2014 Spring-Summer

BISHOP’S A MAGAZINE FOR THE BISHOP’S SCHOOL FAMILY AND FRIENDS SPRING/SUMMER 2014

Seussical, Jr.!

Cultivating Wonder

Students join visiting artist in crafting campus legacy

Taking a Gap Year

Recent grads find adventure and renewal

Bishop’s Profile

Dr. Kelly Parsons ’88

table of contents

BISHOP’S

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FEATURES

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Cultivating Wonder With a “studio” on the Quad and a legion of student helpers, sculptor Nicholas Kripal brings art to the forefront in campus-wide project.

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Taking a Gap Year

Graphic Design Design Perspective

Knights at the Next Level Student-athletes continue to impress on big-league college teams.

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Speakers Series Educates and Inspires Students to Action

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Two Grand Journeys

From the editor: In the 2012-2013 Honor Roll of Donors Tricia and Ray Faltinsky were listed incorrectly, and the gift made in honor of Dorothy Williams (former headmistress) should have been listed in the Testimonial section, not the Memorial section. We apologize for the errors.

Head of School Aimeclaire Roche

Director of Alumni Advancement Sarah Garro

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Auction 2014 Sails to Success Guests at All Aboard! U.S.S. Bishop’s partied with a purpose at annual fund-raiser.

The Bishop’s School Assistant Head of School and Chief Advancement Officer John A. Trifiletti

Teachers Marcus Milling and Mark Radley pursue personal dreams with Jacobs Prize award.

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Contributing Photographers Ted Eldredge ’83 Sarah Garro Alarisse Lam ’15 Mike Lembke Pablo Mason Hayne Palmer, U-T San Diego Steven Posy Michael Spengler Lisa Rutledge

DEPARTMENTS

Bishop’s is published two times a year

by The Bishop’s School.

Letters: We welcome your comments.

Please send letters for possible publication to weiners@bishops.com or contact us at (858) 875-0735.

The Bishop’s School 7607 La Jolla Boulevard La Jolla, CA 92037-4799

prospective and retrospective—how apropos

Helga Halsey

for the spring, when we ready ourselves for graduation and events that celebrate this amazing school year. From the reflections of

In this issue of Bishop’s, we are pleased to introduce

Louise Carmon, our choral music director, on

Caroline Cummins Circle member Helga Halsey. The Halsey

her years of service to the School to thoughts

family’s relationship with The Bishop’s School spans three

on “gap year” experiences from five Bishop’s

generations and involves leadership on several levels. When

alumni, we are treated to a look at how taking

her daughter Heidi Halsey Bennett ’92 was a Bishop’s student, risks and investing in the talent of others forms Helga chaired the 1991 auction and was an active member

the foundation of lives lived well. Too, Bishop’s

of the Parents’ Her’88 late husband, parentAssociation.

Kelly Parsons looks aheadWilliam to newHalsey, career paths as a writer, and we catch a glimpse of served onKnights the School’s Board of Trustees and, along with who are currently competing in collegiate athletic programs; talents put to good use well Helga, was a staunch believer in and supporter theyou financial beyond the Bishop’s campus.

As you of read will anticipate the success of these daring souls and aid program. In 1994 he established a scholarship in honor

appreciate the stalwart efforts of colleagues and friends past and present.

of his father, Fleet Admiral William F. Halsey. His daughters,

You will read, as well, about this year’s Endowed Scholar-in-Residence, installation artist Nicholas

Jane Halsey ’65 and Anne Halsey-Smith ’67, and grandson,

Kripal, who captures the value of both foresight and hindsight in the work he creates. Mr. Kripal takes

Matthew Smith ’03, are Bishop’s graduates.

his inspiration from the environment—gardens and horticultural treasures; academic, sacred and

“Bill also included Bishop’s in his will,” says Helga. “After

secular spaces—and builds contemporary art pieces from that inheritance. His work hearkens to

his death, when I had to do my own estate planning, I decided

A bequest is one of the easiest gifts you can make to

personal history and to legacies and the lessons we learnsignificantly from them. impact Duringour hismission. week-long residency Your estate planning attorney to follow his example. I truly love the School and feel so at Bishop’s this education past February, Mr. Kripal spent his time with students, learning our campus’ can include a provision in your will orhistory living trust that leaves grateful for the excellent and sound foundation andHeidi.” honoring that legacy in creative and innovative ways. such a gift to The Bishop’s School. Your bequest could be it has given Certainly the her Bishop’s campus support is alive with the rites ofaspring; we joyfully herald the conclusion gift of specific assets, a dollar amount or a percentage of Helga chose to extend philanthropic of Bishop’s of aone academic year while sights on the year ahead. it isAthat greatcould interplay yourAnd estate. bequest also between be made from the residue by creating testamentary bequest forsetting the School. of your estate what yet is left after gifts have been made to the learned veterans and scholars, between lessons learned andorthose to be discovered, A bequest is a wonderful way fornascent you to help further the your heirs. as well as teacher. Each day in importantthat workfuels we do shaping the and futures of theinexcitement onlives campus and energizes us all—student We invite youastocollaborative contact Johnlearners, A. Trifiletti, chief advancecountlessthe students through educational excellence.

A charitable classroom, students become ever more confident and autonomous mentbeyond. officer, Enjoy at (858) bequest isrisk-takers, also easy to facilitate. are some ofon thecampus benefitsand well and buildersHere of community on 875-0851 these pagesoratrifilettij@bishops.com look of a testamentary back andbequest: a look ahead!

• It costs you nothing today to make a bequest

6

bishop’s profile: Dr. Kelly Parsons ’88

14

Phone: (858) 459-4021 Fax: (858) 459-3914

faculty focus: Louise Carmon

www.bishops.com

• A bequest is free of federal estate tax

20

bishop’s buzz

• Your bequest can be altered, if life circumstances change

25

family matters: class notes

Mission Statement The Bishop’s School is an academic community pursuing intellectual, artistic, and athletic excellence in the context of the Episcopal tradition. We are dedicated to offering the highest quality education to a diverse student body and to fostering integrity, imagination, moral responsibility, and commitment to serving the larger community.

Sincerely,

for sample language that your attorney may use in drafting a bequest to The Bishop’s School. Sample bequest language is also available on our web site at bishopslegacy.com.

• You can still benefit your heirs with specific gifts

Roche • You canAimeclaire leave a legacy that has lasting impact on the Head futureof School

Cover Photo: Caroline Delfino ’18 is the Cat in the Hat in Musical Theatre 8’s production of Seussical, Jr. Photo credit: Michael Spengler

Bishop’s magazine features glimpses of people who, by walking the halls of the School, are changing its face forever.

1 | letter from the Head of School | BISHOP’S

From stories of human trafficking to memories of the “Little Rock Nine,” students learn from speakers’ firsthand accounts.

This edition of Bishop’s magazine is both

Credits

Contributing Writers Kathy Day Zach Jones ’01 Keri Peckham Trisha J. Ratledge Frank Sabatini Jr. Joe Tash Suzanne Weiner Diane Welch

Five recent alumni dive into life before beginning their college careers.

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Spring/Summer 2014 • Vol. 11, No. 2

Managing Editor Diane Salisbury

Eighth-graders develop their musical theater chops with Seussical, Jr.

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A magazine for The Bishop’s School family and friends

Editor Suzanne Weiner

Young Students Shine in Musical Theatre 8

letter from the Head of School

Artist Nicholas Kripal reveals creative process through campus-wide project.

By Trisha J. Ratledge

During the week of February 24, Nicholas Kripal, internationallyacclaimed ceramic sculptural artist and educator, joined The Bishop’s School as the 2013-2014 Endowed Scholar-inResidence. Made possible through the generosity of an anonymous Bishop’s family, the Endowed Scholar-inResidence Program brings academic leaders in the fields of science, the arts, humanities, and social sciences to Bishop’s campus each year for a period

that show children who have had art at a young age are much better at problem solving when they go into any discipline...”

Nicholas Kripal

of residency to inspire the community academically and artistically.

Mr. Kripal is a professor, chair of the crafts department and head of the ceramics area at the Tyler School of Art of Temple University in Philadelphia.

As a practicing artist, he specializes in site-specific/site-related installations that explore architectural iconography using the ceramic medium. One of his former graduate students is Bishop’s own visual arts teacher Jeremy Gercke, who led the proposal to bring Mr. Kripal to campus.

Sharing his expertise throughout his week in residence, Mr. Kripal worked with 40 classes of Bishop’s students, gave a free public lecture at the Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla, offered chapel talks to most classes, and held open ceramics sessions each day in his creative headquarters, a tented temporary art studio on the Bishop’s Quad.

Known for his intensive research into the history and significance of each site, Mr. Kripal uses this information to layer his art installations with depth and meaning that relate to the space. “The challenge is not to do something that trumps the space, but to do something that is in harmony with the space and that reveals what intrigues you about the space,” he noted at his public lecture.

