T H E
M A G A Z I N E
O F
S T.
S T E P H E N’ S
E P I S C O P A L
S C H O O L
Summer 2014
Graduation 2013 Honoring the Class of 2014
SNAPSHOT Graduates Brody Peters and Jessica Johnston celebrate commencement
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CO NTEN TS
Summer 2014
Spartan Magazine
P H OTOS COVER: Vanessa Mussett, a member of the Class of 2014
2 Headlines 3 Day of Service and Gratitude
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Jennifer Evans and Stephanie Howard at Spring Swing; dancers Jenna Muehleman, Vanessa Mussett and Martha Torres; MLK Day marchers Jake Baumli, Robert Thompson, Val Aralkin and Gage Baumli; Vijay Jhaveri at the MS Night of Nations
4 Annual Giving Update 5 Gift of Giving Celebration Honoring the Class of 2014
6 Upper School Graduation 14 Middle School Closing Ceremony A Slice of Spartan Life
16 Dynamo D-Term Kids
5 head of school
17 MLK Day the St. Stephen’s Way 8
Robert E. Kirkpatrick
editor
18 Spring International Celebrations 19 Spectacular Students
Anne Marie Becka
20 Middle School Scoop
class notes editor
21 ISAS Festival
Lou Porter Bailey ’71
22 SPC Championships
design
23 Sports Highlights
Ellen Buckmaster, Bucko Design
24 Spring Swing Magic
contributors Christine Aubrey Lou Porter Bailey ’71 Sherry Buchanan Laura Camp Chris Caselli ’82 Kathy Coe Mike Dolan Kristin Eitel Mary Beth Jester Bob Kirkpatrick Brenda Lindfors ’80 Jon McCain Elizabeth Hansing Moon Miriam Murtuza Randy Parten ’67 Patricia Henna Rowe ’89 Nita Shuffler Jared Tennant Sarah Todd Vicki Woodruff
25 Glorious Grand Day 26 Alumni News 29 Class Notes 29
Spartan magazine is published twice a year for constituents of St. Stephen’s Episcopal School. Copyright © 2014 St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
subscription information and address changes Judy Mullinix, jmullinix@sstx.org or 512.327.1213 x158
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H E ADL IN ES
Summer 2014
Alyssa Epstein with the Class of 2014
A
slice
OF SPARTAN LIFE WHAT COULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE IN THIS YEAR-END GRADUATION ISSUE OF “SPARTAN” THAN A CELEBRATION OF SCHOOL life in all its diversity and richness? As members of the Class of 2014 embark on their exciting next steps, we look back on ways in which they and so many others have excelled, grown, served, honored and been recognized over the course of the year. We continue to emphasize living into our broad definition of what it means to be an “educated person” at St. Stephen’s—understanding the value of pursuing excellence and growth in mind, body and spirit, a balanced commitment at the core of our school’s value system. In this issue, whether the focus is on graduation or Spartan life, we celebrate the wide array of achievements by our students and other members of our school family in all three areas. Likewise, we also recognize what it means to live in community, both here on campus and well beyond The Hill. In particular, we note ways in which we serve others well and can continue to grow in this area. In fact, a study undertaken by staff and trustees this year will result in a more enriching service learning experience for students and professionals alike at St. Stephen’s beginning next year. The virtues of service and service learning are extolled throughout this issue of “Spartan.” Connecting with our past and the people who have helped shape our school over the years is another way for us to enhance our strong sense of community. Articles in this issue profiling alumni, so many of whom continue to give back to our school in myriad ways, and those honoring the campus spaces that have helped to define our community are particularly poignant and timely, especially given our progress in adding highly functional and beautiful facilities through The Hill Project and now the Frame the Future campaigns throughout the last decade. So as you peruse these pages, revel with me in the breadth and depth of the St. Stephen’s experience—in all its beauty, excellence and diversity—and join me in celebrating the many outstanding achievements and acts of compassion and generosity by members of our school community. Enjoy this slice of Spartan life as we commemorate the passing of another great school year and anticipate the coming of the next. Faithfully,
Robert E. Kirkpatrick Head of School 9th and 10th Grade Dean of Students Kathy Coe with Taite Sandefer ’14
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I N COMMU N IT Y
Spartan Magazine
A DAY O F S E RV I C E A N D Gratitude
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t. Stephen’s faculty and staff kicked off winter term with a day of community service, volunteering at a wide range of organizations. From sorting thousands of pounds of food donations, weeding flower beds and spreading mulch, and preparing hot meals for the homeless, more than 100 St. Stephen’s faculty and staff lived into the school’s mission of serving others. One group of faculty and staff volunteered at Caritas, which assists low-income families. “Our tasks for the day included preparing and serving lunch to 350 homeless men and women,” said the Rev. Todd FitzGerald, school chaplain. “The Caritas staff ‘wings it’ every day with whatever donated food they have, and whoever shows up to volunteer. They were pros at guiding us through the kitchen and at preparing a meal for so many hungry members of the Austin community.” Volunteers working at Safe Place, a resource center for victims of sexual and domestic violence, spent the day sorting donations, including diapers, children’s toys, school supplies, books and toiletries. “The warehouse was filled with donations,” explained Elizabeth Hansing Moon, director of fine arts. “We used our time to get them as organized as possible so that clients can access what they need.” Kathy Coe, dean of 9th and 10th grade students, was one of seven volunteers who braved an unexpected cold front and 16-degree weather to work at Down Home Ranch in Elgin. A working farm and ranch, Down Home is home to adults and children with Down syndrome and other disabilities. “We spent the morning spreading mulch and then cleaned out the greenhouse,” Coe explained. In addition to tackling chores on our own campus, groups of volunteers worked at the following organizations: Breakthrough Austin, which addresses low-income students’ unique academic needs as they work to become the first in their families to attend college; Capital Area Food Bank, which distributes food and grocery products throughout Central Texas; Creative Action, an organization that supports the academic, social and emotional development of young people; Lifeworks, an affordable housing complex; Casa Marianella, which provides emergency and transitional shelters for immigrants; Mary House, a home for indigent adults with critical or terminal illnesses; and Texas Memorial Museum, a division of the Texas Natural Science Center.
P H OTOS TOP TO BOTTOM: Jeremy Sweetlamb, Missie Thorpe, Wallis Goodman, Robert Lewis, Alix Lacelarie and Kim Meyer at Down Home Ranch; Carrie Koch tackling grounds work at St. Stephen’s; (top row) Kendra Lipman, Gene Philips, Jonah O’Hara, the Rev. Todd FitzGerald and Chris Breckwoldt ’86; (bottom row) Kathi Murphy, Yvonne Adams and Christine Aubrey at Caritas
Although the service projects varied greatly, volunteers said the day filled them with excitement and gratitude. “Despite the intensity of the work, it was wonderful to have the opportunity to work together and to learn so much about, and from, the people and organizations we served,” FitzGerald noted. “On so many levels, this day did great good and is something we will certainly repeat, as we practice for ourselves and model for our students one of our core school values—service,” concluded Head of School Bob Kirkpatrick.
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ANNUAL GIVIN G
Summer 2014
Heartfelt Thanks FOR YOUR ANNUAL GIVING GIFTS
March Madness St. Stephen’s alumni showed their Spartan spirit this spring in our first ever March Madness competition, an online giving campaign to raise funds for Annual Giving. In this friendly competition, alumni were grouped by decade and battled it out to see which one would make the most number of gifts to St. Stephen’s. Coach David Paschall tipped off the weeklong competition that boasted several lead changes and many gifts. On Friday, it was the ’80s that took the title of 2014 March Madness Champion, though in the end we celebrate a big win for all current Spartans. Through March Madness, alumni generosity provided more than 50 gifts totaling over $6,000 for Annual Giving. Way to go alumni! Special thanks to Coach Paschall, our alumni class representatives, and all our generous donors. Your contributions continue to make an important difference in life on The Hill. —kristin eitel, associate director of alumni and donor relations
WE FEEL TRULY HONORED TO HAVE SERVED AS THE 2013-14 parent chairs of Annual Giving. For three weeks in October, a magnificent team of class captains and parent callers reached out to current families in order to raise vital funds for the school. They spread the word far and wide that St. Stephen’s relies on Annual Giving donations to help cover the gap between tuition and the actual cost of educating each student. They stressed the importance of participation over the size of the gift. As a result, we achieved a record level of parent participation in Annual Giving this year. Please join us in thanking the 123 parent volunteers for their tireless efforts and dedication to St. Stephen’s. We also want to offer our gratitude to everyone who made a contribution to Annual Giving this year. Your donations support everything from financial aid to faculty salaries and help ensure that students have an outstanding experience during their years on The Hill. — Patricia ’89 and Mark Rowe ’88, Annual Giving parent chairs, Parents of Andrew ’16, Elizabeth ’19 and Matthew (4th grade)
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PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Nathan Goldberg, Jaclyn Horton, Head of School Bob Kirkpatrick and Trustee Ricky D. Green ’86; Mary Moore, Isabel Mendiola, Megan Nater and Mattie Mouton-Johnston; Peter Feng, Eric Liang, Christopher Tan, Cosmo Wei, Jake Silberman, Anthony Chen, Will Yzaguirre and Gregory Lastrapes; Avery Sell with Trustee Jolynn Free; Stephanie Parker, Peilyn Peanpattanangkul, Chania Whitaker, Chelsey Lee and Carter Kyle
Celebrate the
Gift of Giving
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n April 29, the board of trustees and members of the Class of 2014 gathered at Mercury Hall for the school’s annual Gift of Giving dinner. In addition to honoring seniors for their many accomplishments on The Hill, trustees introduced the graduating seniors to an important new chapter in their lives — becoming Spartan alumni. Among the many contributions celebrated during the dinner was the senior philanthropy campaign to raise funds for Annual Giving. Senior philanthropy has become an important tradition at St. Stephen’s that not only allows seniors to leave a final legacy on campus, but also teaches them about the important fundraising efforts that sustain our school. Following dinner, Ricky D. Green ’86, vice chair of the board, greeted the Class of 2014 with heartfelt stories of his on time on The Hill and the significant impact his ongoing relationship with St. Stephen’s has had throughout his life. Following his talk, Green invited Jaclyn Horton ’14 to the podium to address her classmates. “The most beautiful aspect of our community at St. Stephen’s is how accepting and distinct it is,” Horton told her peers. “Walking around our campus, it is not hard to run into an adult who has gone out of his or her way to help a student. It is the culture of St. Stephen’s to help each other.” Horton ended her speech by asking her classmates, “If the adults in our community are willing to go above and beyond to support us, shouldn’t we do the same for them?” The evening closed with gracious remarks by Kristin Eitel, associate director of alumni and donor relations, who organized the Gift of Giving dinner. “Congratulations, Class of 2014,” she said. “I am proud of you, I am happy for you and best of all — I am not done with you. I look forward to years of continued fun together. “I hope you will continue to come back to St. Stephen’s,” she said. “You may be moving on to do amazing things, but you will forever be Spartans, and your contributions will forever be important to our school.” sstx.org
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UP P E R SCHOOL GRADUATIO N
Summer 2014
St. Stephen’s Graduates the Class of ON THE MORNING OF SATURDAY, MAY 24, PROUD PARENTS
2014
and family members, faculty and staff, trustees, alumni, and friends gathered in the St. Stephen’s Chapel to celebrate the school’s 64th graduation exercises, honoring the Class of 2014. Following opening prayers by the Rev. Todd FitzGerald, Head of School Bob Kirkpatrick welcomed graduates and guests to the commencement ceremony. He then turned to the graduating seniors and acknowledged the conflicting feelings of opportunity and loss they must be experiencing. “Saying goodbye to St. Stephen’s—to your classmates, your teachers, coaches, advisers and dorm parents, to an established way of life and familiar routines—can sometimes make the heart ache,” Kirkpatrick acknowledged. “There is a sense of loss as you face what can seem like the daunting task of reestablishing routines and notions of the familiar and, of course, making sense of new surroundings and people you will encounter in the months ahead at college and beyond. “As your classmate Louis Lafair stated so passionately and eloquently in his poetic senior offering last week: I’ve lived a lifetime here, and I’m not sure what comes next, what happens when old doors close and new shutters open, what happens when the future takes me and thrusts me into unknown starlight… “Although we may experience significant changes in our lives, we have been made better by our association with this school, teachers, friends and colleagues, and our shared experiences here,” Kirkpatrick continued. “We have been enriched to the extent that what we really need to do as we say ‘goodbye’ is to rejoice and give thanks…to celebrate. “Your ties to St. Stephen’s—just as with friends and loved ones— will remain strong even as they change. These ties can never truly be lost or broken; they will continue to define you, to guide you in your choice of career, to enrich you in mind, body and spirit, to give you strength and wisdom as you adapt to change and confront challenges, to help you ‘make a difference in the world.’”
