Holland Hall Magazine Spring/Summer 2010

SPRING / SUMMER

2010

www.hollandhall.org

OLLAND HALL TM

MAGAZINE CONNECTING ALUMNI & FRIENDS

Friendship Well Served Tennis Coaches Paul Lockwood ‘71, University of Oklahoma & Jeff Moore ‘70, University of Texas talk about their careers, memories of Holland Hall and their friendship.

Also Inside: - Getting to Know Geoffrey Butler - Holland Hall Happenings - Class Notes - Dutch Athletics Review

Holland Hall Board of Trustees Dr. Mark D. Desjardins Headmaster

Mr. Robert L. Hughes ’84 Building & Grounds

Mr. Philip B. Allen ’73 President

The Rt. Rev. Edward J. Konieczny Diocesan Bishop

Mrs. Cara Shimkus Hall ’84 Vice President

Mr. Frederick P. Koontz ’81 Audit & Strategic Plan

Mr. David Keglovits Secretary

Dr. Holbrook C. Lawson ’82 Institutional Advancement

Mr. Charles K. Lamson Treasurer & Finance

Mrs. Tammie L. Maloney Advisory & Trustees/Governance

Mrs. Susannah Hocutt Adelson ’85

Ms. Virginia Miller ’71 Alumni Association President

Mrs. Britani Bowman Mrs. Elizabeth R. Muratet Mrs. Rhonda Chastang Parents’ Association President Mr. Roger B. Collins By-Laws Review

Mrs. Gail Newman Ms. Elizabeth Peterson Mr. Harold W. Salisbury

Mr. Keith C. Goddard ’87 Investment

The Rev. Shelby H. Scott Education

ADMINISTRATION

Content

Dr. Mark D. Desjardins Headmaster

Richard Hart Director of Admission & Financial Aid

4

From the Headmaster

Liz Anderson Director of Communication

Steve Heldebrand Athletic Director

6

Getting to Know Geoffrey Butler

Joel Bicknell Head of Middle School

Kathy Housh Director of College Counseling

8

Holland Hall Happenings

Dennis Calkins Head of Upper School

Leslie Kelly Chief Financial Officer

9

Transitions

Steve Dyer Director of the Walter Arts Center & Fine Arts

Brad Shelley Director of Institutional Advancement

10

What it Means to Be Poor: The World We Don’t Know About

by Nahrie Chung, Holland Hall Sophomore

Henry Finch Director of Technology

Jo-An Vargo Head of Primary School

14

Development News

15

Holland Hall 2010 Golf Tournament

Holland Hall Magazine is a biannual publication.

Holland Hall is an independent coeducational college preparatory school affiliated with the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma serving students from 3-year-olds through 12th grade.

Holland Hall, in compliance with all applicable Federal and State laws and regulations, does not discriminate against qualified individuals on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion or disability in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This includes but is not limited to admission, financial aid and educational services.

2

SPRING / SUMMER

2010

OLLAND HALL MAGAZINE

TM

CONNECTING ALUMNI & FRIENDS

16

20

Friendship Well Served Tennis Coaches Paul Lockwood ’71 and Jeff Moore ’70 talk about their careers, memories of Holland Hall and their friendship

22

Focus on Arts

23

Class of 2010 College Acceptance List

25

Class Notes

30

Dutch Athletics Review

BioBlitz 2010

Holland Hall Magazine welcomes letters to the editor on subjects raised within the pages of the magazine. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. Please include a name, address and daytime telephone number with all correspondence.

Address changes, corrections or omissions and material for publication are also welcome.

Holland Hall Magazine Institutional Advancement 5666 East 81st Street Tulsa, Oklahoma 74137-2099 Phone: (918) 481-1111 Fax: (918) 879-4793 Questions concerning the magazine, please contact Liz Anderson, Director of Communication at landerson@hollandhall.org.

SPRING / SUMMER

2010

www.hollandhall.org

OLLAND HALL TM

MAGAZINE CONNECTING ALUMNI & FRIENDS

o n th e c o v e r Tennis Coaches Paul Lockwood ’71 and Jeff Moore ’70.

Questions concerning alumni, please contact Judy Warren, Director of Alumni Relations at jwarren@hollandhall.org.

For more information about Holland Hall and the Office of Institutional Advancement, visit www.hollandhall.org.

Friendship Well Served Tennis Coaches Paul Lockwood ‘71, University of Oklahoma & Jeff Moore ‘70, University of Texas talk about their careers, memories of Holland Hall and their friendship.

ALSO INSIDE: - Getting to Know Geoffrey Butler - Holland Hall Happenings - Class Notes - Dutch Athletics Review

HOLLAND HALL MAGAZINE

3

From the Headmaster Earlier this May, I had the opportunity to attend a family wedding in Lyford Cay in the Bahamas. Created in the late 1950’s, this wonderful slice of paradise attracts citizens Mark Desjardins, Ph.D. and visitors from all over the world. During my brief stay, two related incidents caused me to be reflective about the founding and subsequent evolution of Holland Hall. The first involved reading the Annual Report of the Lyford Cay Foundation (copy located in the main clubhouse), which just recently celebrated its 40th year and has assets totally over $20 million. By providing the means and motivation to seek out secondary and higher education opportunities throughout the world, the main purpose of this foundation is to enrich and inspire Bahamians to develop their own potential and eventually to have them return and give back to the local community.

The second experience occurred on the beach as I happened to start a conversation with one of the original inhabitants of Lyford Cay. Her father was a close personal friend of the original developer and had actually designed and built the first wave of homes in this community. I asked her about a school that I had noticed on one of my runs. She replied it was the Lyford Cay International School and its existence was part of the original comprehensive plan for this development.

“They set aside both the land and resources,” she said, “because they knew about the importance of education and understood that people would only commit to living here yearround if their children had the opportunity to attend a first rate independent school.” Today, this school serves more than 350 students in grades K-12.

What inspired these visionaries on this particular island more than 40 years ago to think about creating both a school and a foundation to serve the educational and developmental needs of young people? As a historian, with a particular interest in the history of education, I am incessantly curious about the original ideals and designs of the how and why a particular institution gets started. Every day when I walk into my own office at Holland Hall, I am reminded of the

4

past as I glance over and look at the list of school heads that have served Holland Hall since 1922. It is an impressive list and I feel blessed to have my name associated not only with these outstanding educators, but with the brand and values of Holland Hall. As I complete my 11th year as a headmaster, and 6th at Holland Hall, I have come to appreciate that one of my most important roles is to be an excellent steward of the resources and traditions of a particular school. In that regard, I have always been amazed that a community such as Tulsa (metro population of less than 1 million), has an independent school with the assets that Holland Hall has amassed over its nearly 90 years of operation.

In fact, when you add up the size of our endowment, value of our physical plant, and annual operating budget, Holland Hall emerges as one of the few independent day schools in the country with an asset total valued over $125 million. It is hard to imagine that the original founders of Holland Hall would today think that not only is the school located far south of the original building, but that we offer a quality and depth of program that either rivals and in most cases even surpasses those very same schools located on the East Coast that the founders hoped to emulate. In short, the rise and evolution of Holland Hall is a remarkable story and as I reflect back upon my tenure here, I am most grateful to have been given the opportunity to serve this school and community.

While I depart with many fond memories and experiences, there are a few under the radar changes that I am particularly proud of playing a role in making them happen. Here are few: I am grateful that our third graders now have an actual bridge built over the pond to walk across during their promotion ceremony. I am pleased to know that one of the things our Upper School students look forward to the most is a tradition we started six years ago when on the first day of exams each semester, the faculty and I serve a hot breakfast to the students in the Commons.

I am equally pleased that our Convocation Ceremony (including the ceremonial gathering of the entire school on the track) is often cited as one of the most memorable experiences.

We began that ceremony five years ago. Next time you go to a Dutch football game and hear the school fight song, including the now

famous “Let’s Go Dutch” chant in the middle, I am happy to report that Bill Brown and I rewrote that song to make it more user friendly, including creating a banner for each division that listed the words to the fight song. During the Commencement ceremony, the audience now hears from a faculty member (seniors vote on who to select) and from a senior (faculty vote on who to select) instead of listening to a speaker who often has little or no immediate connection with the school community. In addition, in the last act of the school, each senior is awarded at commencement in the small gift box, a replica of the Jefferson Cup, a tradition we started six years ago which honors the Jeffersonian ideal of the importance of life-long learning.

For these past six years my family and I have been richly blessed to be active and involved members of Holland Hall. I leave having the great confidence that Geoffrey Butler is the perfect fit for the needs of the school next year. I know that you will, like me, come to admire and respect him for his wisdom and love of young people. You are in great hands.

Nearly seven years ago in my first open letter to the Holland Holland community I wrote, “My hope is that I will be viewed by all not only as a person who cares deeply about kids, leads by example and practices excellent stewardship of Holland Hall’s resources, but also as a leader who instills and encourages a shared sense of urgency and purpose regarding who we are, what we do and why we do it.”

While history will of course be the best judge as to whether or not I fell short of those standards, I remain grateful to those who I served with and who helped me become a better leader and person. In one final goodbye, I want to especially thank my assistant, Tempest Dulany. Nobody has more loyalty, grace and professionalism than Tempest. She made me a better leader every day I worked with her, and she selflessly serves the faculty and board of trustees. She embodies what is best about Holland Hall and both I and the entire school community owe her our sincere thanks and gratitude. Be well and thank you!

Go Dutch!

Mark D. Desjardins, Ph.D.

Highlights 2004-2010

Fiscal Responsibility:

• Lowest average tuition increase in a six year period in last 25 years

Completion of New Master Plan

• Three highest totals raised for Annual Fund in school’s history

New Mission & Value Statement

Curriculum Changes:

Convocation Ceremony

• The Upper School focused away from Advanced Placement courses and launched the American Studies program

Strategic Plan Adopted in 2005

Primary School Remodel and Renovation:

College Counseling:

• On August 19, 2009, the ribbon was cut to officially mark the completion of the Primary School renovation; a project that was on-time and under budget

• Successful completion of major tenents

• One of the first in the country to develop a counselor to student ratio of less than 1 to 30

Admission:

• Highest yield and lowest attrition rates in last 25 years

HOLLAND HALL MAGAZINE

5

Getting to Know Geoffrey Butler New Interim Headmaster to Guide Holland Hall Through the Transition Year.

Please tell us about your experience in independent schools.

Since 1966, I have worked in five schools with a variety of responsibilities including admissions, teaching history, discipline, and student activities. It has also been my privilege to serve as head of school at St. Mary’s Episcopal School in Memphis, Fort Worth Country Day and, most recently, as interim head at Trinity School of Midland, Texas.

What is your leadership philosophy as an interim head?

The interim head must focus quickly on the unique circumstances of the school.

The community may need to heal conflicts or to address specific issues. A healthy school may just need steady guidance. A fresh and impartial perspective can also help to clarify priorities or identify matters that deserve attention. The interim head does not introduce a new philosophy or direction.

How best would you describe your approach to the coming year at Holland Hall?

Given the successful leadership of Mark Desjardins, there is momentum with academic reforms, campus improvements and master planning, fundraising and other areas of school life. Therefore, my first obligation is to keep those initiatives moving ahead at their intended pace. In order to accomplish that, it is important

6

Geoffrey C. Butler

to communicate with all of the school constituencies in order to reassure them that the school will neither stall nor steer off course during the interim period.

viewed with some envy. Holland Hall is known for its high academic standards and an exceptional balance between those standards, fine arts and athletics.

How is Holland Hall perceived nationally and by peer schools?

What led to your decision to come to Holland Hall?

Holland Hall students are competing with those at other outstanding independent schools throughout the country for college admission and for success at college.

Therefore, our quality cannot be limited by comparison with the other local options.

Among those familiar with schools in the Southwest, Holland Hall is perceived at least as an equal among highly regarded peers, and its curricular innovation is

Deciding to accept Holland Hall’s call is based on four factors. First, I like being in school. I like being with and watching students and teachers at work and at play. Second, I have long admired its commitment to constant improvement.

