÷e Blue Doors
The
NightingaleBamford School
Volume 8
Issue 1
Fall 2013
FALL 2013 1
THE BLUE DOORS
Volume 8, Issue 1
Fall 2013
A biannual publication of
The Nightingale-Bamford School
20 East 92nd Street
New York, New York 10128
nightingale.org
We would like to hear from
you! Letters to the editor,
class notes, story suggestions,
corrections, and any questions
you have may be directed to
[email protected].
DESIGN
Pentagram
L AY O U T
Contents
2
4
8
CZ Design
PRINTING AND MAILING
Allied Printing Services
PHOTOGRAPHY
All photography courtesy of subject
unless otherwise noted:
Cover, Jennifer Zaccara, student headshots,
Reunion photo 3, journaling class, new spaces,
LS assembly, and Skai Konyha by Nicki Sebastian
Foreword
You Have
Your Life Kit
Meet Jennifer
Zaccara
Emmy-nominated actress
Kerry Washington inspires
the senior class with a
powerful Commencement
address.
Our new associate
head of school comes
to Nightingale with
big ideas and depth
of experience.
10 | Articulate,
Thoughtful—
and Brief
14 | Reunion
22 | Class of 2013
24 | Hallways
Alumnae gather for a terrific
weekend celebration.
Cheers to our graduates!
Class VIII students learn the
power of the micro-essay.
20 | New Spaces
at Nightingale
Stories and photographs
from around the
schoolhouse
12 | Opening
Doors
The lobby and science labs
have a whole new look.
A note from Head of School
Paul A. Burke
Denise Sinclair ‘68, Head of School for a Day,
and Open Mic by Susan Tilson
Kerry Washington and Commencement
by Matthew Septimus
Reunion photos 4, 7, and 13 by Matthew Sussman
All other Reunion photos and Growing Every Girl
benefit by Jennifer Taylor
Kitty Gordan farewell party and Class XI/Class VIII
collaboration by Darrel Frost
Bassless Accusations by Victoria Jackson
Soccer team by Whitney Tilson P’14, P’17, P’20
Scene from I Came to Look for You on Tuesday
by Yi Zhao
33 | Class Notes
40 | Voices
Nightingale’s internship
and mentorship programs
are evolving and growing
in new and exciting ways.
On the cover: Margaret Lachman ‘17
works intently on her geometric plate
in Mr. Travanti’s Class IX ceramics class.
2 TH E B L UE DOORS
FAL L 2013 1
FOREWORD
The Promise of the Pivot
Recently, Denise Sinclair, Class of 1968, returned to Nightingale to address our Upper School
students. When introducing Ms. Sinclair to the girls, I said that hers is an example of a well-lived
life. She was the first female investment banker for Bear Stearns. She helped bring Coca-Cola
to China. She speaks five languages. Currently, she is a financial advisor in the private wealth
division at Oppenheimer and Company and works directly with the Pentagon’s Wounded
Warriors project, advising women on how best to translate skills learned in combat to civilian
(often corporate) settings.
Ms. Sinclair referred to Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In, saying that if she were to write a similar
text, her title would be Pivot. Her message to the girls was clear: keep one foot anchored in your
integrity and the other pivoting to meet the expectations of those who sit on the other side of
the desk or await you on the other side of the world.
Pivot may be the best word to capture Nightingale’s current moment. We have firm footing
thanks to our long-standing commitment to educating every girl’s heart and mind. Strengthened
by Denise, and by alumnae everywhere, we pivot to seize new opportunities for today’s
Nightingale girl.
We are pivoting toward new technology. This year we have expanded the reach of our iPad
program and expect that by September 2014 we will have a fully integrated one-to-one program.
A three-year initiative, our exploration of iPads commenced last year with a faculty pilot and
continued this year with distribution to most Middle and Upper School students and access to
Lower Schoolers via classroom sets.
Leveraging technology helps teachers discover new ways to be true to our aspirations.
To take one example: in a recent faculty meeting, Middle School science teacher Nicole Seibert
introduced a dynamic and highly interactive presentation application to her colleagues. Inspired
by the potential of this technology, Class II homeroom teacher Melissa Rice then discussed
using it to track her students’ reading comprehension over the course of a year. She envisioned
recording girls’ voices to accompany text on the screen and then returning to that recording
later in the year so her students can witness their progress and feel emboldened by hearing the
development of their individual voices.
We are also pivoting to new opportunities in New York City. Last May we became New York
City’s charter member of the National Network of Schools in Partnership, an organization founded
to support educators and community leaders in the design, implementation, and improvement
of high-impact partnerships; and this fall we hosted a meeting of independent and public school
leaders from the Young Women’s Leadership Network to discuss how we can work together to
advance the education of girls. We are also in the first full year of our exciting new partnership
with the 92nd Street Y, which has already made a positive difference to our physical education and
athletics programs. We are always seeking to forge new relationships across the city and around
the world so we can continue to have the benefits of a small school with the opportunities of one
much bigger.
In her presentation to the Upper School girls, Denise Sinclair talked about how reading Jane
Eyre in the fifth grade at Nightingale opened a new world to her. She also remembered how the
stories told by teachers from England who arrived at Nightingale after World War II in search of
expanded opportunities captured her imagination and got her to wonder about life beyond 92nd
Street. Our goals are the same today. A Nightingale education, and the teachers who provide
it, bring girls from one place to another. When our students move on from Nightingale, they will
leave anchored in well-honed habits of success, nourished by an education rich in content and
grounded in adventure. And they can then pivot toward a life of great promise, knowing that
Nightingale alumnae like Denise have paved the way for them.
Denise Sinclair ’68 addresses
the Upper School at assembly.
2 TH E B L UE DOORS
Paul A. Burke
Head of School
4 THE BLU E DOORS
FAL L 2013 3
You Have
Your Life Kit
Kerry Washington, an accomplished actress and dedicated
advocate on behalf of women and girls across the globe, addressed
our graduating seniors at Nightingale’s annual Commencement
Exercises on June 13, 2013. In her remarks, included below,
she celebrated the strength that our students derive from one
another and the power of their collective experience.
To the graduates of the Nightingale-Bamford School Class of
2013, congratulations, ladies! I am honored and humbled to
be here, but to be honest I can‘t help thinking there must be
some mistake.
I mean, you know I went to Spence, right?
I was one of those girls cheering against you during
volleyball games.
I sang in Triple Trio. We compete against Bassless
Accusations at Acappellooza!
So it seems like you‘ve looked beyond the competitive
nature of our academic relationship. And from what I
understand, that is who you are.
In the past, you may have had the impulse to compete
with one another.
But I‘m told that today, you have learned to comfort each
other in failure, and celebrate each other‘s successes—be
they award-winning app designs, athletic achievement in
cross country, or, yes, a cappella accomplishments that put
Triple Trio to shame.
And that is just one of the reasons why—although I may
have been cheering against you way back then—I‘m cheering
for you now.
And I‘m not the only one.
Look around. All of these people are cheering you on.
And today‘s celebration would not have been possible without
their support: your teachers, your friends, the entire staff of
the Nightingale-Bamford School, the trustees, your fantastic
head of school, Paul Burke, and of course your families.
Remember to thank them today.
4 TH E B L UE DOORS
At the risk of sounding cliché, I remember my high school
graduation like it was yesterday. My love for my school and
for my classmates made me worry about leaving.
By the time you get to senior year in schools like ours,
there‘s almost nothing you do at home that you haven‘t
done here: eat, sleep, read, write, watch movies, play games,
exercise, take showers, change your clothes, blow-dry your
hair, put on makeup, laugh, cry, pray, argue, hug, occasionally
study, live.
This school has become your home. Your classmates have
become family. Sisters.
But it‘s time to leave the nest. And you must be wondering,
maybe worrying, “What is that going to be like?” Because,
ladies, the world is not exactly like Nightingale-Bamford.
But what are the differences? What should you expect?
Well, as a Spence girl, I can help you with that.
Nineteen years ago, I left my “home” with a diploma
very similar to yours—granted, yours is the updated and
upgraded 2.0 version, with a different school name at the top.
But even so, I left here with that document that is about to be
ceremoniously handed to you, and I went forth into the world.
So I want to tell you, from my own personal experience,
a little bit about what I‘ve learned between then and now,
and how to make the most of the honor and privilege being
bestowed upon you today.
What you are receiving today is not just a diploma. It‘s a
life kit. You‘ve built it over your four, or eight, or thirteen years
here—maybe without even realizing it. You have a kit filled
with supplies that will help you adjust to, face, and embrace
Kerry Washington and Head of School Paul A. Burke
this larger world. All of your life kits are different based on
your unique journeys—but there are some striking similarities.
So let‘s open it up. Let‘s take a look at a few of the more
noteworthy, choice items in your life kit so that when you leave
here, you are aware of what you‘ve got and how to use it in
the world.
The number one item is the courage and ability to chart
unknown waters.
Today, more than any previous moment in your life,
you are proving, as you sit here, that you have learned to
courageously show up for the unknown.
That is how you made it to this point—by learning and
growing and evolving outside of your comfort zone.
You have had countless challenges, exciting new
beginnings, learning curves that turned you upside down
and inside out. And that is what today is: another new
beginning, a commencement, yet another invitation out of
your comfort zone. Ahead of you, there are challenges that
will—I guarantee you—break your heart, and celebrations
that will make your spirits soar, the likes of which you cannot
even begin to imagine sitting here.
But if you show up to those experiences as you have
shown up for your education—with courage and commitment
and grace—you will continue to experience great success.
The second item in your life kit is the knowledge that you
have learned how to learn. Rigorously.
In this fast-moving, ever-changing world, you are leaving
here not only with vital dates, numbers, formulas, theories,
metaphors, paradigms, and ideologies, all of which will
continue to serve you.
But you are going out into the world with an understanding
of how to accumulate knowledge, discover new information,
and integrate it into your being.
You haven‘t been taught what to think. You have been
taught how to think. And that will be invaluable no matter
where your path takes you.
I really had no idea, sitting at my high school
commencement, that I would make my living as an actor.
But I share with people all the time that what I love most
about developing character and breaking down story is the
research, the study of a person and of a dramatic work of art.
Whether it‘s a Broadway play, or a Tarantino film, or a
television show, I approach my work as a student.
And I learned how to do that in a place very similar to this.
No matter what field you‘re going into, new discoveries
abound, and you have to stay educated and educable in order
to remain creative, authoritative, and relevant.
And that brings me to a third item—the gift of meaningful
relationship.
Let me explain: for the rest of your life, you will remain a
Nightingale-Bamford girl.
That means there are certain expectations you will carry—
for the most part, it will be positive. People will expect you to
be smart.
They will expect you to be worldly. They will expect you
to be capable. And they will expect you to be accomplished.
Similar assumptions will be made when they hear what
colleges and universities you went to. These are heavy
FAL L 2013 5
expectations that can sometimes be difficult to bear—but
you can‘t let that weight forestall you from seeking guidance.
You can‘t let it keep you from reaching out to others.
Out there in the world, you may find yourself thinking that
you can‘t ask for help. But remember how you leaned on
each other here. To this day, I lean on my sisters from Spence.
Those friendships are unlike any other, because we have
known one another since the most significant developmental
years of our lives.
The bonds you all have are strong, and no matter how
far away from each other you are, they will keep you close
if you remember to stay connected.
And your sisters are not the only ones you can turn to
for help.
No matter what field you’re
going into, new discoveries
abound, and you have to
stay educated and educable
in order to remain creative,
authoritative, and relevant.
You have tremendous support available to you—from your
teachers here who have guided your intellectual advancement
and who will miss you as much as you miss them (if not more!),
from the professors and mentors at the universities you will
attend, from your fellow Nightingale-Bamford alumnae, your
friends, your families, your parents.
Do not be timid in seeking their guidance, their counsel,
their advice—and acting on it. But I also encourage you to
be conscious of how blessed you are to have these resources.
For all of your brilliant accomplishments—those under
your belt and those still to come—you must remember that
the doors that have opened for you have not been opened
for everyone.
There is a lot of injustice in the world.
I‘m reminded of that every time I visit Savoy Elementary, a
school I‘ve adopted as part of President Obama‘s Turnaround
Arts Initiative.
Savoy is in Anacostia, one of the poorest neighborhoods in
Washington, DC. This is a place where most households earn
less in one year than what it costs to attend a school like this
for one year.
Many Savoy students come from families living at or below
the poverty line—almost every student is eligible for free lunch
from the government, and, in many cases, it‘s the best meal
they‘ll get all day.
