T H E
T H A C H E R
S C H O O L
CLASS OF
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Commencement Tributes to
The Seniors Presented by Michael K. Mulligan, Head of School, on behalf of the Faculty
Saturday, June 3, 2000
I
In a tradition of several years now, the presentation of diplomas involves each senior’s standing next to me while I read a short statement crafted from teachers’ reports, letters, and other observations made during his or her time at Thacher. Please bear in mind that these brief comments are not a list of achievements; nor are they a summary of the seniors’ careers at Thacher; nor are they a definitive assessment of their characters. They are snapshots, really—a few sentences intended to affirm some of the obvious and less obvious qualities that these young women and men have brought to their work, their friends, and their relations here at the School. I read these because, despite the time it takes to do so and the patience it requires of us in these small, wooden chairs, we do wish to honor our students and your children, each in his or her turn. We want to commend those qualities, some more manifest than others, that we hope will blossom more fully as these young men and women grow into adulthood. The class of 2000 will, after all, graduate from Thacher only once. This is their day. Another long-standing tradition that continues today is that the diplomas are awarded at random. Peter Robinson, Assistant Head of School, will assist me in this process. Photographers, be ready: you never know when your son’s or daughter’s name will be called. Let the festivities begin! Michael K. Mulligan Head of School
WALLIS ELIZABETH ADAMS If, in some unimaginable chaos, you seek order and calm, look to Wallis. She simply exudes serenity, even when it is rigorously challenged—say, by a horse refusing a jump or a disagreement about Morrison’s use of fire imagery in Sula, or a passel of Orange Team members getting rowdy on her watch. Her learning, both inside and outside of the academic curriculum, is impelled by an insistent curiosity which combines with her natural intellect and impressive work ethic; the blend makes of Wallis a treasure in any class—or on either coast. Steady and morally steadfast, Wallis is the model of what Pascal had in mind when he wrote, “One’s virtue ought to be measured not by extraordinary exertions, but by everyday conduct.” We have all been the beneficiaries these four years of Wallis’s conduct, which bespeaks the optimism, integrity, and personal generosity that are the cornerstones of her character. Wallis is not a shooting star, whose brilliance astonishes and then dies, but has been to us rather, in her principled behavior, more the clear, bright pole star on whose presence we can rely one night after another.
JUSTIN MENEFEE ARNOLD Arriving at Thacher as a junior, Justin took just about…three minutes to establish himself as a force for the good in this class and in this school. You’d have to be president of the Curmudgeon Society not to be uplifted in Justin’s presence: he is unfailingly cheerful, reliably positive, always ready to greet you with his characteristic and genuine “How ya doin’?” He walks—always—on the sunny side of the street. Justin’s sparkle isn’t mere light, though; it is the sustained fire of moral certainty and a belief in the responsibility each of us has to make the world better. Justin is, simply, unafraid to stand tall for his beliefs—or, for that matter, to dress up as one of the girls in a “Summer Nights” skit, babushka and wig slightly askew. High standards in the personal realm translate to the classroom as well, where Justin’s intelligence, openmindedness, and determination have made him a valued member at the seminar table and in the lab. On the sports field or track, Justin is a passionate warrior. Here, as in all he has done these past two years, he has given his best to us. Only one question remains: What took you so long to get here, Justin?
BENNETT BAKER BARBAKOW Creative in his very bones, Bennett sees the world and all that’s in it—mathematics problems, the sophomore boys of his dorm, literature, film, a tennis ball hitting the court, electronic music—with eyes wide in wonder and an innate vision of how to approach, organize, understand, imagine afresh. He’s an eclectic and provocative presence in any classroom, engaged with the material and intrigued by where it can take him—and where he can take it. Bennett is also a natural leader, blessed with diplomatic skills and an ability to listen, not merely hear. He seeks what’s unique in each person he comes in contact with and cherishes it. All this, and he’s humble. If you ask Bennett about, say, his feat of picking up the silver dollar in Gymkhana when he was a freshman, he’ll quickly explain, “I had a short horse.” In Bennett’s beneficent circle of influence, we have laughed until our sides hurt—and, when that laughter has died, been left smiling, knowing we’ve been in the presence of a dazzling imagination and a unique intelligence.
DARREN HOGAN BECHTEL Shorts and T-shirts, jeans and chaps, canvas work suits, hula skirts and leis: the breadth of Darren’s sartorial variety bespeaks his astonishing versatility and gives you a glimpse into the number of places in the community that have felt the benefit of his goodness and commitment. Whether he’s running feed crew, washing cars to raise money for the Ventura AIDS Foundation, psyching up his Trivia Bowl team, riding hell-bent-forleather in the Hurry-Scurry or, alongside his sister in the Ribbon Race, problemsolving in calculus, trying to capture a novel’s main character in prose, the “brainy and footsy” Darren is industrious and fully engaged, entirely reliable. A straight-shooter— literally—Darren is often the first to step forward when a job needs doing; his maturity and responsibility, though laced with great humor and a strong sense of the absurd, merge to make of him a recognized school leader and someone to whom we naturally turn in challenging times. In fact, Darren understands the values of the School at the level of the heart, and he upholds them in demonstrable and clear ways. We’ll miss the get-ups—and we’ll sorely miss the guy.
KRISTIN MARIE BERONA Kristin’s charisma is entirely unconscious in her—but entirely obvious to those who’ve been in her gracious and kind presence these three years. She includes in her sweep everyone at the table or on the soccer field or in the room or even in the Amphitheater when she’s running Assembly. It is no wonder, then, that her leadership focus this year has been on community service, linking the arms of people in this place with those in need off campus: it’s as though she has a special gene for caring about other people. Gifted, too, with a facile and comprehensive intellect, Kristin moves in scholarly circles with unusual talent and naturalness. She enlivens every class with her eager participation, while encouraging others toward their own understanding of the theorem or novel or scientific principle. Imagine a juggler keeping several disparate and differently-shaped objects circling through the air, and you see Kristin: intimately knowledgeable about the heft of each responsibility, about the force it needs to stay airborne, about the timing of its return to her capable and outstretched hand. Deft and resilient, smiling all the while as though it were easy, she keeps us all entranced and endlessly admiring.
MARISA LAUREN BINDER An ambiguous ending to a novel, the subjunctive mood in Spanish, a newspaper deadline, a very long long-jump, a high B-flat—by virtue of her extraordinary determination and natural talents, all are within Marisa’s grasp. She is unafraid to reach and is motivated by a belief that a job worth doing is worth doing well. Marisa has brought sophistication, an enviable work ethic, and innate intelligence to the tasks that have been before her at Thacher. Trustworthy and dependable, passionate about her learning and growth, she contributes in a vast number of areas of school life, many of which fall outside of the spotlight into which her exceptional musical ability inevitably draws her. And though she is in many ways a stand-out, she values being part of the magic when voices and deeds come together for a greater good— for example, faithfully feeding the homeless of Ojai every Sunday night. Early in Peter Strauss’s Amadeus, the envious and merely mortal Salieri refers to a moment in one of young Mozart’s pieces in which he recalls “a single note, hanging there, unwavering, then sweetened into a phrase of such delight.” He concludes, “This was a music I’d never heard.” Under such notes of Marisa’s, both literal and figurative, we have sat awash in admiration for the mastery and the singular beauty of her creations.
