Cate School 2021 Spring Bulletin

CATE Spring 2021

BULLETIN

CATE B U L L E T I N EDITOR

Avani Patel Shah CONTENT LEAD Matt McClenathen GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Mya Cubero PHOTOGRAPHER

Aimee Stanchina ARCHIVIST

Judy Savage HEAD OF SCHOOL

Benjamin D. Williams IV ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

Charlotte Brownlee '85 COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE

Avani Patel Shah Matt McClenathen Aimee Stanchina ADVANCEMENT OFFICE

Lindsay Newlove Evan Akers Katie Convoy Chris Giles Guille Gil-Reynoso

Laura Jespersen Andrew MacDonnell Sarah Preston Elana Stone Tiarzha Taylor

MISSION STATEMENT

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

NOTICE OF CORRECTIONS

Cate School’s online Report on Philanthropy includes all corrections. We sincerely apologize for the following errors in the Fall 2020 Report on Philanthropy: The fund descriptions listed in this issue were inadvertently missing either the phrase “in honor of ” or “in memory of.” Some class agent emails were incorrectly listed or omitted.

For alumni wishing to update contact information, please email alumni@cate.org or access the alumni portal: https://accounts.veracross.com/cate/portals/login. Thank you for your understanding and continued support of Cate School.

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The Cate Bulletin is published three times a year by Cate School and is distributed free of charge to alumni, parents, and friends of the School. Send correspondence and address changes to: communications@cate.org The Cate Bulletin is printed by V3 on Topkote paper.

Chidera Chukwumerije '22, Charlotte Weis '22, and Dawson Fuss '22 test blood samples during biology lab.

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In this

Issue 4 HEAD OF SCHOOL’S LETTER

Features 28

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Sustainability at Cate

Shepherd of the Mesa

An inside look at the School’s environmental initiatives from the classroom to the community and beyond.

Honoring Jose Vega and his 45 years of service to Cate as he is set to retire in June.

6 ON THE MESA

40 ALUMNI DISPATCHES

46 CAMPAIGN UPDATE

47 NEW CATE TRUSTEES

48 IN MEMORIAM

Science teacher Troy Shapiro teaches his 9th grade physics class about mass velocity in one of the many outdoor classrooms spread out on campus.

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From the Head of School

The Responsibility of Sustenance show up early enough in the morning on a warm day, though, you’ll find hummingbirds and finches taking a drink while students and faculty have their breakfast nearby. The whole Mesa is always busy with activity even before the human residents are up. My last morning walk brought me face to face with a gray fox who studied me carefully from barely six feet away before darting off. An appreciative group of rabbits munched away below us at the time, quite happy to have the fox on the defensive for once.

Two coveys of quail dotted the Nature Trail farther on while a big redtailed hawk watched carefully from a nearby branch. Signs of coyotes were everywhere, but I didn’t see them. I’m quite sure they saw me, though.

I walked by the water feature outside Booth Commons the other day. Students were sitting around it having lunch, enjoying the sound of moving water.

It’s mixing, actually: overflow from the pool, captured condensate from the building, dew, rainwater, etc. Ultimately, the water goes to the holding tank below the parking lot outside Sprague Gym and is filtered to such a degree during its winding journey that it can be stored and then used to irrigate our fields and lawns.

You wouldn’t know any of that just sitting beside the gurgling stream. If you

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Place has unusual significance these days. We have come to know our immediate surroundings quite well in the last year, content to ride out the viral storm in a place that feels safe.

Those of us on campus understand a little better the wild neighbors with whom we share our Mesa home and perhaps recognize more clearly our responsibility to this place that has sustained us all through a pandemic.

Some of that responsibility is expressed in sustainable practices, like the mixing stream, the soon-to-be-installed industrial food composter, the Mesa roofs covered with solar panels, or the nearby bioswale built for our Centennial, whose population of frogs croaks contentedly for much of the

night. But it is also expressed by the people who call this campus home, especially those whose lives are devoted to the care of the Mesa itself. People like Jose Vega, whose retirement this spring brings to a close nearly half a century of stewardship and care for this unique place, show us what sustainability looks like in practice.

It is tempting, especially in a year like the one we have just lived, to see all the constraints: the destinations to which we can’t travel, the people we can’t see, the rituals we can’t indulge or enable. But when we look closer to home, we also see things we never noticed before: a neighborhood that contains more neighbors than we might have imagined, an environment and an ecosystem that sustained us when times were most challenging, and comfort in the places we make ours.

The takeaways from this remarkable year will require time to process and understand, but surely among them will be the care due to the places that matter to us, the responsibility we must assume for the sustenance of those spaces and all who inhabit them, and the surety that the environments we build together can literally save lives.

This we know firsthand.

Servons,

Benjamin D. Williams IV

Head of School Ben Williams shares a moment with students near the Tom Family Water Reclamation System at Booth Commons.

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On the

Mesa Spring on the Mesa in the Midst of a Pandemic In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, life at Cate has been augmented to facilitate a safe and healthy environment for the community on the Mesa. As vaccinations become available and the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel becomes more visible, the community continues to iterate on the existing health and safety standards and remains grateful and humbled by the success of the Health and Safety Committee.

Led by Assistant Head of School for Students Pete Mack, the Health and Safety Committee has taken commendable steps to ensure campus safety. This fall, not a single case of COVID was reported among the student population. Weekly COVID tests for all faculty, improved cleaning and sanitizing protocols, and a campus-wide mask mandate are just a few of the initiatives set forth by the committee to create and maintain a healthy Mesa. Still, as safety standards shift with fluctuating case numbers, the committee continues to learn and iterate.

“Much of what we’ve learned has been in the area of treatment and clearing potential cases faster, but we’ve also worked hard on figuring out ways to create more interpersonal contact including nesting and the implementation of full grade meetings,” said Pete. “I think another important thing we’ve learned is how crucial it is to find outlets for our students to stay healthy. From our counseling services to the number of outdoor activities we’re offering, we’ve targeted ways to help our students cope with many of the anxieties surrounding COVID.” 6

CATE B ULLET IN / S PRING 2021

Imani Oseso '22 learns about human genetics during Paul Denison’s class on the Mudd Science Building patio.

California, however, remains unable to permit indoor sports competition (volleyball, basketball, squash).

“In the fall, we were only able to offer socially distanced conditioning practices,” Wade said. “This spring, we are filled with optimism. As more people are vaccinated and scientists continue to research and understand more about this virus, I feel we have weathered the storm and hope is on the horizon.”

The athletic department will continue to provide communication on schedules, and the ability to host parents for games based upon state, county, and league guidelines as they are updated.

Beth Caylor steps in to give insight to a group of students during a hands-on lesson.

Students use microscopes to study cell structures in science instructor Joshua Caditz’s biology class.

A highlight of these efforts has been nesting – smaller cohorts of students within each dorm who can spend time together in each others’ rooms unmasked. Students have responded well to the addition of these privileges and it has greatly improved morale amongst the population. “It has added an element of personal intimacy that had been missing all fall,” shared Pete.

“Over the course of the fall, we have learned how to work within the significant limitations placed upon us by the county and state and still find ways to make Cate a vibrant community,” said Athletic Director Wade Ransom.

“We were able to have school with in-person classes, robust extracurricular offerings, opportunities to meditate and practice mindfulness, and explore the arts, all while taking advantage of the great weather and amazing environment Carpinteria provides. It is hard not to feel gratitude for how much we were able to do, especially knowing how much effort it took to get there. I know our students have suffered great losses and continue to do so, but I am hopeful, once they take time to reflect, they realize how much they were able to accomplish and overcome in this unprecedented year.”

Athletics in particular have been a challenge this year with the restrictions in place at the county level. In midMarch, Santa Barbara County reached a threshold of fewer than 10 cases per 100,000 people, entering the Red Tier and allowing for limited competition in all Season 2 outdoor sports (swim, track, tennis, soccer, lacrosse, baseball).

“While it may take a little while longer to return to our ‘normal’ lives we will have opportunities to get back to doing the things that make us happy,” Wade said.

Of course, this year has not been without its challenges for the committee.

“Frankly, it’s been really hard. Most of us chose boarding school life because of the closeness we enjoy with teenagers, and that’s now been compromised,” Pete said.

“I absolutely abhor all of the restrictions we’ve had to put in place – they’re simply unnatural – but they’re unfortunately necessary, and in most cases, mandated by governing authorities.”

For most, the biggest takeaways were the simpler things, like “eating lunch with a table of students or simply seeing them be happy hanging out together.”

“It is something I should never take for granted again,” said Pete. “I am also surrounded by some remarkable adults who really care about kids and will go above and beyond to help them. We have an incredible support staff at Cate – especially health services, buildings & grounds, and dining, who have really gone out of their way to respond to these crazy circumstances. It’s really humbling to see what goes on behind the scenes.”

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Tali Nam '21 Honorab le Menti on Still

ON THE MESA

Ben Meyer '22

Silver Key Braided Handle Jug

2 Ophelia Ke '2 Silver Key Alien Life

2020-21 Scholastic Art & Writing

Awards For almost 100 years, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have identified students with exceptional creative ability.

Approximately half a million pieces are submitted each year to be evaluated on their originality, technical skill, and personal voice or vision.

Hand Holding with Loneliness

by: Rachel Ma '22 There are three honors awarded on the regional level:

Gold Key: The very best works submitted. Gold Key works are automatically considered for national-level recognition.

Silver Key: Stand-out works that demonstrate

exceptional ability.

Honorable Mention: Accomplished works showing great

skill and potential.

The following is a sampling of winning pieces.

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Loneliness lives in the corner s of the home, at candlelit res taurants, and in the middle of a crowd, never staying still for too lo ng She intertwines her cold blu e fingers with the man who looks sad, with the woman who looks happy, and with the man who looks neither She cowers in the walls and comes out at night, when the long white hair tha t crawls down her spine glo ws under street lamps Drifting between sidewalks, she continues her eternal sea rch leaving behind a path of ice and dust A white silk dress hangs fro m her bony shoulders, mud-s tained and torn at the hem, while blistered and exhausted feet carry her into the darkne ss.

Some die without ever having felt her sharp, icy hands in their own Some die staring into her gre y eyes, never able to let go of her hold.

Quarantined

Kendall Rhee '24 i sit entombed in four walls isolated and alone in a place I liked to call home that I have now renamed: a prison cell the last time I talked to someone face to face i almost forgot how to have a normal conversation who knew a simple “hi” and “how are you doing?” could be so perplexing could be so confounding could lead to absolute nothingness to a simplistic uncomfortable silence to just a brief “I’m fine, could be better” and nothing more then to looking at one’s phone walking away fixated and immersed in a screen that gives no empathy no mortal compassion no human connection just the connection fueled by a couple bars on the top right of a screen and a electronic void for our seemingly empty souls to feed on and deem as a new normal as my mind strives to remember how to communicate after the long months of absolute nullity i’d like to think we can just go back go back to our normal lives after this worldwide pandemic that I can go to my favorite coffee shop inhale the deep rich chocolaty scent of an earthy cocoa bean sigh contentedly and stare at the bright blue sky filled with the possibilities of a day smile, Laugh tell myself it’s all okay but in reality there is no coffee shop at least not anymore it closed down 8 months ago ran out of business, out of money even though the locals loved it so its bright and vibrant painted sign now dulled and grayed with streaks of unevenly placed and thick caution tape around its edges and a weighty bolded CLOSED sign hanging from the dirt speckled windows

Imperfections

Kendall Rhee '24

her skin had blemishes so she scrubbed them red and raw trying to live up to the seemingly unattainable beauty standards of society today her stomach wasn’t flat enough she couldn’t fit into the 24 sized PacSun jeans that all the other girls wore so she starved herself reminded herself that beauty is pain that there would be no change if she ate and stayed the same she wanted to be loved to uphold the world’s perfect image of a woman the epitome of femininity an aphrodite herself perfect in proportion youthful and all but instead she withered and weakened her mind was not strong she kept finding more and more that was wrong it never ended would it ever cease? her skin had become paper thin the bones grotesquely jutting out of pale skin are you okay… are you okay? you need to eat more they told her that eating food shouldn’t be much of a chore she had succumbed to it a malevolent shadow haunting her the little voice in the back of her head feeding her lie after lie but it had already ruined her and what really was there to change when she realized she was mere skin and bones a fragment of the woman she once was after being eaten away by the mindset the one goal of utter perfection

i remember how excited I would be for each day for a certain upcoming event and now I forget what day or time it even is it’s all blurred into a pool of nothingness of incoherence into a sluggish mind a mind that doesn’t remember but doesn’t necessarily want to forget a mind that lives each day awaiting another day of monotony hoping for a day of normality

Ophelia Ke '22 Silver Key Martyrdom

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ON THE MESA

Mark Metherell '87 Memorial Service Challenge This year’s Mark Metherell '87 Memorial Service Challenge Award recipients were greatly impacted due to COVID-19, but all three adapted and overcame obstacles to finish the projects and benefit multiple communities across the world. The grant, named in honor after Mark Metherell '87, who passed away tragically in Iraq in 2009, is awarded every year to students with volunteerism, the potential to benefit others, vision, and sustainability as the primary criteria for selection. This year’s recipients were Jinny Chung '22, Madeline Vanica '21, and Dana Huston Chen '20.

