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SPRING 2022
SAAS SNAPSHOT: Community Vishavjit Singh, aka the Sikh Captain America, poses with middle school students during his visit to SAAS in spring 2022.
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SAAS IN FOCUS: Spring 2022
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Credits Editor Maggie Leuzzi ’08
Design & Photography Todd Rotkis
Contributing Writers Erin Aitchison ’98 Wendy Amador, Class of 2022 Michael Cimino Rick DuPree Darby Frey Emma Glinsmann Anne-Marie Guerrero Maggie Leuzzi ’08 Madeline Pennington Editor Andrew Spitzer Maggie Leuzzi ’08 Yamashita, Class of 2023 Jada
Credits
Design & Photography Marketing & Communications Team Todd Rotkis Darby Frey Maggie Leuzzi ’08 Madeline Pennington Contributing Writers Marketing & Communications Todd Rotkis Erin Aitchison ’98 Maggie Leuzzi ’08 Andrew Spitzer Wendy Amador Madeline Pennington Michael Cimino Todd Rotkis Rick DuPree Andrew Spitzer Darby Frey Emma Glinsmann Anne-Marie Guerrero SAAS SNAPSHOT: Clubs Maggie Leuzzi ’08 Upper school students plant vegetable and flower seeds Madeline Pennington during community time in celebration of Earth Day, 2022. Andrew Spitzer Jada Yamashita
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Team
COVER PHOTOGRAPHY: (front): Upper school students in advanced dance performing at SAAS in the City in 2022. (back): Members of the Class of 2022 on their senior trip in Canyonlands National Park in April 2022.
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Table of Contents 9.
The Senior Experience
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Featuring: Katie Drais, Class of 2022 Interviewed by: Isley Whitehead, Class of 2026
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Featuring: Jacquelyn Howard, Parent of Erin, Class of 2023, and Jordan, Class of 2022 Interviewed by: Anne-Marie Guerrero, Administrative Assistant
A Legacy of 30 Years Featuring: Rob Phillips, Head of School Interviewed by: Erin Aitchison ’98, Director of Safety, Trips & Outdoor Travel
Making Time
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The Greenest Grade Featuring: Class of 2028 Written by: Emma Glinsmann, Science Teacher
Jada-chan Featuring: Jada Yamashita, Class of 2023
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Finding My Alianza Written by: Wendy Amador, Class of 2022
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48.
Heart on His Sleeve
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Featuring: Isaac Allnutt ’21 Interviewed by: Darby Frey, Event Manager
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Featuring: Community Action Club Written by: Rick Dupree, Director of Community Partnerships
The 6 Timers Club Written by: Mike Cimino, Theater Arts Faculty
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Logging (In) Community Service
Waste (Not) Featuring: Owen Gladwish, Class of 2022 Interviewed by: Andrew Spitzer, Digital Marketing & Communications Manager
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Culture of Rehearsal Featuring: Mike Cimino, Theater Arts Faculty Mark Hoover, Arts Faculty Fred Strong, Dean of Arts Faculty Interviewed by: Madeline Pennington, Director of Marketing & Communications
SAAS SNAPSHOT: Physical Education Physical Education Department Chair Mike Bernier pulls middle school students on scooter boards during P.E. class in 2021.
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SAAS SNAPSHOT: Outdoor Trips & Travel August Ramberg, Class of 2024, climbs the high rope course at a 10th-grade retreat in the fall of 2021.
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THE SENIOR EXPERIENCE Student Interview:
Katie Drais, Class of 2022 Interviewed by:
Isley Whitehead, Class of 2026 Current eighth grader Isley Whitehead interviewed Katie Drais about what her senior year is like during the pandemic. Classes are back in person, establishments are open — but what about prom, college visits and graduation? Here is the lowdown straight from the source — no filters, no hesitancy. Just the voice of a senior, interviewed by a middle schooler.
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Isley: Tell me about senior class bonding. How are you and your classmates facilitating bonding? Katie: Bonding is a great question to start with because, especially in the time of Covid, it’s been a little bit hard to connect with everyone in the way I imagined high school would be. You are not connecting with people in the classrooms; you are not able to pick up on the little, funny moments that you often can back in school. I think that the coordinators, Stacie in particular, have really helped facilitate bonding and group events and things. I know the senior class trips have been really fun. We get three this year! (Which is a
perk of being a senior.) But just being able to connect and be open with each other again. At first it was a little difficult bouncing back from Zoomlife but now I think everyone realizes we’re going to be gone next year. Isley: So then, have you applied to colleges? What was that like? Katie: Yeah, the college experience [laughs out loud]. The college application experience was a little different, again, because of Covid. I know the grade above me, the seniors last year, were telling me about how they didn’t really get to visit any schools. But stuff was starting to open back up
for me. So, I was able to visit where my mom and dad both went to school. And then I did an East Coast college trip this summer and some schools were closed (you weren’t able to go on a tour with the students) but a lot of them opened back up. I was really grateful for that opportunity. And just getting to meet with my college counselor this year. Every senior gets a college counselor at SAAS. And so, being able to have that oneon-one connection and realizing what is important to me in a college helped me narrow down my choices. Isley: This is kind of fun: senior prom?
Katie and classmates on their visit to Canyonlands National Park during the senior trip in April 2022.
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Seniors Katie (left) and Lucy Netherland cheer on the Cardinals at Fall Mania in the fall of 2021.
Seniors Katie (right) and Faith Tade at the Seattle Aquarium during Winter Ball in 2022.
“I think it is hilarious to have a senior prank and surprise the administration and the teachers at SAAS because they generally always know what is going on. And so, just to be able to pull that reverse card, even once, is pretty exciting.” Katie: OMG, I really hope we have senior prom. It is not just a SAAS thing. I love Mania because it is really just a SAAS community event. But being able to have a prom is something that anyone will be able to talk about later in their life. That experience sounds really fun to me, and I really do hope that Covid permits it. Isley: That is cool. I really hope that you get senior prom. So, I don’t fully know what this is, but, the senior prank? What is that exactly?
Katie: The senior prank is, well, from my experience it is when all the seniors get together and there is either a ginormous email chain or a ginormous group text. And the seniors think about what is important to their class, and how far we can we push it without getting in trouble with SAAS. I know in the past, one of my favorite senior pranks has been a ‘bring your pet to school’ day. And everyone brought their pet! And I don’t quite remember who but I remember someone had a goat. Everyone got pictures with the goat and posted them on Instagram. I think that was my sophomore year.
I think it is hilarious to have a senior prank and surprise the administration and the teachers at SAAS because they generally always know what is going on. And so, just to be able to pull that reverse card, even once, is pretty exciting.
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Isley: When you do graduate, do you think you will miss your teachers? I know my dad has sent some letters and emails to his past teachers. He has always been really excited to talk to them. Katie: Yeah, I think that is a great question. I think something that is so important to the SAAS community is the teachers. It is something that all the students talk about. I have gone to graduation every year and there is always this part of graduation where students are asked on video which teacher they will miss the most or which teacher has made the most impact on them. And it’s great because no one says the same teacher, like, there is such a wide variety of teachers who know different kids and can connect with kids individually. So yes, I am definitely going to miss my teachers; I have a select few that are my favorites just like I know everyone else has theirs.
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Isley: What do you love most about SAAS sports, specifically basketball? I know you played varsity. Katie: When I came to SAAS my freshman year, the basketball program was so inviting. We had so many hardworking kids, especially older girls, that I looked up to. They taught me how to stand up for myself, how to be aggressive, and how to not be ashamed when I’m talking about basketball. In the past, I have had coaches tell me I am not ever going to be good if I don’t learn to play like a boy. With this team, I learned to be proud of playing as a girl.
