HRS Summer 2014 Magazine

2014

suMMer

Summer Magazine

Head-Royce School Song Verse One

Verse Two

To Head-Royce School we are singing

You show us the goals we must strive for

Our love is forever with you

Of honor and courage and truth

You give to us visions of glory

And the honest service you teach us

You show us the way to be true

Shall a buckler be to our youth

You foster our strongest of friendships

And as the years pass we’ll remember

Our fairest and rosiest dreams

These days from all others apart

And torches of faith you are kindling

And hope that our dear Alma Mater

Will lighten our road with our beams

Will keep us a place in her heart

SUMMER MAGAZINE 2014 Production EDITORS

PRINTER

Megan Long Elizabeth Owen

Solstice Press PHOTOGR APHY

EDITORIAL A SSIS TANCE

Susan Anderson DESIGN & PRODUC TION

Shelby Designs & Illustrates

Beatrix Rose Bond Sam Deaner Betty Fujimoto Stacy Geiken Ralph Granich Ray Louie

Claudia Miranda Shannon Nicholls Christian Peacock Jeannine Rucker Luigi Semenzato Richard Wheeler Cara Yelland

MORE ONLINE!

> headroyce.org/magazine

Spring Magazine 2014 TR A DITIONS 2 What is a Jayhawk?

18 Eighth Grade Promotion

35 Athletics Awards

46 Reunions

3 Head’s Letter

21 Middle School Awards

36 Big Night Out

48 Alumni Weekend

4 Traditions Introduction

22 Commencement

38 Grandparents and Special Friends Day

50 Alumni Memories

6 Senior Dinner

28 Anna Head Graduations

40 Farewell to Cathy Epstein

52 Students’ Summer Plans

8 May Dances

30 Upper School Awards

42 Farewell to Jan Groschupf

12 End-of-Year Celebrations

31 Senior Projects

43 Alumni Celebrations

14 Fifth Grade Promotion

34 Athletics Highlights

44 Alumni Awards

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The mission of Head‑Royce School is to inspire in our students a lifelong love of learning and pursuit of academic excellence, to promote understanding of and respect for diversity that makes our society strong and to encourage active and responsible global citizenship.

Founded in 1887, Head‑Royce is an independent, non-denominational, coeducational, college-preparatory K–12 school, which offers a challenging educational program to educate the whole child. The school nurtures the development of each individual student through a program that seeks: » to develop intellectual abilities such as scholarship and disciplined, critical thinking; » to foster in each student respect, integrity, ethical behavior, compassion and a sense of humor; » to promote responsibility and leadership, an appreciation of individual and cultural differences and a respect for the opinions of others; » to nurture aesthetic abilities such as creativity, imagination, musical and visual talent; and » to encourage joyful, healthy living; a love of nature; and physical fitness.

All members of the Head‑Royce community strive to create an educational environment that reflects the school’s core values of academic excellence, diversity and citizenship, and one in which each student can thrive. We believe that a program based on these core values will prepare our students to be effective global citizens as they face and embrace the challenges and the opportunities of the future.

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What’s a Jayhawk?

Head-Royce has one of the more unique athletic mascots — the Jayhawk.

Our mascot — affectionately dubbed “Tuffy” — can be seen at sporting events; special events, such as the Lower School World Games; and sometimes makes an appearance on school-wide spirit days.

But what is a Jayhawk?

There actually is no real bird called a Jayhawk.

Jayhawk is a term that came to be used just before the Civil War in Kansas. The area was a battleground between those wanting a state where slavery would be legal and those committed to a free state. The factions looted, sacked, rustled cattle and otherwise attacked each other’s settlements. For a time, those on both sides were called Jayhawkers.

The Jayhawk’s ruffian image gave way to a patriotic symbol and after the war, the term became synonymous with the people of Kansas.

Eventually, the Jayhawk was adopted as the school mascot for the University of Kansas.

The name is a combination of two actual bird names: the blue jay (known as a noisy

and quarrelsome bird that robs from others’ nests), and the sparrow hawk (a stealthy hunter).

Why the Jayhawks?

After the Anna Head School for Girls merged

with the Josiah Royce School for Boys and became co-educational, the new Head-Royce School needed a mascot. The students came up with three options: Roadrunners, Rockets and Jayhawks. Eventually, the students selected Jayhawks, in large part due to the uniqueness of the nickname.

The University of Kansas is the only NCAA school that uses Jayhawk as a mascot. HeadRoyce’s Upper School is believed to be one of only eight high schools in the nation with Jayhawk as its mascot.

Traditions bind us together as a country and a school and connect the present to the past.

The tradition of celebrating our country’s independence began 238 years ago. John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail, “The second of July 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival.” Despite being a few days off — the July 2 date reflecting the day the Continental Congress declared its freedom from Britain — his letter was certainly prescient. Then, 112 years later, the Anna Head School was founded and we began our own humble, but long-standing traditions.

Robert A. Lake Head of School

Indeed, traditions connect the present to the past.

They serve to give us a sense of grounding and a sense of place. They give our children a feeling that they are a part of something permanent, something bigger than themselves. In our highly digitized and fast-paced, interconnected world, everything can seem transient and impermanent.

During a time when a 21-year-old can come up with a brilliant app that

solves a problem and sell it for billions, now is just the right time to counterbalance our rush to the future with no-tech traditions that some might say are old fashioned.

Traditions are also the way that we pass down our culture from one generation to the next. In today’s world, I think that cultural traditions that bind one generation to the next are all the more important.

We are all striving for meaningful human connections and these links to the past are critical.

At our school, we have a history that goes back 126 years. We have a range of long-standing traditions such as the maypole dance and singing the school song at major events. The annual Holiday Program where students and faculty sing and perform has evolved into a must-see event. Our Upper School Caravan Jazz Ensemble performance at Yoshi’s in Jack London Square is sold out year after year. We also have new traditions that mean just as much.

Each year, for example, during a convocation ceremony, we gather at the start of the school year to recognize the journey of learning that we are about to embark on as a community. It is new, powerful, and I hope that it will endure.

“It [graduation] is, in our society, a very important rite of passage. It means that you are moving on to another stage — a more mature stage — of your life. Inevitably, you will have more freedoms. You will be asked to make more independent decisions. You will be asked to take on more significant roles as leaders, community members and family members. Importantly, you will also have more responsibility to own your decisions and the results of your actions. This evolution, this change, is exciting, challenging and a bit daunting, too. The good news is that you are ready and we are, sort of ready, for you to go.”

In this summer magazine, you will get a chance to read about some of the traditions and symbols we have, that, when looked at together, form a tapestry of our school culture. At the end of the day, school communities are about relationships and the ties that bind us together, both in the moment and to the past.

Enjoy the magazine and enjoy the rest of your summer.

Warmly,

One of the most important traditions that we have is graduation. This is a wonderful, emotional — even surreal — time for everyone involved. This past June, I spoke to the seniors about tradition: Rob

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Head-Royce Traditions

BY MARY FAHEY, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF UPPER SCHOOL ADMISSIONS

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As a Head-Royce school employee of 32 years and the mother of four children (Sarah ’98, Jacqueline ’00, Matthew ’04 and Bobby ’08) who were “lifers” of the school, I have many fond memories of school traditions.

From school-sanctioned events like the perennially fun All-School Fair with game booths and tasty food to the annual Holiday Program (that I have coordinated the last few years) that showcases the fabulous musical talents of our K–12 students to “extracurricular” events like student pranks such as filling myriad Dixie cups with water to place in front of classroom doors and driving a Volkswagen bug down a school hallway with tape along the middle of for a highway lane divider, Head-Royce has had a distinct place in my family and heart for decades.

But as a lifelong athlete and physical fitness aficionado, what most resonates with me is the school’s dedication to and encouragement of women in sports.

When I arrived at Head-Royce in the fall of 1982, I was pleasantly surprised to find a long-standing tradition of women’s sports. As I began to learn about the school, I found out that Miss Head’s school had played in the first recorded women’s basketball game on the West Coast. It was in the Harmon Gym at the school’s Channing Avenue location in Berkeley against the team from Cal on November 18, 1892.

