Perspectives | Spring 2016

P E R S P E C T I V E ST H E M A G A Z I N E O F A S H L E Y H A L L

SPRING 2016

"Social justice means everyone should be extended equal respect.

People should not be judged or stereotyped by their appearance or background."

OFFICERSChairman | Wade Scott Parker Vice Chairman | Brett HildebrandSecretary | Heidi Ward Ravenel ’74Treasurer | Hugh C. Lane, Jr.

MEMBERS-AT-LARGESusanne Buck Cantey ’95Emmie Aichele Dawson ’70Ann W. Dibble ’70Ceara DonnelleyRandolph J. FriedmanKenneth W. HarrellPhilip L. Horn, Jr.Laurie A. Host ’73Elizabeth Powers Lindh ’67Kevin W. MooneySunil J. Patel, MDAnne Tamsberg PopeBarton A. ProctorJerry Reves, MD (Immediate Past Chairman)Artie I. RichardsEmily Moloney SwansonJohn E. Thompson

TRUSTEES EMERITIMary Agnes Burnham HoodMartha Rivers Ingram ’53Patricia T. KirklandElizabeth Rivers Lewine ’54Karen Jenkins Phillips ’79J. Conrad Zimmerman, Jr.

HEAD OF SCHOOL Jill Swisher Muti

A S H L E Y H A L L B O A R D

o f T R U S T E E S

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EDITOR Paula Edwards Harrell [email protected]

GRAPHIC DESIGN Stitch Design, Co. stitchdesignco.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Dr. Nick Bozanic, Stephanie Hunt

PHOTOGRAPHY: Meredith Adkins, Anne Jervey Rhett Photography, Wendy Robbins

02 Headlines | Head of School, Jill Muti04 Open The Windows08 Beautifully Said10 All In It Together16 Asking The Hard Questions20 Her Presidential Inaugural Speech22 Alumnae Profile: Andrea Zucker '9925 Barbara Bush Visit28 The Loyalty Fund30 The Social Scene32 Class Notes36 News from the Alumnae Relations Office

T H E M A G A Z I N E of A S H L E Y H A L L

S P R I N G 2 0 1 6

P E R S P E C T I V E S

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE of CONTENTS

Please forward any address changes to: Ashley Hall | 172 Rutledge Avenue | Charleston, SC 29403

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PERSPECTIVES, SPRING ’16

“(Miss McBee) clearly understood, and

fully believed, that a 'just' world was

only achievable when society valued

ethical responsibility and lived with an

observant eye to the world and the

manner in which it treated its citizens.”

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As we began work on this issue of Perspectives with its theme of social justice, I couldn’t help but think of Mary Vardrine

McBee who founded Ashley Hall in 1909. Miss McBee and her progressive world view set the stage for a culture of

inclusion and social responsibility at Ashley Hall. In the early 1900s few women were leading the charge for change as

vigorously as Miss McBee did. Most obvious and meaningful to Ashley Hall was her tireless dedication to the college

preparatory education of young Southern women.

J I L L M U T IAshley Hall Head of SchoolDear Ashley Hall Family,

HEADLINES

Miss McBee pushed to alter the plight of not only women and their limited opportunities but also society at large. Considered a maverick in Charleston with her impassioned desire to break down barriers and social norms, Miss McBee served on the board of the local hospital and was instrumental in establishing the Charleston Free Library, later to be known as the Public Library. She clearly understood, and fully believed, that a “just” world was only achievable when society valued ethical responsibility and lived with an observant eye to the world and the manner in which it treated its citizens. It is this perspective that Miss McBee impressed upon the school’s early 20th century student body through her own actions and experiences of cultural exploration. She is known to have traveled widely with the girls, even unwittingly becoming stranded in Europe for a short period of time at the beginning of World War II. Our girls still reap the benefits of her vision and progressive thinking today!

It is precisely because of the history and tradition of this remarkable educational institution that we are called to take on sensitive topics and issues in a manner that serves to inform our students and nurtures strong leaders for tomorrow. In the article, Open the Windows (page 4), we are reminded that the function of a school is to cultivate

conscious responsibility that is manifested in a young student’s thoughts and actions and to inculcate a strong desire to achieve a more “just” society. In a peek inside the Upper School humanities course, Class, Race, and Gender, we offer you a view of the manner in which our senior girls have grappled with the complex topics of global oppression, heated racial issues, and gender inequity. In fact, we recently saw this spring—in dramatic form—the theme of individual and societal rights explored in a riveting theatrical performance by our student ensemble of The Burial at Thebes, an adaptation of Sophocles’ Antigone from 2,000 years ago.

Sophocles’ words remind us that a quest for social justice is not a new world imperative, but rather one civilization has faced throughout eternity. This is precisely why it is crucial that we are diligent about weaving this value into all that we do at Ashley Hall. In fact, it is our duty to hold true to our enduring mission, founded and championed by pioneers like Miss McBee, as we continue to educate the future generations of girls to be independent, ethically responsible, and prepared to meet the challenges of society with confidence.

Kind regards,

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This year, Ashley Hall’s first grade class made significant contributions towards a more just world. Through their support of Water Mission,

a non-profit dedicated to providing safe water solutions to global communities, the girls participated in the annual Walk for Water and

raised more than $2,000 through campus fundraisers. The amount raised is equivalent to providing four families with a flushing toilet.

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It is no longer possible—if in fact it ever was—to regard any field of human understanding as ethically neutral. Learning is, after all, an activity engaging not only the mind but also the body: learning (or the absence of it) informs how we conduct ourselves in the world. As an activity, learning has consequences that reach far beyond the walls of any classroom, consequences that cannot be measured by standardized tests but only by the singular test of one’s own experience of one’s actions.

From this perspective, the journalist and social critic Sydney J. Harris’ remark that “The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows” is especially cogent. This metaphor of turning away from self-regard and toward an opening outward onto the world that simultaneously permits the outer world to enter us. This reminds us so clearly that the function of a school is to cultivate conscious responsibility for one’s thoughts and deeds. This engagement with the world beyond the obsession with one’s own interests and desires is crucial for our moral and ethical development. As the late 18th-century German poet Novalis suggested, “The seat of the soul is where the outer world and the inner world meet. Where they overlap, it is in every point of the overlap.” Or as the late Italian philosopher and novelist Umberto Eco once put it—somewhat more succinctly, “The ethical dimension begins when the other appears on the scene.”

Such practices need not be especially dramatic. The musician’s daily rehearsal of basic scales and skills might not captivate an audience, but such practice is the only way for that musician to achieve the level of competence and confidence required for her to one day give a captivating performance.

In much the same way, an Ashley Hall student’s daily participation in a Harkness Table discussion gradually strengthens her ability—and willingness—to listen with both critical and compassionate understanding of others’ points of view. Even the pre-schooler’s practice of observational drawing

OPEN THE WINDOWS!

In order for a school to perform

this transformation of mirrors

into windows, it must promote

curricula that affords students

daily opportunities to engage with

others in ways that foster that

“ethical dimension.”

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encourages her to look out upon the world around her with eager attention rather than to submit passively to a prescribed ‘paint-by-numbers’ project.

