Cate School 2015 Fall Bulletin

TA BL E OF C ON T E N T S

IN EVERY ISSUE 2

FROM THE ARCHIVES

3

FROM THE HEADMASTER

4

ON THE MESA

94

CLASS NOTES

103

IN MEMORIAM

104

ENDPAGE

LEARNING CURVE

An educational path may not be straight or linear, but it is certainly life long.

Whether as teachers or students, many take steps along it in their years at Cate.

24 THROUGH THE LENS Take a visual tour of some of Cate’s curves.

ON THE WEB  Peruse the event calendar and look up old friends at www.cate.org/alumni.

18 FRESHMAN FACULTY Cate’s faculty is always growing and changing. This year is notable, though, for the depth and breadth of scholarship, life experience, and diversity it brings to the Mesa.

22 GROWTH CURVE A conversation with Annalee Salcedo, Cate’s newly appointed and first female Mathematics Department chair.

23 A COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS Ivan Barry, who chairs Cate’s new Humanities Department, weighs in on Cate’s community of learners.

26 LANGUAGE READY Megan Ryskamp ’98 struggled with Spanish as a new Cate student. Then she found her arc of learning and followed it.

28 DISPATCHES We check in with two alumni for reports on living and working along its learning curves.

30 REPORT ON PHILANTHROPHY Recognizing the School’s ample contributions to their growth, the Cate community gives back.

Front Cover: The Johnson Library provides a fitting backdrop for some of the books that are now part of the Cate curriculum. Photo by Ashleigh Mower

 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.”  INSTAGRAM: Follow @cate_school on Instagram for your daily dose of life on the Mesa.

W W W . C A TE . O R G

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

It seems that school was simpler in 1911: Cate’s predecessor, the Santa Barbara School, had a curriculum listing that fits neatly on a four-page spread. The School now offers well over 100 courses.

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CAT E BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 15

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

Mind the Curve When I was in college, I rowed

the race when the fatigue is almost

philanthropy that makes the work of

on the men’s crew. In truth, I was

overwhelming. It’s a test of sorts, a

the school possible. Surely the generous

consumed by the sport, which is

measure of your worth to the crew

gestures of so many speak to the

essentially a requirement for anyone who

and to the curve. And in the effort,

presence of this school community in

would presume to do it.

you discover things. Not simply your

our lives, regardless of where in the arc

There are two seasons for collegiate

limits – because those you are supposed

of our lifespans the relationship with

oarsmen: fall and spring. And though

to push through – but your motivation,

Cate began.

the latter is really the main season, there

your resolve, your belief both in yourself

is something special about those long

and in your teammates. That is every

makes evident, the connection deepens

fall races – more fans, more boats, more

rower’s learning curve. Fitting, isn’t it,

over time, just as the experiences

pain, more miles to cover.

that you recognize it by learning to row

and their imbedded lessons mature,

the curve?

evolve, and reveal themselves through

In the premier fall event, called the Head of the Charles, there is a long

This issue of the Bulletin focuses on

Thankfully, as our annual report

the years. That is the essence of the

sweeping curve to the river two miles

the same idea – the discoveries we make

learning curve – and evidence of the very

into the three-and-a-half-mile race. The

as we grow as people. That’s not simply

power William Shepard Biddle noted

sixty-foot boats have a rudder the size

about school; it’s about life. We all

in his famous preface to Schooldays in

of a playing card, so any real turning is

have our learning curves and their many

California. All of us, he wrote, “Look

accomplished by the oarsmen through

catalysts. Some we meet as students,

back through the arches of the years, not

the pressure they apply to their blades.

some long after our formal education is

unaware of the permanence of things,

The curve on the Charles River

over; but all take us somewhere new, to

and the lessons learned from a great

is the gauntlet for the starboard oars,

some place where we earn the chance

school and its able and devoted masters.”

for those are the ones that can compel

to be – somewhere that might even

the proper turn. Lest you think this a

launch us to yet another destination or

simple issue, consider that the oars on

discovery.

the port side cannot and will not let up in the least. No stroke in a race is ever

on the continuum of our curves – a

delivered at less than 100%.

place where we learn to dig deeper,

So the starboards have to find that extra gear, right at that point in

Servons,

For all of us, Cate lies somewhere

pull harder, and understand better.

We celebrate as well in this issue the

W W W . C A TE . O R G

3

ON the MESA COMMON READ What is the source of power? And what is Boy, Snow, Bird? Cate students wrestled with both of these questions in their summer inquiry projects. The second may be easier to answer: Boy, Snow, Bird, Cate’s “common read” during the summer of 2015, is a contemporary novel by Helen Oyeyemi that splashed onto the cover of the New York Times Book Review with an enthusiastic, if somewhat cryptic, review that referred to the novel as a “story-allegory and real-surreal gyre.” Cate students found it was a challenging, sometimes confusing, but always intriguing book that inspired a wide range of personal responses.

The freshmen marched fearlessly into the question “What is the source of power in Boy, Snow, Bird?” Wending their way through complex questions of race and identity, posting questions and responding to one another’s interpretations, their responses to the book were varied and insightful. Kaiser Ke ‘19 concluded that “Real power is being able to withhold any biases and treat [people] the same way.”

but also in society. Drawing upon their

and relying on our community to help

Maddie Erickson ‘19 declared, “I think

own experiences and outside sources,

us think more clearly and question

that power is the ability to persevere

the sophomores and juniors showed their

more deeply,” said English Department

through tough situations valiantly and

awareness of the connections between

Chair Katheryn Park. Perhaps one

gracefully.” Some of the students liked

this book and the world.

freshman best summed up why the Cate

the book, some did not, but all challenged

“The Power of Connections,” “The

community reads and discusses together,

Power of One’s Image,” “Skin Color and

even over the summer: “This book,” he

Power” – these are a few of the titles of

wrote, “although quite strange at times,

springboard, Cate sophomores and juniors

the seniors’ projects that grew from the

really gets a person thinking.”

were asked to move farther afield and

summer read. They were asked to answer

discuss the following question: “How

the question about power’s source in any

are beauty and vanity connected with

way they wished. Their posts reflected

issues of race and power?” Once again,

young people who are thoughtful and

the students showed their abilities to

savvy and who see their world and

think and question in a wide variety of

themselves quite clearly. As Ajibola

ways. Rose Xi ‘18 sorted power into two

Bodunrin ‘16 stated without fanfare,

categories—social and personal—to lead

“Power is self-awareness.”

one another and thought together.

Using the book as a

into her exploration of race in Boy, Snow,

4

Students and faculty all read Helen Oyememi’s Boy, Snow, Bird over the summer, and it sparked a range of reactions and conversations.

“Boy, Snow, Bird was a fascinating

Bird. Gabby Teodoro ‘17 unflinchingly

and frustrating read that allowed Cate

asked her peers to confront the areas of

students and faculty to spend some of our

racism and violence, not only in the novel

summer grappling with tough questions

CAT E BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 15

ON T H E M E SA

GOATS ON THE MESA

SUNSET CEREMONY Cate School opened the 2015-16

crude little school of redwood board and

academic year on Tuesday, August 31

brick chimney, which clung precariously

with the annual Sunset Ceremony, a

to the foot of the Mesa between

tradition started in 2004 by Headmaster

Lillingston and Gobernador Canyons;

Ben Williams. Students, faculty, and

to the gardens of Marion Cate and the

members of the Cate community

orange and eucalyptus groves; to the old

gathered on the lawn in front of Parsonage

boys and teachers, and their loyalties,

and High House dormitories as the

and ultimately, of course, to Curtis Cate

School’s bell, Macbeth, rang.

himself, and the principles he made the

As he does each year, Williams read an excerpt from a letter written by

basis of the school he founded.”

In keeping with tradition, students

one of the School’s earliest graduates,

and faculty formed a receiving line to

William Shepard Biddle ‘18, which begins

greet this year’s senior class after the

founder Curtis Cate’s book School Days in

ceremony. In May, after Commencement,

California.

faculty will bid farewell to the Class

In addition to capturing his own experience as a student at Cate, Biddle contemplates what unites all of those who

of 2016 in the same location once the graduates have received diplomas.

In late August goats are released on the hillside between Long House and Lillingston Canyon Road to reduce dry brush and to limit the incursion of Cape Ivy, an invasive species of plant.

Cate’s enrollment this year is 280,

at one time have called Cate home. He

and includes 75 new students. In addition,

writes: “There is a kinship ... between the

several faculty and staff members are

old school and the new, whose roots go

beginning their inaugural year on the

deeper than a few feet into the mesa soil.

Mesa this fall.

Instead, they reach far down to the rather

Several of 120 goats spring from a trailer as they enter their new temporary home on the Mesa.

A goat happily eats a flower in its temporary new home on the Mesa.

Is there a better way to be welcomed to the rank of Cate senior than with a hug from an underclassman?

We think not.

W W W . C A TE . O R G

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ON T H E M E SA

NINE LIVES

SEE AND HEAR For anybody in need of a little inspiration, Cate School was the place to be on Saturday, September 26th. The community hosted pianist Justin Kauflin and filmmaker Alan Hicks -- a fellow jazz musician and the director of an award-winning documentary called Keep On Keepin’ On, which chronicles the artistic collaboration and close friendship between Kauflin and legendary trumpet player Clark Terry.

In the morning, Cate Director of Instrumental Music John Knecht introduced Kauflin and Hicks at a special assembly in Hitchcock Theater. Former Cate English teacher Gaby Edwards, who sponsored the day’s events, also spoke,

Cate students, (clockwise L to R) Desmond Castillo ’18, Rose Xi ’18 and Hannah Jorgensen ’16 perform in a 10-minute play called Misfortune, written by Mark Harvey Levine.

