End-of-Year CelebrationsGymkhana Weekend

Performing Artists2004 Strategic Plan Insert

Spring

Summer2004

TheThacherNews

Spring/Summer 2004Volume XVII, Number 1

Editor Jane D. McCarthy

Design Timothy R. Ditch and Jane D. McCarthy

ContributorsDavid V. Babbott, Elizabeth A. Bowman, Monique DeVane, Camilla Evans-Hensey, Richard J. Mazzola, Alisa D. McCoy, Kurt R. Meyer, Sara Sackner, Joy Sawyer-Mulligan, and Peggy Whyte

PhotographyElijah Sackner Behar ’07, Phil Channing, Brian M. O. Kop-perl CdeP 1982, Elizabeth H. R. Mahoney CdeP 1988, Jane D. McCarthy, R. Bruce Peters CdeP 1965, Joe Rubino, Sara Sackner, Joy Sawyer-Mulligan, and Timothy O Teague

Cover PhotoAdri Ryberg ’06 rode as part of the color guard to begin the last lacrosse game of the spring seasonPhoto by Cheryl Winters

Inside Cover PhotoAriel of The Tempest, performed in May 1956 by Peter Hartman CdeP 1957

The Thacher News magazine is published twice a year by The Thacher School, and is sent free of charge to alumni, parents, and friends of the School. In preparing this report, every effort was made to en-sure that it is accurate and complete. If there is an omission or an error in spelling, please accept our apologies and notify the Head of School’s Office at The Thacher School, 5025 Thacher Road, Ojai, Cali-fornia 93023-9001, call (805) 646-4377, or email jmccarthy@thacher.org.

Third Class postage is paid at the Oxnard Post Office.

POSTMASTER: Please send form 3579 to the preceding address.

C Printed by Ventura Printing with soy-based inks on recycled paper.

NAISM E M B E R

From the Head of School

  3  The Real Purpose of an Elite Education

Campus Activities

  5  Commencement 2004

  8  Awards

  9  Senior Exhibitions, Colleges

10  Gymkhana Weekend

12  New Faculty

14  Spring Sports

15  Tidbits, Numeracy Puzzle

16  Board of Trustees

The Campaign for Thacher

17  Campaign Update: Ground Broken for Commons

43  Till the Best We Can Do Is All Done

Performing Artists

19  Historical Society: Thacher’s Plays through the Years

20  J. Jeffrey Green CdeP 1956 Creative Conducting

21  Bruce B. Donnell CdeP 1963 Increasing Life’s Riches

22  William W. Horvitz CdeP 1965 An Inimitable Style

23  Raúl Pacheco CdeP 1986 Cuando Canto Mi Canción

24  Noah S. Wyle CdeP 1989 Beyond ER

25  Matthew J. Shakman CdeP 1993 A Perennial Bloomer

26  Todd P. McCloskey CdeP 1993 David P. McCloskey CdeP 1996 Two Instrumental Toads

27  Jane G. Casamajor CdeP 1994 Behind the Scenes

28  Cynthia L. Lee CdeP 1998 Living the Dream

29  Lucy E. Milligan CdeP 2000 Ensemble to Expressions

30  Jonathan M. Tucker CdeP 2000 The Pretender

Alumni News

31  Daniel P. Gregory CdeP 1969 Looking Out and Looking In

32  Reunion Weekend

34  Class Notes

39  Golden Trout Encampment

40  Obituaries

42  Calendar

NewsT

HE

TH

ACHER SCH

OO

L

1889 Contents

Head

�Spring / Summer 2004

The Real Purpose of an Elite EducationA Message to Graduating Seniors by Michael K. Mulligan

Roy Romer, the Super-intendent of the Los Angeles Unified School

District and the former 12-year governor of Colorado, visited campus this spring and spent the day with me. Over the course of our con-versation, he revealed that he is the largest employer in the state of California with some 75,000 employees, that he serves over 750,000 students, that they’ve con-tracted $14 billion in bonds which, even with the con-struction of those schools, will still not meet the needs of exploding population of Los Angeles.

These are mind-boggling numbers.

As he toured the campus, he asked how large our campus is (380 acres); how many buildings we have (80); what our financial aid budget is ($1.3 million); for how many students (245).

He then said, “Tell me how you justify this kind of commitment of resources for these few numbers of stu-dents?”

I believe it is the most important question that someone scrutinizing this school and our decisions can ask.

There is only one answer of merit, and it must be one which our students and graduates strive to make true every day:

The only value in this education is the de-gree to which Thacher students leave our gates and step up in a world beset with

confusion and moral quandary to become moral leaders. Leaders who know right from wrong. Leaders who are courageous in the face of conflicting interests. Leaders who recognize that truth and harmony must live in balance, that justice must always be underscored with compassion, that a sharp intellect unbalanced with goodness is a moral vacuum.

So my point to all our students, but to our graduating seniors in particular.

You have at Thacher been able to take part in an elite education. But it is not

From the Head of School

Michael Mulligan on Sundance, a two-year-old colt with promise

� The Thacher News

truly elite because of the buildings, or the beauty of this valley, or simply because it is expensive.

It is elite—in the best sense of the word—for far more precious reasons:

It is elite because you have teachers who know you and love you, who care for you now and in the future. Teachers who have devoted their lives to helping you become the strongest, best person you can be. Teachers who have held you to a high standard and have helped you get off the ground and reach again when you missed that standard. Teachers who recognize, like Socrates, that virtue is not something we are born with, but rather is a habit that we practice with discipline until it becomes a part of our very selves.

Thacher is elite because you have been given the inestimable gift of a motivated peer group, one where working hard, trying, winning and losing, failing and succeeding are understood and appreci-ated. Peers who embrace you in kindness, and humor, and sometimes in teasing, but when the going gets tough, with support. Peers who often have recognized that what is best is not always what is easiest, or most convenient, but what is right.

It is elite because you have been given by your parents, in your coming here, the greatest gift that parents can bestow upon the young: the gift of opportunity, the gift to spread your wings to and fly.

This is the gift of finding out not only who you are, but who you can become with hard work, dedication, and an dose of intelligent risk-taking.

And if you look carefully, think hard, and summarize what this Thacher experience is all about—once you get beyond the details of living life here communally—you will realize that you have been given the gift of the knowledge that real suc-cess, real happiness, real well-being is not merely taking care of yourself, but taking care of this world and the people in it.

This is the greatest gift of all: the knowl-edge that, ultimately, happiness is found in service to others.

This is, as Buddha intimated, how we repair the broken wheel that is otherwise our human experience—that we are al-ways out of sorts because we mistakenly think our own ego-driven needs, and not the needs of the whole—determine our well-being.

It is the purpose of this school—as Sher-man Day Thacher said 100 years ago—that you are here not merely to learn for your own greatest good, but the greatest good of this society in which we live.

So I am here tonight to urge you seniors to fan out from this School and find this greatest good, to make a difference: to your families, your communities, your churches and synagogues and mosques, to your state, to this country, to this world.

Find your happiness—find your bliss as Joseph Campbell would say—by making every act one which helps. The opportu-nity for both are, happy and sad to say, limitless.

Then we will know that what your par-ents have done for you in giving you this gift of Thacher, and what your teachers have given in the gift of knowledge and standards, and what your peers have given you with this gift of their positive support and friendship will have been worth it.

We can then turn to Superintendent Roy Romer and answer with confidence: we are giving back far more than we take. That is why we are here. e

�Spring / Summer 2004

C O M M E N C E M E N T 2 0 0 4

Abundant Spring CelebrationsThe full docket of spring activities heralds the end of another School year, advancement to the next grade level, a new class joining the alumni ranks, and daydreams of summer. This year was no exception as Extra-Day Trips occurred in April when it was cooler and less intrusive on final studies and exams at semesters’ end.

Grandparents DaysNearly 100 grandparents came to campus early in April to experience Thacher first-hand through their grandchildren’s eyes. Eating at Formal Dinner, attending classes, watching a performing arts sampler, and hearing the thundering hooves of horses at Gymkhana gave them a good sense of how busy the days are for our students.

Senior ExhibitionsOne of the most compelling and enjoyable times of each school year is the long weekend

in April when the soon-to-be alums share their year’s worth of research and efforts on a topic of their choice. Known as Senior Exhibi-tions, the entire community and a number of par-ents complete their Dance Cards to at-tend such interest-

ing sessions as Genome Ethics to Honesty in Photojournalism, from Eco-terrorism to Beat Poetry, and from Bubble Fusion to Animal Consciousness. The depth of these presenta-tions and the focused work of the seniors were quite evident in this year’s crop of Exhibi-tions and set a new high-watermark for future classes to meet.

Extra-Day TripsImmediately fol-l ow ing S en io r Exhibitions, Extra-Day Trips left for venues across sev-eral western states, often employing kayaks, white-water rafts, horses, and sail boats—in addition to the usual backpacks—to spend a week in the wilderness. Being earlier in the year, the snow-packed High Sierra was avoided, but groups were still met with hail, rain, thunderstorms, and even some sunshine as the students and faculty mem-bers enjoyed each others’ company, learned new camp songs and how to fly fish, read pa-perbacks and trail maps, and slept in tents or under vast clear skies of stars.

VespersThe seniors chose teacher/father/Assistant Head Peter Robinson to deliver the message, “Counting the Days,” at the Outdoor Chapel a week before grad-uation. “What makes your class so special and so worthy lies in your genuine and shared respect for one another,” Mr. Robinson related, “a respect that, with very few ex-ceptions, is mixed with acceptance and beyond that, with real affec-tion. As I have watched you grow and em-brace each other, I have been impressed by your understanding of one another as well as

your willingness to allow individuals to be in-dividuals…you moved into a comfortable, very nearly incestuous series of relationships that have characterized your class: more brother and sister than friend and lover, entirely at ease, entirely open, able to comment freely on one’s opinions…” He concluded with two poems he wrote this spring, one that focused on the ambiguous transitions of seasons that are more subtle than mere changes in calendar, and the other, whose title coincided with his message, that addressed the ambivalent situa-tion in which seniors find themselves moving from the intimate contact of familiar to an unknown future. A beautifully crafted speech, Mr. Robinson shared the depth of his affection for this class and how they’ve shared their sup-port and concern for him during his journey this year.

The All-School BanquetFollowing a busy week of studying and taking final exams, pitching miscellaneous discards while packing up rooms, the entire commu-

CommenCement 2004

Seniors Virginia Dawson and Chris Eaton process for the Commencement festivities

Freshman Brigid McCarthy shares Grandparents Days with her two grandmothers: Margaret Deacon and Zelda McCarthy

Thacher’s Community chose which dances (aka Senior Exhibitions) they wished to attend

The seniors chose Peter Robinson to give the Vespers message

� The Thacher News

C O M M E N C E M E N T 2 0 0 4

nity gathered under the pepper trees on The Pergola for the All-School Banquet. Awards were given for outstanding academics, the arts, athletics, and equine achievements; a complete list of awards appears on page 8. As the fresh-man class cleared tables and delivered random notes to unsuspecting upperclass members, the formalities began with commendations for each department, followed by induction of the newest students into the Cum Laude Society, the high-school level section of the college-level Phi Beta Kappa honor society. Election to this Society is for those who have undertaken a rigorous course load and maintained the very highest level of academic achievement and integrity throughout their tenure at Thacher. (The newest Cum Laude members appear below.)

School Chair Evan Werlin then shared his ad-vice to the younger classes—make the most of their time at Thacher—and thanked his classmates for their friendship, support, and efforts to create a great senior year. Mr. Mul-ligan welcomed back the students from School

Year Abroad and Maine Coast Semester, and thanked and bid adieu to the faculty members who are either going on sabbatical (Phyllis and David Johnston will research and develop two new courses) or embarking on new challenges. (Departing faculty’s plans for the future are de-scribed on page 13.) In a nice departure from the usual events of the evening, Head Michael Mulligan asked each class president to give a short toast to close the year. From serious to humorous, these toasts were enjoyable and will become a new tradition for the School.

To close the evening the Advanced Acting class presented “AA Spring Pot Puree,” an hysterical series of eight satirical scenes depicting school life, politics, and popular game shows. This was a most fitting salute to this talented group of actors, writers, editors, producers, and tech crew—as well as the final performance for Thacher’s theatrical home for so many years: The Lamb Auditorium. This building and the Chase Infirmary have been dismantled and de-molished to make way for the new Performing Arts Center that will also include the Student Center.

BaccalaureateAs Thacher now includes all students for the Commencement activities, the entire array of functions shifted to the upper field under a large tent to protect the masses from the blaz-ing hot sun or drippy skies—both extremes have occurred at these festivities.

College Coun-se lor Maria Morales-Kent introduced her long-time men-tor and friend, James Mon-toya, who is Vice President of the Educa-tional Testing Service and past Chief Student Affairs Officer at Stanford. He gave an inspi-rational speech about how well Thacher prepares its students—academically, charac-ter-wise, morally—to be leaders in the world: “a school that at times can feel sheltered and even restrictive, can also so brilliantly nourish our ‘within’—the nourishment that allows us to live daring lives that are fostered by bold and independent thinking, sustained by ef-forts that keeps us focused on the ideal, and, of course, encircled by love…those qualities so clearly identified with you, the Thacher Class of 2004—authenticity, courage, hard work, persistence, and uncommon concern for toads, horses, and others.” He offered three pieces of advice: “1) Help your fellow students engage in the complexity of public

policy questions rather than simply dividing themselves into…‘right’ and ‘wrong.’ 2) Wher-ever you go, leave your SAT scores behind, and take your Western pioneering spirit with you as you explore the breadth and depth of the curriculum of your college. Be open to crossing traditional academic boundaries, for it is here that we have the best chance of find-ing needed solutions to complex problems. 3) You have made ties not only with classmates whom fate threw together, but with friends who share your passions, commitments, and viewpoints, friends who ‘ask the same ques-tions’ of the world around them…I hope you will not neglect your search for those people who will matter to you now, next year, and in 20 years.”

Senior BanquetAt the end of Mr. Montoya’s remarks, the se-niors and their guests served themselves at ban-quet tables piled high with a feast of smoked salmon and beef loin that kicked off the Senior Banquet. Senior Whitney Liver-more p roud ly introduced her father, Nori CdeP 1966, the guest alumnus speaker for the evening “who sat in these classrooms, ate in the dining hall, and played on this very field.” His at-tention to detail, compassion for others, and drive to do everything well has held him in good graces in all of his roles: husband, son, brother, orthopedic sur-geon, friend, and father. Citing experiences and trials foisted on generations of students (including his father Norman Livermore CdeP 1928, father-in-law Judge William Orrick, Jr. CdeP 1932, his own, and that of the graduat-ing seniors), Dr. Livermore demonstrated how Thacher teaches students to balance academics, athletics, and artistic expressions to prepare for their future lives. Academically, students learn to organize and balance studies with myriad demands, how to think critically, and to seek assistance from others in order to expand their knowledge base. He spoke of watching stu-dents mature and become more tolerant of the ideas and habits of others while develop-ing skills of self-expression, self-confidence, and self-reliance, in large measure by moving out of their comfort zones through the Horse and Camping Programs and expanding their repertoire of skills. He urged the graduates to take the time to remain connected with class-mates and the School Community that “has given you a stellar academic foundation and a unique strength of character…take comfort that your continued connection to the School

The All-School Banquet head table included Head Michael Mulligan, Jaime Luna ’05 (School Chair for 2004-05), Elizabeth Jackson ’04, and Evan Werlin ’04 (School Chair for 2003-04)

Director of College Counseling Maria Morales-Kent introduced the Baccalaureate speaker, James Montoya

Nori Livermore III, MD CdeP 1966 compared life at Thacher during the sixties with today

Cum Laude SocietyElected in this, their Senior Year:

Cara Lasell BonewitzElla Wilson CarneyJessica Anne CornwellElizabeth George JacksonHo Jung KimWhitney McNear LivermoreKelly Marita PercivalJenna Lee ReasorJulia Coyner RobinsonStephen Cole RookeMartin Bingham SawyerWard Cameron Sorrick

Elected in this, their Junior Year:

Maxwell Stewart AndersonChandler Grace Pease

�Spring / Summer 2004

C O M M E N C E M E N T 2 0 0 4

can be the wings which carry you on ‘to do the best work in the world that you can.’”

For the ben-efit of families who weren’t in attendance the evening before, Joy Sawyer-Mul-l i g a n h a d the newly in-ducted mem-bers of the Cum Laude Society stand for their due praise. The major athletic awards were given to two accomplished ath-letes who also displayed commitment to ex-

cellence, teamwork, the ability to elevate the play of others, and sportsmanship: Graham Douds and Stephanie Rauner.

The Newton K. Chase Award was given to two seniors who have given gen-erously of both their time and energy to encourage the dedi-

cation of their peers in community service work, to pursue their own venues of service, and to strive to improve the quality of the pro-gram and its offerings to better serve those students who will fol-low their lead in the years to come: Peter Oberndorf and Julia Robinson.

The School Chair Award was given to Evan Werlin in appreciation of his ability to “easily bridge the distances among an occasionally grumpy faculty, a hide-bound administration, and a student body that runs the gamut from right to left. He took on all of his work with grace and aplomb…and he found a way to honor and help those in need, to support [oth-ers], and to protect the integrity of the School as a whole.”

The Charles L. Tutt Silver Bowl Award for In-tegrity and Responsibility was given to a student “who cares deeply for others and has a profound desire to make our world a better place. From the athletic fields to the Community Council,

she touched every part of our lives and r e fu s ed to allow us to be less than our best selves. Despite her serious sense of purpose, she has not lost sight of what it means to have fun, even in the most trying times:” Julia Robinson.

Finally, The Thacher Cup was presented to the senior who, in the judgment of the faculty, “best demonstrates those qualities the School

holds as cen-tral: academic excellence, ex-tracurricular achievement, moral leader-ship, and con-cern for others. The recipient’s commitment to excellence and c o m m u n i t y drives her to wring out every drop of every experience dur-ing every mo-

ment of every day. With a remarkable mix of hard work and determination, inclusiveness and optimism, courage and modesty, few em-body the basic principles of fairness, kindness, wisdom, and truth as this fine senior:” Whit-ney Livermore.

Singing “The Banquet Song” closed the formal part of the evening and signaled the begin-ning of desserts and a dance for all ages on a huge dance floor to the tunes of Preston Smith and the Crockadiles. One of Mr. Mulligan’s favorite moments of the year occurred when a few girls began dancing the Electric Slide—from the Chicago movie—and soon, the entire group was moving as one; a moment unique to Thacher.

