Alumni Weekend 2011

Alumni Weekend Recap

Alumni Weekend 2011 welcomed alumni from all over the world and across seven decades of class years for reunions and revelry. Gentlemen who graduated in the 60’s introduced their grandchildren to one another while young alumni returned from college on fall breaks to catch up with faculty and friends. The Raiders beat Blair on the athletic fields! Red and black attire dotted the landscape and fall favorites like cider and cinnamon wafted in the air. All great parties are worth reliving. The following recap chronicles some the excitement we enjoyed during the annual event. Thank you for cheering on our teams, sharing your memories, and for making this year a success!

Career Day

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Career Day kicked off Alumni Weekend on Friday, October 14th. Twenty-two alumni returned to our classrooms to discuss their careers with Hun School junior and seniors. Our guests shared their professional experiences, educational tracks, and advice concerning a variety of fields.

Scott Gifis ’96, head of North American markets for Criteo Ltd., addressed students in Saks Auditorium about the challenges and opportunities awaiting them in their professional careers. He encouraged the students to embrace globalization and to constantly seek job opportunities, even while in School.

"The average 30 year old has had twelve jobs. I certainly have. The best advice I can give you is to work – even in high school and college. Build experiences that will make you attractive to employers. Kids that can balance School, community service, and a job impress me. But, I also encourage you to work to learn about yourself,” said Mr. Gifis. “I’ve been fired from more jobs than most of you will ever have,” he continued. “Failures teach you more than successes in life. Most importantly, they will help you discover what you enjoy. Winning is important, but how you define success is more important.”

2011 Career Day Speakers:

Christopher Lau ’71, Thomas Valeri ’75, Thomas Sumners ’76, Anthony Muscente ’77, Drew Procaccino ’78, Valerie LeMoing ’79, J. Michael Chaykowsky ’80, Peter Herdic ’81, Bill Kostrub ’81, Tim Waldron ’95, Scott Gifis ’96, Alison Long ’96, Kyla Fitzpatrick Murphy ’97, Diana Bissell ’01, Deepa Magge ’01, Suzanne Murphy ’01, Jason Slomovitz ’01, Conor Ryan ’01, Alexander Osberg ’04, Sarah Staller ’06, Kenneth Worthington ’06

Athletic Hall of Fame

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Five Raider stand-outs were inducted into The Hun School of Princeton’s Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday evening. The newest class of inductees joins a distinguished group of talented student-athletes. In turn, each player was recognized for their significant contributions to The Hun School Athletic Program and celebrated by a personal guest, coach, or family member. A reception prior to the ceremony gave the honored guests an opportunity to celebrate with family and previous inductees.

2011 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees
John “Jay” Ruhle Jr. ’66
Anthony Muscente Jr. ’77
Catherine “Cassie” Lawton ’96
Jordan Younger ’96
Lindsey Tylus Foster ’01

The Hun School of Princeton’s Athletic Hall of Fame, which began in 1996, recognizes the accomplishments of individuals who have contributed significantly to the School’s tradition of athletics. We celebrate their success, both on and off the field, with a permanent place of honor among our greatest student-athletes. Click here to read more about this year’s class of inductees.

14th Annual Run For Kate

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A crowded starting line in front of the Chesebro Academic Building was the opening scene of the Annual Run for Kate on Saturday morning. The five-kilometer run and walk raised money for the Katherine Wright Gorrie ’98 Memorial Scholarship Fund, which awards tuition scholarships to students who demonstrate Kate Gorrie’s commitment to making a difference in the lives of others.

Congratulations to all of the participants in the 14th Annual Run for Kate. Below is a listing of the top runners in each category.

1st Place Man: Justin Feil
2nd Place Man: Ryan Meckel
3rd Place Man: Michael Musso

1st Place Woman: Gianna Russo
2nd Place Woman: Beth Fallon ’96
3rd Place Woman: Jennifer Smolyn

Top Senior: Ed Sherman

1st Place Boy: Thomas Hopkins
2nd Place Boy: Jack Burke ’15

1st Place Girl: Lauren Metiane
2nd Place Girl: Pepper Kolman

Golden H Club

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The Golden H Club honors alumni celebrating fifty years or more as members of The Hun School Alumni Association. Twelve members were welcomed into the Golden H Club at a special brunch in their honor on Saturday.

