derryfield today, winter 2004

An Excerpt from ExcerptThe Road to Hollywood

Finding A Voice

todayWINTER 2004

Derryfield

NEWS FROM THE DERRYFIELD SCHOOL

winter concertsee details on page 7

contentsTable of

www.derryfield.org 1

Derryfield Today is published by the Institutional Advancement Office at The Derryfield School. If you note errors, please notify usat 603.669.4524 ext. 123 or send an email to [email protected]. Correspondence may be addressed to: Director ofCommunications, The Derryfield School, 2108 River Road, Manchester, NH 03104-1396. The Derryfield School welcomes stu-dents of any race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin. The School does not discriminate in its hiring, admission policies, or pro-grams on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, sexual preference, or disabilities.

FRONT COVER: Members of the cast of Les Misérablesduring a group number.

INSIDE FRONT COVER: Jackie Leeds ’06 accompaniesConcert Choir during the Winter Concert.

BACKGROUND: Students make their way to All SchoolAssembly on a cold winter morning.

TOP: Music teacher Laurel Devino directs the Middle SchoolChorus during the Winter Concert.

features

departments

WINTER 2004

FEATURES

An Excerpt from Excerpt 10by Bob Cole

Finding A Voice 16by Annie Briggs

The Road to Hollywood 22Sarah Silverman ’89

At the Top of His Game 29by Richard Anthony

DEPARTMENTS

Message from the Head 2Around Campus 4Cougar Athletics 12Summerbridge Spotlight 14Update on Alumni 18Life After Derryfield 22Faculty Profile 29

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Tricia LucasChairManchester, NH

Arthur CovielloVice ChairHollis, NH

Steven BurkeTreasurerBedford, NH

Pamela VanArsdaleSecretaryBedford, NH

Dianne ConnollyCorporate SecretaryWindham, NH

Randy RichardsonHead of SchoolConcord, NH

John Allard ’83Manchester, NH

Bradley Benson ’78Derry, NH

James CahillConcord, NH

Jim DavisNew Boston, NH

William Davis IIHopkinton, NH

Dr. Louis FinkBedford, NH

Terry FlahiveBedford, NH

Patrick GriffinBedford, NH

Joseph HortonManchester, NH

Maria Holland Law ’75Bedford, NH

Donna K. LenckiCandia, NH

David LockwoodManchester, NH

Lourdes MaldonadoManchester, NH

Eric NickersonWindham, NH

Jeffrey PollockBedford, NH

Gay Shanahan ’76Duxbury, MA

DERRYFIELD TODAY

Annie BriggsDirector of CommunicationsEditor

O’Neil Griffin Bodi, Inc.Design

Puritan PressPrinting

CONTRIBUTORS

Richard AnthonyEnglish Department

Bob ColeExcerpt Faculty Advisor

Dianne ConnollyBoard of Trustees

INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT

Alice Handwerk Director

Ellie Cochran ’69Associate Director

Gail GordonAssistant

Jen PierceDirector of Alumni Relations

A s I see our students on stage, on the field, in class,and even in the hallway, I often consider what it isabout Derryfield that fosters creativity and risk‑tak‑

ing. How did these young people create such a professionaldramatic and musical performance of Les Misérables? Whatinspires a girl who rarely played sports to become a giftedDivision I field hockey player after only four years atDerryfield? What made a quiet, subdued young man sud‑denly decide to sing, joke, and teach on stage throughout hissenior year? How do our students, from one of the smallest

schools in the state, regularly get recognized among the bestwriters and mathematicians? What is the force that drivessome of our students to create beautiful and even award‑winning sculptures, drawings and paintings? I do not haveone simple answer to these questions, but I do believe thatwe have created something special at Derryfield.

We have a philosophy, program, and culture that promoteintellectual and creative risk‑taking. Our small classes andadvisor groups make it possible for us to both support andchallenge every student. We have fantastic teachers who areboth passionate about what they teach and completely com‑mitted to their students. We provide a demanding, diverseliberal arts curriculum which includes a range of visual andperforming arts offerings and is complemented by a varied

athletic program. Perhaps most importantly, we are blessedby wonderful and motivated students who consistently andimpressively rise to the challenge.

As expressed in the Statement of Philosophy, one of ourmost important goals as a school is to empower students to“develop their unique qualities of mind, body, and spirit.”While it is possible to broadly interpret the meaning of thisexcerpt, the ultimate purpose is clear. We want to help ourstudents find, develop, and embrace their individuality andcreative voice across the spectrum of their educational expe‑rience.

This goal from our Statement of Philosophy offers a num‑ber of challenges to Derryfield as an intellectual community.Perhaps the greatest of these is to create an effective balancebetween two potentially competing objectives: on the onehand, a desire to embrace diversity, individuality, and cre‑ativity; on the other, a commitment to community and anunderstanding of the need to encourage order and compro‑mise. With this in mind, we constantly remind ourselves andadjust our program to best serve both the individual and thecollective needs of the entire community of learners. It is ourunrelenting and dedicated effort to create this balance thatmakes Derryfield a safe, dynamic, exciting, and outstandingschool.

headRANDY RICHARDSON

HEAD OF SCHOOL

Message from the

2 Derryfield Today – Winter 2004

“...we strive to remember that our program is

designed to best serve both the individual and the

group needs of the entire community of learners.”

Randy RichardsonHead of School

Voicing an Identity

APRIL

Classical All-State Music Festival 1-3

Admission US Ice Cream Social 6

Senior Dinner 7

Admission MS Ice Cream Social 8

Founders’ Day 16

Summerbridge Saturday 17

Middle School Dance 23

MAY

Parents’ Association Auction 2

Prom 7

Middle School Musical 7-8

Spring Concert 14

Summerbridge Saturday 15

Tennis Classic 15

Awards Day Assembly 28

JUNE

All School Assembly and Picnic 10

Middle School Send-off 10

Commencement 12

David Haight’s Retirement Party 12

Summerbridge Faculty Training Begins 25

C O M E H O N O R

davidretirement

haight’s

The evening of Graduation, on June 12th,the Derryfield community will honor aman who has dedicated 32 years of hislife to the School. Please RSVP to EllieCochran ’69 at [email protected] at 603.669.4524 ext. 122.

A P R I L – J U N E

calendareventsLETTER TO THE COMMUNIT Yfrom Dianne Connolly, Board of Trustees


The approach of spring is always a time of year that reminds me how easilywe can be surprised by reality. The richness of a world that we so oftentake for granted is immediately reflected in those first blades of vivid green!

Our community has, for so long, benefited from the presence of our Founders.The loss of two significant members of that fine group has saddened us all. Yet Ifind myself reflecting on the richness of the community they helped to start, andthe amazing leadership they have offered over all these years.

Many of you knew Dr. Barbara Stahl. As a new member to the Board ofTrustees at The Derryfield School, I was both delighted, and in no small measureintimidated, that she brought her 40 years of service on the Board to theEducation Committee I chaired. Her ability to listen was intense, her insight intopolicy and practice was scalpel sharp, and her commitment to share her visionwas legendary. That vision was of an educational institution constantly workingto be the very best that it could be. Excellence in education, reflected in her con‑tinual service to the Board and in her 50 years as a professor at St. AnselmCollege, was Barbara’s hallmark. She extended herself to greet members new tothe Derryfield community, and tirelessly reminded us all of the importance of thevision created when the Founders crafted the Statement of Philosophy. Her visionof the future for The Derryfield School will inform our work for years to come.

A number of us were present last year when Pastoral Counseling Services hon‑ored both Barbara Stahl and Dr. Selma Deitch Sigel with their prestigious GoodSamaritan Award. What an occasion, to see two Founders so deservedly honoredby the larger community. Dr. Sigel spoke with clear passion about the responsi‑bilities we all share to reach out and support those members of our world whoare in need. Her commitment to children through the establishment of ChildHealth Services has enriched our wider community immeasurably. Her supportof the Summerbridge Program at Derryfield was also sustaining and continuous.It was impossible during that award ceremony, as it was during the splendid cel‑ebration of Dr. Sigel’s life held at Derryfield, not to hear our own Statement of Phil‑osophy echoed: “Recognizing that academic achievement without compassionand concern for others is meaningless, we are committed to purposeful involve‑ment in the world outside our school in both the local and the global community.”

In all aspects, we continue to be enriched and guided by our Founders. Thisyear’s Founders’ Day celebration will be especially meaningful, as we approachthe 40th Anniversary of The Derryfield School, and honor both present andremembered Founders. We are committed to sustaining their vision. It is withgreat pride that we move into the future.

Sincerely,Dianne Connolly

campus


STORIES

Winter Carnival

Model UN Conference

Les Misérables

Young Entrepreneur

Holiday Cheer

Math Counts

Winter Concert

An Active Youth Vote

Welcoming New Trustees

In Memoriam

An Excerpt from Excerpt

FIGURE THIS...nNow in its 13th year, Summerbridge

Manchester has challenged over 450 students and 750 young teachers.

n The Girls’ Soccer Team has won 9 State

Championships in the past 18 years.

n The Derryfield Library contains 16,326items. Although only 19.9% are fiction,

they account for 29.4% of the books

checked out last year.

nDerryfield fields 34 teams in 23 sports

in the Upper School.

nAs of March 1st, Dennis Holland had gone

on a run for the past 9,740 days in a row.

n There are 24 married Derryfield alumni

couples.

Winter CarnivalThe February doldrums were gladly inter‑rupted for one week by this year’s WinterCarnival festivities, organized by membersof the School Council. Winter Carnivalbegan with a school rally at Monday’s AllSchool Assembly and culminated in theentertaining Moose Review on Friday the13th. The highlight of the week was a sur‑prise Head’s Holiday on Wednesday thatfeatured a trip to see Miracle, a pizza partyand ice cream sundae bar. With a costumetheme for each day of the week, Maroonand White teams competed valiantlythroughout the week at contests thatincluded a food drive, capture the flag,political trivia, and pie eating. At the endof the week, the White Team emerged vic‑torious, winning the honor of sharing theirteam colors with the Carnival Moose mas‑cot for the next year.

