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News From Friends Sping 2013

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Page 1: News From Friends Sping 2013
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[ s p o t l i g h t o n a l u m n i a r t ] Stadium Light (2002), by David Allee ’87

After graduating from Friends, David Allee received a BA in Economics and Government from Cornell University in 1991, and his MFA in Photography from the School of Visual Arts in 2001. David came to photography after a career in urban planning and architecture. “My interests haven’t changed much since becoming an artist and photographer,” he said. “Structures, the built environment, that’s what I’m still drawn to, but in a less tangible and more abstract way.” According to David, these career-defining interests were first realized in photography and architecture classes with teacher Michael Rubin in his junior and senior years at Friends. His photographs have been exhibited widely and are in the permanent collection of major institutions, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Modern Art, the Bronx Museum of the Arts, and the Library of Congress. In addition, his work has been published extensively in books and magazines, such as The New Yorker, The New York Times, New York Magazine, TIME, and GQ.

The above photo of old Yankee Stadium was shot from the roof of a bowling alley across the street. It is part of White Nights, a series of photographs depicting cityscapes and landscapes illuminated by intense artificial light at night, caught somewhere between night and day.

www.davidallee.com

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Editor John GalaydaAssistant Editor & Graphic Designer Anna Pipes

features departments

1 | Mission Statement

2 | A Message from the Alumni Council

3 | Opening Shots

9 | Buzz on 16th Street

11 | Notes on Silence

13 | Class Notes

47 | Tributes

49 | Back in the Day

13 | Bringing our "A" Game:Athletics at Friends

Deirdre Murphy Bader ’77

Mary Gaynin Agnant ’04 & Alex Agnant ’02

Troy Whittington ’07

Martha Ehrenfeld ’83

Dave Zirin ’92

News from Friends is published by the Development Office at Friends Seminary two times each year for alumni, parents, grandparents and friends of the School. The mission of News from Friends is to feature the accomplishments of alumni, while capturing the School’s remarkable history, values and culture. Each issue will have an underlying theme, such as (but not limited to) the sciences, the arts, athletics, history, literature and service. Additionally, the magazine gives insight into recent events at Friends Seminary.

On the cover Troy Whittington ’07 is pictured through a basketball hoop in the courtyard at Friends. Troy first dunked a basketball through that very same hoop as a 14-year-old. Read more about Troy on page 21.

n f f

Photographers John Galayda, Johnathon Henninger, Kristin Eberts Mackler, Ben Needham ’92, Lonnie Webb, Stephen Yang ’03

Principal Robert “Bo” LauderDirector of Development Katherine PrechtDevelopment & Special Events Assistant Kate RadlauerDirector of Annual Giving Jenny Nichols

Major Gifts Officer Patty ZiplowDirector of Alumni Relations Katherine Farrell Database Manager Valerie DelaineDirector of Communications John GalaydaGraphic Designer & Communications Assistant Anna Pipes

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Friends Seminary educates students from kindergarten through twelfth grade, under the care of the New York Quarterly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. Through instruction and example, students follow their curiosity and exercise their imaginations as they develop as scholars, artists and athletes. In a community that cultivates the intellect through keen observation, critical thinking and coherent expression, we strive to respond to one another, valuing the single voice as well as the effort to reach consensus. The disciplines of silence, study and service provide the matrix for growth: silence opens us to change; study helps us to know the world; service challenges us to put our values into practice. At Friends Seminary, education occurs within the context of the Quaker belief in the Inner Light – that of God in every person. “Guided by the ideals of integrity, peace, equality and simplicity, and by our commitment to diversity, we do more than prepare students for the world that is: we help them bring about the world that ought to be.”*

ourmission

* This last sentence is adapted from Faith and Practice: The Book of Discipline of the New York Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (1974).

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Re-established in 2011, the Friends Seminary Alumni Council has defined its mission: To strengthen relationships among alumni and with the Friends Seminary community. The Council advances the School’s mission, preserves its historical traditions and is engaged in its current activities and plans for the future.

a message from the Alumni Council

Currently comprised of 16 members ranging from the class of 1951 to 2009, the Council is the representative

body of the Friends Seminary alumni community. We seek to ensure that our School’s enduring values of community service, respect and diversity remain at the heart of all alumni activities, give voice to alumni concerns and act as a liaison with Friends students, faculty and administration.

