Fall 2014, "The Art of Politics"

INSIDE » Close-up on climate change | LEEP@50: Looking back

LAKESIDE FALL | WINTER 2014

The art of politics • Alumni share their insiders’ views • Teaching how, not what, to think about politics

2014-2015

LAKESIDE SCHOOL BOARD OF TRUSTEES Theiline (“Ty”) Wyckoff Cramer ’78

Chair

Peter Polson ’91

Immediate Past Chair Natasha Smith Jones ’89

Vice Chair

Stephen V. Sundborg, S.J.

Secretary

Mark Klebanoff ’80

Treasurer

Rodney A. Bench Carmen Best

MADE YOU LOOK Dance Day: What a kick

Robert M. Helsell ’55

Honorary Trustee PHOTOS BY TOM REESE

Adam S. ’16, left, and Wallis L. ’15 show their moves after a quick lesson in choreography from Spectrum Dance Theater dancers this spring. It was Student Sponsored Day, when regular classes at the Upper

Lynn Hogan

Mission and Governance Committee Henry L. (“Skip”) Kotkins Jr. ’66

School give way to in-depth immersion in a topic proposed and arranged by students — this year, dance.

Chair, Schools Committee

Trying their hands — and feet — at a wide variety of dance genres, students and teachers alike were

Michael Larson

shimmying to Zumba music in McKay Chapel, freestyling to hip-hop in St. Nick’s, and cuddle-stepping to the sounds of Big Band in Ackerley Gymnasium. Below are Genevieve J. ’16 and Floyd Summers ’14. ■

Chair, Investment Committee Mona Lee Locke Connie Mao, M.D.

Chair, Medical Advisory Board

LAKESIDE MAGAZINE

Lora Mason

Parents Association President Artemios (“Tim”) S. Panos ’85

EDITOR:

Carey Quan Gelernter

Alumni Association President

WRITERS:

Carey Crutcher Smith ’77

Carey Quan Gelernter, Maureen O’Hagan, Leslie Schuyler, Amanda Darling, Chris Hein, Mike Lengel

Chair, Development and Communications Committee Edward Taylor

ALUMNI RELATIONS NEWS: Kelly Poort,

Bertrand Valdman

Chair, Assets Management Committee

Carol Borgmann

ART DIRECTOR:

David W. Wiley ’71

Carol Nakagawa

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS:

Tom Reese, Lindsay Orlowski GRAPHICS:

Lindsay Orlowski

Lakeside magazine is published twice

COPY EDITOR:

Lakeside School. Find past issues at

yearly by the communications office of

Valerie Campbell

www.lakesideschool.org/magazine.

All contents ©2014 Lakeside School.

2

LAKESIDE

Fall/Winter 2014

ON THE COVER:

Mike O’Brien ’86 celebrates his re-election to Seattle City Council.

– Photo by Tom Reese

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ELECTION SPECIAL

N

ot a day seems to go by that some fresh political outrage doesn’t surface, from new twists on influence-buying to mindboggling intransigence.

FEATURES Cover story: The art of politics ■ ■

And a recent major Pew Research Center survey tells us Republicans and Democrats are further apart ideologically than ever in our history and that the divisions are reflected even in our personal lifestyles (we’d rather not even live in the same kinds of places as those “other” folks).

But we have more upbeat news.

Four alumni, who differ in party and philosophy, currently sit on the King County Council or Seattle City Council, or in our state House of Representatives. Depending on your own bent and where you live, you may have voted for or against them. And you may agree, or not, with the issues other alumni lobby for (Page 38) or push as part of their jobs in Congress, the White House, and policy organizations (Page 35).

But whether you’re red or blue, left or right, or anywhere in between, we think you’ll agree they are all thoughtful and offer something worth learning from their insider perspectives.

On Page 10, Belanich lecturer David Gergen, veteran of four presidential administrations (three Republican, one Democrat), tells why he pins his hopes for the future on our students’ generation.

You’d have to count chief among those students Lakeside junior Nick Rubin. Galvanized by what he learned in 7th grade studying elections and the influence of money (he did a presentation on “corporate personhood”), Nick created Greenhouse, a free browser extension that highlights the names of each member of Congress on a Web page and provides a breakdown of the politician’s campaign contributions. Featured by dozens of media outlets, Greenhouse now boasts more than 100,000 installs (allaregreen.us/). “I am passionate about fixing our government,” says Nick, whose goal for Greenhouse is “to increase transparency and accountability.”

Alumni in political life Teaching about politics

24 40

DEPARTMENTS

Your comments

4

Inside Lakeside

24

Head of school’s letter 5 Board chair’s letter 6 Climate change theme 7 New trustees 8 Faculty kudos 9 Lecture series 10 Lakeside admissions 12 College choices 13 From the Archives: LEEP 14 LEEP birthday bash 16 T.J. Vassar LEEP Award 16 WIAA report 17 Distinguished Service Award Commencement 19 Diversity report 20 New director of athletics 21 Sports highlights 22

18

Alumni News

New Alumni Board 46 Reunion 48 Class connections 52 Planned giving 61 In memoriam 62 Personal Story 66 Alumni sports 67 Calendar 67

Surely that’s a slogan we can all endorse.

In other Lakeside classrooms, teachers are doing their part to improve the political climate by nurturing the critical-thinking skills that will enable Lakeside students to become smart voters and support effective, fair governance (Page 40).

Take the test they give their students on how to know your true political self (Page 41). Who knows, you might be surprised. ■

7 14

Carey Quan Gelernter

Editor, Lakeside magazine carey.gelernter@lakesideschool.org 206-440-2706 14050 1st Avenue NE Seattle, WA 98125 Contents

3

YOUR COMMENTS

DO TELL! Lakeside magazine loves to hear from you — whether by letter, email, social media, or phone.

We welcome comments and suggestions to magazine@lakesideschool.org; 206-440-2706; facebook.com/lakesideschool; or twitter.com/lakesideschool.

Please include your class year or Lakeside affiliation.

COURTESY OF Shaun Griffen ’75

Shaun Griffen ’75’s P.S. (Personal Story) in the Spring/Summer 2014 issue resonated with many alumni. Find a link to the essay at lakesideschool.org/magazine.

I

received some thoughtful and heartfelt responses to my essay in the last issue of Lakeside magazine (Spring/Summer 2014). My hope is that a sense of acceptance and humility grows stronger within our community, right alongside and in equal measure to the powerful push to excel and to “give back.” In that spirit, I thought I’d share just a few of the things my fellow alums had to say.

— Shaun Griffen ’75

Editor’s note: At our request, Griffen asked if any of the alumni

who wrote her would agree to have names and thoughts published.

Some did. Her excerpts follow.

Thanks for writing your personal story and thanks to the editor for including it. The current Lakeside prides itself on being the best. Clearly not all of us Lakesiders can achieve that status.

I appreciate you noticing the false starts, wrong turns, clouded thinking, and inertia that many of us have experienced. Thanks for broadening the storyscape of our lives post-Lakeside.

— Grace Nordhoff ’78

Your essay really struck a chord … I’m always so impressed by all the great things these kids are doing … but sometimes it makes me feel sort of like I’ve either missed out on something or that I’m a loser, even though I know full well that I’m not … We all focus our time and energies in so many different areas/ways. In my case I’ve devoted myself 125 percent to my children and family and have been the caregiver for my aging parents … We, the caretakers who work “behind the scenes,” are often the ones who make possible all the stellar stuff that everyone else does, and your article reminded me that we should give ourselves some recognition sometimes … Thank you for your essay, and thank Lakeside for publishing it.

— Lolly Victor, parent ’05, ’07, ’11 4

LAKESIDE

Fall/Winter 2014

I’m certain your inbox will be overflowing with 3,420 responses from those of us on the nonincredible spectrum between super good and totally evil … I came to Lakeside in the 8th grade, and I’d been headed down the wrong road, not anchored to very much either at home or in my social groups.

I’ve pondered the meaning of Lakeside in my life almost daily, as it was difficult for me … It comes back in large part to Claude Johnson, my French teacher, advisor, golf coach, and much-needed male role model ... He enjoyed a good golf shot when it came and didn’t dwell on the majority of shots that went astray. I needed that perspective, and I still embrace it to this day. Living by “zero defects” can be very stunting …

Claude served Lakeside students, and his ethos of service became my own. He taught me that a life best-lived is about healthy relationships. Lakeside has a mainstream, which was never where I traveled, but Lakeside is definitely more than the size of its endowment and the power of its public influence … What’s most important to me is my life as a husband and dad, my work in the fire service, and as a deacon in my church. Our four daughters are making good decisions; I’m crazy about them and my wife of 30 years.

— Rick Robinson ’74 I often feel disconnected from people featured in the magazine because the stories focus on larger-than-life successes, not our struggles, vulnerabilities, and human-ness … (Your essay) made me feel connected, to hear from another alum who loved Lakeside (many of my classmates hated being at Lakeside) and who is also human and real.

— Susan Youngsman ’86 As one of the “small better people,” I want to thank you for your playful, profound, and slightly irreverent words … so refreshing in the midst of the countless brilliant, noble, and sexy stories of fellow alums and teachers.

— Karen Barrueto ’75 I really appreciated … what you had to say about all the basically normal people who’ve graduated from Lakeside … and, I suppose, are probably in your category of “completely not lived up to our potential” … Nowadays, it seems Lakeside admits only the cream of the crop, but our generation was more like the cream, the milk, and the little lumps on the bottom.

— Sorrel North ’76

HEAD NOTE

by BERNIE NOE

Respectful listening, critical thinking

O

TOM REESE

ver the course of each academic year, I have the opportunity to sit in on approximately 25 Middle and Upper school classes across all academic disciplines. During those visits, I am always struck by how active Lakeside students are in questioning the assumptions of a given author, some set of findings that have been presented to them, or even the conclusions offered by their teachers on whatever the topic.

Last year, for example, I witnessed students in organic chemistry question their teacher about a complex formula he had put up on the board, challenging whether it would work the way he predicted. And I watched pottery students decide whether to accept and act on the opinion of their teacher regarding the artistic direction of ceramic sculptures they were working on.

In each case, there was a healthy and dynamic give-andtake between teacher and student.

When it comes to discussions about politics or political issues, students at Lakeside offer viewpoints across the political and philosophical spectrum. At a time when politics at the national and even state level too often become strident and polarized, Lakeside involves students in a civilized level of debate in a variety of contexts. This fall sophomores in Contemporary World History took part in a structured academic controversy — a teaching method that promotes active listening

to opposing viewpoints and finding areas of agreement — on whether Asia or Europe was more responsible for the industrial revolution. In the new project-based learning curriculum, freshmen in Foundation of the Modern World will play the roles of diplomats from early modern empires negotiating with their counterparts. These opportunities require students to listen carefully to one another and clearly articulate their positions. By graduation, our students know firsthand the value of listening to both sides of an argument and asking well-crafted questions before forming an opinion.

This past spring we brought in two speakers, in two different weeks, to speak to Middle and Upper school students about fracking, one presenting a pro-fracking perspective and the other, an anti-fracking one. Middle School teachers took advantage of the opportunity, guiding students in applying their growing skills in how to research and weigh arguments using the structured academic controversy method. Students gave both speakers a respectful hearing. The subject of fracking, as well as the speakers’ debating tactics, provided much for follow-up discussion. I heard the students ask penetrating and incisive questions, pushing each speaker to clarify points or provide more evidence.

Each year, I teach a fall-semester course on the Holocaust and Rwandan and Cambodian genocides. I watch my students wrestle with the essential question of how such horrific events could happen in recent times in civilized countries. They analyze the actions of perpetrators, bystanders, collaborators, and leaders and form conclusions about why each might have acted as they did. In the process they are examining their own beliefs, actions, and moral codes. And again, I witness a respectful, focused, and, at times, intense debate.

Lakeside students are strong and able critical thinkers and not afraid to make their opinions known!

One of Lakeside’s most important messages to our students is that they have a responsibility to leave the world a better place than they found it, and we hope that many of them — like alumni you will read about in this issue of the magazine — become involved in making political changes in our society, either by their direct involvement in politics or by engagement with the political issues of the time. Personally, I am very optimistic that our students will make a positive impact on the city of Seattle, the United States, and the world. ■

BERNIE NOE

Head of School

Letters, Head Note

5

FROM THE BOARD CHAIR

Focusing on fundamentals ☛See Page 8 for a related story introducing new members of the Board of Trustees and new Board Chair Ty Cramer ’78.

TOM REESE

s I start my tenure as A the chair of the Board of Trustees, I’ve been reflecting on what it is that

excites me about Lakeside. Connected to this school as a parent (’05, ’06, ’08, ’12) and as an alumna (’78), I have been singularly impressed with Lakeside’s evolution. As a member of the board, I can speak to the school’s commitment to advance innovative and evidencebased practices to educate our children.

As board chair, I embrace this period of rapid change as an opportunity to better prepare our students for the world in the 21st century.

When I look back, I can see the changes and be proud of them. In the midst of the Cold War of the 1970s, a student trip to Cuba was derailed, yet we now have students participating in Global Service Learning in China. In the 1980s Lakeside students played chess with students in the Soviet Union via Telex; today, through the Global Online Academy, our students are able to take courses with others from across the world. The 1990s brought a shift from a predominantly Eurocentric humanities curriculum to one that includes studies of important influences and contributions of other cultures and continents. The 2000s continued the tradition of evolving

6

LAKESIDE

Fall/Winter 2014

excellence and relevance. My children were enrolled in a more inclusive community than ever before. And they were the first generation to utilize the technology offered by the laptop program, which allowed nearly unlimited access to information and increased communication.

The constant in these changes is that the board places the highest value on the “fundamentals” of education.

This year we will be focusing on fundamentals by looking closely at the underpinnings of excellence, assessing how we achieve it and considering what that means going forward. We will continue to implement the curriculum review timeline and the Diversity and Inclusion Initiative, but we will refrain from adding anything new as we position ourselves for providing excellence into the mid-21st century.

In anticipation of focusing on the fundamentals, I’ve reviewed Lakeside’s mission and considered what it is that makes Lakeside an investment worthy of my time and commitment. If it has been awhile since you’ve last looked at the mission statement, I highly recommend a review. In my re-examination, I noted three important elements of a Lakeside education rooted in the mission: First, Lakeside is dedicated to cre-

ating learning environments respectful of diversity and inclusion. We are an institution that reflects upon and engages the world at large and that grapples with consequences — the nexus of thought and action.

Second, a Lakeside education exists within the context of citizenship, both at home and globally. The 20th-century visionary Eleanor Roosevelt promoted the notion of global citizenship and helped to codify the responsibility of international actors in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is in this context that we view our students as “global” citizens and commit to an educational framework that allows learning in the classroom, in the community, and across the world.

Finally, Lakeside aims to develop a strong ethical foundation in our students. As Head of School Bernie Noe has expressed it,“The moral compass that we impart to our students directs their considerable talents and energies toward an appreciation for truth and justice.” The foundation for this is garnered through awareness that there exist real consequences for our actions, and that one’s intention, compassion, and openmindedness are critical for success.

What I can guarantee at the board level is our unstinting efforts to live the mission; to oversee the school’s efforts to excel at the fundamentals; and to see that our students have the opportunity to grow to healthy maturity, acquire knowledge, and interact positively in this increasing complex world. ■

ty cramer ’78

Chair, Board of Trustees

INSIDE LAKESIDE

Seeking alumni speakers

Global communit y theme 2014

Alumni, are you doing work addressing climate change? Share your knowledge with Lakeside. Charlotte Blessing, director of global education, is signing up speakers for global community theme activities. Contact her at charlotte.blessing@lakesideschool.org.

Hot to learn about climate change ow does climate H change affect different parts of the world and what are ways to address the challenges it poses?

Those are questions that will be explored this year by Lakeside employees as they educate themselves about climate change, this year’s global community theme.

Each year faculty and staff study a significant global topic in interesting, useful, and practical ways. Assignment choices include a selection of relevant films, books, exhibits, and talks. Previous global community themes have included water, waste, education, and food.

Theme activities during the first part of this school year will revolve around studying the effects of climate change, says Charlotte Blessing, Lakeside’s director of global education who runs the community theme project.

Guest speakers will include climate scientists from the University of Washington, including Lakeside parent Chris Bretherton, a lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report in 2013; and LuAnne Thompson, a professor of oceanography whose research explores the role oceans play in climate variability. Middle and Upper school teachers will share with their colleagues how they incorporate learning about climate change in their classes.

In December, the focus will be on events surrounding a United Nations climate conference in Peru, and during the second half of the year, on possible geoengineering, financial, and entrepreneurial solutions.

Here are a few of the films, books, and events alumni may want to check out. Find links to these as well as the full list and other resources at lakesideschool.org/magazine.

“Melting Point Greenland”

An Emmy Award-nominated f ilm that examines the meltdown of a vital ice sheet is one of the assignment choices in this year’s study of climate change.

Maria Coryell-Martin

“Ice Floes, Baff in Bay” is part of “Imagining the Arctic,” an interdisciplinary exhibit on climate change that opens in December at the Nordic Heritage Museum.

FILMS “Melting Point Greenland,” a 2013 Emmy Award-nominated film, examines the 2012 summer meltdown of a vital ecosystem, the Greenland ice sheet — an event that alarmed scientists worldwide.

BOOKS “Field Notes from a Catastrophe: Man, Nature, and Climate Change,” by Elizabeth Kolbert. The book expands on what started as an awardwinning, three-part series in The New Yorker.

“Hot Cities,” a BBC World News documentary series about the effects of global warming around the world.

“The Cartoon Introduction to Climate Change,” by Yoram Bauman, an economist, stand-up comedian, and former Lakeside teacher, illustrated by Grady Klein. Laughs along with facts about climate science.

EXHIBITS AND TOURS “Imagining the Arctic,” an interdisciplinary exhibit at the Nordic Heritage Museum that looks at the impact of climate change on West Greenland’s ecology and culture through the work of a marine mammal biologist, an artist, and a photographer. Dec. 12 - Feb. 22; 3014 N.W. 67th St., Seattle.

The Bullitt Center, billed as “the greenest commercial building in the world,” offers public tours of its building at 1501 E. Madison.

Details at bullittcenter.org/home/ tour/. ■

Board Chair, Global Community Theme

7

INSIDE LAKESIDE

New chair, new trustees on board

L

eadership on the Board of Trustees changed in June with the addition of three new members and a new board chair. Here’s more about each:

Mona Lee Locke

Carmen Best

Theiline (“Ty”) Wyckoff Cramer ’78 became board chair this spring,

succeeding Peter Polson ’91, who continues in an officer’s position as immediate past chair.

Cramer is a community volunteer and the mother of six, including four Lakeside alumni (’05, ’06, ’08, and ’12). She has devoted much of her time volunteering for the schools her children have attended, particularly Lakeside, where she has served as a trustee since 2007; chair of the nominations committee for the Parents Association; chair and an individualsport parent representative of Friends of Lakeside Athletics; and a Living Our Mission campaign volunteer.

She has been a board member for IslandWood, an outdoor learning center on Bainbridge Island, and is an active supporter of Water1st International, a nonprofit supporting water, sanitation, and hygiene-education projects, and Island Time Activities, a program for adults with developmental disabilities.

Previously a certified childbirth educator, doula, pre- and postnatal fitness instructor, and board member of Program for Early Parent Support

8

LAKESIDE

Fall/Winter 2014

Lora Fassett Mason

(PEPS), she continues to support maternal and family health through Bastyr University’s Department of Midwifery.

Cramer holds both an undergraduate degree and a master’s in international relations from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University and is working on a graduate certificate in global health at the University of Washington.

She and her husband have recently embarked on a business endeavor, Heyday Farm, to promote and model “ecofarming” on Bainbridge.

Mona Lee Locke, elected as a

regular trustee to her first three-year term, is an Emmy-nominated, awardwinning television journalist with an extensive background in nonprofit leadership.

☛See Page 2 for the full roster of trustees.

☛See Page 6 to read Ty Cramer’s first letter as board chair.

While living in Beijing, where husband Gary Locke served as U.S. ambassador to China, Locke served as the U.S. State Department’s special advisor to the EducationUSA program. She also hosted “U.S.-China Focus with Mona Locke,” an online show that highlighted bilateral issues of the day by bringing together experts from both countries.

The former first lady of Washington state co-chaired the Governor’s Commission on Early Learning and was the founder of the nonprofit Foundation for Early Learning. She later worked at the Susan G. Komen Foundation, first as the executive director of the Puget Sound affiliate and then as national operations director in Washington, D. C. Locke was a reporter/anchor in Seattle; Green Bay, Wis.; and Washington, D.C. She has co-produced award-winning documentaries and has been nominated for the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award for excellence in journalism.

Locke is a board trustee for Seattle Children’s Hospital and a member of the Advisory Council for 100,000 Strong Foundation, a global organization promoting educational exchange.

She earned a Master of Science from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of California, Berkeley. She completed Harvard Business School’s Executive Education program on leadership in nonprofit governance.

Two of her three children are now attending Lakeside.

Carmen Best, elected as a regular trustee to her first three-year term, has worked for the Seattle Police Department since 1992 and was recently promoted by Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole to deputy chief and second in command.

Best earned a bachelor’s degree at

Faculty news

Applause please …

Western Illinois University and certificates in police management and criminal-justice education from the University of Washington and University of Virginia respectively. She completed the Senior Management Institute for Police in 2006, the FBI National Academy in 2010, and the Criminal Justice Executive Leadership Academy in 2013.

She is a member of National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives; National Latino Police Officers Association; International Association of Chiefs of Police; and Tabor 100, a local African-American business group promoting economic empowerment, educational excellence, and social equity.

She has been honored by Women of Color Empowered and the Ethnic Chambers of Commerce for her work.

She and her husband have two alumnae daughters (’13 and ’11) now in college.

Lora Fassett Mason will serve in ex

officio capacity for one year as the Parents Association president.

Mason worked as a health-care consultant and hospital administrator in North Carolina and as a health-care administrator at Group Health, until leaving in 1998 to focus on raising her family.

Besides her active volunteering over the past seven years for the Parents Association (her two daughters are Classes of ’14 and ’18), Mason has volunteered at Seattle Children’s, Ronald McDonald House, and Solid Ground.

She has served on the boards of the Phinney Neighborhood Association, New Discovery School, and Intiman Theatre. She is a founding member of the DukeEngage alumni committee.

She is a graduate of Duke University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in public-policy studies, with a health-care concentration, and a master’s degree in health administration. ■

• Archivist Leslie Schuyler’s article “Controversial History: The Value of Context in Archives,” focusing on research she did for her exhibit, “Girls In Class: The Story of Lakeside’s Merger with St. Nicholas School,” was published in the March/April issue of Archival Outlook, a publication of the Society of American Archivists, North America’s oldest and largest national archival professional association.

• Erik Christensen, Upper School English department head, has been named the Frederick W. Bleakney Endowed Faculty Chair in English, and Middle School teacher Ted Chen has been named the Woodford B. Baldwin ’57 Endowed Chair in History. These positions recognize excellence, leadership, and creativity in teaching and come with an award of $2,000 for each year of the three-year terms. Find links to stories that show their teaching in action at www. lakesideschool.org/magazine.

Christensen’s science-fiction short story, “Islands,” was published in a local literary magazine, Sten·o, which also included two poems, “Playa Bruja” and “LEAVES,”

by John Newsom, Lakeside’s director of technology.

• Rob Burgess, maintenance foreman and theater director, will perform in Strawberry Theatre Workshop’s production of “Our Town,” Jan. 22-Feb. 21, 2015. Burgess also will appear in ACT Theatre’s “A Christmas Carol” Nov. 28-Dec. 28. He did two other Strawberry productions earlier this year, “Control: A Living Newspaper” and “Black Comedy,” a British farce.

