Directions 07-08

Friends’ Central Directions

From the Headmaster:

Dear Friends,

In recognition and anticipation of the gathering presidential campaign, our editor,Rebecca Anderson, has chosen politics as the theme for this issue of Directions. She has assembled a variety of articles featuring Friends’Central alumni/ae who are involved in the political process. Many of those graduates trace their interest in politics to some facet of their experiences here.

In the article entitled, “Politics at Friends’Central,”Leigh Browning reviews the efforts made by today’s Lower, Middle, and Upper School faculty at “pulling kids of all ages into politics in ways that can spark a lifelong interest.” The testimony ofeleventh grader,Natalie Willis, is further evidence that Friends’ Central is continuing to do its part in encouraging students to be involved citizens who can make a difference.

It is a pleasure to keep you informed about the accomplishments of our alumni/ae and the activities of current Friends’ Central faculty and students.

Sincerely,

David M. Felsen Headmaster

2007-2008 Board of Trustees

Ann V. Satterthwaite, Clerk

Peter P. Arfaa

James B. Bradbeer, Jr.

Adrian Castelli

Kenneth Dunn

Kaye Edwards

George Elser

Jean Farquhar ’70

Victor Freeman ’80

Christine Gaspar ’70

Robert Gassel ’69

Edward Grinspan

Walter Harris ’75

Sally Harrison

Karen Horikawa ’77

Deborah Hull

Michael C. Kelly

Matthew S. Levitties ’85

Craig Lord

Hillard Madway

Ed Marshall ’68

Carol Mongeluzzi

Suzanne Morrison

Jeffrey Purdy

Lawrence S. Reichlin

Marsha Rothman

Jonathan Sprogell

James Wright

Barbara M. Cohen, Emerita Joanna Haab Schoff ’51, Emerita

2007-2008 Alumni/ae Board

Andrew Newcomb ’87, President Mallory Floyd ’96, Vice President

Bess Collier ’96, Secretary

Anne Dufour Clouser ’50

Alice Hess Crowell ’46

Andrea Deutsch ’85

David Ellis ’51

Melanie McCarthy Frick ’94

Bill Georges ’88

Ruba Habtemicael ’96

Susan Kelsay ’59

Peter Klein ’87

Patrick Lord ’90

Jane Cubberley Luce ’68

Clio Mallin ’96

Latifah McMullin ’99

Donald Reimenschneider ’52

Alexander Schall ’86

Rachel Newman Schwartz ’89

Left: Middle School human peace sign and scenes from around campus, September 21, 2007, International Day of Peace

Aaron Selkow ’88

Barbara Weinberg ’79

Jessica Zeldin ’88

Gail Carter Zuagar '97

From the Editor:

Dear Friends,

I love the rhythm of school life. Every September is a fresh start, full ofpossibility and resolve. The excitement in the halls is palpable, as is a predominant sense ofoptimism. This fall, Friends’ Central started the year by celebrating International Day ofPeace. The activities spanned all three divisions—there were folded paper cranes, paper pinwheels, two human peace signs, and a lot of discussion. Students and teachers alike commented on what a perfect way it was to begin the academic year. I was able to participate in the celebrations on both campuses, and so in addition to the general excitement, I witnessed what many others felt—a remarkable sense of School unity.We are a School ofclose to 1,000 students on two beautiful, abundant campuses, but on September 21st we stood together and asked for peace. It certainly was a beautiful beginning

When I began developing this issue, politics jumped to mind because we are in the midst of a presidential campaign. But as I spoke with alumni/ae involved in politics, I began to see some interesting, unexpected similarities between this feature section and the stories in Campus Log, specifically between politics and the spirited beginning of a school year.For one thing, there is a distinct rhythm to our country’s cycles ofelections and leadership, the possibility of new beginnings every few years, and with it, the chance to refine our resolve. Each of the alumni/ae I spoke with commented on the energy and spirit of the American democratic process as part of their interest in politics. There is also a certain kind of unity each elec-

tion day, particularly when we choose a new president. By 10 p.m.

E.S.T.we’ve begun to color the map blue and red, but for most of that early November day, citizens in far flung states share a sense of anticipation and purpose.

This issue of Directions covers both Peace Day and politics. In between there are stories about awards, adventures, dragon boats, and climate change. There is news from alumni/ae around the world and a photo spread of the many alumni/ae children enrolled as current students. The magazine is varied and full—much like Friends’Central itself. I hope you enjoy it.

Rebecca H. Anderson Director ofCommunications

Head of School

David M. Felsen

Editor Rebecca H. Anderson Director of Communications

Art Director, Designer Suzanne DeMott Gaadt Gaadt Perspectives, LLC

Development Office Staff

Lydia A. Martin Director of Development

Linda Waxman Wasserman ’75 Director of Alumni/ae Affairs

James P. Brennan Director of Annual Giving

Elizabeth H. Finley, Archivist/Assistant Director of Annual Giving

Joel F. W. Price Webmaster/Data Specialist

Leigh Browning

Assistant Director of Communications

Jody Mayer

Alumni/ae Relations and Annual Giving Assistant

Denise Koehler Morris Development Office Secretary

Monica Peterson Development Office Secretary Printer Smith-Edwards-Dunlap

We welcome any comments, letters, photographs, and suggestions for future issues. Please send all communications to:

Editor, Directions Friends’ Central School 1101 City Avenue Wynnewood, PA 19096 randerson@friendscentral.org

Visit Friends’ Central on the web at www.friendscentral.org

Jill

Joe Lenski ’83

Jim Rutenberg ’87

Emil Steiner ’97

Adam Axler ’04 & Lise Rahdert ’05

New Trustees Join Friends’ Central’s Board

Friends’ Central School is pleased to welcome two new members to the Board ofTrustees.

Suzanne Morrison teaches English at Springside School, an all-girls’private school in Philadelphia. She has also taught at Friends’Central (1998–2002), Temple University, and the University of Iowa. In addition to teaching and private tutoring,Suzanne was an educational consultant for Bennett Educational Resources; she lived, studied, and worked at Pendle Hill, a Quaker contemplation and retreat center in Wallingford, PA; and she was the Quakerism Coordinator at Friends’Central. Suzanne attends Germantown Monthly Meeting where she and her two children, Roxana ’20 and John ’20, are members.Suzanne earned her B.A. from Haverford College and an M.A. from The University ofIowa. She is looking forward to serving on the Board ofFriends’Central. “My mother attended Westtown, and I have always wished I had been able to follow in her footsteps. Even as a teenager, the Friends school ethos attracted me. Years later I jumped at the chance to teach English at Friends’Central and found just the combination of Quaker values and academic rigor I had felt missing from my own high school experience. After a few year hiatus to spend time with my children, Friends’Central offered me the opportunity to return for a year as the Quaker Coordinator.Since the fall of 2006 I have been an Friends’Central parent and am thrilled that m hildr tting a Friends sc s the years e gone by, y belief has y become nger that nds ols, and nds’ ral in particular, provide a unique gift to

Friends’ Central Welcomes Eighteen New Faculty and Staff

(Below) Bottom row left to right: Leslie Grace (Middle School art), Jessica Roeper (Lower School), Chris Dalo (Accounts Receivable), Leigh Browning (Assistant Director of Communications). Second row left to right: Chris McCann (Upper School math), Hilary Takiff Weiss ’96 (Upper School art), Pam Yih (Executive Director of Home and School Association), Frank Fisher (Upper School history), Joe Dubb ’94 (First Grade). Back Row left to right: Howard Serota (Middle School math), Diego Luzuriaga (woodworking and music), Jody Mayer (Alumni/ae Relations and Annual Giving Assistant), Wendy Frame (Home and School). Missing: Dov Campbell (Middle School computer teacher), Richard Case (Physical Plant), Gail Cunningham (Library Assistant), Bill Lewis (Transportation Department), Jerry Mapp (Physical Plant).

the students who attend them. As a board member, I want to do whatever I can to help preserve and strengthen the institution.”

Matthew S. Levitties graduated from Friends’Ce rved on the Alumni/a n years and as esident of Alumni/ae d for four s.He has rved on the d of ustees of the ert Einstein Healthcare Network since 1997.

Matthew has been a Senior Portfolio Manager with the Large Cap Value Team at Chartwell Investment Partners since 2003. Prior to joining Chartwell, Matthew served as a Vice President and Portfolio Manager at Morgan Stanley Investment Management, and he was an

Assistant Vice President and Analyst at Wellington Management Company, LLP

Matthew earned his B.A. and M.A. from The Johns Hopkins University.He also earned an M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. Matthew and his wife, Anja Jefferis Levitties ’86, are the parents ofNathan ’19 and Samuel ’17.

“I am grateful for the honor and opportunity to serve on the Board of Trustees,”Matthew says.“As a graduate of Friends’Central, and a parent of two current Lower School students, I am looking forward to working with my fellow trustees to continue to foster the robust and supportive environment of the School so that the exceptional faculty and staff can continue creating new and exciting educational, athletic, artistic, and community service programs for our children. The strength of the Friends’ Central community comes from the commitment and involvement of all of its members and I am pleased to have a new role in which to participate.”

Summer Art Fills Shallcross Hall

This summer,Middle School art teacher Caroline Maw-Deis put together an art exhibition in the Shallcross Hall Gallery featuring the creative work ofFriends’ Central faculty and staff. Caroline encouraged all of her co-workers to submit any kind of creative piece, a strategy that opened the door to many who might not consider themselves “artists” in the traditional sense. As she explained, “the most important thing was that creativity could be interpreted in many ways,which allowed everybody to participate.”The

exhibit contained more than forty pieces and ranged from photos and paintings to ceramics and quilts. It even included a photo of a live music performance by Ken Reynolds of the technology department. The creative pieces kept the gallery walls looking colorful until student work could be displayed. Caroline was thrilled with the results of this first-year project, so much so that she envisions doing it again next year.

Angelina Riley ’00 was a 2007 Pennsylvania Fellow at the Center for Progressive Leadership. Each year, this program brings together a group of emerging leaders from around the state of Pennsylvania with elected officials and professionals for political training and mentorship. Angelina currently works as a Performance Improvement Coordinator for Princeton HealthCare System.

Upper School art teacher, Peter Seidel, had an award-winning summer. Seidel’s “Cleaner #8”

oil painting was the First Place Jurors’ Choice winner at the Wayne Art Center’s National Juried show. His painting “Mouthwash #4” was awarded the Silver Medal at the annual Da Vinci Art Alliance juried members show. To read more about Peter’s work, visit www.peterseidelart.com.

Amira Simon ’16 performed in the Rebecca Davis Dance Company World Premier of the new contemporary ballet Helen Keller at the Prince Music Theater this November. Amira is currently

preparing for the Pennsylvania Ballet’s annual performance of The Nutcracker

Jason Green’s ’94 new project is SoulGenesis: A Movement Through Music. SoulGenesis seeks to encourage more socially conscious and responsible living to an ethnically diverse audience through the promotion of music. The first initiative of SoulGenesis is SoulGen.com, an online community geared toward exposing viewers and members to under-represented, high quality HipHop and Soul

Artists, and this fall, their efforts were featured in Philadelphia Weekly. On their website, SoulGenesis writes, “We believe there is a growing body of individuals concerned about their local and global community. For this more socially engaged and concerned group, we hope to raise awareness of simple strategies and products that benefit self, community and environment.” To read more about SoulGenesis, visit www.SoulGen.com.

