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SAINT ANN’S TIMES

WINTER 2020–2021

Animal Paintings from the Lower School Thanksgiving Parade Drawings by Lower School Students

Saint Ann’s Times: Winter 2020–2021 A LETTER FROM VINCE: RETROSPECTIVE_________________________________________ 2 INSIDE THE CLASSROOM

Gallery: Reopening School Fall 2020_______________________________________________ 4 Latin American Social Movements_________________________________________________ 6 Alumni Visitor: Interview with Playwright Bess Wohl ’92 _______________________________ 8 New Preschool Outdoor Play Space_______________________________________________ 10 Dial-A-Poem ________________________________________________________________ 11 OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

ProgramHer Mentorship at Lunch________________________________________________ 12 Women in STEM_____________________________________________________________ 13 FACULTY NEWS________________________________________________________________ 18 COMMUNITY EVENTS

Electionpalooza_______________________________________________________________22 The Present Moment__________________________________________________________ 24 ALUMNI

Staying in Touch _____________________________________________________________ Alumni Events _______________________________________________________________ Alumni in the Field___________________________________________________________ Alumni Mini Features__________________________________________________________

26 27 30 32

IN MEMORIAM_________________________________________________________________ 34 GALLERY: LEARNING IN A PANDEMIC____________________________________________ 36

Cover Artwork by: Louisa G., 12th grade The Saint Ann’s Times is published biannually by Saint Ann’s School for alumni, parents of alumni, parents, grandparents, faculty, former faculty, and friends of the School. Questions or feedback about the magazine may be sent to the Director of Communications at communications@saintannsny.org and/or the Director of Alumni Relations at alumni@saintannsny.org. Editorial Staff

Design

Anne Conway, Director of Communications

Heather Francovitch, Web and Graphic Design Coordinator

Hannah Swacker Kurnit ’97, Director of Alumni Relations David Smith, Director of Advancement Elena Sheppard ’05, Alumni Associate Anna Verdi, Special Events Coordinator

A LETTER FROM VINCE

Retrospective On the afternoon of Monday March 9, 2020 we held an urgent, mandatory meeting for all faculty and staff to share the contingency plans we were shaping at Saint Ann’s to respond to the growing concerns about a novel coronavirus. I do not remember everything that was said or asked at that meeting, but I do recall explaining that there was an imminent possibility that we might have to close school and prepare ourselves to offer remote instruction to our students. Many other schools in the city were in their last week before spring break (ours was still several weeks away), and with each passing hour many of those were beginning to announce early closures. Colleges and universities were starting to close as well. As yet we had had no known cases among students or staff at Saint Ann’s, but it was becoming clear, as I wrote to parents and staff at the start of that week, that it was a matter of if, not when, our doors would close. Days later, on March 12th I announced that the following Monday we would shift to distance learning (a phrase that in the history of Saint Ann’s up to that point would have been regarded as nothing other than oxymoronic). While no announcement would be made about public schools closing until the following Sunday, the Mayor had begun urging employers to allow employees to telecommute so that they could avoid crowded subways. That day he declared a state of emergency for the City of New York. The Governor had banned gatherings over 500 and shuttered Broadway. Public health officials at every level had been urging institutions to consider ways in which they could help to slow the transmission of the virus and prevent our hospitals and healthcare workers from being overwhelmed. It was time for us to take our daily magic show into the ether, to bring Saint Ann’s to life online. The horrific weeks that followed in New York City were both dystopian and all too real. Our buildings were shuttered—the theater and lobby dark, classrooms and laboratories vacant, playgrounds eerily silent. Some left the city, others reported the swelling and near-constant sound of sirens in their neighborhoods, shared news of friends, relatives, acquaintances who had fallen ill. Days became weeks became months, and the early hopes that somehow by May or June we might resume some semblance of normal school, might see each other in person, proved futile, to be replaced by the ever-deepening realization of how profound and long-lasting the crisis would be. Words in the wings of our lexicon moved to center stage: remote, virtual, online, asynchronous and synchronous, surveillance testing, health screening, positivity, morbidity. Pandemic. Those words are still on our lips every day. What has been learned, a year into a global crisis that has claimed the lives of over 400,000 Americans and two million worldwide? We’ve learned that competence matters. We’ve learned, again, that infectious diseases track socio-economic and racial inequities with almost laser precision, even as they can strike those in power who all too casually disregard science and public health. We saw how fear and anxiety can overtake science, data, and experience, warping the ability to make sound individual and collective judgments. We’ve seen how one crisis cascades into the next—economic collapse, police violence in Black and brown communities, an assault on the fundamental norms and truths on which democracy depends. “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold,” said Yeats. Too many days when poetry felt like prophecy.

And yet. And yet here is our school, perhaps a mere speck in a whirlwind of global disruption, but our speck, our school. A school where, as children returned in person in the fall (or appeared on screen on their distance-learning days), they emanated childhood’s eternal spark of hope, of curiosity, of resilience. Three- and four-year-olds universally (almost) wore their masks, and universally refused to mask their joy in being together. Trumpeteres, oboists, and singers migrated onto nearby steps and sidewalks; dancers appeared on Love Lane and in Cadman Plaza; Shakespeareans mastered monologues and found an audience on Zoom. Rec Arts students discovered the joy of juggling with socks; chemistry experiments turned when necessary to ordinary kitchen-cupboard ingredients; middle and high school students went to class in the lunchroom, the gym, the faculty lounge—finding any place where we could socially distance and still ignite the spark of learning together. We created a home for our third graders on the 8th floor of the Bosworth Building so that in-person days could be expanded and social distancing requirements sustained in the Farber Building, and in no time at all they had made it their own. So, we have learned our own lessons. Teachers long accustomed to the freedom to invent and create have risen to the occasion in person and online. Students long empowered as divergent thinkers have been partners in our constant reinvention of a Saint Ann’s education. A school where we care for one another, buoyed by the deep and enduring commitments that we share, is finding new ways to come together in community—to celebrate accomplishments, to confront injustices and inequities, to pull together. And, with each stroke, to bring a once far shore—the other side of this crisis—ever closer. Our center holds. Vince Tompkins Head of School

