The Legacy of Lamb
Transcription
The Legacy of Lamb
Middlesex Spring 2011 The Legacy of Lamb A Lasting Musical Influence MIDDLESEX SPRING 2011 i From the Head of School Change Amid Tradition Middlesex Spring 2011 Head of School Kathleen Carroll Giles Director of Development James J. Zimmerman Editor Maria Lindberg Design NonprofitDesign.com Photography Joel Haskell, Tim Morse, Robert D. Perachio Tony Rinaldo Letters to the Editor Letters to the editor are welcome and may be edited for clarity and space. Please send your letters to Editor, Middlesex Bulletin, 1400 Lowell Road, Concord, MA 01742, or e-mail mlindberg@mxschool.edu. Alumni News We welcome news from alumni, parents, and friends of Middlesex School. Please send your news and labeled photographs to Alumni News, Middlesex School, 1400 Lowell Road, Concord, MA 01742, or e-mail alumni@ mxschool.edu. Address Corrections Please notify us of your change of address. Write to Middlesex School, 1400 Lowell Road, Concord, MA 01742 or e-mail alumni@ mxschool.edu. Parents of Alumni If this magazine is addressed to a son or daughter who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please advise us of his or her new address. Thank you! Looking out on the Circle as I sit writing this note, the comforting, relentless cycle of the life of this school makes itself clear yet again. Yet another group of seniors is contemplating the meaning of the experience here as the days towards graduation suddenly seem to be galloping along, rather than proceeding apace. Yet another group of talented 13 and 14 year olds—the next Middlesex School—has just made the decision about where and with whom to do some very important growing up. For the first time in recent memory, our rowers have a home, as our new boathouse ends years of nomadic frustrations for coaches and rowers. We are also working on plans for the renovation of three dorms—RW, LB, and Peabody—and on the possible construction of a new dormitory that will allow us to make all of our dorms comparable in terms of amenities and space. We will be planning for a home for our music program and for the renovation of our beloved and well-used arts facilities. We will be launching a newly revised Web site and enhancing our technological capacity to communicate and interact. So while much changes, much stays the same, and vice versa. But as I sit in this office, my thoughts inevitably gravitate to individual people— the students, the teachers, the staff members —who have always formed the core and strength of the Middlesex experience. As a graduate and former faculty member of St. Paul’s School, Columbia University sociologist Shamus Rahman Khan has recently written a book, the subtitle of which is “The Making of An Adolescent Elite.” This insightful book attempts to analyze what makes the teenage experience at a so-called “elite” boarding school so special, and one of Khan’s conclusions is that boarding school students learn an enormous amount through the intensity of their steady interactions with adults. At boarding school, Khan notes the omnipresence of adults, the expectation of sustained, enriching relationships, and the clear understanding and value accorded those relationships. Our students learn to navigate relationships of all kinds and how to make relationships with authority figures—teachers, coaches, advisors—work for them. While Khan characterizes this knowledge as learning to navigate hierarchies with ease (a critical idea for his thinking about the “new elite”), I think there is something much richer and more profound that develops than merely a set of sociopolitical skills. The stories of this school center on teachers like Arthur Motter Lamb, Bull Alexander, Peter Arnold, Kit Cohane ’59, and their students, all the way through to the current generation of teachers, whose work centers in the classroom but radiates through a teenager’s entire life and becomes enmeshed not only in how a young person defines himself or herself but also in how he or she defines personal goals and possibilities. Therein we find our friend, the promise. So while much changes—Facebook and Twitter and the cloud—much stays the same as we undertake the business of Middlesex this spring. Contents Mission Statement Middlesex School is an independent, non-denominational, residential, college-preparatory school that, for over 100 years, has been committed to excellence in the intellectual, ethical, creative, and physical development of young people. We honor the ideal, articulated by our founding Head Master, of “finding the promise” in every student, and we work together in an atmosphere of mutual trust and shared responsibility to help students bring their talents to fruition as knowledgeable, capable, responsible, and moral citizens of the world. As a community, we respect the individual interests, strengths, and needs of each student. We also value the rich diversity of belief and experience each of us brings to the School. We expect that each student will bring his or her best efforts to the shared endeavor of learning and that the School, through its faculty, will engage and encourage each student’s growth, happiness, and well-being. We aspire for all Middlesex students to develop personal integrity, intellectual vitality and discipline, and respect for themselves and for others. We expect each student to engage energetically and cooperatively in the life of the School, and we seek to inspire in all students the desire to seek understanding of themselves and the larger world, both now and in their futures. On the Cover The legendary Arthur Motter Lamb conducts the Glee Club in an early 1930s rehearsal. Features 14 Making Headway Confronting the same problem but in different endeavors, several Middlesex alumni are contributing to the effort to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of concussions in young people. 19 Ready All: Row! The New Paumgarten Boathouse The long wait is over at last—Middlesex’s crews finally have a brand new, wellequipped home on the Concord River. 22 The Legacy of Lamb: How an Eccentric Music Master Shaped Middlesex A rarity in his time as well as today, Arthur Motter Lamb spent his entire career at Middlesex, from the fall of 1919 until his death in the spring of 1961. Fifty years later, his single-minded devotion lives on, both in the alumni he taught and in the vibrant musical life of the School. Departments 2 Life 360 The Search for Another Earth; Universal Lessons; Composer-in-Residence William Cepeda; The Sparrow; Middlesex Diplomats Debate; Benefit Bonanza Boosts Service; Safer Passage on New Sidewalk 8 Middlesex People Tony Lake ’57 Leads UNICEF; Brenau University Honors Sid Smith ’41 10 Team Highlights Cross-Country Kudos and Field Hockey Honors; Alpine Skiing’s Team and Individual Triumphs 28 Alumni Notes and News Class Notes; In Memoriam 44 Back Story Hallowell’s Flag MIDDLESEX SPRING 2011 1 360° Life on the Circle Having peaked everyone’s interest in exoplanets, Professor Sara Seager was surrounded by students with questions long after her presentation. Are We Alone? Could there be a planet like Earth amid the hundreds of billions of stars in the Universe? The odds look promising to MIT Professor Sara Seager. As the School’s first Hub Lecturer this year on September 16, she explained how and when another Earth might be found. Exoplanets, Not Extraterrestrials As an associate professor of physics and the Ellen Swallow Richards Associate Professor of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Professor Seager studies the atmospheres and interiors of exoplanets—planets that orbit stars other than our own Sun—in hopes of determining whether or not any of them might sustain life in some form. “Every star is a sun,” she began, “and if our sun has an Earth, I’m sure another star has a planet like Earth. We just haven’t found it yet.” Lest people think she is looking for extraterrestrials, Professor Seager clarified, “Personally, I have not seen any evidence that there are aliens,” adding wryly, “but I like to think that they are out there and that they are wealthier than we are and have better technology.” 2 MIDDLESEX SPRING 2011 Planetary Possibilities From the vantage point of space, she said, Earth looks like a pale blue dot that varies in brightness; scientists are therefore looking for a similar kind of exoplanet. By examining the spectral features of its light, information can be inferred about the planet’s size, density, temperature, and atmosphere—details that might indicate its ability to sustain life. Though more than 400 stars with exoplanets have been discovered thus far, the search for another Earth is complicated by a number of challenges, including the diffraction of light —which prevents us from being able to see exoplanets as clear points—and the sheer distance of other stars from us. Alpha Centauri is the next closest star at a distance of 4.22 light years, a journey of 70,000 years for an unmanned probe. Yet “hard things have been done before,” Professor Seager reasoned, and she is by no means discouraged in her search. In fact, a wealth of new data is now being transmitted from the Kepler telescope that was launched on a three-year journey in March 2009. Given the amount and quality of information streaming in, she estimates, “In one to three years, we may find another Earth.” Discovery Imminent The question of being able to visit that exoplanet is a thornier problem. “The distances involved are enormous, and we don’t have the speed to get there in fewer years,” Professor Seager said. Yet, scientific research is still worthwhile, she contended, both for the greater understanding of our world and for its unexpected benefits, like the discovery of laser and MRI technologies. “We can learn a lot from that pale blue dot, just from its data alone,” she affirmed, “and we could find an Earthlike planet any day now.” M Voices on Campus The power of art and science were uppermost in the minds of guest speakers this year. Among those who came to campus were: • Filmmaker Sultan Sharrief, who helped the School reflect on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through his movie, Bilal’s Stand, and discussed how filmmaking addresses misconceptions, highlights issues of social justice, and allows him to share his world with others. • Director André Robert Lee, who screened his film, The Prep School Negro, before the School’s Diversity Day on February 12. With his film —inspired by his experience as an African American student at Philadelphia’s Germantown Friends School—he hopes to encourage people to share their stories and gain greater understanding of one another. • Dr. Edward J. Benz, president of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, who spoke on February 22 and provided a basic yet comprehensive understanding of cancer, its causes, and the current research that is guiding doctors to more effective treatments. • Pulitzer Prize-Winning Poet Jorie Graham, who gave