Third, I believe that Holland Hall is passing an important marker in its development. The Desjardins era has given the school new energy and commitment to excellence in all areas of school life. Fourth, the Episcopal tradition speaks to the school’s commitment to spiritual development and to its appreciation and respect for religious diversity.

What would you tell alumni and friends of Holland Hall about this transition year? How does this impact them?

Schools like Holland Hall are remarkably durable institutions. While they value tradition, they can also be centers for creativity and transformation. The 201011 school year will be one of orderly progress in which the core values will remain undisturbed and the vision already focused on the future will continue to be pursued. The search process for a new head presents an excellent opportunity

to integrate alumni/ae perspectives and to reinforce communication and transparency for all of Holland Hall’s constituencies.

What are your hobbies?

My wife would say school work. But, I do have other passions, the greatest of which is fly fishing followed by duck hunting and playing golf enthusiastically but poorly.

Both Evie and I enjoy art museums, concerts and theater.

Please tell us a little about you and Evie and your family.

This summer we will mark our 44th year of marriage during which time we have raised three sons who have given us three wonderful daughters-in-law and six grandchildren. We have homes in Angel Fire, New Mexico and Destin, Florida where we divided our time during my brief retirement. I expect that we will return to that routine after Holland Hall.

“

Schools like

Holland Hall

are remarkably durable institutions.

While they value tradition, they can also be centers for creativity and transformation.

”

— Geoffrey Butler

Experience 2009-2010 2007-2008 1996-2006 1987-1996 1981-1987 1975-1981 1966-1975

Interim Head of School, Trinity School of Midland, Texas Retired Executive Director, Independent Schools Association of the Southwest, Fort Worth, Texas Headmaster, Fort Worth Country Day School, Fort Worth, Texas Headmaster, St. Mary’s Episcopal School, Memphis, Tennessee Assistant Headmaster and Director of Admissions, Louisville Collegiate School, Kentucky Director of Admissions, Suffield Academy, Suffield, Connecticut

Education 1960-1962 1962-1966 1974

Deerfield Academy, Massachusetts Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia, AB History Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, MA History

Professional / Civic / Religious 2004-2006 NAIS National Commission on Accreditation 2001-2006 Texas Association of Non-Public Schools, Past-President 1996-2006

Texas Private School Accreditation Commission, Past-President 1996-2006 Oklahoma Private School Accreditation Commission 1993-2006 The Hockaday School, Trustee

• Vice-Chair, 2003-06

• Secretary of the Board, 2001-03

• Chairman, Executive Committee, 2000-01

• Treasurer, Finance Committee, 1998-00

• Chairman, Buildings and Grounds, 1996-98 2004-2010 National Business Officers’ Association Board 1998-2008 Educational Records Bureau; Chairman, Board of Directors 2000-2004 Pacific Basin Consortium, Advisory Board 1995-2000 Trinity Episcopal Church

• Senior Warden, 1996-2000

• Rector Search Chair, 1999

• Education for Ministry Mentor, 1991-1995 1990-1995 Independent Schools Association of the Southwest

• Chairman, Standards Committee

• Treasurer

• Vice-President HOLLAND HALL MAGAZINE

7

Holland Hall Happenings

Prexa Jain ’12 and Ami Dave ‘10 at Culturefest 2010.

Annie Wise ’17 and sister Aubrey Wise ’15 smile with mom and dad and Holland Hall teacher Ms. Shelly Durling. Annie won 3rd place in the state competition for her Arbor Day tree poster. A tree was planted behind the Middle School in recognition of her accomplishment.

Mike Barton ’13, Connor Cass ’13 and Caroline Adelson ’13 known as “GreenTree of Tulsa” planted over 1,100 trees as part of “Project Polar Bear” for the Polar Bear International organization. They won the local competition and were international finalists, only 1 of 4 teams from the US and Canada selected for a chance to win a Polar Expedition.

Visiting Illustrator and Author Eileen Christelow presents to the Kindergarten class in the Primary School.

Eva Campbell ’19 presents a check for $800 to Toni McGee, Director of Community Development at the Tulsa Area Chapter of the American Red Cross. Eva and Primary School students, raised funds to assist in the Haiti relief.

Holland Hall finished first place in the nation in the dual category for Jump Rope for Heart and Hoops for Heart benefiting the American Heart Association.

Holland Hall parent Leah Clayman works with Ken Tracey in the rare books section during the event to keep books in order. The 2010 Book Fair raised $57,710 for the school.

Cum Laude Junior Inductees: Front Row: Jisang Kwak, Elizabeth Marie Pinkerton, Emily Eleanor Bibens, Cameron Leigh Keylor Back Row: Anna Catherine Royce, Thomas Tryon Hart, Seung Eui Kang

Cum Laude Senior Inductees: Front Row: Rebecca Claire Hart, Elizabeth Anne Nelson, Wendy Morgan Voss, Sarah Wilson Kranau, Back Row: Kenneth Aaron Cohen, Elizabeth Paige Lackey, Nicholas Adam Foster

Deans’ Night 2010: Theodore Spencer from the University of Michigan, Douglas Christiansen from Vanderbilt University, James Miller from Brown University, Brent Casey, College Counselor, Ronda Cooper, College Counselor and Kathy Housh, Director of College Counseling.

Two Ugandan students sponsored by the Holland Hall Middle School Arikiriza Damalie and Mugume Watson, both 9th grade students at Paul Jeffries’ School, Bishop McAllister-Kyogyera.

Holland Hall teacher Cassandra Timko and her leadership group sent the T-shirts to the students.

Holland Hall parents Heather Pohl, Leigh Ann Moss and Lesley Bumgarner visit during the Volunteer Appreciation Brunch on May 5.

8

Retiring Faculty: 97 Combined Years at Holland Hall

T ransiti o ns

Christina Smith, Primary School P.E. teacher has been with Holland Hall since 1978.

(Photo from left: Barbie Paige ’74 , Tina Smith and Millie Spencer)

Janice Green, Middle School Librarian has been with Holland Hall since 1972.

3rd Grade Bridge Crossing

Sharon Irvine, Upper School English teacher has been with Holland Hall since 1983.

City-Wide Tulsa Engineering Challenge 2010 Fourth Grade Class Winners for the Paper Airplane Contest Duration: 1st Olivia Cooper 2nd Katie Darden 3rd Grant Freeman 6th Matthew Pearson Distance: 1st Jared Isaacson 2nd Ryan Jones 3rd Darin Arnold 4th Sydney Edwards Fifth Grade Class Winners for the Rubber Band Powered Vehicle 1st Anna Albright and Emma Goldberg 2nd Aaron Gonders and Spencer Moore

8th Grade Closing Exercise

Commencement

HOLLAND HALL MAGAZINE

9

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE

POOR Holland Hall teachers Greg Carey and Leah Udwin wanted their sophomore Humanities students to think more deeply about the pressing issues of poverty, hunger, disease and environmental degradation. While it was easy to discuss these issues from the comfort and safety of the classroom, there was an authentic element missing. Greg and Leah decided to add an experiential learning component to the Humanities course that would go beyond traditional community service — by assigning the students to interact and engage in conversation with the people requiring assistance. Here is Holland Hall student Nahrie Chung’s story.

10

Special Editorial Series: Children Behind Closed Doors The World We Don’t Know About

By Holland Hall Sophomore Nahrie Chung

(Author’s Note: In order to protect the students of Mark Twain Elementary, the names of those mentioned have been substituted with fictional names.)

Introduction: A Preview

After days of gathering contact information and phone numbers, I am finally able to talk to Jan Krebling, director of the “Mentoring to the Max with Music” program. When I explain the basic idea of my project to her over the phone, she immediately jumps in to say, “We try not to talk to the kids about poverty, because they don’t think they live in poverty.” I was shocked and amazed at the same time. To live in a world where you see signs of poverty all around, but are told that it’s the way the rest of the world lives? What happens when these kids grow up and see how things really are? The idea plagued me, but by the time I got off the phone with her, I knew what I had to find out.

We’re running late.

The first words Erica Parker, a strings teacher at various TPS schools and a cellist herself, mutters to me as I jump into the passenger seat, eager on the first day of my real experience with poverty. Not knowing what to expect, I chatter idly as we speed down the highway, getting closer and closer to a world that I had never thought existed within the heart of Tulsa itself.

Suddenly, we’ve arrived in the neighborhood that surrounds Mark Twain Elementary – a small Tulsa Public School – and my face is attached to the car window; my mouth hanging open and my eyes staring wildly at what is slowly passing before me. I ask her, “Do people actually live here?”

She pauses for a moment and says, “Yep, they do. Just wait, it gets worse.”

It’s a montage of disarray and utter sadness.

Windows boarded up with ill-fitting plywood, air ventilators rusty and half-functioning, doors without doorknobs, and chipped paint all over.

Here and there we pass a bloated bulldog or two,

apparently serving as soldiers on the frontlines, fighting the war against poverty. But which side are they on?

My horror ends momentarily as we pull into the school parking lot, and I notice a nicely furnished playground and field nearby. Inside, walls covered in children’s artwork greet me silently, and I smile as I pass the section of Mark Twain memorabilia on a certain wall.

Ah yes, I think to myself, as a single-file line of kindergarteners move along the hallway. I wave at them but end up receiving different responses. Some smile and wave back shyly, others look down at the ground, and one small African-American kid looks at me and doesn’t stop shouting hi until his line turns a corner and disappears.

“Keep going,” Erica calls to me down the hall, “I’ll be there in a second.” I enter a classroom that she points to, and after blindly running into a very short fourth-grader who is carrying two music stands, my epic journey begins. ______________________________________

Interview Round One: Sidney, the Tough Dirtbiker Who is Secretly a Passionate Violinist

“Whew,” he says good-naturedly, after just barely missing my head with his music stands.

Somewhat dazed, I look at the kid and notice his pierced ears and black sweatshirt that reads, “Team FCA Oklahoma Motocross.” Immediately interested, I grab Erica in the hallway and whisper, “Can I interview that kid?” I point to the boy who is now setting up stands and slipping back into the room to get a few more.

“Sidney?” she asks. “Absolutely! He’s a sweet guy.”

I tell her thanks, and wait around until most of her fourth-grade strings class has settled into

the makeshift “classroom” in the middle of the hallway to make my move. When Sidney comes out again, I poke my face in towards him and say, “Hey! Can I just ask you a few questions?”

He jumps back, recovers, and then says to me, “Um, okay.”

Freckles and brown eyes, I make a mental note. We walk into the nearby cafeteria, cutely named “Mark Twain’s Literary Café”, and I then remember Erica’s instructions to bring him in subtly, just so that the other students don’t think Sidney’s in some sort of trouble.

We sit down in one empty corner and I begin with the thought, He seems so shy, I hope I can get some good answers out of him. I’m proved wrong when I begin with the question, “What’s your sweatshirt all about?” and he quickly warms up with more answers than I can write down fast enough. Sidney tells me that he races dirt bikes, and it’s his main hobby. I’m surprised that someone who lives in this area could afford a dirt bike in the first place, so I ask him carefully, “Who buys your dirt bike for you?” He says, “I actually have four of them. You get sponsors to help pay for your gear and stuff.” Makes sense, I think to myself.

After discussing some dirt bike business for a good couple minutes, I move on to my main question, Why the violin? Without hesitation he says, “When I’m stretched out, I can play my violin to calm me down.” I give him a quizzical look, and then realize that he had meant to say “stressed out,” instead of “stretched out.”

He claims that when he first heard the instrument, it sounded so beautiful he was inspired to play it.

I smile and ask him, “Do you want your own?”

Sidney answers, “Oh yes. My mom said that once she gets all the taxes paid off, she’d buy me a violin.” Hearing his answer makes me somewhat sad, as it sounds like one of those typical adult answers when they know a request probably won’t ever be met.

HOLLAND HALL MAGAZINE

11

When I talk to him about his family life at home, one of the first things Sidney says to me is that his stepmom keeps his older brother away from him, and so, yes, he is technically the oldest child. He nonchalantly adds, “My little brother died at six years because he was born without any lungs.” I sympathize with him, although his countenance didn’t seem to have changed; he was still the happy-go-lucky kid he was, that Sidney.