Our recent Council meetings have focused on developing the organization’s operating principles and organizing specialized committees (Nominating, Fundraising and Communications & Engagement). We added additional programs, which reflect the interests of Friends alumni. We are also proud to have introduced professional networking

2012-2013 Alumni Council Members Stephen J. Chinlund ’51, Elizabeth Peale Allen ’60, Valentine Hertz Kass ’64, Alvin Mack ’77, Jin Lee ’82, Schuyler K. Allen-Kalb ’86, Josh Isay ’87, Jordan Barowitz ’89 (Clerk), Joshua Wachs ’89, Michael L. Bedrick ’90, Boji J. Wong ’92, Sandra Jelin Plouffe ’93 (Clerk), Samantha K. Liebman ’94, Joanna Hunter ’02 (Clerk), Eric Obenzinger ’03, Lauren Chin ’09

opportunities and alumni admissions meetings. We aim to continue to play an active role in longstanding alumni activities such as Reunion, Annual Fund call nights, Alumni Service Day, and the Alumni Basketball Game; we will strive to find more ways to connect with and support current students at Friends. In forthcoming issues of News from Friends, the Council will include updates on our activities and feature Council Member profiles.

We are seeking nominations and applications for alumni to serve on the Council for the coming three-year term (Fall 2013 – Spring 2016). To apply or nominate an alumnus or alumna to be considered for service on the Alumni Council, please visit: www.friendsseminary.org/alumnicouncil.

The deadline for nominations and applications is June 15, 2013. The nominating committee is seeking representation across class years, gender, industries, interests and demonstrated involvement in the community. Recommendations for service will be extended in the interest of achieving this balance.

We look forward to sharing future Council updates with you and building a stronger, more connected alumni community.

Schuyler Allen-Kalb ’86 Alumni Council Member & Co-Chair of the Communications & Engagement Committee

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opening shots

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f r o m t h e a r c h i v e s

The 1920s saw a boom in athletics programs nationwide. The girls hockey team was one of the many new teams offered at Friends during this time. r e a d m o r e o n pag e 15.

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opening shots

j a n u a ry 2013Sahar Naqvi ’14 practices with the squash team at the Eastern Athletic Club in Brooklyn.

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opening shotsopening shots

Antoine Gray ’13 goes head-to-head with a Hackley player during a tournament game at Manhattan College.

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16TH STREET

Visited

november 14 Julie Roginsky, a political commentator on Fox News and MSNBC, spoke to Upper School students about social networking in politics in relation to President Obama’s reelection. | november 20 Dr. Anne Paxton, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University, visited with members of Feminists at Friends, a student-organized outreach initiative. Dr. Paxton discussed her experiences working in maternal mortality prevention in developing countries over the past 20 years. | February 20 Humanitarian Carl Wilkens visited Upper School history classes and spoke at assembly in the Meetinghouse. Wilkens discussed being the only American who chose to remain in Rwanda after the genocide began in 1994.

buzz on

Visiting ScholarsResidency Program

november 15, november 19, february 8

Jeffrey Toobin, the 2012-2013 Visiting Scholar at Friends, presented a public lecture in the Meetinghouse on November 15, 2012. Toobin, a staff writer at The New Yorker and CNN’s senior legal analyst, presented the argument that the Supreme Court has become more politically balanced since the 1960s despite widespread perception that it’s become more conservative. On November 19, he followed up his lecture with visits to Lower, Middle, and Upper School history and law classes as well as meetings with student government representatives. On February 8, he returned for Peace Week to speak about gun control laws in the United States.

Launched in 2009, the Visiting Scholar Program at Friends Seminary has welcomed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson (2010) and architect Charles Renfro (2009) into Friends classrooms. An anonymous donor whose intent is to enhance the classroom experience makes the Visiting Scholars Program at Friends Seminary possible.

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Performed

december 12 John Sebastian ’62 (above), founder and lead singer of The Lovin’ Spoonful, stopped by the Meetinghouse to share some of his best-loved songs with Upper and Middle School students (and a few alumni from ’59 to ’69.) Between singing, strumming and harmonica playing, John shared stories about his songwriting inspiration and process. | January 24 The Tangiers Blues Band played for a lively crowd of Lower Schoolers in the Meetinghouse. The band features three alums: Chris Scianni ’88 (left), Dave Borla ’91 and Dave Sellar ’91. The band will return to Friends on May 18 to perform for alumni during Reunion Luncheon.

www.tangiersbluesband.com

Peace Week

February 6 Patricia McCormick, author of Never Fall Down, a novel based on the true story of an 11-year-old boy who survived the Khmer Rouge by playing music in the Killing Fields, spoke at this year’s Peace Week Assembly. McCormick, parent of Matt Critchlow ’08, discussed how narrative can engage and educate audiences about human rights, social justice and promoting peace.