Sydney Harris’ metaphor applies with special cogency to the role of technology in the classroom. On the one hand, all of those ubiquitous screens we spend so much time in front of can and do function as mirrors in which we gaze upon our own reflections, the existence of others noted only in so far as they enhance our self-regard with a quick click of the ‘thumbs up’ icon. Not to mention, of course, the all-too aptly named “selfie.”

But it is also the case that these same technologies can serve as windows onto the world, helping us to see directly into the lives of others in ways never before possible—for good and for ill. Such access to the lives of others has conjured entirely new ethical challenges, challenges arising at ever-earlier ages, before children have developed the emotional and intellectual maturity to comprehend fully the implications of their on-line behavior.

That is one reason why Ashley Hall has adopted a formal Digital Citizenship Philosophy as an instrument for articulating our code of right conduct and for establishing a conceptual framework for implementing policies defining appropriate use of technology both in and out of the classroom. It is also why we strive to work with parents to monitor student use of social media, even as we continually review and assess our own curricular applications of technological tools and practices at every grade level. The benefits of social media are easily matched by their potential dangers, so it is incumbent upon all of us charged with the education of children to be vigilant in insuring that students understand the lasting consequences of their on-line behaviors before they are granted access to those tools.

On a more fundamental and more practical level, Ashley Hall provides students essential training in 21st-century skills ranging from basic keyboarding to more advanced applications in math and science, as well as in disciplines demanding extensive research. Beginning in the fall of 2016, Ashley Hall will be offering Advanced Placement Computer Science and a new course in the mathematics of complexity and interconnection, a component of which will be instruction in computer coding.

These offerings, as well as our established STEAM program in the Intermediate Program and Upper Schools, enable students to gain direct experience of those technologies that are shaping and reshaping the world around them. At the same time, and no less importantly, we offer students—through our PAWS program—developmentally appropriate guidance in and instruction in the ethical issues arising from the use of these new technologies, particularly those tools that can both enhance and imperil our social interactions.

The implications of these and related developments are not strictly speaking technological in themselves so much as they are matters of ethical and judicial significance. It is in courses such as Class, Race, and Gender, Advanced Placement American History, and Human Rights and International Law that many of these issues are addressed. Similarly, consideration of the range of possible consequences arising from environmental changes such as global warming, toxic waste, and excessive consumption of natural resources must be and are integral to the study of the sciences themselves.

It is certainly the case that both the curricula and the culture of Ashley Hall constitute an environment suitable for the conversion of self-conscious ‘mirrors’ into self-aware and self-confident ‘windows’. For only when we open ourselves to others can we really begin to experience the world as a feeling subject. Purely objective, abstract knowing is divorced from human—humane—existence. We must escape the too narrowly constraining demands of the self—that very narrow “I”—in order to enjoy the fullness of being in the world.

In her discussion of this past year’s Academy Award winning film Son of Saul, Katalin Balog, reflecting on the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, notes: “There is less of a tendency for modern humans to live thoroughly immersed in life, experiencing it, and more of a tendency of being mostly distracted by its abstractions, by all the ways our culture conceptually frames our existence as individuals, Democrats and Republicans, man and women, one percenters, workers, consumers, and so on. And here, as a result, is the problem: by becoming less subjective, we become more cut off from sources of meaning and value.” (The New York Times, February 28, 2016)

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At Ashley Hall we strive to restore ourselves to that more thorough immersion in life.

So too, our Community Action Initiative, our student-run Philanthropy Board and even our Big Sister–Little Sister activities, all remind us that we are not isolated individuals but fully engaged citizens of the world, striving always— and in all ways—to become an agent in service to the solutions we seek rather than a perpetuator of the problems that bedevil us.

Our success in this important endeavor depends finally upon our communal commitment to Ashley Hall’s mission to produce an educated woman who is independent, ethically responsible, and prepared to meet the challenges of society with confidence. All of us must continuously renew our determination to practice the rewarding habits of mind and spirit that combined will enable us to face seemingly overwhelming difficulties with confidence. Throughout this issue of Perspectives you will discover just how this commitment to “making windows” is being realized every day at Ashley Hall. ✌

OPEN THE WINDOWS!

Above left: Select Upper School students traveled to Russia in January

for a global conference for high school students. Similar to Model United

Nations, the conference focused on water scarcity and international

terrorism. Above right: STEAM programming comes to life in the Lower

School classroom.

So, in all we do, from global

studies programs to our various

visiting artists events, from the

Early Education Center’s liberating

Reggio-Emilia practices to the

recycling programs in every

division, Ashley Hall emphasizes

the vital importance of turning

one’s attention outward.

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Beautifully

SAIDNATIONAL BOOK AWARD-WINNING POET AND ACTIVIST,

NIKKY FINNEY, HEADLINES SPRING WRITERS SERIES

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It is with great pleasure that Ashley Hall welcomes poet and historian, Nikky Finney. She is the author of four books of poetry, On Wings Made of Gauze (1985), Rice (1995), The World is Round (2003) and is the National Book Award Winner for poetry for Head Off and Split (2011). As many have done before me, I urge you to listen to her 2011 acceptance speech for the National Book Award on YouTube. The speech opens with an eloquent history lesson on the deliberate suppression of literacy through South Carolina’s early slave codes. In 2007, Ms. Finney also edited the collection, Black Poets Lean South. She is the recipient of the PEN Open Book Award and the Benjamin Franklin Award for Poetry. She currently holds the John H. Bennett, Jr. Chair in Creative Writing and Southern Letters at the University of South Carolina in Columbia.

In her preface to her poetry collection Rice, she states, “My first breaths were drawn, my first words coaxed on a triangle patch of sandy land called South Carolina. This was land that the Indians first inhabited and that Black folks, Africans, had made. I was born to a land thick with Spanish moss and swamp, cypress and live oak, and in its day, slavery and many a rice field.” She spent her early years on the coast where both her mother and her father were active in the community and in civil rights.

It was, however, after leaving South Carolina for Talledega College that Nikky Finney began to explore what is, in her words, the “great intersection between art, history, and culture”. It was here that she was inspired by Hale Woodruff’s Amistad Murals and began to find her niche as a writer.

In the evocative words of author Thomas Sayers Ellis, “No one opens a vein on a page with a sharper… set of senses than Nikky Finney.” As you will hear tonight every word is curated, its meanings parsed. You never know which word or words will

create a mental image that will stop you in your tracks. Begin each poem with a quickened heartbeat, prickling palms, a feeling of anticipation, even a slight sense of tension because

In fact, she uses an old blackboard and chalk when writing. She needs that board, she is writing in three dimensions.

If you think that there are no images more devastating than the photographs taken during Hurricane Katrina, then read the images in her poem, Left.

In Dancing with Strom Ms. Finney watches from her vantage point on a balcony above the dance floor as a primary proponent of segregation dances below her at her brother’s wedding.

For ten seconds I consider dancing with Strom. His Confederate hands touch every shoulder, finger, back that I love.

