OakTree Times - Fall/Winter 2017-18 by Polytechnic School

FA L L | W I N T E R 2 0 1 8

OakTree Times

Spotlight on backstage Polyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s technical theatre program trains behind-the-scenes artists

INSIDE:

Distinguished Alumna

Kinder creators

Alumni events

OakTree Times FALL | WINTER 2018

Feat ures : 10 Spotlight on Backstage

Often the unsung heroes of a stage production, Polyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s technical theatre students explore lighting, sound, and set design.

13 Distinguished Alumna of the Year

Renowned opera singer Anna Christy Stepp â&#x20AC;&#x2122;94 talks about her years on the stage, both at Poly and beyond.

A P U B L I C A T I O N F O R T H E P O LY T E C H N I C S C H O O L C O M M U N I T Y

Departments: The Patio p.05

OAK TREE TIMES EDITORIAL STAFF: Leslie Carmell, Director of Communications

Global Initiatives Program’s 100th event … Upper School

Michelle Feynman, Assistant Director of Communications/Photographer

symposium on immigration … sixth-graders learn life

Jennifer Godwin Minto, Photographer

skills … fall play challenges convention … health and

Alistair Casey, Communications Coordinator

wellness in kindergarten … second-graders get

Greg Feldmeth, Advisor

enlightened … PolyYesterday. CONTRIBUTORS:

In the Classroom Students in Jennifer Rogers’ class find time to tinker in new Kinder Creator program.

COVER: Faculty member Richard Sherrell works with tech theatre students during a dress rehearsal of the Upper School Jazz Concert.

Panthers in the Zone … Poly celebrates early commits

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Athletics program implements new training programs

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Tom Allard, John Bracker, Gretel Corsa, Amanda Edwards ‘92, Ian D’Elia ‘18, Aisling Murran ‘19, Harper Oreck ‘19, Richard Sherrell, Katherine Vieser, Andrew Villaverde, Emma Wennberg ‘19, Nick Wuthrich ‘18

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Alumni profiles ... alumni events recap ... Poly Fund update ... Class Notes ... In Memorium

CORRECTION: In the spring/summer 2017 issue, a student’s name was inadvertently left off the caption for the photo of students

who had completed 10 of 12 athletic

P.S.

seasons while at Poly. Jeffrey Silver ’17,

Upper School tech theatre faculty member — and

been included. We regret the omission.

Poly’s first official storyteller — Tom Allard talks about his experience on and off the stage.

front row on the left, should also have

Head of

School

I tried my hand at theatre a couple of times when I was younger. I didn’t seem to have a lot of talent — my brother got those genes. I did have my moment in lights when I was the understudy for the “smallest tree in the woods.” After squawking through my solo, I knew my days in theatre were numbered. Nonetheless I have always loved going to plays. Whether it was sneaking in with my mother every night for two weeks to catch my brother’s “Gary, Indiana” solo in our town’s production of “The Music Man” or viewing more storied professional productions, I like the feeling of being transported into the lives and thoughts of other people. Over the years, I have come to appreciate even more what it takes behind the scenes to make these productions work. As a teenager,

I failed to grasp the intricate, often breathtaking, choreography of the tech crew’s work behind the scenes. Like so much in life, an audience’s fixation on what was easily accessible masked the beauty and the complexity of what we were witnessing. The impact of the lighting, the sounds, and the staging was muted by our obsession with the obvious. We were diminished. Teaching and learning are no different. Our teachers were not born with a fluency in calculus or a trove of historical anecdotes. It took work behind the scenes. Our students do not shy away from challenges; rather they welcome the messiness that comes with deciphering ideas and concepts they find unfamiliar. We thrive as an institution when we honor the intellectual curiosity and tenacious work ethic that academic excellence demands. In doing so, we uphold the promise of our mission by keeping our community vibrant and fair. The second semester brings a plethora of productions for all of us to witness at Poly. When the house lights return and the applause subsides, let’s toast all of the tech crews for the inspired alchemy they have crafted.

John W. Bracker

Read John Bracker’s latest blog post online at www.polytechnic.org/headblog

HEAD OF SCHOOL MESSAGE

The

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100TH EVENT

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Sonia Nazario featured in Global Initiative Program’s 100th event This fall, the Global Initiatives Program hosted its 100th event, which featured Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Sonia Nazario, who discussed her book, “Enrique’s Journey,” in a packed Garland Auditorium after meeting throughout the afternoon with Upper School classes. An internationally acclaimed writer and advocate, Nazario has appeared before Congress and on many news shows, and she has compiled educational programs used at hundreds of high schools and colleges. A riveting communicator who challenges preconceptions and sheds bold and provocative insights on complex immigration issues, she was named among 40 women who changed the media business in the last 40 years by Columbia Journalism Review. “The stories she shared blended with her passionate demeanor, honest nature, and journalistic skill,” Global Scholar candidate Ian D’Elia ’18 wrote for the Poly website. “Both the level of dedication she gives to her

work and the extent to which she inspires change in people are absolutely remarkable. Fellow Global Scholar candidate Hannah S. ’18 later reflected that Nazario’s talk was ‘undoubtedly one of the best GIP events she ever attended.’” Founded in the fall of 2007, Poly’s Global Initiatives Program (GIP) seeks to develop and instill within students the tools and experiences necessary to become considerate, contributing, and connected global citizens. At the Lower School, global awareness is reflected primarily through class activities and projects, cultural interaction with students from overseas, and lessons from seasoned Upper School students. The Middle School aims to raise global awareness primarily through coursework, cultural interaction, and service learning initiatives. Upper School students study various cultures, interact with others throughout the world through travel, undertake service projects, and experience cultural events. Q

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Upper School symposium explores immigration

In December, Poly’s junior AP English classes hosted a thought-provoking symposium on immigration moderated by Poly parent Larry Mantle, host of KPCC’s AirTalk. The panel consisted of Angelica Salas, executive director of LA’s Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, and Claude Arnold, retired special agent in the Homeland

Security department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The symposium explored many complex aspects of immigration, including prosecutorial discretion; the conflicting interests of local, state, and federal enforcement policy; and the fundamental role of immigration itself as a piece of the economy and American society. Salas and Arnold expressed differing opinions on the goal of immigration, the key conflict between their policy frameworks being humanitarian versus economic aims. The speakers also discussed the extent to which officers should enforce immigration law against those without documentation, the rights of immigrants in court, and the validity of sanctuary cities. Juniors used the symposium as material in their study of argument and rhetoric. Q

— Emma Wennberg ’19

Middle School FLEx gets back to the basics As part of the Middle School FLEx program in December, Poly sixth-graders explored basic but important life skills, rotating through a series of five lessons. In the nutrition rotation, the class explored food production and marketing and the biological effects of eating certain food items before reflecting on their own eating practices. Students learned how to cut fruits and vegetables safely, and they each created a salad in a jar, a fun and colorful way to enjoy a meal. In the gardening module, students considered the particle size of soil, air flow to plants’ roots, fundamental nutritional needs of plants, and the volume of soil. They removed native soil with shovels, trowels, and a wheelbarrow, mixed in materials to improve root growth potential and plant nutrition, and then placed the improved soil back into the garden beds to prep for planting. In another rotation, students explored shopping and budgeting, using local supermarket ads to plan balanced daily meals for the week while trying to stay within a $150 budget.

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Finally, they learned a few sewing fundamentals, including two key stitches — the whipstitch and backstitch — as well as how to sew on a four-hole button. FLEx (Flexible Learning and Exploration) is a time in the schedule for students to investigate topics that stem directly from the classroom curriculum, as well as subjects that allow them to build critical-thinking and problemsolving skills. FLEx meets twice a week and incorporates activities and projects that enable this type of exploration.

