Bulletin Summer 2007

ST. GEORGE’SST. GEORGE’Ssummer Bulletin2007

St. George’s SchoolP.O. Box 1910Newport, RI 02840-0190

Nonprofit OrganizationU.S. Postage

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In this issue:Chapel talks:

A lesson before dining BY JEFF SIMPSON

Out of tragedy, a miracle BY HADLEY KORN ’07

Practicing to make it perfect BY JOSEPH ASTRAUSKAS ’07

Superstitious BY DEBORAH HAYES

Defying convention BY BENNETT BISTLINE ’07

Every moment of life BY BARRETT FREIBERT ’07

Chapel restoration begins

The Behrend Pool is torn down

Q&A with the Director of College Counseling

Reunion Weekend 2007

Prize Day 2007

New faculty members hired for 2007-08

Teachers visit Asia and Africa

Class ring returned after 46 years

Patnode honored at Cabot/Harman Ice Center

Class Notes

St. George’s School admits male and

female students of any religion, race, color,

sexual orientation, and national or ethnic

origin to all the programs and activities gener-

ally accorded or made available to students at

the school. It does not discriminate on the

basis of religion, gender, race, color, sexual

orientation, or national or ethnic origin in the

administration of its educational policies,

scholarship and loan programs, or athletic and

other school-administered programs. In addi-

tion, the school welcomes visits from disabled

applicants.

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In 1896, the Rev. John Byron Diman,

founder of St. George’s School, wrote in his

“Purposes of the School” that “the specific

objectives of St. George’s are to give its stu-

dents the opportunity of developing to the

fullest extent possible the particular gifts that

are theirs and to encourage in them the desire

to do so. Their immediate job after leaving

school is to handle successfully the demands of

college; later it is hoped that their lives will be

ones of constructive service to the world and

to God.”

As we begin the 21st century, we continue

to teach young women and men the value of

learning and achievement, service to others,

and respect for the individual. We believe that

these goals can best be accomplished by expos-

ing students to a wide range of ideas and

choices in the context of a rigorous curriculum

and a supportive residential community.

Therefore, we welcome students and

teachers of various talents and backgrounds,

and we encourage their dedication to a multi-

plicity of pursuits —intellectual, spiritual, and

physical—that will enable them to succeed in

and contribute to a complex, changing world.

SStt.. GGeeoorrggee’’ss SScchhoooollMMiissssiioonn SSttaatteemmeenntt

ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN 1

From the Editor’s Desk ........................................................................................................................................2Up on the roof: Chapel restoration begins BY SUZANNE M. HADFIELD ..........................................................3An era gone by: The Behrend Pool is torn down BY SUZANNE M. HADFIELD ................................................8News from Geronimo ..........................................................................................................................................11Higher learning: An interview with Director of College Counseling Burke Rogers ’81....................12A lesson before dining BY JEFF SIMPSON............................................................................................................22Out of tragedy, a miracle BY HADLEY KORN ’07 ..............................................................................................25Practicing to make it perfect BY JOSEPH ASTRAUSKAS ’07 ............................................................................28Superstitious: Sailors have a unique way of looking at life BY DEBORAH HAYES ..................................30Defying convention BY BENNETT BISTLINE ’07 ..................................................................................................33Every moment of life BY BARRETT FREIBERT ’07 ................................................................................................36Learn from others BY MARTHA C. MERRILL P’07 ................................................................................................40Prizes awarded May 28, 2007 ........................................................................................................................42Beware the oyster BY HEAD OF SCHOOL ERIC F. PETERSON ................................................................................44Reunion Weekend 2007....................................................................................................................................50The watch system BY BENNETT GEYER ’08..........................................................................................................58Immersed BY TORI HENSEL ’08..............................................................................................................................61Alumni/ae in the news ....................................................................................................................................65Faculty/Staff notes............................................................................................................................................68Global outreach ..................................................................................................................................................74Drinking it all in BY QUENTIN WARREN................................................................................................................76Sports news ..........................................................................................................................................................80Student achievements ......................................................................................................................................84Rooms with a view BY LUCY WHITTLE GOLDSTEIN ..............................................................................................90Feeling the music BY SCHUYLER LIVINGSTON ’07 ................................................................................................92New students 2007-08 ....................................................................................................................................99Campus happenings ........................................................................................................................................100Class notes ........................................................................................................................................................109

The St. George’s Bulletin is published bi-annually. Suzanne M. Hadfield, editor; Ilona Tipp, communications

associate; Toni Ciany, editorial assistant; and members of the Alumni/ae Office, copy editors.

ST. GEORGE’S SCHOOL

P.O. BOX 1910

NEWPORT, RI 02840-0190

Office of the Bulletin Editor

tel: (401) 842-6792

fax: (401) 842-6745

e-mail: [email protected]

Main School Tel: (401) 847-7565

Main School Fax: (401) 842-6677

Toll free: 1.888.ICALLSG

School web site: www.stgeorges.edu

Special visiting student Laura Meyer

of Germany accepts a certificate for

one year of academic work

successfully completed from Head of

School Eric Peterson in May.

PHOTO BY SUZANNE M. HADFIELD

On the cover:

Graduates celebrate after the

awarding of diplomas

on Prize Day 2007.

PHOTO BY KATHRYN WHITNEY LUCEY

On the back cover:

Hendrik Kits van Heyningen ’10 finds

time to practice on the piano in the

Drury/Grosvenor Arts Center.

PHOTO BY SUZANNE M. HADFIELD

St. George’sB u l l e t i n

C o n t e n t s

The Alumni/ae Magazine of St. George’s School, Newport, R.I.

2 ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN

This was a different kind of summer on

the Hilltop. The drone of

construction equipment replaced the

chatter of foreign languages being

spoken by international students as

summer school was suspended and

many of our buildings underwent

renovations. King Hall was shuttered,

the chapel was swathed in scaffolding,

and the scenery changed as we

watched the old pool come down (“An

era gone by,” p.8) and the library and

its scrolling dragon sculptures become

part of the view from the Main Drive.

Returning students will notice

several changes as they come back to

SG for the start of the 2007-08

academic year. They’ll see that we’re

taking care of our community and surroundings,

preserving our history and simultaneously

embracing the newness of what’s ahead.

The 80-year-old centerpiece of our campus

is being cared for in the most meticulous way

(“Up on the roof: Chapel restoration begins,”

p.3), while at the same time a new state-of-the-

art Macintosh computer lab is humming in the

Drury/Grosvenor Art Center and the library is

being rejuvenated and reconfigured with a new

entrance opposite Memorial Schoolhouse.

Like our infrastructure, students here grow

and change in ways that they themselves may not

even imagine are possible, as the many stories in

this edition suggest. They realize they can

persevere through the most intense of

disappointments (“Every moment of life,” p.36),

recover from catastrophic wounds both physical

and mental (“Out of tragedy, a miracle,” p.25),

and even teach themselves how to recognize their

own idiosyncrasies (“Practicing to make it

perfect,” p.28).

Students here are notorious for their

bravery, and although “getting outside one’s

comfort zone” is an often-overused admonition

in independent school chapel talks, students here

report back substantive changes from their

explorations of the unfamiliar. (“Immersed,”

p.61, “Drinking it all in,” p.76, and “Rooms with

a view,” p.90)

Of course it’s not always easy to face the

newness of what’s ahead. An interview with

Director of College Counseling Burke Rogers ’81

reveals that planning for the next steps,

especially in terms of college, is key (“Higher

learning,” p.12). English teacher Jeff Simpson,

when asked by the graduating class to speak at

the school’s first-ever Baccalaureate service,

suggested literature as a vehicle for

understanding your life and yourself—and

maybe exploring the unknown (“A lesson before

dining” by Jeff Simpson, p.22).

Summer indeed is winding down and

students, new and returning, will soon arrive on

the Hilltop, get settled in. In most cases this also

means saying goodbye to family members, at

least for a time.

Now that I’m a mother I realize the

poignancy of that moment more than ever

before—all the expectations and hopes for a

positive experience, all the turned-up nerves of

new beginnings.

A little bravery can’t hurt.

Suzanne M. Hadfield

Bulletin Editor

St. George’sF r o m t h e e d i t o r ’ s d e s k

Me and my son,Connor, nine months.


Up on the roofA MULTI-YEAR RESTORATION OF THE ST. GEORGE’S CHAPEL IS UNDER WAY�

Workers for Shawmut Design and Construction Inc. begin to remove portions of the roof of the Chapel.

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priorityTop

BY SUZANNE M. HADFIELD

Itmust’ve been a source of frustration right

from the start: Not long after the St.

George’s Chapel was built in 1927 patron

John Nicholas Brown ’19 learned the walls of his

beloved building were leaking.

Those limestone walls have been perplexing

architects ever since, so this summer the school is

addressing the issue once again—starting at the

top.

A $1 million roof replacement project got

under way on June 4 and should be complete by

the fall. It’s the first step in a full analysis and

remediation plan to stop the leakage problem from

getting any worse—and to preserve the signature

and most famous building on campus.

Workers have removed the entire coated

copper roof as well as the slate roof sections and

meticulously begun replacing them with all new

materials, with one notable exception.

Undetectable to the outside observer, an ice and

water shield is being placed between the concrete

slab that serves as the bottom layer of the roof and

the coated copper and slate above.

Anything to keep the weather out.

“Since 1927 the building has had problems …

particularly with the masonry,” said preservation

architect Martha Werenfels of Providence-based

Durkee and Brown Architects Inc., whose firm

Claude Levesque,project manager forShawmut Design andConstruction ofBoston, surveys theold chapel roof justbefore it was replacedthis summer.


was contracted back in 2001 to make a complete

report on the condition of the chapel. “It’s not

incredibly clear where the water’s getting in, but

we know that the exterior walls are wet inside.”

The exterior walls of the chapel are actually

limestone veneer, notes Werenfels. Two layers of

limestone surround a brick core. When the firm

bore sample holes in the structure at the start of

their study, they hit H2O right away.

“Right now we’re starting to chip away at the

priority items,” she said of the chapel preservation

plan, “and the highest priority is the roof.”

Most of us know the story of how the chapel

was built: Brown, who was deemed the “richest

baby in America” when he was born in 1900, had

admired the already famous architect Ralph

Adams Cram since he was a boy. The two met

while Cram was working for Brown’s mother

renovating Emmanuel Church in Newport. When

Brown approached the SG Board of Trustees in

1921 with a plan to pay for a medieval chapel to

be built on campus, he already knew he would

hire Cram & Ferguson for the job. Brown,

however, was not a “hands-off ” patron. He took

an active role in the design, such as making his

own sketches for some elements of the chapel,

which he hand-delivered on one of his many trips

to the Cram & Ferguson office.

When the chapel was finally consecrated on

April 28, 1928, it was only after a lengthy design

and construction process—and some of the issues

Brown and Cram worked through are still having

Workers remove the slate section of the roof behind the organ.

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PHOTOSBYSU

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Even on the roof, craftsmen paid attention to detail. This dragon is a decorative element near a gutter 100 feet above the ground.

PHOTO

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implications today.

The chapel is a combination of medieval

design, but with the materials and methods that

were newly available in 1927, according to

Werenfels.

“It was kind of this marriage, a mix of

medieval aesthetics with modern technology,” she

said. “And we think that’s part of the problem.”

It may be that the mortar used to glue the

stones together was too hard. “In 1927, there were

all these new [mortar] technologies being

developed and they thought harder was better,”

she said. “It turned out not to be such a great

idea.”

When the mortar is harder than the stone and

the building settles, the stone cracks, she

explained.

And that’s just what happened here. Werenfels

says there’s a lot of cracking in the chapel’s walls,

particularly at the eastern end in the buttresses on

either side of the altar. That’s also where there’s

been the most water damage.

Oddly enough, it appears Brown and Cram

may have anticipated the issue. Werenfels has been

studying the correspondence between the two,

digging through old papers in Brown University’s

collections.

A crucial decision made early on in the design

process shows the “richest baby in the world” was

still frugal, she said.

“There were discussions about whether they

should waterproof the walls as part of the

CO N T I N U E D F R O M T H E P R E V I O U S PAG E

construction costs,”Werenfels said. “In the end

they decided not to [do it] as a cost savings and

we’re not sure if that had an effect on the fact that

water is getting in.”

By 1949 some repairs had already been made

to the masonry. Today it made sense to address

the chapel roof first because it is made of copper

and nearing the end of its useful life anyway.

Last year a section of the roof was taken apart

to figure out exactly how it was constructed.

Shawmut Design and Construction of Boston

was hired to replicate the old construction

techniques—and to add a few improvements,

such as the ice and water shield.

Preservation is one of Shawmut’s strengths.

“It’s something that we enjoy doing and are

very skilled at, so it’s a privilege to work here for

sure,” said Claude Levesque, project manager for

Shawmut who’s worked with Werenfels on a

number of other preservation projects.

In the coming years, preservation of the

chapel will continue.

“The next phase is really delving into the

masonry issues,”Werenfels said. “We’re probably

going to recommend that a section of the east wall

be taken apart and rebuilt. We’re not sure. The

buttresses seem to be protruding.”

The firm is also keeping tabs on seven gauges

installed in 2001 to monitor cracks in the walls.

“You leave it there and see if the gauge moves at

all so you know if that crack got bigger,”

Werenfels said. Good news: When she checked

them two weeks ago, the cracks had either not

shifted at all or had moved less than a

millimeter.

The firm also did a survey of the transept area

beneath the tower because the floor inside wasn’t

flat and architects were wondering if the tower

was still settling. A recent evaluation showed the

tower appears to have stopped moving.

Eventually the firm will move inside the

chapel, clean some of the interior walls and,

maybe do some re-pointing of the mortar,

Werenfels said.

But as much as building technologies and

methods have evolved over the years, this project

is all about keeping the chapel the same.

“The key to our work is to get in and get out

and to not have anybody be able to tell anything

happened,” said Werenfels. “[The chapel] is such a

beloved icon. We’re being very careful not to

change anything.”


The new coated copperroof is nearly complete.

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gone byAn era

BY SUZANNE M. HADFIELD

Head coach Tom Evans was leaning against a

brick wall at the east end of the old Behrend Pool

watching his swimmers when he saw a figure

moving toward him through a dense fog. It was

November 1987, the days when the school was still

limping along with a 1920s-era, four-lane, 20-yard

pool with air circulation problems, but Evans

wasn’t dwelling on the difficulties. The figure in

the fog was his wife, Linda, a co-coach of the swim

team.

“The first thing I saw was a St. George’s

sweatshirt and she looked at me and I looked at

her and she gave me a thumbs-up,” recalled Evans.

“And at that moment, I knew that we were going to

have a child.”

That was just one of the many memories the

Evanses recalled as they saw that old pool

building, all decorative tile and bricks, get

demolished early this summer.

With the school’s new pool—an eight-lane,

25-yard facility that is the envy of most

competitors—up and running since November

2004, it was time for the Behrend pool, uniquely

housed next to Auchincloss Dormitory, to come

down.

But while many in the community may have

emotionally detached from the old pool a long

time ago, there are many who didn’t see it as just

an antiquated facility happy to meet the wrecking

ball, the Evanses said.

“It was a special place for a lot of kids,” Linda

recalled.

Spectators watch adiver in the Behrend

Pool in 1963.

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The old Behrend Pool is torn down,but the swimmers’ memories l ive on


In the spring, the Behrend Pool was still standing between Auchincloss and Diman North dormitories.

Construction crews demolished the old pool building this summer, creating an open path between the quad andthe Hill Library. Diman North is being re-faced with brick and a porch is being added.


Crews start to dismantle the old pool building in this view behind Auchincloss looking south.

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Tom and Linda Evans were hired in 1987 to

teach biology, filling the spot left vacant when

Steve Leslie was appointed dean of students.

When they arrived for their interviews, “they

almost didn’t even show us the pool,” Evans

remembers. “Skip Howard was taking us

around—and he was like, oh, you don’t need to

see the pool.”

But they did anyway. “And all we were

thinking was, ‘Hey, they have a pool here, which

means they can have a team,’ ” Evans said.

“Without the pool here, there’s no team, so we

can’t coach.”

The two taught 25 swimmers the first year.

“I think the first thing we had to do was pull

the starting blocks from the shallow end to the

deep end,” Linda said.

They also had to fill the pool with a hose after

every practice and order bigger lane lines, which

cut down on the waves in the pool, but which also

made the swimming lanes smaller.

“It was battle. It was combat,” Tom

remembers. “When you’d swim, you would always

be whacking someone next to you.”

Still, he says, “The thing that was so special

about the pool is that we knew it was the oldest

indoor operating pool in any prep school in the

country. And we had a lot of pride in it. We

thought it was great.”

“We had pool pride,” Linda agreed.

The spectators who gathered in the old facility

also contributed to an exciting atmosphere,

CO N T I N U E D F R O M PAG E 8


according to Evans.

“It was like the Boston Garden,” he said. “We’d

have 100 people up in that balcony just

screaming.”

The 1989-90 team beat the Abbey 55-21 for

the first time in 25 years.

“When the swimmers walked in it was just

chanting and screaming and yelling the entire

time,” Tom recalled, “and it just got the adrenaline

up so much.”

Laura Stack de Ramel ’90, who placed fifth in

the New Englands that year and who went on to

swim at Dartmouth, was a captain on the team at

the time.

Now a newly elected member of the SG Board

of Trustees, de Ramel remembers stretching on

the east deck of the old pool and looking at the

weathered wooden record plaques on the wall—

records achieved back in the 1920s and 30s.

“It was always very inspiring,” she said.

Evans said de Ramel was one of the students

who helped her teammates stop thinking about

the condition of the facility.

“Laura was always the kid who didn’t care

what the pool looked like. She just wanted to get

into it and swim. That was kind of infectious to

the rest of the team,” Evans said.

Bob Ceres ’55, who had a stellar swimming

career at St. George’s and who went on to be an

all-American at the U.S. Naval Academy, isn’t

quite as nostalgic about the building.

“It was old back then!” he says of the facility

that was already the object of some frustration

among his teammates in the 1950s. Because the

pool was only 20 yards, as opposed to 25, the

swimmers had to remember to do more laps.

The camaraderie is

what Ceres remembers.

“And we had a great

coach,” Ceres said. “He

taught us how to do

turns.”

In fact it was Norrie

Hoyt, for whom St.

George’s new state-of-the-

art eight-lane pool is

named, who helped the

boys make do.

“He believed it was a good strategy to keep

the pool 10 degrees colder than the

competition’s,” Ceres said. “We got used to it, but

opponents would come in and freeze.”

But it wasn’t just the talented swimmers who

may wistfully recall their days in the old pool.

“An awful lot of kids got their feet wet in

competitive swimming in that pool,” Evans said.

“Every single kid improved—and they stuck it out

through the hardships.”

“Swimming’s never been a big-time sport

here, but it’s meant so much to so many people.”

An architectural drawing shows the new porch being added to Diman North—and the new path between the quad and the library.

DRAWINGCOURTESY

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Got a Behrend Pool memory

you’d like to share? Write to

[email protected].

We’d love to hear from you.


Was there anything unique about the mostrecent college admission process you wentthrough with the Class of 2007? Are there anytrends you’ve noticed over the past couple ofyears?

Well, one notable thing is that, at the national

level, it’s certainly not getting any easier to get

into college. There’s been plenty of national

media attention about declining acceptance rates

and skyrocketing application numbers. It’s not

uncommon these days for acceptance rates at the

most selective schools to be under 10 percent,

which really puts admissions into the realm of a

crapshoot at at least a handful of colleges. The

number of colleges that have acceptance rates

under 50 percent also is growing rapidly. So,

colleges turn away more applicants than they

take—and that’s something that gets plenty of

press. Usually there’s a flurry of articles in

December, then another in April, and such press

coverage understandably instills anxiety in

students and parents. But I think there’s another

side that the national press is beginning to pick up

on as well, and that St. George’s kids are

experiencing pretty directly, and that is that more

and more stories rightly focus on the number of

Director of CollegeCounseling BurkeRogers ’81 speaks tomembers of theClass of 2007.

AN INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR OF

COLLEGE COUNSELING BURKE ROGERS ’81

N E W S F R O M T H E C O L L E G E C O U N S E L I N G O F F I C ENext steps

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Higher learning


great options that are out there. The college

universe in this country is far more than just

Harvard, Princeton and Yale. The New York Times

had an influential piece this spring about the

“New Ivies.”

