Priorities #63: Winter 2016

A Magazine of the Priory · Issue #63

· Winter 2016

New Dream New Future

Board of Directors Abbot Mark Cooper, OSB Father John Fortin, OSB Father Martin Mager, OSB Father Maurus Nemeth, OSB Father Benet Phillips, OSB

Board of Trustees Brian Axe Catherine Boyle Dave Brett Mike Calbert Jennie Chiu Laura Cornish Craig Dauchy Eileen DiGiorgio Mark Gainey Cathy Gawne Karen Gregory Sally Harris Eric Harrison Sandy Herz Bob Larson Bob Latta Father Jonathan Licari, OSB Susan Light Bud McElroy Guy Nohra Stan Pierson Stewart Putney Ray Rothrock Maureen Sansbury Keith Van Sickle Pamela Weiss Phil Young

Priorities magazine is published in the Winter, Spring and Summer by Woodside Priory School for its alumni, parents, students, neighbors, and friends.

Contact the Communications Office at 650-851-6131 or the school at 650-851-8221.

About the photos on the cover, inside cover and back inside cover pages—Students were asked to submit photos that they felt represented the “Priory Life.”

On the Cover: Photo by Jackie Lim ‘20 Inside Cover: Photo by Andrew Cheng ‘19 Inside Back Cover: Photo by Kiki Sargent ‘20

Editor: Kelly Sargent Contributing Writers: Emily (Kirkland) Mangini, Kathy Gonzalez, Kelly Sargent, Kailen Whang Design/Production: Jim Kirkland, Copperline Multimedia Photos: Kendall Chong, Jennifer Hammer, Jim Kirkland, Father Martin Mager, Kelly Sargent, John Tazbaz, Geoff Westerfield Printing: Colorprint, 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 All are welcome.

This issue of Priorities contains a bit of the past and a bit of the future: • It was 40 years ago that Father Pius assisted in bringing the monks of Saint Anselm College to the Priory—Father Martin among that first group—thus creating an American/Hungarian alliance which has deepened the richness of our heritage.

• It was 25 years ago that our first group of girls came to the Priory. They were true pioneers in every sense and their presence then and now is priceless.

• In September we hosted our annual alumni reunion, and at the reception Friday night, we honored Father Pius for his decades of service in teaching hundreds of Priory students German and Latin.

• Our Board Building and Grounds committee is in the final design and planning stages for our new two story STREAM (Science, Technology, Robotics, Engineering, Art, Math) building which will be on the site of our current Fine Arts Studio. New construction will increase the size of that facility from 3500 square feet to over 12,000. It will contain 3 labs, a Robotics space, 4 art classrooms, a digital lab and a generous amount of open space and majestic views. Construction is to begin this summer with completion in August 2017.

• We put the spotlight on three of our current students—Monica Mallon; who is a candidate for County Supervisor; Brooks Royals, our latest Eagle Scout; and Candy Yin, our fantastic pianist who held a concert in China for over 500 people. Their talents are reflective of many more students who are sharing their passions with “a world in need of their gifts.”

Finally, we have the honor of having two Hungarian artists, father and son, Peter and Paul, working on our campus, creating and painting wall murals in the Middle School breezeway, the Upper School breezeway, and inside the Rothrock Performance Hall. They have works all over Europe and the United States. Father Maurus made initial contact with them and we are very excited about the completion of their unique works.

Our 60th anniversary is in 2017-2018, so these murals will be the first step in that community-wide celebration.

Happy New Year from all of us.

Tim Molak Head of School

HEAD OF SCHOOL

A

As I write this letter, Portola Valley has been as cold as I can remember. Frost on the front soccer fields and the roofs of our buildings makes me feel like I am back in Nebraska.

This time of year is so special in a number of ways for us. Our two Open Houses set a record for attendees, our Thanksgiving student chapel allowed us to reflect on thankfulness and the blessings bestowed on each of us, Advent Vespers inspired us with its music and message—Peace on Earth— and our new statue of Saint Benedict reminds us to live a life of Ora et Labora that provides balance in our daily schedule.

This April, a group of Priory faculty and staff will be attending the International Benedictine Colloquium in Rome. They will be joined by representatives from the other 22 Benedictine schools in the United States and all over the world. The Priory has attended these events for the past 20 years. The last one was in Manila, and we once again look forward to sharing ideas, work and prayer with our OSB colleagues.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 6-10 Fall at a Glance 11-13 Athletics 14-15 Performing Arts 16-17 Visual Arts 18-19 Student Spotlight 20-21 New Faculty 22-25 Benedictine Building

TABLE OF CONTENTS Woodside Priory School · Celebrating 58 Years of Benedictine Education

26-27 28-29 30-31 35-37 38-41 42

Alumnus Phil Golden 25 Years of Girls Academic Innovations Reunion Class News & Notes Monastery News

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FALL AT A GLANCE

National Merit honorees.

The new Schilling Square is a great place for fun activities like musical chairs, spikeball, and class challenges.

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The Homecoming Beach Carnival was a huge hit and students really got into the school spirit.

FALL AT A GLANCE Top left: Our well loved monks are surrounded by the faculty and staff children of the Priory.

Top right: Welcome to our new 6th graders, the Class of 2022.

Left: The faces of our new 9th grade class, the Class of 2019.

A medley of dulcimers featuring Father Martin, Diane Burns-Hassler, and Shawn Matson.

This past summer, the mural was restored by artists Bryana and Aualy from the East Palo Alto Mural, Music and Arts Project.

Two fall admissions open houses hosted over 450 families with more than 1,000 persons attending.

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FALL AT A GLANCE

Dorm students enjoyed carving pumpkins during Halloween.

8 A special evening event in the Franklin Garden, thanks to a gala auction item.

The 2nd Annual Girls’ Football Game was a thriller with the Sophomores and Juniors teaming up to take on the Freshmen and Seniors.

National French Week at Priory.

Featuring a dance performance by the 6th grade French students, French food at break, and a “Dress Like a Famous French Person” day.

FALL AT A GLANCE

Dia de los Muertos was filled with singing, dancing, prayers and fabulous food.

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Yoga in Schilling Square.

Halloween was filled with a lot of creative costumes!

Middle School Spirit Day was showered in pink with their Pink Panther themed day!

FALL AT A GLANCE

Right: The sophomore class enjoyed themselves at the beach for their class retreat.

10 6th graders had a great time in the Santa Cruz mountains for their outdoor education experience.

The Seniors sailed away with first place during Spirit Week with their “Sailor” themed day.

The sophomore class was “Hot and Spicy” on their Spirit Day. The Sophomores got creative with Flaming Hot Cheetos and a Sriracha sauce art contest.

Proud to be Nerds! The freshman class got nerdy together and celebrated their Spirit Day.

The Men in Black Juniors took care of business on their Spirit Day.

Below: Claire Becker ‘22 gets into the zone at the plate.

MS ATHLETICS

Left: Julianna Birn ‘22 brought the heat for the Panthers.

Left: Emily Wood ‘22 glides through the water with ease.

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Top: Justin Wood ‘20, Anna Dyckerhoff ‘21, and teammates discuss strategy.

Bottom left: Emma Solomon ‘21 gets off to a great start.

Top: Samantha Skarakis ‘22 stays ahead of the pack.

