy ... be precise.’ So for now, I’ll say my thoughts are
with his loved ones.”
l
31
Alumni News
Hoopla
Andrew Wooden, English teacher and director of admission
at Brewster 1977-1983; former student of Peter’s while at
Williston Northampton School:
“I felt out of place as a scholarship student, one of only two
students from Maine, and lacking confidence, I could not
give voice to my emotions; I needed a friend, and I was too
afraid to try to make one. Mr. Friend reached out to me. To
be in Mr. Friend’s class meant being safe. Safe to express
your views without being ridiculed, safe to have thoughts
and feelings that were different from others’, safe to show
emotions and know that your teacher would offer protection.
In my two years as Peter’s student, I became a close reader of
literature, a better writer, and a confident student who found
a way to step out of his isolation and write for the literary
magazine, become an editorial writer for the student paper,
and eventually win the English department prize. I mention
these accomplishments not to brag, but rather to publicly
thank Peter Friend for what he did for me and so many other
students.”
Laurence Seiterle ‘91:
“I can honestly say that I have only fond memories of Mr.
Friend ‘pushing’ me to write a better paper ... over and over
and over again. His unique blend of constructive criticism was
both feared and legendary. I can say with a smile that I hated/
loved every minute of class. Peter, thank you for being one of
the greatest influences in my academic life. I miss Brewster
even more now.”
Peter, thank you for being one of the
greatest influences in my academic life.
I miss Brewster even more now.”
~ Laurence Seiterle ‘91
Kristen (Druffner) Gottlieb ‘93:
“I have a photo of Peter on our staircase, and I was just
wondering how he was this morning when I came down
the stairs with my two babies and looked at his picture.
I’ve missed him for years and now I’ll miss him forever. He
believed in me and spoke with such passion about literature
that as a student, I would work harder and instantly fell in
love with everything because of the way he taught. It was his
words, his intensity and how he could always find beauty
in everything he read or spoke to us about. I hung on to
Peter’s every word as every word he said was meaningful
and profound. He had a way of tying in lessons in life with
a story we were studying. I would scribble down all these
beautiful things he would say in class and go back to my
32
David Harbilas ’90 wrote the following poem on the
occasion of Peter Friend’s retirement in 1997:
dorm dreaming of poetry and beauty and love. Peter inspired
me to keep writing and to be in the moment. Peter is the one
force in my life that was all-inspiring, wise, and for many
years, the most important figure in my life. I will miss him and
I will continue to cherish the letters and cards I received from
him. I wish I could hear his voice say one more time – when he
would answer the phone – ’There you are, Kristen.’”
Dr. Marie Garland ‘88:
“Hoopes, thanks for your heartfelt words and for sharing your
memories with us. I can see the smile you vividly described.
Peter was not only a teacher and mentor but also a neighbor
when I was a day student living on Pleasant Street. Peter
coached me through my writing of my salutatorian speech
and I did well enough on my AP test after taking his class that
I didn’t have to take freshman English at college. I missed his
class discussions so much that I declared English as my second
major. I also learned from Peter that work is not so confining if
tea can be brewed on the spot!”
Matt Mullenaux ‘90:
“My best memory of Mr. Friend was a subtle one. I was
walking outside by myself in the dead of winter late one night
to get a breath of air. I passed by him on campus, and he told
me to be careful as it was very cold. It was this little act of
kindness that stood out to me more than anything during the
time I knew him.”
Alumni News
Hoopla
Brian Fisher, English teacher, 1989 to 1995:
“Peter respectfully assumed that everyone could accomplish
the task at hand. He never soft-sold the notion that the work
was easy or always fun. He brought to his students and
colleagues the notions that learning and thinking provided
infinite value. You might not understand today, but you apply
yourself, you keep working, and you will. The thinking and
the effort hold as much wisdom as the final product. Over the
years I’ve come to understand that what matters most is the
way that Peter went about living and sharing with us. Ask
and open a dialog.”
Matt Hoopes, English teacher at Brewster 1975-1996, and
current alumni correspondent:
“In my e-mail announcement to the alumni of Peter Friend’s
passing, I pointed out that we all have our own Peter
memories. My first one took place the first time I met him. I
was nervously bumbling through an interview with him for
a spot in his English department. Realizing my difficulty, he
calmed me down and went on to bolster and encourage me
for the next 22 years. Peter was truly supportive of me, even
when I pulled stunts such as assigning Stephen King stories
for summer reading. He held off the angry parents! While
Peter tricked me into taking over his advisory position to
Teresa Valliere ‘79:
the yearbook, hours into my first year, he made up for it by
helping me establish journalism as a credit course. I think
“Peter Friend was one of my mentors at Brewster who
made a great impression on me. I remember clearly his grin,
he cringed with every angry editorial the Browser published
chuckle, and wit. He was a
but still stood squarely in my corner. His
gifted teacher and a generous
support certainly coached me through my
I also learned from Peter
spirit to those of us without
first rough years, and while my teaching
roots. He and his English
was night-to-his-day, we enjoyed
that work is not so confining style
department gave me gifts I
many literary discussions, mostly with me
continue to pass forward daily:
listening and learning. I know Peter was
if tea can be brewed
critical thinking, appreciation
truly shocked when visiting any of my
on the spot!
