SPA Magazine Spring 2009

THE

MAGAZINE OF

S T . P AU L A C A D E M Y

In this issue:

Men of Distinction...

SUMMIT SCHOOL

SPA SPRING 2009

Middle School: Age of Opportunity...

AND

p. 10 p. 14

Eco Education: The Power of an Idea...

p. 21

St. Paul Academy and Summit School is an independent, college preparatory day school for students in kindergarten through grade 12.

The school was formed in 1969 from the merger of St. Paul Academy, founded in 1900 for boys, and Summit School, founded in 1917 for girls.

Mission Statement

St. Paul Academy and Summit School values a diverse community and complies with all applicable laws regarding nondiscrimination.

In pursuit of excellence in teaching and learning, St. Paul Academy and Summit School educates a diverse and motivated group of young people for leadership and service, inspires in them an enduring love of learning, and helps them lead productive, ethical and joyful lives.

Contents

ool ge for en 12. in ger my, ys, ol, rls.

SPA Magazine | Spring 2009

ng

Bill Boulger, Tom Lundholm and Dave Montgomery have each been teaching at St. Paul Academy and Summit School for 40 years.

10

Middle School: Age of Opportunity

14

Men of Distinction: Lundholm, Montgomery, Boulger

20

Eco Education: The Power of an Idea

Front cover | Pictured clockwise from top are ninth graders Paul Anson, Brian Jing, Jason Wentworth, Sam Rosenberg.

in this issue 2

Letter from t he Head

3

Through the Door s

7

H omecomi n g

8

Spar tan Spor t s

23

C l ass N ote s

37

R euni on Weekend

38

In Memori am

40

Phi l anthropy

Inside front cover | Tuck Langland ’57 donated “Winter Solitude”, a bronze sculpture he created, to the school during Reunion-Homecoming Weekend 2008. It was installed in Lilly Courtyard on the Randolph Campus. spring 2009 | SPA

1

Welcome A

s we near the close of yet another school year, I can’t help but reflect on this past year and consider what lies ahead. It has been a very good – indeed, stellar – school year thus far, and I know that many of you are wondering how we are faring in the midst of the economic downturn.

SPA, I am glad to report, has managed its resources prudently over the years. Even so, we are not immune from the baleful impact of sliding markets and the credit crisis. Our endowment, mimicking the general decline in the domestic and world markets, is down approximately 30 percent, which will impact our annual draw that goes directly into the operating budget. Contributions to the Annual Fund are not as robust as last year, but under the leadership of Shannon McNeely Whitaker ’78 and Gail Ward, both of whom are Trustees, we are working hard to cultivate support for the school throughout the community.

As we review applications for enrollment for Fall 2009, we are cautiously optimistic about the size of next year’s entering class of students. Since the first day of school in August 2008 we have added eight new students, a sign of the enduring appeal of an SPA education even in the face of economic turmoil.

We remain committed to attracting new students of the highest quality from across the Twin Cities, and we have attracted large and enthusiastic audiences to our admission open houses. It is abundantly apparent that many prospective students and their families regard SPA as the school of choice.

The Board of Trustees, on the recommendation of the Finance Committee, recently passed a budget for the 2009-2010 year. It is a careful plan that reflects the apprehensions and concerns of the moment and features economies in every division and department while preserving the integrity and values of the academic experience. Salaries will be frozen at their current levels for the next year, no jobs have been lost and the board elected to increase financial aid funds by 8.25 percent. The work of the Finance Committee is not done. Under the leadership of Phil White ’81, the committee is preparing a five-year financial plan that will serve as a blueprint for navigating the recession and solidifying our fiscal foundation for the future.

Despite the economic turbulence, SPA is thriving. Recent results from college admissions have been very impressive. Spring sports have begun on the heels of a successful winter season, which included the boys’ hockey team beating Blake 3-0 on their home ice for our first win over the Bears in more than 15 years and the boys’ basketball teams defeating DeLaSalle for the first time ever. Junior Annie Hart became SPA’s first-ever State champion in Nordic Ski, and senior Grace Hartman won the women’s foil event in State competition for the sixth consecutive year. The Summit Singers and Academy Chorale performed at Carnegie Hall in March, and I had the opportunity to meet with graduates and friends of SPA during our visit to New York.

The Board of Trustees is set to launch a final round of strategic planning. The first draft of the strategic plan was completed by the Board this year and over the next three months committees of parents, faculty and alums will review the draft and suggest amendments. Students will also play an important role in evaluating certain sections of the plan. The Board will then review the work of the various committees and issue a final plan that will establish goals and plans for the school’s development during the next 10 years.

SPA is a very busy place, drawing inspiration from its past while planning boldly for the future.

The engagement of alums has been crucial to SPA’s success and its ability to sustain its commitment to the “pursuit of excellence in teaching and learning.” Your support and generosity is more important than ever, and I look forward to working with you in the years ahead.

Bryn Roberts Head of School

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SPA | spring 2009

SPA The Magazine of St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Spring | 2009 Editor Tracy Madden Graphic Design Kimberlea Weeks deZinnia, inc.

Contributors Sasha Aslanian ’86 Bryn Roberts Photography Bill Alkofer Greg Helgeson Andy King Tom Lundholm Tracy Madden John Severson Ann Wight

SPA Magazine is published twice a year by St. Paul Academy and Summit School for its alumni/ae, parents and friends.

Your turn SPA Magazine celebrates the power of thoughts and ideas.

We invite you to write, email or fax us your thoughts and comments on subjects related to the SPA community.

Letters may be edited for brevity and clarity.

Please let us know your suggestions for stories, your thoughts about SPA happenings and your news and photos for “Class Notes.”

Institutional Advancement St. Paul Academy and Summit School 1712 Randolph Avenue St. Paul, MN 55105 651-696-1366, phone 651-696-1380, fax alumni@spa.edu

Visit us at www.spa.edu

Through the Doors

of St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Lower School

Cliff Clark named Lower School Principal In January, Head of School Bryn Roberts announced that Cliff Clark will become Principal of the Lower School in July. Clark has served as Head of the Middle School (grades 4-6) at Summit School in WinstonSalem, N.C., since 2000.

“In a series of conversations during his visit to St. Paul, Cliff impressed the committee with his knowledge of virtually every phase of SPA’s curriculum, his passion for experiential learning and his clear appreciation for SPA’s culture and its virtues,” said Roberts. “As a principal, Cliff is appropriately known for his collaborative style of leadership and his ability to work effectively with teachers, students and parents.”

Prior to joining Summit School, Clark served as Head of the Lower School at Keith Country Day School in Rockford, Ill., from 1995-2000 and taught first and fourth grades at Prairie School in Racine, Wisc., from 1987-1995.

He earned an undergraduate degree in Science Education at University of Oklahoma and an M.A. in Education at Cardinal Stritch College in Milwaukee. Clark also taught pre-K and kindergarten at Holland Hall School in Tulsa.

Clark will move to the Twin Cities with his wife, Karen Henry Clark, and 12-year-old daughter Maggie, who will be a seventh grader in the fall.

Tim Elchert, who is currently serving as Interim Lower School Principal, will return to his duties as Lower School Psychologist in July.

2008-2009 Board of Trustees Charles A. Zelle ’73, President Page Knudsen Cowles, Vice President Charlotte Shepard Johnson ’64, Vice President Byron E. Starns, Secretary Philip W. White ’81, Treasurer Dr. Fahima Aziz William M. Beadie ’58 Roxane Harvey Gudeman Elizabeth Driscoll Hlavka ’82 Ruth Seely Huss ’57

SPA

Frederick C. Kaemmer ’88 Bruce A. Lilly ’70 Ranlet Miner Jr. Virginia H. Morris Ann Ruhr Pifer ’83 Dr. Brian C. Rosenberg Gail A. Ward Timothy A. Welsh Shannon McNeely Whitaker ’78 The Honorable Wilhelmina M. Wright

spring 2009 | SPA

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Through the Doors

of St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Distinguished Alumni/ae Award

George Tesar ’69 named 2009 Distinguished Alumni/ae Award recipient George E. Tesar ’69, M.D., has been named the Distinguished Alumni/ae Award recipient at St. Paul Academy and Summit School for 2009.

Following his graduation from SPA, Tesar graduated cum laude from Yale University in 1973 with a B.A. in philosophy and psychology, and with an M.D. from Mayo Clinic Medical School in 1977. He is currently chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology at the Cleveland (OH) Clinic Foundation, where he was presented with the Clinic’s Bruce Hubbard Stewart Award for Humanistic Medicine in 2001. The award honors physicians who combine sensitivity and compassion with knowledge and skill in the practice of medicine.

Harvard Medical School. He has served as a Psychiatric Resident Supervisor and teacher and on several committees at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Cleveland Clinic Foundation, and is a recipient of the MGH Burning Candle Award and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Exemplary Psychiatrist Award. He has presented research, lectures and published scholarly articles on various topics in psychiatric medicine.

Tesar has volunteered with Cleveland Psychiatric Society, Cleveland Consultation-Liaison Society, Ohio Psychiatric Association, the Medical Advisory Board for NAMI, the American Association for Emergency Psychiatry, PRITE Editorial Board for American College of Psychiatrists and the Cleveland Health Network Behavioral Health Network.

A dinner in Tesar’s honor will be held in the fall. Please watch www.spa.edu/alumni for more information.

Tesar has been a Clinical Fellow in Psychiatry, Instructor of Psychiatry and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, all at

Senior Art Seminar Show May 1 – June 7 Reception Friday, May 1, 5-6:30 p.m.

Work by senior art seminar students Each May we celebrate the efforts of our Senior Art Seminar students, who have been working throughout the year to create a personal body of work. The students mount their own group show in the Harry M. Drake Gallery, highlighting their final portfolio of images.

The Harry M. Drake Gallery, located on the Randolph Campus, hosts eight art exhibits throughout the academic year. Gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, with some night and weekend hours.

For information on upcoming and recent events in the gallery, go to www.spa.edu/arts.

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SPA | spring 2009

Painting by Alex Swenson, grade 12

Linda Brooks works displayed at Drake Gallery What do chocolate, weaving and micro banking have in common?

Examining the extensive role of chocolate in Mexican cuisine, the extraordinary creations of a master Zapotec weaver, and the economic impact of micro banking in the rural state of Oaxaca are some of the stories Upper School art teacher Linda Brooks photographed while accompanying award-winning broadcast journalist Mary Stuckey in Mexico while on sabbatical from SPA in 2007-2008. Brooks’ photographs in the exhibit Mexico Projects, on display in SPA’s Harry M. Drake Gallery this past February and March, document Oaxaca, Zapotec, Meztec people and their environments. Guided by prominent women residents of Oaxaca, Teotitlán and Miahuatlan, her photographic explorations intricately weave together colorful Mercado scenes, inspirational sources for rug designs, the artful presentation of food, icons of spirituality, and the arid mountain landscape.

SPA art teacher Linda Brooks received her B.F.A. in 1973 and M.F.A. in 1976 from State University of New York at Buffalo.

She has worked as an artist and teacher in the Twin Cities for more than 30 years. Her photographs have been included in more than 75 group exhibitions at sites including Aperture, N.Y.; Santa Fe Center for Photography, N.M.; Hallwalls, Buffalo, N.Y.; and the 5th Vienna Biennale, Austria.

Visit the improved www.spa.edu The SPA community welcomed a revamped school website when it went live in August, just in time for the new school year.

The improved site was developed after months of work and collaboration between faculty and staff, parents, and a team of designers and writers. Spearheading the project were Director of Technology Sue Scott, Middle School Principal Jill Romans ’86, who chairs the technology committee, and Director of Admission Heather Ploen.

The site, more vibrant than its predecessor, includes photos and biographies of faculty members, updated course pages, a redesigned calendar based on feedback from parents, and new pages for the arts and athletic departments.

“The refurbished site captures the exuberant spirit of the SPA community in a vivid and compelling fashion,” said Head of School Bryn Roberts.

To access the site, go to www.spa.edu. The alumni/ae portion of the site can be found by going to www.spa.edu and clicking on “Alumni/ae” in the upper right corner. If you have shared an email address with the school, you can login to the alumni/ae community by using that address as your username and requesting a password. If you have not shared an email address with the school, you will need to call Tracy Madden at 651-696-1366 or email tmadden@spa.edu to have a record created for you.

ST. PAUL ACADEMY AND SUMMIT SCHOOL ACADEMIC ACTION! Brooks has had solo exhibitions at more than a dozen venues, including the International Museum of Photography and Film/ George Eastman House, Rochester, N.Y.; Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minn.; the Cultural Center, Chicago, Ill.; and the St. Paul Jewish Community Center, Minn. She received artist fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, Minnesota State Arts Board and the McKnight Foundation.

Her photographs are in the collections of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Minnesota Historical Society, International Museum of Photography and Film/George Eastman House, and The Brooklyn Museum. Her work is included in the anthology Reframings: New American Feminist Photographies. “Young Voices: photographs of/by girls/teens/ women” and the “Jerome Hill Centennial Photography Exhibition 2005” are among the many shows Brooks has curated. Brooks’ Twin Cities Teens will be published in 2010.

To see photographs from previous projects go to www. lbrooksphoto.com and www.mnartists.org/linda_brooks.

Power Prep for ACT and SAT Workshops in May and June

Convenient and affordable

For information, go to www.spa.edu or call 651-696-1355 spring 2009 | SPA

5

Through the Doors

of St. Paul Academy and Summit School

SPA choirs perform at New York City’s Carnegie Hall On March 15, 90 members of SPA’s Summit Singers and Academy Chorale performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Students sang Lux Aeterna by Morten Lauridsen, along with the Century High School Concert Choir from Bismarck, N.D., the Apple Valley (Minn.)

High School Choir and the White Plains (N.Y.) High School Choir.

Dr. Matthew Mehaffey of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities conducted the concert. Mehaffey is an assistant professor of music and the associate director of choral activities at the University, where he conducts the Concert Choir and the men’s Chorus and teaches graduate courses in choral conducting and literature.

Along with rehearsing and performing, SPA students attended two Broadway shows and enjoyed a Manhattan dinner and dance cruise while in New York.

Head of School Bryn Roberts was in New York to hear the students perform and hosted a gathering of alumni/ae, friends and SPA families while he was in the area.

ST. PAUL ACADEMY AND SUMMIT SCHOOL

Inquire, study, discover, challenge,

learn

Visit us and see how SPA students are empowered to ask big questions, dig deep, follow their passions, and think for themselves. Visit us and see how SPA students find learning fun, challenging, collaborative, and rewarding.

For information, go to www.spa.edu or call 651-698-2451 6

SPA | spring 2009

Community Chorale and Orchestra to perform Lux Aeterna The SPA Community Chorale and Orchestra Concert is an annual, exciting musical opportunity for interested parents, alumni/ae, faculty, staff and friends of SPA to participate with the Upper School Choirs and Orchestra in performing a major choral/orchestral work. The group will perform in the Upper School Spring Concert Saturday, April 25, at 7 p.m. at The O’Shaughnessy, College of St. Catherine, St. Paul.

The Community Chorale and Orchestra has performed excerpts from such famous works as Mozart’s Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, Mendelssohn’s Elijah and Orff ’s Carmina Burana. This year’s major work will be Morten Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna.

Homecoming Storming the field during Homecoming has become an annual tradition at St. Paul Academy and Summit School. After Friday’s pepfest, students gathered to run across the field and out to the bleachers to show support of their fellow Spartan athletes.

Nearly 50 people participated in the doubles tennis tournament held Reunion-Homecoming Weekend.

Winners of the tournament were Birk Mitau, grade 9, and Zach Mohring, grade 10. Pictured is junior Bri Rick.

Parents, alums, grandparents and more come out to watch various athletic contests during Homecoming Weekend. Pictured are grandparents David ’35 and Perrin Brown Lilly ’41.

The Student Activities Committee plans a pepfest each year to help kick off Homecoming weekend sports activities.

Above, the Class of 2009 shows senior pride.

The boys’ varsity soccer team played Concordia Academy, notching a 2-1 win over the Beacons. Pictured is ninth grader Gabe Brennaman (left).

The boys’ varsity football team played its Homecoming game against the DeLaSalle Islanders. Despite a tough fight, they came up short 7-46. Pictured tackling an Islander is senior defenseman Mike Falvey.

September 26-27, 2008

The Service Learning Group washed cars during Homecoming Weekend, collecting $450 in donations. The money was donated to the Jeremiah Program to help provide kitchen supplies needed to prepare meals for families enrolled in the program.

Pictured is senior Mallory Abuzeni.

