The Friends Academy Magazine for Alumni, Parents & Friends The Meeting House Winter/Spring 2015 Upper School Art welcomes spring at FA Friends Academy Board of Trustees, 2014–2015 Co–Presidents Thomas Hawkins ’78 Scott Rechler Treasurer Francis Ingrassia Board Members Strong Minds. Carl Ashkin Kind Hearts. Peggy Brucia Jeff Daniels ’90 The Friends Academy Mission Debra Del Vecchio Steve Fortuna Founded in 1876 by Gideon Frost for “the children Conchita Heffron Elizabeth McCaul Ingrassia of Friends and those similarly sentimented,” Friends Andrew Menzin ’81 Academy is a Quaker, coeducational, independent, Victoria Quesada Moore college preparatory school serving 775 students Joe Podbela from age three through twelfth grade. Robert Rosenbaum George Tsunis The school’s philosophy is based on the Quaker Robin Wachtler ’83 Craig White ’61 principles of integrity, simplicity, patience, moderation, peaceful resolution of conflict, and a Head of School belief that the silence and simple ministry of the William G. Morris Jr. “gathered meeting” brings the presence of God into the midst of busy lives. Friends Academy is Friends Academy Alumni Association, 2014–2015 committed to developing a diverse community whose President Peter Stein ’79 members value excellence in learning and growth in knowledge and skill, a genuine commitment to Vice President service and ethical action, and a realization that Penelope Wylie Mayer ’75 every life is to be explored, celebrated, and enjoyed Secretary in the spirit of the Religious Society of Friends. Thomas Pascarella ’95 Alumni Board Members The Meeting House Craig White ’61 Editorial Board, 2014–2015 Barbara Shoen Brundige ’63 Thomas Hawkins ’78 Amanda Fisk ’99 Elisabeth Dillof Dreizen ’78 Kathy Fox Margaret Keats ‘79 Natalia Porcelli Good ’93 Laura Dilimetin ‘83 Hayley Kucich ’03 Allison Trani Kellan ‘84 Penelope Wylie Mayer ’75 Kara Vassel Lewis ‘86 Andrea Miller Kathryn Hawkins Schneider ’86 Jennifer Ryan Woods ’99 Michael Fox ‘91 Elizabeth Siris Winchester ’91 Alana Teutonico Brock ’94 Courtney Devon Taylor ’01 Hadley Mongell ‘01 Heather Tilton Rubinstein ‘01 Salwa Touma ’01 Rebecca Pacchiano ’07 President Emeritus James R. Greene ‘74 The Meeting House | Fall 2009 Alumni Office Alumni Affairs Coordinator, Kathy Fox From the Head of School William G. Morris Jr. Friends, alisl eugiam velenis dolor sendipisi. Tum duis nibh eu feuiscin ulputat etum autate Vendiam ver at aliquis dit vulla feuisis cillaortio duisi. od dolortis ex endignit ad magnit utat. 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From The Archives: 1823 – Gideon Frost Marriage Certificate S hive ARC MY de aca Mary and Gideon Frost Starting on page 32, reminisce with 10 alumni and current faculty who chose to celebrate a Quaker wedding. S d N ie FR OF SY e RT u CO A copy of Gideon and Mary Frost’s Quaker wedding certificate, which begins: “Gideon Frost of the city county and state of New York, son of Caleb Frost and Sarah his wife, and Mary Willets daughter of William Willets and Letitia his wife, (the latter deceased) in the town of Marcellus, county of Onondaga, and state aforesaid, having laid their intentions of marriage with each other before two monthly meet- ings of the Religious Society of Friends, held at Scipio, in the state aforesaid, they having consent of parents, and nothing appearing to obstruct; their proposal of marriage was allowed by the meeting: These are to certify that for the accomplishment of their intentions, this twenty fourth day of the fourth month, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty three...” The Meeting House | Winter/Spring 2015 Visting Buddhist monk Lama Tenzin’s completed Friends Academy Sand Mandala of Compassion, page 10. insideVoL. 50, No. 2 Meeting House Letters. 