Kent Quarterly Winter 2013 by Kent School

Winter 2013

KENT Quarterly

KENT

CONTENTS 6

Quarterly

Volume XXIX.1 Winter 2013 Editor Joan M. Beattie Class Notes Editor Laura Martell Alumni & Development Editor Marisa Scarnati Contributors Kent Alley ’82 Marc Cloutier Elaine Griffin Stacy Langa Denny Mantegani Ann Meng Marel d’Orbessan Rogers ’65 Design and Production Cheney & Company

The editors of the Kent Quarterly invite all readers—alumni, parents past and present, trustees, faculty, staff and students—to contribute to the magazine. We also welcome letters to the editor and look forward to your comments on articles and issues concerning the School as well as suggestions for future articles. The email address for letters to the editor is beattiej@kent-school.edu, and for class notes, alumni@kent-school.edu. Changes in address should be emailed to Laura Martell at Lmartel@kent-school.edu or mailed to her at Kent School, Box 2006, Kent, CT 06757. To reach the Alumni & Development Office, please call 860-927-6230.

Features

The Dedication of Hoerle Hall

Serendipity on the Water: Ron Irwin ’88

Priest-Soldier-Martyr: Frederick Howden ’21

Our Years at MIT: Lauren and Elaina Chai ’08

Pavlovich’s Paradox: That Means Nothing to Me!

Departments

Headmaster’s Letter

Between the Hills and River Shore

Alumni & Development News

Alumni Council News

Class Notes

Announcements

In Memoriam

... Kent School adheres to a longstanding policy of admitting students of any race, color, creed, religion, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan program and other school administered programs.

On the front cover: Bird’s-eye view of the new Hoerle Hall STEPHEN ROE AT INTREPID AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY

From the Headmaster

Education for a global future DEAR ALUMNI, PARENTS AND FRIENDS OF KENT,

Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore made a visit to Kent, Connecticut, not long ago. The Senior Minister was keenly interested in our educational program at the School and he gave us great encouragement to pursue our global approach to the curriculum, enrollment and preparation for post-secondary education. A new book, Lee Kuan Yew, published by MIT Press under the auspices of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School, focuses on “the grand master’s insights on China, the United States and the World.” The authors asked the statesman: “Is the United States in systemic decline?” He replied: “Absolutely not. The U.S. is going through a bumpy patch with its debts and deficits, but I have no doubt that America will not be reduced to second-rate status. Historically, the U.S. has demonstrated a great capacity for renewal and revival. America’s strengths include no grooved thinking but rather an ability to range widely, imaginatively and pragmatically; a diversity of centers of excellence that compete in inventing and embracing new ideas and new technologies; a society that attracts talented people from around the world and assimilates them comfortably as Americans; and a language that is the equivalent of an open system that is clearly the lingua franca of the leaders in science, technology, invention, business, education and diplomacy, and those who rise to the top of their own societies around the world.” Readers of the Kent Quarterly know that we have had strong international representation at Kent for many years. Our relations at home and around the globe are flourishing. We are in discussions now with two of the leading schools abroad, Shanghai Nan Model High School (China) and Radley College (Oxfordshire, U.K.), about potential areas of collaboration in academics, student and faculty exchanges, and college guidance. These are very exciting times in secondary education and Kent is in the forefront. One important initiative underway at Kent is the development of our summer programs. In June 2013, in addition to summer offerings focusing on music, church work and sports, we will be offering weeklong institutes in Pre-Engineering,

Entrepreneurship and Global Development. These workshops for middle school and high school–age students are designed in collaboration with professors at the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard, MIT and Boston University. Our own faculty, under the direction of Dr. Ben Nadire, Director of the Wentz Pre-Engineering Program, and Assistant Dean Pape Seye, who is also a graduate student at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), will work side by side with faculty and graduate assistants from these universities. Dr. Keith Weigelt of Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania leads the Entrepreneurship program and Professor Calestous Juma of Harvard directs our Global Development program and advises on the Pre-Engineering component as well. For more information, please see the announcement of Summer Educational Experience at Kent (SEEK) 2013 at: www. kent-school.edu/SEEK. The aim of these programs is to provide hands-on education in problem-solving—using multidisciplinary approaches to the global challenges facing us all in the 21st century. Our handbook is the Report of the National Academy of Engineering: Grand Challenges of the 21st Century. We are also concerned about informing our students’ understanding of their future vocational options, while focusing on applied learning at the secondary level. Improving the quality of life and preparing for college and the world of work go hand in hand. Also coming to Kent this June are Professor Muhammad Zaman (Boston University), Professor Sujata R. Bhatia, M.D. (Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences), Associate Provost and Professor Wes Harris (MIT) and Dr. Ridouane Megateli (One Laptop Per Child Academy). Please refer to Professor Juma’s blog on the wider context of the SEEK project: tinyurl.com/Juma-Blog. And, above all, thank you for your support of all of Kent’s year-round educational programs by means of your charitable giving, your advice and your good will. Faithfully yours, Richardson W. Schell ’69 Headmaster & Rector

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Remarks at the Dedication of Hoerle Hall October 19, 2012 Richardson W. Schell, Headmaster WE ARE THE FORTUNATE SCHOOL. And we are

grateful. We thank all the donors, more than 600 strong, many of whom are here today. Parents, alumni, grandparents, friends… You have done a great thing for Kent! We thank the Trustees and the other lead donors for your extreme generosity. We thank Bob Hoerle ’52 and his wife, Sheila, and David Hoerle ’50 and his wife, Jorrie, and all the Hoerle family for your charitable and moral support. 2

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What a beautiful act of devotion to one’s parents and grandparents—to make this stately and useful Building possible for generations of students and faculty at Kent. The entire Kent community is proud today and eternally grateful. Thank you, Bob, and all the Hoerles, and God bless you. This is the work of many people. From the beginning, the Planning Committee chaired by Ann Dickinson ’65 conceived the plan for this Building and guided its implementation to

Hoerle Hall residents and faculty on the Rothermere Staircase following the dedication JUN TAKEDA ’13 PHOTO

a highly successful conclusion. The Trustees, under three Board presidents—Peter H. Conze ’38, Brandon W. Sweitzer ’60 and B. Waring Partridge ’62—have renewed and modernized our already stunning campus, making it one of the loveliest campuses in New England or anywhere. Ann, you and your colleagues have done brilliant work. The architects, too. Steve Ansel, Kent’s Master Planner and Architect since 1986, and his colleague, Geoff Gaunt of the SLAM Collaborative of Glastonbury, Connecticut, designed this landmark building in the historical traditions familiar to the Kent campus— classic Georgian architecture and American Colonial architecture. And from the inside out, you used modern, safe, efficient and “green” materials and systems, including geo-thermal for heating and cooling. The SLAM construction team led by Gene Torone and Ned Chernyha executed the plan flawlessly over 18 months, with great professional skill and attention to detail. Using stone from Connecticut, brick from North Carolina and slate from Vermont, local workers and craftsmen from this region, including from the Town of Kent, did the job under their direction. The Building is functioning well and we couldn’t be happier. Residents and visitors alike are thrilled with your work. Well done, one and all! Our own school team, Tom Sides and Jeff Cataldo, our Business Managers Joe Wolinski, Facilities Director, and Marc Cloutier, Director of Development, oversaw the many dimensions of this project which finished on time and under budget. Congratulations to you and your colleagues, and well done! I am particularly proud and pleased that, in this difficult economic environment, the construction

costs were managed as an all-cash transaction. We owe a big debt of gratitude to Kent Parents. Throughout the School’s history, parents have been there for Kent, carrying the torch of support and taking care for our beloved School. We are a fortunate school because of the parents who have chosen to become involved, to be financially supportive and to make sure that the momentum of progress continues. Thank you, Parents of Kent School! As we stand here in the Global Commons, a room that will also be used for special events and discussions of international understanding and cooperation, it is especially gratifying to note that ideas for the Building—as well as gifts to pay for it—came from all over the world. We are an American boarding school with a national and international mission. The Rothermere Stairs that lead from the lower level onto the Macedonia playing fields were the idea—and the gift— of Trustee Lord Rothermere ’86 of London, England. And the School will always be grateful to the Soloshchanskiy family of Moscow, Russia, for their historic charitable gift. Thank you, Max, Class of 2012! In 1956 Robert S. Hillyer, Kent’s Pulitzer Prize– winning poet, wrote this verse for Kent’s fiftieth anniversary. The message resonates today.

Hoerle Hall has been selected to receive the Excellence in Construction Award from Associated Builders & Contractors of Connecticut. The award pays tribute to Kent’s architects and engineers, builders and contractors, and, not least, Kent School, its students, faculty, staff, trustees—and more than 600 members of the community who contributed to the construction of this magnificent building. A presentation was made at an awards ceremony on January 31, 2013, in Southington, Connecticut. The competition for these awards is known in the industry as the “World Series of Construction.”