The girls’ varsity soccer team played the Concordia Academy Beacons, winning decisively 3-0. Pictured is junior Maren Flom-Staab (right).

spring 2009 | SPA

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Spartan Sports FALL Cross Country The girls’ cross country team placed fifth in the Tri Metro Conference championship meet and Annie Hart, 11, placed first as an individual. The boys’ team placed sixth in the meet and Ben Greenwald, 11, placed sixth as an individual. In the Section 4A Championship meet, the girls’ team placed second, qualifying for State competition, and the boys’ team placed seventh. Hart placed second at Sections and Greenwald placed ninth, qualifying them to compete at State as individuals.

At State, the girls’ team placed 13th and Hart placed 23rd.

Greenwald placed 48th in a field of nearly 300 runners.

Named All-Conference were Hart, Greenwald and Charlotte Zelle, 11. Senior Alex Whitman was named All-Conference Honorable Mention.

Boys’ Soccer The varsity boys’ soccer team placed third in the Tri Metro Conference with a 6-4 record, and listed an overall record of

7-9-1. Named to the All-Conference team were Joseph Stannoch, 12, Colin Wymore, 12, and Zac Brown, 11. Earning All-Conference Honorable Mention were Lucien Bruggeman, 11, Gabe Brennaman, 9, and Connor Perkkio, 10.

Girls’ Swimming and Diving

Girls’ Soccer

Football

The varsity girls’ soccer team marked a winning season, going 7-1-2 in the Tri Metro Conference and 11-6-4 overall.

Named All-Conference were Maren Flom-Staab, 11, Megan Leslie, 11, Jenna O’Brien, 9, and Bri Rick, 11. Earning AllConference Honorable Mention were Ceci DiCaprio, 11, Jackie Norton, 11, and Anne Walli, 11. Rick was also named to the All-State team. At the Section 3A tournament, SPA beat Concordia-Bloomington 9-0 and Minnehaha Academy 3-1 before falling to Academy of Holy Angels 0-2. Flom-Staab led the team in goals with 11.

The girls’ swimming and diving team placed fourth in the St. Paul City Conference and competed at Sections. Ceallach Gibbons, 9, and Genevieve Gleich, 8, were named All-Conference.

The varsity football team, consisting of players from SPA and Mounds Park Academy, recorded a 2-6 record in the Tri Metro Conference and a 2-7 record overall. SPA players earning All-Conference nods were Mike Falvey, 12, and Evan McMillan, 11. Earning All-Conference Honorable Mention were Eoin Small, 12, George Plummer, 12, and Santano Rosario, 11.

Girls’ Tennis The varsity girls’ tennis team had an even record of 4-4 in the Tri Metro Conference, and was 9-7 overall. The team placed second in Section play, with the doubles team of Sarah Whitaker, 11, and Carrie Wight, 11, placing second and singles player Gina Nguyen, 8, also placing second. All three competed at the State tournament, where Whitaker/Wight placed fourth and Nguyen placed sixth. Named to the All-Conference team were Whitaker, Wight and Nguyen.

All-Conference Honorable Mention went to Sonya Das, 7, and Sarah Hays, 8.

Volleyball The varsity girls’ volleyball team went 3-9 in the Tri Metro Conference and 4-13 overall.

Named to the All-Conference team was Grace Ferrara, 12. Named All-Conference Honorable Mention were Kendra Rosario, 11, Rosalind Mowitt, 11, and Samantha Hoonsbeen, 9.

The 2008 girls’ varsity tennis team included, back row from left, Assistant Coach Jaime Gaard, Megan Ozolins, 12; Gina Nguyen, 8; Maddie Butler, 10; Elise Butler, 12; Carrie Wight, 11; Addie Colton, 10; Head Coach Lauren Hom. Front row, Adriana Grossman, 12; Sonya Das, 7; Alida Mitau, 7; Erin Lowenthal, 12; Noor Zoberi, 12; Liz Moertel, 12; Sarah Whitaker, 11; Sarah Hayes, 8.

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SPA | spring 2009

Alpine Skiing The boys’ team listed a 1-5 record and the girls’ team went 0-8 for the season in the Tri Metro Conference.

Named All Conference were Anders Wennberg, 12, Ross Baker, 10, Rachel Kinney, 9, and Abby Thorsgaard, 11. Receiving All Conference Honorable Mention were Chayden Schmitz, 8, Jack Morris, 12, Miho Kitagawa, 11, and Hannah Ibele, 9.

Baker and Schmitz both qualified for State competition, where Baker placed sixth.

He was named to the All-State team.

Boys’ Basketball The boys’ team had a 7-9 record in the Tri Metro Conference and an overall record of 13-13. Named to the All Conference First Team was Evan McMillan, 11.

Santano Rosario, 11, was named to the All Conference Second Team. Receiving All Conference Honorable Mention were David McVeety, 11, and Gabe Mast, 10.

Girls’ Basketball The girls’ team had a 5-11 record in the Tri Metro Conference and an overall record of 9-14. Earning All Conference honors were Niambi Mitchell, 12, and Jenna O’Brien, 9. Receiving All Conference Honorable Mention were Megan Leslie, 11, and Ceci DeCaprio, 11.

During the season Mitchell reached 1,000-plus career points.

Nordic skiers Ben Greenwald, 11, and Anne Hart, 11

Fencing The women’s team was State Champions in both saber and foil and placed third in epee.

The men’s team placed fourth in State in epee and third in State in saber. Individually, Grace Hartman, 12, was Midwest Champion and State Champion in foil and named to the All State team. This was the sixth consecutive year Hartman has won the State foil title; she is undefeated in high school competition. Marie Siliciano, 8, was State Champion in epee and named to the All State team.

Arshia Sandozi, 12, was also named to the All State team.

Receiving All State Honorable Mention were Claire Whilhelm, 11, Hannah Lutz, 10, Gavi Levy Haskell, 10, Charlie Feng, 12, Jonathan Wald, 12, and Harrison Hite, 11.

In April, Hartman signed a letter of intent to participate in Division I fencing at University of Notre Dame this fall.

Boys’ Hockey The boys’ team had a 7-6-1 record in the Tri Metro Conference, finishing in fourth place. The team went 1510-2 on the season. Named All Conference were Mike

Falvey, 12, Steve Estep, 12, Wyatt Wenzel, 11, and James Trevathan, 11. Receiving All Conference Honorable Mention were Jacob Rice, 12, James Wood, 12, Luc Bruggeman, 11, and Max Hommeyer, 10.

Girls’ Hockey The Visitation/SPA United team had a 6-5-1 record in the Tri Metro Conference, finishing in third place, and went 1211-3 for the season. Delaney Middlebrook, 10, was named to the All Conference team.

Nordic Skiing The boys’ team placed third in the Tri Metro Conference with Ben Greenwald, 11, named Individual Conference Champion. Named to the All Conference team were Greenwald, Alex Whitman, 12, and Andrew Dougherty, 12. Greenwald and Dougherty advanced to State competition, where Greenwald placed ninth.

The girls’ team placed second in the Tri Metro Conference with Anne Hart, 11, named Individual Conference Champion. Named to the All Conference team were Hart, Caroline Daniels, 11, and

Claire Palmer, 11. The team also claimed second place in Section 3. Hart was Section Champion and she advanced to State competition along with Daniels and Palmer. Hart was SPA’s first-ever Nordic Ski State Champion, winning the classic race by 15 seconds and the pursuit by 19 seconds to put her in first place of 120 skiers.

Her final time was 34 minutes and 51.6 seconds; she was named to the All-State team.

Boys’ Swimming and Diving The boys’ team had a 1-4 record in the Saint Paul City Conference and an overall dual meet record of 3-5. The team placed second in conference competition and eighth of eight teams at Sections. Receiving All Conference nods were Alex Ibele, 11, Alex Helfand, 11, Billy Lutz, 11, and Steven Wendeborn, 10.

All information on the sports pages was obtained from the Athletics Department at St. Paul Academy and Summit School. For more photos, go to www.spa.edu/athletics.

WINTER Spartan Sports

spring 2009 | SPA

9

Those happy, golden Middle School years‌

from age of survival to age of

O

pportunity

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SPA | spring 2009

by Sasha Aslanian ‘86

M

iddle School teacher Carrie Clark sits crosslegged in rain boots on the floor of her English classroom. She welcomes her seventh grade advisees as they arrive and flop onto brightly colored pillows in a circle. The boys gravitate to one side, and the girls to the other. It is a typical middle school moment. “I won’t make you do a ‘gender blender’ if you do it really well,” says Clark with a smile, and one boy zooms to an empty spot between two girls so they can begin.

The Middle School academic program adheres to a traditional liberal arts curriculum. Students take courses in English, math, social studies, science and foreign language, in addition to required rotations in the fine arts (visual arts, music and drama), physical education and wellness. Within this framework, students are supported in their learning in developmentally appropriate ways. Teachers take advantage of the students’ desire for independence, striving to develop the skills of critical thinking, empathy and collaboration.

Clark wants everyone to reconnect this first day after spring break so she proposes a quick game: Everyone must turn to the next person in the circle, say an advertising slogan, name the next child and make eye contact.

“This age group wants to know ‘Why?’” said Romans. “Why what they are learning is important and relevant. When you encourage independent thinking and then truly listen to their voices, they become much more engaged and interested in the learning process. The rigor and challenge of Middle School comes with the support of successes along the way.”

“We buy ugly houses, Jack.”

“877-CASH, Christina.”

There is lots of laughter at the mock salesmanship of tacking on the name.

Clark reminds one boy to make eye contact. He likes the game so much he asks for another round, but it’s time to move on to what Clark calls a “burning share” about spring break.

Tales pour out about a clunker rental car in Spain, a brother running into a sliding glass door, touching a wild dolphin in Florida and getting a bloody nose at the top of the Empire State building.

The students are invited to ask follow-up questions about each other’s trips. They close with a guessing game to find a word pattern.

At the end of the advisory time, Clark suggests they talk to their teachers about how they can make up any work they might have missed. “Ask ‘What should I do?’” Clark suggests. “That’s more proactive than ‘Did I miss anything?’” She offers one final tip: bring their planners to write down those assignments.

A revolution in Middle School “I don’t know about you, but when I was in middle school it was, ‘Good luck, just muddle through as best you can,’” says Ellen Seesel ’70, mother of seventh grader Sarah Coleman.

When Romans first arrived in the Middle School, she noticed that many parents would say, “If they can just survive Middle School, they will be fine.” The attitude was one of developing survival tactics, rather than recognizing the incredible opportunities for shaping the habits of mind during these critical years.

Head of School Bryn Roberts credits the SPA community of the ’80s and ’90s for envisioning something better. “The significance of SPA deciding to define the needs, aspirations and learning styles of middle schoolers is one of the most important innovations of the last 30 years.”

In 2000, SPA opened its Middle School. Sixth graders joined seventh and eighth graders on the Randolph Campus in a

Disguised in this rollicking good time is the essence of SPA’s Middle School philosophy. Spelled out on the whiteboard right next to where students rated their spring breaks (average score: 8.5) were the skills they were working on: Cooperation, Assertion, Responsibility, Empathy, Self-Control. And it didn’t even feel like work.

That’s all by careful design. Middle School Principal Jill Romans ’86 and her team play to the strengths of 11-to 14-year-olds. “Rather than resisting their urges to test boundaries and be social, we bring games and peer collaboration into the classroom,” she explained. For example, grammar drills might be done as a relay race with students running to the board to change answers.

Middle School students are at an age where they are curious, take risks and seek independence, says Romans. “We look at Middle School as a huge period of opportunity.”

All students in grades 7 and 8 are issued a laptop computer and taught to utilize technology productively.

spring 2009 | SPA

11

brand-new brick and timbered building connected to the Upper School, but very much its own world.

“I think everyone is really struck with the way the architecture supports the mission of what they’re trying to do,” says Joan Sundquist, Vice President of the Middle School Parents’ Association.

Each grade level has its own floor, and classrooms encircle a common area that includes student lockers, teacher desks, and space to hang out and play, study or gather as a class. “It creates a sense of community, of a communal space, surrounded by caring adults,” says Sundquist.

On the top floor, Eric Salverda is teaching sixth graders in his language arts/social studies class about Minnesota’s fur traders and their impending conflict with the Ojibwe. Salverda’s teaching style is dynamic, with almost every sentence phrased as a question.

The students brainstorm the Ojibwe losses and opportunities brought by the arrival of white settlers. “What if the Native Americans stop their season migration and stay put like the white men?” Salverda asks. “That would tear your tribe apart,” says one student.

Sixth graders don’t earn letter grades; that starts in seventh grade. One of the important shifts in SPA’s Middle School is students begin to evaluate their own performance. Students list their academic goals and critique their own performance in trimester reports. Teachers of each class respond, sometimes more generously than the students themselves, and guide them to what else they might think about.

Solving problems as a community During morning snack and recess, students from all three grades gather in Bigelow Commons and catch up after spring break.

Girls fling their arms around each other and exchange hugs.

Two eighth graders, Chloe Hite and August King, agree to decode Middle School life. Do eighth graders really mingle with sixth graders? “Absolutely,” they both say. Students from all three grades teamed up for a recent production of The Sound of Music.

Music The track coach buttonholes August and asks if he’ll join the team this spring, but August is torn between sports and the spring play.

Chloe urges him to join track with her.

There’s a cooperative spirit here that Middle School Counselor Sara Mairs ’84 has worked hard to foster. In her office, right in the 12

SPA | spring 2009

central hub of the Middle School, comfortable chairs form a semi-circle of inviting conversation space. Mairs gets to know all of the students through teaching Wellness classes. This familiarity has made the counseling office accessible to all well before trouble brews.

Mairs reflects back on her own experiences at SPA at this age and says with a laugh, “I don’t remember talking to adults about social issues at all. We turned to our friends, which wasn’t always helpful.

It is a much healthier and more productive environment when the students have time during their day to process what is happening for them socially, emotionally and academically.”

Mairs has noticed that with more frequent check-ins with students, problems don’t tend to build to crisis level. “In the past, there were more things that we were reacting to,” remembers Mairs. “That’s happening less and less. One big shift is kids come to adults and let us know when something doesn’t feel right.

We have an opportunity to both guide them and give them the skills to solve the problems on their own. That is what they ultimately want to do.”

The eighth grade tour guides, Chloe and August, say students really do turn to Mairs to learn how to solve problems. “Definitely,” says Chloe. “You can go to her office and vent. She gives you advice sometimes, but she just listens. It’s nice to have someone to listen.”

August says he went to Mairs recently when there was some meanness online on a social networking site. Kids on both sides of the incident sought her help.

Discipline practices have changed markedly in recent years.

Romans says she deals with far fewer discipline problems now because students feel greater ownership in their community.

“We ask students, ‘What do you notice? What do you want from your community? What do you want to do differently?’

Students regulate their own behavior and help uphold the standards for others.”

Going deeper into learning Recess is over and students head to their next 90-minute block.

The Middle School operates on a rotating six-day block schedule.

Over the course of two days students visit all of their classes, but at different times during the day. “That way you don’t always have math first thing, or as your last class on Fridays or right after lunch,” says Romans. Teachers adjust the pace and activities of their lesson plans based on what works best for that time of day.

In the 90-minute blocks, teachers “go more deeply into the material,” explains Romans. They are able to more fully incorporate technology and experiential learning in these longer class periods: peer editing, lab experiments, role playing, even recording and playing back a foreign language are all possible.

Parent Gene Goetz, whose daughters are in seventh and eighth grades, thinks the block plan has helped his daughters stay better organized with their homework. “As far as the block system, my wife and I have never tried to figure it out, but the kids caught on to it…

They know how to stagger their workloads. I think the block system is a great idea.”

Many students choose to sit on stability balls rather than traditional chairs to help them release energy and stay focused during math class.

Chloe has gone off to her eighth grade algebra class where she and 11 classmates sit on “stability balls” instead of chairs. Her teacher, Pokey Fiedler, sits on a ball in the back of the classroom, writing equations on a computer notepad that’s projected onto the screen up front. Math is perhaps the trickiest subject for the longer blocks, so the balls help students work off fidgety energy and stay focused.

The longer periods have also supported the implementation of a first-rate technology program. All students in grades 7 and 8 are issued their own laptop computer. Teachers utilize technology in productive and careful ways that extend the traditional liberal arts curriculum. Upon observation, it is clear that students and teachers alike are comfortable using technology as a tool to enhance instruction and learning in the classroom.

Across the hall, Jacey Choy’s eighth grade English class is reading To Kill a Mockingbird. Working in pairs on their laptops, students review the blogs they’ve kept while reading the novel. Choy’s students look through their blogs for patterns and themes they can organize into a presentation and a joint paper.

A previous class period included a town hall-style meeting where students became the citizens of Maycomb, discussing how Boo Radley was different from others in the town as well as the prejudices people held in the racially segregated South.

“It’s a good way to get some of this out in the open from their perspective,” says Choy.

Today’s student pairings look random with boys and girls working alongside each other, but Choy says that is not quite the case. She asked them to write down a few names of possible partners. “They make different choices when it’s not public.