Never once did he appear to be the type of child to give up easily, and I admired him for it.

As I gathered my papers to leave I had one thing left to ask: “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

“A pro dirt biker.”

“And are you going to play your violin on the side?”

“Yes, lots.” __________________________________

Interview Round Two: Precious, the Quirky Chick in the Specs

The next girl is not just any ordinary girl. I can see the ever-increasing intensity written all over her, and it’s one reason why I chose to interview this enthusiastic human being.

The name’s Precious. When I ask her how she would describe herself in three words she responds with “weird, funny, and musical”. What an interesting combination there, I think to myself. Precious is certainly more of the chattier type, providing me with illustrations and full-blown stories that accompany her answers to my questions. She claims that since her life at home can be very “crazy” at times, having two young brothers, she feels that the violin allows her to get away from such craziness at the right times.

It’s proven to be an effective escape tool, it seems, for many of the students.

When she talks, Precious’ eyes move in excitement and her mouth is like rapid fire.

Her white lacy jacket flutters if she moves her hands to demonstrate something with motion. What struck me, however, about Precious, was the way she talked about her father.

“My real dad works at Waffle House,” she acknowledges to me, “But he’s looking for a better job.” Precious seems to be in blissful recollection as she tells me that once, when a friend of her father’s came over, her father asked her to show the friend her

12

Here and there we pass a bloated bulldog or two, apparently serving as soldiers on the frontlines, fighting the war against poverty. But which side are they on? violin playing. Precious added, “He asked me to play for his friend because he was proud and everything.”

She knew that her love for the dad went beyond his income, and basked in the warmth of his praise and delight. To me, it was an amazing example. One might argue, she doesn’t realize he’s poor, but I do believe that the realization of poverty would not stop Precious from being the kind of girl she is. __________________________________

Interview Round Three: Tenisha, the Giggle Queen of All Time

I come back to Mark Twain Elementary the next week fearful that I would begin to feel complacent about my interviews. I am fearful that the originality in the students might start diminishing before me, and what’s left would be a simple cookie-cutter cut version of some typical fourth or fifth grader. I didn’t trust in the chance that every child has a very unique story about themselves; how they came about, what they aspired to become, and the way they view themselves and their situation (which, in their minds, is no different than anyone else’s, materially speaking).

All of these worrisome thoughts empty from my mind when I choose Tenisha for an interview.

The stout African-American girl, complete with round glasses and the heartiest smile anyone has ever seen, caught my attention from the very first day here.

Her musicality and alertness during Miss

Erica’s – as the students call her – string class were impeccable, and her audacity in trying the harder and trickier rhythms impressed me. Truly, a girl with some very natural talent.

Yet when I talk with her alone, I find that Tenisha is the type of girl who fights for freedom and independence with the “I can do this alone like you can” sort of attitude. She takes on the world, one person at a time. When I ask her to tell me about strings in her own words, she says to me, “I love instruments a lot.”

In her mind, the viola is fun to play, and “you can show people that you can do something by yourself, without anyone’s help,” she states. Astonishing and pretty brazen for a fourth-grader.

Like most of her classmates, Tenisha mentions that she does not come from a very musical family except for an Uncle Rick who plays the guitar. She looks at me and proudly announces that she is one of the first in her whole family to pick up an instrument. I congratulate her on her initiative, and that sets her off into high heaven.

When I begin asking questions regarding her family and home life, she says that her mom enjoys working with people who are disabled. “One lady named Mary,” she says, “calls mom a ‘mutt’.” Before I can respond, this sets her off in a fit of giggles, and she is laughing so hard that she nearly falls out of her seat. A few cleaning crew members in the cafeteria eye her, look at me, and then smile and whisper to one other.

After she recovers from her hysteria, Tenisha notes that her dad, on the other hand, is out of work and looking for a stable job. We seem to touch a sore spot when it comes to her 15-year old brother, so I quickly jump to the question, “Do you like school?” and she nods eagerly. Tenisha says, “It helps you get smart and intelligent.

Except, I can’t spell ‘intelligent’.” This sets her off into a fit of giggles just like the last time, but this time I prepare myself to catch her if she falls.

While Tenisha is talking to me, I can’t help but think about how wrong I was in assuming that some kids would have a dull or general gloom-and-doom story. Tenisha’s personality is so unpredictable and outgoing that she surprises herself sometimes, strangely enough. She calls herself “a big ball of crazy,” which makes me laugh this time.

Her finale of hilariousness arrives

In the heart of, and surrounded by, the absence of opportunity and lack of sustaining hope, they stand.

Nonetheless, they are standing.

Standing firm and not giving up.

when it’s quiet for a moment between the two of us.

“Do you have a daughter or son?” she asks hesitatingly.

I’m taken aback and crack up in response. I tell her, “What? Of course not!

I’m not even sixteen, Tenisha!”

Surprised herself, Tenisha blushes and immediately apologizes, “Oh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t know that.” Then on her way out she gives me one last look and then bursts into her final frenzy of laughter.

The queen of giggles has to start and end with giggles, I suppose. __________________________________

Interview Round Four: Thomas the Man of a Few Words

Thomas is a special interviewee for two reasons: he is a fifth-grader, not a fourthgrader, and his instrument is the viola.

When I ask him why he decided to play the viola as his instrument he responds oddly by saying, “I like its name.” Not expecting such a simple answer I ask him, “Its name?”

“Yeah,” he says quietly, “Viola. It’s a cool name for an instrument.”

“Ah, I see. Any other reason you picked it?”

“It’s kind of like a middle-tune

instrument. Not too soft, not too loud,” he tells me. Great answer. Thomas seems to be a true musician, as violas are considered to be the middle-range instrument.

Upon being asked about his family at home, Thomas briefly mentions his mother, his deceased father, his mom’s boyfriend, his two sisters, and his mom’s boyfriend’s son. Apparently they all live together under one roof. Unfortunately enough, Thomas mentions that his mom’s boyfriend, who held a previous job as a steelworker in Sand Springs, is out of work. When I question him about any pets or animals he has at home, I’m blown away by his entire zoo collection of two dogs, a cat, a guinea pig, a fish, and two hermit crabs.

“Wow,” I breathe. “That’s a lot of animals. I used to have each of those pets once, but not at the same time!”

At this Thomas looks up and smiles at me. Ah! I think to myself, Thomas just smiled!

That was a successful interview after all. __________________________________

Final: It’s a Done Deal, Boys and Girls

walk out of the cafeteria doors feeling light and happy. The interviews were a success.

Music makes the students motivated to work hard and play well. The students are aimed for success.

Once I leave the cafeteria, I slip into my seat next to Erica, as the class is doing final performances and practice passages.

Suddenly, a very loud train whistle is heard and Miss Erica yells, “Shush, we get it already!”

She then turns back to her students, and seeing their expectant faces, says, “The least they could do is play in tune!”

And that does it. The kids go nuts and the entire class is laughing together. In the makeshift classroom on the side of the hallway. In the school building in the middle of a rundown, dangerous neighborhood.

In the center of an affluent yet ignorant community. In the heart of, and surrounded by, the absence of opportunity and lack of sustaining hope, they stand. Nonetheless, they are standing. Standing firm and not giving up.

I think to myself, the world needs to believe in these kids. If no one ever tells them that they’re poor, at least they’ll know what is truly important in life. And that’s all that really matters.

After finishing up all of my interviews in the good old Mark Twain Literary Café, I

HOLLAND HALL MAGAZINE

13

developmentnews Schureman Circle Donor Recognition Event Parent Chairs

At a reception held on April 12, 2010, members of the Schureman Circle Giving Society were recognized and honored for their support of the 2009-2010 Annual Fund campaign.

Schureman Circle members are those dedicated parents, grandparents, alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the school who give $1,000 or more in a fiscal year to the Holland Hall Annual Fund.

Lisa Cameron, Jennifer Sharpe and Martha Dickman

Guests enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and desserts from The Brasserie Restaurant, mingled with other supporters and Holland Hall staff, and were introduced to Interim Headmaster Geoffrey Butler. In his comments to the group, Mr. Butler stressed Holland Hall’s reputation among peer schools and in wider circles as a place of educational excellence and told supporters that their commitment to and financial support of the school allows Holland Hall to continue to provide the best education possible for all its students. Mr. Butler enthusiastically predicted an even more successful Annual Fund campaign next year.

Interim Headmaster Geoffrey Butler and Head-

Headmaster Mark Desjardins thanked Schureman Circle members, volunteers and Institutional Advancement staff for the success of the campaign and presented flowers to campaign co-chairs Lisa Cameron, Martha Dickman and Jen Sharpe.

WHY I

master Mark Desjardins

GIVE

Sandra Brown, Consecutive Giving Since 1977 “My husband and I have always felt strongly about contributing to the Annual Fund. As a teacher, I have been fortunate to benefit from programs and services provided by generous donors. It has been so rewarding over the years to see many of my students enriched and nurtured through the community spirit of the Annual Fund.”

Thanks a Million!

For the first time in school history, more than $1 million has been raised for Holland Hall’s Annual Fund. Gifts and pledges currently total more than $1,025,000. These funds ensure that all the programs, activities and curriculum extras that make Holland Hall such a special place were fully funded and paid for this year.

The 2009-2010 Annual Fund campaign ends May 31, 2010. The efforts of Annual Fund Chairs Jen Sharpe (Primary School), Martha Dickman (Middle School) and Lisa Cameron (Upper School), along with volunteers who helped with Schureman Circle solicitation, the Annual Fund phone-athon, alumni emails and other special events, were critical in breaking the school fundraising record.

14

Ties to the Past John and Pam Van Siclen visited Holland Hall on April 16 from Walpole, Maine. John’s family has deep roots in the history of Holland Hall. John is the grandson of Richard Mather Young, one of the founders of Holland Hall School (pictured left behind John). John’s aunt Inez Young Lehr (pictured right behind Pam), graduated class of 1924, the first graduating class at Holland Hall.

John’s mother Mary Elizabeth Young Van Siclen, graduated class of 1930. John noted that he has very fond memories of Tulsa, spending family time at Bells Amusement Park.

2010 Holland Hall

GOLF

Tournament May 10, 2010

The 2010 Holland Hall Golf Tournament on Monday, May 10 was a huge success, with over 120 attendees, which included parents, past parents, alumni, faculty, staff, grandparents and friends of Holland Hall. Golfers came from out of state to participate, thanks to alumnus John L. Brechin III ’77, of Dallas, Texas.

The team of Bobby Lorton ’87, Keith Goddard ’87, Scott Dickman and Neal Zahn won the 2010 Championship by shooting 13 under par. Runner-up was the team of Lonny Fields, Brian Thornburg, Brandon Burns and Russell Moyer. Contest winners were: Longest Drive #10: Jeff Owen Closest to the Pin #5: Bill Bunting Closest to the Pin #17: Brian Bacher The Golf Club of Oklahoma Golf Getaway Raffle: Kevin Joyce ’96 OGIO Golf Bag Door Prize (2): Eric Sherburn & Mark Wilson NIKE Golf Pullover Door Prize (2): Steve Garrett & Alex Goldberg

Brad Shelley, Phil Allen ’73,

Bill Lawson ’81, Alex Goldberg, Charlie Brown,

Trevor Sammons, Robert Hughes ‘84, Glenn Day and

Rt. Rev. Dr. Edward Konieczny, Sparky Grober

Jay Henderson

Robert Gardner

Hole Sponsors

Par Sponsors

Birdie Sponsors

Thank you to these Corporate Sponsors

HOLLAND HALL MAGAZINE

15

Friendship Well Served Tennis coaches talk about their careers, memories of Holland Hall and their friendship.

Paul Lockwood ‘71 University of Oklahoma & Jeff Moore ‘70 University of Texas

16

A friendship forged after a challenge on the Holland Hall courts has served Paul Lockwood ’71 and Jeff Moore ’70 throughout their careers heading tennis teams at the universities of Oklahoma and Texas.