What did you think of it?

Well, I resist the categorization of these really

good schools as “Ivies,” as if there’s magic in that

particular term. But I do think the broader point

is that there are a lot of excellent schools that are

teaching great kids in all parts of the country.

How did St. George’s students do this year?

In what was a tough climate nationally, I

think our kids fared very, very well. Compared

with many schools that are much like us, I think

our seniors weathered the storm very well. And

the satisfaction level for the kids as they found

good matches for their college futures was

justifiably high. This class enjoyed a lot of success.

We had a lot of kids apply early to a particular

school, and those acceptance rates were pretty

darn good.

So the early-acceptance and early-actionprograms were successful this year.

Yes, and it’s nice for kids to get good news

early. The downside is that good early results may

lead—or mislead—some other kids into thinking

that applying early is a magic solution, or the

solution to every problem. What we do is work

with the kids very closely on a case-by-case basis

to make sure that everybody has a good, balanced

list, that they look as hard at the schools that are

relatively easy for them to get into, and they look

at the ones that are tough to get into. We want

kids to be thoughtful about all the schools on

their list, and ultimately to be happy going to any

school where they apply. But once they have a

good balanced list, then we will work with them

very closely in the late summer and fall to

determine how and when to apply. We don’t want

to lead with “the strategy of applications,” but it is

part of the process, and in the proper time and

place, it’s something that we discuss with students

and their families.

So all of our students who will be seniors this

fall have a college list?

Yes, shaping a list is something that develops

from the first individual meeting in January or

February of the junior year. What we will do in

the College Counseling Office is toss out a list of

20, 25, 30 schools for students to research, at least

online and in guidebooks, with an eye toward the

student using Spring Break in March to go visit

six to eight colleges. Then, informed by the

campus visits that they’ve had and the reading

that they’ve done, we can begin to cut some

schools off the list and to add some others on.

We’ve got the college fair in April where we have

another 75 or so colleges come and visit St.

George’s. That’s a way for kids to find out more

about schools that they weren’t able to visit, or to

confirm what they saw when they did visit, and

redirect their list accordingly. We want balance to

be a guiding principle.

How do you approach applying to the mostselective schools?

Though we don’t require that a student shoot

really high and have “reach” schools on the list, we

certainly do support kids who want to give more

selective schools a shot. The only way to know for

sure that you’re not going to get in is if you don’t

apply—that’s the way you can guarantee it. We

encourage kids to shoot high with at least some of

their applications, but we want them to spend

most of their time looking at the schools where it

really could go either way, and we want to make

sure that they spend enough time on the schools

that are appealing to them that also are very much

in line with their records—schools where we all

can be reasonably confident that they’ll get the

chance to attend.

You talked a little bit about the Early Action,Early Decision process. That’s also gotten someattention in the press. How is that whole worldevolving?

Well, I have two thoughts on that. One is that

I applaud schools like Harvard and Princeton and

UVA that have abandoned their early programs. I

think having some high-profile schools abandon

the early programs sends an important message

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that “Hey, you don’t have to apply early. That’s not

the only way to apply to college.” I also think

those schools are right in making the case that

early applications can give an advantage—

arguably, an unfair advantage—to students of

wealthy families that have the resources and the

guidance, frankly, to go out and get an early start

on the college search. So I like the fact that

Harvard, Princeton and UVA have sent a signal

that says that early applications are not the only

way to go.

At the same time, I also think that many

schools properly have considered their early

policies and concluded that they continue to

make sense for them—and, at least indirectly, for

a lot of students. The problem with putting

everything off until the regular round—if every

school abandoned an early program—is that by

the time decisions came out around April 1, no

college would really have a clue as to who was

showing up. And if they don’t have a clue as to

who is going to show up, then they have to protect

their interests to make sure that they get a class.

That means they’re going to accept a certain

number of students, but they’re going to put a

greater number on a waiting list. In an uncertain

climate, kids who don’t know until April what is

going to happen are going to send out lots and

lots of applications to guard themselves. If every

early plan were done away with, then ultimately

things would sort themselves out, but it likely

would come in the form of even more wait-list

action in May or into June. One of the arguments

against early plans is that they increase the anxiety

kids and parents—and frankly counselors too—

feel about who’s going to get in. If there were no

early plans at all, the anxiety wouldn’t go away, it

would just be postponed, and it might even be

heightened. So, I think some early plans allow

good kids who’ve been thoughtful about the

process, and who’ve built up a good record by the

end of the junior year, to find a good college home

early on—to be settled in effect in December or

January.

How does that affect the cultural climate hereat school, at the high school level, when kidsare getting accepted to college really early intheir senior year?

Well, when I was a student here, there were, in

effect, two big decision days: Dec. 15 and April 15.

Before that it used to be just one day in April.

What has happened now, with the proliferation of

early programs and different wrinkles in ways that

kids can apply and ways that colleges can notify, is

that from October through graduation in May, no

week goes by when we don’t have some student

hearing some news from some college. That said,

there are still three main times when kids find out

a lot of news from colleges. The first is mid-

December. The second time is in early February,

when there’s a second round of early notifications

at some schools. And the third is the regular

notification time, late March/early April.

What happens at St. George’s in December is

that you’ve got a lot of excitement all at once. For

the seniors in particular, college notices are

coming in. There’s the winter formal, which is

emotionally loaded for many high school kids.

There’s the Christmas Festival, and there’s the

excitement about going home for break after a

long term. There inevitably is good news coming

in for many kids, but there’s also disappointing

news coming in for others. But one thing that

really impresses me about SG kids in general is

that they seem to maintain an awful lot of

empathy for their classmates. Whether it’s good

news or bad news for the other person, they want

to be there for their friends. And it’s the same

thing for themselves: Whether the news is good or

bad, I think they respond pretty appropriately.

About what percentage of our senior class isapplying early these days?

Well, given the number of different plans that

are out there, it’s a tougher figure to calculate than

it used to be, but I’d say about 60 percent in

recent years have tried something early. This year

about 70 percent of kids who applied early got

good news.

Why are some colleges popular with ourstudents?

Well, there are some obvious suspects for

many kids. If they were attracted to a small New

England boarding school and they liked their

experience here—and an awful lot of them do—it

makes sense for them to at least consider a small



New England college. The NESCAC (New

England Small College Athletic Conference)

schools are likely suspects for many kids. The Ivies

make sense for many kids. Colleges where St.

George’s kids have enrolled in the past also benefit

from name recognition in that kids have just

heard those names in this environment. That

helps an awful lot. Colleges that visit in the fall

and in the spring often make a lot of sense for our

kids, too. And if former students are having a

good experience at a particular college and word

gets back to our students, that’s a good

endorsement.

What are students’ worst fears about thecollege process?

Well, I think at the most fundamental level,

it’s probably the spoken or unspoken fears: “What

if nobody takes me? What if I don’t have a home

at the end of it?” That’s the subtext to many

conversations. And ultimately that’s where, as

counselors, Kelly Richards and Gary Cornog and I

have the most responsibility. We need to make

sure that students have a good list that’s going to

get them a good home. We’d much rather have

conversations with kids in the fall, as they’re

shaping their lists, to make sure they’re covering

their bases in ways that they’re going to like, than

to have a conversation in April and say, “Well, gee,

too bad, bummer that you don’t have a place to

go.” Vetting the lists is a big part of our job.

There’s also the unknown …

Yes, on a broader level, kids are anxious about

the future in general. What really strikes me about

St. George’s kids, though, is that despite the

inevitable griping that can go on about things on

a day-to-day basis—and teenagers, like adults, can

find things to complain about if given the

opportunity—is the degree to which SG kids say

that they really like this place. They like their

teachers, they like the people they’re working

Director of CollegeCounseling BurkeRogers,AdministrativeAssistant JennyJohnson, CollegeCounselor andEnglish departmenthead Gary Cornogand AssociateDirector of CollegeCounseling KellyRichards.


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with, and most significantly they like their

friends. Boarding school breeds close connections

between people. By the senior year, the bonds for

many of those kids are very strong. As kids look

into the future, they realize that they’re going to

have to go through the process of building up

those bonds and connections again in some other

setting. And maybe it’s going to go as well, maybe

it’s not, they don’t really know. So I think there’s

some anxiety about that. And I think in some

ways it’s a testament to this school that when you

really get down to the basics with kids here, they

really do like and appreciate this place, and there’s

some nervousness about what happens after they

leave.

So the students’ worst fears are in part abouttheir apprehensions about the future. What’sthe parents’ role in the process? How can theymake it easier for their sons and daughters?

Well, it’s certainly possible for college

counselors to say, “Oh well, parents are out of

control, they don’t really get it”—but I don’t think

that’s really the case. I know the overwhelming

majority of SG parents really do get it. They want

what’s best for their kids. They understand that

we want what’s best for their kids, that we are very

much allies in the process of helping students on

to a good future. Yet parents are seeing their kids

go off into an uncertain world. I’m not sure that

the world has ever provided lots of certainty for

young people moving forward, but whether it has

or not, I think today it’s pretty clear that there’s a

lot that parents can’t control. And dealing with

situations that one can’t control can be tough. It’s

tricky enough when you’re going through it

yourself, but if you’re going through it on behalf

of somebody you love and support, it can be that

much tougher. I think parents have some of the

same basic fears of “What if little Johnny or little

Suzie doesn’t get in someplace?” But they’re also

just wondering, “Well, how’s this all going to work

out for my child?” Factor in the reality that college


Director ofCollegeCounselingBurke Rogers ’81(left) is on thecoaching staff ofthe varsitybaseball team.


is very expensive and that parents are making a

huge financial investment in their kids. They’ve

done that in sending their kids to St. George’s,

and they’re going to do it again in college because

colleges expect families to contribute as much as

they can—and a college’s definition of what a

family can contribute may be different from a

family’s own definition. So I think finances are on

many parents’ minds. It would be easy as a

counselor to say parents are too caught up in the

bumper sticker mentality or the cocktail party

chat, but I don’t think that SG parents as a rule

really are that driven by those factors. Just as lots

of conversations for high school seniors are going

to involve questions about college, in the same

way, many conversations for the parents of high

school seniors are going to involve the same

questions. I think that goes with the territory in

our society, at least in our little segment of

society. But I think that the school has done a

pretty good job of saying that what happens here

on campus day-to-day really matters, and that the

slogan, “Because the journey matters” rings true

for many students. And I think it rings true for

parents as well. I don’t believe SG kids and SG

parents are here just to get their tickets punched.

It’s more about discovering your passions whileyou can.

No doubt. SG kids who make the most of

their opportunities here—who throw themselves

into the experience at SG as an end in itself,

without worrying too much about what colleges

think—are going to get the best results in the

college application process. If kids do what they

really like to do and do it well, if they develop

their talents to the fullest and pursue their

passions, then I think colleges appreciate that. It’s

the kids who try to become somebody that they’re

not, that wind up not really impressing colleges.

Kids who are true to themselves, and who do what

they do and do it well, wind up getting the best

destinations. If the journey matters, the

destination will take care of itself. And I think to a

large degree our kids and parents get that, and

recent results with colleges have shown that’s

working pretty well.

So I guess that’s what you would advisestudents and parents if they came to you and

said what’s the best thing that I can do toincrease my chances of getting into the schoolof my dreams? It’s to —

—be who you really are. And even before

that, try to discover who you are by trying

different things, but be yourself. Be the best you

that you can be. And pursue your passions. If

you’ve got talents, use them. Get involved in class

and out of class. Do the things that you love

because you love them, and do them well. But if

somebody comes to me and says, “I don’t really

want to do this but it will look good for college,

won’t it?” My answer usually is, “Well, not really.

If you’re only doing it because you think it looks

good, then don’t do it. Don’t waste your time;

don’t waste other people’s time.”

Colleges see through that?

I think increasingly, yes.

What do you hear back from the admissionofficers about SG kids?

The feedback is usually very positive. Our kids

are recognized as being bright. They’re good

students academically. Generally they’re outgoing.

They’re seen as being involved, as being engaged.

Our kids generally do very well in face-to-face

meetings with people, and maybe that’s a

byproduct of our own admissions process, which

tends to be very personal. But more than that,

day-to-day life in this community, where people

deal with each other face-to-face, very directly,

very frequently, is one of the great strengths of

this school. Colleges see that.

You’ve also gotten good feedback from theCollege Fair in April. How many colleges werehere this year?

We had about 75 colleges represented this

year. All of our fourth and fifth formers go and

spend an hour and a half in the field house going

from table to table. The feedback we get from the

college folks is extremely positive—about the kids

being knowledgeable, being presentable and

carrying on good conversations, and being

generally well-informed. Even if they’re fourth

formers and don’t know a lot yet about colleges,




Babson College (2)

Boston College (2)

Boston University (2)

Brown University (2)

Carnegie Mellon University (2)

Chapman University (3)

Claremont McKenna College

College of Charleston

College of Santa Fe

Colorado College

Connecticut College

Cornell University

Dartmouth College

Duke University (3)

Emory University (3)

Fairfield University

Franklin & Marshall College

George Washington University (2)

Georgetown University

Gettysburg College (2)

Hamilton College

Hampton University (2)

Hartwick College

Hiram College

Hobart & William Smith Colleges

Johns Hopkins University

Lewis & Clark College

London School of Economics - England

Manhattanville College

Northwestern University

Pepperdine University

Purdue University (2)

Rhode Island School of Design (2)

Rhodes College

Southern Methodist University (2)

St. John’s University

St. Lawrence University (2)

Stanford University (4)

Suffolk University

SUNY Oswego

Trinity College (3)

Trinity University

United States Naval Academy

University of Chicago (2)

University of Edinburgh - Scotland

University of Pennsylvania (2)

University of Redlands

University of Rhode Island

University of Richmond

University of Rochester (2)

University of San Diego (2)

University of Southern California

University of Vermont

University of Wisconsin - Madison

Vanderbilt University

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and

State University

Wagner College

Wake Forest University

Washington & Lee University

Washington University in St. Louis

Wellesley College (2)

And they’re off...Here’s where our graduates are heading:

Ashley Dockery ’07 wins the SG medal.

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they’re viewed as at least being interested and

generally committed to learning more about the

world around them. As college folks go from fair

to fair and see kids in different settings, they’re

not seeing a lot of kids in a way that they see SG

kids. Part of that is a product of the scale of our

fair—that it’s just SG kids and there are not 1,000

kids going from table to table. It’s 180, and they’re

bright kids who are engaged and curious about

the world around them.

And you did the Mock Admissions Committeeprogram again.

Yes, we run that in May for all the juniors. The

juniors read through five sample applications and

then, with a visiting college dean, play the role of

an admissions committee, where they have to

choose two students to accept, one to wait-list and

two to deny. They see the process from the

colleges’ end, and our hope, of course, is that as

they see how colleges read applications, they’ll

have a better idea how to put together their own

applications. But the college deans we have come

in do similar programs with lots of other schools,

and all of them this year said that the SG kids

were the best they’ve encountered. They got into

it, they prepared well, they were thoughtful, and

they spoke up confidently. I think the kids

presented themselves well just by being who they

really are.

So how do independent schools do this processdifferently than public schools?

Well the biggest difference is the number of

students that a counselor works with. Kelly and I

each teach one course and each work directly with

about 40 fifth formers and 40 sixth formers. Gary

teaches three classes and works with about 10

students in each form. So between the juniors and

seniors, Kelly and I have about 80 kids that we’re

working with at a time, Gary with about 20 now.

In public schools, guidance counselors might be

working with 300 or 400—or more. The kind of

contact that the counselors can have with the

students is just very different in that setting. Most

independent schools have counselor loads that are

similar to ours. For independent schools, we’re

very much in the mainstream. What sets us apart

a little bit from some other independent schools is

the fact that all of us as counselors also are

teachers and coaching and in the dorm. That’s

part of the St. George’s approach. It’s something I

really like. I think it’s good for me personally in

that I love teaching and I’ve got a serious

academic background. I always wanted that as

part of my day. More importantly, it’s good for the

kids and good for the school in that the college

office and the college counselors are not folks who

just appear in the junior year and suddenly tell

kids what to do with their lives. We want to be as

much a part of the whole SG community as

anybody else. And we are. We get to see kids in

lots of different arenas—in the dorm, in class, on

teams, in the college office—and just generally

around campus. It gives us an appreciation for

what the kids are experiencing. Even if a student’s

not in my class, I know what the expectations are

for students in a class here. I know what it means

to live in the dorm. I know what it means to be on

a team. I think that makes us more effective in

conveying a full appreciation of the student to

colleges.

So you get to personalize the applications.

Yes. The colleges feel like they know our

students pretty well. And I think that’s a result of

us knowing them pretty well. It’s not that by going

to an independent school that a college

acceptance automatically follows. I can never

guarantee to a student or to a family or to Mr.

Peterson or to the board of trustees that, “Oh

yeah, if a student comes here then they will get

into College X.” I absolutely cannot make that

guarantee, and I will not. But I can say with

certainty that we will get to know those students,

we will give them good advice, and we will present

them fully and fairly, accurately and positively, to

colleges, so that College X is in a position to make

a good decision about the student. Now, there are

other good applicants out there applying as well,

but our students don’t get lost in the shuffle. They

get a fair look.

How does a teacher or a college counselorwrite a great letter of recommendation?




Well, there is no simple answer to that, but

fundamentally it involves just getting to know

each kid as personally and as well as you can, to

capture what is distinctive about them so that the

kids come to life. We never want our students to

just be a transcript when they apply. Their

transcript is always going to be part of the deal—

it’s going to be the single most important piece of

paper in the file. But we don’t want any college to

just say, “Well, we’ve seen the transcript, that’s all

we need to know, that’s all there is to it.”We want

to tell the story behind it. We work hard to find

the story and tell it well. We get input from lots of

sources—including parents—and we make a

strong case as to why colleges should want our

kids. We feel lucky to have them here at this

school, and we want colleges to feel that way too.

And for the most part, they do—that’s why our

students are going off to great experiences at

wonderful colleges.

Independent school college counselors and college deans gather in the Hamblet Campus Center during the Clambake Institute, a professionaldevelopment seminar designed and run by Director of College Counseling Burke Rogers ’81 (far right).

CO N T I N U E D F R O M T H E P R E V I O U S PAG EPH

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The Second Annual Clambake

Institute for college counselors took

place at SG July 22-25. The brainchild

of Director of College Counseling

Burke Rogers, the institute is a way for

independent school counselors to

share ideas and discuss trends in the

college admission process. The

institute now attracts about 25

independent school counselors from

all over the country—about half from

New England, and half from the rest

of the country—along with a handful

of college deans of admission.

With participants from peer

schools like Groton and Middlesex,

the institute offers an atmosphere in

which counselors feel comfortable

discussing what they have in common.

“I think we can all be resources

for each other in dealing with the

issues that we confront,” Rogers said.

Some of the topics the group has

discussed, for instance, have been the

kind of information counselors put in

a report to the board of trustees and

how counselors write

recommendations.

“In some ways it’s easy to write

about the kid in the top of the class or

the bottom of the class, or the kid

who’s confronted some big hurdle in

his or her life. Those kids are easy to

write about because there’s clear

material that you need to confront.

It’s the good solid kid in the middle of

the class … who’s often harder to

bring to life in a letter,” Rogers said.

At the Clambake Institute, the

counselors share the recommendations

that they’ve written in the past and

give each other feedback on them.

For the second year in a row, this

year’s sessions were held for the

counselors Sunday evening, Monday,

Tuesday, and Wednesday morning.

College deans joined the crew on

Tuesday night and were part of the

general discussions on Wednesday.

The main focus for Monday was

college counseling in the junior year.

The counselors shared information on

the programs their schools run for

students and families to kick off the

college search process—and how they

generate an initial list of colleges for

each student to investigate.

This year’s honoree for the

“Deanbake,” which Rogers explains is

“a way to recognize the achievements

of a college admissions dean and his

or her contributions to the

admissions world—basically it’s a

roast” is Ted O’Neill, the Dean of the

University of Chicago. Also scheduled

as this year’s college participants were

Bonnie Marcus, O’Neill’s wife and the

dean at Bard College; Jim Miller, the

dean at Brown University; Jennifer

Britz, the dean at Kenyon College;

Nancy Meislahn, the dean at Wesleyan

University; Parker Beverage, the dean

at Colby College; Katie Fretwell, the

director at Amherst College; and Steve

Thomas, the director at Colby. Ed

Graf from the Newman School in New

Orleans was the master of ceremonies

at the Deanbake, with Anne Ferguson

from Andover and Rhody Davis from

the Latin School in Chicago helping

to gather material.