They wanted to work with students who did well.” If they had picked partners out loud, Choy suspects they would have just stuck with their close friends.

Clark is on a similar mission with her students. “There’s a lot of middle school cliquiness that we try to undermine in various ways,” she says with a grin. “We get them to cooperate, work together, mix them up.”

Ready for the Upper School Parents praise the Middle School for easing the transition into the Upper School and keeping the lines of communication open. Raleigh Levine’s son, Sam Wood, is an eighth grader who has attended SPA since first grade. “I feel like the teachers at the school really know who Sam is,” says Levine. “Not just in terms of his academic work, but all of him. That has made his middle school experience far more pleasant.”

Farooqua Jafri has a daughter in the Upper School and a son in the Middle School. She said she appreciates the collaborative approach the Middle School takes with parents. “The thing I like most about SPA is they listen to you,” says Jafri. “We all go as a team together. “ The school’s ability to develop independence and the skills of learning in each student pays off when they reach the upper grades. They have the academic, social and organizational skills to succeed. “Upper School is all about you and what you want to do with the time you have,” says ninth grader Ashley Johnson. “It’s more about self-motivation and control; you need to be responsible. Middle School teaches you how to handle that responsibility.”

“By the end of eighth grade, they can’t wait to get to the Upper School,” says Romans. “Their excitement about this is a sign that we’ve done our jobs and they are ready to go.

They do beautifully.”

Though they’ve shared a campus, assemblies, a gym, library and lunchroom with the upper grades for years, Middle Schoolers are ready to fully inhabit the Upper School experience.

K-12 Academic Dean Cindy Richter ’78 says the once-dreaded middle years have become a time for students to flourish at SPA. “Our Middle School is a healthy place,” she says. “It has come of age as a division, with teachers, advisors and administrators who have been intentional about creating a program that is right for students aged 11-14.”

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Men of Distinction

Three enter their fourth decade of teaching at SPA Integrity, passion, devotion.

Tom Lundholm

Generous, kind, hard-working.

These are just a few words colleagues, alumni/ae and friends have used to describe the three men who entered their 40th year of teaching at SPA this fall: fifth grade teacher Tom Lundholm, Upper School math teacher Bill Boulger and Athletic Co-Director Dave Montgomery.

“Tom, Bill and Dave are three of the kindest gentlemen to have walked the halls and athletic fields of St. Paul Academy and Summit School,” said retired Upper School Technology Coordinator Cheryl Brockman.

“Both professionally and personally they have touched the lives of many families, and SPA is fortunate to have had their devotion, friendship and loyalty.”

When Tom Lundholm first applied to SPA, he sought to be an English teacher in the Upper School. As he was just finishing his senior year at Amherst College, it was determined he didn’t have enough experience to teach the upper grades. Instead, then-Lower School Principal George Schumacher offered him a job teaching at the soon-to-be merged Lower School.

During his first year, Lundholm taught a fifth grade class with 17 students. The lower grades were taught in teams beginning the following year, and he was a grades 5-6 team teacher for a number of years. As classroom configurations changed so did his teaching duties, sometimes teaching grade 4 only, sometimes grades 4-5, and currently grade 5.

Despite his original desire to teach English in the Upper School, it didn’t take him long to realize he was exactly where he was supposed to be.

“I never had any reason to leave,” Lundholm said. “I thought I would try the elementary grades and then work my way up. But, I was having too much fun, and that continues to be the case.”

Although teaching at the same school for 40 years may sound tedious to some, Lundholm said it has never felt that way to him. Both of Lundholm’s parents were teachers, along with several other family members. Teaching, he said, has always been in his blood.

“The students are different every year,” he said. “I owe it to them to bring my best every year, every day, and it’s that interaction that makes teaching so much fun.”

Naturally, teaching has changed some in the last 40 years. There are more constraints now on what schools can and cannot do, said Lundholm, as well as a higher level of accountability. On the flip side, he feels parents appreciate the transparency with which the school conducts business and feel freer to ask questions now than they used to.

Students have changed as well and, in his opinion, have become more worldly. In the early 1970s when he took over the annual sixth grade Washington, D.C., trip from Schumacher, it was the first time at least half of the students had ever been on an airplane. By the early 1990s, all but two or three kids had already experienced flying.

New ways of accomplishing tasks come along, such as utilizing computers in the classroom, and have a significant impact on students and how one teaches them.

“One has to do things differently,” said Lundholm, “but I’m concerned that computers get to be too much — that kids won’t know how to go to a library and figure things out.”

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On the other hand, learning at SPA has never been just about taking things from books, he said, and computers serve as another great resource for teachers and students.

Keyboarding, he says, is a necessary skill to have, as well as using computers as a research tool and to develop word processing skills. Still, he’s thrilled that so many of his students still love to sit down and read a good book.

In addition to teaching in the classroom, Lundholm also spent time teaching on the field. He coached everything from grades 5-6 football to varsity softball, which fulfilled his desire to work with older students.

“I had Tom Lundholm as my softball coach for four years in high school,” remembered Renee Hilmanowski Ochaya ’86. “He taught sportsmanship over winning and constantly showed kindness to all of us. I have many great memories on the ball field and I can relive them through photos, thanks to wonderful books Mr. Lundholm made each player each year. He compiled our stats, captured our annual mud fest on film and helped preserve great memories decades before scrapbooking was even an idea. More than 20 years later I enjoy great photos of my teammates and get a chuckle out of reviewing our stats from so many years ago.”

Lundholm is as well remembered for playing football with his students during recess as he is for coaching their athletic teams.

Other former students recounted his sense of humor, said they continue writing in journals due to skills learned in his classroom, and fondly remember the Washington, D.C., trip Lundholm organized for sixth grade students for 29 years.

“Lundy could do it all — teach with knowledge and excitement, coach with integrity, and still have time to take a personal interest in his students,” Steve Whitaker ’78 said. “It was very special years later to have our kids pass through the Lower School with his guidance and compassion. Congratulations on 40 years, Mr. Lundholm!”

To be a good teacher, Lundholm said he feels it is important to have a genuine interest in what students are doing, thinking and feeling.

“Once in a while, I would be working on the stage while he coached a student preparing to read a piece at assembly, or perhaps act as emcee,” said Foster. “A shy student would stand onstage and whisper an introduction. Then I’d hear Tom say from the back of the house, ‘You look very nice up there. Now I’d like to hear what you are saying.’ Tom’s humor and patience went a long way to allay stage fright and boost the audability of his charges.

These tiny glimpses of his work with the kids revealed a person who really, really likes doing what he does, and the children he does it with — an expert and heartfelt commitment to the profession of teaching.”

“The people who teach here have a real pride in what the school does,” he said. “Having fun and moving kids along is an ever-present goal.”

While Lundholm enjoys teaching to the fullest, he admits there is a significant amount of time spent on committee work, preparation, meetings, paperwork and more. Colleagues note he takes on many extra jobs of his own accord, from feeding fish in classroom tanks to ordering books and supplies, spearheading sign-ups for “mini” courses and assisting at various athletic events.

Dutton Foster, a retired Upper School English teacher and drama coach who continues to work building sets for SPA drama productions, said Lundholm is a wonderful example of a teacher who always has the best interest of his students at heart.

“Lundy is probably one of the most accommodating people at SPA. He is always ready and willing to help anyone, and he does!” noted Nancy Niva, Assistant to the Lower School Principal. “More than that, he goes the extra step to ‘look into it’ if it isn’t at his spring 2009 | SPA

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fingertips... which, most often, it is. We wouldn’t know what to do without Lundy at Goodrich Campus.”

Lundholm continues to take photographs of students at all grade levels, sharing them at fifth grade graduation, on the school website and in many other areas of school life. “Every time I walk into a classroom or onto a playground, kids are doing something interesting,” he said. “Taking photos is an adjunct to the teaching world that’s really been fun.”

Lundholm’s photography skills have paid off for alumni/ae as well. According to Rob Mairs ’87, “When our class had its 10th reunion in 1997 I asked Mr. Lundholm if he could dig deep in his

archives for slides from our class. He pulled out the slides and set up a slideshow for us at the Upper School. It was fun to see so many of the class in the early days.”

Hearing of Lundholm going the extra mile for students, alums and colleagues comes as no surprise to Co-Director of Athletics Mike Brown ’66.

“Tom shows his love of the school every single day by the way he teaches kids and works with colleagues,” he said. “The final assemblies at the Lower School are special because of Tom’s pictures. He can capture a kid like no one else. Tom may be a graduate of Blake, but his heart is at SPA.”

Bill Boulger

at in “I

When Bill Boulger began as a math teacher at SPA in 1969, he was hardly a new kid on the block. He already had experience at schools in Chicago, Cincinnati and at St. Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights.

“I was at St. Thomas during the Vietnam war, and it was not a good time to be at a military school at a time of military upheaval in the country,” said Boulger.

He decided to look for a different job and saw an advertisement for St. Paul Academy and Summit School.

Since his first year was also the first year of the merger between Summit School and St. Paul Academy, the school “hired more teachers than it usually would have needed so the transition would go relatively smoothly,” explained Boulger.

“Getting used to a new environment was interesting, but the teaching itself was not challenging,” he said. “We taught fewer classes because we were learning what curriculum worked best for a school that now had male and female students. The merger was more of an administrative issue. Later, when it was time to pare down the overabundance of teachers, is when it got sticky.”

When Boulger first went to college, his plan was to become an engineer. His focus shifted quickly, however, and he decided to concentrate on math instead. By his senior year, he started to think about a career in education.

In the first few years at SPA Boulger taught political science and sociology, but eventually returned to math full-time. In his tenure at SPA he has taught almost every math course available to students in grades 9-12, including geometry, pre-calculus, probability and statistics.

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In 40 years of teaching Boulger has seen a number of changes at SPA. The school has grown exponentially and that growth has been reflected in the math program. More significantly, however, is that girls are fully integrated into the math program at all levels — something that was not necessarily true when the schools first merged.

“At the time of the merger, boys and girls were in separate math classes due to the differences in the Summit School and SPA math programs prior to the merger,” explained Boulger.

“A few years into the merger it became clear that students of both genders were capable of doing the same math. Several outstanding female students — such as 2001 Distinguished Alumni/ae Award winner Karen Hsiao Ashe ’72 — knew that they could be as good as any of the boy students in honors math classes, and they were.”

Middle School German teacher Jenni Dorfsman ’91 said she always felt supported by Boulger, and said he will always hold a special place in her heart. “In my middle school years, he was the teacher who turned things around for me in math,” she said.

“His patience and wisdom helped me build the confidence I lacked in a subject that did not come easily to me. I am forever grateful for his help.”

More attention is paid to the individual educational needs of students now than was the norm several decades ago, said Boulger. “We are now much more aware of the different ways students learn, and do more to meet their needs than we did early on.”

Beyond the classroom, Boulger has been an advisor to the Upper School math team for more than 20 years, something he says is “among the great professional opportunities I’ve had here.”

Not only has his participation kept him in contact with math teachers around the state of Minnesota, but his involvement has afforded him the opportunity to teach at the Minnesota Institute for Talented Youth summer program at Macalester College and to coach the Minnesota All-Star Math Team.

Although working with the math team has been important, even more vital to Boulger has been the pleasure he gets from seeing students catch on to ideas, and having the opportunity to work individually with those who don’t always catch on right away. In 40 years he has experienced the full spectrum of watching and helping students grow, both intellectually and as people.

“There are a whole range of things that go on every day,” said Boulger. “For example, a girl came up to me the other day and said, ‘I don’t understand this, but I really want to’ — so we worked on it. This type of thing happens in the math area every day.

Math teachers sit and work together with students and the lights go on. Sometimes, kids pose a question and the lights go on for me.”

Creating positive interactions with students isn’t the only reason Boulger has ensconced himself so readily at SPA. “In this school, we have the ability to create our own curriculum (cooperatively as a department),” said Boulger. “That allows you to feel like you can change things when you think you should, keep things the way they are if you think that should happen, and have an impact on how and what you teach.”

The real key to his contentment, he said, is that “every day teachers and students come here eager to interact with each other. Students are receptive to learning and willing to grapple with significant ideas. Those are the kinds of things that keep me working every evening, and then come in the next day and do them. I get to work on the things that are important.”

The opportunity to work with talented colleagues has also been a great incentive for him to come to school day after day, year after year, Boulger said. His colleagues, both in the math department and throughout other areas of the school, are complimentary of him as well, most often citing his passion for equality and fairness.

Upper School English teacher John Wensman termed Boulger “the Yoda of the faculty — the wise man who knows all and tells only some. He is an incredible person who is willing to speak the hard truth when needed.” Upper School math teacher Jim McVeety echoed those sentiments, noting “Bill is a paragon of intellectual and ethical integrity; he is wise and true. He has been a mentor to students and colleagues, truly modeling what it means to be a lifelong learner. He quietly, surely sets the standard for what a teacher should be, setting the golden mean by which we measure our work with our students.”

Although appreciative of the high praise, Boulger feels just as fortunate to be an integral part of life at SPA. “This is the right place for me,” he said. “I’m convinced I would not be teaching still if I weren’t in this school where you can do significant teaching every day. There aren’t real distractions here.

We can just get down and get the work done.”

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Dave Montgomery Although joining a school in its merger year might have been daunting to many first-year teachers, physical education instructor Dave Montgomery was unfazed. His own high school in Milwaukee had gone through a merger his senior year, and from his point of view it just made life interesting.

“It was wonderful as a young teacher,” he said. “I’m sure it was harder on teachers who had been here for a while.”

Montgomery was hired to teach P.E. at the Lower School for students in grades 1-6, as well as in the Middle School. Middle School boys were bused to the Upper School campus while the girls stayed on the Lower School campus. He taught “sports phy ed,” which included soccer and football in the fall, basketball and hockey in the winter, and baseball, tennis and track in the spring. In the lower grades he also taught skating, wrestling, boxing, tumbling and gymnastics, along with other lifetime fitness activities.

In 1973 Montgomery moved to the Randolph Campus to teach P.E. to students in grades 7-12. He took over the responsibility of managing the Athletic Department from Chip Rasmussen in 1974. At that time, boys were required to play three seasons of sports, with the exception of spring of their senior year (there was no sports requirement for girls). That later changed to a three-season requirement for boys in grades 9 and 10, and two seasons for boys in grades 11 and 12. If students weren’t on a team, they were required to participate in intramural activities.

Girls participated in more “activities” than team sports, such as field hockey, since there weren’t as many sports teams available for girls in the early 1970s. That changed dramatically in the later part of that decade, when many girls’ sports were added thanks in part to Title IX. By the early 1980s girls had many athletic opportunities available to them, from golf to gymnastics, basketball to softball.

Beyond the P.E. program, Montgomery was also a coach. He was head coach of the varsity football team from 1971-1996, and head coach of the varsity track team from 1970-1984. He was assistant coach of the football team in 1969 and coached Middle School and JV basketball for six years. He coached wrestling for three years and Nordic skiing for two years.

“I had several successful teams, and several participants in State MSHSL tournaments,” said Montgomery.

One former student, Augie Wolf ’79, went as far as the 1984 Summer Olympics, where he placed fourth in shotput.

“Dave Montgomery was a wonderful track coach and, during his tenure, his teams were always vying for State recognition,” said Upper School art teacher Bob Jewett. “Some of the best athletes in SPA history came out of his program, including August Wolf and Tom Gorence. As a senior August shattered the State discus record and later joined the Princeton team, and eventually was on an Olympic team. T.J. Gorence established himself as one of the state’s best quarter-milers before playing hockey for the University of Minnesota and eventually for the Philadelphia Flyers.

“These are just two examples of students who excelled under Dave’s care and guidance,” he added.

“Good athletes are attracted to good coaches and world class athletes are attracted to world class coaches.”

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Montgomery’s football teams were Conference champs five times and went to State in 1979 and 1982.

“I learned more from him, on the field and off, than from just about anyone,” said Dave Kansas ’85. “He taught us to pursue excellence, to perform with honor and to have a great love of everything we did… Because of the camaraderie he infused in his teams, many of my best friends today are from those teams he coached.”

Montgomery is remembered for more than what he accomplished on the playing fields, however.

“I distinctly remember when I realized that I was a member of an extraordinary community,” said Julie McGirl McGlincey ’84. “I was 16 years old and a student at SPA, and my mother was picking me up mid-morning for an orthodontic appointment. As we drove out of the student parking lot I saw Mr. Montgomery leaving campus with John Prescott ’85 on a bicycle built for two. John was a kind and smart student who was also blind. Mr. Montgomery was my P.E. teacher and he was using his teacher planning periods to take John on bicycle rides around St. Paul. I can still picture the scene like it was yesterday, and I knew then I was fortunate to be with such an amazing faculty member.”

After the 1982-83 school year, Montgomery stopped teaching P.E. full-time but continued coaching and directing the athletic program. In 2000, with the influx of sixth graders to the Randolph Campus, Middle School teacher Mike Brown ’66 became a CoDirector of Athletics with Montgomery.