INSIDE THE CLASSROOM

Latin American Social Movements By Amanda Martínez Robiolio, History Faculty In a year of unique challenges for folks across the Saint Ann’s community, I’m continually filled with gratitude for the opportunity to support my students’ growth as writers, historians, and purveyors of a more equitable future. I’ve been thrilled to work with nineteen juniors and seniors this fall to investigate movements for change through my Latin American Social Movements history elective. Since beginning my career in teaching, it’s been my dream to create a class not only about Latin American history, but centered on the region’s powerful history of protest, resistance, and activism. My own experiences as a Latinx person and study of the region’s history have made the class, and the invigorating enthusiasm of my students, especially meaningful. From the beginning of our elective, student views and voice steered our class forward. After considering several major lenses for investigating Latin American history, students identified the importance of using asset-framing for their learning. Asset-framing is a mode of historical analysis that considers people, groups, and those whose identities have been marginalized by their aspirations and contributions, rather than their suffering. In other words, it supposes that the oppressed have value. From peer-led discussions to larger-scale essays and projects, students have consistently centered their work around the ingenuity, resilience, and resistance of marginalized peoples, particularly Black, Indigenous, LGBTQ, and women/feminist groups in Latin America.

Title: “Dignidad, Tierra, y Libertad” (Dignity, Land, and Liberty) Artist: Zoe B., 12th grade Topic: The Zapatista Army of National Liberation (Mexico) Medium: Marker and oil pastels on cardboard

We began the year looking at the arrival of the Spanish and Portuguese in Latin America, reframing their actions using language that accurately characterizes their invasion. In addition to a sampling of current scholarship, students read three Mexica sources detailing the arrival of the Spanish expedition in Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital. In keeping with this emphasis, students then independently researched and wrote about an example of colonial resistance led by Black or Indigenous groups before 1795. In our second unit centered on Freedom Movements, students unpacked anti-colonial and antiauthoritarian movements from the Caribbean, Mexico, South America, and Central America. Their investigation of the Haitian Revolution, for example, prioritized the pivotal contributions of Black women to the nation’s independence and abolition of slavery. Similarly, in examining the Cuban Revolution, students were quick to point out the ways in which LGBTQ activists continue to challenge government erasure and persecution. Students concluded their study of Freedom Movements by creating their own political posters. Each project depicted either a historic or presentday freedom movement in Latin America, and included a rationale explaining its visual elements’ connection to history. In the coming months, students will continue their investigation of Latin America through further research, writing, and other forms of project-based learning. As a class, we have made a clear commitment to decentering whiteness, heteronormativity, patriarchy, and other hegemonic systems in our analyses, no matter the historical moment. While Latin American Social Movements is only one small piece of Saint Ann’s ongoing efforts to ensure that curriculum reflects a diversity of perspectives, our class experience so far has confirmed to me that our students are eager and ready to do this work.

Title: "Solidaridad! (Solidarity!)" Artist: Jamie M. 11th grade Topic: Transnational freedom movements across Latin America Medium: Photoshop

Title: “Nos Temen Porque No les tememos” (They fear us because we do not fear them) Artist: Lee G., 12th grade Topic: Berta Cáceres: environmentalist, feminist, and indigenous rights leader Medium: Black Micron pen and Copic markers on paper

INSIDE THE CLASSROOM: ALUMNI VISITOR

Interview with Playwright Bess Wohl ’92 By Max Posner, Theater Faculty, and High School Playwriting Students

Bess Wohl ’92 is a playwright whose show Grand Horizons is nominated for a Tony this year for Best Play. Bess joined Max Posner’s High School Playwriting class (virtually) for a conversation about her writing, her plays—including Small Mouth Sounds and Make Believe—and her process. Below are excerpts from their conversation. Beckett M., 9th grade: How did you get your start in playwriting? Was playwriting something you were always interested in since you were a child, or was it something you discovered for yourself later in life? Bess Wohl: I grew up in Brooklyn and I went to Saint Ann’s, so I definitely had gone to a lot of plays. I took playwriting at Saint Ann’s and wrote a pretty bad play in my playwriting class—it was a family drama that was basically about my extended family. I didn’t really know that I wanted to be a playwright, though. I just knew that I was interested in theater. Then I went to college and grad school. I thought I was going to be an actress. While I was acting in grad school, I started writing these little plays for my friends to be in and that was really when I became a playwright. I did those plays with my friends at a student-run space where you could just do whatever you wanted. I remember the first play I wrote for my acting classmates. I remember sitting in the audience of it and being like, "oh, I think this is better for me than acting. I like it and I’m interested in this and I want to keep doing this." At that point, I still had two more years of acting in grad school, but I just knew deep down that I was going to be a writer. But acting was great training for playwriting because you hear so many plays, you figure out what is playable in a scene and what’s not. You get immersed in the DNA of plays as an actor. I think it was all part of the journey of learning what a play could be. Ellie P., 9th grade: How long did the writing process take for Small Mouth Sounds? Bess Wohl: It was a couple of years, but you don’t work on a play exclusively for a couple of years. You’ll write a draft, put it away, do something else, have a workshop, and come back to it. Most of my plays take a couple of years, but it’s sort of on and off. Dash B., 11th grade: How much do you think that Make Believe, or your plays in general, change in the pre-production and rehearsal phase? Bess Wohl: They change a fair amount. With Make Believe, I reordered a bunch of the scenes during previews when I realized that I wanted the logic to unfold a slightly different way. With Small Mouth Sounds I changed a fair amount of stuff in rehearsals because the play takes place mostly in silence, so it was helpful to see the actors embody the roles. Raimi B., 11th grade: Do you have a writing ritual and do you ever hate writing? If so, how do you start loving it again? Bess Wohl: I feel like there’s a saying: Nobody likes writing, people just like having written. Writing can be really, really arduous. Not fun.

