Aiglon Magazine | Issue 19 (Winter/Spring 2023)

A I G L ON

THE MAGAZINE

ISSUE 19 WINTER/SPRING 2023

School Why breaking bread is an essential part of Aiglon life Mountain When we take on the mountain, we do it together Ideas Tracing the origins of our unique educational philosophy People To have and to hold: meet the Aiglonians who tied the knot

on board

Barker Senior Communication and Marketing Officer

Send your comments to communications@aiglon.ch

EDITOR’S LETTER

THE HEART OF AIGLON

Our community spirit has never been stronger, locally and globally.

I have worked on the award-winning Aiglon Magazine in one capacity or another since 2015, and it is a privilege to be able to extend that relationship and serve as editor of this edition.

And in putting together this issue, I’m particularly struck by that common thread of relationship. Binding all these words and images together are the relationships that make up the lives of Aiglonians past and present. Many have never met, and yet I hope each member of our community can see something of themselves within the portraits painted here.

On page 28, for instance, we trace the thread of our school’s educational philosophy from Kurt Hahn and John Corlette through to the present day, looking at the people who shaped our ethos and heritage, while on page 22 we feature Aiglonian couples who have tied the knot. Our piece on the Mountain Marathon, on page 16, highlights the very best of the Aiglonian spirit, and community is also at the heart of our feature on eating together on page 34 – no matter when you experienced your time at Aiglon, we hope the shared meal speaks to you. Finally, in what’s become one of my favourite slots, Recreation on page 44 provides a fun look at Aiglonians in bands across the years.

I hope you enjoy these and all the other features in this issue, and I look forward to hearing from you at communications@aiglon.ch.

Seth

Photography by Joe McGorty,

illustration by James Olstein

ON THE COVER

Alexandra Belovich (Le Cerf, Year 12), who swapped skis for snowboard five years ago and hasn’t looked back. Read more about her on page 46.

Letters

Stories to share? Feedback? Suggestions?

We love to hear your thoughts. Get in touch and join the Aiglon conversation.

Sunday and me

My sister Chau Agon and I were students at Aiglon in the 70s and 80s. She was House Captain of Exeter and I left after Fifth form to return to the States.

Earlier this year I was cleaning out pictures and came across a few photos from Exeter’s annual House photo sessions. Coincidentally I had just read the article on Sunday Stevens (issue 17) – I remember Sunday when she was just a junior; a bubbly happy positive young girl. It was wonderful to learn about the accomplished adult she has become!

I thought you might enjoy the juxtaposition of the group photo of Sunday and me from June 1983.

Minh Huebner (née Agon) (Exeter, 1983)

No hydrogen?

Thanks for the interesting article on Aiglon’s actions towards net zero in the latest magazine (issue 18).

I think that the actions you propose are very good. However, burning wood pellets can add to acid rain loads. I find that a 10 per cent reduction of climate change impacts by 2029 appears a bit meagre, considering the situation we are in on this planet and the current advances in energy alternatives.

I wonder why the use of hydrogen fuel cells was not mentioned and why more buildings will not be fitted with solar panels?

Richard Sears (Alpina, 1970)

The School Director responds: I agree. We need to do more, and we will. We are actively pushing forward all our efforts on sustainability and we will continue to share this work with our community as it comes to fruition over the next few years.

Join the conversation!

www.aiglonlife.ch email: communications@aiglon.ch write to: Aiglon Magazine, Aiglon College, Avenue Centrale 61, 18 8 5 Chesières, Switzerland Facebook: www.facebook.com/aiglon Twitter: @aigloncollege Instagram: @aiglonswitzerland

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INVISIBLE THREADS

Photography Joe McGorty

THE RETURN TO SCHOOL is always special. I love seeing the happiness as friends are reunited, welcoming our new students and staff, and planning exciting activities for the term ahead. But this year, there’s been another dimension: an added depth that comes from the joy of simply being back at school and back to normal. We no longer take these things for granted.

It’s extra-special to look at the list of everything we’ve been doing this year so far: High Ex, service opportunities in Peru and Cambodia, cultural learning experiences, the dodgeball tournament (which certain houses are taking very seriously) and more.

And perhaps the joyous clamour and bustle of students returning is why I’ve been thinking a lot about that intangible thing called community: what it is and how it is achieved. At our most recent University Advising Workshop Day, helping our Year 13s complete their applications and get their personal statements ready, I was struck by the sheer number of alumni who volunteered to share their experiences. Not just about which college to choose, but also about what lies beyond that: about what they’d learned in life.

It was a wonderful example of the wider Aiglon community coming together. It is what is so special about our school. Of course, we are a close-knit community on campus, but that community also stretches way beyond Villars’ boundaries. It’s not just students and teachers; it’s also parents, alumni and friends right across the globe. It’s intergenerational, international and inspirational.

We’re very proud of our exam results, our cultural and artistic life and our Expeditions. But what really makes our school experience is those bonds that the students make with each other. They are for life: invisible threads which connect Aiglonians wherever they go. So I’d like to extend a warm welcome to parents, alumni and friends everywhere: come and join in.

Sparrow, School Director.

Now that things are back to normal, we have lots of exciting events coming up – and we’d love to see you there. Or perhaps you might want to share your experiences or expertise with our students or alumni: if that’s the case, just email alumni@aiglon.ch.

We know that many parents around the world have already formed groups to meet up independently of the school, and our new Classlist app makes that even easier, so do sign up. Or, of course, simply come and visit. My door is always open – tea and cake are always on the menu. Let’s take this community forward together.

Nicola

It’s the bonds that we make as one connected community that make Aiglon so special.

I’d like to extend a warm welcome to parents, alumni and friends everywhere: come and join in, on campus and around the world

SCHOOL SLOPES

Words Jo Caird Photography Joe McGorty

INSTRUCTORS FROM THE SWISS Ski School of Villars (ESS) have been training Aiglon students for longer than Marc-Henri Duc, ESS director, can remember – at least 50 years, he says. And although it’s been decades since he was himself a full-time ski instructor, he regularly encounters guests who remember being taught by him when they were students at Aiglon. “They’ve got kids now themselves! But it’s always nice to meet old students,” he says.

Of course, Aiglonians make up only a small percentage of ESS’s students; most of the guests are people visiting Villars on holiday, with the vast majority of those enrolled in snow sports lessons under the age of 18. There were just 50 instructors on the books at ESS when Marc-Henri took over the directorship in 1992 – now there are nearly 300, making the school the third largest in Switzerland. But the fact that so many live in Villars gives ESS a friendly, community feel.

“Villars is a great place to learn because the slopes are not too big, not too difficult and our teachers are perfectly formed, which makes it a really safe environment,” says Marc-Henri. “And that is vital – it is one of the first things we cover. Of the 125km of runs in the ski area, around 3km are blacks, so the challenge is there. The rest are split fairly evenly between reds and blues.”

Like many of the ESS instructors, the older generation in particular, Marc-Henri works every single day between the start of December and mid-April. “At the end of the winter I’m a little bit exhausted but I’m happy,” he says.

And he really is in his element. During the season, he begins each day at ESS HQ on Avenue Centrale, before getting the cable car to the school’s second office in the centre of the Villars ski area. He makes sure to squeeze in 20 minutes on the slopes.

“I do a small downhill, check that everything is okay with all the groups, do two chair lifts and then get to the office,” he says. At 5 o’clock he takes the last ski lift up and has the mountain almost to himself on the way before returning to Avenue Centrale for a couple more hours. “I enjoy seeing the view at the end of the day. There’s always something magical about time on the mountain.”

Since 1932, the Swiss Ski School of Villars been instructing Aiglonians in the art of going downhill.