of beauty, sensitivity to
classes, yet he scolded pleasantly, wearing
the human condition, and
his best Peter grin, and we’d always agree
~ Dr. Marie Garland ‘88
humor for it all. Peter gently
that whatever worked for us individually,
encouraged my explorations
teaching-wise, worked best for our classes.
and yet was critical enough
I think, however, he was just being kind. In
to make me work for his approval. A fine combination in a
any case, I’m blessed, like so many others, to have so many
teacher. I wasn’t able to articulate my gratitude to him, and I
fond memories of a friend I’ll never forget.”
wasn’t even aware of it until so many years later. I do so now
Again, I thank all of those who shared their memories of
as I extend my gratitude and sorrow to his family and the
Peter as I know Fenton and her family will appreciate them. If
Brewster community now.”
others would like to send additional thoughts and memories,
Tracy Farraher ‘95:
I’ll be certain to pass them along to Fenton.
“… To this day, even when dealing with my youngest
students, I remind them that I was taught that a good student
Peter’s family held a memorial service on March 29 at All Saint’s
reads a story at least twice and always has a pencil in hand ...”
Episcopal Church in Wolfeboro. In lieu of flowers, the family
asked that gifts be made in Peter’s name to the Kenison Library at
Peter Baron ‘91:
Brewster. l
“Even though I never had the good fortune of having Mr.
Friend for a teacher, I was terribly saddened to learn the news
of his death. I have many fond memories of him, but the ones
that spring to the forefront are the conversations we shared
Matt Hoopes was a faculty member from 1975 to 1996.
about Brewster, my ambitions, and goals. It always impressed
During this time he and his journalism students founded
me how he took an interest in all members of the Brewster
The Brewster Browser, the Outcroppings literary
community and not just the students in his classes. Simply
magazine, and the BAPA (Brewster Academy Photo/
put, he was tremendous and will be greatly missed.”
Address) book. Since his “retirement” from the classroom
Brian Ballentine ‘97:
“I was sad to hear of Mr. Friend’s passing. He was a real
mentor to me, probably the biggest reason I’m still studying
English literature now, more than 10 years since my last class
with him.”
l
in 1996, Hoopes has worked as the Young Alumni
Correspondent from his hilltop house in The Bahamas
or from his island in Maine, helping to keep the alumni
connection alive. In each issue he brings life-after-Brewster
stories to the pages of his Hoopla column.
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33
Alumni News
Class Notes
Tell Us How You’re Doing!
We want to know what you’re up to. Whether it’s a new
address, a job change, a marriage, a new baby, or any
other news you’d like to share with your classmates,
please drop us a line (and/or a photo) and we’ll try to
include it in the next BrewsterConnections.
Send your news to: Office of Alumni
Brewster Academy
80 Academy Drive
Wolfeboro, NH 03894
or e-mail us at [email protected]
e!
t
a
d
e
h
Reunion 2008
ve t
Sa
1933
75th Reunion!
John Porter writes, “I graduated with
Brewster’s Class of 1933. We have
moved back to Manchester, Massachusetts, where we lived for a number of
years. We lived in Florida for 31 years
but our families wanted us back for our
old age. I am 93 and my wife Rosemary
is 82. Hopefully we can visit at Brewster
this next summer.”
1945
Muriel Beach recently celebrated her 80th
birthday and the theme was “The Big 8-0 and
Still on the Go!” And she is still on the go.
Murial is extremely active and involved
with senior rights in New York City.
She is a member of the Older Woman’s
League “OWL,” the Gray Panthers, and
she is on the Manhattan Borough President’s Committee on Aging. She also is
the president of the New York StateWide
Senior Action Council, NYC chapter.
1948
60th Reunion!
Joe Ford is serving his 30th year as a selectman in Lee, New Hampshire.
34
June 6-8
1952
Muriel Massey of Alexandria, Virginia,
writes that she “enjoyed a great time/reunion with Class of ‘52 members (55th
reunion!) present at the Coppins’ camp
on Lake Wentworth this past June. How
time flies! For anyone who wasn’t there,
I am now living in a senior retirement
center near two of my children (Gary
and Bill) and three of seven grandchildren. Would be glad to chat with anyone
– online ([email protected]) or the
phone.”
nia. We are enjoying many new experiences in this beautiful area and especially
appreciate the warmer climate.”
1961
Emery Trowbridge writes, “I couldn’t
stay retired, so I took a position as a visiting professor of management at Alcorn
State University in Natchez, Mississippi.
Thanks to online classes I visit Natchez
once a week. The remainder is spent in
Ocean Springs or traveling about the
country (mostly Arizona) by our Tahoe.”
1962
Jeanne Morrison writes, “I’m beginning
to think about a 50-year Reunion. Lots of
people I’d love to see. Let’s get together.”
1976
1957
Scott Elmer was married on June 7, 2007,
to Claire. “We have no children but three
dependents - one dog, Buddy, and two
cats, Sandi and Mondae.”
Carolyn Roth writes, “Wayne and I celebrated our 35th anniversary in June 2007
by moving from our mountain paradise
in Boulder, Colorado, to the Santa Ynez
Valley in Santa Barbara County, Califor-
Ashley and Michael, children of Joscelyne and Tony
Giannone ’81.