ERIN ELISABETH BLANKENSHIP In Erin converge a take-no-prisoners approach with formidable, diverse talents. The result is uncommon personal success and, as by-product, a stellar example for the rest of us. Intense and committed body and soul to whatever is her focus of the moment, Erin deals forcefully, knowledgeably, and creatively with a fresh canvas, with soccer balls, recalcitrant pack-horses or jumpers, with the rock outcroppings of Joshua Tree, with perplexing Calculus theorems, or the thorny paradoxical elements of women in Islamic culture. Erin is in these ways, tough, competitive, determined—a come-early and stay-late contributor. But there is a counterbalancing softness in her, expressed in her deep and loyal friendships with students and faculty, in her quiet passion for the work she’s done in orphanages abroad, in the vitality of her bonds with her family. Erin’s arrival three years ago may have been, in part, a necessity of there simply being no high school options in Saudi Arabia; but she chose Thacher with deliberateness and desire, and her embracing the experience and the people in it so fully and with such vigor has been a result of her own strong arms and capacious heart. Even as we say “farewell,” we return the embrace with affection and gratitude for all Erin has so freely given this class and this school.
PAUL LASELL BONEWITZ Unyielding inquisitiveness and wit merge with raw intellect, which blends with academic ambition, which then joins industriousness, which in turn melds with genuine interest in other people, which…Though it may take some time to get to the end of an introductory sentence on Paul, you can trust that it took us all no time at all last year to appreciate just what a powerful concoction this new junior was. Throw into the mix a genuine humility and deadpan humor that very nearly kept him from announcing the winners in the annual Speed and Untimed Chess Tournament (he, himself) and you come close to understanding who Paul is—and the sort of pleasure he gives us all in small ways and large. Whether challenging himself with a particularly rigorous course load, or creating a truly seminal Senior Exhibition, or arguing an aggressive thesis for an English paper, Paul invariably but perhaps unconsciously chooses the scholarly and, for him, most rewarding route. Rewarding for Paul means, as well, total engagement on the soccer field and reliable, kind service to his elderly pals at St. Joseph’s. And in each of his center-stage roles, he has brought his own artfulness with human relations to bear, helping us to understand others in new and inventive ways. Two years with Paul? Two too few.
AMISSA BRIANA BONGO Loyal, kind, and giving, Amissa embodies the best of small town values—Thacher at its best—while moving through time and space with a clear and informing knowledge of the wider world in which she has traveled. Amissa is a master of both keen observation and of objective reality, which makes her valuable in any classroom. She also maintains an enviable balance that keeps her well-focused on her many responsibilities. In all this, though, Amissa intuitively understands that perseverance does not exclude enjoyment; in fact, her delight in seeing how a Faulknerian character develops or in creating and growing her own fictional characters becomes our delight, as well. Devoted to the art of communication, whether that means mastering French (which she has) or extending empathy to a schoolmate in a moment of crisis, Amissa is intelligent, diligent, open-minded, and open-hearted. She is also, in the words of one of her teachers in France last year, an élève de caractère, a student who strives for success regardless of occasional obstacles. When at some future time, Amissa joins her best attributes in a chosen profession—perhaps as a member of Doctors Without Borders— we will be proud to say she was once one of ours.
JAKE WOLF BRAITMAN Composure, resourcefulness, savvy, confidence, flexibility: these are the characteristics that have marked the work and play of Jake’s four years here. Jake can be like a dog with a bone in a class when an intriguing idea circles the seminar or lab table; he wants to know just how charred chaparral returns to health or just what the CIA was doing in Guatemala—and is eager both to put his own theories to the test and to hear what his classmates have to say. In his solo work, Jake has applied this natural curiosity with an increasing analytical ability to create compelling interpretations of historical events and scientific phenomena. On the lacrosse or soccer field, Jake is a fierce and worthy competitor and a leader among his teammates. Further, Jake has taken his personal qualities of responsibility, dependability, and mature good judgment, learned early amid Santa Paula orchards and bee boxes, and applied them assiduously as he’s gained experience in the outdoors, particularly in the field of Emergency Wilderness Medicine. Capable, fun, thoughtfully interested in what makes others tick, Jake is just the person you want to camp with; if the path is steep and rocky, the sky black with storm clouds, and camp a mile away, Jake is there, cheerful and ready to take your load on top of his, if need be.
ELLEN LUCINDA BROWN Witness Lucinda handle the high-spirited—OK, impossible—horse “Classic” during gymkhana season and you’ll see firsthand some of her most salient personal qualities: forbearance, calm, resilience, self-control, courage. Add to these, intellectual prowess and genuine, probing interest in ideas and you’ll have a glimpse of what Lucinda brings to her academic pursuits. Across the curriculum and throughout many areas of school life, Lucinda has demonstrated her talent and discipline over and over again. Her fluency and grace in writing—creative or analytical—matches her ease with the calculus, and her cheerful feistiness as a student raises the level of discourse for everyone present. A similar if more gently expressed, passion informs the other aspects of Lucinda’s life at Thacher: her commitment to helping others whenever and wherever she can is abiding and deep, and everyone benefits, from freshman greenhorns (at the stables or in the dorm) to students she patiently tutors in math. Whether or not anyone’s watching, Lucinda follows the advice of her own favorite quotation and “live[s] life like it’s heaven on earth.”
WAYNE LIN CHANG Wayne balances surpassing intellectual gifts with a self-effacing modesty that leaves the rest of us either tripping over superlatives to describe him—or plain speechless. He seems not to take these gifts, which span the academic disciplines, for granted, but rather, uses them thoughtfully and graciously, often joyfully, for everyone’s advancement and good. As a result, classmates, younger students, faculty all learn from his questions—which seem to have no end—and from his often breathtakingly original answers, expressed in an essay, a proof, a perfectly shaped pot. And these questions are far from limited to the classroom; with others in the community, Wayne actively probes issues of morality and philosophy, avidly sharing his own inner journey and giving others critical insights with which to navigate their own explorations. Wayne has found, it seems, the best marriage of outer and inner adventure in rock climbing, where his good judgment, maturity, and eagerness to expand his personal boundaries have taken him to vistas those of us more earthbound can only imagine. There, the “mixture of boldness and prudence” (as poet Gary Snyder called mountaineering) results in what Wayne himself called “the imprinting of wisdom.”
