2014 Fall Cate Bulletin & Philanthropy Report

CATE Fall 2014

what endures?

2013-2014 REPORT on

PHILANTHROPY

Editor Sarah Kidwell Design Phillip Collier Design Copy Editors Jeff Barton, Ross Robins Student Editor Amanda Ebling '15 Photographers Mary Fish Arango, Miles Hogan, Sarah Kidwell, Benjamin Morris, Camille Robins '08, Ian Vorster Page 28-32 photos from Gold Arrow Camp

Headmaster Benjamin D. Williams IV Assistant Headmaster, External Affairs Meg Bradley Director of Marketing and Communications Sarah Kidwell Multimedia Coordinator Ian Vorster Communications Assistant Camille Robins '08 Archivist Ginger Williams Cate Fund Director Colin Donovan Director of Alumni Relations Andrew MacDonnell Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving Chris Giles Director of Admission Charlotte Brownlee '85 The Cate Bulletin is published three times a year by Cate School and is distributed free of charge to alumni, parents, and friends of the School. Send correspondence and address changes to: Editor Cate Bulletin 1960 Cate Mesa Road Carpinteria, CA 93013 communications@cate.org www.cate.org The Cate Bulletin is printed by V3 on Topkote paper.

MISSION STATEMENT Through commitment, scholarship, companionship, and service, each member of the Cate community contributes to what our founder called "...the spirit of this place...all compounded of beauty and virtue, quiet study, vigorous play, and hard work."

TA BL E OF C ON T E N T S

IN EVERY ISSUE 4

FROM THE ARCHIVES

5

FROM THE HEADMASTER

6

ON THE MESA

110

CLASS NOTES

125

IN MEMORIAM

126

ENDPAGE

WHAT ENDURES

With its hundred-plus-year history, Cate has images and stories enough for the ages.

24 MAKING SUMMER LAST Audrey Kremer Monke '84 works to keep her campers happy all year round.

Except for new faces and new blooms, much of the campus remains unchanged through the seasons.

ON THE WEB 34 TECH TALK The modern reporter combines time-tested techniques with innovative tools. Nellie Bowles '06 tells us how.

28 THE KINDNESS OF A TEACHER Masood (Daniel) Simons '69 had a short but impactful time on the Mesa, thanks to teacher and mentor Joe Caldwell.

30 ENDURING FAITH There's no single practice or definition of faith, as Monique Parsons '84 discovers.

36 OBJECTS THAT LAST A roving photographic eye captures some treasures of yesteryear.

38 DISPATCHES Both near and far, Cate alumni continue to make lasting contributions to the world around them.

46 REPORT ON PHILANTHROPHY Nothing ensures permanence quite the way financial support does, and Cate is rich in generous donors.

Front Cover: A detail of a diorama of the Santa Barbara School circa 1922. The model, on display in the McBean Library, was designed and constructed by Cate art teachers Robin Van Lear and Jesse Rinehart in 1987-88. Photo by Ian Vorster.

 Peruse the event calendar and look up old friends at www.cate.org/alumni.  Find the latest Cate news at www.cate.org/news.  Find all of this and more on our mobile site at www.cate.org on your smartphone.  LINKEDIN: Join our LinkedIn career networking group "Cate School Alumni & Friends" at cate.org/linkedin.  FACEBOOK: Befriend Curtis Wolsey Cate and become a Facebook fan of Cate School.  TWITTER: Follow updates on Cate's twitter profile "Cate_School."  EVERTRUE: Download the free app and connect with alumni around the world.

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F ROM T H E A RC H I V E S

Standing the Test of Time Former Cate art teacher Joseph Knowles, also a renowned artist, created a six-panel mosaic depicting the history of the Chumash people, the first inhabitants of the area we now call Santa Barbara. Erected in 1959 next to the Safeway supermarket in downtown Santa Barbara, the pieces, weighing ten tons each, were moved in 2012 when the store was demolished. They now adorn the walls of the Santa Barbara Public Market on Chapala Street.

F ROM T H E H E A DM A S T E R

Staying Steadfast "Endurance" – that was the word

and more, with each passing year.

my father used on Mountain Day, when

And now I lead a school community

our family and the rest of the school

that is devoting a year to the question,

community climbed Mt. Monadnock in

"What endures?" It is not necessarily a

New Hampshire. My coaches used it too,

question about each of us, of course. In

encouraging us to keep pushing so that we

fact, of the senior class - who took up

might wear down opponents late in games.

wiki page responses to the question this

Even the counselors at the YMCA camp I

summer – only a third chose topics relating

went to as a really little kid used it, when

to "the human condition." But all were

we ran laps on the track on the building's

likely informed by their own experience

rooftop. "How far can you go?" they

with the concept. Human endurance,

would ask. "Do you have any endurance?"

after all, and the means by which to

My relationship with the term has,

achieve it are not all that different from

in fact, been a long and relatively painful

the endurance of anything else. To last in

one. It is not easy to endure – certainly

whatever form is to stand the test of time.

not physically, and not really in any other

Certainly the crew of the Endurance,

way either. My childhood lessons and

the story of which the whole school

subsequent experiences as an athlete, a

read to prepare for this year's question

student, a teacher, and even a parent have

over the summer, would agree with that

reinforced, too, that endurance is earned.

assessment. Given the hardships the

You don't just have it. You acquire it with

explorers endured simply to survive and

effort – by pushing past limits; by going

reach safety, they might well say there is a

where you haven't before.

reason that they call it "a test."

Those are not easy things to do, regardless of the area of endeavor. I remember, in fact, an English teacher I had during my junior year in boarding school, Mr. Holmes. He was my corridor master too, and the most demanding teacher of writing I have ever encountered.

I had always considered myself adept at the literary arts … until I ran into Mr. Holmes. His comments on my papers were telling. "Ben, perhaps you should stop worrying about literary flamboyance and start focusing on the substance of your arguments." I figured if it sounded good that was enough.

I never earned a top mark from Mr. Holmes, but I tried ever harder to meet

But if experience is any indicator, it his standard. I endured, and so have his lessons. No doubt it wasn't easy for Mr. Holmes either to deal with my adolescent, intractable self. But he made me better – not just at writing. And his voice is in the back of my head every time I sit down to compose.

So are the voices of my countless coaches and mentors whose apparent joy in tormenting my teammates and me with excruciating workouts I now see somewhat differently. If you presume to last in this world, they might have been saying, then show me how much of yourselves you are willing to commit. For me, it was more

is one we emerge from better, smarter, stronger. Tests don't always do that for people, but the ones that measure mettle, fortitude in the face of challenge, endurance – those are special. And we meet them more often, it seems, than any other sort, in forms we do not always recognize. But if they help us, or our ideas, our teachings, our relationships, or our dreams endure, then surely they are the worthiest of challenges.

Perhaps our job is simply to try to live up to them and past them.

Servons,

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ON the MESA THE ARCHITECTURE OF ADMISSION It's hard to miss: anyone who has driven up Cate Mesa Road recently can't help but notice how quickly the building under construction at the top of the hill is rising from its once-level spot.

Originally the site of a faculty residence that incorporated a room from the School's first library, the new structure is due to be completed ahead of schedule and will house the admission office beginning in January.

"We've had such a steady growth of interest in the School over the past decade," says Director of Admission Charlotte Brownlee '85, "that the admission office has simply outgrown its current location." The new building, she says, will provide a much better way to welcome the many families that visit Cate each year.

More than 700 families now tour the School annually, and that number is likely

station and a "smart roof" that adjusts the

says Bradley. Thirty-one members of the

to continue to grow. The building will help

temperature inside the building. At the

accommodate them and will also have an

class and their parents collectively gave

same time, the architects have worked to

area to support the 70 student tour guides

close to half the cost of construction. The

ensure the building is in keeping with the

who introduce them to the campus.

spirit with which they stretched to meet

unique Mesa style that Reginald Johnson

construction costs was matched by four

established in 1925.

foundations – Ahmanson, Booth, Gonda,

"The location at the top of the Mesa will be easy for visitors to find," adds

"This project wouldn't have been

Brownlee, "and it will be a beautiful and

possible without the incredible generosity

comfortable space to first learn about Cate.

of the Class of 1985," says Assistant

We can't wait to share it." With a large

Headmaster for External Affairs Meg

terrace featuring a 180-degree view of the

Bradley, who leads Cate's advancement

coast and surrounding mountains, it will

efforts. "Since graduating, members of this

provide new meeting spaces for groups to

class – which was the first coeducational

use in the evenings and on weekends.

class – have been active supporters of Cate,

The building contractors, Hartigan/ Foley of nearby Ventura, expect the structure to meet the criteria to receive

6

The new admission office building at the top of the Mesa is going up quickly. The building was made possible by the generosity of the Class of 1985, and is set to receive a LEED platinum designation.

and they came together determined to make this project happen."

In 2013, prior to their 30th reunion,

and W. M. Keck – in addition to support from three Cate trustees, a member of the Class of '80, and several members of the Class of '86.

Once the new building is occupied, the Folger Center – the admission office's current home – will become administrative and teaching offices, freeing up space in High House to create two new classrooms. In addition, the final portion

a LEED platinum designation, joining

leaders of the class were asked if they would

of the Day Walkway will be completed,

several other low-impact buildings on the

spearhead a fundraising effort to construct

which will create a welcoming and

Mesa. In addition to being carbon-neutral,

a new admission building, and the response

attractive east-to-west path for the Cate

it will have an electric-vehicle charging

by the class was overwhelmingly positive,

community and visitors.

CAT E BULLET IN / F A LL 2 0 14

ON T H E M E SA

CATE SUMMER INSTITUTES An experiential learning program

curriculum of classroom presentations and

focused on science, engineering, creativity,

hands-on labs and experiments, teaching

and leadership brought young students from

specific material as well as encouraging

around the globe to the Mesa in June for

individual and collaborative discovery.

the Cate Summer Institutes (CSI), now in

Students envisioned creative applications

its third consecutive year. Due to its success

of the subjects they learned while working

the previous two summers, CSI expanded

intensively with representatives from

this year to include a second week, allowing

Stanford University's Hasso Plattner

twice the number of students to attend.

Institute of Design during the last two

Designed to spark participants' curiosity

days of the program. Partnering with CSI

and get them thinking deeply, the program

to teach what they call "design thinking,"

focused on the knowledge necessary to

the Stanford representatives encouraged

resolve complex challenges facing the world

students to "think outside the box"

today as well as the tools to bring about

and come up with unlikely solutions to

impactful change.

common problems.

The rising seventh- and eighth-graders

Leading up to the two final days of

attending the institute lived on campus and

the institute, Renee Mack, chair of Cate's

enrolled in either the biotechnology course

Human Development department, guided

"Crafting Genetic Solutions" (taught by

students through a series of leadership

Cate biology instructor Wendi Butler) or

initiatives and team-based problem-solving

the robotics course "Extending the Human

activities. Outdoor Program Director Ned

Reach" (taught by Cate physics instructor

Bowler '83 and physics and chemistry

Charlie Plummer). The veteran science

teacher Jamie Kellogg also directed them

the nearby ocean and mountains. The group

faculty led students through an integrated

on the ropes course and took them hiking,

ate meals together in Raymond Commons

Leap of faith: A CSI student balances on elements of Cate's ropes course before jumping.

swimming, paddleboarding, and kayaking in

and concluded each day with a reflection around a campfire, then bunking in Cate dormitories supervised by Cate faculty and staff as well as program assistants Jose Esqueda '12, Erin Griffin '12, and Matthew Rodman '14.

This year nearly 20% of CSI participants came from abroad, with representation from Great Britain, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China. Others came from Arizona, Illinois, Maryland, Oregon, and California. "With such diversity among participants," CSI program director Jim Masker says, "the program was able to provide a unique intercultural opportunity, enhancing students' ability to consider different perspectives while working hard to A team works hard to develop a robot, which they successfully operated by the end of the weeklong program.

solve tough challenges."

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ON T H E M E SA

Sunset Ceremony Cate School opened the 2014-15 academic year on Wednesday, August 27 with the annual Sunset Ceremony, a tradition started in 2004 by Headmaster Ben Williams. Students gathered with faculty on the lawn in front of Parsonage and High House dormitories as the School's bell rang to announce the start of another year. Williams read an excerpt from a letter written by one of the earliest graduates, William Shepard Biddle '18, who contemplated what unites all of those who at one time have called Cate home.

LEARNING TO ENDURE No matter where they spent the

Ernest Shackleton's failed expedition

months Shackleton and his crew survived

summer, Cate students and faculty shared

aimed at crossing the Antarctic overland

on drifting ice packs in one of the world's

the common experience of reading

in 1914. More than a year after their

most savage environments until they were

Alfred Lansing's book Endurance, chosen

celebrated departure and still half a

able to set sail again in the ship's lifeboats.

to complement the School's "inquiry

continent away from the intended base,

Successful rescue was still months away.

question" for the year: "What endures?"

their boat Endurance was trapped in

The book chronicles, in gripping detail,

ice and was eventually crushed. For five

Throughout the summer, students traded their reactions to the tale on the School's Haiku shared website, in what Director of Studies Lisa Holmes calls a "smart, interesting, and personal" way.