“I have coached with and worked with Dave since 1972,” said Brown. “As an Athletic Director, he is one of the hardest working and most respected Athletic Directors in the metro. He knows everyone and is looked up to by his colleagues. A day doesn’t go by without him answering a question from another school’s Athletic Director.”

Montgomery and Brown are certainly busy, with 70 teams in grades 6-12, 125 coaches to juggle and more than a thousand games to schedule each year. Currently there are 28 different athletic activities (15 for girls and 13 for boys) students can participate in, which Montgomery agrees is a lot for a small, independent school.

“There is a tendency now to move toward specialization and play one sport year-round,” he said. “I think it’s the right choice for some kids, but not all. In a small school like ours it’s a challenge because we need participation.”

On the other hand, Montgomery said, year-round play, including personal fitness programs and sports camps, has increased the overall level of performance of athletes.

“Dave has always been an advocate for athletics and the preparation it takes to be an excellent athlete,” said Upper School P.E. teacher Chris Blum. “He has supported our strength and conditioning program since its inception. He gets to know students on a personal level, showing up to support them at their numerous athletic events. I often see him checking in with kids in the hallway about other things they’re passionate about in their lives, not just athletics.”

Central to Montgomery’s experiences at SPA is that his family has also been involved with the school. He married wife Fredi just two years after starting at SPA; she worked as a secretary in the Middle School and later in the Upper School. She also coached JV girls’ tennis and worked with the cheerleading squad for two years before their sons, Morgan ’97 and Tyler ’99, were born.

Not only did both boys attend school at SPA, but Morgan later helped coach Nordic skiing for five years and Tyler coached JV boys’ hockey for three.

“Having my family here has been important,” said Montgomery.

“SPA has been my life; I’ve been here more than anywhere. For them to be a part of that means everything.”

If given the chance to go back and do it all again for another 40 years, would he do it?

“No question about it,” he said. “My experiences at SPA have been very rewarding. Coaching and working with young people is the thrill of a lifetime. Seeing them feel good about what they’ve accomplished; taking them through conference titles and championships; connecting with them and making a difference in their lives. That’s what coaching is all about.”

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Battle Creek Elementary students stop and smell the mountain mint in a rain garden.

THE POWER OF AN IDEA:

How the SPA community formed Eco Education

by Sasha Aslanian ’86

They are not your typical lobbyists. There’s not a suit in sight and they’re not even old enough to drive.

In the golden chambers of the Saint Paul City Hall they rise one by one, spiral notebooks in hand, to make their pitch to council member Lee Helgen to create a woodland classroom in Como Park.

These 7th and 8th graders from Great River Montessori have studied the ecosystem of the park, mapped it, pulled invasive buckthorn, researched a neglected war memorial and polled their teachers on how often they might use an outdoor classroom just three blocks from school.

Now they’ve come downtown to make it happen.

Helgen, whose district includes Como Park, thanks the students for their willingness to get involved. “That’s how we get things done,” he says.

Though these aren’t SPA students, the reason they are here has a lot to do with the ideas and passion of the SPA community. The students are with Eco Education, a St. Paul-based nonprofit organization that brings environmental education into urban schools. John Poore ’85 dreamed it up when he was a college student at University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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SPA community members who have served with Eco Education include:

Poore was a zoology major, coming to grips with the major environmental threats of our time. He was distressed to find little environmental education in schools that would help kids and families understand their connections to the local and greater ecosystems. “Based on the scope and scale of environmental issues the world was facing, there was a surprising lack of environmental education in middle schools and high schools across the board,” Poore said.

John Poore ‘85 addressed students, teachers and parents at the 2008 Eco Education Student Achievement Banquet held at Augsburg College.

For an independent study his senior year, Poore wrote a curriculum for sixth and seventh graders. He hired a guy down the hall to illustrate the interactive workbook, where students could write themselves into the center of the story, giving them an opportunity to see their own ecological connections and brainstorm how they might reduce their water and energy consumption, trash and pollution.

What had seemed like an intuitive idea to Poore — to make learning interactive for students — turned out to be pretty novel in the classroom. The response from students was gratifying. Poore watched how quickly the booklets caught on, and how excited students were to personalize their environmental stories.

“They loved this little book,” said Poore, noting the program was built on respect for the students’ ideas. “It said, ‘It’s about you and we need you. You are the leaders we’ve been waiting for’. ” Poore got an encouraging reaction in Madison and, after graduation, returned home to Minnesota. His father had passed away that year and he decided to postpone plans to move to Montana. “Looking back, I realize some great things happened that set the stage for the future success of Eco Education,” he said. He showed the workbook to SPA Upper School science teacher Larry Nelson and SPA Trustee Sandra Roe, who had recently retired from teaching at the Lower School.

“He just called up and said he had something he wanted to show me and would I have time,” remembers Roe. “I said ‘Sure, come on over and have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich,’

because I think that’s all I had!” Roe thought Poore’s curriculum had potential. And, as an SPA Trustee, she knew how to move ideas to action.

“In order to launch this, he had to form a 501c3. I agreed to fund that process, which I think at that time was $300 to actually fill out the forms, get a board of directors and I agreed to go on the board,” said Roe. Shannon McNeely Whitaker ’78 was another Spartan who helped get Eco Education off the ground. “She started helping me with the 501c3 papers. She’d come over to my house and eat chocolate-covered graham crackers with me… and we’d do the beginnings of how you start a nonprofit,” said Poore. Later, Whitaker became board chair and helped guide the organization through its early and sometimes awkward growth stages.

John Poore ’85, Founder Malcolm McDonald ’79, Founder’s Council Sandra Bemis Roe ’59, Founder’s Council Shannon McNeely Whitaker ’78, Founder’s Council Fred Kaemmer ’88, Advisory Council Ran Miner (retired SPA teacher and Board of Trustees member), Board Secretary Nance Longley (former SPA staff ), board member Jane Prince (former SPA staff ), board member Paula Kringle (former SPA Annual Fund Director), board member Suzanne Druck ’89, former staff Ginny Clapp Buell ’73, former staff Katie Clapp ’82, former staff Peggy Rasmussen King ’76 (now deceased), former staff

Poore began having success offering the curriculum to local teachers. Battle Creek Elementary in Saint Paul was the first to come on board.

“I went down and copied it at Kinkos, and they started using it and kind of liked it,” said Poore.

It soon became clear to Poore that he needed more help, and that would require fundraising. “I had no idea how to make that part happen, and that’s really when people from the SPA world started showing up,” said Poore.

Whitaker’s family foundation provided crucial early support.

“I think I had asked Harry [McNeely] for a few hundred bucks to bring the curriculum to another school and, instead, they gave me a more significant matching grant that made me get out and raise more money from a diversity of funders (which later would help us grow, as well as weather hard times).” Poore tapped his network of SPA connections and began to make a go of it.

When Poore talks about this early success, his passion for Eco Education comes through, as well as his low-key modesty about how it all happened. “I couldn’t believe anyone would give me money,” he said. “I was psyched.”

Poore soon found himself running an organization at the ripe old age of 24. “I found myself worrying about things that didn’t seem age-appropriate based on what most of my peers were doing.” He laughs about the “hairy times” of running a fledgling non-profit. “I wasn’t sure I could make payroll and I had two people working for me who were significantly older than me and had master’s degrees!” spring 2009 | SPA

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and built environments of the city and learn how to marshal the resources they need to solve problems. “New immigrants are really interested in what the process is here, how to get involved or even that you can be involved,” she said. For example, Somali students at the Minnesota Internship Center in Saint Paul organized a large project around recycling, and taught their families and neighbors how to do it.

Students at El Colegio in Minneapolis worked with teen mothers to find alternatives to baby bottles containing BPA, a compound in plastic that’s harmful to babies. Other schools have organized campaigns to reduce plastic water bottle waste, or planted rain gardens.

A Twin Cities Academy student paints an educational mural about the harmful environmental impacts of drinking bottled water.

But Eco Education thrived. It partnered with more urban schools and Poore found scientists eager to reach school audiences to teach them about a wide range of environmental issues, from rain forests to population growth, and he organized a speakers’ network for the schools.

“Once kids start exploring issues, you don’t know where it’s going to take them,” said Kinzig. “As a teacher, you have to be on the side as a guide. But, in some ways, you’re learning side by side instead of being one step or five steps ahead.”

Eco Education wanted to further empower kids to act on their own ideas for the environment so it began giving mini grants with funding from the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources. “I don’t know who came up with it,” said Roe, “but applying for a grant just like you need to do with a non-profit is a brilliant piece.”

The founding of Eco Education, an idea Poore dreamed up as a student, exemplifies listening to young people. “A student coming out of SPA feels empowered to have ideas,” said Eco Education board member Paula Kringle who, until recently, directed SPA’s Annual Fund. “Students learn the core skills they need to have continued success throughout their lives, and they’re accustomed to having the support of adults to make it work.”

Some of the kids’ ideas even challenged Poore. “It wasn’t always ‘Let’s plant trees,’” he said. “It might be ‘We have a teen pregnancy problem and that’s an environmental issue,’ or graffiti. We had to open up ourselves to what we were hearing in order to better connect to our constituency. We were redefining environmental education.” Poore quickly corrects himself. “They were redefining and we were listening and needing to open our minds up to what it meant to be a steward.”

In 1997, Poore and his wife, Lexy Adams, who also had been heavily involved in working for Eco Education, decided it was time to make their long-desired move to Montana, Adams’ home state.

The founding of Eco Education had been a worthwhile six-year detour, and staff member Kathy Kinzig took over the reigns as Executive Director.

22

Now in its 18th year, Eco Education has reached more than 130,000 students. The essential driving belief — that youth can make a difference — remains unchanged. It’s still revolutionary.

Poore agrees. “It’s a pretty amazing thing when you get help from a group of talented people who value your idea; you can go pretty far with something. It’s amazing to have that kind of support.”

Poore now lives in Red Lodge, Mont., and specializes in leadership training with a company he started called Whole Leaders and the Rockwood Leadership Institute. He still follows Eco Education’s progress with pride. In this year’s annual report, an African girl in a headscarf smiles out in front of a drawing that might be bushes or trees. “That picture spoke a huge amount to me about the success of the organization, because if we can make urban environmental education relevant to all kinds of people, we’re really doing something important,” said Poore.

“John’s ideas are still the basis of the organization,” said Kinzig.

“He was the catalyst — the fire starter, the entrepreneur with great ideas. I was able to fill in the pieces, and build it with the help of a lot of the community in Saint Paul and Minneapolis, and particularly huge amounts of help from SPA [community members].”

As Eco Education reaches deep into the community, it’s also coming full circle. During the 2009-2010 school year, SPA will partner with Eco Education to bring its City Connections program into our seventh grade and its Urban Stewards program to eighth grade students. For more information, go to www.ecoeducation.org.

Kinzig built up the urban aspects of the program, focusing on city kids whose only experience with nature is what is found right in their own communities. The students investigate the natural

Kathy Kinzig, Executive Director of Eco Education, passed away December 17, 2008. Molly Johnston is the Interim Executive Director.

SPA | spring 2009

Class Notes Calendar

Class Agent names and their email addresses are listed under each class year.

April

1935

25 - US Spring Vocal, Orchestra and Community Chorale Concert, 7 p.m., The O’Shaughnessy, College of St. Catherine, Saint Paul 26 - US Jazz Band Concert, 2 p.m., Sarah Converse Auditorium, GC

May 1 - Senior Art Seminar reception, 5-6:30 p.m., Harry M. Drake Gallery, RC (exhibit runs May 1-June 7) 14 - MS spring one-act plays, 1:30 and 7 p.m., Bigelow Commons, RC 15 - US musical, Little Shop of Horrors, 7 p.m., Sarah Converse Auditorium, GC 16 - US musical, Little Shop of Horrors, 7 p.m., Sarah Converse Auditorium, GC 17 - US musical, Little Shop of Horrors, 4 p.m., Sarah Converse Auditorium, GC 19 - MS spring concert, 7 p.m., Sarah Converse Auditorium, GC

June 7 - Commencement, 4 p.m., front lawn, RC. Don Lewis ’71, Dean of Hamline University School of Law, will speak at the 2009 Commencement.

August 17 - Alumni/ae and Parent Golf and Tennis Outing at White Bear Yacht Club, White Bear Lake. Watch www.spa.edu/alumni for more information.

September 25 - All-School Reunion Dinner, Dining Hall, Randolph Campus. Watch www.spa.edu/alumni for more information.

All events are subject to change. For the most current information, go to www.spa.edu.

Duncan Baird dbaird4413@aol.com

1937

Jean Stringer Pierson writes, “I’m currently living in Darien, Connecticut, and would love to hear from anyone who wants to chat with their old friend Babby!”

1941

Marney Brown Brooks marneybb@aol.com Betty Herrmann Cowie geezo612@visi.com

Class Agent Betty Herrmann Cowie writes, “I had a mini class reunion with Betty Clark Blank in Pittsburgh. She has moved to Cape Cod but had returned briefly to ready her Pittsburgh home for sale. Armed with brooms and cleanser we spent a morning in her house before going back for naps to the ‘elder facility’ where we were temporarily lodged.

All of it was great fun with many belly laughs and shared memories.

From the elder care facility I moved to a high school dorm to stay with my granddaughter, Molly Wilson ’02.

Molly is teaching world history at Shady School Academy to 9th and 10th graders. Adjusting to the increased pace, I came away from this visit eager to heap high praise on all high school teachers everywhere for their dedication and hard work.”

1942

Leila Jackson Poullada Harry McNeely Jr. hmcneely@meritex.com Joe Elsinger

1943

Bob Knox

1944 Your class reunion planning committee welcomes the participation of additional volunteers. Please contact SPA’s Institutional Advancement office at 651-696-1366 or email alumni@spa.edu.

1945

Ed Bronstien bronson@aol.com Ginny Kinkead Stockwell

1946 1947

George Mairs

Stan Shepard stanlucyshepard@worldnet.att.net Sallie Stoltze O’Brien

Class Agent Stan Shepard writes, “Mark Orton is living on Long Island, and continues his lifetime role as a highly respected choral director.

Lowry Smith spends his summers in Colorado, his winters in Arizona, and is happy but hard to find. Tim Blodgett lives in Concord and Williamstown, Massachusetts, and visits St. Paul frequently to see his son and family.

Bill Hartfiel is alive and well in Wayzata, and has temporarily put his golf clubs in the closet. Jim Brown plays first trumpet in the Kankakee, Illinois, symphony orchestra, and visits Minneapolis when the Bears are in town. Jon Abbott splits his time between Minnesota and Florida, and promises to attend our next reunion in 2012. Charlie Stryker refused to graduate in 1947 because he wanted to be football captain in 1948. He proceeded to terrorize his opponents, and now he lives peacefully in Venice, Florida. John Driscoll and Stan Shepard are the only alumni

spring 2009 | SPA

23

Class Notes 1947 continued

from SPA ’47 who live in St. Paul. This allows John to keep track of his many grandchidren who attend SPA/SS, and affords the class agent an opportunity to keep closer track of the distinguished fellows listed above. We hope John DeQ. is smiling down on all of us!”

1948

1949

Peggy Hamm Lemmon peglem49@comcast.net Bill Clapp bill.clapp@mac.com

Your class reunion planning committee welcomes the participation of additional volunteers. Please contact SPA’s Institutional Advancement office at 651-696-1366 or email alumni@spa.edu.

Anne Hartley

REUNION NEWS from Dick Slade:

“The Class of 1948 was pleased this year since the 1948 classes from Summit School and Saint Paul Academy worked together to plan and enjoy the September Reunion events. Our class dinner September 27 was pretty special; we reserved space at the old Commodore Hotel bar and adjacent dining room for a relaxed and enjoyable evening.

Sally Willius Lehman and I read notes from a few of our classmates who wrote in with regrets. Martie Holman Norton and George Millard reviewed the results of two surveys of group opinion, which ranged from questions about computer capability to the future of our grandchildren. Counting spouses and widows, the group numbered about 33. We also enjoyed a brunch/lunch at Debbie Butler Bancroft’s home in the Sunfish Lake woods (the wild turkeys wandered by to see what was going on).”

24

SPA | spring 2009

Class Agent Peggy Hamm Lemmon writes, “When Michael Weyerhaeuser (youngest son of Midge Hamm Kirwan ’54 and Chuck Weyerhaeuser ’53) married his Swedish bride Anna Cassel, his uncles, Ted Weyerhaeuser ’49 and Larry Record, and aunts Nancy Neimeyer Weyerhaeuser ’49 and Peggy Hamm Lemmon ’49, were in attendance.

