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The Georgian is the official publication of George School.
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GeorGianpublication of george scho ol, newtow n, pennsy lvania
InsIde
april 2009
01perspectivesFostering a Global Perspective: George School’s international focus impacts the lives, studies, and careers of students and alumni.
15alumni weekendJoin hundreds of alumni from around the world as we celebrate Alumni Weekend, May 8, 9, and 10, 2009.
18
Vol. 81 No. 01
listen ing to all the vo icesGeorge School’s new five-year strategic plan will help us steward our resources during this turbulent economic time.
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Table of ConTenTs
perspectives Fostering a Global Perspective
Alumni Embrace Global CitizenshipAlumnus Advises on Global TelecommunicationsAlumna Studies International Affairs International Baccalaureate Program Engages Students eQuiz Highlights
features
Listening to All the Voices
Come Back to George School for Alumni Weekend
Award Recipients: David RutsteinKaren Callaway WilliamsCarolyn Waghorne
Vol. 81 | no. 01 | aPRIl 2009
GeorGian
PHoTos: Chinese 1 Class (Inside Front Cover) George School teacher Ning Yuan Yu begins his class with tai chi. (Photo: Bruce Weller) Flags from Many Nations (Front Cover) More than seventy flags hang in Marshall, George School’s student center, representing countries that are home to our international students and alumni. (Photo: Mark Wiley)
campus news & notes
alumni tell us
in memoriam
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GEoRGIAn | 1
Students graduating from George School today
will be occupying a very different world from
that occupied by their grandparents. In the
words of Vivien Stewart, vice president for edu-
cation at the Asia Society, “To be successful
global citizens, workers, and leaders, students
will need to be knowledgeable about the world,
be able to communicate in languages other
than English, and be informed and active
citizens.”* George School’s understanding of
this statement is ref lected in our academics,
including our early adoption and recent expan-
sion of the International Baccalaureate Diploma
Program—a curriculum that you will learn more
about in this Perspectives section.
Engaged citizenship requires more than
knowledge, however, and at George School we
also try to provide students with opportunities to
live, work, and make decisions with others whose
backgrounds and perspectives are very different
from their own. our tradition of domestic and
international service trips has provided students
with such experiences for over sixty years. Since
the 1950s, the student body at George School has
become more and more diverse, to the point that
today we have students from thirty-two countries
and twenty-one states, a number of students for
whom English is a second or third language, and
students from a wide range of religious, racial,
and cultural backgrounds. This rich mix of peo-
ple continues to provide George School students
with opportunities to develop the skills and rela-
tionships that will one day be the basis for global
citizenship. The articles that follow attest to the
strength and importance of this work.
br
uc
e w
ell
er
perspecti V es
Fostering a Global Perspective
Head of sCHool nanCy sTaRmeR congratulates Kenny Kao ’08 of Taipei, Taiwan, who was named one of forty finalists nation-wide in the 67th Annual Intel Science Talent Search in 2008.
Perspectives edited by jul iaNa rosati
* Vivien Stewart, “Becoming Citizens of the World,” Educational Leadership 64, no. 7 (2007): 8–14.
2 | GEoRGIAn
apr i l 2009
by KareN doss bowmaN
Moritz Rolf ’98 was among the crowd of thousands
who gathered in Berlin last July to hear then-presi-
dential hopeful Senator Barack obama speak. The
German national, who recently received an econom-
ics degree from Humboldt University of Berlin, was
so moved by obama’s message that in September,
he temporarily moved into a friend’s apartment in
Pennsylvania and volunteered for obama’s state
headquarters in Philadelphia. His responsibilities
included anything from recruiting volunteers and
canvassing neighborhoods to serving as line man-
ager at a local polling station on Election Day.
“It was an amazing experience to see all those
people performing their right to vote,” says Moritz.
“That I was not able to vote was not important for
me. I just had the feeling of being part of something
big and enjoyed the amazing experiences I had
every day. I was glad to help people to vote and live
democracy.”
Just as Moritz didn’t let the confines of citizenship
stop him from participating in one of the most
memorable U.S. presidential campaigns in history,
other George School alumni are reaching beyond
borders to embrace the global community. Doing so
has helped many to feel a kinship with their neigh-
bors throughout the world.
Cally Iden ’98 considers herself a “citizen of the
world.” Having spent most of her adult life living
and working abroad, the Pennsylvania native says
that she feels at home just about anywhere. A semes-
ter studying abroad in France while enrolled at
The Cooper Union School of Art in new York City
inspired her to move to France after graduation.
Today she is an artist living in Seoul, South Korea,
where she teaches English and photography classes.
Though she’s always been adventurous, Cally cred-
its George School with opening up her worldview
by fostering relationships with students from other
countries.
“Through my many friendships with inter-
national students from places like Taiwan, Korea,
Vietnam, and Bosnia, I learned that differences in
cultural background or even language are not lim-
iting factors on a friendship,” notes Cally, who met
her Korean husband while both were students at
École nationale Superiore des Arts Décoratifs in
Paris. The two converse primarily in French.
Being part of a multicultural community at
George School was likewise an important experi-
Alumni Embrace Global Citizenship
Perspectives
01. Cally Iden, 02. Marina Urquidi, 03. Saeid Zakeri, 04. Yoshiko Kurotsu, 05. Moritz Rolf
01 03 04
02 05
GEoRGIAn | 3
perspecti V es
ence for Saeid Zakeri ’92, who came to the United
States from his native Iran as an adolescent and cur-
rently lives in new York State. A graduate of SUnY
Buffalo, Saeid says that the diversity he found at
George School made him feel comfortable and chal-
lenged him to be more open-minded. He recalls that
on campus he encountered people of different races
and faith backgrounds for the first time.
“You look at the conflicts in the world, and
you wonder why can’t we all get along—it’s idealis-
tic, but that’s what I strive towards,” says Saeid, who
now holds dual citizenship in Iran and the United
States and works as an electrical engineer. “To be
honest, being an American, or being an Iranian,
your life is pretty much the same—you wake up in
the morning, you make money for your children,
and you try to live a good life. Day to day, life for a
citizen here and a citizen there is not that different.
Governments aside, people are the same.”
For some George School alumni, the seeds of
a global perspective are planted in early childhood.
Marina Urquidi ’67, a dual citizen of the United
States and Mexico who lives in France, remem-
bers, “My family tradition had always included a
strong perspective of the world under the keywords
‘mutual respect and understanding.’” Following her
childhood in Mexico, Marina enrolled at George
School and extended her international experi-
ences beyond the school’s campus, participat-
ing in the exchange with Lycée Alfred Kastler in
Guebwiller, France, where she spent her junior year.
After attending Vassar College, Marina returned to
France, where she has worked as a translator for over
thirty years.
Also a former photojournalist and radio host,
Marina has been working since 1996 as an internet
communication facilitator for an ambitious glob-
al-change project, The Alliance for a Responsible,
Plural, and United World (http://www.alliance21.
org), hosting online international debates on vari-
ous global topics. Following the September 11, 2001,
terrorist attacks in new York City and Washington
DC, for example, she facilitated a debate on “build-
ing peace,” giving people the opportunity to voice
their opinions about issues such as governmental
responsibility, the struggle for energy and natural
resources, and the value of education in alleviating
the world’s problems.
Like Marina, Yoshiko Kurotsu ’98 began devel-
oping a global perspective during childhood. As the
American-born daughter of Japanese immigrants
to the United States, Yoshiko says she has reflected
since a young age on “how to balance and comple-
ment these two cultures within myself.” Though her
first language was Japanese, once she started school,
her f luency in English became much better. Still,
Yoshiko’s parents were dedicated to passing on the
values, customs, and language of their native coun-
try—even sending Yoshiko and her sisters, noriko
’96 and Emiko ’00, to Japanese school, along with
completing their American education.
As a student at Wheaton College in
Massachusetts, Yoshiko chose to spend her junior
year studying abroad in China—a decision that put
her on track for her current position as head of mar-
keting and communications at a five-star hotel in
Beijing. While she considered studying in Japan,
Yoshiko explains, “I finally settled on China after
deciding that it would be interesting to see how
much of Japan’s culture was influenced by China’s,
and how the two are related.”
Yoshiko began studying Mandarin Chinese
when she arrived in China as a student. Today she
finds that people are often surprised to learn that
she is Japanese-American rather than a native of
China. “Being in China definitely adds a new ele-
ment to balancing myself,” she notes. “It has forced
me to really assess my own cultural identity.”
Although she had a multicultural upbringing,
Yoshiko credits George School with further increas-
ing her international awareness. In particular, dur-
ing a service trip to Hanoi, Vietnam, with teachers
Ralph Lelii and Polly Lodge, she learned valuable
lessons from her visits with host families and by
working in the S.o.S. orphanage.