The assignments were scaled: freshmen were required to answer three questions; sophomores and juniors went a bit further by answering questions posed by their classmates and then proposing new ones; and seniors created wikipages prompted by the questions surrounding the concept of endurance.

Junior Hannah Jorgensen related that she found herself "anxious and panicked" as she read of the Endurance crew's plight, and that she was surprised by "the optimism and faith that was exhibited by these men." "In reality," she wrote to her

The Endurance is icebound. What resulted was an incredible tale of courage and perseverance.

(Photo credits Frank Hurley)

8

CATE BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 14

classmates, "if I were in their situation I would have no faith in our survival, I

ON T H E M E SA

Endurance felt a joy few feel in their lives.

Whether it was being able to be on dry land, to see family, or merely find warmth and a good meal, each man had a reason to be happy on the day of their rescue. What they didn't expect was this legacy of their failed expedition. Shackleton and his crew made their footprint in world history and will be remembered forever."

For Holmes, who monitored submissions in all the grades over the summer, the level of the discussion and the students' output was impressive.

"I'd call it a successful second Crew members (above) and their expedition leader Ernest Shackleton (right).

would complain about the cold and the

rise and fall of sourdough

food. I then wondered, though, was it

bread from ancient times,

the camaraderie among these men that

complete with chemical

enabled them to be strong for one another

formulas and a timeline

and endure these trials?" Classmates

of the bread's rise, fall,

weighed in with answers, and offered their

and rise.

own forms of inquiry.

The question of "what endures"

iteration of the summer inquiry project," she said. "We are part of an intellectual community here at Cate, and this project is one way of teaching us what that means."

One of the questions freshman Gavin Fansler

prompted seniors to post thoughts and

answered prompted him to consider

projects on a range of subjects. Amanda

whether the mission was successful: "The

Ebling came away from the book

fact that the crew survived sub-zero

wondering what it is about love that

conditions was an amazing feat in and

endures, and Spencer Towle chronicled the

of itself," he wrote. "The men of the

New Faces on the Mesa Joining the Cate community this year are (from left to right) Ceramics Teacher Peter Bonning, Network Administrator Kim McCormack, Admission Office Associate Maureen Cahill, Multimedia Coordinator Ian Vorster, Art Teacher Aspen Golann, Spanish Teacher Luis Hernandez, and Physics Teacher Nathan Clay.

W W W. CATE . O R G

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ON T H E M E SA

AROUND THE WORLD WITH MCBEAN SUPPORT Meanwhile, Director of Health Services Patti Judson, hoping to rejuvenate the Spanish language skills she had learned in high school, headed to a language immersion program in Costa Rica, her husband and two grandchildren in tow.

Staying in a simple bungalow, she and her family briefly joined the surfing and fishing community of Playa Tamarindo while she took language classes. She spent her afternoons learning Spanish medical terminology and exchanging information with local healthcare professionals. Judson was surprised to be awakened at 4:30 every morning by howler monkeys; she joked that it wasn't too different from living with teenagers.

History teacher Molly Muller is dwarfed by the view while hiking in Norway’s Jotunheimen National Park.

Every summer, a good portion of the

reported Plummer. The honeymooners

that she's always been afraid of the ocean,

Cate faculty sets out to explore the world.

ended their trip in Seattle with a visit to –

and that her fear had been preventing her

Many of these teachers are supported

what else – the Pacific Science Center.

from enjoying a huge part of the outdoors:

by the generosity of Peter McBean '30,

Molly Muller, who teaches history,

the marine world. She sought to rectify this

who endowed a fund to finance personal

jetted off to Norway, where she and

using McBean funds for surfing lessons and

adventure and professional development.

her friend Anders Nordblom hiked and

a three-day aqua sports camp on Santa Cruz

The McBean Fund enables faculty to pursue

backpacked for two weeks through

Island. It didn't completely demolish her

their passions as they step away from the

stunning countryside, replete with

fear, but it put a dent in it, she says. Salcedo

demands of teaching and administering the

canyons, mountains, fjords, and waterfalls.

also credits her husband for caring for their

School. The reports on their wide-ranging

"Each day we would say, 'this is the most

two girls while she was away, giving her the

adventures enliven the opening faculty

beautiful place I've ever seen,' only to

"gift of solo time."

meeting each August.

repeat the phrase at the next outstanding

Science teacher Charlie Plummer and

vista," said Muller.

French teacher Renée Basile had long dreamed of going to Southeast Asia and this

his wife Pamela wanted to celebrate their

past summer was her chance. Using McBean

25 wedding anniversary by re-experiencing

funds, she joined a tour group and was

their bicycling honeymoon – everything

happily surprised to make many new friends

but the precipitation part. During the first

as they toured Vietnam and Cambodia.

version, they bicycled a beautiful route up

Visiting Old Saigon, Angkor Wat, the Viet

the western coast of Canada, but it rained

Cong tunnels, and the "killing fields" of

the entire time. Better weather awaited

Cambodia gave her a greater understanding

them this round in the San Juan Islands,

of historical events in which she had always

and thanks to the Backroads bicycling group

been interested. She returned energized and

they had a pampered experience with camp

enlightened, she said, and promised that she

meals on fine china and luggage service

will "keep that journey in my heart forever."

th

between comfortable bed and breakfasts.

"They took care of us in every way," 10

Annalee Salcedo, who teaches math and is an intrepid outdoorswoman, revealed

CAT E BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 14

Her colleague in the Foreign Languages Charlie and Pamela Plummer ride their way to 25 years.

Department, Spanish teacher Oscar Urízar,

ON T H E M E SA

Streaming Media We may be living in the "Cate bubble," but technology is now bringing the Mesa to the world. In addition to live-streaming Commencement last May, the School now streams each Cate Parents Organization (CPO) meeting. Events are archived at http://new.livestream.com/accounts/8555823.

French teacher Renée Basile navigates a rice paddy using local transportation in Vietnam.

expanded his horizons with a trip to Spain.

A native of Peru, Oscar is familiar with many Latin American countries and their histories, but this summer he took a course about Spanish history, and in particular about Catalonia's longstanding conflict with Spain over independence. "It was an

PEDAL POWER OFF THE MESA This summer Cate English teacher

amazing experience," he said, "and it gave

Anna Fortner and her father Ray Fortner

me an angle I would not have gotten in

took home the first-place prize in the

another place."

Coed Duo category for the 2014 Breck

Urízar's wife Mónica García-Gamero,

Epic Mountain Bike Race in Colorado.

also a Spanish teacher at Cate, switched

The Breckenridge Epic is an annual six-

languages and headed to Paris for a course

day summer event in the high reaches

in French at Alliance Francaise. She says

of the Central Rockies. A high-altitude,

the class pushed her to learn and improve

multi-day, cross-country mountain biking

her language skills while interacting with

marathon, the event starts at about 9,600

a global group of students, adding that the

feet and continues up from there to

location was a huge draw. "Living in Paris

cover 240 backcountry miles, with riders

those weeks was amazing," she said. "The

climbing a total of 40,000 feet. The race

museums, history, friends, classes, trips, and

drew contestants from countries around

language made me never want to leave."

Fortunately, García-Gamero and the other McBean recipients did return to

the world, including Israel, Chile, Japan, Norway, and France.

On the Mesa, Anna Fortner teaches

Cate – to teach, to share their stories, and to

English, serves as the faculty advisor for

express gratitude for all that travel can do

the student newspaper El Batidor, and

new to inspire, relax, and renew.

coaches in the outdoor program. Her

English teacher Anna Fortner and her father Ray Fortner competed in the Breck Epic Mountain Bike Race over the summer.

husband Joshua, a member of Cate's science faculty, and young daughter Wren were on hand for the medal ceremony.

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Outings Week For 31 years, Cate students have headed out of Carpinteria for a late summer week in the outdoors. Freshmen stay at Pyles Camp deep in the Sequoia National Forest (left), sophomores backpack into Yosemite National Park (upper left), juniors hike a section of the Kern River Valley (above), and many of the seniors take advantage of the recreation and scenery on Santa Cruz Island in Channel Islands National Park (below and facing page).

CHANNEL ISLAND ADVENTURE Math teacher Tim Smith is doing the simplest possible arithmetic: requesting

their heads from rocky

a show of hands and counting which

walls as swells buffet

students and faculty want to snorkel,

them from side to side.

kayak, or do both. It's day four of the

From his kayak, Smith

seniors' six-day Outings Week trip to

leads them close to the

Santa Cruz Island, one of the Channel

side of the cave so they

Islands just across the Santa Barbara

can feel the spray from

Channel from Cate. And for all the

a bufodora, or marine geyser. Just a bit

seniors; like most Cate students, they've

participants, both activities sound pretty

later, Salomon is underwater, observing

experienced (and sometimes endured)

appealing on this beautiful and sunny

vast, gently swaying kelp beds, bright

three previous fall trips, which are now

California day.

orange garibaldi fish, and schools of tiny

annual school-wide pilgrimages. As

grey fish through his clear plastic mask.

freshmen they stayed at Pyles Camp,

Salomon Villatora '15, from Houston, Texas, is one of them. Until now, he's

12

'15, helmets protecting

Both the under- and above-water

It's the final Outings Week for these

spending nights in tent cabins and hiking

spent very little time in the ocean, much

experiences are firsts for the seventeen-

by day. By sophomore year the School's

less paddling a sea kayak or donning a

year-old student. "I'm kind of a

outdoor program had upped the ante for

snorkel and fins. On this day, however,

technology and showers guy," he admits,

them with a multi-day backpacking trip

he maneuvers his way through a cave in a

"and this isn't how I usually spend my

to Yosemite National Park. As juniors

double kayak with classmate Nate Wilson

time, but it's been great."

they added some more distance and

CATE BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 14

ON T H E M E SA

elevation with an extended trip to the

school year, says, "I really enjoy teaching

Kern River Valley.

my students reading and writing in the

The Santa Cruz adventure is less

classroom. But trying together to figure

demanding. Other than multiple trips to

out how to sync up while paddling a sea

carry gear from a ferry to the campsite

kayak or how to make chili using up a

about a quarter mile in from Scorpion

week's worth of leftovers lets me get to

Cove, students are free to enjoy the

know them in a whole new way. Santa

outdoors unencumbered by heavy

Cruz is a great time."

backpacks. Rubber sandals are sufficient footwear. And once their tents are pitched,

The trip also showcases the some additional skills of Cate's faculty. Between

the group doesn't move, except to take

them, Park, Smith, and Director of Studies

advantage of hiking, boating, swimming,

Lisa Holmes have decades of experience

and snorkeling. Their campsite, festooned

in the outdoors. On this trip they're able

with prayer flags and featuring a circle

to demonstrate how to plan, execute,

word about the Channels Islands, which

of portable chairs, provides a welcoming

and most importantly enjoy an outdoor

are rich in nature and vistas and are one of

temporary home. The picnic table, covered

experience. Teamwork is essential – all

the least visited national parks. "Be sure to

with brightly colored cotton tablecloths, is

members pitch in on cooking, cleaning,

come back in the spring," she says. "It's my

the site of generous meals, card games, and

and keeping the campsite tidy and free of

favorite time. You have to see the coreopsis

general camaraderie.

food, as island critters are frequent visitors.

in bloom!"

For the teachers leading the trip, the

For some added educational punch,

This year a smaller number of

draw is not only the outdoors but the

National Park Ranger Helen Fitting makes

students have made their way out to the

one-on-one time with seniors, who will

a visit to the Cate camp for a natural

island for Outings Week. Many seniors

move on from Cate in May. Katheryn Park,

history talk. Like all the other park staffers

have instead opted to help break the

who teaches English during the "regular"

on Santa Cruz, she's anxious to spread the

freshmen into their outdoor experiences at Pyles Camp, while still others have taken the opportunity to visit colleges across the country, and in some cases across the ocean.

Even on Santa Cruz Island, college is definitely on senior Alice Qin's mind: "I've got my laptop and I've been working on my essay," she says. Regardless, she delights in making scores of pancakes with her friends, and marvels at the view of undersea life she's been experiencing on a long morning snorkel.

By Friday, the group has packed up and headed back to Cate on the ferry, taking in half a day on neighboring Santa Rosa Island on the way. Back on the Mesa will the seniors face the inevitable: studying, SATs, and college applications.

But some relaxation, a few additional skills and newly-found confidence probably isn't going to hurt. Maybe there's some new material for those college essays.

Led by faculty members Lisa Holmes, Katheryn Park, and Tim Smith, eight seniors enjoy their last Outings Week trip.

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ON T H E M E SA

SOUTH AFRICAN SABBATICAL BY KARL WEIS followed by visits to Victoria Falls on the Zambia/Zimbabwe border, and finally the amazing country of Botswana. Southern Africa, and South Africa in particular, is a one-stop shop for wildlife: in addition to the traditional "Big Five" – lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, and rhinos – we saw just about every other species of land animal, and also whales, seals, and great white sharks from the comfort and security of a diving cage!

