KnightTimes ALUMNI BROTHERS PHOTOGRAPH THE WORLD
S PRIN G 2 0 1 0
Six seniors make headlines at Model UN:
Qatar pace’s own + future global leader
Giant Map means the world to LS students
The Global Issue
KnightTimes Produced by Pace Academy Communications department
Fred Assaf h ead OF SCHO O L
Mike Gannon h ead of upp er sc h ool
John Anderson HEAD OF MIDD LE SCH O O L
Anna Valerius HE AD OF LOWER SCH O O L
Linda Smith Champion DIRE CT OR OF COMMUN I CAT I O N S
Jessica Tanner COMMUNICAT IONS ASSO CI AT E , G RAP HIC DE SIG N ER
OUR MISSION To create prepared, confident citizens of the world who honor the values of Pace Academy and who will preserve the legacy of our school for future generations. PACE CARES Are you aware of a member of our community who is experiencing an illness or loss or is blessed with a new arrival? Pace Cares would love to help by delivering a home-cooked meal prepared by our dedicated volunteer cooks. Please call the Pace Cares hotline at 404-926-3727.
APRIL 6–9 LS/MS CELEBRATION APRIL 9 | 10 A.M. US CELEBRATION APRIL 9 | 2 P.M.
966 W. Paces Ferry Road N.W. Atlanta, GA 30327 www.paceacademy.org To contribute ideas for the KnightTimes, please email Jessica Tanner at jtanner@paceacademy.org
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KnightTimes | Spring 2010
LETTER FROM THE HEA D OF SC H O O L
Spring Forward I hope that your Spring Break was enjoyable. In Atlanta we have not typically paid attention to Paxautawny Phil (the groundhog), but this year we are certainly ready for winter to be over and for Atlanta to enjoy real spring weather. I want to extend a special note of congratulations to Mr. Joey Villamez and the entire cast of The Music Man for an amazing production. Thank you to the Middle School for all of your hard work. I’m pleased to announce that we have hired a new Director of Advancement, Matt Wawro, to lead Pace’s fundraising efforts. Matt and his wife Elizabeth are experienced independent school people having spent eight years at the Cranbrook School in Bloomfield Hill, Mich. While there Matt successfully led Cranbrook’s largest campaign and raised over $180 million for their school community. Matt comes to us most recently from St. Joseph’s University in Philadephia. He will begin at Pace this month — Elizabeth and their three children will join him in Atlanta this summer. Welcome to the Wawro family. As difficult as it is to believe, we are now fully into the spring season. Our annual Parents Club Auction is April 10 at the Ritz-Carlton in Buckhead. This is our Parents Club’s largest
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fundraiser of the year, and I hope that you can attend. If you can’t, I hope that you will be a part of Pbay, the online portion of our auction. So many folks have given their time and dedication to make this happen. I hope you can be with us to celebrate their hard work. Next year we will begin to role out our Global Education program in a more formalized manner. Trish Anderson, Director of Global Education, has been working very closely with our faculty to develop study tours for our 11th grade students to take during their senior year. These study tours will be international experiences designed and conducted by Pace faculty and will focus on the core values of a Pace education. Our vision is to create multiple experiences for every student during their Pace tenure where they will engage on the global level and develop the fundamental skills necessary to be leaders in the 21st century. Spring is our busiest season on the athletic fields and so I’ll look forward to seeing you at one of our upcoming games!
Fred Assaf Head of school
4 Announcements What you need to know. 7 Around Pace A look into what is happening at Pace. 12 mODEL STUDENTS: QATAR Students travel to the Middle East for Model UN. 16 ON TOP OF THE WORLD Giant map of Africa sparks learning in LS. 20 Alumni Updates. Hanson brothers. Q&A. 26 FOR A GOOD CAUSE Pace community opens hearts and wallets for Haiti.
KnightTimes | Spring 2010
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A N N O U N C E M EN TS
DON’T FORGET
Former vice provost at Emory joins college counseling office
the
Annual
FUND If you have not made your gift or pledge, it is not too late.
Help us raise $1 million.
$1 million
Pace Academy is set to welcome Daniel Walls as senior associate director of college placement joining director Gavin Bradley and assistant director Amy Secor. A Pace Trustee from 1997-2002, Dan has worked for 30 years in higher education, exclusively in undergraduate admission and financial aid. For the past 23 years, he was director and dean of Admission at Emory. During his tenure, Emory moved to a position of national and international prominence, earning the “most selective” admissions category, while student diversity and quality surged.
Tim Hornor and Jiayue Juan named STAR student and teacher second star teacher honor for hornor
$821,724* Contributions to the Annual Fund go directly into the operating budget, helping to support Pace for the current fiscal year.
* as of Feb. 28, 2010 4
KnightTimes | Spring 2010
Pace Academy senior Jiayue Yuan has been named STAR (Student-Teacher Achievement Recognition) Student in the state-wide program sponsored by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators, the Georgia Department of Education, and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. By achieving the highest score on the Scholastic Assessment Test in one sitting and being in the top 10% of her class, Jiayue was named STAR Student. Jiayue chose Pace history teacher Tim Hornor as STAR Teacher. “He is a brilliant history teacher who not only taught me to enjoy US history (my weakest subject), but also taught me numerous things outside of class,” she said. “Mr. Hornor has influenced me to strive to excel in all areas that interest me and be a more wellrounded individual.” “I am currently waiting for college decisions because I did not apply anywhere early, so I do not know where I am going yet,“ Jiayue said.
A NNOUN C E M E NT S
Pace WordMasters take highest honors in nationwide competition fourth and fifth graders win at critical thinking A team of Pace Academy fourth graders, among 689 schools, and fifth graders, among 699 schools, took fifth place in the nation in the WordMasters competition’s first meet. The national language arts competition for fourth and fifth graders is held three times annually and involves 220,000 students. Four Pace students achieved perfect scores and earned honors for individual achievement. They are fifth graders Prashanth Kumar, Annie Nottingham, Taylor Upchurch and 4th grader Grayle Kendall. Other Pace students who achieved outstanding results in the meet included third graders Cole Campbell, Carter Ferguson, Lane Goldman, Abigail Lund, Davis Mathis and Genna Schwartz; fourth graders Jack Greene, Elizabeth Marr, Ryan Mazur, Jennifer Spalten, Alex Toliday, Sam Delman, Khaki Loughran, Bobby Mills, Casey Monyak, Andrew Pace, Nate Reese and Matthew Shafer; and fifth graders Christopher Howard, John Propst, Julia Robison, Drew Simons, Roxie Stricker, Alexis Benson, Ally DiOrio, Keeley Harris, Maya Horesh, Connor LaMastra, Carson Meyers, Julia Ross, Zoe Weitzner and Mitchell Zwecker. The WordMasters Challenge is an exercise in critical thinking that first encourages students to become familiar with a set of interesting new words (considerably harder than grade level) and then challenges them to use those words to complete analogies expressing various kinds of relationships.
Cookbook in kitchens in April first pace cookbook in more than 40 years “A Taste of Pace – Celebrating Knights Around the Table” rolls off the presses April 1, offering Pace families the chance to impress guests with tuna tartare, Key West crab cakes, and Kretopitakia (Greek meat pies), while the kids dig into Ziploc omelets and S’more pie. The new cookbook is the Pace community’s first in more than 40 years. Originally conceived as a fundraiser for Class of 2012, “A Taste of Pace” has become a schoolwide effort, featuring the recipes of more than 235 contributors, from parents and grandparents to faculty. They were tested by more than 85 families. Over coffee 15 months ago, sophomore class parents Holly Mitchell and Susan Kaplan decided it was time to update the 1968 Pace Parents Club cookbook, coveted at the time for its recipes for Petit Fours, Lime Grape Jell-O and Deviled Turkey. They assembled a committee of 25 parents that grew over the months to include a full cast of writers, proofreaders, a sales manager, and distribution manager, among others. The result is a book that is a reflection of the entire community, including not only recipes but photography by Deborah Celecia Wagoner '84, design by Ellen Hirsch, and quotes from students and faculty about their Pace experience peppered throughout the book. Over seven months Pace families reached into their files for their treasured recipes. “A Taste of Pace” also includes mouth-watering recipes from 12 Atlanta restaurants (be sure to try Antica Posta’s Farfalle all’ Aragosta – Lobster Pasta). For busy weeknights, there are also “Quick and Easy Recipes,” with dishes that can be made in 30 minutes or less. If you haven’t already placed your order, you can buy your copies at the Castle, at the auction on April 10, the Inman Center bookstore, or order online at www.paceacademy.org/cookbook. Be the first and only to reserve a book for a teacher or staff member (log at the Castle front office). Pace parents may charge copies to their Pace accounts. Purchase price is $25, and discounts apply for volume orders (see order form online for details). Join the Pace community for a relaxing evening with great food and friends on April 18 for A Taste of Pace celebration at Serpas True Food restaurant where Chef Scott Serpas will serve selections from the book (details on website). Bon Appétit!