My ritual involves a cup of tea, a lot of snacks. I write better really early in the morning because my brain hasn’t been impacted by the Internet, email, social media. I can create a quiet space for myself. Six in the morning; that’s sort of my writing sweet spot. Often by 8:00 a.m., I’m out of energy. I think also I have to do a little bit of mental gymnastics to trick myself into feeling that what I’m doing is important and meaningful to anybody. Especially right now, when so many frontline workers are making such great sacrifices and doing so much. I have to create a quiet space where I can suspend my disbelief for a moment and really give myself permission to make this thing, even though it’s a play. Who needs another play? But somehow I have to put myself in that zone where it’s okay to do that. That’s been a challenge of the pandemic for a lot of writers: How are we making a positive difference in the world? It’s something to grapple with as a writer. It involves a little bit of mental gymnastics and a lot of snacks. Beckett M.: Make Believe is a lot about children. I wondered if you were a mother when you were writing that play and if your children shaped how you wrote that play? Bess Wohl: Both Small Mouth Sounds and Make Believe partly came out of the fact that I had children. Small Mouth Sounds, I was so tired after I had my first kid that I felt that I couldn’t write that much, I just needed to make something with people, so the play evolved from a lot of writing during workshops and improvisation with actors. Make Believe was very much inspired by my thinking deeply about childhood. While it’s not in any way autobiographical, one thing that happens when you have kids is you start being hit by these memories of being a kid in different ways, stuff bubbles up. That was happening for me. I was spending a lot of time at playgrounds. I was watching kids play a lot and I got really interested in how kids play. I contacted the Saint Ann’s Lower School when I was working on it, and Gabe Howard (former faculty) let me come and observe. I spent a day watching Lower Schoolers at Saint Ann’s and that was part of my process, which was really wonderful of her and a hugely important moment in the development of the play. Raimi B.: How do you know when a play is ready to be over? Bess Wohl: I never know the ending when I start a play. I wish I did because sometimes I’ve started plays that have no ending and I’ve had to abandon them. But if I knew where it was going to end I would (I’m so lazy) write like three pages and then write the ending and the play would be over. I don’t have any ability to pretend I don’t know where I’m going. I have to genuinely not know where I’m going. Then: what’s the question that I posed at the beginning of the play? Have I answered it—not literally because the questions I’m interested in don’t have firm answers, but have I spoken to it emotionally so that it feels more deeply understood? A lot of plays pose a question at the beginning: How can you overcome your childhood, can you find enlightenment, or whatever the question is. Once I think the question’s been resolved, even if the resolution is ambiguous, somehow that to me is when the play needs to be over. To me every play is a detective mystery where the audience is looking for crumbs or clues to solve whatever question the playwright has posed. Sometimes it’s a literal mystery, but the deepest mystery is always human nature.

New Preschool Outdoor Play Space This fall a brand new playground opened on Willow Place. It was an immediate hit, providing fertile ground for the outdoor explorations and adventures of our youngest learners. We are grateful to all the parents and friends who supported the new preschool playground project.

Advice To My Dog Think of the dogs, running in the park. Think of the fun they have. Why do you lie on the floor, with so much fun to be had. Think of the times you went outside. Was it really quite that bad. Think of the trees, swaying in the wind. So get up, for you have not sinned. Think of yourself, running in the park. Think of the fun you’ll have. Think of the cars, rushing by. And fear not, for they stay out of the sky. Fire trucks, they will go by. But you shall survive, you shall survive. —Oliver S., 5th grade

Photograph by Jackson H., 8th grade

Dial-A-Poem Saint Ann’s high school poets have taken a page from the past and updated it. In 1968, John Giorno invented Diala-Poem, a system through which a caller could listen to a poem. In 2017, Laura Barnett ’81 (Theater faculty), in collaboration with Cathy Fuerst (Head of the Preschool), Eric Zimmerman ’05 (former faculty), and a dozen high school students, devised a theatrical production called The Fourteenth Floor which featured, in one of its many rooms, an iteration of Dial-a-Poem. Now we are bringing Dial-a-Poem back to life. As a respite from Zoom fatigue, we invite you to rest your eyes (or close them) and just listen. By dialing extension 333 from the Saint Ann’s School telephone tree (718-522-1660), you will hear a poem read by a high school student (or students), often (but not always) a work of their own. The experience will take less than three minutes, but it will make your day a lot brighter. A new poem will be available each week. 11

OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

ProgramHer Mentorship at Lunch By Anna Verdi, Computer Faculty and Jia M., 8th Grade About two years ago, Jia M. approached Computer Department faculty member Anna Verdi about supervising a computer coding mentorship for Lower Middle School girls. Jia was a Programming 1 student at the time, and very excited about and interested in coding. Together with three of her classmates—Mala G., Becca D., and Bella B.—she created a PowerPoint presentation for Head of the Lower Middle School Margie Hanssens and former Assistant Head of the Middle School Katie Haddock ’83 that emphasized the under-representation of women in STEM professions and the fact that too few girls were pursuing coding classes at Saint Ann’s. The group aimed to demonstrate that a mentorship was a meaningful way to help create change. As the students gathered evidence and statistics for the presentation, they discovered resources that inspired them to persist in creating a programming mentorship for girls. While it took the group a little less than a year to start the noon rec activity, their research and slideshow pushed them to keep going and finalize the concept. “Once Margie allowed us to start the mentorship, it made it even more satisfactory, knowing that our idea was truly a good one,” Jia says. “It was phenomenal how many girls showed up on the first day of ProgramHer. From that point on, it started my own journey of leadership skills and hopefully building the confidence and experience in girls. It has enabled me to love programming and continue it.” Now in its third year, the ProgramHer mentorship aims to get young girls who are interested in computers to learn how to code and to improve their coding skills in a supportive, fun environment created by a middle school student for middle school students. Jia has developed the curriculum to not only teach girls coding using the Scratch block-based environment, but to also introduce them to a diversity of women throughout history who have been leaders in math, science, and computers. With Scratch coding activities, the weekly mentorship helps girls gain experience that makes them more confident in their abilities. One important part of coding is that it is a creative outlet. Another valuable aspect of computer programming is debugging, or correcting mistakes in code. With early exposure in a nurturing environment, the ProgramHer mentorship aims to provide an overall experience that builds confidence and skills to empower girls to study computer science and STEM.

