UHS Journal Spring 2016

uhs journal A Magazine for University High School Families, Alumni, and Friends

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Spring 2016

UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL SPRING 2016

University High School welcomes students of demonstrated

motivation and ability to engage in an education that fosters responsibility and the spirited pursuit of knowledge. We are a school where adults believe in the promise of every student, and together we work to build and sustain a community of diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and talents. UHS challenges each individual to live a life of integrity, inquiry, and purpose larger than the self.

UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL

Vol. XXVII, No. 1 EDITOR

Alissa Kinney Moe EDITORIAL BOARD

Shaundra Bason Thelma Garza Kate Gorrissen Holly Johnson ’82 Mary King

PHOTOGRAPHY

Jane Coté-Cook Jean Fruth Jeff Hord Bryan Kitch ’01 Anne Pantelick ’85 Tyrone Spencer UHS Communications UHS Development

UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL SPRING 2016

PRINTING

Burns & Associates Fine Printing

San Francisco University High School admits and welcomes students of any race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national, or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, employment policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other school administered programs.

Spring 2016

UHS Journal 02 From the Head’s Desk 04 The Sequence of Science

by Alissa Kinney Moe, Director of Communications

07 Back for the Future: Celebrating 40 Years of UHS Alissa Kinney Moe, Director of Communications

11 Red Devil Rally

by Jim Ketcham, Athletic Director

14 UHS Album: Breaking Ground

by Alissa Kinney Moe, Director of Communications

16 At My Desk with Morgan Darby, Executive Director of Summerbridge 18 Community Milestones 19 The House on Telegraph Hill 20 Getting to Know UHS: Development, Part I 22 Class Notes / In Memoriam compiled by Holly Johnson ’82, Director of Alumni Relations

28 Alumni Check-In: Ben Gucciardi ’01

by Bryan Kitch ’01

Inside Cover: (From left) Anne Tolpegin ’88, Kevin Fugaro ’06, Rob Stafford ’87, Julia Hunt Nielsen ’87, and Helene Zindarsian ’82 open the musical theater retrospective at the Back for the Future 40th Anniversary Gala.

Cover Photos: Tyrone Spencer.

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UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL SPRING 2016

From the Head’s Desk The theme of our recent 40th anniversary gala was “Back for the Future,” which, when we first coined it, didn’t have the kind of resonance it has today as we prepare to share our strategic direction with the UHS community. But more on our future later; for now, indulge me a bit as I revisit just a few of the many extraordinary moments from our 40th anniversary year.

The 40th Anniversary Committee (clockwise from left: Holly Johnson ’82, Julia Russell Eells, Bruce Lamott, Shaundra Bason, Diane Schroeder, Thelma Garza, Alissa Kinney Moe, Sam Lesser ’17, and Sarah Ancheta ’17) raised their Martinelli's to a wonderful commemorative year at UHS during their last meeting on March 22, 2016.

UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL SPRING 2016

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“ Turning 40 provides an important moment to stand and reflect in the balance between where we have traveled and our future destinations.”

We began festivities in September with UHS Day, when special guests, including founding Head of School Dennis Collins; dozens of founding faculty, staff, and alumni; and spoken word artist, musician, and activist Hollis Wong Wear ’05, converged on campus to pay homage to our school’s first days and remarkable history. Throughout the fall and winter months, we welcomed alumni artists back for three successive exhibitions in the Jackson Street galleries. Ceramicists, painters, and photographers from various decades and regions represented the stunning talent our UHS Arts program helps to inspire and develop.

In March, our 40th Anniversary Celebration Weekend kicked off with a special assembly for students, faculty, and staff on Friday afternoon, featuring rapper and spoken word artist George Watsky ’05 and puppeteer and MacArthur Fellowship winner Basil Twist ’87. We then enjoyed an Alumni Open Campus on Saturday, which brought graduates and their families back to UHS to engage in a mural project, a discussion with UHS students and our Families Multicultural Committee, a Western Civ Jeopardy! session, an admissions seminar, an a cappella rehearsal, an authors’ book signing, and a coding class.

Banners with the new UHS logo, conceived by renowned Bay Area artist and designer Michael Schwab (and the cover of last fall’s Journal!), hung on poles throughout the city as the weekend approached. The culminating 40th Gala at the Palace of the Fine Arts saw over 700 UHS community members gather for a night of entertainment and nostalgia.

It was bittersweet but fitting that Bruce “Doc” Lamott would give us an opportunity to establish a faculty professional development endowment in his name (see page 9), which was announced that evening.

The great benefit of completing our strategic design work during such a momentous year is that we have benefitted from the historical lens it has provided, as well as the opportunity to reflect on what aspects of the UHS experience have been most pivotal and enduring for the students, faculty, parents, and staff who have been a part of our teaching and learning community since its founding. As we conclude the final stages of our planning, it is no surprise that some of the basic values and principles that were set forth during our early years have even more significance in 2016: a strong belief in the power of diversity and unwavering commitment to the city in which we live; that strong relationships are at the center of learning and well-being; that risk-taking and collaboration remain central skills in preparing for college and a life committed to the greater good; and that challenging academics and a strong, engaging, and supportive community are not mutually exclusive.

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It is within this context that we will be revealing our strategic vision and direction this coming summer. However, there has been so much careful thought, research, examination, and inquiry that a number of exciting initiatives have already been put into action. A partial list includes: • Launching a new science sequence, which will position a unique ninth-grade physics course as our students’ introduction to the UHS science experience (see page 4) • Hiring a new executive director of Summerbridge (see page 16), who brings strategic skills to the table as we continue to weave together the narratives of UHS and the Summerbridge program • Breaking ground on Paul Goode Field in the Presidio (see page 14), which will provide a much-needed home field for UHS and an additional athletic venue for the children of San Francisco • Securing permits for the construction of an idea and fabrication lab in South Campus, scheduled to open in August • Advancing our work in social and emotional development through the collaboration of our Human Development Department and our nationally recognized Mentoring Program Turning 40 provides an important moment to stand and reflect in the balance between where we have traveled and our future destinations.

I believe that University High School is at such a moment. There is a palpable sense of excitement and possibility on campus as we look to a future filled with lively, continued dialog and engagement within our community, setting our course for the next 40 years and beyond.

Julia Russell Eells head of school

UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL SPRING 2016

The Sequence of Science

BY ALISSA KINNEY MOE, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL SPRING 2016

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“ With physics as a foundational course, you start with a hands-on approach and introduce fundamental concepts, such as force and energy.”

– Byron Philhour, Physics Instructor and Member of the Physics Design Group

It used to be that biology was the first science course taught to adolescents in the United States, as most students weren’t expected to continue their education beyond the ninth grade and they needed an understanding of the natural world to help out on the family farm, explains Byron Philhour, a physics instructor at UHS. At that time, biology was largely an organismic science, focused on animal and plant life; fastforward to today, and modern biology is a wholly different field that is now grounded in—and demands a comprehensive understanding of—chemistry.

UHS began to address this evolution in the ’90s, integrating biology and chemistry courses, and then breaking biology up into two semester-long classes, with a year of chemistry taught in between. At the time, many faculty members felt that the curricular revision could have gone even further; however, there was no department-wide consensus on how to do so. But the discussion continued, which UHS Science Department Head Chrissy Jacobs saw as a positive: “Revisions are good for the department—they remind us that we should be constantly re-examining and reconsidering our curriculum and how we teach. And now, we appreciate the fact that in order to understand biology, you need to understand chemistry… and to understand chemistry, you need a deep understanding of physics.”

Byron agrees: “The physics-chemistrybiology narrative is a better narrative. With physics as a foundational course, you start with a hands-on approach and introduce fundamental concepts, such as force and energy. As the central course, chemistry allows us to understand matter and the chemical reactions that make the world interesting.

As the capstone course, biology allows us to apply all of these ideas to understanding the complex phenomenon of life.” Though this made the most sense from a pedagogical standpoint, from a logistical standpoint, changing the science sequence at UHS had the potential to result in serious upheaval.