The cornerstone, and legacy, of Mr. Kripal’s residency is an unprecedented campus-wide art project that involves designing and creating “smart” ceramic botanical markers for more than 50 plant species on campus. The markers include each plant’s common and Latin name, a detailed image of the plant and a Quick Response (QR) code that visitors with smartphones can scan to access a web site with student research about the botanical origins for each species and its historical roots to campus, as well as related artwork, audio interviews and clickable Latin pronunciations, all created by students.

“One of the things I’m most excited about is how the students have taken

Top: Jacob Ramirez-Cardenas ’17 carries tiles to the ceramics studio for firing in the kiln.

Bottom: Nicholas Kripal, Georgia Gilmore ’17 (far left), Kayliegh Schultz ’17

3 | Cultivating Wonder | FEATURE

FEATURE | Cultivating Wonder | 2

S

kipping and twirling among the precious raindrops falling in the midst of a Southern California drought, history teacher Sara Ahmed’s sixth-graders wind their way through the horticultural wonderland on the back side of Gilman and Bentham Halls, getting to know their adopted plants.

“Who has the monkey puzzle tree?” calls out Nicholas Kripal, scholarly guest and leader of this botanical scavenger hunt. “This species is older than the dinosaurs,” he explains as the young explorers crowd around, their iPad cameras ready to fire.

Amid the warble of the birds, the passageway comes to life with discoveries.

“Oh, that’s mine,” one student shouts, finding his plant. “I want to take a picture of it!”

“Does anyone know what this is?”

Mr. Kripal moves on, pointing to the hibiscus. “Think about Hawaii and what the women wear.”

Another sixth-grader runs back to announce, “If you split the aloe in half, you get the gooey stuff.”

Rounding a corner at the end of the path, the group stops to admire a metal cross adorning Scripps Hall.

The design—key to an art project that the entire student body has undertaken in partnership with Mr. Kripal—will soon be as familiar to the world as it is to the Bishop’s community.

Cultivating Wonder

“There have been studies

on this project with enthusiasm,” Mr. Kripal says.

The sixth-graders on the nature hunt with Mr. Kripal are preparing the bulk of the information for the web site; each has a plant to research, sketch and write about; and they plan to collect oral histories about their plants as well.

“This is an adventure,” says Sara Ahmed. “The whole campus becomes their classroom, and they are excited to be a part of this big project.”

Throughout the week, the campus buzzed with the collaborative work of the botanical markers as students of all ages worked together and bridged academic disciplines through history, science, fine art, technology, and multimedia.

“I’ve never worked with the [middle school] kids who are showing up in our class to put together some of the markers.

It’s great to get that inter-class connection,” says Steven Hinshaw ’14, who is in Advanced Placement (AP) Studio Art and helped create the ceramic tile markers. “I will look back on this project in years and know that I had a part in it.”

The compass design embossed on each tile is inspired by the intricate Episcopal cross at the School’s main gate, just like the one the sixth-graders encountered at Scripps Hall. The design represents not only the School’s rich Episcopal heritage, but also the far-ranging origins of the plant species in the School’s gardens.

With an emphasis on the arts in this year’s residency, The Bishop’s School brings creativity to the forefront of an exceptional interdisciplinary curriculum that not only encourages the arts but builds connections between the arts,

science, math, literature, history, and other academic pursuits. The arts are an essential building block for young scholars.

“There have been studies that show children who have had art at a young age are much better at problem solving when they go into any discipline,” Mr. Kripal notes. “It’s about observation. If you have to make sense of what you are observing, then it triggers all of these synapses in the brain.”

The botanical marker project is an elegant expression of the beauty and unmatched creativity that results from integrating the arts into a rigorous, interdependent curriculum.

“As education evolves in a highly collaborative world, it is clear that students must be attuned to overlapping academic themes, ones that transcend rigid borders between academic disciplines,” says Head of School Aimeclaire Roche. “Young people today must be fluid thinkers and able to connect seemingly disparate ideas.

Mr. Kripal’s project did just that for our students, asking them to draw upon history, science, art; they worked with their hands, as well as with their minds to make sense of and communicate about the botany on our campus. This

reflects art at its best.

“With art, you are limited if you deal with just one subject. It should speak to your whole axis of knowledge.”

As students literally dug into the project that began as raw clay, learning opportunities took shape as they worked elbow-to-elbow with their visual arts teacher and the visiting scholar. Glazed botanical markers eventually emerged from their labors.

“Mr. Kripal spoke about the purpose of this art piece, the significance of the design and the process of creating the tiles step-by-step,” says Elizabeth Wepsic, chair of Bishop’s Visual Arts Department.

“The students were involved in all of the steps of creating the tiles, which is a connected way of learning, to see the whole process. It was very trusting to allow the students to have their hands in this piece.”

It also brought students new ideas about the potential for art in their futures. “When a scholar-in-residence or an artist-in-residence comes in, you see what they have done and it gives you a wider perspective on your subject,” says Myles Collinson ’14, an AP Art History student who worked on the ceramic tiles during period X, an open period that students can fill with a sport, study hall or an artistic endeavor. “You see where your learning can go.”

Another remembrance of Mr. Kripal’s visit will come with the installation of an original terracotta labyrinth he is creating for the garden in front of the Manchester Library & Learning Center. Based upon his week-long residency and an earlier visit in October, the installation will definitely have a botanical connection, Mr. Kripal notes, and it will likely reflect his working sessions with the students in the gardens.

By peeling back the layers of his creative process for the students, he hopes to have kindled their own sense of wonder and their ability to not only appreciate the depth of ideas in works of art, but to develop a similar depth in their own work.

“When you see an object, a sculpture, a painting, you don’t really see the creative process that produced that piece,” he explains. “Hopefully, in

Student art on exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in La Jolla

seeing the step-by-step construction of a piece, you come to the realization that there is a lot more going on with any work of art than initially meets the eye. Then, if you can hang with it and investigate it, you will get a much richer understanding of the work.”

Certainly, Mr. Kripal succeeded through the example of his own work and by generously partnering with the Bishop’s students to create a multifaceted project that will grow as far as the imagination can take it and will serve as a living legacy for generations to come.

“He opened up our whole awareness of sculpture as an art form that has spiritual value and reflection and historical reference, things that are not just about aesthetics and function,” Elizabeth says.

“It’s wonderful to have artwork that is not just one single piece hanging in a gallery. Instead we have an art piece that involves our School community, is so rich in information, is such a resource, and is going to be scattered around our environment. You can’t ask for more than that; to have the art really experienced and seen, this is the way to do it.”

5 | Cultivating Wonder | FEATURE

FEATURE | Cultivating Wonder | 4

Top: Students at work in the art studio on the Quad; left: At his community presentation, Mr. Kripal shows images of his sculptural installations.

was a perfect example of 21st century learning, and it was also a beautiful example of student-centered learning.”

Having the opportunity to work with an artist of Mr. Kripal’s caliber for a full week influenced Bishop’s students and faculty in many ways, from learning about his creative process to seeing firsthand the possibilities of a career in the arts.

“I was amazed by how much effort he would put into making sure the research and the preparations for his projects are just right,” says Ankita Nair ’16, a ceramics student. “Now, before I start a project, I think more about what I am going to make and what purpose my project will serve. I try to prepare more like Mr. Kripal because I feel that gets better results.”

“It was interesting to learn about how he was his own entrepreneur and able to get his art into churches and museums, and also how he could make a living from it,” says art student Dane Alexander ’16.

“I would really like to use my art and apply it to a job in the future.”

For Dane, one of the lasting benefits of Mr. Kripal’s visit is the visibility it brought to the visual arts department and to the work the students create.

Not only did the open studio on the Quad and the botanical marker project give the entire campus a glimpse into the School’s visual arts community, but preceding Mr. Kripal’s public lecture at the Museum of Contemporary Art there was a student art exhibition resulting from the museum’s Extended School Partnership Program and organized by the visual arts faculty.

“It allowed people who aren’t involved in art to see how cool it is,” adds Dane, who was one of the student exhibitors.

Jeremy Gercke is leading the students’ work of creating the ceramic tile markers, which involves detailed preparation and finishing duties as well as several firings.

Working with his former professor on this extensive project has been especially satisfying as it opened up the visual arts experience to the entire campus.

“It seems natural to do projects like this and to make connections when we can,” Jeremy says, noting that the multidisciplinary approach to the project

bishop’s profile

Dr. Kelly Parsons ’88 Lifelong friends, passion and a dose of luck are prescription for literary success.

By Diane Y. Welch

passionate about something, Kelly adds, you find the time.

“And so over the course of eight years, I completed my novel.”

