The Bell Tower - Summer 2011

MILLER SCHOOL of ALBEMARLE MAGAZINE

The Bell Tower Spring/Summer 2011

In This Issue: Class of 2011 Graduation Girls Basketball Championship Pre-Engineering Track New Service Groups Gym Renovation Update

A Letter From

HEADMASTER

Rick France

Greetings from the Miller School of Albemarle. This spring, we enjoyed a wonderful end-of-year celebration for the Class of 2011. They are an extraordinary class of talented, thoughtful, and enjoyable young people of whom we are very proud. While it is always exhilarating to launch another group off to even more exciting and challenging adventures, it is also bittersweet to have them leave “the Hill.”

MSA is a closely knit family, and we hope this year’s graduates will come back to this nest frequently. That spirit is the key element of what we do. We stick together and take care of each other. The Class of 2011 has done exactly that.

In the classroom, they pushed each other to improve and supported one another throughout the year. In athletics, they concentrated on the team goal more than their own personal achievements. In the service program, it is never about self but, rather about the program they serve. This group of young people has grown up to be responsible and wholesome. We know that this is what their families hoped for when they first sent them to MSA, and we have done our best to fulfill that hope.

The Class of 2011 has led us to a great year. When we met with them in August, we shared the real observation that any given school year is only as good as the senior class. We are not sure if they understood that idea completely then.

It is true, though, because the senior class leads academically, athletically, and spiritually. They represent the best that we are, and the younger students look to them as models.

We hope all of you enjoy this edition of The Bell Tower. We express our sincere appreciation to all of those who have contributed to our Annual Fund, helping us approach our goal of raising the funds to renovate our gymnasium. Your financial support enables us to continue our good work with many amazing young men and women. We are grateful.

Sincerely, Rick France Headmaster

Miller School of Albemarle 1000 Samuel Miller Loop Charlottesville, Virginia 22903 www.millerschool.org

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The Miller Bell Tower School Albemarle Magazine

Spring/Summer 2011 The Bell Tower is produced by MSA’s Office of Advancement.

Bradley Bodager, JD, LLM Director of Advancement

of

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Annie Knepper

Associate Director of Advancement

Contributing Authors: Steve Knepper Annie Knepper Brad Bodager Contributing Photographers: Kim Kelley-Wagner Tom Pallante On the cover: MSA student Jake King races in the inaugural season of the Virginia High School Mountain Bike Series.

Read more on page 11.

Photo: Dan Gibson At right: Miller School of Albemarle graduates the Class of 2011! See page 21 for details.

CONTENTS

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Johanna Annunziata and Megan Rembert on Graduation Day

HAPPENINGS ON “THE HILL” News and Community Events

TRACK 9 PRE-ENGINEERING Hands-on preparation for college and careers 11 SPRING SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS CHAMPIONS 15 BACK-TO-BACK Girls Varsity Basketball UPDATE 17 RENOVATION Alumni Gym and Fitness Center

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GROUP SPOTLIGHT 19 SERVICE Two new groups conclude their successful first year

21 31 GIVING

CLASS OF 2011 SPOTLIGHT Senior Chapel Talks, Salutatorian & Valedictorian Speeches

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Happenings on “the Hill”

Eleventh grade student Yiwen Wang’s essay “Morality Beyond Consequences” was a runnerup in a statewide contest sponsored by the University of Virginia’s philosophy department.

Andy’s and Marta’s Self Portraits, completed in Art I

Eighth graders Andy Mangham and Marta Regn were selected to participate in Reflections, a Summer Regional Governor’s School Program in the fine arts. This June,

they joined a small group of outstanding young artists, in grades six through eight, from Charlottesville and the surrounding counties. The ten-day program is highly selective, with only forty openings. Andy and Marta’s selection is a testament to their talents and to the strength of the Miller School art program.

Andy is a five-day boarding student at MSA and a resident of Charlottesville, Virginia. Andy’s goal for the summer program was to develop a steadier hand.

MSA art teacher Sharon Kennedy says that “Andy enjoys drawing highly detailed futuristic/robotic scenes, and he has an excellent understanding of perspective. His drawings of humans and humanoids exhibit a solid understanding of proportions, too.”

Andy not only excels in the visual arts but is also a gifted creative writer, winning a runner-up award in MSA’s Spring Honors fiction contest. The same imagination and vision define both his artistic and literary work.

Marta is a day student from Palmyra, Virginia. Her favorite medium to work in is oil painting because it engages all of the artist’s senses. She looked forward to studying art theory in the Reflections program.

Ms. Kennedy explains that “Marta uses color and values extremely well. This year she worked ‘impressionistically’ on a landscape in oil pastel to convey the mood of the scene. She also has a good sense of design.” Marta is as accomplished in her other classes as she is in the art studio. At the end of year awards ceremony, she was recognized as the eighth grader with the highest grade point average.

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In her award-winning essay, Yiwen tackles a very tricky scenario: Imagine that your friend found an invisibility ring that allows her to do whatever she wants without getting caught. Now that she can literally get away with murder, she no longer has the desire to do the right thing. What reasons would you give her to be good?

Yiwen draws on the difficult thought of philosopher Immanuel Kant to help answer this question.

One of the great strengths of her essay is that she makes Kant’s complex thought crystal clear. This is not Yiwen’s first academic achievement. She has earned High Honors every quarter this year.

Chase and his father, Jeff Cannon

Eleventh grade recognized as a Seniors Grace Ershang Liang Scholars.

student Chase Cannon was 2011 AP Scholar with Honor.

Dawson, Brian Kimble, and were recognized as 2011 AP

The AP Scholar with Honor designation is granted to students with scores of 3 or higher on four or more AP exams, and whose average score is at least 3.25. The AP Scholar Award is granted to students who receive scores of 3 or higher on three or more Advanced Placement exams. Congratulations, Chase, Grace, Brian, and Ershang!

News Chemistry teacher Meghan Sweeny was awarded the 10th Annual Golden Apple Award for excellence in teaching, presented by the Better Living Foundation.

An MSA parent writes that Ms. Sweeny is “an outstanding educator ... She is extremely excited about science, and her enthusiasm is contagious. She works hard to make her teaching come alive. Her class is always interesting and engaging, and she does an excellent job of bringing in real-world applications.”

Fine Arts Department Chair Sharon Kennedy, with the help of the Office of Institutional Advancement, hosted the second En Plein Air Art Event on April 9th. Thirty artists and photographers braved the chilly spring weather to participate. Local community members and MSA students produced many wonderful works of art, which were displayed in the Endurance Team Room. The next En Plein Air Art Event is tentatively scheduled for October 15th, 2011.

Local artist paints by the pond

The research of Dr. Jianghong ‘Esther’ Tian, math teacher and robotics team director, was published in the Journal of Comparative Physiology A. Her original paper, entitled Analysis of Impulse Adaptation in Motoneurons, explores motoneuron input-output relationships, including impulse adaptation in the medicinal leech.

MSA faculty members have many roles, and manage to excel in all of them.

Director of Discipline and history teacher James Braxton and Foreign Language Department Chair Michael Dalton were named 2011 Coaches of the Year by the BRC and VIC, respectively, for their roles as girls varsity basketball coach and boys varsity tennis coach. Athletic Director Scott Willard was named Secretary/ Treasurer of the Blue Ridge Conference, the league for all of the Miller School of Albemarle’s girls sports teams.