“My time there really opened my eyes to
the disparities that existed in the world, not only
between two countries such as the United States and
Vietnam, but also between citizens of one city, of
Hanoi—some of whom drove around in Mercedes
while others drove ox-carts,” she says.
According to Yoshiko, we will have our best
chance of addressing global problems—such as cli-
mate change, tensions between nations, the possi-
bility of pandemic disease, and the international
financial crisis—if people throughout the world
understand that we are all connected.
“our actions will have an effect on people that
we may not know or see,” Yoshiko states. “People
need to be willing to be responsible global citizens
who, at the very least, consider the consequences of
their actions—not only on themselves, but also on
those around the world.”
4 | GEoRGIAn
apr i l 2009
laRRy sPIwak ’82 (lefT) Now president of the Phoenix Center for Advanced Legal & Economic Public Policy Studies, Larry travels the globe to advise on telecommu-nications issues.
Perspectives
by aNdrea lehmaN
From Brazil to new Zealand to Ghana, Lawrence
Spiwak ’82 is helping create an increasingly smaller
world. “I write term papers for a living,” jokes
Larry, by way of explaining what he does at the
Phoenix Center for Advanced Legal & Economic
Public Policy Studies. President and cofounder
of this Washington think tank specializing in policy
issues related to the telecommunications and tech-
nology industries, he is both lawyer and scholar.
He conducts research, writes academic papers and
op-eds, and speaks before and consults with indus-
try and government leaders, domestically and inter-
nationally, to provide advice about the law and
economics of telecommunications and high-tech
industries.
His path to this role includes The George
Washington University and the Reagan White
House where he worked as a participant in the
DC-area Presidential Stay-in-School Program.
He attended the Benjamin n. Cardozo School of
Law of Yeshiva University, where he received his law
degree, and worked at the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC), where he spent four years as a
senior attorney with the Competition Division in
the office of General Counsel.
Yet Larry is quick to credit George School’s
fertile political soil and equally rich interna-
tional perspective—not to mention all those term
papers—with helping to prepare him for his career.
For Larry, George School’s biweekly assem-
blies and the daily history class discussions that
arose from New York Times articles are emblematic
of an environment that encouraged political dia-
logue. Larry didn’t always agree with his classmates,
and he reveled in the vigorous debates that resulted.
“I got in my share of political battles there,” Larry
recalls. Two history teachers, Frank Farmer and Bill
Ehrhart, took him under their wing and encour-
aged his interest in policy issues.
Just as important to Larry’s future was George
School’s global orientation—both the presence
of international students on campus and the
Alumnus Advises on Global Telecommunications
GEoRGIAn | 5
perspecti V es
opportunities to go abroad. During his junior year,
he went to Germany as an exchange student just
as Solidarity was starting to break through the
Iron Curtain in Poland. “This was a very exciting
time,” Larry remembers. “There was real tension
in the air.”
The following year, for their senior project, he
and three friends elected to travel independently to
Israel. There, Larry recalls, they found themselves
in the vicinity of Palestine Liberation organization
shelling during a camping trip and were on one of
the last buses out of the Sinai Desert before Israel
returned it to Egypt. Eye-opening as well as hair-
raising, these were experiences “that most kids
don’t get—to travel, to learn to be comfortable with
other cultures and for them to be comfortable with
you,” Larry recognizes. George School, he says,
“made you aware that there was a world out there”
and provided “an appreciation and respect for other
cultures”—a foundation upon which his current
international relationships are built.
Founded in 1998, today the Phoenix Center
does roughly a third of its work internationally, and
Larry travels the globe to advise on telecommuni-
cations issues, particularly the adoption of high-
speed internet access, or broadband. Faster and
more reliable than dial-up internet access, broad-
band is considered essential for economic success in
the twenty-first century. In many rural and devel-
oping regions, broadband is expensive or unavail-
able because the technological equipment necessary
for affordable service has not been installed.
Larry finds it extremely rewarding to work
with developing nations that are trying to build a
modern communications infrastructure. The key
to being successful, he’s learned, is to recognize
that though the underlying issues are similar,
“what works in one country doesn’t work in
others.” His travels include a trip to Manila and
Hanoi in January 2007 as part of President Bush’s
Digital Freedom Initiative, for which he was
selected to lecture about rural broadband develop-
ment and ways to provide universal telecommuni-
cations service.
When he is not traveling and advising, Larry is
busy writing academic-level articles on broadband
and technology that are posted on the Phoenix
Center’s website, published in academic journals,
and often referred to by major media outlets
and policymakers. “We try to be an honest and
dispassionate voice in the policy debate,” Larry
says. The Phoenix Center’s research has been
cited in various major media outlets—including
The Economist, public television’s Nightly Business
Report, BusinessWeek, Forbes.com, and the Wall Street
Journal—as well as by the FCC, the U.S. Securities
and Exchange Commission, the U.S. Federal Trade
Commission, the U.S. Department of State, the
International Telecommunication Union, the
organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development, and on the f loors of the U.S. House
of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.
Adding communications infrastructure is very
expensive and the solutions complex. “How do you
get broadband to someone with a GDP of $300 a
year?” he posits. “How do you establish property
rights?” Larry’s goal is to provide ideas, not to dic-
tate. “In my work, you have to establish credibility,
especially when dealing with foreign governments
and policy makers.” Larry says that for him, such
interactions are rooted in “the humility that George
School taught.”
George School, he says, “made you aware that there was a world out there” and provided “an appreciation and respect for other cultures”—a foundation upon which his current international relationships are built.
6 | GEoRGIAn
apr i l 2009
by KareN doss bowmaN
As an intern for the Moscow Bureau of the New
York Times, Sara Rhodin ’02 worked around the
clock with her colleagues last summer to report on
the August conflict between Russia and the for-
mer Soviet Republic of Georgia. The internship
gave Sara—a graduate student in Russian studies at
Harvard University—the opportunity to interview
Estonian President Toomas Ilves for an article she
cowrote about reactions to the South ossetia con-
flict among former Soviet republics.
“The past year and a half has been extremely
intensive in terms of the knowledge about the region
that I’ve been exposed to,” she says. Clearly no
stranger to intensive study, Sara has been finding
remarkable ways to develop her interest in interna-
tional affairs ever since high school.
Encouraged by her George School teachers to
travel overseas, Sara visited the Middle East dur-
ing the summer of 2000 after completing her soph-
omore year. She lived with Palestinian family
friends in Jordan and visited destinations through-
out the Israeli and Palestinian territories, as well as
Syria. The trip complemented her studies in Global
Interdependence, a history course that includes a
unit about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“of all the classes that I took at George School,
this was the most memorable,” recalls the newtown,
Pennsylvania, native. During the course, Sara
says, she felt deeply affected by reading How We
Survived Communism and Even Laughed, a mem-
oir by Croatian journalist Slavenka Drakulic, and
by watching a film about relations between Israeli
settlers and Palestinian residents in the Palestinian
territories.
Following her graduation from George School,
Sara enrolled at The George Washington University
(GW) in Washington DC with plans to major in
photography—an interest she had picked up at
George School under the encouragement of teacher
Danielle Picard-Sheehan. After taking required
courses such as international politics and Russian
literature, however, Sara decided to pursue a degree
Alumna Studies International Affairs
Perspectives
saRa RHodIn ’02 received the Distinguished Scholar Award from The George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs in May 2006. She also was chosen to present an honorary doctorate to then-Secretary General of the United Nations Kofi Annan at the school’s awards ceremony.
GEoRGIAn | 7
perspecti V es
in international affairs with two concentrations—
one in international economics and another in
Russia and Eastern Europe.
While at GW, Sara spent her junior year abroad
at Budapest Corvinus University in Hungary and
also held several internships at the U.S. Department
of State, including two positions in Washington DC
and a summer stint in 2004 as a political-economic
intern for the U.S. Embassy in Tallinn, Estonia.
In Estonia, she organized a high-level U.S. congres-
sional delegation to the former Soviet republic. The
group included 2008 presidential candidates Senator
John McCain and then-Senator Hillary Clinton.
“I think that I’ve been lucky with my intern-
ships and jobs to have access to a wide range of
really important and interesting people,” comments
Sara.
Sara returned to Estonia after graduating from
GW, having won a Fulbright Student Fellowship
to spend the 2006-2007 academic year at Tallinn
University. Along with her coursework, Sara com-
pleted an independent research project on aban-
doned Soviet military facilities in Estonia. She
traveled to several formerly closed cities, such as
Paldiski, a Baltic Sea port town that housed the
Soviet Union’s naval nuclear submarine program;
and Sillamae, the site of a chemical factory that
produced nuclear fuel rods and other materials for
Soviet nuclear power plants and weapons factories.
During frequent visits to these towns throughout
the year, Sara took photographs documenting
changes to the facilities and also interviewed
residents, “from women who worked in the
cafeteria of one of the facilities or men who
had been soldiers in the Red Army.” The photo
essay that she compiled from her visits has been
exhibited at Harvard University’s Center for
Government and International Studies, Princeton
University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and
International Affairs, and the Astroturf Gallery in
Washington DC.