Kelly’s debut novel, Doing Harm (St. Martin’s Press, 2014), was released in February to rave reviews.

Harlan Coben, whose own novels have topped The New York Times’ bestseller list, calls the novel “compelling, gripping and terrifying.”

Doing Harm is a medical thriller based in Boston that centers on lead character Dr. Steve Mitchell. When one of his patients dies due to a botched surgery there is a cover-up, and the situation soon turns sinister as more hospital

patients succumb to complications that appear accidental, but are not.

The book has received a lot of buzz since its release, according to Kelly. The launch reception was held at Warwick’s bookstore in La Jolla.“We had 140 people there, which was just thrilling.

It was especially personal for me as this was the bookstore that I used to go to as a child.”

Now he takes his own children there.

“It’s come full circle and was kind of surreal being there and talking about my own book.”

Born in Connecticut, Kelly grew up in La Jolla, attending Bishop’s for his high school years. After Bishop’s he received his degree in history from Stanford, but decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a physician. Kelly earned his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and completed medical training at Johns Hopkins. After 12 years on the East Coast he was offered a position on the faculty of UCSD, bringing him back to La Jolla.

Kelly says it is especially meaningful to be able to pass on to his daughter the family tradition of attending Bishop’s.

“I can honestly say that my experience at Bishop’s influenced the course of my life.

It boils down to two elements for me personally: friends and teachers. I’m sure Leah will have a similar experience.”

Many of the friendships made at Bishop’s have become lifelong for Kelly.

“You can talk about the wonderful academic atmosphere, and that’s absolutely true and that’s part of it, but what doesn’t often get mentioned are the friendships. Several of my Bishop’s friends were in my wedding. One of them, Rich Dandliker ’88 [son of

Left: Genevieve, Leah ’19, Nathaniel and Kelly ’88 Parsons; above: Kelly and Genevieve at Warwick’s book signing

longtime Bishop’s teacher June Dandliker], is the godfather of my daughter, and I just had dinner with another Bishop’s friend at a recent book signing event.”

The second element is the teachers, says Kelly. “To be fair I’m not going to name them, but I had four that were very special. They not only challenged me academically, but they helped mold my moral outlook on life in a very fundamental way and helped shape me as an individual and not just as a scholar.”

Now that Doing Harm is published Kelly is being swept along with the book tours and the publicity, a new role for him, and one that is surprising and exciting for his family. “But the people who are least surprised are the people who knew me in high school—‘Well,

sure you were a writer, we remember that!’—I guess I have always had this inner urge to write.”

Like thousands of aspiring authors, Kelly sent out queries to scores of agents and received a slew of rejections, if he heard back at all. It was when a friend of a friend who was in the publishing business in New York read his manuscript that it was placed in the capable hands of literary agent Al Zuckerman at Writer’s House, whose clients include Ken Follett and Michael Lewis. The manuscript was ultimately sold to St. Martin’s Press. “It was pure good luck,” Kelly says, humbly.

Talks are underway for a movie option, and there is strong interest. Interestingly, Kelly met his agent in Hollywood through another lifelong Bishop’s friend, Chris McKenna ’88, who is a successful

screenwriter in Los Angeles and was nominated for an Emmy Award for the NBC TV show Community. “He liked my book and introduced me to an agent in Los Angeles who also liked it and is now negotiating film options. So I guess it was luck again.”

Kelly has added another spinning plate to his daily schedule: a second novel.

“This next book is set in San Diego.

It’s another thriller, one that involves doctors and the biotech industry.”

During car rides to school, gymnastics and swim meets—Kelly is also a hands-on dad—Leah and Nathaniel ask, “Why don’t you stop everything else and just do your writing?” To which he replies, “I just love my day job. It would be really hard for me to ever give that up completely.”

7 | Dr. Kelly Parsons ’88 | BISHOP’S PROFILE

BISHOP’S PROFILE | Dr. Kelly Parsons ’88 | 6

D

r. Kellogg “Kelly” Parsons ’88 has mastered the delicate art of spinning plates with apparent ease. It’s a metaphorical skill honed over many years: time spent in university and medical school and over the past eight years being on the faculty of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), where he teaches medical students, leads scientific research, treats patients, and performs surgery. If that’s not enough Kelly added another spinning plate almost a decade ago, writing a novel.

While on the surface this may seem like a frenetic lifestyle for Kelly, a urologist who lives in La Jolla with his active family—wife Genevieve, a busy pediatrician; daughter Leah, 12, a Bishop’s seventh-grader; and son Nathaniel, 10—it’s all in a day’s schedule.

“Because I’m in a university setting I have a different approach than if I were in a typical community medical practice,” Kelly explains. “It affords me a lot more flexibility in my scheduling.”

That flexibility allows Kelly’s two passions, medicine and writing, to intersect. “I find I write better when I have a set schedule for the day. At 6:15 a.m. it’s time to get the kids up and get them to school, and then I go to work.

That means I have from 5:00 a.m. to 6:15 a.m. to write. That works quite well for me. I also write on weekends and during vacations.” If you are truly

Young Students Shine

FEATURE | Musical Theatre 8 | 8

in Musical

F

or eighth grade students at Bishop’s, Musical Theatre 8 can be a golden opportunity to sing, dance and act in a staged theatrical production or to immerse themselves in a show’s technical design.

The fall elective culminates with a musical production each December after students have learned a palette of performing arts skills. Three teachers specializing in drama, dance and singing

Theatre 8

oversee the course, which also offers a design and technical section run by Bishop’s Performing Arts Department Chair Tim McNamara.

Drama teacher Courtney Flanagan says the course was in place when she joined the Bishop’s faculty in 1984, but notes that it has greatly evolved.

“It was mostly little musical numbers and dances and then a series of variety shows and random scenes,” she recalls.

“We later made it more focused, using single productions cut into short segments.”

The junior versions have included Annie, Fiddler on the Roof, Godspell, and most recently, Seussical the Musical.

“We decide on the production each year once we know who is going to be in the class. Our picks are affected by how many boys and girls we have,” says Courtney.

Choral teacher Justine Hansen commends the concept of the course, which typically meets four times a week.

By Frank Sabatini Jr.

“In other schools that offer similar courses, you might have a drama instructor trying to choreograph or a choir teacher attempting the staging.

Here, it’s a collaboration of teachers focusing on their main fields with the students,” she says.

While Justine leads students through the choral portions of the show, she also devotes extra time to soloists during their lunch breaks or after school.

Students are required to bring in flash drives or other recording devices “to make sure they have the music from the entire show in their ears.”

The dance portion is taught by dance teacher Donna Cory, who guides students through the steps that will add visual rhythm to the productions.

All combined, the course becomes an intensive learning ground that exposes the students to all aspects of a theatrical production, including how to audition.

Over the past several years, the class has averaged nearly 40 students, with

about 20 percent of them opting for the technical and design portion. Those students serve as stage crew, running lights and sound and helping to build the sets.

In the end, Musical Theatre 8 affords students a chance to shine.

“We work really hard to make sure that every student gets a moment in their

roles, whether it’s a singing, acting or dancing bit,” says Justine.

“Socially, it’s a wonderful, empowering experience for the students,” adds Courtney. “Juniors and seniors often say that Musical Theatre 8 was one of their favorite courses at Bishop’s.”

Kennedy

TAKING A

Gap Year

A year off for adventure and self-discovery proves irresistible for five recent graduates.

Jace

By Joe Tash remarks Emmi Harward, director of college counseling.

What has increased in recent years, she observes, is the number of four-year colleges across the U.S. that are either open to the idea or encourage it.

Sometimes, parents or students bring up the subject, while in other cases, Emmi might “cautiously broach” the idea of a gap year if a student seems restless in his or her final year of high school.

“I do see it as a positive, but it really depends on the individual student,” says Emmi. “If anything, it helps broaden a student’s perspective…by having a slightly different view of the world than the majority of their college freshman classmates who came straight out of high school. If it’s something that a student is really serious about, we want to offer serious support.”

A number of U.S. colleges are creating their own gap year programs for incoming freshmen, in some cases even paying for the programs through donations designated for that purpose, according to Holly Bull, president of the Center for Interim Programs, a gap year counseling service based in New Jersey.

Among them are schools such as Princeton, Tufts and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Harvard University, in its admissions letter, asks students if they’ve thought about taking

a gap year, says Ms. Bull, who took two gap years herself; first right after high school, then another midway through college.

“They’re seeing the benefits of it,” she says of the college admissions offices.

Research and anecdotal evidence from students and parents suggest that students who take a gap year perform better in college and maintain higher grade point averages. The experience can also bolster students’ resumes when they enter the job market.

Both women have observed that few, if any, students opt out of college after their gap years, although sometimes their educational or career goals change.