Selden first learned about Kauflin after

eager for a challenge and agreed to the

renting Hicks’s film last spring. (Only

and the stage in the Hitchcock Theater

bare settings as a way to push their acting

later, she explained, did she discover that

is in shadows. The half-built set is filled

skills. To support this effort, Lorin Eric

local boy Adam Fell ’99 had served as its

with giant wooden spools and pallets,

Salm, a mime who was a student of Marcel

executive producer. When she emailed

components that may stand for chairs

Marceau, came up from Los Angeles to

Fell to ask if he would be interested in

or benches, beds or tables. Everything

run a four-hour movement workshop. Just

showing the movie at Cate, he agreed

spins. Jessica Block, head of the theater

as the actors will stretch as they perform,

immediately – and offered to bring

program, explains, “The moveable set

they will ask the audience to stretch as

Kauflin and Hicks with him.) Kauflin

offers different views to the audience, just

well, pushing their imaginations to “see”

then spoke briefly at the assembly, before

as the nine plays in our program offer nine

what will not be physically present on

taking the stage to play one of his original

perspectives and a set of often unheard

stage. The multiple-use set components,

compositions on the piano. At his side

voices.” Cate actors and the tech crew are

the lack of props, and the use of mime will

was Candy, a black lab who serves as

preparing for a Family Weekend evening of

all combine for an exceptional program.

his seeing-eye dog; Kauflin, now 29, has

theater called 9 Lives. The program, made

As Jessica says, “Parameters equal

been totally blind since the age of 11.

up of separate ten-minute plays by Mark

creativity,” and these nine plays will offer

Later in the day, Hicks met with

Levine and others, allows each of twenty-

a chance to participate, with the talented

interested students to talk about the film

one actors to have a major part in a short

actors and crew, in an extraordinarily

and how its storyline came together. He

play, as well as stretching the tech crew to

creative evening.

explained that, originally, his intention

It’s a Friday afternoon in October,

support nine completely different efforts.

was primarily to document Clark Terry’s

The through-line in this Halloween-style

famous work as a teacher and mentor of

evening is death, although death as dealt

young jazz musicians. Terry was almost

with through black comedy. As Graeme

90 when the filming began in 2010 and

Hugo ‘16 says, “The vibe is a little different

was battling diabetes, poor eyesight, and

this year—we won’t be using traditional

other health problems. (He died in early

props or costumes this time around, and

2015, at 94, just months after the movie

the set is unique for this production.”

was finished.) Hicks went on to describe

Jessica notes that the students were 6

describing how she and her husband

CAT E BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 15

how, unexpectedly, the film came

ON T H E M E SA

to focus on Terry’s personal relationship with Kauflin – an association that had begun at William Paterson University in New Jersey, where Hicks and Kauflin both studied under Terry.

Immediately following that session, Kauflin met with a group of student musicians. In a wonderfully reassuring and unpretentious way, he talked about his own struggles as a high school musician, and about the challenges he faced later as he learned to play jazz. He discussed the importance of connecting with the audience -- one of Terry’s many talents as a performer – and spoke openly about his own ongoing battles with anxiety. “You get to choose whether or not you’re going to approach a performance positively or negatively,” Kauflin emphasized,

Cate hosts pianist Justin Kauflin (L) and filmmaker Alan Hicks (R) for an inspirational talk and musical performance during a special assembly.

echoing Terry. “You have to embrace

Terry performing with jazz titans Count

love that made the movie.” The story

your anxiety somehow and find a way to

Basie and Duke Ellington, among

had a profound impact on Colin Stevens

enjoy the performance.” Kauflin then

others, in his rise from obscurity to

’17 too: “After it was over and I walked

took to the piano again, at Knecht’s

stardom. Later, we see him with some of

outside, I saw Justin and just had to tell

request; he first played part of “Autumn

the many famous artists who depended

him what an inspiring person he is. As

Leaves” in a thoroughly conventional

on Terry’s teaching and encouragement

for the people who brought him into our

(albeit beautiful) way. Soon, however,

as they, in turn, became the leaders of

lives, I can’t thank them enough.”

he began to improvise – playing

the jazz movement – Quincy Jones,

the melody very recognizably, but

Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Wynton

screening, Hicks admitted that he was

adding all sorts of riffs and flourishes

Marsalis, and Dianne Reeves. But the

exhausted at the end of the four years

and embellishments, thrilling those

most affecting scenes in the film are

he devoted to making the film. And of

in attendance. When a student asked

those that show Terry and Kauflin

course the process was often draining

about improvisation and how it all works,

together – working, when Terry’s failing

for Kauflin too. Hicks noted in his final

Kauflin responded, “You just have to be

health allows, or simply enjoying each

remarks that Clark Terry, after losing his

in the moment, exist in the moment, and

other’s friendship and support when it

vision and both legs to diabetes, was still

leave room for the spontaneity to

doesn’t. The relentless optimism that

teaching just 24 hours before he died

happen.” He compared the process to

both men show in the face of daunting

in hospice care. This detail seemed like a

speaking, to the way we figure out what

challenges is astonishing; equally

good example of how, as Hicks observed,

we want to say just an instant before we

inspiring is Terry’s wife Gwen, who seems

“Clark had a knack for making you feel

actually say it.

to embody all the best virtues a human

important.”

In the evening, there was a large turnout in the theater for the much-

In a Q & A session after the

can possess.

After leaving the theater, Julie

anticipated screening of Keep On Keepin’

Phan ’16 summed up the experience

On. In tracing some of the highlights of

nicely. “All I have to say about the

Terry’s remarkable career, the 84-minute

movie is that it’s about love. It was love

documentary includes archival footage of

that made Justin a great pianist, and W W W . C A TE . O R G

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ON T H E M E SA

COLLEGE NIGHTS and allows college representatives to have a better understanding of Cate. The college nights also allow underclassmen the opportunity to learn about college options, and they limit the amount of class time that seniors miss in order to meet with college representatives.” The schedule of college visits is available on MyCate, for those who wish to plan ahead.

In addition to what Cate College Nights have to offer, each spring juniors attend the Case Studies program, in which Cate and Thacher (in alternating years) host college admission representatives from around the country to discuss the application process.

As seniors, each Cate student has an Joel Serugo ’16 speaks to a college representative from Colgate University.

“TONIGHT at a boarding school, on a

also helped me express myself to people

high, high mesa, TWENTY-TWO college

who will potentially read my application.”

admissions officers will battle for the hearts

All juniors and seniors are invited to attend

and minds of Cate students....”

these presentations.

The message scrolled away in familiar

Cate has been hosting college nights for

yellow letters on a background of deep space

a number of years, but this year the pool of

to the cheers of an assembly full of Star

guests is larger, with about 20 colleges and

Wars fans. And so the first in a series of Cate

universities at each event. There were just

College Nights was set to kick off.

over 100 visits last year, and Cate’s College

Cate College Nights bring the world

Counseling office is predicting this year’s

to the Mesa. For the inaugural event of

count to approach 120. Tamar Adegbile,

this year, 22 colleges and universities

Cate’s new Director of College Counseling,

were represented, ranging widely in size

says, “As a boarding school, we have the

and location, and including Barnard,

unique privilege of hosting colleges and

Colby, NYU, Duke, and Harvey Mudd.

universities outside of the academic school

Enthusiastic representatives handed out

day. This provides quality time for students

cards and brochures, answered questions,

to meet with admission representatives

assigned college counselor with whom he or she works individually, while the English Department devotes the senior Writing Period to essays of the type that students write in their college applications. Cate’s College Counseling office provides all of these components to serve the students in their quest to find the schools that best fit their specific needs and wishes.

As college representatives headed back to their cars at the end of the event, walking past students who were eating, dancing, and generally making merry at a barbecue with live music on the Kirby Quad, the visitors probably wished they could leave their current institutions and come to Cate, instead of vice versa.

and tried to show why their particular institutions might be good choices for our seniors. Although many Cate students were able to go on college trips last summer or during Outings Week, learning about more options allowed them to consider new possibilities. As Alondra Torres ‘16 noted, “Speaking to college representatives during College Night in a low-stress environment has helped me learn what kind of personality each college has. It has Cate students gather to learn about Duke University during one of the fall College Nights.

8

CAT E BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 15

ON T H E M E SA

FACULTY ART ON DISPLAY

Show organizer Monica Furmanski exhibited her work along with that of her colleagues.

Known for vocal and drama direction, faculty member Jessica Block also works in textiles. Shown here, “Swimming Sisters.”

Art teacher Aspen Golann examines John Swain’s ceramic work with senior Jake Dexter-Meldrum.

Art Department Chair Patrick Collins takes in one of Aspen Golann’s offerings.

The composition of Cate’s fine arts

for observing bold powdered graphite and

and performing arts teaching faculty

charcoal designs by Aspen Golann, a series

has changed significantly over the past

of paintings by Patrick Collins, textiles by

seven years, and making note of that gave

music teacher Jessica Block (including a

photography teacher Monica Furmanski

Harry Potter Hufflepuff knitted scarf), and

an idea. What if she organized an exhibit

several large ceramic vessels by John Swain.

of faculty art for Fall Family Weekend,

Furmanski’s own contributions to the show

showcasing the work of her colleagues?

were large prints in ink on archival paper,

While parents are accustomed to

based on memories of childhood car rides,

viewing the product of their children’s

with their visions of landscapes racing by

efforts, Furmanski set out to give them

the window.

a sense of what their arts teachers create

families’ response to the work, Furmanksi

play into their teaching styles and

says the most gratifying reactions came

understanding of the arts,” she explains.

from students themselves, opening up processes, and types of execution available

from members of the department, adding

to the artist. “We may be teachers in the

space for ceramicist Peter Bonning, who

arts, but I feel it’s important for everyone

teaches in the Outdoor Program and

to be aware of the work we create off the

Human Development Department. For

Mesa and our dedication to the practice of

one month, the Elizabeth Lawton Shreve

creating.”

headphones and listen to the work of music

Zac Towbes ’17 plays an original tune during Carpinteria’s 29th Annual Avocado Festival.

Alex Brown ’16 and Brandon Sugarman ’16 perform a cover

by Wiz Khalifa at the 29th Annual Avocado Festival.

another avenue to discuss the ideas,

show consisting entirely of art and music

Hooker Gallery became a place to don

Carpinteria’s annual Avocado Festival is known for its guacamole, avocado ice cream, avocado pancakes, and increasingly, as a place to hear some rockin’ good music.

This year, the festival’s 29th, Cate performers took the main stage on the first night, inspiring plenty of dancing in the streets.

While she was pleased with the

professionally, and “how these sensibilities

In October Furmanski mounted a

AVOCADO FEST PERFORMERS

Hannah Jorgensen ‘16 puts on a show at the 29th Annual Avocado Festival.

teacher John Knecht; it was also the site W W W . C A TE . O R G

9

ON T H E M E SA

McBEAN ADVENTURES

Math teacher Tim Smith is further emboldened as a climber on Mt. Whitney.