• Upper School librarian Heather Hersey had articles published in both School Library Monthly and New Jersey English Journal on “inquiry learning plans,” an organizational tool for students to design personalized learning experiences.

• Brian Culhane, Upper School English teacher, published commentary on the Thomas Hardy poem “Neutral Tones” in Poetry Daily, an online anthology, in April.

• Upper School arts teacher Jacob Foran exhibited monumental-scale figurative works as an artist-in-residence at the European Ceramic Workcentre in the Netherlands this summer and as an invited artist in September at Figurative Association: The Human Form Symposium at Arrowmont School of Art in Gatlinburg, Tenn. ■

Jacob Foran with his work at European Ceramic Workcentre in the Netherlands.

Trustees, faculty kudos

9

INSIDE LAKESIDE

Belanich speaker David Gergen sees millennials as key to changing a political culture gone awry

D

avid Gergen was featured as the Belanich Family Speaker on Ethics and Politics at Lakeside on Oct. 29. We interviewed him in advance of his appearance on his lecture topic of politics today, including his views on what it will take to change what he calls America’s “rancid political culture.”

Here are some highlights of the interview.

Why, in the short-term, he’s pessimistic:

“America is in desperate need of a change in its political culture” though he’s increasingly persuaded that “change is going to come from the next generation.”

Gergen traces today’s difficulties in part to the difference between his generation, born in in the ’40s and ’50s and dominating politics today, and the World War II generation. “We had seven presidents from John Kennedy through George Bush Sr. who all wore a military uniform and served the country when they were young. It was that service to a cause higher than themselves that I think instilled in that generation a deep commitment to working together. And that generation has disappeared from the stage.”

In contrast, his generation “had the Vietnam War along with cultural conflicts — which were basically healthy, but they split our generation — and we’ve never been able to put it back together since.”

That unfortunately isn’t likely to change any time soon, he says. “Maybe with a new president. Especially if it’s Hillary (Clinton), we have a shot. It could be others; but she’d come as the first woman. She would bring a great deal of experience, and she’d also bring Bill Clinton with her, very highly regarded from his presidency. (Former governor of Florida) Jeb Bush also has the chance to be a uniter, so I don’t want to say it’s just Hillary. My hope is we will elect someone who will be a uniter and not from the far end of the spectrum.”

How millennials could be saviors: “Where I place my faith is the rising generation, the millennials.” He notes they are the largest generation in American history and the most diverse at 40 percent persons of color. “Emerging leaders are committed to social change. They have a willingness to put aside the arguments of the past two decades 10

LAKESIDE

Fall/Winter 2014

COURTESY CNN

David Gergen, second from right, senior political analyst at CNN, in an appearance on the Anderson Cooper news show “AC360 Later” last January.

and start anew. They very much want to see changes in the way we live with each other.”

As an example, Gergen points to how attitudes toward gay people have become much more enlightened in a relatively short period of time “in a considerable sense driven by the millennials.”

In contrast to the World War II generation who saw the federal government’s useful role in combatting the Depression and war, “the new generation sees the federal government as part of the problem … but many want to work in state and local government.”

Why cities like Seattle offer hope: “We’re seeing that cities are increasingly becoming the drivers for social and economic change, a real laboratory for trying to figure things out without waiting for Washington (D.C.).” As an example, Seattle passed a $15 minimum wage “and you’ve got one of the lowest unemployment rates.

“My sense is that the graduates of Lakeside have been more exposed to a much more hopeful political environment in Seattle and also Washington state and are more likely to be optimistic about what can be done. It’s the entrepreneurial idealistic spirit that we’ve seen, such as in Bill Gates, in the Gates Foun-

David Gergen is a senior political analyst for CNN and served as an advisor to four U.S. presidents: Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton.

He is a professor of public service and codirector of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School. Known for his strong belief in working across the political aisle, he’s working on a book about renewing American political culture. More at davidgergen.com.

☛ You can hear David Gergen’s Lakeside talk at lakesideschool.org/lectures. dation, that I think is inspiring the younger generation far more than our national political leaders have been able to do in recent years.”

What the Lakeside community can do: “We should encourage a culture of service, a renewed recognition that we’re all part of the same family. We owe it to each other, and we will all be happier, if we work on causes that are bigger than ourselves.” That goes for old as well as young. At Harvard, for example, he says, the Advanced Leadership Initiative

prepares retirees for a second career in service, tackling the country’s toughest problems, such as prisons, education, and health care; “it’s growing like wildfire” and other universities are adding similar programs.

And for those who can’t take quite that leap …

“You can serve as a voice against the screamers and the people who divide us so poisonously. You can go on the Internet, when conversation is going back and forth, and say, ‘Hold on guys, let’s try to listen to each other.’ ” And send cards, letters, emails and tweets to leaders, he says: “They still matter in politics. People who receive them may not read every one but they count them.”

What it takes to be an effective president or other top leader today In his 2000 book, “Eyewitness to Power,” Gergen named seven qualities of leadership: inner mastery; a central, compelling purpose rooted in moral values; a capacity to persuade; an ability to work within the system; a sure, quick start; strong, prudent advisors; and a passion that inspires others to carry on the mission.

But, he says, “the new context for leadership is driven in part by technology and the way one has to lead through networking and also globalization, and it’s driven by a climate of cynicism.

“It’s a harder environment in which to succeed as a leader. Because if you’re communicating through the Internet, you’re fair game for every crackpot who wants to take a shot at you.

You have to have a much thicker skin, you have to be more empathic, to learn to listen to people not like you, and be able to listen deeply. You need a wider bandwidth.

“A young person coming up today needs to have in-depth understanding of at least one field but also needs to have a fair understanding across many fields; increasingly what we see in universities, for example, are interdisciplinary studies. That’s going to be true for leaders.

“Things are more complex, we’re so connected, and information is so available. You have to be enough of a generalist to at least understand the dynamics of what’s happening in other fields.”

Gergen adds, “It makes schools like Lakeside become ever more important.” ■

COURTESY SARAH KAY

Multifaceted artist Sarah Kay travels around the world teaching spoken-word poetry to students of all ages. Her education organization, Project VOICE, celebrates and inspires self-expression.

Spoken-word artist Sarah Kay to give Bebie lecture

P

oet, documentary filmmaker, playwright, singer, songwriter, photographer, and author Sarah Kay will give the Mark J. Bebie ’70 Memorial Lecture on Wednesday, Feb. 11.

Kay uses the power of spoken word to inspire creativity and self-empowerment in others. She began performing her phenomenal spoken-word poetry when she was only 14 years old — quickly becoming a fixture at the Bowery Poetry Club in New York City. She went on to become a featured speaker at the TED2011: The Rediscovery of Wonder conference, where her poetry performance garnered two standing ovations; the online version has been seen by more than 6 million people.

Kay is the founder and co-director of Project VOICE, an education organization that celebrates and inspires self-expression in youth through spoken-word poetry. She has taught spoken-word poetry worldwide to students of all ages.

She has performed her poetry in venues across the United States, including Lincoln Center, the Tribeca Film Festival, and the United Nations, where she was a featured performer for the launch of the 2004 World Youth Report. Lakeside faculty and administrators were awed by her keynote address at the 2012 National Association of Independent Schools Annual Conference in Seattle.

More at kaysarahsera.com.

The lecture begins at 7 p.m., doors open at 6 p.m., at St. Nicholas Hall, Lakeside Upper School. Seating is limited and is first come, first served. RSVPs are appreciated.

Visit www.lakesideschool.org/lectures and click on RSVP, or call 206-368-3606. Please contact us to request special accommodations. ■

Twitter public-policy manager for Asia to give Ayrault lecture to students

E

ugene Yi ’04, manager of public policy for Asia at Twitter, will speak to an Upper School assembly March 25, as the Dan Ayrault Memorial Endowed Lecture speaker. Yi Eugene Yi ’04 represents the social media company by working with governments in the Asia-Pacific region on Internet policy issues, including free-

dom of expression, privacy, and security.

Before joining Twitter, Yi worked on cyber-security policy at the United States Department of Defense and on Internet freedom issues in China at the U. S. Department of State. Yi has a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and a master’s degree from Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. During graduate school, he started a company called Glotify, a crowdsourced translation service. In April, Pacific Standard publications named him one of “30 top thinkers under 30.” ■ Speakers

11

INSIDE LAKESIDE

WHO GETS INTO LAKESIDE

T

he admit rate to Lakeside for this school year was 18 percent for the second year in a row. While applications were down a bit, students from a greater number of schools applied: an all-time high, at 302 schools.

Chances of admittance were higher for connected students, at 41 percent, versus those not connected, at 15 percent.

Connected means a student’s parents or grandparents are alumni, trustees, or faculty or staff; or they have siblings at Lakeside.

With applicants coming from a widerthan-ever variety of experiences and educational backgrounds, selecting new students requires increasingly complex juggling, says Booth Kyle, assistant head of school and director of admissions and financial aid.

“Admissions is a balancing act,” Kyle says. “We look for students who are academically successful and capable; we want to take care of our connected community but leave room for those who aren’t connected; use financial aid wisely; and keep in mind the needs of the arts, student diversity, and athletics.”

Having in the mix students who are outstanding in various areas such as music, chess, athletics, or other extracurriculars is important in attracting people to Lakeside, Kyle says. Fully 60 percent of applicants are well-qualified and would very likely do well at Lakeside, were there enough room for them all.

Of this year’s new students, numerical breakdowns are in the accompanying graphics. Some details: Applications: After a steady rise over the past five years, applications were down 7 percent from the previous year. Two factors could have played a part: Lakeside adopted a new admissions test, the Secondary School Admission Test, or SSAT, while most independent schools are still using the Independent School Entrance Exam, or ISEE. And the application cutoff was a bit earlier this year to accommodate the school’s transition to a new database system. But probably the biggest reason for the small decrease, Kyle says, is that, “You can’t go up forever; there’s a natural leveling.”

School backgrounds: A third of applicants continue to come from inde-

12

LAKESIDE

Fall/Winter 2014

pendent schools, and they are accepted at the same rate. Of the nearly half who come from public schools, a large number are from accelerated public-school programs, as well as some from regular public-school programs.

While applicants came from a greater number of schools, accepted students came from fewer schools than last year.

Opportunity gap: “All admitted students have been successful and prepared as much as possible, given their individual situations and schools,” Kyle says. “There’s an opportunity gap when we enroll from different institutions. It’s pretty clear which schools are really preparing kids well. We

could just take all the kids from those schools. But we take the long view when we take a kid (from an under-resourced school) who has the skills and characteristics that over time will play well in our classroom. It could be a particular resilience, or a work ethic that won’t quit, or a voice we see in his or her writing, as reasons to give kids a chance. We want to keep doors open to top students from a variety of school communities and programs.”

Connected: On average 150 connected students apply each year and 80-90 are qualified to be admitted, but the school tries to hold the percentage of connected students to 40-45 percent of the total student body. “Lakeside could fill most of the slots with qualified connected students, but that wouldn’t be good for the health of the community,” Kyle says. At the same time, the connected community is valued, which is reflected in their higher rate of admission of 41 percent (38 percent of those who enrolled) versus 15 percent for others. “It’s the most sensitive balance we strike.”

Racial and ethnic diversity: The percentage of admitted students who selfidentify as persons of color, 45 percent, mirrors the percentage of students of color who applied. The racial and ethnic breakdowns seen in the accompanying graphic reflect a spike in applications from AsianAmericans and multiracial students. The least likely to apply are Latino boys and African-Americans who aren’t from recent immigrant families.

Financial aid: Financial aid has risen to 32 percent for new students in 20142015, while the average grant continues to cover 80 percent of tuition and schoolrelated costs. Says Kyle: “Balance is key for student culture and to manage our resources.” Over the past decade there has been a marked increase of financial-aid applications coming from families in both the lowest income ($50,000 and below) and highest income groups ($150,000 and above); this year is no exception.

Gender: The gender makeup of the new class also reflects the applicant pool: 49 percent female, 51 percent male, which are the same percentages as last year. The total student body is 50-50. ■

College counseling office expands

College Choices of the Class of 2014

Lcounseling office has akeside’s college

expanded this year with the addition of an associate director and another full-time counselor. Director Ari Worthman says the restructuring comes in response to the growing complexity and competitiveness of college admissions.

The office now is staffed with three full-time counselors, including Worthman; two part-time counselors; and an assistant. In Lakeside’s previous model, the director led a team of faculty members who dedicated part of their workweek to college counseling.

In today’s climate of record numbers of applications to colleges, single-digit admission rates at the most selective schools, and complicated financial-aid packages, Worthman said,“We want to be able to put 100 percent of our energies into gathering as much information as we can about colleges and about the nuances of highly selective admissions.

“Having more full-time counselors will enable counselors to travel to more college campuses; to attend more national conferences where they hear about trends and network with admissions deans and directors; to stay current about best practices in financial aid; and to dedicate even more time to help each student stand out in the highly competitive process.”

Also, he says, the office can now offer more programming for freshman and sophomore families, who increasingly request this.

The new counselors, Associate Director Tiffany Fujioka and Samuel Freccia, bring inside knowledge and experience from the admissions offices of the University of Pennsylvania and Colby College respectively, adding to Worthman’s prior experience in admissions at

Haverford College. Longtime counselors Catharine Jacobsen and Mark Kranwinkle will continue part time on the team.

Each Lakeside full-time college

counselor will work with 40-43 seniors. The majority of independent schools nationwide have one counselor per 45-55 students, according to a study of 30 peer

independent schools conducted

by Worthman. The study showed that all but one of the independent schools have moved to having more full-time counselors. ■ Admissions, colleges

13

FROM THE ARCHIVES

by Leslie Schuyler

The origins of LEEP The f irst students of color to graduate Lakeside came to the school initially as participants in LEEP, including Fred Mitchell (below); T.J. Vassar Jr. (photo lower right), and Floyd Gossett Jr. (not pictured), all Class of 1968. Mitchell is pictured with Richard Perry ’67, right, and Stephen Countryman ’67.

Lakeside School archives, circa 1967

☛ View a virtual exhibit on the origins of LEEP, with archival video footage, at www.lakesideschool.org/archives; click on the “special exhibit” button.

☛ LEEP’s retool: Find a link to a previous article on how LEEP has revamped to meet the needs of students today with enhanced summer learning and greater year-round support, at lakesideschool.org/magazine.

☛ page 16: Robert Taylor ’78 citation, LEEP’s 50th birthday party.

14

LAKESIDE

Fall/Winter 2014

A

nniversaries always spark a sense of curiosity about origins. When reflecting on how the Lakeside Educational Enrichment Program began, it’s important to look closely at historical context. To truly understand LEEP’s origins, we need to go back a decade before its birth year of 1965.

By the 1950s, racial discrimination had been in force in Seattle neighborhoods for decades.

Neighborhood covenants barred Asian-Americans, Native Americans, and African-Americans from owning or selling homes north of Seattle’s Lake Washington Ship Canal, drawing a race line between the north and south ends of the city.

Until the late ’60s, African-Americans were not allowed to be in “white neighborhoods” at night according to informal “sundown rules” enforced by Seattle police. Seattle’s segregation wasn’t written into law, but decades of restrictive covenants and de facto segregation had taken their toll.

In 1954 the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision banned de jure racial segregation in public schools. During the next decade, courts heard hundreds of cases contesting school integration. By 1964, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act. Segregation in public schools was illegal, but what about private schools? In the spring of 1963, President John F. Kennedy had addressed this issue in a speech he gave at The Choate School, the elite boarding school that was his alma mater. He spoke about the responsibilities that accompany inherited wealth: “Those fortunate enough to go to private, preparatory schools must justify their special opportunity and fulfill their special obligation.” He also warned that private schools would not survive if they became “the exclusive possession of a single class, or creed, or color.”

Lakeside’s diversification began before 1963. In the early ’40s, Robert Simeon “Sim” Adams, school headmaster, had tried to admit a Chinese-American student, but his efforts were thwarted by the Board of Trustees. Dexter Strong, the school’s next headmaster, enrolled Lakeside’s first Asian-American in the early ’50s. Although we can’t say for sure that Strong heard Kennedy’s Choate speech, we do know that he felt the school needed to broaden its base. And so did the faculty, who, according to board meeting minutes from October 1963, had “a very deep feeling that we should grant more scholarships to encourage a broader cross-section of students to come to Lakeside.”

Recruiting students of limited means proved difficult for a school that hadn’t yet built a strong

Rooted in the civil rights movement

Seattle Municipal Archives, 1964

Civil rights movement protests, like this one in Seattle organized by the Congress on Racial Equality in 1964, were part of the historical backdrop that led to Lakeside beginning LEEP.

Bruce Burgess, 1968

endowment for scholarships or financial aid. But recruiting students of color was especially difficult, in part due to the location of Lakeside at the far north end of a city that had barred its AfricanAmerican, Asian-American, and Native American residents from living anywhere near it.

“It was a new summer program, inaugurated in 1965,” wrote Dexter Strong in his memoir, “that finally made integration a significant reality.” The Lakeside Educational Enrichment Program was modeled after a similar program held the summer before in the Boston area.

T.J. Vassar Jr., second from left, in the f irst LEEP class, joined a barbershop quartet formed by Dean Petrich, left, and including Gary Asaka, right of Vassar and Bruce Brigham. All are Class of 1968.

In response to Kennedy’s speech and the social foment of the ’50s and ’60s, several East Coast private schools partnered with Dartmouth College to recruit students from underserved areas and provide them with an intensive summer experience to prepare them for the rigors of private-school academics. The ultimate goal was to place them in a select school that fall.

This program was called A Better Chance, or ABC. Jim and Peter Steil, brothers and Lakeside alumni from the Classes of ’62 and ’61 respectively, read about a program (likely ABC) in a 1965 issue of Time magazine and were inspired to draft a proposal for Lakeside that spring. “Lakeside was ideally suited for such a program,” says Peter. The school was underused in the summer, there were only a few students of color enrolled, and “the program could potentially demonstrate Lakeside’s commitment to education more broadly within the city.”

During a break from college, the Steil brothers presented their proposal to Strong and Dan Ayrault, then head of the Upper School. Peter recalled that Strong and Ayrault’s enthusiasm grew over the course of the meeting.

So much so that Peter has “often wondered if it might not have been in the back of their minds, somewhere.”

During initial planning meetings, Strong suggested the name Lakeside Educational Enrichment Program, or LEEP. He appointed Ayrault its first director, “thus guaranteeing its success.”

Ayrault wrote about the impetus for the program in a LEEP report in August of 1965: “Boys who believe their future opportunities are limited by rea-

son of race or finance are likely to set correspondingly limited goals for themselves. LEEP was conceived in faith that eight years hence (when these boys leave college) there will be abundant opportunity, indeed an increasing demand, for those who have prepared themselves for a rapidly changing world with the flexibility of a liberal education. It is therefore important for society, as well as the individual, that able boys from various disadvantaged backgrounds be directed to goals valid, not for the present reality but for what the future will demand.”

The Seattle Foundation provided $5,000 in seed money that first summer and a little more than $4,000 was raised from a variety of foundations and individuals. Lakeside held back enough financial-aid funds in 1965 to grant scholarships to two LEEP graduates to attend Lakeside as sophomores: T.J. Vassar Jr. ’68 and Floyd Gossett Jr. ’68. A third LEEP graduate, Fred Mitchell ’68, came later in the year.

Thus began LEEP: Lakeside’s program with a public-minded purpose that held the added benefit of introducing Lakeside to communities outside of what had been the school’s traditional reach.

For the past five decades, LEEP has changed lives — graduates to date number some 3,600 students in the Seattle area — and helped shape the Lakeside of today. Its goal now is to deepen and strengthen that impact into the future. Happy birthday, LEEP, and many, many more! ■ Leslie A. Schuyler is archivist for the Jane Carlson Williams ’60 Archives at Lakeside School: 206-440-2895 or archives@lakesideschool.org. Please contact her if you have questions or materials to donate or visit the archives’ Web page at lakesideschool.org/archives.

Archives

15

➢ LEEP celebration

Robert L. Taylor Jr. ’78

2014 T.J. Vassar LEEP Award recipient

R

Alan Alabastro

LEEP participants past and present f illed The Paul G. Allen Athletics Center in May for a gathering marking the milestone of the program.

LEEP’s big birthday bash: Celebrating 50 years

by AManda darling

N

early 300 people came together May 18 to celebrate the 50th birthday of the Lakeside Educational Enrichment Program with tasty food, lively music, and heartfelt speeches. LEEP alumni spanning five decades, along with the incoming LEEP Class of 2014, joined former and current teachers, counselors and directors; donors and supporters; partners from Seattle Public Schools; and friends and family to party in The Paul G. Allen Athletics Center.

In opening remarks, Head of School Bernie Noe said, “Lakeside School is proud of the relationship we have had with so many talented LEEP students from the Seattle metropolitan area over the past 50 years.”

LEEP Director Latasia Lanier ’90, a LEEP alumna herself, praised the contributions of LEEP early advocates Peter Steil ’61 and Jim Steil ’62 and former directors, above all the late T.J. Vassar ’68, who “left an indelible mark on the school, the program, and many of us here.”

LEEP Associate Doug Moon announced the debut of the T.J.

16

LAKESIDE

Fall/Winter 2014

Vassar LEEP Award and its first winner: Robert Taylor Jr., LEEP ’74 and Lakeside ’78. The talents of LEEP alumni featured prominently in the festivities. Claiborne Bell, LEEP ’99, provided sorbets from his company, Seattle Sorbets, and celebrants enjoyed cupcakes courtesy of private chef Lauren Christine, also LEEP ’99.

Johnathan Wright, LEEP ’01, performed Italian arias; Storme Webber, LEEP ’73 and ’74 and Lakeside Class of ’77, sang a cappella; and hip-hop duo Brothers from Another — Coleman DeLeon Jones and Isaiah Sneed, both LEEP ’06 and Lakeside ’10 — gave a closing performance that had attendees streaming onto the floor of the Ackerley Gymnasium to dance.

José Banda, then-Seattle Public Schools superintendent, sent his best wishes: “Every year, students from Seattle Public Schools have the opportunity to grow and develop as a result of their participation in the program. The support students receive by participating in LEEP sets them up for success in high school and beyond. We look forward to another 50 years!” ■ Amanda Darling is communications director at Lakeside School.

obert L. Taylor Jr. ’78 is the inaugural recipient of the newly created T.J. Vassar LEEP Award. This citation was presented to him at the July 31 ceremony for this year’s graduates of LEEP (Lakeside Educational Enrichment Program).

The T.J. Vassar LEEP Award honors LEEP alumni who have made a significant positive impact in the community and who embody the values of the LEEP program — respect, active participation, and intellectual risk-taking. Award recipients have made a lasting and dedicated commitment to their profession, to community service, or to a combination of volunteer and professional activities.

The first recipient of this award is Robert L. Taylor Jr., a LEEP alumnus from the Class of 1974 and a Lakeside alumnus from the Class of 1978.

Taylor came to the summer LEEP program from Meany Middle School and was offered admission to Lakeside School the following fall. At Lakeside he was a two-year captain and all-state varsity athlete in crosscountry, basketball, and track while also earning top grades.

Bruce Bailey ’59, longtime Lakeside faculty member and coach, recalls, “There was never a question about Robert’s talents or his commitment to excellence.

His achievements in all areas of Lakeside life predicted significant success in his future.”

Taylor went on to Harvard University, earned an MBA at Columbia University, and worked his way up the ladder on Wall Street, first at Kidder, Peabody & Co. (concentrating

on investment banking, mergers and acquisitions), then at JPMorgan Chase (working with corporations to raise money globally and invest in capital markets).

