Spring 2019
FALMOUTH ACADEMY
Explore, Engage, Excel!
CONTENTS The
GAM
GAM: “A social meeting of whale ships ... with all the sympathies of sailors [and] all the peculiar congenialities arising from a common pursuit.”
Falmouth Academy
7 Highfield Drive, Falmouth, MA 02540 508-457-9696 falmouthacademy.org
Administration
Matthew Green, Head of School Michael J. Earley, Assistant Head of School Petra Ehrenbrink, Academic Dean Pamela Clapp Hinkle, Director of Development Julie Bradley, Director of Admission and Enrollment Management Carmen DiSanto, Business Manager
2 Up Front 6 Classroom and Beyond 12 Centerpiece
• Exploration Day • Koko! Kena! Exploring Africa, Alumnae Discover Themselves • Thailand 2019
28 Mariner Stars 30 Alumni News 34 People of Falmouth Academy
Editorial Staff
Amy Galvam, Director of Communications Barbara Campbell, Director of Alumni and Parent Relations Crissy Torruella, Associate Director of Annual Giving and Development Operations Monica Hough, Faculty Guest Editor Design: Julianne Waite Photos: Pusit Atthaoraek, Becky Butler ’19, Ellamae Cazeault ’21, Sam Colt-Simonds ’19, Barbara Campbell, Mike Earley, Leah Fasten P’22, Amy Galvam, Bailey Jordan ’20, Susan Moffat, Isabella Santamauro ’20, Julie Swanbeck, David Thieler ’19, Ellie Thomas ’21, Ryan Waite ’21, Heather Wang ’19
Mission
Harnessing the power of inspired learning in a world-renowned scientific and vibrant artistic community, Falmouth Academy emboldens each student to take creative and intellectual risks to confidently engage the challenges of our times.
Guiding Values On the cover: Ellie Thomas ’21 playfully interacts with a baby elephant at Blue Daily Elephant Care Sanctuary during a school-hosted spring break trip to Thailand. Above: Horn section at the Midwinter concert on February 15th, featuring Leni Draper ’19, Logan Moniz ’22, Tarun Gonneea ’22, Sarah Kerr ’19, and Noah Glasgow ’21.
We value the beauty of knowledge and the joy of conversation. We value collaboration and generosity of spirit. We value the power of a culture of kindness. We value relationships built on trust, respect, and direct communication. We value the wonder of imagination. We value each student’s pursuit of diverse challenges and opportunities. We value teachers as models of confident, rich adulthood.
From the Head of School
I
f you are a fan of the old Batman television series, the one where Batman’s ample midsection tended to spill over his utility belt and Robin, tongue planted firmly in cheek, delivered variations on the classic “Holy ________, Batman!” line, you may remember an obscure villain by the name of Egghead (compellingly portrayed by a younger Vincent Price.) In addition to being ridiculously smart (though not as smart as Batman!), Egghead’s trademark was his agile and frequent use of ex-adjectives, which he would gleefully mispronounce as egg-adjectives. “Egg-cellent!” “Egg-straordinary!” “How egg-silharating!” and of course, while rubbing his hands together, “Egg-splosives!” You’ll note from the cover that this issue of The GAM focuses on our own trio of e-words: Explore, Engage, and Excel. Throughout the issue, they are joined by a family of “e-cousins” like excite, as in learning at Falmouth Academy is exciting; examine, as in Falmouth Academy students examine their surroundings; extend, as in learning here extends well beyond the classroom; and expand, as in Falmouth Academy is in the business of expanding hearts and minds. Education, at its core, sets the stage for a lifetime of exploration. In this issue of The GAM you’ll read about just a few of the talented alumni who are exploring and excelling in a variety of fields, from literature to climate science to linguistics, agriculture, and education in Africa. You’ll read about students and teachers exploring, with old and new friends, cultures in faraway places like Thailand and Germany, and you’ll read about students exploring careers in places as nearby as our local hospital, our public-radio station, or an area architectural firm. You’ll read about students, as part of Exploration Day, attending mini-classes on novel topics such as fabric design, financial literacy, biochemistry and sustainable eating, the economics of soccer, screenprinting, and much more. In the end, however, the most meaningful exploration that happens everyday at Falmouth Academy is internal. It’s a journey of self-discovery that ultimately yields answers to two important questions: Who am I? and What do I believe? Explore, engage, excel, excite, endeavor, enjoy, extend, examine, elaborate, elevate, evolve, enthrall, entrust, engineer, edify, empower, equip, and of course educate! Take that, Egghead!
Matthew Green Head of School
The GAM
SPRING 2019
1
UP FRONT
Grandparents and special friends stop for a photo-op at the glacial boulder George’s Rock during a nature walk through Beebe Woods led by Liz Klein and her Geological and Environmental Science class.
It’s been a busy year so far at Falmouth Academy with two large-scale drama productions, two musical concerts, Grandparents and Special Friends Day, Alumni Day, Gala, Model UN, the 31st Science and Engineering Fair, the first two Community Series events (see Roupenian article, page 4), a hard-fought soccer season, and postseason play for basketball. Amidst it all, we celebrated the holidays, rang in 2019, and observed Chinese New Year. French teacher Christine Carter defended her dissertation on French fashion earning her the esteemed title of Dr. (Carter) Courbon.
A mixed number performed by members of the girls and boys choruses at the fall choral concert (L-R Makenzie Luce ’19, Hannah Stillman ’19, David Thieler ’19, Soren Peterson ’22, and Samuel Perry ’19.)
Maisie Saganic ’21 as Rosalind and Edith Leaver ’22 as Celia in a 1970s themed dramatic production of Shakespeare’s As You Like It. 2
The GAM
SPRING 2019
Cast and crew of the original production, Hotel of Dreams, written by Bronwen Prosser ’99 and her students (back row L-R: Julia Mele ’23, Bianca Greco ’23, Jonah Mesple ’23, Jessica Green ’23, Petra Brienza ’23, Ursula Junker ’23, Ned Heywood ’23, front row: Alexa Hartman ’24, Ben Gulmann ’23, Sam Kellogg ’23, Mateo Darak ’23 and Natalie Pil ’24).
Student Council President Sam Colt-Simonds ’19 and Vice President Maddy Francis ’19 taking a break and basking in the success of a well-orchestrated Gala fundraiser benefiting the Rainforest Trust.
Petra Brienza ’23 earned a fourth place award and a first place for excellence in graphic presentation from Hutker Architects for her project, “The Effects of Different Leavening Agents on Cake.”
The GAM
SPRING 2019
3
UP FRONT
To ring in Chinese New Year, the school celebrated together at All-School Meeting on February 5th with dumplings and a traditional musical offering by Leihua (Dimple) Zhu ’21. Dimple played “Three Stanzas of Plum Blossoms” (梅花三弄) on the gu qin (古琴), which is an ancient classical seven-stringed zither without bridges.
Chaperones Frau Eder and Mr. Wells took the German exchange to visit Strasbourg, France, in the Alsace region. Although Alsace is part of France, the region has been passed between French and German control several times since 1681, resulting in a unique mix of both cultures.
LM: I got an email from Kristen in late September 2017 saying, “Guess what? I’ve got a story accepted by The New Yorker!” And then… KR: I don’t even know how to describe this year. It’s been so much. The story was published in December 2017 and went viral within a week. The next week I got the book deal (You Know You Want This: Cat Person and Other Stories) and it was published this January. The collection was optioned by HBO, and here I am talking to my high school English teacher! LM: “Cat Person” certainly generated some strong opinions. What is it like to be so gazed at and having everybody responding in such powerful ways?