Ms. Bull acknowledges that a gap year isn’t for everyone, and should not be considered a way to “slum” or put off college. In fact, it can be harder than college. But the rewards can be great and “taking a gap year can be one of the most important things a student does.”

Emmi agrees. “For some students this could be a tremendous experience before they go on to college that can add information and texture to their studies.

For others, their excitement in going on to college and continuing their academic studies is exactly where they need to be.”

Following are profiles of five recent Bishop’s graduates who took gap years immediately after high school.

Top: Jace Mullen ’12 climbing the West Face of the Leaning Tower in Yosemite; above: Jace in front of Mt. Rainier in the Goat Rocks Wilderness of Washington State.

Four months. 2,650 miles. One hiker.

Jace Mullen ’12 knew exactly what he wanted to do as soon as he graduated and hung up his cap and gown—hike the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada by himself.

“It was so much fun. It’s a gorgeous trail, probably the prettiest trail in the United States,” says Jace, who camped along the way, stopping at towns to buy provisions, and sometimes went days without seeing another person.

Jace had applied to St. Lawrence University in upstate New York during his senior year. After he received his admissions letter, he emailed the school to ask if he could put off enrollment for a year. When the school agreed, he headed out on the trail.

The hike was only the start. He later traveled to Wyoming to earn his wilderness emergency medical technician (EMT) certificate, climbed El Pico de Orizaba, Mexico’s tallest peak, visited Costa Rica with his family, and worked as an EMT in Joshua Tree and Morongo Valley in California, all before reporting to St. Lawrence for his freshman year in the fall of 2013.

“I was feeling a little academically burned out. It was nice to take a year off and come to college fresh and excited about going to school again,” says Jace.

“I definitely became more academically mature through [the process]. I’m able to take school more seriously than I would have a year ago.”

Jace is majoring in environmental studies and philosophy, and has his sights set on medical school. He’s also scheming.

“I’m trying to figure out how to do it again.”

Kennedy Geenen ’12 had never flown by herself before she prepared to board a jetliner bound for Sri Lanka. “It was terrifying,” she says, recalling that as she got on the plane she asked her father, “Why did you let me do this?”

That was in the fall of 2012, and Kennedy, now a freshman at Northeastern University in Boston, says the gap year she began by working in a hospital in the South Asian island nation was “the best experience of my life.”

Kennedy, who aspires to be a doctor, had watched shows about doctors and hospitals on television, but didn’t know for sure if she could handle the real thing. While she was in Sri Lanka, she observed surgeries, births and even an autopsy up close.

“It made me want to be a doctor so much more than I already did,” she says.

She also had a chance to immerse herself in Sri Lankan culture, living with a host family and traveling around the country by bus in between her hospital stints.

“It just opened my mind to everything.

I felt like I grew up while I was there.”

For the rest of her gap year, she lived at home while applying to college and working. She says that taking a gap year requires more time, thought and planning than applying for college because the possibilities are nearly endless.

Her parents supported her all the way, she says, and she’s sure she made the right decision.

“A year to have to yourself can really change you a lot in ways that you don’t expect.”

11 | Taking a Gap Year | FEATURE

FEATURE | Taking a Gap Year | 10

A

s soon as his high school final exams were over, Jace Mullen ’12 hiked the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada, and later climbed a mountain in Mexico, and worked as a wilderness emergency medical technician.

Serena Glynn ’11 traveled in Central and South America during her first year after high school, while John Cappetta ’11 studied art in Greece and traveled in Vietnam and New Zealand. Kennedy Geenen ’12 shadowed doctors at a hospital in Sri Lanka, and Sarah Knapp ’12 explored India and labored at an organic farm in Ireland.

These Bishop’s alumni are part of a segment of the U.S. high school population that elects to postpone the first year of college for a less-traditional path of travel, service or work. It’s called a gap year, and it can be a perfect fit for teens who feel burned out after the academic rigors of high school or who have their hearts set on an adventure before continuing their higher education.

The concept seems to be gaining momentum as universities warm to the idea and even offer gap year programs for their students.

At Bishop’s, two or three students take a gap year from each graduating class, and that number has remained fairly steady over her eight years at the School,

Opposite page and above: Kennedy Geenen ’12 in Sri Lanka

After India, Sarah journeyed to Ireland, where she worked on an organic farm, then ended up at the New York ashram. In the fall of 2013, she attended New York University (NYU), where she had been granted deferred enrollment.

But after her gap year she felt the school was no longer a good fit. She completed her first semester at NYU, came home and enrolled in courses at the University of California, San Diego.

Now she is applying to smaller liberal arts colleges, and hopes to attend either Oberlin College in Ohio or Colorado College in Colorado Springs next fall.

She plans to major in East Asian or Third World studies, and possibly minor in theater.

This page, top: Sarah Knapp ’12 on the Ganges River in Varanasi; bottom: Sarah at the Taj Mahal Opposite page, top: John Cappetta ’11 in Rome and warming up with a breakfast campfire after a morning surf in New Zealand; bottom: Serena Glynn ’11 (left) at Iguazu Falls in Brazil with Emma Jacobs, who she met during her service program in Costa Rica

John

Serena

For Sarah Knapp ’12, a gap year took her from India to Ireland to upstate New York, where she lived and worked in an ashram.

“I think it should be mandatory,” she says about taking a year off before college. “It put me on a track to what ultimately will be my real self.”

Sarah spent the first part of her gap year in India with a group called Where There Be Dragons that offers summer, gap year and study abroad programs.

Her adventures included a Himalaya trek, a stay in a Tibetan monastery and two months in the holy city of Varanasi.

She says she fell in love with the culture, color and chaos of India, and hopes to go back this summer to do volunteer work.

At first, the thought of taking a gap year didn’t appeal to Serena Glynn ’11, even though her older brother Saphir ’08 had taken a year off before attending college. Serena was concerned about being a year behind in her studies, and her parents had to sell her on the idea.

“My parents said: ‘Take a step back and realize you’re only young for so long, so take advantage of this, learn a little about yourself before you don’t have a chance to.’”

Now a sophomore at Kenyon College in Ohio, where she is majoring in political science and Spanish literature, Serena spent the first part of her gap year in Costa Rica with a U.K.-based organization called Raleigh International.

Participants worked on an environmental project, helped build a water system for a village and trekked in the jungle for 20 days.

After taking a breather at home for a few months, she and a friend from her Costa Rican program embarked on a trip through Central and South America, studying Spanish before traveling on their own through Panama, Columbia, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, and Argentina.

She credits her parents with trusting her to keep safe during her travels. “Just because you’re 18 and you’re young doesn’t mean you can’t handle this.”

Serena is proud that she paid for the bulk of her gap year with money saved from working, although her parents helped out when her cash ran low near the end of her travels.

She’s also grateful for the rare opportunity to temporarily disengage from her busy life.

“There will be points when it’s hard and you want to go home…but when it comes to the end, I remember sitting on the plane leaving Argentina, and I was kind of awestruck. This entire experience is something I will carry with me the rest of my life. I would really hope that people can have that same feeling and experience before they embark on the rest of their life.”

13 | Taking a Gap Year | FEATURE

FEATURE | Taking a Gap Year | 12

Sarah

John Cappetta ’11 knew by tenth grade that he didn’t want to go straight from high school to college, so he started talking to his parents about taking a gap year.

“There was no way I was going to do eight consecutive years of higher education without a break,” he says.

At the same time, he wanted to accomplish something during his gap year. “I wasn’t going on a gap year just to mess around and go on fun trips all the time.”

So, after being admitted to the University of Vermont, he requested deferred enrollment to the following year and embarked on a year of travel, study and work.

John spent his first semester at an art school in Greece, and came home to land a paid photography internship with a golf apparel company. He also traveled to Vietnam with his family, competed in a sailing competition in Florida, and helped coach Bishop’s junior varsity sailing team.

During his year off, he decided to cancel his enrollment at the University of Vermont and apply to additional colleges. He landed at Bates College in Maine, where he is now a sophomore English major with concentrations in religious and Middle East studies. His career goals include journalism or working on foreign policy.

The year off allowed him to mature, build confidence and regain his enthusiasm for the classroom, avoiding the temptation toward wild behavior that derails some college freshmen.

“You get through that little immature phase, it’s milder, and you get through it quicker. Then you get to college without that need,” says John. “The first three months at school, I was cruising, and everyone else was struggling.”

faculty focus

Louise Carmon Her love of singing helps students explore their choral talents.

By Frank Sabatini Jr.

Left: The singers and Louise visit the Statue of Liberty. Above: Louise and Park Carmon in Africa

Top: 2014 Carnegie Hall performance; bottom: Louise in her classroom

“The choral program has grown significantly over the years,” Louise says. “When I began working at Bishop’s there was only one choir, which was for upper school. Now there are four.

We didn’t have a middle school choral program, except for a choir club that met weekly outside of school hours.