Read this in juxtaposition with her reflections on the removal of the Confederate Flag from the State House Grounds in her poem, A New Day Dawns. Whether she is describing the balancing act of her role as a daughter or revealing the tightrope walk of many black Southerners, she excels. Nikky Finney reveals our complicated history through her eyes. Ashley Hall is honored to welcome her.

On March 9, Nikky Finney mesmerized a capacity audience gathered in the

Sottile-Thompson Recital Hall to hear the poet read from her distinguished

body of work. The Upper School’s History Department Chair, Mary Webb,

provided a beautiful introduction for Ms. Finney that set the stage for what

was one of the most memorable installments in the school’s Writers Series.

BEAUTIFULLY SAID

Nikky Finney is visual and visceral, a

photographer on two levels, documenting

life from behind the lens and using words

to create indelible pictures.

Upper School faculty member and alumna, Mary Web '76.

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A Conversation on Education, Opportunity and Making a Difference with Jill Muti and Ben Navarro

ALL IN IT TOGETHER

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Charleston businessman Ben Navarro founded Meeting Street Academy (MSA)

with a radically simple notion: all children, regardless of zip code or family

income, deserve an excellent education, and all children, when given the proper

resources, have the ability to excel in the classroom. Think of it as a variation

of Ashley Hall’s PQV—girls with the will have the ability—except at MSA,

where Navarro and his team have invested private funds to ensure adequate

educational and support resources, it might better be augmented as all children

who have the opportunity, and the will, have the ability.

In 2014, Ashley Hall and MSA formed a mutually beneficial partnership that

underscores Ashley Hall’s commitment to community engagement. The

partnership achieves four goals: first and foremost, it offers MSA graduates

who meet Ashley Hall admission requirements the opportunity to continue on

a strong educational path (today there are six MSA scholars at Ashley Hall);

it gives students at both schools opportunities to interact and broaden their

peer groups; it allows Ashley Hall’s Offshore Leadership Program participants

to further hone leadership skills through mentoring and tutoring younger

MSA students; and it leverages Ashley Hall resources to enhance enrichment

opportunities within the community, such as offering an afterschool strings

program for MSA students.

There is also hope that this unique coming together of an established

independent school like Ashley Hall with a start-up public/private initiative

like Meeting Street Schools might serve as a model for bridging educational

opportunity gaps in Charleston... and beyond.

Less than two miles from Ashley Hall’s historic, oak-shaded campus, there’s an equally historic school, one with no tree canopy, no centuries-old architecture. It’s boxy and brick and sits boldly right up-front on the curb, and it’s barely seven years old. The pre-k through 5th grade Meeting Street Academy is historic because it’s the first of its kind in South Carolina—breaking new ground in breaking barriers to achievement.

ALL IN IT TOGETHER

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The following excerpts from a conversation between

Jill Muti (JM) and Ben Navarro (BN) reflect on how

this partnership continues to evolve and how this model

might expand and reap broader benefits. Throughout

the conversation, Muti’s and Navarro’s shared vision

and passion for educational excellence is a common

theme, as is their belief that investing in excellence

and opportunity for all children, regardless of whether

they attend an independent, well-resourced school or a

struggling public school, is fundamental for democracy.

BN: You know, Jill, I clearly remember when you teared

up talking about your passion for these Meeting Street

kids and their potential—you made me tear up, too! But

the fact that the community of Ashley Hall was the first

to step up and want to help was crucial because it got

others in the community excited too, and it helped solve

my main concern: I knew how to give these MSA kids a

strong start (with great teachers and all the MSA-extras

that we provide from pre-k through 5th grade), but a

strong start doesn’t mean a strong finish. What kept

me up at night was what the heck was going to happen

to them after the 5th grade? We were going to spend

$125,000 per kid but who was going to be the steward

of that investment once they were finished at MSA?

JM: I was very excited that you were so open to taking

a look at what were the very best early childhood

education practices, to looking at our Reggio-Emilia

program and creative play and to exploring what it could

mean for our two schools working together. I believe

more than anything else that great education should be

a right in a great democracy. It’s simply not acceptable

that if a three or four-year-old doesn’t get certain

basics by the time they’re five or six, they already have

challenges that for some will be insurmountable. We

know, for a fact, that if you don’t invest in kids when they

are young, you then are constantly trying to make up for

lost opportunities, and this is what is so exciting to me,

and to our faculty, about what you and MSA

are addressing.

BN: Exactly. I don’t think we have a responsibility to

the children of our country to guarantee success, but

we sure as heck have a responsibility to guarantee an

opportunity. And if you look at kids who happen to be

born into a certain neighborhood and thus never have a

chance to get a great education—how can that possibly

be fair? How can we possibly live with that?

JM: Especially in a nation we call a democracy.

When we’re talking about how to build a community

generationally, it has to be through education. It just

does. After we first met, I wanted every girl who came

through MSA to have the opportunity to come to Ashley

Hall if she met the criteria. But I knew that if I really

wanted this to work we needed a compelling way to

stabilize funding for the program.

So I asked myself, could we come up with an

amortization schedule that would take an MSA girl all

the way through Ashley Hall after 5th grade, and could I

connect a donor to make that happen? And I could.

So I talked to my husband, Lorenzo, and said I really

wanted us to be the first scholarship donor, and he said,

“Absolutely!” Then I went to the Board of Trustees with

this model, and by the end of the board meeting, I had

the program funded for the first year. For our donors, it’s

been great because it’s an opportunity to affect a child’s

life in a very demonstrative way for a reasonable amount

of money.

We have six MSA kids at Ashley

Hall today, and this has really

been the blueprint for how other

schools can interact with us.

It allows us to say “Look, this

works…” – Ben Navarro


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THE LEARNING SPIRAL

BN: We have six MSA kids at Ashley Hall today, and this

has really been the blueprint for how other schools can

interact with us. It allows us to say, “Look, this works,

these kids can do the work, and they can fit into your

school culturally.” This has been huge in helping place

MSA graduates in other schools after 5th grade, which

we successfully did last year.

And I would argue that what your donors are doing is

making an investment in the child and also a heck of an

investment in the future of Ashley Hall. I don’t think its

any different from fixing up a building or having another

resource available to kids. If you look at the world we live

in today, at the political climate and the divisiveness—it’s

a lot about the haves and the have-nots. So how do we

make it a fair system? By giving them access.

But to be clear, this takes leadership and Ashley Hall

stepping up makes an enormous difference. To have

that level of commitment from someone who actually

understands education and understands what we’re

trying to do is incredibly powerful.

JM: For these partnerships to be successful, we have to

recognize the strength of what we all bring to the table.

What’s really beautiful about this partnership is that it’s

been exactly that, a partnership. Our girls coming off our

leadership program work with the 3rd graders at MSA

on their campus and ours. That benefits everyone—to

have a meaningful role doing something purposeful in

the community and learning very specific skills.

BN: One of the things I admire most is that it’s never

felt like one group is coming over to help the other. It’s

always felt like an interaction.

JM: Yes, we’re really doing it together, because we are all

in this together! (continued on page 15)

ALL IN IT TOGETHER

Swim lessons are an exciting part of the Ashley Hall and Meeting Street program.