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After congratulating the seniors, Kirkpatrick introduced Jim Woodruff, theology department chair, who was selected by the students to address them at graduation. Woodruff explained to the graduates what the last few weeks of school are like for teachers. “Today is the strangest day of the year for some of us,” he noted. “It starts with this smart, handsome group meeting on The Hill to graduate, and a few hours later you’re gone. Earlier, campus had been crowded and loud with laughter and clapping, but when I take a walk around The Hill this evening, it will just be the wind… maybe a few deer. The seniors are gone. For me, it’s a strange day. “My favorite night of the year is during the senior retreat. For those who don't know, on the second night of that retreat the seniors get together by a lake as the sun is setting. One at a time those who want to get up and say a few things…to this new friend, to that longtime buddy, to the classmate they never really got to know but wish they had, to the girl or guy they'll probably never see again, to a friend with whom they lost touch…. “That evening you said important things to each other, and in a way you were taking care of business. But the things you said felt like gifts. I marvel at how we sometimes choose not to say
something, when saying it could change so much in a good way. During the retreat, you reminded the faculty of that. Thank you for that gift to us.” Following Woodruff ’s heartfelt speech, the Rt. Rev. Dena A. Harrison, Bishop Suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, presented diplomas to the 110 graduates of the Class of 2014. After the seniors received their diplomas and an array of academic awards were presented, Hallie Ayres took the podium to present the senior speech. A longstanding tradition at graduation, the senior speaker is elected by the outgoing class to summarize their collective school experience. “Knowing that we won’t be returning to The Hill on a regular basis anymore, there arises the question of how to define our time here, in this space that became our second home,” Ayres said. “St. Stephen’s has taught us more than trigonometry and how to analyze literature. It has taught us how to learn, how to discover and how to strive. It has given us a space to make the mistakes necessary to cultivate confidence to face the unknown and passion to improve our minds, bodies and spirits.... “I remember in Algebra II, a probability question said that the modern failure rate of airplane engines is 3 percent,” she
Spartan Magazine
continued. “The whole class was in an uproar about how they would never ride on a plane again until the failure rate was decreased to zero. Mr. [David] Hailey then provided us with some wisdom that I’ll never forget. He asked us to think about how proud Orville and Wilbur Wright, the inventors of the airplane, would be at that 97 percent success rate. With that simple shift in perspective, we acknowledged everything that has been achieved. In the same way, sitting here this morning, we’re aware of everything we’ve accomplished to get us to this point in our lives, and we wouldn’t be here without this school on a hill. St. Stephen’s has allowed us to earn our wings; now we just have to take off and fly.” The graduation ceremony ended with a recitation of the St. Stephen’s School prayer and the closing benediction, led by Bishop Harrison.
P H OTOS OPPOSITE PAGE: Senior speaker Hallie Ayres THIS PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Ella Martin-Gachot, Avery Sell, Jamie Molina, Jaclyn Horton, Christine Hubbard and Alaina Ring; Rebecca Lafair with her brother, Louis Lafair; Will Skelton, Jake Salomon, Elizabeth Gladden, John Loucks and Braden Hayes; Carl Austin, Vanessa Mussett, Albert Almanza and Zachary Richards
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UP P E R SCHOOL GRADUATIO N
PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Justin Bulhof, Sheldon Foreman and Karina Husodo celebrate commencement; Isabel Mendiola and Alaina Ring; Samantha Richards, Myles Savage and Maddie Renbarger; John Loucks
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Summer 2014
Spartan Magazine
P H OTOS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Will Deaderick, Grant McHorse, Hiroi Nakayama and Will Yzaguirre; Callie Evarts, Isabel Mendiola, Alaina Ring, Allie Arnett, Saara Hassoun, Mattie Mouton-Johnston, Rebecca Lafair, Kelly Twombly and Caroline Jones; Edward Du with Hai Zheng Olefsky, assistant director of the International Program; Steven Kim and Chelsey Lee; Catalina Polanco
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UP P E R SCHOOL GRADUATIO N
Summer 2014
Medals and Honors The Bishop John E. Hines Medal is named after John Hines, founder of St. Stephen's Episcopal School, who was a man of extraordinary vision and bold action. The Hines Medal is awarded to the member of the senior class who maintained the highest academic standing throughout his or her junior and senior years. This year’s Bishop Medal was presented to Crystal Lin. Named for the founding headmaster, The William Brewster Medal was established in 1960 by the St. Stephen’s faculty to recognize a member of the senior class who has made the greatest total contribution to the life of the school. The recipient is an engaged and talented student—strong across all disciplines and genuinely interested in “the life of the mind.” Campbell Chupik was named the 2014 Brewster Medal recipient. The Dobbie Leverton Fenton Medal is awarded annually to a member of the senior class who promotes the values of social justice. The 2014 Dobbie Leverton Fenton Medal was awarded to Avery Sell.
Diplomas with High Honors Hallie Ayres Alyssa Epstein Nathan Goldberg Louis Lafair Crystal Lin Daulton Perry Samantha Schmidt
Diplomas with Honors
Liza Ayres Marc Canby Philip Chidester Campbell Chupik Will Deaderick Callie Evarts Kavon Gohary Jason Haugen Caroline Jones Kyo Hyun (Steven) Kim Carter Kyle Kaela Lemond Susanna Luciano Ella Martin-Gachot Grant McHorse Isabel Mendiola Madeline Mouton-Johnston Megan Nater Samantha Richards Morgan Robinson Taite Sandefer Gabe Sperling Angelica Tao Ellie Thompson Emiliano Trevena Elizabeth Twichell Kelly Twombly Allen Yang Sam Zapp
Highest Standing in the Senior Class Crystal Lin 10
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The Catherine Elliott Montgomery Prize is awarded by a committee of senior teachers to a member of the senior class whose creativity, character and scholarship give promise of a contribution in history or the social sciences. The 2014 Montgomery Prize was awarded to Helen Tschurr. The Rev. Charles Abram and Virginia Sumners Music Award is presented annually to a member of the senior class who has made the greatest overall contribution to music at the school. The 2014 Sumners Award recipient was Emiliano Trevena. The Velberta Asher Towner Award in the Performing Arts is named for “Bert” Towner, a member of the St. Stephen’s faculty from 1958 to 1984 and a long-time chair of Fine Arts. St. Stephen’s honors her contributions with this award, which is presented to the student who has excelled in the performing arts — music, drama and dance. The 2014 Towner Award was presented to Saara Hassoun. The Anne Dewey Guerin Award is awarded each year to the member of the senior class who has made the greatest contribution to the theatre program. This year’s Anne Dewey Guerin award was presented to Conor Donnelly. The Don Cunningham Memorial Award is presented to a female and a male senior who have lettered in three sports in their senior year and have demonstrated outstanding talent, leadership, dedication and sportsmanship. The 2014 Cunningham Award was presented to Callie Evarts, a three-sport letter winner in field hockey, swimming and lacrosse, and Carl Austin III, a team leader in football, basketball and track.
Cum Laude Society
Hallie Ayres Liza Ayres Marc Canby Philip Chidester Campbell Chupik Will Deaderick Alyssa Epstein Nathan Goldberg Jason Haugen Kyo Hyun (Steven) Kim Louis Lafair Kaela Lemond Crystal Lin Ella Martin-Gachot Grant McHorse Isabel Mendiola Madeline Mouton-Johnston Megan Nater Daulton Perry Samantha Schmidt Angelica Tao Emiliano Trevena Elizabeth Twichell
P H OTOS TOP LEFT TO RIGHT: Crystal Lin, winner of The Bishop John E. Hines Medal, with the Rt. Rev. Dena A. Harrison BOTTOM: The Hines and Brewster medals
Spartan Magazine
Senior Book Prizes English 12
Kaela Lemond
Advanced European History Nathan Goldberg
Social Science Seminars Louis Lafair PH OTO S TOP: Campbell Chupik, winner of The William Brewster Medal, with St. Stephen’s Head of School Bob Kirkpatrick BOTTOM: Liza Ayres, Allen Yang, Eva Coke and Edward Du
Statistics and Selected Topics Chania Whitaker
BC Calculus Marc Canby
Multivariable Analysis Crystal Lin
National Merit Finalists Marc Canby Campbell Chupik Will Deaderick Alyssa Epstein Louis Lafair Kaela Lemond Daulton Perry Samantha Richards
National Merit Scholarship Winner Campbell Chupik
National Hispanic Scholars Isabel Mendiola Jamie Molina Jacob Salomon Emiliano Trevena William Yzaguirre
Spiritual Leadership Award Avery Sell
International Students of the Year Yufei (Edward) Du Crystal Lin
National Chinese Honor Society
American Invitational Math Exam Angelica Tao Crystal Lin
Environmental Science
Proctor Medals
Advanced Physics
Bertha Chui Yufei (Edward) Du Nathan Goldberg Fiorella Hernandez Jaclyn Horton Karina Husodo Crystal Lin Catalina Polanco Avery Sell Angelica Tao Kristin Thewes Jeffrey Tsao Manuel Vallejo
Grant McHorse
Grant McHorse
Engineering
Grant McHorse Astrophysics Hallie Ayres
Theology Avery Sell
Visual Studies III Avery Sell
Advanced Art History Samantha Schmidt
Spanish V
Ella Martin-Gachot
Spanish VI Sam Zapp
Gregory Lastrapes Christopher Tan
Spanish VII
Classics Award
Chinese IV
Crystal Lin
American Mathematics Competition Angelica Tao – First Place Crystal Lin – Second Place Alyssa Epstein – Fifth Place
Marc Canby
Karina Husodo
Chinese V
Alyssa Epstein
Latin V
Crystal Lin sstx.org
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UP P E R SCHOOL GRADUATIO N
Summer 2014
Fine Arts Awards Ceramics Award Gregory Lastrapes
Photography Award Jaclyn Horton
Outstanding Thunder Drum Student Caroline Jones
Outstanding Cello Student Peilyn Peanpattanangkul
Outstanding Bass Student Chania Whitaker
Outstanding Guitar Ensemble Member Emiliano Trevena
Outstanding Piano Student Eva Coke
Director's Award for Orchestra Elizabeth Twichell
Dance Awards
Saara Hassoun Ella Martin-Gachot Vanessa Mussett
Outstanding Choreography Award Conor Donnelly
Eli Black Person-Up Award for Film Max Marion
Theatre Focus Red Door Awards Conor Donnelly Max Marion Ella Martin-Gachot Jamie Molina Maddie Renbarger Anna Schulmeyer
Honorable Mention
Scholastic Arts Awards American Vision Nominee
Outstanding Choral Student
Emily Lin Hiroi Nakayama
The RISD Book Award Emily Lin
Yufei (Edward) Du
Avery Sell
Gold Key Recipients Jaclyn Horton Avery Sell
Silver Key Recipients Cosmo Wei
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PH OTO S TOP TO BOTTOM: View of the commencement ceremony; Bertha Chui, Jaclyn Horton and Christine Hubbard
Spartan Magazine
Athletics Awards The David Paschall Award Callie Evarts Samantha Schmidt Ben West
Athletic Leadership Award
Boys Soccer
MVP – Ben West
Golf
MVP – William Selman
Grant McHorse Kristin Thewes
Mountain Biking
Football
Girls Tennis
MVP – Carl Austin III
Cross Country
MVP – Isabel Mendiola MVP – Ben West
Cheerleading
MVP – Crystal Lin
Volleyball
MVP – Kristin Thewes
Field Hockey
MVP – Alexandra Altamirano
Girls Swimming
MVP – Sarah Van Nort MIP – Megan Nater
Boys Swimming
MVP – Will Deaderick MIP – Will Skelton
Boys Basketball
MVP – Albert Almanza
MVP – Aidan Angelovich
MIP – Fiorella Hernandez
Boys Tennis
MVP – Louis Lafair MIP – Diehl Sillers
Girls Lacrosse
MVP – Callie Evarts
Boys Lacrosse
MVP – Cosmo Wei
All-SPC Winners
Albert Almanza – Basketball Alexandra Altamirano – Field Hockey Callie Evarts – Lacrosse Grant McHorse – Baseball Ben West – Cross Country & Track PH OTO S FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: Callie Evarts, winner of The Don Cunningham Memorial Award; Carl Austin III received The Don Cunningham Memorial Award from Athletics Director Jon McCain; Morgan Robinson, Taekyun (TK) Kim and Elizabeth Twichell
Faculty and Staff Awards During the Baccalaureate Service and the 64th Graduation Exercises, several special presentations and awards of excellence were made to outstanding St. Stephen’s faculty and staff: Laurel Eskridge, mathematics department chair, was named to the Dean H. Towner Master Teaching Chair. Biology instructor Johnny Wilson received the Upper School Teacher Excellence Award. Math instructor Diane Butler received the Middle School Teacher Excellence Award. Jackie Bryant, administrative assistant for the head of school, received the Staff Excellence Award.
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MI DDL E SCHOOL CEREM O NY
Summer 2014
MIDDLE SCHOOL Closing
P HOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Zach Young, Nolan Weinschenk, Nicholas Matzorkis, Jake Price and Sebastian Castaneda; James Kyle, Carter Kyle and Jud Kyle; Jamal January; Isabella Palmieri, Jillian Palmieri, Rachel Schlesinger, Ellie Schlesinger, Avery Schiffman, Eloise Thompson and Allie Goldreyer
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Ceremony
Spartan Magazine
The Middle School held its Closing Ceremony on Friday, May 30. Head of Middle School Magnus Maccow and Middle School Dean of Students Brooke Laws presented a number of awards throughout the morning, including Highest Academic Standing for each class. Award winners were Hayden Mast (8th grade), Lauren Aung (7th grade) and Lizzy Jones (6th grade).
