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Transcript of Bulletin Summer 2007
ST. GEORGE’SST. GEORGE’Ssummer Bulletin2007
St. George’s SchoolP.O. Box 1910Newport, RI 02840-0190
Nonprofit OrganizationU.S. Postage
PAIDSt. George’s School
St.G
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Sum
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In this issue:Chapel talks:
A lesson before dining BY JEFF SIMPSON
Out of tragedy, a miracle BY HADLEY KORN ’07
Practicing to make it perfect BY JOSEPH ASTRAUSKAS ’07
Superstitious BY DEBORAH HAYES
Defying convention BY BENNETT BISTLINE ’07
Every moment of life BY BARRETT FREIBERT ’07
Chapel restoration begins
The Behrend Pool is torn down
Q&A with the Director of College Counseling
Reunion Weekend 2007
Prize Day 2007
New faculty members hired for 2007-08
Teachers visit Asia and Africa
Class ring returned after 46 years
Patnode honored at Cabot/Harman Ice Center
Class Notes
St. George’s School admits male and
female students of any religion, race, color,
sexual orientation, and national or ethnic
origin to all the programs and activities gener-
ally accorded or made available to students at
the school. It does not discriminate on the
basis of religion, gender, race, color, sexual
orientation, or national or ethnic origin in the
administration of its educational policies,
scholarship and loan programs, or athletic and
other school-administered programs. In addi-
tion, the school welcomes visits from disabled
applicants.
SStt.. GGeeoorrggee’’ss PPoolliiccyy oonnNNoonn--DDiissccrriimmiinnaattiioonn
In 1896, the Rev. John Byron Diman,
founder of St. George’s School, wrote in his
“Purposes of the School” that “the specific
objectives of St. George’s are to give its stu-
dents the opportunity of developing to the
fullest extent possible the particular gifts that
are theirs and to encourage in them the desire
to do so. Their immediate job after leaving
school is to handle successfully the demands of
college; later it is hoped that their lives will be
ones of constructive service to the world and
to God.”
As we begin the 21st century, we continue
to teach young women and men the value of
learning and achievement, service to others,
and respect for the individual. We believe that
these goals can best be accomplished by expos-
ing students to a wide range of ideas and
choices in the context of a rigorous curriculum
and a supportive residential community.
Therefore, we welcome students and
teachers of various talents and backgrounds,
and we encourage their dedication to a multi-
plicity of pursuits —intellectual, spiritual, and
physical—that will enable them to succeed in
and contribute to a complex, changing world.
SStt.. GGeeoorrggee’’ss SScchhoooollMMiissssiioonn SSttaatteemmeenntt
ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 1
From the Editor’s Desk ........................................................................................................................................2Up on the roof: Chapel restoration begins BY SUZANNE M. HADFIELD ..........................................................3An era gone by: The Behrend Pool is torn down BY SUZANNE M. HADFIELD ................................................8News from Geronimo ..........................................................................................................................................11Higher learning: An interview with Director of College Counseling Burke Rogers ’81....................12A lesson before dining BY JEFF SIMPSON............................................................................................................22Out of tragedy, a miracle BY HADLEY KORN ’07 ..............................................................................................25Practicing to make it perfect BY JOSEPH ASTRAUSKAS ’07 ............................................................................28Superstitious: Sailors have a unique way of looking at life BY DEBORAH HAYES ..................................30Defying convention BY BENNETT BISTLINE ’07 ..................................................................................................33Every moment of life BY BARRETT FREIBERT ’07 ................................................................................................36Learn from others BY MARTHA C. MERRILL P’07 ................................................................................................40Prizes awarded May 28, 2007 ........................................................................................................................42Beware the oyster BY HEAD OF SCHOOL ERIC F. PETERSON ................................................................................44Reunion Weekend 2007....................................................................................................................................50The watch system BY BENNETT GEYER ’08..........................................................................................................58Immersed BY TORI HENSEL ’08..............................................................................................................................61Alumni/ae in the news ....................................................................................................................................65Faculty/Staff notes............................................................................................................................................68Global outreach ..................................................................................................................................................74Drinking it all in BY QUENTIN WARREN................................................................................................................76Sports news ..........................................................................................................................................................80Student achievements ......................................................................................................................................84Rooms with a view BY LUCY WHITTLE GOLDSTEIN ..............................................................................................90Feeling the music BY SCHUYLER LIVINGSTON ’07 ................................................................................................92New students 2007-08 ....................................................................................................................................99Campus happenings ........................................................................................................................................100Class notes ........................................................................................................................................................109
The St. George’s Bulletin is published bi-annually. Suzanne M. Hadfield, editor; Ilona Tipp, communications
associate; Toni Ciany, editorial assistant; and members of the Alumni/ae Office, copy editors.
ST. GEORGE’S SCHOOL
P.O. BOX 1910
NEWPORT, RI 02840-0190
Office of the Bulletin Editor
tel: (401) 842-6792
fax: (401) 842-6745
e-mail: [email protected]
Main School Tel: (401) 847-7565
Main School Fax: (401) 842-6677
Toll free: 1.888.ICALLSG
School web site: www.stgeorges.edu
Special visiting student Laura Meyer
of Germany accepts a certificate for
one year of academic work
successfully completed from Head of
School Eric Peterson in May.
PHOTO BY SUZANNE M. HADFIELD
On the cover:
Graduates celebrate after the
awarding of diplomas
on Prize Day 2007.
PHOTO BY KATHRYN WHITNEY LUCEY
On the back cover:
Hendrik Kits van Heyningen ’10 finds
time to practice on the piano in the
Drury/Grosvenor Arts Center.
PHOTO BY SUZANNE M. HADFIELD
St. George’sB u l l e t i n
C o n t e n t s
The Alumni/ae Magazine of St. George’s School, Newport, R.I.
2 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
This was a different kind of summer on
the Hilltop. The drone of
construction equipment replaced the
chatter of foreign languages being
spoken by international students as
summer school was suspended and
many of our buildings underwent
renovations. King Hall was shuttered,
the chapel was swathed in scaffolding,
and the scenery changed as we
watched the old pool come down (“An
era gone by,” p.8) and the library and
its scrolling dragon sculptures become
part of the view from the Main Drive.
Returning students will notice
several changes as they come back to
SG for the start of the 2007-08
academic year. They’ll see that we’re
taking care of our community and surroundings,
preserving our history and simultaneously
embracing the newness of what’s ahead.
The 80-year-old centerpiece of our campus
is being cared for in the most meticulous way
(“Up on the roof: Chapel restoration begins,”
p.3), while at the same time a new state-of-the-
art Macintosh computer lab is humming in the
Drury/Grosvenor Art Center and the library is
being rejuvenated and reconfigured with a new
entrance opposite Memorial Schoolhouse.
Like our infrastructure, students here grow
and change in ways that they themselves may not
even imagine are possible, as the many stories in
this edition suggest. They realize they can
persevere through the most intense of
disappointments (“Every moment of life,” p.36),
recover from catastrophic wounds both physical
and mental (“Out of tragedy, a miracle,” p.25),
and even teach themselves how to recognize their
own idiosyncrasies (“Practicing to make it
perfect,” p.28).
Students here are notorious for their
bravery, and although “getting outside one’s
comfort zone” is an often-overused admonition
in independent school chapel talks, students here
report back substantive changes from their
explorations of the unfamiliar. (“Immersed,”
p.61, “Drinking it all in,” p.76, and “Rooms with
a view,” p.90)
Of course it’s not always easy to face the
newness of what’s ahead. An interview with
Director of College Counseling Burke Rogers ’81
reveals that planning for the next steps,
especially in terms of college, is key (“Higher
learning,” p.12). English teacher Jeff Simpson,
when asked by the graduating class to speak at
the school’s first-ever Baccalaureate service,
suggested literature as a vehicle for
understanding your life and yourself—and
maybe exploring the unknown (“A lesson before
dining” by Jeff Simpson, p.22).
Summer indeed is winding down and
students, new and returning, will soon arrive on
the Hilltop, get settled in. In most cases this also
means saying goodbye to family members, at
least for a time.
Now that I’m a mother I realize the
poignancy of that moment more than ever
before—all the expectations and hopes for a
positive experience, all the turned-up nerves of
new beginnings.
A little bravery can’t hurt.
Suzanne M. Hadfield
Bulletin Editor
St. George’sF r o m t h e e d i t o r ’ s d e s k
Me and my son,Connor, nine months.
ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 3
Up on the roofA MULTI-YEAR RESTORATION OF THE ST. GEORGE’S CHAPEL IS UNDER WAY�
Workers for Shawmut Design and Construction Inc. begin to remove portions of the roof of the Chapel.
PHOTO
BYSU
ZANNEM.H
ADFIELD
4 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
priorityTop
BY SUZANNE M. HADFIELD
Itmust’ve been a source of frustration right
from the start: Not long after the St.
George’s Chapel was built in 1927 patron
John Nicholas Brown ’19 learned the walls of his
beloved building were leaking.
Those limestone walls have been perplexing
architects ever since, so this summer the school is
addressing the issue once again—starting at the
top.
A $1 million roof replacement project got
under way on June 4 and should be complete by
the fall. It’s the first step in a full analysis and
remediation plan to stop the leakage problem from
getting any worse—and to preserve the signature
and most famous building on campus.
Workers have removed the entire coated
copper roof as well as the slate roof sections and
meticulously begun replacing them with all new
materials, with one notable exception.
Undetectable to the outside observer, an ice and
water shield is being placed between the concrete
slab that serves as the bottom layer of the roof and
the coated copper and slate above.
Anything to keep the weather out.
“Since 1927 the building has had problems …
particularly with the masonry,” said preservation
architect Martha Werenfels of Providence-based
Durkee and Brown Architects Inc., whose firm
Claude Levesque,project manager forShawmut Design andConstruction ofBoston, surveys theold chapel roof justbefore it was replacedthis summer.
ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 5
was contracted back in 2001 to make a complete
report on the condition of the chapel. “It’s not
incredibly clear where the water’s getting in, but
we know that the exterior walls are wet inside.”
The exterior walls of the chapel are actually
limestone veneer, notes Werenfels. Two layers of
limestone surround a brick core. When the firm
bore sample holes in the structure at the start of
their study, they hit H2O right away.
“Right now we’re starting to chip away at the
priority items,” she said of the chapel preservation
plan, “and the highest priority is the roof.”
Most of us know the story of how the chapel
was built: Brown, who was deemed the “richest
baby in America” when he was born in 1900, had
admired the already famous architect Ralph
Adams Cram since he was a boy. The two met
while Cram was working for Brown’s mother
renovating Emmanuel Church in Newport. When
Brown approached the SG Board of Trustees in
1921 with a plan to pay for a medieval chapel to
be built on campus, he already knew he would
hire Cram & Ferguson for the job. Brown,
however, was not a “hands-off ” patron. He took
an active role in the design, such as making his
own sketches for some elements of the chapel,
which he hand-delivered on one of his many trips
to the Cram & Ferguson office.
When the chapel was finally consecrated on
April 28, 1928, it was only after a lengthy design
and construction process—and some of the issues
Brown and Cram worked through are still having
Workers remove the slate section of the roof behind the organ.
CO N T I N U E D O N T H E N E X T PAG E
PHOTOSBYSU
ZANNEM.H
ADFIELD
6 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
Even on the roof, craftsmen paid attention to detail. This dragon is a decorative element near a gutter 100 feet above the ground.
PHOTO
BYSU
ZANNEM.H
ADFIELD
implications today.
The chapel is a combination of medieval
design, but with the materials and methods that
were newly available in 1927, according to
Werenfels.
“It was kind of this marriage, a mix of
medieval aesthetics with modern technology,” she
said. “And we think that’s part of the problem.”
It may be that the mortar used to glue the
stones together was too hard. “In 1927, there were
all these new [mortar] technologies being
developed and they thought harder was better,”
she said. “It turned out not to be such a great
idea.”
When the mortar is harder than the stone and
the building settles, the stone cracks, she
explained.
And that’s just what happened here. Werenfels
says there’s a lot of cracking in the chapel’s walls,
particularly at the eastern end in the buttresses on
either side of the altar. That’s also where there’s
been the most water damage.
Oddly enough, it appears Brown and Cram
may have anticipated the issue. Werenfels has been
studying the correspondence between the two,
digging through old papers in Brown University’s
collections.
A crucial decision made early on in the design
process shows the “richest baby in the world” was
still frugal, she said.
“There were discussions about whether they
should waterproof the walls as part of the
CO N T I N U E D F R O M T H E P R E V I O U S PAG E
construction costs,”Werenfels said. “In the end
they decided not to [do it] as a cost savings and
we’re not sure if that had an effect on the fact that
water is getting in.”
By 1949 some repairs had already been made
to the masonry. Today it made sense to address
the chapel roof first because it is made of copper
and nearing the end of its useful life anyway.
Last year a section of the roof was taken apart
to figure out exactly how it was constructed.
Shawmut Design and Construction of Boston
was hired to replicate the old construction
techniques—and to add a few improvements,
such as the ice and water shield.
Preservation is one of Shawmut’s strengths.
“It’s something that we enjoy doing and are
very skilled at, so it’s a privilege to work here for
sure,” said Claude Levesque, project manager for
Shawmut who’s worked with Werenfels on a
number of other preservation projects.
In the coming years, preservation of the
chapel will continue.
“The next phase is really delving into the
masonry issues,”Werenfels said. “We’re probably
going to recommend that a section of the east wall
be taken apart and rebuilt. We’re not sure. The
buttresses seem to be protruding.”
The firm is also keeping tabs on seven gauges
installed in 2001 to monitor cracks in the walls.
“You leave it there and see if the gauge moves at
all so you know if that crack got bigger,”
Werenfels said. Good news: When she checked
them two weeks ago, the cracks had either not
shifted at all or had moved less than a
millimeter.
The firm also did a survey of the transept area
beneath the tower because the floor inside wasn’t
flat and architects were wondering if the tower
was still settling. A recent evaluation showed the
tower appears to have stopped moving.
Eventually the firm will move inside the
chapel, clean some of the interior walls and,
maybe do some re-pointing of the mortar,
Werenfels said.
But as much as building technologies and
methods have evolved over the years, this project
is all about keeping the chapel the same.
“The key to our work is to get in and get out
and to not have anybody be able to tell anything
happened,” said Werenfels. “[The chapel] is such a
beloved icon. We’re being very careful not to
change anything.”
ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 7
The new coated copperroof is nearly complete.
PHOTO
BYSU
ZANNEM.H
ADFIELD
8 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
gone byAn era
BY SUZANNE M. HADFIELD
Head coach Tom Evans was leaning against a
brick wall at the east end of the old Behrend Pool
watching his swimmers when he saw a figure
moving toward him through a dense fog. It was
November 1987, the days when the school was still
limping along with a 1920s-era, four-lane, 20-yard
pool with air circulation problems, but Evans
wasn’t dwelling on the difficulties. The figure in
the fog was his wife, Linda, a co-coach of the swim
team.
“The first thing I saw was a St. George’s
sweatshirt and she looked at me and I looked at
her and she gave me a thumbs-up,” recalled Evans.
“And at that moment, I knew that we were going to
have a child.”
That was just one of the many memories the
Evanses recalled as they saw that old pool
building, all decorative tile and bricks, get
demolished early this summer.
With the school’s new pool—an eight-lane,
25-yard facility that is the envy of most
competitors—up and running since November
2004, it was time for the Behrend pool, uniquely
housed next to Auchincloss Dormitory, to come
down.
But while many in the community may have
emotionally detached from the old pool a long
time ago, there are many who didn’t see it as just
an antiquated facility happy to meet the wrecking
ball, the Evanses said.
“It was a special place for a lot of kids,” Linda
recalled.
Spectators watch adiver in the Behrend
Pool in 1963.
CO N T I N U E D O N PAG E 10
PHOTO
COURTESY
OFTH
E1963LA
NCE
The old Behrend Pool is torn down,but the swimmers’ memories l ive on
ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 9
In the spring, the Behrend Pool was still standing between Auchincloss and Diman North dormitories.
Construction crews demolished the old pool building this summer, creating an open path between the quad andthe Hill Library. Diman North is being re-faced with brick and a porch is being added.
10 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
Crews start to dismantle the old pool building in this view behind Auchincloss looking south.
PHOTO
BYSU
ZANNEM.H
ADFIELD
Tom and Linda Evans were hired in 1987 to
teach biology, filling the spot left vacant when
Steve Leslie was appointed dean of students.
When they arrived for their interviews, “they
almost didn’t even show us the pool,” Evans
remembers. “Skip Howard was taking us
around—and he was like, oh, you don’t need to
see the pool.”
But they did anyway. “And all we were
thinking was, ‘Hey, they have a pool here, which
means they can have a team,’ ” Evans said.
“Without the pool here, there’s no team, so we
can’t coach.”
The two taught 25 swimmers the first year.
“I think the first thing we had to do was pull
the starting blocks from the shallow end to the
deep end,” Linda said.
They also had to fill the pool with a hose after
every practice and order bigger lane lines, which
cut down on the waves in the pool, but which also
made the swimming lanes smaller.
“It was battle. It was combat,” Tom
remembers. “When you’d swim, you would always
be whacking someone next to you.”
Still, he says, “The thing that was so special
about the pool is that we knew it was the oldest
indoor operating pool in any prep school in the
country. And we had a lot of pride in it. We
thought it was great.”
“We had pool pride,” Linda agreed.
The spectators who gathered in the old facility
also contributed to an exciting atmosphere,
CO N T I N U E D F R O M PAG E 8
ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 11
according to Evans.
“It was like the Boston Garden,” he said. “We’d
have 100 people up in that balcony just
screaming.”
The 1989-90 team beat the Abbey 55-21 for
the first time in 25 years.
“When the swimmers walked in it was just
chanting and screaming and yelling the entire
time,” Tom recalled, “and it just got the adrenaline
up so much.”
Laura Stack de Ramel ’90, who placed fifth in
the New Englands that year and who went on to
swim at Dartmouth, was a captain on the team at
the time.
Now a newly elected member of the SG Board
of Trustees, de Ramel remembers stretching on
the east deck of the old pool and looking at the
weathered wooden record plaques on the wall—
records achieved back in the 1920s and 30s.
“It was always very inspiring,” she said.
Evans said de Ramel was one of the students
who helped her teammates stop thinking about
the condition of the facility.
“Laura was always the kid who didn’t care
what the pool looked like. She just wanted to get
into it and swim. That was kind of infectious to
the rest of the team,” Evans said.
Bob Ceres ’55, who had a stellar swimming
career at St. George’s and who went on to be an
all-American at the U.S. Naval Academy, isn’t
quite as nostalgic about the building.
“It was old back then!” he says of the facility
that was already the object of some frustration
among his teammates in the 1950s. Because the
pool was only 20 yards, as opposed to 25, the
swimmers had to remember to do more laps.
The camaraderie is
what Ceres remembers.
“And we had a great
coach,” Ceres said. “He
taught us how to do
turns.”
In fact it was Norrie
Hoyt, for whom St.
George’s new state-of-the-
art eight-lane pool is
named, who helped the
boys make do.
“He believed it was a good strategy to keep
the pool 10 degrees colder than the
competition’s,” Ceres said. “We got used to it, but
opponents would come in and freeze.”
But it wasn’t just the talented swimmers who
may wistfully recall their days in the old pool.
“An awful lot of kids got their feet wet in
competitive swimming in that pool,” Evans said.
“Every single kid improved—and they stuck it out
through the hardships.”
“Swimming’s never been a big-time sport
here, but it’s meant so much to so many people.”
An architectural drawing shows the new porch being added to Diman North—and the new path between the quad and the library.
DRAWINGCOURTESY
OFSH
AWMUTDESIGNANDCONSTRUCTIONINC.
�
Got a Behrend Pool memory
you’d like to share? Write to
We’d love to hear from you.
12 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
Was there anything unique about the mostrecent college admission process you wentthrough with the Class of 2007? Are there anytrends you’ve noticed over the past couple ofyears?
Well, one notable thing is that, at the national
level, it’s certainly not getting any easier to get
into college. There’s been plenty of national
media attention about declining acceptance rates
and skyrocketing application numbers. It’s not
uncommon these days for acceptance rates at the
most selective schools to be under 10 percent,
which really puts admissions into the realm of a
crapshoot at at least a handful of colleges. The
number of colleges that have acceptance rates
under 50 percent also is growing rapidly. So,
colleges turn away more applicants than they
take—and that’s something that gets plenty of
press. Usually there’s a flurry of articles in
December, then another in April, and such press
coverage understandably instills anxiety in
students and parents. But I think there’s another
side that the national press is beginning to pick up
on as well, and that St. George’s kids are
experiencing pretty directly, and that is that more
and more stories rightly focus on the number of
Director of CollegeCounseling BurkeRogers ’81 speaks tomembers of theClass of 2007.
