PRI RITIES A Magazine of Priory School • Issue
#45
January 2010
FOOTBALL! Comes to the Priory
Woodside Priory School Celebrating 52 Years of Benedictine Education In This Issue Fall at a Glance. Pages 4-7 Football comes to the Priory. Pages 8-9 Fall at a Glance - pgs 4-7
I left my heart in... Africa. Page 10 Reunion Weekend. Pages 12-16 Class Notes. Pages 17-19 12 Time Zones Away — Afghanistan. Page 21 A Passion for Writing — Sue Koppett. Page 22
Football - pgs 8-9
Organic Chemistry New to the Priory. Page 23 Father Pius at 80. Page 24-25 Mandarin Chinese Now Offered. Page 26 Ahoy Matey! 2010 Auction Info! Page 27
Africa - pg 10
Board of Directors Abbott Matthew Leavy, OSB Father Mark Cooper, OSB Brother Edward Englund, OSB Father Martin Mager, OSB Father William Sullivan, OSB Board of Trustees Janet Brownstone Peter Campagna Lisa Carlos Monica Corman Hugh Cornish Wayne Davison Kathy Feldman Chris Galli ‘84 Hilary Giles George Hohnsbeen Father Eric Hollas, OSB David Jim ‘74 Peter Kasenchak Indu Khanna Rick Magnuson Bud McElroy ‘83 Cecilia Montalvo Tom Moran Jami Nachtsheim Father Maurus Nemeth, OSB Dale Pfau Hank Plain Patti Plummer Ray Rothrock Kari Rust Ken Tehaney ‘66 Paul Titterton ‘82 Dan Turner Lisa Wan Mark Wilson Andrea Zulberti Priorities magazine is published in March/ April, June/July, and November/December by Woodside Priory School for its alumni, parents, students, neighbors and friends. Contact the Communications Office at 650-851-6193 or the school at 650-851-8221.
Afghanistan - pg 21
Editor: Sean Mclain Brown Design/Production: Jim Kirkland, Copperline Multimedia Photos: Sean Mclain Brown, Father Martin, Jim Kirkland, Priory Parents Printing: Communications on the Mark, Mark W. Allen
Father Pius at 80 - pgs 24-25
On the cover: Fans cheer their team to victory at Priory’s first home eight-man football game against Cornerstone Christian.
Chapel Services Masses at 7:15 a.m. Monday-Saturday 9:30 a.m. Sunday 11:00 a.m. Sunday Hungarian service 8 p.m. third Friday (Taize) ecumenical service All are welcome.
Dear Priory Community,
M
erry Christmas and Happy New Year to one and all! It’s 2010 – unbelievably we are 10 years into the 21st century and over 50 years from the founding of the Priory. The past 50 years, and more importantly the past 10, have witnessed a growth and evolution like no other time in our history. We have seen robust enrollment growth, completion of expanded educational facilities, and enhancement of our curriculum and programs, all of which combine to serve our students better. Patrick Bassett, President of the National Association of Independent Schools, in the recent article When Parents and Schools Align (www. nais.org) listed the top things parents should consider when selecting a school; some of Basset’s considerations included: Mission-Driven, Small Size and Low Student-Teacher Ratio, High Quality and Committed Teachers, and Healthy Culture and Climate. The Priory, with its Benedictine tradition as its foundation, provides all of these qualities to our current students and to the many more who are looking and applying for admission each year. Our Mission and Vision have been to provide the best learning environment which includes a “balance in daily living” learned from The Rule of Saint Benedict and the proclamation that we “listen … with the ear of our heart” to those we teach. These two concepts are our cornerstones in helping students achieve a balanced view when dealing with the demands of today. We believe that all aspects of growing up – emotionally, physically, intellectually and spiritually – need to be nurtured in a “community where they are known and loved”. The Priory is one of those “best schools” whose vision and future are soundly rooted in Benedictine values and wisdom. During the next few weeks we begin the season of Advent. Sister Joan Chittister, a Benedictine Sister
From the Head of School who writes a spiritual newsletter called Vision and Viewpoint, tells us that “Advent is about learning to wait. It is about not needing to know exactly what is coming tomorrow, but understanding that whatever it is, it is of the essence of sanctification for us. Every piece of it, some hard, some uplifting, is a sign of the work of God alive in us.” In our Tuesday Chapel, we ask our students to reflect on what actions they can take to make themselves better people and members of our community during Advent. The magic of this time of year only occurs when we become introspective and let our lights shine for others. We also begin our annual food drive to help those in need in the local community. It brings a smile to my face to see students bringing in canned food to fill up the many barrels we place in Benedictine Square, or the monetary donations they make, both big and small, so other families may have a happier holiday season. During the Thanksgiving break, I had the opportunity one sunny morning to walk around the campus, and I ended up on top of the hill above the Monastery and the Briggs Science Center. As always, I was absolutely stunned at how beautiful our little piece of paradise is and how fortunate we are to have this piece of property. In his book Beginnings, Father Egon mentions that it was only by a bit of luck that he found the Gilson ranch. The property wasn’t listed; one of his friends called to tell him that the Gilson Ranch was for sale. Father believed strongly in the role Divine Providence played in his journey to California and more specifically to Portola Valley. It seems once again God smiled on our group of monks and found a home that would inspire many generations to call the Priory their own. I wish you a blessed Christmas and New Year. Keep the monks in your prayers as they do you in theirs and may the New Year bring you and your family good health and prosperity. Sincerely,
Tim Molak, Head of School
“Our Mission and Vision have been to provide the best learning environment which includes a “balance in daily living” learned from The Rule of Saint Benedict and the proclamation that we ‘listen … with the ear of our heart” to those we teach. “
“In his book Beginnings, Father Egon mentions that it was only by a bit of luck that he found the Gilson ranch. The property wasn’t listed; one of his friends called to tell him that the Gilson Ranch was for sale.”
