Priorities #48: Winter 2011

A Magazine of the Priory ¡ Issue #48

¡ January/February 2011

Being

Benedictine Priory representatives visit alumni in Budapest and attend the International Commission on Benedictine Education at St. Ottilien Archabbey.

TOC TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

Woodside Priory School Celebrating 52 Years of Benedictine Education In This Issue Fall at a Glance. Pages 4-7 Advisory Program. Pages 8-11 Budapest Reunion. Page 13 Alumni Reunion. Pages 14-17 Alumni Class News & Notes. Pages 18-20 Q&A with Dr. Andrew Kuchins. Pages 22-23 Argentina trip. Pages 24-25 Priory Sustainability. Pages 26-27

International Commission on Benedictine Education. Pages 28-30 Monastery News. Page 31

–––– Board of Directors Abbott Matthew Leavy, OSB Father Mark Cooper, OSB Brother Edward Englund, OSB Father Martin Mager, OSB Father William Sullivan, OSB

Board of Trustees Janet Brownstone Lisa Carlos Jennie Chiu Sherri Coats Monica Corman Wayne Davison Kathy Feldman Bob Finney Chris Galli ‘84 Hilary Giles George Hohnsbeen Father Eric Hollas, OSB Peter Kasenchak Bob Latta Rick Magnuson Bud McElroy ‘83 Cecilia Montalvo Father Tom Moran Jami Nachtsheim Father Maurus Nemeth, OSB Dale Pfau Hank Plain Patti Plummer Ray Rothrock Kari Rust Ken Tehaney ‘66 Paul Titterton ‘82 Keith Van Sickle Keith Van Sickle Lisa Wan Mark Wilson

Priorities magazine is published in March/April, June/July, and December/January by Woodside Priory School for its alumni, parents, students, neighbors and friends. Contact the Communications Office at 650-851-6193 or the school at 650-851-8221.

Editor: Sean Mclain Brown Contributing Writers: Matt McWright, Gulliver Lavalle, Br. Edward, Hovey Clark, Sean Mclain Brown Design/Production: Jim Kirkland, Copperline Multimedia Photos: Sean Mclain Brown, Jim Kirkland, Tina Paulson, Kelly Sargent, Br. Edward, Tim Molak Printing: Communications on the Mark, Mark W. Allen

Chapel Services

Masses at 7:15 a.m. Monday-Saturday 9:30 a.m. Sunday 11:00 a.m. Sunday Hungarian service 8 p.m. third Friday (Taize) ecumenical service All are welcome.

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FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Dear Priory Community,

We are slowly approaching the midpoint of this school year. The Christmas holiday looms on the horizon and our school community is alive with spirit and enthusiasm. Why? Because the theme for this year, selected by the student government, is TGIP – Thank God It’s Priory!

In this issue, we celebrate the unique aspects of our community – Benedictine Monks, boarding students from all over the world, staff living on campus, and a very strong commitment to develop “lifelong learners and stewards.”

I see the reason for this theme every day. I see it in our Seniors who are great role models for the younger students and their willingness to share their time and talent with others. I see it in Middle School students whose energy is boundless. I see it in our faculty and staff who understand their responsibility here, not as a job, but as a ministry of educating the minds, hearts and souls of each of our students. I see it in our boarding students who open themselves up to the experiences of living in a new culture. I see it in our parents who feel fortunate to have their children and their families a part of an inclusive and welcoming environment. Finally, I see it in the eyes and voices of our alums when they return to the campus. The alumni are proud and thankful for the education they received from the Monks and the many lay men and women who taught them every day.

In this issue, we explore the vastness of our International Priory: • Priory students traveled to Argentina under the guidance of faculty Gulliver LaValle to work with and alongside native tribes, thereby gaining a better understanding of their role as a global citizen.

• Priory alum Dr. Andy Kuchins ‘77 is a well respected international senior advisor in the area of Russia and Eurasia relations.

• The Alumni Reunion Weekend where alums from all around the world returned to campus to see classmates, tour the new facilities and swap stories of the old days.

• The recent conference at Saint Ottilien Archabbey in Germany of the International Commission on Benedictine Education. Representatives from around the world came together to share prayer, information, community, and to hear about the richness and diversity of what Benedictines schools are doing worldwide. To learn even more visit the website - www.osb-icbe.org.

• The Student Advisory Program which provides regular opportunities for faculty and students to engage in more meaningful and thoughtful explorations on matters that affect their daily lives.

Numerous times a day, students find their way to my office, not wanting to talk to me specifically, but to find out what kind of candy is in my candy bowl. They pause, look over the offerings and then make a selection. Sometimes, they will thank me for having their favorite candy or suggest a possible new one to buy. I see many smiling faces coming in and going out. For teenagers the lure of snacks, especially chocolate, is just too strong to ignore, and I am well aware of that fact. Therefore my bowl is always full. Just the other day, as one of the middle schoolers was leaving, he said “Thank God It’s Priory. “ I couldn’t agree more.

May the spirit of Christmas be in your heart this season, and may your family be blessed with good health and the faith that God will always be with you.

Tim Molak Head of School

In this issue we celebrate the unique aspects of our community – Benedictine Monks, boarding students from all over the world, staff living on campus and a very strong commitment to develop “lifelong learners and stewards”.

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AT A GLANCE

FALL

Middle School and High School choirs prepare for December concerts under the direction of Tina Paulson.

Huck Finn, the first all-school play for the 2010-2011 school year was a blast. Mark Twain would be proud!

Father Pius was honored at the Faculty/ Staff appreciation luncheon for his 50 years of service to the Priory.

Priory students celebrated spirit week in true Priory style with the ASB theme of “Thank God It’s Priory.”

Above Left: Priory students, Doug Galdamez and Jane Yoxsimer help out at the San Francisco Food Bank. Above Right: Daniel Hsu sorts apples at the San Francisco Food Bank.

Every year, under the guidance of Jose Mejia-Torres, students celebrate the lives of loved ones that have passed on with ofrendas, colorful costumes, dances, and prayers.

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AT A GLANCE

FALL

Left: “Our water polo team competes in the Peninsula Athletic League against much larger schools with 1500-2000 students.