EVY PATRICIA DISNER When in her first big scene as Queen Aggravain in last year’s Once Upon a Mattress, Evy wrested and held the spotlight, we were awestruck: How could anyone possibly memorize and then deliver so long, so musically complex, so controlling and vitriolic a diatribe—especially while sweeping stage left and stage right and keeping one of those conical hats on straight? We marveled at the mental acuity, the musical talent, the wholesale investment of energy; and did we laugh! In fact, the traits that helped Evy pull off such a role are the same that have nourished her many accomplishments during her four years here. Her appetite for challenge has taken her into almost every nook of the curriculum, where her intelligence, application, and convictions have helped cultivate a full and positive learning experience for everyone involved. Versatile and hard working, Evy has contributed mightily, too, as a member of the Chamber Singers and Chorus, a veteran of championship volleyball and soccer teams, and a dormitory leader. In all of this, though, it is Evy’s rich voice that we treasure most: a voice that, in poetry and song, invites us into her culture, and that speaks forcefully and courageously for personal integrity.
ALFRED SCHRIEFER ENGLISH Alfred is independent and focused, a bright student whose curiosity and analytical ability often lead him to make connections that others may miss. Though his highly logical mind and his ability to identify relationships between varying principles and ideas have served him most powerfully in mathematics and Latin, Alfred also displays insight into the subtleties of literature and, through his incredibly detailed artwork— accomplished outside the usual curriculum—he expresses his creative spirit and his uncommonly perceptive eye. His voracious appetite for reading—Malcolm X or Stephen King—fuels much of his thought and enriches those discussions of which he’s part, giving him and in turn others a wider view of issues. And he loves, as well as appreciates on a discerning level, jazz and hip-hop. On the hardwood of the basketball court, infield and outfield, Alfred is passionate about his sports, and talented, too. In fact, his fastball helped take the baseball team successfully through season play and on through to the CIF quarter finals. It’s been Toadly to our advantage that Alfred would rather play ball than eat or sleep. He’s an action figure with intellect.
NATHANIEL DONNELL FAGGIOLI Doing right seems inborn in the loyal and wholly genuine Nate. So, too, is his ability to be fully empathetic to others while maintaining his own independent and selfdetermined path—a course that sometimes takes uncommon personal courage and resolve. For these choices, made in the middle of what Douglas MacArthur called “the roar of the crowd on one side and the voice of your conscience on the other,” Nate has earned the unqualified respect and esteem of schoolmates and teachers. With his wide-ranging and inquiring mind, Nate is an enthusiastic student in all venues where learning’s to be had, and he’s especially intrigued by history, economics, and by the workings of the natural world. Get Nate going in a discussion of First or Fifth Amendment Rights and he’s focused, tenacious, eager, totally engaged. Give him $100,000 of play money to invest in an economics assignment, or put him at the bottom of a boulder or at the offensive end of the lacrosse field, and witness the same qualities, applied toward an entirely different end, but with equal success. And good humor? The self-effacing Nate is game for virtually any role in a skit, from Spice Boys to Olivia Newton John. We will miss those white boots—but more, we will miss Nate’s particular sensibility, a blend of keen social conscience, deep passion, and gentle kindness.
BRENDAN PATRICK FITZGERALD Brendan’s decision three years ago to chart his own course in the wide open spaces of the west has proved salutary for him and for this community. His incisive intellect and trenchant independence allow him to take full responsibility for his own learning, which he does with commitment and control. Reflective and thought-full, Brendan simply likes ideas, and he’s daring in his probing of them and entirely original in his discerning connections among them, often leaping from one academic discipline to another in the cerebral adventure. Brendan crosses conventional lines in other ways, too: the same hands that can mend fence, wrangle a horse, or throw a soccer ball far in from the sidelines can make spine-chillingly beautiful music, too—classical or blues. It is the encompassing breadth of Brendan’s passion and talent, the manner in which he has become truly accomplished, and the ease with which he moves on his own paths— courageous for their unfamiliarity—that prompt our admiration and that make us glad he left New England to join us here.
ELEANOR CAROL FLETCHER Substantial academic talent and a powerful work ethic undergird Ellie’s tremendous success as a student at Thacher. Whether the task is examining a historical problem, developing a sense of French idiom, scrutinizing statistical data or synthesizing several novels on a final exam in English, Ellie is fully up to and downright eager for the challenge. Articulate and informed, she is a persuasive and perceptive writer, in both analytical and creative pieces. To these qualities add Ellie’s droll humor and incisive wit and you can understand why teachers and students so enjoy her company in the classroom, in the dorm, or around a campfire, where she entertains without even trying, sharing stories, opinions, details from any British film ever produced. On the soccer or lacrosse field, Ellie is defined by her tenacity and speed; she steals the ball and heads upfield, leaving opponents dazed in the wake of her athletic fury. Strongwilled and amazingly persistent when the occasion demands it, Ellie has for these three years shared with us an unusual amalgam of talents.
LAUREN ROLEY FRAIM Though southern warmth and a healthy sense of heritage have remained at her core, our Tennessean has fully embraced California’s optimistic, independent, and adventuresome spirit these four years. Launched into Thacher life in the midst of a Sierra hailstorm on this class’s inaugural camping trip, Lauren determined then and there that she would climb the mountains—real and metaphoric—that lay ahead. “I knew the joy I would experience at the top would be worth the work,” she once wrote. And she has known—and shared—much joy: in her academic work, which has been marked by assiduous preparation and a fierce determination to mine the gold of each academic discipline; on the defensive end of the basketball court, in an ocean kayak or on the side of a smooth rock; and, most memorably, in her unwavering commitment to leading and volunteering in several Community Service programs beyond Thacher’s gates—the Humane Society, Habitat for Humanity, two different elementary schools. Her moral example in this area has inspired many others to service and has reminded us of what is best about Lauren: that she is generous, kind—and quietly but completely appreciative of everything around her.
BESSE BASSIST GARDNER Besse has brought unqualified and consistent effort and energy to every aspect of her life at Thacher; as a result, she has made the absolute most of the experience. A threeyear language requirement? Not enough for Besse: In addition to advanced courses in Spanish, she took on Latin and Chinese. How to tie together her passions of language, history, and art? Aim for anthropology in college. No wonder that Besse so thoroughly wrapped her mind and her heart around her Senior Exhibition topic—on two African tribes in danger of extinction. In her athletic pursuits—tennis, soccer, and lacrosse— it’s the same: an underlying love for the sport, a determination to improve (even when she’s very good to start with), the resolve to maintain both intensity and critical balance, almost unconscious leadership by example. To these qualities, Besse adds a totally natural humility and profound grace, even in sometimes adverse circumstances. She is, in every arena from the fields of Thacher to the rooms of Acacias Retirement Home, an inspiration to those who look admiringly on.
ELLA McKENZIE GOODBROD A treacherous stretch of sheer rock, a formidable opponent on the soccer or lacrosse field, debilitating homesickness in a freshman neighbor, a character sketch of a close family member, a moral conundrum centering around the government’s treatment of Native Americans: each of these and a hundred other challenges are the stuff of which Ella is just delighted her life is made. She handles each in its turn with zest, courage, compassion, and the conviction that her intellectual, physical, and moral strength will provide her the means to assess, articulate, ascend or help someone else do so. And these strengths do provide. Ella’s can-do spirit translates into many does-do moments, on the soccer field, in the homeless shelter, in a rousing discussion in the Library Conference Room. Those with her or watching bear witness to the personal expansion that results when such a spirit pushes beyond perceived boundaries. That spirit informed Ella’s original decision to come to Thacher four years ago. And we trust, given her insistent inquisitiveness, limitless vitality, and supreme resourcefulness, it will continue to propel her outward and upward beyond the limits of our vision.