Every visit to Savoy is a reminder that some of the things
we take for granted are a distant aspiration for others.
Savoy students are embracing a new way of integrated arts
learning that they hadn‘t experienced before—because they
just hadn‘t been given the chance.
6 TH E B L UE DOORS
Why am I telling you this?
Because when I work with these students, I see bright,
motivated, young people who will share a future with all of
you. When you leave here today, you are heading off to places
where you will cultivate the ability to shape a great deal of
that future.
But they don‘t have the same kinds of resources that you do.
Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “All men—” and we‘ll
assume, of course, that he meant women.
Forgive him for that.
“—are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality.”
This means that what we do affects the lives of those
around us, both directly and indirectly. This school has
fostered that knowledge within you.
Because of the small numbers and tight quarters and
because of the value placed on honest exchanges of ideas
and feelings, you all see how far reaching the ramifications
of your actions can be in this small world that you lived in.
It has caused many of you to value the importance of
being kind, conscious, respectful, supportive.
Those kinds of interactions have become a normal part of
your everyday existence. Do not forget that.
What is going to happen when you leave here is that your
community, what you call and think of as your community, is
going to expand.
And you will need bigger hearts and longer arms to
embrace it.
You are now going to become members of larger and
larger circles of influence, where your actions have the
potential to affect more people.
Please remain responsible. Continue to celebrate and
support the successes of people who are different from you.
You will not always see this same kind of behavior reflected
back to you.
Resist the temptation to be anything other than what
your now larger global community needs you to be, a
Nightingale-Bamford girl at her best.
Because that‘s the final item in your life kit I want to
mention—an understanding of the power of compassion.
Compassion helps to bind us more tightly to one another—
as friends, as community members, as a country, and as a
world.
So as you pick up your diploma, remember also that you
are walking away with a life kit. Take a look at it this summer
and for the rest of your life and ask yourself, “What do I have?
What do I want? What should I trade in, upgrade, keep,
store, lose?”
I began by telling you that I was a bit worried at my
graduation. You do not have to be.
I am telling you what I did not know back then: You have
what you need.
And what you do not have, you know how to get, because
you are not afraid of new beginnings and you have learned
how to learn.
Keep asking. Keep searching. Keep building and
keep connecting with your new, larger, community—with
compassion and grace.
Keep being a Nightingale-Bamford girl, an NBS woman,
and keep redefining the levels of excellence that that title
entails.
Congratulations ladies. And thank you so much for letting
a Spence girl share this day with you.
FAL L 2013 7
Meet
Jennifer Zaccara
Our new associate head of school has immersed
herself in all things Nightingale, from curriculum
development and faculty programming to the
classroom experience and student life.
Associate Head of School Jennifer Zaccara arrived at
Nightingale in July after spending 12 years on the faculty
at the Taft School in Watertown, CT. She brings to us a
wealth of experience in crafting curriculum, working with
faculty, and developing integrated programs involving
multiple departments.
Over the course of her tenure at Taft—and in addition to
her teaching duties in the English department—Dr. Zaccara
held a number of different positions, including mid class
dean, English department head, and, most recently, associate
dean of faculty. Her many roles as associate dean included
heading the mentoring program and the faculty cohort
program and directing the faculty discussion series, which
featured outside speakers and talks to facilitate collaboration
and problem-solving both inside and outside of Taft. In
addition, Dr. Zaccara was responsible for the evaluation of
first- and second-year faculty and ran a “film your class”
program for in-house professional development.
While at Taft, Dr. Zaccara made critical contributions to
the English curriculum, instituting an annual “Shakespeare in
Performance” month, which included performance training
for teachers, sonnet and soliloquy competitions, school-wide
senior performances of scenes, and a culminating Renaissance
festival with a traveling performance troupe and school dinner.
She also initiated the development of an oratory program for
grades 9–12 and linked Taft with peer schools in a discussion
about character education that was launched through an
evening program hosted by Taft and led by experts in the field.
8 TH E B L UE DOORS
Since arriving at Nightingale, Dr. Zaccara has spent a
great deal of time in conversations with faculty in order to
learn their perspectives on the challenges in developing
twenty-first century curricular initiatives while still maintaining
and cherishing what is traditional and working well at
Nightingale. “I see my work as a bridge between the
past and the future,” she says, “and I want to continue
getting faculty to collaborate on ways to move our school
forward for our girls to prepare best for the new world
we face. My first areas of focus include re-envisioning the
Middle School program with developmentally-appropriate
curricula, supporting a technology vision, and linking faculty
professional development with evaluation. I am also working
on developing language in our handbooks for students and
faculty as well as in our school culture that will build student
responsibility, independence, and community.”
In all of her efforts, Dr. Zaccara has placed the Nightingale
girl at the center of her plans: “I will be working on ways
to cultivate a girl’s voice, her passions, and her confidence
in the academic and non-academic experiences she has at
Nightingale, and I hope to record the growth of each girl so
that she graduates with a record or diary of her evolving self.”
She has clearly hit the ground running, and we are thrilled to
have her as part of the Nightingale community!
FAL L 2013 9
Articulate,
Thoughtful —
and Brief
Precision in writing is the focus of a
three-week unit in Class VIII English.
by John Loughery
Last spring, Middle School students gathered for their weekly
Morning Meeting to celebrate three things: good prose, fresh
thinking, and extreme brevity. The occasion was a reading of
eight micro-essays.
The essays were the product of an assignment given every
spring in Class VIII English. Over the course of three weeks,
students are asked to write three micro-essays and then to
work on revisions of at least two of them. A micro-essay can
be defined as an essay that is strictly limited to one typed
page. (If the essay goes on to a second page, the teacher
stops reading at the bottom of the first page.) What does
this mean? Why this severe insistence on so short a length
requirement? It means no slow “lead-in” to the topic, no flab,
no filler, no digressions, no repetitive conclusion. It means
being conscious of every sentence, every dependent clause,
every adverb and prepositional phrase.
Everyone knows that it is possible to have worthwhile ideas
but to express them poorly or inadequately. Everyone knows
that it is possible to write well-crafted sentences that can‘t
disguise a content that is thin or unoriginal. Writing at great
length presents the possibility that something meaningful will
be said, eventually, if the writer can hold the reader‘s attention
long enough, but that approach brings needless risks. After all,
life is short. Time is precious.
How much harder to write lean—to have something
important to say, but to say it with maximum concision, in
prose purged of any excess yet still retaining some flair,
10 TH E B L UE DO O RS
some life in the language. That challenge is what the Class
VIII English teachers talked to their students about when
beginning this project. We offered a list of potential topics,
but students were free to choose their own. The students
agreed that writing one perfect page turned out to be
infinitely more challenging than writing three or more pages.
The choice of a topic became part of the lesson itself. That
some topics lend themselves to good prose and fresh thinking
more readily than others quickly became apparent. We talked
at length about earnestness as a trap good writers want to
avoid. (One class ultimately arrived at a communal definition
of earnest that seemed to fit: “dully sincere.”) We talked
about literary tactics they might employ and how unsatisfying
it usually is when a writer plainly states her beliefs without
recourse to imagery, metaphor, anecdote, humor, or analogy.
Ms. Deschamps, Mr. Whitehurst, and I picked eight (out of
80) micro-essays to be read by their authors at the Morning
Meeting. We could easily have selected several others that
were as droll, witty, vivid, or surprising.
The micro-essays that follow are examples of essays that
are anything but “dully sincere.” They are, instead, examples
of young women establishing a voice, sharing an outlook,
and seducing an audience—which is, of course, what real
writers do.
A longtime member of Nightingale‘s faculty, John Loughery
is head of the English department.
How to Become
A True New Yorker
Natalie Margulies ‘17
After one year and twenty-three days
of living in my apartment, I know the
following about my neighbor: she has
purple rain boots with pink stripes,
she has a faded brown doormat, and
she apparently has never heard of flats
because her shoes are always at least
four inches high. But I don‘t know her name. Apparently,
she doesn‘t know mine, either. Our interactions go as far
as a half-smile when we pass each other on Third Avenue
or an awkward elevator conversation at the beginning of
the week.
Every Monday morning, right as the elevator doors are
almost shut, a hand slips through the crack. Sometimes it‘s
my hand; sometimes it‘s my neighbor‘s. And every Monday
morning, I flash her a polite smile, which she reciprocates.
After a few seconds, the tension is always palpable; I feel it
dunking me underwater as I gasp for breath. “Fancy seeing
you here,” I blurt out. She laughs politely. I rack my brain
for something, ANYTHING else to say. I look up, as if the
answer is on the ceiling. Time stops. All of a sudden, every
grubby fingerprint on the mirror amplifies. We are only
on the fifth floor? I look at her to find she appears to be
fascinated by the hemline on her dress. Third floor. I open
my mouth to say something. Second floor. I shut my mouth.
Lobby. I break free from the tension, resurface, and carry on
with my day.
We, as proud New Yorkers, like to think of ourselves as
outgoing, approachable, and talkative. We like to think we
know our doormen or the hot dog vendors outside of our
houses on a personal level. But in truth, we embody the
stereotype that all New Yorkers are impersonal and isolated.
People say that you have to kill a cockroach or steal
someone‘s cab to become a true New Yorker, but really all
you have to do is ignore the saying, “Love thy neighbor as
thyself” and then, congratulations, you‘ve passed the test.
National Poetry Month
By Sarah Palmer ‘17
The arrival of National Poetry Month
raises some important questions
concerning the relevance of poetry
in modern life. Does poetry have a
purpose in today‘s world? Is it very
much alive, or is its role in modern
life insignificant?
Many would argue that poetry is alive and well;
poems are still published and poetry is studied in schools.
But I would argue those are not the determining factors.
I remember once reading a statistic that cited a certain
collection of Edna St. Vincent Millay‘s poems as a national
best-seller in the 1920s. Since then, it seems that the
general public‘s interest in poetry has diminished. Poetry
today may thrive at universities and other intellectual
hubs, but how many ordinary people read poetry just to
experience it, to feel it, and be captured by its beauty?
Not as many people now read poetry for just that—to
read it. In the highly specialized and competitive world of
the twenty-first century, every moment presents itself as a
chance to get ahead, not to indulge one‘s literary tastes.
Poetry could seem like a pointless literary exercise. Reading
poetry also requires a certain patience and curiosity, the
combination of which seems to be rare today.
Poetry is a part of our universal culture; it is a way in
which humans have expressed themselves for millennia.
I believe poetry is still relevant because of its ability to
captivate and inspire. Emily Dickinson, one of my favorite
poets, once wrote, “There is no frigate like a book/ To take
us away/ Nor any coursers like a page/ Of prancing poetry.”
Another poem I like is Excelsior by Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow. (The title also happens to be the motto of the
state of New York.) A noted piano pedagogue is quoted
as having said, “No art without life, no life without art.”
Poetry, while not one of life‘s necessities, adds an extra
dimension to life which is just as important.
Awkward Encounter
By Julie Coleman ‘17
Recently, I saw one of my old camp
friends while riding the bus. We said
that we would keep in touch after I
left camp two years ago, but school
starts, and sometimes brains are too
lazy to comb through details that are
not of the utmost importance. I didn‘t
recognize her at first, but something about her face sent a
flicker through my mind. I was about to say some cheesy
“it‘s a small world” line, but then realized how awkward
the next 10 blocks would be if she a) wasn‘t actually my
friend or b) did not recognize me. I tried to catch her glance
for about 10 minutes until I finally returned to staring
out the window. It felt wrong to pass up an opportunity
to reconnect with a friend, and I finally decided to say
something. I shifted in my seat and was about to open my
mouth when she stood up and ran off the bus, the doors
nearly closing on her backpack.
I got home feeling dissatisfied and angry, as I usually
pride myself on being forward towards people. So, I looked
her up on Facebook and sure enough there was the girl
I had seen on the bus earlier today. She accepted my
friend request, and later wished me a happy birthday by
hastily posting “hbd” on my timeline. I truly wonder if she
recognized me on the bus, and if maybe similar thoughts
were going through her mind.
Yesterday as I passed her walking up the street, I looked
straight at her and flashed a smile. She glanced at me as
if I was a dented paperclip suddenly pulled out from the
depths of a filing cabinet, and quickly brushed passed me
without a word.
I wonder if she even recognized me in the first place, or
if she is just one of those people who accepts seemingly
random friend requests on Facebook. On one hand, she
could be scratching her head, and trying to remember
where she had seen me before, or simply wondering why
that creepy girl just gave her a funny look.