Villars is a great place to learn because the slopes are not too big, not too difficult and our teachers are perfectly formed!

STAFF

ESS has nearly 300 instructors, half of whom live in Villars all year round, and half who join during peak periods.

HISTORY

ESS was established in 1932, with classes taking place on the site of the old golf course behind the Villars Palace.

InsiderPRICES

The cost of private ski lessons start at CHF75 per hour, while group lessons start at CHF20 for an hour.

CLASSES

A range of snow sports are available, including heliskiing, snowboarding, ski touring, snowshoeing and biathlon.

SUMMER

In the summer, ESS switches to activities including mountain and e-biking, hiking and multi-sports camps.

Sloping off Marc-Henri Duc (opposite) has been Director of the ESS since 1992.

GRAND OLD LADY OF AIGLON

Vittoria

Jo Caird Photography Joe McGorty

FOR ANYONE WHO LIKES TO BE at the centre of everything, Clairmont is perfect. We’re so lucky: from here, you can see almost the whole campus and in winter when you see all the Exeter girls and Delaware boys slipping down the hill to their houses far away. A lot of girls hang out on the terraces on the first and third floors when the weather is good – and that’s definitely not because we can see the Belvedere boys working out or the Delaware boys tanning! It’s just because of the sunshine, I guess. At lunch and break there’s often a bunch of people here from other houses; it’s great that we all mix in.

Talking of mixing, Clairmont parties are legendary – and we’ll use any excuse to have one. Last year’s Valentine’s dinner, which was supposed to be a cute, chilled supper for couples or pairs of friends, turned into a much bigger affair, with people singing and dancing everywhere – it was incredible!

We’re also a really tight house. I’ve been here since Year 9 – I remember being nervous at first because it was my first time away from home, but I felt included really quickly. When it’s time to go to classes, we move as one. And if someone is watching a movie in the common room, half an hour later there will be 40 people there, all joining in.

It’s a great family, and I’m proud to be captain. When I was younger, a girl called Somphors (Clairmont, 2019) was House captain and she had a real impact on me. She made her small community way better, and I knew I wanted to be in her shoes. Now it’s my job to lead. I welcome the girls and their parents and help them settle in, and if they have any problems they come to me first. I feel like a big sister.

One of the perks is having my own single room. Clairmont has some small rooms – I’ve had a couple

Storied history

Previously a hotel, Clairmont was Aiglon’s first permanent home, – bought in 1955 on 100 per cent philanthropy –and as well as subsequently being a boys’ House, it has also held the school library and admin offices.

and if you’re sharing with a roommate you create boundaries, which is something I’ve found really useful in other aspects of my life. Usually the smaller rooms are assigned to younger girls and it helps you bond. The friends you make in Year 9 and 10 are going to last you all the way through school.

I’ve been described as a student version of our Houseparent Ms Lopez, which I really like. And I think we’re lucky to have her and Ms Harold. After five years here I feel like I have a special bond with these teachers; they’re effectively parents to me here. And I can see that it’s the same for a lot of other girls too. So we sit there and chat. And there’s always a box of cookies. Cookies are the answer to a lot of things. What are your memories of Clairmont? Let us know at communications@aiglon.ch

Interview

Clairmont may be one of our oldest Houses, but what is it like today?

Margiotta (Clairmont, Year 13) tells all.

A lot of the girls hang out on the terraces when the weather is good, and at breaktime there’s a bunch of people here from other Houses

VITTORIA MARGIOTTA

Objects of desire

Year 10 students have started their GCSE art, craft and design programme by developing core drawing skills. After initially being inspired by vanitas artwork, students were encouraged to create their own arrangement of objects to form a pleasing, symbolistic composition. The formal qualities of line, texture and tone were developed to enhance the illusion of depth.

GALLERIST

Brush strokes

Left: Tina Chen (Clairmont, Year 10); Main: Fifa NovikovaSavelyeva (Le Cerf, Year 10).

Look again Examples of Celia’s work (clockwise from top): “L’Orangerie Abandonnée…”, Potsdam, Germany; “Distinguished Gentlemen…”, Munich, Germany; and “Summer in Paretz…”, Paretz, Germany.

CREATIVE SPIRIT

Words Jo Caird

TERRIFIED. THAT IS HOW THE artist Celia Rogge (Chantecler/ Clairmont, 1989) remembers feeling the first time she saw her work displayed in public.

It was her first year at Aiglon, and Mr Fritz Koch, her German teacher, was running photography competitions for the students. “You had to have your photos printed and they were put up in the assembly hall where your teachers and fellow students could see them. It was the first time I put my work out there and it took quite a lot of guts,” says Celia.

Nearly four decades later, not much has changed. “It’s still terrifying, every time I do an exhibition –but in a good way. And I know that if I’m not terrified, I’m not pushing myself. But you always give a little bit of your own soul, your vision of things, the way that you see it and the way that you hope other people will enjoy it and understand where it comes from. It’s never an easy thing.”

In fact, it wasn’t actually photography that kickstarted Celia’s artistic ambitions at Aiglon.

Rather, it was ceramics, as taught by Mr John Sutch, who Celia remembers as the “first teacher who gave my creativity room to roam free. He was just incredibly positive and invigorating and that was the first time that somebody looked at me, saw me, and gave me confidence.”

It was Mr Sutch who also first suggested that Celia go to art college, a move she eventually made after attending the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and pursuing careers in international relations and banking. “Art school was not something that my parents were terribly keen on. They wanted me to have the ‘proper’ education first, and then go and do whatever I wanted,” Celia recalls, “so that’s what happened.”

However, she doesn’t regret what she calls her “little detour” on the road to becoming a fine artist. “Art was definitely where I wanted to head and, in the end, the other experiences were a blessing because I also knew how to set up a business. I’ve had different lives, and that’s quite cool. I’ve had different chapters in my book.”

It’s not just her early mentors that Celia credits with helping her become the artist she is today. The Aiglon experience as a whole “gave me the base for things that happened thereafter. The way that I now interact with the world is because of the way that I was thrown into Aiglon, which was so international and full of people from all different backgrounds. I don’t remember anybody being homesick.”

The landscape, and her experiences in the great outdoors, figure large in Celia’s recollections. “It was an idyllic, safe but also challenging place,” she says. “We looked at Les Dents du Midi for four years and then one day you actually climb the thing. There were a lot of positive, reaffirming moments.”

Celia Rogge’s exhibition, Ethereal Roots of Comporta, runs at Galerie Mourlot in New York City until January 2023. www.celiarogge.com

Fine artist Celia Rogge says her Aiglon experience set her up for future success, once she’d learned to embrace fear.

Chapel renovation

The first stage of the Aiglon chapel renovation is complete, with new stonework, wiring and innovative lighting rejuvenating the space. The next phase of renovations will further increase its adaptability and potential, with plans for the construction of a partial second floor to offer greater meeting and event possibilities. Alumni and the public are welcome to book the renovated chapel space for a wedding, baptism or other special events. Please contact enterprise@aiglon.ch

Summer School discount

We are thrilled to share with you that alumni children and grandchildren aged 8-16 can enjoy a 50 per cent discount on Summer School fees, a special offer not listed on the website. If you would like to find out more information or make an application, please head to the Summer School page and be sure to tick the ‘alumni family’ box on the application form.

The Gathering

All students and staff came together in September for The Gathering, the first event of its kind. Themed around the concept of Challenge, it heard from a range of voices, including Karl Kirchway (Delaware, 1973), distinguished poet and Professor of Creative Writing at Boston University, who was guest speaker.

Results

Aiglon is delighted to announce another year of outstanding results in its initial IB results, with all 73 students entered for the IB Diploma achieving a pass. With an overall average of 37.1 points, two students earned 44 points while 23 per cent of the cohort achieved 40 points or above.