Miss Head’s won the game 6–5. I always told this story to the girls in my classes and those I coached so they would know they were enrolled in a school with a long history of giving women the chance to participate in sports.

Anna Head looked after the whole well-being of her students; in the 1893 school catalog she wrote: “The greatest danger to our girls is from hurried and anxious brain-work, with the neglect of cheerful and inspiring exercise; this it will be the aim of the school to furnish, since the health of the pupils will be the first consideration.” By 1923 the school offered girls the opportunity to compete in basketball, field hockey, tennis, swimming, volleyball and horseback riding with students from four other Bay Area girls’ schools. The result was a rigorous physical education program that was revolutionary for its time.

I always told this story to the girls in my classes and those I coached so they would know they were enrolled in a school with a long history of giving women the chance to participate in sports.

Head-Royce has many time-honored and treasured traditions; one of those that resounds the most with me is how proud I am that as a school we have expanded on Anna Head’s passion for women in sports and kept her legacy alive. I am grateful to the school for being a large part of my rewarding and fulfilling career coaching women’s sports.

From my earliest recollections, all I ever wanted to do was to teach physical education. My dad was a coach and teacher at the college level. My weekends were spent traveling all over the state of California watching football, basketball and baseball games.

In elementary school I was the first in line to play kickball every recess and lunch. In middle school and high school I participated in any after-school sports activity offered. Intramural sports, club sports and specialty classes were available but interscholastic sports for girls did not exist in my school district. I just wanted the opportunity to play. Title IX, passed in 1972, required gender equity for boys and girls in sports programs in educational institutions that received federal financial assistance.

For me this came too late for my own school participation, but it led to a career coaching girls and women.

This page and opposite page: Players on early Anna Head basketball teams.

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Senior Dinner Tradition Changes But Always a Highlight

BY BARRY BARANKIN, UPPER SCHOOL DEAN OF STUDENTS

More than 20 years ago, a group of teachers at Head-Royce created the senior dinner as part of the development of a series of senior activities, which include the senior play and senior projects, to ensure a deep bond among the members of the outgoing class. A century-old tradition of seniors hosting an “appreciation tea” for their parents and the faculty led us to want to make the seniors a meal to show them how much we loved and valued them.

The first senior dinner was held at the home of retired history teacher Wendy Harris and was a great success. Faculty members did all the cooking, set up and clean up. After a few years at faculty homes we decided it would be less trouble to find a venue at school, and for more than 15 years the dinner was held in the hallway outside the MEW. It was truly remarkable how that space could be transformed with candlelight, linen, good silverware and dishes, faculty waiters in black attire and a few well-placed screens! The cooking was coordinated and directed by former art history teacher, Michele Metz, while Upper School Head, Carl Thiermann, usually oversaw the cleanup.

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Since the advent of the Jayhawk Café, the senior dinner has moved there. This year Senior Dean Andy Spear initiated — quite successfully — joint senior/faculty food and venue preparation so everyone shared the responsibility of preparing and enjoying the meal. As it continues its evolution, the senior dinner remains one of the highlights of the senior year at Head-Royce!

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Rite of Spring Passage

BY LEA VAN NESS, ASSISTANT HEAD OF LOWER SCHOOL

Spring is a time for reflection, new beginnings and beauty. There is no better event than the annual tradition of the Head-Royce May Dance to encapsulate the feelings of spring. The May Dance has been a part of Head-Royce since its inception in 1887. Outgoing Director of Admissions Cathy Epstein, who also served as our resident historian, remembered its roots with Anna Head, the founder of the Anna Head School for Girls, who was an avid traveler after her time at UC Berkeley. Two of her favorite spots were Germany and England.

She was fascinated by the pagan ritual of the maypole, originally made of a tree trunk, which originated in Germany and combined the German ritual with the decorative British tradition to create her own version of the maypole dance.

decorates the top of the maypole sat on her dining room table for years because we had no space on campus for the large fake flower arrangement!

away, like the “Virginia Reel” the fourth graders used to perform; instead, the grade has started a new tradition of performing a sword dance.

This year’s May Dance was a beautiful celebration of the season and Anna Head would have proud of our fifth graders. The students looked dapper, beautiful and poised as they wove in and out with the ribbons, creating the braided effect on the maypole. It is meaningful that some aspects of the May Dance have stayed constant — when alumni come back on campus and reminisce they can compare and contrast their May Dance experience with current students. Other traditions fade

The May Dance tradition remains one of HeadRoyce’s most loved annual events, drawing relatives and friends to campus every year to watch their little ones give their all during this big event that celebrates spring as well as a rite of passage that signifies the fifth graders’ transition out of the Lower School.

Many years ago the Lower School also included sixth grade and it was the sixth graders who performed the maypole dance. The fifth graders always danced the “Pata Pata” while the fourth graders danced the “Virginia Reel.” The active third graders were given the task of the parachute number, which was always performed to the popular Disney song of the day, while the kindergarteners each year performed the “Hu Ke Lau.” The second and third graders switched their performances each year. Many of these traditional dances have changed with the exception of the third-grade parachute dance and the most senior grade’s maypole dance, which is now performed by fifth graders.

Director of Community Relations Mary Fahey, who has been with the school for 32 years, recalled teaching the kindergarteners how to perform the “Hu Ke Lau” at the poolside and how all the students would jump into the pool as a reward after the practice. She also has fond memories of how the flower piece that proudly

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MORE ONLINE!

> headroyce.org/magazine

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Rising Up Commencement and Promotion Ceremonies of 2014 An annual tradition that marks the end of the school year is our commencement and promotion ceremonies, where we send the graduating class of seniors out into the world (or at least college life!) and send the fifth graders up to middle schools and the eighth graders on to high schools — either within or outside of HRS. Friends and family joined the Class of 2014 on Saturday, June 7 to recognize their achievements and celebrate the end of this part of their academic journeys. The day before, on Friday, June 6, proud parents and relatives watched as their younger students completed their time in the Lower and Middle Schools, ready to start a new chapter of learning. As always, the ceremonies were exciting and emotional as they represent the growth and change of our students as well as much promise for their futures.

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Head-Royce 5th Grade Promotion Class of 2021

back row (l to r):

second row (l to r):

third row (l to r):

third row (continued):

front row: (l to r):

Bryce Dawkins Jesse Andrade Erin Epstein Elizabeth Marchant Caroline Glaser Maya Shrestha

Theryn Nguyen Jarin Edwards Diego Rutkowski Whit Woolard Morgan Harris Owen Richards Arun Parwani Marcus So-Holloway Nahuel Cuellas

Chris Tam David Brambila Stephen Spencer-Wong Jessica Furstein Chase Nagle Nina Owen Ethan de Anda Sanchez Kallie Hansel-Tennes Burdine Atherton Nick Hebrard

Georgia Milani Sean Cavalieri Noemi Romero Mira Kwon

Asta Sjogren-Uyehara Lara Kammen Charlie Jones Sophia Levin Lucas Tucker Rosie Avila Jalen Evans Katherine Jackson Ellie La Voie

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“As far as offering advice goes, I don’t think I can offer any better advice than what you have offered each other: ‘Never forget who you really are; hold on to your values of honesty, courage and truth; be kind, do your best and trust others.’”

Suzanne Abbey Head of Lower School

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5th Grade Promotion Class of 2021 Family & Friends

“I share this metaphor with you from the writings of one of your classmates: ‘Life is a puzzle and we’re the pieces. Without any one of us you can’t see the picture clearly enough to feel the emotions.

Together we make this puzzle filled with joy representing us all in a unique way.’”