The

Art imitating life: Fall play features unconventional approach The selection for this year’s fall play, “The Skin of our Teeth” by Thornton Wilder, is a classic American work about humanity’s ability to persevere and survive in spite of whatever catastrophe life may present. A unique piece, the production uses every device of the theatre to explore the connections that help the audience move forward. Breaking from established theatrical conventions, Poly’s production of this show seated the audience in chairs on the stage surrounding the actors, putting them in the midst of the action. “We chose to do it in Garland for the scale and theatricality of that space, but we also wanted our audience to be closer and in on the theatrical tricks,” shares Director Cynthia Crass. This approach, however, presented many challenges. “How do we have a play that is often nonsensical make some sort of sense?” Crass adds. “How do we keep our audience uncomfortable and off-balance?” Direction for this performance took on a whole new focus: “Having the audience close creates a challenge for the actors, and in a piece like this where several actors play multiple characters and the fourth wall is constantly broken and reestablished, that challenge is heightened. So we spent a lot of time in rehearsal on physical skills, as well as on the more esoteric character creation,” Crass explains. Despite winning the Pulitzer Prize for best drama in 1943, “The Skin of Our Teeth” is still relevant today, Crass suggests, as it is challenges the audience to consider humanity’s perpetual cycle of crisis and survival. “It also challenges us in the way we think about theatre. Like the repeated rehearsals and performances of a piece of theatre that aren’t carbon copies of each other, so history continues in a wave of repeats and variations. This play shows us that life and the theatre are not so far removed from each other; thus, the theatricality of our successes and failures becomes more apparent.

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Kindergartners get lesson in heath and wellness

Poly’s kindergarten teddy bear clinic, which has been a tradition for many years, took on an expanded focus this year and was renamed the Health and Wellness Expo. Originally created to help younger children feel more comfortable around medical professionals, this year’s program included lessons on general health and well-being, as well as emergency readiness. Kindergartners brought their stuffed animals to school to be “treated” by various Poly parents in the medical field, including Sam Kim, Phet Tejavanija, Kim Bickell, Marilyn Li, Ying Goh, Ivy Lee, and Matthieu Declerck. In the afternoon, students participated in mindfulness activities and enjoyed rotations on exercise, dental hygiene, sun safety, nutrition, and safety and emergencies, including tips from firefighter Toma Nua. Q

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Science researcher and L.A. band OK Go enlighten second-graders Former Caltech researcher AnnMarie Thomas has been collaborating with the Los Angeles-based band OK Go with the shared intention of creating engaging, fun-filled, STEAM-focused videos for use in K-12 classrooms and beyond. Thomas, now an associate professor at the School of Engineering and Schulze School of Entrepreneurship at the University of St. Thomas and director of the Playful Learning Lab, reached out earlier this year and offered to bring their project to Poly. Robin Barnes, chair of Poly’s Science Department, shares that the team’s educational videos have already been used in classes here: “For years, teachers in ninth grade science have used OK Go’s ‘This Too Shall Pass’ video to introduce one of the students’ three independent project options, building a Rube Goldberg machine. It’s a fun and engaging way to get the students to start thinking about how they might create a complex machine that accomplishes a simple task while thinking of physics concepts.” Thomas and her student Jenna Laleman guided Poly second-graders through a lab called Squishy Circuits, in which students create their own electrical circuits that power tiny light bulbs using soft, squishy dough. Band members Damian Kulash, Tim Norwind, Dan Konopka, and Andy Ross partnered with the students during the engaging activity that not only lit up the colorful little bulbs, but also second-graders’ faces as well. Q

See more photos at www.polytechnic.org/webextras.

POLY YESTERDAY Poly celebrates 110 years since opening its doors On Oct. 10, 1907, Poly opened its doors for the first time. Just 106 students were enrolled that year in California’s first incorporated nonprofit grammar school. Taken from Poly’s centennial book: “Polytechnic Elementary School aimed to provide a superior education for young students, one that would embrace Miss [Virginia] Pease’s belief (and the popular Sloyd teaching method) that children needed learning beyond textbooks. Academic excellence was a hallmark of the school from the beginning, and teachers used novel approaches in many subjects.” Back then, tuition ranged from $75 to $85 a year. Q

If you would like your own copy of the school’s history, Poly 100, please contact the Advancement Office.

T H E PAT I O

In the

Classroom

Inspired, inventive, imaginative: Kinder Creator provides outlet for tinkering

To say that students in Jennifer Rogers’ class have taken to a new classroom activity called Kinder Creator would be an understatement. Armed with hammers and nails, a slew of two-by-fours, and seemingly endless bins of art supplies, these kindergartners insist on their weekly time to tinker, Rogers shares with delight. Students are greeted with a slide projected on the whiteboard asking, “What will you create today?” After donning colorful Kinder Creator aprons, they get to work with reckless abandon! Gathering leftover wood and other supplies from various sources, Rogers introduced the unit in the fall as a way to provide a creative outlet for her students. What she didn’t anticipate was just how much the students would value this time to explore various tools, experiment with a variety of supplies, and find new uses for everyday materials. For example, they discovered that if they rub a square of felt, what results is a colorful “fluff” that they can use for a doll’s hair. Strips of paper, rolls of colorful masking tape, and oodles of paint, rubber bands, straws, and so much more are

turned into game boards, 3-D art pieces, and accessories such as glasses. One student even created a doll-sized motorhome, complete with furnishings. And it can be loud! The classroom often resembles Santa’s workshop, so students sometimes wear headphones to drown out the fervent hammering. Other than the noise emanating from their tools, there is not typically much talking as students remain laser-focused on their projects. “For an entire hour, they are quiet as they work diligently on their creations,” Rogers muses. “They absolutely LOVE it ... it’s one of their favorite parts of our schedule.” She and kindergarten assistant teacher Raleigh Young assist students when they have questions, but otherwise they just let them go! Rogers plans to continue the Kinder Creator program, which currently uses leftovers from the Upper School Wood Design class. She hopes to partner with other resources on campus to bring in additional materials. Q

To see more photos from the Kinder Creator workshop, visit www.polytechnic.org/webextras.

IN THE CLASSROOM

Spotlight on backstage Poly’s technical theatre program trains behind-the-scenes artists

When thinking about a theatrical production, often what first comes to mind are the actors on stage and the musicians who support their performance. What might not be readily obvious is the skilled team working behind the scenes to bring the performance to life. Lighting, sound, stage design — this is the intricate work that can make all the difference and astound the audience. While you won’t see this team on the stage taking a final bow, you cannot deny the profound impact of their work on the overall experience. At Poly, beginning in Middle School and continuing through high school, students may choose to participate in the tech theatre program, through which they assist with plays, instrumental and choral programs, and the much-anticipated annual Upper School spring musical. Whether laying down a dance floor on the stage, creating props in the workshop, ensuring the lighting complements a scene, or directing the sound and lighting from the booth, “techies,” as they’re called, make sure the performances go off without a hitch. Three members of Poly’s technical theatre faculty share their reflections on their experiences in the industry and in the classroom. Cue curtain ...

Students stealthily swap out props in between scenes for the Upper School fall play, “The Skin of our Teeth.”

A river runs through it By Tom Allard, arts faculty and campus storyteller Theatre is a river running through time, embracing the new on its shimmering glide. It’s the eternal dance of the new, the not new, and the tried and true — all to the tune of I-wonder-what-wouldhappen-if. Last year a dozen Middle School tech theatre students, fellow faculty member Richard Sherrell, and I had the privilege of taking a VIP backstage tour of the Center Theatre Group in LA. We witnessed the majesty of professional scenic design with the Ahmanson road 10

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set of “Into The Woods” informing the possible, while 10 feet over in the Taper floated a four-poster oak daybed. It was suspended from aircraft cables running to four dedicated DC chain motors with power lines running first to some kind of power transformer room and then behind ducting to the operator’s complex computer station. “All of this just to fly somebody,” I mused in wonder of the scores of thousands of dollars worth of dedicated equipment.