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Fall
Spirit Week ‘09 was a blast. Students rallied to show their true Priory Pride!
The Stanford Blood Bank was on campus for a mobile blood drive. Donors may give blood at community blood drives. To find out about drives in your area, call 650-723-7819.
A fun and delicious food-filled day was had by all at the annual Family Picnic and BBQ
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at a Glance Cast from the recent spectacular performance of Alice in Wonderland. Left: (L-R) Rebecca Whitman, Eleanor Oates, Audrey Weber and Anna Gillis. Top Right: (L-R) Cary Hampton, Audrey Weber, and Maia Thielen Priory student leaders enjoy good times at the Formation retreat where they strengthened leadership skills and their relationship to the community.
Korinn Myers, the Priory’s new Head Athletic Trainer, demonstrates proper stretching techniques to her students.
Students perform Dia de los Muertos traditional ritual dances and skits to honor the dead.
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Fall at a Glance The High School Choir and Chamber Singers performed at the annual holiday Christmas Fair at Filoli Gardens to a packed crowd.
Students perform at the annual Cookies and Classics. Top Right: Ted Tseng on violin. Right: Anthony Shu on piano. Far Right: Daniel Giovanni on cello.
Sue Porter with Academic Dean Brian Schlaak. Sue Porter, author of “Relating to Adolescents: Educators in a Teenage World” (Rowman and Littlefield) gave a workshop to teachers and faculty on how to better relate and understand to adolescents.
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Costumed students, faculty and staff having fun during Halloween. Above: L-R: San Wolf and Will Alvarez are the ghosts Blinky and Pinky, respectively, from Pacman. Top Right: Counselor Matt McWright puts on his best goat face. Right: Colin Schreiner and Devon Errington are Where’s Waldo.
Connor Young kicks for the Middle School Flag Football team.
The waterpolo team enjoyed a competetive season.
All-League Athletic Awards Football – Honorable Mention: Alex Vilchez • 2nd team: Ray Ross, Jeff Souders, Conor Mather, Clayton Cadwell • 1st team: Matt Schwab, Wyatt Farino Water Polo – Honorable Mention: Eric Turnquist, John Jernick • 2nd team All PAL (Pacific Athletic League): Michael Wan
Rocky Chan and Daniel Hoffman at the CCS 2009 Golf Tournament. Rocky Chan placed 32nd in the tournament.
Tennis – Honorable Mention: Lani Wenger, Kimberly Carlisle • MVP Ali Goodyear Volleyball – Honorable Mention: Caroline Pillsbury, Alix Franklin, 2nd team: Jocie Schreiner • MVP: Marie Trudelle Cross Country – BOYS 2nd team: Arnaud Kpachavi GIRLS Honorable Mention: Devon Errington, Lizzie Draeger, Maddie Pierson • 2nd team Jennie Christiansen • 1st team: Lauren Allen, Kat Gregory (CCS Champion!) Priory tennis team with coach Celso.
GIRLS Cross Country League champions! CCS champions! Right to left: Morgan Mather, Devon Errington, Lizzie Draeger, Kat Gregory, Maddie Pierson, Lauren Allen and Jennie Christiansen.
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FOOTBALL Comes to the Priory
2009 Roster
#2 Jake Seawick
RB/WR/DB
#3 Ray Ross
QB/DB
F
#4 Ricky Dolezalek WR/RB/DB #5 Andy Dolezalek WR/DB # 11 David Nimer TE/WR/DE # 12 David Beleson TE/DE/LB #16 Scatt Turner
WR/DB
#22 Malik Reid
RB/TE/DB
#24 Connor Mather RB/LB/DB #55 Wyatt Farino OL/DE/TE #66 Alex Vilchez
OL/DL
#71 Riley Munks
OL/DL/DE
#73 Julian French OL/DL #74 Jeff Souders
OL/DL
#75 Clayton Cadwell OL/DL #80 Kellan Draeger OL/DL #81 Brett Bader
Matt Schwab, running back and linebacker, hauls in a kick-off return.
TE/DE
#88 Matt Schwab RB/LB
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riday Night Lights has nothing on the Priory’s inaugural football season. At every home and away game blue-skinned Priory students shouted and cheered, Pax the Panther was in rare form doing a black flip or two, and parents and friends lined the sidelines and filled the stands. It is “more than just a game” and, if you ask any of the 20 Priory football players or coaches, you’ll hear this repeated in many different ways. Priory Defensive Lineman and winner of the Lineman of the Year award, Clayton Caldwell said, “We really learned a lot this season… it’s exciting to be a part of the beginning of something.” Mark Stogner, Director of Athletics, said, “It was the right time for us. We watched Crystal Springs and Pinewood to see what the response would be, and it was favorable at both schools. It was an exciting way to start the school year. “ The only difference between 8-man football and 11-man football is the smaller field (40x80) and three fewer players (lineman) on the field. According to the Eight-man Football Association, 8-man football is the fastest growing high-school sport. Currently, there are 19 states that have 8-man football leagues. “The kids worked hard. They’ve got a lot of spirit and enthusiasm and know that we’re building a solid team,“ said Doug Sargent, Head Coach The eight-man game, a Great Depression-borne twist on football that subtracts the two tackles and a skill position player, still has its largest following in its birthplace of Nebraska. Across the country, while enrollments decline in rural schools because of population shifts, the number of eight-man teams is holding steady or on the rise. Nationwide, the numbers are up 11%. Priory opened the 2009 season on August 29th at the league jamboree at Anchorpoint Christian. The league consists of Anchorpoint Christian, Cornerstone Christian, Calvary Chapel, Crystal Springs, Marina High School, Pinewood and Priory.