AN INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR OF
COLLEGE COUNSELING BURKE ROGERS ’81
N E W S F R O M T H E C O L L E G E C O U N S E L I N G O F F I C ENext steps
PHOTO
BYBOTU
MBOU
Higher learning
ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 13
great options that are out there. The college
universe in this country is far more than just
Harvard, Princeton and Yale. The New York Times
had an influential piece this spring about the
“New Ivies.”
What did you think of it?
Well, I resist the categorization of these really
good schools as “Ivies,” as if there’s magic in that
particular term. But I do think the broader point
is that there are a lot of excellent schools that are
teaching great kids in all parts of the country.
How did St. George’s students do this year?
In what was a tough climate nationally, I
think our kids fared very, very well. Compared
with many schools that are much like us, I think
our seniors weathered the storm very well. And
the satisfaction level for the kids as they found
good matches for their college futures was
justifiably high. This class enjoyed a lot of success.
We had a lot of kids apply early to a particular
school, and those acceptance rates were pretty
darn good.
So the early-acceptance and early-actionprograms were successful this year.
Yes, and it’s nice for kids to get good news
early. The downside is that good early results may
lead—or mislead—some other kids into thinking
that applying early is a magic solution, or the
solution to every problem. What we do is work
with the kids very closely on a case-by-case basis
to make sure that everybody has a good, balanced
list, that they look as hard at the schools that are
relatively easy for them to get into, and they look
at the ones that are tough to get into. We want
kids to be thoughtful about all the schools on
their list, and ultimately to be happy going to any
school where they apply. But once they have a
good balanced list, then we will work with them
very closely in the late summer and fall to
determine how and when to apply. We don’t want
to lead with “the strategy of applications,” but it is
part of the process, and in the proper time and
place, it’s something that we discuss with students
and their families.
So all of our students who will be seniors this
fall have a college list?
Yes, shaping a list is something that develops
from the first individual meeting in January or
February of the junior year. What we will do in
the College Counseling Office is toss out a list of
20, 25, 30 schools for students to research, at least
online and in guidebooks, with an eye toward the
student using Spring Break in March to go visit
six to eight colleges. Then, informed by the
campus visits that they’ve had and the reading
that they’ve done, we can begin to cut some
schools off the list and to add some others on.
We’ve got the college fair in April where we have
another 75 or so colleges come and visit St.
George’s. That’s a way for kids to find out more
about schools that they weren’t able to visit, or to
confirm what they saw when they did visit, and
redirect their list accordingly. We want balance to
be a guiding principle.
How do you approach applying to the mostselective schools?
Though we don’t require that a student shoot
really high and have “reach” schools on the list, we
certainly do support kids who want to give more
selective schools a shot. The only way to know for
sure that you’re not going to get in is if you don’t
apply—that’s the way you can guarantee it. We
encourage kids to shoot high with at least some of
their applications, but we want them to spend
most of their time looking at the schools where it
really could go either way, and we want to make
sure that they spend enough time on the schools
that are appealing to them that also are very much
in line with their records—schools where we all
can be reasonably confident that they’ll get the
chance to attend.
You talked a little bit about the Early Action,Early Decision process. That’s also gotten someattention in the press. How is that whole worldevolving?
Well, I have two thoughts on that. One is that
I applaud schools like Harvard and Princeton and
UVA that have abandoned their early programs. I
think having some high-profile schools abandon
the early programs sends an important message
CO N T I N U E D O N N E X T PAG E
14 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
that “Hey, you don’t have to apply early. That’s not
the only way to apply to college.” I also think
those schools are right in making the case that
early applications can give an advantage—
arguably, an unfair advantage—to students of
wealthy families that have the resources and the
guidance, frankly, to go out and get an early start
on the college search. So I like the fact that
Harvard, Princeton and UVA have sent a signal
that says that early applications are not the only
way to go.
At the same time, I also think that many
schools properly have considered their early
policies and concluded that they continue to
make sense for them—and, at least indirectly, for
a lot of students. The problem with putting
everything off until the regular round—if every
school abandoned an early program—is that by
the time decisions came out around April 1, no
college would really have a clue as to who was
showing up. And if they don’t have a clue as to
who is going to show up, then they have to protect
their interests to make sure that they get a class.
That means they’re going to accept a certain
number of students, but they’re going to put a
greater number on a waiting list. In an uncertain
climate, kids who don’t know until April what is
going to happen are going to send out lots and
lots of applications to guard themselves. If every
early plan were done away with, then ultimately
things would sort themselves out, but it likely
would come in the form of even more wait-list
action in May or into June. One of the arguments
against early plans is that they increase the anxiety
kids and parents—and frankly counselors too—
feel about who’s going to get in. If there were no
early plans at all, the anxiety wouldn’t go away, it
would just be postponed, and it might even be
heightened. So, I think some early plans allow
good kids who’ve been thoughtful about the
process, and who’ve built up a good record by the
end of the junior year, to find a good college home
early on—to be settled in effect in December or
January.
How does that affect the cultural climate hereat school, at the high school level, when kidsare getting accepted to college really early intheir senior year?
Well, when I was a student here, there were, in
effect, two big decision days: Dec. 15 and April 15.
Before that it used to be just one day in April.
What has happened now, with the proliferation of
early programs and different wrinkles in ways that
kids can apply and ways that colleges can notify, is
that from October through graduation in May, no
week goes by when we don’t have some student
hearing some news from some college. That said,
there are still three main times when kids find out
a lot of news from colleges. The first is mid-
December. The second time is in early February,
when there’s a second round of early notifications
at some schools. And the third is the regular
notification time, late March/early April.
What happens at St. George’s in December is
that you’ve got a lot of excitement all at once. For
the seniors in particular, college notices are
coming in. There’s the winter formal, which is
emotionally loaded for many high school kids.
There’s the Christmas Festival, and there’s the
excitement about going home for break after a
long term. There inevitably is good news coming
in for many kids, but there’s also disappointing
news coming in for others. But one thing that
really impresses me about SG kids in general is
that they seem to maintain an awful lot of
empathy for their classmates. Whether it’s good
news or bad news for the other person, they want
to be there for their friends. And it’s the same
thing for themselves: Whether the news is good or
bad, I think they respond pretty appropriately.
About what percentage of our senior class isapplying early these days?
Well, given the number of different plans that
are out there, it’s a tougher figure to calculate than
it used to be, but I’d say about 60 percent in
recent years have tried something early. This year
about 70 percent of kids who applied early got
good news.
Why are some colleges popular with ourstudents?
Well, there are some obvious suspects for
many kids. If they were attracted to a small New
England boarding school and they liked their
experience here—and an awful lot of them do—it
makes sense for them to at least consider a small
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ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 15
New England college. The NESCAC (New
England Small College Athletic Conference)
schools are likely suspects for many kids. The Ivies
make sense for many kids. Colleges where St.
George’s kids have enrolled in the past also benefit
from name recognition in that kids have just
heard those names in this environment. That
helps an awful lot. Colleges that visit in the fall
and in the spring often make a lot of sense for our
kids, too. And if former students are having a
good experience at a particular college and word
gets back to our students, that’s a good
endorsement.
What are students’ worst fears about thecollege process?
Well, I think at the most fundamental level,
it’s probably the spoken or unspoken fears: “What
if nobody takes me? What if I don’t have a home
at the end of it?” That’s the subtext to many
conversations. And ultimately that’s where, as
counselors, Kelly Richards and Gary Cornog and I
have the most responsibility. We need to make
sure that students have a good list that’s going to
get them a good home. We’d much rather have
conversations with kids in the fall, as they’re
shaping their lists, to make sure they’re covering
their bases in ways that they’re going to like, than
to have a conversation in April and say, “Well, gee,
too bad, bummer that you don’t have a place to
go.” Vetting the lists is a big part of our job.
There’s also the unknown …
Yes, on a broader level, kids are anxious about
the future in general. What really strikes me about
St. George’s kids, though, is that despite the
inevitable griping that can go on about things on
a day-to-day basis—and teenagers, like adults, can
find things to complain about if given the
opportunity—is the degree to which SG kids say
that they really like this place. They like their
teachers, they like the people they’re working
Director of CollegeCounseling BurkeRogers,AdministrativeAssistant JennyJohnson, CollegeCounselor andEnglish departmenthead Gary Cornogand AssociateDirector of CollegeCounseling KellyRichards.
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16 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
with, and most significantly they like their
friends. Boarding school breeds close connections
between people. By the senior year, the bonds for
many of those kids are very strong. As kids look
into the future, they realize that they’re going to
have to go through the process of building up
those bonds and connections again in some other
setting. And maybe it’s going to go as well, maybe
it’s not, they don’t really know. So I think there’s
some anxiety about that. And I think in some
ways it’s a testament to this school that when you
really get down to the basics with kids here, they
really do like and appreciate this place, and there’s
some nervousness about what happens after they
leave.
So the students’ worst fears are in part abouttheir apprehensions about the future. What’sthe parents’ role in the process? How can theymake it easier for their sons and daughters?
Well, it’s certainly possible for college
counselors to say, “Oh well, parents are out of
control, they don’t really get it”—but I don’t think
that’s really the case. I know the overwhelming
majority of SG parents really do get it. They want
what’s best for their kids. They understand that
we want what’s best for their kids, that we are very
much allies in the process of helping students on
to a good future. Yet parents are seeing their kids
go off into an uncertain world. I’m not sure that
the world has ever provided lots of certainty for
young people moving forward, but whether it has
or not, I think today it’s pretty clear that there’s a
lot that parents can’t control. And dealing with
situations that one can’t control can be tough. It’s
tricky enough when you’re going through it
yourself, but if you’re going through it on behalf
of somebody you love and support, it can be that
much tougher. I think parents have some of the
same basic fears of “What if little Johnny or little
Suzie doesn’t get in someplace?” But they’re also
just wondering, “Well, how’s this all going to work
out for my child?” Factor in the reality that college
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Director ofCollegeCounselingBurke Rogers ’81(left) is on thecoaching staff ofthe varsitybaseball team.
ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 17
is very expensive and that parents are making a
huge financial investment in their kids. They’ve
done that in sending their kids to St. George’s,
and they’re going to do it again in college because
colleges expect families to contribute as much as
they can—and a college’s definition of what a
family can contribute may be different from a
family’s own definition. So I think finances are on
many parents’ minds. It would be easy as a
counselor to say parents are too caught up in the
bumper sticker mentality or the cocktail party
chat, but I don’t think that SG parents as a rule
really are that driven by those factors. Just as lots
of conversations for high school seniors are going
to involve questions about college, in the same
way, many conversations for the parents of high
school seniors are going to involve the same
questions. I think that goes with the territory in
our society, at least in our little segment of
society. But I think that the school has done a
pretty good job of saying that what happens here
on campus day-to-day really matters, and that the
slogan, “Because the journey matters” rings true
for many students. And I think it rings true for
parents as well. I don’t believe SG kids and SG
parents are here just to get their tickets punched.
It’s more about discovering your passions whileyou can.
No doubt. SG kids who make the most of
their opportunities here—who throw themselves
into the experience at SG as an end in itself,
without worrying too much about what colleges
think—are going to get the best results in the
college application process. If kids do what they
really like to do and do it well, if they develop
their talents to the fullest and pursue their
passions, then I think colleges appreciate that. It’s
the kids who try to become somebody that they’re
not, that wind up not really impressing colleges.
Kids who are true to themselves, and who do what
they do and do it well, wind up getting the best
destinations. If the journey matters, the
destination will take care of itself. And I think to a
large degree our kids and parents get that, and
recent results with colleges have shown that’s
working pretty well.
So I guess that’s what you would advisestudents and parents if they came to you and
said what’s the best thing that I can do toincrease my chances of getting into the schoolof my dreams? It’s to —
—be who you really are. And even before
that, try to discover who you are by trying
different things, but be yourself. Be the best you
that you can be. And pursue your passions. If
you’ve got talents, use them. Get involved in class
and out of class. Do the things that you love
because you love them, and do them well. But if
somebody comes to me and says, “I don’t really
want to do this but it will look good for college,
won’t it?” My answer usually is, “Well, not really.
If you’re only doing it because you think it looks
good, then don’t do it. Don’t waste your time;
don’t waste other people’s time.”
Colleges see through that?
I think increasingly, yes.
What do you hear back from the admissionofficers about SG kids?
The feedback is usually very positive. Our kids
are recognized as being bright. They’re good
students academically. Generally they’re outgoing.
They’re seen as being involved, as being engaged.
Our kids generally do very well in face-to-face
meetings with people, and maybe that’s a
byproduct of our own admissions process, which
tends to be very personal. But more than that,
day-to-day life in this community, where people
deal with each other face-to-face, very directly,
very frequently, is one of the great strengths of
this school. Colleges see that.
You’ve also gotten good feedback from theCollege Fair in April. How many colleges werehere this year?
We had about 75 colleges represented this
year. All of our fourth and fifth formers go and
spend an hour and a half in the field house going
from table to table. The feedback we get from the
college folks is extremely positive—about the kids
being knowledgeable, being presentable and
carrying on good conversations, and being
generally well-informed. Even if they’re fourth
formers and don’t know a lot yet about colleges,
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18 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
N E W S F R O M T H E C O L L E G E C O U N S E L I N G O F F I C ENext steps
Babson College (2)
Boston College (2)
Boston University (2)
Brown University (2)
Carnegie Mellon University (2)
Chapman University (3)
Claremont McKenna College
College of Charleston
College of Santa Fe
Colorado College
Connecticut College
Cornell University
Dartmouth College
Duke University (3)
Emory University (3)
Fairfield University
Franklin & Marshall College
George Washington University (2)
Georgetown University
Gettysburg College (2)
Hamilton College
Hampton University (2)
Hartwick College
Hiram College
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Johns Hopkins University
Lewis & Clark College
London School of Economics - England
Manhattanville College
Northwestern University
Pepperdine University
Purdue University (2)
Rhode Island School of Design (2)
Rhodes College
Southern Methodist University (2)
St. John’s University
St. Lawrence University (2)
Stanford University (4)
Suffolk University
SUNY Oswego
Trinity College (3)
Trinity University
United States Naval Academy
University of Chicago (2)
University of Edinburgh - Scotland
University of Pennsylvania (2)
University of Redlands
University of Rhode Island
University of Richmond
University of Rochester (2)
University of San Diego (2)
University of Southern California
University of Vermont
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Vanderbilt University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and
State University
Wagner College
Wake Forest University
Washington & Lee University
Washington University in St. Louis
Wellesley College (2)
And they’re off...Here’s where our graduates are heading:
Ashley Dockery ’07 wins the SG medal.
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ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 19
they’re viewed as at least being interested and
generally committed to learning more about the
world around them. As college folks go from fair
to fair and see kids in different settings, they’re
not seeing a lot of kids in a way that they see SG
kids. Part of that is a product of the scale of our
fair—that it’s just SG kids and there are not 1,000
kids going from table to table. It’s 180, and they’re
bright kids who are engaged and curious about
the world around them.
And you did the Mock Admissions Committeeprogram again.
Yes, we run that in May for all the juniors. The
juniors read through five sample applications and
then, with a visiting college dean, play the role of
an admissions committee, where they have to
choose two students to accept, one to wait-list and
two to deny. They see the process from the
colleges’ end, and our hope, of course, is that as
they see how colleges read applications, they’ll
have a better idea how to put together their own
applications. But the college deans we have come
in do similar programs with lots of other schools,
and all of them this year said that the SG kids
were the best they’ve encountered. They got into
it, they prepared well, they were thoughtful, and
they spoke up confidently. I think the kids
presented themselves well just by being who they
really are.
So how do independent schools do this processdifferently than public schools?
Well the biggest difference is the number of
students that a counselor works with. Kelly and I
each teach one course and each work directly with
about 40 fifth formers and 40 sixth formers. Gary
teaches three classes and works with about 10
students in each form. So between the juniors and
seniors, Kelly and I have about 80 kids that we’re
working with at a time, Gary with about 20 now.
In public schools, guidance counselors might be
working with 300 or 400—or more. The kind of
contact that the counselors can have with the
students is just very different in that setting. Most
independent schools have counselor loads that are
similar to ours. For independent schools, we’re
very much in the mainstream. What sets us apart
a little bit from some other independent schools is
the fact that all of us as counselors also are
teachers and coaching and in the dorm. That’s
part of the St. George’s approach. It’s something I
really like. I think it’s good for me personally in
that I love teaching and I’ve got a serious
academic background. I always wanted that as
part of my day. More importantly, it’s good for the
kids and good for the school in that the college
office and the college counselors are not folks who
just appear in the junior year and suddenly tell
kids what to do with their lives. We want to be as
much a part of the whole SG community as
anybody else. And we are. We get to see kids in
lots of different arenas—in the dorm, in class, on
teams, in the college office—and just generally
around campus. It gives us an appreciation for
what the kids are experiencing. Even if a student’s
not in my class, I know what the expectations are
for students in a class here. I know what it means
to live in the dorm. I know what it means to be on
a team. I think that makes us more effective in
conveying a full appreciation of the student to
colleges.
So you get to personalize the applications.
Yes. The colleges feel like they know our
students pretty well. And I think that’s a result of
us knowing them pretty well. It’s not that by going
to an independent school that a college
acceptance automatically follows. I can never
guarantee to a student or to a family or to Mr.
Peterson or to the board of trustees that, “Oh
yeah, if a student comes here then they will get
into College X.” I absolutely cannot make that
guarantee, and I will not. But I can say with
certainty that we will get to know those students,
we will give them good advice, and we will present
them fully and fairly, accurately and positively, to
colleges, so that College X is in a position to make
a good decision about the student. Now, there are
other good applicants out there applying as well,
but our students don’t get lost in the shuffle. They
get a fair look.
How does a teacher or a college counselorwrite a great letter of recommendation?
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N E W S F R O M T H E C O L L E G E C O U N S E L I N G O F F I C ENext steps
Well, there is no simple answer to that, but
fundamentally it involves just getting to know
each kid as personally and as well as you can, to
capture what is distinctive about them so that the
kids come to life. We never want our students to
just be a transcript when they apply. Their
transcript is always going to be part of the deal—
it’s going to be the single most important piece of
paper in the file. But we don’t want any college to
just say, “Well, we’ve seen the transcript, that’s all
we need to know, that’s all there is to it.”We want
to tell the story behind it. We work hard to find
the story and tell it well. We get input from lots of
sources—including parents—and we make a
strong case as to why colleges should want our
kids. We feel lucky to have them here at this
school, and we want colleges to feel that way too.
And for the most part, they do—that’s why our
students are going off to great experiences at
wonderful colleges.
Independent school college counselors and college deans gather in the Hamblet Campus Center during the Clambake Institute, a professionaldevelopment seminar designed and run by Director of College Counseling Burke Rogers ’81 (far right).
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ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 21
The Second Annual Clambake
Institute for college counselors took
place at SG July 22-25. The brainchild
of Director of College Counseling
Burke Rogers, the institute is a way for
independent school counselors to
share ideas and discuss trends in the
college admission process. The
institute now attracts about 25
independent school counselors from
all over the country—about half from
New England, and half from the rest
of the country—along with a handful
of college deans of admission.
With participants from peer
schools like Groton and Middlesex,
the institute offers an atmosphere in
which counselors feel comfortable
discussing what they have in common.
“I think we can all be resources
for each other in dealing with the
issues that we confront,” Rogers said.
Some of the topics the group has
discussed, for instance, have been the
kind of information counselors put in
a report to the board of trustees and
how counselors write
recommendations.
“In some ways it’s easy to write
about the kid in the top of the class or
the bottom of the class, or the kid
who’s confronted some big hurdle in
his or her life. Those kids are easy to
write about because there’s clear
material that you need to confront.
It’s the good solid kid in the middle of
the class … who’s often harder to
bring to life in a letter,” Rogers said.
At the Clambake Institute, the
counselors share the recommendations
that they’ve written in the past and
give each other feedback on them.
For the second year in a row, this
year’s sessions were held for the
counselors Sunday evening, Monday,
Tuesday, and Wednesday morning.
College deans joined the crew on
Tuesday night and were part of the
general discussions on Wednesday.
The main focus for Monday was
college counseling in the junior year.
The counselors shared information on
the programs their schools run for
students and families to kick off the
college search process—and how they
generate an initial list of colleges for
each student to investigate.