I plan to use some of our experiences in both our sophomore trimester of African history and a new senior elective. The latter course, an overview of Africa since 1960, Cate alums Evelyn Weis '07, Annie Weis '12, and Julia Weis '08 join their father, Cate history teacher Karl Weis, on his sabbatical with their younger sister Charlotte and mother Kristen.

Three years ago, Cate's History

ten-year-old daughter Charlotte. We moved

Department introduced a study of Africa

to Cape Town, one of the world's great cities,

into its curriculum, adding a third area of

in January, and Charlotte enrolled at St.

focus to its traditional sophomore course

George's Grammar School, a fellow Round

on Europe and Asia. When the time came

Square school. While Charlotte absorbed

for my sabbatical, I wanted to learn more

the fifth grade in a different culture, Kristen

about the history and geography of this

and I hiked, read, and explored the varied

continent, and to spend as much time there

attractions – including vineyards and

as possible. In the fall of 2013 I travelled to

restaurants – in and around Cape Town. I

Rwanda, a country with a difficult recent

visited a number of Round Square schools

history that has managed a remarkable

in the Western Cape and also the African

turnaround after the horrific genocide of

Leadership Academy in Johannesburg. It was

twenty years ago. While in Rwanda I visited

an eye-opening experience to be in South

a number of genocide memorial sites, went

Africa during a presidential election, only

on a three-day mountain-bike trip in the

the fourth since the end of apartheid and the

western part of the country, and saw the

establishment of a real democracy. We were

endangered mountain gorillas in a national

able to immerse ourselves in South Africa's

park. However, the highlight of my stay in

wonderfully interesting political culture,

Rwanda was visiting Gashora Girls Academy

aided by Africa's freest press and a genuinely

for Science and Technology, a new school

diverse culture.

whose founding head, Peter Thorp, was

Mozambique, Botswana, Zambia, and

are remarkable students at this school, and

Zimbabwe, and we had a chance to visit the

we hope to have a Gashora girl at Cate in the

Right to Dream Academy in Ghana, where

near future.

14

We also travelled a lot, visiting Namibia,

Cate's headmaster between 1992-98. There

we met up with Cate grad and Georgetown

The longest part of my sabbatical

sophomore Joshua Yaro, who was home for

consisted of an almost seven-month stay in

the summer. We ended our trip with a ten-

South Africa with my wife Kristen and our

day safari just outside Kruger National Park,

CAT E BULLET IN / F A LL 2 0 14

focuses on the challenges this important continent faces in the years ahead. We had an unforgettable experience in Africa, and as a family we hope to return there soon.

ON T H E M E SA

Headmaster's Notebook

September 12, 2014

The ground has been damp the last few mornings, and an onshore flow has given us a marine layer for coverage. Even the air, at least at the beginning of the day, feels moist. It would be easy to convince ourselves that it is just another September on the Central Coast.

But then you walk or drive around and things look different. Lawns are the color of recently cut wheat.

Native plants and grasses droop dramatically by midafternoon. Springs that we never considered seasonal now seem to be. Drought is a disconcerting thing.

We are adjusting, of course, and trying to be prudent and responsible. Here on the Mesa we've cut our water consumption more than 20% and we are looking at further mitigations. We are recycling our gray water to nourish our playing fields, for now at least. We don't know when or if the rains will come, but a drive by our local reservoirs, Cachuma and Casitas, offers nothing but heartbreak. The only good news is that the areas that used to be underwater are covered now with foliage. Those opportunistic plants cover more area – by a factor of two or three – than the water does.

The evening news is filled with prognostications about what might be ahead. "El Niño" is the magic phrase, for that enigmatic body of warm water often makes for stormy weather on this coast. Desalination plants are also the focus of conversation. Should we build them? Or at least make functional those that were built long ago and have since fallen out of use?

The strange thing about all of this is that, other than conservation, there isn't much we can do.

Gestures intended to allow us to continue old and

probably irresponsible patterns of water use seem to miss the point – namely, that we are not in control.

We don't like to hear that, particularly in this country. In the land of manifest destiny, we're used to fixing problems. But that's harder to do, ironically, when the problem at least in part is us. Our collective appetite, when it comes to water or fossil fuels or even food, exceeds our supply. So we supplement, borrow, buy, or even steal from elsewhere, to satisfy what we identify as our needs.

But are they really needs? I don't know for sure, of course, but my guess is that we can and should do with less, at least in so far as water is concerned, and probably with far more than that. If you wonder about that position, perhaps you should take a drive through the desiccated Owens Valley in eastern California and get a look at what happens when man diverts natural resources for his own purposes. The effect is no different, unfortunately, than when Mother Nature – for whatever reason – withholds the rain.

CATE CHAMPION FOR CHARACTER Senior Iman Fardghassemi

the rules of sport, fair play over victory

has been recognized by the California

and achievement, and the demonstration

Interscholastic Federation (CIF) as one

of positive interpersonal relations while

of its Champions for Character for 2014.

respecting the diversity of all people.

Fardghassemi, one of only 14 student-

"I have a ton of respect for how

athletes to be recognized this year, was

Iman treats his teammates and how he

invited to the 10 th annual Jim Staunton

plays the game every day," says Peter

Champions for Character banquet aboard

Mack, Cate's varsity boys soccer coach.

the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA.

"As a human being, Iman is as humble

A member of the football, cross country, soccer, and track teams during

and sincere a player as I have coached.

It's rare to find a guy who is so driven and

his time at Cate, Iman was celebrated

so fiercely competitive on the field, and

for his exemplary actions in promoting

yet so gentle off it. If he isn't the model

sportsmanship and integrity both on and

student-athlete we all like to talk about, I

off the playing field. Described by the CIF

don't know who is."

as their "Six Pillars of Character," these qualities include scrupulous adherence to

Iman Fardghassemi '15 with his mother Marjan Yavari at the Jim Staunton Champions for Character banquet aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach.

W W W. CATE . O R G

15

ON T H E M E SA

SURF AND SERVICE "Despite language and cultural barriers," Furmanski says, "the students from the two schools and the locals found a way to connect and develop friendships. Their collaborative spirit invigorated the project and kept everyone motivated."

The seven days the group spent in Lobitos were not without play; participants paddled out each morning and evening to catch those coveted waves. When the week came to a close, the Cate crew headed to Lima for two-day homestays with the families of the Markham College students, followed by four days in the Cusco area.

From there they traveled to Machu Picchu to see the 15th-century Incan ruins.

"The trip was the perfect blend of cultural immersion, adventurous outdoor All hands on deck! Students paired up with local fishermen in Lobitos to buff, clean, paint, and polish their vessels.

There's a small town on the

lathered on fresh coats of paint, and

northern tip of coastal Peru that

added individualized designs. They

typically draws visitors to its big waves

also sanded and painted the main dock,

and wide beaches. It's called Lobitos, and

where fishermen unload their daily catch.

while the promise of good surf enticed

This work helps fishermen sustain their

a group of Cate students there this

livelihoods, enabling them to continue

past summer, it was only part of what

providing for their families.

exploration, and meaningful service," says Furmanski. Noting Cate's new Peaks to Piers program, which this year brought Markham College students to the Mesa for environmental stewardship activities, she says these adventures strengthen the bonds between schools across the world.

brought them. A program called Surf and Service was the main reason – the second annual collaborative publicservice project between Cate and Peru's Markham College.

At the start of July, eight Cate students – Hannah Bowlin '16, Porter Brown '16, Xandrine Griffin '15, Will Hogue '15, Liana Schmidt '17, Colin Stevens '17, Eva Herman '17, and Christian Herman '17, along with East Coast student Adam Herman – ventured south with Cate photography teacher Monica Furmanski and her husband Matthew. There they met up with the Markham College crew and began their effort to help fishermen spruce up their boats and the pier they use every day.

Teaming up with four captains, the students scraped boat surfaces clean, 16

CAT E BULLET IN / F A LL 2 0 14

Students added individualized designs to the boats they worked on.

ON T H E M E SA

NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS

National Merit honors to: (top row l-r) Thomas King, Griffin Williams, Noah Perlmutter, Jason Xiao, Jamie Jared, Darren Lee, (2nd row) Noah Somaratne, Samuel Kim, Edward Cho, Lydia Stevens, Spencer Towle, Alice Qin, (front row) Madeleine Becker, Will Hogue, Elli Park, James Armstrong, Lucia Johnson, Zachary Allen, and Lily Xu (not pictured), all members of the Class of 2015.

Four members of the Cate Class of

last year as juniors. All four will compete

talented young people from all parts of the U.S. are included.

2015 have been named Semifinalists in

for Finalist distinction in the next round

the 2014-15 National Merit Scholarship

of the competition, ultimately seeking the

Program, and another fifteen have been

title of Merit Scholar, for which they will be

Commended Students – Zachary Allen,

named Commended Students. The

awarded a National Merit Scholarship. This

Madeleine Becker, Edward Cho, Will

The fifteen Cate seniors named

students have been selected as a result

year the National Merit Scholarship Program

Hogue, Lucia Johnson, Samuel Kim, Darren

of their high PSAT scores and their

will award 7,600 scholarships worth a total

Lee, Noah Perlmutter, Alice Qin, Noah

outstanding academic achievement and

of $33 million.

Somaratne, Lydia Stevens, Spencer Towle,

promise, according to the National Merit

The Semifinalist distinction is

Griffin Williams, Jason Xiao, and Lily Xu –

Scholarship Corporation, which made the

especially notable in California, which

are in the top 5% of scorers in a nationwide

announcement in September.

is one of several states that require the

pool of about 1.5 million students.

The four Cate seniors – James Armstrong, James Jared, Thomas King, and

"These seniors have demonstrated

highest qualifying scores. The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to

their dedication both in the classroom

Elli Park – were among the approximately

the state's percentage of the national total

and in the larger Cate community," said

16,000 students named Semifinalists this

of graduating seniors, and the qualifying

Headmaster Ben Williams. "Our entire

year, placing them in the top 1% of high

score for Semifinalists is determined

school congratulates them for their high level

school scorers on the PSAT, which they took

state-by-state to ensure that academically

of commitment and scholarship."

Fit for a Ram During the summer, Cate began the first phase of a Harcourt Fitness Center renovation that involved new flooring (half rubber, half turf), new paint, and the installation of brand-new equipment like double half racks, pull-up bars, and sets of Olympic rings. "Now there's space to comfortably train sixteen students at once and to schedule team lifts without a problem," says Cate Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Erik Hansen. Second-phase developments will include cardio equipment upgrades. Stay tuned!

W W W. CATE . O R G

17

ON T H E M E SA

Writing on the Good Book An essay by English teacher Brooks Hansen will appear in the upcoming anthology The Good Book, "a tapestry of great writers writing about their favorite parts of the Bible, what those passages mean to them, why and how they're personally, if not universally, important, resonant," according to editor Andrew Blauner. Hansen's contribution will be a literary analysis of the depiction of John the Baptist in the gospels. Other contributors include Edwidge Danticat, Pico Iyer, Lois Lowry, and Tobias Wolff.

HIGH PRAISE FOR HIGH ACHIEVEMENT Cate seniors Sandra Silva and Salomon Villatoro have been named Scholars by the College Board's 2014-15 National Hispanic Recognition Program (NHRP), and Cate senior Djata Nyaawie has been recognized as an Outstanding

Participant by the National Achievement Scholarship Program (NASP). All three were selected based on their high scores on the PSAT, which they took last fall as juniors, as well as their overall academic excellence.

Each year, the NHRP honors about 5,000 of the highest-scoring students from over 250,000 Hispanic/Latino juniors who take the PSAT. The program was established in 1983 to identify outstanding Hispanic/Latino high school students, and although it does not provide monetary awards, being named is a notable achievement.

The NASP is a competition that was established in 1964 to provide recognition for outstanding Black American high school students. Of the more than 160,000 students who entered the program this year, over 4,700 have been honored, and a group of about 3,100 Outstanding Participants have been referred to colleges and universities for their potential for academic success.

Sandra Silva '15, Djata Nyaawie '15, and Saloman Villatoro '15 were acknowledged as outstanding students by way of their awards.

18

CATE BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 14

ON T H E M E SA

FIRST MONDAY CONVOCATION The School's weekly Convocation series began with a timely and compelling talk on high-school sports and the steep rise in reported head injuries across the nation. Dr. Philip Delio, director of services to stroke victims at Santa Barbara's Cottage Hospital, addressed the community September 15 on the long-term effects of head injuries to the adolescent brain. Moving deftly through a wealth of medical information, Delio urged the School and the national sports culture to acknowledge and address the rapidly growing body of evidence that concussions – the type of injury occurring most commonly among high-schoolers – are traumatic events that require a new understanding and a radically different

Dr. Philip Delio covers head injuries at the first Convocation of the year.

approach in treatment.

of Boarding School (TABS) annual

brought home the need for preventive

conference in 2012, says, "While we may

measures such as protective headgear and

head injuries on the playing field. Athletic

not be able to completely prevent all head

regular monitoring of sports participants.

