Alison Kelly
David Lehner ’74
Alumni eFacts
Unconventional teacher wins fiction contest in the romance category, page 4.
Alumnus writes about depraved state of affairs, page 5.
Check for selected eQuiz highlights throughout this issue.
G
eorgian
A Publication of George School, Newtown, Pennsylvania
Volume 74 • Number 1 • Winter 2002
Steadfast Partners – Lynn Meyer Orr ’47 and John D. Orr ’47, 2002 Alumni Award Recipients By Diana Cutshall
T
he most striking feature of Lynn and John Orr’s history is their fidelity — to God, to each other and to George School. Look, for example, at their marriage, now nearing 50 years. Lynn, one of only four girls in the natural science sequence at George School, and John, one of eighteen boys, met in their freshman history class. Although they did not date until their senior year, classmates quickly came to think of them as Lynn ’n John, saying both names like one. After their graduation from George School in 1947, Lynn went to college at the University of Rochester and John to Cornell. Each enrolled in a five-year program. “In those days,” says John, “I did a lot of driving back and forth from Ithaca to Rochester because, well, there was this girl.” In his sophomore year, John was awarded an NROTC scholarship. Over the next three summers, he spent six weeks shipboard and another six working at a dairy bottling plant run by Charles E. Van Schoick ’32. “Even if Lynn and I had found time to get married in college,” laughs John, “we had to wait until I was an officer. The Navy said if they’d wanted me to have a wife, they’d have issued me one.” On June 9, 1952, Lynn and John both were awarded degrees, hers a bachelor’s of science in nursing, his in mechanical engineering. She went to his graduation, not hers. The following Wednesday, June 11, shortly after John was commissioned by the US Navy, they were married.
(Turn to page 2 to read more)
Lynn and John Orr will receive Alumni Awards during the Alumni Gathering on Saturday, May 11 at 11 a.m. The awards will honor their nearly 30 years of service and their life-long committment to George School.
eFacts
(Steadfast Partners, continued from page 1)
Learn how George School alumni answered the December 2001 “Words, Words, Words” eQuiz
John spent the next three years on active duty, with half his tour at sea on board a Navy destroyer ultimately sent to Korea. “By the time we arrived,” says John, “the armistice had been signed, but there were still reports of active minefields. We had no idea what would happen.” While John was away, Lynn worked as a nurse at Cooper Hospital and cared for John’s ailing mother. In 1954, the couple joined the First Presbyterian Church in Willow Grove, where they have continued to be active members. “Lynn’s faith in God is absolutely awe-inspiring,” said Lisa Collier, the administrative assistant to George School’s head of school, who has known Lynn for seven years. “She maintains her sense of humor and positive outlook on life because of her strong sense of faith. She also appreciates a good joke and can tell one quite well.” Over the next several years, Lynn gave birth to three sons, all George School graduates. John Phillip, an engineer for the same firm from which his Dad retired, graduated in ’73. Gary, who coordinates the payment of asbestos claims for a Philadelphia law firm, earned his diploma in ’79. Rob graduated in ’76, then taught science for 20 years at George School. When he was teaching at George School, Rob met with his mother every Thursday when she volunteered on campus. “I admire her dedication and direction, and enjoy sharing ideas and perspectives with her as a peer, son and teacher,” Rob said of Lynn. As their children grew, Lynn worked at home as a full-time mom and John pursued his career, first with Bell of Pennsylvania, then with General Electric, where he climbed the ranks to become manager of space planning and facilities at its Valley Forge facility. In 1970, he joined the engineering firm O’Brien-Kreitzberg and Associates in Merchantville, NJ. Among other large projects, John scheduled the Yankee Stadium expan-
tion about it in her mind. She is going to be loyal to the school.” During high school, Lynn worked in the infirmary as part of the school’s co-op program. Since 1975, she has been a weekly volunteer in the Advancement Office. Her long tenure has earned her recognition as George School’s “oldest active living co-op.” “She has always been so valuable to the Advancement Office with her
