Aiglon Magazine | Issue 18 (Summer/Autumn 2022)

AIGL ON THE MAGAZINE

ISSUE 18 SUMMER/AUTUMN 2022 School Up close and personal: inside Aiglon’s multicultural faith groups Mountain Mrs Bibi Parsons, the heartbeat of Aiglon life for more than 50 years Ideas How Aiglon is turning future sustainability into reality now People Aiglon hoteliers tell us why they have a new lease of life SWITZERLAND

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AIGLONOLOGY

SUMMER / AUTUMN 2022

Contents SWITZERLAND

Aiglonology 06 08 09 10 11 12 13 14

View from the mountain Gallerist Here’s looking at you My House Diary Together News Around the mountain

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The inspiring motto behind Alpina’s lively and inclusive atmosphere.

An insider’s view of Aiglon’s multicultural faith groups.

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The hospitality industry is well and truly back – what does the future hold?

Bibi Parsons has nurtured generations of Aiglonians. We tell her story.

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How Aiglon is committing to a truly sustainable future.

Hiroshi Tokunaga embraces the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award challenge.

Brotherhood of men 39 45 46 48

Class notes Recreation Personal best Hometown

Hotel Paradiso The Aiglon Magazine is published twice a year, in the winter and summer, and is sent free to Aiglonians. It is available to other readers on subscription. The opinions expressed in The Aiglon Magazine are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of Aiglon College.

In good faith

In Bibi we trust

Editor: Valerie Scullion Managing Editor: Seth Barker YBM Editor: Mira Katbamna YBM Managing Editor: Steve McGrath YBM Designer: Kate Monument Produced for Aiglon College by YBM www.ybm.co.uk

www.aiglon.ch

Net zero

Best foot forward

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EDITOR’S LETTER

THE HEART O F A I G LO N For more than 50 years, Bibi Parsons has embodied ‘the Aiglon way’.

Valerie Scullion Director of Admissions and Marketing

Photography by Joe McGorty, illustration by James Olstein

Send your comments to communications@aiglon.ch

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You will not be surprised to read that I was delighted by this issue’s choice of cover star: Mrs Bibi Parsons.

We have long wanted to document Bibi’s extraordinary contribution to our school, but to finally see her picture on the front of this magazine has been truly thrilling. Aptly described as “mother, grandmother and friend”, Bibi arrived at Aiglon with her husband, Mr Philip Parsons, in 1962. She would become a much-loved teacher, Head Master’s wife and, today, revered and loved grandmother of our community. In fact, Bibi has been caring for Aiglonians for more than 50 years, and in many cases has watched over parents, children and grandchildren from the same family. You can read the incredible impact she has had on so many lives on page 28.

In so many ways, Bibi embodies what it is to be an Aiglonian: selfless, caring and giving. Away from the mountain, these are the qualities displayed in spades

by Aiglon’s alumni hoteliers, who are emerging from the pandemic with resourcefulness, energy and enthusiasm to rebuild and create great experiences.

You can read about their own experiences on page 22, and how their problem-solving and diplomatic skills overlap many different sectors.

I hope you enjoy these and all the other features in this issue, and I look forward to hearing from you at communications@aiglon.ch.

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Letters

Stories to share? Feedback?

Suggestions? We love to hear your thoughts. Get in touch and join the Aiglon conversation.

Alumni parents

ON THE COVER Mrs Bibi Parsons, photographed outside Exeter. Read our special feature on Bibi and her impact on generations of Aiglon students on p28.

With more alumni children attending than ever before in the school’s history, I, together with the governance team, have been excited to support the multi-generational impact that Aiglon has had on our global community. In this magazine we have worked with the alumni office to hear specifically from our alumni parents who now have children at the school. Be sure to check out the Class notes section to read their stories, and please do get in touch with us and the school as we continue to support Aiglon’s vision into the future.

Alessandro Corsini ACSSA Vice-Chair (Delaware 1975)

protection of the drainage basin near the spring.

The water we drink is unfiltered and only has a tiny drop of chlorine added per litre. Essentially it’s pure mountain water, fresher than any bottled water you might buy and much cheaper. And, of course, being built by Swiss engineers, they have made provision for disruptions.

We are all very fortunate to enjoy all this water for free, but I was certainly fortunate to enjoy a private guided tour of the whole Ollon water system and hope to pass on my new knowledge and enthusiasm to my students studying freshwater systems.

Mrs Caroline Rhyner Geography teacher

Water everywhere

Belvedere memories

The piece on Villars’ water supply (Around the Mountain, issue 17) was great, and a recent tour of the Commune d’Ollon water systems featured in the article really helped us in the geography department join the dots between classroom theory and the real world.

It was, for me, a feast of data and understanding about our local water supply system – such as the observable meniscal chemical changes noted after the cows are brought up to graze in the mountain pastures in May, or the provision for seismic movement of the pipes, or the

It was a pleasure to read the stories of so many of the students I got to know in my years as Deputy Houseparent and Houseparent of Belvedere in your last issue.

This culminated in connecting with our former House captain, Maxim Fadeev, to congratulate him on his marriage; it was wonderful to hear about his adventures (and those of his Aiglon classmates) in our resulting phone call!

Thank you for helping to keep such Aiglon community links alive.

Mr Steven Saunders Head of Geography

Join the conversation! www.aiglonlife.ch email: communications@aiglon.ch write to: Aiglon Magazine, Aiglon College, Avenue Centrale 61, 1885 Chesières, Switzerland Facebook: www.facebook.com/aiglon Twitter: @aigloncollege Instagram: @aiglonswitzerland

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Am I ready for a constantly changing world?

Does my strategy embrace it?

And my portfolio reflect it?

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V I E W F R O M T H E M O U N TA I N

REDEFINING SUCCESS There are many ways to hit the heights at Aiglon, and we need to recognise them all.

Photography Joe McGorty LOVE IT WHEN AN ASSEMBLY takes longer than expected – for the right reasons! Recently, we’ve had so many student successes to share with the whole school that we’ve run over time. It’s so important to acknowledge milestones and celebrate these successes, and there’s so much to celebrate.

But over the past few years, we’ve also been thinking hard and doing a lot of work around how we celebrate success at Aiglon – right down to what we define as success in the first place. We decided that we need to change our definitions of success and celebrate what we think are successes, rather than just the tangible achievements such as exam grades – because that’s who we are. As a school, we value so many more things. So, we should be celebrating so many more things, too.

And while sporting, academic and Expedition success are important, there are many other ways to be successful at Aiglon. Perhaps you’re involved in Round Square and have seen an environmental project right through from beginning to end.

Or perhaps you’ve taken part in Model United Nations for two years, and now you’re chairing your own committee. Or perhaps you’ve taken on one of the hardest challenges of all: overcoming a fear, for example, or changing an established behaviour pattern.

Everyone’s success is different, but we need to acknowledge them all. Assemblies used to be a teacher standing up and saying well done to students. Now it’s students standing up and saying what I – or, even better, we – have achieved.

We still celebrate the traditional aspects of life at Aiglon, but we have also broadened the definition of success. So, this year, we have changed our prize-giving to include the Head’s Prize: one recipient is the kindest, most positive person you could ever hope to meet – qualities that deserve to be celebrated. And another has made incredible progress. He has overcome challenges, and is now an amazing role model to others, because he owned his mistakes and learned from them.

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Nicola Sparrow, School Director.

You can’t talk about success without talking about failure, after all. We give prizes for tenacity, innovation, and learning – a lot of failure lies behind those successes. When I carry out a disciplinary with a student, they will certainly have done something wrong. I always try to get them to see that yes, they’ve made a mistake – but have they learned from it? How are they going to move on? Failure here is learning: forgiveness, moving on, and becoming a better person. As Nelson Mandela said: “I never lose. I either win, or I learn.”

We still celebrate the traditional aspects of life at Aiglon, but we have also broadened the definition of success

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GALLERIST

Keeping things in perspective These pieces from Simon Kong (La Baita, Year 8, above) and Isabella Shao (La Casa, Year 8, right) are part of a Year 8 project to use skills in perspective to create an observational drawing. They were handpicked by Aiglon Magazine’s art director as great examples of responding to a brief, using a pen to show gradient of tones and to add greater depth.

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H E R E ’ S L O O K I N G AT YO U

THE ART OF LIFE A love of creativity is behind Dilip Madnani’s success as a plastic surgeon.

Words Megan Welford ILIP MADNANI (Belvedere, 1992) was always going to be a doctor, but what he loved at Aiglon was art. “Our art teacher would have us look at something and keep looking, until you could see the thing from different perspectives, so that when you came to draw it, you could find different ways to express it.”

It’s something he’s taken into his life – and into his work as a plastic surgeon, he says. “I teach that way of looking to my kids. For instance, a tree bark isn’t just brown; if you look properly, it’s browns and reds and yellows. Nothing is black and white. People are another canvas.