2007 National Merit and Achievement Students

Friends’ Central is delighted to announce that the National Merit Program has recognized twelve seniors as Semifinalists and Commended scholars. Over the last five years, twenty-two percent of Friends’ Central seniors have earned these distinctions. Senior Jasmine Martin has been named an Outstanding P hievement Scholarship Program for Black Americans, an academic competition that provides recognition for exceptional Black American high school students. National Merit Commended (from left): Back Row: Charles Baron; Oliver Backes, Semi-Finalist; Matthew hwald; Thomas Lefevre; Christopher Hall; Samuel Summers, Semi-Finalist; Noredy Neal; Thomas Bernard. Front Row: Rachel Erulkar; Anne Sprogell; Katherine Lindenbaum; Anthony Golan-Vilella, National Hispanic Scholar

On Monday, September 24th, the sixth grade class at Friends’ Central went to the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire to see Queen Elizabeth and her Court. The Faire offered the students the opportunity to experience a living history museum and witness first-hand the pressure that Queen Elizabeth faced to name an heir to her throne. Before going, the sixth graders also put together posters to advertise the Faire. Student Claudia Detre’s ’14 poster was chosen to represent Friends’ Central and won first place

against submissions from eight other schools.

Director of Development, Lydia Martin, mother of Nate ’14, Annie ’16, and Peter Kennedy ’18, was inducted into the Haverford College Athletic Hall of Fame in October Lydia played varsity field hockey and lacrosse all four years at Haverford. She was an All American in lacrosse, and during her senior year, the Haverford women’s lacrosse team was undefeated. Lydia joined four other

2007-2008 Film & Lecture Series Hosts Dennis Culhane

On Thursday, October 11, 2007, Dennis Culhane, a renowned homelessness expert and parent of Emmett ’09 and Aengus ’11, visited Friends’Central to give a wonderful evening lecture on his research. The first Film & Lecture event of the 2007-2008 series, Culhane’s talk was an engaging summary of the work he has done observing and comparing the patterns of homeless individuals and homeless families in multiple cities. His expertise and passion for the subject resulted in an enjoyable, interesting evening for the sizable audience of Friends’Central community members. Look for announcements about our future Film and Lecture evenings on the Friends’Central website and in the mail.

Haverford graduates to form the inaugural class inducted into the Hall of Fame and carries the distinct honor of being the first woman inducted.

Teddy Mazurek ’08 was chosen to serve on the Teen Advisory Committee for J-Serve, an annual day of service for Jewish youth throughout the world. Teddy has been participating in J-Serve for three years.

Last summer, at Briarwood Cross Country Camp, Friends’ Central team members Patrick DeSabato ’09, Ivo Milic-Strkalj ’09, and Jacob Snider ’09 were inspired by a meeting with Widener University coach Vince Touey to raise money for a cause. Touey coached star runner Macharia Yuot, one of the “Lost Boys” of the Sudan who made the incredible journey to the United States to begin a new life. Touey’s recounting of Macharia’s life story, the obstacles the Sudanese runner overcame to be a competitor in

Friends’ Central

Give Peace A Chance

In 2001, the United Nations established International Day ofPeace as an annual day ofglobal ceasefire with a fixed calendar date, largely due to the efforts ofJeremy Gilley,founder of the non-profit organization “Peace One Day.”Six years later,on Friday,September 21, 2007, Friends’ Central celebrated Peace Day for the first time with a variety ofactivities for the Lower,Middle, and Upper Schools.

The Lower School began its day with an assembly,during which they watched a short clip from Jeremy Gilley’s documentary entitled “Peace One Day.”The children were all very moved by the film and enthusiastic about participating in a global gesture. Throughout the week, in preparation for Peace Day, the children each made a pinwheel from recycled material and wrote their hopes for peace in its folds. On Friday afternoon, they gathered with their pinwheels on the field outside and formed a giant peace sign. As the wind blew,everyone’s pinwheels spun, sending their messages ofpeace out into the world. Fourth grade teacher Chris Ramsey considered the day a great success for Lower School, saying, “it was a wonderful way to begin the school year, having children [share] about the theme ofPeace in the classrooms and in the assembly.I am so happy that we took this on and made it happen.”

At the City Avenue campus, Middle and Upper School students also found various ways to observe International Day

ofPeace. In the early morning, fifth and seventh graders put their pinwheels at the School entrance for all to see throughout the day.Those who were in the cafeteria on Friday afternoon witnessed a rare event: a moment of silence during lunchtime to reflect on peace and cooperation among all the worlds’ citizens. The silence in a typically busy and noisy environment was a powerful experience for students and teachers alike. Also during lunch, students crowded around a table to

the 2008 Olympic Trials this fall, and, as DeSabato said, Macharia’s “will to persevere everyday without the guarantee that [he would] find food, water, or shelter” inspired DeSabato, Milic-Strkalj, and Snider to raise money for the organization “Doctors Without Borders,” a medical program provides emergency aid to areas facing humanitarian crises. The three boys, along with the rest of their team, took pledges for every 5k race that they ran this fall, calling themselves “Runners for Life,” and by the end of the season, had raised close to $6,000. They hope

to get other teams involved in their fundraising efforts.

College Counseling Co-Director, Carrie Brodsky, has been invited to join Penn State’s “High School Counselor Advisory Group.” Twice a year, the University’s key management personnel meet with this small group of high school college counselors to seek feedback and engage in discussion about current processes, trends, issues, and concerns relating to Penn State admissions. Carrie will be a member of this group for the next three years.

(Left) Lower School Celebrates Peace Day

(Bottom left) Upper School Making Cranes

(Bottom right) Middle School

Celebrates Peace Day: Lia Jo DeStefano '14, Peter Dissinger '14, and Anne Goldberg '14

make origami cranes to send to a Hiroshima war memorial this spring. Finally, at the end of the day, the Middle School students hurried out behind the Fannie Cox Center and held hands to form their own human peace sign. Everyone waved with excitement as a news helicopter passed overhead. On both campuses, International Day of Peace was a tremendous success at Friends’Central, one we hope will be repeated for years to come.

Anna Lynn-Palevsky ’13 is getting ready to attend a winter branch of the Strings International Music Festival, a prestigious music camp featuring Kimberly Fisher, Principal Second Violinist for the Philadelphia Orchestra, and other Orchestra members as faculty. In May, after performing well in the Gold Key Musical Competition, Anna was invited to play in Carnegie Hall. She chose to perform the Prelude from Debussy’s Suite Bergamasque on the piano.

Sally Marie Carson Gorsline ’46 was awarded an honorary title by

the French government in recognition of her contributions to the region of Burgundy. Marie lives in Bussy-le-Grand, a town in Burgundy, where she runs the Musee d’Amour The museum, which Marie began in 1994, honors the work of her late husband, painter Douglas Gorsline, as well as other local artists.

Nicolas Pavao ’14 finished 7th out of a field of 145 runners at the 20th Annual Germantown Friends’ Cross Country invitational. His finish time was 11:16 for 2k (1.8 miles).

It’s a Family Affair...

LOWER SCHOOL

Children of Alumni/ae Parents or Grandparents Left to Right

Front Row: Lily Selkow ’21, Dylan Buchholz ’21, Phoebe Dubb ’21, Kieran McDonnell ’21, Beau Greisiger ’21

Second Row: Ava Hawkins ’21, Alexander McDonnell ’18, Annie Roberts ’18, Aubrey Schall ’18, Jane Whellan ’20, Emma Gordon ’20

Third Row: Ben Klein ’19, Hannah Grossman ’19, Rose McDonnell ’18, Leah Broker ’19, Amelia McDonnell ’18, E. Sebastian Villa ’20

Fourth Row: Nathan Levitties ’19, Ayla Bleznak ’19, Chloe Hawkins ’19, Jacob Grossman ’18, Dane Greisiger ’18, Mathew Fiebach ’18

Fifth Row: Amira Simon ’16, Cole Snyder ’17, David Vonderheide ’17, Grace Getlin ’17, Albert Bleznak ’17, Caroline Getlin ’17, Samuel Levitties ’17

Sixth Row: Jesse Rubin ’16, Joshua Fiebach ’16, Bruno Vogrig ’16, Steven Folwell ’16, J. Alexander Andrews ’17

Missing: Amari Aiken ’17, Kaia Aiken ’20, and Michael Moyerman ’20

UPPER SCHOOL

Children of Alumni/ae Parents or Grandparents

Left to Right

Back Row: Samuel Morris ’08, Scott Kunz ’08, Richard Moses ’09, Edward Rooney ’10, Kenneth Ludwig ’08, Daniel Fedder ’08, Akiva Goldstein ’11

Middle Row: Elizabeth McElroy ’09, Michael DiLuca ’10, Natalie Willis ’09, Natasha Willis ’10, Katrina Knight ’11, Margaret Bowie ’09, Rachael Fishman ’11

Front Row: Jaime Clough ’10, Jaime Hyman ’11, Matthew Fedder ’11, Matthew Hyman ’09

Missing: Danie Bendesky '11, Rachael Erulkar ’08, Douglas Roberts ’11

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Children of Alumni/ae Parents or Grandparents

Left to right

Back Row: Taylor Allen ’14, Jonathan Newman ’12, Isabel Terres ’12, Samantha Resnik ’12, Antonia DiLuca ’12, John Bowie ’12, Nathan Willis ’13, Jerome Allen ’14, Katherine McElroy ’12, Briana Folwell ’13

Middle Row: Jonas Snyder ’15, Bryan Rubin ’14, Rebecca LeBow ’14, Maya Rosenberg ’14, Jason Clough ’13, Michael Andrews ’13, Garrett Getlin ’14

Front Row: Noah Snyder ’15, Kevin Bendesky ’15, Sophie Ritt ’15, Grace McDonnell ’15

Missing: Colin Roberts ’14

Fall Athletics Wrap Up

Our fall was a busy one, characterized by an overall sense ofaccomplishment. Of special note is how the weather was on our side with only two rain days during the regular season. We were able to get in most of our games on schedule!

Our Varsity and Junior Varsity teams showed up on campus on August 27 to begin another year ofrepresenting Friends’Central in the best sense. We are proud of our teams’ level of play this fall and the way in which they conducted themselves.

Keith and I are both indebted to our coaches. The amount oftime, energy, and good will that they put into their respective teams and seasons is remarkable.