Rogers was looking forward to

another productive event.

“I think the buzz about the

Clambake in the admissions world is

pretty good. Certainly there are direct

benefits that we get, and all the

attendants get, in just sharing the

information about how we do our

jobs,” he said.

Last year the SG College

Counseling Office changed the way it

works with teaching

recommendations as a direct result of

the clambake meetings. Now it serves,

in effect, as a central clearinghouse for

all school materials needed for

application—the transcript, school

recommendation and teacher

recommendations all come out from

that office, whereas previously

teachers wrote and mailed the

recommendations themselves.

“So it’s definitely worthwhile,”

Rogers said of the institute. “I’m glad

that we’re able to do it a second year—

and it’s certainly my hope and goal

that it will be an ongoing venture.”

—S.M.H.

Clambake Institute lets counselors share ideas, issues

Participating schools in the

Clambake Institute 2007:

Bishop’s School (Calif.)

Bush School (Wash.)

Concord Academy (Mass.)

Crystal Springs Upland (Calif.)

Gilman School (Md.)

Greenhills School (Mich.)

Groton School (Mass.)

Harpeth Hall (Tenn.)

Horace Mann (N.Y.)

Hotchkiss School (Conn.)

Latin School of Chicago (Ill.)

Lawrenceville School (N.J.)

Middlesex School (Mass.)

Miss Porter’s (Conn.)

Moses Brown (R.I.)

Newman School (La.)

Noble & Greenough (Mass.)

Penn Charter (Pa.)

Philips Andover (Mass.)

Philips Exeter (N.H.)

Portsmouth Abbey (R.I.)

Providence Day (N.C.)

Severn School (Md.)

Trinity Valley (Texas)


Different takes

on the fields, on the stage, about what I assume

has been your jolly camaraderie in the dorms and

day rooms. But I soon found myself gushing like a

glossy SG promotional brochure; I used

“community of learners” and “the special gifts

that are yours” in the same sentence and had to

stop.

After shuffling around the hilltop for 25 years,

I have distressingly little wisdom of my own to

offer, but I know where to steal some. I’m going to

make a brief parting pitch for the unique power of

literature to help you understand your life, its

Following is a talk delivered at the school’s first-ever

Baccalaureate Service on May 24, 2007.

BY JEFF SIMPSON

Iam deeply honored to be your

Baccalaureate speaker, even though I

suspect that some of you just want to see

if Captain Irony can cope with a ceremonious

occasion that cries out for ponderous “go forth”

platitudes. My plan was to talk about you, about

your remarkable achievements in the classroom,

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English teacherJeff Simpson addressesthe Class of 2007.

A lesson before dining

C H A P E L T A L K S


lived experience. Identity is not fixed but fluid,

expression is not definitive but tentative, the

world one not of being but of becoming. The

alternative, notice, is a reductive reliance on a

coercive precision—the basic letters, the primary

colors—that simplifies experience in order to hit

the target, the “ fatal, dominant X.” The final

adjectives (“vital, arrogant, fatal, dominant”)

gang up and press forward like menacing verbal

thugs. Those who need dead certainties break out

their steel hammers. Don’t join them.

Serious literature also alerts us to our impulse

to form reductive judgments of each other, even

of ourselves. Eliot’s self-conscious Prufrock is

paralyzed by “the eyes that fix [him] in a

formulated phrase,” that summarily classify and

peg him as if he’s merely an insect “wriggling on

the wall.” A school taxonomy might include dumb

jocks, computer nerds, drama queens. We package

people neatly so we can handle them easily, no

untidy thinking or moral imagination required.

Woolf ’s Mrs. Dalloway, exquisitely aware of her

own complex, layered consciousness, wisely

resolves that she will “not say of anyone in the

world that they are this or that.”When it comes to

assessing our fellow human beings, Woolf

instructs, definition is death; it’s not always a gift

to be simple. But my favorite example comes from

Amis’ Lucky Jim Dixon, who after learning of a

free love arrangement involving two seemingly

tame colleagues, “reflects, not for the first time,

that he knows absolutely nothing whatsoever

about other people or their lives.”We would all do

well to repeat after humble Jim at least once a day.

We teachers compulsively urge you to “get

outside your comfort zone,” naively assuming

you’re already in one. Good writers know better,

know that we’re hopelessly anxious, insecure

creatures. The human predicament precludes easy

contentment. Hesse’s Siddhartha requires years of

extraordinary meditative discipline to find his

comfort zone. Stoppard’s poor Rosencrantz and

Guildenstern are desperate for a bit of comfort

and pass their anxious trapped time by playing

language games, by building “a short blunt human

pyramid,” by trying to master their own names.

I—I take dog walks, grade papers, sweep the

muddles and complexities and delights. Serious

attention to serious literature won’t make you

“coach of the year,” but it can, as Dickinson says,

“make internal difference, where the meanings

are.” There’s still time for a conversion experience,

but I recognize the risks. Some of you may be

dangerously allergic to poetry, especially now that

classes are over. Think of me as a teacherly Epi-

Pen, eager to jolt you into poetic consciousness.

Let’s plunge right into the deep water of

Wallace Stevens’ “The Motive for Metaphor,” a

poem that forcefully conveys the distinctive

wisdom of the literary imagination:

You like it under the trees in autumn

Because everything is half dead.

The wind moves like a cripple among the leaves

And repeats words without meaning.

In the same way, you were happy in spring,

With the half colors of quarter-things,

The slightly brighter sky, the melting clouds,

The single bird, the obscure moon—

The obscure moon lighting an obscure world,

Of things that would never be quite expressed,

Where you yourself were never quite yourself

And did not want nor have to be,

Desiring the exhilarations of changes:

The motive for metaphor, shrinking from

The weight of primary noon,

The A B C of being,

The ruddy temper, the hammer

Of red and blue, the hard sound—

Steel against intimation—the sharp flash,

The vital, arrogant, fatal, dominant X.

At first, the opening two lines (“you like it

under the trees in autumn/because everything is

half dead”) sound aggressively morbid—typical

poet, enjoying death under a tree—but we soon

realize that the operative word is “half,” not

“dead.” Art, in this poem, thrives on

incompletion, change, process, shadings,

obscurity: the ambiguous realm of our immediate


as luck would have it, and inching

over the same little segment of earth-

ball, in the same little eon, to

meet in a room, alive in our skins,

and the whole galaxy gaping there

and the centuries whining like gnats—

you, to teach me to see it, to see

it with you, and to offer somebody

uncomprehending, impudent thanks.

I’m grateful for the delightful dumb luck of

having inched along this little segment of earth-

ball in the same little eon with the St. George’s

class of ’07. Now that I have pointed you in the

right literary direction, you are ready to go forth,

young scholars, well equipped, not for the battle

of life, but for the difficult, rewarding art of

living. Thank you for tolerating this lesson before

dining. Without a trace of irony, I wish the best of

luck to all of you.

JJeeffff SSiimmppssoonn has been an English teacher at St.

George’s since 1982. He can be reached at

[email protected].

porch. You run around the fields, study for exams,

send instant messages. Like Rosencrantz and

Guildenstern, we need to keep busy, distractedly

engaged. Literary artists time and again drive

home the tough truth that comfort zones are

much harder to enter than to escape; if you find

one, pitch your tent.

But literary wisdom is as much about delight

as it is about anxiety, so let’s end with an artful

lesson in happy gratitude. In “Accidents of Birth,”

William Meredith recounts his renewed

appreciation of living after an unexpected

recovery from severe illness. He ends the

celebratory poem with cosmic marveling that he

and a friend have beaten the astronomically slim

odds of being alive, now, here, together.

But it’s not this random

life only, throwing its sensual

astonishments upside down on

the bloody membranes behind my eyeballs,

not just me being here, old

needer, looking for someone to need,

but you, up from the clay yourself,


Seniors TaylorTobin, KenjiSuzaki and AustinSanchez-Moransing the SchoolHymn in theschool's first-everBaccalaureateService in May.

PHOTO

BYKATH

RYNWHITNEYLU

CEY


Following is a chapel talk delivered on April 26,

2007.

BY HADLEY KORN ’07

Iam supposed to be dead. I know that’s a

bold statement for 10:30 on a Thursday

morning, but it’s true: I’m not supposed

to be giving this chapel talk, preparing for

college, or finishing my senior year in high

school. I am supposed to be just one more sad

statistic.

Two and a half years ago my life was

profoundly, pervasively and permanently

changed. Here is what happened: On Aug. 30,

2004, I was five days away from realizing my

dream of attending boarding school in New

England. I was packed. I was ready. I was excited

Out of tragedy, a miracle

PHOTO

BYSU

ZANNEM. H

ADFIELD


After a nearly fatal car accident a student learns to live again

Hadley Korn,Ginny Spilman andKylie Wolf at theSenior Picnic onMay 24.




to continue my soccer career on the St. George’s

soccer team and then to begin my studies at St.

George’s.

I also was bored. As it turned out, my

boredom was nearly fatal. To pass the time I

accompanied a friend to visit another friend who

was at school in Rome, Ga. Rome is 70 miles from

my home in Atlanta. We left very early in the

morning without the knowledge or permission of

our parents. My parents would not have let me go

to Rome. I went anyway. The visit to our friend in

Rome was uneventful, not particularly worth the

effort. We left Rome to return home sometime

before noon. I sat in the same passenger-side seat

that I had occupied on the way to Rome. I

remember buckling my seatbelt and waving

goodbye. That was the last thing I remember until

I awoke in early November. On our way back to

Atlanta, a large truck slammed at approximately

45 miles an hour directly into the passenger side

of the car in which I was sitting. Neither the

driver of the truck nor the driver of the car in

which I was sitting was injured. I was not as

fortunate.

I was airlifted from the site of the accident to

the nearest trauma center, Floyd Medical Center

in Rome. When my father arrived at the hospital

he was told that an examination showed that,

among numerous other serious injuries, I may

have fractured the occipital bone at the base of my

skull. My father was told that such a fracture was

“inconsistent with life.”

At my father’s request, I was airlifted to

Egelston Children’s Hospital on the campus of

Emory University in Atlanta. Fortunately, a

more extensive examination showed that the

occipital bone was not fractured. I did, however,

have fractures in my neck and back. Both of my

collar bones were broken. My pelvis was

fractured in three places, four ribs were broken

and one lung was punctured. All of those

injuries, while serious, were not life threatening.

The injury that threatened my life was a massive

brain injury.

Late in the evening of Aug. 30 my parents

were given the following prognosis: “It will be

three days before we can be certain whether

Hadley can survive. If she survives we do not

know when, if ever, she will wake from her coma.

If she awakes from her coma we do not know the

extent to which she will be able to function

physically or mentally.”

I spent a month in intensive care at

Egelston, after which time, while still in a coma,

I was transferred to the Shepherd Center, a

hospital for patients with catastrophic spinal

cord and brain injuries. After a long three

months, I was discharged from Shepherd in

December. I then began eight months of five-

days-per-week, seven-hours-per-day outpatient

rehabilitation.

Survival was not simply a matter of time; it

has required every ounce of my strength and all

my will. I did not emerge from my coma fully

formed. I have had to relearn everything. I have

learned again how to walk, talk, eat, think,

dress, write, type, add, multiply and divide. I

missed a year of school. My first semester back

after that year required more from me than I

thought I had to give. Yet I have survived.

Today, almost 31 months to the day after my


I KNOW THAT MIRACLES

HAPPEN BECAUSE I

OWE MY LIFE TO ONE.



accident, I am standing here relating to you the

miracle of my survival.

I have not survived unscathed. I am left with

physical disabilities that make life harder than it

once was. In so many ways I am not the same

person I was before the accident. Those of you

who know me only since I came to St. George’s

know a very different person than you would

have come to know had I not gone to Rome, Ga.

I was a soccer player—though I like to think that

I was much more than a soccer player. Soccer

was my consuming passion. From age 4 to 16 I

played soccer 11 months a year. I played at every

facility in Georgia. I played in Washington,

Virginia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee,

Florida and Texas. When I was 14 I played in

England and Sweden. I was the only freshman

on The Lovett School varsity soccer team that

played for the Georgia state championship.

Those of you who know me as the girl who

walks with a limp, struggling in the Rhode

Island snow and ice might be surprised to know

that I was the fastest runner on that varsity

soccer team.

Now I can’t run at all. Watching sports,

particularly soccer, is still too hard. After my

accident, Coach Jaccaci asked me to serve as the

soccer team manager. I came up for early sports

and on my first day at St. George’s I went to

soccer practice. I don’t think I even stayed for

the whole practice. I went back to my dorm

room in tears. I found it impossible to limp

around the field picking up cones while other

girls played the sport I loved. I quit after that

first day.

Every afternoon since, while most of you

have been out playing your sports, I have been in

my dorm or at physical therapy finding the new

me—the me that no longer depends on soccer

for my sense of who I am. The great thing is I

have come to really like that new, and in many

ways improved, Hadley. So, please, do not feel

sorry for me. I feel very lucky to be where I am

today, and I am happy in all I have accomplished

in my time here.

The accident and disabilities with which I am

left have given me a perspective and resolve I do

not think I would have gained in the absence of

my misfortune. I am ready for college—and for

life. There is no college course or test that will

intimidate me. I am ready for the ups and downs,

for the challenges and opportunities, for the joys

and disappointments, for the failures and the

triumphs. I am ready for all that life will throw my

way. There is nothing I can’t survive. I have lived

the truth of the adage: “What does not kill me,

makes me stronger.”

I believe in miracles. My belief goes beyond

faith. I know that miracles happen because I owe

my life to one. I have lived the miracle that brings

me to this moment, and which will give meaning

and purpose to the rest of my life.

HHaaddlleeyy KKoorrnn ’07 of Atlanta, Ga., will be a freshman

at the University of Southern California this fall.

She can be reached at [email protected].

MY FIRST SEMESTER BACK

... REQUIRED MORE OF ME

THAN I THOUGHT I HAD

TO GIVE. YET I HAVE

SURVIVED.


divine. But, when I think about this, I’m

reminded of something the artist Salvador Dalí

said: “Have no fear of perfection; you’ll never

reach it.”

Perfectionism, as it is commonly perceived,

would seem to involve me getting stressed out

over a bunch of little, rather vain and

unimportant things, such as tying my tie exactly

BY JOSEPH ASTRAUSKAS ’07

Following is a chapel talk delivered on April 5, 2007

Iam a bit of a perfectionist. Just a little bit.

I suppose that this can be a type of

aesthetic. Striving for perfection can give

one purpose or faith. One can hope to see the

Practicing to make it perfect

Joseph Astrauskas ’07,left, runs in a cross-country race onParents Weekendduring his junior yearin 2005.

PHOTO

BYANDREAHANSEN



the right way every morning. In Visual

Foundations class freshman year, I remember

trying for hours to get the objects in my

perspective drawing perfectly aligned with the

vanishing point on the paper. I never could get it

quite right. Perfectionism, as it is commonly

perceived, is rather futile, a useless waste of my

time.

But there’s a different understanding of

perfection that I’m gradually coming to

appreciate. If I just take the time to sit back and

relax, perhaps I’ll stumble upon something

wonderful, something perfect among the

mundane routine of daily life.

But before I actually claim to have learned

something important about life over the past four

years, I have to deal with Mrs. Hollins. Last year,

in her final chapel talk before her retirement, she

claimed that a graduating senior at St. George’s

could not hope to have learned anything of any

great significance about life. While I respect her

opinion, I must respectfully disagree.

I would venture to suggest that, while at

school here, I have become at least dimly aware of

something profound. I’m beginning to see

perfection as some kind of minimalist ideal:

perfection in simplicity, as a way to order life. The

French aviator and writer Antoine de Saint-

Exupéry observed that, “Perfection is achieved,

not when there is nothing more to add, but when

there is nothing left to take away.”

Perhaps this is why I like running so much:

the simplicity, the straightforward nature of the

sport. There’s nothing like a long run to clear

one’s mind, to simplify life and to put things in

perspective. I suppose this is what I was lacking as

a freshman in Visual Foundations: perspective. If I

can step back and stop being such a perfectionist

“control freak,” things might just work out, and

life will seem a little simpler, a little closer to

perfection.

But this is my own personal experience. If

there is anything else that life has taught me so

far, it’s that seeing something from someone else’s

perspective is every bit as difficult as Harper Lee

makes it seem in her novel, “To Kill a

Mockingbird.” I remember reading the novel in

seventh grade and thinking, “OK, from now on,

I’ll just be a sensitive person. I’ll simply take the

time to put myself in someone else’s shoes.” Easier

said than done. It’s just not something that comes

naturally. How can I hope to see things from

someone else’s perspective when I can’t even

understand my own? I cannot hope to describe

any of my personal experiences to you with any

amount of completeness. They would not mean

the same thing to you as they do to me, just as

your memories, your experiences, things that are

important to you, would not affect me in the same

way. What I have talked about here, today, my

understanding of perfection, is something that

orders my life. I only hope that you can find

something like this that brings order to your life.

JJoosseepphh AAssttrraauusskkaass ’07, of DeLand, Fla., will attend

the University of Chicago in the fall. He can be

reached at [email protected].

PHOTO

BYKATH

RYNWHITNEYLU

CEY


On Prize Day, JosephAstrauskas ’07 tookhome the Edgar Prizein Mathematics andthe PhelpsMontgomery FrissellPrize, awarded to themember of the SixthForm who at St.George's has madethe best use of his orher talents.


Throw a coin in the direction you want the

wind to blow from if you are becalmed and the

more wind you want, the higher the

denomination of the coin you toss.

Scratch the mast when you want the wind to

blow harder.

When you step a mast, put a coin under it for

good luck.

It is bad luck to have women or clergymen as

passengers on a ship.

Don’t ever start a voyage on a Friday.

Don’t whistle on board ship.

Don’t say “pig” on board ship.

Don’t open an umbrella.

BY DEBORAH HAYES

Following is a chapel talk delivered on March 6,2007.

It is often said that those who follow the

sea are the most superstitious people on

earth. James Fennimore Cooper said,

“Superstition is a quality indigenous to the sea.”

And from what I have experienced, it is very true;

sailors are an extremely superstitious lot.

There are dozens of do’s and don’ts in the

maritime world that stem from superstitions:

Always lead with your right foot when you

step on board a boat.

Geronimo CaptainDeborah Hayes sitson deck with the crewof the spring cruise inthe Bahamas.


Superstitious

Sailors have a unique way oflooking at life: Take heed


It is bad luck to change the name of a ship.

It is bad luck to talk about the next port you

are headed for. When filling out the ship’s log,

where it asks for “destination,” leave that blank.

If you meet someone with red hair or crossed

eyes on your way to join a vessel, you are advised

not to sail that day.

Heaven help you if you meet a cross-eyed

redheaded clergyman for you are surely doomed!

It is good luck to have a black cat on board.

It is good luck to start a voyage on a Sunday.

It is bad luck to wear new shoes on board that

have not been worn on shore first.

I once sailed with a captain who was certain

that the first mate had caused the boom to snap

when we gybed, because he was wearing new

shoes that had not been worn on land first. The

captain screamed at him in front of the entire

crew because he was certain that the mate had

brought bad luck to the ship.

Cutting your nails or trimming your beard at

sea causes storms.

Breaking a bottle on the bow of a boat when it

is launched brings the boat good luck.

If the bottle doesn’t break, the ship is

considered unlucky.

Sailors believe in Jonahs, someone who has a

bad luck mark on them who will always bring bad

luck or bad weather to a ship. In biblical times,

Jonah fled from God when he was asked to be a

prophet. He took passage on a boat and a violent

storm erupted soon after they left port. The

sailors asked what was causing this sudden storm.

Jonah confessed it was because of him, so they

threw him overboard, hence the term Jonah.

The first season Mr. McNally and I worked

together on Geronimo the weather was awful:

heavy rains and strong winds always out of the

wrong direction. We seemed to live in our foul-

weather gear that season. We kept eying each

other, each thinking the other was a Jonah,

causing the bad weather. We finally both agreed

that it was the second mate.