The fact they can hold their own against much larger schools is phenomenal!” Athletic Director, Mark Stogner Below: James McDaniel runs the ball while a Priory offensive player blocks.

All League Fall 2010 Cross Country Girls MVP – Kat Gregory 1st Team – Arnaud Kpachavi HM – Joe Farned & Dylan Croll

Volleyball 2nd Team – Marine Hall Poirier & Caroline Pillsbury

Students at the Leadership retreat learn to become better stewards and student leaders.

Fr. Martin has been involved in high school retreats for more than 30 years

HM – Alyssa Guttman Green, Mel Conde & Clara Johnson

Tennis 1st Team – Kimberly Carlisle & Raiyah Panchal 2ND Team – Lizzie Somers & Rachel Lazarus HM – Emma Beriker

Water Polo 1st Team – Michael Wan This summer, the Priory campus improvements included a new sod field on Fr. Christopher fiield.

2nd Team – John Jernick HM – Eric Turnquist

Football 1st Team - James McDaniel 1st Team - Alex Brugger 1st Team - Marcus Talbott 1st Team - Connor Mather

Above: Scott Harris runs the ball for a touch-down.

Left: L-R Catcher Brigid White and Haley Ebert pose before a scrimmage game.

Top: The historic Fromhertz house and property circa 1912. Below: The Priory acquired the historic Fromhertz house and property. This rounds out the Priory’s campus and could potentially serve a multitude of purposes.

Tim Molak, Head of School, relinquished his post to Tyler Woods who was this year’s Head of School for a day.

Hazemach competed in the World Karate Chamionship and won two medals, silver and bronze for the 2010 USA National Karate team.

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Urban legend has it that the first thing workers on the

“Painting the Golden Gate Bridge” The Advisory Program at the Priory

by Matt McWright, School Counselor

Our current direction and priorities were forged following the 2008-2009 academic year, when a systematic effort to evaluate the Golden Gate Bridge do after repainting the bridge is to go back to Advisory Program was conducted. This included gathering input the beginning and start all over. The expression “painting the Goldfrom faculty and students alike, and proved to be an exercise that en Gate Bridge” has actually become shorthand in many organizayielded a number of valuable insights. tions for a spirit of continuous improvement.

Perhaps the most rewarding insight to surface in this process As Program Coordinator of the Advisory Program at Woodmapped onto a core principle of the Priory’s mission, one Headside Priory, I’m excited to share that we are “painting the Golden master Tim Molak reiterates in many of his comments related to Gate Bridge” again this academic year. This includes exploring the Priory’s values: “these values are made real in our communew ideas for Advisory Program sessions as well as new ways to nity in which every student is known and loved.” The vast malink these sessions with the many other sources of relevant advice jority of Priory students did and guidance that exist at acknowledge that they felt the Priory. they had at least one adult First, a bit of historic on campus they could go perspective. The Advito with questions or just to sory Program has been talk. While for some this in place for many years at may be their advisor, it apthe Priory and has been pears that the small size and managed by the Counculture of the Priory comseling department with munity naturally fosters input from administrarich relationships between tion and faculty alike. faculty and students, and Its intentions have long students do feel each has been to serve as a mechaa “go to” person no matter nism to foster guidancethe issue at hand. It is enoriented relationships couraging to hear that our between faculty advisors students generally feel their and students and to proThe Advisory Program has been in place guidance needs are being vide a medium whereby for many years at the Priory and has been met, while not always relythe Priory’s values can be ing on advisors per se to do managed by the Counseling department with explored and understood so. via various activities and input from administration and faculty alike.

Other positive feedback discussions. While there from faculty Advisors inhas been less emphasis cluded feeling good about in Advisory on academproviding students an opportunity to discuss topics (including nonic counseling per se (a function generally satisfied by the Dean of academic ones) with them and each other, and the opportunity to Academics and the Counseling department), advisors have been help solve students’ problems. Students also appreciated connectresponsible for signing off on their advisees’ course selections over ing in a non-classroom environment with their advisor and each the years and encouraged to track academic progress in general. other, as well as using this time to discuss “hot topics,” such as on All faculty members serve as advisors, each advisory group line security behavior or academic integrity. including up to 10 students. Advisors “follow” the same group Opportunities for improvement from the faculty feedback took of students, in Middle and High School, across their years at each the form of a recognized need for more consistency in approaches level. Frequency of advisory meetings has varied over the years; in to Advisory across advisors, the sense that some topics addressed 2008-2009, Advisory occurred 8 times.

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in Advisory sessions were hit-or-miss, and also that Advisory sessions did not occur regularly enough to gain real traction. Students echoed these ideas, and also wanted more focus in sessions on grade-relevant matters and less of a one-size-fits-all approach.

In addition to the advising that takes place during the Advisory program itself, we recognized that Priory students experience rich guidance from a number of other campus sources. Our weekly chapel service regularly offers compelling messages from our speakers; outside speakers do the same in the various assemblies held across the year.

Even our daily morning break gives students and faculty a regular, informal opportunity to chat about, really, anything. This led us to think not just about what Advisory sessions themselves looked like, but what our overall Advisory “footprint” was, and could be.

With this in mind, in 2009-2010 we embarked on evolving Advisory with a set of focused priorities. To support advisor effectiveness, we put in place a number of tools to allow advisors to better personalize their approach to advising, including to define their priorities, as well as elevate skills in areas like one-on-one meetings or tracking academic progress. In order to create more momentum for Advisory, we put more Advisory sessions on the calendar, going from 8 sessions the previous year to 12.

We also chose to pilot a grade specific approach to Advisory with our freshmen class last year. It’s only stating the obvious that students at different levels have different guidance needs. With ’09-

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‘10’s freshmen class, this was particularly true, being a larger class that included proportionally more students than usual from middle schools other than the Priory’s. This provided an excellent opportunity to use Advisory as a mechanism to accelerate all these students’ adjustment to high school, and many of them to the unique culture and environment here at the Priory. Advisory content intended to accomplish this began during Freshmen Orientation. Across the year, freshmen discussed such topics as organization and study skills, planning their high school career, handling the “3rd quarter blues,” and what to know about courses sophomore year, to name a few.