All members of the Class of 2022 satisfied the requirements for the US admissions offers and 91 per cent met their firm or insurance offers to the UK. Forty-four per cent are going to the United States, 25 per cent to the UK and 23 per cent to universities elsewhere around the world.

The latest news from the Aiglon community and beyond. To find out more, visit www.aiglon.ch/latest-news

It’s still terrifying, every time I do an exhibition – but in a good way. And I know that if I’m not terrified, I’m not pushing myself

ON CAMPUS

Double focus

One innovative classroom has two sections: a lecture format at the front to allow teachers to deliver a focused input, and group tables at the back of the class set up to allow students to break out and work collaboratively.

Discussion points

The Harkness classroom challenges the traditional model of learning by encouraging student-to-student communication. Here, teachers sit with the students in a discussion-based seminar style.

THE FUTURE OF LEARNING

The new Parsons classrooms, developed with the latest pedagogical research, have a focus on learning flexibility and reducing distraction.

Photography Joe McGorty

Clean slate

The surfaces on most of the tables and walls are writable, allowing lessons to be dynamic and flexible, so that students can work individually or in groups and in a range of locations.

DiarySave the date with our guide to key moments in the Aiglon year.

10 JANUARY 2023

Singapore reception

Join us for an evening of drinks and canapes followed by a short presentation on school updates and campus developments.

10 FEBRUARY 2023

Gstaad Aiglon reception

Meet School Director, Nicola Sparrow, and CFO/COO, Patricia Bremner-Gadotti, at Club de Luge in Gstaad. Thanks to Diana d’Hendercourt for her help in organising and providing the welcome champagne.

2-5 MARCH 2023

Jackson Hole Ski weekend

The Aiglon Alumni Office is organising a ski reunion in Jackson Hole. We would like to extend this invitation to you to join us and other alumni for the weekend. Please register on aiglonlife.ch

The new spaces encourage dynamic and engaging learning and bring the beauty of the mountains into the classroom

MR TOM DUCKLING

Dedicated spaces

The floor has several break-out spaces to allow students to find an area to work where they feel comfortable and allow them to learn individually and calmly.

23-25 JUNE 2023

Reunion Weekend on campus

Each year Aiglon classes organise their individual reunions in Villars. The school hosts a welcome barbecue for all the groups, so get your classmates together and join us!

Mountains. Challenge. Friends. Put them together and you get the Aiglon Mountain Marathon. What could be more Aiglonian?

Words Lucy Jolin Photography Joe McGorty

All welcome

Alongside the full Mountain Marathon, shorter, more accessible runs offer the chance for runners of all abilities to take on the challenge.

and those shorter runs for those who are starting out on their running journeys, and lots of guidance and training for those who want to take it further.

“It’s about not hiding away from the challenges in life, but embracing them – and embracing every opportunity you are given,” says Jude. “Failing never feels good. But every failure is an opportunity to learn. That day, I learned where my boundaries are, and I’m so grateful to the teachers for their incredible support. They give up an entire weekend to help out.”

The Mountain Marathon as we know it today started around 10 years ago. But it was first run back in 2001. At that time, current history teacher (then Head of History) Mr Nick Teal regularly took Aiglon groups to tackle the Three Peaks Challenge in the UK. But when foot-and-mouth disease hit, the challenge was off – so Mr Teal devised an alternative: a multi-stage marathon around Aiglon. Ten years on, when Aiglon was looking for new charity events, Mr Teal suggested reviving the Mountain Marathon. And Director of Co-Curricular Education Mr James Pigott couldn’t wait to get it off the ground.

JUDE HAMILTON (DELAWARE, YEAR 13) WAS 38km into the 2021 Mountain Marathon when he felt his legs start to give way. He’d pushed himself to the limit that day, all the way up a couple of steep climbs, through the wind and rain. By the halfway mark, he wasn’t feeling good but he was determined to push on. Now he was nearly on the home stretch. But in that moment, he realised that he wouldn’t be able to finish. “And I’m not going to lie, it didn’t feel great,” he says. “Especially as I’d actually completed the marathon two years earlier – albeit more slowly, and under better conditions. But in the end, it was how the saying goes: ‘Shoot for the moon. If you miss, you’ll still be among the stars.’”

And that’s the essence of the Mountain Marathon. Of course, it’s a fantastic achievement to finish this incredibly challenging 42.2km run, but there are also events for everyone that take place at the same time – the half marathon and 10k. Perhaps more than any other school sporting event, the Mountain Marathon really is all about the taking part, with lots of encouragement

The route evolves every year to make the most of the stunning landscape, allow for adverse weather conditions, and to meet the logistical challenges that a big running event brings – food stops, first aiders, marshals and, of course, Mr and Mrs Kruger distributing snacks and apple juice from the minibus. Last year, the runners looped from Aiglon through the Solalex Valley, up through Taveyanne and the alpage, then over the stunning Col de la Croix before descending. The last 10km is mostly downhill – a whole other challenge for legs that already have 30km and 1,000m of climbing in them. “And I’m sure the route will change again,” says Mr Pigott. “This year, for example, we included some more peaks! It feels a little bit harebrained, a little bit mad, but we love it and the kids love it.”

While the marathon started out as a small group of keen runners – all boys – it’s now starting to engage the whole community. The first female student to complete the course was Frankie Jobson (Exeter, 2019), and many have followed in her wake.“It’s incredible to see how the students have really bought into this idea of challenge, which of course is one of our

It’s about not hiding away from the challenges in life, but embracing them

JUDE HAMILTON

Running free Alex Ogden (Alpina, Year 13) and Mr James Pigott are shown on the previous page, and Anna Nicolosi (Exeter, Year 12) below left.

guiding principles,” says Mr Pigott. “And this is a challenge, no matter how fit you are. We’re hoping to get to 50 participants within the next two years.”

The marathon has a deeper purpose, too. Originally, it was run in aid of a service project based in Thailand, raising much-needed funds to help provide accommodation, education and facilities for refugees from Myanmar. When that project ended, it was decided to distribute funds raised towards chosen service projects or school support. So far, these have included the Aiglon scholarship programme and the Starehe School in Kenya. Students are encouraged to fundraise directly with events in their houses.

Mr Pigott makes it clear that the Mountain Marathon is a safe space to challenge yourself. Often, he says, nervous prospective runners are worried about being left behind. “And I say no, that won’t happen: this is a team race and it’s about the team getting to the end. There are no winners; there is no first place. It’s about doing something with a group of people – and I deliberately say ‘people’, not students, as staff members take part too. Everyone supports each other. There is no pressure – if you make it, that’s fantastic. If you don’t, that’s also fantastic.”

The fastest time, he points out, is just under five hours of moving time. The slowest is nearly seven hours of moving time. “And that’s a massive window. It just doesn’t matter what your time is. It’s about getting involved, having fun and being part of what has become a wonderful community event.” Students and staff support each other, he points out. In the first half of the race, staff runners go all-out to encourage the students up the steep climb. But in the second half, as runners go downhill, it’s often students who get their second wind and end up supporting staff. “When you’re older, you tend to start hurting more when you go downhill!” says Mr Pigott.

The highlight of the marathon for him, he says, is seeing how students respond to the challenge. “I’ll always remember picking Jude up and carrying him along when he couldn’t run anymore,” he says. “Of course, the highlight wasn’t seeing how upset he was. It was seeing him go through that, then pick himself up. It was a privilege to be part of that rebuilding of a student who had found his limit and is now determined to get stronger and move forward.” He remembers Alexander Demishin (Alpina, 2016) – who now works at Aiglon – turning up one year in broken shoes. “At about the five-mile mark, he just popped his big toe through the shoe and kept going because he was so determined to finish. It taught him a lot about equipment preparation!”