Thinking that the Russian studies program at
Harvard could be a good stepping stone to a career
in foreign service, foreign correspondence, intelli-
gence, or academia, Sara enrolled there after com-
pleting her Fulbright fellowship. She is currently
working on a master’s thesis about Soviet weddings
and family policies, and is leaning towards journal-
ism as a career choice.
“I would like to incorporate photography in
my future profession,” Sara says. “one of the most
exciting things about the rise in new media is that
online journalists are given the opportunity to add
a visual element to their written descriptions. That
might be a good fit for me.”
Sara’s worldwide excursions have made her a
witness to instances of the extreme poverty and suf-
fering endured by so many people. In Estonia, for
example, she was surprised by the socioeconomic
disparities between the progressive Estonians and
the nation’s Russian-speaking population, who
struggle with high rates of substance abuse, unem-
ployment, and HIV/AIDS.
As a reporter, she observes, “You are able to
convey a wide variety of experiences—from the
everyday to the monumental,” and relate personal,
intimate details about an event to people who can-
not be firsthand witnesses.
“Most people don’t go to Estonia, and espe-
cially not to cities like Paldiski and Sillamae,” says
Sara. She hopes that readers will be motivated to
gather more information and consider new views
of situations. “As a journalist, you can transfer
information and images of such places to people
all over the world to help them understand the
complexities of conflicts.”
As a reporter, “you are able to convey a wide variety of experiences—from the everyday to the monumental,” and relate personal, intimate details about an event to peoplewho cannot be first-hand witnesses.
8 | GEoRGIAn
apr i l 2009
by jul iaNa rosati
George School’s curriculum offers a number
of international aspects. Academic classes have
long been infused with a Quaker concern for liv-
ing meaningful, responsible lives as global citi-
zens. For over sixty years, faculty have led students
on domestic and international service trips. An
English as a Second Language program was estab-
lished in 1988 to support the school’s many interna-
tional students. In addition, George School was one
of the first schools in the United States to imple-
ment an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma
Program, which it did in 1985. Today, students with
a variety of interests and goals are taking part in
George School’s IB Program, completing the same
IB course requirements as students in 130 other
countries where IB programs are offered.
An International Academic Community
“I wanted to engage in a challenging curricu-
lum with the intention of studying abroad,” says
norah Hannel ’10 of her decision to enroll in the IB
Diploma Program. She adds, “I also liked the idea
of being part of a global community.” norah, a res-
ident of newtown, Pennsylvania, grew up in the
United States, Germany, and England, and thinks
she might pursue a career in journalism, psychol-
ogy, or law. She says that she likes to imagine stu-
dents in other countries taking the same IB classes
that she takes and bringing different cultural per-
spectives to what they are learning.
The IB Program at George School is overseen
by the International Baccalaureate organization
(IBo), which works with schools worldwide to
implement IB programs. According to its mis-
sion statement, the IBo aims to develop inquiring,
knowledgeable, and caring young people who help
to create a better and more peaceful world through
intercultural understanding and respect.
“This past spring when I was proctoring the
IB Math Studies examination, a student asked, ‘Is
this the same exact test for everyone around the
world?’” recalls George School English teacher and
IB coordinator Ralph Lelii. “I answered that on this
date, students in 131 countries on every continent
International Baccalaureate Program Engages Students
Perspectivesb
ru
ce
we
lle
r
RalPH lelII and Theory of Knowledge students analyze philosophical issues. Ralph encourages students to question what they know and think, giving them opportunities to grow and learn as individuals.
GEoRGIAn | 9
perspecti V es
were united in the same quest for excellence. There
is, I believe, great power in the idea that the IB
Program, in a small but real way, makes us citizens
of the world.”
George School’s IB Program has grown over
the years from an initial class of three students to
the current group of forty senior and forty-two
junior diploma candidates. In addition, George
School now offers students who do not enroll in
the full, two-year Diploma Program the option
of pursuing subject-specific IB certificates or tak-
ing individual IB classes in over twenty different
areas of study. over two thousand U.S. universities
and colleges, including the most competitive, offer
advanced placement for successful IB scores.
Like norah, Max Mosley ’09 of newtown,
Pennsylvania, was drawn to the IB Diploma
Program because of an interest in studying abroad
for college. His current schedule includes Travis
ortogero’s higher-level IB Math 2 class, a calculus
course in which students are frequently expected to
try problems without having been explicitly taught
how to find the solutions, as mathematicians must
do. “I’ve always been a math student,” says Max of
his decision to enroll in this advanced course. He
plans to study computer science in college.
A Challenging Curriculum
An extraordinary and challenging two-year cur-
riculum that students can elect to take during the
junior and senior years, the IB Diploma Program
requires rigorous academic work in English, a sec-
ond language, history or economics, science, math,
and art. Students choose three subjects to take for
higher-level credit and three to take for standard-
level credit. The diploma curriculum balances these
academics with additional requirements, including
creative, service, and athletic activities. Students’
work is assessed both by George School teachers
and an international panel of judges.
An interest in studying abroad is not the only
reason that current IB Diploma candidates cite
for their interest in the program. When Morgan
Humphrey ’09 of Trenton, new Jersey, set out to
plan her junior-year schedule, she discovered that
all of the courses that interested her the most were
IB courses. Fran Bradley’s IB Economics class was
particularly appealing to Morgan, who intends to
pursue a career as an investment banker. The global
economic crisis has provided no shortage of rel-
evant material for the class’s daily discussions of
economic news, and Morgan enjoys the opportu-
nity to exchange views of the situation. “Everyone
has different opinions about whether the stimulus
package will work,” she observes of her classmates.
Morgan has been admitted to the Wharton
School of the University of Pennsylvania under
its early decision program and plans to major in
finance and global analysis. To support her inter-
est in conducting business in Latin America one
day, she has taken Molly Stephenson’s higher-level
IB Spanish class at George School. As focused as she
is, Morgan has appreciated the opportunity to chal-
lenge herself in a number of subjects while fulfill-
ing the requirements of the IB Diploma. Morgan
didn’t think that her projects in Judy Bartella’s IB
Ceramics class turned out very well, but the experi-
ence taught her the value of trying something new.
“The IB Program brings out very well-rounded stu-
dents,” Morgan states.
Respect for a fellow Korean student at George
School who received an IB Diploma two years ago
inspired Kyoung Ho Lee ’09 of Seoul to partici-
pate in the program. His current IB courses include
economics—a subject he plans to study in col-
lege—and Travis ortogero’s higher-level IB Math
2 class. Travis, he says, has a “very careful and
enjoyable” teaching style and is sensitive to the fact
that English is Kyoung Ho’s second language. “He
knows that sometimes because of the language
issue I feel like I’m behind,” says Kyoung Ho. When
that happens, Travis stops to help him catch up.
Kyoung Ho notes, “He always wants a student to
fully know what he’s trying to teach.” Kyoung Ho
believes that the diploma program has offered him
benefits beyond academics. “Having taken the pro-
gram for a year and a half, I feel like I have learned
my own responsibilities not only for schoolwork,
but also for many other things in my life,” he
ref lects.
The diploma program has likewise allowed
Miranda Tarlini ’09 of new Hope, Pennsylvania,
to achieve benefits that will help her after George
School. “When I first came to George School and
the IB Program was explained, I knew it was an
option that would offer me great advantages during
the college application process,” she says. “In the
end, it did in fact pay off.” Miranda has accepted
admission at the University of north Carolina
Wilmington, and reports that many of her fresh-
man credits have been fulfilled through her IB
work. An aspiring marine mammologist, she plans
to major in marine biology at college and is cur-
rently enrolled in Reed Goossen’s higher-level IB
Biology class.
10 | GEoRGIAn
Learning to Question Knowledge Itself
Though their goals and favorite subjects may vary,
all IB Diploma candidates share one course in com-
mon: Theory of Knowledge. Taught by Ralph Lelii
and Kevin Moon, this interdisciplinary class exam-
ines some of the ways in which human beings
acquire knowledge and understand the world
around them. Students in the class analyze philo-
sophical issues and ref lect on their own intellec-
tual experiences as they read and respond to a rich
variety of texts that raise religious, moral, aesthetic,
and ethical questions. Ralph explains, “The Theory
of Knowledge course encourages critical thinking
about knowledge itself, to try to help young people
make sense of what they encounter.”
noorjahan Akbar ’10 of Kabul, Afghanistan,
says, “I like my Theory of Knowledge class because
it makes me think. It makes me a little uncomfort-
apr i l 2009
Rachel Aucott ’04 “The IB Program helped me become much more aware
of my place in the world; I think hard about what
needs to be better—the public education system, the
healthcare system, et cetera—and I work hard to change
my community for the better,” says Rachel. A gradu-
ate of Swarthmore College, she currently works at the
Philadelphia headquarters of the not-for-profit Chil-
dren’s Literacy Initiative, which helps teachers at urban
elementary schools to improve the literacy education of
children from low-income neighborhoods.