LACEY EDISON GORDON “There are two worlds,” said someone once, “the world that we can measure with line and rule, and the world that we feel with our hearts and imaginations.” Though she is surely capable in the former, in the latter, you find Lacey moving most freely and happily, with ease, grace, and confidence. Creative juices surge in her, but not without a complementary, necessary control and discipline. In combination with the artistic impulse, such crafting can move, say, an expository piece of writing from pure expression to actual communication. In fact, caring diligence, good cheer, and healthy pride in her work mark Lacey’s academic pursuits, as they did her compelling Senior Exhibition on meditation. That she often sees well below the surface of a work of literature or art renders her a valuable member of any discussion circle. As a Chamber Singer, Lacey has lent her lovely alto to the blend of the group, and on stage, she has been an estimable cast member several times over. In a less public way, she is capable of sending her Advanced Acting peers into laughter spasms with her clever, often outrageous and unpredictable improvisations. Above all, Lacey is trusting, giving, and relentlessly optimistic.
MACDONALD BROOKE HALSEY II Brooke’s appetite for adventure of every kind is huge; he sees the world before him (Half-Dome, a calculus problem, an open ocean, Beijing) and worlds he can’t (an uncracked book, the cliff above hidden by the ledge below) as delicious invitations to explore. In his academic life, Brooke simply loves to learn, to think deeply, to chase down knowledge with vigor and stamina, with discipline and precision. Over and over and across the span of curriculum, Brooke has proven himself a true scholar, one who finds beauty in complexity. Over, across, and up: on rock face and mountain trails, climbing or hiking, Brooke puts intelligence, uncommon common sense, and technical expertise to work as he moves heavenward. But, as Frost said in “Birches,” not wholesale to heaven: Brooke may be independent but he is also lovingly and loyally connected to family and friends, relationships grounded in his own unshakable integrity and sense of honor. Ahead for Brooke, only this: more corners to peek around, more lands to sail to (or, we guess, sail on), and, inevitably, the sort of profound insight and deep joyfulness that come in the going.
PETER ROBERT HARTNACK That Peter loves fly-fishing is fitting: the sport demands just the sort of patience, quiet effort, and determination that Peter boasts. But, of course, Peter doesn’t boast. Rather, he demonstrates by his actions and words the fine qualities that comprise his character: essential optimism, resilience, a strong ethical sense. Add to this a gentle, often very witty good humor and you can understand why everyone, from classmates to younger students to faculty and faculty children, thrive in Peter’s presence. Importantly, even while tending to his own growth as a student, athlete, jazz musician, and outdoorsman, Peter helps others move to higher levels: especially in group projects, Peter often serves as the holding center, the organizing principle that keeps everyone on task, and productively, happily so. Peter also has the wisdom to appreciate that, while catching the fish—or completing the assignment, or winning the soccer game or tennis match—is rewarding, so is the process: that, as Samuel Johnson said, “the future is purchased by the present.”
JUSTIN DAVID HILTON Justin is a rare combination of strength and sensitivity, both of which engender the respect and admiration of all students and faculty who know him. Even as he stands tall on principle, holding steadfastly to the right and the good, Justin leans towards you, genuinely eager to know what you think, how you feel, ready to meet you where you are. In the classroom, Justin brings to bear his gifts as a problem solver and as a keen observer to his most successful academic and artistic pursuits; he is a craftsman equally in cherry wood and in biotech crime scenes. As an athlete, he is unflappable and perseverant, strong and at ease in the physical world, qualities that make Justin a welcome addition to any camping trip. There, Justin is the first to see what needs to be done and does it without prompting or fanfare; as he once demonstrated by hiking an arduous trail to find a latecomer to his trip, “going the extra mile” is quite literal to Justin. “Compassion…abolishes the distance, the in-between which always exists in human intercourse,” wrote historian Hannah Arendt. Justin closes gaps between individuals, helps heal, inspires hope.
HANNAH BOLTON HOOPER Hannah flames through life, eyes and ears wide open. Though she actually wondered if, for her Senior Exhibition, she could write and illustrate her own version of Little Red Riding Hood—Can I do this?”—we all knew better. Of course she could, and she’d do it in an absolutely independent, utterly creative way. Like other endeavors, the result did not come without some interesting artistic compromise and healthy tension, but Hannah has learned here that the balance between pure self-expression and real artistry comes only with calibrated give and take. Hannah has shaped and defined her learning most pronouncedly in her two passions and greatest talents, French and Studio Art. As a student, she is characteristically energetic, entirely inventive—qualities she also brings, along with her lively sense of humor and vivacity, to her long-standing friends at St. Joseph’s Convalescent Center. Hannah leaves us with the pronounced impression of color, dynamic, yet lasting.
CHERYL LYNN HORTON It is with the eye of a tiger that Cheryl Lynn sees the challenges ahead of her: an analytical paper to write, a chemistry lab to execute, the lacrosse field or basketball court filled with opponents whose coaches have set her up as the one to guard, the one to beat to the ball. But just you try. Stamina and intensity engage with intellectual force and signal athletic talent to make of Cheryl Lynn a well-rounded, accomplished scholar and an astounding competitor. Her command of detail and ability to synthesize material, her aptitude for asking just the right question and for listening wholly to the answer, her desire and dedication to set the standard rather than follow it—these are the qualities Cheryl Lynn models, influencing others positively by how she acts, by who she is, by what she unpretentiously stands for. As for her eye: in other areas of Cheryl Lynn’s life, it softens and yields: when she gets down to kid-level with San Antonio School students she’s tutoring, when she joins in a good-natured prank, when she’s among her loyal circle of friends, when she offers her own perspective or listens to someone else’s in a class. There, she is highly attuned to the subtleties of human emotion. The tiger’s eye and a strongly-beating heart: this is the Cheryl Lynn for whom we have enduring admiration and respect.
FELICITY SNOW HOWE Unmitigated delight in the new and untried have shaped for Felicity a path that meanders and weaves, taking in more territory than one would think possible—and one on which she travels with openness and obvious pleasure. Learning is for Felicity, not an objective, necessarily, but a fortuitous process in which intellectual stimulation by teachers and peers converges with her own uncanny intuition and original perspectives. Felicity’s strengths—divergent and comprehensive thinking, a passion for right action, a willingness to take risks by owning a controversial opinion, a focus on each tree simultaneous with a view of the whole beautiful forest—have created of her a treasured student and classmate, a crucial voice in the community and a force for so much good outside of it, as she has been one of the chief orchestrators and involved leader of the community service program. The most visible demonstration of Felicity’s commitment and spirit will leave us—on a leash—when she does; but the indelible image of caring, kindness, and principled action will remain long after Kendall’s last black dog hairs have drifted away on the wind.