sion, was a consultant and expert witness to the architect of the Capitol for the Hart Senate Office Building and scheduled construction for the cement plants in Iran. He also oversaw construction of the Trenton Federal Court House. Today, though officially retired, John continues to be active in his field, serving often as an expert witness on construction claims. Recently, he worked as George
Some alumni perform rituals when they are about to write
Elizabeth Campbell Morris ’48
“I firmly believe the common denominator of life is time,” says Lynn. “Everyone is given 24 hours per day, seven days per week, and I consider it a privilege to have the time to give to George School.” volunteer work. I don’t think she realizes how valuable and important the work is that she does,” Lisa said on behalf of the Advancement Office. John, among a host of other positions, spent 17 years on the George School Committee. He later became a co-opted member of the Physical Plant Committee, which is where he feels he belongs. Together, Lynn and John have served as reunion committee chairs for several reunions, including their 50th. Now they are working on their 55th. “As classmates,” says John, “we decided to focus our attention on George School. With an alumni base of only about 9,000, we felt it was one place where we really could make a difference.” And, for almost 55 years, they have. “George School is a wonderful place,” says Lynn. “It brings out the best aspects of every student, and at the same time, it encourages independence. I always say, you can get the kid out of the school, but you can’t get the school out of the kid.” ■
School’s representative on the renovation of two buildings, Central Main and Orton. Under his expert supervision, both projects finished under budget and on time, saving the school a projected $180,000. This year’s project will be the renovation of East Main. “John has helped George School to complete these projects successfully by infecting those who work with him with his unique combination of enthusiasm and discipline,” George School committee member Jon Otto said of John. “George School has been extremely fortunate to be the beneficiary of John’s generous gift of time and talent.” Throughout their lives, Lynn and John have stayed deeply committed to George School. “I firmly believe the common denominator of life is time,” says Lynn. “Everyone is given 24 hours per day, seven days per week, and I consider it a privilege to have the time to give to George School.” “Her commitment to George School is whole-hearted,” describes fellow classmate Gwen Kerr ’47 of her friend Lynn. “There is just no ques-
George School • Georgian
Early a.m., while having my cup of coffee with a purring cat snuggled up to me.
Carol Park DiJoseph ’58 I, for some reason, like to write on scrap paper; backs of things. I also can and do write on the computer and am beginning to be more comfortable with that every time I do it.
Suzanne Tompkins ’66 Distracting myself with easy trivia then jumping in.
Debra Barba ’77 A glass of wine, a comfortable pen and clean paper.
Malcolm Fleschner ’87 I do everything I can to avoid having to do the actual writing, then take frequent breaks.
Wynne E. Lanros ’99 I must have my Uni-ball Vision Finetipped (waterproof/fadeproof ) pen so the words may flow as easily as the ink.
Hannah Stiefel ’00 I wear my most comfortable clothes and usually wear a headband to keep my hair back which I call my “thinking cap.”
Volume 74 • Number 1 • Winter 2002
2
eFacts
George School Senior Joins the Bucks County Courier Times as a Student Staff Writer
Learn how George School alumni answered the December 2001 “Words, Words, Words” eQuiz
By Cristina Luyando squint spreading a thin layer of delight around the surface of her skin. Ophelia really is a goddess. Not just a goddess, but an angel, too. And as we finished our lunch, I wondered how we would say goodbye to each other in too short a time.” After Sara turned in the short story to her teacher, she fine-tuned Ophelia some more and submitted the story again — this time to a panel at the Bucks County Courier Times. Sara was one of 10 students from area schools selected this year by the panel to write articles that review restaurants, music and other events for the Reality section of the paper. Sara, a George School day student from Newtown, PA, has liked to write since the sixth grade. She has written many stories and poems in her free time about the many different people she has met and the life experiences she has had. The summer before entering 11th grade, Sara traveled to Jordan and lived for the entire summer with a Muslim family while she learned Arabic. “I wrote so much stuff while I was there,” she said. “The people there were great. It was really interesting.”
