Fall 2011

A Decade of Choices

Peddie News editors discuss a 1952 issue. (Turn to inside back cover to see this photo updated.)

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Letters

Meet the Trustees Kevin MacMillan ’93 joins the board

A Decade of Choices John Green reflects on his first ten years at Peddie

Reunion 2011

We the People Sophomore bikers ride again

Commencement 2011

Center Campus Microfinance project in India; Peddie Purge on campus

Spring Sports

Peddie News Celebrates Centennial 100 years in print

Chronicle

Vol. 140, No. 1

Executive Editor: Deanna K.G. Ferrante Editor: Wendi PatellaContributors: Doug Mariboe, Patricia O’Neill Design: Carter Halliday AssociatesCover art: David VoginPhotography: Jim Inverso, Bob Handelman, Nick Kelsh, Gabryella Pulsinelli ’12 Printing: Prism Color Corporation

Fall 2011

28 New Faculty30 Summer Fun32 Sports Hall of Fame34 Class Notes56 Arts Calendar

Tel: 609.944.7501 www.peddie.org/chronicle

We welcome your input: editor@peddie.org

Peddie School201 South Main StreetHightstown, NJ 08520-3349

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Annual Report enclosed

Reflections on 15th reunion

This year marked my 15th Peddie reunion and I am feeling nostalgic for crisp fall mornings on campus and an afternoon of reading from a comfortable chair in the Annenberg library. While it is difficult to quantify just how much I learned during those four years spent wandering between the theater and the chapel, I look back on that time as one of accelerated personal growth. It turns out somewhere in a chapel seat, at a dining table, on the stage, or in the classroom, I was cultivating all the attributes that make for an active, conscious citizen of the world like a grand mold for a sculpture that would reveal the adult version of myself in due time. I remember returning for our 10th reunion and feeling an immense sense of pride at seeing a short glimpse of the grown-up version of my fellow classmates. Ten years out of high school, people had mostly become who they were going to be in the world. For many, this was just a slightly more fleshed-out, confident version of the high school student they were way back when — the nerd, jock or artist having been replaced with doctor, parent or educator. Fifteen years later, with enough distance to be able to impart some advice to the lucky few who are experiencing Peddie now — may you think grandly, participate fully, dream widely and savor every moment.

ALIA SANTINI ’96

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Fond memories of Richie Starcher

I was saddened to read about Richard (Richie) Starcher’s death in the latest issue of your magazine. I remember Richie from when I was a student at Peddie between 1969 and 1972, especially his efforts to teach me how to use the large, antiquated industrial dishwasher in the old Wilson Hall dining room when I worked there during the summer.

But there is one memory about Richie and his colleagues in the dining hall which is very special to me. In the fall of 1978, my mother, Patricia, was dying of a brain tumor in our home on Etra Road near John Plant Drive. She had been operated on earlier that year, unsuccessfully, and had been sent home to await her death. My dad, James M. Keels, was trying to take care of her while teaching math full-time at Peddie. My brother and sister and I came down from New York to help out as best we could.

I remember getting up before dawn on Thanksgiving 1978 to cook dinner, a task for which I was totally unequipped. I was staring at the raw turkey in our fridge, wondering how I was going to cope, when there was a knock on the kitchen door. When I opened it, Richie and his colleagues came in from the darkness, carrying a complete Thanksgiving dinner, cooked and ready to serve: a huge roast turkey with stuffing, vegetables, potatoes, rolls, even a pumpkin pie.

These wonderful people had taken time from their own holidays and families to prepare a magnificent feast for my mom and dad, knowing what a tough situation they were in. I still remember the grin on Richie’s face when he saw the stunned surprise on my face. We all had a great meal that Thanksgiving, and my parents enjoyed the leftovers for days afterwards! Most importantly, this act of kindness lifted my parents’ spirits, and reminded them that they were not alone.

My mom died the following February, and my dad later remarried and retired from Peddie. But I will never forget the incredible kindness and generosity that Richie Starcher and his co-workers extended to my family, and how they lightened our load during a very dark period.

TOM KEELS ’72

The Chronicle welcomes your letters and comments on the stories we offer. We reserve the right to edit letters for space. Send your comments to editor@peddie.org or Chronicle Editor, Peddie School, 201 South Main Street, Hightstown, NJ 08520-3349.

Throughout this issue, look for this icon for exclusive online content.

2 Peddie Chronicle

Meet KevinKevin L. MacMillan ’93 is a partner at Allegaert Berger & Vogel LLP, a law firm in New York City primarily focused on complex commercial litigation. His extensive practice includes litigation, as well as transactional and corporate governance mat-ters, book publishing and media law. He began his career in the capital markets group at the law firm of Shearman & Sterling’s London office.

MacMillan received his J.D. from Columbia University School of Law after graduating from Princeton University, receiving an AB in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a certificate in Chinese Language and Culture.

He has been an active Peddie alumnus since graduating, and served as co-captain of his 15th Peddie reunion. He is also co-chair of his upcoming 15th Princeton reunion.

He lives in New York City with his wife, Tamara, and sons, Alexander and Liam, and spends part of each year with his family in Tamara’s hometown, Santander, Spain.

MEET the TRuSTEES

For me, the Peddie experience was not limited to time in the classroom, but also included athletics, the community of teachers and students, a wide range of activities — and the opportu-nity and encouragement to become completely devoted to those things that interested me. The effect was not just preparation for college and what followed, but a series of diverse life experiences gained while in high school.

‘‘’’

New students participated in Peddie On Campus Orientation (POCO) this fall with student leaders and faculty with games and other team-building exercises.

Throughout this issue, look for this icon for exclusive online content.

Fall 2011 3

By Arthur E. Brown ’63

David B. Mitchell came to Peddie in 1957 in the sixth grade. During his seven years at Peddie, he was either the only black student on campus, or he was one of very few.

He wrote that it was overwhelming at times. This was especially so to a boy whose only suit of clothes at that time was the cut-down jacket and pants of his sainted grandfather.

David was well liked, a very good student, and was elected class officer for his freshman and sophomore years at Peddie.

But there was racism. There were the callous, sophomoric pranks of some who assumed there was mirth in their actions.

And so when David graduated from Peddie in 1963, he made an active decision to go to an all-black university, Fisk University in Nashville, to reclaim his heritage by living and learning among black people rather than whites. As he explained this decision, it was a very conscious one that he needed to make at that time. He was tired of being the “only one.”

Thirty years later in 1993, David and I had the occasion to have a very candid

discussion about his Peddie experi-ences and the subsequent vow David had made to himself in 1963 — to never return to Peddie.

Several of us continued the conversa-tion with David such that he graciously agreed to meet in Baltimore with Anne Seltzer and Tom DeGray. This was at the time of the Annenberg gift to Peddie, and the school was on the cusp of redefining itself in terms of diversity.

While David humbly attributes courage to Tom DeGray and Anne Seltzer for meeting with him and getting him back to the Peddie campus in 1994, it was David’s personal courage, his generosity of spirit, and his credo of wanting to do the right thing, as well as the support of his wife, Diane, that got him back.

David agreed to accept Peddie’s invita-tion to speak at Founder’s Day in 1994. This turned out to be a memorable chapel talk — one on par with the leg-endary Martin Luther King, Jr. chapel talk in 1957.

David’s speech was one of the most moving I have ever heard. David spoke of the plight of young people in America. He made the observation that you can judge a country by the way it treats its young. At that point, things were not looking very bright. There was

Arthur E. Brown ’63 (left) looks on as his friend and classmate, David B. Mitchell ’63, speaks to the Board of Trustees.

cel·e·brate[sel-uh-breyt] verbto observe or commemorate (an event) with ceremonies or festivities to make known publicly; proclaim to praise widely or to present to widespread and favorable public notice

You did it!You rose to the Peddie Fund Challenge!

1,614 Alumni Donors

an increase of more than 300 over last year, bringing alumni participation to a record high of 26%

$1.86 Million

exceeding the 2010-2011 goal and providing critical and immediate support for Peddie

Thank you for helping to achieve this remarkable success. Your support of the 2010-2011 Peddie Fund will have an immediate impact on the people, programs and facilities

that make Peddie remarkable and unique.

Thank you!

When Peddie callsLoretta Jaccoma, manager of the school store, needed a model to wear the Falcon suit for a photo, and the model needed to be tall. So, on a 90-degree day in August, when campus was nearly barren and the supply of 6-foot-plus models was slim, she didn’t hesitate to pick up the phone.

An obliging John Green — perhaps no different than any student to enter Jaccoma’s store — did what he was told. He put on the suit.

How did it feel to play the Falcon for a brief time?

“Warm,” said Green.

The Honorable David B. Mitchell ’63, a retired associate justice of the Baltimore City 8th Circuit Court, once vowed he never would return to Peddie. This tribute was written to celebrate Mitchell’s 15 years of service on the Peddie Board of Trustees by his friend, classmate and fellow trustee.

A journey back to Peddie

work to be done, and David challenged all of us to roll up our sleeves and get to work.

In that speech, David reflected about hearing Martin Luther King, Jr. deliver his chapel speech at Peddie at the time of the Montgomery bus boycott.

In his speech, David not only told us about the plight of the youth of America — both black and white — but also openly about his journey, including being black and at Peddie in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It wasn’t pretty. But the story needed to be told, both for David’s sake and for Peddie’s sake. And it was eloquently told in a moving fashion, not unlike Martin Luther King, Jr. would have told it himself. It was a profoundly transformative moment for both Peddie and David.

David, with Diane’s help, put aside his issues with the past in order to be creative and help shape the future for others.

David hadn’t forgotten his earlier Peddie experiences, but instead, he used them to help build the future for those who have followed him at Peddie.

All this reflects David’s basic humanity, his decency, his generous spirit and principled devotion to helping others.

4 Peddie Chronicle

cel·e·brate[sel-uh-breyt] verbto observe or commemorate (an event) with ceremonies or festivities to make known publicly; proclaim to praise widely or to present to widespread and favorable public notice

You did it!You rose to the Peddie Fund Challenge!

1,614 Alumni Donors

an increase of more than 300 over last year, bringing alumni participation to a record high of 26%

$1.86 Million

exceeding the 2010-2011 goal and providing critical and immediate support for Peddie

Thank you for helping to achieve this remarkable success. Your support of the 2010-2011 Peddie Fund will have an immediate impact on the people, programs and facilities

that make Peddie remarkable and unique.

Thank you!

6 Peddie Chronicle

A DeCADe oF CHoiCeS: John Green’s first ten years

Ten years ago, he had intended to settle into the new job by not making many big decisions early on. After all, he had inherited a good school from a good educator, he said.

“In the beginning, I want to learn more than teach, and listen more than talk,” he told the Peddie News just days before.

But when terrorists struck the World Trade Center’s North Tower at 8:46 a.m. on Tuesday, September 11, Peddie students had just begun their second day of classes.

