TALK TALK Winchester Nonprofit Org. Thurston U.S. Postage School PAID Pittsburgh, PA 555 Morewood Avenue Permit No. 145 Pittsburgh, PA 15213 www.winchesterthurston.org ThistleThistle The Power of Partnership in this issue: City as Our Campus Partnership with Pitt Asian Studies Center Young Alum Leadership Council Builds a Bridge to Beijing and Beyond Reunion 2009 Urban Arts Revealed Connects WT Students Reflections on the G-20 to Pittsburgh’s Vibrant Arts Community Painting by Olivia Bargeron, WT Class of 2018, City Campus fourth-grader. Winchester Thurston School Winter 2010 Malone Scholars Thistle TALK MAGAZINE Volume 37 • Number 1 • Winter 2010 Thistletalk is published two times per year by Winchester Thurston School for alumnae/i, parents, students, and friends of the school. Letters and suggestions are welcome. Contact Maura Farrell, Winchester Thurston School, 555 Morewood Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. In Memoriam Editor The following members of the WT community will be missed by Maura Farrell their classmates, friends, students, and colleagues. We offer sincere Assistant Head for Planning condolences to their families. [email protected] Sara Mitchell ‘76, October 24, 2009 Alumnae/i Editor Gaylen Westfall Sara Ann Kalla ‘73, May 31, 2009 Director of Development and Alumnae/i Relations Aline Massey ’62, August 25, 2009 [email protected] Anne Sauers Brassert ‘57, August 28, 2008 Contributors David Aschkenas Suzanne Scott Kennedy ‘52, June 21, 2009 Kathleen Bishop Dionne Brelsford Antoinette Vilsack Seifert ‘32, October 6, 2009 Jason Cohn Lisa Kay Davis ‘97 Max Findley ‘11 John Holmes Condolences Ashley Lemmon ‘01 Karen Meyers ‘72 To Mrs. Marilyn Alexander on the death of her husband, To Gray Pipitone ‘14, Gianna Pipitone ‘16, Gunnar Lee Moses A’98 Robert D. Alexander, May 19, 2009 Pipitone ‘21, and Scott J. Pipitone on the death of their mother Melissa Rostek ‘11 and wife, Stella Ann Aggazio Pipitone, September 5, 2009 Jennifer Scanlon To Daryl Massey Bladen ‘65 on the death of her sister, Jane Schilling Jonathan Springer ‘10 Aline Jay Massey ‘62, August 25, 2009 To Helene Stone Prince ‘79 on the death of her mother, Karyn Vella Marylou Stone, July 7, 2009 Justin Weinstein ‘12 To Mr. John Brassert on the death of his wife Anne Sauers Gaylen Westfall Brassert ‘57, August 28, 2008 To Marjorie Vilsack Propst ‘35 on the death of her sister, Antoinette Vilsack Seifert ‘32, October 6, 2009 Printing To Enid Mitchell Dunmire ‘42 and Susan Dunmire ‘76 on the Herrmann Printing Winchester Thurston School proudly acknowledges our death of their niece and cousin, Sara Mitchell ‘76, October 24, To Sandra Metz Qureshi ‘54 on the death of her husband, 2009 - 2010 Malone Scholars. Design 2009 M. Mohsin Qureshi, October 6, 2009 Anne Flanagan Congratulations to this year’s Malone Scholars: Alexander Zukoff ’12, Noah Vito ’12, To James Eversmeyer ‘04 and Alex Eversmeyer ‘99 on the death To Emma Raizman ‘89, Noah Raizman ’95, and Mrs. Dorothy Kyle Czurko ’14, and Alexa Yu ’11. These outstanding students received this distinction School Mission Winchester Thurston School actively engages of their father, Michael Eversmeyer, August 2, 2009 Raizman on the death of their father and husband, Dr. Richard E. as the result of a $2 million grant from the Malone Family Foundation in recognition of each student in a challenging and inspiring Raizman, September 22, 2009 learning process that develops the mind, To Amy Guccione MacMillan ’96, Taylor Guccione A‘99, and WT’s challenging academics and its excellence in serving the needs of gifted and talented motivates the passion to achieve, and cultivates the character to serve. Mrs. Leslie Guccione on the death of their father and husband, To Kate Rogal ‘02, Jacob Rogal A’06, and James Rogal on students. WT was selected as one of only three schools for this prestigious award in 2007. Core Values Joseph Q. Guccione, November 3, 2009 the death of their grandmother and mother, Mrs. Ann Rogal, We activate our Mission by creating a learning July 13, 2009 environment that promotes and instills To David Hallas and Keenan Hallas ’07 on the death of their appreciation for these five Core Values: Critical Thinking, Integrity, Empathy, Community, father and grandfather, Robert G. Hallas, September 10, 2009 To Sally Guy Stone-Worsing ‘57 on the death of her husband, and Diversity. Inspired minds. Record enrollment! Robert Worsing, October 9, 2009 Thistletalk content represents opinions, ideas, To Nancy Quick Langer ‘84 on the death of her mother, Mary Winchester Thurston School opened its 123rd year with record enrollment of 639 students. and perspectives of the authors that are not necessarily those of the Trustees or Administration Jane Quick, September 4, 2009 To Simone Jackiw Ahlborn ‘82 on the death of her mother, From their athletic and artistic accomplishments to their exceptional scores on the entrance of Winchester Thurston School. The editors Sharon Jaciw on November 13, 2009 exams, from their leadership accolades to their demonstrated commitment to thinking also reserve the right to accept, reject, or edit any content submitted for publication in Thistletalk. To Ms. Suzanne K. Martin on the death of her mother, Kate of the comfort and the rights of others, we are pleased to welcome 110 new students in Corinne Howat Waldron ‘43, October 19, 2009 grades PK -12 for the 2009 - 2010 school year. Winchester Thurston School is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools. Winchester Thurston School is accredited by the Our new families hail from more than 30 zip codes, 50 schools, five states, and four countries. Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools. More than 23 percent are students of color, and a significant number of families speak more Winchester Thurston School does not discriminate than one language at home. We welcomed 24 siblings and have more than 20 legacy children on the basis of race, color, national and This issue of Thistletalk is printed on Reincarnation Matte from New Leaf Paper, 105# text (cover) which is made in in attendance this year. WT also offered over $2 million in financial aid and scholarships. ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, or disability in the administration of its North America using 100% recycled fiber and bleached without the use of chlorine compounds, and 70# text (text) which educational policies, admission policies, financial Each year over 80 percent of our families learn about WT from a current parent, a WT alum, aid programs, and athletics or other school- is 50% recycled, 50% post-consumer waste, and 50% processed chlorine free. or a colleague. Thank you for referring your friends and helping to build the WT community! administered programs. In using this recycled paper versus using virgin fiber paper, Winchester Thurston saved 14 fully grown trees, 2,644 Contact the Admission Office at [email protected] if you would like us to Copyright © 2010 Winchester Thurston School. All Rights Reserved. gallons of water, 6 million Btu energy, 671 pounds of solid waste, and 1,015 pounds of greenhouse gases. include a friend of yours in WT Admission monthly emails or mailings. V O L . 3 7 • NO.1 WINTER 2009 contents Great Teaching: Imagination, Dedication Make the WT Difference FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL Gary J. Niels 2 FEATURES: Young Alum Leadership Council Formed 4 COVER STORY: The Power of Partnership: 15 Dynamic City as Our Campus Programs Emerge from Meaningful Partnerships that Benefit WT Students and the Community 5 DEVELOPMENT & ALUMNAE/I NEWS: Gerard Michael D’Emilio ’07 24 WT TODAY: Young Alum Profile SCHOOL NEWS Fall Arts, Academics, and Athletics Highlights…New Boats for the Crew Team…Warhol Alums Reconnect at WT…Girls in Science…Joseph Cornell Shares in Manchester-by-the-Sea 25 Nature with North…Upper School Students Reflect on the G-20…Eighth Grade Holocaust Museum Loretta Lobes Benec ’88 Enters the Public Realm…Faculty Highlights 14 and the Miss Mitchell Society 26 Judy Apt Nathenson ’69 Lessons and Legacies 27 29 Reunion ’09 28 Janet Marstine ’77: This Is Not Art. Or Is It? 30 20 Class Notes 31 www.winchesterthurston.org 1 Winchester Thurston School BOARD OF Great Teaching: New Faces on the Board TRUSTEES 2009-2010 Deborah L. Acklin ’80 is Chief Operating Officer for WQED Multimedia. As Executive Imagination, Dedication Producer at WQED from 1996-2000, she developed blockbuster music specials for PBS, generating more than $45 million for public television; oversaw production of national Henry Posner III Make the WT Difference documentaries for PBS; and created WQED’s nightly magazine program “OnQ.” President Her many awards include a national Emmy nomination for a documentary on the Ralph L. Bangs legendary Fred Rogers; seven Emmy awards (Mid-Atlantic); a CINE Golden Eagle; Vice President imaginative, disciplined, knowledgeable, recommendations for seniors applying White House Press Association honors; the Catholic Communicators Conference and dedicated! The common thread is to college. Gabriel Award; the Pearl Award from the descendants of the Warner Brothers; the Kathleen Buechel Daughters of the American Revolution Pennsylvania TV/Film award; Associated Press Vice President their desire to play a role in developing Under the leadership of a few honors for Best Newscast; Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters awards for Excellence in Broadcasting; one young people. In choosing this vocation faculty members WT is engaging in an of Pittsburgh’s “40 Under 40”; YWCA Leadership award in Arts and Culture; and one of Pittsburgh’s Outstanding Stephen G. Robinson Women in Science by the Women & Girls Foundation. they have made significant lifestyle important discussion of how we might Vice President decisions. Teachers, it is widely known, more effectively “reward and support Acklin serves as chair of the Three Rivers Arts Festival board, and is on the boards of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG do not become wealthy through teaching.