Fall 2016
The
Caller
The magazine for alumni, parents, and friends of Catlin Gabel School
Experiential Learning A world of opportunities to explore, engage, and understand Essays by Jennifer Marcus ’73, Natanya Biskar, Laura Morton, Larry Hurst, and Dave Whitson The Caller | Fall 2016
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Catlin Gabel is an independent, nonsectarian, progressive coeducational day school serving 760 students from preschool through 12th grade. Its roots go back to the Portland Academy, founded in 1859. The school occupies 67 acres on Barnes Road, five miles west of downtown Portland. Our mission: to support inspired learning leading to responsible action through dedicated teaching, caring relationships, a challenging curriculum, and community service. Tim Bazemore Head of School Miranda Wellman ’91 Director of Advancement and Strategic Initiatives Marcella Fauci Director of Communications Ken DuBois Director of Public Relations and Publications/Editor duboisk@catlin.edu Jennifer Reynolds Design Alex Ho Contributing Photographer Catlin Gabel School 8825 SW Barnes Road Portland, OR 97225 (503) 297-1894 www.catlin.edu
Digital Edition With The Caller online enjoy everything in the print magazine–every feature, class note, and photograph– with multimedia extras, designed for readability on any laptop, smartphone, or tablet. Access the digital edition at: www.catlin.edu/thecaller.
1
The Caller | www.catlin.edu/thecaller
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING: Inspiring a Curious and Engaged Approach to the World // By Tim Bazemore, Head of School
The
Caller FALL 2016 TABLE OF CONTENTS
2
Message from the Head of School
3
The Community as Classroom
7
Developing the Courage to Discover the World
9
Three Seasons in Hyla Woods
13
Students in Scrubs: The Surgery Day Tradition
15
The Class of 2016
17
On The Pitch
19
Alumni Weekend
21
Class Notes
27
Alumni Connection
28 News 29
Alumni Interview: Gus Van Sant
30
From the Archives
As an eighth grader in the 1970s, I experienced a “new” approach to science in my upstate New York public school. In a well-intended effort to strengthen science learning, my classmates and I were rewarded with an “activity” when we completed lessons in our color-coded workbooks. Activities were opportunities to do canned “hands-on” science demonstrations that illustrated the concepts in the lesson. These activities were rarely memorable or meaningful, but I give the teachers credit for trying to relieve us of the daily tedium of toggling between the chalkboard and our workbooks. Fortunately, we now know much more about how to create effective, engaging learning that develops knowledge, skills, and habits of mind that last a lifetime. Last year’s strategic planning work led to two priorities: deepening our commitment to experiential learning and being an unrivaled educational laboratory. These priorities are inspired by our mission, our history as a progressive school, modern educational and brain research, and our professional experience. In this issue of The Caller, we focus on our commitment to experiential learning, and illustrating why this kind of learning is so important. Experiential learning is more than learning by doing. It is a complex method of teaching and learning that, when done well, provides more benefits to students than traditional teaching methods. Traditional classroom lessons are often organized around content and recall, and the emphasis is on efficiency, pace, and volume. Concepts and information are introduced and explained, and generally employ reading, listening, and working memory to practice the concept. Teachers have a set body of knowledge and skills they want students to master in one way on a linear path to completing the course. In classrooms where learning is more experiential, however, teachers introduce meaningful experiences and questions that inspire students to investigate and understand. Teachers guide the learning and provide enough information to move the students forward, while encouraging them to ask questions, experiment
with processes and solutions, and collaborate with classmates. Most important, experiential learning aims for students to deeply understand concepts and skills and be able to apply what they know and can do to novel experiences or questions. What we mean by experiential learning is not a 70s science “activity,” vaguely defined and assessed “projects,” or letting students do what they want. We mean vigorous learning with clear academic and noncognitive goals that are achieved through complex experiences. It should equip students with disciplinebased skills, develop adaptive intelligence, and inspire a curious and engaged approach to the world. Our goal is not to make all learning here experiential; there are some academic skills and information that can be taught directly and efficiently and are necessary to master prior to more self-directed learning. Our goal is to become more skilled and intentional in embedding academic learning in experiences that students find relevant and meaningful. In the 2016-17 school year we will articulate what we mean by experiential learning; ask all teachers to redesign aspects of existing curriculum to be more experiential; expand our network of Portland-area partners to create more community-based learning opportunities; and examine what schedule and school year changes may be necessary for deeper learning. Throughout our school’s history, we have challenged our students, from preschool through twelfth grade, to be engaged with the world around them. Catlin Gabel students and alumni know this well, and as this issue illustrates, our gifted teachers are finding ways to introduce powerful and memorable experiences into the curriculum at all grade levels. We fundamentally believe our students are competent and capable, and that they can do remarkable things when given the opportunity. Our goal in becoming more experiential is to marshal our considerable expertise and resources so that they can show themselves, and the world, what they can do. That’s what the future will require of them–and that future must begin here and now. Follow Tim’s blog at catlin.edu/TimsBlog. Follow him on Twitter @TimBazemore. The Caller | Fall 2016
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Catlin Gabel is an independent, nonsectarian, progressive coeducational day school serving 760 students from preschool through 12th grade. Its roots go back to the Portland Academy, founded in 1859. The school occupies 67 acres on Barnes Road, five miles west of downtown Portland. Our mission: to support inspired learning leading to responsible action through dedicated teaching, caring relationships, a challenging curriculum, and community service. Tim Bazemore Head of School Miranda Wellman ’91 Director of Advancement and Strategic Initiatives Marcella Fauci Director of Communications Ken DuBois Director of Public Relations and Publications/Editor duboisk@catlin.edu Jennifer Reynolds Design Alex Ho Contributing Photographer Catlin Gabel School 8825 SW Barnes Road Portland, OR 97225 (503) 297-1894 www.catlin.edu
Digital Edition With The Caller online enjoy everything in the print magazine–every feature, class note, and photograph– with multimedia extras, designed for readability on any laptop, smartphone, or tablet. Access the digital edition at: www.catlin.edu/thecaller.
1
The Caller | www.catlin.edu/thecaller
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING: Inspiring a Curious and Engaged Approach to the World // By Tim Bazemore, Head of School
The
Caller FALL 2016 TABLE OF CONTENTS
2
Message from the Head of School
3
The Community as Classroom
7
Developing the Courage to Discover the World
9
Three Seasons in Hyla Woods
13
Students in Scrubs: The Surgery Day Tradition
15
The Class of 2016
17
On The Pitch
19
Alumni Weekend
21
Class Notes
27
Alumni Connection
28 News 29
Alumni Interview: Gus Van Sant
30
From the Archives
As an eighth grader in the 1970s, I experienced a “new” approach to science in my upstate New York public school. In a well-intended effort to strengthen science learning, my classmates and I were rewarded with an “activity” when we completed lessons in our color-coded workbooks. Activities were opportunities to do canned “hands-on” science demonstrations that illustrated the concepts in the lesson. These activities were rarely memorable or meaningful, but I give the teachers credit for trying to relieve us of the daily tedium of toggling between the chalkboard and our workbooks. Fortunately, we now know much more about how to create effective, engaging learning that develops knowledge, skills, and habits of mind that last a lifetime. Last year’s strategic planning work led to two priorities: deepening our commitment to experiential learning and being an unrivaled educational laboratory. These priorities are inspired by our mission, our history as a progressive school, modern educational and brain research, and our professional experience. In this issue of The Caller, we focus on our commitment to experiential learning, and illustrating why this kind of learning is so important. Experiential learning is more than learning by doing. It is a complex method of teaching and learning that, when done well, provides more benefits to students than traditional teaching methods. Traditional classroom lessons are often organized around content and recall, and the emphasis is on efficiency, pace, and volume. Concepts and information are introduced and explained, and generally employ reading, listening, and working memory to practice the concept. Teachers have a set body of knowledge and skills they want students to master in one way on a linear path to completing the course. In classrooms where learning is more experiential, however, teachers introduce meaningful experiences and questions that inspire students to investigate and understand. Teachers guide the learning and provide enough information to move the students forward, while encouraging them to ask questions, experiment
with processes and solutions, and collaborate with classmates. Most important, experiential learning aims for students to deeply understand concepts and skills and be able to apply what they know and can do to novel experiences or questions. What we mean by experiential learning is not a 70s science “activity,” vaguely defined and assessed “projects,” or letting students do what they want. We mean vigorous learning with clear academic and noncognitive goals that are achieved through complex experiences. It should equip students with disciplinebased skills, develop adaptive intelligence, and inspire a curious and engaged approach to the world. Our goal is not to make all learning here experiential; there are some academic skills and information that can be taught directly and efficiently and are necessary to master prior to more self-directed learning. Our goal is to become more skilled and intentional in embedding academic learning in experiences that students find relevant and meaningful. In the 2016-17 school year we will articulate what we mean by experiential learning; ask all teachers to redesign aspects of existing curriculum to be more experiential; expand our network of Portland-area partners to create more community-based learning opportunities; and examine what schedule and school year changes may be necessary for deeper learning. Throughout our school’s history, we have challenged our students, from preschool through twelfth grade, to be engaged with the world around them. Catlin Gabel students and alumni know this well, and as this issue illustrates, our gifted teachers are finding ways to introduce powerful and memorable experiences into the curriculum at all grade levels. We fundamentally believe our students are competent and capable, and that they can do remarkable things when given the opportunity. Our goal in becoming more experiential is to marshal our considerable expertise and resources so that they can show themselves, and the world, what they can do. That’s what the future will require of them–and that future must begin here and now. Follow Tim’s blog at catlin.edu/TimsBlog. Follow him on Twitter @TimBazemore. The Caller | Fall 2016
2
THE COMMUNITY AS CLASSROOM
An Upper School teacher brings an experiential learning approach to the study of criminal justice // By Dave Whitson, Upper School History Faculty and Palma Scholars Program Director
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The Caller | www.catlin.edu/thecaller
The Caller | Fall 2016
4
THE COMMUNITY AS CLASSROOM
An Upper School teacher brings an experiential learning approach to the study of criminal justice // By Dave Whitson, Upper School History Faculty and Palma Scholars Program Director
3
The Caller | www.catlin.edu/thecaller
The Caller | Fall 2016
4
of deeply held viewpoints. A freshman reached out to police departments nationwide because she was curious about their policies on issuing warnings for speeding tickets; after receiving dozens of responses, she quickly realized how vastly different those departments’ approaches to warnings are, and then also learned about some of the perils associated with these inconsistencies. And yes, a group of students visited the Columbia River Correctional Institution as part of a project oriented towards the accessibility of exercise equipment and fitness opportunities for incarcerated individuals in Oregon. When the community becomes your classroom and your textbook, when you actually engage with people whom you would typically only read about or see from a distance, assumptions and stereotypes are tested and the humanity of those you might dismiss becomes undeniable.
When the community becomes your classroom and your textbook…assumptions and stereotypes are tested and the humanity of those you might dismiss becomes undeniable.
Last fall, as Catlin Gabel’s faculty gathered to spend a professional development day thinking about experiential learning, a group of my students were in prison. I couldn’t have been more pleased. The students were enrolled in Crime & Punishment (C&P), a Palma Seminar focused on contemporary criminal justice issues. First introduced in 2012 as a central component of the Palma Scholars Program, Palma Seminars share certain core features: they are interdisciplinary, open to all students in the Upper School, experiment with novel pedagogical techniques, and favor opportunities for experiential learning. Given the prevalence and significance of criminal justicerelated issues in America’s public discourse in recent years, and the growing wave of bipartisan support for reform, this subject was ripe for closer inspection. 5
The Caller | www.catlin.edu/thecaller
The curriculum was designed to weave together an array of diverse perspectives on criminal justice, landing on topics that included neurobiological explanations for violent crime, historical theories on police militarization, economic and sociological analysis of the mass incarceration phenomenon, and literary accounts of the criminal experience. Equally important to this set academic material, though, were the events unfolding around us on a daily basis. We learned in September about Oregon’s thousands of untested rape kits; October arrived with the mass shooting at Umpqua Community College; and November brought the release of the dash-cam video of Laquan McDonald’s shooting in Chicago. As students learned about the big picture, and as they became more attentive to national developments, they also grew more curious about the local relevance. That curiosity, in turn, fueled their pursuit of independent or small group projects that engaged the Portland community in different ways. Several students explored the tense relationship between Portland’s homeless community and the city’s police, interviewing numerous individuals from both sides in order to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges they faced. One of those students ultimately produced a moving documentary film on the subject. Two juniors organized a public forum on police use of force that brought together diverse perspectives in pursuit of a civil exchange
One day stands out. Last spring, the class visited the Multnomah County Courthouse and sat in on a probation revocation hearing. We were swiftly caught up in the emotional intensity of the case before us. A mother had violated the terms of her probation and faced an extended sentence. Her ex and his new partner sat behind us, and the woman continually provoked the mother as the hearing unfolded. The judge immediately recognized the mother, noting that they had come in contact a handful of times previously; there was a sort of gallows humor on display as they recounted their history. As the hearing unfolded, and the very likely outcome of incarceration crystallized before us all, agony lined the faces of both the defendant and the judge. When the mother desperately appealed for one last opportunity to see her children before she went behind bars, the judge seemed to rack her brain for some way, any way, to justify granting permission for that, before ultimately denying it and imposing the prison sentence. Having followed the coverage of criminal justice in the news, our students had encountered countless articles about drug-related crimes. They knew the statistics. They had a sense of the broader social implications. However, most had never seen it, put a face to it, or felt it—deeply, intensely, uncomfortably—firsthand. Every individual case speaks to a familial tragedy. One hour in a courtroom brought that home for us. When Catlin Gabel speaks to the importance of experiential learning, it’s important to stress that this isn’t a substitute or replacement for the quality work that we have long
done inside the classroom. In C&P, our shared work in the classroom—and particularly the more “traditional” work like reading, discussion, and even the occasional lecture—built a foundational understanding that equipped the students with the tools necessary to meaningfully engage with the community on issues related to criminal justice. In turn, their experiences in the greater Portland community exposed them to new insights and truths that, when brought back to the classroom, elevated and enriched our conversations. And along the way, we had an opportunity to make a positive impact on the community that has shared so many educational experiences with us. This year, the Palma Seminar’s theme is “Revolutionaries,” as we study the individuals and groups that have fundamentally transformed their communities and the world, across all fields. The course will culminate in final projects in which the students are tasked with making a significant social impact. The curricular freedom and commitment to experiential learning at Catlin Gabel affords us the luxury of building that explicitly into our courses. Our students have the capacity to make a transformative impact on Portland, on Oregon, or even on the world. The Palma Scholars Program, named after longtime Head of School Lark Palma, was founded in 2011 with the dual goals of a) bringing a cadre of academically exceptional students with notable potential in leadership, athletics, and service to the Catlin Gabel Upper School, and b) serving as a force for educational and programmatic innovation at the school. Learn more online: http://www.catlin. edu/palmascholars. The Caller | Fall 2016
6
of deeply held viewpoints. A freshman reached out to police departments nationwide because she was curious about their policies on issuing warnings for speeding tickets; after receiving dozens of responses, she quickly realized how vastly different those departments’ approaches to warnings are, and then also learned about some of the perils associated with these inconsistencies. And yes, a group of students visited the Columbia River Correctional Institution as part of a project oriented towards the accessibility of exercise equipment and fitness opportunities for incarcerated individuals in Oregon. When the community becomes your classroom and your textbook, when you actually engage with people whom you would typically only read about or see from a distance, assumptions and stereotypes are tested and the humanity of those you might dismiss becomes undeniable.
When the community becomes your classroom and your textbook…assumptions and stereotypes are tested and the humanity of those you might dismiss becomes undeniable.