Margery Gagne writes, “So sorry I
missed our 50th Reunion! Had planned
to go but my aunt, aged 95, died (the last
of that generation), and I had to go to the
service. Then my husband had a major
heart attack on August 15 with numerous complications. I would love Brewster
visitors.”
Alumni News
Class Notes
Oliver, 7, and Ethan, 3, sons of Rick Clay-Storm ’83
and wife Pam.
1977
Rob Spano wishes the best of health and
prosperity to all!
1979
Janet Yarbrough-Moody writes, “It has
been such a long time since I have been
in contact with anyone from Brewster. I 1985
miss speaking with Mr. Smith, Mr. Wood- Holly Moulton-Whall writes that it is a
en, Hoopes, and so many others. It is fun- “big change living in Southeast Florida
ny how I always seem to come back and - Gotta say I don’t miss Northeast wincheck on Brewster people from time to ters! Continue to work as a child and
time. My life has seen so many changes adolescent psychotherapist, riding my
in the past two
years. I ended
an
18-year
relationship,
found an incredible man,
all my pets
(three cats and
one
Dalmation) passed,
and my mother passed. My
massage therapy and personal training
career has prospered. I finished a 60-mile
breast cancer
walk and have
just
recently
run my first
15K (without Joe and Teresa (Glidden ’83) Williams and their daughter Marrissa.
any training).
I have such abundance and love in my horse, and having a great time with my
life that every day I wake and just try to husband Tony and 7 year-old son Noah. I
remember how lucky I am. Anyway, I would love to hear from any old friends.
would love to hear from Brewster or any Re-connecting feels really good. Nancy
of my fellow schoolmates, as I do miss L., Liz E., Alison B., Karen F., Steph M.,
knowing how life has been since 1979. the three Johns and Peter Bruce – give me
Also, if any classmates are in Miami, I a shout! [email protected].”
would love to touch base. Hope all is well
with you and yours.”
1987
Tamah French-Proops has two children:
Lincoln, 5, and Morgan, 1.
1980
Larry Reaven wrote that he has a new
wife, Jen, and that he is “still running George Ide writes, “Hope everyone is
a golf club, still playing under scratch doing well. I’ve been busy with my packgolf.” He bought a horse stable and four aging company, Burch Bottle. That has
horses, one buckskin, two paints, and a not kept me nearly as busy as my three
stud. “My oldest daughter is graduating girls, all under the age of 4. The youngcollege in 2008. Hey to Dave Ruben! Go est was 1 in December. I would love to
Bucks! Hoopes, hope all is well with you. hear from all my old friends. Drop me an
e-mail! ([email protected]) or call. P.S. Let’s
Has been a long/short 27 years!”
see some more Class Notes!”
Amy and Jonathan Clark ’85 with their children
Ethan and Taylor.
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35
Alumni News
Class Notes
Ted Latham writes, “We have relocated
to Miami, and I just started a new job
with Korn/Ferry International executive
search. … If fellow alum are in Miami,
please drop me a line at eduardo.latham@
mac.com” At the time of his submission,
Ted wrote that he was expecting his third
child in January.
Kristen Thorkelson had a son, Lars
Thorkelson Haskins, on August 13, 2007.
“My husband Mark and I are enjoying
the joys and challenges of parenthood!”
Mercy Reed Marchuk ’85 with Anastasia, 7, and
Nicholas, 7, during a trip to the White Mountains
in fall 2007.
1988
20th Reunion!
Ellie Beckwith-McManus graduated
with a bachelor’s degree from Susquehanna University and has four children.
“We just moved to Ohio. We are enjoying
it more than we imagined. We live right
on the river and the kids have adjusted
well.”
Tom Price writes, “I am currently employed with Accenture National Security Services, LLC, outside Washington,
D.C., doing consulting for DOD and IC
clients.”
Holly Sexton is with John Hancock Annuities, wholesaling for the Bank Channel and has moved to Tampa, Florida.
1989
Jay Howren writes that he wishes he had
some exciting news, but “life just rolls
on here in Richmond, Virginia. My wife
Mariela and I just got back from our annual ski trip to Whistler, British Columbia. We had a great time skiing and relaxing. I’m planning to get together with a
small group from the class of ‘89 in a
few weeks. Brad Appel, Todd Willens,
and Harrison Landers.
36
Turner and Dillon, sons of Paulette and Michael
Hope ’85.
from MIT with a degree in aeronautics/
astronautics but didn’t have a chance to
work long in that field, later becoming
a mechanical engineer. Now, as a single
mother, she works from home as an engineer. She says that things are good and
she loves being a mom!
Jon Dewoskin and his cat Rocky live in
Chicago, and he visited Florida last summer with his girlfriend to see the space
shuttle launch and visit family.
