The Caller Summer 2017

Summer 2017

The

Caller

The magazine for alumni, parents, and friends of Catlin Gabel School

1 Message from the Head of School

2 Laying the Foundation of Democracy Catlin Gabel is an independent, non-sectarian, progressive coeducational day school serving 760 students from preschool through 12th grade.

Its roots go back to the Portland Academy, founded in 1859. The school occupies 67 acres on Barnes Road, five miles west of downtown Portland. Our mission: to support inspired learning leading to responsible action through dedicated teaching, caring relationships, a challenging curriculum, and community service.

Tim Bazemore Head of School Miranda Wellman ,91 Director of Advancement and Strategic Initiatives

6 Participating in the Life of the Country

10 Democracy as a Way of Life

12 Global Ed: Morocco

14 Introducing the New Head of the Upper School

WHAT’S INSIDE 16

Marcella Fauci Director of Communications

The Class of 2017

Ken DuBois Director of Public Relations and Publications/Editor duboisk@catlin.edu

Catlin Gabel Auction

Holly Amoako Graphic Designer

Tuition on the Track

Catlin Gabel School 8825 SW Barnes Road Portland, OR 97225 (503) 297-1894 www.catlin.edu

18 19 20 Alumni Interview: Kevin Esvelt ʼ00

22 News

23 DIGITAL EDITION With The Caller online enjoy everything in the print magazine–every feature, class note, and photograph– with multimedia extras, designed for readability on any laptop, smartphone, or tablet.

Access the digital edition at: www.catlin.edu/thecaller

Class Notes

29 From the Archives

Educating for Democracy at Catlin Gabel

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by Tim Bazemore Head of School

ive-year-old children sitting in a circle share ideas about classroom rules. Second graders present their division head with a proposal for a new student club. Eighth graders identify social issues in Portland and commit to sustained personal involvement. Upper Schoolers lobby the administration on academic policies and organize community dialogues in Portland.

to achieve their goals. Our students learn the history of the United States, Oregon, and Portland; the origins of our federal republic and constitutional democracy; and how political power is distributed at the federal, state, and local levels. They also study the practical activities of legislation and voting, and political symbols and practices such as the flag and Pledge of Allegiance.

At Catlin Gabel, one of our principles of progressive education is educating students for democracy. We believe that education is a powerful force for freedom and opportunity, and that a central purpose of education is to prepare students to take an active role in their communities. Our commitment to democratic principles has its roots in early 20th century progressive educational theory and the Black Mountain College ideals of the mid-20th century, and has been taught and modeled by Catlin Gabel teachers over the decades.

Experiences of democracy begin in the Beehive, where young children learn how to be community members. From early lessons of rights and responsibilities to seniors leading change on campus and in the Portland community, we ask students to engage with a wide range of social, political, economic, and environmental issues. We challenge them to see needs and opportunities and become agents of change through practical experience.

What do we mean by educating for democracy? Most schools in our country teach the skills and knowledge of citizenship. At our school, those are important means, but not ends. Our deeper goals are to have students experience democratic processes and develop the disposition to engage in community affairs. Our goal is not to educate students to be Republicans, Democrats, or Libertarians; it is to prepare them to be informed political citizens, capable of forming reasoned opinions and acting on their beliefs.

We start with the skills of democracy, familiar as essential elements of a liberal arts education. In every grade, students focus on reading, writing, discussion, analysis, computation, and research.

They work with classmates from varied backgrounds to access information, interpret data, and determine salience. This equips them to analyze facts and opinions, debate and persuade, and advocate for their point of view.

We teach knowledge of democracy, an understanding of civics and how our political system is used by individuals and groups

The disposition to participate in democracy is borne of the confidence that students gain from applying their skills and knowledge. When students have opportunities to form opinions, use their voices, and influence what happens in their classroom, school, team, or community, it becomes a self-reinforcing, virtuous cycle. John Dewey wrote that “…the object and reward of learning is continued capacity for growth.” (Democracy and Education, p. 73). At Catlin Gabel we believe that should be true for every student and for all citizens in our community and country. We teach that the privilege and opportunity of a Catlin Gabel education should inspire a lifelong commitment to civic engagement.

Our mission calls on us to provide “inspired learning leading to responsible action.” For students to understand how to take responsible action in the 21st century, they need to learn the skills and knowledge of democracy, and have experiences that show them how to effect change. This essential outcome of a Catlin Gabel education, illustrated vividly in this issue of The Caller, ensures that education benefits both the student and the world.

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LAYING the FOUNDATION of

DEMOCRACY

by Vicki Swartz Assistant Head of School and Lower School Head

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LAYING the FOUNDATION of

DEMOCRACY Dear Catlin Gabel Community Members, Draft of letter from five second-graders:

We would like to invite you to march with us in the March for Science on Earth Day. We believe science is important to the world. Please meet at 9:45 at the Japanese American Historical Plaza on Apr. 22…

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he seven- and eight-year-olds sat wide-eyed around the table in my office as I read the draft of their proposed letter––and then they made their “pitch.” I listened and considered. What about safety of the students?

If there was a large group of students could they get lost in the crowd if they only had one chaperone? “Maybe each student could bring their parent who would be in charge?” offered one. Would they need to bring anything to the march? How would they go about letting other students know about the march? We arranged to meet again after they had revised their proposal to address all of my questions.

and their enthusiasm got through: Over 40 people from our school community joined them at the March for Science.

They’d first approached Isaac Enloe, our science teacher, with the idea. He had agreed to meet with them during recess time to research the march a bit more, talk about why they were interested, and help them prepare their proposal to me. He helped them revise their proposal as well, and their revised version earned my approval and go-ahead.

We have a new Ga Ga ball pit in the Fir Grove and children started reporting that people “weren’t playing fairly,” resulting in conflict and hurt feelings. Two students from each grade level (1st through 5th) met with Genevieve Bouwes, the Lower School Assistant Head, to come up with a proposal. The “Ga Ga Council” presented their agreements to the entire Lower School at a community meeting and posted them near the Ga Ga pit. Have one trained student referee for the game. There is no arguing with the ref. No teaming up. No targeting a single student. No unkind words. Yes, we could have assigned an adult to supervise and monitor the pit; we could also have simply told the kids the rules and had those who broke them sit out. But by creating the time and space

Their invitation went out in newsletters and they met with middle and upper schoolers to see about inviting students in other divisions. They made posters at home. With the help of Rob Van Nood, our Educational Technology Coordinator, they made a 30-second video inviting others to join them (watch online at catlin.edu/thecaller). Their message

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This is democracy in action. A democracy is no stronger than its schools because that is where students learn to live in a community. This is one of the greatest strengths of a Catlin Gabel graduate—and it starts when they are young.

These children were learning how to be efficacious, and how to effect change.

In fact, our school year is filled with activities and projects that reinforce principles of democracy. Here are just a few examples and the take-aways from each:

March photos: Nicole Sasser

for student buy-in, the students took ownership and are self-monitoring, and things are actually going better. Part of being a citizen is being able to solve problems within a community and to abide by agreements.

Class meetings are a democratic structure and happen regularly in the Lower School. This is a time to work through issues of concern in the classroom and the community at large. How can we make our new students feel more included? Some of the dice were missing in the math game corner; how can we solve this problem? Some students are excluding others from playing in the “dust mines,” the sandy play area under the Art Barn bridge. The issue of fairness resonates deeply with Lower School children. My travels have taught me that class meetings are to be cherished as they are not found in many schools in our country or around the world. A healthy community strives for fairness to all.

needs aren’t met involves social justice and a call to action.

We held a mock election in the library this fall to vote on the best Elephant and Piggie book. The 25 candidate books were on display and students read as many as they could during the days leading up to the election. Complete with an official polling place and opportunities to reflect on the results, students learned about how the ethics of the Elephant and Piggie characters appealed to voters differently, and how there were many different perspectives on book favorites. In a democracy, there are multiple perspectives. And critical thinkers seek and listen to multiple perspectives.