Sara is very moved by music to the point where she is often inspired to write while listening. Although she prefers independent rock bands, “I always write poetry when I am listening to Billie Holliday,” Sara explained. “Her music is really amazing and just really inspirational. It’s so mellow.” Sara enjoys reading the poetry of Sylvia Plath and Alan Ginsberg, her two favorite poets. As far as her plans following graduation are concerned, Sara flashed a winning smile and stated that she wants to be a journalist. “I think it would be fun to be an editor of a feminist magazine,” she said. “But my most ideal job would be editor of Rolling Stone from the period in the ’60s to the ’80s and my most ideal writing assignment would be to interview Bob Dylan.” ■
Gwendolyn Kerr ’47 I co-authored junior high reading textbooks and supplemental materials when I was a freelancer.
Robert S. Seltzer ’53 Trade journals.
Paul Machemer ’65 I wrote a news article or two that were published by a local newspaper.
Abigail A. Lovett ’72 I’ve written a lot about adoption. I also am a reporter and freelance writer. I’ll study and read about anything from ball bearings to gourmet cooking. I am working on a book now — but isn’t everyone?
Lisa Cadwallader Neal ’80 I did research on hippocampal brain aging in my previous life — I am a stay at home mother now.
Robert Machemer ’92
Photo by Bucks County Courier Times staff
S
ara Rhodin is very much like most teenagers her age; she loves hanging out with her friends and has a passion for music. But what makes her stand out from her peers is her ability to write a story with so many intricate details that the reader feels personally connected to her characters. Sara,’02, composed the two-page short story titled The Second Coming of Ophelia for her Bible class at George School last fall. What she hastily wrote in one sitting for a class ended up being published in the Reality section of the Bucks County Courier Times on Sept. 27, 2001. With her intense almond-shaped eyes focused on an imaginary point and her lips pressed tightly together, Sara stared intently at the ceiling thinking hard. “It’s basically fiction, but there are some parts of it that are real,” Sara said of her short story while pondering the idea behind it. “I guess Ophelia is based on my cousin Nancy and we always go to that restaurant … she’s very similar to that character. I was also thinking about my younger sister — she’s a ballerina and she’s kind of a drama queen.” The short story begins by describing Ophelia as a goddess; a young woman so beautiful and radiant that her younger sister, Sara, is in awe of her … constantly walking in the shadows of her big sister. “My parents say Ophelia walks like a goddess,” Sara wrote. “Her posture and poise embody immortality, while her movements envelop them into her world of vitality.” The story continues as the two sisters meet for lunch in New York City. They discuss what’s going on in their lives and eventually go their separate ways. How often and when they will see each other again is unknown but it seems as though Sara will never tire of her “Bohemian angel.” “When Ophelia smiles, she smiles with her whole body,” Sara wrote. “Her cheeks force her eyes to
Where alumni have been published
I was one of several authors to write The Red Sox Fan Handbook (currently available on Amazon.com, as it happens). Among a number of different things, I wrote a poetic introduction to the book and an account on the history of my being a Sox fan (which is the last essay in the book).
Besides writing, Sara Rhodin enjoys practicing yoga and the Brazilian fighting dance called the “capoeira.”