Michael Thompson writes, “My wife
Annie and I moved from Chicago to Akron, Ohio, in 1998 to be closer to both of
our families. Our son Austin just turned
10 and loves playing tight-end for his
football team. I hope he will get involved
with lacrosse this spring. Our daughter
Macy is six and is becoming quite the
young lady. We share our house with
five dogs and two cats. For the past four
and one-half years I have been an independent insurance agent specializing in
commercial insurance. My business allows me the flexibility to spend time with
my family and occasionally golf. I must
say that I am quite impressed with the
BrewsterConnections I just received. Off
Todd Willens writes, “Big
changes. I am leaving the federal service (again) and moving back west. Looking forward to the new quality of life
for myself and the family. DC
was great for 15-plus years, but
time to look toward the next
stage of family life ... in Colorado. All my best!”
1990
Matt Baker writes, “Life is the
same in Northfield, Illinois –
cold! I hope you have a great
2008!”
Kendra (Hardie) DeSimone
is still living in Acton, MasAyda and David Swartz ’85 with their children Bradley and
sachusetts, with her 10-year- William.
old son Frank. She graduated
Alumni News
Class Notes
the top of my head, I’d say that Boston
University, Cornell University, Rochester
Institute of Technology, Virginia Military
Institute, and the Citadel are a very solid
graduating class.”
Sue (Estey) and husband Rick Miller
were expecting their second child (a girl)
in February. They are still living in Fort
Bragg in Mendocino County where Rick
is a senior planner for the county’s Building Services Department. Emma, 6, who
is in kindergarten, is having a fabulous
year and is super excited to see her little
sister.
Chris Smith writes, “My wife and I just
moved into a new home and are expecting our first child in June 2008.”
Andrew Weill writes, “All is great in Vermont! Biz is good – Life is better. We are
planning on taking a week-long cruz. I
need a break!”
1992
Mariela and Jay Howren ’89 on their recent annual
ski trip to Whistler, BC.
David Abraham moved from Washington, D.C., and writes, “I moved to NYC
and work at Lehman Brothers examining
political and economic events in developing countries and how they affect the
bank’s investments.”
Danya Chazan writes, “I’m currently living in Chicago working with the Mayor’s
Office of International Affairs within
Chicago Sister Cities International Program. Thank goodness I was subjected to
Wolfeboro winters, or I would probably
never survive them here!”
1993
15th Reunion!
Julie Fisher Feldt writes, “Doug and I
live in Austin, Texas, and just had our
first baby! Blake Evan Feldt was born on
September 21, 2007. He is incredible – we
are enjoying every moment! My e-mail is
[email protected].”
1991
Stephanie Giacobbi was married in September 2006, and she and husband Eric
Coury live in Hailey, Idaho. Stephanie is
a chef and the owner of diVine, a wine
shop and bistro. Her hobbies include Alpine and Nordic skiing, mountain biking,
hiking, gardening, and interior design.
Keenan Jourdon writes that while he’s
gone through many changes, ups and
downs, since leaving Brewster, he has
traveled the world playing basketball
and speaks fluent Spanish. He’s off to
Puerto Rico to start his eighth season on
the island. He’s still playing well and
hopes to keep at it another four or five
years. Keenan hopes to make his 15th Reunion this June.
John Gray and his wife Sue have two
children: Killian, 3, and Nolan, 1 ½ .
Chris Kohnen and his wife Meg and their
sons Sam, 2 ½, and Henry, 1 ½, moved
back to Cincinnati for a great job and to
be close to family. “You can’t live in Paradise forever (unless you’re Hoopes!) We
visited Wolfeboro this summer on a day
trip. It was so much fun showing my
wife and kids where I spent three of the
best years of my life. I had forgotten how
beautiful it is!”
Silas and William, sons of John Hamblett ’87 and
Barbara (Matthews ’88) Hamblett.
Kristen Thorkelson ’89 and her husband Mark with
their son Lars Thorkelson Haskins, born August 13,
2007.
l
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Whit Lee is married to Courtney Baker
Lee and has a daughter, Sylvia Schields
Lee, born February 28, 2006. “Life on the
Damariscotta River is spoiling us rotten,
and we wouldn’t have it any other way.”
37
Alumni News
Class Notes
the school. I am proud to be
associated with such a fine
institution.”
Kelly Repicci writes, “I
earned my masters in psychological counseling and
education from Columbia
University last year and am
now a clinical supervisor at
a substance abuse agency in
Connecticut.”
A mini-reunion was held on Super Bowl Sunday at Karen (Hurley ’94) Ragland’s house. From the left are Alisha (Kreeger ’92)
Simoneau and Andre Simoneau ‘90 with their children, Emma, Chava, Mikayla, and Asher; Dan McCoy ‘93 holds Tasha Ragland and Beckett McCoy; Erin Kiernan ‘92 with Cynthia Ragland; and Karen Ragland with her son Russ.
1994
Mandie (Myers) Giroux writes, “My
husband Todd and I can’t believe it’s
been over a year since we welcomed
our beautiful daughter Ella Riley Giroux
to the world. She turned one on February 16, and the year has just flown by so
Samara, daughter of Dan and Sarah
(Bunker ’93) Kern.
38
quickly. Joanna (Bolster)
Constantini and Emily
(Decker) Shervin scold me
on a regular basis and tell
me I am the worst at keeping up with pictures, and
they’re right! I’ll try to send
some in soon!”