When his wife’s work took the family to London in the late ’90s, Taylor launched the entrepreneurial phase of his life, serving as president of an Internet startup. After returning to the U.S., Taylor sold his company for a profit and went to graduate school to pursue an advanced degree in education.

For the past decade, he has taught economics and coached sports at Brunswick School in Greenwich, Conn. Taylor has found his new calling to be “a true pleasure.” “The kids are wonderful. Every class is different. Being a coach, teacher, advisor, I get to see kids in different ways. That’s fulfilling.”

Taylor chose to teach at Brunswick in part so he could be a role model for boys who might grow up with limited exposure to successful African-American men. “Not just minority boys but also relatively well-off majority boys who would someday be leaders in their field. Everyone can benefit from challenging their stereotypical views of the world.”

For embodying the values of the LEEP program and for extraordinary service and generosity to the community, Lakeside School is privileged to honor Robert L. Taylor Jr. with the inaugural T.J. Vassar LEEP Award. ■

INSIDE LAKESIDE

WIAA finds 1 violation, clears Lakeside of 4 others

A

n independent, third-party investigation initiated by Lakeside School found the school in violation of one rule relating to prep-sports rules and cleared the school in four other areas relating to recruitment, relaxation of academic standards, amateur status of players, and an allegation that supplemental income was paid to a coach.

Head of School Bernie Noe requested that the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA), the applicable governing body, investigate those issues after an Aug. 17 Seattle Times article aired allegations about such “questionable tactics” that “may have violated Washington state’s prep-sports rules.”

Dele Gunnerson, a retired principal with no connection to Lakeside, conducted the WIAA investigation. He reviewed school records and written materials from Lakeside and A PLUS and interviewed 16 administrators, teachers, coaches, a parent, and a former student associated with Lakeside and A PLUS. Those interviewed included two of the three former Lakeside employees quoted in The Seattle Times article (the third was contacted twice but did not return calls, according to Gunnerson).

Violation of rule 17.5.8

In the Oct. 7 WIAA report, Gunnerson states he found no support for allegations quoted in The Seattle Times that A PLUS, a nonprofit youth leadership and sports program headed by Lakeside’s head basketball coach, Tavio Hobson, was created and organized to funnel student-athletes to Lakeside. However, Gunnerson found that Hobson’s work at A PLUS, though it did not include coaching Lakeside students, constitutes sponsorship of activities that “resemble out-of-season practices or contests,” a violation of WIAA Rule 17.5.8.

The WIAA report states, “While there was no out-of-season coaching violation, and Lakeside School made every effort to interpret WIAA rules correctly, the WIAA still finds this a violation.”

In his response shared with the media, Noe said: “Lakeside School holds both the institution and all individuals working at or attending the school to the highest ethical

To read the complete report: Find the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association report; Head of School Bernie Noe’s letter to the Lakeside community addressing it; and Lakeside’s Q&A in response to the Aug. 17 Seattle Times story, at lakesideschool. org/letterandfindings.

standards. The school made a mistake in our interpretation of a WIAA rule, for which I, as head of school, take full responsibility.

We have already taken steps to address this mistake.”

No other violations found

Recruitment: The investigator found no evidence to support a planned effort to recruit any student to attend the school or unusual admissions processes. Gunnerson’s report notes that most schools, whether public or private, provide some avenue for summer admissions.

Academic standards: The investigator found no basis for the allegation that Lakeside lowered its academic standards for students participating in athletics. The report states: “It is recognized that Lakeside School is very demanding academically and some students may need additional help including tutoring. In fact, during the 2013-2014 school years, data showed that 129 students received tutoring through the school.” The report recommended that Lakeside “better inform teachers and staff how student advisors and the support team govern student participation in extracurricular activities.”

Amateur status: The investigator found no violation of the amateur standing rules.

The WIAA report notes that as long as a student’s family home and the residence where the student lives (if the student has the school’s permission to live in a different home) are within a 50-mile radius of Lakeside, the school is not in violation.

Supplemental income: Referring to an allegation quoted in the Seattle Times article that Hobson received cash pay-

ments to supplement his coaching salary, the report states: “There was no evidence determined that any money given to the coach was directly the result of or related to his coaching.”

Coach leaves Lakeside

Given the WIAA ruling, Hobson had to choose between remaining Lakeside’s coach and continuing to lead A PLUS as executive director. “Lakeside would have been delighted had Coach Hobson decided to stay and we offered him the chance to do so, but he has chosen to continue his role at A PLUS,” said Noe. Hobson left Lakeside on Oct. 15. “Coach Hobson was an outstanding basketball coach and a strong mentor to his players,” Noe said. “He will be missed.” Hobson, in turn, said: “More than anything I have enjoyed being part of such an exceptional community, and the relationships I’ve built with my current and former players and families will never be forgotten.”

Added transparency

A new practice to promote schoolwide transparency has been initiated. Booth Kyle, assistant head of school and director of admissions and financial aid, announced that a faculty member will always serve on summer admissions committees.

Influence at Lakeside

While it was beyond the purview of the WIAA and thus not addressed in the investigation, Noe also addressed in his community letter the Seattle Times article’s wide-ranging narrative suggesting that Steve Ballmer had undue influence over Lakeside’s athletics programs. “No individual or family has undue influence over a program, personnel, or school policy at Lakeside,” Noe said. “While we value our relationship with the Ballmers and all families at the school, an independent board made up of 19 trustees governs all of the school’s programs and policies.” Addressing gatherings of faculty, staff, and students, Noe further said that, as the head of the school, if such undue influence were the case, “I would have known it. It just didn’t happen.” He added: “Nothing is more important to me than the integrity of this school.” ■ LEEP, WIAA

17

INSIDE LAKESIDE

by BRONWYN ECHOLS

THE WILLARD J. WRIGHT ’32 DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD June 12, 2014 THOMAS E. DOELGER

This citation, written by Bronwyn Echols, with assistance from Lindsay Aegerter, was presented at the Commencement 2014 ceremony.

T

ell us a story, Tom. Tell us about the ardent, thoughtful young man with the loving, beautiful wife who in 1985 packed every possession into a big old Chevy “woody” station wagon and U-Haul trailer and headed west from New England to the mountain-ringed beauty of Puget Sound to teach Upper School English at Lakeside School.

Tell us, Tom, about what makes you teach, about how and why you share your gifts for experiencing both life and literature most intensely with your students, your “searching, vulnerable, vital, genuine, growing, changing” students. Tell us how in your classes they discover that they truly hunger to learn and to create their own narratives of lives well-lived.

Tom has taught Lakeside’s Upper School English curriculum at all grade levels — making those courses far more than journeyman runs through whatever canon the curriculum prescribed. In several senior-year electives beloved of students — Modernism, always oversubscribed; Quest, a literary sojourn in the Colorado Plateau; and the Time and Space course he co-taught — he has soared as a true master teacher, inspiring his captivated students to read, to write, and to think at the deepest and most meaningful levels. Years later, students treasure their term papers, revisiting them to read again Tom’s margin and end comments, incised in a fine, spidery hand, and to relive the moments of happy enlightenment that Tom’s obser-

18

LAKESIDE

Fall/Winter 2014

tom reese

Tom Doelger, 2014 Distinguished Service Award winner.

vations had given them.

Tom’s students reap the benefit of his incredible work ethic. Every day’s lesson for every class, every year, is constructed anew. A script prepared to the minute includes impeccably timed storytelling — Tom’s forte — as well as space for discussions framed to be probing, intense, and revealing in turn. Students learn that close reading, fluent and nuanced writing, and rigorously intellectual thinking are matters of craft, of hard work, and of joyful creating. Students come to realize that Tom’s stories, always personal, are never random or tangential but always relevant, elucidating themes vibrantly.

They love listening to Tom spin out a speech punctuated by pauses, the occasional chuckle or histrionic performance, and the drama of yet one more telling insight that makes their hearts leap, whether at baccalaureate or in his Moore

Hall classroom or on any of the occasions of life when only a Doelger speech will do. Reading the book that lovingly has collected his talks, “On Occasion: Tom Doelger Speaks,” one can hear Tom’s voice, and be glad.

A teacher as devoted outside the classroom as in, Tom spends hours with students, helping them to improve as writers as they cluster in his office, conferring about their latest essays, and engaging his advisees in probing discussions of ethical dilemmas. Tom generously keeps in touch with seemingly hundreds of alumni: Former students continue to share their writing with him, too, by letter, by email, by phone, even at his home, seeking his help on the specifics but even more often just wanting to tap again Tom’s calm wisdom on life in general.

Tom freely shares with other English department faculty his genuine love of teaching and of his students — his true joy as a teacher — openly expressing delight in his students’ work. An altruistic colleague and mentor, he wants all of his peers to succeed just as much as he wants all of his students to.

And now we’ll tell you a story, Tom, the one about the fine school in the Pacific Northwest so fortunate that the Chevy, your beloved Quaintance and two daughters, and you survived the trip west. We’ll tell you about the generations of Lakesiders whose lives have been inspired, transformed by your inimitable teaching, and awakened by your stories.

And they, and we, will tell you that your receiving the Willard J. Wright ’32 Distinguished Service Award for 2014, with our love, respect, and gratitude, is the very best story of all. ■

CLASS OF 2014:

BY THE NUMBERS In the top 10% of graduating seniors in the state: 79.2% In the top 1% in the state, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation: 33% Total number of Seattle-area service hours performed: 18,260 Number of local middle-school girls Women in STEM club has mentored: 63 Number whose work is represented in the “20 Under 20” exhibition at the Bellevue Art Museum: 4

Class of ’14 members cheer before joining the procession line to the June 12 commencement ceremony.

paul dudley

A class honored for compassion L

akeside celebrated the Class of 2014 at the 88th commencement exercises June 12. Carrying on the tradition of selecting a single adjective to describe the graduating class, Upper School Director Alixe Callen chose the word “compassionate.”

After a welcome by Kathleen Malloch ’14, outgoing president of the Upper School Student Government, Callen highlighted numerous achievements of the Class of 2014’s 125 members in academics, the arts, athletics, business, technology, service, and more.

Among the accomplishments: Winning a grand prize in the River of Words national poetry competition; qualifying for an unheard of seven U. S. Math Olympiads; organizing the very first Day of Silence at the Middle School; developing technology to determine whether a parking lot is full; helping run the re-election campaign for Bellevue’s mayor; working with teachers to develop an engineering curriculum around the design, construction, and testing of skateboards; winning a first-ever boys soccer state championship.

Above all, she said, the class will be remembered for “the way you genuinely and happily supported one another. ... There is nothing that says more about you, Class of 2014, than the way that you supported each other in the days, weeks, and months following the death of your

classmate Maxwell Henningsgaard.”

Vikram Dhawan ’14 and Mary Belle Kuper ’14, chosen by their classmates to speak, echoed that thought.

“For a lot of us, Max’s death was our first time dealing with such a tragedy,” said Dhawan. “… We began to take a perspective on life that is very uncommon for people our age — we finally understood that what matters more than things and grades and colleges are people. … Losing Max hurt our class, but I think, in a different way, it strengthened it.”

As part of the graduation ceremony, Board Chair Peter Polson ’91 presented Upper School teacher Tom Doelger with the Willard J. Wright ’32 Distinguished Service Award, noting “generations of Lakesiders whose lives have been inspired, transformed by your inimitable teaching.” (See the award citation on the facing page.)

In his acceptance, Doelger spun a poetic tale of sitting in the desert under a cottonwood tree, listening to a wren’s song, as he contemplated life and how teaching has been his calling and a source of happiness. (You had to be there. If you weren’t, a video of his speech is posted on lakesidesideschool.org/magazine.)

Tim Panos ’85, president of the Lakeside/ St. Nicholas Alumni Association, officially welcomed the class as new members of the alumni

☛View more: Go to www.lakesideschool. org/magazine to see Upper School Director Alixe Callen’s entire speech; a video of Tom Doelger’s speech; and a photo gallery of the commencement ceremony.

association, now 7,000 strong.

Head of School Bernie Noe closed by sharing life advice with the new grads. Two points of wisdom: “Hold onto your plans lightly.” While they have been well-trained at Lakeside to be planners, he also urged them to be open to “being interrupted” in life and seeing how such events may shape “you becoming who you are meant to be.” It’s during those interruptions, he said, when often people are vulnerable and not in control, that they are more likely to be open to new friendships, deepening old friendships, falling in love, reaching out to others in pain.

Choose optimism rather than cynicism. Despite terrible injustices in the world,

Noe recounted the ways in which major inroads have been made in addressing violence, poverty, disease, and lack of health care around the world. While much remains to be done in each of those areas, he said, “Class of 2014, you will do the work.” ■ Distinguised Service Award, Commencement

19

INSIDE LAKESIDE

Hiring gains, inclusive teaching, among diversity milestones akeside’s Diversity and IncluInitiative, a five-year plan with La goalsion of building an equitable learning environment, marks the halfway point this fall. Among milestones last year, the school: • Improved hiring practices, which included adding training in recruiting strategies and unbiased interviewing; this resulted in a markedly larger percentage of top teachers of color being hired.

• Identified “hidden expectations” of skills and behaviors that lead to academic success at Lakeside and began exploring how students’ cultural backgrounds may affect their familiarity or comfort with them.

• Completed a tally of all “extra” fees for required classroom or school participation and took initial steps to address the burden this represents to some families.

The initiative, which focuses on race and socioeconomic class, was launched in 2011 to expand the school’s efforts “to create and sustain a diverse and inclusive community.” Major areas covered are: access and affordability; hiring; inclusive teaching practices; inclusive adult, family, and student cultures.

Here are more details on the three milestones mentioned above, as explained by Christel McGuigan, the director of equity and inclusion who leads the initiative.

Hiring

Goal: Better reflect the racial diversity of Lakeside’s student population by improving recruitment, hiring practices, and retention of teachers and staff of color.

So far: In its top goal, the school cre-

ated and consistently drew upon a more robust network of diverse, high-level candidates — particularly for teaching positions — tapping into additional diversity databases, conferences, and search firms.

Teachers and administrators involved

20

LAKESIDE

Fall/Winter 2014

Teachers, administrators, instructional support

20132014

20142015

% of those interviewed who are persons of color

13

35

18.7

77

21

42

% of searches with at least one finalist of color % of all hires who are persons of color

in hiring received training in unbiased interviewing and resume reading, which included how to discern teacher quality in both broader and more-nuanced ways. For example, it should not be assumed that someone with a doctorate is more qualified for the job than someone without one, since a Ph.D. does not necessarily signify teaching skill in general or skill teaching Lakeside’s diverse students in particular.

Having teachers from a variety of school types — public and parochial schools as well as independent schools — helps Lakeside design classroom experiences that take into account students’ previous learning environments (half now come to Lakeside from public schools). All candidates, regardless of background or expertise, now are asked to address how they can be effective working in a diverse environment and teaching to a diverse student body.

The school adjusted hiring practices after learning the five top factors that most influence candidates of color. In order of importance, they are: • How they are treated in the interview process.

• Diversity of existing faculty and staff.

• The school’s commitment to diversity.

• Salary and benefits.

• Location.

Those involved in hiring focus on what they can most affect, notably: making sure search committees include at least one person of color; candidate pools are diverse; and McGuigan meets with all candidates.

Efforts are already paying off. This school year, 7 of 15 new teachers hired

(47 percent) identify as persons of color. That compares with last year’s 2 (18 percent).

Now a total of 23 percent of teachers and 25 percent of teachers, administrators, and instructional support are people of color.

To come: Retaining faculty and staff of color will be the next focus.

Inclusive teaching practices

Goal: Identify fundamental skills

and behaviors that lead to successful learning at Lakeside and put into place effective classroom practices at all levels and disciplines to develop those skills and behaviors.

So far: Students were surveyed and identified the fundamentals for being successful academically as self-advocacy, verbal participation, high tolerance for stress, ability to learn quickly, and the ability to ask for help, among other skills.

Groups of faculty and staff explored the question during a professional development day and added time management, collaboration, and organization to the list.

The faculty considered which skills might be “hidden expectations” – that is, expectations most independent school teachers would have of students but not necessarily explicitly verbalize or teach.

They identified “implicit” expectations: Students should advocate for themselves with adults, which includes asking for help and feeling comfortable that they have a right to do so; show resilience, for example, being able to accept criticism or bounce back from setbacks; speak up regularly and hold their own in class discussions; and self-regulate, meaning that they keep

control of their impulses and emotions.

McGuigan gave an introductory workshop on culturally competent teaching for faculty and staff, showing how students of varying experiences may or may not find these skills and behaviors natural or familiar.

To come: Departments will continue

discussions about how to best teach these skills in their respective areas.

Access and affordability

Goal: Absorb more of required fees into tuition and make transparent to families all the possible fees that are additional to tuition.

So far: An initial inventory found that for some students, varying with their grade levels and particular classes and activities, additional fees could reach more than $2,500. The Board of Trustees, in deciding tuition for the 2014-2015 school year, figured in a $100 increase per student to absorb the costs of fall class retreats, May Day lunch, Middle School year-end parties, PSAT fees, graduation fee, and artclass fees.

To come: The school plans to make all

the extra costs clear to families so they can plan better for them and also to streamline how families who need assistance with fees can request it. (Families already receiving financial aid generally have fees covered.) Additional fees could be folded into tuition in the future.

Up next:

This school year, the school begins a major push to create a more inclusive family culture – meaning that all families feel equally a part of the Lakeside community – in part by providing additional support to families via an expanded role for advisors. Another major initiative will be working for a more inclusive student culture.

Look for an update on these and other initiative developments in the next issue of Lakeside magazine. ■

tom reese

Chris Hartley began his role as director of athletics this fall.

Chris Hartley named director of athletics

C

hris Hartley, a seasoned administrator and longtime coach of lacrosse, football, and golf, began this fall as Lakeside’s director of athletics.

Hartley was the founding director of Lakeside’s Summer School Programs while also serving as boys lacrosse program head and varsity head coach and as a college counselor. He also has coached football and golf at Lakeside.

Before coming to Lakeside in 2008, he was head of the upper school at University Liggett School, a prekindergarten-12 school in the Detroit area, and upper-school dean of students at Greenhill School in Texas.

In naming him to succeed Abe Wehmiller, who left this summer for North Carolina after holding the post for six years, Head of School Bernie Noe praised Hartley for his leadership, his broad range of skills and knowledge developed both as a coach and in 16 years as a school administrator, and his dedication to Lakeside athletics.

Noe credited Hartley with the successful launch, financial viability, and growth of Summer School Programs, now attended by more than 500 students from more than 100 schools.

Describing Hartley’s role as boys lacrosse head coach, Noe said, “Chris has worked cross-divisionally on professional development for coaches, nearly doubled the size of our boys lacrosse teams, and fostered school spirit and sportsmanship among student-athletes. His deep understanding of the athletics strategic plan and belief in how athletics provides unique learning opportunities for students will be key in helping move forward with our strategic plan.”

That strategic plan, finalized in 2011, outlines how the school will provide students with opportunities to progress from participation to development to high levels of achievement, as well as high-quality coaches, facilities, and equipment. The plan also calls for active promotion and celebration of athletics within the school community.

Hartley himself was a varsity athlete in lacrosse at Cornell University.

He has a master’s degree in education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. ■ Diversity, Hartley

21

SPORTS ROUNDUP

by Mike Lengel and Chris Hein

BOYS SOCCER CAPTURES STATE CROWN; TENNIS team, TRACK stars WIN METRO SPRING SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS BASEBALL Overall record: 13-12

Metro League honors

All-League 1st Team: Andrew Helean ’14, Andrew Summerville ’14 All-League 2nd Team: David Becker ’14, Adam Hinthorne ’14 Honorable Mention: Om Chatterji ’14, Matthew Dietz ’17, Sam S. ’15, Geoffrey Wukelic ’14 Coach of the Year: Dana Papasedero

All-State honors WIAA 3A academic state champions

3A Player of the Year: Andrew Summerville ’14 1st Team: Andrew Summerville ’14 Coach of the Year: Dana Papasedero

Clayton Christy

With solid play in every aspect of its game, an early goal was all the boys soccer team needed to hoist its f irst state championship trophy.

T

he boys soccer team was tested for all 90 minutes of the final game of the postseason, but a goal in the 19th minute proved to be the only edge it would need, securing the team’s first Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) 3A state championship.

While the early goal meant the Lions would be defending a lead for much of the match, the combination of solid defense and goaltending slammed the door on the opponents, as it had all season long. Along the way, the Lions picked up their third straight Metro League title.

The Lions baseball team made its first appearance in the state championship tournament, saw eight players receive All-Metro honors, and had one player selected in the Major League Baseball draft. Boys and girls tennis each tallied a state runner-up and the coed team won its third straight Metro title. Girls track saw Metro champions in the mile and 3200-meter race, and a third-place state finisher.

Check out the full recap of the spring sports season:

CREW US Rowing NW Junior Regional Championships Boys V2: 4th Place – 7:27.999 5th Place – 7:35.245 Girls V2 4th Place – 8:28.360 Girls Novice 8+ 6th Place – 8:27.605 Boys Novice 8+ 6th Place – 7:55.019

BOYS GOLF WIAA 3A academic state champions

WIAA 3A state tournament: Giebien N. ’16 (34th place)

GIRLS GOLF WIAA 3A state tournament: Abby E. ’17 (13th place)

GIRLS LACROSSE Overall record: 8-5-2

WSLA honors

All-Conference (North Sound

22

LAKESIDE

Fall/Winter 2014

Division): Annabel Bench ’14, Lindsey C. ’15, Casey C. ’16, Amerra Sheckles ’14 All-State Team: Annabel Bench ’14, Lindsey C. ’15, Casey C. ’16, Amerra Sheckles ’14 US Lacrosse Academic AllAmerican: Lindsey C. ’15, Molly Rose C. ’15, McLean C. ’15, Lisa Ghaffari ’14, Amanda R. ’15 US Lacrosse All-American: Amerra Sheckles ’14

BOYS LACROSSE Overall record: 6-8

WHSBLA honors

All-League (Metro) 1st Team: Jake E. ’15

BOYS SOCCER Overall record: 16-2-2

Metro League champion WIAA 3A state champions Metro League honors

Player of the Year: Wallis L. ’15 First Team: Gaby Joseph ’14, Wallis L. ’15, Arthur McCray ’14, Wyatt P. ’15 Second Team: Sam A. ’16, Matt D. ’15, Sharif K. ’16 Honorable Mention: Andy P. ’16, Trevor Peterson ’14

Girls track continued its ongoing success, notching two Metro champions.

2nd Place – boys doubles Trey V. ’15 / David Yu ’14 Sea-King District 2 Tournament 2nd Place – boys singles Daniel P. ’16 2nd Place – girls singles Viv D. ’17 WIAA 3A State Tournament 2nd Place – boys singles Daniel P. ’16 2nd Place – girls singles Viv D. ’17 4th Place – boys doubles Trey V. ’15 / David Yu ’14

All-State honors

3A Player of the Year: Wallis L. ’15 1st Team: Gaby Joseph ’14, Wallis L. ’15, Arthur McCray ’14 Coach of the Year: Mark Szabo

TENNIS Overall record: 14-0

Metro League team champions 3rd consecutive Metro League championship (2012, 2013, 2014) WIAA 3A Boys runner-up WIAA 3A Girls 4th Place Metro League Individual Tournament 1st Place – boys singles Daniel P. ’16 2nd Place – girls singles Viv D. ’17

TRACK & FIELD clayton christy

Boys and girls tennis each added a state runner-up and coed tennis served its way to a third straight Metro League championship.

