TA BL E OF C ON T E N T S
IN EVERY ISSUE 2
FROM THE ARCHIVES
3
FROM THE HEADMASTER
4
ON THE MESA
94
CLASS NOTES
103
IN MEMORIAM
104
ENDPAGE
LEARNING CURVE
An educational path may not be straight or linear, but it is certainly life long. Whether as teachers or students, many take steps along it in their years at Cate. 24 THROUGH THE LENS Take a visual tour of some of Cate’s curves.
ON THE WEB Peruse the event calendar and look up old friends at www.cate.org/alumni.
18 FRESHMAN FACULTY Cate’s faculty is always growing and changing. This year is notable, though, for the depth and breadth of scholarship, life experience, and diversity it brings to the Mesa.
22 GROWTH CURVE A conversation with Annalee Salcedo, Cate’s newly appointed and first female Mathematics Department chair.
23 A COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS Ivan Barry, who chairs Cate’s new Humanities Department, weighs in on Cate’s community of learners.
26 LANGUAGE READY Megan Ryskamp ’98 struggled with Spanish as a new Cate student. Then she found her arc of learning and followed it.
28 DISPATCHES We check in with two alumni for reports on living and working along its learning curves.
30 REPORT ON PHILANTHROPHY Recognizing the School’s ample contributions to their growth, the Cate community gives back.
Front Cover: The Johnson Library provides a fitting backdrop for some of the books that are now part of the Cate curriculum. Photo by Ashleigh Mower
Find the latest Cate news at www.cate.org/news. Find all of this and more on our mobile site at www.cate.org on your smartphone. LINKEDIN: Join our LinkedIn career networking group “Cate School Alumni & Friends” at cate.org/linkedin. FACEBOOK: Befriend Curtis Wolsey Cate and become a Facebook fan of Cate School. TWITTER: Follow updates on Cate’s twitter profile “Cate_School.” INSTAGRAM: Follow @cate_school on Instagram for your daily dose of life on the Mesa.
W W W . C A TE . O R G
1
F ROM T H E A RC H I V E S
It seems that school was simpler in 1911: Cate’s predecessor, the Santa Barbara School, had a curriculum listing that fits neatly on a four-page spread. The School now offers well over 100 courses.
2
CAT E BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 15
F ROM T H E H E A DM A S T E R
Mind the Curve When I was in college, I rowed
the race when the fatigue is almost
philanthropy that makes the work of
on the men’s crew. In truth, I was
overwhelming. It’s a test of sorts, a
the school possible. Surely the generous
consumed by the sport, which is
measure of your worth to the crew
gestures of so many speak to the
essentially a requirement for anyone who
and to the curve. And in the effort,
presence of this school community in
would presume to do it.
you discover things. Not simply your
our lives, regardless of where in the arc
There are two seasons for collegiate
limits – because those you are supposed
of our lifespans the relationship with
oarsmen: fall and spring. And though
to push through – but your motivation,
Cate began.
the latter is really the main season, there
your resolve, your belief both in yourself
is something special about those long
and in your teammates. That is every
makes evident, the connection deepens
fall races – more fans, more boats, more
rower’s learning curve. Fitting, isn’t it,
over time, just as the experiences
pain, more miles to cover.
that you recognize it by learning to row
and their imbedded lessons mature,
the curve?
evolve, and reveal themselves through
In the premier fall event, called the Head of the Charles, there is a long
This issue of the Bulletin focuses on
Thankfully, as our annual report
the years. That is the essence of the
sweeping curve to the river two miles
the same idea – the discoveries we make
learning curve – and evidence of the very
into the three-and-a-half-mile race. The
as we grow as people. That’s not simply
power William Shepard Biddle noted
sixty-foot boats have a rudder the size
about school; it’s about life. We all
in his famous preface to Schooldays in
of a playing card, so any real turning is
have our learning curves and their many
California. All of us, he wrote, “Look
accomplished by the oarsmen through
catalysts. Some we meet as students,
back through the arches of the years, not
the pressure they apply to their blades.
some long after our formal education is
unaware of the permanence of things,
The curve on the Charles River
over; but all take us somewhere new, to
and the lessons learned from a great
is the gauntlet for the starboard oars,
some place where we earn the chance
school and its able and devoted masters.”
for those are the ones that can compel
to be – somewhere that might even
the proper turn. Lest you think this a
launch us to yet another destination or
simple issue, consider that the oars on
discovery.
the port side cannot and will not let up in the least. No stroke in a race is ever
on the continuum of our curves – a
delivered at less than 100%.
place where we learn to dig deeper,
So the starboards have to find that extra gear, right at that point in
Servons,
For all of us, Cate lies somewhere
pull harder, and understand better. We celebrate as well in this issue the
W W W . C A TE . O R G
3
ON the MESA COMMON READ What is the source of power? And what is Boy, Snow, Bird? Cate students wrestled with both of these questions in their summer inquiry projects. The second may be easier to answer: Boy, Snow, Bird, Cate’s “common read” during the summer of 2015, is a contemporary novel by Helen Oyeyemi that splashed onto the cover of the New York Times Book Review with an enthusiastic, if somewhat cryptic, review that referred to the novel as a “story-allegory and real-surreal gyre.” Cate students found it was a challenging, sometimes confusing, but always intriguing book that inspired a wide range of personal responses. The freshmen marched fearlessly into the question “What is the source of power in Boy, Snow, Bird?” Wending their way through complex questions of race and identity, posting questions and responding to one another’s interpretations, their responses to the book were varied and insightful. Kaiser Ke ‘19 concluded that “Real power is being able to withhold any biases and treat [people] the same way.”
but also in society. Drawing upon their
and relying on our community to help
Maddie Erickson ‘19 declared, “I think
own experiences and outside sources,
us think more clearly and question
that power is the ability to persevere
the sophomores and juniors showed their
more deeply,” said English Department
through tough situations valiantly and
awareness of the connections between
Chair Katheryn Park. Perhaps one
gracefully.” Some of the students liked
this book and the world.
freshman best summed up why the Cate
the book, some did not, but all challenged
“The Power of Connections,” “The
community reads and discusses together,
Power of One’s Image,” “Skin Color and
even over the summer: “This book,” he
Power” – these are a few of the titles of
wrote, “although quite strange at times,
springboard, Cate sophomores and juniors
the seniors’ projects that grew from the
really gets a person thinking.”
were asked to move farther afield and
summer read. They were asked to answer
discuss the following question: “How
the question about power’s source in any
are beauty and vanity connected with
way they wished. Their posts reflected
issues of race and power?” Once again,
young people who are thoughtful and
the students showed their abilities to
savvy and who see their world and
think and question in a wide variety of
themselves quite clearly. As Ajibola
ways. Rose Xi ‘18 sorted power into two
Bodunrin ‘16 stated without fanfare,
categories—social and personal—to lead
“Power is self-awareness.”
one another and thought together. Using the book as a
into her exploration of race in Boy, Snow,
4
Students and faculty all read Helen Oyememi’s Boy, Snow, Bird over the summer, and it sparked a range of reactions and conversations.
“Boy, Snow, Bird was a fascinating
Bird. Gabby Teodoro ‘17 unflinchingly
and frustrating read that allowed Cate
asked her peers to confront the areas of
students and faculty to spend some of our
racism and violence, not only in the novel
summer grappling with tough questions
CAT E BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 15
ON T H E M E SA
GOATS ON THE MESA
SUNSET CEREMONY Cate School opened the 2015-16
crude little school of redwood board and
academic year on Tuesday, August 31
brick chimney, which clung precariously
with the annual Sunset Ceremony, a
to the foot of the Mesa between
tradition started in 2004 by Headmaster
Lillingston and Gobernador Canyons;
Ben Williams. Students, faculty, and
to the gardens of Marion Cate and the
members of the Cate community
orange and eucalyptus groves; to the old
gathered on the lawn in front of Parsonage
boys and teachers, and their loyalties,
and High House dormitories as the
and ultimately, of course, to Curtis Cate
School’s bell, Macbeth, rang.
himself, and the principles he made the
As he does each year, Williams read an excerpt from a letter written by
basis of the school he founded.” In keeping with tradition, students
one of the School’s earliest graduates,
and faculty formed a receiving line to
William Shepard Biddle ‘18, which begins
greet this year’s senior class after the
founder Curtis Cate’s book School Days in
ceremony. In May, after Commencement,
California.
faculty will bid farewell to the Class
In addition to capturing his own experience as a student at Cate, Biddle contemplates what unites all of those who
of 2016 in the same location once the graduates have received diplomas.
In late August goats are released on the hillside between Long House and Lillingston Canyon Road to reduce dry brush and to limit the incursion of Cape Ivy, an invasive species of plant.
Cate’s enrollment this year is 280,
at one time have called Cate home. He
and includes 75 new students. In addition,
writes: “There is a kinship ... between the
several faculty and staff members are
old school and the new, whose roots go
beginning their inaugural year on the
deeper than a few feet into the mesa soil.
Mesa this fall.
Instead, they reach far down to the rather
Several of 120 goats spring from a trailer as they enter their new temporary home on the Mesa.
A goat happily eats a flower in its temporary new home on the Mesa.
Is there a better way to be welcomed to the rank of Cate senior than with a hug from an underclassman? We think not. W W W . C A TE . O R G
5
ON T H E M E SA
NINE LIVES
SEE AND HEAR For anybody in need of a little inspiration, Cate School was the place to be on Saturday, September 26th. The community hosted pianist Justin Kauflin and filmmaker Alan Hicks -- a fellow jazz musician and the director of an award-winning documentary called Keep On Keepin’ On, which chronicles the artistic collaboration and close friendship between Kauflin and legendary trumpet player Clark Terry. In the morning, Cate Director of Instrumental Music John Knecht introduced Kauflin and Hicks at a special assembly in Hitchcock Theater. Former Cate English teacher Gaby Edwards, who sponsored the day’s events, also spoke,
Cate students, (clockwise L to R) Desmond Castillo ’18, Rose Xi ’18 and Hannah Jorgensen ’16 perform in a 10-minute play called Misfortune, written by Mark Harvey Levine.
