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As the sun sets over the lake, our 6th graders wind down a day of challenges, including scaling, traversing, and repelling from the high ropes course at Camp Wood.
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Connection is published by the Office of Advancement. On The Cover Front: Students in Mrs. Harris’ AP Chemistry class ignite their curiosity. Back: 8th grader, Amir Khicha’s collage adorns the middle school hallway. Contributing Writers Charlie Ramseyer, Steve Naumann, Nathan Washer Contributing Photographers Amy Cunningham, Monique Gaines, Steve Naumann, John Pair ‘92, Charlie Ramseyer Editorial Staff Phoebe Hart ‘95 / Alumni & Community Relations Coordinator, Katie Leiding ‘04 / Director of Development, Steve Naumann / Director of Marketing & Communications, Bethany Phelps / Advancement Services Coordinator, Charlie Ramseyer / Communications Assistant, Kathy Rukes ‘99 / Director of Enrollment Management, Lalo Walsh / Assistant Director of Development, Barbara White / Executive Assistant to the Head of School Mission Statement Wichita Collegiate School exists to inspire all students to be the best versions of themselves through a transformative education grounded in academic excellence within our inclusive community. Vision Statement Wichita Collegiate School empowers all students to lead lives of impact by partnering with our students, faculty, families, and community.
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Contents 2 F R O M the HE AD of S CH O O L 4 N E W S Worth R EP E AT IN G 6 R O BO T S in the B AS EM EN T 12 6 0 Y E AR S of IM PAC T 16 A “ New” WAY to CO N N ECT
From the Head of School Dear Wichita Collegiate School Family, As we celebrate our 60th year it has been made clear to me in the past few months the profound impact that Collegiate has had on the lives of so many in the community. From welcoming back alumni and past faculty during Homecoming, to spending time with former trustees, to celebrating the new members of the Circle of Gold and our Halls of Fame, it has become increasingly apparent that this school has touched the hearts and lives of generations of Wichitans. The pride that emanates from everyone that has ever called Wichita Collegiate their home is infectious and drives my passion for continuing the school’s great legacy as we evolve to educate the students of today and tomorrow. The challenge of how to maintain the high standards that we have come to embody as an institution is a question that is always at the top of my mind. When the leadership team met over the summer, we asked ourselves, “what skills do our students need to succeed and lead lives of impact?” Reflecting on our own educational and life journeys, we came to the conclusion that we want our students to be perpetually curious. Looking back now, it seems like a long time ago that I was speaking with the faculty in the days leading up to the start of the school year about how we can “cultivate curiosity” in our students. In the days, weeks, and months since that initial conversation, it has become apparent how much our teachers and students have risen to the challenge. All it takes is a quick drop-in to ANY classroom on campus to see the amazing and innovative ways that our Spartans are asking questions, challenging norms, reflecting, analyzing, and sharing. Within these pages is just a sampling of the amazing things happening here. If you don’t follow us already, I encourage you to stay connected through our social media platforms and make it a point to come by campus for a performance, game, or competition. Wichita Collegiate School is thriving, and it is my honor and privilege to be part of continuing our impressive legacy into the future! Forever proud to be a Spartan!
Nathan Washer Head of School
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In case you missed it - and who could blame you if you did with all of the amazing things happening at WCS every day? Here’s a brief recap of some of the highlights we’ve shared over the last few months.
