Singapore American School Journeys June 2009, Volume 6

MICA(P) 076/04/2009

SAS

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Volume 6 June 2009

ourneys Singapore American School Alumni Magazine

A garden of SAS memories: our past, our present, our future

Inside features: • Fourth annual Star Appeal Dinner • Memory Garden grows • Hostel life in the 60s and 70s • Third culture kids from Singapore

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Vol 6 June 2009 Editor Junia Baker Superintendent Brent Mutsch Director of Communications and Development Beth Gribbon Associate Director of Alumni Relations Lauren Thomas Designer Josephine Yu

C o n t e n t s Superintendent Mutsch: SAS today is as dedicated to excellence as it has always been

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Star Appeal Dinner raises over $390,000 for Education Foundation Garden of memorials and memories: Pictures and stories of the nearly complete, very special Memory Garden

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Education Foundation is for the students

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Dear, wonderful Boni

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Third culture kids at SAS and in the White House 22 Fond farewells to DeFords and Rives

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Hostel life in the 60s and 70s: It was so special! One big family. We had a blast!

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Front cover: Teachers Abe and Jolly Abraham (59-96) and Jim Baker (student 56-66; teacher 71-09) surrounded by six decades of memories and memorials in the nearly complete Memory Garden.

Alum Spotlights: Reporter in Miami, TV producer in NY and art gallery assistant in Singapore

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Then & Now: Dave Stingle in 66; Dave Elliott in 09

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SAS hosts SASers in four U.S. cities

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Back cover: SAS Director of Communications and Development Beth Gribbon and Associate Director of Alumni Relations Lauren Thomas.

Alums around Singapore

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Notes & Quotes

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Young Alums at American Club

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Upcoming reunions

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

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Welcome Alumni Dear SAS Alumni, This February, I met over 200 alumni at our SAS alumni gatherings in the United States. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, I felt as if I had known many of them for years! I knew about their vacations and their kids, and they knew what I looked like and what kinds of Singapore food I liked.

None of us thought this was strange; in fact, we were all amazed at how online social networking has brought us together like nothing else we’ve ever experienced. The SAS alumni office is committed to connecting with alums wherever they are. To that end, we’ve established a presence on the following social networking sites: alumni.sas.edu.sg: With over 5,200 alumni now in the SAS online community, this is a great place to find SAS friends, their parents and former teachers. Specific to the SAS community, it’s a great place to keep track of your SAS crowd in a password-protected site. It’s also fun to see who has been visiting SAS, what’s been happening on campus and what reunions are coming up. The alumni website sends out an enewsletter and alerts you when your classmates sign up online.

It’s an easy place to update your mailing address, so that we can send you Journeys twice a year. www.facebook.com: It is hard to ignore the phenomenon

Rainer Kumbroch (77) and his wife Lisa visited SAS in January.

They gave the Alumni Office a very impressive gift – over 1,000 scans of all of Rainer’s Singapore photos, slides and negatives from the 70s! In this photo, Rainer and Russ Ng (67) ham it up in Mr. Ho’s cafeteria.

of Facebook. If you’re not on it, it’s likely you know someone who is, and that someone is probably addicted to it! Members are interconnected through friends, making it easy to find long-lost classmates. SAS alums often scan photos from their school days. Several popular SAS groups on Facebook are: regional groups (“SAS alumni in DC”), class year groups (“SAS Class of 2000”) and general groups (“SAS in the 80s” or “Singapore American School Alumni”). www.twitter.com: The SAS alumni office is new to Twitter, an up-to-the-minute micro-blogging site that allows each user to post 140-character updates on his or her daily activities. Follow us @SAS_Alumni. This is a great way to share info that might be of interest to the general SAS public without sending out a huge number of emails. For example, the SAS alumni office might use the SAS_Alumni Twitter account to “tweet” which alum visited the campus that day or to highlight a teacher’s or student’s accomplishment. www.linkedin.com: Please join our Singapore American School Alumni group on LinkedIn, the professional networking site. In these difficult economic times, you may find it helpful to call another SAS alum for advice or an introduction within your field. Your mutual experience as SAS students creates a great bond, regardless of age or class year. www.youtube.com: We’ve created an SAS alumni-specific channel that you’ll be able to follow on youtube: www.youtube.com/sasalumni. Armed with our new Flip camera, we’re capturing videos of visiting alumni, long-time teachers and tours of both the campus and popular spots around Singapore. www.skype.com: If you use Skype to make telephone calls, you can contact us on sasalumnioffice. This may be helpful if you are planning a visit to the campus or have an idea you want to share but don’t want to make an expensive telephone call to Singapore. Please keep in mind that the alumni office Skype account is only available during Singapore working hours.

Anything that brings the SAS alumni community closer together has got to be a good thing! Thanks for staying connected with SAS.

Lauren Thomas Associate Director of Alumni Relations lthomas@sas.edu.sg

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Letters & News

From Mae Anderson, SAS PTA President: On behalf of the PTA Board, I’d like to thank you very much for the article Lauren wrote about the PTA in the December issue of Journeys. It eloquently summed up the very strong and successful bond that the PTA has with SAS. I think my friends on the Board will agree that the article further inspires us to live up to the high standards set by those before us. Congratulations on a great issue of Journeys. I enjoyed reading about the SAS sweethearts, was tickled by the story about Crystalaugur and was touched by Garth Sheldon’s essay on being an SAS parent.

From Frieda Dietrich, current SAS counselor: I was so excited by an email I got from Sid Rao, one of my former students who is now working for the NFL. It could make for an interesting Journeys story.

Thanks to the alumni magazine I was able to connect with him….thanks so much!!!

From Denise Knight, SAS parent: I received Journeys on Friday, and, since then, have read it cover to cover. Kudos to all! Though not an alum myself, I enjoyed it very much, and I like the variety of pieces as well as the different voices from the past and present, be it alumni, current students or faculty members. I was especially glad to see Joe Lingle’s article, which reflects the “grassroots” spirit and approach and simplicity of the work and message that motivate those who contribute in different ways to Tabitha. Journeys is very professional yet highly personable. Job well done! There is no doubt that it will help to promote and maintain SAS school spirit over the years.

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From a former teacher to Karen Studebaker (parent & faculty 75-81): I loved your “Karen’s Corner” column in Journeys … that’s right up your alley – it’ll add lots of “class” and fun to the magazine.

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Singapore doesn’t leave your heart with the Communications Department at SAS. While interning, I worked closely with Alumni Relations, doing surveys, researching social networking sites and comparing SAS’s alumni program with those of other international schools. The job gave me the opportunity see what it would be like working for SAS and the gift of having an international internship on my resume.

What I value most from my time here was the chance to come back and realize that even after my family and most of my friends have moved away, Singapore isn’t the type of place that leaves your heart even after years of

being away.

By Sara Calvert (06) Alumni Relations Intern Coming back to Singapore after two and a half years of being away can be a shock to any SAS alumni. There are about a million new high rises, more traffic on all the major acronym-ed highways, new gyms, a memory garden and turf fields popping up across our campus. However, while much has changed, coming back to the city state where I lived for 16 years felt nothing short of coming home.

I was lucky enough to stay in Singapore for a month over my Christmas break, thanks to the internship I obtained

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From the Superintendent

Standing on the shoulders of great leaders opening in 1956.

We know that although facilities do not make a program, they play substantial roles in promoting high levels of student If it is true that we stand on the shoulders of those who achievement. Both Don and Bob had a vision for creating a have come before us, I was honored to be in the presence of physical environment in which every aspect of the school Don Bergman (superintendent from 1990-1999) and Bob could flourish.

Gross (superintendent from I am excited about what 1999-2007) at an SAS alumni lies ahead. Given the current event in San Francisco last worldwide economic environFebruary. Both Don and Bob ment, SAS has unique chalmade significant contributions lenges, but the quality of the to SAS during their tenures. work of those who came beTheir vision and leadership fore us has set the stage for served to further guide SAS on those who are here now. We its continuing journey as a have a wonderful opportunity school of excellence. to provide SAS students with Although the challenges an exemplary American educafaced by any superintendent tional experience with an interat SAS are unique to the penational perspective. riod of service, Don, Bob and I Our students are engaged share much in common. We in experiences that they will possess an abiding commitremember as special. Parents ment to ensuring that SAS is a SAS Superintendents Bob Gross, Brent Mutsch and Don are engaged in the partnership place where students are chal- Bergman compared notes at an SAS-hosted alumni event in that is so critical to the success lenged, nurtured, supported San Francisco last February. They represent vision and of each of our students. SAS is and provided every possible leadership from 1990 to the present. committed to attracting and opportunity to develop their retaining outstanding personfull potential. nel. These professionals are We acknowledge the imfocused on a mission and vision that places students at the portance of the teacher-parent partnership. We understand center of what we do every day. SAS is dedicated to fostering that collaborative home/school relationships contribute in and promoting outstanding achievement. powerful ways to students having successful school experiI hope to ensure that SAS continues to be a school dediences. cated to excellence and that together we continue to create We know that the key to student learning and success is experiences and memories that bind us together as alumni the quality of the teachers who create the opportunities for of the broader community of learners known as the Singastudents to construct deeper and broader understanding of pore American School. their worlds. SAS has been fortunate to attract and retain an

outstanding faculty, support staff and administration since

By Superintendent Brent Mutsch

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Education Foundation

Parents Y.S. and Suzie Nam (left) and Bon and Edan Park (right) with Superintendent Brent Mutsch and Maggie Mutsch.

Star Appeal Dinner

Star Appeal committee members Andrea Muller and Sandra Smith.

Other members were Mae Anderson, Beth Gribbon, Khoo Eun Choo, Suzie Nam, Janie Ooi, Bon Park, and Fae Varinata.

Thank you to Garth Sheldon, SAS Board of Governors.

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Education Foundation

Bryan Henning claims the grand raffle prize, donated by Aman Resorts, from MCs Nihal Varkey (09) and Lauren Felice (09).

Student ushers from the Seussical cast sold raffle tickets for prizes donated by Forlino and Il Lido restaurants, Aman Resorts and Como Hotels and Resorts.

The fourth annual Star Appeal Dinner on April 4 raised over $390,000 for the Education Foundation. Many generous parents donated, and the Khoo Teck Puat Foundation underwrote the dinner at the Goodwood Park Hotel. Superintendent Brent Mutsch thanked them all, saying that the event was “another example of the spirit of giving that exists at SAS. Whether members of the SAS community are giving of their time, experience, expertise or financial resources, each gift serves to enrich the quality and nature of the educational experience made available to our students.�

High school students entertained guests with skits from Seussical (below) and music by the Jazz Combo and Woodwind Trio.