In this wide valley where we learned to live Hailing the past, we face futurity. Our Numeral Rock of fifty years we give To Thee, great Architect of time; To Thee Our thanks and praise that years so fugitive Are built into Thy hills eternally To be the starting point of those who climb The paths of light beyond the cliffs of time. WINTER 2013

Giving Back to Kent THIS IS A VERY SPECIAL DAY for the Hoerle

family. “Giving back” to Kent gives us a great deal of pleasure. David and I feel very fortunate to have attended Kent. Recollecting my years at Kent, I am sure that I received more than I could ever give back. Kent was a significant part of my life, and the school and its values have been an important influence ever since. We are dedicating Hoerle Hall “in loving memory” to our parents because they had the foresight and wisdom to make our education a priority and to send us to Kent. William Ferdinand and Rhona Feneley Hoerle were both born in the late 1800s; Dad in 1882, Mother in 1898. That’s a long time ago and in a very different era! I’m sure they would enjoy being here today! I’ll take a few minutes to add a little color to their lives. Mother was passionate about the arts, often reciting Shakespeare, performing roles in summer theaters, and singing on various radio programs, particularly British songs such as the “White Cliffs of Dover.” Mother was a true Anglophile, returning to England for the coronation of King George in 1939 and again briefly following WWII. She also worked for Bundles for Britain during WWII. Mother’s early life is less well known to us, but we do know… She grew up on a farming estate in Lincolnshire, England, named “Fletland.” One of thirteen children, the twelfth, she has been described as the “black sheep” of the family. She attended college, lived abroad for a time, then returned to England to study at the Royal Academy of London. Her parents had

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planned for her a life devoted to the church, and she thought seriously about it. But after graduating from the Royal Academy she went to Paris and became a pupil of Sarah Bernhardt, the great tragedienne. One article dated in the 1920s provides insight to her character. “Some are born to a stage career, and some, because of that tiny spark of genius which won’t be denied, can’t possibly avoid it. With inspiration and encouragement from Madam Bernhardt, what girl could resist a career behind the footlights?” While in London, Mother received a contract to star in a Broadway production in the early 1920s. Her stage name was May Ward. One clipping indicates that she was the star of Wooden Kimona, which played at the Shubert. While passionate about the theater, her interests were varied. Walking, horseback riding and swimming were her favorite recreations. She used to recount how she often jogged around Central Park with Jack Dempsey. She wanted to stage plays of her own in her own theater. She continued her career as an actress, and when the Depression hit she had the offer of a movie contract, but opted instead to marry Bill, which led to Torrington, Connecticut, and ultimately Kent. Dad, from Torrington, a little town in Connecticut, ended up marrying a beautiful lady from England, at age 45, in the Little Church Around the Corner in New York City. This has always intrigued me. He was one of three sons and two daughters born to Ottile and Frederick Hoerle, first generation immigrants from Germany, who arrived in America in the 1870s. Dad is described as a fun-loving gentleman, “devoted to the outdoors and fast cars.” He traveled a

Hoerle Hall Dedication October 19, 2012 From left: Bob Hoerle ’52 PHOTO BY JASON SOHN ’13;

B. Waring Partridge ’62, Chairman of the Board; Members of the Kent Orchestra, conducted by Jennifer Hobbs

great deal in the United States, Canada and Europe. He grew up loving to hunt and fish. Although he never went beyond seventh grade he was very capable, known for his inventiveness, having received a patent on the design of tubular steel for the manufacture of fishing rods and golf clubs. He was rewarded for his inventiveness by the Union Hardware Company through the transfer of a large tract of land that became Hoerle Boulevard. Dad was general manager of the Union Hardware Company in the 1930s, worked Saturdays, and continued to go to the office almost to the end of his life. Dad liked to build. At his new home in the late 1920s he designed rock gardens and experimented with pollinating plants and trees. Our home enjoyed extensive rock gardens, exotic plants such as mulberry, apple and cherry trees. We grew up harvesting our own honey and maintaining a large vegetable garden; we lived with bee hives, English and Irish setters, an Airedale, pet squirrels, even peacocks and guinea hens. Dad insisted that when we were old enough to push a mower, we maintain the grounds. He was the disciplinarian in the family. Dad was also interested in history and the Civil War in particular. He joined the National Guard at an early age and became an officer in the corps. He often visited the sites of former Civil War battle fields such as the Battle of Bull Run, collecting memorabilia including cannon balls, bayonets, buttons and other paraphernalia. When he wasn’t hunting or fishing he found time to collect Indian arrowheads throughout New England. He found many of them along railroad tracks. He contributed most of these collections to a

historical society in Torrington. That’s a short history of Bill and Rhona. In closing, I wish to deeply thank my wife, Sheila. Her support and encouragement throughout this project has been singular. She has been a delightful mate and a great source of inspiration over the years. Also, our children, Jeff, Scott and Alex, who actively encouraged and supported Hoerle Hall. Sheila and I founded the Hoerle Foundation years ago to provide funding for educational and artistic causes. I also want to recognize our headmaster, the Board of Trustees, and others. Hoerle Hall wouldn’t be here today without our Dick Schell’s resourceful leadership and inspiration. Dick spent a huge amount of time both on and off campus seeking support for this building. He accomplished so much while also involved actively in many other school initiatives that few of us will ever know about. And our Board of Trustees—they provided crucial leadership and support in this undertaking, from its inception to completion. The board stands out in terms of the part it played not only in fundraising but also in their dedication and love of Kent School. Not enough can be said about the generosity of our constituency: the trustees, alumni, parents, grandparents and many friends of Kent. There are a number of major donors, some here today, whom I would like to single out and thank at this time, but we must respect their wishes for anonymity. Hoerle Hall is another important step in the Kent plan, providing facilities that help to attract the best qualified students, faculty and administrative personnel to our School. Thank you.

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Serendipity on the Water The Creation of a Rowing Novel Ron Irwin ’88

SOME TIME AGO, I DECIDED TO WRITE a novel

loosely based upon my experiences at Kent as a rower. The intense, tribal nature of the sport as it is practiced in boarding school, I thought, would be wonderful material for a novel and I spent a year writing it. I knew what I was writing about. I learned the sport in Buffalo, New York, and came to Kent partly because I was attracted to the rowing program. I would go on to row in college, where rowing is a year-round pursuit, spending about eight years of my life on the water in various shells: singles, doubles, fours and eights. My first woefully brash manuscript was accepted by a literary agent in New York but it failed to sell because, we were told, adult readers would not see why the teenage main character’s struggles to make a rowing team in high school were 6

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important. My agent advised me to find some way to make the novel meaningful to adults and rewrite it. Then she retired. That was in 1997. I put the book aside and worked on attaining two graduate degrees, getting married, having three children and building a house. I also did a great deal of nonfiction writing on subjects as diverse as economics and abseiling. I made documentaries for National Geographic and Animal Planet and taught at the University of Cape Town. I became a full lecturer at the University of Cape Town. But the novel, which I had dubbed Flat Water Tuesday, mainly because the title sounded so resonant, stuck with me. I believed that I could rewrite this into adult relevance… someday. But that day never seemed to come. Flat Water Tuesday

Ron Irwin and Tris Coburn celebrate the signing of the publishing contract for Flat Water Tuesday at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.

languished in the hard drive of successive computers for fifteen years. Every so often I would open it, flip though it, then save it and forget it. Catastrophe and inspiration intervened. My superior at the UCT, the highly respected poet and essayist Stephen Watson, was stricken with cancer at the age of fifty-seven. In what seemed a matter of days, it became clear that the man we all knew as a friend, a father, a teacher, a romantic, a lover of nature and a mentor, was dying. He abandoned his office across the hall from mine in exchange for a hospital bed and then his own bed. In the last weeks before his death, he asked that the constant stream of visitors to his house by the ocean, which he shared with his wife and two small children, be quelled and only one of the deans at UCT come for regular visits. Dean Hugh

Corder and Stephen had known each other since boarding school, where they had been roommates, and Hugh sent out regular email missives to the faculty about Stephen’s health and his general demeanor. On one visit, Stephen scolded him, saying “Come on now, Hugh, don’t look so stricken; I’m not dead yet.” And on another, he said “I’m very glad I left a paper trail.” That last statement can only be made by a writer. Stephen left behind a fearsome paper trail of poetry, essays and academic work. He was what many of us call a “writer’s writer” in that his devotion to the craft was so absolute, so all consuming, that at times we worried about him. Stephen, for instance, would retire to the cold mountainous areas of the Cederberg in South Africa, in the somewhat unforgiving eastern Cape, to take long hikes and write in the small stone cabins that dot that windswept area. His essays and poetry are acclaimed here in South Africa. He wrote with a strong will but was loathe to promote himself, preferring his accolades to come from a country-wide coterie of readers he respected. So that satisfaction at “leaving a paper trail” was something any writer could identity with. But I only heard that he said that on the day of his funeral service, in the grand chapel at his former boarding school close by the University where we both taught and where Hugh gave a him a tearful farewell. While sitting in that chapel, I asked myself where my own paper trail was. Other than the various Internet articles, scripts and magazine pieces I had written (I am easy to Google), my own paper trail seemed

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rather flimsy. I did not want to be remembered as the person who wrote eloquently about how ink was made in industrial settings, or the plight of the African Penguin. I wanted a paper trail that was a bit more substantial. My trail might be a mountain road, I thought. As Stephen wrote in one of his poems, “a mountain road that, empty through the afternoon, dirt faded by the end of day, is the vehicle only of itself as it unspools.” That sounded fine to me. The book would be a vehicle only of itself. But it would exist. So, a suitable time after the funeral, I went back to the manuscript of Flat Water Tuesday and instead of writing, I began deleting. In the intervening years I had learned a great deal about editing, about the value of cutting out extraneous work. By the time I was finished, possibly less than ten percent of the original manuscript remained. And I began reworking what I had, drawing on what were now old memories of rowing that still seemed miraculously fresh. In the time since I had last raced, the shape of the oars had changed; the place where the coxswain sat in the boat had moved from the stern to the bow; the materials the shells were made of had slightly altered, but the basics of the sport—the oldest inter-collegiate sport in the world and the oldest formal competition between boarding schools—remained. My memories of what it was like to wake up and go to a dawn practice in the spring snow or to pray for flat water before a race were vivid enough to touch. I began to dream once again of boats and oars and rowing. Reality, I once told my students, is a tyrant for a novelist. The school I created, called Fenton—Kent’s fictional doppelganger—is unlike the Kent I knew. The buildings are placed differently than they were in the 1980s, when I was a student. I gave a former Kent English teacher named Tim Scott (and renamed Mr.

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Charles Channing in the novel) the afternoon job of Head Rowing Coach at the Fenton School. The Fenton School Boat Club races fours, not eights as Kent did while I was there, partly because I rowed a four in college. The setting of the novel nonetheless still seems like Kent, possibly because there is not an objective reality of the past to be found. It is, as they say, a country where they do things differently. Every time I received a copy of the Kent News or Kent Quarterly here in Cape Town, I would page through and glance at pictures of the ever-younger students and the ever more modern looking campus. What I was writing seemed far away from what I was seeing, and that was worrying. But what happens in the story itself, its emotional core, is real enough. To quote Ken Kesey’s unreliable narrator in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest: “[I]t’s the truth even if it didn’t happen.” The events that followed I can only describe as serendipitous. One day while I was driving to give my morning lecture at UCT I found myself stopped in the shoulder of the road, unexpectedly in possession of the solution to a fifteen-year-old problem. I suddenly knew exactly why the novel would be relevant to adults. Every adult, I thought, had been through adolescence and high school. The experience—the burned scar tissue left by those incandescent memories—is there for all of us. What if, I thought, the narrator was an adult, a writer and documentarian who splits his time between Africa and the United States, who had been to a boarding school and rowed? And, what if while in the middle of a romantic crash landing that had nothing at all to do with crew he was suddenly called back to his old school, his old team, and his old memories, by a tragedy? This would happen while the narrator’s personal life unraveled, while he scrambled to hold on to the only woman he had ever truly loved. The novel would not be just a rowing story. It would be a love story set against the world of rowing. I knew enough not to mention the revisions I was making to the novel to anyone, not even my editor wife. Rewriting Flat Water Tuesday became a kind of escape, an exploration of grief, love, obsession and the sacrifices we make in pursuit of (sometimes) hollow victories. And as the end came into sight, serendipity stepped in again. Hart Perry, the legendary coach at the school during my years there as a student, died.