February 7 Peace Week 2013 keynote speaker Teri McLuhan held a screening of her film, The Frontier Gandhi: Badshah Khan, a Torch for Peace, which documents the epic story of a heroic nonviolent resistance leader. 

Alumni Day

december 20 Alumni and Friends seniors connected in an afternoon of networking in the Library. In student-moderated discussion panels, alums of all different ages discussed their career paths. Scientists Richard Casten ’59 and Hayden Hatch ’08 spoke about working in scientific research. Derek Wiesehahn ’85, Bart Freundlich ’88 and Travis Bogosian ’09 gave a behind-the-scenes look at the film world. Matt Flegenheimer ’07, Meredith Rahn-Oakes ’08 and Lauren Chin ’09 offered their pearls of wisdom at a panel titled Smart Start: Practical Advice from Young Alumni to Help You Get Hired.

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A Moment of Silence

I never felt a force overtake me.

It was, however, a good time to

do my “psychic laundry.”

M y father was a Quaker and my brother, sister and I were raised as much Quakers as anything

else. We were taken to First Day School irregularly and were introduced to Meeting for Worship in our elementary years, all at the 15th Street Meetinghouse. Thus, I was no doubt more accustomed to “moments of silence” than my non-Quaker classmates, who were the vast majority, (although the “vast” may not be the right adjective in a class that to-taled all of 25).

While Meeting for Worship did not play as central a role in the life of the community as it came to later, we began all as-semblies with a moment of si-lence, and had modified Silent Meetings from time to time, but my memory is not all that clear as to frequency.

The hush that fell over the Meetinghouse was a welcome respite from the clamor that filled the staircase, as we lined up to step into the Meeting-house, two by two, to a piano playing a classical march. Looking back, it was a moment of centering, as brief as it was; it would have served us well to begin each day with such an exercise; alas, only Wednesdays and Fridays.

When we sat in silence for more extended periods, I learned to relax my mind and see where it wandered. I often tried to give it a push in a religious or spiritual direction, but, while believing that “there is that of God in every man,” I never felt a force overtake me. It

notes on silence

was, however, a good time to do my “psychic laundry,” a term I picked up in graduate school and apply ret-roactively. To be in the midst of a group of others, all in silence, gives me a strong feeling, until the silence is broken by the words of another and someone else’s sock is tossed into my wash, reminding me that I am part of a community, filled with points of view that I may not have recognized.

After graduating from Friends in 1963, I returned eight years later as a psychologist and then as Head of the Lower School, from 1976–1982. The role of Meeting for Worship became increasingly central to the community of the School over these years and I can only assume it still is.

While I was Head of the Lower School, Joyce McCray was ap-pointed the new Principal, the first non-Quaker in that position (and the first and, so far, only woman). Knowing my background, she re-lied on me for Quaker “tips and pointers.” I was more than happy to oblige.

We had worked very closely to-gether the summer before she be-

gan her first academic year. The first day of school had arrived and we were sitting in her office, readying to go into the opening assembly. Suddenly, Joyce turned to me and said, “David, just how long is a moment of si-lence?” I responded, “Quite a bit longer than you think, and you will know when to break it.” And she did.

David Lowry ’63

David Lowry ’63, now retired, was most recently the Head of School at the Elisabeth Morrow School in Engelwood, N.J. Previously, he was Head of School at St. Edmunds Academy, the Lexington School and Brookside School/Cranbrook. After receiving his Ph.D in clinical psychology from Columbia University, he served Friends in many roles — consulting psychologist, psychology teacher, Director of Lower School Admissions, and the Head of Lower School.

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from left John Muste ’44, Al Berlen ’44, Richard Orefice ’44

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It wasn’t until the start of the 20th century that the competitive nature of organized sports became acceptable at a Quaker school. To be sure, some Friends had reservations about this.

In 1907, Anna T. Jeanes, a wealthy Philadelphia Friend, offered an endowment of $1,000,000 to Swarthmore College if it would abolish its football program. It didn’t. Over in Indiana, Earlham College didn’t allow its students to compete at all with other schools until the 1890s. These early intercollegiate sports at Quaker schools, however, made competition respectable in the Quaker ethic.