Michael Dalton and English teacher Chris Ross were both selected to be AP readers this summer. Mr. Ross notes that “though reading and grading over 800 AP student essays over the course of a week comes dangerously close to driving me barmy, being an AP reader is the best professional development I’ve done since getting my Master’s. There is no better way to get a grasp of the range of student writing in this country--and, in doing so, communicate the primacy of an elegant writing voice to my students over the course of their study here.”

Chris Ross was also selected for a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institute at the University of Pittsburgh called “Voices Across Time,” which will explore topics in American music. He looks forward to “injecting American music” into his 12th-grade English curriculum, and, as a writer himself, he aims to gain a broader perspective of what it means to be an “American.”

A great resource for American Literature scholars is now available with the launch of UVa English Professor Stephen Railton’s Faulkner at Virginia: An Audio Archive. Students can now “listen in on” Faulkner’s speaking engagements during his two years as Writer in Residence at the University (1957-1958).

MSA English teacher and UVa PhD candidate Steve Knepper was on the main production team of this archive, which made The Observer’s Very Short List and was featured in The Wall Street Journal on July 26th.

Visit Faulkner at Virginia: An Audio Archive at http://faulkner.lib.virginia.edu/ Bell Tower Magazine • Spring/Summer 2011

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Community Events

MSA Alumni Association President John Runnett presents the Samuel Miller Memorial Award to Suzanne Jessup Brooks

Photos:Frank Crocker

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News

Samuel Miller Memorial Award Suzanne Jessup Brooks was awarded the 2011 Samuel Miller Memorial Award. The Samuel Miller Memorial Award recognizes individuals whose service has positively impacted the youth of Albemarle County and Charlottesville. Recipients include distinguished community volunteers and leaders who have demonstrated significant and sustained commitment to improving the lives of local youth, such as the 2010 and 2009 recipients Mr. Francis Fife and Mr. Bob Roberts.

A life-long native of Albemarle County, Suzanne Jessup Brooks is Executive Vice President and a principal in Pepsi Cola Bottling Company of Central Virginia. After attending Albemarle County schools and Holton-Arms Academy, she earned her Bachelor’s degree from East Carolina University where she has been a volunteer and leader for a number of years. She has had a life-long commitment to children and educational outlets for their benefit and has served on the Miller School of Albemarle Board of Trustees as a member and as Vice Chair.

Many people throughout Charlottesville and Albemarle offer praise for Suzanne’s work behind the scenes to help local organizations. Suzanne continues this outreach and support of local educational institutions, most notably, the Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC), where in 1991 the Betty Sue Jessup Library was named and dedicated. Through these and many other activities, Suzanne continues her outstanding leadership in supporting numerous non-profits and educational institutions in our community that have had the interests of children and young adults at their core.

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Professor Cantor debunks the myths questioning Shakespeare’s authorship

Who Wrote Shakespeare’s Plays?

Shakespeare scholar Paul A. Cantor was the February Headmaster Dinner speaker, explaining to students, faculty, and guests “Who Wrote Shakespeare’s Plays.” Mr. Cantor is Clifton Waller Barrett Professor of English at the University of Virginia, where he has taught since 1977. He has also taught in both the English and Government departments at Harvard University. From 1992 to 1999, he was on the National Council of the Humanities, the governing board of the National Endowment for the Humanities. He has lectured widely in the United States and also abroad, in such countries as Britain, Germany, and Australia. He is the author of numerous books and essays on Shakespeare, including Shakespeare’s Rome: Republic and Empire and the Hamlet volume in the Cambridge Landmarks of World Literature series. His lecture was received with great interest by all.

The Headmaster Dinner program was new for the 2010-11 school year. Headmaster Dinners were held on the last Wednesday of each month. Both boarding and day students were invited to attend. The dinners provided excellent opportunities for students to dress up and to experience engaging programs followed by interactive question and answer sessions.

Photos p. 7-8: Brad Bodager

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Community Events Andy G uptill vis its

with Ro bbie and form Munn, P ’06 er MSA trustee

Peter Hufnagel and his wife, pro cyclist Andrea Dvorak, beside the MSA bicycle in the silent auction

Virginia to Africa: The Water Project According to UNICEF, nearly 900 million people do not have access to safe, clean water—something that most of us take for granted. As we enter the second decade of the twenty-first century, water inadequacy is a worsening global crisis. Fortunately, committed scientists, engineers, and humanitarians are working to meet this challenge.

On March 11, 2011, Miller School of Albemarle partnered with the Rotary Clubs of Charlottesville, Blue Ridge, and Albemarle to help raise funds for the essential work of UVa Engineering Professor Garrick Louis and his students, who are working on life-saving water filtrations systems in the Limpopo Province of South Africa and in other locations in Africa and on three other continents.

The fundraiser, which was open to the public, included a silent auction and a presentation from Dr. Louis and the IBM Corporation, an event sponsor. MSA was also an event sponsor, and the auction featured a Miller School racing bicycle which was purchased and donated back to the MSA cycling program. Many members of the Miller School Community were in attendance. Over $30,000 was raised for the Limpopo Project, with several additional matching grants from the Rotary District and Rotary International Foundation.

Dr. Louis specializes in small infrastructure solutions to water and sanitation problems. He hopes that the work he is leading in two rural communities in Limpopo will become a model for future water projects throughout Africa and the world. And, he is hopeful about including MSA students in applied service work at some of these projects in the future.

Professor Garrick Louis prepares his presentation

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Students in front of the UVa Rotunda during their trip to the University Research Design Symposium (Photo: John Macdonald)

Academics Symposium at UVa, which brought together researchers from around the world. Presenters represented leading universities such as Carnegie Mellon University, West Point, Virginia Tech, and Georgia Tech. Engaging and innovative presentations ranged from ATV safety to solar power. MSA tenth grader Meghan Noga reported on the trip for the school blog, writing, “The engineering seminar was very interesting, and it opened a lot of doors for me that would never have opened otherwise.”

In May 2011, students attended a University Research Design Symposium at UVa, which featured a “battle of the best 2011 senior theses,” and a group of physics students visited the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Charlottesville.

MSA Launches Pre-Engineering Track This year, Miller School of Albemarle launched a new pre-engineering track. Under the direction of Elizabeth Brann, Director of Academics, and John Macdonald, MSA’s Math Department Chair and an engineering graduate of the Merchant Marine Academy, this track combines a rigorous slate of math and science courses with hands-on experience in the Design/Build shop and other areas, such as the robotics team. Students who pursue this track will develop a portfolio of original work and receive a certificate of completion upon graduation. They also have opportunities to visit the University of Virginia School of Engineering, where they can interact with leading engineers and investigate cutting-edge research.

Ms. Brann explains that the goal of the pre-engineering track is not only to prepare students for admission to top schools, but to encourage them “to view problems in a different way,” to develop critical thinking skills and practical knowledge that will be useful no matter what their future career.

Interested students have already begun to delve into the exciting world of engineering, some deciding to enroll in the pre-engineering track. MSA students, in grades eight through twelve, attended four events at the University of Virginia throughout the 2010-11 school year.