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From the outset, the department had the full support of then newly arrived Head of School Julia Russell Eells and Dean of Faculty and Assistant Head of School Nasif Iskander, himself the teacher of University’s astronomy elective. Preparing for the curricular shift meant that the science faculty had to come to a greater understanding of what and how their colleagues teach, with more time set aside for discussion and visiting one another’s classes in order to gain greater familiarity with the variety of science offerings at UHS. The department also made two new hires in the Fall of 2015 in preparation for the changes ahead: Jen Look, who most recently taught chemistry at Mercer University in Georgia, and Luke Probst, who is, literally, an astrophysicist. This year, Luke joined the math department, with the intention of switching over to physics in the 2016–17 school year in order to help cover the many sections of both ninth-grade and junior/senior physics that will be offered as we begin our sequencing transition.

A “physics design group” was also initiated, and has now been meeting for well over a year to create a new ninth-grade physics course in time for the arrival of the Class of 2020. The group consulted with a representative from the Exploratorium and peer schools who have already implemented curricular sequence changes, such as the Menlo and Nueva Schools. Now, with the majority of the planning and preparation behind them,

the department feels confident in moving forward this fall. “It’s been such a meaningful professional experience for me to watch the department go through this together,” says Chrissy. “The degree to which we’ve been able to learn from each other and truly collaborate, coming up with something better than anyone would’ve on their own, has been so exciting.”

During the transition years, when ninthgrade and junior and senior students will be taking physics, some science faculty will be temporarily under-utilized. But the school is using what could be a stumbling block as an opportunity, with non-physics teachers who have traditionally taught ninth- and tenth-grade biology and chemistry on board to act as resources and collaborators for their physics-teaching colleagues. Additionally, non-physics teaching faculty with a lighter courseload next year will embark upon both curricular and professional development projects that will benefit the science department—and our students—as a whole.

What has become clear to everyone involved, is that the development of a ninth-grade physics course at UHS will result in some exciting changes to the science curriculum. For example, one feature of the newly designed course is that each unit will culminate in a project and students will have a wealth of options in regards to the kind of project they will do, allowing for significant enrichment opportunities. “It was important for us to UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL SPRING 2016

the scientific sequence co n t i n u e d ...

A Word from Our Experts Byron Philhour on how the field of biology has changed:

“The 21st century has seen an explosion in the field of biology—there is too much to teach in a single year, let alone ninth grade. Some people like to say the 21st century is to biology as the 20th century was to physics.”

Jen Look on why physics

provides such a strong foundation for the other sciences:

“Physics is about understanding the rules that govern the universe. Chemistry is about applying these rules to the matter that makes up everything we can see, and biology is about applying them to living systems. By learning the underlying principles first, we can gain a better appreciation of why the phenomena we see in other sciences actually occur.”

Luke Probst on why hands-on learning is important:

“We are following in the footsteps of some recent physics-teaching pioneers, who have focused physics away from abstract math and onto more qualitative and experiment-based learning.

This is more accessible to young physics students, and it will build strong and new intuitions for understanding how things work. “ UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL SPRING 2016

examine the different ways we could structure and scaffold projects so that our ninthgraders will be empowered to make strategic decisions that are best for their individual learning,” notes Chrissy. Additionally, the course will have a significant historical context, with students learning about the development of scientific ideas beginning in Mesopotamia and Western versus Non-Western science. The science faculty is eager to collaborate with their history counterparts in order to discover ways in which their two disciplines can intersect. “Science is a human endeavor that is about society, not just facts— this is a throughline that we hope will transform how the kids think about their biology and chemistry classes, as well,” Chrissy explains. “The type of teaching that will happen with this new curriculum is very much

experimentally-based and hands-on—being able to see science happen is crucial to deeper understanding of the concepts we teach.”

Luke is excited about the possibilities that this experimental learning will provide our students: “I have been very impressed by the students here, and I’m excited to help open up a deeper understanding of the world around us. I have found UHS students to be very curious, and that is one of the most important qualities to have as a scientist.”

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Back for the Future: Celebrating 40 Years of UHS

BY ALISSA KINNEY MOE, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

And what an unforgettable celebration it was! After kicking off our anniversary festivities in September with UHS Day, when we welcomed back founding faculty and staff, including first Head of School Dennis Collins, University kept the party going throughout the year. The school filled its calendar with stunning alumni art exhibitions; the student-focused Then, Now, Tomorrow Symposium, which explored the ongoing story of our school and city; alumni reunions across the country; and the culminating Anniversary Celebration in March, which spanned a full weekend and took our community back to the UHS campus, as well as San Francisco’s storied Palace of Fine Arts.

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UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL SPRING 2016

Program I. THE ALL-STAR JAZZ COMBO: Piano: Chris Drake ’99, Greg Schram ’08,

and Adam Shulman ’97

Saxophone: Luke Miner ’96 and Tim Price

(Jazz Combo director since 1987)

Vocals: Caroline Getz ’10 Bass: Frank Grijalva

(Jazz Combo director, 1984–87)

Drums: Thomas Yopes ’09

II. COMEDY: Ali Wong ’00 III. PUPPETRY: Basil Twist ’87 IV. UHS MUSICAL THEATER RETROSPECTIVE: (accompanied by Billy Philadelphia on piano, Swen Hendrickson ’08 on bass, and Thomas Yopes ’09 on drums) Chris Nomura ’82 Helene Zindarsian ’82 Julia Hunt Nielsen ’87 Robby Stafford ’87 Anne Tolpegin ’88 Rozz Nash ’91 Kevin Fugaro ’06 Ken Savage ’10 V. ALUMNI A CAPPELLA (directed by Doc Lamott, Camerata director and musical instructor since 1980, and with arrangements

by Deke Sharon ’86)

UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL SPRING 2016

“[The weekend] was a warm, inspiring reunion and testimony to the school’s past and future.

I’m so glad I was there [to be a part of it]…”

— Mickey Williamson, former faculty 8

back for the future co n t i n u e d ...

The Alumni Open Campus officially kicked things off on the Saturday afternoon of our anniversary weekend, with hundreds visiting a sun-soaked UHS to participate in the creation of a community mural; rehearse musical numbers with Bruce “Doc” Lamott; attend a Western Civ Jeopardy! session; enjoy a bouncy house on the tennis courts; attend an admissions Q&A; and see the muchbuzzed-about documentary, CODE: Debugging the Gender Gap, directed and produced by UHS Trustee Robin Hauser Reynolds P’12 ’14, among other activities that encompassed the UHS experience and brought back memories for our visiting alums. That evening, University alumni gathered once again in the Lower Courtyard for reunion, where they reconnected and reminisced with old friends and faculty from their high school years.

On Sunday evening, the weather took a turn for the dreary, but the community still turned out to celebrate in style with a beautiful 40th Anniversary “Back for the Future” Gala at the Palace of Fine Arts. After a cocktail hour filled with good food, wine, and company, attendees filed into the theater for a truly astounding program of entertainment put on by our talented alums and organized by Doc ...co n t i n u e d o n

t h e n e x t pag e

Honoring Doc This spring, Bruce “Doc” Lamott, music instructor and direc-

At the time this Journal went to press, over 200 gifts from alumni,

University High School after 36 years of serving as a passion-

Fellowship, a true testament to all that Doc has meant to so

UHS graduates. Perhaps Doc’s impact on this school came into

bolizing your support, please contact Director of Development

tor of the UHS Chorus, Sinfonia, and Camerata, will retire from

ate, inspiring, and often hilarious mentor for generations of

sharper focus than ever during our 40th Anniversary Celebra-

tion, with the adoration of his former students apparent onstage,

faculty, and friends had been made to fund the Bruce Lamott

many in our community. If you would like to make a gift symShaundra Bason at shaundra.bason@sfuhs.org.

in rehearsals, and in the bits of nostalgic conversation overheard

throughout the weekend.