FAL L 2013 1 1
Opening
Doors
Nightingale’s internship and mentorship
programs are evolving and growing in
new and exciting ways.
An enduring example of the supportive community fostered
at Nightingale is the beloved tradition that brings together
our oldest and youngest girls on the first day of school; each
senior waits at the blue doors to greet a Kindergarten girl,
take her hand, and escort her to her classroom. From that
moment on, her experience is guided by those who have
come before her. Every girl in the Nightingale community is
supported by a vast network of mentors—students, teachers,
alumnae, and parents—who open doors of opportunity and
understanding for her and are invested in her success.
Nightingale’s flagship internship and young alumnae
mentorship programs are both rooted in this tradition. Setting
Nightingale apart from other independent schools, these
engaging programs allow our students to develop meaningful
relationships with Nightingale alumnae and parents, provide
them with critical exposure to life and careers beyond the
blue doors, and empower them to advocate for themselves.
The internship program opens doors to careers our students
may not have even known existed, as they explore a variety
of fields before entering college; the relationships they form
with Nightingale alumnae, parents, and friends of the school
provide support and encouragement as they step outside
their comfort zones and embrace new experiences. Similarly,
the young alumnae mentorship program matches current
seniors with recent graduates who help them to navigate
the transition between high school and college. Just as the
seniors brought the Kindergarteners through the blue doors
at the start of their Nightingale experience, the young
12 TH E B L UE DO O RS
[Left to right:] Nicole Chan ‘14 and Sabrina Sobers ‘14 held different internships this summer, but found themselves collaborating on
the same photo shoot for the J. Crew winter catalogue: Nicole worked for the art director and Sabrina for the photographer, Nightingale
parent Mei Tao of Mei Tao Photography. Cara Thomas ‘00 showed Alison Tilson ‘14 the ropes at ?What If! Innovation Partners
alumnae mentors help usher those same girls toward their
next adventure beyond the blue doors.
Every girl in the Nightingale
community is supported by
a vast network of mentors—
students, teachers, alumnae,
and parents—who open
doors of opportunity and
understanding for her and
are invested in her success.
Now, the internship and young alumnae mentorship
programs are being brought together as just one part of an
exciting new initiative called Open Doors. The full scope of
this program is still evolving, but—as the name implies—it
aims to open doors for our students by exposing them
to leaders in a variety of fields, helping them to develop
their own leadership potential, and harnessing even more
opportunities for life experiences outside the blue doors.
The first new offering from Open Doors is a speaker
series intended to bring in accomplished individuals who are
making a positive impact on their industries and on society
and to engage our community in a meaningful dialogue
about important issues. The first Open Doors speaker—Mika
Brzezinski, journalist, co-host of “Morning Joe” on MSNBC,
and long-time advocate for women—addressed Class VIII
and Upper School girls in mid-November.
The concept behind Open Doors was developed by
a dynamic alumnae and parent advisory group consisting
of Elena Hahn Kiam ‘81 P’14, P’17, creative director of lia
sophia; Prudence Solomon Inzerillo P’25, former CNN anchor;
Alexandra Lebenthal ‘82 P’14, P’22, CEO and president
of Lebenthal Holdings, LLC; and Dina Powell P’20, P’23,
president of the Goldman Sachs Foundation and global head
of corporate engagement. This highly dedicated group of
women oversees the current components of the Open Doors
initative and meets frequently to generate new ideas and
opportunities.
The success of Open Doors will rely upon the continued
involvement and generosity of our incredible community,
and we welcome your participation. To learn more, please
contact Amanda Goodwin, director of alumnae relations,
at [email protected] or (212) 933-6508.
The Promis e of the Internship Program
• Since 2005, our internship program has placed students in
some of the premier organizations in the city; we personally
match each student with an internship that matches her
interests.
• Over 90% of students pursue an internship in their junior
or senior year.
• Our program guarantees an internship for any interested
student and eliminates financial and logistical barriers to
a student’s full participation.
• Every student receives resume, cover letter, and interview
training; she learns how to advocate for herself and gains
invaluable skills for life after Nightingale.
• The Nightingale alumnae, parents, and friends who host
interns have a vested interest in fostering our students’
growth; they often take on a mentorship role that lasts well
beyond the internship experience.
• Our graduates who held internships during their time at
Nightingale report that the program was transformational in
guiding their career choices, either by ruling out a previous
interest or helping them discover a new one.
FAL L 2013 1 3
Reunion 2013
On May 17–18, alumnae gathered at the schoolhouse
for Reunion 2013. Returning alumnae were offered the
opportunity to visit classes in all three divisions, and many
took advantage; they loved being back in the classroom
and reuniting with former teachers, as well. Over the course
of the first day, alumnae reminisced with one another at
the “Nightingale Then” roundtable discussion, attended the
“Nightingale Today” panel to ask questions of Upper School
girls, and heard Head of School Paul A. Burke‘s vision for the
school‘s future at his “Nightingale Tomorrow” presentation
and discussion.
At our annual Founders‘ Day assembly, we honored
Mary Richter ‘93 (see page 27) with the distinguished alumnae
service award and the late Lady Malcolm Douglas-Hamilton ‘28
with the distinguished alumnae achievement award (see page
38 for more information on this fascinating alumna who passed
away last January). The Founders‘ Day assembly brought in
more alumnae voices through two new features: a discussion
with alumnae and their class of 2013 daughters—Lala Manger
Fleming ‘84 and Samantha Fleming ‘13, Cathy Hoffman
Glosser ‘84 and Hannah Glosser ‘13, Kim Jordan Nass ‘78
and Marin Nass ‘13, and Dini von Mueffling ‘84 and Tati
Esposito von Mueffling ‘13—and a new segment called
“Nightingale Memories,” in which five alumnae created a
living history of our school. We are grateful to Sarah Taub ‘06,
communications chair of the Young Alumnae Committee,
who took an oral history from members of the Class of 1943,
and to decade representatives Patricia McMurray ‘63, Hillary
Johnson ‘76, Odette Cabrera Duggan ‘83, and Wendy Long
Mitchell ‘93 for sharing their memories, which are featured in
these pages.
A festive all-alumnae cocktail party on Friday evening
provided the opportunity for reconnecting with old friends as
well as current and returning faculty, and celebrating Associate
Head of School Kitty Gordan, who retired in June after more
than 40 years of service to Nightingale; a highlight of the
night was an eloquent tribute to Mrs. Gordan delivered
by Hillary Johnson ‘76 (see box on page 31). On Saturday,
members of reunion classes had one last chance to reminisce
over lunch before Reunion 2013 drew to a close.
14 TH E B L UE DO O RS
1
4
N ightingale T hrough the D ecades : T he 4 0 s
By Sarah Taub ‘06
2
3
This past spring, it was my pleasure to learn about and speak with members of Nightingale‘s
Class of 1943.
Lest anyone think these alumnae were old-fashioned, they truly pioneered the VeritasAmicitia-Fides spirit.
The Class of ‘43 studied a definitive curriculum—and as a testament to Nightingale‘s
tradition of excellent teachers, the ‘43 alums still remember their favorite classes, which
included: Ms. Wade‘s classics, Ms. Saxton‘s English, Ms. Kaiser‘s mathematics, and drama.
(Trial By Jury was one of the highlighted performances of the class of 1943.) There was a
student government, of which Mary Janvrin was president and Barbara Davis was vice.
There was also a chairman of social services.
The class of 1943‘s sartorial statement proved to be a timeless classic: students wore
white blouses, navy blue skirts, and sweaters—nearly today‘s uniform, though the hemlines
have moved north. As a young woman in 1940s New York, social engagements were popular
at the Stork Club and Rye & Gingers were the popular drink. A social registry was kept up
among families in their respective neighborhoods to keep everyone informed as to where
their children were at school—and when they were home and eligible for potential dates.
Some Nightingale alumnae continued their academic careers at colleges like Vassar, from
which alumna Barbara Davis graduated as a math major. Ms. Davis spoke to me with great
spirit and enthusiasm about her time at Nightingale and how well it prepared her for her
career. Indeed, between 1946 and 1957, Ms. Davis held a wide variety of jobs, from working
as a junior mathematician for Douglas Aircraft in California to holding positions at Time
magazine, Gimbel‘s department store, and the Chicago Tribune in Paris (for 6 months in
1949) before going into public relations. Ms. Davis finished her professional career at the
Narragansett Times, where she ran the front office from 1957–1983.
Considering what it must have been like to grow up during World War II and experience such
a time of monumental global change, I feel very proud as a Nightingale alumna that looking
back on her impressive life, Ms. Davis summarized her experience as a Nightingale girl by
saying: “I learned more at Nightingale that has been valuable to me than anywhere else.”
1) Lucinda Zilkha ‘02,
Ingrid Deming ‘02, and
Elizabeth Emmons ‘02
2) Liberty Rees ’73, Linda
Lachman Mitchell ‘73, and
Mary Jane Reilly Nichols ‘73.
3) Current students look at
special reunion class posters
showcasing yearbook photos
from years past.
4) Ashley McLean ’93,
Cheryl Prasad Ferrufino ’93,
Celena Kingson Knox ’93,
Juliet Rothschild Weissman
’93, Meg Hadlock ’93,
Mary Richter, ’93, Karen
Pantzer Gelder ’93, Shoshanna
Lonstein Gruss ’93, Lindsey
Gordon Schwabe ’93,
Lisa Mercer Kroiz ’93, and
Naomi White Randolph ‘93
FAL L 2013 1 5
8
N ightingale T hrough
the D ecades : T he 6 0 s
By Patricia McMurray ‘63
• Mrs. Davis, our formidable history teacher who wore
her hair in a bun and taught us to read The New York
Times. She loved FDR!
• Standing up when older women or teachers entered
the room.
• No real course choice. No pants—ever. Shoes so
clunky that they reminded us of eighteenth-century
colonial shoes.
• No colored sweaters unless it was Friday and you
were a senior.
• Glee Club and morning prayers every morning.
We sang two hymns and heard a reading by faculty
from the Bible.
5
6
• Falling in love with beautiful music through Glee Club
and the music at morning prayers.
• Lots of homework and very high standards. I think
we must have done three hours every night in
Upper School.
9
• We read wonderful literature: Huckleberry Finn and
To the Lighthouse, in English. Le Noeud de Vipères
and Lettres de Mon Moulin in French.
• We learned how to write. Mrs. Norris, our English
teacher, was relentless in her criticism of anything
vague and lacking in specificity. We wrote a lot!
• Great sense of community. We knew we all were
supposed to care for each other.
• When we were younger, lining up to say goodbye to
our teachers each day and curtsying as we shook hands.
• So many of our teachers seemed incredibly old.
They were all probably younger than I am now.
Strange how quickly the years roll by!
7
5) Kitty Gordan greeting alumnae at the evening cocktail party
6) Jessie Page ‘03
7) Patricia McMurray ’63, Renne Jarrett Bilson ’63, Diane De Vries Ashley ’63,
Susan Torrey Coppock ’63, Dana Dauterman Ricciardi ‘63, and Virginia Kirkland
Stuart ‘63
8) Bellamy Printz ‘83, Naomi Wolfensohn ’83, Amanda Sullivan ‘83, Miven Booth
Trageser ‘83, Helene Tanous Bartilucci ‘83, Susan Barnes Walker ‘83, Tabitha
Estabrook Claydon ‘83, Lili Root Bianchi ‘83, and Odette Cabrera Duggan ‘83
(in front)
9) Alicia Berns Burns ’88, Laurie Garrett Thornton ’88, Liz Victory Anderson ’88,
Suejin Yang ’88, and Mary Goldman ’88
10) Andréa Demirjian ’81, Allison Sellin Weiskopf ’81, and Ann McChord
10
N ightingale T hrough the D ecades : T he 7 0 s
By Hillary Johnson ‘76
After the trauma of the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal as well as New York City‘s fiscal crisis, it seemed like
everyone in the mid-to-late 1970s needed a dose of serious silliness. So along came disco, platform shoes, the pet rock
phenomenon, and an album called You Can Tune A Piano But You Can‘t Tuna Fish. That said, Nightingale was not a
trendy place but very focused on providing us with a classical education.
• We were encouraged to read the daily New York Times and taught by Headmistress Joan McMenamin how to fold it
properly so we could read it on the bus or train.
• We entered and exited the school building through the black doors near Madison Avenue—the Blue Doors did not yet
exist. We curtsied when we shook hands with our teachers.
• Right off the gym was a small office that housed Miss Goode and Miss Hamilton and they were the ones who made the
“trains run on time at Nightingale.” Their two dachshunds loped down the hallways when they weren‘t napping.
