Cyrus Fall 2018 (Issue 8)

Cyrus a magazine for alumni and friends of The Blake School

Fall 2018

Musical Range

Chan Poling ’75 hits all the notes

Fair Game

Sports options abound for Blake athletes

Feed A Need

Cindy Rothschild Kaplan ’90 takes on childhood nutrition

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Cyrus a magazine for alumni and friends of The Blake School Editor Kristin Stouffer Managing Editor Tracy Grimm Graphic Designer Cate Hubbard Thanks to the many Blake community members who have contributed to this publication.

Our Mission The Blake School provides students with an excellent,

Collaboration Matters

academically challenging education in a diverse and supportive community committed to a common set of values. Students are expected to participate in an integrated program of academic, artistic and athletic activities in preparation for college, lifelong learning, community service and lives as responsible world citizens.

Our Core Values Respect Love of Learning Integrity Courage Commitment to Pluralism The Blake School Administrative Offices 110 Blake Road South Hopkins, MN 55343 952-988-3430

Why Cyrus?

Cyrus Northrop played a formative role in one of Blake’s founding institutions. In 1915, Northrop Collegiate School was named in his honor to recognize Dr. Northrop’s achievements as a nationally regarded educator

What does it mean to collaborate and what is collaboration? Across the fields of education, business, and leadership development, the term collaboration has been used so widely that it has become all too easy to forget its meaning or dismiss its strength. Yet, true collaboration produces powerful results, which is why it is at the core of what we teach, how we function and why we thrive at Blake.

True collaboration begins when we have a clear sense of our own strengths and limitations. Rather than seeing ourselves as deficient, we seek partnership with those who complement our efforts. Collaboration is a give-and-go that calls us to appreciate what others bring to the table. When collaboration is done well, we are curious and flexible, confident yet humble.

Throughout my career, I have seen the classroom become a laboratory for collaboration. Across the grade-levels, Blake’s curriculum is designed to help students practice collaborating — a skill we teach students to develop with increasing sophistication as they grow and mature. We teach collaboration as an essential component of leadership and world citizenship.

The artistry of Chan Poling ’75 (page 6), the service of Cindy Rothschild Kaplan ’90 (page 18) and the athleticism of our own Blake Bears (page 12) are driven by the optimism of collaboration. Rather than fixating on what was lacking, these alumni and students imagined what could be and, most importantly, who could help.

Similarly, our Blake community has created transformative change in the final leg of an $80 million campaign (special insert). Together, we will finish strong.

I hope that Blake inspires you to collaborate and create. As always, we’d love to hear from you. Drop us a line at Cyrus@Blakeschool.org.

and as president of the University of Minnesota. His legacy of educational excellence continues at Blake today. cyrus@blakeschool.org

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Anne E. Stavney, Ph.D. Head of School The Blake School

CONTENTS Fall 2018

COVER STORY

A NEW STANDARD

Chan Poling ’75 has seen a string of successes in multiple music genres, and the hits keep coming.

PAGE 6

IN PHOTOS

DEPARTMENTS

Synchro or Swim

In Brief 2

Dive into the unexpected athletic offerings at Blake.

Cover Story 6

PAGE 12

Q&A 18

Q&A

Spoon By Spoon Cindy Rothschild Kaplan ’90 improves nutrition for vulnerable children and underserved communities.

PAGE 18

In Photos 12 In Print & Production 20 Class Notes 21 Voices 29

IN BRIEF ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHT

ARCHIVES

AWARDS

COMMUNITY

FACES ON CAMPUS

SERVICE

Food includes edible experiments with students making chocolate from cocoa beans and roasted coffee from green coffee beans. The class also calibrates ovens with sugar, explores the physiology, psychology and sociology of taste and flavor, experiments with colloidal suspensions and delves deeply into the Maillard Reaction, a chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars that gives browned food its distinctive flavor. Bon appétit!

SERVICE

FACES ON CAMPUS

PET PROJECT

OTIS ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHOR INSPIRES WONDER OF NATURE

Highcroft second graders turned their focus to felines this spring, making a class decision to learn more about wildcats and their protection. A guest from the Wildcat Sanctuary in Sandstone, Minnesota, visited class to talk about the sanctuary’s work providing big cat rescue services and lifelong care for the animals. The students conducted further wildcat research and presented their findings to Highcroft classes.

They also created dioramas with wildcat sculptures and habitats that were displayed around campus. The class raised over $900 for the Wildcat Sanctuary with the help of a generous Blake community donor and a group of Upper School students who organized an ice cream social to raise money for the cause.

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Blake welcomed acclaimed nature writer Robin Wall Kimmerer to campus as the 2018 Philip Otis Environmental Author. A plant ecologist, professor of environmental science, writer and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Kimmerer engaged with students, sharing her observations of the natural world — from walking in the woods with pre-kindergartners to visiting

seniors in printmaking class.

Inspired by her visit, Blake held several group discussions to explore Kimmerer’s essays, and faculty in science, literature, writing and social studies classes drew on her work to inform their curriculum. Blake families had the opportunity to participate in three naturerelated events at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, in the woods near Highcroft and at the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary.

ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHT

CLASSROOM CUISINE Upper School students hungering to learn more about the biology, chemistry and physics behind cooking can whet their appetite in a new applied science course. Designed and taught by PK-12 Science Chair Ann-Marie White, the Science of

FACES ON CAMPUS

A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE During a special Middle School assembly, students rose to their feet with applause for Leymah Gbowee, a Liberian peace activist, social worker and women's rights advocate. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate shared stories of young people who are changing the world and encouraged the students to remember that “together as individuals we can make a difference.”

IN BRIEF

FOOD DRIVE BRINGS BUSLOADS TO LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS

SERVICE

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING When a local retirement community transitioned from landlines to smartphones, it sent out a call for help to those who know the technology best: students. Many residents had never had a cell phone, let alone a smartphone, and the change proved stressful. So a group of Blake Middle School students helped ease anxiety by visiting the residence to teach the seniors about their new devices, showing them how to text, take pictures and install apps. The afternoon provided more than just tech support, with teachers and students enjoying the benefits of cross-generational company.

Terry Smith retired from Blake in June after 30 years driving the Blake bus. In addition to transporting students, Smith made other special deliveries.

Associate Lower School Director Sherry Faubion explains, “In 2012, Terry and I decided we would do a food drive all school year, every year. When the collection barrel filled, Terry would deliver food to STEP (St. Louis Park Emergency Program) or to Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners.” The Blake campus Lower School dedicated its latest food drive to Smith, who delivered the collection to STEP, bringing

his grand total to 3,914 pounds delivered. And though he’s parked the Blake bus for good, he still has plans to volunteer.

Bruce Silcox

COMMUNITY

AWARDS

BLAKE STUDENTS SAY ‘YEP’ TO NOPE! Looking for a good picture book? Blake students in kindergarten through twelfth grade highly recommend Nope! by Drew Sheneman, the story of a small bird who isn’t so sure he’s ready to leave the nest. The book won the hearts — and votes — of students who selected Nope! for this year’s BEARdecott, Blake's mock Caldecott Medal for the best children’s book illustrations and designs.

AWARDS

SERVICE STAR IN BLAKE’S ORBIT In 2003, then-PE teacher Nan Peterson took on the new, part-time role of service learning director at Blake, creating a model for teaching

and learning for all grades and across disciplines. Her approach emphasized building meaningful, mutually beneficial relationships through which students learn how to give and receive, serve and be served.

While Peterson is synonymous with service learning at Blake, her work extends far beyond the school. She is recognized internationally for her dedication to service. This year, the National Youth Leadership Council presented Peterson with the Stellar ServiceLearning Award for her work equipping young people to lead and serve and for inspiring others to do the same. Peterson retired in June after 36 years at Blake, where her impact will be felt for generations to come.

COMMUNITY

BEES RETURN UPPER SCHOOL TO HIVE OF ACTIVITY

After a few quiet years, the Upper School beehive is buzzing again. Thanks to a student-led initiative, bees returned to campus this spring, and members of the Beekeeping Club are busy maintaining their new swarm. Honey, anyone?

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IN BRIEF

ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHT

LEARNINGWORKS: STRENGTH IN NUMBERS Founded in 2000, LearningWorks (LW) is a partnership between Blake and Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS).

LW prepares middle school students to thrive in college and offers real-world teaching experiences to high school and college students. LW is driven by the core belief that “it’s cool to be you, it’s cool to be smart and it’s cool to care.”