Volume 74 • Number 1 • Winter 2002
George School • Georgian
3
What Alison Kelly’s students are reading
George School Teacher’s Unconventional Teaching Methods Capture Student Interest By Cristina Luyando
M
y heart skipped a beat as the bearded walrus gently nudged me in the small of my back with one smooth, curved tusk, and as he expelled a warm breath of air into my upturned face, its smell of peanuts reminded me of that precious night on Coney Island; the night when I became a woman … a woman, and a convict.” This absurdly unusual first sentence of a story composed by Alison Kelly was one of the winning submissions in the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest in 2001. Alison’s sentence won in the romance category. “The idea behind the contest is to begin a story with the most ridiculous first sentence possible,” Alison explained. “The more ridiculous the sentence, the better.” The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest was named after Edward George Bulwer-Lytton who coined the phrase “It was a dark and stormy night.” “It is one of my dreams to be published,” Alison said with a smile. Her academic paper titled I’m Nobody! Who Are You?: Horror Through Anonymity in American Psycho was selected to be published in both the Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts this winter and in the Journal of Evolutionary Psychology in March. Alison’s literary interests are anything but ordinary. “My shtick is to compare a contemporary work to something that is deemed a classic,” Alison explained, “such as comparing one of Stephen King’s books to Lord of the Flies.” Alison is very fond of the Gothic genre. In fact, all of her academic papers focus on the impact that a classical work has had on a more contemporary film or piece of literature in the Gothic genre. Her most recent academic paper in the works, entitled A Girl’s Best Friend Is Her Mother: The Exorcist As A Post-Modern Oedipal Tale, reflects on the book Oedipus the King as well as Freud’s
“
AMERICAN LITERATURE and classic literature. “I never want them to just sit and watch a movie again,” Alison said. “They will have the ability to make connections from what they read and what goes on in everyday life. No more apathy at the movies!” Through this process the students learned how to “read” a film and then make comparisons between the play and the movie. Senior Bettina Stephenson wrote about the connections she made. “Both Hitchcock and Sophocles thought carefully about the creation of their pieces,” Bettina wrote. “The greatness of them both lies not in their ability to tell us how to feel and react, but to make us experience it.” Alison knows first-hand what it takes to be an exceptional teacher. Growing up in the Massachusetts public school system, she was taught by the perfect example of a high school English teacher … her father. “He set a wonderful example for me as far as being a good teacher is concerned,” she said. “I really looked up to him.” Following her high school graduation, Alison attended Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, MA, where she received her bachelor’s in English with a Spanish minor in 1995. Alison taught high school Spanish at St. Edward’s School in Vero Beach, FL, for two years. She then made the long trek north to begin a master’s program at the University of Vermont. Upon graduation from the University of Vermont in 2000, Alison landed her current teaching position at George School. “Personally, I find Alison’s fresh approach to be a real gift to the department,” said English department head Stephanie McBride. “Her example has energized us to think about our senior curriculum in new ways.” ■
Oedipal complex in examining the film The Exorcist. While the Gothic genre is not the norm for a high school English curriculum, George School welcomed Alison’s “shtick” to her classroom when she began teaching in the fall of 2000. Like other teachers, Alison emphasizes close reading, critical thinking and writing skills. She teach-
In addition to teaching, Alison coaches both Varsity Softball and JV Volleyball teams. es three classes of seniors and one class of juniors. “I was given the freedom to design my own class as long as I used the same books [as other teachers],” Alison said. “It was the perfect opportunity for me.” One writing assignment Alison gave her students challenged them to compare Sophocles’ Oedipus the King to Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. For this assignment, the class read Oedipus the King and then watched the movie Psycho. “The students were thrilled to see that the movies they liked actually connected back to their required English reading,” Alison explained. Alison believes her uncommon curriculum shows students how to make connections between real life
George School • Georgian
(juniors) Inherit the Wind, Jerome Lawrence, Robert E. Lee stories by Joyce Carol Oates Young Goodman Brown, Nathaniel Hawthorne The Crucible, Arthur Miller writings by Emerson and Thoreau writings by Edgar Allen Poe Pudd’Nhead Wilson, Mark Twain The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ken Kesey Fatal Light, Richard Currey
WORLD LITERATURE (seniors) Oedipus the King, Sophocles Hamlet, William Shakespeare Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe Candide, Francois-Marie Arouet Voltaire The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka Like Water for Chocolate, Laura Esquivel Inferno, Dante Alighieri Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson
Volume 74 • Number 1 • Winter 2002
4
David Lehner, Class of ’74, Celebrates a Bright Day