Running a marathon with your friends is spectacular. They keep pushing you and you don’t want to stop

LIAM LEGER

That support from fellow runners was key for Liam Leger (Delaware, Year 13), who completed the half marathon in Year 10, and the marathon the following year. He says there’s nothing quite like the extraordinary camaraderie with your fellow runners: Jude and Liam train and run together with a third friend, Alex Ogden (Alpina, Year 13). “Running a marathon with your friends is spectacular,” says Liam. “It puts you in the right mindset. They keep pushing you and you don’t want to stop. That’s the thing I’ll remember the most – having two of my best friends with me. And, of course, finishing. The best bit of the marathon is finishing! But also, it’s about knowing that you’ve done it.”

And Jude says there’s no feeling on earth like the feeling of descending from the Col on a beautiful day. “You start going low and flat and then you start climbing and get to the plateau at the top. And then you know you’ve completed the most difficult bit. You’re three-quarters of the way there and you know you just have to keep going, but that it’s going to be easier. You can see the finish, you’ve just got to make that final push. You run down, you cross the finish and it’s amazing. Afterwards, you just lie on the ground – then you eat and drink everything.” (He recommends Nutella on toast as the perfect post-race snack.)

Liam was determined that he would complete his final marathon at Aiglon, and this year made it round the full 42km in well under six hours. But whether runners finish or not, and whether they run the full marathon or one of the alternatives, they know that they will have put themselves through an experience and a challenge which will stay with them for ever – from the depths of life’s valleys to the heights of its peaks.

To have and to hold

WHETHER THEY FIRST CROSSED PATHS ON CAMPUS OR IN THE YEARS AFTER, MEET THE COUPLES WHOSE RELATIONSHIPS WERE FORGED BY THE AIGLON EXPERIENCE.

Words Pamela Evans

say They

THAT THE BEST FOUNDATION FOR A successful marriage is shared values and a shared culture. So it’s not surprising that when it comes to choosing a partner for life, Aiglonians sometimes find that a fellow Aiglonian is the right match.

“It’s so interesting how people from different parts of the world and different backgrounds come together at Aiglon,” says Luana Landolt (Le Cerf, 2010), who married Christian Dierker (Alpina, 2010) last September. “It’s through our differences that we found growth – for example, my family is very traditional and Christian’s is more easy-going. But our similarities were also opportunities for solidifying our relationship.”

Cupid struck on the Belvedere porch after dinner – although Luana admits that Christian was actually her second attempt at love. “I started off by dating Cameron O’Connor (Belvedere, 2010),” she says. “I got him to bring me some Cadbury’s chocolate from the UK… and then I broke up with him. Yes I shamelessly used him for cheap chocolate! And then Christian, Cameron’s best friend, started texting me, and that was it.” (Cameron has since recovered from his heartbreak, she’s at pains to point out – in fact, he was their unofficial best man).

Post-Aiglon, they maintained a long-distance relationship. Luana studied hospitality in Lausanne while Christian went to university in Boston. Over the next few years, they met up wherever they could, until they decided to settle in London. In 2021, Christian decided to propose. He cast his mind back to when Luana used to copy his geography homework – she was fascinated by the White Cliffs of Dover but had never visited them. Clearly, this was the ideal place – and so it proved. With the ring in his pocket, and living his Aiglon values, Christian had to overcome a number of challenges (including a noisy industrial area, a boisterous family and Luana’s annoyance when forced to leave their lovely hotel for an unexpected walk) to win his fair lady.

“She decided to do a meditation in this beautiful place, and she still had her eyes closed when she said: ‘Will you be mine for ever?’, which is just something we say to each other regularly – but it was such an opportune moment,” remembers Christian. “And I said: ‘Will you be mine for ever?’ That’s when I took the ring out, and she opened her eyes.”

While Luana and Christian found love after dinner, Massimo Catemario di Quadri (Delaware, 1988) and Marta Silveira (Clairmont, 1989) bonded over the traditional Aiglonian ritual of the Meal Exchange, when he was in Year 13 and she was in Year 12. “It was a nice way to get girls and boys together,” remembers Massimo. “Every Wednesday, you had to invite someone from another house to have dinner with you.” He knew Marta a little –they were both keen athletes – so he invited her. But she didn’t reply.

“Someone else from Delaware had invited me but I didn’t want to go,” remembers Marta. “I thought: what shall I do? It was snowing like crazy that night and I saw Massimo walk past Clairmont. I called him in as he was Delaware’s House Captain – we had never really spoken. I explained and he said he’d take care of it. He arranged for me to be his guest for dinner. And we started dating a few days after that.” They married just a few years later, in June 1991 – Massimo had just graduated and Marta had a year to go. “It just felt like the right thing to do,” says Massimo. “We just went for it.” Since then, they’ve had four children and lived in Switzerland, Singapore and Portugal. “We grew together and shaped our lives together,” says Marta. “We are total opposites – I am very outgoing, Massimo is much quieter – but we complement each other perfectly.” Right now, they’re embarking on their latest adventure: bringing life back to an old farm in rural Portugal.

CHANCE MEETINGS

It was a ‘happy ever after’ for Luana and Christian, and Massimo and Marta. But, of course, the path of true love rarely runs smooth, as the saying goes – and that’s just as true for Aiglonians. While Farah Byramji (Clairmont, 1995) and Nikhl Shah (Delaware, 1997) knew each other at school, they didn’t have a romantic relationship or even a close friendship. That grew after a chance meeting at a Halloween party in New York. Farah was dressed as “what I can only describe as ‘sexy Zorro’,” she says. That’s where she bumped into Nikhl, who had chosen to dress as his skateboarding-obsessed roommate. “He had the baggy pants and the backwards baseball cap,” remembers Farah. “I just thought he was dressed really strangely…”

New York state of mind Marcia and Julian Izant reconnected – and later married – at the Yale Club in New York, while Tora and Roberto bumped into each other on the streets of Manhattan.

I believe Aiglon creates a type of open, giving, worldly human. It’s a rare thing to be able to connect like that

FARAH BYRAMJI

The Aiglon connection Marta and Massimo’s relationship bloomed over the Aiglon Meal Exchange, while Nikhl and Farah reconnected at a Halloween party years after graduating.

They started meeting up and getting to know each other. It became obvious that they had a connection, and they began dating seriously. In January 2006 they got married – three times. “Nik’s family is from India and my family is from Pakistan,” says Farah. “So we had a wedding in India, a wedding in Pakistan and a wedding in New York! We had the most amazing party, with friends coming from all over the world.”

SHARED VALUES

In fact, meeting up by accident in New York years after school finishes seems to be a recurring theme. Tora Bonnier (Exeter, 1994) had friends in common with Roberto Bueno (Alpina, 1995), but they weren’t close. “I always thought his year was much cooler than mine!” says Tora. Ten years after graduation, on a freezing night in Manhattan, Roberto was going home from the gym and Tora was heading to a gallery opening. Passing each other on the street, they exchanged a fleeting glance.

“I recognised her and said: ‘Hey, Tora!’” Roberto recalls. “She only remembered my last name and said: ‘Hey, Bueno!’” They exchanged numbers, met up, became friends and then became a couple. In June 2005, they got married. “We were in Europe and it seemed like a nice moment – so we eloped and got married in the garden of a restaurant near Venice,” says Roberto. “It was pretty hot – I was wearing cargo shorts!”