Metro League championship meet 400 meters (2nd place, 59.50): Peyton Johnson ’14 800 meters (2nd place, 2:33.65): Sophie C. ’17 1600 meters (1st place, 4:54.01): Sophie C. ’17 3200 meters (1st place, 10:50.00): Andrea M. ’15

Clayton Christy

3200 meters (2nd place, 11:31.00): Rebecca Delacruz-Gunderson ’14 4x200 relay (2nd place, 1:47.10): Mia K. ’15, Peyton Johnson ’14, Kaela A. ’16, Abby W. ’16 4x400 relay (2nd place, 4:11.27): Peyton Johnson ’14, Andrea M. ’15, Mia K. ’15, Sophie C. ’17 Sea-King District 2 meet 3200 meters (1st place, 10:47.77): Andrea M. ’15 Pole vault (2nd place, 13-06.00): James V. ’15 WIAA 3A state championship meet 3200 meters (3rd place, 10:45.58): Andrea M. ’15 Pole vault (5th place, 14-03.00): James V. ’15 ■

Mike Lengel is digital communications specialist at Lakeside School: mike.lengel@lakesideschool.org or 206-440-2955. Statistics compiled by Chris Hein, associate director of athletics at Lakeside: 206-440-2750 or chris.hein@lakesideschool.org.

Sports

23

by MAUREEN O'HAGAN | photographed by TOM REESE

What working POLITICAL WO is really like

G

oogle search the words “politics” and “dysfunctional” and you’ll get 14 million hits. That’s a whole lot of cynicism on a subject that takes up a lot of our time, our money, and, in some very profound ways, sets the course of our lives.

Does politics have to be this messed up?

We decided to ask some experts – Lakeside alumni who have been involved in the political process. We focused on elected officials but tucked in a few alums who ran for office and lost (Page 32) as well as some who never ran for office but are deeply immersed in national politics (Page 35) or lobbying in Washington state (Page 38).

What we were after were insights into this much-maligned world: Is it as dysfunctional as so many assume? If so, how do they handle that? And what, if anything, have they learned that would surprise us?

Along the way, a few themes kept popping up: the value of compromise, and patience; the amount of work that actually gets done; and what being an elected official is really about. ➢

24

LAKESIDE

Fall/Winter 2014

in the WORLD

Alumni talk ethics, compromise, surprises, quandaries — and more

Supporters of Mike O’Brien ’86’s campaign for re-election to Seattle City Council check their smartphones for the latest vote results on election night, Nov. 5, 2013.

Political alumni

25

g Kin ty un Co cil un 5 Co ict r t Dis

DAVE UPTHEGROVE '89

A

native of South King County, Dave Upthegrove had a bit of a commute to get to early-morning swim team practice at Lakeside. The whole Lakeside experience, he said, was well worth it.

“Lakeside gave me this ability to listen critically and resolve an argument,” he says. It has served him well in office.

Appointed to fill a vacancy in the state House of Representatives in 2001, he went on to be re-elected and served there for more than a decade, championing environmental stewardship and transportation.

In 2013 he ran for a seat on the King County Council and won. The experience can be a bit of a whirlwind, but it’s one he says he has navigated by being as open as he can with people. “I think people respond better when you’re authentic and candid,” he says. “If you let people in on the sausage making, they’re more tolerant.”

What don’t most people understand about politics?

I think people are quick to assume the worst in elected officials. My experience is, most are trying really hard to improve their community and do a good job.

I spent 12 years in Olympia. People would get frustrated at the time it took to

King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove ’89, center, at a ribbon-cutting event celebrating restoration of Seahurst Park, in his District 5 (Des Moines, Normandy Park and parts of Burien, SeaTac, Renton, Tukwila, and Kent).

26

LAKESIDE

Fall/Winter 2014

pass a budget. I said, imagine if you took 100 of your friends and put them in a building and said you have 60 days, ready, set, go.

What’s the most surprising thing you learned upon taking office?

I think I was surprised at how much work has already been done and how much attention and thought had been given to the issues of the day. It’s hard to find an idea that hasn’t been scrutinized, debated.

I think (it’s) incredibly time-consuming to do a good job. You have to study the policy, but to be effective you have to listen and get input. That means you have to be accessible, available in the community. Almost every night there’s an event.

What has been your proudest moment in politics?

I think it was probably being part of developing and implementing a strategy that led to marriage equality. When I started in the Legislature, same-sex families had no protections at all. A group of us developed a long-term strategy. It started with basic protections in things like hospital visits, a small handful of benefits that were very difficult to argue against. It allowed us to tell some pretty compelling stories.

We were able to build on that. A year or two later, we had another suite of rights and responsibilities. Finally, when we believed we had the public support on the ballot, we cleaned up the statute. If we had simply just passed a marriage law, it may have been overturned. We had to bring the public with us. When opponents challenged it, the public stood with us.

How about regrets?

I think one of the worst votes I’ve ever taken was reducing car tabs to $30. After voters passed a citizen initiative that cut the car tabs to $30, it was thrown out in court, but the Legislature voted to implement it anyhow. I was one of the legislators who voted for it. Looking back, I think voters were trying to swing at state government but ended up hitting local government. The folks that suffered were cities and counties that relied on that money, particularly local public health.

What have you learned in office that you wish you had learned earlier?

There’s a strength I’ve developed in politics – the ability to say no, to stand up for yourself when faced with pressure. Some of the confidence in who I am as a person comes from the rough and tumble of politics.

I work as a basketball referee. Lots of similarities there. I stand up to people yelling on the sidelines. Between these two jobs, I think I’ve developed a strength and confidence that I didn’t have when I was younger.

What has politics taught you about life?

It’s given me an appreciation for patience as a value. Patience with people. I’ve also had a unique opportunity to interact with people from all walks of life, every background. So much of this work is standing in a parking lot 45 minutes after a meeting and listening.

People ask me, day to day, what do you do? Most of what I do is listen. So in some regard you can say it’s an easy job. You just sit there and listen.

Political alumni

27

After graduating from University of Washington law school, Dunn worked for a Bellevue law firm and later became a federal prosecutor. He has served on the Council since 2005 and has made public safety one of his priorities. In 2012 he ran as a Republican to become state attorney general but lost the race.

Named after Ronald Reagan, Dunn’s very bloodline is steeped in politics. His mother is the late Jennifer Dunn, former member of the U.S. House of Representatives and chair of the Washington state Republican Party from 1981 to 1992, and his father is former Washington state Republican National Committee member Dennis Dunn ’58. (Dennis Dunn’s personal essay appears on Page 66). It’s no surprise that he’s given a lot of thought to the political process. In this left-of-center region, Dunn is considered conservative, though he doesn’t always toe the party line.

Reagan Dunn ’90, center, at the Hyatt Regency, Bellevue, celebrating his re-election to King County Council, District 9 (Newcastle, Maple Valley, Enumclaw and much of Southeastern King County). At left, Bellevue Mayor Conrad Lee; at right, Dino Rossi, former Republican state legislator and unsuccessful gubernatorial and U.S. Senate candidate.

g Kin ty un Co cil un o t 9 C ric t s Di

REAGAN DUNN'90

I

t is 9 a.m. at a Starbucks in Factoria, and Reagan Dunn almost apologetically orders a decaf. “You don’t know how many coffee meetings I do in a day,” he explains. As a member of the King County Council, meetings are a big part of the job.

Back at Lakeside, Dunn was not quite so serious.

“I was not what you call an ‘A’ student,” Dunn recalls with a laugh.

“I was more interested in fixing cars.” But the education he received prepared him well for college and beyond.

What do you think? Are things worse than ever?

Politics has had its share of very uncivil discourse from the time of Washington and Jefferson. But a couple things are working to amplify that now: The dramatic expansion in media, including social media, gives people a much louder megaphone to complain and criticize. Also the political process has become so expensive.

You have to raise a ton of money and identify yourself with certain causes. Because of that, it’s a much more polarizing process.

So is compromise possible?

It’s necessary, and good leaders are able to do it. If you’re not able to compromise, you’re an ideologue.

What was the most surprising thing you learned upon taking office?

The most challenging thing is that you have a base constituency which helps you get elected. When you get into office you’re going to find issues where you disagree with that constituency. It’s quite extraordinary how upset and angry these groups can be when you take action against their interests.

Give me an example.

When I came out in favor of marriage equality, I got 5,000 hate emails

28

LAKESIDE

Fall/Winter 2014

– literally. It’s very frustrating.

Marty Linsky, (professor) at Harvard, said the art of political leadership is “disappointing your own people at a rate they can absorb.” It means you can take courageous stands, but if you do it too often, they’re going to kick you out of office.

Democrat, Republican, we have the same issues. You come in with this fervent idealism and you end up just getting pounded. It’s something you don’t forget.

The thing is, you get a lot better at it. You actually build up calluses.

RUTH

KAGI'63

of s e H o vuess e o f u Ho tati n tati v e s , Re epnr e s e 2 es t 3 pr c e R D i s tri ct 32 tri Dis

You knew gay marriage wouldn’t be popular among certain constituents. How do you make decisions in cases like that?

With gay marriage, I’m weighing the role of government in marriage.

The role of the church. Is there a liberty interest here? Is there a discrimination issue? What do my friends and family and constituents think? I think it’s consistent with Republican Party principles. I believe in liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I think we need more freedom in this country, not less.

You’ve talked about how public officials need to be held to a high standard and recently came forward about a DUI.

I believe in being straightforward with the public. When I pled guilty to a DUI, I went straight to the newspaper about it. It was the right thing to do.

For years, I couldn’t go to AA meetings, which is an important part of recovery, because I was worried the public would find out about it and judge me in a negative light. It’s refreshing to step out and say I’ve got a problem, and I’m actively working on it. I have no doubt I’ll overcome this challenge just like every other challenge I’ve ever faced.

Given all the battles and the criticism in politics, what makes you stick around?

You really have to celebrate the small victories. Good elected leaders, you get kicked in the teeth on Monday and on Tuesday you’re back in there, ready to get going. You have to be resilient.

COURTESY RUTH KAGI '63

Democratic state Rep. Ruth Kagi ’63 holding a fellow legislator’s baby on the floor of the House of Representatives, where she represents the 32nd District (northwest King and southwest Snohomish counties). Rated “outstanding” by the King County Municipal League, she’s expected to win re-election in early November.

A

s a member of the Washington state Legislature representing the 32nd District since 1999, Ruth Kagi has debated just about every issue you can think of.

But she wants folks to understand that debate doesn’t equal dysfunction.

“People have this image of me going down (to Olympia)

with a drawn sword and fighting every day,” she says.

“It’s really just working with very good people.” ➢

Political alumni

29

The mood was festive at Fremont Abbey Arts Center as voter returns showed Mike O’Brien ’86 won reelection to Seattle City Council.

reports on. They don’t hear nearly as much about our accomplishments.

Over 90 percent of the work we do is very bipartisan. I’m able to get a tremendous amount of policy work done …We passed three bills this session on foster care. They’re really important bills that strengthen our foster-care system, but you don’t read about it in the newspaper.

Chair of the House Early Learning and Human Services Committee, Kagi is known as a champion of education, foster-care reform, and supportive services for struggling families. She certainly has had her share of victories. But she also is quite familiar with rejection.

“You have to be persistent,” she says. “There are many bills that took years to pass. I’m hoping to pass one next year that I’ve been working on for four years. That’s key in the Legislature – don’t give up.”

She’s clearly doing nothing of the sort. Kagi is expected to win re-election in November and take another shot at her four-year-old effort on legislation to improve child care and early education.

What don’t most people understand about politics?

How much bipartisan work does go on in the Legislature, especially now with a split Legislature. I have to work with my Republican counterparts, or I don’t get anything done. Understanding how much the Legislature is based on relationships and the ability to work with other people; that is the key to accomplishing your mission.

Why, then, is there so much cynicism about the political process?

The public (sees) the very negative, very visible issues where there’s disagreement. That’s what the press

30

LAKESIDE

Fall/Winter 2014

Describe a political quandary and how you resolved it.

In the first few years I was in the Legislature, we had a bill on trapping cougars. I think it was also on shooting them. I listened to the members who live in rural areas and the difficulties they had with cougars prowling around houses, killing animals. I thought it probably was good public policy to pass the bill, to allow trapping. I’ve never gotten so much email. My district felt strongly that we should not be passing this. So when it came to a vote, I voted with my constituents.

When they feel that strongly, I feel like I need to respond.

Can you describe another time you had to go along to get along?

The House considers hundreds of bills in a session. There’s no way in the world you could read all those bills, or even the summaries of all those bills. So we get briefed in caucus by committee chairs. Most chairs, I trust their judgment, so when they brief a bill, I’m liable to go with their recommendation. From one perspective, that’s going along to get along. From another, it’s the only way the system can work. If you don’t compromise you don’t govern.

Did you know that going in?

No. It’s been a very hard learning process (laughs). ■

A

member of the Seattle City Council since 2010, Mike O’Brien is best known for his focus on environmental and sustainability

issues. On the Council, he successfully championed a ban on single-use plastic bags in retail and a popular bill to opt out of phone-book deliveries (overturned in court but alternative opt-outs followed in its wake). O’Brien also has repeatedly pushed for public financing of campaigns (voters very narrowly rejected a measure the Council referred to the ballot in 2013) and of late is trying to forge compromise on micro-housing regulations.

on that. When I spoke with people, I was unable to defend my position. I would talk through my rationale, and I thought, I don’t believe myself. I’m in the wrong spot.

A friend called and said, you know you don’t actually make up your mind until you vote. I wound up making the deciding vote against it. I’m disappointed I took a public stance when I really wasn’t ready. But I’m proud I wound up in the place that was right for me.

Did you learn anything from the experience?

I don’t know that I appreciated the role of having these conferences with advocates.

Now, before I get to a decision, I’m reaching out to people I trust. I’m having these conversations as opposed to saying I don’t want to hear from people who disagree with me because it’s not going to be a fun conversation.

Is that hard?

MIKE O'BRIEN'86 By background, he is a financial management officer and former chair of the Sierra Club’s Cascade chapter.

“Some people grew up with politics,” he says. “I’ve got (only) 4½ years under my belt.” The world of politics, he says, has taken a little bit of getting used to.

What’s the most surprising thing you learned upon taking office?

There’s a perception to some extent that people who work in government aren’t good people. What I’ve found in the City of Seattle is an amazing group of dedicated servants who work for the city.

I came in thinking I’m this outsider, I’ve got some great ideas. I’d introduce my “bold” concept. They’d be respectful and nod. And

e tl at y cit cil un o c

se

then they’d say we’d like to take what you said three steps further because we’ve actually been working on this for years.

Describe a political quandary and how you resolved it.

A bill four years ago would have created a new civil fine for aggressive panhandling. (Some Council members) felt strongly we needed this law to clean up Seattle and give police what they needed to rein in street disorder. Advocates for homeless people were opposed. I had spoken about how I didn’t think that (the law) was the right direction. Hearing stories and talking to police, I shifted a bit. I told The Seattle Times I would vote ‘yes.’

I knew we’d be getting a lot of calls

No matter which way you vote, you’re always going to have (people who are mad). Except for banning Yellow Pages, which everyone agreed with!

It is hard. My personality is such that I’m not very confrontational. I like to be liked. I like to get along with people. That’s been a challenge for me.

Especially as a newbie, there’s a lot of pressure to tell people what they want to hear. How am I going to do this so I’m honest? That was a bit of practice.

The reality is, I’m going to pick a position and not everyone’s going to be happy.

Amazingly, I’ve found even when people strongly disagree with me, if I’ve had a conversation with them and they were heard, that gets them 80 percent of the way there. ■

Political alumni

31

What you learn when you lose

PHOTOS COURTESY PETER STEINBRUECK '75

PETER STEINBRUECK' 75

B

y trade, Peter Steinbrueck is an architect. But by nature, he is an activist, following in the footsteps of his father, Victor Steinbrueck, who fought a long battle to stop the demolition of Pike Place Market in the 1960s.

He served on the Seattle City Council from 1997 to 2007, then took a break and, among other things, studied environmental policy at Harvard. Returning to Seattle, he ran for mayor in 2013

but lost in the Democratic primary. Some say his absence from civic life hurt his chances. Steinbrueck is taking it in stride. In 2008 he started Steinbrueck Urban Strategies, which offers consulting on issues in the urban environment, including design, public policy, and sustainability.

32

LAKESIDE

Fall/Winter 2014

Peter Steinbrueck ’75 speaks at a 2013 candidate forum with Dorli Rainey, octogenarian civil-rights activist known for being pepper-sprayed during Occupy Seattle protests in 2011. Steinbrueck, formerly on Seattle City Council, lost the primary contest in his bid to become mayor.

A student of growth management, he has focused much of his work, both in and out of government, on livability issues — what he calls smart growth.

“Coming from a family of activists,” he says, “I’m motivated less by politics and more by working to advance change.”

Is there too much polarization in politics today?

I don’t mind having a mix of values and beliefs. I think it leads to better outcomes. Congress was intentionally designed to be partially dysfunctional.

The idea was, battle it out with words, oratory, instead of dueling it out with swords; it would take enormous effort to reach a level of agreement that the country could move forward. That dysfunctionality is a form of stability.

In all your years in office, what surprised you most?

It was a strange feeling having always worked on the outside, and having challenged City Hall, to be on the inside and suddenly being conscious of being able to work with enormous resources: The city has thousands of employees, a $4 billion budget, all of these incredible resources.

And the phone started ringing incessantly with people wanting to see me.

You’re very popular initially.

Describe a political quandary and how you resolved it.

There were so many of them!

One of my biggest passions was to bring homelessness to an end, or at least make a significant dent. Knowing the wealth in our city, the local tax base, and seeing this incredible disparity, was perhaps the most troubling thing for me in office.

I learned that we had a maintenance system that was not (moving) people out of homelessness. (I started looking at) a more outcomes-based approach, a data-driven approach to track needs and

resources. I didn’t expect the opposition it drew. It was seen as Big Brother data collecting. That’s just one example of trying to take on the world and naively not knowing the barriers I would encounter.

Have you had to reconcile your views?

Often. You have to temper your views. My background is one of being a passionate advocate. It’s a good thing, but you can overwhelm others with that.

There’s almost a religiosity. I had people who thought I should compromise more.

Do you have any advice for people hoping to get involved in politics?

Be careful about what you promise.

There’s a real tendency to overpromise.

Delivering on it can be very difficult. The downside is, if you don’t commit 100 percent to a constituent’s goals, they think you’re wishy-washy.

You lost your bid to become mayor in the primary. What did you learn from the experience?

More lessons learned Dr. Arthur Coday '82 talks about his bids for state and national offices, Page 34.

That there is a power of incumbency.

I’d been out of office. For me it wasn’t that long a time, but people move on, they forget you. Or they never knew you in the first place. I had to rebuild from the bottom and I underestimated what it would take to do that.

What has politics taught about life?

That radical change doesn’t happen often and it isn’t always the best means.

Incremental change is something to work with and work toward. It’s almost an evolutionary process of improving the human condition.

And taking a long view is important.

It’s a rare quality in politics, where there are too many short-term expedients. ■

Political alumni

33

PHOTOS COURTESY DR. ARTHUR CODAY

Dr. Arthur Coday ’82, at left, speaking at a Moses Lake tea-party rally in his ultimately unsuccessful campaign for U.S. Senate in 2012. At right, volunteers near Ellensburg show their support.

DR.ARTHUR CODAY'82

A

rt Coday chose a quiet spot this past summer to sit down for an interview: on a bench outside Lakeside’s chapel.

A physician and Republican Party donor who has made several unsuccess-

ful runs at elected office, Coday traces his political roots back to when Barbara Bush came to speak at a school assembly in Dallas, Texas, where he attended one year of high school.

“She talked about how her husband was going to be running for vice president,” he recalls. “When I heard the ideas of Ronald Reagan, even as a 10th grader, I thought, that makes sense to me.”

Coday is a political conservative who is staunchly prolife and advocates more fiscal restraint in government. In 2010 he made a bid to unseat U.S. Sen. Patty Murray but stepped aside during the race, saying fellow Republican Dino Rossi had a better chance. Instead, he ran that year for an open seat in the state House of Representatives, losing to Cindy Ryu. Two years later, he tried for U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell’s seat but lost.

His experience, he said, illustrates a Catch-22 of American politics.

What did you learn about the political process?

It is very difficult to run a serious political campaign without the support of key players and key special interests.

34

LAKESIDE

Fall/Winter 2014

I didn’t have that. I was totally grassroots.

I think it discourages people from running. And more than that, it encourages the wrong kind of person to run.

They’ve been bought, they’re owned. And we’ve got a Congress full of these people. That’s why they can’t get anything done.

You ran more of a grassroots campaign. But did you want backing from major interest groups?

Only to the degree that people would see the light. I don’t need it for my ego. I don’t need some backer stroking me to make me feel important.

If you had won, how would you have dealt with all the partisanship and the special interests?

Good question (laughs). I think the first step is you’ve got to be yourself. If you allow yourself to be yourself, you’re going to do the right thing most of the time. But you have to have the confidence to do that. I think some people are much too easily pushed into things that don’t seem right for them.

What surprised you most?

The number of people who don’t vote. I guess really that was the biggest shock to me of all. And it was a heartbreaker. I think that should tell all of us something has really gone wrong.

I think politics attracts the very best. And the very worst. ■ Seattle freelance writer Maureen O’Hagan can be reached at mauren.k.ohagan@gmail.com.

THE VIEWFROM D.C. Seven alums who push politic s forward

T

hese seven Lakeside alumni are based in Washington, D.C., working for politicians or parties, or generally keeping the political wheels

turning. We asked them to share a bit about their jobs, including “the most useful thing and

most difficult thing you do to further the common good” and insights from their behind-the-scenes’ perches. A few excerpts:

KURT FRITT S ’ 8 8 , national political director for the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) The committee focuses on helping elect Democrats to state legislatures throughout the country. In that job, “The most useful thing I do to further the common good is to win elections. Obviously my political views are much closer aligned to the values and the priorities of the Democratic Party. For instance, I believe that we are stronger as a society when we have a robust social safety net; treat all of our citizens — including gays and lesbians — equally and with respect; and provide real economic opportunity across socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic lines.

One challenge that I face every day is the lack of attention paid to state legislative politics. The far-reaching impacts of

the issues that get decided go relatively unnoticed — and yet there is so much at stake! Elections are the one exception; they mark the time when people are most likely to be paying attention, even if just nominally. Campaigns are frequently fought on issues not germane to voters’ lives and they rarely provide a good back-and-forth between the candidates, but at least they provide some much-needed accountability.”

Once was: “I spent many years in Washington state politics (“managed two winning legislative campaigns, drew strong Democratic maps in the 2001 redistricting, led Washington Senate Democrats to a majority in 2004, and helped grow Washington Conservation Voters into a powerful environmental voice” says his DLCC bio). He was part of the team that helped Chris Gregoire prevail in the 2004 gubernatorial recount, one of the closest statewide races in U.S. history, then served in her administration her first year as governor. He also oversaw a civic and voter-education project in southern Sudan.

ERI K A S HIDA ’ 0 8 , legislative

correspondent for Rep. Denny Heck, D-Olympia

“I assist in responding to policy questions from the district; help monitor the House floor; legislatively, I cover issues related to cultural policy and the Postal Service, and help with foreign policy and defense issues.” Most useful: “Help make sure that our constituents’ views are reflected in the decisions we make.” For example, “During the government shutdown or the debate about whether to authorize airstrikes against the Assad regime following the use of chemical weapons in Syria, we received thousands of contacts from people in our district. It was important that all of those ➢

Political alumni

35

comments were summarized and passed on so that the congressman could make decisions taking those into account.”

