Harvard-Westlake Life Magazine, Winter 2022-2023

RIVER PARK SNEAK PEEK Starts on page

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HARVARD-WESTLAKE

RIVER PARK SNEAK PEEK Starts on page

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Dear Friends of Harvard-Westlake, In my role, I spend a lot of time with alumni reminiscing about their favorite teachers. Generations of graduates fondly remember learning from faculty like the late Ted Walch and Lee Carlson ’50, or more recently, current teacher George Gaskin (who are featured on pages 4, 10, and 34, respectively). Looking back is one way to find meaning, and Harvard-Westlake is fortunate to have much in its history to celebrate.

But it’s also important to look to the future, which is why HarvardWestlake is building River Park. HW River Park will not only be a state-of-the-art athletic facility for our students, it will also be a tremendous resource for the surrounding Studio City community.

Check out our River Park sneak peek on page 18…and picture all the future memories that will be made there.

When you imagine Harvard-Westlake’s future, what do you see?

Drop me a line and let me know.

Cheers,

Ed Hu Head of External Relations ehu@hw.com

Photo: Massimo Durando ’26

HW LEGACY

TA B L E O F CONTE S

4

Ted Walch: An Epic Life Story

HW VOICES

32

10

Lee Carlson ’50: Tough Love

32

A Love Letter to LA

COVID Chronicles

By Maya Karsh ’25

By Sabrina Simek ’26

40

46

NOTES

Class Notes

In Memoriam

HW TODAY

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18

A Match Made in Heaven: Harvard-Westlake +Angel City Sports

FACULTY & STAFF PROFILES

River Park Sneak Peek

34

George Gaskin: The Rest Is History

48

54

Class Reunions

Faculty & Staff Notes

LAST LOOK

58

The Supporting Cast

By Eli Goldsmith

60 Faculty & Staff Milestones

66

Welcome to New Faculty & Staff

68

Kutler Center Celebrates a Decade of Innovation

HW LEGACY January 31, 1942 - September 8, 2022

TED WALCH AN EPIC LIFE STORY

By Alexis Sherman Arinsburg ’98

HARVARD - WESTLAKE LIFE | 5

HW LEGACY

TOM HUDNUT, FORMER HEAD OF HARVARDWESTLAKE*: For more than 50 years, Ted has been among my closest friends. But the fact that Ted and I were friends of long standing had nothing to do with my interest in hiring him. I pursued him because he was the best at what he did. I hired him to build the best theater program anywhere.

A wise educator wrote that a teacher can render no greater gift and no rarer one than to transmit to his students the enthusiasm that long ago made him choose his subject for his life’s work. Ted never lost even a shred of the enthusiasm that he brought to teaching nearly 60 years ago. He has directed plays, taught directors how to direct, actors to act, stagehands to become proficient, set designers to come up with sets that reflect the play rather than some whimsy of their own. And he has taught more than a few teachers how to blend wisdom with affection and expertise into a meaningful career, and more than a few administrators how to lead with compassion and insight.

On September 9, President and Head of School Rick Commons sent a letter to students, faculty, staff, and alumni, including this excerpt: “ Ted Walch, a beloved teacher, colleague, mentor, and friend, died peacefully at his home on September 8, 2022. He taught drama, philosophy, and cinema studies at Harvard-Westlake for 30 years, and few teachers anywhere, anytime have made as profound an impact on their students, colleagues, and school communities.”

If Julius Caesar came, saw, and conquered, Ted Walch taught, loved, and inspired. What Ted has done for his students and his colleagues, you know for yourselves. What he has done for the schools in which he has worked, I know. He has made each one better. And that’s his living legacy. He has made each student, each colleague, and each school better. Period. I salute you, Teddy, my friend, and I thank you. We all thank you.

In this tribute, alumni, faculty, and staff reflect on Ted Walch’s impact and legacy in excerpts from his HW celebration of life service and emails and social media posts remembering him.

COLETTE ROBERT ’99: Mr. Walch was an amazing teacher and person. He was also an incredible director. I learned so much about the art of directing from watching him work, from getting pulled into the worlds he created on stage, and from listening to him talk about the choices he made in past productions. His production of King Lear in 1999 was breathtaking. Until that show, I didn’t fully realize how text and design could uplift each other, and how a director guides that journey.

It’s a lesson that I carry with me to this day.

Mr. Walch showed me what a director was. And then he said, “You are one too.” And for that, I am eternally grateful.

AMY JEAN SHAUGHNESSY ’08: Filled with humor and brilliance, inspiring to all those he encountered…Ted Walch was one of a kind. He believed in me, pushed me, and encouraged me like no other.

Thank you, Mr. Walch. I promise to always keep it brief.

JAVIER ARANGO ’16, COAUTHOR (WITH TED) OF THE CINEMA STUDIES TEXTBOOK AND A MEMBER OF TED’S RESEARCH TEAM IN PARIS FOR HIS BOOK ON THE 400 BLOWS*: Ted has an ability to be whoever the people he cares about need him to be, all while still distinctly being himself. He’s a friend, a confidant, a mentor, a colleague, a teacher to all of us. What I submit, though, is that none of us has ever really felt that we were being taught by Ted, at least not in the way that that word is usually used. His guidance has rarely come in the form of an exchange of information. Rather, our interactions have come in the form of conversations, discussions, disagreements, jokes, stories, shared pains, shared appreciation of the things that have the power to move us. Ted’s guidance comes from his constancy, his empathy, his attention, his ability to remember, his curiosity to know more about each of us, and his determination to maintain the relationships he has formed. All we can do is say thanks to Ted, but not just say thanks in words. Say thanks in our actions, in our interactions with him and with one another.

*From Ted’s celebration of life

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You can view the Celebrating Ted event, held at Harvard-Westlake in August, at livestream.com/hwtv/celebratingted.

BILLY EDDY ’93*: Ted sees what is good and special in all of us above all else, even if it’s hiding, especially when we really need it. It’s his x-ray vision. It’s a superpower. It changed my life.

Our job is to see, like he does, the good and special above all else in everyone we meet, know, and love.

Thanks for teaching us this, Ted. It’s the best gift ever. Well, that and teaching us to keep it short.

HW LEGACY HEAD OF UPPER SCHOOL BETH SLATTERY: Ted was my son’s teacher. Casey, who graduated in 2017, would say to me, “After my parents, Ted is the most influential adult in my life.” High school was not an easy time for Casey, particularly academically, and Cinema Studies was the first time that Casey really felt totally seen and understood. It was where he engaged academically in a way that he just never did in any of his other classes. So that really endeared Ted to me as a parent. And it was the first time that I got to see firsthand the transformational effect that he had on students.

MEGHAN HART ’04: Walch trusted us. He pushed us. He made us laugh, especially when we needed it the most. Walch never treated us like pupils, but as his peers. His patience and attention to detail were unmatched. He created such a safe space full of trust, support, and care. Working with Walch was a privilege and an honor. When we took a bow for the final time, I hoped that we had made him proud.

Knowing Walch was truly lucky.

Learning from Walch was a gift.

Collaborating with Walch can only be distilled into one word: love. If you get a chance to tell your teacher or mentor that you appreciate them and love them, do. I only wish I had done so more often.

Ted met people where they were and fully accepted them for who they were. It didn’t matter what kind of person you were, Ted believed in everybody, from the brilliant thinkers to the kids who were struggling every single day. Even when a kid would screw up, he just still never lost faith in them. He wasn’t ever judgmental with anyone.

In July, when we got the bad news that this likely was going to be fatal, I agreed to answer his emails because he couldn’t really type. And you can’t believe these emails he got: You were the person who believed in me, you were the person who reminded me that I had value, you’re the reason I’m doing this thing that I’m doing. He mentored, like, thousands of people. He was never too busy for anyone.

I don’t want to canonize him, because that’s not an accurate reflection of who he was. He was complicated, and even though he was super generous with his time, sometimes he would complain about it, like, I don’t really want to do this thing. But he did it anyway.

I think sometimes people are like, Oh, I could never be like that, because Ted was so extraordinary. But it was a choice that he made to be that extraordinary. I guess what he showed us is that you can be a flawed human and still demonstrate great humanity and great empathy…and we’re all capable of that.

LUCAS GIOLITO ’12*: Cinema Studies was my favorite class ever, and Mr. Walch was my favorite teacher ever.

Because of you, I’m now that annoying guy in our clubhouse, schooling all my [Chicago White Sox] teammates on the history, intricacies, and joy of real cinema. You shared your passion, Mr. Walch, and I am spreading the word.

You were my biggest supporter. You were always there on the bleachers and off with your kindness and compassion.

And the friendship we have shared post–high school and the encouragement you have shown me through my career has meant the world to me. You have made such a difference, not only in my life, but in my brother Casey’s, as well. Thank you so much for inspiring us, for listening to us, and for always believing in us.

*From Ted’s celebration of life

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You can view the Celebrating Ted event, held at Harvard-Westlake in August, at livestream.com/hwtv/celebratingted.

BEANIE FELDSTEIN ’11: Sometimes people leave you halfway through the wood…

Ted Walch was one of the best people I’ve ever known: warm, clever, funny, loving, brilliant, and by far the best teacher I’ve ever had. My mentor.

My family. Twenty years of Thornton Wilder, Gilmore Girls, dinners where everyone thought he was my grandpa, heart-to-hearts and honesty like I’ve never known. He was careful with the things he said, and boy, did we listen. I love you forever, Walch.

ADAM HOWARD ’93, UPPER SCHOOL DEAN*: The creative journey in my life began with you, Ted. From the HW classroom to the Kenyon quad, from the Rugby and Bolton stages to the beautiful solitude of the writer’s desk and back to the HW community where I now find myself in my 21st year on the faculty, you have always been the link.

You have been the common denominator for all of us here. Our creative spirit, our passion for greater understanding, our expectations of people always being good to one another—those come from you. And we are all indebted to you for helping to shepherd us into adulthood and our own modes of storytelling. There is no greater sage any of us could have ever asked for.

IN HIS OWN WORDS AN EXCERPT FROM TED WALCH’S FINAL CHRONICLE INTERVIEW WITH LILY LEE ’23 ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

I love Harvard-Westlake. Most of my colleagues would say, I think without hesitation, that Harvard-Westlake is the best place on the planet to work. Period. It’s because of students like you. If you bring your A game, we have to bring our A game.

Great, smart, eager kids and an enormously gifted faculty.

You are working with the best and the brightest and getting the best and the brightest from them.

Look, kids sometimes have good days. Kids sometimes have bad days. Guess what? Teachers have good days, we have bad days. Don’t fight who you are that day. In the words of an old expression: Show up, pay attention, and tell the truth. Be who you are at that moment and all will be fine. Then great teaching can happen.

And by the way, teaching isn’t about teaching film or teaching philosophy. I don’t teach subjects. I teach kids.

Frankly, I don’t think it’s that important that my students leave my class knowing the dates of the French Revolution. What students are going to remember is that you were passionate about your subject or that you were caring. You must show up. It’s all about showing up.

HW LEGACY

Matthew Kidd ’88: He was truly one of a kind. I had him as a teacher 35 years ago, and I still tell my daughter

Tough Love

stories about him. One of my favorites: All of his tests were double period, so you would do the first part and hand it in, and while you were working on the second part, he would grade the first part. So while I am working on the second part of my test, he suddenly says, loudly in front of the whole class, “Matt.” “Yes?” I replied, a bit confused.

“Do very well on the part you are taking now,” came the response.