Kristen Roupenian ’99 on Writing and Capturing the Attention of the World When Kristen Roupenian submitted her short story “Cat Person” to The New Yorker, she never dreamed of the notoriety it would cause. Millions of comments and thousands of conversations popped up online, a viral whirlwind that led to a two-book publishing deal, an option for a cable series, and more. In February, Kristen returned to school where she joined former English teacher Lalise Melillo for a conversation as part of the Falmouth Academy Community Series. Here is an excerpt from their discussion. 4
The GAM
SPRING 2019
KR: It’s hard. I keep it in perspective by thinking that people are passionately thinking about the stories. You don’t really write something unless you want people to read it and then when people read it, you think, did I really want that? LM: What was it in your Falmouth Academy education that stayed with you? KR: One thing I learned was how to read a book and explain it. I never thought there was a right way to read a book. I thought I could read it however I wanted as long as I could defend that interpretation. LM: I’m intrigued by your sense of how a reader reads and what the art of reading is like. KR: It’s funny, that was an aspect of my character early on. The split vision — it could be this way, it could be that way. The part of what I loved about it is you could make a claim, and it would be right. I love the feeling of having solved a book. It’s not a feeling you get in
Middle School students (L-R: Nate Holmes ’24 and fifth from the left, Patrick Shachoy ’24) participating in the Model UN Conference at Clark University on February 23rd. Upper school students also competed at a conference held at Dartmouth College, April 6th and 7th.
real life very often. Seeing ways you can interpret things in multiple ways is actually a theme in many of my stories. LM: One of the things you explore so well in your work is that people use their imaginations, and the sense of what the imagination can do in your stories is really, really good. But when people begin imagining, particularly in this world of technology or trying to interact with people using technology, the imagination narrows down to certain scenarios. KR: Essentially you’re choosing from so many different possible theories about who a person is and why they do what they’re doing. Margot [the 20-year old main character in “Cat Person” who develops a relationship with Robert, a 30-something, mostly via text messages] chooses the interpretation of Robert that she likes best. She insists on persevering through that interpretation even though the evidence is accumulating that this may not be the best one. She’s such a good selective reader that she can find evidence to support her theory just as we the readers are saying ‘Girl, you’re on the wrong path.’ LM: Many of your characters are people who are continually observing themselves and doing things and then saying why am I doing this, or getting places and saying why am I here. KR: I think that the process of observing someone and how I get into a character’s mind is the thing I actually have in common with my characters. There is very little autobiography in here – I’m sure everyone will be relieved to know. But even when I’m writing a character that’s going bad or doing things that are awful, I still need to have a kind of empathy for them. Where I find that empathy is the moment when they surface and have an understanding of who
they are and how they got there. LM: Do you think about what features of your work will stand the test of time? KR: It’s hard to know what people five or ten or twenty years from now will value or what they won’t. If you aim for that, what you will write is something someone would have liked five or ten or twenty years ago. People want to write in a way that is admired. When I read a book I really enjoy, I’m not thinking what a great writer the author is because I’m reading the book and I’m invested in it. I do think it’s necessary to try and show that it’s not an experience about me. It’s an experience I’m giving you. LM: Back to “Cat Person” going viral. What do you think it was that sparked so many conversations? Can you comment on the use of fiction as a vehicle for starting conversations? KR: I realized that it wasn’t about my story so much as it was about the thing that the readers wanted to talk about and they have every right to. I have always understood my life better with what I read. With “Cat Person” in particular, when people read that story, young women especially, they felt they could talk about what was meaningful to them. They felt like they could have conversations with each other about things that were painful and hard, and I feel proud of that. It’s not something I ever could have intended. I’m very happy when anyone uses my work to talk about his or her life. I think there’s no better compliment than that. There was a hunger to start talking about things that people hadn’t been talking about. That was the moment “Cat Person” came into being. The GAM
SPRING 2019
5
CLASSROOM AND BEYOND
New Electives 2018-19 The 4th period is an extended block sandwiched in the middle of the day right after All-School Meeting where students participate in electives and science labs. It is a time for students to engage in interests and activities that complement the core academic program. Each year these electives are reviewed and tweaked. Here’s what’s new this year.
Animate! Stop-Motion Claymation and Video Exploration Susan Moffat: grades 9-12 Students work independently and in teams to create figures in clay and bring them to life. They develop a concept, create a storyboard, and animate using stop-motion techniques to create multimedia presentations using video cameras and smart phones. See examples on Falmouth Academy’s Vimeo page (https://vimeo. com/user31595644).
Domenic Bowen ’22, animating his whiteboard drawing.
Curling Doug Jones: grades 9-12 Each week, students walk to the Cape Cod Curling Club to learn the rules, techniques, and strategies of curling. They learn how to throw a stone and what it means to sweep. In curling news, Ryan Waite ’21 and Silas Clark ’21 were on the underdog junior All-Cape Cod Curling Team that earned a surprising victory at the two-day Broomstones Junior Bonspiel held in Wayland in November (read the article in the Falmouth Enterprise by Jim Woodworth, November 30, 2018: Curling News: Team Gerlach Topples Giants On Way To Junior Bonspiel Title).
Ellamae Cazeault ’21 throwing a rock down the ice. 6
The GAM
SPRING 2019
Engage: Local and Global Service Carol DiFalco/Julie Swanbeck: grades 7-12 To engage with others and make a difference in their lives, students in this elective connect with Falmouth residents in community service; plan and lead service projects; participate in the Cape Cod Human Rights Academy, and create a project that will enhance understanding and invite further action.
Ben Schwenk ’19, practicing his DECA competition presentation.
Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) Ed Lott: grades 9-12 DECA students are interested in marketing, entrepreneurship, finance, hospitality, and management. Mr. Lott leads students through exercises and role-playing to promote the guiding values of DECA: competence, innovation, integrity, and teamwork. Mr. Lott brought Ben Schwenk ’19, Ethan Fan ’20, Logan Moniz ’22, and Jack Butler ’22 to the State DECA Competition in Boston on March 7th and 8th.
I joined a small group of Falmouth Academy students led by Mrs. Swanbeck who met early one chilly Saturday morning in Dennis, MA, to spend the day working on a Habitat for Humanity building site, on two houses that were nearly finished. We shingled the side of one house and planked the deck of the second. I had never shingled a house before, and I still wouldn’t know how had I not participated in the Habitat build. I enjoyed the experience very much because it felt good to go out of my comfort zone and be part of something bigger than my regular routine. It was heartwarming and only took a few hours of us working together to make a big difference in someone else’s life. - Casandra Douglass ’20
Habitat build: (L-R) Mrs. Swanbeck, construction crew member, Makenzie Markello ’20, Gray Augat ’20, Robert Ciaffoni ’20, construction crew member, Cather Zhang ’20, Iris Xia ’20, Liming Zheng ’20, Shirley Long ’21, construction crew worker, Isabella Santamauro ’20, Casandra Douglass ’20
The GAM
SPRING 2019
7
Olivia Riddiford adjusting Ana Kurelja ’23 in warrior two pose.
Yoga for Teens Olivia Riddiford: grades 7-12 Each class begins with breathing exercises to allow students to settle and set an intention for their practice. Once grounded, they flow through basic yoga postures to stretch and strengthen their bodies. At the end of class, the students return to their mats for meditation helping them make a healthy mind/body connection. Mrs. Riddiford, in addition to working in the admission office, is a trained yoga instructor and Reiki practitioner.
Forensic Science Dan Ledoux: grades 10-12 In the first trimester, students took on the role of a criminal investigator collecting evidence and mapping crime scenes. In the second trimester, they were lab technicians analyzing evidence such as handwriting, fingerprints, and blood spatter. In the third trimester, they are expert witnesses testifying in the courtroom. The Forensic Science elective might benefit from a guest lecture in their third trimester from seniors Nell Bowen and Leah Littlefield who won second place in this year’s Falmouth Academy Science and Engineering Fair for their project, “Witness Reliability: The Effect of Time on Memory Retention.”
8
The GAM
SPRING 2019
Eliza Chun ’21, intently cracking a coded message.
CLASSROOM AND BEYOND Introduction to Graphic Design Martha Borden/Joshua Leveque: grades 7-12 Adobe InDesign 2017, with its flexible layout and integrated tools, provides a platform to combine writing skill with artistic expression. Students learn by doing and design brochures, posters, business cards, postcards, and magazine layouts in both print and digital format. Bella Ferreira ’19, a communications intern, used her newly honed design skills to create the programs for the fall play, “As You Like It,” the fall choral concert, and the middle school play, “Hotel of Dreams.”
Fitness for Life (FFF) Bill Andrade: grades 7-12 Students in FFF workout weekly at the Falmouth Sports Center using a variety of strength and fitness equipment with training and supervision by Coach Bill Andrade. Students are required to monitor their personal fitness plans. Coach Andrade also teaches physical education, recreational games, and coaches middle school boys basketball. He also coaches varsity soccer at Falmouth High School.