Teo's Rocket

It takes hard work And you need to be an engineer

You need a team A team that is brave

You need to be brave If you want to send yourself To the moon or another planet

It takes the engineering To fly a spaceship —Teodoro M. Kindergarten

Women In STEM By Anne Conway, Director of Communications A few years ago, a group of young women at Saint Ann’s organized on their own and approached the Mathematics Department. They were requesting a meeting to share and discuss their experiences in math classes. Elizabeth Sheridan Rossi, a long-time math teacher who returned to Saint Ann’s in 2018 after finishing her doctoral work and now chairs the department, was so inspired by the ensuing conversation that she wanted to create a space to continue it. The idea grew organically, as so many Saint Ann’s ideas do, to become a regular meeting for all high school students who identify as female to discuss their experiences with STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) classes at Saint Ann’s. “Ms. S-R” serves as faculty advisor while two seniors, AC M.and Illia K., help to lead their peers. I attended a recent lunch meeting of the group, where about twenty students (some in person, some Zooming in for the occasion) had a lively discussion on everything from their personal experiences with teacher feedback to demystifying how the system of math class scheduling works. They brainstormed ideas for how to reach out to their middle school counterparts and considered whether they should invite outside speakers to address the group. Ms. Sheridan Rossi told students about the equity-based curriculum review the entire school is undertaking this year and explained how the group’s feedback could be invaluable to the math department’s process of ensuring that teachers are reaching all students equitably. I asked Ms. Sheridan Rossi and the students to respond to a few questions in writing about the group and their experiences with STEM at Saint Ann’s. Their responses on the following page make clear that we can expect a lot from this enthusiastic group in the months and years to come!

Ms. Sheridan Rossi, far right, meeting with students in the group.

SAT: How did the group come together? Ms. S-R: The year after the students came to me initially, I began this group and I was super nervous since I didn’t know very many high school students at the time, but the response was amazing! So many fantastic young women came out to share their experiences. It really helped me come up with a vision for what the group could become. AC and Illia joined me to help create and run the group. Their help and insight has been invaluable. SAT: What are some goals you have for the group? Ms. S-R: So many! My first and still foremost goal is to create a space in the school where young women can feel comfortable sharing their current and past experiences in STEM at Saint Ann’s. But I also have a lot of thoughts about supporting them in other ways. Some things that we have discussed are doing outreach into the middle school, both to inspire confidence at what we feel is a really important age and to help rising high schoolers make informed decisions about their math and science journeys at Saint Ann’s. I’d also really like to have some speakers who can help widen our understanding of what careers in STEM look like, I’d like to share articles and books and start more specific discussions. And we’re still brainstorming new plans and ideas! SAT: When does the group meet and how can interested students get involved? Ms. S-R: We meet roughly once a month on Fridays, generally during lunch or the following period. We have an email list! We’d love anyone interested to join! Contact me. A perceived strength in STEM is definitely not a requirement. Since science and math are required at Saint Ann’s, all women are women in STEM.

The questions below were answered by students. Their responses have been condensed and edited for length. SAT: What do you love about math or science as a subject? I love math because it’s very technical, and I find it immensely satisfying that there is always a clear goal when you are solving a problem. I also love how almost everything you learn in math builds on the foundation you learned in the past, and contributes to something you will learn in the future. I really enjoy the process of mathematical accumulation of knowledge! I love learning about the complicated ways that everyday things work. I love that there are right answers/that there is only one answer/the preciseness, the ability to receive concrete validation. SAT: What do you love about math or science classes at Saint Ann’s? I like that there are a diverse array of math and science classes that you can choose from. I like that you can double up (take more than one math or science class at once). There are so many math and science classes I want to take! I can’t choose just one! I like how we really get to learn the concepts behind everything, and not only what they are but how they were discovered. We do fun labs and projects.

SAT: What do you dislike about math or science classes at Saint Ann’s? One thing that I dislike about math classes is that in lower level classes, the curriculum often strays from a standard math curriculum. I think this makes it difficult when you start a new year in math, because everyone has learned different things. The cloudiness around accelerated versus regular pace classes; sometimes it can feel a bit competitive about the level at which you’re learning. I’ve experienced a lack of feedback from some teachers; I’d like more chances to test my knowledge. SAT: Is there a math or science teacher at Saint Ann’s who inspired you/helped you learn something new/exciting? Who/why/how? Yes! I loved Theresa Chiang’s Anatomy and Physiology class so much. She was an incredible teacher, and I think that having her is what made me realize that science is something that I am passionate about. I really loved her teaching style. I found that our class was engaging, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, which made me realize how much I love science in general. My favorite science teacher I’ve ever had (twice) is Daniel Radoff. I love the way he teaches and I love how he keeps the class fun. Betty Noel (former faculty) was my favorite teacher because she taught us very well, but also seemed to enjoy teaching us (and I’ve seen very few successful female scientists who also have four kids). Nick Fiori just makes the subject very interesting and exciting. Teresa Chiang, Iman James, Sam Aronson, many more!

Artwork by Maya L., 8th grade

To do math it takes A pencil And one paper If pencils are few Your mind will Certainly do —Avi M., 5th grade 15

Inspired by the sunflower's unique name and Edward Lear's Nonsense Botany, we created our own nonsense flowers! Artwork by Lisa & Beverly's Preschool 4s

FACULTY NEWS

Current Faculty Desiree Bailey

In August, Desiree’s poem “Woman in Dub” was published on the Academy of American Poets’ site via their Poem-a-Day project. Desiree teaches English.

Rebecca Benson

Rebecca, a Lower School teacher, produced the documentary film Dykes, Camera, Action! which recently became available to rent on iTunes.

Beth Bosworth ’75

Beth’s piece “Lines and Squares” is an Emrys nominee for the Best of the Net 2020. You can find the twentieth anniversary issue of the Saint Ann’s Review, which Beth edits in addition to teaching English, on saintannsny.org.

Coleman Collins

Coleman showed newly-commissioned multidisciplinary artwork in his first international museum exhibition, as part of the show Cybernetics of the Poor: Tutorials, Exercises, and Scores at the Kunsthalle Wien in Vienna, Austria. Coleman teaches math and language structures.

Diane Exavier

Diane’s work Each Body Remains a Miracle was part of the Brooklyn Utopias: 2020 exhibition at The Old Stone House. Diane teaches playwriting.

Matthew Kaplan

Matthew, a member of our Mathematics Department, is the creator of Locklinx, a modern twist on classic toys like Lincoln Logs and Legos. They can be found at locklinx.com and are suitable for ages six and above.

Marisa LaRuffa

Marisa, who joined us this fall as a Classroom Assistant, performed in Readymade Cabaret 2.0 with This Is Not a Theatre Company.