Right: Jack Herz ‘21 keeps a good pace.

MS Athletics featured four sports during the Fall season, which included: • Girls Softball • Cross Country • Swimming • Flag Football

Far left: Zach Zafran ‘21 and Muti Shuman ‘20 set up the offensive line.

Left: Henry Stanger ‘21 sprints in for a touchdown.

US ATHLETICS 12

The Boys Cross Country team finished 4th at League Finals to quality for the CCS Championships. The Girls Cross Country team finished 1st at League Finals for the first time ever in school history. The Girls went on to the State Championships for the third year in a row.

Priory football ended the season with a 1-7 record, but there were a lot of positives throughout the season. This year Priory passed 182 times for 1085 yards and ran 212 times for 1433 yards. These numbers are a vast improvement in passing and running compared to the 2013 season.

Priory football said goodbye to 4-year players; Michael Zhao, Christian Kruep, and Matthew Patzer. Football will never be the same without them!

US ATHLETICS 13 Girls Volleyball: For the first time ever, Priory was able to create three full teams of a Freshman, JV and Varsity volleyball teams. Priory volleyball bid farewell to Seniors Lilly Johnson and Alejandra Sanchez; pictured above.

Caption

Boys Water Polo Left: Brooks Royals ‘16 takes a shot. Center: Maté Bago ‘17 passes the ball.

Right: Michael Rapoport ‘16 makes a great save as goalie.

Girls Tennis: Sisters Casey Walsh ‘18 and Kelly Walsh ‘19 each earned All League.

Casey was named CoMVP and Kelly made 1st Team.

PERFORMING ARTS 14

Treasure Island

The All School Show cast of 65 students brought this classic to the stage with four fantastic shows in November 2015. With the directorial flair of John Sugden, the students flourished under the spotlight. Congratulations to the entire Treasure Island cast and crew for a fantastic show!

PERFORMING ARTS 15 Cookies and Classics took place in early November and featured many talented students! Pictured above left to right: Candy Yin ‘16, Gianna Morales ‘17, Michael Fitzgerald ‘16 and John Gregory ‘16, and Nicolas Tan ‘17.

Fall Concert: On October 30, 2015 the Performing Arts Department entertained a packed theater with a “British Invasion” concert, featuring music from Great Britain composers.

Beautiful music was performed by the MS Choir, Concert Choir, Chamber Choir, String Ensemble and Wind Ensemble.

VISUAL ARTS 16

Enjoy some highlights of student artwork from the Visual Arts Department. This is just a small sampling of stunning work from the Glass, Metals, Drawing and Painting, Photography, Ceramics, and AP Studio Art classes.

AP Studio Art: “Stained Glass”

by Kelsey Gosling ‘16.

AP Studio Art: “Drapery” by Kelsey Gosling ‘16.

Stained glass feathers created by the Glass class.

AP Studio Art: “Portraits”

by Yuju Shin ‘16.

MS Ceramic leaves by Matthew Covington ‘20 and Zeta Weiss ‘20.

Ceramic platter by Micah Aguila ‘16.

Festive ceramic pumpkins by the MS Ceramics class.

Ceramic butter dishes by the US Ceramics class.

VISUAL ARTS

AP Studio Art: “Zentangle”

by Kelsey Gosling ‘16.

AP Studio Art: (left) “Bicycle” by Yuju Shin ‘16 (right) “Skeleton” by Avery Singson ‘16.

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AP Studio Art: (left) “Eyes + Hands” by Avery Singson ‘16.

Always We Begin A’Grain faculty woodworkers show featuring Father Martin, Myles Somerville, Shawn Matson, Rick Riebhoff, and Hovey Clark.

AP Studio Art: “Portrait”

by Avery Singson ‘16.

A twisted metal tree by Delphine Tan ‘19.

Metal leaves beautifully crafted by John Gregory ‘16.

Candle holder created in Metals by Rebecca Suta ‘18.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Going Above and

Beyond

Brooks Royals ‘16

Candy Yin ‘16

On August 15, 2015, most students were enjoying their last few days of summer before school began. Not Monica Mallon. Using social media, Monica announced her candidacy for District 5 Supervisor of Santa Clara County. Monica made her announcement public on her 18th birthday at her exact time of birth, thereby making her possibly the youngest candidate ever in the state of California. She has been pleasantly surprised at the media attention after her campaign announcement. “I thought maybe some of my friends and family would be interested in it.

I didn’t think I was going to get this much attention.” she says. Within the first week of school, several news stations including CBS, KNTV, and NBC visited the Priory to interview Monica and capture her daily school life. Monica explained how she has been able to manage her campaign and school.

“All of my teachers and all of my friends have been very supportive and understanding throughout this entire campaign.”

Monica’s campaign surprised a lot of people. “Well, people were pretty surprised because I’m really young. I’m only 18. Most 18 year olds aren’t running for office. Most 30 or 40 year olds aren’t running for office.

So people were surprised, but I have always been interested in politics.” she says. While voting doesn’t happen until June 2016, Monica is taking things one step at a time. “My goal is to actually get on the ballot. Right now I can be a write-in.”

Monica has a message for all the young voters. “I want people to realize that their vote matters; no matter what their age is, you have a vote. And you can use that to change policies with your vote.”

While Monica’s political future is unknown, her passion for politics is clear. “Regardless of the outcome, I plan to stay involved in local politics. It’s something I have always been interested in.”

Relief. That’s the single word that comes to Brooks Royals’ mind when he thinks about finally becoming an Eagle Scout on September 27, 2015. Brooks always knew he would earn his Eagle Scout. “ I felt it wasn’t a matter of if I will become an Eagle Scout, but rather a matter of when.” It took Brooks 13 months to complete his extensive project.

Brooks proudly explained, “I built a display for a 150-year-old, 400-pound bell for St. Matthew’s Catholic Church in San Mateo.”

With help and donations from Bill Butler, of W.L. Butler Construction, the base was fashioned from a 150-year-old first growth redwood beam. The bell sits in a bottle cap, and the display was placed in the main vestibule of St. Matthew’s Catholic Church. “I spent a couple of months doing my research and designing a few bases that would be able to hold a bell that heavy. I even asked for the help of a structural engineer to ensure the base would be structurally sound. The last thing we wanted was for a heavy, cast iron bell to slide off during an earthquake and fall on somebody.”

Brooks joined the Scouts at the age of six.

He is a third generation Scout, following the footsteps of his father and grandfather. “My dad inspired me to become a Scout. After hearing stories about my dad’s experiences in scouting and the morals and life lessons he picked up along the way, and knowing that I could be a third-generation Scout, I felt it was only fitting that I joined the Boy Scouts.” His father and grandfather also earned the Eagle Scout rank. When Brooks’ father was asked about his Eagle Scout project, he said, “Eagle Scout projects didn’t exist back in my day. It was a pure meritocracy where once we got certain merit badges and exhibited some leadership in the troop, we became Eagle Scouts. We had it easy.”

As the ASB President of the school, Brooks has learned a great deal of leadership from the Scouts. “Scouting has taught me to be a confident leader. Scouts gave me responsibility and the opportunity to lead others, something that gave me a huge amount of confidence at the time and has stuck with me to this day.”