“ WE WANT OUR

CHILDREN TO KNOW THEY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND THAT THERE IS HOPE AND OPTIMISM IN THE WORLD.”

At about the age of eight children make an enormous developmental leap, moving from the “here and now” to being able to think more abstractly. This is the age where they can stand in another’s shoes and truly see other perspectives. As part of their study of water and how accessibility to clean water is critical to a quality life for children, our third graders learned that the United States is the only country that hasn’t ratified the United Nations Children’s Charter that strives to provide clean water as a basic right for all children around the world. Students wrote letters to senators urging them to reconsider. How can you present reasoned ideas to those in positions of power? Some children received responses from members of congress and were thrilled to know their voices were heard. Having empathy and compassion for those whose basic

The fifth graders took the mock election a step further. Integrating statistics with their democratic studies, the students read graphs and surveys from a variety of sources to distinguish valid data from questionable data.

They read current events on Newsela (which provides news to students at several reading levels) and learned about voter suppression and misinformation. To be an informed citizen, you need to research issues and think critically to make informed decisions.

Teachers play a critical role in guiding this learning. We thoughtfully lay the foundation for democratic ideals to grow and give it the time and space it deserves. The students learn democracy by doing democracy.

Our job is to listen and guide, all with a positive regard that students can do this work and can do it well. We want our children to know they can make a difference and that there is hope and optimism in the world; there is no room for cynicism or despair in this important work. In partnership with parents, we are part of launching the future leaders of tomorrow. Based on what we see, we will be in good hands.

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PARTICIPATING IN THE LIFE OF THE COUNTRY

HOW MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULA HELPS STUDENTS CONSIDER THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF CITIZENSHIP

by DAVID ELLENBERG, 8TH GRADE HISTORY TEACHER

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PARTICIPATING IN THE LIFE OF THE COUNTRY

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ducating for democracy is at the heart of much social studies teaching, and it’s where I start with 8th graders in the fall of each year. Regardless of previous topics they’ve confronted, pieces of history they’ve learned and forgotten, or the political leanings of their families, all young people need to understand their rights, and to consider the responsibilities of citizenship. Being actively engaged in civic affairs remains a guiding principle throughout the year’s units of study.

Since becoming a teacher in 1983, I’ve spent my career with middle school students, primarily in science and social studies classrooms. Learning, of course, takes place in many realms beyond the classroom, such as service projects, grade level trips and global adventures, in advisory discussions, and in conversations while eating at the Barn.

In the social studies classroom, where I’ve been since 2000, citizenship topics are featured. We address questions such as “How does one participate in the life of a country?,” “What are individual rights and how do they mesh with the needs of the many?,” and “Why should one care about large complex problems that make one’s head hurt?”

Thick questions like these take time to unpack and sort through.

A significant challenge is, therefore, what topics to bring forth for examination. And that leads to curricular choices, none of which are perfect. Over time, units change based on teacher interest, cross-divisional discussions, themes set forth by school administrators, and, of course, the interests of the students. Currently, 8th grade topics are framed by three themes: United States civics, the Holocaust and human behavior, and a multicultural study of

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American history. Opportunities to educate for democracy come forth readily from each.

During the fall, students examine the nation’s founding documents. By looking carefully at the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution and Bill of Rights, the country’s guiding principles become clearer. Amendments that expanded civil rights protections are essential for students to consider. From that foundation, students research controversial topics in American life, such as abortion, the death penalty, guns on college campuses, end-of-life decision making, privacy rights, student free speech and censorship, and prayer in public settings. Research and argumentative essay writing techniques are emphasized along with critical thinking and presentation skills. When a paper is completed, students face each other in one-on-one debates; considering opinions one disagrees with is a key component of this work. The events are filmed and posted to student blogs where reflection on the whole project occurs. Classmates receive a good education about difficult topics, and opponents hone public speaking skills.

Come winter, the large and difficult themes of the Holocaust and its place in human history are taken on. The content of the social studies class dovetails with that of 8th grade English. Students examine themes of early 20th century history, from the decline of colonial empires, to the rise of fascist states, to the unsettling resolutions of World War II. Concerns about how well societies treat and protect citizen rights are universal, and this unit enables students to grapple with this theme. What went so terribly wrong in early to mid-20th century Germany? How can societies do better and avoid such horror in the future? What are the warning

PUTTING STUDENTS IN CHARGE HELPS THEM PRACTICE THE DEMOCRATIC SKILLS OF COMMUNICATION, ADDRESS CONTROVERSY, AND WORK TOGETHER FOR THE COMMON GOOD.

signs that a society may be slipping in its commitment to rights protections?

Eighth grade students bring good energy to these complex questions. Because classroom tone can be somber, part of the term is spent examining the deeds of Holocaust upstanders, those who found ways to do the right thing while events in the world around them were so awful. Upstanders are rescuers who subverted Nazi action and ideology. The Kraus family from Philadelphia went to Austria in early 1939 and brought 50 children to the United States.

Nicholas Winton, an English businessman, ran a Kindertransport that rescued hundreds of children from central Europe. Irena Sendler smuggled children out of the Warsaw Ghetto and placed them with Christian families, thus guaranteeing their survival.

And Sempo Chiune Sugihara was a Japanese diplomat working in Lithuania who issued 2,000 transit visas to Jews, thus allowing them to travel across Russia’s vastness and find safety. These stories and others help students understand that one can act to do right even during the most challenging circumstances.

For the spring term, curriculum turns to multicultural America.

Some students come to the topic knowing pieces of the “master narrative,” the standard stories of U.S. history that begin with the colonies at Jamestown and Plymouth. They know of western expansion, Manifest Destiny, and the Civil War. These themes typically have a strong focus on the deeds of Americans from white European and Protestant heritage. That demographic is deeply significant in the nation’s history, yet so many other heritage groups make up the densely-quilted fabric of American life.

The unit uses themes developed by Ronald Takaki, a professor

who spent much of his career in the California university system.

His work helps students expand their understanding of how the country’s multicultural past informs the modern day. From native removal and slavery, to waves of immigration and the expansion of civil rights protections, a more nuanced understanding of the United States and its past is at the heart of class studies. There is often talk of preparing students for the realities of the world today (or the unknowns of tomorrow). Educating for democracy demands that students are educated for diversity. They will benefit from better understanding the unique tapestry of the cultural groups with whom they share the country.

Connected to the democratic values of the curriculum, classroom design comes into play when teaching for democracy. During the spring term, students develop seminars with each student part of a leadership team. As leaders, students choose pre-seminar readings and assign them to peers. They facilitate discussions, evaluate classmate participation, assign homework, and work together to maximize student learning. Putting students in charge helps them practice the democratic skills of communication, address controversy, and work together for the common good.

In teaching for democracy, both cognitive skills (researching, writing, learning multiple sides of an issue) and non-cognitive skills (time management, teaching others by bringing voice to thorny ideas, and reflecting on one’s performance) are equally important. These skills help students prepare for civic life. Confronting topics of controversy, and discussing them respectfully with those holding opposing points of view, are lifelong skills, and ones that benefit the collective in a democratic society.

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DEMOCRACY as a

WAY OF LIFE A principle of progressive education that endures—100 years after John Dewey’s Democracy and Education

by Ken DuBois Editor

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n a June morning in the Beehive, preschoolers take their seats around the edge of an oval rug—a round table of sorts for discussion and debate. It’s the Honeybees’ daily meeting, where each member has an equal opportunity to offer thoughts and ideas, and express their opinions about the topics of the day.

