Journeys December 2008, Volume 5 by Singapore American School

MICA(P) 098/04/2008

SAS

Volume 5 December 2008

ourneys Singapore American School Alumni Magazine

SAS alumni with vision, passion and international perspectives

Published by the Office of Communications and Development 40 Woodlands Street 41 Singapore 738547 Tel: (65) 6363-3403 Fax: (65) 6363-3408 www.sas.edu.sg journeys@sas.edu.sg

JOURNEY COVER

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Inside features: • SAS today — the fabulous PTA • Oilers vs Steelers 1974-2008 • High school and alumni sweethearts • Then & now scenes of Singapore

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Vol 5 December 2008

C o n t e n t s Board chair reflects on being an SAS parent

Pirated sounds of the seventies Album becomes “a rare psyche rock classic,” according to the Record Collectors Guild.

Director of Communications and Development Beth Gribbon

Proactive PTA parents close the circle between home and school

Associate Director of Alumni Relations Lauren Thomas

SAS Education Foundation and donors

Editor Junia Baker Superintendent Brent Mutsch

Designer Josephine Yu

SAS Journeys is published by the SAS Office of Communications and Development.

Front cover: The octagonal Lau Pau Sat building, formerly known as Telok Ayer Market, and Telecoms building are two of the few colonial buildings in Singapore’s financial district. This photo was taken from the 50-storey One Raffles Quay building by James Roberts. Back cover: SAS Director of Communications and Development Beth Gribbon and Associate Director of Alumni Relations Lauren Thomas.

SACAC football at SAS 1974-2008 16 Football was a major event in the 80s. Today, a small league and homecoming keep the spirit alive. Formula 1’s first-ever night race takes place on downtown Singapore streets

SAS sweethearts

Alumni and current students enthusiastic about preserving the environment

Chinese language classes K-12 at SAS

SASers who give Four stories about SAS alumni, students and teachers who bike, build and nurture children

Then & Now — Singapore in the 1950s & 2008

Alums around Singapore

Reunions from the 80s and 98

Notes & Quotes

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Welcome Alumni

SAS then and now Dear SAS alumni, Even though the leaves haven’t changed and the weather hasn’t cooled here in Singapore, this fall season has been a time of excitement and change. The most newsworthy event was the first ever Formula One night race roaring around the streets of downtown Singapore in September. The world watched as the drivers sped through the illuminated city, dwarfed by the impressive skyline. SAS alum Francesco Zargani (86) flew in from Boston to take part in this historic event, and he shares his twin passions for racing and Singapore in this issue. Anyone returning to Singapore after a number of years, such as Brenden (94) and Ashley Zeni (96), returning after 14 years, will tell you how much Singapore has changed. We’ve taken a “then and now” approach with one feature in this issue, comparing photos of Singapore landmarks from the 1950s to photos from today. I’m sure you’ll be as astounded as we were at the incredible changes. SAS continues to change and improve each year because of its strong foundation of traditions, like SACAC football. This year we celebrated Homecoming with a huge crowd at a football game between the Oilers and the Steelers and crowned the homecoming court at halftime. A great crowd of local alums attended, including three generations of the Livingston family. The SAS family continues to grow: this summer we received news of several SAS weddings! Congratulations to Megan Waugh and Jordan Bloem, Richard Miller and Kristen Young, and Leon Liu and Claire Tan, who all tied the knot, joined by their SAS friends and family. These are the most recent SAS weddings, but we’ve been hearing that there are many, many more! Several SAS couples have told us their romantic Singapore stories in this issue, but if we’ve missed you, please contact us to share your SAS love story. Even as we face continuous change, we have taken the opportunity to celebrate the events and people who came

Anish Jain (02) and Rob Livingston (87) competed in the punt-pass-kick competition at the SAS Homecoming.

before us. The SAS Memory Garden is now complete. You are welcome and encouraged to visit and spend a few minutes reflecting in this beautiful space. We will have a dedication ceremony in spring 2009 to celebrate and thank our generous donor, Stephen Riady, for making it happen. The alumni office will send out more details via e-mail so that you can plan your visit. If you’re not Singapore-bound this spring, please stay connected via http://alumni.sas.edu.sg. We may be headed your way! As we did last February, Superintendent Brent Mutsch will be in several U.S. cities to recruit new teachers. I will travel with him, and we plan to connect with SAS alums. We hope to see you then! Happy holidays to you and your families,

Lauren Thomas Associate Director of Alumni Relations 3

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Letters & News I read the entire issue and loved the inclusion of Mr Ho’s recipes. What a great idea. Now if you can just get him to explain how he manages to cut the Thanksgiving turkey so that it doesn’t appear to have been sliced but on removal of the skin, Voila! There’s a magic there, I think. From Joanne Blakemore, parent alumni: Haywood (SAS School Board 9903) and I are so impressed with the SAS alumni magazine. Page after page is marvelous. Brava!!!

From Aleasha Morris, SAS 7th grade resource support: My husband and I have only been in Singapore two years, and it is amazing to have a magazine like Journeys to fill us in on all the years we missed! From Mel Kuhbander, SAS Superintendent 81-90: I truly think that SAS Journeys is the absolute finest publication of its kind anywhere. It is simply so wonderfully well done and all of the editorial team should be glad, glad, glad!

On the campaign trail at the grassroots level

ganizer I had to step in and coordinate these different schools of thought. Having grown up overseas I felt well prepared for the job at hand. Navigating through an already established system while creating a melting pot of disparate ideas was difficult, however I think my global perspective helped me do this effectively. Through experiences like interim semester and student council at SAS, I developed skills that equipped me well for this job.

Several alumni were on the campaign trail this past year, including Siddarth Mohandas (96), Jessica Blakemore (03), Emily Blakemore (06) and Scott Duncombe (04), who worked for Barack Obama. Emily’s experiences are below:

Yearbook celebrates 50!

I spent this past summer working as an Organizing Fellow on the Obama campaign in Virginia. I was one of eight fellows working in the region; together we had the task of establishing grass roots organizations and setting up offices in three cities. The job focused mostly on organizing volunteer efforts and bringing the national campaign to smaller communities across rural Virginia. I worked in a team of three in a small college town. Although the town had an established democratic committee and a good support base, it needed substance and direction. My six weeks was spent figuring out who the supporters were and how to plug into the Democrats and eventually merge the two groups into a coordinated effort. We managed to open an office, have two hundred people attend the opening, and by mid-summer it had about 15 hard-working volunteers a day. The tasks were not necessarily difficult, but they were challenging. Those challenges were easier because of my international experiences. Much like the “caf” at SAS, these small communities are full of people from different backgrounds with conflicting viewpoints and various opinions. As an or4

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An SAS parent for 17 glorious years In June my daughter Emma will graduate from SAS, following her brother Sam, who graduated in 2007. Both started pre-school at SAS’s Ulu Pandan campus, and June will mean the end of 17 years as an SAS parent. There are many things about our family’s time at SAS that have given me great pleasure, some that have caused angst, and many that have made me laugh and shed tears of joy. From the time Sam started pre-school I have been in the classroom as often as possible. I remember the fun of coming into my kids’ classrooms in the early years to play guitar and sing with the class and the long hours on Gecko Press production days, hours spent with glue, glitter and bubble paint. As pretty much the only dad on hand, I was often faced with the question: “Don’t you have a job? My dad does!” It was far easier to answer, “Yes, of course I have a job, but this is much more fun,” than to explain the choices I was making as a self-employed architect to find time in my professional life to be involved in my children’s school life. This decision did in fact limit the growth of my practice to some extent, but it was a choice I would make in exactly the same way today. There was something uniquely satisfying in being there, in the classroom, singing songs and doing projects with Sam and Emma and their friends. In the hard-working driven-to-success world that is Singapore, I am convinced that taking the time to play with my kids and their classmates was a vital part of finding a balance in making Singapore home for more than 25 years. I know that important by-products of that time with my children were the friendships I developed with the teachers and administrators at SAS. In contrast to the relationships built through my work, the motivating force and world views of those professionals who teach our kids are distinctly non-commercial. The talk is not of profit and productivity, of market growth and regional coverage; the concerns are community and care, holidays and parents and about helping kids succeed. As Brent Mutsch, our current superintendent would say, “each student is daily the focus.” As Sam and Emma moved into the Middle School, there were fewer opportunities for me to participate in the classroom. By this time SAS had moved to Woodlands, and its population was growing rather quickly. There were a number of things that were changing about the school, and my sense was that it was drifting toward losing some important pieces of its feeling of community. The Asian economic crisis that started in 1997 was in full flow, and I felt that the balance I had found was a perspective that might be useful to the school as a member of the Board of Governors. I put my name forward for election in 1999 and have served on the board ever since. My first year on the board coincided with Bob Gross’s first year as superintendent, and I served throughout his tenure at SAS. Bob and I developed a kind of partnership that was founded in our shared sense of community, informality and genuine surprise that we were able to navigate the sometimes rough but always surprising sea that is the SAS community. I know that Bob’s insights, wisdom and manner were sources of support and continuing education for many of us. Under Bob’s leadership we did much to improve the school’s facilities, built the new High School and grew to become the largest single-campus international school in the world. Yet we have remained a community familiar and comfortable with ourselves and one another, joined together in our shared motivation to do the best we can for every student, all characteristics that continue to be stressed under Brent’s tenure as superintendent. Since becoming a member of the board, I have attended nine graduation ceremonies. At every one of them I have wiped tears from my eyes, since I just can’t help being touched by the sentiments and emotions that fill the hall. I always come away feeling full of pride at all that our students have accomplished. This June will be my last SAS graduation. I can already imagine the happiness I will experience at Emma’s reaching this threshold of adult life and the satisfaction I will feel about my small contribution to the continuing development of our community.

Garth Sheldon, SAS Board of Governors 5

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Then & Now

Why yes, son, I am a Rock Icon By Kim Bengs (75), Bryan Hall (77), Greg Kemp (75), Howard Kukla (75) and Guy Rittger (77)

oops, hot, humid winter, and Kim, Bryan, Greg, Howard and Guy were trying to figure out what to do for Interim Semester. So we went to the administration with a proposal that our band, Crystalaugur, make an album — you know, those big round vinyl things most of your parents have in the attic collecting dust. We would write our own music, record it, have it pressed to vinyl and distribute it. The result was Terranaut. It is our own work. Greg recorded it on a TEAC or AKAI 4 track reel-to-reel with over-dub of vocals and other sound effects.

Life took an interesting twist on May 22, when Howard Kukla sent former members of his high school band an email listing a website (andthenthechimneyspoke. blogspot.com), where he had been interviewed about events that happened in Singapore over 33 years ago. Circa 1975: It was a cold, long winter in Singapore …

Crystalaugur (clear light) performing for SASers in the 1970s. Its one album, Terranaut (earth man) is now an “insanely rare psychedelic rock” collectors’ item.

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Then & Now Dallas-Fort Worth area. Kim lives in North Texas with his two The artwork was done by Guy’s stepmother. We had the reteenage kids. cording pressed by BMI Ltd in Singapore. Only about 200 Bryan Hall — drums — lives in Nashville with his wife copies were pressed, which we gave to friends and family. It Regina and three teenagers. Bryan is a consultant and writer was never intended to be a money making venture, just meant who travels extensively. Last summer, while in Thailand, he to get us through the two-week semester break. visited with Kim’s parents who are still in the area. He has Like many groups, Crystalaugur started out by learning a two books coming out in the next six months, Mano a Mano, variety of the popular music of the time, including songs by a father/son devotional written with his two sons, and What Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Grand Funk Railroad. HowChild is This?, a novel set in Singaever, Howard and Kim had been writpore and Malaysia dealing with child ing original songs before they joined slavery. the band, and Crystalaugur decided Howard Kukla — guitar — went to include some of the original maon to get an engineering degree. He terial in performances. A number of and his wife Lisa have three kids. these original songs appeared in the Lisa is a nurse with a hospice comTerranaut recording. pany in Dallas; Ben is in Athens getThe album was recorded in the ting his degree; Jacob is trying to finteacher’s lounge at King’s Road (in ish high school; and Marcus wants the old headmaster’s quarters) and his learner’s permit. No wonder in the school auditorium. The acousHoward has a full head of grey! tics in the auditorium proved to be Guy Rittger — bass — is planted quite a challenge, so the group conin northern California wine country structed an ad-hoc recording booth with a lovely wife, two faithful pit of free-standing room partitions, pilbulls and a challenging-enough corlows and assorted odds and ends porate career in information technolfound in the auditorium that day. Guy and Bryan today. Their 1970s iconic band, Imagine our shock when we Crystalaugur, is considering a gig at the ogy. Music remains an important part of his life, filling in the gap between Googled the name Crystalaugur and Houston SAS reunion next June. his primary passion — racing found over 1,700 hits! Turns out that sailboats — and the often soul-numba European bootleg operation had ing monotony of his job. taken our album and re-released it Greg Kemp — sound man and technical guru — whose on CD in 2001. We found that original vinyl copies have sold dad is still in Singapore, is a geologist who wanders the globe for over $1,000, and cuts from the album have shown up on and is now in Australia. radio playlists. Some websites called the album “a perfect But where would we be without our groupies!!! Not! We example of 70’s psychedelic rock”; rumors circulated that were, however, blessed to be influenced by some great young the album was actually cut by a group of “Native American” ladies, Cara Smith Palier (75) was dating Kim and was a Vietnam vets on R&R in Singapore. No, just a bunch of creative major contributor to the project (heck, we all had a crush on teenagers making music together, for a very memorable year. her). Married to Mike, with three kids, she spends most The most fun we have had with this revelation is that we of her time drawing, painting, sculpting and designing wearhave been able to receive the unbridled awe and respect of able artwork. Pam Campbell Gerritsen (78) was dating Howard our teenagers, friends and coworkers. Yes, we are Rock Icons. (earlier in the year she had dated Guy) and was the inspiration for “Pam’s Song,” one of the hits. Pam and Gary, her Rock icons circa 2008 husband of 19 years, live near Austin, Texas with four cats Kim Bengs — vocals, guitar, piano — later played in his and a yard full of wildlife and birds. college jazz and rock bands. He’s continued to study The long hair is now short, gray or gone. Our musical skills guitar, especially rock, jazz and finger-style and is planning to have been left to the next generation, but we can still shout, record music for release on the Internet in the near future. He “WE ARE CRYSTALAUGUR!” We’re even considering a gig next has also worked in the radio side of music off and on since summer at the SAS reunion in Houston. college, currently in a part-time position at 94.9 KLTY in the 7

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PTA school-wide functions include the County Fair (above), the Book Fair, the International Food Fest, Staff Appreciation Day and the Ice Cream Social at the annual Open House in August. The funds they raise are poured back into the school.

