Cate School 2022 Spring Bulletin

CATE Spring 2022

BULLETIN

CATE B U L L E T I N EDITOR Matt McClenathen COPY EDITOR Kate Parker '85 GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Mya Cubero PHOTOGRAPHER

Aimee Stanchina HEAD OF SCHOOL

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

Charlotte Brownlee '85 ARCHIVIST

Judy Savage COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE

Avani Patel Shah Matt McClenathen Aimee Stanchina ADVANCEMENT OFFICE

Lindsay Newlove Evan Akers Katie Convoy Chris Giles Guille Gil-Reynoso Kellie Lancaster Andrew MacDonnell Sarah Preston Elana Stone 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.”

For alumni wishing to update contact information, please email alumni@cate.org.

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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.

Students and faculty enjoy a meal during formal dinner in the Otis Booth Dining Commons.

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In this

Issue 4

HEAD OF SCHOOL’S LETTER

In his letter to the community, Ben Williams reflects on moments that brought us joy and how those moments have contributed to a joyful year on the Mesa.

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ON THE MESA

MLK Celebration Community Engagement Day Model UN Conference 2022 The Return to Los Niños Metherell Service Challenge Convocation Roundup Winter Athletics Roundup Scholastic Art & Writing Awards ALUMNI DISPATCHES

We caught up with five alumni that all have found joy in different ways throughout their career journeys.

Features 30

Black Joy

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Inching Towards Joy: Computational Thinking at Cate

IN MEMORIAM

We honor alumni who have passed with reflections on their time at Cate and beyond.

HEALTH & WELLNESS HOUSE

Cate will open a new Health & Wellness House in the Fall of 2022 with the goal of providing around the clock holistic care for students.

Leslie Turnbull '85 takes an inside look at the Computational Thinking program at Cate, its alignment with the School’s inquiry model, and the many opportunities it affords students.

CARE UPDATE

An update from the Corrective Action Response Exercise (CARE) Task Force in response to the Community Accountability Investigation.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

A remembrance of Cate’s old woodshop with an eye to the future of the School’s Computational Thinking program.

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Biology instructor Kadeine Peterson shares the meaning of Black Joy and goes behind the scenes on the planning and intentionality behind the MLK and Black History Month celebrations on the Mesa.

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Servons Speaker Series: The Joy of Expression Math Instructor and Servons Faculty Advisor Taylor Wyatt introduces us to the student voice and the joy of expression through excerpts of Servons speeches given this year.

Maggie Albrecht '25 and Muhsin Abdul-Hakim '24 pass by the Class of 1925 House on their way to class.

On the Cover: Rachel Ma '22’s mixed media portrait of Imani Oseso '22, titled Shower Daydream, earned Scholastic Art Award Honorable Mention this spring.

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From the Head of School

Finding our Joy means we have access to the exuberance of others and to the forces that build it.

There are no patterns, thankfully. Our joys are as unique as we are.

One student I remember would walk the Mesa early in the morning with a camera in search of critters of all sorts.

Another I know walks to the beach at every opportunity to construct sand art. One boy who lived in High House collected sneakers, most of which he hung on his wall. Another can’t handle clutter. A neat space is his joy.

My father collected moths. My mother loved knitting and macrame. I tie flies, more than I could ever fish. It seems

Not long ago, we traded in our Prius for a used 2019 Subaru Forester. It’s a red one. When Ginger and I were test driving the vehicle at the dealership in Ventura she admitted, “I’ve always wanted a red car.” Go figure. Four decades we have spent together, yet I never knew that one apparently consequential fact.

It is remarkable to me the various things or moments, shades or hues, people or places that give us joy. Living on a school campus surrounded by 300 teenagers and more than 100 adults and their families

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to greater normalcy, though that is welcome. It is rather evidence of appreciation of the little things we didn’t know mattered so much to us.

Cookies after Servons Speech. In-person visits to the homes we visit on Public Service night. A trip to Lucky Llama with friends. Muffet’s Tuffets.

This issue of the Bulletin is a chronicle of some of our joyful moments, of the manner in which we have chosen to celebrate this year and each other, and the exhilaration we find in trying to improve and augment the service we offer this community every day, every week, every month, and every year.

“ It seems now especially all of us are trying to find ways to do what we love to do, to find those moments or pastimes, or things that give us joy.” now, especially, all of us are trying to find ways to do what we love to do, to find those moments or pastimes, or things that give us joy. A few years managing our way through a pandemic makes such inclinations all the more urgent.

May you find the profound energy of this place in the pages that follow.

And they have contributed to what has been a remarkably joyful experience on our campus this year. That spirit is not simply a byproduct of a return

Benjamin D. Williams IV

Servons,

Jonathan Yoo '22 finding his joy while rock climbing on an Outdoors trip in the spring.

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On the Mesa

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

A Joyful Celebration on the Mesa The Cate community honored the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a full day of programming centered around the celebration of Black Joy. A West African music performance set the joyous tone first thing in the morning, inviting the community to sing and dance together in the middle of the Class of 1981 Amphitheatre.

“It is a way to call the community together for an important purpose,” Babacar Pouye '23 said while introducing the celebratory music from Senegal.

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“The drums interact with the dancers and communicate through rhythms.

Much of the music we take for granted today finds its history in these rhythms and songs. The music symbolizes joy and being who we are.”

Members of the MLK Day planning committee, faculty Kadeine Peterson and Randy Person '10, followed with an introduction of the day and shared the meaning behind its theme. The celebration continued with student dance performances and a visit from

Raquel Graham, Founder and CEO of Roq Innovation, who spoke to aspirational student entrepreneurs. As Yutopia Essex, Cate’s Director of Human Resources, delivered a poem on Black Joy, rain began to pour, but nothing could dampen the spirit of the day. The good cheer was palpable, and continued through the afternoon’s film screenings and on into February’s celebration of Black History Month at Cate.

Poem by Yutopia Essex, Director of Human Resources

The journey to joy is through pain, we sustain, resilient in motion, through the commotion, we confront our past and live in the now, this dramatic reading is the how Is this a window in or a reflection? connection to our start Why Dr. King and millions marched played their part Not by choice By obligation manifestation of a dream. into a burning house? or deferred?

(Can life be more than what it seems?)

Are we heard understood or mocked you feel me see me or is that blocked?

Don’t knock the hustle or struggle life is puzzle piece by piece DESTROY and build back We demand to stand in our truth no cap

Raquel Graham, CEO and Founder of Roq Innovation, spoke to aspiring entrepreneurs on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

MLK Day Celebration Film Screenings High on the Hog: A show about how African American cuisine transformed America.

Disclosure: A documentary that explores the intersectionality between the trans and black experience.

They’ve Gotta Have Us: The inside story of the turning points of Black life on both sides of the lens, from Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte to the present day.

The Shop: An American television talk show in which NBA star LeBron James and businessman Maverick Carter, who alongside guests, have conversations and debates in a barbershop.

Babacar Pouye '23 began the day of celebration by introducing the West African music performance.

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ON THE MESA

Community Engagement Day

Kyle Mason and Margot Dorion’s advisories spent the day volunteering at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden – the original site of Cate School when it was first established as the Miramar School in 1910.

A longstanding tradition at Cate, Community Engagement Day made its return following a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19. From Ojai to Santa Barbara, Cate students and faculty traveled by advisory to volunteer at more than 30 local nonprofit organizations and assist in a variety of tasks including landscaping, gardening, painting, picking up trash, packaging food, and helping kids in the classroom. Students spent time learning the mission of each organization before spending an entire morning hard at work.

Students assist at the Food Share Senior Nutrition Garden in Oxnard.

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“It’s such a treat to organize this day and contact places every year because they are so excited,” said Will Holmes, Director of Community Engagement, who is in his 21st year at Cate. “People who have worked with us before know they are going to get a lot more done in the morning than they might typically expect from a high school group.”

Formerly known as Public Service Day, the name change captures the full essence of the day, with students and advisors not only serving but engaging with local communities and with each other.

“Structuring the day by advisories is great because we get to spend time with each other that we might not get normally,” Holmes said. “Groups probably don’t spend four hours together very often, so it’s a nice two-fold benefit for the advisories and the organizations we visit.”

Despite COVID-19 impacting a handful of locations, Cate was still able to volunteer at 34 organizations, with many shifting to outdoor tasks, and many more eager to welcome Cate School back next year.

Jengus Ercil '23 helps with pruning at the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation.

Students from Jay Dorion and Lindsay Newlove’s advisories packed over 900 boxes at Food Share in Oxnard.

Simran Sharma '24 assists with landscaping at Girls, Inc. of Carpinteria.

Community Engagement Day Locations • • • • • • • • • • • •

Adelante Charter School Aliso Elementary School Carpinteria Arts Center Carpinteria Beautiful Carpinteria Boys and Girls Club Carpinteria Branch Library Carpinteria Head Start Carpinteria Health Care Center Carpinteria Valley Museum of History Cate Early Learning Center Catholic Charities of Ventura City of Santa Barbara – East Beach

“The students did an awesome job in both packing food boxes and helping in the garden.

Thank you again to the amazing volunteers!!!”

– Christina Forino from Food Share

• • • • • • • • • • •

Dream Foundation Explore Ecology Food Share Food Share Senior Nutrition Garden Girls Inc. of Carpinteria Habitat for Humanity of Santa Barbara County Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County Heal the Ocean Kinderkirk Preschool McKinley Elementary School Monroe Elementary School

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Ojai Valley Land Conservancy PATH Santa Barbara Project Understanding Rincon Bluffs Saint Joseph’s Resale Shop Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network Tomol Interpretive Play Area Transition House The Unity Shoppe

“ You all made it SPARKLE! The windows are crystal-clear, the pantry is organized and your work allowed us to effectively serve clients this morning with dignity in a clean environment. The work of dedicated volunteers like you all makes our work possible, and we are so grateful to you.”

– Michael Lockard from Catholic Charities of Ventura

“ The group from Cate was wonderful!

We greatly appreciate their time and hard work.”

– Kelly Johnson from Foodbank of Santa Barbara County

Charlotte Brownlee '85 and Marnie Woehr’s advisories helped in the garden at the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation.

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Model UN Conference 2022

By Paige Rawiszer '22

Cate alumni gather for a photo while visiting the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Students take a group photo in front of the Washington Monument while on the first Cate trip to Washington D.C. in two years.

After an exhausting night of traveling, there was no better place to land than in our nation’s capital, as 15 other students and I were ready to deliberate and solve the world’s issues at the 2022 North American Invitation Model United Nations Conference. Divided into different United Nations committees, we worked together with other students to discuss issues ranging from refugee rights in conflict zones to the Texas Power Crisis of 2021.

The conference was hosted at the Washington Hilton, famous for its multitude of historical and cultural events such as the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan and the location of the annual White House Correspondents Dinner. The Model UN (MUN) experience is like no other, as it allowed Cate students to interact with delegates from other schools and use our critical thinking and inquiry method skills to make a difference in realworld issues.

During breaks from committee meetings, my fellow delegates and I were able to explore all the wonderful parts of Washington, D.C. – including numerous sightseeing adventures, great food, and more rides on the city’s electric scooters than I can count. During the day, we explored the neighborhoods of Dupont Circle and Georgetown, found delightful cafes for lunch, and even found time for some quick shopping. At night, we witnessed the jaw-dropping reflection of the Washington Monument in the moonlight of the Reflecting Pool, while standing atop the magnificent Lincoln Memorial.

The most memorable experience of the trip, however, was our group’s visit to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. We

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toured the museum on our first day in Washington, which turned out to be a great introduction to all of the wonderful cultural and educational events we would get to experience during our time there. Going through the museum in chronological order – the museum is set up with different floors representing different periods throughout history – was truly an impactful experience. The most harrowing part of the museum was certainly witnessing Emmet Till’s casket, a young boy who was lynched in 1955.

The museum was extremely educational, and I am very grateful we had the chance to experience it, especially during the celebration of Black History Month. In addition, it was great to connect with alumni who were on the tour with us.

My classmates and I eagerly wanted to hear about their Cate experiences and listen to their advice about college and life in general.

The Return to Los Niños

Three students reflect on Cate’s first service learning trip to Mexicali in two years.

By Ali Istanbullu '22 In February, 24 Cate faculty and students loaded into the Yukons with our passports, sleeping bags, donations, and a lot of eagerness and excitement, and drove down to Mexicali – located on the Mexican side of the border – for Los Niños, a service learning trip that has been a staple of my Cate experience. Though this was my third time on the trip, I had no idea what to expect post-COVID-19, considering the schools were still closed and communities were still in the midst of recovering and rebuilding from the pandemic. Upon arriving at the border, however, we were welcomed with open arms by the leaders of the program, who told us we were the first group to come in over two years.

“ The Model UN (MUN) experience is like no other, as it allowed Cate students to interact with delegates from other schools and use our critical thinking and inquiry method skills to make a difference in realworld issues.”

After so many “normal” Cate experiences were halted due to COVID-19, the MUN trip provided a glimpse back into the adventures offered before the pandemic and those that will be offered after. Being able to travel again with Cate was a fun look into the future for underclassmen, and I am excited for the amazing memories they will get to create.

Overall, the trip reminded me how grateful I am to be able to share these events with my peers. As graduation nears, I am making the most out of my time left on the Mesa, soaking up all the adventures and memories I’m able to.

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Though there were some difficulties due to COVID-19, the experience was even more impactful than in past years because we were able to see how the community has come together in times of need to help and support one another.

For example, the migrant shelter that typically offers shelter and food for those crossing the border was unable to do so due to the pandemic, so community volunteers in partnership with church leaders created a program to provide meals and fill the void.