Right: Former 49er, Bill Ring, executes the coin-toss for the first home game against Cornerstone Christian. Left: Opposing players that line up across from Clayton Cadwell tend to look nervous. But if your task was to get past a tackle who stood 6’6” at 260 lbs, you might get a little nervous too... Below: Head Coach, Doug Sargent, is confident in the future of his team.
Above: Without a doubt Priory enjoys the best rooting section in the league; including the ever-present “Blue Meanies.”
Left: Connor Mather, breaks through the line for big yardage.
Ray Ross, quarterback for the Panthers, scrambles for a gain.
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I Left My Heart…
In Africa by Sarah Montgomery ‘09
On June 10, 2009, I stepped off a Virgin Atlantic 747 and onto the tarmac at Jomo Kenayatta International Airport in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. After nineteen hours of flying, I finally made it. Little did I know, these would be the best nine days of my life. The drive from Nairobi to the Daraja Academy took us through some of the most economically disadvantaged places in Africa. We drove through
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Kibera, the largest slum in Africa and home to more than a million people, past resettlement camps for Kenyans displaced by the political violence in 2007, finally arriving at the Daraja Academy--a magical place that provides an education to girls born into these dire situations. The girls at Daraja are from every part of Kenya: Kibera, the north near Sudan, the east near Somalia, the west near Uganda, the plains of the Rift Valley. Some girls have lost a parent through AIDS, accidents, meningitis, or birth complications and others through violence that permeates the region. A few girls have lost both parents and were left with relatives. Despite the heartbreaking situations, they are the happiest girls I have ever met. They laugh at everything, love to learn, play soccer as if they were in the World Cup, and idolize Michelle Obama.
I traveled to Daraja hoping to empower the girls, especially through soccer (football in Kenya). The girls knew how to play, some better than others, but they all played as though their life depended on it. This was the first time the girls had been coached in soccer. They are as good as they are because they put in the effort and taught themselves. Each day, we spent two hours on shooting, dribbling, and passing. The girls never wanted to leave the field. We watched a video of a women’s professional soccer game from 2001, and the moment I pressed play, the girls were off their seats, choosing teams to root for, screaming and yelling. They truly loved the game. I fell in love with the girls. It is a feeling that is hard to explain. Nine days before, I believed I would travel to Daraja, teach the girls soccer, help them with their schooling, and then travel home and continue on with my life. Leaving the girls was one of the hardest things I have had to do. It breaks my heart to see these girls working harder than I do, yet I have a seemingly better life. The morning I left, I was given four letters written by the girls. I could barely read them without breaking down. For the rest of my journey, they stayed in my pocket and traveled with me everywhere I went. In one of the letters a girl wrote, “When you feel lonely, look at the sky and know we are on the same planet.” We all have passions. And somewhere on our planet, someone else shares our passion. As the Priory taught me so well, explore and share your passion with the world because it can change someone’s life. For more information on the Daraja Academy visit www.daraja-academy.org.
From Alumni Relations
Dear Friends of the Priory: The Annual Fund is the lifeblood for all that the Priory means to its students and families. As I write this, the Annual Fund Campaign has been underway for a couple of months. Our Annual Fund Chairs (for Founders’ Club, the Parents Fund, Alumni, Alumni Parents, Grandparents and Friends) and the development staff have been working non-stop toward this year’s goal of $1.8 million. I am certain that, as you read this, we are well on our way to another successful year and will indeed reach that goal. As you are no doubt aware, in November and December we began a concerted effort to secure Annual Fund gifts and pledges before the end of the calendar year on December 31. There are two major reasons for doing so. The Board of Trustees begins the budget process for the following school year (in this case 20102011) in January. The earlier the board can estimate the fund raising for unrestricted dollars this year, the sooner they can begin to factor fund raising goals into the Priory budget for next year. In addition, it has been my experience that, as we get into the second half of the school year, all of us become more and more busy as the year moves toward the Priory Auction in May, and on to graduation in June. Securing Annual Fund gifts and pledges by the end of December leaves one less decision for us all to be concerned with during this very busy time. If, as you read this, you have not yet made your gift or pledge to the Annual Fund, please consider doing so as soon as possible (pledge payments are not due until June 30th, the end of the 2009-2010 fiscal year, but are counted toward participation and the overall goal immediately upon receipt). Once again, I extend my sincere gratitude to all members of the Priory community for your continuing generosity and support. Sincerely,
John Baldwin Director of Development
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REUNION WEEKEND Charles Ernst ’64 and Andras Csaplar ‘64
Reunion Remembrances and Musings Andrew Fesckes, ’69 Class Agent “We - the Class of 1969 - had a wonderful time finally getting back together after all those years. In addition to the 8 or 9 members who were able to attend, we had another 3 or 4 who simply could not make it for a variety of reasonably acceptable prior commitments. We have all vowed to continue the very enjoyable process of reconnecting, with each other and with our beloved Priory.”
James Lee ’69, Andras Csaplar ’64, Bobby Csaplar and Father Maurus before dinner Saturday night.
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Members of the Class of 1969: Attila Csikesz, James Lee, Andrew Fecskes, Courtney Mitchell, Tim Richards, Don Dixon, and Adam Johannes.