This year’s honoree for the
“Deanbake,” which Rogers explains is
“a way to recognize the achievements
of a college admissions dean and his
or her contributions to the
admissions world—basically it’s a
roast” is Ted O’Neill, the Dean of the
University of Chicago. Also scheduled
as this year’s college participants were
Bonnie Marcus, O’Neill’s wife and the
dean at Bard College; Jim Miller, the
dean at Brown University; Jennifer
Britz, the dean at Kenyon College;
Nancy Meislahn, the dean at Wesleyan
University; Parker Beverage, the dean
at Colby College; Katie Fretwell, the
director at Amherst College; and Steve
Thomas, the director at Colby. Ed
Graf from the Newman School in New
Orleans was the master of ceremonies
at the Deanbake, with Anne Ferguson
from Andover and Rhody Davis from
the Latin School in Chicago helping
to gather material.
Rogers was looking forward to
another productive event.
“I think the buzz about the
Clambake in the admissions world is
pretty good. Certainly there are direct
benefits that we get, and all the
attendants get, in just sharing the
information about how we do our
jobs,” he said.
Last year the SG College
Counseling Office changed the way it
works with teaching
recommendations as a direct result of
the clambake meetings. Now it serves,
in effect, as a central clearinghouse for
all school materials needed for
application—the transcript, school
recommendation and teacher
recommendations all come out from
that office, whereas previously
teachers wrote and mailed the
recommendations themselves.
“So it’s definitely worthwhile,”
Rogers said of the institute. “I’m glad
that we’re able to do it a second year—
and it’s certainly my hope and goal
that it will be an ongoing venture.”
—S.M.H.
Clambake Institute lets counselors share ideas, issues
Participating schools in the
Clambake Institute 2007:
Bishop’s School (Calif.)
Bush School (Wash.)
Concord Academy (Mass.)
Crystal Springs Upland (Calif.)
Gilman School (Md.)
Greenhills School (Mich.)
Groton School (Mass.)
Harpeth Hall (Tenn.)
Horace Mann (N.Y.)
Hotchkiss School (Conn.)
Latin School of Chicago (Ill.)
Lawrenceville School (N.J.)
Middlesex School (Mass.)
Miss Porter’s (Conn.)
Moses Brown (R.I.)
Newman School (La.)
Noble & Greenough (Mass.)
Penn Charter (Pa.)
Philips Andover (Mass.)
Philips Exeter (N.H.)
Portsmouth Abbey (R.I.)
Providence Day (N.C.)
Severn School (Md.)
Trinity Valley (Texas)
22 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
Different takes
on the fields, on the stage, about what I assume
has been your jolly camaraderie in the dorms and
day rooms. But I soon found myself gushing like a
glossy SG promotional brochure; I used
“community of learners” and “the special gifts
that are yours” in the same sentence and had to
stop.
After shuffling around the hilltop for 25 years,
I have distressingly little wisdom of my own to
offer, but I know where to steal some. I’m going to
make a brief parting pitch for the unique power of
literature to help you understand your life, its
Following is a talk delivered at the school’s first-ever
Baccalaureate Service on May 24, 2007.
BY JEFF SIMPSON
Iam deeply honored to be your
Baccalaureate speaker, even though I
suspect that some of you just want to see
if Captain Irony can cope with a ceremonious
occasion that cries out for ponderous “go forth”
platitudes. My plan was to talk about you, about
your remarkable achievements in the classroom,
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English teacherJeff Simpson addressesthe Class of 2007.
A lesson before dining
C H A P E L T A L K S
ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 23
lived experience. Identity is not fixed but fluid,
expression is not definitive but tentative, the
world one not of being but of becoming. The
alternative, notice, is a reductive reliance on a
coercive precision—the basic letters, the primary
colors—that simplifies experience in order to hit
the target, the “ fatal, dominant X.” The final
adjectives (“vital, arrogant, fatal, dominant”)
gang up and press forward like menacing verbal
thugs. Those who need dead certainties break out
their steel hammers. Don’t join them.
Serious literature also alerts us to our impulse
to form reductive judgments of each other, even
of ourselves. Eliot’s self-conscious Prufrock is
paralyzed by “the eyes that fix [him] in a
formulated phrase,” that summarily classify and
peg him as if he’s merely an insect “wriggling on
the wall.” A school taxonomy might include dumb
jocks, computer nerds, drama queens. We package
people neatly so we can handle them easily, no
untidy thinking or moral imagination required.
Woolf ’s Mrs. Dalloway, exquisitely aware of her
own complex, layered consciousness, wisely
resolves that she will “not say of anyone in the
world that they are this or that.”When it comes to
assessing our fellow human beings, Woolf
instructs, definition is death; it’s not always a gift
to be simple. But my favorite example comes from
Amis’ Lucky Jim Dixon, who after learning of a
free love arrangement involving two seemingly
tame colleagues, “reflects, not for the first time,
that he knows absolutely nothing whatsoever
about other people or their lives.”We would all do
well to repeat after humble Jim at least once a day.
We teachers compulsively urge you to “get
outside your comfort zone,” naively assuming
you’re already in one. Good writers know better,
know that we’re hopelessly anxious, insecure
creatures. The human predicament precludes easy
contentment. Hesse’s Siddhartha requires years of
extraordinary meditative discipline to find his
comfort zone. Stoppard’s poor Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern are desperate for a bit of comfort
and pass their anxious trapped time by playing
language games, by building “a short blunt human
pyramid,” by trying to master their own names.
I—I take dog walks, grade papers, sweep the
muddles and complexities and delights. Serious
attention to serious literature won’t make you
“coach of the year,” but it can, as Dickinson says,
“make internal difference, where the meanings
are.” There’s still time for a conversion experience,
but I recognize the risks. Some of you may be
dangerously allergic to poetry, especially now that
classes are over. Think of me as a teacherly Epi-
Pen, eager to jolt you into poetic consciousness.
Let’s plunge right into the deep water of
Wallace Stevens’ “The Motive for Metaphor,” a
poem that forcefully conveys the distinctive
wisdom of the literary imagination:
You like it under the trees in autumn
Because everything is half dead.
The wind moves like a cripple among the leaves
And repeats words without meaning.
In the same way, you were happy in spring,
With the half colors of quarter-things,
The slightly brighter sky, the melting clouds,
The single bird, the obscure moon—
The obscure moon lighting an obscure world,
Of things that would never be quite expressed,
Where you yourself were never quite yourself
And did not want nor have to be,
Desiring the exhilarations of changes:
The motive for metaphor, shrinking from
The weight of primary noon,
The A B C of being,
The ruddy temper, the hammer
Of red and blue, the hard sound—
Steel against intimation—the sharp flash,
The vital, arrogant, fatal, dominant X.
At first, the opening two lines (“you like it
under the trees in autumn/because everything is
half dead”) sound aggressively morbid—typical
poet, enjoying death under a tree—but we soon
realize that the operative word is “half,” not
“dead.” Art, in this poem, thrives on
incompletion, change, process, shadings,
obscurity: the ambiguous realm of our immediate
24 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
as luck would have it, and inching
over the same little segment of earth-
ball, in the same little eon, to
meet in a room, alive in our skins,
and the whole galaxy gaping there
and the centuries whining like gnats—
you, to teach me to see it, to see
it with you, and to offer somebody
uncomprehending, impudent thanks.
I’m grateful for the delightful dumb luck of
having inched along this little segment of earth-
ball in the same little eon with the St. George’s
class of ’07. Now that I have pointed you in the
right literary direction, you are ready to go forth,
young scholars, well equipped, not for the battle
of life, but for the difficult, rewarding art of
living. Thank you for tolerating this lesson before
dining. Without a trace of irony, I wish the best of
luck to all of you.
JJeeffff SSiimmppssoonn has been an English teacher at St.
George’s since 1982. He can be reached at
porch. You run around the fields, study for exams,
send instant messages. Like Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern, we need to keep busy, distractedly
engaged. Literary artists time and again drive
home the tough truth that comfort zones are
much harder to enter than to escape; if you find
one, pitch your tent.
But literary wisdom is as much about delight
as it is about anxiety, so let’s end with an artful
lesson in happy gratitude. In “Accidents of Birth,”
William Meredith recounts his renewed
appreciation of living after an unexpected
recovery from severe illness. He ends the
celebratory poem with cosmic marveling that he
and a friend have beaten the astronomically slim
odds of being alive, now, here, together.
But it’s not this random
life only, throwing its sensual
astonishments upside down on
the bloody membranes behind my eyeballs,
not just me being here, old
needer, looking for someone to need,
but you, up from the clay yourself,
C H A P E L T A L K S
Seniors TaylorTobin, KenjiSuzaki and AustinSanchez-Moransing the SchoolHymn in theschool's first-everBaccalaureateService in May.
PHOTO
BYKATH
RYNWHITNEYLU
CEY
ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 25
Following is a chapel talk delivered on April 26,
2007.
BY HADLEY KORN ’07
Iam supposed to be dead. I know that’s a
bold statement for 10:30 on a Thursday
morning, but it’s true: I’m not supposed
to be giving this chapel talk, preparing for
college, or finishing my senior year in high
school. I am supposed to be just one more sad
statistic.
Two and a half years ago my life was
profoundly, pervasively and permanently
changed. Here is what happened: On Aug. 30,
2004, I was five days away from realizing my
dream of attending boarding school in New
England. I was packed. I was ready. I was excited
Out of tragedy, a miracle
PHOTO
BYSU
ZANNEM. H
ADFIELD
CO N T I N U E D O N N E X T PAG E
After a nearly fatal car accident a student learns to live again
Hadley Korn,Ginny Spilman andKylie Wolf at theSenior Picnic onMay 24.
C H A P E L T A L K S
26 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
C H A P E L T A L K S
to continue my soccer career on the St. George’s
soccer team and then to begin my studies at St.
George’s.
I also was bored. As it turned out, my
boredom was nearly fatal. To pass the time I
accompanied a friend to visit another friend who
was at school in Rome, Ga. Rome is 70 miles from
my home in Atlanta. We left very early in the
morning without the knowledge or permission of
our parents. My parents would not have let me go
to Rome. I went anyway. The visit to our friend in
Rome was uneventful, not particularly worth the
effort. We left Rome to return home sometime
before noon. I sat in the same passenger-side seat
that I had occupied on the way to Rome. I
remember buckling my seatbelt and waving
goodbye. That was the last thing I remember until
I awoke in early November. On our way back to
Atlanta, a large truck slammed at approximately
45 miles an hour directly into the passenger side
of the car in which I was sitting. Neither the
driver of the truck nor the driver of the car in
which I was sitting was injured. I was not as
fortunate.
I was airlifted from the site of the accident to
the nearest trauma center, Floyd Medical Center
in Rome. When my father arrived at the hospital
he was told that an examination showed that,
among numerous other serious injuries, I may
have fractured the occipital bone at the base of my
skull. My father was told that such a fracture was
“inconsistent with life.”
At my father’s request, I was airlifted to
Egelston Children’s Hospital on the campus of
Emory University in Atlanta. Fortunately, a
more extensive examination showed that the
occipital bone was not fractured. I did, however,
have fractures in my neck and back. Both of my
collar bones were broken. My pelvis was
fractured in three places, four ribs were broken
and one lung was punctured. All of those
injuries, while serious, were not life threatening.
The injury that threatened my life was a massive
brain injury.
Late in the evening of Aug. 30 my parents
were given the following prognosis: “It will be
three days before we can be certain whether
Hadley can survive. If she survives we do not
know when, if ever, she will wake from her coma.
If she awakes from her coma we do not know the
extent to which she will be able to function
physically or mentally.”
I spent a month in intensive care at
Egelston, after which time, while still in a coma,
I was transferred to the Shepherd Center, a
hospital for patients with catastrophic spinal
cord and brain injuries. After a long three
months, I was discharged from Shepherd in
December. I then began eight months of five-
days-per-week, seven-hours-per-day outpatient
rehabilitation.
Survival was not simply a matter of time; it
has required every ounce of my strength and all
my will. I did not emerge from my coma fully
formed. I have had to relearn everything. I have
learned again how to walk, talk, eat, think,
dress, write, type, add, multiply and divide. I
missed a year of school. My first semester back
after that year required more from me than I
thought I had to give. Yet I have survived.
Today, almost 31 months to the day after my
CO N T I N U E D F R O M T H E P R E V I O U S PAG E
I KNOW THAT MIRACLES
HAPPEN BECAUSE I
OWE MY LIFE TO ONE.
ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 27
C H A P E L T A L K S
accident, I am standing here relating to you the
miracle of my survival.
I have not survived unscathed. I am left with
physical disabilities that make life harder than it
once was. In so many ways I am not the same
person I was before the accident. Those of you
who know me only since I came to St. George’s
know a very different person than you would
have come to know had I not gone to Rome, Ga.
I was a soccer player—though I like to think that
I was much more than a soccer player. Soccer
was my consuming passion. From age 4 to 16 I
played soccer 11 months a year. I played at every
facility in Georgia. I played in Washington,
Virginia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee,
Florida and Texas. When I was 14 I played in
England and Sweden. I was the only freshman
on The Lovett School varsity soccer team that
played for the Georgia state championship.
Those of you who know me as the girl who
walks with a limp, struggling in the Rhode
Island snow and ice might be surprised to know
that I was the fastest runner on that varsity
soccer team.
Now I can’t run at all. Watching sports,
particularly soccer, is still too hard. After my
accident, Coach Jaccaci asked me to serve as the
soccer team manager. I came up for early sports
and on my first day at St. George’s I went to
soccer practice. I don’t think I even stayed for
the whole practice. I went back to my dorm
room in tears. I found it impossible to limp
around the field picking up cones while other
girls played the sport I loved. I quit after that
first day.
Every afternoon since, while most of you
have been out playing your sports, I have been in
my dorm or at physical therapy finding the new
me—the me that no longer depends on soccer
for my sense of who I am. The great thing is I
have come to really like that new, and in many
ways improved, Hadley. So, please, do not feel
sorry for me. I feel very lucky to be where I am
today, and I am happy in all I have accomplished
in my time here.
The accident and disabilities with which I am
left have given me a perspective and resolve I do
not think I would have gained in the absence of
my misfortune. I am ready for college—and for
life. There is no college course or test that will
intimidate me. I am ready for the ups and downs,
for the challenges and opportunities, for the joys
and disappointments, for the failures and the
triumphs. I am ready for all that life will throw my
way. There is nothing I can’t survive. I have lived
the truth of the adage: “What does not kill me,
makes me stronger.”
I believe in miracles. My belief goes beyond
faith. I know that miracles happen because I owe
my life to one. I have lived the miracle that brings
me to this moment, and which will give meaning
and purpose to the rest of my life.
HHaaddlleeyy KKoorrnn ’07 of Atlanta, Ga., will be a freshman
at the University of Southern California this fall.
She can be reached at [email protected].
MY FIRST SEMESTER BACK
... REQUIRED MORE OF ME
THAN I THOUGHT I HAD
TO GIVE. YET I HAVE
SURVIVED.
28 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
divine. But, when I think about this, I’m
reminded of something the artist Salvador Dalí
said: “Have no fear of perfection; you’ll never
reach it.”
Perfectionism, as it is commonly perceived,
would seem to involve me getting stressed out
over a bunch of little, rather vain and
unimportant things, such as tying my tie exactly
BY JOSEPH ASTRAUSKAS ’07
Following is a chapel talk delivered on April 5, 2007
Iam a bit of a perfectionist. Just a little bit.
I suppose that this can be a type of
aesthetic. Striving for perfection can give
one purpose or faith. One can hope to see the
Practicing to make it perfect
Joseph Astrauskas ’07,left, runs in a cross-country race onParents Weekendduring his junior yearin 2005.
PHOTO
BYANDREAHANSEN
C H A P E L T A L K S
ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 29
the right way every morning. In Visual
Foundations class freshman year, I remember
trying for hours to get the objects in my
perspective drawing perfectly aligned with the
vanishing point on the paper. I never could get it
quite right. Perfectionism, as it is commonly
perceived, is rather futile, a useless waste of my
time.
But there’s a different understanding of
perfection that I’m gradually coming to
appreciate. If I just take the time to sit back and
relax, perhaps I’ll stumble upon something
wonderful, something perfect among the
mundane routine of daily life.
But before I actually claim to have learned
something important about life over the past four
years, I have to deal with Mrs. Hollins. Last year,
in her final chapel talk before her retirement, she
claimed that a graduating senior at St. George’s
could not hope to have learned anything of any
great significance about life. While I respect her
opinion, I must respectfully disagree.
I would venture to suggest that, while at
school here, I have become at least dimly aware of
something profound. I’m beginning to see
perfection as some kind of minimalist ideal:
perfection in simplicity, as a way to order life. The
French aviator and writer Antoine de Saint-
Exupéry observed that, “Perfection is achieved,
not when there is nothing more to add, but when
there is nothing left to take away.”
Perhaps this is why I like running so much:
the simplicity, the straightforward nature of the
sport. There’s nothing like a long run to clear
one’s mind, to simplify life and to put things in
perspective. I suppose this is what I was lacking as
a freshman in Visual Foundations: perspective. If I
can step back and stop being such a perfectionist
“control freak,” things might just work out, and
life will seem a little simpler, a little closer to
perfection.
But this is my own personal experience. If
there is anything else that life has taught me so
far, it’s that seeing something from someone else’s
perspective is every bit as difficult as Harper Lee
makes it seem in her novel, “To Kill a
Mockingbird.” I remember reading the novel in
seventh grade and thinking, “OK, from now on,
I’ll just be a sensitive person. I’ll simply take the
time to put myself in someone else’s shoes.” Easier
said than done. It’s just not something that comes
naturally. How can I hope to see things from
someone else’s perspective when I can’t even
understand my own? I cannot hope to describe
any of my personal experiences to you with any
amount of completeness. They would not mean
the same thing to you as they do to me, just as
your memories, your experiences, things that are
important to you, would not affect me in the same
way. What I have talked about here, today, my
understanding of perfection, is something that
orders my life. I only hope that you can find
something like this that brings order to your life.
JJoosseepphh AAssttrraauusskkaass ’07, of DeLand, Fla., will attend
the University of Chicago in the fall. He can be
reached at [email protected].
PHOTO
BYKATH
RYNWHITNEYLU
CEY
C H A P E L T A L K S
On Prize Day, JosephAstrauskas ’07 tookhome the Edgar Prizein Mathematics andthe PhelpsMontgomery FrissellPrize, awarded to themember of the SixthForm who at St.George's has madethe best use of his orher talents.
30 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
Throw a coin in the direction you want the
wind to blow from if you are becalmed and the
more wind you want, the higher the
denomination of the coin you toss.
Scratch the mast when you want the wind to
blow harder.
When you step a mast, put a coin under it for
good luck.
It is bad luck to have women or clergymen as
passengers on a ship.
Don’t ever start a voyage on a Friday.
Don’t whistle on board ship.
Don’t say “pig” on board ship.
Don’t open an umbrella.
BY DEBORAH HAYES
Following is a chapel talk delivered on March 6,2007.
It is often said that those who follow the
sea are the most superstitious people on
earth. James Fennimore Cooper said,
“Superstition is a quality indigenous to the sea.”
And from what I have experienced, it is very true;
sailors are an extremely superstitious lot.
There are dozens of do’s and don’ts in the
maritime world that stem from superstitions:
Always lead with your right foot when you
step on board a boat.
Geronimo CaptainDeborah Hayes sitson deck with the crewof the spring cruise inthe Bahamas.
C H A P E L T A L K S
Superstitious
Sailors have a unique way oflooking at life: Take heed
ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 31
It is bad luck to change the name of a ship.
It is bad luck to talk about the next port you
are headed for. When filling out the ship’s log,
where it asks for “destination,” leave that blank.
If you meet someone with red hair or crossed
eyes on your way to join a vessel, you are advised
not to sail that day.
Heaven help you if you meet a cross-eyed
redheaded clergyman for you are surely doomed!
It is good luck to have a black cat on board.
It is good luck to start a voyage on a Sunday.
It is bad luck to wear new shoes on board that
have not been worn on shore first.
I once sailed with a captain who was certain
that the first mate had caused the boom to snap
when we gybed, because he was wearing new
shoes that had not been worn on land first. The
captain screamed at him in front of the entire
crew because he was certain that the mate had
brought bad luck to the ship.
Cutting your nails or trimming your beard at
sea causes storms.
Breaking a bottle on the bow of a boat when it
is launched brings the boat good luck.
If the bottle doesn’t break, the ship is
considered unlucky.
Sailors believe in Jonahs, someone who has a
bad luck mark on them who will always bring bad
luck or bad weather to a ship. In biblical times,
Jonah fled from God when he was asked to be a
prophet. He took passage on a boat and a violent
storm erupted soon after they left port. The
sailors asked what was causing this sudden storm.
Jonah confessed it was because of him, so they
threw him overboard, hence the term Jonah.