• Our tests and quizzes came hot off a printer called a ditto machine. The print was purple and the duplicating fluid used
lent a distinctive aroma to those sheets. Yes, we used to sniff our tests.
• We ate fish on Fridays, frequently creamed tuna with beets. I will say no more.
• The school uniform was much as it is today, except that we wore BLOOMERS rather than PE shorts. You should thank
your lucky stars.
16 TH E B L UE DO O RS
FAL L 2013 1 7
N ightingale T hrough
the D ecades : T he 8 0 s
11
14
By Odette Cabrera Duggan ‘83
• Friday snack bar fundraisers
• The first school jackets
• Burgundy-colored school skirts
• L.L. Bean bluchers
• 1983 AAIS Basketball Champs!
• John Lennon assassinated—give peace a chance!
• Sandra Day O‘Connor becomes the first woman on
the U.S. Supreme Court.
• Michael Jackson‘s Thriller album is released!
12
N ightingale T hrough the D ecades : T he 9 0 s
11) Vandy Woods Boudreau
’88, and Ariel Childs ‘88
12) Josette Bailey ’72,
Susie Heller ’69, and
Achla Eccles (past faculty)
13) Top Row: Emma Carron
’08, Margot Lachaud ’08,
Regina Willensky ’08, Lily
Fraser ’08, Alex Savona ’08,
and Kate Fraser ’08. Bottom
Row: Sara Nosaka ’08, Andrea
Levien ’08, Claire Gilbert ’08,
Devon Welsh ’08, and
Lily Zhang ‘08
14) Carah Lucas-Hill ’00,
Nancy Cruz Morning ’98,
and Meghan Townsend ‘98
By Wendy Long Mitchell ‘93
What happened in the world while our class made its journey through Nightingale from 1980
to 1993?
MTV premiered; the first space shuttle­—Columbia—soared into space; Michael Jackson‘s
Thriller came out; Cabbage Patch Kids were born; CDs were first released; AIDS was
discovered; the Chernobyl disaster; Madonna‘s first tour; the space shuttle Challenger
exploded; the Berlin wall fell; the Cold War ended; and the Gulf War began. What do we remember from our lives as Nightingale students?
13
• Singing “Row by Row” with our beloved Mr. Mahoney (I‘ll spare you a rendition). • Rolling up our uniform skirts and securing them with safety pins.
• Macbeth, Iolanthe, Pirates of Penzance
• Glee Club
• Having a home away from home while our schoolhouse was being renovated—standing up
in second grade across the room from Karen Pantzer Gelder and introducing ourselves as
the “new girls.” We were both so happy that someone else in the class had really frizzy hair.
• Pound Ridge and paper mache canoes.
• The payphone near the Juliet window in the gym.
• Being inspired by Mrs. McMenamin for almost our entire tenure, and saying goodbye to her
upon her retirement in 1992.
• The beginning of life-long friendships.
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18 TH E B L UE DO O RS
or 9s
FAL L 2013 1 9
New Spaces at
Nightingale
As our schoolhouse expansion project kicks into high gear,
several new spaces—completed in summer 2013—have
already been unveiled to the Nightingale community.
The lobby has a brand-new look that retains some
traditional elements but is bright and modern, with clean
lines and an improved layout that has made a positive
difference in the flow of people in and out of the building.
Up on the fifth floor, all of our students are learning in
new state-of-the-art science labs equipped with the latest
technology. The labs also feature innovative chairs and
tables that are easily moved to customize the classroom
for collaborative work and class discussions.
Sophia Kiam '14 (left) and
Chloe Spellman '14 in the new
expanded lobby vestibule
20 TH E B L UE DO O RS
FAL L 2013 2 1
Class of 2013
As members of the Class of 2013 were packing their bags and
getting ready for their first days of college life, we asked them
why they had chosen their colleges and how Nightingale had
prepared them for success once they got there. With unsurprising
eloquence, our students reflected on how their Nightingale
experiences had shaped their choices and how ready they felt
for their next adventure; a few of their answers are below:
College
Bound
Now in their first year of college,
members of the Class of 2013 can be
found throughout the country and
Throughout the college process I was looking to replicate
Nightingale in my college experience (except co-ed this
time!). I chose Bowdoin for the community and camaraderie
that Nightingale taught me to value. I wanted to go to a
school that emphasized the intellectual and had a bit of
quirk, and I found that at Bowdoin. Nightingale taught
me the importance of friendship and gave me lasting
relationships that I will value and cherish forever. But most
importantly, Nightingale taught me how to think. It taught
me how to debate, have a voice, and never give up. It gave
me the skill set to be an independent woman not afraid to
take charge and for that I will always be grateful.
Laura Plimpton ‘13
beyond. From the woods of Maine to
the coast of California, the plains of
Iowa to the rolling hills of Scotland,
our most recent graduates are
attending the following colleges
and universities:
Amherst College
Barnard College
Binghamton University
Boston College
Bowdoin College
Brown University
Colby College
Colgate University
College of the Atlantic
College of William and Mary
I chose my college (Wesleyan University) because I was
looking for a creative, passionate academic environment
with the small classes and teacher-student relationships
of my Nightingale experience. I wanted a place where
students love to learn and are truly engaged in their studies
and extracurricular commitments. Nightingale has prepared
me for success in such a rigorous academic environment by
teaching me to speak eloquently, boldly, and proudly about
my opinions and thoughts in the classroom. It has shown
me that one has to take risks in order to succeed, whether
it‘s by auditioning for plays, having a long conversation
with a teacher in the hallway, or submitting to a literary
magazine. Although I will be a small fish in a big pond once
again, I will not be afraid to be adventurous and actively
seek challenges if I can benefit from them in the future.
Alexandra Stovicek ‘13
Colorado College
Dartmouth College (3)
Davidson College
Emory University
Grinnell College
Hamilton College
Macalester College (3)
Middlebury College (2)
Northwestern University (2)
Oberlin College
Princeton University
Skidmore College
Southern Methodist University
University of Chicago (2)
University of Miami
University of Pennsylvania
University of Rochester
University of St. Andrews
University of Southern California
University of Vermont
I chose the University of Chicago because I loved the
school‘s quirky intellectualism and inquisitive spirit.
Nightingale has prepared me for success by teaching me
to embrace the unknown and to dive headfirst into all of
my endeavors.
Grace McLeod ‘13
22 TH E B L UE DO O RS
Vassar College (2)
Wake Forest University
Wesleyan University (2)
FAL L 2013 2 3
Ha llways
Stories and photographs
from around the schoolhouse
varsity soccer team tops
aais season standings
For the first time since 1993, Nightingale’s varsity
soccer team are the AAIS season champions! Their
7-1-1 record was a testament to their hard work
and perseverance on the field, and earned the
Nighthawks a berth in the NYSAIS championship
tournament. For the seven seniors anchoring the
team, reaching this goal is the culmination of
four years of varsity play; the banner that will go
up in the gym will be a tangible reminder of the
2013 season for years to come. Congratulations
to the players and coaches on their impressive
achievement!
grace mcleod ’13 wins
prestigious writing award
Clarissa Bronfman ‘19 works in her
journal in Ms. Tobin’s new Class VII
art course, “Unplugged: Journaling
into Mindfulness.” In this class,
students explore the art of journaling
through painting, drawing, collage,
personal essays, and poetry in order
to, as Ms. Tobin explains, “cultivate
an inner life which is key to becoming
a self-reliant, resilient, and mindful
whole person.”
24 TH E B L UE DO O RS
Last spring, Grace McLeod ‘13 received a National
Gold Medal from the Scholastic Art & Writing
Awards for her personal essay, “Stay Gold,
Ponygirl” as well as a National Silver Medal with
Distinction (and $1,000 in scholarship money) for
her entire writing portfolio! Her portfolio—which
included humor essays, poetry, personal essays,
and a screenplay for a short film—placed her in
the top 20 out of roughly 230,000 submissions in
the country. Grace has now joined the ranks of an
incredible roster of Scholastic Art & Writing Award
winners, including such luminaries as Andy Warhol,
Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote, Richard Avedon,
Robert Redford, and Joyce Carol Oates.
ms and us students excel
on national latin exam
Nightingale students once again scored extremely
well on the annual National Latin Exam, which was
offered last February under the joint sponsorship
of the American Classical League and the National
Junior Classical League. In its 36th year, the exam
was taken by over 140,000 students of Latin from
all 50 states and 15 foreign countries.
In their first year of exam eligibility, 32 seventhgraders earned a ribbon and certificate for
outstanding achievement in the Introduction to
Latin exam and another five received certificates
for achievement. Students in Classes VIII—XII
earned an impressive 36 summa cum laude
certificates and gold medals, 14 maxima cum
laude certificates and silver medals, 12 magna cum
laude certificates, and 5 cum laude certificates.
Several Nightingale students also earned
special book prizes for their consistently excellent
scores on the exam over a number of years: Hope
Jin ‘13 and Solveig Gold ‘13 were recognized for
winning gold medals for four and five consecutive
years, respectively, and Olivia Herrington ‘14
earned book prizes not only for receiving gold
medals for four consecutive years, but also for
achieving a perfect score in each of those four
years—an accomplishment matched by only two
other students who took the exam worldwide!
FAL L 2013 2 5
Students from Class XI public
speaking and Class VIII history
collaborate with one another
in October on issue speeches
related to the NYC mayoral
elections.
class viii kicks off
middle school open mic
ceramics student garners
arts awards
Thanks to the success of the program last year,
the music department is once again hosting
class-specific Open Mic sessions for Middle
School students. These low-stakes performance
opportunities allow the girls to take risks and
showcase their musicianship in a safe and
supportive environment. With only a few weeks to
prepare their material, Class VIII girls performed
for each other in early October. The line-up of
acts included piano and guitar performances as
well as impressive vocal renditions of everything
from show tunes to pop songs. In the photo at
right, Zora Ilunga-Reed ‘18 sings “As We Stumble
Along” from The Drowsy Chaperone.
Nina Naghshineh ’14 was recognized last spring
by the Scholastic Awards of New York City for
her realistic sculptural ceramics work. She earned
honorable mention for both her lung sculpture and
her toothpaste tube sculpture, as well as a Silver
Key for her realistic depiction of a worn-out shoe
made at double its actual size.
sienna gruss ’23 is
head of school for a day
Students and parents may have noticed a change
in leadership upon entering the schoolhouse
on September 27 as “Head of School” Sienna
Gruss ‘23 began the day shaking the hands of her
peers at the blue doors. Over the course of her
morning filling Mr. Burke’s shoes, Ms. Gruss met
with key administrators, planned the lunch menu
with Chef Hinds-Ortiz, and crowned the Nighthawk
at the Upper School Homecoming pep rally!
After a wrap-up meeting with Mr. Burke, Ms. Gruss
met with her class over lunch to go over all of the
important decisions she had made throughout
the morning.
26 TH E B L UE DO O RS
Mary Richter ’93
Returns to Nightingale as
Director of Institutional
Advancement
The 2013 recipient of the distinguished
alumnae service award, Mary Richter ’93
has taken on her largest role for Nightingale
yet—as the new director of institutional
advancement. Mary joined our staff on
July 1, 2013 and brings to Nightingale a
wealth of development experience in the
independent school world. She served most
recently as director of development at the
Allen-Stevenson School, but also spent
seven years at Brearley in two different roles
(campaign director and director of annual
giving) and two years at Brooklyn Friends
School as associate director of development.
Mary says that she is honored to be in
a position to help the school grow further:
“Today’s Nightingale has the heart and
soul of the school I know from my days as a
student, but I am continually impressed with
new dimensions at the school, such as the
award-winning debate team, the Arrive app,
the improved advisory programs in Middle
and Upper School, the incorporation of social
justice into the Middle School curriculum,
and teaching girls to find their voices K–XII.
And what a joy to be cheering for Nightingale
teams again!”
FAL L 2013 2 7
lower school girls explore
the nightingale community
At their October 3 assembly, Lower School girls
focused on building community behind the
blue doors. As part of an ongoing effort to build
relationships within our community, two intrepid
third-grade girls took to the stage to interview
Director of Safety and Security Jim Meury. Class
III homeroom teacher Naomi Hayashi noted:
“Though we have many familiar faces working
to keep our school running smoothly, we don’t
always take the time during the busy school
day to get to know each other as individuals.”