DON’T FORGET the
Annual
FUND If you have not made your gift or pledge, it is not too late.
Help us get 100% parent participation and a pizza party for your child’s grade. Parent Participation by grade as of Feb. 28, 2010: Pre-first 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th
89% 72% 80% 70% 85% 75% 81% 75% 80% 76% 76% 70% 84%
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A N N O U N C E M EN TS
Pace takes five Gold Keys in writing awards “a great day for pace writers”
Left, seniors Andrew Riley and Nicole Tay, Ricks Carson, and junior Carley Gaynes
Junior Carley Gaynes and seniors Andrew Riley and Nicole Tay earned the top prize in the Poetry category of the 2009 Regional Scholastic Art and Writing Awards competition. Nicole and Andrew also took the top prize in the Fiction category. The students’ work will go on for judging in the National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards competition in New York. The five awards were among 2,500 selections chosen from some 80,000 entries. “This is an extraordinary achievement for any school, much less one as small as ours,” said Ricks Carson, creative writing teacher in the US. “We are not a specialized “school for the arts” like many whose students progress in the competition. This is a great day for Pace writing and writers!” The selection panels for both the regional and national levels of The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards include professional artists, writers, curators, critics, educators and professionals from the nation’s leading creative industries, some of whom are past award recipients. Notable past jurors include: Robert Frost, Frank McCourt, George Plimpton, Tatiana von Furstenberg, and Bill Murray. Works are judged on originality, technical proficiency, and the emergence of an authentic vision or voice.
Science team takes four of six matches at competition
Pace science team (seniors Daniel Weiner, left, Oliver Huang, Andrew Longhi and Amy Schettino) won four of six matches at the Department of Energy National Science Bowl in
February at Kennesaw State University. The team was invited to the Georgia Regional Science Bowl to be held in Savannah but due to conflicts with another tournament, the team declined the invitation to the State meet. 6
KnightTimes | Spring 2010
2010 National Honor Society Inductees Julia Hunter Allen Amelia Berrien Baker Kathleen Nicole Belinfante McKenzie Nicole Berezin AnnaMaria Christina Callas Adam Harrison Chaikof Melissa Jessica Dalis Erin Finlayson Dancu Kaitlyn Grace Dinkins Camille Suzanne Dishongh Katherine Blair Ford Jorda Reinold Garcia Gonzalez John Randolph Goulding Erin Rae Haagenson Nicole Elizabeth Hammons Benjamin Joseph Harris Elizabeth Evelyn Hill Michael Garrett Hopkins Gillian Kathleen Hornor Seung-Jin Hwang Taylor Anne-Marie James Samuel Ross Kallman Danielle Rose Kerker Ashton Blair Lager Yong Hyuk Lee Charles Robert Lindsey Harry Park McDougald Campbell Lewis Malik Daniel Saul Martinez Charmaine Amy Mech Christopher Hamilton Merritt Stephen David Merritt Reade Anderson Midyette Mary Elizabeth Morse Caroline Hall Nixon Arthur Michael Omilian Antony Alexander Papadopoulos Sarah Grace Patterson Eleanor Jordan Peery Helen Olivia Pashos Pickron Tea Potskhverashvii Sage Marie Roberts Allison Ruth Rosenbaum Michelle Leah Rosenbaum Benjamin Joseph Ross Carolyn Schaefer Samuel Benjamin Shapiro Griffin H. Siegel Jeffrey Aaron Sureck Jared Charles Wasserman Sophie Anne Weiner Rachel Eden Williams Walter Hurst Williamson Samuel Robert Wiskind
A NNOUN C E M E NT S
Pace chess makes a move for fourth state championship middle school team dominates at regional competition
Primary team
Elementary team
Middle School team
The Pace primary (prefirst-third), elementary (fourthfifth) and middle school (sixth-eighth) chess teams won at the Georgia Chess Association’s Regional Championships at Gwinnett High School Feb. 27 and all will complete in the state finals at Pace on March 20. The primary and elementary teams took fourth place and the middle school team dominated for first place. Eighth grader Jeremy Paul posted the only perfect score in the section. The Primary team had nine students this year. In the final round they finished with a perfect score. Thanks to their strong finish, they moved up five spots in the rankings and captured the last available bid to the State Finals. The top two scorers from Pace were 2nd grader Wyatt Singletary and third grader Shreya Rekapalli, both with four out of five wins. The Elementary team featured six seasoned players and two rookies. Fifth grade veteran Prashanth Kumar led the team by going 5-0, but fourth grader Sneha Nagarajan had the most dramatic win of the day. In the final round, Sneha managed to promote a pawn and won the game, giving the Pace team the final point we needed to qualify for State in the Elementary division. The middle school team, led by eighth grader Jeremy Paul, will go into the state finals as the second seed to try and win their fourth consecutive state championship.
PRESENTING SPONSORS: the Rushton Family, Denali Asset Managment GOLD: Cox Family, Dental TLC, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management SILVER: Jackie Swiecichowski Family BRONZE: The Paper Route, Rucker Steagal, Steve Rayman Auto,
Stephens Family, Stephen Scott Selig Family Foundation, Eclipse, Sprong RUNNERS: Boland Jones Family, Caroline & David Crawford, Bethel Family WALKERS: Movsovitz-Edlin Family, Smulders Family Judy Cook, Natural Body Spa in Brookhaven Contact Jackie Sweiecichowski at 404-247-0433
Seniors study the world in 2010-2011 In 2010 -2011 a global education program will launch as a capstone program for seniors. They will be offered six different study tour opportunities at two intervals during the school year. The tours will include Chile, Provence and Nice, England, Ecuador, German-speaking Central Europe and China. Trish Anderson, director of Global Education at Pace, explained that the vision of the new program is to provide seniors with a range of curriculumbased travel opportunities that further their understanding of our globalized, interdependent world. Guiding principles for the trips are: to help students reflect critically and think creatively about the intricacies of modern international systems and markets; to facilitate a sophisticated international and cross-cultural appreciation of various societies and communities; and to expand Pace’s commitment to community engagement on an international scale.
PACE RACE
2010 April 24, 2010
One-mile Fun Run at 8:30 a.m. & 5K at 9 a.m. BENEFITING THE BOOSTER CLUB
KnightTimes | Spring 2010
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AROUND PACE
Love Song
The Music Man captivates a full house
us chorus takes annual
second sold-out show for ms drama
tour to orlando The Upper School Chorus presented “A Musical Valentine” in February, which included Mistress of Ceremonies Kitty Cook, guitarist Jared Allen, and singers Larisa Bainton, Colin Barham, Julia Berger, Daniel Dodson, Lauren Gold, Benjamin Harris, Nicole LeClair, Jackie Maize and Tony Papadopoulos. The event featured songs with love themes, selected by the students themselves. The Chorus took their annual Tour to Orlando in mid-March, where they performed at Walt Disney World, at Windermere Prep, for Springfest at Good Samaritan Village, and at the Good Samaritan Nursing Home. The activities director for the nursing home reports that they still exhibit photos of the Octet singing to some of their residents and presenting these ladies with flowers. The music literature, which will be performed for the Spring Concert in May, includes pop and jazz numbers as well as songs from Billy Elliot, Chess and Fame.
Caption
The Music Man, performed by Pace Middle School in late February, was an overwhelming success. The show, which delighted the whole family, included a large cast of sixth, seventh and eighth graders. The story focuses on con man Harold Hill who bluffs some Iowa townsfolk into believing he’s an organizer of a boys’ marching band, hoping to make a quick buck on instrument and uniform sales. But love gets in the way in a show that provided huge fun for the whole family.