In my work, I’m not changing what’s already there, I’m showing it.”

From an early age, he says, he wanted to help people, so becoming a doctor was “the obvious thing”. Besides, his parents “wouldn’t have let me do art!”

He didn’t know what he wanted to specialise in until he’d finished his studies, but he knew he wanted something challenging, something that would be worth all the time he’d put in. “I looked at neuro and cardiac surgery, but I loved head and neck anatomy – I found it beautiful – so I decided on head and neck surgery.

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Nothing is black and white. People are another canvas. In my work, I’m not changing what’s already there, I’m showing it

All surgery is elegant and meticulous, but you can’t hide your face under your clothes.

I’m privileged to cut people open and put them back together again; I’m honoured that people trust me to do that, knowing that they will live with the results forever.”

He believes he learned to build trusting relationships in the multicultural community of Aiglon, and developed a love of difference there that nowadays takes him to the remotest regions of the world, far from his surgery in uptown New York.

“My dad travelled all over the world for his business, and I grew up in Hong Kong.

But at Aiglon I learned how to connect with other people from different cultures,” he says. “I learned that it really doesn’t matter where you’re from, and knowing that builds trust. It makes you feel comfortable wherever you are. I still have the friends I made at Aiglon, and they’re from all over.

I don’t like being in a place where everyone is the same, like medical school!”

He volunteers at his local teaching hospital and, most years, he organises a ‘mission trip’, where he works with a team of surgeons and local partners to fix those who would otherwise have to live with debilitating medical issues.

“We went to Burma a couple of years back and, as well as head and neck surgeons, we took eye surgeons to perform cataract operations,” he says.

“That was incredible, because once an elderly person can see again, you free up their care-giver too. You’re bringing about a personal transformation that affects the whole community.”

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MY HOUSE

B R OT H E R H O O D OF MEN Alpina’s motto is the inspiration behind the House’s lively and inclusive atmosphere, says House captain Malcolm Ekman (Year 13).

Interview Jo Caird Photography Joe McGorty

HERE’S NOTHING THAT CAPTURES the unique spirit of Alpina better than our house motto: “There’s more to you than you think. Be the best you can.”

I take inspiration from those words every day, but the motto is especially helpful for the younger kids in the house. They might be a bit nervous and this message – that what’s important is doing your best for yourself and for your house – helps them through. They might think that they can’t achieve a particular goal, but they definitely can – I’ve seen it happen.

There are 48 boys at Alpina – all these different nationalities coming together to create something very special. Everyone is super-close. Most people share a floor with boys of different ages; you talk all night, see each other in the corridor, join in with conservations that interest you – that’s how so many friendships are started here. Most of our boys spend their whole teenage life here basically, away from their families most of the year. You create this amazing brotherhood.

When I came to Alpina in Year 11, I had a House captain who I really liked. He was strict but fair, and

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Diary Save the date with our guide to key moments in the Aiglon year.

Shared interests

Alpina’s inclusivity is central to its ethos, with boys from all years coming together to enjoy each other’s company.

friends with everyone. So, when the House captain role came up, I decided to set myself the challenge. I want to help out with the house so that everyone has as good a time here as I’ve had.

It can be hard for the boys when they first arrive – the Year 9s are only 13 years old after all. But as House captain, it’s my job to make sure that they feel welcome, that they know this is their house too. I live on the first floor with the younger kids. I’m here to take care of them and to encourage the boys who’ve been in the house for longer to play their part. It’s just as important to look after the older new boys of course. The other Year 13s and I make sure that they feel comfortable fitting in.

My favourite spot in the house? The terrace. No other house has one as big as this, and you can see the whole of Aiglon from there. We’re there every day when the sun is out, eating lunch, exercising, watching the inter-house football matches played on the pitch in front of the house. I love it.

The common room is another popular hangout.

We watch a lot of sport and everyone gathers together, particularly when it’s football on TV. It’s bonding time for the whole house, and the perfect example of the incredible connections we make here.

We have a lot of competition between houses at Aiglon: from football and tennis to debating and chess.

Alpina wins at a lot of sports, but we win when it comes to house spirit as well. The whole house is there supporting our team: shouting and singing the house song. We might not be the best at every sport, but you still want to give everything because everyone’s cheering for you. That’s what Alpina is all about.

SUMMER 2022

Alumni reunions Alumni reunions are being held on campus this summer! We look forward to welcoming members of the Classes of 2000, 2010 and 2011 (and 2012 TBC) who will spend the weekend of 24-26 June in Villars.

27-28 AUGUST

New arrivals Aiglon will welcome more than 100 new families into the Aiglon community over the new student arrival weekend taking place on 27-28 August. Alumni and parents are the top way that new families come to the school – thank you for your support and for spreading the word!

NEXT TERM

Aiglon trips Aiglon’s trip programme is back! This term, students travelled to Thailand, Tenerife and around Switzerland and Europe. Next term, the Cultural Learning Expeditions are back, with destinations all over France, Italy, Greece and elsewhere.

For more information or to share ideas, contact communications@aiglon.ch

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TOGETHER

W E G OT RHYTHM Soyo Sasamori says her lessons with teacher Mr Luigi la Marca just can’t be beat.

Words Kat Brown Photography Joe McGorty

FTER JUST ONE YEAR OF WORKING with percussion teacher Mr Luigi la Marca, Soyo Sasamori (Le Cerf, Year 9) has some lofty ambitions – she hopes she’ll soon be ready to take what she’s learnt on to the public stage. “If I keep improving, then soon I hope to be able to play live. I’d love to play in a band – rock or jazz.”

In fact, Soyo is no stranger to live music – she comes from a very musical home. “My parents love music.

My dad likes to play instruments – he can play drums, piano and guitar, a little bit of everything – and when I go to Japan or London, we see a lot of concerts. I went to see Robert Glasper and he had an amazing drummer who played very well, and now that I’m learning drums, I can see what makes him good.”

Mr la Marca, who has been at Aiglon since the mid-1990s, has been working with Soyo for just over a year, and says there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to teaching percussion. “Every week is a new challenge,” he says. “I adapt my teaching to every student. I am not the type of teacher who has the same programme for everyone, and this is a really big challenge because sometimes we can make mistakes. But so far, I think I’ve been right.”

He insists he isn’t so much teaching as sharing the vast knowledge and experience of performing that he has. “The students have their own idea about the music already,” he says, “but I also know a bit – and when I say a bit, I mean a lot! So it’s great for me to be able to share what I know with them, and to be able to work together to help them get better.”

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The students have their own idea about the music already, but I also know a bit – and when I say a bit, I mean a lot!

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On the beat

Music enthusiast Soyo Sasamori has made great progress, says her teacher Mr Luigi la Marca, and hopes to play in a band before long.

News

The latest news from the Aiglon community and beyond.

To find out more, visit www.aiglon.ch/latest-news Alumni Awards

Aiglon’s alumni community presented its traditional awards at this year’s Graduation. Congratulations to the following: John Cheesmond, Marc Borrelli, Richard McDonald, Line Magnin, Tony Jashanmal, Tomoko Kusamoto, Charley Zeches, and Vazgen and Mareta Gevorkyan. This year, Michel Gill (Belvedere, 1975), known for a prolific acting career, spoke at the event. Thanks to all our alumni for your longstanding support of Aiglon, and we wish the Class of 2022 well as they begin their journey as Aiglon alumni around the world.

Marathon des Sables

Soyo is learning the basic rock and jazz rhythms that are key to any piece of music. Mr la Marca describes this as giving students a toolbox that means they can go on to play whatever sort of music they want. “I work with Soyo on technical exercises such as ‘paradiddles’: it’s an international language, and you can apply that rhythm to any style of music.

“It’s like a pizzaiolo in Napoli; you have to have the tomatoes and basil, otherwise there’s no pizza! It’s my responsibility to teach correctly, and to teach each student so that they understand it.”

Alongside her academic study, Soyo says her music lessons offer another level of challenge. “When I first started, it was difficult for me to work out many of the notes and techniques. But now I’m much more confident. I like to practise, and often in the holidays I’ll go back to my parents’ and play for, and with, them – we even hire a little place near us and play in there for an hour.”

And the future? Mr la Marca is sure it’s a bright one. “I think she tends to downplay her ability a bit,” he says. “She’s already able to play along with music and with songs – and that’s not easy. She has come a long way in a short space of time, and I can see her realising the dream of playing live before long.

I can’t wait!”

Congratulations to Mrs Geneviève Kohli, Senior Finance Officer, who completed the gruelling 237km Marathon des Sables race through the Sahara Desert. Despite the challenges of sandstorms and injuries, Mrs Kohli was one of just 801 competitors to cross the finishing line, raising valuable funds for Aiglon scholarships in the process. “Such an amazing race!” says Mrs Kohli. “It’s a sport adventure but above all a human adventure rich in emotions – painful, but the hard work was all worth it.”