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1 A group of StuCo representatives brought a birthday cake to lunch at teacher pre-planning days in early August to kick off our 60th year as a school. 2 Middle and upper school teachers participated in a training that focused on student engagement. We loved seeing how engaged the teachers got in their own discussions about the material. 3 Middle school counselor Heidi Holton ‘11 and therapy dog Honey brighten every room they enter. 4 At the beginning of the year, Mr. Washer challenged our faculty to focus on cultivating curiosity in our Spartans. It’s been apparent from the moment students arrived back on campus that the challenge has been accepted. 5 There is no better way to kick off the year than by watching the faces of all of our students beam with pride as their class is introduced by the seniors at the all-school assembly. 6 The 6th grade trip to Camp Wood may tie perfectly with their novel study of Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen, but the best part of the trip is watching these kids step away from their normal, busy days and getting to spend two days challenging themselves and bonding with each other and their teachers. 7 At the middle school talent show, the audience is always treated to something surprising. 8 The alumni tent at the Homecoming football game is a great place for Spartans of all generations to meet up with old friends and teachers. 9 Congratulations to our National Merit Scholars! Six students earned National Merit Commended Recognition (top 2.5%) and five earned National Merit Semifinalist honors (top 1%). 10 Several of our high school students volunteered to work at Habitat for Humanity, enabling Lovetta Smith to gain enough volunteer hours so that a house can be built for her. She was so grateful for their work, and we are so proud of the way our Spartans love on the community of Wichita. 11 Wellness Wednesday in the middle school was a day focused on mental health and wellness. Pictured here are students learning meditation skills in the Black Box Theater. 12 A group of Spartans volunteered at the Ulrich Museum’s Build-A-Bowl event to help fight against hunger in our community by creating one-of-a-kind ceramic bowls to be donated to the Empty Bowls Chili Cook-off fundraiser that benefits HumanKind Ministries and ICT Community Fridge Project. 13 The best part of Picnic Buddy Day is always the buddies. Our little Spartans LOVE their big buddies, and our big buddies love them right back. 14 KWCH partnered with DeVaughn James Injury Lawyers to surprise senior Ayaan Parikh with a Helping Hand award in recognition for all he does to give back to the community. Ayaan founded Medic All, a program that leverages telemedicine to increase healthcare access for low-income patients. 15 Congratulations to first grade teacher Kelsey Fulghum on being awarded a KAKE News Golden Apple award for teachers in the Wichita area who inspire and motivate students to great heights. 16 Serving as an opportunity to showcase all of the vocal talents of our students, Broadway in Bluejeans never disappoints. 17 Thank you to everyone that helped make this year’s Day of Giving a huge success! Our students benefit every day from the generosity of this community. 18 Class of 2002 alumna, author, illustrator, and recently inducted member of our Fine Arts Hall of Fame Maggie Chang came back to campus to spend time reading her book Geraldine Pu and Her Lunchbox, Too! to our lower school students. 19 The three-peat is complete! Congratulations to Margaret Ulrich for winning her third state golf title! 20 Our tennis team once again came home state champions. Along with team title, Lara de Carvalho won the singles state title, Laney Conrad and Julia Herrman repeated as doubles state champions, Amelia Blackman took 5th place in singles and the doubles team of Langley Overman and Tatum Downing finished in 7th. 21 The boys placed 3rd at Cross Country Regionals and qualified for State with Will Meyer individually winning league and regional championships and finishing 4th in 3A state. Our girls team took 4th at Regionals with Alegra Fazio and Dahlia Issa qualifying for state. 22 The Marching Spartans bring a new meaning to “Friday Night Lights.” The annual halftime Glowshow performance is always a crowd-pleaser and helped celebrate what would become a district championship for Spartan football. 23 Spartan football wins the district championship on our home turf. 24 With one of the best records in Spartan Volleyball history, the varsity team takes 2nd place in the league.
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ROBOTS in the basement
FAR FROM CREATING A.I. OVERLORDS, OUR UPPER SCHOOL ROBOTICS TEAM MIGHT JUST BE BUILDING OUR SAVIORS. by Steve Naumann
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art machine shop, part computer coding lab, part Weird Science set piece, the Innovation Laboratory tucked away in the upper school basement is a bustling and humming (literally) repository of tools and parts for seemingly any job imaginable - and many unimaginable. It’s no wonder that the upper school robotics team finds their home in this den of mechanicallyminded mad scientists.