Pace Theatre presents Noises Off OPENING NIGHT
Thursday April 22, 2010 7 p.m. ADDITIONAL SHOWTIMES
April 23-24, 2010 | 7:30 p.m.
TICKETS ON SALE IN THE CASTLE MONDAY APRIL 19.
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KnightTimes | Spring 2010
The Power of Community
Thank You
Parenting Connection is the part of the Parents Club charged with the development of strong parent networks, and the provision of opportunities for parent education. Bill Cosby once said, “In spite of the 6,000 manuals on child raising in the bookstores, child raising is still a dark continent, and no one really knows anything.” Being a parent can be unnerving, and even downright scary. It is never easy to know what to do, or whether we are doing too much or too little. To make matters even more interesting we have to constantly adapt our approach as our children grow older. Moreover, the challenges and temptations of the world constantly evolve and advance, especially the seductive charms provided by technology. Of course there are a number of ways to train ourselves to be better equipped for the task. As Bill Cosby notes above there are countless books to read – and our own parents gave us a pretty good insight into what to do, or in many cases what not to do. But perhaps the greatest source of help, advice and knowledge are those parents around us who are also struggling for guidance and answers. This is why Parenting Connection places such a heavy emphasis on facilitating parent discussions such as the Pace Parenting Network classes. But does any of this stuff actually produce end results? In one area at least we now have hard evidence that we can make a difference when our community works together with coherence and commitment. That area relates to improving the safety and health of Pace students in relation to alcohol and other drugs. More specifically it is the work initiated by Fred Assaf in the middle of 2007 under the PACE.LEAD banner. Back in 2007 Pace faced much the same problems as other private schools in the Buckhead area when it came to use of alcohol by students. What made Pace different was the decision that we should try to do something about it. Through a survey of all eighth-12th grade students we established information on what was really happening and developed a detailed set of actions to address the issues. Two years down the road our second PACE.LEAD survey gives us the opportunity to see whether the efforts undertaken by faculty, parents and students have borne fruit. The answer is a resounding yes. The outcome of the initiative can be seen in a wide variety of areas. In the words of FCD (the organization that administered and analyzed the survey questionnaires), student use of alcohol and marijuana showed “considerable decreases.” Students reported less perceived pressure to drink, and increased agreement with the school’s alcohol policies and enforcement. In a critical area of safety, and parental anxiety, students now report considerably lower rates of drinking and driving, as well as riding in cars with friends who have been drinking. Not surprisingly these changes have gone hand-in-hand with what FCD describe as ‘dramatic’ increases in parent monitoring of parties. This progress was not achieved because of a small group of individuals. The difference was made possible by the efforts of the Pace community working together – with a strong emphasis on parents and family. After all, as PACE.LEAD identified at the outset of the initiative “families have the primary responsibility to guide their children in making informed decisions regarding alcohol and other drugs’. At the core of the effort has been an extensive process of parent networking and communication as many parents sought to learn more about the reality of the situation in relation to student use of alcohol and other drugs, and what we could do to improve safety and health. The experience here at Pace echoes what has been seen in some other schools – a broad based, well founded community program for change can make measurable progress. Moreover community programs can address areas where individual parents can only have limited impact. Of course the positive indications we have just received are not permanently cast in stone. But they should give us greater confidence that seemingly intractable problems can be addressed as long as we act as a community. For more information on PACE.LEAD and the second survey results please contact your PACE. LEAD Grade rep or any one of us.
Thank you Pace community for your support at a successful series of events benefiting the Diversity Scholar’s Fund Special thanks to: Bob Amick and Two Urban Licks Premier Global Services Rooms-To-Go Towers Watson PriceWaterhouseCoopers And all those who supported our Diversity at The Table Events Diversity At The Table: Bringing Together The Future of Atlanta
—Kathy Herman, Elaine Levine, Gail Phillips, Richard Rushton and Lori Zwecker Parenting Connection Co-Chairs
KnightTimes | Spring 2010
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AROUND PACE
Winter Sports Wrap Up
Sustainability honored by GA Conservancy
Six wrestlers to state Coaches Mark Sommerville’s and Gus Whyte’s wrestlers had an outstanding performance
at the Georgia High School Association’s State meet, where they placed 11th. William Morse placed third in All-State, Alex Stephens placed fourth and Wheeler Earnest placed fifth. Morse, Stephens, Earnest
Varsity girls basketball Varsity boys and girls basketball went to the Sweet Sixteen. Sophomore Morgan Batey surpassed 1,000 points scored at Pace. Batey and junior Katelyn Dinkins were named to Region 5A all region team. Junior guard Dinkins made 67 three-pointers in regular-season play and averaged 15 points per game. Dinkins is ranked third among all GHSA schools for three pointers made in one game with 9, and fifth for three pointers made in one season with 80.
Batey
Dinkins
Varsity boys basketball Senior Kevin McCall (11 points per game, 72 three-pointers, three assists per game) and junior Alex Davis (13 points per game, four assists per game and seven rebounds per game) were named to the Region 5A All-Region Team, while junior Josh Swan (22 points per game, 4.2 assists per game and 8 rebounds per game) was named Region 5A Player of the Year.
Davis
Swan
McCall
Diving Emily Kaplan placed fourth at the GHSA State A-AAAA State Championships and will continue to compete next year at Princeton University.
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Kaplan
On Feb. 26, eight students from the Sustainability Club traveled to Zoo Atlanta to participate in the 12th annual Youth Envrionmental Symposium (YES), sponsored by the Georgia Conservancy. An interdisciplinary educational contest designed to inspire middle and highschool students to develop creative solutions to environmental problems in their local communities, the YES calls on students to actively identify and develop an environmental project, to gain an understanding of how they can make a difference both in their own quality of life and the quality of Georgia’s environment. As their project, Pace students submitted the 2010 Green Cup Challenge Kick-off Conference and Green Resource Fair they hosted in November. Pace’s project was selected as one of 10 finalists from dozens of applications statewide. As junior Chelsea Botts told judges, “hosting this conference has been a benefit to our school by raising awareness on our campus about conserving energy. When students take the lead, the entire school will follow.” The students further explained that energy conservation and sustainability are now issues that Pace is known for in Atlanta and that publicity only encourages our community to continue wise use. Additionally, the conference benefited the greater community by actually making a unified community of schools in the Atlanta area who are committed to energy conservation and sustainability. The contest was highly competitive, as many worthwhile projects were submitted. In the end, Pace students took home 4th place — not bad for their first submission. “We’ll definitely be back next year to win it all,” said sophomore Eric Estroff. “But the real point is that we did something we believed to be worthwhile by hosting the conference in November. Pace Academy is quickly becoming known as a leader in the sustainability movement.”
Pbay bidding opens March 26 with closings between March 28-31. champagne - $25,000
cosmopolitan - $10,000
Pace Spring Auction
Premiere Global Services
mint julep - $5,000 Meg & Jeff Arnold
cabernet - $2,500 Atlanta Orthodontic Specialists
Elizabeth & Ken Richards
Ruth & Greg Freishtat
Dr. Melisa Rathburn & Dr. Michael Stewart
Mary & Alan Roos
Kim & Matt Berry
Clyde & Becca Shepherd
chardonnay - $1,000 Alli & Mitch Allen
Michele & Patrick Boushka
Clea & Marcus Calloway
Kate & Jim Denny
Sarah & Bill Gray
Lisa & Seth Greenberg
Kathleen & Jeff Haidet
Bonnie & Jay Harris
Kim Helfgott & Lori Movsovitz
wine spritzer - $500 The Bethel Family
shirley temple - $250 Zainab Ali-Rubaie & Ahmed Rubaie Judy Cook
Angela & Ron Pace
Norha & Joseph Sroka
Patti & Mark Blumenthal Jill & Rich Perkey
Stone Summit Climbing & Fitness
Anna & Carl Capelouto Amy & Jeff Rubin & Family The Thurman Family
Gourmet food stations, a DJ, live music by Cookie, and many live and silent auction items to bid on!