Model UN A contingency of nine Derryfield studentsparticipated in the Harvard Model UnitedNations Conference in Cambridge, MA, onDecember 11‑12, 2003. They representedthe country of Burundi. Chris Pellegrini ’05served as the Secretary General for Bur‑undi in the General Assembly, while ChrisKiley ’05 took on the role of the Under‑secretary in the General Assembly. OtherBurundi committee members included JakeKeefe ’06, Taylor Scott ’06, Tim Allen ’05,Vicky Benech ’06, Ryan Audley ’05, EthanSchwelling ’04, and Kayla Sirkin ’06.

Les MisérablesThis January, The Derryfield Playersassumed the challenge of producing LesMisérables as this year’s musical. Facedwith a complex storyline; challengingmusic; a large, last‑minute orchestra; and amassive moveable set, the students rose farbeyond the challenge and generated an

Around

A member of the Maroon Team sports his WinterCarnival t-shirt during a performance by David Moore’04, Mike Moran ’04 and David Pham ’04.

Members of the Derryfield team gather before the ModelUnited Nations Conference at Harvard.

astounding performance. Every wordof the musical was sung, anchored bythe strong voices of several lead char‑acters and a large chorus. According toMusical Director Laurel Devino, “LesMisérables has some of the most beauti‑ful, yet vocally challenging music everwritten for the musical stage. We werealways confident our students wouldrise to the challenge, although somepeople thought we were crazy toattempt this show with high schoolperformers. I think, in the end, no onehad a doubt about the capability anddedication of our students.”

The multifaceted plot of Les Misér‑ables follows a story of love and loyaltythrough a time of social unrest, withhumorous scenes thrown in for goodmeasure. In onesuch scene,Chris Con‑nors ’04and ShaylenRoberts ’04,

as Thenardier and his wife, providedan over‑the‑top performance of“Master of the House” which had peo‑ple humming the song for days. Thepowerful vocals of Drew Moerlein ’04(Jean Valjean), Jenna Bee ’05 (Fantine),Tyree Robinson ’06 (Javert), AbbyFeinberg ’04 (Eponine), Steph Kruskol’05 (Cosette) and Alex Rolecek ’06(Marius) carried the show in places

where the story was complicated. Their energy made a great

impression not only on theaudience, but also on DirectorJames Speigel: “The spirit andpassion demonstrated by

everyone involved in Les Misérableswent far beyond my wildest expecta‑

tions. I couldn’t have been more proudof what they accomplished and thestory they told.” The young age ofthese actors and the quality of theMiddle School cameos bodes wellfor the future of The Players.

Young Entrepreneur There’s an entrepreneur in the eighthgrade at Derryfield. In addition to hisacademic and athletic responsibilities,Doug Stern ‘08 has been selling cardsthat feature his artwork in local spe‑cialty shops and hospital gift shops forthe past year. Profiled in the Februaryissue of New Hampshire Magazine, Sternhas been creating a prolific amount ofartwork since the age of four. His pendrawings feature cross‑hatched shad‑ing and intricate designs of flowers,hearts, snowflakes, and even Shakerfurniture. While the majority of Stern’ssales are cards, he also sells magnets,gift tags and placecards. He con‑tributes 5% of the proceeds from thesale of his cards to the AmericanCancer Society. Keep an eye out for aDoug Stern design in your local shops.

For more information on these originalcards, visit www.doug‑stern‑cards.com.


Marius (Alex Rolecek ’06) holds Eponine (AbbyFeinberg ’04) in his arms after she is mortallywounded in a scene from Les Misérables.

AROUND CAMPUS

A page from the February issue of NewHampshire Magazine which features DougStern’s original greeting cards.

Holiday CheerOn December 13th, 50 children andtheir families from Health Services vis‑ited the Derryfield campus for theSchool’s annual Community ServiceHoliday Party. Key Club members andvarious advisee groups donated theirtime and money to shop for the giftsduring a busy winter season, and thenorganized activities and wrapped pre‑sents in the weeks leading up to theparty. The children and adults enjoyeda hearty breakfast prepared by a groupof enthusiastic and competent gentle‑

men cooks from the junior class. Mathteacher Michelle Coombs lent her vocaltalent to the caroling, while several stu‑dents led crafts tables for the children.The highlight of the day was Santa’svisit. Each child visited with Santa andreceived a special present from his elf.Key Club advisor Kathy Hill wasthrilled with the effort of everyDerryfield student who spent timeplaying and singing with each of theguests, and everyone enjoyed the holi‑day cheer.

Math CountsFor the third year in a row, Derryfieldplaced first not only in the small‑schooldivision, but also overall, in the 2003‑04 season of the New HampshireSouthern Mathematics Association ofSenior Highs (NH‑SMASH). Individualhonors went to Sean Kehoe, whoplaced first in the sophomore division,and to Brett McLarnon and DavidBatchelder, who placed first and thirdin the junior division. Junior LindaPaiste came extremely close to placing.Coach Duff and the team went on tothe Harvard‑MIT Mathematics Tourn‑ament on February 28th. Competingagainst 400 students from across thecountry, David Batchelder placed fifthin the lower level of the individualcompetition. The team will finish off itsseason at the New Hampshire StateTournament on March 26th.

The eighth grade members of theDerryfield Mathcounts Team placedsecond in the regional competitionheld at NHTI in Nashua on Saturday,February 14, 2004. The Derryfield teamhad three members place in the topten. Team member Allison Fink placedfirst in the Countdown Round, an oralcompetition with multiple eliminationrounds. Kelly Schwartz placed fourthin the written competition. Coached byDerryfield parent Heather Evans, teammembers include Allison Fink, ThanMoore, Charlotte Evans, KellySchwartz, Akash Vadalia, and JesseGrodman. The team advances to StateLevel competition held at PlymouthState University on March 6th.


Members of the kitchen crew pose with frypans inhand after completing a delicious breakfast forthe Holiday Party guests.

Two new friends show Corey Davison ’05 the earlyChristmas presents they received from Santa.

AROUND CAMPUS

Winter ConcertOver 140 Derryfield students per‑formed for a full house at the WinterConcert on December 12th. Largechoral pieces by the Middle SchoolChorus and Concert Choir were inter‑spersed with an instrumental solo anda performance by Encore in the firsthalf of the concert. The second half wasa showcase of the talented jazz and

band musicians, the highlight of whichwas a trumpet duel between TyreeRobinson ’06 and music teacher RobFogg. Department Chair Laurel Devinowas especially excited about the talentin the younger classes, saying, “It is agreat opportunity that we, as faculty,have to nurture a commitment to thearts throughout their academic careers.”

Campaign ReformMaura Spiegelman turned 18 on thelast day to register to vote in the NewHampshire primary. Not only did sheregister to vote, she also registered torun to be a delegate for Howard Deanat the 2004 Democratic National Con‑vention. Speigelman, a Derryfieldsenior with high honors, also spent anaverage of twelve hours per week vol‑unteering at Americans for CampaignReform (www.justsixdollars.com) lastfall. As the student coordinator for thatnon‑profit organization, Spiegelmanchampions the message that if each cit‑izen were to pay just six dollars peryear, the government would be able tofinance all U.S. elections and diminishthe corruption currently present in theelection process.

On Saturday, January 10th, over 475New Hampshire Dean supporters metin Portsmouth to elect seven of the 14possible delegates who would repre‑sent Governor Dean at the NationalConvention in Boston. Of the 60 candi‑dates who ran in the Portsmouth elec‑tion, Spiegelman received the highestnumber of votes and was the only highschool student elected to be a delegate.Her 30‑second speech discussed theimportance of campaign reform andthe youth vote. Although Dean did notwin New Hampshire, Spiegelman andeight others will still represent him atthe convention in August. “I’m veryexcited to be representing the oftenoverlooked younger voters at theDemocratic convention,” she says.

While she does not see herself running for office in the future,

Spiegelman intends to stay involved inpolitics, either behind the scenes orworking for another public policygroup. For the immediate future, shewill continue working with ACR untilshe begins her Independent SeniorProject with Planned Parenthood in thelast six weeks before graduation.


Anthony Bernatas accompanies Neil Donnelly,Akash Vadalia and Than Moore (all ’08) duringthe Winter Concert.

AROUND CAMPUS

David Pham ’04, faculty member Rob Fogg, andShenley Searing ’06 provide a beat for a perfor-mance by the Concert Choir.

Volunteer Maura Spiegelman ’04 with 2004Democratic Presidential Candidate Howard Deanduring a rally.

K I C K - O F F C L A S S I C

golftournamentSave the date for the Alumni Association’s10th Annual Kick‑off Classic Golf Tourn‑ament, held this year on August 27th atCandia Woods Golf Links. The proceedsfrom this fundraiser go directly towardstudent financial aid. Last year, the tour‑nament raised $17,627, more than onefull tuition. For more information onattending the tournament, please contactAlumni Director, Jen Pierce at 603.669.4524ext. 136 or at [email protected].

Welcoming New TrusteesThe Board of Trustees welcomes itsnewest members, and the Schoolthanks these generous volunteers fortheir contributions of time and energy.

Joseph HortonPast Parent Joseph Horton (Brian ’01)has been Vice President and Dean ofStudents at Saint Anselm College since1990, functioning as the chief studentaffairs officer. He has also served asAssistant Dean of Students andDirector of Physical Plant during his25‑year tenure at the College. A 1995Fulbright Scholar and prolific writer,Mr. Horton lectured in the CriminalJustice Department until 1998. Heserves on the Boards of Saint CatherineSchool, the Diocese of Manchester, andthe Greater Manchester Chapter of theAmerican Red Cross, among others.He has lent his talent to several suc‑cessful fundraising campaigns forthese organizations, and is the name‑sake of the Joseph M. Horton StudentLeadership Award at Saint AnselmCollege. Mr. Horton lives inManchester with his wife, Susan.