A similarly new approach was taken with two other populations, including our transfer upperclassmen and senior class. Rather than immediately placing new upperclassmen in existing advisory groups, we created a group specifically for them to assist in their onboarding and orientation to the Priory. We also used Advisory to support seniors during the college application process. Spearheaded by College Counselor Betty Van Wagenen, she used these sessions to set milestones in the application process and to communicate efficiently and trouble shoot with seniors as they navigated these waters In order to enhance the takeaways from many of our other sources of Advising—including assemblies, chapel services and the like—we designed Advisory sessions that specifically followed up on

the presented matter. This allowed students to participate in deeper, small group discussions and make a more personal connection to the ideas involved. For example, following Marc Elliot’s profoundly engaging assembly talk last Fall on living with Tourette’s Syndrome, the following week’s Advisory session encouraged students to talk about the tendency to judge others without fully understanding their circumstances. Here too, our Golden Gate Bridge metaphor is apt, in that our efforts are now also trying to connect and get more value from the excellent wisdom put forth across our campus experiences.

In Middle School advisory, two changes were implemented. The first was to have advisors follow and stay with their students from 6th grade through 8th as has been done in the high school. The second was to

reinforce certain grade relevant themes, such as new beginnings in 6th grade and developing leadership in the 8th.

For the current school year, we expect to continue to paint away, and develop new and compelling content for all grade levels. For instance, we are exploring content that would be specific and relevant to our sophomore and junior classes. We are also looking to implement more Social Emotional Learning concepts into our Middle School curriculum. And we will continue to seize upon the messages our outside speakers bring to our attention, as well as be ready to get a campus-wide dialogue going on any subject or hot topic that should arise. And when we do all this… …we’ll go back to the beginning and start again!

L_R: Matthew McWright, School Counselor, Brother Edward, Director of Guidance and Counseling, Sandra Martignetti, Academic Resource Counselor

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Dear Friends of the Priory;

The attendance at schoolsponsored alumni events has increased each year. After neglecting this group for so long, it’s especially rewarding to see alumni responding in such a positive way to the Priory’s efforts to reconnect.

BUDAPEST 13

Faculty, staff, students, current parents, former parents, grandparents, friends and alumni. The Priory community is a large community and increasing every year. The Priory community is, more and more, a global community. Fortunately, in today’s technological society, it’s fairly simple to keep in touch with this vast network. Unfortunately, simplicity does not necessarily equate with effectiveness.

I’m thinking specifically of Priory’s efforts to communicate with alumni. When I arrived at Priory three years ago, our outreach to alumni was inconsistent at best. Oh, we did a good job of asking for annual fund contributions, but there was no real effort to keep alumni connected and involved in the life of the school. There was no real incentive for alumni to respond in a positive way to those appeals.

That is no longer the case!

In today’s development department, we have one full-time staff person, Casey Wynn, dedicated to establishing and maintaining a close connection to alumni. Casey is currently organizing a formal alumni board tasked with making the Priory Alumni Association a viable organization for our alums. Over the last 3 years, she has completely revamped the reunion program to honor fiveyear classes. The annual Alumni Reunion Weekend routinely brings more than 100 alumni back to campus (see pgs. 14-17). Every year alumni gatherings are held locally and regionally, both inside and outside California. Recently, Tim Molak and Brother Edward even hosted a large gathering of alumni and friends in Budapest, Hungary.

The attendance at school-sponsored alumni events has increased each year. After neglecting this group for so long, it’s especially rewarding to see alumni responding in such a positive way to the Priory’s efforts to reconnect.

As I mentioned above, technology is playing a major role in how Priory maintains its connection with alumni. For a number of years, our web site included an Online Community.

That is no longer the case. Online communities, as so often happens with technology, are almost obsolete. Today, Facebook is the preferred method for maintaining this connection. The online community, at its peak, had a few dozen alumni registered. Now, there are more than 600 alumni utilizing the school’s alumni Facebook page. So, if you’re an alum looking to keep in touch with other Priory alums, or to keep up with what’s happening at Priory, Facebook is the place to be.

At Priory, it has always been about the students. We want our alumni to know that’s still the case. It’s still about them, even after they move on to lives beyond the Priory.

Sincerely,

John Baldwin Director of Development

REUNION

Brother Edward, Tim Molak, and Abbott Matthew joined alumni in Budapest for a reunion hosted by the Priory’s former bookstore manager, Klara Kovacs.

Below Left: Suzi Kovacs, Br. Edward, Klara Kovacs (former bookstore manager) and Abbott Matthew. Below Right: Kristof Horompoly and Imre Simon.

Top Left: Andras Gereben and Gabor Meszaros Top Right: Encsi Nemeth, Andi nemeth, and Nora Botos.

Left: Bence Howvathy and Peter Pellionis.

Right: Andi Nemeth, Nora Botos, and Andras Helmeczi Bottom: Group picture of Hungarian Alumni. Klara Kovacs graciously agreed to be the host of the reunion.

Left: Andras Hlacs, Andras Helmeczi, and Tim Molak.

Top: Imre Simon, Tim Molak, George Somogyi, Zsofia Murdriy.

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REUNION WEEKEND 2010 The 2010 Reunion was a lively celebration. Alumni reminisced, shared good food and drink, and lots of hugs.

10. Fr. Maurus, Chris Shea, Charlie Hefferman, Fr.Martin.

11. Ariel Tsao and David Tsao.

12. Guillermo Maafs, Andras Hlacs, Mira O’Brien, Barna Gacs.

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1 1. Diego Avalos. 2.

Dave White and Mike Hon. 3. Fr. Maurus shares a hug with Olin Montalvo. 4. Cynthia Sleight with Casey Wynn, Alumni Relations 5. L-R: Back Row: Fr. Maurus, Fr. Martin, Ryan Lugbauer, Jocelyn Gamburd, Emily Chapman, Alexandra DeMartini. Bottom Row L-R: Dan Begin, Olin Montalvo, David White. 6. Emily Chapman and Laura Trudelle.

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10 13. Reka Farago and Barna Gacs.