Remembering Lee Carlson ’50

Helen Kim ’93: A year after Harvard and Westlake merged, Susan Post Rizzo ’94: Mr. Carlson was one

By Alexis Sherman Arinsburg ’98

Lee Carlson graduated as valedictorian, co-captain of the football team, and class president from Harvard School

of my favorite HW teachers. His gruff demeanor belied his sensitive, caring nature. You only had to know him a few minutes to realize how invested he was in his students’ success.

in 1950. He started teaching math

I was the only girl in the most advanced math class the school offered. However, I didn’t (and don’t) have a talent for math and had to practice problems over and over to get the hang of it. I used to go to Mr. Carlson’s office to work on problem sets and he would call out, “It’s the Kimster!” or “Kimlet!” He was very kind, and I remember him with great fondness.

at Harvard in 1958 and also coached football, baseball, and rugby. He retired from Harvard-Westlake in 1994, the same year his son, Erik Carlson ’85, started teaching at the middle school. In 2006, Lee Carlson was inducted into the Harvard-Westlake Athletic Hall of Fame for his contributions to the school. His legacy lives on in the coveted Lee Carlson Award, given out since 1997 for individual athletic excellence. Alumni and former faculty remember him in this tribute.

AUGUST 21, 1932 - NOVEMBER 1, 2022

Greg Hilliard, Basketball Coach and Physical Education Teacher, 1985-2017: Lee Carlson was a friend, mentor, and inspiration.

He gave me some incredible insight into the sport I coached, using math to figure out how to win at basketball. He was way ahead of his time, as all sports now use intensive analytical statistics. He was humble and never talked about all his athletic accomplishments. He knew a ton about rugby, football, basketball, baseball, and math, but he would always say that his knowledge grew every day because of his students.

He recognized that having fun was the most important part of playing as long as you worked hard, played together, used your head, and were relentlessly enthusiastic. He could be demanding but knew that players only care when they know you do. He loved his players, coached them up, and let them know that he had their backs.

Chris Jones ’87: I played football for Coach Carlson in 1985 and 1986. I also played

rugby with him senior year. In my first game, I knew nothing about the rules, so he told me, “Watch what Chester does. You’re doing that in the second half.” For those who know rugby, Chester was playing tighthead prop. That was a true baptism by fire.

He knew what I was capable of, even if I didn’t, and how to get the best out of me.

Yes, he was tough, but he was fair, and you always knew what was expected of you.

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Chip Ramsay ’70: Lee Carlson was an avid outdoorsman and took a sabbatical in New Zealand, returning to Harvard in 1966 with renewed enthusiasm for rugby, football, and the outdoors. He was an excellent math teacher and football and rugby coach. He remained calm, even when the chips were down, and used his wry sense of humor to get results.

Jeffrey Janger ’83: He was quite an imposing presence (and by the way, how many football coaches out there teach calculus?), but his students knew him as a big softy. You had to have a sense of humor about yourself —and you definitely needed one in Calculus AB—to survive his class, but he was a terrific teacher who cared about his students.

Rodger Erickson ’64: Lee Carlson taught me eighth grade algebra and was my high school football and baseball coach. After college, I worked with him as an assistant football coach while teaching at Harvard. Early on, Lee and I hiked two days into the Sierras to his favorite way-out-of-the-way camping site. Lee Carlson was an avid fly fisherman, incredibly good man, and steadfast friend.

HW LEGACY

George Stevens, Jr. ’49: I remember Lee as a good friend and teammate on Brandon Levin ’92: Mr. Carlson looked every bit the football player and stern math teacher. I remember the first day walking into Calc B/C class thinking he was going to squash us all like a bug. But over the course of the next two years (Calc B/C and Linear Algebra), he proved himself friendly, ready to help, and most importantly, nurturing. I will always remember his warm smile.

Mike Patterson ’87: Lee was the coach and teacher Niranjan Fred Thiagarajah ’90: Mr. Carlson’s outward gruffness masked a genuine care for his students, and I pushed myself to excel in his class because praise from him, although sparsely given, was worth gold. In my senior year, the teachers were polled about their favorite excuses regarding homework. Thirty-two years later, I still remember Mr. Carlson’s quote: “There may be reasons, but there are no excuses.” Classic Carlson.

I always wanted. Stern, demanding, yet forgiving and loving. I’ll always remember him having students fire calculus questions at him in class, him answering definitively and then belting out after each successfully solved problem “MORE!” As always, solving problems both mathematically and on the field, and all the while, setting a beautiful example of what a man should be.

Thank you, Coach.

the varsity basketball team in ancient times. Lee was a big figure in every way, a warm and accomplished man.

Dave Waterhouse, History Teacher and Basketball and Tennis Coach, 1981-2020: One of the first things Lee told me Jerome Margolis, Performing Arts Teacher, 1970-2006: Lee spoke up on every issue at faculty meetings and was quick to challenge hypocrisy of any kind.

I quickly discovered Lee to be a warm, good-natured, and very intelligent fellow.

Lee Carlson’s persona, ability to connect with students, and unwavering standards left a lasting impression on hundreds of young men.

was that he never learned a new teacher’s name until they had been at the school for at least three years. Gradually, however, I came to recognize that his gruff demeanor was an act that only partially disguised his true concern for everyone at the school. Yes, he was demanding, but only because he wanted everyone to achieve as much as they could.

Eventually, his tough guy exterior began to soften, and he became a big, wise, kindly teddy bear.

Evan Arnold ’88: 1986. Junior year. I enter Mr. Carlson’s Calculus AB class. And there he is. This bear of a man of mythological renown meant business. And we ate it up.

I struggled in his class at first, and I fondly remember his comment card home to my parents calling me “an enigma,” yet eventually I found a rhythm and by year’s end was thoroughly prepared to pass the AP test and continue on to Calc C. He was intimidating and not one to suffer fools, but we realized he was, in fact, approachable…as long as you did your work. When someone asks who my favorite teachers were, Lee Carlson is always at the top of my list.

Matthew Pauley ’88: He was my AP calculus

Andrew Henderson ’85: “Papa Bear” got the best out of his players and students alike with a firm compassion. When he’d put his head in his hands and say, “Henderson, that block was terrible...just terrible,” I didn’t feel bad about myself really, but rather I felt bad I’d let him down. So I tried harder next time.

He will be missed.

Jon Cinman ’90: Mr. Carlson was both brain and brawn; in his college heyday he played center for UCLA football.

His passion for teaching manifested in a commanding mix of football-style hustle and humor. Mr. Carlson was very serious about math but laughed deeply and frequently too. I also went to UCLA, walking in his giant footsteps, and studied economics; I was able to navigate complex math there because of this man.

teacher and football and rugby coach.

For me he was more than a teacher or coach—he was a mentor and father figure.

He was firm and sometimes pretty crusty, but when you did something right and he looked at you over his glasses and chuckled, “that was almost pretty good,” it made you willing to go through walls for him. RIP, Coach.

HARVARD - WESTLAKE LIFE | 13

HW TODAY

A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN:

Harvard-Westlake + Angel City Sports If you went to homecoming this year, you may have noticed a wheelchair basketball game going on in Hamilton Gym. For the past year and a half, Harvard-Westlake has been sharing athletic facilities with Angel City Sports, an LA-based nonprofit offering adaptive sports opportunities to physically disabled and visually impaired athletes.

“Consistent with Harvard-Westlake’s mission of purpose beyond ourselves,” says Head of Communications and Strategic Initiatives Ari Engelberg ’89, “we partnered with Angel City Sports because we believe that athletic amenities—including the state-of-the-art facilities we are building at River Park—should be available to athletes regardless of ability or disability.”

In Fall 2021, we started a wheelchair basketball program every other Saturday evening in Hamilton Gym. Then, in September of this year, we launched the only competitive women’s wheelchair basketball team in the state with Hamilton as its home gym. We’re also offering wheelchair tennis at Weddington [Golf & Tennis, the future site of Harvard-Westlake’s River Park] on an every-otherweek basis. And we’ve done a little blind soccer on campus too.

In this Q&A, Angel City Sports Programs Manager Josh Lucas explains what this partnership involves, why it makes a difference to so many physically disabled and visually impaired kids and adults—and how it also changes the game for the Harvard-Westlake community.

How are Angel City Sports and HarvardWestlake working together?

We serve kids, adults, and veterans with all different types of physical disabilities: athletes who use wheelchairs, athletes who are amputees, athletes who are blind or visually impaired—those are our big three. So any physical disability, any ability level: You could be brand new, you could be an elite Paralympian in your sport. Our goal is to create community through adaptive sports, bringing everyone together in a place that they can be with one another, express themselves, have a good time, and live healthier, happier lives.

We don’t own our own facility, so we rent other facilities, like at high schools, colleges, or the YMCA, for all our sports programming. HarvardWestlake is a phenomenal partner, providing access to gyms, the track, the pool—all of the sporting facilities that we need—and we’re doing it as a partner, so we don’t have to pay rental fees, which is huge for us.

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In July 2021, we kicked off the partnership with a multisport event. Probably about 200 people came to the upper school campus for four Paralympic sports. Half of them had a disability and were there to play, and half of them were nondisabled and there to learn about adaptive sports.

What does this partnership mean for Angel City Sports?

We’re training anybody who wants to learn wheelchair basketball, and Hamilton Gym is their home court. When you rent, you get time on a court or in a gym one month…but maybe not the next month. With most kids’ sports teams, everything is consistent. The consistency of just knowing where you’re going to practice helps you get better at the sport. Now, every two weeks, our athletes can just focus on the game and not have to worry about anything else.

It makes a big difference. We’ve already seen a lot of our athletes improve pretty handily since the program started.

This page, far left, and opposite page, top left and middle left: The 2021 Angel City Summer Series presented by The Hartford. Photos: Michel Lim

Who are the athletes Angel City Sports works with?

And nobody thinks about the nitty-gritty behind-the-scenes things.

We used to have to fill up a U-Haul with our 15 sports wheelchairs.

It takes a lot of staff time and labor just to get them there to run a two-hour practice and then pack them all up and take them all the way back to our storage facility. Harvard-Westlake has been nice enough to let us store wheelchairs in the back of the gym. That’s also huge for us.

Real magic happens at our events. We move, we play, we sweat, we compete. We meet others and form friendships, we share resources, and we build community. That’s what this partnership is all about. It’s fascinating to think that something so small as having access to athletic facilities can have such a significant positive impact. I am also confident that our presence on the Harvard-Westlake campus enriches the experience, fabric, and culture of your community in quantifiably meaningful ways.”

Alvin Malave, Angel City Sports Program Coordinator, Wheelchair Basketball Clinic Coach, and former NWBA (National Wheelchair Basketball Association) All-Star

HARVARD - WESTLAKE LIFE | 15

How will River Park expand the opportunities for Angel City Sports athletes?

We want athletes to come to River Park to practice, train, and compete.

Harvard-Westlake has sent athletes to the Olympics and to pro leagues.

There’s no reason that we can’t provide that same training path. If a kid with a disability has regular training opportunities, they could make the Paralympic team and live out that same type of dream.

What barriers do physically disabled and visually impaired athletes face?

At age 1, I was diagnosed with a spinal cord tumor that left me paralyzed from the waist down.

When I first rolled onto a basketball court at age 7, I knew I’d found the place I belonged. A very shy kid turned into someone who developed social skills, discipline, and friendships across the globe through sports. I continued to play and compete, going from a junior team to a college program (Roll Tide), all the way to a Paralympic Gold. I could not imagine my life without having access to that first practice. That is why I steadfastly believe everyone should have access to adaptive sports in their area.”