130

MPS current students in the LW program

72%

of students identify with a community of color and 30% speak a language other than English at home

500

Hours students receive of tuitionfree instruction over two years

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MPS schools participating in LW

99%

of students graduate from high school on time, and

Blake students who volunteer each school year as LW teachers

83%

of those graduates are enrolled in, or have graduated from, college

ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHT

PIGS AND LATIN As part of their study of agriculture and sustainability in ancient Rome, students in the Upper School Latin Readings class visited Oliver Kelley Farm in Elk River, Minnesota. The field trip included time to interact with the farm’s calves while learning about the complexities of raising different sources of protein and exploring food waste and sustainability, both ancient and modern.

ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHT

SCIENTIFIC SWITCHEROO

250

80

Hours teachers receive of hands-on student interaction

Hours teachers receive of training

65%

75%

of LW’s teaching fellows identify with a community of color

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to three-dimensional life,” he notes) and working his way up to senior year, Barry made friendship cards with second graders, rehearsed for the fifth grade play, participated in classroom discussions — as well as woodshop, theater and broomball — in the Middle School and challenged himself in AP calculus, French IV and biology at the Upper School.

“I recognize ‘a day in the life’ is just that: one day out of 180 days total,” Barry says.

“The few dozen teachers and students whom I shadowed represent a mere fraction of the whole of Blake.” But for Barry the value comes from spending time with students.

"See the students. Listen to them,” he says. “They’ll show the way, if only we’re willing to let go and be ‘led out’.”

of teachers go on to pursue careers in education, citing LW as their primary influence

COMMUNITY

A DAY IN THE LIFE As part of his spring semester sabbatical, Upper School English teacher Patrick Barry spent one day in each grade level at Blake. His aim was to experience Blake through the dual lens of student and teacher and to see how those experiences differ from one classroom to the next. Starting in Mr. Andrews’ pre-kindergarten room (“which isn’t even a classroom so much as it is a dreamscape brought

Sometimes the most powerful teachers are students. Blake’s fourth graders would agree.

They, along with their teachers, spent a day exploring the Minnehaha Creek Watershed while Upper School students led lessons informed by what they had learned in their own Environmental Science and Individuals in Nature classes. The students and student-teachers enjoyed lunch together and ended the day drawing and writing reflections and poetry inspired by all they had seen and learned.

IN BRIEF

ARCHIVES

Summer at School

For decades, Blake has welcomed school-aged children from throughout the Twin Cities to participate in its oncampus summer programs. The first, Hilltopper Athletic Camp, was organized by Blake teachers Don Mezzenga and Doug Holcombe ’53 in 1962 for boys seventh grade and up. The half-day camp emphasized “physical proficiency and proper mental attitude” through participation in a wide range of sports: football, baseball, basketball, tennis, golf, wrestling, boxing, tumbling, soccer, rugby, volleyball, weightlifting and track.

A co-educational academic summer school, organized by teachers Philip Martin and Ward Bates, began in 1964.

Twenty-six girls attended the first session and took reading, typing, art and other enrichment classes along with 119 boys, many of whom were Blake students repeating regular school-year courses. Starting in 1965, Blake offered drivers’ education, which drew an even larger number of girls to the summer program.

By the early 1970s, the summer program had evolved into a country day camp — Camp Acoma — that offered a host of traditional activities such as archery, riflery, crafts, swimming, canoeing, overnight camping, cookouts and field trips. Campers were picked up and dropped off near their homes by camp bus each day. As remains true today, participants in the day camp could also take academic or specialty courses in the mornings and join day camp activities in the afternoon.

Portions of this article were taken from “Expecting Good Things of All: 100 Years of Academic Excellence” by Janet Woolman.

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From rock to jazz to musical theater, Chan Poling ’75 has seen a string of successes in multiple music genres. But those accomplishments haven’t managed to quell his thirst for creative success. If crowds will listen, he’s got more lyrics and tunes to share.

COVER STORY

CHAN POLING ’75

A NEW STANDARD Written by Joel Hoekstra Illustrated by Owen Davey – Folio Art

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C

han Poling is tucked into a balcony seat at the History Theatre in St. Paul, watching a performance of his latest musical creation, Lord Gordon Gordon. The plot mirrors the true story of a charming con man who swindled a slew of Minnesotans in the late 19th century by impersonating Scottish royalty — and then absconded to New York, where he fleeced famed financier Jay Gould, and ultimately fled to Canada, a border hop that nearly ignited a full-on war between the Canucks and the Yankees. Lord Gordon Gordon is a romp, featuring good jokes, solid acting, engaging music and a few sendups of Canadian mounties and uptight Minnesotans alike. But while tonight’s audience seems to enjoy the show, critics haven’t been so kind. Ticket sales for Lord Gordon Gordon have lagged.

Poling is the only occupant in his row above the stage. “If the balconies aren’t packed to the rim, I’m bummed,” he says. “I’ve never been as successful as I

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wanted to be. Never.”

Others might see things differently, however. While few in the History Theatre audience could likely identify the man in the balcony as the show’s composer, some patrons might recognize him as the pianist from the New Standards, a Twin Cities jazz trio that reinterprets classic fare. And many more might know him as the front man for the Suburbs, a dance/ punk/pop band that helped define the “Minneapolis sound” in the 1980s. Poling has rocked First Avenue, packed the house at Orchestra Hall and helped create hit musicals that have sold thousands of tickets. (Glensheen — back by popular demand — returned to the History Theatre in July for its fourth run.)

Poling may perceive his career as less than fully realized, but that doesn’t mean he has given up and fallen into a funk.

Indeed, his drive has spurred him to new heights of creativity.

“Chan is a prolific source of ideas,” says longtime collaborator and fellow New Standards band member John Munson.

Playwright Jeffrey Hatcher,

who wrote the book for both Glensheen and Lord Gordon Gordon, says he admires Poling’s optimism, ambition and speed.

“When we needed a song for the opening of the second act of Glensheen, Chan wrote one in just 90 minutes,” Hatcher recalls. “And it worked and stayed in the show.”

Recently, Poling completed work on a children’s book based on a story he dreamed up on a trip to the North Shore. For some creatives, publishing a book or touring with a critically acclaimed rock band might be the final chapter in an illustrious career. But talk to Poling for more than a few minutes and it seems like he’s just getting started.

FROM BOND TO BYRNE Chandler Hall Poling was born in 1957 in Illinois and moved to Minnesota with his family at age 4. His father worked in finance while his mother managed the household. Neither parent was particularly musical, but the Polings nonetheless encouraged their three children to take an interest in arts

and culture as a part of their upbringing and education.

An ear for music ran in the family history, Chan notes. His great-uncle, a doctor, composed music as a hobby, and his grandmother kept a piano in the parlor of her home in Ottumwa, Iowa. “She taught me some things when I visited, and like every other kid at the time I learned how to play Heart and Soul,” Poling recalls. “I found I could also improvise on the tune. I liked that. I wanted to play more, so I asked my parents to sign me up for lessons around age 8. I learned the themes from James Bond movies. At my first recital, I remember, I played You Only Live Twice.”

But when his piano teacher trotted out works by Bach, Mozart and other classical composers, young Chan lost interest. “I realized, ‘This isn’t really my bag. I like pop music.

I like improvisation and making stuff up.’” Jazz, of course, was what he needed. His parents enrolled him at the MacPhail Center for Music, where he took jazz piano. “I was learning about improvisation, scales and

“IF THE BALCONIES AREN’T PACKED TO THE RIM, I’M BUMMED. I’VE NEVER BEEN AS SUCCESSFUL AS I WANTED TO BE. NEVER.”

how harmonics and scales can interact. I learned about different voicings and harmonies. If you break down jazz harmony, it’s pretty complex. Suddenly, I was way outside the world of regular-kid piano lessons and conventions.” (Today, he plays almost entirely by ear, records his improvisations and then allows a computer or arranger to transcribe the notes onto the page. “I’m on stage with the Minnesota Orchestra, but I can’t read a note,” Poling laughs.)

To round out his education, Poling’s parents enrolled him at Blake. “I remember the moment my dad told me,” Poling says. “I was lying in my bed. I was 12 or 11 years old.

My dad came in and sat down beside my bed and goes, ‘We’re thinking of sending you to Blake instead of Winston Elementary School.’ To me, it was like he had just said, ‘You’re gonna go to Harvard!’ The thought was thrilling. I was always a studious kid. I liked reading and writing.

I loved sitting in a circle of 11 kids and discussing James Joyce with our shoes off.”