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The Carolina Strings Academy (CSA) has been making beautiful music in the Charleston community for more than a decade. An offshoot of Ashley Hall’s renowned arts program, the CSA reaches beyond the school’s student body, offering students from around the Lowcountry the opportunity to experience exceptional music instruction in violin, viola, cello and guitar.

Enter strings instructor, Liz Dinwiddie. Just in her first year as Director of the CSA at Ashley Hall, Liz’s wealth of experience, including a Doctorate in Music Education from Indiana University, has allowed her to cover extensive territory in a short period of time. When she learned about the Ashley Hall and Meeting Street partnership, she knew exactly what needed to happen. “At IU, there was a professor who partnered with local under-resourced elementary schools and taught music. She then trained grad students, including myself, to work with her as part of a teacher training program. It was hugely popular and very successful. I saw dramatic changes in these young minds through the power of music. I had a strong feeling this could work with MSA.”

Beginning this past fall, Liz and Upper School strings students who serve as teaching assistants have been visiting MSA twice weekly for an after-school strings class. For an hour each day, they work with a group of 2nd through 5th graders—a group that could range anywhere from 6 to 14 students due to the after-school nature of the program—who have no formal music training but week after week beautifully open themselves to its possibilities.

Enhancing the Partnership


"Social justice means that no matter what race,

gender, sexual orientation,

religion, or nationality you are

identified with, you are human

and will be treated as such."

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BN: I had a strong hunch when we started the

school that every kid could be successful in the

classroom but I didn’t have the facts to back it up.

Ten years later, it’s a slam-dunk. Every kid in the MSA

first graduating class went to an excellent school.

They’re proving they can do it. For a girl who grows

up on the East Side of Charleston to be able to

attend a school like Ashley Hall with the caliber of its

graduates and reputation in the community is game

changing. It’s game changing for them, but I think

it’s also game changing for Ashley Hall.

JM: The real beauty is that "everybody wins…" It can

be hard to be an independent school educator and

want to make a difference in the broader community,

but to have the outlet to try some things and be part

of a larger dialogue is to a great degree what Ashley

Hall has always been about. What I’m interested in

is can we, through real programs and trial and error,

leverage this in a larger way to change the state of

education in SC?

Yes, we in the independent school

world can play a part in what

happens next for these kids (after

5th grade) but the dialogue needs

to be larger. I’m excited, though,

that in Charleston our partnership

is creating a model that is already

expanding, and I’m optimistic that in

time it will expand elsewhere too.

- Jill Muti ✌

O N L I N E E X T R A ! TO VIEW ADDITIONAL EXCERPTS OF THE

INTERVIEW BETWEEN JILL MUTI AND BEN

NAVARRO, GO TO WWW.ASHLEYHALL.ORG/

STUDENT-ADVANTAGE/

“It’s truly a win-win situation,” explains Head of School, Jill Muti. “The goal is to help prepare these MSA students, through exposure to music and arts education, for success in all future pursuits, whether they are at Ashley Hall, the School of the Arts, or elsewhere. Under the tutelage of Liz, the program also provides terrific teaching experience and pedagogy skills to our Upper School strings students. I think they’re enjoying it as much as the MSA students.”

Molly Brockinton ’19 began playing the violin in kindergarten and now mentors the MSA music students. “I can completely relate to their experience,” says Molly. “The frustration of practice and then the joy of making beautiful sound. Watching them grow and feel more confident is the best feeling! “

As the Ashley Hall and MSA partnership continues to grow and evolve, so does the opportunity for impact. From MSA students performing in the annual Strings Fling to designing a special summer program between the two schools, the possibilities are endless—as is the spirit of any great artist!

ALL IN IT TOGETHER

Upper School students work with young

musicians from Meeting Street Academy.

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It’s the beginning of a new school year. A group of Senior girls gather round the Harkness Table eager to begin a class—a journey if you will—that will have them grappling with complex social issues and ultimately sharpening their ability to critically access social constructs and barriers to equality: oppression and privilege, race relations, gender issues. Those are challenging issues. But the girls are eager to dive in, opening themselves up to the consideration of other views and potentially refining their own personal belief systems in the process. Launched in 2013, Class, Race, and Gender is a semester-long humanities elective. “The class produces a great number of questions with no easy answers,” shares instructor, Carolyn Newton. “And because of the scope of their societal impact, these issues really can’t be approached individually. The group dynamic is the beauty of the course.”

Through efforts such as the school’s carefully curated Global Studies Program, Ashley Hall girls are well on their way to becoming engaged 21st century global citizens. However, inherent to this global society are systems of oppression that leave even the most evolved populations perplexed. The intent of the Class, Race, and Gender course is to explore the patterns of classism, racism, and sexism, by investigating how these patterns create belief systems that support oppression across these global societies. Students thoughtfully examine cultural forces such as politics and socio-economics in order to analyze how social constructions of race, class, and gender often create barriers that prevent progress of any sort from taking place.

Tackling this complex content requires serious preparation. Students read source materials to ignite conversation, works such as Nickel and Dimed: On Not Getting by in America by Barbara Ehrenreich, a book exploring the livability of the American minimum wage, and Henry Louis Gates Jr.’s memoir Colored People, an account of growing up in West Virginia during the Civil Rights movement, along with various TedTALKS related to the subject matter. “These resources serve as the launching pads for informed conversation,” says Mrs. Newton. “The content is not meant to be regurgitated but critiqued and carefully considered by the girls. They are asked if they think the writers show bias and, if so, why? These are the types of questions posed.”

CLASS, RACE, AND GENDER EXAMINED

THROUGH THE UPPER SCHOOL CURRICULUM

ASKING THE

ASKING THE HARD QUESTIONS

Opposite: Political cartoon drawn by Lizzie Russler ’16 in response to the Syrian refugee crisis.

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Top: Kennedy Green ’16, Lizzie Russler ’16, and Alice Hua

Lisiman ’16 continue conversation post class.

Bottom: Journaling provides reflection of the student’s

intellectual journey during the course

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During the first week of class, the girls crafted their own debate guidelines: listen carefully; allow thoughts to be completely expanded before jumping in; stay away from stereotypes; don’t generalize; and perhaps most importantly, don’t be afraid to disagree. As far as faculty guidance is concerned, Mrs. Newton gently steers the discussion, relying for direction on the girls’ enthusiasms and the expert course readings. Therefore the outcome of the class lies in the student’s hands.

When asked what attracted them to the course, a select group of girls from this year’s class mention “I’m interested in political science and current events,” and “I thought it would be challenging,” to the more practical “I knew it would help me with the college interview process.”

“I brought with me this American ideal,” says Lizzie Russler ’16. “that the best person gets what they work hard for in the end. However, I quickly began to realize that’s not always the case. Because of historical influences, the societal scales of balance can be tipped in favor of one person, one class, one gender, and it’s hard to correct that. This can be seen with the Syrian refugee crisis, female sex workers in Thailand, and race relations right here in Charleston. This inbalance repeats itself over and over again until it’s ingrained in a society.”