2009 Greg Roush, ’79 Class Agent The class reunion of 1979 was a blast and it was GREAT seeing everyone after all those years. The only one who had aged was Fr. Martin! And it may have been because of our class! The “Fun Class” had a great turnout and an awesome time at the festivities. Out of 34 graduates 15 attended; Mehrdad Azari, John Callahan, Gilbert Cecchettini, Edward Chen, Bob Collins, Peter Connolly, Tony Juri, William ‘Bill’ Kammerer, Larry Nelson, Mike O’Rourke, Chris Oswald, Greg Roush, Chris Stephens, Chris Tayler and Eric Thompson. Unable to attend due to prior commitments were Frank Chen, Jose Gutierrez, Sean Hesh, Rich Gogan, Bob Chewey and Chris Cain. My senior year at the Priory the tuition was $1,100 per year for a day student! Ed Chen gets the furthest traveled award coming from Taiwan! Bob Chewey actually went to Hawaii to get away from us! Friday night, we had a great class dinner hosted by Chris and Alega Oswald at their beautiful home in Redwood City. Saturday afternoon, we had a lunch reunion at the Alpine Beer Garden. A great time was had by all. Not to mention a great warm up for the “official” reunion that evening.
The new construction at the Priory is absolutely amazing. The performing arts facility is world class! However, it is hard not to think about all of those great tennis games played with Fr. Christopher, Fr. Benedict and Pierce Lahey where the new stage stands today! One thing that struck me with all the new buildings and landscaping is that most of our old “hiding” places are no longer there! However, the campus looks great. We witnessed history by seeing the first Priory football team going to its first football game. Go Panthers! The class of 1979 did not have Facebook, texting, or e-mail. Most of us had lost touch. It was so great to reconnect! In fact, we had so much fun at the reunion, we scheduled a dinner in the City in December. It was great seeing all who attended the reunion. I did not realize then, as I do today, what a great group I graduated with. My grandfather, who lived through the Depression used to say, “An education is one thing that they cannot take away from you.” I did not appreciate the quality of the education that I received until I had my own children. My Priory education was Renaissance in flavor but grounded in practicality.
Bill Kammerer ’79, Michael O’Rourke ’79, and Edward Chen ’79 catch up at their 30th reunion.
Greg Roush ’79, Chris Stephens ’79, Bill Kammerer ’79, and Father Maurus enjoy the reunion reception on Saturday night.
“Most of us had lost touch. It was so great to reconnect!” Greg Roush, ‘79 Class Agent
Members of the Class of 1979: John Callahan, Larry Nelson, Robert Collins, Eric Thomson, Bill Kammerer, Greg Roush, Chris Stephens, Michael O’Rourke, Mike Azari, Chris Tayler, Tony Juri and Edward Chen.
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Bob Kamangar reminisces on old times while he looks through the 1984 yearbook.
REUNION WEEKEND continued Kevin Yost, ’99 Class Agent “The class of ‘99 had a great reunion. Eight of us were able to make it to the dinner Saturday night and enjoy catching up over some great food, and some good-natured heckling by our favorite monks, eager to relive yesteryear. Even better was rallying later that night at BBC, right next to Café Borrone. After dinner, we met up with another six classmates, as well as friends from classes before and after us. Some had come from all the way across the Pacific to make the reunion! It’s going to be hard to top this next time...”
Father Martin and Allyn Coats ’04 are all smiles at the reception Saturday night.
Scott Parker visits with some of his favorite students from the Class of 2004, Alexis Smith, Lauren (Clapper) Teel, Stephanie Wegman, Julianne Henderson, and Megan Noice.
Members of the Class of 1999: Danielle (Lawrence) Holquin, Kevin Yost, Father Martin, Father Pius, Brendan Kelly, Peter Newman, Brother Edward, Father Maurus, Tom Alexander, Jennifer Moss, Laura Hannigan, and Ian Hartley together again at their 10 year reunion.
Tim Molak, D.C. McEachern ’94, Paul Trudelle, Saxon Amdahl ’94, and Al Zappelli reminisce about the good ol’ 90’s. James Eaneman ’04 with the monks at his 5 year reunion.
Members of the Class of 1989: Daniel Ree, Raymond Chim, Steve Voisin, Chris deSibert, Tom Halmos, David Gerber, Guy Haskins, Eduardo Molina, and Armando Ochoa.
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Tom Halmos, Molly Brennan, Mrs. Marie-France deSibert, Tim Molak, and Father Pius in the PAC lobby during reunion weekend. Brother Edward, Katie Noice ’04, and Andrew Souter ’04 gather in Father Egon Plaza over reunion weekend.
ALUMNI
ART SHOW
We had quite a turnout for the first Priory Alumni Art Show. It was held in the Performing Arts Center for a week in September including Reunion Weekend. The Priory community enjoyed viewing the beautiful artwork by the following artists: Matt Brown ’83, soda fired ceramics; William Quan ’81, photography; Ashley Will ’04, sculpture made of rocks and paint with abstractions of organic forms; Taylor Franklin ’06, drawings and paintings, Susan Lyon ’05, paintings and photography, Erik Lyon ’08, photography, Rob Reinhardt ’04, glass; Marie Sobieski ’03, stained and fused glass; James Lee ’69, drawings and paintings; and Andrew Fecskes ’64, photography. If you are an alum and interested in participating on our next Alumni Art Show, please look for more details in the next issue of Priorities.
Above: Taylor Franklin ’06, watercolor on paper, each is 22”x30”, overall 88”x30”, 2009.
Above: “Vehicular Dances” a gift from Andrew Fesckes ’69, which is a piece he developed from a variety of post-crash images of his son’s car crash. The process helped him resolve, in his quaking heart, the effects of the near disaster, and in a way, come to a deeper understanding of life, love and prayer.
On the wall, Susan Lyon ’05, Fishing, Acrylic on canvas, 9”x12”, 2007.
John Callahan ’79, showing off the graphic arts silkscreen done by Father Martin and presented to each member of the class at graduation 30 years ago.
Above: Matt Brown ’83, Soda Fired Clay, Matcha Chawan Tea Bowl 6”x6”x4”, 2009, Wood fired Bowl, 13”x13”4” 2009.