Dan Sklar writes, “It’s been
a while since I’ve posted
any update but thought
that my news would warrant a quick note. I graduated from Tufts University in
1998 and then moved back
home to Texas. … I work
with about 300 families here
in Dallas helping them with
their investments. I
was married in 2001
to my beautiful bride,
Sarah. Sarah and I had
Sam in 2004. Sam is expecting a baby brother
… and a baby sister.
TWINS! More news to
come.”
Andrew Ninios writes,
1995
“Marathon running has
Jenn (Abbott) Crosstaken a back seat recently,
man writes that she
although I’m planning to
is still “living on the
run some races this year.
Outer Banks of North
My new passion is indoor
Carolina, living life to
rock climbing. I’m also Blake Evan, born on September 21,
the fullest. By the time
playing in league basket- 2007, son of Doug and Julie (Fisher
this news is printed, I
ball and indoor soccer. I’m ’93) Feldt.
will have had my third
also volunteering. Right
now I’m mentoring a 10-year-old Latino child. I have two beautiful boys: Ian, 8,
kid through the Big Brothers Big Sisters and Beckett, 3, and the baby, Taryn, my
program. I will also start working at girl! I spend most of my time doing kid
the Washington Humane Society soon. things, and I work as a catering coordinaI’m still working for the same govern- tor at a great restaurant.”
ment contractor (Quality Support, Inc.)
as a conference coordinator. Life is good, 1996
and I’m very happy right now. I miss Mason Sears has bought a house in PortBrewster, but have read about the new land, Maine, which he is restoring. He
accomplishments and improvements of has a new job as a Northeast sales repre-
Alumni News
Class Notes
Reunion, a trip to El
Salvador, and a crosscountry move, we are
settling in here in Aptos. We love our cabin in the redwoods.
Seth has a great sixth
grade class, and I succeeded in creating my
dream job. I am working with Live Earth
Farm in Watsonville,
California, to create
a non-profit and sustainable agricultural
education program.
Any suggestions for
Andreas Ninios ’94 at a picnic last summer with the boy he is mentoring
names? We also can’t
through the Big Brothers Big Sisters Foundation.
wait to become a first
time aunt and uncle
sentative for SF Marina, a Swedish-based in December! Best of all, I got to spend
company that produces floating concrete three days with Coralia Miller in Idaho
breakwaters and concrete docks. He re- this summer!”
cently went to a world meeting for SF
Marina in Turkey.
1998 10th Reunion!
Tim Bixler was married in June 2006
Lindsey Sklar Whisenhunt writes, “I in Westhampton, New York. “I am still
was married this past October 2007 to working with my brother Scott, taking
a wonderful man named Ryan Whisen- over a 116-year-old real estate and insurhunt. We are living in Dallas and love ance firm in northern New Jersey outside
being near our families.
of New York City.”
My brother Dan ’94 is
having twins that are
1999
due in March. They will
Anastasia
Dukova
be joining their 3-year
wrote that she was a
old brother Samuel.”
postgraduate research
student at the Univer1997
sity of Dublin, Trinity
Bridget Buckler was
College.
engaged on October 18,
2007, at the Falls, a part
John Sarmanian writes,
of the John Hay Estate in
“I was previously with
Newbury, New HampErnst & Young’s audit
shire. “We will be getdepartment in the Bosting married exactly one
ton area and was living
year later on October 18,
in Malden, Massachu2008, in Concord, New
setts, with my girlfriend
Hampshire.”
Kelly (now fiancée!),
who also worked for
Jessica Ridgeway writes,
E&Y. Mid-September
“After a great summer, Courtney (Hoffman ’99) Tsiaras with her we packed everything
including our 10-year brother Joshua Hoffman ‘98 at her wedup and moved to the
ding in July 2007.
l
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Tampa, Florida, area ... kinda crazy to
have a Boston guy actually leave the
area but I did it. Kelly is originally from
Georgia and she wanted to move back
to warmer weather so after searching up
and down the East Coast we settled in
Clearwater, Florida. When we moved to
Florida I decided to leave E&Y and take a
position with a company called Creative
Beckett, 3, and Ian, 8, sons of Jason and Jenn (Abbott
’95) Crossman.
Financial Staffing (CFS), which is an accounting and finance placement firm.
I hope everything is going well up at
Brewster, and I hope to visit when I come
home to visit next summer.”
Nicole Sawyer writes, “I moved to Austin, Texas, last spring, and I am currently
working for a small residential design
firm. I still keep in touch with Becky
Mitchell, MaryJane (Haynie) Dowling,
and Miranda Clark.”
Cheryl Siekmann writes, “I have three
kids now: a son Cameron who will be 3
in April and twin daughters Kiley and
Kaitlyn were 1 in February. My husband
and I just sold our restaurant in an effort
to be home more with the kids.”