Donna K. LenckiCurrent Parent Donna K. Lencki (Cam‑eron ’10) is co‑founder of ChoicelinxCorporation and has served as Chair‑man of the Board and Chief ExecutiveOfficer since the Company’s foundingin March 2000. From January 1994, Ms.Lencki served as Chief Executive Officerof Healthsource New Hampshire andSenior Vice President/General Managerfor the New England Region of CIGNAHealthCare. Under her leadership,Healthsource was chosen as one of the“Best Companies to Work For” byBusiness New Hampshire Magazine, wasthe first HMO in New Hampshire toreceive full, three‑year accreditationfrom the National Committee forQuality Assurance (NCQA), and waschosen one of the top 20 Health Plansin the Country by US News and WorldReport. Ms. Lencki lives in Candia withher children.

Eric NickersonCurrent and Past Parent Eric Nickerson(Christopher ’01, Katherine ’03, Eric’08) owns E. Nickerson Associates,LLC, a company that builds custom

homes and develops land into residen‑tial subdivisions. He has been in busi‑ness for 20 years, previously workingin engineering with several Boston‑area high tech companies. In the lastseveral years, he completed a majorcondominium project in Windham tar‑geting the “over 55” population. Thenext two phases of that project are cur‑rently underway. Eric has also servedon several volunteer committees intown. He was a member of the GriffinPark committee responsible for devel‑oping a town park for field sports, in‑line skating, and walking. He livesin Windham with his wife, Ellen, andtheir children.

Jeffrey PollockCurrent Parent Jeff Pollock (Stephanie’07) has served as MerchantBanc’sPresident and Chief Executive Officersince its founding in 1992. He is also aManaging Director of MerchantBancVenture Partners, LP, a limited partner‑ship. MerchantBanc generates privatecapital investment in the form of loansand private equity investments in over100 companies. Mr. Pollock has servedon several boards, including the NewHampshire State Board of Education,the New Hampshire High TechnologyCouncil, the Fleet In‑City AdvisoryBoard, and the Steering Committee ofe‑Cares. He also serves on the boardsof three portfolio companies. The U.S.Small Business Administration namedhim National Financial ServicesAdvocate of the Year for 1999. He livesin Bedford with his wife, Mary, andtheir children.


Members of the Board of Trustees gather with their newest members during their February meeting.

AROUND CAMPUS

In Memoriam

Selma Deitch SigelDerryfield Founder and child healthadvocate Dr. Selma Deitch Sigel passedaway on February 7th at the age of 79.Dr. Sigel began her medical career atthe Boston Floating Hospital, whereshe was the director of its pediatricoutpatient clinic. She returned toManchester in 1960 and eventuallybecame director of the state’s Divisionof Maternal and Child Health. Dr. Sigelwas involved in the founding of TheDerryfield School in 1964, and laterapplied her passion for children’shealth to convince Catholic MedicalCenter, Elliot Hospital, and the UnitedWay of the need to fund and launchChild Health Services in 1979. Shestarted out as the only pediatrician, incharge of everything from medical careto the organization of volunteers. Theorganization she created now serves

about 2,000 patients from theManchester area and has an annualbudget of about $2.5 million. Dr. Sigelretired as Chief Executive Officer in2000 and was awarded the GoodSamaritan Award by Pastoral Counsel‑ing Services in 2003. She has also beenan active supporter of the Summer‑bridge program. She is survived by hertwo sisters, Esther Fishman and NaidaWeisberg; three sons, Richard Sigel ’81,John Sigel, and George Sigel; and twodaughters, Marjorie Sigel and RobertaSigel.–Excerpted from The Union Leader.

Barbara StahlDerryfield Trustee and Founder Dr.Barbara Stahl passed away on January16th after a two‑year battle with bonecancer. The senior faculty member atSaint Anselm College, Dr. Stahl cele‑brated 50 years of teaching at St.Anselm’s and 40 years of service toDerryfield last fall. A graduate ofWellesley College, Dr. Stahl earned hermaster’s in biology from RadcliffeCollege and her Ph.D. from HarvardUniversity, and was an internationallyrenowned researcher and author in thefield of holocephalian fish systematics.Last fall, a species of extinct chi‑maeroid fish was named Callorhinchusstahli to mark her contributions toresearch. Although she was weakenedby her illness, she continued to teachclasses and attended Trustee meetingsthrough the end of 2003.

Dr. Stahl was one of the core groupof Founders who helped recruit thefinancial and volunteer support to start

The Derryfield School. Not only hadshe continuously served on the Boardof Trustees since the founding of Derry‑field, she also played a major role inencouraging every period of growth bycombining her vision and understand‑ing of the Derryfield mission with herwillingness to sacrifice time andresources for the good of the School.

At Dr. Stahl’s memorial service,Head of School Randy Richardsonremembered the contributions of thisdriven woman: “Like the great teachershe was, Barbara encouraged all of usto do our reading, to consider all possi‑bilities, and to think critically. Shewanted The Derryfield School and allits teachers, students, and graduates tobe leader, not follower. Even as we allsaw and understood the threat of hercancer, she simply refused to quit, or toeven slow down. It is with this visionof Barbara that I am having troublegrasping the fact that she will not beattending our next Board Meeting.However, I do not believe that Barbaracould have given more to help us learnand prepare for the time that she wouldno longer be here to keep us on theright track. In fact, Barbara will certain‑ly be attending that meeting in spirit.“

Dr. Stahl is survived by her hus‑band, David; three daughters, SusanStahl Hardy ’70, Nancy Stahl Wilsker’73 and Sarah Stahl ’76; a son, JohnStahl ’79; and ten grandchildren.–Derryfield has dedicated The Barbara J.Stahl Life Science Award in honor of Dr.Stahl’s tireless commitment to the pursuitof scientific academic excellence at TheDerryfield School.


Barbara Stahl responds with shock to being hon-ored by the Board of Trustees last fall for her 40years of service to Derryfield.

AROUND CAMPUS

A Poisonous Potencyby Beth Freiden ’04“Beauty is truth, truth beauty; that is allye know on earth, and all ye need to know”– John KeatsI very nearly went into shock the firsttime I caught a glimpse of the otherworld. Liza was telling me, on the ridehome from a week of basketball camp,about the advanced math courses shehad taken earlier that summer, and shesaid, “Everything in the world is basedon numbers.” There was no reason tofight with her about this. We hadstayed in the same house for a week,eaten all our meals together, and notquarrelled once about anything of realconsequence. But rather than respond‑ing proportionately to her words, Ireacted viscerally and violently to theidea behind them. I saw myself sud‑denly transported into a monsterouscourtroom, where I took the stand andentered into a desperate defense of mylife. I tried frantically to refute Liza’sstatement, but all I could choke out inmy shock was: “That’s not true; thatcan’t be true.”

Of course I couldn’t accept a worldbuilt on numbers. How can I explainthe hours of torments I have sufferedat the hands of algebra and graphingcalculators? Math class has alwaysbeen a sprint up McKinley. SometimesI have hated numbers; at the best timesI still cross the street when I see themapproaching. It is no secret that of thehemispheres of my brain, the left hasalways been my favorite. I read wordproblems in order to savor the names

of people trading apples or drivingcars to Denver. After Algebra I ineighth grade, it seemed to me the nextmodern wonder of the world that Lizacould actually enjoy math. The fleetingtriumph of solving a proof can neverequal the profound peace I feel when Icomplete a poem. Not so for Liza. Weboth do well in school, but our soulsare cut from different cloth. Hers isknit of numbers; mine is woven ofwords. I had not forgotten that firstunsettling glance at a hostile world,but it had simmered quietly in therecesses of my brain until lastThursday. My math teacher handed theclass a packet filled with quotes offamous mathematicians. Looking itover that night, my gaze settled on anobservation of Lord Kelvin’s: “A singlecurve, drawn in the manner of thecurve of prices of cotton, describes allthat the ear can possibly hear as the


U S I N G Y O U R W O R D S

Excerptan excerpt from

Cover art by Shalini Patel ’02 for the Winter 2003issue of Excerpt.

“to be nobody-but-yourself in a world which is doing its

best, night and day, to make you everybody else – means

to fight the hardest battle which any human being can

fight....” – e.e. cummings

Excerpt celebrates art – the magic and mystery we most

desire. In many ways, life at Derryfield is all about young

people’s search for themselves and for their art. We all

need some outlet for our individual spirit, some vehicle

for our best energy to be made physical and permanent,

defying the old inevitable end. The search doesn’t end at

Derryfield, certainly, but it begins – defining a process

that will fill students’ lives with imagination and surprise.

Writers – like painters, sculptors or thespians – pursue

inspiration with daily words, with the hard work of writing

rituals, readying their minds and hearts for the flood that

will fill their pages, that will tell their stories, that will

define their voices.

Excerpt encourages this creative flood, the self-discovery

that can shape a student’s life. Twice a year this publica-

tion, designed and published by students, recognizes the

voices that fill our community with color, shape, and

words. We hope each edition will inspire new artists to

fight the good fight, finding themselves in art.

Bob Cole

Faculty Advisor to Excerpt

EXCERPT SUBSCRIPTIONS:Want a subscription to Excerpt – or to give one as a gift?

Send a donation of $20 or more, and the Excerpt Staff

will send you the next two editions.

NAME OF RECIPIENT: __________________________

WHERE TO SEND EXCERPT: _______________________

___________________________________________

DONOR: ____________________________________

DONATION: __________

Mail to Excerpt, c/o The Derryfield School, 2108 River

Road, Manchester, NH 03104. Make checks payable to

The Derryfield School.

result of the most complicated musicalperformance... That to my mind is awonderful proof of the potency ofmathematics.” The potency of mathe‑matics? It is a poisonous potency thatexults in its ability to reduce music to aquantity like cotton. How could any‑one be impressed by such a nefarioususe of intellect? I almost shook my fist.Let those mathematicians delude them‑selves into thinking they can rule mymusic; they can graph the tones of thecello’s scale or count the measure of asong, but they cannot explain why themusic makes me cry. I would have discarded the toxic quotes in anothersecond if something familiar hadn’tcaught my eye... voiced this time notby Liza but by Pythagoreans: “Numberrules the universe.”