CommencementThis year’s seniors opted for processional music played by a string quartet as all classes and the faculty took their positions for the ceremony. When Mr. Mulligan asked how many had endured a Thacher Commencement previously, he found that a number had and were duly prepared with snacks, pillows, possi-bly the morning’s crossword puzzle. Thacher’s manner of lauding each students’ impact on this Community and those character traits that

have devel-oped through their t ime here is worth the time in-volved. As e a c h s e -nior’s name was r ead , a graduate came to the podium—in random order—to hear the “ComComs” (Commencement Comments) crafted by Joy Sawyer-Mulligan from remarks made

by advisors, teachers, and even classmates about the endearing qualities for which each senior will long be remembered. After a mere 2½ hours, the last senior received his diploma and everyone gladly stood and roared to welcome the latest class to the ranks of alumni. e

Graham Douds ’04 won the Outstanding Sportsmanship Award

Stephanie Rauner ’04 received the Elizabeth Helms Adams Sportsmanship Award

Peter Oberndorf ’04 shared the Community Service Award with Julia Robinson ’04

The faculty chose to award The Thacher Cup to Whitney Livermore ’04

In addition to receiving the Community Service Award, Julia Robinson ’04 received the Charles L. Tutt Award for Integrity and Responsibility

Head of School Michael Mulligan and Jennie Tucker ’04 enjoy a laugh during the Commencement service

The Chamber Singers sang the traditional Commencement song, “This Place”

A local string quartet played chamber music for the Commencement activities

� The Thacher News

C O M M E N C E M E N T 2 0 0 4

AwardsThe Charles L. Tutt Silver Bowl for Integrity and Responsibility

Julia Robinson ’04

The Thacher CupWhitney Livermore ’04

School Chair AwardEvan Werlin ’04

Perpetual Sportsmanship AwardGraham Douds ’04

Elizabeth Helms Adams Perpetual Sportsmanship Award

Stephanie Rauner ’04

Newton K. Chase Community Service AwardPeter Oberndorf ’04Julia Robinson ’04

The Edward R. Spaulding Tennis CupRyan Smith ’06

The Charles Pratt Trapshoot PlateWill Oxley ’05

Jesse Kahle Horsecamper AwardWill Oxley ’05

Best Camper AwardJuliana Ma ’05

The George Beckwith Gymkhana TrophyMartha Gregory ’06Will Oxley ’05

The Bissell Gymkhana TrophyLauren Chase ’06

Herbert C. Moffitt Memorial Trophy SaddleWill Oxley ’05

Perpetual Silver Bridles for HorsemanshipBrendan Keane ’05Hazel Ruiz ’05

The Vaquero CupLauren Chase ’06

The Hollister Wheaton Trapshoot AwardRobert Torres and his son, Justin ’04

The Golden Carabiner AwardCalvin Lieu ’04Justin Ouyang ’05

The Marvin H. Shagam AwardBarrett Brown ’05

The Jack Boyd English AwardJessica Cornwell ’04

The William Bishop Nixon Poetry PrizeEllen Adams ’05

The Nash Robbins Short Story AwardSarah Jackler ’04

The Morgan Ward Prize for MathematicsStephen Rooke ’04Martin Sawyer ’04

The Language PrizeJulia Robinson ’04Maxwell Kuhl ’04

The Physics Prize (Special Commendation—Sophomore)

Ian Boneysteele ’06

The Chemistry Prize (Special Commendation—Junior)

Thomas Kim ’05

The Life Science Prize (Special Commendation—Senior)

Martin Sawyer ’04Annie O’Donnell ’04

The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute AwardRyan Church ’05

The History PrizeChristopher Willoughby ’04

The Darrah Corbet, Jr., Studio PrizeJessica Cornwell ’04

Rhode Island School of Design AwardJenna Reason ’04

The Agnes M. Lord Music AwardWhitney Livermore ’04

The Marcus Hele Dall Photography AwardEric Elias ’06

The Harry Llewellyn Bixby Dramatic CupCara Bonewitz ’04

The Class of 2000 Dance AwardElizabeth Jackson ’04

The Eric Bechtel Dachs Prize for Technical Theatre

Peter Gierke ’04

The Munro-Palmer Public Speaking and Debate Award

Samuel Felton ’05Martin Sawyer ’04

�Spring / Summer 2004

C O M M E N C E M E N T 2 0 0 4

Senior Senior Exhibition Topic School AttendingGilbert Acosta Animal Consciousness Emory UniversityAli Arastu Warren Buffet and Investing USC—BA/MD programCara Bonewitz Drugs and the Creative Process in Jazz Yale UniversityGrace Bueti Conscious Hip-Hop: A Voice for Our Generation Wesleyan UniversityFelicia Butts Gospel Music and Soul Music Northwestern UniversityElla Carney The Nature of Fear in Humans Tufts UniversityMacKenna Chase Police Brutality University of ArizonaAndy Clark Censorship and Contemporary Cinema Cornell UniversityJessica Cornwell Isolated Rebel to Youth Movement Stanford UniversityElizabeth Craver The Serial Killer Profile Goucher CollegeNhu Y Dang Charlie Chaplin Trinity UniversityVirginia Dawson Political Media Journalism Bowdoin CollegeJames Dibblee Fast Food Colorado CollegeGraham Douds Raising Teens Bucknell UniversityChris Eaton The Recording Industry St. Lawrence UniversityLauren Fiske Genome Ethics Northwestern UniversityLeland Franklin Bubble Fusion Brown UniversityKatie Frykman The Enneagram: Science or Alchemy? Pepperdine UniversityPeter Gierke Hydrogen Fuel Cells University of Colorado, BoulderChris Goldman Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide Brandeis UniversityClare Holstein The Common Development of Jazz and Hip Hop California Institute of the ArtsSarah Jackler Atomic Bomb Cinema: Apocalyptic Imagination in Contemporary Times McGill UniversityElizabeth Jackson The Peace Corps Wake Forest UniversityCraig Johnson Colorectal Cancer UC Santa CruzRebeccah Judd Forensic Science Vassar CollegeHo Jung Kim The Ancient Art of Face Reading Cornell UniversityBianca Kissel The Psychology of Color Connecticut CollegeMax Kuhl Beat Poetry and Its Connection with Jazz St. John’s CollegeSabrina Lee Disease and Race Emory UniversityCalvin Lieu Whale Study Carleton CollegeNed Lincoln The Chatauqua and Education Union CollegeWhitney Livermore The Development of Morality in Children Williams CollegeMatt Mayne The State of the Opera New York UniversityKasi McLenaghan Symbolism in DaVinci’s Work Rhodes CollegeTaylor Medina Divorce and the American Teenager Santa Barbara City CollegeHunter Metcalf Dreaming Occidental CollegeDavid Moore Revolutions Did not applyRobert Neville Intellectual Property: What Are Our Rights? Brown UniversityPeter Oberndorf Energy Independence in the United States Williams CollegeAnnie O’Donnell Photography and Design Davidson CollegeKelly Percival The Homeless Stanford UniversityMichael Quintana Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Families Tulane UniversityStephanie Rauner Ethics and Division I Athletics Emory UniversityJenna Reasor John Cage: His Life, Ideas, and Contributions to 20th Century Experimental Music California Institute of the ArtsCameron Robertson Reggae Music California Polytechnic State U-SLOJulia Robinson A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall: The Rise and Fall of The Weathermen Columbia UniversityStephen Rooke Language Acquisition and Computer Science Rice UniversityMartin Sawyer Northern Ireland: Revolution and Resolution? Willliams CollegeSara Schneider Horsemanship, the Bit, and the Bridle Colorado State, Fort CollinsLee Shurtleff Stand-Up Comedy Chapman UniversityJamie Siegel Beyond the Lullaby: Music As Therapy Georgetown UniversityJim Sligh Satire Emerson CollegeWard Sorrick Magazine Advertising University of PennsylvaniaMatthew Stenovec Eco-Terroism Whitman CollegeIan Strachan Tolkien: A Life and Fantasy Wheaton CollegeBecky Swan Cow Horses: Ranch Horse or Show Horse? Are They One and the Same? Feather River Community CollegeTory Thorpe The Imagination Durham UniversityJustin Torres Teen Nutrition and Well-Being Colorado CollegeJennie Tucker Honesty in Photojournalism George Washington UniversityAlissa Wallace Women and Gang Membership Skidmore CollegeEvan Werlin The Guitar Brown UniversityCatherine Whittinghill Religion and Politics in America Pepperdine UniversityChris Willoughby Special Interest Groups and Democracy Kenyon College

Senior Exhibitions, Colleges

GymkhanaGiddyup Funby Jane D. McCarthy

10 The Thacher News

Campus Activities

flowers and some scenic vistas. Others opted to watch the students who chose Rock Climbing as their afternoon activity this spring as they scaled Jameson Rock at the Gymkhana Field.

English Department Chair and draft horse driver Rod “Jake” Jacobsen skirted the Big Gymkhana Field in a wagon crafted by Rosalio Ramirez, who rode along with Jesse Kahle and timers to begin the Big Gymkhana events. Meanwhile, riders warmed up and gradually formed their three teams into a large pin-

wheel, with small, steady steps in the center, gradu-ally speeding to a trot and a gallop at the outer fringes as the Team Captains car-ried and then presented the N a t i o n a l , S t a t e , and

Gymkhana flags. Caitlin Wyman ’06 sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” and the events soon got underway.

One had to check Thacher’s webpage fre-quently to keep abreast of this season’s Gym-

This spring’s Big Gymkhana Weekend kicked off with English and Trail Riding Events that challenge both riders and their equine

partners through tricky and often frustrating scenarios as they jumped, backed through bar-riers, rattled cans, and seesawed on a tilt trailer to see how well the partnership works together. Meanwhile, lacrosse sticks crossed and balls flew as the boys’ and girls’ varsity teams won their end-of-season matches against Oaks Christian (19-2) and Cate (6-4), respectively. Following dinner and a reception for student artwork at the Brody Gallery, families crowded into the Lamb Auditorium for a Cabaret of performing talents. Highlights included the Chamber Singers rendition of several classics by Mozart, Brahms, and Mendelssohn. The Dance Ensemble performed to the American traditional folk song, “Shenandoah” and, later, a more lively dance to “Bailo el Mambo.” Thacher’s Chorus sang mostly contemporary pieces including “Choose Something Like a Star” and “Why Do Fools Fall in Love?” Cof-fee and desserts on The Pergola ushered out the evening.

Mia and Bob Morrill (parents of Appollonia CdeP 1991, Robert CdeP 1989, Eric CdeP 1998, and Jenny ’06) created a Scavenger Hunt to keep adolescents busy Saturday morning, while a dozen or so folks hiked the trails sur-rounding campus to view the remnants of wild

khana standings for the Top 10 Freshmen, the Top 10 Riders, and which team was in first place. Senior Stephen Rooke created a pro-gram in which he updated weekly—sometimes biweekly—individual races, riders, and teams. The jockeying of positions changed at least weekly: the Orange Team started out strong, but was soon overtaken by the Green Team that never looked back . The B lue Team started out slowly—likely due to inadequate focus on barn jobs and a preponderance of “green” riders—but finished in second place at season’s end. Access to these timely updates made the season more intriguing for students, their parents, and faculty.

Individual scores were equally varied. As in-juries mounted for both equine and human participants, those who had strong starts fell in their standings and inexperienced riders took hold and steered their way into enviable rankings. Two freshmen boys with virtually no riding experience prior to Thacher accu-

Quinn Hacker ’07, riding Joey, competes in the Sack Race

Top Rider Lauren Chase ’06 and Lucy Herr ’06 enjoy the Auction

Gymkhana

11Spring / Summer 2004

mulated enough points for the season to be in the Top-10 Rider lineup: Jedidiah Harris (458) and Sam Lino (389). Jedidiah won two shiny belt buckles for amassing the most points on Big Gymkhana Day and as the #1 freshman rider. Other Top-10 Riders included members of every class and team. The overall individual winner, however, happened to be the captain of the Orange Team: Lau-ren Chase ’06. English Rider: s en io r Sa ra Schneider. Top Jun ior Rid-ers—Brendan K e a n e a n d Hazel Ruiz—received special bridles for their use next year in the Riding Pro-gram.

The Silver Dol-lar Pick Up expanded by eight this year when these folks swung out of the saddle at a gallop to pluck the coin from the dirt: Quinn Hacker ’07, David Cook ’07, Martha Gregory ’06, Stone Yu ’07, Drew Cole ’07, Peter Arnold ’05, Martin Sawyer ’04, and Richard Win-ters, Horse Program Fellow. Finally, there was some controversy that came to light following this year’s Alumni Pack-ing Race. The declared winners were the Liver-mores (Mo and Nori CdeP 1966, along with daughter Whitney ’04), but, as Mr. Mulligan reviewed pho-tos of their dash for the finish line, he noted their “failure to tuck the man-tee behind the cross bars, failure for the mantee to cover the top load, and harassment of stock by the team” should lead to their disqualification, thereby making the trio of Mulli-

gan, Will Wyman III CdeP 1978, and David Oxley CdeP 1979 the true winners. Ah, there’s always next year…

After awarding the horseback riding results and eating enough tri tip, chicken, and strawberry shortcake to sink a stead, the Live Auction got underway. This featured the tag team of Sandy Jensen (drama instructor and father of Cal ’06 and new freshman Genevieve) and Ted Robin-son (local horseman and professional auction-eer); Sandy warmed up the crowd with vivid descriptions of 10 diverse and amazing items while Ted churned the bidding into a flurry of

competition at break-neck speed. From a scarf of Thacher colors knit b y e a c h member of the Casa dormitory to t r ad i -tional favor-ites of the “ Wo r l d ’s Best Brown-

ies” and a horseback ride and gourmet pic-nic—both offered by the Mulligans, from a trip to Alaska and an adorable blonde Labra-dor puppy, the bids ratcheted up to a total of over $33 thousand for just that portion of the evening. And beyond that, hundreds of silent auction bidders happily walked away with personal ser-vices, travel and stays in vacation set-tings, cloth-ing, books, and gourmet baske t s to name a few. Math teacher Fred Coleman (stepfather of Molly Katz ’07) won the Toyota Prius draw-ing, underwritten by the Board of Trustees. The real joy of the evening though was the

level of participation by so many Thacher families—parents, grandparents, and students all got in the act.

The message Sunday morning’s chapel ser-vice was given by Sam-uel Eaton CdeP 1965, father of senior Chris. Entitled “The Thacher Legacy,” Sam detailed aspects of the greatest eight years of his life: the four years he spent here and the four years he’s spent as a parent of a Thacher student, watching the parallel growth, maturation, and activities that they have shared individually and together. In his words, “The essence of the Thacher legacy is not just the superior education, and riding horses, taking trips and doing sports. These stories are simply the forms that the experi-ence manifests. What my son and I learned most significantly here were not the lessons of the classroom, but life lessons, lessons that will carry us through the years:” service, trust, commitment, and gratitude.

“Of course, if we are lucky, we learn values at home at a young age. But we do not really develop our ‘moral compass’ until we have gathered a little life experience. Only recently have I come to fully appreciate the extent to which Thacher helped me orient my ‘moral compass.’ In watching Chris grow up over the last four years, I have recognized just how much the Thacher legacy is one of creation of character.”

The final song, “Forever Young” by Bob Dylan, appropriately spanned the generations of those in attendance and lifted the mood of all. Then it was off to trap shooting for parents and their children (maintenance worker Robert Torres and his son Justin ’04 were the best shots) and drop-in tennis for a few racqueteers who en-joyed the warm morning before students bade goodbye to their families who headed home after a jam-packed weekend. e

Jedidiah Harris displays his numerous awards for riding, including a Silver Buckle for top fresham rider

Top Ten Riders(in order)Lauren Chase ’06 633Martha Gregory ’06 592Deirdre Herbert ’06 560Catherine Whittinghill ’04 545Sara Schneider ’04 475Jedidiah Harris ’07 458Will Oxley ’05 429Peter Arnold ’05 417Sam Lino ’07 389Kasi McLenaghan ’04 368

Top Ten Freshmen(in order)Jedidiah Harris 458Sam Lino 389Quinn Hacker 365Drew Cole 303Nick Hubbard 288Brooke Wharton 280Alex Dotson 275Britt Barnard 250James Burton 229Sam Purcell 221

Gymkhana Team Scores

Green: 5915 Captained by Martha Gregory ’06 and Will Oxley ’05

Blue: 4762 Captained by Catherine Whittinghill ’04 and Deirdre Herbert ’06

Orange: 4059 Captained by Lauren Chase ’06

Brooke Wharton ’07 on Hot Shot picks up Sam Lino ’07 in the Rescue Race

Freshmen Britt Barnard, Sophie LaRocque, Leslie Sligh, Alex Dotson, and Olivea Callender-Scott display the scarf crafted by Casa for the Auction

Trustee Bill and Susan Oberndorf with son Peter ’04 and Trustee Cecilia Herbert, mother of Deirdre ’06 and Alex CdeP 2002

At Sunday’s chapel service, Sam Eaton compared son Chris’s and his own Thacher experience

Faculty

12 The Thacher News

Teaching English on a one-year sabbatical replacement appoint-

ment is Kevin C. Buddhu, husband of Margo, who taught science here a few years back. Most recently, Kevin taught English at Camarillo High School

along with working on his master’s at the Breadloaf School of English at Middlebury College. He earned his bachelor of arts from San Diego State University. Kevin is an avid bicycle rider, surfer, backpacker, and swim-mer. He will teach English 1 and 2, and advise freshman boys. Kevin and Margo will live on The Hill with their two sons: Will (9) and Spencer (7).

Joining Thacher’s History Depart-ment this fall is Anthony “Toby” E l m o r e , w h o most recent ly taught history and coached soc-cer and lacrosse at the Dunn School in Los Olivos. Toby attended Western Reserve Academy, where he played varsity soccer and lacrosse. He matriculated to Connecticut College, where he majored in government; he also played varsity soccer and squash. He will be the Head Coach for the Girls’ Varsity Soccer Team and the Assistant Coach for the Boys’ Varsity Lacrosse Team. He will advise sophomore boys in Los Padres. Over the summer Toby married Amy Wurtz, who joined Thacher’s Development Office as a research specialist. Most recently, Amy worked as the Interim Executive Director for Solvang Theatrefest and as a Development Consultant for the Dunn School; previously she worked for various non-profit organizations across the nation. She holds a bachelor’s in biology with a minor in political science from Trinity Uni-versity (Texas), and a master’s degree in non-profit management from Seattle University. She will advise sophomore girls on The Hill. The Elmores live in the Handball Court.

Thacher welcomes back Eliza  N.  Gregory  CdeP 1999, who is working in the Admission Office, as an intern in English, as-sisting with the Horse Program, and helping to coach lacrosse. Eliza graduated from Princeton

University with a major in comparative lit-erature, a certificate in the visual arts, and a concentration in creative writing. She will serve as the Freshman Class Advisor and ad-vise freshman girls, but she’ll live in freshman boys’ dorm, Lower School. Before coming to Thacher, Eliza worked in New York as a freelance photographic assistant. Her many hobbies and interests include creative writing, Cuban history and culture, and photography.

Wei-Ying   L in jo ins Thacher’s faculty this year to teach Chinese while Li Li completes her doctor-ate at UCLA. She has a bachelor’s degree in com-parative literature from Wellesley College; she is trilingual in English, Mandarin Chinese, and Taiwanese, and she has conversational skills in Korean. She has extensive experience in boarding schools as she graduated from Dana Hall in Massachusetts and attended summer programs at Exeter and Andover. Beyond the classroom, Wei-Ying ad-vises sophomore girls and lives in Los Padres. She will help with the Indoor Committee, and may form an international student club. Her hobbies include writing short stories, reading, oil painting, and watching Korean films.

Thacher’s new Dean of Stu-dents is Sabina McMahon, a former Associate Dean at the Northfield Mount Hermon School, and be-fore that, the Chair of the Nightingale-Bamford Mathematics Department in New York City. Sabina

earned a bachelor’s in English from Colgate University, followed by a master of arts degree in mathematics education from Columbia. Sabina’s experience, coupled with her maturity, insight, and wisdom are sure to be drawn on for this important appointment. Some fresh-man girls enjoyed Sabina’s tutelage last year

New and Departing Faculty by Jane D. McCarthy

Campus Activities

1�Spring / Summer 2004

when she served as their advisor; this year, she will be working on The Hill with sophomore girls and will teach one math course. She will also serve on the Administrative Committee, co-Chair the HR&S Program, and Chair the Dorm Council. Sabina and her husband Bill (Director of Admission) have three sons: Quinn (14), Colin (11), and Griffin (7).

Renée   Nuñez j o ins Thacher’s faculty this year on a part-time basis to teach Advanced Place-ment Art History. She has a master of arts degree in modern and contempo-rary arts from Goldmith’s University of London;

she also earned a bachelor of arts in liberal arts from Reed College, where her thesis was on the discipline of psychology and art. She trained at a NOLS course in Baja on how to take kids rock climbing. In her spare time, she loves yoga, rock climbing, art, architecture, adventure, and traveling.