Introduction to Programming Martha Borden: grades 7-12 Students are learning the language of Python, a general purpose language widely used in scientific computing and data science. They work through a series of short activities designed to build confidence and gain an understanding of the syntax of the language, the structure of a working program, and the ability to “debug” their work. The course also explores physical computing using Hummingbird circuit boards, motors, servos, and a variety of sensors to conceptualize, build, and program models to move and react to inputs. Mrs. Borden also collaborated with Gunnar Peterson P’21, P’22 to create and offer Cape Code CoderDojo which took place several Saturdays this year in the computer lab at Falmouth Academy. CoderDojo is an open source, volunteer-led movement running free coding clubs (Dojos) for young people between the ages of 7 through 17. Participants work in small groups with mentors to learn how to code, develop websites, apps, programs, games, and much more.
Arian Islam ’20 uses the lat pull-down machine to increase upper body strength.
Interconnected Biology Sarah Lafaver McCarron ’96: grades 9-12 Students learn about the structure and function of their own anatomy and physiology through studying the natural world. They learn how their own biology compares with that of other organisms through in-depth animal dissection including chicken wings, sheep hearts, and culminating in a several-week dissection of a cat.
Dr. McCarron instructs Soren Peterson '22 in dissection of a chicken wing. The GAM
SPRING 2019
9
CLASSROOM AND BEYOND
Who Am I? Self-discovery through Self-portraiture By Barbara Campbell, Director of Alumni and Parent Relations
Gazing into a mirror, an eighth-grade girl carefully studies the width between her eyes, the chicken pox mark on the side of her face, stray strands of hair, the spray of freckles across her nose. She looks deeply into her eyes and wonders, who am I? Falmouth Academy offers unique opportunities for students to get to know themselves. For example, the eighth grade curriculum in all classes encourages students to consider: who am I and how do I fit into the world? Students tackle the more traditional self-portrait when, in English, they are asked to reach deep inside to pluck a moment that influenced or changed them and write about it. Later they draw a pencil portrait that begins as a math exercise and ends as a very convincing likeness. Monica Hough, Middle School Coordinator and co-founder of the Eighth Grade Self-Portrait project, says, “Looking at yourself is the hardest thing to do. Students stare at a mirror only 18” away and are forced to focus on themselves. They see that there are many facets to their faces and their thoughts and values. How can you take what’s inside and make it visible? A self-portrait requires an honesty that a selfie can’t capture.”
10
The GAM
SPRING 2019
Mrs. Hough notes the importance of this project at a time when developmentally students are on the verge of self-discovery. Typically in middle school, students want to fit in and go with the pack; they don’t want to stand out. “But, we all want to be seen for who we are,” says Mrs. Hough. “You can’t expect others to know who you are if you haven’t given thought to it yourself. What’s really beautiful about this project is that the student is in an environment where everyone is given permission to show his or her authentic self, rather than artificial facets reflective of social pressures.” During this project, “Students have to be objective,” says Art teacher Mrs. Lucy Nelson. “It’s a reckoning for them to see themselves in the mirror. They are vulnerable. There is no room for sarcasm. They have to be honest. They reveal themselves alongside others doing the same, and it is beautiful to share.” As students progress through the grades, self-portraiture appears again and again as a part of the Arts-Across-the-Curriculum projects that support core courses. For example, when students study the Civil War in History they create classic silhouettes of their profiles.
Students in arts electives have an opportunity to further selfreflect. In the first assignment of the Advanced Photography elective—called Visible/Invisible—students create two self-portraits: one, a literal piece of how the artist thinks others see her/him and the other, a figurative self-portrait that reveals something about the artist that others may not readily see. “This is a project where the student has to think about who they are,” says Photography teacher Ms. Susan Moffat. “It’s about risk taking. Essentially, I am looking for them to learn something about themselves. It is a real challenge. It’s hard to look at yourself.” In the Advanced Painting and Advanced Drawing electives, students create a self-portrait that can be either an abstract, a stilllife, or a literal piece. One interesting project is a reductive work that begins as a piece of paper covered with charcoal. Students then remove or reduce the charcoal to produce another type of selfportrait. Adolescence is a time when you can rewrite yourself, notes Mrs. Nelson. “Students are struggling to find their voice. Self-portraits allow them to have agency, to be.” Young kids, she says, are not as aware of how they affect the world, or how their decisions affect the world around them. As they grow up, they begin to realize that they are not the center of the universe. But through these projects, “They get to choose the
person they become as they develop selfawareness.” Self-reflection plays an important role yet again towards the end of senior year. During the last two weeks of English class, seniors are asked to self-reflect once more, both in an essay and an art piece. In a more figurative self-portrait, seniors portray themselves in a work that is representative of their journey through Falmouth Academy. Mrs. Nelson explains, “The twelfthgrade self-portrait allows you to see how you affect other people. It shows how you have grown as a person since that self-portrait done in eighth grade, which is hung alongside the new piece, showing the arc of self-discovery. It is a soul search, another rebirth. It can be very scary but liberating.” Last year a senior created an embroidered tablecloth to reflect herself. Her grandmother, living in Brazil, had a similar tablecloth, lovingly embroidered with a variety of stitches to showcase scenes from her life. This project not only encouraged the student to reflect on her own life, it allowed her to have very important conversations with her grandmother and to learn more than she ever knew about where she, herself, had come from. Essentially, Mrs. Nelson says, “We are a culmination of the stories we tell ourselves. These projects at Falmouth Academy give permission for students to take moments of introspection to search their souls, and gain confidence by discovering who they are.”
LEFT: Ana Kurelja ’23 looking in the mirror for the 8th grade self-portrait project TOP: Silas Clark ’21 Advanced Painting, self-portrait RIGHT: Anna Metri ’19 Advanced Photography self-portrait The GAM
SPRING 2019
11
CENTERPIECE
Exploration Day Cryptography and Code Breaking, Dystopian Studies, Tree Bones and Ansel Adams, Eco-friendly Fabric Design, Credit Card 101, Playwriting, a Mock Trial Workshop. These courses and more were just a small part of Falmouth Academy’s inaugural Exploration Day activities. Initially conceived by history chair Rob Wells, Exploration Day—held in November—was an opportunity for students to step away from their usual academic schedule and take a deep dive into special topics, fields of study, and careers of interest to them. “It was envisioned as a mini version of what colleges do with ‘Jan Plans’ between semesters,” says Rob Wells. “A chance to pursue learning for sheer pleasure and passion—for both students and teachers!” Students in the seventh and eighth grades traveled with Michael Earley and others to the port of New Bedford where the New Bedford Whaling Museum was their classroom for the day. Once known as The City That Lit the World because of its central role in the whaling industry, New Bedford remains a key seaport for the region today. Our students spent the day discovering the modern working port of New Bedford, the history of the whaling industry, and learning about whale biology. “Growing up on Cape Cod, I’ve heard a lot about how important whaling was to our local history, but it wasn’t until I visited the Whaling Museum with my class that I really understood,” says Leah Croom ’24. “It was so cool and I loved the whales hanging from the ceiling.” Meanwhile, a group of the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth graders explored a variety of career possibilities as “professional shadows,” an experience brought to fruition last year from the initiative and imagination of Anna Metri ’19 in collaboration with
Middle School students on a guided tour of the New Bedford Whaling Museum (L-R: Landon Cormie ’23, Oisin McVey ’24, Sean Kelleher ’23, Loek Atema ’24, Evan Freedman ’24 , Guide, Ella Keohane ’23, Bianca Greco ’23, Summer Richardson ’23, Ava Strand ’24, Robert Frigon ’23, Reilly Mullins ’24, Isabel Carreno-Vogt ’24).
12
The GAM
SPRING 2019
Carol DiFalco. Building on last year’s successful piloting of a small number of placements in health care and medicine, the school arranged for more than 40 students to spend the day in a wide array of professional settings including architecture, oncology, radio broadcasting, biotechnology, and elementary-age teaching, just to name a few. “I was able to participate in the classroom with the speech therapy students and collaborate with Lisa Willcox, a speech therapist at the East Falmouth Elementary School,” says Grace Russell ’19. “Fully immersing myself into her workday gave me a realistic view of a profession that I am genuinely considering pursuing in the future.” Finally, the ninth graders, and remaining tenth, eleventh, and twelfth graders engaged in their own on-campus exploration. Students signed up for two half-day interactive “classes” that explored in detail and depth a field or topic about which one or more of our teachers have particular enthusiasm and expertise. “Students came to the art studio and made screen prints using photo emulsion transfers,” explains Art teacher Lucy Nelson. “With the option of printing on fabric, such as a t-shirt, handkerchief, or canvas bag, they learned a marketable application of an art lesson.” “Exploration Day was a great success, and I’m grateful to all the teachers and professionals who shared their time and talents with our students,” says Head of School Matt Green. “We can’t wait to do it again next year, and to incorporate more opportunities for our students to explore topics and careers outside of our day-to-day curriculum.”