From left: Lars Winther, Ron Irwin, Tris Coburn

Just after his funeral, I received an email from Tris Coburn, my former roommate from Kent and a teammate whose rowing prowess far outstripped mine. He wanted to know where my rowing novel was. He remembered speaking to me about it years ago (Tris had actually read and rejected the novel in 1997 when he was an editor at Simon & Schuster/Pocket Books), and Hart’s funeral had him, and others, wondering whatever happened to that manuscript. Tris, it turned out, was now a literary agent, and he wanted to handle the book should it ever find completion. It seemed as if somehow, magically, a message was being communicated about the work to those who might be most interested in it. Then it got downright weird. Lars Winther, who had rowed on the same boat as Tris and had graduated in our year, was now a producer in Hollywood. He was in the final throes of Ironman 3 and wanted to make a movie about rowing. And film it at Kent, if possible. In the last few years, rowing, an ever-growing sport, has become far more filmic thanks to the miracle of digital technology: Witness the rowing scenes in The Social Network or the recent movie Backwards. I redoubled my efforts on the novel after giving Tris vague assurances that it was on the way. Tris didn’t stop there… almost every two weeks he checked up on me, asking to see sample pages. I refused. If I was going to show the novel to anyone, it would be in its most complete form. I had to marvel at how the stars were aligning. I had not really touched that manuscript in fifteen years, and yet within months of furtively starting serious work on the project, the helpful emails had started

coming in from people I had not seen in decades, and most of them from people who were somehow connected to the story… and to Kent. Months after Tris’ first contact with me, I wrote the novel’s final lines only to be visited once again by fortunate coincidence. Kathleen Gilligan, one of the senior editors at St. Martin’s Press in New York and a client of Tris’, contacted me. She was coming to visit Cape Town and was wondering if I knew of any good local writers and if perhaps we might go out to lunch. By the time that lunch was over (held at one of the more beautiful wine estates in Cape Town; I wasn’t taking any chances), Tris and I had agreed to give her an exclusive look at Flat Water Tuesday. A few weeks later, I emailed it to her. And shortly after that she bought it, with Tris as its agent. By the time this piece is published in the Kent Quarterly, the novel will be at the printers and poised for worldwide distribution in June 2013 in various formats: hardcover, eBook and audiobook. Tris, Katie and I have celebrated its birth at The Plaza in New York and on top of the Sky Bar in Cape Town. Lars Winther has acquired the film rights to the novel. We hope to celebrate with him soon. And I am still dreaming of rowing. An excerpt from Flat Water Tuesday will appear in the summer issue of the Kent Quarterly. Ron Irwin ’88 lectures at the University of Cape Town in the Centre for Film and Media. While at Kent he was the editor of the Kent News and the Kent Cauldron and rowed as the spare for KSBC. Flat Water Tuesday will be released in June 2013. You can follow its progress at www.flatwatertuesday.com

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Priest-Soldier-Martyr The Reverend Frederick B. “Ted” Howden ’21 On the 70th anniversary of the death of Father Howden, December 11, 2012, the Diocese of the Rio Grande celebrated his life with Eucharists in each of the four Deaneries and has designated this day, December 11, as his Feast Day, adding his name to the calendar. FREDERICK BINGHAM HOWDEN , known to his family as Ted, was born January 22, 1902, in Cumberland, Maryland, one of seven children of the Rev. Frederick B. Howden, Sr., and Angelica Constance Faber Howden. He was twelve years old when his father was consecrated bishop of the Missionary District of New Mexico and Southwest Texas, and the family moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico. He attended Kent School, graduated in 1925 from Yale University, and then completed three years of seminary training at General Theological Seminary in New York City. His father ordained him deacon at St. Clement’s Church in El Paso, Texas, on June 10, 1928, and priest, also at St. Clement’s, on January 13, 1929. Immediately thereafter, Fr. Howden was called to serve as the rector of St. Andrew’s Church in Roswell, New Mexico. During his tenure at St. Andrew’s he served as vicar to Lincoln County Episcopalians from 1929 through 1941, and as a supply priest to St. Paul’s Church in Artesia, New Mexico. He also held occasional services in the developing towns of Hobbs and Lovington, and served as the chaplain at the New Mexico Military Institute. On April 21, 1932, he married Elizabeth Fegan in St. Mark’s Church in San Antonio, Texas. Beginning in 1929 Fr. Howden led services of Evening Prayer in the schoolhouse in Glencoe and frequently celebrated Holy Communion at the Church

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of the Transfiguration, which met in the Navajo Lodge in Ruidoso, New Mexico. He began a fundraising drive to build an Episcopal chapel in Lincoln County, the result of which was St. Anne’s Chapel in Glencoe. It is now the oldest Episcopal Church in Lincoln County, and at the time of its consecration on June 3, 1934, was the only Protestant church of any denomination within the 150 miles between Roswell and Alamogordo. When World War II broke out, Fr. Howden held the rank of captain in the New Mexico State Guard, and was the chaplain to the 200th Coast Artillery when it was federalized and sent to the Philippine Islands early in 1942. A friend who was with him daily said he was always walking over the hills of Bataan holding open air services here and there and doing everything possible to help the men who affectionately called him “Chappy.” He was, however, a real soldier as well as a chaplain, which all the more gained him admiration and respect as he moved from battery to battery, holding services and distributing candy, soap and cigarettes he had foraged for the troops. He was a spiritual presence to his men, and in him they saw demonstrated love, goodness of life, and joy in serving others in the Lord’s name and for His sake. At the fall of Bataan and Corregidor to Japanese forces in April 1942, Fr. Howden and his fellow soldiers were made prisoners of war and were forced to endure the Bataan Death March during

which some 18,000 died. During imprisonment in several prison camps, including Camp O’Donnell and Cabanatuan and finally at Davao Prison Colony on Mindanao, his heroism and faith were always apparent through the humanitarian care he gave to those he served. At great cost to himself he often gave his own portion of food to others who he insisted needed it more than he. Fr. Howden died of dysentery and starvation-induced pellagra on December 11, 1942, but his family were not notified until June 1943. He was buried by his men in a small cemetery in the shadow of the Mindanao jungle a mile or so from the camp at Davao. After the war, in 1948, his remains were reinterred in an Albuquerque, New Mexico, cemetery. The prayer that Fr. Howden wrote for the cadets at New Mexico Military Institute was printed for many years in the cadet handbook. Our Father in heaven, inspire we beseech Thee, all members of this School with directness of purpose in the training of body, mind, and spirit that we may better serve Thee, our country, and our fellowmen. Give us the vision to know the right, and the courage to follow after it. Strengthen us with might by Thy Spirit for the duties of life before us. And grant that we may so lay to heart the lessons of training and discipline here that we may always continue Thy faithful soldiers and servants unto life’s end. Amen.

Our Years at MIT Lauren and Elaina Chai ’08 Lauren and Elaina Chai graduated from Kent in June 2008. All who taught them can attest to their enthusiasm and their intelligence, so it is no surprise to read their accounts of their busy years at MIT. Here they are, in their own words, graduates of whom we are very proud. LAUREN: Four years ago I graduated

from Kent School after having finished my last two years of high school there. Those of you who remember me from those days, in particular my last year, might recall my spending a not-soinsignificant amount of time in the clay rooms, building something. Four years later, not much has changed. Last June, I graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering. My formal education included the usual standard fare of a mechanical engineering education: mechanics, dynamics, fluids, heat transfer, manufacturing, etc., with all of the usual homework, labs and finals. The informal part of my education was a little more exciting. There was research, machine shop training, glass blowing, and my participation in the MIT Solar Electric Vehicle Team. The last is a student-run engineering team whose goal is to design, construct and race solar electric cars in crosscountry endurance races that span thousands of miles. Students are responsible not only for the design of the systems but for fundraising, outreach and budgeting as well. Like most of the other students on the team, my roles ranged from lead welder, mechanical design engineer, machinist and race car driver to just another extra pair of hands. This all culminated for me in the October 2011 World Solar Challenge race in Australia—a 3,000 kilometer race through the

outback via the Stuart Highway. So in October 2011, I left school for two weeks to fly to Australia—one week for race qualifications and one week for the actual race. In the end, it was the most physically and mentally exhausting event I had ever gone through, as well as one of the most unique and life-changing experiences of my life. To the students who read this, best wishes to you as you finish high school and continue onto the next stage of your lives. What you take from college will be every bit the formal and the informal parts of it—so keep your eyes and ears open and good luck in all your endeavours. Lauren Chai, B.Sc. Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Class of 2012

ELAINA: My education at MIT has

continued along the same vein as my departure from Kent. I had enjoyed my time spent in my AP Physics class during my senior year as well as my time spent fixing computers and playing with random electronics while working at the Technology Center. Therefore it was no wonder that I was torn between choosing a career in physics or electrical engineering. I knew that formal classwork would never provide the experience needed to make a sound decision about the field that was right for me, so I immediately became heavily involved in the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Pro-

gram, an initiative to support student involvement in faculty research. My explorations took me on and off campus, including a three-month internship at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. There, I worked with the Relativistic Heavy Ion Group in 2009, exploring the field of high energy physics research. I also worked with electrical engineering groups at the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnology, working on thermophotovoltaic (TPV) cell research and power electronics. I worked on a great number of exciting projects, from designing and building vacuum chamber systems for TPV cell testing, to designing and prototyping a back-to-back threephase inverter onto a six-layer printed circuit board, which eventually became an integral part of my senior thesis. I eventually graduated in June 2012 with a double major in electrical engineering and physics. I discovered, however, that my passion lay in electrical engineering, and so finished my senior year filled with electrical engineering lab classes with heavier project components, as well as graduate-student level courses in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department (EECS). I am now pursuing a master’s of engineering degree in EECS. To the Kent students reading this, wherever you go will be filled with opportunities to discover and explore what you feel passionate about. Take advantage of these opportunities and have a wonderful, successful and fulfilling college experience. Best of luck in all your future endeavours. Elaina Chai, B.Sc. Electrical Engineering and Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Class of 2012