The first season Mr. McNally and I worked
together on Geronimo the weather was awful:
heavy rains and strong winds always out of the
wrong direction. We seemed to live in our foul-
weather gear that season. We kept eying each
other, each thinking the other was a Jonah,
causing the bad weather. We finally both agreed
that it was the second mate.
It is believed at sea, that if you challenge the
sea, brag or become cocky or complacent, the sea
will strike back at you. Captain Smith should have
known what was coming as soon as they labeled
the Titanic “unsinkable.” By making a statement
like, “We haven’t had any storms this trip,” you are
just asking to have a raging gale descend on you.
The quick remedy for such an act of hubris is to
knock on wood to appease the gods.
Geronimo, a fiberglass boat, with not much
wood handy for knocking, has a small bit of teak
lashed near the helm for just that purpose.
Yes, I admit that I am one of those
superstitious sailors; I was trained by my mentors
to be that way. I have my own personal quirks and
superstitions. My husband (who is also a mariner)
and I made a pilgrimage a number of years ago to
Cape Hatteras, N.C. Cape Hatteras and its
neighboring Diamond Shoals is a notoriously
dangerous cape that must be rounded anytime
you sail up and down the east coast of the United
States.
When we were there, we paid homage to the
Diamond Shoal gods by pouring a bottle of red
wine into the sand at the base of the lighthouse
there, so that the gods might grant us safe
passages around the cape when we sail by.
So, what accounts for these odd customs and
illogical behavior in seemingly intelligent human
beings? Mariners, or anyone else who lives and
works outdoors and who are exposed to the
whims of the weather, do these things to feel
better, safer, in control.
A web site about superstitions I was reading
said that, “This concept can be seen most clearly
in the sailing profession and is largely due to the
weather that the sailors’ life and work is powerless
before.”
Weather is beyond our control and despite
major advances in meteorology, still is very
unpredictable. How many times have you listened
to the weather report at night and the next day it
is nothing like what the Weather Channel
predicted?
For mariners, who have to live in the
uncertain environment, to achieve some level of
emotional well-being, they/we get superstitious,
get religious—or both. I for one have developed
the pagan approach to sailing; I will invoke the
help of any deity or spirit who will be kind
enough to look favorably on me.
I believe that life is like a weather report. So
what is the connection between how we deal with
CO N T I N U E D O N N E X T PAG E
32 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
life and how we deal with weather? A sailor deals
with the weather like this: You plan a voyage with
a specific destination in mind, at a certain time of
year, based on the weather you expect to
experience.
As you sail along, you watch the sky, look at
the cloud type and percentage of cloud cover, the
wind direction, watch the barometer to see what
the trend is, Rising means the weather should be
improving; falling, the weather will be getting
worse.
Rising: Smile and enjoy the ride.
Falling: Put double lashings on things, put in
a reef, and take seasick medication.
You listen to the weather forecast and you
download weather maps. Maps and forecasts at
sea are prepared by many different
meteorologists. They all sign their forecast and
reports so that you know whose work it is. They
take data points, use computer models, their own
experience and judgment to produce the
forecasts. Some of them are better at it than
others and they have a higher degree of accuracy
at predicting weather. Over time, you learn whose
forecast you can trust. So based on what you have
observed, what you have learned, you proceed
with the best possible plan eventually arriving at
your destination.
It is the same with life in general, you make a
plan and most of you here have a rough idea of
what lies ahead, what you want, where you are
going. A very rough plan for most of you here is
high school, college, perhaps graduate school, a
job, maybe marriage, kids, travel, more work,
grandchildren and retirement. If you work hard,
pay attention to details, take advice from sound
sources, keep your wits about you, set goals and
follow through, you will eventually arrive at your
destination.
In life, as with weather, every once in a while,
something unexpected happens. At sea, you get a
sudden squall in the middle of the night, a
localized strong wind gusts up or a big wave
comes along that seems to come out of nowhere—
and none of it was in the weather report that you
heard the day before.
There are moments at sea when you find
yourself in the thick of it and there is no way
out—no one to make it go away, no one to make it
better. It will be wet, cold, uncomfortable and
maybe scary. So you respond and you do your
best. If you have, in your day-to-day routine, kept
things organized, stowed properly, stayed
informed, anticipated things well, considered
your options and surrounded yourself with a
good crew, you will come out alright.
In your future, you will face surprises, things
that happen beyond your control, ranging from
not getting into the college you really wanted to go
to, and thought you were a shoe-in for, to being
fired unjustly, or losing a loved one. Eventually,
you will come out alright, even though it is hard to
see that when you are in the thick of it.
So in life, as with the weather, plan for the
best—there will be lots of it. But be prepared for
the worst. Choose carefully and wisely from
whom you take your advice—the proverbial
Weather Channel should not be your only source.
And if you ever see a cross-eyed, redheaded
clergyman carrying an open umbrella
approaching you, run away quickly. Otherwise,
you are about to have a very bad day.
DDeebboorraahh HHaayyeess is the program director and captain
of Geronimo, St. George’s 69-foot sailing school
vessel. She can be reached at
C H A P E L T A L K S
CO N T I N U E D F R O M T H E P R E V I O U S PAG E
IN LIFE, AS WITH
WEATHER, EVERY ONCE IN
A WHILE, SOMETHING
UNEXPECTED HAPPENS.
C H A P E L T A L K S
ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 33
BY BENNETT BISTLINE ’07
Following is a chapel talk delivered on Dec. 5, 2006.
What is the first thing that pops into
your head when you hear the word
“conventional”? When it comes to
family, I see the traditional nuclear family. Mom,
dad, kids, maybe a pet. I’m sure there are many
people in this room right now whose families fit
this category. However, I’m also sure that many of
those people wouldn’t want to describe their
families as conventional. Let’s take the Simpsons,
for example. All the pieces are there: Marge,
Homer, Bart, Lisa, Maggie. And yet who would
possibly call this the picture of conventionality?
The truth is that what we know as “normal” or
“conventional” really doesn’t exist at all. Those
terms are merely relative to how we see ourselves.
Is it normal for your parents to be divorced? Or
to be not only an only child, but also an only
grandchild, as I am? I hope not, because how
boring would that be?
If we go back 30 or 40 years we see a big
change in how something such as divorce is
perceived in society. Growing up in Virginia in
the 1960s, my dad didn’t even know a single kid
whose parents were divorced. As he used to say, “I
would rather have lived in a dysfunctional
household than to be the only kid in a game of
pick-up basketball whose parent’s were
DIVORCED.” Today, given that divorce is so
much more prevalent, most likely we all have at
least one good friend whose parents are. Is this a
sad fact? Does this statistic show what amounts to
a growing lack of commitment with each new
PHO
TOB
YQ
UE
NTI
NW
AR
RE
N
CO N T I N U E D O N N E X T PAG E
conventionDefying
34 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
generation? I don’t think so. Maybe this shows
that people are willing to break the barriers of
convention to do what will actually make them
happy.
Today we have a whole new set of stigmas and
sources of hesitation when it comes to family.
Certain concepts are still taboo. Gay marriage is a
highly controversial topic. In this rapidly
changing world, however, even in the short period
of time that my classmates and I have been at St.
George’s, same-sex marriage has inched ever so
gradually toward the mainstream. This past week,
a major issue in Massachusetts has been gay
marriage legislation. Gov. Mitt Romney’s attempt
to outlaw same-sex marriage was dealt a setback
by the Supreme Court. Also, in Rhode Island for
the first time, a gay couple has filed for divorce.
Hopefully in another 30 years such stories will not
merit headlines.
The answer to speeding up this process is for
people to accept the differences they see in
themselves, enabling them to accept the
differences they see in others. One often looks for
something “abnormal” about someone else to feel
better about something they aren’t completely
comfortable about within themselves. Well, what
if you were completely comfortable with yourself?
With your family?
My parents were divorced when I was three
years old, so I really don’t remember them being
C H A P E L T A L K S
CO N T I N U E D F R O M T H E P R E V I O U S PAG E
Bistline receivesher diploma onPrize Day.
PH
OTO
BY
KA
THR
YN
WH
ITN
EY
LUC
EY
C H A P E L T A L K S
ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 35
together. It wasn’t until I was about 12 that my
dad remarried. I remember being somewhat upset
with the news at the time. When I let go of that
negative feeling, I found that I was incredibly
fond of my stepmother, and the two of us still
enjoy a strengthening bond today, even though
she and my father are no longer married. Who
wants a Cinderella story when you could just get
along with your stepmother in the first place?
So when my dad told me a little over a year
ago that he was seeing Susan, I decided to
embrace it completely. Good for him, if this is
going to make him happy. And so I have embraced
every new piece of information since then. In
May, shortly before graduation, my brother will
be born. I will be almost 18 years old, and my 49-
year-old father and his 36-year-old girlfriend will
be having a baby. When the baby is my age, I will
be 34 years old. I could be upset, or feel jealous or
(sorry to say this dad) be embarrassed. But I’m
not. I only feel excited. Who cares if this isn’t
“how it’s done”! This is how we’re going to do it
in my family.
My mom’s family is a perfect example of
how it could be misconstrued that they were
“conventional.” Yes, her parents were happily
married, she had an older brother, and they all
lived together in a beautiful Victorian house in
Washington, D.C., just a short walk from the
National Cathedral. Yet this description hardly
portrays the uniqueness of her family. They were
like the perfect mix of the Cleavers and the
Royal Tenenbaums. Even within the household
there was a clash of cultures. My grandmother
Carolyn was from Mississippi while my
grandfather Pat was from Maine. And this made
for interesting children, a melding of Southern
hospitality with a delight in reclusiveness that
only can be attributed to an upbringing in New
England. My grandmother herself was a very
strong woman. She worked her way up through
the corporate ladder in a time when that was
almost unheard of for a woman and she took no
prisoners, which is to say that she was going to
do things her way because she was a woman—
and if you didn’t like it then so be it. This
attitude certainly rubbed off on my mom, and in
some way it has rubbed off on me.
Understanding the origins of this quality in my
mom has helped me understand myself. And I’m
standing here helping you understand me. So
figure out why your parents are the way they are,
and you will know yourself that much better.
Knowing yourself is the only way to educate
others about the real you, and in so doing, raise
the overall level of awareness and tolerance
when it comes to one another.
This is the key. Embrace your wacky family.
Inherit their quirks, and don’t be ashamed. Only
then can you look at someone else’s family, and
instead of thinking, “That’s not normal,” you
might think, “It’s pretty cool the way they’re doing
it.” Family stigma arises from culture, and race,
and sexual orientation, among many other things.
Maybe understanding someone’s family is the key
to understanding them. Family is what defines
you, from the moment you are born; from day
one, those people mold the person you will
become. If we understand family, and therefore
the individual, maybe that’s the first step toward
breaking down the prejudices that create those
stigmas in the first place.
BBeennnneetttt BBiissttlliinnee ’07 will attend the Rhode IslandSchool of Design in Providence this fall. She can be
reached at [email protected].
KNOWING YOURSELF IS
THE ONLY WAY TO
EDUCATE OTHERS ABOUT
THE REAL YOU.
36 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
BY BARRETT FREIBERT ’07
Following is a chapel talk delivered on May 17,
2007.
As the last days of school flash before
our eyes, most of us are counting them
down; almost wishing them down the
drain without thinking that soon we will never
return as students to St. George’s School and then
it will all be very different. To be quite honest,
some of us may never see each other again. There
are probably very few of us seniors who are
savoring every single moment left in the time we
have together, for we are all eager to start this new
chapter in our lives. More than likely we are not
appreciating our teachers, the gorgeous campus,
our friends, even our families. Why not live every
day as though it was your last, and take it all in?
You never know when it could all disappear
before your eyes just when you were least
expecting it.
Every moment of lifeClassmates SchuylerLivingston, BarrettFreibert andCatherine Colemanon Prize Day, May 28, 2007.
C H A P E L T A L K S
ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 37
Four years and three months ago, when I was
least expecting it, my life changed forever. I had
just gotten back from a wonderful ski trip in
Telluride, Colo., and was relaxing before I had to
go back to school. I remember vividly sitting with
my brother in his room when the phone rang. It
was my mom, and the moment I picked up the
phone I instantly knew something was wrong. She
said, “Your dad is unconscious. Go to the
neighbor’s and they will take you to the hospital.”
That was all she said.
As I arrived at the hospital, I noticed many of
my dad’s best friends, business partners, and
many members of my family were standing in the
lobby with tears trickling down their cheeks. I was
about to find out why. My father had had an
aneurysm, which is when a blood vessel pops in
your brain. Bart, my younger brother, went into
my father’s hospital room first with a blank
expression on his face, not knowing what to
expect. When he came back, he was crying harder
than I have ever seen anyone cry. Then my Mom,
Bart and I entered as a family and we instantly
burst into sobs. There was my father, my hero,
who was helplessly laying in that hospital bed
with tubes coming out from every direction. Was
this real? No, it couldn’t be. It had to be an awful
nightmare—but it wasn’t.
For the next three weeks I lived at the
hospital. I was there as much as I possibly could
be. I knew my dad would pull through. I prayed
every night that my dad would wake up from this
semi-coma. After about a week and a half he
started to get better, but the doctor warned us that
when people are sick, they mostly get better
before they get worse. I didn’t listen; I just kept
praying. I would talk to him for hours at a time.
Sometimes he would open his beautiful sea green
eyes the littlest bit, and his eyes would wander
back and forth as if he was looking around for my
voice, his sweetheart, which is what he had always
called me. However, in the second week he went
into a full coma and we moved him to hospice, a
facility where sick people go when they are about
to die. Even when I heard this, I still didn’t believe
it. I couldn’t.
On the night of March 15, my mom had an
intuitive feeling and went to hospice to spend the
night in my father’s hospital room. When she
went to sleep she had a vivid dream that my father
had died and the nurse had come in and told her,
“You need to tell him he can go. Sign here.” So she
signed her name, Barbara W. Freibert, and as she
was crossing her “t” she abruptly woke up and
walked over to my father and knew what had
happened. She looked at the clock to notice it read
3:25. So she ran down to the nurses’ station and
told the nurse on duty that he had passed. The
nurse said “Well then that means he died at
3:20”and my mother curiously asked, “Well how
do you know?” and she said “Because I came into
check on him at 3:15 and he was still alive.” So as
my mother signed her name in the dream, she was
able to let my dad go on a subconscious level,
which gave him permission to leave. And that’s
when he left this world: on March 16, 2003 at 3:20
a.m.
To this day, I still have trouble remembering
and accepting that he is gone. Right after he died,
I would still dial his cell phone number expecting
that he would pick up and then I would
remember. However, my dad continues to live on
in me, in the stories, traditions and lessons he
taught me. Ever since March 16, 2003, life has
been drastically different in the Freibert family
but we choose to keep my dad’s spirit alive by
celebrating his way of life. He always said, “Honor
the land, the water, and the fowl. Work hard: It
makes the body and mind strong. Embrace your
family and your heritage: It is who you are.”
I choose to write about this, not so people will
feel sorry for me, but instead to encourage others
to savor the moment. I wish I had spent more
time with my family, I wish I had absorbed all the
knowledge my dad retained, I wish I had attended
every Trinity football game with him, I wish I had
asked more questions about the family tree. I
could go on forever but my point is: Live life in
the moment. Take one step at a time, as my dad
used to say, and live life to the very fullest.
Because of this experience I have come to
realize that the ordinary is the extraordinary in
life. A fresh, hot, steaming cup of coffee in the
morning. Listening to the Rolling Stones. Being
outside on a beautiful sunny summer afternoon.
A howling laugh shared with friends—or kicking
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C H A P E L T A L K S
38 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
back watching home videos with family after a
home-cooked meal. These are the very best
moments in life. So enjoy every second, every
moment of life because it’s the most amazing gift
you will ever receive.
In conclusion I would like to share a poem I
wrote that reminds me to savor the moment.
Days tumble by
And the world rolls around
Just as it always did
Through the kitchen window
The birds still sing their morning melody
The sun still glistens
And the flowers still bloom
But not for you.
Your world has crashed
Slammed on its brakes
Paused from that moment in time.
After the loss of a loved one
Nothing is ever the same.
You may dwell in your sorrow
Or curse the world for its doings
But in the end you will realize
Your life may not always remain.
Then you choose to see
The world in different colors
Brighter than before.
Everyday is a gift
Waiting to be unwrapped
And awaiting to be praised
For you never know
When there will be
No more gifts under the tree.
So although your loved one
No longer lingers here
Life must go on
So live life until it overflows
The rim of expectations
And keep walking on.
BBaarrrreetttt FFrreeiibbeerrtt ’07 of Louisville, Ky., heads toWagner College this fall. She can be reached at
C H A P E L T A L K S
Seniors Brad Purdy,Cole Wollack,Devon Plachy,Catherine Colemanand Barrett Freibertrelax at the SixthForm Picnic hostedby the Alumni/aeOffice on May 24.
ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 39
C H A P E L T A L K S
OCTOBER 5-7, 2007
PLEASE JOIN US THIS FALL FOR THE NEXT
ALUMNI/AE OF COLOR CONFERENCE
Last year’s Alumni/ae of Color Conference was a huge success and we’re lookingforward to hosting it again. The panel discussions, shared experiences and
prophetic words of Dr. Cornel West provided an empowering atmosphere to reflectand bond with each other and other members of the school community.
This year we hope to continue this valuable dialogue and to discuss ideas forfuture involvement with the school.
Please contact us at [email protected] to be added to our mailing list, or for more information.
Above: Last year’s attendees of the Alumni/ae of Color Conference included Clyde Dorsey ’70, Scarlet Deford ’98, Keith Anderson ’74,Sylvester Monroe ’69, Eric Hall ’80, William Powell ’04, Cameron Blanks ’05, Valerie McKee ’77, Devondra McMillan ’96, Victor Hall ’68,Vivian (Evans) Hilton ’85. Rashad Randolph ’98, Carlos Gonzalez ’98, Albert Lucas ’85, Sando Baysah ’05, Holly Moten Fidler ’94, HeraMcLeod ’99, Petra Pilgrim ’99, and Vickie Drummond ’77.
Save the Date for this special event
40 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
BY MARTHA C. MERRILL P ’07
Following is the Prize Day chapel address delivered
on May 28, 2007.
Mr. Peterson and St. George’s trustees,
thank you for the invitation to
speak today; I am truly honored
and humbled to do so.
Fellow parents and loved ones of today’s
graduates, they made it. We made it. I am so
proud of our students and of us.
And most importantly, to Hayley and your
classmates—members of St. George’s Class of
2007, sixth formers—congratulations! What a
special day this is!
When Hayley learned I would be speaking
today, she made me promise not to discuss two
topics: why “The Journey Matters” and the college
admission process. I think I can abide by those
rules. It’s now the destination that matters. And as
for the college application process—you’ve been
there, done that, and hopefully gotten your
college or university T-shirt!
As a dean of admission, I am asked to speak
about the college application process quite often,
and I am comfortable giving advice to high school
students about the college search, interviewing
and writing the essay. But it isn’t that often that I
have the opportunity or invitation to talk to
students who have already chosen to attend
college, other than when I welcome the incoming
class to Connecticut College. During her college
search, Hayley was comfortable asking me advice
about the process. But other than answering
questions about the courses she might take next
year, she hasn’t asked for any general guidance
Martha Merrill,mother of Hayley ’07and dean of admissionat Connecticut Collegein New London, Conn.,delivered the Prize Daychapel address in May.
Merrill to graduates: Learn from others
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G R A D U A T I O N 2 0 0 6Prize Day
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about entering college this fall. So Hayley, the
words of advice I share today are for you and your
classmates, even if you didn’t ask for them!
Having worked at a college for 18 years I have
learned a few things about young people and what
it takes to be a successful and happy college
student. So I offer my humble counsel as you
transition into your next phase of education.
You need to know that you are among the
privileged. I don’t mean to suggest you are all rich
or that your families didn’t struggle to put you
through private school. You are intellectually and
socially privileged to have been educated at St.
George’s. Not everyone you will meet next year
will have been as academically challenged as you.
They may not have the same writing or study
skills or discerning minds that you will bring to
college, and some students will not have learned
the virtues of respect for the individual or the
importance of serving others that is imbedded in
your daily lives here as defined by St. George’s
mission. Keep in mind that you have a gift to
share. If your roommate hasn’t yet learned the
importance of regular study habits or how to
appreciate or support those who are not like
them, use the knowledge and principles you have
gained at St. George’s to help them learn similar
values. And jump at the opportunity to reach out
to other communities—whether it’s tutoring
students in the local school system, providing
relief to hurricane-ravaged areas or traveling to
Africa to assist AIDS victims. You have learned the
importance of service. Keep putting it into
practice.