Jaron Shipp ’98“one of the reasons my parents and I selected GS over
other established boarding schools was because of the
IB Program—at the time a rarity amongst independent
boarding schools,” says Jaron. A graduate of Howard
University School of Law, Jaron recalls that the IB Pro-
gram influenced his choice of an undergraduate major
at the University of Pennsylvania. “The IB Program is
great because it stresses knowledge of several core disci-
plines and also an interdisciplinary thought process,” he
says. “I went to college at Penn, and selected an interdis-
ciplinary major—Politics, Philosophy, Economics—in
part because of my experience in IB.” Jaron is currently
an attorney at Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP
in San Francisco, California, where he represents class-
action plaintiffs in employment discrimination and
securities lawsuits.
Katheryne Kramer ’03Currently a Peace Corps volunteer in Turkmenistan,
Katheryne (left) grew up in seven countries on three
continents and has spent a year studying abroad in Cape
Town, South Africa. “Traveling has proven to me that
the world is fundamentally a small place that shrinks
and gets more cozy each time you meet someone new,”
she says. Katheryne recalls that the IB Program ap-
pealed to her because “I wanted a rigorous academic
program and a world perspective,” and that the program
influenced her decision to study international relations
at college. She notes, “I especially like reading books
from different countries, and seeing how writers saw
their cultures, even in translation.”
IB Alumni Share Their Experiences
Alumna Works at Colombian IB School
GEoRGIAn | 11
perspecti V es
able, but in a way that’s necessary.” The discomfort,
she says, is due to the fact that the course asks stu-
dents to question everything from the definition of
knowledge to the validity of their own perceptions.
Such thinking has made her aware that one could
go to an extreme of “either believing everything
or questioning everything,” she says. noorjahan
names Theory of Knowledge as one of her favor-
ite courses, along with Jackie Coren’s IB Music
Seminar, which offers students who have studied a
specific musical form the opportunity to study var-
ious musical genres and forms, to work with guest
musicians, to compose several works, and to par-
ticipate in performances. noorjahan studies clas-
sical Afghan singing and would like to pursue it
after George School, though she is also interested in
studying educational theory. “I think we can bring
great changes in the way people think and live
through education,” she says.
olena Evans ’09 also names Theory of
Knowledge as a favorite class. “I see the world as
being a unified planet where all people have the
same goals, hopes, dreams,” she says. “The IB
Program contributed to this view on many lev-
els—for example, our long discussions in Theory
of Knowledge class about different ethics and cul-
tures.” olena, who grew up in Ukraine and now
lives in Stockton, new Jersey, will attend American
University next fall and is considering a major in
international relations or psychology.
According to Ralph, Theory of Knowledge
addresses not only the contemporary world but
also the course of human history. He comments,
“The context of the Theory of Knowledge class is
a world immeasurably different from that inhab-
ited by ‘renaissance man.’ Knowledge may indeed
be said to have exploded: it has not only expanded
massively but also become increasingly special-
ized, or fragmented. At the same time, discoveries
in the twentieth century, such as quantum mechan-
ics and chaos theory, have demonstrated that there
are things that it is impossible for us to know or
predict.”
As students come of age in such a world, they
will need not only the academic skills and knowl-
edge that George School classes offer, but also
the habits of mind and spirit that George School
teaches, notes Head of School nancy Starmer.
“The capacity to look for that of God in themselves
and in others, the skill to resolve conflict peace-
fully, openness to change and difference, humil-
ity, ref lection, hope, respect, patience—these are
all things that George School can teach that most
other schools cannot,” nancy says. “I believe that
George School and other Quaker schools have a
unique role to play in education.”
Louisa Fingerhood Soto ’83Louisa is the guidance counselor at an IB school in
Bogota, Colombia. “Every day, I must use English and
Spanish—not the French I worked so hard on at GS—to
do my job working with students and parents,” says
Louisa. “I work with students in their last three years
of high school, helping them develop personal and
career goals. Being IB students gives them an interna-
tional focus for the work they want to do after school.
our school is a member of Round Square, and we are
sending many students to do gap year service projects
in India, Singapore, and China, and are still looking for
more sites.”
12 | GEoRGIAn
apr i l 2009
eQuiz Highlights
The December eQuiz asked alumni to describe the
ways in which they have developed a global per-
spective, both at George School and beyond. Some
of the responses are highlighted here. Thank you to
the 178 alumni who participated.
Remembering GS International Experiences
1944 | T. Vail Palmer Jr.
I was one of only two conscientious objectors
among the boys in my class (during World War
II)—this certainly strengthened my interest in the
Friends peace testimony—and my graduate study,
etc. were focused on contributing to the peace tes-
timony. Teachers who were German refugees were
an important influence—particularly in helping
me see language study as a route into understand-
ing other cultures.
1957 | Jonathan F. Esty
I attended the 1956 GS workcamp in Woffenbuttel,
Germany. I learned how young people from two
nations that had been enemies just eleven years
before can work together productively and joy-
ously toward a common goal.…Work on the George
School Affiliation Committee gave me an oppor-
tunity for close informal contact with a couple
of teachers I greatly admired, William Cleveland
and Walter Mohr. I will never forget the great dis-
cussion Dr. Mohr and I had about railroads, poli-
tics, government, and history while we waited at
the Trenton train station for our foreign New York
Herald Tribune sponsored guests to arrive.
1958 | Martha Scull Haines
Two exchange students from Germany lived with
my family (I was a day student) during two differ-
ent years. This experience gave me great insight to
post-World War II Germany compared to the plen-
tiful United States.
1977 | Marie-Claire Brown
Delia Bass Dandridge ’77 and her family took me
into their home, knowing that I only went [home
to Liberia] once or twice a year. She is my daugh-
ter Paige [Lispcome ’12]’s godmother and I am her
daughter Kendall’s. Delia and I went to Liberia for
senior project, where we worked in an adult lit-
eracy program at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church….
Delia and I were able to help in a program tutoring
adults who wanted to improve themselves by learn-
ing to read and write English. Just knowing that we
were able to make a small contribution to a much-
needed program was satisfying.
1987 | Karl P. Biron
My visits to twenty-three other countries in the
world helped me increase my tolerance and abil-
ity to discover foreign attitudes. My one year at
GS [as an exchange student from Düsseldorf,
Germany] laid the foundation for that. But only in
Singapore did I find a society similarly tolerant as
at GS. There I was strongly reminded of my close-
ness to the Quaker religion—even if I did not meet
any Quakers in Singapore. But Muslims, Buddhists,
Christians, Hindus, and Jews were equally respect-
ed—like they were at GS.
1990 | Joan Burton Whent
[I attended George School as an international stu-
dent from Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.] Being around
real “Americans” (as in born and bred as opposed
to my being American but growing up abroad) and
especially my senior year roommate and co-prefect
(who had travelled extensively and had views/opin-
ions on international events) really made me feel
that I did/could fit in in the U.S. We are still great
friends today.
1993 | Frans Guna Wijaya
My experience at GS and USC as an international
student from Jakarta, Indonesia, opened my mind
about the importance of globalization, and the
importance of technology in our life and business.
I made lifelong friends with people from different
cultures and countries. I guess our common bond
of studying at GS as overseas students helped us to
be closer to each other. Friendships make you real-
ize that despite our difference in culture and cus-
toms, we have a lot in common too. So, it’s very
important to respect and know other people’s cul-
tures and customs.
Perspectives
GEoRGIAn | 13
perspecti V es
1998 | Jackie L. Vorhauer
My roommate and fellow co-prefect senior year was
from Korea. Her English was not great in the begin-
ning and I did not speak Korean…so we learned
to communicate in other ways, and we taught each
other our native languages. At first I was afraid she
and I would not make it through the year with-
out any frustrations. But today, we are best friends
and I am her daughter’s godmother. our friendship
makes me think that I went to GS for a reason.
Living with a Global Perspective
1942 | Roger Ernst
I have spent my entire life in world affairs: military
government in Germany, Marshall Plan for Austria,
office of Secretary of Defense-nATo, Foreign
Service: India, Taiwan, Korea, Ethiopia, southern
African nations, Thailand, and the South Pacific
Independent States. I have been teaching interna-
tional affairs since 1994.
1956 | John K. deGroot
I conducted seminars for working journalists
throughout northern Europe. Also, as a journal-
ist, I covered news stories in Latin America, Middle
East, and Europe.
1958 | Robert H. Fletcher
I have directed an international program, spon-
sored by the Rockefeller Foundation, to build
human capacity for clinical research in develop-
ing countries. Also, I have taught internation-
ally, largely because of a textbook I have written
(with others) that has been translated into several
languages.