14. Sophia and Dave White.

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14 7. L-R: Earl Dunkel, Frank Ryan, Rich Cody 8. Class of 2000: Can you find alumni you know here? If you’re an alum and should be in this picture, be sure to come to your next class reunion!

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15. Jesse Lampert.

16. Fr. Maurus, Oscar Orban, Arpad Nemeth, Fr. Martin.

17. Alumni classes gather for a photo with the monks.

18. Everyone had a blast at the reunion. If you’re an alum, stay informed of alumni events by following us on facebook. Just search for “Woodside Priory Alumni Association” on facebook.

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1. Classmates pose with Tim Molak and Fr. Maurus 2. Mary Hurlburt and Emily Chapman 3. Grant Lin plays the sax for ambiance in Fr. Egon Plaza.

4. Faculty, staff and monks pose with alumni.

5. Alumni reminisce while looking through yearbooks.

6. Tim Molak with Chris Shea wearing his varsity sweater.

7. Good food, good drinks, good friends

We had such an amazing turn out! People came as far as Hungary and Germany to attend. It was so wonderful to see Barna Gacs and Andras Hlacs in California again.

We started the festivities in the Marina District of San Francisco for a pub-crawl. Hovey Clark even came to meet up with us. Dave White opened his home to us and Mike Hon provided us a wonderful toast to the Class of 2000 and Priory.

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Saturday, Priory hosted an amazing day for us. The football game provided a big win for us and Fr Maurus gave us a tour of the campus that I will treasure for the rest of my life. It really showed what a unique and amazing school we were lucky to attend. At dinner we made our presence known by pushing tables together in an interesting pattern so we could try to see everyone. The night was full of good wine, laughter, old memories, lots of hugs, and of course what everyone was now up to 10 years later.

5 8. This year’s alumni reunion was spectacular. The reunion events keep getting larger every year. If you’re an alum, consider coming to your next reunion or get involved by becoming a class agent. To find out how to get involved, email Casey Wynn at Alumni Relations at: alumni@prioryca.org

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I remember graduating from the Priory like it was yesterday. The blue gowns, the bag pipers, Joe Daly giving our valedictorian speech, and most of all saying good luck and let’s keep in touch with all my friends and especially the faculty that we come to love. Little did I predict that it would be 10 years before we were all together again.

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We were welcomed back on Sunday for a wonderful Mass in the Chapel given by Fr Martin. It was a wonderful way to finish off a fabulous weekend. And of course, I can’t forget to mention the delicious brunch we ate too!

- Emily (Cohen) Chapman ‘00

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CLASS NOTES

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ALUMNI Note: Class Agents’ names appear at The beginning of each Reunion class year. If your year is not represented, or if you would like to become a Class Agent, please contact the Alumni Office at alumni@prioryca.org, or (650)851-6137. And don’t forget to check out Woodside Priory Alumni Association on Facebook for Additional photos and updates.

REUNION YEARS: 1961, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006

1961

50th Reunion Year

1966

45th Reunion Year

1971

2001

25th Reunion Year Ross Fatemi was recently promoted to Catering Sales Manager at the W Silicon Valley Hotel.

Emily Kirkland married Nick Mangini on October 9th in Menlo Park.

40th Reunion Year

Kendall Holland married Graham Brown on August 6th at Fallen Leaf Lake. They are now living in Ann Arbor, Michigan where Kendall is teaching 6th grade.

35th Reunion Year

2003

1976

John Kirch is currently living in Tokyo and is President/CEO of Penta Security Systems K.K., a leading provider of security solutions for Internet applications and database management systems. John recently assisted Priory’s Admissions Director, Al Zappelli, during the Asia Boarding Schools Fair in Tokyo.

1981

30th Reunion Year

1986

25th Reunion Year

1991

25th Reunion Year Ethan Howard is working at Murray Circle at the Inn at Covallo Point, located at the former Fort Baker on the North side of the Golden Gate Bridge (http://www.gayot.com/best-restaurants/ bestpastrychefs-ethanhoward.html).

1995 Miklos Oyler is the Program Director for Summit Achievement, a wilderness therapy program for troubled teenagers in Maine. (www.summitachievement.com)

1996

15th Reunion Year

Raymond Austin, after working at a small non-profit in Oakland, for 3years, is now studying law at the Northeastern University School of Law in Boston. Raymond is a member of the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association and the National Lawyers Guild. He plans to focus his law studies on criminal and constitutional law.

Mike Yost is in Iraq for a 6-month (or so) tour, flying the MH-60S helicopter on Medevac (urgent medical transport) in southern Iraq. He is also very busy studying for his next qualification for Helicopter 2nd Pilot. Once he is done, he will be heading back to Guam for the rest of a two-year tour with one more deployment wherever the winds take him.

2004 Ashley Kustu married Brian Pearson on Septermber 18.

2005

Jocelyn Gamburd, upon graduation from Tufts University, took a job with Memorial SloanKettering Cancer Center in the Department of Pediatrics. There she worked with patients and their families to help them navigate the difficult world of pediatric cancer. She learned that the biggest obstacle in advancing cancer care is money, or lack thereof. After a wonderful year in Pediatrics, Jocelyn moved to the Development Department to help raise funds for innovative research and new treatments.

Kyle McAuley has been an editor at Oxford University Press since 2009. He lives in New York City.

Jesse Lampert , after graduating from college in 2009, started Teach for America in Dallas, TX and is teaching 10th grade English at W.W. Samuell High School.

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2006

10th Reunion Year

2008

Robert Croll spent the summer studying in Prague in the Czech Republic, and while there took a side-trip to visit some of the Priory’s roots in Budapest, Hungary.

Andrew Davison, along with two of his suite-mates at Drew University, founded Foster Maintenance & Monitoring. The firm provides the opportunity for solar panel owners to not worry about maintaining or constantly checking the efficiency of their solar panels. The company is located in the northern New Jersey area, servicing all of New Jersey and parts of Pennsylvania.

Erik Lyon is currently actively participating in Whitman College’s Semester in the West, an Environmental studies field course focusing on politics, ecology, and writing of the American west. He is road tripping and camping from Washington to New Mexico, and everywhere in between, talking to ranchers, ecologists, writers, and more.

Max Magnuson and Stanford buddy Colin Casey rode across America to raise money for Darfur.