At 15, Poling started a band, writing songs and improvising on tunes he’d heard at MacPhail, on records and on the radio. “I started listening to more rock — the Talking Heads, the Clash, the B-52s. Rock music

the new wave/punk band the Suburbs. They opened for other bands, then started headlining shows and eventually landed a juicy recording contract. “We were on the road a lot,” Poling recalls. “And then we got lucky.

played with such notable acts as the B-52s and R.E.M. But they never cracked the kind of popularity they dreamed of, so they quit playing in 1987. “By 1993, we were totally bored and wondered why we’d stopped,” Poling later told a reporter. The group re-formed for “recreational” gigs, delighting their devoted, if limited, fan base.

In 2013, the Suburbs released a new album, Si Sauvage, followed later by Hey Muse. That same year, Poling pushed to have the band’s Love Is the Law adopted as the unofficial theme song for a statewide effort to legalize same-sex marriage. The idea was a hit with people of all ages and sexual orientations.

Chan Poling ’75

turned a corner and suddenly got pretty cool.” His mother arranged for Poling’s band to practice in the basement of a local church. The group even did a bit of touring before Poling left for Los Angeles in 1975 to study composition and performance at California Institute of the Arts.

In 1977, he returned to Minneapolis and founded

When I was 23, or something like that, we got signed to PolyGram.

I’d been a bartender. I’d parked cars at Lord Fletcher’s. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do with my life. But when someone gives you half a million dollars you suddenly realize, ‘This is what I’m doing!’”

Over the next few years, the Suburbs recorded several albums on major labels and

FLAIR FOR THE CREATIVE The Suburbs were known for their theatrical flair. They wore jackets. They styled their hair.

They took their cues in part from Poling, whose style might be described as rumpled dandy.

On a recent morning, he arrived at the History Theatre wearing a canvas jacket with corduroy collar, green-plaid denim trousers and tan-suede ankle boots. His Fall 2018 9

“FOR SOME REASON, MUSIC IN THE THEATER HAS ALWAYS BEEN SO WIMPY. ROCK SONGS COME OUT OF A PLACE OF RAW SPIRIT. THEATER SONGS ARE MORE CRAFTED, MORE LABORED OVER.”

silver coif was swept back in a disintegrating pompadour.

Poling’s rakish appearance attracts attention — and in the 1980s it caught the eye of Eleanor Mondale, a media personality and daughter of former vice president and fellow Minnesotan Walter Mondale. A romance eventually developed, and in 2005, the lovebirds married. (It was her third marriage; his second.) That same year, however, Eleanor suffered a seizure and

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was diagnosed with brain cancer.

She fought off two tumors, but a third one proved impossible to vanquish. In 2011, with Poling and other family members at her side, she died at age 51.

Mondale’s death was a shattering event that spurred Poling to treat every moment like his last — to aim higher, work harder and dig deeper. “When she passed away, a big part of me opened up. I knew firsthand how short life can be.” His creative

output soared. He immersed himself in musical forms like jazz and musical theater. The emotional floodgates opened, and the torrent that flowed forth became a river of music.

That creative stream helped fuel the growth of numerous projects, including the New Standards, a trio that Poling formed with bassist John Munson and vibraphonist Steve Roehm. The ensemble had been conceived on a golf course in

2005, when Munson and Poling found themselves talking about classic tunes and bemoaning the state of contemporary rock bands, “which didn’t know how to strut or dress,” Munson recalls. (He’s fully aware that he sounds like an old grump.) On a whim, they decided to do a jam session in Poling’s living room.

But it wasn’t long before they craved an audience.

“We began by playing this one little club in St. Paul

“IT WAS PAINFUL, BUT IT DID HELP ME BECAUSE AFTER THAT FAILED I DECIDED TO FIRE MYSELF AS A WRITER. I LOOKED IN THE MIRROR AND SAID, ‘YOU’RE GOOD AT MUSIC, BUT YOU NEED TO COLLABORATE MORE. YOU NEED TO FIND A PLAYWRIGHT WHO CAN HELP YOU.’”

every Thursday night,” Poling says. “We started out with 12 people, then word of mouth got around. Pretty soon it was packed.” The group eventually moved to Orchestra Hall and now performs an annual holiday show that fills the State Theatre.

“We’re still pushing the boundaries, which feels good,” Poling says. “It’s a lot of fun.”

SONGS FOR THE STAGE Creativity has always been Poling’s forte. “Chan just churns out ideas,” Munson says. “As fast as you can shoot ‘em down, he delivers them. If you’re a person who likes ideas, it’s exhilarating.”

What’s more, Poling likes dressing his ideas in different forms. Something that doesn’t work as a rock ballad might sound better as a theatrical piece. When he hatched a narrative about a North Shore sailor who falls in — and loses — love, he wrote it up as a story for a children’s book, persuaded his friend Lucy Michell to illustrate it and got the University of Minnesota Press to publish it.

(The book, Jack Cooper and the Ghost Girl, is due out next year.)

“I’ve always admired people who explore lots of things,” he says. “My role models are people like Bowie and David Byrne, who do opera, films, theater, writing and art projects.”

Poling’s current fixation is musical theater. He’s long been a fan of everything from Gilbert and Sullivan to contemporary Broadway, and more than a decade ago he composed music for productions staged at Theatre de la Jeune Lune and the Ordway.

He’s driven in part by a desire to improve the sound of contemporary musicals. “For some reason, music in the theater has always been so wimpy,” he says. “Rock songs come out of a place of raw spirit. Theater songs are more crafted, more labored over.”

The sweet spot for Poling is finding ways to blend the two.

That’s no easy feat, he admits.

“Sondheim says this a lot, but it’s totally true. Writing musicals is like doing a puzzle, but you quickly realize that it’s also like making a house of cards.”

Poling’s attempt in 2009 to write the book, lyrics and music for a show called Venus proved just how fraught such a venture

could be. The show, staged at the Ritz in Minneapolis and financed by Poling and a small group of his friends, failed to rouse audiences. “It was painful, but it did help me because after that failed I decided to fire myself as a writer. I looked in the mirror and said, ‘You’re good at music, but you need to collaborate more. You need to find a playwright who can help you.’”

Friends connected him with Jeffrey Hatcher, a Minnesota writer who has penned more than 30 scripts for stage and screen. Like many others, the playwright found himself charmed by Poling.

He admired his ambition and laughed at his jokes. When Hatcher was having trouble getting enthused about a longtime project about one of Minnesota’s most famous crimes, the Glensheen mansion murders, he enlisted Poling to write the music and lyrics. “Sometimes I suggest the general direction, but he writes all the lyrics,” Hatcher says. “Chan sings them to me over the phone.” Many of the jokes in Glensheen — as well as Lord Gordon Gordon, another

Hatcher/Poling collaboration — originated with Poling too. “He really is a Renaissance man,” the playwright says.

The success of Glensheen, the Suburbs and the New Standards would be enough to satisfy the ambitions of most artists. But Poling still itches to see Venus remounted, ideally on Broadway. He regularly prods his connections in Los Angeles in the hope of getting more film work (he’s done scores for several) or even a television project.

He currently has a half-dozen music projects in various phases of development, and he likes the idea of writing another book.

“One idea inevitably leads to another,” Poling says. “A lot gets left on the cutting room floor, but that doesn’t mean it’s useless. I pick up the pieces, revisit a lyric or a melody and suddenly I see all these new possibilities. The beauty of crafting art is that it makes you see opportunities. You see what it could become. You see what you could become.”

Joel Hoekstra is a writer and editor who lives in Minneapolis.

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SYNCHRO OR SWIM IN PHOTOS

BLAKE OFFERS A WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS, INCLUDING 30 VARSITY TEAMS. TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE RARER ATHLETIC OPPORTUNITIES OUR BEARS CAN PURSUE.

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Photo by Murphy Byrne

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(Photos 1, 4 and 8) Ultimate Frisbee became an official program at Blake six years ago. The team fields about 20 members each year. Ultimate photos by Mark Gittleman. (Photo 2 and 14) As a freshman, Josie Lagerstrom ’18 pursued the possibility of forming a synchronized swim team at Blake. Student interest has followed with the four-year-old team drawing about 15 members annually. Synchronized swimming photos by Murphy Byrne.

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7 (Photos 3, 5 and 12) Blake’s yoga team meets during the winter season and draws about 20 Upper School students, many of whom participate in a fall or spring sport and want to stay active in their off-season. The team started five years ago. Yoga photos by Kylee Leonetti.