1964 | Peter H. Fraser
Living and working in economic development
at the community, local, and national levels for
so many years in over twenty countries in Latin
America, Africa, and other countries in the ex-
USSR gave me and my family a unique opportunity
to experience the realities about what life is like for
most people in these places, how things are done,
and what it takes to improve the everyday lives
of the people. Each place is distinct, but there are
common denominators.
Alumni Profile: Kohei Muto ’08
What are you doing now?I’m living in Japan and taking a gap year while I apply to college
and start a small business.
How did your experience at George School contribute to your perspective on the world?At GS, I realized that there are so many things we need to take
into account in our life. For me, the most important things are
not fame, not a great academic background, not money, but love
for my friends, for those who support me, for Japanese culture,
and even for the world itself.
How did the experience of studying abroad for high school influence your life after George School?one of the ways I have changed through the experience is that I
started to think how I can contribute to the society, and to do so,
how I can utilize university education. During last summer, I got
a great chance to challenge myself by volunteering at an ER at St.
Luke’s international hospital in Tokyo. Without the experience of
studying abroad, it would have taken years for me to realize there
is actually a lot we can do in everyday life to contribute to society.
Did you have memorable friendships at GS with students who did not grow up in the same country as you?one of the most memorable things was that I could get to know
wonderful friends from Korea, China, and Taiwan, which the
Japanese government often has conflicts with. To remove stereo-
types, talking to people face to face is most effective. We discussed
and exchanged our thoughts about the political issues, military
or war affairs, religious issues, etc., as well as everyday life. That
gave me not only a good understanding of them but also the skill
to think objectively about general issues. I believe that those
experiences will give me more confidence to meet with any kinds
of people in the future. Also, there is a Vietnamese friend who was
my roommate as a prefect. I was truly inf luenced by his eagerness
to challenge himself. And getting to know a friend from Ukraine
was also memorable.
Are there any other thoughts you would like to share?of course school is the place to study, but GS was also the place
that gave me a chance to consider what is important in my life.
I would like to send great appreciation to everyone in the GS
community and to my advisor, Mabel Houghton, for her support.
14 | GEoRGIAn
apr i l 2009
1966 | Janice M. Powell Crausaz
I have worked in Africa (Cameroon), the Middle
East (United Arab Emirates), and four differ-
ent European countries (France, Switzerland,
Cyprus, and Ireland) in either education or heath-
care or both (I now teach occupational therapy at
University College Cork, Ireland). Because of the
fields in which I worked I always have had close,
personal, daily exchanges with the citizens of the
country in which I resided, rather than moving in
a privileged expatriate “bubble.” Such contact not
only allowed me to become knowledgeable about
the societies in which I lived, but also to develop a
deep respect for very diverse cultures.
1970 | Jenny Stasikewich
I am currently a mosaic artist and my designs
ref lect folk art from around the world. I’ve stud-
ied folk art in Mexico, Croatia, Serbia, Tanzania,
England, and of course, America. Every culture in
every country on every continent produces its own
unique art. What I see are all of their similarities:
ref lections of nature, f lora, fauna, colors of bright
sunshine to the deepest ochers of earth. The world
becomes very small and intimate to me through my
use of folk art. I feel successful when someone look-
ing at a particular piece will say “Is this Persian?”
and the next person will say, “This is Pennsylvania
Dutch, right?”
1972 | Andrew P. Rivinus
At any one time, the largest cargo by weight on the
world’s oceans is recycled paper moving from net
exporters like Europe and north America to net
importers like Korea and China. My company has a
strong export position in the recycling industry. In
past years I serviced the needs of a recycled paper
mill that was a joint venture Japanese/U.S. com-
pany operated under Japanese management style.
Market trends are determined on a global basis
and participation in that market requires a world
awareness and a world view.
1982 | Christine E. Stein Arzt
After long discussions with friends, fellow col-
leagues, and students, I’ve come to the conclu-
sion that study abroad should be a requirement. It
opens your mind to a different world, and different
thoughts and opinions.
1983 | Louisa Coan Greve
I direct the East Asia section of an American grant-
making foundation that supports grassroots, non-
governmental, pro-democracy efforts in other
countries…. I spent two years in China after col-
lege, studying Chinese language and society at
the Johns Hopkins-nanjing University Center for
American and Chinese Studies.
1988 | Tim A. Case
My passion is enabling community decision-mak-
ers to embrace complex problems using computer
systems to organize and visualize information. For
a dozen years I have been with a multi-national
consulting firm working on planning, design, and
construction of nearly every kind of infrastruc-
ture you can imagine: subways, highways, high-rise
towers, power plants, and new cities.
Responses might be edited due to space limitations and
Georgian style guidelines.
GEoRGIAn | 15
features
by odie lefeVer
At its January 2009 meeting, the George School
Committee—the school’s governing board—
approved a Strategic Plan that will guide the
school’s strategic initiatives for the next five years.
The draft is a product of the efforts of many—
alumni, faculty, parents, staff, and students—
such as the 185 people who attended focus groups
in spring 2008, the 85 people who responded to
an electronic survey, the 65 people who attended
a two-and-a-half day Strategic Planning retreat in
June 2008, the teachers who considered it at faculty
meetings, and the entire George School Committee.
Gretchen Castle, clerk of the eleven-person
Strategic Planning oversight Committee, summed
up our efforts in creating a five-year Strategic Plan,
“This has been a particularly important time for us
to be engaged in planning. Though we are blessed
with a strong endowment and a diligent, frugal,
and engaged board and administration, George
School, like all other institutions, is and will con-
tinue to be affected by the turbulence that is grip-
ping the world economy. We will have hard choices
to make in the months and possibly years ahead.
our new five-year Strategic Plan will be critical in
guiding those choices.”
The six key strategic areas that the school will
focus upon are educational program, diversity,
environmental stewardship, facilities, financial aid,
and financial sustainability. They are described in
some detail on page 17.
Generally, when an institution begins the pro-
cess of strategic planning, it starts by grounding
itself in the school’s current mission statement. In
looking at the 1999 mission statement, the Strategic
Planning oversight Committee realized that while
the mission itself has remained constant, the lan-
guage of the mission statement no longer felt suf-
ficiently visionary. To bridge the gap, Head of
School nancy Starmer asked English teacher Terry
Culleton and Director of College Guidance nancy
Culleton, a former English teacher, to tap into their
many years of history as George School faculty
members and their gifts for memorable phrasing
to create a statement that would inspire the greater
community. Their statement, with few edits, was
gratefully received and approved at the December
George School Committee (see page 16).
In revisiting the mission statement, the school
concurrently revisited the values that it cherishes
and felt compelled to update them as well. Those
core values—about transformative teaching and
learning, personal integrity, unity in diversity, and
responsibility to others—also are on page 16.
Listening to All the VoicesGeorge School Approves Five-Year Strategic Plan
br
uc
e w
ell
er
16 | GEoRGIAn
apr i l 2009
Transformative Teaching and Learning
Transformative relationships between teachers and
students are the heart of the George School educa-
tional experience. Based upon a powerful combi-
nation of example, mutual respect, and personal
commitment, these relationships support a pro-
gram that is intentionally balanced between rigor
and ref lection, passion and compassion. They pro-
vide the environment within which George School
teachers challenge their students to hold themselves
to high academic standards, to practice humility,
and to develop lifelong habits of scholarship and
intellectual curiosity.
Personal Integrity
The alignment of belief and action that arises
when an individual decides what is important and
finds a way to be true to it is summed up in George
Fox’s phrase “let your life speak.” Through hab-
its of ref lection that are honed in meeting for wor-
ship, through our commitment to honor the light
of God in everyone, and by developing an under-
standing of the Quaker (Friends) values of simplic-
ity, peace, integrity, community, equality, service,
and stewardship, our graduates are provided with
a firm foundation upon which to build lives of per-
sonal integrity.
Unity in Diversity
George School is committed to being a community
where people with vastly different backgrounds,
identities, and perspectives are united both in their
respect for the unique gifts that each brings and in
pursuit of a common good. We place a high value
on diversity and on the ways that our convictions,
both individually and collectively, are broadened,
strengthened, and enlightened when we appreciate
and respect a range of perspectives. This belief is
ref lected in the school’s motto, “Mind the Light.”
Responsibility to Others
At George School we are grounded by a sense of
responsibility to each other and to the earth we
inhabit. This leads us to practice good stewardship
in all of our daily actions and decisions. A central
Friends value, stewardship recognizes that physical,
financial, natural, cultural, intellectual, and spiri-
tual resources are to be grown and sustained for the
good of all and for generations to come.
Mission:With Quaker tradition as its touchstone and academic excellence at its core, George School seeks to develop citizen-scholars cheerfully committed to openness in the pursuit of truth, to service and peace, and to the faithful stewardship of the earth. We want our students to treasure learning for its own sake and to use it to benefit a diverse world. Above all, we want them to “let their lives speak.”