Magnuson and Casey pedaled across America to commemorate the Lost Boys’ journey while raising awareness of the continuing conflict and money for the victims. The 20-year-olds call their adventure “The Ride for Darfur,” the region of Sudan where the civil war is centered. They raised more than $26,000 for the cause. They completed the 50-day, 3,000+ mile cross-country bike trip at Ocean Beach on Sunday, September 12. Max said, “Our arrival at OB served as a culmination of nearly a year of hard work and planning, and nearly two months of steady biking,” wrote Max in an online interview a few days after the ride ended. “This bike trip was truly an adventure in every sense of the word and our crossing of the finish line provided an appropriate finish to such an incredible journey.”

2009 Claire Dennis, a sophomore at Yale University, recently won the NCAA Singlehanded sailing title and is shortlisted for US Sailing’s Rolex Yachtsman & Yachtswoman of the Year Awards (this is her second nomination).

Alexander Piccolotti enlisted in the U.S. Army in February, 2010. After months of training, he entered and graduated from Airborne School, earned his red beret and airborne wings and was welcomed into the U.S. Army Paratrooper Brotherhood.

2010 Scott Turner is a student at the University of Colorado at Boulder where he is a member of the U.S. Marines ROTC.

HELP! LOST ALUMS We are expanding our efforts to find lost alumni. The following names are from the classes that will be celebrating reunions in September 2011. If you know where these alumni are, please contact Casey at alumni@prioryca.org.

1961 Dennis Duff 1966 Allan J. Bianco Christopher Cogley James R. Eastep James Goggin Timothy J. Kelleher Stephen Sziebert 1971 Peter Brown Michael M. Cox Alberto Guirola Paul T. Hewitt Douglas McAllister Kevin P. O’Meara Scott Setterfield 1976 James Grein Joaquin Guerrero Jorge Regalado 1981 Naoto Hara Naokazu Kuboyama

1986 John A. Furze Jeffery J. Glasow Lars R. Haitz Hassan Jafri Samuel T. Liu William C. Millard Jeff Pringle William R. Schneider Jason G. Williams Charles T. Wong Anthony J. Xavier 1991 Odisseus D. Berouklis Mark Burton John T. Gonczol Min Ho Lee Wei-Chia Lee Alan S. Liang Gavin H. Lindores Michael Seymour Ken Woo 1996 Peter Adams Harry Chang Jason Chang Philip Chu

Philip Dauchy Paul Hutchins Raymond Lau Bruce A. Patten Jonathan J. Saunders Anthony Tsai Nathan J. Williams 2001 Elizabeth A. Amento Jordan K. Braun Kristina R. Campbell Robert G. Christian Ayari L. Diaz Jason C. Lam David A. Lando Helene Nguyen Phung L. Nguyen Stephen T. Rice 2006 Aracely Aceves Jordan B. Amdahl Edward M. Cameron Beom Jin Kim Joonsik Kim Heewon Lim

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Q&A

From the Priory to International Politics: an Inteview with

Dr. Andrew Kuchins ‘77 Director and Senior Fellow, Russia and Eurasia Program with the Center for Strategic and International Studies

Interview by Sean Mclain Brown, Director of Communications at the Priory

Andrew Kuchins is a senior fellow and director of the CSIS Russia and Eurasia Program. He is an internationally renowned expert on Russian foreign and domestic policies who publishes widely and is frequently called on by business, government, media, and academic leaders for comment and consulting on Russian and Eurasian affairs.

SMB: What do you enjoy most about your career in Russian and Eurasian foreign policy?

AK: I enjoy the travel and opportunity to meet and engage with political leaders and leading experts from a wide variety of countries. Covering Russia and Eurasia takes me to a lot of countries from Europe to China. Not only does the travel provide invaluable insights and contacts, but it also helps me understand how others around the world perceive the United States.

SMB: How did you become interested in foreign policy?

AK: My imagination was first captured in 1972 when Nixon went to China to open relations and the USSR to promote détente. Henry Kissinger was his main foreign policy advisor and later Secretary of State, and I thought that looked like a pretty cool job--travelling all over the world meeting important and smart people and trying to advance US interests.

SMB: Is there an anecdote you can share that illustrates what you do for CSIS? AK: Anecdote--that is a tough one, but since I came to CSIS nearly 4 years ago, I have engaged much more with the U.S. military, especially in the past 18 months in a couple of projects I have done on Afghanistan. The level of professionalism and competence among our military institutions is astonishingly high.

SMB: What is the most challenging aspect of your work with CSIS? AK: If you are honest, I think it is really hard to maintain an open mind to new insights as well as maintaining objectivity and balance in your analysis.

I hate the idea of becoming predictable and boring, and I also have little tolerance for reading or listening to someone who has nothing new to say.

SMB: How many languages do you know?

AK: At one point many moons ago, I was pretty fluent in French, Italian, Spanish, and Russia. Today, those romance languages are pretty rusty, but I have maintained and improved Russian over the years.

SMB: How did your experiences at the Priory help shape your passions in your career and personal life?

AK: The Priory played a major role in my development because of the internationalist and humanistic perspective the founding Hungarian fathers brought to the school. Probably the two most influential classes and teachers were Western Civilization taught by Father Egon, and Philosophy taught by Father Christopher.

SMB: What advice would you give students interested in a career in politics or foreign policy? What advice would you give parents who have children interested in politics and foreign policy?

AK: Travel a lot and learn languages! Most Americans do not think they have an aptitude for foreign languages, and I probably would have thought the same about myself until I studied Russian. You do need, however, a powerful incentive, and to spend time in country to really learn the language. Once I learned Russian, I found learning other languages relatively easy, and I am convinced that the main reason for that is overcoming the psychological barrier that I did not supposedly have a gift for languages. Au contraire!

SMB: What kind of impact does your work in foreign policy have on shaping US policy?

AK: It is hard to draw a direct line between the work we do outside of government with actual policy decisions. Certainly the books and articles we write help to inform public debate about important policy issues. Also, since we are literally “outside of the box” of government, we have more incentives to independent and creative thinking. And since we are not responsible for day-to-day policy, we have the luxury of thinking more long-term and, I think, strategically.