Linda McConnell, Girls’Athletic Director

boys’ cross country

Record: 9-1

2nd Place Friends Schools League

2nd Place PA State Independent Schools Meet

Coach: Ed Soto

Captains: Patrick DeSabato ’09, Jacob Snider ’09

MVP:Patrick DeSabato ’09

MIP:Alex Sheltzer ’11

All Friends Schools League: Patrick DeSabato ’09, Ivo Milic-Strkalj ’09, Jacob Snider ’09, H.M. Alex Sheltzer ’11

All State: Patrick DeSabato ’09 (1st team), Ivo Milic-Strkalj ’09 (2nd team), Jacob Snid r ’09 (2nd team)

girls’ cross country

Record: 4-4

Coach: Jernell Mapp

Captains: Madeleine Friel ’08, Jillian Glen ’09

MVP:Jillian Glen ’09

MIP:Jacquelyn Maldonado ’10, Elizabeth Mitnick ’09

All Friends Sc

boys’ soccer

Record: 7-9-2

Coach: Chris Campbell

Assistant Coach: Dan Crowley

Captains: Michael Dohrmann ’08, Matthew Bernstein ’08, Daniel Fedder ’08

MVP: Daniel Fedder ’08

MIP:Colin Yarnell ’08

l Friends School League: Daniel Fedder ’08, Mathew Bernstein ’08, H.M. Michael Pasek ’08

girls’ soccer

Record: 7-7-2

oach: Keith Bradburd tains: Sarah Bradburd ’08, Cayla Huppert ’08, Lindsay Nadkarni ’08

MVP:Sarah Bradburd ’08, Lindsay Nadkarni ’08

MIP:Hannah Shaw ’10, Jaime Hyman ’11

field hockey Record: 3-10

Coach: Jody Mayer

Captains: Isabel Friedman ’08, Lindsey Elkin ’08, Hope Spector ’08

MVP:Nicole Deutschman ’09

MIP: Gabriella Capone ’10

All F nds Schools L

All Friends Schools League: Sarah Bradburd ’08, Lindsay Nadkarni ’08, H.M. Cayla Huppert ’08

girls’ tennis

Record: 13-1

Friends Schools League Champions (4th consecutive year)

Friends Schools League Individual

Champions: Ariel Several ’09, second singles; Sarah Weingarten ’10, third singles; Julia Ellis-Kahana ’09 and Hallie Greitzer ’10, first doubles; Anne Sprogell ’08 and Alexi Several ’11, second doubles.

Coach: Jason Henderson

Captains: Anne Sprogell ’08, Amanda Zeiger ’08

MVP:Julia Ellis-Kahana ’09

MIP:Anne Sprogell ’08

All Friends Schools League: Emily Rosenblum ’09, Ariel Several ’09, Sarah Weing ten ’10, Julia EllisKahana ’09,

waterpolo

Record: 2-10

Coach: Iain Anderson, Ed Davis

Captain: Bryan Farrar ’08

MVP:Bryan Farrar ’08

MIP:Aengus Culhane ’11

Most Valuable Players (from left): (back row) Julia Ellis Kahana '09, Tennis; Bryan Farrar '08, Water Polo; Pat DeSabato '09, Cross Country (front row) Lindsay Nadkarni '08, Soccer; Sarah Bradburd '08, Soccer; Jillian Glen '09, Cross Country; and Nicole Deutschman '09, Field Hockey.

Most Improved Players (from left): (back row) Jaime Hyman '11, Soccer; Hannah Shaw '10, Soccer; Elizabeth Mitnick '09, Cross Country; Alex Sheltzer '11, Cross Country; Colin Yarnell '08, Soccer. (front row) Anne Sprogell '08, Tennis; and Gabriella Capone '10, Field Hockey. Missing: Aengus Culhane '11

Alumni/ae Athletic Report: Fall Season

Recap

cross country

Ian Ramsey-North ’03 had a terrific fall season for the Haverford College men’s cross country team, ranked 6th in Division III. He was named to the Division III Cross Country All-American team after finishing 16th overall at championships.

Robert Ricketts ’06 and the LaSalle University men’s cross country team claimed their sixth Atlantic 10 Conference championship in the last seven seasons (they finished second in 2005).

Katie Bash ’06 helped the Bates’College women’s cross country team finish in 7th place at the New England Small College Athletic Conference championships. Bash was the sixth Bates runner, and seventyfifth overall runner,to cross the finish line.

Soccer

Zach Weimer ’06 played five games in goal (three starts) for the Swarthmore College men’s soccer team this fall. In those five games, Weimer managed to allow only one goal, on fifteen saves, with a team best .938 saves percentage. As of

4-0-0 Ivy League record. Friedman, who ored a goal and five assists in fourteen ames this season for Pennsylvania, was the star player for the Friends’Central ’ soccer team that won the Friends hools League championship in 2005. She was named to the Women’s Soccer vy League Team as an Honorable ntion.

Field Hockey

tober 24, 2007 Swarthmore had a 10-3-3 all record, including an undefeated n-league record.

ysburg College men’s soccer defender Drew Erikson ’06 started six games for the Bullets this season, while playing in fifteen. Gettysburg secured a playoff spot, finishing the season in 4th-place in the Centennial Conference.

Former Friends’Central soccer star Galen Guindon ’06 had a fabulous season for Goucher College, starting all eighteen games they played. Guindon, who had two goals and four assists this season, helped lead Goucher to a 8-9-1 overall record. He was also named to the Landmark Conferences second team.

Emily Olson ’07 was the anchor on the defense for the Muhlenberg College women’s soccer team this fall. The Muhlenberg freshman helped the Mules record a 7-6-1 overall record, and a 4-4-1 Centennial Conference record. Joining Olson on the Muhlenberg soccer team was fellow Friends’Central graduate Julie Roberts ’07. Roberts joined Olson on defense for the Mules.

The University of Pennsylvania’s women’s soccer midfielder Sarah Friedman ’07 has helped lead the Quakers to an 11-2-1 overall record and a

Friends’ Central graduate Meeran Ahn ’04 completed her senior season for Haverford College’s women’s field hockey team this fall. The Fords finished the season 7-11 overall, which was their second consecutive seven-win season. Before last season, Haverford had not had a seven-win season since 1999.

Tennis

Karen Lavi ’06 opened the fall tennis season well for the Haverford College women’s tennis team, after she defeated her Chestnut Hill College opponent 6-1, 6-3 in the Haverford Fall Invitational. She went on to finish the Invitational with a 2-1 singles record, and a 1-2 doubles record. This fall tennis season is a warm up for Lavi for when league matches begin in the spring

Football

Better known to the Friends’ Central community as a wrestler, Jacob Fogel ’07 used his grit and determination to walk onto the Oberlin College football team this fall. Although Fogel saw limited minutes this year for Oberlin (3-5 Overall, 3-2 League), it is an accomplishment to make a college football team coming fr school without a am.

In Memoriam

The Friends’ Central School community was deeply saddened this summer when Christopher Campbell, Jr. ’04, died unexpectedly on Wednesday,August 15, 2007.At the time, Chris was preparing for his senior year as a star midfielder on the Franklin and Marshall College soccer team.

On Sunday,August 19, close to 700 people gathered in Shallcross Hall for a memorial service organized by several ofChris’s friends from Friends’Central. The many memories shared during the service by Chris’s childhood friends, school friends, college teammates, teachers, and family paid tribute to his passion for sports, loyalty to his friends and family, and extraordinary effervescence.

The Friends’Central community will continue to remember Chris in several ways.

This fall, the boys’varsity soccer team wore black armbands with Chris’s #10 on them.

Friends’Central has placed a granite marker with Chris’s name and #10 on the soccer field where both home and away teams enter the field. We will be placing a plaque in Chris’s memory on the large rock between the lacrosse and soccer fields. We will be establishing a soccer fund in Chris’s name that will be maintained as an endowment and will be the beneficiary of an annual soccer clinic run by the boys’ soccer team. Finally, the Friends Schools League has named the boys’All State Soccer Player Award in honor ofChris. The award states:

“Character is what sets great athletes apart from good athletes, great teammates apart from good ones. It is the foundation on which the Friends Schools League rests. Chris Campbell, Jr. is remembered for his exceptional combination ofcharacter and athleticism. He played hard, played fair, and played for the love of the game.

This All State Award recognizes players who strive to do the same.”

As his friends wrote in the program for his memorial service, “For many of us, Chris was and will continue to be a compass, and though the needle may lie still, it will forever point in the direction ofwhat is good and what is right. Twenty one years is shorter than any of us would have liked, but thankfully it is long enough. Whatever our own passions might be, wherever we are in this world and in life, remember Chris, and walk in his direction.”

Lower School: Campus Log

Friends’ Central Joins the Philadelphia Dragon Boat Festival

This October, two Lower School faculty members,Kim Parris and Heather Exley,co-led a group ofteachers to great success in a most unorthodox sport. For the first time, members of the Friends’Central School community participated in the Philadelphia Dragon Boat Festival at Fairmount Park. Dragon boat racing originates from ancient China, and the Festival has been a tradition in Philadelphia for the past five years.Crews of twenty-one must expertly propel large flat water canoes, elaborately designed and painted to look like Chinese dragons, along the Schuylkill River.The Friends’Central team consisted of fifteen faculty members, five faculty spouses, and one parent. The team started the day off strong, making their best time in the first race and finishing ahead of the Shipley team. Their good time in the first race put them in a more challenging division for the rest of the day, and their spirits remained high through two other races. Friends’Central finished the day with what the team considered to be their best-paddled race. To top off all their success, team drummerJean Taranta received this year’s “Amazing Drummer Award” and was pictured on the Dragon Boat Festival homepage: www.philadragonboatfestival.com. Kim

Magic Lines and Colorful ages: Learning to Write in Lower School

ning to write at Friends’ Central ins in pre-kindergarten with the art orytelling.In the PKA classroom this October, the young students were sting to tell stories about their time at the Pumpkin Fair, so Mrs. Kallam broke it down into steps. First, everyone drew a picture of the story they wanted to tell, making sure to use plenty of fall colors. Next, they each spent time one-on-one with their teacher verbalizing the story they had drawn. To the best of their ability, they tried to write down the sounds that Mrs. Kallam helped them hear in the words they were saying.If they couldn’t match a letter to the sound, they wrote a “magic line”to symbolize that letter. Finally, Mrs.Kallam wrote beneath their writing in “adult writing” the words that they intended to write. The result? Their illustrated words, tucked away in their writing journals: a permanent record of the journey of learning to write. This process occurs one to two times a week in pre-kindergarten and fits into the larger program of “Kidwriting,” an integrated approach to writing in which phonics instruction is an essential and planned part ofevery week. Children learn to sound out words without the pressure ofbeing wrong—ifthey

Parris said of her colleague, “Jean has a way ofencouraging people to come together and was a great team builderbecause of her contagious positive energy. She is so inspirational as an individual who continues to learn, love, laugh and look for new ways to make the world a better place.”

Congratulatio o Jean and t ne in ol d!

don’t know a word or letter, they simply write a “magic line.” Kidwriting continues into kindergarten and then first grade, where students write daily in their journals. The program, introduced in 2003 by then kindergarten teacher Melanie Yulman,is immensely gratifying for both teachers and students. Remarking on her students’progress this year,Kristi Kallam explains, “PKA began journals the second week of school and already I’ve seen the difference. Many ofmy students are taking more risks in their writing and are writing more than a few words. Many more are participating in our daily phonic lessons and are making connections among letters and sounds on their own. Last year was my first year teaching pre-kindergarten and implementing this modified program. I now look at those students I taught last year and see how confident their writing and reading skills are in kindergarten. It is very rewarding.”

Lower School: Campus Log

Scenes

from “The Renaissance World” Lower School’s fall thematic project

A Scientific Experiment in Friendship

Looking into a room full ofeighth graders calmly drawing portraits in crayon with their kindergarten buddies, you might not realize you were witnessing rigorous scientific observation. But the eighth graders are more than role models and friends in the colorful kindergarten classrooms; they are also scientists ofcognitive development. As a supplement to the human development segment of their science class, the eighth graders meet with the kindergartners and pre-kindergarteners a number oftimes during the year.The first few times, the students get to know each other through various activities and projects. In February, the eighth graders use the experiments of

lopmental psyhologist Jean Piaget to evaluate their buddies, and as their final project they write up a lab report of their conclusions based on the observations they made. Make no mistake, the kindergarteners are doing their fair share ofobservation, too, and their watchful eyes follow every move the “big kids” make. Perhaps most importantly, in the midst of their mutual scrutiny,both sets of students get to forge new friendships, drawing, playing, and chatting away until it’s time to say goodbye.