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Pavlovich’s Paradox:

That Means Nothing To Me! Michael West ’62, November 21, 2012

Kent Soccer huddle

IN FALL 1959, it was fourth form year for members

of Kent ’62. Sitting in Mr. Pavlovich’s classroom in the School House basement, we were struggling with algebra. It was late fall—the maple trees were bare, their trunks blackened when it rained or even drizzled in that Housatonic Valley mist that made the clouds seem to reach low, almost to the ground as the trees’ arthritic limbs reached up to hold them in an atmosphere that weighed wet on the spirits of young Kenties going through mental exercises that were hard and, worse, sometimes boring. We were not responding well to the oral questions put to us by our master, Joseph Pavlovich, as he struggled in his humble, soft voice to lead us into the glories of high intellectual pursuit. In that particular week, we simply were not getting it and we were not getting

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it because we were not putting anything into it, not applying ourselves! We had not even one shining star among us to rescue the rest of us dullards from the gray perdition of oral examination—we were all dull, every one of us that particular day. For his part, Mr. Pavlovich was not only an algebra master, he was a great athlete, as anyone could attest upon watching him foot dribble a soccer ball around the gangly legs of exuberant, but frustrated, Kent soccer players, even the best ones of Kent ’62, the naturals, like Dewing, Watkins, Thun and Ryan. After three o’clock, the classrooms were empty as everyone headed to the sports fields. Mr. Pavlovich headed to the fields, too, now as Robert “Bird” Partridge’s assistant varsity soccer coach for the Blue & Gray. After three o’clock, the quiet, unassuming algebra master became “Joe Pavlo,” soccer master who smiled easily as he teased the black-dotted ball over the grass, his feet and legs exerting his will on it, dancing it up to and then around, behind and away from the young “hot shot players” trying to steal it from him. He did it with such ease, such power and grace—total deftness that both amazed and angered his charges who could not keep up and often found themselves eating grass as they tried. On the soccer field, Mr. Pavlovich—the master, the coach—witnessed the change in attitude in all the bright young lads on the fields of sport contrasted with the listless faces in the classroom. Now, on the field of play, they switched on the energy and enthusiasm and their sweating juices to learn and excel in the interactive competition. What a contrast to the classroom that week in ’59. The gray drizzly skies outside seeped an atmosphere inside the School House where it dampened the lads’ low murmurs in answer to the master’s questions about “x” and “y” and how to assign magical numbers to them, with wonders to come from what could

1961 Soccer team

result, if only we would just get it which we could do if only we would apply ourselves. The master scolded in a plea: “Now snap out of it. When I was your age, I was a great athlete, too. I loved sports. That all means nothing to me now. What matters is what you do with your brain not what dazzles you on the sports field. Now get with it!” he implored. Last spring, May of 2012, returning to Kent were members of Kent 1962. New green leaves and blossoms were on the trees in the sunny, cool air and the grass lawns were deep in green. Kent ’62 alumni, now gray, heavy and slow—and filled with wonder at returning some fifty years later to the Happy Valley—gathered for their fiftieth class reunion. While there, they took time to pay tribute to the class members who had championed a great soccer team in the fall of 1961, a team that had dominated the field of play, beating each and every opponent to achieve that magical laurel, “Undefeated.” It had not been easy as each opponent—Berkshire, Choate, Hotchkiss and the many others—had stood in the way of victory, exerting themselves, running and sweating in desperate effort to beat Kent. In each contest the Blue & Gray had prevailed. Each time, it was Hail to Kent, the Victors Valiant! Joe Pavlo, even older, slower and grayer than we, joined those Kent ’62 “Omegans” who had starred on that special soccer team of the fall of 1961. The Headmaster’s Study again smelled of coffee as sunlight streamed through the windows below Mt. Algo. Tom Ryan, Sam Watkins, Art Thompson, John Michael Thun and other members of that champion soccer team shared their memories and received exuberant accolades for their achievement of long ago that now seemed almost like only yesterday. Now, fifty years later, Kent was inducting them into the Sports Hall of Fame. Now, fifty-two-and-a-half years after Mr. Pavlovich’s sermon, “That all means nothing to me now,”

Kent ’62 and the sports authorities of Kent took time to stop the rush of life to remember and praise a great soccer team, the undefeated Kent Soccer of fall 1961. I had to bite my inner lip. I could not help but smile as I remembered that plea of 1959 even as I sat watching the ceremony and the “witnessing of these presents” as the athletic director read the lauding on a fancy, sealed certificate that made the induction official. I watched Joe Pavlo sharing in the glory… there was not one word about algebra or English or the classrooms, not at any time during that joyfully serious gathering in the Headmaster’s Study at Kent. It was all about what once “meant nothing” even for the smiling master and coach, Joseph “Joe Pavlo” Pavlovich, who returned with us for the presentation, the memories, the recognition… the reunion of those who had done it. Here we were—the basics of algebra and all the other studies were behind us even as the lessons were still with us, enriching us every day, now a part of who we were so there was no need to mention them; it was now easy for us to calculate, conjugate and recall; it was ingrained in us—those glories whereby now we could exercise the processes to find with ease that “x” plus “y” equaled 341.7.233—or whatever—if and when we needed the information, even though now our legs could do little with a soccer ball that was praiseworthy. Still, here we were in the Headmaster’s Study—a lifetime away—to celebrate the fluff, the extracurricular, what is gone from us and cannot be recaptured except in memory and sheepskin certificates of recognition. Yet, even here there was recognition of the fields as beddings for building character, to help make us better for who we were to become. It was a fine day at Kent and a good gathering even as there was a haunting refrain about something that “meant nothing.” Nor was the lesson lost on the smiling and appreciative Joe Pavlo either.

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Between the Hills and River Shore

Faculty Members Honored Jason C. Coulombe

Robert DesMarais and Dick Schell

Jason Coulombe JUN TAKEDA ’13 PHOTO

Robert DesMarais

For more than a decade Robert has coached the club crew program in both the fall and the spring and has timed the varsity boys basketball games. He has been an avid supporter of the varsity soccer and hockey teams. In 2006, Robert was named chairperson of the Classics Department. He has successfully inspired students at all levels, from the B and C levels to the Advanced Placement and Latin 5 classes. He has been the secretary of the faculty for the past four years and has contributed to the Quarterly for many years. He is currently the warden of the Chapel. A consummate professional in every way, Robert DesMarais is a dedicated teacher who supports all his students, from the very weak to the very strong. He is a Renaissance man, unique in the best of ways, true to himself and utterly dedicated to Kent School.

Robert DesMarais, holder of the Class of 2001 Teaching Chair and an honorary member of the Class of 2001, was honored at a dinner at Cumming House on October 10, 2012. He joined the Kent School faculty in 1989. A graduate of Trinity College with a bachelor of arts degree in classics, he earned Phi Beta Kappa honors and was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. Robert spent one semester of his junior year studying abroad in Rome at Stanford University’s Intercollegiate Studies Center. At Kent, Robert has contributed in various arenas. He served as dorm parent for eleven years in Middle Dorm South—eight of those years as dorm master. He also ran the now-defunct daily Hours Program for ten years, urging and encouraging students to work off hours in the afternoons.

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I am pleased to announce that Jason C. Coulombe is the 2012–2013 recipient of the Elinore S. Wing Award. The Elinor S. Wing Teaching Fund in History was established by the Board of Trustees to recognize a mid-career member of the History Department who demonstrates particular excellence, promise and loyalty to the School. This fellowship, which includes an honorarium for professional development, has been made possible by the gift of John R. “Rusty” Wing ’56 of New York City in honor of his mother, Elinore. Jason comes from a family of teachers. A graduate of Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina, Jason earned a master’s degree in independent school leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University. He has taught in North Carolina and Virginia and served as dean of students, assistant head and upper school head. Jason joined the Kent faculty in 2008. He teaches American History, Capitalism and African-American History. Jason is a superb basketball coach. Jason Coulombe is highly dedicated to his vocation as a teacher and coach. Richardson W. Schell, Headmaster & Rector

Bishop Taylor Honored The Right Reverend E. Don Taylor, Kent trustee and parent of Tara ’96, was honored on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Jamaica’s independence. He was among those selected to be conferred with the Order of Distinction in the Rank of Commander (CD). The announcement, made on Jamaica’s Independence Day, August 6, 2012, stated that this award is in recognition of his outstanding service to education and religion. The insignia of the Order was conferred at a public ceremony of Investiture on National Heroes Day, October 15, 2012, at King’s House.

Nishant Patel, faculty members Elise Terry and Sierra Thomsen, and Marni Sheps at Princeton’s Model U.N. conference

Model United Nations Student members of Kent’s Model U.N. participated in a challenging and invigorating four-day conference sponsored by Princeton University November 29 to December 2, 2012. Kent’s delegation of 17 students participated in nine different committees including the U.N. Development Programme, the World Trade Organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the drafting of the Maastricht Treaty, among others. They represented the countries of Iraq, Nauru, Portugal and the Bahamas as well as a number of individuals in the International Olympic Committee and the council of Maoist separatists in present day Myanmar.

Overall the students had an inspiring and eye-opening weekend away from campus, working with schools from around the region and the world, in efforts to solve global and regional dilemmas. They attended their second conference this year in January, just after the deadline for this issue. Members of the Model U.N. are Cassidy Tibbetts, Brian Caldwell, Grace Yoo, Ariel Lee, Benedikt Folttmann, Artur Storozhenko, Alex Brighenti, Khalid Al Remeithi, Alex Levkovskiy, Milan Saxena, Nishant Patel, Marni Sheps, Tess Nekvasil, John Paul Squitieri, Adrian Marcogliese, Alexia Gonzalez-Wagner, Quinn Foley, Maisam Mukhtari and Maria Nieto. The faculty advisor is Sierra Thomsen.

Kent Connections at Fay School What are the chances of two winners of the Columbia Cup, 33 years apart and unknown to each other, becoming career teachers at the same school? Carolyn Purcell P’80 wrote in to let us know that her son, AJ Purcell ’80, and the late Richard Upjohn ’47 both became longtime teachers at the Fay School in Southboro, MA, Dick for 37 years (history) plus assisting in retirement for another 15 years, and AJ now nearing his 20th year teaching biology there.