L

ockwood led the University of Oklahoma’s men’s tennis for 22 seasons before retiring in 2009 to coordinate the operation of the new Gregg Wadley Tennis Pavilion at OU. Lockwood took on the head coaching job in 1988 after playing on the professional circuit, teaching at tennis clubs and a coaching at the University of Tulsa. He was named conference coach of the year in 1991 and 1992 with his teams winning 13 singles and nine double championships on the conference level.

At south-of-the-border rival Texas Jeff Moore stepped down as the women’s head tennis coach in 2005 after leading the team for 23 years, a stint that included two NCAA Championships and ten top-five finishes. Moore led his teams to four NCAA National Championship matches and recorded a record of 594-208, and was named National Coach of the Year in 1993. Moore arrived in Austin in the spring of 1982 from the University of Colorado and led the tennis squad to the NCAA Championships every year.

What led you to coaching as a career?

Paul Lockwood: Besides my father, all my mentors in life have been

coaches. At Holland Hall, coaches like Chuck Straley and Frank Ward had a tremendous influence on my decision to go into coaching as a career. Mr. Straley came from a tennis background and taught me so many things about the game that I was able to pass on to my own players for the next 30 years. Mr. Ward was my coach in football, basketball and tennis at Holland Hall and taught me so much about how to lead a team, the importance of preparation, hard work, discipline and a commitment to be the best. Other coaches who influenced me after my Holland Hall days were Jerry Keen, my tennis coach at OU and David Kent, the Hall of Fame tennis coach from Texas A&M. These two gentlemen were second to none in dealing with the human side of a player.

Jeff Moore: I coached the Women’s basketball and tennis teams at my alma mater, the University of Redlands right after graduating.

This meant that every day I was working next to the Redlands legendary mens tennis coach Jim Verdieck. Coach Verdieck was an extraordinary person. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in WW II and played both offense and defense for the famous Stanford football team known as the Doughboys that

HOLLAND HALL MAGAZINE

17

played in the 1942 Rose Bowl. In an era when most tennis coaches just threw out the balls, he trained his teams. He was a brilliant teacher and motivator, always on the cutting edge. I identified with his multi sport background. He was my inspiration to get into coaching. He was such a powerful presence, but at the same time very humble. I used his system of teaching almost exclusively while gradually developing my own.

and who were willing to buy into your team vision and coaching philosophy was key. Our better OU teams had this quality and commitment. Unfortunately, not all players or teams had that commitment and those seasons always seemed to last forever. I am also thankful that I was able to have quality assistant coaches over the years. These young men were loyal to the OU tennis program and me and I wouldn’t have lasted as long as I did without their help.

What were the most rewarding aspects of coaching?

JM: Watching my former players become fulfilled professionally and personally as adults knowing that I possibly played some small part in their development as people. Unless you’re John Wooden you’re not going to win a national title every year. There has to be a higher calling.

JM: I never stopped learning and was never satisfied with the job I did in any given year. I have always been completely immersed in the process almost to a fault.

PL: Without question, the most rewarding aspects of coaching were the relationships I developed with my players and the positive influence I could have on them during their 4-5 year college career.

The players were like sons to my wife and me. It wasn’t always easy or fun with each of them but that is part of the journey. It was my goal that when their college tennis days were over and they left OU with their degree, that they were better prepared for what was waiting for them in the real world than when they arrived as freshmen. It was also fun to watch the players develop lifetime friendships with their teammates.

How were you able to sustain the success you had at your program?

PL: First, recruiting good players who were also good people

18

What was your philosophy, as a coach, on the academic side of a successful student-athlete?

JM: I just tried to engage my athletes in conversations about different topics and urged them to search for something that interested them. Academic awards are good PR for an athletic department, but I actually think grades are kind of pointless. This first occurred to me as a sophomore at Holland Hall. My advisor told me that I only got high grades in subjects that interested me.

I thought to myself ... “Why would I put in extra effort in subjects that were boring to me?” There is very little positive correlation between GPA and success in life. Obviously, if you want to go to medical school or law school, grades are important, but they have no intrinsic value. Finding a passion and becoming a lifelong learner is what really matters in the long term.

PL: I wanted every one of my players to leave with a degree and feel they were ready for what laid ahead with their job and life. I

never concerned myself with their GPA’s and luckily, tennis players are for the most part pretty good when it comes to academics. When I had a player who showed a lack of maturity and commitment towards achieving his degree, I dealt with him firmly but fair.

How has the recruiting of college tennis players changed in the past twenty years?

PL: The biggest change has been the increase in recruiting of the international players the past 20 years. Teams have gone from one or two international players in their starting lineup to a lineup that is 90 to 100 percent international. If you look at TU, OSU and OU starting lineups this past season, 16 out of 18 players were international. As coaches, in order to compete at that high level that is expected, we are forced to recruit more and more players who may be a higher academic risk with lower English speaking skills in order to stay even with our competition. Even though the international recruiting “fishing pond” expanded considerably when the Iron Curtain fell in the late 80’s, the number of coaches that are now recruiting overseas has grown by 100 times. With the addition of the Internet, some coaches can land a commitment from an international player without ever leaving their office. As a coach, you are always either recruiting or thinking about recruiting, which is the toughest part of our profession.

JM: I always tried to begin the development of the coach: player relationship during the recruiting process, which meant that I challenged them to be part of our program. You could do that until the late 90’s because you could find kids who were inspiring to be around. They had original thoughts. Today so many of the recruits are addicted to affirmation. And it’s a catch 22. You have to tell them how wonderful they are, but they’ve been told it so often that it rings hollow.

The internally driven athlete with a swagger is a vanishing breed. A UT coach told me he was leaving home recently on a recruiting trip and his young son asked him where he was going. He said, “To sell my soul.” I think that things are beginning to change though. The failed self-esteem movement is losing its grip on young parents who are often caught up in it unwittingly.

How did your Holland Hall experience shape your career?

JM: I did not truly appreciate what my experience at Holland Hall meant to me until I left. I am writing a blog now and I still hear our senior English teacher Mr. Miller advising me on how to better organize my thoughts. I majored in philosophy my first year in college because of my experience in Mr. Bizjack’s class. The coaches were over the top in those days, but you could either persevere or quit. Fortunately I chose to stick with it. If you can survive FBW’s crab sprints and football camp, you can make it through anything.

PL: I’m not really sure I would have ended up in coaching as a profession if I had not attended Holland Hall and had not had the opportunity to be mentored by some great coaches. I always felt Holland Hall had a strong commitment to athletics and this started with quality coaches. I am always proud to tell people that I played tennis for Holland Hall.

Can you tell me about some of your favorite memories from Holland Hall?

PL: Our tennis teams from 7th through 12th grade were really, really good and it was fun to be a part of the team and to experience the journey. I was only one cog of the wheel that produced 3 straight Junior High Team Championships and 3 straight SPC team titles. My friendships with teammates John and Scott Yandell, Buzz Walters, Dale and John Frates, Fred Hewgley and Jeff Moore have lasted over

40 years and I wouldn’t trade these relationships and memories for anything.

JM: Socially I have very few good memories. I was shy, introverted, awkward and the Headmaster’s son ... not a good combination. But as difficult as it was being his son at that time, it’s amazing what I picked up from my Dad. In those days parents were not omnipresent, controlling every aspect of their kids’ lives. He and my Mom let me do my thing (despite the fact that I wasn’t doing much!) as long as I put in my best effort. My Dad was highly principled and never compromised what he stood for. In 1968 during the depths of the Cold War in one of the most ultra conservative states in the country, he invited a communist to speak at Holland Hall because he believed that we should at least understand how the “other side” thinks. How can that not impact you? Every day I draw from the leadership skills that he modeled.

Could you tell me a little about how your paths have crosses coaching at Big XII rivals OU and UT? JM: Each time we see each other; it does not take long for the conversation to turn to Holland Hall. Paul’s personality and the way he played the game had a huge impact on my coaching. He was a character at a time when tennis was a conservative, country club sport and he won with a sense of the court that was unparalleled. I was a football, basketball, baseball guy who took up tennis late. I challenged him one day thinking “how tough could this be?” After all it’s just tennis and I’m bigger, stronger and faster. Twenty minutes later I’m down 5-0 gasping for breath having visited every inch of the court!

PL: I would get to see Jeff about four or five times each year. I would always tell people that the highlight of my teams traveling to Austin was not to get to play the Longhorns, but for me to get to see Jeff Moore. I may have taught Jeff some things about tennis 40 years ago at Holland Hall, but he taught me so many more things about the game during my Sooner coaching years. When we would see each other those 5 times a year, it was like we were seeing each other in the hallway at Holland Hall. We would catch up on how our teams and families were doing and then we would always have a great in depth talk about the game of tennis. Jeff had an incredible amount of information and ideas about the game. He had a proven system and was also mentored by some outstanding coaches along the way. I would have loved and been honored to be able to play on a team coached by Jeff Moore. If someone would have told us in 1970 that Jeff would end up at UT and be known as one of the greatest tennis coaches in the nation and that I would end up at OU to lead the Sooner tennis program, I am pretty sure Jeff and I would have told that person they were nuts!

What have you been doing since retirement?

PL: I am still employed by OU and I am in charge of running our brand new Gregg Wadley Tennis Pavilion. This is an $8.4 million tennis facility with 6 indoor courts and permanent seating for 350 people. I have also started coaching some young junior tennis players and have really enjoyed it.

JM: While raising money for UT, I coached high school basketball for two years. I then took a job as athletics director at a local K-8 private school. Now I’m looking at two possible options … working at a K-12 school or doing some executive coaching, something I dabbled in while at UT.

HOLLAND HALL MAGAZINE

19

BioBlitz

Students explored the 162-acre Holland Hall campus; conducted taxon sessions by observing and collecting organisms 20

A

group of experts from the Tulsa community gathered on the Holland Hall campus on Thursday, April 8 to work closely with Holland Hall Middle and Upper School students to conduct a biodiversity survey of the Holland Hall campus. The group of experts included herpetologists from the Tulsa Zoo; plant and fish experts from the Tulsa Botanical Garden, Army Corps of Engineers and Tulsa County Conservation District; a mammal expert from the University of Oklahoma's Biological Survey; a botanist from the Oxley Nature Center, along with several naturalists focused on various areas of studies such as butterflies, birds and insects.

This partnership enabled students to work all day with experts in each area of study. The group explored the 162-acre Holland Hall campus; conducted taxon sessions by observing and collecting organisms. The experts shared with the students the best procedures and techniques to gather various specimens throughout campus. Upper School students divided into various taxon groups: Herpetology, plants, fish, stream invertebrates, fungi, butterflies, birds, mammals and insects. Fourth graders conducted bird walks all day and fifth graders concentrated on plants, collecting fungus and lichens.

“I am involved in BioBlitz because I am committed to educating Oklahomans on how biologically interesting our state truly is,” said Priscilla H. C. Crawford from the University of Oklahoma Biological Survey.

“So many people assume that Oklahoma is boring, but we really have tremendous variety of life within our state. I love exposing people of all ages to Oklahoma's natural diversity. People are amazed that we can find hundreds of species in just a small area. My job is to help protect rare species and habitat in Oklahoma. Through BioBlitz we educate people about biodiversity, which is the first step in conservation.”

Crawford continues, “Participants of BioBlitz are also excited to work with real biologists — learning about plants and animals from experts.

And the experts are usually more than happy to talk with people about the organisms they love. Holland Hall is just the first of many school BioBlitzes that we hope to facilitate in the future. With the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History's ExplorOlogy program, we plan to coordinate BioBlitz teacher workshops for other Oklahoma schools.”