6 Around the Quad. 7 Freshmen Service day One World, Many Stories Artful SPiCeS ‘Nothing lasts forever’ Flipped Learning at FA: Science, Math host Open house The Arts. 14 Well, well, “hello, dolly!” waltzes onto the FA stage as this winter’s all-school musical. Feature Story. 18 diversifying diversity: Friends charts new directions to explore issues of inclusion and identity. Sports: Go FA! 22 Triumph and hard work. Perseverance and close calls. Battling it out in the top Class A division, Winter Sports athletes gave their all. FA Auction. 27 A look back at the 23rd dinner and Auction, which returned to historic Oheka Castle this year. Faculty Milestones. 28 Alumni News & Profiles. 30 hear the latest from Alumni Association President Peter Stein and then reminisce with 10 alumni and faculty in “Once upon A Quaker Wedding.” Class Notes. 40 In Memoriam. 56 The Meeting House Staff Editor Andrea Miller, Director of Communications and Marketing 516.393.4295 | [email protected] Writers Kathy Fox, Hayley Kucich ’03 and Andrea Miller Photographers Amanda Fisk ’99 and Alan Quackenbush on the cover A WARM-WEATHER WELCOME. Freshman Courtney Taylor started this assignment as a blind contour drawing in pencil on butcher paper. To add color and details, she went back in with oil pastel. her painting, along with others was displayed this spring in the Locust valley Chamber of Commerce Art Walk. MEETING HOUSE Thoughts, memories and reflections LETTERS from our readers ... you! Remembering Roger: shared testimonies to a favorite teacher On Saturday, March 7th, over 100 former students, fellow colleagues, family and friends united under In the Meeting House, the pace was brisk. the roof of the Matinecock Meeting House to remember and celebrate the life of FA English teacher Roger There were stories, humor, set pieces and Erickson. Read David Cressey’s ‘71 account of that incredible morning of sharing and remembering. testimony, wonderfully told. There were no commercials. A clear sense of the man n a subzero morning we set out bungalows, the hideaways and stairways to emerged: Roger had been an important from our secluded holler in the nowhere, arrayed around Hyland Garden. person to many because he had strong, fracking fields of Westsylvania Roger’s admirers came in droves, from uplifting interests and enjoyed sharing and for a 500-mile pilgrimage to across the years. The resulting conversa- teaching those interests. He loved to laugh. OFriends Academy. Our mission: to witness tional free-for-all was wildly stimulating, His central interest was people, young people the memorial Meeting for Roger Erickson. and must have been something to behold. especially. Many of his students who spoke To me, he is a favorite teacher, brilliant and To be sure, there were some described an experience exuberant. My wife Bobbi met Roger only swings and misses. Our class remarkably similar to my once, 21 years ago, and he made a lasting was represented by the ever own: he taught us English impression. talented, and ’71 loyalist, as freshmen and seniors and Almost immediately, things began to go Angela Manno; Paula Jensen- made each of us feel gifted wrong. An accident closed the main road Moulton, who spoke mov- in some aspect of the writ- into our town, and we had to detour on ingly at the Meeting; and my ten or spoken word. hillside-clinging gravel lanes that bore evi- teammate in all sports, Bill For a moment, I felt dence of the flooding two days previous. The Vitriol. Among others, were deflated. Far from being intervening day had brought the winter’s all too brief encounters with unique – as Mr. Erickson biggest, by far, snowfall. Soon I was identify- the likes of Kenny Marten, had led me to believe, hadn’t ing with the beleaguered Anse Bundren Chuck Bralver, Jim Bebry, he – I was a mere foot sol- from As I Lay Dying. Clearly, Roger was Gene Hamilton, Michael dier in a vast Quaker army. going to have some fun – if that is the right Gordon, John Mankiewicz The next moment of word – with us.