Trainer Shannon Desgrosiellier plays a big

injuries, there is a lot that we do to limit

Echoing recent news reports about the

part in preventing them, and is proactive

the risk of concussions, and help students

toll of repeated injuries on even the most

about educating players, coaches, and

recover should an injury occur."

durable adult athletes, Delio challenged

Cate is doing its part to try to limit

parents about concussions. Cate Director

Delio's presentation, which was

of Athletics Wade Ransom, who presented

punctuated by graphic images and video

implement policies that will insure the

a talk on concussions at The Association

clips of well-known sports injuries,

future health of America's youth.

schools everywhere to design and

Guac and Roll This year's annual Carpinteria Avocado Festival showcased "The Avenues," Cate's first student entry to the main stage of the event.

Lead singer Gabby Teodoro '17 joined Jack Ballard '15, Guhan Iyer '15, Elli Park '15, and Zac Towbes '17 for the set. They had the whole place rocking, said John Knecht, director of instrumental music.

W W W. CATE . O R G

19

ON T H E M E SA

OPEN AIR THEATER

A candlelit cast takes on witchcraft and betrayal in a fall performance of The Crucible in the Class of 1981 Amphitheatre. It was Cate's first outdoor drama production in this venue.

Arthur Miller's 1953 play The Crucible is the

Why The Crucible?

and vengeance, tenderness and betrayal, love,

story of the seventeenth-century witch-hunts

JB: Before choosing a play, I gather the

sexual attraction, intimidation, a passionate

and trials in Salem, Massachusetts but written

seniors and together we read, discuss

defense of the moral good, and judgment and

to mirror the anti-communist "witch-hunt" that

themes, and over a couple of days come to a

redemption. Its dominant emotion is fear,

was occurring in the early '50s led by then-

mutual decision on which play or musical we

but it is a fear that plays out very differently

senator Joseph McCarthy. The Cate Artists

want to tackle. This year, the seniors were

for different characters. Ultimately it is a

Theatre Ensemble mounted a production of the

motivated to make a dramatic statement

picture of the human heart at conflict with

rather than simply entertain the Cate

itself, and that is a powerful story indeed.

play this fall, and we spoke to the play's director Jessica Block and assistant director Mari Talkin for some insight about the performance – and its unexpected venue.

audience with a funny story. Our discussion turned to the social injustices with regards to race, gender, regarding women's health), and the for marriage equality. The seniors wanted to somehow point out that differences are not something to be feared.

Someone suggested Arthur Miller's The Crucible, and the excitement in the room was palpable. It was the perfect choice for this particular cast.

It's sort of a historical double-whammy – it's the Salem witch trials but invokes the anticommunist hysteria of the McCarthy era. Was this part of the appeal?

Tilly Bates '18 considers her plight as she plays Tituba.

MT: While we acknowledge Miller's genius

Witches' brew – or not? Cate actors try to revive an ailing character.

20

CAT E BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 14

in creating a play that speaks to a political

It's not exactly light fare – did this give

climate of the 1950's, and to the calamitous

you pause?

results of a universally recognizable mass

JB: As a cast, we discussed carefully the

hysteria, the greater genius we see is in the

skills and commitment necessary to pull

play's evocation of complex interpersonal

it off. But those challenges only fueled our

relationships. The Crucible has it all: jealousy

determination. We cut quite a bit from the

ON T H E M E SA

'ROUND TO JORDAN play for reasons of time but also to make it

In the company of history teacher Ivan

King's Academy student Saria Samakie, a

work for us. However, we do not have a lot of

Barry and librarian Kate Parker '85, four

concerns about going to difficult places with

Cate students – Nate Wilson '15, Alondra

our acting and storylines. We espouse the

Torres '16, Élan Halpern '16, and Cem

conference, King's Academy made it

philosophy that acting is about encountering

Basar '16 – spent a week in October at the

possible for delegates to experience some of

the full spectrum of human experience and

Round Square International Conference

Jordan's historical sites, so the Cate Round

emotion – and line by line, scene by scene,

at the King's Academy in Madaba,

Square delegation was able to travel to the

and play by play, that's what we try to do.

Syrian refugee.

In addition to sponsoring the

Jordan. Round Square is a global network

Dead Sea (where they slathered themselves

of member schools that focus on six

in Dead Sea mud and floated with 400

The burning question – why have you staged

IDEALS – Internationalism, Democracy,

others delegates) and to the ancient rock

it outside? This must present some challenges.

Environmentalism, Adventure, Leadership,

city of Petra.

How do you overcome them?

and Service – and its annual conference

JB: It's not only outdoors but in the "round,"

provides students from around the world an

by Jordanian Prime Minister Abdullah

where the audience surrounds the actors

opportunity to participate in presentations,

Nsour, the traditional Round Square flag

performing in the center on a 360-degree

workshops, and service-learning projects

ceremony, and an Arabian party complete

stage. I can't take full credit for this idea, as

focused on regional issues.

with bonfires, regional food, and a night

we were inspired by snippets of the Old Vic's

At King's Academy, students listened

The conference ended with a speech

of dancing to Arabic-Indian-American

production of The Crucible performed at

to talks by Shabana Basij-Rasikh, the

pop music. Élan summed it up for the

London's West End. Also, although our set

founder of the first all-girls boarding

Cate group: "This was one of the most

is very minimalist, our techies are doubling

school in Afghanistan; by Azd Al-Kadasi,

incredible experiences I've had, and the

as "roadies," lugging equipment to and from

a Williams College graduate who is helping

highlight for me was the friends that I

the outdoor amphitheater and Hitchcock

to build the new Yemeni constitution; and

made over the trip. Even though we only

Theatre. Electronics must be kept safe from

by Jordanian filmmaker Nadine Toukan,

knew each other for a week, I feel like I

the elements; our sound designers have to

who led the students through an intense

became very close with people from all

work on the fly; and our actors will have

discussion on ideal political systems. One

over the world and that these connections

nowhere to "hide." Ultimately it's allowing

of the last keynote presentations was from

are going to last a lifetime."

us to stretch ourselves as performers, and it's giving us the opportunity to have a bonfire in the opening scene! Our audience members feel intimately connected to the action, and the amphitheater (a design that dates back to ancient Greek theater) was built with acoustics in mind, so the results are exciting.

What's in it for the audience?

JB: This show is gruesome, with witchcraft, suspicion, and the threat of hangings. The staging is surrounded by darkness and the light of a new moon. We made you laugh with Tartuffe (last year's fall play) and cry with Man of La Mancha (last year's spring musical). The Crucible makes you tremble with fear!

In addition to attending Round Square conference activities, the group visited the Oval Forum in the old Roman city of Gerasa.

W W W. CATE . O R G

21

ON T H E M E SA

FALL SPORTS ROUNDUP

Julia Gan '16 shows form and focus on the court.

This fall marked Cate's first season in a new athletic league. The Tri-County Athletic Association is made up of 14 member schools, which compete in the Tri-Valley and Frontier Leagues; Cate is in the Tri-Valley League, which allows for competition in a higher playoff division.

In this first season, the Rams found great success and have benefited from increased competition, as well as more student support and fan turnout at games. It was a terrific inaugural campaign for the blue and white, with several highlights of note.

The boys cross country team wrapped up their season placing 6th at the Tri-Valley League Finals meet, led by co-captains Humza Khurshid '15 and Patrick Thomas '15. Team MVP Kyril Van Schendel '18 earned 2nd Team All-League honors following his 9th-place finish at Lake Casitas. Other honorees included AllLeague Honorable Mention recipients Khurshid, Jack Pruitt '16, and Rei Imada '16.

Co-captains Charlotte Monke '16 and Rainbow Wang '15 led the girls cross country squad to a 6th-place finish at the 22

CAT E BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 14

league finals. Monke was the top Cate finisher on the girls’ side with a 6th-place finish. Isabela Montes de Oca '18 was just behind, in 16th place. Monke and Montes de Oca were honored with Second-Team All League recognition. Wang, Jessica Liou '16 and Serena Soh '17 were given Honorable Mentions for their performance this season.

Both teams narrowly missed advancing to CIF competition, but they did contend at all three league meets. Van Schendel's performance at the Santa Barbara County Championships was good enough for the third fastest run by a Cate boy, and the girls team's 6th-place finish was the highest team finish in nearly a decade. The future is bright for cross-country in 2015!

The girls volleyball team went wire to wire with an undefeated regular season in match play. In addition to their stellar 13-0 regular season record, the Rams won the inaugural Mesa Mixer Tournament and placed third at the prestigious Laguna Blanca Tournament. The Rams, captained by Sumner Matthews '15 and Maddie Becker '15, earned the #1 seed and a first-round bye for the CIF Division 4-A tournament.

Zack Allen '15 nets one for the Rams.

They are looking to improve upon last year's semifinal run, and to return to the CIF Regional Tournament for the second straight year.

Outside hitter Peyton Shelburne '15 was named MVP of the Frontier League this season, and the team had seven players honored with All-League Awards: Shelburne was joined by Becker and Delaney Mayfield '17 on the first team; Second-Team honors went to Matthews and Hannah Bowlin '16; and Honorable Mention was given to Lydia McMahon '16, Xandrine Griffin '15, and Hannah Barr '16.

In the pool, boys water polo continued to fight for a playoff spot until the very last week of the season. With the varsity and JV

Cate's girls cross country team gives Viewpoint some formidable opposition.

ON T H E M E SA

teams sweeping Carpinteria High School

Kate Dehlendorf '15 and Victoria Herman

for the first time in nearly a decade, the

'15 were terrific leaders and helped push the

Rams needed to come up with late-season

program to new heights. Top singles players

victories over Carpinteria, Villanova, and

Julia Gan '16 and McKenna Madden '16

Nordhoff. While it did not go in the blue and

paired up to finish as runner-ups in the TVL

white's favor, the team packed the Emmett

Doubles Championship. They will represent

Horowitz Aquatic Center with fans, who

Cate at the CIF Individual Championships

were treated to two fantastic contests,

over fall break. Eva Herman '17 advanced to

including the win over the rival Warriors.

the Singles Consolation Finals as well.

The Rams were led in scoring by Zack Allen

The Santa Barbara Athletic Round

'15 and Alex Brown '16. Allen moved to the

Table recognized two Cate students for

top of the all-time scoring list at Cate while

their accomplishments this fall. Dean Smith

becoming a First-Team All Tri-Valley League

'16 was named the Phil Womble Ethics in

selection for the third straight year. Brown

Sports Award winner, and Lucia Johnson '15

was named to the Second-Team, while

Girls varsity volleyball delivered a victory over Azusa in the second round of the CIF-ss Division 4A playoffs.

was named the Cate School Scholar-Athlete

Parker Matthews '18 and Will Hogue '15

of post-season competition a Cate team

of the Year for her work in the classroom

received honorable mention.

is eligible for. To say the Rams lived up to

and out on the soccer field and track. Zack

The football team was looking for its third straight Condor League title but came up short. Finishing second overall to Thacher, the Rams battled through a tough year, finishing the regular season at 5-3. They started the playoffs ranked #6 in 8 Man Division 1; as of this writing they

expectations would be an understatement.

The girls, along with Head Coach Trevor Thorpe, brought a level of energy and excitement to the squad that helped carry them to a third-place finish in league. Not only did the team qualify for the Division

Allen '15 recently signed his National Letter of Intent and will receive a scholarship from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to continue his swimming career next fall.

For all the Cate teams, it was a terrific season. The Rams represented themselves and the School with pride,

2 playoffs, they defeated Fullerton High

sportsmanship, and integrity. Our

round of the playoffs. (The football team

school in the Wildcard round. The next

introduction to the TCAA was a

has advanced to the 2nd round for six years

day, the squad put up a strong fight to

successful one, and we look forward to

straight.) This season the team has been led

#2-ranked Murrieta Valley. Co-captains

what the upcoming seasons will bring.

had advanced to face Mojave in the second

by several key players: running back Dean Smith '16 filled in admirably at quarterback late in the season. Isaiah Washington '16 provided offensive spark, leading the squad in touchdowns. Kian O'Connor '15 anchored the defensive unit from his outside linebacker position. James Armstrong '15 was solid at center, while Peter Kim '15 continued his strong play at guard, returning from injury to help lead Cate to a first-round playoff win over Public Safety Academy.

The girls tennis team started the season with arguably the biggest challenge: in order to advance to the playoffs, they would have to battle two-time CIF champion Carpinteria and highly ranked La Reina in TVL league play. Should the season go well, they would be competing in Division 2 for the post-season – the highest division

The opposition's blocking efforts are no match for #9, Dean Smith '16.

W W W. CATE . O R G

23

Making Summer Last

BY SARAH KIDWELL

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Audrey Kremer Monke '84 launched her career not because of her Cate education, or the Stanford one that followed it, but because she could drive a boat. "I wanted to be a teacher," she

Monke remembers well her first summer as a counselor, and how she began to feel that she had found her calling.

