Holderness School Today

-

H OLDERNESS S CHOOL TODAY Winter 2012

Also Inside:

Dedicating the Woodward Faculty Dorm The poetry of Emily Raabe ’89 Rob Crane ’05 makes the US Olympic team Reunion 2011

Starting with why Will Northrop ’88 taps the power of inspiration in helping Holderness break a trail into the 21st century.

This page: At Holderness students are expected to take risks, albeit with plenty of help and support—like on a ropes course, for example. Cayla Penny ’15 and Nikki Blair ’15 learn what that’s all about during a field trip in September.

Front cover: Ryan Rosencranz ’12 became the first Holderness snowboarder to qualify for a World Cup event last December. He was joined there by two alumni racers. See the story on page 32.

Back cover: Little Gracie Mullen, the daughter of Jennifer Stevens Mullen ’90 and granddaughter of Dick and Gail Stevens, was among those working the floor at the dedication of the Woodward Faculty Dormitory in October.

Holderness School Board of Trustees Holderness School Today

Jonathan R. Baum

Volume XXVIII, No. 2

Grace Macomber Bird Frank Bonsal III ’82 Elizabeth Bunce F. Christopher Carney ’75 Russell Cushman ’80 The Rev. Randolph Dales (Secretary) Nigel D. Furlonge Tracy McCoy Gillette ’89 (Alumni Association President) Douglas H. Griswold ’66 Robert J. Hall James B. Hamblin II ’77 (Treasurer) Jan. R. Hauser Peter K. Kimball ’72 Paul Martini Peter Nordblom Susan L. Paine ’82

Features

R. Phillip Peck Thomas N. Phillips ’75 Tamar Pichette

4

A light on the trail Will Northrop ’88 helped put up lights on our Nordic ski

William L. Prickett ’81 (Chairperson)

trails as his senior project. Recently he’s been helping to

Jake Reynolds ’86 The Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson (President)

light the way for his alma mater as it ventures into the

Ian Sanderson ’79

wilderness of the new century.

Jennifer A. Seeman ’88 Gary A. Spiess Ellyn Paine Weisel ’86

12

A Holderness miracle The Woodward Faculty Dormitory was dedicated in

Headmaster Emeritus

October. Phil Peck’s remarks remind us how improbable

The Rev. Brinton W. Woodward, Jr.

that once seemed. Pete Woodward pays tribute to the great

Honorary Trustees

new road on campus.

teachers who were there that day. And we find a name for a

Warren C. Cook Piper Orton ’74 W. Dexter Paine III ’79

16

Thoughts while shaving: The FLOW of self Assistant Chaplain Bruce Barton, in this Chapel talk,

The Rt. Rev. Douglas Theuner

considers the importance in community of each of us being different, and owning up to that. Scary? Yes.

Holderness School Today Editor: Rick Carey Editor Emeritus: Jim Brewer Assistant Editors: Dee Black Rainville, Robert Caldwell, Emily Magnus ’89, Jane McNulty, Phil Peck, Judith Solberg, Melissa Stuart, Amy Woods Photography: Emily Magnus ’88,Steve Solberg, Nicholas Schoeder ’06, Art Durity, Phil Peck HST is printed on recycled paper three times each year by the Springfield Printing Corporation. Please send notice of address changes to the Advancement Office, Holderness School, P.O. Box 1879, Plymouth, NH 03264, or alum@holderness.org. Or call the Advancement Office at 603-536-1742.

Departments 2

From the Schoolhouse

3

Letters to HST

19

Honor Roll

21

Around the Quad

33

Sports

36

Update: Faculty & Staff

40

Update: Former Faculty & Staff

42

Alumni in the News

51

Alumni & Parent Relations

56

At This Point in Time

Emily Raabe ’89.

See page 42.

Schoolhouse From the

Head of School Phil Peck starts with why and is quickly led to who.

Cutting the ribbon at the Woodward Faculty Dorm: Phil Peck, Headmaster Emeritus Pete Woodward, and Board Chair Will Prickett ’81.

“W

HY

HOLDERNESS?"

IS

a sublime ques-

tion. It is a question that asks us to savor the essence of Holderness, but also to look forward

You see our students, faculty, alumni, and past

and embrace challenges and opportunities, to not

faculty challenging themselves to always be

be complacent. Peter Senge, the author of The

growing, to always be learning.

Fifth Discipline, talks about this phenomenon in terms of organizations that learn from experi-

Woodward Faculty Dormitory highlights the point that exceptional teachers learning together with engaged students— not an exciting new facility—is really the essence of Holderness.

years has led NEASC's international accredita-

about having a growth mindset. Whatever you

tion through a dynamic growth spurt.

call it, I am thankful the desire to always be

Assistant Head Jory Macomber, who is learning from Pete as he visits independent schools

Holderness ethos.

around the globe to try to better understand how

frames this issue of HST. We see how

Holderness can best build a global community in the 21st century. Or Emily Raabe '89, writing in

Holderness is a learning organization in how we

a new genre at the same time that she publishes a

approach strategic planning. We do this as an

book of poetry, inspired in part by her relation-

inclusive process that allows us to affirm the core

ship with Norm Walker. Or Jed Hoyer '92, taking

values of Holderness while constantly question-

on the "toughest job in baseball." Or the Senior

ing and making dynamic changes that will pre-

Honors Thesis program, where almost fifty sen-

serve our core for generations to come.

iors this year pursue a passion, take risks, are

Certainly the new dormitories are examples of "Why Holderness?" in action. As modern and dynamic as any residential facility in American boarding schools, the new dorms are merely a

intellectually engaged, and are mentored by exceptional faculty.

This issue provides many answers to the question of "Why Holderness?" at the same time

21st century example of attempting to live up to

that it demonstrates how this little school in the

the high calling of our 1879 charter to provide

White Mountains is truly a learning organization.

the "highest quality of care-giving."

The dedication of the Woodward Faculty

Even more important in the following pages are countless real-life examples of members of our

Dormitory highlights the point that exceptional

Holderness family who model Carol Dweck's

teachers learning together with engaged stu-

growth mindset.

dents—not an exciting new facility—is really the

No question, Holderness is a community that is constantly striving to achieve our existen-

facility are affirmations that Holderness will con-

tial mission to "work for the betterment of

tinue to be about people and programs as it

humankind and God's creation."

moves forward. The facilities are important only in how they enhance and support those programs and remarkable people.

In reading this issue, you can't help but be

Holderness School Today

Or

learning, always be growing, is part of the

essence of Holderness. The dedication and the

2

Look at Pete Woodward, for example, who after "retiring" as headmaster for the past eleven

ence. Carol Dweck in her book, Mindset, talks

In fact the question "Why Holderness?"

The dedication of the

struck how the "Why Holderness?" mindset is evident in the members of the Holderness family.

letters To HST Send letters about HST to Rick Carey, Director of Publications, Holderness School,

03264

P.O. Box 1879, Plymouth, NH 03264, or via email to rcarey@holderness.org.

Missing Dave Goodwin.

The rock musical genre was born at Holderness in 1963.

I went to David Goodwin's

The title of your story on page 33 of the fall ’11 Holderness School

wake on Tuesday

Today, “The first rock-and-roll musical rocks the boards at Hagerman,”

[12/6/11]. I met David

is inaccurate.

when I became a board member of Easter Seals

Dave Goodwin ’37

In 1963—maybe 1962—an original rock musical was performed in what was then the old gym that doubled as the school’s theater. Ted

NH nine years ago. David

Dewart ’63 wrote the script, wrote the music, formed a band of rock

and I had a special bond

musicians (of which I was one), and produced the entire production

and always had great con-

which was based on the four-act drama by George Bernard Shaw, Man

versations about

and Superman.

Holderness when we saw each other. It warmed my heart to see his Holderness

It still cracks me up to remember seeing Tom McIlvain ’63, a lead performer, being lowered from the ceiling to the stage on a rope. I’m sure Tom will remember the production. Perhaps you can credit Ted for

pin on his jacket and find out his Holderness tie was in his pocket and a

his seminal work as playwright, lyricist, musician, and director of the

baseball cap in his casket. A great alumnus to the very end.

true first rock-and-roll musical performed at Holderness.

Thank you for thinking of me. I believe Holderness School played a tremendous part in my education and helped me prepare the founda-

Renny McKinney ’64

tion for my eventual return to the family business after college.

Editor’s note: Ted is so credited. Would this have been the ‘63 producCynthia Makris ’79

tion of Don Juan in Hell? We have no photos of this show in the

A disappointment born of love.

willing to share relating to this musical, we’d love to hear about it.

archives, or any other memorabilia. If anybody has anything they’d be

Thanks for the note in the recent HST regarding the names of Holderness people who are, or have been, heads of schools. When I read the article in the previous HST, I was not angry, but rather disappointed to not be

The next ride will also be for Norm Walker.

Although I only came to know Norm Walker in recent years, I never had the pleasure of directly experiencing his teaching, coaching, or just

included with many

Norm being himself. A gentle giant.

great people with

sponsor of mine—I have participated in the Pan-Mass Challenge biking

As Phil Peck knows—Phil is a

Holderness connections like Bill Clough ’57, Jim Brewer, Will Graham ’72, Bill Burke, etc. The disappointment was a result of my deep love and respect for a school my Dad led for 27 years, a place in which I grew up as a young man, and a place where I went to school for four years. Thanks for making it right.

Dave Hagerman '63

Editor’s note: In our spring issue of HST, we omitted Dave from our list of alumni who had become school heads (Dave served as head at

Three generations of Clarks rode in last summer’s Pan-Mass Challenge.

From the left, Conner, Rik, and Ted Clark with crew chief Sandy Clark.

event in support of the DanaFarber Cancer Institute for many years. I cycle with "This Ride Is For You" on my han-

Pingree). We noted this in our fall issue, and we appreciate Dave’s generous response. We also appreciate Dave’s visit to campus this fall, and

dlebars. This is a listing of over 400 names of people who have lost

his visit to an English class on prep school literature. (photo above).

their battles with cancer, or are currently battling this dreadful disease, or—for the fortunate—are enjoying good health. I have added Norm Walker to this list and will ride in his memory in the 2012 PMC.

That bricklayer was really Jim Hammond.

Thanks for what HST is doing in helping to present the truly

I enjoyed the "School Crossing" article in the fall ’11 HST. One correc-

remarkable face of a truly remarkable school. It has something to do

tion you might want to note is that although many faculty members

with the people involved, doesn't it?—although the facilities do help.

have worked for me over the summers, Don Henderson never did. The person you are referring to as building the brick walkway to the

Rik Clark '48

Schoolhouse was our one and only Jim Hammond.

Dick Stevens Plant Director

Holderness School Today

3

A LIGHT on the TRAIL

Holderness was just the right school for Will Northrop ’88.

Why? Author Simon Sinek urges us to start with just that question in relation to any human enterprise.

And because we’re talking about Will, we’re also talking about the unusually light-footed plan for the future he has helped map out for this little enterprise in the mountains.

I

N THE FALL OF

1984 WILL Northrop was look-

ing for a school where he could do some Nordic skiing.

He had grown up near West Point, in New York, where his father—besides being a management consultant— was a Nordic skier and endurance athlete. His mother

worked at Ski Magazine, and both she and his sister were alpine skiers. “So I lived in the middle of this

friendly camaraderie between nordies and ’pinies,” he says.

Will just wanted a place where he could go on being a nordie and living that camaraderie. He was visiting five schools or so above New England’s snow line, and he happened to visit Holderness on Proctor Day. The weather was drearily rainy, and these weren’t the most glorious buildings he’d seen. But Will’s tour guide was sporting a Mohawk haircut, like a number of other kids about to go up against Proctor, and there was a quality to that badly coiffed camaraderie—a sense of shared com-

Story by Rick Carey

mitment and aspiration—that Will found irresistible. He told his folks that it had to be Holderness.

Holderness School Today

5

WO DECADES LATER A

T

contemporary of

Will’s, an English national named

Simon Sinek, had an interesting idea.

By then Sinek had earned his Bachelor’s in cultural anthropology at

Brandeis, gone home to study law, and then

had quit law school to go into advertising— which might be described as the cultural anthropology of the business world.

Sinek was working on Wall Street, studying the origins of such paragons of that world as Apple Computers, and noticing some interesting similarities

Simon Sinek

between Apple and independent innovators like, say, the Wright brothers; or between Apple and a galvanizing social activist such as Martin Luther King, Jr. Sinek saw that most businesses started with a product they believed in, and then set about figuring out how to sell that product. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, however, didn’t start with their desktop computer—instead they started with a determination to challenge the technological status quo and make “personal” computing a reality, accessible to everybody.

Similarly the Wright brothers, a pair of bicycle mechanics, set out not to build an airplane, per se, but rather to make sustained, motorized flight possible for anybody.

Sinek, “give people a sense of purpose or belonging that has little to do with any external incentive or benefit to be gained.”

And this is the kernel of Sinek’s influential 2009 book, Start With Why (Penguin): that Jobs, Wozniak, the Wrights, King, and others like them started with why they wanted to do something, and then considered how it might be done, and only then set about determining the what, i.e., building the product or the social movement to accomplish that. It’s an inside-out sort of thinking quite different, for example, from the way an advertiser has to think, someone who is given a product and then has to figure out the “why” of people’s desire for it. It’s also different, Sinek argues, from the way most leaders in business and industry think.

But it’s very much the way in which people in the nonprofit sector have always thought, which is why Will Northrop describes reading Sinek’s book a couple of years ago as “a paradigm shift in my life.”

Their chief competitor— Samuel Pierpont Langley, a well-connected Harvard mathematician working with a dream team of engineers and a $50,000 grant from the War Department—abandoned aviation after the news from Kitty Hawk. Langley was in it for the patent and licensing fees.

Sinek also noticed that in 1963 a good twenty percent of the several hundred thousand people who participated in Dr. King’s historic March on Washington had been white. Perhaps that was because King was not fighting for civil rights for AfricanAmericans, per se—rather he was fighting for a just and equal society for people of all races in America.

The result of these observations and others led Sinek to suspect that success is most likely to attend to those enterprises— whether entrepreneurial, technological, or social—whose aims are most broad-based, and that have the power to inspire people.

So Steve Jobs didn’t begin with a product he believed in; rather he began with a belief he believed in, a core value that can, writes

6

Holderness School Today

OLDERNESS WORKED OUT

H

very well for

Will. Not only did he ski under the tutelage of Phil Peck, formerly a

coach for the US Olympic Nordic

team, but he helped Holderness win

NEPSAC championships in each sport in which he competed his senior year: crosscountry running, Nordic skiing, and cycling.

“I don’t think any other athlete has accomplished that here, before or since,” says Phil.

For his senior project, under the sponsorship of Phil and Jay Stroud, and with help from classmates Emily Adriance Magnus and Russell Gates, Will finished work left incomplete by a 1987 senior project, which was to install a system of lights on a broad loop of the school’s Nordic trails. “We used the poles that used to go around the old tennis courts, so the work was very much in the Holderness tradition of renew and reuse,” Will says. “And it’s very nice to come back to campus now and see that those lights still work, and that the trails are used at night.”

Will got into a good college, the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he majored in US history, with an emphasis on the American West. He also raced for three

The nonprofit world was his years on the fringes of a top varsity Nordic team stacked with talented Norwegians and Swedes.

And then he stayed in the West, eventually moving to Ketchum, Idaho, where some big mountains provide plenty of skiing, biking, and backpacking; and where the wealth attracted by the Sun Valley Resort helps to support a local symphony, an arts center, a writers’ conference, and other amenities for the soul. “Both physically and intellectually,” Will says, “it’s a nice place to live.”

Especially if your energy level is of that boundless sort typical of good nordies. Will has worked variously and at once as a preschool teacher, an elementary school assistant, and a ski instructor. He and some friends founded a preschool, and he still runs a foundation that works with Ketchum public schools in providing after-school activities and character development for the city’s disadvantaged youth, programs that now serve 300 kids.

Then there was his volunteer work: EMT and fireman, of course, which he kept up until 2006; but also work for a host of nonprofits—the board of the Sun Valley Center for the Arts, a trustee of the Community School (independent, K-12), a member of the vestry of the St. Thomas Episcopal Church, and many more organizations and causes, including Holderness. Will joined the board here in 2002, and served until 2011. He was vice-chair during the last four years. In his career so far he has been in various other settings a board chair, a campaign chair, an advisory council member, a grant writer, an executive director, and more.

Will loved that work, and still loves it, because each of those nonprofits offered him something like what he had felt on that first visit to Holderness—that sense of shared commitment and aspiration. He also noticed that through all the board and committee meetings he attended, whether the matters at hand had to do with arts or education or social services, many of the same questions were raised, many of the same issues confronted.

In 2004 he found a way to make a living by using that breadth of experience to help other people be good volunteers for their organizations. That was the year Will founded Talent

natural habitat. It has always been the world where people are sustained by a sense of shared commitment and hope; where there has never been any place to start from other than “why.”

Focused Consulting, an agency that provides coaching to leaders of all stripes in the nonprofit sector, as well as organizational development to the sort of nonprofits he has always worked with. The agency motto: “I help connect causes to their best ideas.”

So TFC has worked, at one time or another, with Life’s Kitchen, which prepares at-risk youths for careers in the food service industry; the Company of Fools, Sun Valley’s awardwinning professional theater company; Wood River Rideshare, which provides alternative transportation for people throughout Idaho’s Blaine County, and quite a few more.

And there is a common element to every organization on that list of clients: Will himself can really buy into what they do.

“When I think about taking on a client, I look at what the organization’s purposes are,” he says. “There has to be a certain confluence with my own values and beliefs, and if we have that— then we have the foundation for a relationship.”

Or to put it another way, he has to feel inspired. His reading of Sinek’s Start With Why a couple of years ago wasn’t so much a paradigm shift, really, as a flash of recognition. That whole sense of “why” had been the organizing principle of his entire life, and the battery source of a service-minded endurance athlete’s energy.

It helped explain why a kid with a very different haircut from his had been able to recruit Will to Holderness long ago, and why then he had found his way into education—which might be described as the art and science of aspiration—and then this very broad-based sort of social activism. The nonprofit world was his natural habitat. It has always been the world where people are sustained by a sense of shared commitment and hope; where there has never been any place to start from other than “why.”

As a coach and planner for nonprofits, Will saw that his task was to ensure clear and sound connections between the “how” and the “what” of each organization to the “why” at its

Holderness School Today

7

center. All of which has made his presence on the Holderness board for this first decade of the new century, and at this point in the history of the school, a particularly happy circumstance.

ND THE

A

“WHY”

OF

Holderness? In 1879, when

the school was founded, that was first defined in its charter: a school “whose great object shall

be to combine the highest degree of excellence in instruction and care-taking with the lowest

possible charge for tuition and board.”

So Holderness was created as an accessible alternative to New Hampshire’s other Episcopal school, St. Paul’s, which was too expensive for, say, the son of a

minister to attend.

Or to put it another way, it was founded to challenge the status quo—to offer a topdrawer independent school education at a bottom-drawer discount price.

That challenge was bravely mounted for some seventy years, but by the 1940s the task of keeping Holderness afloat had come to depend on annual infusions of capital from the private fortunes of Rector Edric Weld and his wife Gertrude. When the Welds

retired in 1951, Headmaster Don Hagerman and his trustees—on the advice of the Welds—began to raise tuition to the level of Holderness’s peer schools. One could call this a retreat, or else simply a more realistic assessment of “the lowest possible charge.” Whatever the case, this also demanded that Holderness compete

Boys into a co-ed institution, and were making other historic changes—all while still preserving the sense of community that Will found so palpable.

During the previous two decades, the ’60s and ’70s, Holderness had been among the many schools and colleges whose sense of “why” had been jarred by the social ferment of those times. In the ’80s Pete Woodward and his trustees were taking a new look at the word, and finding answers that had a renewed power to inspire.

F COURSE THAT’S A TASK THAT

O

confronts every

nonprofit, through good times or bad. When Phil

Peck became head of school in 2001, it was at a

time when the wealth of the middle class was

declining, educational costs (and tuitions) were

rising, and independent schools across the nation were competing on the basis of ever more lavish facilities— all of which is still true.