PTA builds bridges and memories for all By Lauren Thomas Associate Director of Alumni Relations

their first day jitters. Luckily, at just the right moment, a seasoned PTA mom or dad swoops in and collects the nervous new parent, asking about their recent move to Singapore or about the teacher their child has that year, or if they’ve ever lived abroad before. The PTA parents will see these new parents again at the Welcome Coffee and probably enlist their help later in the year for the PTA’s wine dinner or the County Fair.

Every August, as timid children face the prospect of a new school year, shyly clutching at their parents’ legs before taking those first few independent steps into the Primary School, they don’t realize that their parents are equally nervous, looking around for familiar faces and wanting to share 8

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Parents involved in the PTA embody the “can-do” inclusive spirit of the community

In this predominately American community, an active Parent Teacher Association is a natural fit and an integral part of the school’s continuing success. The parents involved in the PTA embody the “can-do” inclusive spirit of hometown communities everywhere. The PTA at SAS is a unique group among parent-teacher partnerships: it brings together an international community that recognizes its uniqueness and celebrates and honors the differences of its members and uses these attributes to

Top: PTA volunteers welcome and fete new families with ice cream, information and friendship. Bottom: One of the first PTA functions in the 1950s was a fun fair on the lawn of the original campus on Rochalie Drive.

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Invoking images of Thanksgiving and Halloween, these pumpkins are classic PTA: They were donated by APL; used to create a Pumpkin Patch room for the younger students to visit, hear stories and take home small gourds; and then sold to parents to raise funds for high school service clubs — a cycle of giving that these volunteers repeat in all their activities.

hotcakes, sometimes literally! The PTA’s annual Staff Appreciation Day is a spring event to recognize each staff member’s contribution and to stuff them silly with homemade goodies, including pancakes. The PTA builds bridges between SAS faculty and SAS parents. Working to improve communication between home and school, they have printed phone directories, cookbooks and calendars and send out countless mailings and emails. Not a group to be intimidated by technology, they have harnessed the internet to showcase their hard work at pta.sas.edu.sg. Over the 52 years of its existence, the PTA has displayed formidable fund-raising prowess, which is increasingly impressive with each passing year. The 2007 PTA donated over $300,000 to the Education Foundation, $50,000 of which was intended to commemorate the tenure of former Superintendent Bob Gross with the “Best Foot Forward” fund. Gross said, “In my 43 years as an educator and an administrator, I have never come across such a successful and well-organized parent volunteer group.”

better the educational experience of all the children at SAS. The history of parent participation at SAS really began the very first moment American expatriate parents decided that the British colony needed an American school for their children and then convinced the international business community to help them. The fledgling Parent Teacher Association is mentioned in the early School Board minutes from 1956. Each board meeting included a report from the PTA, usually noting its plans to secure something the school needed. In 1956, this included organizing a partnership with a nearby doctor for emergencies at school and joining together to buy school books and to furnish the play yard outside 15 Rochalie Drive. Then as now, SAS families turned to the PTA to assuage homesickness and came together to enjoy PTA events. Annual events now include the Pumpkin Sale and the County Fair. In addition to being fruitful fundraisers, these events add an American flavor throughout the multinational community. The PTA is also known to hand out appreciation like 10

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At the International Food Fest and County Fair, the PTA encourages high schoolers to set up booths to raise funds for their clubs and social service organizations, such as Caring for Cambodia and Tabitha.

Always a leader in school initiatives, the PTA made the first major donation to the SAS Education Foundation when it was established in 2006 on the fiftieth anniversary of the school. Former Superintendent Bob Gross holds â&#x20AC;&#x153;checkâ&#x20AC;? below.

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In my 43 years as an educator and an administrator, I have never come across such a successful and well-organized parent volunteer group Superintendent Bob Gross (99-07)

Other PTA funds go to high school academic and travel scholarships and school-wide division requests for equipment and program support. In addition, the PTA provides fund-raising opportunities for high school community service clubs, encouraging them to set up booths at the County Fair and Food Fest. The clubs use these funds to further their charitable initiatives. For the hundreds of volunteers who have rolled up their

sleeves in support of their children’s education at SAS, the PTA has been both an outlet for their energies and a support for their families. The 1961 Islander yearbook includes a dedication thanking the PTA: “To the PTA we are deeply appreciative for the sympathetic way in which they have supported the school’s needs.” This big thank you is as true today as it was 47 years ago.

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Education Foundation

Nearly $1 million! able for current and future SAS students. The 2008-2009 annual fund campaign will run through June 30, 2009. Donations will be acknowledged in the December 2009 issue of SAS Journeys. Please consider a contribution to the 2008-2009 annual campaign in support of the SAS Education Foundation. Donations may be made by check or credit card. Checks should be made payable to SAS Foundation. Go to http:// alumni.sas.edu.sg/donations to make a donation by credit card via our secure server. Donations made by check or credit card in U.S. dollars are tax-deductible for U.S. tax purposes. All donations are greatly appreciated and will be used to support the school’s programs and endowment. Donation checks should be mailed to:

By Beth Gribbon Director of Communications and Development Nearly $1 million was contributed to the SAS Education Foundation during the 2007-2008 fund-raising campaign as a result of the generosity of parents, alumni and corporate donors. These funds will support academic, athletic and extra-curricular programs as well as add to the endowment for the future of the school. A portion of the funds will be used to offer financial aid and scholarships, including the continued support of a student from a developing country. The funds available for financial aid continue to grow with the increasing success of each year’s fundraising campaign. In addition, the PTA contributed $300,000 to school programs through “PTA Fund Spending” and with scholarships to assist graduates with their post-SAS education. The PTA donated an additional $70,000 to programs supported by the Education Foundation and offered Interim Semester scholarships to high school students. As well as making substantial financial contributions, the work of the parent organizations (PTA, Booster Club and Arts Council) — volunteering and sponsoring activities, such as Food Fest and the Book Fair — contributes to the “culture of giving” and strong community support at SAS. The Riady Performing Arts Center and Memory Garden, made possible by Stephen Riady’s $4 million donation, is nearing completion. Music and drama productions will benefit from the expanded and enhanced performance venue and those attending receptions and other gatherings will enjoy the spacious, airconditioned lobby area between the theaters. The adjacent Memory Garden will provide a place for reflection and honoring milestones in the history of the school. A commemoration event for the Memory Garden is anticipated for later in the school year, and alumni will be notified of the details once they are confirmed.

Office of Communications and Development Singapore American School 40 Woodlands Street 41 Singapore 738547

Allocation of 2007-2008 Annual Fund Donations Donations, including $70,000 directly donated to these programs from the PTA, were allocated to the following areas.

Consider Making a Donation Fund-raising efforts continue to be supported almost exclusively by our current parent and corporate community. Alumni are also invited and encouraged to make a donation to the foundation. Reflect on your time at SAS and how it shaped your future and consider making a contribution to support the programs making that same opportunity avail-

Academic Programs Athletic Programs Capital Programs Community Service Programs Extracurricular Programs Financial Assistance Programs Professional Development Programs

$ 37,000 $ 25,000 $ 15,000 $ 60,000 $ 69,500 $ 173,000 $ 25,000

PTA Donations PTA Senior Scholarships PTA Fund Spending

$ 30,000 $293,268

Designated for the Endowment: Allocated from Annual Fund Donor-directed donations

$220,195 $300,250

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Education Foundation

SAS Education Foundation Donations 2007/2008

1956 Circle

S$50,000 and above

SAS Parent Teacher Association

Eagle Circle William & Jamie Amelio Ah Wah Chan & Cheok Kee Lim

S$20,000-S$49,999

Michael & Eva DeNoma Khoo Teck Puat Foundation Hano Maeloa & Sukma Widjaja

TigerICircle David Ban & Irene Lim Fanny Barki Crocs Asia Pte Ltd DHL Express Pte Ltd Colin & Claire Holdstock Hae Jin & Young Rim Lee William & Lois Lydens

Yonggi Tanuwidjaja & Melina Tanusaputra

S$10,000-S$19,999

John & Paula McCarvel Brent & Maggie Mutsch Yoon Suck & Suzie Nam Edan & Bon Park Richard & Jacqueline Seow Brent & Sandra Smith In Jun Song & Joo Hyun Lee

Gecko Circle Joe & Mae Anderson Boeing Gift Matching Program Hussein Nabil El-Lessy

Jonathan & Jessika Auerbach Richard & Ashley Barry Al & Clarissa Bautista Bart & Valerie Broadman John & Janine Byrne Dong Woo Chang & Ah Jung Lee Belinda Chua Bob & Monika Comstock Jeff & Vicki Crocker

Jeff & Cindy Tay Rohet & Arshna Tolani Ee Chao & Jennifer Wee Ee Lim & Sofina Wee Peter Yan & Siew Yen Chua Xu Quan & Xue Qiong Yao

S$5,000-S$9,999

Ragnar & Joey Horn Kelly Randall Steven & Maya Roll

Orchid Circle

Stephen Riady & Shincee Leonardi Billy Siu & Marianne Chua

Keum Shik Shin & Seung Hee Lim Carl & Anne Stocking

S$1,000-S$4,999

Johny Djuhar & Lilies Irawan Michael Fan & Grace Yao Edward Gaffney Jim & Beth Gribbon Kirk & Janice Hulse Ajai & Abha Kaul Rini Keim Chris & Elyse Khang Mavis Khoo-Oei

Devin Kimble & Amy Sittler Wisanggeni & Evi Lauw Joo Bae & Eun Hee Lee Seung Hee Lee & Ki Ran Rho Norman & Bee Bee Lem Kevin Leong & Deborah Ho Lim Meng Keng Department Store Thomas & Cheryl Linton Shahryar Mahbub & Shazia Khawaja

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Education Foundation

David & Christy Miller Natarajan Minakshisundar & Arudhati Mehta Rudy & Andrea Muller Janie Ooi Neil & Mika Parekh Vijay & Sujata Parekh Kishore & Deepa Pasumarty Adrian & Susan Peh Raj & Mary Rajkumar

Nam Uh & Youn Soo Rhee Stephen Russell & Stephanie Morgan-Russell Iwan Sarjono & Ingrid Prasatya Steven & Raju Shaulis Garth & Roxana Sheldon Rajagopalan & Vidya Shyamusunder Helman Sitohang & Maria Praptani Ajay & Sukeshi Sondhi Radhakrishnanan & Saraswati Sreenivas Yulies Tan

Soejono Varinata & Fae Sugiharto Clement & Una Wang Harrison & Sheila Wang Rayanusin Widjaja & Diana Harkono Jonathan Wilson & Cindy Leake Jun Won & Yoon Hee Choi Kwan Nga & Rosa Wong Howard & Beth Yao Raymond & Kaori Zage David Zemans & Catherine Poyen

Travelerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Palm Circle S$100-S$999 Vivek & Sadhana Ahuja Mike & Julie Allen Anil & Sangeeta Amin Jai & Rohini Arya Todd & Mary Avery Lola Bernal De Pizarro Chetan & Deepali Bhatia Varun & Ruchi Bhatia Sandeep & Anuradha Chalke Vimal & Priti Chandaria Vijay & Shalini Chopra Sanjay & Neeta Chowdhry Rakesh & Abha Das Phil & Shelley DeFord Janak & Seema Desai Naresh & Kalindi Desai Dinesh & Manju Gang Sandeep & Kiran Gill Scott & Shivi Graham Gary & Sally Greene Sheetal & Ruchi Gulati Ganesh Iyer & Anju Jain Raghupati Iyer & Padmaja Natarajan Shailesh & Sankhya Jejurikar Atim & Himali Kabra Rahul & Shalini Kale

Dhanesh & Sonu Kalia Vikas Kalia & Sarita Tafwar Suraj Kalra & Anita Kapur Sunil & Binifer Kaushal Amit & Ritika Khatter Satish & Sandhya Khatu Albert Koh Ranga Krishnan & Sripriya Chithamoor Rajat & Teena Kumar Prem & Sridevi Lakshmanan Ashok & Garima Lalwani Nicholas Laveris Ayaz & Shamina Lavingia Manish & Anu Madan Tarun & Bhavani Mahrotri Apurva & Rashmi Mathur Sanjiv & Devika Misra Ved & Shubha Narayan Samba Natarajan & Vidya Sambamuthy Nilesh & Anu Navlakha Neel & Arathi Nilakantan Harjive & Diya Oberoi Bhaskar & Hemagini Pant Deepak & Enaxi Parikh Rajesh & Chanda Piplani Raghu Rajagopalan & Lakshmi Venkatesan