This assembly allowed the Lower School girls to
observe and learn from a meaningful conversation
with a staff member they might not know as
well as their teachers on the fourth floor, and
set them on a course to strike up more of such
conversations on their own. Over the next few
weeks, each grade will be in charge of finding
out fun facts about different faculty and staff
members throughout the schoolhouse; their
interviews will be posted on the fourth floor for
all to see, as the Lower School girls continue to
forge their community bonds.
nightingale debaters win
state championships
You can’t argue the success of Nightingale’s
debate team. After two days, nine rounds, and
a 3-0 victory in the finals of the New York State
Forensics League Championships last spring,
Annie Abruzzo ‘16 and Megan Yang ‘16 were
named the 2013 New York State Forensics League
Novice Public Forum Champions! Teammates
Sophia Kiam ‘14 and India Dasbach ‘14 received
trophies for advancing to the JV octofinal round
of the tournament and garnered a great deal of
positive attention—when they dropped from this
round, not a single JV or varsity girl remained
in the competition. (Faculty advisor and debate
coach LE Hartmann-Ting proudly declared that this
makes them, “by their own calculations, the best
girls in the state—reasoned like true debaters!”)
The full Nightingale team, which also included
Rebecca Lin ‘15 and Isabella Beroutsos ‘15,
came in fourth place overall.
Hosted on April 13 and 14, 2013, the
championship asked teams to debate the
following resolution: “The continuation of current
U.S. anti-drug policies in Latin America will do
more harm than good.” The team prepared for
28 TH E B L UE DO O RS
Rebecca Rasmussen
Grunwald Takes the Helm
as President of the Board
Rebecca Rasmussen Grunwald P’19 has been
named president of Nightingale’s board of
trustees, replacing Nina Joukowsky Köprülü ’79,
who stepped down in June after more than
20 years of dedicated service to our school.
Rebecca’s roots in girls’ education run deep;
she is the product of an all-girls school, the
Dana Hall School in Wellesley, MA, and only
recently stepped down from her position as
chair of their board in order to take on this
new role at Nightingale. Dana Hall recognized
Rebecca’s years of dedication to her alma
mater by awarding her the 2013 Distinguished
Service award.
A graduate of Princeton and the University
of Virginia School of Architecture, Rebecca is
the founder and principal of her eponymous
firm, Rebecca Rasmussen Architects. She is also
the mother of Callie Grunwald ’19 and has
been an involved Nightingale parent for years,
serving most recently as president of the Parents
Association for the 2012–2013 school year.
Head of School Paul A. Burke commented
that Rebecca brings to this new position a broad
understanding of both Nightingale’s mission and
school governance in general. “She is very much
the right leader for this important moment in our
history,” he stated. “I am honored to work with
her in this new way.”
sophomore brings national
bullying prevention day
to nightingale
months to qualify for this event—practicing both
in and out of school and even over spring break.
The Nightingale debate team is already off to
a strong start this school year and interest in the
team has never been higher—15 Class IX students
have joined the team and are already making their
mark; the two-person teams of Olivia Nikkanen ‘17
and Natalie Margulies ‘17 and Sarah Cope ‘17
and Michelle Gebo ‘17 made it to the finals in the
novice division in the October 11 tournament at
Regis High School!
On October 7, Upper School students wore blue
shirts to call attention to the pervasive danger of
bullying as part of National Bullying Prevention
Day/Blue Shirt Day. This initiative was brought to
Nightingale by Skai Konyha ‘16, who was drawn
to the issue of bullying when she saw that it was
becoming a trend nationwide. “I was constantly
hearing reports on the news of teenagers committing suicide because of bullying,” she said. “This
became a very sensitive subject for me because I
know the feeling of loneliness. Bullying was very
common in the middle school I attended before
coming to Nightingale; [some] girls became
anorexic, depressed, and suicidal because boys
discovered they could play on girls‘ insecurities.”
As part of her National Bullying Prevention
Day initiative, Skai presented at Upper School
assembly and talked to Classes V and VI about
what it means to bully, and the difference between
being mean and being a bully. She urged Upper
School girls to use the day to take the time to
think, in her words: “to think about what they are
saying and doing and how it is perceived. To gain
a tiny bit of confidence to speak up if they notice
bullying happening around them.”
Skai views National Bullying Prevention Day as
the first step to a long movement. “I really hope
girls become more aware of the bullying that may
take place inside or outside of the Nightingale
community and be a voice for others who have
not found theirs yet.”
FAL L 2013 2 9
bassless accusations wins
audience favorite award
With their rousing renditions of a Les Miserables
medley and a mash-up of Cher Lloyd’s “Want U
Back” and the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back,”
Nightingale’s student-run a cappella group,
Bassless Accusations, won the “audience favorite”
award at Horace Mann’s fourth-annual Acappellooza
competition last April. In addition to Nightingale,
the competition featured a cappella groups from
Dalton, Horace Mann, Scarsdale High School,
Spence, and Trinity.
catherine steiner-adair
returns to nightingale
The student center was filled to capacity on
September 19, when clinical psychologist and
author Dr. Catherine Steiner-Adair returned
to Nightingale to discuss her new book, The Big
Disconnect: Protecting Childhood and Family
Relationships in the Digital Age. Drawing on her
decades of experience with children, educators,
and experts across the country, Dr. Steiner-Adair
spoke about the battle with device dependence
and advised parents on how they can best
“achieve greater understanding, authority, and
confidence as they come up against the tech
revolution unfolding in their living rooms.”
30 TH E B L UE DO O RS
More Details to Come:
A Tribute to Kitty Gordan
her—could it be? She was wearing SLACKS! Times
by Hillary Johnson ’76 P’12, P’17
but I know that they benefited from her leadership
change and she did too, albeit in her deliberate
and thoughtful way. Neither of my daughters got
to experience Mrs. Gordan as a classroom teacher,
in countless other ways. As associate head of school,
More details, please! Remember that? For those
she has been both the intellectual and moral compass
who don’t, that was Mrs. Gordan‘s signature line
of Nightingale and a touchstone for the faculty.
when she taught us history back in the 1970s. It was
The curriculum is a testament to her engagement
her summons to step up, to give more than just a
and her ability to balance Nightingale’s traditional
pat answer, her challenge to us to engage completely
foundation with its transformative mission. Talk
in the discussion at hand and explore all facets of
to her about online learning, technology in the
an issue. The time spent in her classroom was an
classroom, exchange programs, or foreign language
adventure in synthesis, analysis, and the pursuit of
instruction, and you appreciate that Kitty Gordan
intellectual connections. With her quiet persistence,
is mindful of pedagogical trends and thoughtfully
she taught us to find the strands of logic, to savor
receptive, without being buffeted by them.
the intricacies of history—in short, to think deeply
An accomplished teacher like Mrs. Gordan
and well. For my Nightingale cohort, her classroom,
reminds us all that teaching, when well done,
her conversation, and yes, even her quirks, were
is an art, but even more an extraordinary act of
central to our Nightingale experience.
generosity. Four decades worth of students—and
When I returned to Nightingale as a prospective
Current and former faculty
members gathered at a
festive cocktail party to
celebrate Kitty Gordan's
43 years of service to
Nightingale. [From L to R:]
Blanche Mansfield, Kitty
Gordan, Paul A. Burke, Diana
Frangos, and John Loughery.
their parents—thank you, Mrs. Gordan, for your
parent 15 years ago, Kitty Gordan’s was the first
rigor, your leadership, and the generosity that
familiar face that I saw—and the next time I met
you have shown to us all.
FAL L 2013 3 1
growing every girl benefit
class notes
Class notes are published twice a year
in each issue of The Blue Doors. If you have any
updates you would like to share with your classmates,
please e-mail them to [email protected].
40s
On Friday, March 8, 2013, nearly 550 members of
our community gathered to celebrate Nightingale
at the Growing Every Girl benefit, held downtown
at the Metropolitan Pavilion. The festive evening
included cocktails and a seated dinner, and
featured silent and live auctions, followed by
dancing late into the night. Attendees circulated
the room, mingling with friends, bidding for
auction items, and having an all-around fantastic
time. In all, more than $900,000 was raised in
support of every girl at Nightingale—a new record
for our benefit event!
A highlight of the evening was the more than
$350,000 raised to support Nightingale’s exciting
new partnership with the 92nd Street Y. This
partnership allows us to have exclusive use of
the Mack gym in the Y’s May Center for athletics
practices from 3:30–5:30 p.m. every day as well
as the use of two gyms for physical education
double periods during the school day; this access
has effectively doubled our space for athletics
practices and physical education and is already
having a positive impact on our program.
Members of the PE and athletics faculty cheer the community's strong support for the
92Y partnership.
Barbara Wright Gatje ‘48
enjoyed a small boat cruise
along the Dalmatian Coast last
summer, starting in Split and
ending in Athens. Barbara visited
many ancient sites including
Diocletian‘s palace; Greek,
Roman, and Byzantine ruins in
Albania; and the Parthenon in
Athens “with the splendid new
Acropolis Museum at its base.”
Barbara writes: “I thought many
times of our beloved teacher,
Miss Wade (aka Mrs. Boecklin)
who made ancient history live for
us. Every Friday our class went
to the Met to visit all the ancient
artifacts from Egypt to Rome.
What fun. Hope the school still
takes advantage of this nearby
treasure.” [Ed. note: Nightingale
students regularly visit the
Metropolitan Museum of Art and
many other local museums as part
of our Visual Education Program.
For more information on the
program and a reflection on its
first 10 years, see the fall 2012
issue of this magazine, which
can be found in The Blue Doors
archive at nightingale.org.]
Penny Reed Putnam ‘48
welcomed her tenth greatgrandchild this summer. She
writes: “It is great fun to see
them coming along. Our oldest
great-granddaughter aged 10
lives with her parents, a brother,
and a sister in New Hampshire
so we don‘t see them often.
They all came for a visit in August,
which we enjoyed. I got to play
Old Maid, Concentration, and
32 TH E B L UE DO O RS
Go Fish for the first time in many
years. The two-year-old boy
loved our beagle, Rachel. We
see the rest of the youngsters
more frequently… My husband
Chris had a quintuple bypass last
January but has made a good
recovery. It takes longer at 84.
We saw Starr Kopper ‘48 for a
short visit in June on her way to
Maine with her two dogs.”
50s
Marion Birdsall Rendon ‘56
reports: “This has been a busy
year. At the end of April, my
daughter Leone and her husband,
Ken Litt, had two beautiful
fraternal twin boys. In May, my
eldest grandson, Federico Castro,
graduated from the University
of Pennsylvania with a degree
in chemical and biomolecular
engineering and in July began
his job as a management
consultant. The month of
September saw my daughter Ann
and I, along with my two sisters,
Jean and Helen, in Ireland to
celebrate ’Come Home to Ireland’
for a ’Gathering’ of descendants
from Lord Fitzwilliam’s Estate in
Wicklow County.”
Gay Booth Greenleaf ‘57 writes
that she has been keeping active
in retirement as a volunteer with
the Denver Art Museum Gift
Shop, the archives of the western
history/geneaology department
of the Denver Public Library, and
as an instructor with the Taoist Tai
Chi Center, where she has been
teaching an introductory class for
seniors since March 2011. Gay
reports: “I have been practicing
tai chi with the society for just
over six years and enjoy going
to class there twice a week in
addition to the class I teach. It
is keeping me physically and
mentally fit as I make my way
through my eighth decade.”
Corny Wadsworth Robart ‘57
reports: “Good health and spirits
this year. Enjoying singing in a
local chorale and taking little
excursions to music workshops
in New Hampshire, keeping
up correspondence and visits
with close family at a distance
(Wilmington, DE; San Jose, CA;
Zurich, Switzerland; Copenhagen,
Denmark; and Sarasota, FL).
Overseeing downsizing and
property sales and rentals. Best
wishes to all.”
Jill Hyde Scott ‘57, who taught
in Thailand in 1962, writes
that “In February through
March of this year, my husband,
Denny, and I took a month-long
trip to Thailand (below). The
changes since 1962 in Bangkok
especially are astounding with the
proliferation of high-rise buildings,
the population explosion, and
roads swamped by traffic; but
the people continue to be as
warm and welcoming as ever, and
the country remains endlessly
fascinating and intensely beautiful.
We enjoyed some marvelous
meals along the way and
luxuriated in the steamy, tropical
air after the snow and cold of the
New England winter.”
Annabel Stearns Stehli ‘57
returned to New York in May for a
10-day visit that included seeing
Nora Ephron‘s Lucky Guy (starring
Tom Hanks) on Broadway with
Jill Hyde Scott ’57 and Marianne
Duggan O‘Brien ’57, and visiting
with her son, daughter-in-law, and
three grandchildren in Hoboken
as well as Patsy Tucker Ewert ‘55.