Selden first learned about Kauflin after
eager for a challenge and agreed to the
renting Hicks’s film last spring. (Only
and the stage in the Hitchcock Theater
bare settings as a way to push their acting
later, she explained, did she discover that
is in shadows. The half-built set is filled
skills. To support this effort, Lorin Eric
local boy Adam Fell ’99 had served as its
with giant wooden spools and pallets,
Salm, a mime who was a student of Marcel
executive producer. When she emailed
components that may stand for chairs
Marceau, came up from Los Angeles to
Fell to ask if he would be interested in
or benches, beds or tables. Everything
run a four-hour movement workshop. Just
showing the movie at Cate, he agreed
spins. Jessica Block, head of the theater
as the actors will stretch as they perform,
immediately – and offered to bring
program, explains, “The moveable set
they will ask the audience to stretch as
Kauflin and Hicks with him.) Kauflin
offers different views to the audience, just
well, pushing their imaginations to “see”
then spoke briefly at the assembly, before
as the nine plays in our program offer nine
what will not be physically present on
taking the stage to play one of his original
perspectives and a set of often unheard
stage. The multiple-use set components,
compositions on the piano. At his side
voices.” Cate actors and the tech crew are
the lack of props, and the use of mime will
was Candy, a black lab who serves as
preparing for a Family Weekend evening of
all combine for an exceptional program.
his seeing-eye dog; Kauflin, now 29, has
theater called 9 Lives. The program, made
As Jessica says, “Parameters equal
been totally blind since the age of 11.
up of separate ten-minute plays by Mark
creativity,” and these nine plays will offer
Later in the day, Hicks met with
Levine and others, allows each of twenty-
a chance to participate, with the talented
interested students to talk about the film
one actors to have a major part in a short
actors and crew, in an extraordinarily
and how its storyline came together. He
play, as well as stretching the tech crew to
creative evening.
explained that, originally, his intention
It’s a Friday afternoon in October,
support nine completely different efforts.
was primarily to document Clark Terry’s
The through-line in this Halloween-style
famous work as a teacher and mentor of
evening is death, although death as dealt
young jazz musicians. Terry was almost
with through black comedy. As Graeme
90 when the filming began in 2010 and
Hugo ‘16 says, “The vibe is a little different
was battling diabetes, poor eyesight, and
this year—we won’t be using traditional
other health problems. (He died in early
props or costumes this time around, and
2015, at 94, just months after the movie
the set is unique for this production.”
was finished.) Hicks went on to describe
Jessica notes that the students were 6
describing how she and her husband
CAT E BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 15
how, unexpectedly, the film came
ON T H E M E SA
to focus on Terry’s personal relationship with Kauflin – an association that had begun at William Paterson University in New Jersey, where Hicks and Kauflin both studied under Terry. Immediately following that session, Kauflin met with a group of student musicians. In a wonderfully reassuring and unpretentious way, he talked about his own struggles as a high school musician, and about the challenges he faced later as he learned to play jazz. He discussed the importance of connecting with the audience -- one of Terry’s many talents as a performer – and spoke openly about his own ongoing battles with anxiety. “You get to choose whether or not you’re going to approach a performance positively or negatively,” Kauflin emphasized,
Cate hosts pianist Justin Kauflin (L) and filmmaker Alan Hicks (R) for an inspirational talk and musical performance during a special assembly.
echoing Terry. “You have to embrace
Terry performing with jazz titans Count
love that made the movie.” The story
your anxiety somehow and find a way to
Basie and Duke Ellington, among
had a profound impact on Colin Stevens
enjoy the performance.” Kauflin then
others, in his rise from obscurity to
’17 too: “After it was over and I walked
took to the piano again, at Knecht’s
stardom. Later, we see him with some of
outside, I saw Justin and just had to tell
request; he first played part of “Autumn
the many famous artists who depended
him what an inspiring person he is. As
Leaves” in a thoroughly conventional
on Terry’s teaching and encouragement
for the people who brought him into our
(albeit beautiful) way. Soon, however,
as they, in turn, became the leaders of
lives, I can’t thank them enough.”
he began to improvise – playing
the jazz movement – Quincy Jones,
the melody very recognizably, but
Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Wynton
screening, Hicks admitted that he was
adding all sorts of riffs and flourishes
Marsalis, and Dianne Reeves. But the
exhausted at the end of the four years
and embellishments, thrilling those
most affecting scenes in the film are
he devoted to making the film. And of
in attendance. When a student asked
those that show Terry and Kauflin
course the process was often draining
about improvisation and how it all works,
together – working, when Terry’s failing
for Kauflin too. Hicks noted in his final
Kauflin responded, “You just have to be
health allows, or simply enjoying each
remarks that Clark Terry, after losing his
in the moment, exist in the moment, and
other’s friendship and support when it
vision and both legs to diabetes, was still
leave room for the spontaneity to
doesn’t. The relentless optimism that
teaching just 24 hours before he died
happen.” He compared the process to
both men show in the face of daunting
in hospice care. This detail seemed like a
speaking, to the way we figure out what
challenges is astonishing; equally
good example of how, as Hicks observed,
we want to say just an instant before we
inspiring is Terry’s wife Gwen, who seems
“Clark had a knack for making you feel
actually say it.
to embody all the best virtues a human
important.”
In the evening, there was a large turnout in the theater for the much-
In a Q & A session after the
can possess. After leaving the theater, Julie
anticipated screening of Keep On Keepin’
Phan ’16 summed up the experience
On. In tracing some of the highlights of
nicely. “All I have to say about the
Terry’s remarkable career, the 84-minute
movie is that it’s about love. It was love
documentary includes archival footage of
that made Justin a great pianist, and W W W . C A TE . O R G
7
ON T H E M E SA
COLLEGE NIGHTS and allows college representatives to have a better understanding of Cate. The college nights also allow underclassmen the opportunity to learn about college options, and they limit the amount of class time that seniors miss in order to meet with college representatives.” The schedule of college visits is available on MyCate, for those who wish to plan ahead. In addition to what Cate College Nights have to offer, each spring juniors attend the Case Studies program, in which Cate and Thacher (in alternating years) host college admission representatives from around the country to discuss the application process. As seniors, each Cate student has an Joel Serugo ’16 speaks to a college representative from Colgate University.
“TONIGHT at a boarding school, on a
also helped me express myself to people
high, high mesa, TWENTY-TWO college
who will potentially read my application.”
admissions officers will battle for the hearts
All juniors and seniors are invited to attend
and minds of Cate students....”
these presentations.
The message scrolled away in familiar
Cate has been hosting college nights for
yellow letters on a background of deep space
a number of years, but this year the pool of
to the cheers of an assembly full of Star
guests is larger, with about 20 colleges and
Wars fans. And so the first in a series of Cate
universities at each event. There were just
College Nights was set to kick off.
over 100 visits last year, and Cate’s College
Cate College Nights bring the world
Counseling office is predicting this year’s
to the Mesa. For the inaugural event of
count to approach 120. Tamar Adegbile,
this year, 22 colleges and universities
Cate’s new Director of College Counseling,
were represented, ranging widely in size
says, “As a boarding school, we have the
and location, and including Barnard,
unique privilege of hosting colleges and
Colby, NYU, Duke, and Harvey Mudd.
universities outside of the academic school
Enthusiastic representatives handed out
day. This provides quality time for students
cards and brochures, answered questions,
to meet with admission representatives
assigned college counselor with whom he or she works individually, while the English Department devotes the senior Writing Period to essays of the type that students write in their college applications. Cate’s College Counseling office provides all of these components to serve the students in their quest to find the schools that best fit their specific needs and wishes. As college representatives headed back to their cars at the end of the event, walking past students who were eating, dancing, and generally making merry at a barbecue with live music on the Kirby Quad, the visitors probably wished they could leave their current institutions and come to Cate, instead of vice versa.
and tried to show why their particular institutions might be good choices for our seniors. Although many Cate students were able to go on college trips last summer or during Outings Week, learning about more options allowed them to consider new possibilities. As Alondra Torres ‘16 noted, “Speaking to college representatives during College Night in a low-stress environment has helped me learn what kind of personality each college has. It has Cate students gather to learn about Duke University during one of the fall College Nights.
8
CAT E BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 15
ON T H E M E SA
FACULTY ART ON DISPLAY
Show organizer Monica Furmanski exhibited her work along with that of her colleagues.
Known for vocal and drama direction, faculty member Jessica Block also works in textiles. Shown here, “Swimming Sisters.”
Art teacher Aspen Golann examines John Swain’s ceramic work with senior Jake Dexter-Meldrum.
Art Department Chair Patrick Collins takes in one of Aspen Golann’s offerings.
The composition of Cate’s fine arts
for observing bold powdered graphite and
and performing arts teaching faculty
charcoal designs by Aspen Golann, a series
has changed significantly over the past
of paintings by Patrick Collins, textiles by
seven years, and making note of that gave
music teacher Jessica Block (including a
photography teacher Monica Furmanski
Harry Potter Hufflepuff knitted scarf), and
an idea. What if she organized an exhibit
several large ceramic vessels by John Swain.
of faculty art for Fall Family Weekend,
Furmanski’s own contributions to the show
showcasing the work of her colleagues?
were large prints in ink on archival paper,
While parents are accustomed to
based on memories of childhood car rides,
viewing the product of their children’s
with their visions of landscapes racing by
efforts, Furmanski set out to give them
the window.
a sense of what their arts teachers create
families’ response to the work, Furmanksi
play into their teaching styles and
says the most gratifying reactions came
understanding of the arts,” she explains.
from students themselves, opening up processes, and types of execution available
from members of the department, adding
to the artist. “We may be teachers in the
space for ceramicist Peter Bonning, who
arts, but I feel it’s important for everyone
teaches in the Outdoor Program and
to be aware of the work we create off the
Human Development Department. For
Mesa and our dedication to the practice of
one month, the Elizabeth Lawton Shreve
creating.”
headphones and listen to the work of music
Zac Towbes ’17 plays an original tune during Carpinteria’s 29th Annual Avocado Festival.
Alex Brown ’16 and Brandon Sugarman ’16 perform a cover by Wiz Khalifa at the 29th Annual Avocado Festival.
another avenue to discuss the ideas,
show consisting entirely of art and music
Hooker Gallery became a place to don
Carpinteria’s annual Avocado Festival is known for its guacamole, avocado ice cream, avocado pancakes, and increasingly, as a place to hear some rockin’ good music. This year, the festival’s 29th, Cate performers took the main stage on the first night, inspiring plenty of dancing in the streets.