Suzanne Abbey Head of Lower School

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Head-Royce 8th Grade Promotion Class of 2018

back row (l to r): Ella Nelson, Hayley Dennings, Victor Mora, Olivia Williams, Alex Gailey, Johannes Bachmann, Jack Fish, Avery Collard, Nick Schroeder, Henry Sparks, Avery Lemoine, Ollie Elmgren, Tyler Markovich, Noah Teuscher, Oliva Skov, Blythe Rinehart-Pimentel

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second row (l to r): Justin Hebrard, Jasleen Gill, Grayson Tupper, Miles Dupee, Jake Benham, Matisse Mulligan, Andrew Newell, Carly Mandel, Zach Heywood, Liv Robinson, Lulu Admokom, Olivia Cannizzo, Kaya Pearson-Gaglia, Anjali Dhawan, Trinity Balla

third row (l to r): Jonathan Wu, Kacy Stoddard, Audrey Bartlett, Emma Mears, Mayfair Rucker, June Perteet, Madeleine Henry, Evie Bond, John Novogradac, Conor Neal, Chris Lucas, Nicholas Kim, Nathan Tarkoff, Sophia Zografos, Isabella Albert

fourth row: (l to r): Saodi Etheridge-Bullie, Jessica Ousterhout, Amanda Li, Isaac Teuscher, Christian Dawkins, Calvin Kim, Grady Nagle, Sam Zusman, Dylan Skov, Devin Craig, Cam Conour, Maya Foster, Oona Julien, Jayla Smith

Fifth Row: (l to r): Matthew Chan, Julia Milani, Sophia Brakeman, Emma Onaga, Julia de Petra, Julia Kim, Nila Venkat, Avalon Vinella, Margot Johnson, Grace Foster, Cameron Chin, Josh Hui, Sophie Max Kojima, Sarah Jane Jimenez

Front Row (L to R): Alina Tiemroth, Andrew Burwick, Dennis Franklin, Anna Zhu, Elizabeth Scholtes, Stacey Vu, Bradley Wu, Belinda Tucker, Izzy Pryor, Cameron Bracco, Ethan Grossman, Tai Tran, Miguel Garcia

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8th Grade Promotion Class of 2018 Family & Friends

“If you can live a life where you spend a good deal of time thinking about how you as an individual can make the life of others around you better, then all the other pieces will fall into place.”

Linda Hoopes Head of Middle School

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2014 Middle School Awards “I urge you in your youth not to spend so much time pondering what you are not good at that you lose sight of those things that you are good at.

Sure, we all have certain things that are not our strengths — but that does not need to define how we see ourselves. And here is the greatest thing of all about being good at something — you may not be good at it now, but you might be in the future.”

Linda Hoopes Head of Middle School

The HOWARD SMITH AWARD is given to seventh graders who best represent the high standards of character, commitment and service important to Howard Smith, the founding Middle School Head.

LEE CAMP ’19 KIRA GELBAUGH ’19

SAMMY SHRESTHA ’19 SASHA LIU ’19

The PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION CITIZENSHIP AWARD is given to a boy and girl in the Middle School who have shown consistent support of the Head-Royce community; respect for fellow students, teachers and other adults; and generous contributions of time and energy.

ANDREW NEWELL ’18

ANNA ZHU ’18

The MIDDLE SCHOOL AWARD is given to the boy and girl in the Middle School who best exemplify the tenets of Head-Royce’s mission: service, scholarship and citizenship.

LIV ROBINSON ’18

ISAAC TEUSCHER ’18

The GLENN KENNEDY AWARD is given to an eighth grade boy and girl who each promote and represent a commitment to a caring, creative and fun Middle School community, which were important to Glenn Kennedy, who served for many years as our eighth grade history teacher.

ANDREW BURWICK ’18 ETHAN GROSSMAN ’18

BLYTHE RINEHART-PIMENTEL ’18

The STUDENT LEADERSHIP AWARD is given to a boy and girl in the Middle School for demonstrated excellence in leadership.

CHRIS LUCAS ’18

JUNE PERTEET ’18

The SIXTH GRADE AWARD is given to a boy and girl in the sixth grade who demonstrate commitment to the Middle School community through thoughtfulness and respect for others.

MARGOT FISH ’20

CHASE NWAMU ’20

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Head-Royce Senior Graduating Class of 2014

back row (l to r): Eian Peters, Sammy Greenwall, Nick Thompson, Julian Early, Jasper Burget, Morgan Gillis, Oba Seward-Evans, Ramah Ali, Brian Call, Colin Leach, Matthew Forster, Ryan Kim, Paul Davis, Thibault Philippine, Matthias Philippine, Nora Sheeder, Thomas Peterson, Samuel Scherer

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second row (l to r): Joey Chipman, Eric Chan, Lex Nunno, Hindoveeh Etheridge-Bullie, Pippa O’Brien, Kim Vu, Aaron Lau, Aviva Schmitz, Thomas Cella, Maya Poncelet, Olivia Won, Haley Land-Miller, Alex Wactor, Jocelyn Cheng

third row (l to r): Kian Vafai, Asher Wolf, Dylan Carlson, Mel Roderick, Daisy Brambila, Alexander Browne, Sarah Louie, Frankie Paris, Irene Tran, Courtney Ng, Emily Wong, Maddi Cook, Pooja Chopra, Gregory Hui

fourth row: (l to r): James Hightower, Jordan Perteet, Julia Kim, Sami Tuqan, Christine Esserman, Giorgi Ellis, Aaron Goldsmith, Lena Fulgham, Walter Stuart, Jenna Feldman, Sophie Majteles, Max Duesberg, Mitchell Yeary

Fifth Row: (l to r): Glenn VanWinkle, Liam Wrubel, Noah Martin-Ruben, Jonathan Kim, Sam Farrell, Adam Pratt, Shivani Kaul, Rebecca Shoptaw, Aida Julien, Stuart Suplick, Kendrick Baker, Graham Hill, Alejandro Lara, PJ Robinson, Robbie Manley, Brian Burns

front row (l to r): Callista Wells, Haley Wiley, Kristi Fujimoto, Rachel Simon, Emma Hurlbert, Frances Sham, Olivia Lucas, Zoe Zong, Pamela Low, Zak MeghrouniBrown, Claire Harper, Helen Lee-Righter, Emma Boeckling, Yurie Murayama

“This class loves the truth — simple and complex and difficult truths — it doesn’t matter. From day one of high school, a young philosopher of mathematics told me he would not hesitate to violate the norm if it meant following his conscience and a young lady promised me she would try to enjoy the process of learning as much as caring about the grade.”

Carl Thiermann Head of Upper School

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Graduating Class of 2014 Family & Friends “We can bring our own gifts to the world only if we develop the courage to do so. It sounds easy, but we know from experience just how challenging and risky that can be. So, Class of 2014, trust me on this because I have witnessed it time and time again, you have shown the courage and the skill and the necessary self-awareness to bring your gifts to the world. We need you.”

Carl Thiermann Head of Upper School

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Head-Royce Lifers Group Class of 2014

Back Row (L to R): Joey Chipman Liam Wrubel Eian Peters Robbie Manley Nick Thompson Samuel Scherer Second row (L to R): Lex Nunno Mel Roderick Noah Martin-Ruben Adam Pratt Courtney Ng Sophie Majteles Dylan Carlson Third row (L to R): Pippa O’Brien Emma Hurlbert Yvette Esserman Frankie Paris Callista Wells Sarah Louie Front row (L to R): Eric Chan Haley Wiley Kristi Fujimoto Claire Harper Haley Land-Miller Alex Wactor

Head-Royce “lifers” are students who attended the school starting in kindergarten and continued all the way through their senior year. Each year the graduating class includes a cohort of these students, however the Class of 2014 contained an especially large group of lifers, which contributed to the close-knit nature of this year’s senior class.

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The Class of 2014 will attend the following colleges and universities: Bard College Barnard College

The University of Iowa

Boston College

Tufts University

Brown University

University of British Columbia

California Polytechnic, San Luis Obispo Colgate University Connecticut College Dartmouth College Dickinson College Drew University Elon University Emory University Franklin and Marshall College Harvard College Indiana University at Bloomington

“Without heart, we lose our way.

The most centered, important work we can do is done through the combination of heart, and mind ... Your lives will be many-faceted, my friends — there will be good days, bad days, dull days.