“Share Music with Others” was the theme of Candy Yin’s piano concert, and she did just that for a packed concert hall. On August 11, 2015, Candy delighted the crowd with a full classical piano concert at the Shenzhen Concert Hall in China. “I decided to do the concert in May 2015. I had played all of the pieces since February to prepare for music school auditions.” Candy used the concert as a way to rehearse for her college auditions in front of a live audience—an audience of 500, that is. “I already knew the pieces because they were all pieces that I had done before.

I memorized all of the pieces except for two that my dad had requested I add to extend the concert.”

Candy’s piano skills come after 13 years of hard work. But it wasn’t until she came to the United States to attend the Priory, that she became serious about playing the piano. She has also taken her music to the next level. “I go to the San Francisco Conservatory once a week to take 4 lessons in Instrumental, Musicianship, Choir, and Chamber lessons.”

While Candy may be a master classical pianist, she is also a teenager. Her fun teenage side peaked through during the encore of her concert. “The last piece I played was 20 minutes long, and I saw people getting sleepy. I wanted to wake up the crowd so I played a well known Japanese anime song called ‘Senbonzakura.’ I noticed that people sat up and enjoyed the change in style from classical to an anime tune.”

Candy would like to do another concert this coming summer, perhaps even two. She would like to put together a concert for her Senior Project and also another concert in China. “I won’t have college apps to worry about, so I’ll have time!”

‘The Candidate’

‘The Eagle Scout’

‘The Pianist’

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Monica Mallon ‘16

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FACULTY

Welcome to our New Faculty

Cheng Cheng Mandarin Teacher Residential Life Faculty

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Cheng comes to the Priory after teaching in public and private high schools and at the college level. She received her B.A. from Beijing Language and Culture University and got her M.Ed. from Stanford University. Cheng teaches Mandarin Chinese and works as a part-time Residential Faculty in the dorms. In her spare time, Cheng enjoys hanging out with friends, watching TV dramas, and racing go karts.

Gabriela Karina Aguilera Ruvalcaba (Karina Aguilera) Spanish Teacher Karina graduated from the University of Guadalajara in Mexico and majored in Law. She holds a certification from the Mexican Ministry of Education in teaching Spanish as a second language. She moved to California two years ago and has been working as a tutor in a private language center in Palo Alto.

In her spare time, she likes to travel, work out, cook, read, eat good food, and spend time with her husband and friends. One of her favorite quotes is, “The purpose of our lives is to be happy” by the Dalai Lama.

Hessen Ghazal French Teacher Hessen received a Childhood Degree from Lyon, France, then earned her M.A. in French and a Ph.D. in Educational Administration from Andres University, Michigan. Her previous experience includes teaching French at the Collège Protestant Français, Stanford University, and the Alliance Française of San Francisco. She has also provided private tutoring lessons of all ages and levels. Hessen enjoys teaching, baking, cooking, traveling, dancing, listening to French music, and reading. She enjoys many sports such as volleyball, basketball, ping-pong and walking. Hessen’s philosophy is “Science sans conscience n’est que ruine de l’âme.” It means, “science without conscience is a ruin of the soul.”

Andrew Lee Mathematics Teacher Andrew began his Priory career after teaching math at a public charter school in Redwood City and also at Notre Dame Belmont, where he taught for seven years. He received his B.A. in Applied Math from UC Berkeley, his Teaching Credential from SF State University and his M.S. in Computational and Mathematical Engineering from Stanford University. Andrew enjoys swimming, playing the violin and has experience with Tae Kwon Do and Hapkido.

FACULTY Rich Paige Mathematics Teacher Computer Science Teacher Robotics Mentor Prism Club Advisor Rich is already a familiar face at the Priory, as he was not only the Robotics mentor last year, but also a Priory parent to Nathan Paige ’13. Rich joined the faculty this year, teaching math and computer science classes. He holds a B.A. in Mathematics and Chemistry from Oberlin College and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Illinois. He taught computer science at Illinois, and then entered the California high-tech workforce where he stayed for almost 30 years. Rich loves being active outdoors by hiking, camping, backpacking, cycling, and kayaking. He also enjoys gardening and cooking (especially using vegetables from his garden), reading, playing the violin, and woodworking.

Amy Payne English Teacher Currently in her first year at Priory, Amy received her B.A. from St. Lawrence University and earned her M.F.A. in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. Amy comes to the Priory with a wealth of experience as a previous Director of Curriculum, Literacy Specialist, librarian, and MS English teacher—not to mention an entire career in Educational Publishing. When she’s not in the classroom, she enjoys hiking, the ocean in all forms, reading, writing fiction, and secret poetry (she’s published short stories and some ancient news articles).

She enjoys being a mom, eating, friends and family, sitting still and letting her mind wander, and travel. Amy has two children who are currently attending Menlo-Atherton High School.

2015 was a blossoming year with new additions to the Priory Community!

A warm welcome to our “Newborn” Priory Community Members.

Korinn Myers and husband Myles Somerville — baby boy on July 10th, Westy Ellis Somerville

Dot Kowal and husband Zak— baby girl on November 13th, Farrah Young Kowal

Matt Roth and wife Terri — welcomed a baby girl on October 19th, Maddie Roth

Maria Garcia and husband Marco Estrada — baby boy on June 8th, Gabriel Alexis Estrada

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FEATURE

New Benedictine Building,

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Ask twenty different people what they think about the new Benedictine classroom building in Schilling Square, and they’ll all tell you the same thing: The views out of every window are spectacular.

But go on to ask them what else they love, and you’ll hear a variety of accolades.

FEATURE

New Benedictine Dreams

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By Kathy Gonzalez

FEATURE 24

Sophomore Elizabeth Duncan appreciates that the new building has “a very natural feeling.” She notes the natural tones, the use of reclaimed wood from the old faculty building, and the advantage that as she says, “Mr. Marsheck can just open a wall, so even though we’re in a classroom, we feel like we’re in nature. It’s a spiritual feeling.” Her classmate Lena Bhagat elaborates that the building “embodies Benedictine spirituality. We even witnessed how the monks did the blessing of it.” Last spring, everyone was alerted in time to witness the raising of the cross at the top of the building—the first cross on campus to grace one of our buildings. The construction crew members paused in their work, knowing this moment felt momentous, while down below spectators watched, smiling, some even making the sign of the cross.

With a different focus, senior Gigi de Fort-Menares noticed the environmentally friendly details that are mindful of the Priory’s goal to use less energy and foster a more sustainable campus. “There’s a sensor in the ceiling that adjusts the lighting,” Gigi commented. “I really like the new building because the light switches adjust.” A daylight sensor in each room actually dims or brightens the lights automatically in order to save energy. The lights also shut off automatically each night, as does the HVAC system. And those round pits in Schilling Square aren’t just more pretty landscaping: they are bio-swales that filter rainwater, capturing contaminants more safely than if the water drained straight down storm drains. Priory Sustain-

ability Coordinator Hovey Clark adds that the new classrooms and their surrounding grounds have been designed with an emphasis on sustainable construction and operations over their lifetimes. From climate control and solar panels to lighting, insulation, and window choices, these new campus areas will be extremely energy efficient—potentially generating as much energy as they require.

