outreach
N E WA R K A C A D E M Y
Newark Academy
91 South Orange Avenue
Livingston, NJ 07039
S P R I N G 2 0 0 5
Phone: 973.992.7000
Fax: 973.992.8962
www.newarka.edu
E-mail: outreach@newarka.edu
Return service requested
Whether learning to prepare fine pastries
or following in the footsteps of a surgeon,
Senior Projects expand the NA experience.
Volunteer Work with
in Morristown
During their senior projects, Rebecca Groverman ’05
and Julia Cross ’05 befriended Conrad and Viper, dogs Contents 4
well on their way to becoming eyes for the blind. As
a witness to the transformation that takes place when
a blind individual gains confidence and independence
through partnership with a dog, Rebecca describes it
Features
as “truly amazing experience.” 24 16 Senior Projects
A Creative Solution
by Alexandra Mahoney
24 Cooking Class
Emeril’s Got Nothing on Them!
by Debra Marr
26 The Arizona Trip
Twenty-Two Years and Going Strong!
by Alexandra Mahoney
26 28 An Unforgettable Ride
by Jon Olesky
30 Rebuilding Lives
Tsunami Relief Work in Sri Lanka
by Tracy Robinton ’05
Departments
2 Perspectives
28 4 Viewpoint
7 NA News
14 From the Archives
34 Alumni Gatherings
35 Class Notes
30
Check out the latest alumni news! www.newarka.edu
SENIOR PROJECTS 2005
outreach
SPRING 2005
Elizabeth Penney Riegelman
Head of School
Fred McGaughan
Director of Institutional Advancement
EDITOR
Debra W. Marr
Director of Communications
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Blackwood Parlin Nancy McGaughan
Alexandra Mahoney
Ed Manigan
Keri Nowicki
John Olesky ’74
Tracy Robinton ’05
Perspectives 3
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
William D. Green ’69 FROM THE
Chairman
David G. Hardin ’73
Vice Chairman
Gerald Lustig
Vice Chairman
Head of School
Julianne Rose Ernest W. Loesser
Each September for the past 15 years, Fred McGaughan, our director of admission, has assured the faculty that he has
Secretary Treasurer assembled the best student body ever. So far, he has been right every year. This summer, Fred has changed hats and
offices to take on the challenge of managing the Academy’s advancement, alumni and marketing endeavors. He will
Lynda Baccoli Jonathan D. Olesky ’74
Anne Essner Anita Porto bring NA’s characteristic combination of intelligence, talent and spirit to his new role. Here’s a taste of his perspective.
Randy Frankel Richard Redmond ’77
David N.W. Grant E. Penney Riegelman
Nancy Baird Harwood ’73 John B. Rubinstein ’64
Noreen Hassan Dr. Andrew Senchak
Wayne D. Kent ’85 Robert Silver Elizabeth Penney Riegelman
Joseph McGrath ’81 Jeff Silverman ’84
Carrie Somberg
Emeriti
Louis V. Aronson II ’41 John L. McGraw ’49
Paul Busse ’38 Robert S. Puder ’38
FROM THE
William D. Hardin ’44 William T. Wachenfeld ’44
Director of Institutional Advancement
ALUMNI BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Leo M. Gordon ’69
President Three Cheers for NA!
Need name of VP As most of you know, Newark Academy is a place where hard work meets high hilarity –
Vice President I’ve never worked in a place that, at its core, believes so much that life is a joyous experience.
Scott N. Newman ’73 Some great examples of this come from Spirit Week cheers that resound in morning meetings
Secretary and pep rallies each October. My favorite cheer involves the cheerleaders exhorting various
Lance Aronson ’74 Jane Florin Langendorff ’80
constituencies to shout out, “We’re Ready!” This cheer dates back to the early ’90s when
Betsy Dollinger Bernstein ’86 Andrew J. Mulvihill ’81 Mary Burg was revitalizing the cheerleading squad. The squad will ask, say, the junior class,
Harris Cohen Richard Rapp ’71 the question, “Juniors, Juniors are you ready?” to which the juniors reply with gusto, “We’re
Nita Dang ’90 Jed Rosenthal ’93
ready!” But the best, most typically NA-like conclusion to each segment of this cheer is the
Leslie Abney Ford ’74 Amanda H. Rubinstein ’97
Kim S. Hirsh ’80 Van Stevens ’65 funky dance the cheerleaders break into as everyone in the building sings and dances to the
Ian Josloff ’90 Richard Szuch ’80 words “Boogie, boogie, boogie, ah boogie down!”
Pamela Helfant Vichengrad ’94
Emeriti Even Blackie Parlin (or should I say especially Blackie Parlin) gets into the spirit of things. One year he spoke at morning
J. Richard Beltram ’41 William C.H. Stroh III ’48 meeting and taught the community what he considered to be an enthusiastic yet fittingly erudite cheer that went like
Richard M. Watson ’50 this: “Retard them. Retard them. Make them relinquish the ball!” And leave it to the kids to come up with their own
cheers. Our rival may be wearing the color blue while NA sports the red, and in keeping with spirit, sportsmanship, and
GRAPHIC DESIGN
of course good humor, the NA students holler, “Red is very good; blue is not so good!”
Abbie Moore Design
PHOTOGRAPHY I share this with you, because as director of institutional advancement, I suppose I’m a cheerleader, and right now NA
Robyn Craig Jerry Millevoi faces one of the biggest challenges in the school’s history: We simply must, now, ensure the long-term health of this great
school by building the endowment. Please call us, write us, and visit our school or our website to show your support for
Outreach is a publication for Newark Academy alumni.
Published by the Office of Institutional Advancement this wonderful place. Are you ready? Then let’s “Boogie Down!”
Newark Academy, 91 South Orange Avenue
Livingston, New Jersey 07039
Telephone: (973) 992-7000, Fax (973) 992-8962 signature needed
E-mail: outreach@newarka.edu; Website: www.newarka.edu
Readers’ comments are encouraged; please send them to the
Fred McGaughan
editor at the postal or e-mail address above.
4
Viewpoint (of a graduating senior)
5
SAM WEINREICH ’05
And so it has become of primary importance for me to So let’s take a moment to admire boredom for a little bit.
T.C. Abbey Oration at take this time to make some accounting of the time I’ve
spent here, while I am still, to some degree, able to do so.
Only in a bizarre place like modern America would I feel
the need to defend my favorite state of mind. Because
Commencement I understand a little bit about the cutting room floor of
human consciousness, and I know that it is only a matter
only a nation as strange as ours would manage to arrive at
the very odd idea that that which is boring is automatically
of time before my subconscious has managed to reduce not worthwhile. In this culture of instant gratification we
JUNE 12, 2005 the incredibly vivid range of experiences I’ve had here have a tendency to plot our lives like action movies: we
into a single odious montage, most likely soundtracked rush around all day doing “interesting” things (usually
to Blink182. I give most of you around two years before involving explosions and vast quantities of hair gel) and
you’ve convinced yourselves that your lives here really then arrive at a whole that is completely devoid of value.
did revolve around the twin axes of Homecoming and Which is why I believe that it is boredom that creates the
Prom, and you begin to have more and more trouble value in our lives. Think about the friends you have made
distinguishing your bona fide memories here – how would you characterize the
of high school from the plotlines on ones that are the very closest to you?
‘‘ ’’
Saved By the Bell. I am not saying that it They are the people with whom you
is wrong for us to be nostalgic, but it is spend time almost by default, when
important that we know exactly where Time does there’s nothing else going on. They are
we stand. They love to tell you that the
winners write the history books, but
funny things the ones into whose houses you walk
uninvited. In short: they are the ones
what they forget to mention is that the to the mind. you enjoy being bored around the
winners’ children never once bother to most. I’d like to tell one story that I
read them. think may illustrate my point. It takes
place, as it happens, during a speech – freshman year
And so, Class of 2005, I ask you the only question that
convocation, in fact.