It is believed at sea, that if you challenge the

sea, brag or become cocky or complacent, the sea

will strike back at you. Captain Smith should have

known what was coming as soon as they labeled

the Titanic “unsinkable.” By making a statement

like, “We haven’t had any storms this trip,” you are

just asking to have a raging gale descend on you.

The quick remedy for such an act of hubris is to

knock on wood to appease the gods.

Geronimo, a fiberglass boat, with not much

wood handy for knocking, has a small bit of teak

lashed near the helm for just that purpose.

Yes, I admit that I am one of those

superstitious sailors; I was trained by my mentors

to be that way. I have my own personal quirks and

superstitions. My husband (who is also a mariner)

and I made a pilgrimage a number of years ago to

Cape Hatteras, N.C. Cape Hatteras and its

neighboring Diamond Shoals is a notoriously

dangerous cape that must be rounded anytime

you sail up and down the east coast of the United

States.

When we were there, we paid homage to the

Diamond Shoal gods by pouring a bottle of red

wine into the sand at the base of the lighthouse

there, so that the gods might grant us safe

passages around the cape when we sail by.

So, what accounts for these odd customs and

illogical behavior in seemingly intelligent human

beings? Mariners, or anyone else who lives and

works outdoors and who are exposed to the

whims of the weather, do these things to feel

better, safer, in control.

A web site about superstitions I was reading

said that, “This concept can be seen most clearly

in the sailing profession and is largely due to the

weather that the sailors’ life and work is powerless

before.”

Weather is beyond our control and despite

major advances in meteorology, still is very

unpredictable. How many times have you listened

to the weather report at night and the next day it

is nothing like what the Weather Channel

predicted?

For mariners, who have to live in the

uncertain environment, to achieve some level of

emotional well-being, they/we get superstitious,

get religious—or both. I for one have developed

the pagan approach to sailing; I will invoke the

help of any deity or spirit who will be kind

enough to look favorably on me.

I believe that life is like a weather report. So

what is the connection between how we deal with



life and how we deal with weather? A sailor deals

with the weather like this: You plan a voyage with

a specific destination in mind, at a certain time of

year, based on the weather you expect to

experience.

As you sail along, you watch the sky, look at

the cloud type and percentage of cloud cover, the

wind direction, watch the barometer to see what

the trend is, Rising means the weather should be

improving; falling, the weather will be getting

worse.

Rising: Smile and enjoy the ride.

Falling: Put double lashings on things, put in

a reef, and take seasick medication.

You listen to the weather forecast and you

download weather maps. Maps and forecasts at

sea are prepared by many different

meteorologists. They all sign their forecast and

reports so that you know whose work it is. They

take data points, use computer models, their own

experience and judgment to produce the

forecasts. Some of them are better at it than

others and they have a higher degree of accuracy

at predicting weather. Over time, you learn whose

forecast you can trust. So based on what you have

observed, what you have learned, you proceed

with the best possible plan eventually arriving at

your destination.

It is the same with life in general, you make a

plan and most of you here have a rough idea of

what lies ahead, what you want, where you are

going. A very rough plan for most of you here is

high school, college, perhaps graduate school, a

job, maybe marriage, kids, travel, more work,

grandchildren and retirement. If you work hard,

pay attention to details, take advice from sound

sources, keep your wits about you, set goals and

follow through, you will eventually arrive at your

destination.

In life, as with weather, every once in a while,

something unexpected happens. At sea, you get a

sudden squall in the middle of the night, a

localized strong wind gusts up or a big wave

comes along that seems to come out of nowhere—

and none of it was in the weather report that you

heard the day before.

There are moments at sea when you find

yourself in the thick of it and there is no way

out—no one to make it go away, no one to make it

better. It will be wet, cold, uncomfortable and

maybe scary. So you respond and you do your

best. If you have, in your day-to-day routine, kept

things organized, stowed properly, stayed

informed, anticipated things well, considered

your options and surrounded yourself with a

good crew, you will come out alright.

In your future, you will face surprises, things

that happen beyond your control, ranging from

not getting into the college you really wanted to go

to, and thought you were a shoe-in for, to being

fired unjustly, or losing a loved one. Eventually,

you will come out alright, even though it is hard to

see that when you are in the thick of it.

So in life, as with the weather, plan for the

best—there will be lots of it. But be prepared for

the worst. Choose carefully and wisely from

whom you take your advice—the proverbial

Weather Channel should not be your only source.

And if you ever see a cross-eyed, redheaded

clergyman carrying an open umbrella

approaching you, run away quickly. Otherwise,

you are about to have a very bad day.

DDeebboorraahh HHaayyeess is the program director and captain

of Geronimo, St. George’s 69-foot sailing school

vessel. She can be reached at

[email protected].



IN LIFE, AS WITH

WEATHER, EVERY ONCE IN

A WHILE, SOMETHING

UNEXPECTED HAPPENS.



BY BENNETT BISTLINE ’07

Following is a chapel talk delivered on Dec. 5, 2006.

What is the first thing that pops into

your head when you hear the word

“conventional”? When it comes to

family, I see the traditional nuclear family. Mom,

dad, kids, maybe a pet. I’m sure there are many

people in this room right now whose families fit

this category. However, I’m also sure that many of

those people wouldn’t want to describe their

families as conventional. Let’s take the Simpsons,

for example. All the pieces are there: Marge,

Homer, Bart, Lisa, Maggie. And yet who would

possibly call this the picture of conventionality?

The truth is that what we know as “normal” or

“conventional” really doesn’t exist at all. Those

terms are merely relative to how we see ourselves.

Is it normal for your parents to be divorced? Or

to be not only an only child, but also an only

grandchild, as I am? I hope not, because how

boring would that be?

If we go back 30 or 40 years we see a big

change in how something such as divorce is

perceived in society. Growing up in Virginia in

the 1960s, my dad didn’t even know a single kid

whose parents were divorced. As he used to say, “I

would rather have lived in a dysfunctional

household than to be the only kid in a game of

pick-up basketball whose parent’s were

DIVORCED.” Today, given that divorce is so

much more prevalent, most likely we all have at

least one good friend whose parents are. Is this a

sad fact? Does this statistic show what amounts to

a growing lack of commitment with each new

PHO

TOB

YQ

UE

NTI

NW

AR

RE

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conventionDefying


generation? I don’t think so. Maybe this shows

that people are willing to break the barriers of

convention to do what will actually make them

happy.

Today we have a whole new set of stigmas and

sources of hesitation when it comes to family.

Certain concepts are still taboo. Gay marriage is a

highly controversial topic. In this rapidly

changing world, however, even in the short period

of time that my classmates and I have been at St.

George’s, same-sex marriage has inched ever so

gradually toward the mainstream. This past week,

a major issue in Massachusetts has been gay

marriage legislation. Gov. Mitt Romney’s attempt

to outlaw same-sex marriage was dealt a setback

by the Supreme Court. Also, in Rhode Island for

the first time, a gay couple has filed for divorce.

Hopefully in another 30 years such stories will not

merit headlines.

The answer to speeding up this process is for

people to accept the differences they see in

themselves, enabling them to accept the

differences they see in others. One often looks for

something “abnormal” about someone else to feel

better about something they aren’t completely

comfortable about within themselves. Well, what

if you were completely comfortable with yourself?

With your family?

My parents were divorced when I was three

years old, so I really don’t remember them being



Bistline receivesher diploma onPrize Day.

PH

OTO

BY

KA

THR

YN

WH

ITN

EY

LUC

EY



together. It wasn’t until I was about 12 that my

dad remarried. I remember being somewhat upset

with the news at the time. When I let go of that

negative feeling, I found that I was incredibly

fond of my stepmother, and the two of us still

enjoy a strengthening bond today, even though

she and my father are no longer married. Who

wants a Cinderella story when you could just get

along with your stepmother in the first place?

So when my dad told me a little over a year

ago that he was seeing Susan, I decided to

embrace it completely. Good for him, if this is

going to make him happy. And so I have embraced

every new piece of information since then. In

May, shortly before graduation, my brother will

be born. I will be almost 18 years old, and my 49-

year-old father and his 36-year-old girlfriend will

be having a baby. When the baby is my age, I will

be 34 years old. I could be upset, or feel jealous or

(sorry to say this dad) be embarrassed. But I’m

not. I only feel excited. Who cares if this isn’t

“how it’s done”! This is how we’re going to do it

in my family.

My mom’s family is a perfect example of

how it could be misconstrued that they were

“conventional.” Yes, her parents were happily

married, she had an older brother, and they all

lived together in a beautiful Victorian house in

Washington, D.C., just a short walk from the

National Cathedral. Yet this description hardly

portrays the uniqueness of her family. They were

like the perfect mix of the Cleavers and the

Royal Tenenbaums. Even within the household

there was a clash of cultures. My grandmother

Carolyn was from Mississippi while my

grandfather Pat was from Maine. And this made

for interesting children, a melding of Southern

hospitality with a delight in reclusiveness that

only can be attributed to an upbringing in New

England. My grandmother herself was a very

strong woman. She worked her way up through

the corporate ladder in a time when that was

almost unheard of for a woman and she took no

prisoners, which is to say that she was going to

do things her way because she was a woman—

and if you didn’t like it then so be it. This

attitude certainly rubbed off on my mom, and in

some way it has rubbed off on me.

Understanding the origins of this quality in my

mom has helped me understand myself. And I’m

standing here helping you understand me. So

figure out why your parents are the way they are,

and you will know yourself that much better.

Knowing yourself is the only way to educate

others about the real you, and in so doing, raise

the overall level of awareness and tolerance

when it comes to one another.

This is the key. Embrace your wacky family.

Inherit their quirks, and don’t be ashamed. Only

then can you look at someone else’s family, and

instead of thinking, “That’s not normal,” you

might think, “It’s pretty cool the way they’re doing

it.” Family stigma arises from culture, and race,

and sexual orientation, among many other things.

Maybe understanding someone’s family is the key

to understanding them. Family is what defines

you, from the moment you are born; from day

one, those people mold the person you will

become. If we understand family, and therefore

the individual, maybe that’s the first step toward

breaking down the prejudices that create those

stigmas in the first place.

BBeennnneetttt BBiissttlliinnee ’07 will attend the Rhode IslandSchool of Design in Providence this fall. She can be


KNOWING YOURSELF IS

THE ONLY WAY TO

EDUCATE OTHERS ABOUT

THE REAL YOU.


BY BARRETT FREIBERT ’07

Following is a chapel talk delivered on May 17,

2007.

As the last days of school flash before

our eyes, most of us are counting them

down; almost wishing them down the

drain without thinking that soon we will never

return as students to St. George’s School and then

it will all be very different. To be quite honest,

some of us may never see each other again. There

are probably very few of us seniors who are

savoring every single moment left in the time we

have together, for we are all eager to start this new

chapter in our lives. More than likely we are not

appreciating our teachers, the gorgeous campus,

our friends, even our families. Why not live every

day as though it was your last, and take it all in?

You never know when it could all disappear

before your eyes just when you were least

expecting it.

Every moment of lifeClassmates SchuylerLivingston, BarrettFreibert andCatherine Colemanon Prize Day, May 28, 2007.



Four years and three months ago, when I was

least expecting it, my life changed forever. I had

just gotten back from a wonderful ski trip in

Telluride, Colo., and was relaxing before I had to

go back to school. I remember vividly sitting with

my brother in his room when the phone rang. It

was my mom, and the moment I picked up the

phone I instantly knew something was wrong. She

said, “Your dad is unconscious. Go to the

neighbor’s and they will take you to the hospital.”

That was all she said.

As I arrived at the hospital, I noticed many of

my dad’s best friends, business partners, and

many members of my family were standing in the

lobby with tears trickling down their cheeks. I was

about to find out why. My father had had an

aneurysm, which is when a blood vessel pops in

your brain. Bart, my younger brother, went into

my father’s hospital room first with a blank

expression on his face, not knowing what to

expect. When he came back, he was crying harder

than I have ever seen anyone cry. Then my Mom,

Bart and I entered as a family and we instantly

burst into sobs. There was my father, my hero,

who was helplessly laying in that hospital bed

with tubes coming out from every direction. Was

this real? No, it couldn’t be. It had to be an awful

nightmare—but it wasn’t.

For the next three weeks I lived at the

hospital. I was there as much as I possibly could

be. I knew my dad would pull through. I prayed

every night that my dad would wake up from this

semi-coma. After about a week and a half he

started to get better, but the doctor warned us that

when people are sick, they mostly get better

before they get worse. I didn’t listen; I just kept

praying. I would talk to him for hours at a time.

Sometimes he would open his beautiful sea green

eyes the littlest bit, and his eyes would wander

back and forth as if he was looking around for my

voice, his sweetheart, which is what he had always

called me. However, in the second week he went

into a full coma and we moved him to hospice, a

facility where sick people go when they are about

to die. Even when I heard this, I still didn’t believe

it. I couldn’t.

On the night of March 15, my mom had an

intuitive feeling and went to hospice to spend the

night in my father’s hospital room. When she

went to sleep she had a vivid dream that my father

had died and the nurse had come in and told her,

“You need to tell him he can go. Sign here.” So she

signed her name, Barbara W. Freibert, and as she

was crossing her “t” she abruptly woke up and

walked over to my father and knew what had

happened. She looked at the clock to notice it read

3:25. So she ran down to the nurses’ station and

told the nurse on duty that he had passed. The

nurse said “Well then that means he died at

3:20”and my mother curiously asked, “Well how

do you know?” and she said “Because I came into

check on him at 3:15 and he was still alive.” So as

my mother signed her name in the dream, she was

able to let my dad go on a subconscious level,

which gave him permission to leave. And that’s

when he left this world: on March 16, 2003 at 3:20

a.m.

To this day, I still have trouble remembering

and accepting that he is gone. Right after he died,

I would still dial his cell phone number expecting

that he would pick up and then I would

remember. However, my dad continues to live on

in me, in the stories, traditions and lessons he

taught me. Ever since March 16, 2003, life has

been drastically different in the Freibert family

but we choose to keep my dad’s spirit alive by

celebrating his way of life. He always said, “Honor

the land, the water, and the fowl. Work hard: It

makes the body and mind strong. Embrace your

family and your heritage: It is who you are.”

I choose to write about this, not so people will

feel sorry for me, but instead to encourage others

to savor the moment. I wish I had spent more

time with my family, I wish I had absorbed all the

knowledge my dad retained, I wish I had attended

every Trinity football game with him, I wish I had

asked more questions about the family tree. I

could go on forever but my point is: Live life in

the moment. Take one step at a time, as my dad

used to say, and live life to the very fullest.

Because of this experience I have come to

realize that the ordinary is the extraordinary in

life. A fresh, hot, steaming cup of coffee in the

morning. Listening to the Rolling Stones. Being

outside on a beautiful sunny summer afternoon.

A howling laugh shared with friends—or kicking




back watching home videos with family after a

home-cooked meal. These are the very best

moments in life. So enjoy every second, every

moment of life because it’s the most amazing gift

you will ever receive.

In conclusion I would like to share a poem I

wrote that reminds me to savor the moment.

Days tumble by

And the world rolls around

Just as it always did

Through the kitchen window

The birds still sing their morning melody

The sun still glistens

And the flowers still bloom

But not for you.

Your world has crashed

Slammed on its brakes

Paused from that moment in time.

After the loss of a loved one

Nothing is ever the same.

You may dwell in your sorrow

Or curse the world for its doings

But in the end you will realize

Your life may not always remain.

Then you choose to see

The world in different colors

Brighter than before.

Everyday is a gift

Waiting to be unwrapped

And awaiting to be praised

For you never know

When there will be

No more gifts under the tree.

So although your loved one

No longer lingers here

Life must go on

So live life until it overflows

The rim of expectations

And keep walking on.

BBaarrrreetttt FFrreeiibbeerrtt ’07 of Louisville, Ky., heads toWagner College this fall. She can be reached at

[email protected].


Seniors Brad Purdy,Cole Wollack,Devon Plachy,Catherine Colemanand Barrett Freibertrelax at the SixthForm Picnic hostedby the Alumni/aeOffice on May 24.



OCTOBER 5-7, 2007

PLEASE JOIN US THIS FALL FOR THE NEXT

ALUMNI/AE OF COLOR CONFERENCE

Last year’s Alumni/ae of Color Conference was a huge success and we’re lookingforward to hosting it again. The panel discussions, shared experiences and

prophetic words of Dr. Cornel West provided an empowering atmosphere to reflectand bond with each other and other members of the school community.

This year we hope to continue this valuable dialogue and to discuss ideas forfuture involvement with the school.

Please contact us at [email protected] to be added to our mailing list, or for more information.

Above: Last year’s attendees of the Alumni/ae of Color Conference included Clyde Dorsey ’70, Scarlet Deford ’98, Keith Anderson ’74,Sylvester Monroe ’69, Eric Hall ’80, William Powell ’04, Cameron Blanks ’05, Valerie McKee ’77, Devondra McMillan ’96, Victor Hall ’68,Vivian (Evans) Hilton ’85. Rashad Randolph ’98, Carlos Gonzalez ’98, Albert Lucas ’85, Sando Baysah ’05, Holly Moten Fidler ’94, HeraMcLeod ’99, Petra Pilgrim ’99, and Vickie Drummond ’77.

Save the Date for this special event


BY MARTHA C. MERRILL P ’07

Following is the Prize Day chapel address delivered

on May 28, 2007.

Mr. Peterson and St. George’s trustees,

thank you for the invitation to

speak today; I am truly honored

and humbled to do so.

Fellow parents and loved ones of today’s

graduates, they made it. We made it. I am so

proud of our students and of us.

And most importantly, to Hayley and your

classmates—members of St. George’s Class of

2007, sixth formers—congratulations! What a

special day this is!

When Hayley learned I would be speaking

today, she made me promise not to discuss two

topics: why “The Journey Matters” and the college

admission process. I think I can abide by those

rules. It’s now the destination that matters. And as

for the college application process—you’ve been

there, done that, and hopefully gotten your

college or university T-shirt!

As a dean of admission, I am asked to speak

about the college application process quite often,

and I am comfortable giving advice to high school

students about the college search, interviewing

and writing the essay. But it isn’t that often that I

have the opportunity or invitation to talk to

students who have already chosen to attend

college, other than when I welcome the incoming

class to Connecticut College. During her college

search, Hayley was comfortable asking me advice

about the process. But other than answering

questions about the courses she might take next

year, she hasn’t asked for any general guidance

Martha Merrill,mother of Hayley ’07and dean of admissionat Connecticut Collegein New London, Conn.,delivered the Prize Daychapel address in May.

Merrill to graduates: Learn from others


G R A D U A T I O N 2 0 0 6Prize Day

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about entering college this fall. So Hayley, the

words of advice I share today are for you and your

classmates, even if you didn’t ask for them!

Having worked at a college for 18 years I have

learned a few things about young people and what

it takes to be a successful and happy college

student. So I offer my humble counsel as you

transition into your next phase of education.

You need to know that you are among the

privileged. I don’t mean to suggest you are all rich

or that your families didn’t struggle to put you

through private school. You are intellectually and

socially privileged to have been educated at St.

George’s. Not everyone you will meet next year

will have been as academically challenged as you.

They may not have the same writing or study

skills or discerning minds that you will bring to

college, and some students will not have learned

the virtues of respect for the individual or the

importance of serving others that is imbedded in

your daily lives here as defined by St. George’s

mission. Keep in mind that you have a gift to

share. If your roommate hasn’t yet learned the

importance of regular study habits or how to

appreciate or support those who are not like

them, use the knowledge and principles you have

gained at St. George’s to help them learn similar

values. And jump at the opportunity to reach out

to other communities—whether it’s tutoring

students in the local school system, providing

relief to hurricane-ravaged areas or traveling to

Africa to assist AIDS victims. You have learned the

importance of service. Keep putting it into

practice.

But don’t think that your St. George’s

education makes you a better person or student.

There will be others who are not as privileged to

have lived your life, but who bring much to your

college campuses because of their own unique

experiences. Be open to learning from others, not

just your faculty but from the students you will

meet.