By the Roaring Twenties, sports aspired and American heroes like Babe Ruth, Red Grange and Jack Dempsey came to life. With booming athletics programs at their collegiate counterparts, Quaker

GIVE A HOOT! While the Friends mascot has changed over the years, Rutherford the Owl was chosen in 2003 as the athletics mascot. Robin Hoffman, a member of the mascot committee, said, “It was chosen because it was believed in Greek mythology that a magical ‘inner light’ gave owls night vision. The owl was an ornamental inspiration and was seen as the protector.”

secondary schools followed suit and began offering sports that they hadn’t been able to play in the past; Friends Seminary was no exception.

In the earlier part of the decade, the trustees at Friends bought an enormous athletic field in Brooklyn and employed a groundskeeper. It allowed, for just a moment, the fielding of the Friends Seminary football team. Girls played field hockey, the boys played baseball, and the Sixteenth Street yard became a tennis court — but none of these athletic avenues compared to the fantasy of the Class of 1925: the Friends Seminary swimming pool.

The 1924 school catalog included a longer description of the pool than of the high school. It was to be of “standard size and absolutely modern in its equipment and appointments” — 20 feet wide, 60 feet long, and eight feet deep just off the end of the diving board. According to the plans, it would lie beneath the center courtyard and be

“lined with white tile and have a pool vacuum cleaner. There will be a filtration system, and an ultraviolet ray sterilization system, with a recirculation electric power unit.” The $15,000 alumni subscription was launched, blueprints drawn, but no pool appeared — perhaps because of architects’ warnings or conceivably due to the parents’ and trustees’ fear of contagious diseases, particularly polio.

Following the Twenties, the Great Depression set in and many programs were drastically cut.

Floor plan featuring a proposed swimming pool (1924)

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YOU GO GIRL! On March 27, Friends celebrated the anniversary of Title IX, the education amendment enacted in 1972 to enforce institutional gender equality in sports. Upper School girls led their Middle School counterparts in a high-energy aerobic dance party.

Friends would continue to offer athletics teams, but the playing fields in Brooklyn were sold and sports were reduced to those that could be played within the School’s limited campus.

Fast-forward to the present day at Friends and you’ll find a similar roar to that of the Twenties with regard to the School’s athletic

offerings. In the 2012-2013 school year, Friends offered a record 33 teams in 12 sports.

For a full list of teams visitwww.friendsseminary.org/friends-athletics

Today, on the athletic field at Friends, Quakerism continues to play itself out by setting a tone of cooperation and sportsmanship. Teamwork is vital and the Quaker intellectual tradition, on which a Friends Seminary education is based, works to engage the whole student in mind, spirit and body.

Today, student-athletes at Friends are proudly competing with the best in the city. Here are just a few highlights from this past school year:

t r a c k & c r o s s c o u n t r y >> In recent years, the running program at Friends has become a powerhouse with divisional, state and even national honors in boys and girls cross country, indoor track and spring track. Phenom Beaux ’13 qualified and competed in the New York State Federation Cross Country Championship Meet and during this year’s indoor track season, she qualified to compete in the 800m run at the New Balance Nationals meet at The Armory in NYC. She finished 16th in the Emerging Elite division. The Boys track team won the PSAA Championship last spring.

b a s k e t b a l l >> This past winter, the boys varsity basketball team finished second in the ACIS league with an overall record of 16-10. Incredibly, the team qualified for the NYSAIS state tournament for the ninth time in 10 years. Sharpshooter Matthew ’13 scored his 1,000th point in his last game against Lawrence Woodmere Academy.

s o f t b a l l >> The girls varsity softball team won the ACIS championship in 2012 behind the standout pitching of Kyra and qualified for the NYSAIS tournament where they won their first-round game before losing a close semifinal game to Poly Prep.

G o l f >> After a long hiatus, the golf team has returned! In 2011, a group of students banded together to bring back the team. Officially, 2012-2013 marked the first season of the triumphant return of golf at Friends. Already Martin ’15 has qualified for the Federation State Championship Tournament and hopes to do so again next year.

s o c c e r >> The boys varsity soccer team won the 2012 ACIS league championship against Dwight this past fall. Matthew Maitland ’13

Beaux Mitton ’13

Deniz Oncu ’13

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D e i r D r e m u r p h y b a D e r ’ s love of cycling started at Friends Seminary’s doorstep. At 7 years old, Deirdre recalls jumping on her bike and riding laps around and around the fountains in Stuyvesant Park.