Along with Lizzie, seniors Kennedy Green and Alice Hua Lisiman chime in on the impact of the class. “I want to pursue a degree in childhood education and development in college. For me, the take away from the class is the importance of education, especially beginning at a young age, to create a more just world,” said Kennedy. Alice, from Nantong, China, is one of Ashley Hall’s international boarding students. “This type of conversation

would never happen in China,” she said. “This meant I had to keep myself from thinking culturally and more from a personal perspective. That was challenging for me.”

Ongoing throughout the semester, the girls kept journals, an analysis of their individual intellectual journey of developing an increased awareness of the intersections of race, class, and gender. “It’s interesting to look back at the semester and the territory that was covered. I kept asking myself ‘What role do I play?’,” said Lizzie. “I don’t have all the answers, but I have learned, in the words of poet Ranier Maria Rilke to ‘Be patient towards all that is unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves.’” ✌

ASKING THE HARD QUESTIONS

Though they may have

approached the class for different

reasons, they all concur that the

experience garnered from the

semester was far more than what

was expected.

Ashley Hall is pleased to announce that Lizzie

Russler ’16 has been awarded the prestigious

Morehead-Cain Scholarship at the University

of North Carolina. Next fall she will join Ashley

Hall alumnae and Morehead-Cain Scholars,

Rossi Anastopoulo ’13 and Caroline Lowery ’12

in Chapel Hill. The Morehead-Cain is one of the

oldest and most distinguished merit scholarships

in the nation, with accomplished students from

around the world competing to earn a four-

year full-ride to UNC with generous stipends for

summer travel, research, internship and service

opportunities, and entrée into the elite Morehead

network. It’s a coup for any school to have a

Morehead Scholar among its graduates, let alone

three in five years. Ashley Hall is proud of this

remarkable accomplishment—PQV, Lizzie!

LIZZIE RUSSLER AWARDED

MOREHEAD-CAIN SCHOLARSHIP

19


20

In Chris Frisby’s 11th grade Honors American Studies

class, history is given relevance in episodic fashion,

focusing on those critical moments in our past that

altered the course of this nation. “I want to capture

the attention of my students in a more focused way,”

shared Mr. Frisby. “Using primary sources such as the

inaugural addresses of Presidents Lincoln, Reagan and

Clinton to frame up our discussions allows the girls the

ability to better understand the country’s political and

economic landscape at the time in which these

speeches were given.”

During a recent class, Mr. Frisby noted that, thus

far in history, the country has only seen men—all 43

presidents—deliver this type of speech. He further added

that when asked “When will there be enough women

on the Supreme Court?” current United States Supreme

Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg said, “When there

are nine!”

Given this powerful comment as provocation, the

girls were then asked to compose their own inaugural

speeches, focusing on three societal challenges they

would tackle in their hypothetical presidencies. “On the

whole, I was greatly impressed by what the students

created. They identified important issues and came up

with thoughtful and nuanced solutions to some of the

great problems of our day.” Rising to the top as areas

of emphasis for their governments were gun rights, the

environment, and terrorism. The gap between rich and

poor also loomed large, while other topics of concern

ranged from childhood obesity to the minimum wage. ✌

“For too long, we have lived in a society that has grown

tolerant to the growing divide among the races in

America. We have seen this in Ferguson, the AME Mother

Emanuel Church shooting, and even rising controversy

growing around artists’ performances. I refuse to live and

provide for a country where only half of America can feel

safe in their skin, let alone a hoodie.”

“Just as America must work internationally, we must also

work domestically; specifically work to achieve equality.

As a nation with such great achievements, it is astonishing

that we still have not achieved gender equality. The pay

gap between men and women must be diminished. The

fact that men and women can perform the same task

at the same caliber and be paid differently is a grave

injustice. I vow to fix this.”

“I believe that as a nation, we must strengthen and tighten

our laws on gun control to reduce and prevent gun

violence. Having been born and raised in Charleston, South

Carolina where grandparents hang guns in living rooms and

fathers go hunting on the weekends, I am a strong believer

in the Second Amendment and ‘the right to bear arms.’

This being said I do not believe it is just for a man

or women, to have the ability to buy a gun and kill

innocent citizens attending church for worship or children

attending school or any of the other various cases seen

too often in our nation. I deem this problem worthy of our

nation’s attention.”

BELOW ARE EXCERPTS FROM THE STUDENT’S PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURAL ADDRESSES

– President Elizabeth Ouzts

– President Lani Chavin

– President Elise Coleman

HER PRESIDENTIALINAUGURAL SPEECH

21


Andrea Zucker ’99, lives in Washington, DC with her

family and works as Outreach Coordinator for Nexus

Global Youth Summit (www.nexusyouthsummit.org),

an innovative not-for-profit that seeks to bridge young

communities of wealth and social entrepreneurship.

As a writer, activist, and social impact investor,

Andrea believes that all people have the potential to

harness personal gifts to find their own unique ways

to give back. Her parents stressed the importance of

community involvement and impressed upon her that

the ultimate role of human beings is to help repair the

world in whatever ways possible.

Andrea was shaped by early experiences in community

activism through Youth Service Charleston and

Operation Understanding and went on to work in the

not-for-profit world professionally with The Coastal

Community Foundation, United Way of America, and

United Way International. She also works with the

InterTech Group, Inc., a privately owned company that

incorporates philanthropy and community involvement

into its corporate philosophy. Andrea taught briefly in

the DC public school system and is passionate about

equal access to educational resources. She also serves

on the board of SAFE, Securing America’s Future

Energy, and is devoted to creating a better environment

through reducing dependence on oil and promoting

innovations in the clean energy sector. In the spare time

she has, she is gradually pursuing an M.F.A. in Creative

Writing at American University. PQV, Andrea! ✌

Andrea Zucker ‘99A L U M N A E P R O F I L E

22

D ON ’ T BE A BYS TA N DE R T O H AT E —E V E N YOU R S !

On Easter 1998, a 16-year-old white, Jewish “Ashley Hall girl”—my younger self—sat in the pews of Emanuel AME with my cohort from Operation Understanding.

Six African American and six white high school students sat side by side, in a church central to community organizing and activism since the era of slavery, learning about our differences and, more importantly, celebrating our connections.

Our races and exact religious beliefs were different, but we sat together with the intention of building common ground and building a generation of leaders who would help to eradicate discrimination in all of its disgusting forms.

But our difference had no bearing in that moment. Unified, awed voices singing a hymn filled the historic church’s high ceilings with a blend of sounds so harmonious that things like skin color briefly melted away. Love hung heavy in the church, like the humidity in Charleston’s air—the same air that runs through my blood even now that I live in Washington, DC.

I sat with boys and girls who are now men and women (many of whom became public voices of inspiration to help promote equality and end discrimination): Clay Middleton, who has used his voice in the political world to serve South Carolina well; Amy Wyland, who advocates for equal rights; and Tonisha Bell Alston—of blessed memory—who worked tirelessly to raise health awareness in the African American community through Closing the Gap in Health Care, just to name a few.