Paul Lockhart

Paul was named a recipient of the University of Chicago Outstanding Educator Award. Paul is on leave this year from teaching math.

Marie Lopez

Marie joined us as Interim Assistant to the Head of Lower School this fall. Two of her poems, “SelfEvident” and “Who gets to have a redemption arc,” were published in Tagvverk.

Richard Mann

Richard, who teaches math, shared a Zoom production of his play War of the Roses with the community this fall. The play is a centennial celebration of the final battle to secure the 19th Amendment, the woman’s right to vote. Science faculty Henry Kandel and Richard’s son Jake Mann ’07 were also involved in the production.

Ryan Milov-Córdoba

By covering popular Arabic-language songs on his Instagram, Ryan connected with hundreds of millennial indie music fans in the Middle East and North Africa. He was interviewed about his vision to bridge Arabic and Americana music on Israeli podcast The Bridge. Ryan teaches Greek and Latin.

Carlo Mirabella-Davis

Carlo, who teaches filmmaking, was nominated for a Gotham Award and for the Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award, both for his directing of the film Swallow.

Yasuko Otsue

Yasuko, who teaches Japanese, was named a recipient of the University of Chicago Outstanding Educator Award.

Katie Scheele

Katie, our oboe teacher, played English horn on the “Suffragette Song” in Episode 2 of the new Animaniacs series. The song can be heard near the end of the episode.

Paige Walton

Paige joined us as a Classroom Assistant this fall. Her collection of short stories, Meter-Wide Button, was published in January by Sapp Press, a subsidiary of King’s Leap Gallery. It is available now at sapppress.com.

THE GROWING SHELF The Growing Shelf is a collection of books written by alumni and faculty. The titles below were published in 2020 or are forthcoming in 2021. Find more Saint Ann’s authors by checking out the “Saint Ann’s” page on GoodReads. Stolen Song: How the Troubadours Became French, Eliza Zingesser ’01 (published March 2020) These Women, Ivy Pochoda ’94 (published May 2020) All Adults Here, Emma Straub ’98 (published May 2020) The Lost Shtetl, Max Gross ’96 (published October 2020) To a New Era, Joanna Fuhrman ’91 (forthcoming in 2021) What Is a Dog?, Chloe Shaw ’93 (forthcoming in 2021)

www.goodreads.com/saintanns 19

Photograph by Sierra W., 8th grade

Alpha Centauri I am convinced that every day the world is shrinking as I fell asleep the stars began to mutter: it’s lonely up here pull down the blinds & with them the sky pull down your little patch of quiet I am an airplane a moving constellation which crashes down in LaGuardia airport Queens, how auspicious Queens, where the Indian food is always warm & the traffic lights meet Andromeda every day the world is shrinking pull down the air the pollution & jazz that makes feet tap at two am I want to disappear watch me dissolve into her watch my bones leave my body we are shrinking paint me blue: the ponds in central park unclouded paint me drifting: plastic bag caught in the whir of a tunnel paint me floating back: my skin dropping & hair pasted to the passages I, shrinking call it a restless heart because every time I see her I re-expand into myself —Ayla S., 12th grade

Saint Ann’s, like every school, is facing exceptional challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The school reopened with new protocols, new teaching spaces and lots of hand sanitizer. The Saint Ann’s Annual Fund is a critical part of the school’s budget, providing approximately 6% of the school’s annual revenue. The funds raised support our entire program, including financial aid, technology, and everything we are doing to help students and faculty meet the extraordinary challenges of this unique school year. We hope you will make a donation to the Saint Ann’s Annual Fund. Please contact us if you have any questions.

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www.saintannsny.org/annual-fund

SECTION HEADER COMMUNITY EVENTS

Electionpalooza On October 30, all fourth through twelfth grade students participated in “Electionpalooza,” a series of faculty-led workshops centered around themes of elections, democracy, free expression, and the power of art to help us navigate times of uncertainty. Spearheaded by Dean of Faculty Melissa Kantor and Director of Advancement David Smith and planned in collaboration with a dedicated group of teachers and administrators who helped execute it, the program spanned the breadth of our faculty’s areas of expertise. All workshops were available via Zoom, and some also included an in-person component. Below is a sampling of the options students had to choose from. The organic, community effort was a uniquely Saint Ann’s way to mark the occasion of a historic election. The Electoral College—pro or con? (David Smith and Stephen Pickering) There’s a lot of talk about the evils of the electoral college, but how well do you understand its origins, functions and unique place in the history of electoral systems? Come for a deep dive into the electoral college and its history, stay for a rousing debate of its future! Historical-Letter Erasure Poem (Gena Oppenheim ’97 and Larissa Tokmakova) We will look at letters from historical figures and discuss their place in American history. We will use these texts as a starting point for an original poem, and provide a visual accompaniment of our own imagery on the page. Athletes and Activism (Søren Madsen, Shannon Carr, Teresa Schirrippa, Paul Benney) In this session we will explore and discuss different opinions about the role that professional athletes should play in politics and activism. We will take a quick look at who has taken a stand in different ways on political issues throughout history. Free Speech in the Disinformation Age (Vince Tompkins and Yuval Ortiz-Quiroga) We’ll explore two classic arguments for the importance of free speech in a democratic society—from Frederick Douglass and John Stuart Mill—and explore whether their arguments are still effective when the meaning of “truth” and “fact” and “censorship” are contested, when bots roam the virtual landscape, and when sources of news are diffuse and sometimes nefarious in intent. We’ll explore how these issues affect what it means to hold a free and fair election. The Moral Foundations of Politics (Jesse Kohn and Ben Rutter) The social psychologist Jonathan Haidt argues that our moral emotions have six distinct causes. They are responses either to harm, inequality, cheating, disrespect, treachery, or desecration. He argues, further, that the modern American right targets all six of these ‘moral foundations’ while the left targets only the first two. And that’s why the left loses elections. What?? Come find out! You’ll also be able to ‘test’ your own moral leanings with Haidt’s rubric. Maybe you’re more conservative or more liberal than you think.