But I wish you as many of this kind of glorious, sweet day as life will give.”

Andy Spear Senior Class Dean

Washington University

University of California at Berkeley University of California at Davis University of California at Los Angeles University of California at Riverside University of California at San Diego University of Chicago University of Colorado at Boulder University of Michigan

Johns Hopkins University

University of Pennsylvania

Macalester College

University of Southern California

Maryland Institute College of Art

University of Washington

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Vanderbilt University

Middlebury College Mount Holyoke College

Washington University in St. Louis

New York University

Wesleyan University

Northwestern University

Whitman College

Occidental College

Williams College

Pitzer College

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Pomona College Santa Clara University

Vassar College

Yale University

Swarthmore College Syracuse University The George Head-Royce School ··· Summer 2014

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Past Graduating Years at Anna Head

Decades after the young ladies from Anna Head’s School for Girls — clad in white dresses — commemorated the rite of passage of commencement, the much-anticipated tradition of graduation lives on at Head-Royce School. While modern day graduates may not wear white dresses anymore, but rather emerald-green robes bedecked with honor cords and sashes and personal touches like kente cloths and flower leis, the day is marked by a similar sense of accomplishment and hope for the future. As we salute the Class of 2014, we look back on past graduating classes from the early incarnation of the school.

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Upper School Awards MATHEMATICS DEPARTMENT

HISTORY DEPARTMENT

CUM LAUDE

Outstanding Achievement

Outstanding Achievement

Jasper Burget

Frankie Paris

Maya Poncelet

Jasper Burget, Mitchell Yeary

Brian Burns

Thomas Peterson

COMPUTER SCIENCE

SCIENCE DEPARTMENT

Paul Davis

Thibault Philippine

Glenn VanWinkle, Jonathan Kim

Outstanding Achievement

Julian Early

Mel Roderick

Thibault Philippine

Claire Harper

Aviva Schmitz

Jonathan Kim

Rebecca Shoptaw

Haley Land-Miller

Glenn VanWinkle

Robbie Manley

Olivia Won

FINE ARTS DEPARTMENT Outstanding Achievement

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

CHORAL

Outstanding Achievement

Emily Wong

ENGLISH

DRAMA

Frankie Paris, Aviva Schmitz

PJ Robinson, Jordan Perteet

D E B AT E

VISUAL ARTS

Nick Tubach

Jasper Burget T H E Z A C H A R Y C L AY T O N AWA R D

Sarah Louie PA R E N T S ’ A S S O C I AT I O N P U R C H A S E AWA R D

Yurie Murayama IN S T R U M E N TA L AWA R D S S E NI O R C O M B O

Ramah Ali, Kendrick Baker, Paul Davis, Emma Hurlbert, Noah Martin-Ruben, Jordan Perteet, Callista Wells ORCHESTR A

Ben Hoxie

Ramah Ali

Colin Leach

Alexander Browne

Olivia Lucas

RENSSELAER MEDAL

Jocelyn Cheng

Courtney Ng

James Almgren-Bell

Maddi Cook

Pippa O’Brien

BAUSCH & LOMB AWARD

Hindoveeh Etheridge-Bullie

Frankie Paris

Haley Land-Miller

Irene Tran

Andy Pelos

ALUMNI COUNCIL LEADERSHIP AWARD Pippa O’Brien, Olivia Lucas

WORLD LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT

Finalists

Brian Burns

Joey Chipman, Claire Harper, Sophie Majteles, Kim Vu

Frankie Paris

Paul Davis

PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION CITIZENSHIP AWARDS

Thomas Peterson

Gregory Hui

Rebecca Shoptaw

Haley Land-Miller

SPECIAL FACULTY RECOGNITION

HEAD-ROYCE AWARDS Thomas Peterson, Rebecca Shoptaw, Olivia Won

L AT IN

SPA NISH

Alexander Browne, Aviva Schmitz CHINESE

Julian Early

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Glenn VanWinkle

Maddi Cook, Jordan Perteet, Mel Roderick

FRENCH

Frankie Paris

NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP Jasper Burget

Outstanding Achievement

Thomas Peterson, Olivia Won

Jordan Perteet

Winners

DANCE

Daisy Brambila, Emma Hurlbert, Pippa O’Brien, Asher Wolf

GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP CERTIFICATES

THE HEAD of SCHOOL AWARD Dylan Carlson

NATIONAL HISPANIC RECOGNITION PROGRAM SCHOLAR AWARD Yvette Esserman

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT SCHOLARSHIP Semifinalist

Ramah Ali

Senior Projects

“I learned that working on a campaign is a lot of work and that not all politicians are terrible and scary up close.

I had the pleasure of having many conversations with Mark and he really was a very genuine and kind guy.”

SCHOLARSHIP | CLASS OF 2014

The Class of 2014 spent the final four weeks of their Head-Royce journey exploring areas of personal passion through their senior projects. Established some 30 years ago by former Upper School Head Steve Joyce, the projects reflected the diverse interests of the seniors with students’ efforts clustering around areas that include arts, education, technology, journalism/media, science and medicine. In addition, the activist tendencies of the class were reflected in several projects associated with nonprofits, environmental organizations and politicians.

POLITICS Kendrick Baker Intern for State Senator Mark Desaulnier’s congressional campaign

Olivia Won Intern at Emerge California

Kendrick Baker

“I learned that computer science is extremely powerful in almost any field. For example, the company that I worked for focuses on environmental engineering, but web development is also a big service they offer to their customers. Computer science is a broad and open field to explore.”

Jocelyn Cheng

TECHNOLOGY Jocelyn Cheng Home Depot web app development

Paul Davis Backdrop CMS internship

Christine Esserman IDEO

Julian Early “As robots become integrated into human life, this sort of research that I am helping with will be integral to making strong, durable robots. Also, related to that, stronger, more durable robots will make the exploration of other planets easier.”

MEDICINE

Julian Early

Matthew Forster Shadowed a doctor

Mitchell Yeary Shadowed a neurosurgeon

Alex Wactor Hospital intern

Max Duesberg Lab work at UC Berkeley on development and growth

Ryan Kim Internship with cancer researcher

STEM database project

James Hightower Head-Royce web database

Colin Leach PlayerPro intern Shadowing at a pre-IPO tech company

NONPROFIT Ramah Ali Protesting with Direct Action Everywhere

Alex Browne Bike East Bay internship

SCIENCE

Aaron Goldsmith

Zakios Meghrouni-Brown

Julia Kim Shelter/animal surgery intern

Building robot simulations

Brian Burns Grassroots animal rights organizing

Brian Call Intern at East Meets West

Morgan Gillis Rebuilding Together Oakland office assistant

Emma Hurlbert Islamic Cultural Center and Scholarship Fund

Courtney Ng Intern at Forward Together

Matthias Philippine Backdrop CMS internship

Adam Pratt Jeneration

Paul Robinson Working with ziploop.com, a small tech startup

Mel Roderick Programming for a startup

Sam Scherer Internship with Greenfire Energy

Nick Thompson Internship at SafeinHome

Emily Wong Intern at Samahope

Senior Projects continued...

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Giorgianna Ellis Intern in Kaiser communications and community relations department

Helen Lee-Righter Applying for College, Part 2: UX for UCB COE

ENVIRONMENT

“In a classroom with 20 students and one after-school program teacher, it is very difficult to give each individual student the attention they deserve. With my presence, I was able to read with kids and answer any vocabulary questions they had — words they would have mentally skipped over if they had been reading quietly in their head.”

Daisy Brambila

Haley Land-Miller Volunteer at Green Gulch Garden

Asher Wolf Intern at Positive Solar Energy

FINANCE/BUSINESS Jonathan Kim

After-school program tutor and dance teacher at Monarch Academy

Jenna Feldman Kindergarten teacher’s assistant

Sammy Greenwall Intern at Boys and Girls Club of Alameda Volunteering at the Children’s Discovery Museum

Volunteer at Green Gulch Garden City Slicker Farms volunteer

Daisy Brambila

Shivani Kaul

Madeline Cook Aida Julien

EDUCATION

“My project taught me a lot about the value of giving back to the community and helping those in need. Most (if not all) of the students at Futures come from very underprivileged backgrounds and thus struggle in school. I learned that a lot of these students are very smart and driven, but unfortunately they are forced into an environment that isn’t always conducive to learning. Not everyone is lucky enough to be granted the same benefits I’ve received throughout my entire life.”

