Legacy Students Enroll in Record Numbers

THINKING INSIDE THE BOX AGE OF REASON ONE REMARKABLE LEGACY

M A G A Z I N E S p r i n g 2 0 1 6

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WEBBFEATURES

WEBB TODAY

2 From the Head of Schools4 Thinking Inside the Box12 Age of Reason20 One Remarkable Legacy28 Legacy Students Enroll in Record Numbers

32 Sports34 Arts36 The Alf at Webb40 Faculty42 Affiliates

44 Alumni Profiles48 WSC and VWS News62 In Memoriam64 Final Word: Tracy Miller

NEWSNOTES

M A G A Z I N E

SOCIAL

Debbie Carini is a writer and

development professional. She has been

affiliated with The Webb Schools since 1999

as a writer for the magazine as well as

various campaign and fundraising materials;

she is also a successful grant writer for the

schools and Raymond M. Alf Museum of

Paleontology. She is a contributing writer

to the Claremont Courier with the monthly

humor column Out of My Mind.

John Ferrari has experience as a

newspaper journalist and as a writer,

editor, communications strategist and

public outreach specialist in higher

education. He has written feature articles

on topics ranging from astrophysics and

genetics to theme parks and, of course,

the Alf Museum. He also serves as a

public affairs officer in the Navy Reserve.

Aaron Severson began his writing and

editing career as the editorial assistant

for a science journal. He later became a

story development executive for film,

television, and comic book publishing and,

more recently, a freelance writer and the

founder of the award-winning automotive

history website Ate Up With Motor. He has

written for The Webb Schools since 2009.

Spreading the word.

Meet our writers S p r i n g 2 0 1 6

F r o m t h e H e a d o f S c h o o l s

2

Wet Clay

IWebb Magazine Spring 2016

found this metaphor powerful, and my mind jumped back to Thompson Webb and those years in the 1930s when his office was literally in the open air, as he built his chapel by hand. One cant help but wonder what he was thinking as he molded that wet clay, much like his school was molding each student who enrolled there. He not only embraced his family tradition, but also he reshaped that tradition and made his own mark on the world by using what he found in Southern California.

I have always felt that our high school years are the most formative, and this image of wet clay really brought it home for me. Working with young students of wet clay allows a creative faculty to leave impressions that will be shaped and reshaped in the years to come. Wet clay facilitates both original creations, as well as the reworking of the old into something new. Life itself, the nature of which is constant change, depends upon this flexibility.

Recently while attending a Webb

reception in San Francisco, I spoke

with alumnus Dan Murray 89 for

some time. Dan, now in his 40s, was

one of the original students I met

when interviewing for my first job

at Webb in 1988. While we were

reconnecting, Dan described for

me his feeling that being at Webb

felt to him like being made of wet

clay. Meaning, as a high school

sophomore, he felt he was still very

much developing as a person

and he knew that the faculty at

Webb were playing a huge role

in shaping him.

3The Webb Schools WEBB.ORG

At this same reception, I had the opportunity to also reconnect with a great number of alumni, including Otis Y. Chandler 96. Otis came to Webb carting with him a family legacy in print media. Of course, Harrison Gray Otis and Harry Chandler built the Los Angeles Times into one of the leading newspapers in our nation. When Otis Chandler graduated from Webb, he decided to carry on the family legacy, but in an entirely new way. Otis started Goodreads in 2007, and it is now the online home to more than 40 million book lovers and readers around the globe. He took what was in his DNA and what he learned along the way and created something entirely new.

Similarly, we have no shortage of Vivian Webb graduates who are now very successful women. I am thinking of such inspirational leaders as Julia Marciari-Alexander 85, now the executive director of the Walters Art Museum, Faye Karnavy Sahai 86, a top executive at AIG in San Francisco overseeing the companys global innovation and digital business centers, restaurateur and chef Jenn Louis 89, Caroline Adler 00, special assistant to President Obama and deputy communications director to first lady Michelle Obama, and so many more.

These are but a few examples that represent thousands of alumni who were nurtured here and I believe in some significant way formed on this campus.

Ive often asked myself, when I interviewed at Webb as a teacher all those years ago, and met Dan and his friends, what was it about them that convinced me that this was the place I wanted to be? Although I couldnt articulate it at the time, I think it was this sense of students who were in this process of discovery, students who benefited from Webbs rich history and traditions, but were not mired in it the way you see often at other, older institutions. Like the founder himself, these were students who were eager and excited to take risks, create their own passions, and leave their own stamp on the world.

This edition of Webb embodies this spirit of taking the wet clay of our history and legacy, and molding each students foundation today and in years to come. This generative process of continually renewing ourselves is the essence of Webb, and perhaps, our greatest attribute of all.

Taylor B. Stockdale Head of Schools

Handmade adobe bricks used in the building of the Vivian Webb Chapel.

Thinking Inside

the Box by Aaron Severson

For students who already know where their passions lie,

the idea of going to a college specializing in that field can

be both tempting and intimidating. Specialized schools offer

unique resources and a sense of focus that larger, more

generalized colleges and universities cant match. On the

other hand, attending a specialized college may entail

sacrifices that not everyone is willing to make.

A group of young Webb alumni recently shared their

experiences with specialized colleges and weighed in

on their advantages and tradeoffs.

The case for specialized

colleges

Kaitlynn Eyvazzadeh 14

5

While many colleges and universities offer courses or degree programs in disciplines like art, engineering, and business, the resources of those programs may pale in comparison to the opportunities available at schools specializing in those fields.

For example, at the prestigious Swiss hospitality management school Ecole htelire de Lausanne (EHL), which Max Popov 14 is now attending, all students complete an intensive preparatory semester during which they alternate between classroom study and on-the-job experience covering almost every aspect of the hospitality industry. That includes working full shifts in the schools own gourmet restaurant, Le Berceau des Sens. Its a real restaurant with a lot of reservations from people unrelated to the school, says Popov. It is usually reserved well in advance, especially in the holiday season. All the service is performed by students, with professional supervisors, and all the food is also prepared by students with help from professional chefs.

Uniqueadvantages,

Vincent Law 13, a junior in the food science

program at Cornell Universitys College of Agriculture

and Life Sciences (CALS), says his program operates

its own dairy plant, which supplies yogurt and

ice cream for all Cornell dining halls. We have our

own pasteurizers and ice cream machines, he says.

You get to see a whole miniature factory in our

own building. We develop our own ice cream flavor

as our end-of-the-year project.

For Maddie Gaumer 15, a freshman at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, one of the unique advantages is Mudds approach to research. There are amazing research opportunities going on, says Gaumer, who has already participated in several Mudd research projects. Because its an undergraduate-focused university, youre not just getting people coffeeyoure doing real research.

Chudan (Ivy) Liu 15, another Mudd freshman, is excited about the schools Clinic Program, which, she explains, provides [juniors and seniors] the opportunity to solve real-world problems under the guidance of a mentor from a sponsoring corporation.

6

uniqueenvironment,

Even students who are committed to a particular field or range of fields dont always know where that interest will take them or how best to approach it. At a specialized school, students can explore the possibilities among peers who all share similar or related interests, providing a rich source of ideas, inspiration, and energy for everyone involved.

Kaitlynn Eyvazzadeh 14, who is dual-majoring in songwriting and music business and management at Berklee College of Music in Boston, says that being surrounded by other musiciansis an important part of her experience there. It was really over-whelming when I first arrived, she says. I used to feel scared and found myself comparing my talent to others. Now, when I see other people that are better than me, it motivates me to practice and write more. It makes me want to become better.

Stephanie Cho 14 has found similar inspiration at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, the worlds oldest collegiate business school, where she is now a sophomore. I wasnt particularly interested in becoming an entrepreneur, but seeing how much energy and passion some of my friends pursue it with is amazing, she says. Ive seen some of my friends build a business entirely from scratch and go through an initial public offering, growing it to a company worth a couple of million dollars. She now says she wants to try investing as her ultimate career option.

Gaumer says that even in the STEM fields, its a really positive thing to be surrounded by people who are interested in the same things you are. At a lot of colleges, youre going to be stuck in classes with kids who dont like math or dont like physics. Thats never quite as much fun as being in a room full of kids who love math.

Building strong camaraderie is of course a principal objective of military academies. One thing I knew even before I attended, says Air Force Academy alumna Lt. Juli Nokleberg 10, was that the camaraderie amongst cadets was bar none. The Academy and the people who decide to wear the uniform have lived up to my expectations and gone beyond.

uniqueconnections.

One of the most important assets any school can offer students is the chance to start building a professional network. While manykinds of connections may be potentially useful, there are definite advantages to having a broad network within your own field.