BioBlitz included the following community organizations:

The Tulsa Zoo Tulsa Botanical Garden Army Corps of Engineers Tulsa County Conservation District The Oxley Nature Center City of Tulsa University of Oklahoma Biological Survey Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History HOLLAND HALL MAGAZINE

21

focus on

arts National Scholastic Art Competition

Work Title : Untitled 2 Description : Press-molded, burnished & pit-fired Holland Hall Senior Andrew Gold’s ceramic piece, “Untitled” was accepted into the prestigious 2010 National K12 Ceramic Exhibition. The exhibit is in partnership with the NCECA (National Council on Education in the Ceramic Arts) national ceramic conference in Philadelphia. It draws about 3,000 ceramic artists, educators and students and is the premier conference for ceramics. This year’s exhibit experienced a record number of 1,161 entries, of which only 162 were selected for exhibit.

“Swirl”

“Lily”

Holland Hall seniors Erin Talley and Amanda Adwon were recipients of the Gold Key Award for their ceramic art pieces, “Lily” and “Swirl” (respectively) at the Oklahoma Scholastic Art Competition sponsored by Tulsa Community College. Their pieces, along with three other Gold Award selections, were on exhibit in the new TCC Creativity Center. Their pieces will go on to compete in the national competition this spring. Their instructor is Holland Hall teacher Laurie Spencer.

Faculty Accomplishments

Middle School Students Sing for the National Honor Choir Five Middle School students recently sang for the prestigious National Honor Choir in Dallas, Texas. On March 20, Annie Wise ’17, Anna Lind ’17, John Connor ’18, Claire Harbaugh ’18 and Jack Grossman ’18 performed with the 172 member children’s choir. The performance followed months of rehearsals by fourth and fifth graders at Holland Hall with Primary School Teacher Lori Swisher prior to auditioning in the Fall as part of the annual Organization of American Kodaly Educators (OAKE) conference.

Under the direction of Indianapolis conductor Ruth Dwyer the choir spent three days rehearsing and refining their skill prior to performing before a sold-out venue at the Meyerson Concert Hall in downtown Dallas.

“It was great to make new friends from all over the country,” said Grossman. “Mrs. Dwyer is the greatest conductor ever.”

Lori Swisher was recently the choral clinician for Owasso’s 5th Grade PhotoOwasso Courtesy of Schools now has eight Elementary Honor Choir.

Public Herald-Tribune schools,Sarasota and together, 200 voices rehearsed all day with Mrs. Swisher.

Photographer Dan Wagner The concert was in the Performing Arts Center in Owasso that evening for the entire community. This was their 20th anniversary for this event, and Mrs. Swisher has been the guest conductor four times. Lori will also conduct a similar choir event for the 5th graders in Broken Arrow Public Schools. Their 5th Grade Honor Choir concert is in May. Holland Hall Art Teacher Laurie Spencer presented ceramic works at Oklahoma State University’s Gardiner Art Gallery in Stillwater, OK. The exhibit ran February 10 through March 5. Known both nationally and internationally for her organic whistling sculptures and large scale ceramic domes, Spencer’s works are in both museum and private collections. She has also been featured in many books and magazines.

Some of her latest work includes fire sculptures and whistling fire pots.

Holland Hall to Carnegie Hall

“After rehearsing together with Mrs. Swisher twice a week for months, our children were well prepared to join in singing with the rest of the choir,” said Holland Hall parent Kristie Grossman. “In Dallas, they rehearsed for up to five hours some days, and learned so much about using their voices. It was such an honor for them to be part of this choir and to be able to perform under Mrs. Dwyer’s direction. At every rehearsal, parents would stay for awhile just to have the privilege of watching Mrs Dwyer work with the children. Now that we’re home, Jack has been sharing with me some of the techniques she taught them. After last week, he is excited for many more singing opportunities he will be offered as a student at Holland Hall.”

Founded in 1891, Carnegie Hall has hosted such renowned artists as Tchaikovsky, Bernstein, Mahler and Copland. On January 15, 31 members of the Holland Hall Concert Choir left Tulsa to add their names to the long list of performers who have given concerts in this historic New York theatre.

“All the effort is worth it when you actually get to see and hear our students be a part of something so amazing!” said Primary School Teacher Lori Swisher. “It’s an experience they will never forget.”

In addition to their performance at Carnegie Hall, students took in three Broadway musicals, visited the Museum of Modern Art and tried to stay warm as they braved the cold weather to see many of the other popular attractions in New York.

22

The Concert Choir members spent five days in the “Big Apple” culminating with a performance of the “Requiem” by Gabriel Fauré, on Monday, January 18, at the world famous Carnegie Hall Music Center.

Class of 2010

College Acceptances American University

Northeastern University

Arizona State University

Northwestern University

Arkansas State University

Occidental College

Auburn University

Oklahoma City University

Austin College

Oklahoma State University

Bard College

Providence College

Belmont University

Regis University

Beloit College

Rhodes College

Bennington College

Rice University

Berklee College of Music

Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design

Boston University

Rollins College

Brown University

Saint Louis University

California Institute of the Arts

Savannah College of Art & Design

Carleton College

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Clark-Atlanta University

School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Clemson University

Smith College

College of Charleston

Southern Methodist University

College of William and Mary

Southwestern University

College of Wooster

Spelman College

Colorado College

St. Edwards University

Colorado School of Mines

St. Olaf College

Covenant College

Texas Christian University

Creighton University

Texas Woman's University

Dartmouth College

Trinity University

DePaul University

Tufts University

DePauw University

Tulane University

Drake University

Vanderbilt University

Earlham College

Vassar College

Eckerd College

Villanova University

Emerson College

Washington University in St. Louis

Fordham University

Webster University

Full Sail University

William Jewell College

George Washington University

Wittenberg University

Grinnell College

University of Arkansas

Hendrix College

University of Central Oklahoma

Hollins University

University of Colorado Boulder

Howard University

University of Denver

Indiana University

University of Evansville

John Brown University

University of Kansas

Juniata College

University of Michigan

Kalamazoo College

University of Mississippi

Kansas City Art Institute

University of Missouri Columbia

Kansas State University

University of Nevada @ Las Vegas

Knox College

University of Oklahoma

Lawrence University

University of Pittsburgh

Louisiana State University

University of Puget Sound

Loyola University Chicago

University of Richmond

Lynchburg College

University of the South

Marquette University

University of Tampa

McDaniel College

University of Tennessee Chattanooga

Michigan State University

University of Tulsa

Middlebury College

University of Vermont

Missouri State University

University of Washington Seattle

Newman University

*Bold indicates matriculation

Chaplain’s Corner The Rev. Arthur Scrutchins Upper School Chaplain

In Episcopal Bishop John Spong’s book, “Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism” there is a line that powerfully speaks to me as I write this article on the brink of summer: “In the story of creation, God rested on the seventh day so that life would have a rhythm and all days would not be a monotonous procession.”

Summer, for me, is a vital part of the rhythm of my life. I hope it is that way for you as well. Summer has given me many gifts. When I was growing up, my dad who was a university professor, my mom who worked in the university library, my sister, my brother and I would always spend three weeks operating my grandparent’s dairy near Tishomingo, Oklahoma so they could have a vacation. There, during the summer months, I learned many things. I found summer to be not only a time of refreshing change from the rigors of school; I found summer to be a great teacher.

It was during those summer months that I learned to drive … first a tractor, then a pickup.

I learned about the cycle of life. Watching a calf being born, caused me to ask a couple of questions which resulted in me having to suffer through my dad’s nervous talk about the birds and the bees and the cows and the bulls and, by very vague connections; humans as well. I’m not sure who was more uncomfortable, the explainer or the explainee … I just know that we were both relieved when mom announced that dinner was ready!

I learned to swim in the creek that ran through the property.

It was there, at the age of 15, that I received my first “Dear John” letter sent to me by a girl that couldn’t wait for me to return from my three-week deployment in the land of dirt roads and cow manure. I learned the hard lesson that some relationships will falter and fail. I also learned to value a Mom’s hug in such unsettling times.

Summer was, and still can be, if I’m open to it, a time when I can feel like a child with wide eyed excitement about simply being alive and exploring all the lessons in God’s creation.

I think most of us have it wrong. Many of us think we need a break or vacation so we can work harder … maybe God’s wants us to work hard so we know we can play harder and rejoice in the simple pleasures of His creation.

I hope that you too see summer as a gift from God given so that your life will not be just a monotonous procession of days. Enjoy His creation!

HOLLAND HALL MAGAZINE

23

Alumni Board Association Virginia Miller ’71 President Ashley Parrish ’93 Past President

From the President of the Alumni Association Board

Sanford J. Roberds ’93 President-Elect Clint Brumble ’93 Vice President-Elect Sandra J. Alexander ’69 Andrew S. Allen ’77 Brett G. Baker ’89 Sarah Regan McKinney ’01 Farryl J. Stokes ’59

Virginia Miller ’71

Dear Fellow Alumni, As the 2010 school year comes to an end, I am pleased to report that the Alumni Association continues to thrive and to develop in many ways that enhance the connections of Holland Hall Alumni and the school. While the events and structure may evolve, the mission remains the same … to foster ongoing connections of alumni with each other and with the school, resulting in both personal fulfillment and support of the school’s tradition of excellence in development and continuous learning for its students.

During the year, we experienced meaningful success with our traditional alumni activities including Reunion Weekend in October and Trivia Night in January. Reunion Weekend festivities have grown to include the Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony, as well as the Tim S. O’Halloran Award. This award honors a faculty member who has made a difference in the lives of members of each year’s 10-year reunion class.

Next fall, we look forward to honoring the choice for the class of 2001. We hope to see many of you in attendance along with the hundreds of alumni who attend Reunion Weekend each year.

As you hopefully are aware, we continue to support the school’s efforts to gain participation of alumni in terms of giving back to Holland Hall through the Annual Fund. In conjunction with the Office of Institutional Advancement, we have made significant progress in the growth of participation of alumni from 8 to 11 percent. Each individual contribution, no matter how much, is significant and appreciated.

I hope to see that trend grow to new heights next year.

As we move forward into the 2010-2011 school year, my term as president of the Alumni Association will come to an end. We look forward to the leadership of Sanford Roberds ’93 as president. Look for the energy of new ideas and opportunities for you to become involved with fellow alumni and with the school. You can keep up with alumni happenings on Facebook at Holland Hall Alumni Association or on Twitter @hhallalumni.

I hope everyone has a wonderful summer, and I look forward to connecting with many of you next year.

Sincerely, Virginia Miller ’71 President – Holland Hall Alumni Association

Alumni Events

The Alumni Association Board meets quarterly from 7:30 - 9:30 a.m. in the Alumni Center on the Holland Hall campus.

24

Alumni Reunion Weekend • Alumni Reception in Newman Theatre (Black Box) – Walter Arts Center October 8, 2010 6:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m.

• Tim S. O’Halloran Award Ceremony in Newman Theatre (Black Box) – Walter Arts Center October 8, 2010 6:00 p.m • Alumni Brunch in Upper School Commons October 9, 2010 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon

University Update Dinner SMT Commons – Upper School December 16, 2010 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Alumni Basketball and Soccer Games Holland Hall Campus December 18, 2010 10:30 a.m.

1955

1970 Genevieve Alcott Causse ’55 currently resides in Darien, Connecticut and recently sent this letter to Holland Hall:

Dear Editor, Holland Hall Magazine: “Getting and reading the Holland Hall Magazine is a pleasure, especially the most recent one with its emphasis on alumni, including Class Notes. It brought back so many memories. As a member of the Class of 1955 (so long ago!) I really enjoyed “Memories from the Class of ’59”. I remember all the teachers mentioned (the Rinkers were friends of my family); Mrs Kaboth’s “To the rear, forward march” on rainy days in the Field House; still have one middy blouse; was a Sakawa; Miss Sharp’s math classes; Town Hall lectures; the lunch room-chapel-auditorium; the best Ancient History teacher (Miss Ellen Craig, I think her name was); Miss Sawyer for French; Miss McSpadden for Latin; Mrs. Rockwood for English and history; “Miss Holland Hall” magazine.

I still exchange Christmas cards/notes with three of my classmates. Do you think a future Alumni Reunion Weekend can include the Class of 1955 and our memories? Maybe we can’t achieve the attendance rate of the Class of 1959 — I held a reunion here in Connecticut in 1985 and there were only three of us in attendance!