But if you don’t want to take your chances on a dark street in New York (or, for that matter, a Halloween party), there’s always the more salubrious surroundings of the Yale Club, where Julian Izant (Alpina, 1972) reconnected with Marcia Tolchin (Clairmont, 1971) – one of Aiglon’s first female students. “She was a little older than me, and at that age, girls look upwards!” remembers Julian. “And she had a boyfriend. Then she left before I did, and I didn’t see her again until October 1994, when Aiglon held a reunion at the Yale Club.”

Julian went to the reunion with friends who left at 11pm. He decided to stay, sat down at a table and saw that Marcia was sitting at the head. “We started chatting and she said: ‘Do you remember me?’ And as luck would have it, her name popped into my head.” They stayed in contact and, in October 1996, he proposed to her at a restaurant in East Hampton, New York. In December that year, they were married – and where else but the Yale Club?

All the couples have one thing in common: they all agree that Aiglon’s shared values play a big part in their relationship. Roberto and Tora say that Aiglon has influenced not just their relationship, but their parenting. They’re an outdoorsy family, and like nothing more than hiking and surfing with their two children. Though it’s not all fun and games, Roberto points out. “We sometimes subject our kids to random menial tasks as a punishment! Weeding, for example – I did a lot of that at Aiglon.” And Tora remembers “having to get chewing gum off the parking lot floor with a plastic knife. That took

We started chatting and she said: ‘Do you remember me?’ As luck would have it, her name popped into my head

JULIAN IZANT

hours!” A thread of service runs through their life together, too. When they lived in Florida, the family took part in projects to help migrants. Now in California, where Roberto works for a renewable energy company and Tora teaches yoga, they volunteer once a month at a project that enables disabled people to enjoy surfing.

Massimo and Marta agree that Aiglon’s international outlook has helped them adapt to change and look for new adventures – whether that’s learning how to run a farm or moving to Asia. “It prepares you for anything,” says Massimo. “You’re already familiar with so many cultures, religions, languages. You can start anything from scratch.” And Aiglon is, they point out, a place where strong bonds grow. “It’s that moment in your life when everyone is away from home,” says Marta. “You stick together. You bond. You develop relationships and bonds which are sometimes even stronger than family.”

Julian Izant is a former Aiglon board member and an honorary member of the College, and was involved in the organisation of the 50th, 60th and 70th reunions. He has always stayed close to Aiglon and its people, he says – in particular, to the wonderful Bibi Parsons. “Marcia and I have shared values from Aiglon, the main one being the spirit of not just focusing on yourself, but on other people. We have a love of travelling, and we have travelled to many countries. There’s that sense of family, which is so important. I am an only child but Marcia comes from a family of four, with lots of cousins. I felt very welcomed. She also has two wonderful children: I care very deeply for them, and now we have a grandchild, too.”

And Farah and Nikhl agree that their Aiglon experience helped to bring them together – and keep them together. “These shared values are something I’ve been thinking about a lot as I’ve got older,” says Farah. “With us, the roots of our relationship were in our friendship, and that came from the friends we had in common. I believe Aiglon creates a type of open, giving, worldly human. Reconnecting with friends, I have this incredible sense of a shared experience and past with them that surpasses everything. It’s a rare thing to be able to connect like that with people.”

Words Lucy Jolin Illustrations Anna Higgie

Mind. Body. Spirit.

For more than 70 years, this principle – that education should be a balance of each aspect of life – has informed teaching on the mountain. But where does it come from? And how does it impact Aiglon life today?

Mr John Corlette Founder and Head Master

1949 – 1976

Mr Philip Parsons Head Master

IN 1934, EDUCATIONALIST KURT HAHN FOUNDED GORDONSTOUN in Scotland on the principle of his ‘Seven Laws’. They ran thus: give children opportunity for self-discovery; bring them in touch with triumph and defeat; provide them with the chance for self-effacement in pursuit of the general good; give them periods of silence for quiet contemplation; train their imagination; ensure that games, while important, were not predominant; and free the sons of the wealthy and powerful from ‘an enervating sense of privilege’.

It’s easy to see the parallels between Hahn’s laws and Aiglon’s guiding principles, and Hahn’s ideas about experiential education were a great influence on Aiglon’s founder, Mr John Corlette, who worked as a teacher at Gordonstoun (though the two did not always see eye to eye). While Gordonstoun’s students walked in the woods for silent reflection, Aiglon’s took part in Meditation.

Both schools encouraged challenging, multi-day expeditions to teach students endurance, self-reliance and self-confidence. Both put the concept of service at the heart of the school, and both emphasised outdoor activities, not just organised team games, as a key part of a child’s education. And both encouraged learning by doing. “Education addresses four key components of man’s nature: physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual,” wrote Mr Corlette. “But first comes self-control and self-discipline, enabling us to achieve integrity, honesty, purity of thought and action, forbearance and goodwill and the service of one another.”

DEVELOPING CORE PRINCIPLES

Hahn was the product of the progressive educationalists of the late 19th and early 20th century, who challenged what they saw as rigid, repressive educational systems. In 1921, for example, AS Neill founded Summerhill – the ultimate in progressive ideals – where children were allowed to live according to their own rules, with minimal teacher interference. Then there was Stowe, attended briefly by Mr Corlette, and an attempt by liberal educator JF Roxburgh to break free of the notoriously harsh British public school system.

And just as Mr Corlette had been drawn to Hahn for his groundbreaking ideas, so new advocates of Mr Corlette’s principles were drawn to Aiglon. Their contributions would prove crucial, cementing those founding principles but also incorporating responses to societal changes and attitudes – such as the move to co-education and the scrapping of the rank system – while keeping the core principles of mind, body and spirit alive.

English teacher Mr Teddy Senn, who arrived at Aiglon in 1966, was one of those people. Senn never saw his lessons as the simple transmission of information. “On the first day of our Fifth Form O-Level English Literature class, he announced that since exam success depended not only on what you knew but how you expressed it, he would cover both,” Wall Street Journal editor Eric Gibson (Belvedere/Alpina, 1972) wrote in his obituary of Senn. “So where other teachers would have confined themselves to the explication of Shakespeare, Milton and the other assigned texts, Teddy coupled that with instruction in expository writing. Our papers would come back marked up with notes to use fewer words, choose more appropriate ones, avoid repetition, eschew the likes of ‘very’ and ‘nice’ –‘meaningless words’ he called them, dismissively – and much else.”

But what made Senn’s teaching unique, Gibson points out, was its moral dimension. He lived his values. “There was no separation

Just as Mr Corlette had been drawn to Hahn for his groundbreaking ideas, so new advocates were drawn to Aiglon

between who he was and what he did for a living,” he says. “He didn’t punch a clock; English literature was the warp and weft of his life. It shaped his world view, informed his Meditations and inflected his personal interactions outside the classroom. This meant that, more than simply communicating a body of knowledge, Teddy imparted a set of values. ‘You need to know this canon’ was his unspoken message. ‘It is a bedrock of civilisation. We all have a stake in keeping it alive.’”

DETERMINEDLY INTERNATIONAL

From the very beginning, Aiglon was determinedly international, welcoming of all students from all backgrounds, nations and faiths in one family. Head Master Philip Parsons and his wife, Bibi, were crucial in helping Aiglon come together as a family by living their values. While Philip worked at professionalising the school, Bibi took time to get to know all the students, taking a deep and sincere interest in their progress.

“Since they arrived at Aiglon in September 1962, almost straight from honeymoon, they lived and worked as a team throughout, each one complementing the other, providing checks and balances, energy and enthusiasm through thick and thin,” said Toby Coghill, then Chair of Governors, paying tribute to them on their retirement in 1994. At Aiglon’s 70th anniversary, Bibi saw first-hand how her love and care for students had changed their lives for the better. “It was wonderful to see boys and girls who might have been through difficult times at school to come back as happy and successful mothers and fathers,” she says. “During my time at the school, we were like a family, and the bonds between us were very strong. And it was so good to see the great friendships between this great international community of Aiglon alumni.”