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Alumni & Development News

Alumni/ae Hockey Game This year’s Alumni/ae Hockey Game was the highest scoring game in recent memory. In the final minutes of the game the blue team came within a goal of the white team, but just missed out. Final score 10–9. Alumni from 1955 to 2010 participated

this year, bringing along family and friends to cheer them on. Ted Handler ’87 has the distinction of being the alumnus who traveled the greatest distance to attend the game (Germany), but credit also goes to Pete Heimdahl ’87, who flew in from

Former teammates on the ’73 Housatonic Valley League Champion Team: Art Collins ’73, Tom Sullivan ’73 and John Rooney ’73

Glenn Cucinell ’93 with his father Bob, and son Jay

The White Team

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Wisconsin. After the game, everyone enjoyed a special lunch provided by the Dining Hall, and then cheered on the boys varsity team in their 5–2 win over Avon.

Kent graduates who cheered at the Kent Alumni/ae Hockey Game: Alexandre Perrein ’08, Sophia Yannopoulous ’09, Lauren Cameron ’08, Jane D’Agostino ’09, Colleen Hartigan ’09, Sean Breen ’08 and Kara Ruskin ’08

Mike Porzio ’05, Andrew Wolinski ’08, John Coutts ’05 and John Sommers ’05

Chris Thayer ’87 (right) with daughter Courtney, son Connor, and wife Jill.

Tyler Wragg ’98 and son Wyatt, Christian Sturz ’98, Craig White ’98 and son Barrett, and faculty member Randy Hobbs

Former teammates Pete BonTempo ’07, Sean Tuohy ’07, Matt Czerkowicz ’06 and Pat Aldridge ’06

Class of ’87: Billy Jaffe, Ted Handler, Pete Heimdahl, Chris Thayer and Jim McKeown

Kent/UPenn alumni Craig White ’98, Art Collins ’73, John Rooney ’73, Dick Sanford ’55 and John Watkins ’65

The Blue Team

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Gunhee Kim ’07, Tim Booth, Francois Anderson ’08, Henry Gabathuler ’99, Paul Kim ’08

Carlo Genovese with his father, David Genovese ’82

Alston Eldridge ’08, Francois Anderson ’08, Sean Becket ’04, Matt Heslop ’04 and Jesse Chasse ’03

Men’s Alumni Soccer Game The Annual Men’s Alumni vs. Boys Varsity Soccer Game took place on Saturday, September 8. Held every year on the Saturday after Labor Day, this event brings

The Alumni and Boys Varsity teams after the game

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together alumni of all ages for a highspirited game followed by a barbecue. Many thanks to Coach Tim Booth and the boys varsity team for welcoming

the alumni back to campus. Mark your calendars for next year’s game on Saturday, September 7.

The ’72 crew back on the Housatonic with current KSBC oarsmen helping out

40th Reunion of the 1972 Undefeated Crew Six members of the undefeated 1972 crew returned to campus in October to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their remarkable season. The ’72 crew won the Stotesbury Cup Regatta in Philadelphia, the New England Interscholastic Rowing Association Regatta in Worcester, and the grand prize of all—the Princess Elizabeth Cup at Henley Royal Regatta. In 2007, Rowing News magazine named them one of “The Greatest Eights” among high school and junior crews. The team was inducted into Kent’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002. Rick Rinehart ’72, bowman of the eight, wrote about the crew and their memorable season in his book, Men of Kent: Ten Boys, A Fast Boat, and the Coach Who Made Them Champions.

Returning to campus were Murray Beach ’72, Fred Elliott ’72, Geoff O’Keefe ’72, Charlie Poole ’73, Rick Rinehart ’72, John Rooney ’73 and Gill Perry. Gill’s late husband, Hart Perry, was the coach of the crew. Other members include Garth Griffin ’72, Charlie Kershaw ’73, Roger Stewart ’72 and Clint Whisler ’74. Charlie Kershaw and Clint Whisler died in 1973 and 1989 respectively. During their visit, the crew rowed together again on the Housatonic (with members of KSBC filling out the eight), and attended Chapel in St. Joseph’s and brunch in the Dining Hall. In his remarks at Chapel, Murray Beach spoke about the bond that connects them still: “Whenever we’re together, our chemistry is the topic

Murray Beach ’72, Charlie Poole ’73, Geoff O’Keefe ’72, John Rooney ’73, Gill Perry, Fred Elliott ’72 and Rick Rinehart ’72

that quiets us all and allows us to share the special feeling no other friends can feel. Last evening over dinner, we felt it again, and we knew that our shared love of rowing, our team and our teammates would be a guiding light for us over the rest of our lives.” Last summer Rick Rinehart, accompanied by his wife, Amy, and sister, Deb ’69, traveled to Henley and met up with Gill Perry. He recalled, “At forty years to the exact minute that we crossed the finish line in 1972, we raised a glass to Hart Perry. It had been raining the whole time but miraculously the sun came out at that very moment!”

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Head of the Charles Regatta The 2012 Head of the Charles Regatta took place on a beautiful fall weekend in October. Reunion Village was bustling with alumni from over 30 schools, many of them at the Kent tent. The Alumnae Eight was the first Kent boat to race, finishing 16th, their best finish yet. The line-up included Busy Auchincloss Reynolds ’81, Carly Traub ’05, Dana Peirce ’97, Kendall Atterbury ’88, Elizabeth Guernsey ’02, Talia DeFranco ’11, Nora Long ’11, Jacqueline Regan Wilmot ’05 and Libby Sporer Moffitt ’83. Dozens of other Kent alumni were racing for their colleges and clubs as well.

Two Kent crews raced on Sunday, competing in the Men’s Youth Four and Women’s Youth Four events. Racing in the men’s four were Eric Stockwood ’13, Jordan Lee ’13, Ryan Leddy ’13, and Max Rewell ’13 and Fran Derteano ’13. In the women’s four were Max Mejia ’13, Shayla Lamb ’15, Melissa Flack ’13, Haley Parker ’13 and Jun Takeda ’13. Thank you to the parents and alumni who provided a wonderful array of food for all to enjoy at the Kent tent. Save the date for next year—October 19–20, 2013.

Busy Auchincloss Reynolds ’81 calls “hands on” to the alumnae eight.

The alumnae boat moves through another crew midway through the race.

Recognition for Faculty Member and Coach Ed Dunn

Ed Dunn Jun Takeda ’13 photo

Todd Marble congratulates Ed Dunn.

Faculty member and coach Ed Dunn was recognized before the varsity football game on Saturday, October 27, for 28 years of coaching varsity football, from the fall of 1984 to 2011. As head coach Todd Marble wrote in a letter to football alumni, “In this remarkable span of years Ed has helped mold hundreds of young men into not just better football players, but far more important, into better people.”

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Alumni returned to campus to pay tribute to Coach Dunn.

In recognition of his many contributions, a scrapbook was compiled with photos and recollections from former football players. Alumni reflected on Ed’s coaching and his memorable images (“… like a Hun over the wall”), as well as life lessons learned: “Nearly everything Coach Dunn taught me had nothing to do with football. Football was only the medium used to convey the lesson.” One alumnus, who became

a teacher and coach himself, wrote, “I tried to approach every lesson, every practice, every game and every one of my players as he did: with honor, integrity, respect and love.” While Ed Dunn has retired from coaching varsity football, he continues to coach football at the thirds level, coaches girls varsity hockey, and teaches Modern European History.

New York Holiday Party Kent alumni, parents and friends celebrated the holiday season at the New York Yacht Club, Wednesday, December 5. The model room of the clubhouse was a beautiful backdrop for this annual event that brings together members of the Kent family from around the country. Our sincere thanks to Trustee Bob Hoerle ’52 for making this festive gathering at the Yacht Club possible again this year.

Penny and Foster Devereux ’56

Brandon Sweitzer ’60, P’87, ’89,’06,’08,’11,’11 and Bob Miner P’04,’07,’11

Paul Kneuer P’07, Caroline and Peter Fairley P’09

The Class of 2008 was well represented at the Holiday Party.

Dean Cathe Mazza ’76 with Stefan Lumiere ’88 and Phil Mittleman ’88

1980s alumni enjoyed reconnecting.

Rud Niles ’94, Jen Kelling Niles ’02 and Hap Oakley ’97

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Kent on the Intrepid More than 200 members of the Kent family assembled at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York City on Saturday, September 29, for a special Kent event hosted by the Alumni Council and the Kent School Regional Council of New York. They enjoyed a self-guided tour of the aircraft carrier, the Space Shuttle Enterprise Pavilion, the USS Growler Submarine and lunch in the mess hall with the Kent group. Captain Creel Brown ’95 remarked on his experiences in Iraq and the importance of service. Many thanks to Alumni Council members Eleanor Culbertson Albert ’65, Lindsey Huenink McCormick ’95 and Peter Patch ’67 for all their work in organizing this highly successful event.

Brian Howson ’89 and family

Brooks Gerli ’06, Frankie Celenza ’05, Bennett Gerli ’05, Alex Goez ’05, Derrick Yu ’05, Winnie Cheung ’06 and Paul Masino ’05

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Erica Lumiere ’87 with son Oliver and friend

Paul Masino ’05 and Frankie Celenza ’05 on the upper deck of the Intrepid

Kent Trustees Andrew Bogle ’90 and Ann Dickinson ’65 with Christy Hooper-O’Sullivan ’87 and son

Humberto and Claudia Goez with son Alex ’05

Matt Pace ’92 and son Jeep

Aisha Simpson Williams ’98, member of the Alumni Council, with daughter Sasha and husband Maurice

Brian Fagan ’06 with Clara Santana and his parents, Jerry and Paula Fagan

Jack ’46 and Betty Brown

Dan Huber ’95 and Danielle Noto

Quinn Bolton ’88 and son Jack

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KENT RECEPTIONS

Kent in the Northwest

Host Ernest Franklin ‘87 and guest Julie Pham Davis ‘91

Kent in Dallas Thirty-five Dallas parents and alumni gathered at the home of Mai and Ernest Franklin ’87 to reconnect from last year’s party, tell Kent stories about the days of “iron men and wooden ships,” and welcome Nicholas Wilbur, Associate Director of Admissions. As usual, Steve ’57 and Jane Thayer were the life of the party, along with Lela Whitmer (parent of Martin Whitmer ’88, a member of the Alumni Council), who brought her savage wit to the event. We welcome Tex ’91 and Marty Duncan as well as Joe ’81, Kate and Grace McSpadden back to Texas. Most patient spouse award goes to Erica Yanicelli, wife of Christian ’95, who arrived seven months pregnant, radiant and in heels (hey, it’s Dallas), and closed down the party. Submitted by Ernest Franklin ’87

Two Alumni Receptions were held in early November in the Pacific Northwest. W. Curtis Schade ’63 hosted a gathering of graduates ranging from the Classes of 1950 to 1984 for a lunch at the University Club of Portland on November 1. The Kent alumni in attendance—Frank Potter ’50, Price Gripekoven ’58, Pete Hines ’62 and Tiffany Lightbourn Sullivan ’84—are interested in getting together with the other thirty Kent alumni for future events. The following evening, Kent School Trustee Bill Wurts ’55 hosted an evening reception for Seattle alumni at the Broadmoor Golf Club in the Champions Room. Twenty-two Kent graduates and past parents ranging from the Classes of 1949 to 1992 enjoyed reconnecting and speaking with former classmates as well as meeting new acquaintances. The Seattle Kent Alumni Association is a well established group which meets on several occasions during the year, both in the city and on Bainbridge Island. Director of Development Marc Cloutier provided updates about the School at both events.