students a master class in poetic analysis during a special evening Assembly on April 4. Universal Lessons Teaching with Real Scientific Data After wrapping up her classes before the December exam period, Physics and Astronomy teacher Sara Kate May found herself speaking before a larger crowd than the ones that fill her Middlesex lab. On December 13, she gave a presentation at the 2010 meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) in San Francisco, where more than 18,400 geophysicists gathered to hear about the latest issues in their field of study. Real Data, Real Discoveries For Sara Kate, the event was a chance for her to share with others the work she completed last summer, when she joined the scientific community at MIT’s Haystack Observatory for eight weeks as one of two educators chosen for the Research Experience for Teachers program (funded by the National Science Foundation). Asked to incorporate the use of a relatively inexpensive tool called MOSAIC into the teaching of high school physics, Sara Kate and RET colleague Chris Clements created a set of illustrated lessons and lab instructions. MOSAIC (Mesospheric Ozone System for Atmospheric Investigations in the Classroom) measures ozone in Earth’s upper atmosphere and collects atmospheric data at many sites continuously. Because that data is available online within a day of its collection, students can track and study current data in a field of atmospheric science that is still not wellstudied or thoroughly understood. “The part I’m most excited about is using MOSAIC as a tool for teaching uncertainty and analysis,” says Sara Kate, who began applying her lessons in Honors Physics this year. “What may be most appealing to students is that there is a possibility of being the first person to recognize or think of something in this area—to make a real contribution to science.” Sharing Lessons Nationally Impressed with the lessons, Haystack asked Sara Kate to submit an abstract of the work to the AGU, which resulted in her presentation at its December meeting. Ultimately, Sara Kate hopes that her lessons will be appealing and helpful to fellow teachers who share her goal of making physics both approachable and rooted in real science. M Physics and Astronomy teacher Sara Kate May—who also oversees the Observatory of the Clay Centennial Center—hopes to return to Haystack this summer to fine-tune her lessons and labs. MIDDLESEX SPRING 2011 3 360° Life on the Circle sessions prior to the final performance. “We’ve been joking that we need to take a cruise now and play all this music during it,” says drummer Annie Lyons ’12, who found the initial rehearsals to be more informal, like jam sessions. “Mr. Cepeda was very involved, walking around and helping each person,” she says. “He’d pull out his trombone or the conch shells and play along—it was a lot of fun.” The Middlesex Jazz Orchestra rehearses with Composer-inResidence William Cepeda. Caribbean Jazz Cruise Composer-In-Residence William Cepeda Few young musicians get to play original pieces written expressly for them by a highly regarded professional performer. This year, the 12 student members of Middlesex’s Jazz Orchestra are enjoying just such an experience thanks to the School’s composer-in-residence, celebrated Afro-Latin Jazz musician William Cepeda. Learning by Jamming Invited by the Middlesex Music Department, Mr. Cepeda has been commissioned to compose several pieces for the Jazz Orchestra, which will perform them with him during a spring concert as well as record them on the group’s annual CD. He has already joined the band for several rehearsals in December and February, and will return to campus for several more 4 MIDDLESEX SPRING 2011 A Family Tradition An accomplished trombonist and a noted composer and arranger, Mr. Cepeda comes from a well-known family rooted in music: the Familia Cepeda, famous for their performances of folkloric music with African roots and as keepers of traditional Puerto Rican music. Blending this musical background with his own interest and talent in jazz, Mr. Cepeda has developed a unique style that he calls “Afrorican Jazz.” In the course of his career, he has performed and toured with such luminaries as Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, Miriam Makeba, and Eddie Palmieri. A graduate of the Berklee College of Music, Mr. Cepeda earned his master’s degree from the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College and serves on the faculty of the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. Fascinating Rhythms For saxophonist Brian LeMeur ’13, working with Mr. Cepeda has been an enlightening musical experience. As he elaborates, “Jazz rhythms are largely constructed on syncopation —and even more so with Latin music. The melodies are simple, and the rhythms are complicated, but that’s what makes it fun. I’m trying to get inside the rhythms; you have to be one with the music and get inside of it, as opposed to just being its conduit.” “Having someone write pieces for us— and for me—is pretty special,” Brian adds. “It’s inspiring to meet someone who does this for a living.” M The Sparrow November 12–13, 2010 Written by Chris Mathews, Jake Minton, and Nathan Allen Directed by Tom Kane Technical Direction by Ryan DuBray Costume Design by Kim Brown A coming-of-age story—but with a supernatural twist—The Sparrow presented new technical and dramatic challenges last fall for 15 Middlesex actors and 30 tech assistants. On a spare set with changing backdrops and only a few props, students created the Midwestern high school world of Emily Book, a reclusive orphan with telekinetic powers that could be a blessing—or a curse. This new play, created by the critically acclaimed House Theater of Chicago, uses fantasy and theatrical magic to explore the larger themes of guilt and forgiveness. The complex production was well-received by Middlesex audiences, a tribute to the outstanding collaborative efforts of the cast and crew. MIDDLESEX SPRING 2011 5 360° Life on the Circle 23 members of the group were Model Congress novices. In the midst of their stay, the Middlesex contingent enjoyed a unique opportunity: a two-hour briefing with alumnus Cass Sunstein ’72 (President Obama’s advisor in the Office of Management and Budget) and his spouse, Samantha Powers (a member of the National Security Council and the President’s advisor on human rights). The Saturday meeting at the White House was a particular highlight of the five-day trip, giving students a closer look at the real world of Washington politics. Middlesex diplomats gathered for a photo in the General Assembly Hall of the United Nations building in New York City. (Photo: Amelia Armitage ’11) Talking Politics Middlesex politicos got a taste of policy making on a domestic and an international scale this year, with several taking part in the Princeton Model Congress last November in Washington, DC, and others participating in the National New York Model United Nations in March. A Capital Trip Leading the 28 Middlesex students who attended Princeton’s Model Congress was veteran debater Liz Kashinski ’11, who earned a gavel for the second consecutive year as a member of the House Judiciary Committee. Also recognized for her notable efforts, Ellie Charchenko ’13 won a major award in the House International Relations Committee. Others came close to capturing awards for their powers of persuasion, including Jake Kline ’12 in the House International Relations Committee and Vivian Liu ’12 in the House Judiciary Committee. Additional standout performers were Nick Stonnington ’14, Thad Pryor ’13, Andrew Granato ’13, and Hanna Wiegers ’12, who were all first-time competitors; in fact, 6 MIDDLESEX SPRING 2011 International Interests Traveling to New York City the day before March break began, another 32 students represented Middlesex—the only ISL school competing— at the National New York Model United Nations. There, 3000 participants from all over the world spent four intense days engaging in the diplomatic process. Amid the many skilled negotiators in attendance, Annie Lyons ’12 deservedly earned a gavel for adjudicating the EcuadorianColumbian border crisis during her stint on the International Court of Justice. Several of her peers also performed with distinction. Working on the Social and Humanitarian Council, Sherry Du ’13 was exceptional, as were Michael Turek ’11 and Erik Klinkhammer ’11 on the Economic and Financial Committee. It was a challenge to stand out on committees involving more than 300 members, yet Tristan Biber ’12, Max Brown ’11, Courtney O’Brien ’11, and Parisa Oviedo ’12 commanded attention nonetheless. Reflecting on the months of research and preparation that his students completed prior to the event, History Department Chair Steve Freiberger rightly pointed out that competing against some of the best “secondary diplomats” in the world is no easy task, but Middlesex participants handled it all with eloquence and poise. Returning veterans are already looking forward to next year’s schedule, which includes the Southern Ontario Model United Nations in Montreal and the Harvard Model Congress in Boston. M Beneficiaries of the School-wide Effort The nonprofit organizations selected to receive a share of the proceeds from the Benefit Bonanza include the following: Autism Speaks: Dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments, and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. Camp Amerikids: Providing a traditional camp experience, complemented by off-season programs, to enhance the lives of children who are affected by or infected with HIV/AIDS and who reside in the tri-state area of New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut. Fistula Foundation: Dedicated to raising awareness of and funding for fistula repair, prevention, and educational programs worldwide to help eradicate fistula. Partners in Health: Providing a preferential option for the poor in health care and currently working in 49 health centers and hospitals across 11 countries. School on Wheels: Connecting volunteer tutors with children whose homelessness prevents them from getting the academic stability, assistance, and mentoring they desperately need. Benefit Bonanza Celebrating Community Service Turning their attention to causes close to members of the Middlesex community, the School’s community service officers decided to revamp their annual spring fundraiser, renaming it the “Benefit Bonanza.” Instead of raising money for a single cause, they invited students, faculty, and staff to recommend charities that they are personally involved with, selecting five organizations to support after listening to presentations from 13 students and adults. Another important focus of the Bonanza, held on March 5, was “celebrating the work we do as a school in terms of community service,” as student leader Marcia Frimpong ’11 explains. “We wanted to celebrate the fact that we do a lot of good things all year, and we have