That has since developed into an actual course, called Select Ensemble, taught

by Justine Hansen.”

Among the choral program’s greatest milestones are the performances given by the Bishop’s Singers at Carnegie Hall, where the students are joined by other choirs from throughout the country.

On their trip to Carnegie in 2010, the singers even gave a warm-up sidewalk performance for NBC’s Today Show.

Their latest Carnegie Hall concert in March marked their third appearance at the prestigious venue since Louise first took the group there in 2003.

“For this year’s performance, my students had to learn six new pieces, such as Gabriel Faure’s Cantinque de Jean Racine presented with orchestra and Dan Forrest’s You Are the Music performed with French horn.”

The students began learning the music in September and then had to undergo two days of intensive rehearsal at Carnegie Hall before the show.

“In total, we were gone for five days.

During the day, we visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Ellis Island and the 9/11 Memorial. And at night we went to see musicals,” she says, adding that the group has performed over the past several years at Chicago Symphony Hall, Riverside Cathedral in New York City and Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Orange County.

The Bishop’s Singers also participate each year in the adjudicated California Music Educators Festival. “They’ve

invited to perform this March in the California All-State Choir in Sacramento.

“It is disappointing when children in elementary school are asked by their received the highest superior rating for teachers to sing softer or mouth the more than 18 years,” Louise says proudly. words. That tells them that they can’t For the annual holiday and spring sing, which isn’t really the case,” says pops concerts held at Bishop’s, students Louise, recalling “the wonderful teacher” from all choral classes fill the stage, she had in third grade when landing the serenading the audience with about lead role in a mini version of Hansel 100 voices. and Gretel.

Alejandra Gallegos ’14 has been with Louise’s early appreciation for music the Bishop’s Singers since tenth grade seemed inevitable. and took part in the Segerstrom concert.

“Relatives on my dad’s side were band “It was a beautiful stage and it opened directors. And my mom’s brother played my eyes to how much I love music,” she violin and her sister played piano. They recalls, adding that she also took Select all sang and played their instruments in Ensemble in seventh and eighth grades the parlor,” she remembers fondly. at the time Louise taught the course.

Years later, as a junior in college, “Mrs. Carmon really helped me develop Louise coincidentally starred again in my voice over the years, technically and Hansel and Gretel, this time in a full stylistically. She’s very approachable in production with the Detroit Symphony. her method and treats you with the Also during college, she sang with the respect that all performers deserve, while acclaimed, late opera singer Joan holding you accountable for memorizing Sutherland for the Opera Las Palmas the music and marking your score.” in the Canary Islands and performed Bishop’s Singers’ Colin Garon ’14 with other operatic choirs in Hungary, recalls Louise’s instruction as he struggled Poland, England, and Germany. with his changing voice in ninth grade “I don’t think I realized how while enrolled in the Knights Chorus. fortunate we were at the time to have “She helped me a lot with learning how that kind of professional experience. It to use my lower register. Without her was pretty amazing,” she says, admitting guidance and influence, I would have that she originally wanted to be an opera stopped singing.” singer before deciding on a teaching career.

Colin now takes voice lessons outside Louise met her husband, Park, when of school and made the cut along with he was earning his music degree at the four other Bishop’s students who were University of Michigan.

“Park is a double bassist and plays for all my shows. He also plays with the Poway Symphony.”

Both are avid travelers, allowing Louise to gather musical ideas from other places that she incorporates into concerts at Bishop’s. The holiday concert in December, for example, was inspired by a trip to Africa.

“My students performed the Missa Kenya, a published work by Paul Basler incorporating African melodies and rhythms.”

After visiting Peru several years ago, Louise had her students singing to “all kinds of Peruvian guitars” from Misa Criolla by Latin American composer Ariel Ramirez. For an April trip to Cuba, she expects to bring back to her classrooms choral music from that country.

“Wherever we travel, I’m always looking for concerts. It’s my creative way of designing and developing programs for the students.”

Louise and Park reside in Escondido with their dog, Diamond. In her off time, she enjoys gardening, although admits to spending “hundreds of hours” in the summer perusing choral scores that make for interesting concerts.

“I want both the students and audiences to learn something from [the concerts], and particularly the students. There’s nothing better than singing with others. It transcends your soul and takes you to a different place.”

15 | Louise Carmon | FACULTY FOCUS

FACULTY FOCUS | Louise Carmon | 14

T

o those who believe that our vocal cords are not created equal, Louise Carmon has some words of encouragement.

The Michigan native has taught singing for 38 years and joined Bishop’s as choral music teacher in 1990.

Since then, she has paved the road for crooning students to perform at Carnegie Hall as well as on concert stages locally, statewide and in other U.S. cities.

“Anybody can learn to sing, even if you start at the age of 50. Yes, for some people it’s easier, but the ability is there once you’re taught how to use your muscles, breath support and ears,” she assures.

At Bishop’s, Louise oversees a ninth grade men’s group known as the Knights Chorus, and two ensembles for grades 10-12: an intermediate women’s singing group, Bel Canto, and the Bishop’s Singers, a mixed chorus that involves an auditioning process.

In addition, she is the holder of the Marlene Teitelman Department Chair in Music, an endowment established in 1998 honoring the wife of former Headmaster Michael Teitelman and her longstanding support of the choral department at Bishop’s.

After earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from the University of Michigan and teaching choral music in her home state and in Illinois for grades K-12, Louise came to Bishop’s shortly before the Taylor Performing Arts Center was built. The timing was perfect as it allowed her to play a role in the theatre’s creation while expanding the curriculum for aspiring singers from within the student body.

KNIGHTS AT THE NEXT LEVEL The underlying goal of a Bishop’s education has always been to shape students for success beyond the School walls, whether that training comes in the form of academics, sports or the arts. This spring, Bishop’s magazine caught up with a few recent graduates who have taken their athletic pursuits to the next level and are enjoying success in college.

By Zach Jones ’01

Claire Riedman ’12 Cornell University, Sailing

Princeton University, Water Polo With his junior water polo season at Princeton in the books, Drew Hoffenberg ’11 is closing in on one of the most decorated careers in the history of the program. He has 176 career goals—already good for fifth most in Princeton history—and is one of four Tigers players named a three-time All-American.

As a two-time All-CIF first-teamer and member of the U.S. Junior National Team during his time at Bishop’s, Drew heard the call of some of the nation’s top college programs when it came time to choose a school.

“I talked to all of the coaches, met with them, got invited on some recruiting trips. After the first couple months of being recruited, it was hard to pick a school for water polo over academics.”

His choice came down to Stanford (where his father Bill was an undergrad), Harvard (where Bill went to business school), and Princeton.

Naturally, he chose Princeton, remarking that “my dad wears Princeton stuff now.”

During his time there, the Tigers have made a trip to the NCAA Tournament—one of four trips in program history—and earned one of their two all-time tournament wins.

Drew says the Ivy League has provided the perfect fit, academically and athletically, even if the natives don’t always understand the nuances of the game.

“A lot of people don’t know what water polo is on the East Coast.

I can’t tell you how many times people have asked how the horses do it in the water.”

That said, the Princeton co-captain wouldn’t change anything as he looks forward to his senior season. “I love it, and I definitely think I made the right decision coming here.”

Courtney Hooton ’12 Harvard University, Golf For many talented golfers, leaving Del Mar’s sun for the four seasons of the East Coast would have been a difficult decision. For Courtney Hooton ’12, whose father and grandfather both attended Harvard before her, it was an easy call.

“I dreamed of going to Harvard for so long that when I was accepted, I could hardly believe it was real.”

And while many of the nation’s top golf programs reside in areas of perpetual sunshine, the two-time U.S. Women’s Amateur qualifier didn’t have to sacrifice competition on the golf course to attend her dream school.

“Luckily, with Harvard, I was able to have the best of both worlds. In addition to being an excellent school academically, our team is comprised of exceptionally talented golfers. I have to work really hard just to make the travel squad each week.”

Hooton has Harvard golf in her blood. Her grandfather, Claude Hooton Jr., was a

varsity letterman for the Crimson golf team, and Courtney looked right at home as a freshman last season, finishing fourth individually at the Ivy League Championships and earning All-Ivy League First Team honors.

She says it’s been an adjustment dealing with the practice restrictions imposed by winter weather, but “our weight training and indoor training are more effective than I could have ever imagined.”

And when the New England winters are especially harsh, she’s not the only one bundling up—six of the seven players on her team hail from California.

“We can commiserate about the inclement weather or marvel at the beauty of a snowfall. My coaches and teammates have been such a blessing.”

Varun Sharma ’12 Williams College, Squash In some ways, Varun Sharma ’12 (above left) owes his current spot on the Williams squash team to an injury.

A former youth tennis player, Varun switched to squash at his father’s suggestion after a shoulder injury derailed his competitive tennis career.