Desiree Flores '23, Ella Chen '23, and Kennedy Kirkland '23 pause for a photo while beekeeping in Ladrillera.

We were present during one of the meal services and had the chance to speak with migrants and volunteers and hear their stories and struggles, offering us a firsthand perspective on immigration issues. After journalist Sonia Nazario’s Convocation about immigration just weeks prior, this experience made what before had seemed distant suddenly very real and tangible. These were no longer stories of people far away, but rather the raw, honest, and powerful lived experiences of people standing right in front of us. I think I speak for everyone when I say this had a profound impact on our entire group.

Though there were many highlights and lessons from the trip, we all came away with a deep appreciation for the work the leaders of these communities are doing to help support each other, and they’ve given us the tools to educate others about the immigration issues we saw firsthand. It inspired us to initiate change in our own communities and instilled in us the belief that we all have the power and responsibility to go out and make a difference.

Students learn about the school and local community before getting to work pouring concrete.

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By Claiborne Beurle '23 At the migrant shelter, Casa Betania, we met a man named Jorge, who helps out at the shelter. He is a migrant himself and spent 26 years working in California before returning to Honduras to see his wife. Since then, he has not been able to return to the U.S. despite over 13 attempts. He spoke to us about the wage disparity, and he mentioned that when he was working in California, he made $28 per hour. In Mexicali, he makes around $14 per day.

Jorge was just one of the migrants we spoke to – we also talked to a young man named Moises from Honduras. Moises came up to us beaming, and the first thing he did was show us his videos of migrants boarding trains. Many migrants board trains in southern Central America and ride atop of them as far north as they are able. While they are on the trains, they encounter gangs and unbearable conditions – many people do not live to see the border. He told us that of the 400 people who got on the train with him, only 40 made it. Hearing a firsthand account made the reality of immigration all the more real. Before the trip, much of what I heard was unimaginable, but the more stories we heard, the more I began to grasp the true reality of so many people’s lives.

enjoyed learning about them and how comfortable I felt holding them while all suited up. Due to COVID-19, fewer people are caring for the bees, so hives have decreased. However, those still caring for them use and sell the honey they produce, creating an income for themselves. We learned more about life for migrants and about life for those living near the border. While many people in and around Mexicali are trying to make it to the United States, it was interesting to learn more about the lives of those living near the border.

By Rory Zhang '23 In Colonia Ladrillera, we also visited a local elementary school and assisted in cement work. The school is currently closed due to the pandemic but according to the principal, Ana Maria, 130 kids were registered at the school during normal times. The school provides students with a full spectrum of education, including all subjects found in a normal school – Spanish, math, science, P.E., etc – despite the difficult conditions faced being in a rural neighborhood with limited teaching resources.

Another highlight was beekeeping in a rural town about an hour away from Mexicali called Ladrillera. Despite its distance from the city, a group began beekeeping to create an economy from an already abundant resource.

For someone who was terrified of bees, I was surprised at how much I

Ana Maria works diligently to provide the best education possible for the children in the community as her school is one of the few nearby that hosts full-day classes from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and prepares students to enter

“ These are people who truly embody the spirit of Servons that we treasure at Cate, and I admire them so much for the sacrifices they have made for their community.” secondary school and beyond. Receiving a good education and being able to study at a university is the only way out for many kids in the community. Ana Maria shared with us her feelings of joy and happiness whenever she hears of a student making it to a university.

There are certain characteristics that we find in common among these community leaders. Ana Maria is a certified teacher, meaning she could earn a higher salary in a bigger city, yet she chooses to stay in one of the most rural places in Mexico to lift kids from poverty through education. Alonzo, the person who organized the Los Niños trip, quit his government job 30 years ago and devoted himself to service. These are people who truly embody the spirit of Servons that we treasure at Cate, and I admire them so much for the sacrifices they have made for their community.

My biggest takeaway from this portion of the trip was the importance of education – especially for kids from less-resourced communities. When the government does not or is unable to provide education, people like Ana Maria create life-changing opportunities for the next generation.

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ON THE MESA

Mark Metherell '87

Memorial Service Challenge

Mark Metherell '87 was an inspirational figure to all those who knew him. A loving husband and father who always had time for others, he often spoke of helping those less fortunate. In 2008, Mark tragically passed away while training Iraqi special forces, and in 2009, his friends, classmates, and family created the Mark Metherell '87 Memorial Service Challenge. He was previously involved in the public service program while at Cate, and the grant in his honor awards two service projects for nearly $5,000 each. Despite COVID-19 greatly affecting the program the last two years, students have still been able to make an impact.

With volunteerism, the potential to benefit others, vision, and sustainability as the primary criteria for selection, this year’s recipients were Ella Chen '23 and Lindsey Laurence '23.

Activity Room Renovation for Migrant Children in China Ella Chen '23

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Due to Hukou schooling restrictions, migrant children in China can’t go to high schools in their adopted cities and have to go back to their rural hometowns. Schools in rural areas in China are underfunded and under-resourced, but the environment is much more competitive than schools in urban areas because colleges reserve fewer spots for rural students. One of my goals for my Metherell project was to better prepare migrant children academically for their return to their hometowns. I tried to do this by adding Chinese and English books (purchased and donated) to the rooms, recruiting more high school volunteers to tutor, and increasing the frequency the rooms are open (although this can’t be achieved right now because of COVID-19).

Another one of my goals for this project was to cultivate the personal growth of these migrant children by focusing on their mental health and social skills. By adding board games and sports equipment and hosting movie nights, etc., a group of volunteers and I converted the three library rooms into a communal space for the children to socialize after school and on the weekends. This ensures that the students are not only focusing on their studies, but that they are also mentally healthy.

Developing their social skills will help them integrate more easily back into the high schools in their hometowns – this is important because migrant children’s parents often have to stay back in their adopted cities for work, so the children may have to face this change alone and in a city they’ve never lived in.

New Playground for Manuelito Navajo Children’s Home

“ I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity the Mark Metherell Grant has given me to be able to create a tangible impact for those who deserve help far more than I do.”

Lindsey Laurence '23 I applied to the Mark Metherell '87 Service Challenge in an effort to make a positive difference in an underserved community. The Manuelito Navajo Children’s Home – currently the only center for extended foster care available in the Navajo Nation – provides a place to live for children who are unable to reside with their parents for various reasons.

The school offers academic tutoring, private school tuition, psychological services and residential care for its children, most of whom have emotional, behavioral, and social problems. Without being assisted by

government funding, it is forced to rely solely on donations to fund its facilities and care. After coming into contact with the Children’s Home, I was informed by staff that one of their most acute needs was playground equipment appropriate for their older children. Approximately 20 children live at the facility full time, and a total of 50 students use the facility on a daily basis for activities like after-school tutoring. I presented my playground idea to Cathy Atchison, who oversees public relations at the home, and she received Board approval for my proposal.

Due to production shortages, the original shipment of the playground was canceled, and there was an extremely limited number of playgrounds available. I was able to find a replacement playground on the market; however, it was over my allotted budget. After correspondence with the president of the playground

company, he was able to charge the money I was capable of giving through the grant and donate the rest of the cost. This playground set took five additional months to ship, and after communication with the Children’s Home, I organized a visit over Spring Break in order to build the equipment and meet the children. If time permits, I’ve also set up classes that I’ll offer during my time at the Children’s Home and will continue tutoring throughout the summer remotely.

I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity the Mark Metherell Grant has given me to be able to create a tangible impact for those who deserve help far more than I do. I feel so lucky for the ability to use this grant to help the Manuelito Navajo Children’s Home and am so thankful to have been given the chance to carry out my proposal. I can’t wait to finish the project!

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ON THE MESA

Convocation Roundup

Dr. Sumita Pennathur

Riffing on the saxophone as students and faculty filed into the Hitchock Theatre, Dr. Sumita Pennathur captured the community’s attention from the start of Convocation on a Monday night in October. The lively and spirited Dr. Pennathur, equipped with degrees in aerospace and aeronautical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Stanford, spent the evening chronicling her life story and accomplished career while sharing words of wisdom and encouraging students to follow their passions.

A mechanical engineering professor at UC Santa Barbara, Pennathur began the night explaining her undergraduate work at MIT – literally rocket science – and her desire to take things a step further, or smaller if you will, and study nanotechnology. She energetically delved into her Ph.D. thesis and her work in nanofluidics, pausing only to catch her breath after a quick summation of five years of intensive research.

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“Everybody should do research,” she said. “You all have your passions and you should pursue them and not let anyone tell you otherwise.”

Pennathur’s career has had many unexpected twists and turns from dealing with personal tragedy to her daughter being diagnosed with diabetes. With a unique skill set unlike anyone else, Pennathur turned down a money-making opportunity in order to improve the quality of her daughter’s life and millions like her by developing revolutionized methods for measuring blood glucose.

Even with her award-winning research and career achievements, Pennathur told the audience that she does not define her accolades as success. What does she define as success you may ask? “I won the best teacher award,” she exclaimed proudly.

After an engaging question-and-answer session, Pennathur left the community with a few nuggets of advice.“We all have our own story,” she said. “Never compare yourself to anyone because you are the only one who is you, and everybody has their own unique situation. You’ve got to think about your story and once you embrace it, you can do anything. It’s all about you.”

Jamie Colman '93 and Julie Anderson

Cate alumna and marine toxicologist Jamie Colman '93, alongside Julie Anderson, the Founder and Global Executive Director of Plastic Oceans International, took the Cate community on an eXXpedition around the world to learn more about the ocean plastic crisis.

Colman, the co-founder of eXXpedition – a non-profit organizaton that runs all-female research expeditions all over the world – dove into the many ways they are exploring the impact of and solutions to ocean plastic pollution.

Colman and Anderson shared their experience from leg 4 of a 30-leg expedition to circumnavigate the globe where they collected valuable scientific data while sailing from Antigua to Aruba. While on land, they conducted surveys and worked with local communities to learn about their experiences with plastic pollution.

“We want to inspire action,” they said. “Awareness alone is not going to create change.”

Julie Anderson (left) and Jamie Colman '93 spoke to the community about the ocean plastic crisis during Convocation in January.

So how do we solve the problem? Colman and Anderson advocated for students to actively get involved, become informed through educational opportunities, and to refuse, reduce, and reuse. Put simply, consume less plastic. Generate less waste.

Phil Kaye

On a chilly evening under the stars, with the community gathered in the Class of 1981 Amphitheatre, JapaneseAmerican artist Phil Kaye provided the warmth with his captivating spoken word poetry. Kaye, who made his return to the Mesa for the first time in 10 years, entranced the audience with his unparalleled poetic talents, using his hands masterfully to illustrate his stories.

A National Poetry Slam finalist who has had his work featured in The New Yorker and the New York Museum of Modern Art, Kaye opened with a poem describing a time before the internet when he was a carefree kid playing with his best friend in the summer. He told us that every story has a beginning, middle, and end – not necessarily in that order. He drew laughs with a poem from the perspective of his laptop and intertwined stories of his family, particularly his grandparents, before taking questions from the community and peeling back the layers behind his creative process.

As the co-director of Project VOICE, an organization that partners with schools to bring poetry to the classroom, Kaye made every effort to share this art form with the next generation of artists. “Many times it is as simple as getting the pen to paper,” he said. “Just exploring and drafting and seeing what comes out on the other side.”

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ON THE MESA

Sonia Nazario

The Cate community was treated to two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and national best-selling author Sonia Nazario for Convocation in January.

An advocate and activist, Nazario has covered social issues from hunger and drug addiction to immigration and she shared her stories with the community on a Monday night in Hitchcock Theatre.

Determined to tell stories that mattered and bring about systemic change, Nazario broke into journalism at an early age and mastered the art of “fly on the wall” reporting, where she would immerse herself into a story with the hopes of bringing her readers to the front lines of the issue. In 1994, she wrote about hunger among schoolchildren in Los Angeles, and a few years later wrote about orphans of addiction due to the raging crack epidemic. She is perhaps best known for her writing on immigration, and her Los Angeles Times published series, “Enrique’s Journey” which details a Honduran boy’s struggle to find his mother in the United States.

Nazario spent two weeks with Enrique in Northern Mexico before recreating his demanding journey over three months and 1,600 miles while riding on the top of seven different freight trains. “What I saw, changed me,” she said. After detailing the harrowing journey to the audience, Nazario spent time discussing the judicial system and immigration laws in the US and her most recent humanitarian efforts to provide lawyers for unaccompanied migrant children.

“Today I am asking you to consider if you see someone in need standing in front of you what will you do? Is it time for you to dive into the deep end of activism and join me in the fight to help these children?”

Dr. Matthew Rioux

This year’s inquiry question asks, “How do we experience time?” Well, during Convocation in February, UC Santa Barbara Earth Science professor Dr. Matthew Rioux took it a step further and showed the community exactly how we can measure time. Have you ever wondered when life began? When the dinosaurs went extinct? Or how long a mountain range takes to form? Rioux, a geologist specializing in radiogenic isotope geochemistry, broke down geochronology to the audience and shared how scientists are able to answer these difficult questions. While we might think of time in years and decades, geologists think about time on a scale of millions and billions of years. To better grasp the grand scale of these numbers, Rioux shared that it would take you 20 days to count to one million. The time it would take to count to one billion?

60 years.

With audible gasps and the audience still trying to wrap their heads around that one, Rioux started breaking down relative and absolute time, where relative time looks at the relationships between different rocks, analyzing fossils, and figuring out evolution, and absolute time using radioactive decay and half life to pinpoint exact dates. It was a treat for any aspiring geologists as the talk turned into a college-level geology course and gave students plenty to think about for a long….time.