There’s not as much opportunity for them. We tend to take it for granted: If I’d wanted to, I could have played 10 different sports that my high school offered. If you’re an athlete with a physical disability, maybe you can play wheelchair tennis…if a coach at your school knows it exists. You can legally be on your high school track team with accommodations…but does the coach even know about that? Do the families even know? So it’s way different.

The most basic thing we want is for kids to see a peer with a physical disability and think of them as an athlete and a kid first and not as their wheelchair or their walker or their prosthetic, but you don’t do that until you actually talk with them and sit with them and realize like, “Oh, he’s just a kid like me, he loves LeBron James like I love LeBron James. I didn’t realize he watches all the basketball games, even though he uses a wheelchair.” Or, “He can’t see, but he listens to all the basketball games on the radio.” There are just these weird misconceptions when you’re a kid. It’s just the unknown, you don’t know what you don’t know. These kids have way more in common than they realize.

All members of the school community are invited and encouraged to attend an Angel City Sports practice.

If you’re interested, you can even slide into a chair and get into one of the games!”

Head of Communications and Strategic Initiatives Ari Engelberg ’89

Mackenzie Soldan, Angel City Sports Marketing Manager and Paralympic gold medalist (as part of Team USA) in wheelchair basketball

What can the Harvard-Westlake community gain from this relationship?

Top left: The 2021 Angel City Summer Series presented by The Hartford. Photo: Michel Lim

HW TODAY

One of our goals is to expand people’s knowledge and get more people involved in the world of adaptive sports. So if a Harvard-Westlake student with a physical disability wanted to try track, for example, the coach would know “Yeah, you can run track with the team, you just need a racer [a specially designed wheelchair for racing]. And I’ve seen that with Angel City Sports.”

We want to get the Harvard-Westlake staff and students involved in the program. So we’re bringing out the boys and girls basketball teams to learn about wheelchair basketball—hop in the chairs to play against some of our athletes, learn the rules, get involved by doing. And then when we have our bigger events, we would love for HarvardWestlake folks to be the volunteers and share the energy and spirit with our athletes.

Because that’s the other thing. As much as we want to create a community for our athletes with disabilities, we don’t want it to be exclusively that. We want it to be an inclusive environment. People with disabilities want to be friends with people without disabilities. They want to share stuff in common and have conversations, just like we all do. So what better way to do that than to bring out the

Harvard-Westlake community to see these athletes? To see their skill level and learn about these sports? LA 2028 is coming up, and everybody knows what the Olympics are, but way fewer know what the Paralympics are. Everybody on the street should know, like, oh, the wheelchair basketball competition’s happening, and we’re going for the gold again this year.

How can people reading this get involved?

You can always come out as a volunteer, it’s a great way to just learn about what we do. You can sign up through the website [angelcitysports.org] to volunteer. If you want, you can make a donation on the website as well.

We want the whole Harvard-Westlake community to be involved, even if it means just coming to see a game. You might not be comfortable coaching yet or jumping in and playing, but just come see a game and learn about these athletes. Anyone can email me at josh@angelcitysports.org to let me know they want to come out and see a game.

If they just want to come spectate and see what we’re about, cool.

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HW TODAY

RIVER PARK

SNEAK PEEK

With the circulation of a draft Environmental Impact Report last spring, the entitlement process is nearing completion for the development of the new 16-acre Harvard-Westlake River Park. River Park will feature two athletic fields, eight tennis courts, an aquatic facility, a track, and a new gymnasium, along with nearly six acres of open park space. Less than a mile from the upper school, River Park will be adjacent to the Los Angeles River, on the current Weddington Golf & Tennis site.

Here, we share a look at the new project.

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iver Park will build new relationships within Studio City and “ Rstrengthen existing ones. With this project, Harvard-Westlake will

offer recreation for students and the public alike so they can enjoy the outdoors and gather as a community in its shared spaces.”

Head of Athletics Terry Barnum

RIVER PARK

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SNEAK PEEK Solar panels on the gym will generate enough power each year to offset the annual usage of two dozen homes. Synthetic field surfaces will minimize water needs, eliminate fertilizer and pesticide use, and increase availability, since synthetic fields require almost no maintenance and can be used in any weather. The field and tennis court LED lights will use less than half the energy of conventional field and court lighting and drastically reduce light spill. In addition, the project will feature an ambitious stormwater capture and reuse system, cleaning storm runoff before it enters the LA River and decreasing the water needed to maintain on-site landscaping.

natural surroundings, plenty of open space, “ With and state-of-the-art facilities, River Park is designed to promote wellness for our student athletes and the larger community alike.”

RIVER PARK

SNEAK PEEK basketball, we had to flip-flop with the boys to get

“ With either an early or late practice. At River Park, everyone

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will be able to practice in their own spaces and still get home with time to do anything they need to do.”

President and Head of School Rick Commons

Kiki Iriafen ’21, who played varsity girls basketball at HW and now plays at Stanford University

Plans for River Park include a park with public plazas, seating areas, wooded sections, community rooms, a clubhouse, underground parking, and a dog-friendly walking/jogging trail around the entire property.

KEY

1. Open Space 2. Water Features 3. Field A 4. Field B 5. Swimming Pool 6. Gymnasium 7. Tennis Courts 8. Clubhouse and Putting Green 9. Underground Parking Entrance 10. Parking Under Field 11. Water Storage Under Tennis Courts 12. Nature Path 13. Path from River Park to Greenway 14. Community Rooms

Park is going to benefit the whole

“ River community. This is a beautiful, natural place everyone can enjoy.”

Studio City resident Bassil Hamideh

“ River Park will include two athletic fields, eight tennis courts, a gym with two bays, and an aquatic facility.

When they’re not being used by Harvard-Westlake, the tennis courts, athletic fields, pool, and gym will be available for members of the community to enjoy.

Sustainability is a top priority. It’s a chance to show students what

responsible development looks like, as well as offer the unique learning opportunities that go along with building and maintaining a green facility.”

Chief Financial Officer David Weil ’93, who is leading the River Park design and environmental review

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT As the public meeting portion of the approval process begins, HW needs supporters to make their voices heard.

1

2

Add your name to hwriverpark.com/support to register your support for River Park and get updates on the project.

Attend community meetings and advocate for the project.

To join the effort, contact HW Director of Community and Public Affairs Stacy Marble at smarble@hw.com.

With almost 70% of HW’s student body participating in at least one of the 29 sports the school offers, Harvard-Westlake athletics is an extensive program. Because current athletic facilities are limited, team practices must be staggered, and some finish as late as 9 p.m.

Once River Park is completed, multiple teams who now use the same facilities for stacked practices will be able to practice simultaneously, so every student can get home for dinner.

HW TODAY

the academic day winds down, students will want “ As to head to River Park, whether it’s to go to water polo

practice, watch a classmate play a volleyball game, do yoga, study on the roof terrace, or just grab a bite with friends. We intend to make it a pleasant, enjoyable destination for the entire community.”

Ari Engelberg ’89, Head of Communications and Strategic Initiatives

RIVER PARK

SNEAK PEEK

GREENER PASTURES

Environmental stewardship is at the heart of the River Park project, which is designed to meet LEED certification standards.

LESS THAN % OF THE ENERGY

50

of conventional field and court lighting is required to power River Park’s LED field and tennis court lights

300 200 100

400 NEW NATIVE, DROUGHTTOLERANT TREES will improve biodiversity and carbon sequestration

2 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER

A YEAR WILL BE SAVED

With a yoga/dance studio, two-bay gymnasium, cafe filled with natural light, clubhouse, and wooded riverside setting, River Park will offer a place to practice, play, and relax.

“This project is ambitious as well as innovative. Audubon appreciates the attention Harvard-Westlake is giving to community involvement at all levels of the planning process.

This project not only benefits the students at Harvard-Westlake, it will benefit students from all over Los Angeles as well as the local birds and wildlife that require significant habitat pockets throughout the city.”

with synthetic field surfaces, and pesticide and fertilizer use will be nearly eliminated

Audubon Center at Debs Park In addition to restoring habitat for birds and other wildlife at Debs Park in central northeast Los Angeles and along the LA River, the Audubon Center works to restore the connection between people and the land in Los Angeles.

Marcos Trinidad, Director of the Audubon Center at Debs Park

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

for River Park and keep up to date on the latest developments by adding your name to hwriverpark.com/support

SOLAR PANELS on the gym will

GENERATE ENOUGH POWER each year TO OFFSET the annual USAGE OF HOMES

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58

ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS

(significantly above current code requirements)

100

BICYCLE PARKING SPOTS HARVARD - WESTLAKE LIFE | 25

HW TODAY

RIVER PARK

SNEAK PEEK

COMMON GROUNDS River Park will offer a host of athletic and recreational amenities to the public as well as to students.

are honored and proud to build and host a “ We state-of-the-art recreational facility like River Park, particularly in an urban setting such as ours.”

Head of Athletics Terry Barnum

ATHLETIC FIELDS, 1 with a track

COMMUNITY ROOMS

“Harvard-Westlake understands this property has a long history in Studio City. That’s why the Harvard-Westlake River Park will be guided by key design principles and commitments, which will ensure that the site remains open, green, and publicly accessible. This is a forward-thinking project that will have multiple benefits for not just the Studio City community but the entire San Fernando Valley.”

Stuart Waldman, VICA President

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

VICA (Valley Industry and Commerce Association) Widely considered one of the most influential business advocacy organizations in Southern California, VICA works to enhance the economic vitality of the greater San Fernando Valley region by advocating for a better business climate and quality of life.

The putting green, remodeled 1950s-era clubhouse and cafe, and brand-new tennis courts will be among River Park’s attractions for students and neighbors alike.

for River Park and keep up to date on the latest developments by adding your name to hwriverpark.com/support

HARVARD - WESTLAKE LIFE | 27

RIVER PARK

HW TODAY

SNEAK PEEK

landscaping plan consists of beautiful, 100% California-native “ The species, so it will be a thriving ecosystem of animals and plants that

actually belong here. As an educator, I’m really excited about bringing students to River Park and teaching them about native biodiversity.”

Upper School Science Teacher Nadine Eisenkolb

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River Park will feature 150 more trees than are on the site today. Landscaping will emphasize biodiversity, featuring drought-tolerant California native plants and mature trees. Location-appropriate plantings, such as toyon, oak, and sycamore trees, are intended to encourage a return to the property’s original habitat, including wildlife indigenous to the Los Angeles River area. In addition, these trees will offer greater shade canopy, consume less water, and reduce greenhouse gases.

“The HW River Park will be an extraordinary resource for the Valley community, providing high-quality recreational fields and facilities for children and families to enjoy. We look forward to developing new programs to use River Park once it is built, and thank Harvard-Westlake School for committing to use their property to benefit nonprofit organizations like ours and the public.”

Shanna Warren, Chief Executive Officer of the Boys and Girls Club of Burbank and Greater East Valley

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

Boys and Girls Club of Burbank and Greater East Valley Founded in 1995, the Boys and Girls Club of Burbank and Greater East Valley offers a host of enrichment programs focused on the arts, culture, athletics, and the sciences at 23 locations.

for River Park and keep up to date on the latest developments by adding your name to hwriverpark.com/support

RIVER PARK

HW TODAY

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PARTNERS WITH PURPOSE

To expand public access to River Park’s athletic and recreational facilities, Harvard-Westlake is partnering with several community organizations.

Here’s how we’ll share River Park with four of them.

Angel City Sports

Angel City Sports provides free year-round adaptive sports opportunities for kids, adults, and veterans with physical disabilities or visual impairments. In addition to providing free equipment, coaching, and competitive opportunities, this nonprofit organization helps individuals reach their full athletic and personal potential and unlock their dreams through music, art, higher education, and career opportunities.