But don’t think that your St. George’s
education makes you a better person or student.
There will be others who are not as privileged to
have lived your life, but who bring much to your
college campuses because of their own unique
experiences. Be open to learning from others, not
just your faculty but from the students you will
meet.
Allow me to share the story of JR, who is a
current sophomore at Connecticut College. He
lost his mother when he was a young child, and he
and his father, who could not seem to hold down
a job, lived in homeless shelters throughout New
York City for most of JR’s young life. He attended
three different public high schools by the time he
applied to college, and had difficulty finding a
quiet space to do his homework during those
years. In the end he succeeded in gaining
admission to Connecticut College, as was profiled
in a New York Times article that same year, due in
large part to his ability to achieve in spite of his
difficult circumstances—and his strong desire to
help others in his similar predicament. During his
high school years, he coordinated a conference and
created a newsletter for homeless children, to help
empower them and give them a voice. JR did not
have the privilege of obtaining a St. George’s
education, nor did he likely have the same solid
math or English foundation, but he has already
succeeded at Conn and has taught others, directly
and indirectly, lessons about overcoming
significant odds and about getting what you want
if you work hard enough at it. My point here is
that you have a gift to share, as do others from
various backgrounds, but do not take it for
granted. Use your gift while you are enrolled in
college. Part of that gift is sharing your own
experiences and learning from those you will meet
in your new communities.
When I entered college in 1980 and each year
thereafter I remember the butterflies in my
stomach as I drove through the entrance to
Connecticut College. Even when I started working
at the college several years later, those butterflies
were still fluttering nearby. It is not unusual that
you might feel nervous about entering a new
school. I’m sure you remember your first days here
at St. George’s worrying about making friends. I
am fairly confident that by the end of your time
here each one of you has made a friend or two!
And you will make friends once again in your new
communities. Our Dean of Freshmen told me that
most problems first-year students have are
roommate related (they don’t come to her
complaining about not having friends or not being
able to do the work). Her suggestion is that you
don’t have to be best friends with your roommate,
just be friendly and try to get along. That’s great
advice.
You have gained an incredible education here
at St. George’s, one that has prepared you for the
rigors of higher education. You may not yet know
what you want to major in or in which discipline
CO N T I N U E D O N PAG E 47
G R A D U A T I O N 2 0 0 6
PP RR II ZZ EE SS AAWWAARRDDEEDD MMAAYY 22 88 ,, 22 00 0077
BINNEY PRIZE — For the highest scholarship in the sixth form:
BBeennjjaammiinn FFrreeeeddmmaann PPeeddrriicckk
DRURY PRIZE — For excellence in art:
BBeennnneetttt PPaatttteerrssoonn BBiissttlliinnee
CAMERA PRIZE :
SSaabbllee NNooeell KKnnaapppp
THE CLASS OF 1978 MUSIC PRIZE — Given to a studentwho through personal efforts has inspired the musical life ofthe school:
AAaarroonn MMiiccaahh ZZiicckk
CHOIR PRIZE :
FFrraanncciiss WWiissnneerr MMuurrrraayy
WOOD DRAMATICS PRIZE — For the student whoseabilities and efforts have contributed most to the theater at St. George’s:
RReemm VVaann AAiikkeenn MMyyeerrss IIIIII
DARTMOUTH CLUB OF RHODE ISLAND HISTORY PRIZE: LLiillyy CCrroowwnniinnsshhiieelldd RReeeeccee
EVANS SPANISH PRIZE:DDaavviiss MMaattllaacckk AArrcchheerr
RIVES FRENCH PRIZE:AAnnnnaabbeell BBaarrbbaarraa ddee BBrraaggaannccaa
CHINESE PRIZE — Awarded to two students who havedemonstrated consistently high performance in the study ofMandarin Chinese and shown a genuine interest in theChinese language and culture while at St. George’s:
MMiicchhaaeell AAlleexxaannddeerr MMoorroossccoo--GGuurrsskkyyTTrreevvoorr MMccKKiinnlleeyy NNiicchhoollss
KING MEDAL — For excellence in Latin:
VViirrggiinniiaa HHaayyeess SSppiillmmaann
LOGAN PRIZE FOR ENGLISH :LLiinnddsseeyy AAnnnnee MMccQQuuiillkkiinn
PRESCOTT BIBLE & THEOLOGY PRIZE:VViiccttoorriiaa LLeeee BBllaanncchhaarrdd NNoorrtthh
RENSSELAER MEDAL — Given to a member of the fifth formfor outstanding achievement in mathematics and science:
HHeelleenn FFeeii SSuunn
PHYSICS PRIZE: HHeelleenn FFeeii SSuunn
JACOBY BIOLOGY PRIZE:RRyyaann UUrrqquuhhaarrtt WWaarrrreenn
EDGAR PRIZE IN MATHEMATICS :
JJoosseepphh DDeeWWiitttt AAssttrraauusskkaass
COMPUTER PRIZE:BBeennjjaammiinn FFrreeeeddmmaann PPeeddrriicckk
GEORGE D. DONNELLY ATHLETIC AWARD — Awarded toa girl and boy who, in the opinion of the Head of School andthe Athletic Directors, possess a passion for athletics and whodemonstrate the dedication and the sportsmanship to succeedin a variety of athletic endeavors.
HHeeaatthheerr OOlliivviiaa RRoossee MMiittcchheellll JJaammeess RRiicchhaarrdd PPaasssseemmaattoo
42 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
Helen Fei Sun ’08 was the recipient of the Rensselaer Medal and thePhysics Prize.
G R A D U A T I O N 2 0 0 7The Prizes
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Note: The next four prizes in athletics are awarded by vote ofthe coaches.
MARY EUSTIS ZANE CUP — Awarded to a girl of the sixthform whose steady devotion to the high ideals of goodsportsmanship has been an inspiration to her fellow students:
SSaarraahh EElliizzaabbeetthh DDiicckk
THAYER CUP — Awarded to a boy of the sixth form whosesteady devotion to the high ideals of good sportsmanship hasbeen an inspiration to his fellow students:
CChhrriissttoopphheerr EEddwwaarrdd TToollaann
LOUISE ELLIOT CUP — Awarded to a sixth-form girl forexcellence in athletics and for promoting the spirit of hard,clean play:
LLiillyy GGrraacceewwoooodd PPoossnneerr
SAMUEL POWEL CUP — Awarded to a sixth-form boy forexcellence in athletics and for promoting the spirit of hard,clean play:
KKeevviinn WWeebbbb CCoorrkkeerryy
DEAN SCHOLARSHIP — In memory of Charles MaitlandDean, Senior Prefect 1968, killed in Laos in 1974. Given by hisfamily and friends, and awarded for the sixth-form year to aboy or girl who has demonstrated a concern for thecommunity, the ability to lead, and a sense of civicresponsibility:
JJuuaann AAnnttoonniioo FFlloorreess
CONGRESSMAN PATRICK J. KENNEDY AWARD —Awarded to a member of the sixth form who has demonstratedcommitment to community service:
DDaavviiss MMaattllaacckk AArrcchheerr
CENTENNIAL PRIZE — Inaugurated during the school’scentennial year. Awarded to a boy and girl of the graduatingclass who have demonstrated extraordinary and inspirationalefforts on behalf of the school community:
AAlleexxaannddrraa EEmmiillyy CCaahhiillllAAaarroonn MMiiccaahh ZZiicckk
Note: The next prizes are awarded by vote of the faculty.
ALLEN PRIZE — To a member of the fourth form who duringthe year has maintained a high standard in all departments ofthe life of the school:
SSaammuueell JJoonneess TTiillddeenn VV
HARVARD AND RADCLIFFE CLUBS OF RHODE ISLANDPRIZE — For the student of the fifth form whom the Head ofSchool and the faculty deem most worthy in scholarship, effortand character:
WWiilllliiaamm OOwweenn OO’’CCoonnnnoorr IIII
Christopher Tolan ’07 took home the Thayer Cup.
G R A D U A T I O N 2 0 0 7
THE JEFFERYS PRIZE — Given in memory of Cham Jefferysto the sixth former who in the opinion of the faculty has donethe most to enhance the moral and intellectual climate of theschool:
LLiinnddsseeyy AAnnnnee MMccQQuuiillkkiinn
PHELPS MONTGOMERY FRISSELL PRIZE — Awarded to themember of the sixth form who at St. George's has made thebest use of his or her talents:
JJoosseepphh DDeeWWiitttt AAssttrraauusskkaass
HEADMASTER’S AWARD — To the Senior Prefect for hisfaithful devotion to the many duties of the past year. Given inmemory of Henry W. Mitchell, Class of 1933:
PPhhiilllliipp AAnnddrreeww YYaammaarrttiinnoo
ST. GEORGE’S MEDAL — Awarded to the member of thesixth form who through effort, character, athletics andscholarship during the year has best caught and expressed theideals and spirit of St. George’s:
AAsshhlleeyy NNiiccoollee DDoocckkeerryy
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G R A D U A T I O N 2 0 0 7Prize Day
BY ERIC F. PETERSON
Following is an edited version of remarks delivered
by the head of school on Prize Day, May 28, 2007.
On behalf of the entire St. George’s
community, it is my great pleasure to
welcome you to our Prize Day
ceremonies. For more than 100 years, the school
has gathered here each spring to say farewell to its
graduating class and to recognize their
contributions to the life of the school. Today we
will honor the Class of 2007, and we are joined by
their schoolmates, the faculty, staff, members of
the St. George’s Board of Trustees, alumni/ae,
friends and of course, the graduates’ families, who
have come from across the nation and around the
world to help celebrate this occasion. We bid you
all welcome.
Now, on to the formal business of the day. To
the members of the Class of 2007, we offer our
heartfelt congratulations. You are without
question an exceptionally dynamic class, full of
strong personalities, interesting characters, and
overflowing with joy and energy. You are scholars,
artists, athletes and activists. You have studied,
competed, and served the school and the
community with great zeal and great success.
Over the course of this year you have led by
example, even in some complicated and difficult
circumstances. You should be very proud. We will
miss you all next year, but we know that you will
enrich your new collegiate communities with the
same energy and character you’ve shown in your
time at St. George’s. In the meantime however, we
have you as our own for a few minutes more, so
please indulge this last chance to pass on to you
one final set of “portentous ‘go forth’ remarks.”
Imagine if you can, a distant, benighted time
in human history, a time without cell phones,
instant messaging, Facebook, or YouTube. In these
dark ages, with nothing else at all to do, families
From the front steps ofOld School, Head ofSchool Eric F. Petersondelivers the Prize DayAddress on MemorialDay, May 28, 2007.
Bewaretheoyster
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G R A D U A T I O N 2 0 0 7
gathered around primitive cathode ray
televisions, together, to watch TV. Since most TV
markets only offered six or eight channels
(imagine!), it was simple enough to know what
was airing on any given night, and in time, each
night became associated with a particular set of
shows. In our house, Sunday nights belonged to
two shows: the “Wonderful World of Disney” and
“Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom.”
Before the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet,
and other 24-hour nature channels, Wild
Kingdom was the one TV show devoted to
teaching about animals from around the world. It
also rated high on the unintentional comedy
scale, as the host of the show, Marlin Perkins,
looking dapper with his safari shirt and clipped
white mustache, seemed to invariably stay safely
in the jeep, narrating the action while his
assistant, Jim Fowler, was wading into some awful
swamp, wrestling alligators, uncoiling pythons
from his neck, or fending off schools of hungry
piranhas.
For all the humor it inadvertently provided,
the program did do a wonderful job showcasing
the diversity and fragility of the natural world.
But it also tended to focus on apex predators like
lions or alligators, or animals with consumer
appeal, like pandas or elephants. Smaller or less
dramatic creatures never made it to the airwaves.
Likewise, in schools, there is a tendency for us to
focus on the marquee events—an A in a difficult
course, a leadership position, or an overtime
victory—as the great moments of learning.
However, whether on “Wild Kingdom” or at St.
George’s there is as much to be learned from the
lower reaches of the food chain as from the top. In
the spirit of those small moments and smaller
creatures, here is one final lesson by way of a
humble creature never featured on Wild
Kingdom: As graduates of this school, you must
not become oysters.
Naturally, this is a metaphor. There is little
chance that any of you will literally become
oysters, but as an English teacher, metaphor is as
familiar to me as a hammer is to a carpenter.
(Incidentally, for those keeping score, that was a
simile about a metaphor– the English teacher
equivalent of turning a triple play in baseball.)
Oysters are actually remarkable little beasts,
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delicious to eat either raw or cooked, but as I said,
I speak of oysters today not for their food value,
or for their economic importance as shellfish, but
rather as an organizing metaphor for your lives in
the years ahead. Jonathan Swift, the English
satirist, once remarked, “He was a brave man what
first ate an oyster...” True this may be, but it’s
important to note that the bravery in the quip
belongs to the man, not the oyster. So if the oyster
just gets eaten, and its bravery is not our example,
what then can we learn from the oyster?
Consider first the oyster’s shell. Lacking teeth,
claws, stingers, or even fins, the oyster strikes a
strictly defensive position. Its thick shell is the
oyster’s protection and its prison. He cannot leave
it, no matter what. And, like all purely defensive
measures, when it fails, the oyster is finished. This
is no way to live. In the years ahead, it will be
tempting for each of you to begin crafting an
oyster shell of your own. It may accrete around a
certain point of view or opinion that you hold.
You may build it to protect yourself as a response
to some great hurt that life deals you. But you
cannot, you must not, allow yourselves to follow
the oyster’s example. Stay open to life’s
possibilities and its joys, even if you’ve been
wounded by time and fate. Stay flexible, and don’t
let your mind become trapped and calcified by
your own immovable point of view. Recognize
that the thicker your shell, the stronger your
prison, and consider the possibilities outside the
boundaries of your own experiences.
One of the best ways to ensure you do this is
by getting out and experiencing the world on its
own terms. Yes, doing so can be uncomfortable
and sometimes even dangerous. So what? Risk is
part of life, and trying to avoid it only robs you
valuable experience. Take the initiative and live an
interesting life. Go out and explore, discover, see
the world in all its hues and colors. Oysters, once
they have fixed themselves to the seabed, never
move again. Don’t let this happen to you. Instead,
follow Thoreau’s advice to “live the life you’ve
imagined.” Watch the sun rise over Paris, learn to
play the piano, fall in love, move to a new city, raft
the Grand Canyon, whatever. Hopefully, your
time at St George’s has given you a small taste of
life’s possibilities, a taste that has whetted your
appetite for more. In any case, make every effort
46 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
G R A D U A T I O N 2 0 0 7Prize Day
to taste the joy and the terror, the passion and the
sadness that life has to offer. Don’t stop seeking
new adventures and do not allow yourselves to
remain forever fixed in place, either in your
experience or in your perspectives.
Speaking of perspective, an oyster literally has
none. It lives on the bottom, anchored in the
mud, and it has no eyes. You on the other hand
have both eyes and a heart. You can see, but you
can also feel. Feel enough to change the world.
This is, of course, hard to do. We live in cynical
times, and it is easy to allow the creeping acid of
that cynicism to poison our hearts and rob us of
perspective. In the end however, the cynics always
lose, for they have surrendered the noblest quality
of their humanity—they have given up hope;
hope for a better world, hope for greater kindness,
courage, and justice. But by opening your heart to
what is possible you can still see the world as it
might be, rather than forever defining it by its
failures. In so doing, you create the perfect
antidote to the poison of cynicism and
indifference. Have the perspective to acknowledge
the good and the evil in the world, and then have
the courage to act, for it is not enough to simply
recognize injustice. While at St. George’s you’ve
had the opportunity and the experience to see
that each of us can craft a better world, for
ourselves and for others. Certainly you have been
shown in the lives of the faculty and staff
examples of devoted service to others, of men and
women dedicated to changing the world and
those around them for the better. So put aside all
of the clichés about “lifelong learning” and
journeys mattering. Find the necessary
perspective to allow you to devote your lives to
others, to improving the world in some small way,
and you will be enriched beyond all measure.
Ignore the cynics, sitting in the shadows, gnawing
unhappily on their blackened, bitter crusts, and
instead drink deeply from the cup of hope to
believe in and build a better world.
On the subject of eating and drinking, I
suggest finally that you avoid the example of the
oyster’s eating habits. Oysters are filter feeders,
meaning they take in whatever nourishment they
can by filtering through themselves the water that
surrounds them. As a result, oysters are prone to
disease and are highly susceptible to pollution and
bacterial contamination. Where the oyster is
submerged in the sea itself, we humans are all
submerged in a sea of information. Never before
in history has so much data been so readily
available to each of us. Where once a learned few
controlled information, it now belongs to the
masses, and the sheer scale of human knowledge
is expanding at an exponential rate. Despite this
expansion, we don’t seem to be much smarter.
Instead, like the oyster filtering seawater, we are
required to filter increasingly enormous amounts
of information, and like the oyster, we are subject
to absorbing some highly toxic material. The
oyster must absorb all it filters, but as thinking
human beings we do not. Therefore, consider
carefully the information you take in, and absorb
only that which you know to be worthwhile. If
you have learned anything at St. George’s, I hope
you have developed the ability to examine an issue
thoughtfully and critically, and then draw a
reasoned conclusion of your own. Issues,
situations, and people are not always as they seem,
and the ability to evaluate information
thoughtfully, carefully, and critically has never
been more important. Given the stakes for which
the world now plays, we are all counting on you to
do this well.
In closing, there is one thing an oyster does
that is rare and beautiful. It can create pearls. The
oyster takes something irritating, perhaps a grain
of sand or a pebble, and turns that irritant into
something luminous and beautiful. No other
creature can do this, so for all the limitations of
the humble oyster, it does have this one
remarkable gift. Naturally, each of you has your
own remarkable gifts and talents. As you prepare
to leave this Hilltop as graduates, it is our fondest
wish that in bringing these talents to the world,
you will each create lives that are as rare, and
luminous, and beautiful as the oyster’s pearls.
So, Class of 2007, we wish you good luck, fair
winds, and Godspeed. May the Lord watch over,
protect, and bless you in the years ahead. May you
recall fondly your days at St. George’s, and may
you always remember that we are proud to count
you as our own.
EErriicc FF.. PPeetteerrssoonn is the head of St. George’s School. He
can be reached at [email protected].
ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 47
you would like to focus your energies. That’s OK. I
tell the incoming class at Connecticut College each
year, of which 30 percent are usually “clueless,” that
this is expected—especially at a liberal arts college.
But once you do find your academic niche, find a
mentor, someone who can help guide you through
your undergraduate years and help determine what
you might do with your major in English,
philosophy, physics or music. And don’t be afraid to
try something new! Never braved Chinese at St.
George’s but want to learn the language? Go for it.
Always wanted to learn more about art history after
visiting the Museum of Modern Art and the
Museum of Fine Arts with fellow Dragons? Go for it.
And explore cultures beyond our borders—now is
the time for you to spend several months in a
foreign country. The opportunity to study and live
abroad will not present itself quite as easily as it does
during your college years. Grab it! Organizations
and companies hiring university and college
graduates today are looking for global-minded
citizens. There is no better way to learn about
another culture than living and breathing it.
Part of the privilege of being a St. George’s
graduate is the ability to ask discerning questions in
and out of the classroom. A current Connecticut
College senior, Zak, who is headed off to the
University of Michigan to pursue a master’s degree
in organizational behavior, told me he wished he
had been more confident as a freshman. He is a self-
assured communicator and conversationalist, and it
is hard to believe he was afraid to speak in class
during his first year, but he told me he was afraid of
being wrong. Balderdash, I told him. What a waste of
his wonderful mind for those first several months of
his college experience. What a loss for his fellow
classmates and faculty. Don’t be like Zak. Have the
confidence to speak your mind early on. You may
not be right, but don’t let that stop you. You have so
much to share with your future faculty and
classmates. Ask the probing questions in class and in
your dorm. Raise the important issues for deeper
discussion. To quote my friend and colleague—
current dean of admission at Tufts—“Stir the pot,
(but don’t smoke it!)”
And don’t only question those around you.
CO N T I N U E D FR O M PAG E 41
G R A D U A T I O N 2 0 0 7
Question yourself. As the philosopher Friedrick
Nietzsche said, “It’s not simply a question of
having the courage of one’s convictions, but at
times having the courage to attack one’s
convictions.” Don’t be afraid to question your own
beliefs and to try to look at your point of view
from a different vantage point. That is when true
learning will take place. But you have to be
confident in opening your mouth and mind for
this kind of learning to occur. You have to be
confident to take some intellectual risks.
