Around the pond
m Sam Beatt ’07 with the culmination of his efforts at a guitar-building workshop in Vermont. Jon Guiffre . Spanish teacher Matt Budzyn biked 600 miles from Roncesvalles to Santiago de Compostela, Spain, last summer through the Davis Family Junior Faculty Fund.
Uppermid Sam Shiverick, in the red hat, and his group dip their front wheels into the Pacific Ocean after a six-week trip cross country that started in Tybee Island, Georgia.
freshman, we had to work extremely hard to build our reputation and satisfy our customers. We had to be as professional as possible to ensure a consistent flow of customers.” The business ran for six weeks, and they found themselves extremely busy by the end, including a 125-foot yacht that took them seven hours to clean. “We are hoping to offer our service again next summer with plans to expand the business to include car detailing.” Playing it Cool Sam Beatt ’07 spent 14 days learning the craft of guitar building from George Martin at the Vermont Instrument Academy last summer. Martin, whose guitars usually fetch $3–6,000, started the academy to share the craft with those who are willing to spend the time and effort to create a working instrument. Sam often spent 12 hours a day in the workshop, straining to finish his project in two weeks instead of the usual four. The sides and back are made of rosewood, the top is book-matched Australian cypress, and the fret board is ebony. Sam incorporated many fine details into the construction, laminating veneer strips into the hand-carved 10 Taft Bulletin Fall 2006
neck and headstock and incorporating delicate inlays into the front and back of the body. “This might be one of the coolest things I ever do,” adds Sam. Going Coastal Sam Shiverick ’08 says it’s hard to explain the feelings he had coasting downhill onto Santa Monica pier in July after six weeks of cycling across the country, from ocean to ocean, knowing his parents were there waiting for him. “I’ll never forget it,” he says. “I had a lot of motivation to finish,” adds Sam, who didn’t even own a bike when he signed up for the trip, “because there were lots of people who didn’t think I’d do it.” He admits he had some doubts of his own about riding 100 miles or more some days and spending as much as 10 hours on a bike. Sam traveled with a group of eight students and two leaders from Overland Summers, who stayed in churches or camped in tents as they crossed the country from Georgia to California. “It was great to see the country, meet lots of cool people, and learn about my own pain threshold,” says Sam. “I even learned how to cook.”
A New Spin on Faculty Funds Teachers look forward to summer vacation as much as, and occasionally more than, their students. And while some faculty worked on curriculum development or pursued advanced degrees, others found more interesting ways to keep up with their subject matter. With support from the Davis Family Junior Faculty Fund, Spanish teacher Matt Budzyn biked 600 miles, from Roncesvalles to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. “It took about two weeks and was an amazing journey,” he says. “After everything I had experienced in the spring with thyroid cancer, I was left wondering if I was up to the task, but fortunately I was able to endure the physical challenge.” There were many memorable moments, he explains, but chief among them was the day he finished an incline “that almost killed me. I descended about 1100 meters, which took about 40 minutes without having to pedal at all. My average speed during this descent was about 40 miles per hour, which was exhilarating.”