eFacts Learn how George School alumni answered the December 2001 “Words, Words, Words” eQuiz
By Marie Duess
What alumni are reading
I
’ve always thought that any book I wrote would have to be written with a social purpose, so in that regard I’d have to say that George School had an influence in the writing of my novel Bright Day — indeed a fundamental influence,” said David Lehner ’74, when discussing the publication of his first novel. Released in February of 2000 by Fithian Press, the book is a fast-paced political thriller, and borrows from stories right out of The New York Times — stories that deal with baby trafficking, organ harvesting and using humanitarian food deliveries to help target military air strikes. How is it that David — a distinguished English department chair at an independent school in Rye, New York — can write so convincingly about these unethical activities and depraved state of affairs? He’s quick to point out that he isn’t an author who has written from his own experience. “Personally, I don’t know any people who do these things, but what I tried to do was imagine the mind set of such a person who could carry out such things and not be crushed by guilt,” David said. David intended the book to be different from most novels. David wrote it to be more an examination of the issues the story delves into and how the main character uses an Orwellian “double-think” in order to participate in seedy events — a thought process he believes is more common than society, in general, will admit. Written in the first person, the book never divulges the name of the narrator who has decided to move back to the United States after 10 years abroad. He’s down on his luck after enduring a failed marriage and business, and begins working for an old friend from boarding school days. Although not certain what the job entails, he’s ready to try anything to
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of being a novelist. “I didn’t really like to read until then. I remember taking John Gleeson’s course on humor and literature, reading books like Slaughterhouse Five and Catch 22, and thinking — ‘Gee, I didn’t know serious books could be funny.’” He decided that Vonnegut and Heller must have the best jobs in the world. They sit around all day and write funny stories and get paid for it. Right then and there, David decided that was for him. “I wrote a novel while at GS, but I imagine it was pretty bad,” he said. I threw it into the garbage a few years later, but Walt Hathaway, who taught me in Creative Writing, seemed to like it. He said I had a sense of mischief and liked to tease the reader, and he was right. I don’t think I have changed in that regard.” Novel writing had to be put on hold, however, while David attended Hobart College, and taught as an adjunct professor of English in and around New York City, while completing his Ph.D. in English at the City University of New York. Presently, David is the chair of the English department at Rye Country Day School, a co-ed pre-K through 12th grade day school in Rye, New York. He lives with his wife, Christina Sassi Lehner and daughters Katarina, 4, and Natasha, 3, in Pound Ridge, New York. He has written two more novels (unpublished as yet) and is working on a fourth about twentyfirst century slavery. In addition, he has a non-fiction work coming out called Lies, Literature, and Propaganda: A Philosophical Investigation, which explores the theory upon which Bright Day is based. “We always have to fight complacency, and the more enlightened we think we are, the more we have to fight it. That is, as it were, the subtext of all my work.” ■
get back on his feet. Before too long, the protagonist realizes that it’s a rather mysterious business he’s involved in, perhaps even disreputable, yet he’d rather just stay on the outside, not ask too many questions and accept the money that’s to be made by doing so. Critiqued as “an important book about the state of American spiritual affairs at the turn of the new century, it is set in an amoral business world where fortunes are made while lives are undone,” the book moves quickly, and offers many twists to keep the reader engaged.
David Lehner, who taught at George School from 1992-1993, credits his high school education for the strong writing background necessary for composing his political thriller. “It’s a dark book,” said John Daniel, David’s editor. “The book has a lot of important moral issues to be addressed and asks the question, ‘Where is the boundary of self-gain and social responsibility?’” John likens the story to Stanley Kubrick’s movie Eyes Wide Shut, which has some of the same subject matter about a person who is pulled into a sinister culture and opts to put whatever conscience he has aside for his own gains. He feels that it may relate closely to the generation that is now coming into power. It was while attending George School that David toyed with the idea
Volume 74 • Number 1 • Winter 2002
J. Richardson Adams ’37 John Adams, David McCullough
George E. Walker ’48 Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling
Patricia Satterthwaite Edge ’50 Beach Music, Pat Conroy
Alice Hieatt Allen ’68 The Bean Trees, Barbara Kingsolver
Carter Sio ’76 Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life’s Greatest Lesson, Mitch Albom
Denis J. Colbert ’80 A History of the Arab Peoples, Albert Hourani
Alison Shanley Johnson ’89 Pecked to Death by Ducks, Tim Cahill
Winter Miller ’91 Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex. What’s more tragic than fate? Certainly not mistaken identity, incest and a hearty eye gouge. All in a day’s work … .