And John Green’s plans for how he would lead the school changed.

The minutes, hours, days and weeks that followed were filled with countless choices for the then-42-year-old first-time head of school. Some were big choices, others — seemingly small — carried similarly momentous consequences. But through each choice, Green said he honed the style of decision-making that he still uses in the head’s office today.

“I don’t even know how many choices I had to make that day,” he said. “But the method I used to make choices that day has been consistent with how I make all the other choices here.”

Springing into action with a small group of administrators, Green quickly called an all-school meeting in Ayer Memorial Chapel. The kids didn’t yet know the news, but he was working against a clock and they would find out soon. In a school environment before cell phones were permitted in classrooms, staff combed through records to identify any student who may have a parent working in the Trade Center.

As the chapel filled, students who potentially lost loved ones were individually pulled aside for private words with a faculty member. The remainder of the student body heard the news from Green moments later in the chapel.

Pat Clements, a longtime faculty member and member of the search committee that brought Green to Peddie, said Green’s demeanor on 9/11 was calm, solid and compassionate, qualities that were necessary for others on campus to emulate — including himself.

“The kids were walking from all directions toward the chapel, and I was standing under the tree by Austen Colgate watching all these kids streaming into the chapel and I remember wondering then which of those kids would be off to war,” Clements said. “My son included.”

Clements recalls going into chapel and listening to Green. “He explained what we knew and what we didn’t know. He put the whole morning into about five or six sentences,” Clements said. “Nobody knew what was going to happen in the next few hours, but John was just amazing.”

Green said he knew immediately that day that the faculty, staff and students would be looking for answers, perspective and leadership. “As I walked down the center of the chapel, I could feel their eyes,” Green said. “Though it was a complicating factor that day, I was fortunate to able to think like a parent and anticipate needs because my own son had just started at boarding school two days before. There was an immediate need for decisiveness. I had no choice.”

He also quickly learned how dedicated and compassionate the people around him were. “That day, we saw people at their best. They came out of the woodwork to help,” he said.

Decisions were made not to cancel classes. Sports games were off, but team practices continued. Televisions were ordered installed in as many public places as possible. Faculty with

It was only the second day of classes for Head of School John Green.

On September 11, 2001, Green was still adjusting to the rhythm of Peddie’s New Jersey campus. Still learning the names of the faculty members he was expected to lead. Still contemplating his first meeting with the Board of Trustees. Still wondering what the school year would bring.

Among the 2,977 victims in New York City, at the Pentagon and in western Pennsylvania, Peddie lost one alumnus, Swede Chevalier ’94, and one parent, David Bauer P’03 ’05 in the September 11 attacks.

Fall 2011 7

free periods were posted in dormitory lounges or anywhere a student might have access to a television. Students would never find themselves alone with a television. Office phones and home phones throughout campus were opened to any student who needed one. The ceremonial installation of the head of school, scheduled for September 15, was postponed.

Green would later be lauded by the school community for his proven leadership that day, and he said the aftermath of 9/11 aged him as a leader. An hour became a day. A day became a week. And by the end the week, it had felt like a year had passed. Faculty, staff, students and parents, too, felt he had instantaneously gained their respect and trust.

“After just a week in office, he was our rock,” the Peddie News declared in a special issue of the school newspaper. “Thank you, Mr. Green.”

Anne Seltzer, currently a member of the Board of Trustees, was the director of development at the time and among those

who were with Green during those tense early hours. She said he demonstrated an instinctive “gift” for leading during a crisis.

“I’ll never forget how he did not falter. We were in this meeting and people didn’t even know him, yet he was so clear from the first moment he heard the news,” Seltzer recalled. “We all just watched him in amazement. We were all terrified but he didn’t hesitate. It was just great leadership immediately.”

Seltzer, who served on the search committee, said that same compassion with which he made those decisions has been the same decision-making style she has observed in Green for 10 years.

Seltzer, who once served as interim head of school, said Green’s strength comes in his ability to create community through words and language. He quickly drafted a letter to parents and the Peddie community which, Seltzer said, “showed his ability to understand history and why these events were important.” Green, a former history teacher, also organized

“The kids were walking from all directions toward the chapel, and I was standing under the tree by Austen Colgate watching all these kids streaming into the chapel and I remember wondering then which of those kids would be off to war. My son included.”— Faculty member Pat Clements

8 Peddie Chronicle

a day-long symposium on terrorism to educate students and faculty on the many historical and cultural lessons relating to 9/11.

A month later, when he was ceremoniously installed as head of school, Seltzer said, “he was already installed in everyone’s hearts.”

Green, too, acknowledged that leading during a crisis helped the community get to know him and his strengths much more quickly.

“To the extent that I earned others’ trust on that fateful day, I was afforded the luxury of not needing to spend months or years earning that trust,” Green said. “I know I would have had a lower profile here during my first year otherwise.”

Ten years later, when Green is making decisions — something he does countless times per day even on the easiest of days — he is keenly aware that he is doing so on behalf of 31 trustees, 550 students, 1,100 parents, 298 faculty and staff, and 8,000 alumni. As he contemplates choices, he remains focused on nearly 150 years of history as well as envisioning the school in ten years, or even 50.

Whether to splurge on a world-class aquatics center, whether to dismiss a student for violating a major school rule, whether to invest more in the school’s impressive list of academic electives, or whether to make improving faculty salaries a priority, he balances a father-like compassion for individuals with the needed visionary skills of an executive who strives to sustain Peddie at its place among the top schools in our nation.

Clements said he continues to see Green’s eager, balanced and thoughtful disposition, the same qualities that impressed the committee and seemed to embody the needs of Peddie during the search. He marvels at Green’s ability to separate the noise from important things.

“He shakes his head, settles in and zeros in on the heart of the matter,” Clements said.

In making decisions, Green said he is guided by a “North Star,” a notion that Peddie and Peddie parents invest a disproportionate number of resources toward the education of very few students. Therefore, Peddie has an obligation to design an educational program and experience that anticipates the future and, as a result, makes it more likely that Peddie graduates will make a difference in their world disproportionate to their numbers. In short, Green believes, “Peddie must offer an elite education without ever becoming complacent or graduating elitists.”

After he spent his first year at the school surveying alumni, teachers and nearly every other constituent group, he developed a five-year plan for the school that guided him and his administrative team toward that North Star. Through that plan, Peddie invested approximately $65 million in major facilities projects including The Walter and Leonore Annenberg Science Center, the Caspersen History House, three new faculty homes, playing fields and the Ian H. Graham ’50 Athletic Center.

More money was invested in the recruitment, professional development and retention of faculty, with a goal of hiring more women and more faculty members with advanced degrees. The average salary for Peddie faculty increased, placing the school closer in line with those with whom it competed for both students and faculty, as did the number of faculty living on campus.

By managing the school’s resources the same as he would have prior to the Annenberg donation and by boasting the lowest administrative staff of any peer schools, Green was able to direct resources toward additional faculty and staff in science, history, Chinese, the arts, academic support, college counseling, strength and conditioning, communications, and alumni and development.

When the work of that five-year plan was completed, Green’s work began anew. He and the Board of Trustees developed another five-year plan, the school’s current Strategic Vision.

“We all just watched him in amazement. We were all terrified but he didn’t hesitate. It was just great leadership immediately.”

— Anne Seltzer

Intentionally building upon Green’s first five-year plan, the Strategic Vision continues to strengthen the places, people, and programs that prepare Peddie students for success. The aquatic center was completed and faculty housing expanded; priority was given to electives in math and science; the Asian Studies Program expanded with a second sister school, the Modern School in India.

While Green uses strategic planning to aim to his North Star, he also says that the choices he makes merely guide the school, rather than move it. After 10 years of making decisions on behalf of Peddie, he says he still sometimes chooses to listen more, talk less, and learn more, teach less.

“I am lucky to be surrounded by faculty and staff who are stars and often, the smartest choice I make is to support the person I have empowered,” said Green. “That’s how you maintain a team of stars. And the kids here deserve to be surrounded by stars.”

Fall 2011 9

Reunion 20111 2

3 4

51. Jack Duckett ’45 (left) greets

Linwood Clark ’37 and Charlie Clark ’66

2. Brian Growney ’86, Malcolm McFarland ’76, George Snyder ’76 and Steven Potterton ’76

3. John Wall ’51 traveled from his home in New Zealand to attend his 60th class reunion.

4. Michelle D’Amico Portadin ’98 and Lauren Bloom Salvado ’97 introduce their baby girls to each other.

5. Mark Gartner ’84 with sons Nate ’08 and Halley ’10 and brother John Gartner ’82

A lifetime of loyalty to PeddieKurt Loesch ’43

Ten years ago, Kurt Loesch ’43 of Pacific Grove, California, hit upon the sort of gift that works best for him, and for Peddie. Kurt and his wife of 48 years, Betty, now receive payments—partially tax-free—for their lifetimes through seven irrevocable gift arrangements at Peddie, also known as charitable gift annuities. “I feel that I am one of the lucky ones and I am proud of having been a part of the Peddie experience,” said Kurt. Eventually, and only upon the death of the survivor of the two annuitants, Peddie will use the funds for The Betty and Kurt Loesch ’43 History Endowment; The Betty and Kurt Loesch ’43 Arts Endowment; and for Peddie’s general purposes, in accordance with Kurt and Betty’s wishes.

Community spirit is a natural fit for Kurt. From East Rockaway, Long Island, Kurt entered Peddie in 1941 as a junior and immediately volunteered at the Hightstown YMCA as well as the school’s Stamp Club and PTA. After graduation, Kurt served in the U.S. Army at Camp Hale, Colorado, Mountain Ski Troops, before entering Colgate University. Over the course of a lifetime, the manufacturers’ representative was named the California State Volunteer of the Year for helping to preserve Point Lobos State Park, Monterey, and also received the California State Historical Society Award of Merit.

Kurt has made history at Peddie, too. Head of School John F. Green flew to California last June with long-time Director of Alumni and Parent Relations Brian Davidson to recognize Kurt for setting a new record of $1,000,000 in transfers to Peddie for charitable gift annuities. According to Green, “I wanted to meet the man behind the gift. Loyal alumni like Kurt deserve my personal thanks for the impact such creative and thoughtful planning has on the future of this great school.”

In July, the State of California Department of Insurance granted to The

Trustees of Peddie School its Certificate of Authority which upholds

charitable gift annuity agreements between the school and residents

of the Golden State.

Kurt Loesch ’43 (left) with Director of Alumni and Parent Relations Brian Davidson, and Kurt’s wife of 48 years, Betty.

.............................................................................................................Meet the Team

.............................................................................................................

Regina Ketting Mary Donohue Director of Gift Planning Gift Planning Manager 609.944.7615 609.944.7608 rketting@peddie.org mdonohue@peddie.org

PEDDIE SCHOOL

THE BELL SOCIETY

Recognizing alumni and friends whose bequests or other planned gifts honor Peddie.