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Star Appeal Dinner Donations 2009 Eagle Circle $20,000

Scott & Yun Joung Jung • Gerd Keim & Rini Sumardi • Devin Kimble & Amy Sittler • Ayaz & Shamina Lavingia • Joo Bae & Eun Hee Lee • Shahryar Mahbub & Shazia Khawaja • Rudy & Andrea Muller • Masatsugu & Yuki Otani • Vijay & Sujata Parekh • Neil & Mika Parekh • Deepa Pasumarty • Adrian & Susan Peh • Cameron Poetzcher & Varsha Rao • Raj & Mary Rajkumar • Namuh & Younsoo Rhee • Stephen Russell & Stephanie Morgan-Russell • Iwan Sarjono & Ingrid Prasatya • William & Martha Scarborough • Garth & Roxana Sheldon • Abidinsyah & Bonita Siregar • Helman Sitohang & Maria Praptanti • Gerry & Michelle Smith • In Jun Song & Joo Hyun Lee • Lawrence & Jane Sperling • Chris Tan & Chantal Wong • Steven & Asa Tucker • Harrison & Sheila Wang • Jun Won & Yoon Hee Choi • Chiu Man Wong & Maria Warner Wong •Kwan Nga & Rosa Wong • Shue Hai Yee & Iris Liew

Khoo Teck Puat Foundation Hano Maeloa & Monita Harianto & Sukma Widjaja Stephen Riady & Shincee Leonardi

Tiger Circle $10,000-$19,999 William & Jamie Amelio • Steven Cheng & Sylvia Liu • Cisco Systems • Crocs Asia Pte Ltd • DBS Bank LTD • Michael & Shelly Dee • Michael & Eva DeNoma • GETCO Asia Pte Ltd • William & Lois Lydens • Brent & Maggie Mutsch • Y.S. & Suzie Nam • Mark Nelson & Margrit Benton • Janie Ooi • Edan & Bon Park • Brent & Sandra Smith • Pei Ling Tan & Yulies Irawan • Ee Lim & Sofina Wee • Xu Quan & Xue Qiong Yao

Gecko Circle $5,000-$9,999

Traveler’s Palm Circle $100-$999

Joe & Mae Anderson • Ragnar & Joey Horn • Soejono & Fae Varinata • Phillip & Sandra Widjaja • Raymond & Kaori Zage • David Zemans & Catherine Poyen

Anonymous • Mark & Marianne Boyer • Yeow Ming Choo & Angelina Zheng • Philip & Daywen Chu • Marian De Groot • Gary & Sally Greene • David Hoss • Geri Johnson • Stanley Koster • Marc & Heidi L’Heureux • Rajkumar Narayanan & Jaya Rajkumar • Hanatha & Louise Perdana • Thomas & Heather Presnail • Ken Schunk • Tiri & Susan Shaw • William & Marybeth Shay • Gregory Smith • Walter & Patti Szopiak • Wilbert & Amy Young • Stephanie Zarikow

Orchid Circle $1,000-$4,999 Ravi & Sunanda Agarwal • Jonathan & Jessika Auerbach • Richard & Ashley Barry • Masoud & Maria Bassiri • Bart & Valerie Broadman • Dong Woo Chang & Ah Jung Lee •Jenny Q. L. Chiam • Mike & Kendall Connors • Michael & Grace Fan • Edward & Rachel Farrell • Ed & Noa Gilbreath • Scott & Valerie Graddy • Jim & Beth Gribbon • Bryan & Christine Henning • Kirk & Janice Hulse •

Star Appeal diners Ingrid Prasetya, Widji Darmawan and Maria Sitohang. The delicious wine came from Wendy Yap and Vinum Fine Wine Merchants.

Hano Maeloa and Sukma Widjaja with daughter Madeline.

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Abe and Jolly Abraham, well-respected teachers in the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s, view the memorial to their son, Sunil (75), who was killed in a car crash in 1982. They established the K. Sunil Abraham Engineering Award for a senior who has outstanding math and science talent and intends to pursue engineering at the tertiary level.

A garden of memories: stories of our past, a celebration of our present, the foundation of our future 9

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Third Culture Kids from Singapore Never has being a “third culture kid” (TCK) been such a talked-about phenomenon, both because U.S. President Barack Obama is a TCK and because of the growth of online interconnectedness, which has opened doors and provided support for the reverse culture shock that SASers experience after leaving Singapore. For years, many alumni have reported feeling disconnected upon returning “home” from Singapore – how many of their home country peers had gone to Bali on a class trip, called strangers “uncle” and “auntie” or sipped lime juice out of a plastic bag?

Steph Yiu (04) has founded one of those

support groups in the form of Denizen, www.denizen-mag.com, an online magazine for third culture kids. Steph was born in Hong Kong, grew up in Singapore and attended college in Chicago. She interned for the Boston Globe before returning to Chicago to work for the Chicago Tribune. One of her articles and some quotes and photographs from Denizen are included in this feature.

Akilesh Pant (09) writes about the most well-known TCK – U.S. President Obama – and some of his TCK colleagues. Pant was born in New Jersey and has lived in New Delhi and New Hampshire as well as Singapore.

Steph Yiu (04) and Jason Chin (04) modeled typical TCK wardrobes for a feature in Denizen.

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publishing of the first Islander in 1958 and the beginning of Interim Semester in 1972, are recognized with plaques on the Memory Wall in the garden. The wall also honors bittersweet memories of students and faculty whose untimely deaths touched the school community.

The school has been incredibly fortunate to be led by a Board of Governors, elected by the parent community, that has guided SAS through periods of uncertainty, serious economic crises and enrollment fluctuations while managing to hire and retain a faculty that ranks with the best of faculties in the international school community. The insightful leadership and stewardship of successive Boards of Governors have

the history of Singapore that may have given pause to others with less determination, vision and spirit. From its origin in a house at 15 Rochalie Drive with 105 students and ten teachers, the school developed and grew until, six campuses later, it stands on 37 acres in Woodlands with an enrollment of 3,800 students and 330 teachers. The multiple success stories that make up our history and the school’s promising future certainly give us reason to celebrate and thank its visionary founders and those who followed, who, true to our mission, pursued their dreams. Significant individuals, such as the first school principal Albert Fisher and a visit from President Bush in 1992, and hallmark events, such as the

Your shadow tells the time on the Memory Garden’s sundial. Without the conventional vertical needle, the sundial space remains open for performances and celebrations. Pictured are Kirtida Mekani, who’s daughter Veda (03) passed away soon after graduating from SAS; Susan Studebaker-Rutledge (80), alumni volunteer extraordinaire; architect Joshua Comaroff demonstrating how to tell the time; Heather Presnail, Alumni Office; Pall Singh and Mrs. Singh, representing Captain Jaswant Singh, who was head of security 96-03; and Ann Tan, long-serving administrator to superintendents.

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The Memory Garden honors and celebrates the rich history that has brought the school to its current place in the community and in Singapore.

Left: The Riady Performing Arts Center, which is used for performances and art exhibitions, is a unique and dramatic space situated between the two school theaters and leading into the Memory Garden.

Above and below: As the garden nears completion, alumni are encouraged to visit it. Don Kabel (77) and his three children were at SAS in March, while Scott Gill (79) came in February.

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Superintendent Brent Mutsch said at the preview: “Each of us has been touched by our association with SAS – from former superintendent Bob Gross, who envisioned this space even as he was departing Singapore, to parent Stephen Riady, a friend of SAS and its vision, and Garth Sheldon, who has served on the School Board for ten years. The Memory Garden honors the past and those moments in time that capture the essence of the school.”

resulted in the creation of an educational institution that clearly honors our rich traditions and challenges us to continue creating the conditions that will prepare our students for successful and exciting futures. The Memory Garden stands as one way to honor and celebrate the rich history that has brought the school to its current place in the community and in Singapore.

Today, the school community finds itself once again in a time of economic uncertainty and elevated risk, much like its situation in the founding years. Our history reflects many times in the past where the community has successfully navigated similar challenges, and we have every reason to believe the future holds great promise. We will continue to rely on the commitment and spirit of the community, which individually and collectively gives time, resources, expertise and commitment to excellence and to the school’s continued success.

In a way, the story of the Singapore American School is

also the story of Singapore as it gained self-rule and independence and became a modern, economically developed nation, an institution struggling with growth and change at the same time Singapore was overcoming similar challenges.

We have benefited from the community in which we have lived, supported by not only the American expatriates who chose to make Singapore their home for a time but also by the Singapore community, which has given the school support, encouragement and room to grow.

Whether you are a new member of the school community, a distant friend or someone who has made Singapore your home, we hope that you will take the opportunity to visit the Memory Garden. We welcome everyone at any time throughout the year to this community of learners where we strive every day to understand more completely the connection between learning and living.

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Making the garden grow 1993 high school faculty under the Senior Tree, an icon on the King’s Road campus. Shoots from that original banyan tree have been planted in the Memory Garden.

Advanced Placement art students were asked to work on designs for the garden. Hye Na Kim (07) compiled the drawings and feedback from an overseeing committee of teachers, parents, alumni and administrators. Then she and Harvey worked with the landscape architects, Lekker Design, to come up with a final plan. Remarkably, many of the elements from the original designs are in the garden today, including the basic overall design, the water feature and the sundial/performing space.

Harvey said that the architects were “a remarkable team who understood the value of this experience for the students, who are SAS’s greatest resource, as Bob Gross told me when the project began.”

Lead architect Josh Comaroff said, “Having come from a more ordinary educational environment, I felt it was amazing that the students had the chance to shape their own environment, especially one as emotional and as personal as the Memory Garden.”

Martha Began’s SAVE Club students contributed greatly

Since 2004, many people have contributed to the creation of the Memory Garden, including faculty, the Board of Governors, students, the Arts Council and the Communications and Development Office. The initial plans were spearheaded by then Superintendent Bob Gross, who said that through discussions with these groups, “it was determined that the Memory Garden should include not only memorial plaques for those who lost their lives while attending SAS, but also capture the many significant events and people who shaped the history of the school.” The five years that have passed since then have been filled with research, creative suggestions and hard work by many people. These efforts have been coordinated by Alumni Relations directors Susan Murray and Lauren Thomas, implemented by architects from Lekker Design and carried out with meticulous care by Facilities Director Anthony Wong and Francis Ang. SAS teachers Barbara Harvey and Martha Began played significant roles in the creation of the Memory Garden, as did many SAS students. In the 2005/2006 school year, Harvey’s 14

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principals of the four school divisions, and a nutmeg plant recalled the club’s alliance with primatologist Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots program.

In 2006, SAS expanded this space to build the Memory Garden and incorporated many of the Butterfly Garden concepts into the plan. Individual species of plants were assigned to each memorialized person, so that each would be recognized by a growth in the garden as well as a plaque on the Memory Wall. Wild cinnamon represents the unknown or untold tragedies of SAS students and personnel. These plants will grow throughout the garden, attracting many butterfly visitors, further enhancing its beauty.

Architect Joshua Comaroff said recently that the Memory Garden is a collaboration of ideas that embues its spirit. It is also an evolving and ongoing creation that will improve and mature with contributions from those who care about the Singapore American School.

by helping to transform the space. (SAVE stands for Students Against Violating the Environment.) In 2003, the club had created the Butterfly Garden in memory of Blair Sonnenberg, an eighth grader who died in 1996 from a heart condition while playing soccer at the school. The students had selected plants that are known to attract butterflies by either feeding caterpillars, providing nectar for adults or having an odor that attracts them, such as peacock, crown and pagoda flowers, curry leaves, snakeweed, ixora, lantana, golden showers, guava and cinnamon. Four weeping willows represented the

Each memorial plaque will be represented by a flower or a plant in the Memory Garden.

Art teacher Barbara Harvey and science teacher Martha Began speak of their plans for the Memory Garden at the 50th Anniversary celebrations.

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First SAS campus on Rochalie Drive, 1956-1962

King’s Road campus, 1962-1996

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Memory Wall events and people who shaped SAS history Two of the older plaques on the Memory Wall are dedicated to Frank Burdell and Katharine Wood, who were two of many outstanding parent-volunteers who contributed to the school. After Frank died in an airplane accident in 1966, his wife established the first scholar-athlete award for a graduating senior. Several years later Kay (as she was known) and other SAS parents discussed the possibility of a second award so that there would be one for boys and another for girls.

When Kay died from cancer in 1978, those parents and her husband created the Burdell-Wood Scholar-Athlete Award for two seniors, one male and one female, “whose academic and athletic careers have been exemplary, whose personal standards and achievements are a model to others, and who possess high levels of integrity, self-discipline and courage.”

1956: SAS opening ceremony is on January 3.

1968: SAS proudly opens the Balestier Memorial Gymnasium on King’s Road, naming it in honor of the first American consul to Singapore (1837-52). Here, the 1977 girls’ varsity basketball team postures on an overhang outside the gym.

1965: Mr. Ho’s cafeteria opens.

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In 1974, Muhammad Ali visited the King’s Road campus and held 300 students in awe with his poetry.

Principal Pat Emma (1980-88) demonstrated such a depth of principle, love of children and respect for teachers that he became something of an icon and mentor to many of his colleagues and students.

Plaques also commemorate the opening of the Wood-

lands campus in 1996 with Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the school’s 50th anniversary celebrations with his father, former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, and the Khoo Teck Puat Library in the high school.

The Riady Performing Arts Center in 2008 is the final plaque, but many more plaques stand blank, ready to be filled with the future.

Ulu Pandan campus – 1972-1996

SAS logos 1956-1996, 1996-2004, 2005-present

1982: IASAS begins

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The Memory Wall recognizes significant events in the history of the school, such as anniversary celebrations, new buildings and visiting dignitaries, as well as individuals who were honored in the school’s previous memorial space. It also includes students, faculty and long-serving staff who died while enrolled or working at SAS or soon thereafter. The Memory Wall will continue to grow with the passage of time. Plaques with similar focus will be added in the future. We welcome suggestions and input from our alumni, now and in the years to come. The school is committed to covering all costs related to the Memory Garden and is not seeking donations for the garden.