SUNG WOO FREDERICK KIM Fred’s interactions with others in this community reveal his warm and affectionate nature—and show how easily those qualities are returned to him by friends among both the student body and the faculty. This affableness does nothing, however, to mitigate the indomitable spirit and commitment to excellence that has marked Fred’s approach to the rigors of Thacher. Blessed with an impressive intellect, Fred has loaded his plate with highly challenging courses. His teachers and peers have watched him use his acute analytical skills and total engagement to blaze through even the toughest of these. Mental stamina and a thoroughly positive attitude also serve Fred— and the school he has made his home—in areas outside the classroom: on the crosscountry course, on the basketball and tennis courts, in the bass section of the Chamber Singers. From the center of a broad and encompassing circle, Fred sends out ripples of goodness that reach far.
JONATHAN ROSS LePLASTRIER Comfortable in his skin and sincere to his core, Jon moves through his work and play with easy self-knowledge, subtle and never cruel humor, and a warm, inclusive smile. He is also eminently logical, reliably practical—the objective and yet highly discerning eye you often need in close community life. Jon’s impact as a leader—most notably, in Upper School, among the men of Third Soccer, in the technology pathways of the campus, and at the lectern for his Senior Exhibition on Cryptography—emanates from all these qualities and from his ability to listen fully and empathetically to others, then to respond with just-right advice or counsel. This personal magnetism combines in Jon with a powerfully native acuity, making of him a valued peer at the seminar or dinner table, on the benches under the pepper trees of the Pergola, wherever good conversation can be had. Though Jon eschews the spotlight, he nonetheless draws to himself our profound appreciation for all he does to add goodness to this community.
MARGAUX FRASER LLOYD You’ve heard of people whom the camera just loves? Substitute “stage” for “camera,” and you’ll begin to appreciate how exciting, how much fun it is to sit in an audience when Margaux is on. Playing her flute—jazz, classical, contemporary—at virtually every recital, cabaret, concert or chapel service of the past three years, dancing, singing, acting, the ubiquitous Margaux kleig-lights any venue. She makes it look easy (and she is a quick learner), but those who know her recognize the passion, determination, and hard, hard work that Margaux invests in every performance, qualities that make her a leader by the power of her example. Margaux’s unaffected vibrancy extends inevitably to the other places she inhabits: in a riding drill or in an English class, you can count on her optimism, great humor, and gung-ho attitude. Unconsciously magnanimous, Margaux has given freely and generously, substantially enlivening our performing arts, introducing us to characters so convincing—Charity’s best friend Nicki, the Jester in Once Upon a Mattress—that we’d like to have them as friends.
TREVOR CHASE McPROUD A strong sense of self, an uncommon self-reliance, and a genuine open-mindedness serve as Trevor’s underpinnings and provide a solid foundation from which he builds the person he wishes to be. His is a fine mind, one that sees connections and parallels with clarity, that draws original conclusions, that automatically seeks the creative solution. From math to political philosophy to English to printmaking, Trevor can follow prescribed method, but is more likely to approach problems in his own unique ways. In the bargain, we all benefit. Though he moves well in the academic buildings of the School, Trevor actually considers the whole wide world his classroom, easily extending a principle learned here to expressions of the principle there: a tide-pool, a gallery in San Francisco, a plot of burned chaparral in the process of regenerating, a fishing spot in a river, a long crack high up on a boulder. In all of this, the quietly resourceful, exceptionally thoughtful and optimistic Trevor is propelled by a vigorous curiosity that sends him, in the words of one of his teachers, “burrowing into the appearances and coming up with the real,” held fast in his hands.
TODD SPAULDING MEYER What Todd saw in his long approach to Thacher—boys in lacrosse uniforms brandishing sticks or sweating around the final curve of the track, math problems on the board in his father’s handwriting, students sitting, desks circled, talking about books or lounging in hammocks on the Upper School porches—all this he has now joined, and joined completely. He has reached out his strong arms, hugged it so closely—and then given back so generously. He has met the Thacher Experience fullon, with intelligence, ambition, and joyfulness. Todd’s sense of honor and fairness are rock-solid; he knows, too, the rewards that wait at the other end of hard work, of patience with oneself, of pure concentration called to the task. Other students and faculty, too, instinctively seek Todd for trustworthy leadership—at the mathematics white board (times three this year), on sports teams (also times three), in the dormitory, behind the Snack Bar, where he is the point man for raising both funds and fun. Todd has now become one of those young men he once admired and respected; he is the sort of person—kind, genial, principled—we all hope to be when we grow up.
LUCY ELIZABETH MILLIGAN The best dancers have balance and poise in their very marrow. So it is with Lucy, whether she is literally dancing or is calmly addressing any complexity or problem in virtually any academic subject. To an extraordinarily comprehensive native ability Lucy adds motivation, diligence, and delight in learning, raising the level of discovery for everyone lucky enough to be in the lab or classroom with her. She is an eloquent writer of both prose and poetry and a highly discerning reader; she can wrangle any French verb or Calculus problem, or write a probing history paper with one hand tied behind her back. Beyond classroom walls, the efficient and effective Lucy is equally stunning: as a veritable admissions associate, as an assistant director of Once Upon a Mattress, as a three-year key member of the Dance Ensemble. All this, and she’s a caring, loyal friend. Though she’d just as soon we not make much of all this, we can’t help but do so: Lucy’s commitment to bettering this community has been significant and heartfelt, and we are grateful for it.
SARAH GATES MORROW Always ready for a bracing challenge, Sarah is at heart a competitor. She loves the gearing up, the mental preparation, the exertion of mind and muscle, coming out the other side knowing she has invested herself 110%. You’re thinking “athletics,” and you’re not wrong—but those who have studied with or taught Sarah know that this approach stamps Sarah as a student, too. Impressive in her focus and persistence, Sarah brings intensity and enthusiasm to all her classes, modeling well what hard work really means; her Senior Exhibition on the tradition and meaning of Mardi Gras had these qualities all over it. This is a quiet kind of leadership. The other, more visible and voluble, finds expression when Sarah picks up a lacrosse stick or drops a soccer ball at her feet. There, her powerhouse athleticism combines with a resolute “nothing but my best” attitude that has a salutary domino effect on her teammates. The grit and courage that wins state championships (and that got Sarah through significant injury and lengthy rehabilitation last year) is beautifully balanced by good humor and personal warmth.
ANNE MEREDITH NYBORG This is no “The sun’ll come out tomorrow” Annie; this is our “The sun is here!” Annie. Inspiring others to kindness because she is so kind, to optimism because she is so optimistic, to health because she is so healthy, Annie moves all of us along toward our better selves. In both visible and invisible ways, she proves her own integrity and the genuineness of her commitment to our community and the individuals in it through hard work, endless organizing, and repeated selfless acts. Even as an English paper looms or a roll of film calls out for developing, Annie will help you through a personal crisis with enormous compassion and sensitivity to the particularities of the situation; for you, she has all the time in the world. Simultaneously, miraculously, Annie invests fully in her academic, athletic, and artistic life, taking on challenges with avidness and determination. As a teacher, you’d love a whole roster of Annies; as a coach, the same. (Annie’s essential niceness doesn’t keep her from driving home many goals!) She makes every day feel to everyone around her that it’s the best day ever.