Elderly lunch

The Elderly Lunch tradition has continued as strong as ever this term, and the school hosted its second elderly lunch for the Association les Gentianes in the Grande Salle. Fifty nine local guests were treated to a three-course meal and entertainment provided by the Art and Music Departments. Mr Evans gave everyone a tutorial in portraiture, and Mr Dobney assembled the whole choir to sing a mixture of classic and modern pieces.

Moving on

At the end of this academic year we bid farewell to Mr George Logie, who moves into a well-earned retirement. During his 22 years at Aiglon, Mr Logie has been a committed Maths teacher and La Baita Houseparent, and will be much missed.

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A R O U N D T H E M O U N TA I N

PICTURE PERFECT Galerie Alpine showcases art from the Villars community, including many with an Aiglon connection.

Words Kat Brown Photography Joe McGorty

ITUATED AT THE HEART OF mountain life is Galerie Alpine, a small, serene art gallery, offering visitors the chance to enjoy unique creations by local and international artists, inspired by the stunning landscape surrounding Villars-sur-Ollon.

The permanent exhibition space is the realisation of a long-held ambition by artist Sophie Scott (formerly Miss Bridle) and Robin Scott in graphic design, familiar to generations of Aiglonians as teachers of art and music, and Houseparents in La Casa. In 2016, Sophie teamed up with other keen artists to open Galerie Alpine, which soon became a not-for-profit community space offering cultural events, workshops and membership for keen supporters.

Local artists include former Houseparent Catherine Saunders, photographer Lee Johnson and designer Gemma Wiseman. 3D pieces include bronzes by sculptor Vincenzo Romanelli, and wood creations by Bao-Khang Luu. Paintings range from expressive works by Sally Bassett, abstract works by alumni parent Heena Sheth to stunningly detailed scenes by Christine Williamson.

There have been debut paintings from Alanna Rowntree (former Houseparent and tutor) and

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prolific oil paintings of the mountains by Bill O’Connor (professional Mountain Guide and former Houseparent of Belvedere).

Looking at the work is to see flashes of beauty that you can only find in the Alps: the sunsets burning fire onto the mountain caps, the chiaroscuro of the snow meeting the sky, and the vivid flowers coming through in spring. “It’s an ever-changing work of art – you can’t keep up with it,” says Sophie.

“Our gallery is a little reflection of those beautiful moments that you have when you’re with nature.

It gives people a little slice that they can take home to London, Paris or New York, and it’s like having a window into another world.”

As well as exhibiting via Instagram (@galeriealpine) and its website, Sophie is thrilled that this year sees the return of its much-loved ‘Artpéro’ events – a drinks party combined with a chance to meet the gallery’s artists, such as painter Steph Fonteyn and watercolourist Dora Fraissinet, who are new additions to the gallery. “We’re all really supportive of each other and delighted when a work is sold,” says Sophie. “But we don’t make art to make a living, we make art because we enjoy making it and we enjoy people enjoying it and taking it home.” www.galeriealpine.com

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On show

The gallery features works by local artists, including the gallery’s founder Sophie Scott (above) and former Aiglon Houseparent Bill O’Connor (image below left).

Insider SUPPORT

As a Galerie Alpine member, you can enjoy a range of benefits, including discounts on art, classes and invites to special events.

ARTISTS

The gallery features three artists on the committee, with two more working in residence and a growing list of 14 exhibitors.

P R I VAT E

Book an atelier workshop to develop your skills in drawing and painting, photography or clay, or for a special birthday or event.

EXHIBIT

ONLINE

Professional artists can apply for a three-month contract which costs a 500 CHF set-up fee (including an opening night party!)

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Visit the website at galeriealpine.com to hear about all upcoming events, including Artpéros – ‘art and aperitif’ cultural evenings.

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IN GOOD FAITH When it comes to Aiglon’s fortnightly faith groups, everyone gets involved.

We meet some of the staff and students taking part.

Words Clare Thorp Photography Joe McGorty

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Mrs Louise Brooke (facing page) enjoys the “deeply personal” nature of faith groups, while Shanaia Gupta (this page) says they help her connect more to her country and culture.

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IN G O OD FAITH

hich of Aiglon’s fortnightly faith groups would you join? Wilfie Wise (Delaware, Year 12) admits that with such a huge range to choose from, it was a hard decision. “Aiglon is such a multicultural place,” says Wilfie. “I’ve got friends from Korea, UK, Thailand, USA, Russia.

And I think it’s important to find out about other faiths and other religions.”

He eventually joined the Buddhist group, and three years later says he still finds it as interesting as ever. “Usually there’s some discussion to start and we’ll look at the core principles of Buddhism, and then we tend to meditate for at least ten minutes.

I just think it’s a great way to start the day.”

When John Corlette founded Aiglon in 1969, he put the exploration of faith, in all its forms, front and centre. Today, the school’s faith groups are a core part of Aiglon life: from Year 9 on, attendance once a fortnight is compulsory for all students, with each student picking the group they’d like to join.

And while many students naturally select the group closest to their own beliefs and family tradition, others – like Wilfie – take the chance to explore a faith that is new to them. “Some of them have a distinct faith but want to find out about another religion. Some don’t particularly have a religion but would like to learn more about, say, Buddhism,” says Mr Mike Cornish, Aiglon’s Service and Spiritual Life Leader. “We’ve got one agnostic group, two Buddhist groups, five Christian groups, one Hindu group, one Jewish group, a large Muslim group and four secular/atheist groups.”

The fortnightly sessions are overseen by volunteer staff members, who are usually from that faith themselves, and who facilitate discussion and teaching. “It’s very much an insider point of view,” says Mr Cornish. “It’s not like a Religious Studies lesson where you have to be objective – sharing individual perspectives and views makes the groups unique. When you hear a personal story of what that faith or even that philosophy means to a person, you’re bound to have a greater understanding and more empathy.”

Shanaia Gupta (Le Trient, Year 11) is a member of the Hindu faith group. While she does not consider herself particularly religious, she was keen to learn more about her family’s faith – and to hear what it means to others. “As Aiglon is a very global community, I wanted the input and thoughts of

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other people from around the world on Hinduism, and to see it from their perspective,” says Shanaia.

“The faith group mainly focuses on Hinduism as a way of life, rather than the mythology, which is something quite different to me. Growing up, I learned about the different gods and their stories, so I’m able to learn a lot more about Hinduism than I knew before.”

Reading out loud to the group in Hindi – Shanaia’s second language – is also a way of feeling closer to home. “It’s a way that I can connect more to my country and my culture,” she says. It’s also taught her the value of meditation. “Before, I thought meditation was something you had to do with your eyes closed, but it can be so much more than that. It can be doing something that you love and just really focusing on that and not paying attention to anything else. That’s helped me a lot.”

Aiglon is such a multicultural place – I think it’s important to find out about other faiths and other religions W I L FI E W I SE (DE L AWARE , Y E AR 1 2 )

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We’ve discussed what makes someone a good person, why we want to be good and why we do acts of kindness KATE G R IG OR IVA ( L E C E R F, YE A R 1 1 )

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IN G O OD FAITH

Outside of the fortnightly sessions, faith groups also play a wider role in the school, with members getting involved in cultural celebrations such as Diwali or Ramadan, whether that’s decorating the chapel or preparing a reading for the Junior School.

And now that life is getting back to normal, groups also have the opportunity to go on relevant excursions. “I’ve asked the leaders to get some ideas from the students for cultural trips,” says Mr Cornish. “If they want to go to a monastery or a synagogue, we can help facilitate that. For the agnostic or secular groups there are options too – there’s humanistic universities, CERN and different scientific places we can go to in Switzerland.”

Giving students the opportunity to stay connected to their culture and explore their beliefs is a vital part of the Aiglon experience. “We’re very much a multi-faith, multi-cultural, international institution,” says Mr Cornish. “The faith groups have grown out of that, in response to having 60-odd different nationalities at the school and making sure everyone feels welcome and at home. And the friendships that form, often from very different backgrounds, are amazing.”

Even within each individual faith group there is diversity, he says. “A large Christian group still contains lots of different denominations within that: Orthodox, Protestant or Catholic.”

Aiglon’s Head of English, Mrs Louise Brooke, runs one of the Christian faith groups. “I feel rather lucky because I’ve got an older group, they all want to talk about their faith and they’re all at quite different places,” she says. “Some would normally go to church every Sunday when they’re at home, others might not go to church at all. Some of them come from homes where religion plays a big part in family life, others don’t but are interested to know more.”