P H OTOS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Hannah Whellan, Nicole Dhar, Belle Almanza and Miranda Ayres; Will Butler, Sebastian Castaneda, Ethan Cooper, Henry Colangelo and Brock Cunningham; Joe Horton; Blossom Maduafokwa
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SPARTAN LIFE
Summer 2014
SPARTAN Life
EVENTS CLUBS CULTURE CELEBRATIONS AWARDS TALENT SPORTS HOLIDAYS ACHIEVEMENTS SUCCESS
Dynamo D-Term Students “D-Term is an experiential, interdisciplinary service-learning project on which the entire 8th grade works from August through December,” explained Miriam Murtuza, Ph.D., Middle School English instructor. “The project has three key components: learning, doing and sharing.” The learning component of D-Term requires students to examine issues affecting our community. “This year, each 8th grader researched a specific problem and an organization that addresses that problem,” Murtuza said. “After students identified a service organization that interested them, they created a brochure highlighting that organization and sent it to the organizations they profiled. A number of students received letters back, thanking them for the brochures they created.” Additionally, as part of D-Term's educational component, representatives from nine different local charities and several St. Stephen's students and faculty members spoke at Middle School Chapel during the D-Term Speaker Series. The “doing” component of D-Term involved sending groups of students into the community for hands-on volunteer work with local nonprofit organizations. Their service projects included painting meeting spaces at Austin Pets Alive!, visiting with residents at Monte Siesta Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, reaching out to homeless people through Mobile Loaves & Fishes, helping to restore Westcave Nature Preserve, and organizing food pantry donations at Caritas of Austin, among others. D-Term culminated with the 8th graders reflecting on their experiences and sharing what they learned at the inaugural Community Service Fair in late December. For this capstone event, the entire Middle School perused information booths in the Chapel to learn from their peers about the many local service organizations working to improve our community. “What our students accomplished in D-Term is so positive,” said the Rev. Todd FitzGerald, school chaplain. “We want to build upon their service model for the whole school.”
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▼ Harry Sage, who researched connections between poverty and education, created a brochure for E3 Alliance, which helps close the achievement gap for English-language learners. “E3 stood out for me because it’s a data-driven organization,” Sage said. “They have a lot of information to offer people looking for help. My brochure provided their information in a format for people who don’t have access to the Web.”
▼
Mahria Farra investigated issues of childhood hunger. “After conducting research for the Meals on Wheels brochure, I was surprised to find out how many kids in Austin don’t get healthy meals,” she said. “It helped me understand the issue — that some families don’t have enough money to give their kids healthy food.”
▼
Sebastian Castaneda’s research on environmental pollution gave him new insight into a different local problem. “I chose Environment Texas because I didn’t know much about what might be affecting Austin’s air and water,” he said. “I found that there’s a lot of pollution in Austin that can cause birth defects.”
Spartan Magazine
MLK Day the St. Stephen’s Way On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the St. Stephen’s community celebrated the life and legacy of the great civil rights movement leader by participating in a day-long series of activities and programs focused on addressing issues of racial inequality and prejudice. The day’s special programming was designed by St. Stephen’s faculty to help students “lean into discomfort” through discussions of ways to identify and challenge both overt and subtle discriminatory beliefs and behaviors. Students also explored the many ways that discrimination affects individuals and society as a whole. Following an opening ceremony on the St. Stephen’s campus, students from the 6th, 9th and 12th grades participated in the MLK Day march at the Capitol in downtown Austin. The 7th and 8th graders enjoyed on-campus workshops that explored how historical leaders have used their creativity and courage to spark social change. Students in the 10th and 11th grades participated in a special series of peer-led activities and discussions regarding race, gender, sexual orientation and socioeconomic status. The day concluded with an all-school Chapel program in which Dr. King’s legacy, and the school’s long-standing commitment to equity and diversity, were honored and celebrated.
P H OTOS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Chris Breckwoldt ’86 and Ricky Biediger; Margaret Rogers, Sarah Rogge and Bijou Kanyambo; Avery Sell, TK Kim, Richy Munroe, Nathan Goldberg, Phil Reid, Jaclyn Horton and Ella Martin-Gachot; (back row) Alaina Ring, Braden Hayes, Will Deaderick, John Loucks, Evan Coates, Myles Savage and Will Selman, (front row) Ben West and Caroline Jones; Jacob Hurst, Jake O'Donnell, K.J. Adams, Pablo Schober, Jorn Dammann, Dean Dowling, Miriam Kessler, Victoria Alcocer, Jojo Greenberg and Nathan Berken
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SPARTAN LIFE
Summer 2014
Dancing with Dragons: Spring Cultural Celebrations Campus was abuzz this spring with an array of exciting International Program events. At the end of January, the school community gathered in Chapel to celebrate Lunar New Year, the traditional Chinese holiday known as Spring Festival. This special program included musical performances by students, recitations of Chinese poems and the traditional Lion Dance, during which students danced through the aisles in colorful dragon costumes. Toward the end of February, students celebrated Fiesta, St. Stephen’s biennial carnival of international cultures. In addition to a wide assortment of international foods, attendees enjoyed an afternoon of vibrant music and dance performances, including Thunder drumline, Crysalis dance group, guitar and drum solos, sumo wrestling bouts, improv routines, and traditional Chinese, Indian and Caribbean dance exhibitions. “In addition to our popular spring celebrations, the International Program supports a wide range of cultural activities and programs throughout the school year, including the Japan Exchange Program, the Thai Scholar Program and a Host Family Program,” explained International Program Director Sarah Todd. “The school is further enriched by numerous language programs and trips; community service and volunteer activities that have cultural components; Model United Nations; FACES, a multicultural student discussion group that addresses diversity issues on campus; and Chinese, French and Spanish language and culture clubs. “St. Stephen’s boasts approximately 100 students that we call ‘international’ because they live outside this country,” Todd added. “In truth, however, we are all ‘internationals,’ as we are all members of the larger global community. We all learn from the wider world — its values, history and traditions. Our global perspective opens our minds to new ways of thinking and approaching life.”
P H OTOS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Crystal Lin playing the guzheng; Lunar New Year celebration; Ellie Schlesinger, Rachel Schlesinger, Jayna Horton, Gabby Tolentino and Cynthia Bartek; Katie Schenk, Maya Sampleton, Saba Hajiebrahimi and Sachi Paul
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St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
Spartan Magazine
Student Researchers Recognized by Peabody Museum St. Stephen’s students have been recognized by the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University for their outstanding excavation work in west Texas, where they unearthed bones of dinosaurs previously undiscovered in the area. Museum scientists noted that they were “indebted to help in excavation” by St. Stephen’s students, who have been conducting research trips in west Texas under the direction of science instructors Dean Mohlman and Johnny Wilson. “The west Texas region is ripe with opportunities for scientific research,” Wilson explained. “For many students, these trips offer a window into future opportunities they might not have considered before. “Special thanks go to St. Stephen’s alumnus Bart Wulff ’64 and the G.R. White Trust, which have been instrumental in funding these invaluable research trips for more than a decade,” Wilson said.
On Pointe with Rae Srivastava Rae Srivastava discovered his love of dance when he was only 5 years old, when he accompanied his mother to his older sister’s (Kallie Klein ’13) dance class. He was immediately smitten and asked if he could study dance as well. “I was too young to care that I was the only guy,” he said of his beginning ballet, tap and jazz class. “Of course, I wasn’t very serious about it back then. I was in 8th or 9th grade before I considered focusing on dance as a career. “I’m interested in how people can create full-body art through dance that is unique to a particular moment,” Srivastava said of his interest in contemporary and modern dance. “Dance lives in itself in the moment; it is never the same no matter how many times a routine is repeated.” A member of BHumn Dance Company, an invitation-only contemporary dance group, and Bodytalk Dance Company, both in Austin, Srivastava is well on his way to achieving his dream. Last summer, he attended the American Ballet Theatre’s six-week summer intensive in New York and was recognized for his dance skills at the New York City Dance Alliance. This spring, he was one of only 20 young men from across the country accepted into The Julliard School’s elite month-long summer dance intensive in New York. “I feel vindicated; all the time and hard work has paid off,” Srivastava said of the 20 to 30 hours he spends each week studying dance—all while meeting the high academic demands of St. Stephen’s and maintaining his honor roll placement. “I’ve sacrificed a lot of things, but dance is what I want to focus on, how I want to spend my time.” A member of the Class of 2016, Srivastava is grateful to his parents, who fostered his passion for dance and never worried about its impact on his academic life. He also values his St. Stephen’s peers, who support one another and honor each other’s differences. “Dance is such a vulnerable thing to do — to put yourself out there,” he noted, “but I have lots of friends and don’t get grief from anyone for missing school activities. “St. Stephen’s helps students to develop their individuality by encouraging us to be exceptional in our own unique way. I really appreciate that.”
P H OTOS TOP: Back row: Isabel Mendiola, Mary Moore and Julian Traphagan; Front row: Megan Nater and Mattie MoutonJohnston; BOTTOM: Matthew Rice and Ian Devlyn
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Exploring the World One Bite at a Time
Morgan Stokes Appointed MS Lay Chaplain Early this spring, Head of School Bob Kirkpatrick announced the creation of a new lay chaplain position for the Middle School. To everyone’s delight, Morgan Stokes, current Middle School administrative assistant, was named to this multi-faceted role. “Morgan has developed close, personal relationships with Middle School students through such diverse activities as MS adviser, D-Term group leader, strength and conditioning assistant, Bible study leader, and Chapel Committee coordinator,” noted Kirkpatrick, who explained that her MS lay chaplain responsibilities will include enhancing the school’s community service programs, Chapel programming and worship, and pastoral care offerings. For Stokes, the lay chaplain position seemed a perfect fit with her background and interests. “I have 15 years of experience in youth ministry and social work, so the lay chaplain role just seemed like a great opportunity for me,” Stokes said. “Service learning is one of the pillars of our Episcopal identity. I want to build upon those traditions and help kids understand why it is important to help others, how service is tied to our school’s mission and values. “I love that St. Stephen’s is committed to enriching the spiritual lives of students,” she continued. “We give students the opportunity to examine their faith without forcing a dogmatic answer on them. The process is as important as the answer. I want to help them discover their unique relationship with and belief in the Divine.”
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St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
Sixth grade students enjoyed a culinary trip around the world this spring at the annual Night of Nations celebration. Students enrolled in Global Connections helped cook a number of international delicacies for the event, including Persian mast-okhiar (yogurt and cucumber salad), German butterkuchen (butter cake) and Haitian sweet potato bread. The entire sixth grade gathered for their dinner feast dressed in costumes from around the world. According to Middle School history instructor Octavia Sadler, the handson experience of cooking, combined with the experience of tasting savory and sweet treats, brings the study of far-flung countries to life in a way unlike any other. “Many of the students tasted exotic dishes from around the world for the first time,” she said. “The fact that their friends prepared the dishes helped encourage them to try new tastes outside their culinary safety zone.” — vicki woodruff, english instructor
PH OTOS FROM TOP: Students enjoying their international feast; Tristan Nguyen, Jake Chappelear, Lulu Jones, Stella FitzGerald and Sarah Murphy
Spartan Magazine
Awesome Arts at the 2014 ISAS Festival The Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS) Fine Arts Festival is almost 50 years old — and stronger than ever. Back in 1967, when a few schools from Oklahoma and Texas first got together at Casady School in Oklahoma City to share ideas and showcase their artistic work, no one thought much about what the festival would look like in the next century. In those early days, everyone in attendance watched the performances of every other school, settled in their sleeping bags on the gym floor for the night, and then went home. This year’s festival, held April 3-5 at St. John’s School in Houston, included 39 ISAS schools from Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Louisiana, Kansas and Mexico City. With 14 performance and exhibition venues, and 3,500 students in attendance, it was impossible for participants to see everything being presented. But what exciting and inspiring growth it has been. Every music, dance, theatre, visual arts and film offering was adjudicated by a professional artist. Students participated in their own school’s events and then filled out their days by enjoying other schools’ work, attending workshops, and meeting other students. We all benefit from this grand gathering. After having attended 25 festivals myself, I turned to some of our new faculty members for their initial reactions. One teacher described loving the variety of events that students could attend. Another teacher remarked on the freedom that students had to design their own schedules of events and on how excited students were when they came out of a great workshop, performance or critique. Some of us have already started to look ahead to 2019, when St. Stephen's will host this magnificent event. Next year, however, ISAS will be held at Fort Worth Country Day School, March 26-28, 2015. — elizabeth hansing moon, fine arts chair
P H OTOS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Spencer Weiss discussing his artwork with an ISAS judge; A battle scene from “Macbeth” with Maxwell Marion, Conor Donnelly, Sam Norwood and Benjamin Warren; (front) Carl Austin with an ISAS judge, (back) Grant Owens, Mari Bethel, Dawn Goodfriend, Hallie Ayres and Liza Ayres; Campbell Chupik, Ali Michel, Saara Hassoun, Chris Peng and Vanessa Mussett
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SPARTAN LIFE
Summer 2014
Spartans Showcase Athletic Prowess at SPC Championships Spartan athletes were a force to be reckoned with at the Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) championships this spring. Our boys and girls soccer teams each went 1-2 in Div. II play and both finished fourth overall. Girls basketball also went 1-2, and finished fourth in Div. I after wrapping up their SPC regular season undefeated. The team is poised for another great season next year. Boys basketball also finished strong, going 2-1 and finishing third in Div. II. Our boys and girls swim teams boasted solid performances as well; the girls finished fifth and the boys placed ninth. Top team performers included: Albert Almanza, basketball; Brittany Adams, basketball; Maya Sampleton, basketball; Trey Foster, soccer; Ginny Brooks, soccer; and Margaret Rogers, diving.