Last fall, as Catlin Gabel’s faculty gathered to spend a professional development day thinking about experiential learning, a group of my students were in prison. I couldn’t have been more pleased. The students were enrolled in Crime & Punishment (C&P), a Palma Seminar focused on contemporary criminal justice issues. First introduced in 2012 as a central component of the Palma Scholars Program, Palma Seminars share certain core features: they are interdisciplinary, open to all students in the Upper School, experiment with novel pedagogical techniques, and favor opportunities for experiential learning. Given the prevalence and significance of criminal justicerelated issues in America’s public discourse in recent years, and the growing wave of bipartisan support for reform, this subject was ripe for closer inspection. 5
The Caller | www.catlin.edu/thecaller
The curriculum was designed to weave together an array of diverse perspectives on criminal justice, landing on topics that included neurobiological explanations for violent crime, historical theories on police militarization, economic and sociological analysis of the mass incarceration phenomenon, and literary accounts of the criminal experience. Equally important to this set academic material, though, were the events unfolding around us on a daily basis. We learned in September about Oregon’s thousands of untested rape kits; October arrived with the mass shooting at Umpqua Community College; and November brought the release of the dash-cam video of Laquan McDonald’s shooting in Chicago. As students learned about the big picture, and as they became more attentive to national developments, they also grew more curious about the local relevance. That curiosity, in turn, fueled their pursuit of independent or small group projects that engaged the Portland community in different ways. Several students explored the tense relationship between Portland’s homeless community and the city’s police, interviewing numerous individuals from both sides in order to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges they faced. One of those students ultimately produced a moving documentary film on the subject. Two juniors organized a public forum on police use of force that brought together diverse perspectives in pursuit of a civil exchange
One day stands out. Last spring, the class visited the Multnomah County Courthouse and sat in on a probation revocation hearing. We were swiftly caught up in the emotional intensity of the case before us. A mother had violated the terms of her probation and faced an extended sentence. Her ex and his new partner sat behind us, and the woman continually provoked the mother as the hearing unfolded. The judge immediately recognized the mother, noting that they had come in contact a handful of times previously; there was a sort of gallows humor on display as they recounted their history. As the hearing unfolded, and the very likely outcome of incarceration crystallized before us all, agony lined the faces of both the defendant and the judge. When the mother desperately appealed for one last opportunity to see her children before she went behind bars, the judge seemed to rack her brain for some way, any way, to justify granting permission for that, before ultimately denying it and imposing the prison sentence. Having followed the coverage of criminal justice in the news, our students had encountered countless articles about drug-related crimes. They knew the statistics. They had a sense of the broader social implications. However, most had never seen it, put a face to it, or felt it—deeply, intensely, uncomfortably—firsthand. Every individual case speaks to a familial tragedy. One hour in a courtroom brought that home for us. When Catlin Gabel speaks to the importance of experiential learning, it’s important to stress that this isn’t a substitute or replacement for the quality work that we have long
done inside the classroom. In C&P, our shared work in the classroom—and particularly the more “traditional” work like reading, discussion, and even the occasional lecture—built a foundational understanding that equipped the students with the tools necessary to meaningfully engage with the community on issues related to criminal justice. In turn, their experiences in the greater Portland community exposed them to new insights and truths that, when brought back to the classroom, elevated and enriched our conversations. And along the way, we had an opportunity to make a positive impact on the community that has shared so many educational experiences with us. This year, the Palma Seminar’s theme is “Revolutionaries,” as we study the individuals and groups that have fundamentally transformed their communities and the world, across all fields. The course will culminate in final projects in which the students are tasked with making a significant social impact. The curricular freedom and commitment to experiential learning at Catlin Gabel affords us the luxury of building that explicitly into our courses. Our students have the capacity to make a transformative impact on Portland, on Oregon, or even on the world. The Palma Scholars Program, named after longtime Head of School Lark Palma, was founded in 2011 with the dual goals of a) bringing a cadre of academically exceptional students with notable potential in leadership, athletics, and service to the Catlin Gabel Upper School, and b) serving as a force for educational and programmatic innovation at the school. Learn more online: http://www.catlin. edu/palmascholars. The Caller | Fall 2016
6
DEVELOPING THE COURAGE TO DISCOVER THE WORLD In the Catlin Gabel Woodshop, teachers establish a community of experiential learners // By Jennifer Marcus ’73, Beginning School and Lower School Woodshop Teacher
They own the questioning, discovery, problem solving...and this leads to trusting their own judgment, and becoming confident risk-takers. When a child asks me, “How do I do this?,” my reply is a question, such as, “What are you trying to do?” I believe students learn purposefully and experientially when they establish a personal relationship with their environment. The woodshop is just such an environment, as much as a garden or musical instrument can be. In our space they create their own personal relationships with the tools, the wood, the hardware, the sounds, the smells, and the rules. Just as important are the interactions they will build with several different age groups in other classes of students also working in the shop on any given day. Sometimes while I’m working with a class of preschoolers, woodshop teachers Ric Fry and Kit Camp also have classes with lower school, middle school, and upper school 7
The Caller | www.catlin.edu/thecaller
students, and everyone is choosing hand tools from the same tool wall, picking out lumber, and making calculations (and noise—lots of noise). It establishes a community of experiential learners: students who interact, and who observe older students asking questions, and so learn to answer those very valuable questions themselves. For example, last year a kindergartener decided she wanted to build a real slide, “big enough for me to go down!” I told her I wanted to know more about her idea and thinking. I asked her to draw, with as much detail as possible, her ideas on our woodshop plan sheet. She carefully drew all of the important information: the ladder, the slide, and herself. I said, “I see on your drawing the part of the slide that you will slide down, and I see another part connected to the sliding part.” She said with a smile, “That’s the ladder!”
“Then,” I said, “it looks like your slide is made up of two parts—a slide part and a ladder part.” She studied her plan and agreed. This led me to my next question, “Which part would you like to build first?” “The ladder,” she said, “because it will have to be as tall as me.” By embracing children’s ideas and respecting their thinking of what to build, they take responsibility for their experience. They own the questioning, discovery, problem solving, comparing, measuring, and constructing. This leads to trusting their own judgment, and becoming confident risk-takers who learn processes through trial and error. In another woodworking “adventure,” a preschooler began an in-depth investigation when he chose to use a hand drill. He carefully drilled about five holes into a piece of wood, observing and comparing the amount of wood dust each hole made. He continued to drill a few more holes, and then a line of holes very close together. He drilled so many holes in a row that he didn’t even have to use a saw to make two pieces of wood. “I cut the wood with a drill!” he exclaimed. With this very valid exploration and self-discovery of the drill he became interested in studying other tools. By the
end of his preschool year he was offering inventive ideas to his friends about multiple tools. His understanding of how the tools operate, and the self-reliance that he developed when studying them in an experiential way, was the catalyst for arriving in the shop the following year stating, “I want to build an umbrella.” “Great,” I said, “I wonder what your umbrella will look like.” I remembered his passion and focus for completely understanding the ins and outs of those tools he had investigated. When he walked into the woodshop announcing his new idea of building a wooden umbrella, I was confident that he would embrace the challenge. He did. The umbrella? It actually worked! Given opportunities to become active participants in their self-direction, self-discovery, and self-challenges is how children develop the courage to discover the world they are entering. Combining this with specific skills to successfully take an idea and create—a slide or an umbrella, or, just as important, drilling holes—is the beginning of confidently exploring anything they choose. It is how Catlin Gabel, in our way, engages our woodshop students in experiential learning every day. The Caller | Fall 2016
8
DEVELOPING THE COURAGE TO DISCOVER THE WORLD In the Catlin Gabel Woodshop, teachers establish a community of experiential learners // By Jennifer Marcus ’73, Beginning School and Lower School Woodshop Teacher
They own the questioning, discovery, problem solving...and this leads to trusting their own judgment, and becoming confident risk-takers. When a child asks me, “How do I do this?,” my reply is a question, such as, “What are you trying to do?” I believe students learn purposefully and experientially when they establish a personal relationship with their environment. The woodshop is just such an environment, as much as a garden or musical instrument can be. In our space they create their own personal relationships with the tools, the wood, the hardware, the sounds, the smells, and the rules. Just as important are the interactions they will build with several different age groups in other classes of students also working in the shop on any given day. Sometimes while I’m working with a class of preschoolers, woodshop teachers Ric Fry and Kit Camp also have classes with lower school, middle school, and upper school 7
The Caller | www.catlin.edu/thecaller
students, and everyone is choosing hand tools from the same tool wall, picking out lumber, and making calculations (and noise—lots of noise). It establishes a community of experiential learners: students who interact, and who observe older students asking questions, and so learn to answer those very valuable questions themselves. For example, last year a kindergartener decided she wanted to build a real slide, “big enough for me to go down!” I told her I wanted to know more about her idea and thinking. I asked her to draw, with as much detail as possible, her ideas on our woodshop plan sheet. She carefully drew all of the important information: the ladder, the slide, and herself. I said, “I see on your drawing the part of the slide that you will slide down, and I see another part connected to the sliding part.” She said with a smile, “That’s the ladder!”
“Then,” I said, “it looks like your slide is made up of two parts—a slide part and a ladder part.” She studied her plan and agreed. This led me to my next question, “Which part would you like to build first?” “The ladder,” she said, “because it will have to be as tall as me.” By embracing children’s ideas and respecting their thinking of what to build, they take responsibility for their experience. They own the questioning, discovery, problem solving, comparing, measuring, and constructing. This leads to trusting their own judgment, and becoming confident risk-takers who learn processes through trial and error. In another woodworking “adventure,” a preschooler began an in-depth investigation when he chose to use a hand drill. He carefully drilled about five holes into a piece of wood, observing and comparing the amount of wood dust each hole made. He continued to drill a few more holes, and then a line of holes very close together. He drilled so many holes in a row that he didn’t even have to use a saw to make two pieces of wood. “I cut the wood with a drill!” he exclaimed. With this very valid exploration and self-discovery of the drill he became interested in studying other tools. By the
end of his preschool year he was offering inventive ideas to his friends about multiple tools. His understanding of how the tools operate, and the self-reliance that he developed when studying them in an experiential way, was the catalyst for arriving in the shop the following year stating, “I want to build an umbrella.” “Great,” I said, “I wonder what your umbrella will look like.” I remembered his passion and focus for completely understanding the ins and outs of those tools he had investigated. When he walked into the woodshop announcing his new idea of building a wooden umbrella, I was confident that he would embrace the challenge. He did. The umbrella? It actually worked! Given opportunities to become active participants in their self-direction, self-discovery, and self-challenges is how children develop the courage to discover the world they are entering. Combining this with specific skills to successfully take an idea and create—a slide or an umbrella, or, just as important, drilling holes—is the beginning of confidently exploring anything they choose. It is how Catlin Gabel, in our way, engages our woodshop students in experiential learning every day. The Caller | Fall 2016
8
THREE SEASONS IN HYLA WOODS
Second graders experience the woods as naturalists, biologists, stewards, and arborists—and as children // By Natanya Biskar and Laura Morton, Second Grade Teachers
Our students are zooming in, exploring, investigating, questioning, connecting, reflecting, and falling in love as they live this amazing experience. Maintaining a healthy forest can require difficult decisions, and protecting the baby trees from animals is a case in point. It’s also a powerful illustration of how something experienced is more powerful and salient than something that is told.
“Ready, second graders? Ok, go! Save the baby trees!” Like birds suddenly erupting in flight, 40 2nd-graders shot off across the open meadow. Their speed was hindered, only slightly, by the long plastic devices they carried— yellow and pink cages that bounced alongside them like awkward stuffies. They fit their cages around the saplings, as they had been instructed to do. They were helping Peter Hayes, owner and manager of Hyla Woods. “Deer come in the winter and eat the tender shoots off the baby trees,” he’d told the gathered students moments before. “No!” several students exclaimed, “That’s bad for them!” And so, with their mission in mind, the children set about doing some of the work involved in managing a healthy, working, diverse forest. 9
The Caller | www.catlin.edu/thecaller
Catlin Gabel’s relationship with Hyla Woods goes back many years. Peter is an alumnus (’74) and a former teacher, and he and his wife, Pam, generously share their work, time, and land with Catlin Gabel students. Every year, second graders visit the forest three times—a visit for every season of the school year. Peter’s family has worked with forests for over 100 years, and he has roots in both the timber industry and the conservation movement. Hyla Woods is an experiment: its 1,000 acres were logged extensively at the turn of the last century, and Peter and his wife have worked tirelessly to build up the biodiversity of the land and to create a sustainable, healthy, and economically viable forest. The debate between the timber industry and conservation efforts can be polarized, but Hyla Woods exists as proof that a forest can provide products for humans as well as a habitat for animals.
Sustainability is a sticky concept for seven- and eight-yearolds, whose allegiances typically lie with the animals and the trees. “Don’t the deer need to eat in the winter?” a student wonders as we pile excess cages into the back of Peter’s truck. He smiles and nods. As a former educator, Peter appreciates it when students show struggle or confusion; it means they’re engaging with the woods. He also refuses to give straightforward answers; in forest management, there really aren’t any. Our visits to Hyla seek to strike a balance between learning to appreciate the forest for its beauty, quiet, and refuge, and learning that we rely on forests for tangible goods as well. That’s why, on our last visit in May, Peter cut down a tree—one that several students had adopted. The American school system was born in the age of Henry Ford, with classrooms built like factory floors: desks in orderly rows, children as products awaiting completion. Because our school system sprang from these industrial age values, we’ve needed research to remind us of what we already knew: experience is the best teacher. You’re much more likely to remember the lessons it imparts than the teaching points in a lecture or textbook. It also turns out that children aren’t unfinished products in constant deficit because of their lack of knowledge, but rather active constructors of knowledge. Children are in fact full of knowledge; they know and believe many things. If what they know or believe happens to be false, it’s because they haven’t yet had an experience that proves to them otherwise.
Environmental education is a particular kind of experiential learning. It is, at its heart, about fostering a sense of place. As Daniel A. Kriesberg writes in his book Sense of Place: Teaching Children about the Environment, “A sense of place is the goal, and a sense of wonder is the method.” And children need little goading to have a sense of wonder in a natural environment. The only thing they really need is time: to explore, to be free, to look with a specific question in mind, to ask their own questions and find their own answers, and to develop the connection to a place that is essential for loving and understanding that place. That is why we return to Hyla Woods three times in a year. Once may be enough for falling in love, but it is not enough for understanding. On our trips to Hyla Woods—sometimes wet and muddy, sometimes golden and dry—the children experience the woods as naturalists, biologists, poets, stewards, arborists, The Caller | Fall 2016
10
THREE SEASONS IN HYLA WOODS
Second graders experience the woods as naturalists, biologists, stewards, and arborists—and as children // By Natanya Biskar and Laura Morton, Second Grade Teachers
Our students are zooming in, exploring, investigating, questioning, connecting, reflecting, and falling in love as they live this amazing experience. Maintaining a healthy forest can require difficult decisions, and protecting the baby trees from animals is a case in point. It’s also a powerful illustration of how something experienced is more powerful and salient than something that is told.
“Ready, second graders? Ok, go! Save the baby trees!” Like birds suddenly erupting in flight, 40 2nd-graders shot off across the open meadow. Their speed was hindered, only slightly, by the long plastic devices they carried— yellow and pink cages that bounced alongside them like awkward stuffies. They fit their cages around the saplings, as they had been instructed to do. They were helping Peter Hayes, owner and manager of Hyla Woods. “Deer come in the winter and eat the tender shoots off the baby trees,” he’d told the gathered students moments before. “No!” several students exclaimed, “That’s bad for them!” And so, with their mission in mind, the children set about doing some of the work involved in managing a healthy, working, diverse forest. 9
The Caller | www.catlin.edu/thecaller
Catlin Gabel’s relationship with Hyla Woods goes back many years. Peter is an alumnus (’74) and a former teacher, and he and his wife, Pam, generously share their work, time, and land with Catlin Gabel students. Every year, second graders visit the forest three times—a visit for every season of the school year. Peter’s family has worked with forests for over 100 years, and he has roots in both the timber industry and the conservation movement. Hyla Woods is an experiment: its 1,000 acres were logged extensively at the turn of the last century, and Peter and his wife have worked tirelessly to build up the biodiversity of the land and to create a sustainable, healthy, and economically viable forest. The debate between the timber industry and conservation efforts can be polarized, but Hyla Woods exists as proof that a forest can provide products for humans as well as a habitat for animals.