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11 (Photo 7, 10 and 13) Michael Winkey ’15 led the effort to make clay target an official sport at Blake. Now entering its sixth year, the program draws about 20 Upper School students yearly. Clay target photos by Murphy Byrne.

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(Photo 6, 9 and 11) About 40 Blake seventh through twelfth graders participate in fencing, competing in foil, ĂŠpĂŠe and saber. Several members of the 15-year-old program have gone on to fence for their college teams. Blake hosts the fencing state tournament once every four years. Fencing photos by Kylee Leonetti.

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Q&A

SPOON BY SPOON

WHEN CINDY ROTHSCHILD KAPLAN ’90 DISCOVERED AN UNMET NEED IN GLOBAL CHILDREN’S HEALTH, SHE MADE IT HER MISSION TO FILL THE VOID.

After adopting and bringing her malnourished son back to health, Kaplan was haunted by the fact that other children were sick and dying due to improper feeding. Looking to help organizations working on the problem but finding none, Kaplan co-founded her own. Now in its 10th year, SPOON creates and shares tools that bring critical nutrition and feeding practices to children who often go unseen.

Question: You adopted your son from an orphanage in Kazakhstan. How did that experience impact your decision to co-found SPOON? Answer: After meeting my son, I saw that not only was he failing to thrive and super undernourished, but the way he was being fed was very dangerous. He was being fed much too rapidly for his little body. It’s common in institutions for kids to be fed through bottles that have cut nipple holes, so the flow is really fast. It’s like an adult trying to drink from a fire hose.

When you can’t keep up and can’t swallow, gravity takes the food down and instead of going to the stomach, it goes to the lungs where infection can happen. For instance, my son had pneumonia twice before we met him at 6 months.

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“IN KAZAKHSTAN...WE WERE ABLE TO CHANGE THE NATIONAL DIET AND NUTRITION STANDARDS IN ALL OF THE COUNTRY’S ORPHANAGES. WE HAVE ASPIRATIONS TO AFFECT POLICY CHANGE ON A GLOBAL LEVEL AS WELL.”

Q: Can you talk about what needs SPOON fulfills that other organizations don’t meet?

A: A lot of global organizations address nutrition and child welfare, but they tend to take a community-based approach, delivering services at centers where families can bring their kids or through home-visit programs for vulnerable families. But kids without families and kids who are isolated from their community are left behind.

SPOON exists to fill that gap.

Q: How did you educate yourself on how to meet these needs?

A: Our first call was to a doctor at the University of Minnesota, Dana Johnson, who had started an international adoption clinic many years ago and is a world-renowned expert in orphan health. He had helped review the health information for our son, and when I met him again at a conference, I told him what I was hoping to do through SPOON. He immediately agreed to join our board and helped bring on experts who made up for what we didn’t know. I also serendipitously connected with

the former U.S. ambassador to Kazakhstan. He was the next addition to our board and helped us understand how international development works. So it was a matter of recognizing all we didn’t know and getting people who did to guide us along the way.

Q: What excites you about this work?

A: I’m very excited about the work we’re doing worldwide to prevent institutionalization as a cultural norm and to prepare kids to leave institutions and go home. Kids with disabilities and in institutions such as orphanages are generally not reached by community programs because of stigma or because their needs are so specialized that programs offered by big organizations or governments don’t accommodate them. This puts them at greater risk of being institutionalized. SPOON is doing more work to equip communities to care for these kids and to train families about how to bring them home. We’re doing this in orphanages internationally and in U.S. foster care.

Q: How do you measure success?

A: On many different levels.

We measure it at the level of the individual child. Is a child who’s being served by our program growing? Are they being safely fed? Another level is institutional. Is the orphanage or center preparing the food right? Are there good hygiene and sanitation practices? Are they using the right size spoons and bottles? Are the caregivers compassionate with the children? And then we look at the governmental level.

What are their policies and procedures? In Kazakhstan, for example, we were able to change the national diet and nutrition standards in all of the country’s orphanages. We have aspirations to affect policy change on a global level as well.

Q: How do you see SPOON evolving?

A: SPOON has worked in 14 countries in Asia, Africa and the former Soviet Union, yet we have only scratched the surface of need. We estimate about 10 million kids live in

orphanages and about 500,000 kids live in U.S. foster care alone, and then there are millions more with disabilities. So there’s a lot of work left to be done, and we want to be increasingly strategic about how we do it. Our focus right now is to go deep in a few countries. Vietnam is one we’ve selected. Zambia is another, and there will probably be a third in a different part of the world.

We want to partner with local NGOs and national governments to influence change and collect data that can help global decision-makers improve policies and procedures. Our hope is to get these kids increasingly included in global health and nutrition efforts, to get them more included in their own country’s programs and to keep them included in their families.

To learn more about SPOON visit www.spoonfoundation.org or contact Cindy at cindy@spoonfoundation.org.

Do you know Blake alumni who are doing interesting work? Let us know at cyrus@blakeschool.org.

Fall 2018 19

IN PRINT

& PRODUCTION

CAROLYN LIGHT bELL ’60

ANNE MARIE RUFF GREWAL ’90

I Heard a Fish Cry: And Other Stories

Beneath the Same Heaven

(Adelaide Books)

(Open Books)

In this collection of stories, Carolyn Light Bell portrays animals as witness, alter ego, adversary and foil to illuminate human fallibility. Her satirical, often playful, stories leave us questioning our own intelligence. Light Bell is far-reaching in her scope and unafraid to take on the subtleties of class, animal rights, generational differences and sex. Her characters advocate, fear, exploit or defend a variety of creatures, including wolves, cats, dogs, birds, cougars and bulls. Animals, in turn, reveal particular qualities in human behavior that leave us vulnerable. As the stories evolve, the reader discovers that within the heart and soul of every human being lies a deep, biological connection to all animals.

MICHAEL OLSON ’01 OF LAKE STREET DIVE

Free Yourself Up (Nonesuch Records)

Lake Street Dive’s Free Yourself Up is, in many ways, the band’s most intimate and collaborative record. The group worked as a tightly knit unit to craft the album’s 10 songs and self-produced it in Nashville with engineer Dan Knobler. “Free Yourself Up is about empowering yourself, emboldening yourself,” says the band, “no matter what's going wrong.”

Kathryn, an American woman, and Rashid, a Pakistani-born Muslim man, seem to have bridged the divide between Western and Islamic world views with their marriage and two American-born children. But everything changes when Rashid’s father is suddenly killed by a U.S. drone attack near the Afghan border and their cross-cultural family descends into conflicting ideas of loyalty, justice, identity, revenge and terrorism.

With candor, beauty and insight, their story reveals how decent people can justify horrific acts and the emotional power required to heal.

JAVIER REYES ’10 OF POST ANIMAL

When I Think of You in a Castle (Polyvinyl Records)

When I Think Of You In A Castle, Post Animal’s debut full-length album, is the product of six friends creating music they love, even if the circumstances weren’t always in their favor. The album marks the first time all Post Animal members recorded together, and its collaborative spirit is evident throughout 10 carefully curated tracks. When I Think Of You In A Castle is a testament to the brotherly connection these friends share.

Alumni are encouraged to inform Blake of their publications, recordings, films, etc., and, when possible, to send copies of books and articles. Contact us at cyrus@blakeschool.org.

20 Cyrus

Michael Bazzett, Upper School English teacher The Popol Vuh (Milkweed Editions) This is the story of the Mayan Popol Vuh, “the book of the woven mat,” one of the only epics indigenous to the Americas.

Originally sung and chanted, before being translated into prose and now, for the first time, translated back into verse by Michael Bazzett, this is a story of the generative power of language.

A story that asks not only “Where did you come from?” but “How might you live again?” A story that, for the first time in English, lives fully as “the phonetic rendering of a living pulse.”

Tom Cagley ’52 Even the Day of My Wedding: A Love Story Born of the Holocaust (Self-published) As teenage survivors of the Holocaust, Meyer Lasker and Edith Kohn meet and fall in love in a displaced persons camp.

After moving to America the two lose touch but decades later find a chance to reunite.

CLASS NOTES Class notes and photos received after June 2018 will appear in the next issue of Cyrus. Notes are provided by alumni or their friends and family, and some have been edited for length and style.

44 45

Steve Woodrich is in his 93rd year and currently lives at Presbyterian Home in Wayzata.

Susan Ervin-Tripp is a professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley.

In an oral history interview for the UC Berkeley Bancroft Library, she discusses her research in psycholinguistics and work to advance women’s equality on campus. The interview is available to read on the library’s website.