But in 2001 it indeed was time for another look at the “why” of Holderness. Will joined the board in 2002, just as this process was warming up, and before he was making his own living at it. But he knew enough about strategic planning to appreciate how

with its peers largely on the basis of “excellence in instruction and care-taking.”

At this point, however, there have to be other dimensions to the “why” of one school versus another. There is no school in New England that doesn’t at least claim “excellence in instruction and care-taking,” and in 1984 Will Northrop was visiting five such places credible in that claim. Beyond that, Will was interested in a brilliant snow sports program that had begun during the Weld years and then flourished under history teacher and former US Alpine coach Don Henderson. And once Will was on campus, there was that sense of everybody being on board the same boat which he found special here—nordies and pinies and everybody else.

At that time Pete Woodward was headmaster. Pete was maintaining “excellence in instruction” by building a faculty so talented that a baker’s dozen

of them would go on to be heads at other

schools. He and his trustees were making sure that the snow sports program remained the best in New England outside a ski academy. At the same time, though, they had just turned the Holderness School for

8

Holderness School Today

often the process resulted in a shotgun blast of unrelated goals and objectives—and also a handsomely printed document that gathered dust on a shelf until the next frenzy of planning.

In 2003 John Bird of the Maine-based Educator’s Collaborative came to campus to lead a series of forums about “why,” “how,” and “what.” At Phil’s

Perhaps unexpected, but lucky for Holderness.

Next year Will Prickett ’81 will enter his fifth year as Chair of the Board of Trustees, and as an agent of stability through the flux of strategic planning.

E CAN’T CLAIM THIS

as a hard fact without a lot of digging around in the archives, but by the time Will Prickett retires— probably—from the Board of Trustees in 2013, he will have completed a tenure as one of the school’s longer serving Board Chairs in recent decades.

Not bad, and perhaps unexpected, for a kid from the flatlands of Delaware.

But even as a native of Wilmington, Will loved to ski. As a boy he traveled often to Vermont and Idaho in the winter with his family, and he also spent his third-grade year skiing in Switzerland. There he learned French in a one-room schoolhouse in the mountains north of Lausanne, and skied frequently in the Swiss and French Alps.

He had an uncle who was an alumnus of Holderness—Chris DuPont ’67—and a number of family friends with ties to the school. So actually, for Will at least, it was rather a well-groomed trail that led from Wilmington to Holderness.

Then he had the sort of career here that you might predict for a future Board Chair: academic honors, and— besides racing on the Eastern alpine team—varsity lacrosse and co-captain of the football team, where he played running back and cornerback. He was editor of The Dial his senior year, and in the Job Program he was the Evening Steward, a position that roughly corresponds to today’s Weld Hall Supervisor.

Will went on to Williams to study geology, but then a year he spent working as a paralegal in a law firm brought him back to Delaware, where he enrolled in Widener University’s law school. These days he’s a partner in the Boston office of the national law firm Seyfarth Shaw, LLP. But he never stopped being an involved and active friend to Holderness, and in 1998 Headmaster Pete Woodward asked Will to join the board as president of the Alumni Association. Will also served as a member of the search committee that select-

W

ed Phil Peck as the school’s new head, and then helped recruit friend and classmate Bill Baskin ’81 to become the next Alumni Association president in 2002. At that point Will continued as a member of the Board of Trustees.

In 2008 Will became Chair of the Board, a job that particularly requires a lot of high-profile, laborintensive volunteer work.

“And one particular strength of Will’s,” says Head of School Phil Peck, “has been his determination to keep the school’s Strategic Plan constantly in front of the board, and to constantly keep them focused on helping us to achieve that vision.”

The typical term for Board Chair is three years, but Will agreed to a fourth year in order to provide continuity for the recent update of the Strategic Plan,

road map, and with a concerted team effort, everything will happen on time and on budget.”

Will makes it sound like much will depend on the help he has, and has had, which is typical of a leadership style that mirrors Phil Peck’s—one that’s unusually inclusive and participatory. In fact, Will spelled out a blueprint for this

“If Holderness has taught you to understand the importance of caring for one another,

and the satisfaction of collaboration . . .”

and—again at the request of his board colleagues—has just agreed to a fifth year in order to provide continuity, this time as Phil takes a sabbatical in 20122013, and as Assistant Head Jory Macomber assumes the helm for that year.

“That will be no problem,” Will says. “A new version of the Strategic Plan is in place, our exceptional Administrative Team will be otherwise intact next year, and Jory will be directly involved in planning sessions this spring for next year. We’ve got a great

style in his address last commencement to the Class of 2011: “If Holderness has taught you to understand the unmatched power of dedication, focus, and hard work; the importance of caring for one another; and the satisfaction of collaboration, then we have done much of what we said we would do.”

For more than a decade now, Will himself has done just that for Holderness. Not bad for a kid from Delaware, or anywhere else.

Holderness School Today

9

build enough endowment to make such a BHAG a reality, it raises the possibility of Holderness reconnecting once again to an important aspect of its founding “why,” and becoming—after all—a school that any qualified student can manage to attend.

The second remarkable thing is that the final document was not actually a document at all. It was certainly nothing that was ever expensively printed, bound, and shelved. Rather it was a set of ideas on hard drives and sheets of copy paper that refused to be confined within the fences of finality.

HIS PROPERTY OF NEVER

T

allowing the mor-

tar to dry much impressed Leslie Pelton of

LJP Consulting in Boston. Of course there are certain times, in any organization,

when the cement simply has to be soft.

During such times the original 2003 Strategic Plan received a comprehensive, hundreds-ofstakeholders-included update in 2007, one in which policy goals in student leadership and sustainability were added, and another one in

Will on the trails of the Boulder Mountain Tour in 2008. On the opposite page, one of the lights he helped raise on the school’s Nordic ski trails in 1988.

behest, these forums were to include not just a cross-

2011. Last year Will Northrop was much more than a

section of students, parents, teachers, staff, alumni,

player in the process. Rather he was co-leader—with

and friends, but a big cross-section—some 700 peo-

Leslie—of the retreats, forums, and focus groups

ple. John Bird thought that might be too many. “It’s

involved.

going to be our plan, not mine,” Phil replied, “and we all need to own it.”

For his part, Will was pleased that the process

reographed the talent in each room,” Will says. “I

a revision, per se, but a concentration into a single,

learned as much from Leslie as I have from anybody.”

focused sentence. “The number one thing, in my

Like Will Northrop, Leslie has done this sort of work with a lot of schools and nonprofits. She first

“Then your goals, so long as they’re tied into that

came to Holderness in 2006 to work with Phil and his

purpose, assume visceral and emotional power.”

administrative team as—on a weekly basis—they met

Will was also pleased with the wide-open mindset of his old ski coach: “Phil was really willing to

to look at the Strategic Plan, assess its progress on various fronts, and map out their next steps. “Phil

turn it all over to the stakeholders, and as excited as

Peck does a better job than any school leader I’ve

any of us to see where that might lead.”

known at ensuring that a strategic plan is a living doc-

There were a couple of remarkable things about

ument, something that you check in with all the

this first exercise in 21st century planning, which con-

time,” she says. “And it was such an open process at

cluded in 2003. Though the final document describes

Holderness. People could raise questions within the

five general mission-related policy goals—these hav-

structure of the plan, or outside it, and Phil was com-

ing to do with intellectual achievement, faculty

pletely open to any possible change.”

lifestyle, student diversity, facilities, and financial stewardship—there is an unmentioned goal underlying them all, a breathtaking BHAG (“Big Hairy Audacious Goal”) first voiced by Phil during that process. This would be that Holderness would someday have the financial resources to be fully-funded need-blind in its admission process.

In the short term, even thinking about this compels Holderness to more strenuous levels of financial aid within the parameters of responsible financial stewardship. In the long term, as the school strives to

Holderness School Today

incorporated all perspectives, and in the way she cho-

began with a new look at the mission statement—not

experience, is to define your purpose,” says Will.

10

And Leslie was a good fit at Holderness. “She was very skillful and welcoming in the way that she

Phil was not only open to change at these points in time during which the stakeholders were sum-

The result of Will and Leslie’s listening and prodding is now our best and most up-to-the-minute answer to the “why” of Holderness, and its special challenge to the status quo. moned, Leslie saw—he

was also open to change at any other

time as well. Because the plan’s large policy goals and the objectives pursued on their behalf were consulted every week by the administrative team (and often on the agendas of board or faculty or parent meetings), the plan was something that could be adjusted on almost a weekly basis. Policy goals, yes, are unchanging except at periods devoted to plan review and revision; but objectives may be added, tweaked, or discarded at any time. At that level the plan is as flexible and opportunistic as any small mammal during the age of dinosaurs. To put it another way, the cement is always soft.

Also, where there are two Wills, there is always more than just one way. Will Northrop’s partner on the board through both its big updates has been chairperson Will Prickett ’81, a pinie from Delaware who knew about Holderness thanks to connections with family and friends and the ski world.

“All the core policy goals that we had in 2007 remain policy goals today,” says the board chair. “What we did during this most recent review, then, was first to confirm those goals with fresh eyes, to review what we’ve accomplished towards fulfilling those goals in the last three years, and then incorporate some new objectives.”

Among the most interesting of these, adds Will Prickett, are hopes to make Holderness more international in both its enrollment and its thinking, and a plan to revisit the question of school size. The question here is whether the school’s mission—and financial goals—might best be met by a student body a few handfuls larger than now.

These join such ongoing objectives as attaining an 8:1 student-teacher ratio in all dormitories; funding a new science center and renovations of Hagerman and the chapel; making the Senior Honors Thesis program a cornerstone to the curriculum; growing both the endowment and the school’s levels of financial aid; and many more.

“The new plan is a wonderful product in the way it reflects both the mission and the values of the school,” says Leslie Pelton. “And best of all, it has just the right amount of tension between reasonable expectations about what you can really accomplish and high hopes for all that you want to do.

You need to be realistic, but you also need to stretch. That’s a hard balance to strike, and I think Holderness got it right.”

HERE’S ONE FINAL THING THAT A

T

strategic planning

process accomplishes as well, and it has to do with that

stretch. It brings a lot of people from different parts of

the community together, it gets them talking with each

other about values and beliefs, and—in mapping out a

future that contains this element of stretch—it leaves them

inspired; not unlike the way in which those who worked with Steve Jobs were inspired, or those who marched with Martin Luther King, Jr. In the aftermath Will Northrop returned to Boise, where he now lives, and where he’ll stay when he’s not on the road for TFC. This 2011 version of the Strategic Plan is his final legacy as a trustee to Holderness, his most literal exercise in “connecting causes to their best ideas” right in this community. In the various ways in which the plan fortifies and seeks to enhance “excellence in instruction and care-taking,” and in the implicit way in which it seeks to restore “the lowest possible charge for room and board,” the result of Will and Leslie’s listening and prodding is now our best and most upto-the-minute answer to the “why” of Holderness, and its special challenge to the status quo—not least of which is that greatest stretch, its aspiration to the promised land of being fully-funded need-blind.

So regarding that sense of purpose and belonging seen as so crucial by Simon Sinek, just picture seven hundred stakeholders—kitchen staff members, new parents, seasoned alumni, student officers, and Director of Residential Life Duane Ford ’74, why not?—with Mohawks.

“Simon says—cannot avoid that pun—that you do business with those who believe what you believe,” Will concludes. “You confirm with facts, and the amazing achievements of Holderness are simply the visible results of the ‘why.’ We know there are many other schools with better facilities. So why doesn’t every one go to those schools? I would suggest—via Simon—that what Holderness believes sets it apart. Our facilities and programs will not win the day in some head-to-head comparisons, but we’re authentic, and hard to duplicate in our belief.”

Just something to think about as we cruise the Nordic ski trails under the lights Will and two friends raised there decades ago. Pinies can come too, not to say hoopsters and pucksters. They’re available to everybody.

Holderness School Today

11

A Holderness Miracle: Welcome to the Woodward Faculty Dormitory On October 21, an honor roll of great teachers returned to campus to be honored at the dedication of the Woodward Faculty Dormitory. In his remarks below, Head of School Phil Peck describes the unlikely events (and the two miracles) that made possible the construction of this dorm and its sister facility.

T

ODAY IS A CHANCE TO CELEBRATE

“Love kids. Work hard.”

A generation of great educators, all of whom (except for Phil) have lent their names to rooms or spaces in the Woodward Faculty dorm: from the left, Rip Richards, Pete Rapelye, Jim Nourse, Fred Beams, Chris Little ’81, Pete Saliba, Pete Woodward, Phil Peck, Marty Elkins, Paul Elkins, Jim Brewer, Lew Overaker, Jim Hammond (kneeling), Don Hinman ’55, Kate Knopp, and Bill Clough ’57.

the achievement of vision.

It is also a chance to thank the folks in this room for being

sion that starts with the words, “Within the context of a caring community…” The result was a plan to develop a model of residential life

part of a Holderness miracle. I want to briefly share the

where no more than eight students lived with one faculty member in

story about how this little school raised $7million in seven

residence. Or to put it another way, to make the whole campus like the

months, in the midst of the most challenging economy in 75

South Campus. So what would that look like in a new residence?

Committees of various faculty, students, board members, and

years, to create this magnificent facility in which we are standing today.

As I shared with the Administrative Team yesterday, vision is often

administrators met over the course of several years to talk about the

misunderstood. Achieving an inspirational vision is never the work of a

program and brainstorm what the spaces might look like. Then we

solitary leader, but rather the work of an energized community who

brought in an architect, Ward D’Elia, to help us to see what type of

believe in a cause. Vision is only achieved through a collaborative

facility would support those program needs.

effort. And that inspirational effort is what we are here to celebrate

a residential campus where this could be reality, but it was a BHAG, a

We developed a vision for

“Big Hairy Audacious Goal.” It became an even bigger BHAG when

today.

As stated in our charter, this vision started in 1879 when Holderness was established to provide an exceptional education with the highest quality of care-giving. This care-giving was modeled by

we faced the worst economy in over 75 years. yes!

Okay, tough to achieve,

Now throw in that economy. Now it was nearly impossible!

But Holderness is not just any community, and people believe in

generations of remarkable faculty—many of whom are with us today—

the transformative nature of our little school.

who were not only outstanding educators, but who thrived on living

with a motto that reads, “For God and Humankind.” Perhaps, like the

with adolescents. These faculty “loved kids and worked very hard,” as

Blues Brothers, we were on “a mission from God!”

Norm Walker frequently said.

That is the foundation of the vision we

are celebrating today.

Flash back nine years ago to a strategic planning effort, where over

Boldness is synonymous

Eighteen months ago we were in a board meeting. Building and Grounds committee chair Paul Martini said, “I think we need to consider building two 24-student/3-faculty dorms, not just one! Building costs

700 voices were heard. The dream and vision that emerged from that

are lower than I have seen at any time in my career, and if we build

process was to create a community where the facility supported a mis-

two, we would benefit from the efficiency of building two.”

12

Holderness School Today

“

”

What if we named it after the faculty who were my heroes, the folks I worked with during my tenure?

Originally, it was going to cost us over $6 million to build one, and now Paul said we could build two for $7 million.

Quickly this board of

trustees got excited, even ecstatic, about the idea, and we created an ad hoc committee to review Paul’s proposal. The committee said yes, IF

The Rev. B.W. “Pete” Woodward, Jr. Headmaster, 1977-2001

program, and let’s take a moment to honor that group with an enthusiastic Holderness applause. Miracles can happen at Holderness School!

Now it is my privilege to introduce a person who was pivotal in helping Holderness be the school it is today. He is an extraordinary

we didn’t take on any debt, and IF we raised all the money before

leader, and let me give you a taste of Pete Woodward. When I shared

September first (six months later!). Let me remind you, this was the

with Pete our intention to name a building after him, his first response

worst economy in 75 years!

Miracles do happen, and one family in this room said, “We will give you $2 million now and if you can raise $4 million more by August 1st (five months later), we will contribute an extra $1 million.”

was no. Then later he got back to me and said, “What if we named it

after the faculty who were my heroes, the folks I worked with during my tenure?” Talk about service leadership.

Boards have legacies, and we have been blessed by many out-

Wow! Except, let me remind you, this was the worst economy in 75

standing boards who have moved Holderness forward over time.

years! Several members of the board, Robert Caldwell and our advance-

Adding six residences and 48 beds without growing the school one stu-

ment office, and I worked hard all spring and summer to reach the

dent will have an impact that will serve generations of Holderness stu-

August first deadline, but we were still short. Enter miracle number

dents and faculty, and will help us even better achieve our mission of

two!

quality care giving. That process from the beginning was led by our On July 30th we were still short of the goal. Time was running out.

Robert and I met with another family in this room. This family was so inspired by the stretching of the original family, as well as the nature of

board chair Will Prickett ’81.

Crucial to the success of this project, of course, were the efforts of the Construction Committee: Pete Hendel, Duane Ford ’74, Maggie

our ability to achieve our vision that they said, “We will guarantee the

Mumford, Pam Troiano, Dick Stevens, Pam Bliss, Robert Caldwell, and

outcome.”

Steve Solberg. And we were blessed in the skill and flexibility of our

That commitment inspired the board members in this room, and

contractors: Milestone Engineering and Construction, architect Samyn

several other families in this room to step up and make commitments

D’Elia, Pellettieri Associates Landscaping, the Jordan Institute, and

that got us to $7 million!

Provan and Lorber Engineers and Planners.

Everyone please look at the last page of your

Holderness School Today

13

A Holderness Miracle: The Johannine Metaphor

W

HEN

I

WAS A STUDENT,

teachers

were my heroes—so much so

that I wanted to become one,

and did become one. Teachers

remain as my heroes, particu-

larly the ones at Holderness, past and present. I

Weymouths, and Ecclestons are living in this dorm. It should be noted that Duane [Ford ’74],

The faculty and I did not always agree on

are all Holderness graduates. And I worked so

chapel, streaking, second and third chances. But

intimately with Rich in the chapel and Duane in

there is one thing upon which we all did agree—I

the dean’s office that I love them even though

hired and supported the most amazing, dedicated,

they ran me into the ground on the squash court.

talented, and gifted faculty. Parents, board, and

As you know, I do not use Biblical quotations as proof texts [i.e., taking them out of con-

that matters. Working together we built an amaz-

text to establish a proposition], but when I think

ing school.

of the Holderness faculty, past and present, with whom I lived and worked, I think of the following:

ference in a good school and a great school. It is the faculty doing a great job that allows a head of

1)

school to raise money to fulfill the school’s needs and mission. It’s nothing that a head does. I

“Seeing that we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses . . . .”

2)

The Johannine metaphor of a Holderness

always said that Don Henderson raised tons of

faculty member: “I am the good shepherd,

money for Holderness by his teaching and coach-

and the good shepherd knows his sheep,

ing, and I showed up to collect on his good work.

cares for the sheep, and lays his life down

Any recognition a headmaster receives is

for the sheep.”

because the faculty has touched the lives of stu-

3)

Faculty: “Hallowed be thy name.”

dents and families. I have never thought of

4)

Finally, in the words of St. Paul, “I thank

myself individually at Holderness, but always in relation to the faculty. I am grateful that we can

“Heads and boards have their roles, but it is the faculty that makes the difference in a good school and a great school.”

Holderness School Today

Rich [Weymouth ’70], and Rick [Ecclesston ’92]

things like cigars after graduation, Sunday

Heads and boards are important and have

14

whom are vitally important to me. But let me say how happy it makes me that the Fords,

tried hard to express that in my postscript to

their role, but it is the faculty that makes the dif-

Emeritus Pete Woodward bows to the good shepherds.

I understand why it’s not possible to recognize current faculty in this process, so many of

Norm Walker’s book Teachers.

students agreed with me on that. And that is all

In his remarks at the dedication of the Woodward Faculty Dormitory, Headmaster

honor them today, and that my family can be honored with them.

my God always in remembrance of you.”