SMB: What did you enjoy most about your experience at the Priory and do you have a favorite memory?

AK: At first I was not enthusiastic about going to the Priory since nobody from my 8th grade graduating class was going. I had always been in co-ed public schools, so the all-boy thing was not attractive. But, I think the learning experience was unique; small classes, individual attention. Also, since it was and is a small school, you can do a lot of different things. I was very active in sports, student government, drama, etc. The Priory is also located in one of the most beautiful places on the planet, so looking out the window and daydreaming was pretty excellent also!

SMB: What do you believe is the most serious issue facing the human race today? (in foreign policy or otherwise).

AK: Wow, another tough question! So many massive problems to choose from! I guess today, after an extremely hot summer in Washington and lots of extreme weather around the world this year, I am most worried about the impact of climate change on the planet and our capacity to manage it over the course of this century.

SMB: What are some of your personal goals in your life?

AK: There are many goals, but retirement is not one of them. Leaders in my field like Henry Kissinger, Zbig Brzezinski, Brent Scowcrot, Bill Perry and many others stay very active into their 80s (at least!).

SMB: Outside of your work in foreign policy, what do you enjoy doing?

AK: I have always loved sports; now I watch my kids, play golf, ski, and still passionately root for the Bay Area teams.

SMB: Do you have a favorite quote?

AK: “Better fewer, but better,” Vladimir Lenin. I think it applies to many aspects of life.

SMB: Who has been the biggest influence in your life and why?

AK: Impossible to say who has been biggest influence, but certainly the Priory housed several key ones.

Dr. Andrew Kuchins serves as a model for younger generations interested in making the world a better place through international relations and politics. Dr. Andrew Kuchins is fine example of the Priory’s mission of “assisting students in becoming lifelong learners and stewards who will productively serve a world in need of their gifts.”

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Mapuche Tribe and the Priory: a Community Involvement experience

by Gulliver LaValle, Social Sciences faculty

The Benedictines are known worldwide as educators, as stewards of the earth, and for promoting the wellbeing of people. The Priory takes this to heart, as do all our students, especially when we go abroad for community involvement trips.

In early 2010, nine Priory students, I and another Priory teacher, trudged down a small dirt road in a place few Americans have ever visited; a Mapuche Indian Reservation in the middle of the Argentine Patagonia. The Mapuche Indians of the Patagonia are similar to many tribes who live on reservations in the US. They are autonomous from state authority and receive very little funding to run schools, hospitals, and other social services.

As we neared the reservation, the students were anxious. We were here to volunteer our services to the community over the course of two days, but we didn’t know any specifics. We came to help create and post signs around the reservation to help identify routes for visitors. This may seem like a rather small issue—creating and posting signs—but it was a large problem for the tribe because the reservation was difficult to navigate. Thus, if people couldn’t find their way around the reservation, the money they would receive from tourism would suffer.

The Priory students brimmed with excitement as we neared the school where we were to work alongside school children to complete the signposts. The first greetings were awkward; the kids

from the school seemed amazed to be around people from a different country. They were shy and the Priory students were timid as well, but on that beautiful February morning, a bond was created between a remote Native American community and that of the Priory. Priory students, worked side-by-side with Mapuche students and discovered a camaraderie that transcended language. They spent the next two days carving, painting and posting the signs around the reservation.

The highlight for Priory students was sharing “mate” (Argentine Tea) with the Mapuche chief. He said that he was hesitant to be a part of this at first because they had never had people come to work with them in this way. All previous contributions had been monetary. We ended the last day with a celebratory meal, with our Priory students sitting alongside the school children learning Spanish while teaching them some English phrases.

The Argentina trip was a pioneering event for our community. This model allows the Priory a great access point to explore the world while engaging in community service, to create meaningful relationships with others around the world, and to help make the world a better place. This is what makes the Priory so unique; we put our values into action. This trip and many more to come truly illustrate our mission statement that says: “to assist students in becoming lifelong learners and stewards who will productively serve a world in need of their gifts.”

“Working with the Mapuche tribe was a really unique experience that changed the way I looked at other cultures, and I loved to learn about something I didn’t know. They were really cool kids who warmed up to us as the days went by.”

- Riley Munks

“The kids and Chief were really grateful for our service and you could tell they hadn’t really had that kind of thing happen before. I didn’t think or even imagine we could have that kind of experience on a trip from school.”

-Matthew Schwab

The Argentina trip was an amazing and enriching opporttunity that allowed me to experience a totally different culture and opened my eyes to the world’s vast diversity. We met so many great people, like those from our home-stay and from the native Mapuche tribe. We went on many fun excursions, one of my favorites being the mountain-bike ride through the Andes. In addition, we formed close bonds with one another by the end of the trip.”

- Lauren Allen ‘10

Working with the Mapuches was amazing, and a definite highlight of the trip for everyone. The language and cultural barriers were almost invisible as we bonded with these great kids over a task as simple as building and painting signs for their village and school.

-Alwyn Lansing

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Sustainability Priory Takes a Multi-Faceted Approach to

by Hovey Clark Substainability coordinator and faculty

The Priory has taken some bold new steps in its efforts toward sustainable operations. While the school has integrated sustainable approaches in many of its recent capital improvements, this year’s changes include the creation of a new Sustainability Coordinator position, which I occupy.

Truly sustainable decisions need to fit three main criteria: they need to be socially beneficial, ecologically enhancing, and cost neutral – or generate a return on investment. Changes like these take time, but these three concepts are at the forefront of our strategic sustainable planning.

In 2005, we finished construction on the Rothrock Performing Arts Center, whose green design features waterless urinals, insulated windows, and a living roof. In 2007, the school entered into a solar lease agreement, allowing the school to turn unused rooftops and plots on campus into energy production facilities. To date, these solar arrays have produced 350, 000 kWh of energy, and saved the school more than fifty thousand dollars in energy costs.

Over this same timeframe, teachers, administrators, parents and staff have begun to incorporate sustainable themes into our disparate courses, class retreat themes, extra-curricular service learning opportunities for students, and philosophies toward student health

and wellness. For example, last year’s tenth grade retreat gave students the opportunity to help residents at the Sequoias to reduce the amount of junk mail they received. This helps reduce the resources and energy needed to produce, distribute, and dispose of unnecessary paper products. Other students on the same retreat produced videos that suggested ways that other students could conserve water in their homes.