Elizabeth K. Scudder ’00 The End of Fashion: How Marketing Changed the Clothing Business Forever, Teri Agins
George School • Georgian
5
GS Student Makes History as First Freshman to Receive the Argo Prize
Creative Writing Stirs Student Interest By Cristina Luyando
By Cristina Luyando
I
was at a folk concert and the singer was playing music and talking to herself about how she tried to dye her hair blonde and it turned orange. She used the phrase ‘glowing in neurotic,’ which I found interesting. That phrase is what I built my story around,” Rachel Aucott ’04 recalled. During her first year at George School, Rachel was given a writing assignment for Terry Culleton’s fresh-
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Rachel Aucott ’04 exercises her writing abilities through Justin Wheeler’s Creative Writing Workshop. man English class. The assignment prompted Rachel to write a story about an orange-haired woman who was trying to come to terms with the death of a close relative. There’s A Time For Every Purpose Under Heaven begins with the story’s narrator, Laura, recalling her great aunt with fond memories. “Everything about her was enchanting,” Rachel wrote, “… the enormous old castle that she lived in, her eccentric Victorian shirts and go-go boots, the way she wiggled her eyebrows when she talked, her startling white hair ….” When Laura found out about the death of her aunt Eliza, she was at a low point in her life regarding her career, family and an “awful dye job that made her look like Howdy
Doody.” Laura was forced to “manage the loss of one of the most wonderful people in my world on top of everything else.” The story comes to an end after Laura makes the long trek from her home in Montreal, Canada, to Eliza’s old manor in New Jersey to pick up what Laura thinks Eliza has graciously passed on to her — a grandfather clock she has always admired. After breaking down on the road, sleeping in a cheap motel and driving for hours at a time for two days, Laura finally arrives at her late aunt’s house to discover what Eliza has really left for her. “I started to cry, but this time the tears on my face were from laughter. I held in my hands a recipe for the best soufflé in the world and a tin clock that didn’t really tell time — a toy I used to play with in my youth and Eliza in hers.” This turned out to be a greater gift than even the most beautiful grandfather clock. When Rachel’s completed story crossed Terry’s desk, he was so impressed that he suggested she submit it to Argo, George School’s student-run literary magazine for which Terry is the sponsor. “She has the sophistication to be able to write about lives that don’t mirror her own in any exact way,” Terry said of Rachel’s writing ability. “She has an enthusiasm for possibilities — and she has the verbal talent, the wit, and the patience to explore those possibilities through prose writing.” Argo was so impressed by her piece that Rachel was nominated for and ultimately won the Argo Prize for Prose and Poetry in the spring of 2001. Rachel was the first George School freshman student ever to receive the Argo Prize. “I was so happy,” Rachel recalled with a smile. “I really never expected to be noticed for my writing. It was really validating.” ■
“Planning to write is not writing.
In order to be selected for the work-
Outlining ... researching ... talking to
shop, the students submitted stories
people about what you’re doing, none of
along with a statement explaining their
that is writing. Writing is writing.” This
interest in joining the group. The deter-
proverb, written by E. L. Doctorow and
mining factor was a serious interest and
paraphrased by Justin Wheeler, is part of
talent for fiction writing.