Other details of the new building caught the eye of some of our athletes. “The elevator is nice because when I’m sore I don’t have to walk up the steps,” notes sophomore JR Brandin. Freshman Andrew Cheng also loves the elevator, but for a different reason. “I like the declaration on the door, especially because it’s in different languages,” he says. Mandarin, Japanese, Spanish, French, Hungarian, and English define Priory students as intelligent, honest, faithful, fuertes, tranquilos, drôles, sains, and egyhazi, among many other adjectives. The words give students something to look at while waiting for the elevator, but more importantly, they reinforce a positive identity that matches Priory values.

After years of planning and ten months of construction, the new building officially opened for use in August, just in time for this school year. The “Building Ingenuity” capital campaign headed by Mike Calbert included donations from all members of the Priory community: parents, families, alumni, administration, and staff—and came in under budget. In this way, the building symbolizes our Benedictine values as the whole community rallied to make it a reality. “I think most importantly, the kids have more pride in their school,” says history teacher Damian Cohen. The new building is a showcase piece we can all be proud of.

Priory community members were also invited to leave their mark—quite literally—on the building as it went up. After chapel last spring, everyone on campus had the opportunity to pick up a Sharpie and sign the bare wooden wall of what would become the faculty lounge and classrooms. The monks went first, inscribing Brother Edward’s name in remembrance alongside theirs. “Having his name signed on the wall assured that his presence will always be with us,” stated Father Martin.

of all decisions. “New classrooms will allow Priory to form the essential link between the way our students interact and the world they’ll soon enter,” states the Building Ingenuity brochure. Desks can be moved easily, space usage is more fluid, and robust broadband allows students to connect to more devices simultaneously. In line with 21st century technological needs, teachers can access and display a multitude of applications and differentiated online learning opportunities.

English teacher Amy Payne loves it all. “The big work space, flexible in how it can be arranged, the awesome AV, the easy blinds, the furniture, and how sound proof it is.” As Director of Development Siobhan Lawlor points out, Priory wants a classroom that can be adapted to whatever the learner needs, “creating an environment that’s best for our students to learn in.”

Sophomore Armando Gonzalez-Zaragoza sums it all up. “The new building is like a new dream.” Our founding monks 57 years ago had their dream, and the gorgeous new Benedictine classroom building continues to add color and detail to that dream.

FEATURE

English and math teachers moved into the new classrooms against the back hillside, promptly decorating with posters of famous mathematicians, grammar reminders, Impressionist artwork, or bringing in their signature classroom tokens like Ms. Gonzalez’s candle or Mrs. Briggs’ prayer bowl. English teacher Kindra Briggs says of the new faculty lounge, with its modern furniture, hanging lamps, and work loft, “I love the Mad Men aesthetic.” Whether it’s the copier, the coffee machine, or the couch, the new space draws the teachers in to work, collaborate, or rejuvenate.

Father Maurus officially blessed the new building at the start of this school year, before a crowd of staff, students, and families. “My sole intention and task is to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation in the name of our Benedictine community here and in New Hampshire, to you ALL for making this dream come true,” he said, referring to the Priory’s founding monks’ dream to build a state of the art school in the Woodside hills. Father Maurus thanked the many people involved in making this building a reality, including the Schilling family for whom the revamped square is named. Sophomore Mackenzie Cornish adds that the square “is the biggest game changer. I’ve definitely gotten to know more people because we have a place where we can all get together.”

The whole goal of developing the new Benedictine classrooms, centers around Priory’s core values of placing the student’s learning experience at the heart

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ALUMNUS Q&A 26

Phil

Golden

Interview by Emily (Kirkland) Mangini

Tell us about your personal history with Priory.

I started at Priory in 1972 as a freshman. It was natural for me to go to Priory since I grew up just down the road and my older brother, Richard (Class of 1966), had transferred there as a junior. Once he started, our home became a midnight haven for boarding students, and my mother, Emma, volunteered at the library.

To this day, when Father Pius sees me, he holds out his hand in front of him, about waist high, smiles and says, “I remember you riding your tricycle on the campus.”

How have you stayed connected to Priory since graduating?

I recently started the process to begin volunteering at the school. But when I was a sophomore in college, the Priory had an emergency need for a JV basketball coach. I knew very little about competitive basketball, but said yes. Every day I met with the varsity coach, John Miller, to ask him what we were going to do in practice that day and why. It was a good experience. John was also young, and one day when we showed up at an opposing team’s gym, the medicine kit in one hand and the balls slung over the other shoulder, their coach said “Just put your stuff over there, boys. Where’s your coach?”

What are some of the lessons you learned at Priory?

I learned English grammar, big-time—thank you, Fr. John Coleman, OSB. I also learned the college prep fundamentals and how to study and prepare. The academic bar was set high at Priory—this was made very clear to me as a freshman.

I had finished in the 50th percentile at the Santa Clara University Math Test; I was a pathetic math student, but went so I could get out of going to Saturday class. The following week the Headmaster, Father Charles, laid into me for disgracing the school by finishing in the 50th percentile. The message was loud and clear: “average” is unacceptable, and it is not what the Priory is about.

But even more than learning grammar or the importance of not disgracing Priory at a math contest, I learned how to think critically.

Priory’s curriculum required us to think a lot about what it means to be human. We were forced to think about big ques-

tions: What is real? What is right? What is just? At the time, we considered these questions from an academic standpoint, but the seed was planted. I’m no saint by any stretch, but I do spend at least as much time thinking about the plight of other people just about as much as I think about myself, and that started at the Priory. I use all of these tools daily, and I am constantly aware of where they were acquired.

What motivated you to give back to Priory, particularly in the form of planned giving?

In my current work in the Office of Development at Stanford, I have learned that more than just tuition dollars are needed for a school to thrive and accomplish its mission. It needs annual gifts. It needs the payout from endowed gifts.

It also needs estate gifts. Estate gifts make up for the revenue streams that can fluctuate with annual donors. It also gives donors who did not or could not contribute during their lifetimes the chance to “catch up” on giving back.

My wish is that one day, socioeconomic status will not determine who does and who does not attend Priory. Society needs leaders who are both well-trained and understand the human condition. The Priory is a school that can, and does, prepare such leaders.

I want to see as many opportunities as possible created for eager and deserving students who have experienced headwinds and are not from the middle or upper classes. I want to make it possible for those students to avail themselves to the immense advantages afforded by attending Priory, so that they can rise and become tomorrow’s compassionate leaders.

My estate gift will be allocated to financial aid. By itself, my gift will hardly make a difference to anyone. But if every grateful alumnus or alumna were to make an estate gift equal to the one I plan to make—it isn’t much at all, and probably 95% of us can make such a gift without our kids ever feeling it—the Priory could have a stronger financial aid program.

The power of collective giving can transform an educational institution, and that is a small part in transforming the world.

ALUMNUS Q&A

Phil Golden, class of 1976, is the newest member of the St. Benedict Society, having bequeathed a portion of his estate to Priory. In his own words, Phil shares his thoughts on the importance of giving back to Priory.