Annabel writes: “Moving from
New Orleans to Chapel Hill, NC
June 1, to continue to be near
youngest daughter. Active granny
role with her kids. Books still in
print, Georgiana Institute (nonprofit) still going. Life is good.”
Joan Plowden Younce ‘57
and her husband Gordon are
living aboard the Grey Goose
(a “wonderful boat”) in Florida in
the winters and spend summers
in Middletown, Rhode Island
with their three children and 11
grandchildren.
Joan Turner Derrenbacker ‘57
reports that she enjoys going to
her family‘s camp on Big Moose
Lake in the Adirondacks in the
summer, spending time with her
small flock of grandchildren, and
teaching bible studies in her
home. Her three children, their
spouses, and their children live
nearby.
Patsy Lee Eoyang ‘57 writes:
“I‘m now working again, as my
brother gave up running our
family real estate business and
passed it to me in January.
We‘re still living our nomadic life,
spending January to June mostly
in Indiana, going to Europe
(France, Spain mostly) in June/
July, and to Hong Kong—via
Hawaii—until mid-December,
then returning to Indiana (via
Hawaii for the Christmas holidays)
FAL L 2013 3 3
in January. Eugene is very busy;
his newest book—on comparative
literature—was published last
year to excellent reviews, and he
is often invited to guest lecture.
In fact, we‘re now at Rutgers,
where he‘s given two lectures.
We had dinner with Dede
Bonnett Guessous ’57’s daughter,
Nadia, who is doing a postdoctoral year here, and were
hoping Dede could join us as well,
but she wasn‘t able to get away
from Morocco at this time. We
visited Jill Hyde Scott ’57 and
Denny last year, and enjoyed it
tremendously. Our sons are doing
well: the older made partner at
Goldman Sachs in 2010 and the
younger has remarried a lovely
lady who makes him very happy.
The grandchildren are flourishing:
Chloe is learning Mandarin and
Kyle took up cello recently. And
we have new stepgrandchildren,
so the family expanded!”
60s
Patsy Hanson ‘61 writes that she
and her husband, Michael, are
planning a fall 2014 barge trip in
France with Eve Stuart ‘61.
Gail Dravneek Harvey ‘64 writes:
“I am very happy to report that I
graduated summa cum laude in
May 2013 from the University of
Rhode Island as a double major
in hIstory and gender & women‘s
studies. It took me almost 50
years to get my undergraduate
degree but it was worth every
moment. I often thought of
Mrs. Davis, our wonderful history
teacher, as I progressed through
my majors‘ classes and how I
wished she was still with us [so I
could] tell her of my achievement.
She was always my inspiration
for academic excellence. There
is also an amusing echo of
my Nightingale years as I was
president of URI‘s Providence
campus student government
board from 2011–2013, which
really took me back to my senior
year when I was the president
of the school.” Gail also notes
that she “finally got a Facebook
account” and would love to hear
from classmates.
34 TH E B L UE DO O RS
Janet Smith Riben ‘64 reports
that she is married to Swede
Staffan Riben and living in
Stockholm again after a number
of years abroad in Venezuela,
Norway, New York, and Denmark.
Janet writes: “We are both retired
but my husband still works as an
energy consultant and I still am on
hand to help people wanting to
buy or rent in Italy. We have one
daughter, Anna Silvia Riben, 27,
adopted from Ecuador when she
was three months old and now
working as an assistant buyer for
a jewelry firm.”
Elizabeth Cary Mungall ‘66
writes that “For this year‘s
conservation project, I have
radio-collared a selection of
dama gazelle bucks to determine
home range size. These results
from a pasture of more than
20,000 acres in West Texas will
help managers safeguarding
this critically endangered North
African species on US ranch lands,
as well as help biologists working
to reestablish native populations.”
Jill Combier Danger ‘67 reports:
“I am still loving living in Paris,
France managing musicians,
being a gallery assistant, writing,
and studying to become a trader!
My daughter, Julie, had a son,
Ethan, who is now 14 months
old and a honey! She works in
advertising and my son, Mike,
is an English teacher.”
Denise Sinclair ‘68 shared her
exciting news that she accepted
an offer to join Oppenheimer &
Company as a financial advisor
and portfolio manager. She
writes that this “is a wonderful
opportunity for me and my
clients.”
Liz Levitt Hirsch ‘69 writes that
she is busy expanding Levitt
Pavilions across the country, with
Denver is slated to open in 2016.
Liz proudly reports that Jimmy
Webb performed his iconic song
from the 1960s, “MacArthur
Park” live for the first time ever
last summer in MacArthur Park
at Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles;
fans from around the world flew
in to attend the historic concert.
And in September, Levitt Shell
Memphis made national news
when it presented Lisa Marie
Presley performing at the venue
where her father first headlined
back in 1954.
70s
Rosemary Williams Begley ‘73
paints original artwork for Disney,
which she reports is a “thrilling
experience.” She has numerous
original oils for sale throughout
the Disney theme parks and
was invited in 2013 to paint
for the Disney Cruise Line as
well. Rosemary writes: “My dear
husband is very supportive and
encouraging, and we are also
proud of our son who is studying
to become an architect, and who,
I believe, is far more gifted in
art. We look forward to visiting
our older son and his family
soon, including two wonderful
grandchildren ages 7 and 10. In
June during a brief visit to NYC
from Kansas, I had the delight of
catching up over dinner with my
dearest old friend and classmate
Valerie Urry ‘73.”
Debe Cohen Holland ‘75
reports: “Now that our three kids
are grown and on their own, my
husband, Nick, and I are moving
to our dream house by the ocean
in Gloucester, MA. I have been
in touch with Karen Scanlan
Mangan ‘75 and, through her,
get updates on former classmates,
but I would love to hear from
anyone passing this way.”
Erika Robinson ‘75 writes:
“I am completing 25 years
of public school teaching in
New Jersey this year while I
simultaneously begin my next
incarnation as vice president
for educational development at
The Armory Foundation in NYC.
My days are hectic, full, and
fun, and I occasionally have the
chance to meet my daughter
for a meal, as she is in her junior
year at Columbia University.
If anyone knows of a good deal
on a year sublet or rental, let me
know! The commute is the thing
I find the most trying. I will put
up with it for a year, but after that,
I think full time in the city is what
I am looking for!”
Cathy Cramer ‘77
(see MK Wong ‘86)
Catharine Guiher ‘77 auditioned
for and got a spot dancing with
the Timeless Torches, the senior
dance team that performs at
home games for the WNBA‘s
New York Liberty professional
women‘s basketball team!
Katie Williams Fahs ‘79 writes
that she and Zoe Weil ‘79
enjoyed a visit in Maine this
summer at Zoe‘s Institute for
Humane Education (below).
Katie reports that they “also had
fun looking at an old yearbook
and reminiscing.”
Christina Wright ‘79 reports
that she is a private educational
consultant and the founder of
TheWrightTutor.com. She assists
families navigating the college
admissions process, helping
students find their voices and
meet their deadlines for college
application essays. She also
works with students in middle
school, high school, and college
on reading and essay-writing
skills. Christina and her husband,
artist Drew Lowenstein, are
empty-nesters now; their
daughter, Fiona, is in her
sophomore year of college.
80s
Sakina Jaffrey ‘80 had a
prominent role as White House
Chief of Staff Linda Vasquez in
the first season of the Emmynominated original Netflix series
House of Cards, starring Kevin
Spacey and Robin Wright.
Lisa Frankel ‘81 writes: “I am
the NY Outreach Manager for
Hazelden. Hazelden was founded
in 1949 and is the original
‘Minnesota Model‘ for treating
alcoholism and substance abuse
issues, as well as co-occurring
disorders.” Lisa reports that she
was primarily hired to represent
Hazelden‘s NY locations, which
include two outpatient locations
and TriBeCa Twelve, a collegiate
sober residence for young adults.
She says hello to everyone!
Stephanie Ardrey Hazard ‘81
was recently elected to the board
of the Theatre Artists Workshop
in Norwalk, CT, a professional
group she initially joined as an
actress. Earlier this year, she
reached the semi-finals of the
Manhattan Repertory Theater‘s
spring competition with her
performance in a one-act play,
and she also appeared this fall
in an original play (and directed
another) at TAW‘s playwrights’
festival. Stephanie reports that
she traces her love of acting back
to Nightingale when, cast as
Joseph in the annual Christmas
Pageant, she stepped onto the
stage for the very first time.
Lexie Masterson ‘81 reports:
“Still living up near Rhinebeck. My
company, ClairvoyantBeauty.com,
is three years old and we‘re
making great progress! I live on
an organic farm and am within
30 minutes of my sister and her
brood…My brother and his wife
have a six-year-old boy and a
two-year-old girl and live in
Brooklyn, so I am a completely
besotted aunt! I picked up two
cats when I was living in Mexico
(Petey and Prue) and a border
collie named Jack.”
Dina Schefler Nemeth ‘81
reports that her daughter,
Annabelle (who attended
Nightingale until they moved
to Westchester a few years ago),
just started at Choate this fall.
Meg von Mehren ‘81 writes:
“[I am] living outside of
Philadelphia with my husband,
Eric, and two sons, Jake (12) and
Andrew (8).” Meg works at Fox
Chase Cancer Center, where she
specializes in cancers of muscles,
bones, and fat, directing both
the clinical trials office and the
sarcoma program.
Christina Roig Morris ‘82
writes: “We spent another great
summer on Shelter Island where
our sons, Luke (12) and Sebastian
(11), continued to race Optis at
the Shelter Island Yacht Club‘s
summer program. I took up
sailing a couple of years ago
and enjoyed my weekly Sunday
Sunfish races. I recently went
back to work full time as
in-house counsel at DIRECTV
Latin America, where I work
principally on content/rights
acquisition deals for distribution
on our satellite television
platform in Latin America.”
Rosamaria Caballero Stafford
‘82 writes: “PJ and I continue to
work together as we’ve done for
the last 18 years! Sofia started
her freshman year as a Robertson
Scholar at Duke. She continues to
blog for The Huffington Post and
is a freshman blogger for Duke, in
addition to her ongoing advocacy
work for international girls’
education issues... Paloma is a
tenth grader busy with soccer and
her work as assistant curator for
the fourth annual TEDx@Hewitt
conference on Nov 16; her first
few months of school have been
a non-stop search for fabulous
speakers.”
Meg McCary ‘87 with Jens Rasmussen in I Came to Look for You on Tuesday
past 20 years, the most recent
10 years as co-chair of their
benefit production committee.”
MK also wrote in that she and
her sister, Meredith Wong ‘87,
spent 10 days in Honolulu with
their mother last May to celebrate
a family friend‘s wedding; while
there, “it was such a treat for
my sister and me to have dinner
with Jane Reilly Mount ‘85 and
her family at the Outrigger in
Waikiki” (below).
Lisa Train ‘84 writes: “We have
moved back to London after
eight years in Austria. Fortunately
my sister, Nina Train Choa ‘81,
is living in London so we will
spend some time actually living
in the same city! I look forward
to reconnecting with a few other
alumnae in the area.”
Jessica Glass ‘85 reports that
she recently completed a
documentary, The Fuentidueña
Apse: A Journey from Castile to
New York for the Metropolitan
Museum of Art. She‘s been
invited to screen the film at the
International Archaeological Film
Festival of the Bidasoa in Spain,
where she will be honeymooning
with her husband of three years,
Dave Raymond, who is also the
audio engineer for the film.
Mary Kendall (MK) Wong ‘86
writes: “What a surprise to
bump into Cathy Cramer ‘77
at the Sanctuary For Families
Zero Tolerance Benefit on
June 4, 2013! [above] Cathy is a
board member and I have been
involved with Sanctuary for the
Allison Voehl Cohen ‘87 reports
that she is living in Woodbridge,
CT with her husband, David,
and their two daughters, Sydney
(10) and Emma (7). Allison is a
pediatrician in private practice
and David is an orthopedic
surgeon, specializing in sports
medicine.
Regina George Longoria ‘87
writes: “I have lived in Madrid
for 13 years now. My husband,
Pablo, is a Spanish architect and
we have two children, Natalia
(6) and Lucas (2). I received my
masters in arts administration
here in Madrid in 2009 and
I have worked on and off on
many wonderful international
performing arts events over the
years (music and theater festivals,
opera productions, etc.). However,
with the current economic
situation in Spain, funding and
sponsorship for all culture is very
limited so I have been teaching
English as a foreign language to
professionals and I really enjoy
it. I love living in Madrid but I do
miss New York and unfortunately
I never seem to be around for
any of the alumnae events in the
spring. I go to the US once a year,
usually in August. This summer
I saw Francesca Andrews
Goodwin ‘87 and Alison Sellin
Weiskopf ‘81 in Quogue.”