The world split in two before myeyes. “Number rules the universe,”they said, and I plunged into a full

vision of this universe without chaos,without art or emotion or fiction, aworld where all the institutions of myexistence are suppressed in favor oforder, symmetry, and logic. Therewould be no uncertainty; every possi‑bility, every outcome would be calcula‑ble. All creativity or subjectivity wouldbe precluded by perfection. And whatplace would be mine in a world ofmath? I would be an outcast, the vil‑liage idiot, like the last Jew, the lastunbeliever in a Christian world, wait‑ing alone on the dock for a truth thathad already arrived. Disoriented, Icried out against such injustice; it wasnot just my beloved poetry that thisfuture threatened – it was my entirebeing – it was my soul. “That’s nottrue!” I insisted, “That can’t be true!”In self‑defense, I constructed the paral‑lel universe: a world ruled by words.

This world preserves the wonderand mystery of humanity; emotion isnot deadened by cold scientific evalua‑tion. Words are respected, not twistedand abused for dishonest ends. Thebeauty of life is praised and mirroredin art and music and literature. But it isalso a world in which bitter mathe‑maticians rant from soapboxes to uni‑versal derision and preach to uncaringcrowds in subways. In this universe, itis the mathematicians who are second‑class; institutionalized as obsessive‑compulsive lunatics, they are outcastas uncultured heathens, oblivious tothe gospel truth: “In the beginning wasthe Word... and the Word was G‑d.”And this is the world in which I wouldhave drowned my friend...

It was I who did Liza an injustice.My imagination betrayed her. She wasnot calling me to witness; she wastelling me something she thought wasbeautiful and true. And I made thesame mistake that Jews and Christianshave been making for centuries whenthey cast each other out as unbelieversor idolaters. They still forget, in theshadow of their differences, that theyworship the same G‑d. What I did notrealize when I lashed out against Lizain the car, and fumed in math classover Lord Kelvin, is that mathemati‑cians still believe in beauty. They justfind it in different places. When Keatswrites, “Beauty is truth, truth beauty,”Liza thinks of Pascal’s triangle, and Iremember reading Dickens for the firsttime. I find my truth in the mystery ofwords. Liza finds hers in the order ofmathematics. And it is still possible forus to live in one house for a week, andeat all our meals together, as long aswe can see each other not as unbeliev‑ers, but as the wonders of each other’sworlds.


Cover art by Cindy Meadow ’03 for the Spring2002 issue of Excerpt.

Artwork by Ben Bradley ’03 for the Spring 2003issue of Excerpt.

AROUND CAMPUS

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C O M P E T I T I O N

worldclassIn February, varsity rower ThadDuprey ’04 placed 8th in thejunior men’s division at theCRASH‑B Sprints World IndoorRowing Championships, behindonly two other Americans.

Boys’ Varsity BasketballSeason Record: 8-10Christian LaCroix ’05, All-Conference (Honorable Mention), All-State(Honorable Mention)Jeff Lyford ’04, Co-Captain, Class of 1970 AwardEthan Schwelling ’04, Co-Captain, Class of 1970 AwardAndrew Warren ’05, All-State (Honorable Mention)

Girls’ Varsity BasketballSeason Record: 16-4NH Championship Quarter Finalists (Class S)Kendra Decelle ’05, All-Conference, All-State (1st team), All-ScholasticJoelle Emery ’04, All-State (Honorable Mention), Senior All-Star (GS &Class S), All-ScholasticStacie Foote ’06, All-State (Honorable Mention)Katy Reno ’04, Co-Captain, Senior All-Star (GS), All-ScholasticTory Starr ’05, All-ScholasticKate Weber ’04, Co-Captain, All-State (2nd team), All-Conference, SeniorAll-Star (GS), All-Scholastic, Class of 1970 Award

Varsity HockeySeason Record: 0-3Ashley Westbrook ’04, Co-Captain, Class of 1970 Award

Girls’ Varsity Alpine Skiing3rd at NH State ChampionshipsEmily Fritch ’05, Captain, All-Conference, 13th at NH ChampionshipsKayla Delahanty ’07, 8th at NH Championships, Competed at EasternJunior Olympics Alpine QualifierJulia Voorhees ’04, Class of 1970 Award

Boys’ Varsity Alpine Skiing7th at NH State ChampionshipsJoe Cahill ’04, Captain, Class of 1970 Award

Varsity Nordic SkiingNoah Benton ’05, 5th in freestyle at NH State ChampionshipsGeoffrey Blanding ’04, Class of 1970 AwardKatherine Myers ’06, 7th in classic and 8th in skate at NH StateChampionships, 1st at Manchester InvitationalKatherine Richey ’06, 2nd at Manchester Invitational

Winter wrap-upATHLETIC STANDOUTSALPINE SKIING

Emily Fritch ’05 and Kayla Delahanty ’07

represented Derryfield well against the ski-

ing powerhouses of the ‘north’ at the New

Hampshire Qualifier for the Eastern High

School Ski Championships. They both skied

well against the best high school racers in

the state, and as a result of the races, Kayla

qualified for a spot on the New Hampshire

Team to compete in the Finals, and Emily

ended up as an alternate. Kayla is the only

freshman and the only girl from the ‘south’

to make the team. The Eastern High School

Ski Championships will be held March

19th-21st at Okemo Mountain in Vermont.

athletics


Cougar


COUGAR ATHLETICS

Clockwise from below: Kendra Decelle ’05 takes flight to score a basket in a win

against Lin-Wood. n Noah Harwood ’06 digs in during the starting stretch of a

nordic meet in Hopkinton. n Andy Warren ’05 and Cooper Cunliffe ’05 get strong

on defense. n Kurt Schuler ’06 tucks in for a sprint

across the finish line. n Members of the hockey

team take each other on during a Maroon/White

game. n Kat Myers ’06 holds off a Hopkinton rival

as she rounds a corner in her final lap of a race in

Hopkinton. n Emily Fritch ’05 takes a tight turn to

win a race at Pat’s Peak.speed

The following testimonial was delivered byKevin Finefrock at our Celebration Eveningin 2003. Kevin is a Summerbridge Graduate1997, Derryfield Graduate 2003, andSummerbridge teacher for the past fouryears.

My first memory of Summerbridgeis the day when the Directorarrived at Mrs. Archer’s fifth

grade classroom, my classroom, atHighland‑Goffe’s Falls Elementary School,and talked about the program. Prior to fifthgrade, I stayed home with my family dur‑ing the summer or we went to the beachwith my cousins, but I had never experi‑enced anything like Summerbridge.

I was excited when I was accepted toSummerbridge. Actually, I was a little wor‑ried because I would not be able to read asmuch as I had hoped during the summer.I’m glad that I decided to attend, because ithas been the most extraordinary experienceof my life. Yes, I remember taking thePlacement tests at the start of the yearwhere I met some great friends and yes, Iremember arriving on the first day andmeeting the other student who arrivedearly: Steve Flagg. I clearly remember mytwo advisors, Alyssa Brown and NateSwift, and all of the time that they spentwith me trying to organize my binder andhelp me manage my time. I remember bitsand pieces of my classes: creating a fakealien in astronomy, learning the French

alphabet, shopping in catalogues to prac‑tice math skills, examining The Outsiders inBen Russell’s English class, learning how tointerview in genealogy, building my owncity (it was called Monadnock), and racingaround during a festival called “SpyGames,” attempting to catch a mole withinthe program. I remember being excitedabout field trips and riding the T for thefirst time. And yes, I remember how sad Ifelt on the ride home from Celebrationwhen I dreaded having nothing to do forthe next few weeks before school started.Obviously, all of that sadness wasunfounded because I am still standing herein front of you, a part of Summerbridge.There are many Summerbridge graduateshere today either as teachers or comingback to see how the program has evolved,and to see what cheers have been added, orif anything really has changed.


Here are some of the ways thatyou can support the program:

CORPORATIONS

nProvide in-kind services or supplies to the

program

nBe a corporate sponsor for student involve-

ment in the program

nOffer job shadowing or invite the program

in for an educational workshop

FAMILIES

nBe a homestay during the summer session

for an out-of-town teacher, assuring that

they will have a positive and safe experi-

ence away from home

nVolunteer for special events such as

Olympics, Workathon, or Celebration

FOUNDATIONS

nSponsor student and teacher involvement

n Invest in the future of the program by

endowing key elements of our students

teaching students model: after-school pro-

gramming, alumni services, student spon-

sorship, or teacher stipends

SERVICE CLUBS

nPartner with the program in community

service events

nSponsor student or teacher participation

If you have questions or would like to sup-

port the program in any way, please contact

the Summerbridge Office. Be a part of this

unique and inspiring model of students

teaching students.

spotlightA BREAK THROUGH PROGRAM

Summerbridge

Kat Myers and Hana Cha match grins as they composea set of rules for a personalized Pirate Code during ahistory-themed Summerbridge Saturday.

After ninth grade, I decided to comeback and teach; it was tough at firstbecause everything felt so different.There was a lot of responsibility andmany expectations that I did not feelready for, but living the experiencemade me a much stronger person. Icannot imagine what my life would belike now if I had not come back toteach. After four years, I feel like I havelearned more than I ever could have inany professional atmosphere. I havebeen able to teach my genealogy class‑es interviewing skills on a telephone,my astronomy classes about the won‑ders of outer space, my Royal Familiesclass about famous people, my Englishclass about famous authors, and mymath classes about decimals and per‑cents by going shopping in a magazine.I have taught tennis even though I hadno idea how to play before the start ofthe summer, and art even though Ihaven’t taken an art class since sixthgrade. I have had ten advisees, all ofthem very different and remarkablepeople in their own ways. I hope that Ihave been able to touch their lives afraction of the amount that Alyssa and

Nate were able to touch mine. I cannotwait to see the unique, successful, silly,fun, energetic people that they willgrow up to become. I feel especiallygood because one of my first studentshas decided to teach this summer.

Summerbridge is such an amazingprogram because it touches the lives ofnot only those who participate in it,but also anyone who comes to visitand sees the spirit and passion forlearning that happens here. The pro‑gram has given so much back toManchester in return for its original

investment and support. Most impor‑tantly, Summerbridge has helped anenergized and excited student body tounderstand and appreciate the impor‑tance of diversity, spirit, and highexpectations in education, and to bringthat awareness into their schools andthe larger community. It encouragesstudents who know that it is okay tobe smart, take risks, and to be different– students who decide that it is impor‑tant to choose their own educationalpaths and set their goals high.