Below June Moore

Ramachandran Rajamanickam & Jess Ramachandran Bharat & Vinika Rao Veldanda & Aparna Rao Rahul & Smita Shah Deepak & Pratima Sharma Devendra & Sangeeta Sharma Tiri & Susan Shaw William & Marybeth Shay Edmund Sim & Yu Lin Wee Sam & Usha Sivaskandan Mahesh Sivaswamy & Mala Mahesh Srini & Malini Srinivasan Anup & Neeta Suri Russ & Michelle Suri Alan & Akashnee Thompson Doug & Shannon Thurman Rajeev & Shailaja Vaidya Sunil & Sabeena Varkey Harish & Jay Vasudevan Sundeep & Sunita Vira Naresh & Alpa Vyas Wilbert & Amy Young

S$100

Jennifer Tsai

Landâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s End

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Homecoming

SACAC football still strong at SAS The Oilers, Vikings, Bulldogs and Steelers are still on the SAS playing fields 24 years later. The enormous enthusiasm has faded along with memories of the Aggies and Boilermakers, but SACAC football remains a force in the community.

first time in many years — the Oilers, Vikings, Bulldogs and Steelers. The 2007 season was kicked off at the opening ceremony with the presentation of the Rod Jahner Service Award to Dennis Schoff, a long-time referee and coach. Schoff’s 25+ years’ service to the league, despite not having a child in the league for many of those years, who exemplifies what makes SAFL so outstanding — those special folks in the community who tirelessly give to the kids for nothing more than the intrinsic rewards. The Singapore Falcons came together mid-season to go to Tokyo to take on the American School in Japan Mustangs. The Mustangs are an international high school team that competes in a U.S. Department of Defense league in the Tokyo region. It was a very up-tempo week of practice with

By Roy Tomlinson, SACAC Commissioner and SAS high school teacher “There’s no football league in the world quite like the Singapore American Football League,” said League Commissioner Rod Jahner many years ago. His words ring just as true today as they did back then. SAFL is alive and well in 2008. To play in a league where you know each and every one of your opponents, hang out with them, go to class with them and in many cases, form lifelong friendships with them, is singularly unique. In 2007, the league enjoyed nearly unprecedented success, with a total of 13 teams in the American, National and World Leagues. The high schoolers had four teams for the 16

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Homecoming

the outgoing Tim Taylor, in his final year of coaching SACAC football, serving as head coach, and SAS teacher Brian Donalson coaching the JV team. The teams flew to Tokyo on a red-eye flight on Thursday evening. Fortunately, ASIJ were fantastic hosts and provided home stays for the boys in addition to many cultural events (re: food! — like yakitori, ramen and Japanese barbeque). Despite the overnight flight, the boys ran through a crisp and organized practice session on Friday afternoon in preparation for the Saturday game. On Saturday, game festivities began with a gift exchange between the two teams, and the JV game started the action. In a hard hitting contest, the Falcons prevailed 20-6. The varsity game, which immediately followed, started auspiciously, with the Mustangs hitting a pass in the flat for a 65yard touchdown. Down 7-0, the Falcons came back and over the course of the game, ran the ball extremely well, accounting for 400 yards rushing for the afternoon. Josh Smith (08) and Alex Finch (09) had one touchdown each and over 100 yards rushing. In addition David Nockels (09) had two touchdowns. In total, the Falcons had five players with over 50 yards rushing and for the first time since 2003, won a game against a travel opponent. The 35-20 victory was the culmination of a fantastic weekend in Japan for the seniors, the coaches and of course, the parents.

In Singapore, the World League was very competitive, with three of the four teams contending for the championship in the last weekend of games. The championship between the Oilers and Steelers came down to a one-series overtime from the 10-yard line. Stopping the Oilers on a two point conversion, the Steelers celebrated their hard fought victory and as they always do, lined up to shake their friends’ hands in a show of respect and sportsmanship. The closing ceremony culminated in the presenting of the David Nobles Award to a fantastic young man, Robbie Whitehead (08). Robbie was a four-year member of the league and set an example in every way possible — as a player, a leader, a student and a friend — which is what the award is all about. As commissioner of the league, I had the privilege of giving it to Robbie, and it was a moment I won’t forget. Robbie walked with the award to his teammates, and other SAFL members, also his teammates, all shared his joy… and sorrow. Another season of this “unique to the world” league had come to an end. The 2008 season is just as exciting as 2007 in every way. We have over 150 kids in the program. The Oilers and Steelers played in second annual SAS Homecoming, and at press time, the Falcons were set to travel to Korea to take on the Osan American High School Cougars.

SACAC football teams in the twenty-first century may not have the pom-pom cheerleaders that were abundant in the 70s and early 80s, but they definitely have their fans. These supporters were at the September 2008 Homecoming Game.

Alumni, students, teachers and Superintendent Mutsch turned out for the Homecoming Game, a new tradition initiated by teacher Eric Burnett to foster school spirit among members of the greater SAS community.

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Oilers vs Steelers at 2nd annual SAS Homecoming By Sajan Shah (09) The last week of September saw a transformed high school as the students geared up for SAS’s second annual Homecoming Week. The idea of Homecoming was introduced last January to foster class spirit, recognize the achievements of seniors through a Homecoming Court and provide a venue for the entire SAS community, especially alumni, to come together in a non-academic environment and have fun! The week featured a variety of dress days, ranging from Generation Day to Heroes and Villains Day. Students dressed as toddlers, hippies and super heroes, and most importantly, sported the SAS red, white and blue on Friday’s Eagle Day. Whether they were riding tricycles through the cafeteria or catching marshmallows in their mouths while blindfolded, Homecoming Week saw many, many students participating in the lunchtime activities to win class spirit points. As expected, the big bad seniors from the Class of 2009 took home the most points. The culminating event of the week was the Homecoming football game, which showcased the Oilers, coached by SAS alumni Josh Nobles (99), and the Steelers, coached by SAS teacher Roy Tomlinson. These two SACAC teams have featured SAS football players since 1974 and are fondly remembered by many alumni. Teacher and alumnus Jim Baker (66) tossed the coin, and many other alumni cheered the teams from the stands. The football game started off in a surprising manner, with the Oilers recovering an onside kick and rushing for a touch-

Homecoming moves to fall season to include SACAC football down just two minutes into the play. Two additional onside kicks later, the game was set for a blowout. Throughout the game, various clubs sold hot dogs, cotton candy and popcorn, and activities were held in the back fields for those who wanted to take a break from the game. During halftime, the senior Homecoming Court was recognized. Wyatt Guggisberg was crowned Homecoming King and Ciera Walker was crowned Homecoming Queen. Stealing an idea from Phil Haslett’s (05) Tufts University experience, where a year’s tuition is up for grabs, SAS adopted its own version of a punt, pass, kick competition. Three teams (made up of an alumnus, a football player and a raffle ticket winner) tried to pass, punt and kick a field goal the length of the field. Unfortunately, all three teams failed miserably, which means the $500 prize money will carry over to next year for a $1000 prize. Over 1,300 students, faculty, alumni and family cheered the teams and enjoyed the evening. Next year promises the same energy, as well as bigger prize money. We invite all alumni to come back to SAS and get into the spirit of Homecoming 2009! 18

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Homecoming

American football — a Singapore phenomenon By Jim Baker (66), SAS teacher

made the football program possible. Within a few years, SACAC took over the administration of the football program, but its popularity and success continued to rest in the hands of the parents. For a decade (19751985), football was the largest program in the community. The numbers of people involved in the program were nothing short of phenomenal. At the different age levels, there were 12 teams each with coaches and staff, cheerleading squads, water girls and student trainers. In 1978, it was estimated that 500 students were involved, close to a third of the school. An outgrowth of the football program that also benefited the school program was the creation of a group of sports medicine trainees. Organized by Jane Bell, a PE teacher at Ulu Pandan, students were taught first aid skills and taping techniques to assist the coaches. Their services were not confined to the football program as they assisted SAS varsity and junior varsity teams as well. This group proved to be an invaluable asset to both school and community programs. In many ways, football filled a sports need that had arisen with the establishment of the school at Ulu Pandan. When

In terms of sheer numbers and community resources, no school program could match the American football program that was established by an enthusiastic group of “oil patch” parents in 1974. The nature of the community had a much more Southern accent in the 1970s and 1980s, and it dictated which new activities would be popular. Football is no doubt popular in the United States, but in the SingaporeAmerican community, it quickly became a passion. Football is an expensive sport, but the parents negotiated with SAS for permission to build a full-sized field on the Ulu Pandan campus including stands and lights, an announcer’s booth and concession stands. This required hundreds of thousands of dollars. The yearly operating budget of the league ranged between $150,000 and $200,000 beyond the costs of uniforms and gear for the kids. Prohibitive costs would have discouraged the establishment of such a league, but the oil service companies bankrolled the program. Their contributions and $40,000-$50,000 a year in beer sales 19

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Homecoming

the junior high school was on the King’s Road campus, grades 7 and 8 had participated in local age-group sports competitions. The philosophy that Ulu Pandan adopted in the newly created middle school precluded an active interscholastic athletic program. The belief was that competitive inter-school sports were inappropriate to the development of individual self-worth. SACAC football and later SACAC basketball, swimming, softball and gymnastics filled the void. The football league began the 1974-75 school year with two leagues of four teams for kids from grades 4 to 8. In the 1975-76 school year, a high school league was added. It had four teams — Bulldogs, Oilers, Vikings and Steelers. Originally all three leagues played on a rented field on Dover Road. They moved to Ulu Pandan in 1977. ISKL established a two-team high school league, and the two leagues played off and on in the 1970s and early 1980s. For a couple of years, Singapore also played against the Jakarta school, but its league was short-lived because Indonesia did not have quality medical facilities for injured athletes. Crowds of 1,200 to 1,500 attended the games over the weekends. They ate barbecued ribs cooked by the Cajun

Chefs, a group of oil patch men. Drill teams, cheerleaders and play-by-play commentators completed the picture — football in the tropics. Barry Newman, Singapore representative for the Wall Street Journal, described the football program in the Singapore American newspaper in 1976: “It’s complete with chaw tobacco, chili with raw onions and portable toilets. People are walking around the grandstand in cutoff jeans and T-shirts and those golf hats the tractor companies hand out. Cheerleaders wearing cowgirl outfits and waving pompoms are going through tricky routines. On the field, the Aggies and the Boilermakers, in professional football finery, are tearing away at each other while striped-shirted officials blow their whistles and fling their penalty flags. “It used to be said in this part of the world that only mad dogs and Englishmen went out in the midday sun… On Ulu Pandan field this blazing afternoon, there isn’t a known Englishman or any mad dog in sight — just one basset hound (the Aggie mascot) and hundreds of whooping Americans.“

In the 70s and 80s, each football team had a cheerleading squad of 20 or more girls.

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F1 Grand Prix in Singapore was dream come true Photo by Jim Tietjen

Much of the F1 race was on land that was reclaimed from the sea. Esplanade Drive, the road that bisects the photo above, and all the land to its left were part of the harbor until the late 1980s. The F1 route went along Marine Promenade, Raffles Boulevard and Nicoll Highway, past the Singapore Recreation Club, along St Andrews Road between the Padang and St Andrews Cathedral, past the Cricket Club, over Anderson Bridge, past the Fullerton Building, down Esplanade Drive past Theaters-on-the-Bay and along Raffles Avenue.

By Francesco Zargani (86)

year-old, I really could not make much sense of it, but it’s been a part of me ever since. When I lived in Singapore, in the days before satellite TV and cable, sports on SBC’s two channels were mostly limited to soccer, rugby and cricket. The choices for motor sports were non-existent, except for an occasional blurb in The Straits Times, and Formula 1 results were posted in a scorecard summary section. Like many expatriates in Singapore from my generation, I was fortunate to have means at my disposal that were beyond the ordinary. I therefore concocted this great scheme, with the taciturn acceptance of my father (who never quite

It’s been 22 years since I deposited a marble in Dr. Mel Kuhbander’s hand while collecting my diploma at graduation, a rite of passage the Class of 1986 thought was sheer brilliance at the time. In those 22 years, I’ve been consumed by two passions: my infinite love for Singapore and the Singapore American School and a visceral love of motor sports. My devotion to motor racing began when I was four. My father took me to a world-famous race track in Monza, Italy. I vividly remember sitting in the grandstands and watching cars practice in the rain. With the intellectual acuity of a four21

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The first-ever Formula 1 Grand Prix night race took place in Singapore on September 28, 2008.

seemed to take place during 2nd period math or 5th period physics. I dreamed of Formula 1 cars racing down Orchard Road, just like they did in Monte Carlo. For years I always said that if Formula 1 ever came to Singapore, no matter where I was, I would come back to be part of the event. Since the mid-1990s motor sports have expanded beyond traditional European and American markets and ventured into Southeast Asia. In 1999, Malaysia had the Formula 1 race near Kuala Lumpur, and I remember watching it on television thinking that maybe one day F1 would travel a bit further down the peninsula. In 2007 it was announced, after years of rumors, that the Singapore Grand Prix would become a reality. I started looking for tickets the moment the announcement was made. The cars did not race down Orchard Road like in my childhood dreams; rather they raced along Raffles Boulevard and Nicoll Highway. More than half the race was on land reclaimed from the sea, which did not exist when I was at SAS. It’s been a long time since that radio and those middle of the night reports, but on September 28, 2008 the grand race came to

figured out how his son could possibly be so enamored with cars going around for hours), where I enlisted his friends and colleagues to tape the races overseas and ship them to me. My ingenious plan worked for years. It gave brutal weight to the meaning of “tape-delayed” since I usually saw races three weeks or a month after they took place and already knew the results because the BBC broadcast race reports. Middle of the night, early morning, it did not matter; for years a little radio and my right ear were the conduits of triumphs, disappointments, anticipation and a few fists pumped in the air. When I started racing as a hobby, I had the American flag and the Singapore flag on my racing overalls. On my racing helmet, which was always white and red after Singapore’s colors, I had a large SAS logo. In motor sports, as in everything in my life, I always felt a close bond with SAS; a connection which far surpasses my attachment to my college alma mater in Connecticut. Throughout my time at SAS I had daydreams of a Formula 1 race that took place in the streets of my beloved Singapore; judging by my report card, these daydreams 22

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For years I always said that if Formula 1 ever came to Singapore, I would come back to be part of the event. I was there in September — and grinned like an idiot the entire time.