W

HEN MY PARENTS FIRST

mentioned that there

was an opportunity to name a street on the

Holderness campus, it made me think about

how and why my parents got so involved in the school.

After all, when I was applying to boarding schools, my mother tried myriad ways to keep me closer to their home in Marblehead. She was not above bribing me to stay close to home, and even mentioned something about a car when I turned sixteen if I stayed within an hour’s distance. My heart was set on Holderness, however, and my parents thankfully agreed that the best

Now it’s Stevens Way— which also happens to be the Holderness way.

place for me was the place where I yearned to go.

My parents could have spent their time on the board of trustees at my brother’s illustrious boarding school in Massachusetts, so why have they spent so many hours driving back and forth to and from New Hampshire, first to visit me, then as trustees on the Holderness board? The answer is really quite simple.

They saw how happy I was at Holderness, that the connections I was making with students and faculty were real, and deep, and lasting. It didn’t take long until they were making the same kinds of profound connections with the place and the people that meant so much to me.

When I started to think of a street on the Holderness campus and the number of people after which I would love to name the road, I could have named so many of the dedicated faculty and coaches that inspired me and with whom I connected.

However, there are two people, a couple of unsung Holderness heroes who lived not far from the road that

Trustee Rose-Marie van Otterloo has one end of the street sign. Her husband and former trustee Eijk van Otterloo has the other. In between are the eponymous Dick and Gail Stevens.

we are formally naming today, whom I want to commemorate. They are modest, and warm, and care about people and this place that I called home for my high school years.

They were my dorm parents during one

of my fondest years at Holderness, and they became, though they may not know it, people who I considered my on-campus parents.

My family would like to name this new road at Holderness after the Stevens family. I wondered, should we call it Stevens Street? Or Stevens Road? Or something else altogether? I like the ring of Stevens Way, however, because perhaps it will make us think about the Stevens’ way of life, a way of life that is very much in keeping with the School as a whole. The Stevens’ way is to work hard, be kind, and expect little in return. The Stevens’ Way is to smile often, take pride in what you do, and take time to enjoy all of life’s quirks. The Stevens’ way is the Holderness way, and I am so thankful that my parents agreed that the best name for this road, a road that connects people to the campus, and the campus to people, is Stevens Way. I am sorry I am unable to be here for this dedication, but if I were, I would give my on-campus parents a huge hug and thank them for showing me what the

What to name the new street that circles off Mt. Prospect into the grounds of the new dorms? Sander van Otterloo ’94 had a good idea.

Holderness spirit is all about.

Fondly, Sander van Otterloo, Class of ’94

Holderness School Today

15

A Holderness Miracle: The Photo Gallery Former science teacher & lacrosse coach Paul Elkins, left, with Dean of Faculty Chris Day.

Former Dean of Faculty Jim Nourse.

Jennifer Stevens Mullen ’90

Director of Leadership Giving Pete Barnum was among the railbirds in the dorm loft.

Former science teacher, lacrosse coach, and OB Director Chris Little ’81, right, with trustee Randy Dales.

16

Holderness School Today

Former Assistant Head Bill Clough ’57, left, with English teacher Peter Durnan.

The Chapel Bell

Thoughts while shaving: The FLOW of self.

B

ACK IN THE

1970’S, page two of

the Saturday edition of the Boston

It’s the smell of fear. When animals are afraid, they secrete an odor that says unmistakably,

Globe sports section contained a

‘I’m afraid right now.’ That’s what you are

column by the late sports writer

smelling.”

Ernie Roberts called “Thoughts

I found this fascinating, and I have to

While Shaving.” As a teenager, just getting

wonder if humans are the same way.

used to the concept of reading a newspaper

pretty sure I smelled FEAR from some of us

If so, I’m

regularly, I always looked forward to this col-

during our Martin Luther King Day series of

umn because it was a varied collection of

workshops last Friday. Fear, you might ask,

thoughts by the writer about all matters sports-

fear? Who was afraid last week and what were

related. It was a collection of tidbits the writer

they afraid of? Chiefly I would respond to

accumulated over the course of a week that he

those questions in this way: We are all afraid to

just threw together in one column every

be ourselves.

Saturday morning. He might have one tidbit

sion of our diversity team to “build community

While I wholly support the mis-

(four sentences) on baseball, five on hockey,

among and across differences,” we first have to

four on a particular sports personality, and so

agree to be different.

on. Typically each column had about eight

see is many of us striving hard to be similar

unrelated points to make.

and decidedly not different.

Tonight’s chapel talk will be a bit like “Thoughts while Shaving”—a variety of obser-

And sometimes what I

Assistant Chaplain Bruce Barton, while shaving—and then delivering this chapel talk in January—gets to thinking about the smell of fear, the tyranny of fashion, a transcendental state of focus, and what it all has to tell us about the tension of being both an individual and part of a community.

Where do I see this? First, I see it in the way we dress. We have a written

vations. I have just two to share with you

dress code and an unwritten dress

tonight. They are loosely related, or at least

code, and all students deviate from either at their peril. If you wear

that’s how I see them.

something outside the school’s prescribed dress code, a faculty mem-

Observation # 1 IN

OUR FAMILY, MY WIFE

Sarah is the person

ber is likely to address you. It's not

responsible for taking our cats—we have two,

that big a deal, but it is important

Pinto and Bean—to the vet’s office in the event

for you to recognize that we are

they need some doctoring. Our local vet, Don

forcing you to conform, to all be

Lester in Ashland, is a family friend too, so it’s

similar. But even more important-

always kind of a mixed bag going; we get to

ly, if you fail to adhere to the

see a friend, but the cat (or cats) is (are) sick.

unwritten dress code, you risk

Anyway, on her last visit, Sarah reported something of great interest to me. She asked Don Lester the following question: “Every time I come into the examination room with

something far greater—the ridicule of your peers.

One example—there are hundreds—may help to illustrate the

the cats, I smell something different. It’s not a

point. According to the unwritten

bad odor really; it’s just a distinct odor. It isn’t

dress code, proper footwear is Uggs. You have

an odor related to their bodily functions, so

to wear Uggs. If you wear a knock-off of

what is it? Do you smell it too?”

Don looked at her and said, “Yes, I do.

Uggs, you risk someone making assumptions

“According to the unwritten dress code, proper footwear is Uggs. You have to wear Uggs.”

about you. And, those assumptions are rarely

Holderness School Today

17

positive. For boys, swap Tim’s for Uggs.

break reading a book about motivation by

Think about it for a minute or two before you

Dan Pink called Drive. Ask some of them

dismiss it.

about it; most found it a great read, but since

Second, I see FEAR in the classroom

it's a non-fiction piece, it ain’t no murder

when students hold back for FEAR that they

mystery. Instead it focuses on

will be labeled geeks or dorks, teacher’s pets,

what history and science

or even worse, brown-nosers. I see students

have to say about why we

afraid that if they say something silly or not

do what we do.

quite right, they will be ridiculed for being dumb or worse.

I could talk at length about the book, but one part of

Third, I see it at lunch and dinner tables when students congregate in the same social

it may pertain here. It is the concept of FLOW. Pink is not

patterns and groups almost without fail. I

talking about hair with this word.

have mentioned before that unless you are

Rather, he is spinning off the pio-

asking someone whom you don’t know very

neering work of psychologist M.

well at sit-down dinner a meaningful ques-

Csikszentmihalyi at the University of

tion, you are failing dinner. Asking someone

Chicago. In his study of creativity and

about their parents, their siblings, their likes

people’s most powerful human experi-

and dislikes—these are the kinds of things

ences, he found a common denominator,

that build bonds and help us recognize who

something he called FLOW. When people

the other person is—really is.

experience FLOW, they are in a joyful

No one can

know you if you don’t (or won’t, or can’t

state of focus, so much so that work

without fearing ridicule) share who you really

becomes play. During FLOW, people lose

are.

track of time, place, and perhaps most imporMany would argue that the single most

important challenge for people in your age bracket is this: how do I preserve who I am

tantly, their sense of self.

I am sure you have had FLOW experiences before. Have you ever lost yourself in

and still remain a member of a group? No one

something you were doing and then snapped

is quite like you. That’s part of the magic and

back into reality and said, “Oh, my God, that

miracle of who we are. But if we never feel

hour went by in a second.” If so, you know

like it is worth it to be different, to show how

what FLOW is. Have you ever been so

I am not just like everybody else, that magic

focused on something that nothing else mat-

and miracle is lost. I have heard kids say,

tered, nothing else could get to you? If so,

“Well, that’s just who I am here at school. At

you know what FLOW is. It turns out that

home I’m different.” Or, “I’m not myself

“the highest and most satisfying experiences

here. I have to fit in too much.” Really?

in people’s lives were when they were in

Why? It’s not easy to be different. Martin

FLOW.” In other words, Csikszentmihalyi

Luther King, Jr. lost his life taking this point

theorizes that when we are at our best, we

to the extreme. I don’t wish that on any of us,

lose that part of ourselves that holds us

but I also don’t wish anonymity on any of us.

back—our self-consciousness.

Who can we look to for help in this regard?

Little kids—let them be your guides.

They don’t care about many of the things we

Are you familiar with the term “selfconscious”? Has someone ever said to you, “Don’t be so self-conscious,” or do you know

are obsessed with. They don’t know if they

someone who is so self-conscious they won’t

have the right shirt or shoes. They’re not

even sneeze without getting permission first?

afraid to let you know exactly what is on their

You can’t be in FLOW if you are worried

minds. They often announce such things:

about being different. You can’t be in FLOW

“I’m hungry,” or “I’m happy,” or even just,

if you refuse to be yourself and just conform

“I’m here.” Their level of self-consciousness

to what you think other people want you to

is just about zero, and that’s what we all need

say or do or be.

to strive for. Try taking this approach more

about.

often: “I don’t care what other people may

It’s a concept worth thinking

Side point—and something for another

think. This is who I am.” Be different. Being

talk: moments of FLOW require us to empty

different brings riches and joy. Being the

ourselves of ourselves. Maybe what fills us at

same as everybody else denies, on some

that point could be called God or religion—

level, the essence of who you are.

maybe?

Maybe it is what Jesus meant when

he said in the Gospels, “In order to find your-

18

Observation # 2

self, you must lose yourself first.” Maybe.

MY AP COMPOSITION class spent the winter

Maybe. Thank you.

Holderness School Today

“

While I wholly support the

mission of our diversity team

to ‘build

community

among and across differences,’ we first have

”

to agree to be different.

GRADE 9 Miss Sarah Pendleton Alexander Miss Nikkol Lillian Blair Mr. Youngjae Cha Mr. Thien Thuan Chau Mr. Nicholas Nye Conner Miss Leah Elizabeth Curtis Miss Elizabeth Ruth Duffy Mr. Charles Hagen Harker III Miss Rebecca Margaret Kelly Miss Seo Jung Kim Mr. Liam Appalachian O'Reilly Miss Cayla Anne Penny Miss Paige Elizabeth Pfenninger Mr. William Fletcher Prickett Miss Hannah Elizabeth Stowe Miss Qianyi Zhang GRADE 10 Miss Rebecca Ann Begley Mr. Joseph Patrick Casey Mr. Benjamin Dawson Coleman Mr. Perry Frank Craver Miss Tram Ngoc Dao Miss Hannah F. Durnan Miss Racheal Marbury Erhard Mr. Zihan Guo Miss Eliana Howell Mallory

Honors: First Quarter

Mr. Thorn King Merrill Miss Tess Margaret O'Brien Miss Lea Jenet Rice Miss Hannah Rae Slattery Mr. Young Soo Sung Mr. Henry James Tomlinson Miss Jingyi Wu Mr. Ziang Zhou

Mr. Francis Parenteau Miss Celine Pichette Miss Kathryn Jane Sanger Miss Reeta Raquel Shrestha Mr. Fabian Stocek Miss Yi Ling Wang Miss Ximo Xiao Mr. Andrew Timothy Zinck

GRADE 11 Mr. Christian Robert Anderson Mr. Dylan Michael Arthaud Mr. Jacob Cramer Barton Miss Sarah Renard Bell Miss Elena E. Bird Miss Nicole Marie DellaPasqua Mr. Daniel Do Mr. Tyler David Evangelous Miss Jeong Yeon Han Miss Macy Winslow Jones Mr. Alexander Min Lehmann Mr. Oliver Turner Lowe Miss Mackenzie Reid Maher Mr. Tyler Mitchell Mathieu Miss Molly Brown Monahan Mr. John Franco Musciano Miss Saro Ntahobari Mr. Caleb Andrew Nungesser

GRADE 12 Mr. Nathanial George Alexander Mr. Jonathan Perkins Bass Mr. Austin Geoghan Baum Mr. Keith Michael Bohlin Miss Ariana Ann Bourque Miss Josephine McAlpin Brownell Mr. Owen Tomasz Buehler Mr. David Kenneth Bugbee Miss Marguerite Cournoyer Caputi Miss Samantha Regina Cloud Miss Eliza R. Cowie Miss Benedicte Nora Crudgington Mr. Christian Haynes Daniell Mr. Peter Michael Ferrante Miss Abigail Kristen Guerra Miss Yejin Hwang Mr. Nathaniel Ward Lamson Miss Samantha Anne Lee

GRADE 9 Miss Claire Michelle Caputi Miss Emily Edge Clifford Mr. Parker Adams Densmore Mr. Peter Stanley Hastings Miss Hope Elizabeth Heffernan Miss Lindsey Rose Houseman Miss Abigail Sargent Jones Mr. Luke Kai Lin Miss Thao Phan Thu Nguyen Mr. Jake Douglas Rourke Mr. John Crewe Vatcher GRADE 10 Mr. John Terrance Amorosa Mr. Zachary Ryan Baum Miss Morgan Lovejoy Bayreuther Mr. Kaelen Thomas Caggiula Mr. Reed Joseph Carpenter Miss Margareta Evarts Davis Miss Hedi Barbara Droste Miss Sarah Elizabeth Garrett Miss Hailee Christine Grisham Miss Eleanor Celeste Holland Mr. Oliver Lion Johnson Mr. Perry Khalil Kurker-Mraz Mr. Max Robert Lash Miss Yazhi Li Miss Suzanna Jane Liddle Mr. Clark Cornell Macomber Mr. Connor Jonathan Marien

Mr. Scott Thomas Merrill Mr. Matthew Ford Michaud Miss Sarah Elizabeth Michel Mr. Samuel Foster Paine Miss Caroline Bridges Plante Miss Elizabeth Grace Powell Mr. Samuel Robert Prescott Miss Emily Benoit Rasmussen Miss Megan Catherine Shenton Mr. Ryan Francis Shumway Mr. Jonathan E. Swidrak Mr. Matthew Davis Tankersley Mr. Mathew Benjamin Thomas Mr. Noah R. Thompson Mr. Nam Hoai Tran Mr. Edward Robert Wassman III Mr. Parker Johnson Weekes Mr. Chance J. C. Wright Mr. Shihao Yu GRADE 11 Miss Abigail Elizabeth Abdinoor Mr. Alexander James Berman Mr. Michael Laurence Finnegan Mr. Jeffrey Michael Hauser Mr. Philippe Johansson Mr. Aidan Cleaveland Kendall Mr. Geon Pyung Lee Mr. Francis Gray Miles Miss Adelaide Mari Osawa Morgan Mr. Jesse Jeremiah Ross

Miss Haley Janet Mahar Mr. Brandon C. Marcus Miss Carly Elizabeth Meau Miss Kristina Sophia Micalizzi Miss Sara Parsell Mogollon Mr. Oliver Julian Nettere Miss So Hee Park Miss Julia Baldwin Potter Mr. Nicholas Anthony Renzi Mr. James Ornstein Robbins Mr. Ryan Michael Rosencranz Mr. Justin Demarr Simpkins Miss Abagael Mae Slattery Mr. Connor Merris Smith Mr. Reed Rowan Spearman Miss Erica Holahan Steiner Miss Stephanie Rachael Symecko Miss Molly Durgin Tankersley Mr. Brian Alden Tierney Miss Isabelle Eden Zaik-Hodgkins

High Honors: First Quarter

Mr. Peter Pesch Saunders Miss Emily Irving Soderberg Mr. Maxwell Robert Sturges Mr. Robert Patrick Sullivan Miss Danielle Lynn Therrien Miss Olivia Voccola GRADE 12 Mr. Olayode Sakirudeen Ahmed Miss Pippa Bancroft Blau Mr. Bryan Marshall Donahue Mr. Ian C. Ford Miss Lily Woodworth Ford Miss Salamarie Izeallia Frazier Mr. James Blair Fredrickson Miss Hannah Morgan Halsted Miss Rachel West Huntley Mr. Preston Jerome Kelsey Mr. Matthew Neville Kinney Miss Katherine O'Connor Leake Mr. Alexander Brady Leininger Mr. William Marvin Mr. Joshua William Nungesser Mr. Jules Benoit Pichette Mr. Mitchell Craig Shumway Mr. Dickson Smith III Mr. Tino Andy Tomasi Mr. Alex Lee Trujillo Mr. Andrew James Walsh Mr. Ruohao Xin

Holderness School Today

19

High Honors: Second Quarter

Ninth Grade Miss Sarah Pendleton Alexander Miss Nikkol Lillian Blair Mr. Youngjae Cha Mr. Thien Thuan Chau Miss Leah Elizabeth Curtis Mr. Parker Adams Densmore Miss Hope Elizabeth Heffernan Miss Seo Jung Kim Miss Thao Phan Thu Nguyen Miss Paige Elizabeth Pfenninger Miss Hannah Elizabeth Stowe Miss Qianyi Zhang Tenth Grade Miss Rebecca Ann Begley Mr. Reed Joseph Carpenter Miss Tram Ngoc Dao Miss Hannah F. Durnan Miss Racheal Marbury Erhard Mr. Zihan Guo Mr. Oliver Lion Johnson Mr. Perry Khalil Kurker-Mraz Miss Eliana Howell Mallory Mr. Thorn King Merrill Miss Danielle Elizabeth Norgren Miss Lea Jenet Rice Miss Hannah Rae Slattery Mr. Young Soo Sung Mr. Parker Johnson Weekes Mr. Chance Jackson Cretella Wright Miss Jingyi Wu Mr. Ziang Zhou

Ninth Grade Mr. Benjamin Alexander Bevis Miss Claire Michelle Caputi Miss Emily Edge Clifford Mr. Nicholas Nye Conner Miss Elizabeth Ruth Duffy Miss Brooke Isabel Katsitsiaienne Francis Mr. Charles Hagen Harker III Mr. Peter Stanley Hastings Miss Abigail Sargent Jones Miss Rebecca Margaret Kelly Mr. Luke Kai Lin Mr. Liam Appalachian O'Reilly Miss Margaret Emlen Peake Miss Cayla Anne Penny Mr. William Fletcher Prickett Miss Christina Carson Raichle Mr. Jake Douglas Rourke

Honors: Second Quarter

20

Holderness School Today

Tenth Grade

Mr. John Terrance Amorosa Mr. Ian Alexander Baker Mr. Zachary Ryan Baum Mr. Joseph Patrick Casey Mr. Benjamin Dawson Coleman Mr. Perry Frank Craver Miss Margareta Evarts Davis Miss Sarah Elizabeth Garrett Miss Hailee Christine Grisham Miss Eleanor Celeste Holland Mr. Max Robert Lash Mr. Clark Cornell Macomber Mr. Connor Jonathan Marien Mr. Scott Thomas Merrill Miss Sarah Elizabeth Michel Miss Haley Elizabeth Michienzi Miss Tess Margaret O'Brien Mr. Samuel Foster Paine Miss Caroline Bridges Plante Miss Elizabeth Grace Powell Mr. Charles Shelvey Sheffield Mr. Ryan Francis Shumway Mr. Jonathan E. Swidrak Mr. Matthew Davis Tankersley Mr. Mathew Benjamin Thomas Mr. Noah R. Thompson Mr. Henry James Tomlinson Mr. Nam Hoai Tran Mr. Edward Robert Wassman III Mr. Shihao Yu