April 10 Ritz-Carlton Buckhead R.S.V.P. to www.paceauction.org
Model Students:
Qatar Six seniors take trip to the Middle East to represent Pace and America
Acting the part Attending a Model UN in a foreign country changes attitudes. With students from around the world playing the parts of world leaders, the stage takes on a new reality. Six Pace seniors, the only United States representatives, returned home recently with a new appreciation for the power of friendship and face-to-face contact. In late January, the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar kicked off its fifth annual Model United Nations conference. The model included 60 schools from 40 countries. Teachers Keith Newman and Helen Smith were satisfied that their students were well prepared for their mission. Many after-school hours of researching, writing and rewriting papers armed them with confidence. According to Helen they arrived 12
KnightTimes | Spring 2010
in Doha, Qatar ready to go with “thinkingon-their-feet skills, a depth of knowledge, and the ability to approach real-world problems with constructive and practical suggestions.” In the midst of unfamiliar street scenes, accents, garb and cultures, basic humanity was evident. Working with students from around the world definitely put a human face on global issues and the Islamic world for Adam Chaikof. “Just seeing ordinary Qataris doing ordinary things caused me to realize that the peoples of the world have more in common with one another than we realize.” Some of the Jewish student’s newest friends are from Palestine and Afghanistan. “Learning about what they’ve been through has definitely broadened my horizons.” Adam got to know fellow delegates on a first
“We learned through the model and through debating that the country or the culture one comes from is not as important as their views and insights.” —Sarah Capelouto
name basis, “I was actually sad to be leaving the people I had met.” “The [international] participants made this model a wholly different experience,” said Sean Doherty. “I formed deep connections and made friendships. Inside committee though, the culture clash of representing a foreign country is even more evident than it would be at a U.S. conference.” In an almost empty Qatar Airways plane, the 12-hour trip from Washington, D.C., included lots of attention from the flight attendants. “We enjoyed enormous seats, a first-class entertainment system, good food and sockets to plug in laptops,” Helen said. The first day began with a private tour at the I. M. Pei Museum of Islamic Art led by a young covered woman as the guide and ended
HIGHLIGHTS OF QATAR • Young people working to solve real problems. Students focused on outcomes rather than individual backgrounds or even the country they represented in Model UN. • The diversity of peoples and cultures becoming normal after some time of immersion – the momentary shock of seeing traditional Arab dress or hearing English as a second language or noticing the different skin colors was gone. • Getting out into the countryside and seeing traditional occupations, historical sites and the way people live outside the modern trappings of Doha. • The efforts of American embassies to encourage dialogue and public participation in civic life. • The mixure of old and new – the traditional souk (market) and the new I. M. Pei Museum of Islamic Art. • The westernization of traditional cultures with western stores, western music, western chain restaurants, etc. • Arab hospitality — people we had just met asking us to come to their homes or offering help if we needed it.
KnightTimes | Spring 2010
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Pace’s own future world leader
Q&A with Adam Chaikof Senior Adam Chaikof was awarded the “future global leader” committee award by his peers at the Model U.N. in Qatar. Adam dealt with piracy in Somalia along with the military and political situation in Afghanistan (especially along the border with Pakistan).
6. What events in your life do you think sparked your interest in international relations?
1. How has Model U.N. helped you or influenced you in your future plans for college?
Not only has Model UN given me a better understanding of how global policy is crafted and implemented, but it has also helped me to think creatively when analyzing policy issues on all levels. I definitely plan to continue doing Model UN in college. 2. What do you want to be when you grow up?
I’ve always dreamed of running for political office because I believe that politics is the most effective avenue for achieving social change. However, my ambitions are not simply limited to holding one position or career. My greatest hope is to spend my career championing the cause of society’s underdogs (i.e. the working and middle classes, children, immigrants, the disabled, etc.) and igniting a popular grassroots movement to fight for social progress and economic justice. In short, my dream is to pick up where my political heroes ,Hubert Humphrey and Howard Dean, left off. 3. You received the senior class superlative for most likely to become president. Why do you think they picked you for this?
I think most people in my grade know that I basically eat, sleep and breathe politics and that I have a passionate desire to take part in the political system. 4. Ms. Smith said that you “do it for the right reasons.” Can you elaborate as to what she means?
I do Model U.N. because I want to become a more adept negotiator and learn more about
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KnightTimes | Spring 2010
“I’ve learned from their examples that the ultimate purpose of international relations is the creation of a safe and stable world where all peoples can co-exist without fear of violent conflict. ”
My interest in politics started back when I was 6 years old and watched the second Clinton inauguration. I was so fascinated by the event, that I was hooked from that point on. When it comes to international relations specifically, you could say diplomacy is in my blood. One member of my family served in the Polish diplomatic corps in the 50’s and was part of the Eastern Bloc delegation to the 1953 Korean Truce Committee. Also, my cousin and close family friend, Martin Indyk, served as U.S. Ambassador to Israel during the Clinton Administration. I’ve learned from their examples that the ultimate purpose of international relations is the creation of a safe and stable world where all peoples can co-exist without fear of violent conflict. 7. What do you see as being your most passionate area of interest when it comes to international relations?
international affairs rather than simply doing it to win awards.
What are the problems and what do you think needs to be done to fix the situation?
5. What did you learn from your trip to Qatar?
Going to Doha and meeting people from around the world has given the Islamic world a human face in my mind. Just seeing ordinary Qataris doing ordinary things caused me to realize that the peoples of the world have more in common with one another than we realize. I also learned that it is impossible to be a global citizen and a judgmental person. Meeting people from different cultures and hearing their perspectives on important policy issues caused me to realize that even though our different cultural backgrounds cause to arrive at different conclusions on the issues, we still share the same basic moral values and priorities. From there, we can craft out solutions to different policy disputes, but we must accept that we share a common destiny and moral bonds.
While I’m passionate about many issues, the struggle for economic fairness and justice during this era of globalization is the one closest to my heart. For the past 30 years, international institutions and many national governments have assumed that simply rigidly following a pro-corporate neoliberal agenda will be enough to cure the world’s economic woes. Despite its good intentions, neoliberalism has proven to be a disaster for working people all over the world. Corporate power is now strangling the political systems of developed nations, exploiting the people and resources of developing nations, and curtailing worker’s efforts to unite and organize across the world. It’s high time for the international community not only to reject neoliberalism, but also to start promoting a new system based upon economic democracy.
in a Persian restaurant in the souk (market), with students happily sitting on the floor. The city was booming with construction. “You could easily find a project with 10 or more cranes on it, and even in the middle of the city some buildings are still under construction,” Sean said. The following day brought the endless white of the Doha desert, broken only by a few scrubby plants and small trees. The group visited old forts, old mosques, fishing villages with traditional fishing boats and men repairing the nets, and the ruins of the old capital. After walking in the Persian (Arabian) Gulf and eating in a remote countryside restaurant, the day ended in the horrendous traffic of Doha, as the group shifted gears and started Model UN in the evening. Pace students worked in caucuses with veiled females and committee chairs in traditional dress. Everyone there had to speak English; some spoke it as a second language, but most of the students spoke as fluently as natives. Sarah Capelouto said that while the women were in traditional dress, “there is actually not a whole lot of discrimination, but you can certainly tell the Qatari girls are
ABOUT POLICY SIMULATION Without the threat or reward of grades, ninth through twelfth grade students have studied after school and on weekends since September to participate in the 2009-2010 policy simulations. This year saw students from each grade in Model U.N., Model Arab League, and Tufts E.P.P.I.C. (Education for Public Inquiry and International Citizenship.) In addition, two eighth graders took part in Model Arab League. Next year, Pace would like to see more eighth graders in Model Arab League and more ninth graders to all the models. Policy simulation is an academic extracurricular activity (meeting during students’ free periods, after school and on Sundays) in which students research and write papers on global issues. Then taking on the role of a country, they present their positions at conferences. The Tufts papers can be up to 30 pages for each of three delegations, and they have to be written and read several times before they can be submitted.
Students learn to think on their feet, drawing on their background knowledge as they speak and often supporting a position in which they do not believe in order to represent their assigned country. Taking a contrary position is where the preparation becomes more important. Andrew Longhi representing the United Arab Republic and Oman in the historical security council did not agree with the stance he had to take. “By really researching a nation’s history and exploring the government’s previous statements, your ideology and that of your country become the same,” said Andrew. “It is all about perspective. It’s just a matter of shifting it to support your goals. These kinds of experiences help you understand that even though other viewpoints may sound irrational, they are coming from different experiences. Therefore it forces you to respect them and instead find common ground.”