Bailey Jordan ’20 inspected her screen print of the Eiffel Tower as she readied to transfer it to a tote bag. Students in Silkscreening with Mrs. Lucy Nelson learned how to create a photo emulsion directly on a silkscreen which they transferred to a variety of fabrics.
Mr. Matt Green taught a course on Dystopian Studies using poetry, news articles, video clips and activities to explore the ongoing pursuit of “perfect” societies and their unintended consequences.
The GAM
SPRING 2019
13
CENTERPIECE
Students gathered to learn the basics of credit from Mr. Ed Lott. By the end of the short course, students knew the difference between debit and credit and the value of paying each month. He also shared interesting facts such as the average family has eleven credit cards with an average debt of $11,800.
Devin Hill ’20 participated in Eco-Friendly Fabric Design where she and others repurposed old sweaters, t-shirts, and other fabric scraps transforming them into new and useful articles of clothing. Students learned how to read a pattern and use a sewing machine.
14
The GAM
SPRING 2019
In Biochemistry and Healthy Bites from Around the World, science teachers Ms. Jill Reves (pictured here with Marina Weber ’21 and Cam MacLean ’21) and Dr. Alison Ament led students on a nutritious culinary journey of international small bites that are easy to prepare and well suited to college life.
Ryan Waite ’21, Soren Peterson ’22, Arian Islam ’20, Quincy Boardman ’20, Dylan Kadison ’20, and Edith Leaver ’22 strategize in Adventurers Wanted: A Journey into Tabletop Roleplaying with Mr. Dan Ledoux.
The GAM
SPRING 2019
15
Students learned botanical terms and photo techniques in the seminar entitled “Tree Bones and Ansel Adams: Science Meets Art.” Led by Science teacher Ms. Liz Klein, Photo teacher Ms. Susan Moffat, and Learning Specialist Ms. Helen Reuter, the class wound through Beebe Woods to capture images that would eventually find their way into Adams-like books.
Iris Xia ’20, Logan Moniz ’22, and Quinn Capraro ’19, formed one of the groups in the Designing a Government seminar led by Mr. Rob Wells. Students considered the character of a government, its legislative make-up and how to ensure the competence of its executives. The groups led a very civilized discourse on term limits, who controls the military, and how many Supreme Court judges there should be. Each group called for the executive branch to have former government experience.
16
The GAM
SPRING 2019
Shadow Day Experience Alice Tan ’21
TOP: Camden Emery ’19, Alice Tan ’21, and Noah Glasgow ’21 outside the office of Jill Neubauer Architects. BELOW: Thomas Earley ’19 and Joshua Novak ’19 spent the day with Falmouth Fire and Rescue. RIGHT: Walker Heard ’19 and Sam Colt-Simonds ’19 with Steve Junker P’23 in the WCAI studio in Woods Hole.
I suspected that architecture would be an interesting profession to shadow since I grew up with an architect for a mother. My childhood memories of my mom are stippled with concept drawings of parking structures, images of her with her nose in a well-worn design book, and conversations about the construction of Baroque and Rococo churches over dinner. Due to her influence, I now enjoy engaging in artistic expression and spend many a weekend afternoon drawing and sketching. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to spend the day at Jill Neubauer Architects, Inc., along with Camden Emery ’19 and Noah Glasgow ’21. We walked together down the hill to Ms. Neubauer’s office around 8:30 AM and were received warmly by Meredith Hunnibell P’15, administrator of the firm. She gave us a detailed tour of the office and introduced us to the architects. We spent the majority of the day with three architects who showed us stages of design and some of their current projects. They also shared with us how they became interested in their chosen field and a bit about how they got where they are. Our discussions made me consider the more practical aspects of architecture such as the geography of the site, the client's needs, build costs and financial limitations. It seems to me that an architect is an artist who tries to discover the best combination of elements—experimenting with different structures, materials, colors and styles—while working around potential limitations to strike the right balance between the integrity of the design and the wants and needs of the client. After this experience, I have never felt more connected to the professional side of my mom. Recalling all those dinner conversations where she would talk about her work and I would half-listen, I now appreciate what I once thought of as boring details. My heart is filled with admiration.
The GAM
SPRING 2019
17
CENTERPIECE
Thailand 2019 By Dr. Ben Parsons
“Authenticity” is an educational buzzword hard to define and even harder to quantify, yet you know it when you see it, and cringe when you don’t. This year, a March Break educational opportunity led by former FA faculty member Mr. Pusit Atthaoraek (Mr. A) brought 15 FA students and two faculty members, Ms. Susan Moffat and Dr. Ben Parsons, to Thailand. The group traveled from the highest point in Thailand, through Buddhist temples adorned with gold, into elephant camps and hill tribe villages, along the canals of Bangkok, to the shores of the Andaman Sea in about as authentic an experience as it comes. The trip—with ten days in Thailand, a 21hour layover in Doha, Qatar, and two days in transit— was meticulously planned and delivered by Mr. A and his wonderful wife, Oy. Together, they showcased the incredible diversity of places, people, culture, history, and cuisine of their country, all while remaining attentive to our every need and desire.
Touched-down on the smog-shrouded tarmac of Chiang Mai International Airport, but no rest for the weary! For lunch, an organic farm-to-table restaurant replete with vintage airplanes, lettuce growing in the parking lot, and fresh mango smoothies. Afternoon making paper out of elephant dungdried, boiled, cleaned, dyed, spread, and baked in the sun. Night walk of the street market in the Old City—polyglottic street vendors, temples beckoning our tired bodies in with chants and illuminated Buddha, throngs of people, moths descending on any exposed light bulbs, and mango season in full splendor.
Sunday
18
The GAM
SPRING 2019
Our three Toyota nine-passenger vans climbed thirteen kilometers of switchbacks up a mountain on the outskirts of Chiang Mai to arrive at Doi SuTep. 309 steps between protective snakes up to an immaculate temple adorned with gold and shaded by pink and purple bougainvilleas. Thai Buddhism in all its resplendent glory—inclusive, humanist iconography acknowledging four truths: youth, aging, sickness, and death. Tapestries of study and meditation towards enlightenment and freedom from suffering. Back at Lanna Dusita Riverside Boutique Hotel, we donned Northern Thai clothing for a traditional welcome ceremony featuring Buddhist incantations, live music, dancing, and assorted dishes along the banks of the Ping under the sepia light from burning sugar-cane smog and incandescent light bulbs. Mr. A’s mother and father wrapped our wrists with string to unite our spirits and center us as members of the community.
Monday
The GAM
SPRING 2019
19
Tuesday
Elephant day. Street market to buy salted crickets, grubs, sweet rice cakes and, of course, mouth-watering mangoes. Feeding Asian elephants sugarcane and bananas (300 kg a day!) and an herbal nutrition elixir of turmeric, salt, tamarind, bananas, and brown sugar cubes to help with digestion. Trek into the hills for elephant mud spa treatment. Descent back to the river to rinse our bodies and scrub the elephants clean, with elephant trunks as shower spigots! Wednesday
Thailand’s tallest peak, Doi Inthanon. 2,567 meters. Cool air and hazy views of mountains to Burma, Bhutan, and Nepal. Descent by van to twin shrines for the former king and queen. Botanical gardens, vistas and Buddhist stories inscribed in stone on the interior and exterior walls. Roadside lunch of traditional Thai soup and a whole fish picked clean by the most adventurous eaters. Refueled and energized on a nature hike with guide from the local hill tribe. Meandering through pine forests and chrysanthemum fields down to a roaring cascade. Swimming under the waterfall. Down the trail past green snakes, enormous spiders, and cinnamon trees, then a clearing revealing terraced strawberry fields. Hill tribe village with traditional bamboo huts built up on stilts. Coffee break with locally sourced cacao and freshly roasted, ground, and brewed beans.