Ironically, Varun took up the game just before his family moved from Philadelphia, one of the earliest homes of squash in the U.S., to San Diego, where he enrolled at Bishop’s in eighth grade.

As a competitive junior player, Varun found himself traveling back to the East Coast routinely to maintain his ranking against national competition.

When it came time to pick a college, he knew where he was headed.

“As soon as I’d picked up a squash racket, I knew I wanted to compete in this sport as much as possible. But I’m very interested in the biomedical sciences…so my choices narrowed onto Williams as my ideal school.”

As a sophomore, Varun worked his way into the 8th position (the top 9 play official matches) for a Williams team that finished the season ranked 14th in the nation.

The top-level competition has also reunited him with some of the players from his junior circuit days.

“It’s really cool to see the junior players you competed with growing up transform as they enter college.”

He says the balance of school and sports was an early challenge, as was the adjustment to the climate in the northwest corner of Massachusetts. On the other hand, New England’s historical connection to the sport has its benefits for a competitive squash player.

“Honestly, it is nice to get some street cred for playing a sport, not a vegetable.”

17 | Knights at the Next Level | FEATURE

Claire Riedman ’12 discovered a passion for sailing relatively late in her career at Bishop’s, but she’s making up for lost time in Ithaca, New York, where she is part of a Cornell sailing team that is quickly gaining momentum.

Introduced to sailing by friends John Cappetta ’11 and Jessie O’Dell ’12, Claire was immediately hooked on her new sport, but other priorities were competing for attention beyond graduation.

“I wasn’t sure whether or not I would sail in college and also debated playing volleyball,” she says. “I knew Cornell had a sailing program when I got in, but it wasn’t until after I got there that I really decided to commit.”

Less than two years later, the Cornell women’s team is considered among the nation’s elite (13th in Sailing World’s February rankings), and Claire credits her first coach for giving her the confidence to get involved.

“I didn’t think that I was a good enough sailor to compete at a college level—I was still really new to the sport—and had no idea what to expect.” But Bishop’s Sailing Coach Aine McLean convinced her that she could be an asset to a team.

“I am so happy that I listened.”

Claire’s work to make the traveling team as a freshman was immediately rewarded last May—Cornell finished third at the Women’s National Championships after beginning the season unranked.

She credits Cornell Coach Brian Clancy for continuing to develop her skills as a sailor, as well as the coach who pushed her to stay on the water.

“Aine McLean was an incredible coach. I would not be sailing at the level I am today if it wasn’t for her and The Bishop’s School Sailing Team.”

Drew Hoffenberg ’11

Speakers Series Educates and Inspires

Students to Action

Not for Sale: Realities of Human Trafficking

Lessons Learned From Little Rock

By Kathy Day

By Keri Peckham

n a program designed to raise awareness about human trafficking, a trio of speakers exposed Bishop’s students to the realities of human exploitation and discussed how students can contribute to the fight against it.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Tenorio’s opening remarks at the upper school assembly on January 10 were short but direct: “Human trafficking is the exploitation of human beings. What we see in movies about prostitution is but a small part of the global problem,” said the father of Gabi Tenorio ’17.

“It is taking advantage of vulnerable people. The victims are young girls in the sex trade, nannies in the homes of diplomats and immigrants in the fields.”

Human trafficking encompasses prostitution, forced labor and modern-day slavery. Citing one case of a La Jolla restaurant that employed workers who labored for slave wages to pay off a smuggling debt, Mr. Tenorio explained that the majority of the victims are immigrants, coerced by physical or psychological means to provide labor or services against their will by predators generally from the same countries.

Presenting a different—and very personal—side of human trafficking was Tiffany Mester, an engaging 24-year-old. Abused as a child and told for years that no one would ever love her, as a teen she ran away from home with her stepsister. Knowing they would be in trouble if they went back, she said, “I didn’t feel like I had a choice. A guy came along who said he loved me. He said he was a pimp but wouldn’t pimp me out.”

But he did. Ms. Mester spent a year-and-a-half on the streets.

She wasn’t allowed to come “home” if she didn’t bring in $1,000 to $2,000. If she were robbed of the money she made, she faced beatings.

“I spent my ‘Sweet 16’ in juvie,” she said. After she was released, she went back to her pimp. It wasn’t until he was arrested that she returned to school. Still she wasn’t able to immediately break free of her street lifestyle. She abused drugs and robbed people. She wondered what life held for her until one day she went to the Rock Church to hear a former escort speak. It was that day, she said, she realized that God loved her.

Now Ms. Mester carries the message of vulnerability and love through the church’s ministry called Hidden Treasures Foundation. To make her point during a breakout session that took place directly after the assembly, she asked students to stand up if they knew someone who had been physically abused, sexually abused, didn’t have a loving home, or were

eciting poetry, particularly the famous “Invictus,” was one way that Dr. Terrence Roberts handled the daily challenges he faced as a 15-year-old student at Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. As one of nine African-American students to enroll in the previously segregated high school in 1957, Dr. Roberts and the other members of the “Little Rock Nine” encountered opposition, abuse and hatred.

Fortunately, his is also a story of resilience and resolve, which he shared with the Bishop’s community on January 29 as part of the School’s Endowed Leadership Lecture Series.

Dr. Roberts was open and engaging throughout the day with Bishop’s students, faculty, staff, and community. He told students that, although it became illegal to discriminate based on race in 1954, the mindset of most Americans, especially in Little Rock, did not change overnight.

“The law changed, but nothing really changed,” he recalled.

When asked what inspired him to continue during those challenging times, he said that he recognized “an opportunity that those who came before me did not have,” and he still had “hope that there could be liberty and justice for all.”

Dr. Roberts spent one year at Central High before the governor closed all Arkansas high schools in 1958. He completed high school in Los Angeles and went on to receive a Ph.D. in psychology from Southern Illinois University. Now a principal in a management consulting firm that bears his name, Dr. Roberts is “committed to being a lifelong learner” and reads a book a week.

In a discussion with upper school affinity groups Dr. Roberts said, “I consider myself a citizen of the universe, not bound by issues of race or gender. I don’t depend on others to define me.” He encouraged Bishop’s students to do the same.

When asked by a student what he and his classmates can do to push for equality in 2014, Dr. Roberts replied, “Treat everyone as your peer. If you model racial equality, others see you, and they see possibilities. Keep learning, keep growing and see what happens next.”

Dr. Roberts’ insight was not reserved for students, as he asked attendees of his evening lecture, many of them Bishop’s parents, a thought-provoking question to close his presentation.

“When was the last time you did something for the first time?

Go forth and do well.”

FEATURE | Speakers Series | 18

I

R

Tiffany Mester

Mark Wexler

emotionally abused. By the end of the questions, a significant part of the group was on its feet.

“Prevention starts with you guys loving each other,” she said. “If someone had noticed I wasn’t loved and didn’t have friends, it might not have happened. You can stop it!”

Her message touched Lily Mojdehi ’14, who said that previously she hadn’t given much thought to human trafficking. But she added, “I always have been interested in the effects of how girls are raised and their environments [at home] on their self-esteem and self-worth.” Now, Lily is “more informed and aware about human trafficking and how real it is…I also realize the importance of supporting my female friends and their self-esteem.”

Classmate Bessie Barnes said she was “astounded to realize the slave trade is such a widespread and lucrative market,” when speaker Mark Wexler told the students that human trafficking is a $32 billion business and involves more than 30 million people worldwide. Mr. Wexler is executive director of Not For Sale, a non-profit that aims “to create a world where no one is for sale” by providing economic support and social services to people in places such as Peru and Thailand who are caught in a world of forced labor. He calls this effort a modern-day abolitionist movement and referred to the students as “freedom fighters.”

Joseph Ramirez-Cardenas ’16, who, unlike many of his fellow students, said he has a real sense of what human trafficking is about from living in Yuma, where he saw human and drug traffickers first hand. Though he questioned whether the Not For Sale model would have lasting effect on the people it served, the presentation inspired him to take steps to help.

He plans to get back into Bishop’s Karen Refugee after-school tutoring program where he helped out before.

Bessie was inspired to take action, too, and hopes for a summer internship with Not For Sale.

Help can also come in simpler forms, according to Ms. Mester. “If you suspect someone is being trafficked, tell an adult, a teacher, someone you trust.

“If you keep a secret, you aren’t helping them.”

“Invictus” Out of the night that covers me, Black as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.

—William Ernest Henley, 1888

Dr. Terrence Roberts

bishop’s buzz STUDENTS

education magazine designed

(father: Elizabeth Carson

to celebrate the diverse

Pastan ’73, Barbara Carson

backgrounds and experiences

Edwards ’84; grandfather:

of Bishop’s students and faculty.