However, donations may be made to the SAS Education Foundation to honor an event or an individual and will be used for annual initiatives that benefit the welfare of the school. All donations will be acknowledged in Journeys. If you would like to make a donation related to a special interest or individual, please contact Director of Development Beth Gribbon at bgribbon@sas.edu.sg.

1972: Interim Semester begins. What alum does not have fabulous memories of Interim Semester?

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1. 1996: U.S. Ambassador Timothy Chorba and Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong attend opening of Woodlands campus.

2. 2006: Alumni from the 50s and 60s at the school’s 50th anniversary celebrations.

3. 1981: The “time capsule” from the school’s 25th anniversary was opened in 2006 during its 50th anniversary celebrations.

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Education Foundation

Thank you for supporting our school!

By Beth Gribbon Director of Communications and Development SAS remains committed to providing the best possible educational opportunities for its students. The current economic downturn may have an impact on future enrollment, making these goals more challenging to administer. In these volatile financial times, the administration and Board of Governors have focused on managing expenses and minimizing financial risk to the school.

We are encouraged that support for the SAS Education Foundation continues to be strong, as annual giving is the school’s only source of income beyond tuition and school fees. Although contributions to the foundation are expected to significantly enhance the school’s operating budget in the future as donor participation expands, this year has been particularly challenging as many of our families and their employers have been affected by the economic downturn.

The Star Appeal Dinner contributed the lion’s share of the donations to the foundation so far this year. The event continues to be a pivotal part of the fund-raising efforts for SAS. Again this year, the dinner was underwritten by the Khoo Foundation, and SAS parent, Wendy Yap, made a generous wine donation, helping to ensure that every dollar donated that evening went directly to the foundation in support of student programs.

The SAS Education Foundation is supported almost exclusively by our current parent and corporate community.

Alumni are also invited and encouraged to donate. Significant reunions or milestones in the history of the school Learning about magnets – The Education Foundation enhances the education of SAS children by providing extra tools for outstanding learning experiences.

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provide opportunities to give back to SAS, celebrating the memory of your time at the school and providing funds to ensure that current and future students benefit from the same educational experiences. Gifts may be in honor or in memory of a specific person or event. Both honoree and donor will be acknowledged in the December issue of Journeys.

Please contact me at bgribbon@sas.edu.sg if I can be of assistance in helping to coordinate a class gift or a collective donation in honor of an event or an individual. All donations will be directed to the SAS Education Foundation and will be used for annual initiatives that benefit the welfare of the school.

Donations may be made by check or credit card in U.S. and Singapore dollars. Checks should be made payable to the “SAS Foundation”. Go to http://alumni.sas.edu.sg/ donations to make a donation by credit card via secure server. Donations in U.S. dollars are tax-deductible on U.S. taxes.

All donations are greatly appreciated and will be used to support the school’s programs and endowment. Donation checks should be mailed to: Office of Communications and Development, Singapore American School, 40 Woodlands Street 41, Singapore 738547 The 2008-2009 annual fund campaign in support of the SAS Education Foundation will run through June 30, 2009.

Donations will be acknowledged in the December 2009 issue of Journeys.

Thank you for considering a donation to the SAS Educa tion Foundation.

The IASAS Cultural Convention (below) and sports exchanges with schools in five other countries augment the education of high school students and are supported in part by the Education Foundation.

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SAS Today

Bonira Bt Kapel November 15, 1948–March 2, 2009

SAS 1970-2006 She was the SAS Eagle.

SK Kasinathan (PE teacher 63-83) Boni and Azizah at Boni’s SAS farewell party in 2006.

Boni’s sudden departure saddens us all, but fond memories of her good heartedness and kind assistance will remain alive in my thoughts. The happy times we spent together at the school and after school – I will always remember and treasure. She was helpful, pleasant and such a cheerful, loving sister to me. I miss her dearly.

With love, Azizah/Zizi

and delightful woman. She would probably tell us that she had her share of sunshine, but it was far too early for someone so kind to pass on.

Bob Gross (Superintendent 1999-07)

Boni was very special. Regardless of how chaotic things appeared at times, she was always professional and always gave me good advice.

Harvey B. Alvy (HS principal 98-00)

Boni personified our core values – compassion, honesty, fairness, responsibility, respect – long before the school articulated them.

Jim Baker (teacher 1971-09)

Boni did so much more for the school and its students than many, many could even begin to imagine.

Mel Kuhbander (Superintendent 81-90)

Boni had radar; she knew what you needed and made it happen. She was a neat lady.

Rick Silverman (teacher 1987-09)

So many of my pleasant memories from SAS are because of Boni’s ever-loving and kind presence. I feel blessed to have known her. Our world has lost a special person.

Virginia Donahue (teacher 1984-99)

Boni’s kindness and warmth always helped students feel at ease, and alumni continuously returned to visit her and Azizah.

Dave Norcott (HS principal 06-09)

Boni was such a cheerful, competent

Boni was such a lovely person; she was truly a person who had a positive impact on a huge number of people.

Paul Chmelik (HS principal 00-06)

Boni’s legacy will never be forgotten by her friends, her colleagues and the stu-

dents at SAS. Melissa Huston (10) Amazing how one calm smile from Boni could make the entire world right again.

Georgina Toriyama (95) Over 36 years and 14 principals, in good times and bad, Boni always had a smile and a kind word for everyone.

Linda Clarke (teacher 76-09) I still remember Boni’s sweet smiling face and happy heart from 35 years ago.

Karen Watts Jacobsma (75) I (and so many others) will deeply miss her.

Michelle Schmitz (07) Saya maju menangis.

Heath Clifton Harvey (74) Boni was like a big sister to me at SAS. Firmansyah Tank Teuku (81) Boni the life saver… God bless her.

Djaja Santoso (81) Our beautiful Boni will always be alive in our thoughts.

Trisha Kuester (teacher 1987-08)

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Third Culture Kids from Singapore Never has being a “third culture kid” (TCK) been such a talked-about phenomenon, both because U.S. President Barack Obama is a TCK and because of the growth of online interconnectedness, which has opened doors and provided support for the reverse culture shock that SASers experience after leaving Singapore. For years, many alumni have reported feeling disconnected upon returning “home” from Singapore – how many of their home country peers had gone to Bali on a class trip, called strangers “uncle” and “auntie” or sipped lime juice out of a plastic bag?

Steph Yiu (04) has founded one of those

support groups in the form of Denizen, www.denizen-mag.com, an online magazine for third culture kids. Steph was born in Hong Kong, grew up in Singapore and attended college in Chicago. She interned for the Boston Globe before returning to Chicago to work for the Chicago Tribune. One of her articles and some quotes and photographs from Denizen are included in this feature.

Akilesh Pant (09) writes about the most well-known TCK – U.S. President Obama – and some of his TCK colleagues. Pant was born in New Jersey and has lived in New Delhi and New Hampshire as well as Singapore.

Steph Yiu (04) and Jason Chin (04) modeled typical TCK wardrobes for a feature in Denizen.

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Obama’s Third Culture Cabinet

Obama is definitely American, but he has a little bit of a twist that only people living abroad like us can understand.

By Akilesh Pant (09)

spective who is socially adaptable and intellectually flexible.

He or she is quick to think outside the box and can appreciate and reconcile different points of view. Beyond whatever diversity in background or appearance a TCK might bring to the party, there is a diversity of thought as well.”

President Obama has included like-minded people in his cabinet, which means a number of TCKs. Unofficially labeled the “Third Culture Cabinet,” Obama’s team includes White House advisor Valerie Jarrett, who lived in Tehran and London for much of her childhood; Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, raised in East Africa, India, Thailand, China and Japan; and National Security Advisor James L. Jones, who was raised in Paris.

“Most Americans probably don’t care as much about foreign cultures, and people like us are rare, but I really think it’s important to have someone like Obama who can understand the world from a different perspective,” Alvi Hasan (10) said.

“Obama is definitely American, but he has a little bit of a twist that only people living abroad like us can understand.”

With hundreds of SAS students heading back to the United States every year, many feel that having a president (and a cabinet) who can empathize with the “global” citizen could be helpful not only to expatriate students but to the progress of the nation as a whole.

“I feel really lucky that Obama was elected the year I head off to college,” John Hardee (09) said. “I’m a little worried about relating to most American kids, but at least I’ll know that the president himself is kind of like me.”

Ask the average American to imagine living in Indonesia, Singapore, perhaps even Hawaii. To us, the image comes easily, but to the millions who voted for President Obama, the idea of a “third-culture kid” is alien.

For the first time in American history, the citizens of the United States have elected a president who is not only the first of his race, but the first of his culture – the third culture.

The third culture kid, or TCK, is one who has lived in a culture other than the one of his or her birth for an extended period of time. The “third” culture is the blend of those two cultures.

Studies have found that TCKs are more comfortable with other TCKs than they are with their home-country peers. Like Obama, many of us have lived in at least one foreign culture long enough to feel out of the loop when returning to the United States.

“Singapore was my first experience living outside of the U.S. and even though I was only there for a semester, I had some trouble adjusting to my old school in Connecticut,” former SAS student Nashoba Santhanam said. “There’s something about living abroad and being exposed to other cultures that makes it harder to relate to people that have lived in America all their lives.”

Ruth E. Van Reken, author of Third Culture Kids: The Experience of Growing Up Among Worlds, recently wrote in the online Daily Beast that TCKs “share certain emotional and psychological traits that may exert great influence in the new administration.”

Van Reken says that the body of studies devoted to TCKs produces a classic profile of “someone with a global per-

Reprinted from the February 09 issue of the award-winning SAS student newspaper, The Eye. 23

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White lies TCKs tell

By Steph Yiu (04)

Distaste for the “Where are you from?” question is indicative of the confused identity that comes innately with TCK status.

I hate my American accent.

“You’re from Singapore?” the girl queried in her all-tooreal Singaporean accent. “Born and bred?”

I was out with my new Boston roommates, who were introducing me as their “friend from Singapore.” I had no problem with it until I realized one of their friends was Singaporean.

“Hi, I’m Steph” was all it took for my undeniable American twang to tip her off. She scrutinized me like I was a 12year-old showing a fake ID to get into some exclusive club.

Oh Lin, I wanted to say to my roommate, why did you not let me introduce myself? Why did you not let me tell my usual white lies?

Over the years I’ve developed a fail-safe pattern to avoid awkward social situations such as this. When in Hong Kong (birthplace) or Boston (where I live now), I say I’m from Singapore. When in Singapore (hometown), I say I’m from Hong Kong. And if I’m in Boston and happen to be talking to someone from Singapore, I say I’m from Chicago (where I went to college).

I know I’m not the only one who does this “little dance of white lies.” I surveyed a few former classmates from the Singapore American School. What do they say when asked, “Where are you from?”

“Ummmm, well…” says Tommy Phillips (05), “I’m originally from New York, but I spent my entire life overseas.” He pauses. “It’s a hard question to answer.”

“I say I’m from Singapore,” Kahini Iyer (03) said. “But then that is usually followed by, ‘Oh, I thought you were Indian.’”

“I deal with this so much,” Rivkah Alvy (04) said. “It depends on how much I want the person to know about me, and if I care that they know. If I don’t care, I say ‘I grew up overseas’ or ‘It’s a long story.’ If I do care, I say my mom is

from Montana, my dad is from New York, but I was born in Israel, grew up in India and Singapore, and now live in Seattle.”

Within the third culture kid community, distaste for the “Where are you from?” question strikes a common chord. It’s indicative of the confused identity that comes innately with TCK status. According to The Washington Post, TCKs make an average of eight major moves before graduating from high school. It’s what separates us from immigrants or casual travelers because instead of developing our identities and worldviews in one locale, we develop these characteristics in transit. This is why, according to researchers Pollock and Van Reken, people can be former expats or former foreign service officers but never former third culture kids. We take our world with us wherever we go.

Not everyone understands our perspective; we still have to do a “little dance” every time we’re asked about our identity. It’s not only because we’re unsure ourselves but also because we’re unsure of the reactions of others.

