Singapore American School Journeys December 2010, Volume 9

SAS hosts young alumni (00-10), American Club, Singapore, December 16, 2010 Class of 00 10-year reunion part deux, Singapore, December 21, 2010 Vicki Chen (00) SAS hosts alumni in Wasington, DC, February 1, 2011

MICA(P) 150/04/2010

Reunions • Reunions • Reunions

SAS

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Volume 9 December 2010

ourneys Singapore American School Alumni Magazine

SAS hosts alumni in New York City, February 3, 2011 SAS hosts alumni in Boston, February 5, 2011 SAS hosts alumni in San Francisco, February 7, 2011 Njoy weekend in Houston, June 17-18, 2011 Katie Hayes Jordan (79)

Advancing education through time, talent and treasure

Class of 81 30-year reunion, Cancun, Mexico, June 23-26, 2011 Buddy Byington (81) & July Ellis Jolley (81) Classes of 50s, 60s, 70s, San Francisco, July 22-24, 2011 Elaine Wales Koch (70) & Kristin Lundberg Searle (64)

Information on all reunions: alumni@sas.edu.sg or facebook.com/singaporeamericanschoolalumni

Published by the SAS Office of Advancement 40 Woodlands Street 41, Singapore 738547 Tel: (65) 6363-3403 Fax: (65) 6363-3408 www.sas.edu.sg alumni@sas.edu.sg

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Vol 9 December 2010

Superintendent Mutsch introduces new Chief Advancement Officer

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Magical incantations Alumna returns to Singapore after 52 years and finds joy in its many familiar sights and sounds

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Associate Director of Communications Tamara Black

SAS Foundation projects & donations

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Associate Director of Alumni Relations Lauri Coulter

Alumni time & talent Alumni return to SAS to share their skills, knowledge and time with future alumni

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Spotlight on alumni Bringing Ankor to the world; My path to music; Each sale clears trash; Appreciating my life; Living dream to dream; Finance studs

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Sports Medicine 1979-90

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SAS sweethearts

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The Ho-Hoe-Hoo denizens of SAS cafeterias

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Interim Semester 2011

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Singapore & SAS Homecoming; NBA athletes; graduation; and new high school laptop requirements

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SAS hosts alumni in California, Texas & Illinois

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Summer reunions

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Notes & Quotes

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Alumni Services

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Superintendent Brent Mutsch Chief Advancement Officer Michael Kingan

Editor Junia Baker Designer Josephine Yu

SAS Journeys is published twice a year by the SAS Office of Advancement.

Front cover: SAS Interim Semester 2010 in Egypt. Each year, the adventure, cultural and service-oriented travel choices continue to grow to meet the needs of an increasingly bold and sophisticated high school student body.

Back cover: Alumni events and reunions in 2010-11

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Welcome Alumni Dear SAS Alumni, alumni have been up to in their careers, educational pursuits and travels. Of special note are the articles that highlight how alumni are reconnecting with family, friends and the past. One of our earliest alums shares the story of her return to Singapore after 51 years, while another alum talks about reconnecting with his Hong Kong family roots. In addition, we have some great pieces on the visit to SAS by the NBA and the Youth Olympic Games.

As noted in the letter from Superintendent Mutsch, we welcome Michael Kingan as Chief Advancement Officer. With his enthusiasm and experience we are confident that he will lead the advancement team — alumni and community relations, communications, development and marketing — in ensuring that SAS continues to provide outstanding education for many years to come.

We also welcome Tamara Black, our new Associate Director of Communications.

Please visit us in the SAS alumni office when you are in Singapore. We’d love to give you a tour of the campus. And if you are organizing any get-togethers or reunions, let us know so we can help you with planning and logistics. We look forward to hearing from you.

We’ve enjoyed a busy and productive six months at SAS and in the alumni office since you received your last issue of Journeys. We held a second set of 2010 alumni gatherings in September and October. For the first time, we hosted events in San Diego, Los Angeles, Austin, Houston, and Chicago and in Melbourne, Australia.

We were delighted that the response was so positive and that many alumni turned out to connect and share their experiences at SAS and in Singapore over the years.

Alumni in a number of cities also hosted their own reunions and gatherings, with the class of 2000 celebrating its 10th anniversary and the class of 1990 celebrating its 20th. The Texas gathering in June was hosted by the class of 79 but open to anyone interested in attending. For all the gatherings there are wonder ful pictures and updates in Journeys and on Facebook.

A number of alumni also returned to campus and participated in a range of activities, including speaking at career day and teaching classes in online technology and dance. Their visits were well received, and we encourage you to contact us if you would like to come back and share your experiences with the current student body and faculty.

Remember, you can always email us at alumni@sas.edu.sg.

We are excited about what this issue of Journeys has in store for you, including updates and features about what

Lauri Coulter, Associate Director of Alumni Relations

Stay in touch via the alumni website (alumni.sas.edu.sg), e-mail (alumni@sas.edu.sg), Facebook (facebook.com/ singaporeamericanschoolalumni), American School Alumni on LinkedIn, and Twitter (@SAS_Alumni)

Alums Down Under: Darren Donlen (83), Leanne Donlen Loth (81) and Richard Loth met Lauri in Melbourne last October.

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Letters & News From Heidi Pixton Copa (64): I was just reading about the first SAS newspaper in the June issue. My brother, Chris Pixton (61), who was mentioned in the article, and I arrived in Singapore in May 1956 and entered SAS in the fourth and seventh grades. Our dad was the U.S. Army Attaché, and we were there for three years. This magazine is really an impressive piece of literature and brings back many happy memories. How the school has changed since the 1950s! Even then, the quality of education was laudable. I was able to take French in the fifth and sixth grades, and I attribute my grammar and math skills to the stimulating teachers. I enjoyed singing and art classes, plus some fun athletics, particularly badminton! Thank you and all the staff for reflecting SAS past and present so beautifully!

From Superintendent Brent Mutsch: Congratulations on another exceptional publication. Once again you’ve successfully captured campus news, a variety of interesting stories with direct connections to SAS and alumni information that is of interest to our current school community and beyond. I greatly admire your ability to create a publication that weaves the rich tapestry of experiences that are bound by the SAS thread.

From Stuart Lippe (59): Again Journeys has delivered news and reports that renew our ties with Singapore and SAS. I was glad to see that you answered my question about how The Reporter became The Eye. One additional note: I understand the original [June 1956 issue of The Reporter] is in the SAS historical collection maintained by the library. For those interested in seeing the full-sized paper, email StuartLippe@hotmail.com.

From Linda Dahl (alum parent): We love getting Journeys magazine and want to continue to receive it at our new address! We enjoy seeing old friends from SAS and were so excited to receive Mr. Ho’s Chicken Rice recipe in the latest issue! Thank you for creating this magazine; my family sure does enjoy it!

From Emily Calasanz (06): I had so much fun reading the latest SAS Journeys. It made me miss Singapore and the people and food so much! I especially like reading about what other classmates are up to. I thought I would share this article about me from UST: http://www.stthom.edu/ Public/index.asp?page_ID=5369. I’m currently attending Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine.

From Kenneth Koh (01): Thank you for your hard work and dedication in putting together the alumni magazine! It is always a joy to read through the stories and find out what other alums are up to!

At Kenneth Koh’s wedding in Singapore on June 12 were (front) Kenneth Lee (01), Kenneth Koh (01), Elizabeth Chen, Christopher Lee (01) and partner Christina Stentenfeld, Brian Leung (01); (middle) Jonathan Chan (00), Jonathan Kuah (01), Slin Lee (00), Curtis Leung (01); (back) Yewen Ying (01) and wife Luana Shen, Michelle Lau and husband Derek Dieu (01), Jeffrey Kong (01). Not shown: Jonathan Lee (05), Prakash Jethmel (02), Elliot Chow (01), Timothy Chew (00) and Jennifer Lee (98).

Kenneth and Elizabeth are both working for the Singapore government.

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From the Superintendent

Advancing education takes seriously the importance of empowering students with the confidence and courage to make contributions to the global community and to achieve their dreams.

In order to sustain and further develop the learning experiences that are integral to an SAS education, the school has placed a priority on developing further sources of financial support. Our efforts began in earnest during the celebration of the school’s 50th anniversary in 2006; today, we are taking steps to raise funds that will annually support programs that enrich the learning experiences of students and build an endowment. In time, an endowment will contribute to the long-term financial stability of SAS and represent a revenue stream beyond tuition and fees to support the delivery of an exemplary program.

Underscoring our commitment to the future is the recent appointment of Michael Kingan, the first Chief Advancement Officer for SAS. Michael brings expertise and a wealth of experience to this leadership role. Most recently he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer for the University of New Mexico Foundation. Previous professional assignments include Associate Vice President for Development and Vice President for Advancement (University of New Mexico), Senior Director of Development (University of Iowa Foundation), Assistant Dean, Development and Community Relations (University of Washington School of Law) and Major Gifts Officer (University of Michigan Law School).

Michael will be focusing his attention on further advancing the school with both internal and external members of the SAS community. Additionally, his work will provide leadership to alumni and community relations, communications, development and marketing. We welcome Michael to the SAS team and anticipate that his experiences and expertise will enable the school to extend the opportunities that encourage students to successfully pursue their passions and achieve their dreams.

By Superintendent Brent Mutsch

The rhythm of yet another successful year is well-established, and the campus daily reflects the energy, excitement and enthusiasm of the learning community known as the Singapore American School. There are many schools in the world in which students, parents, faculty and staff come together to collaborate around the ever-important learning experiences that enable students to develop their understanding of the world and the ways in which they will make their unique and special contributions. However, I can’t imagine many places fortunate enough to have the depth and breadth of learning opportunities that are provided at our school.

In recent weeks I’ve been fortunate to have the unique opportunity to welcome middle school students returning to campus from their threeday Classrooms Without Walls experiences, assist high school service club students unload pumpkins donated by APL, and observe the genuine excitement that accompanies high school students signing up for their 2011 Interim Semester trips. In addition, I’ve read Halloween stories to first grade students in the annual Pumpkin Patch and honored David Hoss on his return from Washington, D.C. where he was recognized by the National Association of Elementary School Principals as a 2010 National Distinguished Principal. I’ve also worked with members of the leadership and communications teams to create the 2009-10 Annual Report, which highlights but a fraction of the many successes of this past school year.

Since its founding in 1956, the abiding focus of SAS has been to nurture the development of each student. Whether a student’s tenure is two years or the maximum of 14 years, the primary purpose of the school has remained closely aligned with the mission that guides us today — providing each student with an exemplary American educational experience with an international perspective. The SAS community 5

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Magical incantations

By Fiona MacLean (68) Top: Fiona in 2010.

Left: Fiona at SAS in 1956.

I was set down from my father’s black Rover 75, in starched navy and white uniform, white socks and sandals. Edwina, a large Chad Valley teddy bear that was my constant companion, was in one hand,and a small rattan case was in the other.

Margaret, a brown hen bought fresh for the pot but granted a long stay of execution by the childhood me, and whom I usually carried under my arm as an essential accessory, had to be left behind. Aged nearly 4, with an equal mixture of eager anticipation and bewilderment, my first day at SAS began in 1956.

Firsts are usually memorable. My first school was. The Singapore American School, like many a creative idea, was conceived enthusiastically at a cocktail party. But unlike ideas in similar circumstances that fade with the hangover, it came to fruition a year later in 1956, in Rochalie Drive, a white, colonial bungalow with a veranda and large garden. I was one of 105 mostly American pupils.

My father was in the British Army, which necessitated a peripatetic childhood. The 1950s were a time of crown colonies and a smug sense of British superiority from placing so much “pink” on the world map. Men wore moustaches and long white socks with flared shorts; women wore starched

frocks made by Horrocks; and mother and daughter identical outfits were much in vogue. It was a time of mosquito nets, “tiffin,” cocktails, rattan furniture and ceiling fans. I spent more time with my amah than my parents. Politically, it was a time of difficult transition. Talks to grant independence to Singapore, while allowing Britain to retain military bases and control over the island’s external affairs, failed in 1956. The failure to gain independence for Singapore until three years later led to the resignation of the Chief Minister. The army aided the police in preventing civil disorder, which erupted in riots in October 1956 by pro communist students. We lived in a large colonial house on stilts on Newton Road. The site is now a post office. I remember curfews and blackouts and the sounds of strangers in our garden after dark.

Until this year, when I visited Singapore after 52 years, I had never been back. Despite the plethora of high-rise buildings, built to be noticed but for the most part unmemorable, Singapore was still familiar enough to rekindle childhood memories: tropical heat rose from the earth; mynah birds cackled and whistled; heavy rain fell on large flat leaves; the 6

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mation and details, I the adjectives and superlatives.

Pupils and staff are a diverse mixture and mirror of the world. Equal value is placed on music, arts and sports as well as academic subjects; children are encouraged to think, to learn; notices place emphasis on negotiation and managing conflict. In a world where we are united by technology but still divided by beliefs and values, where narrow sectarian, religious and national interests try and divide us further, SAS was heartening. Each age group has a library that is better equipped than most public libraries. I attended a science class where a group of children were gleefully making a mess with water and effortlessly learning about water pressure. The resources are enviable. The school is fun and engaging, incredibly impressive in its ethos, facilities and ethnic diversity, and for a brief, fleeting moment, school looked appealing again.

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SAS is fun and engaging, incredibly impressive in its ethos, facilities and ethnic diversity

smell of sweat and humid rain forest remained; the river was the same but without the stench of flotsam; and the names, magical incantations from childhood — Johor Bahru, Bukit Timah, Tanglin, River Valley Road. The hawkers alas are gone as are coolies, rickshaws, sampans and kampungs. Funny how you always want to find the past perfectly intact when you of course are nothing of the kind! I spent an afternoon at the Singapore Swimming Club, whose white, sepulchral splendor is largely unchanged. It was here I spent almost every afternoon of my childhood. I cannot remember not knowing how to swim, but a scar under my chin marks my first unsuccessful attempt at diving.

The Singapore American School now occupies new premises in the north of the island and is much expanded.

They greeted me like a prodigal, and I was given the Grand Tour by Lauri Coulter, the Alumni Director. She provided infor-

Fiona McLean lives in Brixton, London, UK. After a philosophy degree from Edinburgh University and training as a photographer, she spent 32 years working to promote equality and challenge discrimination within large organisations and charities.She also worked with groups on the margins: women in prison, homeless people, travellers, battered women and refugees. She took early retirement from her last position as Equal Opportunities Coordinator for University College London to indulge her lifelong passion for travelling, preferably to “wild places relatively unchanged by the 21st century.”

The Singapore padang and waterfront in 1956, when Fiona entered SAS at the age of 4.

The padang in 2010, when Fiona returned to Singapore 52 years later.

Photo by Andrew JK Tan, Singapore

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Donations enrich and enhance SAS Imagine going about your day-to-day activities without being able to see. A group of SAS students experienced this firsthand when two blind individuals shared their perspectives last spring. Carolyn and Junaidh from the Singapore Association for the Visually Handicapped gave workshops on techniques for coping, including the use of Braille-labeled lipstick and audible IT equipment. The most challenging experience was when the students ate — or tried to eat — their lunch while blindfolded.