In 1994, Mr Richard McDonald replaced Mr Parsons following his and Bibi’s well-earned retirement. He joined the disparate group of passionate educationalists who, over the years, have taken the guiding principles of Mr Corlette’s vision and used them to shape the school for a new age. Indeed, it was Mr McDonald who distilled that original vision into the three words we know so well today: mind, body, spirit – and kept it alive and evolving.

And what does the future hold for the Aiglon community? Sometimes, it feels that the world has just caught up with Aiglon. The educational principle of educating the whole child – which seemed revolutionary back in 1949 – is now mainstream and accepted at schools and teacher training institutions worldwide. Schools across the world now commonly use experiential learning, teach respect for one’s environment, and encourage diverse thinking – meditation as an aid for good mental health is now a global industry. And Aiglon itself, of course, continues to value and cherish its heritage. Meditations, expeditions, service: they might look different to those of 20 years ago, but they are all still very much part of the school day.

But, with Mrs Nicola Sparrow as School Director, how does Aiglon remain different from all those other schools out there that have embraced the values that make it special? Because it is different: every Aiglonian knows it and every teacher knows it. Perhaps it’s the people: it’s always attracted those who have vision and want to create something new and exciting. Perhaps it’s the setting: here on the mountain, it’s hard not to feel that sense of awe and wonder, that you are part of something much bigger than yourself. Or perhaps it’s because Aiglon’s principles of mind, body and spirit are more than just add-ons or trends. They have been part of its DNA from day one – and they are still very much part of it today, and in the future.

Sometimes it feels as if the world has just caught up with Aiglon. And the school itself continues to cherish its heritage

Mrs Nicola Sparrow School Director

BREAKING

BREAD

Eat, drink and be merry. There’s nothing like sharing a meal to build a strong relationship, and at Aiglon there are plenty of opportunities to do just that. So pull up a chair, grab a plate and join us.

Words Pamela Evans Photography Joe McGorty

Food glorious food Girls from Exeter House enjoy a meal – and each other’s company – in the Aiglon tradition.

THE OLD MOTTO GOES: “THE FAMILY WHO EATS together stays together”, and nowhere is that more true than at Aiglon. As the food is delivered to each house on a Sunday evening – from barbecue and fondue to curry and sushi – it’s time to draw breath, catch up and mark the end of one busy, challenging week and the beginning of another.

In other words, it’s a family dinner – an idea that Aiglon has always taken very seriously. It’s why houses are encouraged to come together as a family as much as possible. Eating together presents an important opportunity to sit with your whole house and talk to people that you might not have seen for a week (this is Aiglon: everyone is always busy!). Eating in your house is also a chance to look back on the week and talk about the funny stuff – but also the tricky stuff, and how you all made it through.

At Exeter, for instance, they love a barbecue in the summer. But they’ll mix it up with the ‘Chef’s Choice’, taken from a shortlist of around 25 favourite dishes to avoid waste. “Last night we had curry, which the girls absolutely demolished,” says Ms Victoria Evans, Houseparent at Exeter. “We eat in the kitchen, as we have enough room and seats for everybody to sit down. It’s a lovely big open-plan space. Food crosses all barriers and cultures, and gets everyone together, talking. It’s a way of making connections.”

ASRound the table Sofia Davy (Exeter, Year 12), Fiona Tsang (Exeter, Year 13), Somya Sahu (Exeter, Year 12), Defne Cobanoglu (Exeter, Year 12), and Shloka Desai (Exeter, Year 13).

After the fun, of course, comes the tidying up – and everyone must take their turn. At Exeter, every year group has their own task on a Sunday: clearing up falls to Year 10.

But while Sunday is the big event, the kitchen is the place to be all week long. It’s the heart of every house. “Our kitchen is the biggest place in the whole house, so after prep, all the girls are in there talking,” says Shloka Desai (Exeter, Year 13). “That’s our place to be, just before sleeping. And it’s always full of people making toast and eggs at break time.” There’s always something fun to make or eat: last year, there was a craze for hot chocolate covered with cream, sweets and sprinkles.

“The kitchen is where they relax, meet, talk about the things that are bothering them, and just bond,” says Ms Evans. For the Exeter girls it helps that Assistant Houseparent Ms Debbie Kucinkas is a keen baker. If you’re lucky, you might find cookies, brownies or blondies just left out for whoever fancies them – the gorgeous smells wafting from Exeter are usually a good indication that Ms Kucinkas has been busy. (But you’ve got to be quick, Shloka warns: her glorious offerings are usually gone within the hour.) And, luckily, Exeter runs regular cookie bake sales for charity, so other houses do get a look-in – for a price.

Indeed, group dinners, where a year group will decide what to cook – and is responsible for the whole process, from buying ingredients and preparing the food – are a vital part of getting students interested in food and cooking, as well as encouraging them to eat well. “It’s just so important as humans to connect, to eat at the right times and eat the right things,” Ms Evans points out. “That’s not always very easy in adult life, and it’s why we have regular routines to build structure throughout the day. They are very busy, they are very active, and they need to eat well.”

That’s another advantage of eating as a house, of course: it’s a safe space to be a little more adventurous with your culinary preferences, and to develop your own cooking skills. The kitchen is always the first place that new students are shown, and they’re encouraged to join in straight away; Aiglon’s diverse mix of students from all over the world means that the house kitchen becomes a (literal) melting pot.

And invariably, students who haven’t cooked before or thought they weren’t interested will pick things up by osmosis from other students. From tacos and stir-fry to sushi and Yorkshire pudding, students are always eager to share their home country’s specialities – and diners are always up for trying something new. But there’s no pressure – reluctant and inexperienced cooks might be encouraged to go to the kitchen when there’s a keen chef in there, but there’s no compulsion to join in.

Intriguingly, even in the whole-school dining hall, eating in house groups is now the norm. During the pandemic, houses sat together to avoid unnecessary mixing, and Houseparents decided that the new method worked so well at bringing houses together, it should stay. So now a new tradition has been added to the longstanding ones of no phones and no hats – houses sit together. Occasionally, someone wants to know why they can’t sit with their friend from another house, but students see the value of this shared house experience.

And that value shows itself in so many ways, from food choices to cementing friendships. “It’s so nice to bond over food – sitting around, eating and talking about how life and school is going,” says Shloka. “Sunday nights are so important for building the bonds at Exeter. We all know everything about each other, and that wouldn’t be possible without these gatherings.”

Class notes

Share your news via alumni@aiglon.ch and stay in touch with the Aiglon community at aiglonlife.ch

New calling

Spirit of Australian adventure

Greetings from sunny Sydney. Finally, a brace of sunny spring days envelop us on the coast, emerging from seemingly interminable and consecutive La Niña weather events that have saturated eastern Australia for the past 18 months!

In April, a fortunate few alumni travelled to Uluru in central Australia to celebrate the birthday of alumnus Andrew Niemeyer (Class of 1959). A special event in a unique and spectacular location. The Aiglon spirit of adventure lives on!

Pictured above are: Andrew Treharne (1972), Robin Mycock (Alpina, 1969), Andrew Niemeyer (1958), Andrew Clayton-Stamm (Beau Site, 1960) and Bryce (Beaver) Stewart (1960).