Establishing a charitable gift annuity is one of the many ways to join the Bell Society. The taxpayer

enters into a contract with Peddie whereby he or she makes an irrevocable transfer of cash or

marketable securities during his or her lifetime in exchange for an obligation by Peddie to provide

lifetime fixed payments, partially tax-free. An immediate charitable contribution deduction,

discounted by the present value of the life interest, is available in the year of the gift. The schedule

of rates recommended by the American Council on Gift Annuities www.acga-web.org assumes that

the residuum for charity will be at least 50% of the initial gift amount, if the annuitant(s) live only

to their life expectancy. BNY Mellon Wealth Management is the custodian and administrator for

charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts and pooled income funds established by Peddie

alumni, parents and friends. Please contact the Office of Gift Planning at rketting@peddie.org or

609.944.7615 if you are interested in establishing this type of gift arrangement or otherwise joining

the Bell Society at Peddie!

More Reunion photos online at www.peddie.org/chronicle

10 Peddie Chronicle

2

A lifetime of loyalty to PeddieKurt Loesch ’43

Ten years ago, Kurt Loesch ’43 of Pacific Grove, California, hit upon the sort of gift that works best for him, and for Peddie. Kurt and his wife of 48 years, Betty, now receive payments—partially tax-free—for their lifetimes through seven irrevocable gift arrangements at Peddie, also known as charitable gift annuities. “I feel that I am one of the lucky ones and I am proud of having been a part of the Peddie experience,” said Kurt. Eventually, and only upon the death of the survivor of the two annuitants, Peddie will use the funds for The Betty and Kurt Loesch ’43 History Endowment; The Betty and Kurt Loesch ’43 Arts Endowment; and for Peddie’s general purposes, in accordance with Kurt and Betty’s wishes.

Community spirit is a natural fit for Kurt. From East Rockaway, Long Island, Kurt entered Peddie in 1941 as a junior and immediately volunteered at the Hightstown YMCA as well as the school’s Stamp Club and PTA. After graduation, Kurt served in the U.S. Army at Camp Hale, Colorado, Mountain Ski Troops, before entering Colgate University. Over the course of a lifetime, the manufacturers’ representative was named the California State Volunteer of the Year for helping to preserve Point Lobos State Park, Monterey, and also received the California State Historical Society Award of Merit.

Kurt has made history at Peddie, too. Head of School John F. Green flew to California last June with long-time Director of Alumni and Parent Relations Brian Davidson to recognize Kurt for setting a new record of $1,000,000 in transfers to Peddie for charitable gift annuities. According to Green, “I wanted to meet the man behind the gift. Loyal alumni like Kurt deserve my personal thanks for the impact such creative and thoughtful planning has on the future of this great school.”

In July, the State of California Department of Insurance granted to The

Trustees of Peddie School its Certificate of Authority which upholds

charitable gift annuity agreements between the school and residents

of the Golden State.

Kurt Loesch ’43 (left) with Director of Alumni and Parent Relations Brian Davidson, and Kurt’s wife of 48 years, Betty.

.............................................................................................................Meet the Team

.............................................................................................................

Regina Ketting Mary Donohue Director of Gift Planning Gift Planning Manager 609.944.7615 609.944.7608 rketting@peddie.org mdonohue@peddie.org

PEDDIE SCHOOL

THE BELL SOCIETY

Recognizing alumni and friends whose bequests or other planned gifts honor Peddie.

Establishing a charitable gift annuity is one of the many ways to join the Bell Society. The taxpayer

enters into a contract with Peddie whereby he or she makes an irrevocable transfer of cash or

marketable securities during his or her lifetime in exchange for an obligation by Peddie to provide

lifetime fixed payments, partially tax-free. An immediate charitable contribution deduction,

discounted by the present value of the life interest, is available in the year of the gift. The schedule

of rates recommended by the American Council on Gift Annuities www.acga-web.org assumes that

the residuum for charity will be at least 50% of the initial gift amount, if the annuitant(s) live only

to their life expectancy. BNY Mellon Wealth Management is the custodian and administrator for

charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts and pooled income funds established by Peddie

alumni, parents and friends. Please contact the Office of Gift Planning at rketting@peddie.org or

609.944.7615 if you are interested in establishing this type of gift arrangement or otherwise joining

the Bell Society at Peddie!

WE THE PEOPLE“It’s only a little bit about the biking,” Pat Clements has been heard to say when describing his now-legendary Sophomore Bike Trip, a decade-long tradition at Peddie that has grown exponentially since its inception. Learning to see oneself as a part of something larger — part of the team, part of a cook-ing group, part of history and part of beautiful, inspirational country — that’s the focus of the weeklong trek from Peddie to Washington, D.C.

Emphasis throughout the journey is on being a full-fledged member of the group. From the moment parents drop their kids off on campus and are asked to minimize their calls to their children during the week, the essence of the experience is a shift in focus from “I” to “we.”

“Everyone brings something to the table,” said Marilyn Anker, coordinator of cultural events at Peddie and longtime bike trip

Peddie’s weeklong Sophomore Bike Trip teaches collaboration and mutual support

chaperone. “Some have cooking skills, some have bike repair skills, some are good motivators — each person finds their role on the team.”

There is plenty about the trip that some don’t welcome. For some, it’s the uphill biking. For others, it’s the sleeping on the ground; or the pitching of a tent after a long, hot day; or the pressure of cooking for a group; or doing laundry for 40 sticky, sweaty people. What makes it tolerable, and even enjoyable, is that no one person is separated from the group in any task. The whole group cheers at the top of the big hill until every person conquers it. Tents are pitched and meals are cooked in groups of four, and, because cell phones are collected in the evenings, group bonding and togetherness abound.

12 Peddie Chronicle

“Quite often, there is minimal separation between chaperones and students. We are all sweating up the hills and setting our tents up together.”

Marilyn Anker, Chaperone

“On a bike, you get this time alone, where you can just think and appreciate the world without too many distractions; it’s a great ‘inner peace’ type of thing. But you are never totally alone; that’s the great thing, too. There is always someone in front of you waiting for you, and in turn always someone behind you who you get to wait for.” Dylan Nir ’13

“It was pretty funny now that I think about it: all of us running around the supermarket in our bright yellow shirts and biking spandex trying to make sure we could make a healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack for 21 people and stay within our budget. Honestly, every single meal we had that week really was way above my expectations — and for that I was very grateful!”

Amanda Spohrer ’13

we had that week really was way above my expectations — and for that I was very grateful!”

“From the gorgeous farmland and rolling hills in Pennsylvania, to the absolutely breathtaking structures in D.C., my mind was captivated by the wondrous geography that makes up America. By getting to witness so many cultures and lifestyles in the United States and from the awesome history lessons from Mr. Clements, I really began to appreciate my country more. When we finally made it to D.C. and we climbed up the steps to the Lincoln Memorial, I couldn’t help but cry. I was overwhelmed by the feat we had accomplished and the pride that I felt for living in such an amazing country.”

Isabel Wittman ’13

Fall 2011 13

201120112011Commencement

14 Peddie Chronicle

My friends, congratulations!A few weeks ago, our own Annie Chen addressed us in

English, her second language. You will recall that Annie courageously chronicled her challenging and transformational experience at Peddie. We were awed. Immediately afterward, Annie delivered a stirring musical tribute to her mentors who supported her journey — and, fittingly, surround you today — by singing Josh Groban’s “You Raise Me Up.”

Moving and unforgettable, I can still remember some of the words: “You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains/ You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas/ I am strong, when I am on your shoulders/ You raise me up, to more than I can be.”

While listening to Annie sing, I was also reading the words of her tribute that were etched on the screen behind her. On one of her final slides, I read: “You have shown us the right way, held our hands, and believed in us. You were, are and will always be, our teachers. We loved you once, love you still, always have and always will.”

As one of many genuinely touched by her gratitude, I read and contemplated Annie’s last slide: “Will there be someone like you waiting for us next year — smiling to us in the sunshine, speaking to us in the darkness, giving us courage, telling us that we can make it?”

No. Sadly, I do not believe that there will be adults in your new communities who invest as much time in you as those here. In fact, I am certain of it.

I wonder if we — your parents and teachers — are better than ever at providing you with roots, but not as effective as we once were at providing you with wings.

In my years as headmaster, I have sometimes asked myself whether your parents and Peddie have done too much for you in the form of roots. Intervened too often on your behalf? Provided you too much support on campus? Made you too dependent on us? To be honest, I worry that in our society there are seemingly more graduates than ever trying to transfer from one to college to another and wonder why there are more graduates than ever returning home to live with their parents.

As a society that idolizes success, earned or not, and out of fear of increasingly keen competition for places in colleges and in the workforce, I wonder if we are over-hyping you and over-protecting you. I wonder if we are teaching you to be afraid to take risks and to be afraid to fail. It starts early, when every scribbled drawing brought home is lauded as an artistic masterpiece or when we hand every player an award at the end of every season. So invested in your success are we that we are ever willing to inflate that success. As for taking risks and failing, I see little of it and wonder if our society is graduating brighter and more accomplished students than ever, but students who are not as self-reliant, resilient and, yes, courageous as in years past.

We are all faced with these norms, whether or not we agree with them and, as a result, I can tell you that it has not always been easy for us to hold you to the highest of standards, however important, nor has it always been easy to erect and protect a culture and community grounded in high expectations. On the contrary, I can tell you that it has been tempting not to engage in the kind of heavy lifting that builds muscles of persistence and determination, and instead collaborate with other stakeholders to construct an environment where failure is out of the equation and out of the question. It has been tempting not to design situations for you in which you were required to exhibit a level of self-reliance, resilience and courage to take risks, conquer fear and achieve results in the face of adversity. There were forces working against us.

With your parents’ support and your teachers’ investment, however, Peddie, more than any school of its type, has prepared you to leave us with the sense of self-reliance, resilience and courage to embrace the challenges that await you in college and in life. I believe that our school has maintained high standards even in the face of the temptation to do otherwise. Our educational program has provided you with unique opportunities for developing these characteristics. Our humane culture has enabled our teachers to stretch you, enabled you to test your limits without fear of rejection or alienation.

You are Falcons. Fly!

“I believe that you will leave Peddie today with a suitcase full of self-reliance, resilience and courage.”

Head of School John Green listens as Valedictorian Annie Chen delivers her speech to classmates.

Excerpted from the address by Head of School John Green

Fall 2011 15

Self-reliant Peddie students do not immediately turn to the teacher for help, which is often code for “tell me how to do it,” but leverage the resources at their fingertips. Resilient Peddie students do not shy away from failure but learn from mistakes, regroup and bounce back. Courageous Peddie students do not hide from responsibility but do the right thing for others in every situation, even if at some personal cost.