This experience is just one example of how donations allow the school to enrich and enhance its education program. The SAS Foundation is a non-profit organization that enables the Singpaore American School to further extend a long-standing commitment to excellence in education. Through charitable support from parents, faculty, staff and alumni, the foundation supports the following programs: raising by community service clubs. Funds are also available Financial Aid for Students to support class-based service learning programs.

The SAS Foundation supports SAS families who experience Athletic, Intramural and Extracurricular Programs financial difficulties. It supports aid to students who have Donations support enhancements to intramural programs by been selected for teams, competitions or honors programs funding additional equipment and coaching staff. Funding is outside of Singapore but are unable to participate due to also used to support additional teams and to add activities financial constraints. when the need arises.

Academic Programs Special Projects The SAS Foundation provides enhancements to student academic Donations provide support, wholly or in part, for special projects programs. It also provides educational programs and speakers such as adding to the library collection, supporting profesfor parents through the Community Library Speaker Series. sional development for faculty members, or supporting stuVisual and Performing Arts dent participation in leadership conferences.

The SAS Foundation funding underwrites the costs of bringing Endowment Fund guest conductors, clinicians and artists to work with students, A portion of all donations to the SAS Foundation will be directed as well as providing school-wide cultural experiences. to the endowment to support the long-term financial health of Community Service Programs the school. Donors may request that their donations be Financial support is available for student community service directed to the endowment. projects including challenge grants to augment student fund

1. Challenge grant for Grade 2 Walk-a-Thon 2. International Coastal Cleanup 3. Donations support middle school and freshman sports programs. 4. Donations enhance cultural programs. 5. Intermediate school celebrates Chinese New Year. 6. Guest clarinetist for grades 5-12 musicians. 7. Grade 7 students learn about being visually handicapped.

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SAS Foundation Donations 2009-10 Eagle Circle S$20,000 and above Richard & Michelle Chen ICAP AP (Singapore) Pte Ltd Khoo Teck Puat Foundation Lippo China Resources Ltd Brent & Maggie Mutsch Tandean Rustandy & Susan Sujanto Billy Siu & Marianne Chua Tiger Circle S$10,000-S$19,999 Fanny Barki Crocs Asia Pte Ltd Michael & Shelly Dee Dell Global B.V. Singapore Michael & Eva DeNoma GETCO Asia Pte Ltd Ragnar & Joey Horn William & Lois Lydens Y.S. & Suzie Nam Mark Nelson & Margrit Benton Janie Ooi Edan & Bon Park Richard & Jacqueline Seow Helman Sitohang & Maria Praptanti Gerry & Michelle Smith The Amelio Foundation Soejono & Fae Varinata Ee Lim & Sofina Wee Xu Quan & Xue Qiong Yao Gecko Circle S$5,000-S$9,999 Beecher & Robin Abeles Joe & Mae Anderson Bart & Valerie Broadman Jerome Cohen & Leonie Cohen-Willemsen Michael & Kendall Connors Craig Irvine & Donna Meyer Joosang Kim & Junga Lee KMP Private Ltd Lim Meng Keng Department Store Iwan Sardjono & Ingrid Prasatya SAS PTA Steven & Asa Tucker Phillip & Sandra Widjaja Raymond & Kaori Zage David Zemans & Catherine Poyen Orchid Circle S$1,000-S$4,999 Ravi & Sunanda Agarwal Nasser Ahmad & Romita Shetty Bill & Jamie Amelio Lars & Nene Amstrup Peng Huat & Swat Ang Jonathan & Jessika Auerbach Sam & Dorothy Baker Richard & Ashley Barry Masoud & Maria Bassiri

Shailesh & Jacquelyn Bettadapur Capital International, Inc. (matching gift) Wing Kwong Chan & Vivian Liu Dong Woo Chang & Ah Jung Lee Yi-Jen Chen & Min Yuan Yeh Alrick Cheung Jenny Chiam Jungkiu Choi & Hyesook Cho Kwang Hyuk Choi & Yun Kyung Park Dickon Corrado & Ito Toshima Kenneth & Lauri Coulter Oral & Vida Dawe Steven Diamond & Sarah Jeffries Kenneth Fagan Edward & Rachel Farrell Fujiwara Advisory Singapore Pte Ltd Ed & Nao Gilbreath Jim & Beth Gribbon Bryan & Christine Henning Kirk & Janice Hulse Emad & Jasmine Khalil Chris & Elyse Khang Devin Kimble & Amy Sittler Lian Jie & Nina Li Young Rim & Jin Lee Shahryar Mahbub & Shazia Khawaja Marina Bay Sands Pte Ltd Meher & Khush Mehta Sanjay & Anjna Motwani Rudy & Andrea Muller Naphtha Information Services Pte Ltd David Norcott Deepa Pasumarty Adrian & Susan Peh Devin & Dianna Pratt Cameron Poetzscher & Varsha Rao Namuh & Younsoo Rhee Kim & Birgitte Rosenkilde William & Martha Scarborough SCDA Architects Pte Ltd

Garth & Roxana Sheldon Jong Seok Shin & So Hyun Park Keum Shik-Jimmy Shin & Seung Hee Lim Brent & Sandra Smith In Jun Song & Joo Hyun Lee Lawrence & Jane Sperling Christopher Tan & Chantal Wong Sadewa Tanudisastro & Sri Affandi United Parcel Services Harrison & Sheila Wang Ellen Wisner White Jun Won & Yoon Hee Choi Chiu Man Wong & Maria Warner Wong Traveler’s Palm Circle S$100-S$999 JohnEric & Christina Advento Mark & Marianne Boyer Brian & Emiko Combes Marian Graham David Hoss Geri Johnson Lands’ End Inc. Marc & Heidi L’Heureux Allan & Vicki Mitchell Rajkumar Narayanan & Jaya Rajkumar Doug & Maureen Neihart William & Rhonda Norris Hanatha & Louise Perdana James & Heidi Ryan Kathlyn Saich Ken Schunk Dale Smith & Tracy Meyer Nick & Jennifer Sparrow Paula St. James Sheila Sung Ron Starker & Kate Bucknall Ann Tan Paul Welsh & Lauren Mehrbach Anthony & Rachel Wong

Please consider donating to the SAS Foundation The SAS Foundation welcomes alumni and parent donations for the numerous programs that it supports.

On the alumni or SAS website, go to “Giving to SAS.” Download and complete the donation form and mail it with your donation check to Office of Advancement, Singapore American School, 40 Woodlands Street 41, Singapore 738547.

Checks in Singapore and U.S. dollars should be made payable to SAS Foundation. All donations in Singapore and U.S. dollars are eligible for tax benefits in the respective countries.

For more information, email sasdonation@sas.edu.sg.

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Alumni time & talent The most welcome gifts from alumni are often in the form of sharing their time and talent with current students. Alumni have given presentations to parents and students and participated in school initiatives. They have brought their special skills and young adult experiences into the classrooms and made the world “out there” real for the students.

Some alumni who have contributed over the last few months are pictured here.

SAS is delighted to host alumni on campus. If you would like to be involved, we invite you to join us for career day, mentoring, hosting workshops and/or teaching classes. Contact Lauri Coulter in the Alumni Office for information: lcoulter@sas.edu.sg or alumni@sas.edu.sg. We look forward to hearing from you and welcoming you on campus.

Below left: Matt Rogers (95), development manager for Aman Resorts, and other alumni participate in College & Career Day each year.

Below right: Journalist Stephanie Yiu (04) and web designer boyfriend Jared Novack held workshops in September for Eye online and Eye designer classes.

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Top: Last April, Brittani Sonnenberg (99) talked with students and parents about global children and concepts of home, identity and belonging.

Above: In August, Artistic Director Kathy Lin (04) taught dance to Tracy Van Der Linden’s students and conducted afterschool workshops for middle and high school students.

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Alum Spotlight

Bringing Angkor to the world

By Greg Waldron (88)

Dear Gregory: Thank you for your recent query. I appreciate your patience while I’ve considered your project.

Unfortunately, I’m afraid I must pass on God King of Angkor. I represent a very full list of authors and must be highly selective in adding to it. I realize that it is difficult to judge your potential from a query alone; nevertheless, please know that I give serious attention to every letter, outline and writing sample that I receive.

Please accept my best wishes for your project’s success.

Sincerely, Donald Maass, Literary Agent

Greg is Deputy Editor, Asia for Flight International magazine.

He has lived in Singapore since 1997.

the previous day’s Straits Times in the recycling bin.

To my amazement, the book started to sell. Not quite in JK Rowling numbers, but enough to validate my commercial rationale for the project: the first novel set 1,000 years ago in ancient Angkor. Every day, before checking my email, I check the sales numbers. There have even been a few decent reviews.

I realized something: e-book self-publishing replaces a publishing problem with a marketing challenge. I had a designer friend create a cool new cover. I opened a Google AdWords account. People doing searches about Angkor can learn of my book, hit the link and buy it. In theory, God King of Angkor will be available forever to a broad audience — a far better proposition than I have could achieved through traditional publishing channels.

It will only get better. Research firm Forrester predicts that by the end of 2010, ten million people will have e-book readers, up from three million at the end of 2009. While the demise of traditional bookstores is regrettable (I, more than anyone, love browsing shelves of books), it is as inevitable as the disappearance of music stores.

That pessimistic Singapore publisher is right. The traditional book industry is in terminal decline. Thanks to the Internet and e-book readers, such as the Kindle, Nook and iPad, writers with a quality offering can find their audiences and perhaps satisfy that hunger for immortality that lies behind every novel.

Adios, Donald.

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Yeah, right. Nice form letter, Donald.

I spent three years researching and writing my novel, God King of Angkor. I read every book about ancient Cambodia I could find. Angkor and particularly Angkor Wat are famous; the ruins are visited by some two million tourists every year; and the place has United Nations World Heritage status. I spent weeks clambering around ruins deep in the jungle, fearful of snakes and old landmines. I interviewed archaeologists and historians. To build my name as authority on Angkor and thus qualified to write a book about the place, I published articles about it in magazines. I wrote the book. I did everything right.

The result? Sixty rejection letters. Publishers were a little more helpful. “Publishing is an industry in retreat,” said one of them. “Nobody wants to take a chance on a new concept.”

Then I came across an article about e-books. I logged on to Amazon’s digital text platform. Within an hour I had my novel uploaded and available to millions of Kindle users through Amazon. The 2008 Guide to Literary Agents joined 12

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Alum Spotlight

God King of Angkor God King of Angkor by Gregory Waldron is set in 1120 AD. The empire is at the height of its wealth and power. Davendra, its leading general, has just crushed the rebellious province of Champa.

On his way home Davendra learns that the God King is dead and that a usurper, Prince Savdra, has seized the royal dais of Angkor. Bent on total power, Savdra launches a reign of terror and sets out to eliminate Davendra and his family.

Based on Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus, God King of Angkor explores the majesty and power of the lost Angkorian world.

My own path to music tives. The point is, being an entrepreneur is a path that strongly diverges from traditional conceptions of what work is supposed to look like, and while the responsibilities are great, the rewards are even greater.

The best part of the whole journey is knowing that I have ownership over what I do. That is an empowering feeling. Freedom to me does not mean the capacity to do whatever I want. It means the ability to choose my responsibilities.

To that end, being an entrepreneur has given me the freedom to choose my own path, which is, to say the least, an uncertain one. There are no guarantees, no safe bets, but if there is one thing that I learned from living in Southeast Asia, it’s that life is about taking risks, believing in big ideas and having the resiliency to persevere. In this context, being an entrepreneur makes a lot of sense.

I am grateful for the experiences I had at SAS, the caliber of teachers I learned from and the resources that were there to support me in my education. It has made all the difference. ■

By Chris Bryden (00)

Since having the good fortune to attend SAS for the last two years of high school, the seed of learning and adventure that was planted in me then has blossomed full force. Between graduating from SAS in 2000 and now, I have studied abroad in Spain, served in the U.S. Peace Corps in Ukraine, attended graduate school, and most recently, have become an entrepreneur in the music industry.

For more than two years, I have been working with a talented group of individuals to build a thriving band called Alma Desnuda, which in Spanish means “naked soul.” In 2009, we released our debut album, Middleway. The concept of the “middle way” is about making your work congruent with your passion, instead of having to choose between the two.

Being an entrepreneur in the music business has led me to all sorts of situations, places and people I never thought I would encounter. I’ve toured from San Francisco to Portland, playing house parties, colleges and city street corners and stayed up until 6 a.m. making press kits for industry execu-

To find out more about Alma Desnuda, please visit www.almaDmusic.com or iTunes.

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Alum Spotlight

Each sale clears trash

By Brian Linton (05)

Environmental business enterprises are surprisingly simple and relatively inexpensive

Growing up, I was addicted to fish, raising fish that is. At one point during my high school years at SAS I had over 30 fish tanks in my room and scattered throughout our patio in Woodlands. My fascination with the aquatic world spilled into school, and I co-founded the Fish Club.

I only have one fish tank now, a 4-foot tank filled with African cichlids, two of which recently had dozens of babies.

The tank sits in my office in Center City Philadelphia, where my company Sand Shack LLC is headquartered.

Sand Shack started four years ago for the purpose of not only making money but creating real and lasting environmental change. It designs, manufactures and sells two brands across the United States: Sand Shack and United By Blue, which sell boutique jewelry and organic tees and bags. Five percent of the proceeds are donated to ocean conservation efforts.

The monetary donations from Sand Shack did not accomplish the environmental good that I believed my business could and should be accomplishing. So, in the summer of 2009, I started laying the groundwork for United By Blue (UBB), oceanfriendly apparel and accessories that would accomplish good

by NOT giving money away. The concept behind UBB is simple and effective. For each product sold, UBB removes one pound of trash from the world’s oceans and waterways through company-organized clean-up activities.

By creating a business model that attaches a physical action to the purchase of each product we are able to accomplish a tremendous amount of good. During the summer of 2010, we hosted weekly clean-ups along the east coast of the United States and removed nearly 10,000 pounds of trash from rivers, streams and beaches. We project that UBB will remove over 100,000 pounds of trash from oceans and waterways in 2011. Our work has attracted the attention of dozens of media outlets, and we have been featured by NBC, FOX, Metro, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and others.

Starting my business while in college and only one year after graduating from SAS was an exciting and rewarding experience. It also set me up for an unorthodox college experience that included three different universities, ending with a degree from Temple University in 2008.

Although I entered college to major in education and left with a degree in Asian Studies, my desire and passion for teaching has remained. I travel to industry trade shows and colleges where I speak on technology, the environment and collegiate entrepreneurship.

The most important lesson I have learned over the past four years of building a responsible enterprise is that business can and should be good. It is so easy to let the allure of money and profits blind entrepreneurs from being environmental stewards, but it is surprisingly simple and relatively inexpensive to do good.

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Brian welcomes volunteers at a United By Blue clean-up.