Singapore, and I was there. When I sat there, in the Padang grandstands, for the first night race in Formula 1 history, I felt as privileged as I did growing up — and I grinned like an idiot the entire time! I also visited my beloved Singapore American School; it might not be on King’s Road anymore, but it is still home. I raided the Booster Club store for t-shirts — nothing like a mature grey-haired man wearing a PE t-shirt.

Francesco Zargani and his racing helmet with SAS logo.

The Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix last September was the first modern F1 race to be held in Singapore. It was one of only three street circuits worldwide. Most racing enthusiasts agree that street circuits are the most challenging and best venues for drivers and spectators. It was also the first F1 night race. Singapore’s striking skyline, its exotic location and its evocative history created a glamor that easily rivaled that of Monaco. Formula 1’s Bernie Ecclestone said in Today newspaper that the event was a remarkable achievement and a hard act to follow.

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“Looking back, we were the perfect match in high school but were too busy to notice,” says Kristen Young Miller (98).

SAS sweethearts and their stories Kristen and Richard by Kristen Young Miller (98)

Looking back, we were the perfect match but were too busy to notice each other. The spark began the summer of 1998 on Orchard Road, where we ran across each other outside Starbucks. I was still a senior, and Richard had just returned from his freshman year at NC State. We spoke briefly, but it was the image of me in my school blues and whites that stuck in Richard’s mind until my arrival at NC State that fall. We became friends in college and spent countless afternoons together sharing our love of all things. Fate caused us to be roommates the summer of 1999, and our relationship began that fall. We were inseparable through college, making friends where we were most comfortable, in Richard’s international dorm. His engineering degree took led to graduate school. I finished my degree in zoology and got a job.

There are very few times in our lives that have as much impact on us as the four years spent in high school. We mature physically and emotionally and experience friendships that can last a lifetime — or maybe just a day. The Singapore American School was where I met my future husband and discovered that the world wasn’t so large after all. Richard Miller (97) could be defined as your “all-around” great guy. He excelled in the arts, played basketball and socialized with a mixed group of friends from across the high school spectrum. His grin was infectious, and his height made him stand out from the crowd. I was also a social butterfly, as I dabbled in drama, music and sports. The typical cheerleader, I made friends easily and had an omnipresent smile. 24

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Kristen and Richard seamlessly transitioned from high school friends to college sweethearts to true soul mates.

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By 2003, Richard had finished his master’s in engineering and began the job hunt. We had been together for five years, effortlessly. Our fights consisted of him showing up late for a date or me putting things away in his room where he couldn’t find them. We seamlessly transitioned from high school friends to college sweethearts to true soul mates. I began my MBA in 2004, and Richard followed his career as a systems engineer for Cisco Systems in Chigago, and I stayed behind in Raleigh. We saw each other about five times that year, but there still remained no strain on our relationship. Our friendship and love for each other just continued to grow. The fall of 2005 I transferred to Loyola University and moved in with Richard. It was a big move, as we had been together for six years and were not as yet engaged. While I

searched for a job and finished my master’s, Richard supported us both. While we enjoyed alone time, we were the token “couple” at all our social gatherings with friends. Our friends considered us “old and married” by the time we reached our seventh year together. In July of 2007, Richard finally proposed. I immediately said yes, and we were married this September, a wedding that was nine years in the making. It can only be said that our love and respect for each other provided the strong bridge that made our relationship last from our late teens to our late 20s to the rest of our lives. Attending the Singapore American School provided us both with the opportunity to learn about new cultures, experience different worlds and build friendships that will truly last a lifetime.

Richard excelled in the arts, played basketball and socialized with a group of friends from across the high school spectrum.

Kristen was the typical cheerleader, making friends easily and always smiling.

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SASers at Claire and Leon’s wedding: front, Paula Silverman (teacher), Jennifer Lee (98), Claire (98) and Leon (96); second row, Rick Silverman (teacher), Rose Bava (teacher), Carolyn Choy (98), Nini Mitchel (former staff), Wendy Choo (98), Ann-Marie Tan (98), Ezra Miksic (95), Umerto Pellegri, Samir Mowla (97), Anokhi Kapasi (98); third row, May Lim (current staff), Jim Baker (66 and teacher), Robert Saludo (69), Farida Mallal (retired teacher), Pauline Ashness (retired teacher), Kathy Tan (67), Chris Tan (96), Fritz Tan (93), Brian Miller (95); fourth row, Rohaya Samijan (current staff), Karen Wong (current staff), Henry Tsang (69), Maevin Tsang (70), Vivien Tsang (68), Zahed Kahn (97), Mark Garofalo (95), Richard Miller (97).

The beauty and the geek Claire and Leon by Leon Liu (96) Although it took over a decade, it was inevitable that the two of us would meet eventually. Claire and I both attended the Singapore American School, and one of Claire’s best friends, Amy Tan Wei, was the younger sister of one of my best friends, Chris Tan. We caught glimpses of each other either at school or while hanging out with our respective groups, but neither of us had the opportunity (or interest) in talking to the other. (Think beauty and the geek...) A tragic circumstance brought us together ten years later when my childhood friend, Rajiv Krishnan, passed away. A memorial was held in New York, and I flew up to attend. I found Claire to be interesting and captivating, and we found

we shared a lot of interests in common. After a year of seeing each other every weekend, I decided to propose, but my “funny but romantic” scenario did not exactly play out well. The idea was simple. We were in Singapore visiting Claire’s family, and I planned to put a large, fake diamond around the neck of Claire’s favorite dog, who would then appear at an unexpected location on Claire’s morning run. Being the dog lover she is, Claire would most likely start playing with the dog, without suspecting that it was Casper. I would kneel down and do the same (meanwhile, Claire’s family would be taking pictures). I would ask Claire to look for a license to see who the dog belonged to. She would search the collar and find the fake ring. When she finally put the pieces of the puzzle together, I would already be on one 26

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knee with the real ring in my hand. On the morning of the proposal, Claire’s sister, AnneMarie, and her mother attached the ring to Casper, and the three of them drove off to the prearranged spot. The real ring was in a pouch that I looped through my necklace and hid under my shirt. As we approached the spot where the proposal was to take place, Claire’s mother and Anne-Marie let Casper go. Everything was going according to plan. The dog walked toward us, and Claire didn’t suspect for a second that the dog was hers. Even when she saw the flash from a camerawoman wearing inconspicuous electric blue shorts and hiding behind the bushes, her thought was “Why is she taking a picture of the dog?” The biggest failure was the dog. Instead of heading for Claire, Casper wandered off toward some garbage cans. Without thinking, I blurted, “Casper! Casper, come here!” My cover was blown, another flash went off in the distance, and since making the scene convincing was no longer possible, I tried my best to make it confusing. Pretending not to

At SAS, neither of us had the opportunity — or interest — to speak to each other. have said what I said, I got down on one knee and played with the dog. Claire had already figured it out at that point and asked, “are you going to propose to me?” I retrieved the real ring from the pouch around my neck and proposed to her.

Claire Hwi Meng Tan and Leon I Ming Liu were married in Singapore at St. Ignatius Church on King’s Road on August 23, 2008.

SAS sweethearts Megan and Jordan: Alumni who attended the marriage of SAS high school sweethearts Megan Waugh (04) and Jordan Bloem (04) on September 20 in Beaver Creek, Colorado were (front) Adam McCurley (04), Jordan, Rachel Bloem, Nicole DeFord (04); (second row) Kate LeSueur (04), Joanne Lonergan (04), Megan; (back) Lon LeSueur, Sara Calvert (06), Heather Wigmore (04), Chris Wong (04), Kenny Rosche (04), Scott Greene (04), Vincent Vainius (04), Bob Benbow (04), Andrew Wigmore (02), Michael Bloem, Matt Bloem (02), Auggie Bautista (04).

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High school sweethearts Gina Blick and Phil Provost (right) with Jeff Cantrell and Wendy Shaver at 1976 prom.

High school sweethearts and friends to this day Sally and Mike Casey and Phil and Gina Provost were high school sweethearts and good friends at SAS in the late 1970s. After they graduated from SAS and returned to the United States, the two couples remained in close contact as they finished college, married and had children of similar ages. This year, both couples are celebrating the arrivals of their first grandchildren.

Sally and Mike by Sally Ackerman Casey (76)

I noticed Mike and his piercing blue eyes at the American Club. Later his sister Maureen invited me to his hockey game. I went expecting field hockey, but it was ice hockey! In Singapore! I couldn’t imagine it. He was a “tough guy,” a jock who always wore his hockey jersey. We dressed like most Western kids in the 70s: jeans, Indian blouses, peasant tops and sandals. The girls back then wore little or no makeup and were very low key. I’m pretty sure we never wore shorts outside the clubs or school campus. We had free dress day on

I was in and out of Singapore as a child: we moved after I finished first grade, then returned for sixth grade through senior year, except for my junior year, when my parents were briefly transferred. When I returned that summer of 1975 for my senior year, I noticed a lot of changes: many of my friends had moved away, and the community was becoming more “Americanized.” 28

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The 70s in Singapore was a wonderful time. The hotels were spectacular, the food incredible and the people gentle. Singapore was still between two centuries with dirt villages among the high rises that were starting to peek through the skyline.

to. There were a few “pubs” we went to at night, but I can only remember the Balmoral now. We liked to eat at the stalls. We knew we’d continue our relationship despite going to different colleges. Later, Mike joined me in Oregon to start his flight training, while I attended the University of Oregon. We moved to Texas in the early 80s and married in 1982. We have lived in Texas for the last 24 years and raised our kids here. Mike is now an international airline pilot for American Airlines, and I teach pre-school. Just recently, we were happy to become grandparents for the first time, when our daughter Junell welcomed a son, Landry Michael.

Gina and Phil by Gina Blick Provost (77) Phil and I met in English class during our junior year at SAS. He used to kick my shoe off as he sat behind me, and I found it annoying, though I think that his persistence grew on me, and I guess in the midst of that I fell in love. We had a great time in high school: we traveled to Brunei on spring break aboard a freight liner, we spent time with his parents in Palembang, Indonesia (Phil’s dad worked for Kellogg and Phil lived in the Methodist hostel with Mrs. Snead), and we scouted out Singapore every weekend, bars and all. Our first date was the elegant Marine Ball. That date could have been a deal breaker: Phil was late picking me up, and I was sure I had been stood up. Back then there were no cell phones. Phil had been playing football, which he loved, and as I recall the game went longer than expected. Mrs. Snead, whom I remember as a wonderful lady, called to assure me that he would make the date. Phil also played baseball, and all through the baseball season I would watch him pitch and ooh and ah over how great he was. I was deeply in love. The 70s in Singapore was a wonderful time. The hotels

Sally Ackerman and Mike Casey in 1976.

Fridays, which everyone loved. There was a strict hair code for the boys, but Mike and Phil kept their hair as long as they could and were always dodging the principal! Mike and I dated through our senior year at SAS, going to the American Club, Sentosa and the movies. We hung out in groups at each other’s homes. Mike was one of the few students who had a car, not that there were many places to drive

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Sally, Phil, Gina and Mike in 2008 — friends for over 30 years.

were spectacular, the food incredible and the people gentle. Singapore was still between two centuries with dirt villages among the high rises that were starting to peek through the skyline. Phil graduated from SAS in 1977. I graduated from high school in Houston. It was my first time living in the States, and it was very difficult to leave Phil behind. I thought the world had fallen apart. We kept in close contact. It was trying, but Phil wrote me a letter every day! I still have them. Upon Phil’s return to Texas, we decided to go to Louisiana Tech together, and the rest is history. Phil and I now work together on our online furniture business, eWay Furniture, in Austin, Texas. We have two gorgeous daughters, Mia and Deana, and we’ve recently been blessed with our first grandson, the son of our daughter Deana, who also married her high school sweetheart, Darryl. We had the privilege of spending the entire summer with our grandson, just ooohing and aaahing over him. We couldn’t be happier.

This issue of Journeys has covered only a few of the many SAS sweethearts. If you would like to share your story, please e-mail alumni@sas.edu.sg.

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Going Green

Sustaining our green conscience By Stephanie Tang (04) Former SAVE Club president Plato said in The Republic that wealth is the parent of luxury and indolence; yet I beg to differ. When used wisely, wealth can be the parent of an educated and generous populace capable of utilizing its resources for the betterment of the greater community. The difference between these viewpoints is obvious: individual effort. As the SAS community is

undeniably an affluent one, we must be extra cautious that we do not vindicate Platoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s statement. Fortunately, the extracurricular platforms at SAS have proved that passion and effort go a long way. SAS has the ECO Club in the middle school and SAVE Club in the high school, both of which have different types of programs that teach children the multifaceted practice of having a green conscience. SAVE stands for Students Against Violation of the Environment. There are programs that expose students to nature and

Primary School students go green â&#x20AC;&#x201D; treasuring the environment is a school-wide priority at SAS.