Math Department Chair Annalee Salcedo,

is incomparable,” she says. Among the

faculty embark on adventures or undertake

her husband Chris Power, and their girls

many highlights was a day spent walking

professional growth and learning experiences

Rosita and Amelia, combined adventure

a portion of the Camino de Santiago, an

supported by the Peter McBean Fund.

and family time in the Philippines for their

ancient pilgrimage route. “There we were,

McBean, a member of the Class of 1930, was

McBean trip. They spent two weeks on five

surrounded by other travelers wishing

a steady and generous donor to the School,

different islands in the Visayas, enjoying

us ‘buen camino,’ amid all of Spain’s

and hoped to give Cate teachers the financial

white sand beaches, snorkeling in the clear

beauty, and with ample time and space for

resources to further their scholarship,

waters, and visiting villages and wildlife

reflection. It was magical.”

undertake research, and pursue personalized

reserves. The inspiration for the trip,

study programs. He also envisioned funding

however, was the Sagullo family reunion,

Griffin’s McBean trip, as they visited their

cultural experiences and travel. Each year

a full-day gathering of nearly 250 relatives

daughter Erin Griffin ‘12 in Córdoba, Spain,

the intentions and destinations of the

on Salcedo’s mother’s side of the family,

where she was studying. “We spent most

McBean Fund recipients vary widely -- a

in her mother’s hometown of Candelaria.

of our time exploring the city of Córdoba,

testament to the ever-imaginative uses of the

“I relished the opportunity to visit with

while renting an apartment that was tucked

generous gift.

cousins I hadn’t seen in over a decade and

away in a stone courtyard filled with colorful

Each year, several members of the Cate

Spain also featured in Frank and Emilie

delighted in watching Rosita and Amelia

pots and plants. This allowed us to be

Tim Smith has climbed Mt. Whitney before,

playing with their cousins for the first

within walking distance of everything we

his grant this year enabled him to hire a

time,” Salcedo shares. In the days prior to

wanted to see, wandering the city’s narrow

professional guide to approach the mountain

the reunion, her family visited her father’s

winding streets with Erin as our tour guide.

in a different and more challenging way. On

hometown and was able to spend time

Her familiarity with all parts of Córdoba

a summer day he and the guide took on the

with her 94-year old paternal grandmother.

made figuring out where to go and what to

While veteran traveler and adventurer

East Face and East Buttress of the mountain,

Also supported by McBean funding was

see easy,” Emilie reports. They also traveled

and they climbed the Fishhook arête on

Director of Marketing and Communications

to Malaga, Alhambra, and Madrid, and

nearby Mt. Russell. “This eight-pitch climb

Sarah Kidwell, who travelled with her

beyond Spain’s beauty, what impressed

is substantially harder than the previous

teenage son Jamie Borghesani to the Basque

them most was their own daughter. “It was

climbs, and I was definitely challenged

region of Spain and France. They started

the perfect opportunity not only to see Erin

beyond my ability as a climber on several

on the French side in Bayonne and traveled

but also to witness her transformation into

occasions,” says Smith. “We summited after

through St. Jean Pied de Port, Pamplona,

a confident and fluent Spanish speaker. Her

four hours of sustained climbing, descending

San Sebastian, Guernica, and ended in

ability to navigate any situation was a delight

to camp and then the trailhead six hours

Bilbao with a tour of the Guggenheim

to experience.”

later.”

Museum. “In terms of scenery, food,

His colleague and newly appointed 10

English teacher Mari Talkin on a summer trip to Thoreau and Emerson country.

CAT E BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 15

history, art, and culture, the Basque country

Science teacher Joshua Caditz stayed closer to home and used his McBean funding

ON T H E M E SA

to hone his sailing skills in the Santa Barbara

a young man from the Miao minority

Channel. He took a series of courses aimed

group reflecting on the impact of tourism

at completing several American Sailing

on his village. “Although this project was

Association certifications. The newfound

a collaboration between GNU and SFSU,

knowledge emboldened him to head out

two high school students from the US also

to the Channel Islands, where he anchored

joined as translators,” explains Yen. “I see a

for an overnight off Santa Rosa Island. “I

potential internship opportunity for Cate

experienced biophosphorescence for the first

students who are fluent in Chinese and

time – it had been a long-term desire of mine

interested in filmmaking to get involved in

to see it – and had some great experiences

the future.”

watching dolphins playing in the wake of the boat, ” says Caditz.

Chinese teacher Sufen Yen used her

Humanities and English teacher Mari Talkin used McBean funds to travel

The Barry family combines adventure and education in a summer trip to Turkey.

to the East Coast to attend the Exeter

to shine because of the racism that plagued

fund to travel to China with her son, a

Humanities Institute conference in New

our country long ago. To learn about those

graduate student of cinema at San Francisco

Hampshire and an alumni weekend at

players and what they went through just

State University (SFSU), and her sister, who

Vermont College of Fine Arts in Montpelier.

to play the game of baseball was truly inspiring.”

joined them from Taiwan. First, they headed

In addition to having the opportunity to

to the Yunnan province in southwestern

hone her skills in Harkness pedagogy and

China for a visit to the pristine Lugu Lake,

to connect with old friends and fellow

their two sons Kiyan and Aydin, traveled

home of the Mosuo ethnic group. The region

writers, Talkin was able to make a couple

to Turkey this summer for a four-week

is known as the “Home of the Matriarchal

of stops on her literary pilgrimage – a

adventure. Ivan was born in Turkey when

Tribe” because Mosuo women play a

lifelong pursuit in which she visits the sites

his parents were teaching at international

dominant role in their society. Afterward,

where writers penned works that have

schools there, and Ivan and Rebekah later

they traveled to the neighboring Guizhou

informed her teaching and shaped her

lived in Istanbul. “It was a great chance to

province. There, Yen collaborated with her

world view. “I made my way to Walden

revisit a country we love and to reconnect

son, two of his classmates from SFSU, and

Pond, a beautifully wooded spot fronting a

with a culture and society that features in

two local students from Guizhou Normal

lake that inspired Henry David Thoreau’s

my course on the Modern Middle East,”

University to produce a documentary film as

masterpiece, Walden; I also saw the home

says Ivan. They started off the trip with a

part of SFSU’s International Documentary

of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Thoreau’s

week in Istanbul, where they enjoyed seeing

Workshop. The film, Basha Man, is about

mentor and a remarkable man of letters in

famous attractions with their boys; these

his own right.”

sites included Aya Sofia, the Blue Mosque,

Father-son team coaches and dorm

Rebekah and Ivan Barry, along with

and the Grand Bazaar. Next they traveled

heads Dave ‘08 and Ben Soto had baseball

down to the Turkish coast, alternately

on their minds this past summer. They

swimming in the warm Mediterranean

travelled east for an eight-day trip that

waters and exploring ancient ruins. Rebekah

started with the National Baseball Hall of

and Ivan carved out a side trip to Athens,

Fame in Cooperstown, New York, “a must

where they focused their time on learning

for any baseball fan,” say the Sotos. Next

about ancient Greek society and seeing the

they hit the Big Apple to experience Yankee

Parthenon. “As these feature prominently

Stadium and Citi Field, home of the Yankees

in our freshman Humanities course, it was

and Mets. In Boston they paid homage to

a fantastic opportunity to gain new, first-

the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Their final stop

hand insights into these icons of western

was Kansas City to see Kauffman Stadium

civilization - insights that we’re now sharing

and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum,

with our students.”

which they found fascinating. “It’s such Math teacher Frank Griffin with daughter Erin ’12, during a springtime trip to Spain.

a great way to recognize and honor the players who never got their proper chance W W W . C A TE . O R G

11

ON T H E M E SA

THE SWAINS (AND SOMMERS) IN SPAIN (AND VERMONT) BY JOHN SWAIN some traveling of his own.

As winter closed in on the East Coast, Linda, Riley, and I moved to Córdoba, Spain for three months. I spent part of that time traveling with Ben, who joined us there for six weeks, while Riley and Linda attended Spanish schools.

Linda took classes in architecture and history; meanwhile, I toured museums, ceramic tile factories, and countless art galleries. Spain offered all four of us opportunities to learn about its complex culture, its fascinating customs, and its proud people – especially those we met during our time there. Everything from the cobblestone streets we walked to the fine art we studied seemed to reveal Spain’s rich and multi-layered (L to R) John, Riley and Ben Swain in Tangier, Morocco during a family sabbatical.

history. We explored major national museums that boast vast collections of

Splitting time between the

build on during future summers. Our

famous paintings and sculptures; we also

United States and Europe, Linda and

daughter, Riley, went to the very same

visited dozens of tiny galleries that house

I thoroughly enjoyed our sabbaticals

public junior high in Middlebury that

precious items such as ceramic pieces

last year. We studied Spanish and art,

Linda once attended, while our son, Ben

by Picasso. These experiences offered

primarily, and in the process saw lots of

(having just graduated from Cate), took a

our entire family the chance to see both

good approaches to teaching and learning.

gap year in order to make money and do

masterpieces of great importance and

We spent the first portion of the year in Vermont, where Linda observed Spanish classes at Middlebury College as well as the local high school, and where I took ceramics and painting classes (while also pursuing several woodworking projects). Linda discovered that college professors struggle with challenges just like those facing language teachers at Cate, particularly issues related to the tension between the depth and breadth that a given Spanish course can achieve.

For the first time in quite a while, I experienced art courses from the other side of the instructor’s desk, deepening my appreciation for varied teaching styles and a new medium. In fact, I enrolled in my very first painting class, and while I produced nothing worthy of hanging on a wall, I acquired some basic skills to 12

CAT E BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 15

Linda Sommers and John Swain at the Medina Azahara on the outskirts of Córdoba, Spain.

ON T H E M E SA

HEADMASTER’S NOTEBOOK FACE TO FACE October 2, 2015

Apparently human beings are becoming less empathetic. Perhaps that’s not a surprise, given the current tumult in the world, but it’s still a little disheartening.

A study done at the University of Michigan that amalgamated the data from 72 different control groups over a 30-year period showed a 40% decline in empathy among college students.

The drop has been particularly conspicuous over the last dozen or so years.

The dynamics are no different among younger

students. A psychologist observing elementary and middle school students on a playground noted that current 12-year-olds tend to exclude peers in a manner reminiscent of much younger students, the idea being that they should have learned by age 12 how to treat one another with respect and compassion.