See brianlinton.com, sandshack.com and unitedbyblue.com, where SASers get 25% if they use the “sasalumni” promotion code.

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Alum Spotlight

Appreciating my life

By Colin Lee (07)

When I was at SAS, we celebrated Halloween with one of the biggest parties of the year, almost as big as the after-prom parties. In my senior year, my friends and I decided to dress up as the Power Rangers. I was supposed to be the green one.

My mom didn’t let me go. To her, the holiday “made no sense.”

Besides she said, “it promoted binge drinking.” That was true.

To her dismay, I had been drinking at the Halloween party my sophomore year.

Sometimes in high school, I’d just sneak out if I could not get my mom’s permission. My friends urged me to do that for the Halloween party. I had to be there. Everyone I knew was going. I thought that I could just tell my mom the truth and be allowed to go. Not only that, the next morning she wanted me to wake up early and go to yoga class with her. I did.

My mom had discovered and embraced yoga and had wanted me to do the same. She bribed me to take yoga classes and organized yoga retreats in India and Thailand during school holidays. I went, but if she wasn’t in my classes, I would sometimes skip them and play computer games instead.

I could not wait to leave home. In my first year at Northwestern University, I went to bed late and slept in for the first time. I enjoyed my freedom, but it did not liberate me, as I had hoped it would.

When I transferred to the University of Pennsylvania, I had no friends at first, so I looked to my family and the disciplines they endorsed. The yoga and the sleeping schedule grounded me, and I felt comfortable trying new things: being a residential assistant, ballroom dancing, joining a fraternity, and befriending exchange students and West Point cadets.

Now, as a senior at Penn, I go to bed at 12 p.m. and wake up at 5:15 a.m. Before I sleep, I meditate on my yoga mat from 11 to 12 p.m. I also meditate for an hour in the morning

Colin, who is now a senior at the University of Pennsylvania, with his brother Gabe (10) and his parents at a recent family gettogether.

in the dark. When I open my eyes, depending on the season, the sun either shines brightly and warms the right side of my face, or it is dim. I practice yoga for 90 minutes and then eat a healthy breakfast of fruit and nuts and oatmeal.

I added meditation to this routine after attending a meditation camp on a farm near Rockford, Illinois. At the camp, I meditated for 10 hours a day, starting at 4:30 a.m., when the roosters still slept. The instructors taught me to focus on my breathing during times of discomfort. They told me to treat pain and happiness as detached sensations, to observe the “impermanence” of things and to appreciate the present.

During those ten days, I thought of my family. I thought of how I’d wanted to be free to lead my own life in college.

I actually felt freer to bring my family’s discipline back into my life because it no longer threatened my independence.

I feel that my role in my family has changed. For years, my parents had urged me to be more like my younger and more mature brother, Gabe, who graduated from SAS this year. I still agree. He’s been a light in our family. But now I can add a new voice. Recently, my mom asked me for advice about him. I told her that he needs to “party more to flush it out of his system.” To my surprise, she agreed!

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Alum Spotlight

Keep living dream to dream Think Inside the Box: Hong Kong is cold in February.

Really cold. People don’t have heaters. If the energy bill is not on your dime, use a hairdryer and leave it on in the bathroom for a little bit. Hotbox yourself inside while taking care of your morning rituals. Credit yourself 5 points toward global warming. Tell critics that you got this piece of advice from a Boy Scout. Between you and the Scout, you’re probably net carbon neutral.

Brand Name Gifts: Let your grandmother make you something like a scarf, even if it might be considered tacky and doesn’t have a brand name. Choose the yarn color to match

By Ambert Yeung (01)

In February 2010, I set aside my corporate identity and responsibilities and made a three-week trip to Hong Kong over Chinese New Year. My purpose was to document the life of my ailing grandfather, age 91. I captured the experience in the form of a blog in addition to 12 hours of raw video footage, which will eventually be edited. I hope that my experience will serve as an inspiration for others, especially those third culture kids, who have the curiosity, the initiative and the good fortune to pursue such an endeavor. The following is a compilation of lessons from my experience.

Make the Trip During a Cultural Celebration: A good time to see your family in action is during a cultural celebration. From my Hong Kong family’s perspective, it was a great opportunity to educate an ABC (American Born Chinese) about Chinese New Year, the culture, the food, the parades and the festivals. This theme is consistent with the idea of my one Interim Semester trip, Elephants and Whitewater in Nepal, which sure topped the Disneyworld senior trip I would have had if I had stayed in New Jersey. To top off the family trip experience, stay several days after the end of the celebration to take in a little of their real lives. Be as transparent as possible during the holiday recovery period to minimize the Hawthorne Effect.

Be Prepared: Just three days into my trip, my father had a panic attack that at first appeared to have the symptoms of a heart attack. Many of you SAS goers love traveling. Knowledge of the medical system and emergency numbers when abroad is paramount. You’ll probably pay a lot, but follow the good old American rule, “Live now, pay later.”

Break the Ice with Facebook, Hot or Not: Small talk with grandparents can be a big challenge. Working against you: language barrier, cultural barrier and generation gap.

Never having been a grandparent before, it is hard to empathize with them. After they determine you to be in healthy working order, relationship status is next. If you’re single, the questions are especially juicy. My relatives thought I had many girlfriends because of the many girls on my Facebook page.

Later that evening, grandma and I played a little game of “hot or not” with those pictures.

When you have one shot at key moments, embrace your inner gadget geek

a famous brand like Burberry beige and when someone asks, reply with “Yeah my grandmother’s kinda cool, she moonlights for Burberry.”

Games that Bring a Family Together: Bring a pack of cards with you. When crossing cultural barriers, a simple card game is a nice way to pass the time and build rapport. When I met two adorable girls (who are my half cousins) at one of the Chinese New Year family visits, their shyness melted into giggles and squeals of delight after I pulled out the red Bicycle cards. We played Go Fish for nearly an hour. (If you are the black sheep of the family, then there’s Solitaire.) Mahjong is another way to get to know people. An hour after Go Fish ended, I found myself in a mahjong game with three of my half aunts. I was clearly outclassed, like a pirate with a peg leg playing “Dance Dance Revolution” against an adolescent Japanese girl.

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Alum Spotlight

Celebrity Jeopardy: When we got to Hong Kong, my grandmother pulled out a large box filled with memories. In one old Polaroid, which had faded to an aqua green color, three men were dressed in bellbottoms and flared collars. My grandfather was standing in the middle, another Chinese gentlemen was on his left, and on his other side was Chuck Norris. I said to him, “Do you know who this guy is?” pointing at Chuck Norris. Grandfather: “Hmm, I think he came to visit me for business.” Me: “That’s Chuck freaking Norris!” Grandfather: “Who is Chuck Norris?” Note to self, take pictures with timeless celebrities, and then when people ask about them, tell them that he/she came to see you about business.

When they mention the celebrity by name, fail to recognize the name and blame it on old age. This will be sure to impress your grandchildren.

Back up your Backup: When you have one shot at capturing key moments during a trip like this, embrace your inner gadget geek. An extra battery and memory card cost less than $100, while missing the punch line of your grandfather’s story is priceless.

Breaks from the Family: Have your friends plan their trips around yours. Get there a few days ahead so you can show them around. To treat homesickness in Hong Kong, take them after hours to Lan Kwai Fong, where the street corner bar is playing “Sweet Home Alabama,” baseball hats with MLB insignias can be counted on two hands, and people of Asian descent are in the minority. Seeing familiar faces from “home” will serve as a refreshing break from “too much family time.”

Race Against the Clock: As I was wrapping up my intent to capture the stories for my family documentary, I began to focus on my long list of goals. Some people such as my grandfather have the opportunity to live nearly an entire century, but many do not. Keep living dream to dream.

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Ambert Yeung resides in San Francisco, where he moved for college after his one “incredible” year at SAS. His professional work at OptiMedica involves development of a sophisticated laser system for cataract eye surgery. Out of the office, he runs an electronic music podcast at http://cloob.fm and is an aspiring salsa dancer. He recently compiled a list of dreams and goals to accomplish in life. The impromptu trip to Hong Kong fulfilled one of those goals. Readers may find out more about the trip and his experiences at http:// yeungproject.com.

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Alum Spotlight

Finance Studs

By Alex Hoffer, Tung Han Yang,

amused us and ultimately frightened us, but the collapse also encouraged us to learn. It was difficult to comprehend the moral degeneration, the lax business regulation, the failure to follow the most fundamental financial principles and ultimately, the obtuseness (or to be blunt and less pretentious, stupidity) that caused the financial meltdown. In addition to news articles, we read the textbook, took notes and discussed and analyzed various case studies (including two from Harvard Business School), all of which provided insight and understanding. For our final project we each made a presentation on a particular investing strategy to Mr. Oms, Principal Norcott and Superintendent Mutsch.

Russell Kreutter, Sajan Shah

In the fall semester of our senior year, a brotherhood was born. We — Tung Han Yang, Russell Kreutter, Sajan Shah and Alex Hoffer, affectionately referred to as the “Finance Studs” by our mentor and faculty sponsor, Tico Oms — began an independent study, a little-known option that allows passionate students to pursue a field or interest not covered by the curriculum. Although we lacked a pair of magical jeans (reference to the most deserving foursome in our lifetime: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants), this experience allowed us to explore the field of finance, to interact personally and

Alex Hoffer (09)

Sajan Shah (09)

Russell Kreutter (09)

professionally with Mr. Oms and most importantly, to create powerful and durable friendships.

At the end of our junior year, we had discussed our desire to delve deeper into the field of finance and go beyond the scope of the business courses offered at SAS. With this in mind, we approached Mr. Oms, and with his help, created a curriculum based on a challenging, but what we thought was appropriate, college textbook. Turns out that Georgetown University (Russell’s school) uses this book for students in upper-level classes who have an intimate understanding of essential accounting basics!

As senior year got underway, so did our independent study. Typically we would start with a business news update to spur a conversation. In retrospect this was an exciting time to do this independent study: we saw the collapse of Lehman Brothers & Bear Stearns, the nationalization of Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, the merger of Bank of America with Merrill Lynch, the commercialization of Goldman and Morgan Stanley, and a series of government bailouts. The collapse of the economy fascinated us,

Now, after a year apart, we have decided to apply what we learned in that fated classroom. This past summer we created a general partnership in New Jersey, which will allow us to invest our money collectively under the name Hoffer, Kreutter, Yang & Shah (HKYS). Although we hope this fund is financially successful, our main priorities are to learn more about the stock markets and continue our friendship — the foundation of our independent study. While we will concentrate on U.S. equities initially, we plan to invest our money — pooled from summer internships and personal savings — in international markets, leveraging on our experience overseas.

As of now, HKYS is operating as an investment club and is owned solely by us. Eventually, some of us aspire to careers in asset management and may expand HKYS. ■

Alex is studying economics at Stanford, Russell is studying accounting and marketing at Georgetown, Sajan is studying industrial engineering at the University of Michigan and Han Yang has a few more months in Singapore National Service.

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Tung Han Yang (09)

11/23/10, 7:58 PM

Sports Medicine 1979-90 1982-83 trainers (back) Todd Nicklas, Steve Getty, Anne Harrs, Susan Liesenberg, Jim Bell; (front) Alberta Brusi, Lanis Nurcombe, Dawn Haddaway, Michaela Burford, Juleen Perry, Maria Williamson, Monica Bradfield.

tions benefit the American and Singapore communities.”

Marie Williamson (83): “Like so many other experiences I had at SAS, I didn’t really have a context for how unusual the opportunities had been until I moved to the United States to go to college. There I discovered that my training and experience were nearly level with students graduating with degrees in sports medicine. They had never worked at the Singapore motocross races, for example, where racers from all over Southeast Asia competed in a rather lawless (or at least regulation-light) environment.

“Being a trainer also meant being Red Cross certified in basic and advanced first aid. One of the many opportunities this gave me was the chance to teach basic first aid courses to others. I discovered that fifth grade Boy Scouts are much more interesting to teach than a living room full of grownups.

Kids still think about everything from every angle, while adults often passively accept information. No adult group I ever taught would yell out, but what if he was lying on his face?

Yah, in a pool of water? No, in mud! And he couldn’t breathe?!

Yah, could you roll the person over THEN? Those boys came

Information compiled by Chad Sauerbry

Sports Medicine Trainers took care of their fellow classmates at SACAC football games, motocross races and SAS varsity sports competitions throughout the 1980s. They were trained in advanced first aid, CPR and the use of emergency equipment and were invaluable assets to the teams that they served.

The trainers were members of a high school club formed

by Jane Bell, who was a middle school PE teacher. She and husband Ted came to Singapore in 1979, where he was the regional director for Boeing Corporation. Jane formed the Sports Medicine Trainers after observing that the athletic teams, especially the community football program, really needed first aid support.

Jane and Ted were also instructors/trainers for the American Red Cross, assisted the Singapore Red Cross and worked with the disabled and handicapped. A 1986 story about them in the Singapore American newspaper described them as “a knowledgeable and caring couple whose unselfish contribu19

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up with scenarios to challenge every first aid rule I taught, and it made me a better trainer and a better teacher.

“Just about every part of my life has been touched by the experience. I learned about the sports, about personal responsibility and service and teaching others. I retained enough solid medical knowledge to override parental panic when my kids have tried to shorten my life span with various antics involving large quantities of spilled blood, and to speak with confidence to specialists when my father was battling a rare neurological disease. I built solid friendships with people and learned that service to your community is rewarding. As trainers we were paid in the currency of pride in what we did. It is one of the many gifts the SAS community gave me.”

Lanis Nurcombe Berglund (83) signed up to see more of the football players, but found herself committed to the job, not the boys. “We were trained so well that I can still wrap an ankle blindfolded.”

Lori Schultz Golabian (83): “The trainers were a tightknit group. We enjoyed our duties and appreciated the fact that we were able to help the athletes. While we never really wanted someone to get hurt, we were comfortable in the knowledge that we knew what to do if it happened. I miss those days and those people. Trainers ROCK!” Farhana Nakhooda (89) says that the Sports Medicine Club was one of the best experiences of her life. “I learned about advanced first aid and CPR and was trained by emergency doctors, physiotherapists and orthopedic surgeons to take care of sports injuries. As a young teen that was quite an

amazing amount of knowledge to possess. We sat with the teams at practice, taped ankles and wrists and treated the players when they were hurt. I even remember going to motocross races and seeing some pretty scary accidents and having Mrs. Bell working with me to treat the victims.

“Mrs. Bell was a wonderful leader, was super passionate about sports medicine and made us all feel like we were critical parts of the team. I believe that the experience I had as a sports medicine trainer played a large part in influencing my career as an IBM healthcare and life sciences leader for growth markets around the world. By the way, my husband is a professional tennis player and is amazed at how well I tape his ankle!”

Laura Nicklas (82) remembers walking out of Far East Plaza one day when she was 16, and a bus had just hit two

Alberta Brusi, Anne Harris, Dawn Haddaway and Juleen Perry Keevy practice with a spinal cord board stretcher.

Jennifer Gibson, Tim Schmidt and Dawn Haddaway carry an injured athlete off the field.