2000
Tim MacIntosh was recently married to
Julia and they are expecting their first
39
Alumni News
Class Notes
Brewster friends recently celebrated the engagement of Tapley-Ann Mudge ’98 of Larchmont, N.Y., to David Paxson of Lancaster, Penn., Front row, l-r: TJ
Palmer, David Bartram ’58, Dave Paxson, Tapley-Ann Mudge, Ashley Mudge ’02, Nicole Molea ’98, and Martha Trepanier ’83. Back row: A.B. Whitfield and
Janie Whitney (Trey ’89), Lynne Palmer, Mike and Andrea Cooper, Kathy and Dan Mudge, and Robert Trepanier. An August 9 wedding is planned.
child. He is the former manager of the
Wilmington, Massachusetts, ice rink,
home practice facility of the Boston Bruins. He now manages all facets of the
two-rink Tri-Town Arena in Hooksett,
New Hampshire. He manages ice operations, scheduling, marketing, and sales.
Tim also helps coach with adult hockey,
women’s hockey, and various spring and
summer leagues.
Dennis McNally is finishing his master’s
at Manhattanville College where he completed his undergraduate degree. Dennis is the assistant coach for the men’s
ice hockey team, which he has enjoyed
thoroughly. He misses his home of Prince
Edward Island and plans to venture back
there when he completes his degree and
the season to spend time with family.
40
Blair Pyne writes, “I have left the warmth
of south Florida to the refining capital of
the country, Houston. I currently work for
Kirby Corp based out of Houston. Kirby
transports petrochemicals and petroleum
products via inland tankbarges. We operate from Corpus Christi all the way
through the Mississippi River system up
to Minnesota, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania. I’m currently learning every aspect
of the company, moving to new positions every year and gathering a good
background of information. I got this
job through a family member who happens to be the CEO. All is well, though.
Ten years is approaching quickly since I
departed Brewster. I guess I will have to
attend the big one! Bye for now, Blair.”
2002
Meredith van Wagner writes that she has
been “living and working in Florida now
for two years. I am employed at Edge
Information Management, a nationwide
pre-employment, background, and drug
screening company. I am a marketing
and sales executive. The sun and sand are
wonderful here, however, I am hoping to
move back to New England sometime in
the coming year.”
2003
5th Reunion!
Ryan Blank is in the U.S. Navy, currently
serving on board the USS Carr FFG 52
out of Norfolk, Virginia. He has been on
tour in Bahrain/Iraq and returned stateside in early February.
Alumni News
Class Notes
Kate Considine writes, “Hi, everyone! Things are going really
well in Boston. I’ve graduated
from UConn and I am currently
in nursing school, which I love. I
hope everyone else is doing well
and enjoying their first year of
work. Can’t wait to see everyone at our five-year Reunion in
June!”
In Memoriam
Class of 1925
Robert Merritt
November 19, 2007
Glastonbury, Connecticut
Morgan Constantino received
a bachelor’s degree in archael- Courtney (Hoffman ’99) Tsiaras with her husband Matt at their
ogy with a minor in religion and wedding in July 2007 in Rhode Island. Travis Larsen ’99 and
classics through Dickinson Col- Leila Saliba ’99 were both in attendance.
lege. She has decided to take a
break from school and has started her Hannah Wintzen writes that she “transown handcrafted jewelry business called ferred from law school to med school in
Karma by Morgan. She is really enjoying June 2006 and ... successfully adjusted to
her new venture.
the new challenge. … Hope that everyone is well, best wishes!”
Laura Guerin writes “I just moved in
with my boyfriend, Dax. I also started a 2004
new job with Ameriprise Financial and Curtis Frank is on the cheerleading squad
everyday has been an adventure so far.”
at the University of Connecticut.
Kat Knarr writes that she “finally graduated in May! Now I’m out trying to find
a real-life job. Still trying acting. Traveled
to Prague in summer for a theatre festival. Looking forward to visiting soon!”
Joe Rizzo graduated from the University
of Delaware and returned home to Texas.
After six months of working for Lexus,
he is starting a new job as a project manager for a large industrial pipe (chemical
plants) manufacturer. He continues to
play hockey in Texas.
2006
Class of 1938
Charles E. “Zip” Foss Jr.
January 9, 2008
Wolfeboro, New Hampshire
Class of 1943
Dr. Edwin Furber Irish
November 27, 2007
Frederick, Maryland
Peter H. Alexander
November 13, 2007
Stockton, California
Class of 1945
Melba L. (Griffin) MacMartin
December 3, 2007
Dover, New Hampshire
Kris Clement is finishing his second year
at Oswego State University in New York
where he is playing varsity lacrosse and
having a great time. “Tell Mr. Palmer that
I am majoring in history! Take care!”
Class of 1949
William Henry Garvey
February 6, 2008
South Weymouth, Massachusetts
Greg Pimentel writes, “I am in my second year as a cadet at Massachusetts
Maritime Academy. My major is marine
safety and environmental safety.” l
Former Faculty and Staff
1974-1997
Robert “Peter” Friend III
December 18, 2007
Brewster Memorabilia Sought
Bob and Shirley Richardson, authors of the column
Writing Brewster’s History, are looking for photos, pictures, or other
Brewster memorabilia. Items will be scanned and returned to you unless
you’d like to donate them to the school archives. Contact Bob and Shirley at
[email protected]
or [email protected],
or call them at 603-569-3578 if you have something to share.
l
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1977-1997
Harrison L. “Hab” Masse
November 30, 2007
41
Writing Brewster’s History
Rogers Gets His Gym By Bob and Shirley Richardson
“There is a very keen interest shown by alumni and townspeople,
and certainly the need for one is urgent if we are to keep
Brewster in a favorable position with other schools. ...” This
was Principal Vincent Rogers’ appeal to the board of trustees’
executive committee in January 1946 for a recreational hall. He
had spoken to the committee several times since 1942 about the
school’s need for such a facility. Now with World War II at an
end, he renewed his request. Most sports programs were held
outside, regardless of weather – for example, basketball practices
were held on a tennis court that had to be shoveled every time
it snowed. A few practices were held at indoor facilities around
town, and all games were played off-campus.