Wednesday
20
The GAM
SPRING 2019
CENTERPIECE Time for a serious workout before departure for Bangkok. Custom Thai boxing shorts at a boxing gym. Quick introduction to the fundamentals of the national sport of Thailand with punches, uppercuts, elbow jabs, knee jabs and high kicks. Hands wrapped in tape before putting on boxing gloves, then thrown into the ring to spar with partners. Nursed our tired muscles on the short afternoon flight to Bangkok. Bangkok heat, humidity and congestion in the late afternoon sun. Train from airport, then mass rapid transit over swamps, past huts on stilts, and through towering skyscrapers to the Chao Phraya river, where our private dinner cruise boat was waiting for us as the sun set. Gorged on Thai specialties and danced to American pop as we motored up river past illuminated temples, chic shopping centers, 19th century mansions, and part of the Thai Royal Navy fleet. Exhausted and exhilarated, we debarked at the quai and waited for a river taxi to deliver us to our hotel.
Thursday
Water taxi north with our amiable octogenarian cultural attaché to discover the marvels of Wat Arun and Wat Pho temples. Millions of shards of porcelain set in plaster, Wat Arun’s 300 year history as a monument to Siam’s rich cultural history and geopolitical significance. On the right bank, Wat Pho and the sleeping Buddha. Yoga poses demonstrated by dozens of supple statues hidden in the gardens. Resting in the shade sipping milk from fresh coconuts, then a short bus ride (AC the oldfashioned way, windows down!) to a floating restaurant buffet. Afternoon in canal boats exploring Venice of the East, motoring our way through the labyrinthian waterways past eternally drying laundry, floating markets, dilapidated huts, glistening temples, and prehistoric-looking river monsters. Evening puppet show with story from the Ramayana and dinner and shopping under the spinning Chang ferris wheel.
Friday
The GAM
SPRING 2019
21
CENTERPIECE
Laundry day at Chulalongkorn University. While our loyal chaperone Merri transferred our wash to the dryer, we took in the National Art Museum and the Chatuchak Weekend Market, the largest flea market in the world. Thai baht judiciously spent on gifts for friends and family back home, we happily merged with the throngs of market-goers making their way home on the evening train in one of the most friendly, crazy, pulsating mega-cities on the planet.
Saturday Sunday Monday
Krabi here we come!
Boat ride to a blue lagoon surrounded by limestone cliffs. Monkeys keeping watch over the restrooms. Picnicking on the beach with vistas of the Andaman Sea. Hong Island swimming and snorkeling with parrot fish nibbling at toes and tiny jellyfish stinging torsos. Evening dinner at a beachside restaurant with warm breeze on sun-kissed shoulders and faces. Paradise found!
22
The GAM
SPRING 2019
Tandem kayaking serpentine channels through mangrove forests in ecosystem of Ao Tha Lane. Past limestone cliffs, caves and rock formations shaped by eons of wind and waves. Afternoon of Thai massages left us all dazed and sedated. Idyllic farewell meal in open-air restaurant perched on a hillside looking out over the sea. Gushing praise and thanks (and tears!) for Mr. A, Oy, and Merri.
Tuesday
Pre-dawn departure from Krabi. Adventure continues in the desert with Syrian dinner and scavenger hunt of the Souk in Doha, Qatar, with students from the Qatar Foundation. Wandering the Arab market and breathing in spices, menageries, hookah, and the salt air of the Persian Gulf.
Wednesday
Thursday
Homeward bound with memories that will last a lifetime.
The GAM
SPRING 2019
23
CENTERPIECE
Exploring Africa, Alumnae Discover Themselves By Barbara Campbell, Director of Alumni and Parent Relations
“I wanted to steep myself entirely in a culture so different from those I had thus far explored. I wanted to broaden my perspective, and, at the heart of it, I was seeking to know myself and what I want out of life.” Helena Oldenbourg ’14, Peace Corps Volunteer, The Gambia Africa is at once a bustling city and a quiet village in the shadow of a mountain. It is a community garden and a marketplace, its varied cultures expressed in a wealth of languages and the richness of music and art. Falmouth Academy alumni who study or work there often find the experience to be transformative and the rewards great as they push the limits of their comfort zones.
Studying Abroad
An environmentalist and junior at Macalester College, Sintra Reves-Sohn ’16, traveled to Tanzania for her semester-long study abroad experience via the Wildlife Conservation and Political Ecology program with the School for International Training. The program included a series of one month experiences on research safaris, remote homestays and an independent study project. While on safari, she participated in game drives with animal experts studying birds, elephants, ruminants and non-ruminants. During the homestay portion, Sintra lived in Ngaramtoni, a town outside of Arusha, and walked 30 minutes daily to the Sokoine University of Agriculture, passing Mt. Meru every morning. She studied the national language Kiswahili for five hours a day. At home, Sintra and the children slept under a bug net, on top of a cow hide, next to the goat pen. She concluded her stay with an independent study project in the Mazumbai Forest Reserve where she worked with the manager of the rainforest to collect samples in the mornings and analyze them in the afternoons. “My introduction to wildlife conservation in Tanzania contradicted much of what I had previously believed about the ethics surrounding environmental protection issues,” Sintra explains. “What had once been so straightforward to me (that conservation is good and should be applied liberally), now appears to me a tangled mess of trying to take people’s rights and welfare, the wildlife itself, government policies, and NGOs all into account. I learned about my homestay family’s beliefs and traditions as well, giving me a new understanding and appreciation for ways of life so greatly dissimilar to my own.” 24
The GAM
SPRING 2019
Charlotte Van Voorhis ’16 spent a semester at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, where she gained a new perspective on racial oppression by studying the history of South Africa. As an American Studies major and a junior at Yale University, Charlotte says “It seems counter-intuitive to leave America in order to understand it better, but it gave me so much perspective on the US’s role in the world.” Charlotte’s journey to South Africa was one of self-discovery as she found a new interest in linguistics. “I loved it so much that I’m now incorporating it into my major.” In fact, Charlotte took an intro class to isiXhosa (the language spoken by the Wakandans in Black Panther) because she wanted to learn a South African language and was challenged by its many clicks. “I really appreciate the indigenous languages of South Africa. There are 11. While all languages are equal, some are standardized because the ruling class happens to speak them. For example, English and Afrikaans were spoken by white people during Apartheid, so they are the languages of business, academia and success. But a linguistic revolution is slowly happening as people with indigenous ancestry who speak isiZulu, isiXhosa and siSwati and others are taking more pride in their mother tongues.”
The GAM
SPRING 2019
25
CENTERPIECE
Working Abroad Helena Oldenbourg ’14 recently graduated from Occidental College with a degree in cognitive science. Now she is a Peace Corp volunteer living in Jammeh Kunda, a Mandinka village of about 200 people located in the North Bank Region of The Gambia. The area is surrounded on three sides by Senegal. Helena says that few people in her village speak English. “My relationships here are built on smiles and daily greetings. The small moments of connection I experience beyond that feel like hard-fought victories.” An agriculture volunteer, Helena helps implement different techniques, like double digging garden beds, composting and inter cropping. “Every evening I walk to the garden alongside the women of my village with my bucket cut from a badong and my daba (a tool used by Gambians to break up their soil), and get water from the well to water my garden.”
26
The GAM
SPRING 2019
Helena hopes to introduce beekeeping into her village, as well as to establish citrus trees. She’d also like to start a girls’ group, a female soccer team, and improve the cook stoves to reduce the need for firewood. The biggest “aha” moment for Helena was when she realized that daily activities would not be easy or comfortable. The strong sense of community permeates every daily activity and frames life in terms of the good of the family rather than the individual. “The people I have met here are incredibly giving and excited to just spend time with me, even if it is being in complete silence while we crack peanuts together,” says Helena. “This experience is stretching me, and growth is not always comfortable.”