“Oh, no,” said the theatre’s tech director, “Flying people involves quite a bit more.” Tasked with flying multiple people with weight variances for Poly’s production last spring of “Young Frankenstein,” Richard and I scrambled for riggers. We found several in the $2,500 range, plus $4,000 to $6,000 to rent rigging — that dog don’t hunt. My idea was eight wheel block-andtackle for each of two stage-pipe counterweight arbors. Accurate, silent,

capable — it would have worked … if each of us had 600 feet of rope and monkeyboy arms! Instead we picked up a ¾-ton-capacity side pull winch with load lock for just under $150. Added to that was 60 bucks in new rope, our own hardware, and, between the two of us, close to 80 years of stagecraft. We tied two counterweight arbors together with an invented “gung ho” rig (“work together,” a techie hallmark), and we built a super strong, lightweight gurney for the show and fine-tuned the four flying ropes. Beginning its flight slightly tilted, the gurney became level, plumb, and balanced. Reaching a height of 10 feet for the show, it opened downstage just a skosh — a tip of the hat from the theatre itself! On opening night, stage manager Gwen Hashimoto ’17 was operating the stunt and was blocked from seeing her mark and flew two actors four feet too high. Cool under pressure, she shushed us, backcounted the score, and started

Middle School tech theatre students learn about set design in the performing arts workshop space, which houses many treasures from past productions. the drop two bars early — wheels down exactly on the beat! Gwen solved and resolved while an unknowing full house watched breathlessly, thrilled! That’s what it’s all about — that’s leadership! It doesn’t matter what the problem is, the question is, “What are you gonna do about it?” Magic in their running blacks, invisible in the wings and booth, techies make the world go ’round, and we never even know they’re there! We hung Dr. Frankenstein six times during that production — safely. That was when I was replaced — young

techies leaping in to rig the stunt in a fraction of my time … thus closing a long and loving chapter of my life, quietly, in darkened wings. The world turns, the shimmering river runs. The long, unbroken chain of odd, wonderful, and creative techies ensures invention of the unconsidered, keen adaptation of what already works, and, like Garland Theatre itself, renaissance replete with new possibilities! Hand to hand to hand, from great theatre folk across the ages: “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!”

The tech behind tech theatre Andrew Villaverde, lighting and sound Nothing could have prepared me for how technology would make theatre easier. And nothing could have prepared me for how technology would make theatre more difficult. When I began my career, I felt a sense of pride, having overcome the challenges presented by the script and the director by using light boards that allowed me to slide up the lights for the next scene while a different scene was already on stage. We also patted ourselves on the back for having two tape decks so we could layer multiple sound cues. Using TVs or video screens onstage was

considered extravagant, but with some knowledge of cables and connections, it was possible using a reliable VHS tape deck. We thought we had it all figured out — we had no idea what modern technology would do for the stage. Two decades later, the nuts and bolts still look vaguely familiar. Theatre techs still dress for a job with power tools, climb ladders, and fasten lights to catwalks. But technology has propelled the preparation and the production itself to a whole new level. Modern tech and dress rehearsals resemble a situation room: directors and designers watching to make sure

Faculty member Andrew Villaverde instructs an Upper School student as they set the lights in the Black Box Theatre for the Upper School winter musical, “Dogfight.” F E AT U R E

their vision is coming together, while an army of people on laptops and consoles program light and sound cues. Crew members wear wireless headsets to ensure constant communication between the booth and backstage. It’s a lean, slick utopian sight compared to what those in the ’80s experienced. But this advanced technology can also be intimidating. Many of the best directors and designers will tell you: When unsure about which artistic decision to make, always go back to telling the story. Simplicity. But with automated equipment, can simplicity be complicated?

Stage lighting is subtle — anyone can turn on a light bulb, but an artist imbues the setting with an emotion. Computerized consoles capture every nuance with the intended intensity and timing. Modern lighting fixtures aren’t just light bulbs any more — each fixture has multiple parameters controlling intensity, color, time, and movement. Sound is arguably one of the most immersive aspects of a production. Mixing consoles are the brain of the show’s audio: It is there that all sound signals are combined and routed to the speakers and monitors, giving the

In praise of Poly’s “techies” (a letter of recommendation)

work ethic, and are confident leaders. Although we have had students go on to do theatre in college and some who even continued on to work professionally, the bulk of Poly graduates who participate in our program pursue degrees and careers outside of theatre. Yet many of those alumni have made a point to tell us how their background in tech theatre has been of benefit to them. A couple graduates now in management positions credit their experience in the program for developing the leadership skills and confidence they needed to step into those jobs. A 2003 graduate, who went on to work at SpaceX with one of our techies from the Class of 2009, points to tech theatre as his only class that provided hands-on engineering experience. And a first-year medical student recently shared that she believes her experience in tech will help her face challenges and “days of intense focus” as she begins her journey of becoming a doctor. Obviously it can be said that all of these graduates would have been successful without ever having taken a step backstage. However, they don’t underestimate the importance of what

Richard Sherrell, technical director Certainly much has changed in the 20 years I’ve been teaching in Poly’s technical theatre program. New lighting consoles, sound boards, LED lighting, renovations of our theatres on both campuses, and the addition of Garland’s Black Box Theatre are just a few of the advances made in the last couple of decades. This year the program incorporated moving lights and complex sound designs. But what hasn’t changed — and what won’t change — is the impact on our students’ lives that is made by our program. Technical theatre requires much more of students than many other classes. Producing plays and musicals involves hard physical labor, demands a great deal of time outside of regular school hours, and often places students in stressful situations. Successful tech students possess excellent problemsolving skills, work effectively under pressure, are well organized, have a solid

audience the illusion of being surrounded by the action. One can hear the sounds of the rainforest all around or the thundering footsteps of a T-Rex running past from house-left to stage-right. While this might seem sophisticated for student technicians, with the right amount of training, a small crew can accomplish what was unthinkable just 15 years ago. Technology allows our students to experience an artistic outlet with much more ease than before. With so many options at their fingertips, getting them to scale back is actually more often the challenge.

Script in hand, an Upper School “techie” calls the shots from the booth in Garland during the annual dance concert. they learned behind the scenes in the theatre — and neither should we. So, college admission officers and employers, I heartily recommend both our former and current tech theatre students. I believe you will find them to be highly effective individuals who will devote the same diligence and dedication to their future endeavors as they have done here in our program.

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNA OF THE YEAR

ANNA CHRISTY STEPP ’94 Interviewed by Nick Wuthrich ’18

Above photo of Anna Christy Stepp ’94 courtesy of www.annachristy.com

This year Poly’s Alumni Association honored Anna Christy Stepp ’94 with the Distinguished Alumna Award. With an astonishing talent as a soprano vocalist and actor, Stepp has enjoyed a successful opera career since her days as a performer on Poly’s stages. In October she visited campus to talk (and sing!) with students, catch up with her former teachers, and receive the award at a dinner celebration. Poly senior Nick Wuthrich got a chance to interview Stepp about this moment on her path as a whole. Poly holds academics in high regard, while student expression is key. Can you share how you balanced academics and arts as a student? The balance was difficult. To be honest, focusing on the performing arts did make my grades slip a bit. Yet everyone around me was always supportive. I remember going to get extra help in math — I just needed some extra time for it to sink in. My math teachers were helpful and welcoming. They never discouraged me; they were always patient. I thank Poly for really good memories of math, which is a sentiment I think a lot of artists can’t share about that subject. Ultimately, many of my classes helped me. For example, I saw English texts through the eyes of an actress. The minute a teacher like Grace Hamilton would

ask for a performance of a scene from “Macbeth” or whatever we were reading, I was first to raise my hand. I saw my English classes as great preparation for whatever it was I was striving for. At the time I wasn’t exactly sure what that was, but I knew I wanted to be onstage. I remember Tina Cocumelli saying to us in acting class, “If this is something you’re considering for your career, you have to really give it a lot of thought. Very few people actually make a living from acting. If you can imagine yourself doing anything else and being happy, go do that.” That was very sage advice that, for me, made it so clear that there was nothing else I could do. At that point, I knew where I was going. I had the support of my parents and my friends. F E AT U R E

Kindergartners enjoy a musical morning with Stepp, who serenaded them and joined in on their vocal warm-up. As far as academic pressure goes, I was driven from the beginning. I’ve never really understood the mindset of other singers I’ve met along the way who didn’t have a vision of what they wanted to accomplish. In that sense, the environment at Poly gave me a leg up. From very early on, I had high expectations. I think that came from Poly and from myself.

When I started voice lessons, I realized that classical productions were a better fit for me. Instead of taking my operatic voice training into musical theater, I took what I learned about stagecraft from musical theater at Poly to opera. That propelled me forward in a way that my fellow singers couldn’t match.

In my own experience growing up, the thought of attending an opera has never crossed my mind. What was your first exposure to the art form?

You’re one of the top opera performers in the world. From your vantage, what makes opera special?

