Parents’ Post A Newsletter for Parents and Friends of The Thacher School
Dear Parents and Friends:
cycle of conception-design-print-send, each of IInthethefourseasonal Parents’ Posts is begun in a time and space uniquely different from the other three. The Fall issue, for example, is born amid the excitement of September’s new faces and personalities, a time when all things are yet possible, and it’s anyone’s guess as to just how the fresh will blend with the seasoned, and what unique Thacher will emerge. The final Post originates in the bittersweet paradox of any high school’s early June: in commencing or even in moving up a grade, “our” children effect an ending, and the last, fat Post of the academic year wraps it all up. This issue starts in the middle of the whirlwind of the two weeks pre-Christmas: where the fast-moving river of academic focus (wrapping up the second quarter, reviewing reams of material, writing concluding papers and portfolios and labs, taking final exams) converges with the equally swift one of irrepressible holiday spirit (cookie baking, spoofing on Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, gingerbread house raising, Secret Santa-ing, noting yet another set of antlers or candy canes on Ms. J’s head). Staying afloat in these exhilarating rapids is a matter of keeping balance and perspective, of staying centered in the middle of the raft with a steady hand on the tiller, of strategically looking ahead to see what’s coming and to prepare an appropriate reaction – all the while not missing one whit of the glorious scenery going by. And around the corner? The pleasures of the holiday break and the relatively calm beginnings of second semester. With our safe arrival in those more serene waters, our pulse slows, we pull in the oar, and we rest. But only for a moment!
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Family ReNothin’ but (mostly) blue skies for the three vibrant days of this fall’s N Family Weekend – and loads to do during those precious hours of reunion: cheer the sampler of drama, dance and singing and the rock-climbing exhibition; attend mini-classes, a talk on “The College Admissions Mystique” and a gallery exhibit of student art; root for the Orange and Green at athletic events; buy a book for the Library; saunter up to the Outdoor Chapel for the ecumenical service; whoop it up or play Connect Four or bake a batch of cookies at the Head’s Open House. All this and unparalleled dining got everyone geared up for what is always the jewel in the crown: witnessing first-hand what’s good for the inside of a kid in the outside of a horse when the dust gets moved around by the no-longer-greenhorns out on the gymkhana field. This year’s horsemanship exhibition proved no exception to the quality of those in years past, as the 9th graders and other new riders provided just enough “yeehaw” to keep everyone on the edge of their dusty seats.
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FALL SPORTS Varsity Girls’ Tennis
Coach: Stacy Margolin Potter Captain: Sarah Shaikh
With a win-loss record (4-2) that stood them, at season’s end, in 2nd place in the Condor League, this team aced, lobbed and volleyed to beat the band. Ellen Adams, Arielle Flam and Jackie Au played numbers 1, 2 and 3 singles, while Sarah Shaikh and captain-elect Virginia Dawson, Cara Bonewitz and Ella Carney, and Lizzy Brewer and Sarah Tapscott played on the top three doubles rungs, with Dana Gal, Hana Chang and Sabrina Lee moving in and out of the line-up, as the competition demanded it. By vote of their court-mates, Ella Carney and Dana Gal won Most Improved, while Most Valuable went to the quad of Ellen, Arielle, Virginia and Sarah Shaikh. “I feel it was one of our best seasons yet,” said Captain Shaikh, who was voted Most Inspirational by the other players. “We worked harder than we ever had, played hard – and had fun. I am so proud of the whole team.” Said their coach, “It was rewarding to see the girls make the connection between putting in hard work and developing both mental attitude and physical skills – and to see them come together; their spirit and sense of team grew dramatically from the beginning of the season.”
played in matches against other Condor League schools, learning much from the challenge of modifying their game to play effectively against a variety of strategies and styles. Winning Most Improved was Felicia Butts.