I probably use something I learned as a trainer every day Jennifer Gibson, MD (84)

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we needed to do; it just came naturally. After the event was all over, we’d look back at the situation, a broken bone, laceration or dislocation, and realize that we had done what needed to be done. I loved being a trainer so much that when I got back to the States I taught first aid and CPR. I then joined the fire department and worked as an EMT on the ambulance and rescue truck.”

Jennifer Gibson (84): “Being a trainer gave me confidence and encouraged me to do things I probably wouldn’t have thought I could accomplish. I learned more actual “first aid” from the Bells than I did in medical school. This has come in handy since I seem to have a big black cloud over my head wherever I go. I have unfortunately had to use these skills in grocery stores, airplanes, hiking trails, doing CPR on the street in Scotland while I was on vacation, and performing the Heimlich maneuver on my father! I am a board certified doctor in pediatrics and internal medicine, but I probably use something I learned as a trainer every day.”

Tracy MacKay (83): “I remember lots of sweaty, muddy football players. I remember the Bulldogs, who thought they were the best, and the Vikings and the Oilers. I remember the Powder Puff games, and all the guys dressed up like cheerleaders, what a riot. I also remember Ms. Bell’s knowledgeable, upbeat, always positive leadership. She had this uncanny knack of balancing the seriousness of what we were doing with making it enjoyable and fun.”

Amanda Earman Fagg (87): “After graduating, my twin sister Abby and I attended the University of Arizona in Tucson because of its exceptional graduate program in athletic training. Freshmen had to spend the year ‘earning their spots’ in both academics and athletic training. I ended up switching my degree to marketing and fashion merchandising. However, I met the man I was to marry in that training program.

We have been married for 18 years and have three children and a chocolate lab. My husband works in athletic administration. So, had it not been for Sports Medicine, many aspects of my life would have been different!”

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Sports Medicine Trainers in action at a SACAC football game on the SAS Ulu Pandan campus.

people on a motorcycle. “I stood there hoping someone would help, and then what Mrs. Bell had taught me kicked in, and I took charge. I remember calling her afterward, and she told me that I had saved the guys’ lives. I will never forget how she calmed me down and made me feel as if I had made a difference.”

Tim Schmidt (83) worked with the Abilene Police Department in Abilene, TX after college and was selected for the SWAT team in 1996. “Since we didn’t have any medical support for the team, I joined the Abilene Fire Department’s academy during the EMS portion of instruction and earned EMT certification. Later I attained EMT intermediate certification as well. This training enabled me to work on the SWAT team as well as fill the role of a tactical medic.”

Reiko Ono-Fullard (85) says that sports were her passion in high school. “I played volleyball, basketball and softball.

I knew that I didn’t have the talent to play at the college or professional level but that I wanted to have a job that was close to the sports world, so I joined Sports Medicine. Later, I did graduate work at the University of Iowa’s NATA-accredited athletic training program and became a certified athletic trainer in 1995. Then I worked as a head athletic trainer at Keenan High School in Columbia, SC.” Todd Nicklas (83): “The Bells had a talent for creating training sessions that were both informative and entertaining. But it was not until our services were needed that we realized just how much we had actually learned. As a result of our thorough training, we never really thought about what

Sports Medicine is one of the many gifts the SAS community gave me Marie Williamson (84)

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SAS Sweethearts

SAS still has magic Deacon Powell (88) and Jennifer Graybill (87) have returned to Singapore. Deacon tells their story.

My family transferred to Singapore in 1986 after 13 years in Dubai. I entered SAS as a junior and met Ed Gaffney (87) at orientation. That night, he borrowed a motorcycle, picked me up at my hotel and took me around. We ended up at a party at Wing on Life condominium on Bukit Timah. I met Jennifer that night, but she was decidedly not interested in me.

King’s Road was a close-knit campus. What it lacked in facilities, it made up for in other areas. If the school buses had doors, I don’t remember them ever being closed, and there certainly wasn’t any air-conditioning. Coach Baker threatened me with diets and having to actually complete his track workouts if I lost a race; Mrs. Banck said I was her “blue-collar representative to AP English” (I think I was the only one from good oil-patch stock who was not in the National Honor Society); Mr. Hurst routinely banished me from journalism class, so I would go see Mr. Ho for one of my patented “East-meets-West” meals, such as char siew mee and lasagna; Coach Bava kept reminding us that the rugby team wasn’t quite ready to run with the big dogs (or at least that I wasn’t!); and Mr. Marone spent obscene amounts of class time telling us things that, by his own reckoning, had “nothing to do with physics, but everything to do with life.”

There was more to join and do than you could possibly get to, and that doesn’t seem to have changed. Even when we were “off,” we were hardly ever home. The island seemed smaller then or just easier to maneuver. IASAS and Interim Semester trips built great memories and friendships. SACAC football (go Bulldogs!) was a blast, and playing rugby on the Padang, especially the Cricket Club Sevens, was pretty special. Some great weekends were spent water skiing at Punggol, going to Rawa and taking bumboats to the southern islands. If there wasn’t a party somewhere, there was always

Deacon and Jennifer with current SASers, Sophia, grade 5, and Case, grade 7

Newton Circus … aye-oh, lah. Somewhere in the midst of all of this, we got a really solid education.

As for Jen and me, when we first met she was pining for some guy who had moved back to the States, but by October of that first year, we were more than just friends. We’ve been together pretty much ever since then.

After SAS, I attended Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

Brutal winters lasted until April, but we found ways to cope by finding a Thai restaurant that served good noodles and sometimes Tiger beer. I played rugby for a local club, then co-founded the club at Drake.

Jen had started college a year earlier at Tufts in Boston. The long-distance thing was no fun and financially devastating to an expat brat with no sense of money management, so she joined me in her sophomore year. (Yes, we realize how crazy it was to go willingly from Tufts to Drake.) I majored in radio/TV broadcasting. Jen says I wanted to be the next Tom Brokaw, but I actually planned to go to law school from about mid-way through my junior year. A summer working for two American lawyers in Singapore cemented those plans, but I wanted to work a year before starting law school. The only place where I knew people with jobs was in New Orleans, so we packed our belongings into my maroon 22

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SAS Sweethearts Dodge Dynasty and headed south.

We both found work quickly, which must’ve greatly relieved our parents, and enjoyed New Orleans a lot. Jen’s job as office manager wasn’t very interesting, but my job was good and so was the money, so I kept working while I went to school and graduated from Loyola University School of Law in 1997.

Jen and I were finally married in 1995 — not so much a grand wedding, but a really good party. I went to work for a small, well-regarded downtown law firm. Jen decided that being a full-time mother was more interesting than managing an office. She quit working when Case was born in 1998

Getting the kids into SAS was a condition for taking the job and Sophia followed in 2000. We still talked about “the overseas thing,” but it was less and less in the forefront.

Then I changed jobs and we moved to Houston. I took an in-house position, which got me back to Southeast Asia reasonably often. I spent some time helping the company to become established in Singapore, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur, but could never convince the bosses that I needed to be there full time. In 2004, I relocated to Dubai. We stayed there four years, and found it okay, if a bit soulless. Not surprisingly, expat-dom agreed with the kids. We left just as Dubai was coming to grips with its own penchant for excess.

We returned to Katy, Texas, a Houston suburb. Life was fine and good in that very suburban Houston kind of way — big new house in a well-manicured neighborhood near

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schools and shops and golf courses. Ate too much Tex-Mex. Went to Astros games. Marveled at the anti-Obamaness of it all (and I don’t even consider myself a Democrat).

The company I’m with now, Cal Dive International, is a Houston-based marine construction and diving company that runs most of its international business from Singapore. They contacted me when I was in a receptive mood, and I am now the company’s legal manager.

Getting the kids into SAS was a condition for taking the job, and we were so pleased that things worked out. I am certain we were given admission preference because I was voted “Most Romantic” in 1987.

Jen and the kids followed in early July. She outfitted our apartment at Arcadia (the building she lived in when we met in 86!) beautifully. The kids take “new” in such easy stride and already think nothing of the rain, catching geckos and dim sum or la mien brunches.

Jen is really happy to be back, as I am. She loves the diversity and feel of Singapore, which are still present, even with all the changes since the 1980s. Her parents used Singapore as a springboard to explore Asia when Jen was a child. She visited kampungs and rain forests, helped the Vietnamese refugees who were in transit in Singapore and ate curries off banana leaves with her fingers. She says she didn’t appreciate the experiences when she was a spoiled 16-yearold expat, but she now treasures them.

I’ll admit to loving the SAS campus grounds, but the building layout less so. I keep getting lost. Jen and I still feel the magic at SAS, even though it is a different campus. We appreciate the effort the school makes to “feel small.” Both kids said they didn’t feel new after just a few days.

That said, SAS is still huge, which makes the amount of personal attention Case and Sophia have received from their teachers and division principals nothing short of incredible.

Poor kids, they won’t be able to get away with anything!

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SAS Sweethearts

Closure for 1978 grads

By Bess Corbell (78)

Peter Cunningham and I met at a hotel swimming pool in Singapore in 1976, about two weeks before school started.

We were 16 years old. Peter said he took one look and knew he wanted to date me. I thought he was so cute, especially his piercing blue eyes. We started hanging out together — me, him, my sister Bridgette and his twin brother Tim. We went dancing one night, and he later told me that he knew then that he was falling for me. Later that night, my sister and I took the guys to Bugis Street since they had never been there. When we got out of the taxi, he grabbed me and kissed me for the first time. I was pleasantly surprised and hooked on him after that kiss. We were inseparable for 14 months. We talked about getting married, having kids and growing old together. We knew we had something special between us, not the typical teenage crush.

Then we had a HUGE fight and broke up.

I began to date another guy, but that did not work out and I broke up with him. After graduation, I moved with my family to Kuala Lumpur. Six months after graduation, Peter and his brother flew to KL to see me and my sister.

Peter told me he still wanted to be with me. He asked to hold my hand that night, and I said no. He was devastated. I could see it in his eyes. He never asked me why I said no and left the next morning.

He lost touch with anyone who attended SAS, and I spent 31 years trying to find him so I could tell him why I said he could not hold my hand. It haunted me. Every SAS reunion, get-together or party that I attended, I asked about him. No one had heard from him.

In January, Peter’s little brother sent me a message on Facebook looking for my little sister. I stopped breathing, and I am sure my heart was racing 100 miles a minute. I immediately went to his profile page and found Peter in his friends list. I sent Peter a friend request and told him I had been looking for him for 31 years.

He wrote me immediately, and then we sent messages back and forth on Facebook and then “chatted” for a couple of minutes once or twice a week. By April 16, we were chatting all the time.

At 7:04 a.m. on Friday, April 16, Peter sent a chat saying he was moving to Texas to be near me, that he needed me as a friend in his life and never wanted lose touch again. I sent him a chat back saying that I wanted to be more than just friends, and then held my breath... His response was that he was still in love with me, always had been and always would be! Our emotions erupted, and we spent the next five days telling each other that our lives

Peter, Bess & Marcus Shriner (80) at the Houston alumni party hosted by SAS last September

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SAS Sweethearts were empty and that we’d never found the love we’d had all those years ago.

On April 22, I picked him up at the airport, and we have been inseparable ever since, just like we were 34 years ago. Peter apologized for the incident that had broken us up, and I told him why I couldn’t let him hold my hand that night in KL. I was expecting someone else’s child and was an emotional wreck. I knew if Peter had touched me, I would have fallen into his arms. I loved him so much that I didn’t want to ruin his life. He deserved

to go to college and make a life for himself before he took on the responsibility of a family.

We are so much in love, and every time I look at Peter, I see that 16-year-old boy I fell in love with, and I know I will always see that boy. I now believe what couples who have been married for 50-plus years say, that they still see their spouses as the people they first fell in love with.

My daughter, by the way, was born December 1, 1978, and she just had my third grandchild!

Guided by angels

Tracy Darvell Todd (81) and Dean Allen Jackson (81)

many other friends.” (They love them all.)

They finally re-met in March on South Padre Island, Texas, thanks to Tracy’s eldest son, Jason, who planted the seed to go there for spring break, and the synchronicity of Dean’s mother having a condominium there.

Their vows were exchanged and their lives were joined in a unity ceremony on the beautiful beach on South Padre Island. On October 10, 2009, they became Mr. and Mrs. Dean A. Jackson, 30 years after they first met.

Together they have five wonderful children!

They met in 1979 at SAS, attended classes and activities, and shared laughs and a fabulous sunset on the Sentosa beach. Dean played football and Tracy was a cheerleader. In 1981 their high school years came to an end and they went separate ways, reaching out into the world.

After many years of hardship and tribulation, they reconnected in February 2009 with the assistance of “angels Joel, Missy, Jason, Aaron, Ryan and Joseph, Facebook and many, 25

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11/24/10, 12:13 PM

SAS cafeterias: A family tradition since 1965

By Gillian Han, alumni parent, school board member and employee (1990-05) Let’s start by clearing up the spelling of the family name. Is it “Ho,” “Hoe,” or “Hoo”?

All three are correct, and you can blame the British colonial police for the different spellings. Apparently the clerk on duty responsible for registering new births had the discretion to determine how to spell the English version of the Chinese family name. Those students who were at King’s Road from 1965 to 1990 should remember Ho Tee Jam as the original Mr. Ho. The entire cafeteria staff in 1965 consisted of Ho, his daughter (Hoo Juan Ang), his son (Hoe Juan Jok), and two

Ho Tee Jam, 1965-90

other workers. Hoe remembers that he served between 220 and 280 students in the early days, “including [current teachers] Kathy Tan (67) and Jimmy Baker (66).”

In 1971, Hoe’s older brother (Ho Juan Sim) and their mother (Tin Kok Luan) were co-opted into the business because of the opening of the temporary campus at Gillman Barracks. With the completion of the Ulu Pandan campus in 1973, the two brothers relocated there, leaving their father to operate the King’s Road facility until 1990. Ho Juan Sin had moved to King’s Road in 1985 and took charge of the high school cafeteria when his father retired.

At the Woodlands campus, Ho continues to run the high school cafeteria, while

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Mr. Ho’s & Mr. Hoe’s Black Pepper Chicken

Above left: Hoe Juan Jok, King’s Road 65-71, Ulu Pandan 73-96, Woodlands middle/intermediate school 96-present; right: Ho Juan Sim, Gillman/Ulu Pandan 71-85, King’s Road 85-96, Woodlands high school 96-present

2 lbs skinned & deboned chicken cubes 0.5 cup fresh ginger 0.5 cup shallots 5 cloves garlic 3 Tbs cornstarch 1 Tbs oyster sauce 1 Tbs salt 1 Tbs sesame oil 1 Tbs chopped garlic Plum sauce mix (half cup plum sauce, 2 Tbs tomato paste, 2 Tbs vinegar, 2 Tbs sugar and half cup chicken stock or water) 2 to 3 Tbs coarse-cut black pepper 2 Tbs olive oil

Students in the middle school (opposite) and high school (above) cafeterias

Hoe operates the elementary/middle school cafeteria. The Ho-Hoe-Hoo’s have seen their business grow as the school has grown, and they have maintained a continuity that has resulted in memories shared by students for 45 years. Who does not remember Szechwan chicken or curry Wednesdays?