P H OTOS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Maya Sampleton; Ben Price; Sunny Li and Karina Munoz; Enzo Monaco; Elliot Trahan, Maddie Rust, Jake Salomon, Elizabeth Twichell, Frankie Muehleman and Callie Evarts
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St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
Spartan Magazine
P H OTOS ABOVE LEFT TO RIGHT: (top row) Spartan athletes Albert Almanza, Carl Austin III and Zach Richards; (bottom row) Andy Lopez, Jessica Johnston, Alexandra Altamirano and Phil Reid; BELOW: Coach David Paschall
Senior Athletes Celebrate National Signing Day In early February, seven outstanding student athletes celebrated National Signing Day by inking with their chosen collegiate programs in the school Chapel. Albert Almanza signed to play basketball at Sam Houston State University, Alexandra Altamirano will play field hockey at Cornell University, Carl Austin III will continue his football career at The University of Texas at San Antonio, his Spartan teammate Zach Richards will play football at the U.S. Naval Academy, Jessica Johnston will play soccer at Rice University, Phil Reid will join the soccer team at Claremont McKenna College, and Andy Lopez signed with The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill soccer team. Congratulations to these outstanding student athletes for their dedication to excellence—both in the classroom and on the field!
Honoring Coach Paschall’s Legacy On May 15, the St. Stephen’s community gathered in Clayton Gymnasium to celebrate the unveiling and dedication of the newly refinished gym floor, honoring the service of Coach David Paschall. For more than 30 years, Coach Paschall served Spartans as director of athletics, adviser, member of the history department faculty, and coach of the football, basketball and baseball teams. The new gym floor, which bears his signature, stands as a reminder of his tremendous dedication to our school. “Coach Paschall's contributions to St. Stephen's athletic program could never be fully articulated,” said Jon McCain, director of athletics. “He was the face of St. Stephen’s to so many people, and I believe that much of our reputation as a school has been built on the back of his good work and grace. “He touched so many lives of adults and students alike at the school that I felt strongly he should be remembered in a tangible way,” McCain continued. “His name on the court will surely entice our current students to ask, 'Who was Coach Paschall?’ With a smile on my face, I hope to get the chance to answer this question a thousand times or more.” sstx.org
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SPARTAN LIFE
Summer 2014
Spring Swing’s Magic Carpet Ride
PH OTO S CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Lauren Sheppard and David Wolfson with Spring Swing Chairs Drew Treybig and Jane Politte; Freddy and Sheldy Starkes with Head of School Bob Kirkpatrick; Robin Ostrander, PA President Mary Beth Jester and Rachel Butler; Roy and Eva Strasburger; Gracie and Bob Renbarger with Trustee Mignon McGarry
On Saturday, April 12, more than 360 parents, faculty, staff and friends of St. Stephen’s gathered in Clayton Gymnasium to celebrate the school’s 10th annual Spring Swing event. Spring Swing is sponsored by the Parents’ Association and supports St. Stephen’s commitment to excellence in education and financial aid. Midnight at the Oasis: Anything Is Possible proved to be a magical evening of philanthropy, camaraderie, cocktails, auctions, fabulous food and great music. Live camels, aerialists and belly dancers added to the ambiance. Attendees began the evening socializing and bidding on items and “experiences” donated by the St. Stephen’s faculty and staff. The exciting live auction took place during dinner, and the six Make It Happen projects — all of which were funded — took center stage during the “paddles up” portion of the night. Adding to the excitement was the Matt Wilson Band, which provided great music as everyone hit the dance floor. Special thanks go to Spring Swing chairs Jane Politte and Drew Treybig and their hardworking, creative committee for a wonderful evening, as well as Nicole Cormier, the Make It Happen chair. Mark your calendars for next year’s Spring Swing: Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015. —mary beth jester, pa president
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St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
Spartan Magazine
Glorious Grand Day! Every spring St. Stephen’s welcomes grandparents and grand friends to campus for a special day on The Hill with their favorite St. Stephen’s students. This capstone event enables students to share the rich academic and cultural life of the school with their grandparents and other honored guests. This year’s Grand Day kicked off with a rousing welcome from the school’s ever-popular Thunder drumline. Following a special Chapel service in which Head of School Bob Kirkpatrick touted the special role grandparents play in our students’ lives, visitors attended classes with their grandchildren and enjoyed lunch in the new dining hall. As always, the day proved to be enriching and delightful for all!
P H OTOS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Clara Lack with Melvin Lack; Brenda Tingle with Pablo Thiel; Shobha Choraria with Veer Chauhan; Matthew Dooley, Joe Dooley and Will Dooley; Bob and JoAnne Leiferman with Katie Leiferman; Sau and Mark Aung with Lauren Aung
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ALUMN I N EWS
Summer 2014
WHAT’S IN A NAME? RESURRECTING THE HISTORY OF OUR CAMPUS I TEND TO THINK THAT I KNOW A LOT ABOUT ST. STEPHEN’S AND ITS HISTORY. I showed up on campus in 1962, shortly after the school’s 10th anniversary, was there for the 15th and now find myself celebrating the 60th with many alumni who look awfully young. What has struck me recently though is how little I know about the original names of the facilities that were undoubtedly bestowed by the Rt. Rev. John Hines himself. I can still hear his oratory in that booming North Carolina voice. Once you heard Bishop Hines speak, you did not forget it. But I think we have forgotten—or never known—the people that the bishop memorialized in this great experiment called St. Stephen's Episcopal School, west of Austin in the rough cedar country. We have even forgotten that it was ever rough country. At the 10th anniversary of the school in 1960, there were seven buildings that bore memorial names: classroom buildings Brewster, Cranmer and Temple; and dormitories Wycliff, Ives, Gillette and Freeman. Who were these people? One is easy; Brewster was named for the Rev. William Brewster, founding
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St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
headmaster of the school. But what about the other six? I decided to find out. They were all six men of the church. John Wycliff was one of the early pioneers who worked to reform the Roman Catholic Church in the late 14th century. He, along with Nicholas of Hereford, was able to do the unthinkable — to have the Holy Bible translated into Middle English so that Christian believers could read the word of the Lord for themselves. Thomas Cranmer came along in the 15th century as the Archbishop of Canterbury, appointed by King Henry VIII, who allowed the king his marital pleasures by separating the English Church from the Church of Rome. Cranmer held the English church together, her faith strong and her belief in apostolic succession unimpaired. Cranmer compiled the “Book of Common Prayer” from which our current Episcopal service is descended. William Temple, the 98th Archbishop of Canterbury, was considered the leader of the ecumenical movement of his generation. He maintained a deep involvement in organizations of Christian cooperation, including
Spartan Magazine
P H OTOS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: A view of campus in the mid-1950s; The backside of the original Temple classroom building; Hines Hall in its original glory
the British Council of Churches, the World Council of Churches and the Church of South India. Freeman, Gillette and Ives were all pioneers of the church in Texas. Before 1836, settlers were required to practice Roman Catholicism. If any were Protestants, they had to keep their beliefs quiet. However, in December 1838, the Rev. Caleb Smith Ives conducted the first service of Holy Eucharist on Christmas and reported the founding of the first Episcopal Church in Texas, Christ Church in Matagorda on Jan. 27, 1839. In 1850, the Rt. Rev. George Washington Freeman, the 46th Episcopal bishop in the United States, founded the east Texas congregation of All Saints in Crockett, though the first church building was not dedicated until 1867 by the Rt. Rev. Alexander Gregg, first bishop of the newly formed Diocese of Texas. Another missionary, Charles Gillette, who oversaw the Christ Church Houston congregation’s purchase of the land now occupied by Christ Church Cathedral, was called to Austin in 1856 to serve as pastor of Christ Church, whose members held Union sympathies and had split from the Church of the Epiphany whose sympathies lay elsewhere. He was able to bring the church back together as St. David’s Episcopal Church. In 1965, on the 15th anniversary of St. Stephen’s founding, the first new building in years—a new boys’ dormitory—was named for Bishop Gregg with Bishop Hines presiding. Over the next few years, the school continued its tradition of naming facilities after leaders of the church. The new science building was named for Bishop Hines, fourth bishop of the Diocese of Texas. Gillette dormitory burned down, which led the school to place girls in Wycliff. The administration wisely chose to change the name on the “little end of Wycliff ” to Quin after the Rt. Rev. Clinton Simon Quin, third bishop of the Diocese of Texas, although it was only separated from Wycliff by the same breezeway. With girls there, it sounded proper to have a different name. Over the years, St. Stephen’s has grown in numerous ways. Many new structures have been added and named after a longserving headmaster and teachers whose tenures at the school have made them part of the organic fabric of St. Stephen’s. Other facilities have been named in honor of generous benefactors— without whom the school could not have grown. Two of the original names given by Bishop Hines remain with Wycliff and Freeman. The first and fourth Diocesan bishops remain with Gregg and Hines. I hope we can preserve the memory
TEMPLE HINES
of some more of these other important names related to the early church. But most important, I think, is for us to remember the message Bishop Hines was sending to us as he named the first six buildings after church leaders who exhibited the pioneer spirit and selfless determination to do something that had not been done before, without regard for the difficulty of the mission or the consequences of its undertaking. This message is important to all those of us in the St. Stephen’s community who have received so much from this innovative school. Let us all remember our roots.
— randy parten ’67
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MAKING CONNECTIONS
Exploring Possibilities Dineo Khabele ’85 is many things—bored isn’t one of them. As director of gynecological oncology translational research at Vanderbilt University, she cares for women diagnosed with gynecological cancers. She also runs a research laboratory aimed at developing new approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of precancerous and cancerous conditions. “My work allows me to combine my interests in patient care, science, advocacy and education,” Khabele said. “As a physician, I provide a continuum of care for patients, from diagnosis and treatment to end-of-life decisions. As a scientist, I can take my findings from the laboratory to the patient bedside, and vice versa. I am also involved in training the next generation of physicians and scientists.” Khabele is particularly interested in understanding why African-American women have poor outcomes from ovarian cancer even though a greater number of Caucasian women are diagnosed with the disease each year. The reasons for this are primarily socio-economic, rather than genetic, explained Khabele, who wants to provide a voice at the table for women who might not otherwise be recognized. Despite her passion for medicine, Khabele said she did not plan for the career she enjoys today. After graduating from St. Stephen’s, she entered Columbia University with the goal of majoring in English or Political Science. “I arrived on campus at the height of the AIDS epidemic,” she said. “There was a tremendous sense of urgency surrounding the fight against AIDS. The crisis brought human rights advocates, public health workers and medical professionals together in new ways, and the scientific community was under enormous pressure to develop clinical advances to combat the disease.” This confluence of events provided Khabele new insights into how her own social, political and health-related interests might work together. She completed her pre-medical requirements, took a year off school to work on public health issues, and returned to Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons to obtain her medical degree. After completing a clinical rotation in gynecological oncology, she chose to specialize in the field. Now, in addition to her roles as a physician and scientist, Khabele also serves as assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology and cancer biology at Vanderbilt.
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St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
Looking back, Khabele noted that her experience at St. Stephen’s provided her with strong writing and critical thinking skills. The school’s academic environment also nurtured her interests in social and political issues. “I remember watching political elections on TV in the dorms, discussing current events, and studying writers like Toni Morrison and Alice Walker,” she said. Most importantly, her time at St. Stephen’s allowed her to explore new things. “I did every sort of extracurricular activity that existed at the school,” Khabele said, laughing. “While this wasn’t necessarily good for my grades, it allowed me to develop a range of interests that have created important opportunities in my own life and that now allow me to work toward improving the lives of others. “If I could tell current students one thing, I would encourage them to remain open to possibilities,” she concluded. For Khabele— and for the countless patients and families she works with—these are truly words to live by. — brenda lindfors ’80, campaign and advancement coordinator
ALUMN I N EWS
Spartan Magazine
Class Notes 1951
1955
WILL BREWSTER
C H A R L E N E M O O R E M A RT I N
brewsterwilliam34@gmail.com
cma92837@aol.com
who surprised me in the lobby of the Goodman Theatre in Chicago a year ago after a performance of ‘Other Desert Cities.’ There was not much opportunity for theater when I was at St. Stephen’s in 1957. I am currently in Pennsylvania shooting a leading role in a low budget
1952
1956
movie with M. Night Shyamalan, whose most well known
FRED HELDENFELS
E L L E N M C C O R Q U O DA L E M A RT I N
and will be released in 2015. I also have a small role in
fheldenfels@gmail.com
EMcCorq@aol.com
Episode 18 of this season's ‘House of Cards’ and have
film is ‘The Sixth Sense.’ This one is called ‘Sundowning’
opportunities for three plays in Chicago starting in the
1953
1957
E D NA N O E L H E L D E N F E L S
RUTH WILSON WIT TEN
fheldenfels@gmail.com
Ruthwitten@aol.com
Bob Scott wrote, “Same old same old.” Sometimes,
John Price has been crisscrossing the country with book
no news is good news!
appearances, hustling his book, “Revealing Heaven: the Christian Case for Near-Death Experiences.” Harper’s
fall. I am truly blessed in so many ways. My son is still flying internationally for Delta, and my four grandchildren are in colleges across the country.”