Meg McCary ‘87 appeared
onstage in New York this fall at
La MaMa in I Came to Look
for You on Tuesday by Chiori
Miyagawa. Inspired by the
tsunami in Japan, the production
was described by reviewers as
“creative, engaging, and quite
brave,” “enthralling theater,” and
a “poignant yet unsentimental
puzzle box of a play.” Meg writes:
“It‘s been such an honor to work
with the remarkable cast and
crew on this beautiful piece.”
Meredith Wong ‘87 reports
that she recently visited Naneen
Ortiz ‘87 in Portland, ME and
Kirsten Meisinger ‘87 and MK
Wong ‘86 in Boston, MA. She
writes: “[Kirsten] is a physician
working with an immigrant
population, and travels to Brazil
every few months to help with
their health care. In addition to
learning Portuguese, she is also
learning the Nepalese language
in order to communicate better
with her patients! Naneen and
her husband, Mike, took me on
a wonderful hike on Bradbury
Mountain, made delicious
home-cooked meals, and played
host to me for the weekend in
beautiful Buxton. [Naneen] leads
a busy life with her husband
and daughter, a full-time job in
healthcare, and still finds time to
manage a full house of pets and
and a foreign exchange student
to boot. I continue my work at
the Jewish Museum where I
develop programs for adults with
disabilities, and look forward to
expanding the Access programs
there.” Meredith coordinated a
wonderful tour of the Chagall
exhibit for Nightingale alumnae
at The Jewish Museum this fall.
FAL L 2013 3 5
Susannah Canfield Hurd ‘96 and
her husband, Steve, welcomed
a baby girl, Ellory Emmet Hurd,
on November 4, 2012. Ellory
joins big brother, Ethan Cass
Hurd, who turned three in August.
Susannah also notes that her
father, Cass Canfield Jr., passed
away on July 30, 2013 at the age
of 90; he died peacefully at home.
A large contingent of the Class of 1988 gathered at the home of
Liz Victory Anderson ‘88 for reunion cocktails last May
Members of the Class of 1993 gathered to celebrate Irene Grassi
Osborne ‘93‘s baby shower [from L to R:] Lauren Hirshfield Belden ‘93,
Mary Richter ‘93, Irene Grassi Osborne ‘93, Sage Lehman ‘93,
and Shoshanna Lonstein Gruss ‘93
Lisa Hauptman ‘88 writes that
her daughter, Ariana Jacqueline
Parnia, was born on April 18, 2012.
Jenny Flandina ‘94 is living
in Chicago with her husband,
John, and daughters, Charlotte
(4) and Eloise (3). Jenny
writes: “I started at Deutsche
Bank in July. Charlotte started
junior kindergarten at Latin in
September. All is good!”
Vanessa Leneman O‘Friel ‘88
welcomed a son, Rory Henry
O‘Friel, on July 16, 2013. Rory
joins big siblings Cillian (8),
Angus (7), and Charlotte (5).
90s
Lisa Harewood Velummylum ‘90
welcomed baby Nicholas
Velummylum in January.
Elizabeth De Santo ‘91 recently
joined the faculty of Franklin &
Marshall College in Lancaster,
PA as assistant professor of
environmental studies. She writes:
“I‘m always happy to answer
questions from Nightingale girls
who may be looking at F&M and/
or thinking about a career in the
environment.” Elizabeth may be
reached at [email protected].
Alyssa Drewes ‘91 and her
husband, Jeffrey Dzwonkowski,
welcomed a daughter, Daisy Ellen
Dzwonkowski, on July 6, 2013.
Daisy joins proud big brothers,
Eli Samuel (6) and Drew Charles
(3). Alyssa writes: “Can‘t imagine
life as a family of five ever being
dull. We feel truly blessed!”
36 TH E B L UE DO O RS
Alex Failmezger ‘92 writes: “My
family and I moved to Portland,
Oregon over the summer. We
are loving the slower pace of life,
having a real backyard in the city,
and the wonderful outdoors.”
Gigi Chen Leporati ‘93 gave
birth to Jada Rose Leporati on
July 12, 2013 (below). Jada and
her big sister, Elise, are both
doing well.
Alexander Hudson Lehman Ronis
was born to Sage Lehman ‘93 on
January 2, 2013.
Laura Beech McClung ‘93
welcomed a baby girl in 2012.
Ellen Warfield ‘95 and her
fiancé, Blaise Bace, welcomed
a son, Lucian Warfield Bace, on
September 18, 2013 (below).
Ellen reports that her only regret
is that Lucian will never be able
to go to Nightingale!
Debbie Rabbino Bhatt ‘96
writes: “I‘m thrilled to announce
the birth of my daughter, Caroline
Bhatt, born in April 2013, and
pictured here (above) at 5 months
with my 3-year-old son Andy. I‘m
also thrilled to announce the birth
of my niece, Francesca Bisbano,
the daughter of my sister,
Anne Rabbino Bisbano ‘01.
Laura Kirk ‘94
(see faculty and staff notes)
Sabine Gruffat ‘94 directed and
produced I Have Always Been
A Dreamer, an essay film about
globalization and urban ecology,
which had its New York premiere
as part of Documentary Fortnight
2013: MoMA‘s International
Festival of Nonfiction Film and
Media, the 12th annual two-week
showcase of recent documentary
films examining the relationship
between contemporary art
and nonfiction practices and
reflecting on new areas of
documentary filmmaking. Sabine‘s
documentary travelogue portrays
two cities in contrasting states of
development: Dubai, UAE, and
Detroit, Michigan.
Lisa Steele Stevenson ‘93 and
her husband, Philip, welcomed
Evelyn Elizabeth Stevenson on
July 23, 2013 (below). Lisa,
Philip, and Evelyn live in New
Canaan, CT.
Brooke Bancroft ‘96 gave birth
to Alexandra Tyler Bancroft (Lexi)
on September 9, 2013 (below).
Brooke writes that older siblings
Teddy and Pearson “are loving
being the big kids!”
Caroline Whitbeck ‘97 received
her PhD in comparative
literature from the University of
Pennsylvania in August 2013.
Emily Driscoll ’98 reports that
she has started BonSci Films, a
production company specializing
in science and art documentaries.
Her films about New York oysters,
invasive species, and plankton
and plastic have received awards
and screened at film festivals and
museums, as well as aired on
PBS stations. She teaches science
video production in New York
University's master's program in
science journalism and still plays
badminton every week, a sport
she began playing at Nightingale!
Alison Vasios Flannery ‘98
reports that she had a baby
boy named Liam Flannery in
September 2012. Alison is the
assistant head of Lower School
at Poly Prep.
Sophie McManus ‘96‘s first
novel, The Brightest Day, is to be
published by Random House in
February 2014.
Laura Davis Stahl ‘94 gave birth
to James Faulkner Stahl on May 3,
2013 (above). Laura reports that
Hailey, 2, adores her new brother
and has really taken to her big
sister role.
Athena Hill ‘97 married Dan
Sapir on May 25, 2013, in Negril,
Jamaica.
Anna Sobel ‘97 welcomed her
first child, a boy, Milo Elijah
Bender, on August 31, 2013
(below). Anna writes: “He‘s
healthy and doing great, and
I‘m taking a brief maternity
leave before returning to work
November 1 to act in a show
called The Skinner Servants Tour
here in Holyoke, MA, and then
I‘ll resume driving all around New
England with my own puppet
shows. As for how to handle
childcare when my husband
is also a freelance performer
(musician)—and whether to take
the baby along to gigs—that‘s
still up in the air, but we‘re loving
being parents so far!”
Lauren Potters Horn ‘97 writes
that she and her husband, Doc
Horn, are thrilled to announce
the birth of their second child,
Sawyer Eloise Horn (above), born
in London, England on July 19,
2013. Sawyer joins proud big
brother Wyatt (2 1/2).
Elizabeth Riley Fraise ‘98
welcomed Harcourt Wilson Fraise
(“Court”) on May 1, 2013 (above).
Court weighed in at 7 lbs. 7 oz.
and was 20 inches long.
Amanda Field Jordan ‘99
and her husband, Jonathan,
welcomed their first child,
Katherine Hillary Jordan, on
April 9, 2013. Amanda writes:
“I hope that Katherine will
be a part of the Nightingale
community in the future.”
00s
Joanna Mason Anderson ‘03
writes: “We moved! Michael and
I moved to California for his new
job this summer. We also bought
a house in Hermosa Beach—a
walk to the beach! Our other
news is that we are expecting a
baby due end of December. I
will send a photo and update as
soon as the baby is born (we are
going to wait to find out if it is a
boy or a girl). Had a baby shower
in NYC a couple of weeks ago
and several Nightingale friends
attended [see photo below, with
Blair Kenney ’03] (also was able
to visit Nightingale and say hello
to old teachers and coaches).
Missing NYC but getting settled
and liking our new life out here
on the West Coast.”
Margot Hill ‘00 married Colin
James Kirby in Telluride, Colorado
on August 17, 2013. Margot is
an executive director at Morgan
Stanley in New York, where she
works with the firm‘s hedge fund
clients on marketing strategy and
business development. Colin is an
associate in the technology group
of Lowenstein Sandler, a law firm
in New York.
Zoe Settle ‘00 reports that
she recently became engaged!
She writes that she joins a “slew
of Class of 2000 gals” who have
gotten engaged in the last
couple of months: Fernanda
Winthrop ‘00, JoJo Cohen ‘00,
Celene Menschel ‘00, and
Liz Niemiec ‘00.
Anne Rabbino Bisbano ‘01
(see Debbie Rabbino Bhatt ‘96)
Nadja Hansen ‘01 works in the
publications/editorial department
of The Metropolitan Museum
of Art and recently interned at
Nightingale in John Loughery‘s
art history class.
Astrid Hill ‘03 and Ryan Dattilo
were married in New York City
on April 13, 2013 (below). Astrid
is president of Monticule Art, an
art advisory business that helps
collectors and corporations build
contemporary art collections.
Ryan is a restructuring associate
in the New York offices of the
Chicago-based law firm Kirkland
& Ellis.
Courtney Quinn Wyman ‘01 and
her husband, Peter, welcomed
their first child, William Henry
Wyman, on April 2, 2013.
Courtney writes: “We absolutely
love the addition to our family,
but are disappointed he won‘t
be able to attend Nightingale!”
Ingrid Deming ‘02 reports
that she recently received her
master‘s from the University of
Medicine and Dentistry of New
Jersey—now Rutgers—as a
physician assistant. She currently
works in the department of
internal medicine at the New
York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell
Medical Center.
Shaquinah Taylor ‘03 married
Khalid David O‘Sullivan Wright on
September 5, 2013, in Montego
Bay, Jamaica. Shaquinah writes:
“Two of my Nightingale classmates,
Danielle Tappitake ‘03, and
Chevelle Dixon ‘03 were in
attendance!”
FAL L 2013 3 7
in
memoriam
Charlotte Winthrop ‘04
married Wellington Sculley
(“a St. Bernard‘s boy,” she
notes) on August 10, 2013.
The Nightingale contingent at
the wedding (above) included
Fernanda Winthrop ‘00,
Daphne Steinberg ‘04, Emilie
Ghilaga ‘04, Serda Yalkin ‘04,
Ali Berry ‘05, and Elizabeth
Winthrop ‘97 (not pictured).
Jackie Kier ‘05 recently moved
to Philadelphia to enter the MBA
program at the Wharton School
of Business. At Wharton, Jackie
is involved in the Public Policy
Initiative, and is a member of the
Wharton Social Venture Fund, a
student-run impact investing firm.
Melanie Kimmelman ‘06 writes
that she recently joined David
Zwirner in New York, where she is
working in press and marketing.
Katie Bolander ‘08 is living
and working in the Gambia as
a member of the Peace Corps.
Sophie Goodwin ‘08 loves
working as a research analyst at
an investment fund.
Angela Mellon ‘08 writes: “Since
graduating from Brown this spring,
I‘ve been managing a community
garden and farmers market at
38 TH E B L UE DO O RS
a progressive health center in
Rhode Island. After-work activities
include making movies, reading
queer zines, and fixing up my new
old motorcycle.This winter I‘m
apprenticing with a goat farmer
in Maine, learning the skills I‘ll
need to start my own intentionalcommunity homestead next year!”