the motivation behind the formation of the Creative Writing Workshop on George School’s campus this year. “It was started in response to a student’s interest in pursuing her creative writing and her frustration with the fact that we [the English Department] do not offer poetry
or
explained
fiction-writing Justin
classes,”
The workshop, which meets every
English
other Sunday evening throughout the
Wheeler,
school year, provides its 10 members with a sounding board for their stories and ideas. They write stories individually and then share them with the group, accepting constructive criticism from the others. “They [the students] get to teacher and sponsor of the workshop.
meet on a regular basis with other stu-
The writing workshop – led by Justin
dents who are serious about developing
Wheeler – is funded by the Independent
their writing,” Justin said. “We learn a
Foundation Fund Chair, a position which
lot from discussion, but we learn more
Stephanie McBride, the English depart-
from writing again and again.”
ment head, held for three years.
George School • Georgian
Volume 74 • Number 1 • Winter 2002
6
eFacts
Writing Eased the Transition from New York City Model to Aspiring Author
Learn how George School alumni answered the December 2001 “Words, Words, Words” eQuiz
Awards alumni have received
By Kimberly Miller Robbins
I
t was a gorgeous fall day when I visited the school,” Andes Hruby ’87 said recalling her days as a George School student. “The Meeting House was filled with balloons and a breeze gently lifted them. I stood there and watched them rise and fall with the wind. I felt so peaceful. Every time I went to look at another school, I couldn’t get that feeling or the sight of that beautiful Meeting House out of my mind.” The tranquility that Andes found that day in the quiet streets of Newtown, PA, helped her say goodbye to her hectic days of child modeling in New York City and hello to a new world that would introduce her to a new craft — writing. Before her enrollment at George School, Andes’ modeling gigs supported her mother and her until Andes’ height fell short of the other models and she began to lose work. It was then that she decided to escape from what was left of her career and enroll in boarding school. Although the decision to make the transition from a New York City model to a George School student was hers, it didn’t come without apprehension. “I remember thinking I was so odd. I was surprised that there were people who actually did the things I only acted out in advertisements. Up until then, the world was a fantasy place where I pretended you could do these things ... it was difficult for me to let that go and realize I could be real. I didn’t have to be a Barbie,” Andes said. By the end of her freshman year, Andes was amazed by all of her new cultural experiences. For the first time in her life she was playing sports, joining clubs and interacting with people her same age. She was also beginning to practice what would eventually become her life’s work. Initially, Andes said writing was a way for her to release her fear and anxiety.
Photo by Marion Ettlinger
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Andes Hruby’s fiction writing has won Story Magazine’s short fiction contest and the Writer’s Digest Mainstream Fiction Contest. Her essays have been published in Garden Design, The Berkshire Bulletin, and Quadrille. “There was the feeling [when writing] that I could just be myself. There was no judgment for what I looked like, what I said. I didn’t have to hide anything. It was another way for me to be completely open, and at the time I wasn’t yet,” Andes said. Andes’ interest in creative writing ignited in freshman English when she discovered how much she enjoyed pouring out her thoughts in her journal during the first 10 minutes of class. By the time she entered her sophomore year, she realized that being a good
well as creatively,” Andes said. Following George School, Andes went on to study writing and earned a B.A. in literature from Bennington College and then an M.F.A. in creative writing from Columbia University. Today, Andes, 33, lives in Austria with her husband and her newborn daughter, Arenal, as she prepares for the launch of her first novel, The Trouble With Catherine, this spring. She describes her book as a story of every woman she knows right now, including herself. Together, they all struggle to balance being a good wife, mother and friend. “I know so many women right now who are always walking the line. At times they feel really good about themselves; at other times they feel that they can’t do enough. Women want to do it all because we have the option. The difficulty is in choosing the right path and balancing them,” Andes added. As the writer and new mom continues with her own balancing act, she offers this to others, a lesson she learned at George School. “Silence is as important as communication. I learned that in the Meeting House,” Andes said. “It’s important to take time to think and be quiet as much as it’s important to speak and be heard.” ■
“Silence is as important as communication. I learned that in the Meeting House.” writer meant she would have to master more than just creativity. In her sophomore European history class, Andes was challenged to write critically. “I had always thought creative was enough. In my sophomore year, my European history teacher broke me down. She told me, ‘You’ve got it in there, but your organization is all over the place.’ I realized how important it was to think critically as
Volume 74 • Number 1 • Winter 2002
Herbert Fraser ’39 Indiana Civil Liberties Union: Two lifetime awards for studies of jail conditions in Indiana.