I think can possibly matter at a time like this: what were
you doing all this time? How, honestly, did you spend I had the good fortune to be sitting next to a dear friend
your four years as a high school student? Your 1,461 of mine who is now sitting among you. Alas, we were not
TIME DOES SOME FUNNY THINGS TO THE MIND. days. Your 35,064 hours. Can you account for all that then the fully developed paragons of wisdom and virtue
time with dances and elections and tests and homework that stand before you today. Around the 25th minute of
IN ANOTHER FOUR YEARS WE WILL HAVE and parties and dates and all of the other garbage they our distinguished speaker’s speech, we looked at each
told us that high school was all about? I didn’t think so. other. We were bored. With the skill born of long practice,
FORGOTTEN THE THINGS WE VOWED WE’D NEVER
So where is the rest of it? Where is all of the time that we took stock of the resources at our disposal. They were
FORGET, AND WE’LL BE LEFT WITH OUR 16 LINES seems to have already fallen into the crevices between slim. We had the change in our pockets and the light
neurons? I am going to give you my answer today, but brown programs they gave us at the door. Wordlessly,
OF INITIALS AND JIBBERISH, PUZZLING OVER I sincerely hope that you will, at some point, take the my friend took his program and deftly folded it into a
time to arrive at your own conclusions. kind of origami bowl. Wordlessly, I took the bowl away
THEM LIKE HIEROGLYPHICS, LIKE THE KEY TO THE from him. I then tore my program into a bunch of
For my part, I spent the overwhelming majority of my
triangles of light brown oak-tag and put them all into
HEART OF SOME LONG-BURIED CIVILIZATION. high school years – of my entire childhood, in fact – in
one of the following two conditions: (1) I was bored his bowl. I took one and put it into my mouth, and then
(2) I was waiting for something to happen. offered the bowl back to him. He took one, bit into it,
and grinned at me. By the conclusion of convocation,
NA News
6 7
we had eaten every one of our improvised corn chips. than with doing anything interesting. I guess not everyone
I share this anecdote with all of you as a way of telling is as adept at being bored as all of us. But just in case
you that these are the moments to treasure in high school you’ve forgotten what you’ve learned here, I’ve decided to
– these are the things that are lasting, and valuable, and take some time to give you just four suggestions of things
permanent: not the things that we did because we had to do and not do in college when you’re bored.
to, but the things we did when we had nothing else to do.
1) Change something. Move a statue from one side of
I would be remiss if I failed to address the academic campus to the other if you have to.
portion of our stay at the Academy, but surprisingly it
is here that I do not exactly know what to say. It is as 2) Many of your schools have an endowment of over a
if I have been called upon to speak about my hair color, billion dollars that it invests in a variety of ways. That is a
or my height. The education I have received here has whole lot of money, and such sums of money can impact
become such an integral part of my the world. Have an opinion about what your school does
sense of myself as a human being with its endowment. Does it support
‘‘
that I can no more imagine being industries with oil policies that will be
without than I could imagine Move a statue unsustainable for our generation? Maybe
(gasp) write somebody about it.
being deaf or blind. I can, however,
at least speak for all of us when I from one side 3) Read something worth reading.
Acting Governor Richard Codey
thank our teachers for making us
of campus to Addresses Newark Academy Graduates
the people we are today. We 4) Get outside. If you’re going to school
the other... in a city, see a play. If you’re not, go for
’’
walked into high school bored,
a hike. Richard Codey, Acting Governor of the State of New Jersey, delivered the
yes, and waiting for something to
commencement address to 98 graduates during the June 12th ceremony
happen to us. We walk out men
5) Don’t watch television. It’s a narcotic. in the Simon Family Field House.
and women with a sense of purpose and a sense of our
place in the world. You are the ones responsible for pro- I’ve made it this far in my speech without invoking a Codey, a champion for health care and mental health issues, and an advocate
viding us with that. Our professors may give us jobs and single dead white guy, but I’m about to break the streak for education and the rights of women and minorities, began his career in
careers, but I don’t think any of us will ever again have our by appropriating the words of the great 20th century state government as an assemblyman in 1973 at the age of 26. In 1981 he won
minds so thoroughly shaped, molded, and recast – at least philosopher-poet John Lennon. He said: “Life is what election to the State Senate, and in November 2003 he was elected to the
until we get married. happens while you’re busy making other plans.” If I Office of Senate President.
could ask you to take one thing from your four years here,
And now we are going off to college. Not only will we be When Governor James McGreevey resigned last year, Codey, as Senate
I would ask you to remember that life’s waiting rooms are
learning with our new communities, but we will be living President, assumed the powers and responsibilities of the Office of Governor.
just as formative experiences as its doctors’ offices. That’s
with them, and thus every one of the non-events that In this capacity, he has worked diligently to restore integrity, stability and a
the way I’ve come to think of high school – as one gigantic
form our life will occur within their figurative walls. This sense of purpose to the governance of New Jersey.
waiting room. We were each thrown together by chance
makes it all the more important that we learn how to
with 97 other individuals who just happened to have He has made ethics in government a primary focus of his administration’s
spend the vast amounts of time in which there is nothing
the same appointment time – 5:30 p.m. on June 12, in policy agenda and has insisted that his fellow legislators heed the demand of
particular going on. Frankly, I have been pretty unimpressed
the year 2005. The classics were our magazines, and the our citizens for accountability and credibility in the institutions and people
with some of the college campuses I’ve visited. I’ve seen a
chairs were just as uncomfortable as they always are. And entrusted with governing our state.
lot of students who seem more preoccupied with protecting
so, to the Newark Academy Class of 2005 AD, I have
their grade-inflated GPA’s from actual academic standards
only one thing left to say: the doctor will see you now.
Class of 2005 Lawrence Jewkes
Aston University (UK)
Matthew Reichel
Brown University
COLLEGE DESTINATIONS Michael Khidekel Julia Reisen
School of Visual Arts Oberlin College
Ryan Adeleye Komal Desai Sarah Kirk Christopher Resler
Davidson College George Washington University Middlebury College Amherst College
Richard Ainsley Sarah Dobro Priya Kothari William Richardson
University of Durham (UK) Skidmore College Carnegie Mellon University University of Richmond
Jonathan Allocca Pallavi Doddakashi Daniel Kott Tracy Robinton
Fordham University University of Maryland-College Park Washington University in St. Louis Cornell University
Corinne Almquist Jacquelyn Dorsky Brandon Lawrence Odette Rodrigues
8 9
Middlebury College Brown University University of Virginia Harvard University
Faryn Altschuler Bridget Duffy Max Levy Jordan Rose
Cornell University Philadelphia University Virginia Technological University Dartmouth College
Jenna Bagnoli Avi Dunn Emily LiMandri Nicholas Schifano
University of Southern California Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University Villanova University
Betina Bethlem Serena Eber Ariel Schvarcz
Emily Litwin
Emory University
University of Pennsylvania Wilkes University Carleton College
Amy Sherman
Sam Birnbaum Jaclyn Emanuel Jason Luks
Lehigh University
Carleton College University of Miami New York University
Justin Silver
Danielle Blake Alice England Melissa Mandelbaum
Tufts University
University of Pennsylvania Sheffield University (UK) University of Maryland-College Park
Scott Simontacchi
Michael Calcara Yulian Fedulov Molly McGaughan Vanderbilt University
Wake Forest University Carnegie Mellon University Hamilton College
Jenna Slutsky
Jason Cali Brett Finkelstein Christine McKeon Barnard College
University of Pennsylvania Brown University Barnard College
Jacquelyn Snyder
Erin Calma Johanna Flyer Joli McTerrell Skidmore College
Carnegie Mellon University University of Rochester Temple University
THE BENEDICTION Sarah Stewart
by Emily Litwin ’05 Christina Capatides Daniel Forman Arunima Mekala University of Pennsylvania
Georgetown University George Washington University Syracuse University
A traditional benediction is a blessing,
Adam Subhas
Jason Chan Mark Fritze Kristen Mulgrew Haverford College
a prayer. While Newark Academy has Massachusetts Institute of Technology Gettysburg College Hampshire College
no religious affiliation, we should not Nina Suda
Julien Cobert Gregory Fullenkamp Bobby Oboodi Columbia University
deny ourselves a moment of idol
Duke University Union College Cornell University
worship as we sit at the feet of our Sarah Taylor
beloved teachers — our mentors and Catherine Coggeshall Gabriel Gaviola Eva Olesky Drew University
our friends. One of the greatest Wake Forest University Georgetown University Cornell University
Timothy Ullmann
things about this school is the num- Arielle Confino Kimberly Goldfarb Timothy Orr Northwestern University
ber and breadth of its gurus: from Washington University in St. Louis Lehigh University Yale University
Daniel Urban
the intellectual sages to the artistic Annie Connors Robert Gordon John Ostrow Columbia University
virtuosos to the dodge-ball masters, Boston University Harvey Mudd College Bucknell University
we’ve got them all.