After a five-year hiatus during which she taught English at The Viewpoint School in Calabasas, Blossom  Beatty  Pid-duck CdeP 1992 rejoins Thacher’s faculty as a full-time teacher of English 3 and AP English. Blossom served as Assistant Director of Admission and taught English from 1997 to 1999 at Thacher. Following her graduation from Thacher in 1992, Blossom earned a bachelor of arts degree in English and American studies at Amherst College, and a master’s in education with a teacher certification from Harvard University Graduate School of Education. Beyond her classroom duties, Blossom will advise fresh-man girls, serve as advisor for production of the yearbook El Archivero, work on the Senior Profile Committee, and write for the School’s website. She married Brian last summer; they live near The Hill dormitories.

Chr i s   Vyhna l jo ins Thacher’s Science Depart-ment this fall to teach AP and Honors Chemistry. He holds a doctorate in geochemistry from Dart-mouth College, along with master’s and bachelor’s de-grees in geology from the

University of Tennessee and Colgate Univer-sity, respectively. Prior to arriving here, Chris was a science teacher at Hathaway Brown in Shaker Heights, OH, and at St. Mark’s Schools in Southborough, MA. Beyond his classroom responsibilities, Chris will co-advise Senior Ex-hibitions and work with the sophomore boys in Los Padres. He enjoys Italian cooking, chess, home brewing, and astronomy. Chris and his

wife Theresa have three children: Nolan (4), Meg (3), and Katie (1); they live in the Beck House near the Gymkhana Field.

Faculty FarewellsSince Bill and Gallia Vickery will return this fall from their sabbatical year, Pam Lappen will no longer be instructing and choreographing the dancers. She will, however, still live in Ojai and, hopefully, visit campus on occasion.

Heading back to make his home on the range is Cam Spaulding CdeP 1992. Fortunately, we’re not saying goodbye to Cam for long; he will return in late winter/early spring to coach lacrosse and possibly teach a course. This summer, he took four young men (Ali Arastu CdeP 2004, David Moore CdeP 2004, Nick Wiltsie ’06. and Alex de la Torre Bueno ’06) on a three-week Wilderness Trek in the Si-erra, including a two-night solo. Simon Crane and Nick Tranmer, both CdeP 1992, helped organize and run this program of “walking, learning, and loving the Sierra.”

After seven long years of working on her doctorate, Chinese teacher Li Li will complete her dissertation next year at UCLA. She also said “I do” with Bruce Peters CdeP 1965 on their ranch next to the Huylers’ in Wyoming this summer.

Raelyn Viti hit the road for home in New Hampshire to work with SOLO, the outdoor organization; she will also teach Wilderness First Responder Camp.

History instructor and lacrosse coach Bill Rex-ford and his wife Sondi have moved to Sisters, Oregon, where he’ll be teaching in the Sisters School District and coaching.

Math teacher and kayaker extraordinaire Kurt Supplee is off on a great adventure: he’s taken a two-year position at Consuelo Campo Alegre in Caracas, Venezuela, where he’ll teach in the international baccalaureate program in math, study Spanish, and tour South America.

AP Art History Instructor Holly Mitchem will continue to divide her time between Ojai and Arizona (where her husband Dennis’s job took him last year) but not teach at Thacher. In-stead, she will continue her work with fine art appraising, teach at UC Irvine, and begin to write a book on the architectural history of the Ojai.

In order for Linda, Pierre Yoo, and their one-year-old Isabella to be closer to their families in the Northeast, Pierre accepted a science teacher position at St. George’s School in Newport, RI. He will also advise, serve as a dorm parent, and coach. e

1� The Thacher News

Boys’ Varsity TennisCoach: Christina MazzolaCaptains: Martin Sawyer ’04 and Ali Arastu ’04

This team finished 11-7 overall, posting victories over perennial powerhouses San Marcos, Dos Pueblos, and Oakwood (the winner of the 2004 CIF Cham-pionship). Although Thacher lost to Oakwood in the CIF second round play-offs, they beat them in regular season play, in part because of “the tremen-dous spirit and dedication” of Captains Sawyer and Arastu. “These two urged the other boys on with their excellent example day in and day out,” Coach Chris reports.

Boys’ Junior Varsity TennisCoach: David Johnston

The whole team participated in captaincy responsi-bilities and honors, following a simple mantra: “Play hard, have fun.” Improvement, from start to finish, was “substantial,” according to Dr. J. He went on to say that juniors Zach Behar and Ben Castanon played as “the best JV doubles team in the League,” winning most of their matches. A couple of rookies–Arthur Kaneko ’05 and Dackory Hill ’06—made big strides, with Arthur winning two of three singles matches in the season finale against Cate.

Girls’ Varsity LacrosseCoaches: Emily McCarren and Peter RobinsonCaptains: Virginia Dawson ’04 and Jennie Tucker ’04

This team not only won the League with a perfect 6-0 record, but traveled all over the state to compete, from San Diego (where they placed second in the MC Stix, Surf and Sun Tournament) to the Bay Area (the Western States Tourney, where they played the best squads in the west and some from as far away as Cleveland). They closed with a 12-2 overall record. The season finale was a tasty victory against Cate in the Southern California Girls Lacrosse Association Championships—their second in as many years.

Girls’ Junior Varsity LacrosseCoaches: Kara Hooper and Phoebe LarsonCaptains: Sarah Eckhardt ’05, Catherine Robinson ’06, and Julia Joo Won Oh ’06

If you saw this team in mid-May, you might not be-lieve that only three of its members had ever picked up a stick before March of this year. Although they recorded more losses than victories, they enjoyed “a thrilling victory (6-4)” over Santa Catalina’s JV, ac-cording to Coach Hooper. “The girls played through a torrential downpour; at one point, the game was delayed for 25 minutes to wait out the thunder and lightning!”

Boys’ Varsity LacrosseCoaches: Bill Rexford and Cam Spaulding CdeP 1992Captain: Ward Sorrick ’04

Compiling a 12-4 overall season record, the laxmen launched their season with a 9-6 victory over Rye Country Day School—an especially poignant victory because it’s the school where Coach Rexford had coached before coming to Thacher. “They were out to avenge their loss to us last year [one of only two in their whole season],” Rex reports. “We set out to prove that we could play with any school our size.” This victory set them up for three more in a row: against Windward, Peninsula (school size: 4000) and Chaminade’s Big Boys (truly). Their final game of the post-season was a nail-biter/heart-breaker that ultimately went to Cate in overtime.

Boys’ Junior Varsity LacrosseCoaches: Bo Manson and Spencer StevensCaptains: Taylor Medina ’04 and Charlie Bennett ’05

Winding up with a win-loss record of 6-5 meant building on skills the boys learned from scratch. Director of Athletics Rich Mazzola writes, “The JV’s commanding victory over Cate and an exciting 3-2 win over a very talented Malibu were tributes to the dedication, teamwork, and good, old-fashioned grit that were the hallmarks of the team.”

Boys’ Freshman LacrosseCoach: Michael MulliganCaptains: David Cook ’07 and Nick Hubbard ’07

Straight from the mouth of their leader: “Led by their able and confident Co-Captains Cook and Hubbard, the Frosh laxers made tremendous progress over the course of the season. After losing an opening game to the OVS Varsity, they romped over the Santa Barbara Lacrosse Club twice. In their final game, they tied the Cate Freshmen, 3-3 in the kind of match that can cause hair to turn gray for onlookers.

Track and FieldCoaches: Derick Perry CdeP 1983, Pierre Yoo, Kurt Meyer, Theana Hancock, and Dan HenryCaptains: Bianca Kissel ’04 and Ian Strachan ’04

“In the Condor League Championships, the boys came away the champs, while the girls fought to

a well-earned second place,” proudly writes Coach Perry. “Gritty performances, tenacious competition and good ca-maraderie filled the sea-son.” As for season’s end honors: three’s a charm for Katie Frykman ’04, who won Most Valuable Player distinction for the third year running; Ian Strachan also added the MVP feather to his cap. Alex de la Torre Bueno ’06 earned Most Improved.

BaseballCoaches: Rich Mazzola, Robert Torres, and Ben FarrellCaptains: Graham Douds ’04 and Cameron Robertson ’04

Directly from Coach Mazzola: “…another standout baseball season this spring [in which they earned] a fourth consecutive Condor League Championship. With several Condor League teams in and out of the CIF’s top ten poll throughout the course of the season, we faced the most challenging league com-petition that Bard Field has seen in years. A shining example came when we hosted Cate: we trailed right up to our last turn at bat when back-to-back squeeze plays brought the tying and winning runs across the plate. Graham Douds finished his spectacular athletic career here at Thacher with a phenomenal season: batting average of .667 and his 0.71 earned run aver-age were both tops in the county.

KayakingKayak master Kurt Supplee orchestrated a rich and varied program of weekdays mastering moves in the pool, shallow end first and Wednesdays loading gear and vanning towards the Gold Coast Breaks off Ven-tura. Extended trips included the Kern (where they paddled the Powerhouse and Limestone stretches of the river), Brush Creek, which dumps dramatically into the Kern, and a sojourn to the Salt River in Arizona for an Extra Day Trip.

Advanced Rock ClimbingFive students joined their leader Brian Pidduck CdeP 1992 for a spring full of boulders and belays, pitches, and problems—the good kind that challenge a climber to examine and ponder and finally plan a route across or upward. MVC Calvin Lieu ’04 has climbed nearly every one of the campus’s most difficult boulders (Jameson Plaque and the confounding Dream Boul-der) and a good many beyond, most notably, The Big Moe in Joshua Tree. The group’s Most Improved Climber was Justin Ouyang ’05, whose patience and persistence amazed his climbing partners: Together, Calvin and Justin won The Golden Carabiner Award for their ascent of the Royal Arches Route and the South Face of North Dome in Yosemite Valley during this spring’s Extra-Day Trips.

Dance EnsembleUnder Pam Lappen’s direction, Dance Ensemble continued traditional training in ballet and modern dance, and added classes in Rommet Floor Barre, Pilates and Feldenkreis techniques. Two highlights were a master drumming class with local percus-sionist Brad Buley and a master class with members of UCSB’s Dance Company, who performed for the whole school in an after-dinner concert that night. The group performed two new pieces—“Shenan-doah” and “Bailo el Mambo” for Grandparents’ Day, Gymkhana Cabaret, and the Spring Concert. e

S P R I N GSportsCampus Activities

by Joy Sawyer-Mulligan and Jane D. McCarthy

TidbitsWill Oxley ’05 receives the Herbert C. Moffitt Memorial Trophy Saddle

1�Spring / Summer 2004

Campus Activities

Snippets of NewsNumeracy Stumper by Jane D. McCarthy

Many seniors received special recognition this year. Jessica Cornwell was chosen as one of three students in Southern California to re-ceive a Ronald Reagan Scholarship. One of California’s 50 Student Scholars was Whitney Livermore ’04. Julia Robinson ’04 and Gra-ham Douds ’04 were inducted into the Ventura County Hall of Fame for their athletic achieve-ments throughout their Thacher careers.

In memory of the long-term relationship be-tween Thacher and her father, Herbert C. Mof-fitt, MD CdeP 1933, Liz Moffitt Herr (mother of Alex ’05 and Lucy ’06) donated a tooled western saddle to the School. This special sad-dle will be awarded each spring to a student deeply committed to the Horse Program; Will Oxley ’05 is the first recipient. Dr. Moffitt loved riding throughout his life and even rode until shortly before his death last fall.

Some creative and diverse solutions were submitted for last issue’s puzzle. A sam-pling follows.

With 12  (unbroken) matchsticks of  equal length, create a closed polygon whose area is exactly 3 square matchsticks. (Matchsticks may meet only at their ends: no loose ends, please!)

Congratulations to Tom Konrad CdeP 1987 who struck the brightest flame with last issue’s matchstick problem. He correctly produced a simple recipe for creating a polygon that exactly produces the required area.

Start with a 3-4-5 right triangle with corners at (0,0), (3,0), and (0,4), outlined with match-sticks. This has area 6, so we need to reduce it by 3. If we take the two matches that touch the origin, and move that corner so that it touches (1,1) instead (leaving the other ends of

the stick fixed), we now have a new polygon with area 5. Repeat this process by moving the new corner at (1,0) to (2,1), and we have a polygon with area 4. Finally, move the corner at (0,1) to (1,2) and we have a new polygon with area 3, which is best described as a 3-4-5 right triangle, with three 1×1 squares removed from the corner of the right angle.

Kip Witter CdeP (1964) offered an alternative solution with an enormous number of answers that involved all possible figures from equilat-eral triangles and pentagons to Stars of David! Remarkable indeed!

The New Puzzle

“Match Your Wits Against This…”

A horse race  is  to be conducted, with  two horses completing a circuit twice around the Jamison Gymkhana field in head-to-head com-petition—a distance of 1250 yards. In the first run, Widowmaker beat Glue Master by 75 yards,  so  in  the  second run, Widowmaker was made to start 75 yards behind the line. In the second race, both horses ran exactly as they did in the first. What was the outcome and why?

Send your solution to Kurt Meyer in the Thacher Math Department via email at kmeyer@thacher.org, or via US mail at the School address. Good luck!

Trustees

1� The Thacher News

Retiring Trustees

After serving three terms of three years each as Trustees for Thacher, we say goodbye and thank you to Rev. Charles H. “Kelly” 

Clark CdeP 1944, Javier F. Arango CdeP 1981, and Paul L. Yelder CdeP 1977. A few words from the resolutions drafted and presented by other Trustees indicate why these retiring Board members will be truly missed. Kelly will long be remembered for his leadership on the Trustee committee, and for “deftly craft-ing…sights, sounds, smells, traditions, and his-tory into a tightly woven, memory-provoking, often tear-evoking homily, delivered in his in-imitable, mellifluous voice,” for many Thacher celebrations during the past six decades. Javier brought his extensive financial planning, devel-opment, and management experience to bear in “developing a robust financial model for the School that has been invaluable in presenting the School’s financial position and future sce-narios that are easy to comprehend and will as-sist in making timely financial and operational decisions.” Paul “brought his extensive proj-ect-planning, development, and management experience to Thacher” and always served with enthusiastic, unselfish commitment in any way he was asked.

Due to heavy work demands at the Indepen-dent Colleges of Southern California, Mar-tha W. “Marti” Hammer chose to leave the Board after two three-year terms. Thacher benefited from Marti’s association with ICSC, from her fundraising leadership to her exten-sive network of connections for new trustee recommendations. We also thank Drs. Carol T. and Edward L “Ned” Cahill CdeP 1970, who kindly and ably served as this year’s Par-ents’ Association Presidents and offered great analysis, insight, and input for the School’s Health Center, Board-related business, and student/parent perspectives.

New Trustees

John  P.  Carver  CdeP 1953 matriculated from Thacher to Stanford, where he earned a bach-elor’s degree in 1957. John worked in manage-ment for various depart-ment and specialty stores (Macy’s, JC Penney, Bull-

ocks, and The Gap), the last of which he served as the VP of Operations, Corporate Senior VP of Human Resources, and finally Assistant to the Chairman. John formed a management company, Carver/Allen when he retired from The Gap. He volunteers for various non-profit entities in the Bay Area. He and his wife Sue live in Hillsborough; they have three grown children (Thomas, Amy, and Jonathan) and four grandchildren.

Lewis W. Coleman CdeP 1960 graduated from Stanford in 1965. He cur-rently serves as president of The Moore Foundation in San Francisco, estab-lished by Gordon Moore, founder of the Intel Cor-poration. Lew is also Di-rector of Chiron Corp., Northrup Grumman, SeaFirst Bank, and The Komatsu International Advisory Board. He serves on various non-profit boards including San Francisco Food Bank, California Academy of Sciences, Conser-vation International, Hoover Institution, and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. Lew resides in Ross; he has four grown children: sons Greg and Peter, and daughters Michelle and Nancy.

Signe Ostby oversees Val-halla Farms, raising Al-pacas and horses near her family’s home in Wood-side. She has competed on the hunter/jumper circuit and represented the US in the World Cup Show Jumping Competition in

Geneva, Switzerland. Previously, she was vice president of marketing for Software Publishing Corporation and was in brand management with Procter & Gamble and Clorox. She holds a BA and MBA from the University of Wiscon-sin, both in marketing. Signe and her husband

Scott Cook have served or are currently serving on the boards of the Harvard Business School, Asia Foundation, and the University of Wis-consin Center for Product Management Ad-visory Board. They have three children: David Cook ’07, Karl (13), and Annie (10).

Lawrence B. “Larry” Wer-lin, MD—father of Rachel CdeP 1997, Evan CdeP 2004, and Emma ’05—be-gins his first three-year term on the Board of Trustees. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Boston University in 1970, studied medicine

at the University of Brussels, and earned his degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York in 1976. Dr. Werlin is Board Certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Board Eligible for a Sub-Specialty Reproductive Endocrinology. His practice in Irvine specializes in infertility; he’s also taught at UC Irvine Medical Center, written extensively, and lectured on this topic for the past few decades. Larry and his wife Sally live in Newport Beach.

Taking over the reins of the Parents’ Association are Jan and Jon Pease, parents of Chandler ’05, Kensey ’07, and Jensen (13). After growing up in the Napa Valley, Jan attended USC, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communication arts and sciences in 1983. She then studied Speech and Language Pathology at Northwestern Univer-sity, where she graduated with a master’s in 1986. Jon grew up in Ventura and graduated from USC, where he met Jan during their fresh-man year while standing outside their dormi-tory during a bomb threat. He also studied at Northwestern, where he earned a master’s in finance and business strategy. Jon worked for a large public accounting firm, but for the last decade-plus, he’s worked for a small medical cost management business in Ventura. They live in Oak View. e

New and Retiring TrusteesUnsung Heroes by Jane D. McCarthy

Campus Activities

CampaignGround Broken for Commons by Sara Sackner

1�Spring / Summer 2004

Construction Underway

T he Music Man was the final produc-tion to grace the stage of the Lamb Auditorium last spring; it did the place

proud! The site of scores of plays, musicals, concerts, dance and chorus performances, and the always anticipated Senior Night Live extravaganzas, will be replaced with two new structures—the Student Center and the Performing Arts Building, known together as the Commons Project.

Following the whirlwind of graduation and reunion weekends, workers carefully sal-vaged the Auditorium prior to demolition. The redwood panels in the Alumni Room, donated by Ike Livermore CdeP 1928, will be reused in the new buildings as will the plaster friezes, which were commissioned by Sherman Thacher.

During the summer, the Auditorium and the Health Center were demolished and the land

graded. As you read this, the new foundation is being poured. The Student Center is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2005 and the Performing Arts Building will be ready for thespians, singers, musicians, and dancers in the fall of 2005.

The Commons Project is a major focus of The Campaign for Thacher, for which the public phase will launch in the winter of 2005. The total cost is expected to be $17 million. Nam-ing opportunities, at major gift levels, are still available for both buildings.

The Campaign for Thacher

Alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends of Thacher have significantly supported the Commons as well as endowment for faculty and financial aid and other important capital projects. Thacher is most grateful for the gen-erosity of these donors.

Two of these supporters are John Carver CdeP 1953 and his wife, Sue, who are the lead donors to the Student Center. John’s in-terest in helping youth is evident in his work with A Better Chance, which provides quality education to minority scholars; The American Dream, which provides two-year scholarships to Cañada College for Latino scholars; and of course, Thacher, where John is beginning his first year of service on the Board of Trustees. (Please see John’s bio on the previous page.)

“Sue and I feel it is truly important to provide a multi-purpose building, where all students can comfortably mingle—cook snacks, play games, listen to music, and hang out. At the same time, basic student services such

as mail pickup, a bookstore, and meeting and conference rooms will be conveniently located in the same facility.