How we’ll work together: The River Park campus will be the “Valley Home of Angel City Sports” and will host adaptive sports programs including wheelchair basketball, wheelchair tennis, track and field, sitting volleyball, table tennis, swimming, goalball, blind soccer, judo, wheelchair fencing, and amputee soccer. Angel City Sports will also provide handson educational experiences for Harvard-Westlake students, faculty, and staff to learn about and experience Paralympic sports and volunteer with the organization.

“We are delighted to partner with Harvard-Westlake School and create new opportunities for athletes with disabilities to play sports at the River Park. The River Park’s fields, courts, track, and pool will be built to the highest standards of accessibility, and we deeply appreciate the school’s commitment to offering these top-quality facilities to benefit the wider community, including those with disabilities.”

Clayton Frech, Founder and CEO of Angel City Sports

Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians

Special Olympics of Southern California

Prior to the founding of Mission San Fernando in 1797, ancestors of the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians lived in villages across northern Los Angeles County. The land now occupied by Harvard-Westlake in Studio City was essential to the trade, intermarriage, economic, social, and cultural relations with the neighboring villages from which the tribe descends. In the 1840s, the FTBMI received land grants of over 18,000 acres (10% of the San Fernando Valley), two of which are located within three miles of the River Park site.

Special Olympics transforms lives through the joy of sport, every day, everywhere. Special Olympics is the world’s largest sports organization for people with intellectual disabilities, with 4.4 million athletes in 170 countries—and millions more volunteers and supporters. Through the power of sports, people with intellectual disabilities discover new strengths and abilities, skills, and success. The athletes find joy, confidence, and fulfillment—on the playing field and in life. They also inspire people in their communities and elsewhere to open their hearts to a wider world of human talents and potential.

Friends of the LA River

FoLAR builds capacity for communities, students, and future leaders to advocate for nature, climate, and equity on the Los Angeles River.

“FoLAR is excited to expand the footprint of our K-12 river education programs to more students in the greater San Fernando Valley. Our mission is centered on building capacity for communities to advocate for the LA River, and connecting students to the river that runs through their city is one of the most important building blocks of that mission—particularly students who have not historically had access to the river or its resources.”

Candice Dickens-Russell, FoLAR’s President and CEO

How we’ll work together: River Park will serve as FoLAR’s Valley home, welcoming thousands of elementary and middle school students from across Los Angeles to the site for field trips each year.

FoLAR will lead tours of the park and environmental education sessions in an on-site classroom. The organization will also run a fellows program at River Park to train high school students for careers in the environmental field.

“We are excited for the opportunity to share our history and culture, and that of the area with students and visitors to River Park. We look forward to teaming up with HarvardWestlake teachers to develop curriculum about native life and peoples of the San Fernando Valley.”

Rudy Ortega Jr., Tribal President of the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians How we’ll work together: The school and the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians will collaborate to develop and install educational monuments calling attention to the history and culture of the tribe’s ancestors who lived at and near River Park. Tribal historians will collaborate with Harvard-Westlake students and faculty to conduct original research into aspects of indigenous life in the area that have not yet been fully documented.

The school and the FTBMI will also partner with other community organizations to deliver educational programs at River Park to local schoolchildren.

How we’ll work together: Building upon its longstanding relationship with Harvard-Westlake, Special Olympics will host upcoming events at River Park with Harvard-Westlake student volunteers.

“Special Olympics Southern California has enjoyed a long partnership with Harvard-Westlake School. We are excited the school is committing to host future Special Olympics events at its proposed River Park campus. We are grateful for the school’s support and partnership in helping us realize our vision to increase inclusion and access for individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families.”

Brian Richter, Special Olympics of Southern California’s Assistant Vice President, Community Partnerships

HARVARD - WESTLAKE LIFE | 31

HW VOICES

A LOVE LETTER TO LA

By Maya Karsh ’25 The day I met you was the type of Thursday that feels like it’s 30 hours long, where the air is stickier than the sweat between your fingers, and the sun doesn’t go down until 10 p.m. My flight landed late into the evening, the sun was still up. I could see dusk sparkly seeping in from the plane window, the remnants of sunlight melting into fiery embers while the sliver of dark sky began to chuckle about his long-awaited triumph over daylight. I was laughing, too. Here I was, contemplating my personified version of your sky, not knowing what the heck I’d do with myself once I landed.

I figured it out, all right. You were home. You felt safe, but you never failed to pique my interest when I sought an adventure. I grew to love every feature and characteristic you boasted, even the mundane ones.

I dreaded but secretly enjoyed my drive to work, when your streets were wide open and I’d cruise down Fountain Avenue with nothing to occupy my thoughts. I loved the tight hug your hills lend to my home; the outcroppings of buildings may be your organs but the canyons are your arms. I loved going to Grand Central Market downtown every Sunday just to destroy a carne asada taco like it was my last bite on earth, only to order another one right after. I loved your beaches, and your hiking trails, and all the peace of mind they gave me. I loved the way you speak and sound; the horns blaring in traffic and the sham Marvel characters in Hollywood are loud, but the thud of your heartbeat is louder.

You are a place with no limitations and no winter coats. You are a place where an urban oasis isn’t hard to come by, where a hustle and bustle fails at being tiresome. You go to bed really quite early, which is perfect for me, because I do too. Leave the title of “The City That Never Sleeps” for New York—who needs an extravagant donut at 3 a.m. anyways? I much preferred your name, because it truly felt like angelicness was woven within you. I don’t mean any of what I’m saying too poetically, though, or any in any flowery manner that distracts from what I want to say, so don’t take it as such. I’ll just say it; I love you. Los Angeles, I love you, I really do.

Opposite page from top, left to right: Andrea Cruz-Vázquez ʼ25 Violet Barron ʼ23 Christopher Marin ʼ25 Olivia Suddleson ’24 Clarissa Brown ʼ24 Daphne Davies ʼ23 James Hess ʼ23 Deana Thompson ʼ25 Colin Kennedy ʼ24 Will Berlin ʼ19

This page, from top: Bella Spencer ʼ25 Raisa Effress ʼ23 Ceerous LeSage ʼ23 Mina Lavapies ʼ24 Background photo: Andrea Colmenares-Cifuentes ʼ24

HARVARD - WESTLAKE LIFE | 33

FACULTY & STAFF PROFILES

A Q& A WITH MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES AND HISTORY TEACHER

GEORGE GASKIN

George Gaskin is a busy man. “It’s been a stressful week, but fun stress,” he says. “A hundred kids tomorrow, two flights.” He’s organizing a school field trip. “I’m gonna be at the airport around 3:30 in the morning. We have one group leaving at 6, so those kids have to get to the airport at 4, and I want to be there before they get there.”

Still, he’s excited. “The kids are learning about important people and seeing things at museums and oohing and aahing all the time, and that’s fun to see. And it’s cool that they’re doing it with friends.”

Today, he’s still answering parent emails. Even so, he finds time to fit in this interview.

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“

I spent 51 years in Miami and absoluet yl o l ev d it.

A N D THE GUA YBER A IS A SHIRT T H A E V O NY R E W E A R S I N M I A M I .

IT ’ S J UST M Y THI NG .”

FACULTY & STAFF PROFILES HOW DID YOU find

yourself AT HARVARD-WESTLAKE?

I’d been teaching in Miami for 15 years, and there was a graduate school program in Orange County I was interested in. It was designed for people with careers, so you could work fulltime and take classes at night. I guess I was at the age where I thought if I didn’t jump at the opportunity, I would never do it. And someone I worked with back in Miami said, “I have a friend whose daughter went to a school called Harvard-Westlake, and I think you’d love it.” So I actually wrote Harvard-Westlake a year before I arrived here. There were no openings, but when the next year rolled around, they offered me a position.

Interestingly, I had a student in my eighth grade class at Ransom Everglades School in Miami whose family moved to Los Angeles, and I taught her younger sister here at Harvard-Westlake.

WHAT WAS YOUR own

schooling LIKE?

I went to public school until I was in sixth grade. I was born and raised in Maplewood, Missouri, part of the St. Louis metro area, and when I was a little kid, it was just after desegregation. I lived on a street that was a dead end street because before I was born, there was a fence right down the middle of the town segregating the whites and Blacks—the Blacks lived here, and the whites lived there— and my house was the last house right by the fence. The barricade was still there, but kids would jump the fence and play with each other.

And I remember there was a teacher who came to my parents and said, “You’ve got to get these kids out of this school.” And they gave my parents applications for private schools in the St. Louis area. I ended up going to an all-boys Catholic School called St. Louis Priory School.

It’s a very small school started by British monks, actually,

36 | HARVARD - WESTLAKE LIFE

so we had forms instead of grades. Great education. But I remember when I first started there thinking about how my parents didn’t have the opportunity to go to school.

I remember just crying that whole week thinking, oh my gosh, what an opportunity.

HOW DID YOU get

interested IN HISTORY?

As a little kid there were only a few channels to watch, and I have a distinct memory of watching The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich on PBS. I must have been seven or eight years old. I remember thinking, oh my goodness, I can’t believe this. And thereafter I’d ask my father to buy history magazines and history books. And I remember looking at a magazine and there was an advertisement for famous speeches in history, and I wanted to order the cassette tapes, you know, Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Harry Truman.

Then I went to Amherst College and started taking courses on political philosophy and history. And I remember studying Lincoln and the Civil War and American history and political philosophy, and I was like, wow, they’re like explosions going off in my mind. It was the most interesting, exciting thing to study.

My plan was to go to law school at the University of Chicago and get into politics, but I wanted to have experience in the real world before I became a politician. I thought, I like history. I tutored in college. Why don’t I teach history for a little while before I go off to the political world? But then I moved to Miami and started teaching and everything changed.

FACULTY & STAFF PROFILES

“One of my college professors said, ‘ This seems to be where you fit. It’s okay. ’ AND THAT ALMOST GAVE ME PERMISSION TO SAY,

‘ I’m a teacher.’ ”

WHY DID YOU shift

gears ?

I joined a political club in Miami-Dade County in my 20s.

I met lots of people and started to work on campaigns, volunteering, going door to door, helping politicians.

And I just didn’t like any of them. I noticed that they would say different things to different audiences, and that they couldn’t answer questions very well. There was only one candidate that I thought oh, my goodness, this guy is smart and says the same thing to different audiences. This guy, I liked this guy, but everyone else….

I just thought, this is so frustrating. I don’t want a career where I’m going to have to deal with that all the time. But I’m enjoying teaching and time with the kids, and that was going well. So I wrote one of my college professors and said, “I had all these plans. I was going to go in this direction. I like teaching, but I’ll feel like a failure if I don’t pursue what I had intended to pursue.” And he wrote me back and said, “This seems to be where you fit. It’s okay.” And that almost gave me permission to say, “I’m a teacher.”

O YOU EVER hear from YOUR OWN D FORMER STUDENTS? There was one guy who was in my very first class, my very first year of teaching. I was in my early 20s. It’s trial by fire in the classroom, and all of a sudden, you’re an adult, and everyone’s calling you Mister. And you have to sort of figure out how to teach and how to manage the classroom, and I thought, oh, my gosh, I’m doing such a horrible job.

The next year this kid had a teacher who wanted students to write a letter to a teacher from the previous year to thank them. He wrote me this nice letter, thanking me for teaching him, and he enjoyed my class, and how it made him feel, and it was really touching. I thought, oh my gosh, I thought this kid didn’t like me. And he wrote this letter.