While she was pleased with the
professionally, and “how these sensibilities
In October Furmanski mounted a
AVOCADO FEST PERFORMERS
Hannah Jorgensen ‘16 puts on a show at the 29th Annual Avocado Festival.
teacher John Knecht; it was also the site W W W . C A TE . O R G
9
ON T H E M E SA
McBEAN ADVENTURES
Math teacher Tim Smith is further emboldened as a climber on Mt. Whitney.
Math Department Chair Annalee Salcedo,
is incomparable,” she says. Among the
faculty embark on adventures or undertake
her husband Chris Power, and their girls
many highlights was a day spent walking
professional growth and learning experiences
Rosita and Amelia, combined adventure
a portion of the Camino de Santiago, an
supported by the Peter McBean Fund.
and family time in the Philippines for their
ancient pilgrimage route. “There we were,
McBean, a member of the Class of 1930, was
McBean trip. They spent two weeks on five
surrounded by other travelers wishing
a steady and generous donor to the School,
different islands in the Visayas, enjoying
us ‘buen camino,’ amid all of Spain’s
and hoped to give Cate teachers the financial
white sand beaches, snorkeling in the clear
beauty, and with ample time and space for
resources to further their scholarship,
waters, and visiting villages and wildlife
reflection. It was magical.”
undertake research, and pursue personalized
reserves. The inspiration for the trip,
study programs. He also envisioned funding
however, was the Sagullo family reunion,
Griffin’s McBean trip, as they visited their
cultural experiences and travel. Each year
a full-day gathering of nearly 250 relatives
daughter Erin Griffin ‘12 in Córdoba, Spain,
the intentions and destinations of the
on Salcedo’s mother’s side of the family,
where she was studying. “We spent most
McBean Fund recipients vary widely -- a
in her mother’s hometown of Candelaria.
of our time exploring the city of Córdoba,
testament to the ever-imaginative uses of the
“I relished the opportunity to visit with
while renting an apartment that was tucked
generous gift.
cousins I hadn’t seen in over a decade and
away in a stone courtyard filled with colorful
Each year, several members of the Cate
Spain also featured in Frank and Emilie
delighted in watching Rosita and Amelia
pots and plants. This allowed us to be
Tim Smith has climbed Mt. Whitney before,
playing with their cousins for the first
within walking distance of everything we
his grant this year enabled him to hire a
time,” Salcedo shares. In the days prior to
wanted to see, wandering the city’s narrow
professional guide to approach the mountain
the reunion, her family visited her father’s
winding streets with Erin as our tour guide.
in a different and more challenging way. On
hometown and was able to spend time
Her familiarity with all parts of Córdoba
a summer day he and the guide took on the
with her 94-year old paternal grandmother.
made figuring out where to go and what to
While veteran traveler and adventurer
East Face and East Buttress of the mountain,
Also supported by McBean funding was
see easy,” Emilie reports. They also traveled
and they climbed the Fishhook arête on
Director of Marketing and Communications
to Malaga, Alhambra, and Madrid, and
nearby Mt. Russell. “This eight-pitch climb
Sarah Kidwell, who travelled with her
beyond Spain’s beauty, what impressed
is substantially harder than the previous
teenage son Jamie Borghesani to the Basque
them most was their own daughter. “It was
climbs, and I was definitely challenged
region of Spain and France. They started
the perfect opportunity not only to see Erin
beyond my ability as a climber on several
on the French side in Bayonne and traveled
but also to witness her transformation into
occasions,” says Smith. “We summited after
through St. Jean Pied de Port, Pamplona,
a confident and fluent Spanish speaker. Her
four hours of sustained climbing, descending
San Sebastian, Guernica, and ended in
ability to navigate any situation was a delight
to camp and then the trailhead six hours
Bilbao with a tour of the Guggenheim
to experience.”
later.”
Museum. “In terms of scenery, food,
His colleague and newly appointed 10
English teacher Mari Talkin on a summer trip to Thoreau and Emerson country.
CAT E BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 15
history, art, and culture, the Basque country
Science teacher Joshua Caditz stayed closer to home and used his McBean funding
ON T H E M E SA
to hone his sailing skills in the Santa Barbara
a young man from the Miao minority
Channel. He took a series of courses aimed
group reflecting on the impact of tourism
at completing several American Sailing
on his village. “Although this project was
Association certifications. The newfound
a collaboration between GNU and SFSU,
knowledge emboldened him to head out
two high school students from the US also
to the Channel Islands, where he anchored
joined as translators,” explains Yen. “I see a
for an overnight off Santa Rosa Island. “I
potential internship opportunity for Cate
experienced biophosphorescence for the first
students who are fluent in Chinese and
time – it had been a long-term desire of mine
interested in filmmaking to get involved in
to see it – and had some great experiences
the future.”
watching dolphins playing in the wake of the boat, ” says Caditz. Chinese teacher Sufen Yen used her
Humanities and English teacher Mari Talkin used McBean funds to travel
The Barry family combines adventure and education in a summer trip to Turkey.
to the East Coast to attend the Exeter
to shine because of the racism that plagued
fund to travel to China with her son, a
Humanities Institute conference in New
our country long ago. To learn about those
graduate student of cinema at San Francisco
Hampshire and an alumni weekend at
players and what they went through just
State University (SFSU), and her sister, who
Vermont College of Fine Arts in Montpelier.
to play the game of baseball was truly inspiring.”
joined them from Taiwan. First, they headed
In addition to having the opportunity to
to the Yunnan province in southwestern
hone her skills in Harkness pedagogy and
China for a visit to the pristine Lugu Lake,
to connect with old friends and fellow
their two sons Kiyan and Aydin, traveled
home of the Mosuo ethnic group. The region
writers, Talkin was able to make a couple
to Turkey this summer for a four-week
is known as the “Home of the Matriarchal
of stops on her literary pilgrimage – a
adventure. Ivan was born in Turkey when
Tribe” because Mosuo women play a
lifelong pursuit in which she visits the sites
his parents were teaching at international
dominant role in their society. Afterward,
where writers penned works that have
schools there, and Ivan and Rebekah later
they traveled to the neighboring Guizhou
informed her teaching and shaped her
lived in Istanbul. “It was a great chance to
province. There, Yen collaborated with her
world view. “I made my way to Walden
revisit a country we love and to reconnect
son, two of his classmates from SFSU, and
Pond, a beautifully wooded spot fronting a
with a culture and society that features in
two local students from Guizhou Normal
lake that inspired Henry David Thoreau’s
my course on the Modern Middle East,”
University to produce a documentary film as
masterpiece, Walden; I also saw the home
says Ivan. They started off the trip with a
part of SFSU’s International Documentary
of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Thoreau’s
week in Istanbul, where they enjoyed seeing
Workshop. The film, Basha Man, is about
mentor and a remarkable man of letters in
famous attractions with their boys; these
his own right.”
sites included Aya Sofia, the Blue Mosque,
Father-son team coaches and dorm
Rebekah and Ivan Barry, along with
and the Grand Bazaar. Next they traveled
heads Dave ‘08 and Ben Soto had baseball
down to the Turkish coast, alternately
on their minds this past summer. They
swimming in the warm Mediterranean
travelled east for an eight-day trip that
waters and exploring ancient ruins. Rebekah
started with the National Baseball Hall of
and Ivan carved out a side trip to Athens,
Fame in Cooperstown, New York, “a must
where they focused their time on learning
for any baseball fan,” say the Sotos. Next
about ancient Greek society and seeing the
they hit the Big Apple to experience Yankee
Parthenon. “As these feature prominently
Stadium and Citi Field, home of the Yankees
in our freshman Humanities course, it was
and Mets. In Boston they paid homage to
a fantastic opportunity to gain new, first-
the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Their final stop
hand insights into these icons of western
was Kansas City to see Kauffman Stadium
civilization - insights that we’re now sharing
and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum,
with our students.”
which they found fascinating. “It’s such Math teacher Frank Griffin with daughter Erin ’12, during a springtime trip to Spain.
a great way to recognize and honor the players who never got their proper chance W W W . C A TE . O R G
11
ON T H E M E SA
THE SWAINS (AND SOMMERS) IN SPAIN (AND VERMONT) BY JOHN SWAIN some traveling of his own. As winter closed in on the East Coast, Linda, Riley, and I moved to Córdoba, Spain for three months. I spent part of that time traveling with Ben, who joined us there for six weeks, while Riley and Linda attended Spanish schools. Linda took classes in architecture and history; meanwhile, I toured museums, ceramic tile factories, and countless art galleries. Spain offered all four of us opportunities to learn about its complex culture, its fascinating customs, and its proud people – especially those we met during our time there. Everything from the cobblestone streets we walked to the fine art we studied seemed to reveal Spain’s rich and multi-layered (L to R) John, Riley and Ben Swain in Tangier, Morocco during a family sabbatical.
history. We explored major national museums that boast vast collections of
Splitting time between the
build on during future summers. Our
famous paintings and sculptures; we also
United States and Europe, Linda and
daughter, Riley, went to the very same
visited dozens of tiny galleries that house
I thoroughly enjoyed our sabbaticals
public junior high in Middlebury that
precious items such as ceramic pieces
last year. We studied Spanish and art,
Linda once attended, while our son, Ben
by Picasso. These experiences offered
primarily, and in the process saw lots of
(having just graduated from Cate), took a
our entire family the chance to see both
good approaches to teaching and learning.
gap year in order to make money and do
masterpieces of great importance and
We spent the first portion of the year in Vermont, where Linda observed Spanish classes at Middlebury College as well as the local high school, and where I took ceramics and painting classes (while also pursuing several woodworking projects). Linda discovered that college professors struggle with challenges just like those facing language teachers at Cate, particularly issues related to the tension between the depth and breadth that a given Spanish course can achieve. For the first time in quite a while, I experienced art courses from the other side of the instructor’s desk, deepening my appreciation for varied teaching styles and a new medium. In fact, I enrolled in my very first painting class, and while I produced nothing worthy of hanging on a wall, I acquired some basic skills to 12
CAT E BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 15
Linda Sommers and John Swain at the Medina Azahara on the outskirts of Córdoba, Spain.