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Going Green all its beauty: such as the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicaped (SAVH) Sensory Trail, which allows them to accompany visually handicapped adults on once-a-month outings to Pulau Ubin. The highlight of the trip is a trail that allows the blind to experience different tropical plants through touch, taste and smell while reading from Braille plaques. My favorite part of the trail is the “meadow of pandan leaves,” pandan being a plant used often in cooking and fragrances. The sweet smell of Malay kueh (green, steamed pastry) never failed to remind me of my childhood, although many times I was rudely interrupted by sighting a tiny garden snake lurking near the plant! I found it a very worthwhile activity as the kids are able to cultivate a keen appreciation of local flora while contributing a service to the less advantaged. In keeping with that appreciation, we created the Blair Sonnenberg Memorial Butterfly Garden while I was co-president of SAVE in 2004. National Parks experts helped us to choose butterfly-attracting plants that, as the garden matured, would allow us to observe the whole life cycle of these “garden angels.” Other programs in SAVE and ECO teach students how our actions have environmental consequences: such as the International Coastal Cleanup held every year, where all the

The beauty of ECO and SAVE involvement is that it cultivates an ethic that infiltrates life outside of it.

members spend a Saturday morning in a worldwide effort to clean up the mangrove beaches; not to mention the extensive school-wide recycling efforts for paper, plastic and ink cartridges. Recycling every Friday was hard work as we had to lug massive bags across the school campus, but we always felt as if we were part of a very special team working behind

Planting in the Blair Sonnenberg Memorial Butterfly Garden with Dr. Jane Goodall, who founded the Jane Goodall Institute for Wildlife Research, Education and Conservation.

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Going Green

Top: SAVE members at annual International Coastal Cleanup. Left: SASer guides visually impaired partner along the SAVH Sensory Trail on Pulau Ubin.

water bottles. It was a multi-step process, which began with persuading food vendors, such as Mr. Hoe, Subway and Sodexo, to phase out the sale of these bottles. More drinking fountains were installed; Mr. Hoe provided free water and reusable cups; and the community was encouraged to buy other drinks in recyclable aluminium containers. SAVE has further initiated the sale of reusable aluminium SIGG water bottles that do not leech the harmful carcinogen (BPA) that the Nalgene plastic bottles do. After overcoming the initial inertia of old habits and with the support of the Booster Club and HS Principal Norcott, very few students today drink water from disposable plastic bottles, if any. The beauty of ECO and SAVE involvement is that it cultivates an ethic that infiltrates life outside of it: kids who recycle on Fridays remember to save paper at home. Looking back at the time I contributed to SAVE, I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to participate and foster what has become an aspect of my way of life.

the scenes, and we were amply rewarded with a pizza or ice cream party every month! Today SAVE has made great progress in reducing plastic waste. A couple years ago, SAVE released its stylish reusable cloth tote bags with original student designs in an effort to replace disposable plastic bags. I use them for everything from transporting groceries to carrying my books back and forth between lectures. This year SAVE has succeeded in persuading the school administration to ban the sale of plastic 33

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Going Green

Energy independence is about thinking big and starting small Warrenton Mayor George Fitch (65) plans to build a $30 million plant that will turn garbage, construction waste and agricultural refuse into sufficient electricity to power all the homes and offices in his town of 8,000 people.

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Going Green

aging the graduates to “take opportunities and persevere in the face of mockery and adversity.” Fitch continues to be a “Yes we can” kind of guy, though he professes to be a fiscally conservative Republican. When he ran for mayor in Warrenton, he was told he did not have a chance of winning, but he persisted and beat the odds. Then he did what he had promised the voters: he improved community services, reduced taxes and built a budget surplus. Now he wants to make Warrenton energy independent, probably his most ambitious project ever. The feasibility studies have been done, the technology evaluated and the private company selected to take the trash at the landfill — which is now being buried and emitting greenhouse gases — and turn it into 10 megawatts of electricity, enough for every home and office. It will also eliminate more than 100,000 tons of greenhouse gases, which represents 15 percent of the city’s carbon footprint. All these initiatives may take years to complete, but George Fitch tells skeptics that somebody has to make the first foray into a greener future and that he doesn’t mind “stepping into the water.” Meanwhile, the city of Warrenton is proceeding with smaller initiatives, such as LED traffic signs and exit signs in government buildings, which have already reduced energy usage dramatically. Fitch says, “we are going to be the greenest, most sustainable community out there.”

Warrenton, Virginia: Mayor George Fitch (66) is leading his constituency toward total energy independence with a basket full of initiatives both big and small. The grandest part of this initiative is to build a $30 million plant that will turn garbage, construction waste and agricultural refuse and residue into sufficient electricity to power all the homes and offices in his town of 8,000 people. Once an SASer (he attended 57-62) and later a tennis-playing student at the National University of Singapore, Fitch went on to become a U.S. diplomat and international trade consultant — and a maverick. He’s most known — or was once most known — for creating the quixotic Jamaican bobsled team. In 1987, when he was commercial attaché in Kingston, he and friends jokingly wondered how Jamaican athletes, known for their speed and strength, would perform in the winter Olympics. The speculation became reality when Fitch quit his job and invested all his savings in creating a team. While the athletes practiced on a makeshift sled down a cement slope in Jamaica, Fitch marketed and cajoled and won over the naysayers. With his home mortgaged to the hilt and no funds to make the payments, he brought the team to the 1988 Olympics in Calgary. His bobsled adventures led to television commercials, speaking tours and the sale of movie rights to Disney for Cool Runnings. And he paid off the mortgage. When he was invited to speak to the SAS Class of 1998, Fitch talked about his adventures and achievements, encour-

Take opportunities and persevere in the face of mockery and adversity. Warrenton Mayor George Fitch (65) speaking to the SAS graduating class of 1998

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At SAS, Chinese language and culture are introduced in preschool and continue across all grade levels.

for SAS By Henry Cheng (07)

My parents handed down an ultimatum: either continue taking that dreadful Chinese tuition or sign up for Mandarin classes in school. Like many kids who enter high school with a Chinese background, I had figured that I could bypass the two-credit language requirement through some form of proficiency test. I spoke the language relatively often at home; I had no problems conversing with my grandparents in Taipei, albeit with a few vocabulary obstructions. Yet not surprisingly, I was almost 100% illiterate. So I enrolled in Mandarin III with Ms. Zhu and started my unforgettable experience with Chinese at SAS. Not only did Ms. Zhu effectively teach her students the material, but she changed my attitude toward Mandarin a full 180 degrees. Within a year, I had improved so much with my new-found interest that she offered me a shot at taking AP Chinese Language & Culture the following year. That became an op-

As child in a Chinese household, I grew up listening to my parents’ infinite oration on the wonders and importance of the Chinese language. Not once did they fail to stress the importance of learning Chinese whenever possible, while Thursdays became the worst days of my life. Upon returning from school, I’d have to sit through an hour of Chinese tuition, only to forget anything I might’ve learned by the time dinner was served. The repetitive writing of Chinese characters seemed like the only way to learn the dreadful language, which requires recognition of roughly three thousand characters to be even considered remotely literate. Thus I never looked to the Chinese language with enthusiasm or interest, proficiency or hope. All that changed by my sophomore year in high school. 36

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portunity for which I will forever be grateful. For the first time in my life, I had an engaging environment through which to develop my trifling Mandarin skills. I was surrounded by students with similar backgrounds: verbally competent with colloquial usage yet nothing else. Most grew up in Chinese families, and had this AP class not been offered, they probably would’ve graduated from SAS without ever stepping into a modern language classroom. Throughout the year, we read extensively about Chinese culture to bolster our limited vocabulary and garner interest in one of the great cultures of our world. I became interested in Chinese philosophy, history and customs. Through the interest came the knowledge, and we applied it to our speaking and writing. When it came time to write, we utilized the comput-

Like many kids who enter high school with a Chinese background, I figured that I could bypass the language requirement through a proficiency test since I spoke the language relatively often at home. Yet I found I was almost 100% illiterate.

ers and practiced inputting Chinese characters day after day. It became one of the most practical lessons I took away from the class. Instead of having to memorize over three thousand characters, I could write a Chinese essay on the computer through phonetics as long as I could recognize the rough look of the characters. In time, this process helped me recognize so many characters that although I cannot pick up a pen and scribble away, I can certainly read newspaper headlines and movie subtitles. At the end of the year, the results were astounding. SAS achieved an average score of 4.76 in its inaugural year of AP Chinese Language & Culture. Yes, most students came in with a background in Chinese, but the SAS results topped schools from Beijing to New York. Last year, in a stellar performance, AP Chinese students conjured up an average score of 4.81 on the exam, attesting to the brilliance and effectiveness of the class. Despite there

being more foreign students and fewer native speakers than the previous year, last year’s results flew to even greater heights. Class materials were better chosen, practice exercises became more effective and focused and without a doubt, Ms. Zhu’s devotion as a teacher became ever more obvious. As a student from the inaugural class of AP Chinese, it wasn’t the 5 on my College Board score sheet that put a smile on my face. In a way, many other students could say the same. Instead, I personally treasure the opportunities that AP Chinese offered me and my future so much more. I was able to learn my native language in a complete and engaging environment. I had a teacher who managed to bring out my interest in the Chinese language and its culture from unfathomable depths. And most importantly, I obtained a desire to further my learning of

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Programs that reinforce the Chinese connection include Interim Semester in Beijing and Shanghai, fund raising for earthquake victims and a â&#x20AC;&#x153;full-immersionâ&#x20AC;? visit to Taipei. Younger classes visit temples and festival celebrations in Singapore.

AP Chinese at SAS By Mark Devine, AP Coordinator

average SAS score rose to 4.81. To put the AP Chinese test scores in perspective, SAS also offers an AP English language course. In 2008, the average score of SAS students who took the AP English exam was 3.89. The U.S. national average for that exam was 2.82. The fact that the AP Chinese scores were extraordinarily high is a testament to the language skills of each student, to their ability to improve existing skills through the exceptional instruction and curriculum at SAS and to their confidence to perform well on exam day. Superintendent Brent Mutsch, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum Mark Boyer and I are hoping to build on the success of the AP Chinese program and make SAS a regional hub for AP Chinese. We have been speaking with the AP College Board about using SAS as a training center for AP Chinese teachers. There is always more we can do to advance student learning within the school by providing different methods, instruction and quality programs. The impact of making SAS an AP Chinese hub would be great not only for the AP program but also for the program SAS offers as a whole. It shows that SAS is constantly improving and changing.

The Advanced Placement program at SAS is the largest AP program outside the United States. SAS offers 29 AP exams and is a top scorer among all schools giving AP exams. Out of the 1,250 exams SAS students took in 2008, the average score was 4.1. Ninety-one percent of SAS students scored a 3 or higher, compared with 57 percent of all students and 73 percent of those in international schools. The AP Chinese program is still in its infancy, having given the exam for only two years. In those two years, SAS students have achieved noteworthy scores. Although many (in 2008, 16 of 26 students) students enrolled in the AP Chinese classes have the advantage of Chinese-speaking family backgrounds, they take advantage of this opportunity to combine their home backgrounds with the advanced Chinese language instruction at SAS. In 2007 and 2008, 37 and 26 SAS students, respectively, sat for the AP Chinese exam. The exam includes listening comprehension, reading comprehension, speaking and cultural knowledge. In 2007, the average U.S. national score was 3.93, while the SAS average was 4.75. In 2008, the 38

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SASers Give

SAS students and teachers build homes in Cambodia opportunities where you can see firsthand where your money is going. It’s hard work, but you get so much more in return when you see for yourself the difference that you are making in such a concrete way.” For many families in Cambodia, home is a leaky 8-footsquare hut made of grass, cardboard and discarded material. The parents sleep in the hut while the children sleep outside on the ground. When it rains, all get wet and have no rest. For the children, it is particularly bad. It is very dark in the countryside, and the noises in the night are scary. The

By Joe Lingle, SAS high school math teacher Instead of vacationing on a tropical beach over Thanksgiving last year, a team of SAS teachers chose to spend their holiday performing hard labor in Cambodia. After tours of sites from the Pol Pot days to better understand the historical context of many Cambodian’s lives, the team spent two days building 12 simple houses for Cambodian families. David Rops, a high school math teacher, has been on several trips. He goes because “it is one of the few service

SAS Middle School teacher Peter Cuthbert blows bubbles with Cambodian children.

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SASers Give

Top: SAS teachers Paul Koebnick and Natalie Grimbergen hard at work. Below: Two little girls braid hair of SASer at last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Middle School Tabitha house building project in Cambodia.

noises could be from snakes or from bandits. Tabitha Cambodia was formed in 1992 to support the poorest of the poor in Cambodia through savings programs, the sale of cottage industry products, installing wells and house building. Tabithaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s programs are centered on empowering families to tackle their poverty themselves by setting and achieving goals through savings. For instance, to be eligible for a new house, most recipients have raised enough money to purchase a small plot of land and some of the building materials. Since Tabitha began, many thousands of families have moved from abject poverty to self-sufficiency at a middle class level and have graduated from the Tabitha program. Today Tabitha serves nearly 25,000 families. Not long after its formation, SAS became involved in Tabitha in a big way. Since 1996, SAS has sent dozens of teams of teams to build houses. Some teams are teachers; other teams are students as part of a Middle School program

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SASers Give Tabitha supports the poorest of the poor in Cambodia through savings programs, the sale of cottage industry products, installing wells and house building. or High School Interim Semester project; and some teams are made up of SAS families. SAS also provides support in many other ways, such as the earn-to-give fundraiser in the first grade and the donation of space for Tabitha’s stockroom. A few high school students were so inspired by their housebuilding experience that in 2007 they started a club, “Houses for Hope,” which has raised thousands of dollars for Tabitha. Combined, all of these programs result in over $100,000 raised for Tabitha Cambodia every year. One of the cornerstones of the Singapore American School is contributing to the global community. SAS support of Tabitha is one of the many ways that SAS backs up its vision with real action. To learn more about Tabitha Cambodia, visit www. tabithasingapore.com.