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Alumni Regional Events Father Martin and the Alumni Office traveled up North this fall, visiting Alumni in Washington and Oregon. The first stop was Seattle at Purple Café. It was a fabulous night with Priory graduates of all decades, ranging from ’64 – ’00. The second stop was Portland, at the Portland City Grill. Both events were full of memories and great stories of the different decades at the Priory.
Alumni Events 2009-2010 Alumni Gathering New York City, NY January 25, 2010 Alumni Reception San Jose, CA March 2, 2010 Alumni Reception McCovey’s Resturant Walnut Creek, CA April 13, 2010
Father Martin, Tim Gerrish ’96, Charles Heffernan ’70, Casey Wynn, Allison, Jonathan Morgan ’00, Steve Trudelle ’00, Rachel, Kathleen Arnold, and Charles Arnold ’64 at Purple Café in Seattle.
Alumni Reception MarketBar San Francisco, CA April 20, 2010 Priory Auction Palo Alto, CA May 8, 2010
Tori Paine, Nels Paine ’84, Father Martin, and Jim Gaffney ’67 in Portland.
Reunion Weekend 2010 September 10-12
Jonathan Morgan and Steve Trudelle representing the class of 2000.
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Father Martin and Tim Gerrish ’96 are all smiles.
CLASS NOTES Note: Class Agents’ names appear at the beginning of each Reunion class year. If your year is not represented, or if you would like to become a Class Agent, please contact the Alumni Office at alumni@ prioryca.org or (650) 851-6146. And don’t forget to check out http://community.wspriory.com for additional photos and class notes!
1980
30th Reunion Year
Class Agent: Ryan Lugbauer Hank Lin and Al Zappelli, Director of Admissions, met up for lunch in Shanghai in October 2009.
REUNION YEARS: 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005
1965
45th Reunion Year
1970
40th Reunion Year
1975
35th Reunion Year
1982
Christian Parks hosted a mini reunion for the Class of 1982 and their families in Santa Cruz, CA. Those that showed up were: Andrew Valentine, Peter Sprankle, Noel Kidd, Allen Lorenz, Peter Schink, Mitchell Philips, Phillipe Dunaway, and Father Martin.
1979
Edward Chen helped Al Zappelli, Director of Admissions, at the Taipei Boarding school fair in October 2009.
1985
25th Reunion Year
1988
Rob Yau and his wife, May, welcomed their second son, Elliot, into the world on August 17, 2009, exactly 3 yrs and 1 day after their first son, Everett, was born. He was 6 lbs 10 oz.
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1997
Al Zappelli visited with Young Bae Lee, Shawn Joo and Dr. Jay Lee, while in Asia on his Admissions trip in October 2009.
1998
Michael Bower completed his MS in Ecology at UC Davis in November 2009 and currently works as a Botanist and Biologist for Sycamore Environmental Consultants. Michael and Bernadette Austin-Bower are expecting the birth of their first child in March 2010. The couple lives in West Sacramento. Patrick Simon, pictured here with Al Zapelli and Tim Molak, came by to meet with some Priory parents about venture capital projects while he was in California. He is finishing up his MBA and Ph.D. at Harvard Business School in Boston and plans to move back to Germany after graduation.
David Bower and his wife, Julie, welcomed their first child, Edward Lawrence Bower, in August 2009. The couple lives in Davis. Emily Cohen married Tyler Chapman on October 24, 2009 in Carmel, CA.
Alexandra DeMartini was promoted to Assistant Vice President/Commercial Loan Officer at Heritage Bank of Commerce. Louis Molakides visited in December. He is Project Manager at Orsa Organix (www.orsaorganix.com).
2001
Emily Kirkland announced her engagement to Nick Mangini. They plan to wed on October 9th, 2010. Kit Newman started her residency in OB/GYN at Brigham and Women’s Hospt., Boston in June.
2003
2000
10th Reunion Year 18
Class Agents: Emily (Cohen) Chapman and Alexandra DeMartini
Raymond Austin was accepted to the UCLA Law Fellows Program in preparation for application and admission to law schools. He will be applying to law schools in 2010. Ray currently lives in Oakland and works for the UC Students Association as the Director of University Affairs and the Council on Student Fees.
Lt.j.g. Michael Yost celebrated the completion of advanced flight training in Milton, FL and received his ‘Wings of Gold’ on Oct. 9 as the 30,222nd naval aviator in history. Following further training in San Diego to fly the MH-60S helicopter, he will be assigned to Yigo, Guam.
2007
Sam Chavez, seen here with Head of School, Tim Molak, came back to the Priory in August, 2009 for a visit. Sam is currently playing golf for New Mexico University with his younger brother Eduardo.
In Memorium Thomas DeSzily was for many years in the 1970s on the Priory’s Board of Trustees. He is the father of Anthony Peter DeSzily class of 1978. He also was one of the recipients of the Saint Benedict honor
2004
James Eaneman gave a fantastic chapel talk in Oct 2009 about the Benedictine Value of Community. His speech was thoughtful and inspiring to many of the current Priory students. Tim Molak stopped by to visit Alums Charles Magnuson, Bridgette Bradford, Evan Green and Will Flammer in July 2009 at Bridgette’s family house in Tahoe.
2008
Max Magnuson visited the Priory in August 2009. He’s currently attending Stanford University.
2009
Chris Opperman, seen here with Father Martin, visited the Priory campus in August, 2009. Chris is currently attending Dartmouth College.
medal in the 1990’s and was a long-time friend of Father Egon Javor, whom he actually got to know as a 16-year old student in Hungary, where Fr. Egon was his tutor. Robert Dougherty ‘63 died October 12, 2009 at the age of 64. Serge Banes Morgan, Class of 1979, passed away after a lengthy battle with Cancer on Nov 13, 2009. Anthony Zele ’84 died August 26, 2009 in his home in San Jose, CA.