1959 TOM ROMBERG
tromberg@me.com
published the book last year, and it is selling well. It is
John Baldridge recently retired from his medical
the only book by a pastor who has spoken with hundreds
practice. He is taking several classes at Osher Lifelong
MIKE HINES
of people who have had a clinical death and were either
Learning Institute (OLLI) on the University of Arkansas
mjhines1@cox.net
resuscitated or spontaneously came back to life. The
off-campus site in Fayetteville. “Many states and cities
implications from these accounts are enormous for
have OLLI affiliations, adapted for students over 50
Mike Hines reported, “Despite the clearly increasing
theology, religion, pastoral care, ethics, spirituality,
years of age. Rather than study trails, locomotives or
insanity of air travel, my intrepid wife Grace and I, in
faith, evangelism and more.
Shakespeare, I am studying how to write short stories or
1954
articles for magazines, as well as Great Decisions: U.S.-
the company of our 14-year-old grandson Austin, along with Grace’s younger brother and Grace’s best friend,
Ruth Wilson Witten said that her classmates had better
boarded an Iberia Airline widebody at JFK airport for
send in some news and give her their new email
a two-week holiday vacation to Spain and Portugal
addresses or she will make up slanderous lies about
over Christmas and New Year’s weeks, respectively.
them for the next Spartan magazine!
world issues that shape our foreign policies.”
We stayed at two different timeshare resorts, one on the Costa del Sol in Spain, the other in the Algarve region of Portugal, experiencing the Mediterranean
1958
Sea from the adjacent countries. It was ‘low season,’
J. P. B RYA N
so we escaped the typical crunch of the summer
BryanJ@teai.com OR andrea@thebryanmuseum.com
onslaught ... a real bonus when visiting the iconic island of Gibraltar in particular! We also visited the
The Texas Historical Foundation honored J.P. Bryan with
oldest bullring in Europe in Spain and had it virtually
the 2014 Star of Texas Award on Jan. 17. More than 200
to ourselves. It was a marvelous experience, and
people were on hand to hear Bryan speak and accept this
none of us felt deprived at missing the holiday furor
honor at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum.
stateside. However, our return trip was less so. We
Among those present were Chris Hines, Jeannette
flew from Madrid to New York in the very midst of
Cook and Lynn Storm ’55.
the weather debacle of the first week in January. It wasn’t at all a pretty sight, but we survived. A really
Deanna Dunagan, who won a Tony Award in 2008 for
good — and different — time was enjoyed by all.”
her portrayal of Violet Weston in the Broadway production of ‘August: Osage County’ reported that she “was so pleased to meet a couple of St. Stephen’s student actors
J.P Bryan received the Star of Texas Award
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ALUMN I N EWS
Summer 2014
1960
and Estate Counsel, an international estate planning
Although the occasion was a sad one, our class had a
PAT FAT T E R B L A C K
organization for lawyers. Duncan was elected president
mini-reunion after Mr. Towner’s memorial service on
ggpat77@gmail.com
of the group last year and will wrap a very successful
Dec. 7, first in the dining hall and then later over Tex-Mex
tenure later this week in Tucson. He, Betty Bachman
food — a special request from Jay Millard, who won
Pat Black had a great time in August returning to the
Osborne and I get together at these conferences each
the award for traveling the farthest to celebrate our
coolness of the Berkshires in Massachusetts to sing
year.” Congratulations to Duncan, and thank you, Chuck,
with the Berkshire Choral Festival. They accompanied
for letting us know.
the famous performance ensemble, Sweet Honey in the Rock. Due to a stomach bug, she got to sit in the audience
late Latin master. Others in attendance included Lynn Johnson Sabino, David Barnett, Robert Sumners, Ann Gately, Helen (Candy) Miller, and Kathy McMillan Young. It was a bitterly cold day, which prevented David
for the concert and hear them without working. “Best
1963
of both worlds,” she said. This summer, she will be in
JULIA CAUTHORN
Ireland, singing “Jephthah” and enjoying all that smiling
Julia@texancapital.com
Irish green.
Lord from testing the icy highways between Fort Worth and Austin. Charlie Campbell probably had the best excuse for not being there: He was in Korea supporting the 2d Infantry
Richard Fullerton said, “Our son, Colin, will be at UT for
Division, which conducted exercises related to combating
Ecky Wyatt-Brown Malick reported, “Patricia
the next couple of years working on his master’s degree
weapons of mass destruction. Charlie is a busy guy
Morrison ’63, Terry Malick ’61 and I are all living
in classical guitar performance at the Butler School of
and wrote, “I am a member of the board of directors
together in the dilapidated and now flooded Charlie
Music, studying with Adam Holtzman. Check him out on
of CHRISTUS Health Louisiana, a Catholic faith-based
Hotel in West Hollywood ... what started as a short sprint
YouTube sometime.”
to Napa (Bunny Run Vineyard of Rue Winterbotham Ziegler ’63, and a tour of Grace Cathedral by Florence
health service system that seeks to extend the healing ministry of Jesus Christ that is striving to deal with an ever-changing regulatory environment, an increasingly
Owens Dodington ’61) became a marathon in Los
1964
competitive market-place, and the yet-to-be-determined
Angeles in March. Having Patricia on board has been a
J O I N E R C A RT W R I G H T J R .
October, I departed for Germany to support the Unified
Godsend; she is my assistant, and I am her laundress.
joiner.cartwright@gmail.com
Endeavour Exercise to prepare XVIII ABN Corps and a
Terry, being both footman and ox, developed back
implications of the Affordable Health Care Act. In
host of NATO forces for their planned deployment to
problems and thereby appealed to his old proctor, Sam
Bayard Breeding, who lives in Highlands Ranch, Colo.,
Afghanistan. After returning from Germany, I departed
Todd ’58, for relief. Sam reluctantly consented, waving
has slowly adjusted “to life here in the Mile High (no
for Fort Bragg, N.C., to support Mission Command
his magic scepter and turning the laundress into the ox.”
pun intended) City. The winters take some getting
Training for the 82d ABN Division and then travelled to
used to, as I have never seen so much snow outside
Washington, D.C., to meet with the chief of staff of the
of a postcard or movie in my life. The passing of the
U.S. Army.”
1961
seasons is new as well. I am doing some volunteer work
S T E V E J O L LY
with a Feed Urban Denver project. Urban gardening
stevejolly@mindspring.com
and urban farming are big deals here, along with the Farm to Table movement. There are lots of interesting
1967 R A N D Y PA RT E N
jrparten@parten.com
Jim Romberg recently returned from a very successful
programs to volunteer with. I may wind up teaching
show in Paris of ceramics and drawings. He curated
some gardening classes to the city slickers! I hope that
Jake Billingsley wrote, “My goat herd is up to 11 in number
an exhibition of contemporary Raku ceramics in March
all of the Class of 1964 is well and content. Maybe we
now, so I named the newcomer Elvis. Spring planting
2014 at the Sedona Art Center, where he lives and has
will have a good showing at our 50th Reunion this fall.”
season and farm chores have me going in overdrive, and the renegade rabbits insist that my garden is the best
established his studio.
place to eat in the county. Although demanding, country
1962 DAV I D S A N D E R S
1965 PAT B O O K E R
patter78703@yahoo.com
rdavidsanders@msn.com
1966
to fulfill my ‘ruin junkie’ cravings. I am very excited,
HELEN THOMPSON
especially to see Petra.”
Helent17@aol.com
will toot his own horn, so I will do it for him. Duncan and I are fellows in the American College of Trust
30
St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
will enjoy this piece from the CBC’s ‘As It Happens’ edition of April 29, 2014: ‘Automated Grading FAIL: ComputerGenerated Essays Earn A+ Marks,” about the Basic Automatic B.S. Essay Language generator developed
Sue Leverton and Jake “are leaving for Egypt and Jordan
Chuck Mauritz told us, “I don’t think Duncan Osborn
life is great therapy and rehab for my stroke. I think you
by Les Perlman at MIT, www.cbc.ca/asithappens/ popupaudio.html?clipIds=2453263845.”
Helen Miller still maintains a web page for the class at
1968
www.postoakfarm.com/SSSLink.htm
ROB HENDERSON
robhenderson49@aol.com
Spartan Magazine
1969 JOSH HARRISON
JHarrisonLaw@aol.com
Isabelle Johnson has been “really enjoying retirement and the time it gives me during the day! I work a little, volunteer a little and garden a lot; it's so fun. Tim and I have switched use of our land from meat goats to managing for wildlife. It has completely changed our perspective.”
1970 ELLEN JOCKUSCH
ejockusch@gmail.com
1971 K AT H RY N M I L L E R A N D E R S O N
zjmiller@austin.rr.com
Claire McKay reported that her husband, Hank Ewert ’70, “is a partner in College Guidance Associates and is working to expand the number of private college guidance counselors in the Austin office, as well as to open offices around the state. I’m still a school psychologist in Leander ISD but will be there only part time next year, as I will be opening a private practice office in Cedar Park sometime in the fall.” She also gave updates on her children: “Suzanne King ’98 left Austin in February to get her master’s in integrated water management at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. We are very excited for her and for us since we now have an excuse to go to Australia this summer! Our son, John King, is now director of Clean Energy and Power Technology at the Austin Chamber of Commerce, and he won the Austin Under 40 Award last year in the category of Science and Technology (at age 27). Leslie King ’05 has been studying integrative nutrition and starting her work as a health coach in addition to massage therapy. We are so proud of our kids and their accomplishments!” Alan Roettinger has been busy. “I recently launched my brand new website/blog, www.alanroettinger.com. My third cookbook, ‘Extraordinary Vegan,’ was released last October and is doing very well. My fourth cookbook, ‘Paleo Vegan,’ was released in March and has been in the top 100 in both vegan and paleo cookbook categories on Amazon.com. I write a monthly column in ‘Bella Spark,’ a New Age magazine, and my cooking classes are starting to gain some traction. I’ve added food styling and photography to my repertoire, with one paid job behind me and more, hopefully, on the horizon. My next project is to start filming and editing my own cooking videos to help people cook and eat at home (and — duh! — to flesh out my YouTube channel).”
Larry W. Jones “was able to catch up with Rudy
extremely proud of my four children who have taken
Green, Joyce Christian and Andrew Green ’07 on
over the reins of their father’s business (automotive
New Year’s Day. I was in Austin from California, Andrew
aftermarket) and are doing well. They are devoted to
was in from Tokyo, and the amazing couple was in
my well-being and to each other, so we share much
from Miami. It's always great to be in Austin! It was an
love. I have finally settled nicely into my mother’s
excellent start to 2014.”
house and am still working on some remodeling. I also finished the Herculean task of emptying my
Don Wreden told us, “The most interesting thing in
behemoth old house and I have rented it to 20 nuns.
my life lately has been that our son, Davey, wrote and
I've gone back to my feng shui classes to brush the
developed an indie video game called ‘The Stanley
dust off of my three certifications and hope to be
Parable,’ which was released in October. It is a narrative
doing some consulting work by the end of the year.
exploration of the illusion of choice, particularly in
I've thrown myself into the world of photography,
the context of video game culture. It has been very
investing in a good camera and a couple of lenses,
well received around the world, was the top selling
and am learning as I go along. You can find some of
online video game in the world for a while, received
my photography on Instagram. I go back and forth
many ‘Game of the Year’ awards, and was nominated
between San Antonio and Wimberley when I can,
for four British Academy Awards (BAFTAs). Davey
and down to Querétaro to see my youngest son,
was named to Forbes ‘30 under 30’ in the games
Carlos, who is studying and working there. Prosser
category. He has lived in Austin for the past year,
Stirling ’73 was in Monterrey for about three weeks
and it turns out that Austin is the indie video game
for his company, Oracle, and the U.S. Chamber of
creative center of the country. It has been fascinating
Commerce. I was able to have lunch with him on
to learn about this world, particularly since I used to
two days; he is still as sweet and delightful as he
nag him to stop playing video games so that he could
always was.”
do something to make a living. Shows how much this dinosaur knew….”
Fred Myers wanted to remind his classmates to come to Hunt, Texas, for our Autumnal Equinox
Lisa Carver Collins has been “in Auckland, New
weekend, Sept. 19-21. “The Autumnal Weekend is
Zealand, and Oklahoma City to check on my mother,
open to anyone in our era. Spouses, partners and
my children and my dogs. New Zealand is a wonderful
floozies are welcome. Email me at fmyers@1411west.
place to live. I would describe it by saying that it
com if you want to join us!”
is like America used to be, in the 1960s. I love the people and their ability to let their ‘freak flags fly,’ so to speak. I am surrounded by hippies, by older folks,
1972
by children, by people who know how to express their
M A R G O T C L A R K E , margotclarke@austin.rr.com
own personal style without fear of what others might
L I Z F O S T E R LU C Z Y C K I , lfoster@smu.edu
say. People are here from all over the world, and there are very few guns. Even the police do not carry guns. There is very little crime, and I am able to live
1973
my life without the fear that I must always watch my
DOUG ANDERSON
back. All of this is in addition to the immense beauty
dlalaw@hotmail.com
of the place. I am blessed beyond words. Plus, I'm married to the love of my life.”