Varsity Girls’ Volleyball Coach: Melissa Fabulich Captains: Annie Wheatley & MacKenna Chase
This team returned to school at the start of the fall a week early to practice and to create squad they were to be, and while their win/loss record favors the latter, they proved in several moments, to be made of gritty stuff. Leader in blocks was newcomer sophomore (and Most Improved Player on the team) Megan Boswell (92); in aces, senior Julia Erdman (20); in digs, senior Shay Cooke (137); in kills, Captain Wheatley (60); and in assists, junior, setter, MVP, and captain-elect for the 2003 season MacKenna Chase (236). Sophomore Becky Horton led the team in the back row with what her coach called “her amazing intuition to meet the ball.” Important kinesthetic contributions were made, too, by 10th graders Emma Werlin, and Marguerite Kissel, as well as the team’s two dedicated freshmen (juggling their horse commitments and sports) Elise Post and Caitlin Wyman.
JV Girls’ Volleyball
Coach: Raelyn Viti Captains: Lauren Chase & Chandler Pease
“There’s a theme here,” suggested one of the bleacher fans of this team after witnessing a few matches: indeed, this squad seemed to tuck away a win to start, then lose the second game, and, finally, effect a comeback. While this pattern didn’t always end in a win (equal wins and losses), the girls nonetheless managed out several psychic victories, each contributing her particular talent to the mix: Channing Emord’s “pushing the ball in the face of the other team to score spectacular points of side outs,” Lauren Chase’s infusing the necessary spirit when the chips were JV Girls’ Tennis down, Nhu Y Dang’s digs and a surprising left-handed Coach: Jane McCarthy hit, Kirsty Mark’s run of 11 points Captains: Mary White and Vivian Wu at serve during one game, MVP This team, as is often the case with the JV squad, repre- Erica Puccetti’s quickness and sented a wide range of abilities, talents, and experience with game-smarts, Chandler Pease’s the sport, and yet, when the last volley of the fall echoed rock-solid reliability, Lauren into silence, they’d accrued a very respectable season Church’s excellent ball instincts record of equal wins and losses. Steffi Rauner, named in the face of never having played MVP, led the singles, while a variety of players – including the sport (she won Most Improved Justine Robinett, Lindsay Hunt, Elizabeth Craver, Mary Player). White and Jamie Siegel—won doubles matches. Everyone
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Varsity Football
Coaches: Jeff Hooper (Head), Eric McCarren, Bill Rexford, Fred Coleman Captains: Tyler Caldwell & Charlie Munzig
An even ten seniors – “a stellar group,” according to Coach Hooper – helped their coaches to set the high tone and laudable work ethic of Thacher’s first-ever 8-man football team: Tyler Caldwell (the team’s eventual MVP), Robert Cerda (Most Improved, by season’s end), Charlie Munzig, Brenton Sullivan, Will Johnson, Richard Smith (Most Improved), Owili Eison, Michael Dachs, Drew Fleck and Ellery “E.K.” Khazanovich. And a highly successful team it was, that “first-ever” notwithstanding. Defense, led by Robert, Richard and Graham Douds made rapid improvement over the course of the season, and the offensive line, anchored by E.K. and Richard, opened holes for Tyler, as well as for second-leading rusher Owili and Gabe Yette. (In fact, the team scored 48 points or more in six out of nine games!) Expert kicker Charlie converted all but one of his extra point possibilities. The fall’s highlight was surely the dramatic CIF tournament play-off victory of Viewpoint School, in which Thacher sprang to an early 21-0 lead, capped by an electrifying punt return by Tyler. Eventually, however, Viewpoint pulled to within two points with less than a minute on the clock. On the 2-point conversion attempt, defensemen E.K. Richard and Robert dug deep to find a way to stop the Patriot fullback short of his destination in the end zone. Thacher emerged victorious, at 36-34.
Girls’ Cross Country Coach: Theana Hancock Captain: Bessie Hatch
The girl harriers started off the year powerfully, beating Cate solidly at the first Condor League meet, run on The Mesa.