Andrew Souter is living in Moraga and has returned to Saint Mary’s college after taking a year off to take EMT training in S.F. Andrew’s cousin, Nicholas, is following his footsteps at Priory where he is a 7th grader.
2005
5th Reunion Year
Submit Class Notes for the next Priorities Have you recently gotten married, had a baby or landed that dream job? How about sharing those great holiday photos? Please send us Class Notes to share with the Priory Community. Each issue of Priorities will include Class Notes and we want you to be a part of it. Please send any news to Casey at alumni@prioryca.org.
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HELP! LOST ALUMS We are expanding our efforts to find lost alumni. The following names are from the classes that will be celebrating their reunions in September 2010. If you know where these alumni are, please contact Casey at alumni@prioryca.org. 1965 Gerard Brevier David Church Rick Lemos Dennis Snyder Imre L. Sziebert Adrian Edward Tschoegl Gregory Walsh
1980 Patrick Chraghchian Patrick Dunaway Kianfar Kianian Paul McPartland William Samuelson Bruce Wilson Brian Woods
1970 John Champagne Benjamin De Los Reyes William Fies David J. Gallagher Mark Hughes David R. Lachapelle John M. Riconosciuto Robert Sullivan
1985 Said F. Abu Zayyad Oscar Didier Federsin Dinsay Dennis Leung Michael Peterson Eddie Lin Hsueh-yin Tsai Akio Utsumi
1975 Thomas Anthony Bresciano Steven J. Campodonico Geoffrey Scott Goodfellow Peter S. Schoebel Bradford E. Shepard John V. Shields
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1990 Peter Halmos Stephen Ko Patrick Lee Chung-Ying Liu Peter B. Tilton Patrick Zee
1995 Kathryn Chacon Mark Chau Claudine Chow Shintaro Nakamura Brian Patten York Tiachi Michael Tran Wayne Wong 2000 Sultan Al-Sulaiman Jesse Dienner Maria Ferencova Domotor Gulyas Sara Koester Brittany Ladrech Lindsay Matheu Pitharn Ongkosit Kyung Hyun Park Daniel Riveong Dimitry Sevrin Katelin Stasun
12 Time zones away –
Afghanistan
by Peter Trudelle ‘03
In the fall of ‘08, I joined YWAM (Youth With a Mission), whose goal is to
share the love of God throughout the world. One manifestation of this goal is to provide tangible relief to those in need by helping improve education, business, healthcare, and government responsiveness to the poor of Las Vegas. I worked with several other volunteers at food shelters, hosting community dinners, and helping in the free health care clinic for about three months. Next, I was off to Kabul, Afghanistan. The first day we arrived, our contact Bob, picked us up in a Toyota Land Cruiser. As we drove to the guest house, Bob casually said, “Hey guys, there was a suicide bombing a couple miles from here about an hour ago and the Taliban has announced that there is more to come.” A few minutes later, we got a radio update of another bombing. While in gridlock traffic, we saw a car with blown-out windows and an injured man bleeding in the back seat. Our driver got out and learned that the damage was from the first bombing. Unfazed, Bob smirked, “Welcome to Kabul.” A few days later, we had the opportunity to go to the actual bomb sites and pray over the area. One long-term worker told us about a Christian government worker who jumped out of a 2nd story window during the attack. He broke both legs, but escaped with his life. The doctors said that he would fully recover! The highlight of the trip was at a small house church in Kabul. The speaker, an Afghani-Christian, told us a jaw-dropping story about how Al-Qaeda gunmen broke into his home, handcuffed, and took him away because he was Christian. He expected to be shot at any moment. However, as he was sitting in a heavily guarded room with many armed men around him, he felt God wanted him to stand-up and walk out of the room. As he did, the guards started yelling and then fired from only two meters away. Later, this man told us that “not one bullet pierced my skin, but instead their own bullets hit each other.” Wow. During this trip, we met many wonderful Afghani people and taught English to several groups of children. A month after returning from Afghanistan, I traveled with the same organization to Turkey, where I found it much easier to interact with more people. I enjoyed meeting university students and Turkish people of all ages, from all over the country. To conclude, I read some pretty amazing stories in the Bible, and sometimes thought, “Oh well, miracles only happened way back then, but not any more.” However, I learned on this trip, that God still works miracles today.
Peter Trudelle standing in from of a bombed building in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Teaching English to Afghani children.
An Afghani Policeman on Chicken Street – downtown Kabul, Afghanistan.
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A Passion for Writing:
Sue Koppett
and Writing Lab
Priory teacher Suzanne Koppett has a passion for good writing.
“I think language is everything,” she says. When she talks about the improvement she sees in her students’ writing, that passion bursts forth. “It’s like making a good cake!” she exclaims. “And I don’t cook!” For the past 16 years, Mrs. Koppett has taught Writing Lab, a required half-year class for all Priory freshman. She covers the fundamentals of grammar, literary analysis, outlining, and argumentation. Then her students write one-paragraph papers, three-paragraph papers, five-paragraph papers, and so on, and she meets with them individually to go over every line of everything they’ve written. “I tell the kids—it doesn’t matter if you’re a doctor, an architect, a lawyer, you all need to know how to write.” She admits it; she’s demanding. She wouldn’t have it any other way. “I think being demanding and precise is important because that gives them the tools. If you don’t, and you allow them to get away with anything, then they don’t acquire those skills and then they don’t have them. So I think the discipline is absolutely necessary.” “Look,” she goes on, “If you want to be a dancer, you can’t get away without the discipline. You wouldn’t dream of saying, I’m playing a violin piece for the first time and now I’m going to go out and give a concert. The same thing is true of writing. It’s another one of those skills that you have to perfect.” “It’s not always pleasant to be the Wicked Witch of the West,” she laughs, “but if they learn, that’s all that’s important to me.” And, despite some trepidation, learn they do. Kyle McAuley, ’05, writes, “Writing Lab had a reputation for being a difficult class. Although it was certainly challenging, I remember it as the most purely useful class I took at Priory. No one else in my educational life thus far had ever taught me how to write effectively, so I was and am immensely grateful for the many lessons I learned in Sue’s class.” Mrs. Koppett, take note: Kyle is now an Editorial Assistant for Oxford University Press and on the editorial staff at Guernica Magazine, both in New York City. When he thinks of Writing Lab, Daniel Wenger, Priory Valedictorian ’05, Harvard ’09, sees a correlation between what he calls “scariness and utility”. “Writing Lab was the high school class that I feared most beforehand. It was also the high school class that proved most useful to me afterward. Mrs. Koppett not only made me a better writer, she made me a better person. I learned, for the first time, the value of slowing down and taking an honest look at myself.” Sue Koppett is careful not to take too much credit for all of this. “Of course I’m not alone. We have a whole English department that continues this work.” And with the high standards that are her trademark, she adds, “[Writing Lab] certainly doesn’t take anybody to the end of the road. To me, it’s the beginning of the road.”