Allow me to share the story of JR, who is a

current sophomore at Connecticut College. He

lost his mother when he was a young child, and he

and his father, who could not seem to hold down

a job, lived in homeless shelters throughout New

York City for most of JR’s young life. He attended

three different public high schools by the time he

applied to college, and had difficulty finding a

quiet space to do his homework during those

years. In the end he succeeded in gaining

admission to Connecticut College, as was profiled

in a New York Times article that same year, due in

large part to his ability to achieve in spite of his

difficult circumstances—and his strong desire to

help others in his similar predicament. During his

high school years, he coordinated a conference and

created a newsletter for homeless children, to help

empower them and give them a voice. JR did not

have the privilege of obtaining a St. George’s

education, nor did he likely have the same solid

math or English foundation, but he has already

succeeded at Conn and has taught others, directly

and indirectly, lessons about overcoming

significant odds and about getting what you want

if you work hard enough at it. My point here is

that you have a gift to share, as do others from

various backgrounds, but do not take it for

granted. Use your gift while you are enrolled in

college. Part of that gift is sharing your own

experiences and learning from those you will meet

in your new communities.

When I entered college in 1980 and each year

thereafter I remember the butterflies in my

stomach as I drove through the entrance to

Connecticut College. Even when I started working

at the college several years later, those butterflies

were still fluttering nearby. It is not unusual that

you might feel nervous about entering a new

school. I’m sure you remember your first days here

at St. George’s worrying about making friends. I

am fairly confident that by the end of your time

here each one of you has made a friend or two!

And you will make friends once again in your new

communities. Our Dean of Freshmen told me that

most problems first-year students have are

roommate related (they don’t come to her

complaining about not having friends or not being

able to do the work). Her suggestion is that you

don’t have to be best friends with your roommate,

just be friendly and try to get along. That’s great

advice.

You have gained an incredible education here

at St. George’s, one that has prepared you for the

rigors of higher education. You may not yet know

what you want to major in or in which discipline


G R A D U A T I O N 2 0 0 6

PP RR II ZZ EE SS AAWWAARRDDEEDD MMAAYY 22 88 ,, 22 00 0077

BINNEY PRIZE — For the highest scholarship in the sixth form:

BBeennjjaammiinn FFrreeeeddmmaann PPeeddrriicckk

DRURY PRIZE — For excellence in art:

BBeennnneetttt PPaatttteerrssoonn BBiissttlliinnee

CAMERA PRIZE :

SSaabbllee NNooeell KKnnaapppp

THE CLASS OF 1978 MUSIC PRIZE — Given to a studentwho through personal efforts has inspired the musical life ofthe school:

AAaarroonn MMiiccaahh ZZiicckk

CHOIR PRIZE :

FFrraanncciiss WWiissnneerr MMuurrrraayy

WOOD DRAMATICS PRIZE — For the student whoseabilities and efforts have contributed most to the theater at St. George’s:

RReemm VVaann AAiikkeenn MMyyeerrss IIIIII

DARTMOUTH CLUB OF RHODE ISLAND HISTORY PRIZE: LLiillyy CCrroowwnniinnsshhiieelldd RReeeeccee

EVANS SPANISH PRIZE:DDaavviiss MMaattllaacckk AArrcchheerr

RIVES FRENCH PRIZE:AAnnnnaabbeell BBaarrbbaarraa ddee BBrraaggaannccaa

CHINESE PRIZE — Awarded to two students who havedemonstrated consistently high performance in the study ofMandarin Chinese and shown a genuine interest in theChinese language and culture while at St. George’s:

MMiicchhaaeell AAlleexxaannddeerr MMoorroossccoo--GGuurrsskkyyTTrreevvoorr MMccKKiinnlleeyy NNiicchhoollss

KING MEDAL — For excellence in Latin:

VViirrggiinniiaa HHaayyeess SSppiillmmaann

LOGAN PRIZE FOR ENGLISH :LLiinnddsseeyy AAnnnnee MMccQQuuiillkkiinn

PRESCOTT BIBLE & THEOLOGY PRIZE:VViiccttoorriiaa LLeeee BBllaanncchhaarrdd NNoorrtthh

RENSSELAER MEDAL — Given to a member of the fifth formfor outstanding achievement in mathematics and science:

HHeelleenn FFeeii SSuunn

PHYSICS PRIZE: HHeelleenn FFeeii SSuunn

JACOBY BIOLOGY PRIZE:RRyyaann UUrrqquuhhaarrtt WWaarrrreenn

EDGAR PRIZE IN MATHEMATICS :

JJoosseepphh DDeeWWiitttt AAssttrraauusskkaass

COMPUTER PRIZE:BBeennjjaammiinn FFrreeeeddmmaann PPeeddrriicckk

GEORGE D. DONNELLY ATHLETIC AWARD — Awarded toa girl and boy who, in the opinion of the Head of School andthe Athletic Directors, possess a passion for athletics and whodemonstrate the dedication and the sportsmanship to succeedin a variety of athletic endeavors.

HHeeaatthheerr OOlliivviiaa RRoossee MMiittcchheellll JJaammeess RRiicchhaarrdd PPaasssseemmaattoo


Helen Fei Sun ’08 was the recipient of the Rensselaer Medal and thePhysics Prize.

G R A D U A T I O N 2 0 0 7The Prizes

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Note: The next four prizes in athletics are awarded by vote ofthe coaches.

MARY EUSTIS ZANE CUP — Awarded to a girl of the sixthform whose steady devotion to the high ideals of goodsportsmanship has been an inspiration to her fellow students:

SSaarraahh EElliizzaabbeetthh DDiicckk

THAYER CUP — Awarded to a boy of the sixth form whosesteady devotion to the high ideals of good sportsmanship hasbeen an inspiration to his fellow students:

CChhrriissttoopphheerr EEddwwaarrdd TToollaann

LOUISE ELLIOT CUP — Awarded to a sixth-form girl forexcellence in athletics and for promoting the spirit of hard,clean play:

LLiillyy GGrraacceewwoooodd PPoossnneerr

SAMUEL POWEL CUP — Awarded to a sixth-form boy forexcellence in athletics and for promoting the spirit of hard,clean play:

KKeevviinn WWeebbbb CCoorrkkeerryy

DEAN SCHOLARSHIP — In memory of Charles MaitlandDean, Senior Prefect 1968, killed in Laos in 1974. Given by hisfamily and friends, and awarded for the sixth-form year to aboy or girl who has demonstrated a concern for thecommunity, the ability to lead, and a sense of civicresponsibility:

JJuuaann AAnnttoonniioo FFlloorreess

CONGRESSMAN PATRICK J. KENNEDY AWARD —Awarded to a member of the sixth form who has demonstratedcommitment to community service:

DDaavviiss MMaattllaacckk AArrcchheerr

CENTENNIAL PRIZE — Inaugurated during the school’scentennial year. Awarded to a boy and girl of the graduatingclass who have demonstrated extraordinary and inspirationalefforts on behalf of the school community:

AAlleexxaannddrraa EEmmiillyy CCaahhiillllAAaarroonn MMiiccaahh ZZiicckk

Note: The next prizes are awarded by vote of the faculty.

ALLEN PRIZE — To a member of the fourth form who duringthe year has maintained a high standard in all departments ofthe life of the school:

SSaammuueell JJoonneess TTiillddeenn VV

HARVARD AND RADCLIFFE CLUBS OF RHODE ISLANDPRIZE — For the student of the fifth form whom the Head ofSchool and the faculty deem most worthy in scholarship, effortand character:

WWiilllliiaamm OOwweenn OO’’CCoonnnnoorr IIII

Christopher Tolan ’07 took home the Thayer Cup.

G R A D U A T I O N 2 0 0 7

THE JEFFERYS PRIZE — Given in memory of Cham Jefferysto the sixth former who in the opinion of the faculty has donethe most to enhance the moral and intellectual climate of theschool:

LLiinnddsseeyy AAnnnnee MMccQQuuiillkkiinn

PHELPS MONTGOMERY FRISSELL PRIZE — Awarded to themember of the sixth form who at St. George's has made thebest use of his or her talents:

JJoosseepphh DDeeWWiitttt AAssttrraauusskkaass

HEADMASTER’S AWARD — To the Senior Prefect for hisfaithful devotion to the many duties of the past year. Given inmemory of Henry W. Mitchell, Class of 1933:

PPhhiilllliipp AAnnddrreeww YYaammaarrttiinnoo

ST. GEORGE’S MEDAL — Awarded to the member of thesixth form who through effort, character, athletics andscholarship during the year has best caught and expressed theideals and spirit of St. George’s:

AAsshhlleeyy NNiiccoollee DDoocckkeerryy

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BY ERIC F. PETERSON

Following is an edited version of remarks delivered

by the head of school on Prize Day, May 28, 2007.

On behalf of the entire St. George’s

community, it is my great pleasure to

welcome you to our Prize Day

ceremonies. For more than 100 years, the school

has gathered here each spring to say farewell to its

graduating class and to recognize their

contributions to the life of the school. Today we

will honor the Class of 2007, and we are joined by

their schoolmates, the faculty, staff, members of

the St. George’s Board of Trustees, alumni/ae,

friends and of course, the graduates’ families, who

have come from across the nation and around the

world to help celebrate this occasion. We bid you

all welcome.

Now, on to the formal business of the day. To

the members of the Class of 2007, we offer our

heartfelt congratulations. You are without

question an exceptionally dynamic class, full of

strong personalities, interesting characters, and

overflowing with joy and energy. You are scholars,

artists, athletes and activists. You have studied,

competed, and served the school and the

community with great zeal and great success.

Over the course of this year you have led by

example, even in some complicated and difficult

circumstances. You should be very proud. We will

miss you all next year, but we know that you will

enrich your new collegiate communities with the

same energy and character you’ve shown in your

time at St. George’s. In the meantime however, we

have you as our own for a few minutes more, so

please indulge this last chance to pass on to you

one final set of “portentous ‘go forth’ remarks.”

Imagine if you can, a distant, benighted time

in human history, a time without cell phones,

instant messaging, Facebook, or YouTube. In these

dark ages, with nothing else at all to do, families

From the front steps ofOld School, Head ofSchool Eric F. Petersondelivers the Prize DayAddress on MemorialDay, May 28, 2007.

Bewaretheoyster

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G R A D U A T I O N 2 0 0 7

gathered around primitive cathode ray

televisions, together, to watch TV. Since most TV

markets only offered six or eight channels

(imagine!), it was simple enough to know what

was airing on any given night, and in time, each

night became associated with a particular set of

shows. In our house, Sunday nights belonged to

two shows: the “Wonderful World of Disney” and

“Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom.”

Before the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet,

and other 24-hour nature channels, Wild

Kingdom was the one TV show devoted to

teaching about animals from around the world. It

also rated high on the unintentional comedy

scale, as the host of the show, Marlin Perkins,

looking dapper with his safari shirt and clipped

white mustache, seemed to invariably stay safely

in the jeep, narrating the action while his

assistant, Jim Fowler, was wading into some awful

swamp, wrestling alligators, uncoiling pythons

from his neck, or fending off schools of hungry

piranhas.

For all the humor it inadvertently provided,

the program did do a wonderful job showcasing

the diversity and fragility of the natural world.

But it also tended to focus on apex predators like

lions or alligators, or animals with consumer

appeal, like pandas or elephants. Smaller or less

dramatic creatures never made it to the airwaves.

Likewise, in schools, there is a tendency for us to

focus on the marquee events—an A in a difficult

course, a leadership position, or an overtime

victory—as the great moments of learning.

However, whether on “Wild Kingdom” or at St.

George’s there is as much to be learned from the

lower reaches of the food chain as from the top. In

the spirit of those small moments and smaller

creatures, here is one final lesson by way of a

humble creature never featured on Wild

Kingdom: As graduates of this school, you must

not become oysters.

Naturally, this is a metaphor. There is little

chance that any of you will literally become

oysters, but as an English teacher, metaphor is as

familiar to me as a hammer is to a carpenter.

(Incidentally, for those keeping score, that was a

simile about a metaphor– the English teacher

equivalent of turning a triple play in baseball.)

Oysters are actually remarkable little beasts,


delicious to eat either raw or cooked, but as I said,

I speak of oysters today not for their food value,

or for their economic importance as shellfish, but

rather as an organizing metaphor for your lives in

the years ahead. Jonathan Swift, the English

satirist, once remarked, “He was a brave man what

first ate an oyster...” True this may be, but it’s

important to note that the bravery in the quip

belongs to the man, not the oyster. So if the oyster

just gets eaten, and its bravery is not our example,

what then can we learn from the oyster?

Consider first the oyster’s shell. Lacking teeth,

claws, stingers, or even fins, the oyster strikes a

strictly defensive position. Its thick shell is the

oyster’s protection and its prison. He cannot leave

it, no matter what. And, like all purely defensive

measures, when it fails, the oyster is finished. This

is no way to live. In the years ahead, it will be

tempting for each of you to begin crafting an

oyster shell of your own. It may accrete around a

certain point of view or opinion that you hold.

You may build it to protect yourself as a response

to some great hurt that life deals you. But you

cannot, you must not, allow yourselves to follow

the oyster’s example. Stay open to life’s

possibilities and its joys, even if you’ve been

wounded by time and fate. Stay flexible, and don’t

let your mind become trapped and calcified by

your own immovable point of view. Recognize

that the thicker your shell, the stronger your

prison, and consider the possibilities outside the

boundaries of your own experiences.

One of the best ways to ensure you do this is

by getting out and experiencing the world on its

own terms. Yes, doing so can be uncomfortable

and sometimes even dangerous. So what? Risk is

part of life, and trying to avoid it only robs you

valuable experience. Take the initiative and live an

interesting life. Go out and explore, discover, see

the world in all its hues and colors. Oysters, once

they have fixed themselves to the seabed, never

move again. Don’t let this happen to you. Instead,

follow Thoreau’s advice to “live the life you’ve

imagined.” Watch the sun rise over Paris, learn to

play the piano, fall in love, move to a new city, raft

the Grand Canyon, whatever. Hopefully, your

time at St George’s has given you a small taste of

life’s possibilities, a taste that has whetted your

appetite for more. In any case, make every effort



to taste the joy and the terror, the passion and the

sadness that life has to offer. Don’t stop seeking

new adventures and do not allow yourselves to

remain forever fixed in place, either in your

experience or in your perspectives.

Speaking of perspective, an oyster literally has

none. It lives on the bottom, anchored in the

mud, and it has no eyes. You on the other hand

have both eyes and a heart. You can see, but you

can also feel. Feel enough to change the world.

This is, of course, hard to do. We live in cynical

times, and it is easy to allow the creeping acid of

that cynicism to poison our hearts and rob us of

perspective. In the end however, the cynics always

lose, for they have surrendered the noblest quality

of their humanity—they have given up hope;

hope for a better world, hope for greater kindness,

courage, and justice. But by opening your heart to

what is possible you can still see the world as it

might be, rather than forever defining it by its

failures. In so doing, you create the perfect

antidote to the poison of cynicism and

indifference. Have the perspective to acknowledge

the good and the evil in the world, and then have

the courage to act, for it is not enough to simply

recognize injustice. While at St. George’s you’ve

had the opportunity and the experience to see

that each of us can craft a better world, for

ourselves and for others. Certainly you have been

shown in the lives of the faculty and staff

examples of devoted service to others, of men and

women dedicated to changing the world and

those around them for the better. So put aside all

of the clichés about “lifelong learning” and

journeys mattering. Find the necessary

perspective to allow you to devote your lives to

others, to improving the world in some small way,

and you will be enriched beyond all measure.

Ignore the cynics, sitting in the shadows, gnawing

unhappily on their blackened, bitter crusts, and

instead drink deeply from the cup of hope to

believe in and build a better world.

On the subject of eating and drinking, I

suggest finally that you avoid the example of the

oyster’s eating habits. Oysters are filter feeders,

meaning they take in whatever nourishment they

can by filtering through themselves the water that

surrounds them. As a result, oysters are prone to

disease and are highly susceptible to pollution and

bacterial contamination. Where the oyster is

submerged in the sea itself, we humans are all

submerged in a sea of information. Never before

in history has so much data been so readily

available to each of us. Where once a learned few

controlled information, it now belongs to the

masses, and the sheer scale of human knowledge

is expanding at an exponential rate. Despite this

expansion, we don’t seem to be much smarter.

Instead, like the oyster filtering seawater, we are

required to filter increasingly enormous amounts

of information, and like the oyster, we are subject

to absorbing some highly toxic material. The

oyster must absorb all it filters, but as thinking

human beings we do not. Therefore, consider

carefully the information you take in, and absorb

only that which you know to be worthwhile. If

you have learned anything at St. George’s, I hope

you have developed the ability to examine an issue

thoughtfully and critically, and then draw a

reasoned conclusion of your own. Issues,

situations, and people are not always as they seem,

and the ability to evaluate information

thoughtfully, carefully, and critically has never

been more important. Given the stakes for which

the world now plays, we are all counting on you to

do this well.

In closing, there is one thing an oyster does

that is rare and beautiful. It can create pearls. The

oyster takes something irritating, perhaps a grain

of sand or a pebble, and turns that irritant into

something luminous and beautiful. No other

creature can do this, so for all the limitations of

the humble oyster, it does have this one

remarkable gift. Naturally, each of you has your

own remarkable gifts and talents. As you prepare

to leave this Hilltop as graduates, it is our fondest

wish that in bringing these talents to the world,

you will each create lives that are as rare, and

luminous, and beautiful as the oyster’s pearls.

So, Class of 2007, we wish you good luck, fair

winds, and Godspeed. May the Lord watch over,

protect, and bless you in the years ahead. May you

recall fondly your days at St. George’s, and may

you always remember that we are proud to count

you as our own.

EErriicc FF.. PPeetteerrssoonn is the head of St. George’s School. He

can be reached at [email protected].


you would like to focus your energies. That’s OK. I

tell the incoming class at Connecticut College each

year, of which 30 percent are usually “clueless,” that

this is expected—especially at a liberal arts college.

But once you do find your academic niche, find a

mentor, someone who can help guide you through

your undergraduate years and help determine what

you might do with your major in English,

philosophy, physics or music. And don’t be afraid to

try something new! Never braved Chinese at St.

George’s but want to learn the language? Go for it.

Always wanted to learn more about art history after

visiting the Museum of Modern Art and the

Museum of Fine Arts with fellow Dragons? Go for it.

And explore cultures beyond our borders—now is

the time for you to spend several months in a

foreign country. The opportunity to study and live

abroad will not present itself quite as easily as it does

during your college years. Grab it! Organizations

and companies hiring university and college

graduates today are looking for global-minded

citizens. There is no better way to learn about

another culture than living and breathing it.

Part of the privilege of being a St. George’s

graduate is the ability to ask discerning questions in

and out of the classroom. A current Connecticut

College senior, Zak, who is headed off to the

University of Michigan to pursue a master’s degree

in organizational behavior, told me he wished he

had been more confident as a freshman. He is a self-

assured communicator and conversationalist, and it

is hard to believe he was afraid to speak in class

during his first year, but he told me he was afraid of

being wrong. Balderdash, I told him. What a waste of

his wonderful mind for those first several months of

his college experience. What a loss for his fellow

classmates and faculty. Don’t be like Zak. Have the

confidence to speak your mind early on. You may

not be right, but don’t let that stop you. You have so

much to share with your future faculty and

classmates. Ask the probing questions in class and in

your dorm. Raise the important issues for deeper

discussion. To quote my friend and colleague—

current dean of admission at Tufts—“Stir the pot,

(but don’t smoke it!)”

And don’t only question those around you.

CO N T I N U E D FR O M PAG E 41

G R A D U A T I O N 2 0 0 7

Question yourself. As the philosopher Friedrick

Nietzsche said, “It’s not simply a question of

having the courage of one’s convictions, but at

times having the courage to attack one’s

convictions.” Don’t be afraid to question your own

beliefs and to try to look at your point of view

from a different vantage point. That is when true

learning will take place. But you have to be

confident in opening your mouth and mind for

this kind of learning to occur. You have to be

confident to take some intellectual risks.

Where does one find the confidence to take

risks? You’ve got to have faith. I don’t necessarily

mean religious faith, though for some of you that

might just be what it is. Ask yourself what faith

means to you. What does it mean to believe in

something? To believe in yourself? Regardless of

whether you find faith in a deity or in yourself,

take hold of that faith and even if you fail or make

a mistake along the way, keep that faith. It should

ultimately sustain you throughout your college

years and beyond. One of the best definitions of

faith I’ve read recently was provided by Cornel

West, the noted author of books on democracy

and race, professor of religion at Princeton, and

recent guest speaker here at St. George’s. Dr. West

says that in his black church tradition, faith is

defined as “stepping out on nothing and landing

on something.” That’s what risk-taking is—the

fear of stepping off a cliff into a cavernous

wasteland, and landing on a soft ground just one

step away.