Jenna Feldman

Alejandro Lara Kindergarten teacher’s assistant

Pamela Low Intern at NASA Ames Research Center

Olivia Lucas Cornerstone Christian Academy teacher’s assistant

Sophie Majteles Volunteer at Speech, Inc. (Children’s Speech Therapy Clinic)

Pippa O’Brien Teaching English and working at a salon

Maya Poncelet Lower School teacher’s assistant

Intern at Potrero Capital

Aviva Schmitz

Lex Nunno

Kindergarten teacher’s assistant

Intern at Allotrope Partners

Kian Vafai

Frances Sham Working at New York Transit Inc.

Emma Boeckling Kuli Kuli

Eric Chan Intern at Pixel by Inch

Gregory Hui Intern at Nipun Capital, LLC

ATHLETICS Eian Peters Intern for the Golden State Warriors youth camp office

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“I was able to learn and appreciate the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes of a criminal law court. While the actual trials are exciting, months of preparation go into motions, research, etc. I wanted to get a feel for the legal system and see if I wanted to work in law or the judicial system in the future, and although I am still unsure of what I want to study in college and how I want to apply my studies, I am glad that I was able to immerse myself into the field of criminal law and get a better understanding not only of how the systems work, but also what each position entails.”

Lena Fulgham

Kindergarten assistant

Xuan Zong Chinese school teaching assistant

LEGAL Lena Fulgham Intern for Judge Maier of Contra Costa County

SALES/MARKETING Thomas Cella Marketing consultant internship

Aaron Lau Development at Asian Health Services

Nora Sheeder Internship at Pink Dolphin

Rachel Simon Intern at Francis Coppola Winery

“Everyone in the shop had a genuine interest in bikes or in learning about them — not just riding them. They were never too absorbed in their projects to help their neighbors. In this respect, SLC was more than a senior project source for me. True to its name, it certainly felt like a community — where the help anyone gave mattered tremendously, whether from a mechanic, intern or customer.”

MECHANICS Thibault Philippine An authentic auto shop adventure

Stuart Suplick Bicycle mechanic intern at Street Level Cycles, a community, do-it-yourself bike shop

Stuart Suplick

Walter Stuart Worked with marketing at Lucid Design Group

ARTS

Haley Wiley IMG College Sports Marketing “I learned that sometimes perfection is not attainable — that good enough has to sometimes be good enough.

I also learned how hard it is to work on all aspects of a show; acting is only a very small part of a production.”

CULINARY Glenn Vanwinkle Prep cook at Italian Colors

Claire Harper

Hindoveeh Bullie Edited and helped publish I’ll Make You Proud

Samantha Farrell Writing a screenplay

Claire Harper Writing, directing and producing “The Vetala Tales”

Graham Hill Making an EP album

Sarah Louie Volunteer at MOCHA

JOURNALISM/MEDIA

Yurie Murayama Animation “commune”

Jasper Burget Berkleyside internship

Dylan Carlson Music production

Robbie Manley Shadowing a reporter

Noah Martin-Ruben Assistant at Your Media 2

Francesca Paris JAWS internship and shadowing journalists

Kim Vu

“I discovered a surprisingly focused and organized side of myself that I didn’t know I had, while I contributed to a cause I wholeheartedly believe in: art instruction and community outreach for the children of Oakland.

And ultimately, the many days of going home with paint-covered hands and glitter in my hair from cleaning art supplies proved worthwhile when I was given the opportunity to ditch the cleaning gloves and be a teacher’s assistant at an art workshop to the kids during an open studio. And what’s more, I was subsequently offered a paid job in the summer.”

Sarah Louie

Jordan Perteet Making an EP album

Thomas Peterson Directing and producing “The Vetala Tales”

Obatola Seward-Evans Photography portfolio

Rebecca Shoptaw Wrote, directed and edited the film “This Will Linger”

Callista Wells Making an EP album

William Wrubel Zine creation

Intern at Shelby Designs

EVENT PLANNING RECREATION Irene Tran Martial arts studio helper in Alameda and Castro Valley

Pooja Chopra Jewish wedding planning

Kristi Fujimoto Oakland event planning

AGRICULTURE Joey Chipman City Slicker Farms

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2013–2014

Athletics Highlights FALL W O M E N ’ S VA R S I T Y V O L L E Y B A L L

W O M E N ’ S VA R S I T Y T E N N I S

The women’s varsity volleyball team compiled an overall record of 21-8, going 11-1 in BCL-East play, earning a co-league championship with The College Preparatory School (CPS).

The Jayhawks defeated CPS in the BCL-East tournament, earning a #4 seed in the NCS tournament.

The team won its first two NCS tournament games, before losing in the semi-finals to Branson, the eventual state champions.

Women’s varsity tennis ended the season with a 14-6 record, and a second place finish in league play.

But the team was able to avenge its losses to CPS in league play by beating CPS in a hotly contested match, 4–3, to win the league tournament title. This win propelled the Jayhawks to the NCS team tournament, where they fell 2–5 to a tough squad from University High. Freshman sensation Lauren McCormack ended up winning the BCL-East singles tournament championship, while senior double partners Christine Esserman and Samantha Farrell took home the doubles title. All players advanced to the NCS tournament, where Christine and Samantha finished in second place.

M E N ’ S VA R S I T Y S O C C E R

The men’s varsity soccer team finished in second place in the BCL-East, behind Athenian, and lost a close match to Athenian in the BCL-East tournament. A strong finish to the season propelled the team into the NCS tournament, where the Jayhawks lost a close match to a strong squad from Roseland University Prep. The team finished with an 11-6-1 record, including 8-1-1 in league play, another impressive finish.

CROSS COUNTRY

Both men’s and women’s cross country teams made marked improvements over the previous season, as both teams finished in third place in the league standings.

After an outstanding run at the NCS qualifying meet, junior Chris Boranian advanced to the state championships held in Fresno.

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S I X T H G R A D E G I R L’ S V O L L E Y B A L L

The sixth grade girl’s volleyball team took home the Bay Area Interscholastic Athletics League championship title, beating Marin Country Day School 2–1.

to Pinewood in the championship game of the Tom Welsh Holiday Classic. The team was able to avenge earlier losses to Athenian by defeating the Owls in the BCL-East playoffs and again in the first round of the NCS tournament. These wins were bookends to a tough overtime loss to Bentley in the league tournament championship game. The Jayhawks ended their season with a second round NCS loss to the eventual state champions from St. Joe’s of Alameda.

SPRING M E N ’ S VA R S I T Y B A S E B A L L

The baseball team continued its amazing run of success by capturing their fourth straight league championship and their third straight NCS Division 5 championship. The team dominated the NCS tournament, winning its three games by a combined score of 26–0, including a no-hitter thrown by senior Matt Forster in the semi-final win over Stuart Hall.

The team finished with an overall record of 20-4.

CROSS COUNTRY

WINTER M E N ’ S VA R S I T Y B A S K E T B A L L

The men’s varsity basketball team ended the year with an overall record of 19-9, going 6-4 in league play.

The team started the season with a 10-game winning streak before losing

The women’s team won BCL-East League championships for the first time in the school’s history. The 4x400 relay team was riveting to watch, setting school and conference records and just missing out on the NCS Class A championship meet record by 0.01 seconds. Senior

Aida Julien and junior Jasmine Hardy advanced to the finals of the 800 meters at the NCS Meet of Champions, which is no small feat given that the field for the race includes all runners from all size of high schools in the section. They finished in 8th and 9th place, respectively, out of 12.

M E N ’ S VA R S I T Y T E N N I S

The men’s tennis team finished second in league play. The duo of Young Lee and Adam Pratt were beat by the CPS team in a close match in the BCL-East doubles finals. That secondplace finish in league play thrust the duo to the NCS tournament, where they finished fourth.