Douglas Vollmayer
Juliane Corman Jake Gorelov Sean Payne Pennsylvania State University
If we take with us the wisdom and Barnard College Williams College Stevens Institute of Technology Melina Ward
common sense our teachers have Julia Cross Jamal Gorrick Jacqueline Peyser Middlebury College
proffered, we will have gone a far way New York University Harvard University Cornell University Samuel Weinreich
towards immortalizing them. My wish Williams College
Ashley Cyburt Rebecca Groveman Elizabeth Pfeffer
today is that for the next four years
University of Richmond Mount Holyoke College Colby College Stephen Wentz
— for our whole lives, really — we can be
Brendt de St. Paer Aviad Haimi-Cohen Michael Pickoff Wake Forest University
in a place as open and as generous
as NA, a place committed to learning University of the South Brown University Sarah Lawrence University Christine Werner
and to the benefits of community. Daniel Deraney Samy Hamdouche Naveen Reddy Lehigh University
State University of New York-Albany Stanford University Boston University Adam Yeung
Lehigh University
Tony Argibay ’09 presents
athletic equipment to the
school principal as a show
of gratitude for the tour and
cultural exchange
For many years, Newark Academy students have traveled
on school sponsored spring break trips. Of the nine trips
conducted this past year, Señor Gomez’s trip to Costa Rica
was one of two international trips, and the only trip that
was open to middle school students.
2005 Since Señor Luis Gomez joined the NA community in
September 1992, he has organized and led a total of
11 trips to several different Hispanic-American countries.
This year was the
10 11
third such venture
SPRING BREAK to Costa Rica and
involved the largest
PERFORMING ARTS A Costa Rican Journey group in Señor’s
history – more
A Funny Thing Happened 2005
with Señor Gomez
by Keri Nowicki
than 40 students
from grades six
through nine.
On the Way to theForum The group traveled
to four different towns, each in a different ecological area.
The first day was spent at the capital city of San Jose,
followed by two days at La Fortuna, in the valley of
...32 YEARS LATER volcanic mountains, then on to the Pacific beach resort
of La Fiesta in Puntarenas, and finally to the mountain
On March 3, 2005, the play A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the town of Monteverde, on the edge of the Cloud Forest.
Forum returned to the NA stage after 32 years. The first production was One of the highlights was the tour of a typical Costa Rican
directed by former faculty member Hampton Abney and featured Nancy high school, La Fortuna Secondary School. Our group
Baird Harwood ’75 in a leading role. Nancy is currently a member of NA’s of students was divided into smaller groups and given
board of trustees. tours of the academic school led by their Costa Rican
The spring 2005 production was directed by Scott Jacoby and featured 1973 contemporaries, followed by a trip down the road to
several faculty and staff members, along with a very talented cast led by check out the school farm.
Michael Pickoff ’05, Corinne Almquist ’05, Ted Gibson ’06 and Scott While the merit of the athletic teams’ spring trips is
Simontacchi ’05. Despite challenges from Mother Nature, the show must evident – they serve as valuable pre-season training
and did go on... and it was spectacular! opportunities – international trips give students the
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum was originally a book opportunity to immerse themselves in a different culture
written by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbert. The real funny thing is that and experience the language in a way that cannot be
Burt Shevelove was an NA graduate, Class of 1933. taught in a classroom. And by traveling within several
different ecological environments, as Señor Gomez’s
Former cast members, from the 1973 production, were invited to this groups do, the students not only experience different
year’s performance. Suzanne Citron Pitts ’73, who played the role of ecosystems but learn about the socio-economic diversity
Gymnasia, fondly recalled:
1973 within the country, as well.
My career on stage began when I was one of the During the tour of La Fortuna Secondary School, NA
Kent Place girls that came over to try out for the students were given the chance to interact with the Costa
Variety Show of 1969. This was back in the day Rican students on a personal level, giving them a raw view
when Newark Academy was all boys and had to of life outside of the United States. At first glance, life in
import the (female) talent. Although my part as a Costa Rica may seem unfortunate, with the imposing, steel
“chorus girl” was not spectacular, a truly spectacular security fence around the school ground and the notion of
thing did occur. I fell in love with the stage, Newark secondary school itself being optional, but after getting to
Academy, and mostly the stage manager, Doug Pitts. know their tour guides, Newark Academy students learned
I transferred to NA in 1971 when it went co-ed and that the Costa Rican students do not consider themselves
have such great memories of Li’l Abner, Music Man, under-privileged. Charlotte Rosen ’08 summed it up
Forum, and all the fun in everything Hampton well, “Though they were poor in supplies, their way of
1973 Abney produced and directed. 1973 life was pure and rich.”
Lydia Masterson and Carol Spooner recently traveled
to Colorado for an intensive workshop on counseling
and peer leadership strategies.
Fred McGaughan, formerly the director of admission,
has been appointed director of institutional advance-
ment and Kathleen Cronheim has been named
associate director of institutional advancement. The
12
Faculty Focus admission office will now be directed by Kathleen
Sigrist, a three-year veteran of the Newark Academy
community. 13
Science teacher Sandy Palmer and her husband
welcomed their first child into the world on April 25
Lee Abbey, humanities department chair, was this year’s – a beautiful baby girl, Willow Maxine.
summer sabbatical recipient. He plans to explore the
Blackie Parlin and his wife, Joan, traveled to Morocco
origins of the Industrial Revolution in his travels to
in June as part of a travel grant awarded to Blackie
Great Britain.
two years ago for completing his 45th year of teaching
Stephanie Acquadro, upper school English and film teacher, at the Academy.
traveled to Paris to explore the landscape of French film classics.
David Pasquale, English teacher and head coach of
Dan Erlandson, AP/IB environmental studies teacher, Newark Academy’s basketball and baseball teams,
has earned a grant from Earthwatch to study biodiversity has accepted a position as athletic director at Gill
in Africa. St. Bernards School, beginning in September 2005.
THE SPORTS REPORT
The Business Office Team:
Sam Goldfischer, Mary Helen Emmerich,
End of Year Highlights
Sandy Marano, Keri Nowick
The 2005 spring varsity boys and girls athletic Princeton Day School for the State Prep B title and an
teams produced two team records and two winning appearance in the State Non-Public North B championship
playoff trophies. game against Paterson Catholic.