ON T H E M E SA
HEADMASTER’S NOTEBOOK FACE TO FACE October 2, 2015
Apparently human beings are becoming less empathetic. Perhaps that’s not a surprise, given the current tumult in the world, but it’s still a little disheartening. A study done at the University of Michigan that amalgamated the data from 72 different control groups over a 30-year period showed a 40% decline in empathy among college students. The drop has been particularly conspicuous over the last dozen or so years. The dynamics are no different among younger
students. A psychologist observing elementary and middle school students on a playground noted that current 12-year-olds tend to exclude peers in a manner reminiscent of much younger students, the idea being that they should have learned by age 12 how to treat one another with respect and compassion. So why haven’t they? Or we? One recent article in the New York Times suggests that technology is at least partially to blame. It seems that in the distracted digital age we can no longer tune in to our friends. Instead, people are structuring social engagements around the multi-tasking myth and maintaining digital discourse simultaneously with face-to-face interaction. Many of those consulted for the article admitted that they can and do text without breaking eye contact with the individuals they’re presumably talking and/or listening to. There is also, apparently, something called the “rule of three” which gives us permission – if we’re sitting at a table or engaged in a group discussion – to go to our phones if at least three people in the group are actually paying attention to whoever is speaking. Sheesh. I suppose every advance we make as a culture –
also lesser-known, yet often equally
I tried to thank the people who had been
impressive, works by artists who may or
so kind to my family so long ago.
may not have become famous. Ben and I also took a short trip into
and even as individuals – requires some re-centering of priorities and protocols. It seems clear that we need to prioritize one another, at least to the point that we’re willing to ignore the phone to get to know the person in front of us. Studies indicate, thankfully, that we’re capable of such a choice, and that we fall into healthier patterns when we find ourselves without a phone. In short, we pay attention (or more attention) to the folks we’re with. Again, no surprise…but an important reminder. For those of us in schools, too, the loss of empathy is something of a call to arms. Education – like most things that are important – requires full commitment. One cannot truly learn with one foot in and one foot out of the conversation. We can’t get to know one another by such practices either. And if we don’t somehow compel or enable depth of connectivity, what service are we offering the world -- or our students? Knowing things is important. There’s no question about that. But knowing one another and ourselves, that’s fundamental -- in schools and everywhere else.
In and of itself, the extended time away from the Mesa proved fruitful and
France, where we visited the same small
regenerative for both Linda and me. The
town I lived in almost four decades ago
simple act of thinking about what we
while my parents took sabbaticals from
most wanted our students at Cate to
Midland School. There we knocked on
learn from their courses was extremely
the door of the house I had stayed in,
valuable; likewise, living with few daily
only to discover that the same woman
commitments and almost no looming
who owned the house then is still living
deadlines was an incredible gift. As a
in it now. She welcomed us with open
result, both of us feel better prepared
arms, as did the French neighbor who had
than ever to offer Cate students authentic
befriended my family nearly forty years
and engaging learning opportunities – like
earlier. That reunion, in particular, was
the ones we just had.
a highlight of the year, even though the neighbor spoke nothing but French and I spoke nothing but English. Pictures and hand gestures served as the basis for scattered, hit-or-miss communication as
The Swains/Sommers also visited Torre de Aliminar, part of the iconic Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba. W W W . C A TE . O R G
13
ON T H E M E SA
SABBATICAL RE-IMAGINED BY JIM MASKER handle alone, I hit the pause button and headed home. Though disappointed that a long-held dream was cut short, I had gained a much greater appreciation of the tremendous effort that Lewis and Clark made in that first decade of the 1800s. The bulk of my sabbatical focused on the educational reform movement called Global Competence. This movement is targeted at students and teachers who are committed to lifelong learning that investigates the world, recognizes multiple perspectives, and takes action to improve conditions wherever possible. To begin this second phase of the year, I attended the Think Tank on Global Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. There, I met the Global competence starts with the basics, and some oversight by Jim Masker.
The first phase of my sabbatical retraced William Clark’s 1806 descent of
that big trouble was seconds away. While
the Yellowstone River during the Corps
the guys in the kayak managed to stop,
of Discovery’s return to St. Louis, from
Bruce and I in our fully loaded canoe
where the Lewis and Clark expedition
went upside down under a log snag that
began its 1804 exploration of the
undercut the bank. It took the four
Louisiana Purchase. Our group included
of us two hours to get Bruce, me, and
six people in two canoes and a kayak,
our canoe onto dry land, and then to
along with the equipment needed for
get all of us back into our boats a little
what was to be a 480-mile journey. With
farther downriver. Much of the kitchen
friends waving goodbye on a gorgeous
equipment, and some of our personal
Montana afternoon, we pushed off from
gear, was gone.
Livingston, where the Yellowstone exits
Things got even dicier that afternoon
Paradise Valley and flows towards its
when a cold, hard rain came upon us
confluence with the Missouri River. We
from the west. Without dry clothes (my
enjoyed challenging rapids, spectacular
thirty-year-old “dry bags” proved to be a
scenery, and great camaraderie. We
misnomer), two of us began to experience
read from the Lewis and Clark journals
hypothermia. When we finally came
to learn what Clark and his team had
upon a campsite, we decided the prudent
experienced on each day’s stretch of their
course of action was to take Dan and his
journey.
wife up on their offer to spend a couple of
When we awoke the morning of Day 7, we knew that hazardous rapids lay ahead. For much of the day we did well
14
I misread the river and knew instantly
school initiative, the International Studies School Network (ISSN), and learned about a program for K-12 educators titled Global Competence Certificate. Asia Society then invited me to join a team of ISSN principals to evaluate progress being made by the International Studies Learning Center (ISLC) to implement a Global Competence program. During the remainder of my sabbatical I was able to practice what I had learned. First, I was invited to co-lead a delegation of university and government officials from Montana who
days at their home in Billings, where we could get warm and clean up. With critical equipment lost, buddies
skirting or portaging around them. But
needing to depart, and the Yellowstone
that afternoon my canoeing partner and
having proven too demanding for me to
CAT E BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 15
director of Asia Society’s US-based public
Fully loaded: Jim Masker and his group start their journey on the Yellowstone River.
ON T H E M E SA
FIRST MONDAY CONVOCATION sought introductions to their counterparts in China, with the goal of developing collaborative projects. This led to a separate request by a Chinese government representative to help him locate a US-based university to conduct training programs for Chinese professors and university administrators who are part of China’s effort to internationalize its system of higher education. Opportunities also emerged to enhance my global competence in the context of K-12 education. Round Square, an international association of nearly 150 schools (of which Cate is a member), invited me to participate in a beta test to improve its soon-to-be-released online platform, designed to facilitate greater collaboration between member schools. After that, a Beijing educator asked if I could help her network with a U.S. school
Sarah Gerhardt talks about surfing and science in Cate’s first convocation of the 2015-16 school year.
that would be interested in hosting an
The first convocation of the year
did not celebrate her accomplishments.
intercultural-homestay experience for
opened Monday, November 2 with a
The key, she said, is to realize that each
a group of nine Chinese students; in
splash. Sarah Gerhardt, the world’s most
of us is important right here, right now.
August, these students were able to spend
famous female big-wave surfer, was at
Stressing the importance of awareness,
two weeks in western Montana.
Cate to talk about her experiences and
Gerhardt said, “I surf to be in the
how learning to surf has informed the rest
moment, particularly in big surf—to zen,
of her life.
to bring in, to focus.” Making a reference
Finally, the International School of Asia-Karuizawa (ISAK) in Japan asked me to join a team of international
The audience watched in amazement
to this year’s inquiry question about power,
educators in a two-week program for
at the mammoth waves shown in a
Gerhardt noted that choices made with
middle school students based around
clip from “One Winter’s Story,” a
awareness are the source of personal power.
the theme of Multiple Perspectives. We
documentary on Gerhardt surfing big
enrolled eighty kids from thirty countries,
waves. She was the first woman to
to live in the moment, and it also
a mini-United Nations hungry to share,
“charge” Mavericks, a massive wave that
made her tough, a quality that stood
learn, and enhance its global competence.
breaks off the coast of Half Moon Bay, in
her in good stead as she forged ahead
Central California. Mavericks is situated
in a male-dominated field, eventually
in some of the world’s harshest surfing
earning a Ph.D. in chemistry. But the
conditions, and surfers come from all over
surfing lessons can be applied to anyone,
the world to test their big-wave skills.
anywhere, she said.
With a grin, Gerhardt mentioned that she
Learning to surf taught Gerhardt
When asked what advice she would
is in training right now to be ready for
give to a beginner, Gerhardt replied,
Mavericks’ season this winter.
“Don’t quit. I almost quit, and I am so
Gerhardt focused her talk to the
glad I didn’t.”
high-school audience, mentioning her regret that in her own high school years, she looked ahead so relentlessly that she W W W . C A TE . O R G
15
ON T H E M E SA
FALL SPORTS ROUNDUP
Cate sacks Thacher’s quarterback during the Homecoming game between the two long-time rivals.
Cate’s fall athletic season began under
the year all the way back in September. The
Both boys and girls cross country teams
August’s scorching sun, as the Ram student-
Rams growth was clear, as they knocked off
had successful regular seasons, as both
athletes cut their summer break short in
the Braves the second time around, proving
sides qualified for the CIF-SS Preliminary
order to prepare for their upcoming seasons.
that the program is trending upward. The
in Riverside. Charlotte Monke ’16, Isabela
As the calendar turned from summer to
playoff win was the first for the Rams in over
Montes de Oca ’18, and Jessica Liou ’16
autumn, it’s fair to the say the preparation
a decade.
helped the team place 7th at the Tri-Valley
paid off; the temperatures may have
League finals. Their leadership has pushed
dropped but Cate’s fall sports teams were
the entire Ram team into the Division 5
white hot all season long.
Finals at Mt. SAC. On the boys side, Kyril van Schendel ’18 has been dominating
All five of Cate’s fall varsity sports qualified for CIF- Southern Section
his opponents and has left his mark on
postseason play, and for the first time in
Cate’s record book. Earlier this season, van
recent memory, all five advanced past the
Schendel won his race at the historic Mt.
preliminary round. The Rams also had
SAC Invite and more recently placed second
a number of players receive All-League
at the CIF-SS Preliminaries, earning a spot
honors, with All-CIF honors likely to follow.
in the Section Finals and a possible trip to the State Finals in Fresno. The boys team
The Cate boys varsity water polo team used a late season rally to secure a postseason
finished in 4th place at the league finals,
birth, including a big home victory over
paced by van Schendel, Jack Pruitt ’16, Rei
cross-town rival #10 ranked Carpinteria.