At the beginning of term she asks students to suggest talking points for future sessions. Topics covered include: life after death; the place of scripture and tradition in the church; and the problem of evil. “I’m a teacher, so it’s not unusual to have discussions in a classroom, but I feel that this is really different – we’re talking about things that are deeply personal to them. The fact that they’re open

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to discussing and learning about these things is really incredible. That they’re willing to engage and be interested in what each other has to say – that’s what I find most fulfilling about the whole thing.”

Kate Grigoriva (Le Cerf, Year 11) is in one of the school’s secular/atheist groups, where the discussions are just as stimulating. “Recently we’ve been discussing Aiglon’s motto, God is my Strength, and discussing how we think and feel about that,” she says. “As we don’t identify with a religion, we talk about how we deal with moral problems, because we don’t have a book or a text to refer to.

We’ve also discussed what makes someone a good person, why we want to be good and why we do acts of kindness. Of course, there isn’t one answer to that, but it’s something I’ve really pondered.”

She has led one of the groups, too. “I talked about why we are secular, because a lot of us are from religious backgrounds. I also talked about the portrayal of women in religion, looking at the stereotypes of women in different religions.”

As with all the faith groups, Kate’s contains a mix of students across different houses and year groups.

“I’ve talked to some people who I normally would have never talked to,” she says. And it’s not just different faces, but different views, too. “I think it has taught me to be respectful of other people’s opinions and how to respond even if I don’t agree.”

Mrs Brooke agrees that one of the most valuable roles the faith groups plays is to prepare students for a world where people might not see eye to eye, and to breed more understanding. “It gives them a place to really question and value their own opinions and other people’s, and to accept different views.”

At the end of each term, students have the option to either stay where they are or to switch groups.

Previously Kate attended the Jewish group. “It was really interesting to learn from people in the Jewish faith how they integrate Judaism into their lives.”

And Shanaia Gupta, while happy in the Hindu group for now, is open to switching in the future. “I want to learn more about different religions and different cultures and broaden my understanding. Being in an international school I think it’s really important to make the most of it.”

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It’s very much an insider point of view. When you hear what that philosophy or faith means to someone, you’re bound to have a greater empathy M R M I K E CO RNI SH, AI GLO N’S SE RVI CE A ND SP I RI T UAL L I FE L E A DER Issue 18

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Hotel

PARADISO After a challenging couple of years, hospitality is back with renewed joie de vivre and vibrancy. We asked Aiglon’s hoteliers to tell us what it’s been like getting back to business.

Words Kat Brown Illustrations Fran Labuschagne

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roviding outstanding hospitality requires a level of problem-solving, charisma and diplomacy that even many ambassadors can only dream of. But for those Aiglonians working in the industry, the past two years have pushed those skills to the limit. It has also led to some surprising career developments.

“Uncertainty is the new certainty, and flexibility has to be in our DNA,” says Nicole Eisen (Clairmont, 1996) who grew up in the hospitality industry as the daughter of a hotelier and has held senior roles at some of the world’s most acclaimed hotels, from Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands to EAST Miami. When the pandemic struck, Nicole was at the Standard in New York. “There was no book to read about this crisis, no best practice. I had experienced recession in London and hurricane seasons in Miami, but it was nothing like the pandemic.”

The intensity of the work led her to reappraise her priorities: she is now a consultant, advising the sector. So, what does she think the future holds for hospitality? Community-based tourism will remain a key feature for the time being, she predicts, with global travel not getting properly back on track until 2024. And she believes mass tourism itself will change. “The world‘s average age is around the 30s. It used to be a lot older. We‘re speaking to millennials. It‘s time that we unbundle those all-inclusive resort packages and cater specifically to experiences.”

Long term, she predicts a move away from silver service formality. In the medium term, and with traffic congestion continuing to increase, she sees five-star hotels investing in air taxis to transport clients from airports and cruise docks.

The staffing question will also be affected by millennials looking for a steady wage, which will be unmanageable without a

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H OT E L PA R A D I S O

global adjustment to salary, leading to less of a career workforce: “Healthcare workers that have been burnt out; students who are looking to gain more experience; retirees who maybe were once in the industry: those are the type of labour models that we’re going to be seeing moving forward.”

Anna Gacek (Exeter, 2017) is in her final year at the EHL Hospitality Business School Lausanne (formerly École hôtelière de Lausanne). While she has a long connection with the industry (her parents renovated and opened a boutique hotel in Poland when she was a child), it was the transferable skills that piqued her long-term interest.

“What I really wanted in a career was the human touch, and that is obviously ubiquitous in hospitality,” she says. “What I’ve been learning over the past four years is to be customer centric – which is essential in any career – and how to go above and beyond. Those are the sorts of skills that are applicable in any sector.”

Getting an internship during Covid was a challenge. “I sent more than 50 applications and did more than 20 interviews,” she says. “Finally, a company called Design Hotels in Berlin took a chance on me. Marriott had just acquired it and it was a very exciting time, so I was able to see that transition of a big corporation acquiring a smaller company.”

Before graduating this summer, Anna will be consulting on a project for nine weeks and then moving into full-time work. “I would like to try out something a little bit different, not quite in the traditional hotels scene. I am looking at hotel development, sales and real estate. The possibilities are endless: a lot of alumni choose to go into a multitude of career options.

Studying hospitality definitely doesn’t limit us to traditional roles in that sector – roles which, if there isn’t an improvement in attracting young talent, will be scarce.”

Nicole Eisen (Clairmont, 1996)

Anna Gacek (Exeter, 2017)

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Barbara Rohner (Clairmont, 1995)

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Varun Saraf (Alpina, 2002)

Barbara Rohner (Clairmont, 1995) is seeing a fundamental change in her own city, Milan, where she lives and works as general manager of Magna Pars, L’Hotel a Parfum. The familyowned luxury hotel à parfum – it has its own perfume laboratory which it turned to making hand sanitiser during the pandemic – is at the heart of Milan’s four fashion weeks throughout the year, as well as providing a beating heart for the many luxury conventions that take place in the city, and running events with the nearby MUDEC Museum (Museo delle Culture di Milano).

“People and businesses have money saved and ready to spend,” Barbara says. “They want events for the human factor, and they want to see each other, after living on Zoom. Milan has become a very touristic city, which it hasn’t been before; traditionally it has always been a city for work.”

The hotel had finished building new rooms only months before the first wave of the pandemic hit. Staff closed all hotel contracts and used an all-hands group chat to stay connected while at home, and then to share ideas for welcoming back visitors. By winter 2021, business was back to pre-pandemic levels – October’s numbers were better than they had been in 2019. The start of this year was difficult again, but a close-knit team – and plenty of creativity – has seen them through. “It has been a great revival,” says Barbara. “We have reinvented ourselves with so many different ideas.”

She is positive for the spring and summer as more events take place in the city, and international travel slowly takes off again.

The Magna Pars’ prime markets have historically been Italy and the United States, but the past two years have seen more visitors from Italy’s neighbours – Germany, France, and Switzerland.

“After two years, people want to travel; they want to see beautiful things; they want to come to Italy and eat good food.”

Varun Saraf (Alpina, 2002) is another Aiglonian with hospitality in his blood. Born in India and raised in Nepal, his first memory is as a three-year-old, cycling around the thrilling maze of corridors in his grandfather’s hotel – and being told off by the manager. Over the years, a single-family hotel has

H O T EALI GPLAORNAODLI G SO Y

blossomed into Saraf Hotels Enterprises, a portfolio of 12 business and leisure hotels throughout South Asia which Varun now oversees as Managing Director, with the Hyatt group managing day-to-day operations.

When the pandemic hit, business at the group’s businessfocused properties disappeared overnight. The group has ended its development cycle, with the last hotel being completed in 2018, which also meant that when the pandemic hit, repayment of loans to the banks had started. Declining business, debt obligations and lack of support from the institutions and authorities resulted in a very precarious situation.

“Whatever we had was ploughed back in, otherwise we wouldn’t have survived,” Varun says. “I was so upset one day, my grandfather made me sit down and he said, ‘Look, we have worked our entire lives because we are in hospitality. That’s what we do. We save for a rainy day, and this is what this is.’”

Varun and his staff took significant pay cuts and reduced the team size, “We took whatever business we could find, including quarantine rooms, to tick over. Covid has affected everyone and all businesses, so I won’t complain. You have to relook at the way you do business, recalibrate and come out stronger. None of our hotels shut down, which is a big achievement in itself.”

As restrictions have begun to ease, Varun’s main focus has been the renovation of rooms, which need refreshing after two years of limited usage. But he has also been applying what he has learned from his hotelier career to create a world-class visitors centre en route to the Everest Base Camp called Sagarmatha Next, a “mountain space where innovation meets art and design to tackle waste management challenges in the Everest region”.