Lily Patterson ’14, a recent graduate of Fordham University, is also a Peace Corp volunteer, living in a village called Ha Mohlakoana in the Quthing district of Lesotho. The village is nestled in a valley below the mountains of Qacha’s Nek. “This is a fishbowl environment,” says Lily. “Everyone wants to say hi, and the kids are always ‘kokoing’ to me.” “Koko,” Lily explains, is what is said when you want to enter somebody’s home; if it is okay to enter, the person responds, “Kena.” Serving as an Education Volunteer at the Bolula Primary School, Lily teaches English to students in grades 5 and 7, and Life Skills to 45 students from grades 5 through 7. “I am planning to start a Girls’ Club, an English Club, and to reopen the library that was started by the previous Peace Corps member.” Lily teaches 21 periods per week. From her blog (lilinlesotho. blogspot.com), she writes, “So far, I like teaching; I do not love teaching. It’s really overwhelming and I have to constantly remind myself that I’ve only been doing this for two weeks and that it will
get better and easier. For each class, I prep a lesson plan and then usually make some visual aids. After each lesson I write how it went in my ‘record of work.’ These are things people who teach definitely know. (Shout out to [Mom] Ruth Slocum and every fantastic teacher I’ve ever had!)” Lily reports that her grade 5 students “are the most pumped up, excited bunch and they literally love anything I throw at them. And I’ve had really great moments, like when my grade 7s finally understood conjunctions. But I also have really frustrating moments, like when my learners just could not get the idea of mental health and self-care no matter how much my co-teacher and I tried.” Lily said she has a new appreciation for things we take for granted in the US, like indoor plumbing, laundry machines and quality healthcare.” But, she says, “I really, truly feel like I belong here and I just feel like the luckiest person in the world to have ended up in Lesotho.”
The GAM
SPRING 2019
27
MARINER STARS
Devin Hill '20 was named Cape & Islands League MVP for the 2018-2019 season. This marks the fifth straight year that a Falmouth Academy Girls Basketball player has been named the Cape & Islands League MVP. Devin led the Mariners to a 13-7 season while averaging 19.4 points a game making it into the postseason. The Mariners lost in the sectional quarterfinals to defending state champions, Coyle & Cassidy High School. Fellow teammate Maddy Francis ’19 says, “Devin really deserves this. Of all the years I have played with her, this was by far her best as an individual and a team player. Yes, you see her drop double digits game after game with unmatchable energy, but what you don’t see is her at practice, giving the same. As a developing player, Devin is definitely a great teammate to be around.” Varsity Girls Basketball was awarded the Cape and Islands League Sportsmanship award at the end of the season for exemplifying the league values and playing competitively at a high level while respecting one another.
This year, the Falmouth Academy middle school boys made it to the Super 6 finals for the third straight year, and Drew Marvel ’23 joined the ranks of the all-time leading scorers of middle school basketball players at Falmouth Academy.
Emma Fletcher ’20 committed to riding for the Baylor University Equestrian Team in 2020 when she graduates from Falmouth Academy. Baylor is ranked as one of the top national equestrian teams. Emma rides with her mom Kathy at their farm, Grazing Fields Farm and with Linda Langmeir at Kelianda Farm. Emma hopes to study International business with a minor in Arabic or Russian.
Kudos to Maria Kelly ’19 for being the first college commitment of the year. Maria signed her National Letter of Intent to swim for the University of Vermont Catamounts Division I swim team on November 20 here at Falmouth Academy. Maria has been swimming competitively with the Cape Cod Swim Club since she was ten. She plans to study physical therapy.
28
The GAM
SPRING 2019
Congratulations to Becky Butler '19 and Ainsley Ramsey '20 who were named Cape & Islands League All-Stars and to Thomas Earley '19 and Sam Colt-Simonds '19 who were invited to play in the All-Star game. CCSC teammate Ian Hinkle ’19 will also be swimming this fall. He’s committed to the Division III Skidmore College Thoroughbreds, led by head coach Jill Greenleaf. Ian has been swimming competitively for more than ten years and is lifeguard certified. He is interested in studying computer science and business.
Maria Medeiros ’21 has been selected to play with TEAM AIST (American International Sports Team) representing the US in an international lacrosse tournament this summer in Scotland and England. Since 2002, AIST has been traveling the world with select players from across the country competing in a variety of sports. The selection process is based on recommendations from coaches as well as statistical standing.
The GAM
SPRING 2019
29
ALUMNI NEWS
1980s John Van Citters ’83 was promoted to Vice President of Star Trek Brand Development for CBS Studios. He is working on content development and new brand initiatives, ranging from original fiction to gaming to online content and live events. John is a creative liaison to writers’ rooms and production teams across the Star Trek brand. Congratulations to Laura (Lorusso) Peterson ’87 who was named 2019 Citizen of the Year by the Falmouth Chamber of Commerce. Laura is CEO of Cape Cod Aggregates and a current board member and volunteer of the Falmouth Service Center. She is a past member of the Chamber’s Board of Directors. She also serves on Cape Cod Five’s Human Need and Economic Donation Advisory Committee, is a mentor for Volunteers in Public Schools and she has served on the Falmouth School Committee. In 2016 her family was recognized by the Falmouth Education Foundation for their dedication to the Falmouth community.
Emily Birdwhistell ’98, senior litigator for NBCUniversal, plays a mean game of rugby and earned Back of the Year from the Santa Monica Women’s Rugby Club last season.
2000s Jess Russell ’01 has been working in the English Department (which encompasses both the middle and upper schools) at Rocky Hill, and she's been teaching a senior English elective, as well as continuing to teach all sections of 9th grade English. She's also the principal faculty advisor to the Student Council. Evan Dalton ’04 was a guest lecturer on migration in the Interconnected Biology elective led by Sarah (Lafaver) McCarron ’96 in January. Evan is a lead instructor on land bird conservation, at Manomet Center.
1990s Yuki Honjo ’90 (right), COO of McLane Laboratory, was a guest speaker to the Women in Science (WISE) club. Organized by Emma Keeler ’19 (left), WISE meets every other week and invites women who work in science and engineering to speak about their career paths during the FA lunch period. Yuki's company, a Falmouth Academy Science and Engineering Fair sponsor, makes technological transfer devices among other apparatuses used in marine oceanography and discovery. Former FA Technology and Science teacher, Vicki Centurino, was another featured guest. Mrs. Centurino is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the Measurement, Evaluation, Statistics, and Assessment program at Boston College, Lynch School of Education. She is also an Assistant Research Director for TIMSS & PIRLS, which develops data analysis tools that enable countries around the world to measure how effective they are in teaching math and science. She offered this advice for the students to get ahead in science, “Be tenacious. Know what you want, and ask, ask, ask.”
30
The GAM
SPRING 2019
Brian Miskell ’06 performed on Broadway on January 6 in Kenneth Lonergan's Pulitzer-nominated work, The Waverly Gallery, at the John Golden Theatre. Brian was the understudy for Lucas Hedges in the role of Daniel Reed, the grandson who watches his grandmother, played by Elaine May, slowly die from Alzheimer's disease. After Brian’s performance, a friend of his wrote on Facebook, “There are days you don't forget. The day Brian Miskell goes on to lead The Waverly Gallery on Broadway, as though he's always been there, is one of them.”
Congratulations to Megan Starr ’06, who was named a 2018 Rising Star of Wall Street, by Business Insider, while Vice President of Asset Management at Goldman Sachs. She has since left for a new position as Head of Impact at The Carlyle Group. After receiving a congratulatory note from Falmouth Academy, she wrote, “Everything I’ve been able to do academically and professionally is completely due to FA. I learned how to speak up in corporate board meetings full of men by finding my voice at the FA Harkness tables and making announcements at All-School Meeting, and every time I write something I hear Mrs. Melillo’s guidance in my ear still. I am forever grateful to the teachers and community of FA for what they taught me and gave me.” Sarah Stokey ’06 lit out with 14 race dogs on March 3 to participate in the Iditarod for the second time. She finished the 1,000 mile race in 13 days, 15 hours, 59 minutes and one second. With the last 150 miles to go, for some reason she had trouble getting any of her dogs to take the lead, according to an interview she gave with KTUU. “I had to be the lead dog for the last 150 miles.” She arrived in Nome on March 17, finishing 34th out of 43 competitors. She is one of a handful of women to compete in and finish the race, which she ran for the first time in 2016.