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“ I want to ask you to ask yourself, ‘what have I done to advance racial justice in this country.’ I hope you will ask yourself that today and in the future, because you are the future.”

Walter Riley and Candida Pugh

Carlo Kim '23 had the unique pleasure of introducing his grandparents, Walter Riley and Candida Pugh, during Convocation in February in honor of Black History Month.

Riley and Pugh spoke to the community about their civil rights journey and their hope for Cate students to continue the fight for racial justice. Pugh, who became a Freedom Rider at the age of 18, shared stories of her arrest and the vivid memories of her imprisonment in Jackson, Miss. She shared the story of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old boy who was brutally murdered, and how that motivated her to join the fight and ultimately would galvanize the civil rights movement in the 1960s.

“I want to ask you to ask yourself, ‘what have I done to advance racial justice in this country,’” Pugh said. “I hope you will ask yourself that today and in the future, because you are the future.”

Riley, who grew up in Durham, N.C. under Jim Crow and is the great-grandson of people born into slavery, joined the civil rights movement at the age of 12. He became the president of the youth chapter of the NAACP and he talked about his mentor, lawyer and civil rights activist Floyd McKissick. He was also close with Malcolm X, and worked with James Farmer, Medgar Evers, Joseph Lowry, and Martin Luther King Jr., to name a few. A civil rights lawyer, Riley detailed his fight for open admissions and curricular change at San Francisco State, which resulted in the ethnic studies courses that we see today. He spoke of his belief in the ideals of democracy and his want to fight to create a better world.

“This fight goes on and we want everyone to be a part of it.”

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Dance Convocation

Cate in Wonderland

By Eswyn Gray '23

Student-led choreography with mentorship from Dance Instructor Brooke Melton added a creative and collaborative element to the production.

Student choreographers worked during weekly M-blocks to develop their artistry and get feedback from their peers.

Peas, were upbeat hits that energized dancers and entertained the audience. “I Really Like You” by Carly Rae Jepsen, a saccharine yet catchy pop love song, was perfect for an ensemble piece performed on Valentine’s Day. In addition, “Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds” was just right for Lucky Drucker '22’s stunning solo as the Caterpillar. Entitled “Metamorphosis,” she was cocooned in holographic green silks, surrounded by smoke, and dazzled the audience with her gravity-defying aerial skills. In a modern piece set to, “I Feel Like I’m Drowning”

by Two Feet. Ella Chen '23, Eswyn Gray '23, and Jinny Chung '23 danced around Alice. Dressed in ominous, white hoodies the dancers moved in sync to the sounds of an electric guitar, tempting Alice to drink the “poison” which would cause her to shrink and embark on her hallucinogenic adventure.

The music selection complemented the movement and storyline but showcased a variety of genres. Popular songs like “TWINNEM” by Coi Leray and “Let’s Get It Started” by the Black Eyed

Solos, small group numbers, and full cast dances, which included an array of colorful characters like the Queen’s cards, Humpty Dumpty, and a Pink Flamingo, were all woven throughout

This year’s Dance Convocation was a fresh and modern take on the beloved classic, Alice in Wonderland, and on Monday, February 14, 2022, the Cate community followed Alice, performed by Kalia Lopez '22, down the rabbit hole and into the magical world below.

Whimsical student-made sets transported the audience to a flower garden, a wild tea party hosted by the Mad Hatter, Jae Hall-Collins '23, and to the scene of a villainous queen’s stomping ground, Jinny Chung '22.

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the production. In the last big full group number, Mad World, the dancers were accompanied by solo vocalist Dawson Fuss '22. The soulful song led the audience on a journey of despair: Alice’s Wonderland, where everything was beautiful and vibrant, turned into a nightmare as she struggled to survive in a confusing world.

This year’s Dance Convocation was particularly special for both the performers and the audience. After two years of living through online interactions, dancing for the community again reminded the cast and audience that the performing arts are a unifying form of artistic expression. Music, dance, and the arts are powerful ways for people to find joy and connect.

Due to COVID-19 precautions, preparing for the show had a few challenges early on since rehearsals were held outside on the tennis courts and grass. But with the leadership of Brooke Melton, the dancers forged ahead and produced a joyful and unforgettable performance. The show was a Valentine labor of love from the cast and crew to the audience.

It’s teatime! Students danced to “Let’s Get it Started” by the Black Eyed Peas during the Mad Hatter’s tea party choreographed by Jae Hall-Collins '23.

Jinny Chung '22 delivered a sensational performance as the Queen of Hearts.

Eswyn Gray '23 as the Cheshire Cat, Carly Weinberger '23 as the White Queen, and Lucky Drucker '22 as the Caterpillar share the stage as they welcome Alice to Wonderland.

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ON THE MESA

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ON THE MESA

Winter Athletics Roundup

By Matt Drew, Assistant Athletic Director Left: Jae Lim '23 drives past a defender in an early season Cate victory for the league champion boys soccer team. Right: Babacar Pouye '23 rises up for a highlight dunk for the league champion boys basketball team.

There was an unmistakeable buzz of excitement heading into the 2022 Winter athletics season on the Mesa.

Following a 2021 season of disarray and cancellations due to COVID-19, returning to Sprague Gym and seeing the Blue Crew and community out in full force resembled a return to normalcy.

While this Winter season still dealt with its fair share of postponements following the break, the majority of the season was carried out with multiple teams capturing league titles and making deep California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Playoff runs.

BOYS SOCCER

The boys soccer team picked up where they left off prior to last year’s COVID-19 season. After a Tri-Valley League title two years ago, the Rams finished 11-3 overall and 5-2 during

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league play to pick up another TriValley title and advance to the CIF Southern Section Playoffs. In the first round of the playoffs, Peter Wood '22 netted the game winner during stoppage time for a 2-1 victory over Maranatha (Pasadena) and the Rams kept rolling in the second round with a 1-0 win against a tough Coachella Valley team. The magical run came to an end in the CIF Quarterfinals, with the Rams falling 3-1 to the Lobos of Littlerock. Despite the ending, it was another great season with a mix of veteran and youth talent scattered across the pitch. A quartet of seniors – Daniel Boateng, Peter Wood, Kobby Nimako, and Lukas Hendriks – were a driving force behind the team’s play and leadership. Thank you to the seniors for an incredible four years of success and dedication to the boys soccer program.

GIRLS SOCCER

The girls soccer program has been a force to be reckoned with in past years, and while their record may have not have reflected it this year, the heart and determination with which they played shone through. Every game this season was a hard-fought battle with many of the outcomes decided by a single goal.

Unfortunately, the ball did not seem to bounce in favor of the Rams this year, but that did not stop every single member of the team from showing up and giving everything they had for each other. It’s a difficult thing for coaches and teammates to say goodbye to their senior leaders and this year is no different. There will be no replacing Charlotte Weis, Olivia Dorion, Rachel Ma, Francesca Castellarin, and Coco LeRoy. These five seniors have given so much to the program and will surely be missed.

BOYS BASKETBALL

After missing out on an entire season last year, the boys basketball team was led by a veteran group that was looking for redemption.

With a strong returning core of upperclassmen, the Rams came in as the team to beat and lived up to expectations. Cate finished the season 14-4 overall and a perfect 7-0 in conference play to capture the Frontier League championship. On a tear entering the CIF-SS Playoffs, the Rams continued their white-hot play in the first round en route to a 60-12 victory over Beacon Hill Classical Academy.

The second round matchup pitted the Rams on the road against Western (Anaheim) and it proved to be their toughest game of the season. The two teams battled into overtime, and the raucous environment in Anaheim ultimately gave Western the upper hand in a 48-47 heartbreaker. All in all, it was a tremendous year for the boys, who have every reason to hold their heads up high. The coaching staff would like to thank the group of eight seniors – Mason Oetgen, Ethan Ligon, Tyler Tom, Matty Holmes, John Endres, Jack Ludviksen, and Xander Murray Osborne – for four years of strong leadership and relentless effort on the court.

Rachel Ma '22 surveys the field for a pass during a home game on Lower Field.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

A very young team with just one senior on the roster, the girls basketball program had a season of ups and downs. From starting the year with a big win over rival Thacher to the end of the year matchup against a talented St. Bonaventure team – and everything that came between – this was a group that never quit. They entered every game with a determination to improve from their previous game and it showed in their hustle, teamwork, and skillset. Many young players started to click at the right time, and there’s a lot of optimism for the future of the girls basketball program. Lone senior, Imani Oseso, may not be around to be a part of that progress, but her work ethic and leadership will definitely be a part of the team for years to come.

Liz Sutter '23 prepares to fire off a shot at the Emmett Horowitz Aquatic Center.

GIRLS WATER POLO

The girls water polo team was pure determination and joy in the pool. An incredible group of student-athletes learning every single day about a truly difficult and demanding sport. The team started the year as a mostly young and inexperienced group determined to learn the intricacies of the game, and over the course of a few months, that growth was noticeable. Every game had moments where the coaches could see improvement. Despite being very young and dealing with the disruption of COVID-19, their improvement culminated in one of the biggest wins the program has seen in years, a 9-5 victory over Foothill Tech at home.

With just one senior, this is a team that will only continue to get better in the future. The coaches and Cate athletic department would like to thank lone senior, Alekha Rao, for her incredible four years of dedication to the program. The progression of the water polo program would not have been nearly as great without Alekha’s contribution.

Thank you to all that have supported the Cate athletic department, coaches, and student-athletes. Your continued energy and positive encouragement make every season enjoyable.

Sophie Ospina '25 connects on a baseline jumper during a regular season game in Sprague Gym.

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2022 Scholastic Art & Writing

Awards

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards were founded in 1923 and, for nearly a century, have inspired bold ideas in creative teens throughout the country.

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

Gigi Geyer '23 Photography, REACHING 26

CATE B ULLET IN / S PRING 2022

Lukas Hendriks '22 Photography, Man With Stic k

NGS THE AURA OF PAINTI

By Annie Chian '24

Nighthawk The imperfections In the glass ooth Makes the glare on the sm Street waver just slightly.

Neon fluorescent yellow Hollows out The nighthawk’s face, Shadowing his eyes, Reflecting on his nose. r, The nighthawk sits with he Taking a smoke g.

Sipping from a ceramic mu She looks bored Amused, almost.

Phillies the place is called.

Lettered in gold On a forest green sign The shadows t In the place across the stree Almost help the other man Blend in Almost.

Not long until The nighthawk Confronts him.

Sabine Fuchs '25 Drawing & Illustration, Leave Me Alone

Annie Chian '24 Photography, Prehistoric Creature 27

ON THE MESA the nors awarded on There are three ho regional level: . best works submitted Gold Key: The very ered for automatically consid Gold Key works are tion. national-level recogni strate out works that demon Silver Key: Standexceptional ability. rks n: Accomplished wo Honorable Mentio l. d potentia showing great skill an

Art Award Winners Ella Chang '23

Photography, New Years – Gold Key Photography, Rotating Chestnuts – Gold Key Annie Chian '24

Photography, Prehistoric Creature – Gold Key Drawing & Illustration, What’s made of canvas and sounds like a sneeze? – Honorable Mention Sabine Fuchs '25

Drawing & Illustration, Leave Me Alone – Gold Key Gigi Geyer '23

Photography, INDIFFERENCE – Gold Key Photography, Maesa’s Magnet – Gold Key Photography, REACHING – Gold Key Lukas Hendriks '22

Photography, Man With Stick – Gold Key Athena Ke '23

Photography, Playmate – Silver Key Rachel Ma '22

Mixed Media, Shower Daydream – Honorable Mention Asen Ou '22

Athena Ke '23 Photography, Playmate

Architecture & Industrial Design, Graphene Module – Gold Key

SONNET FROM DEATH TO LIFE

By Mei Gong '24

Ella Chang '23 Photography, New Years

Nightingales bring your voice to my window.

The winding paths, of lanterns lit anew They gently guide, the figures sunken true Once more, before the kiss of your mellow Sunrise. Here lies sighs solemn and morose, Here burns relenting flames of angry fuse, Here rests the quiet peace of stoic muse.

Til ‘morrow I hold every journeyed soul, Their hand in mine, harsh grime from toil soothed away to free a thousand brilliant hues.

The fervor of life, within moments close.

Their hand in mine, I gift a feather pruned Of my wing as we part. The sun arises soon.

Come life, they write in your bittersweet prose.

A response to a friend’s “Sonnet from Life to Death”

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E FOREIGN TONGU

By Kendall Rhee '24

s match your syllable I strung my teeth to palm a’s m words out on um Brushed the english , country, home.

