Scarsdale Math Students Qualify for State Competition
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Scarsdale High School math teacher Laura Estersohn announced that ten students from the Scarsdale High School math team qualified to participate in the New York State Math League competition to be held on Saturday, April 28. To qualify for this competition, students must show a high level of achievement on monthly Westchester county math meets. These 10 students were among the 41 Westchester students chosen to compete at the state level.
The New York State Math League (NYSML) is a math competition for teams around New York State. It is held every spring at a different location. This year the contest will be held at Susquehanna Valley High School in Conklin, New York (just outside Binghamton.) About 30 teams, consisting of 15 students each, will gather to compete in Individual, Team, Relay and Power races.
This year, the Scarsdale High School math team won first place in the Westchester County Math League in a competition among 24 teams. The teams meet monthly to solve challenging and intriguing math problems. Individuals and teams earn points based on the number of problems they solve correctly.
Although 10 Scarsdale student qualified to participate in the competition, only three will attend: The 10 Scarsdale qualifiers are:
- Rebecca Agustin
- Michael Bogaty
- Brian Chieu
- Chenyi Gong
- Andrew Guo
- Caroline Holmes
- Cherie Hu
- Evan Kratzer
- Jessica Lam
- Koji Shiromoto
Florie Wachtenheim Receives the 2012 Scarsdale Bowl Award
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Florie Wachtenheim did not expect to receive the Scarsdale Bowl this year. In fact, when she found six people standing outside her door at 9 pm on a Sunday night in January her immediate thought was that something was wrong. She said, “I raced through a mental checklist of what this visit could be about and grew nervous at the possibilities. So here’s a deep, dark secret about life in the volunteer lane -- if someone misses a meeting or is late to a meeting, that person is usually assigned a task that no one else wants to consider ... big time! “Uh oh”, I thought, “This could be bad. Did I forget to be somewhere?”
No one forgot to attend the celebration of community volunteerism when Florie Wachtenheim accepted the 2012 Scarsdale Bowl at Lake Isle Country Club on Wednesday night April 18, 2012. Wachtenheim looked elegant in a black suit and heels, a makeover from her everyday tennis sweats and sneakers. Ebullient, she graciously greeted over 300 guests with a warm smile. As Florie had requested that this be a “happy night,” the evening began with a few numbers by the Scarsdale High School A Cappella group, For Good Measure.
Bowl Chair Randy Guggenheimer served as Master of Ceremonies for the evening and introduced former School Board colleague Terri Simon. Simon called Wachtenheim “the perfect choice for this tremendous honor,” and credited her with “working tirelessly and with integrity.” Simon complimented the Bowl winner on her “directness and honesty” and ability to “get to the heart of the matter, even in the most sensitive situations.” She drew a laugh from the audience when she relayed Wachtenheim’s ability to ask “the disarming question that everyone else in the room was afraid to ask,” and zero in on what’s important. Referring to Wachtenheim’s prowess on the tennis and paddle courts, Simon said, “not only on the court does Florie keep her eye on the ball.”
Speaking on behalf of the Wachtenheim family, son Andrew, a public defender in the Bronx, commented on his mother’s work ethic, intellect and
ability to make others feel valued. Through her he learned how important it is to give back, even when you have very little to give. He ended by conveying the family’s pride in her accomplishments and gratitude for all she has taught them.
Speaking together, Linda Chayes and Jeff Blatt, two who served on the School Board with Florie, gave insight into her ability to navigate difficult situations as School Board President. Chayes said Wachtenheim likes “the thrill of a challenge” and “with a mischievious look and a wink and she lead us down the path.” Remembering a polarized community meeting about the conversion from the advanced placement to advanced topics curriculum at the high school, Jeff Blatt said, the forum “threatened to be completely out of control, like Chicago in the summer of ’68.” But a moment later, “Florie calmed the audience and allowed the Board to accomplish what we set out to do.”
Chayes continued, saying that Florie, “balances a seriousness of purpose with a wry sense of humor and has a deep appreciation for complexity and nuance.” Her integrity and sense of fairness provide her with a solid moral compass.