On April 25, 2011, the whole MSA student body got a glimpse into the world of engineering. UVa professor and MSA board member Kay Neeley, P‘05 & ‘08, who has served as a key advisor for Miller’s pre-engineering track, gave an engaging chapel presentation entitled “What Is Engineering (And Why You Should Care Even if You Will Never Be an Engineer)?”

Professor Neeley explained that engineering is a broad field, ranging from agriculture to energy to the Internet. She also pointed out that we all grapple with questions of design every day. She stressed that enthusiasm and determination, more than high grades in math and science, are the mark of great engineering students.

Ms. Brann explains that Professor Neeley’s presentation and this year’s field trips “opened the door to the world of engineering for Miller students, showing them the breadth and depth of the field.” She sees Miller’s close proximity to the University of Virginia as a definite advantage, since its School of Engineering is “so willing to collaborate. Our students can see the high level you can achieve in engineering.”

Recent Miller graduates have enrolled in the competitive engineering and architecture programs at UVa and Virginia Tech. The new pre-engineering initiative promises more of these outcomes, as Miller carries its long tradition of handson problem solving into the future.

On November 14, 2010, Design/Build students and Robotics Team members toured the UVA Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department. A highlight for many students was the 3-D printer, which “prints” functional objects from plans, such as a working abacus.

On April 29, 2011, MSA students attended the tenth annual Systems and Information Engineering Design Right: Students attend a presentation at the UVa Systems and Information Engineering Design Symposium (Photo: John Macdonald) Top: UVa Professor Hilary Bart-Smith introduces students to UVa’s Bio-Inspired Engineering Research Lab (Photo: Dr. Esther Tian)

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Spring Sports Highlights

Will Chambers and Bowman McCuiston are ready for the first race in the VAHS MTB series

Endurance Team

This spring, Endurance Team Director Peter Hufnagel organized the inaugural Virginia High School Mountain Bike Series (VAHS MTB). This 6-race series is sanctioned by USA Cycling and takes place on five locations throughout central Virginia. In preparation for the two home races, the endurance team and MSA service group cleared and cut 4-miles of single track trails on campus. Local cycling clubs and Blue Ridge School’s Director of Outdoor Programs Tony Brown helped coordinate the other races in the series.

MSA cyclists Kyle Ottaway and Will Chambers finished among the top ten riders for the series, with Jake King and Rawls Fortenberry placing in the top twenty. Due to the success of the series, Hufnagel was invited to speak with USA Cycling Directors in Colorado Springs over the summer to discuss ways to replicate the VA Series in other states.

Photo:Frank Crocker

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Athletics

Baseball

Jeremy Walker winds up for a pitch

The Mavericks baseball team started their spring break traveling to Orlando, Florida, to get primed for a season that showcased big wins over a number of Division I teams and ended at Farina Field as MSA hosted a Division III State Tournament game. The Mavs finished the season 15-6. Rising Junior Kody Rose led the team with a .442 batting average, with Jeremy Walker and Sam Ridenhour hitting .429 and .425. On the mound, Jeremy Walker, Eric Ponton and Justin Cooper kept the other team’s bats at bay. Jeremy Walker held a 3.09 ERA and Eric Ponton was close behind with a 3.85 ERA. Next year, the team returns all but one starter, with senior Thomas Stallings moving on to V.M.I. to continue his playing career.

Thanks to the generosity of Mark Krebs, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees, fans of the baseball team enjoyed muchimproved seating at games. The donated bleachers were installed by students in the Design/Build classes.

Dan Baer and Thomas Stallings

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Photo: Raiza Vega

Boys Tennis

Golf The 2011 golf season was filled with improvements and fun. The students always looked forward to playing a few holes each afternoon and competing in chipping drills every Friday. Mike Orem made the most improvements on the team. Laura Sullivan earned the Coach’s Award for her positive attitude towards new techniques, her dedication to practice on her own time, and her efforts to build team unity. John Armstrong was named MVP due to the knowledge and experience he passed along to his teammates each day. The biggest success this past season was the students’ increased passion for learning the game.

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This spring, the boys tennis team had their best season in recent memory. The team had a record of 7-2 during the regular season, finishing in 3rd place in the VIC. They advanced to the semi-finals in the Conference tournament and qualified for the Division II State Tournament for the first time in history. Seniors Min Jik Cho and Drew Lewis were named to the All-Conference Team.

Athletics

Lacrosse

Led by the dynamic trio of Michael Kidby, Casey Matthews, and Ben Keller on midfield, sharpshooters Grant Dinwiddie, Andrew Lee, and Garrett Moore on attack, stalwarts Edward Hyug Her, Juhong Kim and Dong Min Shin on defense, and veteran Beau Wilson holding down the goal, Miller boys lacrosse enjoyed another rebuilding season of success.

Girls Soccer

The girls varsity soccer team ended their season with a handful of victories and a lot of cheer. The girls demonstrated great enthusiasm and teamwork, and they enjoyed playing soccer every day.

Johanna Annunziata was named the Most Valuable Player, Rachel Leach earned the Coach’s Award, and Rachel Odumu was named Most Improved.

Savannah White, Schuyler Hall,

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Athletics

Lady Mavs Repeat State Champs

Senior Ashley Bowles prepares to pass the ball to a teammate Photo: Tom Pallante

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Lady Mavericks Win Back-to-Back State Titles The Miller School of Albemarle girls basketball team capped a triumphant season on March 3rd with a 53-33 win over Williamsburg Christian in the VISAA Division III state championship game. Less than one week earlier, on February 26, the team had knocked off rival Liberty Christian to win the Blue Ridge Conference tournament.

This is the Lady Mavericks’ second state title in as many years. The team ended their eighth season under head coach James Braxton with an impressive 25-4 record.

Braxton notes that the team had to overcome a lot of adversity this year. A rash of early season injuries left the team shorthanded. The key to the team’s success was that “there was always someone ready to step up. The younger girls worked hard in practice, and they were always prepared when we called on them.” Ninth grader Rachel Odumu and tenth grader Lauren Sprouse both contributed to the team’s success, despite their lack of varsity experience. Tenth grader Taylor Sandidge led the team in assists.

Rachel Odumu, Kelsey Corcoran, Whitney Martin, & Lauren Sprouse

It helped that these young players had good senior leadership. Braxton praises senior Ashley Bowles for providing “excellent leadership on the court. She always knew her assignments and what we were trying to accomplish.” Bowles, who will play basketball this fall at Davis & Elkins College in West Virginia, was honored with her second consecutive VISAA Division III player of the year award. She led the Lady Mavs in scoring, averaging nearly 15 points a game. Braxton claims that her defense was what really set her apart, though: “Ashley is a great defender. That means that she always went against the other team’s best player.”

“When we get on the bus, we expect to win.”

Two other seniors provided great leadership, as well.

Kelsey Corcoran, who will play at South Carolina’s Winthrop University this fall, led the team in rebounds.

Guard Johanna Annunziata provided experience in the Miller backcourt. Annunziata will attend Manhattan College in New York City.

Junior Ashleigh Claybrooks joined Bowles on the Division III All-State Team. She averaged ten points and five rebounds a game for the Lady Mavericks.