Amy Nguyen (03), who is ethnically Vietnamese but spent part of her life in Singapore and Japan, moved to the U.S. for college. The first day of class, she and her classmates introduced themselves. The guy sitting next to her was Singaporean but she did 24

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with a permanent residency in New Zealand, then Canada.”

Then, to explain his ethnicity: “I was never in India, except on vacations to see family.”

While my own story is not half as long as Daniel’s, sometimes I resort to saying, “Oh, it doesn’t matter,” which is a flatout lie. Withdrawal from social situations, and an inability to fit in are common to TCKs, who are often overwhelmed by their lack of national identity. Then there are people like Nguyen, who just have fun with it.

“Sometimes I say I’m from a country I’ve never lived in and see if they can catch me out. I even lie about my ethnicity.

It almost becomes a fun game. People have no clue that I’m Vietnamese most of the time because I tell them I’ve lived in Japan and Singapore. They assume I’m Japanese or Chinese.”

Establishing a solid answer to “Where are you from” may take an entire lifetime. A San Diego State University study by Ann Baker Cottrell reported in the Christian Science Monitor that 90 percent of TCKs feel “out of sync” with their U.S. peers, even into their 20s and 30s.

“I still don’t have an answer that works,” Rivkah says. “I think people assume that I am uppity or like to brag about myself when it is just the truth. Other times, it’s a good conversation starter.”

not know it until after she had introduced herself as Amy from Singapore.

“He looked at me funny,” she said. “It was his turn to go next, and he said, ‘I’m from Singapore too’… with the accent and all. The class couldn’t tell the difference,” Nguyen said.

“To them, if you’re Asian, you’re Asian.”

Perhaps the most painful “Where are you from?” question came from a U.S. immigration officer. When I tried to explain my Canadian citizenship despite never having lived there, the official eyed me suspiciously and then promptly sent me back to the “questioning room.”

One of my favorite stories comes from the 2002 firstperson account by Annie-Sophie Bolon, published in the International Herald Tribune. The immigration officer told her: “Let me get this straight… French passport, which was issued in Indonesia; you were born in Australia, and your J-11 visa for entry into the United States of America was delivered in Venezuela. Is that right?”

Yes, it was. He then noted her American accent, acquired from American international schools. “Your English is amazing, how much time have you spent in the United States?”

“Approximately 18 minutes,” she replied.

Incredulous responses to my American accent are something I’ve grown used to. As soon as I say that I’m from Singapore, the next comment is almost always: “Wow, your English is perfect!” I believe this has something to do with my ethnicity (Asian).

“I usually tend to say ‘Canadian’ if someone asks me where I’m from,” says Daniel Thämbïräj (03). “But when they ask me a second time, I know it’s because my tanned skin is irregular for the ‘typical’ Canadian.” Then he proceeds to stun the questioner with the following answer: “Born in England, lived in Ireland, then Wales, then Malaysia and Singapore

Reprinted from www.denizen-mag.com.

So you think you’ve met a TCK? When TCKs tell funny stories about trips to South Africa or Turkey, they’re not trying to impress you.

They just want to share important memories and personal history.

If you’re dating a TCK, don’t be offended if he or she doesn’t invite you home for Thanksgiving or if it takes years to meet the parents. They’re kind of far away.

When TCKs get together, they tend to bash American culture. They don’t mean to be offensive, but comparing cultures is just the way their minds work.

TCKs suck at pop culture. And they ask stupid questions, such as “what’s a burrito?”

TCKs think outside the box and appreciate different points of view.

From www.denizen-mag.com.

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Fond Farewell

VIP volunteers

By Haywood, Joanne, Jessica (03) and Emily (04) Blakemore

served the community with relish and did so with grace and a constant good humor.

Joanne first met Shelley at a meeting of the Girl Scouts at SAS in 1994. She was sitting right behind her, and when the speaker suggested the troop leaders wear the girl scout uniform, Joanne said, under her breath, “can we put in shoulder pads?” Shelley turned around and said, “I think we’re going to be great friends,” and introduced herself. Thus began a friendship between our two families that became a significant part of our lives in Singapore and remains so important to us today.

Shelley, Phil, Nicole and Casey have always called Asia home. From Jakarta to Bangkok to Singapore they embraced expatriate life and taught so many of us how to become inspired, involved and integrated. For a number of years

After the speeches, music, laughter and tears of the farewell parties ended, after the communal goodbyes and after the plane for St. Louis took off, the imprint of the DeFord family – Shelley, Phil, Nicole (04) and Casey (07) – remains solidly pressed on the American community in Singapore.

How this one family created such an impact on the fiber of the American expatriate community is hard to fathom – but undeniable. Whether chairing the board of the American School, leading and growing SACAC or developing the Fighting Fish swim team into a community of its own, the DeFords brought leadership, care and unending enthusiasm to all they did for Singapore-based Americans. In countless ways, they

Shelley and Phil at a PTA fund-raising event.

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Fond Farewell

Shelly and Phil with SAS teachers Rick Silverman, Roy Tomlinson, Paula Silverman and Jim Baker. The expression on Shelley’s face shows the joy she took in being a part of the SAS community.

Shelley and Phil working a track meet with other parents.

The DeFords taught so many of us that the transient nature of expatriate life could be made to feel permanent and meaningful if we got involved.

of us that the transient nature of expatriate life could be made to feel permanent and meaningful if we got involved.

They embodied the spirit of “yes, we can” through their constant commitment to service and their selfless encouragement of others to become engaged.

Shelley led the PTA and later served on and chaired the board of the Singapore American School. Phil headed the SACAC board. His annual wine dinners for the PTA were memorable celebrations and successful fundraisers. Together, they led the Fighting Fish swim team, coaching, organizing meets and traveling throughout Asia with the team and hosts of parents.

Even when their girls were no longer active in the programs, Phil and Shelley continued to work long hours in and for the community and kept abreast of the changes in expat life as a result of shifting demographics. They both served on the board of the American Association and frequently brought perspectives to that group that were new and refreshing. They spoke their minds and hearts to a better life for the American community in Singapore.

Personally, what stands out for our family is the inspiration they provided in encouraging all of us to become involved. Whether it was with the school, the community at large or a Singaporean endeavor, the DeFords taught so many

The DeFords, like the Blakemores, made significant contributions to the SAS community. Both families came to Singapore in 1994 and immediately donated their time, energy and spirit. They served on the boards of the PTA, American Association, SAS, AWA, American Club and SACAC. They timed and cheered at swim and track meets. Most of all, they were positive, upbeat and supportive of the school and the Singapore-American community. They carried on the great tradition of American volunteerism that long ago established the school and the organizations we enjoy today.

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Fond Farewell

Bill Rives returns to USA after 22 years Bill Rives has been a special part of the SAS faculty community since 1987. This year he returns to the United States to spend more time with his son Alec, whom he adopted in Singapore and calls “the greatest gift I take from Singapore and my time here.” Alec, a promising athlete, will enter grade 10.

Although Rives will be missed at SAS, he can take with him the knowledge that he has mentored many students, including Jordan Baggs, who sent this tribute to Journeys.

Bill and Alec Rives

By Jordan Baggs (98)

Mr. Rives would begin most, if not all, classes by telling us that “We have lots to do, and very little time.” I remember that his face brightened every time he said this. His honest enthusiasm and calm urgency about teaching and learning are difficult to forget.

I saw that enthusiasm as he organized IASAS MUN in November 1996, which was the year we moved to the Woodlands campus. Organizing such a large event is normally no easy task, but such a feat was made more complicated by the fact that the Woodlands campus was not finished when

I was fortunate to know Mr. Rives as a teacher and as a mentor through the Model United Nations (MUN) program.

In fact, although he may not recall this, Mr. Rives is in a way directly responsible for my going to university: he wrote one of my recommendation letters. I asked him to write the letter not only because he knew me, but because I respected him as a person for the dignified manner in which he carried himself and the respect he gave me and all my classmates.

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Fond Farewell

classes began. Mr. Rives’ enthusiasm was a big factor in my decision to try out for MUN in 1997. Mr. Rives was a great MUN coach and mentor; he helped us to debate real world problems, such as ethnic cleansing, even though it was just a mock UN setting. His enthusiasm combined with his mentoring made MUN both enjoyable and educational in so many ways.

Mr. Rives not only believed in our general intellectual abilities, he also believed in our abilities to manage the team.

He made us feel like equals. He made us feel like it was “our” MUN team, and not “his” MUN team. I guess that was his general approach to our educational experience at SAS: it was “our” education, and we were all part of a team, all colleagues trying to make one another better as individuals and as a collective body. In retrospect, this was very practical experience that helped me in college and graduate school, in

Mr. Rives made us feel like it was “our” MUN team, not “his” MUN team

my professional life and in my personal life as well. Even more importantly, his dignity, integrity, enthusiasm for learning and egalitarian teaching style greatly contributed to helping us approach real world problems in our individual lives.

SAS Interim Semester trip to New Zealand in 1996.

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The Baptist Hostel for children of Baptist missionaries was located at 43 Ridout Road. Making music in this 1966 photo are Carol Yarnell (68), Beth Smith (69), Al Jimmerson (69), Becky Reber (65), Cheryl Thurman (66), Pagett Daves (visitor), Dan Scull (68) and Philip Davidson (69).

SAS hostel memories From 1958 until 1981, many SAS students were boarders, either in private homes or group hostels, because SAS was the only American-curriculum school in Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. Oil companies based in Indonesia offered K-8 educations for expatriate children but did not have high schools for the older children. Missionary children did not have even these opportunities in the remote areas of Malaysia and Indonesia where their parents were stationed. In Singapore, the Methodists opened a hostel in 1958 for children of all ages, followed by the Lutherans and the Baptists, while the oil companies set up hostels for high schoolers. Hostel living added an entire new dimension to attending SAS that was shared by hundreds of students. Being new at school was not quite so traumatic because hostel students had instant pools of friends where they lived. Several alums tell their stories about these hostels in the following feature.

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Methodist Hostel

By Ken Root (72) There is no way to talk about the Methodist Hostel and do it any sort of justice.

It seemed like Mrs. Snead was always there for us. My mom watched us at the hostel for three months while she took a break, and a Miss Tittsworth was hostel mother for another period of time when Mrs. Snead was Stateside. (Yes, we did have a little fun with her name.) But basically, Mrs. Snead was our house mother.

I entered the hostel in 1963 when it was on Barker Road and I was in the 4th grade. Both of my brothers were already there (Chuck 67 and Lewis 70), and I had begged to go. The hostel moved to Farrer Road the next year.

When we had a reunion for Mrs. Snead’s birthday in 2000, it was a great healing event for some of us who had spent so many years at the hostel to find that “our family” still existed.

For me, there were Sam (75) and Karen Brodland (73) and others whom we lived with all those years and then just went our separate ways. At the reunion, the lost feeling that had

The hostel was so much fun because of the little pranks we played and the camaraderie among the residents.

Jane Svoboda (65)

been in our souls was lifted.

Mrs. Snead was a second mother to me. When she passed away in 2003, Sam and Karen and I flew from Washington state to Atlanta, Georgia, to attend her memorial service. We talked non-stop for the entire flight.

Both Mrs. Snead and my Mom died the ‘’death of the righteous,” a quote from Sam’s grandfather in which a person lives a full life and has a swift death. Mrs. Snead got cancer and died on the way to her first treatment. My mom

Methodist Hostel family in 1967 – “Mrs. Snead [center] created a family and home that all her former charges recall with respect and affection.” Jim Baker (66)

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We played basketball and football in the mud when we got one of those amazing rain storms. We walked to the bottom of the hill where we could get a great cup of coffee and a curry puff for 20 cents. Now I pay $3.50 for coffee at Starbucks, and I cannot find a curry puff anywhere.

We had two cooks and a driver who also kept up the yard. When paranoid Americans talk about Islam like it is a disease, I think of Awang and how kind and gentle he was and how faithful he was to his Islamic faith. We also had several wash ladies. I could throw clothes in the dirty basket in the morning and by the afternoon they were clean and in my drawer.

Oh, I did have to make my bed. If I failed to do that, it got completely stripped. Tough life.

Life was good. We had devotions after dinner every night and then study hour. Sunday was church and Sunday school.