Can we look forward to another generation of Ho-Hoe-Hoos to continue the family tradition? Perhaps not, but there is definitely a “He” in the wings. Hoe’s son (He Xian Hao) recently graduated from culinary school in the United States and is now working in the middle school cafeteria. And this time the spelling cannot be blamed on a colonial government. “He” is the correct Hanyu Pinyin spelling of the family name.

Blend ginger, shallots, garlic with a half cup of water; squeeze the juice out and mix in the cornstarch, oyster sauce, sesame oil and salt. Pour mixture on the chicken and mix well. Marinate for one hour.

Drain and bake the marinated chicken in a hot oven (165C) for 20 minutes or until cooked.

Heat olive oil in wok and stir fry the chopped garlic until fragrant. Add the black pepper and stir fry for 5 seconds. Pour in the plum sauce mix. When the sauce boils, add the cooked chicken and continue to cook until well mixed. (Add more plum sauce, sugar or salt to taste.)

Serve with rice and steamed veggies.

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11/23/10, 7:58 PM

Interim Semester 2011 From surviving in the jungles of Thailand to skiing the Swiss slopes, the 2010-11 year’s Interim Semester promises to offer students a variety of choices. This year will see the highest number of new locations and previous trips that have made a comeback. New trips to Tanzania, Syria, Portugal and Bhutan have been added to the list along with returning trips to Hawaii, Soweto South Africa and Sri Lanka.

The three main objectives of the week-long Interim Semester program are cultural enrichment, adventure and physical challenge or service to others. Interim also reinforces self-esteem, increases self-awareness and provides opportunities for students to interact with faculty and one another in unique settings.

(Taken in part from The Eye, Oct. 2010 issue)

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In 2011, over 1,200 high school students will travel to: Bhutan Malaysia Nepal Cambodia Northern Vietnam China The Philippines Sri Lanka The Himalayas Taiwan Northern India Thailand Southern India Tibetan India Indonesia Australia New Zealand Austria and Hungary France Greece Rome & Florence Poland & Czech Republic Portugal Spain Switzerland Turkey Jordan Oman Syria South Africa Egypt Tanzania In Singapore: Digital Photography Singapore’s Food Trail Teacher Apprenticeship Watersports Visual Arts Adventure Race Ultimate Golf

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11/24/10, 12:16 PM

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11/24/10, 12:16 PM

Singapore & SAS

Chris and fellow National Service colleagues.

Chris (08) with sisters Nicole (12) and Lisa (15).

IASAS volleyball champ excels in National Service Growing up in Singapore and attending SAS from first to twelfth grades, Chris Hussey (08) says he learned that achievement was all about “being the best that I can be.” At SAS, he was especially influenced by volleyball coaches Simon Bright and Kim Criens, who urged the athletes to be perfect.

Says Chris, “We did everything to make us the best that we could be, and it worked because we were perfect at IASAS!” After graduation, Chris had to put off college for two years because of Singapore National Service, which is mandatory for citizens and permanent residents.

He talked with SAS teacher Mike Norman who sent three sons through National Service. “He told me that there was no point spending two years behind a desk, when I could become an officer and learn to lead others. I thought about what would benefit me in the long run and decided that becoming a leader was better than being a desk clerk. As a leader I could influence people, inspire commitment, accomplish missions and improve organizations.”

Chris entered the Singapore Army with this positive attitude and graduated from the Engineer Officer Cadet Course in the top 10%. He was “Best Trainee” in the Engineer Officer Advanced Course and selected for a course that prepares officers to assume command. The Ministry of Defense writeup about him and two other combat engineers said, “As a passionate commander, LTA (NS) Christopher instills realistic training but never neglects the welfare of his soldiers.” One of his army colleagues said that he is, “a charismatic and professional leader who serves the nation with passion, pride and integrity.”

In Chris’ words, “I am really glad of the positive attitude toward NS because it led to so many opportunities that not a lot of people get to experience.”

Each year 15-25 SASers, who are Singapore citizens or permanent residents, enter National Service.

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11/23/10, 8:27 PM

Singapore & SAS

Homecoming 2010

Above: King Viraj Bindra, Michael Baker, Tom McBrien, Brendon Meehan, Kristin Skill, Frances Young, Stephanie Lee, Kelly Schuster, Ana Maria Del Rosario and Queen Hannah Goode.

Volleyball teams from Jakarta International School, International School of Kuala Lumpur and International School Bangkok joined SAS in celebrating Homecoming on September 17. Victors were the SAS boys and the ISB girls.

Homecoming at SAS is a bit of an oxymoron among alumni.

Most of them are far, far away, and those few who live in Singapore seldom take the time to attend largely high school events.

The reason Homecoming continues to flourish is because it creates school spirit at the beginning of each school year, an important ingredient in bonding the 1,200+ high school students. A devoted Student Council puts many hours into making Spirit Week work with designated days for villains, nerds, spirit, eating, sports and trivia activities. (The seniors won the spirit competitions.)

Homecoming is especially notable because it’s promoted by a cross-section of amazing kids. King Viraj Bindra is involved in the National Honor Society, Student Council, Math Club, Peer Support, Prism and the Eye. Queen Hannah Goode plays varsity basketball, volleyball and track and participates in Peer Support, Student Council, National Honor Society and coaching children’s basketball. The members of their court are equally involved in projects, clubs and activities.

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Singapore & SAS

Danielle Courtenay speaks to members of the Class of 2010 at their graduation, which was held at the National University of Singapore in June 2010.

Class of 2010 survives a rough decade Graduation speech by Danielle Courtenay (10)

Bieber. One might think that after bearing witness to so much destruction, we would be disillusioned millenium-era Hamlet wannabes, clad in black, contemplating our own existence ... and writing terrible, terrible Internet poetry.

But we aren’t. Even when our “tears were our solace” and our hearts were “our favorite source of pain,” as the prolific MySpace poet “social_misanthrope” put it, we managed to stick a colorful bandaid on our broken souls and

It’s been a rough decade. TIME magazine called it “The Decade from Hell” — “book-ended by 9/11 at the start and a financial wipeout at the end” — and the “most dispiriting and disillusioning decade Americans have lived through in the post-World War II era.” We grew up in a time of tragedy: war, corruption, terrorism, recession, natural disaster and ... Justin 34

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Singapore & SAS move on. We didn’t become disillusioned; we didn’t become indifferent; and we didn’t become ... well ... emo. Because let’s be honest: we wouldn’t be the same Class of 2010 if we let the decade’s disasters become our reason, our excuse to lose our passion for becoming our best selves.

In the last four years, these seniors have been passionate athletes, musicians, writers, actors, dancers, mathematicians and Robot Unicorn Attack players. Our sports teams have been exceptional. Our publications, unparalleled. Our performances, our artwork, our academics, our lemon chicken — incredible. We did not become the “Lost Generation” 2.0.

Instead, we realized that our “Decade from Hell” meant the best is yet to come, so we might as well enjoy ourselves.

bittersweet. On one hand, we’re excited by the prospect of independence and new adventure (I would use some cliche about “spreading our wings” or “a new chapter in our lives,” but a year with Dr. Clark has taught me better.) On the other hand, we wish we could go back and repeat just one more moment of our four years just one more time — one more pep rally, one more Morning Show, one more rugby game, one more Cultural Convention, one more 6-inch pizza sub, and even one more Margaret Mead quote from Mr. Norcott. More importantly, we want to do it together, as the Class of 2010, as the class of the Decade from Hell.

But, just for a second, stop thinking about what you’ve done, what you wish you could do again, what you want to do

We wouldn’t be the same if we let the decade’s disasters become our reason, our excuse to lose our passion for becoming our best selves after this day — stop. Feel what it’s like to be here right now.

This is very likely the last moment we will all be together in a room as SAS seniors. In a few minutes, when we symbolically switch our tassels from right to left and toss our caps in the air, we will be SAS alumni. Think of the lifelong friends that you’ve made who will still be posting on your Facebook wall 20 years from now. Think of the teachers who inspired you, supported you, and tolerated you, even when you made fun of their funny Texas accent (Mr. Clemens.) Maybe most importantly, think of your parents, who, for the last 18 years, sat through recitals, games, parent-teacher conferences, temper-tantrums, award ceremonies, teenage angst, and now, this long, long commencement — all in support of you. It’s been a rough decade, but these people have made it bearable, possible, and well, enjoyable. After today, we gain our long-awaited independence. We are set to transform the Decade from Hell; set to become the most notable of all the notable alumni on the SAS Wikipedia page.

After today, our adult lives begin, and high school in a tropical island paradise becomes a bright memory in a bleak decade. Whether we’ll change the world in 20 years, we can’t say, but most of us agree on one thing: it has been our privilege to be a part of this school, to be a part of one another’s lives, and to be a part of the SAS Class of 2010.

And we did. Who will ever forget the times they won for their team, the times their teachers gave them well-deserved praise, the “best Interims ever,” the times they didn’t have to sneak into the Honor Roll Brunch, and seeing Alvi, Ishan, Jamie, John and Ashan throw their pants into an unsuspecting crowd and dance in a way that made the administration extremely uncomfortable?

We’re lucky to be leaving precisely at the end of these ten years. It means we get to enter the real world in a fresh decade. (That, or expectations are so low that we barely even have to try anymore!) Let’s go with the first reason. The past year was an incredible time of transition for the world.

We were witnesses to the momentous American political shift from George W. Bush to Barack Obama — but major change was present even in our tropical microcosm. We went from the middle to the top, from club members to club leaders, from considering colleges to prostrating ourselves before them, from eagerly anticipating our next Interim trip to desperately clinging to the last, and from never wanting to leave to wanting to graduate, and all the way back again today. We’ve been waiting for this moment since we first felt the pain of senioritis and the subsequent relief of secondsemester senior-dom.

Yet now that we’ve made it, the occasion is strangely 35

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Singapore & SAS

Basketball without Borders

Photo courtesy Singapore American Trevor Ariza, Houston Rockets, Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks, Francisco Garcia, Sacramento Kings, Taj Gibson, Chicago Bulls and Corey Brewer, Minnesota Timberwolves

SAS summer campers with Basketball without Borders athletes and coaches from the National Basketball Association. BWB is a global development program that made its inaugural visit to Southeast Asia and Singapore June 28-July 1, 2010.

By Tan Kabra (12)

that they would be able to play ball with the athletes.

At first the teachers said the kids wouldn’t be allowed in the gyms, but once they saw the crestfallen faces of the campers, the teachers relented, and the students were allowed to watch a practice session. Afterward, they met some of the players, got autographs and took a group photograph.

Many basketball enthusiasts were thrilled with the opportunity to watch and interact with the athletes, including freshman Marco Triglia who said it was “so cool to get a chance to see one of my favorite players.”

At SAS last June, summer camp classes continued as usual. Sports continued as usual. The only thing that was different was that there seemed to be a lot of extra people on campus. Turned out, the National Basketball Association Basketball Without Borders program was using SAS facilities for its tryouts, practices and games!

When the kids were told about the NBA players being on campus, they were really excited. Many came prepared with autograph books and cameras. Some even hoped 36

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11/23/10, 8:28 PM

Singapore & SAS

Inaugural Youth Olympic Games

From August 14-26, some 5,000 athletes and officials participated in the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore. For many SASers, the competition was a positive and rewarding experience. One SAS mother said, “My daughter had tears in her eyes as the torch was extinguished. On the way home she told me she was inspired to push herself harder and do better in sports. I felt that the torch was gone but the spirit lived on.”

Eighth grader Mackensie Hirsch (15), who was selected as one of the athletes to swim in the film advertising the YOG, and her sister Ann (20) supported the American contingent at the games.

SAS freshman Julia Abueva (14) sang the Youth Olympics’ theme song, “Everyone,” at the opening of the games and at multiple sports events, including basketball, swimming, diving, volleyball and handball.

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Singapore & SAS

Tech tools are truly important

By Jamie Lim (10) At SAS, all high school students are required to bring laptops to class for integrated learning, and younger students are all 21stcentury IT literate as well.

Describing the prevalent use of technology at SAS is like explaining the importance of water to fish. We pretty much live off it. From math and science to French and English, history and health to PE and music classes, technology in the high school is everywhere every day. Teachers take the initiative by integrating technology into the classroom, not only to keep things interesting but as I recently realized, to prepare us for life in the technological revolution.

Here are a few examples of my experience with technology at SAS. In physics, we used a program called LoggerPro to analyze the projectile motion of a ball and to understand in real numbers the acceleration values due to gravity. In calculus, our teacher used a computer program to simulate “Mr. Slopefinder” to explain in graphical terms what taking the first or second or third derivative of a function means. In group fitness class, we occasionally strapped on heart monitors wirelessly connected to watches that read our heart rate and kept track of the number of calories burned. In French, we would record a short passage online for homework, then send it to the teacher, who critiqued our pronunciation. During free periods, I often checked out laptops from the library to download and review subject material that I had a quiz on later that day.

And those were just my classes.

One day, I went home to find an email from a friend asking me to follow a link onto YouTube. It directed me to a video titled “Indonesian Poverty: A Glimpse of Reality,” which was an assignment for Mr. Adkison’s Modem Asian Perspectives class. The class posted videos on YouTube to educate the viewers and to receive feedback. Considering the 1.5 billion Internet users worldwide and that YouTube is the third most popular site in the world, I thought it was a great way to learn through research and teach others in the process.

Earlier that same day, a friend had told me about his web page authoring class and about how cool it was that SAS had design tools, including Fireworks, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, HTML, CSS, JavaScript and Flash, to teach students how to design websites. “Yeah, I know, it’s really cool,” I replied, having no idea what he was talking about. And then there were SAS kids studying and using robotics, hypermedia, computer programming and mechatronics engineering that I didn’t even pretend to understand.

After just a few weeks as a freshman at Boston University, I realized how useful all those technological tools were in preparing me for college. Blackboard? Been there.

Webassign? Done that. Other sites we use, such as BioPortal or ALEKS, are easy to use because the concepts are similar to the sites I used at SAS. I was already used to carrying around my laptop, but I also know when to put my screen down and get out paper and pen. That was something important I learned at SAS — not only how to use technology but also knowing when it wasn’t appropriate to use it.

In the end, SASers should be grateful. While other high school students might barely have access to a computer, the wireless Internet on the SAS campus is old news. Technology is going to become more widespread, and we should practice our use of it when we can because we’re going to be using it for the rest of our lives. And yes, that means controlling our Facebook addictions too because getting caught on your profile during class probably isn’t as bad as getting caught on it at work.