Eleventh Grade Mr. Dylan Michael Arthaud Mr. Jacob Cramer Barton Miss Elena E. Bird Miss Nicole Marie DellaPasqua Mr. Daniel Do Mr. Tyler David Evangelous Mr. Michael Laurence Finnegan Miss Jeong Yeon Han Mr. Jeffrey Michael Hauser Miss Macy Winslow Jones Mr. Alexander Min Lehmann Mr. Tyler Mitchell Mathieu Miss Molly Brown Monahan Mr. John Franco Musciano Mr. Caleb Andrew Nungesser Mr. Francis Parenteau Miss Celine Pichette Miss Kathryn Jane Sanger Miss Reeta Raquel Shrestha Mr. Fabian Stocek Mr. Robert Patrick Sullivan Miss Kate Wilson Toll Mr. Kangdi Wang Miss Yi Ling Wang Miss Ximo Xiao

Miss Marguerite Cournoyer Caputi Miss Samantha Regina Cloud Miss Eliza R. Cowie Miss Benedicte Nora Crudgington Mr. Peter Michael Ferrante Miss Abigail Kristen Guerra Miss Rachel West Huntley Miss Yejin Hwang Mr. Matthew Neville Kinney Mr. Nathaniel Ward Lamson Miss Samantha Anne Lee Miss Haley Janet Mahar Mr. Brandon C. Marcus Miss Carly Elizabeth Meau Miss Kristina Sophia Micalizzi Mr. Oliver Julian Nettere Mr. James Ornstein Robbins Mr. Ryan Michael Rosencranz Mr. Mitchell Craig Shumway Mr. Justin Demarr Simpkins Miss Abagael Mae Slattery Mr. Reed Rowan Spearman Miss Erica Holahan Steiner Miss Stephanie Rachael Symecko Miss Molly Durgin Tankersley Mr. Ruohao Xin Miss Isabelle Eden Zaik-Hodgkins

Twelfth Grade Mr. Nathanial George Alexander Mr. Jonathan Perkins Bass Mr. Keith Michael Bohlin Miss Ariana Ann Bourque Miss Josephine McAlpin Brownell Mr. Owen Tomasz Buehler

Eleventh Grade Miss Abigail Elizabeth Abdinoor Mr. Christian Robert Anderson Miss Sarah Renard Bell Mr. Alexander James Berman Miss Hannah Susan Foote Mr. Treat R. D. Hardy Mr. Aidan Cleaveland Kendall Mr. Geon Pyung Lee Mr. Oliver Turner Lowe Miss Mackenzie Reid Maher Miss Adelaide Mari Osawa Morgan Miss Saro Ntahobari Mr. Jesse Jeremiah Ross Miss Jacqueline Morgan Sampson Miss Emily Irving Soderberg Miss Iashai Dominique Stephens Miss Lauren Louise Stride Mr. Maxwell Robert Sturges Miss Danielle Lynn Therrien Miss Migle Vilunaite Miss Olivia Voccola Mr. Charles Norwood Williams Mr. Andrew Timothy Zinck

Twelfth Grade Mr. Austin Geoghan Baum Miss Pippa Bancroft Blau Mr. David Kenneth Bugbee Mr. Christian Haynes Daniell Miss Lily Woodworth Ford Miss Hannah Morgan Halsted Mr. Preston Jerome Kelsey Miss Katherine O'Connor Leake Mr. Alexander Brady Leininger Mr. William Marvin Miss Sara Parsell Mogollon Miss So Hee Park Mr. Jules Benoit Pichette Miss Patricia Porta Barbarin Mr. Nicholas Anthony Renzi Mr. Connor Merris Smith Mr. Dickson Smith III Mr. Brian Alden Tierney Mr. Tino Andy Tomasi Mr. Alex Lee Trujillo

Around the Quad

Academics The flora and fauna of Golden Pond— we’re on it.

T

HERE ARE

lots

ritual at Holderness—

of reasons why

excursions to Squam

it’s good to

by the school’s biolo-

live near Squam

gy and environmental

Lake, but not least

science classes.

among them is the

Students of Maggie

flora, fauna, and

Mumford and Patrick

water quality of one

Casey tested water

of New Hampshire’s

quality, sampled

most pristine big

plankton, and spoke

lakes. Squam pro-

with Squam Lakes

vides beauty and

Association ecologi-

comfort to vacation-

cal manager Rebecca

ers, and a lot of inter-

Hanson. It makes for

esting subject matter

a classroom not just

for students.

as big as all outdoors,

It’s now a fall

but as beautiful.

Up there with the five percenters.

T

OUGH ODDS—out

of the 1.5 mil-

lion students who annually take the National Merit Scholarship

Corporation’s PSAT test, only 50,000 or so, less than five percent, earn Commended Student status. But that’s a status earned by Owen Buehler ’12.

“The young men and women being named Commended Students

A

NOTHER DIMENSION

to student leader-

ship at Holderness was added this fall with the formation of the Student

Academic Committee. At this group’s inaugural meeting in September there were concerns raised about some malfunctioning printers and also praise for the faculty for starting the year

have demonstrated outstanding poten-

From the left: Jake Barton, Mr. Durnan, Nicholas Conner, Parker Densmore, Emily Clifford, Olivia Leatherwood, Hannah Durnan, Thao Nguyen, and Fabien Stocek.

tial for academic success,” said a spokesperson for NMSC. “We hope that this recognition will help broaden their educational opportunities and encourage them as they continue their pursuit of academic success.”

with interesting activities, well-applied classroom technology, and a sense of welcome. “My algebra teacher

brought us doughnuts,” report-

ed one committee member.

Then comes the hard work. “As the group is in its inaugural year, rules of governance have not been drawn up, but an ad hoc junta of leaders including Olivia Leatherwood and Fabian Stocek has shepherded discussions of technology use, homework policies, and possible new courses for next year,” says Academic Dean Peter Durnan. “ The group will share its work in upcoming meetings with the faculty Academic Committee and the school's Intellectual Life Committee.”

The Student Academic Committee, Year One. Academic Dean Peter Durnan and Owen Buelher ’12.

Holderness School Today

21

Around the Quad

Academics

Sophia Schwartz ’90 and a friendly Aussie.

When a book comes to life—literally!

It happened last fall Down Under.

T

HE SCHOOL’S

ALL-School Read program

not only ties this community together

just a little bit tighter, but it’s also help-

ing to make this small world just a little bit smaller and tighter. At least we’ll get no argument on that from Dartmouth student and elite freestyle skier Sophia Schwartz, who was in Australia this summer for a three-week onsnow training camp.

“One day,” she wrote in an October email to Academic Dean Peter Durnan, “I was sitting outside the gym, waiting for a ride home, when a very nice elderly German-Australian man walked up and began to talk to me. We had a nice conversation about skiing and my training camp at Perisher (the ski resort). He eventually asked me if I was a “reader,” to which I proudly answered yes.

“He asked if I had read The Book Thief, and I excitedly told him it was an allschool read at my high school. He then said his nephew is the author, Markus Zusak, and that Markus is the brother of the book’s young girl protagonist, Liesel Meminge. He

was separated from his sister and went to a different set of foster parents. The book ends with the true fact that Liesel moves to Sydney, Australia.

“My new friend said he had moved to Australia to become closer to his long-lost sister.

“Cool, right? It was a really awesome experience, and I was so glad to have read the book. For most of my life, I was a self proclaimed ‘science-math kid,’ and I want to thank you personally for being able to add ‘reader’ to that list as well.”

This year’s All-School Read is The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls. Read it first, but then be on the lookout for Jeanette’s family.

Research + Experience + “Significant Personal Interest” = Senior Honors Thesis

I

T’S DEFINITELY NOT EASY,

but if there’s

something out there in this wide world that really sets your mind on fire, Senior

Holderness School Today

In November, 48 seniors signed up for the program. Then they met with the pro-

Honors Thesis is the gasoline you can pour on

gram’s eight faculty advisors at a special din-

that fire.

ner in the East Wing of Weld Hall (photo at

This is a second-semester course in

left). There the seniors began the process of

which, in the words of current director Steve

defining a topic and articulating one central

Solberg, “participating seniors engage in an

question to answer in their research about that

area of significant personal interest using the

topic.

academic tools they have cultivated over the

22

the spring.”

It was the first step of a long journey

course of their time at Holderness. The course

into the heart of an intellectual passion for

asks students to combine high-level academic

each of those seniors. “And it was a great

research with a real-world experience, culmi-

start to a challenging and powerful program,”

nating in a research paper and presentation in

adds Phil Peck.

I

N OUR LAST ISSUE WE reported on the “This I Believe” essays written by Peter Durnan’s AP English students—and we reprinted a good example of one such essay, a meditation by Bee Crudgington ’12 on fate, misfortune, and strength.

But that’s not to suggest that you can’t write a good essay about, say, kick wax.

That’s what Nordic skier Haley Mahar ’12 believes in, and in August her essay was published on the popular Nordic ski website Fasterskier.com. Congratulations, Haley, and we’re very pleased to reprint her essay below, along with the website’s biographical note on the author.

I

BELIEVE IN KICK WAX.

Any Nordic skier who

has ever skied competitively will tell you that

Published!

Haley Mahar’s belief in kickwax wins her a byline on Fasterskier.com.

how to trust my kick wax.

Since snow is a perpetually mor-

classic skiing without kick wax gives you four

phing substance, different conditions

times the workout, ten times the frustration,

call for different wax. When the snow

and a few dirty looks and a suggestion to clean

is between ten and twenty degrees,

out your mouth. The majority of society already strug-

we layer on extra blue. If the temper-

gles to grasp why anyone would voluntarily try to ski

ature is hovering around freezing,

UP a hill in freezing temperatures when you could just

skis are slathered with green and pur-

as easily ride up and ski down. Then, if you start to

ple rodie. Anything above freezing is

complain about your wax job, the looks get stranger.

Still, any Nordic nerd will tell you that nothing is

usually treated with klister, a substance that sticks to anything and

better than fast snow and good wax. When a skier gets

everything. Literally, I mean every-

into a rhythm of syncopated breathing and the fwish of

thing. I won’t lie, kick wax, especial-

the skis across the snow, the exhaustion and physical

ly klister, can be hard to deal with.

rigor of a Nordic skiing lifestyle becomes worth it. It’s

Yet there always comes that

a love-hate relationship, but through thick and thin, I

point in a race, heading up the last

believe in kick wax.

hill, when your legs are about to col-

For the people out there who enjoy spending time

lapse underneath you and you’re not

in the warm indoors and NOT skiing up hills in freezing cold temperatures, you probably have no idea what kick wax is. You probably don’t care. Classic skiing looks a lot like running on skis, and for recreational enthusiasts, it doesn’t get more complex than that. But for racers, the application of the correct kick wax is

sure if your wax has completely worn off from the

crucial. Classic skiing without kick wax is like trying

abrasive snow. Your face is cold, your chest is burn-

to write without a pen. So, you have to put faith in it.

When I was in seventh grade and first learned to

ing, and nothing, NOTHING, sounds better than stopping. At that point, the only two things out on the

ski, I was magnetically attracted to skate skiing.

course are you and your wax. Either you’re going to

Skating wasn’t that hard—the motions were the same

work together, or you’re not. At the end of the race,

as ice-skating, something I was already familiar with.

when you cross the finish line, you trusted it or you

But classic skiing was all technique. You had to know

didn’t; you either believed in it or you didn’t; and for

how to position your legs, your hips, your arms, your

the sake of sanity, I’ve found that it’s always better to

feet, your shoulders even, to align perfectly in a bal-

just put your trust in the kick.

anced position above a sliding piece of plastic. You had to get the perfect pop that made your wax stick

Haley Mahar is from Williamstown, MA and is enter-

and then your ski glide. I didn’t have the patience for

ing her senior year at Holderness School in

it. I wiggled around on my classic skis, stabbed my

Holderness, NH where she plays soccer, lacrosse and

poles into the ground in attempt at balance, and

skis under former USST development coach Pat Casey.

whined my way down the tracks. Needless to say, my

”I Believe in Kick Wax” was an assignment for her AP

strategy didn’t work out very well. So I had to learn

Comp class in the spring of 2011.

Holderness School Today

23

Around the Quad

The Arts

Big Sam rocks our nation!

A

HURRICANE RETURNED TO

Holderness in September

to inject some gale-force energy into the first

month of the school year. Hurricane Big Sam—as

in Big Sam’s Funky Nation—first came to Holderness to perform in a School Night in 2006 just after Hurricane Katrina. It was a poignant occasion for the New Orleansbased band, but they brought nothing but energy and joy to the school that night.

That sort of lightning struck again during Big Sam’s return in September. Now the band represents a rejuvenated Big Easy, and the Nation’s spellbinding mix funk, jazz, and pop had the whole school out of their seats and dancing up a storm. “There couldn’t have been a better way to end the first week of school,” said Phil Peck.

Artist Kathryn Field, left, at work with So Hee Park and Addie Morgan.

A dash of

sweet exuberance,

thanks to Arts in the Afternoon.

I

T MIGHT BE A

little under the

ing the main campus to the new

one of the most vibrant pro-

dorms.

grams at Holderness, available to students who would like to take a furlough from athletics for a season

Zagar, the mural will bring color and light and a dash of sweet exuberance to a new campus feature

Each season a member of the

that will get a lot of traffic each day.

art department chooses a different

The school owes its thanks to Pemi

medium—music, painting, video,

Glass in Plymouth for donating mir-

etc.—and helps students to develop

rored glass to the project, and to

both individual and group projects

Colorco, a custom tile manufactur-

in that medium. This fall fine arts

ing business in Merrimack, NH, for

teacher Kathryn Field worked with

donating tile.

three students to create a mural for

Holderness School Today

Inspired by the exuberant work of Philadelphia mural artist Isaiah

in order to concentrate instead on art.

24

the tunnel under Route 175 connect-

radar, but Art in the Afternoon is

Raquel Shrestha ’13, Will Gribell, & James Frederickson ’12

Staging the truth of A Few Good Men.

I

N THE

1980S

PLAYWRIGHT

Nicholson, and Demi Moore,

Aaron Sorkin got an idea

the film garnered four

for a new play after his

Academy Award nominations

sister had graduated from

and contributed a famous line

Boston University’s law

of dialogue—“You can’t han-

school and then signed for a

dle the truth!”—to any discus-

three-year stint with the US

sion of the military’s code of

Navy’s Judge Advocate

honor versus constitutional

General’s Corp. She was sent

rules of justice.

to Guantanamo Bay, where

This fall Holderness the-

she helped defend a group of

ater director Monique Devine

Marines accused of nearly

and a well-schooled cast of

killing a fellow Marine in a

student actors brought that

hazing incident ordered by

hard truth to life again. It was

their superior officer.

a challenging piece of theater

That play became A Few

Will Marvin ’12 & Josh Nungesser ’12

carried out with both skill and

Good Men, which was pro-

nuance, and as a piece of per-

duced in New York in 1988

formance art, its audiences

and then made into a 1992

found it quite easy to handle.

film. Directed by Rob Reiner,

Connor Smith ’12 & Josh Nungesser

and starring Tom Cruise, Jack

Logan Twombly ’13

Brandon Marcus ’12

Connor Smith & Molly Madden ’13

Brian Tierney ’12

Holderness School Today

25

Around the Quad

In harmony

The Arts

Emily Soderberg ’13

Maggie Peake ’15

the patient skill with which he prepares that talent.

Also helpful is the broad musical palette drawn on by

Henry Liu ’15 with Latin teacher Doug Kendall.

Dave and his students. The program this year included some pieces by Mr. Lockwood him-

T

HE FIRST OF OUR

student con-

certs—mounted in early

November this year—never fails

to be an ear-opening experience, thanks to the talent uncovered annually by

self, a world-class composer and songwriter; a lovely original piece by Maggie Peake ’15; and well-rendered offerings from such eminences as Mozart, Dylan, and Michael Jackson.

music teacher David Lockwood, and

N

OVEMBER GOT OFF

to a spectacular

start in the Edwards Art Gallery thanks to a show featuring work by

three generations of perhaps the most celebrated family name in ceramics—Hamada.

Patriarch Shoji Hamada (1894-1978)

eled widely and gave demonstrations.

Dressed in traditional Japanese garb, he defined the image of the iconic Oriental potter. In 1955 he was designated a Living

the Edwards Gallery.

National Treasure in Japan, and the Welsh potter and scholar Phil Rogers proclaims

trained with such masters of Japanese pot-

Shoji “as the foremost and therefore, without

tery as Kanjiro Kawai and Kenkichi

doubt, the most influential potter of the 20th

Tomimoto. Then, as his work found places

century.”

in international museum collections, he trav-

The Hamadas come to

Shoji’s genius was an intuitive sense of

“It is the collective desire to move forward rather than perpetuate a static tradition which makes the Hamada three generations so extraordinary.”

- Phil Rogers

26

Holderness School Today

pattern and placement, and an inexhaustible

spatial, almost three-

imagination. He believed that pottery making

dimensional effect.

should come more from the heart and gut than the

Works by both

head. Once, when asked how he could manage to

younger Hamadas have

glaze several hundred pots in a day without any

joined Shoji’s in interna-

notes or other sign of planning, he said, “I simply

tional collections. Rogers

look at the pot and ask what it wants.”

compares the family lega-

He added that ceramics should not be like climbing a mountain: “It should be more like walking down a hill in a pleasant breeze.”

cy to three different voices joined in one song.

“Indeed, it is the con-

His son Shinsaku Hamada, born in Tokyo in

stant seeking of artistic

1929, trained in industrial arts before apprentic-

expression and the collec-

ing himself to his father. He assisted Shoji during

tive desire to move for-

demonstrations and lectures, and then forged his

ward rather than perpetu-

own style within the parameters of his father’s

ate a static tradition,”

esthetic—one in which the elements of chance

writes Rogers, “which

play less of a role in the development of design.

makes the Hamada three

“Shinsaku’s style is calmer, less spontaneous,”

generations so extraordi-

writes Phil Rogers, “but nonetheless impressive

nary.”

for that.”

Pieces by these artists

Shinsaku’s son Tomoo Hamada was born in

were on loan from the

1967 in the original compound built by his grand-

Pucker Gallery in Boston,

father in Mashiko, Tochigi, Japan. Tomoo trained

and gallery director Jon Pucker spoke to students

originally as a sculptor, a background that brings

in the Chapel about the relations between those

elements of modernism and architectural con-

vessels and the Mingei philosophy that celebrates

structivism into his pottery. Rogers credits him

the beauty in everyday utilitarian objects.

for rejuvenating the family brand with “organized, rhythmic patterns that often encompass a

Jon also came to the exhibit’s opening recep-

Jon Pucker of Boston’s Pucker Gallery, center, confers in Edwards with gallery curators Franz Nicolay and Kathryn Field.

tion, where he spoke about the exhibit and the

form, lending to pattern and form a unity in the

Hamada family, and then answered student ques-

same way that string ties a parcel and traces the

tions.

silhouette.” This results in surfaces with a clear

Service

F

ILM-MAKER AND

social

activist Daniel Mitchell is the real deal as an activist,

working in the trenches every day

children are growing in numbers each year.”

Specifically, the film will chronicle Dan’s work over a period

as director of a homeless shelter in

of one hundred days—starting on

Portsmouth, NH. He’s also the real

February 1 last year—as he seeks

deal as a film-maker, and he came

to build a consensus and a series of

to Holderness in December to

collaborations between small busi-

show trailers of his current project

nesses, churches, municipalities,

at an all-school assembly in

corporate sponsors, neighbors, and

Hagerman.

unexpected angels from around the

“The average age of a homeless person in the United States,” said Dan, “is nine years old.” And

And his philosophy as a film-

Bunker’s irreverent humor was as much a force in helping to end

that by drawing more attention to a

racism as many other things, and I

problem that receives much less

agree with Gandhi when he says,

attention than it deserves.

‘Everyone has a piece of the truth.’

No political or religious agenda.