Senior captain Elijah Allen leads a team made up of a dozen or so students representing grades 9-12. I recently spent time with Elijah and some of the members of his crew as they underwent their final week of preparations before their culminating robotics competition. “Multitasking” doesn’t adequately describe the way Elijah was able to bounce between bringing me up to speed on all things robotics, troubleshooting a malfunctioning mechanical claw, brainstorming strategy with his team, disassembling said malfunctioning claw, walking me through the challenge course they built, explaining the intricacies of their design, and posing for a few photos. All the while, quietly keeping watch from across the room, is innovation lab teacher, robotics aficionado, and engineering instructor extraordinaire, John Bullinger. Mr. Bullinger admits that one of the most challenging parts of serving as mentor to the robotics team is staying out of things. With a naturally curious mind and a penchant for tinkering, Mr. Bullinger has always had a knack for figuring out how things work and then making them work better. Both Elijah and Mr. Bullinger were kind enough to sit down with me and chat about some of the processes, challenges, and intricacies of the robotics team as they prepare for their upcoming competition.
BUT FIRST... FIRST a little backstory on the competition and its organization. BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science, and Technology) Robotics celebrated its 30th birthday in 2022 and has served as a loud and proud advocate for STEAM since its inception. From bestrobotics.org: Take plywood and a box filled with items such as PVC pipe, screws and other hardware, an irrigation valve cover, piano wire, aluminum paint grid, a bicycle inner tube, a BRAIN (BEST Robotics Advanced Instruction Node programmable platform), and something called a microenergy chain system and try, within six weeks, to design and build a functioning machine that can perform certain, specific tasks in three minutes. What do you get? You get BEST, a middle and high school robotics competition whose mission is to engage and excite students about engineering, science, and technology as well as inspire them to pursue careers in these fields. Each fall, over 850 middle and high schools and over 18,000 students participate in the competition nationwide. The design and theme of the competition are different each year and are intended to stimulate problem-solving efforts with real-world applications. This year’s theme is “Incision Decision” and is built around the idea that advances in technology and innovation will continue to improve the future of medical care, specifically in the area of minimally invasive surgeries. The SIMBODY training platform is the challenge course our robotics team will have to traverse this year. It is designed to simulate the internal human body and acts as a training ground for several robotic assisted surgeries. The brief:
“DESIGN “DESIGN AND AND DEMONSTRATE DEMONSTRATE A A MULTIMULTIFUNCTIONAL FUNCTIONAL ROBOT ROBOT THAT THAT CAN CAN AID AID SURGEONS SURGEONS TO TO ACCOMPLISH ACCOMPLISH SEVERAL SEVERAL SURGERIES SURGERIES IN IN A A SHORT SHORT AMOUNT AMOUNT OF OF TIME.” TIME.” 7
ROBOTS in the BASEMENT
How short an amount of time? The team has 8 weeks to learn the theme, design a robot, write and program code, build a test course, determine the tasks to attempt, practice, practice, practice, break the robot, fix it, practice some more, tweak the design, 3D print a wheel out of specialized compressible material to provide the perfect amount of tension for moving parts, and spend hours of time after school and on the weekends to get everything just right. Did I mention that on the competition day, teams have only 3 minutes to maneuver their creation through the course and achieve their goals? No problem, right? It’s not like it’s brain surgery. Well, actually the SIMBODY course includes sections that represent the brain cavity, heart, coronary
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arteries, and lower extremity veins. The following “surgeries’’ are the tasks that the teams must design their robot to complete:
Remove faulty heart valves, install artificial heart valves, cardiac ablation, install pacemaker electrodes, artificial plaque removal, angioplasty, vein harvesting, coronary bypass procedure, internal hemorrhage damage control, and autonomous brain biopsy. And don’t forget, the team has to complete their chosen task(s) in just 3 minutes while maneuvering their way through the course at the same time as competing teams.
Game play is as much a factor as anything in this competition. Elijah and his team had to determine which of the surgeries they could accomplish in the 3 minute limit, keeping in mind the complexitybased points assigned to the tasks and the fact that other teams will be working in the same “body” simultaneously. When asked about their strategy, Elijah simply answered, “speed and specialization.” Their robot Clawdius (aka The Creature) has a fully articulated claw arm that is designed for coronary artery bypass and vein harvesting surgeries. As for the speed, giant wheels and specialized motors chosen for their torque output ought to do to the job.