At the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, we sang many choruses at LA Opera. I would sit in the wings, cross-legged on the floor, and I was transported. There was so much happening, so much going on onstage, that I was transfixed. When did you begin thinking seriously about a career in the field? I started private voice lessons my sophomore year. I was singing and studying acting and dance, but it was clear from early on that singing was my strong suit. I’d also been a pianist for many years, so classical music was right up my alley. What made me fall in love with theater was Broadway musicals. I didn’t fit the archetype for them, though: I didn’t have blonde hair and blue eyes. The other issue with musical theater is that, unless you’re a major star, once you finish a production, you’re unemployed. In opera, I’ve been in a place where I know what my schedule is three years in advance. It’s more stable — that appealed to me. 14

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I think it’s just how visceral it is. When a tenor sings a high note, those in the audience experience that note physically, inside their chest. That’s the crux of what opera brings that other art forms don’t — it’s a visceral, emotional, immediate human response. Everything’s live, there are no microphones for the most part, there’s a huge orchestra, a massive set. We’re singing to each other in very vulnerable, emotional situations. The emotions are amplified. I don’t think there’s anything else that does that. Opera is frequently maligned as elitist. How do you keep it relevant for audiences in the 21st century? The problem is that opera is so expensive to produce, which makes tickets very expensive. We have to pay for singers, sets, and a full orchestra. Traditionally it was elitist: Who had the money to pay for that sort of thing? But there are a lot of opera companies that are working hard to break down that elitist tag. In the age of social media, we need things like opera more — we no longer sit and have conversations. We need art

and something real in front of us much more than ever. It’s certainly not a dying art form in that sense. How has the opera world changed since you entered it? The singers are getting better. I don’t know if it’s because training programs are getting better; maybe we have to be much more well rounded and trained. We gamble a lot on getting younger audiences to attend. Companies are competing against so much else these days: It’s difficult to ask young people to pay $150 to listen to classical music for a few hours. But once they’re in the theater, they are transfixed, even transformed. I’m performing a show right now called “Lucia di Lammermoor” in Miami, and I’ve sung it in London and will in Denver in May. I play a young girl who’s forced by her brother to marry a man whom she barely knows and doesn’t love. He tricks her into thinking that the man she loves has gone away to marry someone else. She marries this man and, on her wedding night, kills him. She reappears at the end of the play covered in blood and proceeds to go absolutely crazy, singing a 15-minute mad scene before collapsing and dying. After watching two-and-a-half hours of this girl being abused and belittled and forced to do things, you’ve seen someone go from being so happy to being broken. Your heart breaks for her. People need that. They need that outpouring of their own emotion. Opera is a really special way to promote that.

What do you find most fulfilling about opera? I was watching “Wonder Woman” the other week, and I was pondering super powers. I realized that opera is my superpower. It’s the communication — the ability to hold an entire theater with the energy I’m able to conjure up and shoot out to the audience. It’s a constant exchange of energy. Is there anything more you’d like to do in your career? Any operas you’d like to perform? There are a few more — just a few, maybe four or five. There are a few I’d like to perform again. But if somebody said tomorrow, “Your career is over,” I couldn’t be happier with what I’ve already accomplished. I’m very lucky. Anything else you’d like to add? I really enjoyed my day at Poly as the Distinguished Alumna honoree. It was so much fun. I was in a music class with firstand second-graders who were the cutest. One raised her hand and asked, “Will you sing for my birthday party?” Another boy asked, “Do you have a limo? Do you sing on the radio?” That was my favorite part of the day. It was really encouraging for me, based on my memories and my love of the school, that the tradition is continuing. The tradition of not just excellence and talent — I got the feeling that people really like each other there, care for each other. That’s something I always loved: Poly students are kind. They understand that they’re in it together.

Opera is, at its heart, a traditional art form. Is there any room for innovation? There’s a lot of innovation right now, especially from American composers. I saw a performance recently by the Santa Fe opera called “The Revolution of Steve Jobs.” It was fantastic. There was a lot of novelty, like the use of electronic music and a focus on computers and digital technology. More generally, social media use by opera companies is expanding. At the same time, I feel opera has lasted for centuries because we keep performing pieces that are 200 to 300 years old. It’s a testament to their beauty. It’s a reminder and a history lesson, but also something more. It’s important to keep those works in the repertoire, as well as innovating.

Stepp takes a trip down musical memory lane with Cynthia Crass, Tina Cocumelli, and Alan Geier.

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PANTHERS

IN THE ZONE New training programs help support student-athletes mentally and physically The Poly Athletic Department continually explores ways to better support its student-athletes even when they are not on the court, field, track, course, or in the pool. Recently the focus has been on increasing the strength of our student-athletes both mentally and physically. The department has looked to the expertise of clinical sports psychologist Dr. Francisco Chaves. Chaves has been working with Poly’s studentathletes, focusing on one team per season, to help provide the tools to push through adversity in any situation. He offers guidance to help athletes and coaches reach peak performance by overcoming mental and physical barriers so they can better achieve and sustain performance goals. Chaves offers steps to develop mental skills to help with performance anxiety, improve concentration, and build mental and emotional resilience. These tools, although introduced in an athletic setting, work best when practiced and perfected so that they can be applied not only to sports, but also within the studentathletes’ everyday lives.

PANTHERS IN THE ZONE

In addition to mental strength, the Athletic Department has looked at methods to help improve the physical strength of our athletes. For the past four years, strength and conditioning coach Sheldon Williams has been helping some of Poly’s teams increase their physical strength in the weight room. Williams has primarily worked with a small group of Varsity athletes. In an effort to make strength training more accessible and streamlined for all of Poly’s teams, the department decided to implement the Volt Athletics program, an online program designed to create workouts for student-athletes of all levels. Using their smartphones to access the program, each athlete has access to a personalized workout in the palm of his or her hand. Williams uses the app to create sportspecific workouts for each level of each team and is able to adjust the workout for a particular athlete if there are certain restrictions, such as an injury. The program provides athletes the ability to track their weight and ultimately their progress as they work through the program, with coaching tips

PANTHERS

IN THE ZONE and animated examples if they are unsure about how to complete the exercise. With the help of Volt Athletics, Williams has been able to connect with more teams, working with more athletes of all levels in the weight room. He has started strength training at an earlier level, helping younger athletes become more competitive as they progress through their high school careers. The hope is not only to strengthen the student-athletes, but also to increase their confidence in the weight room and provide them the skills and knowledge to continue their training beyond their high school years. Q

Poly athletics celebrates early commits It is always exciting for Poly athletics to have student-athletes sign early commitment letters to compete at the collegiate level. This fall Poly had three athletes sign early commitments letters: two in diving, and one in football. Krystal Irwin will be heading to Colorado Springs next fall to join the diving team for the Air Force Academy. In her career at Poly, Irwin was the 2016 CIF state medalist finishing in sixth place, the 2017 Prep League champion, the 2017 CIF-SS Division 3 bronze medalist, and the 2017 CIF state swimming and diving championships runner-up, trailing the champion by only 1.65 points. Irwin is a member of the Trojan Dive Club and has competed in many dive meets including the USA Diving National Diving Championships. Daria Lenz will be joining the diving team for Stanford University next fall. Lenz comes from a family of divers and is the fourth in her family to sign a NCAA Division 1 letter of intent to continue her diving career. At Poly, Lenz has been an NISCA All-American in 2015, 2016, and 2017, Prep League champion in 2015 and 2016, and CIF-SS Division 3 champion in 2015, 2016, and 2017. Lenz has also competed at the national level diving, making it to the World Championship Trials in 2017. Cameron McFarlane is also headed up to Stanford this fall as a member of the football team. During his career at Poly, McFarlane has earned All-Prep League honors twice and was named the Prep League MVP for the 2017 season. In his senior year alone, he accumulated 608 rushing yards, 126 receiving yards, 63 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, five sacks, and 14 touchdowns. He will be joining the Cardinal offense as a running back. Q

Starting at top: Krystal Irwin with her parents; Daria Lenz with her mother; Cameron McFarlane with his parents.