Jinny Chung '22

A breath of fresh air in Korean prisons Jinny Chung '22 first learned about family visiting rooms in Korean prisons during a recent trip home over break. After a lunch meeting with a close family friend, Jinny came to learn about the lack of resources and funding for these visiting rooms, which are vital for fostering a connection between incarcerated parents and their children. Not long after this meeting, and by a stroke of luck, Jinny became aware of the Mark Metherell Service Challenge, and an idea was born.

Eager to assist in any way possible, Jinny contacted Child Welfare Practice SEUM, a non-profit organization established to advocate for the rights of children of the incarcerated, and its executive director Ms. Kyung-Rim Lee. SEUM was the driving force behind creating family visiting rooms,

which did not exist in Asia before 2017, and Jinny arranged a sit-down with Ms. Lee to discuss ways she could help.

“When I met Ms. Lee, she explained that SEUM depended wholly on private donations and that the rooms were rather bare and could use books, games, and toys to make it more kid and familyfriendly,” Jinny said.

Using the Mark Metherell grant, Jinny was able to supply the visiting rooms with the much-needed toys and games and an air purifier to improve the room conditions. She also organized a walkathon to fundraise for SEUM, but the arrival of COVID-19 resulted in a change of plans. However, it did not hold her back from raising money and awareness by other means, and she has plans to volunteer for SEUM in the future.

“ While many will remember 2020 as the year the world was struck by a global pandemic, for me, it will also be the year that I finally grew up and, for the first time in my life, stepped outside of the bubble which had insulated me until now. The Mark Metherell Service Challenge Award at Cate touched so many lives, and the funds will continue to influence families for a very long time. I will never forget how unique and special this experience was.”

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Madeline Vanica '21

Revolutionary technology for children in Mongolia

“ Despite the COVID limitations, I maintained my connection with the incredible kids of Magic Mongolia, teaching and mentoring them remotely throughout the whole summer of 2020. The selfless commitment and efforts of Jack and the volunteers are an inspiration and reminder of the impact a single individual can have on the broader community.”

A family trip to Mongolia left an impression on Madeline Vanica '21 back in 2016, and turned into something much more meaningful years later through the Metherell Service Challenge.

Living in a Ger – a traditional Mongolian tent – for a week, Madeline was able to get a sense of the nomadic lifestyle and fell in love with the beauty of the countryside. Having been involved in service work since sixth grade, whether it was working with Middle Eastern refugees in Hong Kong or providing Mandarin-English translation services for Teach for China, Madeline knew she wanted to impact a group in desperate need.

In Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s capital, half of the population live in Gers,

and one-third of all Mongolians live a nomadic lifestyle. It can be a difficult way of life, especially for children, who do not receive a formal education until first grade. There is limited access to electricity, running water, bathrooms, and education and many families suffer from domestic abuse and alcoholism.

During a visit to Mongolia over Thanksgiving Break in 2019, Madeline connected with the Magic Mongolia Child Protection and Development Center, sitting down with its founder, Jack, to discuss the center’s needs.

Madeline suggested creating a technology lab where local children could learn math and English at an earlier age and establish a strong educational foundation.

With the Metherell grant, Madeline purchased four iPads, three iMacs, a Macbook Air, and two shopping carts full of toys for Magic Mongolia. She planned to deliver the items in person and stay for three weeks, teaching volunteers how to use the equipment and hosting workshops for the children but could not travel due to COVID-19.

Instead, Madeline mailed the items to the center and shortly after received heartfelt videos of gratitude in return.

She continues to check in on the students’ learning progress, hosting Zoom classes twice a month during the school year.

CONTINUE THE STORY ONLINE @

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ON THE MESA

Dana Huston-Chen '20

Scholarships for children of Chinese tea farmers

Dana Huston-Chen '20 is part of an entirely student-run social enterprise, Xiaohusai Tea, which works to better the lives of tea farmers in a village in Yunnan, China. Founded in 2016, Xiaohusai Tea sources organic tea straight from the Xiaohusai village plantations, and 100 percent of the profits go towards a scholarship fund for tea farmers’ children.

“I applied for the Mark Metherell '87 Memorial Service Challenge because the grant would greatly benefit our organization which aims to empower children, who represent our next generation, to gain an education and break their family’s poverty cycle,” Dana said.

Instead of using the grant to directly pay tuition for the sponsored children, Dana invested the money into the business’s growth to earn greater capital for the scholarship fund. Typically relying on raising money through the sale of their products – organic Pu’er and black loose-leaf tea – the pandemic prompted Dana to adapt and adjust, focusing efforts on product innovation and market expansion.

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Dana and Xiaohusai Tea used the grant to launch two new products: Organic Lemon Pu’er Tea Balls and a biodegradable water bottle to supplement the organization’s clothing line. The organization was able to increase supply orders to avoid selling out and update its website to reach more customers. With Shanghai returning to normalcy in June 2020, Xiaohusai Tea was also able to attend events and markets to sell its products.

Xiaohusai Tea is now at the capacity to expand its number of scholarships to support at least two more children in school – adding to the four supported currently. In the future, Dana has plans to help the company launch an online store, and film a documentary about the sponsored families, once the pandemic comes to an end.

“ The Mark Metherell '87 Memorial Service Challenge has been a catalyst for the expansion of our NPO, and we are thankful to be supported in our mission. There is without a doubt more growth and development waiting for this organization and the families it supports thanks to the Metherell family.”

Art Awards (continued from page 9)

GOLD KEY

Ella Chang '23 Flock of Birds – Photography Gigi Geyer '23 Intellectual – Photography Rachel Ma '22 Dad – Drawing & Illustration Wrinkled – Drawing & Illustration

Kendall Thorne '23

Gold Key Headphones

Kendall Thorne '23 Headphones – Drawing & Illustration Tatiana Young '23 Dolomites – Photography

Ella Chang '23

Gold Key Flock of Birds

Sage Hou '23

Silver Key Tali Nam '21

Silver Key Opioid Street

SILVER KEY

Gigi Geyer '23 The Wooden Canoe – Photography The Blue Tree – Photography Sage Hou '23 11/30/2020 (1) – Photography Ophelia Ke '22 Alien Life – Photography Martyrdom – Drawing & Illustration One Fish, Two Fish – Printmaking Ben Meyer '22 Braided Handle Jug – Ceramics & Glass Red Dip Vase – Ceramics & Glass Tali Nam '21 Opioid Street – Sculpture Claudia Schmidt '22 Firewalker – Fashion

Tatiana Young '23

Gold Key Dolomites 13

ON THE MESA

The Urgency of Now A Fresh Approach to Martin Luther King Jr. Day

By Avani Patel Shah Director of Marketing & Communications

Martin Luther King Jr. Day at Cate has historically been a moment of reflection and service, an opportunity for the community to come together and set the Servons spirit into action. This year, with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, a committee of students and faculty collaborated to reimagine what the day looked like and created a program unlike any before it.

The Planning Committee consisted of Claiborne Beurle '23, Peter Bonning, Deborah Brittain '21, KC Collins, Grace Johnson '21, Renee Mack, Leilani Mendez '21, Aida Pouye '21, Taylor Wyatt, and Lily Zanze '21. Frank Griffin and Dr. Laura Moore provided additional support for media offerings and program structure.

In previous years, the committee received feedback that students wanted MLK Day to be about having tough conversations pertaining to race, learning about Dr. King, and honoring Black history. As such, this year’s program included four key components – a documentary screening from a selected list of resources, posting reflections and takeaways from the screenings to an online Padlet, a check-in by advisory, and small group discussion sessions using Jamboard which allowed students to explore Dr. King’s work within the contemporary context. The schedule included breaks for reflection so that students could engage in meaningful but difficult dialogue effectively.

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“We have planned what we hope will be an engaging and meaningful set of activities that will honor the legacy of Dr. King’s work and allow us to connect it to ongoing efforts to achieve racial equity and justice,” said Director of Inclusion Dr. Stephanie Yeung in her opening remarks.

The theme for this year was the Urgency of Now. In his well-known and controversial speech “Beyond Vietnam”, Dr. King said, “We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.” This year’s programming encouraged the Cate community to participate in deep and reflective conversation, even in a virtual setting, with urgency and intention.

“In years past, MLK Day felt like we were trying to bond as a community rather than talk about tough questions of inequality, inequity, and racism at Cate and around the world,” shared Dr.

Moore. “I so appreciated how this year’s program took a historical and broad focus with ample time for conversations that related to systematic racism, the need for urgency, and people of color experiences at Cate. It was the perfect blend of tackling big broad questions and examining our own experiences at Cate.”

The program closed with a discussion panel featuring current students and alumni of color. Musa Hakim Jr. '17, Isabella Montes de Oca '18, and Jazmin Estevez-Rosas '18 served as the alumni voices while Deborah Brittain '21, Nkemka Chukwumerije '21, and Leilani Mendez '21 provided the senior perspective.

For many, this was the highlight of the day. “The panel is a key contribution of the students on our planning committee who thought it would be super helpful to hear advice about how to work toward a more just and equitable community in the world right now for people who have lived this experience already,” shared Dr. Yeung.

The day ended on a hopeful note. As the panel came to a close, Jazmin '18 shared, “Seeing current Cate students and how they interact with each other makes me so proud. I think that’s the hope in this world – seeing the younger generation and the growth that comes with every generation.”

“I think it’s really uplifting to see how many people want things to change and are wanting to know what they can do to help,” said Deborah '21. “Too often, it can feel like this fight is just mine, and mine alone...but then seeing that people actually want to know more information, are trying to increase their awareness, and are trying to be our advocates makes me hopeful that things can change.”

“ We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.”

Alumni Panelists

Three recent Cate alumni joined this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day programming to share their perspectives on navigating life at Cate as a person of color.

MUSA HAKIM, JR. '17 is finishing his

last semester at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, with a Bachelor’s in Material Sciences and Engineering.

Following his final year at Case, he will be joining Swagelok as a full-time engineer as part of their career development program on the leadership track. He will also be continuing the work he has begun within the city of Cleveland and Columbus for social change through education of the younger generation of at-risk students.

ISABELLA MONTES DE OCA '18 is a junior studying public policy and law in Hispanic studies at Trinity College.

She grew up in Carpinteria, Calif. and was a recipient of the Phil Womble Ethics in Sports award during her tenure on the Mesa.

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JAZMIN ESTEVEZ ROSAS '18 is a

junior at the University of Pennsylvania where she is studying Health and Society with a concentration in Health Policy and Law. During her time at Cate, she participated in Round Square, took Japanese, and was also a tour guide.

She is currently a policy intern for the Children’s Partnership of California, an organization that advocates for children’s access to health care.