SWIMMING

The men’s and women’s swimming teams saw a huge influx of swimmers this year. The women’s team finished in second place and the men’s team fourth in the league. Junior Donovan Redd qualified for the NCS tournament in the 100-meter breaststroke.

GOLF

Senior Glenn VanWinkle finished in second place at the league tournament and qualified for the NCS tournament.

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2014 ATHLETICS AWARDS SERVICE AWARD (FACULTY) Bulmaro Zaragoza Barrie Bulmore Tennis Coach Bulmore also received the NCS Honor Coach Award

SENIOR SCHOLAR ATHLETE Greg Hui ’14 Christine Esserman ’14 AARON PLISHNER AWARD Nick Thompson ’14 Emma Boeckling ’14 COACHES CUP AWARD Nico Hoerner ’15 Aida Julien ’14 SPECIAL COMMENDATION Baseball Coach Mike Talps was honored for his 30th year of leading the baseball program (the number of years it has been in existence at Head-Royce!). Athletic Director Brendan Blakely gave him a commemorative bat at the athletics banquet to acknowledge his success and longevity.

His career record as a baseball coach is 538 wins, 201 losses andtwo ties for an amazing winning percentage of 73%. Under his guidance, HRS teams have won 6 NCS championships and 14 league championships.

Congrats Coach Talps!

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Mikki Frazier, left, and Dexter Moore Jr., center, react in delight to a speaker

A Big Night for Heads Up

BY MIKKI FRAZIER, PROGRAMS DIRECTOR

The Heads Up fundraiser Big Night Out is especially dear to me. Three years ago I was invited to attend the event because of the interest I’d shown in supporting the program. I had been attempting to strategically become more intimately involved, however my engagement was very peripheral at that time. Heading to Lake Chalet restaurant that night, I wasn’t sure of what to expect. What unfolded was truly inspirational and resonated with me deeply.

It was then that I decided to pursue a way to

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become more actively involved in the work that was profoundly impacting so many Oakland youth.

On May 18 we gathered at the house of Rob and Heather Lake for another stunning fête. Beyond the beautiful decor, elegant setting and gracious company, the evening presented an opportunity to learn more deeply about Heads Up, which benefits underserved students of color in sixth through ninth grades from the Oakland Unified School District.

Heads Up provides them with challenging and enriching educational programs that prepare them for academic success and helps them develop an appreciation for community and civic responsibility.

Following a lovely meal, attendees heard insightful tales about the many facets of the Heads Up Program and the inspiring students who inhabit our campus during some Saturdays and summers. At the program’s conclusion, we participated in a “Paddles Up” ceremony,

hilariously facilitated by the one-and-only Peter Reinke, a beloved former Head-Royce teacher.

This tradition allows attendees to contribute financially to Heads Up and directly support student programming.

There were several milestones that stood out at this year’s event. Past Big Night Out evenings featured alumni speakers, but this year we wanted to showcase a Heads Up participant.

Jeremiah Bains — who just finished his freshman year at Oakland High School, graduated from Head’s Up and is working as a counselor in the program this summer — became our first-ever student speaker. Hearing firsthand how the program has enriched both Jeremiah and his family’s lives, was powerful and reaffirming of the work we do.

Another big moment at this year’s event was the announcement of the hiring of Dexter Moore Jr. as Heads Up’s educational leader through the position of associate director of programs that he will assume this summer. He has been a constant advocate for, and teacher in, the program for the past eight years and we’re looking forward to having Dexter serve as an effective and dynamic representative of the both the program and Head-Royce in the wider Oakland community.

“As I became more comfortable in the program, I began to see myself differently. I began to see the potential I had to grow. I began to see the future Jeremiah — wiser, more enlightened and with many opportunities. I began to see all these things because I began to see the power in education.”

Jeremiah Bains Heads Up graduate and counselor Oakland High School class of 2017

Capping the celebration was the fundraising record of more than $84,000, which included a generous challenge gift from the Quest Foundation. Although the figure is extremely impressive, what it stands for left a much larger impression. We departed the event feeling invigorated and supported by the entire Head-Royce community to further our program’s purpose to expand educational opportunities for Oakland youth.

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Grandparents & Special Friends Day On April 4, Head-Royce welcomed more than 250 grandparents and special friends to campus for a morning of music and dance performances as well as classroom visits.

The family members and friends were treated to coffee and pastries before watching Da Capo, Caravan, FADE, the Middle School chorus and performances by Lower School students in the MEW. Then visitors fanned out to the various divisions for class visits, where they discovered the projects and assignments their loved younger ones had been working on. Students were very proud to show off their classrooms and various art projects, science experiments and computer programs as well as just having had some play time with the visitors.

“One of my favorite photos is of my daughter Rachel and my mother at Grandparents Day in the late 1980s. I never believed my husband and I would attend a generation later with our granddaughter Riley,” said Deborah Kirshman, mother of Counselor Rachel Concannon ’96 and grandmother of Riley ’26. “We loved visiting her classroom, seeing her work, meeting her friends and teacher and enjoying the special musical programs of kindergartners through high schoolers.”

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“I enjoyed the structure of seeing performances from all grade levels plus having time in (my granddaughter’s) individual classroom,” said Patsy Jones, mother of Jennifer Jones ’89, mother-in-law of Athletic Director Brendan Blakely ’88 and grandmother of Quinn ’26. “I loved that the day was presented as a ‘gift’ to us and not as a solicitation as I’ve seen in many other schools.”

MORE ONLINE!

> headroyce.org/magazine

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Farewell to Cathy: A Head-Royce Legacy Director of Admissions Catherine Epstein started at Head-Royce in 1976 teaching math, biology and animal behavior. She quickly made a good impression and was appointed faculty moderator in 1978–79. After taking five years off in the mid1980s to be at home with her two young children, she returned to teaching math part time in 1988.

Cathy took on increasingly more leadership in the 1990s, becoming the math department chair and spending a lot of time examining the scope and sequence of that program.

She also worked as the assistant director of admissions and then assumed the role of admissions director in 2001.

“She never gets defeated and gives of herself fully whether engaged in intellectual exercise, helping students or supporting colleagues.

Frankly, she is a lovely and refreshing human being.”

F. Gardiner F. Bridge HRS Head of School 1977–84

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An excerpt from Cathy’s remarks of retiring at the opening faculty meeting of the 2013–14 school year:

This is my 13th year as director of admissions and financial aid and my 30th year here at Head-Royce (including stretches teaching Middle School math and Upper School science). Several of you know that I will be graduating next June along with the first kindergarten class I ever admitted.

Yes, retirement and my 88-year-old father have been calling to me and I enter this final year of my professional life with a profound sense of satisfaction from a job well done.

I don’t say those words lightly. A job well done is due to dozens of colleagues who said “yes” when I asked for help. Those of you who have been on the three admissions committees have worked tirelessly to read files, crawl around the rotunda floor after four-year-olds, put up with the antics of Middle School applicants making up activity day skits and interview sullen, nervous or even silent teenagers.

You have all attended open houses on your precious weekends and graciously welcomed visitors to your classes. My team of Barbara Gee, Mary Fahey, Lori Koven and Dawn Brown-Ward is incredible, seeing me through various ups and downs with support and wisdom. My fellow administrators have been invaluable in teaching me

how to approach this important work with compassion, intelligence and humor. Thanks so much to our wonderful maintenance staff and Epicurean cooks who tirelessly prepare for our admissions events at night and on weekends.

Scholarship, citizenship and diversity are three core values of our mission. We have come a long way since 2000 to our current enrollment of 875 students, half of whom are students of color. Our financial aid budget has soared from just over $1 million in 2000 to over $4 million today. As we plan for the future, the increasing percentage of tuition that we allocate to the financial aid budget will continue to be a key factor in ensuring critical socioeconomic diversity at our school.