Still have the 1954 and 1955 yearbooks “Eight Acres” — I did the lettering under the casual photos in the 1954, and our graduation picture taken on the stairs of the Birmingham Road building. Am sitting up here looking through them as I do every few years. On a trip to Tulsa in 1996 I toured the 81st Street campus.

What a wonderful school! Next week I play in a piano concert, and the day after I leave for Aspen to ski with my group of geriatric skiers called “Snomads”, a group started in the early sixties where I worked at The Upjohn Pharmaceautical Co. in Michigan. Now we are only five and I am one of only two “close-to-beingoriginal” members. Hope we can ski together a few more years.

(Editor’s response: Hi Genevieve, thank you for sending us your letter; we loved hearing from you. In response to your question about including the Class of 1955 and memories, the answer is Yes! Absolutely! Send them our way.)

Class Correspondent: If you would like to be the class correspondent for the class of ’63, please contact Judy Warren at jwarren@hollandhall.org

Robin Flint Ballenger ’63 will be inducted this fall to the Tulsa Hall of Fame. According to the Historical Society President, the inductees represent the finest Tulsa has to offer in a wide range of civic responsibility, volunteerism, culture and entrepreneurship. She is the third generation owner and first chairwoman of The Flintco Cos. Inc., the largest Native American Indian owned construction company in the world. She is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation. She is a board member on several organizations, and has received many professional and civic awards.

Leigh Victoria Hooker Standingbear 10640 Harreld Road Beggs, OK 74421 (918) 585-5131 leighstandingbear@beggstelco.net Eric Grimshaw ’70 lives in Tulsa and has been practicing law for over 30 years. He is Vice President, Associate General Counsel and Secretary for ONEOK, Inc., a Fortune 500 Company. He is single and has a 19 year old daughter who is a sophomore at Drury College in Springfield, Missouri. In his spare time, Eric plays percussion with the local group, The Brady Orchestra.

Leigh Standingbear ’70 reminds the class of ’70 that our 40th reunion is this Fall! Alumni Reunion Weekend begins October 8 with a reception for alumni in the Newman Theatre from 6:00-8:30 p.m. Janie Sanditen ’70 and I are working on additional get together plans for the weekend.

1976 Class Correspondent: If you would like to be the class correspondent for the class of ’76, please contact Judy Warren at jwarren@hollandhall.org

Sincerely yours, Genevieve Alcott Causse ’55

1963

Class Correspondent:

1965 Class Correspondent: If you would like to be the class correspondent for the class of ’65, please contact Judy Warren at jwarren@hollandhall.org

Henry Finch ’76, Holland Hall’s Director of Technology has been selected to join the Advisory Board for the Apple Distinguished Educator (ADE) Program for 2010-2011. In this role, Henry will serve in an advisory role with 14 other board members across the country during a two year commitment as they provide input and direction for the professional growth, advocacy and content development plans for the more than 1,700 members of the ADE program globally.

Joe Adwon ’65 and wife Kathy and daughter Kasey Adwon ’03 have participated in the Holland Hall Mexico Exchange Program as a host family since the program’s founding year in 1998. Their exchange student Claudia Galvan came to Holland Hall in 8th grade for nine weeks and the Adwon family has stayed in close touch with her ever since for over 12 years via phone, email and visits.

Recently, the Adwon family attended Claudia’s wedding on January 30, 2010 in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Holland Hall teacher and alumna Janice Moore ’72, creator of the Holland Hall Mexico Exchange Program was the master of ceremonies at the wedding.

Pictured Right: Claudia’s mother, Janice Moore ’72, Claudia Galvan (bride), Ilonka Restovic (retired exchange coordinator from Mexico who has visited HH many times and is a very close friend now), Joe Adwon ’65 and his daughter Kasey ’03.

HOLLAND HALL MAGAZINE

25

1977 Greg Meyer NFL Football Official How did you get your start in officiating?

- I started officiating when I left TCU in 1981 and began work in Houston with Amoco Production Company. Some guys at work officiated and it put a few dollars in my pocket. I did some baseball but it was too slow so I moved to football where they used a clock. It made all the difference in the world. I enjoyed the game and the guys I worked with.

Since you were an outstanding baseball pitcher in high school and college, did you ever consider umpiring baseball games instead of officiating football?

- I originally started in baseball but the kids struggled throwing strikes and without a clock, the games went on forever. I just didn’t have the patience for it.

How did you become an NFL official?

- I became an NFL official by applying to the NFL once I got to Division 1 football in 1995. I worked high school, then small college (Lone Star Conference), Big West, WAC and Big 12. I was invited to work NFL Europe in 1998 and was hired into the NFL in 2002.

How is officiating on the NFL level different than other levels?

- The NFL has different rules and different officiating philosophies than the NCAA. As a result, the game is officiated differently. The professionalism at the NFL level is outstanding by coaches and players. To be honest, officiating at the lower levels is much more difficult than at the Big 12 or NFL level.

1978 Class Correspondent: Mark Sanders 1202 E. 17th Place Tulsa, OK 74120 msanders@gablelaw.com

Mark Sanders ’78 Although we’re currently in that listless period between reunions, this is a notable year for ’78-ers, as most have, or soon will, come faceto-face with that 50 candle birthday cake! I know classmates would love to know how we’re all marking this milestone; so please send me your news, updates, reflections, pictures, etc. at the address above.

Since this is my first issue as Class Correspondent, and the mailbag is not exactly full, I’ll get the ball rolling with an update of my own. The big news is that I’m a Tulsan again, after wandering in the wilderness for over 30 years! After years of fighting off a fierce homing instinct, I finally succumbed, and was able to convince my wife, Sarah — a lifelong Yankee — to uproot our established and comfortable life in Connecticut.

Our first nine months here, despite some occasional wistfulness, have been wonderful, and confirm the wisdom of our decision. It’s been a luxury to be back in proximity with family, including my sister, Brooke (Sanders) Schwartz ’82, and nephew, Ben Schwartz ’20. Our boys (ages 6 and 8) now have frequent contact with cousins and grandparents for the first time in their lives.

26

Photo courtesy of Greg Meyer and the Dallas Cowboys Public Relations Department

Do you continue to officiate college games?

- I no longer officiate at the college level. I do assist the Big 12 with observing and grading game tape to evaluate officials.

What is the biggest game you’ve officiated in the past?

- The biggest game I’ve officiated in the past is a tough one. Some have more meaning than others. I’ve done the 2005 NFL Europe World Bowl, Hula Bowl and Cotton Bowls plus all the NFL playoff levels. They are all big.

How are you chosen as a Super Bowl referee?

- For 2009, I happen to grade out as the top Side Judge for the season. The ball bounced my way as the difference between each of the 17 Side Judges in the NFL is the width of a playing card. A lot of things went my way this year.

Is the February 7, 2010 your first Super Bowl to officiate?

- This is my first Super Bowl to officiate.

In terms of employment, I’ve been fortunate to land at a great law firm — GableGotwals. As luck would have it, one of my colleagues there is none other than Scott Rowland ’70. It’s been great to have someone with whom to reminisce — and lament the passing of our 50th year! By the way, Scott marked that approaching milestone by completing the NYC Marathon last fall.

I also have the pleasure of working in the same office with Holland Hall Trustees Dave Keglovits and Liz Muratet.

The sad news of the passing of Mark Condry’s father brought several of us (Scott Rowland ’70, Greg ’78 and Carol (Edwards) ’78 Owens, and honorary ’78 class member, Jono Helmerich) together this summer.

Mark is now retired from the military, and is living in north Texas, working as a Division Manager for FSG Lighting. Carol has recently returned to the banking world, and is involved in local commercial lending at F&M Bank & Trust.

I’ve also had the pleasure of running into Graham Brannin ’78 at community planning meetings.

Graham has responsibility for regulatory matters at the City of Tulsa’s Public Works Department. Community events have also provided an opportunity to reconnect with other alumni, like Marty Newman ’77 — local realtor and Board Member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Michael Bates ’81 — Tulsa’s enigmatic blogger extraordinaire.

Linda Jenkins ’78 seems to be everywhere I travel.

I’ve run into her at Gilcrease Museum and in church; and her nephew is a good school friend of my 8-year-

old. After years with United Way, Linda now runs Jenkins Consulting Group — an advisory and training firm for non-profits. I’m also enjoying regular contact with R.D. Bell ’78 at, of all places, Sunday School.

R.D. is a librarian and a grandfather! Sundays at church also often provide an opportunity to catch up with other HH-types like Rick Koontz ’81, Jane Duenner ’71, retired faculty member, David Rollo, and Fr. Jack Powers, father of Phil Powers ’79.

Although I haven’t yet actually seen Elizabeth (Berntson) Jackson ’78, I seem to happen upon her mother, Joyce, at regular intervals — which is always a blessing. Our family also enjoyed a chance meeting with Matt Brainerd ’78 and his family at Hideaway Pizza during an early exploratory trip to Tulsa. Matt remains youthful, and is still running the family chemical company.

Other alumni encounters have included getting a haircut from Julie Voth ’79, and sharing a Sunday snack with Ken Levit ’83 — who is my wife’s college classmate.

Last but not least, we’ve been blessed with great neighbors at our new (old) Tulsa home. Living within earshot are Sabrina (King) Kane ’89 and her family, Joseph Johnson ’87 and his wife, and Brendan McKnight, brother of Lisa McKnight ’78. Brendan reports that Lisa is living in Virginia, working as an inhouse attorney, and running a lot of marathons.

Please start and keep those cards and letters coming!

1983 Class Correspondent: Douglas Allen 995 Hopmeadow Street Simsbury, CT 06070 (860)968-9749 dallen@westminster-school.org Jill Bates ’83 writes “I am married to John Dilger and live in Rochester, Minnesota! Yes, my husband works at the Mayo Clinic. We have three children Oliver 10, Madeline 8 1/2 and Eleanor 3. I am very busy running the Mom bus. Family still lives in Tulsa so I enjoy our trips home as often as I can. Hope to return to life as a Speech Pathologist as soon as my 3-year-old gets in school! Love keeping up with Holland Hall friends on Facebook!”

Peter Bernhardt ’83 reports, “Life is good in South Florida. Since our class gathering in Tulsa in 2008, I have had the pleasure of visiting with Douglas Allen ’83 and Jim Meehan ’83 while they were here on business trips. I have really enjoyed reconnecting with my Holland Hall classmates, and I hope more of them journey to South Florida and can make the time to visit with me and my family.”

Arden Roberts ’83 checked in as well. “I currently work for Hewlett Packard, but have not changed locations/buildings in 22 years. We still support the travel industry, which include most airlines, hotel chains, car rentals and vacation sites. I am what they call a Situation Manager and am responsible for ensuring resolution for our clients’ major impacts.

My wife, Joyce, and I have been married almost 10 years now. In our spare time, I volunteer as a dive at the Oklahoma Aquarium and we enjoy helping out with our granddaughter, especially when she plays soccer or anything outdoors. Our kids have all left the nest, but still come by to say “hi” quite a bit. The oldest will graduate from TU Law school this May, two are working full time now, three are working and going to school part-time and the last is attending OSU.” Kelley Groenewold Mather ’83 has been in Tulsa and sent in this update: “Kimberlie Dullye Kramer ’83 and I often get together for bruschetta at Olivetos — has to happen at least once a month! We enjoyed seeing Jeff Byers ’84 when he was in town last fall for his reunion — next time we want to meet the rest of his family! Our daughter,Virginia-Kate, is a junior at Centenary College, majoring in French. Emma is a sophomore in high school and is busy leading worship at her church and being an athletic trainer at her school.”

Austin Hellwig ’83, who has returned to the Dutchmen fold after a long hiatus. Austin is now living in Arlington, Texas, with his wife and daughter, where he is working for the year-round survey section of the U.S. Census Bureau in Dallas. Austin continues to pursue his deep interest in Tulsa’s transportation and real estate development, and is currently posting historical photographs on the Tulsa City County Library’s website. He has more than 200 photographs online recording many road construction projects, and hopes to have nearly 1000 when he finishes scanning and curating pictures of the Arkansas River, including

the low water dam construction and the Flood of 1986. The photos are available at www.tulsalibrary.org/ tulsahistory/photographs.php.