We are thrilled with the plans, excited that construction has com-menced, and look forward to seeing the completed building! We hope the Commons will become the heart of the campus, a gathering place for every member of the Thacher Family to use and enjoy.”

—John Carver CdeP 1953

John and Sue’s contribution to the Student Center is in honor of the class of 1953. Generations of stu-dents and faculty will be served

through the Carvers’ thoughtful support of The Thacher School.

Faculty Moves to New HomesThe Thacher School is dear to Tom May CdeP 1959 on many levels. What better way to ac-knowledge this appreciation than to participate in The Campaign for Thacher. Tom funded two recently completed on-campus faculty homes, which are essential in maintaining the School’s philosophy of whole community.

I am fortunate to view this issue from a teacher’s point of view as I served on the faculty from 1956-1961. I became very aware of the im-portance of students being able to observe and talk to teachers beyond classroom times, such as evening meetings for academic assistance, advice, and counseling, or informal socialization. Interactivity with faculty and their families is a silent education in itself. The coaching, camping, and working with faculty make students realize that teachers are “real human beings.”

—Tom May CdeP 1959

In addition to supporting faculty homes, Tom has been an active volunteer serving 18 years on the Board of Trustees. Thacher is grateful for Tom’s generosity and commitment to the School. Casa de Piedra is definitely not fading from his heart, as Tom himself fully acknowl-edges. e

Guest House for Visiting FacultyThacher is also pleased to announce that a visiting faculty guest house has been fully funded. We are most appreciative of this anonymous support. “Thacher strongly believes that intro-ducing students to a wide range of outside lecturers and performers contributes to producing a well-rounded graduate with appreciation for differing cultures and viewpoints. Having the Visiting Faculty Residence on campus will allow us to attract more visitors and to enhance their interactions with the students,” declares Michael Mulligan, Head of School. Architec-tural plans are underway and we hope—county approval and weather permitting—to begin construction in early 2005.

New faculty home located near The Hill

The dismantling of the Lamb Auditorium makes way for the new Commons Project

PerformingArtists

What a talented alumni body we have! Earlier in the year, an email went out to alumni asking for suggestions of performing artists to profile for this issue of The Thacher News. Scores of responses from

around the world suggested screen writers and blue grass pluckers, dancers and actors, play directors and song writers from the last five decades of graduates. Other alumni offered to interview and to write these profiles in the hopes of reconnecting or getting to know other Toads. What is included here is a small smattering of what could have been included had there not been page-volume restraints. And now, on with the show!

1�Spring / Summer 2004

Performing Artists

HistoryHistorical SocietyThacher’s Plays through the Years by Elizabeth Bowman and Alisa McCoy

20 The Thacher News

Performing Artists

Think back to music-apprecia-tion courses where we learned the basic symbols of music no-

tation that indicate key, tempo, and style. A 4/4 beat, for instance, is straightforward, whereas 2/4 is more lively and spry, and 3/4 time indicates a waltz. What if the time signature indicates 5/8 time but with the emphasis on the first and third beat for the chorus and the first and fourth beat for the orchestra? What about a piece that shifts, measure by measure, from 7/8 to 4/4 to 9/8 and repeats this pattern? Now think about directing it: one arm directing musicians while the other arm conducts singers through vary-ing tempos and styles. Such is the pattern of some of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music that Jeff Green has directed twice in concerts. It’s no wonder he believes this work is the biggest challenge of his conducting career that began as a hobby of singing with small community groups and has grown into directing increas-ingly larger, more professional groups in bigger venues.

The youngest of four children growing up in Berkeley, Jeff attended the San Francisco

Symphony and Civic Light Opera with his mother, often listened to his attorney father sing after dinner with a 12-voice group from the Bohemian Club, and heard the classical and symphonic music favored by one sister and the

blues and ballads preferred by the other. Jeff’s favorites were choral pieces, Broadway hits, and folk music.

Jeff followed in the footsteps of two uncles (John CdeP 1925 and Fred Bixby CdeP [1918]) and his brother Robert CdeP 1949 when he arrived at Thacher for his last two years of high school. Enthusiastic and energetic, Jeff made friends quickly as he jumped into every aspect of School life, but especially athletics (a fine tennis player and a natural on the basketball court at 6 feet, 3 inches; he served as captain of the Varsity Team in his senior year), music (singing in Los Troubadores and serving as president of Glee Club), and lead-ership roles (dorm prefect and Indoor Club Committee). Jeff’s green-broke sorrel, Zorro, accompanied him to Thacher, where they

enjoyed trail rides and some gymkhana events together, although he remembers Jack Huyler and Jesse Kahle “shak-ing their heads at the way I was training Zorro. We’d start at a lope and soon it became an all-out race, without much pre-cision.” Having learned to ride horses from his mother at the age of two, Jeff had rounded up cattle and enjoyed long trail rides on his mother’s family’s (Bixby) ranches on California’s

Central Coast. He planned to study animal husbandry in anticipation of becoming a cattle rancher; he matriculated from Thacher to Michigan State University to pursue that career path, but continued his choral work including singing “Bill” in Kiss Me Kate while working on his MBA at Michigan State and participating in the US Army’s Quarter Master Command Chorus.

In the late sixties, Jeff became an investment counselor for a Menlo Park based firm and lived in Ojai. Beyond his day job, Jeff did some fundraising for Thacher, served as Assistant Choir Director for Ojai’s Presbyterian Church in 1974, appeared in Little Mary Sunshine at the Ojai Art Center with Cricket Twichell playing the title role, and was Musical Di-rector of Oklahoma! the following year. His long-time interest in choral music started to shift towards conducting as he found that “it’s incredibly rewarding to take a group of strangers, work very hard with them for sev-eral months, and turn out a highly polished, professional piece.”

In the late eighties, Jeff produced three profes-sional shows: She Loves Me (starring Pam Dawber and Joel Higgins at the Ahmanson Theatre), Annie Get Your Gun with Donna McKechnie, and You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown with JoAnn Worley, the last two at San Francisco’s Geary Theatre. Jeff then wound up in the San Luis Obispo area, where he became one of two musical directors for musical theatre productions, and he continued singing with vari-ous community groups. In the late nineties, Jeff moved further north to the Monterey Peninsula and continued the same type of work but he also thought about teaching at the local junior college, an impossibility without a master’s degree in music. His extensive experience in choral directing gave him advanced placement standing at San Jose State, but he still spent four grueling years earning a master’s degree in choral conducting. “Do you know that perform-ing arts courses which require 12 to 14 hours work each week yield only one credit each!?” He also took a few courses in lighting to help him set the mood for productions and thereby enhance the audience’s experience.

Even with the master’s degree, Jeff still conducts by a feel that grew out of “not really knowing what I was doing but knowing what I wanted. Music should mean something. It should impact the audience, be it the lyrics, the quality of the music, or its structure. Listeners should get goose bumps.” His philosophy for the participants of the productions is pretty simple, too: 1) Have fun: “I combine humor and camaraderie in practices. If we’re not enjoying our time to-gether, why bother?” and 2) Make good music: “I want standing ovations from every piece.” The crowning glory for Jeff, however, is when a performer—who has sung a particular piece many times before—tells him after the finale, “I learned something from having worked with you.”

Scouring the Central Coast and Bay Area for choral and musical events helps Jeff stay cur-rent with local talent; that knowledge helps him match particular voices to specific songs when creating programs. Last year he worked with a county-wide high school all-star cast performing the musical Les Miserables, which was very gratifying. “These kids were so tal-ented!” Beyond conducting and singing, Jeff continues to play tennis, trail ride, and round up cattle when given the chance.

Jeff learned by doing and has been rewarded for his dedication and efforts. e

J. Jeffrey Green CdeP 1956Creative Conducting by Jane D. McCarthy

21Spring / Summer 2004

Performing Artists

Bruce B. Donnell CdeP 1963Increasing Life’s Riches by Nicholas S. Thacher CdeP 1963

There is little doubt that the breadth of a Thacher educa-tion has always played an

enormously powerful and positive role in its students’ development. The life and career of Bruce Don-nell testify dramatically to that fact.

In the fall of 1959, already deeply imbued with a love of the arts, Bruce passed through the stone pillars of CdeP, leaving behind his close-knit family in the Bay Area. He took up residence in the Lower School and no constel-lation of dorm masters (and mistress)—Mr. Lamb and Mr. and Mrs. McDougall—could have been more serendipitous. As Bruce re-calls, “They saw who I was before I did; they nurtured my interests and made me feel they were worthwhile.”

The challenges of recess baseball, treasured by the hearty jocks, held little appeal to a youngster reared in the world of classical opera. Bruce had already rubbed elbows with Marilyn Horne and Joan Sutherland, but that counted for little in the rough-and-tumble life at Thacher. In the brilliant historian Fred Lamb—whose legendary record collection of classical music was as dazzling as his wit and erudition even to the philistines among us—Bruce found a kindred operatic spirit. The McDougalls encouraged his inchoate love of theatre and foreign languages—twin passions

that have sustained his adult life and livelihood as one of America’s most esteemed opera direc-tors. “Donald was the best language teacher I ever had,” he notes; that’s high praise from a student who majored in languages as an un-dergraduate and secured his master’s in French from Columbia.

Bruce acknowledges the impact of his many artistic mentors at Thacher. “Fred Lamb, the McDougalls, Gui Ignon, Michael Ehrhardt, Marvin Shagam: each opened doors into his-tory, language, and theatre. I think of them as family. They taught me that it was okay to fail at recess baseball and to pursue other inter-ests.” Bruce remembers Mr. Ignon’s willingness to share his art studio on Saturdays, tuning the radio to the Met’s weekly opera broadcast as they painted; Mr. Ehrhardt’s teaching him to

read music and giving him free reign with the extensive clas-sical music collection housed in the “Music Box”; Mr. Sha-gam’s insistence on personal integrity, which bore fruit a few years after Bruce’s gradu-ation from Thacher when he became a conscientious objec-tor. In sum, as he looks back at the relatively cloistered years enjoyed at Thacher, Bruce is grateful for the ways in which teachers expanded his vision

beyond the peaks that define Ojai. “They made me hungry to see the wider world and appreci-ate it,” a hunger which subsequently led him on extensive travels around the globe.

Beyond Bruce’s language studies in New York, he satisfied his burgeoning interests in music and theatre by wangling cheap (or free) seats at Carnegie Hall, the Met, and Lincoln Center. He completed two years of service as a consci-entious objector, rising in the United Nation’s Office of Public Information from proofreader to handler of press briefings. But he always returned to opera: the Bayreuth Festival in Germany in 1965 and as an apprentice stage-hand at the Santa Fe Opera in 1967.

Music and travel were Bruce’s constant lures. When he set off on a two-week ski trip to Eu-rope in 1972, he never dreamed it would lead ultimately to a three-year position in Geneva’s Opera House. A career which owed so much to his family’s musical interests and the sensi-tive nurturance of Thacher’s faculty had been launched: Bruce’s extensive knowledge of for-

eign languages and music made him indispens-able to directors who spoke only English.

From Geneva, Bruce moved to the Metropoli-tan Opera in New York—where, he notes with pride, “I’m now one of the old timers,” as he commences his thirtieth year as a director, “eligible for my pension.” Those three decades have been immensely fulfilling, as Bruce has risen to prominence as a director in New York and Santa Fe, for instance; as a judge for audi-tions at the Met, the George London Founda-tion, and elsewhere; as a teacher of apprentice opera singers in Santa Fe (where he now re-sides, though he retains a permanent New York City phone number that rings in New Mexico), the Music Academy of the West, the University of Illinois, and even Spearfish, SD.

It is perhaps in that last role that Bruce’s ac-complishments seem particularly apposite from the CdeP perspective: the 13-year-old whose talents and interests were recognized and nurtured by his Thacher teachers has be-come, in the world of classical opera, a lead-ing teacher himself. When he speaks of Fred Lamb, Donald McDougall, and others, Bruce becomes passionate: “These men gave their lives to Thacher—and to us.” And now, as he practices what he preaches, he preaches what he practices: “Directing opera can be wonder-ful, but it’s a lot of homework, scheduling, and hard work.” He tells budding young singers just what generations of Thacher instructors have told their students: “Show up on time and be prepared.”

Bruce’s life of opera has given him immense satisfaction: “I have worked with people I’ve respected and idolized,” such as direct-ing Leontyne Price’s “Farewell Opera Per-formance”—many decades after their initial meeting in 1959, when Bruce was a Thacher smut. Speaking of 1959, what did Barbara Griggs (classmate Steve’s mother) suspect when she volunteered to drive Bruce and a handful of Thacher students down to Los Angeles for the San Francisco Opera’s Sunday matinees? The prescient Mrs. Griggs and our Thacher faculty must have known that Bruce would have the last laugh on his more prosaic class-mates. He learned early what the School and its teachers have always understood: A broad education, which attends as much to creativity and character as to academics and athletics—ultimately and very powerfully—increases the richness of life. e

22 The Thacher News

Performing Artists

William W. Horvitz CdeP 1965An Inimitable Style by Jane D. McCarthy

Growing up in the fifties around NYC and in Arizona, Bill Horvitz’s parents exposed him

to swing, jazz, classical music, and musicals. He listened mostly to rock such as Elvis, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, and Buddy Holly, and he took guitar lessons when he was eight and again a few years before Thacher. “I found it more enjoyable to listen than to practice and didn’t get very far,” Bill recalls. “I became frustrated with the pre-Beatles and Stones pop music and discovered the world of jazz at Thacher.”

Bill’s musical forays at Thacher included: • learning a few folk songs;• listening to music with friends; and • attending concerts—Miles Davis, Modern

Jazz Quartet, Pete Seeger—with faculty in-cluding “Hub” Segur and Marvin Shagam.

“The teachers were really helpful about get-ting to concerts, which was great because Thacher didn’t offer many outlets for struc-tured instrumental music in those days,” Bill remembers, “and I wasn’t into vocals.” He was more intrigued with playing sports—base-

ball, soccer, and tennis, but he remembers most how the communal nature of life in Upper School exposed him to many different types of music. Bill and his like-minded musical friends Richard Scholtz, Jock Hayward, and

Ted Rhodes shared all sorts of music. “Dur-ing our junior year, a prefect in my section, Tony Power, was a John Coltrane fanatic; most didn’t like it, but for me it was an opening into an exciting and inspiring new world.”

After Thacher, Bill matriculated at Colorado College, where he studied for two years before realizing that music was his calling. He worked in San Francisco, focused on learning to play the guitar, and studied music theory and piano at College of Marin and Sonoma State Univer-sity. After two-plus years of study, he moved to the East Bay, where he played various music types—funk, rock, folk, jazz—in clubs and cof-fee houses, as part of groups and on his own. In the late seventies in San Francisco, he experi-mented with modifying electric guitar sounds (as musician John Cage had done on piano).

During daily jaunts to the local hardware store, Bill purchased cotter pins, wire whisks, and other oddities to place on the strings or strike the guitar. To incorporate his repertoire of new sounds, he composed music in what he later termed a “sonic landscape.”

During a decade-long New York stint beginning in 1978, Bill’s musical career broadened and coalesced. Living alongside vi-

brant, eclectic performing artists in Manhattan, he played and composed in diverse genres. Time spent with influential composers and impro-visers—Butch Morris, Elliott Sharp, Shelley Hirsch, Bobby Previte, Phillip Johnston, and John Zorn—complemented his more formal musical studies and spurred on his unique style of musical composition. Juxtaposing funk over swing, atonality with the blues, or turning folk melodies into a jazz motif, Bill’s extensive background is evident in his compositions. Forceful, inspirational, and innovative, they are still accessible to listeners and players alike, and also include an abundance of good-natured fun. He especially enjoys composing for particular artists: “I generally have a good sense for the direction they’ll take when improvising; it gives them freedom and room for creativity that enhances the piece.”

Since the early nineties, The Bill Horvitz Band (consisting of Bill on the guitar, saxophonist/flutist Steve Adams, and drummer Joseph Sabella) has played throughout the United States and Canada and has made several recordings. Based in the

San Francisco Bay Area, their 1997 release, Dust Devil, continues receiving rave reviews from jazz critics, including Chris Kelsey: “In the extended tradition of composer/performers of Western art music…reaching back at least as far as J.S. Bach, Bill’s music is about honesty of intent, and, while I am happy to call it jazz, it is ultimately of little consequence what it’s labeled. What matters is the quantity and quality of his ability and inspiration, and in both areas Bill Horvitz checks out admirably.” And The Jazz House in Berkeley posted this on their website a year ago (when the Band was reorganized with drummer, Harris Eisenstadt): “The Bill Horvitz Band is critically recognized as among the finest instrumentalists and composers on the American Jazz/New Music scene…[and] moves with fluid grace between tight composi-tions and improvised solo and ensemble work, communicating with a telepathic rapport. Driv-ing swing, lyrical ballads, and funky grooves all contribute to an exciting performance that moves the head, heart, and soul.”

Beyond composing and playing with his band, Bill writes music to go with spoken word. He spends the third weekend of August at the Tu-olumne Meadows Poetry Festival in Yosemite National Park. Bill says: “Hearing the cadence and expression of the poet helps in collaborat-ing and constructing music for readings.” This year, Bill played six original acoustic guitar pieces between the poet’s readings in Parsons Lodge. “It’s an ideal setting for 80 to 100 peo-ple to hear the nuances of poets’ work and share music together. It’s an incredible venue and always a highlight of my summer.”

Bill is branching out to compose music for theatre and for independent film projects. He is also studying voice and writing folk style songs with his partner, Robin Eschner. He also hopes to work more with young kids, teaching them how to compose and improvise. Just to round out his days, he continues to write education-related workbooks and background materials for teachers, primarily in language arts. These latter demands are flexible and allow him time to practice, compose, and play guitar with his 16-year-old son, Asa, or occasionally with his brother, Seattle keyboardist Wayne Horvitz.

Even though he comes from a jazz background, Bill coalesces every creative facet he’s realized into his artistry—be it playing, composing, or singing. His audience—and he—would be ill-served if any aspect of his experiences were not incorporated. e

2�Spring / Summer 2004

Performing Artists

Raúl Pacheco, Jr. CdeP 1986Cuando Canto Mi Canción (When I Sing My Song) by J. Eric Gross CdeP 1985

Raúl Pacheco’s home in East LA was full of music when he was growing up. His mom sang

along to Mexican pop like Trio Los Panchos. His dad preferred country like Hank Williams. His three older sisters went through many musical phases during their teen years, and Raúl sang along with each of the transitions: from Bobby Sher-man to Cat Stevens to The Pretenders. Then Raúl’s mom bought him a guitar when he turned 14 because he “wanted to rock out and make noise.”

Raúl’s parents were liberal, second generation Mexican immigrants. “They weren’t tradi-tional, so I grew up with a lot of freedom.” Since singing is what captured his attention, they allowed him to join a professional boys’ choir when he was eight. He left home and toured the country. In addition to improving his voice, he also overcame a lot of fear, becom-ing comfortable away from his community: “that openness that my parents had—and had fostered in me—helped me get to Thacher and helped me while I was there because Thacher was so different economically and culturally from what I was used to.”

Raúl remained focused on music while at Thacher. “I wasn’t the best student, but I did learn a lot.” Despite Peter Robinson’s best efforts, Raúl decided not to attend college. “I

just decided that I was going to play guitar and be in a band. My father was freaked out: ‘you went to that school and did all that work just to come home and hang out? Get a job!’” He worked at Target and was very happy. For a while he played in a band with Paul Gutierrez CdeP 1985.

Raúl stopped playing with Paul to become a political activist. “I became more interested in fighting stereotypes and reflecting on society.” While enrolled at the community college, he saw a flyer for internships in state government. The applications were due the same day. In a few days, Raúl was accepted into the program, accepted into school (a requirement), sold some guitars and amps for cash, packed the guitar his mom had given to him and moved to Sacramento in his ’63 pick-up. “I’m the

kind of person who doesn’t need everything to be worked out ahead of time. I just need to want it and then there are no significant obstacles.”