Middle School Adventure Day: A

Friends’ Central Tradition

This fall, Middle School students from fifth, sixth, and eighth grade continued a tradition that is now twenty years old: Middle School Adventure Day.

Former principal Mike Mersky established Adventure Day in 1987 to provide sixth and eighth grade students with a unique activity during the week-long seventh grade trip to Echo Hill. The first Adventure Day offered a choice between just two outdoor activities. Since then, Adventure Day has grown significantly. This year,Friends’Central offered six activities for students in fifth, sixth, and eight grades, including two biking trips, a hike through Valley Green, rock climbing at the Philadelphia Rock Gym, canoeing down the Brandywine River,rafting down the Delaware River, and a ropes course canopy tour at Spring Mountain. According to Mark Fifer,Adventure Day has now become “essential to the Middle School experience.”

Adventure Day encourages community-building as well as fun, as students of different ages work together to overcome physical obstacles and ensure that everyone succeeds. Older students help the younger students and gain an important sense of leadership.As Jonathan Newman ’12 explains, “ as an eighth grader you need to take on more responsibility, [but] it’s still a lot of fun.”The outdoor activities enable students and teachers alike to “see the classroom as something beyond just the four walls,” says Fifer.Middle School teacher Michelle Crowley feels that watching students overcome the challenges they face in this environment is just as fulfilling for faculty as it is for the students themselves: “The excitement and pride that the students [feel] accomplishing the individual challenges is as rewarding for a teacher as having them ace a test.”

(Middle

and

Upper School: Campus Log

The Distinguished Scientist Program: Part Two

As a follow-up to National Geographic anthropologist and ethnobotanist Wade Davis’visit last spring, faculty members John Gruber,Megan Schumacher,Maria Socorro, and Jason Kramer took twentyfour Upper School students on an overnight trip to Washington D.C. in June. Davis was the first guest of the Distinguished Visiting Scientist Program, which invites scientists to come to Friends’Central and talk to students about their research, both in a lecture format and in individual science classrooms. At the end of the year, a self-selecting group of students then travels to the scientist’s research center to enhance their understanding of the lectures. In Davis’ case, it was a challenge to find a suitable place to visit, as much of his work takes place in foreign countries, not in a traditional laboratory.John landed on Washington, D.C. because students could see Davis’ home base, National Geographic, and also experience and think deeply about the themes of his talk through the many museum exhibitions in the area.

In D.C., students were able to explore Davis’ studies ofbiodiversity and cultural diversity from many different perspectives, visiting exhibits that ranged from Native American cultural artifacts to photographs taken by refugees in Uganda to rare and endangered species of plants and animals at the U.S. Botanical Gardens and the National Zoo.Gruber felt that the

nts “were aging in the hest academic erprise. They d a chance to ehind the nes, to see the ess ofgenering this research.”

After dinner, students spent the evening in a conference room at the Hyatt, sharing their thoughts and discussing the various ways that the exhibitions they attended presented different cultures. The students’ engagement and interest in Davis’work speaks to the great success of the Visiting Scientist program. As one student wrote, “My experience with Wade Davis and the activities surrounding his appearance at Friends’Central have been nothing short of life altering.My appreciation for being given the opportunity to be exposed to such a point ofview is inexpressible. Mr Davis has provided me with the rope to connect the incredibly vast and marvelous ethnosphere that is our world.”

Teaching Non-Violence

Supported by a Clayton Farraday Master Teachers’Summer Stipend, Upper School teacher Mik aud ff d the Universit

past July to take part in the “Educators for Nonviolence”conference. Mike co-led “Teaching Nonviolence to High Schoolers” with Jill Dalander Johnson, a teacher from Oakley,California’s Freedom High School. The two educators taught their workshop participants about how to gather materials and develop curricula in peace studies. Mike remarked, “It was great to share our knowledge with such an energetic group ofeducators.In addition to giving the workshop,collaborating with Jill was inspiring. I think we were able to offer important information to everyone who attended our session.”

During the summer,Mike refined the curriculum he had been planning for a course called “Peace Studies: Nonviolent Social Change.”The course, offered to eleventh and twelfth graders this fall, is Friends’Central’s first Peace Studies class. The curriculum moves from the micro/personal to the macro/international scale of investigation, studying conflict and peaceful resolutions in contexts that range from interpersonal relationships to peace and reconciliation in South Africa. Mike reports that his new course is off to a strong start, and his students would tend to agree. Senior Erica Carey is both excited and challenged by the course material, which has the students reading a great variety ofperspectives on the subject ofpeace. Some of the college-level readings include Stanley Milgram’s infamous experiment, selections from The Ghandi Reader, and Charles Dobson’s The ublemaker’s Teaparty.In addition to the readings, Erica especially enjoys the lass dynamic, because she and her peers e not in it for a school transcript, but cause we want to know the information o make decisions for ourselves about w we want to exist as peaceful people.” ost recently,Mike’s students enjoyed a isit from George Lakey, a visiting profesr at Swarthmore College in the Peace and Conflict Studies Department who aled them with tales of his “civil disdience” in the name ofpeace and mised he would be their first phone call were they ever themselves imprisoned on similar grounds.

Friends’ Central Contemplates Climate Change

On Thursday, October 4, Friends’Central tenth and eleventh graders observed Climate Change Day,devoting themselves to the exploration of some of the numerous facets ofglobal climate change. Grant Calder,one of the primary organizers of the day, explained that it allowed students, faculty, and administrators to “share ideas and concerns, and perhaps more importantly to talk about what we can do to live sustainably on our planet.”

Students, faculty, and administrators alike paid tribute to the day in the early morning by using alternative means of transportation to get to school. In all, science teacher John Gruber calculates that over 225 miles were not driven by FCS commuters who walked, rode bikes, took public transit and carpooled to campus that morning.The day continued with a screening ofAl Gore’s documentary An Inconvenient Truth. After the film, students split into discussion groups to cover a range oftopics. In one, a Septa engineer spoke to students about public transportation and Septa’s efforts to produce cleaner emissions. In other groups, their

own campus: one group analyzed soil samples outside the language building,while another used a telescope to view spots on the sun. Still others took a more political stance, researching local environmental issues and writing letters to various government officials. The successful day was followed up by an assembly on Friday, serendipitously the day Al Gore received the Nobel Peace Prize, where students gave short but thoughtful presentations of their groups’activities to the rest of the school. The students’enthusiasm was mirrored by faculty:Biology teacher Melinda Yin, who came up with the idea for Climate Change Day,wrote “I was warmly encouraged by the student response to these issues, and the work they did in small groups ns….Our students rose to the chale of an overwhelming and disheartening subject and conered it thoughtfully and pasnately.Rather than becoming eated by the enormity ofclie change, they embraced ir ability to make a difference and inspired me.”

Dracula

This year’s fall production was a spooky treat! Upper School Students performed Bram Stoker’s Dracula on October 26 and 27 for an enthusiastic audience. Getting everyone in the Halloween spirit, Doctor Van Helsing,Jonathan Harker, and other neighbors ofCarfax Castle joined forces to vanquish the ultimate in evil, Count Dracula himself. Dracula starred Alec Unkovic ’08 as Dracula, David Eschenazi ’09 as Professor Van Helsing, Amy Corenswet ’09 as Mina Harker, and Julia Romano ’09 as Lucy Westenra.

We are all looking forward to the next production, Shakepeare’s The Tempest on Februar

Friends’CentralSchool Opening Doors for Young People Since 1845

One of the most wonderful aspects of Friends’ Central is the strong sense of community that pervadestheSchool. It is hoped that everyone connected to Friends’ CentralwillmaketheAnnualGivingCampaign a philanthropic priority. Pleasejoininthecommonmissionofendorsing the School through the Campaign and help open doors for all the young people at Friends’ Central. THANK YOU

Ifwe would

lear n what the human r ace really is at bottom,we need only observe it in election times.

—Mark

Twain’s Autobiography by Samuel Clemens

BEYOND VOTING: FRIENDS' CENTRAL ALUMNI/AE

TALK ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF POLITICS

Samuel Clemens would have had a field day with elections today! The passionate trumpeting ofcauses,the partisan bickering,the reasonsindividuals choose to vote or not,the manipulation ofhistory,design,and emotion in ad campaigns,the media frenzy,andthe pageantry surrounding a candidate’s appearances all speak volumes about what our society values and craves.As we gear upfor a presidential campaign full ofhistoricalfirsts,we talked to several Friends’Central alumni/ae whose business it is to analyze our behavior, shape our reactions, and rouse our emotions during election times.

—Rebecca H.Anderson

MAKING A DIFFERENCE AS A CAMPAIGN STRATEGIST

Politics is like theater to me,”says Jill Banks Barad ’57. “There are the a ctors out front and the directors who work behind the scenes pulling the show together.The business ofpolitics happens offstage.”Jill is the owner ofJill Barad & Associates,a Los Angeles-based political consulting,public relations,and government affairs firm.She has provided consulting and campaign management for federal, state,local and judicial campaigns,as well as statewide and local ballot measures. She has produced millions ofpieces of campaign literature for candidates and issues statewide in California.

Jill’s theater analogies are wellearned,since she began her professional

lifeon stage—first here at Friends’Central where she was involved in just about every production,then at Temple Universitywhere she majored in theater, and on stagein Philadelphia,including the Playhouse in the Park.When Jill moved to Los Angeles and started a family,she became involved in her community with local candidates and issues.It was an easy transition,she explains.“I grew up in a politicalfamily where being political meant being actively involved in the community.”

As Jill increasingly became associated with particular causes,she started organizing parties for the candidates who supported them.Suddenly,she was on her way to her current position as one of California’s top political fundraisers.“I became known for having the best lists,” Jill says,referring to the political campaign donor lists.“One day,it occurred to me

that these lists should be worth something,so I went into business as a professional fundraiser for local and then statewide candidates.”

In 1980,Jill said to herself, “I want to do what the big boys do;I want to do it all”and so she formed her own company and went to work as a political strategist and consultant,co-managing a statewide ballot proposition and managingseveral Los Angeles City Council races.Since then she has worked with politicians and candidates,including current California Lt.Governor John Garamendi,Secretary ofState Debra Bowen,and numerous members ofthe California legislature and Los Angeles City Council.Jill has also taught political public relations,media and fundraising courses at UCLA since 1988,where she tells her students again and again that politics is all about the money.“You can be the best candidatein the world,but without money,you can’t make your message.”

Jill’s pronouncement is disillusioning to her students.“They think they are going to run a ‘grass-roots’campaign. They don’t realize that you need money to run a grass roots campaign.You need money for literature,advertising and for mailing.You need money to target the ne ighborhoods you need to walk.You need money to print up the pamphlets to

leave when you walk door to door.”

Jill knows first hand how important money is—when she ran for Los Angeles City Council in 2001,she had the overwhelming suppor t ofthe city and state elected officials and the unions,walked hundreds ofprecincts,and thought she had a comfortable campaign fund. But a young attor ne y came out ofnowhere with money raised by his father,a wellconnected downtown Los Angeles attorney, that nearly doubled her total.“I sent out five mailers,”Jill explains.“He had the money to send out twenty-five.”Without any key endorsements or union support, the young attorney won.