A house before and after. When the teachers left, 12 families had new homes.

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SASers Give

Auggie and friends at border crossing between Laos and Cambodia.

My Ambition â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Cycling+1 By Auggie Bautista (04)

Equipped with only our humility and common sense (and some spare inner tubes), we successfully covered over 2,000 miles starting in Kunming, China and ending in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (a few of us continued on to Siem Reap and Angkor). At the beginning of each day it was nearly impossible to predict the conditions of the ride ahead. Some days we would cycle along new roads beside picturesque rice fields, but other days we were condemned to muddy, unpaved roads and torrential rains. We were exposed to inept border guards and blatantly opportunistic shopkeepers.

It was a mere nine months ago that my good friend and I first had the intention to undertake an original project the summer after we graduated from college. Our ambitious target was to raise $20,000 for the construction of a school by cycling 2,000 miles through four countries: China, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. We titled the project Cycling+1 to symbolize our altruistic goal of adding at least one more school to our world by the end of the trip. 42

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SASers Give

Still our spirits were high because along the way we met the most interesting and diverse travelers and the most easygoing locals who would stop whatever work they were doing simply to shout a loud “HELLO!” In Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia remnants of past civil, French and American wars are ubiquitous. It was eerie to encounter the charmingly pleasant Lao farmer juxtaposed with his collection of unexploded ordinances and B-52 bomb casings. The crowning point of the trip for me was when I decided

to cycle solo for the last leg from Saigon to Phnom Penh (a two day, 150-mile cycle). The first day I cycled 75 miles to Svay Vieng. In anticipation of being delayed at the VietnamCambodia border I set off relatively early, only to curse Saigon’s rush hour traffic. However, once I was outside the city’s periphery, polluting trucks and reckless scooters became less common. The next day, after a satiating roadside breakfast, I cycled the remaining 75 miles through the tranquil Cambodian countryside, interrupted only briefly by a short ferry ride across the Mekong River that broke the highway into two parts. It was a great feeling reaching Phnom Penh after two long days of cycling solo. We have already exceeded our fund-raising target of $20,000 and are working with our partner organization, Free the Children, in spearheading a school construction project in China’s Gansu province. My previous apathy toward charity, not-for-profit work and the like has transformed into enthusiasm. I firmly believe that even a small group project has the power to make a significant impact on our society, and I encourage everyone to be a little more resourceful and idealistic. This project, unforgettable and without regrets, left an indelible mark on my life. Check out our website at www.cyclingplusone.com and our trip’s photos at www.flickr.com/photos/cyclingplusone.

Cycling through coastal Vietnam — some days the rides were picturesque and smooth.

The cyclists spend time hanging out with kids at an orphanage in Phonsavan, Laos.

I firmly believe that even a small project has the power to make a significant impact on our society, and I encourage everyone to be resourceful and idealistic.

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SASers Give

Coast to coast for charity Like many of you reading this, I have wanderlust. I crave to see new places, taste new foods and smell new smells. Blizzard in Utah.

By Colin Nederkoorn (00)

tion for riding a bike for 6 - 8 hours a day for two months. The beginning of the trip during a California heat wave was a struggle. I was constantly battling dehydration in 100 degree weather while climbing into the Sierra Nevadas. After two weeks of riding, the pain disappeared. I hit a groove and could ride indefinitely. As I progressed further into the country, the physical and mental challenges of the trip changed. One day in Utah, I froze in a blizzard. Two days later I was scorched by the sun in the desert and unable to continue, I slept the night in a ghost motel. I crossed the continental divide in the rocky moun-

I dipped my back wheel in the Pacific Ocean and left San Francisco behind me on May 17, 2008. I packed four panniers onto my bicycle and headed west across the United States toward Boston and the Atlantic coast. Like many of you reading this, I have wanderlust. I crave to see new places, taste new foods and smell new smells. I bought a bike in December 2007 and started doing weekend rides in Bostonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s snowy winter. I trained when the weather and work allowed me. However, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no prepara44

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SASers Give the boundaries of one’s mental and physical strength. Second, I wanted to do some good. I raised $3,160 for “Kick for Nick,” a charity that has soldiers distribute soccer balls to kids in Iraq and Afghanistan. Kick for Nick was started by the family of Nick Maderas, a fallen American soldier in Iraq. For more information about the program, see bikeacrossthe.us and kickfornick.com. Overall it was an incredible trip. I experienced tremendous personal growth while helping raise money for charity.

tains at Monarch Pass (11,312 feet), experienced the devastation caused by the recent flooding in Iowa, explored the great city of Chicago, ate fresh cherries and berries in New York State and burger after burger in town after town. After 54 days of riding, just over two months after leaving San Francisco, I arrived at Revere Beach in Boston to the cheers of my friends. People commonly ask what motivated me to do the trip. Firstly (and selfishly), it’s a personal challenge to push

Mission accomplished — 54 days by bicycle from San Francisco to Boston.

Photo by Dave Fisher

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SASers Give

Clay with Nepali orphans —“You’d be surprised what you can gain from giving.”

Namaste — Never routine By Clayton Crawford (07)

crete and brick houses oddly painted in peach and baby blue, past little vegetable patches and open fields where children played. Some days the Nepali sun beat down on my neck like a heavy gong, and other days the rain turned the path into a muddy slip-n-slide. Each time I walked to and from Ama Dablam I inevitably passed several Nepalis with faces like sweet, worn yak leather and smiles that conveyed a sincerity and contentedness only found on those who work hard all day and still manage to take time to whisper Buddhist chants and turn prayer wheels. On occasion I passed a monk or two in bright maroon and yellow robes — they never said a word, but their sparkling eyes revealed their playful wisdom. Least routine of all was the constant view of Swayambhunath, serenely sitting atop a nearby hill with

The walk from the volunteer house to the Ama Dablam orphanage house was never routine. Each day I stepped out of the light blue gate, turned left and passed the local well, where at least 18 hours a day young women heaved up bucket after bucket for their thirsty families. Next I passed calves meandering around the neighborhood as if they were neighbors out for a stroll. A friendly wave to local boys all wearing imitation G-unit apparel and hanging around a vacant lot was without fail returned with a jubilant cheer of “Namaste!” I then rounded a forgotten construction site strewn with red bricks made at the squalid factories at which many orphans used to work and took the small dirt path that led to the orphanage houses. The path wove through con-

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SASers Give of the world. Most of my time however was spent with the kids in the Kimdol neighborhood in western Kathmandu. The daily routine was pretty simple — daal baht (rice and lentil curry) and chia (tea) for breakfast, get the kids ready and walk them to school, then pick them up from school, afternoon chia and biscuits, play time, homework, daal baht for dinner, more homework, then some play time, then bedtime. On the numerous religious and political holidays I took the kids to the public swimming pool or up to Swayambhunath or to the nearby Natural History Museum. I helped them practice English, taught them about the countries I had visited and answered questions about a multitude of things, from Power Rangers and oceans to math and sports. I watched out for the younger ones and helped all with everyday chores. Most importantly, I just interacted with them. I played soccer and tickled them and colored and joked and laughed with them. I played games they had invented with small pebbles and let them (painstakingly) teach me a few Nepali words and songs. Essentially, I was a tall, blonde, English-speaking older brother. On my first day, I was met at the airport by Chandra, the volunteer coordinator, and together we took one of Kathmandu’s infamous miniscule white taxis along the unrelenting bumpy roads, past cows and swarms of motorcycles and rickshaws and shining white and gold temples. The volunteer house is a curry-red, concrete, open-air house with three floors, two basic bathrooms and a little kitchen. After dropping off my duffel bags I got the full tour of the eight orphanage houses of the Umbrella Organization, each named after a famous Nepali peak — Ama Dablam, Saagarmatha, Macchapuchhare, Dhaulagheri, Gauri Shankar, Annapurna, Sol Himal girls and Sol Himal boys. The houses were split by age group and sex, and each had a resident house manager, a housekeeper and several tutors. The orphans mostly came from other orphanages around Kathmandu, rescued from filthy conditions and abusive directors to live in relative comfort at the Umbrella Organization and go to school nearby. Volunteers were expected to help out where they could and

multicolored prayer flags proclaiming the Buddhist mantra “Om Mane Padme Hum” (hail to the jewel in the lotus). The harmika, or square base, painted with the purple and red eyes of Buddha, its starch-white dome and its shining, 13tiered golden spire made the temple a magnificent sight. Imagine, one of the most holy Buddhist temples, a worldheritage site, literally at your doorstep! My eyes on the thirteen golden tiers, which symbolize the thirteen steps to nirvana, I finally reached the rusted gate of Ama Dablam and was greeted with a dozen happy shouts of “Namaste brother!” For two months in the spring of 2008 I lived in Kathmandu, Nepal, volunteering at the Umbrella Organization Nepal and making this walk almost every day. I first heard about the organization through my parents, both teachers, who had visited it with a group of students. As a full-time college student I was pretty busy, but this far-flung place intrigued me, and I decided to take a quarter off to see what it was all about. I had been to Nepal once before, but only for a week, which is too short a time to appreciate and experience all it has to offer. So I packed up my dorm, said farewell to my stunned roommate and my college routine and headed to Kathmandu. Before I go on, I must admit that I had more than just volunteering in mind. I intended to explore and enjoy myself. One of the people I met summed up why I came to Nepal quite well: “Don’t let your schooling interfere with your education.” So I didn’t. I jumped off a 528-foot bridge into a river gorge near the Tibetan border — the highest bungee jump site in the world; I rafted down the Bhote Kosi river; I walked around world-famous heritage sites and explored Buddhist and Hindu temples and pungent markets and crowded squares; I consumed tasty dishes; I met countless interesting travelers and locals who opened my naïve eyes to so many new things; I read more great books in two months than I had all the previous year; and I took time to just sit and think. To top it all off, I trekked all the way to Mt. Everest base camp, finally reaching the summit of Kalapatar at over 18,400 feet above sea level with a picture perfect sunrise view of the top

At the end of that first day at the orphanage in Kathmandu, I returned to the volunteer house exhausted and jetlagged and oddly fulfilled. I felt good! 47

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SASers Give

Clay at sunrise atop Kalapatar, adjacent to Mt. Everest. In the valley below is the Solo Khumbu glacier on which the Everest base camp sits.

Giving time and energy to help out those in need benefits not only the kids but the volunteer. I had experiences many teenagers my age can only dream of. I made friends with some of the most interesting, friendly, funny, peaceful people I’ve ever met. I learned that it doesn’t necessarily take the same genes to make a family and became part of the Ama Dablam family. As cliché as it is, I grew from the experience and though I didn’t notice until afterward, the orphans taught me a lot more about life than any textbook could. Volunteering in Nepal changed very quickly from an act of community service to a fulfilling lifetime experience, one that has shaped who I am, more so than the bungee jumping, rafting, sightseeing and trekking (as cool as they all were). By breaking my routine (which was the hardest part — big change is high up there on the scary list for most people, especially me) and going somewhere completely foreign and new, I learned so much about the country, its people and myself. I’m not sure if there really exists a truly selfless act — the fact is that while giving back to the community and helping others, one inadvertently gains priceless knowledge and experience. I plan to come back sometime, and I recommend you join me. You’d be surprised what you can gain from giving.

with what skills they had and to simply interact with the kids. I was a volunteer at Ama Dablam, which housed boys from ages five to twelve. My first feeling was one of resolve; I was doing a selfless thing by helping these kids without parents who had escaped poverty, right? I prepared myself for the tough job, one filled with instruction and supervision. And then something funny happened. At the end of that first day I returned to the volunteer house exhausted and jetlagged and oddly fulfilled. I felt good. I realized that what I had thought was a truly selfless act, helping Nepali orphans, really wasn’t, because I had gained something too. These toughas-nails kids had immediately accepted me as an older brother and from there on out we had a lot of fun together. I enjoyed the volunteering, and every day when I arrived at the Ama Dablam gate and was greeted with dozens of gaptoothed smiles, I already had a grin of my own. While I taught them about California, they taught me about Nepal. While I taught them English, they taught me Nepali. While I taught them about American food, they taught me how to eat daal baht with my right hand. Every day we learned from each other and we had a good time. We had a lot more in common than I had imagined. Most importantly, they and I both benefited in so many ways from the time I spent at Ama Dablam. 48

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Then & Now

Singapore fifty years ago and today The octagonal Telok Ayer Market (aka Lau Pau Sat), which was converted to a food court in the 1970s, and the neo-classical Telecoms Building behind it are now two small spots on the islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soaring cityscape

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Then & Now

In the 1950s, the Singapore River, especially Boat Quay on the right, was the shipping center (above). Today, both sides of the river have tidy, tony hangouts for the young professionals who work nearby (left).

Still the commercial center of the city, Raffles Place has become a pedestrian mall, and little of its old world charm remains.

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Then & Now

Empress Walk, just across the Singapore River from Empress Place, as it is today (above) and the way it looked in the 1950s (below left). Glimpses of the past are found in the 1925 Fullerton Building next to the relatively unchanged Anderson Bridge (below right).

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Then & Now

Top and below: Quaint Empress Place is now the Asian Civilizations Museum. Right: The 18-storey Bank of China building was one of the islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first skyscrapers in 1954. All 1950s photos were contributed by Stuart Lippe (59).

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Julina Halim attended SAS grades 3 to 5 from 1984 to 1987 and has been back in Singapore for 8 years. She is a nutritionist and has been working with a consultant to ensure healthy choices in Mr. Hoeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cafeterias.