49

Don Winston writes, “Despite what has happened to our country, the sun still shines in Montana. I am still studying Precambrian rocks in Montana and publishing. Bente is still active in the life of Sussex School, which she founded more than 40 years ago.

52 53

Tom Cagley (See In Print & Production)

REUNION

Sam Marfield writes, “Approaching my 84th birthday, I can

still walk and talk. Whoopee, from Southwest Florida.”

55

The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum features the artwork of Jack Mithun. The exhibit, From Photography to Chalk Drawings, runs through September.

56

Bill Smith writes, “I live in San Francisco and am still active in the commercial real estate business, finding land for developers to build housing. My dear late wife passed about 10 years ago. I have three daughters and one son with three grandchildren. I have great memories of Blake and remember all my teachers who gave me a great education. I cannot remember any of my Stanford professors; in that day it did not compare to Blake.” He invites classmates to give him a call when they are in San Francisco.

59

Peter Thomas writes, “My wife of 41 years, Lisa, and I live in the mountains of central Mexico at 7,000 feet in the town of Patzimaro. Enjoying our retirement — no snow and no hockey!”

60

Carolyn Light Bell (See In Print & Production)

Charlie Luther writes, “After 50 years and 1,300 youngsters aged 5–15, I retired last year from coaching youth hockey teams. At my retirement event in October, the rink was named after me!”

62

Kutzi Barbatsis Priest and Jack Priest ’60 share that they are thrilled to finally be grandparents. Kutzi writes, “Two beautiful little tiny girls and one more on the way. That’s the biggest deal in our lives. The two little ones live across the street from us in Minneapolis — glory be! We are so grateful to be healthy and even happy. Jack is always knee-deep in woodworking and medical research, and I love guiding school kids at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and taking walks around the block with grandkids. Hugs to everyone out there who remembers us!”

65

Rolf Canton is the author of three books about Minnesotans in the film and television industry: Minnesotans in the Movies, Minnesotans in the Movies, Vol. 2 Behind

the Cameras and Minnesotans in the Media. In November, he gave a talk at Adrian Library in Southwestern Minnesota about his research, subjects and the many celebrities he has met.

69

Charlee Bach Parker and her husband, Rett, live in Whitefish, Montana, where she is a real estate broker. The couple has three children and three grandchildren. Charlee writes, “Rett and I celebrated our 40th anniversary last August with a family trip to Norway. Life is good! It has been fun to be able to stay in touch with old classmates through social media and encourage others from my past to reach out.”

71

For the past 30 years, Artspace Projects, Inc. President Kelley Lindquist has led the nonprofit real estate developer for creative communities. In April, Kelley was in New Orleans to celebrate the grand opening of the organization’s latest project: The Bell Artspace Campus. For more than 100 years, the two-block campus anchored the Tremé neighborhood as a place for education, music training and cultural development. But it has sat abandoned since Hurricane Fall 2018 21

CLASS NOTES

THE CHESS PLAYERS IS ONE OF 29 ARTWORKS bY JACK MITHUN ’55 NOW ON EXHIbIT AT THE SANTA bARbARA MARITIME MUSEUM.

Katrina. Five buildings were given new life by Artspace, with nearly 80 units of affordable live/work housing for low- to moderate-income artists and their families; common spaces were restored for creative use by residents and commercial tenants. The $37.4 million project was made possible in part by Lindquist Legacy funds, an initiative led

by Wendy White Dayton ’69.

72

Felicity Peacock Caramanna recently became director, counsel at the New York branch office of Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank where she negotiates contracts for the global markets division and specializes in derivatives that are tied to project finance.

ANN bASKERVILLE PETERSON’S ’59 GRANDDAUGHTER CHARLEE bACH PARKER ’69 AND HER FAMILY VISITED A KELSEY STARTS KINDERGARTEN THIS YEAR. 300-YEAR-OLD GOAT FARM WHILE IN NORWAY.

fishing adventure of a lifetime at Teka Ranch in Patagonia, Argentina. They had a wonderful Argentinian family meal with César Crespi. Steve writes, “Looking forward to the fabulous 40th reunion in October with big fish stories, especially the one that got away.”

Steve Forbes has returned to the Twin Cities after 30 years living in the Washington, D.C. area. He is enjoying local family, culture and weather and has become a licensed Minnesota realtor.

79

Minnesota Business Magazine named Heidi Hensel Heiland, CEO and owner of Heidi’s Lifestyle Gardens and GrowHaus, as one of its 2018 Women Who Lead.

76

82

REUNION

Class representative Scott Forbes writes, “While everyone in Minneapolis was complaining about the 17-month-long winter, I was lamenting that in Colorado

Vicki Parchman has served as the volunteer coordinator for Calvary Church’s drop-in center for 25 years. She writes that in April she was blessed with a great-granddaughter.

78

In February, Rob Fullerton and Steve Adams traveled to Buenos Aires on their way to the

22 Cyrus

Deirdre Bell lives in Poulsbo, Washington, where she is finishing her career in the Navy.

She’s stationed at Naval Hospital Bremerton, working as a staff anesthesiologist.

we were having a regrettably snowfree season. During this snowless misadventure, I received a series of emails from Syd Rosen, who was changing planes at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, to say she was feeling guilty. Should she be working or enjoying all the great places she was seeing in her work? I told her she should embrace the experience and drink in every moment of her travels.

A day or two after that e-conversation, I boarded a plane for Montgomery, Alabama. I smiled wryly at the fitting comparison of Syd enjoying the world’s most beautiful city and me heading to a hotel right next door to the Hank Williams Museum. As I despise country music, I was not bothered that “The Hank” was closed the following morning because three inches of snow had fallen on Montgomery. All restaurants were closed. And stores. And bridges.

They tried to close my hotel, too, but I refused to leave my room — there was no place to go! Nothing says “business travel” like sitting in a Montgomery hotel room waiting for weather alerts to tell you that it’s safe to meet your client 10 miles away. But enough about me. Let’s talk about Finn-Olaf Jones, who has has taken up a career repairing used cigarette

lighters. I asked him if that meant he had stopped accepting Wall Street Journal assignments that sent him bar hopping in Tokyo and train hopping in Europe. And could I take over for him? He told me my command of the written word would only get in the way, and he couldn’t hurt his reputation by recommending me to his editors. Well, good luck with the new business venture, Finn! Syd, you’ll always have Paris. Me? I’ll always have Montgomery.”

REUNION

83

Nordic skier Leslie Hale competed in the Masters World Cup at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis in January. The event attracted more than a thousand skiers from 20 nations.

Last June, Alison Townley joined the American College of Greece in Athens to lead the school’s first comprehensive campaign. Since her job requires significant global travel, a testament to the success of the Greek diaspora, she is able to stay based in Minneapolis where her sons Patch ’20 and Theo ’23 are at Blake. Her daughter, Phoebe ’17, is heading to Johns Hopkins University after taking a gap year in Spain and the Dominican

CLASS NOTES

KELLEY LINDQUIST ’71, PRESIDENT OF ARTSPACE PROJECTS, INC., SPEAKS AT THE GRAND OPENING OF THE ORGANIZATION’S bELL ARTSPACE CAMPUS, WHICH OFFERS AFFORDAbLE LIVE/ WORK HOUSING FOR LOW- TO MODERATE-INCOME ARTISTS IN THE TREMÉ NEIGHbORHOOD OF NEW ORLEANS.

Republic. Alison loves connecting with Blake classmates all over the world and would love to hear from you.

87

Dean Phillips won the DFL nomination for Minnesota’s Third Congressional District at the party’s convention, defeating his sole opponent, Tonka Bay Council Member Adam Jennings. The district represents a large swath of the west metro, including much of suburban Hennepin County.

David Toube left Cleary Gottlieb, where he practiced securities law for the past 11 years, to take the position of director of policy at Quilliam International, a counter-extremism think tank.

He writes, “I hope to do something to address the political polarization and conspiracism that characterizes our era. I’m moving out of London, where I have lived most of my life, to return to Essex, the county of my birth.

We hope to have moved by June to the Garrison House in Wivenhoe, a fascinating 17th century house that dates from either the Civil War or Restoration period. There are spare rooms, so Sammy and the kids and I would love to see any old

FELICITY PEACOCK CARAMANNA ’72

classmates who may be passing through.”