Most difficult: “explain the congressman’s point of view when there is disagreement.”

How to solve D.C. gridlock

MARGO BROWN ’09,

and friends who were more conservative, both at Lakeside and at

legislative correspondent for Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.)

The true answer is probably relearning how to listen to one

another and rebuilding trust. I’m very liberal, but I had classmates Princeton. I’m capable of having conversations with those friends about the issues our country faces and what we could do to solve

Most useful: “writing letters to constituents who are newly involved in the political process.”

Most difficult: “My boss has the issues she cares most about, and although there are other things that she thinks important, she had to choose a select portfolio of issues. Understanding that limitation has been one of the hardest parts of my job.”

them. I strongly believe that many of these shouldn’t be viewed as

STEPHEN DAGADAKIS ’03,

we realize the principles that we still agree upon.

program head at Congressional Research Service The service provides nonpartisan and confidential research and analysis to Congress. “I oversee the section responsible for training members of Congress, senators, and their staff on legislative process and policy.

For example, we host a retreat for newly elected members of Congress to provide them with a crash course to help them be effective in their new jobs.”

Once was: Deputy executive director of the House Democratic Caucus, where he managed weekly meetings with Democrats in Congress, built consensus on policy and message, and developed and coordinated party initiatives.

liberal or conservative issues. You may not agree with me about anthropogenic global warming but maybe you do agree that it’s a problem that Washington oyster farmers are being forced to move their industry to Hawaii because of acidification in the Sound. That movement means fewer jobs and that’s bad for the state economy.

Maybe we can find a way of working on this issue together when

- Margo Brown '09 Having two strong political parties with sharply contrasting viewpoints is good for voters and it is good for our democracy. Paralysis that is generated by obstructionism, on the other hand, is dangerous. It thwarts all compromise and breeds voter cynicism.

At some point, those responsible for the paralysis in Washington, D.C. — and make no mistake that it is tea party Republicans who are holding their own party and the nation hostage in order to avoid compromise on any issue — will be held accountable. But given the current congressional maps and the way that tea party conservatives dominate the Republican primary process, we’ll probably have to wait until new congressional lines are drawn after the 2020 Census — drawn largely by state legislatures — before the will of the voters prevails.

- Kurt Fritts '88

They have more to say Our D.C. political staff alumni’s complete answers to these and additional questions at: lakesideschool.org/magazine.

36

LAKESIDE

Fall/Winter 2014

I recently spoke with a political scientist who is writing a book

SOPHIE SHULMAN ’06,

that argues tighter party margins (more evenly divided) put party

deputy chief of staff for the Domestic Policy Council at the White House

control of the House and Senate in play, which in turn increases the value of partisan activity over collaboration. Basically, why compromise when you can win an election, take control, and pass your own agenda?

Additionally, (these days) members and senators have less social interaction. Increased pressure to keep families in their home state, less time spent in D.C., more time spent fundraising, and fewer bipartisan social occasions likely increase polarization.

I've personally seen bipartisan legislative collaboration occur because of the existence of those relationships. Stronger bipartisan relationships would at least create dialogue and opportunities for collaboration.

- Stephen Dagadakis '03

What most people might not understand …

The council coordinates the domestic policy-making process in the White House, ensures that domestic policy decisions and programs are consistent with the president’s stated goals, and monitors implementation of the president’s domestic policy agenda. (More at www.whitehouse.gov/ administration/eop/dpc).

J ohn F o g a r t y ' 0 5 , research

analyst with the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship

The committee, chaired by Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., has jurisdiction over the Small Business Administration and also researches and investigates problems of U.S. small-business enterprise. Fogarty previously worked in Sen. Patty Murray’s office and on the Senate Committee for Veterans’ Affairs.

Legislators are more creative and, in some ways, more prag-

K at ie Ro d ihan ’ 1 0 ,

matic, up close than you might assume looking at headlines. You

research analyst and staff assistant for the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship

can find many “odd couples” of legislators who are on complete disagreement on everything but one issue — but they might write a bill or form a caucus together on the basis of that one issue.

For example, last year, Congressman Heck was able to work with a Republican colleague from Pennsylvania to enact bipartisan reform of the federal reverse mortgage program. In June, we

She joined the committee in July after internships with the White House Council of Economic Advisers, Democratic National Committee, and U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer. ■

moved a bill to improve small business representation in rulemakings by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau out of committee together with Robert Pittenger — a Republican from North Carolina who’s so conservative he won’t accept help from the Affordable Care Act to buy his own health insurance.

- Erik Ashida '08

Political alumni

37

The truth about lobbying is …

"All lobbyists are not rich and evil. Some are poor and evil. Some are rich and do very positive work.

Many of us are hard-working, committed, and really want to make the world a better place. It is not necessary to have a lot of money to give to elected officials to be effective.

Money certainly buys access, but so does having a powerful and unexpected messenger wearing a badge and a gun.

Law enforcement can get people to ‘yes’ on the importance of early childhood education when they aren't persuaded by any other argument.”

- Laura Wells ’70 "It really is not done in back rooms with a ‘fix’ in when a bill is filed.” Most people don’t appreciate “how difficult it is to successfully change the law. The key is communication and having facts, arguments, and good reasons.

About 3,000 bills are filed in the Legislature each year but only 400 or so will make it to the governor’s desk."

- Stuart Halsan ’70 "Lobbying is about portraying your cause or client in the best light that you can in an accurate, ethical, and appealing way for decision-makers and the general public."

Courtesy of Stuart Halsan ’70 archives, circa 1987

THE

As a state legislator during the 1980s, Stuart Halsan ’70 sponsored some 35 bills, prompting fellow Lakesider, then-Gov. Booth Gardner ’54, to stick out his tongue in fun (“Not another Halsan bill!”) when he signed this one.

LOBBYING LIFE

O

ur four alumni lobbyists know the popular image of their profession can be, well, a challenge. But they want you to know you shouldn’t believe what you see on shows like “Veep” and “House of Cards.” Here are excerpts from their insiders’ thoughts:

38

LAKESIDE

Fall/Winter 2014

- Ross Baker ’75

What about ethical challenges?

"In Olympia we regularly face ethical questions. Every day you get access to information; you hear something in an office, or if I have a relationship with a legislator and he tells me something; or someone makes a bad personal choice or says something that could wreck their career. I have to calculate whether it’s public or private. That’s an ethical choice. I have a pretty simple test.

What would my family and friends think if they read a detailed description of my legislative activities in The Seattle Times?”

- Pat Dunn ’65

How to improve the political climate

"More women in the Legislature, Congress, and in leadership positions everywhere.”

- Laura Wells ’70

Stuart Halsan ’70, owner of law practice dedicated solely to lobbying. Current clients: Rite Aid Corporation, Towing and Recovery Association of Washington, Washington Land Title Association, and Washington Vape Association (e-cigarette stores); past clients include The Tobacco Institute, Coors Brewing Company, and Washington State Bar Association. “We do not shy away from the most difficult and controversial issues,” says his website (advocates olympia.com).

Sometimes his role representing clients means “passing laws that have broad public impact, such as ‘Hailey’s Law’ that required a 12-hour impound of a drunken driver’s car” (his client was the towing industry, but he led a lobbying effort that enlisted law enforcement and Mothers Against Drunk Driving). Sometimes the laws are more esoteric; one he led on behalf of the title folks prohibits private transfer fees in real estate sales.

Once was: Democratic member of the state House of Representatives and then Senate; notable among bills he sponsored was one that created the crime of homicide by abuse (known as the “Eli Creekmore” law).

Ross Baker ’75,

Pat Dunn ’65,

Laura Wells ’70,

public policy director for Virginia Mason. Lobbies on behalf of VM with the Washington state Legislature, governor, city and county officials, and the state’s congressional delegation.

For example, he lobbied for the Affordable Care Act (including “strategic, urgent conversations with various congressmen hours before the final vote to support various amendments to the final bill to avoid interruptions in care for medically fragile populations like those living with HIV/AIDS”).

co-owner, Patrick Dunn & Associates. Lobbies on behalf of business clients – he is a longtime board member with the Association of Washington Business – and nonprofits like Thrive by Five Washington, a private-public partnership for early learning (collaborating with two fellow Lakeside alumni, lobbyist Laura Wells ’70 and state Rep. Ruth Kagi ’63). Also does pro bono work related to human-services funding and policy. (A textbook example of lobbying is how Dunn maneuvered to create a controversial state financing agency for affordable housing: wshfc.org/ admin/20yearhistory.pdf.)

state director of the nonprofit Fight Crime: Invest in Kids (fightcrime.org). Lobbies for Fight Crime’s umbrella organization, Council for a Strong America. “I work with our state’s top cops — sheriffs, police chiefs, and prosecuting attorneys — to advocate for more investments in programs that have been proven to get at-risk kids off to a good start in life and prevent crime down the road.”

Once was: Lobbyist/counselor for McCaw Cellular (now AT&T Wireless); chief of staff, King County Council; government affairs director, Seattle’s Lifelong AIDS Alliance.

Once was: Assistant to John Spellman, the last Republican governor of Washington; director of the Washington state Department of Community Development.

Once was: Co-chair of the Seattle Human Services Coalition; chair of King County Alliance for Services. ■ Comments from D.C. alumni and alumni lobbyists were compiled by Carey Quan Gelernter, editor of Lakeside magazine.

You can reach her at 206-440-2706 or carey.gelernter@lakesideschool.org.

They have more to say Read the alumni lobbyists’ complete answers to these and additional questions at lakesideschool.org/magazine.

Political alumni

39

TOM REESE

Colleen Kyle, Upper School history department head, says that part of training students how to think means, “We ask them to question authority all the time, including our own.”

POLITICAL TEACHING

by CAREY QUAN GELERNTER

C 40

LAKESIDE

an you teach students how to think about politics without teaching them what to think about politics? We sat down with the heads of the history departments in the Middle and Upper schools to find out.

Fall/Winter 2014

Q & A w i t h C o l l e e n Ky l e The following is condensed from a conversation with Colleen Kyle, who came to Lakeside in 2009 and has been Upper School history department head since 2012.

What would you say to those who believe Lakeside has a liberal bias?

I’m not sure about a liberal bias, but I believe in the goals and values of what’s known as a liberal education. We’re training students how to think, to develop the skills of critical writing and reading, analysis; we ask them to question authority all the time, including our own. You don’t think by just accepting what your teacher or anyone tells you but by rigorously questioning and asking for the evidence. If you graduate students who go on to do that as citizens and people, the world will be better for it.

That’s the point of teaching history the way we do it here — to open minds rather than close them.

Our goal is to cultivate an atmosphere of tolerance, curiosity, and rigor. You leave them, ideally, with more questions than answers. But students don’t Continued on page 42 ➢ always like that.

Q & A w it h C arl E n g el h ar d t The following is condensed from a conversation with Carl Engelhardt, who taught at West Point and a Washington, D.C., independent school before coming to Lakeside in 2007 to become the Middle School history department head.

Apparently in some circles Lakeside has the reputation of having a liberal bias.

Do you agree?

I wouldn’t say liberal bias. I would say that Republicans and conservatives are underrepresented in education.

Today we affiliate liberal and conservative by party. If by liberal bias you mean most of our faculty vote Democratic, that’s decidedly true.

As to whether that affects how they teach in the classroom — at the university level, I would say yes. But at Lakeside, both at the high school and middle school, we try not to have an agenda. Political views are unavoidable. But avoiding political bias and having an agenda in class, that’s doable. As much as possible, we want to let the kids figure it out themselves and to give them a dispassionate and optimistic view of how the system works.

Such as: It’s not that congressmen are evil, but they are looking out for themselves — which is what everyone does.

Why do you think the educational world leans Democrat?

In the public-school world, the teachers unions are probably the second largest donors to the Democratic Party. The other reason is that schools, especially independent schools, largely tend to be in cities. The true story of American politics is that we have an urban/rural split. Cities vote Democrat, pretty much, and rural areas — there are exceptions here or there — vote Republican.

Because, from back in the late 1800s, rural areas tend to be more traditional. Patriotism and nationalism are strong in rural areas; when I was in the Army (he retired as a lieutenant colonel and was a graduate of, and later history teacher at, West Point), a lot of new soldiers came from the rural South.

What about your own views?

I do have a reputation as one of the few who has voted for both parties.

LINDSAY ORLOWSKI

Carl Engelhardt advocates giving Middle School students “a dispassionate and optimistic view” of the political system.

Can you give some examples of how the Middle School teaches about politics?

We use something with our students called ProCon.org (a nonprofit nonpartisan tool for applying critical thinking to controversial issues, www.procon.org/). We took a number of national issues – education reform, gun control, same-sex marriage, the war on drugs, the debt, things like that. We asked students to each research two of the issues, look at just arguments for and against, write their own views and then see where they aligned with the presidential candidates. The goal was to separate issues from personalities, and see the results.

There were some surprises; there were far more libertarians than they expected. We had some fiscal conservative/social-issue liberals, who tended to come out libertarian. One or two socialists. A few conservatives. Some were surprised that they came closer to Romney than Obama. Of course this was just on the basis of the two issues they picked. The 5thgrade teacher focused on local issues because the theme of 5th grade is cities.

What other history lessons are shared about the way politics works?

We try to tell them the facts about American politics. We taught them about ➢

TRY IT YOURSELF Compare your views: Lakeside Middle School students checked out how their opinions aligned with those of candidates, using a Web tool generated by a nonprofit whose goal is to promote applying critical thinking to issues. The tool is free and nonpartisan, and you can try it, too: www.procon.org/ Quiz yourself: Are you conservative, liberal, progressive, communitarian? Find out by taking the same test Upper School students take on IDEAlog, billed as an application for analyzing political values, developed by Northwestern University political scientists: www.idealog.org/en/quiz

Political teaching

41

➢ C o l l e e n Ky l e

Some would just rather you give them the answers?

Yes.

Do the history teachers share their personal views with students?

In my experience I’ve noticed two philosophies about politics in the classroom.

One approach is to be upfront with students from the start: “Here’s my world view; it would be dishonest of me not to make that plain to you as the teacher.”

Another approach is to focus the classroom on students’ views, not the teacher’s.

Of course you make choices about what you include and what you don’t that reflect your own training: In a survey course that meets just three times a week, do you make room for gender history? How long do you spend on the civil rights movement? On business and industry? We’ve worked hard in recent years to collaborate on decisions of overall coverage in our survey classes, benefiting from the multiple perspectives and expertise of our teaching teams while still allowing for a level of individual teacher autonomy.

But our goal is to allow students space in the classroom where they don’t feel we will view them differently for their opinions. There’s so much power in the teacher role that you need to be very restrained in how you use it.

Do students ever point-blank ask your opinion?

Sometimes; I usually will answer by giving more than one possible answer, suggesting what the arguments might be. And I try to follow up with a question so that the argument I have explained isn’t the last one heard. They usually don’t press you.

What about responding to students’ views?

I wouldn’t intervene unless someone said something blatantly racist or blatantly against the values of the school.

The classroom is richer when we have multiple perspectives, and we do get a rich mix, in terms of diversity, at Lakeside. In American Studies last year, we aligned our coverage of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era with contemporary readings on inequality. These generated some intense

42

LAKESIDE

Fall/Winter 2014

➢ Carl Engelhardt

discussions, particularly when students directed the conversation towards inequality in education. Some of the students had been in private schools their whole lives, while others came from some of the most challenged middle schools in the region. Hearing their classmates’ stories about the latter was a reality check to students who hadn’t been exposed to that level of inequality, and it was empowering for those who gave voice to those stories. This is the kind of learning opportunity that we have at Lakeside.

What are a few of the specific ways you teach about politics in the Upper School?

Something I use to clarify ideology in American politics, that I’ve shared with other teachers, is IDEAlog.org. The site was developed by political scientists at Northwestern University. It plots students on a grid based on their answers to a series of 20 questions relating to contemporary political issues that have been asked by pollsters. Rather than a left/right continuum, it puts them on a dimension based on two tensions in democracy. One is the tension between freedom and order — the classic dilemma of government: Do you want more order, and what freedom are you willing to give up to live a safer life?

The other is a dilemma of government unique to modern democracy, that is, the tension between freedom and equality.

So this tool shows students where they fit on a grid: If they preference freedom more often than the others, they end up in the libertarian square. If they preference order and freedom over equality, they end up in the conservative square. If they preference equality over freedom and order, they fall into the liberal square. And if they preference government taking action more frequently in general, they fall into what political scientists call the communitarian, or progressive, square.

I’ve used it with Lakeside students and also at my last school (an East Coast boarding school), which was probably more conservative than Lakeside, and the students at both tend to fall into the liberal box. It doesn’t surprise the students to see this result as a class average. But it helps cut through perceived identities and get to the nitty-gritty of policymaking and policy choices. ■

gerrymandering in voting districts. We talk about the role of money. But we didn’t want to say,“The system is screwed up and politics is always run by money.” We didn’t want to present either that “we have the best government in the world” or that “it sucks and we ought to get rid of it.” In the Middle School, we want our kids to have an optimistic attitude about solving problems and of the Constitution, which I’m pretty high on. Our 7th-grade theme is “The American Dream.”

How do you balance optimism and facts?

What I say is, there is an idealistic base to American politics. We tell them that mainly politics is about power and the distribution of power. You need to have power distributed; we want to do that wisely.

Maybe we aren’t doing so well at that recently. And politicians have always been rough on each other: Jefferson was accused of all kinds of things in his day; what’s different now is that the media is so out there.

We also teach them what the guys who wrote the Constitution would say. ( James) Madison said politics is always about interests. In a big country these interests will always balance out and we’ll have reasonable progress. That’s why we don’t need to be discouraged. Over time we do figure it out.

We talk about how demographics change politics. In tough times, like the Great Depression, that totally changes how people think of government. We’re still living with that legacy today.

We talk about the perennial issues in American history. One is about the role of government. People have always been worried about the rate of taxation and who should be taxed. Social justice comes out on top more in certain periods. At one time the whole country was breaking apart: the issues of the Great Depression, people were flirting with fascism and all sorts of things. We’ve faced bigger issues in the past and solved them.

There’s no reason to be cynical — that’s the way we approach it. By active participation you become part of the solution.

We try to tell them: You choose the side.

If you’re working for some movement or progress, God bless you, go forward. ■

Upper School history teacher Jim Gaul, left, and guest teacher Arik Ben-Avi collaborated on an effort to teach students skills that promote more civil, constructive political discourse.

CONFRONTING CONTROVERSY ➢

Teaching skills that promote a healthier democracy

TOM REESE

C

an students learn skills for discussing controversial questions in a way that promotes democratic discourse rather than political gridlock?

Can you teach them how to disagree with others constructively so they can find consensus for fair, creative, ethical solutions?

Two projects in the Upper and Middle schools this spring aimed to do just that. Using different but related approaches, both guided students to examine the complexities and ambiguities inherent in conflicting positions, and then seek possible areas of agreement.

Here’s a closer look at both.

F r a c k i n g : fa c t, f i c t i o n , politics, and science When Middle School science teacher Matt Huston found out that two high-profile filmmaker/advocates, one pro- and one antifracking, would be on campus as part of the Lakeside lecture series in the spring, he jumped at the learning opportunity it presented.

He and colleague Nancy Canino set about guiding their 8th-grade students through an eight-week deep dive into the controversial practice of collecting natural gas through hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking. ➢

NEXT PAGE: Teen topics prove a means for learning how to disagree.

Political teaching

43

Gaslandthemovie.com

Josh Fox, director of the antifracking movie “Gasland,” spoke to students one week; Phelim McAleer, director of the pro-fracking movie “FrackNation” (image, previous page), spoke another week.

➢ fracking

As it turned out, their study became as much a lesson in civics and politics as in science. The students got educated in how to make evidence-based decisions — and in the realities of lobbying, campaign donations, the role of activists, and state and federal government oversight, or lack thereof, on environmental issues.

Students delved into an extensive libraryresearch guide on fracking assembled by Huston, Canino, and Middle School librarian Lee Micklin, as well as viewing the films made by the two speakers.

Micklin suggested students evaluate the pro and con arguments using a method called “structured academic controversy.”

Based on the work of two University of Minnesota researchers, this method promotes active listening to opposing viewpoints and searching out areas of agreement.

Adapting it for the Middle School, Huston and Canino had each student consider three major stakeholders in the fracking issue and the goals, needs, or self-interest of each; give the three best arguments for each, citing evidence; consider which best fit the utilitarian goal (greatest good for the greatest number) and which best fit the categorical goal (upholds human rights/duties); reach their own conclusion and justify it with their three strongest arguments; and then consider if they could envision a compromise position they might prefer over a pro or con decision, again citing evidence. (Many students ended up favoring more federal regulation and research to make fracking safer rather than a permanent ban.)

By the time the fracking unit was over, one student marveled, “This is more of a government than a science class.”

44

LAKESIDE

Fall/Winter 2014

What made the issue really come alive for the students was hearing the heated polemics of the two filmmakers who spoke with them: Pro-fracking director Phelim McAleer (“FrackNation”) and anti-fracking’s Josh Fox (“Gasland” and “Gasland 2”).

Canino says, “It was a little shocking to the kids the way the guys didn’t like each other,” and students judged both speakers as equally evasive. While they perceived McAleer “was particularly contradictory in his remarks” they were fascinated and full of speculation about why Fox did not appear when originally scheduled but decided to come at a later date, all the while registering his dismay that Lakeside had allowed McAleer to speak here.

The teachers debriefed with the class after each director’s appearance; Fox’s ad hoc exhortation to students to pressure for the school’s divestment in fossil fuels (less than 1.5 percent of the portfolio), for example, became fodder for discussion that built on what students had learned in 7th-grade social studies about the stock market.

Dialogue with the filmmakers was at times intense, but the Middle Schoolers were well-prepared to handle this, the teachers say. And, they were abuzz at the experience of grappling with players who are passionate, if not always polite, about an issue that matters. After Fox’s talk, some literally trailed him on his way out to pepper him with more questions.

Says Canino: “There’s no way this wasn’t a great politics lesson for the 8th-graders to hear.” ■ Want to read more about structured academic controversy? Check out resources at lakesideschool.org/magazine.

Teen topics a r e t h e s ta r t i n g p o i n t for learning how to disagree Democracy, as Upper School history teacher Jim Gaul sees it, means “more than just ‘the majority rules’; it’s ‘how do we as a group build a common will to do something and make decisions applicable to our community?’ ” That conviction was at the core of a pilot project Gaul led this year with Arik Ben-Avi, a doctorate candidate in philosophy at Yale.

Both saw the need to “train students in the skills of democratic discussion,” says Gaul, “which means moving away from that model of politics as a partisan affair, toward building a citizenry that understands how to engage with these questions better and dialogue better.”

So this spring in Gaul’s philosophy elective, he and Ben-Avi made a start at setting the students on such a course.

Ben-Avi first came to Lakeside last year to guide a faculty committee that was exploring whether to more explicitly teach ethics at Lakeside. He’s part of a movement to teach philosophy to pre-college students, having switched his academic focus from public policy because of disenchantment with the state of political discourse.

Gaul and Ben-Avi secured a $500 grant from the Parents Association’s Educational Enrichment Fund to launch their pilot project.

So what exactly do they teach? “The first of the two main skills we emphasize is fostering a compassionate curiosity about one another’s views and about one’s own views,” says BenAvi. “This means digging deeper into your own understanding of a situation as well as the other person’s. A lot of the beliefs and values we have are actually in tension with other things we believe in. Figuring out— ‘is there coherence in my own view of the world? Why do I believe this, or that?’ and in the process, finding potential inconsistencies — opens the possibility of reaching some grounds for consensus with others who have another point of view.