In honor of his remarkable work and legacy at UHS, Head

of School Julia Russell Eells and Board Chair Jane Prior P ’15

announced at the 40th Anniversary Gala’s close that University had established an endowed fellowship in Doc’s honor, which

will be awarded each year to members of the faculty to pursue

proposed interdisciplinary curricula and team teaching, as Doc

championed in University’s storied Western Civilization course.

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UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL SPRING 2016

Then, Now, Tomorrow

BY ALEX LOCKETT, DEAN OF STUDENTS Last November, University High School hosted a symposium, San Francisco: Then, Now, Tomorrow, in celebration of our school’s 40th anniversary. As a community that prides itself on being “in and of the city,” we felt that an appropriate way to honor the founding and history of our school was to dive into the context in which the school has existed, currently exists, and will continue to exist. Knowing that storytelling is the fastest way to build connection and understanding, we decided to invite resident activists, politicians, chefs, scientists, inventors, educators, and artists (many of whom are UHS alums) to tell their unique San Francisco story. Integrating these narratives with our own “tales of the city,” we collectively created a fresh and nuanced perspective that helped us to deepen our understanding of San Francisco’s history, its current reality, and the part we each play in its future.

Our dynamic group of student-organizers planned a day that involved 27 different guest storytellers; a local, organic lunch true to the food tradition of the Bay Area; and a finale in which students told their own “very San Francisco” story to the whole school.

We ended the day feeling closer to each other and more appreciative of the exciting city in which we live and learn.

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back for the future co n t i n u e d

f r o m p r e v i o u s pag e ...

himself, featuring a jazz ensemble, Broadway tunes, comedy, puppetry, and masterful emceeing by our own wildly talented Ken Savage ’10. [Please see “The Program” sidebar on page 8 for the full line-up.]

The evening concluded with Board of Trustees Chair Jane Prior P’15’s announcement of an endowed fellowship for interdisciplinary teaching, created in honor of Doc, who will be retiring this spring after 36 years at UHS. It was a magical end to a wonderfully nostalgic and poignant weekend for our school. We are so grateful to all who were able to join us in celebration—and we can’t wait to see what the next 40 years will bring!

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Red Devil Rally

BY JIM KETCHAM, ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

Red Devil Athletics is such a large part of the student experience at University, that it always proves a challenging task to write about it and touch on every noteworthy moment and story that takes place on our fields, courts, and sidelines. As I jotted down some thoughts in preparation for this article, what seemed to emerge were a series of numbers each connected to an important part of the Red Devil Athletics storyline, circa 2016.

520

This is the number of UHS students on team rosters this school year, the highest in our history. About two-thirds of our student body is involved in a spring sport and almost half participated in a fall sport, meaning that for a school of 400, many play on two or more teams a year!

We often say that our athletic program can only bring value to those who choose to participate, and these numbers clearly demonstrate that UHS students are seeing that value!

375

The number of days until the opening of the first new athletic facility at UHS since we made a gym out of the top floor of 3185 Washington Street almost 40 years ago. Paul Goode Field is now officially under construction and will open (fingers crossed) in April of 2017. The Presidio field that we have used for over 15 years via a year-to-year lease will now be ours until at least 2050—and potentially in perpetuity.

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This will be the first artificial surface athletic field (organic infill turf, to be exact) in a national park and, as that fact implies, took some incredibly determined and persistent negotiating by University parent and Board member Jim Shapiro P’ 09, ’11, ’13, ’17, from the time we were selected as the RFP winner in 2012 until the lease was finally signed in late 2015.

Paul Goode Field will serve over 250 UHS student-athletes, including members of the baseball, softball, lacrosse, field hockey, soccer, and track and field programs. When complete, the field will be the best athletic facility in the city and will serve as a fantastic home field—something Red Devil ground and ball sport athletes have never experienced and will just have to get used to!

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A few years ago, UHS Head Cross Country and Track and Field Coach Carin Marrs had perhaps the most impossible task in the history of coaching—filling the shoes of the

legendary Coach Jim Tracy before he passed in 2014 after a long battle with ALS. While there will never be another Coach Tracy, we are finding out that there may never be another Carin Marrs, either. The number cited here is the number of students in the track and field program this spring—almost double the historical average. How a coach can run a program this large is hard to imagine. But every day, a completely full bus of Red Devils leaves Washington Street for Kezar Stadium, where six specialty coaches work with sprinters, jumpers, throwers, hurdlers, and distance runners. The girls’ team is the defending Class A Champions and the boys recently won their first league meet in memory. “Strength in numbers,” the motto of the 2015 World Champion Golden State Warriors, is also an apt description of UHS Track and Field.

39

Many alumni who graduated before 2000 will remember the annual competition in our league for the Commissioner’s Cup, awarded to the school that received the most points for their collective teams’ order of finish across the different sports and seasons. University won the cup so often that, when former Athletic Director John Wehrle retired, the league ADs voted to retire the cup with him. But the fact that it no longer officially exists doesn’t mean we can’t calculate standings as if it did—and we do! The number 39 represents the number of points we would have accuUNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL SPRING 2016

red devil rally co n t i n u e d ...

mulated through fall and winter league play this year—enough to put us in first place, ahead of Lick-Wilmerding by two.

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Not that we are the betting types, but if we really wanted to win a wager, we’d likely challenge you to name the UHS team that was forced to make cuts this year. Chances are we could allow ten guesses before the correct answer—Red Devil Fencing—emerged. Yet this extraordinary program, now in its 12th year of operation, had to limit participation to 20 fencers (of the 25 who came out for the team) due to a simple lack of equipment and coach time. We love the enthusiasm!

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This is the number of Red Devil teams whose end-ofseason survey responses showed a 100% affirmative response to the question, “Was participating on your team a positive experience for you this year?”

Of the other 11 teams surveyed, five had a 90–99% positive response rate, while another five had an 80-89% positive rating.

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We have been so proud to field 13 sub-varsity (JV and freshmen) teams at University this year.

With 22 varsity teams at UHS, our relatively small student body is already spread thinly across our athletic program. But it is still critically important, for both experience and competitive development reasons, to allow younger, less-developed players to get time in game situations. This year, we fielded sub-varsity teams in soccer (three), basketball (three), tennis (two), lacrosse (two), field hockey, volleyball, and baseball. This simply does not happen at any other school our size, and it’s a testament to our student-athletes’ desire to get involved!

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Twelve inches may seem like a short distance, but it is all that separated our field hockey team from a league title this past fall, one that what would have been only the second in school history. The 35-member program competes in San Jose against schools with an average enrollment of over 1500 students— yet our team emerged this year as a true title contender.

With just a week to go in the season, the Red Devils had a one-goal lead over secondplace Willow Glen, with only 20 seconds left to play under the lights at Kezar Stadium.

A win would have put the team more than a game clear in the league standings. But Willow Glen’s star player inverted her stick to look like a golf club and took a whack at the ball with her back facing the goal. The blind shot took the ball into a high arc, finally

UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL SPRING 2016

nestling in the upper corner of the goal net, less than a foot from being too high or wide. Had the shot missed, time would’ve expired. But with the ball caught in the netting, Willow Glen prevailed in overtime.

Still, our team set season records for goals scored and goal differential in the newest Red Devil powerhouse program.

2

This number is significant, as it represents the number of years in a row and the number of basketball teams that have earned a berth in the California State Basketball Championships. To have both of our hoop teams go this deep in the postseason is extraordinary and something we do not take for granted. This is perhaps the most heavily competitive of California high school sports, and our teams put everything they have into their seasons. Both won over 20 games this winter, with the girls sharing a league title and the boys making the Section Championship game and earning a #2 overall ranking in NorCal. The girls lost an incredibly exciting game against Jackson High when the first of a one-and-one free throw opportunity, with the team down by one and only three seconds left, rolled off the rim—heartbreak! The boys made it to the NorCal final four, and almost pulled out a great comeback victory, until a well-taken three-point shot refused to drop at Kezar Pavilion. To be in the locker room, where not a single player could control the tears streaming down their cheeks, was to understand how much heart these athletes put into their seasons and how much it hurts to lose that final game and realize that there won’t be a practice tomorrow.

