magazine Athletics AT HORACE MANN SCHOOL Where the Life of the Mind is strengthened by the significance of sports Volume 4 Number 2 FALL 2008 HORACE MANN HORACE Horace Mann alumni have opportunities to become active with their School and its students in many ways. Last year alumni took part in life on campus as speakers and participants in such dynamic programs as HM’s annual Book Day and Women’s Issues Dinner, as volunteers at the School’s Service Learning Day, as exhibitors in an alumni photography show, and in alumni athletic events and Theater For information about these and other events Department productions. at Horace Mann, or about how to assist and support your School, and participate in Alumni also support Horace Mann as participants in HM’s Annual Fund planning events, please contact: campaign, and through the Alumni Council Annual Spring Benefit. This year alumni are invited to participate in the Women’s Issues Dinner Kristen Worrell, on April 1, 2009 and Book Day, on April 2, 2009. Book Day is a day that Assistant Director of Development, engages the entire Upper Division in reading and discussing one literary Alumni Relations and Special Events work. This year’s selection is Ragtime. The author, E.L. Doctorow, will be the (718) 432-4106 or keynote speaker. [email protected] Upcoming Events November December January February March April May June 5 1 3 Upper Division Women’s HM Alumni Band Concert Issues Dinner Council Annual Spring Benefit 6-7 10 6 2 6 5-7 Middle Robert Buzzell Upper Division Book Day, Bellet HM Theater Division Memorial Orchestra featuring Teaching Alumni Theater Games Concert E.L. Doctorow Award Dinner Production Production 13 11 15 10 Urban Aid Lower Division Upper Division Upper Division Arts Festival Glee Club Graduation Band Concert and Orchestra Concert 19 12 19 19 Upper Division Lower Division Middle Middle Glee Club Arts Festival Division Division and Orchestra Choral Concert Art Show Concert Concert 26 27 30 Reunion, Upper Division Upper Class of Choral Concert Division 2008 Art Show HM looks forward to seeing you! Be a Part of Horace Mann Today of Horace Be a Part Contentscontents 2 LETTERS 4 GREETINgs FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL 5 GREETIN gs F R O M T H E D I R E C T O R O F D E V E L OP M ENT 6 Physical Education and Athletics at Horace Mann, where the Life of the Mind is strengthened by the significance of sports Throughout its 121-year history Horace Mann School has emphasized excellence in teaching and learning in the physical as well as intellectual realms. From its physical education curriculum to the way the School weaves athletic participation within the academic sphere HM has inspired generations of alumni to incor- Physical education teacher and coach Caroline Surhoff gathers porate fitness and physical pursuits into their lives long her students together on the Lower Division’s “Grasshopper” field. after graduation. For current students, physical educa- tion and athletic activities offer a myriad of benefits— from learning discipline and a sense of achievement, to having fun and creating lasting friendships. Horace horace mann school journal Mann Magazine explores this aspect of the HM curricu- lum today, and also shares the stories of some notable alumni in sports—from Paul Zimmerman ’49 (better 31 NEws OF THE SCHOOL known as Dr. Z of Sports Illustrated fame), to 92-year- Kathy Spicer and Chris Jones are named old fitness guru Bonnie Prudden ’33, to one of Major “Bellet Award” finalists; HM graduates 173; League Baseball’s newest recruits, Pedro Alvarez ’05. Horace Mann embarks on a Strategic Planning Suit up and read on. phase; HM names six to Board of Trustees. horace mann alumni journal 3 0 Teaching for Life Amy Mojica Athletic Trainer, Teammate, “Coach” 43 AlUMNI COUNCIL CORNER The latest feature in an ongoing series on teaching at Alumni Council President Justin Lerer ’95 reviews Horace Mann School today. events of the year and invites alums to participate in more; HM draws over 800 alumni and families to Homecoming and Reunions. 48 BOOkshELF 53 ClAss NOTES 60 MEMORIAls 64 PhILANTHROPY AND YOU Teacher and coach Gregg Quilty Teacher and coach Tim Sullivan Wallace Chavkin, HM grandparent, tells why he worked hard on behalf of Horace Mann. Cover photo inside and back cover photo © by James Levine. Inside back cover photo © by Bruce Fuller. Un- less otherwise noted all articles and photographs are by Ruth Seligman, Director of Publications, Alumni House and Development Office Horace Mann Magazine Fall 2008 1 Lettersletters A powerful HM memory Thank you for your thoughtful and accurately written write-up in the Spring HM magazine. With about 10 guys meeting at Saul’s (Zabar’s) ’46 apart- ment, Mike Loeb ’46, Bill Sarnoff ’46, Bernard Futter ’46, Former faculty members omitted Alan Newmark ’46, Jay Langsdorf ’46, Maurice Solomon ’46, Jack Richards ’46, Alan Rosenberg ’46 et alia, the I was disappointed that Horace Mann Magazine omitted conversation