Greg Wolfe ’83 reports, “Married to Stacey since 1993, we have three kids: Jordan (15), Sarah (12), and Audrey (10). I’ve been flying for United Airlines since 1995, and am currently flying as a co-pilot on the 757 and 767 out of San Francisco. My routes frequently take me cross country to New York and Boston, or across the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii. I started my flying in the Navy, after graduation from college. I flew the P-3 Orion (sub-hunter) and was based out of California. After eight years of active duty, I transferred to the Reserves and was hired by United. I finished a 20 year military career in the Reserves in 2007. I also find time to help coach my kids’ athletic teams, and teach a science club to 4th/5th graders after school on Fridays. To stay active I still like to play basketball once a week, and an occasional round of golf.”

Washington D.C., where they have a house near Capitol Hill.

Kevin Joyce ’96 Kevin Joyce ’96 and his wife, Kylee (Schelbar) Joyce ’97 welcomed celebrated the birth of their son, Owen Finn Joyce, on May 11, 2009.

1990 Class Correspondent: If you would like to be the class correspondent for the class of ’90, please contact Judy Warren at jwarren@hollandhall.org

Emily Kaiser ’90, is currently the senior U.S. economics correspondent for Reuters in Washington, D.C. She was chosen as the speaker for the Tulsa Press Club’s 2010 Distinguished Journalism Lectureship this spring. Today, Emily writes from a broad perspective, focusing on big-picture stories and explaining economic trends for a global audience. Emily was a Tulsa World intern in 1993 and graduated from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism in 1994 and studied Arabic at American University in Cairo and the University of London. She started at Reuters in 1996 and is currently based in Washington, D.C.

Natalie Mange Sivak ’96 Natalie Mange Sivak ’96 is blissfully completing her medical training with a fellowship in Abdominal Imaging at UNC Hospital. She has accepted a position as an Attending Radiologist at Scott and White Hospital/Texas A&M University, and will soon be moving back to Temple, Texas with her husband, Marc, and daughter, Clara (who celebrated her first birthday in January).

1996 Class Correspondent: Sarah (Lemons) Bradbury 6728 Chevy Chase Avenue Dallas, TX 75225 (214) 499-2168 (cell) sarahebradbury@yahoo.com (personal) sbradbury@gardere.com (work) Sarah (Lemons) Bradbury ’96 is currently living in Dallas, Texas. She is a labor and employment attorney with Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP. Sarah’s practice primarily consists of employment litigation, drafting employment agreements and counseling clients on employee-related issues.

Jeff Jaynes ’96 and his wife, Adriane, became proud parents on November 6, 2009 when they welcomed their first child, Benjamin Fisher Jaynes.

Blake Rollins ’96 married Monique Schumacher at the Angel Orensanz Foundation in New York City on June 27, 2009. Alumni Jeff Jaynes ’96 officiated and Tom Dapice ’96 and David Ross ’96 served as groomsmen. The couple plans to make their home in

Zachary Crockett ’96 has been a busy traveling man for the last year. He and his wife, Solange, drove to California, Florida, and most places in between in 2009. In September 2009, they moved to a new apartment in Minneapolis’ Seward neighborhood that they love. In October 2009, Zac formed Hypergolic Motion, LLC as freelance coding and music composition business. His current clients include an energy star home implementor, a ceramic artist, and a local audio software company that was featured at the Apple WWDC. Additionally, his band, Earworm, HOLLAND HALL MAGAZINE

27

performed and lectured in Indiana and Minnesota in March and April 2010 and will be releasing its second CD soon.

Kristin (Graves) Schenk ’96 continues to be a busy working mom of three. Kristin is employed as a medical liaison for a pharmaceutical firm and her husband owns a real estate investment firm in Tulsa.

Kristin and her husband are proud parents of three children, William (age 4), Mary Jane (age 2) and their newest daughter, Kathryn (“Kacky”) (age 1). William is in his second year at Holland Hall and it brings back wonderful memories for Kristin.

1999 Class Correspondent: If you would like to be the class correspondent for the class of ’99, please contact Judy Warren at jwarren@hollandhall.org Jennifer Roberts Bruno ’99 graduated from Cornell in 2003. She and her husband are in the process of developing a ministry in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She has been accepted to Princeton, which is consistently ranked in the top three slots among America’s theological schools.

in June of 2008 and Elijah was born in December of 2009.

Daughter Noa Violet Verduzco joined Bethanie Bryant ’00 Verduzco and husband Bhadri Verduzco on September 29, 2009. Bethanie gave birth at home.

She comments that the birth of her daughter is “pretty sweet”.

Raymond Chui ’00 has been working for Chesapeake Exploration for the past year as a Right-of-Way Coordinator. Located in Ithaca, New York, Ray is helping develop a pipeline transportation system for the Marcellus Shale gas play.

Katy Hall ’00 is proud to announce her graduation from Washington & Lee School of Law in May 2009.

She moved to New York City where she is a corporate securities lawyer. Katy is engaged and plans to wed fiancé Alexander “Sandy” Shurin on October 2, 2010 in New York City. Lindsey Hawkins ’00 McIntosh, Katrina Kerr ’00 Sevier, and Emily Williams ’00 will join the bride in her bridal party. Unfortunately, Katy will not be able to join the Class of 2000 for our 10 -year reunion but would like to wish everyone a great time and tell everyone that she misses them and hopes they are all well.

Greg Spencer ’99 Greg Spencer ’99 spent May 16, 2010 in Kingfield, ME at the Sugarloaf Marathon. His official time was 2:51:38 (about a minute slower that his last one in December 2009). His overall finish was 7th out of 400 runners with a finish of 1st in his age group (30-34). He has run eight marathons, one in each of the following: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Maine, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. Greg is the website coordinator and cross country coach at Holland Hall.

2000 Class Correspondent: Margaret Rosene ‘00 4733 South Harvard Avenue, #46 Tulsa, Oklahoma 74135 (918) 640-0735 alieze@aol.com Acacia Allen ’00 Flamm and husband Justin Flamm are proud to announce the birth of daughter Madelaine Mary Flamm. Lainey joined the Flamm family at 3:30 a.m. on April 4. She weighed 8 pounds 2 ounces and was 20 inches long. She was welcomed by uncles Eli Allen ’03 and Alex Allen ’08.

Nicole Bhow ’00 is engaged to Jonathan Maier of Long Island, New York. The couple plans to be married on Massachusetts’ Cape Cod in June of 2011.

Nicole and Jonathan will reside in Boston.

Sarah Blessing ’00 Losey is currently living in Farmington Hills, Michigan where she coaches figure skating in nearby Novi, Michigan. Sarah and husband Darren Losey were married in July of 2005. Sarah and Darren have two beautiful children. Abigail was born

28

2002 Class Correspondent: Bryan Lieber 146 Ivy Drive, Apt. 12 Charlottesville, VA 22903 Bryan.lieber@gmail.com Jason Deck ’02 will graduate from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in May. After graduation, he will start a residency in Family Medicine at the OU Health Science Center in Oklahoma City.

He and his wife Debbie currently reside in Edmond.

Jaclyn Niebergall ’02 will graduate from the University of Kansas with a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology. She was also nominated for the Outstanding Thesis Award. Jacyln currently lives in Kansas City and works at Pembroke Hill School.

Suzy Morgan ’02 is currently living in Chicago where she works as a private book and paper conservator.

In 2009, Suzy received her Master’s in Information Studies, with a certificate of advanced study in book and paper conservation, from the School of Information at the University of Texas at Austin after two years of study and a yearlong internship in the Northwestern University Library’s Preservation Department. In her spare time, she practices aikido, collects beachglass from along Lake Michigan (weather permitting!) and enjoys fiddling with her aquariums (one of which houses a South American lungfish).

2004 Class Correspondent: Cat Munroe ’04 14 Lewis St, Apt 3 Providence, RI 02906 (918) 361-7869 marykmunroe@gmail.com

Joey Wignarajah ’00 shares that fellow classmate Matt McUsic ’00 shot 2nd Unit for the film The Dry Land that had its world premiere in competition at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. The film, which was written and directed by Ryan Piers Williams, is about a U.S. soldier returning home from war who struggles to reconcile his experiences abroad with the life and family he left in Texas. The film includes stars Ryan O’Nan, America Ferrera, Wilmer Valderrama, Ethan Suplee, June Diane Raphael, and Melissa Leo. Thank you to everyone who submitted class notes. Please don’t forget to send me your contact information so that I may notify you about our 10-year class reunion this October. As always, keep submitting those notes. You can send them to alieze@ aol.com or call me at 918.640.0735. We’ll have another issue coming up this fall/winter. Also, you may join our class group on Facebook-Holland Hall Class of 2000. It’s a great way to keep in touch. Thank you, Maggie.

Colleen McCarty ’04 graduated from TU in 2008 and is in Marketing at Yorkshire Publishing in Tulsa. She is married to Russell Rowe. Her email is cmccarty85@ gmail.com.

Taylor Breedlove ’04 graduated from the University of Tulsa in December 2008 with a BA in Classics and is engaged to Matt Klinkhammer, University of Tulsa ’10. Taking graduate courses in the Foundations of Education Department at TU toward the goal of a career teaching Latin at the primary or secondary level.

Nicole Geurin ’04 graduated from the University of California, Davis in 2008 and went on to become a Registered Dietitian in 2009. She now is working multiple part-time jobs in the field of community nutrition, including as a dietitian for the employees at Apple in Sacramento. Check out Nicole’s nutrition blog at http://nicolegeurin.wordpress.com. Contact info: ngeurin@yahoo.com

Leslie Spencer Haughey ’04 graduated from Oklahoma State University in May 2008 with a B.S. in Human Development and Family Science. Married Ben Haughey on June 6, 2009. Currently working on her masters in Human Development and Family Science with a specialization in Child and Family Services at

Oklahoma State University; will complete in December 2010. Interning this summer at Family and Children Services, in the Family Life Education department.

Josh Burstein ’04 recently started a position as West Coast Director of Business Development for the Government of Israel. He operates out of the LA Consulate and serves as an economic liaison between U.S. companies and Israeli innovation in the high-tech, film and new media sectors. Contact info: josh@ joshburstein.com 1451 26th St. A Santa Monica, CA 90404.

Her main inspiration is every time she sees someone wearing and enjoying her dancewear. She finished her last dance project in October and is now focusing on developing her dancewear business.

2006

2009

Class Correspondent: If you would like to be the class correspondent for the class of ’06, please contact Judy Warren at jwarren@hollandhall.org Bryant Wright ’06 earned Division III All-American status with his Trinity University distance medley relay team which finished second at the 2010 national meet.

Dan Matthews ’06 Dan Matthews ’06 was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study and work in Spain in 2011.

His major is International Relations, with a Spanish minor. He spent a semester in Granada in 2009 and will graduate from Carleton College in June 2010.

His mother Candace Matthews is a Middle School math teacher at Holland Hall.

Katie Summers ’07 is one of 104 new students selected for KU’s nursing school next year. She is currently the vice president of the KU Pre-Nursing Club and spent more than 150 hours volunteering in the emergency room at Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

Good grades, leadership and health care experience are all required for consideration.

Class Correspondent: If you would like to be the class correspondent for the class of ’09, please contact Judy Warren at jwarren@hollandhall.org

Marriages

Elizabeth Frame ’01 married Christopher Ellison on May 30, 2009 Katherine Mercer Coyne and Ryan Christopher Coyle ’98 married on May 8, 2010

Births

Acacia Allen ’00 Flamm and Justin Flamm welcomed daughter Madelaine Mary Flamm on April 4, 2010.

In Loving Memory

Susan Louise Wolfe Harrison ’60 December 9, 2009 Elizabeth J. (Betty D.) Hill ’38 April 3, 2010 Craig Benton, Emeritus April 25, 2010

Jeffrey Moseley ’09 Jeffrey Moseley ’09 was selected by the Boy Scouts for “Outstanding Project” for the Eagle District.