When Wachtenheim accepted the Bowl her gracious nature shone through. In the course of a brilliant speech, she repeatedly deflected the light from herself to the audience. “I stand here tonight, humbled to my core, and accept this award as your representative – on behalf of all of you who give so much of yourselves to our greater community, in the shadow of some of our iconic leaders and in the light of all the good work still to come.”
Her life of volunteerism began when her first son entered kindergarten and she was asked to manage the after-school clubs at Fox Meadow School. This first experience taught her valuable lessons about community involvement that still hold true in her mind today.
I noted that our community-based organizations function on a high level and that the work was really interesting, that the parent-teacher organizations were vital to the schools and a model for high-functioning, cross-constituency organizations. I experienced the sense of community that was supported by the various activities which relied on the efforts of our volunteers, emphatically felt in each of the five neighborhood elementary schools. And I appreciated the difference we were making.
As I continue to be involved, all these years later, in many other activities and at different levels, I see that the model holds, enabling good process and bolstered outcomes. Efforts here are not ad hoc, but rather, coherent and inspired by vision. Decision-making in a developed context offers a raison d’etre for each and every one of our volunteer activities. What is our mission? What values does it support? How can we get there? ... are the questions we consider as we rally behind different projects.
She called Scarsdale “a family of volunteers who care for the people and place that we love,” providing “programming and services for every segment of our population, “and “attempting to make it viable for people to remain in Scarsdale if they so desire.”
Though her children have all now left the school system, Wachtenheim says that she continues to be invigorated by work that is “akin to her stage of life,” on the boards of the Scarsdale Adult School and Scarsdale Library and in her efforts to establish a Scarsdale Schools Education Foundation.
Referring back to her early years here, she said, “Never in a million years did I picture myself up on this stage tonight or consider how serendipitous my chairmanship of Fox Meadow’s After School Clubs program would prove to be!”
Again giving credit to all of her colleagues, Wachtenheim said, “As it turns out, there is nothing that I have done that is a singular effort, and the outcome of every program with which I’ve been connected is a reflection of our very best collaboration.”
Though she was generous in redirecting the credit to her many friends in the audience, with their standing ovation, they sent it right back to her. More about her activities on behalf of Scarsdale can be found here.
2012 Scarsdale Bowl Committee
- Randy Guggenheimer, Chair
- Jane Buck
- Marc Carter
- Linda Hillman Chayes
- Merrell Clark
- Amy Cooper
- Malula Gonzalez
- Liz Gruber
- Alice Herman
- Anne Moretti
- Howard Nadel
- William Natbony
- Robert November
- Jim O’Connor
- Seth Ross
- Sara Werder
Non-Voting Members
- Jacqueline E. Irwin Ex Officio
- Deborah Pekarek, Scretary/Treasurer
Scarsdale Grad Launches Facebook App, Yoke
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Some Scarsdale High School grads are making their mark in traditional arenas like banking, the law and teaching –while others are forging their way in the brave new world of technology. Rob Fishman, now 26 years-old grew up in Greenacres and graduated from SHS in 2004 where he spent far more time laboring over his debate cases and Maroon articles than on his school work. He spent four years at Cornell University, majoring in government and then went on to Columbia Journalism School, anticipating a career in the media. Upon graduation he worked as the Social Media editor at the Huffington Post and it was there that he met tech wiz Jeff Revesz. When AOL purchased the Huffington Post last year, Revesz and Fishman decided to strike out on their own, forming Kingfish Labs to develop Facebook applications.
They recently unveiled their first one, dubbed Yoke, a new way to meet potential dates on Facebook. If Facebook connects you to the people you already know, Yoke is here to introduce you to new people.
Unlike traditional dating sites, with laborious questionnaires and awkward usernames, Yoke uses your Facebook profile to find people you might like. That is, people with whom you share close mutual friends, share similar educational backgrounds, and live nearby. Using third-party services like Amazon, Netflix and the EchoNest, Yoke compares tastes: if you're reading Jonathan Franzen's Freedom, Yoke might pair you with someone who likes A Visit From the Goon Squad, Jennifer Egan's latest. Or if you watch Mad Men, you might like someone who enjoyed The Sopranos.