Friday night was movies at the American club. On Saturdays Mrs. Snead would take us swimming, either at the Katong Swimming Club or the American Club.

Ken Root and Calvin Armstrong (74) hang out the back of the Methodist Hostel van.

had pneumonia and died 10 days later. Both were very strong in mind and body until they became sick.

At the hostel we were brothers and sisters and we knew how to have fun. We soaped up the floors and slid the length of the hallway, and there was a rope to climb out of the attic for late night visits to Bugis Street or to girlfriends.

Betty Snead – “Mom” to 200 SASers Betty Snead was a remarkable figure in Singapore in the 60s and 70s. She was an AWA volunteer, PTA president, SAS board member and “mom” to anywhere from 12 to 20 children at the Methodist Hostel. She also did volunteer work for the Peace Corps and at the Vietnamese refugee camp in Singapore. She embodied the best of American volunteerism and Christian giving.

Betty passed away in September 2003, leaving a vast, unwritten legacy. She and her husband were teacher-missionaries in Vietnam in 1939 but had to flee to the Philippines when the Japanese invaded Indochina. There they became prisoners of the Japanese after hiding with a group of Americans and Canadians in the jungle for 13 months. In February 1945, Allied paratroopers effected a dramatic res-

Betty Snead (center) in 1963, when she served on the SAS Board of Governors in addition to raising her many children.

cue of their camp at Los Banos and led all 2,000 prisoners through enemy lines to safety.

In 1948, the Methodist Church sent the Sneads to British Malaya to help establish a school for expatriate missionary children, first in Fraser’s Hill and then in Malacca. When 32

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At that time [the 60s and 70s], the school was very much a family thing and a community thing in that both parents and non-parents were involved. There was a sense of intimacy, of belonging.

Betty Snead

her husband was killed in an airplane crash in 1953, Betty returned to Tucker, Georgia, with their four children. She did graduate work and taught school until 1961, when the church asked her to return to Singapore as house mother for the Methodist Hostel. She held that position for 20 years.

In those days, the missionary presence and influence were significant in the American and Singaporean communities. The Methodists established many schools and churches in greater Malaya and then spun them off to local administrators, while the Lutherans worked in the New Villages that were created by the Communist Emergency in Malaya. In the American community as well, missionaries served on many community boards, and Betty was one of those volunteers.

But her primary commitment was always to the Method-

ist Hostel and its youngsters. The children were not just teenagers, as in the oil company hostels, but ranged in age from 7 to 18. Their parents were missionaries in remote areas of Malaysia and Indonesia, where there were no schools.

In her own words, “As much as possible we try to keep it like a home. I’m here when the children are here. It’s rare when I’m out. I am the one person to whom they are responsible. My mornings are filled with planning, shopping and taking children to the doctor. In the evenings, after dinner, we say devotions. It’s a chance for us all to be together as a family.” (Singapore American, April 81) Her four children – Mary Carol, Larry, Betsy (67), John (69) – numerous grandchildren, and over 200 hostel residents remember her with love.

“At the hostel reunion [in Atlanta in 2000], Ken Root thanked everyone for reaffirming that our childhood wasn’t a dream. That’s how I felt too. Our time in Singapore at the Methodist Hostel was magic.” Sherry Keith (70). Attending the reunion with Mrs. Snead were Sherry Keith (70), Lisa Boehlke (70), Sam Brodland (75), Beverly McElroy and Terri Jackson (74).

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Caltex Hostel: The most fun years of our lives Hostel boat trip in 1970.

We had a blast! – Debbie Dudley-Bodal (73)

adventures. The cockpit was open, and we watched the landing and takeoff. We had a lot of very bumpy weather flying back and forth but that did not seem to make any of us nervous. A few times we took the Caltex ferry down the Seak River from Rumbai to Singapore.

After that first year, Caltex decided to sponsor a hostel in Singapore for the children of their employees in Sumatra.

Thus the Caltex Hostel was born in 1970. Jim Hitchcock, an employee of Caltex/Amoseas in the Singapore office, was the company administrator for the hostel.

We became one big family, eating together, taking trips together, doing school work together, getting in trouble together and flying home together for all the holiday breaks. I think we all had more of a connection among ourselves and the hostel than with SAS. The first Caltex Hostel was opened at Taman Rahasia off Killiney Road. We had a cook, maids, a gardener, a driver and a night watchman. I remember the breakfasts made to order every day. We ate very healthy food and very well since we had a cook to make sure that we did.

On special occasions we had dinner at the Emerald Steak House or the Troika Restaurant at the company’s expense and always ordered Baked Alaska! I look back at those years and realize how fortunate I really was and what a unique

When I was 13 my family arrived in Singapore. I lived there for the next four years to attend high school; the first year my brother, Mark (70), and the last year my sister, Gail (76), were there too. Having grown up internationally since the age of one, moving to Singapore was not an unusual move, except that I was put in a boarding house situation and separated from my family for the first time.

My parents were stationed in the Rumbai Caltex camp on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, about 30 minutes by plane from Singapore. Caltex had four oil camps outside of Pekenbaru – Rumbai, Minus, Duri and Dumi. All four camps had schools that ended in the eighth grade and after that, kids had to go to Singapore to attend high school.

We arrived in the big city basically with no experience or expectations of what our lives would be like. We created unique experiences and broke all the rules. We had a BLAST! In 1969, I was placed with a private family. On my first trip home to Rumbai for Thanksgiving, I met the rest of the kids from the various camps who were in the same situation as I was, and we all felt connected. Thus began our bonding relationships and great memories.

Our trips to Rumbai on the Caltex plane were always 34

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We became one big family, eating together, taking trips together, doing school work together, getting in trouble together and flying home together for all the holiday breaks

childhood I experienced.

We had the freedom to experience the culture and enjoy the wonderful foods of Singapore. We used to meet at the local Indian coffee shop on Killiney Road and order roti prata either plain or with meat, onions and egg mixed in it. Of course, we would always have a few Tiger beers to go with the food. Once full, we would head to the discos for dancing.

We always had someone to do things with.

The Wards were our first house parents. Their purpose, in our eyes, was to make sure we had food and that we made it to school every day and to enforce curfew! They were brave souls. I really do not think that Mrs. Ward knew what she had gotten herself into – 20 or so teenagers in one house, two of them her own daughters. Her initial ideas were rules

and Christian beliefs. We wore her down, and she only lasted one year.

Actually, one year was about all any house mother lasted.

The second one was Mrs. Ingersol. She was much more liberal, liked to have fun and liked to take us on outings. She was the proud mother of a snippy, spoiled, fluffy poodle, named Gigi, so we had a dog to torment instead of Mrs. Ward’s two daughters.

From 1972 to 1974, we stayed in a beautiful house close to Holland Park with a great back yard and pool. That was the life! We were farther from Orchard Road, but Holland Park was a great place to hang out. House mother number three was Mrs. Han, who had a lot of marital problems, which left us pretty much on our own.

Author Debbie Dudley-Bodal and Trond Bodal in Belize last year.

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Vivid memories – Craig Friske (74) One of my most vivid memories was playing Risk and poker with Neal Magee (72) and Joe Summers in our underwear at midnight while listening to Neil Young.

I have fond memories of Mr. Ong patiently driving us to school every day, and putting up with CSN&Y, Deep Purple, Grand Funk Railroad, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath continuously blasting at him.

I also remember the prank we played on the guard where we faked Rick Sweeney getting stabbed in the back, and I carried him in the front door past the guard as if it was no big deal. I also remember my initiation sneaking out at night after curfew to get food at the stalls by way of Rat Alley. After those guys pulled that on me, I had to make sure every new guy had my experience.

The people made it special – Joe Summers (73) The years I lived in the hostel, starting with the one on River Valley Road (“liver valley load”) and then the one out near Holland Road were three of the best and most fun years of my life. Just think about it – we were teenagers with little to no adult supervision, maids and cooks, group trips to the beach in Malaysia, flying to Sumatra for school breaks – a very sweet and unique situation that we were all very lucky to

Graduation 1973: Craig Friske, Dan Howes, Joe Summers and Debbie Dudley.

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experience. I’m amazed that I survived and actually graduated from SAS. It was the people that made it special and something I will never forget: Neal Magee was probably one of the coolest guys I ever met, with his motorcycle and sports car (I think he had a Triumph TR-4, didn’t he?) and of course his super hot girlfriend, Debbie Dudley, and the girls!!! Holly, Ann, Ruth Ann, Lynn, Sheri, Gail, Debbie Rose, and a few others that I’m sure I’m forgetting. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. The guys were ok too, I guess.

I will never forget going to the Barbarella disco at the Ming Court Hotel the night before we all flew to Sumatra for a school break. I drank half a 5th of vodka straight out of the bottle. We had to go to the airport early in the next morning, and I threw up so hard that I pulled a muscle in my stomach.

After a bumpy flight to Pekanbaru I then had to endure the three-hour drive to Duri over those slick curvy oil roads through the jungle. To this day I am a virtual non-drinker.

I have managed to stay in loose contact with my best buddy Marc Garrett (73). He has been living and working in Indonesia for many, many years and is doing well. He flew back to the States and was the best man at my wedding to Rose Garacci (74) in 1998. She was my on again – off again girlfriend the last year I was in Singapore. We found each other (the internet is a wonderful thing) back in 1997 and were married 27 years after we broke up.

Playing cards in the dorm – Tom Seah, Debbie Dudley, Ruth Ann Batson, Gail Dudley, Joe Summers, Tim Goff.

5/14/09, 6:20 PM

Alum Spotlight

Interview with an international arms dealer

There I was with an exclusive – me, a 19-year-old high school dropout with very little money and no driver’s license...

I owe it all to Mr. Clemens’ journalism class.

By Penn Bullock (SAS 01-07)

told him not to talk about the coming trial, but I got him to open up a bit.

The New York Times had wanted to interview Packouz, but here I was with the exclusive – me, a 19-year-old high school dropout with very little money and no driver’s license.

But I did have a notebook, a pen, the ear of an editor of the Miami New Times, and – apparently – a way with arms dealers. The profile of David Packouz was published in the Miami New Times and the Village Voice media chain: my breakout story as a professional journalist.

I owe my passion for journalism to Mr. Clemens’ journalism class, which addicted me to the hustle of news making and the glamorous intensity of the newsroom. My journey as a journalist began in that classroom, but I didn’t finish school at SAS. Midway through senior year, I sped off to Seattle to live with my dad. Life capsized there, so I ran away to Fort Lauderdale, Florida – the exact opposite corner of the country. With no high school diploma, I still got work with the Broward/Palm Beach New Times and other local publications. Writing little blurbs for the “Night and Day” section was an easy way to make $50. I proved myself to the editors by taking steadily more difficult assignments. All the while I worked a low-paying job at Abercrombie & Fitch. Sean McCabe (07), a middle school friend from SAS, moved in with me. I even paid my first taxes. And then I interviewed an arms dealer who had traded guns for a guitar.

It’s been a helluva journey.

I was a bit on edge when I first met David Packouz at a restaurant in Miami. Before he arrived for our interview, I noticed a group of marines sitting at a table nearby, dressed in full camouflage but casually drinking coffee. I wondered if those marines had ever used one of Packouz’s guns. I was about to interview an indicted international arms dealer.

When Packouz shook my hand and sat down, I scrunched my bewilderment and fear into determination and launched into a smile and friendly chit-chat. He was an affable, engaging guy, seemingly unburdened by the 71 charges of fraud and conspiracy brought against him for scamming the Pentagon on a $300-million-dollar arms contract in Afghanistan. At 25, he stood to make unimaginable amounts of money on the deal. Now he was eating the sandwich I bought him and telling me about his pot-growing days, his experience of infinity on the Dead Sea, his dreams of the Coming Technological Singularity. He told me he thought the Iraq War was a conspiracy. When my eyes brightened and my lips quivered with a thousand questions, he demurred: “Of course, I was never high up enough to know anything.” Packouz sold a lot of weapons in Iraq.

We talked mostly about his new album, an acid-rock compilation called “MicroCOSM” that is dedicated to “a love spanning outwards.” And he told me about his second job (besides arms dealing) as a massage therapist. His lawyer had 37

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Alum Spotlight

Behind the news at CNBC

By Han-Ting Wang (93)

from our program that will hopefully help improve their lives and help them invest wisely. For me, that is the most rewarding part of my job.