Final adjustments are made to “The Creature” to optimize its functionality. The competition isn’t limited to the SIMBODY course. The design, display, and marketing wing of the robotics team present to the judges how their design could be used in the real world, how it could be produced on market scale, and the elements that would be highlighted in a marketing campaign.
On competition day, pilots and spotters work together to maneuver their robot through the course and complete the “surgeries.”
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Now, let’s hear from the experts... Tell me a little about yourself. Elijah Allen - I’ve been at WCS since freshman year, meaning I came during the first full COVID year. I’ve been in the robotics program all four years of high school. How did the robotics team come about? John Bullinger - In 2013, the science department decided to stop participating in Science Olympiad, so we were tasked with trying to find something that would replace it. After doing some research, the Best Robotics competition seemed like a perfect replacement. What made you want to get involved with the robotics team? EA - You can learn how to use all of the equipment, you can learn all of the engineering skills, and you can do all the math, but real applications are the most fun part. Also, meeting like-minded people and learning practical STEAM skills are invaluable. Describe your role as it pertains to the robotics team? JB - As the coach, my role is: to provide students with the knowledge and skills they need to design, build, and test their robots; to teach students how to think creatively and come up with solutions on the fly; to help students learn how to work together effectively; and to help students develop a game strategy and practice their skills in preparation for competitions. Walk me through the design process. What informs your design? Does the robot design evolve throughout the process? If so, how and why? EA - The biggest thing that influences the design is the relation of certain parts of the course to their corresponding point values in the game. Obviously, we can’t do everything, but if we focus on smaller parts, then we have a better chance of getting further. The robot definitely does evolve throughout the process. As more time goes on, more and more ideas are added until we have a final robot made with the combination of each person’s ideas.
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Tell me about the process of competing. What is the competition like? Is it cutthroat or more of a community of like-minded people? EA - The competition is definitely more like a community of like-minded people. In fact, probably the most fun part about the experience is meeting new people and making friends while participating in a unique robotics competition. 8 weeks seems like a short time to be able to achieve all that you do. Tell me about how you spend that time. EA - Most of the time at the beginning is spent building and refining the robot. The issue is that rapid prototyping is difficult, and the rules severely limit the amount of innovation that can be accomplished. A couple weeks into the project, we shift our focus to completing the Critical Design Review, Marketing Presentation, and the Engineering Notebook. What surprises you the most about working with these students? JB - One of the most surprising things is their sense of community. Everyone feels a part of the team, even with their own individual personalities and skill sets. How does the team operate? Do you all specialize, or is it “all-hands-on-deck” all the time? What does your role as captain require of you? EA - The team definitely specializes itself into sections for building/design, driving, marketing, and notebook sections. This makes delegating one of the most important parts of being a captain, and making sure that everyone is doing their part is vital to the team’s success. From your perspective, what combination of students (skillsets, personalities…) make up the ideal robotics team? JB - Kind, compassionate, hard working, forgiving, and accepting.
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What is the most challenging part of the whole process from kick-off to competition? EA - Getting started is the most challenging part about the competition. Once a good idea has been found, it becomes more enjoyable, and everyone can get excited about the building and design. Do you have a particular goal at competition this year? EA - Our goal for competition this year is mostly to teach the underclassmen as many skills as possible. While we, of course, try our best at the competition, much of the value of the competition is in the pursuit of success itself.
Tell me about working with Elijah. JB - Elijah uses his keen observation skills along with his natural abilities to look at a design and quickly see the flaws. Almost as quickly as Elijah sees the flaws, he develops a viable solution. Most people become frustrated with problems; however, problems inspire Elijah. He uses the opportunity to search for better ways of doing things which gives him confidence and personal satisfaction. I was impressed with his ability to stay focused and not let frustration get in the way of solving the problem at hand, and I could tell how proud he was with the way he handled the pressure of having the robotics team rely on him.