Sustainability is a sticky concept for seven- and eight-yearolds, whose allegiances typically lie with the animals and the trees. “Don’t the deer need to eat in the winter?” a student wonders as we pile excess cages into the back of Peter’s truck. He smiles and nods. As a former educator, Peter appreciates it when students show struggle or confusion; it means they’re engaging with the woods. He also refuses to give straightforward answers; in forest management, there really aren’t any. Our visits to Hyla seek to strike a balance between learning to appreciate the forest for its beauty, quiet, and refuge, and learning that we rely on forests for tangible goods as well. That’s why, on our last visit in May, Peter cut down a tree—one that several students had adopted. The American school system was born in the age of Henry Ford, with classrooms built like factory floors: desks in orderly rows, children as products awaiting completion. Because our school system sprang from these industrial age values, we’ve needed research to remind us of what we already knew: experience is the best teacher. You’re much more likely to remember the lessons it imparts than the teaching points in a lecture or textbook. It also turns out that children aren’t unfinished products in constant deficit because of their lack of knowledge, but rather active constructors of knowledge. Children are in fact full of knowledge; they know and believe many things. If what they know or believe happens to be false, it’s because they haven’t yet had an experience that proves to them otherwise.
Environmental education is a particular kind of experiential learning. It is, at its heart, about fostering a sense of place. As Daniel A. Kriesberg writes in his book Sense of Place: Teaching Children about the Environment, “A sense of place is the goal, and a sense of wonder is the method.” And children need little goading to have a sense of wonder in a natural environment. The only thing they really need is time: to explore, to be free, to look with a specific question in mind, to ask their own questions and find their own answers, and to develop the connection to a place that is essential for loving and understanding that place. That is why we return to Hyla Woods three times in a year. Once may be enough for falling in love, but it is not enough for understanding. On our trips to Hyla Woods—sometimes wet and muddy, sometimes golden and dry—the children experience the woods as naturalists, biologists, poets, stewards, arborists, The Caller | Fall 2016
10
and, yes, as children. They look for animal tracks and scat, and identify trees based on leaves or needles, bark, and shape. They take care of the forest by helping Peter with different service projects, like saving the baby trees. They adopt a tree with a partner, naming it and returning to it on each visit to check in and make new observations. On our last visit, the children ran to their trees, arms flung open. “Hello, Splatter Paint!” “Hello, Poky Paul!” They greeted their trees by name like old friends. From the beginning of the school year, we had planned to fell a tree, so the children could see and experience the process of tree to timber. We didn’t plan, however, on cutting down one of the trees they had adopted. When Peter showed us the stand of red alders he was planning to cut, a voice cried out from the crowd, “But that’s Splatter Paint!” “Remember, it’s for the beavers,” a nearby child comforted. Peter nodded and repeated what he’d told the children at the start of the day. “That’s right, we want the beavers to come back, so we need to cut down these trees to help the river and encourage the beavers.” The student who had cried out shrugged. “The beavers need it …,” she said to herself, 11
The Caller | www.catlin.edu/thecaller
in that way kids have of repeating things they’re trying to understand. As Peter prepared his chainsaw, the students offered appreciations to Splatter Paint. “Thanks, Splatter Paint, for letting me study and observe you.” “I appreciate Splatter Paint for giving its life for the beavers.” “Thank you, tree, for standing for a long time and giving a lot to this forest.” Peter motioned for the children to step back. He started his chainsaw, and they watched through a cloud of sawdust and splinters as the alder leaned, then swayed, and finally came crashing down. Children learn what they live. And it is through our time spent at Hyla Woods that second graders are able to do just that—live as one experiencing nature. By immersing ourselves in the beauty and wonder of such a magical yet common place, our students are zooming in, exploring, investigating, questioning, connecting, reflecting, and falling in love as they live this amazing experience. It is the kind of experience that is invaluable, and reminds us why experiential learning is a central tenet of Catlin Gabel’s philosophy. The Caller | Fall 2016
12
and, yes, as children. They look for animal tracks and scat, and identify trees based on leaves or needles, bark, and shape. They take care of the forest by helping Peter with different service projects, like saving the baby trees. They adopt a tree with a partner, naming it and returning to it on each visit to check in and make new observations. On our last visit, the children ran to their trees, arms flung open. “Hello, Splatter Paint!” “Hello, Poky Paul!” They greeted their trees by name like old friends. From the beginning of the school year, we had planned to fell a tree, so the children could see and experience the process of tree to timber. We didn’t plan, however, on cutting down one of the trees they had adopted. When Peter showed us the stand of red alders he was planning to cut, a voice cried out from the crowd, “But that’s Splatter Paint!” “Remember, it’s for the beavers,” a nearby child comforted. Peter nodded and repeated what he’d told the children at the start of the day. “That’s right, we want the beavers to come back, so we need to cut down these trees to help the river and encourage the beavers.” The student who had cried out shrugged. “The beavers need it …,” she said to herself, 11
The Caller | www.catlin.edu/thecaller
in that way kids have of repeating things they’re trying to understand. As Peter prepared his chainsaw, the students offered appreciations to Splatter Paint. “Thanks, Splatter Paint, for letting me study and observe you.” “I appreciate Splatter Paint for giving its life for the beavers.” “Thank you, tree, for standing for a long time and giving a lot to this forest.” Peter motioned for the children to step back. He started his chainsaw, and they watched through a cloud of sawdust and splinters as the alder leaned, then swayed, and finally came crashing down. Children learn what they live. And it is through our time spent at Hyla Woods that second graders are able to do just that—live as one experiencing nature. By immersing ourselves in the beauty and wonder of such a magical yet common place, our students are zooming in, exploring, investigating, questioning, connecting, reflecting, and falling in love as they live this amazing experience. It is the kind of experience that is invaluable, and reminds us why experiential learning is a central tenet of Catlin Gabel’s philosophy. The Caller | Fall 2016
12
STUDENTS IN SCRUBS: THE SURGERY DAY TRADITION
For over twenty years, Catlin Gabel parents have supported experiential learning by sharing their medical expertise // By Larry Hurst, 6th Grade Science Teacher
specialties with the class. Soon the parent volunteers were finding ways to expand and sustain the program. Parent Dr. Bill Long brought over a dozen medical personnel to the school and transformed the original two 6th grade classrooms (Narnia and Treasure Island) into a series of surgical suites staffed by parent M.D.s and Legacy Emanuel support personnel. After several years, Dr. Claudia Gallison then stepped up to take on Surgery Day, coordinating tasks and keeping the tradition alive. In recent years Dr. Karen Selden has led the program and organized the parent volunteers. Over the years many M.D. specialists, nurses, equipment company representatives, and support personnel have volunteered for Surgery Day—before, during, and after their children attended the 6th grade. Many other medical specialists volunteered because they worked with a school parent. Thousands of hours and many thousands of dollars in supplies and equipment have been donated and used to provide this priceless experience for our children.
At Surgery Day, the students get to see fields of study or future career possibilities that they didn’t know existed, and different views of role models in the medical field. Students are excited to visit each surgical station, and eager to see the new technology and practice skills on the actual equipment used by real doctors. Each station is represented by two or more medical experts, with some stations more simulated than others. When a station shows detailed videos of an operation, or has the student learning to suture a pig’s heart, reality may become too graphic for some. We encourage those that get a bit woozy to step aside from the action and sit down until they feel better. And if a student were to get light-headed, what better place than in a room filled with EMTs and surgeons? It's exciting to imagine how we could duplicate this experience with other topics. As we pursue new ways to incorporate experiential learning at Catlin Gabel, we look forward to the opportunity of adding a Tech Day or Engineering Day, or some other themed activity where parents could share their expertise and passion.
For one school day each year, we toss out our normal routine of individual classes and instead immerse ourselves in a parentled exploration of select state-of-the-art medical technologies. It’s a wonderful and time-tested experiential activity in the 6th grade: Surgery Day. To create a hands-on learning environment, parents in a variety of medical specialties bring their expertise, equipment, and co-workers to Catlin Gabel, and set up mock surgical stations in the 6th grade classrooms. Students rotate among stations in small groups to experience and operate the tools and procedures of the medical trade. They learn how to suture pig hearts and feet, navigate and access the brain for operation, practice minimally invasive surgery techniques, fix simulated facial fractures, place casts, open an airway, use cardiology equipment, and observe ultrasound operation. Surgery Day has grown over the past 20 years but, like many Catlin Gabel traditions, it started small, with a magical confluence of serendipity, interest, talent, time, and encouragement. The program began in the 1980s, when 6th grade teachers invited a few parents to share their medical 13
The Caller | www.catlin.edu/thecaller
The students get to see fields of study or future career possibilities that they didn’t know existed, and different views of role models in the medical field. The Caller |Fall 2016
14
STUDENTS IN SCRUBS: THE SURGERY DAY TRADITION
For over twenty years, Catlin Gabel parents have supported experiential learning by sharing their medical expertise // By Larry Hurst, 6th Grade Science Teacher
specialties with the class. Soon the parent volunteers were finding ways to expand and sustain the program. Parent Dr. Bill Long brought over a dozen medical personnel to the school and transformed the original two 6th grade classrooms (Narnia and Treasure Island) into a series of surgical suites staffed by parent M.D.s and Legacy Emanuel support personnel. After several years, Dr. Claudia Gallison then stepped up to take on Surgery Day, coordinating tasks and keeping the tradition alive. In recent years Dr. Karen Selden has led the program and organized the parent volunteers. Over the years many M.D. specialists, nurses, equipment company representatives, and support personnel have volunteered for Surgery Day—before, during, and after their children attended the 6th grade. Many other medical specialists volunteered because they worked with a school parent. Thousands of hours and many thousands of dollars in supplies and equipment have been donated and used to provide this priceless experience for our children.
At Surgery Day, the students get to see fields of study or future career possibilities that they didn’t know existed, and different views of role models in the medical field. Students are excited to visit each surgical station, and eager to see the new technology and practice skills on the actual equipment used by real doctors. Each station is represented by two or more medical experts, with some stations more simulated than others. When a station shows detailed videos of an operation, or has the student learning to suture a pig’s heart, reality may become too graphic for some. We encourage those that get a bit woozy to step aside from the action and sit down until they feel better. And if a student were to get light-headed, what better place than in a room filled with EMTs and surgeons? It's exciting to imagine how we could duplicate this experience with other topics. As we pursue new ways to incorporate experiential learning at Catlin Gabel, we look forward to the opportunity of adding a Tech Day or Engineering Day, or some other themed activity where parents could share their expertise and passion.
For one school day each year, we toss out our normal routine of individual classes and instead immerse ourselves in a parentled exploration of select state-of-the-art medical technologies. It’s a wonderful and time-tested experiential activity in the 6th grade: Surgery Day. To create a hands-on learning environment, parents in a variety of medical specialties bring their expertise, equipment, and co-workers to Catlin Gabel, and set up mock surgical stations in the 6th grade classrooms. Students rotate among stations in small groups to experience and operate the tools and procedures of the medical trade. They learn how to suture pig hearts and feet, navigate and access the brain for operation, practice minimally invasive surgery techniques, fix simulated facial fractures, place casts, open an airway, use cardiology equipment, and observe ultrasound operation. Surgery Day has grown over the past 20 years but, like many Catlin Gabel traditions, it started small, with a magical confluence of serendipity, interest, talent, time, and encouragement. The program began in the 1980s, when 6th grade teachers invited a few parents to share their medical 13
The Caller | www.catlin.edu/thecaller
The students get to see fields of study or future career possibilities that they didn’t know existed, and different views of role models in the medical field. The Caller |Fall 2016
14
On The Pitch
Davis-Gant Varsity Soccer Field, September 10, 2016 Catlin Gabel vs. Cascade Christian
Catlin Gabel has a good balance of being competitive, but it's also about making sure that people feel involved. —Maya Fernandez-Powell '18, Team Captain (No. 2)
Learn more about Maya. Watch the video at www.catlin.edu/thecaller.
15
The Caller | www.catlin.edu/thecaller
The Caller | Fall 2016
16
On The Pitch
Davis-Gant Varsity Soccer Field, September 10, 2016 Catlin Gabel vs. Cascade Christian
Catlin Gabel has a good balance of being competitive, but it's also about making sure that people feel involved. —Maya Fernandez-Powell '18, Team Captain (No. 2)
Learn more about Maya. Watch the video at www.catlin.edu/thecaller.
15
The Caller | www.catlin.edu/thecaller
The Caller | Fall 2016
16
Class of 2016
COLLEGE CHOICES
Congratulations Graduates! JUNE 11, 2016 We celebrate the Class of 2016 as a unique and influential group: 78 individuals with a collective conscience that changed our culture and moved us forward. In their many pursuits, the campus could barely contain them. They entered the record books with best-in-state performances in track, tennis, swimming, and rowing, while also supporting younger athletes throughout the city as volunteer coaches and mentors. They realized projects with broad social benefits, including a health care nonprofit and an award-winning clean technology solution. They broke through nationally. At conferences and competitions, members of the Class of 2016 were thought leaders in the areas of science, engineering, and public service. The national awards they received highlighted accomplishments as diverse as volunteerism, robotics, and cancer research.
The class stepped up to take responsibility for their school, using their academic training to foster positive change; they brought a democratic approach to a plastic bottle ban initiative, and an empirical approach to the study of student stress. As artists, they shared their talents in exhibits, concerts, dance recitals, and stage plays, including a winter musical that required them to act, sing, and tap dance all at once. The Class of 2016 made a place for itself in the history of the school, and left a positive impression that will influence younger students for years to come. We applaud the members of the class for all that they gave to our community, and for all that they will give to the world.
Photo credit: Joseph Grimes/Joseph Photographer
17
The Caller | www.catlin.edu/thecaller
The 78 members of the class of 2016 chose 62 different colleges in 19 states and two foreign countries. American University Amherst College Arizona State University Bates College Bennington College Boston University (x2) Bowdoin College California Institute of Technology California Lutheran University (x2) Champlain College Colorado College Columbia University Cornell University Cornish College of the Arts Dartmouth College (x3) Dickinson College Duke University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Emerson College The George Washington University Hamilton College
Harvard University (x2) Haverford College Kenyon College Loyola Marymount University Loyola University Chicago Macalester College (x2) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (x2) Mount Holyoke College New York University Northeastern University Occidental College Oregon State University (x3) Pacific University Pitzer College Pomona College (x2) Pratt Institute University of British Columbia University of Chicago University of Edinburgh University of New Mexico University of Notre Dame
University of Oregon (x3) University of the Pacific University of Portland University of Puget Sound (x2) University of Redlands University of Washington Reed College Rochester Institute of Technology Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Sarah Lawrence College Scripps College (x2) Southern Oregon University Stanford University (x2) Wake Forest University Wesleyan University Wheaton College Whitman College Williams College Worcester Polytechnic Institute Yale University (x2) The Caller | Fall 2016
18
Class of 2016
COLLEGE CHOICES
Congratulations Graduates! JUNE 11, 2016 We celebrate the Class of 2016 as a unique and influential group: 78 individuals with a collective conscience that changed our culture and moved us forward. In their many pursuits, the campus could barely contain them. They entered the record books with best-in-state performances in track, tennis, swimming, and rowing, while also supporting younger athletes throughout the city as volunteer coaches and mentors. They realized projects with broad social benefits, including a health care nonprofit and an award-winning clean technology solution. They broke through nationally. At conferences and competitions, members of the Class of 2016 were thought leaders in the areas of science, engineering, and public service. The national awards they received highlighted accomplishments as diverse as volunteerism, robotics, and cancer research.
The class stepped up to take responsibility for their school, using their academic training to foster positive change; they brought a democratic approach to a plastic bottle ban initiative, and an empirical approach to the study of student stress. As artists, they shared their talents in exhibits, concerts, dance recitals, and stage plays, including a winter musical that required them to act, sing, and tap dance all at once. The Class of 2016 made a place for itself in the history of the school, and left a positive impression that will influence younger students for years to come. We applaud the members of the class for all that they gave to our community, and for all that they will give to the world.