Ivy Liu 15

7

Emily Stewart 11, who in 2014 completed

her BFA in photography at New Yorks Parsons

School of Design, says the environment at

Parsons also fosters strong professional

relationships with faculty. They have to be

working artists, she says. Youre allowed to be

friends with them and seek out connections.

Gabriel Gosney 14, a midshipman at the Naval Academy, says thats one of the major benefits of attending a military academy rather than pursuing a commission through ROTC at a civilian college. The Academy is great if you want to make a career of it because it offers you better incentive to stay and better connections. All your friends are going to be in the service for a long time, he explains.

8

A big part of Berklee is the connections you make, says Eyvazzadeh. A lot of our professors are professional musicians, which blows my mind. We also have guest speakers and famous musicians that come to talk to the students. I saw Brian McKnight perform casually in the cafeteria my first semester.

A related advantage is that just attending a specialized school can increase students visibility within their field. Joshua Vincent 14, a sophomore at Babson College, a relatively small but highly regarded business school in Massachusetts, says corporate recruiters are a regular presence on campus. If you go to a small campus, word travels fast, he says. There are a lot of people coming into Babson looking for bright young minds to work for them.

The biggest fear many families have about specialized schools is that specialization may become a straitjacket. Parents worry that their student will limit themselves to one area and not have a lot of options upon graduation, explains director of college guidance Hector Martinez. It is common to hear a parent say, But what if they dont make it in the art world? or What if they dont like what they do at that specialized college? They will have to transfer out and waste a lot of money.

The reality is that many specialized schools either exist within a larger university or else have close relationships with other area schools. Parsons, for instance, is one of eight New York

colleges affiliated with the New School, while Harvey Mudd is one of the Claremont Colleges. Those relationships provide students with many additional academic options.

Lara Grieco, associate director of recruitment for the University of Pennsylvania, says that at Wharton, 40% of classes are taken at other Penn schools. In fact, over one-third of Wharton students graduate with more than one undergraduate degree from Penn.

Law says his school at Cornell works in a similar fashion. Our program is specialized, but at the same time, we need to take classes from other schools and majors, he says. Im also taking language classes and other courses that will help me better understand my major or make me more aware of global issues.

Pretty much all [of Harvey Mudd Colleges] core requirements for the first year and a half are on Mudds campus, says Gaumer. Its pretty easy once core is over to take class off-campus and I would say the majority of people here do because they want to meet other people and explore other classes.

In some cases, students can also pursue interscholastic dual majors. Stewarts Parsons BFA, for example, is actually one-half of a five-year dual BFA/B.A. program in photography and culture and media studies, divided between Parsons and Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts a few blocks away. Initially, Stewart looked at the two halves of her program as separate entities, but she says theyve gradually become a more complex, unified whole. Ive realized theyre very interconnected with themes in my work and the way I look at photography, she explains. It was one of the best choices Ive ever made academically.

Even where a specialized school stands alone, the skills it teaches may have many more applications than it might appear at first glance. EHL international admissions manager Mark Reimer stresses that the hospitality industry is more than just hotels and restaurants... Any business that has at its heart a focus on people can benefit from employees that have hospitality training. He says about half of all EHL graduates go into non-traditional hospitality sectors, including banking and finance, retail/luxury brand management, marketing, consulting, etc.

That said, some specialized schools are just that. Compared to Pitzer College, which he attended for a year while waiting for an appointment to the Naval Academy, Gosney says the Academy is very much a trade school. At Pitzer, I was able to spend a ton of time learning for the sake of learning. The Academy expects midshipmen to be well-rounded, so I dont have as much time to spend on my studies.

Toospecialized?

9

Attending a specialized college can involve some definite sacrifices. Naturally, thats particularly true of military academies, which, aside from requiring a post-graduation service commitment of five or more years, maintain very strict standards of conduct. There are restrictions on cadets because they fall under the UCMJ [Uniform Code of Military Justice], says Nokleberg. They are also held to a higher standard when compared to civilian college studentsand, frankly, they should be. When you decide to join the military, you are deciding to wear the uniform and ultimately, if called upon, to give your life to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. The military is a 24/7, 365-day-a-year job.

Understandingthe tradeoffs.

The demands of specialized civilian colleges

are rarely that severe, but some are significant.

For example, EHL has a dress code, something

thats unheard of at most modern American

colleges. The students have to wear suits from

7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day, says Popov.

The rules on this dress code are really strict

and students are expected to follow them.

Max Popov 14

10

Attending a specialized college may also mean giving up certain accustomed college traditions. Not all specialized colleges participate in intercollegiate athletics and some have no fraternities or sororities. Some schools dont even have a campus as such. Stewart says the New School is comprised of seven buildings scattered throughout the West Village. Once you step out of the building, youre not even at school anymore.

Additionally, many specialized schools are smaller than the typical major university, which can be both good and bad. Students who want to fly under the radar can find our small size a concern, notes Thyra Briggs, vice president for admission and financial aid at Harvey Mudd College. Here, people know each other by name for the most part... students, professors, and even the president. While most students love the closeness this creates, others would rather stay more anonymous.

Another consideration is that even at specialized colleges, certain programs offer more resources and opportunities than others. That can be a problem for students who have second thoughts about their original ambitions. Ruyue (Susan) Xu 14 enrolled at Caltech, intending to study chemical engineering. Upon finding that field wasnt really what I expected it to be, she realized that Caltech didnt offer any alternatives she preferred. I found out that Columbia has an industrial engineering and operations research department whose opportunities really caught my eye, she says. I transferred to Columbia as a sophomore.

The students who thrive at a specialized college tend to be the ones who recognize and embrace the tradeoffs involved. Stewart, for instance, loves living and attending classes in the heart of Manhattan, although she admits some students find the experience too stressful.

I see on social media that my friends have gone to big schools and I sometimes wish I had the big school experience they do,says Vincent, but then I realize I came to this school for a reason. Everyone has second thoughtsthe question is whether or not I have the fortitude to stay true to my promise. I feel that Ive committed to it, Im sticking it out, and Im enjoying it.

Nokleberg takes a similar view. The Air Force Academy definitely challenged me more than I believed it would, but it is designed to do so, she says. The benefits outweigh any sacrifices, and for anyone desiring to be an officer, there truly isnt a comparable preparatory experience.

Nevertheless, its essential, particularly with military academies, that prospective students visit the school and carefully weigh the pros and cons. The best thing to do is visit because theres no way I can describe the atmosphere or explain how different the Academy is from college, says Gosney. Spend some time with a midshipmanmake sure its what you want to do.

Really take a moment to ask yourself two questions, suggests Xu. Have I done adequate research on the field that Im interested in? and Will I enjoy my life at that school? If the answer is yes, then go for it. If no, maybe you should look into other, less-specialized colleges.

Eyvazzadeh offers a slightly different perspective. She says that despite her lifelong interest in music, she never considered music school and initially resisted her fathers suggestion that she apply to Berklee. I think its because I was scared, she says. All of my friends were going to normal schools and I didnt want to step out of my comfort zone. He just ignored me, pulled up the application, and started filling it out. I thank my dad for that every day.

Eyvazzadeh believes its important for students to listen to their hearts as well as their heads. We are all trying to grow up so quickly, she says. I will be 21 years old when I graduatefrom Berklee. Lets say nothing happensIll still have my whole life ahead of me. I can go study or do something else. So breathe, and just do what youre passionate about.

Weighingthe prosand cons.

11

How writing long, reading slow and arguing well will thrive in the digital age.

The Age of Reason

by John Ferrari

12

Where are you reading this?Sitting on your couch? In bed? On a train? In front of your computer?

How are you reading this?

Flipping through the magazine? Reading it online? On your smartphone?

Is this the only thing youre doing? Or are you also watching TV? Waiting for a Web page to load?

Why are you reading this?

Because its in your alma maters magazine?

Because youre a parentor prospective parentof a current Webb student?

Or did the topic bring you here? Are you reading this for pleasure, or for the information?

13

The Internet, wireless connections, smartphones, e-readers and related technologies have expanded the ways, places and times we can read. More broadly, technology has rearranged how we consume media and get information. Its not a new processthink of the spread of television in the 1950s, and before that radio in the 1920sand this could be a golden age for reading. But the speed of technology and the immediate appeal of the moving image favors sound bites over substance, quick info over contemplation, repeated assertion over reasoned debate.

Where does this leave thoughtful, analytical reading of substantive texts? Where does it leave reading for pleasure? In the high-speed digital age, whats the role of critical thinking?

As it turns out, theyre more important than ever.