Dirk Huenink ’92 and his wife, Michelle, at the Seattle reception

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Price Gripekoven, Pete Hines, Tiffany Lightbourn Sullivan, Frank Potter and Curtis Schade in Portland

Steven Doman ’74 and his wife, Debbie, with Mike Sydor ’90 at the Broadmoor in Seattle

Seattle host Bill Wurts ’55 with Karen Kershaw, Marc Cloutier and Barbara and Peter Huenink P’92,’95.

Kent on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina The Admissions and the Alumni & Development Offices teamed up with grandparents Carolyn and George Smith (Olivia Langa ’14) and parents Stacy and George Langa to host a beautiful evening for prospective, new and old friends of Kent. Nearly forty guests (prospective parents, alumni, parents, past parents and grandparents) gathered at the Smith home to learn about the School and to connect with members of the Kent family living and working in the greater Hilton Head/ Beaufort/Savannah, GA, areas. Alumni author Wilbur Cross ’37 treated guests to signed copies of a few of the more than fifty titles he has published in his illustrious career, most recently Gullah

Culture in America and Disaster at the Pole. A former rower at Kent and later at Yale, Wilbur was delighted to see photographs of the pure cedar (circa 1928) Pocock shell he had given to Kent after World War II and which remains in safekeeping at the Benjamin W. Partridge Rowing Center today. As a special surprise, Director of Alumni Giving & Initiatives Stacy Langa presented Wilbur with the cedar model he had painstakingly whittled down to 12 inches as a 21-year-old and given to the school many years ago. Special thanks to all who attended and filled the event with abounding Kent pride and spirit! PHOTOS BY OLIVIA LANGA ’14

Wilbur Cross ’37 and the model he created circa 1939

Wilbur Cross’s 1928 Pocock Shell Left to right: Stacy Langa (Hon) ’60, P’14, Bernie and Trudy Ashcroft Smith ’64 and host Carolyn Smith, GP’14

Claire and Spencer Howell ‘48 with Stacy Langa

Left to right: Olivia Langa ’14, Taylor Houston ’11, George Langa P’14, Caitlin Tardio ’15, Scott Bartlett ’51 and Luke Strayer ’53

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KENT RECEPTIONS

Kent School at Los Angeles’ California Club Kent School alumni, parents, grandparents and friends gathered for a special evening on Saturday, January 12, at the California Club in downtown Los Angeles. The evening proved to be a success for the SOCAL Kent Alumni Association with nearly 70 guests in attendance. The School wishes to thank committee members Adam Peck ’82, Kyra Sweda ’86, Matt Smith ’86 and Jen Sennott Cram ’93 for their work in making this yearly event possible.

Adam Peck ’82, Chelsea Spensley ’04 and Suzanne Smith Lowe ’84

Attendees at the California Club Reception

David ’86 and Katie Bogosian with Kyra Sweda ’86

John Doyle ’67, Noel Vietor ’67 and Terry Hunter ’65

Anne and Matt Smith ’86

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Emily Ettel, Nate Barilka ’99, Justin Gonzalez ’99, Cheyenne Quinn ’99, Jean-Marc Cloutier ’99 and Jennifer Rettig

Kyra Sweda ’86, Francois-Xavier Briard ’01, Alex Fondrier ’03 and Will Ossorio ’05

Mary Johnson GP’15, Carol Chase and Jenny Johnson P’15

KENT IN ASIA: ALUMNI RECEPTION

Kent in Hong Kong The Kent School Alumni Group in Hong Kong met on Saturday evening, December 15, for their annual Alumni Reception at Hakka Ye Ye Restaurant, owned by Wendy Cheung ’98. A highlight of the evening was the presentation of an honorary membership in the Class of 1978 to Nancy Koo Zau. Nancy was en route from London that evening and because of delays was unable to join the party. However, Adrian Overholser ’77 delivered the following talk during the meal: Hi all: If I may have your attention for a few moments? Sorry to interrupt what’s been a great meal here at Hakka Ye Ye, but Marc Cloutier asked me if I could do something for him as he’s not here with us this year— his first time in fifteen years not being in Asia. And I know he wanted very much to be here, enjoying Hakka Ye Ye. I know this because his email to me specifically spoke of stewed pork belly [Adrian points to plates on table, followed by laughter], so I KNOW how much he missed this meal with us. Why did Marc ask me to speak? Well, it might be because I am, I believe, the oldest Kentie in the room. Class of ’77 puts me ahead of all of you, I think! But that wasn’t it. It might be because he knew I wouldn’t miss a meal like this, which he was right about, but no, he had another reason. His

Kent Hong Kong Alumni Reception attendees Koboer Ko ’89, Mauraeer Lai ’91, Esther Ma ’84 and Emilie Sutherland ’06

Adrian ’77 and Sonoko Overholser with Hong Kong Reception host Wayne Cheung ’95

reason was because I was at Kent with Tommy Zau, class of ’78. I’m sure many of you recall Tommy and his dedication to Kent. He’s the reason we’re here tonight… with thanks also to Wendy, who owns the restaurant but can’t be here. Tommy chose to host our annual dinners here soon after the restaurant opened. But two years ago a week from today, Tommy died tragically in a car accident in Hokkaido. I’m not here to speak of that loss, that sadness. I’m here to speak, especially if his wife Nancy were present, to the joy I’m sure he felt at Kent, a joy that many of us felt at Kent and that binds us here together today. And to the joy that he also felt as an alumnus, a joy that we all share here tonight. I would ask Nancy, “I suppose you must have marveled at this joy your husband felt

about Kent, that kept him involved over so many years with the school. But have you ever wished you could feel that joy firsthand… as an alumna would? I suppose, though, the thought of applying to Kent now and going through all the classes, the SATs and all the other requirements would not be what you want. But what if you could become an alumna without all that pain, and have instead all of the pleasure?” Well, Marc and the powers that be at Kent came up with a solution that seems an excellent one. Why not invite Nancy to become an alumna of the Class of ’78 by—if I may ask you to raise a glass with me— bestowing upon Nancy Koo Zau an honorary membership to the Class of ’78? Please join me is saying cheers to Nancy Koo Zau, Class of ’78! Kent School welcomes Nancy to the Class of 1978!

Rob Wendin ’78, Dick Schell, Lindsey Chamberlain Hughes ’92 and Tim Coffin ’92 at the London reception

At Bbar in London, Dick Schell, Mrs. John Norwood and host Alexandra Raeymaekers Tollman ’03; Caroline Hempstead ’98 and her husband

Kent in London Kent alumni and Kent E.S.U. graduates, trustees, parents, friends and Americans living in London attended an evening reception at Bbar on Saturday, December 8. Alexandra Raeymaekers Tollman, Kent Class of 2003, served as host. Father Schell was in London for meetings with United Kingdom alumni and for Radley College’s Service of Lessons and Carols.

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KENT IN ASIA: ADMISSIONS PARENTS RECEPTIONS

Kent in Asia Kathryn F. Sullivan ’94, Director of Admissions, and Amy L. Ober, Associate Director of Admissions, traveled to Asia on a 21-day trip covering stops to Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, Hong Kong and Bangkok. Parents and graduates hosted a total of twenty Admissions, Parents and Alumni events during this annual trip. We are extremely grateful to all those who assisted the Kent representatives while they were abroad. In TOKYO, Dr. and Mrs. Masashi Sato P’14. In SEOUL, Dr. and Mrs. Jong Wook Lee P’13, Dr. Sang Kweon Um and Ms. Seon Mi Yoon P’11,’14, Dr. Seong Beom Kim and Ms. Byounge Hi Meen P’14, Mr. and Mrs. Ilhi Synn ’58 and Minki Synn ’92. In BEIJING, Mr. Zhiwei Yuan P’11, Mr. Austin Yuan, Mr. and Mrs. Yu Zhang P’15, Mr. Zhe Li and Mrs. Jiutong Quan P’15, Mr. Xiao Dong Li and Ms. Hong Wang P’15. In SHANGHAI, Mr. Fangming Cai and Ms. Jue Zhang P’11, Mr. and Mrs. Jiang Hai Zhang P’11, Mr. Bin Zhu and Ms. Qian Chen P’12, Mr. Jian Bo Zhou and Ms. Min Dong P’14, Mr. Wei Chen and Ms. Shuming Ge P’15. In TAIPEI, Mr. Gordan Yeh and Ms. Jennifer Yang P’08,’13, Mr. Ted Chih-Fan I and Ms. Jun Chiang P’13,’15, Mr. Terry Lee and Ms. Jolene Wu P’13. In HONG KONG, Mr. Alan Chuang P’99,’99,’03, Mrs. Nancy Koo Zau (Hon ’78), Ms. Wendy Cheung ’98, Mr. Wayne Cheung ’95, Mr. Hing Wah and Mrs. Eva Cheung P’95,’98,’06, Dr. Yan Kai Yung and Ms. Shirley Kan P’10,’14. And in BANGKOK, Mr. Somsak and Mrs. Luckana Naviroj P’05, Mr. Yongyutt and Mrs. Mayuree Chaipromprasith P’14 and Mr. Nipon Leelasithorn ’79.