fun at the same time.” Keeping favorite activities from previous Benefits—the bake sale, raffle, and dance—and adding new ones, like a dodge ball tournament and a t-shirt tie-dying project, the goals of the day were community involvement as well as fundraising. The event was a resounding success on both counts. More than 80 percent of the School participated in some way in the Benefit, raising $4850 for the five designated nonprofit organizations (see list at left). “It was amazing,” says Marcia, who thought the evening’s dance went especially well thanks to an outstanding DJ. “We wanted to make the Benefit even better than before, and it was great seeing your ideas come to life. People were really enjoying themselves that day.” M Walk This Way Strolling or jogging to Concord Center along busy Lowell Road will soon be easier—and safer—than ever. On October 12, 2010, sidewalk installation began near the Middlesex football fields, to be continued approximately 1.5 miles down the street until it connects with the existing sidewalk near Hugh Cargill Road. Middlesex is supporting the project by paying for the walkway that borders the School’s property, from the North Gate to the land just beyond the original South Gate entrance. “We’re delighted to be able to support both the initiative of the Concord citizens who spearheaded this effort and the well-being of the local community, including our Middlesex community,” affirmed Head of School Kathy Giles. “This sidewalk will enhance everyone’s safety and quality of life.” MIDDLESEX SPRING 2011 7 Middlesex People Helping the Children of the World Lake ’57 Leads UNICEF Former Middlesex Trustee W. Anthony K. Lake ’57 has taken on another significant role in his long and distinguished career. On May 1, 2010, he became the sixth executive director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Created in 1946 to help children in post-war Europe, UNICEF is currently on the ground in more than 150 countries and territories, helping children survive and thrive from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. Bringing more than 45 years of public service to his new position, Tony began his 8 MIDDLESEX SPRING 2011 career with joining the U.S. State Department as a foreign service officer in 1962, just after he had finished his undergraduate degree at Harvard and spent a year reading international economics on a Fiske Scholarship at Trinity College, Cambridge. He later earned his Ph.D. at Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs in 1974. Over the years, Tony has managed a full range of foreign policy, national security, humanitarian, and development issues at the most senior levels, serving as director of policy planning in President Carter’s administration (1977–81) and as national security advisor (1993–97) under President Bill Clinton. After leaving government in 1997, he served as the U.S. President’s Special Envoy to Haiti as well as Ethiopia and Eritrea. His efforts, for which he received the 2000 White House Samuel Nelson Drew Award, contributed to the achievement of the Algiers Agreement that ended the war between Ethiopia and Eritrea. He also played a leading role in shaping policies that led to peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Northern Ireland. His experience in international development began in the 1970s, when he served as the director of International Voluntary Services, leading the work of this “private Peace Corps.” In that same decade, Tony also served on the boards of Save the Children (1975–77) and the Overseas Development Council. Over the past 10 years, Tony has been an international adviser to the International Committee of the Red Cross (2000–03) and chair of the Marshall Legacy Institute, which works in conflict-affected countries to remove landmines and assist survivors, as well as to advance children’s rights. Tony’s ties with UNICEF date back to 1993, when he worked with the organization’s third executive director, James P. Grant, on the presentation of its flagship publication, “The State of the World’s Children,” at the White House. From 1998 to 2007 he served on the Board of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, with a term as chair from 2004 to 2007, after which he was appointed a permanent honorary member. “If we improve their lives today,” Tony said at the time of his appointment, “we will help them inherit a better tomorrow.” Immediately prior to his appointment with UNICEF, Tony served as a distinguished professor in the practice of diplomacy at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He has been a member of the board of trustees at Mount Holyoke College and a member of the advisory council of the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies, and has served on the governance board of the Center for the Study of Democracy at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Tony also served two terms on Middlesex’s Board of Trustees (1976–79 and 1982–87) and shared his experience in public service with the School as the Bigelow Lecturer. With this wealth of experience, he is wellequipped to work toward securing safe and healthy lives for children around the world. “If we improve their lives today,” Tony said at the time of his appointment, “we will help them inherit a better tomorrow.” M His Honor The Sidney O. Smith, Jr. Graduate School Sid Smith ’41 was only the fourth Middlesex alumnus to receive the School’s Henry Cabot Lodge ’20 Distinguished Alumni Award back in May of 1996. Today, a more public honor has been bestowed on him by another institution that he has represented well. In October 2010, the Brenau University Board of Trustees voted unanimously to name all of its graduate programs the Sidney O. Smith, Jr. Graduate School after the former U.S. District Court judge and fourth-generation member of the Brenau governing board. “Brenau is everything that it is today because of Sidney Smith,” said his longtime friend and fellow Trustee John W. Jacobs, Jr. “Likewise, what it will be in the future will have his indelible stamp. Graduate education will be the lynchpin that drives Brenau’s success.” Born and raised in Gainesville, Georgia, Sid won a Prize Scholarship to come to Middlesex, where he was a top student and athlete (who was inducted into the School’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006). Following service in World War II, he graduated from Harvard and earned his law degree at the University of Georgia. After private law practice and service as a Georgia superior court judge, Sid was appointed by President Lyndon Johnson to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, where he served for nine years, including six years as chief judge. His commitment to education is a proud family legacy. Sid’s greatgrandfather was a member of the founding board of what is now Brenau, and his grandfather was on the board in 1911 when Brenau became a chartered institution of higher learning. Later, both his father and mother served simultaneously on the Brenau Board. Sid began his service to both public and private education as chairman of the Gainesville Board of Education. In addition to serving on the Brenau Board, including a period as chairman, he also served on the state Board of Regents, the governing body for Georgia’s public colleges and universities. Sid was on the Brenau Board when it created the coeducational graduate programs and authorized Brenau’s transition to a full university. More than 900 of Brenau’s 2,800 students are in graduate programs already. The University’s 2025 strategic plan, aimed at increasing enrollment to 5,000, envisions that most growth will occur in graduate-level programs—a fact which makes the Smith Graduate School pivotal to the university’s future. M MIDDLESEX SPRING 2011 9 Team Highlights For more sports news visit www.mxschool.edu/athletics Field Hockey Success! Co-captain Allena Dennis ’11 (on right) and teammate Tabby Sabky ’12 celebrated the moment when the Middlesex varsity (seeded 7th) defeated Williston Northampton (seeded 2nd) in the quarterfinal game of the NEPSAC Class B Tournament on November 17. After winning 2-1 in overtime against perennial rival Brooks, Middlesex moved on to the finals, ending an exciting tournament run with a narrow 2-1 loss to first seed Thayer on November 21. (Photo: Matt Risley, Risley Sports Photography) Boys’ Soccer Gaining strength and skill over the last three years, the boys’ varsity finished third in the ISL with a 9-2-4 record, earning one of eight New England Tournament spots (later dropping a close match 1-0 to KUA). Led by Captains Travis Barker ’11, Mike Miele ’11, and Dan Skayne ’11 (center, left), the team boasted not only the best defensive record—giving up only 12 goals in 15 games—but also the second leading scorer in the ISL, Peter Hughes ’12 (on far left). Girls’ Soccer A three-year member of the girls’ varsity, Elizabeth Turpin ’12 (#16) was named All-League for her leadership in the midfield last fall and was elected a co-captain of the 2011 squad. Football Co-captain John Lesofsky ’11 (#24) leads fellow Co-Captain Devin Chapman ’11 on one of their many runs last fall; both were among those who earned All-League status in a season that featured the School’s first-ever overtime game on October 23. With St. Sebastian’s leading 20-7 at the half, Middlesex came back to tie the score and then won in OT, 28-20. 