Core Values:
GEoRGIAn | 17
features
George School Five-Year Strategic Plan (2009-2013)
s t r at e G i c a r e a s a n d G oa l s
Educational Program Ensure that we provide a transformative educational
experience that is deeply grounded in Friends values by
continuously reviewing and improving our academic
curriculum and pedagogy, our community life and service
programs, and the mechanisms by which we attract and
retain a high caliber of students, faculty, and staff.
Diversity Enhance our distinction as an inclusive educational
community by challenging ourselves to address difficult
questions raised by diversity in all its dimensions.
Environmental Stewardship Recognize the pressing need for all human beings to live
simpler, more sustainable lives by visibly integrating
environmental stewardship into the day-to-day activities
of students, faculty, and staff, and into our planning for
the school.
Facilities Improve our facilities to provide the best physical tools
to advance student learning and to meet the needs of our
teachers, while maintaining the pristine beauty of our
campus.
Financial Aid Demonstrate continued leadership in financial aid in the
context of a changing economic environment for indepen-
dent schools.
Financial Sustainability Create new processes for fundraising and financial planning
that will ensure that we can support our strategic objectives
for the long-term benefit of George School.
o v e rv i e w
1. Design and implement a process to carefully and thor-
oughly assess whether our new curriculum is meeting its
stated objectives and to review those objectives over time.
2. Enhance total compensation and professional growth in
relation to peer schools in developing the next generation
of faculty and staff.
3. Increase the scope and reach of our service programs.
1. Reexamine our definition of diversity, both to ref lect
the world of today and to ensure its alignment with the
school’s mission and curricular objectives.
2. Improve our practices school-wide from the perspective
of the diversity of students and families of George School.
1. Design and implement a plan that engages students,
faculty, and staff in adopting behaviors that result in
saving energy, reducing waste, living more simply, and
demonstrating respect for our campus and for the future
of our planet.
2. Integrate environmental sustainability goals into all of
our facilities planning.
1. Update and integrate our multiple campus master
plans into one.
2. Prioritize our needs.
3. Define needed improvements to our academic,
arts, and athletic facilities.
4. Determine funding needs and sources.
5. Create a timeline and begin implementation.
1. Undertake a rigorous study of current practices and
new methods for making a George School education
more affordable to economically diverse families.
2. Define needed changes to our financial aid, admission,
and tuition policies and objectives.
3. Implement the steps that will ensure George School’s
continued distinction in financial aid.
1. Identify the operational, capital, and endowment needs
that are required to implement our Strategic Plan.
2. Prioritize needs and integrate these into our financial
strategies and fundraising goals.
3. Finalize and communicate how we will use the Barbara
Dodd Anderson gift to support the school’s ongoing
goals.
4. Raise the additional funds needed to support our
capital efforts and build endowment to support our
ongoing commitments to compensation, financial aid,
and affordability.
5. Design and implement a plan for engaging a broader
group of alumni/friends in the ongoing work of the
school and of the George School Committee.
18 | GEoRGIAn
apr i l 2009
by susaN QuiNN
Experience the vibrancy of our campus, refuel your
imagination, and refresh your relationships with
friends both old and new. You will laugh, you will
learn, and you will fall in love with George School
all over again. If you are a member of the Class of
1959, celebrating your fiftieth reunion, or the Class
of 1984, celebrating your twenty-fifth reunion, a
special invitation goes out to you. If your class year
ended in a nine or a four, your classmates are work-
ing hard to prepare a fun reunion weekend for you.
All alumni are invited to attend.
Parents, students, and alumni are invited to
George School for Alumni Weekend. Whether you
are coming by yourself or with friends and family,
please let us know so that our faculty, student
workers, and reunion team are ready to show you
a great time. You can register online at http://
alumni.georgeschool.org. Just click on the Alumni
Weekend box on the lower left corner of the screen.
A full schedule also is available online.
Starting with Flashback Friday—an opportunity to
attend classes as if you were a George School stu-
dent—you will enjoy the opportunity to participate
in non-stop events right through Sunday’s meeting
for worship.
This year’s Alumni Award recipients are David
Rutstein ’74 and Karen Callaway Williams ’84.
David is recognized for his strong and abiding
dedication to service in general and to provid-
ing health care to underserved populations in the
United States and the world in particular. Karen
is recognized for professional accomplishments in
the rare and wonderful field of tap dancing and
for her commitment to serving and educating
young people through dance.
In addition, George School will award the
first Distinguished Service Award during Alumni
Weekend to Carolyn Waghorne, parent ’99, who
helped expand our understanding of learning dif-
ferences, making the school stronger in ways that
Come Back to George School for Alumni Weekend May 8, 9, and 10, 2009
geoRge sCHool Class of 1959 will celebrate its fiftieth reunion during Alumni Weekend.
GEoRGIAn | 19
features
Alumni Weekend Master Classes and PresentationsOpen to all parents, students, and alumniSaturday, May 9, 2009
9 : 1 5 – 1 0 : 0 0 a . m .
Dedication of Smith and Streetz HousesJoin June Smith, wife of the late Richard o. Smith
’36, and former faculty member John Streetz and his
wife Jackie for the ceremonial dedication of these
two new twin homes. Located on George School’s
campus between Brown House and the football
field, these two energy-efficient residences were built
to provide greater faculty presence at the center of
campus.
Kickin’ and Clickin’ WorkshopTap dancer Karen Callaway Williams ’84 will lead
you through a fun combination of clapping, snap-
ping, and tapping. This class is open to tap dancers
of all levels, as well as people who would like to
try tap dancing for the first time. Tap shoes are
optional. Dancing will be followed by a question-
and-answer period.
Theory of KnowledgeGeorge School English teacher Ralph Lelii, coordina-
tor of the school’s International Baccalaureate (IB)
Program, will offer a brief introduction to the goals
and aspirations of Theory of Knowledge, a central
course in the IB Diploma Program. The course
encourages critical thinking about knowledge itself,
with discussion of religious, moral, aesthetic, and
ethical questions.
Writing Memoir: Making the Private PublicBased on her experience writing The Plain Lan-
guage of Love and Loss: A Quaker Memoir, Beth
Taylor ’71 will lead a discussion about the challenges
and surprises of writing from one’s own life. Sub-
topics include research, interviews, revisions, ethics,
and marketing. Beth teaches in the nonfiction
Writing Program at Brown University.
1 0 : 0 5 – 1 0 : 5 0 a . m .
Public Health: Population-Based HealthcarePublic health navigates the world between clinical
medicine and politics, using research, disease
surveillance, policy development, regulations,
communications, and the provision of clinical
services to members of vulnerable populations.
David Rutstein ’74 will share how the U.S. Public
Health Service plans and deploys for worldwide
disasters.
From Tragedy to AccomplishmentCarolyn Waghorne will speak of moving from
tragedy to accomplishment—her efforts to make a
difference by raising awareness of meningococcal
meningitis and working to pass legislation requiring
vaccination. In the eleven years since the death of
her son, Carter ’99, Carolyn has worked for greater
awareness of causes that would have mattered to
him.
Food and SustainabilityJonathan Snipes ’78 will speak about the founding
of the not-for-profit Farm School at Snipes and its
educational farm-to-school partnerships, including
one that brings fresh naturally grown produce to the
George School dining room.
A Conversation about Estate PlanningHave questions about estate planning in today’s
turbulent economic times? Wondering about tax
laws that are rumored to change? Drop in on this
open house to talk with Director of Planned Giving
Stephanie Daniels and learn how you can still make
a difference.
will benefit students in the future. The award
honors people who are not George School graduates
for their distinguished service both to the George
School community and the world as a whole.
Saturday’s activities include a faculty recep-
tion, athletic events, children’s activities, an all-
school art show, lunch with friends, and reunion
photos. At 9:15 a.m. we will dedicate the Smith
and Streetz houses, two new twin homes for
faculty members. All in all, it’s not only a weekend
to reconnect with George School but also a time to
renew old friendships and forge new ones.
For more information contact Debbie Chong at 215-
579-6564 or by email at advancement@georgeschool.
org. Don’t forget to visit our alumni website at http://
alumni.georgeschool.org for complete details and
online registration.
20 | GEoRGIAn
apr i l 2009
by aNdrea lehmaN
From a family doctor in Micronesia to the assis-
tant surgeon general and chief medical officer of
the U.S. Public Health Service, David Rutstein
’74 has had what might look like an incongruous
medical career. But there’s a thread that stretches
from those remote Pacific islands to Washington’s
halls of power. In helping underserved populations
around the globe, David has spent his life’s work in
the spirit of service.