“Being from Nepal, and having studied in Switzerland, mountains are a big part of my life,” says Varun. “After two years of pandemic, the Sagarmatha National Park got a fresh start. Before the pandemic, 80,000 people came every year but then… nobody. It was a chance for everyone to heal.

And when you start bringing people back you can rebuild; you can make people aware of their environmental footprint; you can bring the sustainable practices which weren’t a norm.

Now, you can make it a norm.”

This reimagining has extended to the Saraf Hotel Enterprises, where service has also seen a more sustainable change. “It was a chance for us to give out the right message,” says Varun.

“In India, customers are extremely demanding, but we have sensitised them to the fact that you cannot have two people waiting on you all the time. And surprisingly, people do understand: if you have to wait five minutes, it’s no longer worth a TripAdvisor comment remarking that service was late.

That’s how fast it happens.”

He predicts that business in 2022 will remain flat before improving in 2023. The key is managing the finances. “India is still at the beginning of its move to be part of the developed world, so business will pick up. It’s how you sustain through a downward trend and prepare yourself.”

It has been a great revival. We have reinvented ourselves with so many different ideas BARBARA RO HNE R

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IN BIBI WE TRUST

As the wife of Aiglon Head Master Philip Parsons, Mrs Bibi Parsons has been at the heart of Aiglon life for more than 50 years, nurturing the members of each new generation and making a home for everyone on the mountain.

Words Megan Welford Photography Joe McGorty

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Meet the family

Bibi with some of the alumni children currently at Aiglon: Kijoon ‘Nathan’ Lee; Juliette Nicault; Lola Zeches; Rachel Erhag; Max Feau; Ava Goldberg; Otis von Bismarck-Schonhausen; Emma Wurts; Sienna Fuchs; Natalie Price-Fudge; Oliver Von Peterffy; and Kihyuk ‘Theo’ Lee.

IN BIBI WE TRUST

This page

Bibi and her husband, Philip Parsons, who was Head Master at Aiglon from 1976 until 1994.

Facing page

Bibi with Juliette Nicault, Ava Goldberg and Max Feau.

A mother, a grandmother, a friend.”

Bibi Parsons has been at the very heart of Aiglon life for more than 50 years, with a hug in the hall, a kind word in the cafeteria and an encouraging smile from the edge of the stage. But mostly, bottomless tea and biscuits at her home.

“Tea at Bibi’s house was actually more of a humungous buffet,” remembers Delphine DupontFeau (Clairmont, 1990). “She’d make these German cakes and sandwiches; there were cookies and – always – tea to drink. You knew you could just show up. We walked with her to her house one time and we passed a couple of students on the street. She said to them, ‘You must pop round,’ and while we were still there, they did! And, of course, they had some tea.”

Delphine’s son, Leo (Alpina, 2019), confirms that the tea-drinking has continued unabated since her mother’s time. “I don’t drink tea usually,” says Leo, “but at Bibi’s, I do. And it doesn’t matter what time of day it is. As their house was next to the cross-country track, I remember one time I was running past and she came out and said, ‘Leo! Come in and have a tea!’”

“I saw her recently,” says Delphine, “and she said, ‘Next Tuesday I’m having dinner with some of the boys.’ She meant some ‘boys’ who’d graduated in the early 1960s! Her mind has no boundaries in time.

And at the 70th reunion in 2019, my friend said, ‘Oh Bibi won’t remember me.’ Then her jaw dropped, as Bibi not only remembered her, but asked about her mother, brother and her father’s business. Her memory is phenomenal. She has the whole of the Aiglon family tree in her head.”

With her way of knowing everything that was going on, Bibi would pay special attention to those who needed it most, says Delphine. “My parents were living in Florida. It was too far for them to come for parents’ weekend – but there would be Bibi, saying

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‘Come and have dinner at my house this weekend.’

That’s what she meant to me.”

And when Leo came to Aiglon, aged just 11, things were difficult at home and Delphine was worried about him. “I was in Paris with three young children, and Leo missed us a lot. There were medical issues we were dealing with, and I had to tell Leo what was happening, so I came to Aiglon and told his Houseparent, Laura Hamilton. Then, I went straight to Bibi to practise what I was going to say. Bibi said, ‘He won’t be alone. He has two mothers here.’”

Leo recalls: “I was scared when I was first at Aiglon, and I remember Bibi looking out for me in the café, telling me to come and sit with her. I knew she had looked out for mum, too, and it comforted me to know that she was there. I won the Bibi Parsons prize for service and she said to me, ‘I’m really pleased you won my prize.’ She’s very humble though; she said that the renaming of the Parsons building was too much!”

Leo’s brother, Max Feau (Alpina, Year 12), had already met Bibi several times before he started school. “Every time we came to see Leo at Aiglon, we’d go and see Bibi and have food and talk about everything – family, friends, school,” he says.

“Now, she texts me and says ‘Max, when is your lunch? I’ll save you a seat.’”

“She transcends the generations,” says Layla Goldberg (Clairmont, 2020). “Mostly I remember the lunches. She’d come and sit with you in the cafeteria and you could talk to her about anything, she was so matter of fact. Your problems seem less when you are with her. And she isn’t shy about giving advice. She’d say, ‘What a nice boy, he’s good for you.’ Or, ‘You should do that play!’”

Layla’s sister, Ava Goldberg (Clairmont, Year 11), recently met Bibi for the first time with her mum,

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Time for a chat

Bibi and Max Feau: “She texts me and says, ‘Max, when is your lunch?

I’ll save you a seat.’”

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IN BIBI WE TRUST

Tea at Bibi’s house was more of a humungous buffet.

And her memory is phenomenal; she has the whole of the Aiglon family tree in her head DELPH I NE D U P ON T- F E AU

Michelle Goldberg (Exeter, 1988). “I grew up hearing about Bibi,” says Ava, “so when I met her I felt like I already knew her. She told me old stories about my mum. And she told me to take every opportunity, go on every expedition. I took her advice – I earned a Bouqetin: five expeditions in one term.”

“When we arrived to see her that time with Ava,” remembers Michelle, “there was a sign on her door saying, ‘Welcome, Goldberg girls.’ She was out looking for us in the car. Then it was shoes off, biscuits and tea, like always.”

Michelle remembers: “You’d be waiting in line for the phone with coins in your hand, sometimes you’d be tearful and she’d say, ‘Come here, mein schatz’.

My parents were nearby in Geneva and I had my twin brother Marc with me, so I was OK. But I felt her presence. She watched every play I did, knew the results of every skiing competition.”

From the moment the Parsons joined the school in 1962, Englishman Philip to be Head Master, and his German wife, Bibi, to teach languages, John Corlette had a team he could count on to carry his educational legacy forward. “PP [Mr Parsons] had a stern look,” remembers Delphine. “He was a beautiful man, like a movie star of the 1920s, very tall, very shy – but imposing. You’d be scared if you had to go and see him, but Bibi was always there, saying, ‘It’ll be OK’.

They balanced each other.”

“During the 1960s, many of the staff at Aiglon were about discipline,” says Mike Van Beuren (Alpina, 1970). “But Bibi was about joy. We boys were lucky to have her. I went to another boarding school where it was said that the staff served ‘in loco parentis’, but Bibi went beyond that. She was like a true mother to us. She tutored me and my friend, Bill Seitz, in German and it was a perfect learning experience for me. She was so accessible, so warm.

I didn’t learn much German after that but I still remember what she taught me, and learning with her helped me with other languages.”

Mike’s niece, Juliette Nicault (Le Cerf, 2022), and his sister, Jennifer Nicault (Exeter, 1990), are now Aiglonians too. Juliette says: “Because of Covid, Bibi couldn’t be around to settle me in, but she has sent me lots of emails and we went for a walk. She offered me a new perspective on the school, how things had changed and evolved, and because she knew my mum and my mum’s mum, it felt familiar and close. She knew about the meditation I had led, and that I’m learning to fly.”

“She’s an epic letter writer!” says Jennifer. “She still writes me long emails. And she loves texts.” Before mobile phones, it was faxes. “I remember her running around the school delivering faxes from our parents!” says Delphine.

She has the gift of being able to connect with everybody and speak their language, says Michelle.

“You knew Bibi and Philip had their own family, their own troubles. Their son Peter was ill and he unfortunately passed away. Most people would have closed down, but she did the opposite. She poured out love. At the 70th reunion barbecue, I could see she was in her element, drawing strength from other people and passing it on, too, connecting at every level. That recharges her.

“The thing that’s different about Aiglon from other schools is that it’s a values-based education,” says Michelle. “And Bibi espouses those values: hard work, dedication, determination, thoughtfulness, kindness, service and challenge.

“We take these values with us and it’s what we hope for our children when they go to Aiglon.

She carries it on and keeps it alive. We are all connected through Bibi.”