Unfortunately, that race proved to be the highlight of the season for the team as a complete team, as four of its five top runners were soon hobbled by injury and illness. Yet Elly Harder, Bianca Kissel, Cindy Sorrick, Becky Swan, and ultimate MVP Bessie Hatch soldiered on, and, as you can read below, the last (in this list) was incontrovertibly first: undefeated in the Condor League, first in the Ojai Invitational, third in the Division III, IV and V sweepstakes at the Mt. SAC (San Antonio College) Invitational, as well as first in the CIF preliminaries (for which Katie Frykman also qualified) and the finals in Fresno, there beating her nearest competitor by 40 seconds. In that victory “lap,” Bessie took an early lead and never let it go, consistently leaving at least a half mile between her heels and the toes of the rest of the pack.
Boys’ Cross Country Coach: Pierre Yoo Captain: John Babbott
First, there’s quantity: with a superabundance of runners, this team (called by Coach Yoo “Thacher’s Little Army”) kept every Thacher trail busy (and a few in the High Sierra, where some members of the squad spent their Fall Extra-Day Trip) throughout the practice season, the older boys encouraging the younger ones at every step. Next, there’s quality: for the third year running, the Toads took first place in the Condor League, besting the competition at Cate, Laguna Blanca, Dunn and Ojai Valley School. In addition, our harriers snagged first place at the Brentwood Invitational and 5th place at the CIF preliminaries. Seniors included Captain John, Nate Parker, Matt O’Meara, Eddy Tavernetti, Troy Pollet and Chance Phelps; also running varsity were Peter Gierke, Ben Babbott, Stephen Rooke, Bel Lepe and Dillon Valadez. Putting in “great performances,” in the words of their coach, at the CIF Finals were Peter, Bel and Matt. Concluded Coach Yoo: “All season, I was impressed by the heart of these runners, as well as the personal sacrifices they made. Great attitude. Great team!”
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SHORT TAKES
and Annie Lathrop – but the Thacher riders nonetheless brought home fluttering ribbons of every color, and Lucky – make that very lucky —for us, Thacher was one the certainly plenty of blue and red ones. In late February, whistle-stops on the western hemisphere tour of Brazilian Thacher will host an Interscholastic Equestrian Associasongster Claudia Viella and her guitarist Ricardo Peixoto. A tion show that will qualify some Toadly riders to qualify virtuosi singer with a several-octave range and a chameleon for Nationals again this year in Ohio in April. Directing voice (melodic, percussive, sensual, stark), Viella delighted the English Riding Program is Elizabeth Mahoney CdeP her audience with original and derivative works, and, in 1988, with assistance from Elissa Thorn. e Ojai’s Rotary consort with Peixoto’s playing, brought folks to their feet Club chose senior wide-out Tyler Caldwell “Athlete of the by their final number. e Equally entertaining was the Month,” citing his 25 troupe of singers, actors and instrumentalists from Moira season touchdowns House Girls School of Sussex, England whose performance as pace-setting in included an astonishingly wide variety of musical theater, Thacher’s inaugural dance, and classical pieces for solo piano, voice and cello, as season playing 8well as for small ensemble. The two dozen young Brits and man football. (Tyler their teachers, hosted overnight by the Middle School junior scored an unheardand senior girls and faculty members on campus, joined the of six of those in the Thacher hordes at the Open House following the show. e first half of the game Actors from Theatre 150 took over the Centennial Amphi- against Villanova.) theatre for their reading of Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, Tyler is also a varsity bringing clarity to that work for the many students who lacrosse, soccer and baseball player. e Too late for press attended. e Through the generosity and care of Tamima last issue was this snippet that ought to have been part of Al-Awar CdeP 2002 and her parents Sheryl & Khaled, the summer gifts Thacher students brought to others last artist and activist Poteet Victory, critically acclaimed as summer: for several years, Alex Gidwitz has quietly and “an emerging force in