“The philosophical element is key, so you can find points of agreement. You can see that there is something plausible, relatable, in what the other is saying, they’re not just this alien crazy person.” Once you get beyond lockstep labels and identities (e.g. “baby killers,” “wing nuts”), Ben-Avi says, “fundamental differences may remain, but you move toward greater

TOM REESE

Philip Kiefer ’14 sketches out a thought in Jim Gaul’s Upper School philosophy class, which took part in a pilot project to learn to seek fair,

understanding and agreement.”

The second skill, he says, is “constructive creativity” to resolve differences by bypassing either-or decisions to find out-of-the-box solutions, something that often means rethinking assumptions.

For the pilot, the two teachers had students consider contentious or controversial questions that were personal, relating to school, grades, technology, relationships, and other aspects of their lives. “You give them a tangible sense that they have a stake,” Gaul says. The idea, adds Ben-Avi, is that students can then more easily apply the acquired skills to “bigger questions and wider and political contexts.”

An example of the “real teen life” topics they discussed was side conversations that some students have during class while a teacher is talking. The question was posed, is this just disrespectful?

Students offered some reasons for “side

chat”: They feel a lot of pressure to say only clever things in class and sometimes want to quietly test out a comment with a friend before voicing it to all. Or, they didn’t catch something the teacher said but hesitate to interrupt the class. Hearing these, many in the class, including the two teachers, rethought initial convictions that side chatting was nothing more than rude.

Students didn’t settle on a specific solution in the limited time they had, but they did reach consensus that it should be a holistic one for the classroom that finds a way to address the reasonable student concerns while being more respectful of the teacher.

When the pilot ended, students rated it in a questionnaire and gave it almost uniformly high marks. As one summed up: “I appreciated the inclusive and accepting environment we were able to achieve despite the somewhat divisive subject matter.”■

Ethics Bowl Upper School history and philosophy teacher Jim Gaul assembled a Lakeside team for the first-ever Northwest regional competition of the National High School Ethics Bowl this year. Rather than following a traditional debate format, the ethics bowl rewards students who collaborate with, rather than defeat, the opposing side.

Arik Ben-Avi, who collaborated with Gaul on a pilot project teaching democratic discourse (see main story), says the bowl also promotes such discourse. “We have good models for how to rip other people’s views apart, but not for the other”; the ethics bowl aims to fill the void.

The Lakeside team won a “Spirit Award” for exemplifying the intent of the ethics bowl.

Political teaching

45

ALUMNI Lakeside/St. Nicholas Alumni Board

2014-2015

NEWS

Alumni Board welcomes 8 new members

L

akeside is pleased to welcome eight new talented alumni to the Lakeside/St. Nicholas Alumni Board. The board works throughout the year to plan alumni activities, celebrate the achievements of alumni around the globe, and find new ways to strengthen our vibrant alumni community. Lakeside School and the alumni relations office are grateful for the time and effort board members give to supporting the school and our alumni community. If you or someone you know would be interested in serving on the board, please contact the alumni relations office at alumni@lakesideschool.org.

Meredith Dorrance ’87 is

assistant managing counsel at PopCap Games, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts. Previously she worked at HTC and Microsoft as in-house intellectual property and transactional counsel. She started her law career in private practice at Riddell Williams and what’s now DLA Piper after receiving a bachelor’s degree from Tufts University and a law degree from Boston University. Dorrance serves on the parent board of her daughter’s school, University Child Development School, and recently finished a term on the board of Town Hall Seattle. She lives in Laurelhurst with husband Ken, daughter Alexandra, and their new puppy Isabel. She and her family enjoy skiing, hiking, playing soccer, and spoiling the puppy.

John Hammarlund ’79 has more than 25 years’ experience in health-care administration and policy and currently serves as the regional administrator of the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. That’s the federal agency that administers federal health-care programs, including those under the Affordable Care Act. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University, a master’s in health administration from the University of Washington, and a J.D. from Cornell Law School. Hammarlund thoroughly embraced his six years at Lakeside and has enjoyed helping plan class reunions. He taught algebra, drama, and filmmaking during two summers of Lakeside Educational Enrichment Program (LEEP) in the 1980s. He lives in Brier with his wife, Laura, and their two teenage children. The Hammarlunds enjoy boating, traveling, attending the theater, supporting Husky football, volunteering on various boards, and vacationing at their family cabin at Priest Lake, Idaho.

46

LAKESIDE

Fall / Winter 2014

Alexa Helsell McIntyre ’98

is a landscape designer and photographer who recently started her own design firm focusing on landscape design and photography. She’s also photo editor for Gray magazine. Previously she worked in the landscape studio at Hewitt, a Seattle-based architecture firm. After earning her master’s in landscape architecture from The City College of New York in 2010, she received a research and design fellowship in Rome, where she studied ways to integrate the banks of the Tiber River into the historic center of Rome through landscape architecture and design. Before graduate school, she worked in the photography department at Vanity Fair magazine in New York City, assisting with the production of Annie Leibovitz’s photo shoots. She and her husband, Markham McIntyre ’00, live in Seattle.

Alexander Oki ’08 graduated with a degree in humanities from Yale University in 2013.

During a 2011-2012 sabbatical, he served as the business manager of Yale’s Whiffenpoofs, the nation’s oldest collegiate a cappella group.

Under his leadership, the 103rd class of “Whiffs” performed in 35 countries, becoming the first group to sing on all seven continents. Oki works at Lake Partners Strategy Consultants and serves on the board of Seattle Children’s Theatre. He enjoys singing with the Seattle Symphony Chorale or the University of Washington Gospel Choir (under the direction of former Lakeside choral teacher Phyllis Byrdwell), skiing (on both snow and water), and traveling.

2014-2015

LAKESIDE/ ST. NICHOLAS ALUMNI BOARD OFFICERS Tim Panos ’85

President

Kjell Oswald ’92 is co-

founder and vice president of Cadence Child & Adolescent Therapy, a mental-health clinic in Kirkland that offers a wide range of training and therapy for parents and their children; and of Cadence Online, a company focused on developing online training resources related to substance abuse. Previously he served as director of development for Seattle Children’s. A UW graduate with a bachelor’s degree in history, Oswald has served on the governing boards of Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center and the SAMA Foundation (Science and Management of Addictions), and he was a member of the University of Washington Rowing Stewards Board. He was a Division 1 men’s rowing coach for Oregon State University (PAC-10 Coach of the Year in 2004) and coached the Lakeside girls crew team from 1995-1999. He lives in Seattle with his wife, Kelly, and two children, Annika and Björn, and enjoys painting, gardening, carpentry, skiing, and traveling.

Trevor Parris ’97 spent a decade in sunny Los Angeles after attending Claremont McKenna College before deciding to return to Seattle.

He now leads the corporate development function at Saltchuk Resources, overseeing its acquisition activities, forming new lines of business, entering new markets, and coordinating business activity across the Saltchuk family of companies. Previously he was a private equity investor at Freeman Spogli and an investment banker at Merrill Lynch. Parris lives in Ballard with his wife, Brittany, and enjoys staying active and outdoors whenever possible (biking, hiking, boating, etc.). He likes to visit Brittany’s family in Chelan for some sunshine whenever Seattle has gray skies for too long.

Dan Shih ’90 is a partner at

Susman Godfrey law firm focusing primarily on complex commercial litigation, including representation of plaintiffs and defendants in state and federal courts across the country in cases involving patents, contracts, class actions, and other disputes. His prior work experience includes business strategy and operations consulting at The Boston Consulting Group and leveraged buyout deals at Bain Capital. Shih received a bachelor’s in computer science from Princeton University, a master’s in economics from Stanford University, and a J.D. from Stanford Law School. He serves on the boards of API Chaya (anti-domestic violence) and QLaw: The GLBT Bar Association of Washington. Shih lives in Seattle with his husband and three daughters. He enjoys musical theater, bicycling, paddleboarding, and boating.

Crystal Ondo ’99

President Elect

Claudia Hung ’89

Mission and Governance Chair Blake Barrett ’02

Activities Chair

Donald Van Dyke ’02

Connections Chair Kelly Poort

Alumni Office Liaison M em b ers Shael Anderson ’90 Bruce Bailey ’59

(Lifetime Honorary Member)

Meredith Dorrance ’87 Chris Fitzgerald ’89 Kathy Jobs Gerke ’81 Christine Gilbert ’07

Brandon Vaughan ’06

practices public relations as a senior account executive at Edelman for Xbox One. He received his bachelor’s in public relations and advertising from the Dodge School of Film at Chapman University.

He has fond memories of his experiences at Lakeside, including most notably the rigor of academic excellence and value of friendship, both of which he continues to extol today. Vaughan lives in Seattle and enjoys competitive swimming (carried over from his tenure as captain of the Lions swim team), hip-hop dance, and mentorship of local publicrelations students. ■

John Hammarlund ’79 Deanna Hobson ’93 Meghan Mullarkey Kiefer ’98 Chris Loeffler ’00 Alexa Helsell McIntyre ’98 Alexander Oki ’08 Kjell Oswald ’92 Trevor Parris ’97 Hana Rubin ’93 Dan Shih ’90 Brandon Vaughan ’06 Lauren Deal Yelish ’99

Alumni news

47

REUNION 2014

by KELLY POORT

Celebrating 4s and 9s

Upper School math teacher Liz Gallagher, left, with members of the Class of ’04, Freddie Wong and Lara Jones.

Photo booth fun with Class of ’09 members, from left, Maya Gainer, Laura Coff in, Alex Gravley, Devon Thorsell, and Nicole Assumpcao.

n June, more than 450 alumni and friends gathered in The Paul G. Allen Athletics Center to celebrate Reunion 2014. Alumni from classes ending in 4 and I9 reminisced, caught up with current and former faculty and staff members, posed

for photo-booth pictures, and toured the new facility before sitting down for dinner in the Ackerley Gymnasium. Celebratory shouts could be heard throughout the evening in the corridor outside the gym as alumni found, and often posed for a picture with, their senior bricks.

The crowd paused during dinner to recognize a number of groups including: the Class of ’89 for the largest number of classmates in attendance; the Lakeside Class of ’54 for the highest percentage of their class in attendance; and the Lakeside and St. Nicholas Classes of 1964 for their milestone 50th reunion. Also honored were Willis Brown, John Cronkhite, and Dick Rodbury from the Class of 1949 on their 65th reunion. Next year’s reunion dinner will take place June 12 for classes ending in 0 and 5. ■

T.J. Vassar III ’94, left, and Doug Porter ’80, Upper School PE department head.

Kelly Poort is assistant director of development, alumni relations.

She can be reached at 206-440-2730 or kelly.poort@lakesideschool.org.

Members of the Lakeside and St. Nicholas Classes of 1964 gather for a photo outside of McKay Chapel before leading the Class of 2014 in their commencement procession.

48

LAKESIDE

Fall/Winter 2014

From left, Kevin Ke ’09, Head of School Bernie Noe, and Michael Schwartz ’09.

Members of the Class of 1949 celebrating their 65th reunion, from left, Willis Brown, John Cronkhite, and Dick Rodbury.

From left, Wendy Kaiser Sjoblom ’78, former staff member Judy Bauer, Kriss Sjoblom ’69, and former faculty member Dale Bauer.

From left, Lisa Powell Burke ’59, Katie Buckner Hobbs ’89, and Nancy Dare Parker ’59.

Palmer Pettersen ’70 and Marcia MacDonald Pettersen ’69.

Classmates from 1979, from left, Bill Holt; Sally Sterne Revere, running program head; and Christoph Enderlein.

From left, Carl Brown ’79, Mary Cleveland Brown ’82, Jimmy Thomas ’79, and former faculty member Dwight Gibb.

From left, Barbara Hawley ’64, Susan Hagist ’64, and Gail Huey Vitek ’59.

Classmates from 1989, from left, Alumni Board member Claudia Hung, Erin Collins Gustafson, and Mary Jane McRory.

Classmates from 2004, Kristina Rhodes and Barry Ross.

Reunions

49

➢ REUNIONS 2014

From left, US science teacher Hans de Grys, former staff member Vicki Weeks ’73, and Mark Jahnke ’09.

Khymn O’Malley, left, and Katherine Steuart Overton find their senior bricks on the ’94 panel.

Stephen McKanna ’94 and Christine McKanna.

From left, Nicole Assumpcao ’09, Kenny Buyco ’09, Owen Coutts ’09, Mark Jahnke ’09, US math teacher Siva Sankrithi ’04, and MacKenzie Ruoff ’09.

From left, Jenny Sill Reichert and Shannon Haugland from the Class of ’84.

50

LAKESIDE

From left, Lisa Kirk Hysom ’89, Jaimee Porter Mader ’89, and Mark Mader ’88.

Fall/Winter 2014

From left, Tyler Shields ’04, Brian Strand, Jessica Nepom ’04, Jake Cox ’04, and Kelly Kosco ’04.

From left, Nicole Mazen, Colin Johnson ’04, and Rives Kitchell ’04.

From left, Lisa Kirk Hysom ’89, Kenneth Tousley ’89, Maurice Drayton ’89, Dale Joseph, Natasha Smith Jones ’89, Lanae Miller ’89, and Sarah Leung ’94.

From left, Robin Charlwood, Candy White Charlwood ’64, Eleanor Sander, and Dick Sander ’64.

Sarah Leung ’94, left, and Athena Makratzakis Dickerson ’94 in the reunion photo booth.

From left, Edward Wenger ’99, Crystal Ondo ’99, Joanna Wu Sun ’99, Ben Sun, Nancy Mikacenic ’99, and Jordan Allen.

From left, Anna Fleming, Terry Kegel ’99, and Todd Anderson ’99.

Classmates from 2009, from left, Mikaela Rubin, Lucy Williams, and Elise Drake..

From left, Alex Chohlas-Wood ’04, Michelle Chan, Lindsey Merrihew ’04, and Alex Robertson ’04.

Reunions

51

CLASS CONNECTIONS 1932

Jean Williamson Gillis recently celebrated her 100th birthday!

1966

John van Amerongen’s book, “Catching a Deckload of Dreams: Chuck Bundrant and the Story of Trident Seafoods,” was published in February. The book follows Bundrant’s journey in founding and growing the largest vertically integrated seafood harvesting and processing company in North America. John is a former commercial fisherman and professional shipwright and served as editorin-chief of the Alaska Fisherman’s Journal for 22 years. The book is available at www. tridentseafoods.com.

1969

Alan Christensen ’72, professor in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Nebraska, starting preparation for his fall class by rereading “The Selfish Gene.” The hammock is great practice for retirement some day!

In May, at the International Research Congress on Integrative Medicine and Health, John Weeks was given a lifetime achievement living tribute for his work as an integrative health connector, crusader, and chronicler. It included the presentation of a book with 150 perspectives from colleagues and friends.

Matt Griffin celebrated the sale of Pacific Place in July with 100 guests who made the project possible, including former Mayor Norm Rice and Blake Nordstrom.

The team from Matt’s company, Pine Street Group, developed and has managed the property since its opening in 1998. The development of Pacific Place and the relocation of Nordstrom’s flagship store to the old Frederick & Nelson building, as well as rebuilding the former Nordstrom store, are credited with revitalizing the retail core of downtown Seattle that had deteriorated.

Matt proudly announced a contribution of nearly $14 million to United Way from the sale. Matt just completed a year as chair of the 2014 United Way of King County campaign, which hit a new record raising $125.9 million.

1972

Jeri Robinson Smith writes, “The ‘lost

52

LAKESIDE

Fall/Winter 2014

Mick Deal ’68 with his grandson, Cole, born to daughter Lauren Deal Yelish ’99 and her husband, Shane, in July.

From left, Bob Watt, deputy mayor under Norm Rice; Blake Nordstrom; Matt Griff in ’69; and Rick Fria, construction manager, gather with other community members to celebrate the sale of Pacif ic Place.

girls’ of St. Nick from our class gathered for a warm afternoon in July. Three more ladies were located this year, one of them having been rumored to be deceased. Cheryl Marshall Svornich did admit to being ‘off the grid’ for a while, but cheerfully exclaimed to being quite alive and thrilled at being found and reacquainted with our class!”

“Roots of Tomorrow: Tales of Early Seattle Urbanism,” an e-book by Knute Berger, was published in May. The book is an expanded version of his Crosscut.com series with new stories and additional content. Says Knute: “It looks at early examples of urbanist

ideas in Seattle, including the amazing bike culture and bike train system we had in 1900, the first condominiums, the birth of the P-Patch system, and how urban agriculture helped shape city development, before and after the Pike Place Market. Did you know the city used to raise fruits and vegetables for public benefit with the help of prison labor? Did you know that one of the founders of an alternative arts

colony was the man who envisioned the modern Eastside? Did you know that in the early 1900s, some Seattleites were so tired of reckless drivers they threatened to shoot them in the Rainier Valley?” Knute says, “We’re looking to give it the widest exposure possible, which is why we agreed to put out the e-book.” It is available on amazon.com.

1974

Laurie Graham is pleased to report that the film she produced and co-directed with two South American indigenous filmmakers, “Owners of the Water: Conflict and Collaboration Over Rivers,” won the Silver Drum award at the 2014 Nepal International Indigenous Film Festival. The film has also screened in some important environmental and indigenous film festivals, like Bioneers Moving Image Film Festival and Green Film Festival in the Bay Area, and the National Museum of the American Indian Indigenous Film Festival. It won Honorable Mention Award for Advocacy at the 8th Annual Montana CINE International Film Festival in 2011. Laurie continues as a member of the anthropology department faculty at the University of Iowa and increasingly devotes herself to indigenous rights and advocacy.

She serves on the executive board of Cultural Survival, a Cambridge-based

Laurie Graham ’74 interviews Hiparidi Top’tiro, a Xavante leader featured in “Owners of the Water: Conflict and Collaboration over Rivers,” a documentary she produced and co-directed. nonprofit. She lives most of the year in the San Francisco Bay Area and teaches at Iowa in the fall.

1975 – 40th Reunion

Friends, former teachers, and classmates of Shaun Griffen gathered for a picnic at Green Lake in August while she was visiting Seattle. Shaun noted, “Reconnecting with people who share

this important bit of our history helps us reconnect with and appreciate our young selves, our essential selves, and to recognize that in each other is a wonderful gift.” Shaun’s P.S. essay in the Spring/Summer 2014 magazine drew heartfelt responses from some 20 fellow Lakeside alumni. Turn to Page 4 to read some of the responses in the letters to the editor section. ➢

➢

Members of the Class of 1972 at St. Nicholas School gathered for a reunion in July.

Front row, from left, Jeri Robinson Smith, Cheryl Marshall Svornich, Peggy O’Neil Shortt, Judy Jones Raykovich, Nancy Robinson Soule. Back row, from left, Mary Reynolds Hart, Sue Tomlinson Gorman, Patricia Barr (photo), Julie Topp Faison, Carla Wessel Rockwell, Nancy Carlisle Henry, Jan Sturkey Kerruish, Anna Mary Auslander Thorson, Janet Richards Back, Alethea Prineas Platis, Cynthia Johnson Glazer, Veronica Koren-Jutte, Ann Mortimer Hankerson, and Ann Jordan Knight.

Friends gathered during Shaun Griffen ’75’s visit to Seattle in August. Standing, from left, Debbie LaZerte and Christian Fulghum ’77. Front row, from left, Jeffrey Foster ’75, former Lakeside teacher Dwight Gibb, Shaun, and Martine Fanfant Wagoner ’75.

Alumni news

53

CLASS CONNECTIONS

Scott Larson ’89 and his wife, Christina, welcomed their second son, Erik Davin Larson, in January.

Ellis Maya Marion-Doyle, daughter of Samatra Doyle ’96 and her wife, Kris.

Children of the Class of ’94 gathered for a photo op during the family picnic at Lakeside on reunion weekend in June.

1982

Annie Leonard, founder of The Story of Stuff Project, was named executive director of Greenpeace USA in May. She began her career at Greenpeace International in 1988.

1983

Thanks, he says, in part to great teachers like Gray Pedersen, Lindsay Heather, and Bob Mazelow, Todd Weir became a historian of religion, science, and politics and now works at Queen’s University Belfast. He just published “Secularism and Religion in Nineteenth-Century Germany: The Rise of the Fourth Confession” (Cambridge University Press, 2014). Todd commutes between Northern Ireland and his family (Anna Salzano and kids Sasha, 12, and Marta, 6) in Munich, Germany.

Drop a line if you’re coming through town (toddhweir@gmail.com).

54

LAKESIDE

Fall/Winter 2014

Naomi Arielle Koo, daughter of Ron Koo ’96 and Lisa Olmos de Koo.

Cousins Orli Mito (daughter of Jeff Mito ’00) and Tetsuya Lee (son of Bethany Mito Lee ’96) during their f irst meeting in Boston in August.

1989

Scott Larson and his wife, Christina, are thrilled to announce the birth of their second boy, Erik Davin Larson, born Jan. 7. Mom, baby Erik, Dad, and big brother JT are doing great! Scott was recently named a Fulbright scholar in Copenhagen, where he will be speaking about entrepreneurship and Seattle’s startup business community. The Larson family moved to Scandinavia this fall.

1990 - 25th reunion

Dan (Jeff) Shih tied the knot with Ted MacGovern in a ceremony at Westward restaurant on Lake Union. Dan reports, “It was such a fun, zany time. The wedding march was led by a man playing “La Vie en Rose” on the accordion while wearing a black slip. Our three young daughters loved being the flower girls and ring bearer.”

1991

Ryan Link performed in Seattle as a member of the national tour company for the Tony-award winning musical “Once” this summer. Many classmates and Lakeside friends were in the audience each night.

1995 - 20th reunion

See 2006 notes for news of Deema Tamimi.

1996

Bethany Mito Lee shares, “My husband, Nelson, and I welcomed our son, Tetsuya, into our family on Aug. 13, 2013, at the Swedish First Hill campus in Seattle.

We happily celebrated his first birthday recently. My brother, Jeff Mito ’00, and his wife, Yael Erlitz Mito, welcomed their daughter, Orli, into the world on

eagerly anticipating the time when Elliott is big enough to engage in light-saber duels and Lego construction projects.

1999

Terry Kegel was selected as one of 19 finalists nationwide for the Major League Soccer Community MVP Contest. In June, he organized the West Seattle Cup, a free World Cup-style soccer tournament and community-building festival that brought together hundreds of families from diverse backgrounds to play, teach, learn, and connect across generational and cultural differences. Terry is a kindergarten teacher at Alki Elementary School.

Shane and Lauren Deal Yelish are happy to announce the arrival of their first child, Cole Austin Yelish, born July 16. Cole is also the first grandchild for Penny and Mick Deal ’68.

Dan Shih ’90, left, and Ted MacGovern were married in September. Their three daughters served as flower girls and ring bearer.

April 6 at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, where Jeff is serving his residency. Tetsuya and Orli were united for their first visit with each other at the end of August. Though these cousins are far away from each other physically, we hope to keep them connected longdistance as they grow older (hooray for FaceTime!).”

Samatra Doyle and her wife, Kris, welcomed daughter Ellis Maya MarionDoyle on Nov. 11, 2013. Ellis’ big brother and sister, 5-year-old twins Jacob and Hannah, couldn’t be more pleased.

Ron Koo and Lisa Olmos de Koo welcomed their daughter, Naomi Arielle Koo (6 pounds, 11 ounces and 19 inches) on June 11. Their son, Tommy, is very excited to have a little sister. The family lives in Venice, Calif.

1997

Eric Ganz and his wife, Michelle, welcomed their second child, Soren Ganz, born in April. Daughter Charlotte turned 3 in July.