Photo credit: Joseph Grimes/Joseph Photographer
17
The Caller | www.catlin.edu/thecaller
The 78 members of the class of 2016 chose 62 different colleges in 19 states and two foreign countries. American University Amherst College Arizona State University Bates College Bennington College Boston University (x2) Bowdoin College California Institute of Technology California Lutheran University (x2) Champlain College Colorado College Columbia University Cornell University Cornish College of the Arts Dartmouth College (x3) Dickinson College Duke University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Emerson College The George Washington University Hamilton College
Harvard University (x2) Haverford College Kenyon College Loyola Marymount University Loyola University Chicago Macalester College (x2) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (x2) Mount Holyoke College New York University Northeastern University Occidental College Oregon State University (x3) Pacific University Pitzer College Pomona College (x2) Pratt Institute University of British Columbia University of Chicago University of Edinburgh University of New Mexico University of Notre Dame
University of Oregon (x3) University of the Pacific University of Portland University of Puget Sound (x2) University of Redlands University of Washington Reed College Rochester Institute of Technology Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Sarah Lawrence College Scripps College (x2) Southern Oregon University Stanford University (x2) Wake Forest University Wesleyan University Wheaton College Whitman College Williams College Worcester Polytechnic Institute Yale University (x2) The Caller | Fall 2016
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Alumni Weekend OCTOBER 7—8, 2016
THIS PAGE/CLOCKWISE CLASS OF 1966 ALUMNI SOCCER GAME (L TO R): Chris Dorough ’03, Betsy Clark Pridmore ’86, Derrick Butler ’86, Nick Toren ’91, David Baumeister ’86, Pete Gail ’96, and Daniel Butts ’96
“ The Class of ’86 is this
PINE CONE GUILD LUNCHEON: Mary Rob Joss Finch ’58 and Frey Diack Stearns ’58
amazing tapestry that started in the Beehive and extends through to this moment….Every single person that was ever in our class has added to the pattern of this tapestry. In this way, it is much bigger than any single individual.”
CLASS OF 1976
“ From the early morning gathering to rake leaf
compost to the late night farewells at our wonderful dinner in the Dant House, our class was so happy! To be together in the place where we first formed friendships, beliefs, skills, and stories was deeply meaningful to us. ”
-Nancy Morris-Judd ’86
- Hester Buell Carr ’76
THIS PAGE/CLOCKWISE CLASS OF 1986 ALUMNITALKS SPEAKERS (L TO R): Jelani Greenidge ’94, Nkenge Harmon Johnson ’93, Ramsey McPhillips ’76, Karen Hardigg ’95, and Ilan Caron ’71 CLASS OF 2001 CLASS OF 1996
19
The Caller | www.catlin.edu/thecaller
The Caller | Fall 2016
20
Alumni Weekend OCTOBER 7—8, 2016
THIS PAGE/CLOCKWISE CLASS OF 1966 ALUMNI SOCCER GAME (L TO R): Chris Dorough ’03, Betsy Clark Pridmore ’86, Derrick Butler ’86, Nick Toren ’91, David Baumeister ’86, Pete Gail ’96, and Daniel Butts ’96
“ The Class of ’86 is this
PINE CONE GUILD LUNCHEON: Mary Rob Joss Finch ’58 and Frey Diack Stearns ’58
amazing tapestry that started in the Beehive and extends through to this moment….Every single person that was ever in our class has added to the pattern of this tapestry. In this way, it is much bigger than any single individual.”
CLASS OF 1976
“ From the early morning gathering to rake leaf
compost to the late night farewells at our wonderful dinner in the Dant House, our class was so happy! To be together in the place where we first formed friendships, beliefs, skills, and stories was deeply meaningful to us. ”
-Nancy Morris-Judd ’86
- Hester Buell Carr ’76
THIS PAGE/CLOCKWISE CLASS OF 1986 ALUMNITALKS SPEAKERS (L TO R): Jelani Greenidge ’94, Nkenge Harmon Johnson ’93, Ramsey McPhillips ’76, Karen Hardigg ’95, and Ilan Caron ’71 CLASS OF 2001 CLASS OF 1996
19
The Caller | www.catlin.edu/thecaller
The Caller | Fall 2016
20
Class Notes Liaisons are listed for each class. Please send your class notes for the next issue of The Caller to your class liaison or alumni@catlin.edu.
1962
In August, the Alumni Relations Office received this email message: “Hello, my name is Patrick Meyer. I have a friend from college (U of O) who graduated from Catlin Gabel in 1962. His name is Frank Oulman. We lost contact with one another a long while ago and I’d appreciate it if you would pass my name and email contact on to Frank in hopes that he’d try contacting me.” Later the same month, we received this follow-up email from Frank Oulman: “Thank you very much for sending me this email as I’ve been searching for Pat now almost 50 years. We lost touch with each other when we left the U of O and went into the service, Vietnam time. I’m anxious to hear from him and maybe be able to make contact again.”
my 8th grade teacher! I now reside in Philadelphia and have recently retired from the Germantown Friends School after a 35-year career teaching there and seven more years of teaching in other places. Big news has happened in my life: all very exciting! I won the PAEMST—the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching.”
1969
Erik Bergman writes, “When a classmate passes on, it’s important to gather, remember and tell stories. Peace be with the family of Charles “Chuck” Cory, and thanks to Jane Lee Roundtree for bringing together so many classmates at his service. Chuck was a Catlin Gabel friend and member of the infamous high-school lunch group known as Erik Bergman and the Animals.” Erik also reports that he and Erin Fairbairn-Stammer ’86 are involved with Toastmasters International.
1964
David Markewitz, a longtime stamp collector, has opened the Uptown Stamp Show shop on NW Westover Road. He is also a practicing attorney at Markewitz Herbold PC.
1967
Geoffrey Selling writes, “Hi Catlin Gabel, I didn’t graduate from Honey Hollow Farm campus but attended Catlin Hillside through eighth grade—and graduated with Schauff as 21
talk at the Cedar Mill Library on “Theodore Roosevelt: Explorer, Reformer, Conservationist.”
1971
Liaison: Muffie Latourette
Scanlan, muffie130@comcast. net
Charlotte Digregorio has won thirty-eight poetry awards and exhibits her work throughout the Chicago area where she lives. Her recent exhibits have been at libraries, including the Chicago Public Library, and at convention centers, art galleries, and museums. In early August the city of Vancouver, B.C. announced that Gil Kelley will serve as its new chief planner and general manager of the newly-created department of Planning, Urban Design, and Sustainability.
1972
Warren Hatch has published a new book, In One Yard: Close to Nature, which centers on how he transformed his small yard into an eco-balanced Pacific Northwest habitat.
1973
Left to Right: Jordan Schnitzer ’69; Jean Cory, former Catlin Gabel Board Chair and mother of Chuck Cory ’69; Steve Bachelder ’69; Erik Bergman ’69; and Steve Babson ’69
1970
Sig Unander, author of Lonely Courage and Strike of the Aztec Eagles!, gave a
The Caller | www.catlin.edu/thecaller
Liaison: Ted Kaye & Debbie Ehrman Kaye, djek53@aol. com Steve Swire writes, “We continue to live in the San Francisco Bay Area, southern Marin County, about 20 minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Daughter Aislinn, now 18, is a sophomore at American University in D.C., and son Sam is entering 8th grade—
getting ready to apply for high schools, something we were fortunate to not have to do back in the wonder days at CG. Life is busy, and fortunately all are healthy and we’re doing well! Love visiting Portland when the opportunity arises!” Jazz artist Darby Williams announced the release of a new lyric video for her duet with Peabo Bryson, “No One Knows,” off her debut album, ME. Bob Bonaparte writes, “I am delighted to report that I am entering my 10th season as the volunteer CG mock trial coach. Our varsity team was thrilled this year to make it to the state championship match (out of around 75 teams throughout the state). Although we narrowly lost to West Linn, the Catlin Gabel students were commended by the jury for their skill and professionalism.” Michael Mills has been at Oregon Solutions, the state’s collaborative governance program (within Portland State University’s Hatfield School of Government) for five years. As a project manager he has facilitated collaboratives ranging from two-way synchronized distance learning in Lakeview (connecting with Klamath Community College) to the conception of the Cottonwood Canyon Experience Center on the John Day River. Jack Gray writes, “The big news for us is that we are grandparents. My son, Sam, and his wife, Sarah, had a wonderful baby girl, Anne, on July 28th. It’s
fun to be a grandparent. This past year my wife, Mary Jo, our longterm partners, and I sold part of our interest in Winter Green Farm to our younger partners. We sold them the vegetable business of the farm while we still own and manage the land and livestock. One of the other areas I have been spending my time on is Measure 99, Outdoor School For All. I am a firm believer in the power of getting kids outdoors to learn about themselves and the natural world.” Ted Kaye recently wrote the article on the Catlin Gabel School for the Oregon Encyclopedia—a curated online resource coordinated by the Oregon Historical Society. He found it an interesting challenge to summarize the school and its history in 750 words.
and other alumni (See more in the In Memoriam section of this issue). Ann Shoemaker von Ofenheim writes, “I thoroughly enjoy being an Airbnb 5-star host. I’ve hosted guests from around the world and would welcome any Catlin folks who are in the neighborhood! Look me up in Multnomah Village.” Len Carr writes that he “continues into year 27 at Catlin Gabel, add 8 from Seattle years and it’s 35 in the biz. Grown up daughters thriving including Emily Carr Bellos ’02 and husband Alex Bellos ’02 and their two kids Noah and Lily; Julia Carr ’05 works in school garden management in L.A. with The Kitchen Community, and Hannah Carr ’07, recently engaged and planning a summer 2017 wedding, is into her second year of teaching at 1974 Seaside Elementary School." Kim Seiniger has been Len adds that Hester Buell Executive Director of Music Carr ’76 celebrated her 40th Production at Paramount CGS reunion with classmates Pictures for the past 29 years, in charge of all aspects in October at Reunion Weekend and she continues of physical recording of with Legacy Health Care music for pre-production, systems as a clinical nurse production, and postproduction of motion pictures. specialist, and was nominated by March of Dimes as Oregon Nurse of the Year. 1975 "We keep super busy between Liaison: Len Carr, carrl@ family and friends, work and catlin.edu play and plenty of time at The class of 1975 coast and Cascades, and at acknowledges the recent the gym.” Dan Schauffler passing of Broughton Bishop, and his wife Anne have father of John Bishop and contributed their time, energy, other alumni; Pete Hillman, and artistic savvy to produce father of Hilary Hillman the musical performances and other alumni; and Eve at the Lake Oswego Festival MacVeagh Bachman ’44, of the Arts for the past 11 mother of Sally Bachman years. Joni Dougherty
Carlson earned a second BS in computer science from OSU in 2015. Suzi Ehrman has been back in Portland for about two years–feel free to reach out to her–and she was pleasantly surprised to run into schoolmate Tom Buell, Jr. ’74, who also recently relocated back to Portland. Joel Ivey writes, “We just finished a holiday touring the sapphire mines along the Missouri River and panning gold nuggets in Virginia City, Montana. We followed that adventure by working our way through Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, and ended up at a rock and mineral show in Denver, Colorado. I am heading back overseas next week to continue exploration.” Sarah Kelley and husband Jerry will be re-locating to Portland in the summer of 2017. Sarah and Jerry will split time between Portland and Boise (where they have a home and two grandbabies). But they will mostly be in Portland, and Sarah is excited to be returning. Sarah is in Portland this fall, and looking forward to connecting. Laurie Gray Mootz reports that, after 30 years of raising six children, her youngest is just off to Texas Christian University on a horse riding scholarship – “at long last an empty nest.” John Bishop reports alum sightings at this year’s Pendleton Roundup including Jordan Schnitzer ’69 and Susan Schnitzer Goodman ’74. As for John’s three alum children: Robert ’08 is in Shanghai
selling beer, Mary ’11 is in NYC job hunting, and Will ’13 is finishing college at University of Denver. Bill Rosen continues working as a doctor in Missoula and hopes to bring youngest son Max to a Blazer game this season. Bill’s father Sid Rosen passed away some years ago, and mother Micki moved to Minneapolis to be closer to sister Sue Rosen. Terry Kem writes, “I split my time in Portland and at my farm near my extended family home, Deer Island Stock Ranch. I am also still involved in running this ranch with my other brothers and sisters. One of my joys is sharing and teaching animal tracking and outdoor awareness skills. Most of my teaching now is with adults with interest in the environmental education/ science fields.”
1976
Liaison: Hester Buell Carr, hbc58@aol.com Hester Buell Carr celebrated her 40th CGS reunion with classmates in October at Reunion Weekend. She continues with Legacy Health Care systems as a clinical nurse specialist and was nominated by March of Dimes as Oregon Nurse of the Year.
1977
Valerie Day has released a new album with her band Nu Shooz titled Bag Town. A photograph by Michael Marlitt, titled “Three Skiffs,” was selected for Fotofoto Gallery’s Second The Caller | Fall 2016
22
Class Notes Liaisons are listed for each class. Please send your class notes for the next issue of The Caller to your class liaison or alumni@catlin.edu.
1962
In August, the Alumni Relations Office received this email message: “Hello, my name is Patrick Meyer. I have a friend from college (U of O) who graduated from Catlin Gabel in 1962. His name is Frank Oulman. We lost contact with one another a long while ago and I’d appreciate it if you would pass my name and email contact on to Frank in hopes that he’d try contacting me.” Later the same month, we received this follow-up email from Frank Oulman: “Thank you very much for sending me this email as I’ve been searching for Pat now almost 50 years. We lost touch with each other when we left the U of O and went into the service, Vietnam time. I’m anxious to hear from him and maybe be able to make contact again.”
my 8th grade teacher! I now reside in Philadelphia and have recently retired from the Germantown Friends School after a 35-year career teaching there and seven more years of teaching in other places. Big news has happened in my life: all very exciting! I won the PAEMST—the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching.”
1969
Erik Bergman writes, “When a classmate passes on, it’s important to gather, remember and tell stories. Peace be with the family of Charles “Chuck” Cory, and thanks to Jane Lee Roundtree for bringing together so many classmates at his service. Chuck was a Catlin Gabel friend and member of the infamous high-school lunch group known as Erik Bergman and the Animals.” Erik also reports that he and Erin Fairbairn-Stammer ’86 are involved with Toastmasters International.
1964
David Markewitz, a longtime stamp collector, has opened the Uptown Stamp Show shop on NW Westover Road. He is also a practicing attorney at Markewitz Herbold PC.
1967
Geoffrey Selling writes, “Hi Catlin Gabel, I didn’t graduate from Honey Hollow Farm campus but attended Catlin Hillside through eighth grade—and graduated with Schauff as 21
talk at the Cedar Mill Library on “Theodore Roosevelt: Explorer, Reformer, Conservationist.”
1971
Liaison: Muffie Latourette
Scanlan, muffie130@comcast. net
Charlotte Digregorio has won thirty-eight poetry awards and exhibits her work throughout the Chicago area where she lives. Her recent exhibits have been at libraries, including the Chicago Public Library, and at convention centers, art galleries, and museums. In early August the city of Vancouver, B.C. announced that Gil Kelley will serve as its new chief planner and general manager of the newly-created department of Planning, Urban Design, and Sustainability.
1972
Warren Hatch has published a new book, In One Yard: Close to Nature, which centers on how he transformed his small yard into an eco-balanced Pacific Northwest habitat.