The July 26 ceremony and reception were held in Chamonix, France. Mike’s four siblings were there, as were cousins Tom Rasmussen ’79, Anne Rasmussen Zaccaro ’81, Megan King and Kristen Rasmussen. The view from our hotel rooms was breathtaking — Mont Blanc in all its snowcovered glory. The city was rife with flowers, and the weather was splendid the entire time — with one exception: the skies opened up just as the ceremony began (yes, we were outside, but fairly well protected). Then, the rain stopped abruptly when the ceremony ended. Anna’s family and friends from Sweden were delighted with the cloudburst; according to them, rain on a wedding day foretells good luck and a long and happy life together. In mid-November, Mike and Anna paid a visit to St. Paul, so all members of our families had an opportunity to see pictures from those very special celebratory five days of festivities in July and, of course,

to spend some quality time with the newlyweds.”

1950

Brad Smith jbradner575@comcast.net

1951

Bruce Monick monick4215@aol.com

1952

Helen McGovern Frye Dean Alexander deano472@aol.com

1953

John Holman copas2@msn.com Judy Blake

book-length biography of the late Senator Nicholas Coleman, who was the Majority Leader in the 1970s and unquestionably one of the major figures in the history of Minnesota politics. He was a colleague of mine when I served two terms in the Senate.”

1954

Polly Cross Olmstead dpolmstead@mindspring.com Norb Winter Walter Mayo mayowalter@yahoo.com

Your class reunion planning committee welcomes the participation of additional volunteers. Please contact SPA’s Institutional Advancement office at 651-696-1366 or email alumni@spa.edu.

1955

Kate “Minty” Klein Piper mintypiper@aol.com

1956

Brenda Raudenbush Griffin braudenbush2@comcast.net

▲ John Milton writes, “My new book, Time to Choose, has been released. It is available at Common Good Books in St. Paul, and can be ordered through Amazon.com or directly from the publisher at www.xlibris.com. Time to Choose is a novel set mostly in St. Paul, so readers here will be interested in local scenes, events, and the fictionalized versions of local people. (Though perhaps not as upset as St. Paulites were to see themselves depicted in the fiction of another SPA alum, Scott Fitzgerald).

The book is also timely, since the narrative is based on the challenges of life in the political arena at a time when partisan rancor has been rising.

In addition to getting this book published, I’m at work on a

Bill Goldenberg writes, “On November 19, 2008, Charc and Susan Rose Ward ’57 and I attended a luncheon given by the Board of Regents of the University of Minnesota honoring Bill Pedersen (due to a last minute trial, Pete Wolf couldn’t be there).

Robert Bruininks, President of the University, presented Bill with the Outstanding Achievement Award, which is the highest award conferred on distinguished alumni by the U of M. In addition to his wife, daughters and sister, many of Bill’s partners and associates from Kohn, Pedersen & Fox flew in for the event, which was also attended by his mentor, some of his teachers and students, the Dean of the College of Design and other University leaders. A few family friends, a special client and this

Class Notes

▲ 1954 This photo was taken September 22 at a 54th mini reunion of the Academy Class of 1954 at The Lexington restaurant on Grand Avenue in Saint Paul. From left, Roger Bacon, Dave Beadie, John Stafford, Jim Neher, Norb Winter and Len Johnson.

year’s two recipients of the Bill and Elizabeth Pedersen Graduate Fellowship in Architecture award for students at the U were also in attendance.

In accepting the award Bill, in his warm and eloquent manner (which he attributes to the weekly oral themes we had to give at the Junior School), had something personal to say about almost all of the 40-odd guests at the event. Speaking for Charc, Susan and me, we felt honored to be included at this special occasion.”

The U of M confers the Outstanding Achievement Award on “graduates or former students of the U of M who have attained unusual distinction in their chosen fields or professions and who have demonstrated outstanding achievement and leadership on a community, state, national or international level.”

Pedersen has been a major influence on the evolution of tall office buildings, including the 2008 World Financial Center in Shanghai which, at 1,614 feet and 101 aboveground floors, is the tallest mixed-use urban development project in the world. He is the lead designer for the U of M’s new Science Teaching and Student Services building, planned for completion in 2010 on the Twin Cities campus.

“Bill’s accomplishments extend beyond his international design work,” said U of M College of

Design Dean Thomas Fischer.

“Those I know who have worked with Bill all speak to the open and supportive way in which he collaborates with his colleagues and consultants, getting the best results from talented people and gaining the friendship and trust of his clients.”

Pedersen is a 2003 recipient of SPA’s Distinguished Alumni/ae Award.

Class Agent Brenda Raudenbush Griffin writes, “Greetings, classmates! This is my first opportunity to gather news since being invited to try my hand as new class secretary. Here are some of the topics I suggested to talk about: family, job, retirement opportunity, a milestone achieved, going back to school, falling in love again, reading a great book, winning a prize, running a minimarathon, joining an ashram, hooking up with an old friend, attending a recent SPA/SS event.

Your responses have been lively and far-ranging. (Only one of you mentioned the ashram.)

Several of you mentioned turning 70 (good to have company in achieving that!) and wrote about our 50th reunion and how much fun it was to be together and to celebrate our lives. It surely was.

Thank you! I send kudos to Gerry Kyle Bullard and Ginny Low Campbell for their efforts in gathering our news these past few years. They have shown me how

to proceed, and I thank them for that and for all they have done to keep our class in touch. So… I’m ready to take the plunge!

Gerry noted she and Bob were not going to Arizona this winter, but instead were doing a trip to Costa Rica in January.

Ginny writes that she and Stuart ‘had a glorious summer at Madeline’ Island. ‘We’ve only been home a week or two since the end of June. The weather was gorgeous and the ride down was something to behold. The leaves had reached their peak in the short time we were there and, lucky us, it was fabulous to see and the timing couldn’t have been better. Daphne Roberts Bell and Mike have been up there every time they have been back here, so we had to do it again.’

She added that she thought the reunion weekend was ‘fun and exhilarating! We clearly craved that kind of time together and the conversation that it inspires.

That’s why I think girl reunions are in order for the future. That’s my vote.’

I regret having to pass on the news that our friend and classmate, Clover Fobes Earl, passed away December 14, 2008. Prior to her death we had been in touch, and she wrote to me, ‘2008 is a year of celebration for us — five years since cancer diagnosis, 50th wedding anniversary and 70th birthday!’ The Earl Girls added the following tribute to their Mom: ‘This past August we all came together in Minnesota to celebrate our parents’ 50 years of marriage. We witnessed them renew their vows at St. John’s in the Wilderness, drank champagne at the site of their 1958 wedding reception, and dined together at the WBYC. The sky was blue, the temperature ideal. Mom, always the planner, asked that each of us come to the meal prepared to share a ‘moment in time’ that held special meaning for us.

We spent hours sharing in gutsplitting laughter and thoughtful tears. It was, in short, the perfect

day. We stand in awe of mom’s commitment to live life to the fullest; her glass is never just half full, but always overflowing.’

Peggy Page McCubbin writes, ‘I’m in my 20th year as a tutor at Chisago Lakes High School. I am building a new house on 40 wild acres up at Center City. I’m staying as green as possible. Good health and the farm will stay in the family; son and daughter-in-law are going to move in.’

Julia Seabury writes, ‘I am at this moment in Miami South Beach — why, you ask? I am in a very roundabout way back to Tucson from Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. I went down all by myself to see if I would like to rent there for the winter. My idea is to rent my home in Tucson to some poor snow bunnies for the months of February and/or March and then spend that time in the DR communing with Neptune. After my week in the sun and sand, I’m not sure if this is the lifestyle for me or not. I am going to see if I can rent my home for the winter and then decide where to go.

If anyone is tired of the cold in Minnesota and wants a place to go to the sun in the winter, they can email me at juliaseabury@ yahoo.com. I have a 3/2 home with a spa and garage. The price is negotiable. My kids and I spent my 70th birthday in Paris!

Tom is in NYC and Katie is in San Diego. We had a beyondfabulous time. We rented an apartment on the Rue de Four on the left bank. That trip will be hard to top in my lifetime.’

Sara Torrison Ewald writes, ‘Great to hear from you. I admire your effort to get us all in touch again — good job — your persistence will work. Not much new since the 50th. We have six grandchildren; four live about five minutes from our house in Weston, Massachusetts. What could be better? The other two are in Dallas and we get to see them a lot in Colorado. All are five and under so we spend a lot spring 2009 | SPA

25

Class Notes 1956 continued

of time helping. We still spend the winter and summer in the Vail, Colorado, area, then come back to Massachusetts for the spring and fall — about six months in each spot. Still skiing and playing a very marginal game of golf. I would love to see anyone if you get near Boston or the mountains of Colorado. And, of course, I’m looking forward to the next reunion.’

Sara — I am impressed that you are still skiing and wish I never quit. Not sure I could pick it up now, but I have crawled in and out of tents all my life and will probably keep that up until I’m 90.

Beatrice Strand MacDonald writes, ‘No ashram story, but did love the Eat, Pray, Love account

by Elizabeth Gilbert and would be very tempted! It is so good of you to reach out to all of us and fun to hear from you! I was really disappointed not to be able to attend our 50th reunion, but we were incredibly busy in Boston with our grandchildren. For news, I can only report how incredibly fortunate we feel to have our life — all of our four children have married people we love and who all enjoy one another, the nine

grandchildren (10 and under) are so much fun and will all be in close range as soon as our daughter, Anne, moves back from Atlanta. We are both healthy, so far as we know, and have a great time together doing anything or nothing, we are both still very active at work and physically, and trying to keep the mental acuity up! Have lived in the same beloved home for 43 years (quite a record for anyone, but particularly for a realtor!) in Lexington and always appreciate the history and character of our town and Boston.

Love making Nantucket baskets, traveling, cooking, gardening, reading, art, music and all the beautiful parts of friends, family and living. I think each time something arrives from SS/SPA what a great time we had, and how simple life was in the ’50s, relatively.’

Bea — We all missed you at the 50th. I have two granddaughters now. It changes everything, doesn’t it?

Elizabeth Hilton Dawson writes, ‘Things are pretty calm up here in Ottawa, Canada.

We, too, had a federal election recently, but the campaigning time frame was six weeks! We have four lovely grandchildren ages

If you would like to: • submit a class note for the next magazine • update us with a change in name or contact information Contact Tracy Madden at 651-696-1323 or tmadden@spa.edu.

If you would like to: • • • •

drop by the school for a tour get involved with Reunion Weekend planning become a Class Agent or otherwise volunteer at the school

Call 651-696-1366 or email alumni@spa.edu.

If you would like to: • receive periodic email updates from the school, logon to www.spa.edu/alumni and update your email address in the alumni/ae directory.

26

SPA | spring 2009

3-11 who all live nearby.

My husband, Don, though a retired mathematician, still works and travels a lot. Life is pretty quiet and we like it that way.’

Daphne Roberts Bell writes, ‘It’s been another very full year, including a recent quick trip to Barcelona for a conference and visiting our daughter in Basel.

She plans to move to New York — and that’s closer to both Minnesota and New Zealand!

Council continues full-tilt with all the serious side but, as well, often saying a few words at functions, including a speech in Spanish to visiting Chilean mayors. I was well kissed afterwards, and enjoyed choosing public art, colorful ethnic festivals, knowing stuff and meeting people — plus reaching the dizzy heights of opening a giraffe viewing platform at the zoo. We’ve been absorbed with the U.S. elections — much more so than our own elections four days later — and I am delighted with the promise of a new era under Obama.’

Wonderful messages all! For the last four years, after retiring from teaching Adult English and Civics ESOL, I have been a docent at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Center. We do school tours and handle traffic at the President’s book signings. I love the challenge of the young minds in the school groups. We get kids from both public and private schools. By no means do any of these schools contain Children Left Behind. As for President Carter, I told him on my first assignment that I was honored to meet him. He looked me straight in the eye and replied, ‘The honor is mine.’ Jimmy Carter has given 28 years of service to his country so far since his Presidency.

In January 2008, I went to Mexico on a nine-day orientation and mission with eight other ministers through the Franciscan Center for Action and Contemplation, Albuquerque, New Mexico. I was one of only two women; the rest were guys.

We visited the Border Fence

(a shocking sight) at the most trafficked crossing between El Paso and Juárez. We spent four days living with some of the families on a discarded dump outside the city, called Ciudad de Colonias. We met 25 women and their children who spend each weekday at Centro Santa Catalina, started by two Adrian Dominican Sisters.

We spent our daytime hours there. The children go to school (they are on grade-level or above) while the women work in a sewing coop (Cooperativa Las Mujeres de Esperanzo y Fe). They earn money from selling their beautiful woven shawls and pouches (www.centrosantacatalina.org).

These beautiful Mexican women, although straightforward about the hardships they endure, remain joyful and hopeful. Their strength seems motivated by their motherhood, I think, and it is a witness to the world of possibility — the indomitability of the human spirit which sees a creative alternative to, for example, a terrible, fugitive life as an undocumented refugee in the United States. Immigration and poverty issues cannot be solved from behind a desk in some remote location of Mexico or the United States.

Someone had written boldly among the graffiti on a broken wall ‘Estoy aqui’ — I am here. My heart replies, ‘Yes, and who stands with you?’ I published a small book on my experiences entitled, Juárez — the Border Experience.

Back home again I have been, along with other Americans, riding the tide of political rhetoric and the tsunami of economic challenges while watching the amazingly peaceful transition from the Bush administration to that of Obama.

I close with a letter from Vicki Churchill Ford, ‘We are well and very busy, the election was a sea change and we are indeed fortunate to live in interesting times. The country needs a reverse mode to stop waste and begin re-greening the nation and world. My personal concern is the educational system

Class Notes and I would like to see some restructuring in our public school system. That is the cradle of our future as a nation. New York, Minnesota and California were the top states ranked in l950 in public school education. That is far from the case now! Si was recently in Budapest helping our son Chris to reappoint three of the apartments he has been renting for seven years. Paint, paper, flat screen TV freshened up the rentals. I’m serving on the Board of Trustees at Sarah Lawrence College… There is going to be a lot of change and that will be a challenge that will bring new energy and interest to everything that is done. It is difficult to imagine that anyone could ever have considered our class to be apathetic. If the nation can grow up and be as involved and committed as our class did, the country will become a better place.’”

1957

Dutton Foster pardilqua@aol.com Susan Rose Ward cswsrw@earthlink.net

REUNION NEWS from Emily Otis Wurtz, Summit 1958:

“Fifteen Summit School classmates came to last fall’s reunion and two more, Colin Platt Stees and Lora Klein Schultz, joined us by telephone. At Pat Quantrell Host’s instigation, Judy Parish Diedrich made reservations for a Summit-only lunch Saturday at The Lexington restaurant. We narrowly missed seeing Sue Putnam Kirkham, who preceeded the rest of us there at noon. Nancy Finberg Kurimay arranged for most out-of-towners to stay at the Embassy Suites Hotel, which provided a chance to bump into each other for breakfasts. Friday night we enjoyed the All-School Reunion Dinner; many thanks to the school for setting up a TV to watch the last Presidential debate in a nearby room.

Saturday we attended the Old Folks Brunch (Heritage Brunch) at the school in the morning. We were very interested in the headmaster’s account of our Summit days, and were touched at the effort he made to reconstruct it, if diverging in our memory of what it felt like emotionally. The highlight was lunch with each other at The Lexington. Colin had wired us a beautiful centerpiece of elegant and crazy flowers. It was a great chance to talk together. Yes, there were some photos and old Flames we looked at, but mainly we talked and remembered. Miss Spicer figured prominently. One discovery for me was that the class had been divided in A and B sections not randomly (as Robin Brooks Tost and other As had thought), but on the basis of perceived ability (as those in B vividly remembered), and that the two sections were not treated with the same respect. We marveled at how challenging some of our teenage experiences had been, and at how little we had been able to acknowledge or talk about them at the time. The overwhelming impression, however, was of resiliency and spirit with which classmates had dealt with their teenage and adult experiences, and what a pleasure it was to be able to talk about them together now.

When The Lex kicked us out (about 4:30 p.m., to set up for an evening event), Izzy Hoskins Troy invited us to see the new house she and her husband were building. We marveled at the imaginatively rolling roof line, spacious indoor squash court, and urban overlook of nature. Saturday night John and Sandy Roe ’59 had both SPA and Summit ’58 for dinner at their home, a warm and wonderful occasion — good food, great classmates.

Sunday we shared breakfast at the Embassy Suites and then met at a restaurant for lunch and goodbyes. Many thanks to SPA-Summit for occasioning this get-together. It exceeded our expectations and left us wanting to maintain contact.”

1958

Class Agent needed.

Please call 651-696-1366 if you would like to volunteer or email alumni@spa.edu.

1959

Ethel Welch Griggs c.griggs@comcast.net Jim Gardner Tom Hauser George May gmay@mayobrien.com

Your class reunion planning committee welcomes the participation of additional volunteers. Please contact SPA’s Institutional Advancement office at 651-696-1366 or email alumni@spa.edu.