Todays information environment is one of multiple, simultaneous perspectives and points of view, notes Mark Dzula, Webbs directorof teaching and learning resources, and the schools journalism program advisor. Its an environment which presents conflicting,nuanced truths. Quick readingbrowsing Wikipedia for the mainplot points of Tolstoys War and Peace, sayleads to quick answers, but not to complex answers; not to explanations. Close reading, critical reading, does. Reading, Dzula says, is not just about getting answers, its about asking questions. Interrogating a text allows readers to examine a situation at multiple levelsto ask whats really happening, beyond the action and beneath the surface. This in turn cultivates an ability to consider and engage with events, ideas and data from differing perspectives.

Those abilities are useful for more than understanding epic Russian novels. Critical thinking is key to being an engaged citizen, notes Theresa Smith, Webbs director of academic affairs. Even a quick sound bite requires a critical eye. In fact, says Eleanor Pettus 02, critical thinking is doubly important now when politicians do speak in 30-second sound bites. Longer forms of communicationfrom novels to speechesallow authors to fully explain complex ideas. Short, quick communicationsfrom sound bites to tweetsdo not, requiring people to deduce the logic and argument underlying them. Thats made life much more difficult for the citizen, says Pettus, a history teacher at Atlanta Classical Academy in Atlanta. There are implicit, underlying, extraordinarily important arguments about the nature of humanity made in political discoursebut those arguments are lost when political speech is limited to sound bites and slogans.

You cant substitute the quick facts

and the sound bites and Googling

information for reasoning,

agrees Dasha Polzik 98, a humanities teacher at Maine Coast Waldorf School in Freeport, Maine. There are different kinds of questions that we want students and people in general to be able to answer. Some questions have simple, factual answers, but the most important do not. They are questions of how we live togethertheyre moral and ethical and political questions.All of the questions that we have to answer as adults in the world that are most significant have to do with moral and political values. You cant find an answer to these questions on the Internet.

Technology has altered our relationship with reading.

15

Beyond decoding arguments, the facilities fostered by slow reading allow people to actively engage with a complex world. Dzula argues that critical analysis and reasoning skills allow people to consider others perspectives, to step outside themselves. This in turn helps them communicate complex ideas to others, and understand ideas from beyond their own area of expertisecrucial skills, he says, in an environment that prizes both specialization and collaboration. As the National Center on Education and the Economy concluded in its 2007 report Tough Choices or Tough Times, in todays workplace comfort with ideas and abstractions is the passport to a good job, in which creativity and innovation are the key to the good life. The National Endowment for the Arts To Read or Not to Read (2007) put it succinctly: reading widely and reading well can be a career investment.

Building these skills, says Goodreads founder Otis Chandler 96,is a key benefit of slow reading, and especially of simply reading for pleasure.

Many people seem to have the mistaken

perception that fiction is only for

entertainment, but I believe you learn

more from a good fiction story than

you can from almost anything else.

Human brains are wired to remember

emotions, not facts, and so the way we

literally learn and remember things is

by couching them in emotions.

In other words, stories.

Webbs integrated humanities program is designed to develop reasoning skills, and stories are a big part of the curriculum. Short stories and novels may be read for their literary content in one course, or analyzed in their historical context in another. Students read differing types of textfrom literature to political tractsto gain experience critically examining each. Were trying to build a habit of slowing down, says Smith. I think that the habit of reading deeply isnt something you naturally develop in an age of sound bites we want our students to know how to decipher whats good information and whats not good information.

The whole thing about the humanities in the digital age is that its no longer about teaching kids a lot of facts, explains Webb history and humanities department chair Jessica Fisher. Its about knowing how to sort and prioritize facts. Webbs interdisciplinary approach to the humanities, she says, allows students to develop a nuanced understanding of issues and the world. That tradition is deeply embedded at Webb. Jerry Martin 64, now a high school English teacher at Milken Community Schools in Los Angeles, recalls that at Webb he learned to look for ambiguity and perform textual analysis. Today, he tries to do the same for his own students, who become better thinkers when they connect with the complexity of a text, he says.

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17

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Critical thinking continues beyond the classroomfrom the library to afternoon activities. Dzula points out that the first step in learning critical thinking skills is being able to find reliable, reputable information. In the Internet age, students can access a world of information with a few keystrokes, but assessing that information isnt so easy. Enter the 21st century library, which offers not only access to information, but support in selecting the right information. Theres a place for the librarys traditional role as a place for thought, too. Dzula notes that thinking is an activity. In a fast-paced world, when do we have time to sit? We need to have space and time for contemplation.

Critical reading, analysis and reasoning all come together in Webbs debate team. The essence of debatewielding evidence in support of an argumentemphasizes communications and analytical skills, says Fisher, the teams coach.

As in Webb classrooms, debate requires a

mastery of skills, not content, and rewards

students who think about a debate topic

rather than just learn about it.

Thats its own skill, Fisher says: considering arguments holistically. Debate team members arent walking encyclopedias, she saysbut they do learn a lot about the topics they debate.

Because news is so digitized, sometimes it can feel overwhelming, says Akua McLeod 16, one of the debate teams captains. Debate has strengthened her ability to evaluate issues, arguments and sources, and helped her think through her own beliefs.

What we learn in debate is there are

always two sides to an argument,

agrees Seraphina Oney 12, a founding member of Webbs debate team and now a senior at Wellesley. In todays media-saturated world, she says, people face competing sources and cant rely on any single source of information. The close reading and critical analysis skills Webb develops help students evaluate sources and information to build their own ground truth.

Goodreads Chandler points out that the need for critical reasoning skills extends to producers, as well as consumers, of information. I think we are entering a renaissance of the written word, he argues. If you count social media and the blogosphere and text messages and email, we are writing and reading more text than ever. Thus, being able to articulate yourself clearly using words has never been more important The need for humans to communicate clearly and concisely has never been greater.

Students today have a sense that they can find all the answers on the Internet, says Smith. Webb prepares students for a future when they wont be able to look up all the answers on Wikipedia, because theyll be the ones coming up with the answers. And in the digital age, reading slow and writing long are more powerful tools than ever. When so much of a text, or an argument, may be hidden, says Polzik, we had better prepare people to reason.

19

From Many Acts of

Generosity, One

Remarkable Legacy.

20

In 1922, Sherman Day Thacher showed a great kindness to Thompson Webb. Thacher was then the owner and founder

of The Thacher School in Ojai, California.

At the time, Thompson Webb was teaching at his fathers school in Bell Buckle, Tenn., when Thacher reached out; Thompson described the next turn ofevents in his Shoestring speechwhich he gave regularly to the boys and at Kiwanis and Rotary Club meetings throughout Southern California:

One day, I dont know why, Mr. Sherman Day Thacher wrote me a letter out of a clear sky and told me that he was turning down hundreds of boys.

Thompson elaborated on Thachers unselfish offer,

He said there was a need for another school of his

type on the Coast, and he would like very much to

see me come out and start it.

Chandler Field

21

by Debbie Carini

that helped establish Webb, and a generosity of spirit that would set the standard for a wide-sweeping tradition of philanthropy throughout the schools history. For nearly 100 years, the altruism of alumni, parents, friends and supporters has strengthened not only the infrastructure, but also the character, permanence and far-reaching impact of Webb.

Some of these stories span nearly 100 years, says Head of Schools Taylor Stockdale, but the long tail of this generosity to Webb is undeniable and timeless. Thanks to the contributions of these philanthropists, Webb students and alumni are able to make a positive impact as leaders within their communities and professions around the world.

At an early Webb commencement, Leo Chandler, whose son Thomas 30 would later found Chandler School in Pasadena, thanked Thompson for what he had done for the young man. Along with another grateful parent, Colonel Joseph W. Sutphen,whose son was Joe 27, the pair put up enough money for Thompson to build a home, an infirmary, and 12 additional dorm rooms. This generous loan inspired other Webb parents businessmen and founding families of the Westto throw their support behind the burgeoning enterprise and more dorms, a sewer system, and the original gym (now Hooper Student Center) were in place by the start of the 1930s.

And so it would continue throughout the schools early years which overlapped with the catastrophic events of the stock market crash on October 24, 1929, and the ensuing consequences of The Great Depression. The Okies portrayed in John Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath were picking citrus fruit and grapes not far from the campus, but the school and its plucky headmaster persevered. In 1930, Thompson called his teachers together and told them, We may not have students enough to pay your salaries next year with the stock market crashing and so on. All Im going to do is offer everybody a salary ten percent less than last year. The magnanimous teachers all accepted and by Christmas the school was fullhe called the staff together again: You are all going to get your full salary plus a raise.

Students and their parents took a risk on an unproven school; and Thompson took a risk in finding the right boysgoing so far as to offer financial aid to the first seven students who wanted to work their way through in lieu of tuition and board.