REUNION

88

Libby Gray, director of Middleton Reutlinger, was named chair of the firm’s litigation group in April. She leads a litigation team that handles client disputes in a wide variety of subject areas, including commercial, intellectual property, professional liability, real estate and employment. She is an active participant in multiple organizations, including GLOW (Greater Louisville Outstanding Women) and DRI Women in the Law, the leading organization of defense attorneys and in-house counsel. She has been named a Kentucky Super Lawyer for the past eight years and has been recognized by Benchmark Litigation, the Guide to America’s Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys. She has received a Forty under 40 Outstanding Young Leader Award by Louisville Business First.

90

Anne Marie Ruff Grewal (See In Print & Production)

Amy Schachtman Zaroff ’s company, Amy Zaroff Events +

CLASS OF 1973 ALUMNI GATHER IN KEY LARGO, FLORIDA, AbOARD THE GOOD SHIP NEVER MY LOVE. (PICTURED, L TO R) bILL MACMILLAN, CRACKER RITZ, GARY NYSTEDT, PAUL WALSER, MARK ZIMERING, STEVE WYMAN, bOb OWENS, JACK SHELDON, TIM RYAN, CLINT MORRISON, SANDY DONALDSON AND JOHN SAUNDERS.

A Small World After All When Adele Broberg ’07 moved from Boston to Portland, Oregon, in 2016, she set out to find volunteer opportunities that matched her experience in international public health. A quick Google search led her to SPOON, a global health nonprofit that brings critical nutrition and feeding practices to children in orphanages and foster care.

“I started volunteering there and immediately fell in love with the staff and with the mission itself,” Broberg says. “They were really open to matching me with activities that would both interest me and grow my skills.”

One of those activities included helping SPOON’s development manager and working in the organization’s donor database.

“I was seeing all these Minnesota addresses,” Broberg says. “I thought, ‘That’s kind of odd. Why would there be so many people in the database who are living in the Twin Cities?’”

She soon discovered that SPOON co-founder Cindy Rothschild Kaplan ’90 was not only a fellow Minneapolis native but also a Blake alumna.

“It was such a coincidence that in Portland — such a small community to begin with — we would end up at the same organization.”

Broberg, who worked for a large NGO in Boston, appreciates the opportunity to be part of a smaller team and says she has learned a lot about the importance of nutrition and training to ensure children are

properly fed. And, as a self-described “data nerd,” she is impressed with how much information from the field SPOON collects and digitizes to better assess children’s health.

In addition to volunteering, Broberg works in the State of Oregon’s HIV/STD prevention unit as a program analyst. She oversees the state’s contracts with a handful of counties to expand HIV/STD testing, access to care and prevention over the next five years. She also manages a set of grants awarded to nonprofits that work in HIV prevention among trans, Latinx and African-American communities in the Portland area.

“Being new to Portland, it's been really rewarding to engage with my new community in such an impactful way.”

SPOON welcomes the engagement of other Blake alumni. To learn more, visit www.spoonfoundation.org and read the Q&A with Cindy Rothschild Kaplan ’90 on page 18.

Fall 2018 23

CLASS NOTES

LIbbY GRAY ’88

ROb FULLERTON ’78 AND STEVE ADAMS ’78 ENJOY THE FISHING ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME AT TEKA RANCH IN PATAGONIA, ARGENTINA.

Design, produced or staffed five of the Super Bowl 52 events that took place during Super Bowl weekend in Minneapolis. She writes, “We handled the staffing of the NFL owners’ dinner and produced three events for the Institute for Athletes. Our largest event was Big Game Big Give, which raised

Family Additions Kenny Shum ʼ99 a daughter, Avery Elizabeth November 20, 2017 Liz Tietz ʼ00 a daughter, Emily April 2, 2018 Katie Spencer ʼ02 a daughter, Ciela Gray December 1, 2017 Nicole Cooper ʼ03 a daughter, Kate February 13, 2018 Melissa Lee Schuelke ʼ04 a son, James October 16, 2017 Tanya Lindgren Denny ʼ05 two sons, Jackson Ryan and Robert Arthur, a daughter, Calla Marie February 12, 2018

Marriages Annie Hertz ʼ07 and Jason Guzman October 28, 2017

24 Cyrus

U.S. MARINE CORPS AVIATOR LT. COL. STUART HOWELL ’94 (AT LEFT) JOINED ANDREW bORENE ’94, A NATIONAL SECURITY FELLOW AT GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY IN WASHINGTON, D.C., FOR A LECTURE AT GEORGETOWN’S SCHOOL OF FOREIGN SERVICE.

$1.2 million for the Giving Back Fund and Nash Avery Foundation.

Our celebrity hosts were Jamie Foxx and Shaquille O’Neal (aka DJ Diesel).”

91

Brian Warshawsky is co-founder and COO of Fenix International, an African-focused, off-grid energy and finance company that has brought lighting and electrification to over 200,000 households in Uganda, Zambia and Côte d’Ivoire.

Fenix announced last fall that it had completed negotiations to be acquired by ENGIE, one of the world’s largest energy services companies. The acquisition was finalized in March, and Fenix will focus on expanding offerings for rural Africans and market growth across Africa. Brian will relocate to Paris.

94

U.S. Marine Corps aviator Lt. Col. Stuart Howell joined Andrew Borene, a national security fellow, at Georgetown University for a joint lecture at Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service. Stu discussed his experiences as the personal helicopter pilot to President Obama and President Trump and how his time at Blake was a formative aspect of his decision to

pursue national service. Stu was honored in a special recognition before his planned retirement as the active duty Marine with the most combat hours flying the CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter.

REUNION

98

Susie Whitlock writes, “I moved to Grand Junction, Colorado, at the end of 2017 with my partner, Wallace, and we later acquired a lovely senior cat named Puss. I continue to produce political television ads. I’m very excited to attend the class of ’98’s 20-year reunion in October and to vote in November.”

99

Rowan and Bly Pope each sold large pencil drawings to the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia), which will be in the museum’s permanent collection.

Rowan’s drawing, A Hunger Artist, took 1,500 hours to complete and is based on author Franz Kafka’s short story by the same name.

Bly’s drawing, Maryanna, took 800 hours to complete and depicts the brothers’ grandmother. An exhibition of Rowan’s and Bly’s drawings and paintings is on display at the Mia. The Mn Twins: Bly and Rowan Pope is displayed

in the Target Wing through October 28, 2018.

Kenny Shum and his wife, Erin, had their first baby on November 20, 2017. He writes, “Her name is Avery Elizabeth Shum. Everyone is doing great, and we currently live in Park City, Utah.”

01

Molly Bloom is the host and producer of American Public Media’s Brains On! podcast.

This spring, the show received a 2018 Webby for Best Podcast and Digital Audio for Family and Kids.

Matt Frauenshuh, CEO of Minneapolis-based Fourteen Foods, was named to the 2018 Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s 40 Under 40. Fourteen Foods owns and operates 207 Dairy Queen Grill and Chill restaurants and Braziers in 12 states.

Brennan Greene is building his second brewpub in the Twin Cities. Birch’s Lowertown is set to open in downtown Saint Paul this fall in the Market House building across the street from CHS field, where the Saint Paul Saints play. Tim McKee’s restaurant Octo Fish Bar will provide food for the brewery.

CLASS NOTES

A HUNGER ARTIST bY ROWAN POPE ’99 (AT LEFT) TOOK 1,500 HOURS TO COMPLETE AND IS bASED ON AUTHOR FRANZ KAFKA’S SHORT STORY bY THE SAME NAME. MARYANNA bY bLY POPE ’99 TOOK 800 HOURS TO COMPLETE AND DEPICTS THE bROTHERS’ GRANDMOTHER. bOTH PENCIL DRAWINGS ARE PART OF THE MINNEAPOLIS INSTITUTE OF ART’S PERMANENT COLLECTION.

Michael Olson (See In Print & Production)

02

Cassidy Blackwell joined Airbnb as director of strategic projects on the public affairs team.

She will work cross-functionally to lead the advancement of the company’s global policy goals.

Since her time at Blake, during which she took both French and Spanish classes, travel has been an important part of Cassidy’s life, so this career move aligns with her personal passions and professional goals. To her mother’s horror, Cassidy recently checked off a bucket list item by taking her first flight lesson.

Katie Spencer and her family (husband Jeremy and son Cody) welcomed daughter and sister Ciela Gray on December 1, 2017.

This followed Katie’s graduation from the University of Denver with a doctorate in clinical psychology.

Katie is the owner and director of a private practice, River Rock Connections, which also serves as a family and business consulting organization. Jeremy is the founder and executive director of Groundswell Ventures, an early stage impact investing company.