“will be a funny, quirky, light-

Just people and ideas to help END

hearted, and very real film with a

homelessness in America. Truly.”

educate people and change the

and is doing something.

maker? “I believe that Archie

development—hopes to remedy

very real and important purpose: to

maker Daniel Mitchell remembers,

country. “From scratch,” Dan adds.

his documentary film—still in

“Momentary Times,” he said,

Remember the homeless? Film-

You can stay informed about Dan’s film—and become a friend

country’s view on the most vulner-

or angel—at www.momentary-

able people in the USA—the

times.com.

homeless. Families with young

Holderness School Today

27

Around the Quad

Service

H

EAD OF

If you didn’t

SCHOOL PHIL Peck managed to be

admitted, but only after coming off the wait

list. It was hard to get in because of all the

get in early,

applicants for the available spaces—and of course

you had to

at Holderness in October.

keep your

’12, English teacher Doonie Brewer, and Chaplain

blood to yourself.

the event was the Red Cross blood drive mounted

The event was coordinated by Austin Baum

Rich Weymouth ’70, and mounted in the multipurpose room of the Gallop Athletic Center. A call for donors yielded 88 volunteers—students, faculty, and staff—for the 66 available spaces.

There were

dozens more who volunteered as support staff for the drive.

“It was a proud moment for the Holderness community,” said Phil, who looked none the worse for his loss of blood.

Chapel

H

Austin Baum ’12, left, and Gavin Bayreuther ’13 prepare to join the Blood Drive.

ISTORY IS THE STORY OF

famous people

and great events, to be sure, but it’s also

the story of values: how in a certain cul-

mon was delivered in 1879. The little chapel is the second oldest Episcopal Church in New Hampshire and remains largely as it was—still

ture, at a certain time, this value or that was

without heat and electricity—when it was built

planted, nurtured, sustained, and perhaps lost.

in 1797.

In September Chaplain Rich Weymouth ’70 delivered a history lesson to new students in the

As such, it was a good place to learn something about the history of Holderness, as Rich

A history lesson

The little chapel remains largely as it was—still without

taught where

heat and electricity—when it was built in 1797.

Holderness School history began.

place where Holderness history began—the

spoke about famous people in the school’s histo-

Trinity Chapel, where the school’s opening ser-

ry—like headmasters Lorin Webster, Edric Weld, Don Hagerman, and Pete Woodward—and great events. The Trinity Chapel itself embodies such values as simplicity and community, and those values run like a continuing thread through the careers of those leaders and the narrative of the school—nurtured, sustained, and still easy to find here.

The lesson was concluded with a song led by Associate Director of Admission Cynthia Day— sung a capella, since the church has no organ.

28

Holderness School Today

“And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out. . . .”

O

NE OF THE MOST

ancient tra-

ing to tradition—Jesus is portrayed

ditions at Holderness is the

by the youngest member of the

hanging of the greens in the

Holderness community.

This year that was Finn Lewis,

Chapel of the Holy Cross before

son of Admission Director Tyler and

Christmas. As always, the Chapel was decorated by students this year,

history teacher Renee. In the photo,

and during a Thursday service

English teacher John Lin stands in

Chaplain Rich Weymouth ’70 talked

as St. Nicholas, while Mary and

about the historical St. Nicholas and

Joseph are played by young Phoebe

the Biblical journey of Joseph,

Day and Grace Mumford. Finn, by

Mary, and Jesus. This was re-enact-

the way, turned in a performance of

ed in the pageant in which—accord-

understated brilliance.

Community There’s only one King— really. Honest.

E

LVIS

PRESLEY—or at least

one of his most stunning

black velvet portraits—has

been a member of the Holderness community for several decades

entourage is speedy enough—can appear both at one end of the

major museums generally believe

photo, and then the other. So can

that the school is in possession of

his posse, which really should be

two such portraits, but we have to

a tipoff to those curators.

mirrors is involved.

The annual all-school photo

Science to the rescue.

O

N MOST

days in

Each of the academ-

Weld Hall, stu-

ic departments cleans for

dent-staffed Job

one day that week, and

Program crews take care

on Tuesday it was the

of washing the dishes,

science department’s

wiping the tables, and

turn. About to administer

vacuuming the floors

sophisticated chemical

after each meal. During

solvents to various organ-

Exam Week in

ic materials are the fol-

December, though, the

lowing: Mike Carrigan,

faculty takes over so that

Randy Houseman,

students can get a little

Reggie Pettitt, and Pat

more rest and prep time.

Casey.

one end of the bleachers to the other. That means Elvis—if his

now. Curators of the world’s

confess that a little smoke and

Matt Kinney ’12, Will Marvin ’12, and Elvis race against Panfoto’s rotating camera.

shot, Panfoto uses a camera that runs on a motor and pans from

Panfoto in fact takes a number of shots: a formal all-school shot, an informal one where hats

is taken by the Boston-based firm

and props and feather boas are

Panfoto, and to get the whole

allowed, a thank-you photo for

breadth of the school into one

donors to the Annual Fund, and then smaller photos of the senior class and of the “lifers” who have spent four years at Holderness.

And we’re all grateful that Elvis has consented to spend so much of his afterlife at Holderness.

The Louvre will have to wait.

Holderness School Today

29

Around the Quad

Community Maame Arthur ’13

There’s a first time for everything.

O

KAY,

members of the

she goes out on Out Back in

Eastern alpine ski

March. On this night OB

team have known

director John Teaford had

about snow for a long time.

announced at dinner that

But as the school’s popula-

there were only 135 days

tion grows more diverse,

until Out Back.

drawing more students from

Also that night

other parts of the country

Maame, remembers Head of

and different parts of the

School Phil Peck, “I was in

globe, it happens more often

my office in the

that the first snowfall of the

Schoolhouse when Maame

year—arriving this year on

came running down the hall

the night of October 26—

with a big smile exclaiming,

will be the first snowfall of

‘It is snowing! It is really

a lifetime for some of us.

snowing—my first snow!’

That was the case for

We ran outside and Maame

Maame Arthur ’13 from

savored her first snow

Ghana, who will probably

ever.”

see a lot more snow when

Sports

Tabor Day #15, and a fond farewell to the head Sea Wolf.

T

HE

TABOR DAY Trophy keeps

In yielding the trophy, Jay’s

moving back and forth

old friend Phil Peck also yielded a

between Holderness and

poem, one authored by another

Tabor. After a sojourn at

friend of Jay’s—former English

Holderness, it was given back to

teacher and football coach Norm

Tabor this year following another

Walker, who passed away in

narrow series of contests between

August. Norm wrote the poem in

the schools’ respective soccer and

tribute to Jay as part of his book

field hockey teams in November.

But Tabor Day this year was

Teachers, and its final stanza captures some of that Stroudian joie de

special in a couple of respects. First,

vivre that has made Tabor Day such

it marked the 15th anniversary of an

a positive event:

event that began in part thanks to Tabor Headmaster Jay Stroud’s ties to Holderness.

Jay taught English

and served as a dean and assistant head here for 16 years before taking the helm at Tabor. And second, this was Jay’s last Tabor Day, now that he’s announced his retirement in June.

30

Holderness School Today

Eat, drink, and be merry when Stroud’s around; No party room, just intellectual realms Where image carries weight, never overwhelms; And, to be sure, laughter will abound.

Phil Peck, right, reads from Teachers as Jay Stroud looks on.

Two fall teams make the NEPSAC playoffs! Field hockey keeps its record string alive while boys soccer makes a run to the finals!

A

GREAT FALL

sports sea-

Boys soccer snapped a team photo after victory in the semifinals. Below, a hard-charging field hockey team enjoyed lots of parent support.

son was crowned by two varsity teams qualifying

for New England Prep School Athletic Conference tournament play. And the boys soccer team came within a single goal of repeating as NEPSAC champs.

But we’ll start with field hockey, which finished the regular season at 8-8-2 against a tough schedule. That was good enough to earn a #6 seed into the tourney, and thereby keep a remarkable string going, one unequalled in New England: 19 consecutive appearances in postseason play. This year’s squad fell to third-seeded Tilton in the quarterfinals, 2-1, but only after earning lots of fans for its scrappy play.

And now we’ll let Coach Craig Antonides ’77 report on the post-season experience of a brilliant soccer team that cruised through the fall at 12-3: “After finishing the regular season with a win against Tabor, the team drew a #1 seed and played Hebron in the quarters.That game was at home, where we managed to pull out a dramatic come-from-

behind 3-2 victory to advance to the semis. Distance rules for that game mandated a neutral field at Tilton, where we faced the Wheeler School from Rhode Island, coming up with a 1-0 victory.

“The next day we got a chance to defend our title in a rematch with last year’s opponent, the Millbrook School from New York. We travelled to Northfield-Mount Hermon to play, and were excited to be back at the big show. Sadly we ended up on the wrong end of a 2-1 score in a very close game, with both teams playing exceptionally well. It was a fantastic game to watch and the coaches were very happy with the effort and determination the team showed.”

Holderness School Today

31

Sports

W

top-

Now he’s one of the most feared

ranked three-point

outside shooters in the NBA, but

shooter in the NBA last

his path there wasn’t smooth.

E LANDED THE

The best of the long shots, in

year as the guest speaker at last

fall’s athletic assembly—and a

both senses of the phrase.

good role model as well.

Matt Bonner of the San

harrowing year playing professional hoops in Messina, Italy—a

Antonio Spurs is usually busy in

year marked by a near-deadly

November, but thanks to this

bout of salmonella poisoning

year’s lockout of the players by

related to a lack of running water

NBA owners, he had some time

in his apartment, a series of evic-

on his hands. And since Matt

tion notices from that apartment,

trains regularly in the off-season

and midseason bankruptcy on the

with Holderness basketball coach

part of his team.

Tony Mure, he was happy to donate that time to Holderness.

Sharpshooter Matt Bonner of the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs.

Matt had to struggle to break into the league, and he spent a

Given that, and a couple of years sitting at the end of the

As a boy, Matt led Concord

bench in the NBA, Matt brought

High School to three state cham-

real street-cred to his message of

pionships, and then earned

the importance of hard work and

Honorable Mention All-American

an upbeat attitude in the face of

honors at the University of

adversity. “Mr. Bonner’s humili-

Florida. During that time he

ty, self-effacing humor, and posi-

never earned less than an A in

tive message made for a night to

any course he took, except for

remember,” said Phil Peck.

one B in chemistry at Florida.

Reinforcements are on the way for the NCAA Division I lacrosse champs.

I

N

NOVEMBER DICKSON Smith ’12 signed

a letter of intent that will have him play-

ing lacrosse next year for that sport’s

defending NCAA Division I champion.

football, hockey, and lacrosse,” lacrosse coach and athletic director Lance Galvin ’90 told the Concord Monitor newspaper.

“He is a great defender and has the ability

That means that Dickson will attend the

to stop the best offensive players from the

University of Virginia next year and play

tough opposition we play in our prep school

under the tutelage of Coach Dom Starsia.

league.”

Dickson is a long pole midfielder from

Now it’s on up to the next league,

Dover-Sherborn, Massachusetts. “He came

where we think Dickson will be stopping

to Holderness as a sophomore and has

some more good offensive players.

played multiple sports for us, including

Ryan Rosencranz ’12 races at the 2011Telluride World Cup event.

I

N

DECEMBER RYAN Rosencranz

’10. That means that Holderness

school-age athletes anywhere to

coach Alan Smarse had no less than

qualify for a top-tier World Cup

three riders at the same World Cup

event in snowboarding. This was in

event, providing more support for

Telluride, CO, where Ryan finished

those who say that Holderness boasts

47th in the parallel GS, racing

the premier high school snowboard-

against the world’s best.

ing program in the country.

Also qualifying for that event was a pair of Holderness alumni:

32

Holderness School Today

Converse Fields ’08 and Chris Allen

became one of very few high

Sports

Fall 2011: The Season in Review

Dual Lakes Region crowns in one sport, two NEPSAC tourney invitations for two others, and a run to the NEPSAC finals!

The cross-country team ran a lot of places this fall. One destination was the top of Mount Osceola.

our school, new to the varsity

Cross-Country The 2011 co-ed cross-country running season was widely successful.

The guys’ and girls’ teams won their Lakes Region titles. Our large 35person team was ‘right in stride’ behind their compassionate captains Haley Mahar and Keith Bohlin.

The teams’ successes could be attributed to the ‘speed merchants’—and Rathbun-roommates—Fabián Štoček and David Bugbee, who went one-two in just about

Fabián Štocek ’13

everything. Their successes may just as easily be pinned on our younger runners, who made huge improvements.

Even our best

runners made large strides this season; Jackie Sampson, Drew Walsh, Danielle Norgren, Peter Saunders, and Katie Leake all shaved more than two minutes off of their home course times.

Other young talent included Drew Houx, Elizabeth Powell, Terrance Amorosa, and Hannah Durnan, all of whom showed great young promise by rubbing

squad, and new to the sport itself. What a range! It was an educational season, mixed with progress, challenge, and emotion. One highlight of the season was the 3-0 victory against the 2010 NEPSAC Champion team.

The squad ended the season with a record of 8-8-2—good enough to be invited to postseason play. The season ended in the quarterfinal round with a terrific effort against the eventual #2 team in New England.

Special acknowledgement and thanks to graduating senior players: Samantha Lee, Sara Mogollon, Samantha Cloud, Steph Symecko, Abby Guerra (Coach’s Award), and tri-cap-

tains Abby Slattery (All-Tournament Team selection), Carly Meau, and Hannah Halsted.

elbows with the best in the

by Doonie Brewer

league.

Dan Do and Haley Mahar were our Coach’s Award winners, while TJ Ajello and Eliana Mallory were our Most Improved. We will miss our twelve graduating seniors, and as always, it will be the friendships made on the trails that will endure.

Haley Mahar ’12

The JV field hockey team was led by co-captains Iashai Stephens and Caroline Plante. While many girls were new to the sport this year, the team improved overall by learning to play “smarter,” as Coach Stigum says. Playing smarter consists of looking up, moving to the ball, having

by Patrick Casey

Field Hockey In so many ways, our eight seniors on the varsity field hockey team led the way this season—captains, impact players at all positions, and leaders by word and deed. The 2011 squad also included many new to

your stick on the ground, passing with intent, and most importantly, dodging the defense.

A few highlights from the season include Becca Kelly’s outstanding effort in goal against Exeter; Carson Holmes carrying the ball down the sidelines, dodging three defenders, and crossing the ball in front of the goal; Coco Clemens stepping up each and every game to win 50/50 balls; and watching the Lady Bulls come to life against Exeter.

The

Holderness School Today

33

Sports

girls JVFH

QB Liam O’Reilly along with fellow frosh classmates Luc

team finished

Chanren, Jake Rourke, William Tessier and Nick Conner. Punter

the season

and defensive lineman Kangdi Wang was the recipient of the

with a 7-4-2

Coach’s Award.

record.

was the recipient of the Most Improved Award.

This

Running back and defensive back Bailey Walsh

year’s Coach’s Award was

by Allie Skelley

presented to Sarah Garrett and the Most Improved Award was given to Qianyi Zhang.

Abby Slattery ’12

by Melissa Stuart

Mountain Biking This fall, the mountain bike team learned very quickly the climbing and descending skills necessary to tackle the many technical trails in the local area. The team goal was to become exposed to several sub-disciplines of the sport: cross-country, downhill, and dirt jumping.

Team captain and Coach’s Award-winner Justin Simpkins led the pack with his constant push to improve his and others’ skills.

Next year’s captain Jeff Hauser didn’t let his cross-country bike prevent him from

Football

landing six-foot

The 2011 Holderness varsity football team ended the season 3-5.

drops. Three-year

Once again the Evergreen League proved to be the premier foot-

veteran Peter

ball league in New England.

Ferrante lent his

The offense was lead by the powerful running attack of sen-

words of wisdom

iors Alex Trujillo and Keith Babus. They punished tacklers on

to the neophytes.

every play. The defense was led by senior Connor Smith. Connor

Speedy Isabelle

led the team in sacks and solo tackles. The highlight of the year

Zaik-Hodgkins

was a convincing win over a top-ranked Vermont Academy squad

broke the gender barrier as the

56 – 28.

Christian Anderson, Gordie Borek, Spencer Hill, Tyler Mathieu, Jesse Ross, and Matt Thomas are some of the key returners for the

Bryan Donahue ’12 (57) & Keith Babus ’12.

team’s first female member.

Newcomer Clark

2012 season.

Macomber made

The Bulls

his mark as a

played this sea-

capable dirt

son in honor of

jumper. Cyclist

Coach Walker.

Alex Lehmann

He would have

carried over his

been proud of

skills and insight

the senior and

from his road bik-

Jeff Hauser ’13

captain leader-

ing experience.

ship that was

And frosher and Most Improved-winner Gibson Cushman

displayed

revealed that youth doesn’t mean being the slowest.

throughout the season. With 25

This year’s highlights were the annual trip to the Kingdom Trails, racing in the New England High School Mountain Bike

players return-

Championships, and a day of lift-serviced gravity riding at

ing next season,

Highland Mountain Bike Park.

the coaching staff is already excited for the 2012 season to begin!

by Tiaan van der Linde ’89

by Rick Eccleston ‘92

This year’s edition of the JV football Baby Bulls proved yet again to be a force on the football fields throughout the Lakes Region. The Bulls finished their season with a record of 4-2-1.

The Bulls’ high-powered offense was led by the tough, gritty running of frosher Charlie Day and speedy sophomore Bailey Walsh.

Savvy veterans Ezra Cushing, Sam Paine, and Jesse Osuchowski pitched in on both sides of the ball.

Their leadership was the glue

that kept this cohesive unit together from start to finish.

The Baby Bulls featured a plethora of young talent led by

34

Holderness School Today

Soccer Boys varsity soccer had another super season, finishing with a 14-4 record and a trip back to the NEPSAC Class C Championship game. We had a bit of a struggle early, but after making some adjustments, we went on a ten-game winning streak, which included a big 1-0 win over KUA. That streak helped us clinch the Lakes Region title with an undefeated record in the league.

Sadly, in the finals of the NEPSAC Championships against

Millbrook, we ended up on the wrong end of a very close game, with

instruction and playing time as possible with a strong focus on team-

both teams playing exceptionally well. We are very proud of our five

work and fun. Because the team was a last-minute addition, we faced

seniors and their leadership, which has formed the nucleus of our

challenges in getting a full schedule of games, but we were able to get

team for the last three years. Will Marvin, Thany Alexander, Charlie

a solid schedule of seven games.

Defeo, Ryan Rosencranz , and Olayode Ahmed have developed into tremendous players—NEPSAC All-Stars. We will also miss the strong

Although we finished winless on the season, there was a steady progression of improvement throughout the year by all the boys. They were able to see and understand the level of commitment which is needed to be part of the very successful Holderness soccer program.

by Erik Ely

The 2011 season for the girls varsity soccer team was filled with lots of growth and adjustment this year. The team reconnected with coaches who had been gone the season before, and after graduating so many seniors the year, the team had to build a new sense of identity.

The girls worked hard to improve their skills, sense of the game, and understanding about the commitment that exists when playing on a varsity level team.

The team will graduate three seniors who were all impact players. Maggie Caputi and Lily Ford made up half of the defensive back

Olayode Ahmed ’12

line, and Ari Bourque was a huge presence in the midfield. All three players will be missed

play and presence of Tino Tomasi, who came in this season and solidified our backfield.

greatly next year. The outlook for the 2012 sea-

These last two seasons have put us back on the map in New

son looks good as so

England prep school soccer. We’ll have a small group of returners to

many girls will be return-

work with next year and hope we can keep finding a way to win.

ing, and having a year of

Congratulations to the team for another fine season.

growth and experience under their belts should

by Craig Antonides ’77

Excellent defending, creative offense, and steady midfield play

really make a difference.

by Margot Moses

allowed the boys JV1 soccer team to have an excellent season. The boys finished with an excellent 12-3-1 record. Many of the players

The girls JV soccer pro-

showed significant improvement over the course of the season, and

gram had another suc-

we expect to see a handful of them make the jump to varsity next

cessful season, with a

year!

winning record of 8-5-3.