MARLEY ELIZABETH ORR It is said of successful long distance runners that they must have a certain selfpossession, a powerful sense of pacing, an underpinning grit, and determination a cut above the rest of us. Marley has these qualities, and moreover, she applies them to more than just her running. A developing scholar, Marley is at her best when writing creatively; there, she crafts prose rich in colorful detail and fluid in syntax, speaking in a voice all her own. As a runner of cross-country and track, Marley can be a formidable competitor, solo or as part of a relay team. And on a camping trip, Marley is valued for her maturity, responsibility, helpfulness, and fun; that she can power up trails and over passes—and look up to glory in the view—says much about her determination. Marley’s energy and spirit always urges her towards new panoramas, and her enduring sense of wonder will always provide that sharp intake of breath that signals an appreciation of both the climb and the magnificent view from the top.
RICHARD HILL PARKS III Profound, intelligent, curious, passionate, musical, authentic, dependable, uniquely creative, understated, side-splittingly funny—what a mix is this Richard the Third! No mere fiddler (he plays mandolin, too), Richie dives deep into the waters where the broad rivers of literature, history, and music converge. Fictional characters and real people, ancient historical issues and contemporary ones, the entire span of the musical styles spectrum—all these engage Richie both intellectually and emotionally, and his essays, research papers, and comments in and out of class reveal this, as well as his powers of interpretation and analysis. As intense as this engagement can be, as we all saw in his completely entertaining Senior Exhibition on bluegrass music, Richie is also witty and refreshingly light-hearted, among the most friendly, charming and amusing denizens of this community. People of all ages are naturally drawn into his circle of light and warmth; many of us never want to leave it—or it to leave.
HERBERT CLAIBORNE PELL IV Though he surely makes us—and himself—laugh, Clay is at heart a scholar, someone who uses a serious and weighty intellect to satiate some of the rampant curiosity he has for this world and its workings. Clay jumps into his studies with both feet, and his industry and near-legendary zeal for ideas, culture, history, and language have both filled to the rafters the classrooms he’s inhabited and propelled him halfway around the world as he’s pursued a more profound understanding of Spanish. When he’s on our turf, he’s tearing it up, singing as he lopes from one full-time activity to another, all of them in addition to his prodigious academic load: from editing The Notes to organizing the Spanish Club to walloping opponents on the tennis court to helping keep Los Padres intact and on track. To all of it, the resilient and personally courageous Clay responds with a seize-the-day enthusiasm and a joyful sense of wonder; as he reaches back his hand, urging us to come along, we can’t possibly resist. But can we keep up?
ERIC ABBOTT REESER To the traditional opening-of-school toast, “Here’s to the best year yet!” Eric has responded with commitment, enthusiasm, and resolve. His doing so has unquestionably made him, consciously or not, a model for the rest of us. Academically, few are more receptive to ideas than is Eric; furthermore, he is generous with the treasures he uncovers through his unceasing hard work. It is Eric who often steers the dialogue or investigation onto a creative path or in an insightful direction. Personally, Eric motivates and leads by the example of his expressed virtues: his composure, dense moral fiber, and respect he affords each classmate, teammate, coach, or teacher with whom he has contact. Brow furrowed, adrenaline coursing, he blasts through track records and down lacrosse fields. Too, he is a wise and willing counselor, ready to help anyone who is in need. This sounds unbearably serious; in fact, Eric is in firm possession of a lightening and dry wit, which, in combination with his other compelling qualities, motivates us all to seek such a blend in our own characters and to take up the challenge of that toast and, as he does, to fulfill its greatest promise.
FRITZ CLAYTON RICE On the back of a skateboard or at the helm of a muddy-tired mountain bike, Fritz loves both on- and off-road travel for the sake of the downhill speed, the rocks suddenly in the way, the challenge of maintaining just enough control to avert disaster. This is as true of Fritz’s intellectual life as it is of his kinesthetic: a very bright questioner by nature, Fritz bears down on ideas, concrete or abstract, then thrashes around in them, wrestles them almost lovingly, forming strong opinions while still being receptive to the takes others may have on the novel or the historical event. With what one teacher called “a unique enthusiasm for all things,” Fritz may most often moves headlong, but he also knows the pleasure and value of quieter, more contemplative activity: watch him rock climb or bring a tray of food to a peer-patient in the Health Center, and you see the gentler, more subdued side of Fritz. Idealistic, shrewd, completely immersed in his passions, Fritz is thoroughly his own person, a young man whose sense of individuality we cherish and, here, honor.
CARISSA KATHRYNE RIDGEWAY In Carissa is woven the fabric of adventurousness and creativity. Where others might see, say, blue, Carissa sees cerulean; where others may play at the ocean’s edge, Carissa determines to cross it. Why settle for basic blue? Why learn French if you’re not going to use it? And how can you really use it if you don’t get inside the culture itself, wander its streets, slide its riverbanks, speak to a child? Carissa brings this insistently inquiring sensibility to her academic pursuits, and from it, derives pleasure for both herself and her classmates. Her creative and analytical writing can be poignant and highly original, informed by the voluminous amount of reading she does; and her oral presentations are typically focused and energetic. Every discussion of which she is part is invigorated by Carissa’s incisive comments. Informed by an observant eye (which Michaelangelo called an artist’s “measuring tools”), Carissa’s paintings and sketches bear testament to the breadth and depth of her creativity, vision, and independence. This last quality, when combined with physical dexterity and strength and a unwavering respect for the outdoors, shifts the canvas for Carissa: as a skilled climber, she herself becomes art in motion.
MATTHEW SAMUEL SCHUMAN Matt’s kindness—rooted in a rock-solid ethical sense and often unwitnessed and unrewarded—is the sort of which fables are made. He’s the quintessential good guy, keeping others afloat, caring sincerely for their well-being. Matching this central quality in volume and force is his industriousness: you’re more apt to see Pegasus fly over the Pergola than to see Matt go scurrying by without looping an extension cord from hand to elbow, on his purposeful way to creating the right sound and light for another event. This productivity stamps Matt’s rich academic life, too: his formidable intellect, reliable steadiness, and unvarying drive translate into much learning for him and, by his generosity, for those who share the classroom with him. Matt is, then, a behind-the-scenes magician who literally transforms silence into just-right sound, a dark stage into a warm kitchen or a forest in the middle of Elizabethan England—and who, more metaphorically but no less significantly, makes us all, young and old, into better versions of ourselves.