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ON THE MESA

Fall Break Flashback

Fall Break on the Mesa was unlike any other before, with students remaining on campus throughout Thanksgiving week for the first time in years. The rise of infection rates during the pandemic forced the School to alter its visitation plans after a twoweek quarantine period upon entering the state was imposed. While the break was different than expected, Cate provided a robust menu of activities for students to make for a memorable experience.

Offerings included everything from sea kayaking along the coast to overnights at Bee Camp, rock climbing, baking, surfing, and of course, a chance to unwind and relax. Thanksgiving Day brought the first-ever Cate School Turkey Trot, and in keeping with tradition, the Giving Thanks Ceremony was held in the Class of 1981 Amphitheatre.

A group of students hike back to Cate from Bee Camp during one of the many activities available over Fall Break.

Science instructor Troy Shapiro talks over the belay route with students at Wheeler Gorge Campground in Ojai, Calif.

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Frankie Nieman '21 runs toward the finish line at the inaugural Turkey Trot.

“ Despite all that is happening around us, the Mesa is full of its usual vitality, inquiry, and laughter. Especially amidst the uncertainty of this pandemic, that is a reassuring truth.”

HEAD OF SCHOOL BEN WILLIAMS in his Fall Break letter to families

A surf break at Rincon is only a short drive away.

Mary Foster '23 (right) is all smiles after a successful day riding the waves.

All Turkey Trot finishers received custom stickers and apple cider doughnuts!

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ON THE MESA

Gaviota Coast Ocean Kayaking

By Tracey Calhoun, English Instructor Over the Thanksgiving break, Ms. Calhoun and Ms. Dorion led a group of intrepid seafarers including Alexander Albrecht '21, Almira Bowo '21, Ophelia Ke '22, Rachel Ma '22, Jessica Meng '22, Imani Oseo '22, Alekha Rao '22, Claudia Schmidt '22, and Nili Silverman '22 on an overnight sea kayaking trip down the Gaviota coast, one of the largest stretches of undeveloped land on the Southern California shoreline and a biodiversity hotspot.

The group departed from Refugio State Beach on Wednesday morning and paddled leisurely about eight miles south alongside steep cliffs of dramatically layered sedimentary rock past El Capitan State Park, watching brown pelicans in flight and millions of tiny fish darting through the kelp beds below. At one point we were visited by a passing pod of dolphins.

Just after noon we came ashore at the mouth of Las Varas Canyon where we set up camp for the night and then took a walk through tidepools where we discovered numerous limpets, chitons, mussels, and anemone.

Rounding a craggy outcropping, we surprised a napping baby sea lion, who leaped into the ocean but then circled back to get a better view of our curious group. We spent the afternoon

Ocean Kayak photos by Ophelia Ke '22

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napping, reading books for pleasure, and cavorting with frisbees.

Then at sunset, we feasted on chicken tinga and calabacitas, topped off with s’mores roasted over a campfire on the sand. A nearly full moon watched over us as we slept; crashing waves awakened us the next morning as the tide rolled in with the dawn.

Our second day saw building seas, so we hugged the shoreline and paddled four miles through the undulating kelp forests of the Naples State Marine Conservation Area catching occasional glimpses of 30-foot reef walls covered in marine life and unique underwater pinnacle and arch systems.

The forecasted Thanksgiving Day swell had certainly arrived by the time we prepared for our exit at Haskell’s beach, so we lined up outside the waves and strategized our approach.

Haskell’s waves can be steep and carry a good punch, so timing was of the essence. One by one, fearless kayakers made their final attack, some gliding to shore upright while others dumped in the breaking waves. Wet or dry, all emerged with wide smiles from the adrenaline rush and feeling grateful for having had a truly unique experience.

Students explore chemistry through baking while making macarons with science teacher Cece Schwennsen.

History teacher Rebekah Barry leads a yoga session on Commencement Lawn.

Students enjoy shaved ice from one of the many food trucks on campus throughout the week, courtesy of the Cate Parent Organization (CPO).

Jengus Ercil '23 takes advantage of the outdoor basketball hoop set up on the tennis courts.

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ON THE MESA

Art Awards

Writing Awards

(continued from page 9)

Ophelia Ke '22 Honorable Mention Contemporary Racism

GOLD KEY Kendall Rhee '24

“Quarantined” – Poetry “The Reflection of my past self ” – Poetry “Imperfections” – Poetry

SILVER KEY Jinny Chung '22

“A Tale of Two Brows” – Short Story Eswyn Gray '23

“A Two-Week Long Forever” – Personal Essay and Memoir

HONORABLE MENTION Avery Carter '21 Coat – Fashion

Ophelia Ke '22

“An Unexpected Surprise in the Dead of Night” – Personal Essay and Memoir

Ella Chang '23 Tip Toe – Photography

Rachel Ma '22

Sage Hou '23 11/30/2020 (2) – Photography Ophelia Ke '22 Contemporary Racism – Editorial Cartoon Hands On – Photography Reminiscing – Photography Side to Side – Photography Waves in Motion – Photography Harry McAdam '23 Unwavering Fixation – Photography

“Hand Holding with Loneliness” – Poetry Sidney Suh '22

“A Second Look at the First Step Act” – Critical Essay “Sundays and Scrambled Eggs” – Personal Essay and Memoir Riley Pan '24 Honorable Mention Expectations (of a Society)

Ben Meyer '22 Urban Bowling Pin Vase – Ceramics & Glass

“The Secrets of a High School Burnout” – Humor “Mr. Ashenden” – Personal Essay and Memoir Ashi Kamra '22

“A Journey Through Hell with a Side of Hot Chocolate” – Personal Essay and Memoir

Asen Kim Ou '22 Post-pandemic Isolation Unit – Architecture & Industrial Design

Rachel Ma '22

“Script” – Flash Fiction

Riley Pan '24 Expectations (of a Society) – Digital Art

Ella Chang '23

CATE B ULLET IN / S PRING 2021

Daanish Ahmad '22

Cathleen Chow '23

Tali Nam '21 Still – Painting

20

HONORABLE MENTION

Honorable Mention Tip Toe

Mr. Ashen

Cathleen Cho den w Honorable M '23 ention

Tali Nam '21

“Stains” – Poetry Imani Oseso '22

“Home is Where the Heart is” – Personal Essay and Memoir Claudia Schmidt '22

“Going to the Woods” – Personal Essay and Memoir Tyler Tom '22

“I Restructure my Character Because it Had Become Vile to its Creator” – Personal Essay and Memoir Athena von Bothmer '21

“Becoming Human” – Personal Essay and Memoir Charlotte Wells '24

“Depression in a Teenage Girl” – Personal Essay and Memoir

He wrote his name on the whiteboard w had to write on ith long letters a low spot on (since he was the board so far too tall and dull black Ex we could see) po marker left : “Mr. Ashende the whiteboar chubby fifth-gr n”. As the d, he glanced ade faces, sm back towards ili ng and pronounc our eighteen remember. Bef ing his name ore I could ev in syllables so en beg in com towards us a we would prehending hi nd drew on th s name, he tu e board: a sp rn ed “Ash-hen-den hi s lo back tc h of gray dots ”. While everyo , a chicken, a ne else chuckl nd name under m a house ed and smirke y breath, mak d, I sm iled and ing sure that it wrong. And m ut tered his I w ouldn’t embarr it was at that ass myself by moment I knew It was a norm pr onouncing I would like th al Tuesday af e fifth grade. ternoon. We ha sky. We were d just finished lu walking back nch, the sun to the classroo bright in the have been a no m , heads down, ther gruesom a nd e dr fo ea ur di ng ho of sta irs and urs of class. what might reached the ye One by one, we climbed th llow bright ha students sort e flight llway to our do ed themselves om. Just like and entered in honeybees, aga in for the to th eir classroom rest of the af s’ doors, neve ternoon. After faces in the cl r to be seen all eighteen of assroom, Mr. us sh ow A ed sh up en de w instant, he ho ith our tired n’s perpetual llered, “Wann sm ile turned a see a magic into a frown.

My head lifte In an trick?” d, and I could feel my mouth his enormous gl eam ing into a pockets came humongous sm a standard de each card ba ile. Out of ck of cards. rely overlappin C ar ds sp g re th ad e pr fl at ev ious. on the table, “Pull a random card and writ e it down on see it!” He gr this piece of inned towards paper. Make me. sure I don’t “Hm...” I poin ted at a rand om card, masking I pulled out th my excitemen e card and sh t. owed it to all my favorite. A m y classmates: th nd with my ar e Q ueen of H m covering th a heart symbo earts, e paper, I care l on the paper, fu lly w rote down a “Q folding the pa lighter, exagge ” and per when I was rating all his m done. He whi ovements and writing disgui pp ed ou whatnot. I wat ta sed between ched as the w the creases, hite paper, my yellow flicker. bu rn t in to black ash at Mr. Ashende the touch of th n’s eyes coul finale of his tr d barely hold e small ick. He let go hi s ex ci te m . And the crum ent to show us puddle of wat pled ashes si the er I didn’t real zzled as they ize was there dr op pe To our surpris d be in fore. to a e, his bare ha nds reached smeared the in to th black mush ac e pile of wet, goopy ashes ross his right of ashes crum and arm. He lightly bled off his ar ta pp ed his arm and, m, a “Q” and ash (in very lo as chunks a heart appear ng letters, as ed in the m idst usual). We all real and poin of th st e black ar ted gasping, co ting at our fr m ing close to iends to store part: to this da se this memory e if it was y, I still do no as an inside jo t know how he ke. And the be A few months di d it. st later, I had ar rived in middle the worst year sc ho s of my life. I ol, which I co nsidered then pushed the pr and huffed a istine glass do possibly sigh for a scho or s of th ol e fore ign build year without more laughter ing Mr. Ashende , and I would n. No more m never see that ag Ashenden, st ic tr ic Q ks ue , no en of Hearts anding tall and aga in. Gasping smiling, as al sm ile, head lo , I saw Mr. ways. He grim oking down to aced at me w see my four-f ith a cheeky sixth-graders. eet-something figure in the cr owd of eager “Surprised?”

He spread ou t hi s ar m cards poking s in a welcom out of his left ing manner. I pocket. could see a de I sm iled, head ck of looking upwar ds, “Of course moment I knew , M r. Ashenden” I would like m . And it was at iddle school. that 21

ON THE MESA

Dawson Fuss '22, as Borachio, and Tristan Hui '24, as Conrad, celebrate their villainous plot in the Cate Artists Theater Ensemble’s fall production of Much Ado About Nothing.

Much Ado About Nothing

By Lydian Blossom '07, Theater Director Cate’s fall theater production of Much Ado About Nothing was certainly beset with challenges. Shakespeare is tough enough for any actor to tackle, even when not wearing a surgical mask and being required to keep six feet apart!

On top of that, the renovation of the amphitheater took longer than expected, so we were trekking out to the softball field to rehearse on a measured and painted facsimile of our performance space (Thanks to Richard McDonald, our new Assistant Theater Director, and Tano Vega, Superintendent of Grounds, for making that happen!).

By the time our show rolled around, the night air was very chilly, and COVID-19 had a nationwide upsurge, 22

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meaning that parents weren’t going to be allowed to come see the show after all. I myself had a slight cough, and had to be home before my test results came back negative, which meant the director was Zooming into the dress rehearsal!

However, despite all of these challenges, the cast and crew, led by a core team of six extraordinary seniors, (Peter Coors, Joshua Gabbay, Ella Klaerner, Frankie Nieman, Athena von Bothmer and Rachel Wilkes) managed to pull it off, and bring lots of laughter and live theater magic back to the Mesa!