Congratulations to Brittany Feldott ’12 on winning a first place award in health reporting from the New England Better Newspaper competition. When she worked for The Falmouth Enterprise, she wrote about mental health care access on Cape Cod for youth. Brittany is now in Scotland studying at the School of Divinity, University of St Andrews. Megan Flory ’17 was named a Presidential Scholar at Clarkson University, where she is a psychology major. At the end of her freshman year, Megan received the Commendable Service Award as well as the Phalanx Commendable Service Award. While at Clarkson, Megan has contributed considerable time and valuable effort as a member of campus organizations. Théo Guèrin ’17 received a Brown University summer research grant in 2018 to develop a course based on using drones as a gateway to autonomous robotics. He and three others worked with an assistant professor of computer science to refine algorithms that enable drones to perfect their tasks. The end result was rewriting the curriculum for a fall robotics course where Théo served as a teaching assistant. An article posted to the Brown website quotes Théo as saying that the beauty of working on this project is that “these concepts apply to a lot of things,” including helping the Apollo astronauts land successfully on the moon. Molly Hebert ’17 is a member of the West Barnstable Fire Department, and in January, she was in a group of 11 colleagues who participated in the Barnstable County Fire Rescue Training Academy Firefighter I/II Program.
Congratulations to Bob Schneider ’09 and his bride Hayley Palozej who were married in 2018. Bob is Executive Scheduler for Ted Leonsis at Monumental Sports & Entertainment in Washington, DC.
2010s Chloe Brake ’12 was promoted to Marketing Manager at Republic Records, the 2019 Billboard Label of the Year. Chloe works on the electronic/dance music roster for Casablanca Records, with a particular focus on Marketing & Commerce. Kudos to Rachel Dragos ’12 who had her first poem published in the Bellevue Literary Review. The editors nominated her poem for a Pushcart Prize. Rachel teaches 9th-grade chemistry and cotaught 10th grade English this fall at the Nueva School in San Francisco. “I love my students and love being a teacher. I’m definitely my best self when I’m teaching.”
Eliza Van Voorhis ’17, Falmouth Academy’s all-time leading soccer scorer with 107 goals, played on Middlebury College’s women’s soccer team which saw action right through the NCAA championship this fall. They came in a close second, and Eliza contributed to their success.
The GAM
SPRING 2019
31
ALUMNI NEWS
Alumni Events
Kendall Currence ’18 (top, left), Cape Cod’s all-time leading basketball scorer, with a high school career high of 2,310, plays for the Northeastern University Women’s Huskies, who were 17-10 at this writing. During post-season play, Kendall was named Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Week. Jane Earley ’18 (top, right), Falmouth Academy’s highest lacrosse scorer, began her lacrosse career at Middlebury College this season. (A fun fact—Eliza Van Voorhis ’17 is a manager of the team!) Jane was also selected to the Second Team All-NESCAC, the only Freshman to be selected to either the First or Second all-star team. Middlebury won the 2019 NESCAC tournament. Charlie Fenske ’18 was invited to Washington, DC in February by Virgin Galactic to watch the company’s unveiling of a space artifact at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. The company donated a rocket engine and it will be part of a display about commercial space flight at the museum. In 2016, Charlie won a first place award in Google's Global Science Fair and the Virgin Galactic award for his Falmouth Academy science project, "Analysis of Rocket Guidance Systems in a Wind Tunnel to Enhance Space Flight Maneuverability and Efficiency." He is pictured below with Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson. Charlie was named one of “The World’s 50 Smartest Teens” by thebestschools.org, a website that writes about colleges and universities and helps students reach new heights in academia. Each year, the website chooses 50 teens who achieve incredible feats across a broad range of fields and interests. This fall Charlie matriculated to MIT.
32
The GAM
SPRING 2019
WASHINGTON, DC It was fun to see members of our Washington, DC alumni contingent and to introduce them to new Head of School Matt Green during our visit in January. The conversation was lively and the sentiments expressed about Falmouth Academy were strong. Alumni used words like friendship, spirit, camaraderie, values, community, and Sparta when asked to give a one-word description of their FA experience. Pictured are left to right: (front row) David Tamasi ’90, our wonderful host at his new business Chartwell Strategy Group, Lizzie Cookson Reber ’08, Linda Baron Suttora ’80, Clea Baumhofer ’10, Tori Avis ’15, and Barbara Campbell, (back row) James Reber ’09, Rob Courson ’06, Ben Baum ’99, Lucas Johns ’14, and Matt Green. NEW YORK CITY We also introduced Mr. Green to alumni in New York City. From left: Lindsay Child ’11, who graciously hosted our group at her office at SenovA Theatrical, Sami Rabideau ’15, Marney Rathbun ’12, Theresa Hong ’97, Matt Green, Katka Scamborova ’98, Petra Scamborova ’93, Wanting Huang ’16, Celia Patterson ’17, Monica Hough, Brian Miskell ’06, and George Scharr.
RIGHT: Mr. Henry Stevens, Lyon Van Voorhis ’11, Lucas Johns ’14, Ben Parsons, Daniel Sakakini ’13, Isabel Stewart ’18, Eliza Van Voorhis ’17, and Isaac Goldman ’11 cheered for the alumni both on and off the field. BELOW: A cadre of alumni and students braved the frigid cold to play the annual Alumni Soccer Game the day after Thanksgiving. Thanks to all who played and watched. Alumni won the first half, but students were victorious in the second half. Same time next year!
A record number of alumni, like Randy Goux ’89 (left), returned to FA to share their expertise on Alumni College & Career Networking Day. Randy talked about augmented reality, an up-and-coming field. Other topics included Working and Studying Abroad, Research, International Business, Graphic Design and many more. Thanks to the more than 40 who gave their time.
First Row (L-R) Alissya Silva ’18, Sarah Lott ’18, Yuki Honjo ’90, Allisa Dalpe ’12, Kyle Benton ’12, Pai-lin Hunnibell ’15, Tori Avis ’15, Lanie Plueddemann ’15, Emily Birdwhistell ’98, Lizzie Feldmann-DeMello, Rachel Dragos ’12. Second Row (L-R) Jane Earley ’18, Ella Davidson ’16, Sintra Reves-Sohn ’16, Charlie Fenske ’18, Aidan Huntington ’15, Isaac Goldman ’11, Owen Sullivan ’15, Robert Eder ’15, Cassidy Reves-Sohn ’14, Alie Sethares ’11, Becca Cox ‘18 Third Row (L-R) Charlotte Van Voorhis ’16, Charlie Colt-Simonds ’16, Nick Pingal ’16, Hannah Smith ’15, Hope Allison ’15, Keegan Krick ’12, Alex Trotter ’15, Randy Goux ’89, Steve Heslinga ’04, Daniel Eder ’12 Fourth Row (L-R) Théo Guèrin ’17, Eliza Van Voorhis ’17, Oliver Russell ’17, Mason Jones ’17, Alex Kania ’16, Caleb Dutton ’17, Nick Kania ’18, Billy Nicholson ’11. The GAM
SPRING 2019
33
PEOPLE OF FALMOUTH ACADEMY
Falmouth Academy isn’t just a school. It’s a community of passionate people—faculty, parents, trustees, volunteers, friends, and supporters— who work together to create the transformative educational environment we provide our students daily. We recognize some of these important friends here. Andrew Bowen and Mindy Todd, Falmouth Academy’s Newest Trustees
Closing Bell A Tribute to Mike Deasy Bells are often rung to symbolize or mark beginnings or endings–the start of a school day, the joyous celebration of a wedding, the end of a boxing match. Whatever else they do, they call us to take notice or mark time in a symbolic and meaningful way. Alumnus and Rhetoric/English teacher Mike Deasy ’10 will leave Falmouth Academy this summer to pursue new adventures and opportunities. We all wish him well. Working with Mike Deasy has been a revelation. We have seen the value of a Falmouth Academy education in action: from his very first day as a teacher, Mike brought skill, compassion, enthusiasm, and creativity to school and has maintained these qualities without missing a step. His intuitive moral compass makes him a valued guide, helping us find the just the right words at the perfect moment. Mike once wrote, “Good writing provides the reader’s brain with grammatical structures that ring bells deep in our psychology–the same way the rhythms of the Beatles make us unconsciously tap our feet.” His own writing rings bells in the hearts and minds of his colleagues, while his teaching has classes full of students tapping metaphorical feet as they learn the tools and the joys of writing well. Although Mike is leaving us, the bells of the gifts he has shared with us will continue to resonate. - Monica Hough
34
The GAM
SPRING 2019
The Falmouth Academy Board of Trustees welcome Andy Bowen class of 2020 and Mindy Todd class of 2021. Andy is Principal Engineer in the Woods Hole Oceanographic’s department of Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering. A mechanical/ocean engineering graduate of the University of Rhode Island, Andy has spent more than 30 years developing robotic technologies—including the Jason series of ROVs—to support research scientists’ efforts to explore the deep oceans. Andy and his wife Linda Beetlestone live in Falmouth with their daughter Nell, a senior at Falmouth Academy. Mindy is host and executive producer of The Point on WCAI, which examines critical issues for the Cape, Islands and Southcoast. She is also Managing Director of Editorial. Her 35-year career has covered nearly all aspects of broadcasting in East Coast markets ranging from White River Junction, VT and Boston, MA to West Palm Beach, FL and west to Nashville, TN and Indianapolis, IN. She has been a radio disc jockey, a traffic reporter, a television news anchor and reporter, a program director, talk show host, and even a ski reporter. A member of the board of directors at The ARC of Cape Cod, Mindy lives in East Falmouth with her husband, Bob, and 4-year old grandson, Jackson. “We are delighted that Andy and Mindy have joined the Falmouth Academy Board of Trustees,” said Board Chair Joe Valle. “Both bring a wealth of experience to the Board and provide important bridges to our local community.”