“Do you agree?” asks teacher Rebecca Wirth. Students have been asked to voice their opinions on the hardest aspects of Honeybee life, and one student has registered his dislike of clean-up time. “Show that you do by giving a thumbs up or a thumbs down.” In the course of the meeting she will ask them to speak up or vote on a variety of topics that affect them personally or the Honeybee community as a whole: What they like in the Beehive, why we have boundaries, and how to take care of oneself on a hot summer day.

Below: Students at CatlinHillside School , 1945 Right: Catlin Gabel preschoolers in a Honeybee morning meeting, 2017

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It’s a scene typical of progressive schools since horse-and-buggy days. Educating for democracy has, since the late 19th century, been a central tenet of Progressivism, a movement that arose in response to the dramatic increase in industrialization, and the concern that education had become mechanized as well. At a time when American education was based on rote learning and memorization, and differentiated by social class, proponents of progressive education advocated for a system that focused on what they considered to be the most important factor in any education setting: the life of the child.

Progressive education was largely theoretical until philosopher John Dewey began to put his ideas into practice at the University of Chicago in the 1890s. As chair of the school’s Department of Philosophy, Psychology, and Education, Dewey began by publishing influential books and essays on education theory, and then formed a “laboratory school” on the university campus where he could test his theories. He endeavored to change the focus of education from the school to the student and, in the process, prepare students for life in a dynamic, multicultural democracy. Through his educational laboratory, he hoped to learn how a school could become

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both a cooperative community and a place for individuals to develop their own capacities. He stressed that education was not a preparation for life, but life itself.

Dewey brought to his school a belief in “democracy as a way of life.” He believed that schools should reflect the realities of the larger world, and thus prepare children to be active citizens who work together to identify and address common problems or concerns. In his 1900 book The School and Society, he explained that educating for democracy required that “the school itself shall be made a genuine form of active community life, instead of a place set apart in which to learn lessons.…a miniature community and embryonic society. To do this means to make each one of our schools an embryonic community life active with the types of occupation that reflect the life of the larger society.”

With his highly influential 1916 book Democracy and Education, Dewey explored this concept at greater length, emphasizing the societal role of schools in helping students prepare to become citizens of the world. “A democracy is more than a form of government,” he wrote. “It is primarily a mode of associated living, of conjoint communicated experience. Each has to consider the actions of others to give point and direction to his own…”

Within the classroom and beyond, he noted, a democratic society is one that “makes provision for participation in its good of all its members on equal terms.”

Despite Dewey’s lofty language, his theories had broad appeal because the changes he proposed to the educational system were both extensively researched and supported by common sense, with easily recognizable results. Educators who adopted progressive education principles found ample evidence, for example, that students were naturally inclined to learn by

experience, and learned more deeply when that experience had real-world relevance; and became more engaged when they had agency and ownership in their school environment. From his lab school, still in operation at the University of Chicago, Dewey’s progressive education approach was adopted by thousands of schools across the country, including the Portland institutions that merged to become Catlin Gabel School: Miss Catlin’s School (founded in 1911), Catlin-Hillside School (founded in 1928), and Miss Gabel’s School (founded in 1931).

“What advice would you give to the new Honeybees coming in next year?” Rebecca asks at the Honeybee meeting. “What will the new Honeybees want to know?” And their responses—“They should know to wait for people” and “They should know to work with the teachers”—demonstrate how they’re learning to be part of a society in miniature, within the Beehive and their Beginning School community. By considering the needs of others, including children they’ve yet to meet, they’re demonstrating their capacity for democratic thinking—what Dewey called “sympathetic understanding.”

In 1939, on the eve of World War II, Dewey spoke about the opportunity to draw parallels between the importance of democracy in world events and in the classroom. It is in the schoolhouse where young students learn to recognize and appreciate differences, work together toward common goals, and consider different points of view, he noted. “Democracy as a way of life is controlled by personal faith in personal day-by-day working together with others,” Dewey told his audience. “Democracy is the belief that even when needs and ends or consequences are different for each individual, the habit of amicable cooperation…is itself a priceless addition to life.”

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Global Ed:

Morocco On the streets of Moulay Idriss, in March 2017, photographer Rick White captured this image of Catlin Gabel Upper School students, an adventurous group that had traveled across the world to immerse themselves in the history and culture of this North African nation. The Global Education Program also took students this year to Cuba, France, Guatemala, Nepal, Nicaragua, Rome, and Taiwan.

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Helping students

find their personal path and

“ who they want to be in the

world” A

by Ken DuBois Editor

s she steps into the role of Head of the Upper School, Aline Garcia Rubio brings to the task nearly two decades of professional experience at top-tier educational institutions, and the unique perspective of a Catlin Gabel student, teacher, department chair, administrator, and parent.

Her deep connection with the school began when Aline was a high school student in Mexico City and accepted a foreign exchange scholarship to study for a year at Catlin Gabel in 1991-92. “Suddenly I was here in a cohort of people who really wanted to be doing school,” she recalls. “And I loved it. I loved that stimulus. And the depth of engagement of teachers, and the expansion of school into the lives of students—that was new to me.” After returning to school in Mexico City, she says, “I always had Catlin Gabel as that standard measure of really deep learning and joyful learning, and an authentic one hundred percent engagement of the community as a whole.”

The idea of becoming an educator took hold. As Aline worked her way through medical school at Universidad La Salle Mexico City, she gravitated towards the peer teaching aspects of the program. After receiving her medical degree and entering the field of clinical research, she took a job teaching high school Algebra on the side. She was recruited by Punahou School in Hawaii to teach high school courses in Biology, Human Anatomy, and Physiology, and after several years in the classroom, she committed herself fully to the education profession. She returned to Catlin Gabel in the fall of 2006 as a teacher of Advanced Biology and Integrated Science.

Over the past 12 years, Aline has taken increasingly greater leadership roles at Catlin Gabel with a focus

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Catlin Gabel welcomes Dr. Aline Garcia Rubio ’93 as the new Head of the Upper School

on instituting best practices and school policy that reflect the changing nature of education, and the changing needs of students. Starting in 2011, she served for two years as Science Department Chair for the Upper School and Science Curriculum Leader for the entire school. In 2012, while still teaching Upper School courses, she took on the dual roles of Upper School Assistant Head and Dean of Students, assuming a wide range of responsibilities that included supervision of learning specialists, counselors, the health team, and first-year teachers; and tracking and supporting the academic, social, and emotional development of all Upper School students. She has been active as a Catlin Gabel parent as well; her son Alec is a rising 9th grader, and her daughter Olivia enters 6th grade in the fall.

Her years as an educator, she says, have convinced her that almost every student is inclined to be a lifelong learner if given the opportunity, space, time, and resources. And she is committed to maintaining a school environment where that is the cultural norm, with teachers leading the way. Teacher modeling, she says, “generates an environment in which there is high intellectual capacity, curiosity, and insight. And the kids feel that.”

“Once we have experienced that we want more of it,” she adds. “I think that that’s human nature. And I truly do believe that that’s what matters in the end, especially in this modern world where careers are shortened. It’s our capacity to continue to learn—having the mindset of being able to pursue anything.”

Aline values Catlin Gabel’s ability to provide students with a series of skill sets that are applicable to almost any setting, such as building a good argument, reason-

Photo: Brendan Gill

ing clearly, thinking mathematically, and articulating themselves in writing. But just as important, she says, is helping students develop a strong sense of self-awareness. In fact, it’s one of her top goals for the Upper School.

“It’s important for kids to get clarity on who they want to be as human beings, and to clarify what they value. Because we’re most satisfied when we find that intersection of what we’re motivated to do and we care about, and have vocation toward, and we’re really good at. And when we can find the center point of all of that, then we’re going to find the right path.

This may shift over time, but our values are less likely to shift.”

Aline is also committed to leading a cultural shift in the Upper School that puts empathy at the center of the Catlin Gabel experience, a move toward what she calls “a more deliberate culture of kindness and responsibility.” She wants students to bring to their daily lives the same level of ethical concern they show for people and events across the world.