Imada ’16 and Henry Walsh ’17. The majority of Cate’s sports teams
The team finished tied for second place in the very competitive Tri-Valley League,
compete in Divisions 4-6 for post-season
with two teams ranked in the top ten in
play. One of the exceptions is girls varsity
the division. Led by Alex Brown ’16, Sam
tennis, who for the last two season has
Furmanski ‘16, and Duffy Montgomery ’16,
competed in Division 2; this playoff pool
the Rams fought and scrapped their way into
is mostly comprised of schools much larger
a CIF Wild Card match against Lompoc;
than Cate. After winning the team’s first ever Tri-Valley League title, the Rams
Cate would face the same Lompoc team that defeated them in the first contest of 16
Alex Brown ’16 prepares to shoot during a varsity water polo game.
CAT E BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 15
Hannah Bowlin ‘16 hits a serve during a home game against the Santa Paula Cardinals.
proved that they belonged as they advanced
ON T H E M E SA
to the quarterfinal round after beating
runs. Cate’s girls varsity volleyball team
Trabuco Hills and Oak Park. While the
won the CIF-SS Division 4-A last season
team saw their run end against defending
and appear to be on their way to a repeat.
champion Murrieta Valley, a few Rams will
After beating Duarte – the same team they
compete in the CIF Individuals Tournament.
beat in last year’s final – the Rams move into
Julia Gan ’16 and Jackie Cai ’18 will
the semifinals for the third straight year.
participate as singles entrants; McKenna
They will take on Summit High School
Madden ’16 and Summer Christensen ’17
in Fontana, whom they defeated on their
will team up in the doubles draw.
march to a championship a year ago. Peyton
As of press time two teams were still
Shelburne ’16, Delaney Mayfield ’17, and
active in their chase for a CIF championship.
Hannah Bowlin ’16 have been stellar all year
One is the varsity football squad, who
for Cate.
advanced into the 8-Man Football Division 1
We are so proud of all the success
Semifinals for the second time in the school’s
our student athletes had this season. It
short gridiron history. The Rams have been
is a testament to their hard work and
led by a host of seniors, including Dean
championship spirit on the fields and courts,
Smith ’16, Mike Nettesheim ’16, Isaiah
in the pool and in the classroom. We can
Washington ’16, and Keller Mochel ’16.
only hope that this is the tip of the iceberg
Currently undefeated and ranked as the #1
for us and that the winter and spring athletic
8-man football team in the state according
teams will continue the successes of the fall.
to the Calpreps and Maxpreps, the Rams
For now, we’re celebrating our fall athletes
captured their third Condor League title in
and supporting the continued success of
four years, and their fifth overall.
those still competing.
The other squad still chasing a
Kyril van Schendel ‘18 pushes for the finish line.
GO RAMS!
championship is no stranger to deep playoff
The girls’ cross country team does warm-up laps before a meet at the Carpinteria Bluffs.
Julia Gan ‘16 serves it up during the Cate vs. Rio Mesa varsity tennis match. W W W . C A TE . O R G
17
New faculty arrivals are big in numbers and accomplishments. Here, many of them gathered for an informal photo.
On a Friday morning in late October, newly minted Cate English teacher Stephanie Yeung found herself sitting face-to-face with a set of parents, then another set, and then several more by day’s end. It was her first Family Weekend at Cate, and with it came an introduction to the art of conducting parent-teacher conferences, which don’t occur at the college level, where her teaching experience lies. “I have to say I was a bit nervous – but I came away from the weekend realizing what an engaging and interactive experience it can be,” she related after the campus had quieted down. “Most of the parents added insight about how their kids learn, so there were a lot of important revelations for me.” One of Yeung’s new colleagues is
at the end of the day and shut my door,
Tamar Adegbile, who started her tenure in
whereas here – well, you might have dorm
July as Cate’s director of college counseling.
duty until 11 o’clock!” She says she’s still
After several years at Harvard-Westlake
marveling at the example set by other
School in Los Angeles, and at Riverdale
faculty members, and working to get
Country Day School in New York City
the hang of it. “You see members of the
before that, Adegbile has talked to her
community who seem just tireless, going
share of parents. What’s unfolding for her
from class to sports and into the evening and
as a new member of the Cate faculty is the
never missing a beat. It’s still an adjustment
rhythm of boarding school life, where she
for me to have my home and work life
now finds herself, along with her husband
intertwined.”
Isaac and their two young boys, Noah and
She’s proud, though, about finally
Aaron.
mastering the geography of Cate. “The first
“Seeing students outside the academic
few days I just had to figure out which lawn
day is definitely different and takes some getting used to. In my old job I’d go home
18
CAT E BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 15
to go to – was it Pizza, Commencement, College counseling director Tamar Adegbile and her family are settling into a new life on the Mesa.
or Senior Lawn? It seemed like a whole
lot of names were being thrown around. I felt really good when I could finally give directions to someone else,” she jokes. Another Cate newbie, Craig Bouma, understands. As a veteran teacher (he just finished a nineteen-year stint at Loyola High School in Los Angeles) and newly appointed chair of the Science Department, he was baffled whenever he heard about events that were being held in “the jail” – which turned out to be the J.L, or Johnson Library. Finding its way this fall, and with family members in tow in many cases—is a bumper crop of new teachers. With the June retirement of long-time pillars of the Cate community like Ross Robins, Peter and Mary Arango, and Bob Bonning, the
Craig Bouma, the new science department chair, brings nearly two decades of teaching experience with him to Cate.
administration needed to spend the better part of a year interviewing, selecting, and
climate. “I love it here already, but not as
bringing on board a host of new teachers
really everyone on campus. It’s a huge bonus
much as I will in December and January,”
who could contribute profoundly to the
for the whole community.”
she notes cheerfully. (See the following
academic and extra-curricular realms.
pages for the details and bona fides of all the
Along the way, everyone seemed aware that
silently and vocally noting the differences
new faculty members.)
between Cate and their former employers,
there were some enormous shoes to fill,
This summer, the task of welcoming
While the new additions are both
Adegbile picked up on one striking change
acknowledges Headmaster Ben Williams.
and preparing this especially large new
Consequently, “We worked really hard to
right away. “Coming from a major city, I was
group fell to Cate’s administration. Extra
make sure that this would be a group of
completely accustomed to people being on
days were added to the orientation schedule,
teachers that everyone will remember,” he
their phones all the time. It’s so different
and mentors worked hard to smooth out
notes, “because everyone sure remembers
here, and much more about personal
everyone’s transition to Cate – and to the
the ones who just left.”
connections and interactions. I like the
town of Carpinteria. And the process has
message in that; it says, ‘Be present fully and
Stevenson School in Pebble Beach) heard
continued into the fall. In the days before
California calling her back, and is now
be fully engaged.’ I’m loving the fact that I,
Family Weekend, members of the Steering
finding Cate a wonderful place for her and
too, am becoming better in that regard.”
Committee met with the new teachers to
her family. Also loving her new location is
fill them in on what was to come—and on
long-time French teacher, world traveler,
member of the Cate faculty is a bit like
just what to expect from the families of
and diversity advocate Zohara Zamor, who
being a freshman, and sometimes feels
their students and advisees.
like drinking from a fire hose. “I have two
Among the other initiates: art teacher Joy Doyle, formerly an elementary school teacher from Chicago and also a graphic designer; Humanities and English teacher Alicia Hammond, who has spent a good part of her life either attending or teaching in boarding schools. Her most recent post was the Dublin School in New Hampshire, but Hammond (a graduate of Robert Louis
came from the Nichols School in Buffalo
“We’re fortunate to have an amazing
All in all, relates Yeung, being a new
advisees who are freshmen, and there are
to join the Foreign Languages Department.
group this year,” says Assistant Headmaster
Neither the intense start-of-year orientation
some days when I feel just like them. But
Jay Dorion. “Our new faculty members
nor the many subsequent festivities have
overall it’s been a great experience and I feel
represent a host of different backgrounds
worn her down – nor have the jokes about
so supported by the group I came in with.
and experiences. This is an infusion of talent
her former home and its radically different
There’s strength in numbers.”
we all benefit from—teachers, students,
-SK W W W . C A TE . O R G
19
F R E S H M A N FAC U LT Y
NEW FACULTY IN 2015-16 Tamar Adegbile Director of College Counseling After she graduated from Vassar College with a degree in film studies, most people assumed that Tamar would move back to her hometown of New York City to pursue a career in entertainment or film. However, a chance visit to her alma mater, Vassar College, changed the course of her life. She accepted a position in the Admission Office five months after graduation, and thus discovered a passion for working with young people as they navigate their path toward higher education. After Vassar, Tamar worked in undergraduate admissions at Columbia University. Following five years in highly selective college admission offices, she transitioned to “the other side of the desk” to become the Senior Associate Director of College Counseling at the Riverdale Country School in New York. Tamar comes to Cate from Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, where she spent twelve years as a dean and college counselor. In her spare time, Tamar enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending time with her husband and two young sons. Craig Bouma Science Department Chair A Southern California native, Craig Bouma comes to Cate after almost twenty years of teaching science at Loyola High School of Los Angeles, where he taught biology, physics, and environmental science, as well as serving as department chair and football coach. Craig earned his EdD in Educational Leadership and taught science teaching methods courses at Loyola Marymount University. He received an MS in Environmental Science and Engineering at OHSU. Craig graduated from UC Irvine in 1994 with a BS in Biology; he spent a summer researching tropical forest restoration in Costa Rica. Cate unites many of Craig’s passions: the beach, the mountains, and being a part of a vibrant learning community. When time allows, Craig loves to embark on new adventures with his wife, Christine, and their two sons. Joy Doyle Art teacher Joy comes to the Mesa from Chicago, Illinois where she taught at a progressive school for three years. She taught art to middle and high school students before teaching in a fifth-grade classroom, where she integrated art into many areas of study. Prior to teaching, Joy spent two years developing her skills as a designer at a graphic design company in Cleveland, Ohio. She interned with various artists in New York before graduating from Kenyon College. Originally from Delaware, she has developed a love for exploring and creating. Joy lives in Schoolhouse and enjoys cooking and painting whenever she can. 20
CAT E BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 15
English teacher and assistant cross country coach Alicia Hammond joins in on routine stretches with fellow coach Tim Smith and students just prior to practice.