"There were some kids who just loved waterskiing, and

explained, "and I thought that working at a summer camp would

they would get up and go out on the water early with me. I got

be good training." During the winter of 1986, her sophomore year

really close to them, and we ended up talking about their lives at

of college, she was in the Stanford career center flipping through

home and what they were going through, and I really loved the

binders of flyers advertising summer jobs. One – Gold Arrow

connection. I felt more connected to Gold Arrow, and more a part

Camp – caught her eye. "Oh my gosh I loved that place," she

of a community, than I did at college."

recalls thinking, remembering the one session she had attended as

She returned to Gold Arrow the next few summers, rising

a camper nearly ten years earlier.

through the counselor ranks until

Her boating skills – her father had

she was supervising counselors and

taught her how to captain a Boston

taking an administrative role in the

Whaler in Newport Harbor (CA)

camp. And all the while, she knew

by the time she was twelve – made

the camp was for sale. The owner,

her a hot commodity. She got the

Manny Vezie, who had founded

job and had a memorable time at

Gold Arrow in 1933, had died, and

Gold Arrow, and hasn't missed a

his widow Jeanie had been touring

single summer since.

prospective buyers through the

It's easy to see why. Set on

facility.

Huntington Lake, high in the

Monke had a vague notion

California Sierra, Gold Arrow

that she wanted to stay a part of

Camp, or GAC as it's fondly

the camp somehow, and even

called, has a rustic, no-frills, and

wrote a letter to her father telling

traditional feel. On a late August day the fun seems to start right at

Summer camp is a family affair for the Monkes: (clockwise from top left) Audrey, Meredith, Steve, Gretchen, John, Charlotte '16, and Owen.

him, "we should buy this place" – a letter he still has. However, when

breakfast, when sleepy campers file into a busy, open-air dining

she heard later that a deal to buy the camp had been struck,

hall, as music thrums on speakers and begins to energize them.

she prepared to move on with her life, getting a teaching job in

Activities are listed on a board outside; from horseback riding to

Northern California.

wakeboarding and canoeing and pretty much every other outdoor

Jeanie Vezie called Monke the day after Christmas in 1988 to

possibility, each camper appears to have a fun day in store.

tell Monke that the buyer had backed out. That was her chance. "I

Counselors are everywhere and campers gravitate easily toward

had written a business plan and pulled it out, and we went to the

them, calling them by their summer names: Gecko, Mocha,

bank and got a loan."

Freckles, Sensei, and Big Foot. It's a simple touch that seems to help transport everyone to different world. (Audrey becomes "Sunshine" for the summer.)

While she agrees that not too many recent college grads dream of owning a summer camp, to her it just felt right.

"What it came from was that I loved this place and loved W W W. CATE . O R G

25

M A K I NG S U M M E R L A S T

working here... and I was somewhat

they began to realize that the camp

motivated by the idea that this was a

lifestyle fit their family, and that they

really amazing place. But I had ideas to

would pursue it together.

make it even better. I just felt I could

"He's more analytical than I am, and

make a difference."

he's good at figuring out the budget and

That lofty goal was put on hold

which building needs to be renovated.... I

however, as Monke, still in her early 20s,

would much rather spend my time figuring

delved into the business of running a camp,

out what we're going to talk about around

with the help of its former director, Ken

the campfire and the character development

Baker. "Those first five years were hard," she

we do here."

says. "It was anything but a dream coming

Camp seems to run in the family;

in and learning about worker's comp,

of their five children, three, including

insurance, payroll taxes – pretty much the

Charlotte '16, are counselors.

headaches any other business owner would

The demands are year round. "I find

have." And she had very little time with campers: "I was definitely not having as much fun as I did when I was a counselor."

you're a camp director. What do you to the rest of the year?'" Her answer: screening

long-time people who weren't on board had

and hiring a staff of 140, attracting and

changes in place, especially when it came to

to leave, and it took years to get it to the

registering 1200 campers, and keeping a

staffing.

point where I wanted it to be."

large lakeside property up-to-date. It's a

The second hard task was putting

"I felt like our whole experience should

Support came unexpectedly. She had

complex operation, run during the off-

revolve around the campers and their

married a fellow camp employee, Steve

season from their office in Clovis, CA.,

experience, and we really needed to get

Monke, whom she first met in 1989. In

where the Monkes also make their winter

away from staff shenanigans and that type of

the early years of their marriage he was

home.

thing. It's really difficult to make a cultural

in graduate school and heading toward a

shift. It requires some tough decisions; some

career in medicine. As children arrived,

Monke '84 got her start driving boats.

She's still a captain.

26

it so funny when people say to me – 'oh, Manny and Jeanie Vezie started Gold Arrow Camp in 1933, and the Monke family bought it in 1988.

CAT E BULLET IN / F A LL 2 0 13

Still, she admits, the magic happens during the summer. When she tries to

M A K I NG S U M M E R L A S T

define just what attracts GAC campers (and keeps them coming back – repeat business is strong), Monke finds a simple explanation.

"A lot of them will say that camp is like

Five fingers and a blanket: GAC campers celebrate their fifth year at their favorite summer camp.

their second home and that they spend the whole year looking forward to these two weeks because they feel happy and good and accepted while they're here…. The kids just appreciate this time of being together and these face-to-face, real relationships. Right away you're welcomed here and you're part of it. You don't need to know anyone before

parents. But what makes it great for kids is

you get here."

that their parents aren't there. I think a lot of

Another draw, she says, is that the

kids wouldn't be doing these things if their

GAC summer experience is short on the

parents were there."

competition and specialization that now

The residential aspect is powerful, she

characterizes growing up for many kids.

says, giving kids emotional safety. "You get

Nobody knows whether a camper is a club

a lot closer to people when you're eating

soccer or lacrosse player or a champion

your meals across from them and sleeping

swimmer back at home. All that matters is

in dorm rooms or cabins at camp. That's

who they are at camp.

what really builds the community so well at

Part of that stems from founder

places like Cate or a summer camp."

Manny Vezie's original goals. Though he

Now, more than twenty-five years after

was a football player at Notre Dame (and

graduating from college, Monke doesn't

in the locker room when legendary Knute

think she's strayed from her original goal.

Rockne gave his "Win one for the Gipper"

"Here at camp we're teachers too.

speech), he purposefully chose to reward

What we're teaching are life skills, not

campers for citizenship and character over

academic skills."

achievement. The camp's name – Gold

And she feels fully enriched by having

Arrow – comes from the highest award

taken an important role in raising an

given at the Wisconsin camp where Vezie

extended family of campers and counselors,

had been a counselor. It honored a camper

some of whom, like her and Steve, ended

who demonstrated integrity and kindness.

up together. "I can't tell you how much fun

Monke's version of GAC has built on

it is to go to the weddings of some of these

that principle, and has also evolved as an

counselors – there have been several of

antidote to another common phenomenon

the American Camp Association blog and

among tweens and teens – the proliferation

their camping magazine, and her message

them."

The ceremony at hand, though, is the

of technology. At Gold Arrow, nature and

centers on why parents and children should

one in which campers will receive five-year

relationships take center stage; there's just

make the camp leap: "As parents, we have

blankets for consecutive attendance, and

no place for phones and screens. Other

this vision that we are the creators of our

another to honor the campers about to age

than the two-way radios the staff uses to

children's childhood. But the reality is that

out of Gold Arrow completely. There will

communicate, there's not an electronic

some of the best stuff happens without us

be tears, she promises.

device in sight.

and camp is a gift parents give to their kids.

Her years at the helm have turned

"It's bittersweet. We just tell them

It's really hard not to be there when your

that they can use what they've learned

Monke into an evangelist not only for her

child is going sailing for the first time or

here and take it out into the world and

own camp, but for the summer camp

climbing the rock wall or doing any of these

make the world more like camp – which is

experience in general. She now writes for

things that kids do at camp without their

what I think the world needs to be – more W W W. CATE . O R G

27

the KINDNESS of a

TEACHER

AMANDA EBLING '15

Cate's backcountry seemed green to Masood (Daniel) Simons '69 compared to his native Iran.

28

CAT E BULLET IN / F A LL 2 0 14

T H E K I N DN E S S OF A T E AC H E R

"Y

ou can't make butter from water." That's a typical Iranian

"Cate was like an oasis to me," he remembers. Having lived his

phrase that Masood (Daniel) Simons '69 grew up hearing

entire life in Tehran before coming here, Simons was captivated by

the beauty – and by what seemed to him all the greenery – of Southern from his friends and family in Tehran. Simons was born there in 1951. At that time, the Shah's regime had largely moved California. And he was in absolute awe of American culture. He beyond fervent anti-Semitism, but many Iranians had not. As a Jew, remembers the freedom of riding his bike into Carpinteria, and his Simons faced a lot of discrimination. He notes that even if you didn't amazement at seeing convertibles parked with their tops down – and see or hear explicit anti-Semitism, "you could feel it," and as he got the keys in plain sight. older, he watched his Jewish friends pour out of the country. His He goes on to explain that even though he loved his family in own family, however, didn't have the money to follow them, so they Iran very much, "I never missed home." Simons was close to many of remained as part of a small minority of Jews in Tehran. his brothers and his teachers at Cate, but he was always closest to Joe Meanwhile, Simons lived dazzled by Western culture. He knew Caldwell. "If there was anything I ever needed, he would provide it." every Beatles song and every Hollywood film. "My mind was in the Unfortunately, there was only so much Caldwell could do when West, but my body was in Iran," Simons explains.

Simons' funding ran low. But Caldwell committed himself to finding Despite the odds against it, he was a solution. He arranged for Simons to move determined to find a way out. His dream was in with a host family and attend Santa to live in the U.S. And in 1967, he decided Barbara High School. After graduating from that he was going to make it happen, though there, Simons went on to Santa Barbara City he still wasn't sure how. "I saw people leave, College. While living in Santa Barbara, he but they had relatives or friends who helped made frequent trips to Cate to visit Caldwell make it possible. I didn't." Simons shakes his and his wife at their home on Middle Mesa. head now, reflecting on just how naive he Simons eventually graduated from was about the challenges he faced.

San Jose State and became an electrical The sixteen-year-old with no engineer. At the height of his career, he connections realized that his best hope of getting to America was through a student owned his own engineering business, with visa. So he contacted a translation agency, twelve locations between Sacramento and which translated his academic transcripts San Diego, employing a total of more than a into English; then he sent them to several hundred people. boarding schools in the U.S., including Cate.

Simons continued to visit Caldwell for The late Joe Caldwell supported Simons through his Not long after that, he was thrilled to receive many years after his student days at Cate. He time at Cate and beyond. a letter from Cate, expressing an interest in recalls introducing a snowy-haired Caldwell hosting him as one of the School's first foreign exchange students. to his first son. Even today, long after Caldwell's death, he drives up Unfortunately, without a legal guardian in America, Simons saw his to the Mesa from his home in Los Angeles once or twice a year to request rejected by the Embassy. participate in different alumni activities.

Upon hearing about Simons' predicament, Cate's assistant Looking back, Simons is amazed to consider how Joe Caldwell headmaster at the time, Joseph Caldwell, stepped in. He decided completely rerouted his life. Had it not been for Caldwell's help, to assume the role of Simons' legal guardian, accepting full instead of leaving for Cate, Simons would have been drafted into the responsibility for him as a minor, validating his student visa, and Iranian military as soon as he turned eighteen, and because laws are eventually bringing him to Cate. much stricter for adults trying to leave the country, he and his family Simons remembers the overwhelming gratitude and utter joy probably would have been forced to remain there permanently. he felt upon hearing the news. In 1968, at the age of seventeen, he flew halfway around the world to become a student at Cate.

"At this point, my fantasy had become a reality. I still believe that it was the best thing that ever happened to me," says Simons.

Even though he struggled with his English, Simons immediately felt accepted into the Cate family; to this day he refers to his fellow students as "his brothers," and he's filled with nostalgia as he recalls his time on the Mesa – living in Lido, working hard at his studies, but still finding time to have fun with his friends.

Simons' gratitude to Caldwell is immense, and he's quick to say that he has lived his life in debt to him. But he adds, "I think I've tried to thank him by being a good citizen for this country. God bless America, and bless the soul of Joe Caldwell, who appeared like an angel to help my family and me."

Amanda Ebling is a senior from St. Louis, MO. She is the student editor of the Bulletin.

W W W. CATE . O R G

29

30

CAT E BULLET IN / F A LL 2 0 14

s '84

rson ue Pa

oniq

by M

encouraged me to question texts, and where a course called "Ideas" had exposed me to Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim scriptures, as well as a bit of Christian heresy we hadn't read in Sunday school: the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas. "If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you," Thomas' Jesus tells his followers.

"If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you."

Professor Gager explained that the gospels weren't written he university course guide officially called it "Origins

down until decades after Jesus died. And when they were written

of the New Testament."

down, an orator would gather groups of scribes to write many copies

Out on the "gin-green lawns of Princeton,"

simultaneously. What are the odds that the scribes all wrote down

to borrow F. Scott Fitzgerald's boozy phrase,

the exact same story? What are the odds, he asked, that we were all

the class had another name: "Crush Your

writing down the same words as he spoke?

Faith 101."