You see, I agree you are particularly kind and civil, but I also believe that you are a little tougher than the average bear by virtue of what you have experienced here. Peddie taught you that you must earn what you achieve. You earned your diploma. You earned good grades. You didn’t earn an A every time you submitted an assignment. You didn’t win every athletic contest. You didn’t win a trophy every time you performed, nor were you selected for every role you sought. You learned to earn all of your stripes. That is preparation for college and for life as it is.

I believe that you will leave Peddie today with a suitcase full of self-reliance, resilience and courage. You will need it, too. You might summon these qualities if your college roommate is less welcoming than the one you met here, or if your professors are less available to you. Summon them as you choose a career path (and, by the way, most of you will do that more than once). Summon them as you start companies and serve others at home or abroad. Summon them if you propose marriage or wish to add or adopt children.

Will there be mentors like us waiting for you next year, Annie? I said, “no” earlier. Your new mentors will not come to you, but you will know how to go to them. Moreover, you won’t need them as often as you needed us. You are self-reliant, resilient and courageous. Your parents and Peddie put you in authentic situations that required the exercise of these capacities. And exercise them you will. You will need to exercise them next year and, more importantly, beyond next year in order to live lives of influence and in order to make that difference in the world disproportionate to your numbers, about which I often speak.

My friends, your parents and Peddie have raised you all up to stand on mountains. Your parents and Peddie have raised you all up to walk on stormy seas. Your parents and Peddie have raised you all up to be strong when you are on our shoulders but, more importantly, raised you up to broaden your own shoulders on which others will sit. Your parents and Peddie have raised you all up to more than you can be. And, as a result of our investment in you, more, you must be.

Yes, Annie, we will still be there for you. You have always had roots. Now, you also have wings. Wings. You are Falcons. Fly!

AthletesThree are All-Americans

Collectively accumulated 389 varsity letters

Played in 25 MAPL Championships, 15 state championships, and three Eastern swimming and diving championships

Won state and MAPL championships in golf, swimming, track, cross country and tennis

CitizensGave over 10,000 hours of service to our community and communities around the world

Averaged 62 hours of service per student — more than three times the graduation requirement

Built houses as close to home as Hightstown and as far away as the Dominican Republic

ArtistsPresented thematic concerts showcasing music from around the world and from Hollywood

Performed in diverse theatrical and musical productions, including The Secret Garden, Father of the Bride, The Children’s Hour, The Winter’s Tale, and Thoroughly Modern Millie

Presented visions of multi-dimensional, textural creations on the walls, floors and ceilings of Swig Arts Center

The Class of 2011

Read the full speech at www.peddie.org/chronicle

16 Peddie Chronicle

Nowhere else have I witnessed students who regularly say “thank you” to teach-ers after a lesson. Nor, I suspect, are there many schools where students refuse to clap when someone drops a plate in the dining hall. Or where twenty students say “hello” to a stranger in that person’s first ten minutes on campus.

In other words, what has always defined Peddie for me is the kindness of our students. Sure, we fall down on this from time to time. Students, and adults, do not always act as well as we should.

But, in general, people here treat each other the right way. Every day.

That’s what makes Peddie great.

It is worth considering how to say thank you to Peddie.

First, build on the foundation you have received at Peddie to excel and make a difference.

Be a great teacher, a great scientist, a great singer, a great writer, a great mathematician, a great plumber, a great surgeon, a great hedge-fund

Cornell University 7Johns Hopkins University 7New York University 5The George Washington University 5Bucknell University 4Rutgers University 4University of Pennsylvania 4Northeastern University 4United States Naval Academy 4Vanderbilt University 3Carnegie Mellon University 3Franklin and Marshall College 3Lehigh University 3Ursinus College 3Washington University in St. Louis 3Kenyon College 2Columbia University 2Haverford College 2Ithaca College 2The College of New Jersey 2Princeton University 2Rider University 2Villanova University 2Boston College 2Boston University 2Brown University 2Connecticut College 2

Tufts University 2Stanford University 2Davidson College 2Georgetown University 2DePaul University 1Northwestern University 1Rhodes College 1University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 1University of Michigan 1Allegheny College 1Barnard College 1Bryn Mawr College 1Colgate University 1Dickinson College 1Drew University 1Hobart and William Smith Colleges 1Monmouth University 1Skidmore College 1Susquehanna University 1Union College 1University of Pittsburgh 1University of Rochester 1Amherst College 1Bryant University 1Harvard University 1University of Hartford 1

Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1Quinnipiac University 1Salve Regina University 1Trinity College 1Yale University 1Arizona State University 1University of Puget Sound 1University of California at Berkeley 1Santa Clara University 1University of Southern California 1American University 1College of William and Mary 1Furman University 1James Madison University 1University of Mary Washington 1Randolph College 1Roanoke College 1University of Maryland, College Park 1University of Miami 1The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 1University of Maryland, Baltimore County 1Washington College 1West Virginia University 1Yonsei University - Underwood 1

“People here treat each other the right way. Every day.”

Excerpted from the Baccalaureate address by Peter Kraft, academic dean

manager, a great mother, a great father, a great spouse, a great voter, a great neighbor, a great friend, a great leader, a great follower.

At the same time, be humble and thankful for all that you have been given. And be cognizant that you have not achieved your success alone.

Secondly, give back to Peddie.

Peddie needs your help in maintaining its standard of excellence. And we should not be squeamish about saying this. Indeed, I would argue that all of us — all of us — have a responsibil-ity to support the school long after we leave. I will continue to support Peddie long after I leave. I urge you to join me.

And here I would offer a somber historical reminder. In 1799, several months before his death and during a time when war with France seemed imminent, George Washington warned his countrymen:

“I have little doubt that I have wit-nessed some of the finest years of this republic. But such Golden Ages can be fleeting. When people are unwilling

to give, unwilling to sacrifice, once the cause no longer seems urgent, no great institution can survive.”

Make no mistake: there are great challenges on the horizon for Peddie.

These challenges will be significant. They will require sacrifice from every member of the larger Peddie commu-nity. They will not be easily addressed.

But as Washington understood even during the trials of the 1790s: from great challenges come growth and opportunity. Let us as a community seize on such challenges.

I am honored to have been associated with such a courageous place, a place that strives for excellence but which never loses its kindness in that pursuit.

I will miss Peddie. Best of luck to all of you.

Kraft left Peddie at the end of the 2010–11 academic year.

College and University Destinations for the Class of 2011

Read the full speech at www.peddie.org/chronicle

Fall 2011 17

center campusThe spring visit of eight students from India’s Modern School concluded with an historic — and potentially life-changing — venture that will benefit families in Delhi’s poorest districts.

Meeting for a brainstorming session on ways students from Peddie and Modern School can work together, students of the two schools laid the foundation for a microfinance lending program that aims to assist families living in one of Delhi’s poorest districts to pull them-selves out of poverty.

The concept for the student-led, stu-dent-financed, and student-managed project was approved by Peddie Head of School John Green and Modern School Principal Lata Vaidyanathan during the 10-day visit by Modern School students and faculty in May.

The Peddie-Modern School Joint Microfinance Project will offer micro-loans to Delhi families to help them start a small-business venture, improve their own living conditions and then repay the money. Brad Nicholson, co-coordinator of the Peddie Asian Studies Program, said the project is intended to help needy families, but will also reward the participating students with invaluable lessons.

“Microfinance has a proven track record of success in the slums of India, and this project has real potential on a number of levels,” Nicholson said. “Our hope is that, in addition to helping Delhi slum families, it will allow Peddie and Modern School students to build global leadership skills by learning to work together on a collaborative project between peers from two different countries.”

Students will raise the money, select the families, decide how to implement the loans and support the families, and ultimately determine whether or not the project was successful and whether it should be terminated, continued or even expanded in the future, Nicholson said.

Nicholson said that while Peddie and Modern School faculty will assist as needed, the burden of leadership and innovation will be on the student leaders. Three experts who are recent Peddie graduates with experience in microfinance projects will serve as a resource to the students.

The students, meeting for their first brainstorming session at Peddie, were at no loss for ideas and opinions on how to structure the program for the best chance of success. Ideas for the kinds of projects to fund — from tradi-tional crafting to agricultural projects, were exchanged.

During the session, the students agreed to make the loans to women who must help support their families. The Modern School students suggested the loans be made specifically to women to fit into their school’s community service theme for the year, which is helping women.

“I think it’s important that I put the knowledge I learn at the school to use, and attempt to help less fortunate people in society.” — Cindy Gao ’13

Students work across continents to aid poor families

The students also discussed the need to choose families with the means to repay the money so that the funds can be funneled back into new loans. In addition, students discussed including a requirement that the recipients “pay back” some of the debt by provid-ing training or passing on their skills to other women. If a loan recipient is using the funds to make and sell tradi-tional handicraft, for example, she will be required to teach other women that same craft.

Cindy Gao, a Peddie junior who will be among the core group of student leaders, said she was inspired to work on the project to help others and also apply textbook lessons about finance and global awareness.

“Being a Peddie student in itself is a privilege for me,” Gao said, “and I think it’s important that I put the knowledge I learn at the school to use, and attempt to help less fortunate people in society.”

18 Peddie Chronicle

From fridges to futons: What to do with all that stuff?Move-out time at Peddie has long meant the sight of clothes, furniture and household items piled high near trash bins, as items no longer wanted or needed were simply discarded — most often ending up in landfills.

This year, the “Peddie Purge” instead recycled and repurposed a mountain of goods, saving them from the trash and helping those in and out of the Peddie community. Kristin Honsel, a dorm faculty member, organized the community-wide event during her first year on campus, inspired by her desire to keep things from entering landfills and to encourage students to see the value in used items.

“It’s bad for the environment and bad for the soul to see perfectly good items thrown into dumpsters when students are unable to fit everything into mom or dad’s car or take things home on a plane at the end of the year,” said Honsel, who helped to spearhead a similar effort while living at Taft. “I wanted to raise students’ awareness that there’s no shame in not having everything new, we don’t always have to have more, and there are lots of people who can benefit from these donations.”

Peddie students responded with great enthusiasm.

As students and faculty prepared to move out, any unwanted items were col-lected in specially-marked boxes in every dorm. Those boxes were routinely emptied in the black box theater of the Swig Arts Center, where anyone from the Peddie community could come and take whatever they wanted.

Mini refrigerators, futons, down mattress toppers, Bose stereo speakers, lacrosse sticks and brand-new clothing were among the goods. But no item was too small: half-full bottles of shampoo found a taker, as did binders, markers and erasers.

Marilyn Anker, coordinator of cultural events, helped her mother, Phyllis, cart off a flood of books, magazines and movies which were sent to United States troops overseas through the non-profit organization Books for Soldiers. A surplus of wire hangers was recycled to a grateful downtown dry cleaner. Food and toiletry items were donated to the Food Bank of Hightstown, and all other items remain-ing after the students left campus were donated to Rise and the Greater Goods Thrift Store in Hightstown.