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Organic Chemistry Comes to Priory This spring, Priory stu-
dents will have an opportunity that very few high schoolers ever get: the chance to take a full semester of lab-based Organic Chemistry. Spearheaded by teacher Gabriel Tang, this unique course will be a handson preview of college organic chemistry, with the aim of giving Priory students a leg up when they go to college. The Organic Chemistry class was funded by a generous donation from Ed Oates and Jennifer Hammer. Organic chemistry, the study and design of carbon-based compounds, is the science behind much medical research, the development of new drugs, the design of new materials, and even the creation of food additives and flavorings. The wide application of organic chemistry in today’s world means lots of opportunity for those students who can master the subject. But too many find themselves overwhelmed by the rigors of college “O-Chem.” Mr. Tang explains, “There are a few courses in college that will make or break a major.” For most science majors, he explains, that’s Organic Chemistry. “You’ll take it. And you’ll either cry through it or you’ll love it. And a lot of people cry through it.” But after a semester in his new class at Priory, he hopes his students will be firmly in the “love it” category.
Thanks to the generous donation, Tang has been able to buy special equipment and chemicals for the labs he has planned. Some of those experiments include decaffeinating tea, synthesizing aspirin from scratch, making artificial flavors such as pear, apple and spearmint, and creating bioluminescence, the chemical phenomenon behind glow sticks. Priory senior Ellie Oates, who will attend Stanford University next year, for one, is thrilled to get started. “I took AP Chem last year, and organic chemistry was my favorite part,” she says. Her eyes light up as she talks about research chemist Percy Julian, her inspiration and one of the first scientists to synthetically reproduce a naturally occurring compound for use in medications. “I want to be a chemical engineer,” Oates says, “and Mr. Tang is just such a great teacher.” Ted Tsang, a dormer who’s planning a career in biochemistry or genetics, agrees. “It is going to be awesome,” he says. For his part, Mr. Tang feels grateful. “I couldn’t do this at another school,” he says. “It’s like John Erkman used to say, ‘It’s such a treat coming here. Instead of having to find ways to cut, here we have the capacity to grow.’ And to really change for the better because we’re lucky enough to have the resources to do that.”
“It’s like John Erkman used to say, ‘It’s such a treat coming here. Instead of having to find ways to cut, here we have the capacity to grow.’ “ 23
Monastery News
I
t’s been many years since Fa“There is Something Always to Give:” a lonely time for him. He says, “I know from my own childhood ther Pius taught in the classthat it can hurt when the grownroom at Priory, but whenever ups ignore you. Not to hurt you, he crosses campus, it’s obvibut just as if children are not yet ous that the special connection he completely human, which is a has with kids is still there. Maybe great, great mistake. Because kids it’s his quiet smile, or the playneed a lot of attention and help to ful sparkle in his eye, a look that build up their egos, (to feel that says he might have a joke to share. they) count for something.” Whatever it is, children pick up on Helping kids to feel that they it. Even the smallest Priory resicount has been a kind of mission dents—the children of on-campus for Father Pius. Over the years, he’s learned that faculty—light up when Father Pius comes around. even little gestures can mean a lot. One shy seventh Kate Molak, daughter of Head of School Tim Molak, grader from years past stands out in his memory. remembers his happy greeting from when she was “She wasn’t even my student, but somehow we little: “Hello, neighbor!” always crossed paths and I greeted her. She’d say, When asked about his way with young children, ‘Good morning,’ very shyly. So I started offering Father Pius smiles. “They’re great friends. They are her a high five. And the others watched, thinking like little dogs in that they’re sincere about their afwhat will happen now? She reciprocated.” He fection. They don’t calculate, they don’t analyze you. laughs with pleasure. “These things taught me a lot, They like you or they don’t like you. They are very gave me some confidence and satisfaction. Even if rewarding.” A little attention, he says, goes a long you wonder, what am I going to do now? There is way. something always to give.” Father Pius reflects, “How it is this develops After more than fifty years of living in a monasit’s hard to say. That we love children. It’s just tic community, Father Pius has learned a few things. something natural.” Perhaps those who don’t have “To be patient with others,” he says. “And with their own children, he speculates, are more open to myself too.” Living with others is not always easy. connecting with all kids. His early years in Hungary “You are not hand-picked by God so you fit together also had their effect. “I saw many young people perfectly. You have to work on it. That’s your chalsuffering, deprived of certain necessities of daily lenge, because that’s the ideal and the idea you life, or little luxuries that children like to have. They represent toward others. That’s what human society were discriminated against, not necessarily by other is. You can see today that we are unhappy because people but by their circumstances.” we cannot live together. At so, at least compassion, When he was a boy, Father Pius remembers the gratitude, that was my response. You try to do what difficulty of moving from his parents’ home to his little you can to help people.” grandparents’ house to attend a better school. It was
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Father Pius at
80
In January, Father Pius turns eighty years old. About his birthday, he says, wryly, “I have one every year.” He adds, “I am grateful because what I really had was what I experienced, good or bad. I am grateful about being able to move around. And I look ahead to some more time to fix some of my mistakes in life.” Of the fifteen young men he was ordained with in Hungary, some of whom he remembers as very athletic while he was sickly, he is the only one still alive. “I certainly did not expect to live this long, and relatively well. And while the great champions of the soccer field, they are all gone.”