They recently moved to the town of Ross in Marin County, just north of San Francisco, and are looking forward to exploring the city and coast. Eric is still chief pilot for Rupert Murdoch’s West Coast private aircraft, a position he has held for 10-plus years. He is often amazed and somewhat troubled that his 20-year Lakeside reunion is not far around the corner.

1998

See 2000 notes for news on Sarah Peterson.

Meghan Mullarkey Kiefer and her husband, Will, welcomed Elliott Campbell Kiefer on Aug. 20. Elliott joins big brothers, Liam, 6, and Rowan, 2, who are already

“Powerful Patriots: Nationalist Protest in China’s Foreign Relations,” a book by Jessica Chen Weiss, was published in September. Jessica is assistant professor of political science at Yale University. The dissertation on which her book is based won the 2009 American Political Science Association Helen Dwight Reid Award.

2000 – 15th reunion

See 1996 notes for news on Jeff Mito.

In July 2013, Annika Swanson Berman officiated at the marriage of Sophie Calderón and Sarah Peterson ’98 at Colman Park. Other Lakesiders in attendance included Amy Albro ’99, Alison Alkire Behnke, Zane Behnke, Rachel Bethlahmy, Kristina Hoglund Farber, Tyler Peterson, Colleen Robertson, Anne Rutherford Hanley, Dave Rutherford ’62, Sarah Skinner ’01, Jenny Skinner Robinson ’99, and Jordan Swanson ’98.

On July 22, Jenny Mowrer Womack and Steven Womack welcomed Evie Louise Womack. Evie weighed 6 pounds, 9 ounces and was 18.5 inches long.

Catherine Buck Le writes, “My husband, Chau Le, and I opened up Krav Maga Seattle, a fitness and self-defense studio in South Lake Union in late April. Chau has been practicing Krav Maga since 2002 ➢

Alumni news

55

CLASS CONNECTIONS and has been a Krav Maga Worldwide instructor since 2007. We couldn’t have pulled off our grand opening without the amazing help that we received from Jenny Mowrer Womack ’00, Natalie Phelps, Chris Loeffler, and Spencer Harris! We invite Lakeside Lions and their families to stop by and try a free trial class, or just to say ‘hi’!”

2002

After 10 years in Chicago working in small presses, public libraries and schools, and jails, Mairead Case moved to Colorado to pursue a Ph.D. in creative writing at the University of Denver, after which she plans to teach high school. Her first book, “See You in the Morning” (featherproof books), comes out in October 2015. Lakesiders, she’d love to see you if you’re in town, and you’re welcome to crash on her extra bed!

Back to class Alumni Board member Lauren Deal Yelish

2004

’99 revisits one of her

Teryn Allen and Andy Bench were married in August in downtown Seattle.

More than 30 Lakesiders were in attendance and the ceremony was officiated by Killian Noe. All of the groomsmen and four of the bridesmaids were fellow Lions.

favorite Middle School

memories, glassblowing

in Scott Jamieson’s 6th-

grade science class. Each year, members of the

2005 – 10th reunion

Lakeside/St. Nicholas

Alumni Board attend a

day of classes at both the

Upper and Middle schools. See Page 46 to learn more about the alumni board and its members. Right, Yelish and her husband, Shane, welcomed son Cole in July.

Deborah Lipson and Andrew Stamm ’06 were married at Suncadia Resort in Cle Elum, Wash., in July. The couple started dating in 2004 while students at Lakeside and the wedding celebration included many of their Lakeside friends.

See 2008 notes for news on Drew Garfield.

2006

After two years as a White House producer covering President Obama and five years at CNN in D.C., Gabriella Schwarz moved to the Bay Area to be the news editor at Flipboard, the news magazine app. She writes, “I actually work with another Lakesider here, Deema Tamimi ’95. We figured it out after I had been at Flipboard for about a month.

Small world!”

From left, James Whetzel ’88, Ryan Link ’91, and Lakeside staffer Rob Burgess stop for a picture outside the Paramount Theatre after Ryan’s performance in the musical “Once.”

56

LAKESIDE

Fall/Winter 2014

2008

Tori Borish was back on the Lakeside campus this summer teaching a one-week Introduction to Programming in Python

Lakesiders present at the wedding of Sophie Calderón ’00 and Sarah Peterson ’98, from left, Rachel Bethlahmy ’00, Alison Alkire Behnke ’00 (holding son Weston), Zane Behnke ’00, Sarah Skinner ’01, Tyler Peterson ’00, Sophie, Sarah, Jenny Skinner Robinson ’99, Amy Albro ’99 (holding daughter Caroline), Colleen Robertson ’00, Jordan Swanson ’98, Annika Swanson Berman ’00, and Kristina Hoglund Farber ’00. course to the math and computer science departments. This will enhance their work in implementing “bold and doable” ideas from the 2013-2014 curriculum review.

After Lakeside, Tori graduated from Williams College and then worked in a physics lab in Vienna for a year and a half.

She spent this past summer orienteering in Europe, including competing at the World Orienteering Championship in Venice, Italy. She is beginning a Ph.D. in applied physics at Stanford this fall with funding from a National Science Foundation graduate research fellowship.

Annica Carlson and Drew Garfield ’05 were married June 21 on Decatur Island in the San Juan Islands. Lakesiders in attendance included Naomi Brodkin, Laura Dellplain, Jill Watt, Blake Garfield ’99, Patrick Flajole ’05, Thane Garfield ’96, Caroline Daly, Issac Axelrod, Yonas Behboud ’05, Taya Marquardt ’96, and Patricia Peek Flajole ’74. Annica and Drew are living in Seattle, where Drew works for his family’s business, Bedrooms and More, and Annica works for LaunchBox, a user- and market-research company.

After graduating summa cum laude from Arizona State University in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in finance, Thomas “Taxi” Wilson spent two years in South Korea as a Fulbright teaching assistant.

While there, he co-founded the Korea Bridge Initiative (www.bridgeinitiative.us), an

educational nonprofit organization providing tutoring to students who could not otherwise afford it, thereby helping to bridge Korea’s wealth gap. He returned to the U.S. to attend Yale Law School this fall.

Miranda Timonen visited Lakeside Middle School in May to share with the 5th grade what real-life search and rescue is all about. She is a volunteer firefighter with the Skykomish Fire Department and is trained as an EMT. Lakeside Middle School teacher Kristina Peterson shared: “Miranda taught some of the key elements of searching, such as scene safety. She explained how rescue personnel get around in buildings by tracing around a wall or keeping one hand on the fire hose, and she explained how the thermal image cameras help them ‘see’ people

through the smoke. She gave us more details about the issues in search and rescue that people confront in reallife situations, detailing recent events including the Oso landslide, Malaysian airplane disappearance, and Korean ferry capsizing. Fifth-grade students are learning robotics. They are building Lego robots and programming them to ‘search’ for a Beanie Baby inside a maze and bring it to a ‘safe’ spot.”

2009

Justin Norden graduated summa cum laude from Carleton College in 2013 with distinction in computer science.

That summer, he captained the U.S. National Mixed Ultimate Team to a gold medal at the World Under-23 Ultimate Championships in Toronto. Justin ➢

Above, Elliott Campbell Kiefer, son of Meghan Mullarkey Kiefer ’98 and her husband, Will. At left, Evie Louise Womack, daughter of Jenny Mowrer Womack ’00 and her husband, Steven.

Alumni news

57

CLASS CONNECTIONS recently completed a master’s program in computational biology at Cambridge University and has just started medical school at Stanford University.

2010 – 5th Reunion

Max Coyle graduated from Pomona College in May and is working at the University of California at San Francisco in Professor Zev Gartner’s research lab. Max graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude with majors in molecular biology and English.

Jennifer Schmidt graduated from Pomona College summa cum laude with a double major in environmental analysis and German in May. She was also elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She will be studying and doing research in Germany on a Fulbright Research Fellowship for the next year.

The wedding party at the June wedding of Annica Carlson ’08 and Drew Garf ield ’05, from left: Naomi Brodkin ’08, Laura Dellplain ’08, Jessica Petro, Jill Watt ’08, Annica, Drew, Blake Garf ield ’99, Patrick Flajole ’05, Thane Garf ield ’96, and Matt Burdic.

After graduating from Amherst College, where he majored in economics and played football all four years, Will Tenneson moved to San Francisco. He is working in a sales role at Optimizely, an Andreessen Horowitz-backed midsize tech company.

Maia Robbins graduated in May from Washington and Lee University with a double major in psychology and sociology, and a minor in philosophy.

She was elected to the Alpha Delta Kappa International Sociology Honor Society. During her junior and senior years she worked as a research assistant in professor Karla Murdock’s technology and health lab in the psych department where their research focused on sleep, technology use (especially cellphones), and well-being in adolescents. As

Lakesiders at the July wedding of Deborah Lipson ’05 and Andrew Stamm ’06.

Teryn Allen ’04 and Andy Bench ’04 were married in August.

SEND US YOUR NEWS We want your notes and photos!

Events big and small, personal or professional, are always of interest.

Send in your baby announcement and photo, and we’ll outfit your little one with a Lakeside hat.

Email notes and photos to alumni@ lakesideschool.org.

58

LAKESIDE

Fall/Winter 2014

psychology chair of the WLU’s Women in Technology and Science organization, Maia organized and hosted science experiments for local Rockbridge County, Va., students to increase girls’ interest in pursuing careers in math and science. Maia was on the WLU varsity equestrian team all four years, was elected co-captain her junior and senior years, and helped her team take home the championship trophy

from the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Equestrian Championship in April. Maia spent the summer studying for the LSAT, working part time as a development coordinator for the nonprofit Washington State Hunter Jumper Association, and helping out as needed at “her” barn, Legacy Hunters & Jumpers, in Woodinville.

Connor Madden graduated from Whitman College, summa cum laude with honors in

Miranda Timonen ’08, center, visited 5th graders at Lakeside Middle School to teach them about search and rescue.

history, in May. He worked this summer as a media-relations assistant for the Everett AquaSox, minor league affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, and studied to take the LSAT in the fall. He plans to attend law school starting in fall 2015.

Yeab Wondimu graduated from Swarthmore College in June with a computer science and engineering degree. He is working as a software developer for AT&T. Johnny Krueger graduated from Boston College’s Carroll School of Management with honors in business administration and concentrations in finance and information-systems accounting. He spent his sophomore and junior summers working as an intern with ESPN and NFL for Microsoft’s Xbox division. Between 2011-2012, he walked on as a kickerturned-wide-receiver for BC’s football team. He traveled after graduation before accepting a position at General Electric Capital in their Financial Management Program, a program that moves its participants every six months to expose them to a number of positions in corporate finance.

Cameron Kneib graduated from University of North Carolina as a Morehead-Cain Scholar. This fall, he traveled to New Delhi on a FulbrightNehru Research Grant to look at community acceptance of the poliovaccination program and other vaccine programs in rural areas of Northern India.

Cameron will return to Seattle at the end of his year in India to attend the University of Washington School of Medicine.

In May, Devin McKissic graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Emory University with a degree in neuroscience and behavioral biology. She is currently attending medical school at the University of Iowa.

2011

Tess Rinearson, a software engineer at Medium, was listed at No. 68 on Business Insider’s 100 Most Influential Tech Women on Twitter in May. Kyle McAndrews received the Most Valuable Athlete Award at the 27th annual Pomona-Pitzer awards dinner

in May for his outstanding season on the men’s college basketball team. Kyle had a successful year off the court as well and was named to the CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors Association) Academic All-District team as a mathematics and economics dual major.

Two members of the Class of 2011 were named Goldwater scholars in April. The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program was established by Congress in 1986 to provide a continuing source of highly qualified scientists, mathematicians, and engineers by awarding scholarships to college students who intend to pursue research careers in these fields. Jessica Badgeley, a geology major and math minor at Colorado College, spent part of her junior year in Antarctica studying Blood Falls, a bright red, salty brine periodically pouring off the end of Taylor Glacier in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica. She is analyzing the data collected and the results will be the topic of her senior thesis. After Colorado College, she plans to obtain a Ph.D. in glaciology in order to conduct research in subglacial hydrology and teach at the university level.

Donna Leet, a biology and French major at Amherst, has worked as an intern with Jesse Bloom at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, exploring a new vaccine strategy against influenza and HIV. After graduating from Amherst, she intends to pursue a Ph.D. in medical microbiology or oncology, aiming to work in biomedicine.

In addition to her studies, Donna is a varsity softball player, represents her team

on Amherst’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and participates in the Amherst LEADS Futures Program, a leadership program for Amherst athletes.

2012

Allanah Whitehall capped off a strong season on the University of Puget Sound track and field team by breaking her own school record in the 100-meter dash at the NCAA championships in May. She captured four Northwest Conference titles in 2014 and set or helped set four school records and five total fastest times during the NWC Championships in April.

2013

In July, Bowdoin College awarded the 2014 Abraxas Award to Lakeside. The Abraxas Award is presented annually to the secondary school sending two or more graduates to Bowdoin whose representatives maintain the highest standing during their first year at the college.

Congratulations to Bowdoin sophomores Eileen Bates and Amanda Milloy!

Claire Revere, a sophomore at Whitman College, made the U.S. Ultimate junior national team for the second time, and the team won the 2014 World Junior Ultimate Championship in Italy.

2014

In July, Darryl Wu earned the secondhighest score and a gold medal at the International Linguistics Olympiad in Beijing. This year, 152 participants representing 28 countries competed solving puzzles in language and linguistics. ■ Alumni news

59

xx

LAKESIDE

Fall/Winter 2014

PLANNED GIVING

by CAROL BORGMANN

LINDSAY ORLOWSKI

Don McKay ’45, longtime supporter of Lakeside School, in front of McKay Memorial Chapel, which was built to commemorate his cousin and other alumni who gave their lives during World War II.

D o n M c K ay ’ 4 5 A familiar Lakeside name, a steady stream of support

D

on McKay ’45 has been a supporter of Lakeside School for more than 40 years, including a 12-year term on the Board of Trustees from 1975 to 1987.

When asked why he is such a staunch contributor, he says, “I still remember my Lakeside teachers well. Three that stand out for me are Fred Bleakney, the intellectual; Harold Belgum, the liberal; and “Curly” George Logan.

Mr. Logan really knew his field and had a way of teaching chemistry that made sense. He’s the reason I found success in chemistry at college.”

His family name is familiar to most Lakesiders because of McKay Memorial Chapel. The chapel serves as a memorial to Don’s cousin Theodore A. McKay ’38 and 14 other Lakeside alumni who gave their lives serv-

ing in World War II. “My uncle, William O. McKay, Ted’s father, was the primary funder of the project. He enlisted my dad, Charles A. McKay, to help complete the fundraising.”

Resources were scarce during the war years.

The Dec. 15, 1944, issue of The Lakeside Tatler announced the plan to build the chapel and said, “Work will start as soon as possible after the war whenever labor and essential materials can be obtained.”

McKay says that one of his favorite hobbies is fundraising. As a Lakeside trustee, he volunteered in the school’s first major capital buildings and endowment campaign in the ‘70s and also served as chair in the early years of the Annual Fund campaign. But his fundraising efforts actually began years before when his schoolmate Paul Voinot was the first of their class to pass away. McKay and friends started a scholarship fund in Paul’s memory and earnings they contributed over the years continue to provide financial aid for students today.

One of McKay’s most rewarding experiences was as a board member of the local chapter of the Executive Service Corps (now a program of 501 Commons), which provides consulting, coaching, and other services to strengthen nonprofits, schools, and government organizations. McKay contributed his skills in sales and marketing, acquired from working 40 years for a paper-manufacturing company, now called International Paper; and in fundraising, leadership, and advocacy, developed volunteering for Lakeside, Bellevue Public Schools, Boy Scouts, and coaching Little League Baseball.

McKay and his wife, Anne Holmes McKay ’48, live in Madison Park, where they moved after 20 years in Indianola, Wash. Their three children are Lakeside graduates: Charles McKay ’76, Donald Thompson McKay Jr. ’79, and Catherine McKay Disney ’83.

When asked why he decided to name Lakeside in his will, Don said, “Because someone asked and it was the right thing to do.” ■ Join the Founders Circle!

If you have named Lakeside in your will or would like to learn about how to name Lakeside as a beneficiary, please contact Carol Borgmann, director of major and planned giving, at 206-440-2931. Visit Lakeside’s planned-giving website to find answers to your estate-planning questions at www.lakesideshool.org/plannedgiving.

The late Robin Appleford ’77 at her Lakeside 2007 reunion.

A legacy at Lakeside

Robin Appleford ’77 Robin Appleford ’77 spent her life advocating for issues she cared deeply about. She became a highly respected lobbyist and economic consultant after beginning her career in the office of Gov. Booth Gardner ’54 and working as an analyst for the House of Representatives Revenue Committee.

Appleford was an advocate of low-income housing and served as board president of Plymouth Housing Group. She served on the board of the conservation group Forterra and dedicated many hours lobbying to conserve natural and working landscapes in Washington’s Central Cascades and Olympic regions. Lakeside benefited from her dedication to youth and education.

In her will she left a generous bequest to Lakeside to support the Peter A. Wiley ’76 Endowed Scholarships. Appleford died in April 2013, but her contributions to the community and to the students at Lakeside are a lasting legacy. ■ Planned Giving

61

IN MEMORIAM

ST. NICHOLAS ALUMNAE CAROL JEAN ALLAN BERG ’45 • May 17, 2014

If you have a remembrance to share about a St. Nicholas alumna or Lakeside alumna/alumnus that you would like to have published in the next magazine, please email the alumni relations office at alumni@ lakesideschool.org or call 206-368-3606.

All remembrances are subject to editing for length and clarity. Your thoughts and memories are much appreciated.

The following are reprints of paid notices or remembrances submitted by family members.

Joyce Fowler Tuggle ’52 June 22, 2014

Carol Jean “CJ” Berg died in her sleep on May 17 of natural causes. CJ was born Aug. 11, 1926, in Seattle.

She attended St. Nicholas School and graduated from the University of Washington with a B.A. in speech therapy. In 1948, she married Arthur “Hugo” Berg and together they raised three children. In the early days of their marriage, Hugo, CJ, and young Jim traveled to the Philippines and Borneo, where Hugo worked as a forestry engineer for three years. Upon returning to Seattle in 1954, they settled in Normandy Park and then moved to Magnolia in 1959. In the early 1960s, Hugo and CJ purchased property on Dabob Bay on Hood Canal. CJ spent summers with her family at Dabob and entertained extended family and countless friends with fresh clams, oysters, and crab. CJ participated in many volunteer activities. She was a docent at the Museum of History and Industry, a guardian ad litem with the King County court system, and a longtime altar guild member at the Church of the Ascension. She was also an active member and past president of the Women’s University Club. CJ’s favorite activities included spending time with her extensive circle of friends, shopping for antiques, and several bridge clubs. Most everyone also knew how she enjoyed putting on and attending social gatherings. As her grandchildren got older, CJ loved attending their various sporting events.

CJ is preceded in death by her parents, LR “Dick” and Evelyn Allan, and her husband of 63 years, Hugo.

She is survived by her three children: Jim (Anne) of Yakima, Rob (Bonnie) of Seattle, and Catherine Ipsen (Jeff) of Missoula, Mont. CJ is also survived by seven grandchildren: Charlie Berg (Anya Miller-Berg), Peter Berg (Erin Phillips), Mark Berg, Bridget Berg, Neal Berg, Ellen Ipsen, and Eric Ipsen. Her family wishes to express their deepest appreciation for the love and care she received from the staff at Columbia Lutheran Home. In lieu of flowers, remembrances can be offered to Columbia Lutheran Home, 4700 Phinney Ave. N., Seattle, 98103, or the Women’s University Club, 1105 Sixth Ave., Seattle, 98101.

LYNN MORGENSTERN GUSTAFSON ’53 • April 26, 2014

Marilyn “Lynn” Morgenstern Gustafson passed away peacefully at the age of 78 on Saturday, April 26. She was born May 3, 1935, in Seattle to Jean and Arthur Morgenstern. She lived most of her life in Seattle,

62

LAKESIDE

Fall/Winter 2014

graduating from St. Nicholas School and attending Scripps College in Claremont, Calif. In the final years of her life, she lived happily at Aljoya on Mercer Island with her husband of 42 years, Dr. Harold Gustafson. Lynn had an indomitable spirit that helped her face her health issues with grace, and she always had a ready smile for all she met. She loved to travel with Harold, cruising annually to countries around the world. Lynn worked long hours side by side with Harold over the years to manage his medical practice and build his investments in apartments. She loved the practice of medicine and took a personal interest in all of the patients at Market Street Clinic. Lynn is survived by her devoted and loving husband, Harold, and six children, daughters Cathy (Kevin) Hylton and Debbie (John) Zygar, and stepchildren Tom (Terri) Gustafson, Steven (Amy) Gustafson, Brent (Katy) Gustafson, and Belinda (David Rowlett) Gustafson. She also leaves 12 much-loved grandchildren.

MELINDA McCOLLOCH LEPSOE ’58 • April 28, 2014

Melinda “Mindy” McColloch Lepsoe, 73, was born in Spokane on Nov. 19, 1940, to Dorothy R. and William H. McColloch. Melinda passed away April 28 in Seattle from complications from RSD (reflex sympathetic dystrophy), from which she struggled so valiantly for 16 years. She moved to Seattle with her family in 1946 and spent the rest of her life here. She attended Helen Bush and St. Nicholas schools, Colorado Women’s College in Denver, and Seattle University. For many years she worked in downtown Seattle in various administrative positions while enjoying the loves of her life: tennis, skiing, swimming, entertaining, dogs, and animal rescue. She loved life, was so outgoing, and will always be remembered for her great sense of humor, indomitable spirit, and the giving of herself to others.

She belonged to the Seattle Tennis Club and leaves behind a large circle of friends and family who will miss her dearly. Melinda was preceded in death by her sister, Marcia Edwards, and her first husband, Morey Johnson; and is survived by her beloved husband, Finn Lepsoe; brother John McColloch (Brookie); nieces Elizabeth McColloch, Jenny McColloch, and Katie Rose (Norman); nephew Charles Edwards (Keiko); cousin Jean McClellan; sister-in-law Ingrid O’connell (Tom); stepchildren Wendy Hulett and Kris Lepsoe; and stepbrothers Tim Paul (Debbie) and Hartley Paul (Betty).

LAKESIDE ALUMNI JOHN RITCHIE ’42 • April 24, 2014

John Ritchie passed away peacefully on April 24 in San Francisco after a long illness. He was 89. Mr. Ritchie was born Sept. 23, 1924, into a military family. He grew up on Army bases throughout the U.S. and attended high school in Honolulu. After graduation from Yale, he came west when his parents settled in the Presidio. In 1950, he joined Coldwell Banker in San Francisco and later formed his own real estate firm, Ritchie & Ritchie.

The brokerage continues today as Ritchie Commercial under son, Mark. Mr. Ritchie served on the San Francisco Planning Commission and the Landmarks Board during key periods of growth. He was a fighter for preservation, and in recognition, the city named him a “Living Landmark” in 1970. He had an abiding interest in California history and served as president of the California Historical Society, was a member of the California Heritage Council, and was Noble Grand Humbug of E Clampus Vitus, Yerba Buena Chapter. During a trip to Provo, Utah, to commemorate the centennial of the laying of the Golden Spike, he became interested in the Mormon Church and converted in 1971. His interests weren’t just local. When he wasn’t sporting his trademark red bandanna, he might be in a kilt for a St. Andrews Society event, attending a tea ceremony as president of the Japan Society, or serving in his role as Honorary Consul of Uruguay. Known by those closest to him as “JR,” Mr. Ritchie is survived by his wife of 62 years, Suzanne Ritchie; children Randolph, Charlotte, Mark, and Tori; and granddaughters Harriet and Bennett. He was predeceased by his brother, Dick Ritchie.