contemporary American art,” came unobtrusively helped behind the scenes to make Deborah’s to speak to the school Place – an overnight women’s shelter in Chicago – a more about his current under- hospitable place for its patrons, volunteering his time to taking: a 15 X 60- foot gather used clothing, to prepare breakfasts for the women, monumental painting to seek donations of basic toiletries for hygiene kits. “It’s that will serve as the first not just about looking to serve the homeless,” says Alex. memorial to The Trail of “It’s more about being truly aware of their needs, being Tears – and to the thou- conscious and respectful of their dignity.” e You think sands of Native Ameri- the food’s good here when you visit? Truth is, it’s fabulous cans from forty differ- year-round, thanks to the tireless efforts of Director of Food ent tribes (including Mr. Services Richard Maxwell, his right-hand manager Dennis Victory’s own paternal ancestors) who died as a result of Mattson and Executive Chef Ismael Martin. But twice the government’s imposed relocation beginning in the 19th yearly, Bon Appetit, the food service to which Thacher subcentury. [We are deeply saddened to write that Tamima, scribes, sends to our dining room master chefs from other who was to have worked as one of Mr. Victory’s assistants nearby schools to put on what are known as “Chefs’ Tables,” on the project, died suddenly this fall. The everyone creating his or her own specialty on Thacher News will carry a full obituary in its site. For an army that most assuredly moves next issue.] e Senior Phoebe Barkan, Head on its stomach, it’s one of the highlights of “If you have an idea of Thacher’s Equestrian Team, organized that our gustatory year. This fall’s Wednesday in your heart, keep group’s second-in-three-years major horse night event was as excellent as ever, featuring talking about it. show out at the facilities at the eastern edge enough tempting dishes to make most of us Eventually, you’ll of campus. Ojai Valley School provided the waddle out the door – including items such run into the right biggest competition in numbers to our girls as Whole Suckling Pig, Island Garden Tofu person, someone – Katherine Bechtel, Kaitlin Walter, RebecSalad, assorted empanadas with homemade who’ll help you put cah Gore-Judd, Hannah Uscinski, Deirdre salsas, Cajun Catfish with Creole Remoulade it into action.” Herbert, Martha Gregory, Sara Schneider, Sauce, Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and,
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thanks to our own baker Robin Schlitt, Ginger and White HONORED Chocolate pots de creme to knock your tongue sideways. You get the picture: haute cuisine doesn’t begin to describe for “their exceptional academic promise” by the College it. e The Sydney Brody Gallery has opened its doors this Board – and for serving as one form of inspiration by the fall to several compelling exhibits, thanks to the dyna- Assemblied throng of students and faculty –were several mism and wide-eyed artistic view of Library Assistant and members of the senior class. Named as Commended Archives Czarina Alissa McCoy: “Notes & Readymades Students for placing in the top five percept of more than – objects and works on paper by Houston, TX, artist Chad one million students taking the 2001 Preliminary SAT/ Sager;” student artwork; “The Chair,” featuring works by National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test were Kathercurrent Thacher fathers and woodworkers John Bueti ine Bechtel, Hana Chang, Graham Dunn, Hugh Gordon, and Jamie Kuhl; and presently, a retrospective on the life Alex Huth, Will Johnson, Emily Nathan and Whitney of Jesse Kahle, Horse Program Director Emeritus whose Snyder; Semi-finalists going on to the finalist round are 95th birthday the School community celebrated in early Will Chamberlain, Alison Flynn and Lucy Hodgman. December. Be sure to include a swing by the Gallery (on the east side of the Anson Thacher Humanities Building) HAPPY TRAILS whenever you’re on campus. It’s well worth the extra steps. e Seventy-six of you purchased and donated books to Today’s Red Reef Rangers – Walker Cahall, Peter Arnold, Thacher’s Library on Family Weekend, representing a total Chris Cahill, Vince Chen, Nate Parker, Brendan Keane, addition of over $3,650 to