Parenting, entrepreneurial adven-

tures and time in the mountains keep the family busy in Colorado, where their doors are always open to Blake friends.

REUNION

03

Kathryn Moos is co-founder of OWYN — Only What You Need, a vegan plant-based protein brand designed for athletes and fitness enthusiasts.

04

Melissa Lee Schuelke is a capability specialist for Accenture. She writes, “My husband, John, and I welcomed our second boy, James, into the family on October 16, 2017. Big brother Taylor is loving his new role.”

05

Paul Beck writes, “My wife, Betsy, and I moved back to Minneapolis in January after eight years of living in Washington, D.C. and New York. I took a job at Dorsey and Whitney downtown, and we are living in Kenwood.

We recently got a puppy and are excited for spring and summer in Minneapolis.”

Tanya Lindgren Denny welcomed Jackson Ryan, Calla Marie and Robert Arthur to her family on

CASSIDY bLACKWELL ’02 TAKES TO THE SKIES FOR HER FIRST FLIGHT LESSON.

February 12, 2018. The triplets join their 2-year-old brother, William.

Samantha Porter is a digital preservation specialist at the University of Minnesota. A mobile app she and technology architect Colin McFadden proposed won the 2018 3M Art and Technology Award

from the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia). The two will receive $50,000 toward the development of the project. The app turns the museum into a puzzle room, providing a new, interactive way to deepen visitor engagement with Mia’s collection.

Reunion & Homecoming Weekend October 4 - 6, 2018 Celebrate your history and make new memories All alumni are invited back to campus to enjoy school-hosted events on our Northrop and Blake campuses. For more information and to register for events visit blakeschool.org/alumni/events.

Fall 2018 25

CLASS NOTES

NICOLE COOPER ’03 AND HER HUSbAND, DAVID, WELCOMED THEIR DAUGHTER, KATE, ON FEbRUARY 13, 2018.

MELISSA LEE SCHUELKE ’04 AND HER HUSbAND, JOHN, WITH THEIR SONS, JAMES, WHO WAS bORN ON OCTObER 16, 2017, AND bIG bROTHER TAYLOR.

06

Kate Aizpuru is a class action lawyer at Tycko and Zavareei LLP and lives in Washington, D.C. with her fiancé, Richard, and their two cats.

07

Rachel BowensRubin wintered at McMurdo Station, Antarctica from February through August 2018. She is responsible for overseeing the Albert P. Crary Science and Engineering Center,

TANYA LINDGREN DENNY ’05 IS HAVING THREE TIMES THE bAbY FUN WITH HER TRIPLETS JACKSON RYAN, CALLA MARIE AND RObERT ARTHUR, WHO WERE bORN FEbRUARY 12, 2018.

the main National Science Foundation facility on station. This is her third season in Antarctica, but her first winter and first time stationed at McMurdo. During her two previous deployments she worked as an engineer with the

Teaching to Learn Marcus Berg’s ’14 self-described “educational journey” is one where he often finds himself both teacher and student, and that’s exactly how he likes it.

It began when he was a struggling sixth grader. A teacher recommended him for LearningWorks, a tuition-free program that prepares Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) students for college. Since launching in 2000, Blake has partnered with MPS to educate hundreds of students and offer real-world teaching experiences to high school and college students.

At LearningWorks, Berg saw teachers who looked like him, understood him and inspired him.

“They were role models,” he says. “And because they believed in me, I started to believe in myself. I started to see myself as an academic.”

After completing LearningWork’s two-year weekend and summer program, Berg enrolled at Blake.

“Even in eighth grade, I didn’t think I could go to college,” he explains.

“But at Blake I had a group of adults who, once again, believed in me.” He stayed connected to LearningWorks,

26 Cyrus

this time as a teacher. The experiences propelled him to Dartmouth College, where he became a first-generation college student, majored in sociology, played for the football team and served as diversity chair for Dartmouth’s chapter of Beta Alpha Omega — a position he created and one that continues on in the fraternity.

Returning to Minnesota to teach was always part of the plan. After graduating, Berg applied for the competitive Teach For America program, where he was invited to join a national corps of educators who commit to teaching for two

years in underserved, low-income schools. After five weeks of intensive training, Berg began teaching at Hiawatha Academies, a network of high performing college-preparatory schools focused on closing the opportunity gap in Minneapolis.

“LearningWorks and Teach for America have really helped me see how important it is to be culturally responsive to your students,” says Berg. “Knowing your community, knowing each student, understanding their background and embracing what each person brings to the classroom — these are all things that made a difference for me. I want to bring that perspective into my teaching.”

Berg’s educational journey continues. He’s pursuing a master’s in teaching and learning from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota while teaching. He hopes to someday serve as a grade dean or principal.

In the meantime, he’s excited to build a community of educators. “If I can help create a network of teachers, we can have an incredible impact on so many students.”

BICEP3 telescope team at South Pole Station. After returning from the ice, she will start a Ph.D. program in astronomy at University of California, Santa Cruz.

REUNION

08

Brittany Randolph is a founding member and marketing communications manager for Bow Wow Labs, which makes products that keep dogs safe and makes dog ownership fun and enjoyable. The company launched its first product via Kickstarter in June. To donate to their cause and learn more about the company, visit www.bowwowlabs.com or find them at @bowwowlabs on social.

10

Chloe Davis graduated from Hampton University in 2014 with a bachelor’s in psychology and received a master’s in general education (grades 1–6) from Fordham University in 2016. She currently lives in New York City.

Chloe became a Teach for America Corps member in 2014 and taught first grade. Chloe has become a leader in the community, serving as grade team leader, curriculum developer and mental health and wellness advocate. She is enrolled

CLASS NOTES

RACHEL bOWENS-RUbIN ’07 HAS bEEN IN ANTARCTICA FOR THE PAST SIX MONTHS LOOKING AFTER THE HAPPENINGS IN THE A. P. CRARY SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING CENTER AT MCMURDO STATION.

ANNIE HERTZ ’07 WAS SURROUNDED bY A HOST OF bLAKE FRIENDS WHEN SHE MARRIED JASON GUZMAN ON OCTObER 28, 2017.

in Principal’s Institute at Bank Street Graduate School of Education and plans to graduate in 2020. Her long-term goal is to found an all-girls elementary school with a mission to empower young girls through education and wellness, including meditation and mindfulness.

13

Javier Reyes (See In Print & Production)

Eric Holton attends graduate school at the University of Tokyo, where he is pursuing a Ph.D. in evolutionary ecology under the guidance of faculty member Richard Shefferson and with a scholarship from the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

11

Sarah Carthen Watson graduated from Washington University School of Law with her J.D. and a certificate in public interest law and was selected to represent her class as commencement speaker.

She moved to Washington, D.C. as a fellow with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law to start her career as a civil rights attorney.

12

Zach Doerring, a senior forward for the Concordia Cobbers, was named the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Player of the Year. He led the MIAC with 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) in conference play this season and finished second among all MIAC competitors with 14 goals overall.

REUNION

Dani Cameranesi won Olympic gold when she and her fellow U.S. Women’s Olympic Hockey teammates defeated Canada in the final game. The forward recorded three goals and two assists in five games.

Alexandra Jordan represented Minnesota in the Cherry Blossom Princess Program during the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. The Cherry Blossom Princess Program is an empowerment initiative for young women leaders. She was selected through the Minnesota State Society based on her leadership and academic achievements.

While in Washington, she met with program ambassadors U.S. Senator Tina Smith and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. She attended the Empowering Women’s Conference and a

CHLOE DAVIS ’10

In Memoriam Leavitt Sprague Anderson ’68 October 31, 2017 Margery Campbell Armstrong ’45 May 23, 2018 Joseph Beach ’60 July 3, 2018 Jon Bergerud ’57 March 5, 2018 Frederick Boos ’51 former parent, former trustee April 13, 2018 Charles Crosby ’44 former parent April 14, 2018 Michael Denny ’75 September 4, 2017 Craig Dunkerley ’65 September 17, 2017 Duncan Gigerich ’17 June 9, 2018 E. Ross Hanson ’43 June 3, 2018 Lowell Hawkinson ’60 December 28, 2017 George Heffelfinger ’44 June 13, 2018 Peggy Malberg Holden ’56 January 30, 2018

Penelope Paulson Kuehn ’35 former parent former grandparent June 19, 2017 Clarkson Lindley ’60 January 2, 2018 Deborah Nunan MacRae ’46 former parent May 6, 2018 Don Mezzenga former parent, former teacher and coach August 6, 2018 Diana Murphy former parent former trustee May 16, 2018 Joyce Buchstein Natoli ’61 January 2, 2018 Mary Stacy Nunan ’44 March 13, 2018 Suzanne Smullen Ohlson ’61 June 20, 2018

Norma Ritz Phelps ’46 former parent former trustee March 9, 2018 Gretchen Seidl Smith ’58 June 10, 2017 Sheridan Stevens ’57 former parent April 3 2017 George Stricker ’47 April 14, 2018 Lucien Strong ’68 November 2, 2017 William Strong ’41 former parent May 19, 2018 Edwin Turnquist ’46 February 22, 2018 Stephen Williams ’44 June 1, 2017 Walter “Bud” Wingate ’42 former parent July 8, 2018 Edward Wong ’52 April 17, 2018

Casey Oie, former parent former coach March 22, 2018

Please inform the Institutional Advancement Office of Blake community member deaths by calling (952) 988-3430 or by sending an email to advalum@blakeschool.org.