Our basketball coaches, Randy Bessolo and Mary Hile-Nepfel, continue to produce excellent teams that play with such passion, they never fail to impress, even in seasons where the final bounce does not go our way. Randy is in his 12th season, and his teams have produced incredible stretches of league titles and state tournament berths, including last year’s NorCal title team that lost the State Championship game at UC–Berkeley’s Haas Pavilion to Sierra Canyon, who were ranked #1 in the country for schools of all sizes at the beginning of this season.

Mary is a legendary USF Hall of Fame player who also coached the women’s team at USF for almost two decades. She is well on her way to building a program on the girls’ side to match up with the long-standing excellence of the boys’ program.

These numbers certainly don’t do justice to the experiences, development, and learning that happens athlete by athlete, team by team, season by season, across the full spectrum of the Red Devil Athletic Program. And while we continue to take enormous pride in the effort and actions of our University athletes, they themselves gain confidence, friendships, habits, and values through their participation on our teams that will serve them well in college and beyond—just as it has for generations of Red Devils before them.

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UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL SPRING 2016

The UHS Album:

Breaking Ground

BY ALISSA KINNEY MOE, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

UHS parents; faculty; student-athletes; and community leaders, including UHS Trustee Jim Shapiro P’09, ’11, ’13, & ’17; Board Chair Jane Prior P’15; Head of School Julia Russell Eells; and Athletic Director Jim Ketcham P’06, ’09, & ’13 attended (in some cases with a shovel in-hand!) the ceremonial groundbreaking at Paul Goode Field.

UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL SPRING 2016

On a crisp and windy day last November, University High School Board members, Athletics Department faculty and coaches, studentathletes, parents, and Head of School Julia Russell Eells gathered to break ground on a project over a decade in the making: the major renovation and long-term lease of Paul Goode Field. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Presidio, a former military base now protected by the National Park Service and located mere steps from the UHS campus, the field will be more accessible to our community than many of the facilities our students have customarily traveled to around San Francisco for practice and games. This will provide our student-athletes with greater stability (one home base to travel to every day for practice) and time (perhaps our most precious commodity at UHS), and encourage greater fan attendance for University-hosted athletic competitions.

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Please visit www.sfuhs.org/paulgoode to view the diagram above with its accompanying legend.

The planned renovations are significant: organic infill turf will replace poor-quality grass for a championshipquality playing surface that remains eco-conscious, while also allowing our student-athletes to use the facility in varied weather conditions and reducing the possibility of injuries. Paul Goode will also undergo a significant expansion, doubling the field’s size, with a practice field, running lanes, a jump pit, picnic area, spectator stands, parking, and equipment storage included. These changes will enable Paul Goode to serve as a first-class athletic facility for UHS teams, ranging from baseball to track and field to lacrosse, as well as a wide range of Bay Area nonprofits and athletic leagues and camps, which currently suffer from a critical shortage of usable fields in San Francisco. Our partnership with these organizations will enable them to serve their constituents, while also strengthening our school’s bonds with the city we love.

To date, we have secured over half of our fundraising goal for this renovation, and we have you—our incredibly supportive UHS community—to thank! We are so grateful for the enthusiasm you have shown for this hugely valuable and transformative project that will benefit so many of our families, as well as thousands of families outside of our UHS community. If you are interested in making a gift to support the Paul Goode Field project, please reach out to Director of Development Shaundra Bason at shaundra.bason@sfuhs.org.

Go, Big Red!

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UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL SPRING 2016

At My Desk WITH MORGAN DARBY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SUMMERBRIDGE

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1. DESKTOP PHOTO: The women in this photo are my “framily”—friends so close, we’re like family. They were some of the first folks I met when I moved out here three years ago, and we all live in the East Bay: Berkeley and Oakland. We met through crossover circles within the LGBT nonprofit world; that’s an important thing, because there are very few of us. Two of them are in the tech industry, one works in philanthropy, and one is currently a graduate student in divinity school. We are a continuous source of support and inspiration for one another—it’s an empowering group that is smart, spiritual, savvy, and sound in their critiques of what it means to be a professional black woman in 2016.

2. PENCIL SHARPENER: I love to keep it old school! I’ve had this pencil sharpener for awhile; I got it at a bookstore in Boston, where I lived for eight years and taught middle school English and history. I think writing with a pencil is cool, perfect for when I want to journal or jot something down quickly. I also love the color gray—specifically, slate. When Andrew [Williams, UHS Class of 2000 and Instructor of Community Engagement] found out how much I love pencils, he gave me a mechanical set. I had to break it to him that I don’t use those; he showed up later with a lovely pack of my beloved oldschool pencils—a perfect welcome gift from a new colleague.

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3. THE NEW JIM CROW: MASS INCARCERATION IN THE AGE OF COLORBLINDNESS BY MICHELLE ALEXANDER: I’m reading this right now with my dad, one of the smartest people I know. My dad—who reads by audio since he lost his vision due to glaucoma nearly eight years ago—and I talk a lot about books, news articles, and history. This book is meaningful on many levels. Michelle Alexander is beyond just an author—she has found a way to talk honestly about race and systemic injustice in the United States. She looks back at our history and questions how we could ever have a level playing field in this country. My dad often shares his stories of growing up in the Jim Crow South and fighting his way to get a doctorate degree. He still visits the farm he grew up on in Mississippi, where his family used to sharecrop.

He and his siblings now each own a piece of the land and “the big house” is owned by the Darby family.

4. SUMMERBRIDGE APPLICATIONS: These are all the teaching fellow applications for the Summer 2016 first round of regular decisions (we already completed an early decision round, and there will be three more rounds coming up later in the process). Ninety-five percent of the kids in our program are students of color, and we aim to hire a faculty that reflects our student body. Here, you can see my penchant for color-coded organizational methods coming out: the red tabs indicate applicants who have secured housing already, which is a huge win in a city with such a significant housing crisis. The purple tabs indicate that the applicant is a person of color. The blue tabs UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL SPRING 2016

indicate that the applicant identifies as male, which gives us another important slice of information. It's crucial to note that none of these qualities alone mean that the applicant is going to get the job—but it does tell us demographic information, including if they are the first in their family to attend college, because we do want our faculty to mirror the experience of our kids. So far this year, we’ve received 136 applications for 24 spots, and we’ll only continue to receive more. This is such an exciting time for Summerbridge—there’s clearly a lot of interest in teaching here, and I can’t wait to meet these dynamic applicants who are so inspired by our mission!

5. “STOP TELLING WOMEN TO SMILE” POSTCARD: This portrait is part of a campaign by a female artist named Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, and it actually features a dear friend of mine. The artist paints these portraits as large murals in different cities across the country, addressing gender-based street harassment. In particular, the murals are intended to speak to folks who may be offending others without even realizing it.

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I appreciate street art, and I’m happy to say that this campaign is now worldwide. It is spreading an important message about gender, how it determines the ways you are treated, and how some seem to believe it is their right to tell you how to look or express yourself, simply based on your gender.

6. CAMP ARANU’TIQ PAMPHLET: Working with Camp Aranu’tiq, the nation’s first sleep-away camp for transgender and gender-variant children and teens, has been a passion of mine since its inception in 2009. We have our own flagship site in New Hampshire and lease land in Southern California, offering up to five weeks of programming in the summer and family weekend programs in the fall and spring. In 2010, we welcomed 40 campers, tuition-free.

The camp now serves over 400 campers a year; I’m really proud of that. It was founded by someone who was barred from returning to the camp where he had been a counselor (and formerly a camper) because he had transitioned. The name of the camp comes from the Yup’ik, an Indigenous

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people of Alaska, which they gave us permission to use, meaning to be revered for having both male and female spirits, to transcend traditional boundaries.

7. PEOPLE OF COLOR CONFERENCE LANYARD: I LOVE the People of Color Conference (PoCC)—the first year I went it was in New Orleans, and I’ve been almost every year since. It is a place of refuge and network, and it gives me the ability to share stories and try out new things in a community where my efforts will be well-received and I’ll get genuine feedback and appreciation. Every place I’ve worked has supported my attending of this conference. For me, being there every year gives me peace of mind and reinforces why I do what I do.