Hallie Preston Greene Director of Special Projects After three years in the advancement office at Cate, Hallie left to pursue graduate degrees in business and education policy. While studying at UCLA, she worked as a teaching associate with the Johnson & Johnson/UCLA Management Fellows program, which teaches strategic planning to Head Start directors, health care executives, and aids service organization directors. She also interned with The Walt Disney Company, where she was a member of the New Media & Technology strategic sourcing team. Hallie was a founding board member of Valiente College Preparatory, a grade 4-8 charter school in Los Angeles. Before her first stint at Cate, she worked as an associate for an education recruitment and placement firm. Hallie received a BS in Environmental Science from Bates College, where she was also captain of the nationally ranked Bates rowing team. Happy to be back working at Cate, Hallie lives with her husband and son in Carpinteria. Alicia Hammond English teacher A fourth-generation Californian, Alicia points out that her educational foundation and passion for teaching were cultivated during the years she spent attending, then teaching at, Stevenson School. Growing up on the Monterey Peninsula, she developed a love of the outdoors, a tie to the Pacific, and a fervor for backpacking in the Los Padres National Forest. Alicia has spent her entire adult life living in dorms, including over a decade on campuses in northern New England. At Colby, Dartmouth, and most recently as Assistant Dean of Students and English Department Chair at Dublin School, she learned to love the rigors and traditions of New England educational communities. Yet she felt her roots in California tugging her gently
F R E S H M A N FAC U LT Y
yet firmly back to the West Coast. Alicia now lives (in a dorm, of course) on the Mesa with her husband and son. In her time outside of the classroom, she enjoys running, reading, hiking, camping, and traveling with her family. Erin Hansen Director of Learning Services Erin is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara with a degree in Communication and Comparative Literature. After completing her degree she attended Westmont College and earned her secondary teaching credential in English. For the past eight years Erin worked in public education as a Freshman Seminar, English, and AVID teacher. She has served in a variety of leadership roles, but most recently as the English Department Chair at Carpinteria High School. Erin was an adjunct faculty at Santa Barbara City College, where she implemented the first dual-enrollment freshman transition course. Erin teaches Freshman Seminar, supports students with learning and organizational skills, and coordinates academic tutoring. Erin lives on the Mesa with her husband, Erik, and their two boys. Wendy McFarland Interim Director, Human Development Wendy completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Social Work at California State University, Long Beach, and has been credentialed as a licensed clinical social worker. She started her career as a psychiatric social worker at Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles, and has worked extensively in the clinical, hospital, and private practice settings, supporting teen and adolescent mental health. Prior to joining the Cate faculty, she provided consultation and interim coverage for the School’s counseling center as well as clinical supervision for counselors. She enjoys surfing, running, all dog-related activities, and spending time with her husband and daughter.
Stephanie Yeung English teacher Stephanie Yeung received her Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Notre Dame, and recently earned her Ph.D. in critical media studies from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. Before her graduate work, Stephanie served in the United States Air Force as an F-15E “Strike Eagle” navigator. Stephanie’s teaching emphasizes the study of literature alongside other forms of media. She has taught at Woodbury University and served as a teaching assistant for film, television, and new media courses at USC. Her other interests include cooking, traveling, and seeing live music. Stephanie lives on the Mesa with her wife and son. Zohara Zamor French teacher Zohara comes to Cate via Brooklyn and Buffalo, New York; she has been teaching French for over thirteen years. She is a graduate of New York University, where she majored in French literature. She lived in Paris for two years studying film and theater at the NYU Center and medieval French literature at La Sorbonne. She earned a National Endowment for the Humanities grant to study theater in Avignon, France, after obtaining her Master’s in Teaching a Second Language from Bennington College. Zohara is of Haitian descent and has travelled extensively. She uses her language abilities to get to know people and their way of life. Exposing students to various cultures through theater, film, literature, and music engages curiosity, she believes, enabling individuals to make lasting connections with what they are learning. She loves to work with students on cross-cultural understanding and by helping to forge friendships through student exchanges.
Ricky Pai Chinese teacher Originally from Taiwan, Ricky Pai has lived in several different states and has taught Mandarin Chinese since coming to the US in 1997. She graduated from Tunghai University in Taiwan as an English major and holds multiple certifications in teaching Chinese as a Second Language. Now enrolled in the Multiple Subject Teacher Credential program at California Polytechnic State University, Ricky resides in San Luis Obispo with her husband and two children.
Zohara Zamor hosts a pizza party for her new advisees in her backyard on the Mesa.
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21
Some of the novelty in the 2015-16 school year comes from changes in leadership, including three new homegrown department chairs. Katheryn Park has taken the helm of the English Department, Ivan Barry is heading up the new Humanities Department, and Annalee Salcedo, who came to Cate as a mathematics teacher in 2009, is now chairing the Math Department – the first woman in that role. Prior to Cate she taught at both public and private schools in Boston for fifteen years. A graduate of Yale, where she majored in chemistry, she earned a Masters of Teaching at Simmons College. At Cate she’s headed up ’25 House, works in the outdoor program, and serves on both the Curriculum Committee and as a faculty representative to the board of trustees. Recently, she shared some of early impressions of her newest role with the Bulletin.
Q: Though you may be the first female department chair, your department is well represented by women. Do you think that’s a message girls learning math need to see and hear? A: I think the message that everyone
should hear is that everyone can do math. Any student who works hard, seeks challenges, persists, and welcomes mistakes as opportunities to learn can go as far in math as they want. Of course this message is clearer to both boys and girls if their mathematics teachers are both men and women. Achievement isn’t about gender or genetics. It’s about having a growth mindset. That said, if my being in this role helps even one girl consider a math or science career, 22
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in which they are traditionally underrepresented, I’ll feel gratified. Q: How steep is your learning curve in terms of leading a department?
A: My learning curve is smooth and steep in large part because former chair Frank Griffin is an amazing mentor. He has been fostering a culture of collaboration and professional development in the math department and at Cate long before I even arrived on the Mesa. Working with him these last couple of years in preparation for this transition has made it pretty seamless. That’s not to say I feel prepared for everything or surprised by nothing. But I feel I have the support and confidence of an incredible department, and one that truly values teamwork. This is why I think my learning curve is increasing towards a slant asymptote, and not a horizontal one. Sorry! I couldn’t resist nerding out on that one! Q: What about technology curriculum advances that make it easier and maybe even more fun to teach math today? A: Graphing utilities such as Desmos or Geogebra make teaching math so much more dynamic and visual. Students can see relationships between different representations of mathematical concepts immediately, and thus make real-time connections between formulas, graphs, tables and verbal descriptions that reinforce their learning and deepen their curiosity. This technology allows us to spend less time computing and plotting and gives us more time to wrestle with challenging problems. That’s definitely more engaging and fun.
Curriculum developments in and beyond Cate are emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration. As a department we have agreed that statistics and data analysis, which are so important in the physical, life, and social sciences, need to be integrated into all of our math courses. We want all our students, and not just the ones who take Advanced Statistics, to graduate with core skills and knowledge necessary to be the effective citizens in a world where data and how it is interpreted drive decisions on the personal, community, national, and global levels. In order to deliver a mathematics program that does this better than we already do, we need to focus our professional development on how to integrate statistics in our courses, and then work across the departments with our colleagues in science and history. This is work that will be really hard before it makes teaching math easier. But we know our department and our students will grow as a result.
Q: We know you’re about lots more than math though – can you fill us in on your not-so-secret hobby? A: When I arrived at Cate, I was pregnant with my younger daughter and did a lot of knitting when I was on duty in the dorm. Kids got curious and wanted to learn too so I started hosting “N is for knitting N-Friday nights” in ‘25 where we’d have cookies, warm cider, fireside – super cozy. Though I’m not on Friday night duty as much now, I hope to keep gathering these little knitting circles. Though, honestly, I’m more into cross-stitch now.
A Community of Learners by Ivan Barry
9:20am on a Tuesday morning. In the Humanities classroom, a discussion bounced around energetically: From a table on the left, someone delivered, “Oedipus is the
came together in discourse over the materials to be covered in the upcoming unit on classical Athens. In order to create and then teach the course, the Humanities
classical tragic hero. He uses his intellect, rather than brute force, to
faculty regularly met to discuss and review the multi-faceted set of
solve the riddle of the Sphinx and thereby save the city of Thebes
materials and artifacts that make up the course. A vigorous debate
from the plague pronounced upon it. Ultimately, however, he falls to
on the appropriate pedagogy to teach freshman writing skills one
the fate that awaits him and must then accept his punishment of exile
week, a lively discussion on how Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales can
from Thebes.”
inform student understanding of the Middle Ages the next week, an
“So can we, in turn, draw parallels to this idea of the tragic hero
impassioned conversation on Brunelleschi’s character and his genius
and his downfall with Socrates?” came a question from across the
in creating the Duomo the week after. Routinely, Humanities teachers
room.
found themselves collaborating across the disciplinary boundaries
“In many ways we can,” a third person responded. “Socrates was
that traditionally separate departments in order to grow and learn
literally a hero for his actions in the Peloponnesian wars, including
from one another. In so doing, the conventional approach to exploring
saving a popular Athenian general from death, and more figuratively
the human experience came crashing down and in its place arose a
for his role as teacher and philosopher. In a tragic twist of fate, as
genuine, interdisciplinary course that is as rich and rewarding for the
we saw in the reading we did from Plato, Socrates is accused of
teachers as it is for the students.
corrupting the city’s youth and condemned to die. He famously
And herein we arrive at the heart of what makes Cate Cate. We are
accepts this punishment and drinks the poison hemlock so as to
a community of learners. We are a community of individuals bound
uphold the laws of Athens.”
together by a common passion to explore and understand the richness
“Yes, exactly,” a fourth voice interjected. “Thanks for the addition
of the human experience and the physical and social world in which it
about Socrates’ role in the Peloponnesian war; that’s great to know.
transpires. Most powerfully, the faculty feels this passion as intensely
And I imagine we can similarly wrestle with this idea of the hero in
as the students do. As the faculty learns and grows, so too do our
Antigone. But now, let me throw this out there – is there also a tie-in
students.
to the readings we did on Edward Snowden. Is he a hero? Or a traitor? And if a hero, is he a tragic hero?”
Ultimately, our community is one powered by curiosity and enriched by a culture of inquiry. Our ultimate objective is to
The conversation continued apace from there...
empower our faculty and students to be life-long learners who possess
Yet, for all the classroom discussions at Cate, one notable exception
the mindset to be passionate about their own learning and the skills
was evident - there wasn’t a single student present. Rather, this
to know how to pursue that learning in a manner that is collaborative,
was a typical weekly meeting of the Humanities teachers as they
disciplined, and impactful. Ivan Barry is chair of the newly-created Humanities Department.