The ones of freedom s as hymn ed those heavy word Our accents season ue ng to th in the broth of & drowned my mou tity en id n nature of my ow Weaved against the rn wo er the name i’ve By stitching itself ov ose words I watch us mimic th side our bellies The ones we stole in erican dialect for that taste of am A tongue reaching e next day To not get spat on th grease appa for the taste of Yesterday, I begged english culture To salt my tongue in t the korean in me As if it could pour ou e crumbled Mandu and soy sauc y memory At the fringes of m . d yet he understood He did not smile, an

Annie Chian '24 Drawing & Illustration What’s made of canvas and sounds like a sneeze

Writing Award Winners Tracy Cao '24 Poetry, “Right Next to Me (a Villanelle)” – Silve

r Key

Ella Chen '23 Personal Essay & Memoir, “Time” – Gold Key Annie Chian '24

Poetry, “Aubade to Home” – Silver Key Poetry, “The Aura of Paintings” – Silver Key Flash Fiction, “Teeth” – Honorable Mention Cathleen Chow '23

Personal Essay & Memoir, “I’m Okay with Not Being Pretty Anymore” – Honorable Mention Jinny Chung Short Story, “Stardust” – Gold Key Caden Fuchs '23 Personal Essay & Memoir, “Love” – Gold Key Mei Gong '24

Poetry, “Sonnet from Death to Life” – Honorable Mention Personal Essay & Memoir, “Autumn Leaves” – Honorable Mention Eswyn Gray '23 Personal Essay & Memoir, “Her Phó” – Honorable Mention Short Story, “A Mother’s Secret Recipe” – Silve r Key Carlo Kim '23 Poetry, “Tasers For Glocks” – Silver Key Poetry, “The Washington Consensus” – Silve r Key Poetry, “Sand Crab” – Silver Key Humor, “Polite Society” – Honorable Men tion Daniel Lee '23 Critical Essay, “A beautiful, little fool’ as a Machiavellian power manual for women in Gatsby’s world” – Gold Key Kendall Rhee '24 Poetry, “Foreign Tongue” – Silver Key Poetry, “Untitled” – Silver Key Poetry, “guernica” – Honorable Mention Poetry, “Spices” – Honorable Mention Kelsey Sha '22 Novel Writing, What Goes Around, Comes Around – Silver Key Carly Weinberger '23

Short Story, “Her Umber Piano” – Honorab le Mention

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FEATURE

“ Everybody has the Blues.

Everybody longs for meaning. Everybody needs to love and be loved.

Everybody needs to clap hands and be happy.”

– MARTIN LUTHER KING JR., OPENING ADDRESS AT THE BERLIN JAZZ FESTIVAL, 1964

Joy

B L AC K

By Kadeine Peterson, Biology Instructor

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T

his year, we are celebrating Black Joy as an alternative form of resistance and a reclamation of our shared humanity. Celebrating joy does not erase or diminish the collective pain of a people; instead, the lessons borne from the pain, and the hope bred from the joy are held in constant tension serving as point and counterpoint.

The first Black Student Union meeting of the 2021-22 school year took place in September with a group of about 19 Black identifying community members, mainly students with some faculty, coming together to discuss their experiences being Black at Cate. Interspersed between the conversations of what it felt like to have to explain for the millionth time why it was inappropriate to touch someone’s hair without permission or reliving the various microaggressions that occurred in the classroom, dorm or field, were bursts of joy punctuated by laughter and even impromptu song. In that room in Schoolhouse on a Thursday night, the collective outpouring of a shared anger and sadness somehow still left room for celebration.

Joy as a form of resistance for Black people in America is not a new concept. Stephanie M.H. Camp, an American feminist historian, wrote a 2002 article titled “The Pleasures of Resistance: Enslaved Women and Body Politics in the Plantation South 1830 to 1861” for the Journal of Southern History about this topic. In the article, she writes, “Just as exploitation, containment, and punishment of the body were political acts, so too was the enjoyment of the body.”

The joy she speaks of here is a rebellious one. It challenges, but it also heals and uplifts in a way that our students resonated with when selecting a theme for this year’s events.

What does Black Joy Mean?

Kadeine Peterson is all smiles during an emphatic round of applause by the Cate community following the Black History Fashion Show.

The most accurate definition of Black joy is anything that inspires, supports, and uplifts Black culture without trying to erase the difficulties of the Black experience. Black joy can be many things. It is healing, it is revolutionary, it is regenerative, it endures. There is more than one way to define Black joy, just as there are a multitude of ways to feel and express it.

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FEATURE

What went into the planning of MLK and BHM events?

The origins of Black History Month began in 1926 as Negro History Week and was the brainchild of Carter G. Woodson. He realized that by offering a theme for the yearly celebration, it allowed for the elevation of topics that needed emphasis without dictating exactly how the event should be celebrated. As much as society seeks to put Blackness and the Black experience into one single definable entity, that monolith is a myth. Likewise, we did not expect to be able to share all the ways we defined our joy through a singular event.

That is why it was so important that this celebration take up the space across the weeks between Martin Luther King Jr. Day and March 1. The creation of the Black History Month Calendar was done as a way to authentically weave moments of Black joy into school life. We wanted to give a window into the Black

experience at Cate, so used the spaces and moments that had already been established as part of the school day. This meant sharing personal narratives on Black joy during all school assemblies, offering both a music-based and filmbased series led by Randy Person '10 and Dr. Laura Moore respectively during evening hours, co-curating a list of books

by Black authors with Kate Parker '85 at the library, and hosting our culminating Fashion Show in the Hitchcock Theatre as a return to indoor assemblies.

Ultimately, a lot of time and deliberate thought went into the planning process for the events of MLK Jr. Day and Black History Month this year. We begin planning for MLK Day and Black History Month 2023 in March. It is our hope that the basic framework that has been built out from this process can be used to highlight and uplift the many cultural identities that coexist at Cate.

Proudly displaying their Black Joy t-shirts, Sanai Edwards '25 and Zoe Flint '25 introduce the Black History Fashion Show preview at assembly in the Class of '81 Amphitheatre.

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“ There is more than one way to define Black joy, just as there are a multitude of ways to feel and express it.”

Stephanie Akinfolarin '25 lets her joy shine through while dancing to Missy Elliott’s “Lose Control.”

Joy

What Does

B L AC K

Mean to You?

Randy Person '10, ENGLISH INSTRUCTOR

WHAT IS BLACK JOY TO ME?

From the age of zero to three, I’d hang out with my cousins at Grandma’s house on 112th and Lex. It’d be me, Shanice, Tenisha, Simon, and Deja – later on, Lil Rob, too.

From four to six, I attended my Lady Queen of Angel’s daycare, just down the block from Johnson projects, and there I remember Lil Jon Jon and Zedell, Shamika, Ray, and Tati.

At seven, Ma moved us to burbs – Pelham, to be exact. And at ten, those names became Michael and Phillip, Katie and Laura, Lauren, and Lauren, and Lauren.

WHAT IS BLACK JOY TO ME?

You see, at ten and a half, we moved out west, and there I met my best – and I mean my best, still to this day, my best mate, Boston. Boston Powers.

He was different than the rest. He was genuine. Down. He listened, learned, and eventually became family. Perhaps that’s why we’re still rockin all these years later.

Fast forward a few, through my time at a school in the hills of L.A. where I’d play with Sugarmans and carpool with Guralnicks, attend bar and bat mitzvahs for Parkers and Schwartzes, after all of that I found myself here...

Here, I felt seen. Known. Loved.. but aside from the Nwasiks and Vilsaints, or Williamsons (all who I looked up to!) There were still the Diemers, Woolfs, Kurths. Turners. Kamers, Falveys, Perierras and on and on…

See, you’d think by then, I’d seek to be with more of the few like me, but ironically, that didn’t happen until a four-year stint in – Maine.

Almost outta necessity, I found...

I found Josephs and Ruizes, and a Whitfield, Charles, Kalu, Rodgers – black men that reintroduced me to a remedy I forgot that I needed.

Unconditional Love. Laughter. Vision.

Care. Intelligence. Brotherhood. Iron sharpening iron. Understanding the need for understanding.

A sort of banding together in the midst of the unknown, which for me was actually too known. And that was the problem. It was too known – especially when compared to what should be familiar.

In reality, their friendship saved me.

It continues to save me.

WHAT IS BLACK JOY TO ME?

It’s looking around and seeing friendship in eyes that don’t need any explaining.

It’s taking off the ‘code’ and the ‘switch’ and shoving them in the sleeves of my jacket so that they won’t get lost.

It’s saying ‘YERRRRR’ and hearing ‘YERRRRRR’ back and not having to ponder if the greeting is mocking or appropriating. It’s knowing that I could cry or laugh or challenge or think or question or JUST BE. Yes. For me, you can say that my Black Joy, in part, is the friendship – the brother and sisterhood I feel when around I’m around many of the few that look like me. Oh, that fleeting feeling of being one of many instead of one of few. OH BOY, if you could witness the joy when this black man gets to be around his boys.

Cuz that is when I feel like the most true me.

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FEATURE

Muhsin Abdul-Hakim '24

Kaity Hendricks '23

Black Joy means a lot of things to me. It can be my four siblings, who give me inspiration every day, my mom and dad who are the reasons why I even got this far, or maybe even my extended family, even though I don’t see them that much. But for me at this very moment, Black Joy is when I go to BSU or hang out with my Black friends and feel like I am one of many, instead of one of few. I never really noticed my blackness until I came to Cate, ironically enough.

Especially in a COVID-19 year, I felt extremely isolated and didn’t truly fit in. But as the year went along, I realized that I was not the only Black person here. As my fairly short career here has gone along, I’ve found more people that are like me in one way or another. To sum this all up, Black Joy to me is trying to discover my blackness throughout my time at Cate, and the people who inspired me to discover my blackness in the first place.

Although each long Sunday growing up was initiated with a variety of tunes from Mary J. Blige, Keyshia Cole, Faith Evans, and Boyz II Men (just to name a few), those songs were on repeat playing almost as loudly as my mom’s singing. For most of my life, those songs served as a consistent reminder that there were a number of chores to be completed before the day was over, but it was peaceful. My Black Joy is listening to music everywhere I go, singing, and dancing. Music keeps me grounded and at ease despite the chaotic world around me. Each time I hear old '90s R&B, I am reminded of those moments with my mom – music is my Black Joy.

Joy

What Does

B L AC K

Mean to You?

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“ Black Joy to me is trying to discover my blackness throughout my time at Cate, and the people who inspired me to discover my blackness in the first place.”

Marley Joseph '23

Kennedy Kirkland '23

Born January 18, 2006, I was named Marley Joseph, after Bob Marley, the Jamaican legend. Since I came out of the womb, my life has been music. After all, music has always run in my family. My great uncle was a jazz musician, my grandfather was a drummer in his church – even my own mom sung when she was young, up until high school.

Music was an aspect of my life, I couldn’t even pass up on if I tried. I was raised listening to all types of music, Black musicians from Garnett Silk, to A Tribe Called Quest, to Jimmy Hendrix, to my personal favorite, A Boogie with a Hoodie. For my family, music was a way to express their happiness and joy, their Black Joy.

Some people listen to music to relax and some may listen to dance. I listen to music to reminisce on my best days ahead and reflect on the past. Music is my Black Joy.

This love of music was passed down to me. When I was younger, I wanted to be a rockstar, I’d wear outlandish fits and sing everywhere I went. Now, I’m a so-called Soundcloud rapper most of you guys know as MOJO or Yung MoJo. My Black Joy is enjoying music for what it is. The vibes and storytelling is something that I love. I’m happiest when I’m sitting with my boys, sipping on Arizona Tea, and listening to the hottest song of the week on my google home, annoying my whole block with loud 808s and my singing. I can’t imagine what my life would be like without music; music is the key to my happiness, my Black Joy.

I put on my black sleek studio beats headphones in the dimness of my golden LED lights. While lying on my carpet I blast old school artists Biggie Smalls, Black Sheep, Trey Songz, Kendrick Lamar, Ne-yo, DeBarge, J. Cole, and Mary J. Blige, just to name a few.

Listening to the words of some of my favorite music artists makes me proud of the lessons offered. I sway to the music with pride. I learn, and I connect the history of those who came before me, my past to my present time.

I feel proud when Queen Latifah sings about UNITY and affirms to “love a Black woman from infinity to infinity.” This stands strong in my mind as we sit in a time of controversy as people question the validity of nominating the first African American female to the Supreme Court. I love the positive messages that are affirmed in music that I sing “we originated from kings and queens” and that “it’s in our genes, we just don’t all know our history.” I take this knowledge to heart, having had a smoothie thrown to my back by a total stranger for wearing a BLM sweatshirt in rural Illinois.

Music has been one of my many teachers of Black history and culture. It is my light in the dark, sharing wisdom beyond my years that brings calm in times of strife. Music is my Black Joy.

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FEATURE

Abby Oke '24 dances to AmericanNigerian singer Davido during the Fashion Show.

Jae Hall-Collins '23 strikes a pose during one of his appearances in the Fashion Show.

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Super Bowl Champion Von Miller

Visits Cate Los Angeles Rams linebacker spent the afternoon with students to kick off the Black History Month celebration on the Mesa.

Just one week before winning his second career Super Bowl, Los Angeles Rams linebacker Von Miller made a special appearance at Cate School to kick off the celebration for Black History Month.

The eight-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl 50 Most Valuable Player answered questions one-on-one from Carlo Kim '23 about his life and career before addressing questions from the entire community.

Miller opened up about his midseason trade from the Denver Broncos to the Rams, his work ethic and inspiration from Kobe Bryant, being one of the last players ever to sack Tom Brady (at the time), and his career backup plan as a poultry farmer if football didn’t pan out.

Photo courtesy Chris O’Meara, Associated Press

“Thank God I made it to the NFL,” joked Miller, who majored in poultry science at Texas A&M. Kyle Mason, Cate’s Director of Outreach & Recruitment and Head Track & Field Coach, organized the event and spoke to the excitement of having the future Hall of Famer on campus.

“We are honored and blessed to have him open our Black History Month this year as we celebrate Black Joy at Cate School,” Mason said. “He has affected change on so many levels beyond football and does so much more than what we know him for.”

In celebration of Black Joy, Miller shared what Black Joy means to him.