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Community Milestones Each spring, we honor and celebrate those members of the faculty and staff who have reached special milestones in their careers at UHS. The Journal would like to take this opportunity to recognize the following people for their dedication to our school.

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years

Jesse Berrett History

Lynora Hart Business

Deborah Shaw Foreign Language

Deundra Hundon Summerbridge

Nicole Hunter Library

Zach Brantner Athletics

Paul Hauser Science

Melissa Mirza English

Alissa Kinney Moe Communications

Amelia Nieto Foreign Language

Ryan O’Donnell English and Theater

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Rae Ann Sines Science

Ariel Traiber Mathematics

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Jenny Borden Decorator Showcase

Albert Boyle Technology

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The House on Telegraph Hill The following piece was excerpted from Bruce Anderson P’18’s masterful 2016 Decorator Showcase house history.

[The three-story 2016 Decorator Showcase house on the northeast corner of Chestnut and Grant in Telegraph Hill] seems to have been built as much with question marks as with concrete, brick, and redwood beams. The original owner was Louis Demartini. Who was he? Where did someone who was listed variously in the public records as a laborer, cigar store bookkeeper, property manager, and phonograph salesman get the money to build a mansion just as the Great Depression was eviscerating the American economy?

Fortunately, the house itself proves much less puzzling… There are no windows opening onto walls, no staircases rising to the ceilings. In the virtual shadow of Coit Tower, the Chestnut Street house is straightforward, with elegant gardens, spacious communal rooms, and unobstructed views of Alcatraz, Treasure Island, the Bay Bridge’s eastern span, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Marina. The top floor features two bedrooms, each with floor-to-ceiling French doors that open to a balcony. The main floor includes a formal living room and dining room, as well as the kitchen. The entrance hallway has a coffered ceiling and leads to a curving grand staircase. The mezzanine level has a sitting room, bedroom, and bathroom.

The bottom floor includes an extensive wine cellar with spaces for more than 1,000 bottles. It once featured a banquet hall, which has become a more informal living room that opens onto the back garden. A two-car detached garage nearby has been updated with an electric car–charging station. The European-style gardens blend lemon and olive trees with rose bushes and Travertine walkways and patios. The exterior of the house is decorated with marble friezes done by the Florentine sculptor 19

Artwork by Jan Wignall ’18.

Aristede Pirelli and with glazed terracotta rondels, sometimes referred to as della Robbias.

Until recently, the home also had two large mosaics—one of St. Francis (inside, near the front door), one of an unclad man (outside, above the formal entryway)—done by the modernist sculptor Elio Benvenuto. These mosaics probably dated to the 1950s; the exterior one was noted in a survey of the house done in 1959.

So, who gets the credit for this asymmetrical wonder? Paul F. Demartini, a San Francisco architect for many decades who may or may not have been related to owner Louis Demartini? Or Peter (originally Pietro) D. Canali, the Italian immigrant who claimed to have overseen the design and construction of the house from 1930 to 1932?

To learn more about the Villa de Martini and read the house history in its entirety, please support Decorator Showcase by visiting 298 Chestnut Street—and pick up a program book while you’re there!

VISITING SHOWCASE DATES:

April 30–May 30 HOURS:

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday: 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.* Friday: 10:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m.* ◆ Sunday and Memorial Day: 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.* Closed on Mondays, except for Memorial Day * Last entry TICKETS:

Available at the door or online at: www.decoratorshowcase.org.

We accept payment via cash, check, VISA, or Mastercard. $35 general admission; $30 for seniors (60 and over).

BOOKINGS:

For group bookings of 10 or more, please contact Thelma Garza at (415) 447.3115 or thelma.garza@sfuhs.org.

INFORMATION:

(415) 447.5830 | www.decoratorshowcase.org

UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL SPRING 2016

Getting to Know UHS: Development, Part I As we wind down another Annual Fund season at University High School, we wanted to give our community the chance to get to know our dedicated Development team just a little bit better. More than just fundraising, the women of the UHS Development Department connect us in our ongoing support of a place that has had a profound impact on all of our lives. As the first in a two-part series, this issue features Director of Development Shaundra Bason, Senior Associate Director of Development Kate Gorrissen, and Director of Alumni Relations Holly Johnson ’82, discussing their work, their interests, and just why it is they do what they do.

SHAUNDRA BASON DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT What made you decide to pursue development as a career?

My father was—and still is—a remarkable fundraiser, who has made a difference in the lives of so many. Growing up, I was fascinated with his passion for tapping into philanthropy to make a difference in the areas of poverty, mental health, women’s rights, and other important issues.

What about your work at UHS are you most proud of?

I’m proud of my role in the self-study and strategic planning process and how these will inform the school’s needs into the future. Working toward greater faculty support, enhanced financial aid, and an increased interdisciplinary curriculum is something we can all feel proud of.

UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL SPRING 2016

KATE GORRISSEN SENIOR ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT How would you describe what you do every day?

That is the fun part of my job—every day is very different, depending on the time of year. In the fall my most important responsibility is making sure the Annual Fund is successful—penning thank you notes for the generous gifts we receive and, most importantly, thanking the amazing volunteers who are the backbone of a successful campaign. Without them, there would be no Annual Fund.

What would people be most surprised to learn about the work you do?

That asking for money is actually not what I do. Development work has much more to do with relationships and trust you build with the individuals and giving them opportunities to contribute in meaningful ways to a cause that matters to them.

HOLLY JOHNSON ’82 DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS What is the most meaningful part of helping UHS meet its financial goals?

UHS is such an amazing school that I feel like every cent spent is an incredible investment in our students’ lives and the communities we are a part of. And, given that I focus on alumni fundraising, I am especially inspired by the impact alums can have on financial aid and Summerbridge.

What about your work at UHS are you most proud of?

I feel really proud of the connections I have worked for 13 years to strengthen, and of the fact that alumni often think of UHS first when they have news, need support, or have opportunities to share.

Please be sure to check out the second part of our Getting to Know UHS: Development series, when we will talk to Director of Events and Special Projects Thelma Garza, Showcase Director Jenny Borden, and Development Associate Mary King on their work on behalf of the San Francisco Decorator Showcase!

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Please consider making a gift to the Annual Fund. In doing so, you will help ensure that we can continue to recruit, retain, and reward outstanding faculty, delivering on the promise of providing every student an exceptional education and experience at University High School.

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Spring 2016

UHS Class Notes 1978

Ethan Canin’s latest book, A Doubter’s Almanac, was released earlier this year, immediately becoming a New York Times Bestseller. Among the gushing reviews was this from the Washington Post: “Math made beautiful… Ethan Canin writes with such luxuriant beauty and tender sympathy that even victims of Algebra II will follow his calculations of the heart with rapt comprehension.”

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The traveling UHS team of Development Director Shaundra Bason, Head of School Julia Russell Eells, and Director of Alumni Relations Holly Johnson ’82 was thrilled to meet Catherine Calvert ’79, Marc Mitchell ’81, Jamie Lieberman ’84, Helen Matzger ’84, Sean Gorman ’87, Matt Warburg ’88, Katherine Cardinal ’89, Sherman Griffin ’89, Lily Toton Evans ’92, and Jaime Teevan ’94 in Seattle last fall. Next stop: Portland!

1981

As usual, the Class of 1981 planned to attend University’s 40th Anniversary Celebration/ Reunion weekend in great numbers! And as they prepared to celebrate, they began sharing their own personal updates. Here are a few snippets; please look for more in the fall Journal!

Catherine (Yhap) Bonargent writes from Paris: “As for me, I’ve been living in Paris these last 30+ years, straight from my second year at Berkeley for a year abroad at the Sorbonne, and, well, I didn’t make it back.