How do you see yourself applying skills you’ve learned through robotics in your future? EA - Definitely the most valuable part about the robotics competition is learning how to work within a team. Delegation and cooperation are fundamental skills which I have been able to apply in my internship opportunities at Textron Aviation and the National Institute for Aviation Research. My experiences with robotics in past years actually made my internships more successful and have allowed me to both help each company more, as well as learn more from each experience, because being able to work with others increased my capacity to network. Tell me about working with Mr. Bullinger. EA - Working with Mr. Bullinger has always been great, as he has a lot of experience with the equipment and is always willing to help or take an extra moment to teach. He’s also a friendly and trustworthy person, making the robotics culture one of acceptance and respect. While Mr. Bullinger teaches us how to use the equipment, he is also intentionally resistant to share his design opinions. He is always sure to not influence the decisions of the team in order to keep the design truly ours. Overall, Mr. Bullinger maintains a good balance between being a friend and a mentor and acts as a teacher while limiting his impact.
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n August we had the ultimate privilege of being able to gather and induct our 2023 Circle of Gold class. Induction into our Circle of Gold is the highest honor at Collegiate, reserved for the true architects of our school. Among the many qualifications for receiving this honor, one is that the honoree’s official role within Wichita Collegiate must have come to an end. As such, this event brings our past and present together in the most special way. In doing the math for this year’s special class, one is quick to notice that these ten people have contributed for over 250 years of service
The inspiring words shared both by and about the inductees on that special night are still echoing in the ears of those in attendance and will be for a while to come. We all left feeling exactly what Mrs. Wagner said in her speech:
to the school. Each school year commences with an All School Assembly in the Ockerman Amphitheater. It was there that we were able to introduce the inductees to our current Spartans. Later that day we celebrated them with a special evening of dinner and speeches. In the words spoken both by them and about them, their love for our school and our students was and still is evident in their commitment to all things Wichita Collegiate. Each and every Spartan that walks our halls continues to be impacted by the strong foundation they have left behind. This year’s class includes:
As Diana Nixon spoke about how special her thirty-plus years as a member of faculty were, she shared,
“It was “I’ve been a lot of places...there is NO the greatest place like Wichita journey.” Collegiate School.” 12
A quick glance around the room showed that all of the nominees were nodding in agreement.
Kevin Mykel on Dr. Jerry Nixon:
”For generations of Collegiate students there is only one person who is ’The doctoR.’ And it is not an immortal being with a British accent who travels time. It is Dr. Jerry Nixon.”
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Barbara Burcham’s years of service as a preschool teacher can be seen in the generations of children that have grown up to be confident, resilient adults that thrive long beyond their years at Wichita Collegiate School. Kathie Dakhil’s vision and generosity as both a tireless parent volunteer and dedicated Trustee will be felt for generations of Spartans. Tom Davis’ long tenure as Head of School brought nearly two decades of stability in leadership that allowed us to flourish and meet the needs of our community. Virginia Kehoe, who taught Latin for over 40 years at Collegiate, inspired generations of graduates with her quiet yet encouraging spirit and love of language. Diana Nixon brought learning to life in her history classroom as she created memorable and hands-on experiences for her students.
Dr. Jerry Nixon’s imprint on our school lies in a generation of Spartans’ understanding of the value of research and good writing skills. Ann Ramseyer was instrumental in bringing service learning to our campus, while promoting, nurturing, and encouraging students to be the best versions of themselves. Susie Steed welcomed new families, showcased our school with impactful campaigns, and was always the greatest cheerleader for Collegiate. Barbara Stokley’s passion for language and literature encouraged the hundreds of students that entered her classroom in the Middle and Upper school to become sensitive to the human condition. Kathy LeValley Wagner inspired a love of physical activity with innovative, creative lessons that transformed our gym into a vibrant classroom for over 40 years.