Jeffrey is currently a freshman at the University of Oklahoma with a 4.0 GPA in the Honors program.

Class Correspondents Needed!

1945-49, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953,1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1972,1975, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 The class notes of the Holland Hall Magazine is a popular section; please consider being a class correspondent for your class. Contact Judy Warren at jwarren@hollandhall.org if you are interested.

2007 Class Correspondent: If you would like to be the class correspondent for the class of ’07, please contact Judy Warren at jwarren@hollandhall.org Merrin Trombka ’07 was honored as Forum Artistico’s artist of the month. She is currently a young dancer, choreographer and dancewear designer.

Since moving to New York, she has started a small dancewear line called “Mer-Wear”. According to Merrin, in designing Mer-Wear, she actually didn’t have a particular dance piece or dancers in mind. Any dancer can wear her clothes. She eventually wants to expand to have her dancewear be for all types of performing artists and active people, whether they do dance, yoga or just go to the gym a few times a week.

Alumni Reunion — New York City, January 2010 Seated from left - Janet Watson Jones ’63, Philip Rosene ’03, Brianna Layon ’04, Lacy Post ’03, Jennifer Woodard ’03 Standing from left - NIck Nelson ’99, Deepak Chetty ’03, Geneva Bruce, Banks Bruce ’99, Shepherd Laughlin ’03 HOLLAND HALL MAGAZINE

29

Back2Back GIRLS BASKETBALL AND SOFTBALL REPEAT AS 2010 CHAMPIONS

T

he girls’ basketball team finished the season strong by winning its last ten games of the season and winning its second consecutive SPC Championship. The girls basketball team finished with a record of 20-7 and 7-0 in SPC north zone. At the Winter SPC championship, the Dutch defeated St. Mary’s Hall, 39-32 in the opening game. In the semifinal game against FW All Saints, the Dutch used a late surge to win 48-38. In the finals, the Dutch took on south zone champion Houston St. John’s and the Dutch prevailed 44-32. Seniors Rachel Ellinor and Whitney Jackson led the Dutch. All SPC performers were junior Christina Bayliss, and sophomore twins, Jules and Paris Townsend. Head Coach Crystal Lawson improved her two-year record to 34-16 at Holland Hall. Becky Heidotten and Judy Warren assisted Coach Lawson.

The softball team pushed their win streak to 31 consecutive games and claimed their second consecutive SPC Championship. The 2010 squad scored 152 runs and only allowed 16. This group started off the season by winning the Trenton Texas High School tournament and finishing undefeated in SPC north zone competition. At SPC, the Dutch defeated Dallas Greenhill 12-0. In a highly contested rematch, the Dutch prevailed with a 3-0 win against FW Country Day School in the semi-final game. The final game set up a showdown with south zone champion, Houston St. John’s. The Dutch won the game 6-1. It was definitely a team championship as the Dutch hit .418 as a team, stole 68 bases versus only 3 by their opponent, and had a team fielding percentage of .942. Two four-year starters, catcher Natalie Powers and outfielder Chelsea Zahn led the Dutch. All SPC performers were senior Natalie Powers, and sophomores Eryn McCarver, Jules and Paris Townsend. In his third season as Head Coach, Dave Bach now has a record of 44-2 at Holland Hall. Ken Knight and Butch Virdell assisted Coach Bach.

Girls Tennis finishes 2nd Place at SPC Led by Head Coach Laura Puryear, the girls’ tennis team showed signs early that this was going to be a great season. In March, the girls tennis team defeated defending 5A state champion Bishop Kelley and 4A state champion Cascia Hall. The team finished 2nd place in the SPC North Zone with a 5-1 record.

At SPC, the girls defeated John Cooper School 3-2. In the semi final match against Kinkaid, team tennis was at it best. With only four of the five matches able to start, the Dutch got off to a great start, winning three of the four first sets in match play. Maddie Rahhal, #2 singles player, won her match in about 45 minutes, which now allowed senior Sarah Kranau to take to the court in #3 singles. The other matches went to tiebreaker where the Dutch fell into a 2-2 tie with #3 singles being the deciding factor. Sarah won her match 6-2, 6-1 at #3 singles and the Dutch reached the finals at SPC. The Dutch fell to Hockaday in the finals 4-1, but had a valid effort with sophomores, Saskia Romero and Elizabeth Cameron winning their match. All SPC medalists were #1 singles Katherine Jesek and #2 singles Maddie Rahhal.

The Dutch return a stellar line-up next year as only senior Sarah Kranau will graduate.

30

2010 Girls Basketball SPC Championship Team

2010 Girls Softball SPC Championship Team

Boys Track and Field finishes runner up For the fifth consecutive season the boys track and field team has finished runner-up at SPC to Dallas St. Marks.

This team overcame the loss of graduation and some early season injuries to several of their key athletes to position themselves on the final day at SPC to contend for a title. It did not happen, but seniors Chandler Hicks, Grant Clary and Nick White led the Dutch until the end. Junior Kwame Sexton repeated his title as an SPC Champion in the high jump; and in his first year competing in the triple jump, he defeated the defending SPC Champion with a jump of 44’5. Senior Grant Clary finished third in the long jump and was All SPC for the second consecutive year. He currently holds the school record in the long jump. Junior Nathan Roberts finished third in the pole vault and received All SPC. Senior Chandler Hicks finished 2nd place in the discus to receive his All SPC medal. The 4x400 team of Kwame Sexton, Grant Clary, Chandler Hicks, Harrison Evert finished 2nd place. Rob Butler, Brian Thompson, Phil Sweeney, Greg Spencer, and Adam Spencer coached the track and field team to another strong finish.

Seniors participating in college athletics STUDENT Amanda Adwon Maggie Brady Grant Clary Jules Cronk Lauren Hauge Chandler Hicks Natalie Hood Mason Justice Natalie Powers Joe Randall Emma Steele Nick White

SCHOOL

Michigan Brown Michigan State Trinity Michigan Trinity St. Louis Kansas St. UT Chattanooga Covenant Dartmouth DePauw

SPORT Field Hockey Field Hockey Track/Field Baseball Field Hockey Football Field Hockey Baseball Softball Basketball Track/Field Track/Field

Holland Hall Coach Owens Hired as U.S. Women’s Bobsled Head Coach Games. Owens has worked as an FIBT official since 2002. He served as the assistant chief of competition at the 2002 Olympics and assistant race director at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games while organizing internal and external logistics for athletes and equipment.

“As an official I have had the opportunity to be a neutral observer,” said Owens. “I like the direction the USBSF is headed. I am excited to join this staff in continuing to build momentum forward for the next quad.”

“Once you’re on Dave Owens’ radar, there is no escape. Yet if you cut one of his players, he will bleed as well. For the last 19 years, other than Charles Brown, no other coach at Holland Hall has motivated more effectively or influenced athletes as deeply as Coach Owens,” — Richard Spencer, Holland Hall Coach

A

fter spending the last 19 years at Holland Hall coaching football, baseball and track — on July 1, 2010, Dave Owens will begin a new chapter in his life to be the new women’s bobsled head coach for the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation. Owens will lead the U.S. women through the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.

According to the news release on usa.bobsled.com, after his collegiate football career at the University of Tulsa and a semi-pro football stint in Europe, Owens competed as an elite bobsled push athlete on the World Cup team for four seasons. He finished as high as fourth in the four-man bobsled 2000 World Championships. Owens retired from competition after undergoing surgery for testicular cancer, but remained active in the sport as an official. Nominated for his tenacity, strength and dedication to the sport, Owens was selected to carry the Olympic torch for the 2002 Winter Olympic

When asked what some of his favorite memories are of Holland Hall, he replied, “Football-wise, the undefeated season in 1995 and again in 2005.”

“After 19 years you build a lot of relationship with parents, students and faculty,” said Owens. I have no regrets, its been homebase for me. Holland Hall has been very accepting of me and what I’ve done. This community has been gracious to me and I am thankful for that. I will miss walking out on the fields on Friday nights, the football coaches, the time we spend prepping for games. They are my friends; I have tremendous respect for Tag Gross and all the coaches. I will miss those guys the most.”

Owens continued “There are a lot of parts to this new job I’m excited to get into. But when you’ve been somewhere for 19 years, you have a lot of reasons you shouldn’t, but with some good advice you start looking at the new opportunities for you and your family.

Owens will remain in the Tulsa area. He and his wife, Kim, are the proud parents of five-year-old triplets; Kennedy, Eisenhower (Ike) and Madison.

Heart of A Champion For the first time this year, EKG scans were made available to Holland Hall students due to the efforts of Holland Hall sophomore Amanda Chastang. Amanda, an active athlete, was diagnosed with Wolff Parkinson-White syndrome this year after suffering from chest pains during volleyball camp. WPW is a condition from birth, where abnormal electrical pathways in the heart cause disruptions to the heart’s normal rhythm causing tachycardia, cardiac arrest or sudden death.

Below she shares her story:

A

ccording to Webster’s Dictionary the word champion can be defined as one who defends another person. “Heartbeat of a Champion” is a project that I created to defend teens from sudden cardiac death, by making EKG’s accessible. I was taught, information is power, it is my hope that the information that one receives will make them a true winner.

My name is Amanda Chastang, I am a sophomore at Holland Hall School. I enjoy traveling, participating in camps filled with outdoor activities, recreational sports and competitive sports, including softball and volleyball.

I began playing volleyball in the 7th grade. I started playing softball when I was four, and have always been passionate about sports.

Ever since I was an infant I have struggled with severe allergies which trigger my asthma. In order to control my asthma, I use a rescue inhaler that contains albuterol, one of its side effects is a rapid heartbeat. I have used albuterol since I was very, very young and its side effect, a rapid heartbeat, is a very familiar feeling to me.

While attending a volleyball camp, that was extremely physical, I suddenly could not breathe. My chest was tight, my heart was racing, my head was in a fog. I panicked; my first instinct was to get outside as quickly as possible.

Doubled over in pain, gasping for each breath my coach got to me before I could get to the door. After being exposed to the cold air of the hallway and inactivity, I began to feel normal again. I began my asthma action plans regiment of medications and visited my allergist the next day. My lung function was strong, my nitric oxide levels were normal. The mold count was high, but no real explanation for a severe asthma attack. During my physical, for which I passed with flying colors, I complained about my chest pains. After describing my episode my pediatrician ordered an EKG. This was just to make sure that there were no problems with my heart. The EKG results came back positive for WPW, Wolff Parkinson White.

Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome is a condition that you are born with, it is where there are abnormal electrical pathways in the heart that cause a disruption of the heart’s normal rhythm. WPW affects approximately 1 in 1,000. This seems rare until you are that one. It’s in a category of electrical abnormalities called “pre-excitation syndromes.” It can be dormant with no symptoms or it can cause tachycardia, cardiac arrest and or sudden death.

My family was instructed to take me to see a cardiologist. After several complicated procedures, I still have the extra pathway but I know with certainty that physical activity should not cause me to lose my life. I have been released for full participation in competitive sports with no restrictions.

I was very blessed that I was not one of the many teen athletes who lose their life with no warning. Sudden death from WPW, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), long-QT syndrome, serious cardiac arrhythmias, or Marfan syndrome and other pre-excitation syndromes are preventable. A simple EKG done once can detect and save the life of someone you may know and love. It is my desire to set up a portable, affordable EKG clinic at my school for all students, and then make this service available to other schools. It is my ultimate goal to make an EKG a requirement for all student physicals.

HOLLAND HALL MAGAZINE

31

Holland Hall 5666 E. 81st Street Tulsa, Oklahoma 74137

NON-PROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE PAID TULSA, OK Permit No. 582

Return Service Requested

Mark Your Calendars for Alumni Reunion Weekend!

October 8-9, 2010

• Alumni Reception in Newman Theatre October 8, 2010, 6 – 8 p.m.

• Tim S. O’Halloran Award Ceremony October 8, 2010, 6 p.m.

• Alumni Brunch October 9, 2010, 10:30 a.m. – Noon

Join the Holland Hall Alumni Association on Facebook!