Braxton explains that the Miller program has come a long way in his eight years at the helm. He says that the coaches and players have developed a culture of success: “When we get on the bus, we expect to win.” Miller will try to keep the momentum going next year, but in the meantime, they have another championship banner to hang in Alumni Gym.

Alumni Gym & Fitness Center Renovation Project Update

In July of 2010, the Miller School of Albemarle secured a $225,000 grant from a Charlottesville foundation that has enabled the school to embark on an exciting renovation project to improve athletic fitness and wellness facilities for all MSA students.

Built over sixty years ago, Alumni Gym is a crucial center of campus fitness, wellness, and athletic activities. After-school athletics engender teamwork, perseverance, leadership, and confidence--skills that aid all students in their journey long after they leave the Miller School of Albemarle. While students make frequent use of the existing facilities, Alumni Gym is in great need of renovation to bring it up-to-date and to provide a range of equipment that benefits both girls and boys.

The planned renovation of the lower level includes new locker rooms and restroom facilities, a new group fitness and dance studio, and a new Fitness Center. The Fitness Center is the centerpiece of the renovation, as it will open up the lower level into a large, multi-purpose space complete with both cardio and strength training equipment. The Fitness Center will be an attractive and pleasant place for students to work out, taking advantage of natural light through the installation of floor-to-ceiling windows along the back wall.

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On the upper level, new restrooms have already been completed. The renovations have continued this summer with work beginning on the replacement of the gym playing floor and the installation of new seating, which will increase capacity by over 100 seats. The training room will be moved to the upper level to accompany the redesigned foyer, Athletic Director’s office, and concession area. The renovation will also include the installation of accessibility ramps and an improved air ventilation and cooling system.

The estimated total cost for this renovation is $700,000. In addition to the $225,000 from the foundation, over $300,000 has been received in gifts and pledges to match this challenge grant. This leaves us with approximately $175,000 to raise before December 31st, 2011. If you haven’t joined us already, we invite you to be a part of this exciting project by making a gift to our Annual Fund.

Thank you to all who have already joined our team by contributing to this project!

To join our team, and to learn more about this project and naming opportunities, please contact Brad Bodager, Director of Institutional Advancement, at 434-823-4805 x211 or bbodager@millerschool.org.

Athletics

Architect’s sketch of the planned Fitness Center on the lower level of Alumni Gym

Computer-drawn rendering of the planned Fitness Center on the lower level of Alumni Gym

With your help, we can take this from the drawing board and make it a reality on the lower level of Alumni Gym. Bell Tower Magazine • Spring/Summer 2011

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Service Program New Service Groups Expand Community Outreach

VABook! Service Group Every spring, Charlottesville, Virginia hosts one of the biggest book festivals in the country. The Virginia Festival of the Book, or “VABook!,” is a five-day event that draws an audience of over 22,000 book lovers.

It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to stage an event of this scale, and this year Miller School students helped out. Every other Wednesday afternoon, four students volunteered with the Festival’s parent organization, Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. For the 2010-11 school year, the group included eighth grader Andy Mangham, junior Chase Cannon, and seniors Grace Dawson and Tori Hadalski. English teacher Steve Knepper is the service group’s faculty sponsor.

Grace Dawson, Chase Cannon, Tori Hadalski, and Andy Mangham help VABook! Program Director Nancy Damon sort through the many books submitted for the festival.

Photos: Steve Knepper

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The service group contributed to festival preparations in a number of ways. Students distributed promotional bookmarks to stores throughout the Charlottesville area. They helped festival administrators enter data and sort materials. As members of the Festival of the Book Advisory Committee, they attended the annual meeting and read book submissions, helping to decide which should be accepted into the festival!

In short, this new service group provides an excellent opportunity for Miller students to learn about event organization, promotion, and planning. Even more importantly, it is an opportunity for them to serve their community and one of the most important cultural events in the state of Virginia.

The 2010-11 school year launched a service group dedicated to the identification, labeling, re-planting, restoration, and continuing care of over 175 species of trees on campus lands, especially the MSA Arboretum planted with the assistance of the Rivanna Garden Club and MSA trustee Jean Printz in the 1970s and 1980s.

Service

The primary focus of this year’s service group, which included Ershang Liang, Glen Gong, Sean Park, and Alexis Zielinski, was to identify and map the forty varieties of trees in the Miller School of Albemarle Arboretum that are located around and near the lotus pond.

In response to a proposal from the MSA Office of Advancement, the Rivanna Garden Club made a generous grant to the arboretum project in March to install identifying plaques. Next year, the group will work to replace lost trees and continue to identify additional trees known to exist on MSA’s 1,600 acres.

The group also looks forward to continuing to work with Louise Tayloe, of the Rivanna Garden Club, and Nan Brody, president of the Charlottesville Garden Club, in support of Historic Garden Week activities in April 2012.

Group leader Kim Kelley-Wagner, MSA’s Communications Coordinator, has created a colorful walking tour map that can be used by visitors to the Miller School of Albemarle campus who wish to tour and view the variety of trees on our grounds. For more information, or to request an electronic copy of the Arboretum Map, please email kkwagner@millerschool.org.

Arboretum Service Group

Photo: An expert from the forest service helps the arboretum service group identify trees

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Congrat ulat ions, Class of 2011!

!

Special Feature

Graduation 2011 Senior Chapel Talks

Every Miller senior must deliver a chapel talk to the entire student body. It can be a daunting challenge. Under the guidance of faculty advisors Debbie Casado and Chris Ross, twelfth graders spend hours crafting their messages to the Miller community. All of the anxiety and hard work are more than worth it, though. Through their chapel talks, the seniors share their passions and their insights, the experiences that have formed them, and the challenges they have overcome. Miller’s chapel talks are marked by the sincerity and wisdom of young adults who are turning a page in their lives. The audience always listens, and the audience always learns. Here is a brief sampling from some of the chapel talks of the class of 2011, accompanied by photos of the authors on graduation day.

“The next time you face a challenge that you think is very difficult, I hope you reconsider, and remember that all you have to do is add an apostrophe and a space and the word impossible becomes I’m possible.” –Laura Sullivan

“‘Time is money.’ Well, in my opinion, time is more precious than money. When money is spent, we can earn more later.

However, when time is gone or lost, it will never return. One day has twenty-four hours, about one third of which are spent sleeping, so the time for studying and working is very limited.

However, not everyone is aware of the importance of time until it is too late. Time goes by without being noticed, so all of us should try our best to make full use of time.” –Yichao Fan

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Graduation 2011 “Although we take this sport very seriously, when the pressure is off and the races are over, we take the time to relax and have fun with our family and friends [. . . ] We have respect for each other. Racing truly bonds us together as one happy family because we share the love of the sport.” –Ashley Bowles on her experiences as a junior drag racer.