Two husbands and two wonderful daughters later, 10 years in the fashion industry and 20 in graphic design… it’s been an exciting time, but now is much calmer! So while the invitations are flying around, if anyone happens to come to Paris, feel free to get in touch! Since I’ve been here, I’ve only seen Cherie Mayman and Sylvia Vientulis (Chavez)—completely by chance in the street about 30 years ago—and James Hall, who came here several times, including UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL SPRING 2016

to my second wedding at my parents’ house, in the South of France over 20 years ago.

Have a great reunion!”

Scott Hill writes that he lives in Salta, which is in the Northwest of Argentina (not far from Chile and Bolivia). He recently opened a scuba diving school with a college pal who is a PADI instructor. Their goal is to bring something new to Salta, turn people on to the underwater world, and take three to four trips per year to Chile to get their beach fix (it’s about a 12-hour drive over the Andes). He has also been doing a little teaching (marine science and fisheries management to high school students and English conversation to a group of lawyers), picking up golf, mountain biking with a crazy group of friends, lots of hiking, and exploring the local area and beyond. He reconnected with Gustavo Lorenzatti, the AFS exchange student from senior year, in Cordoba, and they had a blast!

The following class notes include information submitted through March 7, 2016. Please submit your news by email to uhsalumni@sfuhs.org or by mail. Photographs are welcome and will be returned upon request. Digital images should be of high resolution for printing.

Remember that the Alumni Office is here to help you network with other alumni and keep in touch with old friends. The password-protected online directory can be reached by logging in at www.sfuhs.org/alumni (click on the “Log In” button at the top of the page).

Thank you for keeping in touch!

including George Takei and Lea Salonga (who performed the singing voices of Jasmine in Aladdin and Fa Mulan in Mulan). Among the happy attendees were: Maren Montalbano Brehm ’92, Bill Bullard, Kevin Fugaro ’06, Nick Gerry-Bullard ’02, Holly Johnson, Jesse Ma ’01, Tanya Malott ’84, Tiffany Tang ’04, Christien Tompkins ’04, Charlene Choi ’99, Allison Dorey ’08, Amelie Lipman ’04, Molly March ’83, Greg Tobkin ’04, Anne Tolpegin ’88, and Kathy Wright. Chris performed alongside Helene Zindarsian at the 40th Gala in March.

Erin Cressida Wilson is adapting the bestselling novel Girl on the Train, by Paula Jenkins, for the screen for DreamWorks, Steven Spielberg’s studio. She lives in New York, where she moved to work for HBO. Stretching out their 50th birthday celebrations for as long as possible, Ruth Berkowitz, Holly Johnson, Carla Fenton Witt, and Kathy Wright, along with Kathy’s sisters Peggy Wright ’80 and Sally Wright ’79, enjoyed hiking the Yosemite High Sierra last fall.

Allison Stern writes from The Hague, where she has lived with her husband, Greg, for the past three years. She has been coaching and teaching leadership development at a business school in Rotterdam, and is now also finishing up her PhD. Her research and dissertation topic is on the power of place in fostering transformative experiences.

1984

Jessica Vapnek reports that she still loves her international development job based in San Francisco (travelling often, mostly to various countries in Africa), and that her son is now 11 and a sixth-grader. “He’s a brown belt in karate and a born lawyer who could convince you the sky is black,” she adds.

Colleen Mullins was part of the February art show in University’s Jackson Street Gallery. Three alums: Colleen, Mary Daniel Hobson ’87, and Adam Thorman ’99, exhibited landscapes for the show, Lay of the Land, curated by UHS photography instructor Gale Jesi.

1982

1986

Renee Goddard is now the MAYOR of Fairfax!

Chris Nomura starred in Allegiance, the Broadway musical about Japanese American internment during World War II. About 30 UHS alums, friends, and faculty went to see the production in late January. Afterwards, Chris introduced the group to his co-stars,

Harold Mann and his brother, Alex Mann ’86, are celebrating 25 years of Mann Consulting, an IT consultancy in San Francisco.

Louise Greenspan, along with Sekou Banks ’99, Sandra Bodovitz Feder ’81, and Monique Williams Morris ’90 participated in an authors’ tea and book-signing at the 40th Anniversary Celebration Weekend Alumni Open Campus. Louise signed copies of her book, The New Puberty, which was also the focus of a recent alumni seminar she presented.

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1. The cover of Ethan Canin ’78’s most recent book, A Doubter’s Almanac.

2. Chris Nomura ’82 starred in Broadway's Allegiance, and this group of UHS’ers got to see him.

3. Scott Hill ’81 recently reconnected with Gustavo, an exchange student at UHS who graduated with the Class of 1981!

4. Adam Thorman ’99, Mary Daniel Hobson ’87, and Colleen Mullins ’84 at the gallery opening for their photography show.

5. Alumna and Trustee Louise Greenspan ’86 (left) participated in both a recent UHS alumni seminar and a book-signing at the 40th Anniversary Alumni Open Campus.

6. Basil Twist ’87 was awarded a 2015 MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, or “genius grant”!

7. The Class of 1982’s Kathy Wright, Holly Johnson, Ruth Berkowitz and Carla Fenton Witt in Yosemite.

1987

Julia Hunt Nielsen performed at our 40th Anniverary. She’s also been seen recently on the stage with Alameda’s Island City Opera in the role of Musetta in Puccini’s La Boheme. Silvie Jensen ’94 also performs with Island City.

Rob Stafford was also a part of the 40th Anniversary Celebration Gala!

Basil Twist was awarded a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship last fall for his puppetry and theater work. In the award, the Foundation described his work: “Basil Twist is a puppeteer and theater artist whose experiments with the materials and techniques of puppetry explore the boundaries between the animate and inanimate, the abstract, and the figurative.” After UHS, Basil studied at École Nationale Supérieure des Arts de la Marionnette. Most recently,

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he was a Mohr Visiting Artist at Stanford University. UHS was excited to host him as a part of the 40th Anniversary celebration, where he performed for students at an assembly, and also for the community as a whole at the 40th Anniversary “Back for the Future” Gala!

1988

Maya Browne recently hosted a wine and cheese reception at her New York apartment, with many of UHS alums in attendance!

Among the guests were: Jennifer Braunschweiger, Tom Burke ’87, Jonathan Dreyfous ’87, Jeremy Faust ’97, Ashleigh Fernandez ’96, Paul Gordon, Hilary Jager ’97, Bayard Martensen ’96, Sherief Meleis, Robert Pincus ’80, Sasha Rich ’96, Melina Robbana ’01, Alexi Saldamando ’96, Peter Saraf ’83, Kate Taylor ’97, Anne Tolpegin, Basil Twist ’87, and Lydia Zamacona ’96, along with

Shaundra Bason, Julia Russell Eells, Holly Johnson ’82, and Bruce Lamott.

Anne Tolpegin graced our stage again as part of the 40th Anniversary Celebration Gala at the Palace of Fine Arts.

Mark Wild and his wife, Gabrielle Zadra, welcomed twins in November of 2014, joining big brother Johan (four).

1990

Ted Levinson has launched Beneficial Returns, a debt fund to support social enterprises in emerging markets. He’s building a pipeline of strong borrowers and raising capital from small family foundations and donor advised funds. Beneficial Returns provides loans of $75,000–$500,000, enabling social enterprises to acquire revenueproducing or cost-reducing equipment in

UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL SPRING 2016

class notes co n t i n u e d ...

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1. UHS paid a visit to Tauba Auerbach ’99’s latest show, Projective Instrument, while in New York City.

2. John Beshears ’00 married wife Lauren last year, with many UHS alums in attendance.

3. Kandice Hribar, Lisa Lindenbaum, and Margaret Timbrell all welcomed new additions to the Class of 1997 family last year (in Margaret’s case, twins)!

4. Sam Brondfield ’04, Emma Bainbridge ’06, Josh Shak ’02, and Evan Shalen ’04 often see each other in the halls of UCSF as medical residents.

5. Jabali Sawicki ’95, Melina Denebeim Robbana ’01, Robert Reffkin ’97, and Robert’s daughter, Raia, got together for a UHS Thanksgiving last fall in New York .