Kathy Saludo Tan (67), who has taught at SAS since 1973, shares thirdgrade memories of the Rochalie Drive campus with Keiko Yamaguchi, who visited Singapore in September. Both women remembered playing on the swings under a tall tree with red flowers, attending class in the bedroom of the house and Principal Albert Fisher calling their names on a bullhorn when their drivers arrived to take them home.

Alums around Singapore

Activities Director Mimi Molchan hugs Muriel Chometsky, mom of three alums who attended SAS in the 80s and 90s. Muriel resides in Singapore about half of each year and spends the rest of her time visiting family in Alberta and Houston.

Ee Chien Chua (07) is back after finishing his first year at Brigham Young University. He is deferring enrolment until he completes his two-year mission project in Singapore.

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Anish Jain (02) returned to Singapore this year and is an investment associate at Temasek Holdings. He was a speaker at SAS Career Day in September.

At an alumni gathering in September at Brewerkz were (above) Anna Von Essen (08), Samir Mowla (97), Ken Yeoh (08); (below) Aaron Couch (98) and Elizabeth Love (99); and (bottom) Greg Rutledge (78) and Tanja Bayes (76).

Pictured are Ashley Zeni (96) and mentor Kim Melsom, who has taught science at SAS for 15 years. Ashley is a veterinarian in Washington, D.C. She visited Singapore in September and served on the science panel for SAS Career Day.

Ernest Glass (67) visited with Singapore alums Jim Baker (66) and Russ Ng (67) late last year. Over the years, Russ has been a genial host for many visiting alums. Jim continues to teach history and economics at SAS and is the author of several books, including the 08 revised edition of Crossroads, A History of Malaysia and Singapore (www.selectbooks.com.sg) and Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eagles, the fiftieth anniversary history of SAS (alumni.sas.edu.sg).

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Notes & Quotes

Top: (front) Beth and Rod Theriot, Oteka McClain-Stevens, Sunny Stevens, Missy Theriot; (back) Steve Provost, Bobby Jordan, Mike Warren, Scott Warren, Heidi Servideo-Strickland, Katy Hayes Jordan, Bill Sibley, Colin Sturtevant, Melanie and Dean Jackson, Missy Miller, Scott Gill. Right: Brad Cantrell, Steve Kennon and Mike Warren loosening up for the luau.

Beach Mania By Buddy Byington (81) The last week of March 2008, a group of SAS alumni from the classes of 1977 to 1981 (and the token reunion Garuda) got together for an intimate gathering in two vacation houses on a secluded beach just south of Galveston, Texas, and called it “Beach Mania.” The weather could not have been more cooperative. The beach provided a perfect venue with the sounds of lulling waves, groovin’ music, spirited conversation and belly laughter setting an ambient background for the party. The whole premise was to relax, enjoy palatable, home-cooked meals and reminisce about old times. It wasn’t long before everyone was teleported in time, carrying on like we were back at the King’s Road campus. Everyone had a hand in preparing tantalizing meals that

reminded us of Newton Circus and neighborhood food stalls. The meals were exquisite, the drink fine and the conversation endless. Reflecting on the stories told and the time spent together, it became immediately apparent that few things compare to the depth of friendship and love this group share with one another. Even after all these years, we’re still making lifetime memories from lifelong friendships. Those who attended Beach Mania were Rod Berglund (80), Oliver “Buddy” Byington (81) and Lisa, Brad Cantrell (80) and June, Scott Gill (79), Dean Jackson (81) and Melanie, Bobby and Katy Hayes Jordan (79), Bess Corbell Terhune (78) and Rob, Steve Kennon (79), Missy Miller (81), Steve Provost (80), Bill Sibley (79), Sunny Stevens (80), Oteka McClain-Stevens (77), Colin Sturtevant (81), Heidi ServideoStrickland, Karl Theriot (78) and Missy, Rod Theriot (77) and Beth, Mike Warren (79) and Marcia and Scott Warren (81). Those who did not make it, be sure to e-mail Katy Hayes Jordan (79) through the alumni website for details on the memorable “SAS family gathering” planned for summer 2009: it’s the class of 79’s 30th anniversary reunion!

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Nearly 60 SAS alumni of the Class of 98 attended the reunion in Las Vegas last June.

Class of 98

Kelly Sonnack, Summer Schubert, Lindsay Smith, Karen Botcheller and Allison Franz in Las Vegas to celebrate high school days on the other side of the world.

Tom Murphy stands behind SAS 98 revelers Ken Yamada, Richard Liu, Kendall Smith, Akilesh Sridharan and Bianca Portela Collins.

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celebrates ten years stopped by to say “hello.” He’s the headmaster at a nearby school in Las Vegas, and his daughter Jessie (98) was in attendance. The special presentation of the evening was a slideshow of our SAS years. From freshman year through to our last year of high school, everyone was treated to a visual spectacle of old photos of the Kings Road and Woodlands campuses, parties, Interim Semester and performances set against the requisite music from the 90s (cue Green Day, TLC, Third Eye Blind, Hanson). Afterward, a big group of us headed to Pure nightclub at Caesar’s Palace to continue the fun-filled night of reconnecting with old friends. There were jokes that our next reunion should take place next year but most likely we’ll be seeing everyone again in 2013 ... for our 15th year reunion!

By Shari Vo-Ta (98) There was a fantastic turnout of nearly 60 people at the SAS Class of 98 10-year reunion in Las Vegas this past summer. Held at the Westin Casuarina Resort & Spa, right off the famous Las Vegas strip, the festivities began Saturday evening in the Westin’s Mesquite ballroom. Attendees were greeted with SAS name tags and were given a branded key ring from our alma mater. Each of the tables had copies of the 1998 Senior Issue of the Eagle Eye, which had a prominent section titled “Where Will They Be in 10 Years?” This made for very amusing reading as alumni enjoyed reading and laughing over how their classmates’ predictions from 10 years ago panned out. While the Asian-style buffet was decent, it was not the Singapore cuisine we fondly remembered. Nevertheless, the themed buffet helped set the appropriate mood for a night filled with reminiscing about our high school days halfway around the world. Former SAS history teacher Michael Imperi

DVD copies of the slideshow are available from sharivota@gmail.com.

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Notes & Quotes

Duncan McPhee (70) and Sherry Keith (70) were married on May 14, 2008.

Kim Page Shafer (73) is associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at University of California, San Francisco. Kim works on HIV and hepatitis C virus research in the U.S., Latin America and Asia, specifically Cambodia and Thailand, as well as teaching medical students, fellows and scientists from developing countries. She stays busy with her three children, and her new passion is tango dancing!

1964 Dee Green Pickelman retired two years ago after teaching middle school English/reading for 35 years. She now serves on on three boards — Guadalupe Valley Christian Counseling Center, Seguin Education Foundation and Retired Teachers Association — and mentors an 11 year old Hispanic boy. She is a reading tutor to “At Risk” students. Dee was a UIL Spelling sponsor for 15 years and was asked to be the word caller at a Spelling Bee Benefit. Her son Jason 36 is a lawyer in Dallas with two children, and son Matthew 38 is a urologist with eight year old twins in Texarkana, Texas.

1969 Eric Kidder retired from Mary Kay Cosmetics after 32 years. He works part time as an American Red Cross instructor and as a substitute teacher in the Mesquite (Texas) Independent School District. He also keeps busy with Boy Scouts and his church.

1973 Stephen Self is a civil engineer in Iona Station, rural Ontario, where he lives with his wife of 15 years, Dale, and son Joshua 13. Stephen trained for the ministry at Regent College in Vancouver and served in five churches in Ontario from 1990 to 2004. From 2004, he has worked in sales for General Contractors. Stephen fondly remembers his three years at SAS, and his classmates Liz Adams, Theresa Thonus, Debbie and Darrell Panchishin, Jacques Claveau, Lesli Edge, Nicki Gudgeon, Greg Harris, Brad Larsen, Peter North, Doreen Myers, Michael Ray, Jimmy Stewart, Mike Slaton, Dave Stegemeier, David Wakefield, KK Watts, Don Clark and Diane Schmidt.

Inge Lass Verhoef (74) welcomed her first grandson Harrison Anthony, on August 15. Inge says that the AC/DC on Harrison’s suit makes it clear that baby Harrison is half Aussie — despite the fact that he was born in New York and his dad is American. Inge’s daughter Saskia, is Australian. Inge’s family is moving back to NY from Australia so they can be an important part of Harrison’s life, and for Inge to further pursue her career as a concert pianist.

Lenny Perry (85) and his wife Lindsey welcomed Jack Nicholas Perry on May 5 at 1:58 a.m., 6 lbs 8 ounces and 20 inches long.

1976 Mike and Sally Ackerman Casey live in Texas, where Mike is an international

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Notes & Quotes captain for American Airlines and Sally is a pre-school teacher. They have recently become grandparents for the first time, as their daughter Junell had a baby boy, Landry Michael. Doug Thurman and his 1976 classmates would like to contact Yukiko Miyake. If you are in touch with Yukiko, or know of someone who is, please email Doug through the alumni website.

1980 Patti Snodgrass Burckel, a cardiology technician, and her husband of 23 years, a firefighter, live in New Orleans. They have two daughters, 20 and 18, and a son 14. The family lost their home and a few friends to Katrina in 2005. Patti says the loss has really opened her eyes to the preciousness of life. She says, “It’s not what you have or how much of it, it’s how you live with it!”

1990 Leo Campbell works as an Avionics Engineer at Boeing in Huntington Beach,

California. Mike Miller and his wife of nine years, Kristen, met at Sam Houston State University, and have been living in Greenville, South Carolina for seven years. They have a son, Aiden (6) and daughter Adelaide June was just born on August 26. Mike is a divisional sales leader with Health Markets, an insurance company, and Kristen is a stay at home mom. Paul Trask and his wife Beth announce the birth of their third child Isaac Paul Philip, born June 24. Isaac joins Emma Rose (4) and Elizabeth Noel (2). Mandy Osburg Loughman and her husband Cary Loughman are expecting a baby girl, Mia, on November 7. The couple resides in Houston, Texas. Mandy is a graphic designer for AIA Houston, and Cary is a natural gas attorney at Targa Resources.

1992 Matt Nealon has finished his residency in endodontics — that’s specializing in “root canals” — and completed a mas-

Sheryl Sutton (77), Nancy Blodget-Meisenhelder (75), Brenda Bailey Burnett (76) and Julia Nickson (76) gathered at Sheryl’s home for a small reunion. They had a blast bringing out the Islander and reminiscing!

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Derek Low (87) and his wife Cheryl welcomed twins, Keira and Ethan, in May 2008.

ter’s degree in molecular science at Harvard. He is now practicing in Berkeley, California. Greg Nealon is a chaplain in Boise, Idaho, where he lives with his wife and two children. Randy Baker’s Rorschach Theatre squeezed 3/4ths of its entire season into two months over the summer after losing its permanent performance

Carrie McGrath Redding (83) and husband Kevin had dinner with Ed Deiss (83) and his wife Kitty, who were in Connecticut on vacation. Carrie has two daughters, Kailey 14 and Erin 10, and works as a senior credit analyst for The Hartford. Ed lives outside Richmond, Virginia, with Kitty, Will 10, Rachel 7, and Zoe 4. He is a consultant for a management and IT firm, North Highland.

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Notes & Quotes space. Performed at Georgetown University, Randy’s second full-length play, Dream Sailors, was dubbed a “hallucinatory, pop-culture-savvy, romantic mystery” by the Washington Post, while the paper said that the Rorschach interpretation of The Skin of Our Teeth was “visually astute and sneakily immediate.” Best of all, the latter production offered Matt MacNelly (04) his first paid acting job!

1993 Jen Reynolds started a new job for the U.S. Army as a liaison between the Army and Congress in the Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs. She will be traveling throughout the U.S. and internationally on congressional delegation visits. This summer she travelled to Alaska for the annual family fishing trip. Stacy Cushing Calloway and her husband Devin welcomed their first child, Charlotte Alyssa, on May 23, in Connecticut.

Emma O’Donnell (89) and her husband Fredrik Antonnson live in Gothenburg, Sweden, with Nellie 3 and Nils 2. Emma is a Montessori teacher of children ages 3 to 6.

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1995

1999

Monique McGrew Michel lives with her husband, three stepchildren, three cats and bearded dragon in Alexandria, Virginia, and works in Washington, DC as an international trade attorney for the global cosmetics industry.

Hallie Pearson Chambers and her husband of four years, Andrew, are teachers in Southern California.

1997 Johanna Mitchell is engaged to Doug Frauenberger, whom she met in Boston while they were pursuing MBAs at the MIT Sloan School of Management. They are looking forward to celebrating their wedding in the beautiful Riviera Maya, Mexico in April 2009.

1998 Lauren Phillips Martin and her husband Brandon welcomed Emma Grace Martin on August 20 in Salt Lake City, Utah. She was 8 lbs. 13 oz. and 21.5 inches long and has lots of dark hair!

2000 Joanna Lawson-Matthew moved from Baltimore to San Francisco in June. She will continue to work for Blue Sky Factory, an online marketing firm based in Baltimore. She lives in the North Beach neighborhood with her boyfriend of five years and they love exploring their new home together! Shannon Prather Hamilton is pursuing her PhD in neuroscience at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, where her husband Johnathan is in law school. Mitch O’Leary is a client services manager in San Diego, California. He says that besides how beautiful Merika looked at her wedding last March, his favorite part of getting together with his

Julie Payne Kemmer (91) had baby number three in October. She spent a memorable week on Cape Cod in September, attending the wedding of Anne Cangi (92) and Chris Akin. Julie and Anne played soccer together at SAS under coach Don Adams, and the wedding was a reunion of SAS soccer players Christine Botcheller (92), Kristi Hagen (91), Karina Martin (92), Brandi Becknell (92), Julie Payne (91), Jen Reynolds (93) and Jillian Leviton (92). Pictured are L to R Kristi, Karina, Brandi, Julie, Anne.