10 MIDDLESEX SPRING 2011 Fanfare for Fall Athletes Even after the season came to a close in November, several Middlesex athletes con-tinued to garner awards for their outstanding achievements in their respective sports and in the classroom. Supported here by stalwart defender Caroline O’Donnell ’11 (#15), Cassie Coash ’11 was one of three varsity field hockey players named to the 2010 Gladiator/NFHCA High School National Academic Squad. Focused and composed, Emily Stark ’12 (center) was on her way to setting a course record of 18:14 in this late-October meet with Nobles. Her first-place finish helped Middlesex claim a 27-28 victory that day. (Photo: Tony Rinaldo) Stark ’12 Named League MVP As a freshman on the girls’ varsity cross-country team, Emily Stark ’12 hit the ground running, winning first place in both the ISL and the New England Prep School Division IV (NEPSTA) Championships that year—feats that earned her the first of three consecutive All-League and All-New England honors. She’s maintained an amazing pace ever since. In addition to finishing among the top three at the last two ISL Championships, Emily remains the defending NEPSTA Champion and has set six course records thus far. Following her undefeated season in dual meets last fall, the coaches voted her the League MVP, giving her title of Boston Globe All-Scholastic. Her success, says Varsity Coach Malcolm Russell, is the result of hard work and strong intuition. “Emily trains yearround, in all weather,” he affirms. “She’s a smart runner who can run a plan against opponents and has a good instinct about the best place to make a move.” With her senior cross-country season ahead—as a returning team captain—it remains to be seen what this determined athlete will accomplish in her Middlesex career. Field Hockey Standouts Earning All-League honors in field hockey for a third time last fall, Varsity Co-captain Allena Dennis ’11 was also named to the highly selective 2010 Harrow Sports/ National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) High School Northeast Region Team at the season’s close. She was one of only 16 players from all of the public and independent secondary schools in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont to be given this distinction—a clear indication of her skill and athleticism. “Allena is a versatile player who dominates the midfield and backfield,” says Varsity Coach Natalie Martinez. “She has prevented several goals against us and been instrumental in creating scoring opportunities for us during her Middlesex career. She’s powerful and aggressive, yet poised, on the field.” Also receiving recognition beyond the ISL, Co-captain Kate Donahue ’11 and teammates Cassie Coash ’11 and Courtney O’Brien ’11 were named to the 2010 Gladiator/NFHCA High School National Academic Squad for their outstanding work on the field and in the classroom. Notably, all three have made the honor roll every semester in their years at Middlesex. MIDDLESEX SPRING 2011 11 Team Highlights For more sports news visit www.mxschool.edu/athletics Boys’ Hockey Chris Jellison ’13 scores on a breakaway against BB&N; with 29 points to his credit, he was the varsity’s leading scorer in a season that included winning the Barber Tournament for the first time in 38 years. Girls’ Basketball Co-captain Caroline O’Donnell ’11 contributes two more points toward Middlesex’s eventual 42–41 win over Holderness; as the leading scorer in that game, she tallied 13 points and 8 rebounds. Boys’ Squash Often competing against nationally ranked opponents at the top of the ladder, Captain Grant Parisi ’11 returns a backhand in a match with St. George’s. For his leadership and commitment to excellence, he earned Middlesex’s Maddock Squash Prize. Wrestling Middlesex surprised many opponents last winter with strong performances, especially from younger wrestlers, and came away with eight medals at the final tournament. Girls’ Hockey Skating past the home bench, Co-captain Francesca Panarelli ’11 helped lead her team to the New England Tournament for Division II this season. In the first round of play, Middlesex traded goals in an exciting match-up with Southfield School, losing 2–3 in the final three minutes of the game. 12 MIDDLESEX SPRING 2011 Dominating the Slopes Co-captain Max Brown ’11 tackles the giant slalom. At the season’s capstone event, held at Berkshire East on February 16, the girls’ ski team won the NEPSAC Class B Championships with a combined score of 51 points in the slalom and the giant slalom. The boys’ team also made a strong showing, finishing fourth among 14 teams—just one run away from third place. (Photo: Paul Harrison) Brown ’11 Repeats Success Being named the Independent School League’s MVP once is quite an honor; alpine skier Max Brown ’11 has now managed to take the title two years in a row—a rare accomplishment. Already named All-League and All-New England in the giant slalom at the end of a strong junior season, Max topped those honors with the distinction of Boston Globe All-Scholastic in 2010. As a co-captain in his senior year, he repeated that success, also leading the boys’ team to a fourth-place finish at the NEPSAC Class B Championships. “Max was one of the top three or four racers in the league consistently,” says Middlesex Coach Joshua Mann. “Many of the league coaches have spoken to me about his affability and professionalism; he’s a good leader and a good racer. On our team especially, Max led with his enthusiasm and his athletic authority. He was always helping people figure out what line to take on the course or what wax to use in tuning their skis. Max is the kind of person who helps teach younger, strong skiers how to become strong racers.” Appropriately, Max was given Middlesex’s Alpine Skiing Bowl this year, adding one more award to an impressive athletic career. MIDDLESEX SPRING 2011 13 Making Headway Sports Illustrated might be expected to contain articles about concussions, but when magazines ranging from Time to The New Yorker to National Geographic (to the Bulletin!) also follow suit, it’s clear that the subject has become a hot topic. At first glance, this may be puzzling. What has happened that has made concussions such a point of interest? G Photo courtesy of Easton-Bell Sports. 14 MIDDLESEX SPRING 2011 enerally defined as a “brain injury” caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head that results in an alteration in awareness, a concussion was once regarded as “something you recover from, with no long-term effects,” as former Middlesex parent Dr. Robert Cantu recalls. But through his work as co-director of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy (CSTE) at Boston University, where he is also a clinical professor of neurosurgery, Dr. Cantu and his colleagues have learned that concussions are indeed a serious matter deserving widespread attention. And since an estimated 3.8 million sports and recreationrelated head injuries occur in the U.S. each year (according to the CDC), concussions are fairly common occurrences, meriting further consideration and study. Initially, concern about the potentially lasting harm of concussions centered on the realm of professional sports, where the research of Dr. Cantu and others is primarily focused. In post-mortem examinations of former football and hockey players’ brains, doctors at CSTE have found evidence of a progressive, degenerative neurological disease called Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), the early symptoms of which mimic dementia, with its characteristic memory loss, aggression, confusion, and depression. Most of these athletes were known to have suffered concussions, but some were not, leading doctors to wonder if they had received blows that did not cause concussions but still contributed to cumulative damage. “Total brain trauma leads to CTE,” Dr. Cantu clarifies. “We now know that football players— and other athletes in contact sports—need to worry about CTE,” he continues. “It’s also scary that we’ve seen CTE in college players, so it’s not just playing professional football that causes it. And we’ve seen it now in younger people (aged 17 to 18); CTE was there and it should not have been. It makes you worry about younger kids.” PACE Setting Deciding not to wait for more medical evidence that will indicate how early CTE might begin, some Middlesex alumni, like Charlie Maddock ’00, are directing their efforts toward the prevention, detection, and treatment of concussions. As chronicled in the Spring 2009 Alumni Bulletin, Charlie was fortunate to recover fully from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that occurred when he was struck by a cab in New York City in 2004. Grateful to have received the best treatment available when he needed it, Charlie resolved to help others in his situation and created a nonprofit organization, the Charles Maddock Foundation (CMF) for Traumatic Brain and Spinal Cord Injury, to advance the treatment of patients who have suffered brain trauma. “A concussion is technically a mild TBI—a brain injury nonetheless,” says Charlie. “What research seems to be indi- cating is that after a series of milder concussions, the cumulative effect can be that of a more serious TBI. We hear a lot about professional football players, but the risk of getting concussions exists for youth and high school athletes, too, and little research is performed at that level.” For these reasons, CMF is funding an initiative that was submitted by Dr. Nick Theodore, a neurosurgeon who practices in Phoenix, Arizona, and serves on CMF’s medical advisory board. Together with a colleague, Dr. Theodore has developed a program called PACE—Protecting Athletes through Concussion Education—as a cost-effective way to provide concussion education, surveillance, and research for student athletes. A multilevel project, PACE will involve the creation of online education modules that will teach students, parents, and coaches how to prevent, recognize, and respond to concussions. In addition, an online registry will allow students who have had concussions to record their symptoms, treatment, and recovery. A third facet of the project will entail collecting data for further research, from baseline testing to post-concussion assessments, in order to learn more about the real effects of concussion on the still-developing brain. Involving the collaboration of several large organizations—including the state’s interscholastic association, the Brain Injury Association of Arizona, Arizona State University, and the Arizona Cardinals football team— PACE has the potential to reach and benefit thousands of young people. “This will begin as a pilot program in Arizona,” Charlie explains, “and then hopefully, it can be adopted around the country.” With funds from an upcoming million-dollar campaign for CMF, Charlie would like to see the proposal replicated next in Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island, branching out to other states from there. Charlie Maddock ’00 (right) with his neurosurgeon, Dr. Howard Riina, who now leads the medical advisory board of the Charles Maddock Foundation for Traumatic Brain and Spinal Cord Injury. Interpreting Data Through assisting with in-depth research on young athletes, Kaitlin Carroll ’06 has recently been working with physicians at Massachusetts General Hospital to further the understanding of concussions and MIDDLESEX SPRING 2011 15 Kaitlin Carroll ’06 (above) at work last summer at Massachusetts General Hospital and (page 17) as a varsity soccer standout at Middlesex in the fall of 2004. improve protocols for diagnosis and treatment. With an internship stipend from the Middlesex Alumni Association, she spent last summer gathering and organizing real data on high school athletes who suffered sports-related concussions, and she has continued to work on the project while finishing her senior year at Northeastern University. Beginning with documents supplied by athletic trainers, Kaitlin methodically sorted through and categorized detailed information on the concussion symptoms and the sequela of effects (before and after injury) of more than 100 athletes from multiple schools. Having analyzed the data she structured, she and her colleagues are currently working on a manuscript to report the findings of their study. Ultimately, Kaitlin says, they hope that the data will validate a new protocol that has been developed for the diagnosis and treatment of concussions in high school students. “We want people to be aware that concussions do have long-term