I recently received an email from my daughter Alison Trujillo who teaches Spanish at The Hamlin School in San Francisco. She wrote, “Oh, it was so funny Mom, last night Ivan (her husband) and I were at dinner in North Beach. A group of teenagers were walking by and I thought, ‘Wow, what a cool diverse group of kids hanging out together.’ Then I saw one of them had a HRS shirt. Go figure! Nice job, admissions team.’”

How fortunate we are that these top students and their families have chosen HRS among the many amazing schools available in the Bay Area. How fortunate they are to have you as their teachers, mentors and partners in education. I am very pleased that our core value of citizenship will be the center of our energy this year. We will focus on the roles of integrity, kindness and compassion in our students as they strive to achieve academic success while becoming true global citizens with all of the responsibility that that implies. We have a fantastic program thanks to all of your hard work and I will be proud to show it off one more time to admit the new students of 2014–15.

Thank you so much for your ongoing enthusiasm and support.

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Jan (right) with Cathy Epstein at their retirement party at the home of Rob and Heather Lake.

Farewell to Jan: Valeo! Addio!

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Jan Groschupf retired this year after nearly 39 years as an outstanding Upper School and Middle School Latin teacher. Jan — who joined HRS during the 1975–76 school after graduating with a master’s degree from Stanford University — succeeded in teaching our students that “Latin is everywhere.”

She served as department chair during her tenure and led with kindness and was trusted by all.

Jan is very grateful to Head-Royce for awards that led to two pivotal points in both her professional and personal life. In 1992 the Grannie J. Fellowship allowed her to take her first trip to Italy, where she fell in love with Rome. Then in 2004, she was named to the Richard and Sandra Gilbert Chair, which led her back to Rome to study under the tutelage of one of the papal Latinists in Rome, Reginald Foster.

In the early pictures of Jan in the classroom it is hard to distinguish the 20-something teacher from her students. She built a phenomenal Latin program over the years, drawing children into our Middle School program with her student dramatic presentations to the Lower School and with her excellent reputation. During her time at Head-Royce she taught every level of Latin, from the beginning course to the AP class.

Jan’s knowledge of Rome has made her an excellent guide and wonderful host to those who have been able to join her in the “Eternal City.” In retirement she looks forward to getting to know her beloved city even better by spending extended time in Rome during the off-season as well as continuing her studies of the Italian language. She will be missed for her kindness, her flexibility and her devotion to Latin as a subject at our school.

Celebrating Our Alumni As the school envisions its next incarnation to best serve students and the HRS community, we continue to celebrate the past and all of the Head-Royce alumni that have helped shape the school into an institution that provides students with the skills and mindset to lead lives of meaning and purpose. Every year alumni come back to campus for Alumni Weekend to reconnect with classmates and faculty members and to see what is new on the Head-Royce campus.

This year people traveled from as far as New York , Oregon and Utah to attend festivities that included a cocktail party at the home of Head of School Rob Lake and his wife Heather, a luncheon on campus, the presentation of alumni awards, campus tours and activities for families as well as class gatherings at private homes. Thank you to all the alums who were able to join us for this year’s Alumni Weekend — look on the following pages for a visual recap of the events as well as some alumni memories of favorite Head-Royce traditions.

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Distinguished Young Alumni Award 2014

Alum Follows His Dream and Gives Back As an outstanding young film student at Head-Royce, Rajiv Smith-Mahabir ’04 helped shape the Upper School film department. His talent earned him a coveted spot in the University of Southern California’s cinematic arts in the production field program. After graduation in 2007, he stayed in Los Angeles, worked on one of the pioneering reality TV shows and then moved on to a digital marketing agency. But he was drawn back to the Bay to shed light on a troubled city.

“When you graduate from college you need to make money so you take a job that pays fairly well, but once you hit 25, 26 you realize you want to do something else,” said Smith-Mahabir, who quit his job in August of 2012 to move back to the Bay Area for four months to film a documentary about how youth in Richmond are coping with violence in their community. “A few years ago Richmond was the fourth most dangerous city in the U.S.; I had no idea … when I heard the statistics I was surprised. Going to this school sometimes you lose sight of what’s going on in other places.”

As a child growing up in Berkeley, Smith-Mahabir developed an affinity for his grandmother’s old 8mm video camera, which he often broke out to direct, shoot and star in his own

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films. Having no way of actually editing the footage, he learned how to edit in-camera. His love for photography and storytelling continued to blossom as his father took him to the movies each weekend.

He attended after-school programs in video production and animation and was the first person to sign up for photography class when it was offered in the HeadRoyce Middle School. From there, he helped former HRS teacher Jeff Key build the Upper School film department and produced a feature film that, while shot in the film noir style, contained social justice commentary. Winning awards as a young filmmaker in the Berkeley Film Festival helped Smith-Mahabir decide to turn his passion into a career.

“One of the things that is really gratifying for teachers is that we get up every day and wonder how the kids in your classes are processing information. There are always a few in whom you can see the light bulb go on — they get it. Not only do they get it, they turn out projects beyond anything I thought a kid could do,” said Key, now the director of the Media Enterprise Alliance. “Rajiv was one of those kids; I could tell right away he had a very sophisticated eye in terms of composition, understanding lighting and how to integrate sound with film. He just put it all together and his work always stood out.”

Distinguished Alumna of the Year: Stephanie Gregg Geoffrion ’92 Stephanie Gregg Geoffrion ’92 After shooting a trailer for “Romeo is Bleeding” — a story of young people in Richmond inspired to produce the “Romeo and Juliet”-inspired “Te’s Harmony” depicting the turf war feud between gangs in the northern and central parts of their city — Smith-Mahabir and a friend turned to Kickstarter to raise funds for equipment that they needed to finish the movie. They are now in the post-production phase of the documentary and plan to submit it to film festivals in the fall.

“What I learned from this experience is that Head-Royce really prepares you so much, not just for college, but for life in general,” said SmithMahabir. “We all understand that we’re lucky to go here and that we should give back and we have that desire to do so.”

Created in 2012, the Outstanding Young Alumni Award recognizes an individual who has honored the privilege of their education by truly living out their vision of the school’s mission of scholarship, diversity and citizenship. The award is given to a Head-Royce alum who has graduated within the last 10 years in recognition of a significant or ongoing commitment to extraordinary work, research or volunteerism.

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is an aerospace systems engineer at SpaceX near Los Angeles. In Stephanie’s multi-faceted role, she acts as a liaison between engineers at SpaceX and the engineers at NASA who work on the International Space Station.

As a spacecraft systems engineer, she ensures that all aspects of the interface between SpaceX’s Dragon capsule and the space station — such as rendezvous operations, attachment mechanisms and electrical characteristics — are understood, implemented and verified before flight. For two years Dragon has successfully been carrying supplies and science experiments up to the space station and returning them to Earth. Stephanie is currently working on the next revision of Dragon that will carry astronauts to the space station, adding life support systems and additional safety features.

Stephanie attended Princeton University for her undergraduate work, successfully earning a degree in mechanical engineering. She received a master’s in aerospace engineering from Stanford University. Stephanie and her husband Bruno live in Los Angeles and have two children, Noa and Oscar. She was on the junior and senior national rowing teams and continues to row today.

Stephanie believes that students should seek out opportunities to solve problems and learn from failures (their own and those of others) so that they can learn how to see them coming. “And learn new things outside of your comfort zone,” she said.

She credits Mr. Craig Barrows, who taught her AP Physics class, for setting her on the right path for engineering. “All of the science and math I had at HRS was great preparation — not only for getting me into college and taking all those engineering courses, but also for what I’m doing now.”

The Distinguished Alumni Award is given annually to an alum who has demonstrated achievement in their chosen profession or their volunteer work and commitment to the broader community. Stephanie was unable to return to campus for Alumni Weekend to accept the award but hopes to make a fall visit.

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Reunions Bring Classmates Back Together While alumni from many class years returned to the Head-Royce campus for Alumni Weekend 2014, special efforts were made by those celebrating milestone reunion years.