Additional student efforts are demonstrated in the school’s association with the Daraja Academy, an all girls school outside of Nairobi, Kenya. These students are helping to raise funds for the operation of the African school, with the understanding that sustainable development includes the education of young women in developing countries, and is the best way to reduce fertility rates and slow global population growth. Last year, student and teacher fundraising efforts totaled more than one hundred thousand dollars.

And, for her Senior Project, one student helped to collect and ship donations of athletic equipment, then traveled to Kenya during the summer to provide direction on the development of the academy’s athletic program.

Students participating in the Priory’s after-school Sustainability Club worked on a ‘healthy habitat’ initiative to improve the school campus and landscape, benefitting birds and other wildlife. Students installed twenty bluebird houses and four owl houses around campus, and assembled brushpiles using landscape debris. These habitat improvements have helped to provide suitable living space for a resident population of western blue birds and other songbirds.

In May of last year, as a result of these efforts, the Sequoia Audubon Society recognized the Priory for our work at reconciliation ecology.

Because the kitchen and cafeteria are the crossroads of so many different resource streams, I began by looking into ways to avoid inefficiency and waste there. Working with a specialist from PG&E’s Fisher-Nickel Food Technology Center, I have overseen the audit of the school’s kitchen appliances. After reviewing the results of the audit, it is clear that there are opportunities to save considerable amounts of energy and money with some simple improvements to the insulation and operating schedules of appliances. In light of rebates and planned rate hikes which accelerate return on investment, I will be encouraging the school to consider some major upgrades in kitchen equipment for next year’s budget.

On another front, the school is working to reduce food waste.

Currently, putrescible prep waste – about 1000 pounds of cuttings from fruit and vegetables per month – are composted in a three-bin system that supplies the school’s vegetable garden with compost.

And while diversion of this kind of waste from landfill has benefits that include the reduction of methane gas, landfill volume, and the

energy needed to haul the waste to landfill or reclamation sites, the real focus should be to reduce other components of food waste.

Plate waste and over-production of food are inefficiencies that cost the school tens of thousands of dollars per year.

Looking for ways to address this food waste problem, the school’s Sustainability Committee worked with Andrew Shakman, the founder and chief consultant of LeanPath. In a discussion with members of the faculty and administration, Mr. Shakman pointed out that reducing food waste results in direct and indirect benefits to the school’s operating expenses, as well as the environment. That is, the over-preparation of food is associated with inefficient purchasing and serving policies, the energy needed to ship, store, and prepare the food, the extra labor costs associated with over-production, as well as over-use of upstream resource inputs such as the land, water, soil, energy, and agricultural inputs necessary to cultivate food whose destiny is to go un-eaten. This year, I am offering a new class called Food Production and Natural Sciences, focusing on sustainable agriculture. Students in this class have tried to address the food waste problem at school by growing ornamental pumpkins and using them as centerpieces on the tables in the school’s cafeteria.

Each pumpkin serves as the base for a small plaque whose message is meant to inform other students about the impacts of food waste locally and globally.

And while some of these efforts have had immediate impacts on the school’s operations and the student community’s attitudes toward food waste, we are also looking to the future with the recognition that our biggest improvements will take time. Currently, I am working with the faculty Sustainability Committee to develop baselines and benchmarks for energy use and resource conservation.

These include the critical examination of the school’s energy bills with an eye for possible areas of energy conservation. Our target is to reduce energy use to the quantity produced by our solar arrays.

Additionally, we are meeting with representatives from the county’s Recycleworks program to improve our recycling program in order to divert a greater percentage of school waste from landfill and save the school money on its trash hauling expenses.

The big lesson of all of our efforts here at the school is that sustainability efforts have multifaceted benefits, but that real change takes time and effort to achieve. And while much of our work will be accomplished by a few committed people here on campus, the work of those people will be most productive when it is informed by the experiences and knowledge of members of the greater community, and when changes and improvements in conservation efforts are coordinated with efforts at student education.

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One of the advantages of attending international meetings is making face-to-face contacts in other Benedictine schools. Tim Molak, Head of School, and I, traveled to Europe to visit several Benedictine Schools, to attend the International Commission on Benedictine Education (ICBE), and to attend an alumni reunion event in Budapest. Priory faculty Tina Paulson and Drew Ciancia, also later joined us as Priory representatives at the ICBE.

Communio

On our trip to Europe, we were able to strengthen student exchange arrangements with schools in Hungary, Germany and Austria. We currently have a student from Austria and a student from Germany will arrive in February. The Priory is a highly regarded school within the worldwide Benedictine network.

Prior to attending ICBE, Tim Molak , Head of School, and I traveled to Hungary where we were greeted by Abbot Matthew, Abbot of Saint Anselm Abbey. Abbot Matthew arranged for us to visit two Benedictine Schools. The first school, GyĂśr, is a day school of 380 students. We met with Fr. Tomas, Head of School and several of the teachers, monastic and lay. The day of our visit was the patronal feast of the school. The day ended with Mass at which Abbot Matthew was the celebrant.

A Benedictine Gift For the Future: Priory representatives attend the International Commission on Benedictine Education

by Brother Edward England, O.S.B.

Br. Edward, Fr. Tomas, Headmaster at Gyor, Abbott Matthew, and Tim Molak, Head of School.

Priory representatives with Pannonhalma monks and faculty.

The second school was at the Archabbey of Pannonhalma, a boarding school for approximately 340 boys and the Founding Abbey of the Priory. Archabbot Astrick and the Benedictine Community gave us a very warm welcome. Tim and I had met Fr. Titus, Head-of-School, several years ago at an International Benedictine Educators Conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Fr. Titus gave us an extended tour of the school. That evening, Fr. Henry and several 9th grade students hosted Tim and me for evening tea and a discussion of Benedictine education in the United States.