So why haven’t they? Or we? One recent article in the New York Times suggests that technology is at least partially to blame. It seems that in the distracted digital age we can no longer tune in to our friends. Instead, people are structuring social engagements around the multi-tasking myth and maintaining digital discourse simultaneously with face-to-face interaction.

Many of those consulted for the article admitted that they can and do text without breaking eye contact with the individuals they’re presumably talking and/or listening to. There is also, apparently, something called the “rule of three” which gives us permission – if we’re sitting at a table or engaged in a group discussion – to go to our phones if at least three people in the group are actually paying attention to whoever is speaking. Sheesh.

I suppose every advance we make as a culture –

also lesser-known, yet often equally

I tried to thank the people who had been

impressive, works by artists who may or

so kind to my family so long ago.

may not have become famous.

Ben and I also took a short trip into

and even as individuals – requires some re-centering of priorities and protocols. It seems clear that we need to prioritize one another, at least to the point that we’re willing to ignore the phone to get to know the person in front of us.

Studies indicate, thankfully, that we’re capable of such a choice, and that we fall into healthier patterns when we find ourselves without a phone. In short, we pay attention (or more attention) to the folks we’re with. Again, no surprise…but an important reminder.

For those of us in schools, too, the loss of empathy is something of a call to arms. Education – like most things that are important – requires full commitment. One cannot truly learn with one foot in and one foot out of the conversation. We can’t get to know one another by such practices either.

And if we don’t somehow compel or enable depth of connectivity, what service are we offering the world -- or our students?

Knowing things is important. There’s no question about that. But knowing one another and ourselves, that’s fundamental -- in schools and everywhere else.

In and of itself, the extended time away from the Mesa proved fruitful and

France, where we visited the same small

regenerative for both Linda and me. The

town I lived in almost four decades ago

simple act of thinking about what we

while my parents took sabbaticals from

most wanted our students at Cate to

Midland School. There we knocked on

learn from their courses was extremely

the door of the house I had stayed in,

valuable; likewise, living with few daily

only to discover that the same woman

commitments and almost no looming

who owned the house then is still living

deadlines was an incredible gift. As a

in it now. She welcomed us with open

result, both of us feel better prepared

arms, as did the French neighbor who had

than ever to offer Cate students authentic

befriended my family nearly forty years

and engaging learning opportunities – like

earlier. That reunion, in particular, was

the ones we just had.

a highlight of the year, even though the neighbor spoke nothing but French and I spoke nothing but English. Pictures and hand gestures served as the basis for scattered, hit-or-miss communication as

The Swains/Sommers also visited Torre de Aliminar, part of the iconic Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba.

W W W . C A TE . O R G

13

ON T H E M E SA

SABBATICAL RE-IMAGINED BY JIM MASKER handle alone, I hit the pause button and headed home. Though disappointed that a long-held dream was cut short, I had gained a much greater appreciation of the tremendous effort that Lewis and Clark made in that first decade of the 1800s.

The bulk of my sabbatical focused on the educational reform movement called Global Competence. This movement is targeted at students and teachers who are committed to lifelong learning that investigates the world, recognizes multiple perspectives, and takes action to improve conditions wherever possible.

To begin this second phase of the year, I attended the Think Tank on Global Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. There, I met the Global competence starts with the basics, and some oversight by Jim Masker.

The first phase of my sabbatical retraced William Clark’s 1806 descent of

that big trouble was seconds away. While

the Yellowstone River during the Corps

the guys in the kayak managed to stop,

of Discovery’s return to St. Louis, from

Bruce and I in our fully loaded canoe

where the Lewis and Clark expedition

went upside down under a log snag that

began its 1804 exploration of the

undercut the bank. It took the four

Louisiana Purchase. Our group included

of us two hours to get Bruce, me, and

six people in two canoes and a kayak,

our canoe onto dry land, and then to

along with the equipment needed for

get all of us back into our boats a little

what was to be a 480-mile journey. With

farther downriver. Much of the kitchen

friends waving goodbye on a gorgeous

equipment, and some of our personal

Montana afternoon, we pushed off from

gear, was gone.

Livingston, where the Yellowstone exits

Things got even dicier that afternoon

Paradise Valley and flows towards its

when a cold, hard rain came upon us

confluence with the Missouri River. We

from the west. Without dry clothes (my

enjoyed challenging rapids, spectacular

thirty-year-old “dry bags” proved to be a

scenery, and great camaraderie. We

misnomer), two of us began to experience

read from the Lewis and Clark journals

hypothermia. When we finally came

to learn what Clark and his team had

upon a campsite, we decided the prudent

experienced on each day’s stretch of their

course of action was to take Dan and his

journey.

wife up on their offer to spend a couple of

When we awoke the morning of Day 7, we knew that hazardous rapids lay ahead. For much of the day we did well

14

I misread the river and knew instantly

school initiative, the International Studies School Network (ISSN), and learned about a program for K-12 educators titled Global Competence Certificate. Asia Society then invited me to join a team of ISSN principals to evaluate progress being made by the International Studies Learning Center (ISLC) to implement a Global Competence program.

During the remainder of my sabbatical I was able to practice what I had learned. First, I was invited to co-lead a delegation of university and government officials from Montana who

days at their home in Billings, where we could get warm and clean up.

With critical equipment lost, buddies

skirting or portaging around them. But

needing to depart, and the Yellowstone

that afternoon my canoeing partner and

having proven too demanding for me to

CAT E BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 15

director of Asia Society’s US-based public

Fully loaded: Jim Masker and his group start their journey on the Yellowstone River.

ON T H E M E SA

FIRST MONDAY CONVOCATION sought introductions to their counterparts in China, with the goal of developing collaborative projects. This led to a separate request by a Chinese government representative to help him locate a US-based university to conduct training programs for Chinese professors and university administrators who are part of China’s effort to internationalize its system of higher education.

Opportunities also emerged to enhance my global competence in the context of K-12 education. Round Square, an international association of nearly 150 schools (of which Cate is a member), invited me to participate in a beta test to improve its soon-to-be-released online platform, designed to facilitate greater collaboration between member schools.

After that, a Beijing educator asked if I could help her network with a U.S. school

Sarah Gerhardt talks about surfing and science in Cate’s first convocation of the 2015-16 school year.

that would be interested in hosting an

The first convocation of the year

did not celebrate her accomplishments.

intercultural-homestay experience for

opened Monday, November 2 with a

The key, she said, is to realize that each

a group of nine Chinese students; in

splash. Sarah Gerhardt, the world’s most

of us is important right here, right now.

August, these students were able to spend

famous female big-wave surfer, was at

Stressing the importance of awareness,

two weeks in western Montana.

Cate to talk about her experiences and

Gerhardt said, “I surf to be in the

how learning to surf has informed the rest

moment, particularly in big surf—to zen,

of her life.

to bring in, to focus.” Making a reference

Finally, the International School of Asia-Karuizawa (ISAK) in Japan asked me to join a team of international

The audience watched in amazement

to this year’s inquiry question about power,

educators in a two-week program for

at the mammoth waves shown in a

Gerhardt noted that choices made with

middle school students based around

clip from “One Winter’s Story,” a

awareness are the source of personal power.

the theme of Multiple Perspectives. We

documentary on Gerhardt surfing big

enrolled eighty kids from thirty countries,

waves. She was the first woman to

to live in the moment, and it also

a mini-United Nations hungry to share,

“charge” Mavericks, a massive wave that

made her tough, a quality that stood

learn, and enhance its global competence.

breaks off the coast of Half Moon Bay, in

her in good stead as she forged ahead

Central California. Mavericks is situated

in a male-dominated field, eventually

in some of the world’s harshest surfing

earning a Ph.D. in chemistry. But the

conditions, and surfers come from all over

surfing lessons can be applied to anyone,

the world to test their big-wave skills.

anywhere, she said.

With a grin, Gerhardt mentioned that she

Learning to surf taught Gerhardt

When asked what advice she would

is in training right now to be ready for

give to a beginner, Gerhardt replied,

Mavericks’ season this winter.

“Don’t quit. I almost quit, and I am so

Gerhardt focused her talk to the

glad I didn’t.”

high-school audience, mentioning her regret that in her own high school years, she looked ahead so relentlessly that she W W W . C A TE . O R G

15

ON T H E M E SA

FALL SPORTS ROUNDUP

Cate sacks Thacher’s quarterback during the Homecoming game between the two long-time rivals.

Cate’s fall athletic season began under

the year all the way back in September. The

Both boys and girls cross country teams

August’s scorching sun, as the Ram student-

Rams growth was clear, as they knocked off

had successful regular seasons, as both

athletes cut their summer break short in

the Braves the second time around, proving

sides qualified for the CIF-SS Preliminary

order to prepare for their upcoming seasons.

that the program is trending upward. The

in Riverside. Charlotte Monke ’16, Isabela

As the calendar turned from summer to

playoff win was the first for the Rams in over

Montes de Oca ’18, and Jessica Liou ’16

autumn, it’s fair to the say the preparation

a decade.

helped the team place 7th at the Tri-Valley

paid off; the temperatures may have

League finals. Their leadership has pushed

dropped but Cate’s fall sports teams were

the entire Ram team into the Division 5

white hot all season long.

Finals at Mt. SAC. On the boys side, Kyril van Schendel ’18 has been dominating

All five of Cate’s fall varsity sports qualified for CIF- Southern Section

his opponents and has left his mark on

postseason play, and for the first time in

Cate’s record book. Earlier this season, van

recent memory, all five advanced past the

Schendel won his race at the historic Mt.

preliminary round. The Rams also had

SAC Invite and more recently placed second

a number of players receive All-League

at the CIF-SS Preliminaries, earning a spot

honors, with All-CIF honors likely to follow.

in the Section Finals and a possible trip to the State Finals in Fresno. The boys team

The Cate boys varsity water polo team used a late season rally to secure a postseason

finished in 4th place at the league finals,

birth, including a big home victory over

paced by van Schendel, Jack Pruitt ’16, Rei

cross-town rival #10 ranked Carpinteria.

Imada ’16 and Henry Walsh ’17.

The majority of Cate’s sports teams

The team finished tied for second place in the very competitive Tri-Valley League,

compete in Divisions 4-6 for post-season

with two teams ranked in the top ten in

play. One of the exceptions is girls varsity

the division. Led by Alex Brown ’16, Sam

tennis, who for the last two season has

Furmanski ‘16, and Duffy Montgomery ’16,

competed in Division 2; this playoff pool

the Rams fought and scrapped their way into

is mostly comprised of schools much larger

a CIF Wild Card match against Lompoc;

than Cate. After winning the team’s first ever Tri-Valley League title, the Rams

Cate would face the same Lompoc team that defeated them in the first contest of 16

Alex Brown ’16 prepares to shoot during a varsity water polo game.