Members of the Class of 1964 ­— ­the first class to graduate from Anna Head School for Girls after it moved to Oakland ­­— ­celebrated their 50th anniversary, while the Class of 1974 ­— ­the first co-ed class after Anna Head merged with the Josiah Royce School for Boys ­— ­celebrated its 40th anniversary.

The class of 1974 had a small but mighty showing.

The weekend also brought members of the Class of 1979 and 1989 together for their 35th and 25th respective anniversaries, while the Class of 2004 marked its 10th anniversary.

opposite page top right (l to r): Sarah Knox Holper, Matt Prewitt, Sarah Herringer, Daniel Chen, Julia Malta-Weingard, Neil Sawhney, Erin Okamoto Lopez, Elana Rodan Schuldt, Jessica Levin Berkowitz, Emily Gibson, Rochelle Lee, Frank Bauch, Lisa Fogelman bottom left (l to r): Anne Mitchell, Tasha Matz, Larry Ames, Erika Lamm, Aline Petersen (in back partly hidden), former HRS teacher Barney Howard, Kim Ennix, Dan Duman, teacher David Enelow; (front) April Gilbert bottom right (l to r): Melissa Bishop, Frank Bauch, Emily Gibson, Julia MaltaWeingard, Julia Shatz this page top right (l to r): Anne Mitchell, April Gilbert, Tasha Matz

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Alumni Weekend

Many thanks to all the official and unofficial class agents who helped rally classmates, especially Mary Gruener Wedmore ’64, Dorothy Fest ’74, Tracy Logan ’74, Robin Royer ’74, Dan Duman ’79, Amy Glynn ’89, Sarah Boolani ’99, Sarah Herringer ’04 and Frank Bauch ’04. Special thanks also to April Gilbert ’79, Amy Glynn ’89 and Sarah Herringer ’04 for hosting and organizing class gatherings on Saturday evening following the school-sponsored events.

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top left (l to r): Alumni reconnect during an evening reception at the home of Rob and Heather Lake bottom left: Two members of the class of 1964 share a special moment bottom right (l to r): Beza Dwelley (child), Kristin Clark Dwelley ‘88, Gabriella Hayward (child), Sarah Kalmar Hayward ‘89, Eyosiayas Dwelley (child), Jacqueline Kalmar, Zachary Hayward (child)

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Alumni Memories

EVENTS “The fall festival was one of my favorite traditions. The same activities were there every year (the cake walk, the haunted house on the play structure, the marriage booth, etc.) and it was a great opportunity for the whole K–12 school to celebrate the new school year together.”

Sarah Herringer Class of 2004

“There used to be a senior sleepover in the library but that ended in ’85 after some students put a Nerf football in the microwave, which blew up and caused the microwave to catch fire!”

Brendan Blakely Class of 1988

“One of my favorite memories of a tradition was ‘chapel’ every morning before class in the auditorium. It was wonderful for all the classes to get together before the start of the day.”

Jennifer Fraley-Juelich CLASS OF 1977

“I have such strong memories of the Halloween parade, May Dances, holiday program and promotions and graduation.

As an alumna and a faculty member, I’ve enjoyed watching these traditions carry on, and now as a parent they are particularly poignant and special for us as a family.”

Rachel Concannon CLASS OF 1996

50 Head-Royce School ··· Summer 2014

EVENTS “One of my most magical memories of HRS was the glamor of the Upper School annual spring musical, first discovered when I entered Anna Head’s in fifth grade. I was enamored of the bigger girls’ abilities to sing and dance and act in plays like ‘The Music Man,’ playing all parts, young and old, male and female (and probably pets as well, as needed!) and I vowed to myself that I would take part this amazing tradition when I was old enough.”

Our class of ’74 was the first Head-Royce co-ed class, so we finally had boys who could play or sing male roles and under ‘Bunny’ Stevens’ patient guidance we experimented a lot in our musical presentations. Results were spotty, but we had a blast.”

Connie Miottel Class of 1974

fashion trends “I remember rolling up our plaid uniform skirts at the waist to make them shorter (they were only supposed to be an inch above the knee in the ’60s)!”

Jennifer Fraley-Juelich CLASS OF 1977

lincs-chans rivalry Lincs were named for the “new” school location on Lincoln Avenue and Chans were named for the former school location near Cal, on Channing Way. The Lincs were tigers (because of the colored links on their tails) and the Chans were panthers. They would compete in games against each other in events of “friendly” competition with intense rivalry!

“I remember Upper School girls in a skating competition on the lower playing yard by the tennis courts: tiger tails, feline ears and lots of whiskers as well as hats and helmets — it was a rare example of a free dress extravaganza!”

Tracy Logan CLASS OF 1974

Head-Royce School ··· Summer 2014

51

Students Expand Horizons with Summer Projects & Trips Head-Royce Upper School students are making the most of their summer breaks, with several taking the opportunity to plunge into an in-depth course, project or internship. Others are exploring different cultures and environments through school-affiliated trips to Costa Rica and Turkey.

Some of the students found their summer plans through the Institute for Applied Learning, an on-campus resource that provides students with resources to connect individual academic interests with practical applications and experiences outside the traditional classroom. Services provided by the institute include counseling, placement, oversight and mentoring.

name : Ella C. class of : 2015 destination: New York City

project details : Going to New York City to participate in the LIM College Fashion Lab, a four-week program dedicated to the business of fashion.

“Last summer I was an intern at a vintage store in Alameda … This year I wanted to dive deeper into learning about the history of fashion and looked into several different programs in New York City that will talk about history of fashion, merchandising and how people decide what to buy and put in stores.”

Here is a sampling of how some students are spending their summer. name : Andy P. class of : 2017 destination: UC Davis & Costa Rica

name : Priya A. class of : 2016 destination: Stanford (Palo Alto)

project details : Going to COSMOS, an intensive fourweek summer residential program at UC Davis for students who have demonstrated an aptitude for academic and professional careers in STEM subjects. project details : Doing a research internship at Stanford with a professor who is in the anesthesia department doing clinical OB research.

“I’m looking forward to getting the hands-on experience and not only building upon what I’ve learned in the past few years about OB and research, but also getting to apply the knowledge.”

“I wanted to find a way to take what I’ve learned in biology and chemistry and apply it and see where I can take it moving forward.” trip details : Also going on the Head-Royce Upper School

trip to Costa Rica, which includes many opportunities for scientific field study and service.

“It’s such a great experience to be with my classmates and people that I don’t get to see very often in other classes and bond with them outside of the classroom experience where people are more themselves.”

52 Head-Royce School ··· Summer 2014

name : Max S. class of : 2016 destination: France

name : Sophia A. class of : 2016 destination: Los Angeles

trip details : Going to France to work for Kahn Academy

project details : Going to SongFest, a four-week intensive

music program for vocal students and pianists at the Colburn School in Los Angeles.

“The program I’m going to be in … is for 18- to 35-year-olds, which is really exciting because I get to be with people that are doing their graduate degrees and get a different experience.”

and Libraries Without Borders translating and editing videos in French.

“I’m looking forward to the experience of working in another country; I only lived there so want to see how it is working there.”

name : Eli B. class of : 2017 destination: Turkey

name : Bobbi F. class of : 2017 destination: Turkey

trip details : Going on the Head-Royce affiliated trip

trip details : Going on the Head-Royce affiliated trip

to Turkey, which includes stops in Istanbul, the Aegean coastline, Ankara and Cappadocia as well as homestays with host families.

“I’ve traveled to Europe with my family but never really been somewhere that has a much different culture than we do here. Turkey also has such an interesting history and I think that I could definitely learn a lot and it definitely would be applicable to all the things I learn in high school.”

to Turkey, which includes stops in Istanbul, the Aegean coastline, Ankara and Cappadocia as well as homestays with host families.

“I think Head-Royce really works at presenting students with myriad opportunities and this specific opportunity was so incredible in that it’s a chance to meet new people and bond with your peers as well as experience a diverse culture so different from our own. Turkey is such a pivotal place considering it’s where East meets West and sort of a model country in combining democracy with Islam.”

MORE ONLINE!

> headroyce.org/magazine

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