“I mean turning around and looking at their peer and asking, ‘How are you doing?’ Being curious about that other life next to them, developing that kinship, and also having the empathy and compassion that actually will generate a cohesive community. I think that can be done if we’re all trying to do this all the time. And hopefully that would have this global effect in people being more joyful, and more engaged with one another, and taking care of one another and their physical environment

in a more responsible way.”

A healthy culture, she says, also requires that adults recognize and appreciate students’ developmental stages—keeping in mind that “We’re working with children who need to be children.”

“School, and then high school, is life itself,” Aline says. “It’s not just a springboard onto something else. For the students who are here between the ages of 14, 15, and 18, this is what they’re doing, and it’s perfectly valid for them to be adolescents, teenagers, high schoolers. They’re definitely getting prepared for the next stage of life, but they get to be children.

That’s part of what we’re doing: We’re not just preparing them for the next stage, we’re also doing this stage very well.

We’re creating an excellent environment for them to be in while they navigate this stage of their life.”

Video interview:

Discovering What We Value and What We Want to Bring to the World

Aline shares more thoughts on the Upper School experience in a Caller interview online: www.thecaller.edu/aline.

The Caller | Summer 2017

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Class of 2017

College Choices Alfred University Babson College Beloit College Berklee College of Music Boston University Bowdoin College (x2) Brown University Bryn Mawr College Chapman University Colby College Columbia University (x3) Cornell University Dartmouth College (x2) DePaul University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Emerson College Fordham University Hamilton College Harvard University (x2) Johns Hopkins University

Kenyon College Macalester College (x2) Massachusetts Institute of Technology Middlebury College Montana State University, Bozeman New York University New York University Abu Dhabi Northeastern University Northwestern University Occidental College (x2) Oregon State University Pitzer College Princeton University Quest University Canada (x2) Saint Mary’s College of California Sarah Lawrence College School of the Art Institute of Chicago Scripps College (x2) Seattle University Smith College

Stanford University Swarthmore College (x2) Texas Christian University The George Washington University The New School Tulane University University of Chicago University of Michigan University of Oregon (x7) University of Oxford University of Puget Sound University of Redlands (x2) University of Southern California (x2) University of St. Andrews University of Vermont University of Washington Washington University in St. Louis Wellesley College Whitman College Williams College Information is current as of June 26, 2017

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Photo: Daisy Steele

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The members of the Class of 2017 will attend and one graduate will enter the workforce directly

60 different colleges,

COLLEGE CHOICES BY REGION

45% East Coast

COLLEGE CHOICE BY SIZE

46% 19% 35%

Large school (10,000+ students) Medium-sized school (3,000-10,000 students) Small school (up to 3,000 students)

33% West Coast 13% Midwest 3% South

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graduates will attend schools outside the U.S. (in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates)

6%

International

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Auction

Portland Art Museum March 18, 2017

Our annual gala event this year was the most successful in school history, with community members showing their support for financial assistance, teacher salaries, and experiential learning programs. Co-chairs Jill Eberwein, Sheryl Rosenfeld, and Zoë Edelen Hare hosted; Head of School Tim Bazemore presided; and Ari Bluffstone ’17 and Angie Jiang ’19 provided musical entertainment. Visit the photo gallery at catlin.edu/thecaller

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Photos: Ameya Okamoto ’18, Juma Sei ’18, and Asim Phillips ’20

Tuition Track on the

Davis-Gant Field April 21, 2017

Our annual walk-a-thon brought together the entire school community, with students from every grade contributing their efforts to raise funds for financial assistance and experiential learning programs at Catlin Gabel. Seniors ran with their 1st grade buddies; teachers walked and talked; and many enthusiastic participants—pledged for every lap they completed—ran five miles or more. Visit the photo gallery at catlin.edu/thecaller

Photos: Steve Chase

The Caller | Summer 2017

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C L A S S O F 2 00 0

Kevin Esvelt The pioneering evolutionary engineer reflects on Pongi’s sludge experiment, Corkran’s “Relevance” stamp, and the importance of confessing your ignorance

by Ken DuBois Editor

» Assistant Professor of Media Arts and Sciences at Massachusetts Institute of Technology » Director of the Sculpting Evolution group at MIT, which invents new ways to study and influence the evolution of ecosystems » Inventor of phage-assisted continuous evolution (PACE), a synthetic microbial ecosystem for rapidly evolving biomole- cules (at Harvard) » Co-developer of the CRISPR system for genome engineering and regulation (at Harvard’s Wyss Institute) » B.S. in biology and chemistry from Harvey Mudd College; Ph.D. in biochemistry from Harvard University

What were some of your early impressions of Catlin Gabel when you arrived in Middle School?

The Middle School was brand new and the campus beautiful. The Barn was…fragrant, but seemed rustically apropos. As an introvert, I found the small student body appealing.

What do you recall about your science classes at Catlin Gabel?

Science with David Ellenberg and Carol Ponganis was certainly fun! The latter’s “sludge” experiment may have led me to eventually major in chemistry as an undergrad, although most of the credit for that goes to Susan Brookhart in Upper School advanced chemistry.

She taught me more of science than I learned in any other two years, and happily fielded all sorts of questions outside of class. In fact, I first learned about transposons, which is a form of gene drive (although not the kind I now work with), by interrogating Susan about an article I’d read and didn’t understand.

Were there teachers who recognized your strengths and areas of interest, and helped you to pursue those interests?

Strengths can and will be pursued independently with little encouragement. I think we most need help developing skills and internalizing understandings that don’t come naturally. Writing is the single most important skill of a scientist, which is where Catlin excels, to the point where I can’t single out one teacher who was particularly responsible; they all contributed.

Other lessons do stand out. Dave Corkran was the single greatest positive influence of all my time at Catlin. First, he taught us not to care too much about grades—since he legendarily hadn’t given an A since 1972 or thereabouts, I quickly learned that it wasn’t a big deal.

Rather, it was the balance between rigor and creativity, between generating a coherent framework of knowledge and venturing beyond it to information that stubbornly resisted cohering. I was always a florid writer, and Dave taught me the importance of being 20

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concise. My essays were always liberally covered with imprints of his famous “Relevance” stamp in red ink. Each essay danced the fine line between adequately addressing the given thesis topic and twisting it into something more fun; every class was a test of how far the intended topic could be creatively diverted to something I thought more interesting. These were games which could only be won by convincing him that it was so. Dave was fully aware of this, and I think not only enjoyed the contest, but managed to teach me lessons in this decidedly nontraditional manner.

Dave also advised the track team. At regionals one year, I fell on the last hurdle of the 300m semifinal and skinned my knee quite deeply, but still qualified for the finals of that event and the earlier 110m.

The next day, the wound had already scabbed over and I couldn’t bend the knee. Just trying was intensely painful. I went to the meet assuming I couldn’t run. And Dave said to me, as closely as I can recall, “If you don’t run, no one will care but you, and you will soon forget. But if you run, you’ll learn that present pain is only temporary, while the satisfaction of pushing through lasts a lifetime. And you’ll carry the memory with you, empowering you, every day of your life.” Needless to say, I ran, and he was right.

Why is it important to you that research scientists become more transparent in their work, sharing not only results, but the stages of trial and error along the way?

I could say, “no taxation without representation,” and mean it.

We’re now developing technologies that will impact people at least as profoundly as any act of a duly elected legislature. On the public dime, no less. To do so behind closed doors, denying people a voice in decisions that will affect them, would be a betrayal of some of our highest values.

I could say, “I’ve had nearly every privilege, it’s my responsibility to give back, and this is one way that I can.”

" we’re now developing technologies that will impact people at least as profoundly as any act of a duly elected legislature. to do so behind closed doors…would be a betrayal of some of our highest values."