effects on young athletes,” she stresses. “This may require a larger set of data from more public and private schools to demonstrate.” For her part, Kaitlin knows firsthand about concussions from personal experience. She actually cracked her skull in a sideline accident during a summer trip with her club soccer team, and she had smaller concussions at Middlesex. “I wasn’t the best patient at Middlesex,” Kaitlin admits. “I didn’t want to be told that I couldn’t play. Ahead of the Curve Handling Concussions at Middlesex A t a residential school filled with active adolescents, it’s wise to be prepared for injuries of all kinds, including concussions. As the director of Middlesex’s Cruz Health Center, Meg McLaughlin estimates that most of the concussions she treats are sports-related, but some are the result of everyday accidents, such as falling out of a bunk bed or getting hit by a swinging fire door. Expecting these kinds of things to happen, Middlesex’s health professionals have been proactive in their approach to dealing with concussions, accessing technology and creating protocols and policies early on that have set a standard among schools for diagnosis and treatment. As soon as it became available for purchase, for example, Middlesex quickly took advantage of the program ImPACT 16 MIDDLESEX SPRING 2011 (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing), the first and most scientifically validated computerized concussion evaluation system. “The oldfashioned, pencil-and-paper tests that were previously given to assess cognitive damage were hard to administer, given only after injury, and scored against a national ‘norm,’” remembers Laura Darby McNally ’80, who returned to Middlesex as athletic trainer in 1989. “Before ImPACT became available, you could not compare the test results of the same student before and after injury.” Initially, a baseline ImPACT was admin- istered only to students playing high- impact sports: football, ice hockey, wrestling, and lacrosse. But as knowledge about concussions improved—and when a Web-based version of the program was released, providing data results faster than ever—Middlesex began to test all new students in their first week of school to have baseline information for everyone. Now, whether a student sustains a blow during athletics or in some other kind of mishap, baseline data is available for that student that can be compared with later ImPACT results to help with diagnosis and treatment. No matter how they occur, concussions are a complicated business. Symptoms may be immediately apparent, or they may be subtle and appear gradually— and they can be physical, cognitive, or behavioral in nature. They may be shortlived or last for weeks and even months. The process of recovery is equally unpredictable, for no two concussions follow the same pattern of improvement. For these reasons, Middlesex has established clear protocols to follow. When a concussion is suspected, Darby states, Now, I’m on the other side of things, thinking, ‘What was I doing? Why wouldn’t I say that I had a headache?’” Her understanding of the mindset of competitive athletes, coupled with her experience at Mass General, will undoubtedly prepare her well for her future goal of becoming an orthopedic surgeon. Kaitlin will finish her undergraduate degree in May and remain at Northeastern next year to complete a master’s degree in public health before moving on to medical school in 2012. Providing Protection The question of how to prevent or minimize concussions is frequently on the mind of Tim Mayhew ’86, who serves as a managing director for the firm Fenway Partners. In this role, he is responsible for Fenway’s investment in Easton-Bell Sports, a company that was built starting with the 2003 acquisition of Riddell, makers of the official helmets of the NFL. The business grew with the subsequent acquisition of both Bell and Giro in 2005, and Easton in 2006— all makers of first-rate athletic equipment for a variety of sports. As Fenway became more involved with these companies, Tim recalls, “We realized that we had lots of technology about head protection for different sports and decided to bring it together in one place. That’s why we built the Dome; it’s where all our knowledge is centralized for research and development.” “The minimum response is an immediate clinical assessment.” Indications of concussion will then require a student to undertake 24 hours of “cognitive rest,” which means staying away from reading and watching TV or any kind of computer screen. Unless symptoms are still too strong a day later, a student will take another ImPACT to compare with his or her own baseline data. Gradually, as symptoms dissipate, the student will progress back to activity with balance and skillbased exercises over several days. “Years ago,” Darby says, “players probably went back too soon because we had to rely primarily on their self-reporting—and some of them might not be honest about their symptoms and recovery, especially if they didn’t want to miss their championship game or the college coaches coming to see them.” “It’s difficult because some people want to be more cautious than the protocol, and some want to accelerate the return to play,” she finds. “We’re careful because what is important is the long term —not can they return to play, but can they return to activity. If a student is struggling in the classroom after a concussion, how can we return them to play?” Research has also revealed that students who return to activity too soon are at risk for greater damage if another concussion occurs soon after the first. “We have to approach it as ‘this is one game versus the rest of your life,’” Darby reasons. “I tell students, ‘You’ve got two knees but only one brain.’” It is important to note, too, that at Middlesex, the brains under consideration belong to adolescents who are still in the midst of significant growth and neural development—adding another layer of intricacy to the treatment of concussions. “The psychology of adolescents is complicated in and of itself,” as Head of School Kathy Giles explains. “When one adds to that the impact from a brain injury—that is so idiosyncratic to each child—we end up having to take each child as each child presents, on a day-today basis, and do the best we can. The complexity of how kids present is just another part of being an adolescent.” Fortunately, as Kathy points out, Middlesex can readily call upon the expertise of the adults in the school community to help monitor a student’s situation. “We have very good support here, which is important given that concussion symptoms may be phy- sical, emotional, or psychological,” she says. “Faculty meetings give us a chance on a weekly basis to gather and assess students’ progress on many fronts. It’s a time when we have all the medical, counseling, and residential adults together in one room.” In this supportive environment— and with the most current medical advice regarding the treatment of concussions in adolescents—Middlesex students have the best possible chance for recovery, even as the scientific community learns more about the long-term effects of injury on brain development. MIDDLESEX SPRING 2011 17 One innovation resulting from the collaboration of designers (right) at the Easton-Bell Technology Center is the pitching helmet proto- type (above). (Photos courtesy of Easton-Bell Sports) The Easton-Bell Sports Technology Center, called “the Dome,” formally opened last fall in Scotts Valley, California. The 55,000 square-foot building is “one part design space and one part lab,” as Tim says, and facilitates sharing improvements in materials and technology with all Easton-Bell Sports brands, making better equipment for eight different categories of sports. Among the latest innovations coming out of the Dome is a new helmet prototype, unveiled in March, which is designed to help protect baseball pitchers, who risk serious injury on the mound whenever a batter connects with the ball. Rather than debate the relative dangers of wooden and aluminum bats, Easton-Bell recognized the need for additional protection; the resulting helmet has already been enthusiastically endorsed by 18 MIDDLESEX SPRING 2011 the family of one California high school pitcher, Gunnar Sandberg, who was nearly killed by a line drive to the head last year. The company hopes to have the product available for sale soon. Continually updating existing equipment, Dome designers have produced new football helmets equipped with HITS® (Head Impact Telemetry System) technology, which uses sensors to capture, measure, and record the force of a hit to the head, also calculating the biomechanical elements of the impact. This data is then transmitted wirelessly to a laptop computer on the sidelines, where, through the Sideline Response System™, team trainers and doctors can evaluate the information and the affected players immediately—a great benefit given that not all hits can be seen or accurately assessed from the bench. “One issue with concussion is that it is often a silent injury,” Tim notes. “If we can take some of the mystery out of this, we will really accomplish something.” He envisions that technology like this could be applied to helmets for other contact sports, like hockey and lacrosse, and acknowledges that these endeavors take a lot of energy and fortitude. “Making people aware of the risks, creating an effective product that looks good, and getting players, coaches, and parents to embrace new things—these are all long processes,” Tim says. “To the extent that EastonBell Sports can be on the leading edge of doing this work is a good thing, and the Dome, in a sense, embodies that.” When it comes to concussions, as Tim observes, “Each tragedy that occurs raises awareness—but you want to get to a point where tragedies don’t occur.” It’s an admirable and ambitious goal in a world where accidents happen and risk can’t be completely eliminated. But whether Middlesex alumni are working to provide people with better protection from concussions; or to educate young athletes about them; or to conduct research to improve diagnosis and treatment when they occur, it’s clear that they are making progress and are headed in the right direction. M Ready All: Row! The New Paumgarten Boathouse The Bulletin provides a glimpse of the Middlesex crews’ classic and efficient facility, a short drive from campus on the Concord River. MIDDLESEX SPRING 2011 19 With construction complete in November 2010, Middlesex’s new Paumgarten Boathouse is being put to good use at last, now that the spring rowing season has arrived. For the first time in more than a decade, the boys’ and girls’ crews can share the same, superb practice facilities—and they have a great home race course on the Concord River. “It’s a beautiful river,” says Girls’ Crew Head Coach Laura Darby McNally ’80, “and it’s essentially the same stretch of water that the School has rowed on since at least 1952. We can row all the way to the Old North Bridge on five miles of protected water that is as wide as Bateman’s Pond.” To the outsider, Bateman’s Pond would seem to be a convenient, ideal place to row— and it still is for novices just taking up the sport. Unfortunately, several years ago, Bateman’s 800-meter course was reckoned to be at least 300-meters short of the minimum official race length, leaving Middlesex without a home course and causing the program to divide its practices among three different locations. Coaches and rowers made the best of the situation, but it was clear that a single boathouse on a nearby body of water was essential for the program to continue and thrive. The gleaming boat bay also contains a workbench for repairs on the far left. Jason Robart ’11, Spencer Bienvenue ’12, and Robbie Paine ’12 on the riverside balcony. A room of their own— just for coxswains and their equipment. (Four other changing rooms are for rowers.) 