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CLASS NOTES

ALEXANDRA JORDAN ’13 REPRESENTED MINNESOTA IN THE CHERRY bLOSSOM PRINCESS PROGRAM DURING THE NATIONAL CHERRY bLOSSOM FESTIVAL HELD IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

MOLLY MAHONEY ’15, SOSA EDISON-EDEbOR ’16 AND SAMIRA CHAMPLIN ’16 VISITED THE UPPER SCHOOL TO TALK WITH SENIORS AbOUT LIFE/SCHOOL bALANCE AND TIME MANAGEMENT.

reception at the Japanese ambassador’s residence and visited the United States Institute of Peace.

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Abiana Adamson is valedictorian for Spelman College’s class of 2018. She plans to pursue a medical degree and a master’s degree in public policy.

Rory Taylor has been selected for a Fulbright award to New Zealand.

As a recipient and a representative of the United States, he will have the opportunity to work collaboratively with international partners in educational, political, cultural, economic and scientific fields.

Former Faculty

Jim Lange retired 20 years ago as chief engineer after 40 years at Blake Middle and Upper School.

Class of 2018: Your Class Notes Go Here Congratulations and welcome to our newest alumni: the class of 2018! As you head off to new adventures, remember to stay in touch with Blake. Send your news and photos for inclusion in Class Notes to cyrus@blakeschool.org. And watch your email for the alumni e-newsletter, Cyrus Monthly, which is automatically delivered to all alumni. Make sure we have your current email address — send your updated contact information to cyrus@blakeschool.org or visit BlakeNet to update online. Best wishes, graduates! We look forward to hearing from you!

SUBMIT YOUR CLASS NOTES AND PHOTOS TO CLASSNOTES@BLAKESCHOOL.ORG. 28 Cyrus

(SEATED) SAFAA RObA ’19, (STANDING, L TO R) bEN LEE ’19, ADDISON ANDERSON ’19, HANNAH KORSLUND ’16, TYLER KOSSILA ’16 AND TYLER JACKSON ’16 SERVED AS LEARNINGWORKS SUMMER FACULTY.

VOICES Document Archived May 12, 2018, Edina, Minnesota: In my family, languages mix together like red wine and water. Goes down smooth and heavy.

Photo Courtesy of Tiger Oak Media/Edina Magazine

Raw fish, white rice, chicken wings.

Ben Lee ’19 is a 2017 National Student Poet, the nation’s highest honor for youth poets presenting original work.

Each year, the program selects five student poets from around the country to serve as literary ambassadors.

At Blake, Lee competes on the varsity soccer and volleyball teams and is a member of the Upper School’s student government.

There’s too much food for talking mouths.

And my grandmother — wearing a plastic tiara and silver sash — smiles like a good dream.

Even through my cell phone screen I can see her eyes flicker. Pastel balloons, tissue-paper crux, lemon laughter, all shaking because of unsteady hands — my hands — looking at hers.

And if I watch the video again I’ll still think she pulled that ring out from nothing.

Call it opal magic. Call it warm. Call it refugee redemption. You can call it what you want because that stone remembers for her: Country dead, family fled, diamond washed down the drain.

That ring — made like Busan sky — is more documentation than this will ever be.

And me, half-baked, wondering how someone can be living history.

Fall 2018 29

110 Blake Road South Hopkins, Minnesota 55343 952-988-3420 blakeschool.org

Non Profit Org. US Postage PAID Twin Cities, MN Permit No. 32266

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Blake Commons Construction Work has begun on the Blake Commons, a new addition at the heart of our campus in Hopkins. Completion is planned for the start of the 2019-20 school year. See Blake in a new way with aerial photos by Steven Nye ’18.

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Dear Blake Community, As I write to you, we have raised $77.7 of our $80 million goal for Excellence Accelerated: The Campaign for Blake.

I am thrilled we have reached this historic level of philanthropy, and I am confident in our collective effort to finish strong.

The campaign’s vision is deeply rooted in our commitment to supporting the people who make our school exceptional: faculty, staff, families, alumni and, of course, students. The campaign focuses on three areas of investment: faculty professional development, student financial assistance and facility improvements. All three priorities stem from a commitment to invest in people. This means hiring, retaining and developing superb faculty, supporting talented students through a comprehensive tuition assistance program and creating welcoming spaces that enhance the educational experience.

Read on to see how the campaign is already delivering on this vision. From the development of Blake’s global immersion program to the construction of the Blake Commons, the generosity of our community is transforming our school and securing its future for generations to come.

1. The Blake Commons will benefit our entire community with new spaces for student presentations and projects, large events such as reunion and homecoming and smaller community gatherings. 2. The Lower School will be connected to the Blake Commons and to the Middle School through a new corridor in the Howard Courtyard.

Admissions offices will find a new home in the now enclosed loggia. 3. A new dining hall for Lower School and Middle School students will result in significant improvements in academic scheduling and a welcoming environment for them to gather.

These final months mark a pivotal moment as we come together to help our community finish strong. Every gift pushes us forward, so if you’ve been waiting to make yours, now is the time. Your generosity can make the difference.

Warmly and with gratitude,

Elizabeth Winton Excellence Accelerated Co-Chair Former Board Chair Former Parent ‘09 ‘12, ‘15, ‘18

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Global Immersion at Blake Excellence Accelerated has provided transformational support to build Blake’s global immersion program, unique for-credit classes that include pre- and post-trip curriculum, in-country study and service learning. In its third summer, the global immersion program saw 13 students, three faculty chaperones and one parent travel to Sierra Leone and 14 students and two faculty chaperones travel to China. In addition, seven students and two faculty chaperones traveled to India over spring break.

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1. Tara Dev ’19 exchanging information with her buddy and host in Xichuan, China. 2. Playing tag with the first graders was just one of the activities Ashlyn Kehoe ’19 and her classmates enjoyed with the primary students in the village of Kigbai, Sierra Leone. 3. Sam Hykes ’20 was popular with children in China, as were many Blake students who visited areas few Americans see. 4. Pounding rice into flour is not easy, as Bella Burke ’19 quickly discovered during her stay in Sierra Leone.

Why I Stay Connected to Blake Matt Flores ‘01 joined the alumni board in 2017 What motivates you to stay involved at Blake?

We are in an interesting time where technology is impacting how we connect and how students learn and [that change] is shaping the broader economy. It’s interesting to see and be involved in how Blake navigates these broader trends to drive value.

What do you tell others about Blake?

Blake is a world-class community, and I am still connected with most of my Blake friends. The school has created countless opportunities for me.

What do you enjoy the most about giving?

I’ve had such a wonderful life and met such amazing people because of Blake, I feel obligated to give every year.

Summer Grants Bring Big Ideas to Life For Blake teachers, summer is a time to step back and think big. The Curriculum Acceleration Fund empowers faculty to pursue collaborative projects and quickly bring them to the classroom. Through the fund, Upper School social studies teacher Ben Cady and science teacher Will Bohrnsen turned a conversation about the convergence of science and social studies into the collaborative, interdisciplinary project, “The History of Land Conservation, National Parks and Indigenous People.”

This year, students will examine the history and science behind U.S. National Parks, while digging deep into the social and political implications of conservation practices and the concept of land ownership.

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Blake faculty grantees in 2018

projects approved

faculty members new to Blake included

Learn More About Excellence Accelerated Rebecca Schubring Chief Advancement Officer rschubring@blakeschool.org 952-988-3432

110 Blake Road South Hopkins, MN 55343 blakeschool.org/excellence