Today, a different sound resonates in Emanuel AME—the sound of deeply pained tears mourning the loss of great and innocent community members: Rev. Clementa Pinckney, Depayne Middleton Doctor, Ethel Lance, Susie Jackson, Cynthia Hurd, Tywanza Sanders, Rev. Sharona Coleman-Singleton, Myra Thompson and Rev. Daniel Simmons Sr.

These irreparable losses were born out of the vicious hate of one man—a man whose beliefs mirror the hate of so many others and whose crime has many institutionalized cousins that we have seen clearly through the deaths of Michael Brown, Walter Scott and Freddie Gray.

ALUMNAE PROFILE

On June 20, 2015 following the shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church

in Charleston, The Post and Courier featured an opinion editorial written by alumna

Andrea Zucker ’99. We have reprinted this poignant and heartfelt piece with Andrea’s

approval and her request that it be in memory of her dear friend and fellow Ashley Hall

alumna, Tonisha Bell Alston ’99, who passed away in March of 2015. Tonisha’s brave spirit

and community leadership should continue to serve as inspiration for all of us.

23


Charleston runs thick in my veins. I bleed knowing that this hate still weaves its way through my city, my state, my country, my world.

How easy it is to be distracted by the beautiful architecture of our city. To be enchanted by the buildings we restore and preserve. To be awed by our progress and growth. To be charmed by the nice manners of our people. To enjoy the creative talents of our warm Charlestonians.

But hidden behind our picturesque front doors, we all have work to do to end the institutionalized acceptance of hate and to show that the love of all people is the progress that matters most.We must make Charleston transcend the hate, bias and senseless violence pervasive in our society, first by taking a closer look at ourselves.

Start by asking yourself, “What are my internal biases and how can I confront them?” We all have internal biases. Do not ignore your own.

Explore and work to change any part of you that might harbor hate.

Encourage your friends and family to do so as well.

Visit the Implicit Project website https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html, where you can take tests to measure attitudes and beliefs you may be unwilling or unable to recognize.

None of us is immune to implicit bias.

My racial IAT (Implicit Associations Test) revealed that I have a slight bias toward light-skinned people.

I will use that result to question my reactions in everyday situations in order to change that piece of myself.

Then ask, “How can I be vocal with my support of my Charleston brothers and sisters?”

Then, do it.

You don’t need permission. You don’t need any reason other than it’s the right thing to do.

In 1962, in Emanuel AME, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of making the “American dream a reality”—a dream of freedom and the opportunity for upward mobility for all people. We must not let the pursuit of that dream slip away.

As my father, Jerry Zucker, so often told me, we must not stand idly by. We must take a stand. I charge each of you to take that stand by not tolerating hate in the closest quarters of one’s self or in one’s family, friends, colleagues or community institutions.

I send my deepest condolences to the families of the victims of this despicable crime.

We must make our dear Charleston as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside, so I hope you will join me in vowing not to be a bystander to hate, not yours and not mine.

(Andrea Zucker Opinion Editorial Continued)

24

BARBARA BUSH

25


Top left: Mrs. Bush, with son Neil, was given a specially framed copy of her senior

picture. Top right: A special moment. Bottom: Head of School, Jill Muti, and students

from the Global Studies Program join Mrs. Bush in the Rutledge House.

26

We were thrilled to have alumna and former First Lady

Barbara Pierce Bush ’43 visit campus on February

17. Over 30 years have passed since her last time on

Rutledge Avenue and she seemed thoroughly impressed

by the school’s progress. “McBee House and Shell House

were the two buildings that come to mind during my

time here. What a beautiful campus you now have,”

said Mrs. Bush at a special assembly held in her honor.

Students, faculty and staff, and Board of Trustee

members enjoyed hearing Mrs. Bush speak fondly of

her time at Ashley Hall where she served as captain of

the Purples and also played the role of the speaking

angel in the school’s annual Christmas Play. Exuding

her signature warmth and wit, Mrs. Bush graciously

answered numerous questions from the students

covering both political and personal areas of interest.

Head of School Jill Muti closed the program by honoring

Mrs. Bush with the Distinguished Alumnae Award and

an Ashley Hall Alumnae pin which she wore proudly

throughout the rest of the day.

Following the assembly, Mrs. Bush toured the Rutledge

House for Global Studies, meeting with international

boarding students and day students involved in the

school’s global studies program. Having served as a

global ambassador with her husband during their time at

the US Embassy in China, followed by the White House,

Mrs. Bush talked with the girls about their studies and

“As a student at Ashley Hall, I received

a solid foundation with great emphasis

on Latin, math, and Shakespeare, which

helped prepare me for the future.”

— Barbara Pierce Bush ’43

O N L I N E E X T R A ! TO VIEW EXCERPTS FROM THE ASSEMBLY FOR

MRS. BUSH, GO TO WWW.ASHLEYHALL.ORG/

STUDENT-ADVANTAGE/

travel abroad experiences, impressing upon them the

importance of a global perspective and sharing with

them how much travel had enriched her life.

Her campus tour was rounded out with a stop at McBee

House for a peek inside her old boarding bedroom

(which now serves as an administrative office!) When

asked about her favorite Ashley Hall memory, Mrs. Bush

playfully answered, “I have lots of great memories of my

time here. Particularly receiving letters from a young

man named George Bush!”

BARBARA BUSH

Students enjoy time with Mrs. Bush.

27


We know Ashley Hall is a special place. This was reaffirmed mid-March during the school’s annual Loyalty Fund Week, a time dedicated to celebrating the philanthropic spirit of our campus. This year the Ashley Hall community exceeded all expectations.

The centerpiece of the campaign was a special challenge set by an anonymous donor (or angel!) of $25,000 if 250 gifts were made during the week. Parents, grandparents, alumnae, faculty and staff all rose to the occasion in true purple and white fashion, not only meeting but exceeding this challenge. Here are a few highlights from the week:

HISTORY-MAKING SENIORS! This special class continued to make their mark on campus with 100% Loyalty Fund participation—the first in Ashley Hall history. Each girl made a personal donation to assist in the Loyalty Fund Week challenge. PQV, Class of 2016!

Two senior parents chose to anonymously recognize this accomplishment with a celebratory lunch and an additional gift to the Loyalty Fund made in honor of the class.

ALUMNAE RALLY! We are so thankful for such a dedicated alumnae base. Many rallied around this challenge, especially the Class of 1970! Congratulations!

PQV TO PARENTS! Thank you to our parent community who recognize the importance of the exceptional learning environment Ashley Hall provides its student body. Sixth grade parents were top givers during this campaign. Way to go parents!Thank you to everyone who helped meet the Loyalty Fund Week Challenge. THIS TREMENDOUS EFFORT BRINGS US

CLOSER TO MEETING OUR $1,075,00 GOAL BY

JUNE 30, 2016. ✌

CHANGE ON THE ASHLEY HALL CAMPUS COMES FROM YOUR SUPPORT!

28

KEEP UP-TO-DATE ON ALL THINGS ASHLEY HALL

BY FOLLOWING ALONG ON SOCIAL MEDIA

AT ASH LEY HALL

SMART AND FAST!: PQV to our Cross Country team

for winning the State Championship this weekend!