Leslie Koppel, executive director of Rise, said the Peddie Purge provided about 60 pounds of clothing and shoes to the Greater Goods Thrift Store, as well as Food Bank items to serve about 30 families and complete school supplies for about a dozen students.

Currently, several private for-profit banks are operating micro-loan pro-grams in South Asia, where about half of the world’s poor are estimated to live.

Gao and a core group of Peddie students volunteered to begin this summer and are now tackling setting up the structure and guidelines of the program.

Later this year, with the involvement of a larger number of students, the group will perform the fundraising to use as starter money to launch the program. Modern School students, meanwhile, will identify and interview potential fami-lies who will be given the modest loans.

While the bulk of the collaborative planning between the two groups of students will be done remotely, Peddie students will travel to India in March and meet face-to-face with their Modern School counterparts for more strategy and work sessions.

“I really hope it will create great educational experiences and a closer relationship between Peddie School and Modern School,” Gao said. “It would be a great accomplishment for the project if the target candidate pool can extend from women with prior skills to ones without. Ultimately, I hope that the project will develop sustainability, both budget-wise and cooperation-wise, between Peddie students and Modern School students.”

Founded in 1920, Modern School is a co-educational private school in New Delhi whose former students include former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Peddie established its sister-school relationship with Modern School in 2010.

fit everything into mom or dad’s car or take things home on a plane at

(continued on page 20)

Fall 2011 19

Koppel said small items that many people would not think twice about discard-ing are luxuries to the families served by Rise. “Basic items like new toothbrushes or toothpaste are items that people often do without. To them, soap is as good as shampoo and conditioner if you don’t have those items,” Koppel said. “A desk lamp is a frill for many families. If you can purchase one for two dollars at Greater Goods, it makes people’s lives a little bit nicer.”

Although initially unsure whether the students, faculty and staff would join in on the “shopping” end, Honsel said the energy of the effort became infectious.

“People found it was hard to come and take a look and not dive in,” said Honsel, who scored herself a futon to add to her guest room. She said the children of faculty became big supporters of the cause, with her own daughter calling the process “treasure hunting.”

Honsel said the purge was an incredible team effort among students, faculty, staff and faculty families who dedicated hours helping to cart and sort the items. “People were willing to spend their free time to make a difference for our community and the environment. Just as a group of volunteers finished up and energy was waning, another group seemed to emerge or a friend would pop into the black box and stay for an hour or two to help out,” Honsel said. “It was a great way to get to know and work with people who you might not have spent a lot of time with during the year, and it felt wonderful to be a part of it all.”

In all, school officials estimated at least one dumpster full of items was redirected for repurposing, saving the school carting fees, fulfilling the goal of reducing waste, and teaching students the value of repurposed goods.

Barbara Grudt and Joe Murtaugh have grown accustomed to explaining themselves. Given their qualifications, people often wonder what they are doing coaching crew at Peddie.

Grudt, coach of Peddie’s women’s crew, is a two-time Olympian with a long and distinguished career of coach-ing at the national level. She coached at Dartmouth College and the University of Pennsylvania, headed the U.S. Junior Women’s team and was named to the prestigious FISA (Federation Internationale des Societes d’Aviron) Youth Rowing Commission in 2010.

Murtaugh, who coaches Peddie’s men, was the head men’s lightweight coach for Princeton University from 1989–2005 and supervised all four intercollegiate programs housed in the University’s Shea Rowing Center on Carnegie Lake. He served as assis-tant coach for USRowing, in charge of selecting and training lightweight eights for competition at Senior World Championships, where his teams won gold in 1999 and 2000.

“I’d very much so like to thank you for the books you’ve sent for my fellow soldiers and I. Most of all we’d like to thank you for your support while we are out here away from friends and family. It’s people like you that make our days — especially mail call, it’s the best part of our day! So thank you again.”

Angela and the soldiers of Delta Battery, upon receipt of Peddie’s donation from the purge to Books for Soldiers.

July 7, 2011

Nationally-recognized coaches lead Peddie crew to new heights

Barbara Grudt

Some wonder how they ended up at an independent boarding school with a relatively small pool of young rowers, most of whom come to the program with little or no experience.

Grudt followed former head coach Colin “Chip” Campbell here in 2006. “When Colin asked me to consider coming to Peddie, I thought of how much respect I had for him from our time coaching together at Dartmouth,” she said.

(continued from page 19)

Joe Murtaugh

“I also thought back on the number of races in which I watched Peddie compete. I knew something special was happening at Mercer Lake.”

What has kept her here, though, is the community that feeds the pro-gram. “Athletes at Peddie tend to have healthy relationships with the adults they are surrounded by,” she said. “Because they deal with adults in so many venues — in the classroom,

20 Peddie Chronicle

dorm, dining hall — the response you get from them as a coach is generally very positive, which makes it much eas-ier to move the whole group forward.”

Murtaugh’s arrival at Peddie last year can be credited to fortuitous timing. Having hung up his megaphone in the boathouse in 2005 to stay home and raise his daughter, he was not actively seeking a coaching spot. However, when Campbell announced his depar-ture, Grudt turned to Murtaugh.

“I wish I could describe the look I get from people in the crew world who hear Joe is coaching at Peddie. He is highly respected throughout the rowing community and has all the attributes I would associate with a successful coach — commitment, motivation and technical expertise,” she said.

What appeals to Murtaugh about the job is simply his love of coaching. “I was spoiled at Princeton, but Peddie’s situation was attractive to me. I have the opportunity to work with supportive colleagues and great kids. Plus, coach-ing is coaching,” he explains. “It’s challenging and rewarding to watch individuals and teams develop and make progress at any level. In rowing, particularly at this stage, the learning curve can be tremendous; athletic kids who have not been able to excel in other sports often do very well relatively quickly in crew — if they are willing to work hard and train consistently.”

Of course, Peddie’s program has the added appeal of wonderful resources and an ideal location.

Thanks in large part to the gen-erosity and vision of the late Finn M.W. Caspersen ’59, the Finn M.W. Caspersen Rowing Center on Mercer Lake is a nationally-recognized rowing hub. Originally a joint project between The Lawrenceville School and Peddie to establish a home for their rowing teams, ground was broken for the initial boathouse in 1997. After the establish-ment of the Princeton International Regatta Association in 2000, Mercer Lake became increasingly recognized as a major rowing center, and in 2003 an expansion project was completed which allowed the center to addition-ally accommodate the Mercer Junior Rowing Club, The Hun School and the U.S. National Team.

That students have the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the nation’s top rowers has a definite impact.

“The girls’ program has been enor-mously successful in ways dispropor-tionate to its numbers,” Grudt said. “Peddie has medaled at the Stotesbury regatta six years in a row. We are a small program — a squad of about fifteen kids competing against club teams with 50–100 members — that has made a big impact there.”

This spring marked the fourth consecu-tive season that the boys team qualified for the USRowing Youth Nationals.

And the rowers’ success doesn’t stop there. Peddie rowers have gone on to have an impact at the college level, most recently with Lauren Libfraind ’07 garnering Academic All-Ivy recogni-tion last spring at Brown University. As a freshman, Libfraind was a member

of the varsity eight that catapulted the team to the national crown and earned a trip to the White House for a presi-dential ceremony.

Given their stories, it might seem Grudt and Murtaugh would be hard pressed to find their roles challenging, but both say it’s simply not the case.

“We’re starting with raw material. Novices typically begin with little or no knowledge of the sport, and after a few weeks are expected to acquire skills necessary for them to race,” Murtaugh said. “Even our varsity athletes, when compared with kids in other sports on campus who may have begun com-peting at age 5 or 6, have relatively little experience. While the sport isn’t complicated, we still have to teach it from scratch, which is challenging, but rewarding, because you get the chance to do it right the first time. I was lucky this year; the returning varsity rowers all rowed well, thanks to Chip Campbell.”

“A boat can’t be built around one or two superstars,” explains Grudt. “It works best when members of a boat are of the same caliber athletically, share the same penchant for hard work and develop their strength together.”

“It’s challenging and rewarding to watch individuals and teams develop and make progress at any level.”

— Joe Murtaugh

Fall 2011 21

Girls’ crew takes fourth in grand finals at Youth Nationals

The Peddie four comprised of coxswain Anastasia Capatina ’12, stroke Olivia McShea ’11, three seat Danielle Derchin ’12, two seat Kumari Lewis ’11 and Marisa Borchardt ’11 in bow claimed a spot on the podium with a fourth-place finish in the grand final at the 2011 USRowing Youth National Championships on Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge, Tenn. this June. Heart-breakingly close to second place, the Falcons battled the entire 2,000 meters and crossed the line in 7:33.25 or just 1.19 seconds off the pace for the silver.

Softball team claims state title

Peddie’s softball team mounted two epic finishes this spring to capture the NJISAA Prep A crown. The Falcons

Falcon Feats / Peddie athletes in college action

Babson College

Men’s track

Brian deLeon ’10 – Placed sixth at the Silfen Invitational in the outdoor 5000 meter run with a personal best of 15:56.61 — the third fastest time in Babson history.

Bowdoin College

Women’s lacrosse

Carolyn Gorajek ’09 – Selected to the Second Team All-Region, Gorajek led Bowdoin and ranked third in the NESCAC in goals (51) this season, scoring the third most goals ever in a single season by a Polar Bear. She was lethal in Bowdoin’s NCAA Tournament run, scoring a team-high 18 points

on 13 goals and five assists. Bowdoin advanced to its first-ever national championship game, where they lost to Gettysburg and finished as national runners-up.

Brown University

Women’s crew

Lauren Libfraind ’07 – Holding down the number three seat in the varsity eight grand final, Libfraind and her team-mates nosed out Stanford to claim the team title at the 2011 NCAA Division I Rowing Championships. A biology ma-jor, Libfraind received several academic accolades, including the Collegiate Row-ing Coaches Association Scholar Athlete Award and Academic All-Ivy League.

College of the Holy Cross

Women’s basketball

Alex Smith ’10 – Named to the 2011 Patriot League All-Rookie squad, Smith ranked second for the Crusaders in scoring with an 11.1 average. Eighty-two of her 107 field goals have come as three-point shots, which places her second in the Holy Cross single season records list for three-pointers. She was just five 3-point field goals off the record.

College of New Jersey

Women’s lacrosse

Claire Engelman ’09 – Started 20 of 21 games on the Lion defense which led the country in team defense

SPRING SPORTS WRAPemerged victorious against Blair, 6–5, in the championship game in Blairstown after pulling out a miraculous 9–8, nine-inning win over The Hun School in the semifinals.

Nursing a four-run lead, the Falcons needed three outs to claim the title against Blair. The Bucs chipped away and trailed by one with bases loaded and one out. Senior pitcher Eve Clausen reached back and fanned the next batter for the second out.