1960

Class Agent needed.

Please call 651-696-1366 if you would like to volunteer or email alumni@spa.edu.

1961

Crosby Sommers sommers80@msn.com

1962

Bill Peet drpeet@drpeet.com

JOIN US FOR THE ALUMNI/AE & PARENT

Golf and Tennis Outing Monday, August 17 White Bear Yacht Club Following the outing, there will be a dinner for all graduates, parents and friends of the SPA community.

Watch www.spa.edu/alumni for more information.

spring 2009 | SPA For information, go to www.spa.edu or call 651-696-1355

27

Class Notes 1963

Nancy Leavitt Mulvey nancymulvey@gmail.com

1964

Cindy Schuneman Piper repip2@aol.com John Maher jmaher1@maine.rr.com

Your class reunion planning committee welcomes the participation of additional volunteers. Please contact SPA’s Institutional Advancement office at 651-696-1366 or email alumni@spa.edu.

Bruce Myers writes, “Twenty-five years and still coaching (middle school hockey and varsity boys’ lacrosse) and working as an athletic administrator at North Yarmouth Academy in Yarmouth, Maine.

Spouse Anne is a florist in Bath, Maine. Oldest son Lt. Andrew H. Myers (USNA ’02) awaiting orders to Baghdad. Youngest, Brad Myers (Middlebury ’05), is a financial advisor for Ameriprise in Boston. Best wishes to all of my classmates.”

1965

Robert Erickson ericksonrobert@comcast.net Bob Works pkmtfarm@sover.net

▲ Class Agent Bob Erickson and his wife, Lisa, took a pilgrimage to the Holy Land last February.

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SPA | spring 2009

Bob is pictured below at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem.

He and Lisa “retraced the footsteps of Jesus, and learned lessons in current events.

We hope to return someday.”

1966

Mike Brown mbrown@spa.edu

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts named David Lilly vice chair of its 2008-2009 board.

1967

REUNION NEWS from Lucy Wieland, Summit 1968:

“We had a good turnout and a great time. We went on a boat ride on the St. Croix on Saturday and then had lunch at Susan Oehler Seltzer’s home on the river. Saturday night we had dinner at Bonnie Leslie Blodgett’s house and Sunday we met at my house, walked to Loring Park and the Sculpture Garden and had brunch at a local eatery on the park. We all brought photos of family to get reacquainted. We had a wonderful time and we’re planning our next big get together… maybe even an exciting trip somewhere. Those in attendance were Bonnie, Susie, Lucy, Christie, Sally, Cathy G., Carol Rone, Anne C., Martha Garrett, Katie Leach, Flopsie Field, Jeannie Warner, Katie P., Brenda… We heard from Martha Ravits, Barbara Lannin, Jody and Carol G., who couldn’t make it but sent photos and stories to share. It turned into a great opportunity for all to reconnect.”

Nancy Platt Jones nandbjones@yahoo.com Phil Bratnober

1968

Class Agent needed.

Please call 651-696-1366 if you would like to volunteer or email alumni@spa.edu.

Summit School 1968 women pictured, from left, Martha Garrett Burdess, Sally Davidson Foster, Katy Leach Connors, Susie Oehler Seltzer, Katie Platt, Brenda Lockhart Springsted, Lucy Wieland, Anne Cowie, Bonnie Leslie Blodgett, Christie Hammes, Cathy Geist.

REUNION NEWS from Bill Levin, Academy 1968:

“On the early fall evening of September 27, the Somerset Country Club became the mellow venue for the 40th Reunion of the Saint Paul Academy Class of 1968.

Present were 21 graduating classmates, four fellow classmates from prior years, 15 spouses and significant others, and four teachers. All joined in an evening of greeting, meeting, toasts, roasts, anecdotes,

pictures, and memories and good wishes for the future.

The class remains internationally dispersed.

Jack Thera has returned from the Arabian desert and was present; Dan Starjash sent regrets from Panama, for which he has departed the Bay Area.

Joining locally-based class members were Jim Borchert (New Hampshire), Rick Olson (Vermont), Rick Titcomb (Washington State) and Gardner Bemis (Colorado Ski Country).

Missed, though present through an expressive email message, was Jeff Alden. It was email that made it possible for Nick Linsmayer to cordially herd so many individuals toward a successful event, producing pictures and articles from the present and from many past years for the benefit of his appreciative classmates. Well deserved thanks go to Nick for his efforts and for the emails he began to launch over a year ago, when planning for the event was begun by

Class Notes 1969

Ruth Schilling Harwood

Your class reunion planning committee welcomes the participation of additional volunteers. Please contact SPA’s Institutional Advancement office at 651-696-1366 or email alumni@spa.edu.

1970

Class Agent needed.

Please call 651-696-1366 if you would like to volunteer or email alumni@spa.edu.

1973

Charlie Zelle czelle@jeffersonlines.com

1974

Roddie Hauser Turner roddie.turner@comcast.net

Your class reunion planning committee welcomes the participation of additional volunteers. Please contact SPA’s Institutional Advancement office at 651-696-1366 or email alumni@spa.edu.

1971

1975

1972

1976

Tom Wood tom.wood@gs.com

Class Agent needed.

Please call 651-696-1366 if you would like to volunteer or email alumni@spa.edu.

Bill Levin, Nick Linsmayer, Doug McMillan and Dar Reedy.

Highlights and lowlights on a variety of subjects great and small were offered throughout the evening by former teachers Bob Drechsel, Jim Martin, Ran Miner and David Sims, with counterpoints from Jim Borchert, Len Fricke, Bill Levin, Nick Linsmayer, Dar Reedy and Bill Tongen.

To close, an echo of Ed Read: ‘A good time was had by all.’”

Lit Field lfieldjr@tcfield.com

Doug Whitaker douglas.r.whitaker@pjc.com

▲ Jill Sandeen writes, “I am so very proud of America.

We have risen up and elected Barack Obama to be the 44th president of our great nation.

Since July of 2007, I was inspired to participate and take charge of our destiny and worked passionately on the Obama campaign.

Starting with four trips to Iowa to canvass and volunteer at events, becoming a precinct captain in Minnesota, followed by becoming elected a National Delegate from my Congressional District and attending the DNCC in Denver I have, from the start, been an ardent advocate of an Obama presidency. Being at Invesco

Field for Senator Obama’s acceptance speech was a highlight of my life. Ultimately, I took the last month of the campaign off from my job as a Certified Nurse-Midwife to work full time as a volunteer.

Then, on November 4, 2008, we as a nation said ‘Yes We Can!’ Though I have now returned to my ‘real job’ of providing health care to women and their babies, I am committed to helping President Obama in the call to right our country and our world, and encourage all of you to step up to the plate and participate!”

1977

Hank Brandtjen hbrandtjen@kluge.biz

1978

John Butler jbutler@mairsandpower.com Shannon McNeely Whitaker swhitaker@meritexenterprises.com

Academy 1968 men pictured, front from left, Bill Sjoholm, Rick Titcomb, Otto Christenson, Joe Benson, Jack Thera, Jim Kamman, Rick Olson. Back, John Bathke, Bill Levin, Huck Cammack, Bill Tongen, Geoff Taylor, Len Fricke, Ned Foster, Bill Bierman, Dave Megarry, Gardner Bemis, Jim Borchert, Doug Kusske, Dar Reedy, Tom Verhey, Doug McMillan, Greg Pierce, Jim Vaughan, Nick Linsmayer.

spring 2009 | SPA

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Class Notes 1978 continued

REUNION NEWS from Shannon McNeely Whitaker, SPA 1978:

“The Class of 1978 had a great 30th year reunion with wonderful participation from some far-flung classmates. The highlight of the weekend was a dinner party at John Butler’s home in White Bear Lake (thank you, John and Ceci!). Attendees included John and Ceci Butler, Renee Heine Patnode and husband Tom, Scott Austin, Clover Earl and husband Tom Zell, Hunter Bancroft, Shawn McNeely, Phil Allen, Lisa Tesar Capretta, Jim Bronstein, Steve Whitaker, Shannon McNeely Whitaker, Phil Foussard, Phil Stringer, Paul Baillon, John O’Brien and wife Amy Sundberg O’Brien ’83, Henry Michaels and wife Janine, Chauncey Anderson and Bob Albrecht. Thank you to the brave spouses who joined us; you were great sports and hopefully you were laughing with us and not at us!

Unfortunately, we didn’t get a class photo taken, but trust us, we all looked fabulous! In honor of the political season we held a sit-in at John’s and way overstayed our welcome sharing stories, remembrances and news into the wee hours. If you weren’t there we missed you, probably wondered why you didn’t come, toasted to your good health more than once (as we did our own), and hope that we see you at the next reunion five years down the road.”

From left, Tom Zell (spouse of Clover Earl), Phil Stringer, Clover Earl, Chauncey Anderson, Phil Allen.

1979

Julia Doermann juliadoermann@hotmail.com

Your class reunion planning committee welcomes the participation of additional volunteers. Please contact SPA’s Institutional Advancement office at 651-696-1366 or email alumni@spa.edu.

Charlotte Lehmann writes, “This year has been one of losses — job, housing, relationship and my beloved Zambezi after nearly 14 years. I am poised on the edge of much that will be new as I had set my intention before all of these losses to go to theological seminary in Fall 2009. In the meantime, I have a year hiatus in which to find other things to do. Family, both Willius and

1980

Kris Flom kflom@spa.edu

1981

Class Agent needed.

Please call 651-696-1366 if you would like to volunteer or email alumni@spa.edu.

Filmmaker Norah Shapiro writes, “It’s been quite a year for Flying Pieces Productions and it is hard to believe that 2009 is just around the corner.

If You Dare is (finally) in its final stages of post-production and will be festival-ready by early 2009. If You Dare follows a group of children and the adult artists who mentor them in a theater program for at-risk kids. The stories of the children of the Chicago Avenue Project offer a view from the inside, of the highs and lows, struggles and triumphs involved in a small theater company’s efforts to make a difference in the lives of children facing challenges of inner city life. Check out www. ifyoudaredocumentary.com.

SPA | spring 2009

1982

David Weyerhaeuser dweyerhaeuser@gradstaff.com Sally Cammack Miesen sjmiesen@msn.com

Important Numbers Main line 651-698-2451 Main fax 651-698-6787

Institutional Advancement 651-696-1366 - Development - Alumni/ae Relations - Communications

Admission 651-696-1339

Athletics information 651-696-1449

info@spa.edu 30

And, just as If You Dare wraps up, assembly on Miss Tibet: Beauty in Exile begins!

Highlights for this production include the award of a 2008 Jerome Foundation media arts grant, and fiscal sponsorship

by IFP MN. Miss Tibet: Beauty in Exile probes the improbable connection between a Tibetan beauty pageant and the contemporary Tibetan struggle for survival. Check out www. misstibetbeautyinexile.com.

Finally, Flying Pieces Productions recently completed a short video piece for an amazing organization, Upstream Arts, that uses the arts to work with people in the disability community. You can check it out by going to their website, www.upstreamarts.org.

Many thanks to all of you for your past and continuing support and interest. Please check out my new websites, be in touch and be well! www. flyingpiecesproductions.com.”

Lehmann — SPA/SS, SPA and SS alums — are all well and good, to the best of my knowledge.”

■

www.spa.edu

Class Notes 1984

REUNION NEWS from Ann Ruhr Pifer, SPA 1983:

“We had about 45 people at The Grand Hand Gallery in Saint Paul, and a show of Peter Zelle’s glass art was up at the time. There were no particular activities, but there was good food (including some of Mike Sands’ company’s snack food, Lesser Evil, which everyone loved), and great conversation — everyone stayed really late talking and telling stories.”

From left, Susan Schloff, John Ervin, Johnny Arbogast, Trip Johnson, Todd Johnson, Amy Sundberg O’Brien, Michael Sands, Andrea Kauffman Gruber, Bert Wilson, Rich Geist, Peter Zelle, Jennifer Abuzzahab, Chris Commers, Tim Miner, Jennifer Sahlin, John O’Brien ’78, Cindy Fisher Wilson, John Seymour, Georgeanna Lewis, Eric Dieperink, Ann Ruhr Pifer, Ned Patterson, Mollie Ward, Dave Arenson, Tracy Cosgrove Lakatua, Brad Burke and, just out of picture, Debby Peterson.

1983

Tracy Cosgrove Lakatua tlakatua@bigsky.net

This fall, Ned Patterson and a team of researchers at University of Minnesota-Twin Cities published information in the Nature Genetics journal identifying a gene in Labrador retriever dogs associated with exercise induced collapse (EIC).

In dogs suffering from EIC, Labradors start to lose control of their hind limbs after intense hunting or retrieving exercises.

About 2-3 percent of Labradors — the most common dog breed in the world — are affected

by EIC. In a breakthrough discovery, the research team identified a mutant form of the gene associated with EIC.

This is the first natural mutation of this gene identified in any mammal (including humans), and its discovery could offer insight into normal, as well as abnormal, neurobiology in animals and humans. Researchers also determined that up to 30 percent of Labrador retrievers are carriers of the mutation, and they developed and patented a genetic test to indicate whether dogs have the normal or mutated forms of the gene.

“The test can not only help confirm the diagnosis, but it can also help dog breeders ensure that no dog inherits two copies of the mutated gene,” said Patterson, internal medicine specialist, professor at The College of Veterinary Medicine at U of M and co-investigator of the study.

The test is available exclusively through the U of M’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.

Breeds such as Chesapeake Bay and curly coated retrievers, which are closely related to Labradors, have also been found to have the mutation. The research team is now determining what other breeds might be involved and more precisely defining the mutation. Further study could lead to a better understanding of the processes that occur in other neurological diseases, both in animals and in humans.

Johnny Arbogast’s book of poetry, Searcher: Collected Poems 1988-2008, is available at www. lulu.com/content/3095308.

Tom Guyer tom.guyer@winsorlearning.com

Your class reunion planning committee welcomes the participation of additional volunteers. Please contact SPA’s Institutional Advancement office at 651-696-1366 or email alumni@spa.edu.

Joe Bagnoli writes, “I have founded an adult group of musical theater devotees to perform High School Musical (selections from all three! in nursing homes across the Midwest. It has been wonderful to rekindle my passion for musicals (a passion that was born when I was in the chorus of Grease the Musical our senior year in high school).”

Hans Dekker writes, “My dreams of being a jam-band event organizer are finally being realized. I was the principal organizer of a two-day outdoor concert modeled on other events like Bonaroo or Lollapalooza that took place in late August in suburban New Jersey — it had the catchy title of ‘Hellahound.’

Every night ended with a stage full of folks singing Good Lovin’.

No word on whether Bob Weir and Arlo Guthrie made the event, though they were prominently featured on all of the promotional materials.”

Class Agent Tom Guyer writes, “The Class of ’83-’84 and ’90 broomball team retires: After 17 years of fierce competition and pulled hamstrings, Team Gilligan, comprised of Spencer Deinard, Brian Hols, Joe Bagnoli, Trip Johnson, Sarah Bullard, Tom Guyer, Eric Dieperink, David Murphy and Nick Johnson, along with wives and lovers, has called it quits. Despite throwing in the towel in the face of younger, surlier competition, the

spring 2009 | SPA

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Class Notes 1984 continued

team still plans to get together for games of appropriate length — half hour — and more proximate to bars that have big TVs.”

1985

Dave Kansas davekansas22@yahoo.com

1986

John Patterson johnwilderpatterson@yahoo.com Renee Hilmanowski Ochaya theochayas@oh.rr.com

1987

Carol Bagnoli cbagnoli@yahoo.com Rob Mairs robert.mairs@gpmlaw.com Jay Ettinger jayettinger@comcast.net

Arts Council Korea has chosen Eungie Joo as the commissioner of the Korean Pavilion at this year’s Venice Biennale. Joo is the first non-Korean national appointed to the position.

The director and curator of public programs at New York’s New Museum since 2007,

Joo created the institution’s Museum as Hub global partnership, a curatorial-education hybrid project with five international partners. Before working at the New Museum, Joo was the founding director and curator of REDCAT gallery in Los Angeles for four years.

1988

Dan Deuel dhd823@comcast.net

Jay Krasnow is a Senior Research Analyst at the Freedonia Group in Cleveland, Ohio.

1989

Class Agent needed.

Please call 651-696-1366 if you would like to volunteer or email alumni@spa.edu.

Your class reunion planning committee welcomes the participation of additional volunteers. Please contact SPA’s Institutional Advancement office at 651-696-1366 or email alumni@spa.edu.

REUNION NEWS from David Salchow, SPA 1988:

“Our class party occurred at Cafe Lurcat in Minneapolis on Saturday, September 27.

We enjoyed perusing yearbooks, photos and memorabilia, catching up with ‘old’ friends, and enjoyed fabulous hors d’oeuvres and drinks. I believe we had about 35 attendees in total, but I never caught an official final count (that’s not counting spouses or other guests).