YUSILL KO SCRIBNER Yui’s agility is both kinesthetic and cerebral, and she has used these gifts to her advantage and to our great and repeated delight. While open to the discoveries of others, Yui also has much to offer the academic circles of which she is part: her discerning insights into Hemingway or Gaines emanate from a lively intelligence that also takes mathematics and science into its purview. This year, Yui has put a good eye, a necessarily strong work ethic, and mighty organizational skills to produce El Archivero (our yearbook), playing kindly drill sergeant so as to meet repeated, often daunting deadlines. The same persistence and perseverance has marked her contributions to the Indoor Committee, another task that demands tirelessness and patience. But it is in Dance Ensemble where, as a four-year member, Yui most visibly communicates, and in so doing, moves us: her lyricism and fluidity bring to mind W. B. Yeats’s lines, “O body swayed to music, O brightening glance,/How can we know the dancer from the dance?” Yui is, in fact, inseparable from the external—and inherent— music that impels her toward inexpressibly beautiful self-expression.
MIA DANIT SILVERMAN Mia has long breathed that rarified air of academic mountaintops where the heaviest of course loads blends with brainpower and determination to excel. Binders thick with pages of copious notes, novels annotated until their pages begin to fall out, post-its and paperclips poking out of textbooks, stacks of color-coded index cards, more pens than any student could possibly use in a lifetime—these are visible reminders of Mia’s megadisciplined approach to her academic work. But they don’t begin to hint at how Mia loves the learning, how sincerely interested she is in the opinions of her classmates, how she awakens others to new possibilities by her own creative and original perspectives. Mia’s talent and commitment go further still: she is a great hustler and a valued leader on the soccer field or cross-country course; she is passionate about human rights issues both local and world-wide; she makes Middle School a warm, comfortable place to live. In all of this, the resilient and thoroughly honorable Mia is like Tennyson’s Ulysses: she “drink[s] life to the lees,” resolved to live fully, vibrantly, completely.
GUIDO VINCENT SORACCO The best of Guido expresses itself in both cooperative and competitive arenas. On a camping trip, Guido is a strong hiker and good company on the trail or around the campfire, a witty and good-humored compadre in the wilderness. Put him on a basketball court or soccer field, though, and he transforms into a fiery defenseman or mid-fielder intent on playing ball with all the skills he can bring to bear, rabid about securing the victory. Yet he also maintains a mature calm about him as he competes. As a sprinter and high jumper, Guido knows the rewards of sweat and intensity; he’s the sort of contender who, at the final Condor League track meet, said of an event he wasn’t not even scheduled for: “I feel like running. Let’s run!”—and roped in three teammates to make up a relay team. Guido, in his academic life, brings other gifts to the table: a flair for economics, excellent intuition and conceptual sense in math, perceptivity and ambition as an analytical or creative writer. And in the realm of friendship, no one is more loyal than Guido.
CARLOS ALEJANDRO PLACIDO MARTINEZ COSTA SORIANO Carlos’s irrepressible energy has gained shape and definition during his four years at Thacher, especially as it has become an ally to his sharply analytical mind and a powerful ability to grasp the finer details. Carlos is always looking around the next corner, cheerfully hopeful that something fresh and interesting—heck, maybe even dangerous!—will be there. This curiosity—and ultimately, the adaptability that is its consequence—marks many parts of Carlos’s life, from his study of language (he is fluent in five) and mathematics to his resurrecting the Cooking Club to his several months in study and home-stay with School Year Abroad in France. When he needs to focus on the here and now, Carlos is ready, able, and extravagantly willing—at the midfield in a lacrosse game or on a particularly difficult rock climb. There, too, his work and play are made possible by his sheer and unembarrassed exuberance. If, as French statesman and traveler Alexis de Tocqueville said, “This world belongs to the energetical,” it is Carlos who owns the world.
DEVON LOUISE TARASEVIC Grace, poise, and calm are what we see when we look at Devon in a moment like this. But we know, too, that Devon has the capacity to be steely-eyed and riveted when such qualities are called for: when a horse with strangles makes war out of being doctored, or an analytical essay’s thesis needs shaping, or a difficult mathematical problem presents a challenge. In such instances, Devon calls upon her good mind, unyielding determination, and substantial inner strength to arrive at a solution. In other situations—mediating a roommate conflict, for example—Devon deftly uses both quality sets. Though Devon arrived at our doorstep a skilled competitive rider, she has neither rested on her laurels nor kept her expertise to herself. Rather, she has enthusiastically helped four classes worth of greenhorns (including many of her own classmates) along the way to competence and comfort with their horses. Beyond this, she has done all the work—some of it pretty dirty and all of it a challenge—to earn the rare Top Horseman award. Loyal and kind, honest and giving, Devon embodies American humorist Josh Billing’s line: “If the harte iz rite, the hed cant be very rong.”
SARA LARISSA THACHER In Sara’s head swirl creative and entirely original ideas—ideas that, in combination with an informed heart, find voice at a seminar table, on a blackboard in a Mathematics classroom, through pastel-on-cardboard, lifting those of us in Sara’s presence off our feet (or onto the bare back of a horse) by the sheer force of her imagination. A genuine zest for intellectual inquiry guides Sara to a whole range of disciplines, and she is, across the board, inspiring to others, leap-frogging courses to get to the material she wants most to study. She moves discussions of Kesey or Kepler into fresh and uncharted territory, stimulating others to new levels of awareness even as she dances with the problems, issues, themes, and symbols before her. The very core of Sara is her visual artwork: the creative impulse is insistent, almost uncontainable. But she does contain, control, craft—in light and stage design, in an entire room of the Health Center, in one peerless installation after another in the Brody Gallery. The composer Igor Stravinsky had it right: “Art, he said, “postulates communion.” Through Sara’s art, we have come closer to seeing how materials like canvas or wood or newsprint can become transformed into vehicles for truth.
ALLEGRA MERCEDES TOWNS Different cultures, physical environments, art forms, literature, and languages: Allegra sees each as a doorway to new insights about the human experience and her special part in it. Allegra may knock quietly at these doors—but she will insist on being let in. Few students are as diligent in their application as Allegra, and though she comes to her studies with a strong native ability and an interest in everything from Picasso to Jean Toomer to quantum physics, she applies relentless preparation to forge her own achievement and thorough understanding. Creativity and expressive capacity are at Allegra’s center, though, and it is through photography and other visual arts that she voices her perceptivity and wide vision. That she is also a competitive runner and a volunteer art teacher to elementary school kids demonstrates just how brimming is her life for what she herself has poured into it, and how important are her connections to others. As some of those “others,” we send Allegra through the next doorway with confidence and hope for her bright future.
PETER WARMAN Peter arrived at Thacher mid-year, as our English-Speaking Union scholar. He probably did not know how eagerly we all awaited his joining us and, based on the happy experience of our having hosted E-SU students for several year, how high our expectations were. Those hopes have been fulfilled, as Peter has stepped into life at Thacher as though t’were no strain at all: talented and trained extensively in both trombone and voice, he walked into the Chamber Singers and the Jazz Explosion eager to make music, and snagged a part in Sweet Charity, to boot. And in the physics or BC calculus classroom, Peter is focused, capable, and comfortable. Peter’s natural enthusiasm, good humor, and inclusiveness won him friends immediately. We couldn’t be more delighted that it was Thacher that drew the lucky straw to have Peter for five months; we’re only sorry it wasn’t for longer.