In the late 1930s, Vivian Webbs father, the Rev. Robert P. Howell, gave the school a thousand books from his library. This prompted the second largest gift to the school, when the parents of Thomas Jackson 30, a bright young man who died shortly after leaving Webb, offered to build a library as a memorial to their son and fund its entire construction, including the services of renowned architect Myron Hunt.

The Growing Years

Throughout the 1930s, 40s and 50s, the school experienced steady growth, and the benevolence of Webb families continued to make an impact, even though the school was a proprietary institutionthere would be no tax break for contributions. The earliest dorms were funded by the Webb family and debt. The most significant structure to rise during those years was the Vivian Webb Chapel, which was begun in 1938 and completed in 1945. Teachers, students and even the occasional visitor contributed by helping Thompson lay the handmade bricks.

In 1957, the school became a non-profit institution and a steady stream of support brought the campus new structures, improved infrastructure, and enhanced grounds including:

Chandler Field, 1960, built as a memorial to Ralph Chandler 40 (who died in World War II) by the Chandler family.

Price Dining Hall, 1961, a gift of Alice B. and Thomas M. Price who served as a Webb trustee from 1958 to 1962.

22

In the beginningit was an act of generosity

Clockwise from above: Jackson Library; Mary N. Hutchison Center & Dorm; W. Russell Fawcett Memorial Library; Jameson Hall. 23

Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology, 1968, whose construction was funded by a $100,000 gift from George Getty 42, and whose labs were supported by the family of Dwight Taylor 49 (the Taylor family, over time, would donate gifts totaling more than $1 million to Webb).

Seeley Greenleaf Mudd Mathematics Building, 1972, which also included a new auditorium was funded by Seeley Greenleaf Mudd (parent of Seeley Wintersmith Mudd II 43).

Sutro Aquatics Center, mid-1960s, a gift of $91,000 ($712,000 in todays dollars) from John A. Sutro, father of Steve 55 and John, Jr. 53.

In addition, the 1960s saw the construction of several new dormitories which were made possible by gifts from the families for which each structure is named:

Holt Hall, 1965, was named for Mrs. Herbert B. Holt (mother of Martin 39, grandmother of Herbert 67, and aunt of Donald Bekins 49). In addition to the dorm that carries her name, Holt also helped finance the Alf Museum and the health center.

William H. Jones Hall 1965 was a gift of George Getty 42 to honor his stepfather.

MacLeod Hall was a 1963 gift of Martha Harris MacLeod (parent of Norman Jr. 40).

Jameson Hall was primarily funded in 1962 by Frank Gard Jameson 41, (his son is Frank Jr. 71 and grandchildren, Michael 08 and Julia 09).

By the 1980s, the school was firmly established and the first-ever full-fledged fundraising effort, The Campaign for The Webb Schools, was undertaken and eventually raised more than $7 million. Gifts to this campaign enriched the campus through the construction of new buildings such as:

Mary N. Hutchison Center & Dorm, a gift of John Hutchison (parent of Stuart 83) and Murray Hutchison (parent of Chris 80, Andrew 86, Eric 87 and Kevin 89), in memory of their mother. Murray also served on the board and is a life trustee.

BarbaraBarbara Mott Mott McCarthy McCarthy Aquatics Aquatics Center Center

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Appleby Dorm, a gift of Jerene Appleby and her son, Carlton 41; Jerene gave the building to Webb in gratitude for Thompson Webbs enrolling her sons (Carlton 41 and Andrew 46) on trust when she was unable to advance the tuition. Carlton is the father of Jeff 69, and grandfather of Chris 07 and Wayne 05 and Mareesa 07 Frank.

W. Russell Fawcett Library, a 1987 gift of Priscilla Fawcett as a memorial to her husband. Her son David 61 served as a member of the Webb faculty for 39 years. The Path to Long-term Stabil ity

With the infrastructure fairly well built-up, attention turned next to establishing a savings account for the school. The 1994 -1999 Building CharacterA Campaign for The Webb Schools, which raised more than $22 million, was primarily concerned with establishing a viable endowment for the institutiontaking its total from $1 million to $20 million. Webb relies on income from endowment funds to provide support for ongoing programs such as scholarships, programming, and faculty retention. James Drasdo 63 chaired the campaign and made a leadership gift to help establish the Les & Barbara Perry Faculty Enrichment Fund.

During Building Character there were several transformative leadership gifts including:

The Mary Stuart Rogers Endowed Scholarship, established in 1996 and made possible by Col. John S. Rogers USAF 59, grandfather of Tylor 16, and the Mary Stuart Rogers Foundation.

Raymond M. Alf Inspirational and Unbounded Teaching Chair in Science, funded in 1998 in honor of Ray Alf by Robert A. Hefner III 53.

Robert A. Hefner III 53 Endowment for Excellence in Science, providing annual support for science related initiatives.

25

The McCarthy Collaborative Learning Lab established in 2000 through the generosity of Avery McCarthy 52. McCarthy has continued to help fund new software programs and licenses for computer labs and dormitories.

He also funded the Avery McCarthy 52 Charitable Lead Unitrust to support the world languages department and supported the new Barbara Mott McCarthy Aquatics Center.

The estate of David Pinkham 37 provided more than $4 million from a charitable trust set up by him and his wife Virginia Pinkham. The gift was used in part for construction projects, faculty development, and programs that will help the schools continue to promote the character of its students.

The Les and Barbara Perry Faculty Enrichment Fund, established in 1995, with a leadership gift from James Drasdo 63.

An unrestricted gift from the Scripps brothers, Charles and Robert, both the class of 37.

The Clifford S. Heinz 37 Ethical Education Program, which was established in 1997 by Clifford Heinz 37 and the C.S. Heinz Foundation to augment the work of Webbs student-run honor committees, curriculum and athletic programs.

As a new century took hold, Webb once again looked to its future. In 2005, the Fulfilling Our Promise campaign addressed comprehensive needs of the school including capital necessities,endowment, operating funds, and the Alf Museum. The campaign, which raised more than $50 million, established 25 new endowment funds, increased the amounts of 20 existing endowment funds, and was the most successful planned giving effort ever, producing the largest deferred gifts in Webbs

Above:Above: Copeland Donahue TheaterBelow: Mary Stuart Rogers Sports Center

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90+ year history: $13.2 million in deferred gifts at face value. There were also numerous capital improvements and more than $10 million was raised through The Webb Fund.

The campaign kicked-off with an extraordinary giftthe largest in Webbs history at more than $6 millionfrom James D. Burke 42 and his wife, Lin (P Richard 69). The leadership gift came in the form of a family cabin on Big Bear Lake, which was subsequently sold; with the proceeds of that sale, Webb built the Copeland Donahue Theater in 2008. Additionally, the gift continues to provide endowment support to the schools.

The campaign included leadership gifts such as:

The Mary Stuart Rogers Sports Center and Faculty Field through a gift from Col. John S. Roger USAF 59 and the Mary Stuart Rogers Foundation.

Endowed funds to support the salary of the curator at the Alf Museum as well as a fund to support the curators research work with students and the scientific community by Gretchen Augustyn (P Jennifer 89) and family. Augustyn is a trustee of the Alf Museum.

Ming Chung Liu and Yan Cheung (P Ken 10) made the lead gift towards the Susan A. Nelson Performing Arts Center; they also generously supported major renovations to the historic Alamo dorm.

The John Bryan Family Scholarship Fund established by Mr. and Mrs. John Bryan 43

The Crean Foundation established a matching scholarship program that garnered $3 million to support financial aid for deserving students, which was also made possible by the Crean family, and Crean Foundation board member, Susan Thomas (P Corey 05 and Elizabeth 09).

Charlene E. and Michael T. Gallagher (P Candace 07 and Michael 09) provided instrumental support to several key areas of the campaign including the Kirkhill Dorm renovation, the campus turn-around and the reconstruction of the student quad area.

The estate of Mr. and Mrs. Victor Heerman Jr. 42 supported faculty.

The estate of Dwight W. Taylor 49 supported current needs.

Additional major gifts came from Paul Reitler 54 (his brother is William 72 and his grandson is Chason Bridges 13) who established the Reitler Scholarship Fund; the Hanson family (Skip 59, Bob 62 and their father Wayne); Peter Ziegler 63; Franklin Otis Booth Jr. 40 and the Otis Booth Foundation for endowment for financial aid; and Louis Mayberg 80, also for financial aid endowment through The Louis Mayberg 80 Scholarship Fund.

As Webb now looks to The Centennial in 2022, the community can be proud of what it has built and what is yet to come. Those early Webb facilities, with modern upgrades, still represent the core of todays vibrant campus, now comprising 30 buildings and 42 faculty residences on more than 70 acres of land. Throughout the years, Webbs leaders have added significantly to the institutions footprint in response to growing enrollment, changing needs, and enhanced capabilities. New buildings have been, and will continue to be, designed to blend harmoniously with the campus stately architecture andin keeping with Thompsons intentto maximize opportunities for students, faculty, and visitors to exchange ideas, learn, lead honorable lives, and establish lifelong bonds.