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Aiglon’s commitment to a greener future is now a core part of the school’s ethos, ensuring the school will be sustainable into the long term – and beyond.

Words Lucy Jolin Photography Joe McGorty

espect for the natural world comes instinctively to Aiglon students, staff and alumni alike – perhaps not surprising given the school’s location in the shadow of the Dents du Midi.

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But simply admiring the world around us is no longer enough.

If we want to preserve it for future generations, it’s time to act.

And from student-led projects to large-scale infrastructure renewal, Aiglon is playing its part in a more sustainable future.

Sustainability, after all, is a very Aiglonian quality. “The aim of Aiglon is to develop in the students the qualities of uprightness, honesty, tenacity, self-discipline, good health in body and mind, and thoughtfulness and service to others.

Sustainability is so many of these things,” says Elisabeth van de Grampel (Clairmont, 1980), Chair of the Board of Directors.

“Aiglon wants to bring up good global citizens, and sustainability is good global citizenship, so it is an integral part of our ethos.”

That ethos is now an integral part of Aiglon’s journey. In 2020, under new Swiss law aimed at reducing carbon emissions, Aiglon was deemed a Grand Consommateur – an institution that uses more than a certain amount of energy per year. Every institution with this status must work with an approved consultant to audit its current energy use and draw up an action plan to reduce its consumption by a stated percentage. And there’s a further incentive: if Aiglon meets its targets, it will be reimbursed the carbon tax it currently pays on consumption.

“The consultation was a long and detailed process,” says Monique Sprungli, Director of Finance, Aiglon’s key contact between the local authorities and the school regarding the application of Swiss standards. “We had to do some preliminary work and then a full audit. One-third of our consumption is electricity and two-thirds is fossil fuels, used in production of hot water and heating all our 23 buildings – we are in the mountains and sometimes winters can be quite cold! It’s a lot of consumption when you put everything together.”

Then it was up to Marc Gubser, consultant at P+P Project Solutions SA, to crunch the numbers and come up with a target and a plan. Aiglon’s target is to reduce all its energy consumption by 10 per cent by 2029. Every year, he meets with the school, discusses how the different projects are going and checks where Aiglon is in terms of meeting its targets.

Big projects such as the new Belvedere boarding house – due to open in January 2023 – and the proposed Dining and Assembly building, for which plans have just been submitted, are the perfect opportunity for radical change. Both these buildings will use wood pellet heating systems, a considerable improvement in terms of CO2 output from the current gas-heavy

heating system. All buildings built since 2016 will also switch to biogas. When that system becomes outmoded, they too will make the switch to wood pellet heating.

All these buildings will also conform to the Swiss Minergie standard, a registered quality label for new and refurbished low-energy-consumption buildings. “To do that, you need a certain quality of insulation and a certain quality of building,” says Patricia Bremner, Chief Operating Officer. “This certification shows we are working towards a standard, and being responsible with your resources. If we can construct buildings using sustainable technologies, then we are able to reduce our consumption.”

At the risk of sounding like a Whitney Houston lyric, the children are our future M R TO M DUCK L I NG, DE P UT Y HE AD

FUTURE-PROOFING

These projects might not sound particularly glamorous, she points out, but they could save huge amounts of energy and make a meaningful difference to carbon emissions. “For example: the ovens in the kitchen need to be more energy efficient; there is a plan to use a new free-cooling system in the server room, using cool air from outside; and we are also working on a project looking at putting photovoltaic panels on the roof of the sports centre – a large building with a flat roof – so we can generate our own energy.”

In uncertain times, it’s also vital that Aiglon is prepared for possible future energy shocks. “The Swiss confederation has been very active in this area, as it knows that energy supply may be a problem in the future,” says Ms Sprungli.

“At the moment, Switzerland produces enough energy via hydroelectric for the summer, but imports from Europe during the winter. With recent uncertainty surrounding Switzerland’s status in the European energy market, imports may be affected.

Aiglon therefore needs to have a plan of how we are going to be organised and run our school if we have electricity shortages.

We now have a committee at the school, including IT, finance and the estates department, to look at this problem.

Behaviour change is also a great way to help Aiglon hit its targets, Mr Gubser points out. “One important point is to teach people to conserve electricity. You can make great improvements but then all it takes is the human factor – someone leaving a window open, for example. It’s great to work together and involve everyone in a positive way, from staff to students, helping them to see the impacts they have.

For example, one idea has been to make energy conservation a competition between boarding houses.”

The school is also seeking to make it easier for people to make changes, such as installing electric car charger points in the car park. “It’s about making sure that sustainability flows through everything we do,” says Ms Bremner. “If we decide on a building project, the question is, of course, about how it benefits our students. But we must also ask: are we doing it in a way which is benefiting the environment?”

And students are eager to play their part, too. William Du (Alpina, Year 13) wanted to raise awareness of Aiglon’s sustainability challenges, so he organised a webinar with Evan Price (Delaware, 1975), President of carbon capture company CO2 Solutions. “Almost the entire school attended, and even some parents,” says William. “We discussed issues of climate change through the perspective of eco-friendly business practices and sustainability. Aiglon is an ecological debtor and should be more sustainable, as its ecological footprint and consumption is very high.”

That awareness is feeding through into action: William was also part of a Round Square committee project to reduce food waste. Entirely student-led, it aims to measure food waste, then find practical ways to reduce and reuse it, such as creating compost to grow vegetables.

This kind of student-led initiative is encouraged by Aiglon’s new Spirit curriculum, created by Deputy Head Mr Tom Duckling. “In each year group there will be formalised lessons on all kinds of sustainability – not just environmental sustainability but social and economic sustainability as well,” says Mr Duckling. “We will deal with a range of issues, including philosophical ideas and an opportunity to reflect on spiritual matters, but also understanding sustainability on every level.”

A PASSION FOR SUSTAINABILITY

An emphasis on sustainability as a part of life is already very much present in the minds of Aiglon’s students, too.

Environmental systems and societies is already the most popular IB science programme, while around 40 per cent of graduates go on to study business programmes after Aiglon. Several students have made the link between business and sustainability and started sustainable clothing lines.

“Education is about trying to make individuals and the world better, so there is a natural alignment between that and sustainability,” says Mr Duckling. “Aiglon is proud of being a school based on character education. We want people to become good citizens who take action. At the risk of sounding like a Whitney Houston lyric, the children are our future. They are the ones who will likely be making the sustainability changes needed in the future. The more we can make them aware of that, the better. But I’d say they’re already passionate about it.”

That passion for sustainability – of Aiglon’s staff, students, and friends – will surely ensure that the glorious Dents du Midi, and the complex ecosystem which thrives around them, will endure for all the generations to come. Just two years into its plan, Aiglon is already on course to hit its 10 per cent reduction target in 2030 – and it could even exceed it. “I hope we will reach and go beyond that target,” says Ms Sprungli. “We must do all we can to maintain our beautiful surroundings. We are, after all, educators. We must show our current and future generations that we practise what we preach.”

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Vaud’s local bank

www.bcv.ch/sponsoring

39 Class notes 45 Recreation

46 Personal best 48 Hometown

COMMUNITY

Class notes

Share your news via alumni@aiglon.ch and stay in touch with the Aiglon community at aiglonlife.ch Alps getaway

Illustrations by James Olstein

A family affair I live in Aspen, Colorado with my husband, Jared, and four children, three of whom – Zac, Layla and Ava – either are attending or have attended Aiglon. We only have our 13-year-old daughter, Shai, left at home!

Aiglon is still the same great school it was in my time and the strong foundations remain: meditation; house spirit; skiing and other sports; expeditions; school trips; exceptional teachers and staff; international student body; friendships and culture. It has been both rewarding and bonding for me to have these experiences in common with my children, and to keep the connection to Aiglon through them.

Michelle Goldberg, née Kramer (Chantecler/Exeter, 1988)

To take a break from the hustle and bustle of Paris where Inge and I have been living for many years now, during the summer months we try to spend some time in the Alps, either French or Swiss.

This photo was taken during the summer of 2021 in the Swiss canton of Valais. Aiglon taught us many wonderful things, one of which was a true appreciation of the Alps.

Mike Martin (Delaware, 1975) and Inge Martin (Clairmont, 1976)

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In familiar footsteps In these turbulent days of war and pandemics, it feels very comforting to think of our son, Otis, looking at the majestic mountains and the sunset over the Dents du Midi in safe haven Switzerland some 40 years after us.

At the reunion we felt such a positive atmosphere in Villars and then, upon visiting the school, were taken by the genuine warmth and interest of the teachers towards the kids. We’re happy to see Otis flourishing and are excited to see our daughter start in September.