I remember saying to myself, I’m always going to follow what this kid is doing. Because that letter meant so much to me. We had lunch last week. We’ve kept in touch over these years—he’s only about 10 years younger than I am— and now we’re friends. I don’t know if I would have stayed on teaching or not if I hadn’t gotten that letter.

HOW DO YOU talk about DIFFICULT CURRENT EVENTS WITH STUDENTS? Sometimes things happen that you really can’t ignore in class. The school shooting in Florida. George Floyd.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict. Kids want to make sense of these things. They have questions about them. And it gives us the opportunity to offer some historical context.

38 | HARVARD - WESTLAKE LIFE

You know, why is there a conflict between Russia and Ukraine? The kids are too young to know what it was like to grow up during the Cold War. So we try to provide that perspective. You have to balance all that with the curriculum, the things that won’t change, to build that foundational knowledge. That way, when things happen in their lives, they’ll be able to place it in historical context, because they have this background knowledge.

My goal is not to insert my view or get the kids to think the way that I think. I want them to understand the truth in context, to understand the mind of the players. What are the perspectives of the people involved? What are they thinking? What are their assumptions? And then they can make some sort of judgment about how to analyze it.

People can believe whatever they want. But as a teacher, I try to challenge people to know why they believe what they believe. Kids can make up their own minds, but have good reasons for it. Tell me why is that true? What about this situation? Why would someone disagree?

There’s a girl who was in my class some years ago, and she’s very passionate, she has strong political opinions.

And something came up in class, I don’t remember what she said. I said to her, “It’s okay to attack ideas, not people.” I remember seeing her years later and she said, “Mr. Gaskin, you’d be so proud of me, we had this discussion, and I talked about this issue and didn’t get personal or attack anyone. We didn’t get angry, but we were able to talk about this issue and disagree.” I was very happy that piece of advice stuck with her.

HOW DO YOU feel about WHERE THE WORLD IS AT THE MOMENT AND THE HISTORY that ’s being made RIGHT NOW? That is such a good question. I don’t know. There’s a lot of division in the country. I think we can get through it.

You know, when people say it’s never been this bad, I want to say, well, it’s not the 1860s, we’re not fighting the Civil War. But what direction are we going in? There is a sense that oh my gosh, we have two countries. There’s a lot of tension out there. It’s good to have disagreements and discuss with each other, but there are more important things than politics and scoring points against people, like treating your neighbor well. You know, like, you’re my neighbor, I want you to live well. I hope you want me to live well. Let’s focus on that.

CLASS NOTES WESTLAKE CLASS NOTES

1960s

RENEE HAMAN GUILD ’69 writes, “Many thanks to Tima Farmy Schwada ’69 for all the news about my classmates and for omitting me, which triggered me to finally write in after all these years. Anyway, I’ll give it another shot herewith and try to give a bit more about my life for the last 50 years—and encourage you all to do the same.

I moved to New Zealand soon after graduating college to get to know my father, who was a prominent Kiwi, and lived there for four years. I worked as a high school teacher and completed my MA in sociology and anthropology at the University of Auckland, during which time I did field work on modernization in Aitutaki, a small island in the Cook Islands, as well as primary research for my thesis on Polynesian factory-working women in Auckland. I am now a dual citizen of NZ/ US and visit NZ often, most recently in early 2020, just before COVID shut down that dear little country.

I returned from NZ to the US in ’78, got married in ’79, and settled in Sacramento just after the second energy crisis, when I decided to put my social

40 | HARVARD - WESTLAKE LIFE

1970s science degrees to work in the world of energy policy. I thought it might be a good career bet in a field dominated by engineers. I got a job at the California Energy Commission, California’s state agency in charge of demand forecasting, RD&D, and myriad other interesting energy issues, and learned a lot. In the early ’80s, my then-husband and I moved to Reno, where he was from, and not long after I got appointed Commissioner of the Nevada Public Utilities Commission. It regulates the rates, services, and reliability of a lot more than energy industries—including telecommunications, water, cable, taxis, intrastate trains, transportation providers—and the ‘fitness to serve’ of their businesses. It was a very challenging job—but it is good to be challenged. That which does not kill you, etc.?

Since then, I’ve had a pretty amazing career in the private sector, working for a number of leading green energy companies needing help in the regulatory space. I returned to state service in 2018 and now work fulltime (and happily from home) for the California Public Utilities Commission, which many view as leading the nation in renewable and clean energy policy.

I’m a senior advisor in the Gas Policy and Reliability group, where we’re doing our best to develop a long-term plan on how to decarbonize California’s energy sector by 2045, as required by law, while keeping homes warm on those cold winter mornings when the solar is down and the wind still. It’s complicated!

Every day I’m glad I am no longer a commissioner and just need to give my best analysis to the decision makers— and let them decide the tough issues.

Working with a fabulous bunch of very smart, dedicated people on difficult problems makes me love my job. It’ll keep me busy and my brain working for quite a while longer, touch wood; I have no interest in retiring anytime soon!

Making climate energy policy work may be the hardest task I’ve ever faced. But I echo what Oliva Wilde said about being a director in the October 2022 Vanity

Fair: ‘The more experience you have, the more valuable you are…. You want people to think, “Oh, by the time you’re 80, you’ll be so good.”’ Amen!

On the personal front, I survived a bitter, contested divorce in 1995 (he was a lawyer), bounced back, and moved to the San Francisco Bay Area with my two young kids as a result of a great executive relocation job offer. I bought a big two-story place in Mountain View, with enough land to build a lovely addition for my mother, who arrived shortly thereafter to come live with us.

(This was, as the locals called it, “in the days before Google” and real estate prices going crazy.)

When the kids went off to college and Mom passed away, I sold the house and moved to a little village called Niles, up against the East Bay hills, where Charlie Chaplin used to live and his most famous film, The Tramp, was filmed.

It’s a quirky place with a small town feel and a silent film museum, lots of old houses and artists and musicians, with whom, yes, I am still singing and playing my guitar at local parties and our town square at community events.

I bought and renovated a place with a big yard that I’ve relandscaped and made my little bit of paradise, with many fruit trees and lots of edible, beautiful plantings. I am a serious cook and gardener and love cooking whatever I find/grow in my garden. (My latest discovery is gathering fennel pollen, which some call fairy dust. It is fabulous on grilled salmon!) My dearest companion is my Border collie, Panda, whom I was given by the CBS series Lucky Dog when we were featured on the season opener in September 2019. Search on YouTube for Panda the Border collie and you may find us. The other REALLY big news is I have a brandnew granddaughter, Louise, now nine months old and living about an hour’s drive from me in Santa Cruz. I LOVE being a grandmother finally!

I went on vacation for three weeks in October to Greece, where one of my New Zealand extended family members

has a home in Athens and another in Syros, an island near Mykonos. She is the branch head of the Attica branch (Sparoza-Athens) of the international Mediterranean Garden Society, where the MGS originated. She organized several botanical garden trips for us to Mediterranean gardens in northern Greece and in the Peloponnese, in addition to pottering around her own beautiful low-water garden in Syros, a challenging gardening site a short walk from the beach. I enjoyed being put to work behind the stove cooking and in the garden, bringing a soil test kit, as requested—and my gardening gloves!

If any of my classmates would like to stay in touch, I am not on Facebook anymore but am on LinkedIn. Santé, everyone!”

MELISSA GREENE ’69 writes, “I continue to teach my creative writing workshops to all ages—group and private sessions—while I broaden my work in health care. This fall, I’m excited to begin a year-long cancer writing program in collaboration with Dr. Michael Hayes, psychologist and Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Penn State Medical Center, in Hershey, PA. He is the founding director of the hospital’s CARE (Cancer Assistance and Resource Education) program, dedicated to the support of the whole person. Dr. Hayes oversaw the clinical study writing workshop I taught to patients at the Penn State Cancer Institute in 2016, the results of which were published in the British Medical Journal: ‘The Effect of Creative Writing on Mood of Patients with Cancer.’ Write from the Heart with CARE will provide weekly two-hour workshops to patients ‘as an approach to healing that complements traditional medical care.’ I’m excited and grateful, and I send love to my dear classmates.”

THE CLASS OF 1970 writes, “The Class of 1970 is 70 years old. Dr. Laurie (Steinberg) Reynard and Karen (Cookie) Girard Koreh celebrated their 70th birthdays together in Santa Fe, NM.” JUDITH BLANCHARD ’73 writes, “After retiring from working in Washington, DC, I finished renovating my father’s home in Palm Springs, CA. I am still commuting between California and Washington, DC, but enjoying some time in the desert. I am actively involved in both Modernism Week and fundraising for the renovation of the Plaza Theatre in downtown Palm Springs. I would be happy to connect with fellow classmates, and my contact information is on the alumni portal.”

1980s

ADRIENNE BARAT BUNTING ’81 writes, “After 16 years volunteering in various capacities at Campbell Hall School in Studio City, where both my daughters attended K-12 and graduated, I began my second year working as an Admissions Associate. I enjoy spending my days touring the school with prospective elementary families and interviewing incoming kindergarten through sixth grade candidates. I love being a part of the community our family has known for so long. My eldest daughter graduated Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude, this past June from UCLA, and my youngest daughter just started her sophomore year at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Our family enjoyed a wonderful trip to Italy in June to celebrate our daughter’s graduation, and my husband and I had an incredible adventure last December to Iceland to experience the Northern Lights.”

GINA DIAMOND ’87 writes, “As a master health coach who is deeply passionate about helping people love being in their bodies, I am excited about collaborating with Airbnb to offer healing getaways. I’m excited to embark on this new venture where I offer opportunities for people to experience the beauty of the Pacific Northwest while healing through spiritual nutrition, movement medicine, and energy healing. For more info, visit www.consciouslivingstrategies.com.

ANNE WAUTHY ’87, SHANNON ALONSO RICHTER ’87, and I were honored to travel to Missouri to support Christina Huber ’87 and Gary Rhoades in celebrating their summer country vows. It was a weekend adventure combined with their annual music festival.”

SHANNON ALONSO RICHTER ’87 writes, “As many of my fellow 1987 Westlake grads recall, I have always loved baking. After graduating from Duke undergrad I went on to earn an MS degree in food science. This led me to a career as a Food Scientist in Product Development at Pillsbury in Minneapolis, MN, where I still live. During COVID, I needed to get off Zoom meetings and get out of the house, so instead of getting a puppy, I bought a bakery. I called it From Scratch Baking because we make everything from scratch. It is a cozy retail bakery/coffee shop where people can relax and enjoy a cinnamon roll and pumpkin latte or pick up a pie or birthday cake for those special occasions.

If you are ever in the Minneapolis area, please look us up at fromscratchbaking. com and stop by and/or follow us on Instagram @fromscratchbakingofficial or Facebook at facebook.com/ FromScratchBakingOfficial. Thank you!”

HARVARD - WESTLAKE LIFE | 41

CLASS NOTES

international conference held at King’s College. In the planning stage are trips to Montreal and Quebec in the fall and to the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico next January. For 2023, I hope that worldwide health conditions will allow me to undertake a trip to Botswana, which I was forced to postpone in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic.

I had a recent conversation with classmate John Baer ’61. He is suffering from Parkinson’s disease but remains of good cheer. He continues to talk to friends throughout the world using his ham radio station, a lifelong hobby for which I modestly take credit, having introduced John to this wonderful pastime when we were Harvard School students. I am sure he would appreciate hearing from old classmates.”

JAMIE SILLS GWEN ’92 writes, “My son Jagger just turned 2 1/2 and he is the joy of my life. He is adopted and was born the week before the shutdown.

My pure pandemic baby just started preschool and he is absolutely yummy!”