Inaugural Poems (Beth Bosworth ’75 and Laura Barnett ’81) In 1961 Robert Frost was asked by John F. Kennedy to serve as the first U.S. inaugural poet; since then poets Maya Angelou, Miller Williams, Elizabeth Alexander, and Richard Blanco have each read at an inauguration (Bill Clinton’s, Barack Obama’s). We will listen to excerpts of these poems in the writers’ own voices, consider what speaks to each of us, and write inaugural poems of our own. Students will share their work, and finished works can be posted in the stairwells of school and online. Other Countries Have Elections, Too! (Liam Flaherty ’85) Let’s span the globe and look at some recent elections in Guinea, New Zealand, Israel, Bolivia, and Belarus. It will tell us a lot about the strength and weakness of norms and civic society, how a parliamentary system works, the power of media, and the reach and limits of leaders who decide they are larger than the rules—and what society says back. Polls: True or False? (Jared Cross ’96) Did presidential election polls fail in 2016? Can we trust them now and can we ever trust that a sample of potential voters reflects the entire population of will-be voters? What can (and sometimes has) gone wrong? In this session, we’ll talk about sampling and the history of presidential election polling. Voting: (Is Not) a Game (Shalewa Mackall) In this session you can test your knowledge against the citizenship and literacy tests that have stood between many people and the right to vote. We will use a gameshow format, and learn a bit about how voting rights have been limited from the founding of the nation to the present. Reproductive Rights: What’s at Stake? (Ellen Friedrichs, Meli Garber, Iman James) Come meet with the health teachers to discuss what the future of abortion, birth control coverage and what the rights of minors might look like moving forward. We will look at the history, where we are now and where we might be in the coming years. “Yes/And” A Way to Lovingly and Humorously Converse with People over Thanksgiving Dinner (Liz Lord) Role play and laugh about possible uncomfortable dinner conversations with loved ones who may not agree with your views. Using the tools of Improv comedy, we can diffuse arguments while communicating our beliefs. …And the pursuit of happiness (Angelo Bellfatto and Eva Melas) Maira Kalman wrote and illustrated an entire book about this elusive concept. What does it mean to you? Draw and paint your interpretation of the pursuit of happiness using everything from snippets of historical texts to what you see out your window.

The Present Moment

Jonathan Gartrelle ’07

Oliver Ignatius ’07

This fall, the Art, Music, and Theater Departments, led by Theater faculty Laura Barnett ’81, Music faculty Jonathan Elliott, and Art faculty Kimberlee Venable, launched an eight-session virtual conversation on collaboration, arts, and activism today. THE PRESENT MOMENT grew out of informal conversations a group of teachers began having when Saint Ann’s turned to all-remote teaching last March due to the pandemic. They began to consider these questions: How are artists acknowledging and addressing the losses that come with transforming a corporeal and witnessed art form into...something else? What will we make with our students, how will we make it, what will it look, sound, and feel like? How can we—as artists and teachers—inspire students to consider and develop artistic practices that ally with THIS time and space, defined by a global pandemic, movements for racial justice and equity, and economic decline? The program, which will continue into the second half of the year, seeks to recognize and reflect that we are living through history. It is one attempt to witness the ways in which artists all over the world are responding and to create community and galvanize ideas for artistic practice and production in a new landscape. THE PRESENT MOMENT has involved many members of the Saint Ann’s community. First semester programming included the following alumni, faculty, and parent guests, who were interviewed by high school students: Miya Matsumoto Lee ’14 (filmmaker) and Alexandra Posen, parent (Resistance by Design); Oliver Ignatius ’07 (musician/producer) and Jonathan Gartrelle ’07 (activist); Jascha Narveson, Computer faculty (musician) and Jamal Jackson ’96, Theater/Dance faculty (Jamal Jackson Dance Company). The high school student interviewers included seniors Zibia B. and Claire S. as well as juniors Eli B. Katie E., Henry F., Billy H., Max K., Penelope K., Neomie N., and Ayla S.. Juniors Aury Q. and Anna B. designed posters to publicize the events, along with senior Jules H., while senior Elias S. covered it for our student newspaper, The Saint Ann’s Ram.

Animal I chew my food Like a chameleon walking I go to school And poets travel like bisons roaming My mom loves me Like a happy elephant —Romy K., Kindergarten

Chameleon drawings by first graders

STAYING IN TOUCH

Staying in Touch with Saint Ann’s School Dear Alumni, This fall at Saint Ann’s looked unlike any other moment in the school’s history, but it has also been a time of tremendous creativity and a new kind of togetherness. Alumni who missed their reunions last May were able to gather digitally this fall. Classes ending in 0s and 5s toasted the milestone year from the safety of their homes. We launched a first ever Alumni Newsletter which shared how we welcomed three new alumni to the Board of Trustees, a sampling of happenings from Pierrepont Street, and updates about our ongoing equity programming across school divisions. As alumni, many of you remain involved with the school through various events and happenings. I encourage you to continue to be engaged with Saint Ann’s. Here are some ways you can stay connected: • Attend your Virtual Reunion. Save the Date! This year we celebrate classes ending in 1s and 6s All reunion dates and times are listed on the opposite page. • Stay in touch by sharing your news and updating your contact information. • We changed the format of our alumni news section in the Saint Ann’s Times. In lieu of Alumni Notes, we now have mini features—check them out! • Want to give a reading? Speak to a class? We love virtual visitors! • Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram (@saintannsschool)! • Use the Growing Shelf on Goodreads (www.goodreads.com/saintanns). • Check out the Happenings page on our website www.saintannsny.org • Give a gift! Alumni donations to the Annual Fund are a chance to make contributions in honor or memory of a classmate, a teacher, or anyone who impacted your education. As alumni you have the opportunity to be part of our network of caretakers, utilizing your voice and influence to hold us to the values that define what our school is meant to be. We are so fortunate to have you in this community.

Wishing you all good health,

Hannah Swacker Kurnit ’97 Director of Alumni Relations 718.522.1660 ext. 345 | hkurnit@saintannsny.org

ALUMNI EVENTS

Alumni Day 2020—0s and 5s When it became clear that gatherings for the classes ending in 0s and 5s would not be possible last spring, we decided to host a series of Virtual Reunions on Zoom this fall. While gathering in person on Pierrepont Street is always a preference, there were certain elements of the virtual reunions that were truly remarkable. Alumni in places as far as Mexico, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and Iraq were able to join us! There were moments of silence and remarks to honor classmates no longer with us. Alumni shared their family, pets, work life, and how they have been managing in the pandemic—all from their tiny box on screen. Thank you to the classes ending in 0s and 5s, I hope your next reunion brings you all together shoulder to shoulder on the Red Stairs.