Generous contributions of alumni, parents, and

friends who believe in the mission of a Webb education

have helped to create and sustain Webb. The future

Webb at 100holds bright promise for new and

exciting ventures,

says Joe Woodward, director of institutional advancement. Webb is committed to providing current and future students with a learning experience that is unmatched in all aspects: academic, athletic, social, and civic.

27

ith so many statistics supporting the benefits of a boarding school education, it should come as no surprise that applications to Webb are up 100% since 2001and a growing number of these applicants are the children of alumni and siblings of our graduates. While these numbers are impressive alone, perhaps even more striking is the number of students, who, once accepted, actually join the Webb community. Of boarding students who are accepted, some 70% choose to attend Webb (versus 52% at boarding schools nationwide), and 98% of day students accepted join the community.

Weve made such wonderful progress enrolling legacy

students. Today we find ourselves at an all-time high.

We want our alumni and legacy families to know that we

have a robust financial aid budget and are working hard to

make Webb affordable for the best and brightest,

says Taylor Stockdale, Head of Schools.

Families say yes because Webb is doing so well, says Leo Marshall, director of admission.

Of course, attending a top boarding school does more than help students get into a good collegeit provides a remarkable education, a powerful alumni network, and lifelong friends. But Webbs attractiveness to bright, eager

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Alumni and Sibling Legacy Students Enroll in Record Numbers

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students has most to do with the distinctive qualities that set Webb apart from peer schoolsan ambitious program in developing honorable leaders, a forward-looking and innovative curriculum, and a dedicated boarding faculty and staff.

The school isnt stuck in time.

We still honor the core values of a

Webb education, but were a dynamic

and innovative learning community,

Marshall says.

Stockdale agrees and adds that the long tenured admission office has certainly helped with these numbers. Leo Marshalls work over the past 15 years has been in partnership with Stevie Marshall, who serves as the senior associate director of admission. They are joined in this endeavor by Jeff Stodgel, associate director of admission and financial aid, and Heidi Marti, assistant director of admission.

Everyone is competing for great boarding students, says Marshall. The difference at Webb is that this is a school thats always looking at itself and asking, what can we do better?

Certainly the strong interest in a Webb education within the legacy community of alumni and current families is a great indicator of Webbs growing success as a school. There are now 16 alumni legacy students on campus13 are the children of graduates and three are the children of alumni grandparents. There are also numerous nieces, nephews and cousins of alumni at Webb. All told, nearly one-third of current students has a sibling on campus or is related to a Webb graduate.

Over the last five years, Webb has also garnered national and international attention in a variety of publications and been ranked as one of the best boarding schools in America. Publications as diverse as The Washington Post, Boarding School Review, Los Angeles magazine, Business Insider, The Bund magazine and others have taken note of both Webbs excellence and its uniqueness. According to Stockdale, this recognition has come in part because of the growing national reputation of Webbs senior team and faculty. Involvement of senior staff in national organizations such as NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools), TABS (The Association of Boarding Schools), CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education) and other organizations has been important in raising the stature of the schools nationwide, he says.

Webbs rise in notoriety also enhances college admission opportunities as well.Hector Martinez, director of college guidance, is today one of the most well-known college placement officers in the country. Martinez has served as chairman of The College Board Western Region and was a member of the Council of the College Board Scholarship Service. He most recently was appointed to a three-year term as a member of the National College Board Guidance and Admissions Council and served as co-chairman of the College Board National Forum.

In the end, Stockdale explains, Our senior team and our faculty continue to work so hard to bring to fruition the promise of The Centennial Strategic Plan. For all of these reasons, students and families from across the country and around the world look at a Webb education as one of the most important investments they can make.

For me, the children and siblings of Webb alumni are among the best and brightest of our incoming class each year. I want this to continue to be true for years to come, Stockdale finished.

WWith a number of teams finishing in top slots

league-wide, athletics director Steve Wishek can

state with confidence that the move to the

San Joaquin League has been a huge victory

for athletes and their teams.It continues to pay

dividends in terms of success for our athletes,

said Wishek. Success is becoming the new

normal for Gauls teams.

Five teams finished at, or near the top, of league

standings and experienced CIF competition.

Girls Cross Country was the league champion for the first time since 1991 and continued on to the CIF prelims, where they finished one spot away from advancing to CIF finals. Boys Cross Country followed their 2014 League Championship with another for 2015, and also continued on to CIF. Runner Raphael Huang 17 was named League MVP and First Team honors went to Andrew Fenichel 17 and Jackson Bibbens 18; Second Team honors went to Henry Dominquez-Letelier 17, Kevin Wang 18, Barrett Fischer 16, and Nick Martinez 18.

W E B B

G A U L A T H L E T I C S

TODAY

Webb Magazine Spring 2016

32 WFive Fall Teams Reach CIF Competition

In addition, Sarah Hebb 18, Yukimi Hiroshima 17, Anissa Medina 18, Madison Steinorth 18, and Anne Lofgren 19 were named to the All-League First Team, and Clair Jiang 18, Isabella Martinez 19, and Grace Kirkland 18 were named All-League Second Team.

In WSC water polo competition, the team captured the league championship for the first time since 2009 and played through the semifinals. WSC water polo athletes compete in the Academy League, which is in its first year of existence. David Albers 16 was named League MVP, First Team All-CIF, and to the all-area water polo team by theInland Valley Daily Bulletin newspaper. Other All-Leaguehonors went to Travis Alvarado 18, Mitchell Fargo 17, and Max Sapozhkov 17, First Team; and Will Donahue 18, Richard Parnell 16, and Mark Kraus 16, Second Team. In addition to David Albers 16, Mitchell Fargo 17 was named First Team All-CIF, Travis Alvarado 18 was named Second Team All-CIF and Mark Kraus 16 was named Third Team All-CIF.

VWS Tennis also finished league play in first place and followed with a trip to CIF where they competed until the quarter finals. Athletes Gio Tyndale 16, Katie Hawkes 16, Megan Kotrappa 16, and Tiffany Kim 16 received First Team All-League honors; while Michelle Lee 16, Thea Kirkpatrick 18, Jordan Street 16 and Naomi Buday 16 received Second Team All-League accolades.

This is a back-to-back league championship for VWS tennis, said Wishek, explaining that each year, the Gauls have been eliminated from CIF competition by the team that eventually went on to win the CIF championship.

Girls Volleyball finished second in league play and received second place honors in CIF competition. Jordan Fuelling 17 was named to the All-League First Team, while Jessica Burns 16 and Kate Lofgren 16 earned Second Team honors.

The Gauls gridiron team played their first evening game under the lights on Faculty Field taking on Fairmont Prep of Anaheim. Chaz Salazar 16, Apollo Thomas 17 and Shey Newton 16 were named to the First Team All-League, and Raj Sandhu 16 and Tylor Bell-Rogers 16 were recognized on the Second Team All-League.

Gabriel Sanchez 77 returned to Webb to coach the first VWS golf team. While a student at Webb, Sanchez played golf for four years and was captain of the team for three.

I really enjoy coaching the girls at VWS, he said. One of the proudest moments of last season was when we were named the high school girls golf team with the highest GPA in Southern California.

Kitty He 17 took home Second Team All-League honors for the team.

Wishek was also proud to announce: Hailey Arteaga 16 signed a National Letter of Intent to play softball for Division 1 Seton Hall University receiving a full scholarship to play for the Big East university in South Orange, NJ; and Shey Newton 16 signed to play football for Division 1 University of San Diego.

The fall season has been marked with a lot of success on the field, for which we are very proud, said Wishek, but even more importantly, the coaches and student athletes have represented Webb with distinction in regards to their sportsmanship and comportment embodying the schools mission to the outside community.

For more information about Webbs athletic programs, teams,

and scheduling, go to http://www.webb.org/athletics/index.aspx.

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Five Fall Teams Reach CIF Competition

W E B B

T H E A R T S

TODAY

Technology and theater have long been intertwined:

from the days of the Ancient Greeks and Romans who

employed deux ex machina (a plot device in which an actor

would be lowered onto the stage via crane) to the revolving

stage of Kabuki theater in the 1750s to the mounting of

footlights in the 1880s. Todays technologycomputer-

controlled lighting, sound, and sceneryhas become an

indispensable part of live performing arts providing exciting

new experiences not only for actors, but also for those

interested in production and design.