Robin Mycock (Alpina, 1969)

After graduating from Aiglon in 1992, I went to the Rhode Island School of Design. I always knew I was going to be an artist and have established myself as a contemporary Australian painter, with work in the permanent art collection at Australia’s Parliament House and embassies worldwide. At the end of 2019, I put down my brushes to follow a new calling, creating ND Renegade – a clothing line that shines a light on neurodiversity – for my two neurodivergent children, to teach them to stand tall in their differences. My husband Jeff and I live in a beautiful part of the world, the Sunshine Coast in Australia. I am still in touch with many of my Aiglon friends, because as you all know, friends from Aiglon are friends for life.

Sally Willbanks (née Csavas) (Exeter, 1992)

Illustrations by James Olstein

Indian internship

These past two months have been nothing short of spectacular. As an individual who firmly believes in the importance of diversity in our communities, the chance to explore my passion for medicine, shadowing doctors in their day-to-day activities at Wockhardt Hospitals, as well as experiencing Indian culture, has been incredible.

From learning to ‘decipher’ MRI scans and watching live operations, to enriching my vocabulary with terms that make me sound much smarter than I am willing to take credit for, my stay so far has been everything I would have hoped it to be.

I would like to thank everyone that made this internship possible: Madam Zavanelli and Carlotta, Zahabiya Khorakiwala, Chirag Doshi, Abhiram Sheth, Mansi Amersey, Dhananjay Lodha, Rohitashwa Poddar and Abhi Bachchan. I am eternally grateful as, 20 to 30 years from now, when I am hopefully a successful practising neurosurgeon, this three-month experience is what I will attribute a part of my success to.

Ian Ochangwa (Belvedere, 2022)

New launches

While exploring new areas and engaging with an environment vastly different to that of Aiglon and Switzerland, two of us from the Class of 2020 have developed a model that may one day revolutionise the service industry by introducing much-needed digitalisation and modernisation. During the early stages of 2022, we decided to bring our idea to life and began work on our first startup along with a third partner of ours.

As with everything in life, starting something groundbreaking from scratch poses significant challenges. Ours is creating awareness for our product and publicising it to kickstart its launch. Luckily, we believe that for every door shut, another one opens. We are confident in our efforts and know we will succeed. Being part of Aiglon means being part of a community who shapes the world.

Derin Berkin (St Louis, 2020) and Aiden Liu (Alpina, 2020)

Celebrating together

The class of 2000 celebrated our 20 (+2) year anniversary at the beginning of summer. We had a healthy turnout of about 25 of us and a great spread among various groups and houses. It truly felt like being back in school, in the best of ways, and we loved also sharing moments with some other classes and quite a few of our teachers and staff, including always reverting to Mr and Mrs salutations! Some things never change. We got up to (most) of the same high jinks also! The bond really has never been broken, and we restored it even more. We look forward to being back on the mountain all together for the next reunion with even more of the fabulous Class of 2000.

Alia Al-Senussi (Chantecler, 2000)

Welcome to Jakarta

Welcoming Johannes Vorfeld (Delaware, 2018) to Jakarta as he starts his four-month internship here. It was great to gather a small group of Jakarta-based Aiglonians: Sumana Bharwani (Clairmont, 1998), Cathleen Purwana (Clairmont, 1995) and Aseanto Oudang (Belvedere, 1999), not pictured. The uniqueness of Aiglon is that it brings people together!

Franky Wongkar (Alpina, 1999)

Class of 2020

After two long years, the Class of 2020 has finally come back together for our Aiglon Graduation! It was great to see everyone who could make it for a barbecue on campus, Summer Ball at the Palace, drinks in town and, of course, bowling. Thank you to the Alumni Office for organising this event and we can’t wait to see everyone again soon!

Cami Fateh (Clairmont/La Casa, 2020)

North West Survivors

We had a small reunion in Ashbourne last October of the North West Survivors 64/65. The following attended (below, from left): Bill Lockwood (Belvedere, 1965); Martin Freston (Clairmont, 1965); Nigel Thorpe (Belvedere, 1965); Richard Bloor (Belvedere, 1964); and Ted Coulson (1966).

Richard Bloor (Belvedere, 1964)

Thank you for my internship

This summer I had the privilege to do an internship at Madnani Facial Plastics. Dr Madnani, who has been an incredible mentor for the past year, showed me the beauty of aesthetic medicine, including plastic surgery. I was able to shadow him during operations in theatre, following up with patients, injections and many more procedures. He gave me a closer insight into the medical field, and confirmed to me that going to med school was the right decision. I have learned so much, not only inside the operating room but also outside it. Watching him work his magic on patients and making them look 20 years younger was incredible.

Marie Fraatz (Exeter,

2022)

Tributes

Regrettably I have to report the passing of former Aiglon staff member, John Pownall. John was a teacher of French in the second half of the 1960s, and was also a keen expeditioner and climber. He married former Aiglon secretary Mary Lewin and they subsequently moved to Gordonstoun in Scotland. Mary died a couple of years ago, as reported on this page. Following his cancer diagnosis, John moved to Suffolk in England to be close to daughter Catriona (Cate, pictured above with John) and family.

Tribute by Patrick Roberts (Delaware, 1975)

My father, Mike, was a hard-working family man of wide interests and formidable intellectual capacity. He was appointed as intellectual property adviser to David Cameron, the UK Prime Minister, in 2013.

His interests included rock and heavy metal music, and he arranged visits to parliament from Alice Cooper, Deep Purple, Slash from Guns N’ Roses, Thin Lizzy, Yngwie Malmsteen and many more.

He leaves behind three very proud children (Becky, Mark and Chris) and two grandkids (Blake and Elayna).

Tribute by Becky Weatherley

Driving ambition

We took part in the Ollon to Villars Hill Climb with the Radio Carolinesponsored 1967 BMW 1600Ti, which I have been racing in the UK for 12 years now. I particularly wanted to compete as it was at Villars, and secondly to visit the school again after many years. We compete in the UK at tracks like Silverstone, Brands Hatch and many others with varying degrees of success, as the car is a bit faster than the driver! I stood next to Jackie Stewart in the Villars Palace hotel and his son, Paul, was there too, and we all had a fantastic time in a really great, hospitable and enthusiastic atmosphere.

It was great to go round the school and see my old room at Alpina, and I absolutely love the fact that you have 65 different nationalities. That’s just fantastic and a very important part of everyone’s education, leaving school with friends all over the world with the same ethos and wonderful spirit as taught by Aiglon.

David Cornwallis (Alpina, 1971)

Parenthood support

Having cared for Aiglon students as Head Nurse from 2000 to 2006, I was also responsible for teaching PHSE to all students during that time when my children, Tom Lovett (Delaware, 2003) and Emma Lovett (Exeter, 2004 ), were also at the school. I am now enjoying linking up with and caring for many of those same students through my breastfeeding support service, which I run online at TheLatch.co.uk. The irony that I taught birth control techniques to these new parents during sex education lessons seldom goes unmentioned, but it’s a huge thrill that they return and trust me to support them with their new babies later in life! Video calling enables me to have close contact with clients from all over the world, so I would particularly welcome calls from any Aiglon alumni who may be struggling with breastfeeding or would simply like step-bystep support through those first daunting weeks of new parenthood and breastfeeding. I have fond memories of Aiglon and send my best wishes to everyone who knew me.

Alison Lovett (Former Staff)

John Pownall

Michael Weatherley (Belvedere, 1975, attended 1970-1972)

VALUES IN ACTION

New awards will celebrate Aiglonians’ contributions to their communities.

Words Lucy Jolin

It’s easy to talk about your values. But it’s not so easy to live them. Challenge, respect, responsibility, diversity, service: our values are big ideas requiring real commitment. And they’re not just something we talk about at meditation. They’re a design for life which stays with students for life: a framework for being all that you can be and helping others to do the same. That’s why, this year, we are launching a new alumni award focused on our values – and recognising those graduates who take them out into the world.

