Peter Yaverbaum, Jacob Appel, Allison Weinberg, Howard Gertler, Peter Grosz and Adriana Souza from the SHS Class of 1992Though it’s been 30 years since they graduated precocious school, members of the SHS Class of ’92 seemed to prime up close wherever they near disconnected astatine a sheet treatment Saturday November 19, 2022 astatine the caller Scarsdale Library, led by people subordinate Allison Weinberg.
Introducing the panelists she noted that she has known 1 since birth, 3 since kindergarten and 1 since inferior precocious school. She said, “It would beryllium a cliché and yet besides wholly close to accidental that the 30 years since we graduated from SHS person flown by. And yet, determination on the way, we turned from kids into adults, and galore of america present person kids successful precocious schoolhouse ourselves.”
Howard Gertler is an Oscar- and Emmy-nominated movie shaper whose astir caller film, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, is presently playing successful theaters. Among his different films are Shortbus, How to Talk to Girls astatine Parties, Crip Camp, and How to Survive a Plague. His films person won the Gotham, the Spirit, the Golden Lion, the Sundance Audience Award, the IDA, and 2 Peabodies.
Peter Grosz was 1 of the 2 precise comic guys successful the Sonic commercials for the amended portion of the past 20 years. He started his comedic acting vocation successful 7th grade, erstwhile helium won the Scarsdale Junior High School Speech Contest successful the “humorous anecdote” category, and went connected to contiguous a hilarious sketch astir riding the schoolhouse autobus to the full pupil body. Since then, Peter has go a prolific tv writer and histrion who has won aggregate Emmys for his work. He has been a writer for The Colbert Report arsenic good arsenic The Late Show with Seth Meyer, and played a recurring relation connected Veep.
After a agelong vocation successful the firm world, Adriana Souza is present gathering a instauration to enactment underprivileged younker successful Africa by providing them with fiscal enactment arsenic good arsenic entree to diversion equipment, apparel, seasoned tennis coaches, and grooming programs. Adriana is simply a unpaid EMT with the Scarsdale Ambulance Corps. In addition, she worked connected the “front lines” during the tallness of the pandemic arsenic a COVID-19 vaccinator, administering vaccines to thousands of New Yorkers.
Although Peter Yaverbaum went to aesculapian schoolhouse aft 9-11, helium felt pulled successful a antithetic absorption and signed connected with the New York City Fire Department wherever has been a firefighter successful Lower Manhattan for 15 years. His existent presumption has him driving the occurrence motor successful the SoHo / Little Italy / Chinatown neighborhoods. He says “he is truthful aged that helium is present astatine the property wherever helium tin hold connected the thoroughfare and nonstop the younger guys successful to really combat the fires.” During the winter, Peter is besides a part-time skis teacher successful Colorado.
Jacob Appel is presently a Professor of Psychiatry and Medical Education astatine Mount Sinai, wherever helium besides serves arsenic Director of Ethics Education successful Psychiatry, Medical Director of the Mental Health Clinic astatine the East Harlem Health Outreach Program, and Assistant Director of the Academy for Medicine and the Humanities. Jacob is besides the writer of 5 novels, 10 abbreviated communicative collections, an effort collection, a mystery, a thriller, a measurement of poems, and a compendium of dilemmas successful aesculapian ethics. Prior to joining Mount Sinai, Jacob taught astatine Brown University and Yeshiva College.
Asked astir their astir salient memories, Jacob Appel remembered throwing a flagpole retired of a 3rd level model erstwhile teacher Howard Rodstein turned his back.
Peter Grosz was successful a survey hallway with mathematics teacher Barbara Bierbauer erstwhile helium decided to show immoderate pyrotechnics that yet got him suspended from school. He was carrying a tin of Rite Guard and a lighter – erstwhile utilized unneurotic tin acceptable disconnected the occurrence alarm. He sprayed immoderate Rite Guard connected his desk, lit the lighter and erstwhile the teacher returned to the country she recovered the table connected fire! He remembers spending immoderate clip with Mr. McDermott suspended successful “the tower.” Grosz’s ma was successful the assemblage and verified the communicative which seemed funnier to her now.
Asked astir their favourite teachers, Souza noted Rashid Silvera, calling him “an enthusiastic and dynamic antheral who met each pupil wherever they were, adjacent modifying acquisition plans for students.” She said helium inactive attends each azygous reunion.
Howard Gertler remembered moving connected Maroon with advisor Chris Douglass, a long-time caput of the English Department astatine SHS.
Asked what proposal they would springiness young radical conscionable starting out, Peter Yaverbaum said, “everything was due to the fact that I happened to beryllium successful the close spot astatine the close time. Keep doing things that you emotion – and you’’ find opportunities.”
Grosz said, “I discovered improv drama astatine Northwestern – and lucked into Second City wherever I took classes. I archer radical to spell to the spot wherever radical are doing what you privation to do.
Put yourself wherever you’re expected to beryllium and support trying.”
Jacob Appel admitted, “I sent retired tons of writing. I person 21,000 rejection letters. George Plimpton from the Paris Reviewed erstwhile called maine and said, “You sent america a communicative astir vertebrate watching. We did not similar it but we deliberation it’s large that radical your property are funny successful vertebrate watching.” Appel continued, “I americium inactive waiting for my large break. I brought a container of signed books. Does anyone cognize Oprah?”
Souza added, “You are going to miss 100% of the opportunities that you don’t take. If you’re excessively frightened to beryllium rejected, thing volition enactment retired for you.”
Asked however increasing up successful Scarsdale influenced their future, panelists archetypal joked that nary 1 ever admits increasing up successful Scarsdale, saying “Westchester” instead. However, Grosz said, “There’s a batch of wealth present and privilege. But there’s a batch of opportunity. It’s nett positive.” Souza noted the fantastic web of palmy radical successful each field. She said, “I person ne'er met a radical who has stayed arsenic connected with their friends arsenic Scarsdale alumni. People enactment successful truthful galore industries – there’s ever idiosyncratic to call.
The lawsuit continued connected Saturday nighttime with a get unneurotic astatine the North Street Tavern successful White Plains.
Photo by Danielle Barro.
English (US)