Harrison Edwards ’15, Caroline

IN THE NEWS

CIF Champions

UT San Diego From mock trial and athletics

Edwards ’16) was featured in the

to on-campus speakers, our

La Jolla Light ’s “10 Questions”

Last fall Dean of Studies Binney

column in recognition of his

Caffrey and Director of Admis-

retirement after 53 years as a

sions and Financial Aid Kim

cardiologist at Scripps Health.

WEBNEWS Did you know that the School’s web site has a search function?

Check it out—top right corner of every page, ask away! Interested in the latest

students, alumni, teachers, and

news or campus photos? Go to the School’s Facebook page for frequent

programs have been featured in

postings at www.facebook.com/the.bishops.school

the U-T San Diego, San Diego’s major daily newspaper.

On March 1, Bishop’s students

Peckham made a presentation

won the annual San Diego

at a National Association of

PARENTS

County High School Mock Trial

Independent Schools confer-

Wainwright Fishburn Jr.

Championship. The victory

ence on entrance testing and

(Wesley ’13, Virginia ’15), a

of College

was Bishop’s fourth county

achievements through time

member of the School’s Board

Counseling Emmi Harward was

championship in six years of

for Bishop’s students. n A.J.

of Trustees, delivered a keynote

quoted in The Atlantic magazine,

participation. The team went

Jezierski, college counselor and

address about how consumers

where she addressed the

on to compete in the state

graduate of Denison University,

may push digital health into the

importance of leadership in

tournament in San Jose where

was named to the North Coast

mainstream at the International

the college application process.

they placed 19 out of 34 teams.

Athletic Conference’s (NCAC)

Consumer Electronics Show held

“Not only does leadership

an assistant professor of bioengineering at the Jacobs School

Alexander Kilman ’14 was named

30th Anniversary All-Decade

in Las Vegas in January. In

distinguish a student in a

of Engineering, discussed the recent efforts made by his

outstanding pretrial prosecution

team for baseball. A four-year

addition to being a partner in

competitive applicant pool from

research group in combining skin-integrated wearable

attorney in the State of California.

starter as the catcher, A.J. was

Cooley LLP, Wain is on the

other students ([compare]

sensors with multi-modal analytics algorithms that can

History and social science

named All-NCAC three times,

board of Wireless-Life Sciences

a student body president to

teacher Richard del Rio is the

including two first-team honors.

2013 Girls’ Varsity Volleyball CIF Division II

2014 Girls’ Varsity Water Polo CIF Division III

The Atlantic Director

someone who has spent four years just going home and doing

team’s faculty advisor. n A

On the Frontier of Health The conclusion of the 2013-2014 Shaffer Family Foundation Endowed Science Lecture Series saw two scientists from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), on campus presenting information on their cutting-edge research, educating and informing Bishop’s students and the community.

In his presentation on January 30, Todd P. Coleman, Ph.D.,

be efficiently implemented on the cloud. Dr. Coleman’s research focuses on using tools from information theory, neuroscience, machine learning, and bioelectronics to

student group led by Kamran

PARENTS OF ALUMNI

their homework), but also serves

Jamil ’14 has published the

Larry Bock (Quincy ’06,

to foreshadow the impact the

understand—and control—interacting systems with

first issue of Globe, a global

Tasha ’10), founder of the

student could make on the

biological and computer parts.

college/university campus, and

In her April 1 remarks, “The Art of Falling Apart,”

2014 Girls’ Varsity Basketball CIF Open Division

the potential impact they could

Adah Almutairi, Ph.D., the director of UCSD’s Center

make once they graduate.”

of Excellence in Nanomedicine, spoke about her team’s

STEM (science, technology,

The San Diego Hall of Champions

La Jolla Light

recent progress in designing nanomaterials that fall

engineering, and math). The

has named Marlon Wells

On several occasions this year,

festival took place at the Walter

Coach of the Year for Girls’

apart in response to biological or external triggers, and

La Jolla Light reporters spent

E. Washington Convention

Basketball. Other honorees are

demonstrating their applicability to imaging and drug

Center in Washington, D.C.,

Jill Bushman ’14 and Imani

USA Science and Engineering Festival, has launched the third national celebration of

Christopher Tenorio

Littleton ’14 who were selected

(Rachel ’04, Chelsea ’06)

Alliance. n Christopher Tenorio

as Players of the Year in water

was honored this spring as a

(Gabi ’17), assistant U.S. Attor-

polo and basketball, respectively.

2014 Woman of Dedication by

ney, was one of the presenters

the Women’s Auxiliary of the

at the upper school program on

Salvation Army. Dr. John Carson

human trafficking in January.

April 26-27. n Rosalie Camacho

Submit information for Bishop’s Buzz to weiners@bishops.com

time on campus.

Feature stories were written on the School’s human trafficking

delivery. In her research, Dr. Almutairi is examining the use of the inflammation-responsive material for diseasespecific drug delivery in models of arthritis and the use

assembly, the Endowed Scholar-

of light-responsive particles for on-demand drug release

In-Residence Program with

in the eye to treat retinal degeneration.

Nicholas Kripal and the mock trial county championship.

21 | bishop’s buzz | NEWS

NEWS | bishop’s buzz | 20

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Jacobs Prize recipients find new perspectives from Ancient and New World travels.

By Kathy Day

Above: Marcus Milling’s travels took him to Greece and (right) Istanbul, Turkey.

also the place where Aristarchus and Eratosthenes first proposed that the earth orbits the sun.

“I had been on a lot of trips before I joined the Bishop’s faculty,” says Marcus, noting travels to Eastern Europe, Russia, Turkey, and Africa. He had other adventures in mind, but there was never enough time. With word that he was selected for the Jacobs Prize, a new adventure became reality.

He and Melissa visited the Acropolis, the Parthenon and Zeus’s temple, and then set out on hikes through the Enipeas River Gorge and up Mount Olympus. When they made it to the snow line, three-fourths of the way up, the couple was struck by the views of the Mediterranean.

“It was rock and snow above us and the amazing vistas of the sea before us,” recalls Marcus.

They island-hopped on Patmos, Symi and Samos, where they took in the life of the harbors, watching the locals working their fishing boats, and enjoyed the cuisine.

“The things that stick are how

Journeys Above: Mark Radley’s photographs of the Atacama Desert and (right) Easter Island

different another person’s experience can be,” Marcus says, speaking in particular about watching two brothers from Bangladesh open and close their tiny store at the Athens flea market. “It was like a medium-sized closet with rolling doors—filled with plates, figurines, maps, coins, and records… It was all jammed in. They would take it out, put it in interesting-looking piles, and then each night, pack it all in again.”

Those smaller moments of the trip, he adds, meant the most.

When they visited Turkey, the experience took a new turn. As they were flying to Istanbul, police were forcing the protestors out of Gezi Park. “We saw the protests and heard the speeches.

What we saw was not necessarily what was reported on the news. The crowd was a mix of young, old and middle-aged people; you could see the vandalism,” but they never felt unsafe, he adds.

“We knew if the police came it would be time to leave.”

Overall, he feels the trip was a wonderful opportunity, thanks to the Jacobs’ gift.

“You read about things, but they are always different than your expectations.

A lot of the experience goes to what the Jacobs intended in setting up the prize: Bishop’s teachers work hard, long hours to create their classes and sometimes they just need to get away to gain a new perspective.

“Getting out and being in a totally different environment reminds us how big the world is,” concludes Marcus.

But perhaps the biggest takeaway is a renewed outlook on teaching.

“It is so important for teachers to seek out opportunities to put themselves in situations that stretch them, where they are the ones being challenged to learn.

As a teacher you should never forget what it is like to be a student.”

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Bishop’s English teacher Mark Radley likes to travel to “extreme places that force a shift in perspective.” So he chose ecotourism in the driest desert in the world—the Atacama in northern Chile— for his two-and-a-half week trip.

A recipient of the Jacobs Prize in

2012, he delayed the trip for one year so that his wife Irene, who owns a Pacific Beach wellness studio, could join him, and they could add a few days on Rapa Nui (Easter Island). Chile is a land of many landscapes, climates and cultures, but Mark chose the Atacama Desert for “an extended stay and fuller experience in one location.”

He learned of the Atacama from an anthropologist friend who studied perfectly preserved mummies there.

“It is a virtually rainless region, like Death Valley, only 10,000 feet higher,” says Mark. He and Irene stayed at an oasis village, San Pedro de Atacama, flanked by hundreds of square miles of “bone-dry, unforgiving, but strikingly beautiful terrain.” They found “ten national parks’ worth of sights” around San Pedro: Dead Sea-like lagoons filled with pink flamingos, geyser fields, volcanic mountain ranges, immense valleys of sand dunes, and highelevation salt lakes with herds of llama and vicuña.

The couple traveled over the Bishop’s winter break, the start of summer in South America. They spent two days in Santiago before driving north along the

coast, “sampling ceviche at every stop.”