Mary Helen Emmerich is Moving On The boys tennis team won the State Non-Public B trophy Two of NA’s girls varsity teams set records for victories
At the end of this past academic year, Mary Helen worked side by side and throughout it all, she has freely for the 27th consecutive year and climaxed their record this spring. The lacrosse team had an all-time best record
Emmerich closed the payroll book for the last time. After extended her friendship and her loyalty. It’s amazing to run with a Tournament of Champions victory, their third of 10-6 and played very competitive games against Top
29 years in the business office at Newark Academy, Mary think that her 29-year career at NA all began with a phone straight overall tennis championship. NA has won this Twenty opponents Ridge, Oak Knoll, Kent Place and
Helen looks forward to enjoying more time with her call to a “Temp” agency.” trophy eleven times since it was inaugurated in 1992. Pingry. The softball team established a new single-
growing family. She will be missed by the NA community. In achieving these milestones, the boys completed season mark for wins with a 16-9 record,
Those sentiments are reflected in the recollections of two From Sandy Marano, Business Office Assistant: a sterling 29-0 record and presently boast a 68- including a victory in the first round of
of her longtime colleagues: “When some people are having a difficult time falling match unbeaten streak. the North Non-Public B softball playoffs.
asleep at night, they count sheep. Since coming to
From Sam Goldfischer, Director of Business and Finance: Newark Academy, I count Mary Helen’s grandchildren, The boys baseball team continued its Overall, our spring athletic teams
“Four heads of school... four business managers... hun- recalling their names and the families they belong to! winning ways with a 19-11 record this achieved a very successful cumulative
dreds of employees... thousands of students. Mary Helen year, which included a 10-2 victory over won loss record of 91-60.
Emmerich has served them all – with a positive attitude, Mary Helen has been such a strong, wonderful friend
a kind word and a smile. Newark Academy has been as during my nine years in the business office. At difficult
much a part of Mary Helen’s life, as much a part of her times, she always put things into perspective with her Congratulations to all of our athletes and coaches for a job well done!!
sleepless nights and as much a part of her pride, as her often repeated phrase: ‘In 10 years is this going to matter
husband, three daughters and 10 grandchildren have been. to you?’ I will truly miss her daily friendship and advice
and wish her all the beauty and happiness a retirement
When I arrived at the Academy in December 1991, Mary with the one you love has to offer.”
Helen lent an experienced shoulder. Since then, she has
lent me her ear in crisis and her wisdom when I’ve been We wish you good health and a joyous time in your
faced with a dilemma. On good days and bad, we’ve retirement!
14
From the Archives 15
the masters communiqués of displeasure, rolling eyes, a disapproving
had a sense gesture. So, without missing a beat of my learned lecture
of humor, so on Jefferson’s considerable trust in the goodness of man’s
if they hit nature, I kicked “T” very fiercely in the calf. I was pleased
a student that for the rest of the class “T’s” torment of the classmate
between ceased. After class, however, “T” confronted me. He towered
Learning Not To Be the eyes
with an
over me, and his chest kept pushing me back, and he said
with a threatening tone, “Don’t ever kick me again.” I
Sister Aloysius they could
eraser, confess here for the first time that “T” scared me. I gulped
and managed to say with a tone of menace, “And don’t
graciously accept apprecia- you ever again put your feet up on the seat of another
by Blackwood Parlin tive applause from the class. But there student.” My heart was racing; I was scared; I should have
were mean ones. And at NA, too. gotten an Academy Award for faking fierceness.
Fascinated by an interview When I started teaching, I had very clear intellectual At home I sat late into the evening, smoking (yes, another
goals for my classes. When a friend asked me my goals confession) and reflecting on the episode. I started by
with the playwright and in my first week of teaching United States history, I said thinking, “I don’t kick people; that’s not me. I don’t even
I wanted to make clear the philosophical differences throw chalk at people. Why am I taking this posture in
actors in “Doubt,” I went between the world views of Thomas Jefferson and my classroom?” When I went back to school the next
Alexander Hamilton. I still think that is an excellent day, I was well on the way to defining the style of teacher
to see the play, with intellectual beginning for United States history. which I wanted to be. Thank you, “T” – you helped me.
no thought that I would be I had given no thought, however, to what I wanted my Finally, in my first year, a group of seniors confided in
personal relationship to the students to be. Early on I me that their friend “W” was into heroin and they asked
prompted to a number threw a few pieces of chalk and erasers, because that for my help. I knew about heroin only because I had read
was my model. And I remember that my first, very first, the Autobiography of Malcolm X which described Malcolm’s
of recollections of my student words to my senior class were, “Listen carefully, and I’ll early years in Harlem. In my helpless and naïve way I
tell you how to pass the course.” I knew I had scared a tried to help “W” and remained a friend until he ultimately
and early teaching years. lot of them and that seemed perfect. took his own life some years later.
T he play, which will no longer be on Broadway when
this column appears, centers on the conflict between
purpose. She counsels the young teacher to cultivate
sternness and is proud that the students are in terror
My teaching philosophy was shaped by three events early
in my career. Once, when I had lunch with the saintly
Otto Huddle, I asked him to give me his best advice
Again, I remember with great immediacy my late evening
pondering and the realization that sometimes the great
philosophical conflicts of history don’t mean a damn, and
Sister Aloysius, the head of a Catholic grammar school, of her. She is magisterial, humorless, menacing, and derived from a long and distinguished teaching career. He what is essential is that a teacher embrace a student with
and Father Flynn who is suspected by Sister Aloysius of a believer in corporal punishment. Affection, love, and thought a long time and said, “Just when you feel you’d affection. In the play Doubt there is a masterful portrayal
having an improper relationship with a young altar boy. compassion are alien to her manner. In her narrow like to kill a kid, sit down and talk; you’ll never of a young nun, Sister James, who has the instinct for this
I have nothing to say here about the central issue or the way she wants what she thinks is best for her students, feel the same after the talk.” cardinal principle of teaching which Sister Aloysius tries
plot; my focus is on Sister Aloysius. but she shows no hint of fondness for any of them. to bully out of her.
Then, there was my encounter in the first week with
Sister Aloysius sees her young charges as willful, the fruit I had a few such troglodytes as teachers and as teacher- _______. I’ll call him “T” for “tough.” In one class, “T” All fine teachers sometimes need a bit of the magisterial
of Original Sin, despicably in need of suspicious oversight colleagues at the outset of my professional career. Most kept putting his feet up on the seat of the student in front power of Sister Aloysius but must never surrender the
and use of the switch. When a young teacher reports that of my teachers in my boys’ school threw objects in class – of him. Frequently, he deliberately kicked the rear of the instinct which Sister James had – to regard the student
a boy has had a severe nosebleed, Sister Aloysius suspects erasers, chalk – and Mr. Cornet, in times of extreme student. “T” was totally unresponsive to my subtle with affection. NA
that the bleeding was self-inflicted for some devious provocation, would throw the Bible. However, most of
SENIOR PROJECTS
16 An Idea Was Born 17
The History and Philosophy
of NA’s Senior Project
“The senior project was born in the early ’70s as both a solution
and an opportunity,” explains John Limmer, one of two faculty
founders of the senior project tradition at Newark Academy. The
“solution” part addressed the problem of teaching seniors in
the spring after they’d gotten into college: it just wasn’t working.
The “opportunity” part spoke to an educational philosophy, more
prominent during the early 70’s, that embraces the importance of
learning outside of the classroom. Getting students out from
behind their desks and into the world was a fundamental part
A CREATIVE SOLUTION of the philosophy behind the value of the senior project, and it
Some Faculty Favorites
by Alexandra Mahoney remains so today.