“When the bases became loaded for the second time in the inning, I was more than nervous and there was a lot of pressure on Eve with all the noise,” said sophomore first baseman Caroline Abin. “Naturally, we were all uneasy in the infield. I kept telling Eve to focus on the batter, to strike her out so none of the runners would matter.”

The drama ended on a 0–2 count when Clausen snared a hard comebacker that appeared destined for center field and tossed to Abin at first to set off the celebration.

“I remember screaming ‘right here, nice and easy’ and she made no mistake. I ran off the bag and gave Eve the biggest hug — very emotional moment,” said Abin.

Reaching the final game was no easy task, with a wild semifinal match up that saw the Falcons and Raiders combine for 22 hits. Surrendering a 5–1 lead to the visiting Raiders in the seventh, Peddie fell behind 8–5 in the eighth before knotting the score on a two-out, three-run double by junior Kerrie Kortmann. Freshman Olivia Bundschuh ended the drama with a one-out walk-off single, plating Abin from second.

“This team has amazed me with their composure and the competitive will to win,” said coach Tim O’Reilly, whose team also rallied against Allentown High School to take the Redbird Invitational.

“Top to bottom they are toughest group of competitors I have ever coached. (Those) three weekends have been the best experience in my coaching career.”

22 Peddie Chronicle

Falcon Feats / Peddie athletes in college action

allowing only 3.95 goals per game. The Lions finished the season with a lofty 20–1 record and advanced to the NCAA Division III semifinals.

Women’s track

Sarah Wehrhan ’07 – Completed her outstanding track career with school records in the hammer and indoor 20-pound weight throws.

Columbia University

Men’s basketball

Noruwa Agho ’08 – A second team All-Ivy League selection as a sopho-more, Agho took his all-around game to another level in his junior season with a first team nod. The league’s leading scorer at 16.8 points per game, Agho’s 470 points during the 2010–11 season were the most by a Lion in ten years. At the year-end banquet, Agho received the Raymond J. Fullerton Memorial Award, given to that member of the team who, in the estimation of his teammates and coaches, is judged to be the most valuable in terms of spirit, team play and skill.

Steve Frankoski ’10 – Started 23 of 28 games and finished first in 3-pointers with 43.

Denison University

Men’s lacrosse

Mark Stanton ’08 – Played in 13 games and picked up 14 groundballs for the Bishops who finished at 11–4. The defensive midfielder forced a turnover in the final 20 seconds against Ohio Wesleyan to secure a 7–6 win in a first-round game of the NCAA Division III playoffs. The Bishops bowed out of the tournament in the round of 16, dropping a 13–12 overtime decision to Rochester Institute of Technology.

Drexel University

Wrestling

Frank Cimato ’08 – Redshirted as a sophomore, Cimato at 133 pounds won 18 matches this past season to add on to his 15 victories during his fresh-man year. Cimato is a three-time Prep All-America selection, placing third as a junior at the National Prep Champion-ships and fourth as a senior.

Fordham University

Men’s golf

Connor Monaghan ’09 – Shot the low score for his team with a three-round total of 234 at the Atlantic 10 Champi-onship from the Mission Inn Golf and Tennis Resort in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida. Monaghan posted a 77.6 scor-ing average, tied for second-best on the team. A member of three Prep A State Championship teams for the Falcons, Monaghan was a two-time recipient of the Coaches Award, given to the player that best exemplifies sportsmanship, citizenship, loyalty, and commitment to the team.

Hamilton College

Women’s lacrosse

Lauren Sokol ’08 – A stalwart defender, Sokol has started every game the last three seasons, 61 straight, and has col-lected 106 groundballs. The Continen-tals have posted a three-year mark of 55–6 and were Division III runners-up in 2010.

Harvard University

Women’s crew

Shelley Pearson ’09 – Rowed with the varsity eight at the seven and five seats and helped the varsity eight win the third-level final at the NCAA Cham-pionships. Pearson also contributed to her team’s fifth-place finish at the Eastern Association of Women’s Row-ing Colleges Sprints. Success followed Pearson as a member of the Peddie varsity four that won gold at the 2007 and 2009 USRowing Youth National Championships.

Kenyon College

Women’s swimming

Kaitlyn Meirs ’07 – A 16-time All-Amer-ican and school record-holder in the 500 freestyle, Meirs wrapped up a stel-lar four-year collegiate swimming career at the NCAA Division III Championships by taking third in the 400 individual medley, fifth in the 1650 freestyle and anchoring the third place 800 free relay. In the academic arena, Meirs was

named a Scholar All-American by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America after posting a minimum 3.5 GPA and qualifying for the national championships.

Lehigh University

Men’s lacrosse

Kyle Stiefel ’09 – Saw increased action at attack as the season progressed, finishing the 2011 campaign with 10 points via nine goals and an assist. A four-year starter for the Falcons and recipient of the Outstanding Player Award, Stiefel netted 103 goals in his final two seasons.

Massachusetts institute of Technology

Women’s track

Portia Jones ’08 – Helped the Engi-neers’ women’s track and field team cap off the most successful year in program history with a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships. The national runner-up in the 100-meter hurdles and third-place finisher in the 200 dash, Jones landed on the All-America podium four times and accounted for 16.5 of the team’s 45 points in the championship. The highly decorated runner has 14 All-America honors to her credit and has been named the New Eng-land Track Athlete of the Year on four separate occasions. A five-time New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Champion, Jones owns the Institute record in 11 different events. She has also maintained a 4.4 GPA in electrical engineering and computer science.

Navy

Wrestling

Robby Neill ’07 – Closed out his Mid-shipman career (157 and 165 pounds) at 33–29. During his junior year, Neill went 24–16 and made his NCAA Championship debut. A four-year letter-winner for John Leonardis’ wrestling program, Neill finished fourth at the 2004–05 Prep Nationals.

(continued on page 24)(continued on page 24)

Fall 2011 23

Northwestern University

Men’s swimming

Peter Park ’07 – An Academic All-Big Ten competitor, Park ranked on NU’s top times list in five different individual events during the 2010–11 campaign. Park served as a U.S. Ambassador to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Youth Camp.

University of Maryland

Women’s swimming

Annie Fittin ’07 – Swimming in the final meet of her four-year career for the Terps, Fittin picked up a point in the 100 free with a 16th place finish (48.63) at the 2011 NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships. She established a new school record with her preliminary time (48.48). Fittin and her teammates wrapped up the championships with a 12th place showing in the 400 free relay. At the ACC Championships, her team broke the 400 relay record with a stellar 3:16.87. Fittin holds three individual school records (50, 100 free and 100 back) and is a member of four record- setting relay teams.

University of Pennsylvania

Softball

Cailyn Hennessy ’08 – The all-time career strikeout ace (707) and win leader (50) for Peddie has appeared in 56 games on the mound for Penn, recording 11 wins. She pitched five complete games and was 4–2 with a 3.89 ERA in Ivy League games during the 2011 campaign.

University of Pittsburgh

Wrestling

Mike Tully ’10 – The three-time National Prep All-American finished his first sea-son at Pitt with nine wins at 141 pounds.

Rensselaer Polytechnic institute

Women’s track

Connor Ahlborn ’07 – The 2011 Liberty League Outdoor Field Performer of the Year, Ahlborn placed second in the hammer and shot put at the league

championships to help RPI to its third title. She was sixth overall in hammer throw at the ECAC Championships and garnered numerous weekly confer-ence honors. One of her top outings during the outdoor campaign came at the Capital District Classic, where she notched an NCAA Provisional mark of 48.36 meters to win the hammer throw. During the 2009 indoor season, she earned NCAA National All-American recognition with a fifth-place finish in the weight throw.

Stevens institute of Technology

Men’s tennis

Chris Rosensteel ’09 – A repeat first-team selection and Empire 8 Rookie of the Year last season, Rosensteel finished undefeated in Empire 8 play at first singles and first doubles to earn the 2011 Empire 8 Men’s Tennis Player of the Year. He has put together an impressive 41–7 singles mark over his first two seasons.

Wrestling

Ryan Dormann ’08 – Took home top honors at 174-lbs. to help lead the Ducks’ wrestling team to a third-place finish at the Centennial Conference championships. With the win, Dorman qualified for the NCAA Division III tour-nament where he finished 1–2.

Leo Dormann ’06 – At 141 and 149 pounds, earned Scholar All-American accolades while notching a 3.4 GPA as an electrical engineering major. Leo closed out his stellar career with 90 wins, second on the school’s all-time list.

Tufts University

Women’s lacrosse

Gabby Horner ’10 – Opened her rookie season at attack by scoring five goals to lead the Jumbos to a 14–13 win over Amherst. Horner started every game, registering 37 goals and five assists. During the postseason, Horner potted 12 goals in four games as Tufts (12–7) fell to No. 4 Cortland State in the sec-ond round of the NCAA Tournament.

Falcon Feats / Peddie athletes in college action

University of Florida

Men’s swimming

Connor Signorin ’10 – Concluded his first NCAA meet with two honorable mention All-America honors in the 1,650-yard freestyle and 400 individual medley. Signorin took fifth in the “B” finals of the 400 IM with a time of 3:45.82. Florida finished fifth overall.

University of Mary Washington

Women’s lacrosse

Jenna Petrucelli ’10 – Played in 18 games, netting 18 goals on 30 shots for a shooting accuracy of 60 percent. The Eagles lost to Catholic University in the first round of the NCAA Division III tour-nament to close the season at 13–8.

Vassar College

Men’s diving

Gregory Sullivan ’08 – Racking up multiple weekly Liberty League honors for diving, Sullivan holds all of the school’s records for six and 11 dives in the 1- and 3-meter events.

Wesleyan University

Baseball

Brett Yarusi ’08 – Tossed a stellar three-hit, 6–0 shutout in the opening game of a NESCAC West double-header at Middlebury and earned conference Pitcher of the Week honors for his out-standing performance. An all-NESCAC first-team selection in 2010, Yarusi holds a 14–11 career record with 125 strikeouts in 148 innings pitched.

Men’s basketball

Shasha Brown ’08 – Ranked second in the New England Small College Athletic Association in scoring with 19.2 points-per-game average, third in assists with 3.75 per game, and tied for sixth in steals with 1.5 a contest, Brown received second-team all-NESCAC honors. Brown, who was the 2009–10 NESCAC Rookie of the Year, reached double figures in scoring in all but one game. In two seasons for the Cardinals, Brown has scored 905 points.