Raúl wound up working with the mayor of Sacramento, and within weeks he was cavorting with senators. “It was another very different situation for me.” He wore suits at the statehouse during the day and jeans to the UFW rallies he attended on the

weekend. Being a student, staffer, and activist aided him in discerning his true calling. “Being in Sacramento helped me realize what made me happy. Politics was important, but it didn’t touch my heart the way music did.”

The day Raúl returned to LA was the day the band Ozomatli* started. A friend told him of striking workers who sought a band to raise money for their efforts. A diverse group of musicians answered the call. One guy liked Reggae; another brought his Indian tablas. There was a Cuban percussionist, a hip hop turn tablist, and several others with different musical backgrounds and activist sensibilities. “That is how the band’s eclectic style came about and how our political perspectives co-alesced.”

In the band’s nine years, they have won a Grammy, a Latin Grammy, and other presti-gious awards; toured Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America; and made three records. Working with such diversity is the most impor-tant lesson Raúl has learned—aside from dis-

covering how to be a good father and partner. “Love is about giving and letting go of your self. The only way the band can survive is if you let go of your ego and play what makes ev-erybody happy and want to stay together. That is the politics that interests me: taking care of the collective, looking out for everybody else, helping each other move forward, like the Zapatistas do. We are 10 men with different styles, and we have to make sure that everyone is happy. It is the same way in relationships. I travel, but I still have my family because we have figured out how to make it work using those values.”

Raúl’s kids are going to school now. Santiago (5) is joining his sister Alma (7) at a Montes-sori school in Pasadena. His amazingly strong wife Michele is a nurse who holds down the fort while Raúl is on the road. The arrange-ment must be working well because Ozomatli has a new record out called Street Signs. “I am really proud of this piece of work. It helped us grow. When you are stable enough to focus and work hard it really pays off. We have to learn not to be selfish in our art, working and growing up with each other. We’re traveling the world right now, doing radio shows, TV shows and giving concerts…oh my plane is leaving, I’ll call you tomorrow!”

From hopping toad to rolling stone… e

* NPR’s Renee Montagne interviewed members

of Ozomotli for the “Morning Edition” show in mid-August. They explained why they chose their moniker and its meaning: “It rep-resents a little monkey on the Aztec calendar; it represents fire, dance, the new harvest, the orchestrator of the jungle, and a lot of mischief. It’s perfect for the vibe of this band.”

2� The Thacher News

Performing Artists

Noah S. Wyle CdeP 1989Beyond ER by Jane D. McCarthy

Producers of long-running, award-winning television se-ries face dilemmas of creating

fresh and provocative story lines that appeal to dedicated viewers and new audiences too. The prob-lem is compounded when most of the original cast members leave to pursue other careers.

In the case of NBC’s Emmy-and-Golden Globe-winning medical drama, ER, the lone original cast member is Noah Wyle CdeP 1989, aka Dr. John Carter, whose life has grown in lock-step fashion with his character and the show. “A decade ago,” Noah recalls, “I was a young man with my first big break into television and wanted approbation for my work.” The audience first met the sweet, funny, bumbling, medical student when he was trying to define himself; over the years, Dr. Carter matured into a resident who dealt with more compli-cated situations such as his cousin’s heroin addiction and pulling victims from a chemical explosion. Last year featured a triad of shows set in the Congo that showcased the proficient Dr. Carter helping some of the 3.4 million people dying from genocide and the thousands

dealing with AIDS. Putting Dr. Carter in a different world and circumstances heightened the emotional drama, viv-idly connected the characters with humanity, and even changed Carter’s perception of himself.

“I welcomed the opportunity to play the nuances of these scenes and find new aspects of my char-acter,” Noah reflects. These scripts put Carter in an environment completely foreign to him. It was liberating to work on a story aligned with my personal politics.” [Noah visited Macedonia in support of Human Rights Watch, supports Doctors of the World, and is spokesperson for Cover the Uninsured Week.] “Stories on the news seem so distant,” Noah says. “Seeing a story unfold through the character gives the audience a frame of reference—they can understand the horror, shock, and frustration of facing a village of sick people without modern medicine to treat them. To illuminate the problems in the Congo on a mass scale—38 million viewers—each Thursday evening with the support of Warner Brothers and NBC is a luxury.”

Delving into issues and re-searching his roles is the seri-ous but very evident flip side of Noah. “It’s every actor’s responsibility to learn as much as possible about the char-acters they play in order to achieve believable portrayals. I fall back on how I studied at Thacher.” When he first played Dr. Carter, Noah talked with doctors, crammed medical ter-minology into his head, and observed medical procedures

in order to understand the demands placed on physicians, the tough decisions they make, and the demanding hours they keep.

More recently, Noah starred as Flynn, “the smartest man in the world” in TNT’s action-adventure film, The Librarian, due to be re-leased at year-end. The meek Flynn is tapped as librarian for a secret cache of the world’s magical and mythical objects from throughout human history; when some artifacts are stolen, he fights a group bent on world domination for their return. Noah researched every antiquity mentioned in the script, its role in history, and learned phrases in Mongolian, French, Italian, and Portuguese to play a believable, brilliant but nerdy Flynn: “It was fascinating to learn about these objects and their roles in society. That’s what I love about acting: it’s a career of never-ending learning.” If successful, TNT will consider making a series on this theme, some-thing Noah would relish: “Although Flynn was a dweeb initially, he became cool by the end; playing ‘Indiana Jones’ was fun because it wasn’t so serious.”

The thespian bug bit Noah at Thacher when Tim Regan cast him as the widower prepar-ing for his wife’s funeral in Joe Orton’s Loot. He skipped college, waited tables, and played minor roles, most notably as a Marine in A Few Good Men, until he grudgingly auditioned for the ER part. “It was a big decision for him to do television because he really wanted to be a Johnny Depp,” recalls actor/writer and Noah’s close friend JP Manoux CdeP 1987. “Well before ER, I think Noah knew his turn would come. He’s always had people tell him he’s good because he’s always been good.”

George Clooney, who played Dr. Ross opposite Noah’s Dr. Carter, concurred in an interview with US Magazine several years ago: “Noah and I had great benefits being close friends…I could keep him relaxed through the first-year run…I could watch the way he worked and steal things from him, because he’s innately the smartest actor I know.”

Just as Carter has matured, Noah thinks he acts better: “My confidence playing this role comes from experience. Carter’s journey brings the audience into the world of ER. I love his character and the show.” Some of the themes begun last year will continue this season, in-cluding the Congo-oriented shows and Carter’s relationship with Makemba “Kem” Likasu (a health ministry administrator) when she joins Carter at County General. As last season wound down, Kem was rushed to the ER, where she and Carter learned that their baby had died in utero; whether the couple moves closer together in their grief or breaks apart will entice ER’s audiences this season.

Fatherhood parallels Noah’s life, too. He and wife Tracy have a nearly two-year-old son, Owen. Noah loves his new role, but hates being an “absent father” when he works 14 hours, five days each week for 10 months every year. “I don’t want to miss any of Owen’s develop-ment. He is the most precious gift of my life.” To recharge, the Wyles spend as much time as they can at their ranch in Santa Ynez, where they have a menagerie: horses, pigs, goats, chickens, sheep. As Noah quips, “With my name, I feel an obligation to care for God’s creations.” Although being Dr. Carter has been enjoyable for both Noah and his fans, this will likely be his last season. He wants to spend more time with his family and pursue other acting possibilities with more manageable hours. Besides, he feels that it’s time for ER to move into its next iteration and that necessitates cast changes. e

2�Spring / Summer 2004

Performing Artists

Matthew J. Shakman CdeP 1993A Perennial Bloomer by Jane D. McCarthy

When only one of every ten small businesses survives its first year, it’s indeed rare

when one exists for four years, at its original small size, in a major metropolitan area where 250 other small—and large—compa-nies compete in the same business. Such is the case, however, for The Black Dahlia Theatre, a living room-sized space of 30-seats where late arrivals aren’t admitted. It’s not that management is showing their disapproval of tardiness; it’s just that the entrance is at the back of the stage and to get to one’s seat would require walking through the actors on stage.

Dahlia is the brainchild of Matt Shakman CdeP 1993, a childhood actor who opted out of stage tutors for a “normal” high school experience at Thacher. His favorite teachers include Peter Robinson who introduced him to Shakespeare and the Classics, Marvin Shagam for whom Matt served as prefect in Lower School, and Steve Carter who oversaw his independent project of creating a bronze bust of Fred Lamb CdeP 1940 that remains in Thacher’s library. There’s also Fred Lamb himself who advised Matt for his independent projects producing two plays: Agatha Christy’s “Ten Little Indi-ans” and Edward Albee’s “Zoo Story.” He co-directed the latter with classmate Jose Klein; they entered it in a festival of one-act plays in Ojai where it won top honors. Matt followed

in the footsteps of his brother Andrew CdeP 1990 by collaborating with classmates Chris Johnston and Tony Hernandez in producing Senior Night Live. At Yale, Matt spent some time acting but more time directing student plays, while dreaming of starting a theatre. Matt spent two years in New York—directing and acting—before he returned to Los Angeles where his family lives. He realized it would be a good place to start a theatre: “There are so many talented actors out here, who started in the theatre, with time and passion to spare in between their television and movie demands.” Matt founded the Black Dahlia Theatre in 2000, one of the few performing arts organizations focused solely on bringing new plays—by both established and emerging writers—to stage. After offering some work-shops and readings, Dahlia’s first production

was Austin Pendleton’s play Orson’s Shadow in the spring of 2001. “A friend sent me a copy of Orson’s Shadow,” Matt recalls, “and I thought it would be a great show for us.” Getting the rights, how-ever, wasn’t so easy. “Friends knew Austin Pendleton, who also went to Yale. They recom-mended me to him, and I even-tually got a call from Austin. The play was going to be done at the Old Globe in San Diego,

but he gave us the LA premiere.”

Doing the show was dicey, especially since The LA Times gave the San Diego show a bad review. The Hollywood Reporter came early to Dahlia’s five-month run of Shadow and, fortunately, gave it a glowing review. The Times gave it a “Critics’ Choice” and it went on to win nine awards including the BackStage West “Garland Award” and the LA Drama “Critics’ Circle Award” for Best Production. It was listed in the Top Ten Plays of 2001 by the LA Weekly and New Times newspapers. The night before it was set to close in July, actor Bud Cort came; he returned the next night with producer Paula Holt, owner of the Tiffany Theatres, who offered Matt the month of August at the Tiffany if he wanted to extend the run. “We made the move and ran another four weeks.”

“I don’t have a formula or favorite genre,” says Matt. “I look for plays that speak to me, that will surprise the audience; an eclectic mix of productions. We’re fortunate to have a great

staff including set and costume designers, and access to wonderful actors and playwrights. We focus on developing plays from readings to workshops to full productions. I direct televi-sion as well (Judging Amy, Everwood, Oliver Beane, Once & Again, Showtime’s Huff, and WB’s Summerland), where there’s very little time to shape the script or the actor’s per-formance. The shaping is done in the editing room once the camera stops rolling. I prefer the slower rhythm of theatre: guiding the ac-tors, and working with the playwright, over a longer period of time.”

Some theatre people deride the film and televi-sion culture of Los Angeles, claiming that it makes doing quality live stage work difficult. Matt agrees that “good theatre is often over-shadowed by the quantity of bad showcases (productions done to get the film and television world’s attention),” but argues that “actors involved in film and TV make a fortune in a couple of weeks and then they’re idle. Many passionate actors want to be involved in stage work, and they have gaps of time to devote to it, without worrying about making a living from it. This works well for our non-profit theatre.”

Black Dahlia does several productions yearly, including the world premiere of Charles Evered’s The Shoreham, starring Eric Stoltz, and the west coast premiere of Den of Thieves by Stephen Adly-Guirgis, both of which are now published. Dahlia co-produced Belfast Blues, a one-woman show written and per-formed by Geraldine Hughes, and Richard Kramer’s Theatre District, a drama that is now on an extended run. No relocation to bigger haunts lurks in the future. “I like inti-mate drama; proximity helps. I would rather spend any money we make on higher fees for our crew and better sets, than expanding or changing our theatre. Besides, if we were big-ger, I’d have to focus more on fundraising and getting grants; that’s not the part of theatre that I love.”

Matt’s belief that “if you do good work, people will come” has proven true given that Black Dahlia has won the same awards that big-ger, more established theatres such as Mark Taper Forum and the Geffen Playhouse have received through the years. Even though he declines to have a formula, Matt has filled a niche in a competi-tive market that plays well for theatre lovers, and Matt, too. e

2� The Thacher News

Performing Artists

Todd P. McCloskey CdeP 1993 David P. McCloskey CdeP 1996Two Instrumental Toads Lauren P. McCloskey CdeP 1999

I had never felt so cool in my life. The sweet, spicy smell of brew-ing Chai, smoky campfire, crisp

mountain air, and patchouli oil permeated the makeshift army tent. “These guys rock,” the bearded man standing next to me said, shaking his head from side to side. “Yeah,” I said, smiling. “No, I mean these guys really jam,” he said louder. “I know,” I laughed, “they’re my brothers.”

It was one of those nights you never forget. For some, it was just the lull between sets—after Leftover Salmon, waiting for Sam Bush—on Saturday night at the Telluride Bluegrass Festi-val. But as I stood, embedded in a sea of danc-ing hippies, I couldn’t believe I was watching my two older brothers on that campground stage.

It was u-n-r-e-a-l.

That was seven years and two albums ago. And as far as I’m concerned, that night in Telluride marked my introduction to The McCloskey Brothers Band. Music had become their mis-sion. From gigs in homespun cafes and teeming bars to sold-out shows at The Fox Theatre in

Boulder, Todd and David—The Mc-Closkey Brothers—exploded onto the music scene. Shortly following was their center stage debut beside the All-man Brothers, Widespread Panic, and

String Cheese Incident. I was literally watching my brothers become, well, rock stars.

As they would say, it’s been a soulful jour-ney. Todd and David’s musical progression began with the sounds of traditional bluegrass, merging into “mountain newgrass,” and, most recently, to straight-up rock ’n’ roll. A review by Scott Snidow of rockzilla.net captured the essence of their sound pretty well:

“To understand The McCloskey Brothers sound without hearing it, you will have to use your imagination just a little. Let’s pre-tend that years ago Cat Stevens…had hooked up with the Grateful Dead…then to show-

case their sound, they hired Bela Fleck as the musical front man, working in tandem with that easy, mellow vocal style of Jerry Garcia…. The music is very much in the same vein as that relaxed sound the Dead cultivated years ago, punctu-ated with some very impres-sive, sometimes jazzy licks on banjo and mandolin.”

While their style has evolved over the years, the underlying message of Todd and David’s music remains unwavering: to strive for conscious lyrics that express the human experience; or, as Todd sings in “Waiting,” it’s about our “Time here on Earth.”

Raised in Aspen, Todd and David’s foundation is deeply rooted in a love for the outdoors, and the belief that art and nature together foster the human spirit. The Colorado backcountry has seemingly ignited an inner Rocky Moun-tain High that infuses their music. But it wasn’t until Thacher that the brothers solidified a disciplined lifestyle that emphasized a balance between physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual growth. Undeniably, they both agree, Thacher cultivated their individual sense of selves, which later propelled both of them to explore careers as musicians

There have certainly been memorably points along the way. Nestled under a wool blanket at St. Andrews University in Scotland, watch-ing David workout the lyrics to “Hurricane” (I was visiting from SYA Spain). The explod-ing juices of countless navel oranges I peeled

and ate at UC Santa Cruz, deafened by Todd’s first attempts on the fiddle. The heat of Boston the summer they studied at Berklee School of Music. Friends eagerly enrolling in David’s Banjo class in Boulder (he was the first Banjo graduate of CU’s Music Department). Sell-ing out Aspen’s Double Diamond New Year’s Eve 2001. The epic “tour stories” brought home from over 200 days of national touring last year. The caged ocelot in their Bozeman motel room. Endless night driving fueled by Ho-Hos, Red Bull, and homemade burritos. That sharp U-turn into three Georgian cops on horseback. Idaho bars with an audience of one. The 300-pound man who, after extinguishing his cigarette on his forehead, shouted “play the banjer!” And those unforgettable “pickin’ sessions” with the likes of Phil Lesh, Nickle Creek, Sam Bush, and David Grisman.

As we know, the music industry is often short lived by one-hit wonders. If there’s one thing I can assure TMBB followers, it’s this: you’ve only just the seen the beginning. As The Mc-Closkey Brothers prepare to release their second CD entitled Golden State, I would urge you to stay tuned to the journey that once began on The Pergola. Listen. Every CdeP student and alum alike will relate to the message of their music: a harmonious tune carrying the virtues of honor, fairness, kindness, and truth…with a whole lot of soulful jammin’. e

2�Spring / Summer 2004

Performing Artists

Jane G. Casamajor CdeP 1994Behind the Scenes by S. Skye Rohde CdeP 1994

Jane Casamajor CdeP 1994 isn’t your typical theatre person. “We have a lot of people who

work at the theatre to pay their bills but do community theatre to keep their hearts alive,” she explains. “I would do science to keep my heart alive, which makes me a little different.”

After graduating from Thacher in 1994, Jane was on the pre-med track at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. She took theatre classes for fun, though. And after college graduation, she landed an internship at Arena Stage, one of the premier regional theatres in Washing-ton DC. Six years later, Jane is the produc-tion office manager at Arena Stage. She makes sure that everyone involved in the theatre’s productions has what they need: sets, props, costumes, lights, house management, mainte-nance. This means working 60-hour weeks on a regular basis, but she says it’s worth it.

Jane says she opted for theatre when she re-alized science might drive her crazy. “I had always done both science and the arts and had that balance. At Thacher we always had a balance in what we were doing, and I re-ally missed that when I was taking all science classes [when I started college].”

Jane still defines the term “liberal arts” just as she did at Thacher. Back then, she juggled

BC Calculus, AP Biology, caring for her be-loved horse Beast, and stage-managing Guys and Dolls without ever appearing flustered. She even managed to go to sleep by 9 p.m. at Thacher, except on performance nights.

Now Jane volunteers regularly at the Museum of Natural History in Washington DC to get her science fix.

Arena Stage, a 54-year-old theatre dedicated to producing American plays, has a $12 million budget, an 832-seat theatre-in-the-round and a 514-seat proscenium theatre. It’s a far cry from the Thacher auditorium where Jane spent her junior and senior years stage-managing plays and musicals.

Though she is a step removed from perfor-mance, Jane enjoys being the hub of the wheel that is Arena Stage. This meeting of different worlds is, in Jane’s words, “fas-cinating, energizing, and com-pelling.” She relays the needs of the administration to the stage managers and the needs of the technical staff to the business managers. She keeps track of what the development and marketing departments are doing. She writes contracts and fields phone calls. In short,

she’s always translating. “I don’t really think what I do is an art form, but I think there’s a real art to being able to talk to a variety of people,” she explains.

Jane believes she has always felt a bond with people who are drawn to the theatre. At Thacher, she was inspired by the dedica-tion of light guru Eric Dachs CdeP 1994, and set designer Allison Glass CdeP 1993. Now, at Arena Stage, she has found herself discussing the literary merits of a play with someone who’s welding sections of the set together. Jane says many of her co-workers have unique outlooks and varied interests. “What’s always fascinated me about theatre is the people who put it on, particularly the people who work backstage. It’s that grab bag of skills that I find really interesting.” Jane savors the genesis of each and every show she helps create; she enjoys the entirety of the process: from initial designers’ sketches and brainstorms to the chaos of rehearsals to the performance itself.