1973
Left to Right: Jordan Schnitzer ’69; Jean Cory, former Catlin Gabel Board Chair and mother of Chuck Cory ’69; Steve Bachelder ’69; Erik Bergman ’69; and Steve Babson ’69
1970
Sig Unander, author of Lonely Courage and Strike of the Aztec Eagles!, gave a
The Caller | www.catlin.edu/thecaller
Liaison: Ted Kaye & Debbie Ehrman Kaye, djek53@aol. com Steve Swire writes, “We continue to live in the San Francisco Bay Area, southern Marin County, about 20 minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Daughter Aislinn, now 18, is a sophomore at American University in D.C., and son Sam is entering 8th grade—
getting ready to apply for high schools, something we were fortunate to not have to do back in the wonder days at CG. Life is busy, and fortunately all are healthy and we’re doing well! Love visiting Portland when the opportunity arises!” Jazz artist Darby Williams announced the release of a new lyric video for her duet with Peabo Bryson, “No One Knows,” off her debut album, ME. Bob Bonaparte writes, “I am delighted to report that I am entering my 10th season as the volunteer CG mock trial coach. Our varsity team was thrilled this year to make it to the state championship match (out of around 75 teams throughout the state). Although we narrowly lost to West Linn, the Catlin Gabel students were commended by the jury for their skill and professionalism.” Michael Mills has been at Oregon Solutions, the state’s collaborative governance program (within Portland State University’s Hatfield School of Government) for five years. As a project manager he has facilitated collaboratives ranging from two-way synchronized distance learning in Lakeview (connecting with Klamath Community College) to the conception of the Cottonwood Canyon Experience Center on the John Day River. Jack Gray writes, “The big news for us is that we are grandparents. My son, Sam, and his wife, Sarah, had a wonderful baby girl, Anne, on July 28th. It’s
fun to be a grandparent. This past year my wife, Mary Jo, our longterm partners, and I sold part of our interest in Winter Green Farm to our younger partners. We sold them the vegetable business of the farm while we still own and manage the land and livestock. One of the other areas I have been spending my time on is Measure 99, Outdoor School For All. I am a firm believer in the power of getting kids outdoors to learn about themselves and the natural world.” Ted Kaye recently wrote the article on the Catlin Gabel School for the Oregon Encyclopedia—a curated online resource coordinated by the Oregon Historical Society. He found it an interesting challenge to summarize the school and its history in 750 words.
and other alumni (See more in the In Memoriam section of this issue). Ann Shoemaker von Ofenheim writes, “I thoroughly enjoy being an Airbnb 5-star host. I’ve hosted guests from around the world and would welcome any Catlin folks who are in the neighborhood! Look me up in Multnomah Village.” Len Carr writes that he “continues into year 27 at Catlin Gabel, add 8 from Seattle years and it’s 35 in the biz. Grown up daughters thriving including Emily Carr Bellos ’02 and husband Alex Bellos ’02 and their two kids Noah and Lily; Julia Carr ’05 works in school garden management in L.A. with The Kitchen Community, and Hannah Carr ’07, recently engaged and planning a summer 2017 wedding, is into her second year of teaching at 1974 Seaside Elementary School." Kim Seiniger has been Len adds that Hester Buell Executive Director of Music Carr ’76 celebrated her 40th Production at Paramount CGS reunion with classmates Pictures for the past 29 years, in charge of all aspects in October at Reunion Weekend and she continues of physical recording of with Legacy Health Care music for pre-production, systems as a clinical nurse production, and postproduction of motion pictures. specialist, and was nominated by March of Dimes as Oregon Nurse of the Year. 1975 "We keep super busy between Liaison: Len Carr, carrl@ family and friends, work and catlin.edu play and plenty of time at The class of 1975 coast and Cascades, and at acknowledges the recent the gym.” Dan Schauffler passing of Broughton Bishop, and his wife Anne have father of John Bishop and contributed their time, energy, other alumni; Pete Hillman, and artistic savvy to produce father of Hilary Hillman the musical performances and other alumni; and Eve at the Lake Oswego Festival MacVeagh Bachman ’44, of the Arts for the past 11 mother of Sally Bachman years. Joni Dougherty
Carlson earned a second BS in computer science from OSU in 2015. Suzi Ehrman has been back in Portland for about two years–feel free to reach out to her–and she was pleasantly surprised to run into schoolmate Tom Buell, Jr. ’74, who also recently relocated back to Portland. Joel Ivey writes, “We just finished a holiday touring the sapphire mines along the Missouri River and panning gold nuggets in Virginia City, Montana. We followed that adventure by working our way through Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, and ended up at a rock and mineral show in Denver, Colorado. I am heading back overseas next week to continue exploration.” Sarah Kelley and husband Jerry will be re-locating to Portland in the summer of 2017. Sarah and Jerry will split time between Portland and Boise (where they have a home and two grandbabies). But they will mostly be in Portland, and Sarah is excited to be returning. Sarah is in Portland this fall, and looking forward to connecting. Laurie Gray Mootz reports that, after 30 years of raising six children, her youngest is just off to Texas Christian University on a horse riding scholarship – “at long last an empty nest.” John Bishop reports alum sightings at this year’s Pendleton Roundup including Jordan Schnitzer ’69 and Susan Schnitzer Goodman ’74. As for John’s three alum children: Robert ’08 is in Shanghai
selling beer, Mary ’11 is in NYC job hunting, and Will ’13 is finishing college at University of Denver. Bill Rosen continues working as a doctor in Missoula and hopes to bring youngest son Max to a Blazer game this season. Bill’s father Sid Rosen passed away some years ago, and mother Micki moved to Minneapolis to be closer to sister Sue Rosen. Terry Kem writes, “I split my time in Portland and at my farm near my extended family home, Deer Island Stock Ranch. I am also still involved in running this ranch with my other brothers and sisters. One of my joys is sharing and teaching animal tracking and outdoor awareness skills. Most of my teaching now is with adults with interest in the environmental education/ science fields.”
1976
Liaison: Hester Buell Carr, hbc58@aol.com Hester Buell Carr celebrated her 40th CGS reunion with classmates in October at Reunion Weekend. She continues with Legacy Health Care systems as a clinical nurse specialist and was nominated by March of Dimes as Oregon Nurse of the Year.
1977
Valerie Day has released a new album with her band Nu Shooz titled Bag Town. A photograph by Michael Marlitt, titled “Three Skiffs,” was selected for Fotofoto Gallery’s Second The Caller | Fall 2016
22
Class Notes 1987
Alison Sokol Blosser welcomed baby Isabella in Liaison: Megan Sullivan February 2016. She joins Shipley, shipleymegan@ Luca (6) and Dario (8). gmail.com Soren Heitmann-Kern is moving to Johannesburg 1988 after five years of living in 1979 Liaison: John Walsdorf, Istanbul. Sarah Coates Liaison: Jim Bilbao, johnwalsII@aol.com Huggins, her husband jimbilbao@gmail.com Chris, and daughter Una (2), welcomed son Charles 1989 Walker Huggins on March Liaison: Robyn Rhodes 1982 28. They are having too Liaison: Mary Rondthaler, Rogers, hicktownmom@ much fun as a family of four. gmail.com maryrondthaler@gmail. Libbie Schrader has just com graduated with her second 1990 Paul Folkestad has taken master’s degree in theology. Liaison: Heather a new position as executive Libbie’s master’s thesis, “Was chef at Eagle’s Landing, and Gaudry Blackburn, hblackburn13@gmail.com Martha of Bethany Added writes, “It’s a great place to the Fourth Gospel in the with great people. A family Second Century?,” has been 1991 place hosting events of all selected for publication by kinds. Check it out when you An interview conducted by the Harvard Theological Rukaiyah Adams with have a minute.” Review. Libbie has also Pulitzer Prize-wining author accepted admission to the Isabel Wilkerson (The PhD program at Boston 1983 Warmth of Other Suns) University’s School of Adrienne Hayes appeared in the spring issue Wannamaker had a solo art Theology. of Oregon Humanities exhibit of her mixed-media magazine. work this summer at the Steel 1998 Door Gallery in Portland. Liaison: Will Decherd, 1992 Traci Rossi has been wdecherd@gmail.com Liaison: Jamie Bell, hired as executive director Lyla J. Andrews Bashan jamico1974@hotmail. of Innovative Changes in received Catlin Gabel’s com & Ashley Tibbs, Portland, an organization Distinguished Alumni Service that helps low-income people tibbsashley@gmail.com Award this year (see News, build their long-term financial page 28 ). She wishes she health. Traci has also joined 1993 could have been there for the the Catlin Gabel Alumni Liaison: Jen McDonald, Alumni Weekend and awards Board. jenmcdonald74@gmail. ceremony, but she has recently started a four-year tour with com USAID in Armenia with her 1984 husband and two daughters. Liaison: Victoria Patrick 1995 Katie Sharff writes, “We Lloyd, victoria.s.lloyd@ Liaison: Lisa Kleinman, live in Lake Oswego. I have gmail.com lisa_kleinman@hotmail. a 3.5-year-old boy and com 16-month-old daughter. I 1985 work as an infectious disease 1997 Liaison: Bryan Ward physician for Kaiser which bryan@skywardconstruc- Liaison: Sarah Coates is pretty interesting. My Huggins, sarahlcoates@ tion.com husband is a head and neck gmail.com International “Phoneography” show in August in Huntington, NY, an exhibit of images taken by cell phones.
23
The Caller | www.catlin.edu/thecaller
surgeon. Life is busy but so fun with the kids!” Sophie Ragsdale is currently putting her master’s degree in social work toward a real estate career in Brooklyn, NY, and New York City. Her agent profile can be found on the Corcoran Group Real Estate website. Amanda Kison writes, “I am living in Sarasota, FL, which for those who aren’t familiar, consistently gets voted as having the best beaches in the U.S. (i.e, come visit and say hi). I am a commercial litigation attorney, and when not working enjoy spending time with my husband and 21-monthold daughter.” Heidi and Demetri Tsohantaridis recently welcomed their fifth baby while working on their fifteenth year of marriage. Heidi’s full time job is taking care of the kids and Demetri has the much easier job of running his own law firm in downtown Newberg.
1999
Liaison: Nasim Gorji, ngorji@gmail.com Laura Horak has just had a book published, after 10 years of research, that has received much acclaim from reviewers and critics: Girls Will Be Boys: Crossdressed Women, Lesbians, and American Cinema, 1908-1934. She is also the coeditor of an award-winning anthology, Silent Cinema and the Politics of Space. Laura is an assistant professor of film studies at Carleton University in Ottowa. Duncan McDonnell was
2002
in Portland. Yay!” Emily Carr Bellos and Alex Liaison: Kelsey Rotwein Bellos write, “On March Schagemann, kelsey. 29th we welcomed our second schagemann@gmail.com child, Lily Alice Bellos. She is Sprinavasa Bell Brown beloved by her older brother and her husband Jesse Noah.” Megan Lundeberg welcomed a baby girl, Naira writes, “After completing a Marie Simone Brown, on five-year General Surgery April 6. This summer Sprina residency at Seattle’s Swedish also successfully launched Hospital, I have relocated Camp ELSO Inc., a nonprofit to UC Irvine for a one year organization she founded fellowship in Trauma and whose summer program Surgical Critical Care.” provides environmental and life science education for children of color from schools 2000 across the Portland Metro Liaison: Natasha Stoudt, area. Brittany Douglas secretnatasha@gmail.com Janssens manages an Terry Esvelt reports that irrigation solutions company Kevin Esvelt was named that distributes modern one of the “35 Innovators irrigation technologies Under 35” by the MIT to commercial farmers, Technology Review, an agribusinesses, NGOs, and annual highlighting of young government agencies in East Naira Marie Simone, daughter of leaders who are “disrupters Africa. She lives in Arusha, Sprinavasa Bell Brown ’02 and her and dreamers….persistent Tanzania, with her husband husband Jesse and inquisitive, inspired and Axel, a Belgian chef whom inspiring.” Terry adds, “All she married this summer of these qualities, we believe, in Italy. Christian Ervin were fostered during Kevin’s writes, “This summer I time at Catlin Gabel.” Kevin married Kate Smaby on the works at MIT’s Media Lab East Bay of North Star Lake developing ways to influence in the Chippewa National how ecosystems evolve. Forest of northern Minnesota. After several years spent living 2001 on the canals of Amsterdam, Liaison: Tyler Francis, we recently moved to the catlin@tylerf.net low hills of the East Bay of Christa (Thoeresz) San Francisco. I would love Stout and her husband Jake Emilia Kay, daughter of Aren Edlundto connect/reconnect with welcomed their daughter, Jermain ’02 and his wife Michelle any former Catlin Gabel Riley Quinn, on May 5, folks in the Bay Area.” Aren 2016. Tyler Francis, his Edlund-Jermain writes, wife Melissa, and their “My wife Michelle and I children Lily (3) and Will (1) had a baby girl on May 9th, moved back to Portland this Emilia Kay. I also started a summer. Tyler currently works new job in January at Jaguar for a federal judge in Portland Land Rover as a lead software and Melissa is a physician at developer on their remote St. Vincent. vehicle interaction team here Camp ELSO campers in the media last June after stepping in to deal with a hostage situation at the High Desert Museum in Bend; because of Duncan’s action, the victim was released unharmed. “I still can’t tell if I was at the wrong place at the right time, or the right place at the wrong time,” Duncan told The Oregonian, “But I know I wouldn’t have been able to stand back, listen and watch. I wouldn’t have forgiven myself.”
2003
Liaison: Lauren Collins, laurencollins03@gmail. com
2004
Liaison: Hannah Aultman, Hannah.aultman@gmail. com Elizabeth Gibbs and Nick Fenster became the proud parents of Emily Jane Gibbs Fenster in May. She is healthy and happy and so are her parents. Elizabeth is a Catlin Gabel Upper School English, drama, and dance teacher, on leave during the 2016-17 school year to spend time with Emily. Anushka Shenoy married Jeremy Klitzke on July 3 at the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden. In attendance were many Catlin Gabel alumni, including Rivka Shenoy ’09, Madison Kaplan, Valerie Coit Luckenbill, Hernan Garcia, Scott Thompson, Nima Karamooz, Deni Ponganis, David Recordon, Simeon Wessinger, Liane Chappell ’01, Tomas Garcia ’08, Isha Tirumali ’08, and Rohan ’10 and Rahul Borkar ’13. The newlyweds celebrated their honeymoon by summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro. Madison Kaplan recently relocated to Portland and joined the business group at the firm Ater Wynne LLP, where she practices corporate and securities law. Andy Young is in his final year of medical training and will move to southern Oregon with his wife Hannah next summer. Brian Farris The Caller | Fall 2016
24
Class Notes 1987
Alison Sokol Blosser welcomed baby Isabella in Liaison: Megan Sullivan February 2016. She joins Shipley, shipleymegan@ Luca (6) and Dario (8). gmail.com Soren Heitmann-Kern is moving to Johannesburg 1988 after five years of living in 1979 Liaison: John Walsdorf, Istanbul. Sarah Coates Liaison: Jim Bilbao, johnwalsII@aol.com Huggins, her husband jimbilbao@gmail.com Chris, and daughter Una (2), welcomed son Charles 1989 Walker Huggins on March Liaison: Robyn Rhodes 1982 28. They are having too Liaison: Mary Rondthaler, Rogers, hicktownmom@ much fun as a family of four. gmail.com maryrondthaler@gmail. Libbie Schrader has just com graduated with her second 1990 Paul Folkestad has taken master’s degree in theology. Liaison: Heather a new position as executive Libbie’s master’s thesis, “Was chef at Eagle’s Landing, and Gaudry Blackburn, hblackburn13@gmail.com Martha of Bethany Added writes, “It’s a great place to the Fourth Gospel in the with great people. A family Second Century?,” has been 1991 place hosting events of all selected for publication by kinds. Check it out when you An interview conducted by the Harvard Theological Rukaiyah Adams with have a minute.” Review. Libbie has also Pulitzer Prize-wining author accepted admission to the Isabel Wilkerson (The PhD program at Boston 1983 Warmth of Other Suns) University’s School of Adrienne Hayes appeared in the spring issue Wannamaker had a solo art Theology. of Oregon Humanities exhibit of her mixed-media magazine. work this summer at the Steel 1998 Door Gallery in Portland. Liaison: Will Decherd, 1992 Traci Rossi has been wdecherd@gmail.com Liaison: Jamie Bell, hired as executive director Lyla J. Andrews Bashan jamico1974@hotmail. of Innovative Changes in received Catlin Gabel’s com & Ashley Tibbs, Portland, an organization Distinguished Alumni Service that helps low-income people tibbsashley@gmail.com Award this year (see News, build their long-term financial page 28 ). She wishes she health. Traci has also joined 1993 could have been there for the the Catlin Gabel Alumni Liaison: Jen McDonald, Alumni Weekend and awards Board. jenmcdonald74@gmail. ceremony, but she has recently started a four-year tour with com USAID in Armenia with her 1984 husband and two daughters. Liaison: Victoria Patrick 1995 Katie Sharff writes, “We Lloyd, victoria.s.lloyd@ Liaison: Lisa Kleinman, live in Lake Oswego. I have gmail.com lisa_kleinman@hotmail. a 3.5-year-old boy and com 16-month-old daughter. I 1985 work as an infectious disease 1997 Liaison: Bryan Ward physician for Kaiser which bryan@skywardconstruc- Liaison: Sarah Coates is pretty interesting. My Huggins, sarahlcoates@ tion.com husband is a head and neck gmail.com International “Phoneography” show in August in Huntington, NY, an exhibit of images taken by cell phones.