Dwaina Screen ‘09 graduated
cum laude from Queens College,
CUNY in June 2013 and is
working full time as a middle
school mathematics teacher at the
East-West School of International
Studies, a public school in
Flushing, NY, while also pursuing
a masters in mathematics
education at Teachers College,
Columbia University. Dwaina
writes: “I am currently enjoying
the challenge of finding balance
between all of these new
experiences and maintaining
my wonderful Nightingale
relationships. I even got the
exciting opportunity to teach Ms.
du Nouy‘s son, Sebastian, swim
lessons as a lifeguard at Trinity
Day Camp this past summer.”
Exie Robertson ‘11 has been
spending her fall semester at
NYU Madrid (below). She writes:
“I‘ve been loving the Madrileña
way of life—from the tapas to
the Prado, it‘s all been a blast!”
Former French teacher Rosine
Donhauser passed away on
July 14, 2013 at the age of 88.
Remembered by former associate
head of school Kitty Gordan as
“a very good teacher with a deep
knowledge of French literature
and very high standards,” she
is survived by her children and
grandchildren, including Caroline
Donhauser ’78.
Former school nurse Paula
Gordon passed away peacefully
among her family on October 11,
2013. When sharing this sad news
with the Nightingale community,
Head of School Paul A. Burke
commented: “Those of us who
had the privilege of working with
Paula knew her to be as kind as
she was expert. She was, in our
parlance, all heart and all mind.”
Paula is survived by her husband,
Philip, and two daughters,
Amanda Gordon ‘89 and
Margaret Gordon ‘92.
Ann Sayre Wiseman ‘44 passed
away on April 23, 2013 in
Corvallis, Oregon. Her long and
varied career as a teacher, artist,
and author included teaching
workshops on art, creativity, and
expressive therapies; exhibiting
her work widely; and publishing
14 books.
faculty
and staff
notes
Kindergarten homeroom teacher
Robin Daley and her husband,
Jack, welcomed their second
child, Myles Robert Daley, on
February 26, 2013 (below).
English teacher Laura Kirk ‘94
gave birth to Theodore Kenan
Kirk on August 19, 2013 (below).
Theo weighed in at 7 lbs 9 oz and,
according to his mom, “he is a
total love!”
Former director of annual
giving Sherrie Ager and her
husband, Brian, welcomed
a son, James Henry Ager,
on April 1, 2013 (below).
History and Class V homeroom
teacher Jena Epstein and her
husband, Eric, welcomed their
son, Jonah David Epstein, on
September 16, 2013 (below).
Former math teacher Meredith
McNamara welcomed a daughter,
Lillian Jane, on July 12, 2013
(below). Meredith writes that
mom and baby are healthy
and happy!
Former Kindergarten teacher
Liza Lowell Helwig and her
husband, Keith, became the
proud parents of Christopher
Lowell Helwig on March 14, 2013.
lady malcolm douglas-hamilton ’28
Former history teacher Joe
Bord and his wife, Nicole Luna,
welcomed their daughter, Zara
Luna-Bord, on August 15, 2013
(below).
Former Lower School music
teacher Jennifer Florez gave
birth to a son, Agustin, on
January 7, 2013 (below).
A posthumous recipient of Nightingale‘s 2013 distinguished
alumnae achievement award, Lady Malcolm Douglas-Hamilton ’28
passed away on January 14, 2013 at the age of 103. Born Natalie
Scarritt Wales in 1909, she grew up in Boston and New York City,
where she attended Nightingale and then Columbia.
Lady Malcolm lived a life of privilege, yet worked tirelessly in
support of those in need. In 1939, soon after Britain declared war,
she (then known as Natalie Latham), asked the British ambassador
to the US what Britain needed that ordinary Americans could supply.
The answer: knitted caps for sailors. So she got to work, building
a national organization with nearly 2,000 branches and over 1.5
million volunteers working to send to Britain not only knitted items
but also X-ray machines, ambulances, children‘s cots, surgical
instruments and more, all labeled “From your American friends.”
For her services in WWII, Lady Malcolm became the first nonBritish woman to be named an honorary Commander of the British
Empire, an honor bestowed upon her by King George VI in 1946.
Bundles for Britain was just the first of many organizations Lady
Malcolm Douglas Hamilton founded. At the request of the White
House, she created a related group, Bundles for America, to aid
Americans during the war. In 1947 she established Common Cause,
an anticommunist group, with her third husband, Edward Bragg
Paine. Among other things, the organization shipped food during
the Berlin airlift and sheltered refugees (sometimes in her own home).
After the death of her third husband, Natalie met Lord Malcolm
Douglas-Hamilton, and they married in 1953. Together, they started
the American-Scottish Foundation to strengthen ties between
Scotland and the United States. After Lord Malcolm‘s tragic death in
a plane crash in 1964, Lady Malcolm continued to devote herself to
the foundation, organizing “Scotland Week” in New York City and
creating the annual Scottish Ball fundraiser. She also established
the Wallace Award, celebrating an individual‘s contribution to
American-Scottish relations, as well as Scotland House, a gathering
place for those with Scottish roots and a center for Scottish culture.
Music teacher Deadra Hart
gave birth to a son, Gryphon
Emmanuel Joyce Hart Kennedy,
on May 13, 2013 (below). Deadra
reports that mom, dad, baby, and
big sister, Ceres, are “all home,
doing well, and enjoying this
special time together.”
Head of School Emerita
Dorothy A. Hutcheson received
the distinguished alumna
award from her alma mater, the
Westminster Schools in Atlanta,
Georgia, at their commencement
ceremony on May 18, 2013.
Dorothy is in her second year at
Union Theological Seminary here
in New York and is an intern at
the Church of the Heavenly Rest,
where she delivered her first
sermon on October 6, 2013.
Class I homeroom teacher
Stacey Shen gave birth to a
daughter, Irene Rosalie Etlinger,
on September 29, 2013.
Physical education teacher
Allison Trotta gave birth to
a son, Francis Michael Trotta III,
on April 14, 2013. Allison reports
that mom, dad, big sister, Lillian,
and baby are all doing well.
David Colón, former head of the
history department, has been
appointed headmaster of the
Wakefield School, a preschool–
12th grade college preparatory
school in The Plains, Virginia.
FAL L 2013 3 9
Voices
Here we feature the
voice of someone
in the Nightingale
community. If you
would like to
share some of
your thoughts or
experiences with
others in the
community, please
contact us at
bluedoors@
nightingale.org.
40 TH E B L UE DO O RS
Andrea Levien ‘08 is a Research Associate at
FairVote, a voting rights and electoral reform
organization in Washington, D.C., where she
focuses on presidential elections and Electoral
College reform.
When I tell people that I work in electoral reform,
I usually get a blank stare and questions like,
“Electrical reform? What‘s that?”
“Electoral. You know, elections and voting.
Making them fairer.”
“Oh. Well that must be interesting…”
The funny thing is, electoral reform really is
interesting! You hear people, especially those
who are interested in politics, complain about
how corrupt our political process is and how
troubling it is that bad politicians keep getting
reelected. What few realize is that with better
election laws, many of the problems with our
politics can be solved.
Although FairVote, the organization for which
I work, addresses several different deficiencies
in our political process, I focus specifically on
a reform for presidential elections called the
National Popular Vote plan (NPV). NPV would
change how states allocate their votes in the
Electoral College, thereby ending the geographic
discrimination perpetuated by our current system.
Any New Yorker will understand that this reform
is desperately needed. Because states currently
allocate their electoral votes on a winner-take-all
basis—meaning that whichever candidate wins the
most votes in the state receives all of that state‘s
electoral votes—candidates are only incentivized
to campaign in the states in which it is unclear
which candidate will win the most votes.
There is little doubt each election cycle
regarding who will win New York‘s 29 electoral
votes. Therefore, presidential candidates, both
Democratic and Republican, use New Yorkers
solely for their checkbooks, and save their actual
campaigning and “Get Out The Vote” efforts for
the residents of swing states like Ohio, Florida,
and New Hampshire. As I was tasked with
researching the ways in which our current Electoral
College system affects presidential campaigns,
I got to see in detail just how stark this inequality
is: during the 2012 general election campaign,
Barack Obama and Mitt Romney campaigned in
a grand total of 10 states, and spent more than
99% of their advertising money in those same
10 states. Three-quarters of Americans were
completely ignored by the two men vying to be
their Commander-in-Chief. Yes, it‘s that bad.
Under NPV, states commit to giving their
electoral votes to the winner of the national
popular vote in all 50 states and the District
of Columbia, rather than the winner of their
statewide popular vote. However, they will only
begin to do this once states controlling a majority
of votes in the Electoral College (270) have passed
the law. That way, the winner of the election will
always be the candidate who wins the most votes
nationwide, and every vote in every state will
be equally important. NPV is currently halfway
to activation: so far, 10 states controlling 136
electoral votes have enacted it, and advocates
are working to ensure that New York passes the
legislation soon.
I‘m not alone in thinking this discrimination
based on geography is a problem. Since 1944,
when Gallup began polling Americans on their
opinion of how presidents should be elected,
a majority has always preferred a popular vote
for president to our current, winner-take-all
system. Currently, about two-thirds of Democrats,
Republicans, and Independents say they would
prefer a national popular vote.
Knowing that my work this past year will
help put New York back on the electoral map in
presidential elections has been really exciting,
and I can‘t stress enough to any Nightingale girls
reading this how rewarding it is to work for a cause
you believe in. Sure, there will be disappointments
along the way. For me, that came in the form
of legislators in Connecticut, the state where I
attended college, deciding to defer action on the
NPV legislation for the time being. But there will
also be triumphs, like when the New York State
Assembly passed NPV for the first time in June,
or when I was given the opportunity to appear on
a Washington, D.C. news program to discuss how
National Popular Vote can improve presidential
elections. Those triumphs will make all your hard
work worth it.
If you‘d like to learn more about fixing
our broken presidential election system, visit
fairvote.org/national-popular-vote. For general
information about FairVote and the other
kinds of work we do, visit fairvote.org.
Head of School
ALUMNAE BOARD
Paul A. Burke
Brooke Brodsky Emmerich ‘91, President
Zoe Settle ‘00, Vice President
Elizabeth Victory Anderson ‘88, Secretary
Amie Rappoport McKenna ‘90, Chair, Alumnae Fund
Board of Trustees
Rebecca Rasmussen Grunwald, President Blair Pillsbury Enders ‘88, Vice President
Elena Hahn Kiam ‘81, Vice President
James D. Forbes, Treasurer
Gregory Palm, Secretary
Clarissa Bronfman
Paul A. Burke, Ex-officio
James S. Chanos
Brenda Earl
Brooke Brodsky Emmerich ‘91, Ex-officio
Alexander Evans
Douglas Feagin
Shoshanna Lonstein Gruss ‘93
John Hall
John J. Hannan
Patricia Gilchrist Howard ‘62
Steven B. Klinsky
Paul Lachman
Valerie Margulies, Ex-officio
Curtis Mewbourne
Renan Pierre
Dina Powell
Debora Spar
Mary Margaret Trousdale
Honorary Board Members
Jerome P. Kenney
Nina Joukowsky Köprülü ‘79
Susan Hecht Tofel ‘48
Grant F. Winthrop
HEAD OF SCHOOL EMERITA
Paul A. Burke, Ex-officio
Elizabeth Boehmler ‘94
Elizabeth Riley Fraise ‘98
Sage Garner ‘04
Daphra Holder ‘03
Hillary Johnson ‘76
Siena Kissel ‘06, Ex-officio
Elizabeth Friedland Meyer ‘89
Palmer Jones O’Sullivan ‘94
Melissa Providence ‘02
Gaby Santana ‘06, Ex-officio
Melissa Elting Walker ‘92
OFFICE OF INSTITUTIONAL
ADVANCEMENT
Mary Richter ‘93
Director of Institutional Advancement
Amanda Goodwin
Director of Alumnae Relations
Kristin Morse
Director of Annual Giving
Jessie Page ‘03
Advancement Associate
Andrew Peterson
Database Manager
Katy Reitz
Development Officer
Nicki Sebastian
Director of Digital Communications
Susan Tilson
Director of Publications
Dorothy A. Hutcheson
PARENTS ASSOCIATION OFFICERS
Valerie Margulies, President
Stacy Calder Clapp ‘91, Vice President
Natalie Stange, Secretary/Treasurer
FAL L 2013 4 1
Nightingale
The Nightingale-Bamford School
20 East 92nd Street, New York, NY 10128
nightingale.org
42 TH E B L UE DO O RS