Jean Thompson Sharpless ’49 Third place CASE award for Independent School magazine in 1994, followed by the first place award the following year.
Gail Eveland Hebert ’52 Awards for outstanding radio commercials.
Suzanne Tompkins ’66 I have co-published small literary magazines in the science fiction field, in which I co-edited and wrote editorials on personal thoughts and subjects. We were nominated twice for the Hugo Award and have won several smaller awards in the field over a 20-year period.
David Lehner ’74 Academic awards for best English essay (undergraduate), best thesis (master’s) and best dissertation of the year (Ph.D.).
Pamela Miller Appea ’94 I’ve never received any awards but hearing from people who have read my stories or appreciate my work is an award in and of itself.
George School • Georgian
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NOTE: Pages removed from this document to protect the privacy of GS alumni. Alumni may login to the alumni community at http://alumni.georgeschool.org to view the full version of this issue.
eQuiz
How alumni like to communicate
"Words, Words, Words" Highlights The "Words, Words, Words" survey queried alumni about their writing habits and experiences; 127 of them responded, 55 percent males and 45 percent females. For complete results of the winter 2002 eQuiz, select “eQuiz results” from the site index of the George School Web site (www.georgeschool.org).
41% Rarely Write
Fifty-two percent of alumni respondents prefer to communicate with family and friends via e-mail compared to the 42 percent who prefer the telephone.
Where alumni are comfortable writing
94
Fiction
63 Short Stories 62 Biographies 59 Non-Fiction Historical
38 Mystery 32 Poetry 32 Essays 19 Self-Help 17 How-to-Manuals 16 Business Writing 9 Financial 2 None
The Advancement Office is working with
39% Often Write
the
Bernard
C.
Harris
Publishing Co. to produce a new alumni directory by November 2002. All alumni were recently sent
Dear Diary
a questionnaire. If you have not
eQuiz results show that quite a few alumni write in a personal journal.
already done so, please return your
While 24 percent of alumni feel comfortable writing anywhere, a whopping 54 percent feel most comfortable writing at home.
What alumni like to read
50
New Alumni Directory
20% Never Write
questionnaire today. This will ensure that your personal information will be accurately included in this new reference book. Soon, the verification process will begin. When you receive a telephone call
Where alumni have been published
from the Harris firm, please give
Of the 127 alumni who participated in the eQuiz, 62 of them, or 49 percent, have been published. In addition to books, newspapers and magazines, alumni have been published in various print and media formats including screenplays and teleplays, political flyers, teachers’ manuals, technical books, dramatic writing, jokes and children’s literature.
The directory will contain current
the person who calls a few minutes of your time to verify your listing.
names cross-referenced by student names, home and business information and e-mail addresses. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of it. If you have questions about the directory, please call Alice Maxfield,
Advancement
Office,
215-579-6566, send an e-mail to Alice_Maxfield@georgeschool.org or send a fax to 215-579-6579.
The 127 alumni who participated in this question were permitted to select as many categories as were applicable.
Georgian
Advancement Office George School Box 4438 Newtown, PA 18940-0908 www.georgeschool.org
Volume 74 • Number 1 • Winter 2002
IN THIS ISSUE Alumni Award Recipients ...1 Student Staff Writer ...........3 Unconventional Teaching....4 Lehner’s Bright Day .............5 Argo Prize Recipient ...........6 Model to Aspiring Author ..7 Class Notes .........................8
EPRINTED
ON
RECYCLED
PAPER
Cristina Luyando, Editor Cristina_Luyando@georgeschool.org 215-579-6568
NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 1 NEWTOWN, PA