David began his medical mission by accepting a
national Health Service Corps scholarship and
attending the then nascent Morehouse School of
Medicine, whose goal—training doctors for under-
served areas—matched his. Following two years
at Morehouse, he transferred to Brown University
School of Medicine. After graduation and com-
pletion of a family medicine residency caring for
migrant farm workers in California, it was time to
honor his scholarship commitment—four years
practice in a needy area. He and his family chose
the island of Pohnpei (and later Yap) located in the
U.S. Federated States of Micronesia.
Encompassing 602 inhabited islands in a swath
of Pacific the size of the United States, Micronesia
has a collective landmass less than half the area of
Rhode Island. Its health indicators, such as infant
mortality, are among the world’s worst. With 80
percent unemployment, a high teen suicide rate,
rampant substance abuse, minimally developed
infrastructure (two hours of electricity a day), and
a host of diseases, both infectious and, increasingly,
lifestyle-related, Micronesia provided David with
the opportunity to make a difference.
Though it took months to adjust to island
life, David says his experience was “professionally
amazing.” He did what was needed without high-
tech equipment or specialists, performing “surgery
in some cases because there were no other good
options.” The Rutsteins fell in love with the islands
and stayed for thirteen years.
When their teenage children needed a
broader education than what they could provide in
Micronesia, David and his family returned to the
United States where David worked for the national
Health Service Corps in Washington. The three
Rutstein children, Jared ’02, Lauren ’03, and Evan
’06, ultimately came to George School, a “very gen-
tle, loving place that welcomes the world,” says
David, who credits George School with helping his
children adjust to the West.
“I consider myself a family doctor who wanted
to serve in remote places. now I’ve become a
Washington bureaucrat,” laments David. But he
is far more than a bureaucrat. He has served in
numerous positions including on the panel that
studied what went wrong after Hurricane Katrina,
drafting its recommendations on health, public
health, housing, and human services. Most of
David’s time today is spent preparing and deploy-
ing the U.S. Public Health Service for disas-
ters, whether natural or of human origin. As he
says, “Fundamentally disaster is simply a sudden
increase in the number of underserved.”
In discussing his career, David pays tribute
to the school that helped shape it. “George School
represents what’s best in the world. It’s remarkably
diverse, and diversity is what makes the world won-
derful…. My time at George School reaffirmed my
own Baha’i beliefs and launched me into the world
confident I could be of service.”
“ Work done in the spirit of service is worship.”
— Bahá’í saying, quoted by David Rutstein in a 2004 George School assembly and part of the new religion curriculum
Alumni Award Recipient:
David Rutstein
GEoRGIAn | 21
features
by aNdrea lehmaN
It’s hard to settle on what’s most impressive about
the career of Karen Callaway Williams ’84. Was it
becoming the first female tap dancer in Riverdance
or a second-generation Silver Belle? Teaching tap
on Sesame Street or to nineteen classes a week?
Performing alongside celebrities at Paul newman’s
Hole in the Wall Camp, in a fund-raiser for an
injured friend, or around the globe? Karen herself is
less concerned with impressing than with express-
ing—her creativity, her respect for the American
tap tradition, and her love of dance.
Karen began dancing at age three and arrived
at George School at fifteen. Unfortunately, the
George School of the early 1980s had no dance pro-
gram, so Karen took her tap shoes to the basement
of Main to practice. She both danced and choreo-
graphed for school musicals, including the stu-
dent-written, -directed, and -choreographed Among
Friends. For its number “Big Man on Campus,” she
had dancers on stilts. Karen attributes her confi-
dence and creativity to the support and example of
faculty and fellow students, who “left the door open
for me to keep growing and kept encouraging me
toward my future as a tap dancer.”
Having become a strong link in the American tap
dance chain, Karen is proud to continue the legacy
of tap dancers Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Shirley
Temple, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Ginger Rogers,
and Savion Glover. When Glover was unavailable,
his mother asked Karen to represent tap dancing on
a Sesame Street episode called “Dance from All over
Day” and to perform at the Hole in the Wall Camp
alongside such entertainers as Harry Belafonte and
Whoopi Goldberg. Karen is proud that the Silver
Belles, a group of African-American women who
danced—largely unrecognized—over a half-cen-
tury ago, have passed the torch to Karen and seven
others.
Karen has enjoyed sharing this American
dance form with the world, beginning with her
George School service trip to China. “We went
to China to study, explore, and experience,” says
Karen. “on several occasions I was able to tap
dance or we sang simple American songs and the
Chinese shared their dance and songs with us.”
Karen’s travels continued through Broadway and
touring productions of Riverdance, in which Irish
dancers and tap dancers engage in a sort of dance
duel that culminates in an appreciation for the
similarities and universality of dance. This fall,
Karen used both her feet and her heart to produce
Rhythms for Ruby, a show to benefit a childhood
friend who lost a leg in an accident.
What takes much of Karen’s time these days is
teaching a new generation of tap dancers. She feels
it is her mission to teach them not only the steps
and the f lashy moves but also tap’s history and
chemistry. noting that George School influenced
her to have a world focus and use her voice to help
people, she says, “Having the freedom to be creative
as a teenager taught me the importance of encour-
aging my students to be creative.”
Alumni Award Recipient:
Karen Callaway Williams
22 | GEoRGIAn
apr i l 2009
by aNdrea lehmaN
“I learned a lot from my son. He had a deep pas-
sion for underprivileged people,” shares Carolyn
Waghorne about son Carter, a member of the
George School Class of 1999. Carter died sud-
denly of meningitis in the spring of his junior year.
Inspired by Carter’s life and his death, Carolyn, with
husband Rick, has developed her own deep pas-
sion for causes that would have mattered to her son.
In the eleven years since he died, she has worked
for greater awareness of both meningitis and learn-
ing differences, and has helped a drug and alcohol
rehabilitation center and a school for disadvantaged
youth in Dallas. “Reaching out,” she says, “began
as my way of coping with my loss.” What has come
from Carolyn’s extraordinary empathy, energy, and
commitment is everyone’s gain.
Carolyn’s advocacy began with Carter and his
needs. Carter was a bright student with learning dif-
ferences that prevented him from doing as well as
he could have. In the late 1990s, the understand-
ing of learning differences was incomplete and the
Waghorne family labored to obtain the right sup-
port for him. After his death, the family learned
about the school’s connection with the Hello
Friend/Ennis William Cosby Foundation, started as
a tribute to another George School graduate, Ennis
Cosby ’87, who also had learning differences. The
director then was Phil Caputo ’87.
Through Phil, the Waghornes met Hello
Friend’s educational director, Carolyn olivier, a
leading expert in how to respect and foster differ-
ent learning styles. The Waghornes’ financial pledge
to Hello Friend, as well as their pledge to George
School, enabled Carolyn olivier to work with
George School, helping teachers better understand
students with learning differences and demonstrat-
ing how teachers could work more effectively with
students who are struggling. Her work with our fac-
ulty provided the foundation for the school’s recent
five-year review of the entire course offerings and
graduation requirements and resulted in a coordina-
tion of the teaching of structures and skills across all
academic disciplines for all students.
As Head of School nancy Starmer writes in
a letter to Carolyn Waghorne, “our understand-
ing of learning differences has expanded tremen-
dously. You challenged the faculty to examine their
attitudes and assumptions so that they could more
truly live their commitment to honoring that of
God in every student… making the school stronger
in ways that you knew would have benefited Carter
and would benefit other students in the future.”
The Waghornes also served on the George
School Resources Committee, addressing the
school’s physical plant. not stopping there,
Carolyn’s efforts went beyond George School. Along
with others she founded the national Meningitis
Association, which raises awareness of the disease
and its prevention and works to pass legislation
requiring vaccination. She served as president of the
women’s auxiliary that supports a Dallas drug and
alcohol rehabilitation center for women. In addi-
tion, she and Rick donated to a small Dallas inde-
pendent school for children from age two through
third grade.
Alumni Weekend will mark the tenth reunion
of Carter’s class, and the Waghornes have stayed
close to several of his friends. “It keeps him alive for
us,” Carolyn explains. Carter’s legacy also lives on
in his parents’ good works and in the generosity of
spirit with which they’ve been accomplished.
George School will award the first Distin-guished Service Award during Alumni Weekend. The award honors people who are not GS graduates for their “distinguished service both to the George School community and the world as a whole.”
Distinguished Service Award Recipient:
Carolyn Waghorne
GEoRGIAn | 23
campus News & Notes
ESL AssemblyAt an all-school assembly on December 12, 2008,
students in George School’s ESL (English as a
Second Language) Program gave performances to
share elements of their cultures, drawing enthusi-
astic cheers from the audience. The performances
included a Korean song; an Arabic dance; and a
humorous skit about martial arts, in which stu-
dents appeared to be f loating in slow motion.
George School has one hundred students of
foreign nationality or Americans living abroad,
from thirty-two countries: Afghanistan, Bermuda,
Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark,
El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany, Hong
Kong, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan,
Kenya, Lebanon, Mali, Mauritania, nigeria, Peru,
Portugal, Rwanda, South Korea, Switzerland,
Taiwan, United Kingdom, and Vietnam.