PANTHERS IN THE ZONE

Poly

Connections

A note from the Alumni Association president The past several months have been an especially exciting time for me. As the new Alumni Association president, as well as a current Poly parent (Liam ’18 and Aidan ’20), I’ve been privileged to participate in so many wonderful events and traditions within this amazing community. One absolute highlight was the October presentation of the Distinguished Alumni Award to world-acclaimed soprano Anna Christy Stepp’94, which is covered in depth on page 13. Anna spent a full day on campus, performing for, mentoring, and inspiring students and faculty in the Lower, Middle and Upper Schools. One had only to see the rapt faces of the student body to realize that she was giving us a much greater honor than the one we bestowed upon her with the award. It’s my strong belief that the Poly community is so vibrant because it is made up of incredibly interesting people. The mission of the Alumni Association is to strengthen our connections with one another and with the school. Even if your life has taken you far away from Pasadena, there is a variety of new ways to check in on what’s currently happening on campus. Two of my favorites are @PolyUSArts, which celebrates the school’s Visual and Performing Arts achievements, and @PolyAthletics, which offers game photos and scores. These and Poly’s other feeds offer a real-time view into campus happenings. For those who are able, speaking to Upper School students at a PolyConnect lunch, joining fellow alumni at one of our regional events, or hosting a current student or recent grad as an intern or job shadow at your workplace are also great ways to create new connections. I am proud to join the Alumni Board and Alumni Office in serving you. We always welcome your input, requests, and updates. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you would like to know more about how to stay involved and connect with Poly and fellow alumni. Go Panthers!

Events The Young Alumni community’s festive holiday events

December is an especially celebratory time for young alumni, as many of them return home to Pasadena for the holidays. In December the Alumni Association hosted the annual and much-loved Young Alumni Holiday Mixer for Classes of 2003 to 2014, as well as the 5- and 10-year reunions for the Classes of 2013 and 2008 and their parents. More than 135 alumni living in Southern California and others in town from all over the country gathered at Mijares in Pasadena for margaritas and to catch up with friends. On Dec. 22, Poly welcomed back to campus 166 alumni from the 5- and 10-year reunion classes of 2013 and 2008. Alumni and parents enjoyed a reception in Poly’s Upper School Library before alumni headed off to their special class dinners on campus, where the Class of 2008 opened the time capsule from their senior year. Thank you to all who attended these events. Special thanks to the Classes of 2013 and 2008 reunion committees for making your reunions a memorable and fun occasion! Q

Lori MacPherson ’85

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Events Poly alumni gather around the country Alumni regional receptions kicked off in October with Head of School John Bracker, Assistant Head of School Greg Feldmeth, and Upper School Science teacher Richard White attending gatherings in Ann Arbor, Boston, and New York â&#x20AC;&#x201D; including lunch with Poly alumni currently attending Yale, Harvard, Barnard, and Columbia. Later that

month, John Bracker joined Polyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chief Financial Officer Keith Huyssoon for a dinner with alumni in Chicago. Alumni dinners in Portland and Seattle in November brought together 30 alumni from classes ranging from 1964 to 2007. In December, 13 alumni in Dallas gathered for the first-ever Poly alumni event in the area. Q

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Events Alumni in college join together back on Poly’s campus

The day before Thanksgiving, alumni from the classes of 2014 to 2017 returned to campus for the annual Alumni in College BBQ. Current faculty members Ann Diederich, Greg Feldmeth, Marge Kenny, Jennifer Godwin Minto, and Richard White also attended the event and caught up

with some of their former students. Scheduled every year around the Thanksgiving holiday, the event gives recent Poly graduates an opportunity to see former teachers, classmates, and friends from adjacent classes and to connect around their college experiences. Q

The Alumni Association’s second annual Cub Club play date On Dec. 17, alumni with young children gathered for the Poly Alumni Cub Club (PACC) play date at the Southern California Children’s Museum, founded by Catherine Mi Welch ’99. The event brought together 27 alumni and their children for a morning of educational play and

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snacks. The PACC was recently created by the Poly Alumni Association and is led by Alumni Board members Elisa Rodriguez Cunningham ’01 and Tehmina Jaffer ’92. For more information about PACC, please contact the Alumni Office at alumni@polytechnic.org. Q

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Philanthropy Poly seniors make grant proposals It’s safe to say that every class and subject course at Poly takes students beyond the classroom at times to engage with resources in the broader school community. One resource — the Advancement Office, where Poly’s fundraising, alumni relations, and strategic initiatives take shape — rarely plays an instructional role with students. This year, however, an ideal opportunity arose for the school’s Advancement experts to mentor students in a realworld exercise in grant writing. The seniors taking the Facing Global Challenges course as part of their work toward their Global Scholar Certificate have a culminating assignment to develop an initiative to address one of four current world challenges and to present a grant proposal to a panel representing a charitable foundation’s point of view. As pairs of students worked in teams on an idea and proposal, they consulted regularly with a mentor from among Poly’s Advancement staff. In this course, Global Initiatives Program co-coordinator and faculty member Ann Diederich brought four global challenges in front of her students: refugees and displaced peoples; economic disparity and poverty; war and conflict; and environmental degradation and climate change. After

students devised, crafted, and revised their projects with coaching from their Advancement mentors, a panel of experts in grant funding from Poly’s broader community considered their final presentations and determined who would receive a modest grant award for putting the plan into action. The mentors enjoyed the opportunity to connect with their student teams over the process of securing funds to address such weighty world issues. “This assignment asked for a pretty sophisticated level of both planning and communication,” Poly alumna and Director of Donor Relations Amanda Edwards says. “I was impressed by my team’s approach, collaborating with a local nonprofit on the massive problem of war and conflict solutions. They exercised professional skills I know will be important in any future role.” “This coursework may lead to some valuable collaborations for Poly, and the opportunities are endless for the students to engage in significant global problem-solving,” Diederich says. “I am excited about the possibilities!” Q

Global Scholars inspired to action, with judging panelists Jessica Jackley (parent ‘30, ‘30), Rebecca Newman (The Rose Hills Foundation), and Ann Russo (parent ‘28). P O LY C O N N E C T I O N S

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Philanthropy Poly Fund celebrates many motives for giving Have you noticed a variety of giving options for the 2017-18 Poly Fund? As always the Poly Fund is the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main fundraising focus each year, supporting 10 percent of the total budget and every program that Poly students, families, and alumni enjoy. At the same time, this diverse community is passionate about a variety of specific focuses, and the new giving options reflect these different interests. Donors can give to the Poly Fund specifically in support of tuition assistance, the arts, athletics, and technology â&#x20AC;&#x201D; as well as the traditional choice of a general gift in support of the greatest budget need. Poly students can continue to count on exceptional teaching and support in every subject and extracurricular choice thanks to this annual support. The Advancement Office is available to make the giving process clear and meaningful to donors. If you have questions or would like to support the Poly Fund, please contact Elizabeth Shdo, director of the Poly Fund, at eshdo@polytechnic.org, or visit www. polytechnic.org/give.

New giving options for Poly Fund

Greatest need

Tuition assistance

Arts

Athletics

Members of the Advancement Team are available to answer your questions and can be found in the Booth Building on the North Campus.

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Technology

Poly

Connections

Class Notes Class Notes editorial policy: The editorial staff gives preference to those class notes that come from primary sources. We reserve the right to edit class notes (primarily because of space considerations and occasionally for clarity). We do not have the resources to fact-check class note entries; therefore, we cannot be liable for inaccurate or false information that may inadvertently ﬁnd its way into a class note. We thank you for your understanding. To submit a class note, send an email to classnotes@polytechnic.org.