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LANDMARKS 28

Girls 2 5

Y E A R S

O F

By Emily (Kirkland) Mangini, Class of 2001

I remember my first day at Priory like it was yesterday. It was 1995. I was petrified and felt

like I was falling through air—fairly standard for starting at a new school. But in 1991, the girls embarking on their Priory journeys faced a hurdle much larger than standard preteen anxieties: being the first female students in a sea of raucous, pubescent boys. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Priory becoming co-educational—the decision was made in 1990, and enacted quickly in 1991. It was by all accounts an exciting period, with growing pains and triumphs alike. As an alumna, I am a grateful benefactor of that seismic shift in the Priory community. But putting myself in those girls’ shoes, I have to admit: I am not sure I would have had the stomach for it.

“That first class of girls, they were strong,” Father Martin, OSB, reflected. “They were really sticking their necks out by coming to Priory. They weren’t pushovers.

They were awesome.”

Drawn to the Priory for myriad reasons—merit scholarships, the beautiful campus, the thrill of being a part of the school’s history—these first female students were pioneers. (Pioneers that Priory had considered welcoming for many years.)

Reflecting on what finally tipped the scales, Father Pius, OSB, shared that parents and board members had long been advocating for their daughters to have access to the Priory community and education. But even more, there was a dis-

tinct, and much needed, economic advantage to admitting girls. Not only was Priory facing the waning popularity of single-gender education, but there was also a regional shortage of high school students.

“At the time, there just weren’t enough students for all of the schools that were recruiting. Even public schools were closing,” explained Father Martin. “So by adding girls, we doubled our admission pool.”

The decision to become a co-ed school was met with relief and reservations.

“My first thought was, ‘Finally!’” shared Paul Trudelle.

“I wanted my girls to one day be able to come to Priory.”

Many shared that excitement, but there were also concerns that the school was unprepared. Questions of whether there were enough teachers with co-educational experience, and if the facilities were equipped to accommodate the female students, swirled the campus. Caitlin Davis ‘95 and one of the first female freshman to join Priory, remembers well the push and pull as the community navigated its new waters.

“The first few days and weeks were a bit of a culture shock. We watched as the school figured out the best rules with boys and girls on campus—the one I remember most was that girls couldn’t leave the school in a boy’s car. We tested these boundaries, and that of the regular and the formal dress codes. Once we showed up in the boys’ formal dress since we thought our dress policy wasn’t fair. We were all sent home to change.”

Mr. Trudelle says, “I started getting homework and quizzes with flower drawings and heart dots over the lowercase ‘i’s’—hadn’t seen that in our all-boys days... And the singing improved in chapel.”

For Father Martin, the addition of women’s sports provided his moment of clarity. “Of course we knew that there were girls on campus, we could see that. But it felt real when I went to a girls volleyball game. All of the girls had to be on the team, we had so few. Seeing them on the court in their Priory jerseys, that’s when I realized, ‘Wow, we really are coed.”

The transition to co-education could have gone a number of ways, but the students embraced the duty of ushering in this new Priory era. The same yearbook editorial that joked about oral hygiene closed with this telling commentary, “There is an unspoken, yet universal, understanding that all students have a responsibility to do their best to make co-education at the Priory work.”

The pioneering young women broke ground for us girls that were to follow, giving us the luxury of stepping onto a campus primed to educate and nurture young men and young women alike. But it is this sense of pride and commitment to Priory that made the transition successful, allowing Priory to begin again.

LANDMARKS

The bumps in the road, however, extended beyond the dress code and girls leaving campus with boys. The concern about facilities reared its head in the form of the girls’ locker room. A small and tired space, it made the girls feel like “second class citizens” according to Michael Farris ‘95. Of course this was unintentional and by 1995, a new locker room had been built. Of note, those of us who enjoyed that new facility did so blissfully unaware of what the sparkling fixtures or spacious footprint had replaced.

But amidst the occasional growing pains was a blossoming student body. The young women were embracing their pioneer status, and still do to this day. Diana Kincaid ‘95, shared, “Being one of the first girls is still really cool. I love that I was the very first female to take Father Martin’s photography class.” The young men were also changing in the presence of their new classmates. Mr. Farris experienced Priory as an all-boys school during middle school and remembers well the shift: “The existing boys had to suddenly change from ‘uncaring tough guys,’ to ‘easy-going and likeable,’ in order not to get rejected by the girls at first-glance... There were far fewer skirmishes in the halls.” Personal hygiene also enjoyed a boost, with the 1991-1992 yearbook noting, “Guys who had brushed their teeth once or twice in the past year suddenly showed up with pearly whites every day.”

While it can be assumed those cleaner teeth and fewer hallway altercations were a welcomed reprieve, there were other notable changes that stick out for Mr. Trudelle and Father Martin.

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INNOVATION 30

Academic Innovations

AP Psychology Remote Synchronous Class AP Psychology teacher Adam Siler never thought he’d be able to say, “I’m going to grad school in Philadelphia, teaching in California and living in Virginia.” This year Adam Siler moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, but it didn’t stop him from teaching at the Priory. “The benefit is if there is demand for a psychology class and the teacher is moving 3000 miles away? We can do it.” Using a platform called GoToTraining, the class is done remotely and synchronously. Adam logs in from Virginia, and under the supervision of Joe Montero in the classroom, the students connect on their laptops. “The tech people have been incredible and it has been a great marriage between Joe and me in terms of managing the class.”

Adam begins each class with a check-in, so students feel like they have a voice. Students can communicate with Adam in several different ways. Each student wears a headset or earbuds with a microphone and Adam can mute or unmute each student individually. There is also a chat and “raise hand” feature on each of the student screens. Tests and quizzes are done both online and in hard copy format. Students are allowed to text or call Adam on his cell phone during the assessments if they have any questions. “I probably get on average about six phone calls per test with questions, and this is fine. It’s the same as if they needed to ask me a question during a test and walked up to me in class.”

This class only came together after a lot of research and experimentation by the Technology Department and Adam. Surprisingly, there has only been one technical problem at the beginning of the year when the Internet went out and they had to cut class 8 minutes early. “The kids can just do it, they don’t need step by step guidance.

99% of the time if there is a problem, the students troubleshoot it.”

The AP Psychology class is a very challenging class, and there is a lot of autonomy. Even so, Adam was happy to report that this year’s remote synchronous class is doing just as well as last year’s in-person AP Psychology class. Adam had a simple explanation for this. “It’s not about doing something new, it’s about doing something functional,” he says. “ It’s still teaching and learning.”

Tinker Labs

Last year, a new class was added to the Computer Science course offerings. This was no ordinary class. The new CAD (Computer Aided Design) and 3D Printing class teaches students how to use 3D printers to create anything their creative minds can think of. Students have printed a wide variety of plastic objects, from a finger for a baby to a model prison system. The 3D printers can also create plastic molds which in turn are used to create products from different media such as metal and chocolate.

Students use a software called SolidWorks to design their products. There are five different 3D printers for their use. On average, they use about 4-5 spools of ABS filament per semester. Students can take the CAD and 3D Printing course for one semester or continue on to CAD and 3D Printing 2 for an additional semester. During the second semester, students learn how to market and sell their products. Students will design and sell for a consumer demographic that shops 3D models on Shapeways. com and through a school-wide Etsy-like store.

The topics include pitching ideas, market research, design solutions, production, marketing, and cost analysis.

The course is still expanding as new technology becomes available. The hope is to obtain additional devices that can create a model with a laser cutter, an electric cutter, or a CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machine. With a creative course like CAD, the hope is that students will feel more comfortable with computer science and turn it into engineering, architecture, robotics, and other disciplines.