Although Jill now jokingly refers to herselfas a “recovering politician,”she is excited by the growing number of women involved in politics.When she first started running political campaigns, she was one ofthe very few to break into the “old boys club”ofcampaign management.Even today,it is difficult for women in political campaign management.

“One ofthe most exciting things ever for me as a woman in politics was being at the 1984 convention when Geraldine Ferraro was nominated for Vice President.All she had to say was,‘My name is Geraldine’and the place went w ild.”When asked about the current presidential campaign,Jill is confident

Jill Banks Barad ‘57 introduces Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaragosia at a major campaign fundraising event at her home.

that Hillary will energize compassionate men and activate female voters.“A woman’s ability to speak as a candidate and as a mother tends to make her more believable and trustwor thy,”she argues. “A woman can market her message differently than a man can.She can draw on her experiences and translate the big political issues in human terms.”

Jill is a key player in Los Angeles politics where she is a frequent panelist commenting on the political issues and campaigns of the day.She is an elected Board member ofthe Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council,where she is serving her third term as President.She has also served on task forces and commissions and is a friend and supporter ofLos Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaragosia.

Jill remains passionate about her life in politics.“I always felt,and I still do, that I can make a difference.Most ofus involved in politics have this conviction at our core.”Having gone from behind the stage to the front ofthe stage as a candidate,Jill knows both sides ofthe curtain and the adrenaline rush ofboth the theater and politics.Yet,she still says whether as a candidate or campaign strategist,“no matter how intense the emotional roller coaster ride ofthis business,you hopefully never lose that sense that you can make a difference in the world.”

UNDERSTANDING THE RESULTS ONE VOTE AT A TIME

How does a mechanical engineer end up sitting in front ofthe camera “calling”the presidential elections for CNN?

“When I was a senior at Princeton,I saw the perfect job posted at Career Services,” explains Joe Lenski ’83 by way ofan answer.“It was for CBS News working in the election survey unit.But first I had to explain how my engineering studies qualified me for a job focused on politics.So I told the interviewer that I could nameall one hundred United States Senators.‘No one can do that,’he said.After three or four states,I had made my point.”

In the election survey unit at CBS, Joe worked on statistical computations and modeling under Warren Mitofsky, the father ofexit polling.In 1967, Mitofsky pioneered the use ofexit polls to project w inners in elections.His ideas changed the way the media covers elections as well as the expectations the general public has about how and when it learns results.

Today,Joe runs Edison Media Research,a company he founded in 1994. At Edison,Joe conducts market research and survey projects for newspapers,television and radio stations,cable networks, record labels,and Internet companies. Since 2003,in conjunction with Mitofsky International,Edison has been conducting the exit poll projections for all six major news organizations—ABC,CBS, NBC,CNN,FOX,and the Associated Press.In 2002,Edison conducted the CNN RealVote project that put Joe on the air. Joe has always been interested in politics.At Princeton,he took six courses on politics alongside his work toward his engineering degree,and when he was at Friends’Central,he combined his passion for politics with his affinity for statistics and systems in a way that directly foreshadowed his later career path—Joe wrote and conducted surveys for the School

newspaper.“I was cleaning out my parents’ basement recently,and I found an old article I had written for the Middle School paper.I had done a poll ofthe 1976 Carter/Ford election in which I had Carter wining.”Even in sixth grade,Joe had devised a way to accurately predict results!

Exit polling during an election is an enormous undertaking that involves close to 3,000 people in the field,distributing questionnaires to voters as they leave the polls.For a presidential election,110,000 questionnaires are distributed,roughly 2,000 per state,and processed in a short, 12-hour period.The news organizations control the editorial side ofthe polling; they determine the questions,the states to target,and the specific numbers ofquestionnaires per state.Joe and his team are responsible for mobilizing this army of interviewers,for reading and processing the data,and finally,for distributing the results to the networks.

Two ofthe biggest challenges Joe faces are working with a fixed deadline and maintaining the security ofthe information he collects.There is no room,or time,for error in exit polling.Elections don’t wait just because a polling system fails or a computer goes down.So Joe spends most ofhis time testing and retesting the massive data collecting system that he has designed and runs—grateful each time for his background in engineering.

The Internet has exponentially increased the amount ofattention that must be paid to security.Most survey results,Joe explains,are phoned into a central data collecting headquarters; occasionally hand held devices are used. In either instance,the possibility ofinformation being leaked is a great concern. Starting in 2006,all exit poll results gathered during the day have remained in a Quarantine Room that does not have any phone lines,computers,or wireless capability.At 5:00 p.m.,the room is opened up and the reporters can be briefed all at once.

The Internet has had another effect on Joe’s job as well.“With 24 hours cable news,internet,political bloggers,every-

one needs information to chew on and a nalyze immediately,”Joe says.“The information I generate and disseminate has become part ofthe mainstream political discourse,and it gets attention now before,during and after an actual election.”

“There is nothing I enjoy more than Election Day,”Joe says with satisfaction.

“It is a real high when the votes come in, especially since I get to look at data before anyone else.I have information that no one else knows until I collect it.I’ve grown somewhat addicted to it!”

One ofthe first times Joe felt the rush ofelection-fervor was when he was a student at Friends’Central:“Carter did a

whistle-stop train tour that brought him to Overbrook station during his campaign. I remember that the whole School marched,class by class,down to the station to hear him.Seeing a presidential candidate speak in person was incredibly moving and memorable.”It certainly seems as ifthis mechanical engineer was destined for a life in politics.

MEET THE PRESS

“I’ll be glad to reply to or dodge your questions,depending on what I think will he lp our election most,”George H.W. Bush once said to a reporter,and Bill Clinton declared,“What you heard me say was not what you thought I said!”As the reactions ofthese two presidents illustrates,the media’s coverage ofpoliticians’ de cisions, opinions, and a ct ions—both past and present, professional and personal—carries a lot ofweight,sometimes as much as what politicians themselves say and do.Recently Friends’Central caught up with Jim Rutenberg ’87,political reporter for The New York Times,to get an inside look at the power ofthe press. Jim started his career in 1991 at a local New York City paper,hustled his way to the New York Post and then the Daily News as a gossip stringer. The Observer hired him to cover the television industry and finally,in 2000,he was hired by The Times for that same beat. D uring the 2003/2004 election season, Jim began covering media strategy and political news for The Times,and from April 2005 to October 2007,he covered the White House.“When I was out of school,working in a bar,broke,I wanted to cover the White House for The Times. But ifI could have seen my future,I would have come up with a different plan,”Jim jokes.“A president generates a ton ofnews.”

With another presidential campaign under way,Jim is back on the campaign trail,focusing on what the candidates do

to reach voters and how they interact with the media.For Jim,the thirteen months preceding a presidential election are a rush.“Once the campaign is on,you figure there is no time off,”he explains. “I go after the story,I go where my editor wants,I go where I think there is news— in that order.And I have to be prepared to go with a moment’s notice.It is not at all a normal way ofliving.”

Despite the busyness,the life ofa political reporter is also a lot offun.“We work 18 hour days,7 days a week.We go to sleep and we are up again in 4 hours, especially on the White House beat.But there is a lot ofcamaraderie,too.”Jim says.“You are with the same group of reporters,from lots ofdifferent news organizations.The challenge is to break of

the pack,to differentiate your coverage from theirs.”

So what does it take,I asked Jim,to win an election,or to have a successful campaign?

“Every election is different,”he answered.“What is important is to be for something and have a vision and a plan. Bush had a plan,and people were surprised,but he did try to execute that plan, granted with some serious diversions. This election,reporters will want to listen even more closely to policy issues.”

How easy it is for reporters to listen to—or to hear a candidate’s take on an issue depends,in part,on how the candidate interacts with the media.From Jim’s perspective,“I have been doing this for fifteen years and my sense is that the candidates who have been more transparent w ith the media,have had more lasting political success.”Jim uses Bush and Giuliani as examples ofcandidates who have b een hard for the press to get to know. “Ultimately,when they hit harder patches,their difficult media relations cont r ibute d to their low ratings,which got in the way of the ir governing. Clinton and Reagan,Jim says,were great communicators.“ They each had plenty of fights with the press and a certain level of hostility,but they understood how to work the press and as a result were able to come back from serious lows.”

This election,Jim will be looking carefully at a relatively new type ofpress relations—how the campaigns interact with the activist bloggers.At the moment, it is too early to know what effect the bloggers will have,although “bloggers can really shift the dynamics ofa candidacy, especially in the primaries.There is more room for volatility in an election because ofthe presence ofbloggers,”he says.

As a journalist,bloggers put Jim in an interesting position.“I’ll be covering the bloggers and they’ll be covering me covering them!”They also pose a challenge to the traditional objectivity of reporters.“I predict nothing.That’s why I love covering politics,”says Jim.Bloggers,

on the other hand,“critique from a partisan angle,and one ofthe challenges for us (print journalists) is appreciating the legitimacy ofthat argument.”Still,Jim is quick to point out the important role the bloggers can play.“Last time around,they flagged issues we were missing.After all,it took a conservative blogger to get behind Dan Rather’s coverage ofBush’s military record.”Surprises such as the Rather/Bush story keep reporters going.While the rest ofus spend the better part ofan election season looking for certainty so we can cast a vote,journalists thrive on breaking news and unexpected disclosures.”What I love is the unpredictability ofcovering politics,”Jim says.

GUTTENBERG TO GORE

by Emil Steiner ’97

In the 2004 Presidential race bloggers were a fringe group regarded in much the same way as e-mail users were a de ca de previous–clever technophiles with a product oflittle use.As we approach the 2008 elections blogging is not only accepted by mainstream media (MSM),but is respected for being independent ofit.

Why the sudden change? Two words: “Rathergate”and “Macaca.”The former brought the word blog (web-log) into the American vernacular;the later showed how online,user-generated content can change the course ofAmerican history. It all began September 8th,2004,when Dan Rather ran a piece on 60 Minutes Wednesday,alleging that President Bush used his influence to manipulate his military record.The venerable journalist presented documents purportedly from a commanding officer,which most viewers simply accepted as real.It was Dan Rather for goodness sakes! But a small group of conservative bloggers didn’t buy it,and immediately began investigating and then discussing inconsistencies they noticed in the typography ofthe photocopies.

Across forums,word began to spread

that the documents may have been forged. When the conversation/noise reached cr itical mass,MSM began digging and within a fortnight,CBS and Dan Rather admitted they couldn’t prove the documents were authentic.From then on, when bloggers blogged,MSM listened.

Two years after that it was the liberals turn to capitalize on new media with the 2006 Macaca elections.In August,incumbent Senator George Allen (R-VA) was so far ahead in the polls that the DNC was redirecting money towards more realistic sw ing states.But all that changed on a campaign stop in Breaks,Virginia when Allen used what sounded like a racial slur to address one ofhis opponent’s staffers. That staffer just happened to be a holding a camera at the time and caught the whole thing on tape.

Thanks to the video sharing site YouTube and the bloggers/commenters who pushed the footage viral,“Macaca” became an ever-present boogeyman in the Republican’s PR nightmare of‘06.As a result,challenger Jim Webb (D) overcame a 20-point deficit and swung the balance ofCongressional power back to the Democratic Party.Time Magazine even awarded its 2006 Person ofthe Year,to “you,” the creators ofuser generated content.

With America now knee deep in the 2008 race,candidates have their own blogs,YouTube has its own debates,and every major newspaper embeds bloggers to follow the candidates.