Aiglon Values in Action (AVinA) – will honour those graduates who are contributing in their community or wider society in the areas of challenge, respect, responsibility, diversity and service. They will demonstrate continuous commitment and application of the school’s guiding principles in their post-Aiglon life. If you know of someone who fits the bill – or if that person is you – then let us know. You can nominate yourself for the award, or a fellow Aiglonian. Nominations open in January and will run until mid-February. The Awards Committee –including School Director Nicola Sparrow, Director of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement Karen Sandri, and alumni from across the generations – will choose a shortlist and up to five final winners.

And, of course, we will continue to thank those individuals who have made a vast and highly valued contribution to Aiglon itself over the years. The Key Award is presented in recognition of a lifetime of voluntary service to the School, while the Citation Award is given in honour of loyalty and commitment to Aiglon College, and in conjunction with an instance of exemplary service to the school. Neither are awarded annually, but only when appropriate nominations are received. We will be launching the awards in January so please keep an eye on your inbox for information.

RECREATION

Photography Joe McGorty

Band on the run

The times they may be a-changing, but Aiglonians’ love of performing is as strong as ever. On the right, School Sux, featuring Kyra Loktionova (Exeter, Year 11), Donna Mak (Clairmont, Year 11), Jeronimo de la Macorra Lozano (Belvedere, Year 11) and Kabir Gupta (Alpina, Year 10) recreate the UFOs’ end-ofyear concert in Belvedere (above), with Brian Hazeltine (Class of 69), Tim Hazeltine (Class of 68), Billy Schaeffer (Class of 72) and Mike McCabe (Delaware, 1970). Do you have an image of your time at Aiglon you would like us to recreate? Email your suggestions to communications@aiglon.ch

Where the current crop of Aiglonians demonstrate that while Aiglon may have changed, it hasn’t changed quite as much as you might think...

PERSONAL BEST

KEEPING HER POWDER DRY

Alexandra Belovich swapped skis for snowboard five years ago. She’s been gripped by the thrill of the sport ever since.

Words Jo Caird Photography Joe McGorty

With snowboarding you’re on the edge. It brings something out of me and makes me catch my breath

Alexandra Belovich’s snowboard is a thing of beauty. Designed for both powder snow and racing, it’s curved at both ends. And it’s black, with a pattern underneath that is gradually revealed as the board picks up scratches during its owner’s adventures on the slopes around Aiglon and at home in Kazakhstan. “It’s amazing,” she says. “I named it Lorenzo, after my coach.”

Alexandra (Le Cerf, Year 12) began skiing at the age of four but never felt quite at home in the sport. Then, five years ago, she tried snowboarding for the first time while on holiday with her family in Val Thorens. “I liked it from the moment I started,” she says. “I find snowboarding much more thrilling. On skis you can balance and it’s not scary. With snowboarding you’re always on the edge. It brings something out of me and makes me catch my breath.”

This will be her third year snowboarding at Aiglon. “I started off pretty slow but I caught up fast,” she says. No wonder: Alexandra has worked hard, going out to train with an instructor at every possible opportunity during term time over the past couple of years, as well as practising in the mountains at home. Her peers and instructors can’t believe how quickly she has progressed, with one teacher describing her as “embodying the spirit of snowboarding”.

Alexandra sometimes boards with a close friend who took up boarding at Aiglon around the same time she did. But mostly she prefers to hit the slopes by herself. “I can zone out from the world, going through the clouds, through the snow, through the wind. When I snowboard, I feel really free. And when I’m going through a hard time, snowboarding allows me to get away. I put on music and just escape.”

While not a naturally competitive type, Alexandra is not afraid to push herself, always striving to improve her technique on tricks, for example. She competed for the first time at Aiglon last winter, winning a silver medal in the freestyle jumps contest and a bronze in the girls’

slalom. “The competition was very stressful but I tried my best because I wanted to see what I’m capable of.”

No matter how fast Alexandra goes or how high she jumps, however, safety is key. She prefers not to board in spots where the slopes are overly icy or bumpy, but she knows it’s important to practise should she ever find herself on such terrain. “I’m very aware that if I’m not safe and I hurt myself, then that means I can’t snowboard,” she says. Her strategy has proved successful so far, and her improvement on the board has been rapid.

Her favourite spot to snowboard? Easy, she says, it’s up the Chaux Ronde in Villars itself. “There’s one black piste and there’s never anyone there. It’s through the trees and it’s amazing. You have the whole space to yourself and I just get to do what I love, what I enjoy the most in the world.”

Alexandra Belovich’s favourite spot to snowboard is on the quiet but challenging Chaux Ronde in Villars.

KATHMANDU

Everyone has their own vision of what Kathmandu is like but, says Ashmita Adhikari (Clairmont, Class of 2024), who spent her childhood there, there’s only one place to go if you want to get a real sense of the place: one of the city’s many temples or gombahs (monasteries).

“There are many different communities here and each one has its own representations,” she explains. And fellow Nepalese sisters Kritee (Clairmont, 2019) and Yukti (Clairmont, 2021) Mahato are quick to agree. They recommend Swayambunath, also known as the Monkey Temple after the bands of monkeys that roam its grounds, and Pashupatinath, an extraordinarily beautiful UNESCO world heritage site, which sits on the banks of the Bagmati river. Boudhha, another world heritage site, is known as the Great Stupa for its massive dome-shaped structure – one of the biggest in Nepal.

Of course, it’s easy to regard Kathmandu as merely a gateway to Nepal’s extraordinary mountains and valleys. But it’s well worth taking a few days to appreciate the ancient capital city. Unlike the famous peaks which surround it, Kathmandu isn’t a particularly high-altitude city – in fact, lying in a valley 1,400m above sea level, it’s only the 18th highest capital city in the world. So, visitors shouldn’t experience any adverse altitude effects, enabling them to plunge straight into Kathmandu’s unique sights, sounds and tastes. “It’s a small place but you can do a lot –that’s what I love about it,” says Yukti.

The narrow, noisy streets of Thamel district are the place to pick up souvenirs, says Kritee – they’re lined with small shops selling traditional pashminas, cashmere scarves and artwork. For food (and people-watching) head to Durbar Square. “One of the most famous

dishes is Nepalese momos, which are dumplings,” says Kritee. “You can get those everywhere and they’re filled with chicken, lamb, pork or vegetables. Or if you want to experience traditional Nepali cuisine, try thali It’s a big plate with a small bowl of rice in the middle, surrounded by bowls of anything from chicken to vegetables to pickles – and once you’ve finished a bowl, they’ll refill it.” For dessert, try jalebi – deep-fried circles of batter topped with sugar syrup. Curd is commonly eaten after food, too. Look out for the famous dahi made in the city of Bhaktapur – a delicious, thick curd, flavoured with Nepalese honey.

If you’re craving peace and tranquillity, the extraordinary National Botanical Garden in Godawari is just an hour’s drive away at the foothill of Mt. Phulchowki (2,765m), the Kathmandu Valley’s highest peak. You’ll find around 1,000 different plant species here.

“It’s a beautiful garden with a museum you can explore, too,” says Ashmita. “One of my favourite memories of Kathmandu is a family picnic there before lockdown.

“Everyone will be very welcoming,” continues Ashmita. “They may not say ‘Namaste’ to you, as you are from a different country, but they will certainly say ‘hi’! If you want to truly experience a small place that is incredibly diverse, come to Nepal. We speak more than 100 languages and have so many different cultures, costumes and traditions.”

Yukti Mahato (Clairmont, 2021)

Kritee Mahato (Clairmont, 2019)

Ashmita Adhikari (Clairmont, Class of 2024)

YOUR GUIDES

Illustration James Olstein

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