The addition of two Tinker Labs on campus has allowed teachers to expand the student learning experience into a more engaging and student-centered learning model. The Tinker Labs contain hundreds of items, including paint, cardboard, sewing machines, drills, hacksaws, a circular saw, jigsaw, chopsaw, rotary cutters and two-by-fours. Student projects have varied. Some have been abstract in nature, and others have been more concrete such as Jewish wedding canopies, cardboard and duct-tape chairs, and 3D replicas of artifacts. For example, when Alex Thayer’s American Democracy class was studying George Washington, they went into the Tinker Lab and created 3D replicas of George Washington’s teeth. Still other classes have used the Tinker Lab as an alternative learning environment, setting it up for a science experiment or a debate.

Yvonne Faisal, who headed up the movement, carried out the research for the Tinker Lab. She visited similar spaces at other schools and did a lot of online research and dreaming. Faisal explained, “I really wanted a space that felt both welcoming and empowering. To that end, I chose materials and furnishings that were very durable yet bright and appealing. Organizing the space into “zones” and storing all materials in the open and/or in transparent bins was intentional to make it easy to find one’s way around and brainstorm about how to use materials and also to take ownership for keeping it organized.”

The plan is to slowly build up the Tinker Labs over the next couple of years. The hope is to add more technology like 3D printers and to have teachers integrate their classes more with the Tinker Lab.

INNOVATION

CAD and 3D Printer

31

DEVELOPMENT 32

H

Happy New Year to our wonderful and supportive community!

The 2015-2016 school year is well underway—and what a launch to the new school year it has been! The spirit and enthusiasm surrounding the opening of the first new academic building in 40 years contributed to an all-time high all around campus. The energy was palpable on the fields, in the classrooms, in the science labs—it was evident everywhere. Daily we witness how seamlessly our faculty and students have adjusted to our new classrooms on Schilling Square.

Here is some feedback from our teachers and students about how the new classrooms have created an ideal learning environment: • Flexible space: Plenty of space for storage, to spread out comfortably into small groups, to have whole-class discussions, and to easily separate for testing.

• Technology: Everything works “better” and much more efficiently.

• Comfort: Solar panels power the entire building and allow the climate control and smart lighting to automatically adjust to the conditions, creating a far more comfortable learning environment.

• Sustainable: The entire building is energy neutral, only generating as much energy as it uses over the lifespan of the building.

• Convenience: It’s much easier to get from class to class because much of the Upper School campus is centralized.

• Emotional: Students feel more “professional,” “more important,” “studious,” and “happy,” and they take more pride in their school.

• Plaza: The outdoor stage has already proven beneficial for outdoor assemblies, presentations and events—a natural place for community gathering.

• Faculty Lounge: The new lounge is “exceptional,” with a meeting area for faculty discussions that’s also located in close proximity to students for continuous supervision during break.

Best,

Siobhán Lawlor, Director of Development

DEVELOPMENT

“From a teacher’s standpoint,” says Chris Georgules, “I don’t think the little things like having plenty of space, having a comfortable temperature, and having everything available and working can be overstated. When those things aren’t there or aren’t working well, it can make the learning environment fairly uncomfortable, thus leading to poorer student attention, and/or disruptive to the fluidity of a class lesson, causing a carefully crafted lesson to be altered or completely aborted in the middle of a class period.”

While we are enjoying this wonderful new learning environment, we are also focusing on our next improvement, the creation of a state-of-the art STREAM Center (Science Technology Robotics Engineering Art Math). Construction is slated to begin over the summer of 2016 with completion by fall 2017, just in time for our 60th Anniversary Celebration.

One of the most innovative and forward thinking groups on campus is our Robotics Team. They proudly call themselves Barn2Robotics due to a very challenging working space—our original Barn! Regardless of the physical limitations of their workshop, this innovative group won a regional competition recently in Sacramento. The competition for 2015 was called “Recycle Rush” in which Robotics competed by building stacks of storage totes. The STREAM Center will provide this exceptional group with the big, open, flexible space necessary to fully collaborate and exercise their creativity and critical thinking skills.

In addition to the new Robotics Lab, the STREAM Center will also provide a tool room, 3 science labs with attached classrooms, 4 art studios, and a computer and digital lab.

We continue to be grateful to the families who have supported these very necessary improvements. Because of you, we are able to fulfill our vision of providing our students the right tools to reach their maximum potential. What are we building? Thanks to you—we are Building Ingenuity.

We continue to be grateful to the families who have supported these very necessary improvements.

Because of you, we are able to fulfill our vision of providing our students the right tools to reach their maximum potential.

33

SPECIAL

Endowed Faculty Chair Recipients Every two years, a faculty member is selected by a committee to receive an endowment in a specific teaching field. The endowments are a way to acknowledge a teacher for his or her hard and scholarly work. It is a huge honor to receive the endowment.

The Kriewall-Haehl Family Endowed Faculty Chair is given to a teacher who teaches one of the core curriculum classes. The Kriewall-Haehl family created the endowment in 2008 in honor of Father Pius to recognize the monks and their lifelong devotion to education. Father Pius holds a special place in the hearts of John Kriewall, Betsy Haehl, and Alicia Kriewall ’07.

34

The McGraw Family Endowed Faculty Chair is given to a teacher in the science or math field. Joan and Jack McGraw started the endowment in 2007 to honor Father Maurus. The McGraws created the endowment because they felt that their sons John ’80 and Michael ’83 had benefited from Father Maurus’ teaching and helped them to become successful in life.

Congratulations to our two newest recipients, Kindra Briggs and Steve Marsheck.

Kriewall-Haehl Family recipients: 2008/2009: Caitha Ambler 2009/2010: Ruth Benz 2011/2013: Nancy Newman 2014/2015: Reed Sullivan 2015/2016: Kindra Briggs

McGraw Family recipients: 2008/2009: Gabe Tang 2011/2013: Christine Muir Parker 2014/2015: Paul Trudelle 2015/2016: Steve Marsheck

40 Year Anniversary: Arrival of St. Anselm Monks On September 10, 1976, Rome gave the final approval for the merger between Saint Anselm’s Abbey and Woodside Priory. Priory was not only blessed with the merger, but also with the arrival of four members from the Saint Anselm community. Brother Mark Cooper, Brother Daniel Dempski, Father Martin Mager, and Father Simon O’Donnell arrived for the 1975-76 school year.

Father Martin’s first year at Priory brought a lot of new experiences for him. “I grew up on football and had never seen a soccer game in my life. Just trying to figure out the rules had me baffled.” He also fondly remembers an amusing moment between him and Abbot Mark. “I recall sitting on a ski lift at Squaw Valley with Abbot Mark (then Brother Mark). We had driven a vanload of kids for a day on the slopes.

We just looked at each other and wondered out loud, “How the heck did we ever wind up here?”

Saint Anselm sent the monks for what was supposed to be a one-to-three year period, but as Father Martin celebrates his 40th year at the Priory, he jokes, “I’m just here on temporary loan, they just forgot.” Father Martin shared a special message regarding his past, present and future time at the Priory. “The Priory is my home,” he says, “made rich by the students, faculty and staff who have passed this way for these past forty years. What started as a sort of an experiment four decades ago turned out to be a wonderfully successful venture which has enhanced the Benedictine community both in California and in New Hampshire.”