(continued from page 23)

24 Peddie Chronicle

Four Falcons turned Lions

TotalD1Players := 18·3456210

( )( )( )

PeddieD1PlayersPeddiePlayersOnColumbia

probability :=

TotalD1Players – PeddieD1PlayersColumbiaPlayers – PeddiePlayersOnColumbia

TotalD1PlayersColumbiaPlayers

·

47918346492117276291269

1

ColumbiaPlayers := 18182

PeddieD1Players := 663

PeddiePlayersOnColumbia := 444

# Total number in the pool that we are considering (D1 ballplayers)

# Number in the subgroup that we are considering (Columbia ballplayers)

# Number of players of interest in the pool (Peddie D1 ballplayers)

# Number of players of interest in the subgroup (Peddie ballplayers on Columbia team)

5

6( )1

probabilityevalf 1.354829336 109

7 ( )( )1probabilityevalf 1,354,829,326.trunc = 1 in 1.3 billion

What are the odds?This worksheet calculates the chance that 4 of the 6 Peddie Div. I players would land on Columbia’s team.

1 in 1.3 billion. According to Peddie’s in-house math whiz Tim Corica, the chances of four alumni playing on the same Division I basketball team at the same time are 1 in 1.3 billion.

But this fall, four recent Peddie alumni hold roster spots on Columbia University men’s basketball team. Skylar Scrivano ’11 and Alex Rosenberg ’11 were recruited to play for the Lions, joining starters Noruwa Agho ’08 and Steve Frankoski ’10.

Despite the astronomical odds of four alumni of the same high school end-ing up on the same team, Corica, the mathematician, offered some caveats to his statistical problem-solving.

“Of course, we are assuming players get distributed randomly, which we know isn’t the case. I’d like to think that Peddie is more likely to send students to an academically-selective school like Columbia,” Corica said. “I’d assume, too, that we send more students to East Coast schools, that the Columbia coach may know Peddie, and that kids on the

Columbia team might encourage former teammates to apply. All of these make it more likely that we’d get an unusual number on a single team. Which is to say that the chances are 1 in 1.3 billion that it would happen by accident, but it didn’t really happen by accident!”

This fall, Falcon fans will be anxiously awaiting an even more rare occur-rence — all four players on the court at the same time! Go Lions!

Fall 2011 25

PEDDIE NEWS CELEBRATES

CENTENNIAL

Peddie Weekly News is published for the first time on November 2, 1912. It was established by Charles S. Mitchell, the head of the English Department, “primarily for the purpose of giving added experience in writing to a limited number of students somewhat gifted in English.” It was published at noon every Saturday. Its inaugural cover price of three cents was raised to five cents after three issues. Besides carrying news of students and faculty, the paper carried editorials, lineups and box scores for athletic contests, student directories with dorm room assign-ments, and numerous advertisements.

In its early years, The Peddie News was self-admittedly “more of a journal of events which had already taken place than a compendium of what was actu-ally news and had yet to happen.” In 1926, the newspaper switched to a full tabloid format (12 by 17 inches) and still was regularly four pages in length except for special occasions.

By David Martin, Ph.D.

1900 1920 1940

The Peddie News focused on school news and issues. The front page of the December 13, 1941 issue makes no mention of the December 7 bombing of Pearl Harbor.

By the 1950’s the paper was no longer being issued weekly, but was pub-lished biweekly with 18 issues per year. Cigarettes were advertised to the high school students in each one.

The March 1, 1957 newspaper covered the chapel talk by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a 28-year-old Baptist minister at the time. “There comes a time when people grow tired of being stepped on by the iron feet of oppressors, and a struggle will continue until the oppressed people are free,” King told the Peddie community.

1910 1930 1950

1912 1926 1941–1957

26 Peddie Chronicle

2013–2014 marks the 150th anniversary of Peddie School’s founding. As the Peddie community continues its preparations for this momentous occasion, the Chronicle will explore various aspects of our school’s rich history.

Former Peddie News Editor Scott Caster ’68

“I remember a time when Governor Richard Hughes went on a well-publicized fact-finding trip to Vietnam. He was accompanied by distinguished Peddie alumnus John J. McCloy ’12. I decided to call the Governor to interview him for the News, mostly to get his story on traveling with our Peddie man. When I called Trenton, the Governor wasn’t available. A couple hours later, when the Governor called back, it was me who was not available. I was probably the last one on campus to know that the Governor was on hold.”

Former Peddie News Editor Mark Gartner ’84

“I remember layout nights meant spending all night on the third floor of Memorial Hall physically laying out the paper, gluing correction letters over the typos we found after receiving the boards back from the off-campus typist. We had to measure out space for headlines and then use the proper font and size to make it fit. We actually used math! Layout night was a great time of bonding with the other editors.”

Former Peddie News Editor-in-Chief Andrew Harris ’63

“We lived in the offices on the first floor of Wilson Hall. We added a lot of feature material. We had a weekly comic drawn by Chris Gent ’63. We shared political views. Peddie had voted in 1960 85–15 for Nixon against Kennedy. I was infuriated by that and so was Gent and he drew a really good cartoon about how a bird without a right wing would fly in left circles.”

1960 1980 2000

During the school’s economic troubles of the early 1970’s, the newspaper switched to a monthly publication schedule.

The Peddie News received a boost under the direction of advisor Bruce Van Dusen (1983–1990), who spear-headed the newspaper’s return to a 12 by 15-inch newsprint format. Students used Macintosh computers for “typesetting,” and laid out the paper manually. In the days before the Internet, hard copy of the text had to be delivered by hand (often in the wee hours of the morning) for printing at the Princeton Packet plant in Princeton.

The paper featured color ink for the first time in 1995, initially for the first and last pages, later used in the center spread.

In 2011, student staff members volun-tarily contribute to The Peddie News as an extracurricular club. The newspaper typically boasts approximately 15 edi-tors who manage the writing and layout of the paper, and a crew of approxi-mately 50 writers, photographers and illustrators who contribute to the paper during the school year. While techno-logical advances have streamlined the production process, the newspaper still demands many hours of student work to write, edit and lay out each issue.

1970 1990 2010

1970 1980–1995 2011

Fall 2011 27

Megan McNall | Science

McNall, hired as a coach, dorm resident, and science teacher, grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where she attended Canterbury School. McNall graduated from Princeton University twice, earning both a Bachelor of Arts and a master’s degree in civil engineering and materials science. In addition to teaching physics and chem-

istry, McNall will be an assistant coach for varsity softball and girls thirds soccer. She worked as a graduate study hall coordinator at the McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning and as a graduate teaching assistant and research assistant. McNall led the command center for Princeton’s outdoor orientation program, which coordinates a freshmen trip that last year involved 793 freshmen and 220 leaders. McNall minored in Italian.

Donny Dickson | Mathematics

Dickson, who comes from a family of educators, attended St. Paul’s School and Middlebury College, where he double

majored in mathematics and German. He spent a semester in Berlin as part of a cultural immersion program. Dickson served in Middlebury College’s Center for Teaching and Learning Resources, first as a calculus tutor and then as head student calculus tutor. He captained Middlebury’s cross-country team and served as a resi-dent assistant in a sophomore dormitory.

At St. Paul’s, Dickson wrestled and ran track. He received a schoolwide award for “athletics, academics and a gallant spirit.”

Courtney Jackson ’04 | English

Jackson returns to Peddie after teaching humanities for two years at St. Paul’s School, where she also coached soccer, basketball and track and led a group of students on a week-long service trip to Kentucky. She has worked successive summers in St. Paul’s Advanced Studies Program, assisting master teachers, serving as a residential advisor, and coach-

ing soccer and personal fitness. Jackson graduated from Lehigh University in 2009, where she majored in philosophy and business. She received a President’s Scholarship and the Women’s Soccer Coaches Award. Jackson also served as an admissions fellow and co-chaired Lehigh’s Student-Athlete Mentors Program.

New Faculty

Ali Kittle | English

Kittle, a graduate of the Greenhill School in Dallas, Texas, and of Kenyon College, moved to Peddie from teaching at The Hun School. Kittle was captain of her college lacrosse team and was on the equestrian team. When not participating as an athlete, she was photographing athletes, while serving as photography editor for Kenyon’s

student newspaper. She is fluent in Spanish and taught in the bilingual education program with the Junta de Andalucia.

Jen Steinberg | Science

Steinberg, a graduate of Bucknell University, majored in biology and educa-tion. She served as a resident assistant while at Bucknell, in addition to work-ing with campus events. A native of Flemington, N.J., Steinberg attended Hunterdon Central Regional High School, which is where she first got the teaching

bug. She has most recently served as a student teacher at Lewisburg Area High School.

Chris Van Wyk | Business Office

Van Wyk joins Peddie as controller after working at Drew University, where he was associate vice president of finance and director of institutional research. He earned his B.A. in mathematics at Swarthmore College and his Ph.D. in computer science from Stanford University. Prior to his administrative roles at Drew,

Van Wyk was a professor of mathematics and computer science, a faculty consultant for ETS, an instructor at The Governor’s School of New Jersey, and a visiting lecturer at Princeton University and Stevens Institute of Technology.

28 Peddie Chronicle

John Raphael “JR” Rodrigo ’11 entered the Morehead-Cain Scholars Program at the University of North Carolina (UNC) Chapel Hill this fall, the oldest, most prestigious merit scholarship program in the country.

Fifty-two students nationwide were selected in 2011; half are residents of North Carolina.

Although Rodrigo said it was a very hard decision to accept the scholarship offer and decline his acceptance at Ivy League schools such as Yale, he said he was fortunate to have a close advisor in Tom Golden ’07. This fall, Golden entered his final semester as a Morehead-Cain scholar.

The highly-selective Morehead-Cain program offers four fully-funded years to its scholars, including funds for summer enrichment and research. Established in 1945, it is inspired by the Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University.

“I’m very happy with the decision I made and I was excited to get to Chapel Hill,” said Rodrigo, who opted for the scholarship program because of the additional opportunities that Morehead-Cain provides. “This will allow me authentic summer experiences instead of having to work to pay off my college tuition.”

Rodrigo, the recipient of Peddie’s Wyckoff Honor Prize at graduation, is the only child of John and Rhudelyn Rodrigo of East Windsor.

“They made a lot of sacrifices to send me to Peddie,” he said. “They reassured me that no matter what decision I made, they would be supportive.”

Peddie grads excel as Morehead-Cain scholars

Golden said he is sure that Rodrigo will soon discover how special the opportunity is to study as a Morehead-Cain scholar. Although he found himself struggling with the same decision four years earlier, he said he has since studied in Europe for a semester, spent time in Nicaragua on cancer research and spent three months in Argentina, Chile and Peru studying the delivery of medical care.

“When it came down to the time to make a decision, I just couldn’t say no to all the opportunities,” Golden said. “I think Morehead-Cain offers the best undergraduate opportunity in the world. I don’t stop to think about these things a lot but when I just said them out loud, I stopped to hear how lucky I am.”

When he graduates in January, Golden plans to attend medical school. He is an English major minoring in chemistry and Spanish.

John Raphael “JR” Rodrigo receives the Wyckoff Prize from Head of School John Green during commencement activities. The Wyckoff Prize is the school’s highest honor.