UNESCO World Heritage Site Valparaiso was their last stopover on the mainland before traveling 2,000 miles to Rapa Nui, the most remote inhabited island in the world.

As Mark thinks back on his travels he shares one of the most memorable experiences. While they were exploring the Atacama’s Salar de Tara, a remote salt lake just west of the border with Argentina, their truck got stuck in a sand dune. To find help, Mark and Irene hiked 15 miles of high desert with little water and no food. When they finally reached the highway, they were rescued by a Brazilian biker gang and an Argentine truck driver named Alfredo.

“That experience changed us as individuals and as a couple,” Mark says.

“Anytime you travel, you develop your sense of curiosity and patience toward the unknown; I hope I can convey that lesson to my students.”

23 | Two Grand Journeys | FEATURE

FEATURE | Two Grand Journeys | 22

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hen Drs. Stacy and Paul Jacobs (Jessica ’10, Sam ’12) established a $1 million endowment to give Bishop’s teachers an opportunity to pursue special projects for personal, professional and intellectual enrichment, they had a sense the experiences would leave a lasting impression. The 12 faculty members who have received Jacobs Prize funding to date reflect that reality. This academic year, Prize recipients Marcus Milling and Mark Radley ventured out on unique journeys set continents apart.

Marcus Milling, science department chair, chose Greece for the heart of his Jacobs Prize project, which he proposed as “A Grand Journey Across an Ancient Country.” Although he and his wife, fellow Bishop’s science teacher Melissa Sharp, had originally planned a fourweek visit to Athens, Delphi, Crete, and the Cyclades Islands, they supplemented the prize and extended the trip to eight weeks. Along the way, they added ten days in Turkey and cut back on a planned sailing and hiking tour that was to include Santorini.

Being a physics and astronomy teacher, Marcus explains they kicked off the trip in Athens, “the place where physics started with Aristotle.” Greece is

Two Grand

BISHOP’S Auction 2014 Sails to Success BISHO

recent alumni dive into life before ByFive Suzanne Weiner beginning their college careers.

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Wells Fargo Bank Contributing Anonymous Bishop’sPhotographers Family Joy andTed DonEldredge Ankeny ’83 Sarah GarroBenedek Diana and Andrew Lam ’15 PatriciaAlarisse and Marc Brutten Lembke BarbaraMike and Leon Parma Pablo Mason Donna Walker and Mark Pulido Hayne Tina and DavidPalmer, ThomasU-T San Diego

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The Bishop’s School 7607 La Jolla Boulevard Micki Olin and Reid Abrams La Jolla, CA 92037-4799

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Phone: (858) 459-4021 bishop’s profile: Dr. Kelly Parsons ’88 MariJo and Joseph Gleeson

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Gale and Jim Hill Laurie and Gregory Howard www.bishops.com La Jolla Chevron Mission Statement Jean and Yanique Lacombe The Bishop’s School is an academic Sundance Stage Lines

community pursuing intellectual, artistic, and athletic excellence in the context of the Episcopal tradition. We are dedicated to offering the highest quality education to a diverse student body Top: Alice Hayes, Dawn Calvetti, and to fostering integrity, imagination, Aimeclaire moral Roche, Margot Kerr; responsibility, and commitment to clockwise, left: Marjorie Lacombe ’09; serving the larger community.

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Helga Halsey In this issue of Bishop’s, we are pleased to introduce Caroline Cummins Circle member Helga Halsey. The Halsey family’s relationship with The Bishop’s School spans three generations and involves leadership on several levels. When her daughter Heidi Halsey Bennett ’92 was a Bishop’s student, Helga chaired the 1991 auction and was an active member of the Parents’ Association. Her late husband, William Halsey, served on the School’s Board of Trustees and, along with Helga, was a staunch believer in and supporter of the financial aid program. In 1994 he established a scholarship in honor of his father, Fleet Admiral William F. Halsey. His daughters, Jane Halsey ’65 and Anne Halsey-Smith ’67, and grandson, Matthew Smith ’03, are Bishop’s graduates.

“Bill also included Bishop’s in his will,” says Helga. “After his death, when I had to do my own estate planning, I decided

A bequest is one of the easiest gifts you can make to

to follow his example. I truly love the School and feel so

significantly impact our mission. Your estate planning attorney

grateful for the excellent education and sound foundation

can include a provision in your will or living trust that leaves

it has given Heidi.”

such a gift to The Bishop’s School. Your bequest could be

Helga chose to extend her philanthropic support of Bishop’s by creating a testamentary bequest for the School.

A bequest is a wonderful way for you to help further the important work we do in shaping the lives and futures of countless students through educational excellence. A charitable bequest is also easy to facilitate. Here are some of the benefits of a testamentary bequest:

a gift of specific assets, a dollar amount or a percentage of your estate. A bequest could also be made from the residue of your estate or what is left after gifts have been made to your heirs.

We invite you to contact John A. Trifiletti, chief advancement officer, at (858) 875-0851 or trifilettij@bishops.com for sample language that your attorney may use in drafting

• It costs you nothing today to make a bequest

a bequest to The Bishop’s School. Sample bequest language

• A bequest is free of federal estate tax

is also available on our web site at bishopslegacy.com.

• Your bequest can be altered, if life circumstances change • You can still benefit your heirs with specific gifts • You can leave a legacy that has lasting impact on the future

Erik Hardy and “Skipper”; Cheryl Roberts, Kathleen Nordland, Livier Cover Photo: Caroline Delfino ’18 is the Reynoso; Karen and Paul Buss; bidder Cat in the Hat in Musical Theatre 8’s #293 Daveproduction Thomas; Kris Benham; of Seussical, Jr. Patricia and Marc Brutten Photo credit: Michael Spengler

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From the editor: In the 2012-2013 Honor Roll of Donors Tricia and Ray Faltinsky were listed incorrectly, and the gift made in honor of Dorothy Williams (former headmistress) should have been listed in the Testimonial section, not the Memorial section. We apologize for the errors.

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Creditsof the auction The success Editor on donors who is dependent Suzanne Weiner the cost generously underwrite Managing Editor more of of the event, allowing Diane Salisbury the proceeds to be directed to Contributing Writers the financial aid and faculty Kathy Day professional growth programs.

Zach Jones ’01 The Bishop’s School and the Keri Peckham 2014 auction are deeply Trisha J. chairs Ratledge grateful to the following Frank Sabatini Jr. friends Joe Tash who made a generous commitment Suzanne Weiner to All Aboard!

U.S.S. Bishop’s.

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t All Aboard! U.S.S. Bishop’s 16 KnightsonatApril the 12, Next Level guests auction partied with a purpose Student-athletes continue to impress inonsupport of the School’s Needbig-league college teams. based Financial Aid and Faculty 18 Professional Speakers Series and GrowthEducates Programs.

Inspires Students to Action The nautical-chic event featured of human trafficking to a From silentstories auction, wine auction, and memories of the “Little Rock Nine,” a sit-down dinner, as well as a live students from speakers’ auction oflearn exceptional items followed byfirsthand dancingaccounts. and entertainment by the Jay Sterling Band.

22 Two Grand Journeys Co-chaired

by Dawn Calvetti Teachers Marcus Mark’15) (Daniel ’19), AliceMilling Hayesand (Conor Radley pursue personal dreams and Margot Kerr (Matthew ’16),with the Jacobsevent Prize nets award. annual approximately million per year in direct support 24 $1 Auction 2014 Sails to Success of these crucial programs, allowing Guests at All Aboard! U.S.S. Bishop’s the School to foster a community partied with a purpose at annual focused on diversity, enrichment fund-raiser. and growth.

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Taking a Gap Year

everything from décor and invitation design to auction item acquisitions and community partnerships,” says Dawn.

“We are so grateful to the School’s families who donated incredible, oneof-a-kind auction items,” adds Margot.

Marjorie Lacombe, a member of the Class of 2009 and a Harvard graduate, spoke about the impact Bishop’s has had on her life. The spirited bidding that followed Marjorie’s presentation was a testament to the confidence the guests have in the School and its financial aid program.

Auction guests also had the opportunity to make direct gifts to the faculty professional growth program.

“We are thrilled that the auction provides funding for our teachers to participate in enrichment and educational opportunities throughout the year,” says Alice. “They return to the classroom refreshed and enthused, benefitting every student.”

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The Bishop’s School 7607 La Jolla Boulevard La Jolla, California 92037-4799

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID The Bishop’s School

parting shots Then…and now.

Bishop’s theatrical couple circa 1928 and in this year’s Macbeth

Parents of Alumni, If your son or daughter no longer maintains an address at your home, please notify the Office of Alumni Relations of his or her new address. (858) 875-0505 • Fax (858) 456-2681 • tbsalumni@bishops.com