Maggie Caputi ’12

Team captains Molly

by Mike Peller

Monahan and Lauren Stride set a tone of working hard and competing from the onset of the season. As the JV1 and JV2 teams combined

The members of the boys JV Deuce soccer team had a wonderful

several weeks into the season, it was unbelievable to see the most

season of fellowship and fun. There’s something unique about the

experienced players continue to improve while reaching out to teach

spirit of the Deuce, and it comes from the enjoyment of each other’s

the game to the newcomers. Likewise, the athletes newest to soccer

company, the love of playing the game, and a perspective that never

challenged themselves each day, and competed bravely in all aspects.

lets anyone take anything too seriously.

The Most Improved Players were KJ Sanger, who evolved as a

The capstone of the season was clearly the final game at Tabor,

force in the outside midfield, and Patricia Porta, who developed a love

when the team came together to register one of only two victories that

for goal scoring as a striker. The Coach’s Awards went to senior

day. Accurate passing and shooting coupled with lots of heads-up

Rachel Huntley, who has played four years of JV soccer and was a

team play made that glorious morning in Marion a fitting last memory

quiet, positive role model, and Racheal Erhard, who was the most tal-

of our successful season. The Most Improved Player this fall was

ented player on the squad, and who was always unselfishly prioritiz-

Treat Hardy, and the Coach’s Award was given to Aidan Kendall.

ing the good of the team over her own accolades.

by John Lin

by Susie Cirone

With higher than usual numbers, a boys JV3 soccer team was needed for the fall season. The main goal was to give the athletes as much

Holderness School Today

35

Update: Faculty & Staff

When astonishment is an understatement.

O

N THE SUBJECT OF

her parents’ long

buildings safe, efficient, and up-to-date while

careers at Holderness, Jennifer

adding some well-designed new buildings on a

Stevens Mullen ’90 had to quote the

pay-up-front basis. Gail has done a number of dif-

explorer Thor Heyerdahl on the

ferent things for the school, concentrating in

subject of his journey in a reed boat

recent years on the transformation of the School

across the Pacific: “Once in a while you find

Store into not only a bright, well-stocked, and

yourself in an odd situation. You get into it by

profitable retail outlet, but one of those places

degrees and in the most natural way, but when

where school spirit is most effectively nourished.

you are right in the midst of it, you are suddenly

Together they have been long-serving and beloved

astonished and ask yourself how in the world it all

house parents.

came about.”

“There have been some times ‘in the midst

Jen was speaking also for her sister Karrie

Dick and Gail Stevens announce their retirement after this year, and daughter Jennifer Stevens Mullen ’90 had some things to say about that at the dedication of the Woodward Faculty dorm.

of it’ when astonishment might have been an

Stevens Thomas ’93 at the dedication of the

understatement,” noted Jen. “Like all the winter

Woodward Faculty dorm in October. It was an

nights my father got up at 2 AM to check on the

event that also honored Jen and Karrie’s parents,

rink or fix the heat in Rathbun; like when he was

Dick and Gail Stevens, who had just announced

informed, while on sabbatical in the Caribbean,

their retirements after this school year. “My par-

that the roof of the rink had collapsed. There are

ents did in fact embark on their Holderness jour-

fun memories as well, like the image of my mom

ney by degrees,” Jen continued, “when my father

teaching aerobics to Norm Walker’s football team,

took a job as a member of the maintenance crew

my dad taking his Lazer sailboat on to the Lower

right out of college. At that point, I am sure, nei-

Fields for a sail after a spring flood, and—of

ther of them had any idea just how far they would

course—the students who are now considered

come in this vessel!”

extended family and the many friends who will be

It was a journey that began in

greatly missed.”

1972, was interrupted for one year

It might be improbable that this shared jour-

in that decade while Dick worked

ney turned out to be such a lengthy one, and

in private industry, and was

astonishing now to look back on it, but Dick and

resumed again until now in 1979.

Gail Stevens contributed so much and so well to

Dick rose quickly to Plant

keeping the Holderness boat afloat that it might

Manager, becoming the ringmaster

be more surprising had it turned out otherwise.

of an extraordinarily successful

Father and daughter share a hug after Jen’s talk. Below left is Jen’s mother Gail.

“The acknowledgment of many years of hard

effort to

work and dedication is priceless,” concluded Jen.

keep this

“We are all looking forward to the next adven-

school’s

ture!”

old

School counselor Carol Dopp presents at the TABS conference.

I

N RECENT YEARS A NUMBER

of Holderness faculty

members have been honored with invitations to make

presentations or lead workshops at the annual meeting

of the Association of Boarding Schools (TABS). This year was no different, as school counselor Carol Dopp was asked to lead a day-long workshop on supporting LGBT (lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender) students and staff in boarding schools.

Carol’s workshop was entitled “Gender in Our Lives: Gender in Our Students’ Lives,” and was well received at TABS in respect to both attendance and response.

36

Holderness School Today

L

EGENDARY

ST. Lawrence University

coach and Swiss native who has influenced

ski coach Otto Schneibs is remem-

American ski athletes for more than three decades

bered in part for his Lombardiesque

joined the ranks of Skimeister Herbert Schneider,

axiom, “Skiing is not just a sport—it’s

silver medalist Penny Pitou, and Norwegian ski

a way of life.” And at Holderness ski-

racing native Stein Eriksen with the Spirit of

ing has been embraced for generations partly

Skiing Award, presented at the New England Ski

because of the school’s location in New England

Museum’s 34th annual meeting Saturday. Capaul

ski country, and partly because skiing—and other

was only the sixth person to be honored by the

snow sports—lend themselves so neatly to the

association.”

school’s view of sports as lifetime activities.

“Born to a farming family near Chur,

Influence, inspiration, & honor.

Switzerland,” continued the Union Leader, “Capaul emigrated to the United States in 1974.

Georg Capaul

He became head coach and program director for the Waterville Valley Black-and-Blue Trail Smashers race program in 1975, and served there until 1985, when he was hired by the US Ski Team. There he served in multiple roles, including head regional and Europa Cup coach, men’s and women’s World Cup technical coach, and coach of the US Olympic, World, Junior World, and Pan-American Championship teams.

“In 1988 and 1997 Capaul was named the USSA Alpine International Coach-of-the-Year for the high-level performances of his athletes in international competition. Since 2002 Capaul has been at Holderness School, considered one of the

Director of Snow Sports Georg Capaul wins the New England Ski Museum’s 6th Spirit of Skiing Award.

nation’s best boarding schools for alpine racers.”

No one at Holderness better exemplifies

Under Georg’s guidance, in fact, the

Schneib’s axiom than Director of Snow Sports

Holderness snow sports program has also

Georg Capaul, and this year the New England Ski

embraced freestyle skiing and free ride racing,

Museum decided that nobody in New England

while its snowboarding and Nordic programs have

better exemplifies it than Georg—nor surpassed

also flourished. “Georg has been a major influ-

him as someone “who has influenced skiing in a

ence on ski coaching in New Hampshire,” added

positive manner and enabled others to benefit

coach and race official Ted Sutton. “His enthusi-

from the sport.”

asm, drive, and hard work have been an inspira-

All of which explains why 200 former

tion to me and to all coaches in the world of ski

Olympians, US Ski Team athletes, and members

racing.”

of the industry came from across the country to

Also in attendance were a number of

honor Georg last November. Wrote the Union

Holderness students and staff members.

Leader newspaper (“Locals honor former US

Appreciation is part of the lifestyle as well.

team coach,” 11/7/11), “The former US Ski Team

Jory’s hard at work in Geneva, and most everywhere else.

T

HE WORLD’S

international schools have

never had any choice but to be global in their curricula and outlook. As

today’s world grows increasingly smaller, more interdependent, and global, Holderness

and Korea. Primarily he’s looking to see how these schools deal with extremely diverse student bodies and faculties in building a sense of community.

He’s also seizing opportunities to visit

is looking to become more global as well. In

with alumni and current parents across the

fact, Assistant Head Jory Macomber is rang-

world. Susan ’82 and Dexter Paine ’79 fit

ing the globe on behalf of that.

Jory is on sabbatical and living with his

into both categories (parents of Sam Paine ’14), and Jory sent us this photo of

wife Martha and their daughter Anna in

a biking excursion with the Paines

Geneva, Switzerland. But he’s also on the

to Gstaad, Switzerland. “Even

road and in the air a lot as he visits interna-

though I had the Saxo Bank jersey,”

tional schools all over the world. In just the

Jory wrote, “no one confused me

month of November he looked at schools in

with Tour de France winner Alberto

Switzerland, Germany, Turkey, Italy, Japan,

Contador.”

From the left, Susan, Jory, and Dexter, still a ways from Col du Pillon.

Holderness School Today

37

Update: Faculty & Staff

This life he never imagined.

Everything changed one night for Allie Skelley during a St. Lawrence University hockey game. Since then he’s been lucky and we’ve been inspired.

T

HE REMARKABLE

story of Assistant

Dean of Students, math teacher,

er Travis Roy. There was never

and boys’ varsity ice hockey coach

a question of playing hockey.

Allie Skelley will always bear

The question was whether Allie

retelling thanks to Allie’s ability to

would ever walk again, or even

take a very bitter sort of lemon and turn it into

survive the necessary but dan-

lemonade, and it was told this December as a

gerous surgery.

feature sports story in Plymouth’s weekly Record Enterprise newspaper.

“The Kingswood [Regional High School,

“To this day, the wires, pins, and screws from that surgery are still in his neck,”

in Wolfeboro, NH] graduate is in his second

writes the Enterprise. Allie not

year as the head coach of the Holderness

only survived, not only walks,

School ice hockey team and has settled into a

but he runs (a lot), and

life he never imagined,” writes Joshua

briefly—albeit very riskily—

Spalding of the Enterprise (“Skelly reflects on

played hockey again in a few

how one night changed his life,” 12/1/11), “but

non-contact men’s leagues.

one in which he says he’s never been happier.”

Briefly, Allie had been a three-sport star

But that injury also meant reconfiguring a life that had just been dedicated to hockey and

athlete at Kingswood, leading that school to a

that had achieved some promise of a profes-

state baseball championship in 1996 and a

sional career in the sport. St. Lawrence, to its

football championship in 1998. He went to

credit, honored Allie’s athletic scholarship. He

Phillips Exeter for a post-graduate year. There

majored in economics, graduated in 2003, and

he played quarterback on the football team and

attended the university for another year to earn

led the Exeter hockey and baseball teams to

a Master’s in educational administration.

NEPSAC championships.

Most colleges were interested in Allie as

By then Allie’s younger brother Tad was becoming a star athlete at Holderness. In 2004

a football player, but a visit to St. Lawrence

Allie joined the admission department here,

University convinced him that he wanted to go

and since then he has been taking on bigger

there to play Division I hockey. He red-shirted

and bigger responsibilities.

at St. Lawrence during his freshman year, and

“Looking back on that fateful night nine

then he and the Saints got off to a terrific start

years ago,” says the Enterprise, “Skelley is

the next winter, upsetting the University of

reminded that not everything goes according

New Hampshire—then ranked #1 in the coun-

to plan, but in the end things work out. ‘When

try—at the Whittemore Center.

you’re in college, you’re not really thinking

“It was awesome,” Allie remembers.

“Lots of friends and family were in the stands.

I went from being on top of the world to this.”

The Saints’ next game was against Lake

about that next step,’ he said. ‘But for me, I never thought it would be coaching.’”

So Allie continues to have a life in hockey, and much more besides—and Holderness

Superior State, and there Allie suffered a hard

students continue to benefit from his talent,

check into the boards. He got up and skated

drive, courage, and resilience. “It’s not too

off the ice, but on his way to the locker room

many people who can take such a horrific

he found that he couldn’t walk straight. Then

event and turn it into a positive story,” con-

the muscles in his neck seized up and the pain

cludes the Enterprise, “but Allie Skelley has

clamped down.

never been one to have people tell him what

Allie had fractured and dislocated the top three vertebrae of his neck—an injury very similar to that which had famously paralyzed

38

Boston University hockey play-

Holderness School Today

he can and can’t do.”

“

It’s not too many people who can take

such a horrific event

and turn it into a positive story, but Allie Skelley has

never been one to have people tell him

”

what he can and can’t do.

-Record Enterprise

“Ahead of her time in ability and performance.”

L

AST

NOVEMBER history

offensive zone, and then either

teacher and girls hockey

blast or slip the puck by the

coach Susie Bellizzi

overmatched goaltender.”

Cirone was inducted into Wesleyan University’s Hall of

In attendance at the ceremony was Kelsey Muller ’09,

Fame in recognition of her

who was coached by Susie

scoring records and post-sea-

here, and who is currently

son honors as an ice hockey

playing hockey for Wesleyan.

player there (see “Move Over,

This all happened shortly after

Frank [and Bill]” in the fall

Kelsey had scored a hat trick

HST).

“In my career at

for Wesleyan against Williams.

A hat trick is a rare feat in

Wesleyan I have observed a

hockey, and at Wesleyan a hat

few athletes that I would

trick against Williams is

describe as clearly ahead of

almost good enough by itself

their time in terms of ability

for nomination to the Hall of

and performance,” said

Fame.

Wesleyan Athletic Director

This got historians won-

John Biddiscombe at the

dering as to the date of the last

induction ceremony. “Susie

time a Wesleyan player had

was and is one of these ath-

rung up a hat trick against

letes. From the time she

Williams. That would have

stepped on the ice she was des-

been February 28, 1988, when

tined to become a Wesleyan

young Susie Bellizzi scored all

Hall of Fame athlete. It was

three goals in a 3-0 win for

not uncommon to watch Susie

Wesleyan.

break out of the pack while on the defensive end of the rink

First Susie Cirone was inducted into the Wesleyan Hall of Fame.

Then the last two skaters with hat tricks against Williams got together.

Coincidence? Okay, sure.

Kelsey Muller ’09, left, with Susie on the ice at Wesleyan.

Still, it’s sweet.

and skate uncontested into the

The greater power of two

Holderness and New Hampton faculties combine for a workshop on diversity.

A

FTER THE

Thanksgiving

topics that ranged from the grading

for a day of in-service work-

of ESL students to the creation of an

shops and discussions surrounding

international curriculum. In the

issues of diversity in the classroom.

afternoon the two faculties met

What was different about this in-

together by departments to share

service, though, was that it included

both practical and philosophical

the faculty of the New Hampton

approaches to the task of accommo-

School.

dating for diversity in their teaching

The day began with a presentation in Hagerman by Vivian Wu Wong, a teacher from Milton

New Hampton Head of School Andrew Menke shared the floor with Phil Peck during the workshop.

formed small discussion groups on

break, the faculty convened

methods.

“It was a great opportunity for all to learn from each other and

Academy. She spoke of the myths

wrestle with some difficult topics,”

and stereotypes faced by Asian stu-

said Head of School Phil Peck. And

dents and how schools can support

it effectively doubled the levels of

them through the cultural and social

experience and inquiry that teachers

isolation they face. Later teachers

could bring to those topics.

Holderness School Today

39

Update: Former Faculty & Staff

The problem with zest.

Headmaster Emeritus Pete Woodward retires as NEASC’s Director of the Committee on Overseas Schools, but only after leading a growth spurt in international school membership.

H

EADMASTER

Emeritus Pete

Woodward is retiring—and he

tors on international school accreditation visits.”

might be serious about it this

time. But we’ll have to see.

Pete shares a handshake with The Rev. Randy Dales at the dedication of the Woodward Faculty dorm.

Pete retired as head of

Holderness School in 2001, after a 24-year

During Pete’s tenure as director, the Committee on Overseas Schools grew into a full-fledged commission—the Commission on International Schools Abroad—that now

career during which he led Holderness into

oversees more than 180 international schools

co-education, retired the school’s debt, built

in 70 nations and spanning five continents.

up its endowment, enhanced its cam-

“Pete Woodward has been an invaluable

pus, broadened its student diversity,

leader for CAISA,” says Cameron C. Staples,

reinvigorated its Episcopal heritage,

president of NEASC. “His dedication to the

and assembled a faculty famous for

work of accreditation and his ability to mobi-

producing heads of other schools (take

lize diverse constituencies have been instru-

a look at the next page, for example).

But he retired then to move

mental for the growth of our international schools membership.”

directly into another job, albeit a part-

“Pete will be missed by everyone at

time one, this as the Director of the

CAISA,” adds Carl Stasio, headmaster of

Committee on Overseas Schools for

Thornton Academy and the chair of CAISA.

the New England Association of

“He has always been a respected leader, tak-

Schools and Colleges.

“A champion of cross-cultural

ing on challenging new endeavors with zest, integrity, and a terrific sense of humor.”

cooperation and global educational

Those characteristics were always in

advancement,” writes the NEASC in

evidence in the challenges Pete took on—and

its winter newsletter, “Pete’s director-

met so successfully—at Holderness. It

ship helped cultivate a vast network of

remains to be seen, however, if he can really

American and international school

just stay home this time. That’s the problem

leaders who volunteer as peer evalua-

with zest.

Paul and Marty Elkins return for Rosh Hashanah.

P

AUL AND

MARTY Elkins were

pillars of the Holderness faculty during the 1980s and

1990s, and these days they’re pro-

about Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and to make connections between those

viding a lot structural integrity to

holidays and students’ lives at

the New Hampton School faculty.

Holderness.

The nice thing about having them

On Sunday Elk took several

right down the highway, though, is

Holderness students to the Temple in

that they can pop over every now

Laconia, and did so again following

and then.

Which is what they did last October, at the invitation of Chaplain Rich Weymouth ’70. Elk had been an active supporter of and role model for the school’s Jewish students during his years

40

here, and he came back (with Marty) to share with today’s students his reflections

Holderness School Today

KUA weekend. He and Marty are still providing exceptional service to the old school.

Marty and Paul sit at dinner with several of the school’s Jewish students: Max Lash ’14, Brandon Marcus ’12, James Robbins ’12, Axi Berman ’13, and Max Sturges ’13.

N

EXT SUMMER

PETER and Rachel Saliba will

All these qualities

be returning to the Lakes Region, now that Pete—in an announcement made on

November 11—has been named as the

Tilton School’s 26th Head of School.

and more.

In that announcement Tilton’s board of trustees and

search committee said that they had been looking for a

Berwick Academy,” says Tilton Board Chair Kirk G. Wheale, “Peter led a transformation of a 220-year-old upper school, resulting in twenty percent enrollment growth. As Assistant Head of School at Sage Hill School [Newport Coast, CA], he grew and shaped a new independent day school into a thriving institution. Both of these efforts demonstrate Peter’s proven leadership capabilities, including his academic leadership, admissions expertise, financial acumen, and marketing and development insight. Just as important, these experiences also speak to Peter’s natural ability to forge part-

Former Director of Technology Peter Saliba is named Tilton’s 26th Head of School.

nerships with the many constituents responsible for making a school successful.”

“It is our hope,” said Pete in his response to the news, “to continue the momentum of this great school by nurturing its strengths, which will ensure that we will not only prepare our students for a world marked by leader with vision and energy; an experienced administrator “who will foster excellence and engagement within the school community”; a communicator to promote the school internally and externally; a person to grow the resources of the school; and “at the core, an educator who loves to help young people succeed. Peter Saliba,” they said, “embodies all these qualities and more.”

Pete came to Holderness in 1995 as the school’s Director of Technology, while Rachel worked in the advancement office. Pete also taught in the classroom, coached a varsity sport, and together with Rachel served as a house parent. They remained here until 2003.

“In his present role as Upper School Director at

diversity and change, but also continue to have the highest standards for graduates and the communities they serve.”

The Salibas will arrive at Tilton with their daughter Samantha (13) and their twin sons Peter and Joseph (10).

In a note to Phil Peck, Pete added, “Rachel and I are very excited to be joining the school, and happy to be back in the Lakes Region. Thank you (and the whole Holderness community!) for not only your guidance and support over the past months, but during our eight years at the home of the Bulls. Our experience at Holderness has significantly shaped the road that we are on.”

After apple-picking . . .