“For me, the first thing that comes to mind when I think about my Black Joy is my son, Valor. To be able to raise someone in my likeness the same way my dad raised me brings me joy. I’m also blessed beyond measure and I have so many people that support me, care about me, and want me to do well – that all brings me joy, but giving the best of myself and being a dad to my son is my Black Joy.

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FEATURE

Inching Toward Joy:

COMPUTATIONAL THINKING AT CATE

By Leslie Turnbull '85

First-year faculty member Jenna deBoisblanc, seen here helping Alekha Rao '22 in her Advanced Computer Science class, has been an integral part of the School’s computational thinking efforts.

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38

Let’s play a game: Recall one of your first times having lunch in Raymond or Booth Commons. The numerous choices arrayed in front of you coupled with the orderly chaos of lunchtime on the Mesa on top of any possible time constraints you may have had (say, if you had an appointment with a faculty member or were not quite finished with an assignment due that same afternoon) might have been a little overwhelming.

The task of getting a meal wasn’t impossible, though. Following your own instincts and the example of others, you probably broke the process down into a series of very manageable actions: grab a plate.

Select food. Get a drink; look for a place to sit – don’t get jostled and drop your meal – check the time, eat … and there. Task completed.

Your first few attempts weren’t ideal; you may have made a mess at the salad bar and neglected to get flatware. However, over time, you learned from your errors, capitalized on your successes, and got better, and better, at eating lunch.

Your experience eventually became an expertise. Fast forward to your last year at Cate: you’d learned to navigate the rush and lull of other people’s schedules, how to get to Raymond Commons early when there might be limited quantities of leftover dessert available. You knew your favorite food “days” and gravitated to a regular spot to sit with friends. Eventually, you stopped even thinking about eating lunch; you just did it, and did it well.

Congratulations! You’re a computational thinker.

What is Computational Thinking?

COMPUTING COMPUTATIONAL THINKING COMPUTER SCIENCE

PROGRAMMING

For those of us who may jump to obvious conclusions when we read a word like “computational” (dry; completely numbers-based; not at all creative), let’s address that miscomprehension right away in the words of Cate faculty member Jenna deBoisblanc: “Computational thinking is enormously expressive! Think of it as “the new paintbrush.” Similarly, computer code – a language – is just another way of solving problems, telling stories and expressing experience.”

Jenna, a highly experienced educator and fine artist, is spending her first year at Cate as part of a team of faculty building coding and computational thinking (CT) into a multi-disciplinary program that will enhance the way thinking and learning happen on the Mesa. What drew Jenna to Cate was its deliberate commitment to building a researchinformed, very intentional CT program.

Elsewhere, these efforts – when done right – have proven to be highly effective in the educational landscape.

“There are no ‘silos,’ at Cate,” she says, naming several faculty members she met in the course of her first visits to the Mesa. Jenna recognized that open-mindedness and collegiality here would be an ideal place to examine some of society’s most pressing issues and artistic potentials.

“True innovations bring together both the mathematical and artistic minds.”

Tobin White, another member of the math faculty who has been at Cate since 2018, is one of the people who met and impressed Jenna.

Tobin, whose Ph.D. in mathematics and more than a decade of experience instructing graduate – and undergraduate – level students of education at UC Davis gives him a reasonable amount of credibility in both subjects, agrees.

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“Cate has made a really deliberate decision to deep-dive into a way of thinking that aligns well with the inquiry model. The way we have long taught writing is a great model for a CT curriculum; Cate students will now be able to engage with computation the same way they engage with words.”

As Tobin outlines the numerous “open pathways” in a four-year spectrum of courses that run from an introduction to digital arts during a Cate freshman’s 9th grade Foundation Arts course to increasingly advanced options progressing through senior year and (in some cases) senior inquiry projects, he – like his younger colleague – becomes even more excited.

“My work is to broaden those pathways, to engage and connect with our students in a space that can actually be full of joy, and play.”

Computer coding?

Joy? Play?

Absolutely. Three of Jenna deBoisblanc’s Advanced Computer Science students just completed individual projects that fully express a range of passions and interests; the apps and website they’ve developed are completely different and equally delightful to interact with. For example, Kelsey Sha '22 created an experience she calls the “Fishy Game,” replete with colorful sea creatures, easy directions, and the chance to win points.

Ben Meyer '22, on the other hand, built a financial analysis app that might just influence the way investors calculate potential stock purchases. Finally there is Ashi Kamra '22, who offers up an entire interactive website that offers both information about the iconic painter Jackson Pollock and an opportunity to use media to “paint” digitally in the artist’s distinctive style.

• Kelsey Sha's Fishy Game • Ashi Kamra's Jackson Pollock Website • Ben Meyer's Financial Analysis Website

All of the students were happy to share their work, and expound on the power of Cate’s computational thinking progression to enrich their academic careers. Kelsey, the creator of Fishy Game, puts it like this: “Before coming to Cate, I had zero prior experience in coding. During my sophomore year, I took an intro to computational science class with Dr. Kellogg in which we learned a bit of Python (a coding language), and that was pretty much my first and only experience with coding before classes with Ms. deBoisblanc this year.

“Her classes are always really exciting.

Though at first, I was really concerned because I didn’t know all that much about coding and had no clue how Javascript (the language we’re using this year) works, Ms. deBoisblanc did a great job of teaching topics by using fun exercises on Replit (another platform) as well as creating a space where everyone

Math Instructor Tobin White is excited for the many computational thinking opportunities that lie ahead for students at Cate.

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feels comfortable asking questions and letting her know if they are confused. But what really makes her classes special is the fact that she doesn’t just teach us how to code, but pushes us to think about why we code and what we want to do with our code. For example, just recently, we were looking at algorithmic bias and how important our intentions are when it comes to coding.”

Similarly, Ben Meyer – the Cate student who’s thinking about revolutionizing investment strategies – had never coded at all before his enrollment in the “Introduction to Computational Thinking” course last year. In this course, as Ben describes it, he “... really got into it” and found an avenue for finding and sharing information that he hopes might one day help others.

Ashi describes building the Jackson Pollock Website as “... definitely my standout moment. I’ve known a lot of the concepts we’ve covered for a while, but I’ve never gotten the chance to apply them in any way I’ve wanted to. I was able to assert control over what I was doing with my knowledge and passions.

It felt really fulfilling.”

For all the disparity of their backgrounds and interests, all three of these Cate students agree: Computational thinkers don’t have to confine themselves to one area of study. Or, as Ashi says: “I’m an artist and a coder. This website is the proof.”

Tobin White explains this excitement for coding and computational thinking from a more academic standpoint.

“ Cate has made a really deliberate decision to deep-dive into a way of thinking that aligns well with the inquiry model.

The way we have long taught writing is a great model for a CT curriculum; Cate students will now be able to engage with computation the same way they engage with words.”

“At the end of the day,” Ben says, “I would like my finance app to help someone make a knowledgeable decision about buying or selling a stock.

On top of that, I am just grateful for everything I’ve learned while creating this app, and the excitement I get from adding functionality definitely makes me want to pursue a minor or major in computer science. This project has shown that ‘comp sci’ is really a useful skill no matter what field you go into.”

“We’re getting to a place where all Cate students will have competencies in this realm to use when appropriate and relevant. These are skills that can be practiced in almost any domain.”

Jenna deBoisblanc adds, “We are asking our students – and ourselves – ‘What is the role of computational thinking in solving some of the most pressing problems of our time?’ To be part of a team considering this idea from

different directions – it’s such a compelling prospect.”

Computational thinking isn’t just an avenue to future career success (although that is certainly relevant when employers are clamoring for people with problemsolving, coding, collaboration, and storytelling skills.)

When students develop computational skills they have tools which allow them to articulate everyday problems and think logically. They can analyze the issues at hand and predict what may happen in the future. This in turn helps them to explore cause and effect and analyze how their actions or the actions of others impact the given situation. These skills can have powerful impacts on current and future Cate students, and how they manage their relationships, careers, and personal happiness … or, as Tobin White puts it, to “… inch toward joy.”

In contrast to her two classmates, Jackson Pollock fan Ashi was an experienced coder when she came to the Mesa. Once at Cate, however, she learned to look at her skill through a new lens. Having discovered a “love for drawing and studio art” in other Cate courses, Ashi says, “I felt so excited to create!” in the digital world.

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FEATURE

Servons Speaker Series: The Joy of Expression

By Taylor Wyatt, Math Instructor Meghan Killea '13 and Emma Pope '13 gave their talk together one fine Tuesday morning in 2013. I remember the two of them at the podium: hair dark, eyes bright, sunlight sifting through the warm chapel windows. I remember laughing: the kind of laughter that bubbles up and floats. And I remember feeling grateful: their talk gave me something substantial to think about, to consider, and to reconsider. Emma and Meghan spoke about life at Cate, about growing up here together, always together.

It’s strange that on campus with so much land, we’re almost always within a few feet of the nearest person.

Even when we’re sleeping.

Even when we’re peeing. …

At Cate, we’re told Circumspice.

To look around us.

So, we do.

And, all we see are the people within three feet of us.

Even when we’re sleeping.

Even when we’re peeing.

True, true. There is so much time invested in the human community at Cate, so much time spent in the dorms, classes, advisory, with teammates, and castmates. And, as these two seniors reflected, so often students are asked to look around at this community in search of role models, mentors, and friends.

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Even when looking beyond the Mesa, teachers emphasize: observe, infer, what do you notice about others? So Meghan and Emma wondered if each of us at Cate knew who we were when we were alone: alone on the bus home from Carp, sitting at a dining hall table by ourselves, or in a dorm room, with all technology put away. Then they delivered this phenomenal last line: Take a break from the circumspice, and look inside.

Interspice, if you will. …

Okay, maybe intraspice might have been a better fit, but we all knew what they meant! So well done. Applause and laughter and consideration ensued. We chatted about their talk that evening in the dorm and at dinner and asked questions like, “when was the last time you stood in line and didn’t check your phone?”

Emma and Meghan’s talk gave us a nice moment of calm in our frenetic day: 15 minutes in the sunlit chapel where the only thing asked of us was our quiet attention. There were chocolate chip cookies waiting in the courtyard (“Just take one!” – D. Wood). Our weekly talks continue to be a welcome pause, a chance to think without immediately reacting. When our schedule change made Tuesday Talks a bit of a misnomer, the program was renamed the Servons Speaker Series because of the way in which seniors put themselves, often their very vulnerable selves, in front of our community to make a contribution. Just this year, Jonathan Yoo had us laughing

as he chided his freshman self for getting attached to his image as a tall “math god” before realizing how much the Fall Outdoors Program meant to him. Rachel Ma, with professional comedic timing, related one of her “most cherished memories” that she had sworn “to never tell anyone about ever” (there is a restroom with questionable design choices and a fan involved) before diving deep into the oneness of humanity. And Schoolhouse prefect Imani Oseso meditated on her transition to Cate and a shameful moment of spilled pizza bagels that turned into a memory full of amusement, strength, and connection.

The content of the Servons Speaker Series varies greatly, but each talk is always a genuine, reflective effort to say something meaningful, to push us to consider different perspectives, grow in our empathy and awareness, inspire us, advise us, and give us a sense of the complex interrelatedness of humankind. It is humbling and inspiring to be a part of the process, which is now entirely student run by a member of the senior class, a position held this year by Emily May. We hope you’ll find this collection of talks valuable. Circumspice. Intraspice.

Watch the full Servons speeches online at

cate.org/bulletin

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The following are excerpts from a variety of Servons talks given this year by the Class of 2022.

John Endres

“

…Think back to those unforgettable, shining moments that make your world a little brighter. This world needs people like you all to make the kind of change that we so desperately need, and we can’t afford anyone to be cynical, unmotivated, or discouraged. There’s always hope, and there’s always a way to make something better. Talk to people, volunteer, break some rules if you must. Remember, well-behaved people rarely make history. The only thing that is going to halt our movement of change is ourselves. Nothing and no one else can stop the hope and love that we are trying to achieve. When people stand together…. there is truly nothing that cannot be accomplished.

The passion and decency that you all possess is going to make our generation truly one in a million. No one person, no matter how kind or well-intentioned, can do it alone. And because of that, let us all be the change that we want to see in this world, because after all...it’s not about any one person. It’s truly about US.

Imani Oseso

“

Today, I feel comfortable sharing that I am a 17 year old diagnosed with anxiety and PTSD. I struggle with my relationship with food and body image.

I have a lot of self-doubt and quite a bit of imposter syndrome, and I am still learning to love the color of my skin. I am sharing these things with you today because I believe that they should be natural to say. We can’t live in a community where this idea of perfection is idolized when in reality, all of us have our own quote unquote weaknesses.

With our struggles going unsaid, unhealthy standards are created and 44

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fake smiles are plastered everywhere.

It took a few pizza bagels and Maya Fenelon for me to find empowerment in vulnerability. Learning to be content with these pieces of the intricate puzzle that makes me me is how I am establishing myself as an individual. Maya empowered me to see my vulnerabilities – the things that I imagined would make me an outcast – as something to be celebrated, to be appreciated, to be valued, and to share rather than hide. As professor Brene Brown astutely asserts, “Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy – the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are

brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.”

Thus, I urge you to embrace what makes you distinct and vulnerable. Find the joy in knowing that what you bring to the table is enough and valued. And cherish the people in your life who repeatedly remind you that you are perfect just as you are or that your authentic self is perfect just as it is. For those of you who feel that embracing your vulnerabilities is a long way off, just know that it will happen when you’re ready. Maybe it will take a pizza bagel catastrophe, or maybe one day you’ll wake up with the sudden urge but when it does happen, embrace it, run with it, and cherish it.