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The varsity girls basketball team helps Katie hang her banner in the upper school gym in honor of being awarded league MVP. The basketball community at SAAS has been a really supportive community. Other SAAS teams would see me on game day and say, “Oh, who are you playing? Let me see if I can come watch.” Just a simple exchange like that in the hall has really made a difference. Has it been the same supportive environment for you? Isley: Yeah, basketball has been really fun for me, especially because of my teammates. I feel like we had a really good team this year and it was a great environment. Our coaches were very nice and overall, I feel like it was very inclusive. How do you think seniors support middle schoolers during performances? I know a ton of seniors and high schoolers were there for Basketball Mania.
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Katie and Isley on breakaways (pictured separately). Katie: I think that it’s kind of multilayered. This year was a little different — we watched End-of-Tri in different places. Usually we all get to be in the same room which is a really fun environment, a lot more than the rooms split up by grade because it is harder to support the middle schoolers then. But, I totally believe that high schoolers want to be able to be there for middle
schoolers and have a community where a middle schooler feels comfortable asking a senior, “Hey, where’s this room?” Isley: Is this your first time being interviewed? And is it fun? Katie: This is definitely fun. It is more fun than any interviews I have ever done before.
[Offstage: Are you just thinking about the donuts you got before the interview?] Katie: I am just thinking about the donuts, yes. I was recently interviewed with my mom, I think a month ago, for a video about my preschool. That was kind of funny to go back and reflect on that, and now I am reflecting on high school. But it is definitely different. I don’t remember preschool as much as high school. I have been the interviewee more than the interviewer. So, I am amazed at how you’re killing the game right now. What about you? Have you been the interviewer a lot? Isley: This is actually going to be my first interview. But so far, it has been pretty good. It is really fun.
Katie poses with senior teammates after a game on senior night, 2022.
Katie: Team SAAS, we did it. Thank you, girl. It was so fun to meet you. Isley: It was really fun to meet you, too! ■
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Alatna River in Alaska (left to right) Rob Phillips, Dwight Gilbert ’02, Mackenzie Miller ’02, Lis Rohrbach ’02, two kids obscured by the flames, Christina Markl ’00, Adrian Hegyvary ’01, Joe Bushyhead ’01 and Jason Tate ’99 warm up by the fire, 1998. 16
A Legacy of 30 Years Head of School Rob Phillips’ 30th Year at SAAS
Rob Phillips Head of School
Interviewed by: Erin Aitchison ’98 Director of Safety, Trips & Outdoor Travel
Rob Phillips began working at Seattle Academy in August of 1991. The school was located at Temple de Hirsch Sinai and was comprised of 28 faculty and 109 total students in grades 6th through 12th. At the time, Rob was hired to teach English. He had a background in education and a desire to avoid the suit and tie attire normally required in educational institutions. Seattle Academy was an eclectic community in the heart of Capitol Hill and it was forging its own identity as a school of individuals: highly intellectual, artistic, civic-minded, and authentic. Thirty years later – much is the same. Rob still works at SAAS, still wears a hoodie and khaki pants, and is still integral to our school identity. After influencing generations of SAAS students – curious minds what to know what it is like to have lived Rob’s journey at SAAS from 1991 to the present. Erin sat down with Rob to unveil the wisdom, the stories, and the context of SAAS as it has changed, grown, and remained the same over the generations.
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Rob coaching girls soccer in 1995. (left) Lael Porter ’97, Paige Beckwith-Milojevich ’99 and teammates.
Erin: How has the SAAS community changed from your first couple of years here to where you sit now, as head of school? Rob: I remember walking into school and thinking there were a lot of really interesting characters — kids, teachers, everybody — and that translates to, if you like it and grab onto it, curiosity. You figure out pretty quickly that other people have lives and backgrounds, including the teachers, that are really different than what you would expect. Sometimes in schools, kids are pushed to care about the same things socially. Kids at SAAS weren’t like that. People cared about what they cared about. And then because the kids were curious, the community was challenging their assumptions all the time. One
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time when I was coaching track, a student wore fangs, a cape and a top hat to run in a track meet as a vampire — and the other coaches looked at me, just aghast — and I thought, this is kind of cool. This kid is running track, on his terms, and he ran in vampire fangs and top hat. And others could do with that what they wanted. It was that individuality that was cool
and interesting. You really got to see everybody’s idiosyncrasies and individuality, and I think that thread still exists in the SAAS community today. Erin: My graduating class was 28 students; the current class is 156. What are some things that you feel don’t change regardless of whether the class is 28 or
Rob and the Cardinal boys basketball team in 1991.
156? What are the values that SAAS is holding onto and doing a good job upholding? Rob: Getting kids simultaneously out of their comfort zone and in places of strength. I think we have gotten better at both of these deep values. We always cared about it but there are more opportunities now for kids to do what they could love if they have a chance to try it out, or what they already love and what they need to do to feed themselves. That then gives them the confidence or the willingness to go into the discomfort. I think the Know the Kid piece is still very true. The difference is it used to be that every faculty member knew every kid. Now, every kid is known. And so on a deeper level that is still true but it is different.
And you do have to be more intentional about it. You have to think about it in an intentional way, and go after it. Erin: I agree. The thing I always bring up now is: why would you want SAAS to remain the same — even the same size? What limitations were there because of it? Sure, we all have fond memories of our graduating classes but the hope is that things grow and get better. And to think of what possibilities and options are out there as we get bigger and better. Rob: The fear is that because you have shiny new buildings, the kid no longer wears fangs and a cape to a track meet. But those things aren’t mutually exclusive.
A couple of years ago, two alums showed up in my office and said, “Hey, we are in town and we want to see the campus. We haven’t been here in 10 or 15 years. We heard about these new buildings and we just can’t imagine SAAS is the same school.” And they came back to my office that afternoon and said, “It is so completely the same place and not the same place. It is the same place because of the solid relationships with teachers, in the pushing kids to take risks and support each other, and it is really a diverse community in so many ways.” I still believe that is the answer, but I think we have to work really hard to keep that the answer. We can’t just say our identity is so strong that it is just going to perpetuate itself.
Rob (left) hiking in the Mazatzal Mountains in Arizona with Brendan Fox ’95, Dylan Strong ’95 and other students on the senior trip in 1995.
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Erin: So, given the roles that you’ve had through the years, what has kept you in education and what has kept you here at SAAS? Rob: [Chuckles] Honestly… because the values that are true here are not easily replicable elsewhere. Why stay? This is a place that believes in kids in ways that public schools want to but struggle to act on, and that most private schools don’t. And that’s what I care about. Erin: We all have a tank of energy we use to get us through our day: through an exam, Zoom meeting, soccer game, etc. Often, our tank gets low and we stop, rest, and recover, or just simply pull back. What we don’t realize is that we have a second tank, a tank of last reserve. This tank can be scary to tap into and we don’t always trust that it’s there, but if you’re willing to push past the preconceived notion of your max — you’ll see you can go so much further, have so much more to give, than you realized. How many times have you had to tap into that tank of last reserve these last couple of years, and what refills it for you? Rob: Fortunately, the tank is so much bigger than I thought it was. I don’t want to be dramatic, but I am still pulling from that reserve tank. I think most of us are. Parents certainly were when they had to do their job and
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Rob and Erin with the girls track and field team after winning the state championship in 2005.
Rob coaching Mani Hooyman ’09 at a track and field meet.
navigate kids in Zoom school. So, it’s kind of just a state of being, at this point. For me, especially in leadership, I feel responsible in a way that I just have to carry with me. What fills it? My office is on the 5th floor of the middle school and I get to see how psyched the kids are in the hallways and
Rob teaching American Studies in 2009.
how meaningful it is for them to be together. That does it. I keep my window open all the time and I can hear and see everything that happens on the rooftop playfield. And that fills it. I can hear instrumental music floating up from the garage. Those are the things on a daily basis that make me feel like we are thriving and the tank is filling back up.