1939-1959 William E. Taverner Jr. ’43 In September, I had my annual lunch with Betsy Luce Phillips ’43 in Santa Ynez, Calif. We always look over the 1943 class photo to see who is still around! Q Cynthia Crawford Berne ’50 Sadly I lost my husband of 60 years, Tom Berne. Poly classmate Mark Newman ’50 introduced us in 1953! A very successful blind date! My daughter, Kate Ward, teaches sixth grade at Poly, as well as the Middle School Debate Team. Q

Eric’s swearing-in ceremony for becoming a judge. Soon after, I flew to Sri Lanka to spend three weeks with my Australian sister-in-law. My husband, Dave, and I then cruised northward for two weeks, visiting Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Macau, and Hong Kong. In May, I spent two weeks with son Karl in Germany to celebrate his 40th birthday with friends in Berlin and “our” town of Burgstädt in former East Germany. Dave and I then flew to Belarus, where we spent the next two weeks visiting cities in Belarus, Ukraine, and Moldova. In August, we spent 10 days in New Mexico, including Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Taos. Early October we flew to Palau, where we joined a cruise for two weeks around isolated islands along the coast of Papua New Guinea. We have been to 160 countries and have future trips planned. Meanwhile I continue to play tennis twice a week, enjoy gardening, and try to keep my “German brain” humming by reading lots of books in German. We are very excited about the upcoming birth of our second granddaughter in early March. I always look forward to reading updates about classmates. Here is a picture taken of us with a dancer during our visit to a village on the north coast of Papua New Guinea. Q

Amanda Nyce McIntyre ’52 I am still traveling and trekking about in the world — exploring for unique crafts and art, in lessening abundance as people gravitate to big cities for other work. Q Dorr Eddy Jr. ’54 Dorr and Stephanie Eddy survived the great Sonoma County ﬁrestorm of 2017. The house is now in the atmosphere. Going to rebuild. Q Cynthia Nash Hummel ’56 At the end of December 2016, our family (including our son Eric and his wife, Krista, our son Karl and his wife, Lauren, and their daughter, Charlotte) met up in Kalispell, Mont., where we celebrated

1960-1969 Leelee Clement Doughty ’68 As per tradition, our 50-year reunion will be held at my house. So classmates, come all! There is only one 50th! Q

1970-1979 William R. Noack Jr. ’70 William has been living in the Santa Barbara area for more than 30 years. He is president of Channel Islands Mensa and Santa Barbara Contra Dance Society. He also volunteers at the Sahyun Genealogy Library. William had a bookstore for many years but has mostly resorted to being a collector with about 45,000 books in his collection. He had a beloved Ocicat, “Leeloo,” who recently died at age 17, so he just adopted a Maine Coon kitten he named Pan. Q

Lucianne Phillips ’71 In June, we had a mini class reunion in Portland, Ore. Ann Holmes Smith ’71 hosted it on her farm, Julia Tyson LaGrua ’71 ﬂew in from Pasadena, Nancy Jeanna Haden Juleson ’71 ﬂew in from Memphis, and Lucianne Phillips ’71 drove from Seattle. We met up with Craig Smith ’71 for an afternoon of great conversation, old stories, a lot of laughter, and a stroll for ice cream cones. (Left to right) Nancy Jeanna Haden Juleson, Craig Smith, Julia Tyson LaGrua, Ann Holmes Smith, and Lucianne Phillips. Q Philippe F. Tusler ’72 At the urging of my better half, I “pulled the trigger” and retired at the end of August. Marie-Noële and I promptly left for France for a couple of months. We spent a wonderful month in the Vendee region in Saint Hilaire-de-Riez and then a month in Orleans and the surrounding area. It’s

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Poly

Connections

Class Notes

PROFILE

Brooke Zobrist ’93 by Aisling Murran ’19 Brooke Zobrist ’93 is the founder and executive director of the nonprofit Girl Determined and a resident of Yangon (Rangoon), Myanmar (Burma). A determined woman herself, Zobrist took on the enormous challenge of improving the experience of teenage girls in the Burmese culture that has largely kept them marginalized, abused, and voiceless. Girl Determined helps give young girls access to education so they can better achieve their full potential. But the program goes beyond just education — Zobrist proudly describes the impact the program has on girls’ confidence and personal development. Through regular gatherings and activities, they develop decision-making skills and an understanding of their own rights for a bright future. As a Poly student in the class of 1993, Zobrist had a high school experience that helped form her mindset for activism and included some of the same things today’s Poly students enjoy. She says the open discussions at Poly about social injustice were highlights for her, specifically in Grace Hamilton’s class. The rare combination of “social and creative emphases,” Zobrist notes, was not only evident in this enduring English class but throughout Poly life. She also mentions Poly’s outdoor class trips, which she thinks to this day are still “rad.” After graduating from Poly and attending Arizona State University, Zobrist made her way to Southeast Asia on an internship and later continued her studies with a master’s program in sustainable development. In 2010, along with a colleague, she started Girl Determined and through that work has had the opportunity to meet people from all spheres of life. She loves this variability of her work in Myanmar, which allows her to connect not only with “influential philanthropists and political leaders,” but also with girls from rural villages across the country who are helped by Girl Determined. From Zobrist’s work and experience, she offers some simple advice for today’s students and the Poly community: “Give yourself space and time to lay your path. Perfect is boring.” Q

Brooke’s work was recently recognized; read more at asiafoundation.org/2018/02/14/myanmars-girls-speak-violence.

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CONTINUED

very odd to realize that after the vacation, there is no “return to the salt mines,” but I’m getting used to the idea. Everyone seems to have an idea of how I should spend my newly free time, but I’m going to take it slow. Fly-ﬁshing is starting to look attractive! We had a very nice, if very small, class reunion last spring, and we’re hoping to encourage a larger turnout for the next one. As more of the Class of ’72 moves into this next phase of life, I hope we can manage to get together and share some good times and our experiences of the past 45 years. Q Kathryn Nickel Levenson ’76 I am enjoying working with more than 800 students as librarian for Piedmont High School. Many thanks to the Poly librarian for photos of your beautiful library and advice as we are updating our 1930s library. After more than 15 years of volunteering with Contra Costa Search and Rescue, I took a bad fall down a ravine on a certifying hike in August. Thanks to social media, I can share video footage of the CHP helicopter rescue from several angles. I tore my MCL and ACL but was up limping around the library after one week off. A helicopter rescue is exciting to watch, but not when you are dangling outside the helicopter in a “screamer suit.” The advantage was 10 minutes from steep slope to roof of the hospital instead of several hours of being carried out. Nope, not resigning from SAR yet. I am their sergeant for fundraising. Enjoying more visits with my sister, Cheryl Nickel Prueher ’79, now that she lives in Altadena instead of Idaho. Q Alexander L. Varga ’79 It’s been 17 years now since I returned to Pasadena from the East Coast. I am living in San Gabriel with my beautiful wife, Linda, where we don’t have to dig out the cars before driving to work in the winter. We celebrated our 10th anniversary in December. I lucked out on the diaper experience, as Linda already had two sons, Aidan and Liam, now 17 and 22. Aidan is studying voice at USC’s Thornton School of Music, and Liam is teaching tennis and taking business classes at Pasadena City

Poly

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Class Notes College. In my business life, I have been in architecture and construction since graduating from Poly. In recent years, I have also been applying my knowledge and love of buildings to real estate, and this year, Cheryl Nickel ’79 and I will be putting our experience to work in real estate as a team with Keller Williams Realty in Pasadena. Just spent a long weekend in the Desolation Wilderness with Dave Wayte ’79 and Mark Stevenson ’79, keeping the Class of ’79 backpacking tradition alive as long as our knees and backs will allow it. We go every September, and we’re always looking for more Poly people to join us. If you’re interested, please call me at 626-644-8617 or email me at av@alexandervarga.com. Peace and keep on truckin’, Class of ’79. Q

1980-1989 Charlene Huang ’82 2018 will be a year of excitement. Chris and I celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. Our oldest child, Zoe, will turn 21 during her junior year at Smith College, and our twins, Nicholas and Phoebe, will be terrorizing the roads. I have rediscovered the joy of singing with the chamber singers at St. Augustine by the Sea in Santa Monica, all while tending to the bodies and minds of teenagers in my work at Kaiser in Woodland Hills. I enjoy watching my Brentwood kids getting walloped by Poly’s water polo team — well, maybe not!