1974
David Lindzey remembered the late former faculty
ANN RHODES MCMEANS
member John Respess: “His science class in the
armcmeans@gmail.com
basement of the library was pretty good, and he was really an excellent teacher and tolerant human.
Kelley Crow Snowden wrote, “We are still in East
Despite all of that, my enduring memory was of a
Texas. Yay! By the way, we have a little guest house
classmate coveting the Kool cigarettes that were
if anyone is in the area and would like to visit. A
frequently in Mr. Respess’ shirt pocket. I coveted his
little warning though: It doubles as my ‘studio’ so
motorcycle and, as an adult looking back, I know how
the walls are hung with my paintings. I hope you
much he had to have enjoyed the switchbacks on the
like pigs!”
original entrance to St. Stephen’s.” Reta McKelvey said, “Life has finally been settling into place after a very difficult couple of years. I am
sstx.org
31
ALUMN I N EWS
Summer 2014
1975
about 20 years ago, but we are really waking it up —
1984
M A RY B R A N D T, mary.l.brandt@gmail.com
major capital improvements, great collaborations,
S U Z A N N E C A N TA R I N O P F E I F F E R
S Y LV I A M C I N T Y R E - C R O O K , sycrook1@cox.net
lots of exciting programs. ‘Conde Nast Traveler’ shot a
Suzanne@pf2realty.com
story about us; publication date TBA. There’s so much potential — 2.5 acres in the middle of the best city on
John Abikhaled reported, “The Abikhaled family has now
Earth. It's been a terrific amount of fun so far. Like us
gone ‘full Spartan.’ Next year our daughter, Elly (rising
K I M FA I R E Y
on FB to keep up! Come visit! Also Annie and Anderson,
6th grader), and our son, Ben (rising 9th grader), will
kim.fairey@gmail.com. Facebook page is St. Stephen's
my two marvelously kooky kiddos, are at Highland
join their brother, Andrew, currently a freshman. We’re
Episcopal School Class of 1976
Park Elementary in AISD. Annie is crazy smart, and
happy that they will be part of the education and
Anderson is crazy artsy. They are growing like weeds.
experience that is St. Stephen’s. We are also excited
Whew.”
(and just a bit sad, too) that Andrew will get to spend
1976
1977 R O B E RT E T T I N G E R
robert@ettlaw.com
Ann Henkels Hicks has been “working as a dyslexia
his sophomore year in Japan as one of the two Spartans
1980
St. Andrew’s School in Osaka. It’s just another example
MILES WRIGHT
of the unique opportunities for growth that a St. Stephen’s
miles@veatchwright.com
education can bring. Shannon has already bought the
therapist by day, and English language learner teacher by night up in Frisco, Texas. I have three grandkids now:
chosen to participate in the exchange program with
plane tickets so we can go visit in December!” Duncan E. Osborne ’62
Brooke, Madden, and Hayden. I took a motorcycle trip
1981
Molly Leonard Azopardi reported that “Tommy and
up the Natchez Trace. Try it, you’ll like it! The rest of my
CHARLOTTE STUCKEY BRIGHAM
I are experiencing our first year as empty nesters in
family (mother, father, brother, sister and steps) is still
charlotteesbrigham@yahoo.com
Wimberley. Both our kids are at Texas A&M (Whoop!).
up in the Chapel Hill, N.C., area and doing fine.”
E R I C A P E T E R S S TA F F O R D
It has been fun going back to visit and telling the kids
Erica.Stafford@bvcpa.com
how different it was when we were there — ha ha.
Robert Pendarvis recently went on a fishing trip with Steve Lawlis, Len Leshin, David Followill, Robert Hewitt and Jose Shenkner.
Our son is a junior majoring in political science and is
1982
planning to eventually go to law school. Our daughter is a freshman and is looking at majoring in agribusiness
W E N D Y W H I T E NAU G H T O N
and is still barrel racing when she has time. I still have
wendy.naughton@gmail.com
plenty do around here taking care of all the animals. Whoever said you get bored when the kids leave home
Kimberly Reid Seals told us that “this has been a
was wrong!”
year of changes. We have two new drivers in the family, and I am remembering how differently 16-year-
Sally Smither Crotty said that her family is doing well
old boys view the world. I have made some changes to
in Dallas. “Mark continues to lead St. John’s Episcopal
myself, losing 70 pounds and learning yoga. Now I am
School, and I am tutoring students and am very
happily sharing the success with others.”
involved in The Dallas Writer’s Garret. Our daughter, Kate, is a junior, and our son, Stephen, is an 8th grader
Murray Sexton asked, “Were you at the Ellie Opera
at Greenhill School. Hope to see many of you in October!”
House in Denver, Colo., on July 7, 2012? Then you saw the traveling premier of my mini-musical, ‘A Class of 1977 fishing trip
1985
Towel Boy's Carol,’ and the launch of my first book, Nancy Scanlan ’59 and Betty (Bachman) Osborne ‘62 ‘Deranged by Murray Sexton: Twenty Song Parodies for L I B B I E WA L K E R A N S E L L Gay Cabaret,’ available on Amazon.
libbieansell@gmail.com
1978
Stuart Sikes has “enjoyed several trips to St. Stephen’s
Jennifer Stayton has just hit the 10-year mark of
Would you like to be the Class Rep? We still need
recently to watch my son and daughter challenge the
working at KUT 90.5 FM, the National Public Radio
one for the Class of 1978.
Spartans in lacrosse. The campus never looked better
affiliate in Austin. “I am the local host for NPR's
and had many impressive additions and renovations.”
‘Morning Edition’ and also conduct interviews and
1979
host special news coverage. I still love the work, though the novelty of getting up at 3:15 a.m. for work
C A R R O L L L I V E LY R E E S E R
1983
carroll@reeser.net
LAURA MEARS MIRECKI
of Austin last year and am serving as a mentor for
llynnmir@aol.com
a young communications professional. I also serve
has long worn off! I joined Women Communicators
Oliver Franklin has been director of the Elisabet Ney
on the Advisory Committee for KTSW, the student
Museum in Austin for about a year now. He said, “It has
radio station at Texas State University, and am on the
been a thrill, a great challenge. The site went to bed mad
Communication Major Advisory Council at Concordia
32
St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
Spartan Magazine
University. My husband, Charles, and stepdaughter, Samantha, who is now 13, continue to be very patient with my odd hours and work schedule. We are enjoying the antics of the two kittens we adopted from Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah following our volunteering vacation there last summer. This summer we are headed to the Berkshires in Massachusetts to meet up with some of my college friends and their families at my 25th reunion at Williams College.”
1986 E M I LY H U M M E L
emhumm76@yahoo.com
1987 C AT H E R I N E H O E Y R A N D A L L
randallwe@aol.com
1988 MARK ROWE
markrowe@henna.com
Catherine McKay Araiza was happy to write that “the Araiza/McKay dream of relocating to Austin is finally happening! My mom, Lucia McKay, and I will be moving to the Circle C area, and the kids will start school at Clayton Elementary just after spring break. The sad news is that I have divorced, but the good news is that Alejandro will relocate as well, to be close to kids. I will stay on with Shell as learning manager for Shell Trading, working from home. I will be in Houston occasionally for meetings and will keep up regular travel to UK for client work as well. Work continues to challenge and stimulate me, and I’m so grateful for Shell’s flexibility in allowing me to work remotely. It’s really a great company. I’m so happy to be making it back to Austin and looking forward to catching up with classmates once the moving dust settles.”
The Fine Art of Cultural Awareness
Randolph Howard
Rudy Green ’71 came to St. Stephen’s as the school’s first Martin Luther King Jr. scholar in the summer of 1968. His experiences on The Hill prompted him to consider issues of cultural identity and diversity more broadly, triggering a life-long interest in these subjects that is reflected in the nationally recognized art collection Green shares with his wife, Joyce Christian. Now, coming full circle, Green and Christian have generously donated eight pieces from their collection to St. Stephen’s. Green’s arrival on campus occurred at the height of the Civil Rights era, a time when issues of race were being discussed both nationally and within the small school community. “St. Stephen’s really caused me to look at issues of culture in a new way,” said Green, who quickly discovered that life on campus was very different from that of the close-knit, African-American community he knew. It was a screening of the movie “Black Orpheus,” shown at the St. Stephen’s Film Festival, that solidified his interest in learning about other cultures. Watching the film, Green noticed that there were aspects of the Brazilian culture depicted on screen that reminded him of the culture he had grown up with in Ft. Worth. “It was amazing to see this black culture from another part of the world that felt so familiar,” he said. “At that moment, I suddenly realized that I didn’t have any understanding of where black people were in the world, other than in my own neighborhood and in Africa.” Green began to explore the cultural traditions and influences of people of African descent, focusing primarily on music. Inspired by his late wife, Roslyn Wright, who had an interest in works on paper, he turned his attention to the visual arts. Green purchased the first piece for his art collection during a vacation to St. Kitts, an island in the West
1989 L AU R A S C A N L A N C H O
lcho@vervelabs.com
Indies, in 1986. Since then, he has spent almost 30 years researching and collecting works, primarily those of contemporary African-American and African Diaspora [descended from people of Africa] artists, creating a collection that is widely regarded as one of regional, national and international significance. Several pieces from the Green-Christian collection have been installed in the Booth Student Center, where current Spartans can enjoy them on a daily basis.
1990 JOSEPH FRISZ
friszman@yahoo.com
“I think a lot about St. Stephen’s and the influence the school has had on who I am today,” explained Green, a former St. Stephen’s trustee. “The school has brought attention to the art that I’ve collected over the years, and it is still actively involved in helping students understand and appreciate diverse cultures, preparing them to be citizens of a global world. These are things that we want to support.” — brenda lindfors ’80, campaign and advancement coordinator
sstx.org
33
ALUMN I N EWS
Summer 2014
1991 LIZ FLEMING POWELL
lz.powell@gmail.com
David Rozelle is still in the Army. He spent the last three years teaching leadership at the University of Colorado– Boulder and was selected for battalion command. He is currently serving as commander of 1-72 Armor Battalion near the DMZ in the Republic of Korea at Camp Casey. He will be there for the next two years. Learn more about the Battalion from their Facebook page at https://www. facebook.com/pages/1-72-AR-First-Tank/142619037363.
1992 MONIKA POWE NELSON
lz.powell@gmail.com
Jen Campbell-Allison '95 with Matthew
1993
Jen Campbell-Allison wrote, “My husband, Sam Allison,
DAV I S B A L D W I N
and I had a son in December 2013: Matthew F.C. Allison.
rdbaldwin@mac.com
He smiled on his second day!”
Brandi Ratliff said she “had a great time getting to
Joey Fishkin '96
Dobbie Fenton, Kathryn Respess, Mason Cox, Laura Camp, Jim Crosby, and many others at St. Stephen’s who inspired her! Joey Fishkin, assistant professor at the University of
watch the lady Spartans play basketball at SPC in Houston.
Texas School of Law, has written “Bottlenecks: A New
I was able to visit with Coach Sampleton and give a pre-
Theory of Equal Opportunity,” a book published in
game talk. Watching them play brought back so many
February by Oxford University Press. The book proposes
memories!”
ways of changing the opportunity structure to make it less constraining and less unequal. His research and
1994
teaching interests include employment discrimination,
G R E T C H E N C O N N A L LY D O Y L E
election law, education law, constitutional law, torts and
gconnally@gmail.com
distributive justice.
Seren Laibovitz gave birth to a beautiful baby girl on
Mary Fuller has been on a core team for a program in Oakland, Calif., called “Hack the Hood,” which trains
Feb. 19. “Her name is Devora David Laibovitz. She is named in memory of my beloved brother, David Laibovitz ’89.
Ben Chan '95 and family celebrating Easter
still living in Washington, D.C., and would love to meet
Ben Chan and his wife “had our second daughter,
up with St. Stephen’s folks in the area or those passing
Helena Chan, on April 17. She weighed in at 7 lbs., 12 oz.”
through.”
1995
program is set to launch in five cities in the Bay Area next year. Mary hopes to bring the program home to Austin
1996 ELIZABETH ANNE SYKES RAINS
earains_lpc@yahoo.com
rheabt@gmail.com
SHANNON POWERS FLAHIVE
BETH COCKERHAM MACK
spowers1@austin.rr.com
bcockerham@hotmail.com S E T H A L L E Y, sethalley@msn.com
Sarah Hardin has accepted a position as assistant
A N N S T R A U S E R PA L M E R
professor at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, N.H.,
annstrauser@hotmail.com
where she will teach courses on African history. She’s
H AW K I N S L I , hli3@yahoo.com
looking forward to getting to know the area and to working at an institution with a scholastic tradition like St. Stephen’s. Sarah thanks her father, Stephen Hardin, and her teachers,
St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
local businesses in low income neighborhoods. The
some day soon!