The board approved an initial $30,000 appeal to the alumni and
friends of the school. As of June 1947, $2,500 had been received
and with the $1,800 already in the “Brewster Gymnasium
Account,” a start on the long-awaited facility was under way.
Professional Fund-Raising Help Sought
In 1949, the board asked the John Price Jones Company, Inc., of
New York City to study the fund-raising potential of the school
and to submit a campaign proposal. The survey, analysis, and
plan looked into the heart and soul of Brewster Academy since its
inception in 1820 and analyzed the favorable and less favorable
factors in such a fund-raising task. The greatest concern expressed
in the report was the financial solvency of the school. The school
budget needed to be balanced as it had been operating at a deficit
for more than 10 years. The plan suggested that an increase in
the number of boarding students would provide a significant
solution to this problem.
The proposal established a platform upon which those familiar
with the school, whether alumni or townspeople, could feel
comfortable with giving. It also set up guidelines on how
to evaluate leadership strengths, sources of gifts and giving
potential, and how to develop a field of workers who would
join with the leadership. It then presented a detailed roadmap
for a campaign so that everyone would know exactly what to
do and how to do it.
Upon opening the lengthy Jones document, Rogers must have
felt both elated and doubtful. He had run his administration for
almost 10 years with very limited resources and had done so at
his personal financial expense, having taken either a salary cut
or no salary increase over several years.
Photos courtesy of the Brewster Academy archives.
42
Arthur P. Gale of Jackson, president of the board of trustees, turns over the first
shovelful of dirt for the new building. In the row directly behind him, left to right,
are: Principal Rogers, Fred A. Stackpole, Frank A. Berry, Howard C. Avery, and
Edwin B. Edgerly, all from Wolfeboro and all members of the board of trustees.
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by trustees, town officials, and
representatives of the student body, faculty, and alumni.
This was a new and untried venture for Rogers and for Brewster.
Never before had the school ventured into a large financial
campaign, and the trustees had questions. Would it be possible
to raise $250,000 for a new gym when alumni giving had been
traditionally low and focused around an annual Boston banquet?
Could an accurate listing of current alumni be generated quickly
for such an undertaking? Should the school focus the giving
campaign on one area when it was obvious that there were many
other needs that required attention – a school library, a manual
arts area, more classroom space, modernized, properly-equipped
science laboratories? Should all of these needs be put before the
need for a gymnasium? Additionally, some might demand that
plans be made to accommodate a museum room, and a place
for art and dramatics.
If the dream of a new gymnasium was to become a reality,
funding such an undertaking would have to come from three
sources – increased fees charged to parents; gifts or bequests
from private benefactors; and state, federal, or town funding. The
task was enormous and detailed, but the final part of the Jones
document established a far-reaching fund-raising plan called the
“Plan of Campaign Organization.”
Putting the Plan Into Action
The Planning Committee under the direction of John J. Ballentine
’46, executive director of the school’s Building and Development
Fund Office, completed the organizational phase by enlisting
volunteers – both alumni and non-graduates – to serve as office
workers and door-to-door canvassers. Other staffers researched
the names, addresses, and phone numbers of more than 3,600
known alumni. Instruction booklets for alumni canvassers
were written to detail the approach to be used in soliciting
contributions.
Ballentine then turned to developing plans for Brewster’s first
Homecoming to be held in October and organized the publishing
of a booklet “For a Better Brewster,” which outlined Brewster’s
goal in building a new gymnasium. He also produced “A Sound
Mind in a Sound Body,” a publication that clarified why the
school had to have a new gym and how it would serve the needs
of the students and the town.
Two major publicity decisions were made. First, it was decided
to revive the old Brewster Review newsletter used during the
1920s to communicate with alumni and townspeople. The first
edition headlined the school’s first Homecoming Day scheduled
for October 13, 1951, that would include guided tours of the
campus, a football game with New Hampton,
and a special dinner at which U.S. Rep. Chester
Merrow would speak. After dinner an alumni
dance would be held in the Academy Chapel
with music provided by Al Columbus and
his band. Alumni news would be updated in
each edition of the Brewster Review by Alumni
President Lillian (Osgood ’30) Brookes (Chip
’65, Donah ’83, GP Tom ’05).
run by the seniors, complete with games, grabs, dancing, food
tables, a hot-dog stand, and even a junior-sized ferris wheel.
The carnival earned $250 for the building fund. Juniors planned
a cruise and a dance on the M.S. Mount Washington, while
sophomores continued their scrap drive, earning $200. Freshmen
searched the town for items for an auction to be held on May 24,
which earned $200.