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SAS hosts fall alumni gatherings

Front: Fifi Chaudury (parent), Richard Klusmeier (03), Dana Gray, Micah Wojnowski (97), Sheryl Sutton (77), Cata England (75), Melissa Manteuffel (97), Kelly Sonnack (98), Cristina Narendra (95); back: Miriam Ahmed (93), Lenny Perry (85), James Waite (93), Frans van der Lee (94), Ryan Mantueffel (99), Kelly Clifton (97), Nancy Meisenhelder (75), Lauri Coulter (alumni relations)

SAS held its second set of 2010 alumni gatherings in the United States in September with get-togethers in San Diego, Los Angeles, Austin, Houston and Chicago. The host, SAS Associate Director of Alumni Relations Lauri Coulter was delighted that the response was so positive and that alumni from many class years turned out to connect and share their SAS and Singapore experiences.

P.F. Chang’s, San Diego The first gathering took place at P.F. Chang’s in San Diego on September 20. Twenty-five people gathered for appetizers and drinks. The group included alums from the 70s through the 90s. All but a handful of folks had met before coming to the event, but it didn’t take much time before everyone was trading favorite stories about SAS. As with last spring’s alumni gatherings, at each event we raffled off a much-sought-after SAS sweatshirt. The San Diego winner was Christina Narendra (95).

Miriam Ahmed (93)

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Front and middle: Cordelia Ross (05), Mojgahn Emamjomeh (06), Tiffany Too (06), Novita Ciputra (06), Natalie So (01), Vicki Liao (01), Nishanth Dev (03), Isaac Nef (97), Aaron Kruisheer (92), Kate Hollenback (03), Robert Oandasan (03), Joie Fried (92); back row: Glen Kukula (89), Young Michael Han (04), Fielden Lundy (65), Angelica Morse (04), Brian Hodges, Erik Phillips (04), Corey Kruisheer (94), Nicholas Dale (99), Sheena Sharma (91), Mat Orville (98)

Yard House Los Angeles The second alumni gathering took place on September 21 at the Yard House in Los Angeles. We had another good turnout with 25 people in attendance. At this location as with the others, SAS presented a slide show of yearbook photos of attendees along with pictures of then-and-now Singapore, which everyone enjoyed. Fielden Lundy (65) was the lucky raffle winner who took home the SAS sweatshirt.

Nishanth Dev (03), Angelica Morse (04), Brian Hodges (03), Robert Oandasan (03)

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Abel’s on the Lake Austin The first of two events in Texas took place on September 23 at Abel’s on the Lake in Austin. The Texas alumni crowd has a long-standing tradition of alumni get-togethers, so there was a really strong turnout of over 45 people. Although there were alums from almost every decade, the classes from the 70s and 80s were the most well-represented.

As with the other events, everyone had fabulous SAS and Singapore stories to share. Raffle winner was Stephen Kennon (79).

Left: Theresa Page (75), Scott Stevenson (73), Jane Neale Etzel (75), Jack Geiser (74), and Cynthia Jacobs Mayo (74)

Above: Scott Stevenson (73), Jane Nickson (81), Steve Kennon (79), Buddy Byington (81), Jack Geiser (74), Sunny Stevens (80), Oteka Stevens McClain (77), Brian Chinn, Theresa Page (74), Stuart Bell (84), Patty Craig Symonds (82), Cynthia Jacobs Mayo (74), Liv Isham (01), Greg Isham, Karen Kreiling Middleton (faculty), Gigi and Colin Russell (81), Kathi Kreiling Whitley (81), Jonathan Packer (98), Christin Fox (parent), Lisa Sawyer Cochran (83), Jane Neale Etzel (75), Patricia Robertson (parent), Angie Jones Whitworth (95), Sheryl and Tim Dauncey (77), Laurie Winfield (80), Jana and Ron Berglund (81), Lauri Coulter (alumni relations)

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Karen Jobe (93), Sarah and Keith Smith (93), Jennifer Davis (92), Marcus Shriner (80), Jennifer Davis (92)

Yard House Houston The second Texas event on September 25 at the Yard House in Houston also had a great turnout with 35 people.

The weather added an additional level of excitement to the event, with a full-on Singapore-style thunder, lightning and rain storm for old-times’ sake. As did the Austin group, this crowd had the largest number of alums from the 70s and 80s, although there were alums from every other decade present as well. The winner of the sweatshirt in Houston was Laura Nicklas (82).

Sue Ann Wilson (80), Karen Sewell (77), Marcus Shriner (80), Jen Maoois Olsen (84), Laura Nicklas (82) display the SAS totes, hats and a sweatshirt that were raffled off at each alumni event.

Everyone received SAS stickers and pens.

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P.F. Chang’s Chicago The final alumni gathering of the week took place on September 27 at P.F. Chang’s in Chicago. As with the previous events, many alums were meeting for the first time, but quickly began to trade stories about all things SAS, including Mr. Ho’s food, Interim Semester, CWW and IASAS competitions. The sweatshirt winner was Zahid Nakhood (95).

Kristin Miller (98) & Payal Adhikari (01)

Steve Murray (70), Richard Miller (97), Kristen Miller (98), Zahid Nakhood (95), Tonia Skees (95), Kyle Jahner (03), Mehrab Deboo (00), Payal Adhikari (01), Liz Conover (06), Peter Traush, Corey Jahner (04), Jason Chin (04), Patrick Wong (05)

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11/23/10, 8:29 PM

Summer Reunions

NJoying the bond in Houston Top two rows: Rob Hunt (81), Lisa Cochran (82), Marcia Warren, Don Bray, Marcus Shriner (80), Chris Corrigan (78), Bob Reiders (78), Carlos Schippel (82), Tracy MacKay (82), Bryan Schaffer (79), Suzonne Drinkwater (75), Janet Drinkwater (80), Cliff Tan (78), Steve Bishop (78), Craig Wood (80), Han Kurrsow, Jana Shaw (82), Steve Provost (80), Dave Butterworth (82), Wayne Brownfield, Laurie Winfield (80), Ginger Beasley (82), Heidi Strickland (79), Carol Kovanick (79), Laura Nicklas (82), Rod Theriot (77); bottom two rows: Missy Miller (81), Bobby Jordan (77), Michael Shippel, Jay Flood (79), Peter Cunningham (78), Bess Corbell (78), Michael Warren (79), Katy Hayes (79), Ronda Bailey (78), Oteka Stevens (77), Sunny Stevens (80), Cecilia Wang (78), Jen Morris

By Lauri Winfield (80)

modeled our NJoy T-shirts for the cameras.

For dinner, we filled our plates with nasi goreng and other beloved dishes from a delicious Indonesian buffet.

After viewing some revealing photos of SAS-past, we were entertained by the band Southbound, reunited to entertain us, followed by a poolside serenade into the wee hours by the Walston Brothers band. Both groups, made up of talented alumni, plan to make a comeback at next year’s reunion.

On Sunday, we said our goodbyes but fortunately not for long. Thanks to Katy’s planning, the Houston reunion will be an annual June event. The Class of 79 will hold larger gatherings for five-year anniversaries, notably its 35th in 2014. No matter the year, all classes, faculty, parents and family are encouraged to attend to keep our bond strong!

Where might you find three baby kangaroos, two talented bands and one big happy family that shares an amazing bond? If you guessed the SAS NJoy Reunion in Houston last June 17-18, you’ve done the right math.

About 60 of us gathered at the Doubletree Hotel to reconnect with lifelong friends and meet new ones. A small group of revelers got the party started early on Thursday, but official festivities kicked off on Friday evening with a white elephant gift exchange organized by our tireless Katy Hayes Jordan (79). SAS’s own animal expert, Steve Provost (80), added to the unique atmosphere by bringing three baby kangaroos for us to admire and hold.

On Saturday, we relaxed by the pool, played volleyball and caught up with one another. Before dinner, we 44

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Summer Reunions 2011 at the Doubletree, Houston Intercontinental Airport Hotel. Our get-togethers are open to all SAS alumni, faculty, parents and family. At this NJoy, the 1977/78 SAS rock band Southbound will be doing a “reunion tour.” We will have a ballroom complete with stage and dance floor, bartenders and kegs! Claude Hitt, Rod Theriot, Hans Kusorrow, Steve Bishop, Bruce Walston, Pat O’Brien and a few others have signed up to jam.

They’re talking music and working long distance to put everything together musically and encourage ANYONE who has instrumental or vocal talent to get in touch with Claude or Rod through Facebook.

Think of it as our own little Woodstock: or SAS NJoy-stock!

Future NJoy weekends

By Katy Jordan, Pukikj@msn.com.

Since I have put together so many Class of 79 reunions, I was asked to hold annual informal gatherings as well. Our first was a laid back 4-5 days in and around the hotel and pool with no pre-paid or planned activities. It was such a success that we plan do them every June.

Exceptions will be when the Class of 79 celebrates 5year anniversaries, such as its 35th in 2014.

The second NJoy will be the third weekend in June

Class of 1990: front: Haruna Mitsukawa, Paul Trask, Miho Akeboshi; middle: Jennifer Francis, Colleen Walsh, Gretchen Varga, Gina Pettit, Jennifer Foster, Nathalie Vo-Ta, Heidi Peterson, Sam Schoolcraft; back: Jeff Snyder, Doni Bartley, JeanPierre Jeansonne, Jennie Moore, Loren Eubank, Rich Martin, Mike Miller, Leo Campbell. Not shown: Penny Huber, Rowena Retnam, Hal Marz, David Stout

Twenty years with friends port the SAS revelers from place to place.

On Saturday SASers gathered at swimming pools, caught shows or spent the day shopping.

That evening was the main event at the VooDoo Lounge on the 51st floor. A DJ, appetizers and refreshments greeted the attendees. Great 80s tunes and the latest music played while guests danced and chatted.

SAS stickers and Kings Road DVDs are available from ulupanda@gmail.com.

By Nathalie Vo-Ta Antus (90) This past summer, around 25 members of the Class of 1990 and 100 other alumni got together in Las Vegas for another fun SAS reunion.

Friday, July 24 night kicked off at the i-Bar at the Rio Hotel, then proceeded to a private area in the Hard Rock Café on The Strip. Getting to the restaurant was half the fun, as Mike Miller (90) organized several stretch limos to trans45

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Summer Reunions

Class of 2000 at the Amber restaurant in Murray Hill. What a great turnout!

Class of new millennium marks ten years and char kway teow also commented, “I ate way too many Whoppers and fries, but Subway came in during our senior year and saved my life.”

Many more classmates joined the group after dinner for a drink on the Lower East Side. Many of us hadn’t spoken for ten years and some hadn’t even met before, having moved to and from Singapore at different times. But given the opportunity to reminisce about our unique experiences growing up as expats in Singapore, we quickly rekindled old friendships and made new ones.

The reunion momentum peaked on Saturday night, with a pan-Asian buffet at Amber restaurant in Murray Hill followed by drinks at Forbidden City in the East Village. There were a few awkward moments where it was hard to recognize people, but others hadn’t changed one bit. Several

By Seok Hyung “Chester” Lee (00) and Vicki Chen (00) Has it really been ten years? The SAS Class of 2000 — the class of the “new” millennium that lived through the last year of the Clinton administration, the Y2K bug and Britney Spears’ second album, Oops!... I Did It Again — met in New York City June 4-6 for its ten-year reunion. About 50 alumni relived their SAS days and senior year when they “partied like it was 1999.”

On Friday night, we gathered at Nyonya restaurant in Chinatown for a taste of Singapore — or as close a taste as we could get in Manhattan. Although Nyonya’s Malaysian dishes are exquisite, they are no match for Mr. Ho’s signature specialties. One classmate who missed Mr. Ho’s chicken rice 46

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Summer Reunions

Vanessa Chu, Kristina Pei Dorman, Anita Surendran and Vicki Chen have remained close friends.

Nick Mohin, Becca Schmidt, Bailey Hampton, Kelsey Hamory and Albert Gumilang

brought their significant others. Some already have kids!

Graduation speaker Seok Hyung Lee addressed the class once again, noting how amazing it is that they keep in touch with one another after scattering all over the world (thanks to Facebook). For our 20-year reunion, he added, we will hope to have more disposable income and be able to hold the event in Singapore, especially since the casino is open!

Many of us met for Sunday brunch before parting ways.

As we talked about the next steps in our lives, we realized that perhaps life is not as easy and straightforward as we had imagined in high school. We will continue to go our separate ways and be happily surprised to hear from one another.

Unpredictability and adaptability were integral parts of our expatriate lives, so we are well prepared for whatever life has in store.

SAS was truly a unique experience that only people who have gone through it can relate to. The Class of 2000 tenyear reunion reminded us of that strong bond — the common Singapore experience on which our friendships are based.

We are already looking forward to our next reunion in Singapore. We know Mr. Baker will still be there!

Ten-year reunion, part deux!

For those of you in or near Singapore or willing to make the trip, we will hold part two of our reunion where it all began! The reunion is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, December 21, 2010. Location TBA. Join Singapore American School Class of 2000 Facebook group to receive more details. Or email vicki.chen@gmail.com.

Joe Keiser, Emily Moffatt and Seok Hyung Lee

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Notes & Quotes A special thank you to the class representatives who helped with Notes & Quotes for this issue.

1950s & 1960s Fielden Lundy (65) started SAS at the Rochalie Drive campus. At King’s Rd he drove a 1946 red MGTC. He’s always loved cars and is currently working as a graphic artist at American Honda in LA. He’s also worked for Nissan and Toyota.

In 09, he climbed Mt. Whitney.

1970s Steve Murray (70) has been married to Debra for 25 years and they have 3 children. Their youngest daughter was just married in June. They have lived in the Chicago suburbs for 23 years.

Duncan McPhee (70) and Sherry Keith (70) married a couple of years ago and are “deliciously happy.” Sherry teaches 7th grade special ed. She’s an inclusion teacher, following kids who used to be in special classes but are

now mainstreamed. It’s a grueling job.

Cynthia Jacobs Mayo (74) has lived in Austin since graduating from UT in 79. She’s been married for 25 years to a Texan and still sees some SAS folks from time to time. She saw Sally Ackerman Casey (76) and her husband Mike Casey (75) at their daughter’s wedding. Cynthia has a daughter graduating this spring from Hendrix College.

Jane Neal Etzel (75) has two daughters graduating next year. They plan a river cruise in Europe to celebrate.

Theresa Page’s (75) eldest son Paul is getting married next month. Her other son Max is a Marine. She loves SAS. Cata England (75), her husband and two kids have lived in San Diego for 14 years and love it. She tells her family stories about her amazing years in Singapore all the time.

Nancy Meisenhelder (75) just became an empty nester. Her 20-year-old son is studying for a year in Munich. She is thrilled he has the travel bug! Her 18-

A mini-reunion of late 60s alumni in Singapore included (front) Tan Boen Ho (67), Kathy We Fan, Elaine Tan, Vincent Wong, Florence Lie Yong Wee (68), Meiven Tsany (70), Vivian Tsang (68); (back) Wang Kwang Yu, P.Y. Hwang, Polly Chang Hwang (65), Kathy Saludo Tan (67), Kwee Lee Chien (68), Ong Be Be (68), Wong Sioe Hong (67), Sean Wong, Joan Tan, Sien Ling Tan, Chun Ying Tan, Tan Boon Hian (68).

year-old daughter is at Whittier College, near LA. They plan to visit Germany together in summer 2011.