W W W . C A TE . O R G
23
THROUGH THE LENS As we prepared this issue of the Bulletin, the concept of a learning curve was very much on our minds. Soon we began to notice curved surfaces everywhere. So Multimedia Coordinator Ashleigh Mower and student photographer Yvette Vega ’16 set off to capture as many of them as possible. “It was really curious,” observed Mower. “Yvette and I both photographed the same places and rooms at the same time, yet we each found curves the other didn’t see. It was our own little learning curve.” Even more curved images can be viewed at http://tiny.cc/o60p6x
Megan Kendall Ryskamp '98 remembers feeling unnerved. During her first Spanish class of her freshman year at Cate, she listened to her teacher – speaking only in Spanish – and watched the students around her nodding in understanding, and responding. “I went to the teacher after class, on the verge of tears. ‘I didn’t understand a word,’” she confessed to Julianne Schlesinger, who assured Ryskamp that she would catch on soon enough.
O
ver the next
professional life ever since. At Stanford,
there, which was “essentially catapulting
several years,
where she majored in International
it to become one of the world’s top thirty
Ryskamp did
Relations, she did her senior honors
exporters of high tech products.”
more than
thesis on then-burgeoning international
catch on. She
development in Costa Rica. While
where she was involved in expanding an
willed herself to
outsourcing may be common now,
online technology education program in
learn Spanish,
she explains, she was studying Intel’s
emerging markets, and then to Adobe
investment in building a silicon chip plant
Systems, where she helped strengthen
positively immersing herself in the language. “The summer after freshman
global channel partnerships. Her MBA
year, my mom and I went to live in a little
from Berkeley’s Haas School Business was
town in Mexico, where I studied Spanish
rooted in an interest in corporate social
intensively. We stayed with a family while
responsibility, so she knew there would
we lived and breathed the language.”
be another destination.
Over the next several summers,
For the past two years Ryskamp
Ryskamp planted herself in different
has been working for Google to develop
Spanish-speaking countries from Spain
partnerships for “all things social impact.”
to Ecuador, increasing her fluency each
As part of the company’s giving and
year. As a result, Spanish classes at Cate
civic engagement teams, she helps to
became a beloved destination, and when
build the partnerships that enable digital
it came time for the Foreign Languages
tools so that citizens can get information
Department to award the Spanish Prize
on everything from natural disasters
at the end of her senior year, Ryskamp
to election candidates, essentially
proudly made her to way to the stage to
harnessing the power and organization
accept it.
of the Internet for the public good.
The hard-earned language skills have been at the core of her educational and 26
Her thesis work led her to Cisco,
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Last year, her team helped provide 800 million voters in India access to neutral
information on candidate records on a
June’s election, she worked with the
digital platform prior to that country’s
government of Mexico and several other
2014 election. Ryskamp has also worked
partners to introduce tools for citizens to
on launching and scaling Google’s tools
understand the candidates and election
for non-profits, on fundraising, and on
results. “It was exhilarating to be working
disaster relief efforts. Not surprisingly,
with partners and launching products
she is grateful to have found such rewards
for Mexican citizens, right in the place
in her career. “I feel privileged to work
where my love of the Spanish language
with organizations that are doing so
had begun,” she shares. “I’m so thankful
much good in the world. And I love being
that I had the chance to grow this passion
able to connect them with the reach and
at Cate, and beyond, and I look forward
technology of Google to launch solutions
to having even more of an impact in the
that fill critical information gaps on a
future.”
global scale.” Recently, the arc of her educational and professional life has become a Megan Ryskamp ’98 has returned to Mexico frequently for work. Here, she participates in the the Open Government Partnership Conference held this fall in Mexico City.
circle, leading her back to her love of Spanish and, in particular, of Mexico. Over the last year, leading up to this
Google’s famous doodle got a makeover during the Mexican election.
While many of Ryskamp’s recent trips to Mexico have centered on her work for Google, she still enjoys sightseeing in the country she first got to know as a Cate student. Here, she photographs the Temple de San Juan Bautista, a Baroque church and former convent founded early in Cortes’ 16th-century conquest of Aztec Mexico. W W W . C A TE . O R G
27
DISPATCHES Cate alumni are students of life, and often teachers too. Here, we catch up with two who continue to make their mark.
JOHN LUCE ’59
ARIEL MORRIS ‘97 wife Judy, who by example prodded him toward the more scientific route. “I transferred my many interests in medicine to teaching it,” which he points out has been yet another means of being a lifelong learner. “In order to teach, you must synthesize vast areas of research to present to your students. In that way, you’re always learning.” Luce says that the most challenging segment of his career was in the middle of it: caring for AIDS and HIV patients as the terrifying epidemic began to emerge in 1980s San Francisco. He tries to
“Tell everyone to go back to school,
In Ariel Morris’s first year as a middle-
or at least to keep learning,” exhorts
was like. We knew nothing. My colleagues
school English teacher in Los Angeles’ Watts
John Luce ’59. “There’s nothing more
and I had to learn to take care of these
neighborhood, she met a student who wasn’t
fun.” Luce considers himself a lifelong
patients who had a brand new disease.”
going to let anything stand in the way of
learner, and to prove it, he went back
What is far from brand new to Luce
her education. At home, Nancy’s mom was
to school at age 70, earning his Master’s
is the formal classroom experience, which
raising her daughter alone while learning
degree in Studies in Law for Health and
he favors most. “There’s something that
to speak English; her neighborhood was
Science Professionals from UC Hastings
happens there. Face it – it’s competitive,
struggling. At school, her math class had a
Law School. That came atop his medical
but it also facilitates a connection
stream of substitute teachers who stalled the
degree from UCSF, and a Bachelor’s
between students and teachers you just
class’s progress.
degree from Stanford. “Some people say
can’t get in any other way.” According
Instead of giving up, the seventh-grader
I collect degrees,” offers Luce “ but that’s
to the Mesan editors way back in 1959,
started spending all her free time in Morris’s
not really it. I’ve just never lost interest in
his comfort level in class surfaced early.
classroom. She worked on her homework,
lots of different fields.”
“Upon his arrival,” they wrote, “John
she asked to borrow books. And she and
let it be known that he was a force to
a group of friends started going through
career. Luce’s early work was as a
be reckoned with academically.” The
their math book on their own, working
journalist in mid-sixties San Francisco, a
reckoning continues.
through the chapters and problem sets
Medicine was not really his intended
locus that rewarded him with “hippies, rock ’n’ roll, psychedelic drugs, and New Age spirituality, leading to plenty of good stories to cover.” While writing a piece for Look magazine on the Haight-Ashbury Free Medical Clinic, Luce seemed to stumble upon a specialty and decided to go to medical school with a plan of becoming a medical journalist. While there, Luce met his future 28
explain: “You need to understand what it
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—SK
together. Morris, participating in the Teach For America program, started wondering what made this girl look at all the obstacles standing in her path—and decide to overcome them, one by one. “Nancy really just showed me what it meant to want to be successful by any means necessary,” Morris says. Now, Morris focuses on students like Nancy through her work as Director of Curriculum and Instruction with
DISPATCHES
In Breakthrough Silicon Valley classes, middle schoolers get a learning boost in an after school program.
Breakthrough Silicon Valley, a free sixyear program for high-achieving kids with limited opportunities. The program— part of a nationwide effort known as the Breakthrough Collaborative--provides afterschool math and study skills workshops for middle schoolers, help with everything from essays to college applications for high schoolers, and an academically intense summer program, taught by talented high school and college kids. The aim is to help these kids clear hurdles, such as being the first college-bound student in the family, or having parents who don’t possess the resources to help with coursework or college applications. Morris’ own background was different. Growing up in a book-filled home in Stockton, she was lucky enough to have two college-educated parents who found time to help her with her homework. “Because of my family, I was 20 steps ahead,” she says now. She didn’t feel challenged in her public school, but she loved learning—and when she heard about Cate, she knew it was a place where she could meet other students who felt the way she did about education. But when she got to Cate, she
floundered. “I was just not prepared,” she says. She remembers being assigned an essay, and when the kids around her started talking about topic sentences, it was as if they were speaking another language. “To struggle in an English class”—her favorite subject—“I thought that was my thing!” she says with a laugh. Soon enough, with the help of teachers and fellow students, she started to catch up; later that year, she won a speech contest held in her grade’s English classes. After going to UC Berkeley, she taught for more than a decade--first in the Los Angeles area, then at Berkeley High School—and saw the differences among her students’ backgrounds. Some had college professor parents; others came from new immigrant families. These disparities, she says, “made me realize that my main job as a teacher was to level the playing field as much as I could.” At Breakthrough, that’s exactly what she’s trying to do, but on a larger scale. Morris both designs the curriculum and manages how it’s put into practice with the 100 students accepted annually from underachieving San Jose schools. By the time they’ve been selected for the program,
these students have already gone through an intensive process, from a 20-plus page application to interviews with them and their families. The results: 98 percent of Breakthrough students go on to four-year colleges. And that success comes from hard work, primarily. “We don’t always want the perfect student; we want the kid who’s motivated,” Morris says. Looking back at her application to Cate, she realizes she was far from being the perfect student on paper. She remembers meeting with Noah Hotchkiss, the director of admissions at the time. “Your test scores are low,” Morris recalls him saying. “You really want this, don’t you?” These days, Morris has the unique experience of supporting some Breakthrough middle school students who are interested in attending Cate. She imagines that they might struggle at first but that, with support, they’ll get up to speed—and beyond—just as she did. “I get so happy when I see our students who are applying to Cate because I know that’s the exact environment in which they’re going to thrive,” she says. —CW W W W . C A TE . O R G
29
R E P ORT ON PH I L A N T H ROP Y
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89
A LU M N I S U M M I T
Alumni Summit
The Culinary Club puts the final touches on hors d'oeuvres for the Alumni Summit. From left: Kate Smith '17, Peter Marcus '16, Ciana Smiley '17, and Chrissy Robinson '18.