that program’s account. Thanks David Moore and Brian Keane – proudly uphold a longto all of you whose generosity put yet another tome on the standing tradition of community service that benefits both shelves. Incidentally, for a gander at recent acquisitions, go Thacher and the hundreds of hikers who annually access to Academic Services at Thacher’s website (www.thacher.org), the Los Padres National Forest through Thacher’s property. updated often enough for you to keep current. e Direc- Call on them when you need: to build a new trail down from tor of Athletics, Rich Mazzola, orchestrated two events to the little ridge above the Gymkhana Field to the field itself help a local Ojai boy, Colby Chapman, who is presently for a dramatic Grand Entry; to cut a switchback in order to battling leukemia at L.A. Children’s Hospital. Proceeds rescue a horse that’s fallen off the Phelps Trail. Launched from sales of Thacher football caps, totaling $550, made in the mid-80’s by then-Camping Director Chuck Warren, their way to Colby’s family to facilitate their staying close the program began before the Sespe River area was declared by him; Rich (along with Kara protected wilderness; the boys’ and Jeff Hooper and Elizafirst project was – you guessed it beth Bowman also took two – the Red Reef Trail, which had van loads of Thacher seniors fallen into disrepair as a result of down to L.A. to give blood. Forest Service budget cuts. The All who made the trip got to group disbanded for several years meet Colby, including those – but “when the current group on the football team, who preof students, as sophomores, sented the boy with a hat and asked about doing trail work autographed pigskin. Since the as a sport,” says Chuck, “I supvisit, Colby’s mother, Tracy, “There’s ported their request and revivinothing like says that Colby has continued fied the RRR battalion.” Last with his treatments, which have rolling, smashing, year’s projects included replacbreaking, swinging included transfusions using the ing deteriorated dirt bunkers on blood donated during that visit. at, striking, lifting, the Morgan Barnes and Phelps For all those involved, she says, chucking and demolishtrails, the total brush-clearing “Thank you from the bottom ing anything in your way. of all trails, the construction of of our hearts!” Senior Laurel I don’t see how the School a bypass to the gymkhana field, Back also spearheaded a fund- could possibly use this as clearing deadfall on the Red Reef raiser for Colby during Family punishment. I wish I had more Trail, and rerouting the fence at Weekend, which netted around time to crew! “ Patton’s to include the stream for $600. at-will water access for penned - Chris Cahill
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horses. The group, with the help of local horse packer Tony Alvis, also cleared large Ponderosa pine deadfall on the Haddock trail, facilitating trips last spring. According to local Thacher historian and octogenarian Jack Huyler, there’s nothing new under the sun: when several of our present RRR boys came down with poison oak after the Phelps rescue, he recalled his very first weekend at Thacher in September, 1949, when two boys met and tried to pass on the same trail. As Jack tells is, “The outer horse was rolled to the bottom of the draw, where he lay, feet in the air, in a humungous growth of poison oak. The boy left on the trail above, though violently allergic to poison oak, had no choice but to go down to extract the horse. In those days, there was no effective treatment for the rash, and he had those itchy ridges from feet to scalp; for days he sweated and itched, sending the school thermometer into the hundreds.” Like so much of Thacher, it’s timeless.
got up-close-and-personal with the microorganisms on which the plant relies to do its job. Students in Alice Meyer’s AP Psychology course had the chance witness in action the theories of Jean Piaget and Lawrence Kohlberg, key 20th century developmental psychologists, when they visited Monica Ros School, a pre-K through 3rd grade school of which Alice is the former head. There, each Thacher student was assigned to a preschool or kindergarten child as a case study, working in a variety of activities that would reveal discrete elements of these psychologists’ theories of child development.