ALUMNI REUNIONS 2021 SAVE THE DATE FOR YOUR VIRTUAL REUNION! While we will be unable to host your class reunions this spring in person, we look forward to seeing your class gather informally to say hello on Zoom. Classes ending in 1s and 6s, please check below for your class’s reunion date and time. Zoom registration links will be sent via email. Wednesday, April 28 (’01 & ’06) 7:00pm - Class of 2001 - 20 years 8:00pm - Class of 2006 - 15 years

Friday, May 7 (’81 & ’86) 7:00pm - Class of 1981 - 40 years 8:00pm - Class of 1986 - 35 years

Thursday, April 29 (’11 & ’16) 7:00pm - Class of 2011 - 10 years 8:00pm - Class of 2016 - 5 years

Saturday, May 8 (’91 & ’96) 7:00pm - Class of 1991 - 30 years 8:00pm - Class of 1996 - 25 years

Thursday, May 6 (’71 & ’76) 7:00pm - Class of 1971 - 50 years 8:00pm - Class of 1976 - 45 years

2020 VIRTUAL REUNIONS

Class of 1975

Class of 1985

Class of 1990

Class of 2000

Class of 2015

Class of 2005

Class of 2010

ALUMNI IN THE FIELD

Bail Reform and the Price of Freedom By Brad Weekes ’13 Growing up in East New York, Brooklyn, I saw firsthand how poor, Black and brown communities struggle to tell their stories. For most of my life, I thought I lived in the “murder capital of Brooklyn” because that’s all I ever heard on TV or saw my dad read in the Daily News. The East New York I knew— a neighborhood of rich texture, from the smells of delicious Caribbean food to the sounds of bass-heavy reggae and bachata that echo throughout Linden Boulevard—never made the headlines. To many, including me for a long time, my neighborhood’s story was one simply of rising crime. As a communications professional, I know now the value of having your story told. At Kivvit, a public affairs firm, my work focuses on shaping the messaging, media, and political moment that advances my clients’ strategic goals. My clients range across sectors from education and energy to the Motion Picture Association and the New York State Health Department. I’m constantly aware of the way the narratives we craft shape perception. How words and language can fuel stereotypes of issues, communities, and people. How they can also change hearts and minds. Our words and the intentionality of our language matters. I’ve been privileged to work within the criminal justice space to end the insidious practice of bail in New York. In this country, we operate in a two-tiered criminal justice system—one for the rich and one for the poor. Nowhere is that more evident than with bail. Held in pretrial detention, legally innocent individuals await their trial for weeks, months, or in some cases years. During that waiting period, they can lose their job, miss rent, and, now, even fall victim to COVID-19 in cramped, dilapidated jail cells. This is the reality for tens of thousands of New Yorkers. Their only crime is being too poor to afford the bail that would grant their freedom.

Artwork by Lyla B., 9th grade

One such story that many are already aware of is what happened to Kalief Browder. A 16-year-old Black kid in the Bronx, in 2010 Kalief was arrested and falsely accused of stealing a backpack. He was then detained by police and spent three years, two of which were in solitary confinement, awaiting trial in the human rights violation that is Rikers Island. Kalief was eventually released, innocent of all charges, but the damage was done. The trauma he suffered was so all-encompassing that at the age of twenty-two he took his own life. Kalief ’s story is indicative of the tens of thousands who fall victim to our unjust criminal justice system. Representing a criminal justice coalition, Kivvit set out last year to end the bail practice in New York and helped pass historic reforms. We centered the story directly on impacted individuals, who spoke to their personal pain of going through our broken bail system. I was proud to work with Kivvit to secure stories everywhere from the The New York Times and Daily News to New York Magazine and Rolling Stone to make sure we were reaching a diverse audience to tell the reality of bail. Our collective work led to substantial bail reform that ensured nearly eighty percent of New Yorkers who would previously be held on bail could now await their trial safely at home, no longer barred by wealth-based discrimination. However, the fight is not over. Fear-mongering from a vocal opposition and media coverage rooted in racist stereotypes tarred our reform and led to rollbacks in March 2020. As Angela Davis once said, “Freedom is a constant struggle” and the struggle for a just criminal justice system persists. From the Central Park Five, rather the Exonerated Five, to misinformed stories about bail, Black and brown communities have borne the burden of sensationalized media coverage, stripping individuals of their humanity and nuance, already presuming them guilty and perpetuating a false narrative to the public. I saw it in East New York growing up, and it still exists today. The work of an informed public is to stay vigilant on how we consume news, media, and to challenge the narratives we are exposed to. The stories are always more complex than the headline.

Artwork by Jules H., 12th grade

ALUMNI MINI FEATURES

Noah Rosenfeld ’20 When my college announced a mandatory gap semester for incoming freshmen I applied for jobs almost at random. I even interviewed to be a 911 dispatcher— thank God, for all of us, my application was rejected. Soon I was volunteering for the Biden campaign and after a whirlwind of interviews I was hired as an organizer, and packing my bags for Macomb County, Michigan. Organizing at its core, I learned, is about connecting with people and making the world a little bit better as a team. Organizing during a pandemic is bizarre, exhausting, and counterintuitive. But the importance of the work was underscored by human moments: I watched seven-year-old canvassers with tiny masks knock on doors; I heard many painful stories from volunteers who had lost jobs, parents, and homes to the pandemic. But out of the fury and grief and anger and death, we organized. And together we won.

Agnes Guillo ’17 Since my freshman year at Cornell, I have held many jobs managing sheep. Currently, I am working on a solar grazing research project exploring sheep grazing on solar arrays. This burgeoning field is a type of agrivoltaics—the collocation of agriculture and solar energy. This research investigates the density of sheep per acre of solar panels at which pollinator visitation and soil carbon sequestration is optimized. Preliminary observations show that rotational sheep grazing can improve soil health and increase soil carbon sequestration, producing a healthier environment to attract local pollinators. While sheep grazing maintains a solar site more sustainably than mowing, the sheep enjoy the added benefits of shelter beneath the panels and protection from predators by the site’s fortified enclosure. This project is cutting-edge not just because it is situated at the intersection of agriculture, pollinator habitat support, and climate change risk mitigation, but also because of the additional financial benefits it provides to farmers, such as solar companies commissioning solar grazing flocks, and the prospect of marketing products as “sun-grown.” Interested in learning more? Check out my website https://blogs.cornell.edu/grazing and Instagram (@cornellprosheep).