I could say, “we need new technologies.” Civilization isn’t sustainable; we cannot stop inventing lest we fall and lose all of our progress. The current system is extraordinarily inefficient: we don’t communicate the things that fail, causing others to waste time pursuing dead ends. We don’t tell others what we’re doing, meaning we needlessly duplicate one another’s work rather than cooperating or competing on an informed basis. It’s incredibly frustrating to be trapped within the confines of a research ecosystem that was never rationally designed and barely adapted to past conditions, let alone the modern era when communication costs literally nothing.

I could say, “science isn’t much fun when you’re constantly paranoid that you’re wasting your time because someone else is trying to do exactly the same thing.”

And I could say, “we need others to check our work, because no individual or group of specialists can reliably anticipate the consequences of their research.” Right now, there are few such safeguards in place. Just as I want others to check my work, I’d rather the same were true for other researchers.

There are many, many more reasons, but there’s one that’s become more poignant of late. It’s that I have children whom I love dearly, and I want them to have a future. Helping reform science, which might improve the odds by as much as 10%, is likely the greatest gift I can possibly give.

Why is it important to you that scientific research be democratic and open?

As I’m sure every one of my former teachers at Catlin could tell you, I’ve always struggled with humility. Yet there’s nothing that teaches it quite like wasting two years of your life in graduate school pursuing a blind alley in research because you failed to accurately identify the simplest possible system. A still better lesson: design a theoretical technology that you believe will do everything you want, set it aside for a time, then come back only to realize that far from doing what you want, it would be actively dangerous. That happened to me last year designing a variation of a gene drive system. And I’m supposed to understand those. In short, No one can do this alone. We all make mistakes, and we can’t always afford mistakes. The scientific method, insofar as it exists at all, is all about ensuring that others will always be rewarded for proving you wrong. To any current Catlin student anything at all like I was, listen carefully: allowing others to assume you know the answer, rather than confessing your ignorance, can indeed cultivate your reputation. But the cost is continued ignorance, and it’s too high a price. Arrogance makes you weak. We need you.

Swallow your pride, and ask others to explain.

Read more.

Access the expanded interview with Kevin Esvelt ’00 in The Caller digital edition: www.catlin.edu/thecaller The Caller | Summer 2017

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News Diversity Conference

Presidential Scholar and National Merit Scholar Honors

In February, Catlin Gabel welcomed students from seven Portland-area schools for our annual Diversity Conference, a day in which Middle and Upper School students, faculty, and staff focus on multiple perspectives and share in safe presentations, conversations, and dialogue. Keynote speakers this year were Mic Jordan, hip-hop artist and member of the Ojibwe tribe in North Dakota, and Melissa Lowery, Jesuit High School Director of Diversity and Inclusion and director of the film Black Girl in Suburbia. The conference included student-led affinity discussion groups, and over 40 different workshops covering topics as varied as art, sports, history, media, fashion, communication, activism, feminism, masculinity, social class, and Islam.

Nikhil Murthy ’17 was named a Presidential Scholar, one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students, and cited for demonstrating “outstanding academic achievement, artistic excellence, leadership, citizenship, service, and contribution to school and community.” He is one of only 161 students nationwide to receive the honor—out of 3.5 million U.S. high school seniors. Nikhil was honored in a June ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Excellence in Innovation

For their invention of a light and power source for Portland-area “pod” houses, the Catlin Gabel InvenTeam earned top honors from the national Lexus Eco Challenge and a cash prize of $10,000.

The power units, which they call JuiceBoxes, provide electricity for off-grid, portable pods inhabited by previously houseless people, and include a light and charging outlet powered by a solar panel. The team re-invested all prize money into the building and installation of more JuiceBox units for those in need. The invention received local news coverage from KGW-TV (pictured), KATU-TV, The Oregonian, Willamette Week, and OPB Radio.

National Honors in Art and Writing

Annika Le ’17 was awarded the Gold Medal Award for poetry in the 2017 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, a national competition that attracted over 330,000 entries this year. She was recognized in a National Ceremony at Carnegie Hall in June, and her poem was included in a public exhibition in New York City.

For the second consecutive year, Ameya Okamoto ’18 was a national award recipient of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in visual arts. Ameya won the Gold Medal in Digital Art for “Black Life: Eric Garner” (pictured) and the Silver Medal in Painting for “Tradition (Geisha).” Last year Ameya won the national Gold Medal for the digital art piece “Black Lives,” now on permanent display in Toad Hall.

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Seniors Andrew Park, Daniel Chiu, and Adolfo Apolloni were named National Merit Scholars, an honor that recognizes outstanding achievement in academics, SAT scores, extracurricular achievements, awards, and other factors. Winners of this scholarship represent fewer than 1% of the initial pool of approximately 1.5 million student entrants nationwide.

Athletic Achievement

For the 17th time, and the third consecutive year, Catlin Gabel has been awarded the Oregon Athletic Coaches Association All Sport Champion Award. The honor is given for overall sports accomplishment—the combined effort of all Catlin Gabel teams and individuals.

At the 2017 OSAA track championships, held May 18-19 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Catlin Gabel girls took 6th place and boys took 3rd. Juma Sei ’18 set a new 3A state record in the 400m, won the 800m championship, and was named 3A male athlete of the meet; Maya Rayle ’18 won the state championship in the 3000m and the 800m; and Catlin Gabel boys won both the 4x100m relay and the 4x400m relay.

Catlin Gabel tennis teams competed at the state championship in May 19-20 in Corvallis. The boys team took second place overall, with Coleman Sherry ’17 earning second place in boys singles, and Charley Ward ’17 and Cal Fenner ’17 earning third in doubles.

Will Conyers ’17 represented Catlin Gabel in the golf state championship and took 8th place overall in state.

CLASS NOTES Liaisons are listed for each class.

Please send your class notes for the next issue of The Caller to your class liaison or alumni@catlin.edu.

1950s

’55 Chita Becker has been named by the Portland Art Museum as their first ever Trustee Emerita. She has been an art museum member for more than 50 years, and served on the Board of Trustees from 2007 to 2013, as well as being active on many museum committees. ’56 Wilson Hulley served in the U.S. Air Force and was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses. He headed President George H.W. Bush’s Committee on the Employment of People with Disabilities, and under President Clinton was awarded the Medal of Freedom. He fondly remembers Hillside: participating in Gilbert & Sullivan productions, helping upgrade the playground, and his “over-the-top” preparation for high school.

1960s

’64 David Markewitz writes, “I am a hospice, Oregon Shakespeare, and school volunteer and serve on the board of Southern Oregon Friends of Hospice. We are building a hospice house to serve the Rogue Valley.

Enjoying 11 grandchildren and traveling to see them.” He is “not impersonating an attorney nor collecting stamps,” as was erroneously reported in the previous edition of this magazine, though “my mom, former secretary at Catlin and Hillside, would have made a great lawyer.” We regret the error.

He adds, “No sweat on the mixup. I used to get my alter ego’s mail. And legal questions.

I am working hard to avoid malpractice.”

Members of the class of 1973 at Page Knudsen Cowles’s family vineyard

’67 Hoyt Corbett has created an online gallery, “Cook in Clay,” on which to show and explain his ceramic work.

1970s ’71 liaison: Muffie Latourette Scanlan

muffie130@comcast.net Bom Chandharath, an exchange student

from Thailand, writes that he visited the school on May 3 with John Mills of his host family. “The school is kept beautifully.

It was really nice to see and walk around the campus. I did talk to two of the teachers. It brought back a good memory.”

’72 Kathy McPhail Hunter lives in Arizona.