Welcome Leslie Walters
Alumni Win Climate Competition Congratulations to Eric ’07 and Stephen Schmitt ’07 and their father WHOI oceanographer Ray Schmitt on winning first prize in the Sub-Seasonal Climate Forecast Rodeo, run by the Bureau of Reclamation. This year-long forecasting competition sought to crowdsource technological solutions for more accurate weather forecasting of temperature and precipitation with the aim of better water management. Each of the three winning teams demonstrated novel approaches and outperformed the existing baseline forecasts. Team Schmitt, dubbed Salient, won first prize and $250,000 with additional awards by incorporating new insights into the role of the ocean in the global water cycle. Their artificial intelligence model trained on ocean data to make accurate forecasts. In a press release from the Bureau, Science Advisor David Raff, Ph.D. said, "We are very excited with the outcome of this competition. The innovative American public is demonstrating that we can improve sub-seasonal forecasts for temperature and precipitation which will allow water managers to better prepare for shifts in hydrologic regimes, such as the onset of drought or occurrence of wet weather extremes." Eric is a mechanical engineer at Veryst Engineering, LLC in Boston and Stephen is a software engineer at NetApp in Cambridge.
Leslie Walters joined the staff in February as Matt Green’s executive assistant bringing with her more than 25 years of experience. She took over from the capable Carla Surette who was offered a position off Cape that she couldn’t pass up. Leslie began her career at Northeastern University and loved working with faculty and students in a thriving academic setting. “Falmouth Academy has the same exciting spirit and energy,” says Leslie. Although she lives in Centerville with her husband, their pug, and their daughter when she’s home from college, Leslie hails from Falmouth. She says, “I enjoy working in a town that holds so many happy memories for me.” Please help her feel welcome.
Dedicated Designers Falmouth Academy is fortunate to have parents who donate their time and talents to support the many activities that happen at this busy school, from bussing tables at the Science Fair Judges & Sponsors Dinner, to greeting guests on Grandparents and Friends Day, to planning our Graduation Reception. Among them are the creative visionaries, a cadre of parents who are designers at heart, who year after year turn Falmouth Academy spaces into imaginative places: a Bourbon Street jazz hall, an ocean liner, a country-western barn dance, a Parisian boulevard, a 50’s style malt shoppe, and even Churchill Downs. This year, Julie Waite P’21, Brenda Kerr P’19, and Lauren Leveque P’23 worked their magic to transform the Simon Center into a lush garden for the school’s signature fundraiser “A Bloomin’ Auction & Benefit.” The GAM
SPRING 2019
35
PEOPLE OF FALMOUTH ACADEMY
With Gratitude Falmouth Academy is grateful for the generous support it receives from friends and businesses in the community on behalf of our school, programs and events. We thank the following sponsors of the Science and Engineering Fair and our Bloomin’ Auction and Benefit.
31st Falmouth Academy Science and Engineering Fair Sponsors Newton Signature Sponsor: Teledyne Marine Martha’s Vineyard Bank Legacy Sponsors: Marine Biological Laboratory Salt Pond Areas Bird Sanctuaries, Inc. Sea Education Association Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
TOP LEFT: Marco Farina ’20 TOP RIGHT: Emma Keeler ’19 receiving A. Lawrence Peirson III WHOI Scholarship award from Associate Dean Dr. Delia Oppo. LEFT: Gus McGuire ’24 presenting to to science fair judge Dr. William Waite of the U.S. Geological Society. BOTTOM: Ava Strand ’24
Edison Sponsors: Robert and Alison Ament Endowed Fund for Science Capeside Oral & Facial Surgery, Inc. Cazeault Roofing & Solar Eversource Falmouth Hospital McLane Research Labs, Inc. Notus Clean Energy, LLC Curie Sponsors: Dalpe Excavation, Inc. Falmouth Products, Inc. Liz & Larry Novak Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston Pelagic Electronics Portside Liquors Wood Lumber Company Marconi Sponsors: Associates of Cape Cod Cape Cod Pediatrics, LLC Court Street Animal Hospital Prince S. Crowell Falmouth Leisure, Inc. Dr. Sophie Markovich, DMD, PC Family Orthodontics Quicks Hole Tavern Woods Hole Research Center Archimedes Sponsors: The 300 Committee Land Trust Falmouth Women’s Health Lowell Instruments, LLC Special Prize Sponsors: Dr. Scott D. Brown ‘89 Falmouth Water Stewards Dr. and Mrs. Bruce R. Gordon Hutker Architects, Inc. In-Kind Vendors: Coffee Obsession John’s Liquor Store Party Cape Cod
36
The GAM
SPRING 2019
Bloomin’ Auction Sponsors Hydrangea Sponsors Ferreira & Vazquez, PC The Valle Group Tulip Sponsors Cataumet Boats, Inc. Michael G. Jones Welcome Drink Sponsor Quicks Hole Tavern Table Sponsors C.H. Newton Builders Inc. The Gulmann Group
Business Card Sponsors Cape Cod Aggregates Corp. Casa Vallarta Crabapples Restaurant G. H. Dunn Insurance Agency Grey Barn Hamilton Tree and Landscape Lightship Dental Little Harbor Gardens Maxwell & Co. Maureen McAdams, India Hicks Pocasset Hardware Weller’s Instrument Service, Inc.
TOP: Regina and James Augat, P’20, ’22 LEFT: (L-R) Tucker Clark, Sally Dalpe P’12, and Sheila Giancola P’13, ’15
2019 Community Events at Falmouth Academy FA Event Calendar
Declan Caffrey Young Musician of the Year Awards
JUNE 15
2 PM
Cape Cod Theatre Project
JULY 4-6, 11-13 18-21, 25-27 Staged Readings TBA
7:30 PM
Woods Hole Film Festival
JULY 28-31 & AUG 2-3 Film Screenings
supported in part by Woods Hole Foundation
FA Community Series
AUG 10 7 PM Marin Hinkle: An Actor’s Journey
Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival
AUG 1 7:30 PM Hermitage Trio: Purely Romantic
Robert Wyatt Presents
AUG 10 Gershwin, by George!
Skylark Vocal Ensemble
JUNE 20 Once Upon a Time
7 PM
FA Signature Concert
SEPT 27 Fairest Isles
7 PM
AUG 24 7 PM Livingston Taylor in Concert
Falmouth Chorale
OCT 19 4 PM & OCT 20 3 PM TBA
JUNE 23 4 PM FA Cool Nights Jazz Band: Reunion Concert for Mashpee Commons Mashpee Commons Gazebo in Mashpee
OCT 24 7 PM Rachmaninoff Vespers DEC 11 A Century of Carols
NOV 8 & 9 Fall Play
7 PM
10 AM
6 PM
The GAM
SPRING 2019
37
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Brockton, MA Permit # 601
7 Highfield Drive Falmouth, MA 02540 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Printed on recycled paper, containing 10% post-consumer waste, that was harvested from responsibly managed forests. Printed with soy based inks.