Way to go girls!#girlswiththewill #runlikeagirl

#statechampions#pantherpride #gopanthers

(October, 2015)

TWITTER@ashleyhall_pqv

INSTAGRAMinstagram.com/ashleyhall_pqv

INTEGRATED CURRICULUM: Mrs. McCarty’s second grade science class traveled to the Columbia Museum of Art this week to visit the Georgia O’Keefe exhibit currently on display. The trip merged the worlds of science (O’Keefe is known for her flowers and plant life) and art for an upcoming project. The girls certainly look like natural art enthusiasts! #theperfectobservationposture #deepinthought #learnlikeagirl #girlswiththewill

BINGO AND BALLROOM SUCCESS: Thanks to the Parents’ Association for a great time on March 5 with their Bingo and Ballroom “throwback celebration!” The event raised $75,000 for faculty professional development! #welovefranksinatra #pqvpa


30

RIGHT: Did you know that an actual bear lived on our campus? His name was Frederick and he belonged to the Witte family during the early 1900s. Students from the Early Education Center recently found two teeth and we think they just may be Frederick’s! #howcoolisthat #thebeartoothmap #frederickthebear #findingsfromtheeec #theashleyhallbearcave

FAC EBOOKfacebook.com/ashleyhall.pqvfacebook.com/AshleyHallAlumnae

THINKER TINKER MAKER: “Who Are

You?” can be found boldly written on

the wall in Lane Hall—in purple Legos!

Leveraging STEAM, English, and

wellness curriculum, 5th and 6th grade

girls will use this Lego wall to express

their thoughts, react to literature, or solve

a math problem. The “Who Are You?”

theme led to Lego’s spelling out “You are

perfect!” and “Creative!” We can’t wait

to see what goes up next! #buildlikeagirl

#everyoneloveslegos #girlswiththewill

#pqv (January, 2016)

THE SOCIAL SCENE

LEFT: As a member of this year’s senior project class, Spencer George ’16, is spending her year researching the multi-faceted elements of feminism. Spencer is an avid writer and maintains a blog at http://notyourgirl.org/. In addition to her senior project work, she was a featured author in the February issue of SKIRT! Charleston Magazine. She wrote an article about the importance of self-love and acceptance. Congratulations Spencer! PQV! #girlswiththewill #notyourgirl

31

Ashley Hall Alumnae, we love hearing from you! Please share professional or personal achievements or special stories by contacting Amy Jenkins ’82 at [email protected] or online at www.ashleyhall.org/alumnae/

’43 Barbara Pierce Bush, former First Lady, enjoyed a visit to campus in late February. She attended a student assembly and toured the Rutledge House for Global Studies and the McBee House.

’49 Lynn Stoddard Roes is still living at home and keeps in contact with her friends from the Class of 1949. She has been a widow for nine years.

’50 Sarah Mahony Ford-Rijswijk’s ninth great-grandchild, Elizabeth L. Norvell, was born in 2015.

’53 Esther Hoshall Beaumont was honored by Drayton Hall for her gift of an open-sided building to be utilized for student study. She named the building in honor of George McDaniel, the long-acting Drayton Hall Executive Director, who has retired. Martha Rivers Ingram was honored by Governor Nikki Haley with The Order of the Palmetto, the highest civilian honor that is given in South Carolina. Neltie Sanders Linker was escorted by her grandson, Sanders Graham Walker, to his Citadel ring ceremony. During the ceremony, a full sword salute was given.

’55 Virginia Reid Platts and her husband, Jimmy, have moved back to Charleston and are excited to reconnect with friends from Ashley Hall and Charleston High.

’57 Linn Whitelaw Ong lost her husband, Beale Ong, MD, in the summer of 2015. Her older grand-daughter is a junior at Dartmouth College and her second oldest is in engineering at Duke University.

’60 Kitty S. Griffith has moved back to Atlanta after the death of her husband. She says the growth is confusing and the traffic is terrifying.

’61 Sally McCrady Hubbard is disappointed to be missing Alumnae Weekend this year but she is the program chair of a conference that weekend. She would love to meet for lunch next time she is in Charleston visiting her niece, Allston McCrady. She has published two books, Uganda Impressions: April 2014 and Yesterday’s Water: A Caregiver’s Poem Journal.

’64 Stanley Smith Reahard and her husband, Bo, split their time between Summerville, South Carolina and Leland, Michigan. When they are not traveling the country in their 45-foot motor home, they are enjoying time with their 2-year old granddaughter who became a big sister in February, 2016.

’66 Grace Wilson Phillips is looking forward to her 50th reunion in April. She and John have been doing a lot of traveling and enjoying their six great-grandchildren.


Class Notes32

Elaine Berol Taylor just returned from another amazing safari in Tanzania and Kenya. She “adopted” two baby elephants from the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Elaine is still judging orchid shows with the next one being in Guatemala.

’67 Gay Murrill had a great time in Cuba on the Ashley Hall trip with Head of School, Jill Muti, and other alumnae. She is excited for the next adventure!

’71 Missy Craver Schenck’s daughter, Anne Izzard Mead ’00, and her husband Stephen are now Directors of Green River Preserve.

’73 Eva Ravenel recently saw Betsy Rivers ’73, who had just finished her second marathon. Way to go, Betsy!

’74 Beverly Stoney Johnson is still close with all of her Ashley Hall friends. Her son, Lawson, now works at the Bank of South Carolina in West Ashley.

’81 Katharine Hendrix is a freelance medical writer and spends two months living in Costa Rica each year where she writes, surfs, and teaches yoga. She has taught yoga in Charleston for over 10 years.

’82 Maria DeGuzman is a professor of English and Comparative Literature and the Director of Latina/o Studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Her mother, Elizabeth T. DeGuzman, passed away at the age of 91 on March 26, 2015.

’84 Caroline C. Sinkler hit the quarter century mark with her business, Frametastic, in May 2015 and celebrated her own half century mark in November. Her travel has included participating in the Ironman in Dublin 70.3 where she swam in 50 degree water to get her 50th celebration started!

’86 Janie Stuart Ball has been engaged in creating art for as long as she can remember. Her desire to be a professional artist led her to Rhode Island School of Design, where she received a Bachelor of Fine Art and a Bachelor of Graphic Design. Her

paintings have strong graphic compositions. Each painting is composed of thoughtful shapes of color which when visually combined by the viewer “paint” the image, be it representational or abstract.

’92 Angela M. Colyer is the Director of Operations at One80 Place in Charleston.

’03 Rebecca N. Grantham graduated from College of Charleston with a Masters in Education in Teaching, Learning and Advocacy on May 15, 2015. Lydia L. Handsfield is now a scientist working in Aukland, New Zealand.

’06 Elissa G. Bostain is now a licensed architect. She is working as a project architect in Charleston at Liollio Architecture. She celebrated her licensure with a two week backpacking trip to Eastern Europe last summer.

Recently, alumnae from the classes of 1980, 1981,

1982 enjoyed a trip to New York, complete with

a visit to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

We love the McBee plaid inspired scarves!