On one of those early rides, she broke her arm in two places, a preview of what was later to become an occupational hazard for a career cyclist who competed on one of the largest stages in the world of sports: the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

This competitive streak is nothing new. Back at Friends, she remembers playing kickball with the boys in the Friends courtyard in first grade, and later, joining every team that she could up until her graduation in 1977.

Surprisingly, Deirdre’s transition from cycling as a hobbyist to a professional came at the age of 32, when she went on a bike tour to France, cycling 20 or 30 miles a day.

“It was longer than I’d ever done before,” she said. “That’s when I got the bug.”

After that trip to France, she cycled more and more, staying in New York – not the

easiest place to train — because, she said, “It’s in my blood.”

Two friends who were competitive cyclists helped her find a nicer bike and told her that she should try racing. She liked the idea, because she missed competitive sports.

Her first race, at age 33, was a 24-miler in Central Park. She came in last and didn’t even know what gear to be in. But she got better in her next race, in Prospect Park. After that she raced almost nonstop, competing in Spain, England and elsewhere around the world.

“The key to winning races was to focus and have a burning desire to win,” she said. “Also, it was creating a routine for races to take the stress out of competition.”

On easy days, she trained by riding 6-mile loops in Central Park. For more of a challenge, she went over the George Washington Bridge, then up Route 9W to Nyack and back, about 55 miles.

In her career, Deirdre has won more than 80 races and is also a seven-time World Masters Medalist, two-time U.S. National Masters Champion and 11-time U.S. National Masters Medalist.

She became World Masters Champion in Austria in 1997 and in 2000 competed in the

Ronni Gordon ’72, is a freelance writer living in western Massachusetts. She has written for The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer and other publications. Having been on the basketball and volleyball teams at Friends, she has continued to enjoy playing sports. She is very happy to contribute this article about a graduate with impressive athletic accomplishments.

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“The key to winning races was to focus and have a burning desire to win.”

Olympics in Sydney as part of the Irish national team; her family is from Ireland, and she has dual citizenship. At the Olympics, she got caught in a crash and got a flat tire, retiring after that but staying involved in cycling.

Some 10 years ago, Deirdre founded Star Track, a free cycling program for underserved children in New York City. About 100 children attend three eight-week outdoor sessions, and spin indoors off-season.

“I always wanted to work with kids to give back to the sport that gave

me so much,” she said.“Many of the parents thank me,

because prior to participating in Star Track, they could not get their children off the sofa playing Wii or some other video game,” she said. “And the kids develop very strong friendships with children they otherwise wouldn’t normally have met.”

She calls herself “a fair weather cyclist” now. To keep in shape, she also does Pilates and takes yoga.

“I was always kind of a jock,” she said.

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m a r y G ay n i n a G n a n t a n D a l e x a G n a n t know a thing or two about teamwork. They work side-by-side as a freelance film production crew (she is the field producer and film editor, and he is the cinematographer) and they are husband and wife. Working as a team is their modus operandi, but it also frames the subject of their creative work.

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Over the past few years, Mary and Alex have filmed for Major League Baseball Productions. They have the enviable day-to-day task of going behind the scenes and filming the stars of the sport. After working on Showtime’s The Franchise, a television show that chronicled the ups and downs of the Miami Marlins on and off the field, the couple recently documented the 2013 World Baseball Classic, an international professional baseball competition featuring teams from 16 countries. Somewhere between documentary and reality show, they present the game from the players’ point-of-view.

“We show the athletes as heroes,” Mary said, “and the games as triumphs and tragedies.”

For Mary and Alex, a day of filming means in-depth contact with pro athletes. While players are accustomed to star treatment and fanfare, the duo speak to the players as equals, a practice they mastered at Friends, where they called teachers by their first names. This open, honest dialogue allows them to capture deeper insights into the sport and its athletes.

Their common interest in sports can be traced back to their days at Friends Seminary where they were athletes themselves. Alex played on the basketball team all four years of Upper School, and Mary played soccer.

“Sports and arts were my outlet,” Mary said.

They struck a common bond at Friends in Yarrott Benz’s class, where they “fell in love” with architecture. After Friends, they attended Colgate University, where

“We show the athletes as heroes and the games as triumphs and tragedies.”