All this might have not been possible, had I not decided to take Mr. Hurst’s journalism class back at SAS. I remember he was always no nonsense about the realities of that field, and I will never forget how straightforward he was in class. He gave me the chance to work as the features editor of the Eagle Eye. Working on the high school paper was a real blast because it gave me the opportunity to improve my writing and cover things that I truly loved (like local rock concerts and music reviews). I still look back and wonder what my life would be like had I decided not to take that class. One thing is for sure, I certainly might not have the opportunity to do what I love right now.

In the past 11 years I’ve had the good fortune to be immersed in the world of TV production. From 1999 to 2006, I was a producer with Bloomberg News/TV. Currently I am the producer of CNBC’s “Closing Bell with Maria Bartiromo,” which is one of the network’s most popular financial programs.

I put the program together from an editorial point of view.

This includes determining what stories we use and what

I still look back and wonder what my life would be like had I decided not to take that journalism class with Mr. Hurst.

guests we book for the debates on air. I also work with the assignment desk to figure out which stories our reporters should be covering for the program. One of the most challenging parts of the job is maintaining communication. TV can be really hectic, especially during breaking news, and keeping everyone in the loop (anchors, reporters, other producers, technical staff, etc.) is a vital part of making sure everything works smoothly on air.

I love my job because every day is a challenge. No two shows are ever alike, and the dynamics of building something different each day for millions of viewers is something I definitely enjoy. While the job is great, it’s also very stressful, and it’s not for the faint of heart. But what keeps me coming back is the thought that people can take away something 38

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Alum Spotlight

Passion for art and living in Singapore Diana Fong and SAS art history teacher Ellen White.

Photo courtesy of Singapore Tyler Print Institute.

By Diana Fong (04)

ple every day. The environment is extremely welcoming, and everyone is family at STPI. It is exactly the field that I wanted to go into, and I’m learning so much from it. The best parts of the job are the gallery openings for each exhibition. The artists come to Singapore, and their hard work is displayed for everyone to see. The openings are good ways for everyone to get together and see the gallery and the art works.

I fell in love with art history during my senior year at SAS. It was all because of the AP Art History class I took with Ms. White. Ms. White presented the material in an engaging matter, and she wanted her students to enjoy the topic. She often gave me extra reading material because she knew how much I loved learning about art. Because of that class, I became extremely passionate about art. I could never get enough of it, and I wanted to keep on learning about the various art periods in Europe, Asia and America. As the years went on, my interest grew, and I eventually majored in art history in college. I owe it all to Ms. White. Because of her and that history class, I found something that I am good at and want to continue to learn about as my career in the art world takes off.

Singapore has left a lasting impression on me. The years I spent at SAS were nothing but positive, and I can’t wait to create new memories as my working life in Singapore evolves.

After graduating from Pepperdine University in April 2008, I decided to move back to Singapore. I had graduated with a degree in art history and knew I wanted to go into the art gallery or museum industry. I moved home in June, and after settling back into the Singaporean lifestyle, I started work at the Singapore Tyler Print Institute (STPI), an art gallery on Robertson Quay.

STPI is one of the largest art galleries in Singapore; it is an international publisher and dealer of fine art prints and works on paper. It was established in 2002 under the guidance of American master printer Kenneth E. Tyler with the support of the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, Singapore Tourism Board and the Singapore Totalisator Board.

STPI collaborates with artists from around the world to push the frontiers of printmaking and papermaking by creating edition prints and unique works on paper.

My job title is “Gallery/Education Coordinator.” I organize the educational and public programs, as well as the workshops and school tours. I also work on curatorial elements for the gallery. I research the artists and the techniques used and write the text for the catalogues and brochures as well as the wall text.

I love my job because I get to interact with different peo-

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Then & Now

Alum’s music dreams last a lifetime

By Dave (Stingle) Elliott (66) At SAS, I played with a band called the Greenbacks, which included Chuck Espey (66), Agung Raka (65) and my brother, Don Stingle (69). We were pretty much a hit in 1965 and performed at many parties. After Agung graduated, Bruce Kirkman (66) and I teamed up to do folk songs. We were pretty darn good!

After leaving Singapore in 1966, I went back to the States and attended Shenadoah Conservatory of Music. I majored

Where Dave goes, so goes his guitar. He has given SAS students and friends many wonderful hours of enjoyment.

1966 Islander

in voice, minored in piano and played in a lot of bands. I also changed my last name from Stingle to Elliott because I thought it would look better on an album. The urge to go to England, probably because I grew up in colonial Hong Kong and Singapore, was really strong, so in 1969, I left the States and took off “across the pond.”

Bruce Kirkman and Dave Stingle singing folk songs in 1966. Photo from the 66 Islander.

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Then & Now

I went to see Lionel Conway, who was president of Island Publishing in London. I had four “presentable” original songs at the time. So I met with him on a Monday and played them, and he asked if I had more. I said I did, but I didn’t have them “memorized” yet. He told me to come back on Friday with them. I, of course, didn’t have any other songs, so I just stayed in for four days and by Friday I had nine more songs.

We actually recorded my first album without having a record deal, but Lionel was good friends with the president of Warner Brothers Records in London, so it looked like I was going to be on that label. The president of Atlantic Records in New York, Jerry Greenberg, just happened to come over to London at that time. Lionel played my tracks for him, and Jerry said that he wanted me to be on Atlantic. Lionel told me that since Jerry was more enthusiastic about my album than Warner Brothers we should go with Atlantic.

I finished the album and went on tour playing acoustic guitar and harmonica with a lot of the acts that I used to really admire: The Kinks, Roxy Music, Randy Newman, Jose

Feliciano, Gordon Lightfoot, just to name a few. I did a lot of television in London too, which was fun. My songs were being played on the radio there; it was a bit surreal, but fun!

Later, one of my songs “I’m on Fire for You, Baby,” which ended up on my second Atlantic album, was recorded by a very established Canadian rock band, April Wine, and was recently played in the movie Trailer Park Boys. Also my song ”I’ve Got a Bet with Myself” was recorded by Levon Helm, drummer and singer with The Band.

During my time in London, there were memorable experiences too numerous to talk about. I recorded a song I wrote called “All One” with the legendary lead guitarist from Free, Paul Kossoff, which is presently available on my new All One CD. I also had the pleasure of writing a song with Tim Hardin called “If You Sell One Acre,” which is also on the All One CD. I am still playing live music four nights a week and writing and sending off songs in hopes that more they will be recorded by other artists. I am also getting ready to do a new acoustic guitar/vocal album.

Dave’s 1973 album, Solid Ground, is mostly California country music and includes his“I’m on Fire for You, Baby,” a song that April Wine later took to the Top 10.

All One (08) is “for those who like April Wine, Tim Hardin and Paul Kossoff.” Other recordings by Dave include David Elliott (72) – “the sound and feel of the Eagles in their early years” – and My Tunes on the Keys (08) – “If you like Elton John, you’re sure to love this album.”

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Adam Hacker (00), Francesco Zargani (86) and wife Jacqueline, Victor Mahillion (03), Tara Varghese (03), Likai Liu (00), Sita Mehta (03) at the Boston party.

SAS hosts alums in four major U.S. cities

By Lauren Thomas, Avid Alumni Fan and Associate Director of Alumni Relations Ten days, 200 alums… the SAS Alumni Office knew it was a tall order, but we were excited about it! Superintendent Brent Mutsch and Alumni Director Lauren Thomas flew from Singapore to the United States in early February to continue the momentum from last year’s inaugural alumni trip. We saw many familiar faces and had a great time catching up with alums we knew, as well as meeting alums we’d been corresponding with over email, the alumni website and Facebook all year!

Kingston Station, Boston

banking. We were so pleased to see familiar faces Tara Varghese (03), Jillian Leviton Wiseman (92) and Likai Liu (00), who joined us for a second year of SAS camaraderie.

The following day we migrated slowly south, with an afternoon in New Haven, Connecticut. Pat Wales (68) met us for lunch and regaled us with great stories about Singapore in the 60s. Pat’s father was a founding member of SAS, and she remembers exploring the kampungs and going to school at the original campus on Rochalie Drive. She assured us that her sister Elaine (70) has much clearer memories and may even have their father’s journals from those early days. Pat

We flew into Boston on February 4, an absolutely freezing day even for Boston alums, much less for the thin-skinned, lightly outfitted Singapore contingent. We met 20 alums, including familiar faces from last year’s trip, at Kingston Station on Kingston Street. Dr. Mutsch reminisced with Mary Berlik Rice (95) about her days on the track team with Mr. Baker. Francesco Zargani (86) shared stories about his trip back to Singapore for the F1 night race last year. Victor Mahillion (03) entertained us with stories of his first job in 42

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and Stephen Hurst (74) are planning a reunion for the classes of the 50s, 60s, and 70s in Washington, DC, this summer: check the alumni website for details.

After lunch, we had coffee with Daksha Rajogopalan (08)

and Julia Knight (07), both students at Yale. Although in different classes, Julia and Daksha remain close because of their SAS connection.

Stone Creek Bar & Lounge, New York City The fun (and the train) continued to take us south for a huge gathering of alums in New York City on February 7. In 2008, we organized a reunion in NY for alums of the six IASAS schools. We had an overwhelming 150 attendees at that party, so imagine our surprise when we received 100 acceptances to our SAS-only party!

Representing mostly the classes of 94-04, these SAS alums gathered in the Stone Creek Bar and Lounge. Sara Dallaire (96) arrived early to help, and Rob Stefanik (03), who works for Anheuser-Busch, made sure Tiger beer would not be in short supply. Brendan Zeni (94) and his wife Diana are to be commended for coming out, as Brendan was suffering from a torn calf muscle. No small feat getting around icy New York City on crutches!

Samantha Ragan (84) and Ian Morgan (85) in NYC.

Mitch Simon (03), Rob Stefanik (03), Charles Lam (03), unknown, James Lam (03), Sara Yoshino (03), Richard Hu (03), Stephanie Wu (03). Front: Kristen Spatz (04) and Michelle Simpson (04) at the SAS party in New York.

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Singapore Bistro, Washington, DC

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We then headed to Washington, DC, which seemed comparatively balmy after Boston and New York. We met with former Superintendent Bob Gross, who asked after several alums and the current faculty. He was pleased to see the photos from the Memory Garden, as he began that project during his tenure at SAS. His new position with the U.S. Department of State requires a lot of travel, and he was looking forward to several weeks in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus this spring.

In Washington, DC, we received a priceless gift of school history from Stuart Lippe (59). Stuart attended SAS on Rochalie Drive and worked on the first school newspaper, The Reporter. He very kindly donated an original copy of The Reporter for our school archives. A one-page, typed document, this newspaper is very different from the current student newspaper, The Eye. If you’d like to see recent issues of The Eye, the SAS award-winning student newspaper, you can find PDF versions of them on the high school website.

The Washington, DC, alumni group has been active this year, organizing several popular happy hours. If you would like to connect with these SAS alums, the group has an active Facebook group, “SAS Alumni in DC.” The DC gathering was a huge success, with 40 alums gathering to enjoy Tiger beer and Singaporean food at the Singapore Bistro. All eras were well-represented. The 60s alums were out in force, some mentioning that it was their first SAS event but definitely not their last. Cliff Groen (64)

and his wife Marti continued the fun after the SAS event by staying on for dinner with Sheri Phillips (73). The classes of the 80s had a good turnout, and if you don’t believe they’re as young as they look, you can check their high school diplomas! Greg Smith (83) showed us a wallet-sized, laminated copy of his high school diploma that he’s kept in his wallet since high school! He said that the administration used to give these to the graduates every year. Does anyone else still have theirs?

Although the event ended officially at 7:30 p.m., by the time we left at 9:30, the party was still going strong. A major part of keeping the SAS spirit alive in DC is the work of Monique McGrew Michel (95) and Ashley Zeni (96), and a big thank you goes to those ladies for encouraging the Washington alums to reconnect!

Vrinda Malik (04), Edward Ortiz (02), Ellie Stephens (02).

Kim Fitch (68) and George Fitch (65).

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Richard Ambrose (95), Jen Reynolds (93), Rachel Reed Merrell (93) and husband Cliff Merrell.