P.J. Donner (76) and wife Gail Dudley Donner (76) are living in Houston after being in Seattle for a number of years.

He has been in the electric utility business for 29 years. Gail works for the local school district. They enjoy yard work and traveling as time and money allow, as well as cooking chili crab for SAS friends. Their most recent trip was to Vietnam with Mike Farley (76) and wife Dana.

David Meeks (76) visited Singapore and SAS last April to share memories of his childhood with his family — wife Suzie and teenagers Eric and Lauren.

David had planned a special Asian vacation with his family with stops in Hong Kong, Singapore and a diving trip to Papua New Guinea. He made sure his family had Mr. Hoe’s fried rice and met his former teacher Jim Baker, who was on the track with IASAS athletes.

Michael Farley (76) repatriated to Houston from Melbourne, Australia. He is working as a geophysical advisor for ExxonMobil.

Karen Sewell Brown (77) is taking care of an SAS alum’s mother, with whom she was re-acquainted during the 2010 Houston reunion. She was previously employed at ABB as a piping designer.

She has two boys 25 and 23.

Jan Dunaway (77) lives in Victoria, TX, and is an animal curator for the Texas Zoo. She pets tigers for a living!

Sheryl Sutton (77) met with Julia Nickson (76), Nancy Meisenhelder (75) and Suzanne Long O’Rourke (75) for a day of fun, remembering old times at SAS. Julia gave her a batik sarong, and Sheryl gave her a picture of her from her modeling days. Sheryl lives in San Diego, is a business owner and serves on the San Diego Symphony Board of Directors.

She and Brenda Bailey Burnett (76) met at SAS and are celebrating 40 years of friendship this year.

Oteka McClain (77) says when she turned 50 she did her first triathlon and

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Notes & Quotes

Coach Kasi’s (63-83) granddaughter Keana, daughter of Jojo (85), holds winning trophy for Girls-Under-14 basketball championship at the North European Conference of International Schools. Kasi is upper left.

since then she has done three more and multiple bike events.

Tim Dauncey (77) is still a musician and managing a liquor store in Austin. He’s been married to Sheryl for 11 years has a son, Israel.

Bruce Morris (78) is working at the Dallas VA Hospital as a medical photographer. He just recently filmed open heart surgery.

Michael Grayson (78) was a political science major in college but ended up in the trading business, and now works for Conoco Phillips managing inland barges. He has two sons and four grandchildren. He keeps in touch with fellow alum Sue Lamson (77) and has been trying to track down Karen Sills (78).

Steve Kennon (79) just drove his son Matt to college from Austin to NYC. His son is studying jazz performance (tenor saxophone) at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. Steve finds it hard to believe that he has a collegeage son.

1980s Evelyn Christian (80) has three kids ages 25, 24, 18. Her daughter just

graduated from Pepperdine law school in Malibu. Evelyn works for a foundation repair company. She says she saw the world growing up, and now she gets to travel the USA for her company.

Sue Wilson’s (80) mom and dad celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a family cruise to Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. They had a lot of fun!

Laurie Winfield (80) is working in marketing communications in Austin, and she travels a lot, which she enjoys.

Sunny Stevens (80) loves to cook, and says food is her passion! She misses Singapore and hopes to go back next year. She had just returned from a trip to wine country and was inspired to travel more often.

The Class of 1981 will host its 30th reunion in Mexico in the Maya Riviera (near Cancun) from June 23-26, 2011.

The gathering is open to anyone who attended SAS. The reunion will be held at an all-inclusive, luxury facility. Check the SAS alumni site for details, e-mail sasreunion2011@hotmail.com or see Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/ SAS-Reunion-2011/187573923831.

1978 snapshot of high school office denizens Siti, Azizah, Boni and Dorothy with Principal Charles Johnson.

Colin Russell (81) graduated from UT Austin,worked on the space shuttle for a few years, then worked in semi-conductor/robotics for a while, and lastly in cryogenics. Now, he’s “just kickin’ back in Austin.”

Jane Nickson (81) says she loves living in Austin!

Kathi Kreiling Whitley (81) just sent her baby off to college at U Georgia.

Oliver “Buddy” Byington (81) was remarried to Lisa in 08. He has two boys, Braeden is 9 and Camden is 8. He has a JD from St. Mary’s School of Law and serves as director of marketing and sales for a technology company. Buddy lives in San Antonio, TX, where he enjoys wakeboarding, sailing, cycling, playing his drums and his incredible family.

Ron Berglund (81) recently moved to Austin from South Lake Tahoe and loves his new hometown!

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Notes & Quotes Patty Craig Symonds (82) is married with two kids. She moved from northern CA to Georgetown, TX about four years ago. Loving it!

At the Houston NJoy reunion, Laura Nicklas (82) held a baby kangaroo, which relieved itself on her. She now lives on the gulf coast.

Gabriel Guevara (82) went back to Singapore this summer and was surprised to see Universal Studios on Sentosa.

“The kids had a blast at the Marina Sands Hotel. The view from the pool was awesome. Singapore continues to impress us.”

Lisa Cochran Sawyer (83) started a new job with Micro Focus in October, and was hoping to be PMP certified by Thanksgiving.

Stuart Bell (84) has been married for 16 years and has a son 12 and daughter 9. This year he traveled to Cuernavaca, Mexico and the Exuma Islands in the Bahamas. He’s a huge UT Longhorns fan and went to the Na-

tional Championship this year. Stuar t saw fellow alums Dean (84), Katy (79) and Kristin (81) Hayes at their mother’s 75th birthday on Tiki Island, TX last October.

Jen Morris-Olson (84) recently moved from Seattle to the Houston area. She went to the Houston reunion in June and had an absolute blast! She loves it in Texas and thinks it’s great to be able to see so many familiar faces from the past.

Josh Rexing (85) is a specialty and emergency veterinary surgeon in Fort Wayne, IN. Leonard Perry (85) and his wife have been busy having kids for the last few years. Jack Nicholas Perry was born on May 5, 2007 and Bennett James was born August 21, 2008.

Glen Kukula (89) lives in Orange County, CA, is married and has two kids. He has taken a new job at an automotive industry company based in Compton.

Military alums at Class of 90 reunion in Las Vegas: Jean-Pierre Jeansonne (90), Dan Howell (88), Doni Bartley (90), Sam Schoolcraft (90), Paul Trask (90), Stephen Hull (89), Eric Anglikowski (91), Kasey Paulon (86).

1990s Sheena Sharma (91) was married in May and moved to LA after living in TX for ten years. She’s looking to make new friends, so contact her if you’re in the area.

Aaron Kruisheer (92) has one wife, two kids, one cat and a mortgage and says he’s living the American dream. PS: He’s also a Dodgers fan.

Joie Roces Fried (92) just became the 1992 class rep! She’s starting to plan the 20th year reunion in 2012.

After graduating from SAS, Kelly Goodrich (92) moved to SC, got a degree in education and became a middle school teacher. Simon Benford (91) went to Penn State U. and took a job in Florida working for the Hospital Corporation of America. They rekindled their high school crush and were married in 2001. Simon subsequently got an MA in business administration. They live in sunny Florida with their three boys, Ethan, Liam and Rowan.

Brayden, held by sister Alyssa, 6, recently joined the family of Jean-Pierre Jeansonne (90). His other two children are Christoper 19 and Brianna 16.

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Notes & Quotes

Julie Payne Kemmer (91) enjoyed the 1990 20-year reunion in Las Vegas where she lives, especially because many of Coach Adams’ soccer girls hung out at her house.

“Just like old times!” Shown here are Jennifer Foster (90), Jill foster (91), Kristi Hagen (91), Karina Martin (92), Julie Payne (91), Anne Cangi (92), Brandi Becknell (92).

Yvonne Thoene Williamson (92) lives in Tempe, AZ with husband Antone and sons Connor 7 and Cole 2 since her ASU days. She is a senior territory business manager and trainer for Johnson & Johnson. She and Olga Supardan Hundley (92) remain close; Olga’s parents retired in AZ and are only five minutes from Yvonne, so they get to see each other often.

Lilah Santos (92) and her family were overjoyed to welcome Nina Marie Boone Santos on April 18! Big brother Noah (11) was especially thrilled!

Major Jennifer Reynolds (93) sends greetings from dusty Afghanistan. “I would be honored if there was space in Journeys for this picture of my Singapore colleague Youfeng Xu and me. He’s become a good buddy and I will definitely keep up with him after my tour here is over. I can hear some of my teachers now as they see this!”

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Notes & Quotes Jennifer Kahn Liguori (92) lives in NYC with her college sweetheart and son Mateo. A little girl is on the way. She works at YellowBrickRoad, an agency for social change through marketing, strategy and programming and is still best friends with Connie Lo (93).

Karina Martin (92) is a high school English teacher at a private school in Buenos Aires, “thanks to teachers like Mrs. Greer and Mrs. Donahue.” She has two daughters; Chiara is 5 and Mia is 2. She had a blast catching up with old friends at the Vegas reunion. “I will definitely be making our 2012 reunion, no matter where it is!”

Matthew Nealon (92) was married in 2005 to Nicole, who is now mother to their first child Olivia (born 9/7/10). He is an endodontist in Berkeley, CA, and says life has been great! Twin brother Greg (92) is a chaplain in Tacoma, WA, is married and has a son and daughter.

Jennifer Davis (92) lives in the Houston area with husband and 3 kids ages 16, 11 and 4.

Tobi Davis (92) is a nurse in home health

and is married with three kids.

Stephanie Jones Hill (93) is happily married. She has three boys and lives in Houston.

Sarah Hall (93) and husband Jason had their first child Connor 18 months ago.

James Waite (93) moved to San Diego in 03. He and wife Allison have two wonderful boys ages 2 and 4. He’s recently run into Christina Narendra (95) and Frans Vanderlee (94).

Miriam Chaudhary Ahmed (93) is getting ready for her brother Omar’s (96) upcoming wedding. She loves to run on Torrey Pines Beach with her daughters, who are 7 and 4. They visit Pakistan annually and can’t wait to make a stopover in Singapore.

Sam McGee (94) formed Avondale Wealth Management LLC in March of this year: www.avondalewealth.com.

Frans Vanderlee (94) recently moved to San Diego and reconnected with James Waite (93) and Cristina Narendra (95). It’s a small world!

Christopher Corey Kruisheer (94) recently married Marjan in Monterey, and

The Sonnack family at Kelly’s marriage to EJ Szymczak last July in Del Mar, CA. From left to right: Tate (03), Eileen (faculty 90-04), Kelly (98), Terry and Melanie (00).

they now live in Long Beach, CA. Angie Whitworth (95) is a veterinarian. She is married and expecting a baby in March.

Zahid Nakhooda (95) got married in May 2010. He is currently working in sales at Goldman Sachs in Chicago.

Tonia Skees (95) travels often with her daughter’s softball team. She operates a family owned business.

Christina Neuner Narendra (95) has kept her SE Asian roots. She married an Indonesian, and they have two daughters. She studies and teaches Indonesian dance in San Diego and imports batik and homemade gowns from Sumatra, Indonesia.

Prashant Bhagat (95) does software and management consulting in Phoenix, AZ. Amanda Markham (96) visited SAS with her fiance Dom Pernai in February. She lives in Chicago but was in Singapore for the wedding of Joleen Soo Seto (96).

Kelly Clifton (97) started teacher training in October after practicing yoga for over 13 years.

Melissa Manteuffel (97) teaches math

Rattana Kittitornsup-Nantz (97) with husband Bob, Sophia Grace, who arrived Jan 09, and Zoe Elizabeth, who arrived July 2010.

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Notes & Quotes to middle and high school students in Poway school district, San Diego County.

Micah Wojnowski (97) is filming and producing a documentary on the artist collective warehouses that are taking hold and breathing new life into a forgotten neighborhood of San Diego. He is also coordinating “Girl on the Go Premier Skincare” for his girlfriend’s Esthetics Spa. Tanner Nichol (97) and his wife Katie Nichol visited SAS in March as part of a two week vacation to Hong Kong, Singapore and Bali. They have two children, Reese 4 and Beck 2.

Isaac Nef (97) just graduated from Samra University with an MA in Oriental medicine and is currently studying for the California state board exam.

Matt Orville (98) is working as a commercial real estate broker in LA & Orange County after graduating in economics from San Diego State. SASers are part of his everyday group of friends, and he says he continues to find additional SASers in southern CA. Bethany Sunquist Lomelino (99) is living in Franklin, TN with husband Joshua and Isaiah 2. The couple owns and operates a web and gaming design business, Anomaly Studios and is expecting a second child this year.

Priya Dewan (99) is U.S. label manager for Warp Records and has helped take it from relative obscurity in the U.S. to a position as one of the leading indie tastemakers.

Ryan Manteuffel (99) is living in AZ and working in commercial real estate development. He recently spent a month in SEA, attending the Bali wedding of Chris Waugh (00) & Junia Projenagoro (00) and visiting Singapore and Vietnam.

Nicholas Dale (99) will return to Singapore in December 2010 with Scott Davidson (99), Justin Flowers (99), Jennifer Flowers (97), John Matchett (99), Nima Hedayati (00) and their significant others. They’ll be seeing Jason Peck (00) who lives there. It’s the first time all of them have been together since high school.

Christopher Ellis (96) celebrated his marriage to Vivian Chang (Punahou School 97) on July 3 in Honolulu, Vivian’s home town. Best woman was sister Cameron and best man was brother Alden. Groomsman Matthew Keenen (96) was also in attendance. The ceremony and reception were held at the Halekulani Hotel. Chris and Vivian live in NYC where he works for AP and she is a teacher. In the photo are Alden Ellis (03), Lauren Redstone, Matthew Keenen (96), Jennifer Foster (90), Vivian Chang, Christopher Ellis, Cameron Ellis (01) and Robert Mehlich.

At Jennifer Lee’s (98) marriage to Jason Iafolla in Singapore in May were Timothy Chew (00), Charles Pulaski (98), Kenneth Koh (01), Jeffrey Yuwono (98), Won Hee Winne Lee (98), Shari Vo-Ta (98), Jennifer Lee (98) and Brittania Boey (98). The couple resides in Singapore, where Jason works for Oracle Corporation and Jennifer works in the family jewelry business.

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Notes & Quotes 2000s Vicki Chen (00) earned her MBA from the SC Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University in May 2010. After leaving Singapore 10 years ago, she has recently returned to start a new chapter and works for 3M Asia Pacific in new product marketing.

Slin Lee (00) was in Singapore for Kenneth Koh’s (01) wedding last summer. He’s currently a software engineer in San Francisco.

Will Stanton (00) is back in the States from two years in Bangalore, India and is inventory manager for Target’s video game division.

Joanna Lawson-Matthew (00) is happy to announce her engagement to Chris Roberts. The couple met at the University of Maryland and now live in San Francisco. The wedding will be in Baltimore, MD on October 22, 2011.

Mark Nerney (00) and Leslie D’Souza (00) visited SAS in February. Mark currently lives in Singapore and works as a brand management executive at Mandate Marketing. Leslie works at Upstream as accounts manager.