Newest Members of the Golden H Club
Marc Efron ’61, James Christopher Farley Jr. ’61, James Firestone ’61, Richard Gallaudet ’61, Robert Kaplan ’61, Alan Landis ’61, David Metzger ’61, G. David Savidge ’61, Kenneth Siegel ’61, Peter Stern ’61, John Stewart ’61, Alan Wirsig ’61

Members of Golden H Club who also attended Alumni Weekend 2011
Eugene Freda ’48, James Baker ’51, George Tidey ’51, Robert Cox ’56 Bruce Beckmann ’57, Harold Davis ’57, Stuart Eisenberg ’57

International Alumni Gathering

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Headmaster Jonathan Brougham, Chairman of the Board of Trustees Kevin Tylus ’73, International Program Director Dianne Somers, and former Director of Admissions P. Terrence Beach H’14 welcomed alumni and friends to the inaugural International Alumni Gathering. Held in the Landis Family Fine Arts Building, this event recognizes those members of the Alumni Association who traveled great distances to attend The Hun School and whose rich cultural backgrounds add unparalleled depth to the overall student experience. Alumni and students from multiple generations and from more than 15 nations such as Canada, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Iran, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, and Thailand gathered to talk about the unique benefits of being an international resident student at The Hun School. Current international students Mitra Ferdows ’14 and Charlie Wang ’12 offered a glimpse of the program’s lasting traditions with personal accounts of their experiences.

Read more about the International Alumni Gathering in the December 2011 issue of Hun Today.

Alumni of Color Reception

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Diversity Coordinator LeRhonda Greats, Headmaster Jonathan Brougham, and Director of Admissions Steve Bristol welcomed students and alumni to the Alumni of Color Reception in the Alexander K. Buck Student Center. Guests discussed how Hun School alumni have advanced the ideals of Dr. King in their own lives. Keynote speaker Mr. Herman Penner Jr. ’64, The Hun School’s first black student was the keynote speaker and an honored guest.

Click here to read more about the Alumni of Color Reception and Herman Penner ’64.

Homecoming Activities and Athletic Events

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Children enjoyed games and amusements, while the Raiders took on the Buccaneers of Blair Academy in athletic competitions on Saturday afternoon. The sun was shining on the autumn leaves as old friends crossed the fields to greet one another. The Alumni Association welcomed families and hosted lunch under the traditional red and black tent.

During halftime of the varsity football game, Athletic Director Bill Quirk dedicated a new crew shell in honor of the Girls’ Varsity Lightweight Crew of 1995. The Spirit of 1995 was christened with water from Mercer Lake by national championship rowers Melissa Christine ’95, Alison Kale ’96, and Christina Krauthamer ’95. The women won every race they rowed that year and hold the record for most successful Hun crew of all time.

Go Raiders! Click here for final game scores.

Reunions

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When the sun went down, the celebration went indoors! Class Reunions for the 1’s and 6’s took place throughout The Hun School campus Saturday night. Music, dancing, and twinkling lights set the scene as alumni celebrated into the late hours of a beautiful October night. Alumni and former faculty celebrating from the 50’s and 60’s enjoyed a sit-down dinner in Russell Lounge, while classes from 1970 – 2006 kicked off the party in the dining hall. Concert pianist Franz Mantini ’81 held a breathtaking impromptu concert in Russell Lounge, while others took to the dance floor in the dining hall. Thank you to all of the volunteers and Reunion chairs who helped to make the night a success.