A passage from a book that I amreading called The Traveler’s Gift, byAndy Andrews, reminded me ofSummerbridge students. It goes as fol‑lows: “I am who my friends are. Ispeak their language, and I wear theirclothes. I share their opinions and their

habits. From this moment forward, Iwill choose to associate with peoplewhose lives and lifestyles I admire. If Iassociate with chickens, I will learn toscratch at the ground and squabbleover crumbs. If I associate with eagles,I will learn to soar to great heights. Iam an eagle. It is my destiny to fly.”

All Summerbridge students deserveto fly and reach their goals, andSummerbridge has helped you buildthe tools to succeed. Use these toolswell and you can achieve any goal thatyou set your mind to. If we all carrythe Summerbridge spirit and commit‑ment to excellence, diversity, andacceptance wherever we go, this worldwill most definitely be a better placebecause of it. We, as students of thecity of Manchester, have benefitedgreatly from the opportunities thatSummerbridge has been able to giveus, and I know that we will all bringthe passion for knowledge that wehave fostered here back into our owncommunities as we leave tonight.

summerbridge.derryfield.org 15

“The supportive environment

gives kids the opportunity to

express themselves and take

positive risks.”

Carlos Monzon and Melanie Laberge experiencethe peculiar sensation of moving one’s handsfrom ice-cold to boiling water in order to write alab report on the sense of touch.

Jeff Lyford assists Nate MacDonald with the cal-culations necessary to move to the next step in aboard game based on the mathematics of cam-paign finance and fundraising.

SUMMERBRIDGE

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voice

Developing Talent Outside the Comfort Zoneby Annie Briggs

Finding a

The Holiday Assembly in Decem‑ber featured the usual array ofcomic, vocal, and instrumental

talent from members of all classes.Midway through the assembly, sixthgrader Alexandra Donovan came onstage and, in a strong, clear voice,began to sing Love Can Keep Us Together.After the first two lines, she faltered.The music re‑started, and she triedagain. Once again, she faltered afterthe first two lines. She ran off stage,obviously upset. Several sixth gradersin the audience went backstage to com‑fort their friend. The assembly wenton, and more talented students cameon stage to perform. Two acts later,Alexandra stepped back on stage,accompanied by five of her classmates.With her friends there to back her up,she completed a perfect solo andreceived a standing ovation.

This kind of risk‑taking, and theenvironment that supports it, is notunusual on the stage at Derryfield – orin the classroom. Jennifer Melkonian,Head of Upper School, emphasizes,“Expression and confidence are keycomponents to Derryfield’s identity asa school, and there are seeminglyunlimited opportunities for students atDerryfield to discover ways to expressthemselves and find confidence in apublic arena.” For example, threeMiddle School students joined an

impressive Upper School cast in LesMisérables; many seniors elect to makea ‘senior speech’ at an Assembly beforethey graduate; Lamplighter and Excerptare providing options for expressingoneself with the written word, eveninspiring the creation of several unoffi‑cial publications; and courses such asComposition and Public Speaking aimto improve each student’s ability tothink, write, and speak independentlyand with confidence. While studentslearn how to express themselves in theclassroom, it is the supportive natureof the community that gives them theconfidence to follow through.

Head of Middle School Mark Blais‑dell explains the need to create a sup‑portive environment in the MiddleSchool: “We embrace the philosophythat students need to take risks beyondtheir comfort levels in order to grow,not only because it makes intellectualsense, but because we witness the ben‑efits of calculated risk on a daily basis.Risk may well be especially importantat the middle school level, when stu‑dents tend to feel they are ‘on stage’even in the simplest of social interac‑tions.” The large and enthusiasticMiddle School cheering section at theWinter Concert that lent support toany peers who took the stage is aprime example of the supportive envi‑ronment that encourages risk‑taking.

The public voice that students striveto develop is not only spoken – this isa particularly active time in writing atDerryfield. Lamplighter advisor JohnBouton celebrates the diversity of voic‑es heard at the School: “In the wake ofa renovated Excerpt and a more frequentLamplighter, a number of unofficial student publications are expressingcreative dissent, moving beyond theboundaries of school‑sanctioned for‑mats and genres. I appreciate the ener‑gy in all of these publications, even as Iaffirm Lamplighter’s mission.”

This small school offers diverse op‑portunities for students to developtheir talent, whatever it may be, and toapply that talent to the greater commu‑nity. The voices of those emerging fromDerryfield are strong ones.

ABOVE: Matt Jacoby ’05 and Andrew Kosiarski ’05entertain the audience during an All School Assembly.OPPOSITE: Tyree Robinson ’06 as Javert belts out asolo in Les Misérables.TOP: Alexandra Donovan ’10 performing at the Holi-day Assembly with backup from friends.


alumni


The news contained in this section coversthe period of October 1, 2003 – March 5,2004. For more recent news, or to post anote, please visit the alumni community atwww.derryfield.org.

1969Judith Nelson Minzel writes, “In additionto our private practice and clinical researchin Functional Nutrition, my husbandDavid and I volunteer as back countryrangers at Mt. Rainier National Park. Ourjob is to patrol trails and cross‑country,educating bikers how to care for andrespect plant and wildlife as well asenforce rules and do search and rescue. Ioften think of Peter Ordway, math teacherand head of the Outing Club at Derryfield.He was a great inspiration in my life. Peterpassed away in November last year.”

1970Bennett Freeman writes, “Hi – I have beencalling some of you in my capacity as ClassAgent. I’ve heard some interesting andexciting news. Martha VanderWolk isbuilding a new solar home in Vermont’sNortheast Kingdom. Dee Gikas Douliassplits her time between the US and Greece,and will likely be there for the upcoming

Olympics. I look forward to speaking tomore of you soon. I went toReunion/Country Fair a few weeks ago. Itwas a gorgeous autumn day, and while itwas not a big reunion for our class, I got tosee quite a few ’68s who came for their35th. Bob Mandel ’68 (Alan’s brother) flewin from California for the event. He wassuitably impressed with the changesDerryfield has made (as I think anyonewould be who hasn’t been here for 5 ormore years). I recently finished readingNeil Young’s biography Shakey, which wasinteresting on two fronts: first, he recentlyplayed in Manchester’s Verizon Center(another impressive change in our neigh‑borhood), and second, John Hanlon ismentioned prominently a number of times,and quoted as well. Springsteen did notplay in Manchester, but I was luckyenough to see him play Fenway Park.Sadly, his Rock n’ Roll exorcism seems tohave failed to eliminate the curse. I hope tohear from you soon. n Andy Moerleinreceived an email from Nancy Lord: “Mynew book, Beluga Days: Tracking a WhiteWhale’s Truths (Counterpoint Press), hasjust been released. You can see the coverand read more at www.amazon.com andother online bookstores, although I encour‑age you to shop at your independentneighborhood bookstore. Book Sense, theorganization of independent bookstores,has chosen Beluga Days as one of its

MARRIAGESReilly McCue ’91 to Krista Troisi in

November 2003.

Lisa D’Ambruso ’96 to Joe Demers in

October 2003, at The Mount Washington

Hotel.

BIRTHSTo Susan Rand King ’81 and her husband,

William, a son, Nathaniel Rand, on

September 30, 2003.

To James McLean ’82 and his wife, Sarah,

a son, Alexander Henry, in June 2003.

To Matthew Galvin ’85 and his wife, Kathy,

a daughter, Anna.

To Debra Dupont Tremblay ’87 and her

husband, Craig, a daughter, Piper Grace,

on January 25, 2004.

To Jim Kennedy ’88 and his wife, Kristen, a

daughter, Katherine Elizabeth, on

February 13, 2004.

To Heather Lofgren LeRoux ’91 and her

husband, Kevin, a daughter, Elise Isabelle,

on February 16, 2004.

To Ryan McCue ’93 and his wife, Loren

Lesko, a daughter, Ruby, on October 3,

2003.

To Administrative Assistant to the Head of

School, Aimee Campbell, and her hus-

band, Matt, a daughter, Molly Elizabeth,

on December 10, 2003.

To former Summerbridge Director, Natalie

Gray, and her husband, James, a daugh-

ter, Alice Antha, on December 20, 2003.

Update on

February “picks,” so it should be gen‑erally available very soon if not today,perhaps even with its cover facing out!Publishers Weekly this week had this tosay, ‘With skillful writing and respectfor all her subjects, Lord presents someof the agonizing scientific and culturaldilemmas of saving these animals.’”

1971Ken Eluto has finished editing theTNT movie titled Bad Apple, starringChris Noth, Elliot Gould, ColinMeaney, and Mercedes Ruehl. It isscheduled to air in early 2004.

1973Robert Sherman writes, “I have start‑ed a new business venture called TheGolf Connection, a DVD golf maga‑zine. I graduated with a degree ininteractive media from The Inter‑national Academy of Design andTechnology. I just got married to Nadiaon February 14, 2004.” n Tom Sadlerhas been selected to be the newConservation Director for the IzaakWalton League of America. Tom willbe principally responsible for planning,oversight, and implementation of theLeague’s conservation education andoutreach programs, policy advocacyactivities, and development of theLeague’s legislative agenda and strate‑gies. Recognized as a leader in the pol‑itics of conservation and wildlife man‑agement issues, he has a successful

track record of working with Congress,business, and conservation groups tofind solutions for ongoing public poli‑cy issues. Tom is an avid fly fishermanand an instructor for L.L. Bean. Helives with his Labrador retrievers,Berkeley and Ashby, in The Plains, VA.

1981Susan Rand King has been promotedto President of Granite State Telephone.She and her husband are the proudparents of Nathaniel Rand, bornSeptember 30, 2003, and Samantha (2).

1982James McLean and his wife, Sarah,had their second child, AlexanderHenry, this past June. All are doingwell, including big sister Charlotte,who loves her new brother. n M.J.Blanchette was part of an art show atNAHCOTTA in Portsmouth last fall.