So Hayley (and classmates), share the

privilege of your St. George’s education in your

classrooms and in your daily lives. Be open to

learning from others. Give back. Speak up in

class—even early on. Keep on writing. Run if you

want—or try something new. And travel.

Take that leap of faith. Besides, it’s the

destination that now matters.

Oh, and Doodles. I am proud of you and I

love you.

God bless you all.

MMaarrtthhaa CC.. MMeerrrriillll is the Dean of Admission &Financial Aid at Connecticut College in NewLondon, Conn. She can be reached [email protected].



Senior prefect for the 2006-07 year Phil Yamartino hands over the keys to the school to 2007-08 senior prefect-elect Alex Merchant on PrizeDay, May 28, 2007.

Excitement ruled the day: Brett Lyall ’07shares his joy with a classmate.

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G R A D U A T I O N 2 0 0 7

Annabel de Braganca, Sarah Dick, AshleyDockery, David Eads and Xochina ElHilali settle into the front row at the startof the Prize Day festivities.

Senior prefect-elect Alex Merchant will serve alongside fellow seniors Betsy Stavis, Selena Elmer, Chase Uhlein and Nick Carrellas.

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50 � ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN

ReunionWeekend ’07R E C O N N E C T I N G O N T H E H I L L T O P

Train honored with DimanAwardSchool” that “the specific objectives of St.

George’s are to give its students the opportunity

to develop to the fullest extent possible the

particular gifts that are theirs and to encourage in

them the desire to do so … Later it is hoped that

their lives will be ones of constructive service to

the world …”

Mr. Train’s commitment to the protection and

preservation of the environment and to

promoting sound environmental policy across the

globe make him the unanimous choice of the

trustees and an exemplary candidate for the

Diman Award.

After attending St. George’s, Mr. Train

Following is the text of the presentation of the 2007

Diman Award by Head of School Eric F. Peterson to

Russell E. Train ’37 on May 18 in the Chapel.

Today we are gathered to honor a St. George’s

graduate who exemplifies the ideals and vision of

the school’s founder, John Byron Diman.

In 1990, the Board of Trustees voted to

reestablish the Distinguished Alumnus Award and

to name it in honor of Mr. Diman.

Tonight we add to that illustrious group of

Diman Award recipients Russell Train, a member

of the St. George’s Class of 1937.

John Diman wrote in his “Purpose for the

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Russell E. Train ’37 accepts the Diman Award for his career-long promotion of environmental awareness from Head of SchoolEric Peterson.


graduated from St. Alban’s School in Washington,

D.C., and went on to earn his bachelor’s degree

from Princeton and a law degree from Columbia

University.

He spent the early part of his career as an

attorney and as a judge, but it was in the late

1950s, during two safaris to East Africa, that he

discovered what would be his true call to service.

After observing the vast and fragile African

wilderness, Mr. Train founded the Wildlife

Leadership Foundation in 1961. Through it, he

attempted to help the emerging nations of Africa

use professional resource management to

establish effective wildlife parks and reserves.

One could easily say that Mr. Train was a

visionary when it comes to environmental

awareness. As it seems the public today is just now

coming around to the idea of taking real,

substantive steps toward preserving our natural

resources, Mr. Train was advocating for a land-

sensitive approach to consumerism decades ago.

He served in several high-profile positions as

a leader in crafting U.S. and foreign

environmental policy. His many titles include

president of The Conservation Foundation,

undersecretary of the U.S. Department of the

Interior, and administrator of the Environmental

Protection Agency.

He was president and chairman of the World

Wildlife Fund from 1978-1994.

In 1991, President George H.W. Bush

bestowed upon Mr. Train the United States

Presidential Medal of Freedom for his devotion

“to protecting our precious natural heritage.”

Today Mr. Train continues to serve as

chairman emeritus of the World Wildlife Fund—

and to champion the causes that are near to his

heart.

Because of his exceptional work in helping

nations preserve and protect their natural

resources—and his numerous achievements in the

fields of environment awareness and policy

making—please join me in honoring Russell

Train, the 2007 recipient of the Diman Award …

ONE COULD EASILY

SAY THAT MR. TRAIN

WAS A VISIONARY

WHEN IT COMES TO

ENVIRONMENTAL

AWARENESS.

Russell Train ’37 andhis daughter, ErrolTrain Giordano ’77,share some time inthe chapel after hisreceipt of the DimanAward in May.

52 � ST. GEORGE ’ S 2 0 0 7 SUMMER BULLET IN

BY STEVE CRAMPTON ’57

Following is a chapel talk delivered on May 20.

Themonumental history of many of our

classmates’ experiences, hopes and

disappointments over the past 50 years

is cause both for reflection and learning. And I

would submit, it provides us all with lessons that

are informative, and in the case of those younger

than we, all the way back to the current student

body, hopefully instructive.

Let me start with this thought. We are

conditioned by our society that when we are

young, it is right to trade time for money. No one

has ever died from hard work, and to allocate

most of one’s time to achieve excellence and one’s

aspirations, and properly provide for one’s family,

is right and good. The catch is, as we mature and

become secure, many find it hard to trade money

for time. That is a wisdom that somehow eludes a

great number of people. Time, the value of it,

what we do with it, and the recognition that we

may each have less of it than we think we do, is

the lesson that reverberates throughout the

commentaries of our classmates.

And what can we gain from the experiences

accumulated over 50 years, and the observations

made?

1. Take time and care in finding your mate. It

isn’t easy, and not one classmate was able to

explain how to do it or why it happened. It was

the unanimous consensus that they just stumbled

into the right person through happenstance. Yet it

was also the unanimous opinion that when the

right person came along, you just knew. The

classmates who were lucky enough to find the

right person had taken a big step toward

achieving happiness, and had established a

foundation from which other important benefits

flow. If you find a lover, confidant, partner and

supporter, all wrapped into one person, you win.

Interestingly, some classmates found the right

person the second time around, and the pleasure

of their later years has been enhanced

exponentially. You can feel the pride, contentment

and love of such a relationship in the words they

use to describe it, and the amazement that they


Steve Crampton ’57 showsoff a St. George’s tie to

Stephen “Rabbi”Wainwright ’57 during

Reunion Weekend in May.Looking on are Rusty

Wortham, Bill Jackson,Dan Dent, John Skelton

and Carolyn Skelton.

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Lessons from ’57


were so fortunate.

2. Take the time to contemplate the

importance of family. All of us

experience bumps in the road, they are

unavoidable, and occur as inevitably as

death does. It is family support and love

that will carry you through those

difficult times. Friendships and

colleagues are important, but when the

chips are down, there is something

magical about lineal blood. The further

out a family tree close relationships

extend, the better. The sense of pride in

one’s children, awe in ones

grandchildren, affection for sons-in-law

and daughters-in-law, and the joy of

including nieces, nephews, grandnieces

and grandnephews in the family matrix,

is evident in classmates’ remarks. And it

is true that families that do things

together multiply life’s enjoyments.

Family participation in lifetime sports

and holiday gatherings enrich the

tapestry of life.

3. Take the time to protect your

health. As you grow older, you will realize

it is perhaps your most important asset.

Now it is true that we are increasingly

learning that many health-related issues

are gene-driven and inherited, others may

be environmentally triggered, or due to a

tragic accident, or are otherwise

unavoidable. It is an inescapable reality

that some draw short straws when it

comes to illness and disease.Witness the

fact that we have lost seven members of

our class just when they should be

enjoying the fruits of their years of

effort—two were gone within a year of

our graduation from this place. And when

a premature loss is coupled with a family

relationship, the anguish and pain leap

from the pages of the classmate’s

reflection. The loss of a wife by one

classmate, the loss of a young daughter by

another, are haunting reminders of how

unexpected and tragic the pulse of life

can be. The good news is that we do have

a certain control over our destiny.

Exercise, diet, optimism, and moderation

in all things pleasurable, do make a

difference. Get into good habits early, and

diligently pursue them throughout your

life. That is one of those truths that is not

self-evident until you actually reach age

50 or beyond. Don’t be one who lives to

regret your earlier lifestyle when you

become older.

4. Take the time to give something

back to those who got you where you

are, and to your community. And don’t

forget to say thanks to every helping

hand. As our society evolves, as our

environment changes, the lesson to be

learned is that we cannot just continue

to take, withdraw or use without

giving, depositing or renewing.

Otherwise, our children, grandchildren

and future generations will suffer the

consequences. Certainly donations of

money help, but think about giving

your time. Mentoring a child, working

with those less fortunate, pro bono

work in your field of expertise, sharing

your valuable experiences with others,

working for nonprofit agencies like

United Way, a land conservation trust,

Habitat for Humanity; the

opportunities are endless, and limited

only by the boundaries of your

imagination. The volunteer efforts by

our classmates are a credit not only to

themselves and their families, but also

to this institution.

5. Finally, take the time to bike to

L’Orange in the Provence region of

France to witness the Roman outdoor

amphitheatre and marvel at how they

knew the intricacies of acoustics just as

well as any modern architect or engineer

with their sophisticated computers and

accumulated knowledge. Take the time

to raft down the Grand Canyon and

absorb the lessons of geology, history,

hydrology, environmental implications,

and drink in the ambiance of that

special place. Take the time to visit The

Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Le Louvre

in Paris, and the other sacred houses of

art and culture. Take the time to visit

the great symphony halls of the world to

hear Wagner performed and Jose

Carreras sing. And take the time to

climb Mt. Whitney, or hike The Long

Trail, or hike, bike, ski or sail the

beautiful places where you reside. You

never miss what you don’t know or

experience, and there are so many

natural and man-made wonders that

exist. Don’t let work or other mundane

rationales deter you from the chance to

experience these wonders.

6. Let me take just one last minute

to comment on the school as we find it

today, 50 years after our matriculation.

These thoughts are a compilation of

comments made in conversations with

my classmates throughout this weekend.

Viewing the school today is like peering

through a kaleidoscope. The variations

in race, gender, background and

diversity of the student body are

impressive. The talents, energies and

dedication of the students, faculty and

administration are breathtaking, and the

bricks and mortar impressive. A sound

bite wit recently noted that the 10

Republicans participating in the recent

presidential debate represented all races,

creeds and colors of rich, white men.

Flashback 50 years to the classes

attending this school in the mid 1950s

and the description is not far off. It is a

credit to the leadership of St. George’s

over the years that the school has

evolved into a leading representative of

what a first-rate secondary school

should be, one that everyone associated

with the school can have tremendous

pride in. So we of the class of ’57 salute

you, today’s St. George’s community,

both for your efforts and the results you

have achieved.

SStteevvee CCrraammppttoonn ’57 is a retired attorney

now living in Vero Beach, Fla. He can be


R E C O N N E C T I N G O N T H E H I L L T O P


Mrs. Andree Dean helped present the 2007

Howard B. Dean Service Award, named in honor

of her late husband, to three St. George’s alums on

May 19 in Madeira Hall.

Edwin C. Donaghy Jr. ’42, Craig M. Watjen ’54

and Laura Stack de Ramel ’90 were honored.

Donaghy, a Philadelphia native who served as

a fighter pilot during World War II, worked in the

manufacturing and banking businesses until his

retirement. He was active in a number of

charitable organizations, but SG stayed close to his

heart. He has provided leadership and support to

the Annual Fund and a variety of special projects

including the art center, Camp Ramleh, the

campus center and Geronimo.

De Ramel, a former legislative assistant and

research associate and now a full-time mom, has

been a dedicated volunteer since her graduation.

She has been a class agent, a Centennial

Committee member, and a member of the Annual

Fund Advisory Committee since 1997. She was

appointed to the board of trustees this summer.

Watjen, who was unable to attend the

ceremony, is a former professional musician who

for years served as the chief financial officer of

Microsoft Corp. From 1994 through 1999 he

helped the school integrate technology into the

academic program.


Volunteers honored in Maywith Dean Service Award

Andree Dean was on hand May 19 to help present the Howard B. Dean Service Award, named in honor ofher late husband, former trustee Howard Dean II, to three alums, including Edwin C. Donaghy Jr. ’42(above, left).

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Students Aaron Zick ’07, Selena Elmer ’08, Christopher McCormack ’09 and

Sofia Covarrubias ’09 respond to questions from alumni/ae during a panel

discussion.

Head of School Eric F. Peterson presents the DeanService Award to Laura Stack de Ramel ’90 (above), andCraig Watjen ’54 (below). Watjen, a lover of antiqueFords, baseball and music, couldn’t attend the ceremony.

Devon Plachy ’07 and Matt Gaydar ’09 perform for alumni/ae on Reunion

Weekend.

St. George’s TodayMADEIRA HALLMAY 19, 2007

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The Dean Award was established in 2001 by the

St. George’s Board of Trustees to recognize members

of the school community whose service to the school

has been exceptional.

Howard B. Dean was the father of four SG

alums: Democratic National Committee Chair

Howard Dean ’66, Charlie ’68, Jim ’72 and Bill ’73.

He served on the board of trustees from 1976-1985.



Playground dedicated inmemory of free-spirited alumnus

OnSaturday, May 19, the Wes

Mitchell Playground was dedicated

in memory of a St. George’s alum

who instilled a spirit of playfulness and joy in

his classmates, family members and friends.

Wes died Oct. 11, 2001, in an accident at the

start of his freshman year at The College of the

South at Sewanee.

He is remembered for his upbeat attitude,

his creativity and his ability to spread cheer to

those around him. Many students who have

spoken publicly of their relationships with Wes

have mentioned his positive take on life, as well

as his love of music and art.

“While Wes may not be here in person, a

part of him will always be here at St. George’s

and I know a part of him will always be with

me,” one student wrote.

Friends and 2001 classmates Colby Hewitt,

Jake von Trapp and Eliza Notides (above)

formed the Playground Steering Committee to

oversee the project.

Nearly nine months of planning, design

work, fund raising and construction went into

the new playground, which sits next to Buell

Dormitory on the northern end of campus.

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If you’re a member of a class readying for a reunion

next year, start planning now for Reunion Weekend 2008,

which will be held May 16-18.

Call the Alumni/ae Office for more details at 1-888-

ICALL-SG.

We want you back.

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The Class of 1987 celebrates its 20th reunion.

Save the dates forReunion Weekend 2008


On boardN E W S F R O M G E R O N I M O

The watch systemBY BENNETT GREY GEYER ’08

Note: The following diary entry was written aboard

Geronimo during the spring cruise.

2:30 a.m.—Somewhere between Emerald Bay

Marina, Great Exuma, and Puerto Rico I awoke to

Leslie’s cry of “Good Morning, Geronimo!”

At first I was disoriented and fought to shake

off the grogginess. It was 2:30 in the morning, and

I had to prepare for the starboard watch group’s 3-

7 a.m. watch. I brushed my teeth, put a shirt on,

strapped on my fanny-pack-style inflatable life

vest, grabbed my knife and flashlight, and finally

donned my harness. As I looked around at Megan

and Hannah, also getting ready for watch, I

noticed the same fatigue in their eyes. We kitted

up in silence. As we made our way up to the

cockpit we could hear the liveliness of port watch,

or the “Big Wankers” as they have been

affectionately named, who had been on since 11

p.m.

This was, in essence, the changing of the

guard—the whole crew united in the cockpit

briefly for five minutes as the watch changed.

When at sea and in the watch system, the entire

crew is rarely together all at once as the rotation

consists of two six-hour shifts during the day and

four four-hour shifts throughout the night. The

off-watch time is utilized primarily for sleeping.

As our “Starburt” watch, a.k.a. the Little Squirts,

spread out in the cockpit among the “Big

Wankers,” I could feel the exhaustion leave my

body, replaced by the fresh air. We talked about

current weather conditions and any boat or ship

traffic encountered over the last four hours by the

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Above:Geronimo at rest inthe Bahamas.

Opposite page:The boat docked inNewport.


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previous watch. Then port watch went below to

the bunkroom to rack out for the night.

“Starburt” watch was now the watch on duty. We

had taken over the helm and assigned someone to

bow watch; we were finally alert, awake, and up to

speed.

At first the watch system seems tedious—the

dreaded wake-up in the middle of the night.

However, once you embrace the system and live

through it you begin to stumble on all its hidden

gems. The boat becomes bigger during the watch

system, because only half the crew is awake at any

given time. More important, the watch system

gets you up at times you wouldn’t normally be

awake, and during the course of one full rotation

you have the pleasure of experiencing all times of

the day at sea.

On this particular 3-7 a.m. watch I started off

at the helm. Normally I am extremely shy about

singing in public, but due to the inability to listen

to music on Geronimo—with the exception of

field days—and the fact that singing is a useful

way to stay awake at the helm, I had lost all my

inhibitions about singing around other people.

After having learned sea shanties from Mr. Barns

and Mr. Herzog on previous watches, the Little

Squirts’ comfort level singing around each other

had grown exponentially and we had branched

out, moving on to other songs. We ended up

having a jam session that included Wyclef, the

Isley Brothers, Tracy Chapman, Shakira, Smash

Mouth, Third Eye Blind, and a variety of oldies.

When our bank of songs was tapped out or we hit

a particularly embarrassing moment it would be

time to move on to word games or storytelling.

Popular subjects included sharing our most

embarrassing moments or talking about why we

each chose to apply for the Geronimo program or

why we even chose to come to St. George’s. We

were also lucky enough to have Mr. Barnes teach

us how to tie Turk’s Heads, a decorative knot

often used for bracelets, which is time-consuming

but fun.

During this 3-7 a.m. watch the wind began to

die down, which means turning on the motor, and

with that comes a whole new activity, namely

keeping the engine room cool. While motoring,

the engine room can reach temperatures of more

than 120 degrees, however, our goal is to prevent

that from happening. While on watch we do what

is called an “hourly.” Each hour, one of the

students on watch checks over the boat to make

sure that everything is normal (including engine

room temperature), after which that student

enters in the boat log (a book with all of

Geronimo’s movements and actions recorded in

it) current weather observations, our speed and


position. Then the person doing the hourly plots

our position on a chart. A game develops in which

we try to maintain or lower the engine room

temperature every hour. This takes some effort

and a lot of ingenuity. When we are on starboard

tack the boom is over the engine room hatch and

we can use it to support a wind scoop; however,

on port tack there is nothing to tie the wind scoop

to. We had to improvise, creating a new wind

scoop out of the top of a large plastic bin. Then

we had to find a way to tie down the top and

secure it, as it would fall through the hatch into

the engine room. In the end we were able to cool

the engine room effectively and continue to

motor through the night.

Part of the responsibility of the 3-7 a.m.

watch is to prepare a hearty breakfast for the

oncoming watch prior to their taking over at 7

a.m. to fuel them for their six-hour shift. This

morning, Hannah was cooking breakfast

burritos down below when Megan on bow watch

spotted lights on the horizon. We took a

compass bearing on them and with the

binoculars made out navigation lights, and

given their configuration were able to deduce

that this was a ship heading toward us. We used

what we had learned in our marine science class

to calculate that in this crossing we were the

give-way vessel and the ship was the stand-on

vessel. We then went down to the nav station

and we were able to pick up the ship on radar

and AIS (Automated Identification System). We

discovered that this was a cruise ship named

Fiesta Mail bound for San Juan and that we had

a CPA (Closest Point of Approach) with the

vessel of about one nautical mile. Over the next

hour we cracked jokes about the cruise ship as

we watched it grow bigger and closer. We were

astounded as it eventually towered over us,

crossing our bow less than a mile away.

Throughout the rest of the morning we watched

the humungous cruise liner fade into the

distance as the sun rose.

Just after the sun broke the plane of the water

on the eastern horizon, our “Starburt” watch was

huddled together in the cockpit taking a breather

from preparing breakfast and admiring land, the

first land we had seen in four-and-a-half days. We

were laughing about the various people we had

met on our excursions ashore so far during our

Geronimo trip and telling lame stories and jokes,

which we figured were hilarious given our

exhaustion mixed with the giddiness and energy

that the sunrise creates. All of a sudden we came

upon a couple of dolphins who briefly rode our

bow wake. The moment was spectacular as the

dolphins were easy to spot on the glassy water

with the new sun.