On September 11-13, Priory held a reunion for the classes of 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2010. It gave old friends and faculty a chance to catch up and swap old stories they couldn’t tell during their time at Priory.

Al Zappelli, Sean Zarringhalam ‘10, Katie Neckowitz ‘10, Melissa Perna ‘10, Sarah Wookey ‘10, Casey Montalvo ‘10, Carole Mauss, Kate Finlay ‘10, and Humphrey Yang ‘05.

35

Right: Friday evening cocktail party.

Below: Jim Irving ’65, Andras Csaplar ‘64, and Thom Hughes ‘65.

Above: Katie Neckowitz ‘10.

Directly above: Casey Montalvo ‘10, Sara Wookey ‘10, and Sean Zarringhalam ‘10.

Right: Ted McIntosh ‘05 and Julia Duncan ‘05.

Mik Oyler ’95 and Jeanine Yost ‘96.

REUNION

REUNION!

Luis Zabala ’75 and John O’Mara ‘65.

James Cirino ‘00.

REUNION

Clockwise L-R: Chris Pieper ‘85, Kurt Stache ‘85, Dan Begin ’85, and Mike McCrady ‘85.

36

Class of 1985 at the Saturday evening reception, Mike McCrady, Poom Osatananda, Paul Kusber, Frank Aiello, Chris Pieper, Arash Kamangar, Dan Begin, George Willman, Kart Stache, and Adam Herring.

Mik Oyler ’95 and Father Martin.

Above: Nate Coombs ‘05, Lauren Hecht ‘05, and Lauren Frasch ‘05.

Right: Celebrating Father Pius’ 80th birthday!

Arash Kamangar ’85 and family.

Friday night cocktail party.

Mike McCrady ’85 and Father Maurus.

REUNION

Far Left: James Cirino ’00 and Mike Alcheck ‘00.

Left: Head of School, Tim Molak with the State of the School.

Below: Vintage Woodside Priory letterman sweater donated

by Chris Shea ‘65.

37

Above: Father Martin, Lauren Hetch ‘05, Brett Yerkovich ‘05, Laura Newton ‘05, Nate Coombs ‘05, Lauren Frasch ’05, and Paul Trudelle.

Far Right Top: Tim Molak and James Cirino ‘00.

Right: Father Martin and Lauren Allen ‘10.

Far Right Bottom: Paul and Sylvia Trudelle, Laura ’05 and Jesse Newton, and baby Lily.

Far left: Father Pius and Kurt Stache ‘85.

Left: Chris Pieper ‘85, Kurt Stache ’85, and Dan Begin ‘85.

CLASS NEWS & NOTES 38

1977

Rod Tayler wrote on Facebook for our #ThankYouPriory campaign, “I am thankful for Father Maurus, by far the best teacher I ever had, better than any I had while at a prestigious college and a top-rated medical school. I have tried to follow in his footsteps by becoming a science teacher. Jack Belliveau ‘77, a pioneer in brain imaging, told me many times over the 40 years we were friends (we first became close as classmates in Fr. Maurus’ biology class at The Priory in 1974) that Father Maurus was the best teacher he ever had, too.” Rod is now a science teacher at Lake Tahoe School.

1984

Garth Schooler commented on Facebook for our #ThankYouPriory campaign, “The Priory is about lifelong friendships and an education which will last you a lifetime. Our class is like a married couple, 30 years and still going strong!”

1995

Miklos “Mik” Oyler, M.Ed. recently started as the new Director of the Wediko Summer Program. Part of a continuum of mental health and educational programs offered by Wediko Children’s Services, the Wediko Summer Program is a 45-day therapeutic residential program serving boys and girls with emotional and behavioral difficulties. Mik joined Wediko with a passion for empowering youth, dedication to facilitating healthy staff culture, and a history of strengthening clinical programming.

1998

Suzi Kovacs stopped by the Priory in September and visited with Tim Molak.

2000

Alexandra DeMartini was married in November 2014 in Pebble Beach, California to Pete Christopher Lopez. The couple honeymooned in Maui, Hawaii. Alexandra was awarded Ambassador of the Year by the Los Altos Chamber of Commerce at an awards ceremony in January 2015. She was also recently promoted to Vice President, Commercial Loan Officer at Heritage Bank of Commerce.

2002

Taylor Eigsti was in Vanity Fair magazine. He wrote on Facebook, “Really cool to be in this month’s Vanity Fair magazine— December issue! There’s an article this month featuring many young jazz musicians by Will Friedwald.”

2003

Peter Trudelle was married on November 29, 2015 to Joanna Luc. Peter and Joanna were married in San Ramon, California and had their reception at The Bridges Golf Club.

2004

James Eaneman is a grad student at USC film school and interning on the Warner Brothers studio backlot. He hopes to make Hollywood his home, with screen writing skills that are hot!

2005

A - Humphrey Yang dropped by the Priory this past September and visited with Mrs. Sargent.

B - Cynthia Sleight visited New York City in December and had lunch with some recent Priory grads— Daniel Le ’13, Katrina Jim ’08, Victor Wan ’14, and Siddharth Gandhi ’15.

2008

Hilary Toms wrote on Facebook for our #ThankYouPriory campaign, “My 4 years at Priory not only prepared me for my collegiate career, but helped me successfully foster and maintain relationships in both my personal and professional lives. I am grateful to this community for the values they instilled, which are ones I still carry to this day.”

Congratulations to all our Priory alumni who graduated college this year! Best of luck in all your future endeavors. Always we begin again.

2002

CLASS NEWS & NOTES

Note: If you would like to become a Reunion Class Agent, please contact the Alumni Office at alumni@prioryca.org or (650) 851-6138.

And remember to check out Woodside Priory Alumni Association on Facebook for additional photos and updates!

39 1977 2000

2003 A-2005

B-2005

1998

Reunion Years 1966

1971

1976

1981

1986

1991

2001

2006

2011

50th Reunion 45th Reunion 40th Reunion 35th Reunion 30th Reunion 25th Reunion 20th Reunion 15th Reunion 10th Reunion

CLASS NEWS & NOTES

2013 1- 2014 2- 2014 2010

40 4- 2014

3- 2014

5- 2014 A

2012

B

E2 C

D E1

Meaghan Gerhart got involved with the Woodside Arts & Culture Committee, and helped promote an event featuring another alumnus, Nathaniel Rothrock ‘08. The Woodside Arts & Culture Committee hosted “An Evening of Song” at Woodside Town Hall. Nathaniel was one of three performers featured.

2012

Jennie Christensen is currently an undergraduate senior at UC Santa Barbara, double majoring in Communication and Political Science, with a minor in Global Peace & Security. Last summer, she completed a Certificate of Human Rights at Stanford and worked on death penalty-related issues as a Research Assistant at Stanford’s Law School. She is currently working with a UCSB professor to implement a human rights minor at UCSB. Jennie has been abroad for over half of her college experience (so far in Turkey, China, and Spain) and has really enjoyed being able to travel so much while in school. Last year she served as Co-President of UCSB’s Political Science Club and Co-Founder & Co-President of Pi Sigma Alpha, UCSB’s first Political Science Honors Society. Jennie will be graduating abroad next semester in Copenhagen, Denmark.