1984Nathalie Halle Mason writes, “Justwanted to add a note to say hi to all ofyou. Remember hanging out in thesenior hallway and dancing to CelebrateGood Times at Club 121212? Life cer‑tainly has changed since then. I’m athome with my two kids living inSudbury, MA. I frequently see AllisonReilly and Kimberly Kamborian. It’sfun to reminisce about our Derryfielddays. Anyway, I wish you all the bestand hope to see you at the nextreunion.” n Patrick Rutty writes,“Four lost classmates – that’s almost10% of us. Andy Carle, Annika, Yanksand Pumpkin Man. Maybe theyformed a band (Chris on drums, Andyon bass, Jeff playing an unintelligibleguitar and Annika singing) and havebeen touring Norway... or they’vejoined forces to run some sort of illicitorgan donation ring, or... but enoughabout me.”


UPDATE ON ALUMNI

Nancy Lord ’70’s most recent book, Beluga Days: Tracking aWhite Whale’s Truths, explores the uncertain future that theBeluga Whales of Cook Inlet face. Taking into account the per‑spectives of Native subsistence hunters, environmentalists,politicians and scientists, Lord delves into the challenges ofprotecting the species and why it is so important that we saveit from extinction.

A L U M N I A U T H O R

Beluga DaysNancy Lord ’70

1985Matthew Galvin writes, “My wife,Kathy, and I recently had our fourthchild, Anna. She joins Tommy (6),Emily (4), and Andrew (20 months).We still reside in Flanders, NJ.” n

John Van Hooser writes, “Tracey andour son, Jack, were featured on thecover of the New York Times Magazineon October 26th. Tracey was also inter‑viewed for the lead article on the trendof career women leaving the workforceto be full‑time moms.”

1988Andrew Bickford is teaching at TheAbington Friends School in Jenkin‑town, PA. n Jim Kennedy and hiswife, Kristen, welcomed their firstchild, Katherine Elizabeth Kennedy, onFebruary 13, 2004.

1989Philip Ryan writes, “Declan WilliamsRyan was born on September 23rd.Everyone is doing well, although ourhouse is pretty crazy with two kidsunder 17 months.” n SarahSilverman’s faculty fan club keepspassing along the various shows theysee Sarah featured in. The latest camefrom Ed Lemire, who noticed she wasguest starring in the show, Monk. n

Alex Sturke has changed jobs and isnow working in the innovation andcreativity consulting field for CreativeRealities in Boston.

1990John Allan writes, “I got married onAugust 2, 2003, to Mary KathrynReusch at St. Elizabeth Church inSeabrook, NH. It rained most of themorning, but as soon as we walked outof the church, the sun came out and itwas a beautiful day. The onlyDerryfield alumnus who was at our

wedding was Adam Osburn and hiswife, Becky. We honeymooned at aSandals resort in St. Lucia. If youhaven’t been, I highly recommend it.We are currently living in Hampton,NH (right on the beach), and lookingforward to having some children andgrowing old together. I currently workat two country clubs – PortsmouthCountry Club and Wentworth By TheSea. In my spare time I get to play aton of golf at two of the nicest coursesin the state.” n James Richardsonrecently moved to Seattle to join theHartman Group, a small consumerinsight research firm specializing in thehealth and wellness arena. He’s enjoy‑ing the innumerable opportunities foroutdoor alpine recreation available inthe Pacific Northwest.


UPDATE ON ALUMNI

It was a full Derryfield house at Tom Morgan ’88’s wedding to Heidi Book last summer. From left to right:Brent Englund, Stephen Boni ’87, Shelley Stout, Scott Clow, Rick Searle ’87, Bruce Berk, Heidi and Tom,Paul Kfoury, Andy Mulligan, Luca Evans ’90, Bonnie Evans, Dudley Cotton, and Jim Kennedy.

chuckH E L P

40 yearsremember

Chuck Sanborn wants his book on the 40‑year history of The Derryfield School toreflect the experiences and voices of thosewho made the School what it is. He wouldappreciate hearing about your memorableexperiences, what made Derryfield specialfor you, and the influence of the School onyour unfolding life. At Reunion on Friday,October 1st, 2004, we will set up severaltables of archive photographs. Please joinus for a ‘round robin’ of memories and sto‑rytelling. Please contact Chuck at [email protected] if you have any stories orphotographs you would like to share.

1991Robin Metcalf Hoyt writes, “Hi all;lots of activity! I work for a high schoolreunion planning company. Planningother people’s reunions makes youthink about your own time in highschool a lot! It would be nice to getback to New Hampshire for thereunion whenever that may be threeyears from now. I would love to seeeveryone. I haven’t seen Karin Harvey‑Olsen or Stephen Bridgewater sincemy wedding seven years ago! Otherthan that Randy Krantz, my husbandand I had dinner in Greenville, SC,about six years ago. It’s been a longtime. I am in New Jersey, about 40minutes from Manhattan. If anyone isin the area, let me know. I would loveto see you!” n Reilly McCue spendshis time doing what he loves: hunting,fishing, and guiding for his company,Spikehorn Ridge, in Vermont. Checkout the website at www.spikehorn‑ridge.com. Reilly was married toKrista Troisi in November 2003. Kristaalso attended Derryfield in the ninthgrade. n Christopher Perry writes,“Hello! Well, I have finally made itback to New Hampshire! After almostfour years in New York and five yearsin Colorado, my next move is toMason, NH. My wife, Kirsten, and Iwill be closing on a house in Mason atthe end of October. I have decided togive up the glamour of Colorado lifeand politics to come back and join myfather’s business, Plastic Brokerage. In


UPDATE ON ALUMNI

continued on page 24...

Derryfield alumni took on the current varsity basketball team in a game last fall.

Former Derryfield varsity girls’ basketball players gathered for a practice with the current varsity teamand to honor the 20 years that Ed Lemire and David Haight have coached together.

Derryfield alumni and students gathered at Tri-Town Arena last November to play a Maroon/White gamewith coach Dudley Cotton.

Winter Athletic Reunions

Members of Sarah Silverman’s facultyfan club have been very busy latelykeeping up with their favorite actressand comedian. Silverman progressedfrom open mic nights to appearanceson The Late Show With David Lettermanand Late Night With Conan O’Brien. Shewas a writer and featured player forSaturday Night Live in 1993 and recent‑ly appeared in the movie School of Rock.She has guest starred on a growing listof popular television shows, includingThe Larry Sanders Show, Seinfeld, Jag,and Monk, and co‑starred on Greg TheBunny opposite Eugene Levy. In addi‑tion to her acting, Silverman has beenkeeping her comedic talent honed byselling out crowds in both New Yorkand Los Angeles for her one‑womanshow, Jesus is Magic. Silverman nowhas a development deal with HBO towrite, star in, and executive produceher own series. Although she has spentthe majority of her career in New York,she now lives in Los Angeles. She tookthe time to answer some questionsabout her time at Derryfield and whatshe has been doing since then.

When did you decide that actingwas a passion?When I was in third grade, we got aquestionnaire where we had to fill inthe blanks. It said, “when I grow up Iwant to be...” and I wrote “an actress, acomedian, or a masseuse.” My mombrought us to plays as children and Ireally loved it. I loved making peoplelaugh at a very young age – it was asurvival skill in my family.

How would you describe your ex-periences on the Derryfield stage?Theater at Derryfield was a lot of fun.It was a very positive experience. Iloved being in the musicals. The springplay I always opted to do lights forsome reason, and I loved that, too. Ifelt like I got to perform all the time atDerryfield, whether it was in the plays,chorus, sports, the van ride on the wayto away games, in class, in the forum,or in the library. I really was able toblossom at Derryfield, where theyseemed to embrace the unorthodox.

Was there anyone at Derryfieldwho inspired your comic talent?Screwing around and learning some‑how fused together. Mr. Mathes wouldlet me tell jokes in class, as long as thematerial was covered and we werecaught up to where we were supposedto be. He was so encouraging, and Iloved to make him laugh. I remembercoming into Mr. Cole’s English class

and sitting in his chair one day. Whenhe came in, instead of kicking me outof his chair, he sat in mine. He lookedat me as if to say, “okay, wiseguy,start!” and so I did, and I taught theclass that day. Looking back, that wasso smart of him. He took a wiseguy(me) and gave her this responsibility.And it was fun and awesome.

Derryfield was more than learningindividual subjects. Everything flowedinto everything, and as an adult I cansee how that was helpful. It’s not nec‑essarily important in life to know what“A” equals, but as an analogy, we try tofigure out the variables of life (what“A” equals) in one way or anotherevery day.

The Road to Hollywood


LIFE AFTER DERRYFIELD

Sarah Silverman ’89

What made you leave NYU to pursue a professional career?That was actually a deal my fatheroffered me. I finished my first year atthe theater school at NYU, and wasdoing stand up at night and workingpassing out flyers for a comedy clubuntil 2:00 a.m. each night. About threeweeks before returning for my sopho‑more year, my dad called and said thatif I dropped out, he would pay my rentfor the next three years, as if I was atschool, and I could continue to dostand up. I loved it. That way he savedtens of thousands on tuition, and I gotto pursue my dream. By the way, Iaudited many classes – actually stolesome big lecture classes where theteacher wouldn’t notice I wasn’t offi‑cially a student. Some philosophyclasses and stuff I was interested in. Iwanted to learn, but didn’t care abouthaving any kind of degree. It workedout. By the time I would have graduat‑ed, I was writing for Saturday NightLive.

Have you had any bizarre non-act-ing jobs along the way?I was a waitress for a scumbag ownerwho later was arrested for dealingcocaine. I had NO idea. I worked in akitchen at an NYU cafeteria, I passedout flyers for two years for a comedyclub in the Village, where I was chokedby a crazy homeless man until passersby grabbed him off of me. I was alsoknocked unconscious while trying tobreak up a fight on the corner where Iworked.

Who are your heroes in the actingworld?Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Bill Murray.