I think we were able to use all of those challenges to our advantage, actually. In my mind, each one had a silver lining: Staying six feet apart meant coming up

Claudio, played by Joshua Gabbay '21, laments his cruel fate.

with creative solutions that ended up being some of the most fun moments in the play, such as over-the-top bro-y handshakes without touching, and in the necessary moments, turning to the audience as a company and reciting in unison, “They Kiss.” Wearing masks meant that the actors got a chance to work on their physical expressiveness, projection, and articulation. Those things will never be that hard for these students ever again!

a long and difficult war. But Don Pedro, Leonato, Claudio and Hero have this waiting period before a wedding to deal with. Stuck with nothing to do, they devise a playful scheme to bring their friends (the feuding and unlikely couple, Beatrice and Benedick) into “a mountain of affection, the one with the other.” This reminds me a little of all of us playing bocce, frisbee golf, doing puzzles, and singing songs during quarantine!

Benedick, played by Frankie Nieman '21, expresses his aversion to Beatrice, played by Rachel Ma '21.

Being out on the softball field was a lesson in what it’s like in the professional theater, where it’s commonplace to be in a taped-out rehearsal room right up until tech week. When I was out with a cough, the seniors stepped up to run the warmups, and my absence seemed to help the whole cast take ownership of the story in a really exciting way. As for the cold, well...cast and audience alike were able to feel really good about themselves for braving the elements for the sake of art!

It became clear while we were rehearsing this play, that setting it right here, at Cate School in 2020, would be the best way to make sense of it right now.

Old and outdated as this story is in it’s language – and in the public shaming of women for the very idea of being with a man outside of marriage – we still found it somehow relatable. Here’s a group of characters who, for the most part, are just happy to be together after

“ What do we do while we wait for life to get going again? We get creative.

We get goofy. We get a little over-emotional, and sometimes things get out of hand... All of that happens in this play, which, ultimately, is a celebration of love and togetherness.”

What do we do while we wait for life to get going again? We get creative. We get goofy. We get a little over-emotional, and sometimes things get out of hand...

All of that happens in this play, which,

ultimately, is a celebration of love and togetherness. We certainly felt that while rehearsing it. From Frankie’s hilarious timing and physicality, to Ella’s strong presence and princely mannerisms, to Rachel’s heartfelt honesty and humor, to Shelby’s precise use of language, to Jae’s spot on comedic choices, to Joshua’s expansive and powerful emotion, to Peter’s combo of vulnerability and strength, to Athena’s complex depiction

Carly Medina '23, as Margaret, and Anna-Sung Park '22, as Ursula, sing a song about unrequited love.

of villainy, to Carlo’s clear conviction, to Carly and Anna-Sung’s gorgeous singing voices and Anna-Sung’s costuming, to Caroline’s palpable kindness as the Friar, to Tristan’s earnest eagerness as Conrad, to Dawson’s cool and calculating Borachio, to Zhengli’s spot on guitar playing, to Gingy’s skill at anticipation, to Ben’s consistent stage direction, each person brought something that was indispensable to making this play what it was.

At this point, I can’t imagine Much Ado About Nothing any other way! Six feet apart or not, we were finally telling a story together, and it was a joy to get to share it with the Cate community.

CONTINUE THE STORY ONLINE @

cate.org/bulletin

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ON THE MESA

Cate Presents

Musical Showcase On December 8, 2020, Cate School held its first musical performance since the pandemic began, utilizing the Class of 1981 Amphitheater and live streaming acts from the School’s rock band, jazz band, and choir groups.

Kennedy Simpson '22 sings “Freaking Out the Neighborhood” by Mac Demarco as Rock Band kicks off the showcase.

Cate’s acapella group Last Call performs “How Does it Feel” by Sam Henshaw.

“ We wanted a way to build community at Cate, after months of not being able to gather together as a school. Music has a way of getting an audience in sync with a communal groove and feel as though we are all one tribe: the performers and the listeners.”

John Knecht , Director of Instrumental Music 24

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Caden Fuchs '23 plays the guitar during Rock Band’s performance of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.”

Any other year, students, faculty, and the Cate community alike would file into the Katharine Thayer Cate Memorial Chapel for a blissful evening of holiday music for the annual Winter

by Candlelight celebration. But this is not any other year, and the careful planning and determination to host a performance at all was nothing short of remarkable.

“We wanted a way to build community at Cate, after months of not being able to gather together as a school,” said Director of Instrumental Music John Knecht. “Music has a way of getting an audience in sync with a communal groove and feel as though we are all one tribe: the performers and the listeners.

Plus, the musicians were ready to perform, and they desperately wanted to play.”

Diamond Head '22 plays the trumpet for the Jazz Combo’s rendition of “Solar” by Miles Davis.

Knecht, with the assistance of first-year Choir Director Micaela McCall, tackled logistical hurdles and extenuating circumstances to put on the showcase in a safe manner amid the pandemic. The music groups have grown accustomed to playing outside during the fall, distanced and wearing masks, all through hot afternoons and cool, blustery evenings.

Despite the challenges, the students relied on teamwork to overcome, as performers do.

“It’s probably one of the most challenging things to do as a musician,” Knecht said, on playing outdoors with masks on. “However, the students persevered and worked harder than ever to listen to each other and follow the director. They did an awesome job.”

Choir Director Micaela McCall leads Chorale through its performance of “Nothin’ Gonna Stumble My Feet” by Greg Gilpin and John Parker.

Over 70 musicians from the rock band, jazz ensemble, Chorale, Camerata, and the acapella group Last Call performed to rave reviews and, even if for a moment, it felt like a small return to normalcy.

CONTINUE THE STORY ONLINE @

cate.org/bulletin

Rock Band jams to “Don’t Let Me Down”

by The Beatles in the penultimate performance of the afternoon.

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ON THE MESA

Afternoon Athletics: Staying Fit in the Fall

By Matt Drew, Assistant Athletic Director

Season two, or a hybrid version of typical winter and spring sports, has arrived for high school athletics in the 2020-2021 school year. As eagerly as we have waited all year for these coming months, we would be remiss to not mention what an afternoon athletics or activities period at Cate looked like just a few months ago.

Although CIF competition was a distant thought in the fall, our students were still able to participate in daily sportspecific exercises, as well as other noncompetitive activities to keep them physically engaged. Activities ranged from yoga, dance, independent art, outdoors, and the heavily attended strength and conditioning sessions.

Unfortunately, restrictions kept us from enjoying our beautiful, state-of-the-art Harcourt Fitness Center for the first part of the year. However, much of its equipment was transported out to the 26

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high jump pit where students were able to workout beneath the rays of California sunshine.

“We made the adjustments we needed to make,” said head strength and conditioning coach Erik Hansen.

“Students vacillated between annoyed that they weren’t getting the same kinds of workouts they were accustomed to and grateful they were finally able to move and be around other students.”

Student-athletes used the time and space that was available to them in an effort to prepare themselves for competition, which at the time was only a few weeks away. Not only did their efforts catch the eyes of Coach Hansen and his staff, but of all their individual coaches, as well. Cate athletics was set to have standout performances by many student-athletes in numerous sports.

Some of that stellar play has been lying dormant for these past few months and now that we find ourselves back on the Mesa we are sure to see plenty of it in action. All of that hard work finally has a place to shine and we cannot wait to sit back and enjoy.

Season two is sure to be an exciting time. CIF has approved outdoor sports to begin at last, and this means the following sports are underway — soccer, lacrosse, tennis, swimming, baseball, and track and field.

For current news and results on your favorite Cate teams, please visit the Game Recaps icon within the Media hub on the Cate Website.

Daniel Boateng '22 practices soccer drills on the lower field.

A group of students strengthen their core on the upper field during one of the afternoon activity periods in the fall.

Math Department Chair Annalee Salcedo teaches a group of students how to erg as one of the many exercise options available.

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FEATURE

Leaving a Footprint on the Mesa Cate senior Athena von Bothmer '21 will leave the Mesa better than she found it after propelling the School’s sustainability efforts forward through her passion for the environment.

By Matt McClenathen Communications and Publications Specialist

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Wherever her environmental passion stemmed from, likely all of the above and more, Athena’s best guess is it is something that has always been inside of her.

“Sustainability has been at the front of my mind from an early age,” Athena said. “I try to practice what I preach and raise awareness. Also, being an environmentalist, I feel like I have a responsibility to do something because I am able to.”

Athena has brought this sense of purpose to the Mesa, creating change and educating the community every step of the way.

Athena von Bothmer '21 can trace the origins of her passion for the environment down a number of paths.

To her roots, growing up in eco-friendly San Francisco. To her parents, who stressed minimalistic values, and to her friends with whom she surrounded herself. Perhaps, her enthusiasm could even be traced to a singular event, a lesson on water conservation when she was in fourth grade.

“I remember coming home from school, and I was dead set on making our entire house water conscious,” Athena recalls.

“I went around and filled up leftover milk cartons with sand to place in all the toilets and put signs that said ‘if it’s yellow let it mellow if it’s brown flush it down.’ I would get mad if my parents wasted water, and I would turn off the taps. It got to the point where my dad went to a parent-teacher conference and asked, ‘Should we be concerned that Athena is so worried about water?’”

students, faculty, and the community on everything from where to recycle to Netflix movie suggestions for Earth Day. She also successfully created a website for El Batidor, alongside fellow senior Avery Carter '21, reducing the need for paper copies and moving towards a more eco-friendly solution.

Director of Community Engagement, and faculty head for the Environmental Club, Will Holmes, has witnessed her drive first hand.

“Passion is the first word that comes to mind,” Holmes said when reflecting on Athena’s work ethic. “It’s not just passion either; it’s the combination of passion and initiative. When I talk

“ Sustainability has been at the front of my mind from an early age. I try to practice what I preach and raise awareness. Also, being an environmentalist, I feel like I have a responsibility to do something because I am able to.”

Between a challenging academic course load, varsity volleyball, theater ensemble, Model United Nations, and serving as the editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, El Batidor, Athena has been one of the student heads for the Environmental Club for two years running. The club meets on a bi-weekly basis, covering the latest in environmental news, watching relevant videos, and discussing recent topics such as politics and its impact on the planet.

This past March, Athena organized the efforts to bring in the Founder and CEO of Remake – a non-profit organization focused on sustainable fashion – for a Zoom talk with the Cate community.

She even reached out to various departments on campus to market the event for maximum exposure.

Her presence can be felt regularly during weekly assembly announcements and email updates to the general, educating

with future leaders of the Environmental Club, she is going to be someone they reference. Whether that is in an interview or someone who drew them to the club because when she speaks, it’s from the heart.”

Striving to make the Mesa a better place has not been without its challenges.. The latest of which, brought on by COVID-19 regulations, has seen a rise in plastic usage due to the need for individually packaged meals.

As a member of the Food Committee – a group of over 20 students and faculty members who work to enhance dining options while making the experience more eco-friendly – Athena has been working towards reducing wasted plastic utensils and cutting down on the number of plastic water bottles. She circulated a petition to eliminate the single-use bottles and arranged for the dining hall drinks to be moved to a more strategic 29

FEATURE

location next to the water filling stations – incentivizing the community to utilize reusable water bottles.

“In my mind, with the work that Athena does, I see her as more of a colleague than a student,” said Hallie Greene, Cate School’s Director of Strategic Initiatives and driving force for the faculty on the environmental efforts on campus. “She has been awesome in striving to improve sustainability initiatives at Cate, and she has truly felt like a coworker. She is doing the work, which has been really helpful to not only me but the entire community.”

In doing the work, Athena draws on inspiration from those who never relent and continue to do more.

behind her passion have led to real change, and that is what Athena is proud of most.

“Whenever I feel like I’m doing a great job, I can always find someone who is doing an even better job,” Athena said.

“I can get very frustrated sometimes when change isn’t happening fast enough, but it’s inspiring to look at Mr. Holmes. I don’t know how he does it, but he is very good at celebrating the small victories and continuing to push forward. My mom always used to tell me, ‘you can’t climb Mount Everest in a day,’ and that things take time, so I try to keep that in the back of my mind.”

“I’ve had friends tell me that they don’t use plastic water bottles anymore or that they are more eco-conscious now because of me,” Athena said. “That felt good, that people know me as someone who really cares about the environment, and I’m putting it at the front of their minds.

If I can affect one person, it makes it all worth it.”