Where does one find the confidence to take
risks? You’ve got to have faith. I don’t necessarily
mean religious faith, though for some of you that
might just be what it is. Ask yourself what faith
means to you. What does it mean to believe in
something? To believe in yourself? Regardless of
whether you find faith in a deity or in yourself,
take hold of that faith and even if you fail or make
a mistake along the way, keep that faith. It should
ultimately sustain you throughout your college
years and beyond. One of the best definitions of
faith I’ve read recently was provided by Cornel
West, the noted author of books on democracy
and race, professor of religion at Princeton, and
recent guest speaker here at St. George’s. Dr. West
says that in his black church tradition, faith is
defined as “stepping out on nothing and landing
on something.” That’s what risk-taking is—the
fear of stepping off a cliff into a cavernous
wasteland, and landing on a soft ground just one
step away.
So Hayley (and classmates), share the
privilege of your St. George’s education in your
classrooms and in your daily lives. Be open to
learning from others. Give back. Speak up in
class—even early on. Keep on writing. Run if you
want—or try something new. And travel.
Take that leap of faith. Besides, it’s the
destination that now matters.
Oh, and Doodles. I am proud of you and I
love you.
God bless you all.
MMaarrtthhaa CC.. MMeerrrriillll is the Dean of Admission &Financial Aid at Connecticut College in NewLondon, Conn. She can be reached [email protected].
48 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
G R A D U A T I O N 2 0 0 7Prize Day
Senior prefect for the 2006-07 year Phil Yamartino hands over the keys to the school to 2007-08 senior prefect-elect Alex Merchant on PrizeDay, May 28, 2007.
Excitement ruled the day: Brett Lyall ’07shares his joy with a classmate.
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ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 49
G R A D U A T I O N 2 0 0 7
Annabel de Braganca, Sarah Dick, AshleyDockery, David Eads and Xochina ElHilali settle into the front row at the startof the Prize Day festivities.
Senior prefect-elect Alex Merchant will serve alongside fellow seniors Betsy Stavis, Selena Elmer, Chase Uhlein and Nick Carrellas.
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ReunionWeekend ’07R E C O N N E C T I N G O N T H E H I L L T O P
Train honored with DimanAwardSchool” that “the specific objectives of St.
George’s are to give its students the opportunity
to develop to the fullest extent possible the
particular gifts that are theirs and to encourage in
them the desire to do so … Later it is hoped that
their lives will be ones of constructive service to
the world …”
Mr. Train’s commitment to the protection and
preservation of the environment and to
promoting sound environmental policy across the
globe make him the unanimous choice of the
trustees and an exemplary candidate for the
Diman Award.
After attending St. George’s, Mr. Train
Following is the text of the presentation of the 2007
Diman Award by Head of School Eric F. Peterson to
Russell E. Train ’37 on May 18 in the Chapel.
Today we are gathered to honor a St. George’s
graduate who exemplifies the ideals and vision of
the school’s founder, John Byron Diman.
In 1990, the Board of Trustees voted to
reestablish the Distinguished Alumnus Award and
to name it in honor of Mr. Diman.
Tonight we add to that illustrious group of
Diman Award recipients Russell Train, a member
of the St. George’s Class of 1937.
John Diman wrote in his “Purpose for the
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Russell E. Train ’37 accepts the Diman Award for his career-long promotion of environmental awareness from Head of SchoolEric Peterson.
ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 51
graduated from St. Alban’s School in Washington,
D.C., and went on to earn his bachelor’s degree
from Princeton and a law degree from Columbia
University.
He spent the early part of his career as an
attorney and as a judge, but it was in the late
1950s, during two safaris to East Africa, that he
discovered what would be his true call to service.
After observing the vast and fragile African
wilderness, Mr. Train founded the Wildlife
Leadership Foundation in 1961. Through it, he
attempted to help the emerging nations of Africa
use professional resource management to
establish effective wildlife parks and reserves.
One could easily say that Mr. Train was a
visionary when it comes to environmental
awareness. As it seems the public today is just now
coming around to the idea of taking real,
substantive steps toward preserving our natural
resources, Mr. Train was advocating for a land-
sensitive approach to consumerism decades ago.
He served in several high-profile positions as
a leader in crafting U.S. and foreign
environmental policy. His many titles include
president of The Conservation Foundation,
undersecretary of the U.S. Department of the
Interior, and administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency.
He was president and chairman of the World
Wildlife Fund from 1978-1994.
In 1991, President George H.W. Bush
bestowed upon Mr. Train the United States
Presidential Medal of Freedom for his devotion
“to protecting our precious natural heritage.”
Today Mr. Train continues to serve as
chairman emeritus of the World Wildlife Fund—
and to champion the causes that are near to his
heart.
Because of his exceptional work in helping
nations preserve and protect their natural
resources—and his numerous achievements in the
fields of environment awareness and policy
making—please join me in honoring Russell
Train, the 2007 recipient of the Diman Award …
ONE COULD EASILY
SAY THAT MR. TRAIN
WAS A VISIONARY
WHEN IT COMES TO
ENVIRONMENTAL
AWARENESS.
Russell Train ’37 andhis daughter, ErrolTrain Giordano ’77,share some time inthe chapel after hisreceipt of the DimanAward in May.
52 � ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
BY STEVE CRAMPTON ’57
Following is a chapel talk delivered on May 20.
Themonumental history of many of our
classmates’ experiences, hopes and
disappointments over the past 50 years
is cause both for reflection and learning. And I
would submit, it provides us all with lessons that
are informative, and in the case of those younger
than we, all the way back to the current student
body, hopefully instructive.
Let me start with this thought. We are
conditioned by our society that when we are
young, it is right to trade time for money. No one
has ever died from hard work, and to allocate
most of one’s time to achieve excellence and one’s
aspirations, and properly provide for one’s family,
is right and good. The catch is, as we mature and
become secure, many find it hard to trade money
for time. That is a wisdom that somehow eludes a
great number of people. Time, the value of it,
what we do with it, and the recognition that we
may each have less of it than we think we do, is
the lesson that reverberates throughout the
commentaries of our classmates.
And what can we gain from the experiences
accumulated over 50 years, and the observations
made?
1. Take time and care in finding your mate. It
isn’t easy, and not one classmate was able to
explain how to do it or why it happened. It was
the unanimous consensus that they just stumbled
into the right person through happenstance. Yet it
was also the unanimous opinion that when the
right person came along, you just knew. The
classmates who were lucky enough to find the
right person had taken a big step toward
achieving happiness, and had established a
foundation from which other important benefits
flow. If you find a lover, confidant, partner and
supporter, all wrapped into one person, you win.
Interestingly, some classmates found the right
person the second time around, and the pleasure
of their later years has been enhanced
exponentially. You can feel the pride, contentment
and love of such a relationship in the words they
use to describe it, and the amazement that they
ReunionWeekend ’07R E C O N N E C T I N G O N T H E H I L L T O P
Steve Crampton ’57 showsoff a St. George’s tie to
Stephen “Rabbi”Wainwright ’57 during
Reunion Weekend in May.Looking on are Rusty
Wortham, Bill Jackson,Dan Dent, John Skelton
and Carolyn Skelton.
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Lessons from ’57
ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 53
were so fortunate.
2. Take the time to contemplate the
importance of family. All of us
experience bumps in the road, they are
unavoidable, and occur as inevitably as
death does. It is family support and love
that will carry you through those
difficult times. Friendships and
colleagues are important, but when the
chips are down, there is something
magical about lineal blood. The further
out a family tree close relationships
extend, the better. The sense of pride in
one’s children, awe in ones
grandchildren, affection for sons-in-law
and daughters-in-law, and the joy of
including nieces, nephews, grandnieces
and grandnephews in the family matrix,
is evident in classmates’ remarks. And it
is true that families that do things
together multiply life’s enjoyments.
Family participation in lifetime sports
and holiday gatherings enrich the
tapestry of life.
3. Take the time to protect your
health. As you grow older, you will realize
it is perhaps your most important asset.
Now it is true that we are increasingly
learning that many health-related issues
are gene-driven and inherited, others may
be environmentally triggered, or due to a
tragic accident, or are otherwise
unavoidable. It is an inescapable reality
that some draw short straws when it
comes to illness and disease.Witness the
fact that we have lost seven members of
our class just when they should be
enjoying the fruits of their years of
effort—two were gone within a year of
our graduation from this place. And when
a premature loss is coupled with a family
relationship, the anguish and pain leap
from the pages of the classmate’s
reflection. The loss of a wife by one
classmate, the loss of a young daughter by
another, are haunting reminders of how
unexpected and tragic the pulse of life
can be. The good news is that we do have
a certain control over our destiny.
Exercise, diet, optimism, and moderation
in all things pleasurable, do make a
difference. Get into good habits early, and
diligently pursue them throughout your
life. That is one of those truths that is not
self-evident until you actually reach age
50 or beyond. Don’t be one who lives to
regret your earlier lifestyle when you
become older.
4. Take the time to give something
back to those who got you where you
are, and to your community. And don’t
forget to say thanks to every helping
hand. As our society evolves, as our
environment changes, the lesson to be
learned is that we cannot just continue
to take, withdraw or use without
giving, depositing or renewing.
Otherwise, our children, grandchildren
and future generations will suffer the
consequences. Certainly donations of
money help, but think about giving
your time. Mentoring a child, working
with those less fortunate, pro bono
work in your field of expertise, sharing
your valuable experiences with others,
working for nonprofit agencies like
United Way, a land conservation trust,
Habitat for Humanity; the
opportunities are endless, and limited
only by the boundaries of your
imagination. The volunteer efforts by
our classmates are a credit not only to
themselves and their families, but also
to this institution.
5. Finally, take the time to bike to
L’Orange in the Provence region of
France to witness the Roman outdoor
amphitheatre and marvel at how they
knew the intricacies of acoustics just as
well as any modern architect or engineer
with their sophisticated computers and
accumulated knowledge. Take the time
to raft down the Grand Canyon and
absorb the lessons of geology, history,
hydrology, environmental implications,
and drink in the ambiance of that
special place. Take the time to visit The
Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Le Louvre
in Paris, and the other sacred houses of
art and culture. Take the time to visit
the great symphony halls of the world to
hear Wagner performed and Jose
Carreras sing. And take the time to
climb Mt. Whitney, or hike The Long
Trail, or hike, bike, ski or sail the
beautiful places where you reside. You
never miss what you don’t know or
experience, and there are so many
natural and man-made wonders that
exist. Don’t let work or other mundane
rationales deter you from the chance to
experience these wonders.
6. Let me take just one last minute
to comment on the school as we find it
today, 50 years after our matriculation.
These thoughts are a compilation of
comments made in conversations with
my classmates throughout this weekend.
Viewing the school today is like peering
through a kaleidoscope. The variations
in race, gender, background and
diversity of the student body are
impressive. The talents, energies and
dedication of the students, faculty and
administration are breathtaking, and the
bricks and mortar impressive. A sound
bite wit recently noted that the 10
Republicans participating in the recent
presidential debate represented all races,
creeds and colors of rich, white men.
Flashback 50 years to the classes
attending this school in the mid 1950s
and the description is not far off. It is a
credit to the leadership of St. George’s
over the years that the school has
evolved into a leading representative of
what a first-rate secondary school
should be, one that everyone associated
with the school can have tremendous
pride in. So we of the class of ’57 salute
you, today’s St. George’s community,
both for your efforts and the results you
have achieved.
SStteevvee CCrraammppttoonn ’57 is a retired attorney
now living in Vero Beach, Fla. He can be
reached at [email protected].
R E C O N N E C T I N G O N T H E H I L L T O P
54 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
Mrs. Andree Dean helped present the 2007
Howard B. Dean Service Award, named in honor
of her late husband, to three St. George’s alums on
May 19 in Madeira Hall.
Edwin C. Donaghy Jr. ’42, Craig M. Watjen ’54
and Laura Stack de Ramel ’90 were honored.
Donaghy, a Philadelphia native who served as
a fighter pilot during World War II, worked in the
manufacturing and banking businesses until his
retirement. He was active in a number of
charitable organizations, but SG stayed close to his
heart. He has provided leadership and support to
the Annual Fund and a variety of special projects
including the art center, Camp Ramleh, the
campus center and Geronimo.
De Ramel, a former legislative assistant and
research associate and now a full-time mom, has
been a dedicated volunteer since her graduation.
She has been a class agent, a Centennial
Committee member, and a member of the Annual
Fund Advisory Committee since 1997. She was
appointed to the board of trustees this summer.
Watjen, who was unable to attend the
ceremony, is a former professional musician who
for years served as the chief financial officer of
Microsoft Corp. From 1994 through 1999 he
helped the school integrate technology into the
academic program.
ReunionWeekend ’07R E C O N N E C T I N G O N T H E H I L L T O P
Volunteers honored in Maywith Dean Service Award
Andree Dean was on hand May 19 to help present the Howard B. Dean Service Award, named in honor ofher late husband, former trustee Howard Dean II, to three alums, including Edwin C. Donaghy Jr. ’42(above, left).
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Students Aaron Zick ’07, Selena Elmer ’08, Christopher McCormack ’09 and
Sofia Covarrubias ’09 respond to questions from alumni/ae during a panel
discussion.
Head of School Eric F. Peterson presents the DeanService Award to Laura Stack de Ramel ’90 (above), andCraig Watjen ’54 (below). Watjen, a lover of antiqueFords, baseball and music, couldn’t attend the ceremony.
Devon Plachy ’07 and Matt Gaydar ’09 perform for alumni/ae on Reunion
Weekend.
St. George’s TodayMADEIRA HALLMAY 19, 2007
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The Dean Award was established in 2001 by the
St. George’s Board of Trustees to recognize members
of the school community whose service to the school
has been exceptional.
Howard B. Dean was the father of four SG
alums: Democratic National Committee Chair
Howard Dean ’66, Charlie ’68, Jim ’72 and Bill ’73.
He served on the board of trustees from 1976-1985.
56 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
ReunionWeekend ’07R E C O N N E C T I N G O N T H E H I L L T O P
Playground dedicated inmemory of free-spirited alumnus
OnSaturday, May 19, the Wes
Mitchell Playground was dedicated
in memory of a St. George’s alum
who instilled a spirit of playfulness and joy in
his classmates, family members and friends.
Wes died Oct. 11, 2001, in an accident at the
start of his freshman year at The College of the
South at Sewanee.
He is remembered for his upbeat attitude,
his creativity and his ability to spread cheer to
those around him. Many students who have
spoken publicly of their relationships with Wes
have mentioned his positive take on life, as well
as his love of music and art.
“While Wes may not be here in person, a
part of him will always be here at St. George’s
and I know a part of him will always be with
me,” one student wrote.
Friends and 2001 classmates Colby Hewitt,
Jake von Trapp and Eliza Notides (above)
formed the Playground Steering Committee to
oversee the project.
Nearly nine months of planning, design
work, fund raising and construction went into
the new playground, which sits next to Buell
Dormitory on the northern end of campus.
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If you’re a member of a class readying for a reunion
next year, start planning now for Reunion Weekend 2008,
which will be held May 16-18.
Call the Alumni/ae Office for more details at 1-888-
ICALL-SG.
We want you back.
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The Class of 1987 celebrates its 20th reunion.
Save the dates forReunion Weekend 2008
58 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
On boardN E W S F R O M G E R O N I M O
The watch systemBY BENNETT GREY GEYER ’08
Note: The following diary entry was written aboard
Geronimo during the spring cruise.
2:30 a.m.—Somewhere between Emerald Bay
Marina, Great Exuma, and Puerto Rico I awoke to
Leslie’s cry of “Good Morning, Geronimo!”
At first I was disoriented and fought to shake
off the grogginess. It was 2:30 in the morning, and
I had to prepare for the starboard watch group’s 3-
7 a.m. watch. I brushed my teeth, put a shirt on,
strapped on my fanny-pack-style inflatable life
vest, grabbed my knife and flashlight, and finally
donned my harness. As I looked around at Megan
and Hannah, also getting ready for watch, I
noticed the same fatigue in their eyes. We kitted
up in silence. As we made our way up to the
cockpit we could hear the liveliness of port watch,
or the “Big Wankers” as they have been
affectionately named, who had been on since 11
p.m.
This was, in essence, the changing of the
guard—the whole crew united in the cockpit
briefly for five minutes as the watch changed.
When at sea and in the watch system, the entire
crew is rarely together all at once as the rotation
consists of two six-hour shifts during the day and
four four-hour shifts throughout the night. The
off-watch time is utilized primarily for sleeping.
As our “Starburt” watch, a.k.a. the Little Squirts,
spread out in the cockpit among the “Big
Wankers,” I could feel the exhaustion leave my
body, replaced by the fresh air. We talked about
current weather conditions and any boat or ship
traffic encountered over the last four hours by the
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Above:Geronimo at rest inthe Bahamas.
Opposite page:The boat docked inNewport.
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previous watch. Then port watch went below to
the bunkroom to rack out for the night.
“Starburt” watch was now the watch on duty. We
had taken over the helm and assigned someone to
bow watch; we were finally alert, awake, and up to
speed.
At first the watch system seems tedious—the
dreaded wake-up in the middle of the night.
However, once you embrace the system and live
through it you begin to stumble on all its hidden
gems. The boat becomes bigger during the watch
system, because only half the crew is awake at any
given time. More important, the watch system
gets you up at times you wouldn’t normally be
awake, and during the course of one full rotation
you have the pleasure of experiencing all times of
the day at sea.
On this particular 3-7 a.m. watch I started off
at the helm. Normally I am extremely shy about
singing in public, but due to the inability to listen
to music on Geronimo—with the exception of
field days—and the fact that singing is a useful
way to stay awake at the helm, I had lost all my
inhibitions about singing around other people.
After having learned sea shanties from Mr. Barns
and Mr. Herzog on previous watches, the Little
Squirts’ comfort level singing around each other
had grown exponentially and we had branched
out, moving on to other songs. We ended up
having a jam session that included Wyclef, the
Isley Brothers, Tracy Chapman, Shakira, Smash
Mouth, Third Eye Blind, and a variety of oldies.
When our bank of songs was tapped out or we hit
a particularly embarrassing moment it would be
time to move on to word games or storytelling.
Popular subjects included sharing our most
embarrassing moments or talking about why we
each chose to apply for the Geronimo program or
why we even chose to come to St. George’s. We
were also lucky enough to have Mr. Barnes teach
us how to tie Turk’s Heads, a decorative knot
often used for bracelets, which is time-consuming
but fun.
During this 3-7 a.m. watch the wind began to
die down, which means turning on the motor, and
with that comes a whole new activity, namely
keeping the engine room cool. While motoring,
the engine room can reach temperatures of more
than 120 degrees, however, our goal is to prevent
that from happening. While on watch we do what
is called an “hourly.” Each hour, one of the
students on watch checks over the boat to make
sure that everything is normal (including engine
room temperature), after which that student
enters in the boat log (a book with all of
Geronimo’s movements and actions recorded in
it) current weather observations, our speed and
60 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
position. Then the person doing the hourly plots
our position on a chart. A game develops in which
we try to maintain or lower the engine room
temperature every hour. This takes some effort
and a lot of ingenuity. When we are on starboard
tack the boom is over the engine room hatch and
we can use it to support a wind scoop; however,
on port tack there is nothing to tie the wind scoop
to. We had to improvise, creating a new wind
scoop out of the top of a large plastic bin. Then
we had to find a way to tie down the top and
secure it, as it would fall through the hatch into
the engine room. In the end we were able to cool
the engine room effectively and continue to
motor through the night.
Part of the responsibility of the 3-7 a.m.
watch is to prepare a hearty breakfast for the
oncoming watch prior to their taking over at 7
a.m. to fuel them for their six-hour shift. This
morning, Hannah was cooking breakfast
burritos down below when Megan on bow watch
spotted lights on the horizon. We took a
compass bearing on them and with the
binoculars made out navigation lights, and
given their configuration were able to deduce
that this was a ship heading toward us. We used
what we had learned in our marine science class
to calculate that in this crossing we were the
give-way vessel and the ship was the stand-on
vessel. We then went down to the nav station
and we were able to pick up the ship on radar
and AIS (Automated Identification System). We
discovered that this was a cruise ship named
Fiesta Mail bound for San Juan and that we had
a CPA (Closest Point of Approach) with the
vessel of about one nautical mile. Over the next
hour we cracked jokes about the cruise ship as
we watched it grow bigger and closer. We were
astounded as it eventually towered over us,
crossing our bow less than a mile away.
Throughout the rest of the morning we watched
the humungous cruise liner fade into the
distance as the sun rose.