Alumni Recognition Ceremony and Brunch

Click here to view the Alumni Recognition Ceremony Photo Gallery.	Alumni Weekend concluded on Sunday afternoon with an extraordinary event to recognize three remarkable alumni and to install Franklin Dippery as an honorary alumnus of The Hun School. Families, classmates, and guests gathered in Russell Lounge as Joseph Lavine ’76, Johnny T. Y. Fung ’77, and Alison Long ’96 were honored as recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Award. Headmaster Jonathan Brougham introduced each honoree, remarking, “You epitomize the very best of what The Hun School can be.” 2011 Distinguished Alumni Joseph Lavine ’76 Johnny T. Y. Fung ’77 Alison Long ’96 Honorary Alumnus Franklin Dippery H’14 Please click here for a complete list of Distinguished Alumni and Honorary Alumni of The Hun School of Princeton. Please click here to nominate an alumnus or alumna for recognition.
	Joseph Lavine ’76 Joe Lavine is a vice-president and senior producer for HBO Sports. He is an Emmy award-winning television producer and documentary film producer. He produced such regaled films as Nine Innings from Ground Zero, a film about the 2001 World Series played just weeks after September 11th and Dare to Dream, an inspiring film about the Women’s National Soccer Team. On Sunday, he recalled the School’s influence on his life and career. “My history teacher, Mr. Warren had a unique approach to teaching history. Day after day, he told stories – some of them unrelated to the subject matter. By the end of class, though, he always brought it back to a lesson or moral. Mr. Warren knew what he was doing. He was engaging us. As an HBO sports documentarian, I have tried to take a tip from Mr. Warren to teach while entertaining others.”
	Johnny T. Y. Fung ’77 Johnny Fung said, “My wife lives in Ontario, I live on airplanes.” Mr. Fung has a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering and a Master’s Degree in Operation Research from Cornell. Since then, he has worked in the telephone and computer communication industry for several international firms. He is an honored philanthropist and volunteer for several civic projects, Cornell University, and The Hun School. He is also a co-founder of the Allen Kirschner Scholarship Fund at The Hun School. “On my first day coming from Hong Kong to America, I needed a ride from the airport to Hun. Mr. Beach [former director of admissions] picked me up. I remember thinking, this is a member of the administration – he came to welcome me at the airport. This school must be special,” said Mr. Fung. “At Hun, with the faculty, you have the teacher phase, and in resident life, you have the family phase,” he continued. “No other school does this quite as well. It is a core competency at Hun.” Click here to read more about Johnny T. Y. Fung ’77.
	Alison Long ’96 Alison Long, at the young age of 33, has worked and taught around the world. A Princeton University graduate, she has taught English in Vietnam and worked to improve educational opportunities for women in Afghanistan. She has traveled to some of the world's most dangerous and desolate places help small villages establish and learn to sustain their own development efforts. Ms. Long reflected on a recent evaluation and fond memories of English teacher Rob Myslik to point out the importance of passion in one’s professional endeavors. “What I remember most about Mr. Myslik, even from the first day, was his remarkable passion for English … and absolutely every book we read! It eventually rubbed off on me. My hope is that by displaying passion in my work, that it will inspire someone else the way Mr. Myslik inspired me,” said Ms. Long
	Franklin Dippery H’14 Franklin Dippery has taught English for fifty-one years. A Pennsylvania State graduate, he was recruited to Princeton High School by Allen Kirschner and again nine years later to The Hun School. He is a beloved teacher, famous for his jokes and gentle ways. He is a recipient of the School’s Meritorious Service Award and Headmaster’s Award. Mr. Dippery, his wife Sandy and their son Paul ’93 own and operate a twenty-two acre farm, Cedar Hill. All three of their sons, Glen ’85, Mark ’88 and Paul are graduates of The Hun School. “If I had to choose a profession again, I would choose education. If I had to choose a school in which to teach again, I would choose Hun. Forty of my fifty-one years as a teacher were spent here. I couldn’t have asked or expect to spend my time with finer students, colleagues, or friends,” said Mr. Dippery.

Hun Fund

Please join your fellow alumni in making a secure online gift to The Hun Fund. By making a gift to The Hun Fund, you are helping to perpetuate The Hun School’s unique educational experience.

Please click here to make a Hun Fund donation online!