HARVARD CLASS NOTES

1960s

GRANT FRASER ’61 writes, “I retired from my position as Professor of Mathematics at Cal State University, Los Angeles, in 2017 after 35 years of service.

I have continued to work on a half-time basis for the past five years, teaching one semester a year. I finally retired completely in December 2021.

I am using my new free time to do additional traveling. This year’s trips have included Paris; Bentonville, AK (Crystal Bridges Museum); Kansas City; Pittsburgh; and Yosemite. This summer I will be going to Norway; the Shetland and Orkney Islands (north of mainland Scotland); Cambridge, England; and once again, Paris. At Cambridge, I will be presenting an invited paper at an

42 | HARVARD - WESTLAKE LIFE

MORTON HURT ’63 writes, “Simply amazing, I say to myself every extra day I spend on this planet. I feel I was given the special opportunity to be here to witness this most amazing time. Namaste.”

CHARLIE JOHNSTON ’66 writes, “My brother Robert L. Johnston, Harvard class of 1970, of Gardiner, Maine, died suddenly on May 22, 2022, of an apparent heart attack while on a Sunday morning walk with his wife. Known as Logan, he was a true Renaissance man, equally at ease fixing a hay baler, renovating a house, discussing English literature, or playing guitar with any of the talented musicians in the area. He devoted his energies and considerable talents to bringing about positive change in his community, often working behind the scenes to make connections, raise funds, and impart wisdom with a hands-on approach. He was born in Los Angeles on September 19, 1952, the son of Robert Kirk and Joan (Doebbler) Johnston, matriculating to Harvard School as a seventh grader and graduating in 1970. He then left the West Coast for a transformative year at Radley College, near Oxford, England, as an English-

Speaking Union Exchange scholar. He went on to Harvard College, where he met his wife, Phyllis, in an economics lecture. He dropped the course but never his interest in her. After graduating in 1975 with a BA in English, he joined the trade division of Little, Brown and Company, where he worked until 1982, when he and his wife moved to Gardiner, Maine. He published Maine authors and photographers, and even a board game, So You Think You Know Maine, based on the public television show. He and Phyllis launched a grass-fed beef farming operation in 2000. A self-described ‘overeducated and underexperienced’ farmer, he learned from local mentors and eventually joined the board of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association and, true to form, soon became the treasurer for a 10-year stint.

He made his life’s work the betterment of the Gardiner community and the stewardship of Oaklands Farm. He served on the city council and spearheaded an over 20-year funding project to completely restore and renovate Johnson Hall, an 1880s performance and theater center in downtown Gardiner. Always one to give an energetic and deeply genuine hello to everyone on Water Street in Gardiner and Hallowell, he found every excuse to go ‘upstreet’ to connect with his people. He was an enthusiastic musician, a Deadhead, and an everwilling jam partner and supporter of the local music scene. His community will always remember him for his warm friendship, steadfast loyalty, quick wit, and magical spirit. He is survived by Phyllis, his wife of 42 years; son Philip and daughter-in-law Katherine Johnston, and granddaughters Margot and Norah, of Hallowell, ME; brother and sister-inlaw Charles E. (Harvard ’66) and Ellen Johnston of Dallas, TX; and multiple siblings-in-law, nieces, nephews, cousins, and a large constellation of adoring friends and musicians who brought such incredible joy to his life over recent decades. He leaves innumerable local colleagues who regarded him as a pillar

of and principal advocate for Gardiner and organic farming. As another example of his iconic presence, the Gardiner community commemorated what would have been his 70th birthday on September 20 of this year by gathering for a ‘Logan-fest’—with performances by all his musician friends—to again recall the amazing life of their beloved Logan. Any of his classmates who wish to communicate, please contact me at Charles.johnston@tsrh.org.”

1980s

MARK CORLEY ’82 writes, “As of February of this year, Anne and I have relocated to Nashville for a new job. It has been great exploring more of the South on weekends—you can get anywhere from here. However, you will still find us back at our home in San Diego from time to time. So, if you are passing through NashVegas, please reach out, as John Thaler ’82 (attorney, author, and more of a musician than I had known) did recently. We had a great time catching up and hearing some wild stories.”

LANCE CHANG ’83 writes, “As a photography and mixed media artist, I recently signed with ACCA Gallery in Beverly Hills, which is currently showcasing my watercolor-like prints that are in the permanent collection of the National Museum of Dance in New York. ACCA and I also partnered with Los Angeles–based contemporary dance company Luminario Ballet to feature my artwork at a one-night-only pop-up art exhibition at the historic Avalon performing art center in Hollywood as part of Luminario’s fall fundraising gala on October 16.”

in Carson, California. The bikes have one gear and no brakes. In the podium photo, I’m the guy in the front with the jersey with the rainbow stripes, with ‘CFC’ on my leg. This is the video link: tinyurl.com/2ycstwfd. A fuller telling of the story (and higher resolution photo) is viewable on my Facebook page: facebook.com/ipdamages.

CHRIS TREGILLIS ’85 writes, “In late September I testified as an expert in forensic accounting and financial analysis (my profession) on the economic damages suffered by Monster Energy as a result of the advertising by the maker of a competitor energy drink called ‘bang’ that bang contains ‘Super Creatine,’ which Monster alleged does not contain creatine nor does it provide the health benefits of creatine. On September 29, the jury agreed with Monster and me and awarded Monster $293 million in damages, $272 million of which was for the false advertising (there were also claims for trade secret theft and interference with Monster’s contracts with its customers related to placement of Monster energy drinks in specific coolers in retail stores). It is the largest known Lanham Act false advertising damages award in the history of US jurisprudence.

My team at my firm, Hemming Morse, and I spent over 3,000 hours working on this matter, over more than three years, to quantify damages and present my analysis, which estimated what portion of bang sales were made because of the false advertising, as well as what portion of those sales would have gone to Monster without the false advertising, and Monster’s profits on those sales.

Here is a Reuters article about the jury verdict: tinyurl.com/bp6k978b.

On September 29, 2022, I set a world record for ages 55-64 in the men’s team pursuit, which is a race in which a team of four cyclists race on a velodrome for four kilometers, and the team’s time is taken when the third member of the team crosses the finish line. The race took place at the Velo Sports Center

The race was a culmination of years of training for this, including a huge amount of time spent developing aerobic fitness and strength as well as optimizing my aerodynamic positioning. Because I’m not a big guy, I need to be as aerodynamic as possible to go fast (our maximum speed was 36 miles per hour).

I ran track and cross-country at Harvard. I also ran track at Occidental College, where I was NCAA All-American in the 800 meters in 1989. I shifted to the bike because my back and knees can’t handle a large training load.”

MICHAEL HUSKINS ’88 writes, “In a fun side project, John Adams ’88, Jesse Reiner (current physics teacher at Harvard-Westlake), several others, and I recently released our second EP of rock music entitled It’s Time under the band name Rambis.

The music is available on all the major providers, including Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music. I initially organized the band as a fun way to celebrate turning 50, and it’s been going strong ever since. I play bass, John plays guitar and keyboards as well as provides backing vocals, and Jesse sings and plays guitar. The band’s name and hit single ‘Time to Rambis’ was inspired by the hustle of LA Laker Kurt Rambis. The band is currently planning our world tour with global stardom to follow shortly thereafter.”

JEREMY ROSEN ’89 writes, “My wife Jodi and I recently moved to San Francisco from Los Angeles. Jodi is the new Circuit Librarian for the Ninth Circuit and I am the new managing partner for Horvitz & Levy’s San Francisco office.”

HARVARD - WESTLAKE LIFE | 43

CLASS NOTES HARVARD- WESTLAKE CLASS NOTES

1993

KARI NEUMEYER writes, “I have made it a mission to turn up the volume on a ‘silent killer’ following my ovarian cancer diagnosis in 2020. In September, I organized an Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month event in northwest Washington called Ride the Teal Wave: Paddling for a Cure in Bellingham Bay. The event was part of a nationwide campaign to raise funds to research effective treatments for low-grade serous ovarian cancer, which disproportionately affects younger women and is desperately underfunded compared to other cancers. Ovarian cancer has been mislabeled a silent killer because it is often discovered at advanced stages after people are misdiagnosed or miss the symptoms entirely. Despite being diagnosed at Stage 4, I am now two years cancer free.

Last year I became Communications Manager for the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, where I have worked for 15 years.”

1994

KARYN KOVEN writes, “I’m thrilled my online school LanguageBird made the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing companies. We ranked #892 overall and 16th in Education! I’m proud of the over 6,000 students who have enrolled in our programs and will go forward as students who learned language skills and are also world citizens.”

2000

1996

JULIA BOORSTIN SAMUELSON writes, “I wrote a book! When Women Lead: What They Achieve, Why They Succeed, and How We Can Learn From Them, was released by Avid Reader Press / Simon and Schuster on October 11.

Weaving together the stories of 60 exceptional women and dozens of academic studies that explain how and why they succeeded, I show the underestimated advantages of female leaders—and how to unlock your own leadership superpowers.”

MELODY AHDOUT GODFRED writes, “I have some exciting updates I would love to share with the HW community. My second book of poetry, The Shift: Poetry for a New Perspective, was published September 27, 2022, by Andrews McMeel Publishing. This collection is a follow-up to my poetry debut, Self Love Poetry: For Thinkers & Feelers, which was named one of the best poetry books of 2021 by Woman’s Day magazine.

In addition to print and digital versions of The Shift, we are simultaneously releasing audiobooks for Self Love Poetry and The Shift, as well as a third audiobook entitled Poetry for Thinkers & Feelers that features my collected works.

I narrate all three and definitely draw from my experience developing my voice in Chamber Singers.

Thank you for keeping us connected to each other. I was lucky enough to take part in Ted [Walch]’s Celebration of Life in August and remain completely inspired by who he was and how our community came together to honor him.

Thank you for making these moments of deep human connection possible.”

Class Notes is a regular feature in HW Life magazine, and all notes are submitted by alumni.

If you have any news you’d like to share with the alumni community, submit it via the alumni website (hw.com/alumni) by logging into your alumni account or by emailing alumni@hw.com.

44 | HARVARD - WESTLAKE LIFE

2001

SARA KARUBIAN writes, “We welcomed a baby girl in November 2021 and live in Los Angeles, though we were living/working out of London this fall.”

1995

HERSH DAVIS-NITZBERG writes, “Heather Hassler ’95 and I welcomed our second child, Brand Hassler Nitzberg, on June 18, 2022.”

2005

JEFFREY PHILLIPS writes, “My wife, Joy, and I had a big baby boy named Benjamin in January!”

2002

DEBORAH STOKOL writes, “I recently released my third album, Old Wives’ Tales, about women from lore, time, and the act of storytelling. It is a companion to my album Bard, songs retelling passages from literature, sacred text, and the oral tradition.

These collections use several instruments and styles; I made them fully myself at home with exciting guest performances from musicians here, from Ireland, and from England. After 12 years as a high school English/ journalism teacher, I decided to take a sabbatical to work on my music, and Bard includes songs I often brought into my classroom. Since lockdown 2020, I have released three albums, two EPs, and more than 45 singles and hope to keep creating and teaching across art forms. I welcome collaborations!”

2004

NOEL HYUN MINOR writes, “My husband and I welcomed daughter Cadence Jean Minor on March 28, 2022.

Big brother Wolfgang (almost 3) is excited to have a new member of his wolfpack.”

LIZZY TOOKE writes, “My daughter Rosemary Grace Moore was born Monday, May 16, 2022. Big brother George is now 2 and settling into his new big brother role well.”