Isaac Sukin won at Columbia, even though he did not believe in Madagascar’s position. “Everyone gets assigned countries in Model UN, and a delegates’ job is to act the part,” Isaac said. “The most difficult position I’ve ever had in Model UN was representing the International Atomic Energy Agency in the International Court of Justice,” he continued. “It was prosecuting the United States for helping Israel build its nuclear arms programs. As a Jew and an American, it was particularly hard to take an opposite position to the one I was used to taking in that situation.” “On this year’s winning Yemen delegation at the Model Arab League Hayley Kahn, Alexandra Sugarman, and Eric Estroff (all Jewish) represented a country whose policies they do not support,” said Helen Smith. “Eric and Hayley won awards, and only by a fluke did Alexandra not win one.”
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“We stress to the kids that their major goal at any model is to be the most polite, considerate, and thoughtful of any of the delegations there. The compliments we receive on their preparation and behavior are as important as winning awards; actually, we also like to win.” —Helen Smith
FACTS ABOUT MODEL U.N.
COURTESY OF THE PENINSULA
About 130 kids take part in policy simulation at Pace – some people are in two or three. More than 2,000 total pages are written, rewritten and read each year. 60 schools from 40 countries attended the Qatar Model UN Pace won 3 of 24 awards in Qatar Model UN. 350 students attended the Qatar Model UN.
Sam Colt as the “editor-in-chief of CNN” at a mock press conference in Qatar. This picture was published in the Peninsula Times, Qatar’s English newspaper.
more reserved, and as an American girl, one would get looks or a discriminatory whistle as they walked by locals if they were in American clothes. But only some of the locals observed the traditional dress, just as only some still observe traditional arranged marriages, so Qatar is more accepting than many other Middle Eastern countries.”
AND THE WINNER IS ... At the awards ceremony and diplomatic luncheon Pace students found that they had 16
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done well at the model. Sean, Andrew Longhi, and Sam Colt earned three of the top 24 awards at the model. In the Special Political Committee Sean received Honorable Mention, and Andrew from the Historical Security Council, and Sam, from the Press Corps, emerged as the Outstanding Delegates in their committees. “We stress to the kids that their major goal at any model is to be the most polite, considerate, and thoughtful of any of the delegations there. The compliments we receive on their preparation and behavior are as important as winning awards; actually, we also like to win,” said Helen. Also, Sam toured Al Jazeera; held a mock press conference where he acted as the “editor-in-chief of CNN” and participated in debates on nuclear proliferation, Iran, Palestine, AfghanistanPakistan and H1N1; and was featured in local newspapers. Sarah Capelouto in the Economic and Social Committee showed leadership in caucuses and small-group work. Kat Belinfante, representing the World Health Organization, earned a committee award for Distinction. Taking three of the top 24 awards among some 350 students from around the world reflects the long hours of research, writing and thinking. Another award brought home by a Pace student reflected not only those things, but also something else. Because he was able to connect with so many cultures and has such an intense interest in global issues, Adam Chaikof, representing Poland in NATO, earned a committee award for World Leader Potential. “I participate in Model UN because I learn so
much about important global issues and vital real-world diplomacy skills,” he said.
A DIFFERENT CULTURE A half-day trip into the desert in another direction concluded the trip. “We went to a camel race track,” said Helen, “where we saw hundreds of camels, little and big, all colors, with their trainers (most from Sudan) and to a museum built by a local sheikh.” The museum included rooms of personal collections such as fossils, weapons, clothes and embroidery, and a building with his collection of antique cars and boats. “I was hard pressed to find anyone in the city who did not speak both English and Arabic with at least some fluency,” Sean said. “People wear western clothes as well as thawbs and burqas. In the malls I found most of the stores we have at Lenox, but the call to prayer is played over the loud speakers, reminding you that this is still an Islamic country.” Sean said he was reminded in other ways as well. “I heard some of the local students at the conference complaining that Avatar had been censored, and nightclubs do not allow Qatari women. Nonetheless, the Qataris seemed to be understanding of cultural differences.” “The conference was about getting to know not just other cultures, as we did on cultural night with vibrant displays of traditional dress, food, and dance, but getting to know other people,” said Sarah, who took her guitar to perform on cultural night. “I made friends from Greece, Dubai, Lebanon, Qatar, England, and more. For me that was the best part — learning how similar our lives really are, even if they live on the other side of the world.”
SPEC IAL P R O J E C T
Mali Pen Pals ms. mahaney’s second grade class makes friends with malian students A visit to the Lower School by alumna Anna Ninan earlier this year sparked Heather Mahaney to establish a pen pal system in her classroom with students in Mali. Anna spoke about her experience with youth mobilization and her new position as USA Executive Director of the Mali Health Organizing Project. She told the students about the conditions in Mali, one of the 25 poorest countries in the world, according to CIA-The World Factbook. Heather’s class wrote a letter to the Malian students asking about their favorite foods, what they like to do for fun, when were they born, etc. Her class wrote about Pace and their lives here in America. They received back from their pen pals a handwritten letter in French, Mali’s official language, as well as small pieces of paper with the answers to the questions that were asked.
On these small pieces of paper, the children drew pictures to illustrate their answers. Liz Rogers, the Spanish teacher in the LS who is also fluent in French, translated and typed the letter so that the students could understand. Some responses were lost in translation, but others came in loud and clear. The Pace students learned that some of the classrooms at the Malian school had dirt floors and their class was made up of three grades consisting of students ages 10 through 12. They learned that one of the students liked soccer, two liked chicken and one’s favorite animal was a lion. Heather received enthusiastic responses from her students. When the traveling map of Africa came to the Lower School (see next page for feature), her students were excited to see where their new friends live. Heather anticipates that her class will continue corresponding with their new friends. KnightTimes | Spring 2010
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As part of the Lower School Fine Arts Week, Pace hosted a 35-foot map of Africa for two weeks to teach Lower School students the massiveness of the continent and the world.
On Top of the
World
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A
giant map of Africa filled up the entire Boyd Gym lobby floor Feb. 23-April 2. As sock-clad students danced around the Sarengeti and dipped their toes in the Nile, they were oblivious to the education they were getting.
As part of Fine Arts Week the Lower School focuses on a new continent each year. This year the map coincided with the theme of the week: a focus on Africa. Tricia Anderson, Pace’s global education director, saw the map on National Geographic’s website and decided it would be perfect for our students. “It looked like a great opportunity for students to learn by using their hands — and feet,” said Tricia. “It is good for them to have a visual experience to supplement their curriculum in the classroom.” According to National Geographic’s website, the map, produced by National Geographic Live, tours the country’s schools educating 200,000 students each year. The maps and accompanying activities incorporate physical movement and games to teach students place names, physical geography and cultural geography as well as map-reading skills. Lower School teachers say that the experience is priceless for the students. To see the size and scale of the planet’s largest continent first-hand is a learning experience that can’t be duplicated in a regular classroom. “We had a unit on Africa back in September,” said Pre-first teacher Patti Alexander. “I took my class over in two groups to visit the map — 10 at a time — and we reviewed what we had learned months ago. We used the map to locate individual countries, I gave the name of a country and had them locate it by standing on it. I asked them to find the longest river. We worked on ordinal directions, and we all sat at the top of the map and related that to the North Pole and the globe. I had them go to the north, south, east and west as I called out the direction. It was a good lesson and gave us a chance to move around while learning!” Deb Cook’s first grade class was able to measure Africa using the length of their
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Right, Deb Cook’s first grade visits the map.
bodies and a little simple math. Deb directed her students to stand on a body of water and tell her something they learned about that particular sea, lake, river or ocean. Jo Novy’s fourth graders also enjoyed and recalled their studies of bodies of water during their visit to the map. The older students in Rebecca Rhodes’ fifth grade class used the map to understand the larger concepts like scale and typography. Her students were in the middle of a science unit on map typography when the map arrived. They were mostly examining maps of the United States at the time for landforms like the Grand Canyon and Death Valley and comparing the different landscapes. Rebecca thinks the map was exciting for her students because it coincided with the curriculum in her classroom. We played a Simon Says game to figure out where things were,” said Rebecca. “I liked the game of Simon Says,” said fourth grader Josh Simons. “Ms. Rhodes would tell us to go to a country, and we would run and jump on that country.” As an additional learning experience, Rebecca’s sister had recently spent four months in Africa and spoke to the Lower
It’s all about Africa for LS Fine Arts Week
“It is good for them to have a visual experience to supplement their curriculum in the classroom.” —Tricia Anderson
School about teaching orphans whose parents had died of AIDS. Like Deb Cook’s first graders, the fifth graders in Ms. Rhodes class measured Africa with their bodies. Using the scale and key on the map, they figured out that the United States, Europe and China will all fit into Africa and that the U.S. alone could fit several times. They also found how many miles long the
continent was using the legend and that Africa is as wide as it is long. When it comes to scale, “the abstract concept of how big [Africa] is becomes more concrete with the use of the map and the measuring,” said Rebecca. Anna Valerius, Head of the Lower School, added that at this age in their learning it is so important for comprehension that concepts be as concrete as possible.