• Shadowing a surgeon
From trading on the floor of “It was in the air,” says Joe Borlo, the other faculty founder, referring • Biking in China
the stock exchange to observing to the educational climate of the ’70s in which both students and • Interning with a massage
a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, institutions were willing to take risks in hopes of finding innovative therapist
from scuba diving four miles off and exciting ways to educate young people. The idea of a spring • Serving as a volunteer fireman
the Jersey coast to accompanying
project initiated autonomously by the senior and conducted off- • Learning equine massage
a field representative from the
Screen Actors Guild on the set campus was drifting about the independent school circuit at the • Canoeing the Delaware
of “The Sopranos” – senior time. Apparently Newark Academy sometimes likes to boast that • Investigating the 1906 San
projects at Newark Academy it was the first independent school to employ a senior project Francisco earthquake
present an extraordinary program, but this assertion cannot be proven.
• Working on the floor of the
opportunity to experience life New York Stock Exchange
and pursue dreams beyond the Still, the idea was controversial: many teachers thought such a • Assisting a wild animal
academic realm. nebulous plan a waste of time; students ought to be in class. veterinarian
senior projects
• Researching dolphins in
The very first incarnation of the senior project consisted of mini-
Florida
courses which offered non-traditional subject matter, like writing
• Interning for the Daily Record
a science fiction novel or building a bird-house. This idea failed,
• Living in a convent
though, because the essential problem of keeping a senior happy
• Producing a CD in a recording
and engaged during the final months remained. studio (a group project)
• Working for the Georgia Sea
Turtle Conservation
SENIOR PROJECTS
“The senior project offers the opportunity to learn about a new and exciting
enterprise or activity, in depth, for up to four weeks. In taking up such an
opportunity with both enthusiasm and a sense of responsibility, seniors will have a
chance to test themselves against the world in a significant way,” states the
2005 Senior Project pamphlet. Sometimes the new and exciting enterprise unexpectedly
becomes a first stepping stone on a path of personal or professional significance
’93
as the graduate moves from Newark Academy’s community into the larger world.
“We needed to do something for them,” explains Joe, hitting experience offers students an opportunity to do something
a radio station
18 19
on another fundamental element of the senior project idea. they would not ordinarily be able to do and/or it offers Suzanne Paragano-Gawron ’93
In its conception, the project respects rather than limits students an opportunity to explore a potential professional Senior Project: Intern for a
the senior poised uniquely on the cusp of independence interest. John Limmer affirms that we value both approaches, Radio Station
From Blackie Parlin on his and adulthood. His duties to his academic education are the creative and the practical. While the daytime hours at WDHA
son’s senior project complete, and he anticipates the challenges and joys of weren’t all that exciting – copying and
In fact, the nature of the project is more process-oriented gopher tasks and such, it was Friday
“My son, Andrew Parlin ’79, wanted college life a few months away. A 1979 document explaining
than product-focused. The challenge for seniors of initiating night Metal Night with Cheryl Richards
to experience a utopian commune. the senior project guidelines states:
an idea, finding a reliable sponsor, and completing the from 10-12 pm and the Saturday night
He made contact and spent a week
All Request Show with Manny Glynn in
or so on each of two, The Farm in “Each high school wrestles with the problem of providing project’s requirement remains at the heart of its merit. the same time slot that really made the
Tennessee and a Christian commune a productive and meaningful experience in the spring for This process generally brings a multitude of obstacles and project interesting. Suzanne was able
founded in Georgia in the 1940s by
seniors who have been accepted to college. Your thoughts a frequent need for revision. Even projects which might to work in the control room with the
a bi-racial group. I knew that on The
look ahead to the future and the routine of classes seems not necessarily make an engaging magazine article fulfill hosts, answering phones for requests
Farm there would be “hippie types”
and occasionally getting some air time
and wondered about drug use. unimportant. Newark Academy believes that the senior the objective of allowing seniors to “test themselves against herself. The leftover concert tickets and
I called the local sheriff, explained project is a creative solution.” the world in a significant way,” as the 2005 Senior Project free T-shirts from the DHA van on-
my son’s assignment and purpose and pamphlet states, through the process of generating and location give-aways weren’t bad either.
then said, ‘I trust my son’s maturity The document acknowledges the uniqueness of the spring
executing their project. This experience created networking
and ability to take care of himself, but senior’s mentality and describes an opportunity tailored
opportunities, Suzanne attests, and also
I want to know if there is danger on especially for this potentially fertile mindset. The project contains some general guidelines. A student provided some tricks of the trade that
The Farm.’ He said, ‘Well, Suh, I hate
may not work for a family member. A project “must have she took into her job at college where
to tell you but there is some marijuana So Headmaster Bradford and Assistant Headmaster Manning
the promise of personal growth and learning,” as stated she worked at the campus radio station.
in every community these days, but
agreed to the experiment. The senior project was initially “At DHA I learned things like different
the folks on The Farm are good-hearted again by the current pamphlet. Cleaning out an uncle’s
voluntary; it became a graduation requirement in 1975. ways to talk so I wasn’t ‘umm’-ing and
and your boy will be safe.’ attic (a VERY early proposal) lacks a certain educational ‘ah’-ing all the time,” Suzanne recalls,
And thus a thirty-year tradition was born.
a utopian commune
Andy found both communal societies component. Students must have adult supervision in some after putting her toddler down for a nap.
to be fascinating in their organiza- form when devising an outdoor experience. Inexperienced “I was able to go on-air immediately in
tion, leadership and policies, but he college.” Also during college Suzanne
students who, camping by themselves, getting caught in
discovered that communal living was
not for him.”
Into Practice rain, contracting dysentery and returning two days later,
worked as a summer intern at Mercury
Records in the publicity department.
The senior project survives into the 21st century and, certainly learned something but didn’t follow through with After graduation and before motherhood,
their plan. Today students can travel with an organization, Suzanne earned a living booking con-
thankfully, remains true to its roots both in philosophy and certs for the Agency of Performing Arts,
structure despite our more conservative times. Certainly like Outward Bound or the National Outdoor Leadership
now called Creative Artists Agency, the
the parameters of what is permissible have evolved a bit. School. Mr. Parlin laments these restrictions on outdoor second largest booking company in the
Students are no longer allowed to hitchhike to Nova Scotia. experiences, as he fondly remembers students in the ’70s nation. For Suzanne, the senior project
provided the unexpected bridge between
’79 The project’s objectives, however, remain the same: the independently biking or canoeing along the eastern
an adolescent obsession with heavy
metal music and the career in the
entertainment industry.
SENIOR PROJECTS
(name) ’05
’05
“The senior project experience was an extraordinary look into non-academic life.
The skills I learned are wonderful tools that I will have forever and the taste of
adult life helps me better plan out my future. I thank those at Newark Academy
for entrusting the seniors with such freedoms to pursue our interests in such an
adult manner. This was a unique ending to a beautiful four years of academics.”