ANDREW CAMPBELL WARREN “If I needed a helping hand on a camping trip,” one teacher said, “I hope that Andrew’s would be within reach.” At the gaping mouth of the soccer goal, on a cattle range or in the wilderness, dealing with a sudden thunderstorm, a stretch of downed fence, an impasse on a mountain ridge, or a trail’s petering out, Andrew puts his good judgment, energy, and willingness to use as he takes many and myriad tasks. Andrew is one of those students you see literally loping from one activity to the next, changing on the fly, breathless but happy for the non-stop action of soccer or baseball, or rehearsals for the musical, or piano practice, or a try at the climbing wall. He grapples with ideas in meaningful ways in his classes, his engagement especially strong when the conceptual intersects with the practical—for example, in the study of snow science. Andrew relishes a good debate, eager and ready to stand toe-to-toe in discussions of current events or school issues. We are sure that his unusual blend of ranch and mountain knowledge, creativity, competitive drive, and personal determination will take Andrew well beyond any horizons now in our view.
ANWAR RAYMOND WHITE Anwar’s dedication to excellence invigorates any classroom or athletic venue and serves as a constant reminder of what can be accomplished when you’re really hungry for it. “I want to make sure that ‘the best’ [are] not just empty words,” he once said. In fact, Anwar has earned the full meaning of that phrase, excelling academically not only out of appetite, or because of a fine mind, but by dint of remarkable conscientiousness and consistency. He takes these elements of his character to his other favorite places—a local convalescent home, the tennis and basketball courts, any social activity scene—and adds to them a commitment to fair play, a kinesthetic aptitude, and an unquestionable personal magnetism. In all of these niches, Anwar earns the respect and admiration that propels him almost automatically into leadership roles. Honor and fairness and kindness and…quiet dazzle—Anwar’s unique spin.
JULIETTE BOWEN WHITE Physically and academically fearless, Juliette pushes her limits more forcefully and relentlessly than most human beings we know. As one faculty member once said, “She knows only one pace: full speed ahead.” Juliette’s inspiring attitude, in harmony with her excellent mind, have made of her a welcome and forceful member of any classroom or laboratory, where she takes authoritative and unequivocal charge of her own learning, making advantageous use of all the resources at hand here. The visual expression of this approach we witness when Juliette powers up hill and down or circles the track in the longer distance events. She is the same—that is, direct and uncompromising—about honor and fairness: either you’ve got it or (as in the case of the unfortunate hypnotist that entertained us four years ago), you don’t. Juliette does. Juliette is like a rock moving downstream in rushing water: when a slight eddy appears in a certain spot, the rock spins against the side of the larger, standing boulder, creating a lasting indentation. Such has been Juliette’s energy and effect here at Thacher. The hole she leaves, even as she moves on in the inevitable flow, will endure.
MARIPOSA IBVANEZ WIDDOES You’ve heard of the willing suspension of disbelief—what’s required of us when we enter a theater? When Mariposa takes the stage in a play, disbelief is hardly necessary. She inhabits her characters, comic or tragic, with absolute authority and such totality that when the house lights go up, we sit still and quiet, uncertain of our bearings, dazed. Dazed turns to dazzled when Mariposa dances: her poetic movement yields in our response a sense of poignancy and yearning. She does so with the grace and ease that Fred Astaire once shrugged at: “I just put my feet in the air and move them around,” he said. We know better, though: as with her academics and long-time participation in Chamber Singers, Mariposa invests colossal energy and intense focus to create the illusion of artlessness. She is always seeking the opportunity to push her boundaries. That Mariposa’s creative boundaries have been, already, far, far out has been to the lasting pleasure of all who have sat in audiences, transported lands away by her talent.
KIRBY ALEXANDER WILLIAMS Kirby is both entirely his own person and inextricably part of this class. Effervescent and reliably game, he travels the paths of campus ready to make anyone’s day better by his wide and inviting smile, a spontaneous hug, a thoughtful word. Furthermore, Kirby makes classroom discussion much more interesting because he is unafraid to raise issues and ideas that others may be reluctant to broach; he makes a hike on a Sierra trail more meaningful for himself and his campmates because he takes the time to pause, look up, appreciatively absorb the beauty of the place and the moment. A lover of books, of history, of social issues and religion, and an excellent problem solver, Kirby sparkles with excitement about his own learning, engendering similar animation in those surrounding him. It was no imaginative leap at all for those in the Sweet Charity audience to believe in Kirby as the charismatic Daddy Brubeck in the Rhythm of Life Church. It—and he—were perfect.
MEGAN NYE WINECOFF “Art,” maintained novelist Saul Bellow, “has something to do with the achievement of stillness in the midst of chaos. A stillness which characterizes prayer, too, and the eye of the storm…an arrest of attention in the midst of distraction.” So it is with Megan. A thoughtful, quiet, and astute eye and an inventive sensibility form the necessarily tranquil base from which Megan constructs her many and manifold achievements. Seeking genuine understanding rather than a simple grade, she approaches each novel she reads, each oil painting she creates, each dance she performs, each yearbook deadline she faces, each photograph she frames, with a belief that disciplined, often tireless application and calculated risk are integral to all creative pursuits. Megan visibly takes as much delight in the process as she does satisfaction in the result. In this way, she amplifies the meaning of “journey”—and provides a joyful example for all of us who watch and admire.
This Place Dedicated to The Thacher School Class of 2000 and sung by Marisa Lauren Binder, CdeP ’00
Here, out in the western sky our hearts, they will remain. Wherever our dreams may fly, wherever we will be, there’s one thing, one that stays the same: this place. I’ll miss the orange blossoms in the morning as the dew lay on the ground; I’ll miss the rosy sunsets we’d watch without a sound, the hills and horses and hawks upon the wing. And I’ll miss you, my friends to whom I sing. But oh, so much we’ve shared together And all that we have learned will remain forever, the way of life we lived, these things, these they will endure with this place. I’ll miss the orange blossoms in the morning as the dew lay on the ground; I’ll miss the rosy sunsets we’d watch without a sound, the hills and horses and hawks upon the wing. And I’ll miss you, my friends to whom I sing. Where’er we go no matter, no matter how far we will know who we are... I’ll miss the orange blossoms in the morning as the dew lay on the ground; I’ll miss the rosy sunsets we’d watch without a sound, the hills and horses and hawks upon the wing. And I’ll miss you, I’ll miss you to whom I sing. words and music by Gregory Haggard
O HO L
THE T H
C
HER S AC
1889
The Thacher School
Chambered Nautiluses, front cover, by Allegra Mercedes Towns, CdeP ’00 Since Thacher’s founding in 1889, the chambered nautilus has symbolized each student’s mission to grow intellectually and personally each year.