It’s no exaggeration to say journalism

has changed more in the past three years than the previous thirty.Someday soon the printing press will be as antiquated as the typewriter,and ink stains will be reminisced about like leaded fuel.But it isn’t just the cheap and fast accessibility which makes this new media so powerful- a well organized library can give you that.What separates new news from old is the reader’s ability to interact and freely affect its content.The blogosphere is a manifestation ofthat freedom.Whereas before readers could,and still do,submit letters to the editor,the probability ofseeing them in print remained slim.In blogs,not only can comments be seen immediately,they can spur a whole stream ofwritten dialogue,which may actually change the world.

Emil Steiner currently writes the OFF/beat blog for The Washington Post.

YOUNG AND INVOLVED: A Q & A WITH ADAM AXLER ’04 & LISE RAHDERT ’05, TWO YOUNG ACTIVISTS

When did you first get involved in politics?

Adam: As they say,politics is a family thing ,and for me that was definitely the case.My first concrete political experience was volunteering with my mother for the Gore/Lieberman Campaign in 2000. While in high school,I helped to found the Montgomery County Young Democrats,planned a protest against President Bush’s appearance at the Ardmore YMCA,and organized a registration drive for my senior class.On a more philosophical level,my interest in p olit ics is ro ote d in a mor al outlo ok on the wor ld, one that was fostered by my t ime at Friends’Central.

Lise: I first got excite d about politics w hen I attended the National Young Leaders Conference the summer after my sophomore year ofhigh school.Being in Washington and seeing politics first hand, as well as participating in simulations of political processes,made me realize the immense power I could have to exact change.After the 2004 election,I realized that just caring wasn’t enough,one has to get involved in campaigns.So for my senior project,I worked for Lois Murphy’s congressional campaign.Since the beginning ofmy first year at Brown I have been involved on the executive board ofthe Brown Democrats attempting to combat political ignorance and apathy on campus.

You represent a younger generation of political activists,what kind ofa difference can young people make? Would you say your generation is pretty involved politically?

Lise: One thing that frustrates me about

our g eneration is that young people grossly underestimate their potential role in the political process.Protests are very common on Brown’s campus,but there are more active ways to be involved than simply marching around the Main Green. Political apathy is a huge problem in our age group-a disgustingly small percentage ofeligible voters between the ages of18 and 24 actually cast ballots.In order to get involved in a real way,one must start from the ground up,working on local campaigns,grassroots projects,and other organizations.

Adam: Lise’s absolutely right.Young people often lack the ability to donate money to a political campaign,but we make up for it in enthusiasm.Campaigns often take this enthusiasm for granted;the trick is getting young people involved beyond just canvassing or making phone calls.I am always trying to get students involved in planning and running campaig ns. Taking the skills and concepts we learn in class and apply ing them to the campaigns we’re involved in can benefit both these campaigns and educations.

What kind ofa difference do you want to make? How do you view your role and your responsibilities?

Adam: I’m particularly interested in fixing the health care “system”in this county.It’s a source ofincredible inequality and what’s worse,we spend enormous sums ofmoney for a “system”that creates outcomes worse than most other industrialized nations.For me,the desire to fix this problem comes out ofan understanding ofthe privilege I’ve had by attending places like Friends’Central and Brown. This is my way ofgiving back for the a dvantages I’ve had in life.

Lise: I couldn’t agree with Adam more. Our economic system has created gross and cruel inequities in our society,and our government misspends money on progr ams that do not wor k and often make sit uations worse.It’s hard to pinp oint one issue about which I care more than others at this p oint; the cur rent p olit ical landscape disgusts me on so many levels.Whether it be advancing gay

rights,ensuring the future ofsocial secur ity or raising awareness about global warming,the responsibility ofyoung Americans is to pick an issue and really make a difference.I plan on being involved in political campaigns in the years to come,because the reality is that getting the right people elected is the only way to make real change happen,as we have daily proof.

Do you think democracy works?

Lise: I have to admit,sometimes it’s difficult not to become cynical about the political process.Everywhere you look, there are corrupt politicians exploiting real issues for political gain.The reality is that there is no point in hating the system, or having the “fight the man”attitude that many Brown students do,because this is the system we have and ifwe are going to make real change we must work w ithin its parameters.Everyone’s heard the quote from Winston Churchill, “Democracy is the worst form ofgovernment,except for all the others”and that statement rings very true for me.This is why,as I’ve said before,getting involved in campaigns to get the right people elected is the most effective way to see the change you want happen in this country. Democracy only works ifpeople vote, raise awareness,are vocal about their opinions and take advantage ofthe freedom we have to stand up to the government.

Adam: Political involvement can definitely b e frustrating.November 2nd,2004 was one ofthe worst days ofmy life.But the honest truth is that you need to look at the long term for the outcome ofyour efforts.You’ll win and lose elections,but hopefully,over time you can push the dialogue and conventional wisdom in the direction you want.While it might not always seems like you’re making headway, as Lise said,it’s the best way we have to affect change.The founders designed a system with tremendous inertia for a reason.It isn’t supposed to be easy to bring

about change,but it is possible.

How are you hoping to be involved in the ne xt presidential elections? What would you encourage others to do?

Lise: As ofnow I am currently undecided as to which candidate I am supporting in the primary.I may not get involved fully in a campaign until after the primary this year,but when a candidate is nominated I will volunteer,canvass,phone bank and get out the vote as much as possible. Since I will be at Brown during the election,I will use my leadership position on the Democrats to get as many students involved in the campaign as possible. Adam is right—everyone should volunteer for political campaigns,because campaig ns always want volunteers and they want you to work for them in whatever capacity you can.

Adam: I am cur rently the Volunteer Coordinator for Brown Students for Barack O bama.When I graduate in May, I am hoping to wor k on a Senate campaig n instead ofthe presidential one.I think I’ll be able to get more involved in a state-wide rather than a national campaign. I think I’ll be able to get involved in at a higher level in a state-wide instead ofa national campaign.This is the election cycle ofour generation.Regardless ofyour political affiliation,the outcome ofthe upcoming Presidential and Congressional elections will determine the direction of this country for a generation.Campaigns are always looking for volunteers and you’d be surprised how often volunteers turn into paid positions.My advice for others wanting to get involved is to do it.

POLITICS AT FCS

The world ofpolitics may at first glance seem to be one from which children are ne cessarily excluded.They are, after al l, denied the most basic point of entry into the political process:the right to vote. But at Fr iends’Central,teachers are up to the interesting challenge of pul ling kids ofall ages into politics in ways that can spark a life long interest. In the Lower School,students gain their first real exposure to the political realm in the fourth grade,when they study American history.At such a young age,it is natural that any political opinions are shaped almost entirely by their parents.Fourth grade teacher Don Denton explains that he tries to take the children out oftheir parents’mindset and instead “[teach] them concepts that they will eventually put to use as they form their own opinions and world view.”To that end,he focuses on the human rights movements which can be grasped at a child’s level.In studying women’s rights,for example,he has the fourth graders write speeches to addressthe Seneca Falls conference of1848,then hold a mock demonstration in the halls and read their speeches to other classes. In doing so,Don enables the fourth graders to open their minds and gain

insight into the political process first-hand.

Just as with the Lower School students,the political ideologies ofMiddle Schoolers are still largely formed by those of their parents.As Middle School Administ r at ive Advisor Mark Fifer explains,however,they are at an age when they can begin to ask questions about the political spectrum,or ask the older people around them why they have particular political opinions.To satisfy their budding curiosity surrounding politics,Mark began a new rotational course this year for sixth graders.It’s a skills course that focuses on civic government and politics, and Mark has been impressed by the students’attraction to the material.“The kids are energized;they have a lot they want to find out about,”he says excitedly. The course culminates with a full day trip to the Constitution Center in Philadelphia, which helps to summarize and clarify what the students have learned in the classroom.At the end ofthe course,Mark tells his students,“This is not an ending, it’s a beginning—the beginning ofyou being active in the pursuit ofunderstanding our government.”

T he pursuit that students begin in Middle School continues on into the Upper School,where teachers find their st udents still filled with curiosity about the political process.History teacher Gary

Nicolai insists,“I don’t have to get them energized [about politics];they want to know.” The primary curriculum that covers the U.S.political system is the eleventh grade American History class, which details for students the history ofthe U.S.government and how it came to look the way it does today. But in their high school years,students also have the opportunity to move beyond this knowledge and become involved in internationalpolit ics.In the model U.N.program at Friends’Central, run by Gary,students simulate the workings ofthe U.N.and have the chance to attend the four-day University ofPennsylvania model U.N.conference. Numerous Fr iends’Central students that Gar y has worked with have gone on to make a living in world politics in various capacities, and he has no doubt that the model U.N. program was instrumental in encouraging their interests early on.

For Friends’Central students,a political education entails exploration rather than indoctrination:in the Lower,Middle, and Upper Schools,teachers encourage their pupils to pursue their interests and become politically active in the myriad ways that are available to them,even when voting is not yet a possibility.

Eleventh-grader Natalie Willis,who has attended Friends’Central since prekindergarten,has done just that.Since early August,she has been volunteering in

mayoral candidate Michael Nutter’s Philadelphia office two times a week.The opportunity came about unexpectedly: Natalie was at a journalism workshop at the Daily News w hen Nutter came into the news office with a number ofinterns. When Natalie expressed her interest in their wor k,the y t racked her down and asked her to volunteer for the campaign, and she’s been there ever since.She loves hav ing the chance to see what goes on behind the scenes,and is fascinated by the flurry ofactivity that Nutter faces every day—even in a relatively uncompetitive race! But her interest in politics,she maintains,was sparked in her fourth-grade classroom during presidential election in 2000.Drawn into the subject ofpolitics by Ginger Fifer’s discussions ofthe electoral process with her entire class,Natalie never lost her taste for “political debacles.”Though her volunteer work on Nutter’s campaign is her first job in government affairs,her “ultimate goal in life” is to combine her love ofpolitics and journalism in a single career in Washington D.C.Fortunately,as this winter’s Directions can attest,she has plenty of role models in the greater Friends’Central School community to look up to.

Natalie Willis ’08 with Philadelphia mayor-elect Michael Nutter

FromtheCo-Chairsof the2007-2008Annual GivingCampaign

AcommunitylikeFriends’Centralrequires thegenerosityandcommitmentofevery oneofitsmembers;andthemanyways parents,alumni/aeandfriendssupport theSchoolareallappreciated. Thisyear though,we’dliketoaskthatyouconsidertheSchool’stopfundraisingpriority— AnnualGiving. YourgifttoAnnual Givingwillsupporttheongoingneedsfor competitivefacultyandstaffsalaries,purchaseofnewtechnology,studentservices, financialaid,andtheupkeepoffacilities. Wedon’tmakethisrequestlightly. Afterall,Friends’Centralisanindependentschoollikenoother.Lookatwhatour childrenaregetting!Theemphasison experientiallearningfostersanenvironmentinwhichstudentscanhonetheir intellectualcuriosityandtheircritical thinkingskills.Rigorousacademicsare balancedwithrobustartsandathletic

offerings.Thevarietyofopportunities forcommunityserviceinspiresasocial consciousnessinallstudentsandbestows thefoundationforaction-oriented, responsiblecitizens.Facultyandschoolmatesalikeencourageeachotherto exploreanddeveloptheirpersonalinterests, talentsandpassions.This,alongwithour strongcommitmenttodiversity,instills respectforthevalueofallindividuals. ThankyouforyourcontinuedkindnessandconfidenceinFriends’Central. TogetherwecanensurethefundsnecessarytomaintaintheSchool’sexcellence thatwesohighlyregard.