She spent many years working in newspaper production, and writes, “I feel very fortunate to have worked in the newspaper industry during its heyday. I can remember printing 140 pages of classified ads every week for the Sunday edition of the San Jose Mercury News, back in the early 1990s. Unbelievable to think of that now. The Internet, with its “free” news, and Craigslist, with its free ads, were the twin death knells. It’s hard to see how print can hang on much longer, but

that’s been said before, many times. We’ll see. But, I was lucky to be there at a great time, with lots of new technology and a feeling of contributing to society.” ’73 liaisons: Ted Kaye and

Debbie Ehrman Kaye djek53@aol.com Members of the Class of 1973 enjoyed a get-together at Knudsen Vineyards hosted

by Page Knudsen Cowles, who is frequently in Oregon running her family vineyards’ growing winery operation. Joining Page were Scott Director, Bob Bonaparte, Brian Saucy, Kevin Morris ’74, Steve Naito, Debbie Ehrman Kaye, Betsy Menefee Rickles, Brian Puziss, and Ted Kaye. A poem by Michele Glazer was published

in the March 27 edition of The New Yorker magazine. Roger Kaza received the Mary V. Dodge Lifetime Achievement Award from the Portland Youth Philharmonic (PYP). In March he played Peter Schickele’s Pentangle for horn and orchestra at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, accompanied by the PYP. Roger is principal horn of the St. Louis Symphony. Michael Mills was inducted into the Royal Rosarians at a knighting ceremony on April 15. He looks forward to The Caller | Summer 2017

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being one of the City of Portland’s official greeters and participating in the Starlight and Grand Floral parades in the traditional white suit and Venetian straw hat. 2016 was a big year for Gwynne MacColl Campbell and her husband, Doug. Their daughter Caroline was married last summer and lives in Melbourne, Australia. They sold their house in Darien, Connecticut, after 33 years and are staying in the area for now. A first grandchild, Alma, was born in Jordan to son Colin and his wife, Tara, who has been working with Syrian refugees through Mercy Corps. And Gwynne will retire after 33 years in the education business, closing their Sylvan Learning Center in Darien. The Links, Incorporated, elected Leslie Williams to be president of its Tuskegee, Alabama, chapter.

The Links is an African-American women’s professional service organization with international chapters all over the country.

Leslie has been a member for 19 years, and is excited to take on this challenging role. ’75 liaison: Len Carr carrl@catlin.edu ’76 liaison: Hester Buell Carr hbc58@aol.com ’77 Lee Weinstein’s firm, Weinstein PR, was awarded the Outstanding Oregon PR Initiative Award at Travel Oregon’s Travel & Tourism Industry Achievement Awards. The firm was recognized for their work on the Historic Columbia River Highway Centennial Celebration in 2016. ’79 liaison: Jim Bilbao jimbilbao@gmail.com For the second year in a row, Super Lawyers magazine has ranked Martin Buchanan as the number two lawyer in San Diego in its annual Top 10 list.

1980s

’82 liaison: Mary Rondthaler maryrondthaler@gmail.com ’84 liaison: Victoria Patrick Lloyd victoria.s.lloyd@gmail.com ’85 liaison: Bryan Ward bryan@skywardconstruction.com

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about our 40(!) years of friendship.” ’91 Rukaiyah Adams, who is Chief Investment Officer for Meyer Memorial Trust, participated in a City Club of Portland Friday Forum conversation in January. The discussion was part of a series focused on the civic and cultural aspects of belonging in our region. Ian McCluskey recently became a producer for OPB-TV’s “Oregon Field Guide.” ’92 liaisons: Jamie Bell

jamico1974@hotmail.com

Ashley Tibbs tibbsashley@gmail.com Andrea Darling and Amy Maki, class of ’90

’87 liaison: Megan Sullivan Shipley shipleymegan@gmail.com ’89 liaison: Robyn Rhodes Rogers hicktownmom@gmail.com

1990s

’90 Liaison: Heather Gaudry Blackburn hblackburn13@gmail.com Maggie Brenneke writes that she and

“Hugo, Lily (6), and our dog Sandy recently moved from Oxfordshire to Northamptonshire. We are living in a 300-year-old house (The Old Bakehouse) smack dab in the middle of England. We are enjoying the move to be closer to Hugo’s family and to the Norfolk coast. If you are ever in England, we would love to host any fellow CG alums for a cup of tea or a local pub lunch! Only an hour by train from London.” Pippa Arend writes, “I’m still in Portland, and in fact just celebrated the 15th year of p:ear, the nonprofit I founded in 2002 for homeless kids. I didn’t think anything lasted 15 years, but here I am, headed into my 45th birthday on May 19th (did you know our class graduated on my 18th birthday in 1990?) and p:ear is still around and going strong! I’ve been spending time hiking, which I love to do, in the Gorge, and doing a bit of traveling with my boyfriend. He’s taking me to Paris later in the year, which is a fabulous sentence to write.”

Amy Maki reports that she “went to Boston to run the marathon and got to spend an afternoon with Andrea Darling. We strolled along the Charles River and reminisced

’93 liaison: Jen McDonald jenmcdonald74@gmail.com ’95 liaison: Lisa Kleinman lisa_kleinman@hotmail.com Charity Waltenbaugh is the Restaurant

Manager for Hardy’s Verandah Restaurant in Adelaide, Australia. She is the former Director of Operations of Acadia, in Chicago, and former Assistant General Service Manager of Spago at the Four Seasons Resort in Maui. Zanni Schauffler is a poet and writer who lives in Enterprise. She received an M.A. in Poetry from Portland State University and an M.F.A. in Poetry from the University of California, Irvine. Her work has appeared in The Iowa Review and Denver Quarterly, among others. She is the recipient of an Oregon Literary Arts Fellowship.

‘96 A profile of artist Michael Mandiberg and his work appeared in the September 26, 2016, edition of The New Yorker magazine.

‘97 liaison: Sarah Coates Higgins sarahlcoates@gmail.com ‘98 liaison: Will Decherd wdecherd@gmail.com ‘99 liaison: Nasim Gorji ngorji@gmail.com

2000s

‘00 liaison: Natasha Stoudt secretnatasha@gmail.com ‘01 liaison: Tyler Francis catlin@tylerf.net

Evan Shapiro married Leksi Linne, and they

have a baby girl, Charlene (Charlie) born August 22, 2016. They live in San Francisco, where he is co-founder of a startup company featuring hi-tech baby monitoring systems called KnitHealth. Tyler Francis recently joined the Angeli Law Group in Portland, where he works as an attorney.

Muranda Brooker welcomed her baby boy Dean Thomas into the world in February.

Muranda Brooker ’01 welcomed baby Dean Thomas

‘02 liaison: Kelsey Rotwein Schagemann kelsey.schagemann@gmail.com Mark Knight has returned to America

following his three-year postdoctoral adventure in the Netherlands. He continues his research in Los Angeles as a scientist within Northrop Grumman, and spends weekends exploring the unexpectedly lush California hillsides on his bike. In 2017 Aidan Krainock opened up her practice as an appraiser of fine and decorative art in Portland. She provides qualified appraisals for various purposes, including estate, capital gains, gift tax, charitable contribution, insurance, damage, loss, equitable distribution, and resale. She also offers consulting services relevant to art collecting and valuation.

Kelsey (Rotwein) Schagemann continues to work as an associate editor at DePaul University in Chicago while also freelancing for clients such as Midwest Living magazine, California State University Los Angeles, and the University of Illinois at Chicago. She’s also a contributing writer for aSweatLife.com, a health and fitness website.

‘04 liaison: Hannah Aultman Hannah.aultman@gmail.com Andrew Young is looking forward to moving to southern Oregon where he will start a position in July as a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist. Anushka Shenoy will be staying at OHSU for her psychiatry residency training after receiving her M.D. in June. She is celebrating her graduation with a monthlong backpacking trip in Nepal. Miranda Middleton recently moved to Denver for a new job at Starbucks in their real estate division. She would be thrilled to welcome any and all visitors! To write her new book, Cork Dork, Bianca Bosker traded her role as The Huffington Post’s executive tech editor for a job as “cellar rat”—the lowest of the low in the wine world—and plunged inside neuroscientists’ labs, underground blind tasting groups, Michelin-starred restaurants, and mass-market wine factories as she trained to become a “somm” and uncover the nature of taste. In March she caught up with Catlin Gabel alums and faculty on her book tour stop at Powell’s Books, and hosted an alumni wine tasting event in Manhattan.