FIELD TRIPS dozen juniors and seniors – all students in Emily TThree Etchell’s and Spencer Stevens’ Biology, Brian Pidduck’s AP Environmental Science and/or Alice Meyer’s AP Psychology classes – were the happy beneficiaries of tickets to hear two-time Pulitzer Prize winner (and National Medal of Science recipient) E.O. Wilson, considered by many to be the founder of “sociobiology.” Dr. Wilson gave his address on biodiversity at I left Thacher before the Brentwood School in the trip with an interLos Angeles as part of that est in diplomacy and school’s speaker’s series. foreign affairs; as a Senior Vincent Chen result of this trip, that spoke the next day about interest has [certainly] the excitement of hearing a intensified – but even pre-eminent and influential more, my eyes have scientist talk so passionately been opened to many about principles he and his other aspects of govpeers had just learned about ernment work. There’s in the classroom and lab: a lot out there for me “The lecture made me want to do! to understand more about the subject – in particu-Whitney Livermore lar, about the ways we can make changes to the threat we pose to the environment.” Closer to home, Emily’s Biology classes hiked out the gate and spent some time touring Thacher’s waste treatment facility and learning from resident expert (and a member of the Maintenance Department) Jesus Carbajal about its workings. After explaining the “how” of the facility, Jesus pulled out some slides he’d prepared, and the class
“All work and no play…” was the operative by-word for Elissa Thorn’s AP Physics class when they vanned it down to Ojai’s picturesque Soule Park playground to investigate friction on the slide and centripetal force on the merry-go-round. Other students have traveled dramatically further to activate their learning: juniors Whitney Livermore, Elizabeth Craver and MacKenna Chase, at different times this fall, headed east to Washington, D.C. where they attended the National Youth Leadership Forum on Defense, Intelligence and Diplomacy; Julia Robinson did the same, though her focus was Law. In addition to the requisite Capitol sight-seeing (including special visits to the FBI and the Department of State), Whitney, Elizabeth and MacKenna spent part of their time preparing for and participating in a simulation in which they projected themselves into 2004, with conflicts in Panama and Columbia escalating. The rest of the program involved speakers from all walks of government work talking about their positions and roles. As for Julia, the whirlwind included meeting influential attorneys (such as the DA for Montgomery County, VA), participating in mock trials and a mock Supreme Court case, both of which involved actual cases, visiting various courthouses (including the U.S. Court of Appeals for
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the Armed Forces, after which all five justices spent time talking to the Youth Leadership Forum students. Senior Will Chamberlain attended a similar weeklong seminar in Los Angeles, where he met with the City Attorney of Los Angeles, as well as other notable lawyers and law professors, and visited the Compton Courthouse, Loyola School of Law, and a large downtown law firm. Like Julia, he participated in trial simulations and a Supreme Court trial in which he played Chief Justice. Heady stuff!
NO “DANGER, WILL ROBINSON!” HERE From Kurt Meyer, Mathematics and Java and EngineerF ing teacher: The joys of teaching at a great school include working with creative, energetic students from whom we teachers receive as much as we give. The Java and Engineering class at Thacher is a case in point. This project-based course, open only to students who have already passed the Advanced Placement AB examination in Computer Science, is a rich opportunity for highly skilled students to work creatively—both individually and in teams. As they work out problem solutions, the students uncover new ideas and techniques that are as instructive to their teacher as they are to their peers. This shared experience in discovery, analysis and assessment makes everyone in the classroom an active learner. There are few disciplines richer in opportunity for such activity than robotics. Do not confuse these devices with radio-controlled cars or other remote control “toys.” The robots created by the Java and Engineering students are fully autonomous, pre-programmed, vehicles that must be prepared for any condition that may arise in the course of undertaking their assigned tasks. The interaction of hardware and software is a unique challenge in this branch of computer science. A successful robotics team must excel in developing
Brian Keane, Ian Whittinghill, Alex Huth, Hugh Gordon, Luke Myers and their teacher Kurt Meyer
Calligraphy artist and Oriental Painting teacher Tomi Ito -Levin instructs Li Li’s Chinese VI students in the highly-specialized technique she learned in her native Japan.