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The Pearson and Regan families met up at the SAS San Francisco party: former Business Director Bill, Amy (01) and former Director of Communications Anita Pearson; and Ben (01), Bill, Marlene, Ross (05) and Will (99) Regan.

Right: Nathalie Vo-Ta Antus (90) and Hal Marz (90).

Tonga Room, San Francisco Day eight saw us flying across the country to San Francisco, where we had our final alumni event. Based on the fantastic suggestion of Hal Marz (90) and Nathalie Vo-Ta Antus (90), we enjoyed the half-hourly rainstorms and fruity cocktails of the Tonga Room, a tiki bar in the Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill. Thirty-five guests attended, including many former faculty, such as Carol and Don Cassety and Steve and Robin Brown, who taught at Ulu Pandan in the 90s. Former superintendents Don Bergman and Bob Gross posed for an historic photo with current Superintendent Brent Mutsch, as we joked that this was a bit like having three former presidents in the room at the same time: almost 20 years of SAS leadership between them! The Pearson family – Bill, Anita and Amy (00) – and the Regan family – Bill, Marlene, Will (99), Ben (01) and Ross (05) – had a mini-reunion and continued the fun with dinner after the party.

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Around Singapore

Military Service in Singapore

By Ellen White, teacher 96-08, current Director of Admissions

Singapore Armed Forces, Singapore Police Force or the Singapore Civil Defense Force. Assignments are made according to a soldier’s qualifications and the manpower needs of the NS organizations. About 16 SAS students from the 2008 graduating class are now doing NS and performing an important rite of passage for men in Singapore.

When I taught high school, some of my students shared their fears about joining the army. They didn’t want to shave their heads. They worried about postponing their tertiary educations and falling behind their peers. However, most were glad for the experience. Andy Norman (02) said: “It’s not something I would have chosen to do but it’s one of the best things I ever did.” He’s now at the University of California in Santa Barbara.

For information about NS, visit http://iprep.sg. The Ministry of Defense organizes tours for parents of the BMT Camp on Pulau Tekong.

Yikes! What happened to those chubby boys I taught in high school? They’re so slim, trim and ready for action. These were some of the thoughts that crossed my mind when I attended the graduation ceremony in October 2008 for four of my former students who had completed their 9-week Basic Military Training (BMT). While most of their classmates were at university, Henry Cheng, Teng Yuan Wee, Anshul Parikh and Jay Yen had been running obstacle courses, crawling through the jungle, throwing hand grenades and braving the ghosts of Pulau Tekong where they were stationed.

Male Singapore citizens and permanent residents are expected to do National Service (NS). Under the 1965 Enlistment Act, boys register when they’re 16 and a half years old and enlist when they turn 18. For two years they serve in the

Ellen White with (left to right) SAS alumni Henry Cheng, Teng Yuan Wee, Anshul Parikh and Jay Yen. 46

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Around Singapore

Singapore alum raises funds for his church

By Robert Dodge, HS History Teacher (83-06)

tends, the Every Nation Church Singapore, which has been functioning out of the Amara Hotel and hopes to have a permanent site.

On December 15, 2008, a very All receipts from book sales go to that impressive book launch was held in building fund. the Fullerton Hotel for Words of EveHis inspiration for this book ryday Encouragement for a New Year might came from text-messaging

by Shaun Lee (99). Shaun’s book is a words of encouragement to people Christian devotional book that offers and receiving positive responses. uplifting daily Bible passages and That led to sending out uplifting ecomments along with calendar space. mails with encouragement and ChrisThe book is bound handsomely in a tian messages to larger groups. boldly printed hardback edition.

When he began receiving responses Shaun’s brother, Kern (99), mingled thanking him from the Philippines with the crowd and served as photogand other places where people had rapher, and their father did the introforwarded his messages, he knew duction to Shaun’s speech, noting the there was a real interest in his number of family members who had endeavors and set about structuring launched books at some point. them into a book.

With a confidence and poise that Sales have been good, and have grown markedly since his SAS Shaun and Kern Lee with Shaun’s new book.

Shaun is already looking forward to days, Shaun addressed the assempublishing a 2010 edition. bled audience. He explained his purThe book is available in most major bookstores in Singapose in writing this book and what had brought it about. His pore or contact Shaun through the SAS alumni page.

purpose is to contribute to fundraising for the church he at-

Young Alumni Reunion II Class of 08 representative Chi-Chi Lin did not return from Cornell in time for the Young Alumni Reunion on December 17, so she organized another Singapore event for SAS alums on January 3, 2009, at Aqua, near Riverside Point. Most attendees were from the classes of 06, 07 and 08. Shown here are Chi-Chi Lin (08), Rhoda Severino (07), Ted Ho (06), Simi Oberoi (07), Julia Knight (07), Amanda Tsao (08), unknown, Kavanaugh Livingston (06), Doug Chu (06).

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Notes & Quotes

1959

1975

Stuart Lippe (59) reports that he is envious of the other classes who are able to organize reunions, when he has been unable to find Elie Mizrahie (59) or Gary Voigt (60). He has been able to meet with brother Michael (61) but says that doesn’t count.

Randy Edge (75) was killed in a motorcycle accident in Kuala Lumpur in December 08. Alums will remember his outgoing, spontaneous and passionate personality, especially in his performance in Oklahoma in 72 and in many choir performances with Mr. Perry! His daughter Dawn, her 2 children, and son Michael live in Dallas, close to brother Gary (74). Lesli (73) lives in Houston.

1973 Class Rep Debbie Dudley Bodal (73) encourages everyone to check out www.facebook.com, where she started a group for the Class of 1973 and another one for the Caltex Hostel.

Texas, with Buddy’s two sons.

1981 Oliver “Buddy” Byington (81) and Lisa Marie Parman were married in February 08. They reside in San Antonio,

1985 Monica Bradfield Lacombe (85) has just opened a new online business, twinklemat.com, adding to her busy life with husband and two children.

1990 Amy Michaud (90) married Salvatore Calabrese in Tamarindo, Guanacaste, Costa Rica, on December 31, 08. The couple resides in Philadelphia, PA. Greg Leviton (90) and wife Kacie welcomed Sophie Alana Leviton on January 31, 09.

Coach Kasi, aka Kasinathan, (faculty 63-83) sent a Kong Hee Fatt Choy from Luxembourg. He’s retired and doing what he likes best – coaching. Granddaughter Keana – daughter of JoJo (85) – is on his under 12 volleyball team, which won the Necis Championship. He also coaches under 14 basketball. Coach says he’s keeping a low profile and taking it easy. He chatted with Karen Studebaker by e-mail, asking if she believed that he doesn’t own a cell phone. Says Karen, “Then he lets me in on the secret as to why that is. His wife has one and she does ‘the secretarial work.’ We female colleagues from the 70s and 80s understand that some of the male chauvinists among us never change. We love you anyway Coach!!”

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Notes & Quotes

Linda Clarke (faculty 76-present) spent the Christmas holidays enjoying beautiful Florida weather and the company of her two children.

She was especially delighted to see grandson Aiden, son of her daughter Aisha (99).

Debbie Hlavach (87) welcomed Dax Paul Sage on November 14, 08.

Buddy Byington (81) and 10 lifelong friends got together at his ranch near Sutherland Springs, TX, in February for a casual, guys-only weekend to indulge in culinary delights, imbibe Tiger beer, shoot the bull and some skeet and reminisce about days of old. Steve Kennon prepared satay on Friday evening, while Mike Warren made his ever so palatable peanut sauce. Dean Jackson was the breakfast cookie for the weekend, while Rod Theriot was pigmeister for the Saturday night pigout. The evening campfires and starlit sky provided the perfect ambiance for colorful stories. Said Buddy, “There is no finer reward than the gathering of friends who hold a bond of friendship as close as the one we share. Long live SAS alumni!�

Photo shows Bill Sibley (79), Scott Gill (79), Karl Theriot (78), Scott Warren (81), Steve Kennon (79), Steve Warren (82) (front), Rod Theriot (77), Buddy Byington (81), Dean Jackson (81), Chris Corrigan (78), Mike Warren (79).

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Notes & Quotes

1993 Ben Rosenthal (93) lives in upstate NY and works as a civil engineer for a small consulting firm. He’s just started a photography business. Ben and his wife celebrated their 5th wedding anniversary in July 08 and the birth of Isabelle in November 07.

Jennifer Schilhab Schultz (93) is working for a CPA firm in Houston and preparing for the CPA exam. In June 09, she and husband Stuart are expecting their first child.

Ryan Delaney (93) and wife of 8 years Nicole have two kids, Ethan 6 and Kaitlyn 4. The family lives in Salt Lake City and is having a great time snowboarding, hiking, boating, camping, ice skating, etc. Ryan works as a sales engineer for Trend Micro, selling antivirus and security solutions to large enterprises. The job requires extensive

travel, and Ryan visits Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Phoenix on a regular basis. He has reconnected with some old friends recently and would love to catch up with others on his travels.

Ironman triathlon in Arizona in 10 hours, 16 minutes. He has been teaching physical education in California since 2006 and just accepted a position at the American School in Doha, Qatar.

2006

2000 Nathan Hevesey (00) married Brie Rhodes on September 27, 08 in Olathe, Kansas. Attending the wedding were Matt Hevesy (08), Eric Hevesy (02) Chris Calvert (00), Kim Ganster (00), Erik Pedersen (00), Stephanie Sauer (00), Tom Trafford (00), Amy Voss (00).

2001 Rob Oandasan (01) finished a master’s degree in economics at NY University and moved back to California, where he is working as a research assistant.

Ben Regan (01) completed his third

Michelle Morgan Cordle (88) welcomed Clay William to the Cordle clan on October 1, 08. The Cordles now call Houston home but miss the mountains of Colorado, saying “too bad there isn’t more oil in Colorado.”

Nadine Ismail (06) graduates from RMIT University, Melbourne in October 09 and will either begin work or do a one-year program in the fashion industry.

Karan Parikh (06) writes that he and classmates Bryan Wong, Aaron Tsang and Norman Hartono are enjoying their first year at university after completing Singapore National Service.

Alison Yuen (06) is a junior in finance at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign. She is currently studying abroad in Dublin and loving it! For the past few summers, she interned in Shanghai and Singapore at Bank of

Julie Payne Kemmer (91) and her husband of 15 years, Eric, welcomed Colin Payne Kemmer on October 7, 08. He joins Finley 4 and Gavin 2.

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Notes & Quotes

Jesper Lovendahl (92) made the cover of Lederne magazine as founder of Denmark’s largest international business network for Danish business people living abroad and welcomes all Danish SAS alumni working abroad.

See www.dabgo.net.

Hiroko Tsutsui (96) married Christian Cruz on October 4, 08, at the Bali Hai Golf Club in Las Vegas. Ujval Kapasi (93) attended the ceremony. The couple went to Bali and Singapore for their honeymoon.

They stopped by the “new” SAS campus and had lunch with Ursula Pong, Hiroko’s favorite teacher. Although Hiroko hadn’t been back to SAS in 15 years, she and Pong have kept in touch. The couple lives in San Jose, CA, where Hiroko is a paralegal, and Christian is in private practice as a nephrologist.

Thang Vo-Ta (94) and wife Joanna welcomed Chloé Maria Mai on October 14, 08. They live in London, where he develops renewable energy plants and commercial properties.

Jesse Donohue (93) lives in Eugene, OR with wife Jess and daughter Ella 4. He is a firefighter/paramedic. He misses the Singapore monsoons and good masala dosa.

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Notes & Quotes

America and Deloitte & Touche. She plans on spending the summer in Chicago working in the finance industry and hopes to meet up with SAS alumni during her travels.

Francisco Diaz (06) is in Hong Kong researching the tourism industry and will be giving recommendations to the Tourism and English Departments at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He and teammates are working with hotels, museums and shops. Its challenging but he enjoys being back in Asia.

Erika Szombathy (06) is currently living in Vancouver, BC. She is taking a gap year from the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia to build her e-commerce busi-

ness (LIFEshoppingnetwork.com) with fiance Roland Larocque. She plans to travel around northwestern America to promote it.

Sara Sinnard (06) is attending MSU Bozeman and majoring in psychology and Spanish. She plans to graduate early. She and handsome fiance Joe Brown are hoping to be married before this issue of Journeys is published.