It took just one one-act play at Thacher for Jane to realize she’d rather work behind the scenes than onstage. But she says it took a little longer to learn life lessons from a few teachers. Peter and Bonnie Robinson, in dis-agreeing with each other’s advice, taught Jane that diverse viewpoints can coexist in a small, tight-knit environment. Peter also taught her that strong, clear writing is a valuable tool.

And Jake Jacobsen taught her about making the most of available resources. “I think Jake did an excellent job of showing us what we can do with little, which—although not at Arena Stage—at a lot of professional theatres is the most important thing you can know,” she remarks.

A favorite Thacher stage moment is still vivid in Jane’s mind. Not surprisingly, few people saw it happen. The musical was Fiddler on the Roof, which was performed in the spring of 1993. Laura Brinton CdeP 1994 and another stagehand were lowering a ladder stage right. It had to be lowered slowly, incrementally, and silently. Jane watched nervously as—inch by inch—the ladder shrunk to its normal size and disappeared from the narrow doorway without a creak. “It’s one of those things that’s supposed to be invisible, and when it is, it’s beautiful because the audience doesn’t know,” Jane adds with a smile. “And that’s the fun part, when it’s magic to the audience.”

Jane isn’t sure how long she’ll stay at Arena Stage, or what she might do next. But she knows she wants to stay involved in theatre no matter what. The joy and camaraderie of performance and production are addictive, she says. e

2� The Thacher News

Performing Artists

Cynthia L. Lee CdeP 1998Living the Dream by Kim P.E. Turner CdeP 1998

For Cynthia Lee, the physi-cal spirituality of dancing is like “the freedom of sailing

through space.” Dance grew into a passion for Cynthia while at-tending Thacher. Although she had dabbled in Chinese folk dancing with friends and rela-tives, Thacher marked Cynthia’s entrance into a dance world that has led her across the academic and physical map. Cynthia further developed her practice at Swarthmore College, culminating in a Watson Fellowship to study dance in three countries the year fol-lowing graduation. Her initial steps on the Lamb Auditorium stage set her on a remark-able path.

Under Gallia Vickery’s guidance, Cynthia quickly became a central member of Thacher’s Dance Ensemble: a diversified and vibrant dancer. “For her Senior Exhibition,” Gallia recalls, “Cynthia choreographed a piece she called ‘Dream Walker’ to music by Astor Piaz-zolla using four Dance Ensemble members. After performing it at Thacher, they performed at the Young Choreographer’s Showcase at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara, where

her work was highly praised.” About her initial exploration of dance, Cynthia explains, “I found dance freeing…I didn’t decide at the time that I would pursue a career in dancing, but I knew I loved it.”

Following her brother to Thacher [Jeffrey CdeP 1995, a gifted pianist and dancer] Cynthia undertook an impressive course load and a wide array of activities. Joy Sawyer-Mulli-gan described Cynthia as a truly “multi-gifted young woman, capable of dazzling with her intellect and her artistry, expressed not only in dance but in poetry and painting.” Cynthia participated actively in the Literary Society and Symposium, regularly contributing pieces during readings and in print. Peter and Bon-nie Robinson shepherded this club of aspiring “literati” and creatively encouraged Cynthia during the group’s readings and meetings after Formal Dinner. Articulate, Cynthia is equally agile on stage and on paper when expressing the academic, technical, and spiritual components of dance to a wider audience.

At Swarthmore, Cynthia stud-ied English literature, focusing much on contemporary women’s poetry. She minored in dance, specifically choreography, which prepared her well for perform-ing and teaching professionally. Cynthia’s fluency in non-western dance took root in college while she was enrolled in African and Kathak dance classes as well as modern, contact improvisation, and yoga. Beyond performing, she has explored the construction

of dance from translations of poetic form.

The idea for Cynthia’s senior choreography project sprang from the “intercultural body: one not rooted in a single culture or tradition but rather between cultures…. Modern dance choreographers routinely steal from ‘tradi-tional’ dance forms without understanding them.” As a choreographer she works to be aware of the “uneven power relations that make possible inspirations and borrowings, and the aesthetic and philosophical assump-tions on which dances are structured.”

Cynthia applied for a Watson Fellowship in her senior year at Swarthmore, hoping to explore the study of religious dance. After a rigorous application process and several interviews, she was one of just 60 college seniors, nation-wide, to win the fellowship. Cynthia spent a whirlwind year in Thailand, Brazil, and India, learning Thai classical dance, the ritual dances of the Afro-Brazilian religion Candomble and Kathak. She examined the physical spirituality achieved through dance as well as the ecstasy and

meditative sensations that dance can produce. A classical dance from North India, Kathak, has two aspects: abstract (nritta) and expressive (abhinaya). Cynthia explains, “In its abstract form, complex rhythmic patterns provide the backbone for intricate footwork, lyrical arm movements, subtle use of breath and eyes, and swift turns, while its expressive form involves sensitive facial expressions and hand gestures which enact and interpret secular and devotional poetry, set to music.” The origins of the Kathak style stem from a time when Brahmin priests called “kathaks” traditionally recounted Hindu myths, using mime and gesture for dramatic effect. As the movements became more stylized the dance was explicitly formed. In this Hindu-Muslim dance form, the performer’s ability to express a theme in many different ways, with infinite nuances, is emphasized.

Last year Cynthia returned to Philadelphia to become a professional dancer. She taught, choreographed, danced in modern pick-up projects, and performed with the permanent troupe “Courtyard Dancers” led by her former professor Pallabi Chakravorty. These Dancers often perform pieces that engage social issues and themes of modernity, through Professor Chakravorty’s academic lens of anthropology. One recent dance, “Threads,” centered around domestic workers by tracing the journey of a sari from the village where it was woven to the marketplace. Finally, the sari is shredded and used as decoration for jean-bottoms in a fashion show. Cynthia is drawn to Professor Chakravorty’s style that departs from evolu-tionary narratives of history and linearity for more non-linear juxtaposition pieces.

Cynthia recently returned to India to continue her Kathak study with her guru. Since then, she has set out for a five-week stint in Taiwan to dance in a month-long contemporary Asian project involving choreographers from Indo-nesia, Thailand, Australia, and Malaysia. This summer, Cynthia performed in Philadelphia’s renowned Fringe Festival that attracts over 40,000 people each year for colorful perfor-mances of dance, theatre, music, and more. This fall, Cynthia will pursue her Masters in Fine Arts in the dance program at UCLA.

Even when skipping from one city or continent to another, Cynthia fondly recalls one of her favorite Thacher haunts: the tangerine trees clustered behind Maintenance that offered her a tangy-sweet fruit and respite from dance practice on hot Ojai days. e

photo by Sarah Wardney

PH

OTO

BY

SA

RA

H Y

AR

DN

EY

2�Spring / Summer 2004

Performing Artists

Lucy E. Milligan CdeP 2000Ensemble to Expressions by Gallia K. Vickery, Thacher’s Dance Ensemble Director

Center stage in Lamb Audito-rium, right arm held high, chin lifted, Lucy Milligan stood

alone as the lights faded. She had already come a long way from the three-year-old who went to ballet and tap classes to help improve her hand-eye coordination and flat feet. At Thacher, Lucy joined Dance Ensemble in her sophomore year and, in the next three years, became part of a group that was instrumental in establishing the qual-ity of the dance program. The Dance Ensemble began performing off campus at other schools, and for two consecutive years traveled to the Dance Educators of America conventions, where the group was awarded gold medals.

A scholar in many academic areas, Lucy fondly remembers Kurt Meyer and Derick Perry CdeP 1983, but being embarrassed when Jake Jacobsen, photocopied and distributed her Hamlet paper to the class. Outside of the academic day, Lucy spent much of her time taking dance classes and rehearsing for En-semble performances. Lucy could always be trusted with difficult entrance cues and more challenging parts in movement canons. Study-ing music to find different strains with which to choreograph made sense to her. As Lucy expanded her movement vocabulary from her ballet roots, she worked to become a more confident and expressive performer. Fellow dancers inspired her; how other people per-

form and how different they can be on stage fascinated her. Likely Lucy’s favorite piece was a quartet entitled Passages that she danced in her junior year with classmates Yui Scrib-ner and Margaux Lloyd and Melanie Larkins CdeP 1999. Choreographed to the music of Adeimus—composed by Karl Jenkins—Lucy often listened to it while studying at Prince-ton. She remembers all of the pieces to which she’s danced, as well as the numerous costume squabbles. It seems dancers are seldom happy with what they are wearing, except for the lovely, long blue dresses used for Tides, a piece to Dvorak’s Symphony from the New World that Lucy performed two different years, the second time sharing the stage with her sister Claire CdeP 2002.

After performing in The Pajama Game and the infamous “Steam Heat” dance sequence in her sopho-more year, Lucy realized she didn’t really have the voice for musical theatre. She was very appreciative, nonetheless that Jake and Greg Haggard kept her involved with productions. The organizational and leader-ship skills that Lucy developed as assistant director of Once Upon a Mattress and Sweet Charity at Thacher were em-ployed again when she later

served as president of Expressions, a post she began in the spring of her sophomore year at Princeton.

Shortly after arriving at Princeton University, Lucy joined Expressions, one of three student-run dance companies. To revitalize the dance group and to build a larger, loyal audience, she began designing new posters and programs, finding a more knowledgeable lighting de-signer, updating the web site, badgering the university newspaper to write reviews, sup-porting the use of technology (such as videos in performance), discussing ideas with the artistic directors, and dealing with the logistics of rehearsals and performance preparation. Lucy also rehearsed four times a week as a dancer and a choreographer to prepare for a new concert each semester, not to mention going to classes, majoring in history, and writing a thesis her senior year.

When Lucy first joined Expressions she found the choreography to be unimaginative and quite boring. Dancers often “just stood in two

lines and danced to a pop song, showing off how high their legs could go.” In her first at-tempt at choreography Lucy used these for-mulaic pieces as examples of what not to do. She created movement for certain strains of the music, but soon discovered that filling in the open spaces was agony.

Many of the dancers in Expressions were ex-clusively ballet trained. Lucy enjoyed guiding her dancers to learn new ways of dancing, specifically “getting them to loosen up,” while admiring and valuing their abilities to catch on quickly and execute movement precisely. Lucy recalls “teaching the dancers how to run in a more real and grounded way, similarly to how Ms. Vickery worked to teach us to run in Dance Ensemble pieces.” Much of the joy of creating came from seeing the dancers bring to life what she had just envisioned in her head.

In the summer of 2003, Lucy took jazz and hip-hop classes at the Edge Performing Arts Center in LA. These classes continued to ex-pand Lucy’s versatility and resulted in her bringing new ideas back to Expressions Dance Company. No longer the ballerina in the mod-ern company, Lucy saw herself as the jazz, hip-hop dancer amongst the ballerinas. In her own choreography, she has never tried to say anything specific, but rather has simply tried to convey moods. In her favorite choreography to music by Prodigy, Lucy was most pleased that she got such a positive response from her danc-ers, who loved doing the work. It was a fast, dark, and almost scary piece, in which dancers could show frustration.

Although Lucy knows that the first question many might ask a college graduate is “What are your plans?” she does not yet have a defi-nite answer to the question. After the Milligan family travels to Australia in September, Lucy describes her future plans as vague. She would like to do something in the fields of education, performing arts, and community service. She has no illusions about becoming a dancer or choreographer, although Lucy could envision working for a dance company. She does know that dance will somehow remain a constant in her life.

Lucy’s life parallels mine: a Princeton Uni-versity graduate with a bachelors de-gree in history who happens to adore dance. Perhaps, Lucy will follow a few more of my dance steps and teach at Thacher some day. e

�0 The Thacher News

Performing Artists

Jonathan M. Tucker CdeP 2001The Pretender by Lee E. Wittlinger CdeP 2001

I have known Jonathan Moss Tucker—or simply Tucker, as most everyone knows him—for

over six years. During this time I have had the pleasure of living with him twice, first during our junior year at Thacher and then one summer living in Los Angeles, when I had the privilege of watch-ing him grow as a person and as an artist. I remember one particularly hot afternoon in the Ojai Valley, when Tucker and I sat in our fourth floor suite in Upper School, discussing politics and ruminating about life, as we often did. When the topic came to careers, I wryly asked “The Tuck” (a moniker he would often ascribe to himself) how he felt about spending his life merely “pretending” to be other people in often fictitious and irrelevant situations. I asked if he would not prefer being a “produc-tive” member of society, like the businessman I was aspiring to become. My absurd charac-terization of his craft was as funny to Tuck as it was to me; thereafter I began referred to him as “The Pretender.”

Tucker’s Thacher friends often roasted him about his acting career; his initial decision to

defer from Columbia University was excel-lent fodder for ribbings about his lack of a college education. I have always admired Tuck’s artistic acumen, per-sistence, and talent, and I knew there would be a time when such remarks

would fail to entertain in the face of Jonathan’s inevitable success. While watching a screening of Ball in the House in which Tucker stars opposite Jennifer Tilly, I realized for the first time that I had forgotten that I was observing my Thacher classmate and became immersed in his character’s dilemmas. After seeing The Deep End, the critically-lauded drama, I knew the time for off-handed remarks about Tuck’s career as a “pretender” had come to an end.

Jonathan made his foray into the world of per-forming arts at the age seven, donning tights and entertaining crowds of bedecked New Eng-landers for five years with the Boston Ballet. [If only his ever-supportive and culturally-attuned Thacher comrades could have attended one of these performances!] He was cast as Fritz in a production of The Nutcracker in the third

grade and later performed in The Ice Maiden and Punichello before focusing on acting at age 11. Tuck first graced the silver screen in the western comedy Troublemakers and soon followed that film with Two if by Sea. It was not until the production of Sleepers, however, that Jonathan gained true exposure to Hollywood’s elite and, by coincidence, The Thacher School.

After attending the film’s Los Angeles premier, with the star-studded cast, including Robert DeNiro and Brad Pitt, Jonathan took the op-portunity of being on the West Coast to “lit-erally drag” his parents to the Ojai Valley to visit Thacher. He had heard of the School from his seventh-grade teacher, Comfort Halsey, and upon their arrival on campus, he was im-mediately attracted to Ojai’s natural beauty. Intrigued by the School’s balance between the intellectual and natural, this self-described “raving Bostonian” was “bit by the bug,” as his parents describe it, and he ventured west.

Tucker embraced his time at Thacher with an impressive passion and energy. He dove into his coursework with relish, pursuing the intellectual both inside and outside of the class-room. He organized hiking and horse camping trips, joined the boys’ varsity lacrosse team, and demonstrated his Kennedy-country heri-tage on stage before the Sir Winston Churchill Debate Society. Most importantly and most characteristically of Tucker, however, was his concentrated and highly successful effort to

introduce himself to and develop long-lasting relationships with so many members of the Thacher Community. He is a perennial stu-dent of people, their histories, personalities, and motivations; a characteristic undoubtedly complementary to his career as an actor.

His involvement in the Thacher Community was such that almost nobody knew Tucker was at the same time so fully committed to pursuing his artistic ambitions, often on the phone with his manager and acting coach and frequently shuttling between Ojai and Los An-geles for auditions. I did not entirely appreciate the extent of his “dual-life” until rooming with him when, at one point, Tucker moved out for a month to begin shooting The Deep End in Lake Tahoe. [While I was sad to see him leave, his departure provided me with significantly more square footage per capita and introduced me to the concept of per diem during my first visit to the set!]. Such experiences did not come without sacrifices however; Tucker often had to finish the semester’s work and exams during vacations, and he eventually chose to quit the lacrosse team when his schedule became too hectic. Nonetheless, Tucker remained a sig-nificant presence on campus and in the world of film.

Art has been a constant presence in Jonathan’s life. Son of Paul Hayes Tucker, the art histo-rian and world authority on Claude Monet, Jonathan is very much the product of his diverse and culture-steeped upbringing. His childhood, extensive travel, and general rich-ness of experience (of which, Tucker repeatedly notes, Thacher plays a huge role) are often reflected in the choice and quality of films in which he participates. He has been repeatedly applauded by those within the industry for the sophistication of the roles he undertakes, and he was honored with Dubrovnik’s Libertas and Argosy Award for “Daring Choices Made in an Acting Career” (Ball in the House). This is not to say he shies away from bigger bud-get pictures with more mainstream appeal; catch him running from the clutches of the chainsaw-wielding lunatic in the remake of the cult classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or the leading role in the new Bruce Willis’ action/drama Hostage, set to release later this year. In all his films, however, regardless of genre, Tucker strives to “remain truthful to his character.” If his previous work is any indication of what is to come, I look forward to watching what will be a highly successful career as a “pretender.” e

Chapel

�1Spring / Summer 2004

Reunion Weekend

It is wonderful to be here in the Outdoor Chapel and have the chance to think out loud about Thacher and the gathering of

alumni, friends, and family that create this special weekend. In an unsettled world, such times seem especially important as a way of reaffirming who we are and how we are bound together in a shared history. Because I am a design editor with a relatively short attention span, I’ll jump around a bit. As magazine types like to say, I’ll pursue “multiple points of entry.” So here are two brief vignettes to set the stage.

Some years ago my wife Mary and I were at-tending a Senior Exhibition presentation on a warm spring evening. As we crowded into the classroom in the Humanities Building with one of the teachers, we saw a student walk in with the headless body of a rattlesnake in his hand. Just before taking his seat, he tossed it gently into a corner of the room for safekeeping while he turned his full attention toward the podium. The teacher with us commented: “Oh, I just hate it when they do that.”

Then more recently, I have enjoyed hearing about the headmaster-led trail rides into town. It seems there is a favored route that passes though a place called Dog Alley. The path runs near several houses where a variety of breeds live behind sturdy fences. Mr. Mul-ligan is an enthusiastic horseman who enjoys a good gallop. And this particular venue is attractive because it is fairly flat and as the riders lope past, the environmental transforma-tion is remarkable: each dog successively hurls itself against the fence to protest the equine invasion until the sleepy backwater erupts in a frenzy of barking. As philosophers have so often observed, sometimes the journey is the destination.

But what about this destination, this setting, that is Thacher’s Outdoor Chapel? Emily Dick-inson ends one of her nature poems with the line: “Place was where the presence was, cir-cumference between.” She is describing how birds start to sing in the predawn hours and then quiet down as dawn brightens into day. But she could have been talking about where we are now. There is a presence here, even when the space is empty, because the generous sweeping curve of the design encompasses and clarifies the view. And the view is so majestic it stops time and fills the silence. I have often pondered what Emily meant by circumfer-ence—Dickinson scholars can enlighten me—but perhaps it is just this: in such a place it is possible to see both far and near; the outward possibility and the inner truth. The juxtaposi-tion, the contrast between the two prompts a process of heightened perception. I think that is what education is all about and it is part of what Thacher teaches. Indeed, looking out-ward and inward at the same time sounds a lot like a certain saying about the outside of a horse being good for the inside of a student.

So what are some near and far views of Thacher and our time here together? Some quick images—close in memory but distant in time, for me at least—include the following:

• Boulders crunching against each other in the raging waters of an overflowing barranca after several days of downpour, and Thacher becoming an island of relief for flood victims at this end of the valley....

• Seeing an Extra-Day Trip steak dinner disap-pear into thin air as a flock of ravens plucked it out of a shallow pool in the Sespe River where it had been naively put to keep cool…

• Thinking I was experiencing a form of freshman torture as my first horse, a wise but somewhat set-in-his ways 25-year-old named Spider, refused to stop trotting on a hot and seemingly endless ride to Fillmore, when Jack Huyler took pity on me and came up with the novel solution of clipping a clothespin to Spider’s right ear as a way of distracting him enough to change his gait. It worked for about five minutes. But that was enough to give me hope. Now thinking back on it, I can only wonder at how Jack happened to have a clothespin on hand...