Rob and Erin, 2022
Erin: What are some things you enjoy now about your job that you hadn’t even thought of? Rob: If you like to be creative, this is a great school for you. The ability to create and do something new and cool and different — that remains consistent over the years and just changes depending on what role you are in. I think the other piece that is consistent, that I have loved from day one, is helping people do more than they think they can do; or what they know
they have the potential to do and just don’t know if they can get there. Everyone can discover things about themself. Everyone has a tank of last reserve. That is the coolest thing about teaching. You get to be a part of it and see it. I get to do this in my job, too. There are places where I do get to support people in creating roles in leadership development that are a similar version of this. And I don’t have to wear a jacket and tie to do it.
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Rob with Walt Dubensky ’11 and Milo Hansen ’11 in front of Rob’s family homestead during the senior Alaska trip in 2011.
“The other piece that is consistent, that I have loved from day one, is helping people do more than they think they can do; or what they know they have the potential to do and just don’t know if they can get there. Everyone can discover things about themself. Everyone has a tank of last reserve. That is the coolest thing about teaching. You get to be a part of it and see it.” - Rob Phillips, Head of School
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SAAS SNAPSHOT: Innovations Robotics Club members Franklin Heymann (left) and James Allison, Class of 2025, program microprocessors for the competition robot.
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“Jada-chan”
“Being able to slowly obtain more knowledge about the language every day makes me feel as though I’m being drawn closer to my identity every day. Achieving that feeling whenever I can pushes me to learn more.”
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Student Profile: Jada Yamashita, Class of 2023 Co-Leader of Japanese Language Club Learning Japanese holds great significance for Jada, who identifies as half Japanese. She started the Japanese Language Club at SAAS with co-leader Sai Piplani. Together they have been running the club since the spring of 2021.
“I think the most inspiring thing I have learned so far about the Japanese language is the way it establishes relationships. Japanese honorifics are almost like titles for people that allow you to show where you stand with another person. Saying someone’s name and adding things like “-chan” at the end of it can mean that you share a close relationship with that person. Not only this but even saying someone’s first name in Japan typically means you’ve established a very tight bond with that person because it’s custom to address someone else by their last name. In a way, I find this to be heartwarming because, in Japan, names and titles hold such significance.”
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SAAS SNAPSHOT: Visual Arts Lucy Dillard (left) and Nandiniy Velayudhan-Dhamrait, Class of 2024, work together to assemble a slab-built vase in ceramics class taught by Annalise Olson ’09.
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We ask our student body to jump into new activities, not fear performance, and lend time to service and community. To do so, we must model much of the same as teachers and administrators. And parents? We ask our parents to get involved, too. Jacquelyn Howard sits on the steering committee for SAAS Parents for Awareness, Race Relations and Community (SPARRC). She cheers on our Cardinal athletes, including her two students Jordan, Class of 2022, and Erin, Class of 2023, who play soccer and volleyball respectively. And she enthusiastically participates in many of the events offered to parents and guardians. This puts her in the unique position to talk about why she volunteers her time with SAAS, ways to volunteer, and all the lovely reasons behind it.
Making Time Parent Profile: Jacquelyn Howard Parent of Erin, Class of 2023, and Jordan, Class of 2022
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Interviewed by: Anne-Marie Guerrero Administrative Assistant
Anne-Marie: What motivates you to volunteer? Jacquelyn: The kids are the true inspiration to our family. School involvement has been something that we have always prioritized. There can be great school experiences or not so great ones, depending on how much the administration and the teachers create a sense of belonging and appreciation for all types of diversity. So our presence and voice is important. When an individual student’s needs and learning styles are addressed, everyone wins. SAAS is great because there is sincere, ready engagement with families and the entire school community makes itself available. It is so wonderful to see teachers and administrators at events and volunteering their time. Anne-Marie: And you are active on the steering committee for SPARRC. What is the goal there? Jacquelyn: Yes, SPARRC started off as a book club among interested parents to talk about race and to become more selfaware. It’s now evolved into something even more powerful
— an inclusive approach to community race relations. Together, we are really thinking through what we do and don’t know, and how we can learn and grow together while respectfully challenging one another to be better. Anne-Marie: How do you make the time to be involved in so many areas and causes? Jacquelyn: First of all, the SAAS groups are enthusiastic and are pretty well organized, which helps a lot. I increasingly find that these groups require more mind-space versus legwork (which is important, too). Secondly, you make time for what you want to do. I enjoy growing and learning through interacting with others. I do believe that the more I give, the more I see the benefits and the more I am energized to bring people together. Anne-Marie: How does this translate into a more genuine or unified educational experience for your kids? Are they more likely to participate in a club, event, or volunteer with campus activities because they see you getting actively involved?
Jacquelyn: Absolutely. Our kids replicate what they see and what they hear. People have told me that while it seems like kids are not paying attention, they really are. We’re blessed that our kids are self-motivated and active. Jordan has played soccer since he was 6 and made varsity his freshman year. Erin has played volleyball since middle school, is on the SAAS varsity team, and has been part of swim teams since elementary school. Erin is also co-leading the BSU (Black Student Union) with Mia Pickett, Class of 2022, and is enjoying mock trial this year. They are role modeling for others, even at their age. Beyond school, volunteering in the community is just what we do, it’s not even an option! I have often said, “Let’s go, get in the car, we’re doing this.” Seattle has a tremendous amount of volunteer options for everyone. Once folks know that you want to be involved, they willingly share even more opportunities with you. Anne-Marie: Will you talk about your participation as it relates to a sense of community?
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Jacquelyn: They are super simple things like cheering on the soccer and volleyball teams. I believe in the 6th man (or 12th in Seattle!) — that circle of fans and family that show up and cheer teams on. When families and friends show up for games does that motivate kids? Yes, it does. So, just imagine your family always showing up to events, being the one that helps volunteer with holiday baskets, or chaperoning when needed. I think there’s a sense of honor and pride that the kids feel. You do it for them because it is about the kids.
And for those whose family cannot make it for whatever reason, we can still support them. So, learn their students’ names, cheer them on just as you would your own, offer to carpool and bring snacks. I know my kids are cheered when we’re not at a game. It matters that we all get engaged. Anne-Marie: What more can we do to engage parents and guardians? Jacquelyn: I believe that inclusiveness and a sense of
belonging go hand in hand. Often when you’re new, it can feel like you have to push your way into an established circle, as though the onus is on you. What’s so hard about someone reaching out a hand to say, “Hey, you’re new, welcome!” I personally don’t subscribe to the fact that you should have to work to be part of an organization or group. You should be automatically invited because you are valued. Anne-Marie: Is there anything you would like to share with fellow parents and guardians to encourage their involvement at SAAS? Jacquelyn: All family voices are important to our collective success. We are at a deficit when we don’t have full engagement. So whatever is stopping someone from being able to attend or participate in events, let’s seek ways to address these issues. Each of us should look around, notice who is missing, and be the one who invites them into our lovely community. Imagine how much better we can be with the sum of all of us. ■
Jacquelyn with her husband, Shelton, and two kids, Erin and Jordan, on a family trip to visit the Statue of Liberty in New York in 2019.
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SAAS SNAPSHOT: Biology Ramzi Megalli, Class of 2023, studies slides to compare and draw differences in cell structures that make up various tissues in the human body.