Just after the sun broke the plane of the water
on the eastern horizon, our “Starburt” watch was
huddled together in the cockpit taking a breather
from preparing breakfast and admiring land, the
first land we had seen in four-and-a-half days. We
were laughing about the various people we had
met on our excursions ashore so far during our
Geronimo trip and telling lame stories and jokes,
which we figured were hilarious given our
exhaustion mixed with the giddiness and energy
that the sunrise creates. All of a sudden we came
upon a couple of dolphins who briefly rode our
bow wake. The moment was spectacular as the
dolphins were easy to spot on the glassy water
with the new sun.
As I reflect on the watch system, I appreciate
how many great moments we had on our passage
from the Bahamas to Puerto Rico. We saw a pod
of sperm whales, dolphins, cruise ships, tankers,
and birds in the middle of the ocean; we caught
two mahi mahi and hooked a swordfish; we took
bucket showers on the foredeck; we learned
shanties and knots; we cooked, cleaned, and
developed a little inter-watch competition (who
could make better night-watch snacks or clean
the galley faster). However, when it was finally
over and we were able to drop the hook off
Puerto Rico, the moment was a dearly
anticipated one. The news from the captain that
we would have over an hour to swim and shower
met with cheering. Everyone was ecstatic at the
thought of getting clean. We all leaped into the
water off the boat as a downpour erupted.
Finally, we were reunited. We floated in the
water, lavishing in its cleanliness, sharing night
watch stories between one watch and the other.
We floated in the water for 45 minutes,
reminiscing about the passage and discussing
how many times we were going to clean ourselves
with Joy.
Overall, we loved the passage and the watch
system because we experienced great times at sea,
but now we were extremely happy to be back on
the hook as one big family, eating meals together,
showering, and getting full nights of sleep.
BBeennnneetttt GGeeyyeerr ’08 of Cambridge, Mass., will enter
his senior year at St. George’s in the fall. He can be
reached at [email protected].
On boardN E W S F R O M G E R O N I M O
Immersed
ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 61
A trip to Puerto Rico aboardGeronimo helps students inSpanish courses learn thelanguage in a whole new way
BY TORI HENSEL ’08
Editor’s note: Students Callie McBreen ’09, Izzy
Evans ’09, Maxine Muster ’09, Giuseppe Cicero ’08,
Jason Andrews ’08, Ollie Scholle ’08 and Tori
Hensel ’08, along with Spanish teachers Catherine
Rodero and Anthony Perry, joined Captain John
Beebe-Center, First Mate Carl Herzog, and Second
Mate Brian Barnes aboard Geronimo for a “Spanish
immersion” trip in Puerto Rico March 9-17.
Throughout the voyage, participants spoke only in
Spanish, sampled regional cuisine, visited museums
and studied local history, art and current events.
They also got a chance to enjoy the natural wonders
of the country by kayaking, snorkeling along coral
reefs, and hiking into the mountaintop rainforests of
El Yunque.
Following is an essay written shortly after the
students returned home to St. George’s.
Iarrived in San Juan knowing that I was
supposed to be using a language that I was
not that strong in. I searched for Maxine
Muster, another student in the program. I knew she
was on my flight from New York to San Juan, but I
had a few minutes of mute panic looking for the
only other person I could speak to without making
a fool of myself. I did find her at the luggage claim
and once we found our bags we were met outside
by Sr. Perry and Srta. Rodero. They immediately
started asking about our trips in Spanish, much to
my dismay: I thought that we would at least get a
mercy period where we could speak English until
we got acquainted with our surroundings. We
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carried/dragged our duffel bags through the San
Juan airport gathering up the rest of the students
on our trip. We then took a taxi with Sr. Diaz, a
cabdriver who drove us to and from San Juan a few
times, to our dock in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. I had
been on Geronimo before so I had an idea of what
to expect when we arrived, but nevertheless I was
quite nervous. We took our bags below, quite an
undertaking because most of us over-packed, and
had dinner out on the deck. Dinner was quiet as all
of us, including the crew, were trying to get into
the swing of using our Spanish skills. We had the
standard orientation and safety procedure talk that
evening (thankfully that was in English) and fell,
hot and tired, into our bunks.
The next day we set sail for Culebra, a small
island off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico. On our
way out of Fajardo, we saw two humpback whales
breaching. It was one of the most amazing
experiences. They were quite a bit away, but you
knew that they had to be immense. When we were
just off the coast of Culebra we saw many racing
yachts; we were entering the harbor just as a
round-island regatta was ending.
We anchored in the harbor of Dewey, Culebra,
where an alumnus of the school, Jennifer Daubon
’98 owns a restaurant called Juanita Bananas. We
met up with her the next morning, and she and her
husband Javier showed us around Culebra in their
red pickup truck. They took us up a mountain
beside Flamenco, a pristine beach that is usually
crowded with people. Jennifer told us the story
about the recent controversy of the mountain that
we were headed up. A rich businessman had
bought it and tried to make it off-limits to the
locals. He would put up barriers and the local
people would tear them down. The disagreement
finally had to go to court and there is now a public
access path to the top of the mountain. When we
reached the peak, it was a spectacular view. There
were three different beaches that you could see, and
one of them there was a large hill, and the way the
clouds were casting shadows over parts of it made
it look magical.
That night we all went to eat at Juanita
Bananas, and had a very fun time. I sat with Sr.
Perry and the First Mate Sr. Herzog, both of
whom had plenty of extremely amusing stories to
share. We had one last day in Culebra, and most of
us spent a good chunk of it shopping, but we also
used our Spanish to ask some of the local people
about a colloquialism of Puerto Rico. The natural
tendency of many of the citizens was to
immediately switch to English because it was
blatantly obvious that Spanish was our second
language. Everyone we spoke with was very kind
and patient with us once we had explained who
we were and what we were doing. I think that all
of us were very sad to leave Culebra. It is a
beautiful island and everyone in the town was
very friendly and kind. Our sail to Vieques,
another island east of Puerto Rico, but south of
Culebra, was uneventful, but we all got in some
nice tanning (or burning for a couple of us) time.
Our Spanish had improved considerably by
this time. It is amazing how quickly language
skills can accelerate when you are forced to speak
in the language all the time. Jokes began to flow
more easily and more stories were told, often
humorous just because some things are very
humorous in translation because you sometimes
can’t come up with the words that you really want
to use.
Our first morning in Vieques was exciting
because we got to go snorkeling. Captain Beebe-
Center towed us behind in the inflatable boat to
the edge of an uninhabited island. There were
numerous shallow reefs to explore and then we
stopped by a beach, but the trip there was perilous
because we had to navigate through sea urchin-
infested waters in snorkel fins. I’m sure it was
funny for anyone who happened to be watching
us try to get out of the water.
We spent some time on shore; our first view of
Vieques was a field of horses on the hillside by the
dinghy dock. We did some souvenir shopping and
spent some time walking along the beach, though
only Ollie and Giuseppe got in the water. As we
were walking around the streets we saw a man
holding a three-day-old piglet. Izzy was taken with
the piglet, and the man let her hold him.
Unfortunately for anyone nearby, Manchita the
piglet did not take to Izzy and started squealing as
frantically as possible. The man took her back and
walked down the road, but that was not the end of
Manchita. As the whole group waited outside a
store, Manchita and her owner came back. We
petted her for a while, but then he started letting
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ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 63
her drink his beer, so we gave them some room.
This sparked a conversation about whether any of
us had seen anything like this before (only one of
the mates) and this experience was one of the most
humorous cultural shocks of the trip.
It was a water-filled day as that evening we
went out to a bioluminescent bay.
Bioluminescence occurs when tiny organisms
called dinoflagellates emit light as a defense
mechanism when they are disturbed. The bay we
visited in Vieques has the highest concentration of
dinoflagellates in the world. We were all assigned
a kayak and told to wait a little ways off until
everyone was ready to head out to the middle of
the bay. Callie flipped her kayak very soon after
we entered the water, but of course I flipped only
two minutes later. Once we were finally all ready
to go, we were instructed to follow the blue light
out to the middle of the bay. I thought that I
would have no problem getting out there and
staying with the group, so you can imagine my
surprise and anxiety when 10 minutes later I
looked behind me and there were only two people
behind me. I kept talking to Izzy and we were able
to stay together. Things started to look up when I
put my paddle in the water and it lit up. It had
gotten dark enough that we could now see the
bioluminescence. It was so incredible to be able to
leave behind swirls of light as you paddled; it was
also a good incentive to get to the rest of the
group so that we could jump in the water and
experience the phenomenon from in the water.
When you jumped out of the kayak, the water
around you lit up and as people surfaced, glitters
of light slid down their heads. When you lifted an
arm out of the water, it was like dozens of tiny
diamonds descending into the water. We even
experimented with the dinoflagellates. For
example, we were curious if they would light up if
you spit them out of your mouth; they do. The
tour guide explained the phenomena and history
of the bay to us, and told us that when it rains at
night, the entire bay lights up as raindrops disturb
the organisms. It was disappointing when we were
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64 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
told to get back into the kayaks. None of us
wanted to leave, and the prospect of having to
paddle those kayaks for what seemed like miles
back to shore was not at all appealing. But we
survived the trip back, even with the boys of our
crew coming up on either sides of the kayaks and
trying to tip us.
Our next venture was a sail from Vieques back
to Fajardo. We got to do some sail changes on this
trip, and it was a beautiful day for sailing. We had
some difficulty getting into our slot at the docks,
and they put Izzy and me in charge of the
bowlines, supposedly the most important lines
when docking (at least that is what we told
ourselves). We somehow managed to get two lines
crossed and it took some amazing line handling
by Sr. Barnes, the second mate, to get the bow
properly stowed. We also got real showers that
night: very nice after bathing with Joy in salt
water for four days.
We left early the next morning for Old San
Juan. We visited El Morro, a fort that protected
the old city. It had incredible views of the beaches
and was very well built. For the remainder of the
day we got to explore the rest of Old San Juan. We
went out to lunch and walked through the
colorful streets shopping and enjoying the vibrant
colors of the buildings. We had an interesting
experience in a clothing store; there was salsa
music playing and I and the girls started dancing
(not very well) to the music, so Sr. Perry, knowing
that we would not stop dancing, decided to teach
us a real salsa step. While we were trying to master
that, one of the women in the store came over to
Sr. Perry and asked him if he really knew how to
salsa. When he said “yes,” she decided to test him,
so we got to see a real salsa dance. After that, we
went to a plaza in the middle of town where there
were hundreds of pigeons. Jason decided to buy a
bag of food, and things got crazier from there.
The pigeons descended on us like a pack of wolves
and we were sent scurrying from our benches.
After a bit more walking, we saw the upper-class
houses at the top of the hills, away from the
piers—and directly across the street, outside the
city wall, we saw the slums of San Juan. It was an
interesting lesson because most of the towns and
cities many of us had been to were not set up like
that. It is incredible the impact a five-foot-high
wall can have. That evening we had a lovely
dinner in San Juan, our last supper together. It
was very enjoyable replaying all our jokes that we
had acquired and filling in Captain Hayes, who
had just flown in, on our many escapades. The cab
ride back to Fajardo was another precious
experience. We listened to Puerto Rican music
and bonded even more, before falling asleep on
one another.
I got so much out of my Spanish immersion
trip on Geronimo. It was an unforgettable feeling
to get to visit the places we had learned about in
our textbooks and to get to apply the language
that we have been laboring over for so long. It
helped my Spanish skills immensely. I am no
longer afraid to speak in class. I am not worried if
my accent is a bit off or if I use the wrong word.
This trip forced me to use the skills that I had in
the language and to build on them in a real-world
experience. Though the language immersion was
an incredible benefit, the Geronimo experience is
always an amazing one; it was only enhanced by
the language and culture we were able to
experience.
TToorrii HHeennsseell ’08 of Rockford, Mich., enters her senior
year at St. George’s this fall. She can be reached at
On boardN E W S F R O M G E R O N I M O
ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 65
N E W S F R O M G E R O N I M O A L U M N I / A E I N T H E N E W SPost Hilltop
Internationally renowned aeronautical
engineer DDrr.. EE.. RRoobbeerrttss ““BBoobb”” WWoooodd ’46, professoremeritus at the Naval Postgraduate School, has
been named an honorary fellow of the American
Helicopter Society International. The induction
took place on May 2 at the AHS 63rd Annual
Forum in Virginia Beach, Va. The vertical flight
society, which has over 6,000 members
worldwide, grants honorary fellow status to just
two members a year whose career leadership and
innovation have significantly advanced the
interests of the vertical flight industry.
A Q&A with EErriicc WWiibbeerrgg ’89, the vice presidentof Directorship Search Group in Greenwich,
Conn., was featured in the May 4, 2007, edition of
the Stamford (Conn.) Advocate and the
Greenwich Time. Wiberg, who once skippered a
68-foot sailing vessel from the Galapagos Islands
to New Zealand, specializes in recruiting talent for
the shipping industry. The firm helps maritime
companies in New England and Texas find senior
executives and board members. “I ran a fleet of
tankers in Singapore for three years,” Wiberg said.
“I also ran a yacht-delivery business and recruited
70 captains, both men and women. So that gives
me some street cred.”
TTuucckkeerr TThhoommppssoonn ’93 is spending the summerproviding live commentary from the waters off
Valencia, Spain, for the 32nd America’s Cup
competition. Thompson, who works for the
Versus television network, can be reached at
JJoohhnn SSaammppssoonn ’05, who was named the sailingteam’s 2005-2006 Rookie of the Year at Hobart &
William Smith College, is taking the 2007-2008
academic year off to partake in an Olympic
campaign in Tornados for the 2008 games in
Beijing.
Former teacher TToomm BBuueellll (1957-62) turns 80in August and his wife, Joan, turns 75 in
November. The two plan to celebrate with their
children, who reach milestone wedding
anniversaries this year, in Oregon this summer.
Former history teacher NNooaahh BBoopppp (1998-2002) is founding a new school, a semester
The Army/NASAHigher HarmonicControl Project Teamposes in Yuma,Arizona in 1985 withthe only higherharmonic controlOH-6A helicopterever built. From leftto right are formerHughes HelicoptersAeromechanicsbranch manager Dr.Bob Wood ’46,dynamics engineerDr. Bharat Gupta,flight test engineerGene Munson, pilotBob Merrill, andArmy deputy projectmanager John Clineof the NASA LangleyResearch Center.
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66 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
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Sarah Coffin ’06 partnered with Jack Doll ’52 to give chapel tours during Reunion Weekend. As a student, Coffin studied schoolhistory from Doll, the school’s archivist.
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David Sayer ’03, former tennis coach Sandy Wood P’03, Michael Case Kissel ’67, and Peter Hatfield’03 played in the Member-Guest Tournament at Bailey’s Beach in Newport this spring. “The old guyswon,” reports Kissel, “which is a bit of a man-bites-dog twist.” Sayer, Kissel and Hatfield all playedtennis for SG.
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JJaayy DDoooolliittttllee ’56, former director ofadmission and English teacher, was the
recipient of one of the College of Wooster’s
“Excellence in Teaching” awards for the
2006-07 school year. Each fall the college
asks its entering first-year students to
nominate and present a short supporting
statement on behalf of a teacher who has
made a significant contribution in
preparing them for college. SSaarraahh CCooffffiinn’06, a student in Doolittle’s Best of the West
and Fiction Writing classes at SG,
nominated him for the award.
“He taught me more than any teacher
ever has,” she wrote. “He taught me about
grammar and the passive voice …, but he
taught me more about reading and
thinking critically about works of fiction
than I ever thought possible.”
A six-member faculty committee at
Wooster reviewed the nomination.
Doolittle was one of eight teachers chosen
nationally to receive the award.
ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 67
program focused on ethics and international
affairs called the School for Ethics and Global
Leadership, in Washington, D.C.—and he’s
getting some help from former assistant chaplain
CCaabbeellll KKiinngg (1999-2002). This summer the twowere in the nation’s capital networking and fund
raising for the school, which will offer a semester-
long residential program for 32 high school
juniors from across the United States each year
beginning in the fall of 2008. The school’s web site
is www.schoolforethics.org.
The Paper Lady, owned by RRoossiiee GGaayynnoorrWWiieeddeennmmaayyeerr ’93, was voted “Top StationeryStore” in Denver by the readers of 5280 magazine.
A review in the July edition of the mag said “the
cozy shop is packed floor to ceiling with fabulous
paper goods.” Wiedenmayer also offers design and
printing services.
RRiicchhaarrdd WW.. PPaaiinntteerr ’80, who served asassociate counsel to the President, is leaving his
post at the White House to become the S. Walter
Richey Professor of Corporate Law at the
University of Minnesota Law School. He’ll live in
Edina, Minnesota, with his wife, Karen, and
children Elizabeth, William and Anne.
Basketball guard AAddoollpphhee CCoouulliibbaallyy ’04, anative of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, and a soon-to-be
senior at Amherst College, was selected to
participate in the All-Africa Games being held in
Algiers in July. At presstime the games were heading
into the quarterfinal round with Cameroon paired
against Egypt, South Africa against Angola, Mali
against Cote D’Ivoire, and Algeria against Nigeria.
Coulibaly was also heading to the FIBA Africa
Championship in August. The winner of the
tournament qualifies for the 2008 Olympic Games.
“Home: The Aramco Brats Story,” produced
and directed by Todd Nims ’98, debuted in
California on July 7.
Nims grew up at the site of Saudi Aramco, a
producer and shipper of crude oil, natural gas and
petroleum products that employs hundreds of
Westerners.
His feature-length documentary tells the story
A L U M N I / A E I N T H E N E W S
of several expatriates who spent their childhoods
in Saudi Arabia from 1933 to the present.
New York Islanders prospect SShheeaa GGuutthhrriiee ’05had another standout year at Clarkson University.
Now a sophomore, Guthrie was called “a dynamic
offensive presence” who had 31 points (8-23)
through 36 games. He recorded three assists in the
ECACHL Championship Tournament in March,
including two assists in a 4-2 title-game win over
Quinnipiac. He closed out the regular season with
a five-game point-scoring streak with two goals
and three assists.
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Faculty/Staff Notes
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Assistant Head of School TTiimm RRiicchhaarrddss andDean of Faculty BBoobb WWeessttoonn will be riding againin the 192-mile Pan-Mass Challenge bike-a-thon
for cancer research in August. The two
participated in the event last year, along with HHeerrbbCCaannttoorr ’41, a longtime rider and volunteer for theJimmy Fund. This year the ride has another
special element: Tim’s brother-in-law, Ayres
Stockly, a cancer survivor, will be riding as well.
Both Bob and Tim reached the “heavy-hitters”
category of participants for raising more than
$6,000 a piece, a portion of which came from a
dress-down day held here at school this spring.
This year’s race through 46 scenic Massachusetts
towns will be held on Aug. 4 and 5, 2007—and is
expected to raise $27 million. Bob and Tim will
ride from Wellesley, Mass., to Provincetown on
the tip of the Cape.
Cyclists get off to a quick start at last year’sPan-Massachusetts Challenge. The Pan-MassChallenge is a fund-raising bike ride thatstarted in 1980 with 36 cyclists who raised$10,200 for cancer research. Now in its 28th
year, the PMC was hoping to raise $27 millionfrom the efforts put forth by PMC cyclists—including two teachers from SG—in August. (AP Photo)
ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 69
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Faculty member MMeerriillyynn WWiillbbeerr will take asabbatical year away from campus after being
selected by the Spanish Ministry of Education to
teach in Spain. Wilber will be an assistant in the
English Department at IES Virgen del Espino de
Soria, a high school in Soria, Spain, about two
hours north of Madrid. Her daughters, Emily, 8,
and Alexandra, who turns 11 in August, will join
her on the journey and enroll in Spanish-speaking
elementary schools. Wilber’s job is to be the
native English speaker in the department and do a
lot of conversation work with honors-level
students four days a week. She hopes to spend
several long weekends traveling throughout the
country.
EEiilleeeenn TTiieexxiieerraa, a nurse in the SG HealthCenter for the last 11 years, has assumed the role
of Administrator of the Health Center following
the retirement of MMaarryy CCoonnwwaayy. Throughout thepast 25 years Tiexiera also has performed nursing
duties at Newport Hospital, Rhode Island
Hospital, and several nursing homes, including
time spent in the birthing center, pediatrics,
orthopedics, and the operating room. She earned
a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a bachelor’s
degree in nursing from the University of Rhode
Island, and is a candidate for a certificate of
graduate studies in health services administration
at Salve Regina University.
SSuussaann RRuusssseellll, who’s been working in theAlumni/ae and Development office as systems
administrator, has accepted the position of
Annual Fund director, effective July 1. She’ll be in
charge of all aspects of the Annual Fund, leading
the current parent and alumni/ae volunteers and
coordinating the campaign’s phone and mail
program. If you would like to volunteer for the
Annual Fund, please contact Sue at (401) 842-
6737 or at [email protected].