Do you have any mentors? Whatdid you learn from them?Garry Shandling taught me so muchabout acting and comedy. Working onLarry Sanders was an amazing experi‑ence. Garry taught me a lot about act‑ing, and in stand up, he was very influ‑ential. I learned a lot about taking mytime, and not being afraid of the quietmoments.

What projects are you working onnow?Right now I’m writing a pilot withLarry Charles for an HBO comedyseries about the life of a woman comic.I also am making a movie version ofmy comedy show, Jesus is Magic, withInterscope.

Where do you want to go next?I’d like to do more in movies than playthe bratty girlfriend or the friend of themain girl who is there to be the exposi‑tion for that main girl. “But you’re alawyer, Susie! And you love him!” Iappreciate the gigs, but would love todo more than what they usually offerthe funny Jewesses.

Do you have any words of wisdomfor aspiring Derryfield student-actors?Just that there is no one way to do this.Everyone makes their own path. Butno one will come to you. You have togo and do it to make your own lifehappen. If you want something, makea plan and do it. You don’t have to do

it my way, or anyone else’s, but you dohave to do something. Also, enjoy thejourney, because that’s all it is. (“It”being life, or your career, or whateverthat variable is today.)


“I wanted to learn, but didn’t care about having any kind of

degree. It worked out. By the time I would have graduated, I was

writing for Saturday Night Live.”

my spare time I will continue to be avolunteer firefighter/EMT and partici‑pate in outdoor activities.” n RebeccaDecoster Perry writes, “Wow! What asudden flurry of notes! It’s cool to hearwhat others are up to. Chris, I can’tbelieve you lived here in Colorado andI didn’t even know it. My husband,William, and I have been married forfive years and have two children – Ben(3 1/2) and Rachel (1). I am staying athome with them full‑time and am seri‑ously considering home schooling, atleast to start with. I am also active inmy local SCA group, and am havinglots of fun with research and costum‑ing. It’s great to hear from you all – ifthere’s anyone else out there, speakup!” n Kevin and Heather LofgrenLeRoux had their first child, EliseIsabelle, on February 16, 2004. n

Randall Krantz writes, “I am leadingnine friends into the unknown regionsof Northwest China to climb severalunnamed, unclimbed peaks, all over

21,000 feet! The trip will be six weekslong, starting at the end of July, and wewill have some pretty complex logisticsto sort out before then: the mountainsare 600 miles from the nearest airport,and nearly 100 miles from the nearestdirt track. Check out the website atwww.unnamed‑unclimbed.com. Weare at the point of working out spon‑sorship. We have backpacks, boots,and long johns sorted; tents and jacketsnext!”

1992Andy Sklarin moved to Hilton HeadIsland in April 2003 and is currentlyworking in the sales office for Van derMeer Tennis. When not in the office heis out on‑court teaching clinics and pri‑vate lessons. In the coming months hewill officially become a southern resi‑dent. n Scott Morgan, Jeremy Crane,Jeff Reed, Geoff Fiedler, JasonDonnelly, Jim Rich, Rick Morgan, Sr.,and Bruce Berk gathered in Boston in

late August to watch the Red Sox hero‑ically lose another game to Oakland.Mr. Berk reports the graduates are alllooking a bit more mature and a bitmore handsome. Conversations rangedfrom the curse of the Red Sox to lifeand relationships to Iraq. Jeremy is inBoston, having recently completed hisMBA, and is looking for employment.Jason is embarking on a Ph.D. programin Theology. Scott is still out West, andis in the midst of medical school appli‑cations. Geoff is very busy travelingthrough the Northeast promotinghealthcare software, Jim is involvedwith venture capital projects, while JeffReed is Mr. Berk’s newest hero becausehe has season tickets to the Red Sox.Rick Morgan, Sr. reports Rick Morgan,Jr. is in New York City and loving hisprofession on Wall Street. n PageFairman Rich writes, “I continue toteach music at Notre Dame Academyin Tyngsboro, MA, and I am also theinterim organist and director of thebellringers at the Church of the GoodShepherd in Nashua, NH. My hus‑band, David, will be graduating fromBoston University School of Medicinein May.”

1993Stacy Denham started the year as anew student at the University ofMaryland in Baltimore. She is in theRN program. n Ryan McCue andwife, Loren Lesko, are the proud par‑ents of Ruby, born October 3, 2003.They were all in Manchester over the


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Ellie Cochran ’69 (center) and her daughter, Sarah (left), visit Hillary Horner and her new triplets, (fromleft to right) Dossie, Campbell, and Cooper, who were born in November.

holidays. Ryan is a pilot and guide inAlaska. n Ryan Tuttle writes, “I grad‑uated with my MBA from Cornell backin May 2002. I returned to Johnson &Johnson to work in marketing onwound care products. I got engagedlast March to Leslie Helmstaedter. Weare planning an October 2004 weddingin Princeton, NJ. Brant Hughes, JimRich, Mike Spector and my sister, Lisa,are all in the wedding party. Lisa isexcited to finally have the sister shealways wanted.” n Eliza Woodburymarried Matthew LaPenta on August9, 2003, at her family home in NewBoston, NH.

1994Mark D’Ambruoso is still working asa mechanical Engineer with GE inSchenectady, NY, in the power systems

division. He bought a home in CliftonPark and is engaged to marry AkiyoMarukawa, an aeronautical engineer. n

Christopher Swift writes, “My wife,Sarah Greer, finished DartmouthMedical School in June and matched ingeneral surgery at Dartmouth MedicalCenter. We bought our first house inGrantham this spring. It’s quite a love‑ly little place. I’m in England atCambridge studying reading for mymaster’s in international relations. It’snot quite international law, per se,though law is one of the core elementsof my coursework. There’s also astrong component of political science,diplomatic history, and internationaleconomics. The British put a great premium on being well rounded.Cambridge is a very special place. It’ssmaller than Oxford and ranks higherin teaching quality assessments. Thecity is much prettier as well – a properEnglish country town. n DouglasTepe writes, “Hey everyone! OnNovember 3rd, I received notice that Ihave passed the Massachusetts Barexam. I will be sworn in and admittedto practice law next month.”

1995Maria Carantit writes, “I’ve been inSeattle for the past three years workingin publishing. Currently, I work inmarketing and publicity at The Mount‑aineers Books, a non‑profit publisherof outdoor‑related titles. It’s reallywonderful out here because I’ve beenable to pursue my love of the outdoors

– climbing, hiking, snowshoeing, etc. Iwas just in Switzerland and spentsome time with Vanessa Gorczyca, andwill be heading home in May becauseLesley Woods is getting married (I’m abridesmaid). If anyone is ever inSeattle, drop me a line!” n Nell Dodgewrites, “I am currently living in NewYork City doing production for a mod‑ern design home furnishings companycalled Chilewich. I love the job, andNew York City is as entertaining asalways.” n Vanessa Gorczyca writes,“Hello from Switzerland! I am still liv‑ing in Geneva and working for theUnited Nations Office for theCoordination of Humanitarian Affairs.Maria Carantit recently stopped by fora visit, which was good fun. I am look‑ing forward to stopping by Derryfieldin November to see its new layout. Ifanyone is passing through Geneva,drop me a line.”


UPDATE ON ALUMNI

Eliza Woodbury ’93 and her new husband,Matthew LaPenta, after their wedding at her par-ents’ home in New Boston.

J O I N U S F O R

alumniMay 7thnight at Fenway

Come join classmates at Fenway Park onFriday, May 7, 2004, to cheer on the RedSox as they take on the Kansas City Royals.The game starts at 7:05 p.m. Ticket price is$20 per person. For more information,please contact Jen Pierce at 603.669.4524ext. 136 or [email protected].

1996Lisa D’Ambruoso was married to JoeDemers this October at The MountWashington Hotel. They are living inNashua and Lisa is working as a genet‑ics counselor at Boston UniversityMedical Center. n Jennifer Goodrichwrites, “I just wanted to let everyoneknow that I got engaged over the sum‑mer to Tyson Heilhecker, a former stu‑dent of Derryfield. We are planning thewedding for June 2005. We are bothliving in Boston. I am currently work‑ing at GLS Consulting, Inc. on BeaconStreet in Brookline, a management andorganizational effectiveness consultingfirm.” n Thomas Wilder writes, “Aftera year of living in Albany, NY, I cansay that I am very happy here and planon staying in the area for a while. I’mworking for a software company thatproduces CD‑ROM versions of phonedirectories for several of the nation’sleading telecom providers. Those ofyou in the Manchester area shouldlook for it this spring!”

1997After two years of teaching, MattBagley returned to Manchester, wherehe temporarily worked at Gold’s Gymas a personal trainer. In January, heand Dylan Cruess left for Australia,where they will play semi‑pro lacrosse.n Erica McIninch is in an MFA pro‑gram at Syracuse University, where sheis also teaching college freshmen. n

Matt Purtell is now working in opera‑tions for Brace Bridge, a money man‑agement firm.

1998Amelie Baudot writes, “I better bestarting a trend here of class note writ‑ing. I am currently living in rainyGeneva, Switzerland. I am doing amaster’s in international relations andcounting the days until I get back toNew York. But all is well, I hope thateveryone is happy, and will write somenotes!” n Kate Lombardi is engaged

to marry Matt Josef. An August 8, 2004wedding is planned. n Anna Purtell isworking in Boston for State Street Bankon a mutual fund management team.She traveled to China in February forfun. n Andrew Hickok has moved toSomerville, MA, and is working inBoston for Industrial Economics.

1999Lauren Abrahimzadeh writes, “Hieveryone! I hope everyone is doingwell. I graduated from Bucknell inMay after an incredible four years andam now living in New York City andworking at Citigroup on the convert‑ibles desk, doing a little sales and trad‑ing. I recently passed all four of mySeries tests so I’m fully registered withthe SEC and can trade anything fromstraight equity and bonds to wheat andhogs! New York City is tons of fun andquite different from New Hampshire(which I do miss at times) andLewisburg, PA. There’s so much to doand there’s always something goingon. If you’re ever in the city feel free tocall!” n Adam Bock writes, “I joinedthe Army Reserve in 1999, working inintelligence analysis. I have been calledup twice now for the past two desertscuffles. I am just now (on the 15th ofDecember) coming home to relax a lit‑tle and finish off my last two years ofcollege. As for college, I still attendSkidmore, majoring in economics,minoring in German, and loving both.”n Kathleen Flahive writes, “One ofmy best Derryfield friends just got


Nicole Bryant, Andy Cochran, and Becca Connolly (all ’01), gather for a mini-reunion in England, whereAndy and Becca are studying for the spring semester.