CAT E BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 15

Hannah Bowlin ‘16 hits a serve during a home game against the Santa Paula Cardinals.

proved that they belonged as they advanced

ON T H E M E SA

to the quarterfinal round after beating

runs. Cate’s girls varsity volleyball team

Trabuco Hills and Oak Park. While the

won the CIF-SS Division 4-A last season

team saw their run end against defending

and appear to be on their way to a repeat.

champion Murrieta Valley, a few Rams will

After beating Duarte – the same team they

compete in the CIF Individuals Tournament.

beat in last year’s final – the Rams move into

Julia Gan ’16 and Jackie Cai ’18 will

the semifinals for the third straight year.

participate as singles entrants; McKenna

They will take on Summit High School

Madden ’16 and Summer Christensen ’17

in Fontana, whom they defeated on their

will team up in the doubles draw.

march to a championship a year ago. Peyton

As of press time two teams were still

Shelburne ’16, Delaney Mayfield ’17, and

active in their chase for a CIF championship.

Hannah Bowlin ’16 have been stellar all year

One is the varsity football squad, who

for Cate.

advanced into the 8-Man Football Division 1

We are so proud of all the success

Semifinals for the second time in the school’s

our student athletes had this season. It

short gridiron history. The Rams have been

is a testament to their hard work and

led by a host of seniors, including Dean

championship spirit on the fields and courts,

Smith ’16, Mike Nettesheim ’16, Isaiah

in the pool and in the classroom. We can

Washington ’16, and Keller Mochel ’16.

only hope that this is the tip of the iceberg

Currently undefeated and ranked as the #1

for us and that the winter and spring athletic

8-man football team in the state according

teams will continue the successes of the fall.

to the Calpreps and Maxpreps, the Rams

For now, we’re celebrating our fall athletes

captured their third Condor League title in

and supporting the continued success of

four years, and their fifth overall.

those still competing.

The other squad still chasing a

Kyril van Schendel ‘18 pushes for the finish line.

GO RAMS!

championship is no stranger to deep playoff

The girls’ cross country team does warm-up laps before a meet at the Carpinteria Bluffs.

Julia Gan ‘16 serves it up during the Cate vs. Rio Mesa varsity tennis match.

W W W . C A TE . O R G

17

New faculty arrivals are big in numbers and accomplishments. Here, many of them gathered for an informal photo.

On a Friday morning in late October, newly minted Cate English teacher Stephanie Yeung found herself sitting face-to-face with a set of parents, then another set, and then several more by day’s end. It was her first Family Weekend at Cate, and with it came an introduction to the art of conducting parent-teacher conferences, which don’t occur at the college level, where her teaching experience lies. “I have to say I was a bit nervous – but I came away from the weekend realizing what an engaging and interactive experience it can be,” she related after the campus had quieted down. “Most of the parents added insight about how their kids learn, so there were a lot of important revelations for me.”

One of Yeung’s new colleagues is

at the end of the day and shut my door,

Tamar Adegbile, who started her tenure in

whereas here – well, you might have dorm

July as Cate’s director of college counseling.

duty until 11 o’clock!” She says she’s still

After several years at Harvard-Westlake

marveling at the example set by other

School in Los Angeles, and at Riverdale

faculty members, and working to get

Country Day School in New York City

the hang of it. “You see members of the

before that, Adegbile has talked to her

community who seem just tireless, going

share of parents. What’s unfolding for her

from class to sports and into the evening and

as a new member of the Cate faculty is the

never missing a beat. It’s still an adjustment

rhythm of boarding school life, where she

for me to have my home and work life

now finds herself, along with her husband

intertwined.”

Isaac and their two young boys, Noah and

She’s proud, though, about finally

Aaron.

mastering the geography of Cate. “The first

“Seeing students outside the academic

few days I just had to figure out which lawn

day is definitely different and takes some getting used to. In my old job I’d go home

18

CAT E BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 15

to go to – was it Pizza, Commencement, College counseling director Tamar Adegbile and her family are settling into a new life on the Mesa.

or Senior Lawn? It seemed like a whole

lot of names were being thrown around.

I felt really good when I could finally give directions to someone else,” she jokes.

Another Cate newbie, Craig Bouma, understands. As a veteran teacher (he just finished a nineteen-year stint at Loyola High School in Los Angeles) and newly appointed chair of the Science Department, he was baffled whenever he heard about events that were being held in “the jail” – which turned out to be the J.L, or Johnson Library.

Finding its way this fall, and with family members in tow in many cases—is a bumper crop of new teachers. With the June retirement of long-time pillars of the Cate community like Ross Robins, Peter and Mary Arango, and Bob Bonning, the

Craig Bouma, the new science department chair, brings nearly two decades of teaching experience with him to Cate.

administration needed to spend the better part of a year interviewing, selecting, and

climate. “I love it here already, but not as

bringing on board a host of new teachers

really everyone on campus. It’s a huge bonus

much as I will in December and January,”

who could contribute profoundly to the

for the whole community.”

she notes cheerfully. (See the following

academic and extra-curricular realms.

pages for the details and bona fides of all the

Along the way, everyone seemed aware that

silently and vocally noting the differences

new faculty members.)

between Cate and their former employers,

there were some enormous shoes to fill,

This summer, the task of welcoming

While the new additions are both

Adegbile picked up on one striking change

acknowledges Headmaster Ben Williams.

and preparing this especially large new

Consequently, “We worked really hard to

right away. “Coming from a major city, I was

group fell to Cate’s administration. Extra

make sure that this would be a group of

completely accustomed to people being on

days were added to the orientation schedule,

teachers that everyone will remember,” he

their phones all the time. It’s so different

and mentors worked hard to smooth out

notes, “because everyone sure remembers

here, and much more about personal

everyone’s transition to Cate – and to the

the ones who just left.”

connections and interactions. I like the

town of Carpinteria. And the process has

message in that; it says, ‘Be present fully and

Stevenson School in Pebble Beach) heard

continued into the fall. In the days before

California calling her back, and is now

be fully engaged.’ I’m loving the fact that I,

Family Weekend, members of the Steering

finding Cate a wonderful place for her and

too, am becoming better in that regard.”

Committee met with the new teachers to

her family. Also loving her new location is

fill them in on what was to come—and on

long-time French teacher, world traveler,

member of the Cate faculty is a bit like

just what to expect from the families of

and diversity advocate Zohara Zamor, who

being a freshman, and sometimes feels

their students and advisees.

like drinking from a fire hose. “I have two

Among the other initiates: art teacher Joy Doyle, formerly an elementary school teacher from Chicago and also a graphic designer; Humanities and English teacher Alicia Hammond, who has spent a good part of her life either attending or teaching in boarding schools. Her most recent post was the Dublin School in New Hampshire, but Hammond (a graduate of Robert Louis

came from the Nichols School in Buffalo

“We’re fortunate to have an amazing

All in all, relates Yeung, being a new

advisees who are freshmen, and there are

to join the Foreign Languages Department.

group this year,” says Assistant Headmaster

Neither the intense start-of-year orientation

some days when I feel just like them. But

Jay Dorion. “Our new faculty members

nor the many subsequent festivities have

overall it’s been a great experience and I feel

represent a host of different backgrounds

worn her down – nor have the jokes about

so supported by the group I came in with.

and experiences. This is an infusion of talent

her former home and its radically different

There’s strength in numbers.”

we all benefit from—teachers, students,

-SK W W W . C A TE . O R G

19

F R E S H M A N FAC U LT Y

NEW FACULTY IN 2015-16 Tamar Adegbile Director of College Counseling After she graduated from Vassar College with a degree in film studies, most people assumed that Tamar would move back to her hometown of New York City to pursue a career in entertainment or film. However, a chance visit to her alma mater, Vassar College, changed the course of her life. She accepted a position in the Admission Office five months after graduation, and thus discovered a passion for working with young people as they navigate their path toward higher education. After Vassar, Tamar worked in undergraduate admissions at Columbia University. Following five years in highly selective college admission offices, she transitioned to “the other side of the desk” to become the Senior Associate Director of College Counseling at the Riverdale Country School in New York. Tamar comes to Cate from Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, where she spent twelve years as a dean and college counselor. In her spare time, Tamar enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending time with her husband and two young sons.

Craig Bouma Science Department Chair A Southern California native, Craig Bouma comes to Cate after almost twenty years of teaching science at Loyola High School of Los Angeles, where he taught biology, physics, and environmental science, as well as serving as department chair and football coach. Craig earned his EdD in Educational Leadership and taught science teaching methods courses at Loyola Marymount University. He received an MS in Environmental Science and Engineering at OHSU. Craig graduated from UC Irvine in 1994 with a BS in Biology; he spent a summer researching tropical forest restoration in Costa Rica. Cate unites many of Craig’s passions: the beach, the mountains, and being a part of a vibrant learning community. When time allows, Craig loves to embark on new adventures with his wife, Christine, and their two sons.

Joy Doyle Art teacher Joy comes to the Mesa from Chicago, Illinois where she taught at a progressive school for three years. She taught art to middle and high school students before teaching in a fifth-grade classroom, where she integrated art into many areas of study. Prior to teaching, Joy spent two years developing her skills as a designer at a graphic design company in Cleveland, Ohio. She interned with various artists in New York before graduating from Kenyon College. Originally from Delaware, she has developed a love for exploring and creating. Joy lives in Schoolhouse and enjoys cooking and painting whenever she can.

20

CAT E BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 15

English teacher and assistant cross country coach Alicia Hammond joins in on routine stretches with fellow coach Tim Smith and students just prior to practice.

Hallie Preston Greene Director of Special Projects After three years in the advancement office at Cate, Hallie left to pursue graduate degrees in business and education policy. While studying at UCLA, she worked as a teaching associate with the Johnson & Johnson/UCLA Management Fellows program, which teaches strategic planning to Head Start directors, health care executives, and aids service organization directors. She also interned with The Walt Disney Company, where she was a member of the New Media & Technology strategic sourcing team. Hallie was a founding board member of Valiente College Preparatory, a grade 4-8 charter school in Los Angeles. Before her first stint at Cate, she worked as an associate for an education recruitment and placement firm. Hallie received a BS in Environmental Science from Bates College, where she was also captain of the nationally ranked Bates rowing team. Happy to be back working at Cate, Hallie lives with her husband and son in Carpinteria.