Below, Jo Novy quizzing her students on things they learned in class.
Lower School music teacher Vonda Vrieland and art teacher Silke Cliatt raised student excitement levels about Africa with art and music. Pre-first and first grade students experienced Africa through listening and moving with African music and ìCall and Responseî songs and learned how to say hello and count to 10 in Swahili. All students in the second through fifth grades viewed a video of an African artist carving a crocodile mask, learning the importance of tradition and skills handed down from father to son. After talking about how African masks represent the spirit of a person or an animal, third graders then designed and created a mask for an artist with focus on symmetry. They watched a video of Ms. Vrieland’s trip to Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana and learned songs from a village in Zambia. The second graders watched an African storyteller and created a fold-and-dye practice square based on the storyteller’s wrappers (clothing) with a stamp the students designed for the border. They also sang and moved to regional African songs. Based on Nigerian metal artists, fourth graders designed a simple animal, hammering a square copper background with a texture and rubbing the image from behind to stretch it into low relief. They also watched a video of Ms. Vrieland’s trip to Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana and learned songs from a village in Zambia. Fifth graders designed a wooden marker from a paint stirrer to honor an artistic ancestor. They, along with fourth graders, learned several African songs and performed an African rhythmic piece using the mbira/ karimba (thumb piano), Djembe (drum), slitlog and African shakers.
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Where are they now? Recognition and News Joel Nichols ’90 has formed the Walsh
& Nichols Wealth Management Group at UBS. Working with his colleagues, he will be specializing in the needs of high net worth individuals and institutions working out of the Jacksonville office. Anna Skiles Muir ’94 is married to Price Muir. They live in Atlanta and have three children – Wil, 4; Mary Skiles, 2; and Dixon, 10 months. Anna is currently a director with Stella and Dot in Atlanta – www.stelladot.com/ annamuir. Josh Belinfante ’95, former executive counsel to Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, has joined RobbinsLaw LLC, where he will focus on litigation, health care regulation, appellate and administrative law. As Perdue’s counsel since January 2007, Belinfante drafted laws on health care, eminent domain and civil practice. He played a key role in the Georgia Certificate of Need legislation, which regulates health care facilities and services, and Georgia Medicaid policies and regulation. Belinfante holds a law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from the
University of Pennsylvania. He is a resident of Sandy Springs. Steve Mickle ’96 and Brannon Cook ’96 were groomsmen in the 2007 wedding of Haynes Roberts ’96 on the Sewanee campus in Tennessee. Haynes married Megan Greene from Greenville, S.C., whom he met while an undergrad at Sewanee. In 2009 Haynes completed his M.B.A. at the University of Georgia, and this summer landed back in Atlanta as a high-net-worth advisor with Credit Suisse. Steve, an associate with Barclays Global Investors, has been in San Francisco for nine years enjoying a colorful career on the frontlines of the Internet bubble, mortgage crisis and banking collapse. Brannon has been in New York City for nine years and last year left JPMorgan to become a principal with investment manager Jennison Associates. David Hanson ’96 was recently featured in the Ledger-Enquirer in an article titled “Atlanta native David Hanson paddles canoe along Chattahoochee River.” The article outlines David’s three-month canoe trip on the Chattahoochee. David currently lives in Seattle, Wash., where he freelances and teaches art for
Alumnus pens first novel Chad Ralston ’04 just published his first novel on Amazon’s Kindle electronic reader. The work is loosely based on his experiences on a trading floor at JP Morgan in New York during the summer of 2007. Chad wrote the novel spring semester of his senior year at UGA, having been inspired not only by the hectic atmosphere of the trading floor but also the glitz and glamor of New York City and a rather intense roommate he had. Set in the legendary world of Wall Street during the days leading up to the current financial turmoil, “Portman, The Great Exchange Artist” is the story of the volatile and ultimately fragile friendship that develops between the brash Richard Portman and the story’s shy narrator, Clark Knowles, as they vie for the attention of the beautiful Lara Spellman and for lucrative stock-trading jobs. “I think the whole experience was a real eye-opener for me. I had never been to New York before the summer I worked there, other than for my interview,” Chad said. “Because of that, a strong sense of place, as well as the culture divide between the North and the South, really inform the book.” Chad is working on his law degree at Emory University School of Law and hopes to earn his Juris Doctor in 2011. Chad with Nicole Van Leuvan ’04 who majored in Industrial Engineering at Georgia Tech and Jason Tanenbaum ’04 who studied Finance and Chinese at Tulane then worked in China for six months have formed a jewelry company. In September, the trio created Tiana Pearl Co. with Nicole as jewelry designer. “In the past four months our company has really taken off,” Chad said. www.tianapearl.com.
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Arts Corps. The article can be found online at www.ledger-enquirer.com. Elizabeth Jablonski-Diehl Newcamp
’00 and her husband Jeffrey finally got a chance to take their honeymoon in August just before their one-year anniversary (Jeffrey is in the military and assignments kept them from being able to travel together.) They took a month to explore Australia, including
snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef, getting a bit too close to a reef shark and climbing on top of the Sydney Harbor Bridge for an unbelievable view of the city. Upon return at the end of August, Elizabeth was promoted from the NASA public affairs office to the NASA Innovative Partnership Program where she works with new technologies related to the NASA mission. In September the Space Shuttle Discovery landed at Edwards Air Force Base due to bad weather in Florida. Elizabeth had the opportunity to view the shuttle up close. She was also admitted to the Georgia Bar and was sworn into the Georgia Supreme Court, Georgia Court of Appeals and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. Will Tyler ’01 recently moved from Memphis, Tenn., back to hometown Atlanta where he’s managing commercial real estate with Colliers Spectrum Cauble. Laura Coker ’04 is an Executive Team Leader for Target. She was recently promoted to Assistant Manager in charge of the bakery, deli, Starbucks, Food Avenue, meat, produce and dry/ dairy/frozen departments at the Super Target in Woodstock, G.A. She is assigned to Target’s Northeast Atlanta District and has worked at Target stores in Acworth, Alpharetta and Roswell. Megan Knott ’04 graduated from
A L U M NI < Carrie Patterson ‘06 has been picked up by the Atlanta Beat during the Jan. 15 professional draft. Carrie led the Pace soccer team as captain her senior year and still holds three school records. She went on to star at the University of Georgia where she set numerous scoring records for UGA during her college career. Carrie was honored by the SEC for her outstanding play and has been the most decorated player from both Pace Academy and the University of Georgia. Her AllSEC first team selection makes her just the fourth soccer player ever to earn first team honors in four seasons.
Births
Lee Perry Casey ’95 and her husband Greg welcomed a girl, Jacqueline Downing Casey, on June 2, 2009. She joins big sister Charlotte who turned 2 in July. The Caseys are living in Annapolis, Maryland. Dana Feinstein Friedman ’97 and her husband, Craig, welcomed a girl, Savannah May, on May 21, 2009. The family lives in Manhattan. <
University of Georgia in May 2008 with a degree in environmental science, majoring in environmental economics and management and a minor in environmental law. Upon graduating from UGA, she completed a four-month internship with an Atlanta-based environmental consulting firm, ERS Global as an asssistant project manager. She then moved to Delray Beach, Fla., and is currently working on a masters in environmental science with a concentration in marine tropical ecology. Lauren Marx ’05 graduated Summa Cum Laude from Duke University in May with a B.S. in psychology. She graduated with distinction and was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Society. She is currently a research coordinator in a psychiatry lab at Emory University.