23
The Caller | www.catlin.edu/thecaller
surgeon. Life is busy but so fun with the kids!” Sophie Ragsdale is currently putting her master’s degree in social work toward a real estate career in Brooklyn, NY, and New York City. Her agent profile can be found on the Corcoran Group Real Estate website. Amanda Kison writes, “I am living in Sarasota, FL, which for those who aren’t familiar, consistently gets voted as having the best beaches in the U.S. (i.e, come visit and say hi). I am a commercial litigation attorney, and when not working enjoy spending time with my husband and 21-monthold daughter.” Heidi and Demetri Tsohantaridis recently welcomed their fifth baby while working on their fifteenth year of marriage. Heidi’s full time job is taking care of the kids and Demetri has the much easier job of running his own law firm in downtown Newberg.
1999
Liaison: Nasim Gorji, ngorji@gmail.com Laura Horak has just had a book published, after 10 years of research, that has received much acclaim from reviewers and critics: Girls Will Be Boys: Crossdressed Women, Lesbians, and American Cinema, 1908-1934. She is also the coeditor of an award-winning anthology, Silent Cinema and the Politics of Space. Laura is an assistant professor of film studies at Carleton University in Ottowa. Duncan McDonnell was
2002
in Portland. Yay!” Emily Carr Bellos and Alex Liaison: Kelsey Rotwein Bellos write, “On March Schagemann, kelsey. 29th we welcomed our second schagemann@gmail.com child, Lily Alice Bellos. She is Sprinavasa Bell Brown beloved by her older brother and her husband Jesse Noah.” Megan Lundeberg welcomed a baby girl, Naira writes, “After completing a Marie Simone Brown, on five-year General Surgery April 6. This summer Sprina residency at Seattle’s Swedish also successfully launched Hospital, I have relocated Camp ELSO Inc., a nonprofit to UC Irvine for a one year organization she founded fellowship in Trauma and whose summer program Surgical Critical Care.” provides environmental and life science education for children of color from schools 2000 across the Portland Metro Liaison: Natasha Stoudt, area. Brittany Douglas secretnatasha@gmail.com Janssens manages an Terry Esvelt reports that irrigation solutions company Kevin Esvelt was named that distributes modern one of the “35 Innovators irrigation technologies Under 35” by the MIT to commercial farmers, Technology Review, an agribusinesses, NGOs, and annual highlighting of young government agencies in East Naira Marie Simone, daughter of leaders who are “disrupters Africa. She lives in Arusha, Sprinavasa Bell Brown ’02 and her and dreamers….persistent Tanzania, with her husband husband Jesse and inquisitive, inspired and Axel, a Belgian chef whom inspiring.” Terry adds, “All she married this summer of these qualities, we believe, in Italy. Christian Ervin were fostered during Kevin’s writes, “This summer I time at Catlin Gabel.” Kevin married Kate Smaby on the works at MIT’s Media Lab East Bay of North Star Lake developing ways to influence in the Chippewa National how ecosystems evolve. Forest of northern Minnesota. After several years spent living 2001 on the canals of Amsterdam, Liaison: Tyler Francis, we recently moved to the catlin@tylerf.net low hills of the East Bay of Christa (Thoeresz) San Francisco. I would love Stout and her husband Jake Emilia Kay, daughter of Aren Edlundto connect/reconnect with welcomed their daughter, Jermain ’02 and his wife Michelle any former Catlin Gabel Riley Quinn, on May 5, folks in the Bay Area.” Aren 2016. Tyler Francis, his Edlund-Jermain writes, wife Melissa, and their “My wife Michelle and I children Lily (3) and Will (1) had a baby girl on May 9th, moved back to Portland this Emilia Kay. I also started a summer. Tyler currently works new job in January at Jaguar for a federal judge in Portland Land Rover as a lead software and Melissa is a physician at developer on their remote St. Vincent. vehicle interaction team here Camp ELSO campers in the media last June after stepping in to deal with a hostage situation at the High Desert Museum in Bend; because of Duncan’s action, the victim was released unharmed. “I still can’t tell if I was at the wrong place at the right time, or the right place at the wrong time,” Duncan told The Oregonian, “But I know I wouldn’t have been able to stand back, listen and watch. I wouldn’t have forgiven myself.”
2003
Liaison: Lauren Collins, laurencollins03@gmail. com
2004
Liaison: Hannah Aultman, Hannah.aultman@gmail. com Elizabeth Gibbs and Nick Fenster became the proud parents of Emily Jane Gibbs Fenster in May. She is healthy and happy and so are her parents. Elizabeth is a Catlin Gabel Upper School English, drama, and dance teacher, on leave during the 2016-17 school year to spend time with Emily. Anushka Shenoy married Jeremy Klitzke on July 3 at the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden. In attendance were many Catlin Gabel alumni, including Rivka Shenoy ’09, Madison Kaplan, Valerie Coit Luckenbill, Hernan Garcia, Scott Thompson, Nima Karamooz, Deni Ponganis, David Recordon, Simeon Wessinger, Liane Chappell ’01, Tomas Garcia ’08, Isha Tirumali ’08, and Rohan ’10 and Rahul Borkar ’13. The newlyweds celebrated their honeymoon by summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro. Madison Kaplan recently relocated to Portland and joined the business group at the firm Ater Wynne LLP, where she practices corporate and securities law. Andy Young is in his final year of medical training and will move to southern Oregon with his wife Hannah next summer. Brian Farris The Caller | Fall 2016
24
Class Notes reports that he “married the love of his life, Alexis Farris (née Chong), over Labor Day weekend! Both being graphic designers, the day was full of color, DIY decor, and plenty of laughter. In attendance were Catlin Gabel alumni Patrick Santa (best man), Michael Selkirk (groomsman), Alix Stalnaker, Raissa Graves-Highsmith, Hannah Aultman, Aitor Maiz-Urtizberea, and Alex Mercer. Immediately after they whisked off to Hawaii for sailing, snorkeling, and ATV and helicopter rides, and will live happily ever after.” After seven and a half years together, Alison Lazareck married Matthew Mastrantuono in May in a surprise ceremony, held in their Northeast Portland living room.
Atlanta where Alec works at Cox Communications and Sophie is a 5th grade science teacher. Matt Lundeberg completed his doctorate in clinical psychology at William James College in Newton, MA, and just moved back to Portland to work at Reed College’s Health and Counseling Center for the 2016-17 academic year. After more than five years working for members of Congress on Capitol Hill, Julia Steinberger accepted a position at the Department of State. Though she still misses the West Coast, she’s excited by this new opportunity that will keep her in Washington, D.C., and encourages Catlin Gabel friends to visit. Rollyn Stafford writes, “My short film, A Letter to Bob, premiered at the Portland Film Festival on September 2nd!” Ari ConnollySmith recently moved from Philadelphia to Redding, CA, to work full-time as a flight instructor. Julia Carr works in school garden management in L.A. with The Kitchen Community.
Anushka Shenoy ’04 and Jeremy Klitzke surrounded by Catlin Gabel friends
2005
Liaison: Taylor Kaplan, taylorashleykaplan@ gmail.com Alec MacColl married Sophie Newsom in Atlanta on June 25. The wedding party Sophie Newsom and Alec MacColl ’05 included Megan MacColl ’08 and Alec Roman ’06, 2006 with a number of other Catlin Liaison: Casey Michel, Gabel alumni in attendance. casey.michel@gmail.com Alec and Sophie live in 25
The Caller | www.catlin.edu/thecaller
Megan Amram reports, “I wrote my first crossword puzzle for The New York Times (a Thursday), which was published in July.” Nick Farris says he’s enjoying life in Akron, OH, where there are far more Chipotles than he expected. Olderbrother, the clothing line started by Bobby Bonaparte and Max Kingery ’07, was the subject of a feature story in The New York Times Style Magazine that focused on their spring/summer 2017 collection of T-shirts, shorts, overalls, trousers, and coats called “Summer Camp.”
2007
Liaison: Ben Dair, zencellist@ gmail.com & Rob Kaye, robert.e.kaye@gmail.com Joseph Kemper is beginning his master's in choral conducting at Yale after his wedding earlier this year at St. Olaf to his fiancé Abby. After moving back to Lima, Peru, Alexandra Saavedra is heading up marketing and communications for Endeavor Peru, actively learning business Spanish, and hoping to welcome one and all who would like to visit. After marrying his longtime sweetheart Patricia, Corey Morrow moved out to Polk County to find room for their cats, ducks, chickens and goats. He’s providing self-defense training and is expanding into food production, permaculture, and natural building workshops, and has generously offered great rates
to fellow alums! Whitney Goodman continues to love her boutique WM Goods and has recently moved to a house on Portland's west side. Kayce Coulterpark Hawks and her husband Richard welcomed their daughter Emma into the world this summer, as Kayce finished her school year substituting at Tenino High School outside of Olympia, WA. After having a blast (really) working back at Catlin Gabel in IT, Evan Matsuda moved to Montana where he will pursue a master’s in computer science at Montana State in Bozeman. Dorothy Haruyama moved back to Colorado to begin a PhD program in counseling psychology at Colorado State University. Sarah Wolf is completing her postbaccalaureate program at the Oregon College of Art and Craft and, after a summer of leading outdoor trips and working out of a communal studio space, is setting up her own studio. When not running her own ceramics business, she is adventuring into the mountains as much as possible. Cam McClure has begun her MBA at New York University Stern School of Business where she is always happy to host anyone visiting the city. Colby Mills is loving life and its adventures in Portland where she lives in Northwest just across from fellow 2007 classmate Joey Rose Cardoso. McCall Vollum just began a strategy role at Apple. Maggie Faber began working as a data visualization and analysis
librarian at the University of Washington. Jasper Weinrib has been living in Hayward, CA, teaching PE, but is now returning to Mills College to complete his teaching credential and master’s. Stephen Murphy is still living large in Portland, helping run IT for lumber mills including the always harrowing clambering along metal catwalks above giant saw blades. Andrea “Andy” Moerer has been working on the new Miller Lite campaign since December and wants to go on a solo vacation to a deserted Greek island and not hear her voice for a couple of months or a year. She happily lives in Santa Monica and loves running up the Santa Monica stairs “for fun.” Ben Dair has returned to Portland after receiving his master’s in forestry from Yale, and is working for a nonprofit called Sustainable Northwest and thinking about community and cooperatively-owned renewable energy, water, and forestry. Sherwin Ameri joyfully lives in San Francisco working at Yelp as an account executive for local advertising. In his limited free time he attends classes in product management and hopes to host friends as they visit the Bay Area. Lucas Baker lives in London working on DeepMind when he isn’t traveling the world playing Go, including a weeklong U.S. Go Congress in Boston. Tom Conerly is taking a gap year between jobs to learn machine learning, travel the world, and learn as much as he can about the theory behind
charity and giving. Ann Pyne lives in Portland with her cats Cher and Alanis and her dog Pooper, running a company that throws queer parties and drag shows all over town. Chris Pierce-Wright just moved to Tacoma to clerk for a judge at the Washington State Court of Appeals for two years. Hannah Carr lives in Cannon Beach and is teaching 4th grade at Seaside Heights Elementary. She loves it there, she writes, “being outside every day, surfing, hiking, and foraging, all the yummy stuff. Life is good!” Jens Tamang is living in Minneapolis and working for the Minnesota AIDS Project, beginning a graduate program for occupational therapy at St. Catherine’s University, and writing and painting in his free time. Stew Towle is currently building a barn roof at a queer land sanctuary in Wolf Creek, OR, and serving as communications director and pre-burn coordinator for his Burning Man theme camp. He is recruiting “degenerates and co-creators” for a traveling performance and arts collective. Lilian Ongelungel has joined the staff at Catlin Gabel as the marketing and events coordinator. She is still in the U.S. Army Reserve. Alice Jones teaches high school in Edinburgh, having completed her education degree there last year. For an update on Robert Bishop, see Bishop family news in 1975 notes.
2009
Liaison: Christopher
Skinner, christopher.r.skinner@ gmail.com
2010
Liaison: IngridVan Valkenburg, icvanvalkenburg@ gmail.com
2011
IN MEMORIAM Floran Tannenbaum Ambrunn ’53 Gertrude Abigail “Gail” Angell Sister of Wendy Angell Ross ’59 and Townsend Angell ’70 Eve MacVeagh Bachman ’44 Wife of Roger Bachman and mother of Elizabeth ’74, Sally ’75, and Laura ’77; grandmother of Grant Phillips ’12
Liaison: Sarah Lowenstein, lowensteins@lclark.edu For an update on Mary Douglas Crawford Bayern Bishop, see Bishop family Former after school program news in 1975 notes. teacher
2012
Liaison: Kate Rubenstein, rubinske@whitman.edu
2013
Eve Lowenstein, a Pamplin Scholar at Lewis & Clark College, is the recipient of a Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, an award for undergraduates in the sciences, engineering, and mathematics. Eve is majoring in biochemistry, molecular biology, and mathematics with the intent of pursuing a career in biomedical engineering research. For an update on Will Bishop, see Bishop family news in 1975 notes.
2014
Liaison: Nick Rhodes, nbrhodes@gmail.com
2016
Liaisons: Ellie Nakamoto White, ellienw98@gmail. com, & Christina Spires, alumni@catlin.edu
Broughton “Brot” Bishop ’45 Husband of Mary Voss Bishop ’51; father of John ’75 (married to Suzanne Rinehart Bishop ’76), Charlie ’76, and Harriet Bishop Bakken ’79; grandfather of (John’s children) Robert ’08, Mary ’11, and Will ’13; and (Charlie’s children) Charles ’09, Sam ’10, and George ’14; brother of Morton C. Bishop ’42; and brother-in-law of Mabel Livingstone Bishop ’42 Joann Elizabeth Boyer Mother of Chris ’79, Mark ’80, and Montie ’83 Brian Stuart Campf ’85 Herbert George Cathery Husband of former faculty member Marlyse Cathery (dec.) Earle M. Chiles ’51 Charles Cory ’69 Brother of Peter, Michael ’67, Camilla Cory Streeter ’71, and David ’82; son of Jean Cory, former Catlin Gabel Board Chair Nancy Beth Davis Sister of Dick Davis; sister-in-law of Cameron Layton Davis ’65; aunt of Maril Davis ’90 Marilyn Deering Mother of Thomas, Jr. ’71, Robert The Caller | Fall 2016
26
Class Notes reports that he “married the love of his life, Alexis Farris (née Chong), over Labor Day weekend! Both being graphic designers, the day was full of color, DIY decor, and plenty of laughter. In attendance were Catlin Gabel alumni Patrick Santa (best man), Michael Selkirk (groomsman), Alix Stalnaker, Raissa Graves-Highsmith, Hannah Aultman, Aitor Maiz-Urtizberea, and Alex Mercer. Immediately after they whisked off to Hawaii for sailing, snorkeling, and ATV and helicopter rides, and will live happily ever after.” After seven and a half years together, Alison Lazareck married Matthew Mastrantuono in May in a surprise ceremony, held in their Northeast Portland living room.
Atlanta where Alec works at Cox Communications and Sophie is a 5th grade science teacher. Matt Lundeberg completed his doctorate in clinical psychology at William James College in Newton, MA, and just moved back to Portland to work at Reed College’s Health and Counseling Center for the 2016-17 academic year. After more than five years working for members of Congress on Capitol Hill, Julia Steinberger accepted a position at the Department of State. Though she still misses the West Coast, she’s excited by this new opportunity that will keep her in Washington, D.C., and encourages Catlin Gabel friends to visit. Rollyn Stafford writes, “My short film, A Letter to Bob, premiered at the Portland Film Festival on September 2nd!” Ari ConnollySmith recently moved from Philadelphia to Redding, CA, to work full-time as a flight instructor. Julia Carr works in school garden management in L.A. with The Kitchen Community.
Anushka Shenoy ’04 and Jeremy Klitzke surrounded by Catlin Gabel friends
2005
Liaison: Taylor Kaplan, taylorashleykaplan@ gmail.com Alec MacColl married Sophie Newsom in Atlanta on June 25. The wedding party Sophie Newsom and Alec MacColl ’05 included Megan MacColl ’08 and Alec Roman ’06, 2006 with a number of other Catlin Liaison: Casey Michel, Gabel alumni in attendance. casey.michel@gmail.com Alec and Sophie live in 25
The Caller | www.catlin.edu/thecaller
Megan Amram reports, “I wrote my first crossword puzzle for The New York Times (a Thursday), which was published in July.” Nick Farris says he’s enjoying life in Akron, OH, where there are far more Chipotles than he expected. Olderbrother, the clothing line started by Bobby Bonaparte and Max Kingery ’07, was the subject of a feature story in The New York Times Style Magazine that focused on their spring/summer 2017 collection of T-shirts, shorts, overalls, trousers, and coats called “Summer Camp.”