“Despite some bumps in the road, running a business here taught me real-life lessons that I never would have learned in any high school class. It also helped me find an academic field I am highly interested in, and helped me experience what Thomas Edison meant when he said ‘failure is the mother of success.’ Most importantly, it helped me find my place at Miller, the welcoming community of free individuals.” –Andrew Lee on managing the Miller School Store and Bistro “About four years ago, my Dad told me some words of advice. Now I try to use them whenever I need to make a clear decision on or off the field. The letters that represent his advice are E-D-A-T, and they are written in almost every single one of my baseball hats. When I come across that phrase, I remember how hard I have worked in the past to get to this moment. I remember the times when people were not at practice but I was. I remember the times where it was just me and Pops out on the field working on the game I play for joy. The phrase is ‘Every Day’s A Tryout.’ No matter where you are or who you are with, every day you are making an impression on someone whether you like it or not. Every day you have the choice to be that person someone looks up to, or looks down on. Every day, no matter who is watching, you should give it your best.” –Thomas Stallings

“Find a friend who you think can influence you positively. Be an active agent of change in your life. Your life is up to you. Your life is not someone else’s.

Don’t be stupid, though. Look for a good influence. Friends can change you.

If you emulate a person who is a bad influence, you will become a bad one yourself.” -Min Jik Cho

“Three years ago I did not really know the meaning of living in this fretful world. Therefore, I started to focus on drawing because I felt I could rebuild a part of a new world through art. I put my feelings into my drawing instead of purely copying objects. As I drew, I found out the world made more sense.” –Duo Lin “I was on a site-seeing tour [in the Dominican Republic] when we stopped at a run-down gas station on the side of the road. I went inside to the restroom and I saw a boy who looked about my age. This boy was literally waiting until customers were done and then he would flush the toilets out with water from a bucket and his bare hands. I had never seen such a thing in my life. Out of all the jobs in the world, this had to be the worst. He didn’t just clean the bathrooms; after every single use he would flush out the toilets because they were broken or didn’t flush. This stopped me; I was mad earlier that day because my parents wouldn’t let me have the ‘Over 21’ bracelet that was given at my resort, and this boy was my age; I was on a majestic elegant 5-star tour, and he was on his hands and knees washing out toilets with his bare hands.” -Shawn O’Brien

25 Bell Tower Magazine • Spring/Summer 2011

Graduation 2011 “Although Christianity and Islam have some differences, they also have many similar guidelines for living.

Muslims practice “Zakah,” which translates into giving money or goods to the poor people. The Christian religion also stresses reaching out to others.” –Mohamad Alfouzan “Writing has for me the ability to keep my mind at ease. Writing out my experience or something that troubles me can help me to deal with the many things I encounter in my external life.

It can also help to bring things to light I may not have thought about for many a while since they happened.” –Brian Kimble

“I’m convinced—sincerity is the most important element in relationships with others. If people do not show their true face, they can never find deep human relations.” –Keith Cho

“But then came the realization I made mention of earlier.

Hallelujah! It arrived at a point in my life when I truly needed it. It was high time that I learned to take the good with the bad, and admit that not everything would work itself out in my favor. Along with accepting the outcomes of less-than-perfect situations, I learned to appreciate what I had, while I had it. I realized it would be pretty pointless if I only wanted something after it was gone.” –Tori Hadalski Bell Tower Magazine • Spring/Summer 2011

26

Salutatory Speech

Grace Dawson, University of Richmond Class of 2015

To the class of 2011, I offer my congratulations. Here we are this May morning, graduating at last. We have been anticipating this day for the past four years, some of us longer. It has been quite a ride from scared little freshmen to confident young men and women getting ready to go out into the world.

Though the journey to this day has been different for each of us, one part is the same, and that part is Miller School. Miller has been just one of many stepping stones in each of our lives, but it is one that we share. Miller has influenced us each differently, and some more than others. Miller means a different thing to each and every one of us. To some it has been a home, and has held a family. To some it has been a learning ground for life much more than academia. But I think that for each of us, in some way, it has been more than just a school, more than just a requirement, more than just a routine.

When asked what makes Miller extraordinary and unique, people always talk about how special the community is. The repetition of this may make it seem less true, but for me, and for my classmates, the community that surrounds us has been one part of Miller we will never forget. We have had the honor of learning from teachers who know us, and who care for us; who treat us like adults when we earn their respect; who look us in the eye, and who eagerly greet us each fall with hugs and smiles. I would not want to be a part of any other community; I could not have asked for more.

When we look back at the time we have spent at Miller, it seems to have gone so fast. How can it possibly be more than just the other day that I was driving up the front entrance, and setting eyes on the Bell Tower and Old Main, for the very first time.

I can still remember the first day that I came to Miller. It was an open-house during the late winter of my eighth grade year. I did not really know much about Miller at that point, and I didn’t even know for sure that I wanted to attend. I was of course impressed, and I admit a little intimidated, by the grandeur of these beautiful old buildings. The campus though, was not what first struck me. The first thing about Miller that really made an impression on me was the smell. I know that sounds a little odd, but as I walked up the stairs just inside the portico, counting each step as I went, I inhaled deeply, and I remember that smell vividly. It was a smell of wood, and age; not a musty crumbling smell like one that might be

27 Bell Tower Magazine • Spring/Summer 2011

expected in Gormenghast Castle, but a smell of history and magic more reminiscent of a place such as Hogwarts.

The class of 2011 is a historic class in many ways.

Amongst our ranks stand the very last of the Miller Devils. With the graduation of this senior class goes a little bit of Miller history. Though we are the last of the Devils, in the class of 2011 also stand some of the first true Miller Mavericks. We are the first graduating class to have been freshmen as Mavericks, to have gone all the way through as Mavericks, and we are proud of our identity.

We are the first senior class to have Mr. France as our Headmaster. We are so lucky to have had Mr. France as our headmaster. He is a caring and hardworking individual, the equal of whom we would be hard pressed to find. He has helped us to stay close, and really be one with our community here. I hope that as we move on we will still be able to stick together and take care of each other in one way or another. I can say with certainty that we are all glad to have spent this year with Mr. France leading our school. The future of Miller School is sure to be full of success and joyful “Mondays” with Mr. France as Headmaster.

We have so many memories from this year and the years before to look back on that will remind us of Miller and our time spent within these halls.

Last winter we were held captive with an inordinate amount of snow. Some were trapped here at Miller, some were held up in airports, trapped in limbo amidst their travels, still others stuck at home without power or any possible way to escape. Eventually the plows reached all the back roads, and we were able to reach home, or in some cases escape home. Fortunately nobody was hurt, we all survived the snow, and can brag today that we were there; we witnessed it; we experienced it together.

Eventually though, the snow melted, the flowers bloomed, and we all moved on. Now it’s that time of year again, and we are truly moving on. We are moving on to summer, to college, and to the rest of our lives.

Perhaps one day we will come back to Miller, and when we do, it will welcome us back like an old friend. It might not look exactly the same, or smell exactly the same, or house all of the same people; but no matter what, we know that we can come back to a place that will always be familiar, no matter how long we stay away.

Bell Tower Magazine • Spring/Summer 2011

28

Valedictory Speech

Shuo Sun, University of Virginia Class of 2015

Good Morning.

First I’d like to thank our Chinese and Korean guests in their languages. 首先，我谨代表Miller School全体师生欢迎并感谢 各位家长亲临我们的毕业典礼。同时，感谢您们对 我们由始至终的帮助及鼓励。正是有了您们的支 持，我们才会获得留洋海外的机会，从而使我们离 我们的梦想更近了一步。 Now, in Korean, 모든 학부모님들, 환영합니다. 이렇게 저희들의 졸 업식에 참가 해 주셔서 감사합니다. 항상 멀리에 서도 응원해주셔서 감사합니다. 그 응원과함께, 저 희는 더 많은 기회와 함께 저희 꿈을 향해 한 발짝 나아갈 수 있게되었습니다.