Jonathan Yoo

“

…Wait, hold on.

Did I hear myself right? I wasn’t just doing Outdoors because I HAD to (even though it technically was a commitment), but I was doing Outdoors because I genuinely wanted to. Back then, I didn’t do anything that I genuinely wanted to do. I played video games, but only because I was bored, and it was something I could dump hours into. Did I even really like math?

I didn’t even enjoy doing math anymore, it just felt like something I was obligated to do because everyone thought I was good at it. I – REALLY – LIKED – FALL OUTDOORS. And just like that, the misconception that I HAD to do things disappeared. I realized that I should do things because I Want to do them. I couldn’t give up Outdoors – I loved it.

And I think I apologized to P-BonBon? Eventually? But yeah, sorry, Bonning, for stealing your paddle

that time. Thanks for not kicking us out of Outdoors…

But, what did I learn from this experience? I learned that you DON’T PISS OFF BONNING. But seriously, what I learned is that you don’t have to force yourself into a box, or an activity, or an interest, etc... to exist at Cate. Actually, you really shouldn’t. What I think is cool about Cate is that it provides people like me and all of you a place to explore and learn more about ourselves. We get to find out what really defines us. If I had never tried Cate Outdoors, I would have never found the one thing I love so much today. There are so many opportunities to take, all on the same campus.

I want to end today’s talk by thanking Mr. Denison, P-Bon-Bon, Tracey Calhoun, and Shaps for introducing me to something that I GET to do, rather than something that I HAVE to do.

“

I urge you to embrace what makes you distinct and vulnerable. Find the joy in knowing that what you bring to the table is enough and valued.

”

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Ashi Kamra

“

Flash forward to now. Every day, stepping outside of Pars to go to breakfast, I stop.

I stare at the cotton candy sky, the rugged mountains, the graceful trees, and the dewy grass. I stop for 30 seconds to absorb it all. During dance practice, I use the daily warmup to focus on every vertebrae in my back, to send energy through my arms to the very tips of my fingers, and to be transported by the nostalgic autotune of 2015 Justin Bieber. I try as hard as I can to be present. To find beauty in daily routine. To appreciate the impermanent. When spending time with my loved ones, I am focused. I want to memorize their smiles, their tears, their laughs, everything about them that forms the being that I am falling in love with. Although sometimes that may just look like I’m staring at you, I swear I’m not trying to be creepy. Love is just that vulnerable. In terms of my academics, I’ve come to realize that putting effort into the subjects I love is so much easier than dragging myself to the ones I don’t love. So, I relish that. I relish in the moments of absolute confusion (as often occurs in F-block Calculus) and spiritual contemplation (thank you Comparative Religions).

I relish in those times and everything in between because I know that it won’t last forever.

The sun in the middle of my little solar system is slowly changing. Though once I was powered by school and the need for academic success, I can feel my energy now coming from the places, people, and things I love. And, it feels so much better than before.

If you take away anything from this talk please let it be these two things. First, go watch Violet Evergarden, seriously, it’s a great show.

Secondly, use your time, your limited, precious, beautiful time, to fall in love with the world. Go on a beachside picnic, text that person you weren’t going to, make Saturday’s movie nights, write love letters to yourself, journal each morning, romanticize the hell out of your life. Feel the good things as much as you can feel the bad things.

Love, because you never know when loss will come your way.

Love, because those are the things we remember.

Love, because no, you are not a robot.

Love, because you are alive.

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Paige Rawiszer

“

…But I choose to believe in faith, in love, in happiness, in friendship, and in the butterfly effect. If the butterfly effect theory is true, then it means that every good event that has happened in my life has been because of some other event.

Bad things are going to happen, but the butterfly effect is a guarantee that good things are also going to continue to happen. Every positive event in my life could have been caused by something that I didn’t even know happened.

Meaning that every action in your life, whether good or bad, is a prospect for something amazing to happen in the future, something you never even thought possible. And this is what I choose to believe in. The power of the butterfly effect.

Peter Wood

I’m no expert in physics, as Shaps can most certainly testify, but what I do know is that something had to happen for me to be standing here. I am only able to stand here because of the perfect set of conditions that provided me with this moment. I can spend my life worrying about what may be or what has or might have been, but I can also be right here, right now, at this moment.

I am somehow here, talking to you at this podium, on top of this bizarre and beautiful mountain, surrounded by the magnificent landscape and people who I am lucky enough to call my peers and teachers. Surrounded by friends who make every day worth living and who make me a better person just by being around. Surrounded by, and I’m sorry for this, the spirit of this place. And for right now, that is all I need to know, it is more than enough, and I am eternally and forever grateful.

“

Antes de empezar mi próxima historia, me gustaría decirles algo: no he podido usar mucho mi castellano aquí en Cate, por lo que quiero aprovechar esta oportunidad para dar el resto de mi discurso en castellano. Cuando empecé a escribirlo, ya sabía que esta parte iba a ser muy difícil, pero quería hacerlo así de todas maneras, ya que representa una gran parte de lo que soy ahora. Aunque podría decirlo todo en inglés, quisiera hacerlo en castellano porque estoy muy orgulloso de mi sangre argentina.

Esta historia empieza durante mi primer año en Cate. Para el primer Spring Fling, esperaba ir al baile para pasar el rato y conocer a más chicos de mi clase. Todos teníamos que tomar el autobús para llegar hasta Thacher. El autobús estaba lleno, lleno, y el viaje tardó mucho tiempo.

Cuando finalmente llegamos, todos salimos rápido y fuimos a comer antes del baile. Llegué a la cola para la comida un poco tarde y me puse al final así que no estuve con mis compañeros de clase

pero terminé con otros que eran un año mayor. Eran Ari, Deb, Asa, Yuli, Leilani, y Sarah. Ya las conocía un poco pero no tanto como a los otros de mi mismo año.

Ahí estuve hablando con estas chicas sin saber que se iban a convertir en unas de mis mejores amigas de toda la vida; hasta ahora lo son. Después de cenar, fuimos a los castillos inflables juntos.

Fue muy divertido estar con ellas, me encantó pasar esos momentos juntos.

Más tarde, vino el baile con todos los estudiantes de Thacher y Cate. La música era tan fuerte que me estaba sacudiendo.

No me gustaba mucho la música que estaban tocando al principio porque eran canciones que no me daban entusiasmo para estar en el medio de toda esa gente.

Un poco después, empezaron a tocar la música que me gustaba y me puse en el centro del grupo. Nunca me voy a olvidar de cuando tocaron Caroline de Animé, unas personas me levantaron así que estuve encima de todos, me estaban sosteniendo arriba en el aire; oía que estaban gritando mi nombre. Fue unas de las mejores experiencias de mi vida, me dejó el sentimiento de estar en la cima del mundo.

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Alumni Dispatches

By Guille Gil-Reynoso & Matt McClenathen Cate alumni unearth joy in various ways – whether pursuing a passion project, launching a new venture, developing new partnerships, starting a new job, doing rewarding community work, or starting a family and connecting with old friends.

The following dispatches illustrate how Cate alumni are deeply involved and engaged in meaningful work and how they are uncovering joy in their career journeys.

Sal Carrera '90 It was not in Sal’s plans to go to Cate School, his dream was to play football at his local Carpinteria High School and to be featured on the big screen at Rusty’s Pizza Parlor on Friday nights. His older brother advised him to look beyond football and consider applying to Cate. In the 1980s, Cate did not have a football team but Sal took his brother’s advice to heart and applied. He was accepted and quickly recognized that everyone was on the same path to go to college. “I went along for the ride. At times, I felt I was not smart enough since many students came from a private school background. Ultimately that did not matter, I had the experience of learning and meeting really great people.”

Once at Cate, Sal made a commitment to try things that were new to him, including volleyball and lacrosse. He fondly remembers Mr. Woodworth, a kind man who helped him sharpen his writing skills over the summer before starting at Cate. “I was fortunate to have the right people guiding me and making sure that I had what I needed to be successful. Cate put me on a trajectory to a different career and life path that

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I did not foresee.” Sal holds that Cate’s Servons motto clearly steered his career and he’s attained much fulfillment in helping others through various public-serving jobs.

For 11 years, Sal worked for Denver Public Schools helping immigrants and refugees navigate the U.S. system. His job was to ensure that families knew what resources were available to them in terms of food, shelter, and healthcare. According to Sal, at that time, Denver had the most diverse language district, representing 281 languages. Sal now works at Vegas PBS as Director of Development, and his work focuses on raising philanthropic funds to support broadcasting educational media services.

Sal’s passion for people is remarkable. “People are the most important, it’s always about helping and appreciating people – treating them with dignity. When you treat people with dignity, you develop strong relationships,” he said. And that is exactly what Sal does.

DISPATCHES

Verena Chu '07

A slight detour on the way to dinner at Raymond Commons would ultimately change the course of history for Verena Chu. During a College Night event on campus, Verena noticed an empty booth with a lonely representative and made her way over to make conversation. The college booth in question? The University of St Andrews. With plans to study medicine at UC Berkeley all but confirmed, the meeting brought some enticing advantages of a school like St Andrews to Verena’s attention.

Primarily the ability to start in the medical field right away as opposed to years down the road in the United States.

Verena heard all she needed to hear. She applied shortly after, and the rest is history. “It was fate,” she said. “That is one of the things I have always believed in. I believe everything happens for a reason.”

After completing her medical degree from St Andrews, Verena has remained in the United Kingdom, completing her surgical training in Manchester and working all over England.

Following an intensive period of time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Verena developed a new outlook on life and made the decision to transition from surgery to family medicine.

“This was a decision I made when I had my own personal clarity on what I constituted as happiness and joy,” she said.

“I have learned to appreciate everything. I had to take a step back and ask myself if I was truly happy.”

She credits much of her fortitude to her time at Cate and her experiences from Outings Week that she draws on to this day.

“Cate really helped me transition to the real world,” she said.

“I always tell people my experience of Outings Week – it was snowing when we went to Yosemite, and we didn’t have showers and had to dig our own toilets, etc. It was such a humbling experience that made me a more flexible person.

Cate taught me to be independent, flexible, and adaptable to anything that comes my way.”

Verena still keeps in touch with her advisor, Cheryl Powers, who she considers an honorary mom/grandma/confidante, but more importantly, her friend. She is also very grateful to have received Mrs. Powers’ signature banana bread recipe, a staple during advisory meetings.

One of her all-time favorite Cate memories was attending her 10-year reunion at Camp Cate in 2017. “It was really wonderful to see all of my old classmates and connect with them,” she said. “In many ways, it was like we had never left.”

With most of her family living in Hong Kong, Verena finds joy in the day-to-day as a dog and cat mom, cherishing her small family unit in the UK. 49

ALUMNI DISPATCHES

Derek Turpin '01 Derek’s vision of a high school was concrete buildings, blacktop, and chain-link fences, so when he came to Cate School it was an incredibly eye-opening experience. Upon arriving at Cate, he immediately felt a sense of openness and connection to the history of the School.

One aspect that Derek most values about Cate is that the School encourages students to be who they are. “I wasn’t the best student, but I could always relate to people and had good analytical skills,” he recalled. “Faculty members recognized that I had a lot of creativity, and they knew how to reach me, and I believe that’s a really unique gift that Cate offers.” Derek vividly remembers impersonating faculty voices and mannerisms in front of the entire school and displayed a willingness to always “put himself out there.” He lives by this motto and encourages students to do this while pursuing a career. “Network like crazy, especially if you are not comfortable doing so,” he said. “Go to career fairs, apply to internships, meet people in an area that intrigues you, and get in front of companies that spark your interest.”

When he was a Cate student, iPhones didn’t even exist yet, but now he works for Rivian, an electric adventure vehicle tech company, and is fully immersed in the modern tech industry. At Rivian, he’s the Manager of Talent Acquisition – the company focuses on the innovation, technology, and progression of electric vehicles, and a key part of this job involves understanding the business, knowing where it’s going, and working with CEOs, Vice Presidents, and Managers to hire the right people. Interestingly enough, out of 9,000 employees, two other Cate alumni have joined Rivian – Erik Nielsen '87 and Kyle Hollister '03.

Upon reflecting on a great high school experience, Derek believes Cate really prepared him to think creatively and taught him how to start over, which is important in a rapidly changing environment.

“I don’t know that I would’ve been the type of student that Cate touts as one of the smartest or brightest, but I do think that after Cate, we will all find a good path that works for us.”

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Junjun (Rainbow) Wang '15 JunJun (Rainbow) Wang '15 knew what she wanted to do with her life from the moment she stepped foot on the Mesa.

It was the relationships she built and the experiences she had at Cate that ultimately gave her the confidence to pursue her dream of becoming an architect.

Described as an “imaginative,” “terrific,” and “tremendous” artist in her senior citation, Rainbow recalls impressing Mr. [John] Swain in ceramics class and realizing that she might have a knack for art after all. That same senior citation, or rather prognostication, went on to say, “...Rainbow has moved appropriately from an interest in two-dimensional work to three dimensions and a growing facility in architecture.”

“I always loved art and knew I wanted to have a stable career, so architecture was one of the only things I considered,” she said.

“I knew I wanted to be in design and not be a starving artist. I always liked physics and mechanics too, so architecture was a great intersection of all of those things.”

Upon graduating from Cate, Rainbow completed the five-year bachelor of architecture program at the University of Southern California and now works in hospitality design architecture for

Soho House – a group of private hotels, bars, and clubs aimed at artists and creatives. Thus far, she’s worked on hotel design projects in Los Angeles, Mexico City, and Cabo San Lucas and looks forward to going to work each day.