Alicia Hammond English teacher A fourth-generation Californian, Alicia points out that her educational foundation and passion for teaching were cultivated during the years she spent attending, then teaching at, Stevenson School. Growing up on the Monterey Peninsula, she developed a love of the outdoors, a tie to the Pacific, and a fervor for backpacking in the Los Padres National Forest. Alicia has spent her entire adult life living in dorms, including over a decade on campuses in northern New England. At Colby, Dartmouth, and most recently as Assistant Dean of Students and English Department Chair at Dublin School, she learned to love the rigors and traditions of New England educational communities. Yet she felt her roots in California tugging her gently

F R E S H M A N FAC U LT Y

yet firmly back to the West Coast. Alicia now lives (in a dorm, of course) on the Mesa with her husband and son. In her time outside of the classroom, she enjoys running, reading, hiking, camping, and traveling with her family.

Erin Hansen Director of Learning Services Erin is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara with a degree in Communication and Comparative Literature. After completing her degree she attended Westmont College and earned her secondary teaching credential in English. For the past eight years Erin worked in public education as a Freshman Seminar, English, and AVID teacher. She has served in a variety of leadership roles, but most recently as the English Department Chair at Carpinteria High School. Erin was an adjunct faculty at Santa Barbara City College, where she implemented the first dual-enrollment freshman transition course. Erin teaches Freshman Seminar, supports students with learning and organizational skills, and coordinates academic tutoring. Erin lives on the Mesa with her husband, Erik, and their two boys.

Wendy McFarland Interim Director, Human Development Wendy completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Social Work at California State University, Long Beach, and has been credentialed as a licensed clinical social worker. She started her career as a psychiatric social worker at Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles, and has worked extensively in the clinical, hospital, and private practice settings, supporting teen and adolescent mental health. Prior to joining the Cate faculty, she provided consultation and interim coverage for the School’s counseling center as well as clinical supervision for counselors. She enjoys surfing, running, all dog-related activities, and spending time with her husband and daughter.

Stephanie Yeung English teacher Stephanie Yeung received her Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Notre Dame, and recently earned her Ph.D. in critical media studies from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. Before her graduate work, Stephanie served in the United States Air Force as an F-15E “Strike Eagle” navigator. Stephanie’s teaching emphasizes the study of literature alongside other forms of media. She has taught at Woodbury University and served as a teaching assistant for film, television, and new media courses at USC. Her other interests include cooking, traveling, and seeing live music. Stephanie lives on the Mesa with her wife and son.

Zohara Zamor French teacher Zohara comes to Cate via Brooklyn and Buffalo, New York; she has been teaching French for over thirteen years. She is a graduate of New York University, where she majored in French literature. She lived in Paris for two years studying film and theater at the NYU Center and medieval French literature at La Sorbonne. She earned a National Endowment for the Humanities grant to study theater in Avignon, France, after obtaining her Master’s in Teaching a Second Language from Bennington College. Zohara is of Haitian descent and has travelled extensively. She uses her language abilities to get to know people and their way of life. Exposing students to various cultures through theater, film, literature, and music engages curiosity, she believes, enabling individuals to make lasting connections with what they are learning. She loves to work with students on cross-cultural understanding and by helping to forge friendships through student exchanges.

Ricky Pai Chinese teacher Originally from Taiwan, Ricky Pai has lived in several different states and has taught Mandarin Chinese since coming to the US in 1997. She graduated from Tunghai University in Taiwan as an English major and holds multiple certifications in teaching Chinese as a Second Language. Now enrolled in the Multiple Subject Teacher Credential program at California Polytechnic State University, Ricky resides in San Luis Obispo with her husband and two children.

Zohara Zamor hosts a pizza party for her new advisees in her backyard on the Mesa.

W W W . C A TE . O R G

21

Some of the novelty in the 2015-16 school year comes from changes in leadership, including three new homegrown department chairs. Katheryn Park has taken the helm of the English Department, Ivan Barry is heading up the new Humanities Department, and Annalee Salcedo, who came to Cate as a mathematics teacher in 2009, is now chairing the Math Department – the first woman in that role. Prior to Cate she taught at both public and private schools in Boston for fifteen years. A graduate of Yale, where she majored in chemistry, she earned a Masters of Teaching at Simmons College. At Cate she’s headed up ’25 House, works in the outdoor program, and serves on both the Curriculum Committee and as a faculty representative to the board of trustees. Recently, she shared some of early impressions of her newest role with the Bulletin.

Q: Though you may be the first female department chair, your department is well represented by women. Do you think that’s a message girls learning math need to see and hear?

A: I think the message that everyone

should hear is that everyone can do math.

Any student who works hard, seeks challenges, persists, and welcomes mistakes as opportunities to learn can go as far in math as they want. Of course this message is clearer to both boys and girls if their mathematics teachers are both men and women. Achievement isn’t about gender or genetics. It’s about having a growth mindset.

That said, if my being in this role helps even one girl consider a math or science career, 22

CAT E BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 15

in which they are traditionally underrepresented, I’ll feel gratified.

Q: How steep is your learning curve in terms of leading a department?

A: My learning curve is smooth and steep in large part because former chair Frank Griffin is an amazing mentor. He has been fostering a culture of collaboration and professional development in the math department and at Cate long before I even arrived on the Mesa. Working with him these last couple of years in preparation for this transition has made it pretty seamless. That’s not to say I feel prepared for everything or surprised by nothing. But I feel I have the support and confidence of an incredible department, and one that truly values teamwork. This is why I think my learning curve is increasing towards a slant asymptote, and not a horizontal one. Sorry! I couldn’t resist nerding out on that one!

Q: What about technology curriculum advances that make it easier and maybe even more fun to teach math today?

A: Graphing utilities such as Desmos or Geogebra make teaching math so much more dynamic and visual. Students can see relationships between different representations of mathematical concepts immediately, and thus make real-time connections between formulas, graphs, tables and verbal descriptions that reinforce their learning and deepen their curiosity.

This technology allows us to spend less time computing and plotting and gives us more time to wrestle with challenging problems.

That’s definitely more engaging and fun.

Curriculum developments in and beyond Cate are emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration. As a department we have agreed that statistics and data analysis, which are so important in the physical, life, and social sciences, need to be integrated into all of our math courses. We want all our students, and not just the ones who take Advanced Statistics, to graduate with core skills and knowledge necessary to be the effective citizens in a world where data and how it is interpreted drive decisions on the personal, community, national, and global levels. In order to deliver a mathematics program that does this better than we already do, we need to focus our professional development on how to integrate statistics in our courses, and then work across the departments with our colleagues in science and history. This is work that will be really hard before it makes teaching math easier.

But we know our department and our students will grow as a result.

Q: We know you’re about lots more than math though – can you fill us in on your not-so-secret hobby?

A: When I arrived at Cate, I was pregnant with my younger daughter and did a lot of knitting when I was on duty in the dorm.

Kids got curious and wanted to learn too so I started hosting “N is for knitting N-Friday nights” in ‘25 where we’d have cookies, warm cider, fireside – super cozy. Though I’m not on Friday night duty as much now, I hope to keep gathering these little knitting circles. Though, honestly, I’m more into cross-stitch now.

A Community of Learners

by Ivan Barry

9:20am on a Tuesday morning. In the Humanities classroom, a discussion bounced around energetically: From a table on the left, someone delivered, “Oedipus is the

came together in discourse over the materials to be covered in the upcoming unit on classical Athens.

In order to create and then teach the course, the Humanities

classical tragic hero. He uses his intellect, rather than brute force, to

faculty regularly met to discuss and review the multi-faceted set of

solve the riddle of the Sphinx and thereby save the city of Thebes

materials and artifacts that make up the course. A vigorous debate

from the plague pronounced upon it. Ultimately, however, he falls to

on the appropriate pedagogy to teach freshman writing skills one

the fate that awaits him and must then accept his punishment of exile

week, a lively discussion on how Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales can

from Thebes.”

inform student understanding of the Middle Ages the next week, an

“So can we, in turn, draw parallels to this idea of the tragic hero

impassioned conversation on Brunelleschi’s character and his genius

and his downfall with Socrates?” came a question from across the

in creating the Duomo the week after. Routinely, Humanities teachers

room.

found themselves collaborating across the disciplinary boundaries

“In many ways we can,” a third person responded. “Socrates was

that traditionally separate departments in order to grow and learn

literally a hero for his actions in the Peloponnesian wars, including

from one another. In so doing, the conventional approach to exploring

saving a popular Athenian general from death, and more figuratively

the human experience came crashing down and in its place arose a

for his role as teacher and philosopher. In a tragic twist of fate, as

genuine, interdisciplinary course that is as rich and rewarding for the

we saw in the reading we did from Plato, Socrates is accused of

teachers as it is for the students.

corrupting the city’s youth and condemned to die. He famously

And herein we arrive at the heart of what makes Cate Cate. We are

accepts this punishment and drinks the poison hemlock so as to

a community of learners. We are a community of individuals bound

uphold the laws of Athens.”

together by a common passion to explore and understand the richness

“Yes, exactly,” a fourth voice interjected. “Thanks for the addition

of the human experience and the physical and social world in which it

about Socrates’ role in the Peloponnesian war; that’s great to know.

transpires. Most powerfully, the faculty feels this passion as intensely

And I imagine we can similarly wrestle with this idea of the hero in

as the students do. As the faculty learns and grows, so too do our

Antigone. But now, let me throw this out there – is there also a tie-in

students.

to the readings we did on Edward Snowden. Is he a hero? Or a traitor?

And if a hero, is he a tragic hero?”

Ultimately, our community is one powered by curiosity and enriched by a culture of inquiry. Our ultimate objective is to

The conversation continued apace from there...

empower our faculty and students to be life-long learners who possess

Yet, for all the classroom discussions at Cate, one notable exception

the mindset to be passionate about their own learning and the skills

was evident - there wasn’t a single student present. Rather, this

to know how to pursue that learning in a manner that is collaborative,

was a typical weekly meeting of the Humanities teachers as they

disciplined, and impactful.

Ivan Barry is chair of the newly-created Humanities Department.