2007
Liaison: Ben Dair, zencellist@ gmail.com & Rob Kaye, robert.e.kaye@gmail.com Joseph Kemper is beginning his master's in choral conducting at Yale after his wedding earlier this year at St. Olaf to his fiancé Abby. After moving back to Lima, Peru, Alexandra Saavedra is heading up marketing and communications for Endeavor Peru, actively learning business Spanish, and hoping to welcome one and all who would like to visit. After marrying his longtime sweetheart Patricia, Corey Morrow moved out to Polk County to find room for their cats, ducks, chickens and goats. He’s providing self-defense training and is expanding into food production, permaculture, and natural building workshops, and has generously offered great rates
to fellow alums! Whitney Goodman continues to love her boutique WM Goods and has recently moved to a house on Portland's west side. Kayce Coulterpark Hawks and her husband Richard welcomed their daughter Emma into the world this summer, as Kayce finished her school year substituting at Tenino High School outside of Olympia, WA. After having a blast (really) working back at Catlin Gabel in IT, Evan Matsuda moved to Montana where he will pursue a master’s in computer science at Montana State in Bozeman. Dorothy Haruyama moved back to Colorado to begin a PhD program in counseling psychology at Colorado State University. Sarah Wolf is completing her postbaccalaureate program at the Oregon College of Art and Craft and, after a summer of leading outdoor trips and working out of a communal studio space, is setting up her own studio. When not running her own ceramics business, she is adventuring into the mountains as much as possible. Cam McClure has begun her MBA at New York University Stern School of Business where she is always happy to host anyone visiting the city. Colby Mills is loving life and its adventures in Portland where she lives in Northwest just across from fellow 2007 classmate Joey Rose Cardoso. McCall Vollum just began a strategy role at Apple. Maggie Faber began working as a data visualization and analysis
librarian at the University of Washington. Jasper Weinrib has been living in Hayward, CA, teaching PE, but is now returning to Mills College to complete his teaching credential and master’s. Stephen Murphy is still living large in Portland, helping run IT for lumber mills including the always harrowing clambering along metal catwalks above giant saw blades. Andrea “Andy” Moerer has been working on the new Miller Lite campaign since December and wants to go on a solo vacation to a deserted Greek island and not hear her voice for a couple of months or a year. She happily lives in Santa Monica and loves running up the Santa Monica stairs “for fun.” Ben Dair has returned to Portland after receiving his master’s in forestry from Yale, and is working for a nonprofit called Sustainable Northwest and thinking about community and cooperatively-owned renewable energy, water, and forestry. Sherwin Ameri joyfully lives in San Francisco working at Yelp as an account executive for local advertising. In his limited free time he attends classes in product management and hopes to host friends as they visit the Bay Area. Lucas Baker lives in London working on DeepMind when he isn’t traveling the world playing Go, including a weeklong U.S. Go Congress in Boston. Tom Conerly is taking a gap year between jobs to learn machine learning, travel the world, and learn as much as he can about the theory behind
charity and giving. Ann Pyne lives in Portland with her cats Cher and Alanis and her dog Pooper, running a company that throws queer parties and drag shows all over town. Chris Pierce-Wright just moved to Tacoma to clerk for a judge at the Washington State Court of Appeals for two years. Hannah Carr lives in Cannon Beach and is teaching 4th grade at Seaside Heights Elementary. She loves it there, she writes, “being outside every day, surfing, hiking, and foraging, all the yummy stuff. Life is good!” Jens Tamang is living in Minneapolis and working for the Minnesota AIDS Project, beginning a graduate program for occupational therapy at St. Catherine’s University, and writing and painting in his free time. Stew Towle is currently building a barn roof at a queer land sanctuary in Wolf Creek, OR, and serving as communications director and pre-burn coordinator for his Burning Man theme camp. He is recruiting “degenerates and co-creators” for a traveling performance and arts collective. Lilian Ongelungel has joined the staff at Catlin Gabel as the marketing and events coordinator. She is still in the U.S. Army Reserve. Alice Jones teaches high school in Edinburgh, having completed her education degree there last year. For an update on Robert Bishop, see Bishop family news in 1975 notes.
2009
Liaison: Christopher
Skinner, christopher.r.skinner@ gmail.com
2010
Liaison: IngridVan Valkenburg, icvanvalkenburg@ gmail.com
2011
IN MEMORIAM Floran Tannenbaum Ambrunn ’53 Gertrude Abigail “Gail” Angell Sister of Wendy Angell Ross ’59 and Townsend Angell ’70 Eve MacVeagh Bachman ’44 Wife of Roger Bachman and mother of Elizabeth ’74, Sally ’75, and Laura ’77; grandmother of Grant Phillips ’12
Liaison: Sarah Lowenstein, lowensteins@lclark.edu For an update on Mary Douglas Crawford Bayern Bishop, see Bishop family Former after school program news in 1975 notes. teacher
2012
Liaison: Kate Rubenstein, rubinske@whitman.edu
2013
Eve Lowenstein, a Pamplin Scholar at Lewis & Clark College, is the recipient of a Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, an award for undergraduates in the sciences, engineering, and mathematics. Eve is majoring in biochemistry, molecular biology, and mathematics with the intent of pursuing a career in biomedical engineering research. For an update on Will Bishop, see Bishop family news in 1975 notes.
2014
Liaison: Nick Rhodes, nbrhodes@gmail.com
2016
Liaisons: Ellie Nakamoto White, ellienw98@gmail. com, & Christina Spires, alumni@catlin.edu
Broughton “Brot” Bishop ’45 Husband of Mary Voss Bishop ’51; father of John ’75 (married to Suzanne Rinehart Bishop ’76), Charlie ’76, and Harriet Bishop Bakken ’79; grandfather of (John’s children) Robert ’08, Mary ’11, and Will ’13; and (Charlie’s children) Charles ’09, Sam ’10, and George ’14; brother of Morton C. Bishop ’42; and brother-in-law of Mabel Livingstone Bishop ’42 Joann Elizabeth Boyer Mother of Chris ’79, Mark ’80, and Montie ’83 Brian Stuart Campf ’85 Herbert George Cathery Husband of former faculty member Marlyse Cathery (dec.) Earle M. Chiles ’51 Charles Cory ’69 Brother of Peter, Michael ’67, Camilla Cory Streeter ’71, and David ’82; son of Jean Cory, former Catlin Gabel Board Chair Nancy Beth Davis Sister of Dick Davis; sister-in-law of Cameron Layton Davis ’65; aunt of Maril Davis ’90 Marilyn Deering Mother of Thomas, Jr. ’71, Robert The Caller | Fall 2016
26
’75, and Paul ’83; wife of Thomas Sr., (dec.) former Catlin Gabel Board Chair Susie Tucker Fagereng ’60 Daughter of Jean Wight Tucker Wallmann ’28 (dec.); sister of Ernie Tucker ’55 (dec.), Mary Tucker Greeley ’56 (dec.), Jennie Tucker ’63, and Tom Tucker ’66. Aunt of Thomas Greeley ’80 (dec.), Joseph Greeley ’83, Elizabeth Greeley ’87, Ethan Tucker ’07, and Sam Tucker ’10. Elaine Dicks Flowerree Mother of Ann “Dixie” Flowerree ’65 and David Flowerree ’70 Sally Seley Flynn Sister of Suzanne Seley Wilson ’49 (dec.) Nancy Lee Huddleston Goldberg ’49 Betsy Thayer Gunther ’51 Sister of Carol Thayer Cole ’47 (dec.) and Mary Thayer Simpson ’58 Alice Anderson Haessler Mother of Stephen ’72 and Carl ’77; grandmother of Nicholas ’97
Florence P. (Flossie) Later Former Beginning School teacher and Beginning School Head; mother of Heidi Later Hager ’74, Kurt Later ’76, Louise Later Loud ’77, and Peter Later ’83
Robert L. McMurran Father of Rob ’69 (dec.), Randy ’71 (dec.), Peter ’72, and Jennifer McMurran Atkinson ’73 Kate Morgan ’64 Daughter of former faculty member Rosina Morgan (dec.); sister of Peter ’61, Thomas ’71 (dec.), and Sarah Corbett Morgan ’67 Margaret “Peggy” Smith Morrison Former faculty member Alice Maxine Reichle Mother of Stephen Reichle ’66 Patrice Schanck ’75 Mother of Kerridwyn Schanck ’16 Ruth Sheinin Mother of Lesa Sheinin Jablon ‘86 George “Bing” Sheldon Father of Yon Sheldon ’79, Graham Sheldon ’82, and Lori Sheldon ’84
David Russell Hatch Father of Peter Hatch ’07
Frederic Warren Smith, M.D. Father of Susan ’80, Frederic ’83, and Matthew ’89
Donald Reid Holman Husband of Susan Morris Holman ‘52
William Allen Wheeler Son of Ehrick Wheeler ’47 (dec.) and former faculty member Sylvia Wheeler; brother of Elizabeth “Liza” Wheeler Rodenberg ’75, Margaret “Meagan” Wheeler Peters ’77, and Julia Wheeler Yackley ’80
David H. Hunter Husband of Kathy McPhail Hunter ’72
Edith “Dede” Wegman Williams ’46 Sister of Joan Wegman Wilcox ’48
Luise Langerman Lane ’54 Daughter of Amalie Hirsch Langerman ’26; sister of Peggy Langerman Hammond ’50; mother of Adam Lane ’82; grandmother of James Lane ’20
Roger Van Winkle Father of Lane Van Winkle Carracci ’84
27
Alan J. Zell
The Caller | www.catlin.edu/thecaller
Stay connected! UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFO
William J. Macy Grandfather of Erica Macy ’92
Tom Hardy Portland artist/sculptor whose works on campus are “Deer” and “Boys Running”
Loren “Pete” Collins Hillman Father of Leslie Hillman ’73, Hilary Hillman ’75, and L. Lang Hillman (dec.) ’78; husband of Catlin Gabel volunteer Pat Hillman
ALUMNI CONNECTION
News
Sprinavasa Brown ’02, Alumni Program Director
BECOME AN ALUMNI CONNECTOR
Catlin Gabel is looking to alumni to act as “Connectors” for our seniors as they begin planning their Senior Project experiences. From May 1 to 26, 2017, seniors will work on-site with mentors at their chosen organizations. The role of the Connector is to help students find people and places that would be a good fit for their Senior Project. By establishing this pool of alumni volunteers, we hope to provide equity and access to every senior. Each Connector will submit a brief professional biography that will be shared with all seniors. Seniors will then sign up to meet with Connectors on December 14, 2016, to talk about their ideas for Senior Projects, and seek your advice. Learn more. Visit the Alumni section of the Catlin Gabel website at www.catlin.edu/alumni, or contact CG Director of Senior Projects Meredith Goddard at goddardm@catlin.edu.
ALUMNI/STUDENT ENGAGEMENT LUNCH
Plans are underway for a social event during which Upper School students can meet alumni, ask questions, build relationships, and learn about life after Catlin Gabel. Please contact us if you are interested in participating (date to be announced): Sprinavasa Brown ’02, browns@catlin.edu or (503) 297-1894 ext. 424.
We love to stay in touch with you. Please contact us to update your personal and professional info so you’ll always be informed about alumni events, news, and celebrations. Contact: Sprinavasa Brown ’02, Alumni Program Director, at browns@ catlin.edu or (503) 297-1894 ext. 424.
ONLINE
Access the Alumni section of our website at www.catlin.edu
ON CAMPUS
Visit the Alumni Events section of our website, and watch for emails announcing events
BY PHONE OR EMAIL
To share news or ask questions, reach out at any time to Sprinavasa Brown ’02, browns@catlin.edu or (503) 297-1894 ext. 424.
Catlin Gabel Alumni Association Board Members
Katie Wisdom Weinstein ’86, President Michael Malone ’95, Vice President Ingrid Van Valkenburg ’10, Secretary Sprinavasa Brown ’02, Alumni Program Director, ex officio Emily Carr Bellos ’02 Len Carr ’75 Chris Dorough ’03 Meg Patten Eaton ’58 Drew Fletcher ’03 Owen Gabbert ’02 Jasper Gordon ’17, CGSA Vice President Debbie Ehrman Kaye ’73 Traci Rossi ’83 Irfan Tahir ’87 Tom Tucker ’66
World Cultures Teacher Named Educator of the Year
(L to R) Andrew McCartor '98, Margot Voorhies Thompson '66, Lyla J. Andrews Bashan '98
Distinguished Alumni Honored
“The greatest indicators of our success as a school are the lives our alumni lead, in their work and relationships, and in the world.” With those words, Head of School Tim Bazemore invited Alumni Weekend attendees to hear directly from this year’s Distinguished Alumni Award honorees at the annual Celebration of Leadership & Service, held October 8, 2016, in Miller Library. Lyla J. Andrews Bashan ’98 was honored with the Distinguished Alumni Service Award for her work in conflict resolution and international development. For the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) she serves as Director of the Office of Sustainable Development in Armenia; she has held previous posts with USAID in Tajikistan and Guatemala. Lyla has also served as a civil servant at the Department of State, serving as the conflict prevention officer for Africa in the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization. Margot Voorhies Thompson ’66 received the Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award for her achievement, dedication to education, and contributions to the field of fine arts. For four decades she has taught workshops throughout Oregon and at the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology in Otis, Oregon, and she is co-founder of the Neskowin Valley School, an independent non-profit elementary school in Neskowin, Oregon, with her husband, George Thompson ’64. Her artwork, which includes calligraphy, painting, printmaking, and design, is in the collections of museums throughout the country. Andrew McCartor ’98 was presented with the Distinguished Younger Alumni Award for his environmental justice and policy work worldwide. His career has focused on eliminating public health risks from toxic pollution and advancing sustainable development in low-income countries. He currently serves as regional director-South Asia and East Asia for Pure Earth (formerly Blacksmith Institute), an international nonprofit organization that identifies and cleans up life-threatening pollution.
Paul Monheimer, Catlin Gabel’s 7th Grade World Cultures Teacher, has been named Middle-High School Educator of the Year by the Oregon Council for the Social Studies. Out of thousands of Oregon teachers in his discipline, Paul was singled out for employing innovative and effective instructional strategies, using instructional materials creatively and effectively, fostering a spirit of inquiry in his students, and promoting active citizenship, among other achievements. The Council also noted his accomplishments as a mentor, citing his “respectful and supportive relationship with preservice and intern teachers.”
Twelve Students Honored as National Merit Semifinalists
The list of National Merit Scholarship Program Seminfinalists, announced in September, included 12 Catlin Gabel seniors: Adolfo Apolloni, Robin Attey, Daniel Chiu, Julian Kida, Angela Liu, Nikhil Murthy, Neil Natarajan, Sahil Nerurkar, Andrew Park, Holly Sauer, Aidan Smith, and Jake Springer. They are among only 16,000 students nationwide (1% of those who took the test) to be named as semifinalists, a ranking that is based primarily on PSAT scores. Finalists will be announced in February 2017.
OPB Radio Broadcasts from The CENTER
At The CENTER in North Portland, Oregon Public Broadcasting Radio’s “Think Out Loud” program presented a youth-led and produced broadcast centered on youth perspectives of the changing American Dream. Catlin Gabel students Grace Wong ’17 and Juma Sei ’16 were featured, along with teens from many area high schools. The program aired on November 2, and an archived edition is available at http://www.opb.org/thinkoutloud. The CENTER is a coalition-led hub for child and youth creativity, education, and engagement, co-operated by coalition members Catlin Gabel, Black United Fund of Oregon, iUrban Teen, Kairos PDX, Urban League of Portland, and De La Salle North Catholic High School. Catlin Gabel is the convening partner for The CENTER. Learn more about The CENTER at http://www.thecenterpdx.org.