Gregor von Bismarck (Alpina, 1982) and Samantha Della Schiava (Chantecler/Exeter, 1986)

Changing with the times

Lifelong learning I have often reflected on one of our skiing expeditions – skinning to the Hospice du Grand-Saint-Bernard. On the way back down, there were howling winds, ‘jour blanc’, but we persevered and helped each other through.

The camaraderie was invaluable, and this memory has guided me through many challenging times.

I’ve had the privilege to travel the world, for fun and work.

I studied International Business with Spanish and then developed my career in communications. I am currently the Digital Communications Officer at the CyberPeace Institute – an NGO working to ensure respect for people’s rights and safety in cyberspace.

I’ve been fortunate to reconnect with the Aiglon community in recent years – at events such as the 70th Anniversary – and I truly look forward to receiving the Aiglon Magazine.

It’s a fantastic read and makes me proud to be part of this global community.

Lucy Jay-Kennedy, née Jegerlehner (Clairmont, 1999)

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So much has changed in the past 48 years since I graduated from Aiglon. The school is much bigger, and the student body, curriculum, support system and facilities have grown with it. Gone are the days when the only option for working with weights was a couple of barbells in a chain link cage behind Clairmont! The student body reflects a global diversity that it didn’t in my day; on the flip side, a smaller student body meant I knew almost every student personally, making it easier to build relationships to last a lifetime. All things considered, I think the school has done a great job of staying current with the times and I am grateful that my daughter, Natalie, and I will always share the bond of Aiglon College.

David Fudge (Alpina, 1974)

The Snow Eagles have landed!

Snow Eagles was founded in 2013 by Todd Barbey (Clairmont, 1967) and Patrick McDonnell (Alpina/ Clairmont, 1968) to reconnect members of the Aiglon Ski Racing Teams 1960-1970. Over the years, we have expanded to include 36 Aiglonites, including Colonel Denny Lane, one of John Corlette’s first students and a founding member of the Ski Racing Team.

Patrick McDonnell/Todd Barbey

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N E X T G E N E R AT I O N

Name: Carmen Puig House: Clairmont Year of leaving: 2017 A life repeated The circle comes full circle: my wife, Åsa, and I have one son, Douglas, already at Aiglon and our other son, Casper, will join soon, as well as their cousin, Rachel Betty (Exeter, 1980), and her brother, Simon, who graduated last year.

After Aiglon, I went to Cambridge, then on to university in Vermont before studying architecture in Philadelphia. I came back to Europe in 1991, and worked in Paris for 15 years before, as a new family, Åsa and I moved to Shanghai, where I had previously set up a practice with a Shanghai friend and now partner. Finally, the moving boxes parted for Switzerland, from where they had left all those years ago in 1981.

Throughout the years I have kept in contact with fellow alumni: Richard Göransson, Gregor Bismark, Bill Langdon and sporadically others as we have crossed paths near and far.

Felix Bonnier (Delaware, 1982)

Part of the family I am so thrilled Emma (Year 11) is loving Aiglon life and has quickly adapted – thanks to so many great friends and the Clairmont family. So much has changed since the 1980s: the huge sports center; communal dining; the range of classes; incredible meals; and much better Ex equipment! Clairmont, however, remains the same! She just finished her Long Winter Ex, and loved the experience.

There really is nothing quite like Aiglon and I am so delighted she is there and taking advantage of all that is offered.

Julie Wurts, née Betscher (Clairmont, 1983)

What’s hot: I graduated from Georgetown last year with a double major in Fine Art and History of Art, with a focus on Latin American art.

I also did a six-month internship at an artists’ residency called Casa Wabi – my gateway to the Mexican art world. I moved to Mexico City and right now I’m working at a gallery called OMR, one of the city’s biggest contemporary galleries. Mexico feels a bit like 1980s New York: it’s such a special place and the art community is very open. I love the exposure to artists and the art world working at OMR is giving me. Right now, I’m working with Alicja Kwade, a German artist, and Jorge Méndez Blake, one of the top Mexican artists..

What’s next: I paint, and I’d like to become an artist in the future. My work uses a lot of sarcasm and humour and speaks about society. I’ve been painting and doing a lot of sketching while I’m here, as it’s fast and easy, but you can’t just do 20 minutes a day – you must be involved in what you do.

I want to do a huge oil painting! My next step would be a Master’s in Fine Art (MFA) in the US. I’d love to go to Yale, but it’s a very challenging school to get into. Having been exposed to the whole sales side of art also gives you an insight into what being an artist is – at the end of the day, you need to make something beautiful but also monetise it.

What’s Aiglon: I appreciate my time at Aiglon more the longer I spend away. I lost my mother and being at Aiglon helped me build a community and a family feeling. Your friends become your family for life. I still call my roommate every single day: I roomed with her when I was ten and she was 11 and we shared that room for five years. I also appreciate growing up in nature. When I was at Aiglon, I just wanted to be in the city! But looking back, I couldn’t wish for a better place to grow up, surrounded by trees and mountains every day.

You can view Carmen’s art on Instagram @carmentalidad

Passing the baton I came into Chantecler in 1992 for sixth form after spending five years in an all-girls boarding school in England.

I met some truly amazing people and friends for life.

The best thing is when an Aiglonian reaches out and we reconnect and there is always the bond of a shared history, like a language we all understand.

Fast-forward to 2022 and my youngest daughter, Sienna, is in Year 8 at La Casa. There have been huge upgrades that Aiglon has undertaken, but what stands out for me is that no one has to carry their skis anymore up to the telecabine! But the Aiglon culture and ethos is already passing its way down to my daughter. She is exposed to a diverse international community, which seems even more pertinent now than ever for a tolerant and humane world. The fact that she is away from technology and fully occupied in nature is perhaps as important an educational tool in self-awareness as academic excellence.

Sena Fuchs Cerrahoglu (Chantecler, 1994)

California dreaming My husband, Robert, and I live in Tiburon, California and own Furthermore Wines in Sonoma, specializing in Pinot Noir. I’m pictured here with Lola Zeches (Le Cerf 2020-2021, Le Trient 2021-2022), who graduated in May and will be at Northwestern University next year.

Lola’s younger sisters, Genevieve (15) and Devon (11), are still at home in California, but Devon keeps asking if she can go to Aiglon as well!

I often see Cat (Colella) Graham (1988) and I’m excited to see more fellow classmates in San Francisco.

Charley (Buntrock) Zeches (Clairmont, 1986)

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A family legacy Having had four wonderful years at Aiglon, I graduated in 1980 with three A Levels in hand. I left for Boston and went to university there for four years, studying Political Science and Economics. After that, I went to Paris to study French, and all of a sudden found myself working for the family business, in media. Ever since then I have been in that field, which is the main reason that I moved back home to Stockholm.

There, I met my husband, Stefan, and we eventually had our two children, Simon and Rachel. At 15, Simon started showing interest for boarding schools in the US, but I told him that if he wanted to go to a boarding school, it should be in Europe.

So, here we go again. Simon graduated from Aiglon in the spring of 2021 after three years, despite the pandemic. Rachel chose to enrol at Aiglon in the fall of 2021 and will be graduating in 2024.

My brother, Felix, and I have enjoyed Aiglon and now it’s the kids’ turn – it is almost a family legacy.

Betty J. Bonnier Erhag (Exeter, 1980)

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Tributes Talking scents After Aiglon, I continued my studies in New York at Sarah Lawrence College, then Parsons School of Design. I then moved to Milan and soon after married Ippolito Etro (1985) with whom I have three children: Laszlo (28), Greta (27) and Audrey (24).

From Milan I moved to Miami and this year I came back to my hometown of Winter Park, Florida.

I am presently immersed in my passion, Baron Bishop Parfums, a made-in-Italy brand of five perfumed oils, with a strict vision on quality and sustainability.

It is about the formulation of fragrances and the art of storytelling, creating an experience that connects a fragrance line to a city. Our first collection is a tribute to Milano – each creation pays homage to an architectural feature that represents part of the identity of the Milanese city (the history, the aesthetic, the people, the arts and the future).

If you are curious, please visit www.baronbishop.com and enjoy!

Mary Heidrich (Clairmont/ Chantecler, 1984)

Nony Ollerenshaw My mother died on 4 August 2021, just short of her 100th birthday. With my father, Neville, Head of History, they lived in chalet Pres Vallon, where she taught the younger siblings of Aiglon pupils. They returned to the UK in 1969 – my father became headmaster of the Cathedral school in Chichester, where my mother also worked – before retiring to Beccles in Suffolk. She remained devoted to our family, and took great interest in her eight grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.

Tribute by Margret Turner (1967)

Dolly Johnson, Former music teacher and Clairmont House Tutor Dolly had a strong Christian belief, which she put into practice in her life. As well as being a committed music teacher, she was involved with service projects at Aiglon, and went on the first India Round Square service project in 1992. She had lived in India for five years, working at an orphanage, and for several years had been visiting Jordan to help the local people there. She was a remarkable and determined lady!