2010

MICHELLE NOSRATIAN writes, “I married Bryan Zarrin on May 29, 2022, at the Brooklyn Museum of Art in Brooklyn, New York. We met in medical school at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx months before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Harvard-Westlake alumni in attendance included siblings Blake Nosratian ’13 and Brooke Nosratian ’14 and friends Candice Navi ’10, Rohun Bansal ’10, Andrew Sohn ’13, Daniel Belgrad ’13, Demren Sinik ’13, and Michael Zaks ’13.”

2015 NICK MELVOIN writes, “It’s been a busy and exciting few months, as I got married in July (a Jewish wedding in Oslo, naturally) and was reelected to the Los Angeles Unified School Board in June (and have been getting congratulations and condolences for that one). I am living in the greater Hancock Park area and always enjoy running into fellow alums on the street, on the soccer field, or as new parents look for good school options for their kids!”

GRANT PÉCHECK writes, “I got married to my longtime best friend and now wonderful wife Mandy-kay this past August. We are still in Los Angeles, as Mandy-kay works at Berkeley Hall School and I am currently in my second year at UCLA Law School.”

HARVARD - WESTLAKE LIFE | 45

IN MEMORIAM

Robert Pembleton ’54

Leonard (Barry) Lyon ’63 Charles Landon ’84

Lee Carlson ’50

Christine Lee Ruvalcaba ’02

Wendell Miller ’41 Nancy Craig ’65 Kenneth Lee ’84

Linda Harden Attiyeh ’55 William Race ’50

Jon Shapiro ’06 Jean Nerad Honeyman ’46 Paul Clinco ’65

Kimberly Willis ’89

Richard McCray ’55 Albert Green Jr. ’51 Jameson McMullen ’19 Robert Johnston ’70

Marilyn Madsen ’48 Matthew Kramer ’00

James Guthrie ’62 James Ledyard Harvard Head of Upper School, 1976-1980

Bartlett Burnap ’50

William Lewis ’53

Joji Dreyfus ’77

HARVARD - WESTLAKE LIFE | 47

HARVARD REUNION DAY

Top photo: Harvard and Harvard-Westlake Reunion Day on Ted Slavin Field, May 2022 Above: Class of 1982 (40th reunion) Right: Ron King ’82, Ron Alcalay ’82, and Bradford Rothenberg ’82 (40th reunion)

48 | HARVARD - WESTLAKE LIFE

Above: Class of 1987 (35th reunion) Right: Peter Mandell ’87, former head of the upper school and teacher Harry Salamandra, Ira Ehrenpreis ’87, and Jim Ardell ’87 (35th reunion)

HARVARD - WESTLAKE LIFE | 49

WESTLAKE REUNION DAY

Opposite page, from top right: Charles B. Thornton President & Head of School Rick Commons, Head Prefects Jade Stanford ’22 and Quincy Dern ’22, Joni Ivy Hamilton ’72, and Associate Head of School Laura Ross Westlake Reunion Day attendees Class of 1972 (50th reunion) This page, from top left: Class of 1977 (45th reunion) Class of 1982 (40th reunion) Class of 1987 (35th reunion)

50 | HARVARD - WESTLAKE LIFE

HARVARD - WESTLAKE LIFE | 51

HARVARDWESTLAKE REUNION DAY

Opposite page, from top right: Lauren Lapesarde ’17 and Haley Hicks ’17 (5th reunion) Class of 1992 (30th reunion) Class of 1997 (25th reunion) Class of 2002 (20th reunion) This page, from top left: Jennifer Gore ’02, Andrew Lee ’02, Andrew Herr ’02, and Sydney Delaney (20th reunion) Jessie Blatt Ezor ’97, Rochelle Israel Glucksman ’97, Patrice Karavas Dragicevich ’97, and Michelle Leffler Berkowitz ’97 (25th reunion) Class of 2007 (15th reunion) Class of 2012 (10th reunion) Class of 2017 (5th reunion)

Photo: Morgan Hydinger

FACULTY & STAFF NOTES

UPPER SCHOOL DEAN ADAM HOWARD ’93 writes, “I spent last summer with the Road Theatre Company’s Under Construction playwriting cohort developing my new play, Feast. It will have a public reading at the theater in early 2023.”

UPPER SCHOOL VISUAL ARTS TEACHER AND DEI COORDINATOR REB LIMERICK writes, “This summer I was honored to officiate two different friends’ weddings!”

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS VERONICA KOPELEVICH writes, “I got married this summer in Topanga Canyon!”

54 | HARVARD - WESTLAKE LIFE

UPPER SCHOOL MATHEMATICS TEACHER JUAN LOPEZ writes, “I got married over the summer!”

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF ADMISSION JULIA KRAFT writes, “My husband Joshua Goodman and I welcomed our daughter Elisheva Frances Goodman on July 15, 2022. Big brother Jacob and big sister Abigail are adjusting well. Party of five now complete!”

MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER SIDNEY KOHLS writes, “I’m overjoyed to share that I married Michael Feld in Tucson, Arizona, on March 26, 2022. It was a Spring Break– desert dream come true!

Photo Credit: Eric McCandless/Wheel of Fortune®/© 2022 Califon Productions, Inc. ARR

UPPER SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHER NATE CARDIN writes, “This summer, I was a contestant on Wheel of Fortune! In my episode, which aired on September 29 during ‘Teacher’s Week,’ I was lucky enough to overcome some early Bankrupt and Lose a Turn spins to correctly solve most of the episode’s puzzles, make it to the bonus round, and win the bonus prize by solving _ _ _ _ L E I R _ N (answer at the end of this note). All in all, I won over $63,000 in cash and prizes, including an all-inclusive trip for two to Aruba! I’ve always been a game show nerd, so to even be on the show was a dream come true. To have things go as well as they did was icing on the cake! (Bonus round answer: WAFFLE IRON)”

UPPER SCHOOL CRIMINAL LAW TEACHER ALAN CROLL writes, “My son Bobby and I just recently won the National Senior Grass Court Championships—our sixth Gold Ball!

Now, we have a Career Grand Slam, winning national titles on hard courts, grass, and clay—three vastly different surfaces. We will end the year number one in the nation.”

UPPER SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHER JESSE REINER writes, “Free Body’s album Triumph of the Introvert was recorded and mixed in my home office/ studio/guest room over maybe three or four years, then sent to Gravity Studios in Chicago to be professionally mastered.

Songs were written as far back as 1990 and as recently as 2020, but mostly within the past five years or so. My best friend from high school, Tim Story, wrote or cowrote the music on half of the songs, and played about two-thirds of the lead guitar parts and a third of the bass parts. Mike Huskins ’88 and John Adams ’88 played keyboards on one song each. The rest of the playing, writing, arranging, editing, and mixing was done by me. Completing this project was a thrill, I’m really happy with the way it turned out!”

MIDDLE SCHOOL MATHEMATICS TEACHER JESSIE SHORR writes, “We are thrilled to welcome baby Charlie to our family. He was born on September 24 and has been welcomed with open arms by his big brothers Lucas and Theo!”

UPPER SCHOOL VISUAL ARTS TEACHER NICOLE STAHL writes, “My older sister and I hiked Yosemite’s Half Dome together in August. It was intimidating and exhilarating and a bit more of an adventure than we expected!”

MIDDLE SCHOOL HISTORY/SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER JIM O’LEARY writes, “My wife, Jessica, and I welcomed Kalia Violet to the family on April 11, 2022. Everyone is overjoyed.

Kalia and big sister, Leila, instantly became best friends.”

*

MIDDLE SCHOOL PERFORMING ARTS TEACHER JOE SCHENCK writes, “In August, I catwalked down the runway in a Vogue Femme workshop taught by William Penelope Briscoe at the ImPulsTanz International Dance Festival in Vienna, Austria.”

CURRENT AND FORMER TEACHERS AND STAFF MEMBERS CAN SHARE THEIR NEWS

BY EMAILING ELIZABETH HURCHALLA AT EHURCHALLA@HW.COM

HARVARD - WESTLAKE LIFE | 55

COVID CHRONICLES

FACULTY & STAFF NOTES

“The images below are comics I made during quarantine from 2020 up until now. I would send them to friends and family to bring some laughter into their lives. Creating these comics gave me something to think about and I would find myself getting ideas at the strangest times. It definitely kept me busy!”

Sabrina Simek ’26

UPPER SCHOOL MATHEMATICS TEACHER AND INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES AND INDEPENDENT RESEARCH TEACHER KEVIN WEIS writes, “My wife Jessica Walker and I welcomed our amazing son Walker Odo Weis (WOW!) on July 16, 2022. He came a month early weighing in at a healthy 6 pounds, 14 ounces. My wife and I couldn’t be happier!”

MIDDLE SCHOOL MATHEMATICS TEACHER LAURA STEINMETZ writes, “I married Ilya Brookwell on July 23!”

Photo: Weston Fox ’24

MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGLISH AND ETHICS TEACHER RYAN WILSON writes, “I’m excited to share my new play, Alisha Firewind, in a public reading at the Road Theatre in North Hollywood in March 2023.”

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE HEAD OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOL MELISSA ZIMMERMAN writes, “I just finished my first YA book called Kissing Owen Darcy, available now on Amazon. I write under the pseudonym Arlys Avery. It’s not a secret that I’m writing, I just wanted my author persona one step removed from my everyday life—plus, my books will be found at the beginning of the bookshelf and not the end! Read about what’s next at ArlysAvery.com.”

HARVARD - WESTLAKE LIFE | 57

FACULTY & STAFF NOTES

THE SUPPORTING CAST: with

ELI GOLDSMITH

“ The smaller the house, the taller the children,”

my mom used to say. Even if my sister and I hadn’t been giants (I am 6’4” and my sister is 6’2”), our one-bedroom home was small by any measure. My parents didn’t have their own bedroom, so they slept on a foldout couch in the living room, the same living room where we’d unfold a card table each night to have family dinner. But it was these kinds of sayings that helped us retain a sense of humor about the vast disparity between the size of our home and that of our friends.

The words were also imbued with the charitable notion that perhaps our family “stood out” not with our wealth, but with our love and togetherness. And maybe we were onto something. Last summer my parents celebrated 50 years of marriage. Now in their late 70s, they still walk on the beach together every day. They are my heroes.

But as I progressed to high school there emerged practical limitations to our predicament, and not just because I couldn’t fit through the doorway. I was a very strong public school student with dreams to attend college. My mother, an elementary school teacher, placed a premium on educational excellence, while my father, a jazz musician who didn’t attend college, joined her in steadfast encouragement of these pursuits. Despite this unceasing love and support, however, there was also a sinking feeling that even for a boy of my wingspan, affording college still might be out of reach.

Little did I know that 3,000 miles away a much larger home had been under construction. The builders of this home were tens of thousands of donors and volunteers who, over centuries, giving in small ways and large, donated their time and treasure to build a program of financial aid. The program’s architects were generations of university leaders who sought to create a more diverse and inclusive campus community, wise investors who assured these resources grew, and honest administrators who applied these dollars fairly and equitably. Unbeknownst to me, an entire cast of angels had supported a great institution so that a tall kid from a small house could become a Princeton graduate.

As I inherit this column from long-time Senior Advancement Officer Jim Pattison, the stories I intend to tell are about the supporting cast who make so many similar dreams possible at Harvard-Westlake, not only in the way of financial aid, but for all of the people and places that make our campuses such inspiring places to work and learn. At this very moment, there is a young alumna considering her very first gift to the school, an employee his 25th consecutive gift, or a parent exploring ways to honor a life-changing teacher through the establishment of an endowed fund. Stories of unique generosity and impact—stories like mine—truly abound at Harvard-Westlake. It will be an honor of great personal meaning for me to help tell them. _____________

Eli Goldsmith is Head of Advancement and host of The Supporting Cast, a Harvard-Westlake podcast available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere you get podcasts.