GS Awarded Educational Leadership GrantGeorge School was selected to receive a $250,000
matching Educational Leadership Grant from the
Edward E. Ford Foundation for the purpose of cre-
ating a new Global Service Program. George School
is among the first five independent schools to be
awarded Educational Leadership Grants, which the
foundation introduced this year to allow schools
“to develop truly transformative new programs,
which will strengthen independent education.”
The Edward E. Ford Foundation invited twenty
schools to apply for the grants on the basis of their
demonstrated capacity for transformative think-
ing, and their strong stewardship of previous grants
from the foundation. The foundation noted that
George School has “perhaps the longest-running
commitment of any school in the country” to inter-
national service trips.
The new Global Service Program is envisioned
as an opportunity for students and high school
educators from a variety of schools worldwide,
including some from George School. Plans for the
program include two components: a summer inter-
national program in which students prepare for
and participate in an international service trip, and
a service learning faculty institute that provides
training for faculty interested in implementing ser-
vice learning programs. Planning for the programs
is currently underway. A pilot program scheduled
for the summer of 2009 will include faculty trips to
China and Cuba.
Students Named National Merit FinalistsSeniors Joshua McGowan and Kevin Miller have
been named finalists in the 2009 national Merit
Scholarship Program. As finalists, Joshua and
Kevin are among approximately 15,000 high school
seniors remaining in the competition for about
8,200 Merit Scholarship awards.
Campus News & Notesby jul iaNa rosati
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geoRge sCHool esl sTudenTsAlex Ahn ’12, Sam Lee ’12, Kwan Woo Nam ’11, and Min Jae Cho ’11 rap their story during the annual ESL Program assembly.
24 | GEoRGIAn
apr i l 2009
geoRge sCHool 1907 VaRsITy TRaCk Team. Roy Mercer is in the bottom row, second from right.
Student Photography Selected for ExhibitPhotographs by Julian Abramson ’11, Eliot Bassett-
Cann ’09, Checkie Chu ’09, Lydia Spence ’10, and
Hannah Young ’11 were selected for the Drexel
University High School Photo Contest exhibition.
These five students are enrolled in Danielle Picard-
Sheehan’s photography classes at George School.
The 125 works selected for the exhibition were
chosen from over 3,100 entries submitted by high
school students across the country.
GS Athlete Named First-Team HonoreeAly Passanante ’10 appeared in the January/
February 2009 issue of ESPN RISE magazine as one
of a select group of top female high school soccer
players in the Philadelphia area. Passanante was
named a first-team honoree to the Pennsylvania
Soccer Coaches Association All-State team.
GS Athlete Inducted into Hall of FameRemarkable George School athlete E. Leroy “Roy”
Mercer Sr., Class of 1909, was posthumously
inducted into the Pennsylvania Track and Field
Coaches Association (PTFCA) Hall of Fame on
February 21, 2009, at the PTFCA Indoor State
Championship, an event in which current student
Emily Mapelli ’12 competed.
As a junior at George School, Roy Mercer Sr.
was selected as an alternate for the 1908 olympic
team. A great all-around athlete, he was among the
nation’s best in the 440-yard dash and the broad
jump, and shone in the pole vault. With a best per-
formance of 21 feet, 9 inches in the broad jump,
Roy became the nation’s fourth-farthest scholastic
jumper in 1908. He also ran the quarter mile in 50
4/5 seconds in 1908, becoming the country’s lead-
ing scholastic quarter miler for the year. Roy was a
full-f ledged olympian in 1912 and an all-American
football player that same year.
George School varsity track coach Stephen
Moyer ’82 accepted the Hall of Fame plaque on
behalf of Roy at the championship, which took
place at Penn State University.
GS Participates in Green Cup ChallengeGeorge School monitored its weekly electricity
usage during the month of February as part of the
national Green Cup Challenge for schools, the first
and only national, student-driven interscholastic
energy challenge that builds awareness about cli-
mate change and the environment, educates about
resource conservation, and encourages participat-
ing schools to involve all members of their campus
communities.
This year’s challenge included 150 partici-
pating schools—boarding, day, public, and pri-
vate—in twenty-three states and Canada. George
School’s efforts were sponsored by TERRA (the
school’s chapter of the Sierra Student Coalition)
joh
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aly PassanTe ’10 hits a cross against Moorestown Friends.
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9
GEoRGIAn | 25
and the Environmental Stewardship Steering
Committee (ESSC), a group of George School
students, faculty, and staff who encourage sustain-
ability efforts on campus.
Andrea Lindsay ’11, an ESSC member, says
that the challenge was an opportunity for the
school community “to work together to gain a
better understanding of how our electricity usage
is directly impacting the environment and to
make some permanent changes to become more
energy efficient.”
George School Presents The FantasticksGeorge School musical theater and stagecraft
students presented The Fantasticks by Tom Jones
and Harvey Schmidt on February 20 and 21, 2009,
in Walton Center Auditorium. Actor Scott Willis,
a cast member of the current off-Broadway revival
production of The Fantasticks, visited a rehearsal
of the George School production and coached the
students.
The world’s longest-running musical, The
Fantasticks is a romantic comedy about a young
boy and a young girl who live next door to each
other and fall in love in spite of a feud between
their families. Unbeknownst to the boy and girl,
their parents want them to marry and have con-
spired to stage the feud, believing that young people
will fall in love only if they are forbidden to do so.
Kevin Hang ’09 played the role of El Gallo,
the narrator, who opens the show with the well-
known song “Try to Remember.” Kevin says,
“The whole two-hour show is like a life lesson.”
Because the characters encompass a broad range
of ages, he observes, audience members can easily
relate to the characters. “You can find yourself in
the show,” he says.
Video Students Learn from Hollywood DirectorStudents in Scott Hoskins’s Video Production classes
learned from Hollywood producer, director, and
cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld, parent of Chloe
Sonnenfeld ’11, when he visited George School as
a guest speaker on February 5, 2009. During his
presentation, Barry described his career path,
emphasized the importance of planning shots in
preproduction, and explained how he has used
different camera lenses to achieve specific effects.
He also encouraged students to edit each other’s
films as an exercise in order to gain a new per-
spective on their work. To illustrate his points, he
showed examples of his cinematography in the film
Raising Arizona and scenes from the television pro-
gram Pushing Daisies, for which he is co-executive
producer. He also shared anecdotes from his work
on the films Blood Simple, Miller’s Crossing, The
Addams Family, and Men in Black.
campus News & Notes
geoRge sCHool CelebRaTes maRTIn luTHeR kIng day with a day of workshops and service allowing community members to discuss and ref lect on Dr. King’s message of multicultural-ism, diversity, and peace. This portrait of Dr. King is pieced together from individual squares, each drawn by different student artists as part of the Images and Symbols workshop presented by Pam Grumbach and members of her Painting and Drawing Portfolio class.
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fanTasTICks cast members and student directors wowed the audience with their production.
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dIReCToR baRRy sonnenfeld demonstrates camera techniques to videography students.
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suBmit a class note1. Fill out the form on our alumni website at
http://alumni.georgeschool.org2. or send it by email to: [email protected]. or mail to:
Georgian, Po Box 4438, newtown PA 18940-0908
upDate Your contact information1. Modify your profile on our alumni website at
http://alumni.georgeschool.org2. or contact the Advancement office:
• By phone at 215.579.6564 • By email at [email protected] • By mail at PO Box 4438, Newtown PA, 18940-0908
contact otHer alumniFor contact information for alumni:1. Visit our alumni website at:
http://alumni.georgeschool.org2. or contact the Advancement office:
• By phone at 215.579.6564 • By email at [email protected] • By mail at PO Box 4438, Newtown PA, 18940-0908
visit tHe alumni weBsiteSee class homepages, update personal profiles, contact friends, check the event calendar, see photos, and moreat http://alumni.georgeschool.org.
stay connected
PHoTos: Ready for Alumni Weekend (Back Cover) George School students look forward to welcoming alumni back to campus for alumni weekend, May 8, 9, and 10. (Photo: Susan Quinn) A Symbol of Hope (Inside Back Cover) this door in china’s wenchuan region symbolizes hope to George School students participating in a service project to rebuild homes in the area devastated by the 2008 earthquake. (Photo: Tony Gao ’10)
Advancement office
George School
Po Box 4438
newtown, PA 18940-0908
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GEORGIAN
april 2009 | vol. 81 | no. 01
note: If you have received multiple copies of this issue at your address, please contact us with updated address information at [email protected] or at 215.579.6564.
GeORGIAn edITORSusan Quinn
215.579.6567
GeORGIAn sTAFF Peggy Berger Holly Raudonis
Kim Colando ’83 Juliana Rosati
Debbie Chong David Satterthwaite ’65
Carolyn Di Pietro-Arias
odie LeFever
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