both a reliable “chassis” that will stand up to the hard knocks of moving around in the real world, and clever, efficient code that gives the robot responsiveness and agility. The special features of this undertaking are easy to convey. Think about assessment! Whether or not the robotic device is discharging its duties faithfully is only too obvious: If the task is to pick up the ping pong balls and deposit them on the other side of the court (as the video clip @ www.thacher.org depicts), it is painfully all too clear, when the craft becomes caught banging against a wall or hopelessly entangles itself with its opponent, that the programming team has not planned for all eventualities. The results can often be quite humorous. Robotics lends itself You know Thacher is naturally to friendly, if often, an incredible place tenacious competition. As a when you have the motivator, nothing beats a opportunity to try contest for getting students things usually found to posit unusual, inventive only at universisolutions and to work to ties. I got to build a implement them. robot that competes For a video of the Family in games! It’s like a Weekend robot soccer game, hobby becoming a part go to the School’s website, at of your academic life. www.thacher.org. - Luke Myers
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NO END OF WAYS TO PITCH IN Over a third of the student body volunteered – school O days, weekends or evenings – in the many opportunities offered through Community Service. Molly Perry, the director of the program, and student heads Laurel Back and Katie Telischak have partnered Thacher students with more than a dozen schools, convalescent homes, and civic organizations throughout the Ojai Valley, where they tutor and teach, walk the dogs and pet the cats, serve food, sing oldies, keep company – in general, engage in the giveand-take that keeps the world going around. New to the roster of possibilities this year are the Adopt-a-Grandparent program (in conjunction with Ojai’s Rotary Club), in which students are paired with residents who do not have family or friends living nearby to visit them, and the Ojai Historical Preservation project, headed by Holly Mitchem (Art History), in which students help photographing and collecting data on historic homes in the Valley.
MORE PROF-DEV faculty came this fall in several forms: Derick Perry ffor and Peter Robinson attended the National Association of Independent Schools’ People of Color Conference in Chicago, while Dean of Students Chris Mazzola spent a day with other Ventura County educators interested in learning more about drug use and abuse in our area. What she gathered from Trinka Porrata , 25-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department as Head Narcotics Officer for Juveniles, will become part of this winter’s HR&S (Human Relationships and Sexuality) Program. Supported by the School’s professional development fund, as well as the airline miles of the ever-generous Marvin Shagam (who has taken other academic departments aboard in previous years), several members of the Foreign Language Department took the Thanksgiving holiday to travel to France, setting up base-“camp” in Cannes and sojourning in other cities and towns nearby -- St. Paul de Vence, Grasse, Eze, Antibes and Monaco, to name a few of the stops along the way. Presenting a seminar – “Beyond Anecdotes”– on the value of schools like Thacher actively pursuing research at The Association of Boarding Schools’ annual meeting of approximately 600 educators were Head of School Michael Mulligan and Director of Admission/Assistant Head for External Affairs Monique DeVane. They spoke from Thacher’s enormously successful experience about how honest feedback from various school constituencies can inform policy in positive, meaningful and often profound ways.
Sea shanty expert Ben Tassinari from the tall ship Tole Mour delights the many scrunched into the living room at Open House one Saturday night this fall.
HISTORY IS HERSTORY
Writing a page in Thacher’s books this fall was one swift W senior: after taking first place in the CIF preliminaries and then at the Southern Sectional meet at Mt. SAC (San Antonio College) just before Thanksgiving Break, Bessie Hatch went on to snag the number one spot in the CIF Division 5 State Championships. Her 18:58 beat out the other 138 harriers handily (or, we guess, footily) – and bested the time she made last year by more than two minutes – “almost unheard of,” according to her coach, Theana Hancock. This makes Bessie – also a varsity soccer and lacrosse starter – the first athlete in Thacher’s history to win the individual State Championship Cross Country title for our division. Pictured here, Bessie begarlanded.
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The plot:
David Mamet’s (American Buffalo, Glengarry Glen Ross) The Water Engine is set against the backdrop of Chicago’s 1934 Century of Progress World’s Fair. A Depression-era machinist, having invented an engine that runs solely on water, approaches a lawyer to patent it, then finds himself fighting to save himself and his family from the dark corporate forces who want to destroy it.