Shop online at www.peddie.org/store

Fall 2011 29

adventures

experiences

travelingstudying abroad

playing

learningSUMMER FUN

As many Peddie faculty and students set off for their summer adventures, a blog site was created to help them share their experiences with the entire community.

To read more Peddie summer experiences, visit peddievoices.peddie.org

exploring

Science teacher Nick Guilbert went aboard NASA’s so-called “Vomit Comet” (officially nicknamed the “Weightless Wonder”), an aircraft that allows participants to experience weightlessness. Guilbert traveled with a team of New Jersey teachers — called the Space Cowboys — invited by the Princeton Plasma Physics Lab to conduct science experiments in space. Among other things, Guilbert learned yes, bubbles do last longer in space, and yes, your feet do get stupid in space.

Posted August 5, 2011, 2:24 pm

A lot of what I remember centers around how completely different the experience of weightless flying was, not only from anything I had done before but also from what I had expected. I love roller coasters and have been on some great ones; some of those provide weightless moments where I felt like I was floating momentarily. But an extended period of weightlessness is so different! On the first parabola, I found myself being shot up to the ceiling, like I had been catapulted upward. On the second, I thought I’d get smarter and hold on to an equipment box that was bolted to the floor, but all that did was hold my hand and arm down; my feet pitched upward and I quickly found myself upside-down. One of my fellow flyers said that “your feet get stupid” in weightlessness, and that’s pretty much true until you figure out how to make them smarter.

Even though our equipment broke apart catastrophically on the first day of flying, we still got some good data, and the equipment was completely repaired

and rebuilt for the second day’s flying. Our data are definitely usable in the classroom, which was the whole point of the flight in the first place.

The entire experience in Houston was amazing. The people I worked with were awesome, from the Space Cowboys to the NASA staff to the other research teams from all parts of the country. I got to see NASA facilities from behind-the-scenes where the tourists don’t get to go; I got to be at the welcome-home reception for the astronauts who flew the final Space Shuttle mission; I expe-rienced a Texas-sized thunderstorm; I heard a talk from an engineer who designs and builds space suits. Most of all, I got to experience the Vomit Comet, something very few people ever get to do. I’d go again in a heartbeat, and there are so many more experiments I’d love to do if I got the chance. How to do them in the extreme conditions of weightlessness, in a box, with stupid feet, with a brain fogged by anti-nausea meds? Well, that’s the challenge. But it’s a challenge well worth taking.

— Nick Guilbert

competitions

30 Peddie Chronicle

Young Joon Joo ’12, Lindsay Gillen ’12 and Steven McConville ’12 spent three weeks at Peddie’s sister school EFZ in Shanghai for an intensive language study program. Halfway through their studies, the students began posting their blog entries in Chinese. Here are some of their earlier (English) posts!

Two Peddie teams headed to Botball’s Global Conference on Educational Robotics in Los Angeles, competing in head-to-head competitions against 63 teams worldwide. Making it to the fifth round, the Peddie teams surprisingly ended up compet-ing against each other. In the first round of the finals, Peddie’s Team A eliminated Peddie’s Team B. Peddie A continued for two more rounds before losing to Hampton High School, which won the overall head-to-head competition.

Posted July 13, 2011, 12:15 pm

Though we had some issues, this conference was a good experience. We saw many fascinating robots in the KIPR competition, which is mainly for college and beyond. We were able to see many other robot designs from both international botball and KIPR competition that inspired us. So far there have been several speakers ranging from students to professors. One student talked about hacking the CBC, a system processor used in this competition, and one professor talked about the future of autonomic robotics systems.

— Preston Kung ’12

Posted July 8, 2011, 9:11 am

We were (figuratively) thrown into the deep side of the pool during our tour, with Wang Laoshi explaining our livelihoods for the next month to us completely in Chinese. This was our first test of the day. It was sink-or-swim time, and we eventually understood the majority of the information, although we swallowed quite a bit of water before doing so.

— Young Joon Joo ’12

Posted July 8, 2011, 9:28 am

First on the agenda in our three hours of morning class was to hand in the language pledge that forbade us from using English for the next four weeks. After lunch, Young, Steven and I were handed metro cards and a map: it was time to brave the Shanghai streets. Our first stop was a huge warehouse-supermarket-hybrid called Metro. Its

aisles held everything from polo shirts to traffic cones to eight different brands of soy sauce. We were overjoyed to find bottles of Bing Hong Cha, an unbeliev-ably delicious iced tea we’d discovered during our last visit.

— Lindsay Gillen ’12

Posted July 12, 2011, 9:03 am

Unlike our previous teacher, Lin Laoshi spoke more quickly and challenged the confidence we had built up in speaking with Wang Laoshi. Though his speaking is quick and authentic, I know we are ready to improve our listening skills, the aspect of our Chinese we can all agree needs the most work. This afternoon we enjoyed a break from cafeteria food as Lin Laoshi was nice enough to take us out to lunch in downtown Shanghai. By lunchtime, every one of us was confidently conversing with Lin Laoshi in Chinese over a delicious midday meal. In the hour or so it took to eat,

very little English was spoken, with one exception. The exception was a little boy who approached our table saying “Hello, how are you?” wanting to practice his English on the pair of blonde, American-looking students in the restaurant.

— Steven McConville ’12

Steven McConville ’12 and Lindsay Gillen ’12

Alex McNulty ’12, Albert Han ’11, James Kolano ’13 and Preston Kung ’12 in California

Fall 2011 31

Greg Lesher ’86Golf

The main cog of the 1984 golf team, Lesher reached the pinnacle of his Peddie career during his senior year by winning both the Mercer County and the state Prep Championships, and was ranked by Golf Magazine as the number seven junior amateur golfer (under 18) in the U.S. From the Peddie links, Lesher took his clubs to Louisiana State University to help drive the Tigers to the 1987 NCAA team title. Upon graduation with three All-SEC team accolades under his belt, Lesher turned pro and competed on the PGA, Nike and Asian Tours.

Margo Diamond ’96Swimming

A key member of the 1995 Easterns (MVP) and Swimming World magazine’s fan-tasy national championship teams, Diamond established the National Prep record in the 100-yard backstroke and raced to several other school records. Her backstroke record still stands as a monument to her extraordinary ability. Diamond also earned multiple All-American accolades and Top 16 national age group rankings. Outside the lane lines, Diamond served as student body president.

Garrett Miller ’56Soccer

Aptly called the “field commander,” Miller played three years on the varsity team as center halfback and was named first-team All-State during his senior year. Goalies were ensured less work with Miller’s indomitable presence on the pitch. His abilities were recognized early on during his sophomore campaign as the Old Gold and Blue claimed the State Championship, netting the “stopper” a spot on the Trenton Times All-Area Team.

SPORTSHALL OF FAME

Honoring great athletesA centerpiece event of Reunion Weekend, the Peddie School Sports Hall of Fame formally enshrined three individual athletes and two teams in a ceremony held at the Walter H. Annenberg Library.

Individual inductees were golfer Greg Lesher ’86, swimmer Margo Diamond ’96 and soccer player Garrett Miller ’56, who enters posthumously. Also joining the Hall of Fame Class of 2011 were the 1939 and 1940 boys’ cross country teams and the 2001 baseball team. Pat Clements, longtime faculty member and sports enthusiast, served as master of ceremonies.

Since 1986, the Hall of Fame has honored 106 individuals, 33 teams and one family spanning over 100 years of Peddie athletics.

View a video of the induction ceremony at www.peddie.org/chronicle

32 Peddie Chronicle

1939 and 1940 Cross Country TeamsWith back-to-back perfect undefeated seasons, the fall cross country teams of 1939 and 1940 dashed through the competition with 1–2–3 finishes in most meets. Captain Ralph “Ace” Farrell ’40 lost only once in the 1939 season, while setting a record of 10:02 on the two-mile course. Not far from Farrell’s foot prints, Tom Judge ’40 and Don Arnsdorf ’40 also warded off most opponents to lock down the perfect season. The 1940 team boasted the same results with another spectacular troika consisting of Bud Solfisburg ’41, Dave Bulk ’41 and Russell Hitch ’41.

2001 Baseball TeamMaintaining a high standard of excellence, the 2001 Falcon baseball team won 24 games against just two losses, each by one run in the last inning. The team of all-stars steamrolled to the Prep A title with a crushing 17–1 win over Blair in the championship game. Fernando Perez ’01 went to Columbia University before moving to the big leagues, and southpaw Matt Pustay ’02 won 10 games his junior year and played at Rutgers University. Catcher Jon Johnston ’02 stepped up to the plate at Navy and is now pursuing a career in the Oakland A’s system. Other team standouts included Brandon Domotor ’01 (shortstop), Ryan Duchak ’01 (second base), and Brian Lodigiani ’01 (first base).

Before the Hall of Fame presentations, faculty member and track coach Mark Gartner ’84 paid special tribute to the late Jerry Hart ’69 for his years of dedica-tion and commitment to Peddie students. Gartner reflected on Hart’s joy of running and his positive impact on his athletes.

“Jerry loved going for runs with the distance kids,” Gartner recollected. “When he was feeling good, he would start off with the lead runners, drift back to encourage the slower kids, and then catch back up to the kids who were still out front. Rather than rub their faces in it, he knew that would motivate the better runners to perform at an even higher level.

“Jerry was a true gentleman, a wonderful colleague, and a tremendous ambas-sador for Peddie. Everybody liked Jerry, and we all miss him,” Gartner said.

Hart remembered

Fall 2011 33

56 Peddie Chronicle

2011–12 Campus Arts Calendar

October

14 Mariboe Gallery Opening: Jen Waters

19–21 Upperclassmen Play: Metamorphoses

November

5 Freshman Musical: TBA

8 Fall Music Concert

9 Fall Student Art Exhibition

December

2 Mariboe Gallery Opening: Salon d’Hightstown

2 “Black Violin” in concert

8 Declamation Contest

14 Vespers

January

6 Mariboe Gallery Opening: Daniel Ballesteros

7 Falcon Follies: Student/Faculty Variety Show

February

16–18 Winter Musical: Into the Woods

21 Winter Music Concert

22 Winter Student Art Exhibition

March

30 Mariboe Gallery Opening: Shai Zurim

April

5 J. Walter Reeves Speaking Contest

11 Paul Watkins Annual Reading

13 Special musical event for Peddie community

May

2–4 Honors Theater Ensemble: One Act Performances

4 Honors Thesis Art Exhibition

6 Student Music Recital

11–12 Underclassmen Play: Fame

17 Spring Music Concert

22 Spring Student Art Exhibition

June1 Mariboe Gallery Opening: Leonard Ross

Photographs from 2010-2011 performing arts events can be viewed at www.peddie.org/chronicle

Peddie News editors discuss a 2011 issue. (Turn to inside front cover to see the original photo.)

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PEDDIE SCHOOL201 South Main StreetHightstown, NJ 08520-3349

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