soon turned to nostalgia and the respect and an influential science teacher and department chair in the courtesy we all accorded our teachers. Dress code then recent article “Science Studies at Horace Mann School.” was jacket and tie and courtesy was Yes/sir, No/sir. We all Dr. Carole Stearns taught me AP chemistry during senior allowed as how character was built and demonstrated by year, and is my mother. She worked at HM from 1979-1989 our teachers’ steadfast devotion (yes, devotion) to their where she was a chemistry and physics teacher, chair of subject(s) and “we students.” the science department (1982-1986) and head of the upper Growing up in my Grandfather’s house on Riverside school (1986-1989). She was best known for challenging Drive, with absent parents and my Grandfather mostly in her AP chemistry and AP physics classes, and attracted Switzerland, HM became my surrogate family and a more the best and brightest students to her classes. She taught important experience for me than perhaps for others. I many of the students you interviewed, and was a col- shared with the group one occasion that was still in memory, league to many of the teachers. (In fact, she hired many of vivid as yesterday and oft-called to mind at odd moments, them.) She spent countless hours working to challenge her often subliminally, but which always surfaces to reality. students and to develop a top notch science curriculum It was the war years, ’43 or ’44, and the student body and department. was in the auditorium engaged in our Wednesday morning I wish you had recognized her contribution and dedica- sing… the likes of Lord Jeffery Amherst, Men of Harlech, tion to making the HM science department world class. Ivy League Football songs and the like. I believe she “modeled” much of what you described In the student body was Andre Elkind, a French lad, throughout the article. among the hundreds of students in that assembly hall. By accident or design, on the projection screen, which served Susan Stearns ’85 as our song guide, “The Marsellaise” was presented. Andre immediately arose, the wooden molded seat we all sat in re- Editor’s note: We regret that Horace Mann Magazine’s article sounded with the spring-loaded flat part hitting the backrest. on science studies throughout the School (Vol. 1, 2008) did not That was the first sound. Immediately, without a word include Dr. Carole Stearns and the significant contributions she or gesture, the whole assembly of students arose simulta- made to HM and its science department during the years she neously. The seats all snapping up in a unified sound that taught here in. While the article did briefly look at how science I can still hear. The effect was electrifying. Not a word or was taught at HM in the past, and how the teaching of science sign was given… yet the immediacy and cohesiveness has evolved at this School, the purpose of the piece was to of the students was instantaneously communicated as focus on the science curriculum of today throughout all of HM’s though being given an unseen signal. Divisions, and to demonstrate how learning in one Division I think that was the spirit and unification that vivified leads to further exploration in the next. We were fortunate to for me the Horace Mann experience. It was the single most be able to present the reflections of a handful of the many HM manifest and spontaneous event I have ever experienced alumni whose studies at Horace Mann led to a continuing and lives with me today. Nothing even comes close! pursuit of science-related professions, but we did not have the space to write about the many exceptional teachers who influ- Samuel Messiter ’46 enced so many students. Dr. Stearns was one such teacher and role model. Another from recent memory was former Science Department Chair Dr. Fran Pearlmutter, who retired in 2006, but continued to pitch in as a chemistry teacher during the 2007- 2008 school year. 2 Horace Mann Magazine Fall 2008 HORACE MANN SCHOOL Robert Katz ’65 Timothy Brown William Kuhn ’99 Dr. Thomas M. Kelly Alan Locker ’57 SecretarY — NurserY DIVision Peter Levine ’93 Head of School Michael Loeb ’46 Mark Littmann ’02 AlUMNI COUNCIL Dr. David Schiller Carl Pforzheimer, III ’54 2008-2009 OFFICERS Franklin Lowe ’70 Head of Upper DIVision (9-12) Daniel Rose ’47 Justin Lerer ’95 Hayley Friedman Morrison ’92 Robin Ingram TRUSTEES EMERITI President Daniel Rosenberg ’92 Head of Middle DIVision (6-8) William Aaron Sari Mayer ’84 Sara Roby Wiener ’97 Wendy Steinthal Susan Baldwin Vice-President magazine Head of Lower DIVision (K(U) -5) Tina Bellet Wesley Mittman LePatner ’99 Patricia Zuroski Bruce Brickman ’70 SecretarY PUBLISHED BY THE Head of NurserY DIVision (N, K(D)) Kai Chan MEMBERS ALUMNI HoUSE AND Donald Jonas ’47 Glenn Sherratt Michael Barr ’81 DEVELopMENT OFFICE Dayna Langfan, ’79 Director of John Dorr Nature Sharon Bazbaz ’92 LaboratorY Bert Lewen Ronald Blum ’79 Horace Mann School Herbert Neuman th ThE BOARD OF TRUSTEES Jeffrey Brosk ’65 231 W.