From the director:
Although Mamet originally conceived The Water Engine as a radio play, in our production, we dramatized all of the action while retaining the sound effects of a live radio show. With the SFX technicians visible on stage and the actors creating doors, windows and props using mime technique, we witnessed a new dimension to live theater – what has been described as a third reality, a different scenic honesty. We could then take a truly collaborative art form one step further and fully engage (if not require) the audience to become a collaborator in collective imagination. This interpretation also heightened the running theme of “All people are connected” and dramatically demonstrated our profound need to create and to communicate.
Water Engine THE
Now, having just spent eight wonderful weeks with thirty-six gifted Thacher students, I can attest that, as an ensemble we were not only connected, but we became a theatrical family, brought together in a powerful experience of bonding and buoyancy. When we see our students on stage we are witness to the remarkable, the mysterious relaxation of the laws of nature. Gravity gives way to levity. We see these young men and women growing, floating, and flowing with self-confidence, creative ability and artistic truth. It is a time-tested experience, a chapter in the high school tradition – but it also reminds us of the effervescence of the human spirit.
From the critics: Theatrically fearless and eager
to tread where few high school players have gone before, the Thacher Masquers recently took on David Mamet’s The Water Engine – and with great success. Originally conceived as a radio play, the work sets a high bar for both actors and technicians, as minimal stage sets and precious few props heighten the importance of sound effects and precise timing. Intense, bold, intellectually challenging for those on stage, behind the curtains and in the audience: What more could we ask for?
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The players: Charles Lang..................................................John Babbott Rita Lang .................................................... Cara Bonewitz Morton Gross ..................................................Chris Cahill Lawrence Oberman ...................................... Ian Strachan The Creepy Guy ................................................Calvin Lieu Mrs. Varec ....................................................... Jackie Fiske Dave Murray ............................................. Armando León Mrs. Wallace ............................................. Charmiane Lieu Bernie ............................................................ Nhu Y Dang Gross’ Secretary ............................................. Keely Walsh Newspaper Secretary ...................................... Mary White Barker ........................................................ Annie Wheatley Chainletter.................................................. Mary Leighton Announcer ...................................................... Juliana Ma Newspaper Runner/Foreman................. Michael Quintana Woman in Elevator/Voice Over ....................Emily Nathan Woman 2/Soapbox speaker........................Lucy Hodgman Operator/Watcher ............................................Ariel Wang Companion/Customer .........................................Jessie Liu Radio Announcer/Railroad Conductor ................Jim Sligh Cop 1 .............................................................. Ben Babbott Cop 2 ............................................................... Zach Behar Worker/Paper Boy/Moderator........................Alison Flynn Mailman..............................................................Jim Sligh Elevator Operator/Bum .......................Sarah Chamberlain Knife Grinder/Rewrite ..........................................Julia Oh Lecturer ........................................................... Juliana Ma Postal Processor Inventor................................ Michael Yun Singers ..................................... Jackie Fiske, Emily Nathan, Charmiane Lieu, Jessie Liu, Mary White, Julia Erdman
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PHOTOS TO COME
Monoprint by Juliana Ma, Sophomore
raucous Assembly moment, when AAnother Head of School Michael Mulligan held aloft
a road-killed toad, flattened and suitable to join others contributed by students to his growing collection. (An alumnus whose business is custom casting actually sent the School one such relic.) But really, the treasure’s in those smiles.
of us here at Thacher hope your holidays AAll were bright and very merry and that you got to savor the moments you had with your sons and daughters (those moments after 10 a.m. when, we’d wager, the earliest birds among them finally arose). Happy New Year to all!
Production Credits Editor: Joy Sawyer-Mulligan Design & Production: J. Bert Mahoney Photography: Louie Elias, Dick Hodgman, Jane McCarthy, Elissa Thorn, Theana Hancock, Joy Sawyer-Mulligan
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