W

E NEVER

have too

much of apple-picking

at the Harvard, MA,

Meanwhile the Finnegans provided ripe apples, lunch, an evening catered barbecue, and

orchard of Mark and Hilary

gift baskets for all current and

Finnegan, who once again gen-

former faculty.

erously hosted a Holderness

Among the gifted former

gathering there over Parents’

faculty were Spanish teacher Jim

Weekend in October.

Hammond (1964-66, 1975-2000)

This year almost 100 members of the community flocked

and English teacher Bill Burke (1974-87). In the photo, from the

to the orchard. This included

left, we have current teachers

alumni from six decades—

Chris and Vicky Stigum,

including four Finnegans—for-

Director of Leadership Giving

mer and present faculty, and cur-

Pete Barnum, Jim Hammond,

rent students and parents.

Bill Burke, and Patti Burke.

Holderness School Today

41

Alumni in the News

THE ARTS

Something like love.

E

MILY

RAABE

DOESN’T

remem-

way, and only to forward the conversation.

ber the details of the argument

His support of my leadership of the

she had one day in class with

class was absolute. What kind of

English teacher Norm Walker,

teacher does that?”

but she remembers it had

something to do with feminism. In

That would be the kind of teacher who changes students’ lives, though in

October—following Norm’s death on

fact this was just the third of three life-

August 22nd—Emily wrote a letter to Phil

changing events in Norm’s class that

Peck that describes this incident.

Emily mentions in her letter. The first was

“I remember being super-impassioned,” she writes. “Somehow Margaret

reading a short story that Norm had photocopied out of the New Yorker, “White

Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale entered in,

Angel” by Michael Cunningham, a piece

and then quite suddenly Mr. Walker made

that had “nothing in common with the

me an offer—to teach the book to the class

short stories we were reading in our

after the Christmas break. He would make

Norton Anthology.” She adds, “This story

himself a student and hand me the class.

was so real, so present, and so gorgeous. It

He was serious. I spent Christmas break

drifted back into my head for years.”

with The Handmaid’s Tale and a pile of

The second was a poem, “Little Girl

Post-It notes, frantically underlining and

my String Bean, My Lovely Woman,” by

sticking Post-Its and looking up all the ref-

Anne Sexton. “Mr. Walker read it aloud to

erences that went through my head. And

us,” Emily writes. “It made me want to

then I taught the book. True to his word,

jump out of my seat, or run around, or sit

Mr. Walker took a seat as a student and

and hear it again—I didn’t really know

stayed there. He was a heckling sort of stu-

what it was demanding of me—just some-

dent, to be honest, but in a good-natured

thing. I had literally never heard anything

42

Holderness School Today

The first book of poetry by Emily Raabe ’89 is dedicated in part to a certain Holderness teacher. In part it involved an argument.

like it. I think that poem might have made me a

My Best Dream

poet.”

First Norm (with help from Cunningham and Sexton) made Emily into a poet, and then he made

goes like this: two fields cut by a thin line of trees.

her into a teacher as well. And these are a large part of who Emily is today—and very successfully so.

From Holderness she went on to Middlebury, where

In the dream I’m at the line when the storm comes in.

she earned a B.A. in English literature. Since then she has also earned an M.A. in European literature from the University of Sussex and an M.F.A. in

I dig a ditch in the dark in the snow in the dream

poetry from the California College of Arts and Crafts. She has taught at CCAC and also the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. Currently she

and get in, and then the animals arrive—

lives in New York City and teaches at the City University of New York, where she is a Ph.D. candidate in literature.

long noses, soft bodies, raccoons maybe, deer,

And she has become a poet in full, with journal credits that include the Marlboro Review, the Big Ugly Review, the Indiana Review, Diner, Chelsea,

bears, all the creatures with night eyes

the Alaska Quarterly Review, Gulf Coast, the Crab Orchard Review, the Antioch Review, AGNI, and Eleven Eleven; fellowships from the Macdowell

climb into my ditch with deliberation, settle

Colony, the Ragdale Foundation, Rotary International, and the Breadloaf Writers Conference.

And this isn’t to mention the 25 nonfiction books she

their tails, snouts, paws, speckled haunches

has published for children on topics that range from bats to Ethan Allen to photosynthesis. A young adult novel, The Lost Children of Loup Marin, will be

around and over me so we are cuddled in

brought out by Random House next spring.

But to the poetry: in October Emily published her first collection of such, Leave It Behind

like kit fox kittens in a den.

There is no fear of freezing

(FutureCycle Press, 2011). “The poems in Emily Raabe’s first collection are distinct and imaginative,” says poet Robert Pack. “Often with a surreal edge,

in this dream, no muttered counting off of time

they have the intensity and grip of dream imagery and dream narrative.”

“Leave It Behind expresses paradoxical wish of

because everything is here, has arrived on padded feet

every poet, seeking to leave behind—in both senses of that phrase—the language trace of her mind and heart,” adds poet Dan Chiasson. “And what a fine

with something like love in that it is the absence

first book Emily Raabe has left behind: vivid and strange, haunted by dreams of animals, alive with the landscapes and losses of her Vermont childhood.

of distance. We rest warm in the sleep

Raabe’s poetry seeks “something like love/ in that it is the absence/ of distance”—and yet it faces both absence and distance with unflinching imagination,

we fear to allow ourselves, not even on the darkest night,

intelligence, and grace.”

Absence and distance, combined with love, are bound up in the book’s dedication. Leave It Behind

not even with the snow falling fast oh, fast, and animals

is dedicated in part to Emily’s husband, independent filmmaker Paul Devlin, to whom she was married in July. And it’s dedicated as well to Norm Walker.

so unafraid that they sleep unfurled in your arms.

“I’m sad he didn’t get to see the book, but I’m glad I got a chance to thank him for his generosity, and to tell him how he changed my life,” Emily

The dream, you understand me, was a gift, but it came

wrote to Phil. “I still teach ‘White Angel’ and Anne Sexton every semester. I’ve not yet had a student who wants to teach a class, but I hope that if I do,

with a price. I sleep each night with my palms up

I’ll be brave enough and humble enough to follow Mr. Walker’s lead. He has led me this far, and I’m grateful for it.”

and wake each morning alone.

Holderness School Today

43

Alumni in the News

BUSINESS

Raised in the spirit of hospitality.

Cynthia Makris ’79 is the 2011 New Hampshire Innkeeper of the Year. But that’s just part of what she does for hometown Laconia.

H

OSPITALITY IS A

virtue. It’s also a

her parents at the Naswa, and remembered those

business, one that can breathe eco-

tiki bars from travels to the Caribbean while she

nomic life into a town. And a good

was in college. “So I told my father I wanted to

innkeeper can do so much more

build a beach bar on our lake front, but he said no

besides. Take Cynthia Makris, for

example.

one would want to drink outside,” she says. “I held my ground, though—a Greek trait that has

These days the Naswa Resort in Laconia,

NH, is a Lake Winnipesaukee landmark. The resort was founded in 1935 by Cynthia’s grand-

something to do, I think, with our success in business.”

The NAZBar Beach Bar began as a two-

parents. Then it was run by her parents, and lately

shuttered hut, and over the years it’s grown into

by Cynthia, who has done well enough at the

the calling card of the resort. But innovation and

helm of the family business to be honored in

profit are only a part of what gets the attention of

November as the New Hampshire Innkeeper of

the NHLRA. A larger part has to do with the

the Year by the New Hampshire Lodging and

place of a business in the community, and the

Restaurant Association (NHLRA).

degree to which leadership and service flow in

“Perhaps her most notable mark on the Naswa,” said the Laconia Daily Sun (11/25/11), “was the introduction of the highly imitated

the other direction.

“Makris has served on the board of Easter Seals NH for eight years,” reports the Daily Sun.

beach bar, an improvement for which she drew

“She has also served on the board of the Lakes

inspiration from the tiki bars of the US Virgin

Region Chamber of Commerce and is president

Islands.”

of the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association.

That improvement, though, was set in motion before Cynthia was in charge. From

Makris was instrumental in starting and hosting the Land & Lake Poker Run for Easter Seals,

Holderness she went to the

which has raised over $630,000 in the past eleven

University of Vermont, and then

years. Additionally, the Annual Peter Makris

straight into career preparation. She

Memorial Run—named for her late father—bene-

apprenticed for two winter off-sea-

fits both the Laconia Fire Department and Easter

sons at the Locke-Ober in Boston, a

Seals NH’s Veterans Count Program. The event

restaurant that for decades was the

has become the official kick-off to Laconia

top gathering spot for the city’s

Motorcycle Week and in five years has raised

power elite, and a place where

over $150,000.”

power shifts slowly. Women were

The Daily Sun neglected to mention that

not served on the main floor until

Cynthia currently holds a seat on the board of

1977.

Speedway Children’s Charities. And in May she

“And when I was there in

1995-96,” she says, “women were

received the 2011 Robert B. Jolicoeur

still not allowed to work ‘front of

Community Service Award.

the house’ as servers or bartenders—only in the kitchen.”

Then she went to work for

“I’m honored and delighted to be recognized by the regional leaders in this industry and by my peers,” Cynthia told HST. “Our family has been raised 'in the spirit of hospitality' since my grandmother and grandfather started the NASWA over 76 years ago. As my parents then passed it on to me and my sisters, we find it's not a job to us, it's a way of life. Our guests have become part of our extended family and we hope that is also the way they feel when they come to stay with us.”

Her Innkeeper of the Year Award was presented to her at the NHLRA’s Stars of the Industry Awards Dinner on November 9 at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord. It was all in recognition that the boss of the Naswa has done more than hold her ground—she has helped Laconia do so as well.

44

Holderness School Today

EDUCATION

Being there:

I

N OUR SPRING

Sam Richards ’73 leaves CCA and that long commute.

“

2011 issue of

It takes a unique individual to handle the many ups and downs that our middle school students present each day, or in

HST, we solicited statements about school leadership from

various alumni and former faculty members who had gone on

to be school heads somewhere

”

some cases each hour, while at school.

else. Sam Richards, head of the middle school at Cape Cod Academy, laughed and endorsed

at Cape Cod Academy.

Woody Allen’s famous theory

Through his leadership, the

on advancement: “Eighty per-

middle school program has

cent of success is just showing

taken on a special identity

up.” The rest of it, he thought,

focused on the needs of adoles-

has to do with “setting realistic

cents. As we all know, it takes

goals and treating people with

a unique individual to handle

respect and compassion.”

the many ups and downs that

Then in December Sam

our middle school students

announced his intention to leave

present each day, or in some

CCA after this year. He makes

cases each hour, while at

his home in Rhode Island, and

school. Sam's patient and car-

his daily round-trip commute to

ing demeanor in dealing with

Osterville, MA, takes almost two-and-a-half hours. Understandably, he wants work closer to home.

And that he has in fact set—and achieved—realistic goals at CCA, and treated people well there, is suggested in the letter about Sam’s announcement that CCA Head of School Phil Petru sent to his trustees. This reads in part: “Sam has had a tremendously successful six years

this age group of children is what made him a successful middle school head.

Additionally, Sam's work as Director of Technology has led to vast improvements in our wireless capability, integrating technology into our curriculum, and improvements to our student management system.”

Considering that just showing up took up so much of Sam’s day, we have to particularly admire all that he accomplished once he got there.

SERVICE

Trust & interdependence.

Steve Martin ’07 speaks to students about his tour of duty in Afghanistan.

W

E ENJOYED

the presence

about how the physical fitness he

of a special guest

maintained in the sports pro-

among the alumni who

grams here helped prepare him

returned for Alumni Weekend last

for the rigors of Army life in the

September, this being Steve

field.

Martin, just back from a tour of duty with the US Army in

He also noted how both the Army and Holderness support the

Afghanistan. Steve shared slides

same sort of community—one

and videos of his time there with

whose bonds are forged with

students and faculty, and talked

trust and interdependence.

Kevin also caught up with Nicholas Schoeder ’06, who ably filled in on the facultyduring the fall for photography teacher Franz Nicolay.

Holderness School Today

45

Alumni in the News

COMMUNITY

A

S AN IDEA,

“DIVERSITY” is something

like an elephant in a room—much too

Jerome Thomas ’95, who grew up homeless in NYC, returns to talk about class & privilege.

big to be ignored, but something that

can be regarded from as many different angles

in 1993) prepare him for admission to Holderness as a junior.

Here Jerome marked his name on the honor and high honor rolls and so quickly

as the room affords. One such angle is that of

earned the respect of his peers that he was

class and privilege, which happens to be the

voted school president for his senior year. It

focus of this year’s work of the school’s

was an ascent so dramatic and meteoric that it

Diversity Committee.

drew CBS Today Show anchor Ann Curry to

Arguably there is no greater authority on the subject within this community than Jerome

Rung by arduous rung.

Thomas ’95, who

campus for a nationally televised feature on Jerome.

That climb up the ladder rungs of class

grew up fre-

and privilege continued at Columbia

quently homeless

University, and then the Harvard Business

in New York

School. These days Jerome is a managing

City, who never

director at Babson Capital. But the journey has

knew his father,

never been anything but difficult and lonely,

and whose ador-

precisely because the young man who now

ing mother was

stands among our topmost rungs is the same

crippled by her

person as the boy who grew up among drug-

heroin addiction.

dealers in New York’s most crime-ridden

Jerome bounced

neighborhoods—and Jerome’s task continues

in and out of city

to be to unite not just those identities, but the

schools until he

family and friends who span those rungs.

became involved

That struggle was the subject of a moving

with a social pro-

talk to the community that Jerome gave one

gram called

night last October. He described what it was

SCAN—the

like to arrive at Holderness from such a place

Supportive

so different from this, and how hard a task it

Children’s

remains not only to sustain his own confidence

Advocacy Network. Jerome’s mother had

in these different worlds he has moved in since

taught her son a love of books and a respect for

then, but also to deal with the expectations—

learning; SCAN helped stabilize Jerome’s

and social blind spots—of others. At the same

school attendance and (after his mother’s death

time he noted that he had been extraordinarily lucky, and that it’s a myth that all it takes is

THE OUTDOORS

gumption and elbow grease to overcome barriers of class and privilege.

The evening was capped by a standing ovation for a remarkable first-person narrative from someone who—in respect to class and privilege—has literally seen it all.

Nick Martini ’08, Iceland, & Freeskier magazine: together.

Chasing waterfalls, monuments, stairways, and more.

46

Holderness School Today

N

ICK

MARTINI

CAN BE

seen having fun all

over the pages of the October issue of

Freeskier magazine. He’s the skier with

ski poles raised exultantly in the opening spread of the feature article “Chasing Waterfalls: Teton Gravity Researches Perfection and Finds Iceland.”

Nick was there with writer/photographer Mark Fisher and some other freeskiers—Rory Bushfield, Andreas Hatveit, and Byron Wells— to ski some of the high points of that island nation. And of course the beauty of freeskiing is that these high points include not only

mountains, fjords, and frozen waterfalls, but also fishing boats, civic

two-page ad for the Breckenridge Ski Resort. The ad celebrates the

monuments, and 300-foot outdoor stairways. Nick and the lads took

resort’s 50th anniversary—“Evolving since 1961”—and is a take-off on

runs off and over all of the above.

that well-known evolutionary graphic of an ape on all four years rising

By author Fisher’s own admission, this is at that intersection of shenanigans and sport, but his beautiful photos leave no doubt as to the skill, daring, and artistry required for any of these feats.

Through the

profile of Nick posted there in late November.

Mike Silitch ’79 achieves nearly the impossible, is welcomeed into the Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix.

medieval door.

“S

second-most evolved in that snow-suited progression. Not bad.

And check out Freeskier’s website (www.freeskier.com) for a video

Nick also appears in that issue with other extreme athletes in a

KI AND CLIMBING GUIDE

by intermediate stages into bipedal Homo sapiens. Nick checks in as

Michael Silitch is the only American

admitted through that medieval

working for the Compagniedes Guides de Chamonix, the

door, but at that point he needed

exclusive, secretive outfit that runs the show in France's

to wait on the decision of a com-

most extreme winter-sports town. It's a good life, but like any outsider,

mittee of sixteen Compagnie

he knows that no matter how hard he works, he may never make it all

guides. The Compagnie bylaws

the way in.”

give preference to natives of

So read the banner for an article by Tim Neville in the January ’09

Chamonix, and then France, and

issue of Outside magazine. “For years now, Silitch, a 47-year-old

then the European Union, and

American, has worked in Chamonix as a ski and climbing guide, ingra-

then the rest of the world.

tiating himself as few others have,” Neville writes in his feature. “He

At that point there’s not much

lives here year-round. His entire family speaks French. He knows the

room for the rest of the world. In

local customs, sends wedding gifts, and goes to funerals. For Silitch, as

the 190-year history of the

for any skier or climber, the soul of alpinism lingers over Chamonix as

Compagnie, only two non-

free as the air. But its heart rests behind a squat medieval door through

Frenchmen had ever been admit-

which only an elite handful of Frenchmen pass. Beyond it lies the inner-

ted: a German around 1940, and

most sanctum of the Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix, the world's

a Belgian in 1970. Mike—an

first and arguably most exalted mountain-guiding service.”

American, mon dieu!—was

By then Mike, who has lived in Chamonix since the American Alpine Institute offered

him a guiding job there in the mid-‘90s, had

striving to become the third, and in 2011 he became just that. It was almost inconceivable to think of an

been been working as a “reinforcement”—i.e. a substitute guide—for

American walking through that door, but with enough commitment,

the Compagnie for six years. He had submitted a written request to be

humility, and skill at high altitudes, even the inconceivable can happen.

Last winter Mike also finished first in his class in the Poland Ski Mountaineering Race, and his wife Nina Cook Silitch ’90 cemented her status as among the world’s best in ski mountaineering, finishing the

SPORTS

season ranked third in France and ninth in the world.

In pursuit of the dream.

G-Dot signs with MLB Basket.

G

-DOT—A.K.A. GERALD Carter ’05—

fessional basketball. In 2009-10 Gerald was

was back on campus this fall, taking

the leading scorer in the minor-league Eastern

the time to be a guest at an all-school

Basketball Alliance (33.1 ppg), and has

assembly and to thank on that occasion every

attended the training camp of the New Jersey

teacher he had during his time here.

Nets in the NBA.

One of the most prolific scorers in Holderness basketball history, Gerald went on

Now Gerald is a client of MLB Basket, a Greek consortium of agents and trainers that

to Division I basketball at Marist College, and

helps promising athletes catch on with teams

then Southern New Hampshire University.

in both US and international professional

Lately he’s been climbing the ladder of pro-

leagues.

Holderness School Today

47

Alumni in the News

SPORTS

“U

nlike many of the serious youth sailors

Geneva, NY, in February can truly be called sailing,

that compete today, I pursued other ath-

but that is what we did,” Rob writes. “I was primari-

letic endeavors during the school year,”

ly Hobart’s single-handed sailor, and was the first

writes Rob Crane on his website (www.robcranerac-

Hobart team member to qualify for the men’s

ing.com) about his Holderness years. “I played var-

Intercollegiate Sailing Association’s Single-Handed

sity soccer, ice hockey, lacrosse, and turned to sail-

Championship twice.” In 2008 Rob finished third in

ing once the summer months arrived. While this cer-

that event.

tainly wasn’t optimal for my sailing development, I still managed to turn in good results.”

Since college, Rob has been sailing both yearround and full-time, training during the winter in

On December 17,

Florida with sailors

2011, those results

from across the US

were particularly good:

and also Britain,

a first and a second in

Canada, Sweden, and

the Lasers Race at the

many other nations.

ISAF Sailing World

He’s also been

Championships in

fundraising. “An

Perth, Australia. Those

Olympic campaign is

breakthrough results

expensive,” he says.

were not only good

“In the US, unlike

enough to lift Rob up

other nations, the

to 14th overall at the

sailors are almost

week-long event, but

entirely self-funded.

they made him a mem-

This creates an added

ber of the US Olympic

challenge that at

sailing team at this summer’s London Olympics.

If anyone has the DNA for such an accomplish-

times can hinder our ability to compete with other countries.”

ment, though, it would be Rob. His father was a North American champion sailor in the Lightning

Rob did that well enough in Perth, though, to

Setting sail for London.