W W W . C A TE . O R G

23

THROUGH THE LENS As we prepared this issue of the Bulletin, the concept of a learning curve was very much on our minds. Soon we began to notice curved surfaces everywhere. So Multimedia Coordinator Ashleigh Mower and student photographer Yvette Vega ’16 set off to capture as many of them as possible. “It was really curious,” observed Mower. “Yvette and I both photographed the same places and rooms at the same time, yet we each found curves the other didn’t see. It was our own little learning curve.”

Even more curved images can be viewed at http://tiny.cc/o60p6x

Megan Kendall Ryskamp '98 remembers feeling unnerved. During her first Spanish class of her freshman year at Cate, she listened to her teacher – speaking only in Spanish – and watched the students around her nodding in understanding, and responding. “I went to the teacher after class, on the verge of tears. ‘I didn’t understand a word,’” she confessed to Julianne Schlesinger, who assured Ryskamp that she would catch on soon enough.

O

ver the next

professional life ever since. At Stanford,

there, which was “essentially catapulting

several years,

where she majored in International

it to become one of the world’s top thirty

Ryskamp did

Relations, she did her senior honors

exporters of high tech products.”

more than

thesis on then-burgeoning international

catch on. She

development in Costa Rica. While

where she was involved in expanding an

willed herself to

outsourcing may be common now,

online technology education program in

learn Spanish,

she explains, she was studying Intel’s

emerging markets, and then to Adobe

investment in building a silicon chip plant

Systems, where she helped strengthen

positively immersing herself in the language. “The summer after freshman

global channel partnerships. Her MBA

year, my mom and I went to live in a little

from Berkeley’s Haas School Business was

town in Mexico, where I studied Spanish

rooted in an interest in corporate social

intensively. We stayed with a family while

responsibility, so she knew there would

we lived and breathed the language.”

be another destination.

Over the next several summers,

For the past two years Ryskamp

Ryskamp planted herself in different

has been working for Google to develop

Spanish-speaking countries from Spain

partnerships for “all things social impact.”

to Ecuador, increasing her fluency each

As part of the company’s giving and

year. As a result, Spanish classes at Cate

civic engagement teams, she helps to

became a beloved destination, and when

build the partnerships that enable digital

it came time for the Foreign Languages

tools so that citizens can get information

Department to award the Spanish Prize

on everything from natural disasters

at the end of her senior year, Ryskamp

to election candidates, essentially

proudly made her to way to the stage to

harnessing the power and organization

accept it.

of the Internet for the public good.

The hard-earned language skills have been at the core of her educational and 26

Her thesis work led her to Cisco,

CAT E BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 15

Last year, her team helped provide 800 million voters in India access to neutral

information on candidate records on a

June’s election, she worked with the

digital platform prior to that country’s

government of Mexico and several other

2014 election. Ryskamp has also worked

partners to introduce tools for citizens to

on launching and scaling Google’s tools

understand the candidates and election

for non-profits, on fundraising, and on

results. “It was exhilarating to be working

disaster relief efforts. Not surprisingly,

with partners and launching products

she is grateful to have found such rewards

for Mexican citizens, right in the place

in her career. “I feel privileged to work

where my love of the Spanish language

with organizations that are doing so

had begun,” she shares. “I’m so thankful

much good in the world. And I love being

that I had the chance to grow this passion

able to connect them with the reach and

at Cate, and beyond, and I look forward

technology of Google to launch solutions

to having even more of an impact in the

that fill critical information gaps on a

future.”

global scale.”

Recently, the arc of her educational and professional life has become a Megan Ryskamp ’98 has returned to Mexico frequently for work. Here, she participates in the the Open Government Partnership Conference held this fall in Mexico City.

circle, leading her back to her love of Spanish and, in particular, of Mexico.

Over the last year, leading up to this

Google’s famous doodle got a makeover during the Mexican election.

While many of Ryskamp’s recent trips to Mexico have centered on her work for Google, she still enjoys sightseeing in the country she first got to know as a Cate student. Here, she photographs the Temple de San Juan Bautista, a Baroque church and former convent founded early in Cortes’ 16th-century conquest of Aztec Mexico.

W W W . C A TE . O R G

27

DISPATCHES Cate alumni are students of life, and often teachers too. Here, we catch up with two who continue to make their mark.

JOHN LUCE ’59

ARIEL MORRIS ‘97 wife Judy, who by example prodded him toward the more scientific route.

“I transferred my many interests in medicine to teaching it,” which he points out has been yet another means of being a lifelong learner. “In order to teach, you must synthesize vast areas of research to present to your students. In that way, you’re always learning.”

Luce says that the most challenging segment of his career was in the middle of it: caring for AIDS and HIV patients as the terrifying epidemic began to emerge in 1980s San Francisco. He tries to

“Tell everyone to go back to school,

In Ariel Morris’s first year as a middle-

or at least to keep learning,” exhorts

was like. We knew nothing. My colleagues

school English teacher in Los Angeles’ Watts

John Luce ’59. “There’s nothing more

and I had to learn to take care of these

neighborhood, she met a student who wasn’t

fun.” Luce considers himself a lifelong

patients who had a brand new disease.”

going to let anything stand in the way of

learner, and to prove it, he went back

What is far from brand new to Luce

her education. At home, Nancy’s mom was

to school at age 70, earning his Master’s

is the formal classroom experience, which

raising her daughter alone while learning

degree in Studies in Law for Health and

he favors most. “There’s something that

to speak English; her neighborhood was

Science Professionals from UC Hastings

happens there. Face it – it’s competitive,

struggling. At school, her math class had a

Law School. That came atop his medical

but it also facilitates a connection

stream of substitute teachers who stalled the

degree from UCSF, and a Bachelor’s

between students and teachers you just

class’s progress.

degree from Stanford. “Some people say

can’t get in any other way.” According

Instead of giving up, the seventh-grader

I collect degrees,” offers Luce “ but that’s

to the Mesan editors way back in 1959,

started spending all her free time in Morris’s

not really it. I’ve just never lost interest in

his comfort level in class surfaced early.

classroom. She worked on her homework,

lots of different fields.”

“Upon his arrival,” they wrote, “John

she asked to borrow books. And she and

let it be known that he was a force to

a group of friends started going through

career. Luce’s early work was as a

be reckoned with academically.” The

their math book on their own, working

journalist in mid-sixties San Francisco, a

reckoning continues.

through the chapters and problem sets

Medicine was not really his intended

locus that rewarded him with “hippies, rock ’n’ roll, psychedelic drugs, and New Age spirituality, leading to plenty of good stories to cover.” While writing a piece for Look magazine on the Haight-Ashbury Free Medical Clinic, Luce seemed to stumble upon a specialty and decided to go to medical school with a plan of becoming a medical journalist.

While there, Luce met his future 28

explain: “You need to understand what it

CAT E BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 15

—SK

together. Morris, participating in the Teach For America program, started wondering what made this girl look at all the obstacles standing in her path—and decide to overcome them, one by one. “Nancy really just showed me what it meant to want to be successful by any means necessary,” Morris says.

Now, Morris focuses on students like Nancy through her work as Director of Curriculum and Instruction with

DISPATCHES

In Breakthrough Silicon Valley classes, middle schoolers get a learning boost in an after school program.

Breakthrough Silicon Valley, a free sixyear program for high-achieving kids with limited opportunities. The program— part of a nationwide effort known as the Breakthrough Collaborative--provides afterschool math and study skills workshops for middle schoolers, help with everything from essays to college applications for high schoolers, and an academically intense summer program, taught by talented high school and college kids. The aim is to help these kids clear hurdles, such as being the first college-bound student in the family, or having parents who don’t possess the resources to help with coursework or college applications.

Morris’ own background was different.

Growing up in a book-filled home in Stockton, she was lucky enough to have two college-educated parents who found time to help her with her homework. “Because of my family, I was 20 steps ahead,” she says now. She didn’t feel challenged in her public school, but she loved learning—and when she heard about Cate, she knew it was a place where she could meet other students who felt the way she did about education.

But when she got to Cate, she

floundered. “I was just not prepared,” she says. She remembers being assigned an essay, and when the kids around her started talking about topic sentences, it was as if they were speaking another language. “To struggle in an English class”—her favorite subject—“I thought that was my thing!” she says with a laugh. Soon enough, with the help of teachers and fellow students, she started to catch up; later that year, she won a speech contest held in her grade’s English classes.

After going to UC Berkeley, she taught for more than a decade--first in the Los Angeles area, then at Berkeley High School—and saw the differences among her students’ backgrounds. Some had college professor parents; others came from new immigrant families. These disparities, she says, “made me realize that my main job as a teacher was to level the playing field as much as I could.”

At Breakthrough, that’s exactly what she’s trying to do, but on a larger scale.

Morris both designs the curriculum and manages how it’s put into practice with the 100 students accepted annually from underachieving San Jose schools. By the time they’ve been selected for the program,

these students have already gone through an intensive process, from a 20-plus page application to interviews with them and their families. The results: 98 percent of Breakthrough students go on to four-year colleges. And that success comes from hard work, primarily. “We don’t always want the perfect student; we want the kid who’s motivated,” Morris says.

Looking back at her application to Cate, she realizes she was far from being the perfect student on paper. She remembers meeting with Noah Hotchkiss, the director of admissions at the time. “Your test scores are low,” Morris recalls him saying. “You really want this, don’t you?”

These days, Morris has the unique experience of supporting some Breakthrough middle school students who are interested in attending Cate. She imagines that they might struggle at first but that, with support, they’ll get up to speed—and beyond—just as she did. “I get so happy when I see our students who are applying to Cate because I know that’s the exact environment in which they’re going to thrive,” she says.

—CW W W W . C A TE . O R G

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R E P ORT ON PH I L A N T H ROP Y

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A LU M N I S U M M I T

Alumni Summit

The Culinary Club puts the final touches on hors d'oeuvres for the Alumni Summit. From left: Kate Smith '17, Peter Marcus '16, Ciana Smiley '17, and Chrissy Robinson '18.