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THE GREENEST GRADE CLASS OF 2028
Written by: Emma Glinsmann 6th & 8th Grade Science Teacher With the design of our new upper school underway, Emma Glinsmann’s current 6th graders were tasked with designing green infrastructure to handle stormwater runoff. The 6th-grade class set off investigating urban growth and human impact on the Puget Sound. They learned why it is important for Seattle residents to manage rainwater to effectively protect local coho salmon populations and marine webs. They developed prototype models of green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) — living roofs, bioswales, constructed wetlands, permeable pavement, and rain cisterns — leaving the new upper school design in the capable hands of the class of 2028.
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“For me, it was the takeaway that everyone, just about everyone, is contributing even just a little to the harming of the coho salmon. It is horrifying.” - David Rauser
David’s group made a rain garden integrated with bioswale technology. Essentially, water falls on different plants and dirt; the dirt filters out the other things the water may have picked up; then, it fills up a catch basin so the water can be used later for other purposes.
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“I enjoyed the part where we got to design the GSI and make it using glue and other materials. It made me appreciate how things were built a little more, and not take it for granted.” - Kai Gopal
Kai’s team created a living roof that soaks up water and releases it back into the atmosphere, like sweating, so it cools the building down. It also catches the water that the plants don’t need and works as insulation to keep the building warmer.
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“Coho salmon are really important to the Indigenous people, like the Duwamish Tribe. They have a ceremony to honor the coho and ask them to come back. If the coho are all dying, they can’t do that.” - Kyra Spraggins
Kyra’s team constructed a wetland where stormwater can infiltrate into the ground. The trees soak up the stormwater in their roots, and they transpire it in their leaves. The water gets cleaned and the water vapors are released back into the atmosphere.
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“I learned that rain gardens are not just gardens — they are gardens filled with native plants that help collect water. SAAS has rain gardens on 13th Street that I pass walking to the Arts Center.” - Izabella Litvak
Izabella’s team focused on rain gardens to filter the rain into the ground. This prevents runoff on roofs, in gutters, and in pipes so that runoff doesn’t hurt the coho salmon.
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“I learned that it is not just about collecting the water once it is created, but preventing that [water] from hitting the streets.” - Phoenix Shainin
Phoenix’s team built a living roof by designing a catch basin that can collect rainwater and funnel it into a local pipe system, thereby avoiding pavement and the creation of stormwater.
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“For me, it was alerting me to a problem I didn’t know about — the coho are dying — and gave me a new perspective on rain. There are so many things that we can’t ever see that are picked up in surface runoff.” - Vincent Bastien
Vincent’s team designed a living roof with some drought-tolerant succulents. Extra water collected on the roof goes into a cistern that prevents surface runoff, which is what is killing the coho because of the motor oils and the chemicals on tires.
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“Throughout my schooling, I have always learned that salmon are being hurt and they are dying. But I never learned how we are protecting them. Now, every time I see someone pour paint or trash into a storm drain I know that there is something that can prevent the trash from harming the coho.” - Violet Snodgrass
Violet’s team focused on trash traps. So, when it is raining and there is trash on the street, trash that is washed down into the storm drains gets caught in a net preventing its entry into the ocean, rivers, and streams.
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Student engineers (left to right): Makenna Johnson, Mackenzie Cashill, Henry Saylor If their projects were incorporated into the design of the new Upper School, they would feel… Kyra: “I would be really proud; really happy and excited. I would say, ‘Wow, this will help a lot to save the coho.’” Vincent: “I would feel super proud of everyone in my class because everyone worked super hard.” David: “I would be straight up overjoyed.” Kai: “I would feel very honored that they picked my GSI project.” ■
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SAAS SNAPSHOT: Clubs Justin Selby and Charlotte Jennings, Class of 2022, register voters as part of the SAAS Election Connection Club.
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Finding My
ALIANZA
The 2021-22 members of Alianza Latina affinity group at SAAS.
Written by: Wendy Amador, Class of 2022
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If I were to write a piece about the ignorance I’ve encountered, I’m sure you wouldn’t be surprised. Perhaps you’d be concerned at how unbothered I am at this point, but the reality of someone with caramel skin is that naive minds are inevitable.
that I had called my mom to pick me up because I could feel the way people looked at me, being the only person of color in the room. I’d be lying if I said things got better after that. One thing you should know is that through all these instances, I was never quiet. But a single person, no matter how powerful, is powerless in a system of oppression. I felt alone.
graduated, I found a letter she wrote me for my 15th birthday. She said I inspired her to be unapologetically herself and that meeting me made school worth something. I never told her but it was her friendship that lifted me up when I was most defeated. It was because she was my friend that we built something that changed the SAAS community.
Freshmen year, I blamed the distance between my classmates and me on the fact that Affinity groups came into we were all strangers. But the picture halfway through that wasn’t true. You see, my sophomore year, but if you That same year, I met Angela first day of school, someone were to ask the leaders, we Zapata ’20, a junior at that asked me if I knew El Chapo. like to say they really began time. She was three years The day of the anticipated last year, and most of all, this older than me and almost Winter Ball, at a post-dance year. What you would learn instantly became the friend reunion, my classmates walking the halls through our I needed. She was the first spread the rumor that I had lens is the survival instinct that person who saw me and uncalled the cops, all because is triggered the moment we derstood my pain when I told someone heard me speaking walk through the doors. We her my stories. Years after she were afraid to Spanish on the talk to each othphone. What Alianza Latina affinity group is a space er. Sometimes I they didn’t bothfor students who identify as Hispanic could see in the er to know was
or Latin@. Latin@ is a gender-inclusive term for Latino or Latina.
Wendy was a freshmen when she met Angela, a junior; the two became close friends and members of Alianza Latina affinity group. SAAS IN FOCUS: Spring 2022
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eyes of other Latin@ students how desperately they wanted to say hi, but never did. Instead, we kept walking, keeping our stories to ourselves. Angela, Josephine Silva ’21, and I fought more than we should have needed to make a space where Latin@s could finally see each other and realize they were not alone. Then it happened: AAPI, BSU, Alianza Latina; we were finally heard. At our first meeting, five people showed up. And then four. Sometimes seven. That first year, eight was the most people we had in the room. We blamed ourselves for not making the space fun enough, or interesting enough. Or maybe we were wrong; maybe it was only us who felt the need for a group like Alianza. But when Covid-19 changed the world, everyone felt the isolation. Even if it was just for a second, we all felt lonely and yearned for human interaction. It was through Zoom that our group found its strength and grew in numbers we had only imagined. At the beginning of this year, we were able to host a community event for the families of members. As the night came to an end, we opened the room up for any questions from the parents. A father asked the leaders what our experience had been like identifying as Hispanic and Latin@ at SAAS.
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I was the last of the current three leaders to answer, and as I started speaking, I felt my throat struggle to say the words in my mind, and teardrops starting to form around my eyes. There I was, in front of a room of families who would have never met, being seen, being heard, and being accepted. I felt silly crying. My truth is that high school has been difficult as a person of color, in more ways than one. But, feeling the support from everyone in the room that night, I realized how meaningful the founding of Alianza has been in this community.
We found power in our pain, and built a community of empowerment. As I get closer to my graduation this year, I’m getting ready to say goodbye to a group of friends and chosen family. The past four years we learned from each other and grew together, and Seattle Academy took this journey with us to put in the work that was needed. I will be graduating proud of the affinity group’s success and knowing that future generations of Latin@ students will find a home in Alianza the way I did. ■
“There I was, in front of a room of families who would have never met, being seen, being heard, and being accepted.”
“The past four years we learned from each other and grew together, and Seattle Academy took this journey with us to put in the work that was needed. I will be graduating proud of the affinity group’s success and knowing that future generations of Latin@ students will find a home in Alianza the way I did.”