T HE AT ER IN T HE D IG I TA L AG E

Behind the Scenes

Webb Magazine Spring 2016

34

The technical theater program at Webb offers a unique opportunity for students to explore the area of entertainment technology. And, with Webbs theatrical venuesthe Liu/Cheung Theater and the Copeland Donahue Theater and Digital Media Studiothey are exposed to the latest technological advances. The Liu/Cheung Theater features a state-of-the-art control booth with professional grade lighting and sound systems, two spotlights, a cyclorama with LED lighting, a sprung floor on stage, lighting catwalks,a rehearsal room, and a dedicated scene shop for constructing sets and props. The Copeland Donahue is a flexible space that features a hi-tech digital media studio for creating cutting-edge works.

Alex Valdez is Webbs technical director, and he describes his students as artists.

We (the technicians) are performers too, he says. We want to captivate the audience, but also enhance and embellish what the performer is doing on stage.

Participants in the program are trained to be resourceful and imaginative contributors who integrate engineering and artistic techniques with theatrical settings.

There is great cohesion between the performers and the techniciansthis art form is very collaborative, the show belongs to the students and every set piece, prop, and special effect is created by students. Its worth more to them when they put all that energy into it, says Valdez.

Participation in theater tech is much like being on a team, there are many different components to bringing a show to life.

Sarah Tinsley 17 decided to explore theater tech on the advice of another classmate.

It was like rocket science to me when I first started, she says of the technology. But as time progressed, and I learned more, it became a lot simpler.

Tinsley has worked on theatrical, dance and choral productions. And shes learned to be inventive.

During one musical number, the sound temporarily went out, she says. The technicians still had to come up with sound effects, and we did, using an old bottle!

Curtis Scheu 16 says he never really thought about the origins of the lighting or sound, or the workers behindthe scenes, whenever he found himself in a performance space. Now, after several seasons, his participation has paid off in more ways than hed imagined it would.

Ive come to know the names and science behind all the cords Ive used to set up my desktop computers and TVs, and a lot more about how electricity works, he says. When a projector isnt working in class, I can troubleshoot or even fix the problem before we have to call upon the technical support staff.

Scheus favorite special effect so far was for the 2015 dance show, Underworlds and Awakenings, which was inspired by the myth of Persephone. The effect was during Bailey Scherers 16 solo which she performed on a suspended hoop.

The theater was dark besides a few lights: two to create clear shadows to the left and right of her on the stage, and one to create a rose pattern on the crash pad below her, explains Scheu. For me, it was one of the first moments that I stopped and realized how my work could take an already beautiful person and dance routine, and make it even more so.

Fine arts department chair Stefanie Plumley says that she and Valdez work very closely through every stage of production to ensure that the technology is used to enhance the story.

We never do anything just because it looks cool, or because we can, she says. Of course, that doesnt prevent us from doing cool things with our new toys, but we always make sure that it is part of the storytelling, rather than the main event.

For example, she explains: the first show we did in the space,

Metamorphoses, involved a lot of gods speaking to mortals. The challenge

was to create something that was truly awesome and otherworldly.

So I had media arts teacher Jonathan Capone film certain scenes, which

we were then able to project onto fog during the show. The result was

fantastic; giant heads speaking from a curtain of fogwhat could be more

god-like than that! None of it would have been possible without the new

technology. The things we can do with lighting now are incredible, and its

become a major player when Im in the process of designing a show.

If the designers can imagine it, odds are good that it can be built and carried out by Webbs theater techs.

Not a lot of high schools have a tech program as all-encompassing as ours, says Valdez. Our program covers all areasset design, lighting and sound design and props. We have a proscenium stage, a black box theater, a full scene shop, and lighting and sound capabilities with separate controls.

For theater tech participants, working under the pressures of deadlines, creative problem solving, teamwork and self-expression can be just as exhilarating as scoring the winning run or crossing the finish line. Its the job of a stage manager to call cues with precision and insight, blending the technical elements seamlessly into the show. Its the job of a lighting designer to create a stellar light plot that directs the audiences focus to whats important on stage and its the job of stagehands to complete scene changes without the audience missing a beat. Theater technicians are often considered behind the scenes, but their work makes every production possible. And Webbs sophisticated systems and equipment provide a springboard from which creativity can truly take flight.

There are many aspects of theatrical performance, and bringing them all together in harmony is the impressive feat that our directors, teachers, and friends manage to do so well here at Webb, adds Scheu.

Plumley concurs: The hands-on learning, the opportunity to develop a set of real skills and the community we build in the afternoon theater program is the biggest reason that non-performers decide to join us.

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360603_WebbMagSpring16_r3.indd 37 3/17/16 9:20 AM

Webb Magazine Spring 2016

36 One of the most important facets of the Alf Museum

is its integration into The Webb Schools, and the

extensive opportunities that students have to work

with real paleontologists.

This is a powerful educational model, and one that deserves to be used more widely. Yet, it is difficult to implement because professional paleontologists are often hesitant to engage in these kinds of efforts with K-12 students for a variety of reasons: lack of time, lack of recognition of its importance by universities, or a shortage of funding, among others. In order to encourage and recognize endeavors outside of Webb, the trustees of the Alf Museum have established the Raymond M. Alf Award for Excellence in PaleontologicalResearch and Education. It honors a paleontologist who pursues outstanding original scientific research as well as exceptional education and outreach at the primary and secondary school (K-12) levels in the spirit of Ray Alf.

Dr. Kent Smith of Oklahoma State Universitys Center for Health Sciences was the first recipient of the award, given at the 23rd Annual Peccary Society Dinner. Dr. Smith is a professor of anatomy, associate dean for the universitys Office for the Advancement of American Indians in Medicine and Science, an affiliated research associate of the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, and co-founder of Native Explorers Foundation. This foundation creates

innovative educational programs around the disciplines of anatomy and vertebrate paleontology, with the goal of increasing the number of Native Americans pursuing careers as scientists, educators, and physicians.

As his colleagues attest, Dr. Smiths unwavering commitment to encouraging students, has ignited a passion for paleontology and scientific inquiry in countless young minds. He empowers students to explore opportunities, try difficult research, and to imagine themselves as scientists. His philosophy is akin to that of Raymond Alf. Our initiatives will increase the number of American Indians practicing medicine and working in the science fields through mentoring and targeted programs, said Smith.

As expressed by Alf Museum board member Terry Baganz, Out of all the candidates, Dr. Smith stood out because he engages young people to experience the thrill of scientific discovery, which embodies our mission here at the Alf Museum.

Alf Museum Creates National Award

to Recognize Research and Education

Excellence by Paleontologists

Dr. Andrew Farke (R) presents Dr. Kent Smith (L) with the inaugural Alf Award.

ALFTHE ATWEBBN e w s f r o m t h e R a y m o n d M . A l f M u s e u m o f P a l e o n t o l o g y a t T h e W e b b S c h o o l s

d i s c o v e r

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In October 2015, a group of seven Webb students attended the

Society of Vertebrate Paleontologys annual meeting (SVP), held in

Dallas, Texas. They continued a long tradition of students presenting

their original research at the conference. One of the attendees

was Megan Kotrappa 16, a senior in Webbs Advanced Studies in

Paleontology class. Below, she talks about her research and her

experience at the SVP conference.

Starting in August 2014, I began researching the inner ear of a multituberculate, an extinct rodent-like mammal that lived in California about 60 million years ago. Through digital segmentation, I was able to isolate the left and right ear canals from a CT scan of the skull. After a few months of going layer by layer through the CT scan, I created a 3D model that was printed on the research labs 3D printer. Then I identified the specific regions of each respective ear canal and compared it to information on ear regions from other multituberculate species. Before the end of the school year, I was able to write an abstract that summarized the information I gained from this research and then applied for the chance to present it at the SVP conference. Upon returning to school in August, I learned that my abstract was accepted, so I created a poster that covered all the aspects of the research I had done the past year.

After writing the text for the poster, practicing my one-minute spiel, and seeing the completed cloth poster in front of me, I awaited our trip to the SVP Conference. While at the meeting, we explored Dallas, attended presentations, and learned about new and upcoming research from well-known paleontologists. When it came time for my presentation, I was both excited and overwhelmed. Paleontologists from around the world and authors of the papers I had read stopped by to ask questions about the advanced technology I used and provide advice on further research. Others doing similar work asked my opinion on Slicer, the program I used for the CT scan segmentation, while some asked what my research could tell us about this species of multituberculate.

Getting asked whether this was my Ph.D. thesis truly confirmed the level of research we are doing at the Alf Museum. Attending the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology conference and presenting was a once in a lifetime experience for a high school student, and I am so thankful to have had the opportunity.

Fossils break. It happens. But that doesnt mean

we cant try and prevent breaks in the first place.

One new way we are doing this is to make custom

housing for specimens known as cavity mounts.