‘05 liaison: Taylor Kaplan taylorashleykaplan@gmail.com Elizabeth Cooke is a current M.B.A. candidate at New York University Stern School of Business, and spent the spring 2017 semester studying abroad at IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain. Michelle Levesque writes, “I successfully launched my new advanced training certification curriculum in energy healing: Illumination Reiki™. In May I gave a talk about Shamanic Death and Rebirth

at Embrace Festival, and I’ll be a featured presenter at EmPowerEd, a day-long urban retreat at the Nines Hotel focused on women’s empowerment.” Rachel Weinrib and Olivia Miller got together in March to explore beautiful Moab, Utah. Matt Young is working as a dentist in the Pearl in Portland. Janie Paige writes, “I’m living in Portland again, in the first year of a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Saybrook University.

It’s an Existential-Humanistic program, and very progressive.” Rollyn Stafford writes, “My film Your Move won Best Comedy Film at the 2017 Oregon Short Film Festival. This summer I am making my first feature film, Road to Bob.” Joy Perkinson writes, “I’m graduating with a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Harvard. Finally done with school...In September, I start work as a senior scientist at Charles Stark Draper Laboratory in Cambridge, Massachusetts.” After nearly eight years in Washington, D.C., Julia Steinberger is moving back to Portland.

She’ll be a policy analyst for the state government’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission. Josey Bartlett is living in Brooklyn and works on public housing for the New York City Housing Authority. Emily Taylor joined the Blue Apron Culinary Team this past March. Before joining Blue Apron she took some time off to hike all 500 or so miles of the el Camino de Santiago.

‘06 liaison: Casey Michel casey.michel@gmail.com

Casey Michel spent the past few months covering Russian interference in the U.S. election for outlets like POLITICO Magazine

‘03 liaison: Lauren Collins laurencollins03@gmail.com Members of the class of ’04 at Powell’s: Bianca Bosker, Madison Kaplan, Hannah Aultman, and Anushka Shenoy The Caller | Summer 2017

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and Quartz, and recently appeared on NPR to talk about his research.

‘07 liaisons: Ben Dair

zencellist@gmail.com

Rob Kaye

robert.e.kaye@gmail.com

A profile of author Ursula Le Guin written

by Zoë Carpenter was published in The Nation.

‘09 liaisons: Christopher Skinner christopher.r.skinner@gmail.com

Caitlin Utter caitlinmichaelriley@gmail.com

Rachel Weinrib and Olivia Miller (class of ’05) in Moab

Stay connected!

Update Your Contact Info Please contact us to update your personal and professional info so you’ll always be informed about alumni events, news, and celebrations. Contact Catlin Gabel Alumni Relations: alumni@catlin.edu or (503) 297-1894.

Online Access the Alumni section of our website at www.catlin.edu/alumni.

On campus and out in the world Visit the Alumni Events section of our website, and watch for emails announcing events.

By phone or email Contact Catlin Gabel Alumni Relations: alumni@catlin.edu or (503) 297-1894.

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The Caller | www.catlin.edu/thecaller

Ben Turner graduated from Portland State University with a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Piano. He continues to DJ at KMHD, Portland’s jazz radio station. In January he became the full-time keyboardist of the band Dirty Revival, and they are playing many dates across the country in 2017 including shows and festivals in Cincinnati, Chicago, and Minneapolis. Tom Vogt writes, “I’ve started law school at Willamette in Salem (glamorous, I know) and I’m about to finish year one.” Miranda Johnson continues her career at The Economist newspaper with a move to Singapore this year. She will be covering South-East Asian politics, business and science with a particular focus on environmental stories given her work in that area in recent years. Bhakthi Sahgal recently concluded her role as a fellow and health policy adviser for a senior member of Congress.

Two pieces of legislation she worked on, addressing the nation’s opioid crisis and health workforce shortage, were signed into law by the Obama administration. After a break to catch her breath, she began a new role at the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute last month in Washington, D.C., where she is helping build up the organization’s precision medicine portfolio. Christopher R. Skinner continues to live outside of Washington, D.C., and has recently switched to client engagements as his career in management consulting progresses. He is diligently studying for the GMAT as he begins looking toward M.B.A. programs. In the meantime,

he practices singing and learning a variety of languages, and looks forward to a trip to London and Spain this summer.

2010s

‘10 liaison: Ingrid Van Valkenburg icvanvalkenburg@gmail.com Erica Berry writes, “This year I was one of two recipients of the Scholastic Writing Awards’ Annual Alumni Writer’s Residency, which I was eligible for because I won a Scholastic writing medal back when I was at Catlin Gabel. This year I will be the writer-in-residency at NYC’s Roosevelt Hotel for the first week of May as I continue work on my first book, a collection of lyrical essays about fear.”

‘11 liaison: Sarah Lowenstein

lowensteins@lclark.edu ‘12 liaison: Kate Rubenstein

rubinske@whitman.edu Anaka Morris recently graduated from

the University of Southern California, and spent her last semester in Cape Town, South Africa. She is now working on an art project called “Healing in Oyam,” and planning a trip to Oyam, Uganda, with the Global Health Network.

‘13 Trevor Luu is in the Peace Corps. He is in Madagascar working as a medical officer.

Marina Dimitrov has been selected as a recipient of the Frederick Emmons Terman Engineering Scholastic Award for distinguished academic performance at Stanford University. Terman Awards are presented to the top five percent of each year’s senior engineering class. Ben Shmulevsky writes, “I am currently attending the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. I am in a combined Bachelors/Masters program called a “progressive degree.” I will graduate with my Bachelor of Science in Economics/ Mathematics this May (magna cum laude), and will graduate with my Master of Science in Mathematical Finance the following May. This summer, I will be working at HSBC in

Message from the Alumni Association Board President Dear Fellow Alumni and Catlin Gabel Friends and Family,

New York on their foreign exchange trading desk. I have had the privilege of serving as the President of the USC Chapter of Omicron Delta Epsilon (ODE), the international economics honors society, for the past two years.”

‘14 Liaison: Nick Rhodes

nbrhodes@gmail.com Kyra Finley works at Disneyland and attends

Chapman University in Los Angeles. She has been working on a survey/market research team.

‘16 Liaisons: Ellie Nakamoto White

ellienw98@gmail.com

Christina Spires

alumni@catlin.edu

Nadya Okamoto is running for a seat on the Cambridge, Massachusetts, city council.

The progressive, critical and creative thinking, and inspirational nature of Catlin Gabel is alive and well as we march towards a new year, with Tim Bazemore at the helm for his fourth year—”Oh Captain! My Captain.” It is wonderful to be engaged with this community again and work alongside teachers, administration, and staff who are dedicated to deep learning. I am honored and excited to serve as President of the Alumni Board alongside fantastic alumni who are working hard to put together events, support the current Catlin Gabel students, and volunteer their time to keep connecting to alumni of all ages and from all regions of the world.

What a successful year for our Alumni Board! We hosted a wonderful reunion weekend that included awards and recognition throughout the generations of alumni; held a huge holiday party; created a new event, “Raise Your Glass;” and held the annual Catlin Gabel Trivia Night.

I encourage you to stay connected, find alumni in your region, and remember the foundational ways Catlin Gabel has taught you to think and move through this ever-changing and fastpaced world. Catlin Gabel taught me to stay nimble, think deeply, problem solve, be mindful of others, and stay relevant. I bring this to the table when I talk to students today—it has served me well and I hope you will create your own list of what Catlin Gabel taught you. Share this with us! We want to hear from you!