6. Daniel Mattes ’08 recently opened TINI Cafe + Bar in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

7. The cover of Monique Williams Morris ’90’s latest effort, Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools.

UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL SPRING 2016

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order to increase the scale and pace of their impact. Until recently, Ted was the senior director of social enterprise lending at RSF Finance in San Francisco.

Monique Williams Morris has lots of news!

Having founded a nonprofit organization that focuses on reducing the criminalization and incarceration of Black women and other women of color, she presented at a meeting on the interruption of what is being called the “sexual abuse to prison pipeline” at the White House, hosted by the Council on Women and Girls. She is also excited to continue building a model reentry program for girls in the East Bay and working to help prevent sexual assault in some of our most vulnerable communities. Additionally, her new book, Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools, was released by New Press in March. Monique was also one of the alumni authors at our authors’ tea at the Alumni Open Campus during the 40th Anniversary Celebration Weekend.

1991

Rozz Nash was part of our 40th Anniversary “Back for the Future” Gala. She is the director of performing and visual arts at Roses in Concrete Community School, a K–8 school in East Oakland.

1992

Betina Suessmann Baumgarten reports: “I had the pleasure and honor of styling Blye Faust, one of the Oscar-winning producers for best picture Spotlight for her award shows (SAGs, BAFTA, PGA, DGA, and collaborated on styling her for the Oscars with her dress designer, who is also local). I also exclusively styled her for all of her events associated therewith, including the BAFTA pre-party at Kensington Palace, the Diane von Furstenberg Luncheon for all women nominees, the infamous Vanity Fair preparty, the Women in Film dinner, etc.”

Adam Bolton is the new associate director of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) System Science and Data Center in Tucson, AZ. In their press release, the center said that Adam “brings to NOAO broad and deep technical expertise in imaging and spectroscopic surveys that is motivated by his research interest in galaxies, dark matter, and dark energy.”

John-Austin Saviano and his wife, Juliana Terheyden, welcomed son William Francis on March 20, 2015.

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1994

Nina Geneson Otis reports that she is married to Jordan Otis and they live in San Francisco. Their son, Colton, was born September 29, 2014.

Veronica Roberts writes: “I’m still a curator of modern and contemporary art at the Blanton Museum in Austin (thank you, Western Civ and AP Art History!)”

1995

Daniel Lurie was the head AND the heart behind San Francisco’s gig as host of Super Bowl 50. He ensured that one-quarter of all the sponsorship dollars would go to local nonprofits fighting poverty.

Jennifer Pepin and her art gallery, J. Pepin Art Gallery, received some great press recently due to the good work she is doing for artists who live with mental illness. The gallery is located in Portland’s Pearl district.

1996

Scott Campbell is loving his work as an editor at BleacherReport.com, where he’s responsible for several different sports leagues, as well as the upcoming Summer and Winter Olympics. He lives in the Bay Area with his wife, Maryam, a dentist, and their daughter, Kate (15 months).

Ross Siegel writes: “I just had a son! My wife, Sonya Penn, and I had a child, Devon Penn Siegel, on July 16, 2015.” Congrats!

1997

Jeremy Faust is set to complete his residency in emergency medicine in New York this summer. He continues his involvement with choral music in New York.

It’s baby boom for the Class of 1997! Kandice Hribar and her husband, Damian Marano, welcomed daughter Camille Francis Hribar Marano on September 15, 2015. Camille joined big brother Conley Hribar Marano (five). Lisa Lindenbaum and her husband, Jacob Ehrenberg, welcomed Sophie Rose Ehrenberg On October 22, 2015. Margaret Timbrell and her husband, Aaron Hiatt, welcomed twins Marigold Harding Hiatt and Rhone Husnik Hiatt on September 9, 2015. All three families are in San Francisco and, as you can see from the picture to the left, have the sweetest playgroup in town!

Robert Reffkin sent in a cute photo of a UHS Thanksgiving gathering in New York City last fall with Jabali Sawicki ’95, Melina Denebeim Robbana ’01, and his daughter, Raia.

Adam Shulman and Luke Miner '96 were part of the All-Star Jazz Ensemble at the 40th Anniversary Gala!

1999

Tauba Auerbach’s solo show, Projective Instrument, was at the Paula Cooper Gallery in New York when the UHS team was in town earlier this year.

Maggie Danielson reports that she is living in San Francisco with her husband and their two-year-old daughter. She is working at Benefit Cosmetics.

Chris Drake traveled from DC to perform at the 40th Anniversary Gala.

James Joun’s start up, Rinse, has gotten local attention in the press and from venture capitalists. Rinse is a home delivery and pick-up laundry service.

Naomi Sakamoto married Lionel Jingels on September 27, 2015. They live in Oakland.

2000

John Beshears writes: “I’m very happy to report that Lauren Sheerr and I are now married—the wedding was last October in Philadelphia. Several UHS alums came out to celebrate: Andrew Blumberg, Aliza Cohen Schexnayder, Aaron Fung, Jeff Hom, Adam Tewell, Ian Walker, Emily Dobranski Poague ’95, and Brent Scharschmidt ’01.

Lauren and I were college classmates, but we didn’t start dating until we reconnected at the wedding of a mutual friend. Now we live in Cambridge, MA. San Francisco sometimes feels far away, but we visit frequently and look forward to connecting with more folks from UHS on our next trip!”

Ali Wong was our surprise performer at the 40th Anniversary Gala at the Palace of Fine Arts!

2001

Elana Altman retired from the San Francisco Ballet in 2013 and moved to Italy to study food and farming. She’s back in California with plans to open a farm project of her own.

2004

Evan Shalen sent in the awesome photo on page 24 of four alums who are all residents in internal medicine at UCSF— Evan, Josh Shak ’02, Emma Bainbridge ’06, and Sam Brondfield.

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class notes co n t i n u e d ...

2005

George Watsky performed in the student assembly as part of the 40th Anniversary Celebration Weekend.

2006

Maddie Cichy, whose beautiful art was featured in Head of School Julia Russell Eells’s holiday card this year, is working towards her MFA at Cornell University. She showed her most recent paintings in the Jackson Street Gallery last October.

Kevin Fugaro performed a parody he wrote about UHS to the tune of “The Lady of My Love Has Caught Me Talking to Another,” the pattersong he sang in Gilbert & Sullivan’s Iolanthe in 2005, at the 40th Anniversary Celebration Gala.

Meredith Laird received her MD from USC last May.

2007

Lexie Perloff-Giles is in her second year at Yale Law School and is still passionate about art and art law. She will clerk for Judge Marsha Berzon in San Francisco after graduation.

2008

Evie Danforth writes from the campaign trail: “I work in the Clinton campaign’s Brooklyn headquarters on our analytics team, which helps the campaign make strategic, data-driven decisions to optimize how we allocate resources. Working on a presidential campaign has been a dream of mine as far back as my UHS days, and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be right now.

Even though I’m exhausted, I love it.” (Editor’s Note: We’d love to hear from all alums working on any campaigns for a story in the Fall 2016 Journal!)

If you find yourself in Phnom Penh, be sure to check out TINI Cafe + Bar, a coffee shop/ artistic hang-out part-owned by Daniel Mattes. Daniel, who lives in Cambodia working for a nonprofit organization that monitors the trials of former Khmer Rouge officials, told the coffee industry newsletter Sprudge.com that even though he had no experience running a café, he wanted to create a space for people to gather. “… Our goals are fundamentally incompatible with making money,” he said. “We want this to be a quiet space where people can meet with each other or read something.” According to Sprudge, the place is welcoming and the coffee is delicious.

In Memoriam We acknowledge the loss of the following members and friends of the UHS community and extend our deepest sympathy to their families and friends.

Dr. Kent Barber, father of Sarah Barber Wilson ’94, August 7, 2015.

Debbie Diggins, mother of Peter Kramlich ’82 and Rich Kramlich ’81, January 24, 2016.

Bruce Hasenkamp, father of Peter Hasenkamp ’94, November 7, 2015.

Inta Hasenkamp, mother of Peter Hasenkamp ’94, April 11, 2015.