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Heart on His Sleeve Alumnus Interview: Isaac Allnutt ’21
Interviewed by: Darby Frey Event Manager
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Isaac’s graduation cap with broken hearts from HOMS, a clothing brand where he completed his senior internship.
As a student-athlete and young male who suffered through years of depression, alumnus Isaac Allnutt ’21 started to recognize a negative stigma around mental health. People try to conceal their emotions and struggles from others, oftentimes making it worse. Isaac made it his personal goal to encourage those suffering with mental health to “wear their heart on their sleeve” through his work with the brand HOMS, a clothing line sporting broken heart patches created to help destigmatize mental health. What started as a senior internship has now become a source of employment, a style, and a lifelong mission to advocate for mental health awareness. In an interview with Darby Frey, alumni relations manager, Isaac opens up to the SAAS community about his journey with mental health throughout high school and how he incorporates health into his college experience.
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Darby: Was there a particular event that opened your eyes to the complexities of mental health? Isaac: The loss of a close friend of mine in 8th grade set me on my mental health journey. I went into years of depression and still battle with a lot of it today. I just don’t want anyone to make the same mistakes that I made when I was down. I want to show people that one, it’s okay to be sad; and two, there are ways to get out of a depressed state. Darby: What impact do you believe mental health has in the locker room? Isaac: I think you have the best ability to judge someone’s mental health in a locker room. When everyone is physically and mentally exhausted it’s nearly impossible to hide any sadness from your teammates. Lockerroom morale can be extremely impacted by one person having a bad day. So when I was struggling with depression, I had teammates like Leo DeBruhl ’21 and Joe Cookson ’21 who would always try and pick me up when I was feeling down. It helped me and the morale of the team as a whole. Darby: Is positive mental health harder or easier to achieve for athletes? Isaac: The mental wear and tear that athletes face at any level,
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Recent graduate Isaac Allnutt ’21 was deeply involved in Cardinal boys varsity basketball. As a leader and team captain, Isaac was a key cog in helping his teams win three league titles and the top two finishes in school history his junior and senior years (third and second, respectively). He is now a freshman at Santa Clara University and a member of the Broncos Crew Team.
but especially the college level, is very difficult to deal with. With two practices a day and taking five classes, there is almost no time to yourself. I think that a moderate amount of exercise is great for someone’s mental health, but it becomes a lot more difficult when it consumes half of your day.
Darby: Can you share what HOMS is and what your work with this organization includes? Isaac: HOMS is a clothing brand that wants to give people the ability to express their mental health struggles in a way that is comfortable for them. I work with [the founder] Race Porter to
help come up with designs and collections for products. I also run the social media accounts for HOMS, which involves promotion as well as responding to customer DMs and such. Darby: Zac Townsend, 9th-grade coordinator, mentioned that you have a great big brother-
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little brother relationship with the founder of HOMS; can you expand on that? Isaac: I would say I definitely consider Race a brother. When I started my internship with HOMS, we instantly clicked. It started with him recognizing how passionate I was about the brand and from there he started giving me more work and more responsibility. Once he put a lot of trust in me, we quickly became great friends. It makes the work days go by very quickly when you get to work with your best friend. He was and still is one of the most patient people I’ve ever met. If he hadn’t been so patient with me when I first started, I probably wouldn’t still be working with him. Darby: Have you ever been faced with judgments for your work with mental health awareness?
Isaac poses with his parents in the Upper School Gym in 2021.
Isaac: I wouldn’t say I’ve faced judgments but it certainly has shut down a couple of conversations. People ask why I always wear the HOMS brand and sometimes when I explain the mission of the brand they get quiet and uncomfortable. That’s okay! It is still a very taboo topic for a lot of people. But hopefully everyone will feel very comfortable talking about it someday. Barak Reibman ’21 (John Hopkins University), Isaac Allnutt ’21 (Santa Clara University), Joe Cookson ’21 (Pomona College), Leo DeBruhl ’21 (UC Davis), Teja Singh ’21 (Hamilton College) and Eddie Hulit ’21 (Boston University)
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Darby: How do you release stress? Isaac: I would be entirely lost in college without rowing. It is very difficult and stressful at times to know that I have to wake up at 5:00 AM in the morning every day, but once I’m back from practice my mind is entirely at peace. I highly encourage anyone who has a lot of anxiety to try and work out extremely hard for even 15-20 minutes. It entirely changes the way I feel about myself for the rest of the day. Darby: What steps can studentathletes, and especially men, take to work towards positive mental health practices? Isaac: I think the first and most important step men can take is to be confident that your problems matter. A lot of men won’t share their emotions because they feel like their problems are invalid and that people won’t care. Humans are lovers. People will always care if you’re feeling down and they will always listen to your problems. ■
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6 The
Written by: Mike Cimino Theater Arts Faculty
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Timers Club
There is a picture in my office, surrounded by the cast photos from 20 years of directing, of a few shining, 7th-grade faces. Scrawled on the top of the photo is “The 6 Timers Club.” These few pictures are of the handful of SAAS students that have been in every musical from 7th-12th grade. On closing night of the fall musical, I usually say a few words in celebration of the seniors’ accomplishments. A few years back, I started giving out a special notice for those students who had been in both of the middle school musicals plus all four of the upper school musicals. There are usually one or two honorees. In 2017, there were three, and they found a picture of themselves in their 7th-grade musical “Bye Bye Birdie” and framed themselves, scrawling “The 6 Timers Club” across the top of the cheap frame. Every year now I add the faces of those who have gone the distance to the office picture. This year one of the honorees was Justin Selby. I went to print a picture of him from his 7thgrade musical and realized that he was wearing pretty much the same top hat and tails as he wore this year in his senior musical. When you put the pictures side by
side there is an immense charm in musing on what is different in him now, and what remains the same. In the stage lights you can see his same joy of singing and acting — but somehow he has grown into a man who controls and crafts that pure energy. This year there were a record four “long-haulers.” They were: Delaney Belcher, Annabelle Burg, Jake Hellman and Justin Selby. They started
in 7th grade in “James and the Giant Peach.” After that, “The Music Man”; “Mamma Mia”; “Into the Woods”; our online, quarantine musical “Songs for a New World”; and finally, this fall, “Urinetown.” This year was special. Going into auditions in the fall it was hard to tell how the year would progress. We kept a positive outlook but the specter of Covid interrupting our live performance always hung overhead. We rehearsed with special singing masks and adhered to social distancing guidelines. We found ways to be creative and use those imposed handicaps as a way to stretch our artistic expression rather than limit it. There was a feeling in every rehearsal that we should get the most out of our time
together and stay positive. We gave each other a lot of grace because we were just happy to be together. We persevered during the 2020-21 school year and made a piece from our homes. It was an amazing feat, but we all knew that it didn’t live up to the shared experience of being together in a space, harmonizing in a shared imagination. Our renewed feeling this year informed every rehearsal and elevated the experience to more than just another school musical. Other than just the maturation of growing in performance skills and stage experience, what is the benefit of being part of these musicals for six years? At a very basic level, the amount of coordination and memorization required is formidable. Sometimes I will record the run of an act on an iPad so the lighting designer and I can see where people are when we are adjusting lighting after hours. As I scroll through the hourlong act, all I see are patterns. (Especially this year, as the patterns had to be as strict as I could make them in order to keep people at a distance.) Not only are the students moving for the entire time in a shared pattern of stage blocking, they are also executing highly structured
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Penelope Pennywise in “Urinetown” (2021)
Lucille Van Kooglestein in “James and the Giant Peach” (2016-17)
Delaney Belcher, Class of 2022 56
Soupy Sue in “Urinetown” (2021)
Lucille Van Kooglestein in “James and the Giant Peach” (2016-17)
Annabelle Burg, Class of 2022 SAAS IN FOCUS: Spring 2022
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Officer Lockstock in “Urinetown” (2021)
Joe in “James and the Giant Peach” (2016-17)
Jake Hellman, Class of 2022 58
Caldwell B. Caldwell in “Urinetown” (2021)
Ladahlord in “James and the Giant Peach” (2016-17)
Justin Selby, Class of 2022 SAAS IN FOCUS: Spring 2022
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choreography while singing, speaking dialogue, and all the while exuding the story through character. Looking at this in fast motion I cannot doubt that their brains are growing in immeasurable ways. It takes a lot of time to put these musicals together. The coordination of acting, singing, dancing with band, sound, lights, sets and costume requires time and effort. In that time a group, if it is lucky, will become a mini-family. Over years of participating in these shows, a long-hauler knows that the trust and goodwill that is complimented by fellow performers at the
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end of a run has to be earned. They have the knowledge of leaders from the past who have conducted themselves in a way that welcomes newcomers and underclassmen. They know that the aftereffect of the project is not just the photos and the videos, it is the relationships. They have learned how to hit deadlines. They’ve seen other students who did not memorize material or who missed too much rehearsal. They have learned how to be leaders and they know they are teaching another generation of leaders to take their place. They know the traditions. They know when to push and when to compliment.