The ICBE met at St. Ottilien Archabbey and school in Bavaria, Germany from November 3rd to the 6th. St. Ottilien Archabbey and school is relatively new in comparison to the schools we visited in Hungary. It was established in the 1880’s but has a fascinating worldview and local history. Converging upon St. Otillien School were more than 190 representatives from 90 Benedictine schools from more than 23 independent nations representing all continents with the exception of Antartica.

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The theme of the conference was “Communio – A Benedictine Gift For the Future”. At the Priory, “community” is one of our primary values. The first keynote speaker was Sr. Margaret Malone from Australia. Her lecture focused on the importance of community as a primary characteristic of the Benedictine school.

She stressed that “communio” has two challenges for faculty/staff and students: (1) spreading the “mission” the search for truth and (2) the dignity of every person. The Benedictine school is charged with the obligation of creating an inclusive environment where all students and staff are respected. Sr. Margaret was able to draw on her long experience as teacher, head of school and university professor to give poignant examples.

Abbot Fidelis Ruppert, O.S.B. of Muensterschwarzach, gave the second keynote address. His presentation focused on the historical development of the Benedictine environmental concerns and an ecological wisdom of life. From his experience of overseeing the development of a “carbonless footprint” for the Abbey and School, he shared many suggestions for a school that dares to be in the forefront of an ecological balanced life. Abbot Fidelis is not only concerned about creating a clean outside but challenges everyone to also look to the interior life by asking, “is constant, instantaneous communication not just another form of environmental pollution?”

After every address there was time for small group discussions and reflections. The groups were assigned without regard for language barriers. The keynote addresses enjoyed simultaneous translations into German, Spanish and English. In the small groups

we had to navigate the language divide. It is amazing to witness communication between people who do not speak the same language – a living example of “communio”.

Time was allotted for each geographical region (USA, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe) to meet. The Benedictine schools in North America have not met in several years. Our task was not only to establish a future meeting time and place but also an agenda. The younger faculty members from the United States suggested the following topics: the task of transmitting Benedictine values within a non-Christian school population; establishing an on-going in-service for faculty/staff in ways of transmitting the principles of the Rule of Benedict to students, parents and coaches; investigating ways of using technology that allow teachers in one school to observe teachers in another school especially when dealing with the transmission of Benedictine values; and ways to engage younger members of the faculty in both regional and international Benedictine conferences.

After the conference ended, the members of the Commission (representatives from each geographic region) stayed on to meet, to review and critique the conference. We learn from each experience and then we “begin again”. The next international conference will be held in 2013 in Manila. The schools in the Philippines traditionally have at least a thousand students. The trip was inspiring and educational and provided yet another opportunity for the Priory to understand its place among the worldwide Benedictine community.

In Memorium After a short illness, Rosemary Kopmeier Bradford Hewlett died on October 29, 2010 at her home in Atherton, California surrounded by her family and loved ones.

Roesemary was actively involved in Woodside Priory and was influential in many development projects including: renovating the Fine Arts Building, funding the

Faculty Summer Grant Program, funding the Fr. Martin Scholarship Fund, Founder’s Club level donor, consistent donor to the Chapel Fund, and so many more.

In addition to her philanthropy work with the Priory, Rosemary was actively involved on the Board of Menlo College, the San Francisco Opera Company and was one of the founding board members of the Peninsula Bridge Program, promoting academic and personal success for motivated middle school students from under-resourced local communities. This program in particular gave Rosemary much satisfaction and a great sense of pride.

Rosemary was also a member of the order of the Dames of Malta and numerous other clubs and organizations. Rosemary was truly a vibrant spirit that touched all who met her. She loved life and until very recently continued to travel the world and take holidays with family, close friends and her beloved caretaker for 17 years, Jose. Rosemary’s stimulating conversation and exuberance for life will be forever remembered. She never hesitated to let you know how she felt and would often say, “I love you” or “Te quiero mas.”

MONASTERY NEWS

by Tim Molak, Head-of-School

One of the highlights for Brother Edward and I when we attended the Benedictine conference in Germany was stopping in Hungary.

We were hosted by Abbot Matthew who is the midst of a 3 month sabbatical and acted as our tour guide to visit Pannonhalma (mother Abbey of the Priory until 1975) and see the sights of Budapest and the surrounding countryside.

Our first adventure was to the city of Gyor (pronounced Dure) where the Benedictines run a coed school for 400 students right in the center of this small city. Abbot Matthew was the main celebrant for the all school Mass (Abbot Matthew studied in Hungary and is fluent in the language).

It was celebrated in their beautiful Baroque church attached right to the school. After Mass we joined the Monks for mid day prayer and then a special lunch in their refectory. Father Thomas is the Headmaster and was the perfect model of Benedictine hospitality.

We left Gyor after lunch and made the short trip to Pannonhalma. This magnificent abbey, founded over a 1000 years ago, sits atop a hill and can be seen for miles. It houses one of the most beautiful libraries which would be the envy of many a major city. Pannonhalma has a school for 340 boy boarders who participate in an intensive academic program during the day and an equally enriching residential curriculum in the evening.

Brother Edward and I met with a group of 10 freshmen boys after dinner for tea and answered their questions about the Priory and living in the United States. We then attended a prayer service in their dormitory before they went to bed. It was obvious that the spirit of Saint Benedict lives in the minds and hearts of these young men. We also visited the crypt where Father Egon Javor, O.S.B., Father Christopher Hites, O.S.B., Father Emod Brunner, O.S.B. and Father Stanley Jaki, O.S.B. are laid to rest.

Archabbot Astrick received us in his office for aperitifs before dinner and showed us their plans for the remodel of their church as well as a tour of their impressive bio-mass heating plant that provides all the heating for the entire abbey. They have recently opened a winery and a tourist center – they are part of the United Nations World Heritage Sites and have visitors from all around the world daily. For their millennium anniversary the Pope came to Pannonhalma to celebrate Mass and honor the Benedictines for their tremendous service to the Hungarian Church over the centuries.

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Celebrating Our 53nd Year

The Priory Gala Auction & Fashion Show

Save the Date!

May 14, 2011

Two Revues: Matinee Tea/Fashion Show/Silent Auction Dinner/Fashion Show Cocktails/Silent Auction/Live Auction Dancing/Post Party at The Priory Lounge