We had a few non-alums who attended SPA for a significant number of years, which I’ve included in the total. We literally had classmates fly in from both coasts and one other continent to attend!

The previous evening, we had a sizable representation at the All-School Reunion Dinner and for the art reception by artist Richard Barlow. There is a collection of photos posted on our class blog, spa1988.blogspot.com.” and Jennifer O’Brien:

“We kept our reunion pretty simple and advertised both the All-School Dinner and the class party at Bar Lurcat (cocktails

32

SPA | spring 2009

and hors d’oeuvres) for events.

A number of us met up at Plum’s after getting kicked out of the SPA cafeteria Friday night for more stories and catching up.

I believe we had around 50 people show up at the class

party on Saturday — a miracle since most people told us they really lost touch with each other over the years. The committee’s key tool was David Salchow’s idea — the class blog, which garnered so much enthusiasm with too

many funny memories to count.

Facebook has been an amazing tool, too. We’ve even found some people on it after our search.

Hooray for social networking online.”

Front, from left, Rick Epstein, Bassel Abul-Hajj, David Salchow, Jennifer O’Brien. Row two: Fred Kaemmer, Dana Nelson, Kirsten Brooks Selinger, Dan Barsness, Kharma Kochendorfer Parker, Annie Wilson Courington, Jennifer Bond, Anne Marie Ligda Vorbach. Row three: Michele Dorfsman, Mercedes Jill Henderson Miller, Dawn White, Jessica Bergstrom, Russ Baccaglini, Darren Gerke, Theresa Zottola-Drift, Dom Fragomeni, Kathleen Kyle Brusco, Sterling Black (hidden behind Jennifer Bond). Back: Gerard Lagos, Joe Rife, Richard Barlow, Dan Deuel, Catherine McKenzie, Gina Christ, Gretchen Pick, Patty Duckstad, Sara Steil Shuster, Reema Singh Batnagar, Amy Myrbo, Bill Boulger, Andrew Arashiba, Chris Cheney.

Class Notes Andrew Ault writes, “I work at this place called CAA (aka Creative Artists Agency) in Los Angeles. It’s a talent agency that represents lots of cool and exciting folks. The best part of it is that I got to go and hang out in Gene Simmons’ living room for a few hours and talk about businesses that would involve girls in bathing suits. Thank you, SPA.”

1990

Debbie Lipschultz Goldenberg goldenlips275@aol.com Darren Strafelda

▲ Class Agent Chris Murphy and his wife, Alison, welcomed a daughter to their family, Paige Barnes, last April. Paige joined son Connor, age 2.

1993

Ben Beach beach_benjamin@hotmail.com John Cosgriff jcosgrif@gsb.uchicago.edu Mary Dickinson MacDonald mgdickinson@yahoo.com Jim Delaney jdelaney@wedrivebusiness.com

Class Agent Jim Delaney was elected to the YMCA of Metropolitan Minneapolis board of directors. ▲ Bob Larson and SPA math teacher George Leiter are part of a St. Paul Rotary group that painted the homes of senior citizens who live on the East side of the city during a recent “Paint-A-Thon” event.

1991

Josh Kriesel krieselj@hotmail.com

1992

1994

Class Agent needed.

Please call 651-696-1366 if you would like to volunteer or email alumni@spa.edu.

Uri Neren, CEO of Generate Companies, joined Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty on the Minnesota Trade Mission to Israel December 11-18, 2008. The mission was intended to help Minnesota-based companies increase exports to Israel, build strategic relationships and explore new business opportunities.

The mission included visits to Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, major IT firms, business incubators and education institutions.

Governor Pawlenty spoke before Israel’s top business and political leaders at The Israel Business Conference.

The delegation included nearly 30 business, community, educational and government leaders.

“It’s an honor to have been selected to travel with the Governor and so many important contributors to the Minnesota community and economy,” said Neren.

While in Israel, his goal was to develop relationships with emerging green and medical technology companies and help

these companies to open new headquarters or manufacturing facilities in Minnesota.

1995

Kris Weum kris.weum@gmail.com Katie Kirschbaum Frisch katiekirschbaum@hotmail.com

1996

Matt Gollinger mgollinger@hotmail.com Minette Loula mmloula@gmail.com

Lukas Bergstrom joined One Acre Fund September 15 and is living and working full-time in Kenya. One Acre Fund is a nonprofit organization started

by Andrew Youn in January 2006 with a goal of helping to solve the chronic hunger problem in Africa by pioneering a tiny investment package to enable farm families to grow their way out of hunger.

Minette Loula writes, “In April, I left law firm life to take an attorney position with the toy company, Hasbro. This move was perfect timing for our family, as my husband and I welcomed our son, Patrick James Davis Wall, into our

Your class reunion planning committee welcomes the participation of additional volunteers. Please contact SPA’s Institutional Advancement office at 651-696-1366 or email alumni@spa.edu.

Andy Droel droe0007@tc.umn.edu Chris Murphy murphy.chrism@gmail.com

▲ 1994 Remi Eichten recently returned from Paris, France, where she was an assistante d’anglais in 2007-2008. She taught English to junior high school students in the suburbs of Paris.

She said she “thoroughly enjoyed it” and is currently pursuing a fellowship in bilingual education to teach in the St. Paul Public Schools. She may be reached at reichten@mac.com.

spring 2009 | SPA

33

Class Notes 1996 continued

lives at the beginning of July.

I would love to hear from my former classmates and from any SPA alums in the Providence (RI) area. I can be contacted at mmloula@gmail.com.”

1997

Dena Citron Larson dena.larson@genmills.com Jeff Jarosch jefforama@aol.com

June 7, 2008, at Irvine Park in Saint Paul, Minn., and celebrated with family and friends September 27, 2008, in Waconia, Minn. Present were Daniel Johnson ’97, Joe Krawetz ’96, Sarah FosterWalters ’98, Christy Oehrlein Boull ’98, Emily Harris ’98 and Kirsten Klevan ’98.

1999

1998

Michael Lorberbaum lorberbaum@hotmail.com Mara Schanfield maraschanfield@gmail.com

Jesse Markman jesse.markman@yale.edu Ann Marie Miller Winskowski winskowski1@hotmail.com Uju Obi obi@post.harvard.edu Megan (Maggie) Sullivan Noah Mehlan mehlan@stolaf.edu

Mark Heinert mark.heinert@bestbuy.com Lisa Stein lstein@bu.edu

Your class reunion planning committee welcomes the participation of additional volunteers. Please contact SPA’s Institutional Advancement office at 651-696-1366 or email alumni@spa.edu.

▲ Abby McDonald Donner writes, “My wife, Tara, and I welcomed our daughter, Hazel, into the world August 24, 2008.”

2000

Dru Donovan’s photos were featured in a multi-page spread in the September 21, 2008, edition of The New York Times Magazine. Her pictures accompanied an article about college students participating in the Juneau Icefield Research Program in Alaska.

2005 from WPI, and is currently an engineer with Rolf Jensen & Associates International, Inc., a fire protection engineering firm in Chicago, Ill. He was recently promoted to Senior Consultant and serves as the Associate Manager of the RJA International Chicago Office.

Aaron is working on buildings around the world, including Burj Dubai, which has recently become the tallest building in the world. He and his wife, Lauren, relocated to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in January to continue his work on international projects throughout the Middle East.

2001 ▲ Anne Peick and Brenden Goetz ’03 prepare to paddle the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River in Montana and Wyoming during a staff training expedition for Outward Bound last summer.

Aaron F. Vanney, P.E., earned a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree in 2004 from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, a master’s degree in Fire Protection Engineering in

Tiffany Clark tclark05@aol.com Aram Desteian desteian@stolaf.edu

Class Agent Tiffany Clark writes, “Studied photojournalism and graduated from International Center of Photography in 2007. Have been freelancing throughout New York City — shooting for amNew York newspaper, New York Daily News, Minnesota’s Kare 11

▲ Kati Lynn Johnson Griffin and Alan Griffin were married

34

SPA | spring 2009

Jason Cohen Photography

The Class of 1998 held its 10-year Reunion December 27, 2008, at Nye’s Polonaise Room in Minneapolis. For photos, go to www.spa.edu/alumni.

▲ 1999 Charlie Dickinson married Coreil Ryder August 9, 2008, in New Orleans, La. Charlie’s dad, Jim Dickinson Sr. ’58, performed the ceremony. SPA alums in this picture include Chris Hart, Andrew Kromroy, Jim Dickinson Jr. ’89, Charlie, Zach Pettus, Mike DeCourcy and Mark Heinert.

Class Notes News, assisting VII Photo photographer Ron Haviv and LA/NY Times photographer Robert Caplin and working as a digital media lab assistant at ICP, all while trying to work on my own personal photography projects.”

2002

Sara Cornell scornell@gwu.edu Lauren Nuffort lauren.nuffort@gmail.com Chike Obi obix0004@tc.umn.edu Carly Thomforde cthomforde@northpark.edu

Joey Wertz writes, “I am currently attending the University of St. Thomas, participating in the full-time MBA program. I am in my first year of the 21-month program and enjoying the challenges that grad school presents. I recently bought a house this past summer in Eagan with my sister. I don’t have a lot of free time between school and taking care of my new house, but I do still like to play soccer, flag football and watch sports.”

Chase Turner notes that he writes a blog called “Minus Manhattan” about art, culture and politics at minusmanhattan.tumblr.com.

He also writes for the popular Twin Cities music blog More Cowbell (morecowbell.net).

Becky Alper writes, “I just graduated from Clark University’s fifth year free program (an accelerated master’s program in one year) in Geographic Information Science. I’ve been working for the past year at a small engineering firm in Boston called Traffic Solutions, performing planning and GIS studies, which has been a very positive experience. The big news is that I’m moving back to

2002 Aaron Panone has a food blog at http://lickmy balsamic.blogspot.com/. His blog includes descriptions and photos of foods he has cooked alone or with friends.

Though he has no formal training in the culinary arts or in food photography, his hobby keeps him in contact with friends and family.

“It’s just a hobby of mine, and not anything that I take too seriously,” said Aaron.

“My cooking developed as a form of stress relief while I was working on a dual discipline degree in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering at Wentworth Institute of Technology, here in Boston.

I’m currently working as an Electrical and Mechanical Poached egg and feta on a Systems Design Engineer black bean and mushroom with a very small contract cake over a bed of fresh engineering firm out here.” garden tomatoes

the Twin Cities in January 2009 with my boyfriend Raja. I’m looking forward to reconnecting with old friends from SPA, doing some cross country skiing, and getting involved with transportation work in the Twin Cities.”

2003

in the Department of Resident Life, and am completing apprenticeship experiences in both the Office of Student Conduct and the Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Education.

Coming from SPA and Colorado College, it has been quite foreign to now go to an institution with 35,000-plus students, and average class sizes of 100plus! Overall, I am having an absolutely wonderful time in the D.C. metro area, but not being home in good ol’ Minnesota is still never easy.”

Class Agent Brenden Goetz writes, “I finished up a perfect summer in Red Lodge, Montana, as an intern and instructor for Outward Bound, and have been teaching English in two elementary schools in

REUNION NEWS from Brenden Goetz, SPA 2003:

“It was a small gathering, but still nice to see some old faces.

Mr. Leiter showed up for a bit and chatted about teaching in Jamaica and his new ‘band’ at school with Middle Schoolers.

We joked about how they’ll have plenty of time to grow together as musicians! It would be cool to see more teachers around. Maybe in 2013!”

Brenden Goetz brendengoetz@gmail.com Aleks Sims aks010@drake.edu Jillian Degerness jillian.degerness@trinity.edu Emily Shor Kendra Ackland Tom Christ kiselblat@gmail.com

Isaiah Thomas writes, “After seeing all of the other class notes, I thought I’d join on in! I am currently more than halfway through my master’s program in higher education administration/college student personnel at the University of Maryland. I also work for the University of Maryland full-time

Front row, Sam Weisdorf. Row two, from left, Sarah Brand Fingerholz, Adam Schanfield, Anna Kromroy, Daniel Stein, Erica Egge, Rory Burton-Feeney. Back row, Sam Starkman, Andrew Loula, Joe Macdonald, Brenden Goetz, Sander Lindeke.

spring 2009 | SPA

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Class Notes 2003 continued

Martinique since October 1, 2008. At the end of April 2009 I will return to the U.S. to work with Outward Bound. As my orange frisbee frequently reminds me, Life is Good.”

2004

Sarah Anderson smanderson1@wisc.edu Andria Cornell acornell@gwu.edu Ashley Malecha Anton maritaluv@hotmail.com Tyler Olson tylermolson@gmail.com

Your class reunion planning committee welcomes the participation of additional volunteers. Please contact SPA’s Institutional Advancement office at 651-696-1366 or email alumni@spa.edu.

Laura Martini writes, “I’m just finishing up an internship with Apple’s iMac product design group and will be back in Minnesota for the winter holidays. This spring I’ll be traveling a lot and working at ARS Electronica, an electronic art foundation in Linz, Austria, that designs public art installations. In the fall I’ll be starting a master’s degree in Stanford’s Product Design Program.”

Class Agent Tyler Olson writes, “Only six months after graduating from the University of St. Thomas’ Entrepreneurship program, my business, HelpMeTy.com, has six fulltime employees and is planning on overthrowing Geek Squad as the recognized leader of computer support.”

To read about Abby Greenwald’s experiences abroad, go to http:// abbysprofessionalworldtour. blogspot.com/.

2005

Jack Adams adams@stolaf.edu Lindsay Giese giese@stolaf.edu Hanna Lamb hel1@cec.wustl.edu Kate Meyer meyerk@carleton.edu Nikki Stennes nikkis2100@aol.com Sarah Wald skwald@gmail.com

Beth Billington, a senior at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, was invited to play in the 2008 New England Women’s Volleyball Association Senior Classic at Wellesley College in November. She was selected as one of the top 32 senior volleyball players from New England Division III institutions. The annual event features the area’s top seniors competing in various

Former Faculty and Staff news welcomed!

Contact Tracy Madden at 651-696-1323, or email your information to tmadden@spa.edu

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SPA | spring 2009

competitions leading up to the afternoon’s all-star match. Beth, a team co-captain and lone senior on the Bobcat team, had a standout year, helping lead the team to its best record in four years. The middle blocker led the team in hitting percentage and blocking, and ranked fourth and sixth respectively in the New England Small College Athletics Conference in those categories.

Lenora Magee-Howard writes, “Hello all! Lately I have been reconnected with a lot of Spartans and I’m excited to see everyone continuing to grow and improve.

Currently I am in my fourth year at the University of Minnesota, double majoring in math and African-American studies. I have been working hard in school while trying to achieve leadership opportunities on and off campus.

Currently I hold the title for Miss Black University of Minnesota, am president of my student organization (Voices Merging) and am the Program Director for Nia-Imani Teen Center in North Minneapolis.

Voices Merging is a studentbased artist coalition focused on providing venues and resources for all artists in Minnesota. We are centered around the art of spoken word and poetry, but have opportunities for dancers, musicians, painters, sculptors, etcetera. Many SPA alums have been involved in Voices Merging, including Loe Nudell Lee ’04, Shayla Walker ’06, Mike Lipset, Maryama Green ’07,

Uzo Obi ’06 and Chi Chi Obi. If you are ever in town during the school year, come to the University of Minnesota campus and check out one of our Monday night open mics. Trust me, you will not regret it. Much love to everyone. Peace!”

2006

Lien Bui lbui@gac.edu Rory Collins collinsr@carleton.edu Alex Gast a-gast@northwestern.edu Marjahn Golban mgolban@wellesley.edu Henry Parker hparker@bates.edu

2007

Etonde Awaah tonders@math.com Nicholas Rosenbaum goopygoop@gmail.com Derek Schaible derek.schaible@gmail.com

2008

Jessie Garretson jesspiperg@gmail.com Nolan Filter lilbddh@yahoo.com Vanessa Levy vanessalevy1@yahoo.com Ariella Rotenberg arotenberg@comcast.net

Alumni/a e News R E U N I O N W E E K E N D

2008

September 26-27

Reunion Weekend 2008 included a number of activities and events for alumni/ae on campus, in addition to several class parties that were held off campus. Alums were invited to tour the Randolph and Goodrich campuses, participate in Upper School classes, attend a Lower School assembly, root for our teams at various athletic events, attend an art reception for Rich Barlow ’88, and join us for the All-School Dinner and Heritage Brunch. For pictures from individual class parties, please turn to the Class Notes section, beginning on page 23. For more photos, go to www.spa.edu/alumni.

1 – Celebrating their 50th reunion during Reunion Weekend 2008 were Dick Angell ‘58 and John von Bergen ‘58.

2 – Alumni/ae of all ages come back to visit the school during Reunion Weekend. Pictured are Peter ffolliott ‘33 and his daughter, Sheila ffolliott ‘63.