Bangkok

Left to right: Pakanun Ou-Udomying ’14, Mrs. Tananan Ou-Udomying P’14, Dr. Busaba Jiruppabha P’15 and Changchakorn Chaipromprasith ’14

Kent Bangkok Admissions Reception at the Kempinski Hotel

Kent Bangkok Parents Dinner, hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Yongyutt Chaipromprasith P’14

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Beijing

2012 Beijing Parents Dinner at the Regent Beijing

Hong Kong

Kent Hong Kong Admissions Reception at the Park Lane Hotel

Kent Hong Kong Parents Dinner hosted by Hing Wah and Eva Cheung P’95,’98,’06

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KENT IN ASIA: ADMISSIONS PARENTS RECEPTIONS

Seoul

Kent Alumni Bumsik Bill Kim ’08, Jimin Choi ’11 and Minki Synn ’92 attended Kent Admissions Night in Seoul.

Kent Seoul Parents and Alumni dinner

Shanghai

Ms. Min Dong P’14 and Amy Ober At the Roppongi Hills Club, Tokyo, left to right, back row: Dr. Masai Sato P’14, Mrs. Nana Kawai P’14, Mrs. Masayo Sato P’14, Mrs. Jean Brough P’14, Mrs. Mie Kamei P’15 and Mr. Hidekazu Kamei P’15; front row: Kathryn F. Sullivan ’94 and Mr. John Montgomery

Taipei

Tokyo

Taiwan Parents Dinner hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Ted I P’13,’15

Shanghai Parents Dinner

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Kent Legacies 2012–13 Academic Year Kent School welcomed to its community in September a total of 32 Legacies. These students continue the tradition of their parents and/or grandparents and greatgrandparents as they study here on Kent’s campus. Sam Haack ’16 (M: Jennifer Robinson ’84), Sam Ash ’14 (F: Jay Ash V ’79, GF: John Ash IV ’48, GGF: John Ash III ’15), Kate Dembinski ’13 (M: Jennifer Park ’75, F: Jan ’75), Henry Brefka ’13 (M: Cornelia Armbrecht ’76) and Adam Davenport ’15 (F: Robert ’83)

Key: F = Father, M = Mother, S = Step, A = Aunt, GF = Grandfather, GGF = Great-grandfather

Gwendolyn Ozols-Remmeter ’16 (SF: Mark Gibson ’82), Alexia Gonzalez-Wagner ’14 (F: Antonio Gonzalez ’83) and William Chynoweth ’14 (M: Dorothy Barclay ’83)

Phoebe Danaher ’16 (F: William ’84), Jihyun Synn ’15 (GF: Ilhi ’58), Theo Freidenrich ’16 (M: Allie Macartney ’87) and Marcela Garza ’14 (F: Federico ’82)

Paloma Diaz-Horstmann ’14 (F: Flavio ’84), Mimi Tamkin ’14 (F: Mitch ’76), Tomasa Lane ’16 (F: Russell ’82); standing: Andrew Hyde ’14 (F: Tom ’79), Alden Southworth ’14 (F: Ken ’81, M: Ellie Smith ’84) and Jaehan Kim ’15 (GF: Ilhi Synn ’58)

Seated: Clarence Bonebrake ’15 (A: Mary Michalis ’75, A: Cora Michalis ’77), Hill Davenport ’13 (F: Robert ’83), Spencer Martin ’13 (F: Brad ’84). Standing: Julia Kiendl ’15 (F: Bill ’74), Susan Leonard ’13 (M: Lisa Noll ’70), Megan McSharry (M: Holly Izant ’80), Brooke Whitney ’13 (F: David ’80) and Lauren Kearney (GF: Allen Stowe ’56)

Elizabeth Quartararo ’13 (F: John ’78), Mariuka Corsini ’13, Nikita Corsini ’15, Cosimo Corsini ’13 (M: Michelle de Kwiatkowski ’80) and Alexandra Menyhart ’14 (M: Lissa Pyfrom ’85)

Olivia Betke ’16 holding the yearbook photo of her Dad, Eric ’81

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Alumni Council News

“There are too many faculty members for me to describe here: men like Tote Walker, OB Davis, John Kingsberry, Bill Armstrong and Father Patterson all significantly influenced my life, both at Kent, and later as an adult alum.” MEMBER OF THE CLASS OF 1952

Kent Alumni Survey Results This fall more than 800 alumni answered the School’s request and provided their opinions to the Alumni Office and Council regarding their preferences for communication, new initiatives and options for involvement with the School, as well as their fondest memories of Kent people and experiences. We would like to share the early messages we heard from you and in the next Quarterly provide a deeper analysis of the findings and resultant actions we will take. The willingness to participate was high. Approximately 4,500 alumni received the survey via email, and a handful of paper versions were sent to those alumni who prefer receiving such materials via regular mail. By the end of the first day, we received 389 responses! Additionally, we received responses from a cross section of classes, with the highest number from the 1980s. The “most senior” response came

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from a member of the Class of 1937, and there were twelve responses from our most recent graduates in the Class of 2012. STAYING IN TOUCH WITH KENT

Alumni find deep connection with the School through both returning to campus and seeing fellow alumni in their local communities. The primary reasons for visiting Kent School are reunions, watching sporting events, special dedications and events (e.g., the recent dedication of Hoerle Hall and the Fifty Years of Women at Kent Celebration), plus casual visits to faculty members and current students. Many people noted the importance of attending memorial services for their beloved teachers, coaches and friends. Alumni also enjoy connecting with Kent School at other locations, such as the Holiday Party in New York and events in other cities where faculty members are present. In general,

alumni are very satisfied with the School’s written communications such as regular mail, email and the Kent Quarterly. “Our 25th reunion is very memorable to me. I had not been back since our 10th and came back alone from my Air Force assignment in Germany to attend. My former classmates AND their wives couldn’t have been more welcoming. I’ve been back to every reunion since… and increased the amount of my annual giving.” MEMBER OF THE CLASS OF 1953

“I’ve loved all the reunions I’ve attended, and I’ve come to lots. Keeping up with classmates, and visiting with them on family vacations, etc. has been very special. I enjoyed coming back to Fifty Years of Women at Kent—our class had the largest showing, possibly a testament to a bond we developed and maintained following graduation.” MEMBER OF THE CLASS OF 1966

“There isn’t a specific teacher who was most memorable but the collective Kent teachers’ attention and commitment to student learning were most memorable. Nonetheless I had a few favorite teachers I remember fondly: Mr. Roney, Mr. Genovese and Ms. Kelz.” MEMBER OF THE CLASS OF 1978

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unspecified 136 131

130

a classmate or former teacher, and many 2010sgreat times at reunions and other noted Kent gatherings. “There are more faculty and friends from 2000s Kent than I can count. Each had a different impact. It would be impossible to name one over the others, however my experiences 1990s with the rowing family have been sustained since my graduation.” MEMBER OF THE CLASS

102 91 86

OF 1988

1980s “I went

to a wonderful Kent event in NYC on the Intrepid. I brought my nephew. He and I loved this event! It was a bonding 1970s experience for both of us, and a wonderful cultural experience, as well.” MEMBER OF THE

CLASS OF 1978

1960s

NEW INITIATIVES FOR KENT ALUMNI

2 19

ifie

EXHIBIT 1: NUMBER OF RESPONSES BY DECADE 825 survey responses came from a cross-section of classes.

THE IMPORTANCE OF KENT FACULTY AND FRIENDS

Kent alumni have enormous fondness for and gratitude to their Kent teachers, coaches and administrators (plus their spouses, particularly for more recent graduates). Most students arrived at Kent at the age of thirteen or fourteen, and many had never been away from home before. Kent teachers and coaches served roles far beyond their primary title of “English teacher” or “crew coach” (and still do, of course). The survey generated touching memories of teachers and coaches who nurtured students during and beyond their Kent years. “Study is hard work!” For generations of Kent students, this stern message from William H. Armstrong remains etched in their memories. Respondents quoted other teacher and coach maxims, such as “gotten is rotten” from Master Loomis, and “it’s not where you start, but where you finish” from Coach (and math teacher) McWhinney. Other respondents noted how

KENT QUARTERLY

influential their teachers had been on the development of their character and integrity. Many noted how certain teachers and coaches embodied the Kent School motto, and even “saved them.” The second largest category for the “most memorable person” question was one’s fellow Kent students, namely roommates and other classmates. If teachers and coaches sometimes assumed the role of parental figures, then one’s Kent friends often became like siblings. “For me, the most memorable are the multiple classmates that continue to be my core friends. Much was shared together at an impressionable time of our lives in a unique environment that helped shape who I am today.” MEMBER OF THE CLASS OF 1981 Interestingly, answers for memorable Kent experiences came from both student and post-graduation times. Some recalled an academic achievement or a major sports victory from their student days, while others highlighted a chance encounter with

Building on the themes above, respondents were generous and creative with their 1950s ideas for new initiatives that the Alumni Office and Council could champion. Consistent with the warm memories 1940s of influential teachers and coaches, many alumni suggested events that are facultybased or include faculty members. Specific 1930s ideas ranged from an educational event where a teacher would give a talk and/or lead a group discussion to celebrating faculty milestones (e.g., number of years at Kent). There is a strong desire to connect with other Kent alumni at a regional level or in a particular city, as it can be difficult to travel to Kent, and reunions only happen every five years. Several respondents suggested “Kent Days of Service” in local communities to reflect the Kent motto and live our values. Others suggested joining fellow alumni at music, dance, art and other cultural events, particularly those for which a Kent alum may be able to provide unique access or a “behind the scenes” perspective. Another area of great interest (and one that the Alumni Council is already working on) is that of Career Counseling/ Networking targeted to Kent’s younger graduates. Specific ideas include Kent Fora

EXHIBIT 2:

Who is the most memorable person you associate with Kent?

