IN MEMORIAM
THIS BEAUTIFUL ADVENTURE BY RICK CAREY
F
or decades it was the first sign of spring at Holderness School: that moment during a winter all-school assembly when French and Spanish teacher Lew Overaker rose in a red sweater vest to hype the Service Committee’s sale of flowers for the annual Valentine’s Day Carnation Exchange. The Service Committee offered carnations in three colors, and Dr. Overaker’s pitch always went something like this:
38 | Holderness School Today
“Red, of course, is for love. I don’t need to describe that further. White is for friendship. You give white carnations to your roommates, your teachers, or your friends. But pink? Well, pink is a special color, reserved for those wishing to demonstrate some . . . p-o-s-s-i-b-l-e . . . interest.” It took Lew as long to say “possible” as it took the rest of the sentence. Each vowel, each consonant was elongated and given melody. The word emerged as a