As I reflect on the watch system, I appreciate

how many great moments we had on our passage

from the Bahamas to Puerto Rico. We saw a pod

of sperm whales, dolphins, cruise ships, tankers,

and birds in the middle of the ocean; we caught

two mahi mahi and hooked a swordfish; we took

bucket showers on the foredeck; we learned

shanties and knots; we cooked, cleaned, and

developed a little inter-watch competition (who

could make better night-watch snacks or clean

the galley faster). However, when it was finally

over and we were able to drop the hook off

Puerto Rico, the moment was a dearly

anticipated one. The news from the captain that

we would have over an hour to swim and shower

met with cheering. Everyone was ecstatic at the

thought of getting clean. We all leaped into the

water off the boat as a downpour erupted.

Finally, we were reunited. We floated in the

water, lavishing in its cleanliness, sharing night

watch stories between one watch and the other.

We floated in the water for 45 minutes,

reminiscing about the passage and discussing

how many times we were going to clean ourselves

with Joy.

Overall, we loved the passage and the watch

system because we experienced great times at sea,

but now we were extremely happy to be back on

the hook as one big family, eating meals together,

showering, and getting full nights of sleep.

BBeennnneetttt GGeeyyeerr ’08 of Cambridge, Mass., will enter

his senior year at St. George’s in the fall. He can be



Immersed


A trip to Puerto Rico aboardGeronimo helps students inSpanish courses learn thelanguage in a whole new way

BY TORI HENSEL ’08

Editor’s note: Students Callie McBreen ’09, Izzy

Evans ’09, Maxine Muster ’09, Giuseppe Cicero ’08,

Jason Andrews ’08, Ollie Scholle ’08 and Tori

Hensel ’08, along with Spanish teachers Catherine

Rodero and Anthony Perry, joined Captain John

Beebe-Center, First Mate Carl Herzog, and Second

Mate Brian Barnes aboard Geronimo for a “Spanish

immersion” trip in Puerto Rico March 9-17.

Throughout the voyage, participants spoke only in

Spanish, sampled regional cuisine, visited museums

and studied local history, art and current events.

They also got a chance to enjoy the natural wonders

of the country by kayaking, snorkeling along coral

reefs, and hiking into the mountaintop rainforests of

El Yunque.

Following is an essay written shortly after the

students returned home to St. George’s.

Iarrived in San Juan knowing that I was

supposed to be using a language that I was

not that strong in. I searched for Maxine

Muster, another student in the program. I knew she

was on my flight from New York to San Juan, but I

had a few minutes of mute panic looking for the

only other person I could speak to without making

a fool of myself. I did find her at the luggage claim

and once we found our bags we were met outside

by Sr. Perry and Srta. Rodero. They immediately

started asking about our trips in Spanish, much to

my dismay: I thought that we would at least get a

mercy period where we could speak English until

we got acquainted with our surroundings. We

N E W S F R O M G E R O N I M O

Immersed


carried/dragged our duffel bags through the San

Juan airport gathering up the rest of the students

on our trip. We then took a taxi with Sr. Diaz, a

cabdriver who drove us to and from San Juan a few

times, to our dock in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. I had

been on Geronimo before so I had an idea of what

to expect when we arrived, but nevertheless I was

quite nervous. We took our bags below, quite an

undertaking because most of us over-packed, and

had dinner out on the deck. Dinner was quiet as all

of us, including the crew, were trying to get into

the swing of using our Spanish skills. We had the

standard orientation and safety procedure talk that

evening (thankfully that was in English) and fell,

hot and tired, into our bunks.

The next day we set sail for Culebra, a small

island off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico. On our

way out of Fajardo, we saw two humpback whales

breaching. It was one of the most amazing

experiences. They were quite a bit away, but you

knew that they had to be immense. When we were

just off the coast of Culebra we saw many racing

yachts; we were entering the harbor just as a

round-island regatta was ending.

We anchored in the harbor of Dewey, Culebra,

where an alumnus of the school, Jennifer Daubon

’98 owns a restaurant called Juanita Bananas. We

met up with her the next morning, and she and her

husband Javier showed us around Culebra in their

red pickup truck. They took us up a mountain

beside Flamenco, a pristine beach that is usually

crowded with people. Jennifer told us the story

about the recent controversy of the mountain that

we were headed up. A rich businessman had

bought it and tried to make it off-limits to the

locals. He would put up barriers and the local

people would tear them down. The disagreement

finally had to go to court and there is now a public

access path to the top of the mountain. When we

reached the peak, it was a spectacular view. There

were three different beaches that you could see, and

one of them there was a large hill, and the way the

clouds were casting shadows over parts of it made

it look magical.

That night we all went to eat at Juanita

Bananas, and had a very fun time. I sat with Sr.

Perry and the First Mate Sr. Herzog, both of

whom had plenty of extremely amusing stories to

share. We had one last day in Culebra, and most of

us spent a good chunk of it shopping, but we also

used our Spanish to ask some of the local people

about a colloquialism of Puerto Rico. The natural

tendency of many of the citizens was to

immediately switch to English because it was

blatantly obvious that Spanish was our second

language. Everyone we spoke with was very kind

and patient with us once we had explained who

we were and what we were doing. I think that all

of us were very sad to leave Culebra. It is a

beautiful island and everyone in the town was

very friendly and kind. Our sail to Vieques,

another island east of Puerto Rico, but south of

Culebra, was uneventful, but we all got in some

nice tanning (or burning for a couple of us) time.

Our Spanish had improved considerably by

this time. It is amazing how quickly language

skills can accelerate when you are forced to speak

in the language all the time. Jokes began to flow

more easily and more stories were told, often

humorous just because some things are very

humorous in translation because you sometimes

can’t come up with the words that you really want

to use.

Our first morning in Vieques was exciting

because we got to go snorkeling. Captain Beebe-

Center towed us behind in the inflatable boat to

the edge of an uninhabited island. There were

numerous shallow reefs to explore and then we

stopped by a beach, but the trip there was perilous

because we had to navigate through sea urchin-

infested waters in snorkel fins. I’m sure it was

funny for anyone who happened to be watching

us try to get out of the water.

We spent some time on shore; our first view of

Vieques was a field of horses on the hillside by the

dinghy dock. We did some souvenir shopping and

spent some time walking along the beach, though

only Ollie and Giuseppe got in the water. As we

were walking around the streets we saw a man

holding a three-day-old piglet. Izzy was taken with

the piglet, and the man let her hold him.

Unfortunately for anyone nearby, Manchita the

piglet did not take to Izzy and started squealing as

frantically as possible. The man took her back and

walked down the road, but that was not the end of

Manchita. As the whole group waited outside a

store, Manchita and her owner came back. We

petted her for a while, but then he started letting



her drink his beer, so we gave them some room.

This sparked a conversation about whether any of

us had seen anything like this before (only one of

the mates) and this experience was one of the most

humorous cultural shocks of the trip.

It was a water-filled day as that evening we

went out to a bioluminescent bay.

Bioluminescence occurs when tiny organisms

called dinoflagellates emit light as a defense

mechanism when they are disturbed. The bay we

visited in Vieques has the highest concentration of

dinoflagellates in the world. We were all assigned

a kayak and told to wait a little ways off until

everyone was ready to head out to the middle of

the bay. Callie flipped her kayak very soon after

we entered the water, but of course I flipped only

two minutes later. Once we were finally all ready

to go, we were instructed to follow the blue light

out to the middle of the bay. I thought that I

would have no problem getting out there and

staying with the group, so you can imagine my

surprise and anxiety when 10 minutes later I

looked behind me and there were only two people

behind me. I kept talking to Izzy and we were able

to stay together. Things started to look up when I

put my paddle in the water and it lit up. It had

gotten dark enough that we could now see the

bioluminescence. It was so incredible to be able to

leave behind swirls of light as you paddled; it was

also a good incentive to get to the rest of the

group so that we could jump in the water and

experience the phenomenon from in the water.

When you jumped out of the kayak, the water

around you lit up and as people surfaced, glitters

of light slid down their heads. When you lifted an

arm out of the water, it was like dozens of tiny

diamonds descending into the water. We even

experimented with the dinoflagellates. For

example, we were curious if they would light up if

you spit them out of your mouth; they do. The

tour guide explained the phenomena and history

of the bay to us, and told us that when it rains at

night, the entire bay lights up as raindrops disturb

the organisms. It was disappointing when we were

N E W S F R O M G E R O N I M O


told to get back into the kayaks. None of us

wanted to leave, and the prospect of having to

paddle those kayaks for what seemed like miles

back to shore was not at all appealing. But we

survived the trip back, even with the boys of our

crew coming up on either sides of the kayaks and

trying to tip us.

Our next venture was a sail from Vieques back

to Fajardo. We got to do some sail changes on this

trip, and it was a beautiful day for sailing. We had

some difficulty getting into our slot at the docks,

and they put Izzy and me in charge of the

bowlines, supposedly the most important lines

when docking (at least that is what we told

ourselves). We somehow managed to get two lines

crossed and it took some amazing line handling

by Sr. Barnes, the second mate, to get the bow

properly stowed. We also got real showers that

night: very nice after bathing with Joy in salt

water for four days.

We left early the next morning for Old San

Juan. We visited El Morro, a fort that protected

the old city. It had incredible views of the beaches

and was very well built. For the remainder of the

day we got to explore the rest of Old San Juan. We

went out to lunch and walked through the

colorful streets shopping and enjoying the vibrant

colors of the buildings. We had an interesting

experience in a clothing store; there was salsa

music playing and I and the girls started dancing

(not very well) to the music, so Sr. Perry, knowing

that we would not stop dancing, decided to teach

us a real salsa step. While we were trying to master

that, one of the women in the store came over to

Sr. Perry and asked him if he really knew how to

salsa. When he said “yes,” she decided to test him,

so we got to see a real salsa dance. After that, we

went to a plaza in the middle of town where there

were hundreds of pigeons. Jason decided to buy a

bag of food, and things got crazier from there.

The pigeons descended on us like a pack of wolves

and we were sent scurrying from our benches.

After a bit more walking, we saw the upper-class

houses at the top of the hills, away from the

piers—and directly across the street, outside the

city wall, we saw the slums of San Juan. It was an

interesting lesson because most of the towns and

cities many of us had been to were not set up like

that. It is incredible the impact a five-foot-high

wall can have. That evening we had a lovely

dinner in San Juan, our last supper together. It

was very enjoyable replaying all our jokes that we

had acquired and filling in Captain Hayes, who

had just flown in, on our many escapades. The cab

ride back to Fajardo was another precious

experience. We listened to Puerto Rican music

and bonded even more, before falling asleep on

one another.

I got so much out of my Spanish immersion

trip on Geronimo. It was an unforgettable feeling

to get to visit the places we had learned about in

our textbooks and to get to apply the language

that we have been laboring over for so long. It

helped my Spanish skills immensely. I am no

longer afraid to speak in class. I am not worried if

my accent is a bit off or if I use the wrong word.

This trip forced me to use the skills that I had in

the language and to build on them in a real-world

experience. Though the language immersion was

an incredible benefit, the Geronimo experience is

always an amazing one; it was only enhanced by

the language and culture we were able to

experience.

TToorrii HHeennsseell ’08 of Rockford, Mich., enters her senior

year at St. George’s this fall. She can be reached at

[email protected].



N E W S F R O M G E R O N I M O A L U M N I / A E I N T H E N E W SPost Hilltop

Internationally renowned aeronautical

engineer DDrr.. EE.. RRoobbeerrttss ““BBoobb”” WWoooodd ’46, professoremeritus at the Naval Postgraduate School, has

been named an honorary fellow of the American

Helicopter Society International. The induction

took place on May 2 at the AHS 63rd Annual

Forum in Virginia Beach, Va. The vertical flight

society, which has over 6,000 members

worldwide, grants honorary fellow status to just

two members a year whose career leadership and

innovation have significantly advanced the

interests of the vertical flight industry.

A Q&A with EErriicc WWiibbeerrgg ’89, the vice presidentof Directorship Search Group in Greenwich,

Conn., was featured in the May 4, 2007, edition of

the Stamford (Conn.) Advocate and the

Greenwich Time. Wiberg, who once skippered a

68-foot sailing vessel from the Galapagos Islands

to New Zealand, specializes in recruiting talent for

the shipping industry. The firm helps maritime

companies in New England and Texas find senior

executives and board members. “I ran a fleet of

tankers in Singapore for three years,” Wiberg said.

“I also ran a yacht-delivery business and recruited

70 captains, both men and women. So that gives

me some street cred.”

TTuucckkeerr TThhoommppssoonn ’93 is spending the summerproviding live commentary from the waters off

Valencia, Spain, for the 32nd America’s Cup

competition. Thompson, who works for the

Versus television network, can be reached at

[email protected].

JJoohhnn SSaammppssoonn ’05, who was named the sailingteam’s 2005-2006 Rookie of the Year at Hobart &

William Smith College, is taking the 2007-2008

academic year off to partake in an Olympic

campaign in Tornados for the 2008 games in

Beijing.

Former teacher TToomm BBuueellll (1957-62) turns 80in August and his wife, Joan, turns 75 in

November. The two plan to celebrate with their

children, who reach milestone wedding

anniversaries this year, in Oregon this summer.

Former history teacher NNooaahh BBoopppp (1998-2002) is founding a new school, a semester

The Army/NASAHigher HarmonicControl Project Teamposes in Yuma,Arizona in 1985 withthe only higherharmonic controlOH-6A helicopterever built. From leftto right are formerHughes HelicoptersAeromechanicsbranch manager Dr.Bob Wood ’46,dynamics engineerDr. Bharat Gupta,flight test engineerGene Munson, pilotBob Merrill, andArmy deputy projectmanager John Clineof the NASA LangleyResearch Center.

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Sarah Coffin ’06 partnered with Jack Doll ’52 to give chapel tours during Reunion Weekend. As a student, Coffin studied schoolhistory from Doll, the school’s archivist.

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David Sayer ’03, former tennis coach Sandy Wood P’03, Michael Case Kissel ’67, and Peter Hatfield’03 played in the Member-Guest Tournament at Bailey’s Beach in Newport this spring. “The old guyswon,” reports Kissel, “which is a bit of a man-bites-dog twist.” Sayer, Kissel and Hatfield all playedtennis for SG.

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DDOOOO LL II TT TT LL EE ’’ 55 66EE AARRNNSS AAWWAARRDD FFOORREE XX CCEE LL LL EENN CCEE II NNTT EEAACCHH II NNGG

JJaayy DDoooolliittttllee ’56, former director ofadmission and English teacher, was the

recipient of one of the College of Wooster’s

“Excellence in Teaching” awards for the

2006-07 school year. Each fall the college

asks its entering first-year students to

nominate and present a short supporting

statement on behalf of a teacher who has

made a significant contribution in

preparing them for college. SSaarraahh CCooffffiinn’06, a student in Doolittle’s Best of the West

and Fiction Writing classes at SG,

nominated him for the award.

“He taught me more than any teacher

ever has,” she wrote. “He taught me about

grammar and the passive voice …, but he

taught me more about reading and

thinking critically about works of fiction

than I ever thought possible.”

A six-member faculty committee at

Wooster reviewed the nomination.

Doolittle was one of eight teachers chosen

nationally to receive the award.


program focused on ethics and international

affairs called the School for Ethics and Global

Leadership, in Washington, D.C.—and he’s

getting some help from former assistant chaplain

CCaabbeellll KKiinngg (1999-2002). This summer the twowere in the nation’s capital networking and fund

raising for the school, which will offer a semester-

long residential program for 32 high school

juniors from across the United States each year

beginning in the fall of 2008. The school’s web site

is www.schoolforethics.org.

The Paper Lady, owned by RRoossiiee GGaayynnoorrWWiieeddeennmmaayyeerr ’93, was voted “Top StationeryStore” in Denver by the readers of 5280 magazine.

A review in the July edition of the mag said “the

cozy shop is packed floor to ceiling with fabulous

paper goods.” Wiedenmayer also offers design and

printing services.

RRiicchhaarrdd WW.. PPaaiinntteerr ’80, who served asassociate counsel to the President, is leaving his

post at the White House to become the S. Walter

Richey Professor of Corporate Law at the

University of Minnesota Law School. He’ll live in

Edina, Minnesota, with his wife, Karen, and

children Elizabeth, William and Anne.

Basketball guard AAddoollpphhee CCoouulliibbaallyy ’04, anative of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, and a soon-to-be

senior at Amherst College, was selected to

participate in the All-Africa Games being held in

Algiers in July. At presstime the games were heading

into the quarterfinal round with Cameroon paired

against Egypt, South Africa against Angola, Mali

against Cote D’Ivoire, and Algeria against Nigeria.

Coulibaly was also heading to the FIBA Africa

Championship in August. The winner of the

tournament qualifies for the 2008 Olympic Games.

“Home: The Aramco Brats Story,” produced

and directed by Todd Nims ’98, debuted in

California on July 7.

Nims grew up at the site of Saudi Aramco, a

producer and shipper of crude oil, natural gas and

petroleum products that employs hundreds of

Westerners.

His feature-length documentary tells the story

A L U M N I / A E I N T H E N E W S

of several expatriates who spent their childhoods

in Saudi Arabia from 1933 to the present.

New York Islanders prospect SShheeaa GGuutthhrriiee ’05had another standout year at Clarkson University.

Now a sophomore, Guthrie was called “a dynamic

offensive presence” who had 31 points (8-23)

through 36 games. He recorded three assists in the

ECACHL Championship Tournament in March,

including two assists in a 4-2 title-game win over

Quinnipiac. He closed out the regular season with

a five-game point-scoring streak with two goals

and three assists.

Post Hilltop


Faculty/Staff Notes

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Assistant Head of School TTiimm RRiicchhaarrddss andDean of Faculty BBoobb WWeessttoonn will be riding againin the 192-mile Pan-Mass Challenge bike-a-thon

for cancer research in August. The two

participated in the event last year, along with HHeerrbbCCaannttoorr ’41, a longtime rider and volunteer for theJimmy Fund. This year the ride has another

special element: Tim’s brother-in-law, Ayres

Stockly, a cancer survivor, will be riding as well.

Both Bob and Tim reached the “heavy-hitters”

category of participants for raising more than

$6,000 a piece, a portion of which came from a

dress-down day held here at school this spring.

This year’s race through 46 scenic Massachusetts

towns will be held on Aug. 4 and 5, 2007—and is

expected to raise $27 million. Bob and Tim will

ride from Wellesley, Mass., to Provincetown on

the tip of the Cape.

Cyclists get off to a quick start at last year’sPan-Massachusetts Challenge. The Pan-MassChallenge is a fund-raising bike ride thatstarted in 1980 with 36 cyclists who raised$10,200 for cancer research. Now in its 28th

year, the PMC was hoping to raise $27 millionfrom the efforts put forth by PMC cyclists—including two teachers from SG—in August. (AP Photo)


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Faculty member MMeerriillyynn WWiillbbeerr will take asabbatical year away from campus after being

selected by the Spanish Ministry of Education to

teach in Spain. Wilber will be an assistant in the

English Department at IES Virgen del Espino de

Soria, a high school in Soria, Spain, about two

hours north of Madrid. Her daughters, Emily, 8,

and Alexandra, who turns 11 in August, will join

her on the journey and enroll in Spanish-speaking

elementary schools. Wilber’s job is to be the

native English speaker in the department and do a

lot of conversation work with honors-level

students four days a week. She hopes to spend

several long weekends traveling throughout the

country.

EEiilleeeenn TTiieexxiieerraa, a nurse in the SG HealthCenter for the last 11 years, has assumed the role

of Administrator of the Health Center following

the retirement of MMaarryy CCoonnwwaayy. Throughout thepast 25 years Tiexiera also has performed nursing

duties at Newport Hospital, Rhode Island

Hospital, and several nursing homes, including

time spent in the birthing center, pediatrics,

orthopedics, and the operating room. She earned

a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a bachelor’s

degree in nursing from the University of Rhode

Island, and is a candidate for a certificate of

graduate studies in health services administration

at Salve Regina University.

SSuussaann RRuusssseellll, who’s been working in theAlumni/ae and Development office as systems

administrator, has accepted the position of

Annual Fund director, effective July 1. She’ll be in

charge of all aspects of the Annual Fund, leading

the current parent and alumni/ae volunteers and

coordinating the campaign’s phone and mail

program. If you would like to volunteer for the

Annual Fund, please contact Sue at (401) 842-

6737 or at [email protected].