The Caller | Fall 2016
28
’75, and Paul ’83; wife of Thomas Sr., (dec.) former Catlin Gabel Board Chair Susie Tucker Fagereng ’60 Daughter of Jean Wight Tucker Wallmann ’28 (dec.); sister of Ernie Tucker ’55 (dec.), Mary Tucker Greeley ’56 (dec.), Jennie Tucker ’63, and Tom Tucker ’66. Aunt of Thomas Greeley ’80 (dec.), Joseph Greeley ’83, Elizabeth Greeley ’87, Ethan Tucker ’07, and Sam Tucker ’10. Elaine Dicks Flowerree Mother of Ann “Dixie” Flowerree ’65 and David Flowerree ’70 Sally Seley Flynn Sister of Suzanne Seley Wilson ’49 (dec.) Nancy Lee Huddleston Goldberg ’49 Betsy Thayer Gunther ’51 Sister of Carol Thayer Cole ’47 (dec.) and Mary Thayer Simpson ’58 Alice Anderson Haessler Mother of Stephen ’72 and Carl ’77; grandmother of Nicholas ’97
Florence P. (Flossie) Later Former Beginning School teacher and Beginning School Head; mother of Heidi Later Hager ’74, Kurt Later ’76, Louise Later Loud ’77, and Peter Later ’83
Robert L. McMurran Father of Rob ’69 (dec.), Randy ’71 (dec.), Peter ’72, and Jennifer McMurran Atkinson ’73 Kate Morgan ’64 Daughter of former faculty member Rosina Morgan (dec.); sister of Peter ’61, Thomas ’71 (dec.), and Sarah Corbett Morgan ’67 Margaret “Peggy” Smith Morrison Former faculty member Alice Maxine Reichle Mother of Stephen Reichle ’66 Patrice Schanck ’75 Mother of Kerridwyn Schanck ’16 Ruth Sheinin Mother of Lesa Sheinin Jablon ‘86 George “Bing” Sheldon Father of Yon Sheldon ’79, Graham Sheldon ’82, and Lori Sheldon ’84
David Russell Hatch Father of Peter Hatch ’07
Frederic Warren Smith, M.D. Father of Susan ’80, Frederic ’83, and Matthew ’89
Donald Reid Holman Husband of Susan Morris Holman ‘52
William Allen Wheeler Son of Ehrick Wheeler ’47 (dec.) and former faculty member Sylvia Wheeler; brother of Elizabeth “Liza” Wheeler Rodenberg ’75, Margaret “Meagan” Wheeler Peters ’77, and Julia Wheeler Yackley ’80
David H. Hunter Husband of Kathy McPhail Hunter ’72
Edith “Dede” Wegman Williams ’46 Sister of Joan Wegman Wilcox ’48
Luise Langerman Lane ’54 Daughter of Amalie Hirsch Langerman ’26; sister of Peggy Langerman Hammond ’50; mother of Adam Lane ’82; grandmother of James Lane ’20
Roger Van Winkle Father of Lane Van Winkle Carracci ’84
27
Alan J. Zell
The Caller | www.catlin.edu/thecaller
Stay connected! UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFO
William J. Macy Grandfather of Erica Macy ’92
Tom Hardy Portland artist/sculptor whose works on campus are “Deer” and “Boys Running”
Loren “Pete” Collins Hillman Father of Leslie Hillman ’73, Hilary Hillman ’75, and L. Lang Hillman (dec.) ’78; husband of Catlin Gabel volunteer Pat Hillman
ALUMNI CONNECTION
News
Sprinavasa Brown ’02, Alumni Program Director
BECOME AN ALUMNI CONNECTOR
Catlin Gabel is looking to alumni to act as “Connectors” for our seniors as they begin planning their Senior Project experiences. From May 1 to 26, 2017, seniors will work on-site with mentors at their chosen organizations. The role of the Connector is to help students find people and places that would be a good fit for their Senior Project. By establishing this pool of alumni volunteers, we hope to provide equity and access to every senior. Each Connector will submit a brief professional biography that will be shared with all seniors. Seniors will then sign up to meet with Connectors on December 14, 2016, to talk about their ideas for Senior Projects, and seek your advice. Learn more. Visit the Alumni section of the Catlin Gabel website at www.catlin.edu/alumni, or contact CG Director of Senior Projects Meredith Goddard at goddardm@catlin.edu.
ALUMNI/STUDENT ENGAGEMENT LUNCH
Plans are underway for a social event during which Upper School students can meet alumni, ask questions, build relationships, and learn about life after Catlin Gabel. Please contact us if you are interested in participating (date to be announced): Sprinavasa Brown ’02, browns@catlin.edu or (503) 297-1894 ext. 424.
We love to stay in touch with you. Please contact us to update your personal and professional info so you’ll always be informed about alumni events, news, and celebrations. Contact: Sprinavasa Brown ’02, Alumni Program Director, at browns@ catlin.edu or (503) 297-1894 ext. 424.
ONLINE
Access the Alumni section of our website at www.catlin.edu
ON CAMPUS
Visit the Alumni Events section of our website, and watch for emails announcing events
BY PHONE OR EMAIL
To share news or ask questions, reach out at any time to Sprinavasa Brown ’02, browns@catlin.edu or (503) 297-1894 ext. 424.
Catlin Gabel Alumni Association Board Members
Katie Wisdom Weinstein ’86, President Michael Malone ’95, Vice President Ingrid Van Valkenburg ’10, Secretary Sprinavasa Brown ’02, Alumni Program Director, ex officio Emily Carr Bellos ’02 Len Carr ’75 Chris Dorough ’03 Meg Patten Eaton ’58 Drew Fletcher ’03 Owen Gabbert ’02 Jasper Gordon ’17, CGSA Vice President Debbie Ehrman Kaye ’73 Traci Rossi ’83 Irfan Tahir ’87 Tom Tucker ’66
World Cultures Teacher Named Educator of the Year
(L to R) Andrew McCartor '98, Margot Voorhies Thompson '66, Lyla J. Andrews Bashan '98
Distinguished Alumni Honored
“The greatest indicators of our success as a school are the lives our alumni lead, in their work and relationships, and in the world.” With those words, Head of School Tim Bazemore invited Alumni Weekend attendees to hear directly from this year’s Distinguished Alumni Award honorees at the annual Celebration of Leadership & Service, held October 8, 2016, in Miller Library. Lyla J. Andrews Bashan ’98 was honored with the Distinguished Alumni Service Award for her work in conflict resolution and international development. For the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) she serves as Director of the Office of Sustainable Development in Armenia; she has held previous posts with USAID in Tajikistan and Guatemala. Lyla has also served as a civil servant at the Department of State, serving as the conflict prevention officer for Africa in the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization. Margot Voorhies Thompson ’66 received the Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award for her achievement, dedication to education, and contributions to the field of fine arts. For four decades she has taught workshops throughout Oregon and at the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology in Otis, Oregon, and she is co-founder of the Neskowin Valley School, an independent non-profit elementary school in Neskowin, Oregon, with her husband, George Thompson ’64. Her artwork, which includes calligraphy, painting, printmaking, and design, is in the collections of museums throughout the country. Andrew McCartor ’98 was presented with the Distinguished Younger Alumni Award for his environmental justice and policy work worldwide. His career has focused on eliminating public health risks from toxic pollution and advancing sustainable development in low-income countries. He currently serves as regional director-South Asia and East Asia for Pure Earth (formerly Blacksmith Institute), an international nonprofit organization that identifies and cleans up life-threatening pollution.
Paul Monheimer, Catlin Gabel’s 7th Grade World Cultures Teacher, has been named Middle-High School Educator of the Year by the Oregon Council for the Social Studies. Out of thousands of Oregon teachers in his discipline, Paul was singled out for employing innovative and effective instructional strategies, using instructional materials creatively and effectively, fostering a spirit of inquiry in his students, and promoting active citizenship, among other achievements. The Council also noted his accomplishments as a mentor, citing his “respectful and supportive relationship with preservice and intern teachers.”
Twelve Students Honored as National Merit Semifinalists
The list of National Merit Scholarship Program Seminfinalists, announced in September, included 12 Catlin Gabel seniors: Adolfo Apolloni, Robin Attey, Daniel Chiu, Julian Kida, Angela Liu, Nikhil Murthy, Neil Natarajan, Sahil Nerurkar, Andrew Park, Holly Sauer, Aidan Smith, and Jake Springer. They are among only 16,000 students nationwide (1% of those who took the test) to be named as semifinalists, a ranking that is based primarily on PSAT scores. Finalists will be announced in February 2017.
OPB Radio Broadcasts from The CENTER
At The CENTER in North Portland, Oregon Public Broadcasting Radio’s “Think Out Loud” program presented a youth-led and produced broadcast centered on youth perspectives of the changing American Dream. Catlin Gabel students Grace Wong ’17 and Juma Sei ’16 were featured, along with teens from many area high schools. The program aired on November 2, and an archived edition is available at http://www.opb.org/thinkoutloud. The CENTER is a coalition-led hub for child and youth creativity, education, and engagement, co-operated by coalition members Catlin Gabel, Black United Fund of Oregon, iUrban Teen, Kairos PDX, Urban League of Portland, and De La Salle North Catholic High School. Catlin Gabel is the convening partner for The CENTER. Learn more about The CENTER at http://www.thecenterpdx.org.
The Caller | Fall 2016
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Gus Van Sant ’71
From the Archives
The Oscar-nominated filmmaker reminisces about art under the tennis court, and the making of his very first film—on the Catlin Gabel campus Interview by Ken DuBois
What kind of experience did you have at Catlin Gabel? It was a good experience for me, since I had come from a public school where it was not as personal. And I found at Catlin, since it was so small, I was under a lot more supervision, and it helped me a lot. Dave Corkran was the main influence scholastically for me at that time, beside the art department, which was a main place for me to work. I was an arts kid for sure. And I spent a lot of the time there in the art department, which at that time was under the tennis court. Did you pursue interests in filmmaking, photography, painting, or creative writing? I did photography, painted, and in my senior year, along with Eric Edwards, made a 16mm film starring Evie and Nick Weitzer. The real writing mostly was happening in Corkran’s history class for me—historical projects. One was we took a title and investigated whatever was being said in the title. My title was “Travelers’ First Reactions to the Northwest Woods.” For this I found diaries at the Oregon Historical Society, and writing by John Muir, and my objective was to keep in mind the promise of the title, “travelers” and “first reactions”—were they travelling into the Northwest, and are these the very first reactions? We did write in Alan Greiner’s English class too. 29
The Caller | www.catlin.edu/thecaller
Was there a community of artists at Catlin Gabel–students and teachers working together? In the art department, there were a number of people that I was working with: Tom Carr, Dave Jenkins, Anne Storrs, Janet Gray, Eric Edwards, and Jon Prince. Who were the teachers who encouraged or inspired you? Kim Hartzell and Susan Sowles were very supportive art teachers for me at Catlin. They were so helpful, and they encouraged a lot of hard work. In 1971, in the yearbook, we were able to actually print pages in it, and that was fostered by the yearbook community and Anne Storrs. Are there lessons you learned at a young age—about creativity and self-expression—that you still apply to your work today? Yes, a lot of things were coming about then. I made my first dramatic film as my Senior Project. Up until then I had mostly been making experimental 8mm films. This was the one with Nick and Evie, and during this project Eric Edwards and I learned all the steps that one would take to make a 16mm black and white film from the original rolls to workprint, sound mixing, A and B reels, and making a print. Which is still a way to make a film in 16mm today, if you can find the film. But I know there is a cinema department now at Catlin,
so I made my very first project at Catlin and kept going from there. Are there teachers or students from your youth that you think about often, whose influence you feel on a regular basis? I usually remember the community of Catlin, of which there was a lot of talk then, and perhaps now as well, about how the Catlin community was feeling to us as students. And it was the time of Manvel Schauffler, who was a beloved headmaster at the time, but there was some problem, I think, with the adult politics at the school, which we were kept away from. There was a draft then, and if we weren’t planning to go to college we may go to Vietnam. There were some amazing characters there at the time, such as Dan Bump, a quantum theorist, I think. Dan would make his way down to the art department because sometimes art intersected with math, which was his thing, so I remember him holding his head and being amazed by some math problem that we had no idea about. All students mentioned are Class of '71 except Nick Weitzer '74, Tom Carr '73, Anne Storrs '72, and Dan Bump '70. Gus Van Sant ’71 Film and television director, screenwriter, and producer Feature films include Good Will Hunting (1998), Last Days (2005), and Milk (2008), and the made-in-Portland films Drugstore Cowboy (1989) and Elephant (2003)
1960s
1989
The vast photographic record housed in the Catlin Gabel Archives provides a window into daily life at the school in all of its settings— including the days when the current campus was mostly woods and pastures, and known as Honey Hollow Farm. See more: Take a tour through the life of the school with the expanded, digital version of our From the Archives gallery at catlin.edu/ thecaller.
Photo: Hedi Slimane/Interview Magazine The Caller | Fall 2016
30
Gus Van Sant ’71
From the Archives
The Oscar-nominated filmmaker reminisces about art under the tennis court, and the making of his very first film—on the Catlin Gabel campus Interview by Ken DuBois
What kind of experience did you have at Catlin Gabel? It was a good experience for me, since I had come from a public school where it was not as personal. And I found at Catlin, since it was so small, I was under a lot more supervision, and it helped me a lot. Dave Corkran was the main influence scholastically for me at that time, beside the art department, which was a main place for me to work. I was an arts kid for sure. And I spent a lot of the time there in the art department, which at that time was under the tennis court. Did you pursue interests in filmmaking, photography, painting, or creative writing? I did photography, painted, and in my senior year, along with Eric Edwards, made a 16mm film starring Evie and Nick Weitzer. The real writing mostly was happening in Corkran’s history class for me—historical projects. One was we took a title and investigated whatever was being said in the title. My title was “Travelers’ First Reactions to the Northwest Woods.” For this I found diaries at the Oregon Historical Society, and writing by John Muir, and my objective was to keep in mind the promise of the title, “travelers” and “first reactions”—were they travelling into the Northwest, and are these the very first reactions? We did write in Alan Greiner’s English class too. 29
The Caller | www.catlin.edu/thecaller
Was there a community of artists at Catlin Gabel–students and teachers working together? In the art department, there were a number of people that I was working with: Tom Carr, Dave Jenkins, Anne Storrs, Janet Gray, Eric Edwards, and Jon Prince. Who were the teachers who encouraged or inspired you? Kim Hartzell and Susan Sowles were very supportive art teachers for me at Catlin. They were so helpful, and they encouraged a lot of hard work. In 1971, in the yearbook, we were able to actually print pages in it, and that was fostered by the yearbook community and Anne Storrs. Are there lessons you learned at a young age—about creativity and self-expression—that you still apply to your work today? Yes, a lot of things were coming about then. I made my first dramatic film as my Senior Project. Up until then I had mostly been making experimental 8mm films. This was the one with Nick and Evie, and during this project Eric Edwards and I learned all the steps that one would take to make a 16mm black and white film from the original rolls to workprint, sound mixing, A and B reels, and making a print. Which is still a way to make a film in 16mm today, if you can find the film. But I know there is a cinema department now at Catlin,
so I made my very first project at Catlin and kept going from there. Are there teachers or students from your youth that you think about often, whose influence you feel on a regular basis? I usually remember the community of Catlin, of which there was a lot of talk then, and perhaps now as well, about how the Catlin community was feeling to us as students. And it was the time of Manvel Schauffler, who was a beloved headmaster at the time, but there was some problem, I think, with the adult politics at the school, which we were kept away from. There was a draft then, and if we weren’t planning to go to college we may go to Vietnam. There were some amazing characters there at the time, such as Dan Bump, a quantum theorist, I think. Dan would make his way down to the art department because sometimes art intersected with math, which was his thing, so I remember him holding his head and being amazed by some math problem that we had no idea about. All students mentioned are Class of '71 except Nick Weitzer '74, Tom Carr '73, Anne Storrs '72, and Dan Bump '70. Gus Van Sant ’71 Film and television director, screenwriter, and producer Feature films include Good Will Hunting (1998), Last Days (2005), and Milk (2008), and the made-in-Portland films Drugstore Cowboy (1989) and Elephant (2003)
1960s
1989
The vast photographic record housed in the Catlin Gabel Archives provides a window into daily life at the school in all of its settings— including the days when the current campus was mostly woods and pastures, and known as Honey Hollow Farm. See more: Take a tour through the life of the school with the expanded, digital version of our From the Archives gallery at catlin.edu/ thecaller.
Photo: Hedi Slimane/Interview Magazine The Caller | Fall 2016
30