CLASS NOTES

33

’08 Boykin Foxworth Anderson has been promoted to account executive for travel and destination at Lou Hammond & Associates. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in public relations and a minor in computer science from The University of Alabama. While studying public relations at The University of Alabama, Boykin interned with the American Red Cross Chapter of West Alabama. Prior to joining Lou Hammond & Associates, Boykin was a client service associate with Morgan Stanley Wealth Management where she provided operational and investment support to financial advisors. Ashley E. Jackson received her BS in civil engineering from Rose Hulman Institute of Tech and her Masters in Architecture. She now works for a structural steel tech company, Prescient Co., as an architectural project manager, in Denver, Colorado. She also just returned home from a trip to Cuba.

’09 Katy H. Tamblyn will receive her Masters Degree in Student Affairs and College Counseling from The Citadel in May 2016. She is currently the program coordinator for the Charleston Council for International Visitors.

’10 Dessane A. Cassell graduated from Oberlin College and was teaching in South Africa on a Fulbright Scholarship. She recently returned to the United States to begin her new job at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Megan D. Clore is currently working at Mueller Law in Austin, Texas. She was recently accepted to Harvard Law School after spending the past year gaining the experience she would need for her application. She credits Ashley Hall with teaching her never to be daunted by what seemed too difficult. Olivia B. Hipp is working as an administrative assistant at William Means Real Estate. Her current interests are French, marketing, real estate, and boating. Lauren D. Smith accepted a Pre-k co-teaching position in New Orleans, Louisiana at Frederick Douglass Elementary. It is a Title I school with 8 girls and 11 boys in her class.

’12 Shira Cohen is the president of the Center for Jewish Life, a peer academic advisor and works for the director of the new Princeton Center for Digital Humanities. She has often commented how incredibly beneficial the unique education in Greek and Latin that she had at Ashley Hall put her ahead of many of her peers. It was the comfort and familiarity she got in the humanities classes with Dr. Davis and Ms. Smith that enabled

her to travel to Greece twice with Princeton professors on research projects. She welcomed her brother to campus as a freshman last year. Abbie M. Gibson placed third in her division at the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Nationals in 2015.

’15 Jennifer Baron, a freshman at John Hopkins University, organized a campus-wide thank you to Johns Hopkins staff who helped students survive this winter’s blizzard in Baltimore. PQV, Jennifer!


Jennifer Baron ’15

34

IN MEMORIAM:

’42 Elise Ayers Sanguinetti passed away on November 19, 2014.

’43 Myriam Orvin House passed away on February 9, 2016.

’49 Nancy Luke Riner passed away in May, 2015.

’50 Dolly Myers Small passed away on May 24, 2015. ’53 Lucia Manos Morfesis passed away on August 31, 2015.

’57 Christa Clausen Tear passed away on December 31, 2015.

’64 Sally Means Quantz passed away on August 9, 2015.

’67 Elizabeth Linley Cleveland passed away on January 17, 2016.

BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENTS:

’96 Kelley Dwyer McLaughlin and her husband recently welcomed their third child, Hudson Ryder McLaughlin.

’05 Sally McKinney Hall and her husband, Taylor, welcomed their first child, Houston McKinney Hall, who was born July 9, 2015.

MARRIAGE ANNOUNCEMENTS:

’75 Gail Jenkins Holesha married Jim Holesha on October 24, 2015. Their blended family consists of her daughter, Jordan, a son, Austin, and Jim’s two daughters, Jamie and Jenny (and their dog, Maggie). They will continue to reside in St. Petersburg, Florida.

’84 Dede Waring married Joel Anderson Berly, III (“Andy”) on Saturday January 23, 2016 at St. Michaels Church. She was given away by her brother, Charles Witte Waring, III, and her son, Master Julian Andrew Byrne. Dede graduated from Princeton University and the Medical University of South Carolina. She is an endocrinologist at Palmetto Endocrinology in Mt. Pleasant.

’86 Lara Allison married Tristan Jerue on December 1, 2015, at Dataw Island.

’90 Cacky Rivers married in July and is keeping her maiden name. She is in her 7th year in Cacky’s Bride and Aid Wedding Biz! www.cackysbrideaid.com

’01 Marion P. Maybank married James MacEasly on December 5, 2015, at Lavington Plantation. Marion graduated from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky and has a career in horse show management.

’07 Kathryn Romaine married Benjamin Crawford on April 18, 2015, in Boston, Massachusetts. They now reside in Massachusetts where both attend University of Massachusetts Medical School. Benjamin is a third year medical Student, while Kathryn is a Registered Nurse studying to be a Family Nurse Practitioner.

’08 Boykin Foxworth married Thomas Anderson on January 23, 2016. Thomas is the son of former Ashley Hall faculty member, Anne Anderson.

CLASS NOTES

35

NEWSALUMNAE REL ATIONS OFFICE

from the

ALUMNAE SURVEY RESULTS ARE IN!

A huge thank you to the 270 alumnae who took

our survey in December. This is nearly double the

amount of previous survey responses. Here is a

snapshot of the results:

• Every decade from 1940–2010 was represented.

• Geographic breakdown of those who responded

includes 27 states and 4 foreign countries, with a

majority being outside South Carolina.

• We heard that you want to be more engaged,

more connected, and that you want us to come

see you!

• Everyone wants to be more connected and 85%

(an overwhelming response) agree that an online

directory will help alumnae connect to each other

and the school.

We’re excited to address these needs and

enhance the Ashley Hall alumnae experience.

Don’t forget we can create opportunities to

connect every day. Consider holding impromptu

gatherings that bring together Ashley Hall women

in your area together, participate in student

mentoring opportunities, or volunteer. There

are many ways to connect and the goal of the

Alumnae Relations Office is to make this easier.

ARE YOU FOLLOWING OUR

THROUGH THE GATES ALUMNAE BLOG?

Launched this past fall, the Through the Gates blog is produced

by the Ashley Hall Alumnae Relations Office and the perfect

way to keep up-to-date with the sisterhood. Director of

Alumnae Relations, Amy Jenkins ’82, along with a roster

of guest writers, will share fascinating bits of Ashley Hall

information and take you on the road with national alumnae

visits. With Ashley Hall women doing such incredible things

around the world, expect great stories to be shared. To

follow the Through the Gates blog, go to www.ashleyhall.org/

alumnae/

ANNOUNCING THE NEW

ALUMNAE DIRECTORY!

In the survey results you shared your

keen interest in an online directory

that would offer easy ways to connect

with fellow Ashley Hall alumnae. The

Alumnae Relations Office is pleased

to announce the launch of the

Alumnae Directory within the Evertrue

Community. The app offers the ability

to find Ashley Hall women across the

nation. It also allows you to see what

alumnae live in your area or perhaps

a city you may be planning to visit.

For younger alumnae—or alumnae

young at heart—the app offers the

perfect networking tool by utilizing LinkedIn for professional

development purposes. To access the Ashley Hall Alumnae app,

go to your app store and search for the Evertrue Community.

Then look for Ashley Hall. It’s that easy!

As always, we welcome your thoughts and ideas. Contact Amy Jenkins ’82 at [email protected].


36

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