CLASS NEWS & NOTES

2010

2013

Mariana Galvan of Santa Clara University women’s soccer has been named West Coast Conference Player of the Week after scoring two double-overtime wins over one weekend this past October.

Daniel DiGiovanni and Dylan Croll visited the Priory this last July.

2014

1- Marine Hall Poirier was in town with the University of Oregon volleyball team to play Stanford.

2- Michaela Koval and Ilana Skikos with Damian Cohen.

3- Tom Latta and Brandon Zarringhalam returned to the field to help coach the football team for a few weeks.

4- Sarah Reid and her mother, Michele Reid, stopped by Priory to share their trip to Italy with Carole Mauss. Sarah is currently in her second year at Princeton University.

5- Victor Wan and Millen Wan ’12 with Al Zappelli.

2015

James Phelps wrote on Facebook for our #ThankYouPriory campaign, “My seven years at the Priory (’08-’15) couldn’t have prepared me better for where I am now in my life. Priory gave me the tools (both academically and spiritually) that are helping me to do well in college while also allowing me to enjoy playing baseball all seven years (3 for MS and 4 for HS). I cannot thank the teachers, administrators, and staff for all that they have done to prepare me for where I am now in my life here at the University of Redlands.

Priory will forever be in my heart.”

Alumni Events A- Alumni Social in SF — Tim Molak and Erin Irber hosted a happy hour at the Paragon.

B- Young Alumni BBQ — Young alumni returned home and enjoyed a poolside BBQ. Pictured (L to R); Kyle Montgomery ‘11, Alex Schnabel ‘11, Veronique Filloux ‘11, Shoshana Levitt ‘13, Sarah Reid ‘14, Bianca Rapp ‘14, Caroline Pavlov ‘14, Will Galloway ‘14, Chris Gregory ‘14, Rachel Leiter ‘14 and Madison Hughes ‘14.

C- Alumni Basketball Game — Boys basketball alumni returned to the court to face off with the team. Pictured (L to R); Kellen Draeger ‘13, Andy Dolezalek ‘13, Conor Bonfiglio ‘14, Alex Peyser ‘10, Servando Barriga ‘09, Keaton Carano ‘10, Nathaniel Feldman ‘09, Kyle Berka ‘09, and Ricky Dolezalek ‘10.

D- Alumni Volleyball Game — Girls volleyball alumni came back to the Priory for the annual game. Pictured (L to R); Whitney Greswold ‘08, Alex Zappas ‘07, Katie Zappas ‘07, Kai Novotny ‘06, and Laura Trudelle ‘05.

E- Asia Tour — 1) Al Zappelli visited with alumni Edward Chen ‘79 and Paul Chang ‘87. 2) Al Zappelli with Poom Osatanada ‘85, Jo Pathmanand ‘86, and Rutt Pongsurapipat ‘98.

41

MONASTERY NEWS

Benedictine Life and Spirituality Seminar A BLSS-ing to All

by Kailen Whang

42

Have you ever tried to live the life of a monk? Prayer is held five times a day, and breakfast, lunch, and dinner are always served at the same time each day. There is something about this regular routine that asks one to really take the time to stop, meditate, pray, and be grateful for numerous aspects in our lives.

The Benedictine Life and Spirituality Seminar, or BLSS, is held every year at Saint Anselm College (endearingly called Saint A’s) in Manchester, New Hampshire. Saint Anselm Abbey is our mother abbey, with Abbot Mark Cooper overseeing both the abbey and college, along with Woodside Priory School. For four days, we immersed our minds, bodies, and spirits into prayer, solitude, reflection, and great discussions. I was one of nine members to attend this past year—we all represented different facets of the Priory: faculty, administration, the board, residential, and monastic life. Even with our different perspectives, backgrounds, and relations to the Priory, we came together as one community to hear the history of Saint Benedict and his teachings, explore the Saint A’s campus, revel in the monks’ stories, and acknowledge each of our own personal journeys.

As someone who grew up with a very unique religious background, this seminar was one that I had never even thought to attend had it not been for the Priory. With such emphasis on the phrase “All are welcome,” I wanted to see for myself how this phrase had even come to fruition. Also, being in the position that I was in, I was eager to learn as much as I could about the Benedictine Catholic history to be able to better serve our students back at Priory. Without a strong foundation, it’s difficult to practice what we preach.

The most surprising and pleasing thing throughout the four days of numerous prayers and masses we attended was that I could find similar routines and practices that I had done in my religion. It made me think that everyone has the same aim—to serve, to bring peace, to love, and to believe. This brought everything together for me and I was able to appreciate this community even more.

Each of the monks we all met were humble, funny, and of course, fervently committed to their faith. Each of them had their strengths and balanced out each other’s weaknesses.

Teamwork was an understood concept and a commonality that was not taken for granted.

One memory I will always treasure is everyone getting in place in the kitchen to do dishes after our farewell feast of New England lobster. We all pitched in, but there was such an organized system in place that I didn’t know if I was of much help. Abbot Mark, fully frocked in his monastic robes (as the others were, as well), was rinsing dishes with rubber gloves on, passing them on for more to dry. He was so efficient and quick that we were having trouble keeping up! This was clearly done as another one of their routines, and I was humbled to see everyone in the community participate.

Given the opportunity, everyone should take a chance at attending this seminar, if only to catch a glimpse into the lives of the monks who watch over and pray for us from afar. I assure you though, you will learn so much more than you expected and will create memories to be cherished for a long time after you return.

A sample of our daily routine while we were at BLSS: • 6:00 am: Morning Prayer • 7:30 am: Breakfast in the guest refectory • 8:00 am: Mass • 9:30 or 10:00 am: Tours, lectures, or presentations • 12:00 pm: Daytime Prayer, followed by lunch with table reading in the guest refectory • 2:00 pm: Presentations or discussions • 5:35 pm: Vespers (evening prayer) • 6:00 pm: Dinner, with table reading and conversation in the guest refectory • 7:30 pm: Compline • 8:00 pm: Reflections, conversations, or a trip to Cremeland Drive-In for ice cream!

Stay Connected Friend us on our Facebook page where you can keep up to date with the latest Priory events. www.facebook.com/woodside.priory.5 See photos on Flickr of past and current events. www.flickr.com/photos/paxpanther/ Follow us on Instagram @woodsidepriorypanthers.

People love our Throwback Thursday photos from the archives- you never know, you might be in one!

View past performances, slideshows and other various videos on our YouTube Channel. www.youtube.com/user/paxpanther ALUMNI!

Let us know what you are up to. We love learning about the interesting things you are doing! Send an email with any address updates or news to alumni@ prioryca.org Like and Friend us on our Alumni Facebook page “Woodside Priory Alumni Association� www.facebook. com/groups/22629168008 Connect and network on the Priory Alumni Association LinkedIn page.

Thanks to all who shared photos with us on Instagram! We got into the school spirit with this photo by @miranda_prince_ . Tag your Priory related Instagram photos with #priorypanthers and you may see your photo here as one of our favorites!

Woodside Priory School 302 Portola Road Portola Valley, CA 94028 (650) 851-8221 fax (650) 851-2839

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Celebrating Our 58th Year