Squash Courts, Wrestling Mats, and Fencing Strips on the Horizon Q&A

THE NATION'S OLDEST ON THE WEB: COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL www.pingry.org/ NEWSPAPER record VOLUME CXLII, NUMBER 1 The Pingry School, Basking Ridge, New Jersey OCTOBER 13, 2015 Squash Courts, Wrestling Mats, Q&A with New Dean That’sJake what you Ross remember the By ALLY PYNE (IV) AP: What are you most excited most, the connections you have At the end of September, I sat for? with people. and Fencing Strips on the Horizon down with the new Dean of Stu- JR: The whole thing. It’s fun dent Life, Mr. Jake Ross. Below, of having the groundbreaking excited for his fellow team being back with older students. AP: What would you say is the By HALEY PARK (VI) Mr. Ross shares his favorite Pingry ceremony. Mr. Bugliari then members and the promising There’s an energy that’s fantastic, biggest difference from when you memories, goals for the year and just in the last week. And I’m ex- were at school to now? After finally reaching 80% expressed his gratitude and for future of Pingry squash. advice for students. cited to be involved in more than JR: It’s tough to say any one being able to call Pingry home Mr. Ramsay Vehslage, head of the funds necessary to break just teaching. thing, but I think the biggest differ- ground, the much-anticipat- since 1942. coach of the varsity squash ence is just being on the other side ed athletics center has now Following the speakers’ re- team, was extremely excit- Ally Pyne: What would you AP: Is it true that you went to of the desk. I’m looking through become a reality. As part of marks, the physical “breaking ed about breaking ground at like to be called? Pingry? a different lens. The reality that Homecoming day, hundreds of ground” took place. Making Homecoming. He explained, Jake Ross: Mr. Ross. JR: I did. I graduated in the I thought of when I was 17 years people gath- Class of 1996. old is drastically different from the ered on Satur- AP: How do you plan to ap- reality I see today as a dean. day, Septem- proach being Dean? Do you want AP: What is your favorite ber 19 for the to be a ‘stern’ dean or one that memory from Pingry? AP: Is there anything that you Miller A. Bu- bonds more with the students? JR: I think about the teams I really want to change here? gliari ’52 Ath- JR: I’m going to come across played on, the successes we had. JR: I don’t think there’s really letics Center as a stern dean even if I don’t do Every team I played on (soccer, ice anything I want to change. I’d like Groundbreak- anything, just because the position hockey, and baseball) won a state to improve our student support of ing Ceremo- itself has that impact. If you talk to championship when I was play- the activities that we have whether ny. anyone that I’ve coached or taught, ing, so that was kind of neat. I can it’s athletics or arts. I think Home- This new they probably would say I’m firm, remember some of the teachers. I coming was a success, and so was athletics facil- but I’m not mean or vindictive. remember Mr. Thompson hitting our football season opener. It turns ity will be ap- I’m a person that believes every- a piece of chalk with a baseball out that we actually outnumbered proximately thing that we do in life matters. bat my freshman year. That was all of the fans at the Immaculata- 44,000 square I’ll be firm because you need to be kind of a “Welcome-to-Pingry” Ridge football game despite the feet and will aware of what you’re doing all the moment. After Homecoming, I ran fact it was an away game, which include a time. Sometimes you’re not, and is a fantastic way to start state-of-the- it’s my job to remind you of that. the year. art fitness and athletic cen- AP: How does Pingry’s Honor AP: What do you like ter, six full- Courtesy of Pingry Communicatoins Code affect you and your plans to do outside of school? sized squash as dean? JR: I love spending Community members break ground on the new athletics center. JR: It goes back to everything courts, and an appropriate the symbolic first dig with sil- “Making the dream of a new, time with my family. I’ve I said before. Everything matters, got three sons who are four setting to house the Athletics ver shovels into the designated state-of-the-art athletics cen- so the Honor Code and honor in or younger. One who’s Hall of Fame. space for the athletics center ter a reality has taken years general is something that is in- four and then twin boys