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CELEBRATING 60 YEARS
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he inaugural class of the Wichita Collegiate Athletic Hall of Fame was inducted on February 12, 2005. The goal of the Athletic Hall of Fame has always been to honor individuals who have had a significant impact on the WCS athletic programs. Over the years, honorees have often shared about how the school allowed them to pursue multiple interests alongside their athletic endeavors. This commonality is a small part of what drove us to celebrate our newly minted Fine Arts Hall of Fame alongside the Athletics Hall of Fame
this year. We were excited to announce the creation of our Fine Arts Hall of Fame last spring. Our Fine Arts Hall of Fame award will honor and celebrate the contributions of both our accomplished alumni and past faculty members in all of the areas of Fine Arts during and beyond their time at Wichita Collegiate School. And as we inducted the inaugural class this fall, we were blown away by how Spartans continue to celebrate each other in the athletics and fine arts, cheering one and other on to an abundance of success in all areas of life.
“I couldn’t be more excited about the addition of the Fine Arts to this hall of fame celebration. You guys are sending an important message to us art kids. Trace Clark, Football and Basketball, Class of 2012 The message: there’s a Lakelin Conrad, Cross Country, Track, And Tennis, Class of 2018 path for you too. And Sara Koch Crawford, Basketball, Class of 1980 Bill Messamore, Former Football Coach, 1996-2022 not just a path, but Hannah Osland, Tennis, Class of 2016 Randy Love, Football, Class of 1967 a life of meaning and Raymond Taylor, Football and Basketball, Class of 2011 purpose and contribution.” Brooke Withrow, Tennis, Class of 2014 Gary Buettgenbach, Former Fine Arts Teacher, 1988-2020 Maggie Chang, Author and Illustrator, Class of 2002 Matt Combs, Professional Fiddler, Class of 1993 Whitney Cooper, Broadway Dancer, Class of 2008 Jim Diego, Vocalist, Class of 2002 Marc Havener, Film Producer, Class of 1992 James Ockerman, Former Fine Arts Teacher, 1974-2006 Sherri Pilgreen, Former Music Teacher, 1998-2011 Brandon Somerhalder, Video Producer, Class of 2010 Blake Webster, Film Producer, Class of 1998
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Coach Black on Coach Bill Messamore:
”Bill was a great teacher. He was great in the classroom and on the fIeld. Bill was about each player and student achieving greatness, which is exactly what our school is about. Bill loves WCS. He is the best promoter of our school and its values.”
"I feel very honored to be here because of the other names on this list. It's crazy to me. James Ockerman, Gary Buettgenbach, Sherri Pilgreen - that's like the Lebron, Jordan, Shaq or Kobe. It's the Mount Rushmore, if you will. For me to be honored the same day is just crazy to me." - Blake Webster '98
“...between playing for the University of Oklahoma, training at the Evert Academy, and 15 years of competitive tennis, some of my fondest memories were the years spent playing for WCS. The three years playing for Collegiate made a lonely sport feel a little less lonely.” - Brooke Withrow ‘14
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CS THE W S ELP APP H TAY IES S L I M A F CTED E N N CO few years back, we introduced the Wichita Collegiate School mobile app. The app is intended to be a mobile-friendly way to access all of the information that a Collegiate family might need to have at their fingertips. Having gone through some revisions since its initial roll-out, the app is now better than ever. Families can check the events calendar, see what’s for lunch, browse the family directory, or check out the feed for the latest school news. To make the best use of the Wichita Collegiate School app, make sure you have the latest version downloaded. The WCS app is a great way to:
Stay up-to-date with school announcements Learn about upcoming events Quickly access contact information As we look to make it easier for families to stay in touch with the school, the app will become an even more important tool. Plans are in the works for a secure communication feature to be added in the future, so download the WCS app and stay tuned for exciting news.
DOWNLOAD TODAY!
To get our app simply search “wcsks” in the Apple App Store or Google Play for Android apps, or scan the QR code at the bottom of the page with your phone’s camera.
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