Jon Brenner Receives Henry G. Stifel Award Celebrating the Power of Poetry and Fiction Seniors Perform "Anton in Show Busin
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VOLU M E CXXXVI, NU M BER 6 The Pingry School, Martinsville, New Jersey MAY 24, 2010 Jon Brenner Receives Henry G. Stifel Award Celebrating the Power short-term and long-term By ROXANNE FEITEL (IV) memory. He underwent in- On Monday, April 26, the tensive cognitive and physical of Poetry and Fiction annual Henry G. Stifel Award therapy for months to regain held for Upper School students By SHAAN GURNANI (V) Assembly was held in Hauser simple functions. and faculty members in Hauser Auditorium. The award is pre- Not wanting to draw at- The annual Justin Society Auditorium. Following the sented each year to an Upper tention to himself, Brenner Creative Writing Festival was event during periods 4 and 7, School student who exempli- slowly reintegrated himself held this year on April 23. As in fiction readings were held in fies the characteristics Henry into his former everyday life, years past, English teachers Dr. the Faculty Lounge, and poetry Stifel ’83 displayed after a gradually progressing to a Susan Dineen and Ms. Alisha readings were held in the audi- car accident in his sophomore point where he could attend Davlin organized the festival. torium. Students then had the year left him paralyzed. a full day of school. Working This year, Pingry hosted fiction opportunity to join the writers Since 1984, the award with a tutor, he managed to writers and poets, featuring Mr. for lunch in the Faculty Lounge has recognized students who catch up on the material he Sung Woo, Mr. Gregory Pardlo, where they could sit down and might not otherwise be ac- had missed so that he could Ms. Tiphanie Yanique, Mr. Rog- chat about their work, inspira- knowledged for their cour- advance to sophomore year er Bonair-Agard, Mr. Ed Skoog, tion, and stylistic techniques. age, endurance, optimism, with his class, just as Stifel and Mr. Marcus Jackson. Finally, the festival con- compassion, and spirit. This had done after his accident. In According to Ms. Davlin, cluded with the afternoon work- year’s recipient, Jon Brenner Courtesy of Jon Brenner (VI) an inspiring display of cour- the Justin Society is “dedicated shops, held during period 6 (VI), became the 26th person 21, 2007. tors inserted four plates and age, Brenner even returned to to the arts.” and Conference Period. These to receive the Stifel Award Doctors detected a skull several screws into his head the basketball team when he “Sometimes the way we workshops, each run by one in front of his friends, fam- fracture, hematoma, concus- to correct the damage, but was physically able to. teach poetry in the typical writer, sought to give students ily, and peers. His advisor, sion, midline shift, and in- the effects were lasting and Mr. LaValette commended English curriculum can be a bit inspiration on their own creative German teacher Mr. Norman ternal bleeding in Brenner’s life-changing. Brenner, noting that he “epit- too cerebral, focusing on the writing work. LaValette, spoke about how head after examining the Brenner’s injury created omizes the character of virtu- intellectual aspects as opposed John Varvaro (V) was “thor- Brenner demonstrated these trauma from the hit that left seemingly insurmountable ally every previous recipient” to the emotional experience,” oughly entertained by this qualities after he collided him unconscious. Shortly obstacles: he had to relearn of the Stifel Award. Stifel she said. year’s assembly.” He said, “I with a teammate at basket- after the incident occurred, he how to read and speak in agreed during his speech at “The point of the festival is especially liked the poem about ball practice and suffered a underwent a grueling three- his foreign language class the assembly and said, “Jon’s to enjoy the on-stage—outside high school experiences.” serious brain injury on March hour-long brain surgery. Doc- and lost large portions of his ability to find balance with of classroom—performance of Freddy Elliot (IV) echoed humility and grace is awe- poetry,” she explained. Varvaro’s comments on the inspiring.” He continued, Each of the writers read ei- assembly. He said, “I thought “Brenner’s persistence in a ther personal poems or fiction The History of AFS: 50 Years life that is so unpredictable excerpts during the assembly Continued on Page 5 and challenging has set a stan- dard by which we should all of Unifying Various Cultures live.” In his closing remarks, By ROXANNE FEITEL (IV) its humble beginnings in the United States from ten Stifel proposed an adage to AFS FEATURE 1915. Today AFS is one of countries: Czechoslovakia, live by: “Tomorrow is never the