To open the ceremony, included the following key of dedicated effort by a lot credibly important to me. I think who are 18 months. I love Headmaster Nat Conard P’ people: Carter Abbott, Miller of people, and it’s incredibly that when everyone is asked to spending time with them. 09, ’11 spoke about how this and Elizabeth Bugliari, Holly rewarding to see that dream live by a system so vague, it puts I love spending time out- ceremony is a “transformative Butrico (VI), Nathaniel E. begin to take shape.” Since ownership on the individual; it’s side. My wife makes fun step in the evolution of our Conard, Jeffrey N. Edwards, the program began in 2002-03, important for everyone to work of me because she thinks school, both in the physical and David E. Greig, Callahan Greg, the squash teams have been to uphold that. We can hold each in my free time, I like to philosophical sense.” The new Melanie P. Hoffman, Kathleen playing on two rented courts other to standards and show each chop down trees. building will allow students to M. Hugin, Stuart M. Lederman, at Drew University. He added, other how certain decisions are compete at their highest level. Steven M. Lipper, Stephan F. “Having six courts on campus good or bad. AP: Is there anything “Just as important, it will bear Newhouse, Michael Virzi, and will enable our varsity teams you’d like to say to the the name of a teacher, coach, Olaf Weckesser. to train and compete at the AP: What were your jobs like students now that you’ve and mentor who lives, breathes, The ceremony aroused much highest level. It will also give before this one? been through Pingry and and teaches the Pingry philoso- excitement and anticipation us the opportunity to expand JR: When I came to Pingry two you’re a faculty member? phy of ‘promoting excellence at from the entire community, es- the program to include full JV years ago, I was teaching seventh JR: Everything I’m go- all levels of school life.’” pecially from the squash team. teams and a Middle School grade history and coaching varsity ing to say you’ve already Mr. Conard’s remarks were Yash Jaggi (VI), a current team, and to incorporate squash soccer and ice hockey. I did a little heard in a movie, but I followed by those of the Chair- squash player on the varsity into the Grade 6 PE program.” bit of admissions with the Middle B. Murphy (IV) think the thing that I would man of the Board of Trustees, team, said, “It was exhilarat- With this new athletics cen- School. Previous to that, I served Welcome, Dean Ross! say is get involved. Get in- Jeff Edwards ‘78, P ‘12, ‘14, ing to stand with the whole ter, Pingry athletics will surely as a grade level dean for six or so into a bunch of friends who were volved in the school, whatever that ‘18, and Mr. Steve Newhouse squash team exactly where the be taken to an entirely new level years, which I actually really liked. in my class. A lot of them gave me means to you, but get involved in ’65, P ’95, ’97, ’99. Edwards new squash courts will be.” where teams will be able to I taught 8th and 9th grade history grief about being the Dean of Stu- something other than just academ- detailed the steps that led to the Although Jaggi will no longer train and compete year-round in and coached a bunch of sports. dents. “I can’t believe you’re that ics. The more we understand and historical day and Newhouse be on the team by the time a state-of-the-art facility on our Generally speaking, that’s kind of person,” they said. I haven’t seen appreciate what everyone else is talked about the importance the courts are built, he is very Basking Ridge campus. what I do. some of them since I was eighteen. doing, the better. Inside The Record Students Return to Modernizedflect its educational philosophy. get asSchool much use out of the school By DILLON NOONE (VI) of the classrooms — encourages kids to actually work. We used to In a 2010 curriculm review, the without adding space.” The Upper School renova- have a big problem with noise, school created a report outlining The renovations were focused tions that took place during this but now it’s much quieter. And its teaching philosophy. The on creating spaces that kids summer were the next step in would actually use. Most Pingry’s master plan to mod- lockers are gone, instead re- ernize, refocus its education placed by new, unassigned goals, and make teaching more cubbies, and the new collab- effective.

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