While the process might be a gradual one, the perseverance and persistence

Bringing environmental awareness to the front of everyone’s minds while keeping her mother’s words in the back of hers, Athena might not be able to climb Mount Everest in a day – but she is well on her way to the summit.

The three pillars are as follows: PILLAR I: Reduce environmental impact

and costs

PILLAR II: Improve the health and wellness of schools, students, and staff PILLAR III: Provide effective environmental

California Green Ribbon School Award The U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools recognition award honors schools, school districts, and Institutes of Higher Education for excellence in resource efficiency, health and wellness, and environmental and sustainability education.

It serves to inspire schools to strive for 21st-century excellence by highlighting promising school sustainability practices and resources that all can employ.

In March, Cate School earned Gold Level recognition – achieving 75% or more of the selection criteria based on the three pillars – finishing one rung below the highest honor, the Green Achievers.

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education, which teaches many disciplines, and is especially good at effectively incorporating STEM, civic skills, and green career pathways

“We have done a lot of great work on sustainability, but submitting this application in many ways is an audit on ourselves,” said Hallie Greene, Cate School’s Director of Strategic Initiatives. “This helps us to see where we are strong and where our holes are and gives us questions to answer going forward. Being recognized at the gold level puts us in a great spot because we know we have room to improve, and Cate wants to be a school that is recognized as a leader in sustainability.”

Cate School’s environmental initiatives stretch far and wide from the classroom to the community and beyond.

science and what is actually happening.

From there, students understand that there are decisions that need to be made, and now they are informed. Where they go from there is their own path.”

In the Classroom

That path can be seen first-hand through Cate’s senior inquiry project, an opportunity for students to investigate topics of interest and give a presentation to the community. In recent years, students have presented on environmental issues such as fast fashion, sustainable farming and soil health, and food supply sustainability.

Environmental educational opportunities are plentiful at Cate, embedded into the culture on the Mesa throughout the School’s 110-year history. Wilderness experiences through the Outdoors Program and environmental literacy and education are an integral part of the curriculum. Above all, Cate students are taught to become stewards of the world’s resources, and nearly every academic

“What is compelling to the students is to go beyond the surface,” Caylor said. “Going deeper into biology and

biotechnology. We [the faculty] are like kids in a candy store being able to teach these advanced courses. Students can better engage in discussions when it’s not just how they feel about the environment, but when they have concrete, deep knowledge of how the world works.”

Since her arrival to the Mesa, Caylor has led the scuba program, a unique offering that allows students to get open water certified and go on regular dive trips to the Channel Islands. Last year, students traveled to the Bahamas to take part in research on sustainability, marine science, and conservation. In the years to come, Caylor has plans to expand the educational opportunities to local coastal monitoring.

The Stream Team, led by science instructor Joshua Caditz, has been monitoring the Carpinteria watershed since 2010, giving students the opportunity for both field and laboratory work while conducting long-term water research.

Regular field trips to the salt marshes in Carpinteria, the Cal State Reserve Station on Santa Rosa Island, and Outings Week allow students and faculty to explore the California wilderness.

Cate’s proximity to the Pacific Ocean and the Los Padres National Forest, its commitment to sustainability, and its valued environmental history allow for endless educational opportunities.

program incorporates environmental and sustainable education.

This education is most evident in the Science Department, and in 2014, the School shifted away from the Advancement Placement program allowing for more freedom to thread sustainability and stewardship into its core curriculum.

“One of the areas we saw an opportunity was to give the students a chance to pursue deep inquiry into more modern biology,” said science instructor Beth Caylor, who is in her fifth year at Cate.

“We really focus on environmental 31

FEATURE

Students from the Class of 2020 helped with landscaping at a local elementary school in Santa Barbara.

In the Community From the Environmental Club to the Green Team, the Cate community makes decisions every day with the planet in mind. Through a variety of student and faculty-run initiatives, the sustainability efforts on the Mesa are an endeavor that involves everyone.

Student leaders from the Environmental Club engage the community on a regular basis, spreading awareness about environmental issues while educating the community on ways to be more eco-friendly. The club meets every other week to discuss the latest issues, watch informational videos, and generate ideas for the School. At the end of the year, student leaders manage the “Take it or leave it” program, where members of the community are encouraged to exchange items while donating the rest.

“Every year, we have new members in the community, so there is always a need

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for education,” said Will Holmes, Cate’s Director of Community Engagement and faculty head for the club. “The Environmental Club spearheads that effort, making announcements or videos, teaching us what and where to recycle, or ways we can become more environmentally conscious.”

The Green Team – another student-run group that handles the environmental responsibilities as part of Cate’s chore program – oversees campus recycling efforts. Often working alongside the Environmental Club, the two groups also collect batteries, ink cartridges, old classroom markers and recently partnered with a dry cleaner in Santa Barbara to recycle film plastic.

Over the years, Cate has competed in the Green Cup Energy Challenge and the Green Cup Recycling Challenge, coming together as a community to save energy.

These challenges even sparked Cate’s own annual “dorm light competition,” where dorms get inspected for lights and fans

Assistant Head of School for External Affairs Charlotte Brownlee '85 participates in a beach clean-up during Public Service Day.

left on, with the greenest dorm winning a prize. The success rate has steadily increased every year.

“Overall, I have seen many basic behaviors improve,” Holmes said. “Our hope is that it’s not just something students think about while they are at Cate, but it’s the education and values they can take with them wherever they go. They can teach their roommates in college, and then when they have families, they can teach their kids. It’s compounding.”

The environmental work stretches beyond the borders of the Mesa with the Cate community demonstrating the Servons spirit, assisting non-profit organizations during Public Service Day and Los Niños.

Cate also partners with Round Square, an international network of 150 schools in 40 countries, all committed to a set of IDEALS, among them environmental stewardship.

LEEDing the Way

Tom Family Water Reclamation System

The infrastructure at Cate is designed for energy efficiency and sustainability. The School has earned awards for its newly constructed facilities in the past decade, and nine of Cate’s buildings are LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified.

More than a visually beautiful waterfall, this water feature is an innovative water reclamation system that serves part of the irrigation needs of Cate School’s 160acre campus.

21% of the school operates on renewable energies generated on the school grounds.

The system processes approximately 5,000 gallons per week of filtration water from our campus swimming pool, and 2,100 gallons per week of condensate collected from the temperature-controlled equipment in Booth Commons. The pool water is treated with vitamin C to remove chlorine. The water from the condensate is treated with ultraviolet light to sanitize it. These two clean water sources are combined and filtered before entering a water storage reservoir, where they further mix with captured rainwater.

In addition to this system, Cate has the capability to detain up to 72,000 gallons of rainwater. Between the rainwater, pool water, and condensate, these water sources supply approximately half a million gallons of the School’s annual irrigation needs and highlight Cate’s strong commitment to environmental sustainability.

Solar panels on campus produce 248.3MWh of electricity per year, helping to offset nearly 145,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per year.

The Aquatic Center uses a 60kW microturbine to heat the pool’s water.

Cate installed a Horizontal Wind Turbine in February 2020 to connect the guard kiosk to the school network.

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FEATURE

Avocado Orchard Going Organic A move in the ripe direction Cate owns two avocado orchards adjacent to campus – each 17 acres consisting of Hass avocado groves – and is nearing the completion of a three-year process to convert one of the properties to organic. Operated as a conventional orchard since the early 2000s, the orchard on Lillingston Canyon Road was wiped out by the debris flow of 2018, providing an opportunity for Cate to make the conversion.

“One of the reasons we aren’t using our own avocados in the dining hall is because we purchase organic avocados,” Greene said. “Once the mudflow happened, and we had to replant and build up the orchard again, we thought, ‘why don’t we start this process and make our orchard organic?’”

The School hired Robert Abbott '95, a Cate alumnus and experienced ranch manager in organic farming, to oversee the transformation. Abbott grew up in Carpinteria, working on his family ranch in the summers, and had a wealth of experience in organic farming methods after converting the Abbott Ranch to organic in 2002.

“We learned a lot those first few years – mostly the hard way,” Robert said.

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“Organic farming requires attention to detail plus a lot more labor, water, and tractor time. I was thrilled when I heard that Cate wanted to go organic. When we started getting more involved in grove management, it was a no-brainer.

We took what we learned from our own experience and applied it here.”

While there may be more hurdles to overcome in organic farming, the transition has been smooth, and the relationship is thriving. The strong connection between the orchard and Cate will even lead to educational opportunities for the students in the near future.

“The idea of using the grove as a living classroom is very exciting to me,” Robert said. “I love to walk the groves and let my mouth run; however, there are few opportunities in our current business to do so. I am excited to explore this approach to the management of Cate’s groves, whether it’s a field trip, an extracurricular elective, or even a regular class.”

In addition to the educational component, once the conversion to organic is complete later this year, Cate will be able to source the dining hall with its very own avocados.

What’s NEXT? With all that Cate is doing in terms of sustainability, there is always more to do. The latest efforts have focused on introducing a comprehensive composting system to the Mesa.

This spring, faculty members Hallie Greene, Will Holmes, and Joshua Caditz worked alongside board members Calgary Avansino '93 and Casey McCann '97 on a proposal for an in-vessel composting system, which was recently approved.

“Composting has been quite a journey,” Holmes said. “Since Joshua [Caditz] has been here (since 2010), the two of us, with help from the Green Team and other faculty volunteers, we have been composting for years on a small scale. This, however, will take us to another level.”

Cate aims to divert 85 percent of all food scraps away from a landfill with the new composting initiative in place.

The School’s food service vendor, Flik Dining, is committed to reducing food waste and has partnered with Chefs to End Hunger – a non-profit organization in Los Angeles that diverted over four million pounds of food away from landfills in 2019.

Outside of composting, Cate is looking to bolster its data collection methods to better understand areas for improvement and continue its quest to become one of the leaders in environmental sustainability.

Robert Abbott '95 has managed the avocado orchard on Lillingston Canyon Road since 2018 and is helping Cate make the transition from conventional to organic.

“What it means to be sustainable can be interpreted a thousand different ways,” Greene said. “I’m not sure which one is right, but I know we have to always strive to do more.”

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FEATURE

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Shepherd

of the MESA

Honoring Jose Vega and his 45 years of service at Cate

By Guille Gil-Reynoso Advancement and Communications Manager

Cate’s enduring legacy is a remarkable result of love, stewardship, and commitment from students, parents, faculty, and staff. After 45 years of caring for the Mesa, Jose Vega, Superintendent of Grounds, will be retiring in June and leaving behind an imprint of service and excellence. Jose is an iconic representation of Cate, just like the Johnson Library, Sunset Bench, and the quintessential Cate School sign at the bottom of the hill. Jose has cared for the Cate grounds in the same manner that he tends to his cherished rose garden – daily and meticulously. When asked about his favorite space on campus, Jose smiled and replied, “The entire campus is my favorite spot.”

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FEATURE

Jose Vega (far left) with the entire Cate facilities staff on the Day Walkway.

Upon reflecting on his first day at Cate in 1976, Jose remembers being hired the same day that he was interviewed by Mr. Nadolski, who was then in charge of housekeeping and the kitchen. By the time Jose’s workday ended at 8:00 p.m., it was so dark that he could not find his way back to his car as he wasn’t yet familiar with the school grounds.

45 years later, Jose knows every corner on campus as a result of his many roles and responsibilities throughout the years, including: working in the kitchen, supervising the housekeeping department, locking up campus buildings, maintaining the physical plant, managing the waste water treatment system, and transporting Cate students to Santa Barbara for dinner and a movie on weekends.

“My time at Cate was too short because I was busy with so many things,” Jose said. He describes himself as a curious and solutions-oriented individual.

He is grateful to the School for providing him with the opportunity to acquire a new skill every day, whether

“ My time at Cate was too short because I was busy with so many things. I was never afraid to try new things and each day involved a learning experience.” fixing a faulty heater in a dorm or learning about people. “I was never afraid to try new things and each day involved a learning experience,” he shared. Jose has always been mechanically inclined and gained much of his knowledge from previously working at a flower growing company, where he was involved with electrical, mechanical, and plumbing design. In fact, as he looks towards life after Cate, he and his wife, Socorro, plan to move to their home in Ventura. Jose is thinking about going back to school to study engineering, a field that has always intrigued him.