Tribute by Patrick Roberts (former staff)

Terence O’Hara, former Houseparent Mr Terence B. O’Hara (TBOH) was one of several hugely influential teachers that I was fortunate to have had at Aiglon. When I was transferred from Alpina to Belvedere in 1967, TBOH and Judith were Houseparents.

As well as housing Senior School boys, Belvedere was the home of the Junior School, several students who suffered from chronic asthma (ably attended to

by Ms. Rachel Trott, our matron) and an African Prince. With a no-nonsense manner, TBOH and his team ensured that Belvedere thrived in its critical role at the heart of Aiglon. Our dining room served as the main school assembly hall, and there were daily meditations, mark readings, culture nights, end of term concerts… it was a busy home.

Mr O’Hara ran a tight ship. At first, his demeanour struck me as strict (as befitted a boarding school of the time), but I soon learned that TBOH and Judith were kind and fair. They had the respect of the staff and students.

After our times at Aiglon, TBOH and I exchanged a few letters. On his part, in his distinctive handwritten script, he shared happy news of his and Judith‘s new home in France, and I of my life in Australia. I regret that I didn’t tell him how much I appreciated his support and kindness as my teacher and Housemaster and mentor at such a formative time of my life.

Tribute by Robin Mycock (Alpina/Belvedere, 1969)

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AGES 16-17

Summer School

SWITZERLAND

AGES 8-12

LET THE ADVENTURE BEGIN! WWW.AIGLON.CH/SUMMER

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THEN AND NOW

R E C R E AT I O N Where the current crop of Aiglonians demonstrate that while Aiglon may have changed, it hasn’t changed quite as much as you might think...

Photography Joe McGorty

THEN

NOW

Clearly Clairmont Who says learning isn’t a serious business?

For this recreation of a view from Clairmont, featuring current students Ava Bagshaw (Clairmont, Year 9) and Andres Serrano Elias Calles (Belvedere, Year 9), we have Ms Lucy Harold, Clairmont’s Assistant Houseparent, to thank for allowing us in to her home. The two main buildings in the background, now owned by Aiglon, were originally the local post office and police station, while Clairmont itself has variously been used as classrooms and school library.

Do you have an image of your time at Aiglon you would like us to recreate? Email your suggestions to communications@aiglon.ch Issue 18

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PERSONAL BEST

B E S T F O OT F O R WA R D A true all-rounder, Hiroshi Tokunaga is embracing all the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award has to offer.

Words Jo Caird Photography Joe McGorty

ong Ex is a highlight of school life for all Aiglonians, but for Hiroshi Tokunaga (Belvedere, Year 11) those sorts of adventures are just part of a bigger picture. Indeed, his expeditions are a little different from those of his peers: that’s because Hiroshi is taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) International Award, a youth programme founded in the UK in 1956 and now taking place in more than 130 nations around the globe.

Alongside expeditions, the DofE programme requires participants to select activities and set objectives in three areas: Volunteering, Physical and Skills.

Hiroshi began with the Bronze Award in Year 9, getting involved in Aiglon’s Eco-Schools project, playing badminton and deepening his study of Mandarin, his mother tongue. He achieved the Bronze Award in Year 10 and then, on turning 16 at the start of 2022, opted to skip Silver and get straight on with the Gold Award, hoping to complete it by the time he graduates from Aiglon.

He’s looking forward to the Gold expeditions in particular. “I get to learn a lot of new skills that I don’t normally come across but that are important for my personal development, like outdoor skills, cooking and first aid,” he says.

The three-day final Bronze Award expedition was an eye-opening experience and Hiroshi is hoping for more of the same. “We had to put up our own tents in the rain and make our own food. There wasn’t enough pasta and sauce for everybody,” he says with a laugh.

When it comes to Mandarin and badminton, Hiroshi is picking up where he left off at the end of the Bronze

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Good preparation, orienteering and cooking are just a few of the skills Hiroshi has gained working towards DofE Awards.

Award, continuing to meticulously log the hours spent developing these skills and reflecting on his progress.

“Before, I just played badminton and didn’t really care much about it. But when I started logging it and set myself goals, I knew the direction I was going towards and what I should improve on,” says Hiroshi.

His current focus is his backhand, and it sounds as if progress has been swift, given that Hiroshi’s team won a local schools badminton tournament hosted

by Aiglon in January. He’s modest about the victory, but acknowledges that coming out on top was a satisfying experience, especially since he had never played badminton before coming to the school.

His study of Mandarin is a more solitary pursuit.

Working online with a tutor based in China, Hiroshi has set himself the challenge of learning to write all the Chinese characters that students at Chinese public schools learn by Year 7. “I have to remember each one, but there are thousands of them,” he says.

Hiroshi also wants to improve his understanding of literary Mandarin, so he’s tackling some of the classic poetry taught in Chinese schools. “In those poems there are lots of philosophical ideas that are crucial to the understanding of Chinese culture. I’m trying to catch up.”

While Mandarin is purely about personal development for Hiroshi, the volunteering side of DofE offers a chance to give back to his community.

During his Bronze Award, Hiroshi worked together with fellow Aiglon students to ‘green’ the campus, installing recycling bins and bird houses, and planting trees.

For Gold, he’s enjoying volunteering with the Aiglon chapter of the World Wildlife Fund, taking part in a range of activities, including a recent sponsored cross-country ski challenge.

“I want to keep raising money and helping out. We’re in the Alps and we’re part of the environment here so it’s much easier for me to know the situation and to help.”

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We had to put up our own tents in the rain and make our own food.

There wasn’t enough pasta and sauce for everybody!

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HOMETOWN

LIMA Aiglonians past and present give the inside track on the sensations, colours and flavours of the Peruvian capital.

Capital dreams

Vibrant and energetic, the Peruvian capital is a feast of culture and outdoor activity... and a foodie’s delight.

you’re lucky enough to be in Lima when Peru’s football team win a match, take a tip from Lima born-and-bred Pedro Brescia Hoffmann (Alpina, Year 12) and make the most of the spectacle.

“Recently, we played against Paraguay and won 2-0,” says Pedro. “We went to Parque Kennedy, the main park in Miraflores. The roads were blocked; we were in the middle of the crowds and everyone was chanting with drums and flags. We had a blast!”

But if the beautiful game isn’t your thing, take heart: Aiglon’s Lima experts take feasting just as seriously as football. “For ceviche, I take all my Aiglon friends to Alfredo’s,” says fellow Lima native Vanessa Cataño Sarro (Exeter, 2009), who currently lives in Miami.

“It’s a little hole in the wall, almost, where you pay cash – but you do have to book in advance!”

While Pedro’s favourite ceviche is from Isolina, both extol the wonders of Nikkei cuisine, the Japanese/ Peruvian fusion that has taken the foodie world by storm. Vanessa recommends Maido, “where the fish is incredible and there’s always something new to try,” while Pedro is a fan of Osaka. For dessert, Pedro says, try cakes made with lucuma – a sweet powder – at Cosme. Or, as Vanessa suggests, be more informal and queue for the city’s best churros at Manolo.

Luckily for your waistline, there’s no shortage of places to stroll and soak up the city’s ambience – and both agree, the stunning coastal path, El Malecon in

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Pedro Brescia Hoffman (Alpina, Year 12)

Vanessa Cataño Sarro (Exeter, 2009)

Miraflores, is the place to do it. Food, however, is still not far away: Pedro recommends the crepes or an ice-cream from the ‘super-friendly’ sellers. Vanessa likes to start from the beautiful Parque del Amor, crossing the Puente de los Suspiros – Lima’s very own Bridge of Sighs. “If you cross it with your partner, both holding your breath, then your relationship will last,” she says. “And people looking for a local experience should explore the bars in Barranco and Miraflores too.”

Then there’s the music: it could be anything from the ubiquitous reggaeton to Peruvian cumbia, a salsa-like genre which mixes Incan and African rhythms “and will make you want to dance!” says Pedro. Culture is everywhere: while the city’s Museum of Contemporary Art is the showcase you’d expect from Lima’s flourishing modern art scene, the Barranco neighbourhood is also the place to pick up something unique from a local artist. “My favourite place is the Dedalo Arte y Artesania, which is full of wonderful, original artworks,” says Vanessa. “You can get a great coffee there, too.”

And if you’re feeling more energetic, Pedro is a big fan of Lima’s surf culture. “We have 51 surf academies!

You can see so many talented people surfing all year round, even in the winter. There’s a huge community of surfers who nurture and help each other. That’s Lima – we’re friendly, we’re always happy to help out, and we love to talk just as much as we love to eat!”

Alamy and Shutterstock

Words Lucy Jolin

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