It’s not a very fair club, as some kids come to SAAS in the 9th grade. I can say the same lovely things about the four timers club, as well. What maybe sets the “6 Timers” group apart is how little they were when they began. None of them had the leading role in 7th grade. They have all had various roles in the interim but one thing is clear: no matter where they were cast each year, they did their part to tell the story and support the project. They grew into these wonderful adults who we can track through their costumes and their roles over the years. All this magical growth happened in one space.
Whether it was a giant peach, a small town in Iowa, a Greek island, a fairy-tale land or a public amenity, these students have transformed themselves from world to world, character to character, and children to adults in front of our eyes. A musical is special because it allows the actors, singers and dancers a place to congregate and ply their individual talents in the pursuance of one goal: to transport the audience into a world where we can learn about ourselves through story, feeling and song. As the show is put away and the magic of the moment recedes like a sandcastle on the tide; as the actors move on to non-musical plays; as the dancers prepare their concerts and the singers learn their harmonies for spring, the echo of their shared six years of musical theater will be a map of their growth and a testament to their resilience in these unprecedented times. They will be able to tell you of the glory days, the days spent apart making whatever art they could, and the joy of reconnecting and remerging where old faces seem new again and six times is a charm.
The full cast of “Urinetown” in the Arts Center Theater in fall 2021.
“ They have learned how to be leaders and they know they are teaching another generation of leaders to take their place.”
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SAAS SNAPSHOT: Affinity Groups Black Student Union (BSU) members Mia Pickett, Class of 2022, and Erin Howard, Class of 2023, assemble the final pieces of a community quilt during Black History Month in February 2022.
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OwenWASTE Gladwish (NOT) Student Profile: Owen Gladwish, Class of 2022 Interviewed by: Andrew Spitzer Digital Marketing & Communications Manager
Owen registered for an independent study in advanced chemistry his senior year. The independent study was Owen’s idea. He is experimenting with the production of ammonia, the leading chemical used to create fertilizer. His process involves taking waste — specifically human urine — and with it producing fertilizer. His goal is an alternative to the Haber process, which is responsible for 2% of all global emissions.
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Andrew: In advanced chemistry you studied equilibrium and the Haber process, which is the production of ammonia. What was it about that unit that inspired you to pursue your current independent study? Owen: In class, we talked about how ammonia is used to make nitrogen fertilizers, as plants can consume these fertilizers easily. We also talked about other sources of nitrogen for plants like urea, which is in human urine, and I was thinking, “Oh, I wonder if you can take urea from urine and turn it into usable fertilizer?” So, outside of class I started reading scientific papers about how one might create nitrogen fertilizers from a source such as human urine. And now, I am writing a scientific paper of my own.
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Andrew: How do you describe the process of extracting ammonia from urine? And why urine? Owen: Human urine contains the second-highest concentration of urea; water is the first. It is possible to extract urea directly from human urine but the process is very inefficient. What I am investigating with my independent study is whether you can collect that human urine and decompose the urea into ammonia by reacting it with the water that is already present in the urine. This ammonia is much easier to extract because ammonia is very volatile. If you utilize this volatility by running air bubbles through your ammonia solution, you can continually transfer the ammonia to the bubbles. Once these bubbles come out of the ammonia solution, you can
direct these bubbles through an absorption column which will absorb the ammonia. In my case, I used sulfuric acid in my absorption column to make ammonium sulfate, a very common fertilizer. The bubbles are made with an air pump that uses four watts per hour, which is much more efficient than the traditional Haber process. Andrew: How much ammonia do you need, ideally, to create fertilizer? Owen: You need ammonia and sulfuric acid in a two-to-one molar ratio for ammonium sulfate, which is the fertilizer I am creating. You can create a lot of other types of fertilizers with this same technique, even your household ammonia solution. Through my studies, I learned that 24 million
“When you look at what Owen’s done, it’s amazing what he has been able to accomplish. As with any experiment, he’s run into problems at nearly every corner; but what’s great is how independently and fearlessly he problem-solves his way to a solution.”
- Martin Brakke Chemistry Teacher
Depicted is the process of extracting ammonia from human urine by running bubbles through the ammonia solution, and directing those bubbles through an absorption column made of sulfuric acid.
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Owen at his independent study workstation in the STREAM building, where his project remains undisturbed throughout the trimester.
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“What we try to capture for all students in 10th-grade chemistry are the applicable and foundational core concepts that we think students need to remember 20-30 years from now. Then, for those who are still curious as juniors and seniors, we dig a bit deeper in advanced chemistry.” - Martin Brakke Chemistry Teacher
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Owen’s end result, ammonium sulfate.
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tons of ammonium sulfate are sold in a year. And to create that much ammonium sulfate, you need a little over 700 billion liters of human urine; pretty impossible to get in one year. But you could definitely create a lot, hopefully reducing our reliance on the Haber process a bit. Andrew: Your research showed that some municipalities and cities are able to utilize their human waste for this purpose. Why is this path enticing? Owen: This path is enticing because first, we already have a bunch of human urine — we all produce it — and we can use it to create a product out of something that would otherwise be considered waste. Second, it might be easier to strip the ammonia out of the urine before it all gets mixed in the sewer. This could definitely be done either at the source or at a wastewater treatment plant. The setup, in my mind, is minimal and very reusable. One could also easily automate it so there wouldn’t need to be too much human input. If we were to collect urine from 10% of all passengers that travel through SeaTac airport (assuming they only went to the bathroom once), we could create over $60,000 worth of fertilizer.