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3 – Head of School Bryn Roberts hosts a Heritage Brunch during Reunion Weekend each year to welcome the 50th reunion class into the Heritage Circle. Happy to see each other are Lilian Partridge Young ‘58 and Cathy Figge King ‘58.

4 – Artist Richard Barlow ‘88 exhibited his work in a show called “Everybody Knows This is Nowhere” in the Harry M. Drake Gallery, Randolph Campus. Barlow is pictured with Head of School Bryn Roberts, left, and Academic Dean Cindy Richter ‘78.

5 – As part of Reunion Weeknd 2008, a sculpture donated by Tuck Langland ‘57, “Winter Solitude,” was installed in Lilly Courtyard, Randolph Campus.

Unveiling the statue is Langland (right) and Head of School Bryn Roberts.

6 – Cathy Geist ‘68 celebrated her 40th reunion with a number of Summit School classmates during Reunion Weekend 2008.

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In Memoriam Charles “Dick” Gordon ’29, December 8, 2008, St. Paul, Minn. Survived by sons Charlie ’64 and wife Jocelyn, Robert ’69 and wife Stephanie, and Dick ’71 and wife Catherine; grandchildren Barrett, Jesse, Luke, Maeve, Anna, Gus, Sam, Charlie, Sophie and Evan.

Preceded in death by wife Adelaide Washburn Gordon ’35; parents Charles and Charlotte Gordon; and sister Virginia Gordon.

Mary “Molly” Turner Kenna ’30, January 23, 2009, St. Paul, Minn. Survived by children James ’69, John and wife TeriAnn, and Mary Kenna ’73; sisters Alice Turner Winfield ’32 and Elizabeth Turner ’37, nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by her husband, John Kenna Jr., sister Clara Turner Greenman ’33 and brothers Samuel ’30 and James Turner ’44.

Carolyn “Kelly” Earl Davis ’31, March 7, 2009, Bloomington, Minn. Survived by daughter Sally Davis Patterson ’57 and husband Tom ’57, Jane Davis Bennett ’59 and husband Robert, and Mary Davis Dewart ’66 and husband Murray; six grandchildren (including Ned Patterson ’83 and John Patterson ’86) and seven grandchildren (including Sela Patterson ’14 and Kevin Patterson ’15). Preceded

in death by parents George and Lillian Earl and husband Edward “Ned” Davis Jr. ’30.

Mrs. Davis was a 2004 recipient of SPA’s Distinguished Alumni/ae Award, served as a trustee of Summit School from 1950-1961 and as president of the Summit School Parents’ Association. In 1992 and 1997 she headed up the 75th and 80th anniversaries of Summit School, and in 1994 she received the school’s Amici Academiae Award for her volunteer service to the school.

Donald “Don” McNeely ’33, March 9, 2009, Pebble Beach, Calif. Survived by children Nora McNeely Hurley and husband Michael, Robin Brooks Tost ’58, Greg McNeely, Kevin McNeely and wife Rosemary, Peter Brooks ’63 and wife Incy Metcalfe Brooks ’63; grandchildren Jamie, Jen, Peter Jr., Holly and Hannah Rose; great-grandchildren Piper, Penn and Miles; and brother Harry McNeely ’42. Preceded in death by wife Marjorie Reeds McNeely ’34.

Mr. McNeely was a Trustee of St. Paul Academy from 1965-1967 and served as President and member of the Alumni/ae Council.

He established the Joe Schwab Award for student athletes in 1960 and recently established the Sarah Converse Summit School Award.

Olivia Irvine Dodge ’36, January 26, 2009, West St. Paul, Minn. Survived by son Thomas Dodge; three grandchildren; nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by her husband, Arthur Dodge, and siblings Elizabeth Irvine Fobes ’26, Thomas Irvine ’29 and Clotilde Irvine Moles ’32.

Carl Drake Jr. ’37, July 24, 2008, Mendota Heights, Minn.

Survived by sons Trevor “Tim” ’71 and Carl “Sandy” Drake III ’61; daughter Eleanor Drake McLear ’64; stepsons Douglas Day and Jeffrey Day; stepdaughter Sylvia Day; brother Harry Drake ’44; seven grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren. Preceded in death by first wife Frances; second wife Charlotte; and brother Emerson Drake ’34.

Mr. Drake was a 1991 recipient of SPA’s Distinguished Alumni/ae Award, was a member of the Board of Trustees from 1962-1979, served on the Alumni/ae Council and was a Class Agent.

Donald DeCoster Jr. ’39, November 1, 2008, Sanibel Island, Fla. Survived by children Alida DeCoster ’69, Donald DeCoster III ’72 and Claire DeCoster ’76; stepdaughter Amy Stahl ’76; sister Elizabeth DeCoster Moseley ’44 and husband Thomas. Preceded in death by brothers Doug ’40, Norman ’42 and Steve ’51.

Elizabeth “Betty” Stoltze Guthrie ’40, September 12, 2008, Naples, Fla. Survived by son John Bigelow and wife Mary; daughter Kathleen Stenberg and husband Scott; stepsons John Guthrie Jr. and wife Elaine, and Richard Guthrie and wife Cynthia; seven grandchildren and 14 grandchildren; and sisters

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Carolyn Stoltze Benepe ’44 and Sallie Stoltze Faculty andO’Brien Staff ’47.

Preceded in death by husbands Herbert Bigelow and John Guthrie; brother Robert Stoltze ’42 and sister Louise Stoltze ’49.

Elizabeth “Betty” Bremer Johnson ’43, February 9, 2009, Fountain Hills, Ariz. Survived by husband Bob; children Beth Hult and husband Jack, Susan Kantor and husband Stu, Leigh Johnson and husband Ken Kradle, Edward and wife Britt, David and wife Mary, and Rick and wife Mary; and 13 grandchildren (including Kate Johnson ’06 and Chris Kradle ’08). Preceded in death by parents Edward and Emily Esswein Bremer and parents-inlaw Axel and Evelyn Swanson Johnson. Mrs. Johnson taught kindergarten at Summit School.

William “Bill” Priedeman ’43, November 3, 2008, Wayzata, Minn. Survived by wife Nancy Gaver Priedeman ’46; daughter Katharine White and husband Charles, and their children David, Andrew and Robert; son William Jr. and partner Marcia McMullen, and their children Molly, Thomas and Olivia Priedeman and Madelyn and Lauren McMullen; and sister Molly Priedeman Brown ’39.

Richard “Dick” Lange ’46, November 25, 2008, North Oaks, Minn. Survived by wife Sidney; children Julie Varga ’75 and husband John, Peter Lange and wife Lauren, Amy Lange and husband Don Welsh, Trish Laham ’82 and husband Darrell; brother Matt Donnelly; grandchildren Peter, Andrew, Colby, Sidney, Charlie and Noah. Preceded in death by sister Mary Lange ’54.

Lucy Jackson Cantwell ’48, February 15, 2009, Mahtomedi, Minn. Survived by daughter Libby Hafferman and husband Larry; grandson Andy and wife Kacie; great-grandson Andy; brother John ’45 and wife Polly; and sister Henrietta Schoeller ’51. Preceded in death by parents Archibald and Margaret Jackson; husband Samuel; son William; and sister Margaret Jackson Habermann ’43.

A. James “Jim” Dickinson ’58, November 24, 2008, St. Paul, Minn. Survived by wife Alice; children Susan ’86, Jim Jr. ’89 and wife Nancy, Mary Dickinson MacDonald ’93 and husband Tim, Charlie ’99 and wife Coreil; grandchildren Sam, Will and Charlotte; and sister Elizabeth Dickinson ’61. Preceded in death by parents Samuel ’30 and Edwina Dickinson.

Charles “Bill” Williams Briggs Jr. ’52, March 19, 2009, Excelsior, Minn. Survived by wife Judy Wolff Briggs ’52; children Charles III and wife Kim, Betsy Briggs, Fritz Van Nest and wife Alma, Karen McKay and husband Mark, and Barbara Zadeh; two brothers, Warren and Edward; and 14 grandchildren.

Richard “Dick” Magnuson ’60, January 2, 2009, White Bear Lake, Minn. Survived by wife Ginny Boeckmann Magnuson ’59; children Anne Magnuson Hartnett ’84 and husband Jim, Jill Magnuson Romans ’86 and husband John, Rick Magnuson ’90 and wife Martha; grandchildren Jim, Katie and Michael Hartnett, Sarah 2015, Jack 2016 and Betsy 2019 Romans, Erin 2021 and Greta Magnuson; mother Anne; siblings Tom ’62 and wife Hazel Lamp Magnuson ’63, Fritz ’66 and wife Hilary Raudenbush Magnuson ’59, Vicki Magnuson McNichols and husband Bill. Preceded in death by his father, Bob.

Clotilde “Clover” Fobes Earl ’56, December 14, 2008, White Bear Lake, Minn.

Survived by husband George Earl ’55; daughters Clover Earl ’78 and husband Tom Zell, Lisa Earl Desmarais and husband Michael, Christy Earl White ’81 and husband Phil White ’81, and Karen Earl Reis ’86 and husband Peter; eight grandchildren (including Chloe White 2014 and Mason White 2012); sister Lee Fobes Murphy ’59 and husband James, and brother Frank.

Preceded in death by sister Patty Fobes Scott ’54.

Richard Robbins Shull ’62, January 17, 2009, Wayzata, Minn. Survived by wife Anne Mullery Shull ’62; children Ramsey Shull and Teal Shull Davison; son-in-law Henry Davison III; grandchildren Henry Davison IV and Khaki Davison; mother Rosana Robbins Shull; and brothers Willard Shull III ’58 and Peter Shull ’65. Preceded in death by his father, Willard Shull II.

Robert Lindsay Thayer ’68, December 8, 2008, Sheffield, Mass. Survived by children Henry, Mike and Erin and their mother, Pam Thayer; mother Joan Thayer; sister Nancy Thayer Haggerty ’71 and husband Larry; sister Lindsay Thayer Stroker ’69 and husband Jack and their children, Ryan, Robby and Chelsea.

Preceded in death by his father, John Thayer.

Former Faculty, Staff and Trustees

Evangeline Burton, October 23, 2008, Saint Paul, Minn.

Survived by son Karl Burton and wife Elaine Martin; daughter Kristine Burton; stepdaughter Joan Hladky and husband Bob; grandson Erik Howard Burton and wife Ann Myers; stepgrandchildren Keyte Hladky, Frank Hladky and wife Karen, Mark Hladky and wife Laura; nieces, nephews, other family and friends. Preceded in death by husband Howard Burton Jr., brothers, sisters, and friend John Lien. Mrs. Burton worked as a receptionist at SPA during the 1980s.

Sharon Wicklander, July 19, 2008, Nine Mile Falls, Wash.

Survived by husband Ken; daughter Lisa Campbell and husband Chris; sister Verna Hennebry; nephews Rocky McLain and wife Tamara, and Bill Hennebry; niece Kari Schieb and husband Rich; aunt Doris Magnussen and husband Einar; great-nephews and great-nieces Joseph, Anthony, Theresa, Ashley and Katalina.

Preceded in death by her parents, brother Bernard, and infant sister Vera. Mrs. Wicklander was a media assistant at SPA. Geraldine Leveille Seldon, November 14, 2008, St. Paul, Minn.

Survived by son David ’66 and wife Patricia; daughter Diane Seldon Hill ’61 and husband Kevin Sommerville; grandchildren Brian and Kevin Seldon, Jason Hill and Anne Creegan; three great-grandchildren; other family and friends. Preceded in death by husband Earl Seldon. Mrs. Seldon was a member of the Summit School Board of Trustees from 1954-1960.

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Philanthropy 50th Reunion classes establish Class of 1958 Fund The Summit School and St. Paul Academy Classes of 1958 celebrated their 50th reunion last September with events and a special initiative in honor of their reunion. Spearheaded by Bill Beadie, Judy Parish Diedrich, Mike Parish and Emily Otis Wurtz, the class established a new endowed fund designed to enrich educational experiences offered to students and faculty.

The school has a long history of bringing in guest speakers and artists to talk with students. To support this program far into the future, the gifts from Class of 1958 members will augment and provide new resources needed to expand the circle of speakers and artists the school can bring to the Randolph and Goodrich campuses.

Endowed funds meet both day-to-day and specific needs of the operating budget of St. Paul Academy and Summit School. For information about contributing to an endowed fund, contact Director of Institutional Advancement Nancy Devine at 651-696-1422 or email ndevine@spa.edu.

Summit School Class of 1958 alumnae who attended the September 2008 Reunion included, front from left, Mary Earl, Patricia Quantrell Host. Row two, Judy Parish Diedrich, Susan Musser Halby, Martha Andrews, Barbara Hoff Chrane. Row three, Dorothy Thurnauer Kaplan, Nancy Finberg Kurimay, Nancy Lewis, Emily Otiz Wurtz, Isabel Hoskins Troy, Robin Brooks Tost, Virginia Raymond Sall. Back, Cathy Figge King, Lilian Partridge Young.

Class of 1958 men who attended the September 2008 Reunion included, back from left, Bill Blake, Tony Shull, Jim Dickinson, John von Bergen, Dick Angell, Michael Foote, John Levy, John Roe, Frank Ward. Front row, Bill Beadie, John Rollwagen, John Rupert, Mike Parish, George Benz, Blake Davis, David Mayo.

Devine joins SPA as Director of Institutional Advancement St. Paul Academy and Summit School welcomed Nancy L. Devine as Director of Institutional Advancement in late September. She has 30 years of experience in advancement, primarily at educational institutions, including University of Minnesota, Arizona State University, University of Detroit Mercy and University of Wisconsin-River Falls. She has served as a volunteer leader in community and professional organizations in the Twin Cities, Detroit and Phoenix. Devine is a St. Paul native and a graduate of University of Minnesota’s College of Liberal Arts.

“In Nancy Devine, we have an exceptional candidate and an excellent fit with SPA,” said Head of School Bryn Roberts in announcing Devine’s hire. “From our extended conversations during the search process, it was clear to all who interviewed her that Nancy has a wealth of experience in every phase of institutional advancement and development — major fundraising campaigns, annual giving, communications, marketing and alumni/ae relations.”

Devine’s hire coincided with the department’s name change from the Development Office to Office of Institutional Advancement, reflecting the new and expanded ways the department and staff are serving SPA’s community.

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Annual Report Update: Lee Mitau and Karin Birkeland should have been listed with the Founder’s Leadership level of donors in the 20072008 Annual Report.

Woodcutters Harry LaVercombe and Sam Rosenberg search the forest to find the Bride and Leonardo, who have run off together moments after the Bride’s nuptials.

In November, Upper School drama students performed Blood Wedding

by Federico Garcia Lorca (translation by Lillian George). In the story, an arranged country marriage between the children of rich landowners is about to take place. A past lover, himself in a loveless marriage, spirits the bride away, and she goes willingly with him on her wedding night. An entire town goes after the lovers and, as the pursuers plunge into a realm of deep darkness, the moonlight is not friendly and the forest not shelter enough. “Lorca’s image-laden poetry unfolds the story with the fire and power characteristic of his work and the fateful resonance that marked his own tragically short life,” said Upper School drama teacher Eric Severson.

“The cast worked tirelessly to infuse this production with the poetry of Lorca’s language, and through the medium of dance we created a language of movement that heightened the emotional level of the characters’ stories.”

The Moon (Nadja Leonhard-Hooper) emerges to bring light to the darkened woods and allow Death (as a beggar woman) to emerge and lead the Bridegroom to Leonardo for their final fight.

The Bride (Grace Hartman) and Leonardo (Joe Beck) as they have their final moment together.

The tango mirrors the passion of their love.

Jillian Fairman, far left, as Leonardo’s wife. The women are grieving over the deaths of the men due to fighting.

Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage

PA I D

St. Paul, MN Permit No. 3400

1712 Randolph Avenue St. Paul, MN 55105-2194 Address Service Requested

TO PARENTS OF ALUMNI/AE: Please let us know if this is no longer the current mailing address for your son or daughter.

Call 651-696-1366 to update us.

Drama Immersion

Twin Cities makeup artist Tessie Bundick turned seventh graders into animals of their choice using skillful application of stage makeup.

Above, Izzi Johnson takes on the façade of a zebra. At right, Sydney Shapiro masquerades as a lion while Clare McGlincey is the likeness of a tiger. Other students chose to become monkeys, owls and raccoons.

In January, seventh grade students participated in the school’s annual trip to Camp Widjiwagan in Ely, Minn. Since only half of the class travels to Widji at a time (the other half goes the following week), the half who remained at SPA participated in a drama immersion.

On the first day, students rotated through several different classes with local artists, including unarmed stage combat, makeup for the stage, filmmaking, and voice for the radio. They then chose one class to focus on and showed off their talents in a showcase at the end of the week.

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Opportunity continued