RHEA BENBOW THOMAS
34
underprivileged youth in tech and entrepreneurship skills that they use to build websites and visibility for
My family and I couldn't be happier to welcome her. I am
1997 CAMERON BEESLEY
leardsfool@gmail.com
Lina Afeiche Ammari and her husband, Bashar Ammari, became proud parents to a son, Andrew Jordan Ammari, born on Oct. 9, 2013. Thanks to Andrew’s aunt, Rana Afeiche ’92, for sending us this great news.
Spartan Magazine
Michael Emery ’71 and Andy Fraser ’71
Scott Gosselink '02 married Brigitte Hoyer in September
Sara Bremen Rabstenek ’00 with Dorothy
1998
Laura Turner Moon wrote that she is “living the dream
to escape the snow of Connecticut. They love their life in
JA R E D H O C K E M A
with her family in Dallas, Texas.”
the Bay Area, where Scott works for SunEdison as a renewable energy developer, and Brigitte works for
jhockema@mac.com
1999 BECKY HOLLIS DIFFEN
2000
Google Giving, providing grants to promising nonprofits and foundations. Attendees at the wedding included
TRACEY HERMAN SHABABO
classmates Austin Vedder, Brad Scherer, Rob Heidrick,
traceyshababo@gmail.com
Emily Sullivan Foon, Trey Pool and Chris Upton.
Becky@beckyanddaniel.com
Kwasi Agbottah and his wife, Elizabeth, are still Patrick Zimmerman wrote, “Kate and I welcomed our
preschool teachers, with children Abraham (3) and Elijah
2003
second child, Beth, into the world in November. Kate,
(2) both in preschool. They also do poetry on the bus,
WYNN MYERS
Luke, Beth and I are living in New Jersey, where I am a
which you can hear at www.40rty-years.tumblr.com.
wynnmyers@gmail.com
Kate is teaching art history at Seton Hall University, and
Sara Bremen Rabstenek ’00 and her husband, Tom,
Dianna Moore finished her MBA at the University
Luke and Beth are growing faster than we can believe!”
welcomed their daughter, Dorothy, at Cedars-Sinai in
of Cape Town and now heads up a team at a
Los Angeles on Nov. 29, 2013. She was weighed in at 6
nonprofit in South Africa that focuses on food
lbs., 4oz. “Dot is doing great!”
security and rural development. After four great
second-year (of three) resident in emergency medicine.
Across the pond, Heather Burt moved from London to Bristol and recently got engaged. Her wedding will be
years in Cape Town, she is moving back to the
in November, and she said they “moved to Bristol to be
Jonathan Levy, and his wife, Leigh, welcomed their first
nearer his family and because it’s also a lovely place to
son, Leo, on Feb. 21. Thanks to Sara Levy for sending the
raise our future family. So it's a very exciting new start,
great news about her brother and his family.
with a new job, new city and new life with my soon-tobe-husband! I'm a very lucky lady!”
2001
Beth Wermer graduated from UT with a master’s degree
JULIET FRERKING
in child health nursing last May and said she is enjoying
frerking@gmail.com
United States in July in search of the next adventure.
2004 B R I A N K AU F M A N
brian.r.kaufman@gmail.com
Sarah Aragona and Cole Arledge ’07 were married on March 29. They are currently living in Dallas, but will be
her work as a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurse. Eric Camp and his wife moved to Nairobi, Kenya, last
2002
July. She works at the U.S. Embassy, and Eric is still
KEAN TONETTI
practicing American and international oil and gas law.
stonetti@gmail.com
They will be in Kenya until the summer of 2015. Eric
moving to San Francisco in August.
2005 R A C H E L K AT Z , rpk228@gmail.com
reported that life is good, and they are expecting their
Scott Gosselink married Brigitte Hoyer on Sept. 28,
first child in November.
2013, in Oakland, Calif. Having met while pursuing their MBAs at Yale, they moved west after school to California
sstx.org
35
ALUMN I N EWS
Summer 2014
play and playground equipment, and thoroughly enjoyed her classes. Rachel now teaches second grade in the mid cities of DFW… and has been loving every minute of it! Colin Forage has moved back to Austin, where he works on a research team at the University of Texas through the university’s computational biology and bioinformatics department. He spends his free time enhancing his web development skills, taking on projects as they come his way. Since graduating from Pitzer College in May 2012, Leslie Canter has been in Austin, working in film production and distribution. She enjoys running around town with Team Rogue and remains to this day very active in Sarah Aragona '04 and Cole Arledge '07 were married in March
the educational organization she founded while at St. Stephen’s, Bridges to Burma.
2006
Seve Garza has been running his business, G52cube,
SELINA STRASBURGER
since July 2010. Nearing graduation from Chapman
selina.strasburger@gmail.com
University in the spring of 2012, Seve expanded his
S A R A H H . S H E P PA R D
existing photography and stencil business to include
sarahcromwell@aol.com
videography. In 2012, he produced the creative content (illustrative work and short films) for the Pacific Aerospace Resource & Technologies (PART) maintenance repair and
2007
overhaul company; he had free reign to go around PART’s
A N N E B U C K T H A L , anne.buckthal@gmail.com
hangars and film time-lapse videos of the airplanes being
C O L E A R L E D G E , cole.arledge@gmail.com
disassembled and then reassembled. Upon graduation, Seve moved back to Austin and now primarily focuses on
Ben Ferguson led a storytelling workshop for the
Ben Ferguson '07
Theatre Focus program at St. Stephen’s on April 26. He
stencil work. He is currently creating a body of work with the purpose of addressing the hardships of homelessness.
is a founding member of Pig Pen Theatre Co. Check out
through the school, learning Spanish and analyzing the
For this project, Seve teamed up with Caritas and Spratx
Ben and the group at www.pigpentheatre.com.
business environment in Argentina. Mark worked the
to develop an effective communication method for
Cannes Film Festival in May for the American Pavilion.
distributing strong visual rhetoric that reminds the
Cole Arledge and Sarah Aragona ’04 were married on
He will spend the summer in London, interning for the
public that homelessness is a serious issue and that
March 29.
website TwentySomethingLondon.com and consulting
the people it affects are to be respected. For more
with them on marketing best practices.
information on Seve’s homelessness series or the work
Martha Cox graduated with a B.A. from Rice in 2011 after
of G52cube, follow him on Instagram: @g52cube.
majoring in architecture. In 2013 she earned her bachelor
After graduating from The University of Texas at Austin
of architecture degree. “Since then, I have been working
last May with bachelor’s of science degrees in physics
at the Gensler Houston office in the mixed-use studio
and mathematics, Danny Broberg decided to pursue
and been very much enjoying work and graduated,
a graduate degree. As of fall 2013, he has been in the
professional life. I traveled to Mexico City in the winter
materials science Ph.D. program at the University of
of 2012 and plan to visit a friend from high school in
California at Berkeley … and has been quite happy to be
Jakarta, Indonesia, soon. I bike commute to work almost
in the warm California sun!
every day and am doing the MS 150 this April.” Michelle Kean has been enjoying her graduate program
2008
— this time back in Texas. She is currently finishing up her master’s degree in curriculum studies at Texas
AMANDA KUSHNER
Christian University in Fort Worth. She is already looking
amandakkushner@gmail.com. Amanda has set up a Facebook
forward to putting her degrees to use upon graduation.
group for the class called St. Stephen's Class of 2008.
Rachel Gleitman graduated from Texas Christian University Mark Jackson has been pursuing a master’s degree in
in May 2013 with a master’s degree in elementary education.
global marketing at the Thunderbird School of Global
While at TCU, she worked as a teaching assistant,
Management. He spent summer 2013 in Buenos Aires
conducted her own personal research over children’s
36
St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
Mark Jackson '08
Spartan Magazine
at her house on March 1. The St. Stephen's Madrigals performed three numbers at the lovely event. Katherine Bell, Michele Kean and Raiza Aguilar were also in attendance. Raiza Aguilar moved back to Austin after graduation. She is working for Medicine in Motion, a sports medicine clinic in Austin. At Medicine in Motion, she does rehabilitation, as well as works with the men's and women's lacrosse teams at UT. Raiza, a certified and licensed athletic trainer, graduated from Boston University in 2013 with a B.S. in athletic training.
2009 J. J. B O T H A
johannbboth@gmail.com C H A N TA L S T R A S B U R G E R
chantal.strasburger@gmail.com
2010 C A R L O T TA G A R Z A , carlotta.garza@gmail.com
Artwork by Seve Garza '08
O M A R YA G H I , omaryaghi2@gmail.com RYA N N Y O U N G , rhy9@cornell.edu
After graduating from Southern Methodist University in May 2012 with a B.A. in journalism, Stephanie Collins
Chris Brash visited the St. Stephen’s campus in early
spent several months working as a fellow at Public Strategies
April. He has been enjoying St. Edward's University and
in Dallas. She is pleased to announce her new job at
plans to go to graduate school next year in business
Tenet Healthcare Corp. in Dallas, working as the company’s
management. He would like to go into the renewable
newest corporate communications specialist.
energy business someday.
St. Stephen’s roommates Kristine Cruz and Claudia Iao reunited in Dallas to run the Cowtown Half Marathon
Christine Cruz '08 and Claudia Iao '08
together on Feb. 23. Congratulations! In August 2013, Amanda Kushner began working in business development at Allegro Development’s corporate headquarters in Dallas. She truly enjoys her new position, as well as the challenges a life in software sales brings. In her free time, Amanda writes for “Sweet Lemon Magazine” and her own lifestyle site, www.glitterandspice.com. Sarah Means has moved to Dallas. After spending a year working for Loeffler Randall in New York City, Sarah has moved back to sunny Texas for a new job with Jackson Durham Floral Event Design in Dallas... and has been loving it! Alyssa Posey and Sean McDermott were married on April 19. Alyssa graduated from TCU in 2012 and is currently employed with Mears in Orlando, Fla. Violet Bell hosted a high tea and bridal shower for Alyssa
Brad Powers ’05, Alex Posey ’05, Raiza Aguilar, Amanda Kushner, bride Alyssa Posey ‘08, Michelle Kean, Katherine Bell and Jonathan Bell ’11
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Summer 2014
2011
IN MEMO RIAM
L I N D S AY R E D M A N, llredman@go.olemiss.edu G R AY T W O M B LY, Twombly.Gray@gmail.com H E N RY S I K E S , WHSikes1@gmail.com A L I A YA H G I , ayaghi@stanford.edu
Wallis Goodman with Brooke Becker ’13, Lily Kazanoff ’13 and Alexa Haverlah ’13
2012 HELEN ELIZABETH OLD, helenelizabeth1@me.com C A R O L I N E P R I N G L E , caroline.pringle@yale.edu JA K E P O L I T T E , jake.politte@rocketmail.com
Young Alumni Breakfast On Jan. 8, the Advancement Office hosted a young alumni breakfast in the new Buddy Temple ’60 Dining Hall. Alumni from the Classes of 2010 to 2013 returned to The Hill while on winter break from their universities to catch up with old classmates, check out our new campus facilities and visit with favorite teachers. From the food to
Y O S UA A D I YA S A , yosua.adiyasa@hotmail.com
2013 JA M E S C A RT E R , jamestevecarter@gmail.com L I S A N O R D H AU S E R , lisa.nordhauser@gmail.com
The Class of 2013 generously donated $3,060 to École St. Etienne, St. Stephen's partner school in Haiti, which serves 250 K-8 students.
the company to the beautiful Hill Country views — the event was truly delightful. We enjoyed the morning so much that we plan to make it an annual event. Mark your calendars, college-age Spartans, we will host another young alumni breakfast in January 2015! Many thanks to all who came this year and made the inaugural event so much fun.
— kristin eitel, associate director of alumni and donor relations
J. Chrys Dougherty III Chrys Dougherty III died on Feb. 20, at age 98. Born Robert Henderson Dougherty in Beeville, Texas, on May 3, 1915, Dougherty was the only surviving child among five siblings. He was the son of J. Chrys Dougherty and Mary Virginia Henderson Dougherty. After his father died when he was 16, he changed his name to that of his father. His uncle James R. Dougherty helped him attend the University of Texas and Harvard Law School with the request that he pass on the gift of education to others,
F O R M E R FAC ULTY Susan Hiebert Lindstrom, who was on the St. Stephen’s faculty from 1991 to 1999, and the Very Rev. Justin Lindstrom, dean of the Episcopal Cathedral in Oklahoma City, recently moved from Texas to Oklahoma. Covell, who was born while the Lindstroms were at St. Stephen’s, is 15, and their daughter Cooper is 12. Susan is currently a travel agent, mom and a clergy spouse, which keeps her busy.
which he did through numerous gifts to individuals and institutions. While at Harvard Law School, Dougherty met another Texas transplant, Mary Ireland Graves (“Miggie”), a student at Vassar. They married in April 1942. During the war, Dougherty served in the Counter-Intelligence Corps and in France as an attorney in the Judge Advocate General Corps. There he added a love of the French language to the love of Spanish that he learned as a child. Years later, he served as the Honorary French Consul of Texas. Following the war, Dougherty studied international law at Harvard. In 1946 he co-founded the Graves, Dougherty law firm with his father-in-law, Ireland Graves. He was
Audrey Wozniak was awarded the prestigious Watson
involved in a number of important cases over the years,
Fellowship, a national competitive fellowship awarded
most notably the Tidelands case, a legal battle between
to 40 college seniors annually. She will travel around the
the state of Texas and the federal government over
world with her violin to explore the musical cultures of
rights to offshore oil. He served as president of the Texas
Gamelan, Muqam and Cimbalom bands in Indonesia,
State Bar Association in 1979–80.
