Nonprofit Org. US POSTAGE PAID Winter 2016-17 Permit No. 259 Newburgh, NY Address Service Requested OakNEWSLETTER FROM OAKWOOD FRIENDS SCHOOL • CELEBRATINGLeaves OVER 200 YEARS OF FRIENDS EDUCATION IN THE HUDSON VALLEY 2017 Spring School Calendar Solar Array Celebration April 5 Breakfast with the Head Opens Alumni Weekend 2017 April 25 Earthshare Day & Arts presentation April 28 Herzog Lecture The Oakwood Friends School community will clean, renewable energy. The Oakwood array May 2 Dash Davis Gleiter Lecture open Alumni Weekend 2017 with the official provides a focal point for countless educational launch of our solar array project on Friday, May opportunities within our Middle School, Upper May 11-13 Spring Production, 12th at 2:30 pm. Board members, students, fac- School and local community. The array serves Stockholm Syndrome ulty, alumni, parents and guests from the larger as a backdrop for outdoor classroom space May 12 Celebration of Solar Project community will gather to celebrate this landmark and neighborhood outreach programs. This ar- event in the greening of Oakwood’s campus. ray is also a wonderful example of sustainable May 12-14 Alumni Weekend energy production which is both economically May 23 Spring Concert Fred Doneit, board member and former clerk of beneficial and environmentally responsible." June 7 Middle School Moving Up the Property Committee, spoke about the sig- nificance of this occasion: “This project emerged Chad Cianfrani and Fred Doneit at solar array June 8 Senior Dinner from visionary thinking among our senior admin- June 9 Commencement istrators and members of the board’s Property Committee – thinking fostered by shared values Journalist Juan Williams ’72 Visit us at www.oakwoodfriends.org of energy efficiency and sustainability, and a readiness to think decades past the school’s near- term needs. We felt the urgency to seize current Returns to Oakwood phy in 1976. He began his career in journal- opportunities offered by state incentives, and a ism as an intern and general assignment reporter power-purchase financing method that involved for The Washington Post, becoming a national 16 Winter 2016-17 NEWSLETTER FOR ALUMNI AND MEMBERS OF THE OAKWOOD FRIENDS COMMUNITY no capital outlay by the school, or significant correspondent covering political and social impact on our facilities maintenance staff. As a issues during his 23 years at the paper. Dur- school community, we can be proud of our lead- ing this time, he won numerous awards, in- ership role in reducing our carbon footprint on cluding an Emmy for TV documentary writing. Winter Reunion Alumni-Student Basketball Game the environment. We are hopeful that the facility Juan joined National Public Radio where he will be a resource and inspiration to our cur- hosted “Talk of the Nation” and covered ma- rent and prospective students, to alumni donors, jor stories on politics and race as a senior cor- and to the Hudson Valley community at large.” respondent and political analyst for ten years. He was also a contributor to Fox News Channel The board’s Solar Sub-Committee worked dili- since 1997 and is currently a co-host of FNC’s gently to bring us to this exciting day. Working “The Five” and a regular panelist on “Fox News with consultant Ron Kamen of Earthkind Energy, Sunday” and “Special Report with Bret Baier.” the committee met frequently between April and November 2014 before recommending a propos- The author of six books including the best seller, al for the full board’s approval. Through a com- Nationally known journalist, author, political “Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Years, bination of strategic partnerships and New York analyst and regular panelist on the Fox News 1954-1965” and the critically acclaimed biography State’s forward-thinking solar energy incentives, Channel, alumnus Juan Williams will return to “Thurgood Marshall: American Revolutionary,” Oakwood secured the two-acre array project Oakwood Friends School to present the Caro- Juan Williams has received many awards for his with zero outlay of dollar resources. In a time line “Dash” Davis Gleiter ’51 Lecture on Social writing and investigative journalism. He has in- of uncertainty over the rate of rising electrical Justice on Tuesday, May 2nd, at 2:30 pm. Now terviewed numerous influential people including costs, Oakwood will benefit greatly from a part- in its 13th year, this lecture series was estab- five presidents: Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, nership that includes a well-defined and guaran- lished by classmates in memory of Dash Da- Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Barack Obama. teed cost per kilowatt over the next two decades. vis Gleiter in recognition of her work in civil Many colleges and universities have recognized rights and her lifetime of volunteer activities to his work by awarding him Honorary Doctorates. The system, online for six months now, has al- promote