— both film majors — they started to date. (Yarrott would end up marrying the two years later acting as officiant during their Quaker wedding ceremony.)

Mary and Alex frequently encounter people who respond with surprise to their peaceful, almost constant, coexistence.

“Our coworkers refer to us as one unit — they call us ‘the Agnants,’” Alex said, and it's easy to see why.

They don’t quite finish each other’s sentences, but they speak in a well-established rhythm, never competing, always building on each other’s thoughts to communicate a cohesive idea. Inadvertently, they find themselves spreading the Quaker message through their interactions. The testimonies of honesty and equality are the backbone of their relationship.

In Meeting for Worship, they learned how to listen, whether or not they agreed with the speaker. Silence has allowed them the space to find truth in another person’s message. They continue this practice with each other, with coworkers, and with the athletes they cover.

Outside of Major League Productions, they are also in the process of building their own production company. They don’t always have time for Meeting for Worship, but they make time every day to reflect on how they can work better as a team. They practice open communication and listening every day, just like the players that they cover. “That’s a muscle you have to use,” Alex said.

Alex shooting the Miami Marlins in a game versus the New York Mets at Citi Field, 2012.

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i t w a s t h e D u n k heard ’round the courtyard.

On a spring day in 2003, Troy Whittington, an eighth grader at the time, soared with ball-in-hand towards the hoop that stands at the west end of the Friends courtyard. He cleared the iron rim with the ball and modestly pushed the ball through the opening. And with that, the courtyard erupted into a frenzy. A 14-year-old boy had walked on air — even if it was for just a second — and pulled off a feat that his fellow students have only witnessed on television or at Knicks game at nearby Madison Square Garden.

“It was actually on a challenge,” Troy said. “Everyone wanted to see if I could dunk, so I tried and I did.”

An honest Troy explained further. “You see, the pavement is uneven on

that side of the court, so it wasn’t that impressive.”

While the west end hoop might not be of NBA regulation height, news of the dunk quickly spread. “Troy dunked in the courtyard! Troy dunked in the courtyard!” echoed through the halls.

After countless hours of practice in that courtyard after school — and many times shooting into the evening until the cleaning crew had asked him to leave—Troy perfected his shooting skills, while learning how to move with the basketball in concert with his large frame (today, Troy stands at 6’6”). The following fall, Troy, as a freshman, would start on the Friends varsity basketball team. And the dunks were just beginning.

His sophomore year, Troy dunked for the first time in competition against Berkeley Carroll. “They were one of our rivals and I dunked in their gym,” he said. “Everyone was shocked when it happened.”

During his four years playing varsity basketball at Friends, Troy helped lead the team to three league titles and a NYSAIS Class C State Championship in 2006. The team compiled a record of 84-25 in that four-year stretch. Troy scored a total of 1,647 points (a school record) and was named to the league’s all-star team three times.

“Most people focused on Troy’s points, especially his dunks, and it’s true that he is the School’s all-time scoring leader,” Friends Head Coach David Lieber said, “but there were three other players on his team who also scored over 1,000 points. What made Troy special was his defense. We were able to gamble with an aggressive man-to-man defense knowing Troy

left Troy dunks during the Friends annual Alumni Basketball Game this past winter. riGht Troy celebrates after a D3 tournament win at Williams College.

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“Troy dunked in the courtyard! Troy dunked in the courtyard!”echoed through the halls.

was in the lane to cover for any mistakes. He was dominant on defense.”

Amazingly, Troy said that he viewed basketball as “just a hobby” up until his junior year at Friends when, after consulting with Coach Lieber, he learned that he could use his basketball talents to create opportunities for furthering his education. Two degrees later, one being a dual bachelor’s degree in Psychology and African Studies and the other a master’s degree in Business and Finance, Troy has excelled on and off the court.

After graduating from Friends in 2007, Troy attended Williams College, a Division III (D3) school in Massachusetts, on scholarship.

While D3 schools are largely regarded as leading academic institutions and less competitive in athletics, Troy dominated on the court. Among the 442 basketball teams (roughly 5,300 players)

in D3, Troy led the country with his shooting accuracy, scoring on over 70% of his attempts during his senior year at Williams. Among his many honors, Troy was named to the First Team, All-American and helped Williams College to two D3 Final Fours.

“I was a big fish in a small pond,” Troy said, “similar to how it was at Friends.”