Andrew: What’s wrong with the current methods for producing fertilizer? Owen: Mainly, the current approach focuses on raw material. Take natural gas, like methane, for example. We’ll take that and turn it into hydrogen gas, and then get nitrogen from the atmosphere. We’re taking all of these different, small molecules from all over and reacting them together at super high temperatures using a bunch of energy and polluting a lot in the process to get our desired product: ammonia. In fact, around 2% of global emissions come from the Haber process. In my research, I took the route of decomposition: I take urea (a large molecule) and react it with water, a reaction that happens at room temperature, to create ammonia. That ammonia is now easy to isolate and ready to be used to make fertilizer.
the ground and into the environment, which is not good. In terms of affordability, this is more affordable because the energy used to create it is around 400% less than the traditional Haber process uses to create ammonia. To create ammonium sulfate, like I did, you still need sulfuric acid. But I think sulfuric acid is already cheap and easy to make — still, this might be an area to improve upon next. Andrew: Are you looking to study science after SAAS? Is this a career interest of yours? Owen: I 100% want to study chemistry in college. In the fall, I am going to be attending Case Western Reserve University. I’m really excited to get into the lab and do some more awesome research. ■
Andrew: Is this a more affordable, environmentally friendly solution to fertilizer? Owen: In terms of an environmentally friendly situation, this fertilizer is not harmful if used correctly. But it becomes harmful when you start using it incorrectly. So, if you start overfertilizing, then it will get washed out of
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SAAS SNAPSHOT: World Languages Upper school students in Emily Lin’s Mandarin Chinese class create red couplets in celebration of Lunar New Year in 2022.
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Logging (In) Community Service
Written by: Rick DuPree Director of Community Partnerships
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The 2021-22 CAC leadership team (left to right): Rick DuPree, Nat Shephard, Keegan Atchison, Alillia Bowden, Zoe Bishop, Wymbia Locoh-Donou
SAAS students have seen many needs in our community increase as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has also made it more difficult to locate service opportunities. Two years ago, Community Action Club (CAC) student leaders from the class of 2020 began to develop a list of resources — which our current CAC leaders have continued — for students who are looking to volunteer. Even though Covid-19 has made service more difficult, SAAS students have continued
to step up to the challenge by coming up with creative ways to connect with and serve our community. This school year — and for the third time since the start of the pandemic — CAC has partnered with Bloodworks Northwest to host a virtual drive, signing up donors to help the organization meet the critical need for blood. This is one of the many examples of how SAAS students show up and give back to the community, even during a pandemic.
Rick DuPree Director of Community Partnerships
“Because of the challenges that Covid-19 has presented, we’ve seen a spike in online and remote opportunities for our students, like peer tutoring and proofreading e-books. We’ve also seen a stronger focus on combating food insecurity.”
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Keegan Atchison Class of 2022, CAC Senior Leader
“Big Brothers Big Sisters’ (BBBS) goal is to create one-on-one mentoring relationships that empower children. During quarantine, these mentorships were not able to do the same activities, so I helped create activities for matches to do online.”
“Mental health, specifically in teens, has taken a toll during the pandemic. Kids are isolated and many feel unsupported in their homes; this is a large issue in my community and across the nation. I feel that this issue needs to be talked about more and as a member of University of Washington’s Forefront Suicide Prevention, I am working to destigmatize this topic and create initiatives to improve mental health conditions in our school.”
CAC senior leader Keegan Atchison is proactively seeking service opportunities to address to the greatest need that he sees right now: mental health.
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Wymbia Locoh-Donou Class of 2023, CAC Member
“The results of my study at a cashew processing factory in Togo, a country in western Africa, showed that 90% of the employees didn’t have bikes or motorcycles. This causes a big issue because most of them have to walk 3-5 km a day to go to work. I came up with an idea to start a fundraiser with a couple of my friends with the goal of raising money to fund bicycles for many of these workers. As a part of the project, I will try to bring 2-4 friends along with me next summer to work at the factory and deliver the bicycles to the workers.”
After the pandemic started, CAC member Wymbia Locoh-Donou went to Togo, West Africa, his father’s native land, to conduct an employee study and work at a rural cashew processing factory.
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Alillia Bowden Class of 2022, CAC Leader
“The hard work of CAC leaders before me made it much easier to find remote servicelearning opportunities. Since the pandemic started, one thing that I did was make thank you cards for an organization called Solid Ground through the SAAS Colors and a Cause club.”
CAC leader Alillia Bowden says she used a resource sheet that the 2020 CAC leaders created to help find service opportunities.
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Zoe Bishop Class of 2022, CAC Leader
“I believe that one of the biggest community needs at the start of the pandemic was free tutoring opportunities. When the pandemic hit, schools handled remote learning differently. Because of this, some students were left with virtual schooling experiences that were more asynchronous than synchronous. While some kids handled this well, others struggled. With 1-1 or group tutoring, I believe that students were able to advance their knowledge and build a connection with someone while being away from in-person learning.”
“When the pandemic started, I began tutoring a 3rd grader with the Together Tutoring program which was created to provide free online tutoring for K-8 students in all subjects so they did not fall behind in their education during the pandemic. I also continued to tutor Seattle Academy students in math and chemistry but we switched to tutoring over Zoom.”
Although in-person community service opportunities have declined significantly because of the Covid-19 pandemic, CAC leader Zoe Bishop says, “it opened up opportunities for virtual and online volunteering to happen. While it is a different experience being online, one of the benefits that I found was that you could volunteer and connect with others all over the world.”
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Nat Shephard Class of 2025, CAC Member
“The greatest need I have witnessed during the pandemic has been the need for food.”
“A specific thing I have done recently was help deliver packets of food to Seattle schools for children to take home so they have food over the weekend.”
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SAAS SNAPSHOT: Athletics Asa Gilmore, Class of 2023, in a wrestling match during senior night in the Upper School Gym.
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Culture of
Rehearsal
Arts Faculty: Mike Cimino, Theater Arts Faculty Mark Hoover, Arts Faculty Fred Strong, Dean of Arts Faculty
Interviewed by: Madeline Pennington, Director of Marketing & Communications
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“The show must go on,” said the three faculty in charge of theater, vocal, and all-school performances at SAAS. This statement, a colloquialism in mainstream society, became a feat of spectacular proportions during the pandemic when the whole student body transitioned to the virtual world and arts instruction and performance continued. Virtual stage combat? Yes, this, and so much more, was reinvented and redefined by students — with direction from Mike Cimino and Mark Hoover, and more than a little help backstage from Fred Strong. Mark has been teaching vocal music at SAAS since 1988. Mike has been directing shows at SAAS since 2000. And Fred came to SAAS in 1990 and has been dean of arts faculty since 2016. Madeline: SAAS is built on the Culture of Performance. How panicked were you all when we moved to remote learning? Mark: I was completely naive about how hard it was going to be. For most activities, trying to sing online with people didn’t work. The big takeaway for me is it reminded me of what it felt like to teach my first year and realize I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t know how to make every class feel and be successful, and I had to keep inventing stuff. It was emotionally hard because I felt like I didn’t know how to do this. And I could see the effect on these kids.
Mike: I don’t know if “panic” is the right word. I was more dumbfounded as to how the technology was even going to work. I think I avoided Zoom for a really long time because I couldn’t wrap my brain around it. Most of my brain was involved with how to translate stage combat between two people into two people on screens. And spending most of my day going through all these chat rooms, talking to people, asking what they are doing; every day just scouring how to
translate what I know how to do into Zoom. My brain really had to open up and evolve a little bit to these new tools. Fred: My answer is, really, that I wasn’t panicked. Not that I knew what the outcome would be but you just heard from Mark and Mike: that intelligence, ingenuity, commitment, and perseverance meant stuff just was happening. Because they were there making it happen.
The fall 2021 production of “Urinetown.”
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Madeline: Cimino, I know you told me a story at the senior retreat — and I am hoping you can tell a similar version here — of how Michael Cruz, performing arts department chair, helped you along with the fall production? The story of where it started and what ended up happening when he took it on. Can you touch on that a little bit?