Akash Mehta ’16 I recently launched New York Focus, an investigative news publication covering state and local politics in New York State. The publication investigates New York’s politicians and power brokers, explains under-examined legislation and political processes, and documents nascent popular movements. New to the scene and with a bare-bones budget, our site has nevertheless published a wide array of deeply reported investigations, often on never-before-reported issues and often with immediate impact. Our reporting on the burning of toxic waste, steps away from a public housing complex, pushed the Governor to sign into law an incineration ban that he had threatened to veto. Our investigation into the trials faced by New Yorkers released from jail without ID was discussed in a City Council hearing, and prompted Councilmembers to examine the possibility of issuing IDs upon jail discharge. You can see more of our work on our site: www.nysfocus.com. Please drop me an email at akash@nysfocus.com if you’d like to get involved, offer tips or connections, or support New York Focus’ work!

Oliver Ignatius ’07 In 2010, my partner in work and life, Bernadette Higgins ’06, and I opened a Brooklyn studio called Mama Coco’s Funky Kitchen. It was a bustling hub for a large collective of musicians, interlocking arms professionally and spiritually to create a sort of mini-music industry during a period of great uncertainty in that business. Over the next seven years, we worked with countless artists, recorded hundreds of records, and created a promotional infrastructure that included the semi-legendary series of Chaos parties. By 2018, we were fed up with rising New York City commercial rents and determined to create a more sustainable environment for creation; our interest in rescue animal adoption was also rapidly growing. We soon moved to a farm an hour north of New York City, relaunched the starship as Holy Fang, and have been plugging away ever since. Aside from continuous music work, we have twenty-five rescue animals, and are working on renovating a 150-year-old church in Vermont for a second, deluxe studio location and arts space. When the pandemic took hold, Bernadette and I finally launched a long-inthe-works project: Chaos, the Magazine for Non-Believers, a new culture magazine whose first cover feature was BLM organizer Jonathan Gartrelle ’07.

Amelia Hollander Ames ’97 I founded Con Vivo Music in 2007 to bring free chamber music concerts to my hometown of Jersey City. I was tired of always crossing the river to play! I now live in the Boston area so am no longer running it, but I am still involved. Through Con Vivo, I have gotten to renew my musical connection with my former classmate Sarah Craft ’97, who has joined us for many concerts. I’ve also been able to feature many of my incredibly talented friends, such as violinist/composer Mazz Swift and Jessie Montgomery ’99. We just completed a surprisingly successful #GivingTuesday fundraiser, raising more than $4,000 in total to continue bringing excellent, eclectic, and free chamber music to Jersey City and beyond. A word about what I’m doing in Boston: I have a string quartet called the Craft Ensemble, I’m CoPrincipal Viola of the Orchestra of Indian Hill as well as a busy freelancer in many local ensembles (when performances come back, God willing!!). Sending love to the Saint Ann’s community.

Keep in touch and share your news with us at alumni@saintannsny.org.

IN MEMORIAM Eric Feder ’85 By Christian Martin ’85 The wonderful, funny, kind, and courageous Eric Feder ’85, died peacefully in his sleep on August 8, 2020. He was surrounded by family: his big sister, Lisa Feder Castenskiold ’81, and dear friend, Nat Rubin ’85, who helped care for him until the end. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Eric attended Saint Ann's from first through twelfth grades. He also lived in Wisconsin, San Francisco, and Los Angeles before returning to New York City. For the last twenty-eight years, he battled a genetic condition, NF2, slogging through multiple brain surgeries, adult deafness, endless tumors, and challenges that would make lesser souls throw up their hands. The Fed never lost his joy or optimism. He was universally acknowledged to be the funniest of all the Fellas and always followed his personal mantra LGFG (look good, feel good). For the last few years we called him “10 Lions” because of his physical and emotional courage. Eric loved basketball (the Knicks), music, dancing, swimming, The Odd Couple, healthy eating, being outdoors, and chilling with the hundreds of people he loved and who loved him, including step-siblings Shelagh Montgomery Thomas and Bryce Montgomery (who both attended Saint Ann’s) and step-brother Matthew Spiegleman. Fed had the uncanny ability to see how all of us are beautiful, crazy, and ridiculous, and he applauded every piece of it. His brilliant blue eyes shined brightly ’til the end. He’ll be missed.

Edward S. Reid III Edward S. Reid III (Trustee 1966/7–70), died peacefully in his Brooklyn Heights home on July 17, 2020. He was ninety years old. Ted led a life devoted to his family, the communities in which he lived, and the organizations that he served. He was born March 24, 1930 in Detroit, Michigan, the second of three children of Margaret O. Reid and Edward S. Reid Jr. Ted earned his undergraduate degree at Yale University in 1951, becoming a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and after serving active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps in Korea from 1951 to 1953, earned an LLB degree magna cum laude at Harvard Law School in 1956. Upon graduating law school, Ted began working at Davis Polk & Wardwell, where he became a partner in 1964 and remained as a partner until his retirement in 1995, having served his last five years of active practice as head of the firm’s Tokyo office. During his career he also served on the Board of Directors of General Mills for fifteen years and was a member of the New York City Board of Higher Education. Ted and his wife of sixty-six years, Carroll Grylls, raised their family in Brooklyn Heights and were one of Saint Ann’s First Families. Ted lived a full and adventurous life, deeply engaged with his community and family, and he hoped for the same for his children and grandchildren. He will be greatly missed.

Ted is survived by his sister Claudia; brother William; wife Carroll; children Carroll ’73 (and Mac) Highet, Richard ’76 (and Jill) Reid, Jenny ’79 (and Michael) McTigue, and Margaret ’83 (and Matt) Boyer; 12 grandchildren (four of whom attended Saint Ann’s), and one great grandchild.

Artwork by Angelina H. 7th grade

Artwork by Dublin L., 7th grade

Artwork by Alex C., 12th grade

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Photograph by: Morgan S., 10th grade