Stephanie Reigngold ’04
Senior Project: Making Glass
Beads for Jewelry
“I racked my brain for weeks trying to
figure out something to explore for seaboard. Over thirty years, the school has learned, Dennis Vasquez ’92, Newark Academy’s college counselor,
20 my senior project. I wanted to do some- 21
however, that having a mentor or sponsor gives students expresses remorse about his own lack of creativity
thing new that I probably would never
have the opportunity to try at any other a much greater chance for a rewarding project. The when approaching the senior project requirement in
’74
point in my life. I came across glass- 2005 pamphlet states in bold and italics that “The most 1992. He worked at his uncle’s dental clinic in Los Angeles,
blowing, which at first sounded exciting, important guideline is that the project involve learning helping him perform cleanings and exams and such.
but later learned I would not really have
from a mentor/sponsor who is experienced in the student’s Dennis writes,
a hands-on experience. I then found
Lisa Joy Sachs’ website; she is a jeweler area of interest.” “In my days, it seemed as if students took the value
social welfare
in Jersey City who makes her own lamp- of senior projects for granted – it was just another
worked glass beads. After I set up an Today, projects need to be approved by the upper school Dave Hosseini ’74
hurdle and space-filler before graduation. Now, I am Senior Project: Exploring a
interview, I realized that this was a administrative staff. “The project should be a new experi-
perfect senior project because I would pretty envious of the creative ideas many seniors Variety of Social Welfare Sites
ence or an extension of a student’s experience, not a
be making glass beads and even be able come up with to make senior projects actually fun
repetition… A project acceptable for one student, or one “My senior project could not have been
to keep some of them for myself. and productive.”
approved in a prior year, may be the right project for more prescient in terms of how my later
I learned how to heat up the glass, life would unfold, and also seemed to
another student.” These guidelines strive to push students Sometimes the disappointments are instructional; some-
make beads, prevent cracks, and string be a perfect bookend to a time in my
together necklaces, bracelets, and to experiment with new experiences and to take risks in times they are just disappointments. The senior project life that was not always happy.
earrings. After taking two classes and unfamiliar environments. is not a life-changing event for everyone. Because of the generosity shown to me
working endless hours in the studio,
by Newark Academy faculty members
Lisa Joy approved of most of the beads
and especially by a few select non-prof-
I would make. This meant that my beads
were used in her jewelry and being sold The Disappointments The Surprises it agencies during the personally trying
times of my adolescence, I thought
in necklaces and bracelets at art shows
that perhaps I would like to enter the
glass beads for jewelry
up and down the East Coast. This was Of course with risk comes the potential for disaster. Some surprises look like disappointments. Pegeen Galvin,
service professions. With the help of
a wonderful and rewarding experience. More often than disaster, though, a project just doesn’t who currently monitors the senior projects, remembers many people, I devised a schedule [for
I not only learned how to make glass deliver on its promises. Perhaps a sponsor doesn’t follow
beads but gained insight into the art
a student who wanted to be an architect. He developed my senior project] which brought me
world and the business world. In addi-
through. Perhaps a student is used only to complete a project in which he worked in a firm that constructs to such places as a drug rehab program,
boring office filing or other mindless tasks. Faculty member a school for the deaf, a center for
tion, I am now a glass bead maker and architectural models. The student soon discovered that
delinquents, and a Bowery mission. All
hope to apprentice again next year at Cathy Pursell warns seniors, “Only students who have well his hands were simply too big to be able to work with this was capped by a stay at a spiritual
college for a different jeweler.” thought-out projects and who have planned well in advance such small objects. commune in Canada.
get a lot out of their projects. Also the sponsor or group
The impressions stuck; I have spent the
the student is working with needs to fully understand the There is one common type of surprise generated by the
last two and a half decades working in
principles and philosophy behind the senior project.” senior project: “You start with one thing,” says Joe Borlo, social services, including a 10-year
Students learn that they cannot always control whether “and you come back with another!” Joe remembers a stint as executive director of a mental
’04 a circumstance is fulfilling or not. Many learn hard lessons
about the adult world.
student who went to live in and study a Zen Buddhist
monastery in New York State. Unbeknownst to the young
health agency. Currently, I am public
policy advocate for an association of
mental health non-profit agencies. I
remain eternally grateful to Newark
Academy on many different levels.”
SENIOR PROJECTS
Lindsy Rollenhagen Zook ’93
Senior Project: Living with a
’98 Justin Michael Petite ’98
Senior Project: Intern for NJ Jackals Baseball Team
Mennonite Family in
Pennsylvania When Justin submitted his application for an internship position for the NJ Jackals baseball
team, the stadium wasn’t even built yet. “I loved baseball,” says Justin, “and becoming a sports
“For me, the senior project proved to manager was a major aspiration at the time.” Justin’s timing for getting his foot into the door
be far more than just an NA tradition. of the world of baseball management could not have been better. Since the stadium was under
It ended up being a life-changing expe- construction, Justin filled in wherever there was a need: for a receptionist, a development
rience and one I will always treasure. person, a salesman. He put in office time answering phones, making cold calls to potential
man, the monastery ran a chocolate factory, and while he sponsors, and selling tickets.
22 Twelve years ago I lived with an Amish- 23
the new jersey jackals
entered expecting to learn about the somber practices
Mennonite family, the Nissleys, in Eventually, though, the assistant manager, Hank Manning, needed a clubhouse manager. So Justin took on
Paradise, Pennsylvania to learn about of Buddhist monks, he, instead, became skilled in the art responsibility for overall baseball operations, which consisted of, as he explained, “a lotta laundry, bringing
their community and way of life. I of chocolate-making! equipment on and off the field, shining shoes, making sure uniforms were in good order, and ensuring a
learned far more than I ever anticipated steady flow of food to hungry ball players.” The reward came in his close interaction with all of the players,
I would, and before long I realized that Finally, we teachers are surprised. That is, of course, with the excitement of hanging out in the dug out day in and day out.
my senior project would fulfill more why we teach. Joe remembers how the project approval
than a graduation requirement. The unexpected opportunity demanded far more hours than the project required. Justin chose to quit the
committee wanted to reject a project proposed by a Newark Academy baseball team and work for the Jackals beyond the requirements of the senior project. He
After graduating from NA, I returned to student who planned to work in the fashion industry. was given a paid job through the summer and for the following summer as well. During college he landed
Paradise to live with the Nissleys for the a paid internship working for the Baltimore Orioles, helping with the public relations end of the baseball
The committee thought the subject matter was “too
summer before heading to Virginia to machine. And today, though Justin primarily earns a living working as in a different field, he carves out time
attend Sweet Briar College. I knew that superficial.” The project was approved nonetheless and
to work for the Orioles, operating the scoreboard during home games. As a current member of the production
one day, if possible, I wanted to return the student had a superior experience learning the ins crew, Justin makes use of the technical skills he learned in college as a computer science major. He enjoys
and live in Lancaster County. After four and outs of the fashion industry. seeing the game from so many vantage points. Justin’s not hanging out with the players in the dug-out these
years at Sweet Briar, one year in Boston, days, and the excitement of his role is a little less immediate and a little more abstract. “But the scoreboard
and six years in Vermont, my prayers The range of surprises the project precipitates can hardly drives the stats of the game,” Justin explains, “and accurate stats are a crucial part of the game.”
were answered and a dream was fulfilled.
be enumerated here. Feel free to write and tell us what
On June 21, 2004, I returned to Paradise
to live. My neighbors are the Nissleys. surprises your senior project has brought you. Sitting in
on advisor groups in the last weeks of school and listening
On July 30, 2005 I married Jimmy Zook, “The senior project allows students to ‘try on a career’ when the stakes aren’t high,”
to seniors tell about hours of monotonous painting at
a man to whom I was introduced by a says Dean of Students Pegeen Galvin. “There is a freedom in the senior project:
Nissley daughter. On the bottom of our Habitat for Humanity or showing a close-up, graphic video
it doesn’t go on your transcript and it doesn’t have to appear on a resume.”
wedding invitation appeared the verse: of a cat being neutered is very inspirational indeed. In fact,
‘The Lord hath done great things for several summers ago, I searched out a midnight bakery
us; whereof we are glad’ (Psalms 126:3).
a mennonite family
apprenticeship in artisan bread-making so I could taste a
Having had the opportunity and privi-
lege to attend Newark Academy and little bit of the excitement of stepping out of my routine a train ride
benefit from one of its traditions is most
certainly one of those ‘great things.’ My
senior project remains one of my fondest
memories and experiences.”
and my comfortable places to take a risk and discover
something unexpected. I love the taste of a well-shaped
baguette at four in the morning.