“If I can be called away for personal reasons from a production, and that production is still rolling forward on the passion and the skills of the kids until I can get back, that is me teaching at my best.” - Mike Cimino
Mike: I think it is more the story of the kids than it is me or Michael Cruz. I had chosen a play called “The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later.” We got to mid-January 2021, just about the time we were to start filming it, and my wife had a brain aneurysm. And that took all of my focus away from school; I was out for a couple of weeks helping my family through it. Luckily, we had a great set of stage managers. Clayton Wiley ’21 was their leader, and they basically said, “You know, what we really need are green screens sent to these people, and we need a couple of things bought off Amazon.” So, Cruz facilitated that and then the kids themselves, the stage managers, would Zoom in to someone’s house and talk them through how to film themselves so that they can green screen two kids together in post-production so it looked as if they were in the same place together. All this is amazing stuff that I don’t even know how to do. Not only that, but the student stage managers then put it all together and edited this piece, all without Students in the remote production of “The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later” in winter 2021. 82
Mark Hoover and The Onions in a dress rehearsal for SAAS in the City in 2022.
me. I never saw it! I never even saw it until opening night when everyone else saw it. It was a completely kid-run project. I always say that I am most proud of my teaching when I am not in the room. If I can be late for a class, for some reason, and that class starts without me — then that’s the proudest I am of any class or any lesson I have ever taught. If I can be called away for personal reasons from a production, and that production is still rolling forward on the passion and the skills of the kids until I can get back, that is me teaching at my best. Last year, especially that winter production, was a very fine example of kids wanting to make art so badly that even when the teacher was not in the room, they kept doing it.
Madeline: I have said this a few times to families but it almost just solidifies that Culture of Performance, right? The Culture of Performance is not about the performance itself; it is this culture that SAAS has really developed and defined into taking that leap, as the stage managers did. Fred: I believe that any particular activity that we define as a Culture of Performance moment at SAAS, those can and do often happen at any school. But what is different at SAAS is that we really understand that all moments in front of an audience — whether that is your class, your entire grade, the whole school — those work together, so we are able to reinforce the power of those special learning experiences.
Performance is all over the place and, because of that, there is a strong multiplying effect to this way of learning. Mark: The nature of rehearsal is what is being addressed. I think, Cimino, you actually were griping about something a few years back, and you said, “We need to quit focusing on the Culture of Performance; we need to focus on the Culture of Rehearsal.” I think that is what we are talking about. All of the hundreds of things that happen before rehearsal, the chemistry of the kids, the iteration of kids watching each other excel and then thinking, “Oh, that’s normal, so I am going to go do that.” The transformation of the nature of rehearsal is what it is all about.
“The transformation of the nature of rehearsal is what it is all about.” - Mark Hoover SAAS IN FOCUS: Spring 2022
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Fred: If you know you are going to be in front of an audience of some sort, that changes the nature of your learning up to that point. Which, what Mark was saying, is that rehearsal time. Another thing: when things are so public, students are learning from each other and not just the teacher. Kids are watching each other and kids are setting standards for each other. Mike: I often say to the kids, “It is amazing what you can learn in 12 minutes that you can’t learn in 12 weeks.” Maybe for 12 weeks I am laying the groundwork so they can learn it in 12 minutes [chuckles to himself]. But sometimes I can get so little from them in 12 weeks, and then all of a sudden in the last 12 minutes,
because they know there is a performance looming, this amazing thing happens.
Madeline: Space, space and time. I understand. Time travel is what I meant.
Madeline: Now, if space travel existed, what advice would you give to yourselves just before spring of 2020? One piece of advice.
Mike: My answer is that I wouldn’t time travel. I would tell myself not to time travel because I would disrupt the natural progression of time and you can’t go back in time. You can’t fix things like that. The past is literally the past. I would allow myself to experience it the exact same way I experienced it before.
Mike: Space travel or time travel? Madeline: Uh, both. Time travel is what I meant. Mike: Right, you meant time travel. Yeah, because, as you will know, I am a big Trekkie. Time travel and space travel are two different things.
Mark: That is pretty hard to follow up on. Fred: We are where we are. And what we did in the past got us to where we are.
Alicia Mullikin’s upper school dance class performing at SAAS in the City in 2022.
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Madeline: I am curious how you kept all your students engaged through a screen? In a performance capacity, how do you do that? Mark: It was very hard. It was impossible. Okay, here is the real answer: I was always hopeful. And I showed that. Later, I heard that mattered almost more than anything else. That I showed up every day hopeful. And I wasn’t acting. I thought, “This can work.” [Chuckling — I don’t know why I thought that.] Mike: I totally agree with Mark in that respect. Whether or not what I did actually worked, or whether the work was quality enough, it was literally just that: showing up and making a lot of speeches about, “This is what we got, these are the tools we got, let’s make art with what we got. Let’s not get bogged down with the sadness of not having what we don’t have. Let’s take what we have here in the moment.”
Finding ways to show that excitement, finding ways to keep it positive, finding ways to have this place to come in and say, “It is still art. It is still expression. No matter where we are.” Just keeping the positivity going.
sense to teach these classes online; they are performing arts, who wants to do that?” But everything that you were able to give students, that space you provided for them, to whatever extent you were able to, that’s the amazing thing.
“The people who rise to that occasion are the brilliant ones. And those are the ones I surround myself with.” - Mike Cimino Mark: It is pretty cathartic to remember that time, now, because there was a lot of loss. And because our job was to bring incessant hope, you just put that loss to the side. Fred: I would say with that question of keeping engagement, it is super inspiring hearing you both talk about what you did. And the comparison isn’t to what we used to do. The comparison is to zero, to nothing. We could have just said, “It doesn’t make
Mike: I think about the Beatles struggling with their live performances. There is so much noise in live performance. And they really found their groove when they decided to be in the studio and make music and quiet down a little bit. And be on their own. Sometimes performance and art don’t really translate to live. Fred: We didn’t really talk about the fall musical, “Urinetown,” but that story was pretty fascinating, too. Mike: The way I got through “Urinetown” and the way I get through today is I just keep telling the kids, “I don’t know what we are going to end up making, but we are going to continue to make.” I got through “Urinetown” by saying, “What are the parameters of today? We’ll work with those building blocks.” Sometimes the kids are like, “Why are you telling me I can’t swear, or why are you telling me
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I can’t do this or that.” There was an interview with Lorne Michaels one time where they asked him, “Does the NBC censor really make you mad, because you can’t swear and you can’t do a lot of content on Saturday Night Live?” He said something, I don’t know what the exact quote is, but he said something like, “No, I love it. Because it gives us parameters. I can’t make art in a wide-open world, and those people who are able to stay within these parameters that are set up for the thing that we are doing, who know how to push those boundaries, and who know just how to stay right on the edge of making art within the boundaries and the handicaps that we have, those are the brilliant people. The people who rise to that occasion are the brilliant ones. And those are the ones I surround myself with.”
Mark: That is a great story about art and structure and creativity, and how they are going up against each other all the time. I also thought, it is worth saying, that my experience of “Urinetown” was mostly – well, when I ran into Cimino, it was frustration, a lot. And then, when I sat down and watched it, it was a snapshot of what art is for humanity. People together doing this thing. I didn’t care about much else other than the feeling of watching it happen, like getting back to something primal, just people together making art. And the notion that we can keep doing that during a pandemic. So, there is that joyful explosion. ■
(left to right) Mike Cimino, Mark Hoover, Fred Strong
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SAAS SNAPSHOT: Academics Nalu Farrell, Class of 2022, presents his homemade Japanese home design model in Josh Del Pino’s Asian American Studies class in 2021.
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SAAS SNAPSHOT: Fiber Arts Summer Camps at SAAS, Mural Group Project, 2021
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SAAS SNAPSHOT: Innovations (left to right) Abby Hargrove, Isa Sudore, Mars Gipson, Talia Wilson 6th-grade students learn basic programming in SCRATCH, a programming software created by MIT, in computational thinking class.
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