Director of Counseling and Health Education
CChheerryyll JJeennkkiinnss will make a presentation titled,“Survey Results: Body Satisfaction, Climate of
Respect, and Girls in Leadership” at the
Association of Boarding Schools conference in
Boston in December. Jenkins will be outlining
results from the Independent School Gender
Project, a survey of 33 participating schools
begun in 1996. According to Jenkins, survey
results consistently revealed a decline in three
areas from freshman to senior year: Girls were
more dissatisfied with their bodies, boys
contributed more to a climate of meanness, and
boys were more critical of girl leaders. Audience
members for Jenkins’ talk also will hear students’
explanations of these results and actions schools
have taken to reverse the trends.
We’ve got some teachers in tip-top physical
shape. History and philosophy teacher PPaattrriicckkDDuurrnniinngg was the overall first-place winner in a 5Kroad race in Portsmouth, R.I., on Sunday, May 20.
Not far behind was English teacher AAlleexx MMyyeerrss, atriathlete and black belt in Tae Kwon Do, who
came in first in the men aged 20-39 division.
A new staff structure has been established in
the Dean of Students Office and will be in place
for the 2007-08 year. There now will be a dean
for each form: The third-form dean will be
English teacher LLuuccyy GGoollddsstteeiinn (above); mathteacher JJooee EElliiaass will serve as the fourth-formdean; math teacher MMeellaanniiee LLeewwiiss will be thefifth-form dean; and Dean of Students KKaattiieeTTiittuuss will be the sixth-form dean.
70 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
Faculty/Staff NotesA
s an incoming freshman, I was dealing
with an undiagnosed stomach ailment
that sprung up two years prior to my
arrival at St. George’s. Oftentimes I would get sick
and find myself spending much of my time in the
Health Center. Upon my first visit Nurse Conway
and the other nurses comforted me and made me
feel at home. I was able to calm down and finally
feel at ease. The connections I made with Nurse
Conway and the other nurses were some of the first
connections I made at school. Nurse Conway had a
genuine affection for the students and me and her
generosity went far beyond the call of duty. She
reached out to me and became a friend and a
mentor.
As my journey at St. George’s progressed so
did my ability to manage my illness. I found
myself not having to go to the Health Center as
much, but simply wanting to visit the nurses. I
would go in the Health Center as much as my
schedule would allow, just to say hello and see
how the nurses were doing. My friendship with
the nurses grew and I realized that I did still need
them—just in a different way, for their support.
Nurse Conway and her team would come to my
games and when times were rough or I was a little
down, they were there for me. By my senior year
my bond with Nurse Conway was as close as ever.
Every day I would come into the Health Center
with a friendly, “Oh, nurse!” and I was greeted
with giggles and sometimes jokily, some moans.
Then Nurse Conway, “The Nurse” as I would call
her, would come out a give me a motherly hug
and we would sit and chat. In the spring of my
senior year while at lunch with Nurse Conway,
because of how close we had gotten over the years,
I shared my life with her. We talked about
everything and I learned a lot from “The Nurse.”
The memories and wisdom that she shared with
me are things I hope to keep with me for the rest
of my life. When I graduated I truly felt saddened
by the thought of saying goodbye to Nurse
Conway and the Health Center staff, but I was
reassured that everything was going to be OK
when I saw everybody standing up and
applauding when the announcement of her
retirement was made. It reminded me that her
contributions did not go unrecognized.
Nurse Conway was an amazing person to the
St. George’s community and I hope that in time I
will be half the person she was to others and to
me. All those who met her should feel blessed.
St. George’s Health Center Administrator Mary
Conway P’87 retired this year after 27 years of
dedicated service to the school.
She will be remembered for her warmth and
sincere smile—and for the thoughtful way she cared
for students, both physically and emotionally.
In retirement, Nurse Conway said she intends
to spend time with her family, do some traveling
and gardening and read some good books.
“I guess you might say I am going to step back,
enjoy life and have time to smell the roses!” she
wrote in the Red & White this spring.
In her farewell note, she expressed gratitude to
the many colleagues she said helped her create a
first-rate boarding school facility from what was
once a place called the infirmary, filled with
wrought-iron beds.
She also paid homage to the many students over
the years, whom she said touched her life. One was
HHeeaatthheerr MMiittcchheellll ’07.
Following is what Heather had to say about
Nurse Conway:
Nurse Conway retires
ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 71
Director of Diversity and science teacher Kim Bullock (above) isbusy planning the next Alumni/ae of Color Conference to be heldat SG on October 5-7, 2007.
Chair of the Music Department Clare Gesualdo (left) continuesto expand the music curriculum at St. George’s. Under hersupervision the St. George’s Choir has grown from 28 to 80members in five years. “If it were up to me, I would like thewhole school to be in the choir,” Dr. Gesualdo told journalismstudent Schuyler Livingston ’07 for an article.
PHO
TOS
BYA
ND
REA
HA
NSE
N
72 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
COMPILED BY BOB WESTON,DEAN OF FACULTY
JJ IIWWOONN (( JJ IINNNNYY )) CCHHAANNGG——MMUUSS II CC
Jinny Chang will fill our newly created music
position. Jinny will teach one section of music and
one section of geometry, conduct the orchestra,
serve as the music director for the winter musical,
conduct the various ensembles, assist in afternoon
activities, and supervise a dormitory. Jinny has
recently completed a master’s degree in music
composition from Tufts University, where she is
also a member of the university’s flute ensemble.
Jinny holds a bachelor’s degree in music and
psychology from Smith College.
MM II KKEE DDAAWWSSOONN——GGEE RROONN IIMMOO
Mike comes to St. George’s with considerable
sail-training experience. He spent eight years as a
chief mate, program director, and marine/math
instructor for the Ocean Classroom Foundation
aboard the SSV Spirit of Massachusetts and the
SSV Harvey Gamage. He also spent four years
serving as captain aboard a 30-foot ketch for the
Hurricane Island Outward Bound School. For the
past six years, Mike has also developed and run his
own business, Williwaw Adventures, a summer
sailing and wilderness travel program for
teenagers. Mike is a graduate of the University of
New Hampshire and holds a bachelor’s degree in
environmental science.
LL AARR AA FF RREEEEMMAANN——RREE LL II GG II OONN//AA SSSS II SS TTAANNTT CCHHAAPP LL AA II NN
Lara has spent the last year as an instructor
in the Religion Department at Phillips Exeter
Academy, teaching various courses in religion
and ethics, coaching volleyball, living in a
dormitory, and advising the Outing Club. Prior
to her year at Exeter, Lara served as a student
teacher in the biology department at Lexington
High School, in Lexington, Mass. Lara holds a
master’s degree in theological studies from
Harvard Divinity School and a bachelor’s degree
in anthropology and human biology from Emory
University. While at Harvard, Lara served as the
Faculty/Staff NotesNNEEWW FF AACCUULL TT YY MMEEMMBBEERR SS HH II RREEDD FFOORR 22 000077 -- 00 88
Divinity School’s environmental coordinator for
the Harvard Green Campus Initiative. Lara has
traveled extensively throughout Asia and Africa,
working as an ESL teacher is Seoul, South Korea,
and as an ethnographer/photographer in
Masaka, Uganda.
MM IIRR IIAAMM GGOORRRR II AARR AANN—— SSPP AANN II SSHH
For the past several years, Miriam has been an
adjunct professor of Spanish at the University of
Rhode Island, Providence College and Bryant
College. She holds both a bachelor’s degree in
psychology and a master’s degree in comparative
literature from the University of Rhode Island.
We’re pleased to welcome Miriam back to St.
George’s, as she taught in our summer school and
served before as a temporary replacement in our
Spanish department. She will serve this year as a
sabbatical replacement for faculty member
Merilyn Wilber.
SS AAFF II EE TTOOUU SS AAGGNNAA——FF RREENN CCHH
Safi had been a teaching assistant in the
French Department at the University of
Massachusetts, where she is completing her
master’s degree in French and Francophone
literature. A native of Dakar, Senegal, Safi
attended Cheikh Anta Diop University before
earning her bachelor’s degree in African and
African American Studies from Mount Holyoke
College. Safi also spent two years as a tutor in
Mount Holyoke’s French Department.
JJ AAMMEE SS SS TT EE VVEENN SS——CCHHEEMM II SS TT RR YY
James comes to St. George’s from the
University of Vermont, where he has just
graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a bachelor’s
degree in biomolecular chemistry. While at
Vermont, James served as a teaching assistant in
the university’s Learning Cooperative, an
academic support program, tutoring
undergraduates in chemistry. He also has
experience as a private tutor, working with high
school students from the Burlington, Vt., area.
James was a member of the John Dewey Honors
Program at UVM and was the recipient of the
Golden Key Undergraduate Research Grant for his
ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 73
senior thesis in which he produced a method for
quantitative dosage of aerosols to cell cultures.
JJ EENN TTUULL EE JJAA——DD II RREE CC TTOORR OOFF LL II BB RRAARR YYSSEE RRVV II CC EE SS AANNDD AARR CCHH II VVEE SS
Jen has been working as an archivist in the
Mansfield Library at the University of Montana.
Jen has also had experience in two independent
school libraries, working as an assistant librarian
at the Hotchkiss School and serving as the head
librarian at the Lawrence School. Prior to her
work in the independent school world, Jen spent
several years as a research and reference librarian
at the Massachusetts Historical Society. She holds
a bachelor’s degree in history from the University
of Massachusetts, a master’s degree in library
science from Simmons College, and a master’s
degree in secondary education from Indiana
University.
GG IIDDEEOONN WWEEBBSS TT EE RR——AARRTT
Gideon comes to St. George’s from the Rhode
Island School of Design, where he serves as an
adjunct faculty member and as the school’s
digital/media specialist. He has also taught digital
imaging classes as an adjunct faculty member at
Brown University. Gideon also spent six years at
the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, as
a digital/media lab technician and administrator.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in imaging and
digital arts and print media from the University
of Maryland and a master’s degree in fine arts in
digital media from the Rhode Island School of
Design.
RRAAYY WWOO II SSHHEEKK ’’ 8899——WWEE BB MMAANNAAGGEE RR
Ray has been a consultant at Double Helix in
Newport, R.I., where he designs web pages for a
number of corporate clients. He received his
bachelor’s degree in studio art from Connecticut
College and his master’s degree in industrial
design from the Krakow Academy of Fine Arts in
Poland. Ray, a former school prefect, and his wife,
Ania, will live in Arden Dormitory and Ray will
coach two seasons.
LL AANN XX II UU——CCHH II NNEESS EE
Lan currently works for KVH Industries in
Middletown, R.I., where she teaches Chinese to
KVH employees. She is a native of Shanghai,
China, and a graduate of the School of Public
Relations at Shanghai University. Lan also has an
associate’s degree in accounting from the
Community College of Rhode Island. She will
teach three sections of Chinese next year.
RRoobbeerrtt WWeessttoonn is the Dean of Faculty. He can bereached at [email protected].
74 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
Director of Global Programs TToonnyyJJaaccccaaccii and Director of StudiesEElliizzaabbeetthh BBiicckkffoorrdd spent 12 days in
Africa in June preparing for a new Seminar in
Global Studies being offered this year.
The two visited schools and historic sites in
Arusha, a booming city in Northwest Tanzania
that serves as a gateway to Mount Kilimanjaro and
the Serengeti, as well as home to the United
Nations Criminal Tribunal on the Rwandan
genocide and other diplomatic missions. They
also toured Uganda, starting in the capital city of
Kampala and traveling as far north as Gulu, where
they visited a camp for Internally Displaced
Persons.
“We visited with a number of people who are
invested in the future of each country,” Bickford
said. “It was an eye-opening and exhilarating trip.”
Global outreach C O M M U N I T Y M E M B E R S G E T A W O R L D V I E W
NNEEWW GG LL OOBBAALL SS TTUUDD II EE SSSS EEMM II NNAARR WW II LL LL FF OOCCUU SS OONNDDEE VV EE LL OO PP II NNGG NNAATT II OONN SS
of AfricaOut
ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 75
The goal of the trip was to scout sites and
potential research projects students might work
on as part of an independent study component of
the new seminar.
The new course grew out of an action point in
the school’s Strategic Plan, which states that the
school will take a “comprehensive approach to
preparing our students to understand and
appreciate [our] interconnected world and to
contribute successfully to its future.”
Students in the course “will look at the
definition of the nation-state through geographic,
historical, cultural, political and economic lenses
to determine what role this political body plays in
the post 9/11 geopolitical landscape,” according to
Jaccaci.
As part of their class work they’ll also travel to
a different developing nation each year to conduct
field research for an independent study.
In the upcoming school year, students will
conduct field research in Tanzania during a 10-day
trip in March and then prepare reports on their
findings.
In designing the seminar, Jaccaci sought the
counsel of alumni/ae JJaammeess DDeeuuttsscchh ’80, directorof the Africa Program for the Wildlife
Conservation Society; LLiinnddssaayy DDuuxxbbuurryy ’94,director of Africa programs for San Francisco-
based Geographic Expeditions, and former parent
Walter Kansteiner, former U.S. Assistant Secretary
of State for African Affairs.
Eleven students are currently signed up for the
course this year.
C O M M U N I T Y M E M B E R S G E T A W O R L D V I E W
OPPOSITE, TOP: Director of Studies ElizabethBickford hangs out with the students during recessat St. Jude's School in Arusha, Tanzania.
OPPOSITE, BOTTOM: A giraffe wanders behindDirector of Global Programs Tony Jaccaci in LakeManyara National Park in Tanzania.
RIGHT, ABOVE: Participants can get up close andpersonal with the wildlife on a safari.
RIGHT: A mother and her children in themarketplace at an IDP camp in Gulu, Uganda.
76 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
BY QUENTIN WARREN
Emily McGinnis ’07 learned about
International Doorways at a summer activities
fair when she was a St. George’s sophomore.
Founder and program director Kathleen Vivas
made a compelling pitch for the depth of
experience offered by the program, aimed at
students keen on traveling to exotic locales for
meaningful reasons.
“I figured, I’d go to Peru, get some Spanish
language immersion, see a lot, learn a lot, and
enjoy the whole idea of being in a different world
with new sights and sounds,” Emily said. Little did
she know that she would end up not only in Peru,
but also in Costa Rica and the Dominican
Republic over the course of two summers of
participation.
Raleigh, N.C.-based International Doorways
offers a unique take on mind-expanding student
travel. Summer programs and internships are
available in Peru, Bolivia, Africa, Bali, Mexico, the
Dominican Republic, and Costa Rica and Panama.
In each location, global awareness, community
service, language study, and full-on recreation
combine to shape an encounter as evocative in its
scope as it is memorable and fun.
Accommodations revolve around home stays,
small guest bungalows and camping.
The program literature explains, “In addition
to exploring other cultures, ancient and modern,
and learning local language, cooking, dancing and
traditions, we also participate in activities such as
snorkeling, diving, swimming, surfing, para-
Global outreach
Drinking it all inA recent St. George’s graduate has filled her pasttwo summers with learning and service abroad
C O M M U N I T Y M E M B E R S G E T A W O R L D V I E W
Emily McGinnis’07 spent twosummers travelingto Peru and CostaRica with theInternationalDoorwaysprogram. Above,she samples thenative fruit. Right:She spends timewith children at alocal school andexploring thenaturalenvironment.
ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 77
sailing, white-water rafting, climbing,
backpacking, and playing team sports like soccer
with local youth.”
Emily’s involvement began two summers ago
when she signed up for the trip to Peru, which at
that time did not include the Bolivia component
offered now. “We stayed in Lima for a week or so,
then moved to Cusco—at one time the Incan
capital—for another week,” she said. “We studied
Spanish for a few hours every day, but we had
time for shopping, visiting zoos, volunteering at a
local orphanage, and enjoying expeditions to
historical sites and Incan ruins in places like the
Sacred Valley and of course Machu Picchu.” After
Cusco, she spent a few days in Paracas and then
went on to Tambopata in the Amazon, a short
plane ride away.
The month-long sojourn included local
community involvement and structured activities
along with diversions as varied as lavishing in
Machu Picchu’s hot springs, horseback riding
through the mountains, and driving dune buggies
in the desert outside Paracas.
Emily returned home only to set off days later
for Costa Rica. During the first week of that trip,
she saw the interior of the country from a base in
mountainous Monteverde, famous for its cloud-
shrouded rainforests. She also visited the capital,
San Jose, and worked in a small town in Drake
Bay. Her experience in Central America included
learning and speaking Spanish, planting trees,
painting a schoolhouse, teaching English in
several elementary school classrooms, hiking,
horseback riding and surfing off a beach where
she stayed for two days. Last year, Davis Archer
’07 participated in the Costa Rica program as
well.
Emily’s second summer with International
Doorways brought her to the Dominican
Republic, where she worked with the American
Peace Corps in collaboration with an established
group in the town of Bayaguana—the Brigada
Verde, a youth outreach program targeted
specifically at health education, environmental
awareness and organized sports for local
youngsters. “We painted a big mural with kids
from the town we were staying in,” she said. “You
get close to them over the course of a week, close
to their families too. We played mud soccer in the
C O M M U N I T Y M E M B E R S G E T A W O R L D V I E W
78 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN
CO N T I N U E D F R O M T H E P R E V I O U S PAG E
rain in Bayaguana, a total blast.” Emily’s presence
there with International Doorways was aligned
closely with another program dear to the hearts of
DR residents, Habitat for Humanity.
The venues selected by International
Doorways provide learning, achievement and
positive feedback in a geographic context that
extends well beyond a student’s normal
boundaries. South Africa and Namibia,
Mozambique, the island of Bali, the heart of
Central America, the central highlands of Mexico,
the Caribbean, South America… These are places
that many only read about.
“Each program is a great mix of language
immersion, community service, sightseeing, good
fun and adventure,” Emily said. To find that kind
of structure in and return on an extra-curricular
travel-based activity is gratifying. Notably, there
are merit- and need-based scholarship
opportunities available to make these trips
accessible to any student with the urge to
participate.
Emily’s face lights up when she talks about
her recent encounters in unlikely locales. “The
people in the program are friendly, the places are
amazing, the families you meet are outgoing, and
the confidence and appreciation you gain are
invaluable.”
C O M M U N I T Y M E M B E R S G E T A W O R L D V I E WGlobal outreach
Emily McGinnis ’07 spent time in Peru and Costa Rica during a summerprogram that offered cultural outreach, meeting school children (above), andexploring the countryside (above right). Below she shares time with some newfriends.
ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 79
For the second year in a row a St.
George’s teacher visited the Chinese
International School in Hong Kong
during spring break to partake in a special teacher
exchange program.
This year’s visitor was history teacher Lucia
Jaccaci who spent two weeks at the school soaking
up the culture and consulting with teachers on
educational matters and teaching methods.
Welcoming her to the school were Dorothy
Hakim, the CIS science teacher who visited St.
George’s last fall, and Leon Kandelaars, who’s
been teaching humanities at CIS since 1998 and
who will visit St. George’s in October.
SG’s Assistant Head of School for External Affairs Joe Gould (right) and hiswife, Jennifer (second from right), visited the Chinese International Schoolduring a sabbatical in Asia in May. Welcoming them were CIS HeadmasterTed Faunce (third from right) and his wife, Anna, (left), science teacherDorothy Hakim (center), and humanities teacher Leon Kandelaars (secondfrom left), who will visit St. George’s this fall.
Lucia Jaccaci and Catherine Han, a member of thedevelopment staff at the Chinese InternationalSchool.
CIS Headmaster Ted Faunce, SG History teacher Lucia Jaccaci and CISscience teacher Dorothy Hakim.
EE XXCCHHAANNGGEE PP RROOGGRRAAMM EE NN TT EE RR SS SS EE CCOONNDD YY EEAARRCO N T I N U E D F R O M T H E P R E V I O U S PAG E
C O M M U N I T Y M E M B E R S G E T A W O R L D V I E W
ST. GEORGE’SST. GEORGE’Ssummer Bulletin2007
St. George’s SchoolP.O. Box 1910Newport, RI 02840-0190
Nonprofit OrganizationU.S. Postage
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In this issue:Chapel talks:
A lesson before dining BY JEFF SIMPSON
Out of tragedy, a miracle BY HADLEY KORN ’07
Practicing to make it perfect BY JOSEPH ASTRAUSKAS ’07
Superstitious BY DEBORAH HAYES
Defying convention BY BENNETT BISTLINE ’07
Every moment of life BY BARRETT FREIBERT ’07
Chapel restoration begins
The Behrend Pool is torn down
Q&A with the Director of College Counseling
Reunion Weekend 2007
Prize Day 2007
New faculty members hired for 2007-08
Teachers visit Asia and Africa
Class ring returned after 46 years
Patnode honored at Cabot/Harman Ice Center
Class Notes