In addition to caring for the school grounds, Jose and Socorro spent many

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years raising their four children – Hector '94, Jose, Cesar '01, and Sandra '06.

Three of his children were married on the Cate Mesa and they are currently living in England, New York, Santa Barbara, and San Francisco. All of them are

Jose Vega with his daughter Sandra '06.

pursuing professional careers and raising families. Jose expressed much pride in his children and in Cate. “The school does an excellent job in transforming kids into adults that are very capable and useful to society.” He has witnessed the dedication Cate faculty have towards their work and the tremendous impact it has on students.

In addition to his many responsibilities, Jose enjoyed interacting with students and he remembers several heartwarming stories. He recalls Cate’s early days as an all-boys school, when all students were typical teenagers – mischievous and full of energy. At times, Jose would need to reprimand them if they were misbehaving. One day he found a note on his car with handwriting that read, “The next time you scold us, we will give your car a flat tire.” Jose chuckled and said that never happened. On another occasion, a student named Brandon was assigned to work with Jose as part of detention. He remembers providing the student with two choices: determine the square footage of his backyard, or plant a tree. Surprisingly, Brandon chose the latter option that required more physical work, and he planted a Chinese Dragon

“

Tree adjacent to Jose’s home, which now blooms beautifully every spring. Jose believes this will be a joyful memory for Brandon to share with his family one day. However, it will be much more memorable for Jose every time he steps back onto the Mesa and he remembers his time here.

Jose Vega and his wife, Socorro, raised four children, three of whom attended Cate and got married on the Mesa.

Jose has long been the face and heart and soul of the Mesa. When I returned to work at Cate 20 years after graduating, I was amazed that he remembered me! Much like other legends before him (Tom and Mildred Savage, Betty Woodworth), Jose tended to and cared for this Mesa with love and amazing attention to detail.

Jose always made sure the Mesa sparkled.

He would often pull me aside with an idea for some sort of improvement or upgrade he was always thinking about what could be done to make the Mesa shine even brighter. His love for this place will be tough to replicate.”

Charlotte Brownlee '85, Assistant Head of School for External Affairs

“

When I first arrived at Cate, the building and grounds were mostly based in the barns below the old swimming pool and tennis courts and next door to the old woodshop. The school carpenter was named Milt Duncan and history teacher Frank Light also spent afternoons there teaching the boys (before coeducation) the finer points of ‘shop.’ I recall the older ‘masters’ extolling the virtues of the ‘young kid’ Jose Vega, and how ‘he could do almost anything to a machine, a car, or a tool.’ Impressively, he learned many of his skills along the way by doing, and was a true example of the value of apprenticeship, and we are all the beneficiaries of his work. Jose also spent much time gaining certification and pursuing professional development on his own, a true example of curiosity and lifelong learning.”

Frank Griffin, Math Instructor

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Alumni Dispatches

By Guille Gil-Reynoso & Matt McClenathen Cate alumni often share their student experience on the Mesa and consistently acknowledge that it is truly the people that make up Cate - the faculty, staff, and friends. Similarly, whether it is through a Servons talk, an English paper, an interview, or by simply sharing stories, many alumni convey deep gratitude for their families and loved ones that supported them throughout their high school journey. Family is an undeniable and underlying theme in many anecdotes, displaying the power and influence of those we love the most.

The following dispatches illustrate just that.

Dr. Caroline Stackhouse '85 Dr. Caroline Stackhouse (Mosley) '85 is Cate’s first Black alumna who was part of the School’s first co-ed class. She is currently an emergency care physician in Macon, Georgia and has worked in the medical field for more than 25 years following her undergraduate studies at Stanford University and medical school at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Caroline’s father was a doctor committed to providing services for the black community and this had a major impact on her growing up.

Although the transition to Cate from her home in Fresno, Calif., was difficult in the beginning, Caroline has wonderful memories of the School. “Mr. Watson, Linette Couturier, and Gaby Edwards were like surrogate parents to me as they were extremely loving and kind,” she recalls. Caroline loved the different experiences she was exposed to, including soccer, Chorale, biking to Santa Barbara, Yosemite and Los Niños trips, and the 24-hour class prom that included dinner, bowling in gowns, and breakfast the next morning. Having her champion and brother, Chris Mosley '84, at Cate during the same time she was here made it more memorable and special. “It was such a fun time living with a bunch of kids!”

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Soccer was her passion and Caroline was quite the athlete, earning nine varsity letters – four in soccer, four in softball, and one in tennis. As a freshman, Caroline set Cate’s all-time single-season scoring record with 33 goals. That included scoring the first ten goals for the inaugural girls soccer team in 1981.

In her early years, she always knew she wanted to become a physician. What Caroline now loves most about her profession is helping patients understand their concerns and finding a way to address them. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, she has a deep appreciation for the hospital ICU and floor workers. “I typically only meet with patients for a couple of hours; they are truly the ones who care for patients on a daily basis and carry the brunt of this horrible virus.”

She has two adult kids and two stepchildren, and has always emphasized education in her family, but never pushed them in the medical direction. Yet, they are following her footsteps and she feels honored that they want to be like her.

“I must have done a really good job to have such good and accomplished kids,” Caroline proudly and humbly laughs.

Her advice to Cate students is the same advice she gave her kids: “College is the last opportunity to have fun and try new things without serious responsibilities.

Once you leave college, things will never be the same. Work hard and have fun.”

Isaiah Washington '16 Isaiah credits Cate with gifting him the academic fortitude and ability to think long term, to be productive, and to experience what working hard really looks like. Isaiah’s excitement toward people, technology, and computer science led to his current role as a Venture Capital Investor at Insight Partners, a global venture capital and private equity firm investing in highgrowth technology and software scaleup companies such as Facebook, Zoom, and Google Drive. During his early years, he started a dog walking business when he was in seventh grade, worked as a product specialist at Facebook, and co-founded Boost Scooters, Inc.

Hannah Jorgensen '16. The purpose of the initiative was to bring diverse panelists to present at Convocation.

“Black History Month is a great way to acknowledge history and bring it to the forefront and this should happen throughout the year,” he said.

Isaiah is committed to uplifting his community and family and feels it is imperative to transfer his learnings to others, and that is what he has done with his education in entrepreneurship and management from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

He is most proud of the legacy he left at his alma mater as Co-Founder

and Director of Black Wharton Consulting, a non-profit organization that offers management consulting services to minority-owned businesses in Philadelphia. The organization currently has over 50 consultants on the team and serves as a direct pipeline to many influential businesses and institutions. Isaiah loves his work and his community. “I am so fortunate to be doing something I am interested in and passionate about and that is something I thank God for every day.”

His interest in technology and computer science was sparked by science teacher Dr. Jamie Kellogg’s class and he recounts the tremendous support he received from Coach Ben Soto and Athletic Director Wade Ransom, two of his top influencers, mentors, and father figures. Jose Powell, former Director of Multiculturalism and Kyle Mason, Director of Outreach and Recruitment, also made an important mark during his time at Cate. Isaiah recalls fond memories as the High House prefect, being part of the football team that almost made it to CIF, Camerata, Chorale, basketball, and lacrosse. He says he now understands why Cate forces you to “do it all” and encourages students to “try as many things as possible because you really never know what you like until you do it.”

While participating in the arts program, Isaiah appreciated the vision of the department. “Our theater director, Jessica Block, understood the importance of introducing the play Ragtime to Cate as it addressed racial issues in America.” Isaiah proudly recounts establishing Cate’s Black History Month Initiative with his fellow classmates Ajibola Bodunrin '16 and

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DISPATCHES

Many siblings have shared time together on the Mesa over the years. We caught up with a pair of siblings and asked them about their time at Cate and its impact on their relationship.

The Gallegos Siblings Ashley (Legos) '11 and Austin '13 What was your sibling relationship like growing up?

ASHLEY: Austin is only 20 months younger than I, but he always acted as if he was my big brother. We wrestled and messed around when we were younger and we became much closer after Cate.

AUSTIN: Ashley was the older sister who was always looking out for her siblings and her mom. She has always been very generous with her time for family and others.

What led you to Cate?

ASHLEY: Growing up, my dad was deployed in Iraq. His platoon was involved in the “Adopt a Platoon” program, matched with a local Carpinteria school that sent care packages to his unit. Ms. Linda Reimel was the elementary school teacher involved, and she and her students served as a source of support for my dad and his troop. As a way to thank her, my mother and I traveled from San Diego to Carpinteria to meet Ms. Riemel. She asked how old I was and shared that her daughter Courtney was the same age and went to Cate School (Courtney Riemel Simms '05). She said I must see the school. We drove up the hill for a tour and my jaw dropped upon seeing the campus. Soon after, I applied to Cate and was accepted.

AUSTIN: Once Ashley was at Cate, I thought my chances of getting in would be good because my sister was already there.

My family received amazing financial assistance and I am forever grateful for that opportunity.

What was it like being at Cate at the same time?

ASHLEY: I was so glad Austin was at Cate when I was there; the whole experience brought us closer together after Cate.

In fact, we now live together as roommates in San Diego.

AUSTIN: Being at Cate at the same time and playing football together during my junior and senior year was really special. I had the opportunity to do a lot of stuff and Ashley still provided me with the opportunity to have my own experiences. I am so grateful to have had Ashley at Cate when I was there. It definitely changed my experience for the better.

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What are you doing now?

ASHLEY: While at Cate, I applied to five colleges and got into four of them. I quickly learned that my family couldn’t afford college. I started volunteering at a domestic violence shelter as a victim advocate. The shelter liked my work, so a position was created and I eventually got paid. This work was emotionally draining and exhausting with limited growth opportunities so I checked out the military and this became a good option for me. I learned the military would help me pay for college after two years of being enlisted. I could not let my mother outdo me so I joined the toughest rank – the US Marine Corps.

As soon as I was able, I started taking classes through the online American Military University. I recently completed 90 credits and will be getting my degree in Business Management.

AUSTIN: I am very grateful to Margot Dorion and Wade Ransom for providing me with great resources that enabled me and other students who couldn’t afford college with the opportunity to go to college. I went to Hobart and William Smith Colleges and received a huge financial package that made college accessible to me. This could not have happened without the help of Mrs. Dorion working with Hobart’s financial aid office. I received my bachelor’s in media and society and am now a communications and strategy operations officer in the military. It isn’t often that you can work in the military in a field related to your major, so I am lucky to be doing this.

AUSTIN: I really enjoyed my ceramics class with John Swain. I had lots of energy and was able to channel it in this class. I made it a habit to go to the barn to do ceramics before a football game because it helped center me.

Also, American Wilderness with Ned Bowler and Paul Denison was great as we got to visit the places we studied, and this allowed time for reflection and introspection. Ms. Salcedo was my advisor and I still keep in touch with her. She was a very important role model and has done so much for me. She was always tough and fair and she taught me the difference between actions that were black and white, or right and wrong, and this has served me well in the military.

What was your favorite spot on campus and why?

ASHLEY: It was definitely Sunset Bench where I had my first kiss, and it wasn’t with a Cate student! My dorm was a comfortable and organized space and the avocado orchards next door were off limits but my friends and I hung out there and had fun.

AUSTIN: The football field. I had many good memories and lessons learned there.

What is your favorite Cate memory?

ASHLEY: There was one football game I will always remember where we were winning by a lot. I was matched up with the bigggest guy on the other team who was twice my height. I managed to wrap my arms on his legs and almost took him down. He scored the only touchdown against Cate, but it was my happiest moment because I almost tackled him and I could hear everyone yelling, cheering, and rooting for me. That was pretty awesome.