These easy-to-make storage containers are an ideal way to house fossils. Each mount is made with archival materials, such as Ethafoam and Tyvek. These materials wont harm the fossil and can stand the test of time. Each cavity mount is custom-made as the Ethafoam is cut into the shape of the fossil to ensure that the specimen is kept stable, there isnt stress put on delicate structures, and the specimen wont roll around when moved. Tyvek lines the foam cavity and provides additional support for fragile fossils, and works to catch any fragments that might happen to fall off. Cavity mounts work great for researchers too. They provide a secure way to handle fossils and a safe place to put them while taking measurements or making observations. Yes, cavity mounts take time to build, but this step is one of the most important in preserving Alf Museum fossils for future generations.

Student Perspectives from a Paleontology Conference

By Megan Kotrappa 16

Projects in the Collections Room:

Cavity Mounts

Dr. Andrew Farke (R) presents Dr. Kent Smith (L) with the inaugural Alf Award.

This cavity mount houses parts of the right foot of a tyrannosaur from the Kaiparowits Formation of Utah.

N e w s f r o m t h e R a y m o n d M . A l f M u s e u m o f P a l e o n t o l o g y a t T h e W e b b S c h o o l s

Webb Magazine Spring 2016

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A vital part of the museums mission is our strong commitment

to education and public outreach as we work to connect with people

in our local communities.

Back in 2013, the Alf Museum made international headlines with the announcement of a baby Parasaurolophus nicknamed Joe, the smallest and most complete skeleton ever found. Now, Joe is headed for a yearlong exhibition in Japan, through special arrangements made between the Alf Museum, the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo, and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

Joe was selected as one of a handful of recent

spectacular dinosaur discoveries for display at

Dinosaur Expo 2016. This expo, which runs every

few years, draws hundreds of thousands of museum

visitors. In addition to a three month showing in Tokyo,

the exhibit will also be visiting science museums in

Kitakyushu, Osaka, and Nagoya.

Although the skeleton is from a small dinosaur, transporting it is a massive undertaking. A custom crate had to be built, along with special transport at the airport and a personal escort of the specimen onto the aircraft. Collections manager Gabe Santos and Augustyn Family curator Andy Farke have been working with staff at the Tokyo museum to set up arrangements. The fossil departed the Alf Museum in early March 2016, and it will be returning in the spring of 2017.

This is an incredible opportunity for the Alf Museum and The Webb Schools, says Farke. As far as I know, no other fossil from the museum has ever received this kind of international attention. We cant wait to share this discovery with the world!

Serving the Alf Museum for 30 Years:

Docent Carol Jorden

Dinosaur Joe headed to Japan!Beyond the weekday tours and fossil loan kits that annually reach thousands of elementary school students, Family Science Discovery Days are special Saturday events that accommodate family visits and encourage participation. These are big events that would not be possible without student and parent volunteers and our exceptional docents, Marky Katib, Ellen Goldman, Bill Hanlon and Carol Jorden.

Carol Jorden has the longest history as a museum docent, with 30 years of dedicated service. She began in 1986 while attending Cal State Los Angeles for her teaching credential. Geology courses led to her interest in paleontology and she discovered the Alf Museum. Carol saw Ray Alf conduct tours, and with his dramatic and captivating lessons, she knew that she would bring her own students to the museum someday.

It wasnt long before Carol was conducting tours of the museum for students of her school every year. Although busy as a full-time teacher, Carol also volunteered for the museums weekend events. When the Family Science Discovery Day program was created in 2002, Carol enthusiastically volunteered to give paleontology talks to children which quickly grew in popularity. Now, the most attended part of the program is Mrs. Jordens Fossil Talks, which attract up to 30 children at each session.

Carol has witnessed the museums transformation over the years, from concrete floors and fossils leaned up against bare brick walls, to achieving national accreditation and undergoing multiple renovations. Carol was there for all of it and recalls that when she saw the completed Hall of Life renovation in 2011, it brought tears to her eyes.

Carol is a life learner and her volunteer efforts have made her a highly valued member of the Alf Museum team. She recently retired from teaching, but generously continues her outstanding work for us. The contributions of our docents keep the museum outreach program running strong and we are very thankful for the support of these extraordinary people.

Volunteering at the Alf Museum inspired Carol to apply for an Earthwatch Institute Scholarship, which allowed her to help excavate and study a woolly mammoth from Oxford, England.

N e w s f r o m t h e R a y m o n d M . A l f M u s e u m o f P a l e o n t o l o g y a t T h e W e b b S c h o o l sN e w s f r o m t h e R a y m o n d M . A l f M u s e u m o f P a l e o n t o l o g y a t T h e W e b b S c h o o l s

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Alf Museum in HollywoodIn true Hollywood fashion, rock stars of the Alf Museum were on hand for the world premiere of Disney/Pixars latest animated movie, The Good Dinosaur. The Alf Museum was invited to create a temporary exhibit at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, featuring dinosaur footprints from the museums collection. The display, including specimens from throughout the United States, described the kinds of information that paleontologists can learn from trackways and also told the story of the museums unique relationship with Webb. Nearly all of the fossils on display were found by Webb students. Alf Museum staff selected the fossils for the exhibit and installed them in mid-November alongside an exhibit from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Thousands of visitors to the theatre viewed the Alf Museums display during November and December 2015.

Join members of the board of trustees, Webb alumni and staff, and their friends and families on a search for fossils in the Mud Hills near Barstow, California (kids are welcome), on Friday, April 29 through Sunday, May 1, 2016. We meet and camp at Owl Canyon Campground, north of Barstow. Trip leaders are museum director Dr. Don Lofgren; Augustyn Family curator and director of research and collections Dr. Andy Farke; and museum board chair Larry Ashton 70.

The itinerary is flexible, as you can arrive and leave when you wish, but it all starts the evening of Friday, April 29, when we set up camp and organize a gathering area with campfire where participants can cook, eat and relax for an evening of conversation and cool beverages. At breakfast on Saturday we break out the peccary pans, and you can cook your own eggs, bacon, and pancakes or golden browns over an open fire just like Webb students first did with Ray Alf over 60 years ago. We use the exact same pans! Then we drive out to the badlands to search for the documents of life, 16 million year old fossils (collected under federal BLM permit; all fossils are reposited at the Alf Museum). Then its back to the campground for a BBQ dinner and campfire gathering that includes a raffle and singing the Peccary Song.

Sunday morning, we drive through Rainbow Basin and visit the Peccary Site, where the museum got its start in 1936 with the discovery of a new fossil species by Bill Webb 39 and Ray Alf. We will also view the famous Barstow Syncline before heading home by noon.

Mark your calendars and contact Don Lofgren for further information (dlofgren@webb.org; 909-482-5242).

Join the Peccary Society in Barstow

April 29! S A V E T H E D AT E

October 21, 2016 24th Annual Peccary Society Dinner 5:30 Cocktail Reception 7:00 Dinner

Proceedsdirectlysupportthe museumsoperatingbudget.

Dr.Dr. Don Don Lofgren, Lofgren, Jennifer Jennifer Liu Liu 05, 05, Katie Katie Kent Kent Lawlor Lawlor 05, 05, Lance Lance Williams Williams 97 97 andand Will Will Zahn Zahn 95 95 at at the the 2015 2015 Peccary Peccary Society Society Dinner Dinner

N e w s f r o m t h e R a y m o n d M . A l f M u s e u m o f P a l e o n t o l o g y a t T h e W e b b S c h o o l sthethe Webb Webb schools schools

raymond m. Alfmuseum of paleontologyAlfN e w s f r o m t h e R a y m o n d M . A l f M u s e u m o f P a l e o n t o l o g y a t T h e W e b b S c h o o l s

This issue of the Webb magazine asks us

to wonder about long-form writing, now that

a text-chat-post device is always in hand.

Without denying the utility of instant global

textingmy carpool group of Webb faculty

relies on itI believe that people want to

explain themselves, which takes time both

for the speaker or writer and for the listener

or reader.

At mid-life, Ive taken on a few projects I dodged when I was younger. First, I learnedto operate a chain saw. For years, I had hidden my fear of chain saws beyond a credible faade of environmental altruism;I used an axe and big bow saw to cut down trees and firewood, pretending to myself that I was driven by a deep reverence for timeless hand tools. While I do love both hand tools and the exercise and skill it takes to use them well, more true was my avoidance of the chain saw; I was afraid. Ive gotten over that; Im cautious but really like cutting with that gas-powered machine.

Another mid-life first: I changed the oil in my car this summer. I know so many peopleincluding my wifewho grew up changing their oil that it is awkward to admit how satisfied I felt after doing this by myself for the first time. But more than pride, I felt relief; one more thing not to

be afraid of. The oil didnt leak, the car didnt overheat, and the warning lights didnt flash. I simply drove my car, with a new feeling for what was going on under the hood. The joy I felt seems goofy. Why was I scared of such a simple operation?