Director of Counseling and Health Education

CChheerryyll JJeennkkiinnss will make a presentation titled,“Survey Results: Body Satisfaction, Climate of

Respect, and Girls in Leadership” at the

Association of Boarding Schools conference in

Boston in December. Jenkins will be outlining

results from the Independent School Gender

Project, a survey of 33 participating schools

begun in 1996. According to Jenkins, survey

results consistently revealed a decline in three

areas from freshman to senior year: Girls were

more dissatisfied with their bodies, boys

contributed more to a climate of meanness, and

boys were more critical of girl leaders. Audience

members for Jenkins’ talk also will hear students’

explanations of these results and actions schools

have taken to reverse the trends.

We’ve got some teachers in tip-top physical

shape. History and philosophy teacher PPaattrriicckkDDuurrnniinngg was the overall first-place winner in a 5Kroad race in Portsmouth, R.I., on Sunday, May 20.

Not far behind was English teacher AAlleexx MMyyeerrss, atriathlete and black belt in Tae Kwon Do, who

came in first in the men aged 20-39 division.

A new staff structure has been established in

the Dean of Students Office and will be in place

for the 2007-08 year. There now will be a dean

for each form: The third-form dean will be

English teacher LLuuccyy GGoollddsstteeiinn (above); mathteacher JJooee EElliiaass will serve as the fourth-formdean; math teacher MMeellaanniiee LLeewwiiss will be thefifth-form dean; and Dean of Students KKaattiieeTTiittuuss will be the sixth-form dean.


Faculty/Staff NotesA

s an incoming freshman, I was dealing

with an undiagnosed stomach ailment

that sprung up two years prior to my

arrival at St. George’s. Oftentimes I would get sick

and find myself spending much of my time in the

Health Center. Upon my first visit Nurse Conway

and the other nurses comforted me and made me

feel at home. I was able to calm down and finally

feel at ease. The connections I made with Nurse

Conway and the other nurses were some of the first

connections I made at school. Nurse Conway had a

genuine affection for the students and me and her

generosity went far beyond the call of duty. She

reached out to me and became a friend and a

mentor.

As my journey at St. George’s progressed so

did my ability to manage my illness. I found

myself not having to go to the Health Center as

much, but simply wanting to visit the nurses. I

would go in the Health Center as much as my

schedule would allow, just to say hello and see

how the nurses were doing. My friendship with

the nurses grew and I realized that I did still need

them—just in a different way, for their support.

Nurse Conway and her team would come to my

games and when times were rough or I was a little

down, they were there for me. By my senior year

my bond with Nurse Conway was as close as ever.

Every day I would come into the Health Center

with a friendly, “Oh, nurse!” and I was greeted

with giggles and sometimes jokily, some moans.

Then Nurse Conway, “The Nurse” as I would call

her, would come out a give me a motherly hug

and we would sit and chat. In the spring of my

senior year while at lunch with Nurse Conway,

because of how close we had gotten over the years,

I shared my life with her. We talked about

everything and I learned a lot from “The Nurse.”

The memories and wisdom that she shared with

me are things I hope to keep with me for the rest

of my life. When I graduated I truly felt saddened

by the thought of saying goodbye to Nurse

Conway and the Health Center staff, but I was

reassured that everything was going to be OK

when I saw everybody standing up and

applauding when the announcement of her

retirement was made. It reminded me that her

contributions did not go unrecognized.

Nurse Conway was an amazing person to the

St. George’s community and I hope that in time I

will be half the person she was to others and to

me. All those who met her should feel blessed.

St. George’s Health Center Administrator Mary

Conway P’87 retired this year after 27 years of

dedicated service to the school.

She will be remembered for her warmth and

sincere smile—and for the thoughtful way she cared

for students, both physically and emotionally.

In retirement, Nurse Conway said she intends

to spend time with her family, do some traveling

and gardening and read some good books.

“I guess you might say I am going to step back,

enjoy life and have time to smell the roses!” she

wrote in the Red & White this spring.

In her farewell note, she expressed gratitude to

the many colleagues she said helped her create a

first-rate boarding school facility from what was

once a place called the infirmary, filled with

wrought-iron beds.

She also paid homage to the many students over

the years, whom she said touched her life. One was

HHeeaatthheerr MMiittcchheellll ’07.

Following is what Heather had to say about

Nurse Conway:

Nurse Conway retires


Director of Diversity and science teacher Kim Bullock (above) isbusy planning the next Alumni/ae of Color Conference to be heldat SG on October 5-7, 2007.

Chair of the Music Department Clare Gesualdo (left) continuesto expand the music curriculum at St. George’s. Under hersupervision the St. George’s Choir has grown from 28 to 80members in five years. “If it were up to me, I would like thewhole school to be in the choir,” Dr. Gesualdo told journalismstudent Schuyler Livingston ’07 for an article.

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COMPILED BY BOB WESTON,DEAN OF FACULTY

JJ IIWWOONN (( JJ IINNNNYY )) CCHHAANNGG——MMUUSS II CC

Jinny Chang will fill our newly created music

position. Jinny will teach one section of music and

one section of geometry, conduct the orchestra,

serve as the music director for the winter musical,

conduct the various ensembles, assist in afternoon

activities, and supervise a dormitory. Jinny has

recently completed a master’s degree in music

composition from Tufts University, where she is

also a member of the university’s flute ensemble.

Jinny holds a bachelor’s degree in music and

psychology from Smith College.

MM II KKEE DDAAWWSSOONN——GGEE RROONN IIMMOO

Mike comes to St. George’s with considerable

sail-training experience. He spent eight years as a

chief mate, program director, and marine/math

instructor for the Ocean Classroom Foundation

aboard the SSV Spirit of Massachusetts and the

SSV Harvey Gamage. He also spent four years

serving as captain aboard a 30-foot ketch for the

Hurricane Island Outward Bound School. For the

past six years, Mike has also developed and run his

own business, Williwaw Adventures, a summer

sailing and wilderness travel program for

teenagers. Mike is a graduate of the University of

New Hampshire and holds a bachelor’s degree in

environmental science.

LL AARR AA FF RREEEEMMAANN——RREE LL II GG II OONN//AA SSSS II SS TTAANNTT CCHHAAPP LL AA II NN

Lara has spent the last year as an instructor

in the Religion Department at Phillips Exeter

Academy, teaching various courses in religion

and ethics, coaching volleyball, living in a

dormitory, and advising the Outing Club. Prior

to her year at Exeter, Lara served as a student

teacher in the biology department at Lexington

High School, in Lexington, Mass. Lara holds a

master’s degree in theological studies from

Harvard Divinity School and a bachelor’s degree

in anthropology and human biology from Emory

University. While at Harvard, Lara served as the

Faculty/Staff NotesNNEEWW FF AACCUULL TT YY MMEEMMBBEERR SS HH II RREEDD FFOORR 22 000077 -- 00 88

Divinity School’s environmental coordinator for

the Harvard Green Campus Initiative. Lara has

traveled extensively throughout Asia and Africa,

working as an ESL teacher is Seoul, South Korea,

and as an ethnographer/photographer in

Masaka, Uganda.

MM IIRR IIAAMM GGOORRRR II AARR AANN—— SSPP AANN II SSHH

For the past several years, Miriam has been an

adjunct professor of Spanish at the University of

Rhode Island, Providence College and Bryant

College. She holds both a bachelor’s degree in

psychology and a master’s degree in comparative

literature from the University of Rhode Island.

We’re pleased to welcome Miriam back to St.

George’s, as she taught in our summer school and

served before as a temporary replacement in our

Spanish department. She will serve this year as a

sabbatical replacement for faculty member

Merilyn Wilber.

SS AAFF II EE TTOOUU SS AAGGNNAA——FF RREENN CCHH

Safi had been a teaching assistant in the

French Department at the University of

Massachusetts, where she is completing her

master’s degree in French and Francophone

literature. A native of Dakar, Senegal, Safi

attended Cheikh Anta Diop University before

earning her bachelor’s degree in African and

African American Studies from Mount Holyoke

College. Safi also spent two years as a tutor in

Mount Holyoke’s French Department.

JJ AAMMEE SS SS TT EE VVEENN SS——CCHHEEMM II SS TT RR YY

James comes to St. George’s from the

University of Vermont, where he has just

graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a bachelor’s

degree in biomolecular chemistry. While at

Vermont, James served as a teaching assistant in

the university’s Learning Cooperative, an

academic support program, tutoring

undergraduates in chemistry. He also has

experience as a private tutor, working with high

school students from the Burlington, Vt., area.

James was a member of the John Dewey Honors

Program at UVM and was the recipient of the

Golden Key Undergraduate Research Grant for his


senior thesis in which he produced a method for

quantitative dosage of aerosols to cell cultures.

JJ EENN TTUULL EE JJAA——DD II RREE CC TTOORR OOFF LL II BB RRAARR YYSSEE RRVV II CC EE SS AANNDD AARR CCHH II VVEE SS

Jen has been working as an archivist in the

Mansfield Library at the University of Montana.

Jen has also had experience in two independent

school libraries, working as an assistant librarian

at the Hotchkiss School and serving as the head

librarian at the Lawrence School. Prior to her

work in the independent school world, Jen spent

several years as a research and reference librarian

at the Massachusetts Historical Society. She holds

a bachelor’s degree in history from the University

of Massachusetts, a master’s degree in library

science from Simmons College, and a master’s

degree in secondary education from Indiana

University.

GG IIDDEEOONN WWEEBBSS TT EE RR——AARRTT

Gideon comes to St. George’s from the Rhode

Island School of Design, where he serves as an

adjunct faculty member and as the school’s

digital/media specialist. He has also taught digital

imaging classes as an adjunct faculty member at

Brown University. Gideon also spent six years at

the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, as

a digital/media lab technician and administrator.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in imaging and

digital arts and print media from the University

of Maryland and a master’s degree in fine arts in

digital media from the Rhode Island School of

Design.

RRAAYY WWOO II SSHHEEKK ’’ 8899——WWEE BB MMAANNAAGGEE RR

Ray has been a consultant at Double Helix in

Newport, R.I., where he designs web pages for a

number of corporate clients. He received his

bachelor’s degree in studio art from Connecticut

College and his master’s degree in industrial

design from the Krakow Academy of Fine Arts in

Poland. Ray, a former school prefect, and his wife,

Ania, will live in Arden Dormitory and Ray will

coach two seasons.

LL AANN XX II UU——CCHH II NNEESS EE

Lan currently works for KVH Industries in

Middletown, R.I., where she teaches Chinese to

KVH employees. She is a native of Shanghai,

China, and a graduate of the School of Public

Relations at Shanghai University. Lan also has an

associate’s degree in accounting from the

Community College of Rhode Island. She will

teach three sections of Chinese next year.

RRoobbeerrtt WWeessttoonn is the Dean of Faculty. He can bereached at [email protected].


Director of Global Programs TToonnyyJJaaccccaaccii and Director of StudiesEElliizzaabbeetthh BBiicckkffoorrdd spent 12 days in

Africa in June preparing for a new Seminar in

Global Studies being offered this year.

The two visited schools and historic sites in

Arusha, a booming city in Northwest Tanzania

that serves as a gateway to Mount Kilimanjaro and

the Serengeti, as well as home to the United

Nations Criminal Tribunal on the Rwandan

genocide and other diplomatic missions. They

also toured Uganda, starting in the capital city of

Kampala and traveling as far north as Gulu, where

they visited a camp for Internally Displaced

Persons.

“We visited with a number of people who are

invested in the future of each country,” Bickford

said. “It was an eye-opening and exhilarating trip.”

Global outreach C O M M U N I T Y M E M B E R S G E T A W O R L D V I E W

NNEEWW GG LL OOBBAALL SS TTUUDD II EE SSSS EEMM II NNAARR WW II LL LL FF OOCCUU SS OONNDDEE VV EE LL OO PP II NNGG NNAATT II OONN SS

of AfricaOut


The goal of the trip was to scout sites and

potential research projects students might work

on as part of an independent study component of

the new seminar.

The new course grew out of an action point in

the school’s Strategic Plan, which states that the

school will take a “comprehensive approach to

preparing our students to understand and

appreciate [our] interconnected world and to

contribute successfully to its future.”

Students in the course “will look at the

definition of the nation-state through geographic,

historical, cultural, political and economic lenses

to determine what role this political body plays in

the post 9/11 geopolitical landscape,” according to

Jaccaci.

As part of their class work they’ll also travel to

a different developing nation each year to conduct

field research for an independent study.

In the upcoming school year, students will

conduct field research in Tanzania during a 10-day

trip in March and then prepare reports on their

findings.

In designing the seminar, Jaccaci sought the

counsel of alumni/ae JJaammeess DDeeuuttsscchh ’80, directorof the Africa Program for the Wildlife

Conservation Society; LLiinnddssaayy DDuuxxbbuurryy ’94,director of Africa programs for San Francisco-

based Geographic Expeditions, and former parent

Walter Kansteiner, former U.S. Assistant Secretary

of State for African Affairs.

Eleven students are currently signed up for the

course this year.

C O M M U N I T Y M E M B E R S G E T A W O R L D V I E W

OPPOSITE, TOP: Director of Studies ElizabethBickford hangs out with the students during recessat St. Jude's School in Arusha, Tanzania.

OPPOSITE, BOTTOM: A giraffe wanders behindDirector of Global Programs Tony Jaccaci in LakeManyara National Park in Tanzania.

RIGHT, ABOVE: Participants can get up close andpersonal with the wildlife on a safari.

RIGHT: A mother and her children in themarketplace at an IDP camp in Gulu, Uganda.


BY QUENTIN WARREN

Emily McGinnis ’07 learned about

International Doorways at a summer activities

fair when she was a St. George’s sophomore.

Founder and program director Kathleen Vivas

made a compelling pitch for the depth of

experience offered by the program, aimed at

students keen on traveling to exotic locales for

meaningful reasons.

“I figured, I’d go to Peru, get some Spanish

language immersion, see a lot, learn a lot, and

enjoy the whole idea of being in a different world

with new sights and sounds,” Emily said. Little did

she know that she would end up not only in Peru,

but also in Costa Rica and the Dominican

Republic over the course of two summers of

participation.

Raleigh, N.C.-based International Doorways

offers a unique take on mind-expanding student

travel. Summer programs and internships are

available in Peru, Bolivia, Africa, Bali, Mexico, the

Dominican Republic, and Costa Rica and Panama.

In each location, global awareness, community

service, language study, and full-on recreation

combine to shape an encounter as evocative in its

scope as it is memorable and fun.

Accommodations revolve around home stays,

small guest bungalows and camping.

The program literature explains, “In addition

to exploring other cultures, ancient and modern,

and learning local language, cooking, dancing and

traditions, we also participate in activities such as

snorkeling, diving, swimming, surfing, para-

Global outreach

Drinking it all inA recent St. George’s graduate has filled her pasttwo summers with learning and service abroad


Emily McGinnis’07 spent twosummers travelingto Peru and CostaRica with theInternationalDoorwaysprogram. Above,she samples thenative fruit. Right:She spends timewith children at alocal school andexploring thenaturalenvironment.


sailing, white-water rafting, climbing,

backpacking, and playing team sports like soccer

with local youth.”

Emily’s involvement began two summers ago

when she signed up for the trip to Peru, which at

that time did not include the Bolivia component

offered now. “We stayed in Lima for a week or so,

then moved to Cusco—at one time the Incan

capital—for another week,” she said. “We studied

Spanish for a few hours every day, but we had

time for shopping, visiting zoos, volunteering at a

local orphanage, and enjoying expeditions to

historical sites and Incan ruins in places like the

Sacred Valley and of course Machu Picchu.” After

Cusco, she spent a few days in Paracas and then

went on to Tambopata in the Amazon, a short

plane ride away.

The month-long sojourn included local

community involvement and structured activities

along with diversions as varied as lavishing in

Machu Picchu’s hot springs, horseback riding

through the mountains, and driving dune buggies

in the desert outside Paracas.

Emily returned home only to set off days later

for Costa Rica. During the first week of that trip,

she saw the interior of the country from a base in

mountainous Monteverde, famous for its cloud-

shrouded rainforests. She also visited the capital,

San Jose, and worked in a small town in Drake

Bay. Her experience in Central America included

learning and speaking Spanish, planting trees,

painting a schoolhouse, teaching English in

several elementary school classrooms, hiking,

horseback riding and surfing off a beach where

she stayed for two days. Last year, Davis Archer

’07 participated in the Costa Rica program as

well.

Emily’s second summer with International

Doorways brought her to the Dominican

Republic, where she worked with the American

Peace Corps in collaboration with an established

group in the town of Bayaguana—the Brigada

Verde, a youth outreach program targeted

specifically at health education, environmental

awareness and organized sports for local

youngsters. “We painted a big mural with kids

from the town we were staying in,” she said. “You

get close to them over the course of a week, close

to their families too. We played mud soccer in the




rain in Bayaguana, a total blast.” Emily’s presence

there with International Doorways was aligned

closely with another program dear to the hearts of

DR residents, Habitat for Humanity.

The venues selected by International

Doorways provide learning, achievement and

positive feedback in a geographic context that

extends well beyond a student’s normal

boundaries. South Africa and Namibia,

Mozambique, the island of Bali, the heart of

Central America, the central highlands of Mexico,

the Caribbean, South America… These are places

that many only read about.

“Each program is a great mix of language

immersion, community service, sightseeing, good

fun and adventure,” Emily said. To find that kind

of structure in and return on an extra-curricular

travel-based activity is gratifying. Notably, there

are merit- and need-based scholarship

opportunities available to make these trips

accessible to any student with the urge to

participate.

Emily’s face lights up when she talks about

her recent encounters in unlikely locales. “The

people in the program are friendly, the places are

amazing, the families you meet are outgoing, and

the confidence and appreciation you gain are

invaluable.”

C O M M U N I T Y M E M B E R S G E T A W O R L D V I E WGlobal outreach

Emily McGinnis ’07 spent time in Peru and Costa Rica during a summerprogram that offered cultural outreach, meeting school children (above), andexploring the countryside (above right). Below she shares time with some newfriends.


For the second year in a row a St.

George’s teacher visited the Chinese

International School in Hong Kong

during spring break to partake in a special teacher

exchange program.

This year’s visitor was history teacher Lucia

Jaccaci who spent two weeks at the school soaking

up the culture and consulting with teachers on

educational matters and teaching methods.

Welcoming her to the school were Dorothy

Hakim, the CIS science teacher who visited St.

George’s last fall, and Leon Kandelaars, who’s

been teaching humanities at CIS since 1998 and

who will visit St. George’s in October.

SG’s Assistant Head of School for External Affairs Joe Gould (right) and hiswife, Jennifer (second from right), visited the Chinese International Schoolduring a sabbatical in Asia in May. Welcoming them were CIS HeadmasterTed Faunce (third from right) and his wife, Anna, (left), science teacherDorothy Hakim (center), and humanities teacher Leon Kandelaars (secondfrom left), who will visit St. George’s this fall.

Lucia Jaccaci and Catherine Han, a member of thedevelopment staff at the Chinese InternationalSchool.

CIS Headmaster Ted Faunce, SG History teacher Lucia Jaccaci and CISscience teacher Dorothy Hakim.

EE XXCCHHAANNGGEE PP RROOGGRRAAMM EE NN TT EE RR SS SS EE CCOONNDD YY EEAARRCO N T I N U E D F R O M T H E P R E V I O U S PAG E


ST. GEORGE’SST. GEORGE’Ssummer Bulletin2007

St. George’s SchoolP.O. Box 1910Newport, RI 02840-0190

Nonprofit OrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDSt. George’s School

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In this issue:Chapel talks:

A lesson before dining BY JEFF SIMPSON

Out of tragedy, a miracle BY HADLEY KORN ’07

Practicing to make it perfect BY JOSEPH ASTRAUSKAS ’07

Superstitious BY DEBORAH HAYES

Defying convention BY BENNETT BISTLINE ’07

Every moment of life BY BARRETT FREIBERT ’07

Chapel restoration begins

The Behrend Pool is torn down

Q&A with the Director of College Counseling

Reunion Weekend 2007

Prize Day 2007

New faculty members hired for 2007-08

Teachers visit Asia and Africa

Class ring returned after 46 years

Patnode honored at Cabot/Harman Ice Center

Class Notes

Documents

Bulletin Summer 2007