Photo: Theodore Tsai ’24

HARVARD - WESTLAKE LIFE | 59

30 YEARS

FACULTY & STAFF NOTES HARVARDfiWESTLAKE WOULD LIKE TO

RECOGNIZE THESE FACULTY AND STAFF MEMBERS FOR THEIR MANY YEARS OF SERVICE.

CONG R ATULATI O NSfiAND THANK YO U!

40 YEARS

Ken Reid

MIDDLE SCHOOL DIRECTOR OF PRINTING AND SUPPLIES

Francie Norris

Dave Mintz ’87

MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Portia Collins

Darlene Bible

PARENTS' ACTIVITIES LIAISON

ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AND DIRECTOR OF SUMMER SCHOOL SPORTS PROGRAMS

35 YEARS

Freddy Arroyo

MIDDLE SCHOOL PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHER

Lillian Contreras

25 YEARS

WEB MANAGER

David Cleland

Simona Ghirlanda UPPER SCHOOL WORLD LANGUAGES TEACHER

Mark Hilt

UPPER SCHOOL PERFORMING ARTS TEACHER

MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHER AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT TEACHER

Blaise Eitner MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER

Sue Sherman DIRECTOR OF PAYROLL

Miguel Acevedo Marian McCorry

Because Milestones were not included in our last issue, we are highlighting milestones from 2021 as well as 2022 in this one.

60 | HARVARD - WESTLAKE LIFE

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL AID AND TRIPS COORDINATOR

Jeremy Michaelson

UPPER SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER

Jim Pattison

SENIOR ADVANCEMENT OFFICER

EQUIPMENT COORDINATOR AND TRANSPORTATION COORDINATOR

FACULTY & STAFF NOTES

20 YEARS

15 YEARS

Pat Nolte

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

UPPER SCHOOL DEAN

Allie Costa

SENIOR ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF ADMISSION

15 YEARS

MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER

DIRECTOR OF INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY AND DIRECTOR OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

Keith Jordan

MIDDLE SCHOOL DIRECTOR OF STUDENT AFFAIRS AND COMMUNICATIONS TEACHER

UPPER SCHOOL ASSISTANT BOOKSTORE MANAGER

Nancy Jeon

Ryan Wilson

Adam Howard ’93

Jeff Snapp

Rosemary Van Vlijmen

Gabe Preciado

MIDDLE SCHOOL HISTORY/SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER

Eduardo Lopez UPPER SCHOOL CLERICAL ASSISTANT

UPPER SCHOOL STUDENT DISCIPLINE AND ATTENDANCE COORDINATOR

Edgar Jurado

MIDDLE SCHOOL WORLD LANGUAGES TEACHER AND DEPARTMENT COORDINATOR

Mike Bietz

UPPER SCHOOL HEAD OF DEBATE PROGRAM AND SUMMER DEBATE PROGRAM COORDINATOR

Matt LaCour

ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

Gen Reyes

Aaron Ruben

MIDDLE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Heath Wagerman MIDDLE SCHOOL WORLD LANGUAGES TEACHER

UPPER SCHOOL PC SUPPORT SPECIALIST

Shauna Altieri ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Kent Palmer

UPPER SCHOOL MATHEMATICS TEACHER

10 YEARS

Lynn Miller

ASSISTANT TO HEAD OF UPPER SCHOOL AND DEAN COORDINATOR

Jonathan Carroll Aram Pendley SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER

MIDDLE SCHOOL DEAN, STUDENT LEADERSHIP TEACHER, AND DEI COORDINATOR

Luis Hernandez MIDDLE SCHOOL MAINTENANCE STAFF MEMBER

Camille da Santos UPPER SCHOOL DEAN COORDINATOR

Chris Jones

Brian Fessenden NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR

62 | HARVARD - WESTLAKE LIFE

David Hartmann SCHOOL NETWORK MANAGER

George Gaskin

MIDDLE SCHOOL HISTORY/ SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER

UPPER SCHOOL DEAN AND DEAN DEPARTMENT HEAD

Jennifer Bladen MIDDLE AND UPPER SCHOOL YEARBOOK/ JOURNALISM TEACHER AND COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT HEAD

Gregorio Hernandez Zuarez UPPER SCHOOL MAINTENANCE STAFF MEMBER

Nick Martinez MIDDLE SCHOOL MAINTENANCE STAFF MEMBER

FACULTY & STAFF NOTES

5 YEARS

Julie Mayo

Elizabeth Hurchalla

CONTENT DIRECTOR

MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHER

Nia Kilgore

UPPER SCHOOL DEAN

Zanaida Robles Aaron Martin

UPPER SCHOOL PERFORMING ARTS TEACHER

UPPER SCHOOL TECHNICAL DIRECTOR & PERFORMING ARTS TEACHER AND DEPARTMENT HEAD

Tiara Wells

Kelli Blumberg ATHLETIC TRAINER

ATHLETIC TRAINER

Jeff Crelling

DIRECTOR OF SPORTS PERFORMANCE AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHER

Nancy Chen UPPER SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHER

Douglas Fraleigh

ASSOCIATE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Steve Yang

UPPER SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHER

Sephora Escarpeta-Garcia UPPER SCHOOL WORLD LANGUAGES TEACHER

Ivy Bunnak

MIDDLE SCHOOL WORLD LANGUAGES TEACHER AND KITS TEACHER

Laura Davidson Ross

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS

Veronica Cherry

MIDDLE SCHOOL MATHEMATICS TEACHER AND DEPARTMENT HEAD

Damaris Saenz

Maggie Thompson

Eddie Delgado

MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHER

NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR

Myriam LeGoff

Sophie Wasson

SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST

Eli Lieberman

UPPER SCHOOL MATHEMATICS TEACHER

64 | HARVARD - WESTLAKE LIFE

Andrew Theiss

UPPER SCHOOL MATHEMATICS TEACHER AND ROBOTICS COACH

Gregg Ross

MIDDLE SCHOOL MATHEMATICS TEACHER

DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES

MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER AND DEPARTMENT HEAD AND KITS TEACHER

UPPER SCHOOL MATHEMATICS TEACHER

UPPER SCHOOL ASSISTANT PLANT MANAGER

Marisol Ordoñez

UPPER SCHOOL WORLD LANGUAGES TEACHER AND DEPARTMENT HEAD

Suzanne Halloran

Adam Varney

Alfred Licea

5YEARS

MIDDLE SCHOOL WORLD LANGUAGES TEACHER

Daniella Ellingson

Jenna Gasparino ASSISTANT LEARNING RESOURCE SPECIALIST AND UPPER SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER

MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHER AND KITS TEACHER

Christina Wagner-Wright

MIDDLE SCHOOL LIBRARIAN AND DEPARTMENT HEAD

Laffite Lamberto-Egan UPPER SCHOOL MATHEMATICS TEACHER

Stephen Thompson UPPER SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER

Marla Schlom

Chelsea Stewart UPPER SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHER

Laura Steinmetz MIDDLE SCHOOL HISTORY/ SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER

Derric Chien

UPPER SCHOOL MATHEMATICS TEACHER

SENIOR ADVANCEMENT ADMINISTRATOR

Kathleen O’Connor UPPER SCHOOL MATHEMATICS TEACHER

Woo Sim

UPPER SCHOOL MATHEMATICS TEACHER

Aaron Bluestein MIDDLE SCHOOL WORLD LANGUAGES TEACHER

FACULTY & STAFF NOTES WELCOME TO

HW’S NEW EMPLOYEES! Fernando Bautista MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHER

Neisha Folkes MIDDLE SCHOOL DANCE TEACHER

Fredreka Irvine MIDDLE SCHOOL PERFORMING ARTS & COMMUNICATIONS TEACHER

Frank Macias

Rebecca Neubauer ’07

Naqib Shifa

MIDDLE SCHOOL DEAN

Kimberly Stefanes

Li Sun

Lucia Celis

MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH TEACHER

UPPER SCHOOL CHINESE TEACHER

STUDENT ACCOUNTS COORDINATOR

Harold Taylor

Jill Turner

Sandy Coutino

MIDDLE SCHOOL BOOKSTORE MANAGER

UPPER SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER

Halsey Robertson ’13

Sabrina Washburn

BENEFITS ADMINISTRATOR

Daniel Gutierrez

UPPER SCHOOL PERFORMING ARTS TEACHER

Max Baril ’06

Ed Wormald

Veronica Kopelevich

UPPER SCHOOL PLANT MANAGER

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS

Jack Grover

Citlaly Madrid

UPPER SCHOOL CINEMA STUDIES TEACHER

Erik DeAngelis UPPER SCHOOL DEAN

BOYS WATER POLO PROGRAM HEAD

Kwaisi France

Susan Hodgkins

DIRECTOR OF HW WORKS

FIELD HOCKEY PROGRAM HEAD

Gil Garibaldo

Kaiulani Welch

MIDDLE SCHOOL MAINTENANCE TEAM MEMBER

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE HEAD OF ATHLETICS

Jacquelyn Myers

Julee Madkins

Garrett Yamasaki

MIDDLE SCHOOL LATIN TEACHER

DIRECTOR OF THE UPPER SCHOOL LEARNING CENTER

BOYS VOLLEYBALL PROGRAM HEAD

Alton Price

Billy Montgomery

Tiffany Alexander Aldridge ’87

UPPER SCHOOL JOURNALISM TEACHER

Marc Schuhl UPPER SCHOOL LATIN TEACHER

66 | HARVARD - WESTLAKE LIFE

SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ANNUAL GIVING

UPPER SCHOOL BOOKSTORE MANAGER

MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER

Jeremy Bonner ’06

UPPER SCHOOL HISTORY & SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER

DIRECTOR OF TEACHING & LEARNING

ADMISSION ADMINISTRATOR

Jessica McKay ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ADMISSION AND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

Lili Nanus ’11 ADMISSION ASSISTANT

Staci Williams ADVANCEMENT ADMINISTRATOR

Veronica Zapata

DIRECTOR OF ANNUAL GIVING

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ADMISSION

Tracey Ayeni

Robert Quezada

ADMISSION COUNSELOR

MIDDLE SCHOOL MAINTENANCE TEAM MEMBER

HARVARD - WESTLAKE LIFE | 67

LAST LOOK

KUTLER CENTER CELEBRATES A DECADE OF INNOVATION

By Alexis Sherman Arinsburg ’98

Ten years ago, the Kutler Center for Interdisciplinary Studies and Independent Research opened its doors in a newly created space connecting the upper school’s Seaver Academic Center and Mudd Library. Established to honor Brendan Kutler ’10, who passed away on December 29, 2009, the Kutler Center was inspired

by Brendan’s wide variety of interests. The Kutler Center’s interdisciplinary curriculum was the first new academic program established at Harvard-Westlake since the merger almost 20 years before, and the center continues to distinguish itself as a polestar. According to Director of the Kutler Center Jim Patterson, “The Kutler Center allows students to do things completely outside the box of what a typical high school offers.”

In the past decade, the Kutler Center’s offerings have expanded well beyond its initial interdisciplinary courses to include the Scholar in Residence program, global and experiential learning opportunities, awards and fellowships for interdisciplinary pursuits, HW Venture, HW Works, and Cinema Sundays.

68 | HARVARD - WESTLAKE LIFE

Artwork: Wellesley Li ’26

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