<
Maggie Knox Wallace ’97 and her husband Michael had a baby boy, Michael Traynham Wallace, Jr., on June 9, 2009. Ellen McCauley Emery ’02 and her husband Patrick, welcomed a girl, Isla Margaret, on July 31. The family lives in Pittsburgh, Penn. Molly Haining Scott ’93 and her husband had a daughter, Julia Catherine, on Oct. 18, 2009. Lila McAlpin Retnasaba ’98 and her
<
Denise Rivkin Sauer ’88 and her husband Carlos Sauer, welcomed a boy, Jai Zander Sauer, on Sept. 9, 2009. Gretchen Dale Richey ’95 and her husband, Shane, welcomed a girl, Dallas Layne Richey, on Aug. 30, 2009. The family lives in South Bend, Ind., where Gretchen is a veterinary pharmaceutical sales representative.
Pace alumni debater coaches team to place After three days of competition at the 2010 36th Annual High School Harvard Invitational Debate Tournament, the freshmen team of Jordan Epstein and Brian Klarman placed 3rd in the junior varsity division of policy debate. Former Pace championship debater Jennifer Armstrong ‘09, who is a Dartmouth freshman, coached the young Pace team on the Ivy League campus in Boston, Feb. 13-15. More than 40 schools were represented in the Junior Varsity division of policy debate with 87 teams participating in the rounds. Making it all the way to the semi-finals, the Pace team was undefeated with a record of 6-0. After a very close round and almost an hour, the judges handed down a 2-1 decision in favor of the team that went on to take first place. In addition, Jordan was ranked as the 19th speaker and Brian as the 20th speaker (on tie breaks) among the 166 ranked students from participating schools.
husband Gajan welcomed a girl, Radha Rose on November 12, 2009. The family currently live in Dallas, Texas. Chanler Hudson Krupa ’97 and her husband, Ander welcomed a boy, Harrison Canfield Krupa on September 4, 2009. He joins big brother, Marshall, who is 2. < Laurie Flatt Mobley ’89 and her husband Jim welcomed James Lewis Mobley on Sept. 18. James was 6 lbs. and 14 oz. and 19. 5 inches. James joins big brother Jack. James’s aunt is Kate Mobley ’98 and his uncle is Kirk Mobley ’08.
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Seeing the world David `96 and Michael Hanson `99 speed down Mexico’s Highway 19 toward Cabo San Lucas. Their white VW rental is caked in dust, packed with camera equipment and worn duffle bags. The Pacific sparkles through the windshield, and purified water in gallon milk jugs sloshes in the back seat beside a bag of sweaty tortillas. The brothers discuss the launch of their joint Web site, UpstreamProject.com, a multimedia storytelling site that will showcase their work and feature content submitted by other writers, photographers and videographers. They bat around questions: What type of interactive features should the site include? Who will edit submissions? What about sponsors and advertisers? David, Seattle editor at-large for Coastal Living magazine and a freelance travel writer, and Michael, an award-winning documentary photographer, are headed back to their home base of Seattle after a weeklong road trip and photo shoot through Baja California Sur, Mexico, for Coastal Living. The story? How to experience Baja sans the tourist traps and resorts of Cabo, one of Mexico’s most popular travel destinations. Their assignment included stays at a quiet fishing lodge on the Sea of Cortez; a bungalow in the secluded seaside town of Cabo Pulmo; and a boutique ranch hotel, just opened for business. They leapt from the top of a mountain waterfall, floated in hot springs, surfed and snorkeled, consumed many a fish taco, watched whales surface and spout in Baja’s aqua waters, and navigated miles of rocky dirt roads – camera and pen in hand. The former Pace baseball standouts and selfproclaimed “dirt bags” have made a living jetting off on similar assignments several times a year, exploring far-flung locales and documenting their travels for U.S.-based publications and their personal Web sites and blogs. David’s career in journalism began soon
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after he graduated from Washington and Lee University. He landed an internship at Southern Progress, a Birmingham-based publisher of lifestyle magazines such as Southern Living, Cooking Light and Coastal Living. But the travel bug bit, and David headed west, where he taught outdoor education for Washingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Olympic Park Institute and the Yosemite National Institutes in California. A job at Cottage Living, a Southern Progress publication, brought him back to Birmingham in 2004. He served as editor of the Travel and Features sections, exploring seaside spots around North America in search of beautiful beaches, hole-in-the-wall eateries and local flavor. David now calls Seattle home and, in addition to his gig at Coastal Living, is a frequent contributor to publications like National Geographic Adventure, Gun & Garden Magazine and Preservation Magazine. And he often
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takes off on adventures of his own making. He spent the latter part of 2009 paddling his canoe, Morpheus, more than 500 miles on the Chattahoochee River, photographing and interacting with the people, landscape and communities he encountered along the way. After a successful baseball career at Washington and Lee, Michael played two years for the Atlanta Braves minor league organization. Photography had always been a hobby, but a series of photographs he shot during a summer sleeping on buses and in chain hotels throughout the Appalachians convinced Michael to pursue a career behind the camera. For a year, he assisted a fine-art photographer in Birmingham and then struck out on his own, eventually landing in Seattle. His travel and lifestyle work for clients such as the New York Times, Budget Travel, National Geographic Adventure and Continental Airlines has taken
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him to Mexico, Costa Rica, Belize, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, British Columbia and all over the U.S. And he has tackled documentary projects investigating the changing lives of indigenous cultures in Ecuador, Guatemala, Chile, Fiji, Rwanda and Ethiopia. Michael’s series, Portraits of Ethiopia, was named Portraiture Winner in American Photo’s 2009 Images of the Year contest, and 10 photographs from the series now reside in the Sir Elton John Photography Collection. His stock portfolio is available through Aurora Photos and National Geographic Image Collection. At the core of the Hanson brothers’ work is a shared desire to tell stories, to educate others about their art and to encourage exploration. During their time in Birmingham, the brothers conducted bi-weekly photography workshops for middle school students, and David recently completed a year as a teaching artist for Arts Corps, a Seattle-based non-profit. Both have
led photography courses abroad for National Geographic Student Expeditions. Their next trip is a seven-week trek through Chile and Bolivia – part business, part pleasure. They’ll shoot for Coastal Living in Chile and explore the inner workings of coco production in Bolivia. And then? “The fun and beauty of our current state of affairs is the freedom to scheme up ideas – a book, a new media Web site, a sabbatical in Baja, another expedition,” says David. “That’s the best part about our jobs: You never know what’s next.” David chronicles his adventures on his Web site, DavidHanson3.com, and you can view Michael’s work at MichaelHansonPhotography. com. Their joint Web site, UpstreamProject.com, will launch later this year. —written by Caitlin Goodrich, ’00
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Q&A
With Alumni Association President Randy Marcrum (Class of 1980) How would you describe the Alumni Association and the Alumni Board?
CALLING ALL GOLFERS —
You’re Invited The 19th Annual Knights Cup Golf Classic The Echelon Golf Club A Rees Jones Design 201 Traditions Dr. Alpharetta, GA 30004 Monday, April 26, 2010 8:30 a.m. registration 10:30 a.m. shotgun start $125 per person prior to April 1 $175 per person after April 1 $100 per person for graduates of Pace Academy Classes of 2000-2009 (Includes green fees, cart fees, food and beverages) Hosted by the Pace Academy Alumni Association and principally benefiting Pace Faculty Enrichment
The Alumni Association has more than 2,600 members and is open to graduates and students who transferred from Pace in good standing. The Association is governed by the Alumni Board, which is responsible for the planning of events, maintaining and reestablishing relationships with alumni and setting priorities and policies that engage Pace alumni. Membership on the Alumni Board is decided by the Board, and persons interested in serving should contact the alumni office. How has the Alumni Association changed over the past 20 years?
The most noticeable change is the Association’s demographics — we are much larger and more diverse than 20 years ago. Alumni are located all over the world and vary in age from 18 to 63. Also, we are more active throughout Pace as teachers, parents, trustees and administrators. I think this increased involvement enriches everyone in the Pace community and keeps the association close to the pulse of the school. How has the Board adapted to these changes?