“I am fortunate to be doing what I am doing,” she said. “I love the design team and all of my coworkers. I love working, and it doesn’t seem like it is work. I am lucky that I pursued a career that I really enjoy.”

The Tony Hooker '56 Sculpture Award recipient as a senior, Rainbow can thank Patrick Collins’ famed Art History class (she still has the textbook) for making college a bit easier, and she is grateful for the support she received from faculty, including Bill Anderson, who helped set her down the architecture career path. Some of her fondest memories include spontaneous outdoor trips from sunrise paddleboarding to kayaking along the central coast and her experiences from Ned Bowler and Paul Denison '79’s American Wilderness class. A cross country standout during her time on the Mesa, Rainbow continues to run to this day.

“I look back on my time at Cate very fondly, and the experiences that I had are very unique; it is hard to even describe to people,” she said. “My time at Cate made me a better person and in many ways got me to where I am today.

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ALUMNI DISPATCHES

Jessica Liou '16 Fate – and a Cate experience – led Jessica Liou to launch MathXplorers, her passion project aimed at bringing out the joy in learning math while addressing low levels of math proficiency for students in Guatemala. Jessica took a gap year after Cate in order to earn some money and returned to Guatemala, the place she’d visited as a junior on a Cate service learning trip. She spent her early career in Antigua, Guatemala and taught English in Zone 3 of Guatemala City. She quickly became fascinated with the country’s indigenous visibility and fell in love with the culture and students.

“Guatemala is incredibly impoverished and has gone through genocides and civil war,” she said. “Yet, the country is gorgeous, from its people to its natural setting. Forming relationships with kids that were not much younger than me was just so amazing that I couldn’t leave, I had work to do there.”

In Guatemala, only about 10% of 15-yearold students are achieving a minimum level of proficiency in mathematics, according to the 2015 Programme for International Student Assessment.

Recognizing the immense achievement gap and

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need for relevant programming, Jessica partnered with educator Gigi Carunungan to develop MathXplorers.

She proudly shares that the vision for this program is to create a world that celebrates all children and that offers equitable learning opportunities so that students can achieve their full potential. The program accomplishes this through storytelling rather than the traditional method of equations or memorization that many of us grew up with. “Stories are a big part of who we are so we designed a math program which introduces diverse characters and names that students follow through different scenarios and growth experiences. Kids really connect to that.”

MathXplorers is currently marketed to parents and has a growing presence in afterschool boys and girls clubs.

Jessica currently lives in San Jose, Calif. and is a student in the Harvard Extension Program where she is pursuing a psychology degree while simultaneously developing and marketing the MathXplorers program.

She is living proof that with hard work and a desire to make a difference, everyone can make an impact in the world.

In Memoriam Charles (Chuck) Dimon '48 November 24, 1928 – October 27, 2021

Chuck Dimon (far right) in 2003 with members from the Cate Class of 1948.

Published by The Oregonian from Oct. 29 to Oct. 31, 2021 Charles “Chuck” Grayson Dimon Jr. died Oct. 27, 2021, in Portland, Ore. He was born Nov. 24, 1928 in New York, N.Y., to parents Sarah Jane Talbot Dimon and Charles Grayson Dimon, and followed by his younger sister Diane. He spent his youth between NYC and the family farm in Roxbury, Conn. In 1946, Chuck moved to Portland to live with his grandfather, Guy W. Talbot. He spent his high school years at Lincoln High School and Cate School and attended college at the University of Oregon.

Chuck attended the Naval Aviation Cadet Program in 1951, launching a successful, 30-year career in the U.S. Navy. He held a BA in Political Science from the Naval Postgraduate School and a Masters from George Washington University. In 1973, he became a professor of Naval Science (NROTC program) at Oregon State University. A career Navy pilot, Chuck flew five naval

aircraft, logged more than 5,400 flight hours, made over 350 combat missions, and amassed over 900 aircraft carrier landings. His favorite aircraft were the F8 Bearcat and F8 Crusader. He was awarded a Bronze Star and many other commendations for his service during the Vietnam War. He retired from the Navy as a Captain in 1977. He then founded Memory Lane Motors in S.E. Portland, turning his lifelong hobby of collecting antique cars into a thriving business. He retired in the mid-1990s after selling the business. He gave back to his community as President of the S.E. Rotary and contributed many hours to S.M.A.R.T. and Meals on Wheels. Chuck was a longtime member of the Multnomah Athletic Club and enjoyed many hours in the pool. He was an animal lover and had many dogs over the years. In his younger years, his family raised English Setters and won awards at Westminster.

In 1953 he married Elizabeth J. Fitzgibbon. They raised four children

together. After living in San Diego Calif., Monterey, Calif., and Newport, R.I., they settled back in Portland.

Elizabeth died in 1991. In 1995, after an introduction by mutual friends, Chuck met Beverly. They married in 1999. They enjoyed extensive world travels together and resided in Portland and at their second home on the Oregon Coast in Gearhart. Their doors were always open for friends and family to gather.

Chuck will be greatly missed and remembered for his loyalty, compassion, kindness, quick wit; and his passion for animals, collector cars, and the U.S. Navy. He is survived by his wife, Beverly Frances Dimon; his children, Charles Dimon III, David Dimon (Christie), Diane Snow (Dan), and Carolyn Dimon; stepchildren, Kerry Panton (Bill), Anne Harrison (John), Lesley Vermaas (John), Jack Healy (Suzanne) and Kathleen Healy (Peter); and grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Multnomah Athletic Foundation or Oregon Humane Society.

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IN MEMORIAM

John Shevlin '49 (left) with classmates Terry Sanders '49 (middle) and Addison Luce '49 (right) in 1990.

John B. Shevlin '49

October 23, 1930 – February 7, 2021

By Terry Anne Bickmore John Burrell Shevlin was born October 23, 1930, and passed away on November 19, 2021. He grew up in Minneapolis, Minn., Bend, Ore., and Belvedere, Calif.

In Bend, he met Bill Prince’s family who introduced him to Cate School where he attended for his high school years. John frequently remarked that Cate provided a profoundly influential experience for him, where he forged his lifelong ties with Mr. Cate, Stan and Betty Woodworth, Terry Sanders '49, and many of his classmates of 1949.

John began playing piano at the age of seven and studied the classics with teacher “Mellow Milly” while at Cate.

At 15, his parents allowed him to choose the style of piano he wished to pursue.

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It was the world of jazz that captured his attention and held it throughout the rest of his life as an avocation.

John was a mechanical engineer in the work-world where he developed several U.S. patents in his line of work.

John met and married his best friend and love-of-his-life, Carole, in Irvine, Calif. in 1988. They retired to Payson, Ariz. where John and Carole were instrumental in starting the “Friends of Jazz” organization which produced monthly concerts. That group of music lovers celebrated John last February with a concert honoring the tunes he most frequently played.

John had the gift of solo “jazz stride,” and his unique style touched the souls of those who were fortunate enough to hear him play.

John is survived by his wife Carole, now of Scottsdale, Ariz., his daughter Terry Anne Bickmore of Santa Barbara, Calif., son Thomas Cook (nee Shevlin) of Oak Harbor, Wash., Clay Shevlin of Tustin, Calif., three grandchildren, Chloe, Cooper, and Lucas. His Arizona, Michigan, and Texas families (Carole’s children), to which John was “Papa” for 34 years, include Jill and Dean Butler of Scottsdale, Julie and Kevin Granger of Grosse Pointe, Mich., and Jeff and Karen Johnson of Houston, Texas, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

“DAP” remained close to him through his final days, including their last “Old Guys Lunch” in September.

His sense of humor was as dry as the rare martini he would enjoy, always quick with a pun or an understated observation that could make a person laugh…often when they weren’t supposed to (think church), while Peter was a master of the straight-faced shrug and with an eye roll and subtle head tilt could deftly deflect attention back on his victim.

A voracious reader, Peter’s library included over 1,000 books; among the classics and science fiction, more than half of the titles addressed his favorite subjects – history and war. He enjoyed puzzles, including his daily race through the New York Times crossword. Always in ink; never a mistake. Jeopardy? He’d have eaten Ken Jennings’ lunch.

Peter Heathman Jaeger '59 March 8, 1941 – January 6, 2022 Published in dvfuneralhome.com Peter Heathman Jaeger, 80, a resident of Beaverton, Ore. passed away on January 6, 2022 at St. Vincent Hospital.

Peter was born at Emanuel Hospital in Portland, Ore., on March 8, 1941 to parents Lloyd Powell Jaeger and Della May Heathman Jaeger.

Peter led a comfortable childhood growing up on the family compound on the banks of the Clackamas River, enjoying the summers tubing with friends, his sister Judi, cousin Arden and others. Peter was one of the smartest children in Barclay Elementary School, leading his parents to enroll him at Cate School in Carpinteria, Calif. for grades eight through twelve. He was editor of the School’s yearbook – The Mesan – his senior year. His classmates of 1959 remember his style of ‘sarcasm and support, reflecting an underlying gentleness and the affection he had for us.’ Peter would have joined them for their 65th reunion in 2024.

Peter attended Lewis and Clark College in Portland where he belonged to the Alpha Kappa Psi Fraternity and worked as a disc jockey at the college (KLC) and a few local AM radio stations. Despite his passion for the piano and symphony (and his musical ability) his parents steered him towards business studies and ultimately a bachelor’s degree in economics. Peter’s color-blindness prohibited him from serving in the military, which is probably good given he always characterized himself ‘a lover, not a fighter’ which may be how he met (on campus) and married Patricia Anne Harriman, the mother of his two children.

In the mid-1960s, Peter began his career in data processing and computer programming, a career that would span nearly 30 years and include companies like Arcoa, ComTek, Riviera Motors, Nike, DataCorp, and EDS. Colleagues recall that no coding or systems problem was a match for Peter’s insights and problem-solving skills. Most of Peter’s dearest and enduring friendships were born at work; two friends “Mouse” and

Peter loved his Sundays: Reading The Oregonian front-to-back; enjoying late breakfasts; watching his beloved Packers (and Coach Lombardi). His most cherished part was Sunday Dinner at Meredith’s home, enjoying the visits with his grandchildren and other family and friends. His favorite meal was probably a toss-up between meatloaf and prime rib with yorkshire pudding – both with mashed, of course. Vegetables were always optional.

He is preceded in death by his parents.

He is survived by his children Meredith Lynda Jaeger of Beaverton and Michael Francis Jaeger of Vancouver, Wash.; his four grandchildren – Rachel Cree Oskierko and Lukas Heathman Oskierko, Michael Alexander Jaeger and Anika Lindsey Jaeger; his sister Judi Otnes of Oak Grove; and his cousin Arden Thornton of Portland.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation to North Willamette Valley Habitat for Humanity.

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IN MEMORIAM

Stephen P. Spittler '63 October 24, 1945 – January 16, 2022 Stephen Spittler '63 (right) with Lex Passaris '75.

By Greg H. Kubicek '74 Stephen Spittler changed my life. A fortunate person will meet a handful of individuals who will change their life forever. For me, Stephen Spittler was one of those people. What is remarkable is that I am only one of many whose life Stephen touched and changed for the better, as a teacher, coach, mentor and friend.

I met Stephen when I was 14 years old on a tour of Cate School as a prospective student. I sat in one of his classes and knew immediately he was a gifted teacher with a passion for his calling. One of the great things about boarding school is the close interpersonal relationships one forms not only with fellow students but with the faculty and staff. I was blessed to have many role models at Cate, but over time Stephen became as a brother to me. Mr. Spittler (or Thunder Thighs as we called him when not in his presence) was as close to a renaissance man as I had ever met.

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anything that he could summon interest for. When there wasn’t a class, he would start a seminar, and I remember him gathering faculty members and students to his apartment for a seminar on “Chance and Necessity,” an essay on the natural philosophy of modern biology

by Jacques Monod. It is typical of Stephen that despite the busy schedules students and faculty members have at Cate he was able to gather a group to pursue this independent study.

Besides his intellectual interests he was an accomplished athlete. He was captain of the soccer team while a student at Cate, was instrumental in persuading Mr. Cate to build a swimming pool on campus and as a teacher he coached soccer. In addition, he was an avid squash and tennis player. Given Stephen’s large size, he was a sight to behold dominating the tee in a squash court. But his passions didn’t stop there – he was a devoted classical music fan, particularly opera, and would eagerly engage anyone in conversation about Mozart or any other composers.

Besides his accomplishments, his passions made him so much fun. He loved popcorn. He loved ice cream. He loved German cars. He loved nature in all its glory. He loved Cate and he loved Stanford. And most of all, he loved sharing his passions. These were his rules for living: Spittler’s “rules”....

Always ask for directions Always take the opportunity to pee when you can Never miss an opportunity to get your feet wet And… Ice cream is its own food group Stephen Paul Spittler was born on October 24, 1945 to Russell and Gwendolyn Spitter, in Lodi, California.

He was the youngest of four boys and spent his childhood playing in the woods and streams near his house, and riding horses and bicycles all over the area.

He spent one year at the Shattuck School and discovered that military

life was not for him, and transferred to Cate School, where he flourished academically and athletically. While at Cate he bonded with Mr. Cate, and they were close friends for the rest of Mr. Cate’s life.

He went on to Stanford, and there played as a walk-on to the Varsity Waterpolo team – describing the game as “controlled drowning.”