“Father Sill, Kent’s progenitor—I saw him as headmaster, teacher, crew coach and summer employer, originator and its mores.” MEMBER OF THE CLASS OF 1941

“OB Davis was by far the most memorable person both in the classroom and in the wrestling room. He taught and lived the school motto.” MEMBER OF THE CLASS OF 1953 “Tote Walker, my plane geometry teacher. He was so very patient with me and taught me that hard work and persistence are most rewarding, something that has made a real difference in my life.” MEMBER OF THE CLASS OF 1953

“Lee Gilliam, who had some understanding of the needs and interests of a foreign-based student at Kent in the isolated and insular era of the School in the ’50s.” MEMBER OF THE CLASS OF 1954 “Master Bill Armstrong. I teach my doctoral and law students what he taught me from Hesiod: ‘Before the gates of excellence, the high

on particular careers (e.g., public service) or business issues (e.g., advice for entrepreneurs and start-up companies), as well as more casual gatherings to meet people. SUPPORTING KENT SCHOOL

Kent alumni support the School in multiple ways and for a variety of reasons. The most critical source of ongoing support comes from financial donations to the Annual Fund, which provides unrestricted support for Kent’s annual operating budget and its greatest needs in a given year. Some alumni prefer to designate their donations to areas of their own specific interests: campus capital improvements (e.g., the new building, Hoerle Hall), or special athletic initiatives such as the football team’s recent trip to Ireland. Another popular method of supporting Kent is through bequests and estate planning gifts to the Bell Tower Society.

gods have placed sweat.’ It is the opening of each syllabus of my courses. He set the standard.” MEMBER OF THE CLASS OF 1955 “Esther Gassett, who taught us a wonderful life lesson when she challenged us to find the flaw in a proof that 2 = 1. We couldn’t find it. She then showed us the one assumption in the proof that was erroneous. Much of what everyone knows has similar erroneous assumptions.” MEMBER OF THE CLASS OF 1964 “Don Gowan gave me advice when I needed it and his advice has served me well.” MEMBER OF THE CLASS OF 1974 “William Hart Perry, dean and crew coach—he helped me mature in ways that I did not appreciate until long after I left Kent.” MEMBER OF THE CLASS OF 1984

“There are too many to list, but one is a beacon above all others: OB Davis. He represents the best of what a Kent education promises, and demonstrated his dedication (and the support of the school) through his long tenure.” MEMBER OF THE CLASS OF 1999

Many alumni support the School with their time and energy, serving their classmates as a Class Correspondent or a Reunion Volunteer, for example. There were many survey responses offering specific support to the School and to certain initiatives; the Alumni Office will follow up with individuals to make sure the interest is recognized and talents are brought to bear for the School. On behalf of the Alumni Office and Council, we thank all of those who responded to the survey. We will use the information to serve the Kent alumni community better. In fact, your responses have already helped with the planning of several new events. On January 25, Kent alumni, parents and faculty gathered at the Yale Club in New York for a Kent Forum featuring four alumni speakers (Laurada Beacham Byers ’66, Dr. Ernest Franklin ’87,

Sterling Wilson ’08 and Erin Reilly ’08). Similarly, a “Kent Day of Service” will take place at a soup kitchen in Washington, DC, in the spring, as will a “behind-the-scenes” tour of the White House. Please contact the Alumni Office to make sure that we have your current location and preferred email address. Feedback and new ideas are always welcome, and more important, we look forward to even greater participation in Kent Alumni activities in the future! Kent School Alumni Office and Kent School Alumni Council Authors’ note: This sampling of quotations shown here represents only a small portion of the rich and plentiful tributes that respondents provided. A more comprehensive summary will be available through the Alumni Office in the near future.

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Relaunch: Alumni Council Sponsors Kent Forum in New York game—almost all without USC sunglasses! With that insight, a business was born: private label sunglasses, designed and developed by their small team (now eight employees), manufactured in China, and delivered to universities and companies across the United States. Erin discussed using social networking to get their message out, and College Glasses is finding interest from colleges, including college bookstores, admissions offices and alumni The evening’s speakers: Ernest Franklin ’87, Sterling Wilson ’08, groups. Growth prospects Laurada Beacham Byers ’66 and Erin Reilly ’08 appear favorable, and the economics are solid. This will allow their team to expand, as they move from Despite snow flurries outside, sixty-five the first two floors of their townhouse into Kent alumni and parents gathered on their first corporate headquarters office in January 25 at the Yale Club in New York Philadelphia, PA. City for cocktails and to learn about internationally based entrepreneurship, health DR. ERNEST FRANKLIN EXAMINES care reform and charter school creation THE FUTURE OF U.S. HEALTHCARE from fellow alumni. This event followed Dr. Ernest Franklin ’87 discussed the potenthe ‘Kent on the USS Intrepid’ event last tial future of U.S. healthcare and steps indiOctober, with more alumni events planned viduals can take to preserve their access to in New York, Dallas, and D.C. over the comhigh quality healthcare. He is the vice presiing months, including a tour of the White dent of Surgical and Ancillary Services at House in April, hosted by the D.C. Alumni Baylor Health Care Systems, an 11-hospital Group and Bruce McBarnette ’76. system based in Dallas, TX. There is no rational scenario where ERIN REILLY AND STERLING WILSON the U.S. health system is sustainable, with OFFER COLLEGE GLASSES healthcare consuming 17.6% of GDP (twice Sterling Wilson and Erin Reilly, both the total consumer spending of China), ’08, discussed the perils and triumphs of but leaving upwards of 50 million people their already profitable startup, College uninsured, and potentially killing 100,000 Glasses. Having just arrived back from people per year with poor quality care. The China to attend the Forum, Sterling Accountable Care Act will place increasing recounted the source of his inspiration: financial and quality improvement presAttending a football game at powerhouse sure on healthcare payors and providers, USC, where 100,000 lively fans watched a

KENT QUARTERLY

as well as cost pressure on employers and patients. Consolidation in the payor and provider industries enables adoption of new business models to overstep traditional boundaries in the value chain to capture market share and wield power in the new model of longitudinal care and population health. Ernest’s advice is to become an active consumer to preserve access to care, lower out-of-pocket costs, and select only highquality facilities. First, develop a personal relationship with your hospital, physician and their staff to preserve your access to care while 35 million newly insured Americans enter the health system. Second, lower your health risks with lifestyle modification (e.g., weight loss, smoking cessation, preventative care) and financial exposure (e.g., make pre-tax contributions to your HAS/HRA). Lastly, ignore “reputation” and learn to use publicly available quality data to select high performing hospitals and, on a personal note, demand hand washing from care providers, the most effective infection prevention activity known. LAURADA BYERS DESCRIBES THE LAUNCH OF THE RUSSELL BYERS CHARTER SCHOOL

Laurada Beacham Byers ’66 and her two children founded the Russell Byers Charter School (RBCS) in 2001. Located in Philadelphia, this public charter elementary school is a tribute to her late husband, a well-known newspaper columnist who was killed during a robbery attempt in 1999. Russell was a persuasive advocate for improving the quality of public education in Philadelphia and RBCS reflects his values of academic excellence, civic responsibility and community service.

RBCS has experienced incredible growth over the past 11 years and today serves 485 students in grades 4K through 6. The school draws students from 43 different Philadelphia neighborhoods; 88 percent of them are from low-income families. Enrollment is by application and lottery. For the 2012–13 academic year, 1,500 applications were received for 39 student slots. Despite the many challenges its students face, RBCS has blossomed into one of the gems of the Philadelphia charter school movement. The school’s success is a result of an emphasis on hands-on learning, character growth and community service. From day one, the school has lived by Russell’s words that “the greatest gift we can give a child is roots to grow and wings to fly.” At RBCS, children are encouraged to explore, question and discover, reinforcing and encouraging the natural tendencies of their young minds. Since its founding, RBCS has seen a dramatic rise in test scores that now rank in the top 7 percent of Philadelphia public elementary schools; put a unique, “expeditionary” curriculum in place; laid the groundwork to expand to 7th and 8th grades; sent its graduates to some of the Philadelphia region’s most competitive public, charter and private schools; and hired a college coach as part of its Ours for Life program, which allows RBCS to help its students move on to the best schools possible and track their progress to and through college. Given the remarkable performance of RBCS to date, the future of the school appears promising indeed!

Mary Lanning in New York, and will include students and faculty, who are giving up time during their spring break to participate. There is also a Wine Tasting in New York being planned by Council members Ashley Cooke and Jesse Kimball, both ’98. Washington, DC, Alumni Council member Alice Bishop ’78 and Bruce McBarnette ’76 are organizing a White House tour in early April, as well as a Day of Service later in the spring. Ernest Franklin ’87 is planning to continue the Dallas Alumni Group at Flight Safety International’s flight simulator complex at Dallas/Fort Worth airport, at a date to be announced soon. The Alumni Council wishes to thank Stacy Langa, Denny Mantegani, Tonya Kalmes, Marc Cloutier, and the entire Alumni & Development team for their tireless support of the Council and the School.

Portia Richardson P’16 and Tony Blake ’86

Stacy Langa (Hon) ’60, P’14, Peter Patch ’67 and Dayna Grund P’12

Chris Chopek ’03 and friend, Christie Batka ’06 and Rebecca Fenton ’06

Dick Sanford ’55 and Louise Osborne

FUTURE EVENTS PLANNED IN NEW YORK, D.C. AND DALLAS

The Alumni Council is planning additional events in the New York area, including a Day of Service in March, in support of those impacted by Hurricane Sandy. This event is being organized by Megan Sokolnicki at the School, along with Sister

Sterling Wilson ’08, Alex Kupferberg ’08, Sophia Yannopoulos ’09, Steve Hartnett ’08, Harlan Strader ’08, Chloe Lyons ’08, Alex Perrein ’08 and Erin Reilly ’08

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Kent School Alumni now there’s an APP just for you ... and it’s FREE!

We have released our first ALUMNI APP for iPhone, iPad, iPod and Android! With it, you can securely connect with old friends, classmates and fellow alumni. Special features include: • Connect safely with alumni around the corner and around the globe. • Contribute memorable photos and keep everyone up to date.

• Network with classmates through the built-in integration and Alumni Directory. • Pinpoint alumni living in your area or anywhere you travel.

Download it for free. Simply search Kent School in the APP Store Be sure to use the Kent Alumni APP to follow us on Twitter or become a fan on our Alumni Facebook page. The Kent School Alumni APP for iPhone and Android uses e-mail verification and is limited to use by confirmed and authenticated Alumni of Kent School. If you have questions, contact langas@kent-school.edu.

PLEASE NOTE: Alumni information pulls directly from Kent’s

database. Therefore if you need to update your information, please visit: www.kent-school.edu/alumni and use the “Report a Change of Address” form. To opt out of sharing your information on this APP, please email lmartel@kent-school.edu.

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Give to Kent today. Contact the Alumni & Development Office today to discuss your legacy gift to Kent.

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