LawrenceReichlin LornaDreyfuss

Co-Chairsofthe2007–2008 AnnualGivingCampaign

Headmaster’sReception

TheHeadmaster’sReception celebrates leadershipgivingtotheAnnualGiving Campaign.Thisyear’sdinnerwashosted byFlaviaVogrigandRobertGassel‘69.

(Clockwisefromtop)

AnjaLevitties‘86,MattLevitties‘85, BrianBenjetandKimEmmons-Benjet

LarryReichlinandJonReichlin

MargueriteandMatthewCooper

MollyLove,AdrianCastelli,Philipand KarenIvory

JonathanSprogellandKathyTaylor

WelcomeBackPicnic

OnSunday,September9,theHome& SchoolAssociationhosted aWelcome BackpicnicforLowerSchoolfamilies. Everyonebroughttheirownpicnicand enjoyedreconnectingwitheachother andtheplaygroundbeforeSchool openedonMonday.

PSOCPicnic

EachSeptember,theParentsofStudents ofColor committee(PSOC)hostsa picnicatthestartoftheSchoolyear. Throughouttheyear,thePSOCcommittee supportseffortstodevelopgreatersensitivityandopencommunicationwiththe Schoolcommunity..

(Clockwisefromtop)

TerryJones,AngelaMurray

JamesWashington,CorinneWashington‘21, ColtraneWashington‘18

GwenBrown,DavidFelsen

PamYih,RayDeSabato,LynnePartridge

PumpkinFair

OnSunday,October28,theHome& SchoolAssociation hosteditsannual PumpkinFairattheLowerSchoolcampus.TheLowerSchoolgymandparking lotwerefilledwithold-fashionedarcade games,ajuggler,foodtents,crafts,pumpkins,andevenaplacetobuildyourown scarecrow.TheUpperSchoolJazzBand performed,andforthefearless,therewas ahauntedhouseinthebasement. Proceedsfromtheeventwillbenefitthe LowerSchoolDiscretionaryFund.

(Clockwisefromtop)

CarolineGroves‘20aimsforatroll

UpperSchoolJazzBandperformedinthegym

AmberAlston‘15andMilesMichnowicz‘15 returntoLowerSchooltohelpwiththegames

My memories oftime spent as a student at Friends’Central School remain vivid,as ifthe intervening years were not so numerous.Thankfully,I have been able to remain in contact with many members ofmy graduating class of1961,as well as with some of my former teachers.As time has passed,I have realized more and more just how fortunate we all were to have received a superb education in an environment that provided both nurture and a set ofethical and moral guidelines.We learned about ourselves in a way that was totally integrated with the world around us.As we departed upon graduation,we were sent out in strength to what lay ahead in our respective lives.

Recently,I had the privilege of speaking to a group ofalumni/ae at the Sande Webster Gallery in Philadelphia. Linda Wasserman,Director of Alumni/ae Affairs at Friends’Central School,contacted me when she learned that I was to have an exhibit ionofmyphotogr aphy in Phila de lphia, and she arranged for a Friends’Central reception two days before the show’sop ening.It was an evening toremember.The warmth and feeling ofconnectedness so characteristic ofFriends’Central School were present in abundance.I am extremely grateful to Linda and to the rest ofthe stafffor providing me with this wonderful opportunityto see old friends,to meet some new ones,and to share some thoughts about my work with everyone present.I feel very blessed to be part ofthis community.

Ann Ginsburgh Hofkin ’61

(Top) Dana Lynne Neefe ’61, Rich Allman ’61, Ray Jones ’61, Joan Belletti Rensch ’61

(Middle) Clio Malin ’96 and Latifah McMullin ’99

(Bottom) Margie and Dan Wainfan

Photography Show

On October 10,Friends’Central alumni/ae and parents from the Philadelphia area gathered at the Sande Webster Gallery in Philadelphia for a special preview ofthe new photography show by Ann Ginsburgh Hofkin ’61.We shared refreshments and memories, and listened to Ann talk about her development as a photographer and her travels.

Friends’ Central in the Capitol

This October Friends’Central traveled to Washington,D.C.to catch up with alumni/ae living in and around the Capitol.

On Wednesday,October 17,young alumni/ae gathered at Ventnor Sports’Cafe,which is owned by Scott Auslander ’96.

On Thursday evening,Friends’Central hosted an elegant reception for alumni/ae ofall ages at the Cosmos Club.

(Top left) Scott Auslander ’96, Ayanna Phillips ’97, and Gail Carter Zuagar ’97

(Top right) Rachael Feinman ’00 and Steve Nichols

(Above) Julie Gilbert ’07 and Brittany Rodriguez ’07

(Left) Harvey Weiner ’81, Latifah McMullin ’99,Gail Carter Zuagar ’97, Sarah Mendelson ’80, Deborah and Victor Freeman ’80

Mix N’Mingle

On Saturday,October 20,Friends’Central alumni/ae gathered at the Radisson PlazaWarwick Hotel in Philadelphia for an evening ofdelicious food and conversation with friends.The evening also featured a special ceremony recognizing Rick Moses ’77 and his commitment to fostering diversity at Friends’Central.

(Clockwise from top)

Sheila Royal-Moses, Rick Moses ’77, and Ruth Moses

Kiesha King ’01, Sophia Abdullah ’99, Gail Carter Zuagar ’97, Mark Waller ’00, Latifah McMullin ’99 and Angelina Riley ’00

Sheila Bridges ’82 and Nancy Sanders ’83

Jason Green ’94 and Kimberly Rothwell ’92

The Horikawa sisters, Karen ’77 and Joyce ’80

The Racers’ Day Luncheon

The Racers’Day luncheon on October 24, honored graduates from the class of1957 or earlier.This event offered some loyal members ofthe Friends’Central community a chance to see old friends,meet some new ones,and connect with the School.Many ofthe alumni/ae marveled at the physical changes the campus has undergone.They were greeted by current Friends’Central students who are members ofthe Representatives for Alumni/ae and Development club (RAD).Jim Davis brought members ofhis choral group to perform for the alumni/ae.

Alumni/ae

1910s

Helen Lane Stout ’18 celebrated her 107th birthday on September 6th.Her daughter, Carolyn Johnson,reports that Helen’s party was featured in an article in the local newspaper in Chester County,PA.

1930s

Louise Woodcock McCrery ’35 recently celebrated her 90th birthday with family and friends in Philadelphia.In attendence was classmate Dorothy Everitt Bond ’35 who reported that a fun time was had by all.

Nancy Schranz Wall ’38 and Paul Saxer ’38 recently had lunch with Linda Waxman Wasserman ’75, Director ofAlumni/ae Affairs,to plan their May 2008,70th reunion.

1940s

Duke Smith ’42 is president ofthe Lake Drive Foundation Sound Start.The foundation strives to raise $125,000 minimum each year for early intervention programs for deafbabies (one month to three years-old).The Lake Drive School for Deafand Hard ofHearing Children is located in Duke’s community of Mountain Lakes,NJ.Duke also serves as chairman ofthe Mountain Lakes Senior Citizens Advisory Committee and the 55 Plus Friday programs.

Beverly Buck Brunker ’46 writes:"Still here on the cattle ranch only 120 miles east ofSan Francisco and still loving it.Sold a few 1000 acres but still have about 7000 so we don’t have to worry about noisy neighbors except those that moo.Tell my old ’46 people come see us.We have lots ofroom."

Virginia Keim Cole ’48 reports that she is recovering from knee replacement surgery and that her husband,Francis,retired in April. Virginia and Ruth Trumper Chavez ’48 keep in regular touch by mail and phone.

Barry J.Reimenschneider ’48 recalls fondly: "FCS made me a better learner and pupil. Coach Frank Fitts helped make a young man out ofme."

1950s

J.Donald Reimenschneider ’52 writes: "I w ill alwayshave special memories ofClayton Farraday and Richard Burgess."

TedClisby’55 writes:"My w ife Judy and I took a 70th birthday cruise to the Panama Canal in April. I was stationed there from time totime in the US Air Force,in the early 60s. Many changes are taking place there."

The 2007 Venice Film Festival awarded Brian R.DePalma ’58 the Silver Lion Award for best director for Redacted, a collection of stories about U.S.soldiers serving in the Iraq conflict and the media coverage ofthe war.

1960s

Noel Gay Sharpless Wittenberg ’61 writes:"I had a wonderful trip to Budapest,Prague,and Vienna this summer with friends.My youngest daughter,Krista,married John Horan on March 31st,2007."

Jill Malamud Fetell ’66 is doing complementary medicine:acupuncture,clinical nutrition, physical therapy,and massage therapy at two offices in Tarrytown and West Nayack,New York.

Claire Janosik Griffin ’68 moved to the Washington,D.C.area in 2001.She is busy teaching,finishing a novel,and competing on a Master’s Rowing team.

1970s

Gurujodha Khalsa ’70 emailed:"Currently I am an attorney with a private practice in Bakersfield,California specializing in Immigration and Transactional Business Law. I am also Chairman ofthe Kern County Human Relations Commission,which is a County Commission charged with hearing, investigating,and resolving issues ofdiscrimination as they pertain to education,race,gender, disability,law enforcement,housing,aging, and employment.I recently celebrated my 55th birthday and tested for my 5th degree black belt in Kenpo Karate.I teach martial arts,yoga,and meditation on a weekly basis in Bakersfield and Los Angeles.I especially enjoy myclasses with children and young people. I’m married to Siri Ved Kaur Khalsa and our 20th we dding anniversar y was on Oc tober 11th,2007.My daughter Sat Amrit Kaur is 17 and a senior at Miri Piri Academy,a foreign educationboarding school in Amritsar,India, where she has been in attendance since the 8th grade.She comes home for three months in the summer to re-experience the movies,cable TV,and ice cream and spend a little time with her parents.She is applying to colleges and is leaning toward becoming a "banana slug" at UC Santa Cruz.All in all life is excellent.I am very grateful to have attended Friend’s Central. It gave me a great start in all areas ofmy life and created an incredible amount offorward momentum which I am still experiencing today.

Wynne Alexander ’73 has written a book, Get It From the Drums: A History ofProtest and Protest Songs ofthe 1960s and ’70s. T he b ook,which comes with an accompanying CD,was originally commissioned by the School District ofPhiladelphia and is being used for teaching.It chronicles,through history and interviews,the music that gave voice to the powerful social movements that transformed the country.A total of17 musicians donated the rights to their music and lyrics to

b enefit the students and education in this major,yet financially hard pressed urban school system.The history focuses on the Civil Rights and Anti War Movements ofthe latter part ofthe 20th century.The Vietnam War, the Women’s Movement,Earth Day,Watergate Scandal and liberation ofSouth Africa are also highlighted.When shown an advance copy, music legend and scholar Buffy Sainte-Marie applauded the book and said it is "beautifully written." Musicians such as Marvin Gaye, James Brown,Buffalo Springfield,Nina Simone,Creedence Clearwater Revival,The O’Jays,McFadden,and Curtis Mayfield provide the musical context.As Alexander notes on her website (wynnealexander.com),"The immense stature ofthe stars involved and their willingness to help elevate the struggling school system is extraordinary.For years now the music industry has run campaigns with Rock stars urging that music education be kept in the schools.The most recent round of federal budget cuts have been harsh and the Ar ts and Music arege tt ing hit ver y hard. Philadelphia is an urban school district ofpredominantly Black and Hispanic students.To their cre dit, these musical star s and le gends actual ly put their money where their mouths are and donated all the lyric and recording r ig hts se cure d in this pro ject."