And then his thoughts turn from Hungary back to present day at the Priory where he enjoys, among other things, working on the computer. “I keep learning little things,” he says. And he uses the Internet. “It’s so slow today,” he comments. “I don’t know why.” One thing is for sure—Father Pius’ mind is as sharp and quick as ever.
Father Pius and Augie Schlaak, son of Academic Dean/Assist. Head of School, Brian Schlaak, play a counting game.
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Priory Offers Mandarin
East Meets West
“...high-school students learning Chinese will enjoy all kinds of professional opportunities by the time they reach the working world.”
26
In Chinese, the character for “China” is made up of the characters for “middle” and “kingdom.” Priory teacher Wei Kelly explains the ancient Chinese perspective this way. “They were so gigantic, they thought they were the center of the world.” Modern China wouldn’t be wrong to see themselves the same way. As of 2006, one out of every five people on the planet was a resident of China, making it by far the world’s most populous country. Mandarin is spoken by 70% of that population, or 900 million people. That makes Mandarin Chinese the most widely spoken language in the world, with almost three times as many speakers worldwide as Spanish or English, the next two languages on the list. It’s no wonder, then, that Priory, like so many other U.S. schools, has begun to offer classes in Mandarin Chinese. It’s more than just numbers. The rise of China as an economic power—just look at the label of anything you buy these days—means that high-school students learning Chinese will enjoy all kinds of professional opportunities by the time they reach the working world. Mrs. Wei Kelly, who teaches both Mandarin I and II, was born and raised in Beijing. Then she moved to Germany, where she studied economics and taught Chinese culture and language—yes, she speaks fluent German, too—before relocating to California with her husband, an Atherton native, four years ago. She enjoys teaching Chinese, but admits that it requires a lot of commitment to learn. There are non-phonetic characters to memorize, some sounds that don’t exist in English, and four tones to master. If you’re use the wrong tone when you say word “Mah,” she explains with a laugh, you might accidentally call your mother a horse. Mrs. Kelly works hard to make sure her students are keeping up. “I want them to get a grade of 90% at least before moving on,” she says. “Because if they are not clear now (about a character), then they can’t use it in the future. And Chinese words are like puzzles,” she says, in that the same characters appear again and again as the building blocks of many different words. As both motivation and respite from the rigors of the language, Mrs. Kelly offers her students glimpses into Chinese culture. They’ve learned about the Forbidden City, researched forms of Chinese medicine, compared Chinese and Western chess, and watched hand-drawn brush-painting cartoons set to typical Chinese music. “I want them to understand the concept of the language, to learn more, to have fun, and at the same time, to repeat a lot of times.” She holds up a Mandarin I worksheet. It is full of tiny Chinese characters written by one of her hard-working students. They are doing very well!” she says enthusiastically. “I don’t want them to give up. They should go on.”
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Welcome Aboard the S.S. Priory! The ship will be sailing on May 8th, 2010 from the lovely Cabana Hotel in Palo Alto. As the sun sets on another spectacular year at the Priory, let’s all come together at this wonderful end of the year event. We hope you will be a part of our “Island Ports of Call” cruise. The ship’s store will be loaded with wonderful treasures aboard, thanks to your generous donations. Due to limited space in our ship’s locker, we’re trimming the sails and limiting our cargo to these categories. Travel & Special Excursions - Destinations near and far, day excursions to week long adventures. Parties – Intimate gatherings to exciting extravaganzas. Priory Spirit –The items we all cherish the most from the teachers, staff and students we love. Wine & Spirits – Whether christening your ship or adding to your collection, there will be something for everyone. Jewelry & Fine Collectibles - Exclusive Artisan pieces to precious and captivating jewelry Live Auction – The highlight of our cruise; truly unique, exciting and extraordinary. Resort season begins immediately following Winter Break. This year, you can find all your cruise itinerary and embarkation information on the Priory website and links through the Daily Bulletin. Also be sure to become a fan on Facebook. Just search “Priory Auction”. Donation forms will be available online, at school and coming home with your student in January. Before we head off to organize a game of Shuffleboard, rearrange the chairs on the Lido deck and warm up for this evening’s Limbo contest, we’d like to introduce you to our crew. Our auction chairs are: Solicitations: Carrie Caballero carrrieca@hotmail.com Decorations: Lisa Wan lisacwan@gmail.com Silent Auction: Kerry Perez kerrycperez@gmail.com
Volunteer Coordinator: Sally Souders bsouders@earthlink.net RSVP: Linda Bader linda@baderfamily.net
We will be waiting for you on the gangplank… Your bubbly Cruise Directors,
Jill Caskey & Patty Turnquist
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NON-PROFIT ORG US POSTAGE
Woodside Priory School 302 Portola Road Portola Valley, CA 94028 (650) 851-8221 fax (650) 851-2839
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The Priory dedicated the front soccer field to Father Christopher at halftime of the first football home game. Larry David ‘62, the dedication speaker, told the specators about the significant impact that Father Christopher had and continues to have on his life. Left: Larry David and his wife Beverly.
Celebrating Our 52nd Year