20 MIDDLESEX SPRING 2011 Rowers shoulder their shells for the short walk to the river’s edge. “Perhaps the greatest challenge was finding waterfront property,” says George Noble, who has been a point person for the boathouse project in the Middlesex Development Office. “When land became available on the Concord River just 10 minutes away from campus, we jumped on it.” With the School’s needs and a specific site in mind, the firm of Wieber, Powell, and Grunigen, Inc. drew up architectural plans, which were then shared with Nick Paumgarten ’63, a co-captain of the 1963 varsity crew. “Nick enthusiastically jumped on board with a challenge gift,” George continues. “If the School could raise half of the building costs, he would match that amount. That allowed construction to begin, and there are still opportunities for interested donors to contribute and help cover final costs.” The project has been a longstanding passion and priority for another former varsity crew captain, George Lewis ’50, who has generously provided a boathouse endowment fund to pay for its maintenance in perpetuity. Thanks to significant gifts like these, the Middlesex crew program is well-situated for the future with an outstanding new facility on a perfect stretch of water. A scenic view from the boathouse balcony. MIDDLESEX SPRING 2011 21 The Legacy of Lamb How an Eccentric Music Master Shaped Middlesex by Jim Zimmerman H e was a “pudgy, pear-shaped, center-parted, language and musicobsessed throwback to another era,” says Henry Stone, Jr. ’61. “Flamboyant” is the way Bill Weld ’62 remembers him. “He had this mass of hair, dyed jet-black, heavily pomaded. It flowed behind him when he walked. He was outrageous…I’d liken him to Disraeli.” At a time when others wore fedoras and somber suits, George Stevens ’42 says Mr. Lamb wore “very baggy knickers and always a French beret.” He was the last Middlesex master to wear a stiff-collared shirt, long after they ceased being fashionable, and even when he finally abandoned his plus-fours for suit pants, no one ever saw him in casual dress. Marshall Field ’59 recalls, “He wore a black suit, white shirt, and black bow tie, always, and to this day, I don’t know how he did it, but we witnessed it on the way to dinner: he’d tie his bow tie with one hand!” Of course, it wasn’t just Mr. Lamb’s unusual looks. Sheldon Flory ’44 wrote in a 2002 reminiscence that he had been lined up at a Halloween dance in the late 1930s, bored silly, when “suddenly there (was) a blast of accordion music, and Arthur Motter 22 MIDDLESEX SPRING 2011 Lamb—fake, bulbous nose, colored glasses, and a black, cardboard moustache—careened into the gym on his unicycle, baritone bellowing ‘Santa Lucia,’ hands flailing the keyboard.” Bill remembers Mr. Lamb’s “horror” of modern things. “Little things drove him crazy. When he heard something ‘off,’ like the misuse of a phrase, or if he heard the crinkling of paper—he hated the sound of crinkling paper!—he would let out a piercing scream!” And, of course, there was the car. He would drive his enormous, blue Cadillac (or in later years, a big Packard) with his legs crossed, only one foot working the multiple pedals, in a story recounted by Jere Farrington ’37 but retold across several generations. “We called The Mikado, as presented in 1949. MIDDLESEX SPRING 2011 23 respect, and, further, he didn’t seem to care what we thought of him. What he did do was make abundantly clear what he did care about. He was passionate, fearless, opinionated, and eccentric in every way. We all shook our heads and joked about him behind his back. Yet, while it wasn’t fashionable to admit it, I doubt there was anybody there, student or faculty, who was admired or respected more. He was a great teacher and, for me, as it turned out, an unforgettable role model.” “He dominated five of my six years at Middlesex,” agrees Bill. “In the draft of my memoirs, which runs 400 pages, Lamb is a full 10 pages.” Henry Stone, Sr. ’34 adds, “As a young kid, you didn’t know what to make of him. But by the time we were seniors, we really appreciated him; he came to your level at that point, and we greatly respected him.” Boys being boys, of course, notions of respect and admiration were always leavened with irreverence. A little ditty they sang in Lamb’s final years attested to how they felt: Surprisingly not perched up in the organ loft, Mr. Lamb occupied a box seat by the window during this 1930s chapel service. him ‘Dingbat,’” a nickname that would endure for his entire Middlesex career, recalls George, “because he was so peculiar.” Yet, in hundreds of conversations, no Middlesex master has been cited by more alumni as their most memorable, and most influential, teacher. How did someone so eccentric, so clearly different from all others around him, become such an iconic master, the man who influenced a half-century of Middlesex boys? “When I came to Middlesex, I quickly learned that there was a severe penalty for standing out,” says Henry, Jr. “We all teased— harassed—people for their clothes, their speech, their hair, and their mannerisms. For many of us, this created a desperate need to fly below the radar, if we could, or learn to become an arbiter of what was okay and what was not. In this atmosphere of 1950s intolerance, what was I to make of Arthur Motter Lamb? He was like no one I had ever known in every 24 MIDDLESEX SPRING 2011 The music’s always hotter With good old Arthur Motter! On the 50th anniversary of his death, it seems appropriate to reflect on Mr. Lamb’s powerful influence on several generations of Middlesex students and, indeed, on Middlesex as a “singing school,” as Hugh Fortmiller called it in the centennial history, Find the Promise. To this day, Middlesex remains a school where music has been and is a constant presence. According to Pierson Wetzel, co-head of the music department, there are 126 students who sing in one of the School’s several choral and a capella groups. Add to that the 140 students who take weekly music lessons, the two dozen or so who perform in an orchestra or ensemble, and the 80 to 100 who perform in or support a main stage theatrical production or musical, and you have well over 200 students who are actively involved in one or more forms of music and theatre each year. Pierson is constantly surprised by the high level of involvement but says that it is not by accident. “Middlesex encourages broad participation through its scheduling. I think that we are one of a tiny handful of schools that allows students to sing or perform in addition to doing other things. Many schools require students to choose between performing arts and sports, but we encourage students to do it all. It is taxing, but kids can really discover talents they did not know that they had.” Tom Kane, the director of the theatre, puts it a slightly different way. “At other schools, there are theatre cliques and jock cliques with very little interaction between the two,” he says. “Here at Middlesex, the delineation between groups is less clear. Some of our best athletes are some of our best actors.” (He is quick to add, with a laugh, that “of course, some of our best actors are also some of our worst athletes!”) Arthur Motter Lamb arrived at Middlesex in 1919, fresh out of Harvard, to take over the music program. A bit of a prodigy, he had graduated in three years at age 19, and Headmaster Frederick Winsor (who had known his father in Baltimore) took a bit of a flier and hired him, even though he looked younger than many of his Middlesex charges. Although Mr. Lamb spoke several languages fluently, and also taught French at Middlesex, it was in music that he made his mark. He taught music appreciation, led the Glee Club, directed the concerts, and produced the theatricals. All the while, he ensured that music was a part of every boy’s life. “In music classes,” remembered Sheldon, “we practiced our choral parts, and we also learned folksongs for the fall, Christmas, and May concerts. And we learned them in their original languages: not only Latin, French, German, Italian, or Spanish but also in Gaelic or Polish.” Casual participation was not permitted by Mr. Lamb. “He was driven to pass on to us unwashed boys his passion for his music, the great music, the right music,” recalls Henry Stone, Jr. “Pounding the keyboard of the rehearsal piano until his nails split, shouting out instructions, screeching with dismay if we weren’t paying attention or only giving half an effort…. Love it or hate it, you were not allowed indifference.” For the boys who showed more than a passing interest in classical music, Mr. Lamb would literally go the extra mile. Every Friday, he would load up the aforementioned Cadillac “He was driven to pass on to us unwashed boys his passion for his music, the great music, the right music. Pounding the keyboard of the rehearsal piano until his nails split, shouting out instructions, screeching with dismay if we weren’t paying attention or only giving half an effort.... Love it or hate it, you were not allowed indifference.” Visible in this Glee Club rehearsal photo from the early 1930s is Henry Stone, Sr. ’34 (back row, third from the left). Henry Stone, Jr. ’61 MIDDLESEX SPRING 2011 25 or Packard and drive a group of students into Boston for the symphony. Henry Stone, Sr. recalls, “In Friday morning’s music class, he would give us a lecture on the composers and pieces that were to be played that afternoon in Symphony Hall. Then, if you were lucky, you’d be picked to ride to Boston, there to sit in the front row, right, and to hear the program, usually conducted by Sergei Koussevitzky.” Ask any alumnus from the era about Mr. Lamb’s great- est Middlesex contribution, however, and he will give the same answer. “Gilbert & Sullivan was a big deal,” says George Senkler ’52. “It dominated the school year. We all looked forward to it.” According to Bill, “Gilbert & Sullivan was sacrosanct. Everyone came to the performance. You wouldn’t dream of making fun of it or of anyone in it!” Ask any alumnus from the era about Mr. Lamb’s greatest Middlesex contribution, however, and he will give the same answer. “Gilbert & Sullivan was a big deal,” says George Senkler ’52. “It dominated the school year. We all looked forward to it.” For the uninitiated, Gilbert & Sullivan operas were Victorian-era, satirical musical theatre productions that matched witty, dry, and very funny lyrics with memorable melodies. They were the precursors to the contemporary musical and were highly popular in London, New York, and much of the world in the late 19th century and first few decades of the 20th century. As Ivan Hewett wrote in The Telegraph in 2002, G&S operas present a “special blend of charm, silliness, and gentle satire” full of “simple melodic charm” that makes them timeless. Middlesex had begun a tradition of annually performing a Gilbert & Sullivan opera under Mr. Lamb’s predecessor, William Taylor. But Mr. Lamb, an ardent G&S fan, took it to a new, higher level. His productions were lavish, with full orchestras, elaborate costumes, and gorgeous sets built by his faculty colleague and friend Russell Kettell ’10. “The attention to detail in the costumes and sets was meticulous,” remembers Bill. “The ruffles and flourishes were astounding.” Mr. Lamb produced a stock, seven-year rotation that included The Gondoliers, The Mikado, Ruddigore, Iolanthe, Princess Ida, The Yeoman of the Guard, and Patience. His list did not include the two G&S operas that are perhaps the best known, The Pirates of Penzance and H.M.S. Pinafore. Why not? Sheldon suggests that Mr. Lamb felt that “other (read ‘inferior’) schools did those and did them badly.” 