The trickier thing I have faced recently is thinking for myself, specifically about politics. The intersection of my personal life and two recent incidents of much-publicized violence required something new of me. After the violence in Paris on Friday, November 13thkillings and hostage-taking claimed by ISIS or ISIL, depending on your translation of Arabicthe majority of the 50 U.S. governors announced that their states would not accept immigrants from Syria or Iraq. I was moved to write to my Seattle congressman, to urge him to oppose these governors, and to welcome immigrants to my home state of Washington. In my letter, I invoked a memory from my child-hood. My churchand the congressmansoften included in our weekly Prayers for the People those suffering political oppression under regimes in Central America. More concretely, my church sponsored emigration from Nicaragua and El Salvador; political refugees joined us in the pews in church and made it real for me that people left their homes to escape violence and political frictions. Picking my words to write to my congressman, I emphasized an anecdote

I knew he would recognize from the days when we attended a church that acted politically.

In the spring of my senior year in high school, I was scared by a group of North Africans, who attacked me and my student group when we arrived in their town between the Sahara Desert and the Atlas Mountains. (I attended a private school that sent those of us studying French for a trimester-long bicycle tour of French-speaking countries, including Algeria.) Hoping for lodging or a place to camp in that Algerian town, we rolled in at dusk on our bicycles. But even on the outskirts of town, people had begun to call to us, then shout at us, then throw rocks at us. The Arabic we had studied in classes in SeattleHello. How are you? How many kilometers have you traveled?was not the Arabic we heard that evening. We forced our way through a crowd that was trying to block our way, we threw rocks back, and fled the town. We rode into the night, and into the mountains beyond the town, fueled by adrenaline and anger. Finally, we camped, hiding down a dirt road. We hadnt seen an Algerian in at least an hour. That night, I believed I had encountered a savage and irrational people. Every trait I could associate with Algeriansprimarily race and religionI condemned. My fear of them I turned into hatred. If I could have been airlifted out of Algeria that

W E B BTODAYF A C U L T Y

Taking time

to think things

through: b y A n d y D a h l s t r o m

Webb Magazine Spring 2016

40

Department Chair, English and Humanities

night, I would have been overjoyed. And I would have been stuck with a hateful opinion I believed I was justified in holding. After all, it wasnt prejudice on my part; it was experience that had shown me who these people were.

Instead, I woke to a clear, sunny morning. Frost covered our bicycles and sleeping bags. What had seemed like a good hiding place at night was actually a promontory, where any passerby could see us. Soon after we began moving around, two Algerians started walking up the road toward us: one old man and one little boy. We talked about fighting them. But the old man held a tray, holding a giant galette, a baked item that is a cross between a sugar cookie and a pizza crust. Saying nothing, he set the tray down and backed away. The boy put down a metal pitcher, containing coffee. Its a testament to the twisting influence of fear that we talked about the breakfast being poisoned. Finally, we dug into the galette and drank the coffee. Both were incredible. We offeredsome of the galette to the old man; he refused. But he sent the boy running off with the pitcher, which returned with a second round of coffee.

I didnt have the Arabic or the humility to explain myself to my hosts that morning. They gave me two things: an unforgettable breakfast and a way to eat the words and thoughts I had held for twelve hours, since I had been attacked.

Last week, as part of my work to metabolize the violence in San Bernadino, I walked into the Islamic community center near Webb. I had driven by it dozens of times, but never stopped. I introduced myself to a couple of mena father and son, it turned outsitting outside, and said that I had been thinking a lot about them, about Muslim Americans. I was offered Arabic coffee, which the son made for me. I was encouraged to visit Jerusalem and offered lodging there. I was told why Sunnis and Shiites are in separate schools. I was invited to visit one of their inter-faith gatherings.

In the span of two weeks, I sat down

with my congressman in Seattle for an

hour of conversation and with an unknown

Muslim neighbor. In both conversations,

I listened to men with an impressive grasp

of the respective histories they lived with.

As I spoke, I heard myself trying to find

the tone and vocabulary that matched my

beliefs about the American political and

cultural climate. More fundamentally, what

are my beliefs? How do I work them out

for myself, rather than parroting what

I have read or heard? Long conversations

with thoughtful people have helped.

Hearing what is trending has not.

I am tempted to dismiss this generation of hand-device communication, because it invites behavior I dislike: snap judgment, distracted driving, speaking in demands, making excuses for running late. The devices are fine for asking your spouse what you can pick up at the grocery store. Do they help anyone reflect, wonder, or deepen understanding? Do they help develop and refine a vocabulary or

improve expressiveness? Or are those skills better practiced through longer forms of narration and dialogue?

One adage seems relevant here: its a poor craftsman who blames his tools. I see on campus a couple of ways in which the smartphone in everyones pocket contributes to the education we value. Students record curricular speeches on their phones, and good things happen through those recordings. A student listening to her own recorded words can suggest almost as many editorial changes as I do; students dont edit their writing as vigorously as they do their recorded speeches. Recently, my AP Literature student Matthew, a senior, recorded a speech six times to get his wording and thinking right. His discipline was self-directed. Being exact and methodical, pursuit of a high standard, care that a product represents you accuratelyqualities expressed through use of a smartphone. Also, student recordings captivate. My favorite day teaching teaching freshman last year came when kids recordedreactions to their peers This I Believe speeches. It was a class period of holding the phone to ones ear, hearing a scripted speech, and recording a spoken response. Far more than I have heard in conventional classroom discussionsor when students swap papersthe freshmen showed how well they could extract meaning from a classmates words. It is exciting to hear kids working hard to find their thinking and to express it to an audience they respect.

French philosopher Simone Weil answers the question about the durability of extended writing or conversation in her line, attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity. Paying attention is generous. And, feeling that you have been attended toby a listener or readerelicits thanks.

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The Webb Schools WEBB.ORG

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W E B BTODAYA F F I L I A T E S

A record number of parents enjoyed a

beautiful California fall weekend as they

were treated to a glimpse into their childs

campus life at Webb. From meetings, to

classes, to sporting events and theater

and art presentations, parents sampled

the diverse and stimulating atmosphere

in which their teenagers live each day.

The event kicked off on Thursday, October 1, with a parent reception at the boutique hotel Casa 425 in downtown Claremont where 115 guests experienced a relaxed welcome to the weekend hosted by Jenny Kong (P Elisa 15 and Bella 18), president of The Affiliates.

On Friday, October 2, parents and students gathered for breakfast before attending classes; later, they enjoyed a presentation by Head of Schools Taylor Stockdale, who premiered a short video which highlighted the exciting and unique aspects of Webbs new academic program, An Innovative Curriculum. Director of academic affairs Theresa Smith and director of college guidance Hector Martinez also joined the discussion.

Following the video, Stockdale honored several faculty members and employees for their dedication to the school and its mission. Director of admission Leo Marshall received the 2014-2015 Coach of the Year award for his work with the Track and Field team; Marshall was traveling but was able to phone-in his acceptance speech. The Perry Awards were also announced with Jim Dahler, mathematics, and Wendy Maxon, history, being recognized for

Webb Celebrates Parents Weekend with Academics, Athletics and Arts

their contributions and dedication to the students of Webb. Sandra Ostrow, college guidance executive assistant, was the third recipient of the Joann Robinson Staff Distinguished Service Award for her 18 years of service.

The day culminated with the annual benefit hosted by The Affiliates of The Webb Schools. The event, held under tents on the lower field, was the largest and most successful Affiliates benefit ever with more than 350 parents and friends in attendance. Together at Webb brought in more than $200,000 to support the Affiliates Fund for Teacher Development, financial aid and other programs and activities that provide Webbs margin of excellence. Event co-chairs Denise Guntert (P Anthony 18) and Lisa Albert (P Cole 15 and Wyatt 17) thanked the numerous volunteers and generous supporters who made the event possible. Highlights of the evening were auctioneer Chuck Dukas, who has worked on television shows such as Dancing with the Stars and American Idol, and live performances by Webbs Choir and Chamber Singers.

On Saturday morning, parents ate breakfast with students advisors. Director of experiential learning Tracy Miller, Martinez, and alumna Katherine Kilmer 10 updated parents of juniors and seniors on college trends, summer planning and what to plan for in the coming year, as well as Webbs alumni network, regional events and more. Meanwhile, Stockdale, Smith, director of student life Peter Bartlett and alumna Coleen Martinez 86 (P William 16 and Benjamin 19) led the sophomore and freshmen parents in a panel discussion detailing Webbs innovative curriculum, student life

and alumni programs.

TTThis years even