It was my freshman year, and religion

I looked around at my classmates, amazed. Despite all I'd learned at Cate, somehow I still believed that the Bible had been

Professor John Gager spent a semester guiding us through the

handed from heaven on a cloud. There, in a windowless lecture hall,

gospels with a historian's eye. I wasn't so worried about my faith:

the document came down to earth. And not only that document,

I'd been to Presbyterian Sunday school, after all. I knew Jesus loved

but all those inspiring scriptures I'd read on the Mesa.

me. But I was curious. I was fresh out of Cate, where my teachers

It was a mind-boggling moment.

W W W. CATE . O R G

31

E N DU R I NG FA I T H

We went on to decode the theological

closest followers, there was a clear, glorious

Claremont School of Theology, an

debates on the pages of the New

truth that biblical scholars could uncover.

independent Methodist seminary, to do

Testament, which somehow I'd never read

This great man of faith looked at her with a

some reporting for NPR. The school is at the

carefully enough to notice. We learned of

piercing gaze. "What makes you think there

forefront of what's known as "interreligious

the many other messianic movements of

was a golden age?"

studies," a field that brings together

Jesus's time, the political maneuverings

Yet somehow, faith endures.

practitioners of different faiths to learn from

when the book was canonized (and why

For the past two decades as a journalist

each other and work together on shared

Thomas's gospel didn't make the cut), and

writing about religion, I've watched with

problems: violence, poverty, hunger, illness.

the challenges of translation. (Jesus spoke

wonder – and sometimes envy, frankly –

During a class on "Buddhist/Christian

Aramaic? What?) There, at the bedrock of

as I see how religious faith continues to

spiritual care," a professor told me a story.

the Christian faith, was a big, fascinating,

inspire and sustain people, despite the

He said: "I remember a man who

complicated and very human mess. My

messy realities of history, the bloody work

talked to me about going to the hospital

faith wasn't crushed, but my journalism

of misguided zealots, and the bigotry and

for surgery, and during the intake

career was on its way: What a story!

superstitions that divide us in horrible ways.

Years later, in divinity school, I heard

Religion isn't for everyone, and it's

paperwork the woman behind the desk said, 'And what is your religion?' And he

New Testament scholar Elaine Pagels

understandable, given all the terrible news,

said, 'Well, part of me is Catholic and part

recount a similarly jarring moment early

that many people drift away. A recent

of me is Tibetan Buddhist,' And she said,

in her career. She'd told her Harvard PhD

Pew study found that nearly 40 percent of

'I'll write down 'none.'"

adviser, Swedish theologian and Lutheran

Americans under age 30 report no religious

College chaplains – the focus of my

bishop Krister Stendahl, that she wanted to

affiliation. The "millennials" – today's Cate

NPR story – are seeing this complexity

study the "golden age of Christianity." Surely,

students among them – seem to be the least

first hand. First, there are still plenty of

ican history. They're religious bunch in American

students who embrace a religion. Evangelical

known as religious "nones," because when

Christianity is especially important to many

in that first-century world of Jesus and his

given a list of possible denominations and

students from Asia, and Chinese-language

faiths, they checked a box called "none."

Bible studies are growing on American

Some of those folks also fall into a fuzzier

college campuses. But the young "nones"

category, known in theological circles as the

aren't indifferent to life's big questions; on

"SBNR's" – "Spiritual But Not Religious."

Scratch beneath the surface a bit,

the contrary, the chaplains can fill lecture halls for discussions of values and meaning

however, and the reality behind these

– especially when famous people are leading

labels is quite complex. I recently visited

these conversations – and interfaith social action is booming. Interfaith groups are becoming a home not only for students who want to learn about other faiths (or practice more than one), they are an increasingly comfortable place for students with no religion at all. Nearly half of the kids on USC's "Interfaith Council," a discussion group, are atheist or agnostic.

Cl Att Claremont School of Theology, a recent graduate of the interfaith chaplaincy program is a young Muslim woman who grew up in a secular household near Chicago. She considered herself to be a "cultural Muslim." Yet, when 9/11 hit, she felt thrust into the spotlight, forced to defend and represent

32

CATE BULLET BU LL ET IN / F ALL A LL 2 0 13

a faith she felt tied to but didn't know

he "sometimes feels moderately

Perhaps, as the book suggests, the

uncomfortable" at the size and dominance

Cate chapel inspires us to be "perfect

of the chapel cross. I'm a convert to

strangers," whether its overt Christian

Evangelical Christian Bible study in our

Judaism, so I understand his point. Yet we

symbolism inspires us, offends us, or

high school, and I took my copy of the

agreed that the chapel, while no longer

doesn't do much of either.

Qur'an, which had a spine that hadn't

the site of weekly Christian services, still

even been cracked because no one in

feels like a place apart, a sacred space,

in America is changing, and it's changing

my family had read it," she recalled with

even. The chapel is used for Tuesday

on the Mesa as well. We wondered if

a chuckle. "I think it was then that I

Talks – personal and often moving weekly

Cate students should be exposed to

realized I need to learn more about where

reflections given by Cate seniors – as well as

other houses of worship and hear from

weddings, funerals, and the rite of passage

practitioners of different faiths, to deepen

known as Baccalaureate. Even in silence, the

their religious literacy, to help build

much about.

"What I did was actually join an

I came from and my own history."

She joined the interfaith chaplaincy

There's no question that religious life

program as a master's student because she

empathy for people of faith – and, if so

wanted to work for social justice and be

inspired, to explore their own. Is there

a bridge not only to people of different faiths, but also between secular and religious Muslims.

"Ultimately, my goal is to be the person I needed when I was in college," she said.

Many of the students in the interreligious studies program have a book on their shelves called How to Be a Perfect Stranger. It's a guide to how to behave

Even in silence, the place echoes with reverence and collective memories.

room for interfaith action and dialogue on the Mesa, like we see in universities across the nation? What would that look like at Cate? These are interesting questions.

What endures? Faith, for some; many faiths, for others.

And for me? I continue to love the messy stories. I used to believe that all religions were the same, that the story I first heard at Cate rang true. God is like

politely, and what to expect, in unfamiliar

the moon, the story goes, and religions

religious settings. "It's like a Bible here,"

are the finger pointing at the moon. The

one Claremont student told me.

It's been on my bookshelf for a long

place echoes with reverence and collective

important thing is we mustn't mistake the

memories. It's a gift to us from Mr. Cate,

finger for the moon.

time, too, and the spine is worn with

who is buried there, and from those who

use. I thought of the book recently while

admired him. It's also a place where the

talking with an old schoolmate and fellow

community gathers to listen, to reflect, and

reporter captivated by those outstretched

Cate parent about the Cate Chapel, the

to share music and stories.

fingers. Oneness is comforting, but variety

house that Mr. Cate built in memory of his wife. We wondered how many of

"One of my basic wishes in the world is

I still like that story, but I've spent a good part of my career as a religion

is far more interesting.

for all young people to feel comfortable in a

today's Cate students find meaning in its

place of worship, a sacred space, and not feel

Christian imagery.

they have to buy into it," Chris said. "They

religion reporter for National Public Radio,

can just be there. And I think the chapel

a Cate parent, and president of the board of

does that."

trustees.

My friend Chris Breunig '82 is an active Episcopalian, and he admits

Monique Parsons '84 is a freelance

W W W. CATE . O R G

33

TECH TALK

Q+A WITH NELLIE BOWLES '06

With the world of technology unfolding right before her journalistic eye, Nellie Bowles '06 has an ultra modern view of what endures. The former editor of El Batidor, a graduate of Columbia University and a Fulbright Scholar, Bowles moved swiftly into her career as a technology reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle before she was scooped up by the recently launched Re/Code, a smart and sassy tech platform that publishes only digitally from its San Francisco headquarters. Sarah Kidwell caught up with Bowles (electronically, of course) in between deadlines, for some insight into her beat.

Q: You're covering a world that moves with warp

Q: How do you stay connected to what is

speed, and we're guessing that it makes your

current and up-and-coming?

work both exciting and a bit unnerving. How does it feel to you?

I also read a lot. I don't Tweet as much as I should, but I consume most of my news on Twitter. I read Buzzfeed and Gawker and Vice

A: I'm secretly a very old woman who thinks

pretty religiously. I also get the Times and the

a good night out is pinot noir and a caesar

New Yorker and like to keep in touch with the

A: The tech boom (this whole mosh pit of

salad, so "staying hip and current" does not

legacy publications.

startups and venture capitalists) is the most

come naturally, but I actually see this as a

interesting thing happening in the U.S. right

very good thing. I like to think I approach the

Q: Is Tweeting, Instagramming, and posting

now, far as I can tell. It's the weirdest, the

youths and their apps and activities like an

video part of your job description as associate

most influential. And it's the fastest paced.

archeologist.

editor of tech culture?

So it's absolutely exciting to cover.

The key is to keep people of all ages in

Also, let's be real, I do feature stories

your life and to listen to them. I have younger

A: It is! As it ought to be, even if I'm not a

rather than breaking news (I write about 3-5

cousins and little sister (Cate Class of '12)

good Tweeter. Basically the job description is

stories a week rather than 15, like some of my

who keep me in the loop on things and taught

to use all the tools you can to tell good stories.

colleagues), so I have a bit of a more leisurely

me what Snapchat is, etc.

So I take some of my own shaky-hand video. I

pace with it all.

Nellie Bowles gets camera-ready before a live appearance on CNBC to discuss her story about the tech business in Las Vegas. It's a perfect time for a selfie.

take my own pictures and also work with our staff photog. I work with Recode's partners at NBC to bring TV elements to stories. We're starting a radio show. A modern reporter is a multimedia creature, so it's definitely part of the job.

Q: Keep us up with your travels – you've been to Burning Man, Las Vegas, Silicon Valley, tech campuses and more. Would you describe any of those as the most interesting story you've covered?

A: Burning Man was probably the most interesting week of reporting for me. I drove out to the desert and had to file every day without really knowing what I would cover or how it would go or, importantly, where I could get Internet. But I think it was the best week of writing I'd done in my career so far.

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CAT E BULLET IN / F A LL 2 0 14

T EC H TA L K

computer science continues to drop every year. But of course a lot of people are making great efforts to change this. I've reported on it quite a bit and hope to do more. I think reporters just have to keep forcing the issue up again and again and eventually we'll see change.

Q: What endures from your time at Cate?

A: I was editor of El Bat and The Cate Review, two experiences that absolutely shaped who I am today. I was obsessed with that paper It's a great event to cover because it's this

and basically lived in the Bat Cave my senior

huge, idealistic, colorful festival now flush

year. I remember we introduced all these fun

with money and influence, so there really are

lowbrow features like blind dates and formal

infinite stories.

dinner fashion, which I just loved.

But really what sticks with me from

Q: Do you get to write all the funny, irreverent

Cate were the teachers and the advice they

headlines for your stories (e.g. Cuddle Puddles!

gave and how they nurtured a really special

Still Joy in the Mud-Ville at Burning Man; Chicken

culture of writing at Cate.

Tech or Michael Mina Builds Two-Story Rotisserie) or is that someone else's job?

Bob Bonning, Ross Robins, and Gaby Edwards would encourage me to push myself as a writer since day one of freshman year.

A: Ahahaha. Collaborative effort.

And I often resisted and was quite rebellious — I'd go on a rant about how they assigned

Q: The tech industry is largely male, and often

a bad book (John Grisham?!) and then just

young. Do you have some insights on when we

pout in the back of class or would write a

might see some changes there?

perfunctory essay when they knew I could do better. But they just kept at me.

A: The gender issues in tech are an absolute

I didn't really know that I was a writer

horror show and getting worse, far as I can

until they helped me realize it, and their

tell. The pipeline of women coming into tech

ambition for me shaped my own ambition for

is drying up: The number of women studying

myself.

Alternate reality: Bowles test drives Google Glass.

Q: Although the Bulletin now has a digital platform too (ISSUU), this interview will land in a printed magazine and will be snail-mailed to alumni, parents, and friends of Cate. Is this format doomed, or do traditional magazines and newspapers have a future?

A: Eh. Doomed and not doomed. I like to get the New Yorker in print, and some of my friends started a beautiful new magazine called The California Sunday. People like objects. So magazines will probably stick around because they're nice to have.

Newspapers, no way. As soon as something's printed, it's already old news.

Q: Where, in this digital world, do you keep the things that really matter to you?

A: On backup hard drives.

W W W. CATE . O R G

35

2

Objects that Last At a school that's more than 100 years old, history is all around us. Multimedia Coordinator Ian Vorster wandered through the Mesa with a camera and paused more than a few times to capture images of the most permanent features. Here's what he found.

3

1. Baseball memorabilia has been carefully preserved in the Archives. 2. This Remington Noiseless Model Seven typewriter belonged to Katharine Thayer Cate. 3. A collection of sports trophies dating from the early 1920s through 2007 stand in the Fleischman Gymnasium. 4. The foundation for the original Santa Barbara School remains at the base of the Mesa. 5. This Western saddle belonged to Mr. Cate, and was gifted to the School

by Ernie Bryant '49. 6. This spade was used to break ground on Long House in 1914, and has been used in the groundbreakings of all successive buildings on the Mesa. 7. Painted around 1892 by Fernand Lundgren, this oil on canvas desert scene was commissioned by the Santa Fe Railroad and used to promote tourism in the West. Mrs. Cate donated it to the School. 8. A collection of commemorative buttons celebrate a variety of School milestones, many of them retirements. 9. The Chapel organ, which has more than 1,000 pipes, was crafted by the Casavant Frères Company and dedicated in 1961.