26 MIDDLESEX SPRING 2011 Mr. Lamb maintained the English tradition of casting the youngest boys, whose voices had not yet changed, in the girls’ parts. Bill can still sing every note of his part of Yum-Yum, the female lead role in The Mikado that he played in eighth grade. “I was chubby, about five-feet tall and 105 pounds. It took a lot of makeup to make me credible.” he recalls. “My father was in the audience in the fifth row with his head in his hands; my mother was beaming!” Weeks of intense rehearsal finally led to opening night. George Senkler remembers, “Mr. Lamb would make a grand entrance into the auditorium at the beginning of the performance. Wearing black tie and tails, he would march to the front of the room, take a deep bow, turn to the piano, and dramatically flip the tails up before he sat down. Much to our great glee, Mr. Kettell would follow quietly right behind him and teasingly flip up the bottom of his suit jacket before taking his seat in the front row.” Once seated at the piano, Mr. Lamb “played every single operetta by memory and did not miss a note,” remembers Henry, Sr. Not content simply to direct the performers and conduct the orchestra, all while he was playing the piano, Mr. Lamb had an additional task to consume his energies. He had created a long, rectangular box that flashed signals to the boys on stage. Every performer remembers the box, as much for its novelty as for its usefulness. Left and right arrows told them to move one way or another; an elephant urged them not to make so much noise with their feet; lips reminded them to smile. Bill remembers a “mouse on the lower right-hand corner of the box that demanded that we stop looking down at the floor!” Mr. Lamb’s untimely death in the spring of 1961 signaled the end of Gilbert & Sullivan at Middlesex. The times were changing, and there was an interest in other forms of dramatic production. Middlesex and many schools like it were phasing out the seventh and eighth grades, which meant that there were fewer and fewer sopranos and altos able to take on the girls’ parts. And, in a bit of an ironic twist, the advent of coeducation a decade or so later cemented the demise of G&S: none of the painstakingly created costumes could be altered to fit the girls. Yet, Mr. Lamb’s influence survives, long after his passing. Surely he created an atmosphere in which music was an indelible part of the fabric of Middlesex. And he also gave to many of the boys in his charge a love of music that remains to this day. “I received from him a lifelong appreciation for classical music,” says George Senkler. “My wife grew up in post-war Germany, and we have a shared passion for opera, orchestra, and Wagner. Of course, any time I hear a Gilbert & Sullivan tune, I start singing along. It drives my family crazy!” Henry, Sr. was influenced tremendously by the music appreciation classes and the trips to the orchestra. “It was an experience I’ll never forget,” he says, “and one which motivates me to this day to subscribe to the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Friday afternoon concerts. At age 95, that’s a lot of wonderful music for which I am gratefully indebted to Arthur Motter Lamb.” There were other life lessons, too. “Mr. Lamb’s attention to detail helped to instill some work habits in me that I have never lost,” argues Bill. “And if anything prepares you for politics, it is being alone on stage when the curtain comes up.” “His time-honored pattern of doing things intoxicated me with my first scent of tradition,” remembered Bart Calder He had created a long, rectangular box that flashed signals to the boys on stage. Every performer remembers the box, as much for its novelty as for its usefulness. Left and right arrows told them to move one way or another; an elephant urged them not to make so much noise with their feet; lips reminded them to smile. ’58. “Mr. Lamb devoted his entire life to one preparatory school in one small town. When an even greater musical career might have been his destiny, his willing and most likely unconscious devotion to so many parts of Middlesex stands as a testimony which should not be forgotten.” M The Anvil issue of March 17, 1934, carried this depiction of a clearly displeased Mr. Lamb during a G&S rehearsal. MIDDLESEX SPRING 2011 27 In Memoriam Prentiss Godfrey ’35 Prentiss Godfrey died March 16, 2011, in Bangor, ME. He was born in Bangor on December 12, 1915, the son of Edward and Emma Eastman Godfrey, and attended Somerset School in Bangor before following his brother, the late Edward R. Godfrey, Jr. ’25, to Middlesex. Prentiss graduated from Wassokeag School in 1934, Harvard in 1938, and the University of Michigan Law School in 1941. During World War II, he flew submarine patrol missions for the Civil Air Patrol’s Coastal Patrol base in Portland and later was a civilian pilot and instructor at an Army Air Force glider school in Mobile, AL. He then became a U.S. Navy flight instructor until the close of the war and maintained a keen interest in aviation throughout his life. A director of the Lincoln Trust Company and the Eastern Trust and Banking Company, he became a director of Northeast Bankshare Association and, later, Norstar Bank as the banks merged. He retired at the age of 70 when Norstar became Fleet Bank. He was also a longtime trustee of Brewer Savings Bank. Prentiss is survived by his wife of 66 years, Frances Edwards Godfrey; three sons, John E. Godfrey ’66, David P. Godfrey ’69, and Donald Godfrey ’76; two daughters, Ann Godfrey Ogilvie and Alice Godfrey Eyles; and numerous grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. Richard M. Kip ’37 Richard Murrell Kip died on October 18, 2010. The son of Professor and Mrs. Herbert Z. Kip, Dick was born on October 21, 1919, and came to Middlesex in 1934 from the Bulkeley School in New London, CT. After graduating, he earned his undergraduate degree at Princeton and married Joan Frances Evans on 42 MIDDLESEX SPRING 2011 April 21, 1944. Beginning his career in transportation with Braniff International, Dick lived in San Francisco for five years and then in various cities throughout Latin America for 20 years. Becoming an aviation consultant with R. Dixon Speas Associates in 1969, he settled in Manhasset, NY, where he lived until retiring to his farm in Norfolk, CT, in the mid-1980s. Predeceased by his wife Joan and daughter Isabel, Dick is survived by his son Michael and two granddaughters. John R. Schorger ’42 John Rodger Schorger, 83, died on May 6, 2008, in Tallahassee, FL. Born in Madison, Wisconsin, on December 29, 1924, John followed his brother, the late William D. Schorger ’39, to Middlesex in 1938 after earning a Prize Scholarship. He volunteered to serve in the American Field Service, attached to the British 8th Army in North Africa. Upon his return, John joined the U.S. Navy and received an honorable discharge following WWII. After graduating from Harvard with a degree in English history, he worked in advertising and marketing. Moving to Florida, he started his own freelance writing firm, Schorger & Schorger. John appreciated numerous intellectual pursuits throughout his life. His most fulfilling accomplishment was helping to develop the TallahasseeLeon Community Animal Service Center. John is survived by his son, John “Jock” Schorger; his grandson, John Schiller; two granddaughters, Ashley Dohrn and Colleen Richards; his stepson, C.A. “Andy” Lininger; and his stepdaughter, Elizabeth Sheridan. His daughter, Abigail McCormick, preceded John in death. Richard C. Newlands ’46 Richard Creighton Newlands died of natural causes on July 9, 2010. Dick was born on January 12, 1928, to Helen and George Newlands in Portland, OR. He joined the second class at Middlesex and, after graduation, earned a B.A. in political science at Yale. Dick served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, subsequently taking over his father’s insurance business and building it into the partnership Campbell, Gait and Newlands (USI). With a strong sense of civic duty, Dick supported numerous charities and served as board president for several organizations. He enjoyed sports and social clubs and was a voracious reader with a deep knowledge of history. In addition to his wife, Sally Voss Newlands, Dick is survived by their four children, Martha, George, Rich, and Donald; eight grandchildren; and his large circle of lifelong friends. H. Curtis Place ’46 Hermann Curtis Place died on May 8, 2010, in Englewood, NJ. The son of Hermann G. and Angela Moore Place, Curtis was born in Manhattan on February 27, 1927. Drafted near the end of his second class year at Middlesex, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps in the summer of 1945 and went on to study agriculture at Cornell University after completing his service. On June 19, 1948, Curtis married Patricia “Patsy” Miller, and, on graduating from Cornell, moved to Millbrook, NY, where he managed his father’s dairy farm until his retirement. Devoted to his family and community, Curtis was supervisor of the town of Washington, NY, from 1967–83. Predeceased by his wife Patsy, Curtis is survived by his three children, Anne P. Fiore, George T. Place, and Katherine P. Clark; five grandchildren; two great-grand- children; his brother John; and his sister, Angela Supple. His nephew, John Bassett Moore Place, Jr. ’72, is