Alumni across six decades returned

ago! Ben Williams was quite impressive

their guests enjoyed the company of

to the Mesa on October 9-10 for the

and he described an educational

former classmates, faculty, and family,

Alumni Summit. The Summit, open to

experience that I wish I could have had

current students James Chang '16,

all alumni, is a program geared toward

when I was a student there. We are

Flora Hamilton '17, Luca Kim '19, and

educating alumni on Cate’s current

happy to have had such a personalized,

Jennifer Soh '19 performed classical

programs and goals, providing a chance

intimate visit. I left with a fresh, positive

music for the gathering. Just before

to visit the School while classes are in

perspective on Cate, and we will plan to

dusk, various faculty members spoke

session. Those who attended enjoyed

be back again soon.”

about their programs. Science teacher

the opportunity to reconnect with

92

On Friday night, a reception at

Cece Schwennsen and Colin Day Chair

old classmates, see transformations

Mesa House kicked off this special

for Cross-Curricular Studies Juarez

throughout the campus, and get an

weekend. Cate’s student-based Culinary

Newsome discussed the opportunity to

update on the state of the School. Clay

Club, led by Peter Marcus '16 and Kate

teach a class about the history of World

Lewis '78 writes: “We really did enjoy our

Smith '17, produced and passed around

War II weaponry. Juarez focused on the

time at Cate, especially hearing about the

an incredible array of hors d’oeuvres to

history of the machinery, while Cece

changes since I was last at Cate 37 years

start the reception. While alumni and

explained the chemistry behind the

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A LU M N I S U M M I T

formidable weapons. Cate’s Strength

Zhengli, a 6th-grader, enjoyed igniting the

many other living things on this planet.”

and Conditioning coach, Erik Hansen,

Bunsen burner for the first time with the

Ben continued by describing the ways

described the new training philosophy

older Cate students. After class, alumni

power reveals itself, utilizing clips from

that Cate teams have incorporated using

headed to the Katharine Thayer Memorial

Schindler’s List, Steel Magnolias, and

the newly-renovated Weigand Fitness

Chapel for a “Saturday Talk” with Head

Selma. Alumni participated in the lively

Center. Tamar Adegbile, the School’s

Prefect Max Vasquez '16 of Covina, CA.

discussion by asking questions relating to

new director of college counseling, talked

Max spoke about his surprise passion

education and Cate today.

about the current landscape that Cate

for ceramics – discovered only after his

juniors and seniors are facing with the

arrival at Cate – and how this unexpected

Commons, alumni enjoyed a beautiful

college application process. Tamar spoke

interest in the visual arts helped him to

afternoon on Thayer Peck Field. The

about the positive feedback she received

grow during challenging times in his early

boys varsity football team earned a 38-26

from college admission representatives

years on the Mesa.

victory over rival Thacher School. Members

who visited the School throughout the

After lunch in the Raymond

The morning concluded in the

of the Student Alumni Association and

fall. Assistant Headmaster External

Johnson Library with the Headmaster’s

the Culinary Club provided a delicious

Affairs Meg Bradley ended the evening by

Hour. Ben Williams presented a view

barbecue during the game.

speaking about Cate’s future plans, and

on this year’s inquiry question, What is

inviting attendees to view a map of the

the source of power? Discussing the depth

heartfelt “thank you” to all those who

School’s Master Plan.

of the question, as well as its potential

visited the Mesa for the Alumni Summit

answers and implications, Ben expressed,

and made it such a success!

On Saturday, alumni began the day by attending their class of choice. While some

“Power is as amorphous and changeable as

opted to listen in on Juarez Newsome

any force in the universe. It is something

discuss European History around the

that requires imagination to understand,

Harkness table in Schoolhouse, others

because not one of us can appreciate

visited Cece Schwennsen’s chemistry class.

or know the many ways it manifests

Farina Talbert '87 reported that her son

itself in the lives of human beings or the

From left: Joanne, Mhaira, Archie, Cora, and Richard MacDonald '82 visit with the Ram at Mesa House.

The Cate Community extends a

Cate and Thacher players congratulate one another after a competitive game, which the Rams won 38-26.

W W W . C A TE . O R G

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C L A S S NO T E S

in Memoriam

DONALD DAVIS '68

BLAINE COVINGTON JANIN '61

October 31, 1950 – June 27, 2015

November 29, 1942 – May 16, 2015

The Class of ’68, along with his much-extended family, lost a wonderful friend and talent with the passing of Donald Davis in late June. On top of the life he lived and the art he produced, Don showed us how to go out with memorable and intrepid poise. Up to that time though, Don remained a game companion for all endeavors, retaining his charming and selfless humor, along with his sensitive and creative spirit. His relatively brief but daunting illness was something he kept in the background for as long as he could.

Those of us who attended Cate with Don remember his distinctive laugh, his prominence on the baseball field, and his uncanny ability to imitate Mick Jagger. Don was a loyal friend who was quick to share his earthy yet sophisticated brand of humor. He had his own way of looking at the world, all the while radiating a sense of wonder and beauty.

Don was, of course, a ‘faculty kid’ at what was then a very small all-boys school, with his mom, Janet, involved in multiple administrative roles and his dad, Boyer, serving as Cate’s business manager, as well as a trustee, teacher, and athletic coach. You almost had to dig to find that out though, as Don (the youngest of three siblings and Cate graduates) was all-in with us dorm residents, while still representing his family well in a turbulent, transitional era both inside and outside of the school.

It was always interesting that Don, who had come with his family to Cate from an authentic California rural background in the form of a working ranch in the western Sierra foothills, seemed to morph from denim-clad ranch hand to impassioned artiste in his four years at Cate, all at a time when the school’s formalized arts programs barely existed.

It was here though that Don began, in a serious way, to find himself as an artist. By his senior year, Don knew what his love and vocation was and had decided to pursue an arts education, becoming the first Cate graduate to attend the Rhode Island School of Design.

At RISD, Don focused on sculpture and the mastery of working with stone. His extensive travels in Europe, then and after, were often cited by him as a great part of his inspiration, coupled with his upbringing and visual experiences in the Sierras.

From there ensued a continuous and distinguished career, and a superb body of work in marble, travertine, limestone, and sandstone. Don selected his own marble at classical quarry sites in Italy, such as Carrara. There is a broad range of evocative beauty and mystery in Don’s creations, regardless of scale. His sculptures were executed with stunning precision and craftsmanship. A few of these works dot the Cate campus today, while others are in private, corporate, and public collections.

Don lives on in the hearts of his wife Wendy, his friends and family, and in his extensive body of work. His artistic legacy and awards are well-chronicled on the web and on his own site (www.donalddavis.com). Don can be seen there in video, eloquently discussing his sculpture, while projecting his unique charm, intelligence, and humility.

Blaine Covington Janin, age 72, died peacefully on Saturday, May 16, 2015.

He is survived by his wife Susan and their two Maine Coon cats, Lilly and Sammy, as well as several members of his immediate family.

Blaine was born in San Francisco on November 29, 1942. He resided in San Francisco during his entire lifetime. Blaine graduated from Stanford University in 1965 and from Boalt Hall School of Law in 1968.

He served in Vietnam, first as a pilot of F-4 Phantom jets. On his 186th mission, his plane was hit by a missile over Hanoi. He successfully flew the disintegrating jet out to the coast where he and his navigator ejected and were rescued. Thereafter he served at the MACV headquarters in Saigon.

After his military service, he began his legal career at Pillsbury Madison and Sutro. He and two friends later formed their own law firm, Horning Janin and Harvey, where he enjoyed practicing law for many years. Ultimately he became a solo practitioner and continued working until his retirement in 2011.

Blaine married his wife Susan in 1990 and they celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary shortly before his death. He and Susan divided their time between their homes in San Francisco and on the Russian River. Blaine and Susan both loved to travel and they cruised around the world for several months each year.

He loved cooking and was a fabulous gourmet chef, much to Susan's delight and relief.

His other passions included opera, gardening, and photography.

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Sam Hill (pictured far right) and her classmates take on sophomore history under the tutelage of Juarez Newsome.

The Hardest Class “Now we know who’s going to

answer. If it wasn’t the answer he was

confusion. In the human brain, it’s called

Harvard!” Newsome’s voice bellows

looking for, he would scrunch up his nose

creating new pathways. To students at Cate,

across the room as I finally answer his

and shut his eyes, pulling faces until he heard

it means that there is never a dull moment

question correctly. Entering his class as

what he wanted from somebody else.

and that we never lose sight of why we go to

a sophomore—or, as he would call me, a

school in the first place. This struggle is both

idea of a steep learning curve. In Cece’s

the hardest and the most wonderful part of

But all the pretentiousness stopped instantly

Schwennsen’s chemistry class, one moment

an education at Cate, where every class is a

when he yelled out the attendance list,

I was awe-struck by a two-thousand page

new puzzle.

our given names replaced with freshly

textbook, and the very next I was goggled

minted nicknames: Big Head, CoCo, Spill.

and gloved, sticking iridescent chemicals

soon enough I was acing my tests, drawing

Whatever nickname flew to the tip of his

into an open flame and watching them

timelines of the Cold War from memory.

tongue stuck for the rest of our Cate careers.

explode. In Mr. Griffin’s Algebra 2 class, he

I learned how to establish my space in

Newsome didn’t check homework. He had

quietly but persistently snapped his fingers

discussions, and Newsome taught me why

no participation grade. He never taught

in my direction, drilling the unit circle until

respecting my peers was important. Walking

anything twice. I didn’t know that grades

I could recite an answer before any of my

into class on a Wednesday in the beginning

below a B existed at Cate before he handed

classmates. In English, where I thought my

of December, I knew that the era of easy A’s

back one of my essays.

comfort zone existed, Ms. Fortner taught me

had come to an end. He grinned from the

that writing has rules I need to know – but

seat next to me, covering his mouth with his

sophomore history class was the hardest,

that I should also understand how and when

palms, acting like he had the cleverest joke

maybe even the first hard class, I had ever

to break them.

to tell.

Suffice it to say that Juarez Newsome’s

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Cate students are no strangers to the

sophomoron—I took myself too seriously.

taken. When he asked a question, he didn’t

As soon as I’ve mastered a skill, the

just throw it into the ether, expecting any

teachers here force me to adapt and think in

student to regurgitate an answer from the

ways I never have before. Sometimes there

textbook. When he asked me a question, he

are problems I can’t solve, in which case I

looked me straight in the eyes and waited—

spend three hours in Cook House West as

he let me flounder, shushing other students,

Dr. Kellogg edits my computer code with

until I had the courage to give a definitive

me, line by line. In sports, it’s called muscle

CAT E BULLET IN / F ALL 2 0 15

As for that sophomore history class,

“Hey Spill, you know what today is?

Start of a new unit. Essay due next week.”

– Sam Hill ‘16