social justice. On another visit to Oak- ready generated close to 400,000 kWh of elec- wood in 2006, Juan Williams told the students: We are honored and delighted to welcome our tricity. Sized to offset 100% of Oakwood’s annual “Oakwood is where I got a sense of life’s po- own “Distinguished Alumnus” Juan Williams electrical consumption the array will continu- tential and where I learned the Quaker spirit back to campus on May 2nd. All are welcome. ously, cleanly and sustainably produce enough of caring.” Even our youngest students were energy to support our campus’ 22 buildings riveted as Juan described the changing land- and a community of over 200 faculty and stu- scape of civil rights issues through the decades. dents who call Oakwood home day and night. Juan Williams was born in Colon, Panama, and Head of School, Chad Cianfrani, spoke about attended public schools in Brooklyn, New York, the benefits of the project: “As part of a multi- before coming to Oakwood. After graduation Support the 2017 Annual Fund year focus on sustainability and stewardship in 1972, he attended Haverford College where www.oakwoodfriends.org Alumni Association President, Najah Muhammad ’10, with basketball players on January 6, 2017. in action, this project does more than provide he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philoso- 2 Winter 2016-17 NEWSLETTER FOR ALUMNI AND MEMBERS OF THE OAKWOOD FRIENDS COMMUNITY CELEBRATING OVER 200 YEARS OF FRIENDS EDUCATION IN THE HUDSON VALLEY Winter 2016-17 15 Snow Day Remembering Beth Hollenbeck ’67 By: Chad Cianfrani, Head of School the sun emerged and with it an opportunity. “I have been welcomed by friends I By: Nancy Leopitzi Wawrla ’67 The facilities staff, who had been plowing now call family, from around the US, “There are times when we have actually en- since 4: 00 AM, had cleared the main drive- from Ghana, Vietnam, Rwanda, China, into the night on November 20, 2016. She countered an animal in distress and been way and warm midday temperatures had Afghanistan, Japan.” was predeceased by her sister Helen and cleared the roads. Talking with one of the parents. She is survived by her sister Lynn able to have them fly away or swim away. All students exiting the Meeting Room, we joked “I have found friends among my teachers Hollenbeck Suter, class of 1971, and her life- the volunteers are weeping and hugging. It’s about lunch off campus. This conversation and scholars among my peers.” partner Greg. She was born in Poughkeepsie a wonderful feeling.” quickly (and invariably when it comes to in 1950, attended Oakwood Friends School – Beth Hollenbeck food) drew in other students. A combination I left that afternoon with a renewed energy and graduated in 1967. There, Beth learned Quote published in Orlando Magazine 2009 of hunger and student excitement led us off and deep appreciation for our students and the significance of diversity, social justice campus for a local restaurant favorite, sushi. our school mission. Not only had these stu- and social activism, in the Quaker spirit of dents gained a strong foundation in math, sci- non-violence and conscientious objection. I did not awake that morning expecting to sit ence, history and language, they had gained In the early 1970s, soon after studying at with five students over lunch off campus. But a genuine desire to challenge themselves Bard College, Beth married and became a here we were, afforded a time to sit, engage and to learn. Our faculty work tirelessly to Corporate Banking Executive in California. and talk with one another. In that moment, engage, inspire and create a rich curriculum. Sunday afternoon, I flew into Orlando, Flor- But her outrage at how people manipulated over a first round of miso soup, I was struck When I listen to our students’ powerful ex- ida, en route to my Stepmom for Thanksgiv- “big business” changed her focus to what IN MEMORY by how much I can learn from the diversity pression of how they consume this curric- ing. I called Beth Hollenbeck to tell her I really mattered…our environment. Our Good winter snowstorms have transfor- of student experience within our community. ulum and integrate it into their lives, I am would stop by, but was not specific, so as Earth. In 1982, Beth left corporate America mative effects on the Oakwood campus. confident we are fulfilling our mission. to surprise her. Last year, and on several at- and moved to Central Florida to become Florence Louise Cochrane Rome ’35 A heavy blanket softens our surround- Over the next 60 minutes, consuming food at tempts to see her, she told me it wasn’t a more active in protecting the environment. May 4, 2016 ings, making the world a little bit quieter a voracious rate, the five students, all seniors, good time, so this time, I was not going to Beth founded ECO-Action, as Executive Director in 1993, and opened and operated and the reflecting sun makes it a little bit discussed their time at Oakwood, what they be diverted.