Rob Crane ’05 will be one of the US Olympic sailing team’s helmsmen this summer in England.

challenge those other countries on sailing’s biggest

and Sonar classes, while his mother—a former

stage this summer. “It’s a dream come true,” Rob

national windsurfing champ—once crewed on a

told the Darien Times in December (“Crane sets

Lightning that won a world championship. With

London Olympics sails,” 12/19/11). “One last thing,

bloodlines like that, of course Rob would get an

thanks to everyone who has helped me along the

early introduction to competitive sailing at the

way. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

Noroton Yacht Club in Darien, CT. Rob more or less sailed year-round until his Holderness years, and returned to that practice at Hobart. “Some will question whether sailing in

Kelly Hood ’08 closes out a recordsetting career for Big Green.

K

ELLY

HOOD has had a

as a WMUR-TV “Hometown

great career playing

Hero.” That was the month

field hockey for

that she broke two

Dartmouth, and it’s fair to

Dartmouth career records,

say that she closed out that

one in points and the other in

career this fall in a blaze of

goals. By the middle of that

glory.

month she had notched 128

Well, let’s see. In

points and 55 goals for the

September she was named

Green, totals that put her in

“Athlete of the Month” by

the top five of active

the Union Leader newspaper

Division I players.

in Manchester, NH, as well

48

Holderness School Today

That same month Kelly

A blaze of glory!

scored both goals in Dartmouth’s 2-1 win over

Status,” Dartmouth Big Green, 11/21/11). “A

nineteenth-ranked Princeton, a victory that ended

national All-America honor is a phenomenal way

Princeton’s 24-game winning streak against Ivy

for Kelly to finish off her career. We both recently

League team. For that she was named Ivy League

returned from the Final Four, where I was able to

Player of the Week for the fourth time in her career.

coach her one last time in a Dartmouth uniform.”

Kelly also coaches in an indoor high school

In November the Dartmouth captain became the 36th player in Ivy League history to be named

field hockey league in Woodstock, VT. She has

first-time All-Ivy in three consecutive seasons, and

mentored high school students in Dartmouth’s

only the 6th Dartmouth athlete to do so. She was

Summer Enrichment at Dartmouth (SEAD), and

also voted the Ivy League’s Offensive Player of the

worked full-time at a SEAD partner school in West

Year. And then she was named an All-American by

Virginia during her junior winter term.

And next? “After graduation, Hood plans to

the National Field Hockey Coaches Association—

teach English and coach field hockey, preferably at

the first for Dartmouth field hockey since 2002.

Kelly’s final tally of 58 goals and 134 points

a boarding school like her alma mater, the

are now the career gold-standard at Dartmouth. “I

Holderness School,” writes Dartmouth Life in a fall

am extremely happy for Kelly and all her accom-

feature on Kelly. “In the meantime, she was treas-

plishments, not only this season but during her

uring her final games as a Dartmouth field hockey

entire career,” said Dartmouth coach Amy Fowler

player.”

Kelly’s final tally of 58 goals and 134 points are now the career goldstandard at Dartmouth.

(“Field Hockey’s Kelly Hood Earns All-American

A

T THE END OF

September Mike

Aldo—a junior linebacker on the

Amherst College football team—

was named Defensive Player of the Week in the New England Small College Athletic Conference.

That’s a good story in itself, but it pales next to the fact that this was after Mike’s first game as a collegian, and after all that he had to go through to get on the field for that game. “His performance was both inspiring and improbable, considering his long layoff,” wrote the Boston Globe in

“Comeback nets Player of the Week”

an article on Mike (“Aldo’s comeback nets player of the week,” 9/29/11).

Mike was primed to play a lot of football as a freshman at Amherst, but in a preseason scrimmage against Williams he broke several bones in his hand. The surgery required to repair the bones kept him off the field all that year. In his sophomore year—once again in a preseason scrimmage against Williams—Mike suffered a full tear of the ACL/MCL ligaments in his knee. Again, he went under the surgeon’s knife and then watched Amherst play from the sidelines all fall.

We have to wonder if Mike was held out of the Williams scrimmage this year. In either event, he stayed healthy, suiting up and finally taking the field against Bates in this fall’s season opener for Amherst. Then he had the sort of game a linebacker—and his coach—dreams about. Mike had seven tackles, three sacks, two forced fumbles, and a blocked punt in Amherst’s 20-7 win that day. The three turnovers that he forced set

“And what made it really special was that my dad and grandparents finally saw me play my first college game, and I was happy for them.”

“Mike’s had a tough run, but he’s responded unbelievably well,” said Amherst coach E.J. Mills. “I felt he’d do well at linebacker [originally Mike had played defensive back] because he’s a physical player

Mike Aldo ’05 (12) finally gets on the field for Amherst and has, let’s say, quite an impact.

with great feet, and he had a hell of a day.

I’m so happy for him, and proud of what he’s done to play college ball. After the Bates game, I told him he has a tough act to follow—his own.”

up 17 of the Lord Jeffs’ points that day.

“What I didn’t expect was being named Player of the Week,” Mike told the Globe.

Holderness School Today

49

Alumni in the News

SPORTS

On to the toughest job in baseball.

Jed Hoyer ’92 and Theo Epstein built World Series-winning teams in Boston. Can they manage the same trick in Chicago? For the Cubs? Oh, my.

A

FEW YEARS AGO

JED Hoyer helped

ESPN.com: “’Our family finds it sort of hilarious

Manager Theo Epstein build the

the way he’s portrayed as this computer nerd or

team that won two World Series

stats guy because while he was good in math, he

for Boston. So having climbed K2,

was never particularly interested in it,’ said his

he now has his eyes on the Mt. Everest of Major

mother Annie Hoyer, a psychiatric nurse-practi-

League Baseball general management: building a

tioner at the Brody School of Medicine at East

Chicago Cubs team that can win the World

Carolina University, with a laugh. His father,

Series.

Robert, is also on the faculty there and runs the

Jed was named general manager of the Cubs

ball,’ she said.” (Bob Hoyer was the school’s

Red Sox, Theo Epstein, had been hired to be the

doctor during the family’s time here.)

Wesleyan—he pitched as both a starter and

Diego, where he served two

reliever, batted .400, and also played shortstop,

years as general manager of

catcher, and left field. As a pitcher he once start-

the San Diego Padres.

ed and won both ends of a double-header, and he

played second base in the semi-pro Cape Cod

surprise run at the playoffs in

League against a number of future major lea-

2010. This year, after Jed had

guers.

Gonzalez to the Red Sox in exchange for some highly

besides baseball, and that seemed to be Jed’s career arc. He worked in admissions at Kenyon

(Gonzalez’s contract with the

College and Wesleyan. He worked briefly for a

Padres was about to expire),

tech start-up and as a management consultant.

the Padres fell out of the race

Then, in 2002, he interviewed for an internship

early.

with the Red Sox.

season leaves a sour taste

“It sounds crazy,” says Mark Woodworth, Jed’s baseball coach at Wesleyan, “but knowing

among Padres fans bitter over

him, I just knew he had it all, and if he just got

Hoyer’s departure after just

that interview for the entry-level job, he was

two years, there is still the

going to be GM someday.”

belief that Hoyer left the team in better shape than when he arrived,” wrote ESPN.com in

A mere seven years later, Jed was the GM in San Diego. Nine years later, he occupies one of the most prominent GM positions in profes-

a profile of Jed (“He was going to be GM some-

sional sports. And maybe he wasn’t expected to

day,” 10/27/11). “They didn’t ask him to win the

win the World Series in San Diego, with its bot-

World Series,” said Darren Smith, host of San

This guy knows how it feels to throw a sinker or a two-seam fastball, and that’s

”

a little currency that goes a long way

Holderness School Today

Those Cape Codders who don’t go on to minor league contracts usually turn to something

regarded prospects

“While losing 91 games last

50

still holds the career record in saves. Then he

roster of a team that made a

traded slugger Adrian

with baseball people.

ESPN.com reviews Jed’s playing career at

move to Chicago from San

There he refashioned the

“

Pediatric Outpatient Center. ‘He just loved base-

on October 26, shortly after his old boss at the

Cubs’ president of baseball operations. Jed will

On the job with Louie in Jed’s San Diego office.

Hoyer can’t help but laugh about that. Writes

former Boston Red Sox General

tom-level payroll. But the relatively wealthy

Diego’s XX Sports

Cubs haven’t won a World Series since 1908, a

Radio. “They asked

longer hiatus than that endured by the Red Sox.

him to repair the minor league system over the

“We were told not to be fooled into thinking Jed’s a seamhead sitting on a pile of statistics,

next four to five years

and that’s true,” said San Diego’s Darren Smith.

and then make a run

“This guy knows how it feels to throw a sinker

for it, and damn if he

or a two-seam fastball, and that’s a little currency

didn’t do that.”

that goes a long way with baseball people. Theo

In Boston Jed became identified with “sabermetrics,” an innovative method of statistical analysis favored by Epstein. Jed’s mom— and former Holderness school nurse—Annie

and Jed have one foot firmly in two camps—traditional scouting and statistical analysis.”

And those are the base camps from which Jed will try to scale baseball’s version of Everest.

Alumni & Parent Relations

A

S A STUDENT AT

George Mason

University, Melissa Stuart was unusu-

ballet. While there, she says, “I also fell into the pottery world.” In sports she played varsity soccer

ally pragmatic and self-aware. She

and basketball and rowed on the school’s crew

was doing quite well as an anthropol-

team.

ogy major, exercising her interests in

people and the various ways they get along with each other. “But what are you going to do with that

So MUCH to do.

She rowed well enough, in fact, to earn an athletic scholarship into George Mason’s Division I crew program. A chronic calf injury short-circuited

after school?” her

her career as a competitive rower, but Melissa had

father wanted to

both the rowing skills and the people skills to repay

know.

that scholarship as coach of George Mason’s novice

A lot of stu-

crew program, where promising athletes who might

dents are asked

never have rowed before are successfully brought

that question by

up to Division I speed.

their parents. Not that many worry

And after commencement? An offer of an internship at Holderness—a boarding school with

Melissa’s internship turned into one of northern New England’s highest-profile jobs in alumni relations. And more than that as well, which is how it works in boarding schools.

The arts, sports, boarding schools, anthropology, tourism & events: It’s all part of the mix for Melissa Stuart, the school’s new Director of Alumni Relations.

about it much,

Pomfret-like balance between academics, athletics,

though, until the

and the arts—was a natural and pragmatic next step.

day after commencement. Melissa considered it

And when Tracy announced last spring that she was

well in advance of that. “I wasn’t really sure what I

going to move down the road to join the advance-

was going to do,” she says. “So I made a list of

ment office at the New Hampton School, Melissa’s

some of the things I was good at—time manage-

internship turned into one of northern New

ment, attention to detail, working with people—and

England’s highest-profile jobs in alumni relations.

on the basis of that switched majors.”

She switched over to tourism and events man-

And more than that as well, which is how it works in boarding schools. She is one of the dorm

agement, which might be construed, we suppose, as

parents in the Pfenninger dorm on South Campus,

a form of applied anthropology—the study of

and she coaches three seasons: JV field hockey, JV

groups of people in some of their most intensely

girls basketball, and JV girls lacrosse.

social spheres. And with that the road was laid that brought her to Holderness last year as an intern to then-Director of Alumni Relations Tracy White.

Of course her knowledge and love of inde-

But in between all that is her very full agenda as Director of Alumni Relations. “Oh, there’s so much to do,” she says. “We want to continue building the Young Alumni Society. We want to build

pendent schools helped as well. Her father was in

and foster relationships with more alumni, and pro-

the military, and she grew up most everywhere—

vide more volunteer opportunities. We want to keep

Virginia, Hawaii, Texas, and finally upstate New

alumni engaged—or get them re-engaged—through

York. Her older brother (by two years) was a hock-

events, personal, face-to-face visits, et cetera. And

ey star, and he was eventually recruited to attend

we want to get current students involved in a num-

and play hockey at St. Paul’s. The Stuart family

ber of different ways. This might be through on-

came to like boarding schools so much that they

campus events, Holderness Annual Fund, alumni

sent both Melissa and her younger sister to Pomfret.

“I loved Pomfret,” Melissa says, “mostly for the way it combines very strong programs in aca-

relations events, the Senior Dinner, or various volunteer opportunities.”

Melissa continues to be pragmatic and self-

demics, the arts, and athletics.” She came to the

aware. Now we can check off hard-working and

school as an accomplished cellist and a student of

ambitious as well.

Holderness School Today

51

Alumni & Parent Relations

Reunion 2011!

September 23-25, 2011

8.

4.

5.

1.

9.

2.

6.

10.

7.

3.

52

Holderness School Today

11.

12.

13.

he clans gathered during the last weekend in September— in memory of Norm Walker

T

and others we miss, in honor of a community that defies time and mortality, and knows how to enjoy each other’s company. Here’s a sample of the photo album.

1. Mike Murchie ’81 & family; 2. The Class of ’61 at the 50th reception; 3. The Class of ’91, banner in hand; 4. Members of the Class of ’06 with science teacher Randy Houseman (in blue shirt); 5. Annie Muse ’06, Molly Nissi ’06, Anne Richardson ’06, teacher Tobi Pfeninger, Blair Thompson ’06, Carlie Bristow ’06; 6. The Class of ’01, bannered up; 7. Cathy Carter, Fred Carter ’51, and the late Dave Goodwin ’37; 8. Chaplain Rich Weymouth ’70 speaking in memory of Norm Walker; 9. Norm’s wife Phyllis with members of the varsity football team; 10. Betsy Laurin ’06, Lauren Wright ’06, Lauren Henchey ’06, Jess Saba ’06, Ashley Babcock ’06; 11. The families of Laura Page ’86 and Owen Hyland ’86 on the left, with Phil Peck, Bill Macy ’86 (hands crossed), and the family of Bob Gregg ’86; 12. Win Fuller ’61 (facing away), Bob Hall ’61, Rick Churchill ’61; 13. Weld Hall before the feast; 14. The Alumni Tent during the Saturday afternoon games; 15. Advancement Director (and bagpiper par excellence) Robert Caldwell at the ceremony honoring Norm Walker; 16. The 50th cocktail reception at Phil Peck’s home.

14.

15.

16.

Holderness School Today

53

Alumni & Parent Relations

Reunion page 2 7.

4.

8.

1.

Cohesion, camaraderie, & community . . . .

5.

2.

6.

3.

54

Holderness School Today

1. The Class of ’06, emblazoned.; 2. Laura Page ’86 & family; 3. Former teacher Jim Brewer shares stories of Holderness history; 4. Robert Caldwell congratulates Tom Brown ’61, who came 2,463 miles; 5. Bob Gregg ’86, left, with Phil Peck; 6. Former teacher Lew Overaker.

7. On the bus: teacher Kathy Weymouth, Jesse Straus ’06, Chris Howe ’06, Chris Hoffmeister ’06, Bill White ’06; 8. In the new dorms: Malia Rice, teacher Maggie Mumford, Dudley Rice ’61, Peter Keene ’61; 9. Members of the Class of ’06 at the table; 10. The Class of ’51, flag flying; 11. Kate Richardson Surdam ’99, Katie Waltz Harris ’96, Bjorn Franson ’96, Bo Surdam ’96; 12. It’s all one cake! Made by Susan Allen ’82; 13.

John Cleary ’61, left, with Jim Brewer; 14.The Class of ’96, colors flying.

12.

9.

13.

10.

11.

These are the dates & the places to be.

Thursday March 8th Friday March 9th Sunday March 18th Friday March 23rd Late March Late April Sunday April 29th Wednesday May 2nd Late May Saturday May 26th

14.

Make your plans now for the following upcoming events on the alumni calendar.

New York, NY: Holderness in the City at Zaitzeff’s hosted by Zach Zaitzeff ‘93 Philadelphia, PA: Join the freshman class for dinner in Philadelphia Woodstock, VT: Skiing and Social Gathering hosted by Tom Phillips ‘75 Waterville Valley, NH: MJ’s Race and Young Alumni Ski Day San Francisco, CA: Holderness in California in honor of Dick & Gail Stevens Boise, ID: Holderness in Idaho hosted by Will Northrop ‘88 New York, NY: Vera Bradley Mother Daughter Brunch hosted by Joanie Hall P ‘13 Holderness, NH: Panel Discussion Q&A 5 Candidates for Bishop of NH Boston, MA: Holderness at the University Club hosted by Jason Myler ‘94 Holderness, NH: Alumni Games

Holderness School Today

55

HOLDERNESS

SCHOOL

AtO This Point in Time...

F A P P R E C I AT I O N

R E P O RT

In respect to this task of stewardship, school archivist Judith Solberg discovers that her job is a little different from that, say, of Joseph of Arimathea.

Editor’s note: Archivist Judith Solberg has been doing double-duty lately as Phil Peck’s administrative assistant as well. So she’s been busy. This column is a reprint from the spring 2007 issue of HST.

O

N HEARING THE

word “steward-

ship,” I used to think it implied

protection. I vaguely thought that

a good steward’s prime directive

would be to guard something from

danger, preserving it unharmed in its present

ing our collection. It is about growing and sharing that collection, as well.

A while back, a friend laughed when I told him that the Holderness Archives has a five-year plan. He imagined a document that said something like, “Year 1: Box up materials. Year 2:

state (I imagined Joseph of Arimathea, standing

Box up more materials,” and so on. In reality,

watch by the Holy Grail). The more I heard the

the plan sets important goals, helping the collec-

word used at Holderness, however, the more that

tion grow intelligently so that it can evolve to

definition was challenged. And rightly so: a

suit the needs of our school. Should we actively

steward who simply maintains the status quo is

gather specific items or written reflections? Can

doomed to failure. Circumstances change, needs

we integrate our resources with the faculty’s cur-

change, goals change. Holderness administrators

ricula? How can we better support the larger

have to define evolving needs, plan for the

body of researchers (alumni, friends of the

future, and react accordingly,

school, and others) who

lest they risk the health of the

come to us for help? What

school – that flexibility is true

sorts of items should we

A military archivist

stewardship.

avoid, or remove to more

once told my class

itively, this principle holds

tary archivist once told my

true for an archivist as well.

class about having to gently

My responsibility goes

deflect the offer of a MIG

about having to gently deflect the offer of a MIG jet—the kind from the Top Gun movies—when it was being retired.

appropriate homes? (A mili-

Perhaps counter-intu-

beyond simply protecting

jet – the kind from the Top

objects. Preservation is, of

Gun movies – when it was being retired. “Perhaps you

course, a primary responsibility for archivists – one in which many people

should contact the Air and Space Museum?” he

specialize – but the purpose of the work is not

suggested to the donor, unable to visualize the

limited to the physical well-being of any item,

MIG parked in an aisle of his basement stacks.)

no matter how special it may be. Why keep an

The questions, as well as the answers, must be

object in the first place? We keep things to

revisited regularly.

remind ourselves of the objects’ specific importance, or to shed light on related history. Our

Someone once said that history is just a continuing argument about the facts. Like histo-

collection houses a church register recording

ry, good stewardship evolves. Decisions made

marriages, baptisms, and funerals performed by

for the archives’ future are shaped by our under-

former headmaster Rev. Lorin Webster. We don’t

standing of the school’s needs at a given point in

keep the book only because a descendant might

time, and I am always mindful that these needs

want a copy of the record; we keep it also

can change. I’ll be keeping football training

because it reminds us of the long relationship

tapes for some potential future researcher. How I

between the School and the Episcopal Church.

wish someone in the 1920s had foreseen that we

Of course, it could be a resource for those fami-

would learn huge amounts from the school mag-

ly members. After all, if all we do is carefully

azine, and had set some more aside for posterity!

box up our collection and jealously guard it from

Still, the past gives any good steward a strong

the elements (and, coincidentally, from users), it

context for decision-making. And that is where,

does not have much worth to anyone. So stew-

in the end, time is on an archivist’s side.

ardship, in my case, is about more than protect-

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