EDWARD HAYNES ’43 • March 11, 2014

Edward Hanford Haynes died at home of emphysema on March 11. In 1925 he was born to Hanford and Elizabeth Haynes.

They lived in Burlingame, Calif., with vacations in Hood River, Ore., where he learned to fish and sail with his grandfather.

When the family moved to Bellevue, he earned enough money from lawn mowing to buy his own sailboat and spent his teen years sailing on Lake Washington and Puget Sound.

After service in the Navy, he earned his B.A. and M.A. at Yale University and then began his banking career, starting at Wells Fargo in San Francisco. He married Custis Preston in 1953 and for the next 60 years, they lived in California, except for stints with Barclays Bank in the Virgin Islands and New York.

He wanted to explore everything and everywhere, and while his interests ranged from falconry to scuba to politics, his passions were history and travel. After Europe, he got as far as Kyrgyzstan and Borneo, and though he never reached Japan, he relished deep conversations with a series of Japanese home-stay guests. In a break from banking, he opened The Naturalist, a store in Menlo Park that carried books, binoculars, art, and cards, and had a dedicated following of Peninsula conservationists. Soon after his retirement to Grass Valley, Nev., he discovered the Gracie ditch trail and worked with Save Our Historic Canals to save it from dewatering. One of the founding members of Friends of Deer Creek (now morphed into Sierra Streams Institute), he organized an early creek

cleanup day. He served on the board of NAMI Nevada County as its treasurer. He is survived by his wife; children Edward Jr., Anna, Jonathan, and Andrew; granddaughter Susan; and nine nieces and nephews. The family suggests donations to Doctors without Borders or to Hospice.

L. STUART SMITH ’44 • Aug. 6, 2013

Lloyd Stuart “Stu” Smith died suddenly, surrounded by his loving family, on Aug. 6, 2013, in Salem, Ore. He was born Nov. 9, 1925, in Everett to Lloyd B. and Laura E. Smith. He attended Lakeside School and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Washington in 1949. He served in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific Fleet during World War II. In 1947 he married Judith “Judi” Wright Smith in Seattle. They were married for 63 years until her death on March 31, 2010; they had a family of one son and three daughters. They lived in Roseburg, Ore., and moved to Salem in 1954. In 2011, he married Bonnie Sumner Shaughnessy.

After college, Stu worked as a sales representative for Proctor & Gamble for 34 years and then enjoyed a long, active, and fulfilling retirement. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church for 60 years, and in recent years attended the Westminster Presbyterian Church. He was active in Kiwanis and served as president of the Salem Bicycle Club for four years.

He joined the Fraternal Order of the Eagles in 2012. He enjoyed volunteering with Meals on Wheels, the Big Brother-Big Sister program, at his church, and for the last several years, at Salem Hospital. He was the hospital’s volunteer of the month in April 2011. He enjoyed playing bridge, going on long bicycle rides, hunting, fishing, skiing, camping, and dancing. He loved to travel and took many trips to Mexico by motorhome and to Europe with Judi. In recent years he enjoyed the Town Dance Club and trips to the beach, Europe, and Canada with Bonnie. He was an avid sportsman and athlete. He ran in six marathons, and in 1984 he rode his bike from Mexicali, Mexico, to Salem and then on to Vancouver, B.C. In 1991 he rode from “Sea to Sea”: Santa Monica, Calif., to St. Augustine, Fla. He is survived by his wife, Bonnie; son Stephen S. Smith and his partner, Pamela Hough, of Portland; daughters Alison “Sunny” Smith and her husband, Zen Kurokawa, of Corvallis, Kimberly J. Smith of Portland, and Lauryn “Laurie” Frye and her husband, Curtis Frye, of Roseburg; grandchildren Darian Curns and her husband, Troy Curns, Jessica Smith, Nathanial Smith, Stanton Luoma, Andrew Luoma, Mackenzie Frye, and Ethan Frye; and great grandson Bodhi Curns. He also leaves behind stepdaughters Kelly Shaughnessy and husband, Chris Thorpe, Karen Murray and her husband, Bryan Murray, Kristina Shaughnessy and her husband, Michael McDonald; and his stepgrandchildren Michael Andrade, Angus Murray, Clare McDonald, David McDonald, and Megan Thorpe; his nephew Newell David Smith and his niece Barbara Nickerson.

He is predeceased by his brother Newell Smith and his parents.

Stu was an outgoing and gregarious man who loved all people and made friends wherever he went. He was generous and quick to lend a hand to anyone in need. A loving family man, he will be dearly missed by his loved ones and friends. ➢ In Memoriam

63

➢ IN MEMORIAM: alumni DOUG OLIPHANT ’54 • May 21, 2014

A beloved husband, dad, and friend, Norman Douglas “Doug” Oliphant lived a life filled with passion, joy, generosity, and unbridled love for his family and the Lord Jesus Christ. Always quick with a warm smile and kind word, Doug loved deeply and was deeply loved by his wife, three children, four grandchildren, and a vast circle of family and friends. Doug, 78, passed into glory May 21 after a brave and long-fought battle with prostate cancer.

His beautiful wife of 54 years, Barbara, and loved ones were with him when he stepped into heaven. Born Sept. 5, 1935, in Portland, to Norman R. and Mary Elizabeth Trullinger Oliphant, Doug was a direct descendent of John Corse Trullinger, who purchased the original town site of Oswego, Durham Mill (Oregon) and filed the first plat with Clackamas County. For more than 45 years, Doug humbly served the city he loved. In March, he was honored with the 2014 Oswego Lifetime Achievement Award. Doug dedicated countless hours to the Chamber of Commerce, Lakewood Center for the Arts, Lake Corp, Lake Grove Affordable Housing, LO Muni Golf Course, and Donate Life N.W. He also delighted serving the citizens of the Adult Community Center. A lasting gift to Oswego was inspired 25 years ago during his trip to Victoria, B.C. Noticing the multitude of floral hanging baskets that graced the city, Doug determined to start the program in Oswego. Wildly successful, the basket campaign continues. Doug was a leader in every facet of his life. Sixty years ago, he attended Lakeside School and Hoover High in San Diego. He continued to OSU and graduated from San Diego State. Anxious for leadership responsibilities, Doug enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1959. He served six years as an officer and retired a first lieutenant in the Medical Service Corps with one commendation. After marrying his sweetheart, Barbara Tibbett, they moved to the Northwest where their three children were born. Doug followed the footsteps of his father and grandfather and worked as VP and general sales manager for the family business, The Chas. H. Lilly Company. He continued to Pacific Lithograph, and in 1992, he started his own company, SeedPrint, in upstate New York. In 2008, Doug retired, sold SeedPrint to Excelsior Printing and enjoyed gardening with his beautiful wife, family time, and golfing with his buddies! A member of Lake Grove Presbyterian Church, Doug’s joy and passion for the Lord impacted many. Tearfully, he once said, “Sometimes, I thank God for my cancer. Out of my hardship, God started this ministry. I’m so blessed. Praise the Lord!” All who knew him will remember his smile, laughter, intentionality in relationships, and faith. Doug was preceded in death by his beloved son, David Douglas (19622010). He is survived by his adoring wife, Barbara Oliphant; daughter Elizabeth “Beth” Oliphant Hoover (Mark); son Duncan Oliphant (Melissa); brother Richard Oliphant (Patricia), sister-in-law Joyce Thornton; daughter-in-law Shelly Oliphant; grandchildren Grace, Samuel, Olivia and Isla; honorary granddaughter Melissa Venuti; and several cousins, nieces, and nephews.

THOMAS “NICK” DABNEY Jr. ’57 • Jan. 4, 2014

Thomas Nicholas Dabney Jr. of Dover, Mass., passed away peacefully on Saturday, Jan. 4, at the age of 75. He was the son

64

LAKESIDE

Fall/Winter 2014

of the late Thomas Nicholson Dabney and Elizabeth Train Soule of Westwood, Mass. Nick graduated from Middlesex School in 1956 and received a B.A. from Middlebury College in 1961.

Following college he served as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army stationed in Europe and went on to earn an MBA from Harvard University in 1966. He married Virginia Anne Robinson in 1969. Nick joined the wealth-management firm Welch & Forbes in 1972 and worked there until retiring as partner in 2006.

Nick was an accomplished skier and boatsman. As a child, he spent summers on North Haven, Maine, with his family, where he learned to sail. In more recent summers, he was happiest on Cape Cod, boating among the Elizabeth Islands near Falmouth, Maine. In the winter, Nick enjoyed skiing with his dad and later with his own family. He was a longtime member of Ski Club Hochgebirge, co-founded by his father. Nick was active with Community Work Services of Boston and supported The Posse Program at Middlebury College. Nick was eternally grateful to the dedicated group of caregivers who lovingly cared for him during his final years. He is survived by his wife, Virginia Robinson; sister Elizabeth Geier; sons Thomas N. Dabney and George S. Dabney; daughter Virginia R. Dabney; and grandchildren Thomas N. Dabney III, Nathaniel Lewis Dabney, and Aaron Scott Dabney.

RONALD LORENTSON ’62 • July 20, 2014

Born Jan. 20, 1944, to Elmer and Eleanor (Frost) Lorentson in Seattle, Ronald Gary Lorentson died of cancer on July 20 in Olympia, at the age of 70. He earned a B.A. in economics from Stanford and an MBA and Ph.D. in economics from the University of Washington. He worked for the Washington State Department of Transportation as a budget analyst. He married Marsha Dickinson on March 17, 1967, in Seattle. Ron was a quiet, thoughtful man who had a wry sense of humor. He was dedicated to his family and loved spending time with his children and grandchildren. He also enjoyed exercise, woodworking, piano, and dogs and was an avid reader and bridge player. He attended Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and was on the Board of the South Sound YMCA. Ron is survived by his wife, Marsha; son Brett (Holly) Lorentson; daughter Kristi Ayn Lorentson (Alberto); and grandchildren Lucia, Javier, David, Amelia, and Marlo. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother.

Memorial donations may be made to Thurston County Animal Services or South Sound YMCA.

DAVIS BARRETT ’67 • April 12, 2014

Davis Corwin Barrett, 64, died in his Port Townsend home on April 12. Barrett was a leading Alaska purse seiner for some 30 years, usually fishing with his three daughters – Allison, Hannah, and Ilsa, now in their 20s – and his wife of 30 years, Adrienne Ely. Described as a Renaissance man, Barrett was a respected voice for commercial fishermen, serving 20 years on the board of Southeast Alaska Seiners Association (SEAS) and the Seiner Reserve Insurance Board. Said Bobby Thorstenson Jr., SEAS executive director, “Davis was a high liner. One of the best there ever was. He bowed to Tlingit and Haida tradition while learning

commercial fishing from great men and friends. He was a true high liner who did not fudge lines or crowd others.” Barrett helped create the Pacific Salmon Treaty and ensured sustainable fisheries around the Tongass National Forest. Barrett was born in Seattle in 1949 to Beach and Jan Sorensen Barrett. He graduated from Lakeside School, attending college at Middlebury in Vermont, and WSU and Seattle University in Washington state. He started fishing at 16 and became a skipper at 26. He married Adrienne in 1983 and moved to Port Townsend in 1990. Due to health issues, he retired from fishing in 2010, selling the Glacier Bay. Survivors include his wife, daughters, and siblings: Tom Barrett (Jan), Portland; Judith Barrett, San Francisco; Kate Nunn (Remmel) and Ellen Dudley (Matthew), New York. His parents preceded him.

BRUCE BRIGHAM ’68 • July 8, 2014

Bruce J. Brigham, an acclaimed interior designer whose credits include everything from a makeover of Cartier stores worldwide to the short-notice revamp of a Seattle hotel suite for the Sultan of Brunei, died in Boise, Idaho. He was 63.The cause was cerebellar ataxia, said Jan Ambrose, his wife of 30 years. Brigham was a pioneer in retail branding and design and won numerous awards for his work. He was a Fellow of the American Society of Interior Designers and served as president of the ASID National Board of Directors in 2009. He appeared on ABC’s “Good Morning America” and wrote for several design and marketing magazines.

He was involved in the addition of 150,000 square feet of retail space to the Raffles Hotel in Singapore and the design of a 105,000 square-foot waterfront resort and casino for the Lummi Indian Nation. One of Brigham’s noteworthy Pacific Northwest efforts was revamping the penthouse suite of the Alexis Hotel in Seattle for a visit from the Sultan of Brunei. Brigham reportedly had 48 hours to do the job and was given an unlimited budget and access to the Seattle Art Museum’s collection, said his cousin, Adrienne Robineau. Brigham’s design and renovation of the Seattle SuperSonics’ Courtside Club was also widely acclaimed. Bruce James Brigham was born Feb. 4, 1951, in Sona-Bata, Belgian Congo (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) where his father was a representative for a New York export company. The family moved to the United States when Brigham was 2 months old. He graduated from New Trier West High School in Winnetka, Ill., and earned a bachelor’s degree in art and architectural history from Williams College. He moved to Vashon Island after college and worked as a carpenter before becoming involved in design and branding. He met Ambrose on the island in 1984. They were married Oct. 11, 1986. Brigham was managing principal of Planet Retail Studios, an international brand development and design company based in Seattle, before opening his own consulting firm. Brigham was known for his love of jazz. Avid boaters, he and Ambrose lived aboard their 49foot Alaskan trawler and often cruised the San Juan Islands and Canada’s Gulf Islands and particularly loved Desolation Sound.

He and Ambrose moved to Mexico in 2001 and Brigham designed and built homes for the couple in Turtle Beach, Sayulita and San Carlos. They moved to the Boise area to be closer to family a few years ago as his illness became more serious. Brigham died July

8 in Boise with his wife and his best friend, John Seakwood, at his side. He was preceded in death by his mother, Betsy, in 1996. He is survived by his wife, Jan Ambrose; father Georges Brigham; sister Denise Morocco; brother Peter Brigham; stepsons Peter Clark and Tom Clark; brother-in-law Stephen Morocco; sistersin-law Penny Brigham, Kelly Ambrose, Laurie Ambrose, and Lisa Ambrose; six grandchildren; five nephews; and six nieces. The family suggests memorial donations in Brigham’s name go to the American Society of Interior Designers Foundation.

DR. STEPHEN PETERSDORF ’76 • June 28, 2014

Stephen H. Petersdorf, M.D., 55, passed away peacefully at home on June 28 after a courageous fight against cancer. Dr. Petersdorf was born in Baltimore to Robert G. Petersdorf, M.D., and Patricia Q. Petersdorf. He was a 1976 graduate of Lakeside School and earned his bachelor’s and medical doctorate degrees from Brown University. He returned to Seattle to complete his post-graduate training in internal medicine and hematology-oncology at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Dr. Petersdorf was associate professor of medicine and endowed chair in cancer care, University of Washington and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, where he excelled in the care of cancer patients for more than 35 years. In 2012, Dr. Petersdorf joined Seattle Genetics as senior medical director of medical affairs, where he worked toward translating new cancer therapies for patients. Dr. Petersdorf’s passion for patient care extended nationally; he was a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Respected by colleagues and his patients, Dr. Petersdorf was on Seattle Magazine’s list of Top Doctors from 2002 to 2012. He took his role as husband and father as seriously as he did his professional career. He balanced a two-career marriage with respect, love, and humor. A proud baseball, football, and lacrosse dad, he was everpresent for his boys both in the classroom and on the sidelines near and far wherever the teams and championships took them.

Dr. Petersdorf was a passionate supporter of the Northwest Boychoir & Vocalpoint! Seattle and served as president of its board of directors. Dr. Petersdorf leaves his wife, Effie, and sons Nick, Andrew, and Colin of Seattle, and brother John, of Hillsboro, Calif. Remembrances may be made to Northwest Choirs at www.nwchoirs.org.

DR. ANDRA CYRONAK ’86 • Feb. 26, 2014

Andra Katherine Cyronak, M.D., 45, of Providence, R.I., died peacefully in her home on Tuesday, Feb. 26. She was born in Burlington, Vt., attended Rocky Hill School in Warwick, and graduated from Lakeside School in Seattle. She received her B.A. from Wellesley College in 1990 and her M.D. from Hahnemann University Medical School in 1994. She was the beloved wife of Michael J. Wrobleski and devoted mother to Wanda Grace, 11, Joseph Samuel, 9, and Lucy Isabel, 8. Andra was a treasured physician in the Rhode Island community for more than 20 years, most recently with Medical Associates of Rhode Island. She loved to laugh and had a wonderful zest for life. Andra is also survived by her parents, Judith and Charles Cyronak, of Block Island, and her grandmother, Grace Jackson, of Providence. ■ In Memoriam

65

P.S. E R S O N A L

66

T O R Y

by dennis dunn ’58

on the hunt Barebow archer, conservative activist, author

M

y mother, still with us at age 101, introduced me to her three great passions: politics, opera, and archery.

I’ve had a lifelong love affair with all three. Given strong public opinions about hunting, however, the worlds of archeryhunting and politics do entwine.

Bowhunting and politics were the two passions that “took” with my son, Reagan Dunn ’90, now serving his third term on the King County Council (see the profile of Reagan on Page 28). Both Reagan and his brother, Bryant ’88, share my deep love for the Great Outdoors.

Even before graduating from Lakeside and going on to major in romance languages at Harvard, I had already become fascinated by the challenges inherent in bowhunting. My mother had taken archery at Stanford, and, on my fifth birthday, she came home with a toy archery set.

Pasting a target on the bathroom door, she told me I could shoot down the hallway if I closed all the other doors first. Two years later, I attended a summer camp where they had real bows and arrows, and I became hooked for life!

My hunting trails led me farther and farther afield. Over the next 40 years, I reached the pinnacle of bowhunting achievement: the first-ever barebow archery Super Slam, which is the fairchase taking of all 29 huntable North American big-game species. (“Barebow” means no aiming-sights are attached to my bow; “fair-chase” means ethical, sportsmanlike, and lawful.)

On Sept. 17, 2004, I sent an arrow through the heart of a male Alaskan brown bear as he strode past me at five yards. I knew right then that the vagaries of life were about to launch me on a new career as an outdoors writer — just as I was reaching retirement age. Four years went into the writing of “BAREBOW!” before it was published in 2008. Comprising 60 color photographs, 68 wildlife paintings and drawings, and 104 true stories of adventure and misadventure, the 10-pound, coffeetable book has gone on to win six national awards. The one thing it does NOT contain is a single picture of me and a dead animal at the kill-site. Only other hunters LAKESIDE

Fall/Winter 2014

Dennis Dunn ’58 and “Old Snaggletooth,” which he shot barebow (without sights).

It’s the current archery world’s record grizzly. At right, his book, “BAREBOW!,” chronicles his adventures attaining the firstever barebow archery Super Slam.

More on www.str8arrows.com.

enjoy looking at that type of picture, and I wanted my book to be nearly as enjoyable for the nonhunter as for the hunter.

In 2012, I republished the work as a seven-volume series of e-books and was stunned when “BAREBOW!” received top prize in the sports/fitness/recreation category of the 2012 national eLit Book Awards competition. I was stunned because hunting is regarded by so many as “politically incorrect,” and it’s so rare that anything related to hunting ever wins anything outside the rather insular world of hunting itself.

Today, as urbanization continues to increase and more and more people become subservient to the demands and lifestyles of our high-tech, materialistic society, Americans are losing touch with Mother Nature.

Dennis Dunn ’58 was chairman of the King County Republican Party from 1970 to 1976, represented Washington on the Republican National Committee for seven years, and spent three years on its executive committee. Formerly a securities broker and French teacher at Lakeside, he’s now an outdoors writer and publisher.

Nothing is more certain to generate humility — and remind one of man’s relative insignificance in the cosmos — than spending time in the wilderness. Hunting requires that and involves you directly in the preypredator drama, which teaches invaluable lessons about life and death that cannot be learned any other way.

Hunting, however, has become a huge political target for the far left in America because their hidden agenda is really to find a way around the Second Amendment; once hunting is outlawed, private firearm ownership can also be outlawed.

It’s a simple fact that most wildlife conservationists are also hunters and raise most of the money for wildlife. They know that if game populations aren’t healthy, seasons will be closed and there’ll be nothing to hunt. ■

TELLING YOUR STORIES P.S., or Personal Story, is a personal essay written by a Lakeside alum.

If you’re interesting in contributing a short piece for a future issue, please write us at magazine@lakesideschool.org.

ALUMNI SPORTS

by CHRIS FITZGERALD ’89

Lacrosse scrimmage 2014

A

t its core, lacrosse is a sport rooted in friendships. Old ones were rekindled and new ones forged at the men’s lacrosse alumni game on Saturday morning of Reunion 2014 in June. Alumni from four decades joined current players in a spirited pickup game. Equipment was on hand for those whose old gear had disappeared (or disintegrated) since graduation. Once everyone was equipped, sticks were tossed in a pile and separated randomly to make teams. Coach

Alumni from four decades joined current Lakeside lacrosse players for a scrimmage during reunion weekend in June.

Chris Hartley refereed but did not need his whistle much, as surprisingly coherent play ensued. Eric Ayrault ’83, the most senior player present, hardly looked it as he scored the first goal of the day. After the game, many players headed for the nearest bag of ice and jar of Advil, though a committed core decamped to the Ram Brewery to expedite their recovery. We hope that alumni of all ages will join us again next reunion weekend to help grow the game as an annual tradition. ■ Chris Fitzgerald ’89 is a member of the Lakeside/ St. Nicholas Alumni Board.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2014-2015 December

April

19

2 Los Angeles Area Alumni Reception, location TBA, 6 p.m.

Young Alumni Luncheon with Head of School Bernie Noe for Classes of ’11-’14, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Refectory.

15

New York Area Alumni Reception, location TBA, 6 p.m.

January

May

27

27 Arts Fest, Upper School campus, 6 p.m.

Alumni of Color Reception, Upper School campus, 6 p.m.

February

June

4

Bay Area Alumni Reception, location TBA, 6 p.m.

11

11

Mark J. Bebie ’70 Memorial Lecture featuring Sarah Kay, St. Nicholas Hall, 7 p.m.

50th reunion luncheon (11:30 a.m.) and Commencement 2015 (2 p.m.), Upper School campus

12

Reunion dinner for classes ending in 5 and 0, hosted by Lakeside, The Paul G. Allen Athletics Center, 6 p.m.

March

4

Seattle Area Alumni Reception, location TBA, 6 p.m.

28 - 29 Rummage Sale, Upper School campus

REUNION 2015 June 11-14

Recognizing St. Nicholas and Lakeside alumni from classes ending in 0 and 5.

13 Lacrosse alumni game, Parsons Field, 10 a.m.

13 - 15 Reunion 2015 class gatherings

For more information on all alumni events, visit www.lakesideschool.org/ alumni. Questions? Please contact the alumni relations off ice of the Lakeside/St. Nicholas Alumni Association at 206-368-3606 or alumni@lakesideschool.org.

Lakeside School invites all classes celebrating their reunion to a reception and casual dinner on Friday, June 12, 2015. Reunion volunteers are needed to help plan their individual class events. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact the alumni

relations office at 206-368-3606 or email alumni@ lakesideschool.org. In addition, the St. Nicholas and Lakeside Classes of 1965 will be honored at a luncheon and at the Upper School commencement on Thursday, June 11, 2015. Additional details to come.

Personal Story, Calendar

67

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID SEATTLE, WA PERMIT NO. 738