Vrutika Mody (Tika) (06) studied abroad in China last semester, first in Beijing and then Hangzhou. She loved being back in Asia – singing KTV and drinking bubble tea. She spent last summer interning at Bank of America and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore. This summer she is

traveling to western China and then plans to work in the government or consulting sector in China.

2007 Maya Shanker (07) is majoring in industrial design at Rhode Island School of Design, which involves drawing, conceptualizing and then creating/building designs using a variety of materials. Last summer, she interned at the Banyan Tree architecture/interior design office in Singapore. She has done design work for the Fujairah Resort in the UAE and the Mayakoba Resort in Mexico.

Jeramy Johnson (96) married Jeff Thomas in Cape Cod on October 24, 08. Pictured are former Singapore residents John Whalen (parent of SASers Greg and Kate), Jan Perillo (96), Erica Johnson (89), MB Johnson (faculty 87-01), Kristen Nugent (96), Kelly Whalen, Jeramy and Jeramy’s dad, Bud. Jeramy and Jeff now live in Dillon, Colorado.

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Notes & Quotes

Laura Smylie Darrow (98) and husband Bryan welcomed Bailey Lopaka Darrow on November 24, 07. Laura is a teacher in Kailua, Hawaii, and is currently finishing a master’s degree in elementary education.

Amy Tan Wei (98) and husband Austin welcomed daughter Naomi ChingXin Wei on June 19, 08 in New York City.

Christopher Gully and Molly Dryjanski (97) were married February 17, 07 in Austin, TX.

Beverley Rabbitts (00) married Blair Dancy in Pismo Beach, CA on October 12, 08. SAS classmates Kathleen Nolan and Serenity Delaney Dillaway attended the wedding.

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Notes & Quotes

Charles Pulaski (98), wife Meri and daughter Olivia welcomed Asher Orion Mauka Pulaski on October 3, 08 in Phuket, Thailand. Charles attended the Class of 98 tenth-year reunion in Las Vegas last summer, and won the prize of “longest distance travelled to attend the reunion.”

Connor O’Gorman (97) was killed April 5, 09 in New York City when he was struck by a car while crossing a street.

Connor was an active student at SAS, both in the classroom and on the playing fields. At Princeton, he won the Kafer Trophy for a baseball player who exhibits fairness, loyalty and devotion, courage, self-control, modesty, perseverance and determination. He is survived by his parents, sisters Katie (99) and Kerry (06) and brother Mike (02).

Manuel Felix Gomez passed away March 25, 09 at age 85. The King’s Road security guard will be long remembered for his warm smiles, welcoming waves and kind words.

Savail Majid (00), top row, second from right, is coaching the Leicester Riders in the British Basketball League, England’s version of the NBA, while attending graduate school.

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Notes & Quotes

Christina Martin (02) married Darrell Rodgers on February 22, 08, and welcomed Eli Martin Rodgers, on May 22, 08. The family lives in San Antonio, TX. In 06, Christina graduated San Antonio College with an AAS in computer graphics print design. She is a freelance designer for special family occasions and currently works in retail.

The Murray family successfully summited Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania on January 5, 2009. Pictured are Emily (05), Sarah (03) and Abby (08). Not pictured are their exhausted parents, Susan and James.

Kurt and Mei Rolfes, parents of Jacquie Mei Rolfes Zryd (83) and Raoul (93), have begun their second year in Sri Lanka. They sold their home in Oregon, where they had relocated after 30 years in Singapore.

Kurt had retired in 1999 after working as a photographer in Southeast Asia. They are now making their home with daughter Jacquie, her husband Reto and grandson Bryce.

Kurt and Mei are happy to be back in Asia, enjoying the warm weather and the proximity to Singapore and Malaysia when they miss friends, relatives and the FOOD! In 08 Kurt and Mei spent four months with son Raoul and his wife Jenn in College Station, TX, where Raoul is pursuing a graduate degree in political science.

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Young Alums SAS hosts annual reunion for recent graduates in the American Club Union Bar, December 17, 2008

Azizah Sultan and Catherine Hsieh (08)

Photos by Tom Presnail

Christine Byrne (06), Lena Byrne (08), Nicole Bryson (07)

Teacher Don Adams and Crista Favati (07)

Teacher Martha Began with Warren Ho (07) 56

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Karen’s Corner

Connections from the 70s & 80s John and I had a joyous Christmas Eve with most of the Kreiling clan: “Texas Karen” Kreiling Middleton, now in Corpus Christi, TX; Kevin Kreiling (78) and family, now in Taipei; Kathi Kreiling Whitley (81) and family from Austin, TX. Almost like our first Christmas in Singapore, except a lot more family members now! We missed my Susan (80) and Steven (82) and their families, but they were here with us through Grandmother/BaNoi’s photo albums. We also missed Kerry Kreiling (79), who celebrated with family on the mainland.

John “Shorty” Jordan passed away on Dec 26, 08. His widow Kaydene resides in Huffman, TX. Other family members include Bobby (77) and wife Katy Hayes-Jordan (79).

Congratulations to Fae Moeller (KR art) on passing the National Teaching Boards! She is currently teaching art in Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Vancouver, WA. Janet Watts (UP 70s-80s) passed

away January 29, 2009, in Fair Oaks, CA. after a year-long struggle with cancer. She is survived by husband Leonard, son Matthew, daughter Jennifer and grandson Nolan.

Yvonne Loh (UP 74-80) writes from Singapore that she was busy exhibiting books at IB workshops, a conference in Beijing and EARCOS, then rushing off to visit her parents in Boston before returning to meet husband Yan Poh for a Christmas vacation with daughter Melissa who lives in Bali. Daughter Elaine, an actress in the U.S., joined them there.

Congratulations to Dianne Peterson (UP 75-93) on becoming a grandmother again! Son Garth (86) and wife Shuling now live in Singapore and Shanghai and had a second child, Hans Galen, in Nov 08. Diane’s daughter Renee Sanabria (85) has also provided her with two California grandchildren.

News and websites with lots of photos were sent to me by Carol Hudson. It was hard to pick out Carol, forever

Natasha Hudson Tracy, Trent Hudson, Carol Hudson, Rick Hudson, Meagan Hudson at Trent’s wedding in August 08.

young, from her two daughters! Carol graduated law school in 06 and passed the Oklahoma bar exam. She practiced a year before moving to Texas to be near their two daughters. She is now studying for the Texas bar exam, but grandmothering also keeps her very busy.

Pat Liew’s (UP 75-07) daughter Bryanne did not attend SAS but had a very SAS wedding in March with Kirk Palmer (UP, Woodlands 78-09) as MC. In attendance were SAS faculty “aunties” Kathy Tan, Yvonne Loh, Ferida Mallal and Diane D’aranjo. Pat also spent a month in San Francisco and Santa Rosa visiting former roommate/ colleague Kitty Norton (KR 75-76).

Barbara Doenecke (71-74) is a Punahou grad just like Obama! In November, she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. She has maintained her sense of humor and welcomes SAS contact in the form of snail mail or e-mail, but not phone calls.

Thanksgiving Day we had more SAS

Scott Doenecke, wife Kristin, Barbara Doenecke, Heather Doenecke and groom in July 07.

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Karen’s Corner

Jane Nickson, Karen Studebaker and Lori Kwock Martin visitors, Bob and Freida Hudspeth from Dallas, thanks to Tom Dunton who brought them along. Tom’s daughter Jill (86) was a field hockey enthusiast at King’s Road and daughter Amy attended SAS 80-83. Tom and wife Kay moved to Hawaii in March.

A Christmas card arrived from “Nevada Karen” Crocombe Guerin (7579). The landscape on the card was one of her paintings, colorful and full of energy. She is taking art classes/workshops “to get my art molecules percolating again.”

Linda Harley (UP 73-81, KR 81-96 art) continues to work full time and attends courses to help her “help the young people I work with who have extreme needs.”

“Honolulu Karen,” that’s me (UP 75-85), celebrated the Chinese New Year season by attending the Narcissus Queen Coronation Ball with Jane Nickson (81). There we got to watch Lori Kwok Tolentino (79) strut her stuff on the runway when 25 of the former queens were introduced. We were disappointed that Lori’s brother Douglas (83), pediatrician in private practice at Kapiolani Women’s and Children’s Hospital, was not there. In 07-08 Doug did a public service announcement for a medical cause on Hawaii TV. The mega-

watt smile and the twinkle in the eye hadn’t changed!

The usual e-mail and Facebook traffic from Julia Nickson (76) and Karin Kwock Martin (84), now living in Beijing with journalist husband Dan Martin and two children, picked up a bit! Coach Natahar Bava and Brian Leonard have joined me as friends on Facebook. It is a wonderful way to communicate with individuals and also with groups. I use it to pass the word about such things as the Class of 79’s 30th reunion in Houston in July , which is a Katy Hayes Jordan (79)-coordinated event but embraces any alumni, parents and faculty from 70s and 80s (the good old days).

Speaking of Katy, her parents Bill and Sue Hayes, who live on Tiki Island, TX, once more fled an approaching hurricane. This time it was Ike. In September 08 they were given shelter by Alta Gibbs, 70’s parent of Julie and Jennifer, in downtown Houston. Unfortunately Ike found their house.

The annual Taiganides family (Paul 81, Tasos and Katerina 83) newsletter from E. Paul Taiganides, former fellow board member at the American Club, brought back memories of the long meetings that began the transformation of the club into the spacious edifice it now is. Hard work, but exciting times with SAS parents John Fleming (Daniel 86) and Jim Ellis (July 81), teacher Dianne Peterson, and others.

Paul and Maro celebrated their 47th wedding anniversary in 2008. Paul is still competing in tennis, publishing scientific papers and knows all the names and ages of their nine grandchildren.

Brian Leonard (band) wrote me:

Pat Liew and Kitty Norton After I left Singapore, I returned to London to breed and show Long Coat Chis and work as an executive at the Kennel Club. I later did some canine work with Samsung, working with dogs for guiding, the deaf and the disabled and search and rescue dogs in Korea. Then I took a part time job with the London Studio Centre, which is a performing arts college associated with the London University of the Arts. I am simply the receptionist and enjoy it immensely.

The tuba I bought in Singapore has been passed to a young player who could not afford her own instrument, and I have no dogs anymore. Life is easy and still rewarding, and I have no ties as I have no living relatives. I have a few good friends. I can’t say I am growing old gracefully, but I am pleased to say I still have all my faculties and enjoy good health at 74. My regards to anyone who remembers me. I will always cherish my time at SAS, especially interim semester on Mount Kinabalu.

Send your news and photos for the December 09 issue of SAS Journeys to alumni@sas.edu.sg. Please note that the magazine prefers to not list email addresses. If you want to communicate with SAS classmates or teachers, you may register with other alumni at http://alumni.sas.edu.sg.

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Upcoming Reunions

25th anniversary of the Class of 83 Martha Livingston and Carrie McGrath Redding organized a small reunion in San Francisco in October 08 for the 25th anniversary of the Class of 83. On the cable car are (back row) Kristen Braaten Case (83), Jane Holdsworth Wagstaff (83), Martha Livingston (83), Ken Ellett (83), Mike Williams (84), Lisa Williams (82), Paul Golles (83); (front row) Lloyd Williams, Linda Lowe Golles (84), Lisa Rehorst Doss (83), Carrie McGrath Redding (83), Peter Nelson (83).

Class of 1999 10th Reunion: Las Vegas, June 19-21, 2009. Contact Tina O’Neill Mysliwiec.

Class of 1979 30th Reunion: Houston, July 10-12, 2009. Contact Katy Hayes Jordan at www.sasreunion7909.com.

Classes of 50s, 60s, 70s: Washington, DC, July 17-19, 2009. Contact Stephen Hurst or Pat Wales.

Class of 1989 20th Reunion: Panama City, Florida, July 24-26, 2009. Contact Lauren Kuhbander Thomas.

Classes of 99-09: Party at American Club in Singapore, December 17, 2009. Hosted by SAS. Contact Lauren Thomas.

Information on all reunions: http://alumni.sas.edu.sg

Singapore’s Eagles, the history of SAS and Singapore, is on sale in the Alumni Office.

The great photos of SAS and Singapore 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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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

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