Rolf Lewis, father of Jennifer Lewis ’84 and Karen Lewis Olson ’85, November 22, 2015.

Edward Litke, father of Cindy Litke Hacker ’82, January 4, 2016.

Lynn McKannay, mother of Adrienne McKannay ’92 (deceased) and Sarah McKannay Tate ’90, October 29, 2015.

Catherine “Missy” Saveri, mother of Andrea Saveri ’80, December 15, 2015.

William Stone, father of Rob Stone ’82 and Web Stone ’79, January 25, 2016.

Obituaries in this issue include notices received in the Alumni Office by March 14, 2016. Please let us know if you would like a relative to be remembered in the UHS Journal.

UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL SPRING 2016

Swen Hendrickson, Greg Schram, and Thomas Yopes ’09 were a part of the 40th Anniversary Gala at the Palace of Fine Arts.

2010

Caroline Getz and Ken Savage both returned for the 40th Anniversary “Back for the Future” Celebration Gala! Caroline performed with the All-Star Jazz Ensemble, while Ken was part of the musical theater review, as well as the host of the entire show.

Thanks, guys!

Vera Gould led a mural workshop at the 40th Anniversary Alumni Open Campus! She’s a working artist who lives in San Francisco.

2011

Jordy Byers, Alex Indick, and Jeremy Michelson were all studying abroad in Copenhagen last year. Jordy's mom sent in the awesome photo on the opposite page.

The Class of 2011 turned out in great force at the New York reunion in February. The stellar guest list included: Will Dawley, Jesse Coffino ’00, Alexandra Delanghe Ewing ’98, Caroline Getz ’10, Samantha Goldfien ’01, Michael Gorelik ’03, Carson Heimann, Andrea Imhof ’07, Gabriel Levy ’90, Jelani Lundy-Harris ’05, Sofia McGettigan, David Medoff ’13, Misha Semenov, Reina Shinohara, Clayton Timbrell ’00, Anne Tolpegin ’88, Selby Walker ’05, and Natalie Wildenradt.

2012

Duncan Hosie, a senior at Princeton, interned with the Clinton campaign this summer, and since then has been a volunteer and coordinator of a Princeton University group for Hillary. He has traveled to New York, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania to knock on doors since the primaries started, in addition to helping organize the volunteer effort in Central New Jersey. Duncan is also preparing to leave for England in September on the Marshall Scholarship, and will be studying towards graduate degrees from the London School of Economics (LSE) in comparative politics and gender. He will also be leading an independent research project on LGBT youth homelessness while at LSE. Nick Perloff-Giles will graduate from Columbia in May with a BA in Economics.

He is still producing electronic music.

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1. Duncan Hosie ’12 was an intern with the Hillary Clinton campaign this past summer!

2. Julia Russell Eells visited Jaime Teevan ’94 at Microsoft headquarters.

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3. David Medoff ’13, Natalie Wildenradt ’11, and Will Dawley ’11 visited with Doc Lamott at the New York City reunion.

4. Head of School Julia Russell Eells recently caught up with Seattle-based alums Sean Gorman ’87 and Marc Mitchell ’81.

5. Jordy Byers, Alex Indick, and Jeremy Michelson, all Class of 2011, studied abroad last year in Copenhagen.

6. Margaret Wehner, Aenea Raskin, and Alysia Gonzales represented the Class of 2010 at the Holiday Reunion.

7. Alums Anne Tolpegin ’88, Jelani LundyHarris ’05, and Misha Semenov ’11 at the New York City reunion in February.

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8. Megan Graves ’10 and Vera Gould ’10 at the Holiday Reunion.

9. Will Crawford ’07, Chris Crawford ’05, and Matt Thier ’04 caught up at the Holiday Reunion last December.

10. Zac Robin ’09 and Ale Vargas-Johnson ’08 at the Holiday Reunion.

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UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL SPRING 2016

Alumni Check-In: Ben Gucciardi ’01

BY BRYAN KITCH ’01

It’s a sunny, late February morning when I meet with Ben Gucciardi ’01 outside the Soccer Without Borders office at Oakland International High School (OIHS), in Oakland’s Temescal neighborhood. The school is decorated with colorful murals, and the courtyards feature flowering fruit trees — it’s the time of rebirth, with spring just around the corner. And somehow, that seems like the perfect metaphor for the Soccer Without Borders program.

“The first experience that I had like this was working at a community center in the Mission [District, of San Francisco] called Jamestown — it’s a great organization, an after-school enrichment program for youth, and one of the things that they do is a sports component,” Gucciardi says. Gucciardi helped out with the Jamestown program each summer, when he would return home to San Francisco from Lehigh University, where he played for the nationally ranked Mountain Hawks soccer team.

“That sort of planted the seed, that sports could be used in this very specific way,” he explains, “creating opportunities where before there were none, and there’s this other element of it — it’s not just about sports itself, but also about access and social justice, which resonated with me a lot.”

A quote attributed to the Roman philosopher Seneca states that luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. “Randomly, there was an entrepreneurship contest at Lehigh, and I wrote this idea up that I called ‘Soccer Without Borders,’ at that time thinking of it more in an international context,” says Gucciardi. He won.

At first, he envisioned the program as a way for kids to learn in communities with limited access to schooling, but it wasn’t until his partner, Lauren — then working for an organization called the International Rescue Committee, a refugee resettlement agency — opened his eyes to the issues facing the roughly 70,000 refugees entering the United States each year that Soccer Without Borders, SWB, began to evolve into what it is today.

“It started on this field [just to the south of the current SWB field at OIHS], before it was a baseball field — the school here was empty for a long time,” he says, pointing just to our left. “We did an Oakland refugee community soccer camp, and it was just awesome. The first day there were like 20 kids, and then the next day 25, and then 30.”

Coincidentally, that was the same year, 2007, that OIHS — a school dedicated to teaching refugees from all over the world arriving in the Bay Area — opened its doors.

“The original vision was to use sport as a platform, so we started making that vision a reality — we started doing education sessions, academic support, interventions with some of the kids who were really struggling academically, or even socially.” He continues: “There aren’t a lot of programs that are specifically for that population — there has been a huge influx of kids [unaccompanied minors] coming into the U.S. by themselves, from Central America,” he adds.

Fortunately, for a number of these kids, SWB provides a universal language and a welcoming community — immediately, they belong.

“This is a population that is growing, everywhere, in the U.S., in Europe — and, it’s going to keep happening,” Gucciardi, named a Champion of Change by the White House in 2015, says. “For me, I know that this is work that I’m supposed to be doing. We’re all good at something. If you can figure out the thing that you’re good at, and do that every day, then that’s very, very rewarding.

“We have a kid right now who is going to play soccer at San Francisco State [University] next year, and he was this close to being expelled from [OIHS], this close to joining a gang, he was really in trouble, with me, with the teachers, with the other players, with the referees — now, he’s helping the younger kids. He’s doing well in his classes. And he’s going to San Francisco State to play soccer.”

While this student is a success story, there have also been those who haven’t made the same choices — for Gucciardi, those cases are also motivation, because it makes it clear how delicate the balance is, and how important programs like SWB are for the future of these kids.

“When you ask him,” Gucciardi says of his college-bound studentathlete, “what was it that helped him get to where he was going and he says Soccer Without Borders — of course I’m going to go to work [to] figure out whatever it takes to do this.”

This profile is adapted from a piece that originally appeared in SportUp, an online and mobile education platform co-founded by Drew Payne ’01. For more information about SWB, visit www.soccerwithoutborders.org; for SportUp, you can visit www.sportup.com.

Now, it expands well beyond the field, and across the country: the main SWB administrative center is in Boston, and there are other SWB programs in Greeley (Colorado) and Baltimore, with more cities planned for the future.

UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL SPRING 2016

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Under certain circumstances, arrangements for continued occupancy by the donor for a specified period of time can be made. Tangible personal property may offer the donor an immediate tax deduction. Tax benefits vary and are determined by whether or not the gift is related to the educational purposes of the school.

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UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL SPRING 2015

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