also a Middlesex graduate. Malcolm Richards ’47 Malcolm Richards died on May 16, 2010. He was born on July 28, 1928, and graduated from The Fenn School before coming to Middlesex, the alma mater of his father, the late Thomas K. Richards ’11. On graduating, Mal earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Washington and completed the Executive Training Program at Harvard Business School. Over the course of his career, he served as an accountant for Turner Construction Company, a budget director for Paramount Pictures, a controller for ITT and Chemical Bank, and a management consultant. Settled in Leicester, NC, in his retirement, he enjoyed playing bridge, traveling, and fishing. Mal is survived by his wife of 50 years, Toni Gray Richards; two daughters, Marla and Toni; and his son Mark. Bernard F. Rogers ’49 Bernard Fowler Rogers died on September 10, 2010. Born to James and Jane Linn Rogers in Chicago, IL, on November 8, 1931, Bernie attended the Chicago Latin School before Middlesex. After graduating from Yale, he served in the CIC in Japan. Taking advantage of the GI Bill, he studied writing in Innsbruck, Austria, returning to Chicago in 1956 and marrying Elizabeth Dudley Elting in 1957. They had four sons. In Chicago, Bernie worked as an insurance executive for Marsh and McClennan. He also served as the youngest trustee of the Art Institute of Chicago, worked with a black youth gang called the Conservative Vice Lords on the South Side, and presided over the Lincoln Park Zoo. Although Bernie’s life would find him in many different locales—including New York, Colorado, St. Barts, and Wisconsin—he maintained a love for his native city of Chicago and regaled his friends with stories of his early exploits there. Predeceased by his eldest son, Mark H. Rogers ’77, Bernie is survived by three sons, Michael E. Rogers ’78, Paul W. Rogers ’82, and Christopher W. Rogers; two stepsons, Anthony H. Woods ’90 and Nicholas Greenway; a stepdaughter, Vandy Boudreau; and two sisters, Maryjane Clay and Hope Haff. Paul C. Washburn ’53 Paul Carruth Washburn, Jr. died January 9, 2011. Born in Boston on September 4, 1935, Paul attended the Fay School before Middlesex and subsequently earned his undergraduate degree at Harvard. Based in New England, Paul was a trust investment officer for several banking institutions, including Eaton and Howard in Boston, Merchant’s National Bank in Manchester, NH, and Howard Bank in Burlington, VT. In addition, Paul and his wife Penny owned and operated the Red Fox Alpine Lodge at Smugglers Notch, VT, for 12 years. In retirement in Nokomis, FL, they enjoyed skiing, sailing, boating, fishing, and golf. Paul spent nine years in the U.S. Army and Army Reserves, serving in the artillery and achieving the rank of E7. In addition to his wife Penny, he is survived by two sons, Paul and Miles; two stepchildren, Brian Russell and Heather Burke; and seven grandchildren. Robyn M. Dawes ’54 Robyn Mason Dawes died on December 14, 2010, of complications from Parkinson’s disease. He was born on July 23, 1936, in Pittsburgh, PA, and came to Middlesex after winning a National Prize Scholarship. On graduating, Robyn earned an A.B. in philosophy from Harvard, and an M.A. in clinical psychology and a Ph.D. in mathematical psychology from the University of Michigan. A pioneer in the field of behavioral decision research—which integrates psychology, economics, and human emotions—Robyn retired in 2009 as the Charles J. Queenan, Jr. professor of psychology at Carnegie Mellon University, where he also headed the department of social sciences. He arrived at CMU in 1985 from the University of Oregon, where he had taught psychology and served as a department head, and he soon earned a reputation as a myth buster. In his 1996 book, House of Cards: Psychology and Psychotherapy Built on Myth, he called out mental health professionals for ignoring empirical research in favor of techniques that do not hold up to scientific inquiry. Among Robyn’s other books are Rational Choice in an Uncertain World, which he co-wrote with Reid Hastie and which won the William James Award in 1990; Mathematical Psychology: An Elementary Introduction; The Fundamentals of Attitude Measurement; and Everyday Irrationality: How Pseudoscientists, Lunatics, and the Rest of Us Fail to Think Rationally. Robyn was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2002 and elected to a fellowship to the American Statistical Association in 2006. In 2005, the American Psychological Society honored his lifetime of scientific contributions with a festschrift, a collection of essays about his work written by colleagues. Robyn was also an accomplished musician who composed solo piano pieces in a variety of classical styles. He is survived by his wife, Mary Schafer; two daughters, Jennifer Dawes and Molly Meyers; and two grandchildren. Thomas N. Perkins, Jr. ’63 Thomas Nelson Perkins, Jr. died on December 9, 2010, after a long illness. The son of Thomas N. and Anne Houghton Perkins of Westwood, MA, Tom attended Dexter School before Middlesex and was an alumnus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Boston University. He was an avid bicyclist and student of history, as well as a longtime supporter of Doctors Without Borders, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, and KTEH Public Television. Tom is survived by his wife, Abby Willowroot; two sons, Thomas N. Perkins IV and Samuel H. Perkins; four grandchildren; six nieces and nephews; and two sisters, Polly Bauhan and Anne McDowell. Peter E. Gardiner ’73 Peter Eaton Gardiner died suddenly on October 10, 2010. Peter was born in New York City and grew up in New Vernon and Far Hills, NJ. A graduate of the Peck School, Middlesex, and Boston University, he worked briefly in Washington, DC, for the Energy Commission before founding Allegheny Hydropower. Peter continued his work in hydroelectricity with Cresci Associates, where he contributed to designing and overseeing the completion of the Quechee Gorge (VT) hydroelectric site. He worked in several entrepreneurial undertakings— from software design to Alpen Glace ice cream cafés in Miami, FL—before he found his greatest professional passion: working with Clair International, Prime, and Brookline Audi. Peter may be best remembered for chairing the annual Bastille Day celebration and other fundraising events for the French Library in Boston and numerous other Boston charities. In addition to his wife, Lisa (Doyle) Gardiner, Peter is survived by his children, Alexandra and Robert; his father and stepmother, Robert and Elizabeth Gardiner; his stepfather, Paul Glover; his sisters, Megan Gardiner and Susan Trespalacios; his brother, Tom Gardiner; his stepsiblings, Stuart and Glynn Valentine; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his mother, Janet Glover. Samuel Hazard Former Middlesex faculty member Samuel Hazard, who served the School from 1952–59, died on September 15, 2010. A graduate of St. Andrew’s School and Williams College, Sam later attended Harvard and Northwestern. He served in the Navy in World War II and saw action in the North Atlantic. Sam was first married to Elisabeth Trott and had three children; he worked in the family business until he discovered his real love, teaching. At Middlesex, he is remembered as an English teacher, football coach, and housemaster of Bryant-Paine. He taught at and was the headmaster of other schools on the East Coast, as well as in California, Idaho, and Florida. After his divorce, Sam later married Juliana Pettit Merchant. He subsequently became the founding headmaster of the Ketchum-Sun Valley Community School and the Naples Community School, also overseeing the founding years of the Riverstone Community School. Sam is survived by his wife of 41 years, Julie; his three children, Crissy Cherry, Elisabeth TierceHazard, and Serena Hazard; four stepchildren, Karen Merchant-Yates, Vicky Walker, Philip Merchant, and Albert Merchant; and eight grandchildren. MIDDLESEX SPRING 2011 43 Back Story Hallowell’s Flag A wartime portrait of Colonel Norwood Penrose Hallowell. Image courtesy of the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library. 44 MIDDLESEX SPRING 2011 Ardent abolitionist, courageous Civil War veteran, respected Boston banker: Colonel Norwood Penrose Hallowell was well-known and admired in each of these roles—and as a Middlesex trustee and board president. Many may connect his name with Hallowell House, which was named for him; but, fewer may know the history behind his Civil War belongings, especially a large flag, that have been displayed in the Warburg Library since the early 1970s. “Pen” Hallowell was raised as a Quaker by abolitionist parents whose Philadelphia home was a station on the Underground Railroad. In April 1861, as he finished his degree at Harvard, he joined the 20th Massachusetts Regiment, determined to fight to end slavery. Within two years, he had been commissioned a lieutenant-colonel for the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, the state’s first volunteer regiment of African-American soldiers, led by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw (immortalized in sculpture by Augustus Saint-Gaudens and, later, in the 1989 film Glory). In May 1863, Hallowell accepted the command of the 55th Infantry, the state’s second African-American regiment, which he led in the summer siege of Fort Wagner. Disabled by battle wounds, he was discharged in November 1863. As a friend of two founding Middlesex trustees, Major Henry Higginson and General Charles Jackson Paine, Hallowell was asked to join the new School’s Board in 1902, and he served as its president from 1904 until his death in 1914. Decades later, with this close association in mind, Hannah Hallowell Bigelow thoughtfully offered her grandfather’s ceremonial 55th Regiment flag and several other items to Middlesex, where they were placed on the library’s second floor. And with equal thoughtfulness, generous Middlesex alumni and parents recently funded the restoration of the fragile, historic flag—just in time for a special exhibit at the Concord Museum called “When Duty Whispers: Concord and the Civil War.” Now open through September 18, 2011, the exhibit not only features Hallowell’s flag but also his 20th Regiment sword and medical kit. Come October, all of these artifacts will return to Middlesex to be installed on the Warburg’s main floor near the office of Library Director Jeff Smith, who initiated the restoration project. M Reconnect with the Redesigned and Revitalized Middlesex School Web Site Launching by May 31, 2011 New Look, Same Address: www.mxschool.edu MIDDLESEX SPRING 2011 45 1400 Lowell Road P.O.Box 9122 Concord, Massachusetts 01742-9122 www.mxschool.edu Calm Waters On a rare, idyllic April afternoon, Middlesex crews glide by the docks of the new Paumgarten Boathouse. 46 MIDDLESEX SPRING 2011 Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Concord, MA 01742 Permit No. 116