Those already in relationships can use Yoke to set up people they know. Single or divorced friends always appreciate a set-up; and 
now there's an app for that.
So far, Yoke has been catching on in cities across the U.S. See these write-ups on Mashable, techCrunch and in the New York Times . But as a Scarsdale native, Fishman hopes it will be a useful tool for people at home. Try it out at http://yoke.me and let Rob know what you think by commenting here.
Full disclosure: Rob is the son of Scarsdale10583 founder Joanne Wallenstein
King David on Trial at Congregation Kol Ami
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U.S. District Court Naomi Reice Buchwald will step away from her usual courtroom in the Southern District of New York to preside over a trial – “The People v. The King,” at Congregation Kol Ami in White Plains on Friday, May 4, 2012 at 8 p.m.
The sanctuary of Kol Ami will become a live courtroom as the biblical King David is prosecuted for rape and murder. Three verdicts will be issued: a vote of the congregation by ballot, the verdict of a six person multi-generational jury, and a verdict to be issued by the Honorable Naomi Reice Buchwald, Federal District Court Judge for the Southern District of New York. The trial is preceded by study (lawyers can separately register for CLE ethics credit), as all prepare for an incredible night.
The trial of the Biblical King David for the rape of Bathsheba and the murder of her husband 3,000 years ago will be a highlight of Synaplex, a series of monthly Friday night events that explore the Jewish experience. “People think the Bible is too holy to wrestle with, but Jews have always wrestled with the text of the Torah,” said Rabbi Shira Milgrom of Congregation Kol Ami. “Sometimes it can be hard to reconcile our beliefs with the texts, so we jump into the ring and wrestle with them.” The Synaplex trial is very much in that tradition, she noted.
Until her appointment, Judge Buchwald had served as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of New York since 1980 and was Chief Magistrate Judge from January 18, 1994 until January 19, 1996. She received a B.A. degree cum laude from Brandeis University in 1965 and an LL.B. degree cum laude from Columbia University School of Law in 1968. Following graduation from Columbia, Judge Buchwald joined the firm of Marshall, Bratter, Greene, Allison & Tucker where she worked as a litigation associate with partner (and Kol Ami member) Charles H. Miller. In 1973 she was appointed an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York. From 1976 to 1979, she served as Deputy Chief of the Civil Division of the United States Attorney’s Office. In 1979, she was appointed Chief of the Civil Division. Judge Buchwald is the proud mother of David Buchwald, a member of Kol Ami, and a member of the White Plains Common Council.
Defending King David will be Michael P. Zweig, litigation partner at Loeb & Loeb, and Julie B. Ehrlich, a litigation associate at Cuti Hecker Wang. The prosecution team includes Scott D. Musoff, litigation partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meager & Flom, and Jay K. Musoff, a litigation partner at Loeb & Loeb. The witnesses (as King David; Bathsheba; Joab, David’s Commander; Nathan, the prophet; expert witness, court clerk and the King’s messenger, respectively) will be Daniel Lobatto, a Tax Director at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Hank Rouda , Senior Counsel for H&M, Paul Schwarz, a retired Scarsdale Middle School teacher and summer-camp administrator, Rabbi Nadia Gold, the Junior Youth Group/Madrichim Coordinator at Kol Ami, Larry Heuer, Professor of Psychology at Columbia University, Carolyn Lederman Barotz, a Pediatric Ophthalmologist practicing in Purchase, NY; Stamford, CT, and at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital in NYC and Edward Nerenberg, who has been a Kol Ami member for 38 years, trustee for the past four years, and “Man of the year” recipient.
A 1.5 hour New York Continuing Legal Education Credit (including .5 ethics credit) will be offered for all interested attorneys. For more information or to make a dinner reservation, please call Janet Hershey at 949-4717 ext. 115.