The Class of 2011 is so special compared to others because we may be the most diverse class ever. Eleven of us are from China, six of us are from Korea, and one of us is from Saudi Arabia.

The person who stands here now giving you this speech is also special because, among all the valedictorians through hundreds of years in Miller history, this person may speak the worst English.

I assume you may question whether such a particularly unique class is able to achieve success. The answer is an overwhelming yes.

29 Bell Tower Magazine • Spring/Summer 2011

As international students, we are ambitious; we never stop one second as we pursue our goals; but we are also dependent, and sometimes weak and homesick.

We are willing to enter a brand new environment; but meanwhile, we are also afraid that this environment is too exclusive for us to be a part of. Nevertheless, no anxiety is necessary at Miller.

Everyone puts great effort into helping us improve our language ability; but also, Miller is more like a family than a normal high school. In this new family, we are not nostalgic, isolated or lonely any longer; instead, we build up beautiful relationships which reach far beyond our expectations.

With this thought in mind, I received this text right after I got a rejection letter from Cornell University, from my best friend, whom I depended upon more than anyone else.

“This is just a night before the dawn…Don’t long for today’s sunset, for it was too dark for you to see. But expect to see the sun rise in a brighter light tomorrow.”

At Miller, as a part of this sweet family, each of us deserves each other. Although we are graduating, our best memories will not fade away, our relationships will contribute to our future routes, and our dependence will undoubtedly be the key to our faith as we construct our new lives.

Again, a great thanks to our parents, for making the

Graduation 2011

decision to send us to Miller School, for being our steadfast supporters every single second, and for every vigorous and determined attempt you exerted to assist us in accomplishing our goals.

Grand thanks is also due to the faculty, for being with us, supporting us and encouraging us. Thanks for your patience, diligence, and attention. You taught us a great deal of knowledge, and imparted, elucidated and enlightened the paths to pursue in our lives.

Last but not least, let’s express thanks for each other, and for this sweet family we built up together. Remember the two crazy days we all spent in DC? Remember the prank night we all flipped over the entire school? Remember the essay we had to do for English class even though it was almost the end of the year? Remember Jo’s speech at the Senior Dinner which made us all feel bittersweet?

One of my friends said to me, “Your presence affected my life, but one thing which far more deeply affected my life is your absence.” Eventually appears the inevitable moment of our leaving; let us look at each other one more time. Let’s take this second to engrave these figures who played significant roles in our lives and who may become the most familiar strangers after today.

Let’s pray that each other’s futures will be happy and fulfilled without us accompanying each other. Lastly, let’s cheer that our memories of each other will definitely become one of the most beautiful parts of our souls.

Photo of Miller School of Albemarle’s lake by Caroline Bodager Bell Tower Magazine • Spring/Summer 2011

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Annual Giving

On behalf of our students, we are tremendously grateful for the support of the donors listed below during the July 2010-June 2011 fiscal year.

If your name is not on the list, we invite you to join with us to help reach our goal of raising $475,000 by December 2011.

The Golden Bell Tower Club

For gifts of $5,000 or more during the 2010-2011 fiscal year Mr. & Mrs. Thomas L. Beasley Mr. & Mrs. Douglas E. Caton Mr. & Mrs. C. Hill Ewald Col. Richard E. Fitzhugh Mr. & Mrs. Mark Krebs Mrs. Elizabeth Marcus Mr. & Mrs. Fulton Marshall Mr. David Munn

Mr. & Mrs. F. Page Nelson, Jr. Ms. Charlotte Sherman Mr. & Mrs. Preston O. Stallings Mr. John A. Taylor

Marietta McNeill Morgan & Samuel Tate Morgan Jr. Foundation

Miller School Alumni Association The Titmus Foundation W. E. Brown Family and Friends

The Silver Bell Tower Club

For gifts of $1,000 or more during the 2010-2011 fiscal year Mr. & Mrs. Richard R. Abidin Mr. & Mrs. William E. Baer, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Cyrus P. Barger Mr. Lindsay R. Barnes, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Bradley E. Bodager Mr. & Mrs. Robert L. Brooks Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Brubaker Mr. Paul A. Cantor Mr. & Mrs. Eugene F. Corrigan Mr. & Mrs. E. Grant Cosner Mr. John Crafaik & Dr. Kathryn Neeley Mr. & Mrs. Ernest Drumheller Mr. & Mrs. William H. Flannagan, III Mr. & Mrs. Patrick L. France

Dr. Frazier Fortenberry & Dr. Sara Kaltreider Mr. Paul Hayes & Ms. Kim Hawley Mr. & Mrs. Broadus Hill Mr. & Mrs. Jack Horn Mr. Peter Hufnagel & Ms. Andrea Dvorak Mr. & Mrs. Wayne Hufnagel Mr. Eun Ho Hwang & Ms. Jung Hee Lim Mr. & Mrs. Hugh Meagher Ms. Robin L. Munn Mr. & Mrs. Charles Pace Mr. & Mrs. Blaise Pasztory Ms. M. Jean Printz Mr. John C. Pritzlaff, III Mr. & Mrs. Chris Ramm

31 Bell Tower Magazine • Spring/Summer 2011

Mrs. Elizabeth P. Scott Mr. & Mrs. Donald Shiflett Mr. & Mrs. Fred C. Simpkins Mr. & Mrs. John Steele Mr. Jack Taylor Bank of America Foundation Great Eastern Management Company Harry A. Wright’s, Inc. Inframap Corporation J’s International Trading, Inc. Northwestern Mutual Foundation Rivanna Garden Club Wells Fargo Foundation Whitney & Anne Stone Foundation

Giving

The Bronze Bell Tower Club

For gifts of $250 or more during the 2010-2011 fiscal year Anonymous (3) Mr. & Mrs. Stuart Armstrong Mr. & Mrs. James H. Baber Mr. & Mrs. William E. Baer, Sr. Mr. Harry L. Beazell, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. David Bentley Mrs. Lucy Flannagan Blevins Ms. Kaye Bramblett Mr. & Mrs. Bernie Cason Ms. Emily B. Caton Mr. & Mrs. Alfred E. Cummings Mr. & Mrs. William R. Dandridge, Jr. Dr. Laurie U. deBettencourt Dr. Michael Enoch Mr. & Mrs. Anthony P. Farina Mrs. Carolyn D. Farina Mr. & Mrs. Kevin B. Farina Mr. & Mrs. Louis D. Farina, Jr. Mr. Matthew J. Farina

Dr. & Mrs. G. Franklin Forney Mr. & Mrs. Richard B. Freeman Mrs. Irma Garrison Mr. & Mrs. Rob Garver Ms. Janice C. Gibson Ms. Jessie Carr Haden Mr. Doug Hornig Mr. Ben King Mr. & Mrs. Steven Knepper Ms. Nicolette Kollar Mr. Ludwig Kuttner Mr. Kevin Lahn Mr. & Mrs. Randall Leach Mr. John McCarthy Mr. & Mrs. Fred Morris Mr. & Mrs. Mark Mummau Mr. & Mrs. James Ottaway Dr. John & Dr. Barbara Post Mr. & Mrs. James Regn