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6

5

7

8

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DISPATCHES Both near and far, Cate alumni continue to make important contributions to the world around them. In some cases, their lasting impact is already apparent; in others, it will be soon enough. Here are just a few of their stories.

DIANA FROLEY DE FOREST '87 The basement of Diana Froley de Forest's Seattle home is an archive of her

grandmother, and it takes me to a different

for me" (though she launched her process

part of my life."

well before social media was even on the

Much of that life is chronicled in

horizon). "I started all this by keeping

life. Boxes, some labeled, others more

carefully crafted books – combination

journals at Cate. I didn't really have an

mysterious, have their place along the

journals-sketchbooks-appointment

audience in mind. It just went from there."

usual castoffs – bikes, too-small Halloween

books-scrapbooks. Their pages are

costumes, an old car seat. The boxes

practically exploding with notes, drawings,

she's crafted and created is all over her

hold art, notebooks, and letters, among

impressions, items – "if it happened to me,

house. Her woodcuts adorn the kelly green

other artifacts. "Sometimes I go down to

it's in there," she promises. "It's sort of an

living room walls. Puppets, handmade

do the laundry and I find a letter from

Instagramming of my life that was just

guitars, and homemade buttons are just a

Evidence of the many other things

few other examples. She's got the music side covered too – with CDs she's released through her once-record company Serious Records. One features her art and the title "You're Not Broke But I'm Going to Fix You." Her regular work life – the one that brings in a paycheck – belies her creative life and spirit that is abundantly evident in her art-filled home. De Forest is a supervisory management analyst at the Seattle office of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; her previous job was with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "These are reliable, practical things – healthcare and housing – things that people need," she offers.

Back at home, her domestic collection has been put aside temporarily as she and her husband Caraigh de Forest (a Thacher grad, that's another story) raise two children, Dinko and Aurelia. "I hope I live long enough to manage it all."

De Forest compares her collection of artifacts to a giant, cosmic quilt, somehow echoing the fabric one she painstakingly sewed for the guest bedroom of her home.

"At some point, I'll use all these pieces of When Diana Froley de Forest opens a closet in her Seattle house, she never knows what she'll find. This time, it's a painting from college days.

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CAT E BU LLET IN / F A LL 2 0 14

my life to stitch something together."

—SK

DISPATCHES

Among Russell's memories of life at

HARRY RUSSELL '45

Lawrence, the move to coeducation stands

Each time Harry Russell '45 returns to the Mesa – and he's been doing it

out to him as perhaps the most personal

regularly since he graduated almost 70

and significant, having implications as it

years ago – he has a justified sense of

did for his family and even for Cate's own

belonging. The step-grandson of Curtis

evolution. "I saw what coeducation could

Cate, Russell grew up in Carpinteria

bring to a school," he confided recently,

and spent many of his early days at Mesa

"when I noticed the difference in what

House, a young witness to the changes in

it offered my boys. The first one went

the School during the 1930s and 40s. His

to Lawrence before the girls arrived; my

grandmother was Katharine Thayer Cate,

second was there as they made the change.

a woman whose ministering care was a

I always felt my younger boy got a better

welcome touch for many of the young

education." Russell was persuaded that

boys on campus. Possessing a personal

the presence of girls in the classrooms at

story so deeply intertwined with that

Cate would be to everyone's advantage, as

of the School itself, it's no surprise that

it had been at Lawrence, where "through

Russell feels a strong connection to Cate.

competition and the desire to impress,

In many respects, he's the embodiment of

the boys discovered they were brighter

nearly a century of institutional history.

than they thought they were." He let his

Already a fixture at the School

opinion be known when Cate alumni were

during his childhood, Russell officially

polled in 1974, casting his vote in favor of

enrolled as an 8th-grader in 1940,

change – a minority position among the

following several years at Crane Country Day in nearby Montecito. He was among a handful of boys who entered Cate after seventh grade, spending

older graduates of the School.

During Harry Russell's time on the Mesa, there were no girls, and co-education was years away.

One of the many layerings of history

Closing in on his 70th Cate reunion, Russell is a trove of indelible memories that, taken in their entirety, form an

the war years studying primarily with

Russell encounters when he comes back

older schoolmasters who were ineligible

to campus is the presence of Benjamin

for military service. Those years were

Williams IV, Cate's current headmaster

unusual ones in many ways, and they

and occupant of Mesa House for the past

even included a change in the name of

seventeen years. After Russell's own

Carpinteria and the transition to

the School; the war caused a decline in

children had reached their teens and

education, his instantaneous recall of

enrollment and forced a merger with

matriculated at Lawrence Academy in

names and dates over nearly a century

Catalina School, which had lost its

Groton, Massachusetts, Russell joined the

of life on the Mesa – all this is conjured

campus in Avalon due to the blackout

board of trustees there and worked closely

up each time he returns, one of Cate's

imposed on coastal communities.

with Headmaster Benjamin Williams

enduring figures.

Russell's diploma actually reads "The

III, father of Cate's Ben Williams. "The

Cate and Vosburg School," named in part

Williams family arrived when my oldest

for the headmaster of the vacated school

was a senior, and I first met Ben when he

on the island, Keith Vosburg.

was just ten or eleven years old," he says.

unofficial history of the School. His insider's view of life at Mesa House in the early days, his stories of wartime

—RR

W W W. CATE . O R G

39

DISPATCHES

JAMES ACKERMAN '37

of time on his hands, Ackerman began

field missions, including one to Santa Maria

to look around and to sketch what he

delle Grazie, a church in Milan, where he

saw. Everywhere he turned there were

witnessed the uncovering of Leonardo's Last

meticulously maintained cathedrals,

Supper. Even more significantly, at least as

crumbling stone buildings with high arches

far as his future was concerned, Ackerman

and winding staircases, and hillsides dotted

was assigned to retrieve papers sent by

with cypress and olive trees. They were

the Royal Archives for safeguarding at the

the kind of scenes that had inspired master

Certosa di Pavia, a remarkable Carthusian

painters for centuries to pick up their pens

monastery south of Milan. The loading

and brushes. Just as they'd done, Ackerman

of the material was delegated to Italian

rendered the landscapes and cityscapes in

workers, so he was able to leisurely wander

pen, ink, and watercolor, using the skills he

about the cloisters and their church. There,

first developed in his art classes at Cate.

his passion for architectural history was

Over the course of the year in Caserta,

En plein air: Capturing landscapes on the Mesa was the first step in Ackerman’s forays into art.

James Ackerman '37 was in his first

reignited: "The brief experience," he says,

Ackerman's notebook filled with imagery.

"which had nothing to do with the allied

Eventually his company moved north,

victory, solidified my decision to place the

arriving at the outskirts of Milan just as the

art and landscape of Italy at the center of my

Germans surrendered, and while waiting

career as a scholar and teacher."

to return home Ackerman asked to help

There, Ackerman had managed to find

out in the local Monuments and Fine Arts

the subject to which he would eventually

office. Having been granted permission, he

devote his life: historic Italian art and

accompanied Italian restorers on various

architecture. His master's thesis, titled "The

year of graduate school at NYU's Institute of Fine Arts when the draft came along.

It was the early days of World War II, and Ackerman was starting to yearn for a respite from academic life even though he'd just arrived in New York. He'd recently finished up four years of grueling work at Yale, and he began to think that decoding cryptic messages while travelling internationally – all with the larger purpose of serving his country – sounded like a very good idea.

So he packed his things and headed for a secret-signal intelligence instruction camp in Virginia, and before he knew it he found himself stationed in Caserta, Italy, just north of Naples.

There in the shadow of Vesuvius, immersed in history and with plenty 40

CAT E BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 14

World War II found Ackerman stationed in Tuscany, where picturesque hillsides inspired him to paint.

DISPATCHES

PARKER DAVIES '07 When Parker Davies '07 was young,

Certosa of Pavia and the Renaissance in Milan," became his first published article.

Renaissance architecture formed the focus of his studies when he resumed graduate

at every opportunity to catch the waves

he'd leaf through surf magazines and

he never saw in Louisiana. When the time

gaze at the images of big waves on distant

came to apply to college, he zeroed in on

shores. One location in particular seized

Hawaii for its tropical climate and perfect

his imagination: the Mentawai Islands

swells, but ultimately Santa Barbara City

off the western coast of Sumatra in

College's culinary program enticed him

Indonesia. Just like the other places he

back to California. After sharpening his

saw in those pages, it had perfectly clear

kitchen skills at school and at various

water and pristine beaches, but it also

restaurants around town, he applied for a

had a rich culture that had stayed intact –

job in the place he'd dreamed of going for

and isolated – for several millennia. That

so long. He landed it, and was off to the

appealed to him – the endemic species,

Mentawai Islands without looking back.

the hunter-gatherer lifestyle, and the ties

Casertavecchia, a medieval Italian village, was the subject of this 1944 sketch by Ackerman.

he made a habit of jetting off to Rincon

That was three years ago. Now, says

that people had with their land. He never

Davies, "I'm in the richest, most biodiverse,

imagined he'd be lucky enough to visit

most alive place I have ever been." In

the place, and he certainly never imagined

a small village along a bay lined with

he'd call it home – but now he can.

mangrove trees, he has built the home he

Davies is a native of New Orleans

shares with his wife Sovi. She was born

who landed at Cate in 2005 after

and raised on the island of Siberut, where

Hurricane Katrina ravaged his old high

they've staked claim; it's the largest of the

school. As he settled into life on the Mesa,

70 islands that make up the Mentawai. He

work at NYU, where he ultimately received his PhD – with tuition and books covered by the GI Bill. In later years he branched into other subject areas, like photography and contemporary architecture, and ultimately taught and wrote about the material that compelled him most. He became a renowned scholar, leading classes at Berkeley and then at Harvard from 1960 to 1990 as the Arthur Kingsley Porter Professor of Fine Arts. His own artwork and the pieces of his that have been published – and there have been many – have become relics in their own right, illuminating the past and also re-envisioning how we see it.

—CR

Surfing and a job brought Parker Davies ’07 to the Mentawai Islands in Indonesia. Love of the land and its people has kept him there.

W W W. CATE . O R G

41

DISPATCHES

right here in the Mentawai," he says. He understands that some development is inevitable in the natural evolution of things – and that farming, which doesn't have a long past in the Mentawai, may have a future there. He wants to make sure that if does take hold, it nourishes the land instead of wearing it out, and that it doesn't replace the traditional practices of hunting, gathering, and foraging – which he's come to see as sacred.

"Change is inevitable," says Davies, "and everything is changing around us all the time. But on this preserved little sliver of the earth where I have found true heaven, I don't want it to change for the

Parker Davies (right) now calls the locals on Siberut "family."

no longer cooks at the luxury surf resort

acres he now manages, he farms organic

that originally brought him there, and his

cacao and shows interested locals how to

focus has shifted from the kitchen to the

improve yields without using pesticides

abundant source of food itself: the ocean

or fertilizers. His company, Mentawai

and the rainforest.

Chocolate, uses the beans he grows in

"Nature provides everything we need for a healthy, fulfilling, and happy life,"

from farmers nearby. He pays above market

says Davies. "Since I arrived I've been

prices for them, encouraging sustainable

learning the ways of the culture and have

methods and providing incentive to grow

been living a simple life in the footsteps

cacao instead of other crops that are harder

of the wisest people I know."

on the land, like rubber. He's even planning

Davies has also come to understand that the Mentawai way of life, which is inextricably tied to the land, is under

to run all the company's equipment on renewable energy by next year.

When he's not farming cacao or

I share this special place with, I hope to create the best possible type of change." —CR

POM BUNSERMVICHA '12 No one who crossed paths with Pom Bunsermvicha '12 during her two years at Cate would be surprised to learn about her life after graduation. Having settled immediately into the Modern Culture and Media program at Brown University, she resumed her work as a creator of clever and quirky short videos, much like those that had captivated the entire

threat. Foreign investors are starting

making chocolate, Davies partners with

school while she was back on the Mesa.

to push destructive land practices in

Mentawaians to practice sustainable farming

Now, two years later, Bunsermvicha

exchange for quick profits, he says. The

methods on plots of land around Siberut,

is still the highly original visual artist

result has been deforestation and a loss

and together they sell their vegetable

she revealed herself to be at Cate, but

of biodiversity due to logging and the

harvests to local resorts. On the books for

the stage is distinctly different: she's

establishment of large rubber and palm

the near future are permaculture classes in

currently the only undergraduate student

oil plantations.

area high schools that he will help teach.

Davies didn't want to see the ample

42

addition to other organic beans he gets

worse. Here, alongside the locals whom

"If there can be a balance between

natural resources dwindle, so he decided

a healthy economy and a healthy

to do something about it. On the 200

environment, I think it's most possible

CAT E BU LLET IN / F A LL 2 0 14

directing a 35mm film at Europe's oldest film school, in Prague.