Alumni across six decades returned
ago! Ben Williams was quite impressive
their guests enjoyed the company of
to the Mesa on October 9-10 for the
and he described an educational
former classmates, faculty, and family,
Alumni Summit. The Summit, open to
experience that I wish I could have had
current students James Chang '16,
all alumni, is a program geared toward
when I was a student there. We are
Flora Hamilton '17, Luca Kim '19, and
educating alumni on Cate’s current
happy to have had such a personalized,
Jennifer Soh '19 performed classical
programs and goals, providing a chance
intimate visit. I left with a fresh, positive
music for the gathering. Just before
to visit the School while classes are in
perspective on Cate, and we will plan to
dusk, various faculty members spoke
session. Those who attended enjoyed
be back again soon.”
about their programs. Science teacher
the opportunity to reconnect with
92
On Friday night, a reception at
Cece Schwennsen and Colin Day Chair
old classmates, see transformations
Mesa House kicked off this special
for Cross-Curricular Studies Juarez
throughout the campus, and get an
weekend. Cate’s student-based Culinary
Newsome discussed the opportunity to
update on the state of the School. Clay
Club, led by Peter Marcus '16 and Kate
teach a class about the history of World
Lewis '78 writes: “We really did enjoy our
Smith '17, produced and passed around
War II weaponry. Juarez focused on the
time at Cate, especially hearing about the
an incredible array of hors d’oeuvres to
history of the machinery, while Cece
changes since I was last at Cate 37 years
start the reception. While alumni and
explained the chemistry behind the
CAT E BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 15
A LU M N I S U M M I T
formidable weapons. Cate’s Strength
Zhengli, a 6th-grader, enjoyed igniting the
many other living things on this planet.”
and Conditioning coach, Erik Hansen,
Bunsen burner for the first time with the
Ben continued by describing the ways
described the new training philosophy
older Cate students. After class, alumni
power reveals itself, utilizing clips from
that Cate teams have incorporated using
headed to the Katharine Thayer Memorial
Schindler’s List, Steel Magnolias, and
the newly-renovated Weigand Fitness
Chapel for a “Saturday Talk” with Head
Selma. Alumni participated in the lively
Center. Tamar Adegbile, the School’s
Prefect Max Vasquez '16 of Covina, CA.
discussion by asking questions relating to
new director of college counseling, talked
Max spoke about his surprise passion
education and Cate today.
about the current landscape that Cate
for ceramics – discovered only after his
juniors and seniors are facing with the
arrival at Cate – and how this unexpected
Commons, alumni enjoyed a beautiful
college application process. Tamar spoke
interest in the visual arts helped him to
afternoon on Thayer Peck Field. The
about the positive feedback she received
grow during challenging times in his early
boys varsity football team earned a 38-26
from college admission representatives
years on the Mesa.
victory over rival Thacher School. Members
who visited the School throughout the
After lunch in the Raymond
The morning concluded in the
of the Student Alumni Association and
fall. Assistant Headmaster External
Johnson Library with the Headmaster’s
the Culinary Club provided a delicious
Affairs Meg Bradley ended the evening by
Hour. Ben Williams presented a view
barbecue during the game.
speaking about Cate’s future plans, and
on this year’s inquiry question, What is
inviting attendees to view a map of the
the source of power? Discussing the depth
heartfelt “thank you” to all those who
School’s Master Plan.
of the question, as well as its potential
visited the Mesa for the Alumni Summit
answers and implications, Ben expressed,
and made it such a success!
On Saturday, alumni began the day by attending their class of choice. While some
“Power is as amorphous and changeable as
opted to listen in on Juarez Newsome
any force in the universe. It is something
discuss European History around the
that requires imagination to understand,
Harkness table in Schoolhouse, others
because not one of us can appreciate
visited Cece Schwennsen’s chemistry class.
or know the many ways it manifests
Farina Talbert '87 reported that her son
itself in the lives of human beings or the
From left: Joanne, Mhaira, Archie, Cora, and Richard MacDonald '82 visit with the Ram at Mesa House.
The Cate Community extends a
Cate and Thacher players congratulate one another after a competitive game, which the Rams won 38-26. W W W . C A TE . O R G
93
C L A S S NO T E S
in Memoriam
DONALD DAVIS '68
BLAINE COVINGTON JANIN '61
October 31, 1950 – June 27, 2015
November 29, 1942 – May 16, 2015
The Class of ’68, along with his much-extended family, lost a wonderful friend and talent with the passing of Donald Davis in late June. On top of the life he lived and the art he produced, Don showed us how to go out with memorable and intrepid poise. Up to that time though, Don remained a game companion for all endeavors, retaining his charming and selfless humor, along with his sensitive and creative spirit. His relatively brief but daunting illness was something he kept in the background for as long as he could. Those of us who attended Cate with Don remember his distinctive laugh, his prominence on the baseball field, and his uncanny ability to imitate Mick Jagger. Don was a loyal friend who was quick to share his earthy yet sophisticated brand of humor. He had his own way of looking at the world, all the while radiating a sense of wonder and beauty. Don was, of course, a ‘faculty kid’ at what was then a very small all-boys school, with his mom, Janet, involved in multiple administrative roles and his dad, Boyer, serving as Cate’s business manager, as well as a trustee, teacher, and athletic coach. You almost had to dig to find that out though, as Don (the youngest of three siblings and Cate graduates) was all-in with us dorm residents, while still representing his family well in a turbulent, transitional era both inside and outside of the school. It was always interesting that Don, who had come with his family to Cate from an authentic California rural background in the form of a working ranch in the western Sierra foothills, seemed to morph from denim-clad ranch hand to impassioned artiste in his four years at Cate, all at a time when the school’s formalized arts programs barely existed. It was here though that Don began, in a serious way, to find himself as an artist. By his senior year, Don knew what his love and vocation was and had decided to pursue an arts education, becoming the first Cate graduate to attend the Rhode Island School of Design. At RISD, Don focused on sculpture and the mastery of working with stone. His extensive travels in Europe, then and after, were often cited by him as a great part of his inspiration, coupled with his upbringing and visual experiences in the Sierras. From there ensued a continuous and distinguished career, and a superb body of work in marble, travertine, limestone, and sandstone. Don selected his own marble at classical quarry sites in Italy, such as Carrara. There is a broad range of evocative beauty and mystery in Don’s creations, regardless of scale. His sculptures were executed with stunning precision and craftsmanship. A few of these works dot the Cate campus today, while others are in private, corporate, and public collections. Don lives on in the hearts of his wife Wendy, his friends and family, and in his extensive body of work. His artistic legacy and awards are well-chronicled on the web and on his own site (www.donalddavis.com). Don can be seen there in video, eloquently discussing his sculpture, while projecting his unique charm, intelligence, and humility.
Blaine Covington Janin, age 72, died peacefully on Saturday, May 16, 2015. He is survived by his wife Susan and their two Maine Coon cats, Lilly and Sammy, as well as several members of his immediate family. Blaine was born in San Francisco on November 29, 1942. He resided in San Francisco during his entire lifetime. Blaine graduated from Stanford University in 1965 and from Boalt Hall School of Law in 1968. He served in Vietnam, first as a pilot of F-4 Phantom jets. On his 186th mission, his plane was hit by a missile over Hanoi. He successfully flew the disintegrating jet out to the coast where he and his navigator ejected and were rescued. Thereafter he served at the MACV headquarters in Saigon. After his military service, he began his legal career at Pillsbury Madison and Sutro. He and two friends later formed their own law firm, Horning Janin and Harvey, where he enjoyed practicing law for many years. Ultimately he became a solo practitioner and continued working until his retirement in 2011. Blaine married his wife Susan in 1990 and they celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary shortly before his death. He and Susan divided their time between their homes in San Francisco and on the Russian River. Blaine and Susan both loved to travel and they cruised around the world for several months each year. He loved cooking and was a fabulous gourmet chef, much to Susan's delight and relief. His other passions included opera, gardening, and photography.
W W W . C A TE . O R G
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Sam Hill (pictured far right) and her classmates take on sophomore history under the tutelage of Juarez Newsome.
The Hardest Class “Now we know who’s going to
answer. If it wasn’t the answer he was
confusion. In the human brain, it’s called
Harvard!” Newsome’s voice bellows
looking for, he would scrunch up his nose
creating new pathways. To students at Cate,
across the room as I finally answer his
and shut his eyes, pulling faces until he heard
it means that there is never a dull moment
question correctly. Entering his class as
what he wanted from somebody else.
and that we never lose sight of why we go to
a sophomore—or, as he would call me, a
school in the first place. This struggle is both
idea of a steep learning curve. In Cece’s
the hardest and the most wonderful part of
But all the pretentiousness stopped instantly
Schwennsen’s chemistry class, one moment
an education at Cate, where every class is a
when he yelled out the attendance list,
I was awe-struck by a two-thousand page
new puzzle.
our given names replaced with freshly
textbook, and the very next I was goggled
minted nicknames: Big Head, CoCo, Spill.
and gloved, sticking iridescent chemicals
soon enough I was acing my tests, drawing
Whatever nickname flew to the tip of his
into an open flame and watching them
timelines of the Cold War from memory.
tongue stuck for the rest of our Cate careers.
explode. In Mr. Griffin’s Algebra 2 class, he
I learned how to establish my space in
Newsome didn’t check homework. He had
quietly but persistently snapped his fingers
discussions, and Newsome taught me why
no participation grade. He never taught
in my direction, drilling the unit circle until
respecting my peers was important. Walking
anything twice. I didn’t know that grades
I could recite an answer before any of my
into class on a Wednesday in the beginning
below a B existed at Cate before he handed
classmates. In English, where I thought my
of December, I knew that the era of easy A’s
back one of my essays.
comfort zone existed, Ms. Fortner taught me
had come to an end. He grinned from the
that writing has rules I need to know – but
seat next to me, covering his mouth with his
sophomore history class was the hardest,
that I should also understand how and when
palms, acting like he had the cleverest joke
maybe even the first hard class, I had ever
to break them.
to tell.
Suffice it to say that Juarez Newsome’s
104
Cate students are no strangers to the
sophomoron—I took myself too seriously.
taken. When he asked a question, he didn’t
As soon as I’ve mastered a skill, the
just throw it into the ether, expecting any
teachers here force me to adapt and think in
student to regurgitate an answer from the
ways I never have before. Sometimes there
textbook. When he asked me a question, he
are problems I can’t solve, in which case I
looked me straight in the eyes and waited—
spend three hours in Cook House West as
he let me flounder, shushing other students,
Dr. Kellogg edits my computer code with
until I had the courage to give a definitive
me, line by line. In sports, it’s called muscle
CAT E BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 15
As for that sophomore history class,
“Hey Spill, you know what today is? Start of a new unit. Essay due next week.” – Sam Hill ‘16