AUSTIN: It was my graduation – being with faculty, my classmates, and their families. I remember thinking at that moment that everything was going to change and be different. Going outside the Cate bubble is hard and we sometimes take people for granted. At Cate, we know it is the people that make Cate great. Hearing Ben Williams deliver his personal citations for each student in such an articulate way is amazing, especially the way he captures the essence of each student. I received a postcard with my graduation picture and citation on it and I look at it from time to time because that is who I strive to be.

Who was your advisor/favorite teacher, and what was your most memorable class?

ASHLEY: My favorite subjects were anatomy and physiology with Wade Ransom as I always found the human body fascinating. There were only four people in the class and we had really cool field trips. I enjoyed Ms. Fortner’s AP English class and reading Don Quixote.

Newsome was my advisor, and he and Coach Soto are like family to me.

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DISPATCHES ALEXANDRA: I would say that I definitely had to get out of the shadow of being Junius’ little sister. That was sort of my whole life, and every school I have gone to, but it was particularly strong at Cate because he loved Cate and everyone at Cate loved him. It was a double-edged sword because it was great to have a connection to the senior class, but at the same time you want to find your own identity. Luckily, Junius was a good student so the teachers liked him and they were excited to have me in class.

How did it impact your relationship?

JUNIUS: With the age difference and being three grades apart we had very different lives. She was a day student and I was boarding, so we would still see each other for symphony lessons, violin, or piano lessons on Sunday. It was not as much day-to-day anymore, but I loved Cate so much and what it had done for me. I was very excited for Alexandra to be able to have a similar experience and opportunity.

The Ho Siblings Alexandra '00 and Junius '97

What was your sibling relationship like growing up?

JUNIUS: I think my sister and I had the typical relationship growing up – I wouldn’t call it sibling rivalry – but we had our fair share of disagreements.

We did a lot together and were very independent while our parents worked at their restaurant. I treated her like my little sister and also like a little brother, making her play sports with me and catch while I practiced pitching for little league. She was always the nicer, kinder, gentler one, and had a great relationship with our parents because she never caused any trouble. I’m like what am I, chopped liver?

ALEXANDRA: I think I definitely got along better with our parents growing up, mostly because Junius was the older sibling and the big brother, so I was able to get away with more. If I ever

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just said ‘Mom!’ she would immediately say, “Junius! What did you do?” For me though, I remember always wanting to hang out with my older brother.

Whatever crazy thing he wanted to do, I was game for. He definitely enjoyed putting me through the ringer, so a lot of sibling rivalry, but it was all in fun.

What was it like going to Cate at the same time?

JUNIUS: Honestly, I think going to Cate really helped. I was a boarding student from day one, and it was huge for me to have freedom. I could never understand all of our classmates saying, “there’s so many rules” or “oh the handbook” and “we have to be in bed by what time?” I remember thinking, this is like Disneyland vacation every day from how we were raised. With Alexandra, we obviously didn’t get to spend as much time together, but that helped start the change in our relationship.

ALEXANDRA: It definitely changed for the better. I saw how much Junius had matured and grown up at Cate and our relationship became much more loving than fighting. I think in many ways, it brought us closer. Whether that was because of Cate or not seeing each other all of the time, I don’t know, but we both matured.

How did Cate help prepare you for life?

JUNIUS: The academic base and foundation was really strong, but more importantly, Cate opened up a world that increased the size of my world. I remember a JV basketball trip sitting in the back of the vans with my classmate Bob Reiner '97, and he was talking about a bet he made with his sister on if she would get into MIT. I remember saying, ‘What’s MIT?’ So Cate helped to increase my world view, and then also form very deep relationships with folks.

ALEXANDRA: I wholeheartedly second the world of opportunity and the experience that you don’t necessarily get at other high schools. For me, looking back at it now and it was probably very instrumental at the time, but having the volunteer opportunities at Cate was huge for me. That is something I might not have had, and knowing I wanted to go into a profession where I could help others, to have that as an after school activity was really great.

What have you been up to since your time on the Mesa?

JUNIUS: I ended up going to MIT and did my undergrad and master’s there.

Then I have been all over the place. I came back to California and worked in the valley for about seven years, and then I did a couple of startups in Minnesota.

Came back to California to work in Los Angeles for BCG Digital Ventures and that landed me here in Singapore.

Now, I am the chief product officer at a company called Affinidi, a decentralized identity company, currently building technology to help with health passports.

ALEXANDRA: After Cate, I went to Vassar – so Junius and I were both on the east coast for a little while. Then I went to USC to get my master’s in social work. I spent two years in England as a social worker and then came back to California in 2009 and have been a medical social worker since then. I started in dialysis for a while, and then went to an adult kidney transplant program in a hospital in San Francisco.

Now, I’m actually at Stanford Children’s Health as a pediatric kidney transplant social worker.

Who was your advisor?

Favorite teacher?

ALEXANDRA: Oh there are so many.

My advisor was Mr. Jim Masker, and he was amazing. He opened his house to us all the time, he was the basketball coach, and he was so kind. I loved being in his advisory group.

When I think of Cate, I still think of Mrs. Griffin because she came to visit me during my senior year at Vassar. I

remember being so excited and all of my friends were like, “Who is visiting you? You actually know your college counselor?” I also babysat her two daughters, which I loved doing.

Mama “Sandy” Ellis was amazing and also the Howards, Brian and Martha, were great. From orchestra with them to '25 House when I was a prefect, they would let me come over and watch Dawson’s Creek every Wednesday night at eight! So many good people.

JUNIUS: My advisor was Doc Smith and

he was great. He was always very nice and supportive, and kind of a quirky guy.

He and Mrs. Smith would always have us over for pizza parties, and Mrs. Smith would make her famous mud pie.

Like Alexandra, it’s hard to pick just one favorite teacher. Obviously Mama Ellis had a big impact. I loved frosh sem so much that I did it twice! The Howards as well, Mr. Weiss, who was involved in track and Longhouse and just a hilarious guy, and I still connect with Mr. Barton and Mr. Semple on Instagram. Also, Mrs. Jared in history, she always had a great way of bringing things to life.

What is one of your favorite memories from Cate?

ALEXANDRA: Outings Week was really huge. It was so different from anything I could experience at a local high school, and even if we complained as juniors and about backpacking, I truly enjoyed it. Also, being a prefect senior year and getting to boss around the freshmen and sophomores.

JUNIUS: Alexandra finally got to boss

people around! For me, it’s not just one moment, but being somewhere with your closest friends and having such a beautiful place to grow and learn. Being able to bring my wife back here today and get to share this place, which is pretty much still the same, is amazing.

Just the ability to be with others and have that support and the incredible opportunities, I’ll never forget. It’s an amalgam of memories.

What was your favorite spot on campus and why?

JUNIUS: Mine is easy. Fleischmann Gym. I remember shooting around with Brandon McKenzie '97 and David McDonough '97 during the 9:30 to 10:30 break one day. We ended up being 45 seconds late to Savage, and you know Savage is literally right there, and we all got work crew.

Another spot, which I’m sure everyone just loves, is Sunset Bench. We spent a lot of time during senior year reminiscing, and thinking about the future. It’s honestly one of the most beautiful spots in the entire world.

ALEXANDRA: Mine is definitely the bench outside of Parsonage. It was amazing to be in that dorm, my first year being a boarder, living with 10 other girls and being able to walk out of the balcony and see that view at sunset.

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THE CAMPAIGN FOR CATE SCHOOL

Campaign Update

Cate is currently in the major gifts phase of a comprehensive fundraising campaign, the For Cate and Forever campaign, centered on the broad theme of Access. The Board of Trustees is in the process of setting capital and endowment goals to ensure that Cate students, regardless of means, will have access to a Cate education now and for generations to come. At the February meeting of the Board of Trustees, the campaign steering committee shared historic news: a group of families came together to link arms and jointly fund the largest gift in the School’s history. Together, the group is donating $15 million for the purpose of completing the Booth Commons project funding and paying for most of the School’s deferred maintenance needs over a three-year period (including roof repairs; water, sewer and gas line work; dorm renovation and septic tank upgrades). In addition to improvements to aging infrastructure, the combined gift will cover unfunded expenses relating to COVID-19 response and will provide critical funding to begin the Raymond Commons renovation project. With the help of additional donors, the renovation will transform the former dining commons into a new library with a maker space, classrooms, group study areas, and faculty offices.

This is truly a momentous occasion for the School. The donors include an unprecedented alliance of current and former trustees, alumni and alumnae, current and former parents and grandparents from the United States and abroad. Many of the families who gave these gifts wish to remain anonymous, but we were honored and grateful to announce their names to trustees at the February board meeting.

We extend our thanks to Head of School Ben Williams and the leadership of the Advancement Office, including Assistant Head of School for External Affairs Charlotte Brownlee, Director of Advancement Lindsay Newlove and Associate Director of Advancement Katie Convoy, all indispensable advocates for Cate students, who reached out to build this coalition during 45 days in the middle of winter, not to mention in the middle of a global pandemic. We are profoundly grateful for their dedication, vision, and unflagging optimism.

In the coming weeks and months, Board Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair David Tunnell, in collaboration with Ben, Assistant Head of School for Finance and Operations Sandi Pierce and others, will lead trustees in conversations regarding the specific allocations of the $15 million gift and priorities for future renovations. In addition to continuing our outreach to fund critical capital projects, our campaign committee is launching an ambitious effort to increase endowment funds, particularly in the area of financial aid. We look forward to reporting more on our efforts in upcoming issues of the Bulletin.

Our campaign committee, and our entire Board of Trustees, sends its profound thanks to the 11 families who joined this effort. If others would like to join them in this effort, or learn more about the For Cate and Forever campaign, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

On behalf of the Campaign Steering Committee, Monique Parsons '84 and David Wecker Co-chairs

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New

Cate Trustees Thatcher Thompson Thatcher Thompson is the father of three children who have attended Cate. He is a graduate of Gonzaga University and a Partner at Capital Group, a global investment manager. Prior to joining Capital Group, Thatcher was a managing director of equity research at CIBC World Markets and a vice president of equity research at Merrill Lynch. He is a former San Francisco Day School Trustee and is a current trustee and chair of the Investment Committee at Gonzaga University.

Thatcher is an avid fan of Gonzaga basketball and he lives in San Francisco with his wife Jill.

Sylvia Torres-Guillén '84 Sylvia Torres-Guillén '84 is a fearless and tenacious trial lawyer for Parris Law Firm, where she is deeply rooted in civil rights, and social, racial, environmental, and economic justice. She was born and raised in Boyle Heights to Mexican immigrant parents and earned the first college degree in her family, graduating from Harvard University with an A.B. in Government. After Harvard, she worked at the Center for Law in the Public Interest in Los Angeles and in 1992, she graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. In 2018, Sylvia received the California Lawyer Attorney of the year (“CLAY”) award by the California Daily Journal. She also received the Latina Lawyers Bar Association Luminarias Award in 2017.

A proud member of Cate’s Class of 1984, Sylvia served as the Baccalaureate speaker in 2018, and is actively engaged in the alumni Latinx networking circle.

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In Memoriam David Harbison '72 MAY 3, 1954 - OCTOBER 29, 2020

Reflection by Patrick Collins, Arts Department Chair Cate teachers used to describe some boys as “instigators.” Though spoken mostly in discussions of disciplinary cases, the word carried an aspect of admiration because the instigators were also the ones looking to stir things up and to look ahead, scheming to provoke actions and reactions. Always up to something, instigators made you shake

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your head in wonder, made you jealous of their curiosity and creativity, and impressed you with their readiness to act.

I believe that David truly wished he had come to Cate a few decades earlier in order to earn himself a place in Mr. Cate’s “Rogues’ Gallery” of boys, because he knew that CWC himself had a true fondness for those with an independent spirit and the readiness to act on it.

David was an instigator, through and through. Attending Cate at a time when the Old School created and led

by Mr. Cate was being handed along to successors, David inherited, learned, and in the best ways sustained practices of Mr. Cate’s School while instigating growth into the present with an eye to the future. More than any teacher I know, David managed to influence the nature and work of the school not as an administrator or office-holder – roles

he did not want – but as a member of the faculty, a position he prized. The Outdoor Program and Outings Week and Humanities may be the most obvious areas of David’s contributions, but in my opinion his influence on our culture of questioning, independence, and, yes, cleverness and fun were at least as important as any program.