1990-1999 Pratima Gupta ’92 Big brother Nehru witnessed Urmila Gillian Gupta Soper’s birth on April 4, 2017. He continues to be enthralled and says, “My number one job is protecting my baby doll!” I was selected to receive the 2017 California Medical Association’s Compassionate Physician Award honoring my work in advocacy and health care for underserved populations. Q

Sarah G. Babcock ’79 Still happily living in Virginia on a little farm with many animals and always many projects. Horses, ponies, miniature mule, dogs, cats, chickens, turtles, ﬁsh, and a new parrot keep me busy and entertained. Still working as chief of education and training at the Richmond SPCA and teaching many dog agility classes. Also just returned from a wonderful trip to Spain, where I got to do clicker training with rescue horses. It was great fun, and I am hoping to do more of that work during the year ahead. I rode in the Tournament of Roses Parade this year as I have for many years. I hope to cross paths with fellow Poly alumni during the year ahead. Q

M O R E A L U M N I N E W S AT W W W . P O LY T E C H N I C . O R G

Rick Thompson ’98 Lyra Janet Thompson, the ﬁrst child of Rick Thompson and Khanhvy Phan, was born at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach on June 3, 2017. She was 19.5 inches, 7 lbs., 1 oz. Rick, Khanhvy, and Lyra have settled into their new home in the hills of Orange. Rick teaches calculus and statistics at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana. Khanhvy teaches seventh grade English at Harbor Day School in Newport Beach. Q

Valerie Brownsmith ’99 This year has brought amazing growth and change. I accepted a position at Westridge School for Girls. I also married the most amazing human and my love, Kenzie Brownsmith, at their parents’ home in Colorado in July. Photo shows my family, including my sister, Jennifer Smith Carstensen ’95. Q

2000-2017

Courtney M. Churukian ’02 In August of 2017, I moved to Quebec for a new job. I was doing college ministry at USC Christian Challenge for 11 years. Now I am doing the same thing in Quebec, but this time I will be leading a ministry called Renaissance at the University of Sherbrooke. I am really excited but scared, too — looking forward to see what the year will bring (besides tons of snow)! Q

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Class Notes

PROFILE

CONTINUED

Kelli Liu ’13 by Harper Oreck ’19 Over the last several years, Kelli Liu ’13 has taken every opportunity to explore and enrich her passion for science, from conducting research to working on medical emergencies. Liu has aspired to a career in medicine since she was a student at Poly. She highlights Dr. Susie Kim’s AP Biology class as especially important because it helped prepare her for college and gave her the opportunity to delve deeper into the field of biological sciences. After graduating from Poly, Liu attended the University of Pennsylvania. While working toward a degree in biology, she got certified as an emergency medical technician (EMT) and joined the university’s Medical Emergency Response Team serving the campus. As an EMT, Liu gained experience treating patients in high-pressure situations, which reinforced her interest in becoming a physician. She also explored the logistical side of medicine by conducting research in the university’s healthcare economics department. During the summer following her junior year at Penn, she interned in The Walt Disney Company’s biotechnology lab, located in Disney World’s Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (EPCOT) park. There she worked alongside scientists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and her research explored ways to produce and maintain plant cultures in a lab setting. Liu explains, “Not only are populations using and wasting food, but also our land cannot support the production of food that we need, nor does the changing climate. So it’s important to be able to maintain crops outside of the natural settings, like in labs.” Liu looked to address this growing need in her research project. “In my lab, I maintained popular cultured plants like banana, pineapple, and vanilla,” she says, “but I was also doing research on producing new sustainable crop cultures of plants like agave, redwoods, and fluted pumpkin.” Since her college graduation last year, Liu has been applying to medical schools and has immersed herself in research and work opportunities around Pasadena. She currently volunteers at Huntington Memorial Hospital’s Phil Simon Clinic, where she works with infectious disease patients, and she is working on developing a clinical trial in Caltech’s Social and Emotional Cognition Lab. After attending medical school, Liu hopes to focus on providing care and improving medical infrastructure in lowincome areas. Q

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John Pearson ’04 John Pearson and Rachel Patterson were married Feb. 25, 2017, at The Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. Many Poly alumni from the Class of ’04, as well as a few faculty members, joined in the celebration. Pictured (left to right): Back row — Charlie Ball, Anson Leung, Peter Wyman, Joe Garand; front row — Priscilla Battelle (Middle School English teacher), Justin Chuck, Catherine Karayan Wilbur, Mallory Wilder Trachtenberg, Celinda Pearson (Middle School English teacher), John Pearson, Jason Nagata, Malorie Wiebe (Middle School math teacher). Q Catherine Karayan Wilbur ’04 My husband and I moved from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles last February. I am a trusts and estates and tax associate at law ﬁrm Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp in West L.A. specializing in estate planning, wealth-transfer taxes (estate, gift, GST), and tax-exempt organizations. In our free time, my husband and I like to sail, spend time with friends and family, and travel. Q

Mark Dodge ‘05 Mark and Susan Dodge welcomed Annabell Kennedy Dodge on Nov. 20, 2017.

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Connections

Class Notes Viviana Garza ’06 Viviana graduated from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington last June with a master’s degree in public administration. She graduated as the class president and was awarded the Justice and Diversity Research Prize for her teaching case titled “Baltimore and the Freddie Gray Case: Institutional Change in Racialized Policing,” which was published on the Electronic Hallway. She has started working at the City of Seattle’s Department of Transportation for the Ofﬁce of Equity and Economic Inclusion as a senior strategic data analyst working to advance inclusion for women and minority businesses. Q

father, Chuck Morgan ’71. Pictured are Connor Smith ’07, Joan Sadler ’07, Carolyn Levin ’07, Danny Pomerantz ’07, Joanna Hardy ’07, Katie Morgan ’10, Emily Russak ’07, Matt, Emma Chandler ’07, Kelsey McWilliams ’10, and Brooke Mulligan ’10. Q

Sérifos: Dani Smith, Alexandros Rosakis, Katherine Seto, Brooke Edwards, Orianna Torres, Catherine Lehman, Katie Wardlaw, and Shelley Garg. In Santorini: Katie Wardlaw, Orianna Torres, Catherine Lehman, Katherine Seto, and Dani Smith. Q

Mimi Beá ’10 and Molly Thornton ’10 Mimi and Molly attended game one of the World Series. Q

Breanna Bartley ’06 Breanna married Austin Arrington in New York City, and their romance and wedding were covered by Brides Magazine online last July. See the full article at www.brides. com/story/an-intimate-brunch-wedding-innew-york-city. Q

Matt Morgan ’07 Matt married Melissa Reith on June 24 in Snohomish, Wash. Many Poly alumni were present at the wedding, including Matt’s

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Faculty and staff

End of summer get-together with Poly friends Lou Fox ’55 (former staff, parent of alumni), Carolyn Fox (former staff, parent and grandparent of alumni), Barbara Bishop (wife of alumnus and current Poly staff), Linda Massey ’46, (former faculty, parent of alumni), Tink Cheney (parent of alumni), Debby Taylor Smith ’64 (parent of alumni), and Andrea Nagata (parent of alumni). Q

Catherine Lehman ’13 This past June, 10 members from the Class of 2013 met up in Greece! In Athens: Alexandros Rosakis, Katherine Seto, Orianna Torres, Rachel Hoang, Ryan Schiller, and Catherine Lehman. In

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Poly

Connections

In Memoriam We extend our condolences to the families and friends of those listed below and hope this section assists those who wish to honor their Poly classmates and friends. Poly publishes obituaries as space allows when we receive notice that an alumnus/a or former faculty or staff member has died. If we have neglected to list someone, please send us biographical information, which we will print in a subsequent issue. Please note: Listings include those received through January 2018.

Jerry Greer ’36 November 3, 2017, Laguna Beach, California John F. Watkins ’40 December 9, 2017, Pasadena, California John was a long-

Barbara Beardslee Perren ’39 October 2017, Dallas, Texas

serving member of both Poly’s Board

Mary Bacon Lyon ’39

of Trustees and

July 15, 2017, Greenwich, Connecticut

Alumni Association, leading each group as

Clara Buffum Mackie ’42

president for a term.