In the past our events were mostly social and were developed for the entire association. We have shifted our focus to develop a range of programs and activities which are of interest to specific segments of alumni such as college and grad students, career oriented alumni, parents and empty nesters. The Internship Program for young alumni and the recent mayoral forum are two examples of this shift. Also, the Board and the Alumni office used to spend a lot of time and energy connecting alumni. With the introduction of new technology and social networks, that need is not as great since alumni can pretty easily connect to the Pace Community on their own. Instead, we focus on creating and managing activities which compel alumni to connect with classmates, teachers and coaches and we create and maintain Pace alumni groups on various social networks to facilitate alumni networking. Finally, we are working with alumni in key locations outside of Atlanta, like D.C., the New York/New Jersey/Connecticut area and Los Angeles - to establish local chapters to better serve alumni in those regions, where in the past we were pretty Atlanta-centric. What challenges does the Board face?
*Complimentary entry fees for former and current faculty *Subject to availability.
Since we are comprised of volunteers, and people have multiple commitments, we have to strike a balance of developing the right type and numbers of programs which can reasonably be accomplished each year. I think the easiest part is coming up with interesting concepts — the difficulty is choosing the best programs and effectively executing on the plan. Another big challenge is maintaining accurate information on alumni so we can communicate and target information on association and school activities which are of interest to members. Why should alumni consider getting involved with the Association?
For sponsorship information, contact Charley Brickley at charles.brickley@gmail.com or 404-819-5499.
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I think the answer is different for everyone. For me, the association provides a great way to spend time with old and new friends and teachers doing the things I enjoy, such as playing golf at the annual tournament, participating in the mayoral forum, celebrating events like the basketball court dedication for Bob Chambers and discussing politics with Helen Smith over lunch. It also gives me the opportunity to assist students and teachers on issues which are important to them, from service learning projects to the Model U.N. Many alumni realize that the direction and trajectory of their lives can be directly linked to the education and experience they enjoyed at Pace. Participating in the Alumni Association provides alumni an opportunity to continue to help the school that served them so well. And when you
A L U M NI
Inman Center Court dedicated to Robert Chambers graduate from Pace, it is not something that you leave behind. Many of our members feel an intrinsic tie to the school that brings them back again and again. How can alumni help the Association?
There are many ways alumni can assist, and have fun in the process, by volunteering a few hours of their time and allowing the association to leverage their experience. You can be a part of our speakers bureau, available to share your insights on topics of interest to the Pace community, facilitate inclusion of your company’s internship program with ours, assist in organizing events such as the golf tournament or class reunion, or host a faculty lunch. The key is to provide the association with your contact details and areas of interest so we can match alumni with the appropriate activity.
More than 220 alumni, parents of alumni, former faculty and staff and current faculty attended the February dinner and dedication hosted by 30 Pace alumni for Chambers who served Pace from 1964 through 1983 as assistant headmaster, principal of the Upper School, activities director, coach of several sports, and teacher. The event generated more than $13,000 which included a $5,000 gift from the Pace Alumni Association to support the J. Robert Chambers Faculty Development Fund.
What does the Association have planned for 2010?
We have some old favorites planned along with some exciting new programs. Knights Cup - The 19th Annual Golf Classic, which is open to the entire Pace community will be April 26. It’s a great course and a good day of fun and most importantly proceeds benefit the J. Robert Chambers Teacher Development Fund and support other alumni initiatives. Reunion Weekend – Big news here. In response to feedback from alumni, we are moving the event to the fall to coincide with Homecoming weekend and are planning other changes. More details to follow this spring. Internship Program – We will provide summer internship opportunities for young alumni and Pace juniors and seniors through this program. Speakers Bureau – This platform will provide qualified alumni speakers to the Pace community on topics of experience and interest. If you would like more information on any of these programs please contact alumni@ paceacademy.org.
Pace Alumni Association
By the Numbers 2,600+ 34 alumni
average age
9
number of students in first graduating class, 1964
< 3%
over the age of 55
Ways to connect
Alumni Trivia
Facebook (‘Pace Academy Alumni Association’)
How many current students are children of alumni?
Linkedin (‘Pace Academy Alumni’)
‘KnightNet’ to login
A. 20-30 B. 60-70 C. 90-100 D. 110+
Answer D, 110+
knightnet – go to www.pacealumni.org, click on
From top, Bob Chambers with former basketball players; John Inman '83, Billy Harper ‘83, Leigh Draughon Walsh ‘81, Charles Wellborn ‘83, May May Bentley Lellyett ‘81, Louise Burress; Mrs. Betty Inman, Hiram Griffies KnightTimes | Spring 2010
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FOR A G O O D CAUS E
Pace reaches out to victims
Helping Haiti
Above: On Jan. 28, a girl stands near rubble and debris on a street heavily damaged by the earthquake, in the commercial centre of Port-au-Prince, the capital. She has been displaced by the quake and spent the night sleeping on the sidewalk, but was awakened by looters who were breaking windows and setting the building next door on fire.
$11,000
Read-A-Thon in the Lower School
30
KnightTimes | Spring 2010
$8,250 Student-run garage sale
The catastrophic 7.0 earthquake that hit the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere on Jan. 12 only lasted about 35 seconds — enough to leave the many already hungry Haitians homeless, more than 110,000 dead and hundreds of thousands of children orphaned, according to CNN. In response, the Pace community stepped up to the plate and started raising money and reaching out.
COURTESY OF UNICEF-© UNICEF/NYHQ2010-0131/LeMoyne
US Chorus The Upper School Chorus collected $440, and then an additional $415 through ticket sales for “A Musical Valentine” to support Orphelinat Marie Reine des Coeurs, an orphanage in Haiti. Pace Alumni NICK JEFFERS Within a few hours of the earthquake, Hurlburt Field began making arrangements to send a team of special-forces operators to Haiti. Nick Jeffers ’00 was chosen as the mission commander, and his team was the first U.S. military team on the ground in Haiti. Their objective was to provide air traffic control at the airport and coordinate incoming flights of humanitarian aid. The air traffic control tower had been destroyed, but the only runway was fine. At one point, that runway was the busiest runway in the world. In addition to air traffic control, their mission included rescue operations and distribution of humanitarian aid. Nick participated in the 30-hour rescue of a Haitian woman at a collapsed school building, and distributed food to earthquake victims.
$2,923 Upper School competition
He was there for a total of two weeks before returning safely home. ms student Geoff
Judy Body’s second grade class
Guillaume
After the earthquake, eighth grader Geoff Guillaume and his mother flew to Haiti on a friend’s plane. Upon arrival, their hostess took them on a tour. “We visited the market where people sat in the shade of a building and makeshift tents and sold vegetables and meats,” said Geoff. We saw the weekly boat in which about 3,000 people stand for about 12 hours to get from Port-au-Prince to Jeremie, where we stayed.” For three days Geoff and his mother delivered food and medical supplies. “We drove about an hour on rock paths to a remote mountain village. At the village, we gave out weekly food rations, which consisted of: a bag of rice, a few boxes of pasta, a jug of oil and a can of red beans.” HELPING HANDS FOR HAITI Organized by second grade teacher Judy Body, the LS collected some $11,000 to donate to UNICEF’s Haitian relief efforts. The money was earned by the children’s projects such as a second grade Read-A-Thon where more than $3,000 was raised. orphan sponsorship Ninth grader Caroline Courtney encouraged classes in the MS and US to provide assistance to orphans in Haiti. Trish
$1,000 MS bake sale
Anderson’s ninth grade ancient history class was the first on board and worked together to provide help to two children. FRESHMAN RAISE MONEY AT GARAGE SALE Ninth graders Sam Schaffer and Max Barab, with donations from more than 50 families, held a garage sale on Feb. 27-28 at the Barab home and raised $8,250 for Hope for Haiti Now, a global telethon that gives 100% of funds to relief. PODS donated a PODS container, which along with Max’s garage and the first floor of his house, was full of donations for the sale. The students were featured in the Atlanta INtown, Neighbor News, Reporter News, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and on 11 Alive News. class competition The Upper School classes competed against each other to raise money for Orphelinat Marie Reine des Coeurs. They collected a total of $2923, with Spanish teacher Laura AgrontHobbs’ class winning with $843, followed by the freshman with $541. MS BAKE SALE The middle school had a bake sale on campus and raised $1,000.
$855
Chorus concert
KnightTimes | Spring 2010
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Together we raised $608,250 for financial aid for Pace.
THANK YOU FOR REDIRECTING YOUR
TAXES
These funds allow Pace greater flexibility in responding to financial needs and support the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s efforts to provide a Pace experience to any public school student who qualifies for admission. Contact the Pace Advancement office when planning for your 2010 taxes 404-240-9106.