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Notes & Quotes

Brenden Zeni (94) and his wife Diana were in Singapore this fall while Brenden was on a three month work assignment for American Express. Brenden had a great time catching up over dinner with Coach Bava, his rugby coach.

Tze Choo, Sara Dallaire (96) and Matt Keenen (96) met for a night out in New York City. Tze Choo is an engineer in Houston, Sarah works in public relations in NYC, and Matt works for Standard & Poorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in NYC.

GahYan Tsui (96) married Chris Robertson on March 8. Attending the afternoon ceremony at the Tanglin Club and evening banquet at the Four Seasons in Singapore were sisters GahWing (00) and GahYee (94) and SAS friends Alison Smith (97) and Sawako Morikawa (96).

Allison Franz (98) married Marc Melkie on July 17, in Las Vegas.

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Notes & Quotes

Kristine Viray-Fung Williams (97) married John Williams on August 17, 2007 in La Jolla, CA. Tiffany Kwock (97) attended the wedding. The couple honeymooned in Jamaica, and hope to return to do volunteer work there in 2009.

Ann VanVolkenburgh Chang (98) is loving life as mom to Caleb Derek, born March 11.

Claire Tan (98) married Leon Liu (96) in Singapore on August 23 (see SAS Sweethearts story).

Vonya Miksic Eisinger (98) and husband Nate welcomed Geneva Anne Eisinger on October 28, 2007. Geneva is the first grandchild for the Miksic and Eisinger families. The family moved to Pittsburgh in 2008 where Nate is working for a specialty titanium products company and Vonya will work in biomedical research.

Cheryl Quek (98) married Terr y Lagerquist on March 29 in Singapore. The couple is expecting their first child in February 2009.

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Notes & Quotes

Jessica Wilgus Stewart (99) welcomed her second daughter, Sophia An, on November 12, 2007. Big sister Isabella was born November 25, 2005. Jessica and her family live in southern California and would love to catch up with SAS alumni living nearby or passing through the area. Bethany Sunquist Lomelino (99) and husband Joshua welcomed their first child, Isaiah Thomas Lomelino, on November 8, 2007, in Franklin, Tennessee. Joshua is a professor at Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;More College of Design, and Bethany teaches aerobic classes and is a stay-at-home mom. The couple has a design studio, Anomaly Studios, and they work on graphic design, web and 3-D projects together.

2002 Anish Jain moved back to Singapore in July to work as an associate for Temasek Holdings. He is looking forward to catching up with other SAS alumni based in Singapore.

2003 SAS friends was that Mrs. Rogers was pleasantly surprised to see that he was still alive, as he guessed she had been betting against it!

2001 Alexis Hickman obtained her masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in Urban Planning in June, while working for the City of Santa Ana as a part-time management assistant. She is now working toward a PhD in urban planning and public policy at the University of California, Irvine.

Tricia Begemann married Kevin Lemery in St. Louis, Missouri, on July 14. SAS alums attending the wedding included SAS classmates Garrett Greer and bridesmaid Lian Kitts.

2004 Sidhant Rao finished his thesis at New York University and received an award for the best thesis in the category of conflict and cooperation. An edited version of his thesis was published in the NYU Undergraduate Journal of Politics

Sergio Camara (99) married Jill Turnquist on August 23, 2008 in Worcester, Massachusetts.

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Notes & Quotes

Amerika Adams (00) received a master’s in school counseling and will be a guidance counselor at a top ranking high school in Palos Verdes, CA. Merika married Michael McHugh on March 29 in Redondo Beach, CA. Maureen Oakley (01), Joanna LawsonMatthew (00), Melanie Sonnack (00), Erin Collins (00), Emily Reiff (00), Shannon Prather (00), Hallie Pearson (99), Jason Peck (00) and Mitch O’Leary (00) all attended the wedding.

Erin Collins Wheeler (00) is a manager for the Juliet Boutique Hotel in Layfayette, Louisiana. She is married with one beautiful daughter, Mya (above).

designer, gallery curator and museum of contemporary arts lecturer. Urvi Gandi graduated from NYU in December 2007, and is now a credit risk analyst at The Macquarie Group in NYC. Jessica Felt married Neil Mertlich in Salt Lake City on July 1. The couple is moving to London, where Jessica will work in fixed income capital markets for Citigroup. Chris Dugard will graduate in December 2008, and then either study genetic biology in graduate school or find a research job. He’s hoping to move back to Singapore. Mayank Kochhar works for Banc of America Securities as an analyst in NYC. Erin Quassa will graduate in December 2008. She will then intern in Austin, after which she will either travel for six months, go to Alaska, or join the Peace Corps. Kristen Spatz is going through a threeyear program at Columbia University to

get a doctorate in physical therapy. Fiona Tsai graduated from Southern Cross University Hotel School. She now works at the San Want Hotel in Shanghai as a general manager’s assistant. Goldie Chow works in a business management rotational program for General Mills in Phoenix, AZ. Her job has her traveling between Phoenix and LA, so if you’re in either spot, check in with Goldie! In the next five years, she’s hoping to move to Asia, most likely China. Marisa Robertson lives in Los Angeles, working in an advertising agency on the Nissan Infiniti account. Heather Wigmore works at the Jane Goodall Institute in Shanghai, where she moved in October. Jason Chin travelled through China during the summer of 2008 before returning to Chicago, where he’ll attend medical school at Northwestern for the next four years. Sarah Goddard is in Paris, studying for

& International Affairs. He now works for the National Football League in New York. Erin Fortin is pursuing a PhD in organic chemistry at the University of ColoradoBoulder. Corinne Ameel worked in Phoenix, Arizona this summer at Jabil Circuits as a purchasing expeditor. In December she plans to move to Phoenix and work for Jabil Circuits full time. Sarah Gundle works for a shipping company in Charlotte, North Carolina. Philip Finch works at Northwestern Mutual Financial Network in NYC as a financial advisor/marketing manager. He is a disc golfer extraordinaire. Jake Emerson lives in Washington DC, and is currently trying to locate 100 Plus in the DC area! Lindsay Bench is studying to become a licensed interior designer in Houston, Texas. Since graduation, she has worked as a free-lance artist/graphic

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Notes & Quotes her master’s in international relations. Diane Gondokusumo works for Heritage Wealth Management in Singapore. Her work takes her to Jakarta often. Katherine Koa La Lung is finishing her fifth year as a dance major at the University of Minnesota. She is currently working on her senior project, choreographing an evening-length piece, as well as dancing in her first professional show with Wil Swanson/Danceworks. Megan Waugh and Jordan Bloem were married September 20, in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Megan and Jordan were high school sweethearts and stayed together through four years of college in different states. Heather Wigmore (04), Kate LeSueur (04), Rachel Bloem, Nicole DeFord (04), Joanne Lonergan (04), Michael Bloem, Matt Bloem (02), Adam McCurley (04) and Chris Waugh were in the wedding party (see their photo in SAS Sweethearts story). Stephanie Tang graduated from Christ’s College, Cambridge, and will be embarking on her master’s in international business law with National University

of Singapore. The program will continue in Shanghai until June 2009. From September 2009, she will be with Linklaters in London. Kahini Iyer works for McCann Universal, an advertising agency in San Francisco. She’s working on the i’m Initiative from Microsoft and says it’s a pretty amazing concept!

2005 Lena Ishak is currently in Berlin, working as a marketing assistant for a film distribution company. She will graduate from university this August. She visited Singapore for a month last September and caught up with many SAS friends. Cory Nguyen will finish his degree in computer information technology at Purdue University in May. He has been working for Fortune 500 companies, such as ExxonMobil, Microsoft and John Deere, while at Purdue. Cory plans to pursue graduate work in information security and network security.

2007

tional Service in Singapore and will be attending university in the U.S. in fall 2009. He visited the U.S. in October and had a great time catching up with SAS friends on the east coast. Sean McCabe spent his freshman year studying philosophy at Depaul University in Chicago and hosted an episode of the Jerry Springer Show. He has taken a year off from university to work as a personal assistant to the scientific skeptic, investigator James Randi. Sean and Randi have already traveled to the Galapagos Islands to retrace Darwin’s footsteps and have more international adventures in the works.

2008 Matthew Bardon and Michael Andrew were awarded Boy Scouts’ highest honor, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout.

2011 Ben Parent was awarded Boy Scouts’ highest honor, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout.

Warren Ho is keeping busy with Na-

Carissa Stevens (01) and Courtney Machen (01) at Jennifer Hahn’s (01) engagement party.

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Kelly Dwyer Williams (05) and husband James Williams welcomed 5 lb 15 oz Amy Joy on May 5 in Denver, Colorado.

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Notes & Quotes Former Faculty and Parent David Smith died May 23. He was 68 years old and had fought a courageous yet tough battle against the rare disease, Multi-Systems Atrophy. He will be lovingly missed by his wife Peggy, his daughters Tracy Moland and Margaret Smith, his sons Kirby Smith (Louise) and Michael Smith. Joan Adams (84-02) is the vice president of International Schools Services, a private, non-profit organization serving American international schools overseas. In addition to overseeing the ISS schools in China and the Caribbean, Joan works with Laura Light (MS 9402), who is director of educational staffing and organizes and directs international recruitment fairs around the world. In 2009, ISS will host recruitment fairs in Bangkok, San Francisco, Miami and Philadelphia. All interested alumni are welcome to contact Laura or Joan for more information. Simon and Shirley Lowes live in Jakarta and travel to Singapore often. Their son Chris (03) graduated from Haas Business School at Berkeley in May. Daughter Ashley (08) graduated from Leysin American School in Switzerland, and will attend George Washington University in Washington, D.C. in the fall.

Karen’s Corner: news of Ulu Pandan in the 70s by Karen Studebaker In the 70s, Karen Kreiling Middleton (music teacher) was known as “Texas Karen,” Karen Crocombe Guerin (art teacher) was “Nevada Karen” and Karen Studebaker (learning specialist, administration) was “Hawaii Karen.” They were and are great friends and made a quartet with Ronette Field Gurm (PE teacher) that was known as “The Three Karens and a Ronette.” Texas Karen had a May break from teaching at Texas A&M, Corpus Christi and made a trip to Australia and New Zealand, where she visited Ann Wu (art teacher) in Sydney. While there, Karen climbed the bridge, went to a concert at the Sydney Opera House and “ran all over the city with Ann.” Following Karen’s visit, Ann and husband Tong went on a two month aroundthe-world tour. Ann is exhibiting her prints in a show in Sweden featuring the top 25 print makers in Australia. In New Zealand Karen saw Ronette Field Gurm and family, where their furniture business still keeps them busy. Christie is engaged to a fellow employee from the insurance firm where she

Send news and photos for the June 09 issue of SAS Journeys to journeys@sas.edu.sg. Please note that the magazine will not list e-mail addresses. If you want to communicate with SAS classmates or teachers, please register with other alumni at http://alumni.sas.edu.sg.

works and her daughter Zoe is “adorable.” Tasha is “incredibly beautiful and smart.” She works for the same insurance firm as her sister, but is having thoughts of travel and doing social environmental work in Alaska. Ronette drove Karen all over Auckland and down the center of the North Island to Rotarua, the volcano parks and boiling mud baths! Karen’s eldest son Kevin (78), wife Candace and two children arrived in July as part of their home leave from Taipei, where Kevin is with Dell. Kathi (81) and husband Allen and two daughters live in Austin where Kathi works for Hoovers and Allen works for Dell. Dave and Terri Lewis (teachers) have been making their home for the past 5 years in “The Villages” in Florida, just three blocks from Paul and Heidi Prester. Terri and Dave were part of the Ulu Pandan “Taiwan Mafia,” a term coined by then Principal Ted Gehrman. Other members of the mafia were Mike and Betty White and Principal Dave McKeen and wife Jean. The Lewis’ youngest daughter, Dave and Terri remain close to the McKeens and Whites. The three couples had a Taiwan Mafia meeting in October of this year at The Villages. This was a part of their fifth annual “Double Tenth” celebration that also includes people they worked with in Taipei. The Presters represented Sumatra and joined in their festivities.

McKeens, Whites and Lewises celebrate Double Tenth together.

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Upcoming Reunions

Class of 2008 Young Alums (Classes 98-08): December 17, 2008, Union Bar, American Club, Singapore Class of 1999: Las Vegas, June 19-21, 2009. Contact Tina Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill Mysliwiec Class of 1989: Panama City, Florida, July 24-26, 2009. Contact Lauren Kuhbander Thomas Class of 1979: Houston, summer 2009. Date to be determined. Contact Katy Hayes Jordan Information on all reunions: http//alumni.sas.edu.sg

Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eagles, the history of SAS and Singapore, is on sale at the SAS online store. The photos alone make it a book to cherish. See http://alumni.sas.edu.sg or snail-mail Lauren Thomas, Associate Director of Alumni Relations, Singapore American School, 40 Woodlands Street 41, Singapore 738547.

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MICA(P) 098/04/2008

SAS

Volume 5 December 2008

ourneys Singapore American School Alumni Magazine

SAS alumni with vision, passion and international perspectives

Published by the Office of Communications and Development 40 Woodlands Street 41 Singapore 738547 Tel: (65) 6363-3403 Fax: (65) 6363-3408 www.sas.edu.sg journeys@sas.edu.sg

JOURNEY COVER

2-3

Inside features: • SAS today — the fabulous PTA • Oilers vs Steelers 1974-2008 • High school and alumni sweethearts • Then & now scenes of Singapore

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