Troy captured international attention with his play, and he was offered a graduate scholarship to the University of Derby in England if he played professional basketball for the Derby Trailblazers. Once again, Troy was a big fish in a small pond, using his skills in basketball to further his education.

Today, Troy is back in New York and is preparing to play professional basketball overseas once again. He has an agent, a rigorous workout regimen and hopes to play in Italy or Spain — two countries with up-and-coming pro leagues.

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Portrait by Ben Needham ’92, a photographer and fine artist living and working in San Francisco. View more of Ben’s photos at www.benneedham.com. See Ben’s illustrations at www.benneedhamstudio.com.

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“In the end, I think there is a place for everyone.”

Martha, bottom right, with the girls varsity volleyball team in 1981.

m a r t h a e h r e n f e l D is an agent of equality and diversity in the tennis world, on and off the court. Aside from her own competitive playing in the last two Gay Games — an international Olympics-style competition that celebrates diversity — she has immersed herself in the political side of the sport.

In 2002, she moved from New York to San Francisco and started playing for the Gay and Lesbian Tennis Federa-tion. She soon convinced the board of the Federation to create the position of Women’s Director, which she held for several years before being bumped up to Vice President.

“I’m a joiner!” Ehrenfeld says with a laugh in her lively, ebullient way.

Today she is on the Diversity Com-mittee for the Northern California chapter of United States Tennis Associa-tion, a role she assumed because she wanted to make sure that tennis was “not just a rich white sport.” The com-mittee reaches out to communities that are not traditionally involved in tennis. They offer college tennis scholarships to high school students who are pas-sionate about the sport. They also offer lower rates for summer tennis camps to children whose families cannot afford to pay full tuition.

“The cool thing about USTA North-ern California is that it has always been on the cutting edge of diversity. We just added ‘other’ to the gender box on the college scholarship application — that was a big deal,” Martha said. For Martha, athletics is a way to connect to others. Competition always plays a factor in her games and matches, but winning is not a priority for her.

“I struggle with the competitive over the social aspect every time I run an event,” she said. “A competitive spirit

might be the one thing that encourages someone to go out every night and prac-tice or cross train at the gym, while others may just want to meet nice people.”

At Friends, she was aware of this con-flict when she played on the volleyball and basketball teams. At the time, the ad-ministration was concerned that competi-tive nature of sports would undermine Quaker testimonies of equality and peace while others in the community thought athletics would thrive if they embraced competition.

She remembers one Meeting for Wor-ship in particular where a student spoke

of her teammates cheering each other on at games, and how competitiveness inspired a bond between the players.

In this spirit of collaboration and com-munity, Martha hopes to influence other athletes and would-be athletes.

“In the end, I think there is a place for everyone.”

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f o r a l l t h e m e D i a attention the sports world receives these days, the vast majority of coverage stops at the sidelines. Political sportswriter Dave Zirin chooses to focus on the stories that go past those boundaries.

“[Writing about the politics of ] sports is like a fire. You can use a fire to cook a meal, or you can use a fire to burn down someone’s house.” Zirin said. “There’s a large group of people out there who are interested in talking about the social and societal implications of the games we play, how we watch them, who we cheer for and why.”

Early in his career, Zirin began writing about sports politics. He began with writing a column for a paper “with a circulation that could fit in a classroom” and his readership began to grow online. He quickly realized that he had an “underserved audience.”

He pinpoints his interest in the crossroads of sports journalism and politics to one defining moment while he was a student at Macalester College in Minnesota. It was when he heard about Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (born Chris Jackson). Abdul-Rauf refused to stand for the national anthem at his NBA games, sparking controversy but piquing Zirin’s interest.

“That’s what pushed me to examine that history,” Zirin said. “How athletes used their hyper-exalted platforms to say something about the world. There’s been this massive change in the world of sports and so many people are receiving very radical messages through the world of sports. More and more athletes are not content to just shut up and play.”

Today, Zirin writes about the crossover of sports and politics for The Nation, the magazine’s first ever sportswriter. He has also written for Sports Illustrated, and published five books. Recent stories he has authored include a feature on Kye Allums, a transgender athlete, and the struggles Allums faced playing women’s college basketball; a book on the gained notoriety of the black power salute on the winners podium during the 1968 Olympics; and the story of Royce White, the Houston Rockets rookie whose issues with anxiety disorder have brought those who suffer with various psychological issues in the sports world to the forefront.