Anne L.Mitchell ’73 writes that she is currently pursuing a graduate degee in sports psychology.She also has competed at the world level in tri and dualthlons for ten years, and has been ranked at the world and national levels for the past five years.

David N.Kendall ’75 writes:"Watch my movie! Nature ofthe Beast is a romantic comedy, werewolfhorror film that I wrote and produced with my friend Bob Young.It premiered this October on ABC Family.The premise:a young woman on the brink ofmarriage discovers that her fiance has a secret--for three days out ofevery month he’s a vicious werewolf.It’s an allegory for the fact that men tend to minimize their problems and lie big time. I’ve been working crazy in New Orleans on a new kiddie tv show.

James S.Smith,III ’77 is the controller at Twin Cities Community Development

Corporation in Fitchburg,MA.The non-profit focuses on low income housing,small business start-up and community organizing in the Massachusetts cities ofFitchburg and Leominster.Jim is grateful and fortunate to be living in beautiful Concord,MA.

1980s

Amanda Trask ’80 is working part-time as an attorney.Her daughter is almost 17 and her son just turned 21!

David J.Shuman ’84 writes:"I am a veterinarian in Santa Cruz,California.Recently I returned from an interesting expedition to Antarctica.I went with a group ofresearchers from the U.S. and Scotland to the Antarctic Peninsula to catch and place radio tags on Crabeater Seals. Interesting event.The "crabby’s" live on the ice flows so catching them is dangerous as many ofthe icebergs where they sleep are small and unstable. T hey’re not over ly popular in the press so you r are ly hear about them but the old sealers couldn’t hunt them.As a result, their numberswere never decimated and they are now the second most numerous mammal on the planet behind humans.Our job was to literally hoponone ofthese bergs,catch and anesthe t ize the seal,get some physical data and then affix an electronic tag to the base of its neck.The goal was to both learn more about the individual’s physiology and to use the seal as a "Sentinel" for the researchers.The seals are able to go where humans can’t so using them as a "Sentinel" allows for the collection ofotherwise unattainable data.The tags record movement and environmental data.That data is then sent to a Ratheon satellite and the information distributed to several university researchers around the world.The project was part ofa larger program to monitor environmental changes throughout the Antarctic region.”

Tonya Evans-Walls ’87 has a new book, Copyright Companion for Writers, a Writer’s Digest Book Club selection.For Spring,2007 she was an adjunct professor at York College, teaching music licensing,publishing and copyright.Tonya maintains a full-time law practice and a wine site www.joyofthetable.com.

Stephen L.Kay ’87, president ofthe Security Traders ofNew York,Inc,presided over the opening bell on April 17,2007.

Melanie Fischer Rubenstein’s ’87 art was featured at the Sara Nightingale Gallery in the Hamptons,NY in April and May,2007.

Daniel Bernstein Barnz ’88 was recently in Filmaker Magazine. “About a year ago,”he says “I decided that ifI didn’t have a project in production by November ofthis year,I was going to abandon L.A.and move to Africa for a year with my family and go live among the elephants.”At the moment,though,Barnz is not packing his bags for the safari but directing his debut feature, Phoebe in Wonderland, on Long Island.Phoebe is the tale ofa 9-year-old girl (Elle Fanning) with behavioural problems and the attempts by her parents (Felicity Huffman and Bil lPul lman) and an inspir ational teacher (Patricia Clarkson) to help and understand her.Barnz first wrote Phoebe almost adecade ago, and althoughpeople loved it, theycouldn’t seea film with a 9-year-old lead and a mainly female cast getting financing. “It’sb een an uphil l battle,”Barnz says,“and I cannot tel l you how many times I have heard the word ’no’in conjunction with this project.”Though Barnz has worked consistently as a Hollywood screenwriter since the late ’90s, often with his writing partner, Vanity Fair journalist Ned Zeman, Phoebe is the first of his scr ipts to get made.He describes finally filming his pet project as “most exhilarating and also fairly exhausting.It’s pretty great.”

Eric Ash ’89 has developed a successful snacks and sweets trivia game called "Eat It." Eric writes that it is "selling like hot cakes" and that he loves living in Alexandria,Virginia with his wife and daughter.

1990s

Beth Ruzansky ’96 and Tracy True celebrated their union in Burlington,Vermont on December 30,2005.They joined together in the Quaker tradition under the care of

Burlington Friends Meeting surrounded by friends and family including Beth’s parents, Cindy and Steve Ruzansky (FA),brother Josh Ruzansky ’00, sister Nancy Lipkin Sipera ’88, and Alison Jacobs Friedmann ’96. In other news,Beth continues to be active as a member in the Burlington Friends Monthly Meeting of Friends and is serving as clerk ofmeeting during 2007.She also continues her work with the City ofBurlington’s Community and Economic Development Office running an AmeriCorps*VISTA program,and other initiatives addressing poverty,class,and refugees.

MatthewMurphy’97 spent sevenweeks this past summer in Quito,Ecuador learning Spanish.Although incredibely busy,he did have some opportunities to travel and meet new friends from all across the world— including fellow Friends’Central graduates, Sofia Zaragocin ’99 and Rosie Dent ’01.

Ilyse Berman ’98 is currently teaching prekindergarten in Devon and attending the master’s program in early childhood education at West Chester University.

Margot Conrad ’99 is currently the Government Affairs Manager at the Partnership for Public Service,a non-partisan,non-profit organization in Washington,D.C.She enjoys working on the Hill and advocating for reforms to help strengthen the federal civil service.

Kate VanGundy Nelson ’99 has her MAT from Brown and is teaching 8th grade social studies in Washington,D.C.

2000s

Ali Pincus ’00 is working in Executive Education at Harvard Business School,putting on training programs for executives from around the world."I am also at the Simmons Scho ol ofManagement pursuing my MBA. (And foratotal ly random coincidence,the wife ofmy former science teacher at FCS is in myprogram!)"

Tyler VanGundy ’00 is working for a small company that does financefor low and moderate housing in New York City.

Phoenicia Williams ’02 graduated from Temple University in May 2006 and is now with the Peace Corps in Kenya.She recently wrote,"I am saddened by the poverty ofsome other families.Some children go to school in tattered clothes or no shoes! The people are so strong!! They have such a will to survive and maintain their culture and its richness.When people come into town,which is where we have lunch,send mail,and check email,they are dressed to the 9s.The men wear suits or suit jackets and the women wear suits or dresses.The people in Kitui are mostly Akamba and from birth they learn,their mother tongue Kikamba,Swahili and English! I have language class everyday from 8 to 11 and then lunch.After lunch,we go to a high school and work with the business club there. We are going to help them identify business opportunities in the surrounding community

and some basic business/management skills. The roads are sometimes riddled with trash because the only way to dispose ofwaste in such a rural area is to burn it in piles and the trash just blows around.There are valleys and mountains all around and it’s clean and scenic where I live.There is a new home or building every few kilometers though most people who finish college live in Nairobi or another larger city.The moon is like a flood lamp at night and there are more stars in the sky than I could have imagined...so beautiful.Just keep me in your prayers.I have 2 months more of training and then my two years begins!"

Carlin R.Adelson ’05 and Eric Zeiger ’05 are studying abroad this semester in London.

Samuel A.Eisner ’05 is majoring in Philosophy,Politics,and Economics at Penn. He is coaching a basketball team of10-13 year olds in West Philly.He is planning to go to Rome with fellow FCS alumna Natalie Aronson ’05 in the fallto study abroad.He is also in the process ofsigning a multi-year deal with the Eagles.

Kylie Hardin ’05 is attending The University ofSouth Australia in Adelaide,on a semester long study abroadprogram.She writes that she has really enjoyed her time there,visiting Cleland Wildlife Park and hiking Mount Lofty. She and her group mates in her programming class are working with the South Australian Football League and as a result received tickets to an Adelaide Crows game,with special tours ofthe training facilities,locker rooms,and at half-time they were on the oval with 46,000 fans looking on! Kylie is looking forward to a visit from her Mom and Grandmom.You can reach her at Kylie.hardin@gordon.edu.

Alumni/ae, we want to hear from you! Have you published a book recently? Run a marathon? Had a baby? FCS encourages friends to share their news with Directions. Email your notes and photos to alumni@friendscentral.org (preferrable method) or mail information to the Development Office, 1101 City Avenue, Wynnewood, PA19096. Please mark the back of prints with your name and class year. Digital images must be of high quality (28” x 21” at 72 dpi, or 4” x 6” at 300 dpi). We accept photos up to 2MB.

Marriages

1.Deborah M.Johns and Victor Freeman ’80 on September 29,2007.

2. Beth Ruzansky ’96 and Tracy True on December 30,2005.

3. Gail Janine Carter ’97 and Johnny Thomas Zuagar on June 9,2007.

4. Kristen Johnson ’03 and Sahkee Hart on August 4,2007.

Lela Patrik and Joel F.W.Price (Faculty) on October 6,2007.

New Arrivals

1.Samuel,Charlotte and Jacob Wizov, June 14,2006 to Michelle Weisman Wizov ’88 and Ryan Wizov.

2. Avner Schwartz,January 18,2007 to Rachel Newman Schwartz ’89 and Eric Schwartz.

3.Ari N.Berman,June 7,2007 to Robyn Needleman Berman ’93 and Scott Berman.

4.Torello Alexander Calvani,October 22, 2007,to Rebecca Carr Calvani ’93 and Torello Calvani.

5.Andrew Levin,May 18,2007 to Stephanie and Michael Levin ’93.

6. Samuel Hara Bulman (Sam),March 29th,2007 to Mallory Barg Bulman ’96 and Richard Bulman.

7.Noah Benjamin Ludwig,September 15, 2007 toMichele and JeffreyLudw ig ’99.

8. Omar Muse,June 21,2007 to Tanya JohnsonMuse ’02 and Omar Muse.

In Memoriam

Former Faculty

Kathleen (Kit) George Thomas A.Wood (memorial in April issue)

Thomas Worth

Alumni/ae

Eleanor Jenkins Zendt ’25

William Serber ’30

Jane Compton Mory ’37

Trudell Green Brown ’38

Arnold E.Smolens ’38

Stephen D.Cope ’39

Betty Dennis Hawley ’39

James D.McGuigan ’39

Mary Sax Hoenigmann ’41

Margot Newman Stickley ’48

William D.Fordyce ’52

Marilyn Downs Monks ’52

Justice S.Shortlidge ’52

Samuel Bookbinder ’53

StephenF.Collins ’56

Alber t W.Fowler ’58

William K.Conroy ’81

Christopher Campbell ’04

Friends’ Central Goes to the Movies!

Are you an actor,a director,a writer, an avid v iewer,a critic?

For our next issue,we want to hear from anyone who works with orjust loves movies.

Contact:Rebecca Anderson,editor at:randerson@friendscentral.org

"All Aboard!"

In 1976,Jimmy Carter conducted a whistle-stop train tour during his campaign for presidency.One ofhis stops was at the Overbrook train station just down City Avenue from Friends’Central.Joe Lenski ’83 remembers that everyone marched down to the station to hear him.