• Ballboy duty at the Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament when Billie Jean King and Rosie

Looking Out and Looking InThacher Outdoor Chapel Talk by Daniel P. Gregory CdeP 1969

Casalls were playing doubles and watching one of Steve Smith’s serves—perhaps to Bob Lutz?—go right through the cyclone fence...

• On a spring evening, after dinner and just before attending a lecture in the Auditorium, watching from The Pergola as a large gray Cadillac, owned by the senior partner in a prestigious Los Angeles law firm and the par-ent of a classmate, drifted slowly away from its parking place in front of the Schoolhouse and then quietly rolled down the hill and crashed into the stone wall in front of the Kitchen. Now there was a torte to remember…

• The Bonus questions on Mr. Lamb’s History exams...

• The lazy susans in the Dining Hall. Have you ever played the game of finding a metaphor for your mind? Do you think of it as a filing cabinet? A safe? A computer? One acquain-tance told me she thought her mind was like an ocean: one minute it was full of ideas and the next it was empty because the tide had gone out. Well, I sometimes think of my mind as a lazy susan, with just a few ideas going round and round, and I am always thinking of those Thacher dining tables. For me, returning to Thacher is sometimes a way of restocking that mental turntable or making it spin a little faster...

So what are some longer, perhaps more inter-pretive, views? I like to think of Thacher not just as a chambered nautilus—linked com-partments spiraling outward in a time-hon-ored metaphor for growth in body, mind, and spirit—but as a nautilus-with-the-top-down. Or better yet, as a sort of chambered corral. For in my memory, Thacher’s outdoor rooms were at least as important as the classrooms.

Take The Pergola. You could call it a ceremo-nial corral, where the School gathers before meals or a play or a lecture. I see the pepper trees and the dark wood posts and beams edg-ing the terrace in shadow against the heat. I see the trellis framing views out across the valley. Like a great heavy hammock, The Pergola suspends us above the orange trees, the tennis courts, and The Ojai, shaping the pauses in a day, forming a resilient anchor, pushing us to activity, drawing us to rest.

Continued on page 38

Justin Faggioli CdeP 1969, Dan Gregory CdeP 1969, and Jesse Adams CdeP 1969 saddled up for a trail ride

�2 The Thacher News

More than 300 alums and their fami-

lies gathered again inside the gates of

CdeP to celebrate both recent memories and

those of 70 years past. Those classes that end

in “4” and “9” spent three days catching up in

all kinds of ways: chatting in courtyards, dorm

rooms, on The Pergola, on the trail; playing

soccer or swimming, dancing to the music of

Preston Smith and the Crockadiles. The Class

of 1954 celebrated their Golden Anniversary

with a special luncheon at the Head’s Home,

followed by a trail ride. And, correspondence

continues to filter in that confirms that every-

one had a fantastic time.

ReunionWeekend2 0 0 4

1934

1944

1954

1959

��Spring / Summer 2004

1964

1969

1974

1979

1984

1989

1994

1999

�� The Thacher News

Notesby Jane D. McCarthy

Class1949

Otis Wickenhaeuser wrote in that certainly the sky is falling into the Sespe, if not over the whole Ojai when Mr. Vosburg’s name was inadvertently spelled with an “e” in the profile for Peter Henze CdeP 1957 in the last issue of The Thacher News. We can assure one and all, the firmament is still in its proper place. Good catch, Otis.

1951

David Lavender shared the wonderful news that classmate John Miller, MD, emeritus professor of pediatrics at Stanford Medical Center, was named Master of the American College of Rheumatology at its annual scientific meeting last October in Or-lando FL. John was recognized for his major con-tributions and the highest professional standards in advancing the art and science of rheumatology, especially for “his recent research exploring the patterns of serologic abnormalities, complement activation and cytokine profiles in different forms of arthritis and rheumatic diseases of children,” according to the December 3, 2003 issue of the “Stanford Report.” Congratulations to Dr. Miller, and thanks for letting us know, David.

1952

“Life is great at Wombats’ Farm,” writes Clar-ence Kent. “Celebrated glorious 70th with Don Yates and Jane.”

1953

Sue and John Carver enjoyed a two-week visit to Santiago in January. Besides the great weather, they particularly enjoyed two days at an estancia in southern Chile where they breed horses whose ancestors arrived in late 1500.

Adelle and Joe Di Giorgio spent July at their new home on Whidbey Island in Washington.

Kate and Toby Briggs flew over to San Francisco from a convention in Reno to join Liz and Jim Funsten, Lyn and Lee Follett, Traci and Charlie Stephenson, Sue and John Carver, and Adell and Joe Di Giorgio for dinner at the Plumpjack Café. A great time was had by all!

1959

Bill Myrin was sorry to have missed the 45th Reunion, but he plans to be on hand for the 50th. He’d love to hear from classmates: bmyrin@SKNT.com.

1960

John Williams  is planning to write a book re-garding the structures that housed material han-dling equipment/facilities for loading/unloading “lakers”: ships unique to the Great Lakes. Some examples: Duluth/Superior; South Chicago; Mon-treal with their grain elevators; ore docks; steel mills; coal docks etc. He’ll also portray how the railroads “switched” these ports. “Any alumni with any info are welcome to contact me.”

1961

Casey Escher’s daughter, Cassie, asked for his help to go to law school. He asked her, “Why do you want to go to law school?” “To sue you,” she answered. He said, “What for?” Cassie said, “I don’t know now but I’ll have three years to find a reason.” She’s at USF Law School, working as an intern this summer for San Francisco’s City Attorney Office in Litigation Dept. Son, Chris, graduates from Cal Poly in December.

1963

When next on line, check out the site: www.dub-linjaffreyrindgedemocrats.org/nick_thacher.htm. You’ll see that running for the New Hampshire of House of Representatives is none other than Nick Thacher, running on the platform, “Our State must find a way to fund public schools without pitting towns and citizens against each other. We need a viable and equitable solution to school funding!”

1965

Sam Eaton joined the Past Parents Club late in May when Chris graduated from Thacher. They took a cross-country “road trip” in August to drop off Chris at St. Lawrence University in New York for the fall term. “He’s planning on playing lacrosse there after a great season this year. And, on another front, for all you Class of 1965 horse-men, get this...Ruth picked up the sack this spring off her Dad’s gigantic horse. Anyone think they can do that? So…what’s new with you guys?”

1969

According to Scott Kennedy, “Alison gave birth to Gabrielle Kennedy at the height of Portland’s snowstorm on January 6, 2004. This is my sec-ond do-it-yourself grandchild (Madeleine is now four and easily destined to be taller than I am).” The whole tribe was on hand for the Reunion in June. He hopes folks will drop by their home in Portland!

 Justin Faggioli, his wife Sandy Donnell and father Richard Faggioli visited Mui Nimmanahe-minda at his home in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Mui and his wife Victoria are busy working with their family businesses in Northern Thailand. Their son, Ricky (19) is an engineering student at Notre Dame, IN. Their daughter, Arisa (23), recently married and lives with her husband, Tada, in Tokyo. In addition to their work activities, Mui and Victoria are making substantial contributions to the economic and social fabric of Thailand, in-cluding Mui’s position as Chairman of Thailand’s national Kayak team. It was a wonderful visit of old friends.”

Jess Adams reports that the 35th Reunion was wonderful in many ways, “but the ‘high point’ was climbing Twin Peaks, on foot, early in the morning, with Justin Faggioli, Dan Gregory, and Scott Kennedy. A close second was the late night ‘bull session’ with classmates Stew Abercrombie, Jim Richardson, Mike Morse, Ross Anderson, Scott Kennedy, Craig Chisholm, and Jim Watts in the Upper School. The years melted away as if they’d never happened, and we were friends and teenagers again. Also great to see Marsh Milligan, Pete Dragge, and my friend and college room-mate at Cal, Greg Smith, and old owl-hunter, Jim Howard.

Alumni News

��Spring / Summer 2004

1971

All of the Scotts are doing well. Stephen remains with the City of San Mateo as Principal Plan-ner. Lynn works for Malcolm Plant, running his sales office. Daughter, Stephanie, just completed her junior year at Colorado University-Boulder, majoring in Broadcast Management. And son, Tyler, is wrapping up seventh grade . . . and will not even be in high school before his sister is out of college. “Oh boy, nine more years of school to pay for!”

Todd Oppenheimer’s second son, Moss Pritchard-Hirsch Oppenheimer, was born in May. As Todd says, “As usual, I was a little late to the party (i.e., marriage and family), but got there. My best to all in class of 71, and its neighbors.”

“Although it has taken until I was 48,” reports Ryan Wood, “our first child was born in Sep-tember of 2003: Kylie A. Wood. After about six months, fatherhood has become extremely fun. On the business side, after a 14-year ca-reer in semiconductor marketing, computer sales and medical device engineering I have spent the last ten in commercial energy conservation. I do dabble in some weird stuff, like UFO docu-ments (www.majesticdocuments.com) and raising venture money for a breakthrough supersonic aircraft patent.”

1976

If you’re in the Milwaukee area, Peter Morse hopes you’ll come and visit!

Six members of the Class of ’76 rendezvoused to ski Alpine Meadows in February: John Cice-rone, Nick Kent, Brock Metcalf, Nick Noyes, Miquel de Sanz, and Chuck Henderson.

Kathleen and Nick  Kent  recently moved to Healdsburg, CA. Daughter Grace (10) is attend-ing Summerfield Waldorf School and is a bud-ding actress. Nick continues to provide forestry consulting services to clients in Northern Cali-fornia.

1978

We’re seeing more of John Breckenridge now that he’s set-tled in Ojai with sons Jonathen

and Gar-rett . In the fall, he’ll be working at Ojai Valley School with students and sports. He is very interested in the Theosophical Society at Krotona.

1979

Hans Sinha, wife Sharon, daughters Alexa (7) and Mia (5), and son Anders (3) are living in Oxford, MS. “Any Thacher folks living in or passing through the south are welcome to visit.”

1980

Lest you think a new fellow has been added to your class, take note that Rob Turner in last magazine’s Class Notes section is none other than Rod Turner. Sorry for the potential confusion.

1981

According to the Christmas card from the Calhoun family, Alex hit the big 4-0 last year and continues appraising commercial real estate in the Silicon Valley; he’s also become the family dinner chef extraordinaire. Katie purchased the wine and spirit PR company she worked for and renamed it Calhoun & Schwartz Communications. Walker is into guitar, soccer, baseball, basketball, skiing, and backpacking; sis-ter Natalie spends her time playing piano, soccer, skiing, backpacking, swimming, and reading.

  C a r o l y n Chandler spent some of her time at GTC last summer feed-ing the burros. Unique style, Carolyn!

1982

Belinda Hanson enjoyed her visit with Shawna Weseloh Biel and her family in San Diego. At the Hanson/Thomas home, there’s a new paddock area at the barn so that their horse, Angel Mist, can live with the family: “I will be back to muck-ing out stalls before breakfast!”

  John Herzog recently climbed Nevado Pisco (19,190 ft) in Peru to raise f und s f o r a Santa Barbara drug treatment center for teens. “I figured it was a good way to start my forties!” John has lived in Santa Barbara for 20 years now, and is the Sales and Marketing Director for a health club group.

Photos of Brian Kopperl’s Return Trek to Golden Trout

Bridge to Camp

Half House Stone

Windy Gap, elevation 11,000 ft.

Brian Kopperl CdeP 1982, August 2003

�� The Thacher News

1983

James Bell Cunningham  is building a timber-frame house from an old barn in Old Chatham, NY. “I’m looking for visitors and hard workers, preferably at the same time.” Bring a hammer. Email: jake@browntroutsystems.com

Like Derick Perry, Eva Burns Khattab chose to return to a place of her youth where she found so much joy. Her husband, Mohab, accepted a position with a Saudi conglomerate to develop a new business in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. In June, Evan and their three children (Yesmeen, Tarek and Omar) left Northern Virginia to join him and live in Bahrain, an island kingdom off the coast of Saudi Arabia. “No, I do not have to wear a veil, I can drive a car and although I am not promising to work, I may change my mind once we get settled. Bahrain is the banking capital of the gulf region, and I may find it difficult to pass up consulting opportunities. I will miss visits to Ojai, but maybe Thacher will call me back as my daughter will be 15 in ten years (that is a scary thought), and she is crazy about dogs and horses. Reach me at eva@khattab.biz or ebinrt@yahoo.com. And unlike Saudi, we can actually have visi-tors in Bahrain.”

Kevin and Louise Branch Charbonneau happily announce the arrival of Nicolas Watson Charbon-neau on March 11, 2004.

1984

Liam and Diana Lewis Callahan are enjoying their second son, William “Will” Lewis Callahan who arrived February 12, 2004. While vacation-ing with the boys in Kauai in March, Connor and Diana talked to a mother and her daughter on the beach who turned out to be Mike O’Toole’s wife, Jennifer, and daughter Rory! “Small world. Since returning from our trip Mike and his wife have visited the creamery to sample cheeses for their new investment in a wine and cheese restaurant in Napa!”

Carmen and Beau Sterling were sorry to miss the Reunion, but hope that if you are in Las Vegas, you’ll get in touch: bsterling@beckleylaw.com.

1986

Ami Becker Aronson lives in Bethesda, MD, with her husband Lou and four kids—stepdaughters Caroline (11), Melissa (9), and son Isaac (2), and daughter Goldie born April 8, 2004. When not playing Mom, she “continues to serve as a strategic communication consultant in entertain-ment education and social marketing working on national public health campaigns.”

1987

Thomas Huntley and family are really enjoying the Sonoma County wine-country life with Mc-Cabe (6), Grace (4), chocolate lab (Toby), three bunnies, six chickens, a cat, 16 apple trees, and $510 pinot noir wines. Tom spent last year build-ing a mortgage banking/broker company in the North Bay. Nancy is a realtor and enjoys helping others move to that beautiful part of the state.

Thomas Cole recently won a world title at the 2004 Masters’ World Overall Flying Disc cham-pionships. It’s no wonder since Tom spends his time coaching Ultimate Frisbee, when he’s not growing food, teaching gardening, or tending to daughter Allie (5) and Tobias (3). His wife Linda just graduated from UCSB.

A mini Class Re-union! JP  Manoux found Katie Parsons in a hip Madrid Jazz club on a hot July night.

1988

 Elizabeth Macy Graham married Lawrence Tanji on September 27, 2003. Her Matron of Honor, Kalai Kennedy Vincent (on her right) is married to Scott Vincent and they had a baby, Nicholas Justin Vincent, on April 24, 2004.

Life is exciting for Rhodes and Emily Loomis Murphey. Rhodes graduated from veterinary school in May; as of June 13, they’re parents of a beautiful baby girl, Malinda Catherine Mur-phey (8 lbs, 3 oz,); and they moved to East Texas (Jacksonville) on June 24. All three are adjusting to their new lifestyle.

1992

Gatsha Small has been married for a year now. They are stationed at Edwards AFB, CA, where Gatsha works as a civilian Aerospace Engineer doing flight tests: “Lots o’ fun, cool planes and a miserably hot desert.” His wife is finishing up school and managing a small band in the Ante-lope Valley.

Suzanne  Bird and husband Terry Boyden joyfully an-nounce the birth of their daughter, Parker Isabel, on July 9, 2004.

1993

Wedding bells rang on July 19, 2003 for Jean Richards when she became Mrs. Jamie Damon. On hand for the wonderful festivities were close Thacher friends Molly Clarke, Tim  Butler, Meghan Jeans, and JJ Eklund. Jean’s father, Row-land Richards, Jr. CdeP 1953, gave her away.

1994

Alexei Angelides just finished a two-year stint as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy at City University of New York after having writ-ten a Master’s Thesis on Logic. “This year will be my third in NYC. I took two years off in the middle of college at Rice University and moved to London where I became a sous chef at a four-star-restaurant. After graduating, I came to the New School for Social Research in NYC to work on my Master’s Thesis, which I defended in February, 2004. During these three-and-a-half years here, I have been teaching at CUNY as an adjunct, and this last year, full time. I was the Managing Edi-tor of an academic journal, the Graduate Faculty Philosophy Journal, for three years. In September, I moved to Palo Alto to finish my PhD in philoso-phy at Stanford.

The big news in Robert and Jovi Young Geraci’s life is that son, Zion Joseph, was born at home on March 17, 2004. They are totally in love with him and “being a mom rocks! He still doesn’t look much like me.” Jovi wrapped up teaching re-ligious studies at UCSB’s summer session and then hit the road for Ohio, where she’ll be a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Religion Department at Denison University. If in the neighborhood, please stop by.

Rika Howe will be teaching first grade this fall at a local public school. She’s looking forward to seeing many friends at Devon Brown’s wedding in October; she’ll also get to meet Jovi’s new baby boy. Nate Toll is a full-time graduate student at UGA, earning a masters in hydrogeology. He has been competing in triathlons in the Southeast, and he is raising his fourth puppy for Canine Companions for Independence.

Joshua Kurlinski married Heather Harvey on June 5, 2004 in Las Vegas.

Anne Jack earned her master’s in plant science in May.

��Spring / Summer 2004

1995

Meagan Darrow  reports that she dined with Monica Garg’s grandfather the evening before her beautiful wedding; beyond that, Leyla Abou-Samra CdeP 1996, Brittany Sanders CdeP 1996, Omar Abou-Samra, Aracelis Girmay, and Rhia Hurt are “all amazing and doing so well. A won-derful break from the stresses of teaching in South Central.”

1996

After eight years in the Bay Area, Joanna Farrer is moving to Los Angeles this fall to begin a master’s program at the UCLA School of Public Policy and Social Research. She recently completed work on a research project for UCSF studying public health and safety issues in child-care settings. Joanna will continue to study early child health and well-being at UCLA.

Alexia Allen Stevens is all a-twitter about her new beehives: “It’s a girl! Several thousand of them! They are growing, just in time for the blackberry bloom. Our organic gardening yields dividends of delicious chickens, tasty goats, and buckets of raspberries. Maybe one of these days the Seattle rain will cease and we’ll get some summer sun.”

Maria Banman was sighted working at Cheap Sports in Ventura, but not for long. She’s on her way to Colorado (to live with Diana Garcia CdeP 1995) while she applies to medical schools.

According to her parents, “Catherine Pinkerton and her husband Travis Keeling are half way through a two-year Peace Corps assignment sta-tioned in Cano Negro, Costa Rica. It is a small rural town of nearly 300 in a large wildlife re-serve in the northern lowlands that shares a bor-der with Nicaragua. They have a small house, a cat, and no electricity…. They are assisting sev-eral women’s groups in starting small businesses. Travis is teaching a class to children in 5th to 8th grade showing how an education can enhance one’s ability to earn a better wage and improve life. Many of the children stop school at the 6th grade. Catherine is teaching English classes to park rangers so they can give better tours to Eng-lish–speaking scientists who visit the refuge. The classes have been popular and have grown into an adult education program for the local townsfolk. Similar to our local school’s garden program, Travis and Catherine have also started vegetable gardens in the local schools.”

The latest artist book of Brittany Sanders, Last Night We Were Awoke, was on exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art this spring as

part of a show entitled High-lights from the Permanent Col-lection: Prints, Drawings, and I l lustrat ions. This limited edi-tion accordion book follows

the journey of Lewis and Clark as they venture west to the Pacific Ocean. Seen through how the night sky appeared to the two trekkers, the book also features a series of watercolor paintings that evoke their journey.

  Michele  Weber shared her happy news that she be-came Mrs. Brian Hunt last summer. Their wedding took place on a deck overlooking Lake Travis in Austin, TX. A few Thacher alums enjoyed the fest ivit ies: Kate Gulbransen, Tommy 

Thornhill, and Leyla Abou-Samra. Michele is teaching middle-school science in Dallas, while Brian is working on his law degree at SMU.