UPDATE ON ALUMNI

married – Sharon Pozner – and thewedding was a great reunion. What abride! I am graduating from TuftsUniversity in the spring and will beworking in Boston, combining myinterests in corporate social responsi‑bility and public relations. ThanksDerryfield!” n Elizabeth Jorgensenwrites, “Hey everyone. So in the fouror five years since graduation I havereally come up in the world. Actually,that’s pretty funny. I still live at home,and work at the college where I got myBA. I graduated from Saint AnselmCollege last year, with an honors BA innatural sciences and am working at theNew Hampshire Institute of Politics atSaint Anselm. It has been quite anexperience during the primary season,since every candidate has been here atleast once, and every week we havepoliticians, authors, and experts speak‑ing. I am going on to law school atFranklin Pierce in Concord next year,which should also be exciting, and I’mnot leaving good old Bedford, NHeither. I am still going out with ChrisNickerson ‘01, not that any of youprobably remember him, but he wasreally tall, handsome and friendly. Andstill is! I miss Derryfield at times, Imust admit – nostalgia for the waythings used to be. Feel free to drop mea line.” n Peter Keeler graduated withhonors from Johns Hopkins Universitywith a bachelor’s degree in computerscience. He is continuing his graduatework at Johns Hopkins. n NatalieLebel writes, “Hey everyone! I am justwriting to let you all know what I havebeen up to. I am now living in San

Diego, which at the moment is on fire.Not so good! Other than the fire,things are great here. I plan on finish‑ing up my teaching degree here, sothat I can teach first grade. If anyonewants to get out of the snow and comeand visit, I will be in sunny San Diegofor a while. I would gladly show youaround!” n Christopher Robertswrites, “I’m at New York Universityright now, going for an MFA in writingpoetry – clearly the most practicalcareer path. Still, it’s an unbelievableexperience. It’s a small and intimateprogram, and I’m working with poets Iidolize. Also, I’m living in Manhattan,right by Washington Square. I’m notmarried, but I’m still with Lindsey, thesame girl I was with at the end of highschool. And I think that’s all there is tosay.” n Ana Roy is working in anational park in Utah, making gooduse of her background in geology/biology and theater. She makes presen‑tations to park visitors. n PorterWeeks writes, “Hi everyone! I hopeyou are all doing well. I am attendingUMass Amherst and am pursuing acareer as a landscape architect. Theschool is enormous, and it has beenquite an adjustment from good oldDunbarton, and Derryfield as well. Ihave been playing sports throughoutmy college career and hope you allhave too. Big shout out to Nicole andVladamir, props on the wedding. Ihope this message finds you all well,and I hope to hear from you.”

2000Justin Shaka was recently awarded theC. Donald McKelvie Scholarship forthe 2003‑04 academic year at theWhittemore School of Business andEconomics at the University of NewHampshire. n Kate Newick is playinga vital role in the Middlebury Collegeski team’s unprecedented early seasonsuccess. The Panthers have won carni‑vals at Colby, St. Lawrence, and UVM.At Colby, Kate finished fifth in the 10K


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A L U M N I P R O F I L E D

an EPIICJenna Sirkin ’00Jenna Sirkin ’00 was recently profiled inTufts Magazine for a research project shedid in Mexico and Cuba through theEducation for Public Inquiry and Inter‑national Citizenship (EPIIC) program atTufts University, where she is majoring inInternational Relations and Spanish. EPIICwas created as a program of the Instituteof Global Learning with the mission to“explore how higher education can pro‑duce ethical, creative thinkers who under‑stand the intricacies of world affairs andare prepared for active participation.” Aspart of her participation in this yearlong,for‑credit program, Sirkin traveled toMexico in January 2003, and continuedher research during the summer in Cuba.She studied women’s health issues andvisited a school, developing friendshipswith the people working to makeimprovements in their communities.

cross‑country race and she was one ofthe three members of the winning3x5K relay team. She came right backto win the 15K race at St. Lawrenceand UVM, then placed second in the5K race and again was one of the threemembers of the winning 3x5K relayrace.

2001Andy Cochran was named senior cap‑tain of the Lake Forest College soccerteam. Andy will be spending hisspring semester in London, working inan internship through the University ofRichmond. Becca Connolly will also bein London during the spring term. n

Ben Kaplan is enjoying life at UPennand is part of a 5‑piece band named“the classifieds” and you can checkthem out on their website, www.topsecretmusic.com. n Krista Keeler wasinducted into the Periclean HonorSociety at Skidmore College, where sheis a junior and active in the residentiallife program. n Gregory Morin writes,“I am a political science and public

policy and law double major, and alegal studies minor. I am theConnecticut State Coordinator forDean, the youth outreach arm of theDean for America campaign, andPresident of the Trinity CollegeDemocrats.” n Seth Pitman spent hisfall semester in England and had thechance to travel Europe, where he raninto several Derryfield alums. Withindays of his arrival he met up withclassmate Holly Katz and Sara Dewey‘02. n Andrew Weisberg is a junior atSyracuse University. He is a residentadvisor this year. He is rowing varsitycrew and was inducted into theNational Honor Society of CollegiateScholars. He did his full sophomoresemester abroad in Australia at theUniversity of New South Wales andworked this past summer at theAttorney General’s Office in Concord,NH.

2002Dan Chen emailed Ellie Cochran tosay he had noticed the Derryfield cam‑pus in a Dean story.

2003Steven Flagg writes, “My motherkeeps me up to date on the school –glad to hear all is going well. My firstyear at Syracuse is going quite wellthanks to all Derryfield has done forme. I definitely plan on stopping byand saying hello. Thanks for all you

do!” n Over the holiday Mike Laverywent skiing to Big Sky, MT, with DrewSamuels and David Gelinas. Unfor‑tunately, he had a midair collision witha tree on the first day and ended upwith a bad break of his arm thatrequired two rods, 13 screws and 90stitches. Lucky it was his arm and nothis head! Good luck to Mike for aspeedy recovery! Drew and Davidmanaged to have a great week.


UPDATE ON ALUMNI

n Bailey Milne FundThe Bailey Milne Endowment Fund wasestablished by former Headmaster BillPfeifer as a way to honor the faculty andstaff and the memories of Ed Bailey,Derryfield’s first faculty member, andNorm Milne, a past Trustee and longtime supporter of the School. The Fundsupports the tuition of faculty and staffchildren who attend The DerryfieldSchool, based on financial need. Supportof this fund is a great way to say thankyou to the faculty for their efforts onbehalf of their students.

S U P P O R T I N G

facultyDerryfield

Chuck Sanborn visits Nate Lavey ’03 during hisfirst week of classes at Reed College.

profileThere is a sad day coming up for

me and for the School. I couldsay a lot in this one sentence:

David Haight is a Yankee fan and westill love him. That his departure willleave a large hole in our community isobvious. I’d like to hit some of thehighlights of what he has meant to meand to Derryfield.

When I arrived here in 1976, Davidwas starting his fifth year and was theDean; later he would be HistoryDepartment Head. In our twenty‑eightyears here we taught a course togetherfive times, took students to Englandfour times, coached JV Soccer andVarsity Baseball, and advised the sameclass many times (including the dayswhen there were only two teachersassigned as advisors for each class).Our classrooms are next to each other.When only a few teachers were askedto do lunch duty, he and I spent manya day in the cafeteria, mooching foodfrom students. (He had no method; allhe had to do was be himself. About mymethods, I’ll say nothing except men‑tion staring and making a fist.)

As a soccer coach, David inspiredathletes and non‑athletes to improveand to enjoy soccer. In those days weoften had twenty‑some players, so our

biggest problems were providing play‑ing time (and he was always generous)and holding down the score. Davidwas wonderful at winning 5‑1 whenwe jumped out ahead 3‑0 in the firstten minutes. For most of his time here,he coached during all three seasons.

David has been in a variety of playshere, wrote one play that the facultyput on, and wrote another to help anEngland class raise money. Typical ofhim, he said that he and I wrote it, andthat’s true if his doing 95% of it and mydoing 5% makes it co‑writing.

He has taught a myriad of historyclasses, from World Civ I and II (he isso old that they were “Western Civs”when he first taught them) to electiveswhere he got students to see what itwas like to be Victorian Women. Al‑ways expanding his range, he addedSouth Africa late in his time here. In hiscourses, he has led countless studentsthrough the intricacies of The GreatTrain Robbery and the agonies ofOedipus.

A lot of students want him for theiradvisor. I have watched his concern forthem and recognized another areawhere most of the rest of us fall short. Idon’t know how many ex‑students’weddings he has attended. I don’t

know how many students keep intouch with him. I don’t know howoften a former student takes him out tolunch. But I know the numbers arehigh plurals.

Sometimes people retire at a naturalend of their careers, when they arewinding down. Since David leaves hisdoor open when he teaches, I knowthat the worst thing about his depar‑ture, the saddest and most selfish thingfor all of us, is that he is leaving, toborrow a sports metaphor, at the top ofhis game. So I thank him for giving ushis teaching career, I thank him forsending Alex and Becky here, and Ithank Barbara for all the time and energy David gave to us.

– Richard Anthony

Gifts in honor of David Haight’s retirementcan be made to the Bailey Milne Fund.

David Haight discusses The Great Train Robberyduring his World Civilization II class.

David Haight: At the Top of His Game

FacultyTHE DERRYFIELD SCHOOL BIDS FAREWELL


2108 River Road Manchester, NH 03104-1396

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NON-PROFITORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDMANCHESTER, NHPERMIT NO. 290

Goodbye!A bulldozer takes down the old maintenance building to make

way for a new facility to be completed this spring.

derryfield today, winter 2004

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