Art Wynne ’79
Senior Project: Cross Country Train Travel
“Given the parameter: Your senior project must involve something you cannot do
’79
Let us not lose the meaning of the lessons the senior in a classroom, five of us (Steve Zargham, Matt Rankin, Jerry Guss, John Rees and I)
left Newark Penn Station to ‘see the USA the Amtrak way.’ We took a three-week train
project brings us. As we shape our adult lives around
trip around the country spending time in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, New Orleans,
responsibilities and the familiar, let us step outside those Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver and Chicago--not to mention a lot of time on the
’93
routines and those tired places, take a risk, and see train! We even had an unscheduled 16-hour stop in Sanderson, Texas, just north of
what surprises we find. NA the Mexican border, on our New Orleans to Los Angeles leg as a train derailment
ahead of us had closed the track. This gave us a chance to practice some foreign rela-
tions with a group traveling on the train from Switzerland, as well as brush up on the
Spanish lessons we had with Mr. Abney while watching a New York Yankees game
broadcast from Mexico in Spanish. All in all, we had a great time!”
2005 Cooking Class
Emeril’s Got Nothing on Them!
by Debra Marr
For Jackie Dorsky, Pallavi
Doddakashi, Amy Sherman and Dani
24 25
Blake, the quest to find the “right” senior
project evolved in a most unexpected
way. At an NA bake sale fundraiser in
support of Ms. Luxemburg’s advanced
dance class, the girls purchased some
chocolate raspberry brownies that were fantastic. The rich, mouthwatering mounds
of chocolate, teeming with the luscious, savory berries were prepared by pastry
chef Dolly Rosen, mother of ninth grade student, Charlotte. The senior girls,
convinced that they would love to learn how to cook like that, asked Dolly to
sponsor their senior project.
Now for some, the thought of baking brownies and scones might seem
frivolous. Not so, with Dolly Rosen in charge. A graduate of the French Culinary
Institute in New York, Dolly enthusiastically planned a serious curriculum for her
“students” that not only included preparing sumptuous feasts (omelettes, spiced
waffles, cakes, gelato, popovers and cheesecake) but also included taking a number
of field trips (even to see a movie) to expand and enhance the overall experience.
“We visited Raymond’s Restaurant in Montclair, said Jackie, “And when we
took a tour of the kitchen, I was shocked to see how small a space the chefs had
to work in.” Dolly’s kitchen, on the other hand, is of mammoth proportions for a
residential one, but with all the charm of a French bistro. Two large bookcases
overflowed with every type of cookbook imaginable, confirming that an avid cook
lived there. Clearly, Dolly’s home was the perfect venue for the four girls to learn
the art of cooking and Dolly was the quintessential teacher.
Reflecting on her senior project, Pallavi said, “The experience was unbelievable!
From trips to the city to visit a cooking school, the chocolate factory and a cake store,
to the imaginative tea parties and pizza days – I would not have traded projects with
anyone.” Jackie, Amy and Dani agreed that their last experience at NA together was
not only a unique learning adventure but a chance to solidify their friendship before
heading off to different colleges in the fall. NA
SENIOR PROJECTS 2005
Biking Through The Netherlands The British Route by Train
Our itinerary began at Newark Airport three hours We were more stationary in England, and if we traveled,
before flight time. We arrived early, not for security it wasn’t by bike. We were losing our fascination with
reasons, but rather to allow ourselves enough time to biking. Despite all of the “training” that we had done
pack our bikes in the large cardboard boxes provided prior to our trip, we were tired from the last two weeks
by the airline. In general terms, our trip would take of pedaling our 60-pound plus bicycles all over the
In 1974, the senior project at Newark Academy shared
us to the Netherlands for two weeks and to the Netherlands. We even talked about “accidentally” losing
the same objective that it does today. It had to be a southern part of England for a third. We would fly them in one of Holland’s many inland canals; a freaky
into Amsterdam and home from London. cycling mishap where both bikes would be lost forever
learning experience in something that you had not done
in a watery crash, while both riders escaped dry and
For the entire period, we stayed in youth hostels, where
before. The variety of project ideas for our class ranged unharmed! We didn’t think anyone would believe us,
guests were expected to help with basic chores like
but the fictional exercise kept our minds off our growing
from the practical to the extraordinary. One student elected cleaning bathrooms, sweeping floors, preparing meals
26 dissatisfaction with the sport. 27
and cleaning up. We packed light enough to carry all
to take a course in typing, many others worked in family
of our belongings in two panniers and one handlebar When we found ourselves in the mood to travel again
businesses and several more, the adventurous types, bag. Breakfast and dinner were served at the hostels (by some means other than bicycling), we took the train
and we bought lunch each day so that we did not from London down to Canterbury, spent the afternoon
mapped out challenging hikes and camping trips. Jeff need to carry any food as we traveled. visiting all the obvious attractions and caught the last
Pollack and I agreed to do a project together but the idea train back to London at the end of the day. Back in
We mapped out a large clockwise circle through the
London we started making preparations for the trip
was not entirely our own. In fact, we would become the Netherlands. Beginning in Amsterdam we headed west
home. We debated again about leaving our bikes behind
to the coast where the countryside rests dangerously
unskilled labor in a brilliantly crafted plan conceived by and even though I had just purchased mine from Mr.
low against the North Sea. From there we traveled
Parlin, I was especially tempted, thinking I would be
one of Newark Academy’s most well-traveled, worldly north, up the coastline and then inland to Den Oever.
completely content if I never rode it again. Thankfully,
There we cycled northeast across one of the world’s
and gifted thinkers, Blackie Parlin. Our senior project better judgment prevailed and we brought them home.
longest dikes, the Afsluitdijk. Over 20 miles long, it
1974
The trip was over, it was a fantastic experience but we
would be a bike trip. But Mr. Parlin’s idea was not separates the North Sea from the IJsselmeer. Continuing
were tired – tired of biking, tired of living out of pannier
with our circle, we traveled south into the rolling pine
without a motive! bags, tired of eating youth hostel food and quite frankly
forests of the Sand Plains, one of the most central
a little tired of each other. We had met the requirements
regions in the Netherlands and one of the few that
of our senior project and we were ready to come home.
is above sea level. We passed through delightful little
An Unforgettable Ride
towns where residents went out of their way to make
us feel welcome. I recall one man who approached us Mr. Parlin’s Bike Lives On
while we were looking at a map on the side of the
road and offered some freshly baked chicken and Culturally, this trip was a gem. Most unforgettable
by Jon Olesky ’74 local directions. Both the directions and lunch were were the Dutch and English people, the ones who gave
unexpected yet greatly appreciated. He was a complete us directions and food, who shared wonderful stories
stranger and a perfect host. The towns all had about their lives, who always spoke English because
“The Sting” memorable names, some funny and some odd; Sneek, we could not speak Dutch and who made us feel as
Wolvega, Meppel, Zwolle, Epe and Arnhem. Arnhem welcome as family.
Mr. Parlin had just bought a new bike, a Schwinn
Paramount, to make a transcontinental trip that would be as far south as we would go. From there we For nearly a year after I was home I did not ride Mr.
summer. Blackie’s new bike cost what some people turned right and headed east to the industrial city of Parlin’s bike. We needed a little time apart. I am happy
would spend on a nice used car. Of course he needed Utrecht, continued on to The Hague and then turned to report however, that over the past 30 years I have
to sell his old bike, and that’s where I came in. His south for a short leg down to the coastal city of Hoek remained actively involved with cycling and I can thank
bike was a three-year-old Raleigh Professional with Van Holland. There we would get off our bikes and Mr. Parlin for sparking that interest in the spring of
Campagnola Neuvo Record components and 15,000 board a ferry for Dover, England nearly six hours away. 1974. I still have his bike. It is a beautiful example of
miles on it. I was the buyer; a kid new to biking, From Dover, we made our way up to London where, cycling from a generation ago; the sport and equipment
who just found out that he needed a good road bike in a completely tourist frame of mind, we stayed for have changed a lot in 30 years. I have repainted it and
for his senior project. It was the Newark Academy several days. maintain it carefully. It has been with me on dozens
senior project equivalent of “The Sting.” of bike trips throughout New Jersey and New England.