Dr. & Mrs. Paul Renda Mr. Robert M. Roberts, Sr. Mr. Christopher D. Ross Mr. & Mrs. Robert A. Shaw Dr. & Mrs. Charles H. Skipper Mr. Robert W. Smith, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Joel Snow Mr. & Mrs. Clay Stewart Mr. James M. Williams Mr. & Mrs. Wm. Lowndes Wilson Mr. & Mrs. John Wright, IV Ms. Martina Young Mr. & Mrs. Larry Zeman Abidin Family Fund Dominion Foundation Dulaney Fund J. Bruce Barnes, Inc. Margaret Hulvey Wright Trust Specialty Beverage

ADDITIONAL DONORS IN THE 2010-2011 FISCAL YEAR Mr. & Mrs. Frank R. Altenhofen Agnes, Bob, and John Anderson Mr. & Mrs. Ward Anderson Mr. Steven P. Anslow Mr. & Mrs. Goldie Baber Mrs. Edith S. Ballard Mr. W. J. Barber, Jr. Ms. Mary L. Barker Mr. Lindsay R. Barnes, III Mrs. Judy Barokas Ms. Lisa L. Barrett Mr. & Mrs. Carl Battaglia Ms. Heidi Baughman & Dr. Thomas M. Grisius Mr. & Mrs. John T. Bazzarre Mrs. Mary M. Belew Mr. & Mrs. Duane H. Bickers Mr. & Mrs. J. Spencer Birdsong Ms. Laura Bohleke Mr. & Mrs. David K. Bradbury Mr. & Mrs. Timothy Bradley Mrs. Elizabeth Brann Mr. & Mrs. Aiden Burke Mr. Joseph F. Burns, Jr. Ms. Debra Casado Mr. & Mrs. James C. Cason Mr. Lawrence E. Cassada, Sr. Ms. Meta Chisholm Mr. & Mrs. Dudley Christian Mr. Herbert Coleman Mr. & Mrs. Bart F. Conlon, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Greg Corcoran

In honor of the Class of 1945 Mr. & Mrs. Edwin P. Nevin In honor of Dan Baer, 2012 Mr. & Mrs. William E. Baer, Jr. In honor of the three Cummings Mr. & Mrs. Alfred E. Cummings In honor of Hendrix Emu Mr. Kevin Lahn

Mr. William H. Craddock Ms. Hetty Wray H. Dandridge Ms. Barbara D. Davis Ms. Kathleen Donnelly Ms. Victoria Doss Mr. Gregory Faust & Ms. Paulyn Heinmiller Mr. & Mrs. Hans Foss Ms. Jean W. Francolini Mr. & Mrs. Henry B. Frazier, III Ms. Jill Fredrikson Mr. Martin L. Friedburg Mr. & Mrs. Thomas M. Futch Mrs. Annie Lee Gianakos Mrs. Ginny Glazer Dr. & Mrs. Charles H. Gleason Mr. William B. Guerrant, Jr. Mr. Bernard Haggerty, Jr. & Ms. Susan Baldridge Mr. Sam Hale Dr. & Mrs. Charles Hamner, Jr. Mrs. Katharine Hancock Ms. Donna M. Hill Mr. & Mrs. J. Elam Holland Mr. & Mrs. Robert Hoover Mr. & Mrs. William E. Hopkins Ms. Victoria Howard Mr. & Mrs. Jeff Hoyt Mr. & Mrs. Robert L. Huckstep Mr. Robert R. Humphris, Sr. Mr. & Mrs. Ben Hurt Mr. J. Randolph Hutcheson

Mr. & Mrs. Louis Karably Mr. & Mrs. Randall F. Keller Mr. Dennis R. Kendrick Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey L. Kennington Mr. Frederick Kraft Mr. & Mrs. Thomas B. Landseadel Mr. & Mrs. Ralph L. Law Mr. F. Richard Lentzsch Mr. & Mrs. Charles Leonard Ms. Martha Lisle Dr. & Mrs. C. Rosser Massey Mr. Eldridge D. Martin Ms. Georgiana McCabe Mr. & Mrs. Herbert B. McGuire Mr. & Mrs. John C. Minor Mr. Darrell D. Mitchell Mrs. Mary Moon Ms. Virginia A. K. Moran Mrs. Edmund W. Morris Mr. Vernon R. Mowbray Mr. & Mrs. James J. Murray, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. T. Hugh Nelson Mr. & Mrs. Robert B. Nelson Mr. & Mrs. Edwin P. Nevin Col. & Mrs. Robert M. Novogratz Mrs. Jean M. Patterson Mrs. Betty Perry Mr. & Mrs. M. R. Reese Mrs. Jean Roberts Mr. Richard B. Roberts Mr. & Mrs. W. D. Roberts Mr. J.W. Peyton Robertson

Gifts in Honor

In honor of Jessie Haden Dr. & Mrs. Charles Skipper In honor of Hayden Hirsch Ms. Lisa L. Barrett In honor of Brian Kimble Mr. Doug Hornig In honor of Casey Matthews Ms. Laura Bohleke

Mr. & Mrs. A. F. Robinson Dr. & Mrs. Robert E. Robinson, III Ms. Martha B. Rogers Mr. & Mrs. Robert M. Rosse Mr. & Mrs. John D. Runnett Dr. & Mrs. Steven E. Schmitz Mr. & Mrs. R. Strother Scott Mr. & Mrs. K. Richard Sinclair Ms. Wendy G. Smith Mr. & Mrs. Charles Snipes Mr. & Mrs. John E. Snyder, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Donald E. Sours Mr. Walter J. Sperko Mr. Joseph L. Spivey Ms. Jodie Stamey Ms. Meghan Sweeny Mr. & Mrs. Edward D. Tayloe, II Ms. Betty Tebell Mr. & Mrs. Eckhard J. Thalwitz Ms. Rebecca Lecompte Thorton Mr. & Mrs. Myles Thurston Dr. Jianghong Tian Mr. Myron E. Tremain Mr. & Mrs. Ronald R. Tweel Mrs. Raiza Vega-Candelario Ms. Barbara Ward Mr. & Mrs. Elmer F. Wieboldt, Jr. Dr. & Mrs. Robert Wilkerson, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Daye E. Wilkins Ms. Julia Williams Dr. & Mrs. Thomas E. Williams Mr. & Mrs. Forrest E. Workman

In honor of Joshua Snow, 2010 In honor of Page Nelson Mr. & Mrs. Joel Snow Dr. & Mrs. Charles H. Gleason In honor of Preston O. Stallings, ‘53 In honor of Jean Printz Mr. & Mrs. Edward D. Tayloe, II Mr. & Mrs. Randall F. Keller In honor of Cole and Patton Usry In honor of Marta Regn Dr. & Mrs. G. Franklin Forney Mr. & Mrs. James Regn In honor of Alexander Robinson, ‘94 Dr. & Mrs. Robert E. Robinson, III