Peyton Holmes  is still living in Bozeman, MT, where he enjoys all the outdoor recreation the state offers, as well as the occasional freedive spearfishing trips. “Hello to all my Thacher friends and family, and best wishes to all.”

1997

On March 1, Chris Labbe was hired as Program Coordinator for Montana MarketManager, a joint education program of the Montana Grain Growers Association and the Montana Stock-growers Association. As of May 1, Chris is en-gaged to Tiffanie Huson.

According to Erica Moore, “It’s a small world indeed. I spent a week traveling across the state of California in early May. I camped at Yosemite for a few days and really wanted a bed, so I checked into a local lodge/hostel where who did I run into but my former charge Mollie Gardner CdeP 1999! It was great to see her; she was enrolled in a Wilderness EMT course that sounded pretty rigorous. When her class finished their exams on that Friday, I bought them all a couple of pitchers of beer to celebrate. When I returned to NYC, I had a voice mail message at work from none other than former School Chair Tim Hatch CdeP (1995), asking me to help with his upcoming CD! ...it’s a crazy world!”

Ryan Kurlinski began a doctorate program in Economics/Alternate Energy at Carnegie-Mellon in Pittsburgh, PA in August.

J o i n i n g the fun at this year’s Big G y m k h a n a W e e k e n d were Brian S h a w a n d his girlfriend Maggie, along with Gavin Back and his girlfriend Emaleigh Ben-ner (sister of PJ ’06).

Barrett Reiff began an MBA in Entrepreneur-ship at the University of Southern California in August.

1998

When Louisa Footman turned 24, Kim Turner was on hand for the fes-tivities in Baltimore last year.

1999

Once Sarah Bruss married Jeremy in Maine in August, they moved to the Far East to “teach English, improve our Chinese, make connections, travel, and have fun. It was wonderful to see so many of our class at reunion weekend! Love to you all!”

Nine weeks of cycling 4,000 miles cross country to benefit Habitat for Humanity came to an end on July 31, when the thirty cyclists, including Erin Hoppin, rode through the fountain below Seattle’s Space Needle and into the arms of loved ones. Beyond seeing incredible scenery (the Badlands of SD, Grand Tetons, Glacier National Park, and the North Cascades), the group helped construct Habitat homes in NY and ID, and shared their experiences with host churches where they spent their nights. Now Erin is heading back to Brook-lyn where she’ll begin working as a legal assistant at Davis, Polk, & Wardwell in September. Check out her website (www.hoppin.org) or the group’s website (www.yale.edu/habitat) for more infor-mation and photos.

2000

Trevor Chase McProud graduated from Colorado College with a BA in Environmental Science on May 17, 2004.

And, on the last day of May, Seth Kurlinski grad-uated from Bates College in Lewiston, ME.

Yet one more graduate is Peter Hartnack, who graduated from USC with a degree in history.

The proud mother of B e n n e t t Barbakow 

snapped this shot of two new graduates at Brown: Bennett and Katie Russell CdeP 1999.

Devon Tarasevic asked Michael Mulligan for a backpacking suggestion up Wheeler Canyon and thoroughly enjoyed a long weekend with her friends. They visited Pine Mountain Lodge, the Three Mile area, and lunch by the river. Once started, the scenery looked familiar, and her old knot-tying expertise (butterfly, figure-eight, clove hitch, and trucker’s) came in handy. She’s looking forward to her next trek in the Sespe.

According to her mother, Erin Blankenship was awarded Student of the Year for International Studies at graduation from Trinity University this year. Now Erin is applying for a Rhodes Scholar-ship. Best of luck!

�� The Thacher News

Tim Stenovec CdeP 2001 sent this photo of Marley Orr and himself on a nice day at Colby in Waterville, ME where Marley grad-uated in May; Tim plans to follow suit next year.

In an interview in TIME magazine (August 23, 2004), page 10, Bob Costas spoke about his and Katie Couric’s rivalry over producing “the most ridiculous piece of Olympics minutia that you’ve read about.” Costas responded, “Oh, this is the one: ‘Gabon’s President Omar Bongo (father of Amissa Bongo) has promised any Gabonian medal winner a new house and vast sums of cash. But the wily Bongo is hedging his bets, insofar as Gabon has never won an Olympic medal.’ If Katie cribs my ‘wily Bongo’ note, I’ll deck her.”

2001

David Babbott was awarded The Samuel Wal-ley Brown Scholarship at Amherst College. It is awarded to that member of the junior class who shall, in the estimation of the Trustees, rank highest in his/her class in character, class leader-ship, scholarship, and athletic ability. Well done, David!

In March, we heard from father Robert CdeP 1967, that Emmett Hopkins had surgery for thy-roid cancer that seems to have been successful, although he had to take the quarter off. This summer, Emmett has a Fellowship at the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency. The focus is on a green building and other urban environmental concerns. Check out his website that he created to share the songs he’s written/recorded: www.stanford.edu/~ehopkins.

2002

On the last day of May, Jamie Everett joined the ranks of the few playing in a national champi-onship when he hit the field in the Navy-Syra-cuse Lacrosse game! Navy was the runner-up for NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse.

2003

Back in April, Lucy Hodgman had lunch with Val and David Lavender CdeP 1951 at their new home in Northfield, MN. They shared and compared stories and tales about Thacher and Carleton.

Apparently Chance Phelps has found his calling. According to Uncle Jack Huyler, Chance earned a 3.9 GPA in his second semester at the Maine Marine Academy. Now he’s on a training ship on the Atlantic. Way to go, Chance!

Faculty News: Past and Present

English Department Chair Jake Jacobsen will be juggling another hat this fall, the one for Dean of Faculty. In this role, he’ll work closely with faculty members in a broad array of roles: hiring, evaluations, advancement, and orientation.

Beginning this fall, Admission Officer Jason Car-ney will teach history full time, oversee the up-perclass boys in Upper School, and will continue coaching Boys’ Varsity Basketball. Jason and Megan welcomed Riley’s baby brother Robert Pels into their family on September 8, 2004. He tipped the scales at 8 lbs., 5 oz., and will soon be working on his baseline jumpshot.

After seven years as Dean of Students, Chris Maz-zola has a new title: Associate Director of the Admission Office.

Roger Klausler spent the month of July in north-ern Spain, traveling and studying; Molly Twichell Perry CdeP 1985 spent three weeks studying in southern Spain; Chuck Warren finished the second of his three-year summer sabbatical; he’s studying advanced equine techniques and Portu-guese in Portugal.

Math teacher Theanna  Hancock  is taking a NOLS course on the Wind River with Will Bar-kan CdeP 2002.

Three faculty members finished their post- graduate degrees this summer: Jason Carney earned a MEd from the University of Hawaii, Kara Hooper earned a master’s in English from Breadloaf, and Emily Etchells McCarren earned a master’s in Spanish from Washington University while studying in Madrid. Bravo!

 Former faculty members Wendi and Jamie Parker-Dial welcomed Connor James to their family on July 15; note: she tried to make him ar-

rive early at Field Day at school’s end, but, alas, no luck. Daugh-

ter Morgan started Montes-sori School in June and loves

every minute of it. Jamie is working, continuing school, and adventure racing. Wendi is painting, especially now that she returned from Santa Fe, inspired by so many wonderful artists. Bela is shedding in an attempt to cool down in Tennes-see.

John and Merilee Lin and their sons returned to the West Coast; John is now the Head of School at San Francisco Day School.

After receiving the last Thacher News, Edgardo Catalan wrote from Chile to say that he is teach-ing at the University of Valparaiso at the School of Design and Architecture. In July, he dropped by the School to say hello to old friends. e

Dan GregoryContinued from page 31

If The Pergola is one of Thacher’s centers offer-ing focus and fixity, then the trails are among the School’s extremities, providing freedom and flexibility. There’s that inward and out-ward refrain from my lazy susan again. Each trail is an axis, an open-air corridor, a care-fully enhanced contour on the hill. No journey along one is the same. As we saw with Dog Alley, each trail carries the potential for excite-ment, for incident.

For my second horse, Eliza Jane—Spider re-tired after my freshman year—each trail ap-peared to function as an approximation, a rough idea about direction, or perhaps even an abstraction, because we often found ourselves vaulting above the track or plunging below it for no apparent reason. I once went riding up Thacher Canyon with several classmates only to find myself lagging behind. I tapped Eliza Jane lightly, thinking we would move a little faster to catch up, and the unpredictable horse instantly accelerated, veering off the trail at high speed. Of course I now know that my lack of control was entirely my fault—there was no horse whisperer in my gene pool. Her sense of direction, while not reliable, was con-fident, and as we thundered through the sumac I could see a low-slung oak limb looming up ahead. The demonic horse seemed to know what she was doing for the pommel passed cleanly under but I did not. My companions only noticed my absence when a riderless horse galloped past. ”Gee, I wonder where Dan is?” was the idle observation. This trail had a struc-ture and it was made of oak.

It occurs to me that Thacher’s most memorable outdoor spaces—from The Pergola to the Barn Area to the Soccer Field to the horse trails to the Sespe campsites themselves—are among the School’s most successful “buildings.” For each space seems to suit its site while vividly articu-lating its function. Several—like the Outdoor Theatre and this chapel—go a step further to celebrate the setting, heightening the experi-ences that take place within them.

But in the end, the place of Thacher and the presence of Thacher—and by presence I mean all of us, the students, the teachers, the alumni, the community, and the life of school—overlap and intertwine until they are extensions of each other. They become both the central point and the circumference. They become both the look-ing out and the looking in. The distant and the near. The past and the present. The dawning and the day. Returning to this place and recon-necting with this presence helps us see that we are part of a larger whole. How lucky to be together. In this widening circle. On this day. At this moment. And in this place.

Thank you. e

��Spring / Summer 2004

David CdeP 1962 and Cathy Marsten

Samuel Pond CdeP 1974

Kevin Flynn CdeP 1978Kate Pond, daughter of

Pete Pond CdeP 1932

Golden Trout Encampment 2004

The family of Boun Ly CdeP 1974

Bob Johnson CdeP 1967Participants in the Golden Trout Encampment

Obituaries

�0 The Thacher News

Losses to the CommunityAlumni Who Will Be Sorely Missed by Jane D. McCarthy

employer network for employing students in Chicago and nationwide. He continued to serve as a Consultant to the Career Develop-ment Center until his death.

While at Thacher, “Grange” was “a four-letter man:” Baseball, Soccer, Track, and Tennis; he was also quite a horseman, but couldn’t squeeze all of these pursuits into an already busy schedule that included Notes Board, Busi-ness Manager of El Archivero, Committee of X, and Big Tournament Committee. Grange matriculated at Princeton, but graduated from Harvard in 1941. He served as a Major in the US Air Force in Europe in World War II. He also served as director of various non-profit agencies in the Chicago area. He is survived by his wife Stella Brown Kenly of Lake Forest; by his daughter Margaret and son Granger Jr.; three step children, and seven grandchildren.

Perry Gwynne More Aus-tin, Jr., MD CdeP 1940, who devoted much of his nearly five-decade career to the healthcare of vet-erans, died February 12, 2004, from complica-tions of pneumonia. He strongly advocated for

veterans’ health treatment and the desegrega-tion of hospital admissions. He received many honors during his career, including a citation for outstanding services from the Disabled American Veterans for 1984-85.

According to the 1940 El Archivero, “A eu-logy on Perry Austin could quite fairly deal with one or two characteristics and still give a reasonably well-rounded picture, for ‘Aust’ is a single-minded, well-integrated personality.” He played and captained the second soccer team, ran track and relays, and was the cel-list of the String Quartet. He became an “A” Camper; participated in Dramatics and Glee Club; became a member of the Committee of Ten; and served as a Prefect his senior year. He matriculated at Princeton, where he gradu-ated in 1944, and then went on to Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. He served his internship at LA’s County General Hospital and was a re-search fellow at the Johns Hopkins University from 1949 to 1951. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Air Force Medical

Morgan Adams, Jr. CdeP 1933 died March 25, 2004 in Los Angeles. While at Thacher, Morgan was known for composing rich and wonderful po-etry, captaining the soccer team, and running dances. He also played baseball,

ran track, became a “B” Camper, rode on the Second Gymkhana Team, and served as secretary for the Gun Board. A member of the Committee of Ten, Morgan also served as prefect for the Upper Upper and earned “All Privileges.” He matriculated at Yale, where he earned a degree in history in 1937. He served in the US Navy’s Pacific Fleet during World War II. When he returned home from active duty, he married Suzanne Vidor, daughter of movie director King Vidor, and later married Ruth Swanson.

As a builder and businessman, Morgan and a few friends developed the first ski lifts at Mt. Baldy. He and his brother Peter also developed office buildings along Wilshire Boulevard near downtown. He was an active Director of LA’s YMCA, a founding member of the Southern California Ski Lift and Tow Operations As-sociation, a 50-year member of the California Club, and a member of the Yale Club of South-ern California. He will always be remembered for his love of the arts and skiing, generosity, and dedication to his family. Preceded in death by his eldest son, Morgan III (CdeP 1965), he is survived by two children, Robin and John; six stepchildren, and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Granger  Farwell  Kenly CdeP 1936 died on June 16, 2004 in Lake Forest, IL. He had been active in Chicago communica-tions work and civic af-fairs; he retired in 1984 as Senior Vice-President for corporate and Inves-tor Relations of IC Industries in Chicago (now the Whitman Corporation). Following his re-tirement, he served as Career Development Officer for Lake Forest College, where he was responsible for counseling both students and alumni of the College on career selection and career opportunities, and for establishing an

Alumni News

�1Spring / Summer 2004

Corps and was posted to March Air Force Base in Riverside, CA, where he worked as chief of medicine during the last years of the Korean War.

Perry married Sally Evans, the daughter of his former commanding officer, at the US Embassy in Ankara Turkey. They lived in Baltimore, where he was on the faculty of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine from 1957 until 1987. He is survived by his wife; three sons David, Peter CdeP 1977, and Christopher CdeP 1978; a sister, Camilla; and six granddaughters.

Robert  A.  Hiller CdeP 1943 died on April 1, 2004 in Corte Madera, CA. Raised in San Fran-cisco, Bob attended Thacher for three years and earned the admiration of his peers for his easy-going and good-natured manner, likely the reason he was the object of much teasing. His “distinctive ‘Huh!’ inter-mingled with his rapid and often incoherent chatter is one of the indestructible memories of his classmates...[known as] Hillaresque jargon which is often close to a foreign language in the understanding of his classmates,” as re-ported in the 1943 El Archivero. In his senior year at Thacher, he was Captain of the First Soccer Team and earned the Fay Soccer Tro-phy; he also played on the First Basketball and Baseball Teams. School Prefect, Committee of Ten, Gun Board, Cabinet, and Indoor Club rounded out his extracurricular activities. He matriculated to the University of California at Berkeley. He graduated from the US Merchant Marine Academy at King’s Point and served throughout the South Pacific.

Bob was president of the State Terminal Company and served as a director of the San Francisco Warehouse Property Company for 40 years. He was a 50-year member of the Olympic Club and a longtime docent at the SS Jeremiah O’Brien. Preceded in death by his wife of 37 years, Elizabeth Maloon Hiller, he is survived by his two daughters, Susan Marshall and Molly Brilliant, their husbands, and two grandsons.

Thomas A. Barkan MD CdeP (1944) died of cancer on March 12, 2004 according to his widow, Victoria Barkan. He graduated from Stanford with a BA in 1947 and earned his MD from Stanford in 1952. Tom is also sur-vived by a daughter, Caroline.

Kenneth W. Vidato CdeP 1973 passed away peace-fully of kidney failure on March 14, 2004 at Doc-tors Hospital in Lanham, MD. During Ken’s three years at Thacher, he par-ticipated in various com-munity service projects,

Literary Society, School Council, Discipline Committee, and Debate; in his senior year, he earned commendations in English and Span-ish. Following graduation from Harvard, Ken worked for more than 20 years on education-related projects for the Close-Up Foundation in Washington, DC. Ken became very active in his church and hoped to go to Divinity School in order to explore the possibility of pursuing a Christian religious vocation.

Ken’s health had been good until last Sep-tember; he was acutely ill for only a couple of months before his death. According to his widow, Renee, “Kenneth fought a good fight and now lives forever in victory in the presence of the one he loves the most, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Classmate Walter Rieman says that Renee would be comforted by letters from Ken’s friends: Renee Vidato, 6024 St. Mortiz Drive, Temple Hills, MD 20748; email: vidato.group@verizon.net. e

Calendar Thacher Gatherings and Events

Fall 2004 – Winter 2005

Tuesday, October 5Los Angeles Gathering

Tuesday, October 12Washington, DC Gathering

Wednesday, October 13New York Gathering

Thursday, October 14Chicago Gathering

Friday-Sunday, October 29-31Family Weekend

Wednesday, November 3New Track Dedication Honoring David S. Lavender

Wednesday, November 10Portland Gathering

Thursday, November 11Seattle Gathering

Saturday-Sunday, November 13-14Cultural Weekend

Friday-Saturday, January 28-29Board of Trustees Winter Meeting

Saturday-Sunday, February 19-20Departmental Weekend

STACEY COWLES CdeP 1978, JAMES COWLES CdeP 1951, and BETSY COWLESSpokane, WashingtonUnrestricted Giving for Where Thacher Needs It Most

hE BOnd BETWEEn the Cowles family and Thacher is long and deep, reaching through

three generations and across the continent. Sherman Day Thacher’s father, W. L. Thacher, was

W. H. Cowles’ classics professor at Yale. Mr. Cowles moved to Spokane in 1890 to work in the

newspaper business; three years later, he owned The Spokesman-Review. Three generations of his family

followed him as publishers and executives. And three generations attended Thacher, including W. H.

Cowles, Jr., who arrived here in a horse-drawn wagon in 1918 and graduated two years later. W. H.

Cowles III graduated in 1947; his brother Jim in 1951; Jim’s nephew Stacey graduated in 1978. Between

cousins and extended family members, the total is now 19.

The Cowles support Thacher because it shares their strong familial values, has an excellent academic

program, and each member—through the decades—has found something rare, real, and essential here.

Jim and Stacey share memories of CdeP,

while Jim’s niece Betsy speaks of being

raised in a family where Thacher’s values

played an integral role. Although this

unbreakable bond between Thacher and

the Cowles began in a different era, the

underlying human need for meaning

and purpose are precisely the same now

as they were then.

Thacher alumni are fiercely loyal

to their school because of what

they experienced here and of how

they have come to understand

that experience as the years have

passed. Thacher parents and

friends are also committed to

the School because they have

seen what it has meant to the

people they love. Over time, this

understanding deepens, and with

this deepening comes an immense

gratitude and commitment to

see Thacher continue and thrive

for succeeding generations of

young people.

Continuing in this issue of

The Thacher News, we share some of

the stories of people whose recent

gifts represent the generosity of

so many who are now giving to

Thacher in new magnitudes. Their

particular reasons for giving may

differ, but they share a common

understanding that Thacher is an

important and singular work in

progress—till the best we can do

is all done.

“

T

TILL THE BEST WE CAN DO IS ALL DONE

The Campaign for Thacher

We support Thacher because we have such a long history with the School and we think that the School’s done a tremendous job at staying true to its tradition while growing, changing, and remaining relevant to the modern world. It’s worthy of our investment.” �—Stacey Cowles CdeP 1978

“We want to see that Thacher is there for other students. That’s the reason we support it. Thacher is pretty special. It has everything: the outdoor experience and athletics, as well as the academics. And the students are well-prepared for the best colleges.” �—Jim Cowles CdeP 1951

The T

hacher School5025 T

hacher Road

Ojai, C

A 93023

Address Service R

equested

Nonprofit O

rg. U

S PostagePA

IDO

xnard, CA

Permit N

o. 110