Today the bike has
Jeff and I planned a trip that would involve two bikes, nearly 30,000 miles
two round-trip plane tickets, two foreign countries, on it and while I own
two international student IDs, over a dozen youth two newer bicycles, I
hostels, one boat ride, one hitched ride in the back of still ride Mr. Parlin’s
a tractor trailer (actually the bikes were in the back… occasionally. N A
with the beer… we were up front), 250 miles of
S E N I O R P R O J E C T 1 9 74 cycling, 80 more in a beer-hauling 18-wheeler and,
most importantly, a learning experience in something
that we had not done before.
28 29
John first took a group of students to the American South West
in 1983. “The core of the experience,” says John, “is to get away
from civilization.” Students learn about an area of their own country
not by passively observing, but by doing and experiencing. John
likes the dramatic difference of the landscape from suburban New
Jersey: “It’s so different it’s almost like another planet.”
twenty-two years and GOING STRONG!
The trip consists of a four-day river jaunt, visits to the “Crown Jewels
of the Southwest,” or Arches, Bryce, and Zion National Parks, and
finally a hike in the Grand Canyon. “The kids think it’s all about
hiking and surviving,” John muses,” but really it’s about gaining
a knowledge of the land, a knowledge of geology, a knowledge of
human history, and a familiarity with the Native American history
of this area in particular.” John says he likes to “sneak in” the
information around the fire at night when the students are all
exhausted and defenseless.
Almost synonymous with the John just completed his 22nd trip and has kept a written journal of
each one. Currently, he is trying to compile a photographic record of
senior project is the annual each trip, and he invites people to send in group pictures, particularly
from years ’91–’96.
SENIOR PROJECTS 2005
ARIZONA TRIP His 25th anniversary trip is coming soon. Will these trips extend
beyond the 25-year mark? Who can tell? If it’s up to him, John says,
“The kids can’t wear me out! I know how to pace myself. I might
wear them out, but they can’t wear me out!”
led by John Limmer. Send in your photos and reflections about how much the Arizona
trip has meant to you; perhaps you’ll see them in a 25th anniver-
sary article in Outreach. Bring it on! NA
TSUNAMI RELIEF WORK IN SRI LANKA
Fourteen days, 26 people, 98 hours of manual labor and two houses later, my life has been changed
forever. Hours after finishing my last AP exam, I boarded a plane at JFK Airport and, two days
later, arrived in Colombo, Sri Lanka. When I filled out my senior project proposal form, I said my
by Tracy Robinton ’05
job and goal was to build houses for tsunami victims. However, soon after arriving in Colombo and
driving for hours down the coastline, I realized that a different job needed to be done.
My mother and I joined a group of 24 other volunteers in Sri Lanka, all working with an
rebuilding lives
international volunteer organization called Global Crossroad. The group consisted of people
30 spanning a wide age range and hailing from countries like Zimbabwe, Ireland and the United 31
States. Our initial drive from Colombo to Galle, the city that our project would take place in, was
about five hours long. Sri Lankan roads are governed by no laws or traffic lights but instead by a
lot of beeping horns that seemed to be used for no reason at all other than to disturb
pedestrians and wake sleeping children. Shortly after my arrival in Sri Lanka, I learned that the
“chaos” on the roads is actually tame compared to the disorder wrought by the tsunami.
When the tsunami struck on the day after Christmas, the country of Sri Lanka, along with many
neighboring nations, was left paralyzed. There was no warning and the tsunami struck so quickly
and so hard that nothing could be done. City walls, shops, houses, and just about everything
else in sight was ruined. One colossal wave destroyed parts of Sri Lanka and much of South Asia,
sweeping away dreams and bringing pain and suffering to thousands of people and families.
I saw this devastation on that first drive down the country’s back. The entire coast resembled a
war zone. It was rare to see buildings or homes completely intact; the roads were lined with tents
and filled with rubble.
On the program’s first full day, the project leaders discussed their goal with us: we were to
complete a house and dedicate it. For two weeks, we were on the work site from 8:30 a.m. until
four in the afternoon. The heat was nothing like I had ever experienced; we spent the whole day
rebuilding lives
in 100-degree weather, with no air-conditioning, fans, or even a breeze to relieve us.
While there were very few skilled workers in the group, by the end of the trip we all had learned
the basic skills to build a house: from digging the foundation to putting on the roof. And we
didn’t work alone: the neighbors, who were victims of the tsunami and had their houses
destroyed and rebuilt by past groups, were there beside us. They provided us with energy by
baking bread and making tea; they provided extra hands and joined in on assembly lines and
with whatever else we needed. Everyday at two o’clock, we were joined by a rush of kids. They
would come in their pristine white school uniforms and start digging and sifting and pitch in to
do whatever else was needed.
Nothing prepared me for what I discovered on my trip to Sri Lanka. The images on television
and in the newspapers do not come close to showing the damage of the tsunami. While six
months have passed since the tsunami hit, a lot has been done but so much more is needed. The
sides of roads remain in shambles; rubble and tents line the streets; the refugee camps provide
little shelter as the heat has displaced people from their tents. The work was intense; no one on
the trip had ever worked that long and that hard in his or her life. I never expected to work so
hard, sweat so much, smell so bad, eat so little and yet I would do it all again.
At the end of the two weeks, we achieved our goal. On the final day, in a very emotional
ceremony, we dedicated the homes to two very grateful families. And in the end, while we gave
these families new homes, I’d also like to think that in a small way we also gave them the ability
to restart their lives. NA
SENIOR PROJECTS 2005
32 33
1 5
1: Richard Szuch ’80 and
Andy Mulvihill ’81
2: Ian Josloff, Wayne Kent and
Gayle Wieseneck
3: Ed Cohen, Stephen Cohen ‘83,
Harris Cohen ’83 and Robert Mayer
4: Eileen Fishman, Barbara Green,
Betty Newman and Sue Gurtman
Minuteman Golf Invitational 2 6 5: David Green ’83, Jed Rosenthal ’93,
Reid Rosenthal ’99 and
Wild Turkey Golf Club, Crystal Springs Resort Jared Kanter
MAY 24, 2005 6: Gayle Wieseneck, Jane Florin
Langendorf ’80 and Beth Burns
More than 100 golfers enjoyed a sunny day on the challenging Wild
7: Andrew Neiman, Burton Schlecker,
Turkey Golf Course at Crystal Springs Resort, playing to benefit Scott Newman ’73 and
Mark Schlossman ’76
Newark Academy. Prizes were awarded to the various foursomes
for longest drive, lowest score, and closet to the pin among others,
8: Sam Goldfischer and Lynda Baccoli
while the satisfied golfers enjoyed the cocktail reception. There
were silent auction items including threesomes at Baltusrol, 3 7
opposite page: Stephen Knee ’58,
Hollywood, and other area courses, as well as raffle prizes including Fred McGaughan and Peter Behrle ’69
four iPods. Everyone enjoyed the day filled with golf, friendship, and
fun, raising more than $50,000 and making this year’s Minuteman
Golf Invitational our most successful golf outing to date.
4 8
34
Alumni Gatherings
Alma Mater
Lunch
NEWARK ACADEMY
EBERSTADT ROOM
APRIL 28, 2005
1 2
1: Penney Riegelman and
William Stroh ’48
2: Roger Kopstein ’48 and
Micky Gilman ’47
3: Robert Cronheim ’46,
Alan Moscowitz ’46 and
Donald Holtzman ’46
4: Augustus Baker ’32 and
Harris Cohen ’83
5: Pache Barcliffe ’96 and
George Kondak ’54
3
4 5