David had that true friend’s capability to step in and do something that got to you. I would arrive for faculty meeting, and he would hand me a paper with a few odd marks on an otherwise blank page. “Turn this into a drawing. Now.” Or: “Jim Hall is playing at the Lobero and Todd can get us backstage.” When Hall, a jazz icon, forgot the name of the composer of a tune, David called it out to him from behind the curtain. A saxophonist who developed his piano skills over the course of his Cate career, David would periodically hand me a few scores and tell me when I was going to come over so we could play. The thing is, he poked everyone like this, notably many of his students. I do not know a more avid and expert questioner, that’s for sure. I still have David’s business card from when he was a tile-setter, and a few remaining copies of Mr. Cate’s School, the book we worked on together for the 75th Anniversary celebration. David’s work on that book was a revelation.

It showed his true historian’s grasp of Cate, which he grounded in people’s actions, events, things, and times. He was always digging up quotes, and details, uncovering crazy stuff. His love of the school certainly became general and enduring, but it was always, always, always reality-based. “Granular” is the current term.

Fly fishing. Boat-building. Home design. Students and friends with story upon story.

And there was the birding. It’s no surprise that David was a serious birder.

He saw everything with a keen and curious eye, people included, and was interested in everything he saw. Being

with David and the wonderful Nancy together was a gift. I can only hope that David’s life rewarded him to at least something like the same extent that he rewarded ours.

Reflection by Brad Roberts '72 Like most friendships forged at an early stage of life, my friendship with David passed through multiple phases. We were not particularly close as students at Cate from 1969 to 1972, though his warmth, curiosity, and love of the outdoors were evident to all. Once David returned to the Mesa as a member of the faculty, we passed through that phase of outgrowing the relationship we had had as teenagers and deciding whether we liked the adults we had become. His deep love for Nancy was amply evident, and their joy in each other’s company was something to celebrate. Over the years, we collaborated as class agents, enjoying the opportunity to reconnect over the stories of our classmates and bemoaning the more tedious work of fundraising. I was drawn to David’s study and teaching of history, as my work on national security policy often requires an understanding of historical context and/or the lessons of history as others have painted them. And he was drawn to my work, as it provided many illustrations of the relevance of the past to the present. I made occasional visits to his classroom to discuss our changing world, while he made periodic visits to Washington D.C. to advance his study of our sclerotic democracy.

Through these interactions, I came to understand that circumspice was more than the Latin name for a Cate trivia game; it is an ethic, guiding us to be good observers of the world around us and to be part of our community. At the age of 50, I joined David and Nancy, classmate Bruce King and his wife Sarah, and friends Jim and Jean Baillard for a two-week float trip through the Grand Canyon. Few experiences are as bonding.

We stood together in mute awe of the world around us and in joyful celebration of life and friendship. In following years,

the group of us made a point of sharing periodic outdoor adventures, usually as guests aboard the Baillard’s Island Fox on trips to Santa Cruz Island. Parkinson’s was of course the defining feature of our last chapter. We received our diagnoses a month apart. As we shared our fears and experiences in dealing with the onset of the disease, it quickly became clear that his was progressing far more rapidly than mine. Today, my hand shakes but he is gone. His final gifts to me were his courage in facing his decline and the reminder to be grateful for all the many blessings of life.

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IN MEMORIAM studies at Whittier College, receiving a bachelor’s degree in history in 1962.

John later earned a Master of Business Administration from Long Beach State in 1969.

In 1964, John met the love of his life, Karen Margrethe Jensen and they married in 1966 in Karen’s hometown of Skive, Denmark. John and Karen lived in Newport Beach and then for 22 years in San Marino, where they raised their two sons, John Jensen, and Michael Edward.

John R. Arens (21), Allison G. Arens (20), Reilly E. Arens (18), M. Mason Arens (14) and Madeleine R. Arens (11), and brother-in-law Wayne L. Jones of Newport Beach and sister-in-law Olivia R. Arens of San Diego. John also leaves cousins, nieces, and nephews throughout the United States and Denmark.

John was humble, dutiful and a true gentleman. He is loved and will be deeply missed.

John started his career in the steamship industry but made his mark in business after joining his father’s new enterprise, Coupon Clearing Service. John and his father grew CCS into one of the largest coupon redemption companies in the country. Over the course of a 20+ year career, John assumed the role of President in 1985.

John H. “Ace” Arens '56 DECEMBER 8, 1937 – JANUARY 13, 2021

By John Jensen Arens John Hamilton “Ace” Arens, aged 83, passed away suddenly on January 13 in Newport Beach from a heart attack. We are all shocked and saddened.

John was born in Plainfield, N.J. on December 8, 1937. He was the eldest of three children born to John Edward Arens and Ruth Hamilton Arens. After moving west with the family in the 1940s, the family settled in San Marino, Calif. Ace (a moniker earned as a six-year old watching his parent’s Civil Air Patrol training in Northbrook, Ill.) attended Pasadena Polytechnic and graduated from his beloved Cate School in Carpinteria in 1956. He then matriculated to Princeton University, where he joined the sailing team and Terrace Club. In 1959, Ace left Princeton and joined the US Coast Guard, assuming his station in Alameda, Calif. Upon completing his active duty obligation, Ace finished his 50

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Aside from his wife and children, John’s great passion in life was sailing. A love affair that began as a child in 1948 sailing flatties on Lake Arrowhead, flourished through innumerable cruising and racing adventures in Newport Beach, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, and Denmark.

In 1992, John and Karen embarked on their greatest adventure. Aboard Andrea, a 36-foot Danish built racer/cruiser, they cruised the Mediterranean extensively for four years, visiting ports in Spain, France, Italy, Greece, and Turkey. On the success of the adventures in the Med, John and Karen embarked on a second tour aboard a Hallberg-Rassy 34, also called Andrea.

This tour began in 1998 and covered the Caribbean, the US Intercoastal Waterway, and “outside” points as far north as New Bedford, Mass.

John is now reunited with his wife of 54 years, who passed in August 2020.

John is also predeceased by his parents and two siblings, William F. Arens '60 and Barbara Arens Jones. He is survived by his sons John J. Arens (Molie Malone) of San Rafael, Calif., and Michael E. Arens (Rhonda) of Newport Beach. He is also survived by five grandchildren

Peter Randolph Decker OCTOBER 1, 1934 DECEMBER 12, 2020

Peter Randolph Decker, 86, educator, soldier, rancher, public servant, scholar, author, and patriarch, died on the morning of December 12, 2020, with his beloved wife Deedee at his side, ending a life well and fully lived.

Born October 1,1934, in New York, N.Y. to Frank Randolph Decker and Marjorie (Marony) Decker, Peter lived a bold and uniquely American life centered around education, service and family.

He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Deedee Decker, their daughter Hilary '94 (Ben Sinnamon), his first wife Sarah Carleton, their children Karen Cockburn and Christopher Decker, and his grandchildren Peter, Benjamin, Preston, Jackson, Julia, and Decker.

As a student, teacher, writer and avid reader, Peter cared deeply about education. He often joked, “I’m over educated and barely employed as a rancher.” He attended Choate '52; Felsted '53, and Middlebury College (BA) '57. He earned a master’s degree from Syracuse University and his Ph.D. from Columbia University. He taught at the Cate School in Carpinteria, Calif. and served as Assistant Professor of History and Public Policy at Duke University, during which time he was awarded Fellowships at Yale University and the Rockefeller Foundation. Peter maintained close connections with these educational institutions and the countless colleagues, students, and staff he met and shaped.

Peter’s passion for learning extended beyond the classroom. It wasn’t uncommon to find a Denver water lawyer, an East Coast professor, a log cabin builder, a Senator, and a cowboy around his dinner table on any given night.

Peter also served proudly in the United States Army as a First Lieutenant, part of the “Brave Rifles” of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Division. During his service, he was an advisor to the Royal Laotian Army at the height of the Laotian civil war. Volunteering at Denver’s VA Hospital became an important part of Peter’s later life.

Peter had an early stint in politics and journalism. He worked as a Senior Writer at Congressional Quarterly in Washington, D.C. and later joined the presidential campaign of Senator Robert Kennedy as a policy analyst and speechwriter. As a correspondent for the AP, Peter worked to uncover the Secret War in Laos.

Peter and Deedee fell in love with the west independently, as teenagers. They bought the Double D Ranch in Ridgway, Colo. in 1974. He and Deedee showed up with no experience, but through hard work, trial and error, and the help of countless friends and neighbors, they became cattle ranchers. Together they established a legacy of community involvement and partnership with local ranchers in Ouray County. The Double D remained Peter’s true home until the end.

Despite his academic credentials, Peter always said he preferred to ride with those who know best the working end of a rope, a shovel, or a quarter horse.

He often joked that his Ph.D. stood for “post hole digger,” something he became quite good at. And the locals will tell you he played a mean game of cowboy polo.

Along the way, Peter apparently learned a thing or two about ranching, as he was appointed by Governor Romer to be Colorado’s Commissioner of Agriculture in 1987.

Peter was a storyteller – telling a story well was his craft, his life’s work, and one of his greatest sources of joy. His stories, as one dear friend put it, “provided insights into people, their history, their peculiarities, and the human condition.”

He authored six published books – three works of history including Old Fences, New Neighbors and The Utes Must Go – and three novels. Peter had a great understanding of the West. He saw it as more than a place. To him the West was a landscape, a lifestyle, a culture, and a home. He studied it, wrote about it and above all, cherished it. Indeed, the Double D was one of the first ranches in the area to be put under a conservation easement, to preserve the landscape for future generations.

of the National Western Stock Show.

Especially important to him, Peter was a member of the Ouray County Planning Commission where, in the early '80s, he headed the first land use Master Plan. Peter also supported local ranchers and families around Ridgway for over 45 years through 4-H junior livestock purchases, community and political fundraisers, and helping neighboring ranchers during round up and branding.

He could be heard telling his children, “Be a good citizen, be a good neighbor, be a good person. That matters.”

Peter enjoyed the finer things in life: art, literature, travel, wine, food, good company, and Duke basketball. But most of all he loved his family. Peter’s life was admirable not just for striving to improve himself and others, but for his intelligence, his courage, and his capacity for feeling. Peter Decker was a man of agency – he controlled his own destiny, and he would want the story of his life to inspire and empower all of us to live lives as full as his own. He will be missed dearly.

Donations in Peter’s memory can be made to the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust or the Rocky Mountain Land Library or to a local cause of your choosing that focuses on education or land preservation.

A memorial will be held at the Double D Ranch in summer 2021.

Civic involvement was important to Peter. He served on the Board of Directors at Middlebury College, Fort Lewis College, and the Federal Reserve Bank, Denver Branch. He was appointed to the Colorado Commission on Higher Education and was a Trustee 51

Cate

Summer

Programs

Cate Summer Institute Residential Academic camp for current 6th through 8th graders to experience boarding school, a different kind of academic experience, leadership, and the outdoors. CSI is taught by Cate faculty and counselors are current or former Cate students.

TWO SESSIONS

June 27-July 3 August 1-7

Cate Sports Academy Cate Sports Academy offers half day, day and overnight camp options for 3rd – 11th graders. CSA places an emphasis on both athletic advancement and personal development.

FOUR SESSIONS

July 12 – August 6 (Monday – Friday)

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Cate Summer Outdoors Residential Outdoors program for current 6th – 10th graders.

Campers will enjoy the natural beauty Santa Barbara County has to offer while challenging themselves.

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE

July 12-16 July 19-23

Cate Summer Mini In partnership with Cate Early Learning Center, CSM is specifically designed for preschool children ages 3 through 5. Campers make new friends, build social skills & develop teamwork in this encouraging environment.

IMAGINARIUM

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

July 12-16

July 19-23

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