Zirin, who resides in Washington, D.C., said he has been interested in sports ever since his days on 16th Street in New

York. He played baseball and basketball at Friends and rooted for New York-area teams. He also had an interest in politics, but when he was younger, he “didn’t really see how the two fit together.”

Zirin said his time at Friends helped shape his writing in a few ways. He credits some high-level classes he took in the Upper School with opening his mind to different ways of thinking.

“I took a poetry and humor class, two words I never thought would go together at the time,” Zirin said. “That very concept of intersectionality and understanding how one discipline can shed light on others definitely helped train my mind to not see this iron wall between sports and politics.”

And although his actual athletic career wasn’t quite as successful as his career writing about sports, he appreciates the experiences playing for Friends gave him.

“There’s a temptation to argue that all sport is garbage and it teaches terrible lessons,” Zirin said. “When you have good coaches and a supportive environment and a team that cares about each other, it’s a family. Most

people who play sports don’t have that experience, but it’s important to remember that those experiences are possible so we can fight to reclaim sports and not just reject it.”

“My experience at Friends informs my ability to say that.”

Zirin’s most recent book, Game Over: How Politics Has Turned the Sports World Upside Down, was published in 2012, and discusses a range of topics from LBGT athletes, brain trauma amongst NFL players, to the role franchise owners and fans have played in recent lockouts. He currently hosts Edge of Sports Radio weekly on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. Listen to Zirin's broadcasts at EdgeOfSports.com.

by Rodger Sherman ’08

“More and more athletes are not content to just shut up and play.”

Rodger Sherman’08 graduated from Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism in June 2012. He currently writes about college sports for The New York Times and SBNation.

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back in the day

Sivanie Sharir Shiran ’86 & Rachel Shapiro Axinn ’86 on their adventures as urban teenagers out of their element

The following is an excerpt from a StoryCorps recording created on May 19, 2012. Visit www.friendsseminary.org/storycorps to listen to this interview and other Friends stories.

Rachel: I liked the experiential program [at Friends]. You remem-ber that? Silvanie: Oh I do, very well! What were their names? Ted* and, oy, I wanna say Dan. And they had us keep a journal. You remem-ber that? Of our outward bound experiences. Rachel: I just remember that it was a really important part of the school, being so urban and I just have a lot of memories of those experiences. Of going on those crazy hikes in the freezing cold and I remember we were doing this rock wall. Silvanie: I remember that! Rachel: Like a real rock wall, where we harnessed and we be-layed and we went down. Silvanie: Rappelled. Rachel: We rappelled, yeah. And, ya know what kinda shoes I was wearing? I was wearing Doc

Founded by Dave Isay ’83, StoryCorps is a national oral history project whose

mission is to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives through 40-minute

conversations between two people. StoryCorps has partnered with Friends to capture the life and history of the School through conversations among students,

alumni, faculty and staff.

If you would like to participate in a StoryCorps interview with a classmate or faculty member during Reunion 2013, email the Alumni Office at [email protected] or call 212.979.5035 ext. 106.

Siders, which are these completely flat-bottomed shoes. And I think about this to this day, the fact that I was so completely urban and that they were actually trying to take us into the woods and I was like “what is this?” And I remember you were pulling me along. Do you remem-ber we went on that hike and we had to cross this river? Silvanie: They took us very seri-ously, I mean that I remember....I guess the two pieces that I remem-ber best was they took us very seriously, in terms of making us be responsible for ourselves and for our things. And I remember the journal that they made us reflect on the trips. And then they would write entries back to us. After read-ing our entries, they would write their thoughts on it. Rachel: I’m sure they did! They took it very seriously. I was like “What is this?” Silvanie: I think I still have that journal somewhere.

* Ted Rockwell founded the Department of Experiential Education (formerly the Outdoor & Service Program) at Friends in 1975.

www.StoryCorps.org

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John Wolford Haskins ’61

Hey Super Fan!

Keep up with our teamsand all things Friends at www.FriendsSeminary.org

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FRIENDS SEMINARY222 EAST 16 TH STREET NEW YORK, NY 10003

Our archives are lacking an important part of Friends Seminary history: graduation photos!

If you have a graduation photo or other meaningful Friends paraphernalia that you are willing to permanently or temporarily share with Friends, please contact Katherine Farrell in the Alumni Office at [email protected] or 212.979.5035 ext. 106.

Outside the Meetinghouse, 1898