"I can't believe I get to spend my days thinking, creating, and breathing

DISPATCHES

films and filmmaking," Bunsermvicha

various media became an established fact

reports. I knew I had to find something

among the students, and she found herself

that would allow me to continue to grow

in almost constant demand. Her expertise

as a filmmaker, but I never expected I'd

and her willingness to help made her the

be learning so much. For the first time,

go-to artist for everything from assembly

I really understand film as a storytelling

videos announcing the latest issue of El

medium. I can feel this is something I'd

Batidor to an admission marketing piece.

like to do for the rest of my life. It's also

After graduation Bunsermvicha

been really fun getting to know Prague –

made her way to Brown, home to the Ivy

so much art, history and culture!"

League's biggest and best-funded student film club. She quickly assumed the role

As is often the case, Bunsermvicha's

of technical director there, although she

success had a very humble origin: a basic point-and-shoot she received as

confesses she was very much a novice in This year Pom Bunsermvicha '12 is directing a film at Europe's oldest film school.

the world of filmmaking. "When I arrived

U.S. "When I left home to study abroad,"

trying to make some sense out of it, in an

was still much that I didn't know, much

she recalls, "my mom bought me a

attempt to tell a story."

that I hadn't experienced and much

a gift before setting off from Bangkok, Thailand, at attend high school in the

small, inexpensive digital camera. 'Take

It wasn't long before word got out

pictures and share them with us while

that Bunsermvicha was something of a

you're gone,' she said. So it all began

wizard with a video camera, with a fan

with capturing moments, moments that

base and a growing visibility on campus.

collectively represented the world as I was seeing and experiencing it. But I quickly learned that I was much more interested

at Brown," she says, "I learned that there

that I hadn't seen. In the past two years, I'm happy that I've thrown myself into situations that have allowed me to learn, first by doing, but more importantly, by making mistakes. I don't think I would

Although she prefers the anonymity of

have been able to do that as successfully

working behind the camera, her skill with

without my time at Cate."

in capturing life with moving images."

Bringing that new knowledge with her to Cate from Hastings Senior High in Minnesota at the start of her junior year, Bunsermvicha began to explore different kinds of filmmaking. "I distinctly remember a Friday evening in the dorm," she says, "when a friend and I played around with leftover boiled green peas and sun flower petals to stage a stopmotion animation video. It was the first day that my new camera arrived, and we were just so excited. I spent the rest of the night editing, experimenting with different ways that I could rearrange the sequence of random images together,

For now Bunsermvicha calls the creative capital of Prague her stomping ground.

W W W. CATE . O R G

43

DISPATCHES

This semester, as part of a program

Afterwards, I would go on the Internet

the foods people eat, the clothes they

that sends American college students

and spend countless hours reading and

wear, the dances they perform, and the

abroad, she is taking classes at the Film

watching everything I could about the

buildings they inhabit are, in many cases,

and TV School of the Academy of

making of each film. It never got boring,

determined by customs that originated a

Performing Arts in Prague, or FAMU.

and I'd stop only when there was nothing

long time ago. Throughout recent decades

left to learn."

of political turmoil, people across the

Film majors from all over the U.S. come to FAMU to learn how

—RR

to make 16mm or 35mm films, and through a rigorous application process Bunsermvicha got the chance to work

region have maintained their everyday routines, often in environments fraught

WALEED HAZBUN '86 Few regions of the world can lay claim

with violence and social upheaval.

Waleed Hazbun '86 thinks a lot about

in 35mm, a notoriously expensive

to social and cultural traditions as enduring

the persistence of these practices in war-

format that requires prior training

as those of the Middle East. Religious

ravaged areas. In 2007, following the war

and experience. She's one of only two

practices that began there thousands

between Israel and the Lebanese militant

undergraduates working in 35mm – the

of years ago remain cherished features

group Hizballah in the summer of 2006,

other 30 are studying 16mm – and she's

of daily life for hundreds of millions of

he and his wife Michelle Woodward first

teaming with several graduate students

people – be they Muslims, Jews, Christians,

moved to Lebanon, where Hazbun served

to write a script and produce the film by

or followers of some other faith. Likewise,

as a visiting professor of international

December of this year.

As a result of the formal "pitching session" with the FAMU faculty, Bunsermvicha was invited to direct the film her group is making, and she now has everyone on a tight schedule. "We will shoot on a weekend in late November and screen our film in December," she says.

"A couple of the student short films that were produced in this program made it to film festivals over the past years, and this is one of the things I'm hoping to do for our film by the end of the semester."

Occasionally Bunsermvicha pauses and takes stock of the changes that have occurred in her life over the past few years. She's struck by the fact that she's producing the kind of work she spent so much of her youth consuming: "I've always loved watching films. One of my favorite memories is going to the video store with my dad – we'd go home with two or three films, sit on the couch and spend the rest of the evening together.

44

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Waleed Hazbun, daughter Amina, and wife Michelle Woodward in Beirut, where social and cultural traditions flourish in the midst of political turmoil.

DISPATCHES

relations at the American University of

"About three times a day, the lights go

as the Syrian Protestant College until

Beirut (AUB). In 2010, they returned with

off," explains Hazbun. "There are rotating

1920. Early in its history, the founders

their young daughter Amina to settle there

blackouts, and other less-predictable

shifted their project from one of religious

long term.

power outages, that result from the

conversion to the promotion of a

country's inadequate infrastructure.

liberal arts education; since then, AUB

homecoming of sorts for Hazbun. His

Electricity has to be rationed." Political

has educated generations of students,

parents had both lived in Beirut in the

stalemates and financial complications

many of whom have gone on to serve as

1950s. His father, a Palestinian formerly

add to the problem. Some buildings have

political, educational, and business leaders

living in Jordan, went there to study civil

generators that supply electricity during

throughout the region.

engineering. His mother, a Palestinian born

blackouts, but even in those buildings

in Honduras, and her family had fled to

that don't, people tend to go about their

reveals a hint of understandable pride

Beirut as refugees in 1948, after they lost

business without much fuss – at home,

when he talks about how teaching and

their home in Jerusalem. Hazbun himself

at work, at school, or wherever else

learning carry on at AUB, no matter what

was born in the San Francisco Bay Area;

they might be. "Life just goes on," says

else might be happening. "Classes are

he later lived in Paris, Athens, and Geneva,

Hazbun, politely failing to mention how

sometimes disrupted. Exams may have

among other places, before coming to Cate

life wouldn't just go on (not without

to be delayed. But those exams will take

as a junior in the fall of 1984.

considerable drama, anyway) under similar

place. And students from around the world

The move actually represented a

Hazbun (who serves as director of

Though he's a modest man, Hazbun

circumstances for most of us in America.

will continue to graduate," fulfilling the

AUB's Center for Arab and Middle East

"Everyone adapts to the power outages

mission of the university since its creation

Studies), Michelle (a photo editor for

– doing without air conditioning, TV, the

almost 150 years ago.

Middle East Report magazine), and five-

Internet, and other basic items of modern

Likewise, Hazbun will continue to

year-old Amina live near the university in

life. In the end, those things are luxuries,

walk his daughter to school, until she's old

the same neighborhood where Hazbun's

not necessities."

enough to walk there by herself.

parents once lived. His father had rented

Water and other vital supplies

a room in the building his mother lived

occasionally run short too. And there's

in, and the two met when she was looking

always some level of violence somewhere

for someone to tutor her in math. Beirut,

in the country, even in peaceful times.

of course, has seen its share of conflict

While Hazbun and his family feel

since then. Reminders of the 1975–1990

insulated from the conflicts raging in other

civil war remain easy to find throughout

parts of the region, he thinks about the

the city. Hazbun is quick to point out

potential threats as he walks Amina to

that conditions are much better now,

school in the morning. In front of a house

despite the alarming events in neighboring

they pass along the way, armed security

countries and the steady influx of Syrian

guards and bomb-sniffing dogs patrol on

refugees into Lebanon. He and his family

perpetual alert. A few minutes later, they

enjoy the city's rich mix of peoples and

cross the AUB campus, before arriving at

cultures, and its lively urban environment.

Amina's school.

Shops, cafes, beaches – and friends – are

—JB

In 1866, Christian missionaries from

all within walking distance. Nonetheless,

New England founded the American

normal life in Beirut has its challenges.

University of Beirut, which was known W W W. CATE . O R G

45

The Writing Life Endures "Time is the great editor," writer Maile Meloy tells her audience, a group eager to hear the secrets of the successful author of short stories, novels, and children's books.

Meloy is delivering an evening talk at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference, now in its 42nd year. On a June evening in a hotel meeting room, she lets published and aspiring writers in on her process ("rituals and routines help"; "a good day is five pages"), how she found her agent, and confirms what they likely already know: writing can be "lonely and slow."It was writer, Cate teacher, and alumnus Barnaby Conrad '40 who, with his wife Mary, founded the Santa Barbara Writers Conference in 1972, right here on the Mesa.

The brainchild of then-headmaster Fred Clark, the conference was intended to bring in some additional revenue for Cate during fallow summer months. With the funds came some literary star power – deep in the Cate archives and printed on 70s-orange paper, a flyer heralds the inaugural gathering.

Conrad pulled in an impressive list of writers including Ray Bradbury, Clifton Fadiman, Alex Haley, and Jessica Mitford. Norman Mailer's name, perhaps a late add, in written in by hand.

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CAT E BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 14

Promising lectures, workshops, personal conferences, and daily life with famed authors "in a beautiful setting," the organizers attracted 37 participants that first year, and an additional ten the next – plus Peanuts creator Charles Schulz, a Santa Barbara local and father of alumnus Monte Schulz '70. By 1975 the conference had outgrown the Mesa and found a home at Montecito's Miramar Hotel, with its beachside bungalows well suited for the allnight smoky "pirate sessions" that followed the scheduled events. The writer list swelled in number and celebrity as Joan Didion, James Ellroy, Eudora Welty, and Gore Vidal signed on.

When the Miramar closed, the conference moved to Westmont College, which proved unfit for the writers' evening antics, then landed briefly at Fess Parker's Doubletree Inn before it came to the Hyatt, where organizers hope it has found a permanent home. The Conrads sold it some years ago, and it had one interim owner before Monte Schulz purchased it. He also handles some of its workshops, listening as writers read their work and then deftly mixing criticism with praise, encouragement with editing.

This year, both Schulz and Barnaby Conrad's son Barnaby Conrad III are in the hotel lobby after Meloy's talk, where she is signing books amidst a temporary bookstore.

Here writers mingle, talk, and perhaps ready themselves for the pirate session to follow, during which novels, stories, and poems are revised, completed, or tossed – depending on the feedback from fellow scribblers.

Barnaby Conrad III is – no surprise – also a writer, and a conference presenter this year. He took some time to reflect on the staying power of the annual event his father pioneered.

As 'faculty brats' and then teachers ourselves, Monte and I have been part of this annual ritual for decades because we love it as much as our parents did. This year, the camaraderie and writing quality of the workshops is particularly high. And to think the summer magic that started so long ago at Cate is still going on! I know my father would be very pleased."

– Sarah Kidwell

CATE BUCKET LIST "A distinct thought I remember having the first week of my freshman year was, 'I am going to be here FOREVER,'" wrote Olivia Cannell '15 in a recent issue of El Batidor. We all know that feeling, but in fact four years at Cate passes at a dizzying pace. Olivia and fellow El Bat staff members compiled a list of must do's before graduating – and here are some highlights.

1. Hike to Bee Camp

11. Have a "first free"

22. "Reply all" to the General Folder

2. Go to Public Service Night

12. Sign up for the outdoors sports option

23. Go on a Los Niños service trip – the

3. Get a workcrew

13. Overnight in the health center

gains on both ends are immeasurable 24. Run (yes, physically run) to Carp – it 4. Sit at the Headmaster's table

14. Write time capsule letters

only takes 20 minutes

for formal dinner 15. Babysit faculty children 5. Be in a play

school-assigned at Cate. While it seems 16. Play ping pong in the ComCen

6. Wear the ram suit 7. Learn to surf-and-go before classes 18. Stop by the admission office to give a tour or chat with families 8. Perform at Coffeehouse 19. Stargaze on the fields 9. Sit at Sunset Bench as the sun goes down 10. Experience the sweat lodge at Pyles

simple, finishing a book on your own in the midst of a hectic Cate life is

17. Give a Tuesday Talk on an S-Saturday

25. Start and finish a book that is not

20. Be a part of kitchen crew 21. Sleep over in another dorm

definitely empowering.

CATE SCHOOL 1960 Cate Mesa Road Post Office Box 5005 Carpinteria, CA 93014-5005

CALENDAR OF EVENTS Maine Reception December 1

March Magic March 1-31

Boston Reception December 2

Alumni Weekend March 21

New York Reception December 3

Cate Alumni Parents Dinner March 28

Washington, D.C. Reception December 4 Cate Alumnae Network San Francisco Reception December 10 San Francisco Reception January 22

Commencement May 24 Cate Alumni Parents Camp Cate Reception June 5 Camp Cate June 5-7

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Santa Barbara, CA Permit #1020