April 28, 2017, West Brandywine, Pennsylvania

Through this fall at the

“Buffy” was a real California girl who loved the sunshine and warm

age of 92, he continued

weather. She was an avid bridge player and loved to swim and

to volunteer faithfully

ride horses. She was passionate about helping others and was

for the Poly Fund

a volunteer at both Paoli and Riddle Memorial Hospitals. She is

effort as a phonathon

predeceased by her brothers, George Allen Buffum ’37 and

caller — and for the ﬁrst time this year opted to make

Edwin Beers Buffum ’40, and step-brother, Robert Hardin ’53.

calls from home rather than at Poly so that he could

She is survived by her daughters, Joan Mackie Heyburn and Carolyn

watch his Dodgers play in the World Series between

Mackie Appelbe, and her grandchildren.

calls. He attended other special events on campus often, circulating among multi-generational crowds

Preston Hotchkis ’44

graciously. John was born in Alhambra among seven

November 18, 2017, Santa Barbara, California

siblings and attended Poly along with his brother,

Preston Bixby Hotchkis passed away surrounded by his family

James D. Watkins ’41 (who passed in 2012), before

and his wife of 65 years, Maurine. Preston was born May 27, 1929,

attending Loyola High School and the University of

in Los Angeles to Preston and Katharine (Bixby) Hotchkis. He

Texas. During John’s long life, he worked hard as a

traveled by train to Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire and

civil engineer and in service to charitable causes he

graduated in the Class of 1947. He received his bachelor’s degree

held dear. In particular, he felt strongly about boosting

from UC Berkeley in 1951. He served as an ofﬁcer in the Strategic

educational and life opportunities for people with few

Air Command and was assigned to Texas, Nebraska, New York, and

advantages through Boys Republic, Catholic Charities,

England, where he lived with Maurine. He returned to California to

and Dolores Mission. John passed peacefully at

earn his law degree. For seven years, Preston practiced law with

home. The notice from his four children, Stephen ’84,

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in Los Angeles. In 1964, he made the

Katherine, John Jr., and Bill ’90, said, “For anyone who

decision to help his grandfather’s company and became president

asks, ‘What did he die from?’ I think his response would

and CEO of Bixby Ranch Company in Long Beach. He remained

be ‘A very long and fulﬁlling life.’” His many relatives

chairman of the board until the company liquidated in 2007. He

and friends will miss the smile and spirit he brought

contributed his time and support to Rancho Los Alamitos Historic

to the world.

Ranch & Gardens, Elizabeth Bixby Janeway Foundation, Paciﬁc Legal Foundation, Hoover Institution, Metropolitan Water District, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, Berkeley Foundation, and many more. Preston is survived by his wife, Maurine; children, including daughter Hillary Hotchkis Frisby ’75; siblings

P O LY C O N N E C T I O N S

Poly

Katherine Hotchkis Johnson ’39, Joan Hotchkis ’42, and John

Connections

Willrich; her grandchildren; and her four siblings, Dr. Terry M.

Hotchkis ’46; nieces and nephews John F. Hotchkis ’77, Sarah

Bennett ’53, Cynthia Bennett deBeixedon ’55, Jill Bennett

Hotchkis Ketterer ’79, Mark B. Hotchkis ’87, and Carolyn R.

Polsby ’57, and Timothy S. Bennett ’62; niece Katherine Bennett

Hotchkis ’88; and grandchildren and great-grandchildren,

Polsby ’96; and nephew Daniel N. Polsby ’92.

Sallie Morphy Colmery ’45

David G. Clark ’64

April 19, 2017, Montecito, California

September 1, 2017, Steilacoom, Washington

Born on March 6, 1931, Sallie lived most of her life in Pasadena and attended Westridge, Poly, Ethel Walker School, and Smith

Richard N. Wimpress ’65

College. She had a lifelong interest in art and education. She

July 8, 2017, Houston, Texas

was an enthusiastic wife, mother, aunt, and grandparent to 10

Richard, “Rick,” was born in 1947 in Pasadena, Calif., to Richard

grandchildren, including Claire Preston ’07, and three great

Norman Wimpress and Susanne Otis Wimpress. He was raised

grandchildren. Sallie was predeceased by Harry W. Colmery Jr.,

in San Marino and attended both San Marino High School and

her husband of 63 years. She is survived by her children, Sarah

Poly. At Christmastime, he strung the lights on the majority of the

Colmery Preston ’75, Scott Colmery ’76, Katherine Colmery

well-known trees on St. Albans Road in San Marino. Following high

Firestone ’80, and their families.

school, Rick received degrees in chemistry from the University of Washington and served in the United States Army during the

Donald Macfarland ’46

Vietnam War. Rick resided in Houston, Texas, for the majority of his

July 4, 2017, San Marino, California

career working for several chemical and engineering companies.

Donald is survived by his three children, grandchildren, and

His ﬁnal years were spent with Worley Parsons as a contract

sister Marion Macfarland Mack ’47.

administrator. Having an insatiable adventurous spirit, Rick’s passions included traveling, sailing, ﬂying, enjoying the outdoors,

Thayer Conley Whitehead ’51

and anything NASA related. He is survived by his son, two sisters,

June 2, 2017, Tewkesbury, United Kingdom

and nieces and nephews.

Thayer is survived by her children and grandchildren. She was predeceased by sister Madeline Conley ’43.

Thomas K. Voelkel ’78 Santa Cruz, California, July 20, 2017

Diane Bennett Bedford ’51

Thomas was born June 3, 1960, in New York City. He grew up in

October 27, 2017, Altadena, California

Claremont, Calif., and Marburg, Germany. He attended Poly and

Diane passed away surrounded by her daughters and loved ones.

Haverford College. He earned a master’s degree in ﬁne arts from

She leaves a legacy of dynamic creativity and an indomitable

Claremont Graduate University in 1988. He lived much of his life

can-do spirit. Diane attended Poly and graduated from South

in and around Santa Cruz, Calif. Thomas was an accomplished

Pasadena - San Marino High School. She earned a bachelor’s

woodworker and worked in various occupations at the intersection

degree in ﬁne arts from USC in 1958, and married William J.

of art and construction. He was also an avid climber whose

Bedford of Los Angeles. After college and starting her family,

accomplishments included summiting Yosemite’s Half Dome.

Diane was a high school art teacher. She later spent many years

He is survived by his son; his mother, former Poly Upper School

advocating for the arts with organizations such as The Pasadena

science faculty member Martha Voelkel; and his brothers,

Art Museum and has been a longtime member and champion of

Andrew Voelkel ’75 and James Voelkel ’80.

the Pasadena Art Alliance. She is survived by her three daughters, Julie Bedford McMullen, Jennifer Bedford, and Kelly Bedford

P O LY C O N N E C T I O N S

P.S.

Tom Allard Since joining Poly’s Performing Arts Department in 2001, Tom Allard definitely has made his mark, both on and off the stage, instructing almost two decades of Middle and Upper School tech theatre students. Today Allard splits his time between life behind the scenes with Middle School tech theatre and a new role: Poly’s resident storyteller. His commanding presence and resonant voice, complemented by his engaging sense of humor and colorful expressions, make him well-suited for the position.

Q: How has your background in acting translated to your work in the classroom? All those years on the road, all those café-toriums, gyms, libraries, all those parks and summer camps and trailer classrooms. The six-person Hamlets running out of one trunk, the six-person Midsummers with the collapsing, folding ass-head. All those summer stocks that made the nut with youth matinees. All of those decades I was working in the theatre thinking it was leading me higher on the food chain and quite missing the point that my career is youth theatre. Playing for kids is like breathing now.

Q: Talk a bit about your new role as Poly’s official storyteller. Faculty member Laura Holmgren started me on this road ﬁve or six years ago with freedom, support, and an opportunity to create in the classroom. Fellow faculty members Grace Hamilton, Katie Ward, and Renée Larios and many others constantly help and support. My mandate is simple: Use my lifetime on the boards to teach through story. Any class, subject, age group, division, or campus — my goal is to help communicate ideas. Storytelling is core theatre; just the kids and the moment … and the traction! For once I’m at the right place at the right time! It’s a long road to the starting line.

Q: What has been the most fulfilling aspect of your career in teaching? I had no kids and then I had a hundred kids, and they will be my kids always. Not just in teaching but in my whole honky-tonk life. Sharing time and growth and humor and life lessons with these amazing, creative, kind, smart-ass techies is the stuff of life … it’s rich! Their generosity of spirit humbles me; no easy chore. My gratitude for this wildly improbable adventure beggars description, face to face with design. What are the odds I’d ﬁnd another job playing everybody’s crazy uncle?

Q: What is something on your bucket list? Somehow pass Algebra 1. I’m 0-for-3.

P. S .

1030 East California Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91106 626.396.6300 : www.polytechnic.org

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Inside: Panthers in the Zone

Class Notes and Alumni Proﬁles

P.S. with Tom Allard

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