SHS Grad Cheryl Sternman Rule Publishes RIPE
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SHS grad Cheryl Sternman Rule, the author of the popular food blog “ 5 Second Rule ” has just published her first cookbook and will sign copies at Rizzoli Bookstore at 31 West 57th Street in NYC tonight, March 29 from 5:30-7PM. The colorful new cookbook, RIPE: A Fresh, Colorful Approach to Fruits and Vegetables, is published by Running Press. The book is a collaboration with award-winning photographer Paulette Phlipot. whose stunning photos of fruits and vegetables accompany recipes and vignettes.
RIPE: A Fresh, Colorful Approach to Fruits and Vegetables, is a different kind of cookbook arranged by color. It takes readers on a visual tour of produce and includes lighthearted stories, spectacular photographs and simple ingredient combinations. There are 75 recipes for cooking with fruits and vegetables and the photographs celebrate their visual beauty and culinary potential.
Now relocated to sunny San Jose, California, Cheryl is a successful food writer whose work has 
appeared in a wide variety of national food magazines and websites, including Eating Well, Cooking Light, Health, Sunset, Body + Soul, and Vegetarian Times.
Cheryl grew up in Scarsdale and still has family in town. We asked her to think about how her years in Scarsdale may have influenced her path to the writing life and here is what she told us.
“As a writer, I can point to several people in my life who've had both direct and indirect influences on my work. One, for sure, was my freshman English professor at Haverford, who asked me within the first few days of college how I'd learned to write. (He was impressed, to my great delight.) My answer? I'd learned to write at Scarsdale High School. (I still remember how much I loved writing papers for Mr. Sheehey's class.) That seemed to satisfy him. It explained it all.
And while I didn't cook too much as a child, and I didn't know any cookbook authors when I lived in Scarsdale, I was never far from good food. I feel very fortunate now to have a career that centers around both food and writing.”
She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Haverford College and a Master’s degree in education from Harvard University. Prior to joining the culinary field, she worked as a researcher at Harvard, where she co-authored a three-part book series on higher education. She also spent two years working for the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, DC and two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Eritrea, East Africa.
A woman of many talents, Cheryl is also a graduate of the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, has worked in a commercial bakery and served as both a professional recipe tester and developer.
In addition to her new book, Sternman’s blog 5 Second Rule is a wonderful trove of recipes and thoughts on life, food, cookbooks and cooking. In her most recent posts, learn how to make Ouzo-steeped Calimyrna Figs and Spring Carrot Sauté.
Here’s one recipe from her blog:
Spring Carrot Sauté with olives, garlic, and millet 
The golden hue of this millet caught my eye, and with some advice from Maria Speck's wonderful cookbook Ancient Grains for Modern Meals, I learned how easy it is to cook. (Look for millet in the bulk bins at natural foods stores.) I used it here as a bed for garlicky sauteed carrots. The next day, I splashed broth over the leftovers, simmered it anew, and added a few shrimp for a speedy second meal.
Makes 4 servings
- 1 cup (dry) millet
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled & smashed
- 1 pound slender spring carrots, scrubbed, halved lengthwise
- 1/4 cup pitted calamata olives, slivered
- 1/2 cup (packed) flat-leaf parsley
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Optional add-ins/stir-throughs: cooked shrimp, cooked beans or lentils, peas, any leftover vegetables
First, cook the millet. Combine the millet with 1-3/4 cups cold water in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Keep covered.
Meanwhile, combine the 3 tablespoons olive oil with the garlic in a large skillet. Set over medium-low heat and allow to warm slowly, becoming fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the carrots and olives, crank the heat a bit, and saute until the carrots are tender but not mushy, 8 to 10 minutes, tossing frequently. (Cook time will vary based on the carrots' freshness and thickness.)
Scrape the cooked millet into the carrots and give everything a good toss. Sprinkle with the parsley, drizzle generously with additional olive oil, and adjust the seasonings to taste. (Add optional stir-throughs, if desired.)
To re-warm leftovers, moisten first with a bit of vegetable broth, then simmer gently.
Read more about Cheryl’s new book here, see the video trailer here and if you’re intrigued, buy yourself a copy on Amazon.