largest volunteer-based Estonia, France, Great Brit- guaranteed, so we must re- For a number of years, organizations of its kind, ain, Greece, Hungary, the member to enjoy life and our the American Field Service with upwards of 30,000 vol- Netherlands, New Zealand, loved ones.” (AFS) program has provided unteers worldwide. Norway, and Syria. In 1971, Brenner is extremely grate- us with the unique opportuni- Started by ambulance AFS began its first multi- ful to have been selected for the Stifel Award this year. He ty of getting to know students drivers who performed in- national exchange, sending said, “Receiving the award in from different parts of the ternational service in World students to countries other world. The organization has Wars I and II, the organiza- front of all of the people who than the US. By this point, have supported and continue grown to a network of over tion expanded in 1945 to in- the AFS exchange program 370,000 program alumni in to support me is the culmina- clude a scholarship program. had grown to include over tion of my high school career. more than 50 countries from Initially, students came to 60 countries. It puts me with a group of A. Logerfo (V) extremely special people that Continued on Page 4 Mr. Roger Bonair-Agard reads poetry at the annual Justin Inside The Record went to Pingry.” Society Creative Writing Festival. Seniors Perform "Anton in Show Business" so that Teicher, who spent the read about her in the program, mance, so it’s nice that Drama By MARISA WERNER (IV) first semester abroad, would she should be able to read IV puts on a production as a This year’s Drama IV final be able to take part in the final about them. final because it gives people production consisted of “15 project. Mr. Romano said, The show then continued like me the chance to be in a Minutes” and “Anton in Show “It made sense to pair the with “Anton in Show Busi- show that’s not the Fall Play or Business.” The cast of seniors two plays because they both ness,” which depicts three Winter Musical.” included Remy Teicher, Max explore the role of theater in actresses trying out for the The seniors’ final drama DeChiara, Jenny Gorelick, American culture.” three different roles of sisters production was widely ac- Cassidy Reich, Lillie Ricciardi, The show began with Te- in the play “Three Sisters.” At claimed. Jose Barrionuevo Katie Ogden, Sofi Barrionuevo, icher’s monologue from “Fif- first, the three actresses don’t (IV) noted that the play “made Laura White, and Erin James. teen Minutes.” The setting for get along quite well because me laugh and all the actors The cast chose “Anton in Show this piece is the backstage of a they are completely different played their part really well. Business,” originally written theater, where the main actress people. The cast includes a fa- Overall, it made me happy by Jane Martin and staged at is putting make-up on fifteen mous television actress, played inside.” Dowling stated, “I the Actor’s Theater of Louis- minutes before the opening by Ricciardi, a small town thought the play was fantastic, ville, because they wanted to scene. Teicher’s character talks girl from Texas, played by and I laughed a lot.” do a modern comedy. Also, about how she would like to Gorelick, and an off-broadway Rebecca Curran (IV) agreed. they needed a play that fea- have a biography of each of actress, played by Reich. “The seniors did a great job, tured predominantly female the members of the audience. According to Reich, “The and their performance will S. McAnally characters. She justifies her reasoning by senior play was my first and definitely be a hard act to fol- Artist Jon Sarkin '71 brings his studio to the Lower Com- According to Julia Dowling stating that if they are able to last Pingry drama perfor- low,” she said. mons. (V), “These plays were chal- Taking a Deep Breath Ending with a Bang lenging to put on because the actors had to play several dif- Ashley Feng (V) urges students to SAC ends their 2009-2010 run ferent roles involving several appreciate learning without becoming with final assembly P6. quick changes.” Moreover, overwhelmed P2. the actors were responsible for Adventures All Over the World all the technical aspects of the Living the Honor Code show. Dowling added, “Still, B.o.B emerges as a star rapper with Honor Board member Andrew his new album, Adventures with Bobby the seniors did a phenomenal Hanna (IV) reexamines the purpose of Ray P7. job.” the Honor Code P3. The Chair of the Drama Giant Strides Department, Mr. Al Romano, said, “The plays were a lot of Ciao! Boys' and girls' Varsity Track and fun to stage, but most impor- Field look forward to the NJSIAA tantly, there was a core of truth Matteo Valente reflects on his year State Tournament P8.