Adam Hacker (00) visited SAS in April. He is currently living and working in Japan, but would like to move back to Singapore some day.

Brian Ikei (00) is working for Walt Disney Pictures as a production engineer.

He will marry Heather Schultz in March 2011 in Santa Barbara, CA. Mehrab Deboo (00) was married October 2, 2009. For their one year anniversary the couple went to Costa Rica.

Mehrab also recently attended his 10year SAS reunion.

Payal Adhikari (01) just graduated from medical school and began a pediatric residency in Chicago.

Natalie So (01) just graduated with an MBA from UCLA, and started a job doing online marketing at OneWest Bank in Pasadena, CA. Her roommate is fellow alum Vicki Liao (01).

Vicki Liao (01) just moved from Hawaii to Los Angeles to study for an MBA at UCLA. She recently met up with fellow alums Eric Pan (02), Slin Lee (00) and

Ken Lee (01) in San Diego.

Guillermo Larocca (01) visited SAS in February. He graduated from Trent University as an English literature and Spanish major, taught ESL in South Korea for a few years and is currently teaching English in Taiwan.

Katie Russell Moses (01) is married to a Texas law student and working as an electrical engineer.

Liv Fortin Isham (01) is finishing an MA at Johns Hopkins University. She and husband Greg are and expecting a baby in the spring.

Christopher Lee (01) worked at Tiffany’s in NYC for five years and is now back in Singapore working in the family jewelry business.

Kenneth Lee (01) is working in Los Angeles for KPMG, a consulting and financial services organization.

Jeffrey Kong (01) worked as an engineer and a consultant for five years and is now attending business school at UCLA Anderson.

Brian Leung (01) graduated from Northwestern U. in 2005 and is cur-

rently working in Chicago at Accenture, a global management consulting and technological services company.

Barclay Stanton (02) is doing executive compensation with Polo Ralph Lauren and just passed the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) exams.

Richard Klusmeier (03) is maximizing his expensive education by organizing social responsibility events for high school students.

Kumiko Aratake (03) and Rob Aondasan (03) were at SAS in March to visit with Tate Sonnack (03). Kumiko just moved back to Singapore after attending college in Hawaii and then working in Tokyo as an English teacher. She works for Verizon in IT solutions. Rob is working in LA as an analyst for an economic consulting company.

After getting an MA in economics, Rob Oandasan (03) found a job in an economics consulting firm, where he does economic analysis for antitrust litigation.

Kyle Jahner (03) just moved from Raleigh, NC to Chicago to begin an MA in journalism at Northwestern U.

Kelly Vautrain (02) married Isiah Smith on May 15 in Charleston, SC. Fellow SAS alumni Lizzy Benbow (02), Jessica Chester Brown (02), Andrew McPherson (02) and Bob Benbow (04) attended.

Tim Blair (02) married Amanda last summer. He is a US Army Captain with the 27th Infantry, which is currently based in Hawaii but will be deploying to Afghanistan in spring 2011.

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Notes & Quotes

Captain John Matchett (99), second from left, is flying for the U.S. Air Force in Okinawa. He’s standing in front of his aircraft, F-15C, #82010, at Paya Lebar Air Base, Singapore, where he was this summer as part of Commando Sling, combat air training for the U.S. and Singapore Air Forces.

Jen Stefanik (01) married Mike Culgin on Cape Cod, MA last June.

Michael Meguid (08), Chris Hussey (08) and Raehanna Reed (08) visited SAS in May. Michael attends McGill University and was in Singapore visiting friends and family. Raehanna spent a gap year traveling in Indonesia, Switzerland, Germany and France and is now at Queen’s University. Chris Hussey just completed Singapore National Service and is now attending Santa Monica College.

Victoria Kent (08) married Andrew Gregor last summer in Salt Lake City. Kelly Procida (08) was one of her bridesmaids. A handful of SAS alumni attended her reception, including Lauryn Reay (08), Alicia Card (09), Paul Reay (06) and Samatha Varvel.

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Notes & Quotes

Drew Calvert (02), Chris Calvert (00), Brian Hindman and Alex Antilla (02) at Table Mountain. They were in South Africa for the World Cup, and met up with current SAS teacher Tim Zitur and former teacher Kevin Gantner.

After spending the past four years studying hotel management in Madrid, Spain and San Diego, Stephen Procida (05) has returned to Singapore and is a member of the management team at the Marina Bay Sands SkyPark.

Jason Chin (04) has been making his way through medical school at Northwestern University. Two years down, two to go. He has not been able to travel much recently, but he did get to study and teach in Beijing for a year before medical school started.

Corey Jahner (04) just moved to Chicago from Raleigh, NC to start at DePaul Law School. He is currently living with brother Kyle (03).

Michael Han (04) is married with two kids under the age of 6. He is working in drywall for his dad’s construction firm.

Since graduation Eric Phillips (04) spent two years in China, two in New Zealand and now lives in LA. He’s developing a career as an air traffic controller.

Nicole DeFord (04) was on campus for a brief afternoon in April enroute to Chang Mai, Thailand for a vacation.

While in Singapore she visited with former SAS teachers and friends, and hung out will pals Anne Dodge Carroll (03), Tate Sonnack (03) and Kumiko Aratake (03).

Kathy Lin (04) is studying for a PhD in

sociology at the University of Michigan.

Patrick Wong (05) just graduated with an MA and is now working at PEAK6 investment services. It was something he never thought he would end up in, but says the job has been a good learning experience.

Jenna Christopher (06) is a scientist at a biotech company in Austin.

Carter Stanton (06) graduated from U of Miami last May and is working for a film/entertainment company in LA. Mojgahn Emamjomen (06) is attending Cal State Fullerton and working on a degree in dance and communications with an emphasis on entertainment studies. She plans to pursue a career in dance and/or entertainment.

Novita Ciputra (06) is at the University of Southern CA. She will finish in December with a major in business and a minor in French. During her summers, she’s interned in Hong Kong and New York City.

Tiffany Too (06) just graduated with a double major in communications studies and dance and has a job with a PR firm in Beverly Hills.

Cat Ward (07) is interning at the National Sexual Violence Resource Center in Enola, PA. She will graduate in 2011 from Carleton College in Northfield, MN with a bachelor’s in women’s and gender studies.

Brice Puls (08) lives in Chicago and works as a video game designer.

Ken Yeoh (08) is attending Brandeis and majoring in economics.

Kimberley Dunbar (09) started university in Australia in early 2010. She had been volunteering at the PTA twice a week since graduation.

Natalie Tan (09) visited SAS in March.

She has been living in Singapore since she graduated last summer, studying interior design at LaSalle-SIA College of the Arts.

Adrienne Wilson (09) recently completed an internship in DC at the Smithsonian Institute. She has also invented a machine that recycles paper.

Ciera Walker (09) studied abroad in Wellington last semester. “I was in the

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Notes & Quotes mountain biking club and the sailing club and went on amazing trips with both of them. I really love the New Zealand culture. I really hope one day I can get a job working over there.”

Evan Shawler (09) is in the US Airforce Academy and recently earned the parachutist badge, soloing out on the very first jump.“It was by far the scariest and coolest thing I’ve ever done. I did five jumps in total, and I’m still alive!”

Spencer Anderson (09) is transferring to Brown University in January, after completing a four month tutoring program in Arabic in Abu Dhabi.

Elliot Miranda (09) recently auditioned and was accepted into the BFA acting program at Elon University. He’s also establishing an organization at Elon that helps international students adjust to U.S. culture and raises cultural awareness among American students.

2010s Jordan Wills (10), who left SAS after tenth grade, is back in Singapore study-

ing at the Raffles Design Institute.

Tia Iwan (10) visited SAS in April. She graduated from SAS in Dec 2009 and attended a language and home stay program in Tokyo before starting college in the fall.

Wei Li (11) was recently awarded the Ralph Waldo Emerson Prize for writing one of the five best history essays published in The Concord Review last year.

Parents & Faculty Karen Studebaker (Ulu Pandan faculty 75-81) writes: “Congratulations to Becky Kam Locascio (Ulu Pandan mid-70s) upon her retirement from the Honolulu School District. After working as a banker in Saudi Arabia, Australia and various other ports of call, Becky and husband returned to Honolulu, where she resumed teaching. Have a fun retirement, Becky!

“Speaking of Ulu Pandan, recently retired Pat Lui Liew (75-06) still finds time to substitute when she isn’t traveling. Her most recent trip with hus-

Kirstie Parkinson (09) spent a month in Shanghai, China teaching underprivileged children. “Every day I took a two hour bus ride to get to them, but it was one of the most rewarding things I have done in my life.

It was a great opportunity to practice Mandarin, and I can’t wait to go back to China.”

band K.L. was to Perth where they stayed with their daughter.

“Ronette Field Gurm (Ulu Pandan mid-70s) was in Honolulu to visit son Nevin and his wife Suzanne as well as to help Karen Kreiling Middleton (Ulu Pandan 72-80) celebrate her big “_0” bir thday. (She won’t release the first number, but because I am 70, I can make an educated guess!)

Karen entertained all of us at a Sunday brunch at the Hale Koa Hotel. I also managed a couple of lunches with Ronette and Karen. My husband John and I entertained Ronette at lunch at the Pacific Club on her birthday in July. She’s promised to reveal her age when she hits her big “_0” in a few years.”

Alumni parents Rod and Cindy Jahner of Kyle (03) and Corey (04),were guests of Susan and James Murray, parents of Sarah (03), Emily (05) and Abby (08) at their Carolina Bed & Breakfast over the 4th of July weekend. Ernie Glass (67) and his wife were

Asia Rutledge (19), an avid gymnast, was thrilled by the gymnastic competition at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore last August and was especially delighted to meet triple medal winner Carlotta Ferlito from Italy.

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Notes & Quotes

Five former SAS faculty couples, Anna and Michael Citrino, Denise Cochran and Tim Dickson, Beth Coyle (Gary was home with a sick child), Mary Catherine and Richard Frazier and Janet and Dick Moore, gathered at the Fraziers’ home for a Singapore pot luck supper. Although Mr. Ho and Mr. Hoe were much missed, the food and fellowship were great. They all work at the American Embassy School, New Delhi.

also there over the 4th, and current high school teacher Tracy Meyer and her sister visited later in the month.

Bob and Maggie Stanton (parents 9704) are living in Richmond, VA. He’s retired but says he’s “thinking about getting a job so I won’t be so busy!”

Alum parent David Holsinger of David (01) was at SAS in May. He was traveling the region with friends and wanted to show them his son’s former school.

Elementary School Principal David Hoss (faculty 1990-present) was recognized by the National Association of

Elementary School Principals as a 2010 National Distinguished Prinipal.

Paula and Rick Silverman (faculty 87present) met up with fellow and former teachers Mike Imperi (81-97), Jane Dodge (83-present), Bob Dodge (8306), and Andi Fenske (81-97) in Frontenac, Minnesota, in early June for daughter Teresa Fenske’s wedding.

She and her younger sister Emily attended SAS for many years but graduated from a school in Southern India after the family moved there in 1997.

Send your news and photos for the June 2011 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, please register with other alumni at http://alumni.sas.edu.sg.

Kathy Saludo Tan, who started at SAS in 1956, graduated with the Class of 67, began teaching in 1973 at Alexandra, then Ulu Pandan and is presently at Woodlands, had breakfast in the spring with former faculty Karen Kreiling Middleton (72-80), Diane Peterson (75-93) and Farida Mallal (70s) during Karen’s visit to Singapore.

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. To purchase a copy, e-mail alumni@sas.edu.sg.

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SAS Alumni Services SAS alumni online community The SAS alumni online website, alumni.sas.edu.sg, has over 6,600 members made up of former and current students, faculty and parents in the online community. The site is password-protected and allows members to maintain their own profiles, search for and contact other registered members, post photos and blogs and stay abreast of news and events.

Visits to the campus Visitors who would like a tour of the campus and to visit with faculty and staff are most welcome. Please send tour requests to alumni@sas.edu.sg.

SAS Journeys Members of the SAS alumni community will receive SAS Journeys, the SAS alumni magazine, twice a year.

Published since 2006, it includes articles about alumni experiences and features on what is currently happening on campus. Please send contributions and/or suggestions to alumni@sas.edu.sg.

Reunions and get-togethers SAS hosts reunions in the United States and in selected cities around the world. Additionally the alumni office assists those who are interested in planning get-togethers in various locations throughout the year.

Alumni e-newsletter The alumni newsletter is e-mailed to all alumni community members every two months and contains brief news and information about the school, the alumni community and upcoming events and gatherings.

Social Networking, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube Connect with other SAS alumni on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ singaporeamericanschoolalumni or at Singapore American School Alumni on LinkedIn, the professional networking site. On YouTube, see www.youtube.com/sasalumni, and for Twitter, go to @SAS_Alumni.

Singapore American School Online Community

Argentina Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahrain Belgium Brazil Cambodia Canada Cayman Islands

3 1 148 4 1 1 5 5 1 200 2

Chile China Colombia Costa Rica Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Egypt Finland France

2 41 4 4 1 2 1 6 2 1 15

Germany Greece Grenada Guam Hong Kong Hungary India Indonesia Iraq Ireland Israel

27 6 2 36 2 15 37 2 1 24 9

Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Korea, South Lebanon Luxembourg Malaysia Myanmar

1 85 2 1 1 69 1 3 13 7 1

Netherlands New Zealand Norway Oman Pakistan Panama Philippines Qatar Saudi Arabia Scotland Serbia

Total number of registered alumni: 6,611

21 17 16 3 2 2 23 2 5 5 1

Singapore South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Thailand Turkey United Arab Emirates United Kingdom

17

United States Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands, U.S.

4176 1 5 1

Total number of contries represented: 70 59

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SAS hosts young alumni (00-10), American Club, Singapore, December 16, 2010 Class of 00 10-year reunion part deux, Singapore, December 21, 2010 Vicki Chen (00) SAS hosts alumni in Wasington, DC, February 1, 2011

MICA(P) 150/04/2010

Reunions • Reunions • Reunions

SAS

J

Volume 9 December 2010

ourneys Singapore American School Alumni Magazine

SAS hosts alumni in New York City, February 3, 2011 SAS hosts alumni in Boston, February 5, 2011 SAS hosts alumni in San Francisco, February 7, 2011 Njoy weekend in Houston, June 17-18, 2011 Katie Hayes Jordan (79)

Advancing education through time, talent and treasure

Class of 81 30-year reunion, Cancun, Mexico, June 23-26, 2011 Buddy Byington (81) & July Ellis Jolley (81) Classes of 50s, 60s, 70s, San Francisco, July 22-24, 2011 Elaine Wales Koch (70) & Kristin Lundberg Searle (64)

Information on all reunions: alumni@sas.edu.sg or facebook.com/singaporeamericanschoolalumni

Published by the SAS Office of Advancement 40 Woodlands Street 41, Singapore 738547 Tel: (65) 6363-3403 Fax: (65) 6363-3408 www.sas.edu.sg alumni@sas.edu.sg

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