In Memoriam Gifts were given to the Miller School of Albemarle between July 1, 2010 and June 30, 2011 in memory of the following individuals: In Memory of Betty King Hutchinson In Memory of Robert M. Roberts, Sr. Mr. Robert M. Roberts, Sr. Mr. & Mrs. Ward Anderson Mr. Steven P. Anslow In Memory of James Fink Blakey In Memory of Allen Q. Ladd Mr. & Mrs. Goldie Baber Mr. Frederick Kraft Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey L. Kennington Mrs. Edith S. Ballard Mr. W. J. Barber, Jr. In Memory of Taylor W. Bramblett, 2004 In Memory of C. M. Little Ms. Mary L. Barker Ms. Kaye Bramblett Mr. Robert M. Roberts, Sr. Mr. & Mrs. Carl Battaglia Mr. & Mrs. John T. Bazzarre In Memory of Joseph E. Brochu, ‘47 In Memory of Fulton W. Marshall, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Duane H. Bickers Dr. & Mrs. Charles Hamner, Jr. Ms. Jessie Carr Haden Mr. & Mrs. J. Spencer Birdsong Mr. Dennis R. Kendrick Dr. & Mrs. Lee Blevins In Memory of Gladys T. Cannon Mr. Robert M. Roberts, Sr. Mr. & Mrs. David K. Bradbury Mr. Jack Taylor Mr. & Mrs. Robert A. Shaw Mr. & Mrs. Robert L. Brooks Mr. & Mrs. Preston O. Stallings Mr. & Mrs. James C. Cason In Memory of Mary Taylor Clark Ms. Meta Chisholm & Andrew J. Clark In Memory of Herbert Martin Ms. Hetty Wray H. Dandridge Ms. Janice C. Gibson Col. Richard E. Fitzhugh Mr. & Mrs. William R. Dandridge, Jr. Ms. Barbara D. Davis In Memory of Virginia Arnette Crawford In Memory of Levi P. Maupin Ms. Kathleen Donnelly Dr. & Mrs. C. Rosser Massey Mrs. Mary M. Belew Ms. Victoria Doss Mrs. Jean M. Patterson Ms. Jean W. Francolini In Memory of Phil & Raymond Easton Mr. & Mrs. Henry B. Frazier, III Mr. Harry L. Beazell, Jr. In Memory of Eloise P. Nelson Mr. & Mrs. Thomas M. Futch Ms. Jessie Carr Haden Ms. Jessie Carr Haden In Memory of Lou Farina Mr. & Mrs. J. Elam Holland Mrs. Carolyn D. Farina In Memory of Ruth Wayland Nelson Mr. & Mrs. William E. Hopkins Mr. & Mrs. Anthony P. Farina Mr. & Mrs. F. Page Nelson, Jr. Ms. Victoria Howard Mr. & Mrs. Kevin B. Farina Mr. & Mrs. A. F. Robinson Mr. J. Randolph Hutcheson Mr. & Mrs. Louis D. Farina, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Ralph L. Law Mr. Matthew J. Farina Mr. F. Richard Lentzsch In Memory of Harvey A. L. Ochiltree Dr. & Mrs. Charles H. Skipper Mr. Eldridge D. Martin Ms. Donna M. Hill Mr. & Mrs. John C. Minor, III In Memory of Wallace M. Forloines Mrs. Mary Moon In Memory of E. J. Oglesby Mr. & Mrs. Preston O. Stallings Mr. & Mrs. F. Page Nelson, Jr. Ms. Martha Lisle Mrs. Jean Roberts In Memory of Charles A. Garrison Mr. Richard B. Roberts In Memory of David Price Mrs. Irma Garrison Mr. & Mrs. W. D. Roberts Mr. Lawrence E. Cassada, Sr. Mr. & Mrs. Robert M. Rosse In Memory of Bernard J. Haggerty Dr. & Mrs. Stephen E. Schmitz In Memory of Charles Price Mr. Bernard Haggerty, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. K. Richard Sinclair Mr. Darrell D. Mitchell & Ms. Susan Baldridge Mr. & Mrs. Charles Snipes Mr. & Mrs. John E. Snyder, Jr. In Memory of Mr. Bob Sandell In Memory of Dorothy P. Haggerty Mr. & Mrs. Donald E. Sours Mr. Robert M. Roberts, Sr. Mr. Robert M. Roberts, Sr. Specialty Beverage Mr. & Mrs. Preston O. Stallings Ms. Betty Tebell In Memory of Donaldson P. Tillar, III Mr. & Mrs. Eckhard J. Thalwitz Ms. Jessie Carr Haden In Memory of Allen W. Helmandollar Ms. Rebecca Lecompte Thorton Col. & Mrs. Robert M. Novogratz Agnes, Bob, & John Anderson Mr. & Mrs. Myles Thurston Ms. Jessie Carr Haden Mr. & Mrs. Ronald R. Tweel In Memory of Maynard Archie Wood Mr. & Mrs. Mark Mummau Ms. Barbara Ward Mr. & Mrs. F. Page Nelson, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. F. Page Nelson, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Daye E. Wilkins Mr. & Mrs. John Wright, IV Miss Julia Williams In Memory of Roger Woodward Dr. & Mrs. Thomas E. Williams Col. Richard E. Fitzhugh In Memory of George Henry Hughes Mr. & Mrs. Bart F. Conlon, Jr. In Memory of William E. Baber, ‘55 Mr. & Mrs. Fred Morris

33 Bell Tower Magazine • Spring/Summer 2011

Bob Roberts, Class of 1937 In May 2011, the Miller School of Albemarle lost a dear friend, faithful supporter, and dedicated alumnus.

Mr. Robert M. Roberts enrolled at MSA when he was just 10 years old. It was there that his love affair for the school began and continued for the next 80 years. In 2009, his alma mater recognized his life of service with the Samuel Miller Memorial Award.

Mr. Roberts believed it was Miller School and a special friend named Mrs. Peggy Flannagan who gave him his leadership qualities, his integrity, his determination and committment.

Days before Mr. Roberts “took the last shuttle,” as he referred to it, he dictated to his daughter, Cheryl Bradbury, his wishes for his six grandchildren. We reprint them here so that they may instruct and encourage Mr. Roberts’ beloved Miller School of Albemarle community of students, faculty, alumni, and friends.

Right: Mr. Roberts at the Caton Hall Dedication on September 18, 2010

Photo: Dominique Attaway

Mr. Roberts’ Wish List for his Grandchildren

1. Always follow the Golden Rule: Do Unto Others as you would have them Do Unto You 2. Be kind: be kind to family, be kind to friends, be kind in thoughts and deeds and always treat others with respect 3. Always, Always Be Honest 4. Learn to Dance and Dance Well 5. Get music in your life--Good Music 6. Get 10 Good Friends, really Good Friends and keep them for a lifetime 7. Stay on the Positive Side 8. Make a Committment It’s a wonderful feeling you get when you’ve helped someone else 9. Have FUN--BUT ALWAYS with Moderation and show Restraint 10. Ask for a DISCOUNT--If you don’t ask, you can’t get one.

And, if he were telling you these ten things today in your presence, you would reply to him, “Yes Sir!” Bell Tower Magazine • Spring/Summer 2011

34

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Miller School of Albemarle Permit No.

1000 Samuel Miller Loop Charlottesville, VA 22903

It’s not too late to help us reach our goal of earning the matching grant for the renovation of Alumni Gym & Fitness Center!

Please show your support before December 31st at www.millerschool.org