Have a wonderful summer and keep Catlin Gabel in your head and heart. The door is always open.

Sincerely, Katie Wisdom Weinstein ’86 CATLIN GABEL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD MEMBERS Katie Wisdom Weinstein ’86,

President

Michael Malone ’95, Vice

President

Ingrid Van Valkenburg ’10,

Secretary

Len Carr ’75 Meg Patten Eaton ’58 Chris Dorough ’03 Debbie Ehrman Kaye ’73 Deni Mei ’04

Jasper Gordon ’17,

Lilian Ongelungel ’07

CGSA representative

Anushka Shenoy ’04

Emily Carr Bellos ’02

Irfan Tahir ’87

Sprinavasa Brown ’02

Tom Tucker ’66

Trevor Luu ’13 in the Peace Corps in Madagascar The Caller | Summer 2017

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in MEMORIAM Marianne Aarnas Grandmother of Emma Rickles ’10

Hugh Ewart Father of David Ewart ’75

Koren Backstrand ’86

Harold Curtis Finch Husband of Mary Rob Joss Finch ’58; father of Andy Finch ’82

Jeffrey P. Belluschi Son of Peter Belluschi ’57; father of Christopher ’14 John Wilson Billington Son of Evelyn Beebe Shirk ’30 Ernest Bonyhadi Father of Mark Bonyhadi ’72 Rosalie Brandon Mother of Arah Erickson ’87; grandmother of Lyla ’25, Lindsey ’27, and Ruby ’29 Wohlgemuth Janet Day-Brelje Mother of Valerie ’77 and Vance Day ’79 Harold Olaf Brevig, Sr. Grandfather of Hillary ’02, Alex ’04, Reed ’10, and Schuyler ’12

Jane Glazer Former faculty; stepmother of Peter Glazer ’70, Michele Glazer ’73, and David Glazer ’74 Barbara “Bobby” Feldman Goldsmith ’44 Fred Hayes ’45 Husband of Catherine Michael Webster Hayes ’46; brother of Sally Hill Hayes ’53 Harriet “Sis” Sterling Hayes ’46 Sister of Donald Sterling ’44; mother of Anna Hayes Levin ’71 and former faculty member Peter Hayes ’74; grandmother of Ben Hayes ’07 and Molly Hayes ’10 Jeff Hockley ’68

David Brown Father of Michael Burmeister-Brown, former trustee; grandfather of Henry Burmeister-Brown ’14

Eric Hoffman ’40 Father of Joan ’67, Susan ’68, and Sally Hoffman Miller ’71; grandfather to Hawley Hubbard ’98, Tyson Trullinger ’06, and Hyde Trullinger ’09

Alyce R. Cheatham Mother of Thayer Cheatham Willis ’66, former trustee; grandmother of Julianne Willis ’09 and Clay Willis ’13

Jim Holland Father of Cathy Holland Beck ’70, Allison Holland Thompson ’75, and Annamarie Holland Daniels ’79

Carolyn Mount Clark Sister of Anne Mount Hay ’47

Margaret “Sue” Wagner Honeyman ’40 Sister of Neva Louise Wagner McCallum ’35

Holt Wilson Cookingham ’45 Brother of Gertrude Cookingham Jester ’37 (dec)

Susan Povey Hutchison Mother of Matthew Hutchison ’95

Nicholas Blanchard Cowell Son of former teacher Priscilla Cowell

James McAndrew “Mac” Jones, Jr., M.D. Father of Brian ’88, Andrew ’07, and Peter ’09

Phoebe Frances Derville John Derville, Jr. Mother and father of Susan Derville Stonecliffe ’66 Hollis Dixon ’72 Harriet Bouvy Drake Mother of Andrea Hull ’81 and Matt ’77 Robert Durst Father of Samantha ’85 and Elizabeth ’92 Charles S. Evans, Sr. Husband of Carey Rockey Evans ’38 Charles Samuel Evans, Jr. Son of Carey Rockey Evans ’38

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The Caller | www.catlin.edu/thecaller

Jerry G. Jones Father of Greg ’85 and Shannon ’88 Margaret Kappes-Warren Stepmother of Ginger Warren Brubaker ’62 and Betsy Warren Feichtmeir ’59 Myron “Mike” Katz Father of Karen (Kitty) Katz ’74; grandfather of Evan Caster ’07 and Koby Caster ’10 Steve Knox Husband of Barbara Knox, former teacher Carl James Kubin Companion to Diana Laird ’56 Kim Later Wife of Peter Later ’83; daughter-in-law of Florence (Flossie) Later, past faculty

Robert Bishop Neighbor Son of MaryAnne Bishop Neighbor ’23 (dec); brother of Nancy Neighbor Russell ’49 and Betsy Neighbor Smith ’57 Madeline Brill Nelson ’42 Mother of Rosalind Nelson Babener ’68 and Ernie Lafky ’81; sister of Eleanor Brill Stern ’43; grandmother of Roscoe Nelson ’93, Rebecca Babener ’01, Jeremy Babener ’03, and Rachel Babener ’07 Patricia Layton Nemer Mother of Tiffany Rosenfeld; mother-in-law of board chair Eric Rosenfeld ’83; grandmother of Claire ’17, Layton ’19, and Ben ’23 Verne W. Newcomb Father of Polly ’73 and Scott ’70; grandfather to Madeleine ’09 and Jackson Morawski ’11 Roger Newhall ’45 Dorothy Orendurff Mother of Karen Fort ’70, Rachel Johnson ’72, Michael ’76, Rebecca Coren ’78, Deborah ’82, and Malcolm ’86 John Partridge, M.D. Husband of former teacher Beverly Partridge (dec.); father of Martha ’69 and Fran ’76 Constance H. Pauly Mother of Deborah Pauly Amblevert ’66 Willis E. Peacock Brother of Mavis Peacock Guber ’74 Karen Lynn Kirn Robinson ’82 Mary Rosenberg Mother of Kurt Rosenberg ’74 Frederick W. Tiley Father of Sara “Salli” Stephens-Tiley ’78 and Frederick “Fritz” Stephens-Tiley ’80 Mary Catherine Vranizan Mother of Catherine “Kate” Vranizan Home ’75 John “JJ” Joseph Walsdorf II ’88 Carol Salquist Whitney ’54 Sister of Lynne Salquist Davenport ’58 Carol Janz Zell ’57 Mother of Adrienne Zell ’84; grandmother of Andrew Hungate ’12, Joseph Hungate ’14, and Abby Hungate ’16

FROM the ARCHIVES

The vast photographic record housed in the Catlin Gabel Archives provides a window into daily life at the school, including moments captured at Miss Catlin’s School and Catlin-Hillside School, and the days when the current campus was mostly woods and pastures, and known as Honey Hollow Farm.

SEE MORE: Visit the From the Archives online gallery at catlin.edu/thecaller.

1950s

1968

1977 The Caller | Summer 2017

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Non-Profit Org. US Postage PAID Portland, OR Permit No. 593

8825 SW Barnes Road Portland, Oregon 97225 Change Service Requested

2017 ALUMNI AND HOMECOMING WEEKEND

SEPTEMBER 15-16

FROM PINE CONE TO TIMBER WE GREW TOGETHER. • ME ET M E I N T H E F I R G ROVE • 30

The Caller | www.catlin.edu/thecaller

alumni & homecoming weekend september 15-16, 2017

Return to your beautiful campus, and re-connect with classmates, teachers, and the alumni community. watch your mailbox for the alumni weekend invitation

This year we pay special tribute to the classes whose graduation years end in 2 and 7.

reunion year alumni:

Help make your reunion a success!

Join your reunion planning committee.

Visit www.catlin.edu/alumni to learn more about how to begin the reunion planning process.

QUESTIONS? Contact us at alumni@catlin.edu.