China, Azerbaijan, Hungary and Czech Republic. She double majored in music and East Asian studies and
Susan Hiebert Lindstrom and family
played with both the MIT Symphony and the Wellesley Chamber Music Society. She has interned with the
Steve Smock, who taught English and drama at St. Stephen’s,
ABC News Beijing bureau and with the U.S. Embassy
helped host an alumni party in New York City in May for
in Guangzhou, and was an Albright Fellow in the 2013
alumni who gathered to see the play “Under My Skin” by
Madeleine Korbel Albright Institute for Global Affairs.
Prudence Fraser ’73, and her husband, Robert Sternin,
In May she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, the national
at the Little Shubert Theatre. Steve said he is still a
academic honor society. She will begin her summer
“migrant worker,” living half the year in Chicago and the
with an internship writing for “The Wall Street Journal”
other half in Hong Kong, designing seasonal products.
in Hong Kong this summer. Read more about her plans
Email him at artoliver@earthlink.net if you find yourself
at www.wellesley.edu/news/2014/03/node/42992.
in Hong Kong or Chicago and want to see him.
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St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
Dougherty’s beloved Miggie died in July 1977. The following year, he married Bea Ann Smith. After they divorced, he married Sarah Blair Randle in 1982. She died in 1997. Dougherty leaves behind his daughter, Molly Dougherty ’68, and her husband, Richard Pells; son Chrys IV ’69 and his wife, Mary Ann; two grandsons, John Ireland Dougherty ’05 and Mark Chrysostom Dougherty ’09; and many dear relatives and friends.
Spartan Magazine
Tito Beveridge and Ben Chan ’95
Lou Porter Bailey ’71 and Laura Camp
John R. Respess Jr. John Respess, former St. Stephen's math and science teacher and husband of current faculty member Kathryn Respess, passed away on the afternoon of Sunday, Feb. 23. He had been hospitalized since Saturday afternoon and did not regain consciousness after a swift and irreversible decline over the previous few days. Kathryn has said that out of respect for John’s wishes, no services
A Profile in Planned Giving: Laura Camp Laura Camp came to St. Stephen’s to teach history in the fall of 1971. She retired from her teaching position—though not from her involvement with the school—in 2012. During her 41-year tenure, she became one of the most beloved faculty members in school history. Camp is a member of the St. Stephen’s Legacy Council, which means she has left gifts to St. Stephen’s in her will and estate plan. I spoke with her recently about why she chose to make these gifts and why she encourages others to do the same.
were held. Kathryn is soldiering on; she was back in class
Why did you decide to make St. Stephen’s a part of your estate plan?
the Monday after his death. The Respesses have been a
St. Stephen’s is a great school. And great schools aren’t free. They need support. St. Stephen’s was a
part of the St. Stephen’s community since 1965.
great place to work and live. I wanted to give back to St. Stephen’s because of what it did for me and what it does for our students. I want it to continue to be the wonderful place it has been since 1950. I like to
Thomas Dimitrious Wood ’15
imagine all the students who will come to St. Stephen’s in the future and how my estate gifts will continue
Thomas Dimitrious Wood died on March 10 at his home
to help them get the education that meant so much to me and the many students I had the pleasure of
in Houston. He attended Presbyterian School from pre-K through 7th grade and then attended St. Stephen’s. Wood was a creative writer and artist, and he enjoyed mathematics. Many knew him as an outstanding athlete, whose zest and competitive spirit on the baseball, football and soccer fields, on the basketball court, and
teaching in my years at St. Stephen’s. How did you go about it? The main thing you need to do is to realize that you need to have an estate plan. You need to decide where you want your property—money, stock, real estate or whatever else you may have—to go after you die. Many people die without a will and then state law specifies who gets your estate. I did not want that to happen with my estate.
on the track were notable, and brought much joy to him and to his parents, siblings and grandparents. Wood
First, make a will. Make a list of all your assets and decide who you want to receive them upon your death.
played in the West University little league and the West
Then, if you have retirement accounts and the like, make sure you have also filled out paperwork to
University soccer club. A true sports fan, he enjoyed
designate beneficiaries. You can change your mind at any time before your death by changing your will
watching ESPN from a very young age.
and beneficiaries. Look for a lawyer who has experience in this kind of work, and it will be a lot easier than you may expect. I have also talked to Lou Bailey a lot about these choices. You can contact her in addition
Thomas is survived by his parents, Willie and Gail Graves Wood of Houston, as well as his sister, Julia Campbell Wood, and his brother, William Nicholas Wood, both of Houston. The family wishes to thank and praise all of Wood’s friends over the years and their parents who loved Wood and his great spirit. Special thanks to Noah Murphy,
to talking to your lawyer and financial person. Can every gift really help the school? I am by no means a rich person, but I know that every gift helps St. Stephen’s. I like to say that private schools need sugar daddies, and we don’t have a Hershey, referring to the Hershey School in Pennsylvania, which has free tuition due to the gigantic gifts of the Hershey’s Co. But if we all give to the school in whatever amount and way we can, we can ensure that St. Stephen’s and its mission will continue. So yes, every gift will help the school. — Lou porter bailey ’71, director of alumni relations and planned giving
Tony Matta, John Baizer, Mathew Rice, Wilson Nichols and Nick Balley for their incredible friendship and support,
St. Stephen’s is extremely grateful to Laura Camp and to all of our Legacy Council members who have
and to their parents, with special thanks to Shawna and
provided for St. Stephen’s in their estate plans. Please contact Lou Bailey, director of alumni relations
Bobby Murphy.
and planned giving, at 512.327.1213 or lbailey@sstx.org if you would like to find out more about planned giving. You can also check out our web site at https://www.sstx.org/plannedgiving.
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ALUMN I N EWS
Summer 2014
Ellen Moore ’63
she spent time with her beloved Auntie Beth and
cousins Michael Moore, Elizabeth Shepherd and Cindy
Ellen Moore, Bastrop woman-about town, newspaper
Uncle Tex, and hobnobbed with many of their friends
Shepherd; and too many friends to name.
columnist, world traveler, animal lover, ardent sports
and acquaintances. It was a social set that included
fan and art connoisseur, died on March 24 at the age of
Happy and Nelson Rockefeller, Claire Booth Luce and
A. Brooks Brown ’66
69. Ellen was born on March 23, 1945, in the tiny town
many other luminaries. But Texas soon called her
Brooks Brown of Manchester, Vt., died on Aug. 30,
home, and she left New York to move back to Austin,
2013, at the age of 66. He was born May 27, 1947, in
where she began working at the Austin Library. In
San Antonio, Texas, to Eleanor Brooks Brown and David
1978, she married Bob Hoover, a sign language teacher
Bryce Martin. Dr. William K. Brown, having married Brooks’
who worked with the deaf.
mother in January 1952, subsequently adopted him.
of Deport, Texas, the daughter of the late Helen and John Moore. From the start, her life extended beyond the borders of her small community. Moore and her family traveled to the East Coast frequently.
After moving to Bastrop, the pair had an active social When she was 15, Moore moved to Austin to attend
Brown grew up in Houston. He attended St. Stephen’s
life and filled their house with a menagerie of dogs
St. Stephen’s as a boarder. At the school, she made
and graduated from Memorial Senior High School in
and cats. Her later life was filled with her work as a
Houston in 1966. He attended Tarkio College and the
her name as an aggressive and formidable basketball
newspaper columnist, membership in several clubs
University of Oklahoma, where he was a member of Phi
player. At St. Stephen’s, she and classmate Julia Cauthorn
and groups, and frequent travel. Moore’s much-
Delta Theta fraternity. In 1968, Brooks moved to Aspen,
developed a lifelong friendship. After graduation,
loved newspaper column, “Downtown and Around,”
Colo., learned to ski and became a ski instructor. He
the two attended Wellesley College, where her hoop
chronicled in sparkling detail the comings and goings
continued to work within the ski industry, moving to
dreams ended. “Our first week at Wellesley, we went
of local Bastrop folks. Moore made it her business to
Vermont in the late 1970s to work as a representative
find out when babies had been born, where retirement
for an equipment manufacturer. Shortly after his arrival
parties had been held, and who had shown up at
in Vermont, the seed was planted for WEQX, the radio
a sick person’s door with a delicious home-cooked
station he created, owned and operated for 29 years.
to P.E. together to play basketball again,” Cauthorn explained. “The minute Ellen made one of her classic jump shots, the teacher started yelling at us, ‘Ladies basketball is NOT a contact sport.’”
meal. Her last column for the paper ran in 2009. In 1984, after years of hard work, WEQX signed on-air Moore is survived by her husband, Bob; her brother,
After graduating from Wellesley with a degree in English
with Linda Clifford’s version of “If My Friends Could
John, and sister-in-law Suzanne; her dog, Abigail,
in 1967, Ellen lived in New York and worked as an editorial
See Me Now.” For the past 29 years, under Brown’s
and cat, Starbaby; her aunt, Lou Shepherd; her close
leadership, WEQX earned the reputation as one of the
assistant at Glamour magazine. During those days,
finest radio stations in the country. Both he and the radio station received numerous honors along the way,
Alumni News Submissions Join Your Classmates Online Alumni are contacted by their class rep several times a
including three awards as Rolling Stone’s “Best Radio Station of the Year.” Brooks was inducted into the Vermont Association of Broadcasters’ Hall of Fame in 2005. WEQX is one of the few remaining independent
year for news and information. For assistance contacting
Like us on Facebook at:
radio stations in the country and, for decades, has
your class rep or to submit news directly, please contact
www.facebook.com/StStephensAlumni
impacted both the local and national music scenes.
Alumni Director Lou Porter Bailey ’71 at 512.327.1213 x112
Join our St. Stephen’s Episcopal School Alumni
or lbailey@sstx.org. To find your rep online, please visit
Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/
He is survived by his wife, Melinda Ann Bell, as well as
the Alumni page at www.sstx.org/alumni.
groups/8735891587/
his parents in Houston; his sons Stephenson Brown of
We welcome high resolution photographs with your
Chat with us on Twitter at:
of Flagstaff, Ariz.; and his granddaughter, Cedar. His
Class Notes news summary. When you send a high
https://twitter.com/ststephenschool
brother, Philip Brown of Houston, and his sister, Polly
Manchester, and Trueheart Brown and his wife, Laura,
resolution photo, please always identify everyone in the
Brown Davies ’71, of Austin also survive him. In addition,
photo, make sure we can see all faces clearly, and make
Connect with us on LinkedIn at:
he leaves behind numerous nieces, nephews, cousins,
sure to send a JPG format in the largest size possible
www.linkedin.com – St. Stephen’s
aunts and an uncle.
(at least 900 pixels; 3" wide at 300 dpi).
Episcopal School Alumni
Printed submissions may be mailed to:
Check out our YouTube Channel at:
James Wagner, a very kind and strong soul, gifted
Spartan magazine
www.youtube.com/user/ststephensaustin
piano performer, and all-around good being, passed
James Wagner ’70
St. Stephen’s Episcopal School 6500 St. Stephen’s Drive Austin, TX 78746 Spartan magazine editors reserve the right to edit or omit any information submitted.
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St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
away on April 4. A memorial service was held for him Have you received any emails from the alumni office recently? If not, we may not have a current email address for you. Please send your current email address to lbailey@sstx.org so you won’t miss invitations to fun events and news about your classmates. Thanks!
on April 27 at Esther’s Follies in Austin. His sister, Ruth Wagner ’72, wrote of the occasion, “Please come, bring your joy, and celebrate his life and love of music and his amazing ability to bring joy to all.”
BACK TO SCHOOL ALUMNI REUNION OCTOBER 17-19, 2014
X
OCTOBER 17 afternoon: attend classes evening: football game against The John Cooper School at 7 pm and class parties OCTOBER 18 morning: hike in the Gulch afternoon: decade reception on The Hill evening: dinner on The Hill and more class parties OCTOBER 19 Chapel
All class years are welcome, as we celebrate the following milestone reunions: 60th Reunion | CLASS OF 1954
30th Reunion | CLASS OF 1984
55th Reunion | CLASS OF 1959
25th Reunion | CLASS OF 1989
50th Reunion | CLASS OF 1964
20th Reunion | CLASS OF 1994
45th Reunion | CLASS OF 1969
15th Reunion | CLASS OF 1999
40th Reunion | CLASS OF 1974
10th Reunion | CLASS OF 2004
35th Reunion | CLASS OF 1979
5th Reunion | CLASS OF 2009
www.sstx.org/alumni sstx.org
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6500 St. Stephen’s Drive Austin, Texas 78746
If you receive multiple copies of this publication or have updated address information to share with us, please send an email to jmullinix@sstx.org. Thank you!
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SNAPSHOT Phil Reid, Richy Munroe, Nathan Goldberg and Taekyun (TK) Kim enjoying graduation day
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