States outside New Hampshire were grouped for canvassing
under the leadership of Mrs. Adelaide Robinson Hughes ’26
of Braintree, Massachusetts. Twenty Massachusetts town
chairpersons organized themselves into brigades of leaders
who solicited local alumni with the booklet “The Minds of Our
Children,” which told the story of Brewster’s needs and the
development program planned to meet the requirements. The
goal for everyone, Maine to California, was to raise $208,000 for
the urgently-needed facility. The goal for Massachusetts was
$10,000.
Alumni Help Solicited
Commencement and Alumni weekend was scheduled for June
6-8, 1952. Mrs. Brookes made arrangements to house visiting
alumni in the homes of local alumni and in dormitories. A call to
attend Alumni Association meetings was made by Mrs. Brookes
who also asked for volunteers to help in the Development Office
during the next several weeks. (Brewster Review, May, 1952, pp.
2-4).
In May, the school erupted in a flurry of
activity. On campus, all of the classes seemed
to consider the fund drive a class competition.
Freshmen took on the project of selling trays
painted with a picture of the main school
building. Sophomores canvassed the town
in search of scrap metal and dragged it back
to the Estabrook where it awaited the scrap
dealer. The junior class gathered pennies from
everyone they met and even had containers in
local stores in an effort to collect “A Thousand
Miles of Pennies” for the fund.
The on-campus festivities started with a
baseball game, a picnic supper, and a carnival, The interior of the new gym, including the stage area.
l
l
43
increase in dormitory students. In addition, the
results of our educational testing program show that
our boys and girls are well above the New England
and national averages. Class projects have been in
order and substantial donations to the Building
Fund have been received from the individual classes.
The Brewster Review has proven itself a real value
in maintaining interest and loyalty of the students
and alumni.”
The construction crews worked through the
rainstorms of early June when the clay-like consistency
of the soil made it difficult at first for much digging,
but the cellar hole gradually took form. When the
new walls were secure, the construction continued
with the erection of steel beams and roofing until
finally the brickwork, electrical wiring, and laying of
the parquet flooring was complete – all by the end of
the 1954 school year.
The alumni banquet was held at the Masonic Hall and was
open to anyone (non-alumni included) curious about the school
plans. Among the speakers was Charles C. Noble, the dean of
Hendricks Chapel at Syracuse University and well known in
the Wolfeboro community, who announced that the fund drive
would begin that night and run through the month of July – but
that no solicitations would be made at the banquet.
By December, two Brewster alumni classes were fighting for
the lead in the race for the highest percentage of class members
contributing to the fund; 1903 with 62 percent participation and
1907 with 60 percent. Gifts and pledges totaled just over $65,000,
and drive chairman Howard C. Avery ’22 indicated that the drive
would continue until the total of $208,000 was reached.
The Groundbreaking and Construction Begins
On February 21, 1953, the board of trustees accepted the bid of
the Weare Construction Company of Weare, New Hampshire, to
construct the building for $255,873. They also voted to secure a
mortgage to pay the Newall–Goodspeed architect’s bill of $7,426.
(Board of Trustees Minutes, Feb. 21, 1953, p.1.)
Finally, on the wind-swept campus in early April 1953, the
groundbreaking ceremony for the Memorial Building (later
renamed the Rogers Gym) took place on the hillside on the south
side of the Academic Building. The photo taken at the event
included almost all of the trustees who had planned, organized,
and funded the first structure erected by the school since 1905.
On June 30 Principal Rogers presented his annual Principal’s
Report to the Board of Trustees. “In answer to the original Jones’s
report and the concern of school solvency and how to address
it, the total enrollment has grown to 239 with a 100 percent
44
Graduation 1954
It was time to plan for graduation ceremonies for the Class of
1954. Mr. Rogers and the school administration decided that
graduation services would be held in the new building. Its
construction had been a community project, and all the Wolfeboro
people were very proud.
“Oh, my, the Class of 1954 wasn’t pleased with that news …
we had no connection with that building … it wasn’t ours …
we wanted to graduate out front of the Academic Building like
everybody else had done for so many years. Somehow, Ramona
“Moni” Stevens … and I were chosen to plead our case before
Mr. Rogers … in his office. We prepared well and would have
impressed the United States Supreme Court, but we didn’t
impress Mr. Rogers: we graduated from the new building as
planned. But even though our wishes were not granted, and
even though the tradition was revised, we can proudly brag that
we were the first class to graduate from the Memorial Building!
‘Monie’ and I were voted “Mr. and Miss Most Popular” by our
class … not the Brightest … not the Most Convincing …not the
Most Likely to Succeed … Just Popular. But, we did love our
Brewster experience.” (W. K. Dewitt ’54, manuscript, May 20,
2006, pp. 1-3). l
Bob and Shirley Richardson were long-time faculty members who
retired in 2004. Bob came to Brewster in 1965 and wore many hats
during his 39 years, including history teacher, director of studies,
college admissions director, dorm parent, and coach. Shirley joined
the faculty in 1974 and throughout her tenure taught English,
history, ESL, and learning skills. From 1984 until her retirement,
Shirley headed the College Office. Since their “retirement” the
Richardsons have embarked on “writing Brewster’s history.” l

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