He spent time in Germany, and then came back to Cate to teach, coach and live in High House as a dorm advisor. There he began his long career of influencing young lives. He taught German, Biology, History of Religion and English. Stephen also periodically served as Dean of Admissions. He was

Randolph (Randy) Bennett Ritchie '71 September 12, 1953 – October 12, 2021

large and athletic and seemed always to be in a hurry. Though these attributes could be intimidating to his students, he treated each one as an individual – he cared deeply about them, and became life long friends with many of them. He was wholly committed to the life of the school and those associated with it.

He then spent many years leading trips to the Arctic and Antarctic, and on one of those voyages met the love of his life, Georgia McGonigle, a native Australian.

And, at age 64, he married for the first time, to Georgia. They spent 18 blissful years living in Seattle, and then in Nehalem on the Oregon coast.

He was so beloved at Cate that a School prize was established called the Spittler Cup – awarded to the most beloved and dedicated faculty member, as voted by the student body each year.

Stephen is survived by Georgia, his brother Timothy and beloved nieces and nephews Melissa, Mark, Mark, Danielle, Marina, Alana, Seth, Haden, and Dylan.

After he left Cate he taught in Berlin, at the Palm Valley School in Palm Springs, and completed his teaching career at the Thomas School in Seattle.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle from Oct. 21 to Oct. 24, 2021 Randy was born at Franklin Hospital in San Francisco, Calif. and died peacefully after a long illness on October 12, 2021, at his home in the Mission. A few weeks before his death, he celebrated his birthday with friends and family. He was 68.

Modest to a fault, Randy wouldn’t want a fuss made about him. He was selfless and kind, a good soul and a great listener. He was fascinated by Lionel trains, historic architecture, vintage intercoms, City of Paris department store, and The San Francisco Chronicle, where he worked for many years as a copy boy. He loved late-night talks, See’s Candy, Lucky Strike cigarettes, piano tunes, and meeting people from all over the world, even though he seldom left the City. He drew amazing murals of landscapes that were real and imagined, including a 360° view of Presidio Terrace that surrounded the family breakfast table for decades.

CONTINUE THE STORY ONLINE @

cate.org/bulletin

Randy wore button-down shirts and a tweed blazer until the day he died, and took Muni everywhere he went. He could eat four helpings of Thanksgiving dinner but was tall and lanky all his life.

Smart and studious, he attended Madison School, Cathedral School for Boys, Lick Wilmerding, the Cate School, and Cal. In later years, he faced many difficulties, but managed to live with an independence and dignity that we admired. We will miss him every day of our lives.

Survivors include his mother, Suzanne Ritchie; his sister Charlotte Ritchie and Paul Bruin; his brother Mark Ritchie and Renée LeBaron; his sister Tori Ritchie and Sam Whiting; and nieces Harriet and Bennett Ritchie. He is also remembered and beloved by his cousins, his community in the Mission, the family of Inez Alexander, and too many friends to name, including those in France and Italy.

If you wish to honor Randy with a donation, please give to Meals on Wheels in San Francisco, or a charity of your choice.

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IN MEMORIAM

Photo Courtesy Michael Tercha, Chicago Tribune

Louis (Lou) A. Simpson P'79,'86, GP'04,'07,'22 December 23, 1936 – January 8, 2022 FORMER CATE TRUSTEE

By Benjamin D. Williams IV In my early years at Cate, Lou Simpson was one of the giants of the Board. The father of two Cate graduates, Irving '79 and Ted '86, and the grandfather of two graduates, Allie '04 and Tyler '07, and current senior Kennedy Simpson, he came to his service at least in part because he had invested heavily in Cate over the years.

And Lou was an investor extraordinaire.

He knew better than most how to allocate resources or choose the organizations who could make a difference. He led GEICO for many years and was heralded by Warren Buffett as one of the best stock pickers ever.

Lou was meticulous when it came to distributing capital, even when it came to philanthropy or paying tuition.

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investments professionally. And as you can imagine, Lou’s advice was hugely impactful in the allocation of our resources which have, in part because of Lou’s guidance, appreciated dramatically over the years. Even for those of us who knew relatively little about investing, listening to Lou talk about what the market would do and where it would go was mesmerizing. Often Lou would be on one side of the room, Bob Kirby (who led The Capital Group) would sit on the other and Norm Sprague, the soft spoken mastermind who led the Investment Committee would take his spot between them. It was like a tennis match with an umpire in the middle and the rest of us looking on in amazement.

Lou devoted his own resources to financial aid. His fund supports students every year at Cate and provides that critical access that he and we believe are central to a full and meaningful education. He was generous, thoughtful, committed to the work of the School, and wise. Even since he left the Board, Lou continued to support our efforts and

was deeply gratified to know that his son, Ted, is continuing the family legacy of service to Cate.

My last meeting with Lou was just before the pandemic, when I had breakfast with him in Chicago. He was his usual gracious self, and he had a twinkle in his eye when he noted to Monique Parsons '84, our Board Chair at the time who joined us for the meal, that he was “always thinking of ways to help Cate.” It seemed he derived as much joy in making a difference at schools as he did in partnering with those of us who work in them.

Lou passed away peacefully at the age of 85 just over a week into 2022. It was just like him to slip away. He had done his work, after all, during a remarkable and meaningful life. While such endings are difficult for all of us who are left behind, I’d like to think Lou knew that a meeting with Bob Kirby and Norm Sprague awaited in the hereafter, and he was ready to join. Imagining them together again, even in my grief, brings a smile to my face.

Douglas Bray

January 6, 1922 – December 3, 2021 FORMER CATE FACULTY Published in the Bend Bulletin Doug Bray passed away on December 3, four weeks short of his 100th birthday.

The cause of death was indirectly related to COVID-19. Doug was the older of two brothers, born to Lillian and Stanley Bray. He was preceded in death by his brother, Kenneth Bray and his wife of 54 years, Hazel Louise Langdale. He was born on January 6, 1922.

Doug served in the Air Force during WWII on a PT boat in the Caribbean.

He was second in command and his crew was tasked with monitoring the area and rescuing American airmen downed for any reason. He was determined to fly but was grounded because he was color blind.

He married the true love of his life and high school sweetheart, Hazel.

During the war, they met in various places including Washington D.C., Miami, Florida, etc. While there may have been a war occuring, one senses it was also a time of adventure and the excitement of early marriage and lots of travel. Following the War and college, they moved West, where he taught at Cate School in Carpinteria. He was on campus from the Fall of 1947 until the end of the school year in 1952. He was hired as the Athletic Director, coached soccer, and he also taught biology and general science. He played a key role in bringing football to campus. During this time, he took up golf, a lifelong passion until back surgery put a stop to that.

After leaving Cate, Doug and Hazel moved to Fresno, Calif. where he worked in the school system, first as a PE teacher and coach. In time he rose through the ranks as Dean of Boys at Roosevelt High School, Vice Principal and finally as principal at Hoover High School. He was adamant when he went to Hoover,

that it was a fresh start in style, attitude, and management. He bought all new suits for day one.

Hazel’s death, it became a sustaining passion. The friends he made in Bend making music meant the world to him.

He retired on a Friday and moved to Bend the following Monday. He flew back to Fresno for his retirement dinner.

(Hazel was done with the Fresno heat.)

Possibly Doug’s favorite skill was his love of music. He played trombone from an early age and was rarely out of the ‘business’ the rest of his life. He played in several bands in Bend and following

Doug and Hazel raised two sons, Jeffrey Langdale of Ketchum, Idaho and Richard Douglas of Kimberly: both surviving. He is survived by three grandchildren, Douglas, Bryan, and Melanie. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to: Partners in Care, Hospice House 2075 NE Wyatt Ct,

Douglas Bray (front row, far left) amidst Cate faculty members in 1952.

Douglas Bray (top row, far right) and the 1952 Cate Football Team.

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Health and Wellness House Coming Fall 2022

What better way to start the fall than with a new building dedicated to the care and well-being of our students? Before the end of 2022, Cate will open a new Health and Wellness House adjacent to the Class of 1925 House. This dynamic structure and rejuvenating garden will be a supportive and welcoming space for Cate’s healthcare team and counseling services, with the goal of holistic care for students around the clock.

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Cate’s Health and Wellness House will respond to the needs of our students and will be proactive in promoting positive mental health and supportive services in a warm and nurturing environment that includes a a variety of therapeutic, rejuvenating and re-energizing spaces.

Counseling Services and Student Wellness • Supports the growing counseling program exponentially • Integrates medical and mental health programs

Campus Impact • Proximity to Mesa Clinic, Booth Commons, and The Brittingham Family Athletic Training Center • Will allow Savage Dormitory to expand to increase number of rooms for boarding students

Providing Care for Cate Students

Included in the Health and Wellness House are: A welcoming entryway

Three private rooms, one conference room, and one group counseling room Patient care rooms with nurse on-call room attached

A central hub for the Cate medical staff

DR. SUSAN ZAPALAC Health Center Medical Director

A private room for telehealth appointments

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DEAN’A CURRY Director of Counseling Services

“ We are hopeful that the Health and Wellness House will be a safe space for students to experience a confidential, comfortable, supportive, and collaborative environment where they can benefit from wraparound care that reflects an integration of their emotional, physical, social, and intellectual well-being.”

Offices and Conference Room

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Mental Health Counseling

Patient Care Rooms

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Health and Wellness House Key Features 1.1

Fragrant healing garden for thoughtful and therapeutic discussions

2 Rejuvenating sunset view of Pacific Ocean from outdoor deck 2.

3 Raised planter beds allow students to participate in gardening based therapy 3.

4 Hammock and Butterfly Garden provide respite in sustainably landscaped areas 4.

5 Meditative labyrinth allows for reflection and peaceful strides 5.

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Corrective Action Response Exercise (CARE) Task Force Letter to the Community In response to the Community Accountability Investigation, Cate School and the Board of Trustees have outlined a number of corrective measures to improve current practices and protocols on the Mesa in order to ensure current students’ safety and well-being.

the CARE committee identified areas where the School can improve policies and procedures around boundaries and relationships, as well as opportunities to bring greater clarity to the decision making structures that support student safety and well-being.

The School has established the Corrective Action Response Exercise (CARE) Task Force responsible for implementing these measures, many of which have already been implemented or are in process. The task force is composed of faculty members Annalee Salcedo, Craig Bouma, Cassia Sonderleiter, Maude Bond, Yutopia Essex, Sandi Pierce, John Swain, Jules Nau, and Amy Giles.

The task force is also identifying areas where external experts and consultants could be utilized to provide best-in-class insights into our work and to support the continual building of a positive and transparent culture in support of our students.

Thus far, the task force has collaborated with student leadership to provide clear, explicit steps in reporting sexual assault through a variety of vehicles including the monthly Campus Life publication, In the Loop. They have also used faculty meetings to focus on the continuing integration of the corrective measures into our practices and directed particular attention to the steps that build competency around response protocols in the event community standards are not being maintained. In addition, faculty had the opportunity to identify corrective actions that may not have been included by those created by the Board. With that feedback,

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Simultaneously, the Board of Trustees has been hosting community conversations with alumni. These sessions create a safe space for discussion between community members and representatives of the School and foster support and understanding in an environment where the voices of all constituencies can be heard and validated. We are grateful to the survivors, their allies, and other members of the Cate community who have attended.

As the Board of Trustees and the CARE Task Force continue our collaborations, we anticipate new formats for dialogue and input from all constituencies of the School. Regular updates on such opportunities and the important work underway will follow.

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From the

archives Not many remember, but Cate used to have a woodshop – an expansive space down in the Barns (before the Barns were moved and renovated) – full of tools and esoteric woodworking supplies and, yes, wood.

On a very practical level, the woodshop served to build and maintain the working parts of the Mesa; as part of many students’ formative years, however, the shop was a haven: not so much a chore as a place to dive in, get your hands – and your mind – working. To create. To build. To make.

For a subset of several generations of Cate students, the woodshop was a haven of learning and creativity that gave them a sense of place and purpose that might have been difficult to achieve in a traditional classroom.

and A rendering of Cate’s new Ideation Lab . room class ing Think l tiona Computa

True to form, Cate had a makerspace long before such places of hands-on, inquiry-based learning were cool. Similarly, the School is planning to re-create just such a space in the updated Raymond Commons.

Plans for an expansive Ideation and Computational Thinking classroom in the new Commons are already underway. These include multiple technologies, flexible usage, plenty of room for collaboration and yes … tools. To make things.

History teaches us that nothing novel is ever really “new;” that sometimes the best approach to moving forward is to look to the lessons of the past. With the advent of a dedicated Ideation classroom on the Mesa, we acknowledge the generations of Cate students who have found learning through doing … through making something.

Cate had it right, all along.

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The Best Days of Summer

H A P P E N AT CAT E CATE SUMMER INSTITUTE

Cate Schools residential academic camp for current 6th and 7th graders. Spend a week devoted to academics, leadership, and the outdoors with days full of excitement, experiential education, making friends from around the world.

CATE SPORTS ACADEMY Cate Sports Academy offers baseball, softball, tennis, and volleyball camps for current 3rd through 11th graders. Half-day, fullday, and overnight options are available.

Three sessions July 11-29, Monday – Friday

CATE SUMMER OUTDOORS

Cate School’s residential outdoor camp for current 6th -10th graders.

Experience a program that offers students of every level an opportunity to explore the natural beauty of Santa Barbara County and beyond with outdoor adventure.

July 11-15 and July 18-22

June 19-25, June 26-July 2, July 31-August 6

LEARN MORE AT: WWW.CATESUMMERPROGRAMS.ORG 65

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

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Gigi Geyer '23 Photography, Maesa’s Magnet CATE B ULLET IN / S PRING 2022

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage

PAID

Santa Barbara, CA Permit #1020